The effects of peracetic acid solution on the treatment of otomycosis in an animal model: a new antifungal drug?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of 1 per cent and 0.01 per cent peracetic acid as an antifungal agent in animal otomycosis. METHOD: After creating a superficial scratch in the external auditory canal of guinea pigs, a suspension of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and candida were inoculated into the ears of the animals. After otomycosis, the effect of 1 per cent or 0.01 per cent peracetic acid on otomycosis was evaluated by otomicroscopy and culture at 10 days post-treatment and compared with 2 per cent acetic acid as the control. RESULTS: A 10-day treatment with 1 per cent peracetic acid and 2 per cent acetic acid (control) showed normal otomicroscopy and negative cultures compared with 0.01 per cent peracetic acid. Drug sedimentation or other side effects in the external auditory canal or tympanic membrane were not observed during treatment with peracetic acid. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study confirm that the treatment of otomycosis with 1 per cent peracetic acid in an animal model is beneficial and may be a novel therapeutic treatment for otomycosis.

Photocatalytic removal of toxic dyes, liquorice and tetracycline wastewaters by a mesoporous photocatalyst under irradiation of different lamps and sunlight.

Simple recyclable K5CoW12O40/TiO2 was synthesized and used to remove methyl orange, rhodamine B, direct red 16 and crystal violet toxic organic dyes, liquorice industrial wastewater and tetracycline (TC) as an antibiotic. Photoactivity of the catalyst was checked out under irradiation of various lamps (such as 18 W fluorescent, 300 W Xenon, LED and IR lamps). The best efficiency was obtained by fluorescent lamp at catalyst loading of 3 g/L, initial pH of 5, initial dye concentration of 5 ppm, complete degradation was achieved after 30 min contact time. Mechanistic investigation showed that·O2 radicals and h+ are majorly responsible for photodegradation in this process. Electrochemical investigation, Nyquist, Bode, Mott-Schottky, Tauc plots and photoluminescence proved that using this photocatalyst delay the electron-hole recombination, increase the lifetime of excited electron, extend light absorption to visible region and improve the light absorption capacity. This photocatalyst work well under winter sunlight. Also 97% and 84% dye removal was obtained for liquorice with 300 and 1000 COD at optimal condition. This catalyst showed similar activity for TC wastewater. Photocatalyst was characterized by FE-SEM, EDX, AFM, FT-IR, XRD, PL, DRS, EIS, BJH and BET.

Determination of Sn(II) and Sn(IV) after mixed micelle-mediated cloud point extraction using alpha-polyoxometalate as a complexing agent by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

The cloud point extraction behavior of Sn(II) and Sn(IV) using alpha-polyoxometalate and mixed surfactants solution was investigated. The mixture of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) and a cationic surfactant (CTAB) was utilized as a suitable micellar medium for preconcentration and extraction of tin complexes. Sn(II) in the presence of Sn(IV) was extracted with alpha-polyoxometalate, 0.3% (w/v) Triton X-100 and 3.5x10(-5) mol L(-1) CTAB at pH 1.2. Whereas the pH value of 3.7 were used for the individual determination of Sn(II) and Sn(IV) and also for total tin determination at the same conditions. Enrichment factors of 100 were obtained for the preconcentration of both metal ions. Under the optimal conditions, linearity was obeyed in the ranges of 55-670 microg L(-1) of Sn(II) and 46-750 microg L(-1) of Sn(IV) ion concentration. The detection limit of the method was also found to be 12.6 microg L(-1) for Sn(IV) and 8.4 microg L(-1) for Sn(II). The relative standard deviation of seven replicate determination of 100 microg L(-1) both metal ions were obtained about 2.4%. The diverse ion effect of some anions and cations on the extraction efficiency of target ions were tested. Finally, the optimized conditions developed were successfully utilized for the determination of each metal ion in various alloy, juice fruit, tape and waste water samples with satisfactory results.