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Water is prime requirement for surviving of any living beings. The existence of surface water and groundwater sources are used for domestic, agriculture and industrial purposes in all over the world. Fresh water from both the water sources is highly contaminated in recent years because of rapid population growth, modern agriculture and industrial growth. Among them, contamination of water sources due to industrialization is high and it requires more attention to protect those water sources. In this study, nickel removal from electroplating industry wastewater was done with the help of bamboo activated carbon. The nickel removal from electroplating industry wastewater by bamboo activated carbon was done in this study at various adsorbent dosages (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g/L), agitation speeds (25, 50, 75 and 100 rpm), particle sizes (2.36, 1.18, 0.6 and 0.3 mm), and concentration dilutions (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). The maximum removal percentage of nickel from electroplating industry wastewater using bamboo activated carbon was found to be 98.7 % at an optimum adsorption dosage 1.5 g/L, agitation speed 25 rpm, particle size 0.6 mm and concentration dilution 75 % with 110 min. contact time and 5.5 pH. Functional groups available in a bamboo activated carbon before and after treatment were determined by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis specified that alkanes, carboxylic acids, esters, amides, amines, aromatic compounds, alkyl halides, ethers, alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes functional groups in bamboo activated carbon was contributed for removing nickel from the electroplating industry wastewater. Isotherm models were used to know the adsorption behaviour of bamboo activated carbon for removing nickel from electroplating industry wastewater. Isotherm results revealed that Langmuir model was best suited with the equilibrium data than Freundlich model. Finally, this study concluded that bamboo activated carbon was best suited for removing nickel from electroplating industry wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Increased Carotid Intima Medial Thickness (CIMT) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and vascular events like Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and stroke. Aim: This study was designed to identify whether CIMT is increased in the children of parents with premature coronary artery disease and compare it with age and sex matched controls who are children of normal individuals. We also tried to compare and correlate the changes in CIMT if any, among the study group with relation to family history of diabetes and hypertension. Materials and Methods: It was an observational prospective case control study. Twenty five cases (children of parents with premature coronary artery disease) were recruited as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Age and sex matched controls were recruited from the paediatric outpatient department. The CIMT was measured using ultrasound Doppler as per the protocol by the Mannheim intima media thickness consensus statement. Results: Ten children out of 25 controls had CIMT of 0.05cm and 5 out of 25 cases had CIMT of 0.07cm. The association between cases and controls was not statistically significant. Even though the CIMT increases after 10 years, there is no statistically significant association between cases and controls in the different age groups. Out of the total 48% of the children among the case group had family history of hypertension whereas 28% in the control group. A 33% of children in the case group with family history of hypertension had CIMT of 0.07cm; 46% of children in case group without family history of hypertension had CIMT of 0.05cm. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.005). There was no significant association between family history of diabetes mellitus and CIMT in both groups. Conclusion: There was significant association between CIMT in children with family history of premature CAD and family history of hypertension when compared with no family history of hypertension with premature CAD. There was no significant association between CIMT of children with and without family history of premature CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, Pleurotus ostreatus was cultivated under the laboratory condition and investigated for its in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial property. Materials and Methods: To study the total antioxidant activity we performed 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfdonic acid, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion, hydroxy radical-scavenging assays. Result: The P. ostreatus ethanolic extract (POEet) exhibited potent scavenging activity there by Posses increased antioxidant capacity when compared with positive control ascorbic acid. Moreover, we extended our work to investigate the antimicrobial activity of POEet which showed increasing zone of inhibition of extract with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia. Conclusion: Our finding confirms that P. ostreatus is a potent natural antioxidant and act as prevailing antimicrobial agent to promote public health by making it as a part of normal diet to reduce the risk of various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mushrooms are an important natural source represents a major and untapped potent pharmaceutical product. Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) an important medicinal mushroom has been shown to contain high amount of antioxidant. However, in vivo studies on G. lucidum fruiting bodies are lacking., Objectives: To determine the effects of G. lucidum fruiting bodies ethanolic extract (GLEet) on expression of xenobiotic enzymes, oxidant-antioxidant and hormonal status on 7,12-dimethyl benz[a]antheracene (DMBA) induced experimental breast cancer was investigated in female Sprague dawley rats., Materials and Methods: Cancer bearing female Sprague dawley rats was orally treated with GLEet (500mg/kg body weight) for 16 weeks. Incidence and tumor volume in each groups, and biochemical parameters were carried out in plasma, liver, and mammary tissues of animals. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis were also determined., Result: Oral administration of GLEet on tumor bearing animals significantly diminished the levels of lipid peroxidation thereby enhancing the nonenzymatic antioxidants and also positively regulated the estrogen receptor hormones level to near normal when compared with DMBA treated rats. Moreover, it also positively modulates the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Therefore, the dietary administration of G. lucidum may be efficiently used as a chemopreventive agent against mammary carcinogenesis., Conclusion: We concluded that G. lucidum is a potent chemopreventive agent, thereby it offers maximum protection against DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis.