A green synthetic approach by using oak fruit hull (Jaft) extract for preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was developed and optimized. Parameters affecting the synthesis of AgNPs, such as ...temperature, extract pH, and concentration of extract (ratio of plant sample to extraction solvent), were investigated and optimized. Optimum conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles are as follows: Ag+ concentration, 1 mM; extract concentration, 40 g/L (4% w/v); pH = 9 and temperature, 45°C. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TEM and DLS analyses have shown the synthesized AgNPs were predominantly spherical in shape with an average size of 40 nm. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgNPs and Jaft extract containing AgNPs against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) was investigated and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were found to be 50 and 0.04 μg/mL at 24 h incubation, respectively. This eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis method can be potentially used for large-scale production of silver nanoparticles.
As a potent herbicide capable of contaminating water and soil environments, paraquat, which is still widely used worldwide, is toxic to mammals, algae, aquatic animals, etc. Paraquat was loaded on ...novel nanoparticles composed of pectin, chitosan, and sodium tripolyphosphate (PEC/CS/TPP). The size, polydispersity index, and ζ potential of nanoparticles were characterized. Further assessments were carried out by SEM, AFM, FT-IR, and DSC. The encapsulation was highly efficient, and there was a delayed release pattern of paraquat. The encapsulated herbicide was less toxic to alveolar and mouth cell lines. Moreover, the mutagenicity of the formulation was significantly lower than those of pure or commercial forms of paraquat in a Salmonella typhimurium strain model. The soil sorption of paraquat and the deep soil penetration of the nanoparticle-associated herbicide were also decreased. The herbicidal activity of paraquat for maize or mustard was not only preserved but also enhanced after encapsulation. It was concluded that paraquat encapsulation with PEC/CS/TPP nanoparticles is highly efficient and the formulation has significant herbicide activity. It is less toxic to human environment and cells, as was evidenced by less soil sorption, cytotoxicity, and mutagenicity. Hence, paraquat-loaded PEC/CS/TPP nanoparticles have potential advantages for future use in agriculture.
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•TFC membrane was fabricated by CS@FS-co-PC functionalization of PES NF membrane.•Hydrophilicity and antifouling properties of the TFC membranes were improved.•The TFC membranes ...showed high ability in antibiotics removal from water.•The TFC membranes showed high performance in long-term filtration.•The TFC membranes showed superior performance in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
A high-performance thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane was prepared by the furosemide-modified chitosan (CS@FS) composite assisted pectin (PC) functionalization of the polyethersulfone (PES) NF membrane for antibiotic removal and pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. Analyses by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed successful modification of CS. The effect of CS@FS-co-PC on physicochemical characteristics and separation performance of the prepared membrane was studied. The CS@FS-co-PC TFC membranes indicated a smoother surface with decreased water contact angle. Upon introduction of CS@FS-co-PC with 0.5 wt.% CS@FS on the membrane surface, the resultant TFC membrane (TFC-0.5) achieved pure water flux (PWF) of 47.8 L/m2h, high flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 94.2%, and irreversible fouling ratio (DRir) of 5.8%. All prepared TFC membranes showed more than 91% rejection for both studied antibiotics. In the optimized conditions, ceftriaxone (CRO) and cefixime (CFM) rejections using TFC-0.5 membrane were 99.9 and 99.7%, respectively. Moreover, the CS@FS-co-PC TFC NF membranes show outstanding separation performance for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment (COD removal efficiency of 92.0%±1.1, TDS removal of 56.1 ± 1.0%, and complete turbidity removal). The present study aimed to prepare a TFC membrane that can indicate high antibiotic rejection and resistance to fouling for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment applications.
A simple, fast, and effective salt-assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) technique coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for determination of ...2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in water and edible seeds samples. Due to the polar nature of the 2,4-D molecules, LC analysis was performed on a CN stationary phase by using acetonitrile and acidic water as mobile phase. Extraction was achieved based on salting-out phenomenon. Affecting variables on the extraction efficiency of the 2,4-D, such as the solvent type and its volume, type of salt and its concentration, vortex time, and sample pH, have been investigated and optimized. The target analyte was successfully extracted by acetonitrile and sodium chloride as extracting solvent and salting-out agent, respectively. Under the optimized experimental conditions, calibration curve shows good linearity (
r
2
> 0.9957) and precision (RSD < 6.5%) in the concentration ranges of 1.0–10,000 ng/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.3 and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 82.0–95.0 % with RSD values less than 7.2%. The method was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of 2,4-D in several edible seeds and water samples.
This work compares two extraction methods for simultaneous preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of Sb(III) and Sb(V) species in water and plasma samples. Sample preparation was ...achieved using air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (AA-LLME) and narrow-bore tube dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (NT-DLLME) methods. Detection is based on the selective reaction between Sb(III) and bromopyrogallol red (BPR) at pH 6.4. Total Sb concentration was determined after reducing Sb(V) to Sb(III) in the presence of potassium iodide and ascorbic acid. Influential parameters on the extraction efficiency of the two methods were studied and optimized. Results show that NT-DLLME has more sensitivity than AA-LLME. Under the optimized conditions, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, and linear range for Sb(III) were 0.01, 0.03, and 0.03–20 ng mL
−1
, respectively. Also, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, and linear range for Sb(V) were 0.03, 0.10, and 0.10–20 ng mL
−1
, respectively. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, and enrichment factor were 3.5–4.7% and 95, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was applied to the determination of Sb(III) in the presence of Sb(V) and total Sb in water and plasma samples.
Graphic abstract
A simple and effective miniaturized homogenous liquid–liquid extraction technique coupled with a gradient HPLC method for the determination of lamivudine and zidovudine in the human plasma samples ...was developed. Separation of these drugs was performed on a C
18
stationary phase by using a mixture of acetonitrile and water as mobile phase. Extraction of drugs was achieved based on salting-out phenomenon. Variables affecting the extraction efficiency, such as solvent type and its volume, type of salt and its concentration and sample pH have been fully evaluated and optimized. These drugs were successfully extracted by acetonitrile as extracting solvent with sodium sulfate as salting-out agent. Under the optimized experimental conditions calibration curves showed good linearity (
r
2
> 0.9938) and precision (RSD < 6.7%) in the working concentration ranges. The limits of detection for lamivudine and zidovudine were 0.006 and 0.003 µg/mL, respectively. The limits of quantification for lamivudine and zidovudine were 0.02 and 0.01 µg/mL, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 88.0–100.0% with RSD values less than 7.5%. The method was successfully applied to extract and determine lamivudine and zidovudine in human plasma.
Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacteria, is ranked second among the causes of hospital infections and is one of the three main causes of food poisoning. In recent times, the spread of ...antibiotic resistance in S. aureus has become very worrisome. Therefore, research for new effective drugs is important. The present study aims to investigate the phytochemical profiles and antibacterial effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae family) and Hypericum perforatum (Clusiaceae family) and their active compounds on S. aureus (ATCC 12600) in vitro.
The identification of phytochemical compounds in both plants was performed by Highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC), headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). To investigate microbial susceptibility, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and disc diffusion method (DAD) were used. Finally, the results of the study were compared with methicillin.
Of the 42 combinations of O. vulgare, carvacrol (48%) and of the 38 combinations of H. perforatum, hypericin (46.2%) were the most abundant. The MIC, MBC and DAD of O. vulgare and H. perforatum, carvacrol, hypericin and methicillin were 625, 625, 312.5, 78.12 and 384 µg/mL, 10000, 10000, 2500, 2500 and 384 µg/mL, and 15.66 ± 4.49, 12.66 ± 0.47 and 22 ± 0.81 mm, respectively.
Due to the significant effects of O. vulgare and H. perforatum and their active components against S. aureus, it is expected that in the future, hypericin, carvacrol and their derivatives can be used as effective antibacterial agents against S. aureus.
It has been indicated that Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism (rs4646994) could be regarded as a genetic factor that raises the risk of CAD through its impact on ...the activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II level. The present study seeks to examine the relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism with the risk of atherosclerosis. Moreover, its potential effects on ACE activity and oxLDL level are investigated.
In this study, 145 healthy individuals and 154 patients (143 males and 156 females) were selected among the subjects referred to Shahid Madani Hospital. Atherosclerosis was determined in all subjects with gold standard angiography. Blood samples were collected, used to isolate white blood cells (WBC) and serum separation. The DNA was extracted and the polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The enzyme activity was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
This study indicated that patients with atherosclerosis had higher levels of oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein (oxLDL) and ACE activity (P < 0.05) as compared to controls. Although we found a significant association between ACE I/D polymorphism genotype and the allele with atherosclerosis in the male group, there were no association when the entire patient group was compared to the entire control group.
Our study revealed the ACE I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene may not be an independent risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis and evaluation of ACE activity level is more important in evaluating the risk of disease. The researchers found no relation between ACE I/D polymorphism and atherosclerosis and also between types of genotype, ACE activity, and OxLDL level.
The compounds of endocrine disrupting are one of the important pollutants in the environment. These pollutants, even at extremely low concentrations, have significant effects on humans, animals and ...the environment. The main goal of this work was to study the performance activated carbon coated with MgO in the bisphenol A adsorption from aqueous solutions. The leading variables investigated were initial concentration of bisphenol A (20–100 mg/L), PAC and MgO~PAC (2–6 g), contact time (10–60 min), and pH (3–11). The residue concentration of bisphenol A was measured by temperature High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The maximum adsorption of bisphenol A over PAC and MgO~PAC crystals was 9.2 mg/g and 22.28 mg/g, respectively. Based on BET, the surface area of PAC and MgO~PAC crystals were found to be 450.3 m2/g and 378.21 m2/g, respectively. By increasing initial concentration of bisphenol A, the adsorption decreased. The study findings showed that the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model were a fit model to the experimental data, respectively.
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