Ionic liquids (ILs), a class of materials with unique physicochemical properties, have been used extensively in the fields of chemical engineering, biotechnology, material sciences, pharmaceutics, and many others. Because ILs are very polar by nature, they can migrate into the environment with the possibility of inclusion in the food chain and bioaccumulation in living organisms. However, the chemical natures of ILs are not quintessentially biocompatible. Therefore, the practical uses of ILs must be preceded by suitable toxicological assessments. Among different methods, the use of microorganisms to evaluate IL toxicity provides many advantages including short generation time, rapid growth, and environmental and industrial relevance. This article reviews the recent research progress on the toxicological properties of ILs toward microorganisms and highlights the computational prediction of various toxicity models.
Chemical dispersants are extensively used for marine oil spill remediation. However, the increased toxicity and low biodegradability of these dispersants restrict their employment in the marine environment. Hence, in this work, we have developed an eco-friendly formulation composed of an ionic liquid,1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium lauroyl sarcosinate [BMIM][Lausar] and sorbitan monooleate (Span) 80. Micellar and interfacial parameters, dispersion effectiveness, as well as the toxicity and biodegradability of the developed formulation were investigated. Micellar properties confirmed a high degree of synergism among the surfactant molecules and the formation of stable micelle. The dispersion effectiveness, at dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) of 1:25 (v/v), against three crude oils (Arab, Ratawi, and Doba) was assessed. We achieved a dispersion effectiveness of 68.49%, 74.05%, and 83.43% for Ratawi, Doba, and Arab crude oil, respectively, using a 70:30 (w/w) ratio of Span 80 to [BMIM][Lausar]. Furthermore, the results obtained from optical microscopy and particle size analysis (PSA) indicated that the oil droplet size decreased with higher DOR. Additionally, acute toxicity experiments were conducted on zebrafish (Danio rerio) using the developed formulation, confirming its non-toxic behavior, with LC50 values of 800 mg/L after 96 h. The formulation also exhibited high biodegradability, with only 25.01% of the original quantity remaining after 28 days. Hence, these results suggest that the new formulation has the potential to be a highly effective and environmentally friendly dispersant for oil spill remediation.
Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in contributing to the processes of aging and disease. In an effort to combat free radical activity, scientists are studying the effects of increasing individuals' antioxidant levels through diet and dietary supplements. Honey appears to act as an antioxidant in more ways than one. In the body, honey can mop up free radicals and contribute to better health. Various antioxidant activity methods have been used to measure and compare the antioxidant activity of honey. In recent years, DPPH (Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power), ORAC (The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), ABTS [2, 2-azinobis (3ehtylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diamonium salt], TEAC [6-hydroxy-2, 5, 7, 8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox)-equivalent antioxidant capacity] assays have been used to evaluate antioxidant activity of honey. The antioxidant activity of honey is also measured by ascorbic acid content and different enzyme assays like Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPO), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). Among the different methods available, methods that have been validated, standardized and widely reported are recommended.
In the present study, a sensitive and fully validated liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry method was developed for the quantification of three potential genotoxic impurities in rabeprazole drug substance. The separation was achieved on Symmetry C18 column (100 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm) using 0.1% formic acid in water as mobile phase A and acetonitrile as mobile phase B in gradient elution mode at 0.5 mL/min flow rate. Triple quadrupole mass detection with electrospray ionization was operated in selected ion recording mode for the quantification of impurities. The calibration curves were demonstrated good linearity over the concentration range of 1.0-4.5 ppm for O-phenylenediamine, 1.8-4.5 ppm for 4-nitrolutidine-N-oxide and 1.0-4.5 ppm for benzyltriethylammonium chloride with respect to 10 mg/mL of rabeprazole. The correlation coefficient obtained in each case was >0.998. The recoveries were found satisfactory over the range between 94.22 and 106.84% for all selected impurities. The method validation was carried out following International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, from which the developed method was able to quantitate the impurities at 1.0 ppm for O-phenylenediamine, 1.8 ppm for 4-nitrolutidine-N-oxide and 1.0 ppm for benzyltriethylammonium chloride. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully evaluated for the determination of selected impurities from bulk drug and formulation samples of rabeprazole within the acceptable limits.
This research aims to study the spinnability of pristine PALF and PALF blended cotton using the existing spinning machines. Apron draft ring spinning frame and flyer jute spinning frame were used to produce 100% PALF yarn and the yarns count were found 121 tex and 138 tex separately. Besides, 90:10 and 80:20 cotton-PALF blended 30 tex yarn spun in a cotton spinning system with different twist factors. With both yarns, two samples; 1/1 plain and 3/1 twill fabrics, were fabricated through equal density. For plain and twill fabric, PALF yarn of 121 tex and 138 tex were used in the warp way, respectively and PALF blended cotton yarn of 60 tex was used in the weft way. Through the study, physio-mechanical properties of the samples were explored and FTIR & XRD patterns were analyzed to perform the task for diversified use as an ultimate fiber in industrial and domestic purposes.
The thermal kinetic modeling is crucial for development of sustainable processes where lignocellulosic fuels are a part of chemical system and their thermal degradation eventuates. In this paper, thermal decomposition of three lignocellulosic materials (bagasse, rice husk, and wheat straw) was obtained by the thermogravimetric (TG) technique and kinetics was analyzed by both model-fitting and isoconversional (model-free) methods to compare their effectiveness. Two models selected from each class include Arrhenius and Coats-Redfern (model-fitting), and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) (model-free). The formal model-fitting approach simulating the thermal decomposition of solids by assuming a fixed mechanism was found to be unduly facile. However, activation energy (E) values calculated from two model-fitting techniques were considerably different from each other with a percentage difference in the range of 1.36% to 7.65%. Particularly, both model-fitting methods predicted different reaction mechanism for thermal disintegration of lignocellulosic materials (two-dimensional diffusion (D2) by Arrhenius and one-dimensional diffusion (D1) by Coat-Redfern method). Conversely, the model-free routine offers a transformation of mechanism and activation energy values throughout reaction and is, therefore, more authentic to illustrate the complexity of thermal disintegration of lignocellulosic particles. Based on the model-free kinetic analysis, the lignocellulosic materials may be devised in following order of activation energy: rice husk > bagasse > wheat straw, by both KAS and FWO methods with a percentage difference no more than 0.84% for fractional conversion up to 0.7. Isoconversional approach could be recommended as more realistic and precise for modeling non-isothermal kinetics of lignocellulosic residues compared to model-fitting approach.