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The study aimed to evaluate the ability of some terrestrial and aquatic plants for wastewater purification. Aquatic plants can remove pollutants from wastewater by consuming and accumulating various contaminants in different parts of plants. Different aquatic and terrestrial plants (Rosa sinensis, Typha latifolia, Ocimm bacilicum, Azolla pinnata, and Salvinia molesta) which have the ability to decrease water pollution were utilized in this study. The capability of five different species of plants was investigated by measuring chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and pH of the medium. In this research, some aquatic and terrestrial plants were transplanted in wastewater plastic pots containing domestic wastewater with different ratios of 50% and 100%. Then, after 30 days, the physiological and biochemical parameters of plants were calculated to observe the effect of wastewater on plants. Results revealed higher chlorophyll and carotenoids in typha plants treated with 100% wastewater. The highest percentage of elimination in BOD (65%), COD (27%), TDS (72%), EC (83%), and pH (6.8%) was noted with the use of typha and azolla. Intriguingly, total soluble sugars, total free amino acids, and total proteins were found maximum in the hibiscus plant as compared to the other plants under 100% and 50% domestic wastewater treatment, while typha and ocimum showed lower values of these parameters irrespective of wastewater treatments. Moreover, the COD, BOD, TDS, EC, and pH trend was higher in 100% wastewater as compared to 50% wastewater. Taking into account the accumulation capacity of the tested plants especially typha can be efficiently used for the treatment of domestic wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are two-dimensional material of carbon having unique optical, electrical, mechanical and thermal properties, which could form composite material with different materials. In this work, we fabricated the nanocomposite of GO and rGO with silver (Ag). Modified Hummer method was adopted for the production of GO from graphite powder. This GO was reduced into rGO using ascorbic acid. On the reduction of GO into rGO, inter-planar distance increases which enhanced the properties of rGO as compared to GO. Turkevich method was adopted to produce the nanocomposite of GO and rGO with Ag. FTIR was performed to confirm the different functional group in the desired product. XRD spectra of rGO have broad hump shaped peak which reflects the amorphous structure or lattice and proposed rGO composite as a better membrane material than GO composite for water purification. Similarly, the Raman spectra shows the lower value of D and G band for rGO than GO. Results revealed that methylene blue dye was degraded up to 79.36 % using rGO-Ag composite. Hence, it is concluded that fabricated material could possibly be employed for degradation of other toxic pollutant from industrial effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review is focusing on photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production as a viable fuel. The limitations of different production methods for H2 generation and the importance of photocatalytic process are discussed, which renders this process as highly promising to meet the future energy crises. TiO2 is one of most effective material to generate the H2 via photocatalytic processes. Therefore, advantages of the catalyst over other semiconductors have been thoroughly analyzed. Starting from synthesis of TiO2 and factors affecting the whole process of photocatalytic H2 production have been discussed. Modifications for improvement in TiO2 and the photocatalytic reaction are critically reviewed as well as the mechanism of TiO2 modification has been described. Metal doping, non-metal doping, impurity addition and defect introduction processes have been analyzed and the comparison of experimental results is developed based on H2 production efficiency. A critical review of the literature from 2004 to 2021 concludes that H2 production as fuel using TiO2 photocatalytic method is efficient and environment friendly, which have potential for practical applications for H2 generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reported the biological synthesis of MnO2 nanoparticles and MnO2@eggshell nanocomposite. Optimum conditions for the biosynthesis of MnO2 NPs were observed for 0.025 M MnCl2 solution with 1.0% (m/v) of plant powder (Ocimum basilicum) content-based extract under basic pH conditions. Afterwards, nanocomposite (NC) was prepared by fabricating manganese-based nanoparticles on waste eggshell powder. Different techniques were applied for characterization of prepared materials. Synthesized NPs and NCs were further utilized for the adsorption studies of crystal violet dye. Studies were conducted to delineate the effect of dye concentration, prepared material dosage, pH, temperature and contact time. In the end, adsorption isotherms and thermodynamic studies were applied to the data. The Langmuir model better fits the data in both the cases and predicted adsorption capacity of 149.254 and 52.6 mg/g for NC and NPs, respectively. The possible mechanism of the dye removal process, nanoparticle and nanocomposite formation has also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought and heat are major abiotic stresses that usually occur simultaneously and cause significant yield losses in cereal crops including maize (Zea mays L.). First, ten genotypes of maize were screened using root length stress tolerance indices under heat (40 °C for 2, 4 and 6 h) and drought (−0.2, −0.4, and −0.6 MPa) stress. Two tolerant and two sensitive genotypes were selected and their growth and different biochemical traits were analyzed under drought stress (60% field capacity), heat stress (one cycle of 40 °C for 6 hours) and combined drought and heat stress. The results showed that drought stress had a predominant effect over heat stress, whereas combined drought and heat stress caused significant adverse effects on all parameters. The biochemical attributes such as total soluble sugars (TSS), proline, and total free amino acids (TFAA) were increased, whereas total soluble proteins (TSP) and nitrate reductase activity were decreased as compared to controls under all stress treatments. Biomass was positively correlated with the transpiration rate and TSP, while negatively related to leaf temperature and TFAA. The tolerant genotypes maintained higher proline, TSP, TSS, and TFAA contents and could be used for breeding for the adaptation to drought and heat under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumber is one of the important vegetables for nourishing human being due to the presence of nutrients and vitamins throughout the world. However, its production is decreasing due to several environmental stresses. Amongst the abiotic stresses, salinity is the foremost problems for agricultural crops which cause a great loss in crop production in the world. A number of management approaches have been executed to cope with salinity problem. However, the foliar application of amino acids to enhance plant tolerance under salt stress is a cost-effective technology being utilized in all over the world. For this purpose, the experiments were conducted to evaluate the foliar application of two amino acids i.e., phenylalanine (75 and 100 ppm) and methionine (25 and 50 ppm) separately and in combinations on four cucumber genotypes (HC-999, Valley, NSCCM1 and Akbar). Results showed that 25 ppm methionine showed better behavior towards the enhancement of biomass production as compared to 50 ppm methionine and 75 and 100 ppm phenylalanine separately under saline and non-saline conditions. However in combinations, the 25 ppm methionine with 100 ppm phenylalanine showed better performance in nonsaline and saline conditions in biomass production as compared to all other treatments of both amino acids separately and also in combined foliar sprays. The foliar application of 100 ppm phenylalanine showed better results in nutrients uptake as compared to other treatments of both amino acids separately under saline and non-saline conditions. Therefore the application of 25 ppm methionine with 100 ppm phenylalanine may be used to improve the quantity and quality of cucumber to grow in saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is persistent elevation in blood pressure for 3-4 weeks. Estimated global prevalence of hypertension suggested that by the Year 2025 (29%) of adult worldwide are suffering from hypertension (1.56 billion). Hypertension complications are hemorrhage, atherosclerosis, renal artery stenosis, angina pectoris end organ damage, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction and retinopathy. Along with other drug class Calcium channel blocker are also used for the treatment of hypertension. In this study the possible action of the n-hexane leaves fraction of the Androsace foliosa on isolated rabbit aorta was examined. Antihypertensive activity was examined in the existence of standard agonist like phenylephrine and antagonist like Verapamil. Phenylephrine (PE 1µM) high K+ was used to steady the tissue materials. Additionally to observe the calcium channel blocking effect the tissues were treated with n-hexane segment of A. foliosa leaves. Aortic tissues were treated 4-5intervals with Ca+2- free preparation earlier to control calcium reaction curve (CRCs). Verapamil is utilized as standard calcium channel inhibitory mediator and is used as an antagonist. The Af. n-hexane leaves fraction completely inhibited the precontractions induced by Phenylephrine (1µM) and K+ (80 mM) precontractions, with EC50 standards of 1.0mM (0.3-1.0mg/mL) and 4.90mM (1-3mg/mL), respectively. Androsace foliosa n-hexane leaves fraction was tested for calcium channel inhibitory effect on isolated rabbit aorta. A. foliosa nhexane leaves segment at the dosage of 1mg/mL block the calcium channel approximately (35±5%). Consequence indicates that A. foliosa n-hexane leaves segment block calcium channel in the similar manner as compared to the standard calcium channel blocker drug (verapamil). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the present study was evaluation of genotypic potential among four sorghum genotypes through the analysis of different growth and nutrients uptake in salt stress. The four sorghum genotypes, JS-2002, Sandalbar, Noor and FJ-115 were utilized in the experiments to study the mechanism of salt tolerance using 0 or 100 mM NaCl stress. The analysis was carried out on growth and different ion concentrations e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium and chlorides of both shoots and roots. The differences among means were calculated and analysis of variance technique was used for comparison of salt tolerance between cultivars. Results showed that salinity adversely affected growth of all four sorghum genotypes. The fresh weight of plants was reduced by salt stress in sorghum. The uptake of toxic compounds was increased in the presence of salt stress as compared with non-stressed plants, which reduced the uptake of essential nutrients for plants. The highest fresh weight of plants and nutrient uptake potential was recorded in Sandalbar closely followed by JS-2002, which indicated these sorghum cultivars as salt tolerant. It is further concluded that the induction of the salt stress in the growth medium cause adverse effect on the growth and uptake of essential nutrients. It was observed that salt stress cause ion toxicity in sorghum plants. These results could be used in sorghum breeding programs to select the most tolerant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study indicates the sequestering of uranium (VI) onto eucalyptus bark. The batch-scale removal of uranium (VI) onto eucalyptus bark has been investigated with various parameters, such as contact times, pH, biosorbent dose, temperatures and initial uranium (VI) concentrations. Value ofR2and six non-linear regression error functions, namely hybrid fractional error function, Marquardt’s percent standard deviation, average relative error, sum of the errors squared, sum of the absolute errors and Chi-square test (χ2), are considered as tools to predict the most optimum kinetic and isothermal models. The experimental results fitted well to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal models. Maximum sorption capacity (48.99 mg/g) of eucalyptus bark was observed at optimum conditions (pH 6, contact time of 80 min, 0.05-g/L biosorbent dose, 35°C temperatures and initial uranium (VI) concentration of 90 mg/L). The thermodynamics of uranium (VI) ions sorption onto eucalyptus bark indicates the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process. The competitive biosorption of Zn(II), Cd(II), Cr(III) and Pb(II) with uranium was studied and results depicted that Cr3+had the most inhibitory effect, while Pb2+had the least inhibitory effect on uranium biosorption. Decrease in peak sharpness in the loaded sample compared to native supports the involvement of functional groups in the sorption process. The results of the study prove that eucalyptus bark is a very useful and economical biosorbent for the removal of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looks at using partially purified peroxidase extracted from peels of sweet lime (Citrus limetta) for decolorizing textile industry effluent. The ideal pH and thermal conditions of the enzyme were 7 and 35°C. The Km and Vmax for guaiacol were 0.66 mM and 6666 μmol/mL/min, respectively. We found that sweet lime peroxidase was very effective in decolorizing textile industry effluent. Almost complete decolorization (>99 %) of effluent was attained at a pH of 5.0, temperature of 55°C, H2O2 concentration of 2 mM, and enzyme dose of 40 U/mL within 60 minutes of incubation. The effluent was also analysed in terms of physicochemical parameters before and after treatment with sweet lime peroxidase. The reduction in toxicity after the enzymatic treatment was evidenced by chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct yellow 4 degradation was investigated in the presence of various mediators (p-coumaric acid, 1, hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBT), syringaldehyde, vanillin, syringic acid, veratryl alcohol, and pyrocatechol) at pre-optimized conditions of process variables, i.e., pH 5.0, temperature 50°C, enzyme dose 24 U/mL, and 0.25 mM H2O2 concentration. Citrus limon peroxidase (CL-POD) was used for degradation of DY4 dye. In the absence of mediators, the DY4 degradation was 60%, whereas mediators enhanced the POD biodegradation efficiency up to 87%. Among mediators investigated, syringaldehyde showed promising efficiency. We investigated yringaldehyde concentrations in the range of 0.0125-0.5 mM, and 0.025 mM was optimum for maximum dye degradation, which revealed that mediators could be used to enhance the biodegradation of dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ), a hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ), contaminates milk and dairy products from livestock via ingestion of feed contaminated with a species of Aspergillus . As AFM 1 is a Group-II B carcinogen, it is indispensable to develop novel, easy-to-handle, sensitive, portable and cost-effective strategies for its detection. Herein, a covalent organic framework (COF)-based electroactive nanocomposite, Ag 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 -COOH@MA-DBB-COF (silver oxide/carboxy-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride@melamine-dibromo butane COF), is designed to serve as a multifunctional receptor surface. The Ag 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 -COOH@MA-DBB-COF formation was characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy (RAMAN), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and each step of the sensor fabrication was monitored using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under the optimal conditions, the designed immunosensor permitted the detection of AFM 1 in the linear range of 0.03-1000 fg mL -1 , with a 0.01 fg mL -1 limit of detection (LOD). The selectivity of the designed immunosensor was validated via an anti-interference study. The practical applicability of the immunosensor was demonstrated by the detection of AFM 1 in real milk samples, and good recovery values (97.28-102.62%) were obtained. Furthermore, the developed immunosensor and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed in parallel to detect AFM 1 in local market milk samples from twenty different sites to validate the performance of the newly designed immunosensor. Additionally, the designed immunosensor was stable over an extended period of time. This work reports a single-step field-portable multifunctional innovative electrochemical immunoreceptor design for on-site and label-free detection of AFM 1 in milk samples. Hence, the present study is the first report on the fabrication of a multifunctional innovative electrochemical immunoreceptor based on PGE/Ag 2 O/g-C 3 N 4 -COOH@MA-DBB-COF for the detection of AFM 1 in milk samples., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)