Separations

To address the challenges posed by extensive sample pretreatment and significant matrix interference in conventional metal quantification methods for cyanobacterial culture media, an automated online metal capture and enrichment system was developed and integrated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This system enabled the simultaneous determination of nine metal elements—Cd, Pb, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn—within the culture medium. Through systematic optimization and validation, the method demonstrated exceptional analytical performance: calibration curves for all analytes exhibited correlation coefficients (r) exceeding 0.999; repeatability tests yielded relative standard deviations (RSD) below 3% (n = 6); and recoveries at low, medium, and high spike levels ranged from 93.98% to 108.70%. The procedure is characterized by simplicity, high automation, low detection limits, and robust accuracy, making it an effective platform for multi-element contamination monitoring and metal metabolic studies in cyanobacterial cultivation. This approach holds significant potential for applications in algal resource utilization and environmental restoration.

Surfactants are chemical compounds present in a large number of products that people use on a daily basis, starting with detergents for washing clothes, dishes, personal hygiene products, etc. Some products also contain certain heavy metals. Their uses cause heavy contamination of wastewater that must be purified before discharge into receivers. Given that some types of surfactants are very persistent and heavy metals are non-biodegradable and toxic even in small concentrations, the purification process requires a complex approach and a combination of different methods. Bioremediation, as an environmentally acceptable and economically clean technology, has great potential. It is based on the use of indigenous microorganisms that have developed different mechanisms for breaking down and removing or detoxifying a large number of pollutants and are excellent candidates for bioremediation of wastewater. Bacteria can degrade surfactants as sole carbon sources and exhibit tolerance to various heavy metals. This paper summarizes the most significant results, highlighting the potential of bacteria for the biodegradation of surfactants and heavy metals, with the aim of drawing attention to their insufficient practical application in wastewater treatment. Bioreactors and microbial fuel cells are described as currently relevant strategies for bioremediation.

In this present study, the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) in increasing the yields of extraction of starch and polyphenols from Canna indica L. (Canna) rhizomes were analyzed, along with its influence on the physiochemical properties of the extracted compounds. Extraction parameters (temperature, time, and solid-to-liquid ratio) were optimized through Box–Behnken response surface design (BBD). The physiochemical and functional properties of starch and polyphenols were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the swelling and solubility index, oil and water absorption index, total polyphenol yield, and antioxidant activity assays (DPPH and ORAC). The starch yield obtained from Canna at the optimum extraction conditions (temperature 40 °C, time 10 min, and solid-to-liquid ratio 1:30 g/mL) was 19.81%. The obtained starch yield was found to be significantly higher than the yield attained through the conventional extraction method without adverse changes in the physicochemical and functional properties. The total polyphenol extraction yield from the Canna rhizome, through UAE, was significantly higher (1061.72 mg GAE/100 g) than that of the conventional method. The antioxidant activity of bioactive compounds was proportional to the attained polyphenol yield. Our results suggest that UAE optimized conditions efficiently and improved Canna starch and polyphenol extraction yields while preserving their functional properties.