Oil tea shell synthesized biochar adsorptive utilization for the nitrate removal from aqueous media.

Various reported methods are devoted to nitrate removal from water over the years. However, recently researchers are focusing on developing the materials that offer bio-based, non-toxic, inexpensive and yet an efficient solution for water treatment. In this study, removal of nitrates from water was carried out using oil tea shells (OTS) as a biosorbent. OTS powder was impregnated with ZnCl2 and biochar was prepared which was further treated with Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant. Both the Langmuir and the Freundlich models were satisfied by the nitrate adsorption of OTS biochar. The adsorption capacity was measured at 15.6 mg/g when the circumstances were at their best. The pseudo-second-order model provided an accurate description of the kinetic data that were collected from batch trials. The adsorption yield goes up when by usage of more adsorbent, but it goes down when adsorption start with a higher concentration of nitrate. The strong basis of analytical equipments were used to characterize the OTS biosorbent. According to the findings of the research, surface-modified OTS biochar is an effective material for the removal of nitrate from aqueous solutions. This means that it has the potential to be utilized in water treatment as an adsorbent that is both inexpensive and kind to the natural environment. Removal of heavy metals and other organic pollutants, both from groundwater and wastewater using OTS biochar seems like a promising and interesting area of study.

Investigation of Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Mentha suaveolens L. from Saudi Arabia.

Mentha is an aromatic plant used since antiquity for its pharmaceutical virtues. The climate of Saudi Arabia favors the growth of aromatic plants including Mentha suaveolens L. The aim of this study is to analyze the volatile oils of different parts of fresh and dried Mentha suaveolens L. grown in Saudi Arabia (Aljouf area) using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID) techniques, to recognize the effect of drying on chemical composition, then to evaluate the antioxidant and antifungal activities of different extracts. In total, 118 compounds were identified via GC/MS and GC/FID, in which carvone is the main volatile constituent (stems, leaves, whole plant 45-64%). This investigation deduces that Mentha belonged to the carvone chemotype. Then, the analysis of non-volatile constituents of fresh and dried Mentha was performed by HPLC. The main phenolic compound of fresh and dried Mentha for different parts was rosmarinic acid (ranging from 28,002.5 to 6558 µg/g). The ethanolic extract of fresh stem showed the highest antifungal activity (53% inhibition) compared with miconazole (60% inhibition) but the ethanoic extract of dry stem showed no activity. Additionally, all ethanolic extracts, whether for fresh or dry Mentha, have antioxidant activity more than 90% while the antioxidant activity of whole plant volatile oil is equal to 53.33%. This research shows that M. suaveolens L. could be applied to manufacture natural antioxidants, antifungal, and flavoring agents.

A novel spectrofluorimetric method based on a reaction with an azoisoxazoles-benzenesulfonamide derivative for determination of uranium (VI) ions in water samples.

Selective fluorometric detection and determination of uranium ions is provided here using a novel fluorescent reagent, namely (E)-4-([4-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl]diazenyl)-N-(5-methyleisoxazol-3-yl) benzenesulfonamide (UVI reagent). The UVI reagent offers a selective fluorescence enhancement behaviour at emission wavelength = 557 nm. The parameters affecting fluorometric detection of uranium ions, such as the pH, solvent type, ligand concentration, interaction time, and interfering ions, were investigated and adjusted. The proposed UVI reagent can detect and determine uranium ions even at low concentrations, for which the obtained limit of detection was 0.1 ppm. Additionally, this proposed determination protocol was successfully used to detect, monitor, and determine uranium ions in actual water samples.

Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Studies of Leaf Extract of Simarouba glauca DC In Vitro.

The current study aimed to screen the preliminary phytochemicals in the leaf extract of the medicinal plant Simarouba glauca and to analyze its potential antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer properties. The phytochemical profile of the methanol extract was analyzed, and bioactive compounds were identified using chromatography, FTIR and GCMS. Antimicrobial activity and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) were determined against 14 bacterial and 6 fungal strains. Moreover, the synergistic effect of a plant extract with commercially available antibiotics was also evaluated using the checkerboard method. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts showed exclusive activity against S. aureus and profound activity against E. coli and S. marcescens. Upon comparing breakpoints, methanolic extract demonstrated higher antimicrobial activity with a MIC value of 3.2 mg/mL against the test pathogens. Furthermore, the extracts demonstrated potential antioxidant activity; methanol extract had higher antioxidant potential compared to the ethanol extract. The major proactive bioactive compound with maximum antioxidant capacity was observed to be terpenoids. The methanol extract of S. glauca showed significant cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 16.12 µg/mL. The overall results of our work provide significant evidence for the usage of methanolic extract of S. glauca as an efficient ethnomedicinal agent and a potential candidate for relieving many human ailments.