Local Wisdom and Diversity of Medicinal Plants in Cha Miang Forest in Mae Kampong Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Their Potential for Use as Osteoprotective Products.

"People-Forest-Miang" communities are villages located in the cultivated area of Camellia sinensis var. assamica, or Cha Miang, in northern Thailand. Cha Miang forests are a form of agriculture relying on forest-rich bioresources. This study focuses on a survey of the diversity of medicinal plants used by "People-Forest-Miang" communities in Mae Kampong Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The results demonstrated that 73 species of medicinal plants were used to prevent and treat various ailments. The highest number of species (30.14%) was used for musculoskeletal system disorders, followed by digestive system disorders (21.92%) and unspecified medicinal disorders (15.07%). The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is the most widely recognized biochemical marker for osteoblast activity. The ALP activity of ethanol and deionized water extracts of the nine selected medicinal plants used for musculoskeletal system disorders were examined in the MG63 cell line. The results showed that the numerous water extracts, including MKP1, MKP2, MKP5, MKP6, MKP7, MKP8, and MKP9, and the ethanolic extracts-namely, MKP2, MKP3, MKP7, and MKP9-significantly increased ALP activity in the MG-63 cell line. The findings indicate that some medicinal plants may be further studied for active chemicals and developed as natural active pharmaceutical ingredients for osteoprotective products.

Characteristics of 21 Types of Tea Waste for Adsorbance of Ionic Dyes from Aqueous Solutions.

In this study, 21 tea types (six black, four green, three Oolong, two herb, and five medicinal) were used to remove ionic dye from wastewater, as they could be potential adsorbents for several ionic dyes without purification or activated treatment. The majority of the 21 teas could adsorb cationic (MB) and anionic (ORII) dyes, with greater suitability for cationic dyes, as well as BB54 and BR46. Black dye (KBla), a mixture of several dyes, was adsorbed to a high degree. The tea waste treatment resulted in chromaticity reduction of the dye solution and turbidity changes. Dye adsorption was greater at higher temperatures than lower ones, although the effect of temperature was not strong. The adsorptions fit the pseudo-second-order-model; therefore, they involved chemical adsorption. The tea waste had great potential for the adsorption of several types of dyes without purification or activated treatment, although the mechanisms are yet to be determined. Therefore, the physical properties and structural components of each tea type should be analyzed by comparing common or different features of tea types. Taken together, many types of tea that are consumed worldwide can be used for efficient adsorption of ionic dyes by application of the tea waste.

Effects of Water Addition to Prevent Deterioration of Soybean Oil by Calcium Silicate Adsorbent.

In this study, we prepared calcium silicate at different molar ratios (Ca:Si=1:3, 1:6, and 1:9 refer to CAS-30S, CAS-60S, and CAS-90S, respectively) with water addition. The adsorbent characteristics (specific surface area, pore volume, mean pore diameter, and elemental analysis) were measured and the effect of water addition on the adsorbent surface for the prevention of deterioration was evaluated. In addition, the deterioration of soybean oil (SO) subjected to heating and aeration was investigated based on the acid value (AV) and carbonyl value (CV). The specific surface area increased in the order CAS-60S (160.51 m2/g) < CAS-30S (182.61 m2/g) < CAS-90S (204.19 m2/g). Deterioration of SO could be induced by heating and aeration with AV and CV of 1.4 mg/g and 102.9 µmol/g, respectively. The adsorbent (CAS-30S and CAS-90S) with water addition (25% and 50%) was found to decrease the AV, indicating that a small amount of water addition to adsorbent surface is important for the decreasing of AV. In addition, the correlation between the decrease in AV and the specific surface area is strongly positive (R value: 0.968). The adsorption mechanism is thought to involve interactions between the polar compounds (free fatty acids) in the SO (nonaqueous phase) and the water layer (containing calcium ions released from the adsorbent) on the adsorbent surface. In summary, the data obtained in this study provide useful information for preventing the deterioration of SO and prolonging the oil life cycle.

Relationship between Hay Fever and Mineral Concentration in the Hair, Lifestyle or Aging.

It is important to ingest just proportions of minerals to prevent disease, but these minerals are also secreted into the hair. Meanwhile, the number of hay fever patients in Japan is increasing, causing an increase in national medical expenses. In this study, we investigated the relationship between hay fever and mineral concentrations in hair to obtain findings on the risk of developing pollen allergies. A questionnaire survey was conducted for 275 men and 977 women on their lifestyle habits and ten kinds of mineral concentrations present in their hair were measured with subsequent analysis using nominal logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that half the patients in each age group had hay fever, with no significant difference between hay fever and aging, exercise habits, sleep and dietary rhythms. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between hay fever and mineral concentrations in the hair, and in men with hay fever, iron (odds ratio: 0.55, p<0.05) was low, while in women calcium (odds ratio: 0.67, p<0.05), chromium (odds ratio: 0.46, p<0.001), cadmium (odds ratio: 0.68, p<0.01) were low and selenium (odds ratio: 1.78, p<0.01) was high. These results, suggest that measurements mineral concentrations in hair are indicators of hay fever risk.

Regeneration of Waste Edible Oil by the Use of Virgin and Calcined Magnesium Hydroxide as Adsorbents.

In this study, we prepared virgin (S, L) and calcined (S-380, S-1000, L-380, L-1000) magnesium hydroxide for regeneration of waste edible oil. Deterioration of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, and olive oil was achieved by heat and aeration treatment. The properties of the different adsorbents were investigated using specific surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, and surface pH measurement. Moreover, the relationship between the changes in acid value (AV) and carbonyl value (CV) and the adsorbent properties were evaluated. The specific surface areas of S-380 and L-380 were greater than that of other adsorbents. In addition, the XRD results show that S-380 and L-380 contain both magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide structures. The decreases in AV and CV using S-380 and L-380 were greater than achieved using other adsorbents. The correlation coefficients between the decrease in AV and CV and specific surface area were 0.947 for soybean oil, 0.649 for rapeseed oil, and 0.773 for olive oil, respectively. The results obtained in this study suggest that a physical property of the adsorbent, namely specific surface area, was primarily responsible for the observed decreases in AV and CV. Overall, the results suggest that S-380 and L-380 are useful for the regeneration of waste edible oil.

Effect of tocopherol treatment on deterioration of edible oil quality (acid value, carbonyl value, free fatty acid and radical activity).

In this study, waste edible oil was prepared by both heat and aeration treatment, and the increasing inhibitive effect of tocopherol treatment on the acid value (AV) and carbonyl value (CV) of the oil was investigated. The AV and CV of waste edible oil treated with tocopherol were 0.1-1.0% lower than those of the nontreated oil, indicating that tocopherol exerted a radical-scavenging activity. The concentration of tocopherol decreased with time, while that of the remaining 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals increased. These results suggest that the addition of tocopherol proved to be useful for preventing the deterioration of waste edible oil.

Study of adsorption mechanism of heavy metals onto waste biomass (wheat bran).

In this study, raw wheat bran (R-WB), a type of waste biomass (WB) was treated with Pectinase PL (P-WB), and the properties (yield percentage, carboxy group surface concentration, the solution pH, and specific surface area) of R-WB and P-WB were investigated. The surface concentration of carboxy groups on R-WB (3.56 mmol/g) was greater than that of P-WB (2.11 mmol/g). In contrast, the specific surface area of P-WB (24.98 m²/g) was greater than that of R-WB (3.25 m²/g). In addition, the adsorption of cadmium and lead ions to WB was evaluated. Adsorption of the heavy-metal ions reached equilibrium within 9 h, and the experimental data was fitted to a pseudo-second-order model. More heavy-metal ions were adsorbed onto R-WB than onto P-WB. The correlation coefficient between the amount of ions adsorbed and the number of carboxy groups or pectin exceeded 0.884 and 0.975, respectively. This study indicated that wheat bran was useful for the removal of cadmium or lead ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorption mechanism of cadmium and lead ions to WB was associated with presence of carboxy group in pectin.

Phosphate-ion-adsorption capability of granulated boehmite fabricated using organic binder (polyethylene terephthalate).

We investigated a method for producing granulated boehmite (BE) by using an organic binder and measured its phosphate-ion-adsorption capacity. BE was granulated using polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and its structure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. The properties of granulated BE such as specific surface area, mean pore diameter, pore volume, amount of hydroxyl groups, and solution pH were also investigated. Furthermore, adsorption isotherm; effects of contact time, temperature, and solution pH on phosphate-ion adsorption; and recovery of phosphate ions (using sodium hydroxide solution) were evaluated. BE granulated by PET (BE-PET30S) could be successfully used for phosphate-ion removal by adsorption. The specific surface area and amount of hydroxyl groups of BE-PET30S were found to be 119.8 m²/g and 1.4 mmol/g, respectively. Granulated BEs reached equilibrium adsorption capacities within 24 h. The phosphate-ion-adsorption rate data were fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (r=0.981-0.998). The adsorption isotherm data were fitted to both the Freundlich (0.987-0.989) and Langmuir (0.905-0.944) equations. Based on the thermodynamic study, it was found that the phosphate-ion adsorption by granulated BEs is a spontaneous and exothermic process. The phosphate ions adsorbed onto BE-PET30S could be easily recovered by using a sodium hydroxide solution (1-1000 mmol/L) and their recovery percentage was found to be between 63.3% and 94.0%. The results obtained from this study could be useful for recovering phosphate ions and preventing problems related to water pollution.

Characteristics of granular boehmite and its ability to adsorb phosphate from aqueous solution.

In this study, we investigated the surface properties of granulated boehmite with vinyl acetate (G-BE20) and measured the amount of phosphate it adsorbed and the effect of contact time and solution pH on the adsorption process. The specific surface area (144.9 m(2)/g) and the number of surface hydroxyl groups (0.88 mmol/g) of G-BE20 were smaller than those of virgin boehmite (BE), which gave a specific surface area and number of surface hydroxyl groups of 297.0 m(2)/g and 1.08 mmol/g, respectively. The amount of phosphate adsorbed increased with the temperature. The isotherm model of Langmuir was used to fit experimental adsorption equilibrium data for phosphate adsorption onto G-BE20. The calculated thermodynamic parameters show the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. The equilibrium adsorption onto G-BE20 was reached within 16 h and the amount of phosphate adsorbed was 8.4 mg/g. The kinetic mechanism of phosphate uptake was evaluated with two different models: the Largergren pseudo first- and pseudo second-order models. The data obtained showed a better fit to the pseudo second-order model (0.991) than to the pseudo first-order model (0.967), as indicated by the r values. The rate constants for the adsorption of phosphate onto G-BE20 were calculated as 0.481 1/h and 0.029 g/mg h. The adsorption of phosphate onto G-BE20 was the maximum in the pH range 3.0-4.0.

Removal of fluoride ions from water by adsorption onto carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds.

Carbonaceous material for the removal of fluoride ions from water was prepared from coffee grounds (CGs) by calcination and subsequent HCl treatment. The characteristics of the CGs, including the surface area, mean pore diameter, pore volume, and surface functional groups were determined, and the morphological characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption isotherms, saturated amount of fluoride ions adsorbed, and the effect of contact time and temperature on the adsorption of fluoride ions were investigated for a sample of tap water. The specific surface area of CG calcined at 600° (CG600) was larger than that of CGs calcined at 400, 800, and 1000°. Phenolic, lactonic, and carboxyl groups were detected on the CG600 surface. The adsorption capacity of the carbonized CGs for fluoride was ranked in the order CG400 < CG1000 < CG800 < CG600 (where the numeral indicates the carbonization temperature), whereas virgin CG and CG600-NAT (not treated with hydrochloric acid solution) did not exhibit any adsorption ability for fluoride ions. The amount of fluoride ions adsorbed onto CG600 increased with increasing temperature and was consistent with chemical adsorption. The mechanism of adsorption of fluoride ions onto CG600 proceeded via ion exchange with chloride ions (1:1) present on the surface of CG600. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir equations. Moreover, CG600 showed an acceptable adsorption capacity for fluoride ions present in tap water.

Adsorption mechanism of copper and cadmium onto defatted waste biomass.

In this study, the amount of copper or cadmium adsorbed using waste biomass (i.e., coffee grounds (CG) and rice bran (RB)) was investigated. The amount of crude protein in defatted CG (D-CG) or RB (D-RB) was greater than that in CG or RB, respectively. The amount of copper or cadmium adsorbed using CG was greater than that using RB. Additionally, the amount of copper or cadmium adsorbed was not affected by the presence of fat in CG. Adsorption data was fitted to the Freundlich equation, and the correlation coefficients were in the range of 0.794-0.991. The main adsorption mechanism was thought to be monolayer adsorption onto the surface of the waste biomass. The adsorption rate data was fitted to the pseudo-second-order model, and the correlation coefficient average was in the range of 0.891-0.945. This result showed that the rate-limiting step may be chemisorption. Moreover, the amount of copper or cadmium desorbed from CG or RB using 0.01 mol/L or 1.00 mol/L HNO(3) was investigated. Desorption with 0.01 mol/L HNO(3) resulted in the recovery of 86-97% of the copper and cadmium, indicating that copper or cadmium that was adsorbed using waste biomass was recoverable.

Removal of arsenious ion by calcined aluminum oxyhydroxide (boehmite).

Aluminum oxyhydroxide (boehmite, BE) shows adsorption ability of arsenious ion. In this study, we calcined BE in the temperature range 200-1150 degrees C, and examined the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed and adsorption mechanism. As a result, the adsorption amount of arsenious ion by BE calcined at 400 degrees C showed the highest value as compared with those by BE calcined at other temperatures. On the other hand, the amounts of arsenious ion adsorbed onto BE showed lower values at 200, 600, and >1000 degrees C than that by BE before calcination. The amount of surface hydroxyl group of calcined BE showed the highest value at the calcination temperature of 400 degrees C. As a result of X-ray analysis, BE showed boehmite structure at less than the calcination temperature of 300 degrees C, while BE was converted to the transitional state of aluminum oxide at more than 400 degrees C. From the result of the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed and FT-IR, it turned out that calcined BE dissociated water molecule when suspended in the water, hydroxyl group was generated on the surface, and the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed was increased because of the ion exchange of these hydroxyl groups with arsenious ions. It was clarified that an adsorbent with high adsorption ability of arsenious ion was obtained by calcination of BE.