Synthesis of biodiesel from pongamia oil using heterogeneous ion-exchange resin catalyst.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable substitute fuel for petroleum. Biodiesel could be effectively produced by transesterification reaction of triglycerides of vegetable oils with short-chain alcohols in the presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Conventionally, biodiesel manufacturing processes employ strong acids or bases as catalysts. But, separation of the catalyst and the by-product glycerol from the product ester is too expensive to justify the product use as an automobile fuel. Hence heterogeneous catalysts are preferred. In this study, transesterification of pongamia oil with ethanol was performed using a solid ion-exchange resin catalyst. It is a macro porous strongly basic anion exchange resin. The process parameters affecting the ethyl ester yield were investigated. The reaction conditions were optimized for the maximum yield of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) of pongamia oil. The properties of FAEE were compared with accepted standards of biodiesel. Engine performance was also studied with pongamia oil diesel blend and engine emission characteristics were observed.

Comparative study on efficacy of Antimicrobial activity of three Ayurvedic drugs Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala on isolated Nosocomial Pathogens.

The antibacterial activity of various solvent fractions of Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala was studied against the isolated nosocomial pathogens by in vitro method. The methanol, acetone, choloroform, acetone fractions of test drugs and decoctions exhibited different levels of antibacterial activity from low to very high level against the gram positive and gram -negative bacteria. The zone of inhibition of each fraction of drugs was compared with the standard antibiotics Penicillin and Streptomycin. The present study proves and explains the ability and potency of the extracts of Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala as a preventive measure of secondary infections by bacteria in the hospitalixe patients. Even though, these medicines are prescribed in ayurveda for the different clinical indications, the possible secondary activity is also proved through this study.