Photocatalytic Activity of BaAl2O4 for Water Purification.

Degradation of dyes under natural light sources is one of the most active research areas in basic science for greener technology. In this context, the photocatalytic activity of semiconductors has received massive attention in solving water treatment-related issues as these possess enormous potential for degrading organic impurities. Here, we report that barium aluminate (BaAl2O4, BAO), which has been extensively studied for photoluminescence applications, is found to be a highly potent candidate for photocatalytic activities. We have explored the degradation of dyes (meant for water purification) by using the photocatalytic properties of pure and Dy- and Yb-codoped BAO. Crystal structure, electron microscopy, and Raman analysis of the autocombustion-synthesized pure and codoped BAO samples revealed significant morphological changes such as increased particle size and stabilization of rod-like structures. UV-vis absorbance measurements confirm the presence of multiple bandgaps in the BAO samples, which is substantiated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Photocatalytic degradation studies of methylene blue (MB) dye (with different catalyst concentrations, dopings, and MB dye concentrations) have been carried out by using BAO. The kinetics of the photocatalytic degradation measurements has been explained by the Boltzmann distribution function, and the fastest (in less than 40 min), with more than 99% degradation of MB impurity, is reported here for the first time in BAO compounds. Synthesized BAO samples show excellent cyclic stability, which is essential for their potential applications in environmental remediation. The trade-off between the enhancement of surface area and increased particle size is considered the key parameter for controlling the photocatalytic performance of the BAO catalyst after Dy and Yb codopings.

Probing of structural, electrical, and dielectric properties of samarium doped composite of barium titanate (Ba0.5Sm0.5TiO3) and cobalt ferrite (Co0.5Sm0.5Fe2O4).

Multiferroic composites exhibit remarkable magnetoelectric (ME) characteristics, offering diverse applications. The study investigated samarium (Sm) doped composites, specifically (1 -x)Ba0.5Sm0.5TiO3-xCo0.5Sm0.5Fe2O4(x= 0.0,0.02,0.04,0.06), formed by combining Sm doped BaTiO3and CoFe2O4using the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a tetragonal structure in Ba0.5Sm0.5TiO3(SmBT) and a cubic spinel secondary phase in Co0.5Sm0.5Fe2O4(SmCF), suggesting uniform distribution of grains. The optical bandgap in SmBT and the composite showed a slight decrease (from 3.14 eV to 3.01 eV) with increasing Sm concentration, as observed in optical studies. The dielectric measurements showed that the dielectric constant of SmBT was higher (ϵ'= 526.3) between 80 Hz and 8 MHz, while the composites had a lower dielectric constant (ϵ'= 438.4) at lower frequencies and the real part of dielectric was fitted by Havriliak-Negami (H-N) model shows that the dielectric curves exhibit a characteristic dispersion pattern known as the cole-cole mode (grains) also confirmed by cole-cole plot. The response exhibited linearity, adhering to the universal dielectric response model. Ferroelectric behaviour in the underlying material confirms SmBT non-centrosymmetric character and the storage efficiency (η) of all composites surpassed 90%, reaching a peak of 94.8% with a ferrite content of 0.02. The versatility of the Sm-doped composites offers opportunities for diverse applications in fields such as electronics, telecommunications, and biomedical devices. Notably, these materials can be utilized in Memory Devices, Actuators, and other relevant applications.

Root-Knot Disease Suppression in Eggplant Based on Three Growth Ages of Ganoderma lucidum.

This investigation presents a novel finding showing the effect of culture filtrates (CFs) of macrofungi, Ganoderma lucidum, against Meloidogyne incognita evaluated in vitro and in planta. To determine the nematicidal activity, juveniles of M. incognita were exposed to Ganoderma CFs of three different ages (Two, four and eight weeks old) of pileus and stipe at different concentrations, i.e., 100%, 50%, 10% and 1% for different time intervals (12, 24, 48 and 72 h). Ganoderma species were examined morphologically based on external appearance and analytically using SEM. The ethanolic samples of basidiocarp were prepared and analyzed for in vitro nematicidal assay and different bioactive compounds. The in vitro experiment results revealed that among all three ages of pileus and stipe, two-week-old pileus and stipe exhibited great nematotoxic potency and caused 83.8% and 73.8% juveniles' mortality at 100% concentration after 72 h of exposure time, respectively. Similarly, the two-week-old pileus and stipe showed the highest egg hatching inhibition of 89.2% and 81.0% at the 100% concentration after five days. The eight-week-old pileus and stipe were not more effective than the two- and four-week-old pileus and stipe. The metabolites were characterized using GC-MS, including sugar alcohol, steroids, silanes, glucosides, pyrones, ester, oleic acid, phthalic acid, linoleic acid, palmitates and ketones. The in planta study conducted in the greenhouse demonstrated that the root dip treatment for 30 min with Ganoderma CFs curtailed the infection level of M. incognita and promoted the eggplant plant growth. The maximum percent increase in plant length, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, total chlorophyll, carotenoids and yield/plant was obtained at 100% conc. of fungus CFs, whereas a reduction was observed in nematode infestation parameters. It was concluded from the study that Ganoderma CFs can be explored as an effective and eco-friendly antinemic biocontrol agent in fields infected with root-knot nematodes.

Nemato-toxic analysis of several chopped plant leaves against Meloidogyne incognita affecting tomato In vitro and In pots.

Tomato plant is affected by several pathogens, including root-knot nematodes (RKNs), belonging to the genus Meloidogyne. Meloidogyne incognita is among the most potent pests infecting tomato roots. Therefore, it is of interest to discuss the management of Meloidogyne incognita using selected botanicals such as Cammelina benghalensis, Evolvulus nummularius, Gomphrena celosioides, Lindenbergia indica, Scoparia dulcis and Vernonia cinerea. The second-stage juveniles (J2s) of M. incognita were directly treated with the aqueous extracts of the botanicals at varied concentration ranging from 10-100%. 100% concentration of Lindenbergia indica was found to be the most toxic against the survival of J2s of M. incognita as compared to other concentrations. In vitro tests also showed the maximum inhibition in egg hatching at 100% concentration after seven days in the extract of Lindenbergia indica. Moreover, botanicals significantly reduced the infestations in relation to number of root galls, eggmasses/root and nematode population/250 g soil in pots. The plant treated with Scoparia dulcis leaves showed the highest nematicidal efficacy with maximum reductions in all the pathological parameters as compared to the untreated control. All treatments resulted in increased growth, physiological parameters and decreased pathological parameters of tomato.

A clinical perspective on mucoadhesive buccal drug delivery systems.

Mucoadhesion can be defined as a state in which two components, of which one is of biological origin, are held together for extended periods of time by the help of interfacial forces. Among the various transmucosal routes, buccal mucosa has excellent accessibility and relatively immobile mucosa, hence suitable for administration of retentive dosage form. The objective of this paper is to review the works done so far in the field of mucoadhesive buccal drug delivery systems (MBDDS), with a clinical perspective. Starting with a brief introduction of the mucoadhesive drug delivery systems, oral mucosa, and the theories of mucoadhesion, this article then proceeds to cover the works done so far in the field of MBDDS, categorizing them on the basis of ailments they are meant to cure. Additionally, we focus on the various patents, recent advancements, and challenges as well as the future prospects for mucoadhesive buccal drug delivery systems.

A simple HPLC-DAD method for the detection and quantification of psychotropic mitragynine in Mitragyna speciosa (ketum) and its products for the application in forensic investigation.

Mitragyna speciosa, a native plant of Thailand and Malaysia known as 'ketum', is a plant of considerable interest. It exhibits strong antinociceptive effect and yet, acts like a psychostimulant. Due to the affordability and its ease of availability, the abuse of this plant as a substitute for other banned narcotics has become a major concern in many societies. In countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Australia and Malaysia, the use of ketum is illegal. However, for a person to be charged for possessing or selling ketum, a reliable analytical method is needed in order to detect and identify the plant and its products. Mitragynine is the major alkaloid of ketum. This compound manifests its antinociceptive effects by acting on the opioid receptors. Since M. speciosa contain large quantity of mitragynine and it is exclusive to the species, the present analytical method is developed and validated for the purpose of screening ketum products based on this unique compound as the analytical marker. The method uses a HPLC-DAD system with Inertsil C8 (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 µm) as the column and a mixture of acetonitrile and formic acid, 50:50 (v/v), as the mobile phase. This method not only detects mitragynine, it can also be used to quantify the amount of mitragynine in the sample. The limit of detection is 0.25 µg/ml, while the limit of quantification is 0.50 µg/ml. The method is quick, simple and reliable with an accuracy of 97.27-101.74% and coefficient of variations of between 0.91 and 3.96%. The method has been tested and found suitable for the identification and quantification of mitragynine in dried plants, a variety of ketum extracts, as well as ketum drink obtained from the market.

In vitro and in vivo effects of three different Mitragyna speciosa korth leaf extracts on phase II drug metabolizing enzymes--glutathione transferases (GSTs).

In the present study, we investigate the effects of three different Mitragyna speciosa extracts, namely methanolic, aqueous and total alkaloid extracts, on glutathione transferase-specific activity in male Sprague Dawley rat liver cytosol in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro study, the effect of Mitragyna speciosa extracts (0.01 to 750 microg/mL) against the specific activity of glutathione transferases was examined in rat liver cytosolic fraction from untreated rats. Our data show concentration dependent inhibition of cytosolic GSTs when Mitragyna speciosa extract was added into the reaction mixture. At the highest concentration used, the methanolic extract showed the highest GSTs specific activity inhibition (61%), followed by aqueous (50%) and total alkaloid extract (43%), respectively. In in vivo study, three different dosages; 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for methanolic and aqueous extracts and 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg for total alkaloid extract were given orally for 14 days. An increase in GST specific activity was generally observed. However, only Mitragyna speciosa aqueous extract with a dosage of 100 mg/kg showed significant results: 129% compared to control.