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Eggshell waste as adsorbent was successfully used for the removal of Cd(II) ions from model synthetic aqueous solutions. Batch biosorption studies were conducted in order to evaluate the effect of various parameters, such as: contact time and initial metal ion concentration. The changes in the morphological structure were evaluated by TEM and SEM analysis. The experimental isotherm data were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm equations, using regression analysis linear and non-linear form. Langmuir model was found to be in better correlation with experimental data (R2=0.99). Biosorption kinetics data were tested using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle and liquid film diffusion models. Kinetics studies showed that the biosorption followed a pseudo-second-order reaction. Removal efficiencies up to 92 % and a maximum adsorption capacity of 8.2 mg/g Cd(II) were obtained experimentally and 7.14 mg/g Cd(II) were obtained from Langmuir isotherm model. The percentage of metal sorption (Ci=11 mg/L, E,(%)=92.42), EDS analyses, and bioconcentration factor were also calculated. The investigation findings suggested that the physical adsorption is controlling the adsorption rate. Results of this study indicate that eggshell waste can be effectively used for the removal of Cd(II) ions from aquatic environments. The process is feasible, reliable and eco-friendly.

The aim of this study was to develop some sunscreen formulations able to maintain their photoprotection when exposed to UV radiation. In this context, the influence of the antioxidant α-tocopherol on the photostability of lipid-based nanoparticles, namely solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), encapsulated with a UVA filter, has been investigated. The nanoparticles co-encapsulated with both actives exhibited dimensions smaller than 200 nm and zeta potentials of –45 mV. The photoprotection of the creams based on lipid nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of two protection factors, SPF and erythemal UVA–PF. By exposing the creams to UV radiation, it was observed that tocopherol results in obtaining quite stable formulations, but it does not improve the overall photoprotection much. However, by adding the antioxidant to the formulation confers a double action: protection of the skin against reactive oxygen species and the photostabilization of the UVA filter into lipid nanoparticles.

Due to their unique features, most nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in association with vegetable oils that exhibit UV filtering properties and bioactivity could be used in many cosmetic formulations. Therefore, in this work, a new application of pomegranate seed oil (PSO) in the cosmetic sector was developed, based on the synthesis of bioactive lipid nanocarriers loaded with various UV filters by the hot high pressure homogenization technique. To get broad spectrum photoprotection, different UVA and UVB filters have been used (Avobenzone — AVO, Octocrylen-OCT, Bemotrizinol — BEMT). The influence of the solid lipids combined with PSO on the particle size, physical stability and entrapment efficiency was investigated using 8 nanocarrier systems. An improved physical stability and an appropriate size were obtained for NLCs prepared with Emulgade, carnauba wax and PSO (e.g. −30.9÷-36.9 mV and 160÷185 nm). NLCs showed an entrapment efficiency above 90% and assured slow release rates of UV filters, especially for BEMT (5%). The developed nanocarriers have been formulated into safe and effective sunscreens containing low amounts of synthetic UV filters coupled with a high percent of natural ingredients. The highest SPF of 34.3 was obtained for a cream comprising of 11% PSO and 3.7% BEMT

The vegetable oils and extracts known for their beneficial effects should be identified and used in various forms for the development of new healthy products. This study was designed to provide further investigation on new nanocarriers made with hempseed oil or a blend of amaranth and hempseed oils, for a concomitant encapsulation and release of the carotenoids enriched plant extract. The size of plant extract loaded lipid nanocarriers ranging between 109 and 130 nm was found to be less influenced by the different ratios of hempseed and amaranth oils. For all of the synthesized nanocarriers, zeta potential values were negative (−33.4 ÷ −38.1 mV). The scanning calorimetry study has shown that lipid nanocarriers have favorable lattice defects for plant extract encapsulation. Entrapment efficiency results revealed an increase of carotenoids entrapment from 57.6 to 83.5% as the amaranth oil percent has been increased. High ability to scavenge the free oxygenated radicals was distinguished for all free and loaded nanocarriers. The level of antioxidant activity increase was proportional to the extent of vegetable oil and was ranging between 93.4 and 98.1%. The nanocarriers made with amaranth and hempseed oils have shown a more sustained release over time than those prepared with hempseed oil only in association with solid lipids. Practical applications: The applicability of lipophilic plant extracts enriched in bioactive compounds encounters serious problems in the food and pharmaceutical sector due to poor bioavailability. Using the concept of exploiting natural resources in combination with soft nanotechnology, valuable bioactive vegetable mixtures could be formulated into solid colloidal nanoparticles. The bioavailability and the therapeutic benefit of hempseed and amaranth oils in association with lipophilic plant extract enriched in carotenoids are increased by incorporation into the same nanostructured formulation. These formulations result in unique precursors of health products, particularly for nutraceutical industry. The lipid nanocarriers based on natural compounds offer potential applications as natural, low cost and innovative delivery systems to improve quality and extend shelf-life of food products. The developed vegetable based lipid nanocarriers offer advantages of a minimum carrier cytotoxicity, good storage stability, synergistic effects, antioxidant and sustained release, easy to scale up production. Lipid nanocarriers made with hempseed and amaranth oils and loaded with carotenoids extract from marigold plant. Influence of vegetable oils on in vitro antioxidant activity of developed lipid nanocarriers.

The aim of this research was to develop advanced lipid nanocarriers based on renewable vegetable resources (rice bran oil and raspberry seed oil) that possess self-antioxidative properties, having advantages in terms of minimal side effects and exhibiting the ability to simultaneously co-encapsulate and co-release two active compounds. The focus has been oriented towards developing safe cosmetic formulations with broad-spectrum photoprotection based on these new lipid nanocarriers that contain large amounts of vegetable oils and low concentrations of synthetic UVA and UVB filters (butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane - BMDBM and octocrylene - OCT). The lipid nanocarriers have a spherical shape and show good physical stability, with a zeta potential in the range of -25.5 to -32.4 mV. Both vegetable oils play a key role in the preparation of efficient nanocarriers, leading to a less ordered arrangement of the lipid core that offers many spaces for the entrapment of large amounts of BMDBM (79%) and OCT (90%), as wells as improved antioxidant activity and UV absorption properties, particularly for the lipid nanocarriers prepared from rice bran oil. By formulating the lipid nanocarriers into creams containing only 3.5% of the UV filters and 10.5% of the vegetable oils, the resulting sunscreens exhibited improved photoprotection, reflecting up to 91% and 93% of UVA and UVB rays, respectively. A new direction of research achieved by this study is the multiple release strategy of both UV filters from the same lipid nanocarrier. After 24 hours, a slow release of BMDBM (less than 4%) and OCT (17.5%) was obtained through a Fick diffusion process. This study demonstrates a significant advance in the areas of both nanotechnology and cosmetics, developing safer cosmetic formulations that possess broad antioxidant, photoprotective and co-release effectiveness due to the existence of a high content of nanostructured vegetable oils combined with a low amount of synthetic UV filters in the same carrier system.

The coencapsulation of two UV filters, butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDBM) and octocrylene (OCT), into lipid nanocarriers was explored to develop stable cosmetic formulations with broad-spectrum photoprotection and slow release properties. Different types of nanocarriers in various concentrations of the two UV filters were tested to find the combination with the best absorption and release properties. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have been the two types of lipid nanocarriers used. The NLCs were based on either medium chain triglycerides (MCT) or squalene (Sq). The following physicochemical properties of the nanocarriers have been evaluated: particle size, morphology, zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, and thermal behavior. The nanocarriers have been formulated into creams containing low amounts of UV filters (2.5% BMDBM and 1% OCT). The best photoprotection results were obtained with the cream based on NLCs prepared with MCT, having a sun protection factor (SPF) of 17.2 and an erythemal UVA protection factor (EUVA-PF) of 50.8. The photostability of the encapsulated BMDBM filter was confirmed by subjecting the nanocarriers-based creams to in vitro irradiation. The prolonged UV-protection efficacy was coupled with a slow in vitro release of the synthetic UV filters, which followed the Higuchi release model.

highlights � Soft and functional nanocarriers based on Pumpkin and Amaranth oils are achieved. � In vitro antioxidant activity was superior for nanocarriers based on Amaranth oil. � Co-loaded vegetable nanocarriers have greatly improved the photoprotective effect. � Avobenzone and Octocrylen were co- released from nanocarriers in a prolonged manner. � The co-loaded nanocarriers have been formulated into advanced cosmetic prototype. graphical a bstract a. The cubic shape of vegetable - lipid nanocarriers; b. The photoprotective properties of vegetable nano- carriers co-loaded with 3% AVO and 7.5% OCT; c. Effect of UV irradiation of cosmetic prototypes based on vegetable co-loaded nanocarriers (3.75% OCT and 1.5% AVO) abstract The general objective is to design and synthesize soft and functional nanocarriers based on vegetable oils (Pumpkin and Amaranth oils) able to co-encapsulate and co-deliver two UV-A and UV-B filters (Avobenz- one, Octocrylen) and to explore their efficiency in developing advanced bio-cosmetic prototypes. The exploitation of vegetable oils with safe utilization and biological efficiency in obtaining soft nanocarriers represent an innovative approach that provides a significant advance in the nanotechnology field. The obtained vegetable nanocarriers having mean diameters of 100 and 160 nm were tested in vitro for their antioxidant, photoprotective and drug release properties. The in vitro ability to capture free radicals was superior when the nanoparticles were prepared in Amaranth oil/solid lipids system. Study of UV absorb- ing effect revealed that co-loaded vegetable nanoparticles have greatly improved the photoprotective properties, the obtained SPF being of 40-45 and FP-UVA of 27-34. These values are associated with a high protective effect, e.g. more than 99% against UV-B and 92% against UV-A radiation. In vitro co-release experiments demonstrated that both Avobenzone and Octocrylen filters were released in a prolonged manner. The ultimate objective was to formulate the newly co-loaded nanoparticles into advanced cos- metic prototype and compare it with conventional cream. The soft vegetable-nanocarriers produced sig- nificantly higher UV-protection than the conventional cream. The use of appropriate renewable vegetable sources for obtaining soft bio-active nanostructures with broad health benefices has the potential to sat- isfy both the industrial and consumer needs, thanks to their safety and sustainability.

Samples of Cabernet Sauvignon red wine - from two vineyard areas in Moldova and one in Dobrogea - were bought from local markets and analyzed using ICP-OES. Trace concentrations of Al, Sr and Zn were identified. The lowest concentrations were found in Vrancea wines from the year 2003 and the highest concentrations were found for the Vaslui wines from the year 2007. Potassium concentrations depended strongly on the wine variety and the year of harvest, while iron and sodium concentrations had low variations. All mineral concentrations were below the maximum allowed level stipulated by the "Law on Vine and Wine." One single sample exceeded the maximum allowed sodium concentration by 3 mg L-1.

The aim of the present study was to obtain efficient lipid nanoparticles loaded with butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDBM) in order to develop cosmetic formulations with enhanced UVA blocking effect. For this purpose, two adequate liquid lipids (medium chain triglycerides and squalene) have been used in combination with two solid lipids (cetyl palmitate and glyceryl stearate) in order to create appropriate nanostructured carriers with a disordered lipid network able to accommodate up to 1.5% BMDBM. The lipid nanoparticles (LNs) were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, loading capacity and in vitro UVA blocking effect. The efficiency of lipid nanoparticles in developing some cosmetic formulations has been evaluated by determining the in vitro erythemal UVA protection factor. In order to quantify the photoprotective effect, some selected cream formulations based on BMDBM-LNs and a conventional emulsion were exposed to photochemical UV irradiation at a low energy to simulate the solar energy during the midday. The results obtained demonstrated the high ability of cream formulations based on BMDBM-LNs to absorb more than 96% of UVA radiation. Moreover, the developed cosmetic formulations manifest an enhanced UVA blocking effect, the erythemal UVA protection factor being four times higher than those specific to conventional emulsions.

The phytoremediation of Crystal violet dye was developed using the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis as biofilter. We analyzed the role of functional groups in phytoremediation by aquatic plants using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The aquatic plant�s abiotic stress responses were evaluated under exposure of 20 - 90 mg/L initial dye concentration, where a significant decrease of the photosynthetic pigments content suggests the plant�s biosynthesis deregulation at higher concentrations. We determined the effect of operational parameters such as contact time, plant quantity initial concentration, initial pH and temperature on the removal efficiency. Data were analysed using the kinetic (pseudo-first- and second-order) and isotherm (Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich) models. Our results show that the phytoremediation process follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, meaning that it takes places as chemisorption. The Crystal violet uptake was successfully described using the Freundlich isotherm model as a multilayer adsorption with heterogeneous energetic distribution of active sites.