Search Results (15)

Worldwide, environmental pollution is a major contributor to illness and mortality, encompassing toxic elements, air pollutants, agricultural pesticides, and contaminated food and water. In patients with end-stage kidney disease, several factors—including impaired renal excretion, the degree of renal impairment, medication use, dialysate contamination, the quality of dialysis water, and metabolic changes—may lead to the accumulation of toxic elements in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to assess toxic element levels in adults undergoing hemodialysis compared to a control group and to investigate the correlation between parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, uremic pruritus, anemia and toxic element concentrations. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 adult patients undergoing regular hemodialysis for at least three months. Another group of 60 apparently healthy adult voluntaries with matched age and sex with the patient group served as the control. The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was used to measure the concentrations of serum levels of aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As) for both groups, as well as in drinking water and dialysate water. The hemodialysis group exhibited significantly higher levels of Al, Pb, Cd, Cr, and As compared to the control group. Serum Pb levels showed a significant negative correlation with PTH, while serum ferritin levels were negatively correlated with Cr. However, no significant correlation was found between toxic element levels and uremic pruritus or anemia. Toxic element concentrations in dialysis and drinking water samples were within acceptable limits and below the detection threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/American National Standards Institute (AAMI/ANSI). Therefore, elevated toxic element levels in hemodialysis patients may not be primarily attributable to drinking water or dialysis. Full article

Due to the lack of UV-protective properties for cotton textiles and the potential of cotton textiles to cause microbes to their users, we synthesized benzimidazole Schiff base derivative (BZI) namely N-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)methanimine and their V(III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) complexes as UV protection and antimicrobial agents for cotton textile. Several techniques investigated these compounds: ¹H, ¹³C NMR, IR, UV–Vis, elemental analysis, DTA, and TGA. The Schiff base ligand behaved as a bidentate ligand. The prepared ligand and its complexes are used to treat the cotton fabrics (CFs) by immersing the fabric in the solution of the samples under ultrasonic. The treated cotton fabrics were investigated using IR and SEM-EDX analysis. The UPF values of the treated cotton fabric were obtained. The results showed that the cotton fabric treated with Fe(III) and Cu(II) complexes had excellent UV protection with UPF values of 50+. The disc diffusion method evaluated the treated cotton fabric’s antimicrobial activity. The antifungal activities of the treated CFs demonstrated that the Co(II)-BZI-CF was active on C. albicans with an inhibition zone of 12 mm, while the other samples were inactive on C. albicans and A. flavus. The V(III)-BZI-CF and Fe(III)-BZI-CF had no activity against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria while the other samples gave an inhibition zone of between 10 to 17 mm. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on either UV protection or antimicrobial properties of metal complexes separately, this research integrates both functionalities by synthesizing benzimidazole Schiff base metal complexes and applying them to cotton textiles, demonstrating enhanced UV protection and selective antimicrobial activity. Full article

This research presents a green approach to synthesizing zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) nanoparticles using an Asphodelus fistulosus plant extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles were characterized using various advanced techniques. The XRD pattern provides different forms of ZrO₂, like tetragonal and cubic forms, and the results confirmed the successful formation of crystalline ZrO₂ nanoparticles with a definite morphology. The XPS data exhibit that the bioactive chemicals present in the extract, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and reducing sugars, perform the functions of reducing and capping agents. Additionally, CR dye molecules may create hydrogen bonds with these surface moieties, which are approved by FTIR. These interactions may assist in aligning dye molecules with catalytically active regions on ZrO₂ surfaces and may interact with photogenerated species. The catalytic activity of the synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles was evaluated for the degradation of Congo red dye under ultraviolet irradiation. The nanoparticles exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity, degrading a significant amount of the dye within a short period. Various parameters were investigated to optimize the photodegradation process, including irradiation time, catalyst dosage, pH, and initial dye concentration. The optimal conditions were determined to be a pH of 7, a catalyst loading of 20 mg/L, and an irradiation time of 75 min, resulting in a remarkable ≈92% degradation efficiency. This green synthesis method offers a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods for producing ZrO₂ nanoparticles, which have potential applications in environmental remediation. Full article

In the current work, chloro(meso-tetrakis(phenyl)porphyrin) manganese(III) [Mn(TPP)Cl] was synthesized following two steps: the preparation of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (H_⁠2TPP) and the insertion of manganese into the free porphyrin H₂TPP. The compounds were characterized using SEM, FT-IR, UV, TGA/DTA, and XRD analyses. Manganese(III) meso-porphyrins exhibited hyper-type electronic spectra with a half-vacant metal orbital with symmetry, such as [dπ:dxz and dyz]. The thermal behavior of [Mn(TPP)(Cl)] changed (three-step degradation process) compared to the initial H₂TPP (one-step degradation process), confirming the insertion of manganese into the core of the free porphyrin H₂TPP. Furthermore, [Mn(TPP)Cl] was used to degrade calmagite (an azo dye) using H₂O₂ as an oxidant. The effects of dye concentration, reaction time, H₂O₂ dose, and temperature were investigated. The azo dye solution was completely degraded in the presence of [Mn(TPP)(Cl)]/H₂O₂ at pH = 6, temperature = 20 °C, C₀ = 30 mg/L, and H₂O₂ = 40 mL/L. The computed low activation energy (Ea = 10.55 Kj/mol) demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed catalytic system for the azo dye degradation. Overall, based on the synthesis process and the excellent catalytic results, the prepared [Mn(TPP)Cl] could be used as an effective catalyst for the treatment of calmagite-contaminated effluents. Full article

This study focuses on the biosorption of harmful metals from aqueous solutions using Enteromorpha compressa macroalgal biomass nanoparticles as the biosorbent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were employed to characterize the biosorbent. The effects of pH, initial metal ion concentration, biosorbent dosage, and contact time on the biosorption process were investigated. The maximum biosorption capacity for metals was observed at a pH of 5.0. The experimental equilibrium data were analyzed using three-parameter isotherm models, namely Freundlich, Temkin, and Langmuir equations, which provided better fits for the equilibrium data. A contact time of approximately 120 min was required to achieve biosorption equilibrium for various initial metal concentrations. Cr(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) demonstrated distinct maximum biosorption capacities of 24.99375 mg/g, 25.06894 mg/g, 24.55796 mg/g, 24.97502 mg/g, and 25.3936 mg/g, respectively. Different kinetic models were applied to fit the kinetic data, including intraparticle diffusion, pseudo-second-order, and pseudo-first-order versions. The pseudo-second-order model showed good agreement with the experimental results, indicating its suitability for describing the kinetics of the biosorption process. Based on these findings, it can be stated that E. compressa nanoparticle demonstrates potential as an effective biosorbent for removing targeted metals from water. Full article

Isoxazolidine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and characterized using different spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis and then evaluated for their ability to inhibit both α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes to treat diabetes. All synthesized derivatives demonstrated a varying range of activity, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 53.03 ± 0.106 to 232.8 ± 0.517 μM (α-amylase) and from 94.33 ± 0.282 to 258.7 ± 0.521 μM (α-glucosidase), revealing their high potency compared to the reference drug, acarbose (IC₅₀ = 296.6 ± 0.825 µM and 780.4 ± 0.346 µM), respectively. Specifically, in vitro results revealed that compound 5d achieved the most inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values of 5.59-fold and 8.27-fold, respectively, toward both enzymes, followed by 5b. Kinetic studies revealed that compound 5d inhibits both enzymes in a competitive mode. Based on the structure–activity relationship (SAR) study, it was concluded that various substitution patterns of the substituent(s) influenced the inhibitory activities of both enzymes. The server pkCSM was used to predict the pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties for 5d, which afforded good oral bioavailability. Additionally, compound 5d was subjected to molecular docking to gain insights into its binding mode interactions with the target enzymes. Moreover, via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis, it maintained stability throughout 100 ns. This suggests that 5d possesses the potential to simultaneously target both enzymes effectively, making it advantageous for the development of antidiabetic medications. Full article

The present study examined the migration of elements from aluminum cooking pots to foods after the cooking process. This study investigated the impact of pot quality (manufacturer), pot type (traditional or pressure cooker), water supply (tap water/mineral water), food acidity, salt, spices, temperature, and cooking time on the migration of elements into cooked food. The cooking experiments were conducted to simulate the actual cooking conditions. Standard food simulant B, with 3% (w/v) acetic acid, was used in subsequent cooking trials to confirm the results. Three methods were employed to analyze the elements in the food: ICP-MS, EDS-SEM, and XPS. The cooking pots used in this investigation were examined using a Spectromaxx metal analyzer to characterize their chemical composition. The concentration of aluminum in cooked food samples increased significantly when using an aluminum pressure cooker. Food acidity, cooking duration, and the type of aluminum pot (traditional/pressure cookers) all affected the concentration of elements that migrated into the food. The aluminum level increased from 80.17 to 133.7 µg/g when tomato sauce was added to the food. Increasing the heating time resulted in an increased aluminum content (157.9 µg/g) in the cooked food. Aluminum pressure cookers exhibited the highest amount of aluminum migration into the food. Foods cooked in a pressure cooker made by manufacturer (3) contained the highest aluminum content (252.7 µg/g), which increased the risk of exceeding the daily intake limit of aluminum. The prepared food samples under all conditions showed a safe health profile for daily intake of all elements (Fe, As, Cd, and Pb), except for Al, which exceeded the daily intake limit when using pressure cookers for extended cooking times. The results of element migration into food simulants were consistent with those of food samples. The results confirmed that SEM-EDS and XPS techniques are not suitable for quantifying the elements that migrated into food samples due to their detection limits. Full article

A series of novel enantiopure isoxazolidine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activities against three human cancer cell lines such as human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), human lung adenocarcinoma (A-549), and human ovarian carcinoma (SKOV3) by employing MTT assay. The synthesized compounds were characterized by NMR and elemental analysis. Results revealed that all the synthesized compounds displayed significant inhibition towards the tested cell lines. Among them, 2g and 2f, which differ only by the presence of an ester group at the C-3 position and small EDG (methyl) at the C-5 position of the phenyl ring (2g), were the most active derivatives in attenuating the growth of the three cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ for 2g were 17.7 ± 1 µM (MCF-7), 12.1 ± 1.1 µM (A-549), and 13.9 ± 0.7 µM (SKOV3), and for 2f were 9.7 ± 1.3µM (MCF-7), 9.7 ± 0.7µM (A-549), and 6.5 ± 0.9µM (SKOV3), respectively, which were comparable to the standard drug, doxorubicin. The enzymatic inhibition of 2f and 2g against EGFR afforded good inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ of 0.298 ± 0.007 μM and 0.484 ± 0.01 µM, respectively, close to the positive control, Afatinib. Compound 2f arrested the cell cycle in the S phase in MCF-7 and SKOV3 cells, and in the G2/M phase in the A549 cell; however, 2g induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and inhibited the progression of the three cancer cells, together with significant apoptotic effects. The docking study of compounds 2f and 2g into EGFR ATP-active site revealed that it fits nicely with good binding affinity. The pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness scores revealed notable lead-like properties. At 100 ns, the dynamic simulation investigation revealed high conformational stability in the EGFR binding cavity. Full article

This work investigates the prospective usage of dried date palm residues for eosin Y and eosin B (ES-Y and ES-B) dye removal from an aqueous solution. A green synthesis route is utilized to prepare carbon nanofibers (CNFs) from date palm residues. We study the characteristics of carbon nanomaterials based on their composition and morphology. The characterization includes different types of instruments such as a Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Batch mode experimentations are conducted and studied utilizing various significant factors such as the dose of the adsorbent, solution pH, contact time, and the initial quantity of eosin molecules as a pollutant. The dye adsorption capability improves with an increasing adsorbent dose of up to 40 mg of CNFs. The adsorption of dyes onto CNFs achieves equilibrium in around 60 h, whereas the optimal starting dye concentration in this study is 50 ppm. Further, to study the under-investigated toxic molecules’ adsorption process mechanism on the nanomaterials’ active sites, we introduce kinetic models involving pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and models based on intra-particle diffusion. Langmuir and Freundlich’s isotherms are considered to study the equilibrium isotherms, and the Langmuir isotherm model deals considerably with the attained experimentation results. Full article

This research examined the production of a V₂O₅-g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite to remove organic dyes from wastewater. To generate the V₂O₅-g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite, the sonication method was applied. The testing of V₂O₅-g-C₃N₄ with various dyes (basic fuchsin (BF), malachite green (MG), crystal violet (CV), Congo red (CR), and methyl orange (MO)) revealed that the nanocomposite has a high adsorption ability towards BF, MG, CV, and CR dyes in comparison with MO dye. It was established that the modification of pH influenced the removal of CV by the V₂O₅-g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite and that under optimal operating conditions, efficiency of 664.65 mg g⁻¹ could be attained. The best models for CV adsorption onto the V₂O₅-g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite were found to be those based on pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm. According to the FTIR analysis results, the CV adsorption mechanism was connected to π–π interactions and the hydrogen bond. Full article

Throughout this research, a unique optical sensor for detecting one of the most dangerous heavy metal ions, Cu(II), was designed and developed. The (4-mercaptophenyl) iminomethylphenyl naphthalenyl carbamate (MNC) sensor probe was effectively prepared. The Schiff base of the sensor shows a “turn-off” state with excellent sensitivity to Cu(II) ions. This innovative fluorescent chemosensor possesses distinctive optical features with a substantial Stocks shift (about 114 nm). In addition, MNC has remarkable selectivity for Cu(II) relative to other cations. Density functional theory (DFT) and the time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) theoretical calculations were performed to examine Cu(II) chelation structures and associated electronic properties in solution, and the results indicate that the luminescence quenching in this complex is due to ICT. Chelation-quenched fluorescence is responsible for the internal charge transfer (ICT)-based selectivity of the MNC sensing molecule for Cu(II) ions. In a 1:9 (v/v) DMSO-HEPES buffer (20 mM, pH = 7.4) solution, Fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption of the MNC probe and Cu(II) ions were investigated. By utilizing a solution containing several metal ions, the interference of other metal ions was studied. This MNC molecule has outstanding selectivity and sensitivity, as well as a low LOD (1.45 nM). Consequently, these distinctive properties enable it to find the copper metal ions across an actual narrow dynamic range (0–1.2 M Cu(II)). The reversibility of the sensor was obtained by employing an EDTA as a powerful chelating agent. Full article

A novel series of benzimidazole ureas 3a–h were elaborated using 2-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl) aniline 1 and the appropriate isocyanates 2a–h. The antioxidant and possible antidiabetic activities of the target benzimidazole-ureas 3a–h were evaluated. Almost all compounds 3a–h displayed strong to moderate antioxidant activities. When tested using the three antioxidant techniques, TAC, FRAP, and MCA, compounds 3b and 3c exhibited marked activity. The most active antioxidant compound in this family was compound 3g, which had excellent activity using four different methods: TAC, FRAP, DPPH-SA, and MCA. In vitro antidiabetic assays against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes revealed that the majority of the compounds tested had good to moderate activity. The most favorable results were obtained with compounds 3c, 3e, and 3g, and analysis revealed that compounds 3c (IC₅₀ = 18.65 ± 0.23 μM), 3e (IC₅₀ = 20.7 ± 0.06 μM), and 3g (IC₅₀ = 22.33 ± 0.12 μM) had good α-amylase inhibitory potential comparable to standard acarbose (IC₅₀ = 14.21 ± 0.06 μM). Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of 3c (IC₅₀ = 17.47 ± 0.03 μM), 3e (IC₅₀ = 21.97 ± 0.19 μM), and 3g (IC₅₀ = 23.01 ± 0.12 μM) on α-glucosidase was also comparable to acarbose (IC₅₀ = 15.41 ± 0.32 μM). According to in silico molecular docking studies, compounds 3a–h had considerable affinity for the active sites of human lysosomal acid α-glucosidase (HLAG) and pancreatic α-amylase (HPA), indicating that the majority of the examined compounds had potential anti-hyperglycemic action. Full article

Cleaning contaminated water under light with a novel type of heterogeneous photocatalysts is regarded as a critical method for wastewater resolution. Thus, a unique mesoporous Ru-ZnO@g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite with an increased surface area was synthesized through the ultrasonic technique in the presence of methanol. The X-ray diffraction pattern efficiently validated the crystal structure of the Ru-ZnO hybrid and allowed it to be integrated into the g-C₃N₄ structure. TEM imaging revealed the Ru-ZnO nanocomposite as spherical particles spread uniformly throughout the g-C₃N₄ nanosheet. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was applied to determine the bonding properties of the samples. Under visible illumination, the synthesized nanocomposites of Ru-ZnO@g-C₃N₄ were evaluated as a new effective photocatalyst for degrading organic pigments in aquatic conditions. Full article

This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of RB dye by V₂O₅@g-C₃N₄ nano-catalysts. The sonication method was utilized to create V₂O₅@g-C₃N₄ nano-catalysts. V₂O₅@g-C₃N₄ nano-catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution electron microscopy (TEM), BET-surface area analyzer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet spectroscopy. In the meantime, the photocatalytic activity, pH, and photocatalyst dosage are investigated in depth to account for RB dye decolorization. The rate constant for RB dye photodegradation was 0.0517 (min⁻¹) and the decolorization rate was 93.4%. The degrading efficiency of RB dye by V₂O₅@g-C₃N₄ nanocatalysts is consistent with pseudo-first-order kinetics. The results of this study demonstrated that V₂O₅@g-C₃N₄ nanocatalysts are particularly effective at destroying dyes in water. Full article

This report investigates the elimination of hazardous Rhodamine B dye (RhB) from an aqueous medium utilizing MgTiO₃@g-C₃N₄ nanohybrids manufactured using a facile method. The nanohybrid MgTiO₃@g-C₃N₄ was generated using an ultrasonic approach in the alcoholic solvent. Various techniques, including HRTEM, EDX, XRD, BET, and FTIR, were employed to describe the fabricated MgTiO3@g-C3N4 nanohybrids. RhB elimination was investigated utilizing batch mode studies, and the maximum removal was attained at pH 7.0. The RhB adsorption process is more consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model. The highest adsorption capacity of MgTiO₃@g-C₃N₄ nanohybrids for RhB was determined to be 232 mg/g. The dye adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model, and the parameters calculated indicated that the kinetic adsorption process was spontaneous. Using ethanol and water, the reusability of the nanomaterial was investigated, and based on the results; it can be concluded that the MgTiO₃@g-C₃N₄ nanohybrids are easily regenerated for dye removal. The removal mechanism for the removal of RhB dye into MgTiO₃@g-C₃N₄ nanohybrids was also investigated. Full article