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Volume 13
Issue 11
10.3390/pr13113397
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Aristolochic Acid I Adsorption onto Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies

by
Maria-Alexandra Pricop
1,2,
Adina Negrea
1,
Mihaela Ciopec
1,
Ioan Bogdan Pascu
3,*,
Camelia Oprean
2,4,5,
Alexandra Teodora Lukinich-Gruia
2,*,
Iustina-Mirabela Cristea
2,
Alexandra Ivan
2,6,
Virgil Păunescu
2,6 and
Călin Adrian Tatu
2,6
1
Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnologies and Environmental Protection, Politehnica University Timisoara, Victoriei Square, no. 2, 300006 Timişoara, Romania
2
OncoGen Centre, Clinical County Hospital “Pius Branzeu”, Blvd. Liviu Rebreanu 156, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
3
Renewable Energy Research Institute—ICER, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 138 Gavril Musicescu Street, 300501 Timisoara, Romania
4
Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timișoara, E. Murgu Sq., no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
5
Center for Drug Data Analysis, Cheminformatics and the Internet of Medical Things, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, E. Murgu Sq., no. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
6
Department of Functional Sciences, Center of Immuno-Physiology (CIFBIOTEH), University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Eftimie Murgu Sq. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Processes 2025, 13(11), 3397; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113397
Submission received: 15 September 2025 / Revised: 19 October 2025 / Accepted: 20 October 2025 / Published: 23 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical and Chemical Removal of Recalcitrant Pollutants Using Novel Solids: Nanomaterials, Biochar, and Waste-Derived Biomaterials)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The removal of phytotoxins from herbal preparations is important due to evidence linking exposure to aristolochic acid I (AAI), a toxin found in Aristolochiaceae species, with certain kidney diseases. This study evaluates the effectiveness of activated carbon (AC) in removing AAI from aqueous solutions and determines the optimal conditions for the process, which are necessary for accurate kinetic, thermodynamic, and equilibrium analyses. After establishing the best conditions for the adsorption reaction (pH > 6; solid/liquid ratio (S:L) = 0.1 g adsorbent: 25 mL AAI solution; contact time 120 min; temperature = 298 K, AAI initial concentration (Ci) = 150 mg/L), a maximum adsorption capacity of 10.67 mg/g was obtained. Quantitative analysis of AAI was performed using UV-VIS spectrophotometry. Experiments on kinetics, thermodynamics, and adsorption isotherms were carried out. The findings showed that the process adheres to pseudo-second-order kinetics and is spontaneous and endothermic and takes place at the interface between the adsorbent and adsorbate. The equilibrium data fits the Sips isotherm model with a regression coefficient close to 1. The findings indicate that AC is an effective material for the removal of AAI by adsorption from an aqueous solution.
Keywords: aristolochic acid I; phytotoxin; activated charcoal removal; kinetic studies; thermodynamic; equilibrium studies aristolochic acid I; phytotoxin; activated charcoal removal; kinetic studies; thermodynamic; equilibrium studies

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pricop, M.-A.; Negrea, A.; Ciopec, M.; Pascu, I.B.; Oprean, C.; Lukinich-Gruia, A.T.; Cristea, I.-M.; Ivan, A.; Păunescu, V.; Tatu, C.A. Aristolochic Acid I Adsorption onto Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies. Processes 2025, 13, 3397. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113397

AMA Style

Pricop M-A, Negrea A, Ciopec M, Pascu IB, Oprean C, Lukinich-Gruia AT, Cristea I-M, Ivan A, Păunescu V, Tatu CA. Aristolochic Acid I Adsorption onto Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies. Processes. 2025; 13(11):3397. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113397

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pricop, Maria-Alexandra, Adina Negrea, Mihaela Ciopec, Ioan Bogdan Pascu, Camelia Oprean, Alexandra Teodora Lukinich-Gruia, Iustina-Mirabela Cristea, Alexandra Ivan, Virgil Păunescu, and Călin Adrian Tatu. 2025. "Aristolochic Acid I Adsorption onto Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies" Processes 13, no. 11: 3397. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113397

APA Style

Pricop, M.-A., Negrea, A., Ciopec, M., Pascu, I. B., Oprean, C., Lukinich-Gruia, A. T., Cristea, I.-M., Ivan, A., Păunescu, V., & Tatu, C. A. (2025). Aristolochic Acid I Adsorption onto Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies. Processes, 13(11), 3397. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113397

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