ALBERT

Description: The naturopathic treatment of obesity is a matter of keen interest to develop efficient natural pharmacological routes for disease management with low or negligible toxicity and side effects. For this purpose, optimized ultrasonicated hydroethanolic extracts of Taraxacum officinale were evaluated for antiobesity attributes. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method was adopted to evaluate antioxidant potential. Porcine pancreatic lipase inhibitory assay was conducted to assess the in vitro antiobesity property. Ultra-high performance chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometer was utilized to profile the secondary metabolites in the most potent extract. The 60% ethanolic extract exhibited highest extract yield (25.05 ± 0.07%), total phenolic contents (123.42 ± 0.007 mg GAE/g DE), total flavonoid contents (55.81 ± 0.004 RE/g DE), DPPH-radical-scavenging activity (IC50 = 81.05 ± 0.96 µg/mL) and pancreatic lipase inhibitory properties (IC50 = 146.49 ± 4.24 µg/mL). The targeted metabolite fingerprinting highlighted the presence of high-value secondary metabolites. Molecular-binding energies computed by docking tool revealed the possible contribution towards pancreatic lipase inhibitory properties of secondary metabolites including myricetin, isomangiferin, icariside B4, kaempferol and luteolin derivatives when compared to the standard drug orlistat. In vivo investigations revealed a positive impact on the lipid profile and obesity biomarkers of obese mice. The study presents Taraxacum officinale as a potent source of functional bioactive ingredients to impart new insights into the existing pool of knowledge of naturopathic approaches towards obesity management.

Description: Biodiesel has emerged as one of the most attractive alternative energy sources to meet the growing needs of energy. Many approaches have been adopted for biodiesel synthesis. In the present work, biodiesel was produced from non-edible Eruca sativa oil using nano-biocatalyst-catalysed transesterification. Nano-biocatalyst (CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase) was developed via the immobilization of lipase on polydopamine coated ceria nanorods, and CeO2 nanorods were developed via a hydrothermal process. The mean diameter of nanorods were measured to be 50–60 nm, while their mean length was 150–200 nm. Lipase activity before and after immobilization was measured to be 18.32 and 16.90 U/mg/min, respectively. The immobilized lipase depicted high stability at high temperature and pH. CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase-catalysed transesterification resulted in 89.3% yield of the product. Process optimization through response surface methodology was also executed, and it was depicted that the optimum/maximum E. sativa oil-based biodiesel yield was procured at conditions of 10% CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase, 6:1 methanol/oil ratio, 0.6% water content, 35 °C reaction temperature, and 30 h reaction time. The fuel compatibility of synthesized biodiesel was confirmed via the estimation of fuel properties that were in agreement with the ASTM D standard. The nanorods and dopamine-modified nanorods were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), while conversion of E. sativa oil to biodiesel was confirmed by GC/MS and FTIR spectroscopy. Conclusively, it was revealed that CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase has potential to be employed as an emphatic nano-biocatalyst.

Description: Biodiesel is gaining acceptance as an alternative fuel in a scenario where fossil fuel reserves are being depleted rapidly. Therefore, it is considered as the fuel of the future due to its sustainability, renewable nature and environment friendly attributes. The optimal yield of biodiesel from cheap feed stock oils is a challenge to add cost effectiveness without compromising the fuel quality. In the current experiment, waste chicken fat oil was taken as the feedstock oil to produce biodiesel through the chemical and enzymatic route of transesterification. The process of chemical transesterification was performed using KOH and sodium methoxide, while enzymatic transesterification was done by using free Aspergillus terreus lipase and Aspergillus terreus lipase immobilized on functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4_PDA_Lipase) as biocatalysts. The physico-chemical properties of the understudy feedstock oil were analyzed to check the feasibility as a feedstock for the biodiesel synthesis. The feedstock oil was found suitable for biodiesel production based upon quality assessment. Optimization of various reaction parameters (the temperature and time of reaction, catalyst concentration and methanol-to-oil mole ratio) was performed based on the response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum yield of biodiesel (90.6%) was obtained from waste chicken fat oil by using Fe3O4_PDA_Lipase as an immobilized nano-biocatalyst. Moreover, the above said optimum yield was obtained when transesterification was done using 6% Fe3O4_PDA_Lipase with a methanol-to-oil ratio of 6:1 at 42 °C for 36 h. Biodiesel production was monitored by FTIR spectroscopic analysis, whereas compositional profiling was done by GC–MS. The measured fuel properties—cloud point, pour point, flash point, fire point and kinematic viscosity—met the biodiesel specifications by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Description: Algae are emerging as a major and reliable source of renewable biodiesel that could meet the energy requirements of the world. Like plants, algae produce and store oils in their cells. Algal samples were collected from Gujrat District, Pakistan, their oil content was analyzed, and the best oil producing alga was identified as Spirogyra crassa. After collecting sample, oil was extracted using the Soxhlet extraction method. Spirogyra oil was characterized physico-chemically for the evaluation of its quality. Acid value, density, saponification value, peroxide value, as well as viscosity and iodine values were determined and their values were 16.67 ± 3.53 mg KOH/g, 0.859 ± 0.050 g/cm3, 165.33 ± 13.20 mg KOH/g, 4.633 ± 0.252 meq/kg, 5.63 ± 0.833 mm2/mL, and 117.67 ± 13.01 mg I2/g, respectively. Chemical as well as enzymatic transesterification protocols were employed for biodiesel production using NaOCH3 and NOVOZYME-435, respectively. Different reactions parameters involved in transesterification were optimized by the response surface methodology. The optimized yield of biodiesel (77.3 ± 1.27%) by the chemical transesterification of algal oil (spirogyra) was observed by carrying out the reaction for 90 minutes at a reaction temperature of 45 °C using 1.13% catalyst (NaOCH3) concentration and 6:1 methanol:oil. Meanwhile, for enzymatic transesterification, the optimized yield (93.2 ± 1.27%) was obtained by conducting the reaction for 42.5 h at the temperature of 35 °C using 1% enzyme concentration and 4.5:1 methanol:oil. Fuel properties, including flash point, pour point, cloud point, fire point, kinematic viscosity, and density, were determined and their values are 125.67 ± 2.11 °C, −19.67 ± 0.8 °C, −13 ± 1 °C, 138.667 ± 2.52 °C, 5.87 ± 2.20 mm2/mL, and 0.85 6 ± 0.03 g/cm3, respectively. Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) and Gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis were performed for the monitoring of the transesterification process and fatty acid methyl acid (FAME) profiling, respectively.

Description: The booming demand for energy across the world, especially for petroleum-based fuels, has led to the search for a long-term solution as a perfect source of sustainable energy. Lignocellulosic biomass resolves this obstacle as it is a readily available, inexpensive, and renewable fuel source that fulfills the criteria of sustainability. Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and its components into value-added products maximizes the energy output and promotes the approach of lignocellulosic biorefinery. However, disruption of the recalcitrant structure of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) via pretreatment technologies is costly and power-/heat-consuming. Therefore, devising an effective pretreatment method is a challenge. Likewise, the thermochemical and biological lignocellulosic conversion poses problems of efficiency, operational costs, and energy consumption. The advent of integrated technologies would probably resolve this problem. However, it is yet to be explored how to make it applicable at a commercial scale. This article will concisely review basic concepts of lignocellulosic composition and the routes opted by them to produce bioenergy. Moreover, it will also discuss the pros and cons of the pretreatment and conversion methods of lignocellulosic biomass. This critical analysis will bring to light the solutions for efficient and cost-effective conversion of lignocellulosic biomass that would pave the way for the development of sustainable energy systems.

Description: A series of new glyconanoparticles (GNPs) was obtained by self-assembly by direct nanoprecipitation of a mixture of two carbohydrate amphiphilic copolymers consisting of polystyrene-block-β-cyclodextrin and polystyrene-block-maltoheptaose with different mass ratios, respectively 0–100, 10–90, 50–50 and 0–100%. Characterizations for all these GNPs were achieved using dynamic light scattering, scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques, highlighting their spherical morphology and their nanometric size (diameter range 20–40 nm). In addition, by using the inclusion properties of cyclodextrin, these glyconanoparticles were successfully post-functionalized using a water-soluble redox compound, such as anthraquinone sulfonate (AQS) and characterized by cyclic voltammetry. The resulting glyconanoparticles exhibit the classical electroactivity of free AQS in solution. The amount of AQS immobilized by host–guest interactions is proportional to the percentage of polystyrene-block-β-cyclodextrin entering into the composition of GNPs. The modulation of the surface density of the β-cyclodextrin at the shell of the GNPs may constitute an attractive way for the elaboration of different electroactive GNPs and even GNPs modified by biotinylated proteins.

Description: Zinc (Zn) availability is limited in salt-affected soils due to high soil pH and calcium concentrations causing Zn fixation. The application of synthetic Zn fertilizer is usually discouraged due to the high cost and low Zn use efficiency. However, salt-tolerant Zn-solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) are capable of solubilizing fixed fractions of Zn and improving fertilizer use efficiency. In the current study, a product was formulated by coating urea with bioaugmented zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve wheat productivity under a saline environment. The promising ZSB strain Bacillus sp. AZ6 was used for bioaugmentation on ZnO powder and termed as Bacillus sp. AZ6-augmented ZnO (BAZ). The experiment was conducted in pots by applying urea granules after coating with BAZ, to evaluate its effects on wheat physiology, antioxidant activity, and productivity under saline (100 mM NaCl) and non-saline (0 mM NaCl) conditions. The results revealed that the application of BAZ-coated urea alleviated salt stress through improving the seed germination, plant height, root length, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value, number of tillers and grains, spike length, spike weight, 1000-grain weight, antioxidant activity (APX, GPX, GST, GR, CAT, and SOD), and NPK contents in the straw and grains of the wheat plants. Moreover, it also enhanced the Zn contents in the shoots and grains of wheat by up to 29.1 and 16.5%, respectively, over absolute control, under saline conditions. The relationships and variation among all the studied morpho-physio and biochemical attributes of wheat were also studied by principal component (PC) and correlation analysis. Hence, the application of such potential products may enhance nutrient availability and Zn uptake in wheat under salt stress. Therefore, the current study suggests the application of BAZ-coated urea for enhancing wheat’s physiology, antioxidant system, nutrient efficiency, and productivity effectively and economically.