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Suaeda fruticosa Forssk. ex J. F. Gmelin is a halophytic weed of family Amaranthaceae (previously in Chenopodiaceae) that covers vast stretches of salty alluvial flats on drier sites and coastal belts in Pakistan. In this study, mature plants of S. fruticosa were collected from district D.G. Khan during May 2021. After shade drying, the roots were crushed thoroughly and 5 g material was soaked in methanol for 2 weeks. After filtration, GC-MS analysis of the extract was done that showed presence of 14 compounds in the extract. Major compounds in the root were n-hexadecanoic acid (16.70%), oleic acid (16.39%), dodecanoic acid (15.68%) and dihydroxymaleic acid (15.58%). Other compounds were erythritol (6.31%), 10-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester (6.01%), tetradecanoic acid (4.78%), 1,2-ethanediamine, N-ethyl-N'-methyl- (3.46%), pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester (3.66%), 8,11-octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (2.85%), 2,4,6-cycloheptatrien-1-one, 3,5-bis-trimethylsilyl (2.44%), 2-oxo-3-methyl-cis-perhydro-1,3-benzoxazine (2.24%), cyclotrisiloxane, hexamethyl- (2.13%), and 1-hexadecanol (1.73%). Compounds present in roots of S. fruticosa are known to possess antifungal, antibacterial, nematicidal, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were fabricated using Syzygium cumini leave extract as a reducing and capping agent. The ZnO NPs were characterized using various techniques including scanning electron microscopy, UV-Visible and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The ZnO nanoparticles size was in 0.2–1 µm range and spherical in shape. Photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO NPs for the removal of MB (methylene blue) and MO (methyl orange) was investigated under solar and UV light expire. Photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO NPs was promising, which was found to be high under UV irradiation versus solar light. The ZnO NPs was confirmed as appropriate photocatalytic agent with significant potential for the removal of dye from wastewater.

Thin films of zinc doped aluminum antimonide (Zn:AlSb) have been dumped on glass substrate using chemical bath deposition method. The morphological, structural, as well as optical properties of deposited thin films are investigated using XRD, optical microscopy, and UV-V is spectroscopy along with four-point probe technique. The XRD results exhibit that Zn is doped in AlSb and maximum grain size has been obtained at 4% Zn-concentration. Optical micrographs of pure and zinc doped aluminum antimonide (AlSb) at different concentrations of Zn have been shown to confirm the doping by observing changes in morphology and it has been observed that optimized films of AlSb are obtained at 4% of Zn-content. The optical bandgap of Zn doped AlSb films at varying concentrations of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% has been found to decrease with enhancement in Zn-concentration and values are measured as 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.4, and 1.3 eV respectively. The sheet resistivity also depends on Zn-content and has been observed to decrease as AlSb is doped with Zn, indicating an increase in electrical conductivity. The explored results indicate a significant potential of these deposited thin films to be used in photonics, photocatalysis, and energy industry.

The production of synthetic drugs is considered a huge milestone in the healthcare sector, transforming the overall health, aging, and lifestyle of the general population. Due to the surge in production and consumption, pharmaceutical drugs have emerged as potential environmental pollutants that are toxic with low biodegradability. Traditional chromatographic techniques in practice are time-consuming and expensive, despite good precision. Alternatively, electroanalytical techniques are recently identified to be selective, rapid, sensitive, and easier for drug detection. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are known for their intrinsic porous nature, high surface area, and diversity in structural design that provides credible drug-sensing capacities. Long-term reusability and maintaining chemo-structural integrity are major challenges that are countered by ligand-metal combinations, optimization of synthetic conditions, functionalization, and direct MOFs growth over the electrode surface. Moreover, chemical instability and lower conductivities limited the mass commercialization of MOF-based materials in the fields of biosensing, imaging, drug release, therapeutics, and clinical diagnostics. This review is dedicated to analyzing the various combinations of MOFs used for electrochemical detection of pharmaceutical drugs, comprising antibiotics, analgesics, anticancer, antituberculosis, and veterinary drugs. Furthermore, the relationship between the composition, morphology and structural properties of MOFs with their detection capabilities for each drug species is elucidated.

This study is aimed to investigate laser irradiation effects on the surface, structural, and mechanical properties of iron samples. The prepared samples have been treated for multiple exposure times using continuous-wave diode laser with a wavelength of 532 nm in a laboratory environment. The structural as well as surface modifications of laser exposed targets are explored via scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer. The SEM analysis revealed micrometer grain size, exfoliational sputtering, and crater formation, while XRD patterns were used to investigate d-spacing, and grain size of laser exposed samples. The mechanical characteristics of laser-ablated materials were examined using a micro Vickers hardness-tester, and microhardness has been explored as a function of increasing laser exposure time. It has been observed that grain size reduces while hardness of polycrystalline iron increases with increase in exposure time.

The present study was conducted to identify the effect of urban and natural areas on nesting and breeding success of Rose-ringed Parakeet. Nests of Rose-ringed Parakeet were monitored using a combination of camera surveillance and direct observations along transect lines. Cavity availability and use was compared between natural and urban areas. A total of 171 cavities were located, of which 106 contained active nests. The number of available cavities and the proportion occupied were both higher in natural areas than in urban areas. A uniform/cosine model estimated that mean nest density was greater (P

Hazardous waste as a global issue closely links environmental pollution, public health, resource sustainability, and social governance. Its rapid increase and distinct drawbacks have threatened our eco-civilized planet. The Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework can demonstrate how cultural, political, and economic behavior varies in an anthropogenic system. In this review, we use this systematic framework to examine China’s hazardous waste management venture and uncover the fundamental theory of man-land relationship. The key drivers (e.g., policy, technology, industry, and socioeconomic incentives) are equipped in a shareable manner, and these drivers can affect waste trends in each region depending on population size and industry level. However, pressure for the achievement of sustainable development goals is yielded by the drivers of industrialization and improper hazardous waste management. In China, the state of hazardous waste generation increased from 9.74 Mt (1Mt = 109kg) in 1998 to 75 Mt in 2018. During 2001-2017, the comprehensive utilization, disposal, and storage ranged from 5-20 Mt, 2-15 Mt, and 3-10 Mt, respectively. Human and environmental impacts can be seen through the changing state of waste generation and handling. As a response, China has led the world to hazardous waste management and recovery lineups through resource efficiency and recycling. Finally, we also try to draw a coherent roadmap for future direction and associated policies.

In this study, an accurate, simple, economical, precise and reproducible reversed-phase HPLC method was developed for the estimation of fusidic acid and hydrocortisone acetate, according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, in a cream formulation. Chromatographic separation was achieved by isocratic elution, on a Shimadzu reversed-phased high-pressure liquid chromatography instrument, equipped with a C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and UV detector at 225 nm wavelength, using acetonitrile and 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid (60:40), as a mobile phase and diluent, at flow rate 2 ml/min and an injection volume of 20 μl. The calibration curves were acquired with concentration range 80-120% and mean percentage recoveries for hydrocortisone acetate and fusidic acid were 100.14 and 100.81%, respectively. The limits of detection was obtained as 6.0667 and 6.807 μm ml-1 and the limits of quantification were 20.204 and 20.628 μm ml-1 for hydrocortisone acetate and fusidic acid, respectively. All of the validation parameters were within the acceptance criteria, as per International Conference on Harmonization requirements, for hydrocortisone acetate and fusidic acid. This method was found to be validated, simple, rapid and applicable for the simultaneous estimation of hydrocortisone acetate and fusidic acid by reversed-phased high-pressure liquid chromatography, for routine analytical testing in quality control, with a run time of 8 min.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used environmental pollutant in the production of plastics but causes hepatotoxicity in mammals. In the present study, we studied the BPA-induced oxidative stress in rats and ameliorative potential of Adiantum capillus-veneris L. plant. It was concluded that the BPA can reduce the body and liver weight, increase in biochemical levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, and disturb the normal hepatic physiology, histology, and metabolism. Additionally, liver histology shows hepatic necrosis, congestion, and vacuolization in exposed individuals. In contrast, simultaneous exposure of A. capillus-veneris and BPA showed declining trend in serum biomarker levels and normal histopathological structures. We conclude that the A. capillus-veneris plant is antioxidant in nature and can reduce the BPA-induced toxicity. These findings are very helpful to understand the BPA-induced hepatic toxicity and ameliorative potential of A. capillus-veneris plant and are of great importance in risk assessment of xenobiotics.

Heavy metals contamination is a global issue and is a severe threat to living organisms. Present study was designed to analyze heavy metals distribution in soil, forage, blood and milk from Livestock station, Khizerabad, Sargodha, Pakistan. Statistical analysis was performed to access the variation in metals concernments in different types of samples as well as variation among sampling seasons. The concentration of heavy metals varied significant ( P − 1 in soil, 0.93–10.26 mg L − 1 in blood and 0.93–10.26 mg L − 1 in milk sample and similar trend was observed in case of Co, Cd, Cr and Pb. Concentration of Cr in soil, forage, blood and milk was recorded within the permissible limits, whereas Co and Cd contents were beyond the permissible limits. Pb and Ni contents were within the permissible limits in soil and forage samples. In comparison to previous study conducted in adjoining areas, it was observed that the heavy metals in the environment have been increased, which might be serious threat to the soil, environmental and livings organisms.

Oxya velox (Grasshopper ) is considered to be one of the damaging pests. The Mangifera indica ( M. indica ) crude enzyme extracts (5 g powder/20 mL of water, ethyl acetate, butanol and chloroform separately) were evaluated for their cellulose ingestion inhibition activity in O. velox . The extracts activities were studied as a function of substrate concentration, pH and temperature. Dinitrosalisalic acid (DNSA) method was adopted to study the kinetic of both endoglucanase and exoglucanase enzymes. The K m values of both enzymes were recorded to be 2 mg/mL and 0.92 mg/mL, respectively, which revealed greater affinity of enzymes for the substrate. All solvents showed considerable enzymes inhibition activity and variation among solvents was insignificant. Results revealed that the cellulose digestion by O. velox enzymes could possibly be inhibited using M. indica extracts.

Feed contamination during feed preparation and storage are important issues. To avoid the negative impact on animals health, the quality assurance and control in feed preparation is very important. Psidium guajava , Ficus religiosa , Vitis vinifera , Morus alba and Ziziphus Jujuba leaves anti-aflatoxigenic activities were appraised against A. paraciticus in stored layer feed. A. parasiticus inoculated layer hens feed was treated with selected plants leaves powder at different concentrations (5%, 10% and 15% w/w) and stored for six months at 28 ° C and 16% moisture. The aflatoxins (AFTs) concentrations were determined at the end of each month. The mineral contents and proximate composition of feed was evaluated at the end of storage period. All selected plants inhibited the AFTs synthesis considerably; however, Z. jujuba and M. alba inhibited the AFTs up to 100% at 5% concentration of leaves up to six months of storage. Quality analysis showed that treated feed showed stability in proximate composition and mineral contents. Results revealed that the FATs produced by A. parasiticus can be inhibited completely using plant leaves under investigation, which could be potential candidates as anti-aflatoxigenic agents to save stored products form moulds and toxins. Future studies can be focused on layer hens performance feeding with feed treated with medicinal plants leaves.

Synthetic nanosized hydroxyapatite (HA) particles (

Folic acid (FA) is an electroactive compound of biological origin. It helps our body to produce and maintain healthy cells. It can significantly reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects and also prevents change in DNA structure. FA deficiency can lead to various health risks. Therefore, a sensitive, specific, and reproducible way of FA detection is essential. A number of analytical methods are in practice for the quantification of FA. However, electroanalytical methods are attracting much attention because of their advantage over conventional methods, as they are fast, simple, sensitive, and cost effective. Moreover, modification of electrodes offers control over size and morphology which allows miniaturization for applicability in portable electrochemical devices.

Carbonate substituted hydroxyapatite (CHA) nanorods were synthesized via coprecipitation method from aqueous solution of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate (with urea as carbonate ion source) in the presence of ammonium hydroxide solution at 70 °C at the conditions of pH 11. The obtained powders were physically characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD), and FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The particle size was evaluated by Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The chemical structural analysis of as prepared sample was performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After ageing for 12 h, and heat treatment at 1000 °C for 1 h, the product was obtained as highly crystalline nanorods of CHA.

In recent years, the nanotechnology has gained much attention since the nanoparticles (NPs) have applications in every field of life. The hetero-structured are of special interest due to their higher photocatalytic activity. In present investigation, Zinc vanadate NPs were synthesized from vanadium and zinc salts by microwave assisted precipitation method. The Zinc vanadate NPs were characterized by x-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV-visible techniques. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) was evaluated by degrading the methylene blue (MB) dye and process variables were optimized. The Zinc vanadate size was

The antimicrobial activities of two flavonoids, namely Genisteina A 7-O-glucoside (1) and (-)-Epi-catechin (2), isolated from Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) leaves, were evaluated against five fungal species, viz: Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. and Penicillium citrii, and four bacterial species, viz: Lactobacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Azospirillium lipoferum and Bacillus sp. Six concentrations, viz. 100, 300, 500, 700, 900 and 1000 ppm of each of the two flavonoids were employed using malt extract agar medium. All the concentrations of both the test compounds significantly suppressed fungal as well as bacterial growth. The highest concentration (1000 ppm) of both fractions 1 and 2 reduced the growth of the different test fungal species by 83-99 % and 82-95 %, respectively. Compound 1 was highly effective against Lactobacillus sp., against which its various concentrations reduced the bacterial growth by 52-99.8 %. Compound 2 was highly effective against A. lipoferm and Bacillus sp., resulting in 94- 100 % and 73-99% reduction in bacterial growth, respectively.

Five flavonoids, namely (-)-epicatechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1), 5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxylphenyl)pyrano[3,2-g]chromene-4(8H)-one (2), 6-(p-hydroxybenzyl)taxifolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (tricuspid) (3), quercetin-3-O-α-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and (-)-epicatechin(2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,5,7-triol (5), were isolated from the leaves of mango (Mangifera indica L.). Antifungal activity of these compounds was evaluated against five fungal species, namely Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. and Penicillium citrii. Six concentrations, namely 100, 300, 500, 700, 900 and 1000 ppm of each of the five flavonoids were employed by means of the poisoned medium technique. All concentrations of the five test flavonoids significantly suppressed fungal growth. However, the specificity of different test compounds was evident against different fungal species. In general, antifungal activity of the flavonoids was gradually increased by increasing their concentrations. The highest concentration (of 1000 ppm) of compounds 1-5 reduced the growth of different target fungal species by 63-97%, 56-96%, 76-99%, 76-98% and 82-96%, respectively.

This study was undertaken to investigate the herbicidal activity of mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves against parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). The aqueous leaf extract at 15% concentration (on fresh weight basis) significantly reduced germination, shoot length and the shoot and root biomasses of parthenium seedlings. In a leaf residue incorporation pot trial, 2% residue incorporation treatment significantly suppressed the root and shoot biomasses of parthenium, while a 5% residue treatment completely stopped the growth of the weed. Five flavonoids, namely (-)-epicatechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1), 5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pyrano[3,2-g]chromene-4(8H)-one (2), 6-(p-hydroxybenzyl)taxifolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (tricuspid) (3), quercetin-3-O-α-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and (-)-epicatechin(2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H chromene-3,5,7-triol (5) were isolated from mango leaves. In a laboratory bioassay, 50 ppm solution of compounds 3 and 4 caused yellowing of the parthenium seedlings. A 250 ppm solution of compound 4 also significantly reduced germination and the root and shoot lengths of parthenium seedlings. This study concludes that compound 4 exhibits herbicidal activity against parthenium weed.

Five flavonoids, viz. (-)-epicatechin-3-O-?-glucopyranoside (1), 5-hydroxy- 3-(4-hydroxylphenyl)pyrano[3,2-g]chromene-4(8H)-one (2), 6-(p-hydroxybenzyl) taxifolin-7-O-?-D-glucoside (tricuspid) (3), quercetin-3-O-?-glucopyranosyl-(1->2)-?-glucopyranoside (4) and (-)-epicatechin(2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)- 3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,5,7-triol) (5), were isolated from the leaves of mango (Mangifera indica L.). The antibacterial activity of different concentrations of these flavonoids (100, 300, 500, 700, 900 and 1000 ppm) was evaluated against four bacterial species, namely Lactobacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Azospirillium lipoferum and Bacillus sp. All the tested concentrations of the five flavonoids significantly reduced the growth of all the five tested bacterial species. However, differences in the antibacterial activity of the flavonoids were evident. Compound 1 exhibited the lowest antibacterial activity, resulting in a 7-75 % reduction in the growth of the different bacterial species. Compound 5 showed the greatest antibacterial activity and the different concentrations reduced the bacterial growth by 45-99.9%. A. lipoferum and Bacillus sp. showed the highest susceptibility to this compound. Compounds 2-4 also depicted pronounced antibacterial activity. Different concentrations of these compounds decreased bacterial growth by 52-96 %. From the present study, it can be concluded that compound 5 is the most effective of the tested flavonoids against A. lipoferum and Bacillus sp.

The current study presents the bisphenol A exposure and the ameliorative effects of Adiantum capillus-veneris on testicular toxicity induced by bisphenol A. Adult male albino rats were divided into five groups of five animals each: A (control), B (vehicle control), C (toxic), D (protective), and E (ameliorative) were served distilled water, olive oil, bisphenol A (BPA) at 100 mg/kg body weight, A. capillus-veneris plant extract at 25 mg/kg body weight, and BPA + A. capillus-veneris, respectively. All of the doses were administered orally for 15 days, and the rats were then sacrificed. Blood samples for the testosterone assay and both testes were collected for histological examination. The body weight, paired testes weight, relative tissue weight index, Johnsen scoring of tubules, and level of serum testosterone decreased in BPA-treated rats. Similarly, histological examination of the testes in BPA-treated animals revealed a lower number of Leydig cells, an irregular basement membrane, sloughing of germinal layers, vacuolization, a lower number of spermatocytes, and debris in the lumen. However, co-administration of A. capillus-veneris with BPA increased the total antioxidative capacity (330.82 ± 22.46 μmol/mg protein) of the testes and restored the serum testosterone level (1.70 ng/ml); histological features showed restoration in the stages of spermatogenesis. Conclusively, A. capillus-veneris plant extract overcomes the estrogenic effects of BPA on the reproductive system of rats and protects rats' testes against BPA-induced injury/damage via an antioxidative mechanism that appears to be conciliated.