The in situ growth of well-dispersed Cd-doped ZnO nanoparticles (Cd-ZnO NPs) on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets was successfully achieved through the co-precipitation method for the ...formation of Cd-doped ZnO nanocomposites with g-C3N4 (Cd-ZnO/g-C3N4 NCs). The effect of different compositions of ternary nanocomposites (Cd-ZnO/g-C3N4 NCs) on photocatalytic properties was investigated. Ternary NCs, in which 60% g-C3N4 hybridized with 7% Cd-doped ZnO (g-C3N4/Cd-ZnO) NCs were proven to be optimum visible-light-driven (VLD) photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The enhanced photodegradation of MB is mainly due to the increase in the generation of photogenerated charge carriers (reactive oxygen species (ROS), O2−, and ·OH radicals). The electron spin resonance (ESR) experiment revealed that the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the leading species responsible for the degradation of MB. Moreover, the NC exhibited tremendous stability with a consistently high MB degradation rate for 10 successive catalytic cycles. The structural and optical properties of CdO, ZnO NPs, Cd-ZnO NPs, g-C3N4 NSs, and g-C3N4/Cd-ZnO NCs were investigated via XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, ESR spectroscopy, and PL spectroscopy techniques. The synthesized photocatalysts were also applied against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains to evaluate their antibacterial activities.
Lymphoma is one of the fastest growing malignancies worldwide and imbalance in the concentrations of trace elements can play a significant role in the onset and progression of the disease. Selected ...essential and toxic elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb) were analysed in the blood & scalp hair of lymphoma patients (n = 59 & 58, respectively) and controls (n = 61 & 60, respectively) by atomic absorption spectrometry. On the average, Ni, Cr, Cu and Cd revealed significantly higher contents in the blood and scalp hair of the patients than the controls (p < 0.05). The correlation study showed significantly diverse relationships among the elements in blood & scalp hair of the two donor groups. Variations in the elemental levels with different types of lymphoma (non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin) were also evaluated. Disparities in the elemental concentrations were also investigated for various types of non-Hodgkin (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma) and Hodgkin lymphoma (mixed cellularity, nodular lymphocyte predominant and nodular sclerosing), as well as for different stages (I, II, III & IV) of the cancer. Multivariate statistical analysis showed considerably divergent associations of the elements in the patients and controls. The study indicated profound alteration of the elemental levels in the patients; it may be implicated in elemental-induced disorders including lymphoma.
Two novel benzimidazole ligands (
E
)-2-((4-(1
H
-benzo
d
imidazole-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl)-6-bromo-4-chlorophenol (
L
1
) and (
E
)-1-((4-(1
H
-benzo
d
...imidazole-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl)naphthalene-2-ol (
L
2
) with their corresponding Cu(
ii
), Ni(
ii
), Pd(
ii
) and Zn(
ii
) complexes were designed and synthesized. The compounds were characterized by elemental, IR, and NMR (
1
H &
13
C) spectral analyses. Molecular masses were determined by ESI-mass spectrometry, and the structure of ligand
L
1
was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Molecular docking was carried out for the theoretical investigation of DNA binding interactions. The results obtained were verified experimentally by UV/Visible absorption spectroscopy in conjunction with DNA thermal denaturation studies. It was observed that ligands (
L
1
and
L
2
) and complexes (
1-8
) were moderate to strong DNA binders, as evident from the binding constants (
K
b
). The value was found to be highest for complex
2
(3.27 × 10
5
M
−1
) and lowest for
5
(6.40 × 10
3
M
−1
). A cell line study revealed that breast cancer cells were less viable to the synthesized compounds compared to that of standard drugs, cisplatin and doxorubicin, at the same concentration. The compounds were also screened for
in vitro
antibacterial activity for which complex
2
showed a promising broad-spectrum effect against all tested strains of bacteria, almost in the proximity of the reference drug kanamycin, while the rest of the compounds displayed activity against selected strains.
Two novel benzimidazole ligands (
E
)-2-((4-(1
H
-benzo
d
imidazole-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl)-6-bromo-4-chlorophenol and (
E
)-1-((4-(1
H
-benzo
d
imidazole-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl) naphthalene-2-ol and their Cu(
ii
), Ni(
ii
), Pd(
ii
) and Zn(
ii
) complexes were designed and synthesized.
As to control the increased rate of environmental pollution there is an urgent need to develop improved biodegradable materials regarding the old polymeric packaging materials. It has been done by ...the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials to the biodegradable starch terpolymers of acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate (MMA), acrylonitrile (AN), 2‐Ethylhexyl acrylate (2‐EHA), and Ethyl acrylate (EA). The starch‐terpolymers were prepared through the free radical polymerization technique using AA, MMA, AN, 2‐EHA, EA as monomers. Two different starch‐terpolymers were further mixed with carbon nanoparticles (NPs) to form a biodegradable nanocomposite. The biodegradable starch‐grafted terpolymers‐carbon nanocomposites (STPC NCs) were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, and UV–Visible spectrophotometry. Further, resistivity, electrical conductivity, and biodegradability tests were performed to check its properties for packing materials. The biodegradation of SGCP‐composites recorded using the soil burial method was up to 78%. Starch‐terpolymers were prepared via free‐radical polymerization The biodegradation capability of starch‐grafted terpolymers was found to be 78% The decrease in water vapor permeability and solubility proves their utilization as food packaging material
Agarose (AG) forms hydrocolloid in hot water and possesses a noteworthy gel strength. However, no reasonable scientific work on investigating the mucoadhesive character of AG has been reported. ...Therefore, the current study was designed to develop AG and carbopol (CP) based buccal gel scaffold for simultaneous release of benzocaine (BZN) and tibezonium iodide (TIB). Gels’ scaffold formulations (F1−F12) were prepared with varied concentrations (0.5−1.25% w/v) of AG and CP alone or their blends (AG-CP) using homogenization technique. The prepared formulations were characterized for solid-state, physicochemical, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo mucoadhesive studies in healthy volunteers. The results showed that mucoadhesive property of AG was concentration dependent but improved by incorporating CP in the scaffolds. The ex vivo mucoadhesive time reached >36 h when AG was used alone or blended with CP at 1% w/v concentration or above. The optimized formulation (F10) depicted >98% drugs release within 8 h and was also storage stable up to six months. The salivary concentration of BZN and TIB from formulation F10 yielded a Cmax value of 9.97 and 8.69 µg/mL at 2 and 6 h (tmax), respectively. In addition, the FTIR, PXRD, and DSC results confirmed the presence of no unwanted interaction among the ingredients. Importantly, the mucoadhesive study performed on healthy volunteers did not provoke any signs of inflammation, pain, or swelling. Clearly, it was found from the results that AG-CP scaffold provided better mucoadhesive properties in comparison to pure AG or CP. Conclusively, the developed AG based mucoadhesive drug delivery system could be considered a potential alternative for delivering drugs through the mucoadhesive buccal route.
Agarose (AG) is a naturally occurring biocompatible marine seaweed extract that is converted to hydrocolloid gel in hot water with notable gel strength. Currently, its mucoadhesion properties have ...not been fully explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the mucoadhesive potential of AG binary dispersions in combination with Carbopol 934P (CP) as mucoadhesive gel preparations. The gels fabricated via homogenization were evaluated for ex vivo mucoadhesion, swelling index (SI), dissolution and stability studies. The mucoadhesive properties of AG were concentration dependent and it was improved by the addition of CP. Maximum mucoadhesive strength (MS) (27.03 g), mucoadhesive flow time (FT) (192.2 min), mucoadhesive time in volunteers (MT) (203.2 min) and SI (23.6% at 4 h) were observed with formulation F9. The mucoadhesive time investigated in volunteers (MT) was influenced by AG concentration and was greater than corresponding FT values. Formulations containing 0.3%, w/v AG (F3 and F9) were able to sustain the release (~99%) for both drugs till 3 h. The optimized formulation (F9) did not evoke any inflammation, irritation or pain in the buccal cavity of healthy volunteers and was also stable up to 6 months. Therefore, AG could be considered a natural and potential polymer with profound mucoadhesive properties to deliver drugs through the mucosal route.
A series of cobalt-inserted copper zinc ferrites, Cu0.6CoxZn0.4−xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) having cubic spinel structure were prepared by the coprecipitation method. Various ...characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, UV-vis and I–V were used to investigate structural optical and electrical properties, respectively. The lattice constant was observed to be decreased as smaller ionic radii Co2+ (0.74 Å) replaced the higher ionic radii Zn2+ (0.82 Å). The presence of tetrahedral and octahedral bands was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Optical bandgap energy was determined in the range of 4.44–2.05 eV for x = 0.0 to 0.4 nanoferrites, respectively. DC electrical resistivity was measured and showed an increasing trend (5.42 × 108 to 6.48 × 108 Ω·cm) with the addition of cobalt contents as cobalt is more conductive than zinc. The range of DC electrical resistivity (108 ohm-cm) makes these nanomaterials potential candidates for telecommunication devices.
The main objective of this research work was the development and evaluation of transfersomes integrated oral films for the bioavailability enhancement of Ebastine (EBT) to treat allergic rhinitis. ...The flexible transfersomes, consisting of drug (EBT), lipid (Phosphatidylcholine) and edge activator (EA) Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate or Sorbitan monolaurate, were prepared with the conventional thin film hydration method. The developed transfersomes were further integrated into oral films using the solvent casting method. Transfersomes were evaluated for their size distribution, surface charge, entrapment efficiency (EE%) and relative deformability, whereas the formulated oral films were characterized for weight, thickness, pH, folding endurance, tensile strength, % of elongation, degree of crystallinity, water content, content uniformity, in vitro drug release and ex vivo permeation, as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics profile. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of transfersomes was detected to be 75.87 ± 0.55 nm with an average PDI and zeta potential of 0.089 ± 0.01 and 33.5 ± 0.39 mV, respectively. The highest deformability of transfersomes of 18.52 mg/s was observed in the VS-3 formulation. The average entrapment efficiency of the transfersomes was about 95.15 ± 1.4%. Transfersomal oral films were found smooth with an average weight, thickness and tensile strength of 174.72 ± 2.3 mg, 0.313 ± 0.03 mm and 36.4 ± 1.1 MPa, respectively. The folding endurance, pH and elongation were found 132 ± 1, 6.8 ± 0.2 and 10.03 ± 0.4%, respectively. The ex vivo permeability of EBT from formulation ETF-5 was found to be approximately 2.86 folds higher than the pure drug and 1.81 folds higher than plain film (i.e., without loaded transfersomes). The relative oral bioavailability of ETF-5 was 2.95- and 1.7-fold higher than that of EBT-suspension and plain film, respectively. In addition, ETF-5 suppressed the wheal and flare completely within 24 h. Based on the physicochemical considerations, as well as in vitro and in vivo characterizations, it is concluded that the highly flexible transfersomal oral films (TOFs) effectively improved the bioavailability and antihistamine activity of EBT.
This paper empirically investigated the trade competitiveness and trade potential of Pakistan and ASEAN countries in the Chinese market. The study utilizes trade data for the period of 2003–2019 to ...assess the bilateral trade aspects by using an extended gravity equation. In addition, the PPML model and constant market share analysis are applied to examine trade potential and competitiveness, respectively. Market size, distance, trade openness, revealed comparative advantage position and common border play an important role in bilateral trade of Pakistan and ASEAN with China, and coefficients of all these variables comply with the economic theory and are statistically significant. Pakistan along with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand has great trade potential in the Chinese market. Particularly Cambodia and Vietnam are enjoying the highest competitive advantage as compared to other ASEAN countries. Pakistan’s export performance in China’s market relies on the market distribution effect. Based on this study, we have discussed country-specific future policy discourse for Pakistan and ASEAN countries in detail.
This study is a novel approach toward the development of a chemical-free and sustainable textile dyeing process with minimum environmental risks. Cotton fabrics were cationized with ...(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride in four concentrations and subsequently dyed with the black tea extract. Eco-friendly colorant extraction from raw black tea leaves was carried out in aqueous media avoiding the use of hazardous organic solvents. The major coloring components in the black tea extract are polyphenols like theaflavins and thearubigin. Cationized cotton fabrics were dyed in four different shade depths without employing auxiliary chemicals in the dyeing process. For comparison, un-cationized cotton was dyed with the same extract in the same shades. It was observed that un-cationized cotton samples exhibited very low color strength (
K/S
) values and excellent colorfastness rating. However, the cationized samples showed remarkable enhancement in their color strength with an increase in the concentration of the cationizing agent. Furthermore, colorfastness to washing, rubbing, and perspiration was excellent, but lightfastness was poor. Deep shades (
K/S
= 8.996) were obtained for cotton sample cationized (20 g/l) and dyed (6%) shades. Thus, the extraction of natural colorants without toxic solvents, economically viable surface modification of cotton, and chemical-free dyeing render the dyeing process cleaner, sustainable, and practicable at an industrial scale. The textile units could easily adopt this approach to regulate a pollution-free dyeing process without modifying their existing infrastructure.
PDF
