Enhancing oil-water emulsion separation via synergistic filtration using graphene oxide-silver oxide nanocomposite-embedded polyethersulfone membrane.

This study introduces an innovative approach for enhancing oil-water emulsion separation using a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane embedded with a nanocomposite of graphene oxide (GO) and silver oxide (AgO). The composite membrane, incorporating PES and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), demonstrates improved hydrophilicity, structural integrity and resistance to fouling. Physicochemical characterization confirms successful integration of GO and AgO, leading to increased tensile strength, porosity and hydrophilicity. Filtration tests reveal substantial improvements in separating various oils from contaminated wastewater, with the composite membrane exhibiting superior efficiency and reusability compared to pristine PES membranes. This research contributes to the development of environmentally friendly oil-water separation methods with broad industrial applications.

Enhanced removal of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) ions from contaminated water using graphene oxide-decorated polyethersulphone membranes: Synthesis and characterization.

This study addresses the urgent issue of water pollution caused by iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) ions. It introduces an innovative approach using graphene oxide (GO) and GO-decorated polyethersulphone (PES) membranes to efficiently remove these ions from contaminated water. The process involves integrating GO into PES membranes to enhance their adsorption capacity. Characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, and contact angle measurements, were used to assess structural and surface properties. The modified membranes demonstrated significantly improved adsorption compared to pristine PES. Notably, they achieved over 94% removal of Mn2+ and 93.6% of Fe2+ in the first filtration cycle for water with an initial concentration of 100 ppm. Continuous filtration for up to five cycles maintained removal rates above 60%. This research advances water purification materials, offering a promising solution for heavy metal ion removal. GO-decorated PES membranes may find application in large-scale water treatment, addressing environmental and public health concerns.

Catalytic oxidation of ibuprofen over bulk heterojunction photocatalysts based on conjugated donor-acceptor configured benzoselenadiazole molecule.

The use of photocatalysts for acquiring direct photon energy from sunlight is a promising way to clean the environment, particularly the remediation of contaminants from water. In this work, firstly π-conjugated organic semiconductor configuring benzoselenadiazole, 4-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl)-7-(5'-hexyl-[2,2'-bithiophen]-5-yl)-benzo [c] (Kümmerer, 2009; Chen et al., 2018; Randeep et al., 201) selenadiazole, abbreviated as (RTh-Se-F), was synthesized. The designed RTh-Se-F with an extended π-conjugation showed good optical properties in the visible region and estimated a low optical band gap of ∼2.02 eV . The molecular orbitals i.e. HOMO (-5.33 eV) and LUMO (-3.31 eV) for RTh-Se-F organic semiconductor were suitably aligned to energy levels of (Madhavan et al., 2010Madhavan et al., 2010)-Phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl esters (PC71BM) which resulted in the broadening of absorption and covering of entire visible region. RTh-Se-F was integrated with varied weight percentages (wt %) of PC71BM to obtain bulk heterojunction (BHJ) and applied as efficient visible light driven BHJ photocatalyst for an effective oxidation of ibuprofen. RTh-Se-F@PC71BM (1:2, wt %) BHJ photocatalyst showed the superior ibuprofen degradation of ∼93% within 90 min under visible light illumination. The maximum degradation rate by BHJ photocatalyst might be accredited to the broadening of absorption capacity and improved lifetime of photogenerated electron-hole pairs which might be resulted from high absorption properties of RTh-Se-F organic semiconductor.

A sustainable approach to the degradation of dyes by fungal species isolated from industrial wastewaters: Performance, parametric optimization, kinetics and degradation mechanism.

Fungal abetted processes are among the finest approaches for the transformation or degradation and decolorization of dyes in effluents. In this piece of research; biodegradation and metabolic pathways of two toxic dyes Congo Red (CR) and Reactive black 5 (RB5) by two strains of Aspergillus sp. fungus in batch experiments has been investigated. Morphological characteristics of the isolates were observed with both light and electron microscopies. Based on molecular characterization the isolates were identified as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. The degradation was also optimized via. operational parameters such as pH, temperature, incubation time, inoculums size, dye concentration, carbon sources and nitrogen sources. Degradation measurements revealed that the isolates effectively degraded 90% and 96% of CR and RB5 respectively. Metabolites were identified with Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) and degradation pathways of the dyes were proposed. Toxicity assay Phaseolus mungo seeds showed that pure CR and RB5 dyes exhibits significant toxicity whereas fungal treated dye solution resulted in an abatement of the toxicity and cell viability was increased. The results stipulated in this article clearly showed the effectiveness of the isolates on detoxification of CR and RB5 dyes.

Polyethylene glycol embedded reduced graphene oxide supramolecular assemblies for enhanced room-temperature gas sensors.

Herein, we present the gas-dependent electrical properties of a reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was synthesized by reducing GO with sodium borohydride (NaBH4). As-synthesized rGO was dispersed in DI water containing 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt% polyethylene glycol (PEG) to prepare PEG-rGO supramolecular assemblies. The successful preparation of supramolecular assemblies was verified by their characterization using XRD, FESEM, EDS, TEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. At room temperature, the gas-dependent electrical properties of these supramolecular assemblies were investigated. The results showed that sensors composed of PEG-rGO supramolecular assemblies performed better against benzene and methanol at 3% and 4% PEG, respectively. However, high selectivity and a wide range of activation energies (∼1.64-1.91 eV) were observed for H2 gas for 4% PEG-modified supramolecular assemblies. The PEG-rGO supramolecular assemblies may be an excellent candidate for constructing ultrahigh-performance gas sensors for a variety of applications due to their high sensitivity and selectivity.

Label free dual-mode sensing platform for trace level monitoring of ciprofloxacin using bio-derived carbon dots and evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential.

Being a persuasive antibiotic, ciprofloxacin is widely administered to patients and its excessive discharge has generated a keen interest among researchers for its detection in water resources. Therefore, the current work utilizes the virtues of carbon dots synthesized from the leaves of Ocimum sanctum as an economical and convenient bimodal stratagem for the detection of ciprofloxacin via an electrochemical and fluorometric approach. The insight into photostability, size, morphology, and optical studies of the carbon dots was tested to enhance their scope in sensing. The excellent photoluminescence-based excitation-dependent behavior with a quantum yield of 46.7% and non-requirement of any kind of labeled surface variations for amending their fluorescence and electrochemical properties have further supported the utilization of as-prepared carbon dots in trace-level monitoring of ciprofloxacin. The fluorescence emission intensity and peak current were enhanced by many folds via the application of Ocimum sanctum-derived carbon dots. The synergetic effect of carbon dots has possessed a linear relationship between the peak current/emission intensity within the range of 0 to 250 µM of ciprofloxacin and the lowest detection limit value was found to be 0.293 and 0.0822 µM with fluorometric and electrochemical methods, respectively. The sensor demonstrated excellent applicability for the estimation of ciprofloxacin and acts as a high-performance dual sensor for further applications.

Dual-mode transfer response based on electrochemical and fluorescence signals for the detection of amyloid-beta oligomers (AßO).

An aptamer sensor has been developed utilizing a dual-mode and stimuli-responsive strategy for quantitative detection of AßO (amyloid-beta oligomers) through simultaneous electrochemical and fluorescence detection. To achieve this, we employed UIO-66-NH2 as a carrier container to load MB (Methylene Blue), and Fe3O4 MNPs (iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles) with aptamer (ssDNA-Fe3O4 MNPs) fixed on their surface for biological gating. The ssDNA-Fe3O4 MNPs were immobilized onto the surface of UIO-66-NH2 through hydrogen bonding between the aptamer and the -NH2 group on the surface of UIO-66-NH2, thereby encapsulating MB and forming ssDNA-Fe3O4@MB@UIO-66-NH2. During the detection of AßO, the aptamer selectively reacted with AßO to form the AßO-ssDNA-Fe3O4 complex, leading to its detachment from the surface of UIO-66-NH2. This detachment facilitated the release of MB, enabling its electrochemical detection. Simultaneously, the AßO-ssDNA-Fe3O4 complex was efficiently collected and separated using a magnet after leaving the container's surface. Furthermore, the addition of NaOH facilitated the disconnection of biotin modifications at the 3' end of the aptamer from the avidin modifications on the Fe3O4 MNPs. Consequently, the aptamer detached from the surface of Fe3O4 MNPs, resulting in the restoration of fluorescence intensity of FAM (fluorescein-5'-carboxamidite) modified at its 5' end for fluorescence detection. The dual-mode sensor exhibited significantly enhanced differential pulse voltammetry signals and fluorescence intensity compared to those in the absence of AßO. The sensor demonstrated a wide detection range of 10 fM to 10 µM, with a detection limit of 3.4 fM. It displayed excellent performance in detecting actual samples and holds promising prospects for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Electrochemical aptasensor based on gold nanoparticle decorated Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites for chloramphenicol detection.

Using gold (Au) nanoparticle decorated Ti3C2Tx (Ti3C2Tx-Au) nanocomposites, a highly sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the effective detection of chloramphenicol has been developed. As a two-dimensional layered material, the prepared composite not only provides high surface area, good conductivity, and thermal stability but also substantial binding sites for aptamers with high sensitivity and selectivity for the accurate determination of chloramphenicol. Interestingly, the conductivity and active sites were enhanced by freeze-drying Ti3C2Tx and in situ formation of Ti3C2Tx-Au nanocomposite. The fabricated aptasensor exhibited a very low detection limit (S/N ≥ 3) of 13.18 fg mL-1 with a linear range of 1 ~ 700 pg mL-1 and correlation coefficient of 0.9992. The fabricated aptasensor demonstrated an excellent reproducibility, repeatability, long-term stability, and high selectivity toward chloramphenicol. Further, the aptasensor was applied to real milk samples, and the recoveries were ranged from 98.93 to 101.93%.

Enhanced In Vivo Wound Healing Efficacy of a Novel Piperine-Containing Bioactive Hydrogel in Excision Wound Rat Model.

These days an extensive amount of the attention of researchers is focused towards exploring bioactive compounds of natural or herbal origin for therapeutic intervention in different ailments of significant importance. One such novel bioactive compound that has a variety of biological properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, is piperine. However, until today, piperine has not been explored for its potential to improve inflammation and enhance healing in acute and chronic wounds. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the wound healing potential of piperine hydrogel formulation after topical application. Hydrogels fit the need for a depot system at the wound bed, where they ensure a consistent supply of therapeutic agents enclosed in their cross-linked network matrices. In the present study, piperine-containing carbopol 934 hydrogels mixed with Aloe vera gels of different gel strengths were prepared and characterized for rheological behavior, spreadability, extrudability, and percent (%) content uniformity. Furthermore, the wound healing potential of the developed formulation system was explored utilizing the excision wound healing model. The results of an in vivo study and histopathological examination revealed early and intrinsic healing of wounds with the piperine-containing bioactive hydrogel system compared to the bioactive hydrogel system without piperine. Therefore, the study's findings establish that the piperine-containing bioactive hydrogel system is a promising therapeutic approach for wound healing application that should be diligently considered for clinical transferability.

Knowledge and perception of medication errors among health care workers in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria.

Introduction: Medication errors (MEs) are important, often overlooked forms of medical error that are associated with morbidity and mortality in health care settings. Among health care workers, knowledge, attitude and perception may affect reporting of MEs. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and perception of MEs among health care workers in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 health care workers selected randomly through a stratified sampling. Their responses were collected using pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires and analysed using the Statsitical Package for the Social Sciences. The numerical variables were summarised as means and standard deviations, whereas categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square test was used to test for associations at P < 0.05. Results: All the respondents heard of MEs and up to 108 (78.3%) correctly defined them. While only 121 (87.7%) respondents had fair to good knowledge about MEs, all of them had good perception of them. Major types of MEs known by the respondents were knowledge-based errors (79.7%), rule-based errors (52.9%), action-based errors (67.4%) and memory-based errors (55.8%). The causes of MEs identified were communication problems (88.4%), poor organizational knowledge transfer (63.8%), heavy workload (80.4%) and not reading instructions carefully (63.0%). There was no statistically significant association between the level of knowledge on MEs and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Conclusion: Knowledge and perceptions of MEs were good among our respondents. Adequate mechanism (s) should be put in place to encourage the reporting of MEs whenever they occur to promote patient safety and improve health outcomes.

CarbonIron Electron Transport Channels in Porphyrin-Graphene Complex for ppb-Level Room Temperature NO Gas Sensing.

It is a great challenge to develop efficient room-temperature sensing materials and sensors for nitric oxide (NO) gas, which is a biomarker molecule used in the monitoring of inflammatory respiratory diseases. Herein, Hemin (Fe (III)-protoporphyrin IX) is introduced into the nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) to obtain a novel sensing material HNG-ethanol. Detailed XPS spectra and DFT calculations confirm the formation of carbon-iron bonds in HNG-ethanol during synthesis process, which act as electron transport channels from graphene to Hemin. Owing to this unique chemical structure, HNG-ethanol exhibits superior gas sensing properties toward NO gas (Ra /Rg  = 3.05, 20 ppm) with a practical limit of detection (LOD) of 500 ppb and reliable repeatability (over 5 cycles). The HNG-ethanol sensor also possesses high selectivity against other exhaled gases, high humidity resistance, and stability (less than 3% decrease over 30 days). In addition, a deep understanding of the gas sensing mechanisms is proposed for the first time in this work, which is instructive to the community for fabricating sensing materials based on graphene-iron derivatives in the future.

Sustainable agronomic response of carbon quantum dots on Allium sativum: Translocation, physiological responses and alternations in chromosomal aberrations.

The revolutionary growth in the usage of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in different areas have ultimately directed their discharge in the environment and further augmented the exposure of agricultural crops to these released particles. Therefore, the aim of current study is to evaluate the uptake, translocation and phytotoxicity of blue emissive CQDs on Allium sativum plant. The genotoxicity and cytotoxicity assessment of CQDs towards Allium sativum roots was estimated as function of three different concentrations. Considering the role of CQDs in promoting seed germination at 50 ppm concentration, a greenhouse experiment was performed to evaluate their effect on plant growth. Systematic investigations have shown the translocation of CQDs and their physiological response in terms of increased shoot length wherein P-CQDs exhibited more accumulation into Allium sativum parts. Our investigations unfold the opportunity to utilize Aegle marmelos fruit derived CQDs as a growth regulator in variety of other food plants.

Modified low-temperature synthesis of graphene oxide nanosheets: Enhanced adsorption, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Herein, we report a simple, low-temperature, ecofriendly synthesis of graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs). Graphite powder was treated with KMnO4 and a concentrated H2SO4/H3PO4 mixture to synthesize GONs. The effects of various reaction conditions such as reaction time, temperature, amounts of cleaving agents (H2SO4/H3PO4), and oxidant (KMnO4) were investigated. The synthesized GONs were examined by various techniques in order to investigate their characteristics. The best results of the synthesized GONs were observed at 35 °C within 10 h of reaction time having 8:2 ratios of H2SO4/H3PO4 acid mixture. The main absorption peak in the UV-vis spectra of GONs was at 258 nm, which is due to the π-π* transition of the atomic CC bonds. The existence of stretching vibrations of C꞊O, O-H, C-H, and C-O in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra verified the formation of GONs. Presence of a sharp peak at 2θ = 10° with an interlayer spacing distance of 0.88 nm in the observed XRD pattern revealed that the synthesized GONs were totally oxidized and that the interlayer spacing increased. The morphological investigations confirmed the formation of ultrathin, transparent, curly, and homogenous GONs. The synthesized GONs were applied as an adsorbent for the rapid uptake of four different pesticides viz.; Profenofos, Ethion, Cypermethrin, Thiamethoxam (TMX) from the pesticides spiked water samples. About 86% adsorption of Profenofos + Cypermethrin, and 50% adsorption of ethion and thiamethoxam took place within 20 min in presence of 10 mg GONs. In addition to this, the prepared GONs were tested for the antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains by agar well diffusion method. The synthesized GONs provide a significant inhibition for gram -positive (Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strains. Moreover, the radical scavenging activities (RSA) of GONs were also checked and compared with Gallic acid as a standard. The obtained RSA of GONs was 60% in comparison to the 80% as of the standard Gallic acid at 1000 µg/mL concentration.

In-vitro cytotoxicity of nickel oxide nanoparticles against L-6 cell-lines: MMP, MTT and ROS studies.

In the present work we synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) using Rhododendron arboretum (flower) (RNi), Tinospora cordifolia (stems) (GNi), Corylus jacquemontii (seeds) (CNi), and Nardostachys jatamansi (roots) (NNi) extracts by co-precipitation method. The synthesized NiO NPs were characterized in detail in terms of their morphological, crystalline nature, structural and antiproliferative activity against rat skeletal myoblast (L-6) cell lines. Morphological studies confirmed the formation of nanoparticles, while the structural and compositional characterization revealed the well-crystallinity and high purity of the synthesized nanoparticles. For biological applications and cytotoxicity examinations of the synthesized NPs, the rat skeletal myoblast (L-6) cell lines were subjected to study. By detailed cytotoxic investigations, it was observed that among the four kinds of NiO NPs prepared through different plant extracts, the Tinospora cordifolia (stems) showed strong antiproliferative activity against rat skeletal myoblast (L-6) cell lines and the calculated IC50 was 1.671 mg/mL. The observed antiproliferative activity towards different NiO NPs were in the order of GNi > NNi > RNi > CNi. The present studies demonstrate that simply synthesized NiO can efficiently be used as antiproliferative agents.

Effective removal of Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions by Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus: An experimental and mechanistic approach.

Herein, we report a bacteria-based strategy as an efficient, reasonable, benign, and promising methodology for remediating heavy metals fed waterbodies. The contemporary study deals with isolating, screening, and characterizing heavy metal resistive bacteria from metal-rich sites. The transcriptome analysis reveals the identity of the isolated species as Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus cereus. Batch studies put forth the bioremoval results in designed conditions of different pH, concentration, dose, and time. The mechanistic actions are drawn using complementary techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The theory of surface adsorption of lead (Pb(II)) and nickel (Ni(II)) is further fostered by the application of adsorption isotherms. The conducted studies establish the bacterial morphological stratagems and multifarious biochemical approaches for countering metallic ions of Pb(II) and Ni(II). The exhibition of significant removal results by the isolated bacterial strains in simulated water samples with remarkable proliferation rates has opened up its favorability for industrial platforms.

High-sensitive ferrocene labeled aptasensor for the detection of Mucin 1 by tuning the sequence constitution of complementary probe.

A strand displacement-based "signal-off" electrochemical aptasensor is reported for the detection of Mucin 1 (MUC 1) based on a high original signal. Different from the conventional "signal-off" electrochemical biosensors where electrochemical substances are dispersed in electrolyte solution, here the current signal was generated by the complementary probe (CP) associated with ferrocene (Fc) labeled aptamer (Apt.-Fc). Because Apt.-Fc and MUC 1 have a higher affinity, Apt.-Fc dissociates from CP in the presence of MUC 1, resulting in a reduction of detection current signal generated by oxidation of labeled Fc. In this system, high detection signal is necessary to improve the sensor's performance. For this aim, a strategy is proposed for changing the modalities of electron transport and the quantity of Apt.-Fc introduced by simply tuning the sequence constitution of CP. As expected, a high detection current signal was obtained after selecting CP(Apt.-Fc)-TTT as the optimal CP. The aptasensor was then employed to detect MUC 1, and satisfactory detection results with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.087 pM (S/N = 3), good specificity, good stability, and feasibility of detection of MUC 1 in artificial serum (recovery of 92-101%, RSD of 1.36-5.23%) were obtained.

Blockage of KHSRP-NLRP3 by MCC950 Can Reverse the Effect of Manganese-Induced Neuroinflammation in N2a Cells and Rat Brain.

Manganese neurotoxicity has been reported to cause a neurodegenerative disease known as parkinsonism. Previous reports have shown that the expression of the KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP), a nucleic acid-binding protein, and NLRP3 is increased upon Mn exposure. However, the relation between these two during Mn toxicity has not been fully deduced. The mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) and SD rats are treated with LPS and MnCl2 to evaluate the expression of KHSRP and NLRP3. Further, the effect of the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 is checked on the expression of NLRP3, KHSRP and pro-inflammatory markers (TNFα, IL-18 and IL-1ß) as well as the caspase-1 enzyme. Our results demonstrated an increment in NLRP3 and KHSRP expression post-MnCl2 exposure in N2a cells and rat brain, while on the other hand with LPS exposure only NLRP3 expression levels were elevated and KHSRP was found to be unaffected. An increased expression of KHSRP, NLRP3, pro-inflammatory markers and the caspase-1 enzyme was observed to be inhibited with MCC950 treatment in MnCl2-exposed cells and rats. Manganese exposure induces NLRP3 and KHSRP expression to induce neuroinflammation, suggesting a correlation between both which functions in toxicity-related pathways. Furthermore, MCC950 treatment reversed the role of KHSRP from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory.

Novel Hydrophobic Polyvinyl-Alcohol Formaldehyde Sponges: Synthesis, Characterization, Fast and Effective Organic Solvent Uptake from Contaminated Soil Samples.

In the present research work, PVFTX-100, PVFSDS, and PVFT-80 sponges were prepared using polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) with surfactants triton X-100/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/Tween 80, respectively, for the removal of organic solvents from polluted soil/water samples. All three obtained sponges were further made hydrophobic using dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS). The prepared sponges were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques and SEM analysis. The peaks obtained near 1050 cm-1 and 790 cm-1 were attributed to Si-O-C and alkyl side chain C-H stretching vibration that confirmed the formation of desired sponges. The SEM images showed the random roughness with a number of protrusions on sponge surfaces, which further played an important role in the absorption and retention of organic solvents molecules. The Sears method was chosen to calculate the surface area and pore volume of all the synthesized sponge samples. Among all three prepared sponges, the PVFTX-100 sponge showed a high pore volume and large surface area, with a maximum percentage absorption capacity of 96%, 91%, 89.9%, 85.6%, and 80 for chlorobenzene, toluene, diesel, petrol, and hexane, respectively, after eightcycles. The organic solvent uptake using PVFTX-100, PVFSDS, and PVFT-80 sponges is quite a unique and simple technology, which could be employed at a large scale for contaminated soil/water systems.

Study on Volumetric, Compressibility and Viscometric Behavior of Cationic Surfactants (CTAB and DTAB) in Aqueous Glycyl Dipeptide: A Thermo-Acoustic Approach.

This study aims to understand how glycyl dipeptide affected the compressibility, volumetric behavior and viscometric behavior of the cationic surfactants CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) and DTAB (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). Information on solute-solute, solute-solvent, and solvent-solvent interactions has been inferred using the quantification of density (ρ), speed of sound (u) and viscosity in aqueous media containing glycyl dipeptide in the temperature range 293.15-313.15 K at an interval of 5 K. The data from the aforementioned research have been used to enumerate numerous volumetric and compressibility metrics that aid in the collection of information about the interactional behavior of the system under consideration. The study suggests that CTAB interacts strongly compared to DTAB with dipeptide, and it also significantly dehydrates glycyl dipeptide. The difference in water-water interactions caused by the loss of hydrophobic hydration of the surfactant molecules upon the addition of cationic surfactants may be the cause of the variation in determined parameters with surfactant concentration. Consideration of the structural rearrangement of molecules that may occur in the system has been used to explain the results of viscosity and computed factors related to viscosity. The patterns of competitive intermolecular interactions in the ternary (dipeptide + water + surfactant) system have been used to analyze the trends of all the parameters. The study may be helpful to understand the stability and structural changes in protein-surfactant systems mediated through various interactions that may be present in the system.

Conductometric and Fluorescence Probe Analysis to Investigate the Interaction between Bioactive Peptide and Bile Salts: A Micellar State Study.

The present work deals with the micellar state study of sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate in the aqueous solution of a bioactive peptide, namely glycyl dipeptide, having different concentrations through conductivity and fluorescence methods at different temperatures. The data obtained from conductivity is plotted against the concentration of Bile salts, and CMC (critical micelle concentration) values are calculated. The results realized have been elucidated with reference to Glycyl dipeptide-bile salts hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions existing in solution. In addition, the CMC values converted to mole fraction (Xcmc) values have been used to evaluate the standard thermodynamic factors of micellization viz., enthalpy H, free energy ΔGm0, and entropy (ΔSm0) which extract information regarding thermodynamic feasibility of micellar state, energy alteration, and the assorted interactions established in the existing (bile salts-water-glycyl dipeptide) system. Furthermore, the pyrene fluorescence spectrum has also been utilized to study the change in micro polarity induced by the interactions of bile salts with glycyl dipeptide and the aggregation action of bile salts. The decrease in modification in the ratio of intensities of first and third peaks i.e., (I1/I3) for the pyrene molecules in aqueous bile salts solution by the addition of dipeptide, demonstrates that the micelle polarity is affected by glycyl dipeptide. This ratio has also been utilized to determine CMC values for the studied system, and the results have been found to be in good correlation with observations made in conductivity studies.