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A temperature‐induced counter‐current homogenous liquid‐liquid extraction procedure performed in a burette has been proposed for the isolation of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 from various fruit chip samples. In this method, a homogenous solution of deionized water and cyclohexylamine is added to the solid sample and the resulted mixture is vortexed. In the following, the liquid phase is taken and passed through the burette filled with a mixture of calcium oxide (as a phase separation agent) and sand (to avoid clumping the calcium oxide). By doing so, the temperature of the solution is increased by hydration of calcium oxide and consequently, the homogenous state is broken and the aflatoxins are migrated into the resulted tiny droplets of cyclohexylamine. This phase is collected on the top of the solution owing to its low density with respect to an aqueous solution. Numerous parameters which can affect the efficiency of the suggested approach were evaluated and under the best situations, great repeatability, low limits of determination and quantification, and high extraction recoveries were acquired. In the end, the suggested approach was employed for the quantification of the selected aflatoxins in various fruit chips samples marketed in Tabriz City, Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The problem of resistance to antiparasitic drugs, associated with their side effects, suggest exploring other alternatives, including medicinal plants. Dracocephalumkotschyi (D.kotschyi), for example, from Lamiaceae family, is a plant widely used in Iran and in many countries, and to which interesting pharmacological properties have been attributed. This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo anti-Toxoplasma activities of D.kotschyi extract in experimental models of acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: Anti-Toxoplasma activity of the extracts in vitro was performed on Vero Cell, using the MTT test. Vero cell were infected with (3 × 105 tachyzoites/well) following treatment with Dichloromethane (F1), dichloromethane: methanol (F2), methanol (F3), methanol: water (F4), and deionized water (F5) extracts of D.kotschyi, and pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (positive control). MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to measure cell viability. Effects of extracts on tachyzoites viability were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion method, followed by light microscopy. For in vivo test, 18 groups of 8–10-week-old Inbred Balb/c mice weighing 18–20 g, were intraperitoneally infected with 2 × 103 tachyzoites and then treated with sterile PBS (negative control), pyrimethamine (25 mg/kg) and sulfadiazine (500 mg/kg) as positive controls, and F1 to F5 extracts (at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg). Results: The 50% Inhibitory Concentration of F1 extract, F2 extract, Sulfadiazine (Positive control) and Pyrimethamine (Positive control) were 8.77 µg, 7.1 µg 391.18 µg, and 84.20 µg, respectively, while the selectivity indices were 15.667, 30.197, 1.552 and 4.064, respectively. In vivo anti-Toxoplasma activity test showed that Methanol: water (F-4) 50 extract was more active than the positive control. Conclusions: Indeed, the extract allowed a survival rate of 10% of the mice, compared to 0% for all the other groups. D.kotschyi has the potential to be valorized in the management of toxoplasmosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, energy and fresh water play a vital role in human life and the development of economics and also in industry. The energy density in water desalination process is remarkable, so using the renewable energy sources for this purpose can be interesting especially in the high potential renewable energy sources (solar energy) like Middle East. The simulation and feasibility study of solar water desalination system coupled with lithium battery energy storage is considered in the case study of Iran. For these purposes, a complete simulation of the considered system is done. Then, using simulation results, the economic study is carried out using tem economic method. Also, the parametric study is considered to find out the effect of climate change, temperature, solar panel type, size of system and the salinity of inlet water on the economic feasibility. Results show that the suggested system is economically feasible in the considered place (period of return is under 5 years). The minimum cost of market for desalinated water which causes the considered system economic is 0.045 US$/L in (Tehran and Jask), 0.04 US$/L for Semnan, 0.065 US$/L in Rasht and 0.035 US$/L in Yazd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a homogenous liquid–liquid extraction method was combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and utilized for the extraction of Co, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Tl from honey samples before their determination by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. For this purpose, firstly, diluted honey solution was transferred into a glass test tube and mixed with a few milliliters of a mixture of n -butanol and choline chloride: menthol: p -aminophenol deep eutectic solvent. A homogenous solution was obtained. After that an appropriate amount of sodium chloride was added into the solution and sonicated for 6 min. During this step, the homogenous solution was broken and the mixture of n -butanol and the deep eutectic solvent mixture was collected on top of the solution. The supernatant phase was removed and quickly injected into deionized water. After centrifugation, the collected phase at the bottom of the tube was injected into the determination system. Under the optimum situations, low limits of detection (0.24–0.74 ng g–1) and quantification (0.79–2.46 ng g–1), high extraction recoveries (80–92%), and good repeatability (relative standard deviations equal to or less than 3.6% and 3.9% for intra– and inter-day precisions, respectively) were acquired. Finally, the offered method was employed for determination of the studied heavy metals in various honey samples marketed in Tabriz city, Iran. • A green three-component DES was used as an extraction solvent and complexing agent. • SIHLLE combined with DLLME was used for extraction of heavy metals. • ICP-AES method was used for determination of the analytes. • Greenness, low cost, and effective sample preparation are advantages of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is an important source for drinking water supply in the arid and semi-arid regions around the world. Eighty four groundwater samples collected from Kakhk and its all rural areas were evaluated for drinking quality using the water quality index (WQI). Additionally, the human health risks associated with nitrate and fluoride concentrations in drinking water were estimated for children and adults using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) method in the investigated areas. Parameters including potassium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, pH, total hardness and electrical conductivity were analyzed. Among these, levels of potassium, carbonate, nitrate and fluoride in all areas were within the permissible limits of World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. The mean concentrations of nitrate and fluoride in the study areas were 20.00 ± 14.81 mg/L and 0.32 ± 0.17 mg/L, respectively. The WQI classification showed that 16.6 %, 38 % and 45.2 % of water resources had excellent, good and poor water quality, respectively. 40.4 % of the areas had Hazard Quotient (HQ) values more than one (HQ ≥ 1), indicating the possibility of being non-carcinogenic risk of nitrate through water consumption for children. But values of HQ adults (for nitrate), HQ children (for fluoride) and HQ adults (for fluoride) all were less than 1 (HQ < 1), showing little or no risk from water consumption containing these elements in the areas. Regarding all of the measured parameters, higher CDI and HQ values were seen for children compared to adults. This study is useful, as it is the most comprehensive water quality assessment research conducted so far in Kakhk and its rural areas and will be a reference to future studies. • Quality of drinking water and health risk in Kakhk and its rural areas were assessed. • 16.6 %, 38 % and 45.2 % of the areas had excellent, good and poor water quality, respectively. • 40.4 % of the areas indicated the possibility of non-carcinogenic risk of nitrate for children. • Higher CDI and HQ values were seen for children compared to adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]