Domestic wastewater treatment by Pistia stratiotes in constructed wetland.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of Pistia stratiotes for treatment of domestic wastewater in a free surface water flow constructed wetland. The objective of the study was to evaluate contaminants removal efficiency of the constructed wetland vegetated with P. stratiotes in treatment of domestic wastewater against Hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10, 20 and 30 days was investigated. This asks for newer and efficient low-cost nature-based water treatment system which along with cost takes into consideration the sustainability of the ecosystem. Five constructed wetland setups improved the wastewater quality and purify it significantly by reducing the TDS by 83%, TSS by 82%, BOD by 82%, COD by 81%, Chloride by 80%, Sulfate by 77%, NH3 by 84% and Total Oil and Grease by 74%. There was an increase in pH of about 11.9%. Color and odor of wastewater was also improved significantly and effectively. It was observed that 30 days' HRT was optimum for the treatment of domestic wastewater. The final effluent was found to be suitable as per national environmental quality standards and recycled for watering plants and crop irrigation but not for drinking purposes. The treatment in constructed wetland system was found to be economical, as the cost of construction only was involved and operational and maintenance cost very minimal. Even this research was conducted on the sole purpose of commuting the efficiency of pollutant removal in short span time.

Chitin nanofibers trigger membrane bound defense signaling and induce elicitor activity in plants.

The present study demonstrated that chitin-based nanofibers (CNFs) trigger the chitinase genes (PGIP1 and CaChi2), while elevating salicylic acid that can protect plants against pathogens. Cross-talk between this genetic induction and salicylic-acid-mediated immune response was also observed, which may arm a plant against multiple pathovars. Crab and mushroom based CNFs were synthesized by electrospinning and ball milling techniques. Plants (mung bean, Vigna radiata) (pepper, Capsicum annuum) were pre-inoculated with CNFs and treated with the pathogens Scrolotium rolfsii for pepper and Macrophomina phaseolina for mung bean and shrimp-based CNFs were used as a control. Treated plants had elevated levels of chitinase genes in response to CNFs at inoculation concentrations <10 mg/mL both in soil and media, to protect them against the pathogenic fungal disease. After 24 h of exposure to the pathogens, qRT-PCR showed genes class II chitinase gene (CaChi2) and polygalacturonase inhibitor protein 1 (PGIP1) to be up-regulated in both root and shoot at 0.1 and 1 mg/mL of inoculation, respectively. The ball milled mushroom CNFs were sufficient to trigger the membrane based enzymes with less diameter (≥15 nm) to be most efficient versus others. In vitro analysis showed IC50 of ball milled mushroom CNFs to be most efficient in limiting the growth of fungal biomass. Further trigger-like effects were prominent in reducing pathogenic fungal spread in both species.

Proximate composition, functional properties and quantitative analysis of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in wheat flour samples: effect on wheat flour quality.

BACKGROUND: Extensive milling processes have deprived wheat flour from essential nutrients. The objective of the current study was to assess the nutritive quality of commercial wheat flour (soft flour (SF)) through analyses of proximate composition and functional properties as well as quantification of benzoyl peroxide (BPO; added as bleaching agent in the SF) by comparing the results with whole wheat flour (WF; never received any additives). METHODS: The samples included commercial SF purchased from the local supplier of different flour mills (who use BPO as additive) and a control sample without additives was prepared by grinding the seeds harvested from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; Inqulab 91) crop grown in the experimental field of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, under optimized field conditions without any fertilizers and insecticides. Functional properties (including bulk density, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, least gelatinization concentration and gelatinization temperature) and proximate composition (including moisture content, ash contents, crude protein, gluten and starch contents) were determined and compared for all the samples. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and Benzoic Acid (BA) quantification was performed through High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Finally dietary intake was estimated for BPO and BA. RESULTS: Results showed that SF had lesser fiber, protein and ash contents, whereas, higher damaged starch, fat, gluten and bulk density. A parallel experiment under selected conditions (temperature, time and solute concentration) showed dissociation of BPO into BA soon after the exposure. Observed BA range (13.77 mg/g after 16 h) in SF and exposure level assessment (44.3 ± 1.36 mg/kg/BW) showed higher intake of BA on the consumption of SF. The results revealed the superiority of WF over SF in nutritive qualities as well as free of toxicants such as BA.

In vitro cytotoxic activity of Zaleya Pentandra L. Extracts against the breast cancer adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cytotoxicity of crude aqueous and ethanol extracts of Zaleya pentandra against oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell line Michigan Cancer Foundation-7. METHODS: The study was conducted at the Institute of Chinese Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, from March to September 2017, and comprised Zaleya pentandra herbaceous perennial plant collected from Pakistani cities of Shakargarh, Lahore and Sialkot. Both aqueous and ethanol extracts were prepared in solvents following Soxhlet extraction technique. Rate of reduction in viability of cancer cell line was studied through MTT (dye compound 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay on the basis of time of incubation and the dose of extract. Analysis was performed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detector in order to found the compounds responsible for the death of cancer cells. RESULTS: Cell viability was observed to be dose-dependent (range: 16.7-37.4%) for aqueous extracts. Minimum inhibition concentration was 16.65% at 200µg/ml after 24 hours of incubation, whereas maximum inhibition was 37.39% at 3200µg/ml. Ethanol extracts showed less inhibition, with maximum inhibition being 25.29% at 1000µg/ml and minimum 13.57% at 62.5µg/ml. Certain polar compounds, like Hydroxytrosol and Tyrosol, could be obtained from the aqueous extracts only. CONCLUSIONS: Zaleya pentandra aqueous extract was found to have potential benefit towards cytotoxicity of breast cancer cells.

Low-temperature health hazards among workers of cold storage facilities in Lahore, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Cold storage facilities are the most common workplaces that produce artificially cold work environments and are associated with different adverse effects on human health, work productivity and the occurrence of accidents and injuries. The aim of this study was to measure the antagonistic health effects on workers, so that common factors causing abnormal symptoms could be determined, and to gather basic information to monitor the associated health risks from the exposure to cold work environments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of cold-related adverse health effects, musculoskeletal symptoms, skin problems, injuries, respiratory illnesses, general hygiene and occupational environment related to cold indoor workplaces, using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. A total of 200 subjects took part in this study, including 100 exposed and 100 unexposed to cold environments. A 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a t-test were applied to measure statistical differences and to differentiate the cases where variations occurred, using SPSS 16. RESULTS: The study revealed that a longer and constant exposure to extremely cold indoor work environments significantly increased (p <0.001) the cold-related symptoms and musculoskeletal disorders which ultimately reduced (p <0.01) the efficiency, effectiveness, performance and work ability of the exposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: The study disclosed various adverse cold-related complaints of the studied subjects who were exposed to extreme cold conditions during a maximum number of working hours. The most consistent problems were related to musculoskeletal discomfort, skin problems and respiratory abnormalities. Med Pr. 2020;71(1):1-7.

Anti-oxidative and anti-proliferative activities of extracted phytochemical compound thymoquinone.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative potential of Thymoquinone extracted from the essential oil of indigenous herbs of Nigella sativa and Thymus vulgaris. METHODS: Extraction and quantification of Thymoquinone was carried out in July, 2017 in Department of Environmental Science, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Lahore. Thymoquinone was extracted from seeds of Nigella Sativa and aerial parts of Thymus vulgaris by employing soxhlet extraction with 1:4 ratios of nhexane and methanol. High Performance Liquid Chromatography was used to quantify Thymoquinone from the methanolic extracted oil of sample by applying calibration curve method. Extracted Thymoquinone was identified by sample peaks obtained at retention time were compared with peak of standard Thymoquinone at respective time. The Thymoquinone obtained from both samples was then subjected to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for confirmation by identifying its functional groups. Anti-oxidant activities of both samples were measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay in Department of Environmental Science, LCWU. In-vitro anti-proliferative activities of extracted Thymoquinone were evaluated in HeLa cell cancer lines by cell proliferations Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in Department of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore. SPSS 18 and Graph pad prism 18 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Soxhlet extraction with solvents ratios yielded 48.92% oil from Nigella sativa and 23.2 % from Thymus vulgaris. High Performance Liquid Chromatography peak of standard Thymoquinone was measured at retention time of 5.5 min which was then compared with the peak obtained from both samples at the similar retention time. The extracted Thymoquinone from both samples were quantified by calibration curve method showing 614.25 mg/L from Nigella sativa and 548.86 mg/L from Thymus vulgaris. The two anti-oxidant assays of both samples compared with standard Thymoquinone showed significant scavenging activities in dose amount manner. Cell proliferation of HeLa cancer significantly decreased with dose response manner (p<0.01), showing highest cell death in high concentration of Thymoquinone. Inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of cancer cell line treated with Nigella sativa oil was 0.5 µM and Thymus vulgaris was 18 µM compared to standard Thymoquinone, showing Inhibitory concentration50 (IC50) of 6 µM using Graph pad prism v.8.0. CONCLUSION: Both Nigella sativa and Thymus vulgaris were found to be the best source of Thymoquinone as chemotherapeutic drug expressed potent anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative activities.

Controlled release of cephradine by biopolymers based target specific crosslinked hydrogels.

The novel silane crosslinked (TEOS) hydrogels based on eco-friendly biodegradable chitosan/guargum were prepared by blending with PEG to develop pH sensitive hydrogels (CGP) and achieved its hydrophilicity and target specificity for controlled release of drug. The crosslinker amount was varied to analyze its effect on the hydrogel properties and were characterized using FTIR, SEM, TGA, swelling studies (water, buffer and ionic solution) and in-vitro release of cephradine (CED). FTIR confirmed the presence of characteristic peaks and crosslinking between the components while SEM images showed the formation of clear micro- and macro-pores. The swelling behavior in water showed that compared to the controlled hydrogel, the crosslinked hydrogels revealed more swelling but a decrease in swelling with further increase in the amount of crosslinker was observed. The hydrogels showed low swelling at basic and neutral pH while maximum swelling was observed at acidic pH. This pH response made these hydrogels an ideal candidate for injectable controlled release. The CED was loaded on hydrogels and its release mechanism was studied in PBS, SGF and SIF which revealed that out of all hydrogels (CGP100, CGP150, CGP200 and CGP250), CGP100 has shown CED release of 85% in 130 min in PBS and 82.4% in SIF.

A review: Therapeutics potentials of phytochemical drugs and their loading in pH specific degradable Nano-drug carrier targeting colorectal cancer.

Increasing incidents of colorectal cancer have shifted researchers' attention to the production and improvement of anti-cancer drugs by the scientific investigation of vast pool of synthetic, biological and natural products. Thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone are considered the ideal compounds for the cancer therapy as they are economically and environmental friendly and have less toxicity level to the survival and diseased model up to increased dosage level. For colorectal cancer, researches are shifting towards the oral drug delivery instead of injection, as administering drugs through oral route shows maximum absorption of drugs, improves patient life quality and is cost-effective. Naturally occurring polysaccharides as oral drug carriers, such as pectin, have the ability to break down completely in colon, making it suitable for targeted drug delivery against cancer cells. Pectin with polymeric base is an efficient nano drug carrier. The current study reviews the delivery of thymoquinone/thymohydroquinone through pectin nano carriers to treat colorectal cancer.

Reduced metabolites of nitroaromatics are distributed in the environment via the food chain.

Increased industrial processes have introduced emerging toxic pollutants into the environment. Phytoremediation is considered to be a very useful, economical and ecofriendly way of controlling these pollutants, however, certain pollutants can potentially travel through the food chain and accumulate at hazardous levels. Four isomers of dinitrotoluenes (DNT) were investigated and observed their potential toxicity towards A. thaliana. Two different aphid species (generalist and specialist) were allowed to feed on plants treated with DNTs and toxicity to aphids determined. Reduced metabolites of DNT (in both plant and aphids) were recovered and quantified through GC-MS analyses. 2,6-DNT was observed to be the toxic of the DNTs tested. Complete metabolism of DNTs to their reduced products was never achieved for higher concentrations. Regioselectivity was observed in the case of 2,4-DNT, with 4A2NT as the dominant isomer. Feeding aphids showed a similar toxicity pattern for DNT isomers as host plants. Metabolites were recovered from the body of aphids, demonstrating the potential transport of metabolites through the food chain. Plants show varied toxicity responses towards the DNT isomers. Aphids fed on A. thaliana plants treated with DNTs were shown to have ANTs present, which reflects the propagation of DNT metabolites through the food chain.

Fungal strains isolation, identification and application for the recovery of Zn(II) ions.

Fungal biomass proves to be highly efficient for the treatment of wastewater as well as recovery of metal ions from wastewater. Present investigation was aimed to evaluate the efficiency of indigenous fungal isolates for the sequestration of Zn(II) ions aqueous solution. Among twenty five fungal isolates, Aspergillus oryzae SV/09 (AO SV/09), Aspergillus flavus NA9 (AF NA9) and Paecilomyces formosus DTO 63f4 (PF DTO-63f4) were identified by gene sequencing of ITS regions of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4 showed promising efficiency for the biosorption of Zn(II) ions. Zn(II) ions adsorption was endothermic in nature and data fitted will to the Freundlich isotherm with correlation coefficients values of 0.99, 0.98 and 0.99 for AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4, respectively. Pseudo-second order kinetic model explained well the Zn(II) adsorption kinetic of Zn(II) ions onto biosorbents. The adsorbed Zn(II) ions were desorbed using HCl and 85.5, 75.3, 73.7 (%) Zn(II) ions were recovered from AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4 sorbents, respectively. The fungal biosorbents were successfully recycled up to five cycles. Based on sorption, recovery and regeneration, the application of fungal bio-sorbents for the sequestration and recovery of Zn(II) ions is suggested from wastewater and could possibly be extended for the recovery of other heavy metal ions from wastewater.

Cytogenetic bio-monitoring in fuel station attendants of Gujrat, Pakistan through buccal micronucleus cytome assay.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse buccal epithelial cells for scoring the frequency of cytogenetic toxicity in petrol pump workers. METHODS: The case-control study was conducted at the Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan, from September 2014 to February 2015, and comprised petrol pump workers. Buccal micronucleus cytome assay was carried out by the collection of buccal cells after the written and oral consent of petrol pump workers. Frequencies of genotoxic (micronucleated and binucleated) and cytotoxic (karryorhetic and karyolitic) cells were scored and compared with the control group. The control group samples were collected randomly by keeping in view that these workers had not worked in petrol pumps ever. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 200 participants, there were 100(50%) workers and 100(50%) controls. Statistically significant results were observed on the comparison of frequencies of different cell anomalies in subjects compared to controls on the basis of job duration, smoking habits and age (p< 0.05 each). CONCLUSIONS: Pump workers showed higher frequencies of cytogenetic toxicity compared to controls.

Detoxification of photo-catalytically treated 2-chlorophenol: optimization through response surface methodology.

The present study was conducted to degrade and detoxify 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under UV irradiation in the presence of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The treatment efficiency was evaluated on the basis of degradation and cytotoxicity reduction as well as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal. The process variables such as TiO2, pH, UV irradiation time and H2O2 were optimized. Central composite design in combination with response surface methodology was employed to optimize the process variables. A quadratic model was proposed to predict the treatment efficiency and analysis of variance was used to determine the significance of the variables. The correlation between the experimental and predicted degradation was confirmed by the F and P values (<0.05). The coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.99) were high enough to support the validity of developed model. At optimized conditions, up to 92% degradation of 2-CP was achieved with 3.5 × 10-4 s-1 rate constant. Significant reductions in BOD, COD and TOC values were also achieved. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using bioassays and it was observed that UV/TiO2/H2O2 reduced the cytotoxicity considerably. It is concluded that UV/TiO2/H2O2 could possibly be used to detoxify 2-CP in industrial wastewater.

High-performance magnetic chicken bone-based biochar for efficient removal of rhodamine-B dye and tetracycline: competitive sorption analysis.

Magnetic chicken bone-based biochar (MCBB) was successfully prepared and efficiently adsorbed rhodamine-B (RB) dye and tetracycline (TC) in multi-component systems. The magnetisation value, surface area, and pHpzc of the MCBB were found to be 66.5 emu/g, 328 m2/g, and 8.3, respectively. RB has higher saturation capacity (96.5 mg/g) and occupies more active sites on MCBB, thus limiting the sorption of TC with lower saturation capacity (63.3 mg/g). Langmuir isotherm suitably describes the sorption process in a single-component system; however, the multi-component system was well fitted to the Sheindorf-Rebhun-Sheintuch model. The selectivity factor values confirmed that MCBB had higher adsorption affinity toward RB than TC. The intraparticle diffusion model played a significant role in the sorption process. The MCBB can be easily desorbed with base-spiked H2O and reused without loss in stability or structural integrity.

Muscilage characterization, biochemical and enzymatic activities of laser irradiated Lagenaria siceraria seedlings.

Laser stimulation effect on L. siceraria seed mucilage, biochemicals and enzymatic activities during early growth stages were investigated. The laser density power of 1mW/cm2 for 3 and 5min treatments were performed and various responses i.e., seedlings mucilage, biochemical and enzymatic activities were studied. Laser treatment of L. siceraria seeds enhanced the biochemical as well as the enzymatic activities. TPC (total phenolic contents),TFC (total flavonoids contents), TSS (total soluble sugar), reducing sugar, proline contents, total soluble protein and nitrogen contents were recorded higher in laser treated groups versus control. Mucilage from L. siceraria seed coat was also characterized. The pre-sowing seeds were treated with laser radiation for 3 and 5min. TPC, TFC, proline contents, total soluble protein and nitrogenous compounds contents, ascorbic acid contents were recorded higher at 3min. The laser irradiation effect on TSS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) was insignificant versus control. The SOD (superoxide dismutase) and POD (peroxidase), AMY (amylase), CAT (catalase) activities were recorded higher for 5min laser treatment. Results revealed that He-Ne continuous wave-laser pre-sowing seed irradiation affected the seed coat mucilage, biochemical and enzymatic activities positively and this treatment could possibly be used to enhance the L. siceraria productivity. Future study will be focused on growth at later stages and yield characteristics of L. siceraria.

Reduction of reactive red 241 by oxygen insensitive azoreductase purified from a novel strain Staphylococcus KU898286.

An oxygen insensitive azoreductase was purified from a novel bacterial strain (Staphylococcus sp. KU898286) that was isolated from an abandoned site of the textile waste discharge unit. The isolated enzyme had efficiently cleaved the azo-bonds through reductive transformation under aerobic conditions. Initial phenotypic characterization and final construction of phylogenetic tree on the basis of 16s rDNA demonstrated 99% resemblance of the isolate to Staphylococcus aureus. The purified azoreductase was found to have a broad spectrum activity that reduced RR241 at a concentration of 50mg/L with pH between 6-8 and 30°C temperature). Besides, the reactive red 241 (RR241) was reduced at extracellular level as well as NADH dependent intracellular level. Complete reduction/ decolourization of RR241 were achieved after 18 hrs of exposure. The final degradation product observed to be 2-nephthol was purified by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the molecular mass was computed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The study revealed a cost effective and eco-friendly approach to degrade the toxic dyes into less toxic products by Staphylococcus sp. KU898286.