Band 9, Heft 2

Two dimensional (2D) Dirac materials, such as graphene, hold promise of being useful in energy storage, and thus have merged as candidates that are worth exploring through the last couple of decades. In this chapter, we mainly focus on three aspects of these materials, namely, the electronic properties, via computing the band structure, the topological properties through the topological invariants, and the prospects of these 2D materials for spintronic applications, via studying the spin polarized transport. All of these properties are correlated, and hence warrant a thorough discussion. Further, in order to ascertain whether a band deformation induces noticeable effects on the electronic, topological and spintronic properties, we have considered a 2D semi-Dirac system, that does not have Dirac cones, however the conduction and the valence bands touch at an intermediate to the Dirac points in the Brillouin zone. From our studies, we infer that the behaviour of these semi-Dirac systems is quite distinct from their Dirac counterpart. Finally, in order to have noticeable spin polarized transport, we use heavy adatoms (such as, Au) on the graphene matrix which enhances the spin–orbit coupling, and thereby propose a mechanism that will ramify on the spintronic applications.

Temporal land use and land cover (LULC) information of a landscape provide an overview of the drivers of change, and impacts on the socio-ecological system. This necessitates organizing diverse data of a landscape, which provides insights into sustainable management. Spatial heterogeneity with landscape dynamics influences biotic and abiotic processes. The knowledge of LULC dynamics aids in assessing the feedback between socio-ecological systems across the urban and rural environments. Visualizing likely landscape changes through modeling help in the decision-making for sustainable landscape management. The current chapter accounts for changes in LULC patterns of the agrarian district Tumkur in Karnataka State, considering temporal remote sensing data of three decades, using geospatial techniques and modeling. Land use (LU) analyses indicate an increase in horticulture area from 0.94 (1989) to 1.02% (2019) due to an increase in commercial cropping. An upsurge of built-up cover from 0.02 to 2.11% (1989–2019) with the enhanced socio-economic activities with the industrialization and infrastructure development across the Tumkur to Bangalore highway. Spatial patterns of landscape dynamics assessed through spatial matrices highlight of increase in urbanization with land conversion from agriculture and forest cover in the outskirts of the Tumkur city center. Ecologically significant regions (ESR) were identified at disaggregated levels through aggregate metrics incorporating bio-geo-climatic, social, hydrological, and ecological aspects. The study region is divided into 9 × 9 km grids for computing metrics at disaggregated levels. ESR is delineated based on the composite metric of all variables, depicts 17 grids (11%) under ESR 1, indicating the highest sensitivity, 29% area (46 grids) as ESR 2 (higher sensitivity), 45% (70 grids) as ESR 3 (high sensitivity), and the rest is 15% (24 grids) in ESR 4 (moderate sensitivity). The outcome of the current research would provide critical management approaches required for managing natural resources and will be valuable for policy and planning purposes in pursuing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional scale.

Surfactants are surface active agents. They are mainly chemicals, when added to water will reduce the surface tension of water and thus increases wettability on the given surface. Surfactants normally carry hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends among which hydrophilic end connects to water layer. The hydrophobic part connects between aqueous phase and the given hydrophobic surface through the hydrophobic end. However, these surfactants act as emulsifying agents or foaming agents. Further the chemistry behind the action of surfactants is introduced for the readers. Surfactants can be classified based on origin, charge on heads, solubility of water etc. and is specified in this paper. Also synthesis of various types of surfactants is carefully incorporated in the chapter. The chapters dwells in detail the various sustainability related applications of surfactants which is relevant for sustainable living in the society.

The growing demand for poultry meat and eggs has forced plenty of changes in poultry production in recent years. According to FAO, the total number of poultry in the world in 2019 was 27.9 billion. About 93% of them are chickens. The number of chickens has doubled in the last 30 years. These animals are the most numerous in Asia and America. Hence, poultry meat is the most frequently obtained type of meat in recent years (it is 40.6% of the obtained meat). Focusing on lowering production costs has led to process optimization, which was possible by improving the use of animal genetics, optimizing feeding programs, and new production technologies. The applied process optimization and production increase practices may also lead to a deterioration of the ecological balance through pollution with chemical substances, water consumption, and natural resources. The aim of this paper was to review the current state of knowledge in the field of the ecological footprint of poultry production and the impact on environmental genes.

The high prevalence of dental fluorosis and bone mineralization deficiency as a result of exposure to fluorides has increased in Kenya over the years due to consumption of water with elevated levels of fluoride. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides a guideline of 1.5 mg/L level of fluoride in drinking water. However, majority of studies carried out in Kenya over the last 40 plus years have indicated very high levels of fluoride in drinking water in various regions, with a prevalence in dental fluorosis observed in children and adults living in Rift valley and central regions due to basaltic and volcanic rocks. Unfortunately, this trend of fluoride-induced enamel changes has been observed in other regions such as Nairobi and Machakos which were originally presumed to contain low fluoride levels. This study sought to analyse the applicability of Maerua subcordata root powder (MSRP) in the removal of fluorides in borehole drinking water. Fresh Maerua subcordata roots were peeled to obtain the white flesh, chopped into small pieces, dried and ground into powder. The process parameters varied were; fluoride ion concentration [F − ] (0–12 mg/L), adsorbent dosage (0–200 g/L) and equilibration time (30–240 min) [F − ] were hence analysed before and after treatment using ion selective electrode (ISE) fluoride meter. Results indicated that MSRP is a viable plant in fluoride treatment with approximately 68% fluoride ion removal efficiency. An MSRP dosage of 200 g/L was found optimal in [F − ] reduction while a 2 mg/L [F − ] concentration recorded the highest reduction of [F − ]. The optimal equilibration time was found to be 30 min. The results can be used to develop a low-cost column for treatment of high fluoride waters in rural areas using MSRP. Borehole samples were treated with MSRP using the optimized conditions; however their reduction levels were lower than the [F − ] standards used. It is envisaged that with further modification and/or doping with zero-valent iron nanoparticles, it’s efficiency will be improved.

Nutrition is the most important environmental factor affecting development, health status, growth performance and profitability of poultry production. Feeds for poultry constitute up to 70–75% of total production costs. Poultry nutrition differs considerably from that of other livestock, which is determined by the specific anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract. Protein, energy, fat, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and water are of basic importance for poultry nutrition and their content in feeds must cover the requirement that differ depending on the bird’s age and species. In general, feed protein must be of good value including the content of essential amino acids. Among them lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine and tryptophan are the limiting ones. The main ingredient of poultry feeds are cereal grains, i.e. wheat and maize, which predominantly constitute an energy source because their protein content is insufficient for birds. Because of that cereals cannot be the only feed for poultry and must be combined with protein sources such as soybean or rapeseed meal, legume seeds or protein concentrates. Despite birds’ requirement for nutrients and chemical composition of feeds are well known, nutrition must face many problems. One of the most important issues is to find alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters.

An organic reaction with water as a medium has numerous benefits, like improvement in reactivities and selectivities, simple workup techniques, possibility of recycling the catalyst with milder reaction conditions and eco-friendly synthesis. Further, exploring of water as a reaction medium gives rise to unusual reactivities and selectivities, supplementing the organic chemist’s necessity for reaction media. This review focus on the use of water for the synthesis of Nitrogen-containing heterocycles covering from 2011 to 2021.

The application of inorganic nanoparticles as nanocatalyst for synthesizing of nitrogen containing heterocycles are reviewed. While an inclusive summary of the various catalysts utilized in the synthesis of heterocycles is demonstrated with limited focus on the preparation or characterization of the catalyst. The review is being summarized into different sections based on the size and the number of N -atoms in the cyclic compounds.

Due to the intensification of food production methods, an increase in the importance of analytical chemistry can be observed. Analytical chemistry is on the one hand a scientific activity that brings new elements to the methodology of analytical chemistry, e.g. theoretical fundamentals of analytical methods, and on the other hand, this field of chemistry cannot exist without practical applications. Currently, it is used in all aspects of our life, including food production of particular importance.

Undoubtedly, the discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest milestones in the treatment of human and animal diseases. Due to their over-use mainly as antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in livestock farming, antimicrobial resistance has been reported with increasing intensity, especially in the last decades. In order to reduce the scale of this phenomenon, initially in the Scandinavian countries and then throughout the entire European Union, a total ban on the use of AGP was introduced, moreover, a significant limitation in the use of these feed additives is now observed almost all over the world. The withdrawal of AGP from widespread use has prompted investigators to search for alternative strategies to maintain and stabilize the composition of the gut microbiota. These strategies include substances that are used in an attempt to stimulate the growth and activity of symbiotic bacteria living in the digestive tract of animals, as well as living microorganisms capable of colonizing the host’s gastrointestinal tract, which can positively affect the composition of the intestinal microbiota by exerting a number of pro-health effects, i.e., prebiotics and probiotics, respectively. In this review we also focused on plants/herbs derived products that are collectively known as phytobiotic.

The issue of heavy metal water pollution is one that concerns everyone. Both plants and humans are negatively impacted by heavy metals. Consequently, the environment and water resources require an efficient heavy metal remediation technique. In this context, a series of compounds were investigated as potential chelating agents for the removal of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb cations from water. By solvent extraction, it was shown that the chelating ligands’ affinity for Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb as indicated by the extraction performance was in the following order: Cu > Zn > Cd > Pb. The size and electrical characteristics of the metal as well as the ligand structure affect how well L1 – L6 extracts that metal.

The present-day inclination towards increased application of pesticides derived from natural sources is not without its own hazards. Such pesticides are indubitably less harmful compared to the newer classes of low persistence organophosphates; however, these pesticides may be hydrolyzed to yield secondary products which often exhibit significantly different toxicity. Additionally, studies show that the inert materials used in formulation can exhibit significant toxicity on their own. The toxicity of secondary products and inert materials are largely unknown since these molecules are largely uncharacterized. Azadirachtin is such a candidate pesticide. It is derived from the neem tree Azadirachta indica , and it ticks all the above boxes. In its pure form, formulation and crude extracts, it can generate ecotoxicological effects ranging from behavioural anomalies and physiological imbalances to growth suppression. Authors at various times have pointed out the ability of azadirachtin (or that of its metabolites’/break-down products’) to cause specific, documentable effects on growth and reproduction of non-target fauna. Since extensive reports are available on the toxicology of azadirachtin to terrestrial beneficial fauna like bees and earthworms, this review aims to present a coherent picture of the effects of azadirachtin on non-target aquatic organisms through a documentation of relevant reports published during the last three decades. It is hoped that this compilation will help sensitize public opinion about the erroneous supposition that pesticides derived from natural sources are not innately harmful to non-target biota.

Many industrial biotechnological processes use filamentous microorganisms to produce platform chemicals, proteins, enzymes and natural products. Product formation is directly linked to their cellular morphology ranging from dispersed mycelia over loose clumps to compact pellets. Therefore, the adjustment and control of the filamentous cellular morphology pose major challenges for bioprocess engineering. Depending on the filamentous strain and desired product, optimal morphological shapes for achieving high product concentrations vary. However, there are currently no overarching strain- or product-related correlations to improve process understanding of filamentous production systems. The present book chapter summarizes the extensive work conducted in recent years in the field of improving product formation and thus intensifying biotechnological processes with filamentous microorganisms. The goal is to provide prospective scientists with an extensive overview of this scientifically diverse, highly interesting field of study. In the course of this, multiple examples and ideas shall facilitate the combination of their acquired expertise with promising areas of future research. Therefore, this overview describes the interdependence between filamentous cellular morphology and product formation. Moreover, the currently most frequently used experimental techniques for morphological structure elucidation will be discussed in detail. Developed strategies of morphology engineering to increase product formation by tailoring and controlling cellular morphology and thus to intensify processes with filamentous microorganisms will be comprehensively presented and discussed.

The exuberant development of targeted genome editing has revolutionized research on the chicken genome, generating chickens with beneficial parameters. The chicken model is a crucial experimental tool that can be utilized for drug manufacture, preclinical research, pathological observation, and other applications. In essence, tweaking the chicken’s genome has enabled the poultry industry to get more done with less, generating genetically modified chickens that lay eggs containing large amounts of lifesaving humanized drugs. The transition of gene editing from concept to practical application has been dramatically hastened by the development of programmable nucleases, bringing scientists closer than ever to the efficient producers of tomorrow’s medicines. Combining the developmental and physiological characteristics of the chicken with cutting-edge genome editing, the chicken furnishes a potent frontier that is foreseen to be actively pursued in the future. Herein we review the current and future prospects of gene editing in chickens and the contributions to the development of humanized pharmaceuticals.

Prenatal programming is a concept based on assumptions that the events occurring in critical points of embryonic development may pose epigenetic changes resulting from chemical rearrangements on the DNA structure. Epigenetic changes may pose life lasting phenotypic effects in the animal, or can be heritable, like gene silencing associated with methylation in gene promoters regions. The technical advancements in biotechnology, bioinformatics, molecular techniques and robotization have brought to new technological applications in poultry production. Intentional stimulation of embryonic development and determination of the future health of the hatched organism is possible by in ovo application of natural antioxidants and prebiotics, gut stabilizers like probiotics and other immunological enhancements, including vaccines. In parallel, the fine-tuned and generally accessible techniques of chicken embryo incubation along with the novel tissue engineering tools have led to focus the attention of scientists on chicken embryo as the alternative animal model for some pre-clinical approaches, in the context of reducing and replacing the experiments on animals. In this chapter, some key highlights are provided on current achievements in poultry embryonic applications, with the attention put to the emerging in ovo technologies ( in ovo feeding, immunological stimulation and in ovo oncological tools), that address the societal challenges in food production and health management.

The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) is a repository of all published organic and metal-organic crystal structures of small molecules. These compounds have been crystallized under different conditions and have variable bond parameters and molecular landscapes. Entries in the database therefore serve as real models that can be used to illustrate structural properties such as bond angles, bond distances, torsion angles and other intra- and intermolecular interactions. This paper illustrates how the CSD programs ConQuest and Mercury can be used to search the database for 3D molecular structures to teach concepts such as molecular geometry, symmetry and group theory, organometallic chemistry and intermolecular interactions involving hydrogen bonding and Full Interaction Maps (FIMs) to explore molecular landscapes for halogen bond interactions. Results obtained from these studies are beneficial to understand and predict crystal properties as well as the structural properties of molecules and ions in crystal environments.

Lactic acid is a natural organic acid with diverse of applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical industry. Recently, the demand of lactic acid has been grown due to its utilization for polylactic acid production. Microbial production of lactic acid production is preferable due to optical purity of product, utilization of low cost substrates, and low energy requirement. Lignocellulosic biomass and other organic wastes are considered potential raw materials for cost-effective production of lactic acid. The raw materials are either hydrolyzed by enzymes or dilute acids to release the reducing sugars that are fermented in to lactic acid. This review has been focussed on microbial production of lactic acid using different organic wastes as low cost substrate.

Organic acids are the important compounds that have found numerous applications in various industries. Oxalic acid is one of the important organic acids with different industrial applications. Different microbes have been reported as important sources of various organic acids. Majority of studies have been carried on fungal sources for oxalic acid production. Aspergillus sp. has been found efficient oxalic acid producer. Microbial productions of metabolites including organic acids are considered cost effective and eco-friendly approach over chemical synthesis. Fermentative production of microbial oxalic acid seems to be a good alternative as compared to chemical methods. Microbial production of oxalic acid still requires the extensive and elaborated research for its commercial production from efficient microbes using cost effective substrates. The present text summarizes the production of oxalic acid, its applications and recent developments in the direction of fermentative production of microbial oxalic acid.

The stability of enzymes which play an important role as biocatalysts in many industrial processes is a persistent challenge with significant impact on production costs. In this study, improvement of the stability of α-amylase obtained from Aspergillus fumigatus was attempted by immobilizing the enzyme onto zeolite using adsorption method. For purification, the isolated enzyme was subsequently subjected to centrifugation, fractionation, and dialysis. The native enzyme was found to have an optimum temperature of 50 °C, while the immobilized enzyme, the optimum temperature of 60 °C was found. The immobilized enzyme was found to have the K M value of 11.685 ± 0.183 mg mL −1 substrate and V max of 1.406 ± 0.049 μmol mL −1  min −1 , while for the native enzyme, the K M value of 3.478 ± 0.271 mg mL −1 substrate and the V max of 2.211 ± 0.096 μmol mL −1  min −1 were obtained. Furthermore, the immobilized enzyme displays the ΔG i of 106.76 ± 0.00 kJ mol −1 and t ½ of 90.40 ± 0.00 min, while the native enzyme, the values obtained are ΔG i of 104.35 ± 1.09 kJ mol −1 and t ½ of 38.75 ± 1.53 min. As can be seen, the t ½ of immobilized enzyme is 2.38 times longer than that of native enzyme, justifying a very significant stability enhancement of the enzyme as a result of. Another important finding is that the immobilized α-amylase enzyme was able to retain its activity as high as 13.80 ± 1.19% activity after five cycles, indicating its potential for industrial use.

Metals are one of the most common pollutants of surface water around the world. The anthropogenic contribution to aquatic metal pollution is of global concern. This study investigates the levels of Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni and Zn in surface water and sediments in the Lagos lagoon (Ibafon-Apapa, University of Lagos waterfront, UWF) and Ogun river catchment at Agiliti-Ketu. The metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Ibafon-Apapa generally, accounted for the highest concentrations of metals in both water and sediment samples. The ranges of concentrations (µg/g) of metals in sediment samples were: 0.08 ± 0.05–2140.64 ± 1981.54, ND-7.19 ± 7.32, 4.59 ± 2.46–78.95 ± 49.15, 3276.22 ± 2059.57–25,307.60 ± 8759.66, 255.73 ± 98.54–4651.0 ± 1672.60, 19.84 ± 10.23–228.50 ± 84.17, 4.51 ± 4.02–24.45 ± 22.78 for Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn, respectively. Ni occurred in the water and sediment samples below the detection limit. The water and sediments samples from UWF have mean pH values of 7.71 ± 0.07 and 6.61 ± 0.40, respectively, which are higher than that of Agiliti-Ketu (7.65 ± 0.06 and 6.58 ± 0.95) and Ibafon-Apapa (7.60 ± 0.39 and 4.20 ± 0.50), respectively. The highest values for electrical conductivity (EC) was recorded in Ibafon-Apapa (8.54 ± 1.27 μS/cm) followed by UWF (6.50 ± 2.16 μS/cm) and Agiliti-Ketu (0.28 ± 0.40 μS/cm), respectively. The relatively high values of EC and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the Ibafon-Apapa and UWF axis of the Lagos lagoon is an indication of the brackish nature of the lagoon, while the low mean values of EC (0.28 ± 0.40 μS/cm) and TDS (78.0 ± 13.04 mg/L) recorded for Agiliti-Ketu is a pointer to the freshwater attribute of the water. Cd, Mn, Fe and Pb were found to exceed the WHO limit for drinking water. Results were compared with global background values. Cadmium, manganese, iron and lead levels in the water and sediments samples revealed metals pollution. Statistical analysis of variance and t -test were used to analyze the data obtained. Metals pollution source control is recommended.

Topical fungal infections including, Tinea capitis with escalating resistance to conventional therapies are a rising concern globally. Studies have shown substantial in vitro efficacy of plant compounds against fungal pathogens. This study utilized flavonoid glycosides from Dicerocaryum senecioides and Diospyros mespiliformis as active compounds to formulate a topical cream against Tinea capitis . The in vitro test utilized disc diffusion assay prepared from fungal isolates obtained from individuals showing resistance to topical miconazole. Clinical trials were performed using volunteers. Both isolated strains exhibited substantial in vitro susceptibility to the cream formulation with inhibition zones ranging between 10 and 18 mm. MIC values for both test organisms ranged between 85 mg/ml and 120 mg/ml. The cream showed stability both physico-chemically and against microbial contamination. Physicochemical parameters evaluated include colour, pH, appearance, particle size, phase separation, phase inversion, creaming, spread-ability, electrical conductivity and in vitro occlusivity test and were within the accepted range. In limited clinical trials using volunteers, Tinea capitis started disappearing as from day 5 by topically applying the cream twice per day. All the patients were completely healed by the 7th day. The results of the study showed that flavonoid glycosides from D. senecioides and D. mespiliformis are good candidates to be utilized as active natural compounds against Tinea capitis resistant strains. Therefore more clinical trials and structural elucidations are recommended.

The major concern in ecology we are facing in this era of modernization is environmental pollution due to non-biodegradable plastics. Because of its low cost, readily available nature, light weight, corrosion resistance, and added additives, it is adaptable and suitable for a wide range of applications. But the problem is that most of the petroleum-based plastics are not recyclable. Recycling and degradation of plastics are time-consuming and also release harmful chemicals, which pose a great threat to the environment. It is the need of the modern era to focus on the production of biodegradable and eco-friendly polymers as alternatives to these plastics. Nowadays, plant-based polymers are coming onto the market, which are easily degraded into soil with the help of microorganisms. However, commercialization is less due to its high production costs and the requirement for large agricultural lands for production, and their degradation also necessitated the use of special composting techniques. It is urgently needed to produce good quality and a high quantity of biodegradable polymers. The microorganisms are often searched for and screened from the carbon-rich and nutrient-deficient environment, but the commercial value of the polymers from microorganisms is very costly. Moreover, the currently explored microbes like Ralstonia eutropha , Aspergillus eutrophus , Cupriavidus necator , etc. are producing polymers naturally as a carbon reserve. But the quality as well as quantity of production are low, which means they cannot meet our requirements. So, the main aim of this chapter is to focus on the wide applications of different biodegradable polymers from plants, animals and even microbes and recent advancements in their production and improvement of biopolymers to increase their quality and quantity from natural sources, as well as their applications in packaging, the medical field, aquaculture, and other various fields for the commercialization of the product.

Toxins are formed because of massive anthropogenic activities, polluting freshwater bodies. Most disinfectants used in water purification produce disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA). TCA is a strong acid, and TCA uptake could harm gastrointestinal tract tissues or result in systemic acidosis. Activated carbons were investigated to remove TCA from drinking water in this study. Elemental and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscope methodologies were employed to characterize the surface morphological features of the activated carbons (SEM). Activated carbons’ chemical functional groups were identified through using Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy technique. Using a UV-vis spectrophotometer, the TCA concentrations in water samples were examined at 530 nm. The levels of TCA in raw and conventionally treated water were 0.9900 and 2.8900 mg/L, respectively. The polyethylene terephthalate activated carbon (PETAC), polyethylene terephthalate modified activated carbon (PETMAC), and commercial activated carbon (CAC) gave mean TCA removal efficiencies of 80.80%, 90.90%, and 90.90% for raw water and 95.16%, 96.13%, and 100% for conventionally treated water, respectively. The reusability efficiencies of PETAC and PETMAC were 78.4% and 82.4%, respectively. The PETAC with R 2  = 0.9377 showed that Langmuir model best fit the TCA adsorption in the isotherm models. According to the findings, PETAC was effective at removing TCA from water sources and could be improved by incorporating chitosan.

Multicomponent (MCRs) reactions are classified as one-pot reaction where more than two starting materials are employed to form a single product that contains the building blocks of the starting components. MCRs are considered a convenient approach in synthetic chemistry and have many advantages over the traditional one or two-component reaction, by reducing the number of sequential multiple steps required and often producing better yields. This chapter dissects the use of isocyanide-based MCRs and the elegant chemistry that they offer to build useful scaffolds in the chemical synthetic field. In addition MCRs are considered as one of the recognisable options for increasing “greenness” during the synthesis of pharmaceutical and industrial products.

Adsorbents that are less expensive and more effective at removing organic micropollutants from wastewater have been developed through several approaches. Pine bark was treated with sodium hydroxide and then cross-linked to cyclodextrin using hexamethylene diisocyanate, in this study as an efficient adsorbent in the removal of 2-nitrophenol. FTIR, TGA and pHpzc analysis were used to characterize the biosorbent. The effects of pH, adsorbent mass, contact time and initial concentration on 2-nitrophenol removal was examined through batch adsorption studies. Pine bark crosslinked to cyclodextrin (PB-CD) surface functionalities was confirmed by FTIR analysis. It was discovered that solution pH, adsorbent mass, concentration and contact time all played a crucial role in the 2-nitrophenol uptake on PB-CD biosorbent and pine bark (PB) treated with sodium hydroxide. 2-Nitrophenol equilibrium was achieved with 0.05 g of adsorbents, with an initial concentration of 100–200 mg/dm 3 at pH 5 after 60 min. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model significantly fitted the adsorption process. The Langmuir maximum capacities for PB and PB-CD were 47.36 mg/g and 77.82 mg/g, respectively. Overall, in the removal of 2-nitrophenol from an aqueous solution, PB-CD biosorbent is more cost-effective and efficient, in comparison with previously reported biosorbents in literature.

Propene is a vital feedstock in the petrochemical industry with a vast range of applications. And there is a continuous rise in propene demand. To gain insight into how the on-purpose method could help meet the demand in the propene market, we investigated the impact of temperature ( T ) and pressure ( P ) on product distribution in terms of product yield and selectivity using the process simulation approach. Existing related studies were deployed to identify possible products that could be evaluated in the simulation. In the study, we used Gibbs minimization (with Gibb’s reactor) to predict the likely products obtained at different T and P . The impact of feed purity on product distribution was also evaluated. The study was aided by using the Aspen HYSYS process simulator, while Design Expert was used to search for the optimum conditions for higher conversion, yield, and selectivity. Results obtained for the modeling and simulation of the process show that operating the production process at a lower pressure would favor higher selectivity within the temperature range of 500–600 °C. In comparison, the one run at a higher pressure was predicted to be only promising, showing better selectivity within the range of 550–650 °C. The feed purity significantly impacts the propene amount, especially for one with sulfur impurity, leading to the formation of smaller olefins and sulfide compounds. Our study reveals the importance of reviewing feed purity before charging them into the dehydrogenation reactor to prevent poisoning, coking, and other activities, which do lead to undesired products like methane and ethylene. A catalyst can also be designed to efficiently dehydrogenate the propane to propene at a lower temperature to prevent side reactions.

Studies are still being conducted to find a sustainable and long-lasting solution to the lethal consequences of the feared virus characterized as coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and its accompanying pathogenic replication, which pose a serious threat to human survival in the wake of its broad distribution. Since its emergence, researchers have investigated synthetic approaches in search of a dependable vaccine or treatment and curtail the spread of the virus and also enhance the health of a patient who has been affected. Unfortunately, the infection is yet to be entirely eradicated in many parts of the world. Despite the introduction of synthetic pharmaceuticals like remdesivir and derivatives of chloroquine, plant extracts may be an alternative reliable strategy that could successfully combat the operation of the virus. Herein, we investigated the prospects of fagara zanthoxyloides lam. (rutaceae) (syn. zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides ), a well-known medicinal tree whose extracts have demonstrated success in treating many microbiological and viral-related infections. The distinctive plant extracts contain several bioactive phytochemicals with promising biological activity with minimal or no side effects and are being researched for a variety of applications, particularly in the pharmaceutical and medicinal industries. Consequently, in this review, we examined the crude extracts from the Fagara species and suggested that careful consideration should be given to its independent use or combination with other bioactive molecules, such as biopolymers and nano-metallic composites, to combat the terrifying Covid-19 virus and its associates.

Premature ejaculation (PE) affects one in every four men around the world, and there is no known cure for this sexual dysfunction. Many non-herbal and herbal medications are prescribed for their treatment, some of which have not been thoroughly evaluated for their efficacy and role in the body. Premature ejaculation herbal treatment medication produced in Abia State, Nigeria, were analysed for its efficacy using Fluoxetine as a compared compound, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of PE. The herbal drugs were analysed using both classical and spectroscopic methods for the determination of its proximate content, phytochemical analysis, heavy metals concentrations and bioactive compounds. The interactions with the 5-HT2c serotonin receptors were investigated using in silico computational analysis, molecular docking, and pharmacokinetic properties of the selected compounds with ADMET screening. The availability of important phytochemicals such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins was recorded, and the proximate content values were within the recommended ranges. Heavy metals such as Pb (46 mg/kg), Cd (22 mg/kg), Ni (35 mg/kg), and Mn (132 mg/kg) were found in excess of the recommended limits. Fifty-one compounds were discovered in the herbal drug samples, which were then screened for drug-ability using the Lipinski rule. In this study, six (6) compounds with the highest binding affinities among the compounds under investigation were reported. All six compounds were found to have binding affinity scores ranging from −7.5 kcal/mol to −10.5 kcal/mol. Their interactions in the active sites of the target receptors were with amino acids residues like ASP 134, VAL 135, SER 138, VAL 208, PHE 327, VAL 354, TRY 358, PHE 328, GLY 218, ASN 331, ALA 222, and LEU 350 sharing hydrophobic and electrostatic bonds. The study predicted the ADMET properties of the compounds under investigation and discovered that some of them had good pharmacokinetic properties and CYP2C19 enzyme inhibitory potential. This research suggests that these compounds could be active ingredients in herbal medications used to treat premature ejaculation. However, after using this medication, serum concentrations of patients can be measured to further assess its efficacy.

The starch-based materials such as thermoplastic starch film are a promising alternative to non-renewable petroleum-based plastics. The development of an alternative conventional plastic from bio-based materials has gained great interest following its biodegradable, non-hazardous and renewable advantages. Following that, horse chestnut is an exciting source of starch for producing thermoplastic starch film. Nonetheless, the thermoplastic starch film is weak in strength and easily affected by water due to its highly hydrophilic property, thus limiting its practicability. In this regard, the additions of nanocellulose into thermoplastic starch have shown drastic improvement in its mechanical properties and water permeability of the film. This chapter discusses the potential of nanocellulose reinforced plasticized starch from horse chestnut as a replacement for petroleum-based plastic in packaging applications.

Rice starch is a raw material with proven potential in obtaining biodegradable polymers. Plasticization improves the flexibility characteristics of starch-based films, although they still tend to have low tensile strength and high hydrophilicity. The addition of nanocellulosic materials is an alternative to improve these characteristics. In this chapter, the effects of adding different sources and concentrations of nanocellulose (NC) on the properties of thermoplastic rice starch films (TRSF) are addressed. One can highlight as main effects the increase of tensile strength and transparency of the films, the reduction of water vapor permeability and water solubility. The type of NC used, the way it is obtained, as well as its interaction with starch molecules are factors that influence the effects. Further studies involving the interaction of TRSF and NC should be conducted in order to overcome the lack of information.