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The ability of mixed neem, cassava, and wild betel plant leaves to act as plant-based coagulants was tested in real aquaculture wastewater through the coagulation-flocculation process. The performance of plant-based coagulant (PBC) was compared with that of chemical coagulant (alum) to observe the removal efficiency of turbidity, TSS, color, and COD. Ratio, as a new approach, was used by selecting TSS as an indicator or index to substitute for the dosage term and calculated based on a simplified equation. The extracted medium for these coagulants was prepared by using water extraction. Initial characterizations showed that the PBC had some carbon and amine groups (as also confirmed by LC-MS) with an average zeta potential of –22.83 ± 0.62 mV. Results indicated both coagulants (plant-based and chemical coagulants) successfully removed the measured polluted parameters of turbidity (85.17 %), TSS (80.28 %), color (59.42 %), and COD (54.63 %) for PBC with dosage of 0.79 mg/L and coagulant mass of 3.94 mg, while alum gained a higher removal with turbidity (99.08 %), TSS (98.71 %), color (97.29 %), and COD (75.31 %) with dosage and coagulant mass of 698.4 mg/L and 349.2 mg, respectively. This signaled that alum still acted as the best coagulant, but PBC showed a promising opportunity as a potential substitute for chemical coagulant.

The batik industry has been one of the main family businesses in most of the east-coast region of the Malaysian peninsula for many years. However, appropriate water treatment is still a major challenge for this industry. Stringent laws introduced by the Malaysian authorities and the intention to protect the environment are factors that drive researchers to search for suitable, appropriate, affordable and efficient treatment of batik wastewater. Treatment research on batik wastewater is still lacking and coagulation-flocculation treatment using alum was introduced and chosen as a stepping stone toward the selection of green coagulants. This study aimed to determine the best conditions for alum flocculation-coagulation using a standard jar test method. Four main factors were investigated: alum dosage (0.1–3.5 g/L), pH (4–11), settling time (0.5–24 h) and rapid mixing rate (100–300 rpm). Results obtained were further analysed statistically using SPSS software prior to determining the significant effect of variable changes. From this study, the best conditions for batik wastewater treatment using the flocculation-coagulation process were found to be at alum dosage of 1.5 g/L, pH 8, 4 h settling time and a rapid mixing rate of 100 rpm. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, colour and total suspended solids (TSS) were removed by 70.7, 92.2, 88.4 and 100%, respectively, under these conditions. This study showed that batik wastewater can be treated by the coagulation-flocculation process using chemical means of alum. This indicates the need for forthcoming developments in natural-based-coagulant-flocculants toward the sustainability of the batik industry.

Scrotoschisis is an uncommon congenital urogenital anomaly with a defect in the scrotum causing protrusion of testis through the scrotal wall. This is the 20th case reported and 1st from Indonesia. A male newborn admitted with a complaint mass protruding from his left hemiscrotum. Mass was described with spherical shaped, red base, yellowish membrane, smooth and firm boundaries with no sign of testicular torsion. Patient was diagnosed with left unilateral scrotoschisis. Patient was managed with surgical debridement, scrotal exploration and orchidopexy. The patient was managed with drain insertion to monitor signs of infections. Patient was stable and discharged, hence testicular function monitoring was planned in line with further growth assessment.

Bioaugmentation, the addition of cultured microorganisms to enhance the currently existing microbial community, is an option to remediate contaminated areas. Several studies reported the success of the bioaugmentation method in treating heavy metal contaminated soil, but concerns related to the applicability of this method in real-scale application were raised. A comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms of heavy metal treatment by microbes (especially bacteria) and the concerns related to the possible application in the real scale were juxtaposed to show the weakness of the claim. This review proposes the use of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation in treating heavy metal contaminated soil. The performance of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation in treating heavy metal contaminated soil as well as the mechanisms of removal and interactions between plants and microbes are also discussed in detail. Bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation shows greater efficiencies and performs complete metal removal from soil compared with only bioaugmentation. Research related to selection of hyperaccumulator species, potential microbial species, analysis of interaction mechanisms, and potential usage of treating plant biomass after treatment are suggested as future research directions to enhance this currently proposed topic.

Southeast Asian tropical rainforests are shrinking at an alarming rate largely due to anthropogenic activities such as logging and agricultural expansion. The loss of tropical rainforests from human exploitations caused devastating and irreversible impacts on avian biodiversity. The establishment of protected areas is an effective tool to mitigate further forest biodiversity loss. However, the ability of degraded rainforest to support avian biodiversity is still remain little known. Here, we assessed bird assemblages in a hill dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia which was selectively logged almost three decades ago. We examined the effects of site-level attributes, particularly vegetation structure on bird community composition, species richness and abundance of selected feeding guild groups (i.e. insectivorous, carnivorous, and frugivorous). Generally, we found that a selectively logged hill dipterocarp forest can still support a large proportion of forest birds, including those species with high conservation values. Our data also revealed that avian biodiversity was positively related to the number of fallen snags, number of standing snags, number of shrubs, number of trees with DBH

Bioflocculants gain attention as alternatives to chemical flocculants because they are more environmentally friendly and highly biodegradable. This study aims to improve the bioflocculant production by Serratia marcescens using one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) analysis and analyze its flocculating activity performance, toxicity, and the flocculation mechanism. The effect of multiple variables including initial inoculum size, pH, mixing speed, temperature, growth medium, and incubation period was assessed through OVAT. Flocculating activity was then determined via jar test analysis, and toxicity test was performed using Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex. The flocculation mechanism was determined via particle size distribution and zeta potential analysis. The optimum conditions for the improved bioflocculant production were as follows: 10% v/v initial inoculum size, pH 7, mixing speed of 150 rpm, room temperature, nutrient broth medium, and 72 h of incubation period. Scanning electron microscopy showed flake-like intact structure with coarse surface. The produced bioflocculant showed flocculating activity of 48% in 5227 ± 580 NTU initial kaolin turbidity with 1 mg/L concentration and 5% v/v dosage of bioflocculant, following the second-order kinetics. Toxicity test to D. magna and D. pulex showed the 48 h LC 50 values of 8.06 and 6.42 g/L, respectively; these values are greatly higher than the fabricated chemical flocculants. The flocculation process using bioflocculant produced by S. marcescens was suggested to occur via bridging mechanism because it greatly affected the particle size distribution. Results indicated that bioflocculant produced by S. marcescens is much environmentally friendly and has great potential for turbidity removal in water/wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The application of plant-based coagulants in wastewater treatment has increasingly progressed in the coagulation-flocculation process toward green economy and cleaner production. Plant-based coagulants have a potential as essential substitutes for commercially used chemical coagulants because of their natural characteristics and biodegradability. Chemical coagulants leave residues in treated water and generated sludge, which cause harm to human health and the ecosystem. Thus, the exploration of plant-based coagulants in wastewater treatment could reduce and eliminate the potential damage of chemical coagulants and promote the alternative approach for sustainable environment. The general processing steps of the end-to-end plant-based coagulant production, which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary stages, are discussed. However, this review focuses more on the extraction process using different solutions and compares the performance of different coagulants in removal activities after effluent treatment. Discussion on the arising challenges is elaborated, and approaches for plant-based coagulant research in the near future are suggested., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biocoagulants and bioflocculants are alternative items that can be used to substitute the utilization of common-chemical coagulants and flocculants. Biocoagulants/bioflocculants can be extracted from animals, microorganisms, and plants. Moreover, biocoagulants/bioflocculants have specific characteristics that contribute to the coagulation and flocculation processes. The active compounds inside biocoagulants/bioflocculants vary and correspond to the specific working mechanisms, including charge neutralization, sweep coagulation, adsorption, bridging, and patch flocculation. This review paper summarizes the characteristics of biocoagulants/bioflocculants from different sources and its performance in treating various pollutants. Furthermore, this paper discusses the most contributing compounds and functional groups of biocoagulants/bioflocculants that can be related to their working mechanisms. Several functional groups and compounds in biocoagulants/bioflocculants are highlighted in this review article, as well as the correlation between the highlighted groups/compounds to the aforementioned coagulation-flocculation mechanisms. In addition, current knowledge gaps in the study of biocoagulants/bioflocculants and future approaches that may serve as research directions are also emphasized. This review article is expected to shed information on the characteristics of biocoagulants/bioflocculants, which may then become a focus in the optimization to obtain higher performance in future application of coagulation-flocculation processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly technique in wastewater treatment because of its sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity. This study was conducted to examine the feasibility of use of Lepironia articulata, a potential phytoremediation plant that is native to Malaysia, in remediating coffee processing mill effluent (CPME). The aim was to determine effluent concentration or contaminant load that the plant can resist, while simultaneously results in the good removal of pollutants during phytoremediation. Four brushes of L. articulata were planted individually in a pail/reactor (mentioned as reactor afterward) containing 3 kg of sand and exposed to five different concentrations of CPME (0%, 30%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). The initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) values were 510, 3100, 4200, 7290, and 8470 mg/L, respectively, and ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) concentrations were 26, 128, 225, 376, and 509 mg/L, respectively. The height, appearance, and efficiency in removing COD and AN of each plant was observed throughout the 35-day exposure period. Results showed that plants exposed to 75% CPME demonstrated better growth than those exposed to other concentrations and exhibited the highest COD and AN removal rates (85.0% and 84.0%, respectively), providing evidence that L. articulata can be used as a phytoremediation agent of CPME with an initial COD concentration of 7290 mg/L and AN concentration of 376 mg/L. This study highlights its support to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations, particularly the reclamation of plant biomass used as a treatment agent and conversion into biodegradable straws. Moreover, this study adds an attractive additional point of transforming waste into resource with the proposed wastewater treatment technology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Macrophytes have been widely used as agents in wastewater treatment. The involvement of plants in wastewater treatment cannot be separated from wetland utilization. As one of the green technologies in wastewater treatment plants, wetland exhibits a great performance, especially in removing nutrients from wastewater before the final discharge. It involves the use of plants and consequently produces plant biomasses as treatment byproducts. The produced plant biomasses can be utilized or converted into several valuable compounds, but related information is still limited and scattered. This review summarizes wastewater's nutrient content (macro and micronutrient) that can support plant growth and the performance of constructed wetland (CW) in performing nutrient uptake by using macrophytes as treatment agents. This paper further discusses the potential of the utilization of the produced plant biomasses as bioenergy production materials, including bioethanol, biohydrogen, biogas, and biodiesel. This paper also highlights the conversion of plant biomasses into animal feed, biochar, adsorbent, and fertilizer, which may support clean production and circular economy efforts. The presented review aims to emphasize and explore the utilization of plant biomasses and their conversion into valuable products, which may solve problems related to plant biomass handling during the adoption of CW in wastewater treatment plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent times, phytochemicals encapsulated or conjugated with nanocarriers for delivery to the specific sites have gained considerable research interest. Phytochemicals are mostly plant secondary metabolites which reported to be beneficial for human health and in disease theraphy. However, these compound are large size and polar nature of these compounds, make it difficult to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), endothelial lining of blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract and mucosa. Moreover, they are enzymatically degraded in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, encapsulation or conjugation of these compounds with nanocrriers could be an alternate way to enhance their bioefficacy by influencing their gastrointestinal stability, rate of absorption and dispersion. This review presents an overview of nanocarriers alternatives which improves therapeutic value and avoid toxicity, by releasing bioactive compounds specifically at target tissues with enhanced stability and bioavailability. Future investigations may emphasize on deciphering the structural changes in nanocarriers during digestion and absorption, the difference between in-vitro and in-vivo digestion simulations, and impact of nanocarriers on the metabolism of phytochemicals., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitin, a polysaccharide that occurs abundantly in nature after cellulose, has attracted the interest of the scientific community due to its plenty of availability and low cost. Mostly, it is derived from the exoskeleton of insects and marine crustaceans. Often, it is insoluble in common solvents that limit its applications but its deacetylated product, named chitosan is found to be soluble in protonated aqueous medium and used widely in various biomedical fields. Indeed, the existence of the primary amino group on the backbone of chitosan provides it an important feature to modify it chemically into other derivatives easily. In the present review, we present the structural properties of chitin, and its derivatives and highlighted their biomedical implications including, tissue engineering, drug delivery, diagnosis, molecular imaging, antimicrobial activity, and wound healing. We further discussed the limitations and prospects of this versatile natural polysaccharide., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Proteins are prone to unfolding and subsequent denaturation by changes in temperature, pH and other harsh conditions. Nanoparticles act as artificial 'chaperones' due to favourable orientation of the proteins on their scaffold which prevents aggregation and reconfigures denatured proteins into their native functional state. In the present study, thermal denaturation of Cholesterol oxidases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PseA, Rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 3951 and Streptomyces sp. were studied at temperatures 50-70 °C. Further, these thermally denatured proteins were refolded using functionalized Magnetic Iron (II, III) oxide nanoparticles which was confirmed using DLS, Zeta Potential Measurements, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. The refolded proteins were found to regain their secondary structure and activity to a great extent., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A multipurpose magnetic nanobiocatalyst is developed by conjugating Pectinex 3XL (a commercial enzyme containing pectinase, xylanase and cellulase activities) on 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane activated magnetic nanoparticles. The nanobiocatalyst retained 87% of pectinase, 69% of xylanase and 58% of cellulase activity after conjugation on modified nanoparticles as compared to their soluble counterparts. Thermal stability data at 70°C showed increase in enzyme stability after conjugation to nanoparticles and the kinetic parameters (K m and V max ) remain unaltered after immobilization. The immobilized enzyme system can be successfully used upto 5th cycle after that slight decrease in enzyme activities was observed. The nanobiocatalyst retained high pectinase activities in organic solvents and chemical reagents as compared to free enzymes. DLS data shows that the nanoparticles size increases from 63nm to 86nm after immobilization. Atomic Force Microscopy data confirms the deposition of enzymes on the nanoparticles. The nanobiocatalyst was used for the clarification of pine apple and orange juice and was also used for the production of bioethanol. Hydrolysis of pretreated wheat straw produced 1.39g/l and 1.59g/l after treatment with free Pectinex 3xL and nanobiocatalyst respectively. The concentration of bioethanol also increases by 1.4 fold as compared to the free enzyme., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present work, we describe a simple procedure for the biosynthesis of nanosilver and gold by the reduction of silver nitrate and auric chloride respectively using a nanobiocatalyst. The nanobiocatalyst was prepared by covalent coupling of alpha amylase on (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. The nanobiocatalyst retains 77% of its activity as compared to free alpha amylase. The nanobiocatalyst can be used up to three consecutive cycles for the synthesis of nano silver and gold. The biosynthesized nanoparticles after each cycle were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometer, Dynamic Light Spectroscopy (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Silver and gold nanoparticles of same morphology and dimensions were formed in each cycle. The procedure for synthesis of nanoparticles using an immobilized enzyme is eco-friendly and can be used repeatedly., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The enzyme alpha amylase was used as the sole reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) methods. The XRD data confirms the monophasic crystalline nature of the nanoparticles formed. TEM data shows that the morphology of nanoparticles depends upon the enzyme concentration used at the time of synthesis. The presence of alpha amylase on TiO2 nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR. The nanoparticles were investigated for their antibacterial effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of the TiO2 nanoparticles was found to be 62.50 μg/ml for both the bacterial strains. The inhibition was further confirmed using disc diffusion assay. It is evident from the zone of inhibition that TiO2 nanoparticles possess potent bactericidal activity. Further, growth curve study shows effect of inhibitory concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli. Confocal microscopy and TEM investigation confirm that nanoparticles were disrupting the bacterial cell wall., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)