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The effect of storage time (5, 10 and 15 days) and temperature (− 20 °C and + 4 °C) on the biochemical composition of the Tunisian mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) was evaluated by investigating changes in proximate composition, fatty acids, minerals and nutritional quality indices. Lipid and protein degradations were also evaluated through several markers of oxidative damage. Results showed a significant decrease in the biochemical compounds in mussel tissues after both refrigeration and freezing processes (p

International audience; Fluorination of the TiO2 surface has been often reported as a tool to increase the photocatalytic efficiency due to the beneficial effects in terms of production of oxidizing radicals. Moreover, it is shown that the unique amphiphilic properties of the fluorinated TiO2 (TiO2-F) surface allow one to use this material as a stabilizer for the formulation of Pickering emulsions of poorly soluble pollutants such as nitrobenzene (NB) in water. The emulsions have been characterized in terms of size of the droplets, type of emulsion, possibility of phase inversion, contact angle measurements, and optical microscopy. The emulsified system presents micrometer-sized droplets of pollutant surrounded by the TiO2-F photocatalyst. Consequently, the system can be considered to be composed of microreactors for the degradation of the pollutant, which maximize the contact area between the photocatalyst and substrate. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2-F was confirmed in the present paper as the apparent rate constants of NB photodegradation were 16 × 10–3 and 12 × 10–3 min–1 for fluorinated and bare TiO2, respectively. At NB concentrations largely exceeding its solubility, the rate constant was 0.04 × 10–3 min–1 in the presence of both TiO2 and TiO2-F. However, unlike TiO2, TiO2-F stabilized NB/water emulsions and, under these conditions, the efficiency of NB photocatalytic degradation in the emulsified system was ca. 18 times higher than in the nonemulsified one. This result is relevant also in terms of practical applications because it opens the route to one-pot treatments of biphasic polluted streams without the need of preliminary physical separation treatments.

Epoxiconazole (EPX) is a triazole fungicide commonly used in agriculture and for domestic purposes around the world. The excessive application of this pesticide may result in a variety of adverse effects on non-target organisms, including humans. Since, the liver and kidneys are the target organs of this fungicide, potential hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects are of high relevance. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of EPX on the liver and kidney of Wistar rats. The exposure of rats to EPX at these concentrations (8, 24, 40, 56 mg/kg bw representing, respectively, NOEL (no observed effect level), NOEL × 3, NOEL × 5, and NOEL × 7) for 28 days significantly enhances hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation which is accompanied by an increase in the level of protein oxidation. Furthermore, the results of the present study clearly indicated that EPX administration induces an increase in the levels of DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the activities of liver and kidney antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) are increased significantly in EPX-treated rats at concentrations of 8, 24, and 40 mg/kg bw. However, with the dose NOEL × 7 (56 mg/kg bw of EPX), the activities of CAT, GPx, and GST are decreased. Indeed, EPX-intoxicated rats revealed a significant reduction in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in both liver and kidney compared with the control group. Also, our results demonstrated that the EPX administration leads to a disruption of the hepatic (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) and renal (uric acid and creatinine) functions. The biochemical perturbations obtained in the present study are corroborated with the histopathological modifications. Since EPX treatment caused severe damage in the overall histo-architecture of liver and kidney tissues, these results suggest that administration of EPX induced a marked deregulation of liver and kidney functions. Graphical abstract.

Due to their magnificent efficiency to the degradation of hazardous organic pollutants, nanomaterials possessing visible light-driven photocatalytic activity have drawn considerable attention. Herein, Ag decorated Zn0.95Cu0.05O photocomposites have been synthesized via a sol–gel method and characterized as potential photocatalysts for the degradation of malachite green (MG). The formation of the nanocomposites is confirmed by XRD, EDS mapping and TEM analyses. The UV–Vis analysis reveals a gradual decrease in the optical band gap with increasing Ag content, which enhances its visible light absorption and ultimately improves the photocatalytic activity as reflected by the efficient photodegradation of MG dye. Particularly, Zn0.94Cu0.05Ag0.03O exhibits the lowest energy gap and very high photocatalytic activity for the degradation MG. This research demonstrates a new pathway for the preparation of Ag incorporated oxide-based nanostructured composites as promising photocatalysts.

In this study, pure and Co substituted nanosized lanthanum ferrite (LaFe1-xCoxO3; x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 1) perovskites were synthesized by inorganic sol–gel route, and investigated as catalysts for styrene oxidation environmental reaction using H2O2 as oxidant. The effect of cobalt content on physico-chemical properties of LaFeO3 perovskite was studied by means of XRD, FTIR and N2 physisorption. XRD analyses revealed that a stable perovskite with orthorhombic structure up to x = 0.4 was obtained, whereas for higher cobalt content, the rhombohedral structure was formed. Furthermore, the partial replacement of Fe(III) with Co (III) cations restrained the growth of the large crystallites of LaFeO3 (~74 nm). In the FTIR spectra, the shift of Fe–O bonds position toward higher frequencies proved the incorporation of cobalt in the perovskite structure. BET surface area values were found to be between 7 and 17 m2/g. Through the catalytic tests results, the lowest substituted catalyst exhibited a higher activity than pure LaFeO3 while further increase of cobalt content led to a remarkable decrease in the performance of the catalyst. All catalysts converted styrene to Benzaldehyde selectively. Finally, it should be mentioned that the reaction proceeded with no leaching which confirms its heterogeneous nature.

International audience; Surface fluorination improves the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, and the influences of various features of fluorinated TiO2 (TiO2–F) have often been discussed in the literature. The present paper addresses the changes induced by surface fluorination on the morphological, structural, surface, and electronic features of TiO2. In particular, X-ray diffraction, specific surface area analysis, and transmission and scanning electron microscopy give evidence that surface fluorination does not affect the structural properties and the morphology of TiO2 nanoparticles. In contrast, fluorination induces changes of surface and electronic properties. Chemical and thermogravimetric analyses show that surface fluorination can reach up to 50% of original Ti–OH surface sites. The surface charge of TiO2 turns more negative upon fluorination, as shown by a shift of the point of zero charge toward lower pH. Electronic properties are deeply characterized by combining diffuse reflectance, X-ray, and UV photoelectron spectroscopies, as well as time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical measurements. Results show the presence of intra-band-gap energy states induced by the local interaction of chemisorbed fluorine atoms. Such energy levels are close to the valence band. The unique surface and electronic properties of TiO2–F make it a promising material for the photocatalytic degradation of poorly soluble emerging pollutants such as 1-methylnaphtalene. In particular, TiO2–F demonstrates faster degradation kinetics with respect to both the pristine material and TiO2 P25 used as a benchmark standard.

New molecule α-aminophosphonate namely (2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl) methyl 2-hydroxyphenyl amino phosphonic acid (HMHP) was synthesized by condensation based on 2-amino phenol and 2-hydroxy naphthaldehyde. During the reaction, imine intermediate namely 2-hydroxyphenyl imino naphthalen-2-ol (HIN) was formed before adding acid phosphorous to the reaction mixture. It can be confirmed the concept of Kabachinik-Fields reaction, which it's perform the attachment of phosphorus atom to the carbon atom of imine function. Both compounds were identified using IR, 1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopic techniques. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity of HMHP and HIN was investigated by utilizing several in vitro assays: scavenging activity against DPPH radical and H2O2 non radical, β-carotene/linoleic acid against linoleic peroxidation, reducing power against ferric oxidation and phosphomolybdate (TAC) against molybdate ion oxidation. Results indicate that HMHP reflects greater antioxidant potency compared to HIN in most tests, where it is apt to offer the hydrogen radical very well at IC50 (37.64 ± 1.43) in DPPH test. For the other tests the inhibition percent at 50 % are relatively closed between them. Except the H2O2 scavenging, while HIN exhibited excellent activity at IC50 (24.7306 ± 0.71785). The quantum chemical calculations were performed using density functional theory (DFT) to study the effects of the transfer electronic and proton transfer on the antioxidant activities of the synthesized compounds. Also, theoretical FT-IR was calculated. The experimental results are in comfort with those calculated theoretically.

M/Cu/ZnO (M = Ag, Ni, Fe) photocomposites comprised of 1%M and 5%Cu-decorated ZnO surrounded by CuO on the surface were successfully synthesized via a simple sol-gel method. The structure, morphology and photocatalytic activity of the prepared materials was investigated. The findings demonstrated a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a small extra phase of CuO. Incorporation of M ions in the Cu/ZnO nanocomposite clearly narrowed the band gap energy. The Ag/Cu/ZnO nanocomposite shifted the band gap energy of Cu/ZnO from 2.95 to 2.79 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the photo-composites was examined via the photodegradation of malachite green (MG) under visible light illumination. The Ag/Cu/ZnO photocomposite system showed considerably enhanced photodegradation of MG up to 83% of its initial concentration after 75 min of illumination. This makes it a promising candidate photocomposite for the degradation of dyes under visible light.

In this piece of research, we have synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) powders from titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ) as an inorganic precursor by applying the sol–gel method. The effect of the calcination temperature in the range 400–800 °C on the photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 nanoparticles was studied. The samples were characterized by TEM, BET surface area measurement, DRS and XRD. They were then used for the photodegradation of two model pollutants – phenol and formic acid – under exposure to UV-A radiation. Despite the fact that the adsorption of both phenol and formic acid on the various TiO 2 nanomaterials followed the Langmuir model, their degradation kinetics followed the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. The results emphasized a strong increase in the adsorption and in the photocatalytic activity with the TiO 2 calcined at 600 °C which was nearly 1.5 times higher than that of TiO 2 -P25 in the case of formic acid. For the degradation of phenol, TiO 2 -600 had a similar activity as TiO 2 P25. This is related to their tendency to degrade the intermediate products than the phenol itself. A formal mechanism scheme of phenol degradation has been proposed. The maximum photocatalytic efficiency was reached with the sample calcined at a temperature of 600 °C, while a further increase in temperature depleted the photocatalytic response. The highest photocatalytic activity of the sample calcined at 600 °C can be attributed to the improvement of the crystallization and the optimal anatase/rutile ratio (96/4).

Cu/ZnO composites were synthesized via a simple sol-gel method catalyzed by 2.3.dihydroxysuccinic acid and annealed at different temperatures (TC). The obtained nanomaterials were characterized by means of several analytical techniques. Photocatalytic performances of nanomaterials were evaluated by adsorption and degradation of malachite green (MG) solutions (300 ppm high concentration) under UV light irradiation. The results show a wurtzite phase for Cu/ZnO nanoparticles with a crystallite size of 15.86 to 24.25 nm, depending on the annealing temperature. A mesoporous structure of type IV with hysteresis type H3 was obtained for all synthesized nanomaterials, with mean pore diameter from 24.63 to 52.88 nm and surface area in the range of 35.1 to 8.66 m2/g. Adsorption and degradation results showed the effect of copper doping on the ZnO. At the same TA (550 °C), 14.49 and 23.55% MG were adsorbed on pure ZnO and Cu/ZnO, respectively. The adsorption isotherm of Cu/ZnO composite was fast, and it agreed well with the Langmuir model with a capacity of 1539 mg/g. The MG degradation rate constant of Cu/ZnO reaches 10 × 10−3 min−1 when the initial concentration of MG was 300 ppm, about 8 times higher than that of pure ZnO (1.28 × 10−3 min−1). The optimal annealing temperature was at 550 °C for Cu/ZnO nanoparticles with 92.62 × 10−3 and 10 × 10−3 min−1 as adsorption and degradation rate constant, respectively. This makes the nanocomposite Cu/ZnO a promising and good candidate for wastewater treatment at high dye concentrations.

A novel photocatalyst based on TiO2-PANI composite supported on small pieces of cork has been reported. It was prepared by simple impregnation method of the polyaniline (PANI)-modified TiO2 on cork. The TiO2-PANI/Cork catalyst shows the unique feature of floating on the water surface. The as-synthesized catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. Characterization suggested the formation of anatase highly dispersed on the cork surface. The prepared floating photocatalyst showed high efficiency for the degradation of methyl orange dye and other organic pollutants under solar irradiation and constrained conditions, i.e., no-stirring and no-oxygenation. The TiO2-PANI/Cork floating photocatalyst can be reused for at least four consecutive times without significant decrease of the degradation efficiency.

The photochemical oxidation of styrene under UV-A irradiation in acetonitrile solution containing H2O2 was investigated in absence or in presence of TiO2 or ZnO. The effects of the molar ratio H2O2/styrene and of the pH on the disappearance rate and on the selectivity into benzaldehyde and benzene oxide were investigated. Under H202/UV, a conversion of about 6% and a total selectivity into benzaldehyde was observed. In presence of TiO2 the conversion is multiply by 2 and styrene oxide was detected. However, its selectivity is only 10%. At basic pH, in presence of TiO2 or ZnO, the conversion of styrene are 47% and 60% respectively. A similar selectivity of styrene oxide (50%) was found for the both catalysts. However, in presence of TiO2 benzoic acid is formed with a selectivity of 20% whereas only benzaldehyde was found on ZnO. The impact of the nature of the catalyst and of the active species generated under irradiation were suggested for explaining the difference of reactivity observed. A mechanism of the formation of benzaldehyde and styrene oxide in absence or presence of photocatalyst and of NaOH was proposed.

Background The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of aqueous date extract (ADE) against the dichloroacetic acid (DCA)-induced testicular injury in rats. Methods Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of eight: group I served as the control; group II was given ADE (4 ml/kg) by gavage; groups III and IV received DCA at 0.5 and 2 g/L drinking water, respectively; and groups V and VI received DCA at 0.5 and 2 g/L drinking water, respectively, before ADE administration. The experiment was performed for two months. Results Results showed that the absolute weights of testes and epididymis were decreased following the DCA administration. The testosterone, FSH and LH levels were also decreased. Severe histopathological changes in testes were observed including degeneration of seminiferous tubules and depletion of germ cells. These changes were associated with alterations of oxidative stress markers. Levels of lipid peroxidation and SOD and CAT activities were increased, while activity of GPx and GSH levels were decreased. Pretreatment with ADE has effectively alleviated the oxidative stress induced by DCA thereby restoring these parameters to normal values. Conclusions These results suggest that ADE has a protective effect over DCA-induced oxidative damage in rat testes.

In this study, a highly active, low cost, simple and robust floating photocatalyst based on salicylic acid (SA)-modified TiO 2 immobilized on small pieces of palm trunk (PT) as a new porous and light weight support has been studied. These catalysts show the unique feature of floating on the water surface where optimum illumination and oxygenation occurs, leading to a strong increase in their photocatalytic efficiency. XRD, SEM, TGA, FTIR and DRS UV–Vis techniques were used to characterize the TiO 2 –SA nanocomposite. Photocatalytic tests were carried out under solar irradiation and constrained conditions, i.e. non-stirring and non-oxygenation. The dye Congo red (CR) was used as a probe molecule. The obtained results showed that modification of the surface of TiO 2 nanoparticles by SA improved their photocatalytic activity. Particularly, TiO 2 –SA (50 wt%)/PT was found to be very active whereas the unmodified TiO 2 nanoparticles sink to the bottom of the reactor and remain inactive due to the poor illumination and oxygenation. The prepared photocatalysts can be easily recovered, and their photocatalytic activity was found to be sustained after four consecutive runs.

Binary and ternary SnO2-ZnO-ZnWO4 nanocomposites were prepared by a sol-gel route. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated through the decomposition of 4-nitrophenol and partial oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol to p-anisaldehyde. All the mixed catalysts revealed higher photoactivity than bare ZnO, SnO2 or ZnWO4 and the best performances were exhibited by the binary nanocomposites. The high photocatalytic activity was explained by the presence of heterojunctions among different semiconductors that enhance the separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, hindering their recombination. As a general consideration, an essential role was played by the electronic features of the samples in the degradation reactions whereas the surface properties were key factors for the selective formation of p-anisaldehyde.

The numerical transmutation of Americium heterogeneous loaded for one cycle in thermal high flux reactor category was realized. The transmutation calculations are performed based on ChainSolver 2.34 code. A comparison with the measurement and calculation results of the burn up of 241Am irradiated in HFR at Petten was examined to evaluate the accuracy of current available numerical tool. To reach the Am destruction with a short irradiation time, a high flux SM3 reactor having a flux density of thermal neutrons higher than 1015 cm−2 s−1 was proposed. To obtain transmutation rate of 99.75%, the Am samples needed only 90 exposure days in full power for SM3 reactor. The effectiveness results suggested an effective use of SM3 as compared to Petten HFR. Finally, the results have been discussed in order to propose a new concept of high flux reactor destined for the destruction of actinide minors, in particular 241Am.

Ni x Zn 1-x O/Polyaniline hybrid photocatalysts are synthesized and used for the experiments of hydrogen production from water-splitting under visible irradiation. XRD, UV–Vis absorption and SEM-EDX are used to characterize the prepared materials. It is shown that the Ni 2+ amount doped into ZnO controls its morphology and enhances its photoactivity for H 2 generation. Polyaniline (PANI) is shown to sensitize ZnO and to extend its light absorption toward the visible region. The hybrid photocatalyst with 10 mol. % Ni 2+ and 10 wt. % PANI shows the maximum photocatalytic H 2 production for 1 h of visible irradiation: ∼558 μmole while only ∼178 μmole in the presence of pure ZnO. Additives such as sacrificial electron donors are found to play a key role in the improvement of H 2 evolution. Thus, the hydrogen photoproduction efficiency increases in the following order: thiosulfate > sulfide > propanol. All the obtained results show that Ni–ZnO/PANI hybrid photocatalyst is a good candidate to promote the H 2 production using visible/solar lights.

In this study, mesoporous Zn0.95Cu0.05O was prepared using a simple sol-gel method in the presence of tartaric acid as catalyst. The obtained powders were annealed under air in the range of TC: 250–550 °C for Zn0.95Cu0.05O. The ratio of Cu:Zn obtained from energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) (4.8 %) is in good agreement with the desired experimental result. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the wurtzite structure was maintained for all samples and copper was successfully doped into ZnO at low TC. However, the formation of monoclinic CuO was observed at higher TC. For Zn0.95Cu0.05O, the crystallite size increased with the annealing temperature from 15.86 to 24.24 nm. The isotherms obtained were type IV with a hysteresis type H3, confirming the mesoporous behavior of the catalysts. The surface area was in the range of 35.1 to 8.66 m2/g. All the prepared catalysts mainly showed two emission regions: a sharp peak in the ultraviolet region and another broad peak in the visible region. The photocatalytic activity was achieved by the degradation of 300 mg/L malachite green (MG) aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The findings showed that the increased annealing of Cu5% doped ZnO with CuO on the surface resulted in highly improved photocatalytic activity.

Iron nanoparticles were incorporated into zinc oxide powders by an in situ dispersion method. The products were fully characterized by X-ray diffractometry, diffuse reflectance, FTIR spectrophotometry and complex impedance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns agreed with that of the ZnO typical wurtzite structure, the sharp diffraction peaks indicating good crystallinity of ZnO and ZnO-Fe nanoparticles. The average particle size determined by the Scherrer equation showed an increase from 20 to 25 nm for ZnO and ZnO-Fe respectively. The UV peak positions of the modified samples shifted to a longer wavelength compared to pure ZnO, providing evidence of changes in the acceptor level induced by iron nanoparticles. The optical band gap of the samples was found to be 3.14 eV for ZnO and 3.04 eV for ZnO-Fe. The electrical properties were investigated between 273 and 413 K, at several frequencies. Besides, a detailed analysis of the impedance spectrum showed an appreciable improvement of the conductivity due to the addition of iron nanoparticles. The incorporation of Fe-NPs appears to be responsible for conductance variations, charge transfer and capacitance improvement. The above properties make these materials to be regarded as very promising electrode materials for high-efficiency energy storage.

Reflected-light differential interference contrast microscopy was used to observe the disappearance of stearic acid crystal (B-polymorph) deposited onto a heterogeneous anatase/amorphous titania film upon ultraviolet light exposure. Microstructural studies of the films demonstrate the formation of anatase microdomains with sub-micrometric size randomly distributed throughout the amorphous surface of the film. The microscopy images reveal that the disappearance of stearic acid crystal is initiated in the immediate vicinity of these microdomains located within the crystal or close to its edges. The stearic acid disappearance proceeds via lateral growth and coalescence of pits in shape of flattened-hexagons showing a preferential orientation with respect to the stearic acid crystal symmetry. This latter fact, which is observed for the first time to the best of our knowledge, is explained by the dependence on crystallographic orientation of the progression rate of the pit edges. To justify the observed photodegradation mode, we first invoke the ultraviolet-induced formation of radical species at the anatase microdomains and their diffusion towards the pits edges. Then, the geometry and the preferential orientation of the pits are discussed in terms of anisotropy of intermolecular interactions within the crystal. These results suggest that the energy barrier seen by the radical species reaching the pit edges is correlated to the crystallographic orientation with consequences on the reaction kinetics.

In this work we report the synthesis of vanadium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles by a sol–gel processing technique, and the vanadium concentrations in zinc oxide varied from 1 to 5 at.%. In our approach, the water for hydrolysis was slowly released by esterification reaction followed by a supercritical drying in ethyl alcohol. All synthesized samples were annealed in air at 500 °C for 2 h. The obtained catalysts were characterized by fluorescence X, X-ray diffraction, transition electron microscopy and UV measurements. The structural properties showed that the obtained nanoparticles are single phase wurtzite structure and no secondary phases were detected which indicated that V ions substituted for Zn ions. The energy gap decreased gradually by increasing the doping concentration of V. The photocatalytic activities of powders were evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Compared with undoped ZnO and TiO2 P25 Degussa, it was found that the incorporation of vanadium in ZnO enhances the photocatalytic degradation, and ZnO:V3% is most active photocatalyst for MB degradation than the other V-doped samples.

This study reports the modification of synthetic ZnO nanoparticles by Hexamethylemediamine (HMD) grafting and an in-situ dispersion of iron nanoparticles (FeoNPs). The changes in structural, optical and electrical properties of the resulting Metal-Organo-Zinc oxide (MOZ) were investigated. Covalent surface-grafting of HMD within ZnO mesopores was confirmed by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that dispersion of fine iron NPs occurs mainly inside ZnO mesopores, producing a slight structure expansion. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the electrical conductivity. Iron NP incorporation and HMD grafting resulted in a slight decrease in the optical band gap energy in the metal-organo-zinc oxide. Slight shifts towards higher wavelengths are attributed to change in the acceptor capacity level induced by iron nanoparticles. The capacitance, conductance and relaxation phenomenon of the material were studied by means of impedance spectroscopy measurements at several temperatures. Both FeoNPs incorporation and HMD grafting appear to be, at least partly, responsible for conductance variations. The effects of the surface groups of ZnO–HMD–Fe and charge transfer were found to be almost proportional to the capacitance. These properties make these materials to be regarded as promising electrode materials for high-efficiency energy storage.

Hybrid photocatalysts containing different amounts of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and TiO2 were synthesized by a one-pot oxidation/hydrothermal route and used for hydrogen production from aqueous solutions of methanol and glycerol under UV-LED irradiation. Platinum nanoparticles (1 wt%) were used as co-catalysts. Different techniques, namely X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, electrochemical impedance, diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the prepared materials. The presence of both CNTs and Pt has a great influence on the photocatalytic activity of CNT-Pt/TiO2 nanocomposites. The presence of CNTs extend the photo-response of TiO2 to the visible region, narrow its bandgap energy, enhance the charge mobility and reduce the electron/hole recombination. The hybrid material loaded with 1 wt% of CNT (1%CNT-Pt/TiO2), displayed the highest photoactivity for hydrogen production under UV-LED (384 nm) irradiation using both methanol and aqueous glycerol solutions, with 2327 and 2091 μmol g−1 of H2 produced at the end of 2 h of irradiation, respectively. Also, this material showed excellent photostability during at least three cycles.

The present study aimed to determine the level of iron and calcium in the seminal plasma of men with different fertility potentials and to examine its relationship with oxidative stress. Seventy-nine sub-fertile patients with asthenoteratozoospermia (AT), n 27; teratoleucozoospermia (TL), n 20; teratozoospermia (Terato), n 32; and 29 healthy donors were included. The ability of spermatozoa to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by using nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) staining. The lipid peroxidation end product, malondialdehyde (MDA), and the trace element levels (iron and calcium) were measured spectrophotometrically. Iron and calcium concentrations in seminal plasma of the patient groups were significantly more elevated than the normal group. Nevertheless, both calcium and iron showed strong negative correlations with the total sperm motility and normal sperm morphology, but only iron was positively and significantly associated with multiple anomalies index and seminal leucocyte concentration. On the other hand, the rates of MDA and ROS production in semen were significantly higher in the three abnormal groups than in controls. These two oxidative stress biomarkers were significantly associated with the percentage of atypical forms in semen. However, only semen ROS level was significantly associated with the decreased sperm motility and the sperm leucocytes concentration. Meanwhile, there are positive correlations between seminal iron and calcium content and the studied oxidative stress biomarkers. Oxidative stress and trace element excess are implicated in low sperm quality. Iron and calcium might be the mediators of the effects of oxidative damage and induces lipid peroxidation.

International audience; The photodegradation of a stearic acid (SA) microcrystal on an amorphous titania film surface scattered with submicrometric anatase domains is observed using a Reflected Light – Differential Interference Contrast (RL-DIC) microscopy. The SA microcrystal, grown from a saturated solution, is flat and rhombus-shaped with acute angle of 55° in agreement with the C-polymorph of SA crystal. We observe that the photodegradation initiates at the anatase microdomains under the microcrystal and creates SA holes in the shape of truncated-rhombus or elongated-hexagons having the same orientation and symmetry as the SA microcrystal. The expansion of the SA holes is ascribed to a photodegradation mechanism mediated by the photogeneration and surface diffusion of radical species across the gap between the anatase microdomain and the edges of the SA holes. A detail kinetic study of the SA holes expansion shows that the surface area of the SA holes scales almost linearly with UV exposure time in good agreement with an apparent zero-order kinetics. The morphology and the expansion kinetics of these holes are rationalized through the orientation dependence of the reactivity of the molecules with the radical species.

W–S–N-tri-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts (WSNTiO 2 ) were prepared by a simple sol–gel method. Tungstic acid, sodium sulfate and urea were used as tungsten, sulfur and nitrogen sources, respectively. The morphology and microstructure characteristics of the photocatalysts were evidenced by means of XRD, BET, TEM, SEM and UV–vis DRS techniques. The XRD results show that the main crystal phase of samples is anatase. It was also found that the tri-doping of TiO 2 increases its BET specific surface area from 95 to 121 m 2 ·g −1 . Besides, it was shown that tri-doping narrows the band gap of TiO 2 effectively, which has greatly improved the photocatalytic activity in the visible light region. The photocatalytic activity of tri-doped TiO 2 powders was compared to that of bi-doped ones through the degradation of Congo Red (CR) under visible irradiation. Thus, the prepared 0.5% W–N–S–TiO 2 heat treated at 450 °C showed the best photocatalytic activity compared to the prepared pure TiO 2 , Degussa P25, and co-doped samples (WNTiO 2 and WSTiO 2 ). In particular, a Congo Red degradation rate of approximately 99% was reached after only 35 min of visible light irradiation in the presence of 0.5% of WNSTiO 2 . Total organic carbon (TOC) removal of CR was up to 72% and confirmed its significant mineralization in the presence of 0.5% of WNSTiO 2 photocatalyst.

SSCI-VIDE+CARE+FDA:CGU; International audience; The influence of hydroxyl radicals on the photocatalytic performance of synthesized TiO2 resulting from the addition of water was studied. Two TiO2 samples were prepared using the sol-gel method followed by calcination at 600 degrees C. The aim of this work was to study the effect of water on the photocatalytic activity of a model compound formic acid (FA) by comparing between the titanium oxide synthesized with water (TiO2-600-w) and without water (TiO2-600). The TiO2-600-w, consisting of anatase and a little rutile, was the most active catalyst, whereas pure anatase (in case of TiO2-600), showed low photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, we confirmed that the filling of the TiO2 surface by hydroxyl radicals could produce better photocatalytic activity by reducing e(-)/h(+) recombination. It is notable, however, that with TiO2-600-w, the degradation rate (found under UV) was about 4-5 times greater than that obtained with TiO2-600. This result suggests that the presence of water was very important in the synthesis of TiO2 and brought a dramatic gain in the photocatalytic response as well. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ag-doped TiO 2 nanomaterials (Ag–TiO 2 ) were prepared with different percentages (1%, 2%, and 4%) by a sol–gel method. This mixture was subsequently calcined at 600 °C. The structures of Ag–TiO 2 nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The evaluation of the photocatalytic activity was carried out using formic acid (FA) as a model of chemical pollutants in UV conditions. The results showed that the Ag-doping at different percentages played an important role in the microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the samples. The Ag-doped TiO 2 sample at (1%) showed a photocatalytic activity about three times higher than that of P25 under UV light irradiation. Both the photocatalysis and the improvement of adsorption brought about more efficiency (1%) of Ag-doped TiO 2 due to the reduction of Ag + .

The role of alpha-tocopherol on nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by methamidophos (MT) was investigated in wistar rats. Animals were given via gavage, for four weeks, a low dose of MT (MT1), a high dose of MT (MT2), vitamin E (200 mg/kg of bw) or both MT2 plus vitamin E (Vit E) and control group was given distillate water. MT treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the body weight of MT2-treated group. Moreover, MT-treated groups had significantly lower butyrylcholinesterase (p < 0.01) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activities compared with the control group (p < 0.05). However, MT2-treated group had significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity compared with untreated rats (p < 0.05). Both MT-treated groups had significantly higher urea (p < 0.01) and uric acid levels (p < 0.05) compared with the control group. However, significant low uric acid level (p < 0.05) was noted in MT2 plus vit E-treated rats compared with MT2-treated group. Histopathological changes in organ tissues were observed in both MT-treated groups and MT2 plus vit E-treated rats. However, the damage was reduced in MT2 plus vit E-treated rats. Therefore, this study deduces that alpha-tocopherol administration may ameliorate the adverse effects of subacute exposure to MT on rat liver and kidney and this antioxidant can protect PON1 from oxidative stress induced by this organophosphorus pesticide. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 842-854, 2016.

SSCI-VIDE+CARE+FDA:CGU; International audience; The photocatalytic degradation of two components of DNA and RNA, cytosine (C4H5N3O) and uracil (C4H4N2O2) differing only by the presence of an amine or a carbonyl group was investigated in the presence of UV-irradiated TiO2 aqueous suspensions. The adsorption in the dark and under UV-A conditions, the photolysis, the kinetics of degradation, the fate of nitrogen and the identification of some intermediate products were investigated. The impact of pyrimidine cycles on the coverage of TiO2 under UV-A, the effect of NH2 substituent on the oxidation products and mineralization and the importance of carbonyl and amine groups on the fate of nitrogen atoms were evaluated. Electronic density was used to propose a possible chemical pathway. The comparison of the disappearance and mineralization rates in the photocatalytic process was discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A series of W-modified TiO2 (W–TiO2) photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple sol–gel method. The new photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. The photoactivity of the W–TiO2 photocatalysts was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of Congo red (CR) dye. It was found that the average size of the prepared photocatalysts is 10 nm. Moreover, they have high surface areas (∼ 216 m2 g−1) and their light-absorption extends to the visible region compared to pure TiO2. The effects of W-loading and of the calcination temperature of the prepared photocatalysts on their photocatalytic activity were also studied. The obtained results show that the W0.5–TiO2 photocatalyst calcined at 350 °C is much highly photoactive than non-doped or highly doped TiO2. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the weakly doped TiO2 may be attributed to the increase in the charge separation efficiency and the presence of surface acidity on the W0.5–TiO2 photocatalyst.

Hybrid TiO2–hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (TiO2–HPMC) nanophotocatalysts were prepared by a simple in situ synthesis. The weight ratios of HPMC-to-TiO2 were 5, 10 and 20%, respectively. The as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, XPS, UV–vis DRS, ATG and BET surface area analysis. Surface morphology was assessed by the means of SEM. The photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in neutral aqueous solution under visible light irradiation was examined to evaluate the efficiency of the hybrids in comparison to pure TiO2. The results indicated that the in situ hybridization of TiO2 with HPMC significantly increases its specific surface area and extends its light absorption range to the visible region. Consequently, TiO2–HPMC nanocomposites were photocatalytically much more active than pure TiO2. Moreover, the TiO2–HPMC hybrids were found to be sufficiently photostable after five experimental runs.

Nanocomposites of coupled ZnO-SnO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by the coprecipitation method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, surface area analyzer and scanning electron microscopy. Their photocatalytic activity was investigated under UV, visible and solar light and evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant. The performance of the coupled ZnO-SnO2 photocatalysts was found to be related to the Zn/Sn molar ratio and to the calcination conditions. The photocatalyst with a Zn/Sn molar ratio of 1:0.05 calcined at 600 °C for 2 h showed the maximum degradation rate of MB under different lights used. Its photocatalytic activity was found to be about two times that of ZnO and about 10 times that of SnO2 which can be explained by the heterojunction effect. Charge separation mechanism has been studied.

This study reports visible light sensitive ZrNO and ZrNO-Ag polyester samples prepared by sputtering in an Ar/N-2/O-2 atmosphere leading to Escherichia coil bacterial inactivation. The bacterial inactivation by ZrNO avoids the increasing environmental concern involving the fate of Ag-leaching of many disinfectants. The simultaneous co-sputtering of ZrNO and Ag2O enhanced the E. coli bacterial inactivation kinetics compared to the sequential sputtering of ZrNO and Ag. A reaction mechanism is suggested triggered by photoinduced interfacial charge transfer (IFCT) suggesting electron injection form the Ag2Ocb, to the ZrO2cb. The sizes of the ZrO2 and Ag nanoparticles in the co-sputtered ZrNO-Ag were 80-130 nm and 8-15 nm respectively as determined by high angular annular dark field (HAADF) microscopy. Evidence is presented by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the self-cleaning of the photocatalysts after bacterial inactivation. This enabled a stable catalyst reuse. The XPS experimental spectra of ZrNO and ZrNO-Ag were deconvoluted into their ZrN, ZrNO and ZrO2 components. The amounts of Ag-ions released during bacterial inactivation were

We evaluated pre- and post-thymoquinone (TQ) treatment on 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine (DMH)-induced oxidative stress during initiation and promotion of colon carcinogenesis. Wistar rats were induced with DMH (20mg/kg) for 10 or 20 weeks, and treated with TQ (5mg/kg). Following sacrifice, the colons were analysed for tumour development, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation [conjugated diene (CD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)], antioxidants [glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH)], and histological changes. Increased ROS levels and lipid peroxidation were seen during tumour initiation and promotion. All ROS-scavenging enzyme activities were increased upon shorter DMH treatment but not following longer treatment, while GSH amount was increased upon both treatments. Oxidative state perturbations were associated with moderate colon dysplasia and 30% tumour incidence at initiation and marked dysplasia and 100% tumour incidence at promotion. TQ pre-treatment restored completely DMH-induced oxidative stress at initiation and established histological changes and tumour development. It also abrogated oxidative status aggravation at promotion, and significantly reduced tumour incidence (67%). By comparison, TQ post-treatment corrected oxidative status and attenuated tumour development at initiation. It slightly reduced MDA and antioxidant level at promotion, with a slight reduction in tumour state and dysplasia degree. TQ is efficacious in protecting and curing DMH-induced initiation phase of colon cancer, while exerting a protective role at promotion. TQ effect seems to be related to its capacity in preventing DMH-induced oxidative stress. These in vivo results support the notion that TQ may be of value as a chemo-preventive alternative in colorectal cancer patients.

Summary Objective This study aimed to investigate the variations of the plasma TBARS levels (lipid peroxidation marker) and of the non-enzymatic antioxidants (uric acid, bilirubin and albumin) and their associations with the clinical and therapeutic characteristics in schizophrenic patients. Patients and methods A case control study included 121 schizophrenic patients and 88 control subjects aged respectively, 37.3 ± 10.3 and 33.5 ± 13,9 years. TBARS was determined by spectrophotometric method based on the reaction between malonedialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA). Plasma uric acid (UA) and total bilirubin (TB) concentrations were determined using Cobas 6000 TM and albumin level was determined using Konelab 30 TM equipment. Results Compared to controls, patients had significantly higher levels of UA (270 ± 68 vs. 220 ± 73; P P Conclusion Schizophrenic patients had an increase in TBARS levels and perturbations in their non-enzymatic antioxidant status that contribute to increase the risk of oxidative stress. In addition, our results revealed that there was no association between the increase of TBARS levels, non-enzymatic antioxidants and any clinical or therapeutic characteristics. Therefore, such patients require specific care, particularly with regard to their lipid peroxidation and their non-enzymatic antioxidant.

Pickering emulsion could be a new way for the enhancement of the photocatalysis process efficiency, in particular when applied to degrade non-soluble organic pollutants. To validate this idea, Pickering emulsions were prepared by using monochlorobenzene (MCB) as a model organic contaminant of low solubility in water and TiO 2 modified by salicylic acid (SA) as stabilizer. XRD, TEM, TGA, XPS and FTIR were used to characterize the fine solid particles of TiO 2 –SA. Electrical conductivity and optical microscopy were used to characterize emulsions. We focused to prepare emulsions of small drop size by varying the pH of continuous phase (water), the weight fraction of solid particles and the emulsification process. The as-prepared emulsions were photocatalytically degraded under visible radiation. The removal rate of MCB was measured by UV/vis spectroscopy. The results proved that use of a Pickering emulsion stabilized by TiO 2 –SA nanoparticles provides an effective and novel way to intensify the photocatalytic degradation of the organic contaminant.

This study aims at contributing to the area of bio-based hydrogen production system development. A hydrogen production system via autothermal reforming of poultry fat was comprehensively investigated by life cycle assessment, after identification of the optimal thermodynamic operating conditions obtained via a detailed analysis of the involved chemical reactions. In the life cycle assessment, the system boundaries include reforming and rendering along with the required transportation processes. The rendering data are adapted from a literature review, whereas the reforming inventories data are derived from the process design and simulation of the entire hydrogen production process in Aspen Plus™ software. The life cycle inventories data for the hydrogen system are computationally implemented into SimaPro 7.3. Six relevant environmental impact categories are evaluated based on the CML baseline 2000. An energy analysis is also carried out based on cumulative energy demand and cumulative exergy demand as additional impacts categories. The life cycle assessment results are subjected to a systematic sensitivity analysis and compared to those achieved by other routes used for hydrogen production. The results show that poultry fat is a promising option for renewable hydrogen production considering the high productivity achievable with poultry fat (148.5 mol H 2 /kg of poultry fat); however, minimization of the heat requirement of the process is highly recommended to improve the system energetics and environmental performance.

ZnO–SnO 2 nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile sol–gel synthesis route and characterized through X-ray diffraction, BET specific surface area analysis, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested using the degradation of 4-nitrophenol under UV light as model reaction. The ZnO/SnO 2 molar ratio was varied in order to study its influence on the photoefficiency of the samples. The ZnO–SnO 2 nanocomposites showed higher photoactivity than the pure oxides and in particular the sample with ZnO/SnO 2 molar ratio equal to 1/0.05 resulted the best one among the tested powders. The high activity of the mixed samples was attributed to the presence of heterojunctions between the two oxides, which allows an improved charge separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, due to the differences between the energy levels of the conduction and valence bands of ZnO and SnO 2 . Photovoltage measurements were performed to determine the energy band structure of the ZnO–SnO 2 heterojunction.

a b s t r a c t This study presents the design, preparation, testing and characterization of TiN and TiN-Ag nanopartic- ulate films leading to photocatalytic and catalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli. When Ti was sputtered in N2 atmosphere, the TiN films unexpectedly revealed semiconductor properties when irradiated under visible light due to the formation of TiO2 showing absorption in the visible spectral region. In TiN-Ag films, Ag enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiN leading to faster bacterial inactivation. Evidence for the presence of TiO2 and TiN in the films is presented by XPS. The TiN layers 50 nm thick sputtered by DC for 3 min led to complete inactivation of E. coli within 120 min. But TiN layers with a thickness >50 nm hinder the surface diffusion of charges reducing bacterial inactivation. The rate of TiN deposi- tion was ∼1.4 × 1015 atoms TiN/cm2s. For the TiN-polyester samples under visible light a 3 log10 bacterial reduction (99.9%) was observed within 30 min while for TiN-Ag samples the same bacterial reduction was attained within ∼15 min. The absorption of the TiN-Ag samples in Kubelka-Munk (KM) units was directly proportional to the E. coli inactivation kinetics. TiN-Ag plasmon nanostructures are concurrently formed under low intensity visible light and accelerated bacterial inactivation. This study shows that TiN films have the potential to replace Ag-based disinfection materials leaching Ag into the environment. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International audience; Exergy analysis has been shown to be an efficient tool for understanding and improvement of industrial processes. In the present study, exergy analysis has been used to examine the energy consumption of an existing Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process and then to test for possible savings in primary energy consumption and environmental protection. In the first step, energy and exergy balances of a steam methane reforming process were established to identify the thermodynamic imperfections of the process. Recommendations from this study have contributed to the building of a new and more efficient process. Consequently, a heat exchanger, corresponding to 44.9% of the total required area for the SMR heat exchange, has been incorporated in the SMR for waste heat recovery. The thermal and exergetic efficiencies of the original process are 70% and 65.5%, respectively. For the new process, the thermal and exergetic efficiencies are 74% and 69.1%, respectively. The unused exergy is reduced by 9.3% from 125.9 to 114.2 kJ per mole of H-2 produced. One mole of methane produces 2.48 mol of H-2 compared to 2.35 mol of H-2 produced in the original process. Furthermore, the new SMR process produces the lower greenhouse gas emissions

Supported nanocrystalline titanium dioxide has been prepared by a sol–gel method through the use of mesoporous silica materials SBA-15. The synthesized titania/silica composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–visible spectroscopy. The TiO2–SBA-15 composites presented in this study showed much higher photodegradation ability of methylene blue (MB) than commercial pure TiO2 nanoparticles Degussa P-25 using different light sources (UV, visible and solar light). Experimental results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of titania/silica mixed materials depends on the adsorption ability of composite and the photocatalytic activity of the titania, and the highest activity was observed on the sample with Ti/Si ratio is about 8.

In explorations of syntheses and chemistry of spiroheterocycles, we found that the reaction of 2-diazopropane with (E)-α-arylidenepyrrolin-2-one, (E)-α-arylidene-γ-butyrolactone, and (E)-arylidene-N-arylsuccinimide derivatives produced spiro-Δ1-pyrazolines. The photolysis of Δ1-pyrazolines has led to cyclopropanes. The structures of the obtained adducts have been assigned by means of spectroscopic measurements. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).

Electrical conducting carbon (ECC) porous structures were explored by changing the pyrolysis temperature of organic xerogel compounds prepared by sol–gel method from resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) mixtures in acetone using picric acid as catalyst. The effect of this preparation parameter on the structural and electrical properties of the obtained ECCs was studied. The analysis of the obtained results revealed that the polymeric insulating xerogel phase was transformed progressively with pyrolysis temperature into carbon conducting phase; this means the formation of long continuous conducting path for charge carriers to move inside the structure with thermal treatment and the samples exhibited tangible percolation behaviour where the percolation threshold can be determined by pyrolysis temperature. The temperature-dependent conductivity of the obtained ECC structures shows a semi-conducting behaviour and the I ( V ) characteristics present a negative differential resistance. The results obtained from STM micrographs revealed that the obtained ECC structures consist of porous electrical conducting carbon materials.

Radish (Raphanus sativus) has been extensively studied for its preventive effects against different degenerative diseases. Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp and is frequently implicated in immunological disorders and occasionally in hyperoestrogenic syndromes contributing to the increased risk of cancer and other diseases. The aims of this study were, firstly, to quantitatively evaluate the Tunisian radish extract (TRE) for its total flavonoids, isothiocyanates and antioxidant activity and, secondly, to investigate the protective role of TRE against immune system disorders in Balb/c mice treated with ZEN for two weeks. The results indicated that mice treated with ZEN (40 mg kg−1) alone showed a significant decrease in lymphocytes of the total white blood cells, immunoglobulin profile (IgG and IgM), B cells, T-cell sub-types (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+) and natural killer and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mice treated with TRE (5, 10 or 15 mg kg−1) for 7 days before, during or after ZEN treatment, however, showed a significant improvement in lymphocyte, immunoglobulin profile, T-cell sub-types, B cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, treatment with the highest dose of TRE (15 mgkg−1) enhanced the release of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β but the other parameters were comparable with those of the control. It could be concluded that TRE was effective in protecting against ZEN-induced immunological disorders. These results supported our hypothesis that TRE contains several compounds that are able to prevent or inhibit ZEN toxicity.

Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a food plant known worldwide. From antiquity it has been used in folk medicine as a natural drug against many toxicants. Zearalenone (zen) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin present in corn and food mixture for farm animals and it is hepatotoxic, hematotoxic, immunotoxic, nephrotoxic and genotoxic. The objectives of the present study were to assess the biological activity of radish extract and to evaluate the protective role of radish extract against the toxicity of zen in female Balb/c mice. Animals were divided into seven groups and treated orally for 10 days as follows: a control, an olive oil group, groups treated with radish extract alone (5, 10 and 15 mg kg−1 b.w.), a group treated with zen (40 mg kg−1 b.w.) and a group treated with zen plus the lowest dose of radish extract. The results indicate that radish extract improved the antioxidant status and had no significant effects on hematological and biochemical parameters tested or histology of the liver and kidney. Treatment with zen results in a significant increase in ALT, AST, ALP, BILT, BILD, CRE accompanied with significant changes in most of hematological parameters and the antioxidant enzyme activities, co-treatment of zen and the radish extract results in a significant reestablishment of hematological, serum biochemical parameters, and the histology of the liver and kidney. These findings suggest that radish extract is safe and can be overcome or, at least, significantly diminish zen effects. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A direct effect of process-induced trans-fatty acids (TFAs) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor has previously been shown. We hypothesized that TFAs directly induced CVD. This article describes an investigation of the association between TFAs, provided by the consumption of oxidized soybean oil and margarine, and plasma lipid profiles, coronary artery lesions, and coronary fatty acids distribution in rats. Male rats were fed a standard chow or high-fat diet containing different TFA levels ranging from1%,2%, and2% of total fat in fresh soybean oil, oxidized soybean oil, and margarine, respectively, for 4 weeks.The results indicated that the high-fat diets differently changed the plasma lipid profiles by significantlt increasing triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the ratio of low-density to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared to control rats. Compared to fresh soybean oil, oxidized oil further increased plasma lipid markers. The strongest inflammatory effect was induced by margarine, which contains the highest level of TFAs, or 2% of total fat. Total TFAs in the heart of the margarine-fed group were increased by 4.7 regarding to control and by 2.17 and 2.6 relative to groups receiving oxidized and fresh oil, respectively. Increased TFAs consumption was associated with increased histological aspects of atherosclerotic lesions in a dose-dependent manner.In conclusion, process-induced TFAs cause changes including proatherogenic plasma lipid markers, heart fatty acid profiles, and coronary artery histology depending on the TFA level in the supplemented fat and therefore on the type of technological process used.

SSCI-VIDE+CARE+FDA:CGU; International audience; The advanced oxidation processes were examined toward the degradation of thymine (C5H6N2O2), a type of nucleic acid from the pyrimidine family. As observed, the photodegradation of thymine over TiO2 photocatalyst was rapid and significant in aqueous solution under UV irradiation. Different parameters were studied, including the adsorption of thymine onto TiO2 photocatalyst, the kinetics of degradation, and the effect of pH on the photocatalytic properties of thymine degradation. Additionally, the mineralization of the products obtained upon thymine photodegradation was studied. The disappearance and mineralization rates of thymine during the photocatalytic process were also compared and discussed. The mineralization of nitrogen was also investigated, and the identification of the intermediate products was established. Finally, electronic density calculations were used to propose possible chemical pathways for the photodegradation of thymine over TiO2 photocatalyst under UV irradiation. (C) 2015, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methylene Blue (MB) has been chosen as a model molecule to evaluate the impact of inorganic salts, present in textile waste waters, on the adsorption properties and on the photocatalytic efficiency ofTiO2. NoOH∘radical scavenging by anions such asNO3−,Cl−,SO42−,PO43−, andCO32−was observed at neutral and basic pH, while this phenomenon can be suggested at acidic pH for some anions except carbonate anions which are totally neutralized and/or eliminated asCO2in these conditions. The decrease in the rate MB photocatalytic degradation in the presence of inorganic salts was shown to be due to the formation of an inorganic salt layer at the surface ofTiO2, which inhibits the approach of MB molecules. The correlation between the amount of MB adsorbed and the rate of its photocatalytic degradation, whatever the nature of the salt, its concentration and the pH of the solution, indicates (i) that photocatalysis occurs at the surface and not in the solution and (ii) thatOH−ions added at basic pH do not participate to the increase in the photocatalytic efficiency by inducing an increase inOH∘formation. They increase the surface density in adsorption sitesTiO−. The effect of various salts is similar on various titania samples of industrial origin (MillenniumTiO2PC 500, PC 50, and Degussa P 25). It is however more important on Millennium PC 10 probably because of its smaller surface area.