Search Results (5,892)

Galls of the Cynipidae, such as the Knopper gall, are abnormal plant outgrowths induced by insect activity. These structures not only protect the developing larvae but also alter the biochemical properties of host plant tissues. In this study, we report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using ethanolic extracts of Quercus robur Knopper galls. AgNPs were synthesized via reduction of AgNO₃ and characterized using ATR-FTIR analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The UV-Vis analysis showed a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 418 nm. A face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure with an average crystallite size of about 12 nm was verified by PXRD patterns. TEM imaging revealed well-dispersed spherical nanoparticles, consistent with the size obtained via PXRD. ATR-FTIR analysis indicated the involvement of polyphenolic and protein-related functional groups in reduction and stabilization. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited strong growth inhibition capacity against B. subtilis and S. aureus, and moderate capacity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. These findings highlight the potential of Knopper gall extract as a sustainable source for the eco-friendly synthesis of biologically active nanoparticles. Full article

Ionic rare earths are extracted from primary sources by the in situ chemical leaching method, where the type and concentration of leaching agents significantly affect the mechanical properties and microstructure of the ore body. In this study, MgSO₄ and Al₂(SO₄)₃ solutions of varying concentrations were used as leaching agents to investigate the evolution of shear strength, the characteristics of Duncan–Chang hyperbolic model parameters, and the changes in microstructural pore characteristics of rare earth samples under different leaching conditions. The results show that the stress–strain curves of all samples consistently exhibit strain-hardening behavior under all leaching conditions, and shear strength is jointly influenced by confining pressure and the chemical interaction between the leaching solution and the soil. The samples leached with MgSO₄ exhibited higher shear strength than those treated with water. The samples leached with 3% and 6% Al₂(SO₄)₃ showed increased strength, while 9% Al₂(SO₄)₃ caused a slight decrease. With increasing leaching agent concentration, the cohesion of the samples significantly declined, whereas the internal friction angle remained relatively stable. The Duncan–Chang model accurately described the nonlinear deformation behavior of the rare earth samples, with the model parameter b markedly decreasing as confining pressure increased, indicating that confining stress plays a dominant role in governing the nonlinear response. Under the coupled effects of chemical leaching and mechanical stress, the number and size distribution of pores of the rare earth samples underwent a complex multiscale co-evolution. These results provide theoretical support for the green, efficient, and safe exploitation of ionic rare earth ores. Full article

Considering the world’s growing interest in health-promoting phytochemicals, the current research investigated the development of a dual-captured Ginkgo Biloba and Green Tea Extract into Collagen-Nanostructured Lipid Nanocarriers (Col-NLC-GBil-GTE) for an enhanced therapeutic efficacy against hepatic, colon or breast cancer. NLC considerably reduced cell viability; the most advanced cytotoxicity profile was determined on human colon adenocarcinoma cells (LoVo) and liver cancer cells (HepG2), e.g., tumor cell viability was 21.81% in the presence of Col-NLC-GBil-GTE, similar to that determined for Cisplatin. Col-NLC exhibited apoptosis in HepG2 and LoVo cells and no significant apoptosis induction in normal HUVECs. A 20% increase in apoptosis for HepG2 cells was registered for 100 μg/mL NLC-GBil-GTE compared to Cisplatin (Cis-Pt), e.g., a 63.4% total apoptosis for NLC-GBil-GTE versus a 52.6 apoptosis induced by 100 μg/mL of a chemotherapeutic drug. According to the cell cycle outcomes, an accumulation of hepatocyte HepG2 tumor cells in the G0/G1 phase was detected upon treatment with 100 mg/mL of NLC- and Col-NLC-GBil-GTE, simultaneously with a drastic decrease in the S phase, which may indicate a cell number reduction that enters in the division cycle. The simultaneous delivery of GBil and GTE by synchronizing their bioactivities offers several advantages; Col-NLC-GBil-GTE can be viewed as a noteworthy strategy for consideration in connection with antitumor therapeutic protocols. Full article

This study used Rosa roxburghii Tratt. crude extract (RR) as a reducing, stabilizing, and modifying agent for the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (RR-AuNPs) via the one-pot method for the first time and established a novel colorimetric sensor for detecting tiopronin. Initially, RR-AuNPs with a uniform particle size and stable dispersion were prepared using the reducing property of RR. Upon the introduction of tiopronin, the drug binds to the surface of RR-AuNPs through Au-S bonds and hydrogen bonds, inducing a significant aggregation of RR-AuNPs. The absorbance of the RR-AuNP solution exhibited a linear relationship with the tiopronin concentration in the range of 0.17 μM to 16.67 μM (y = 1.9157 − 0.0972x), with a detection limit of 0.19 μM. The colorimetric sensor was successfully applied to detect tiopronin in urine samples. Compared with other detection methods, this approach is simple to operate and has a high sensitivity, a wide linear range, and a low detection limit. Full article

Significant depletion of natural resources, coupled with increased environmental pollution resulting from the constant evolution of global industrialization, poses a considerable problem. Therefore, it is unsurprising that sustainable “green” chemistry and technology are gathering the worldwide scientific community, whose common goal is to find applicable solutions for the abovementioned problems. This paper combined the ultrasonic extraction method (a form of “green” technology) with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs, a type of “green” solvent) for the production of extracts from an industrial by-product (discarded waste wild apple dust). Waste wild apple dust was pretreated with different NADESs in order to explore the pretreatment benefits regarding ultrasonic extraction of bioactive compounds. Among all solvents used, aqueous propylene glycol was chosen as the best system, which, combined with Reline NADES pretreatment, provided the highest TPC and TFC values, together with the best antioxidant activities. UHPLC-DAD-MS analyses of extracts revealed the presence of natural organic acids, quercetin and kaempferol derivatives, tannins, and flavones. Following this procedure, valorization of agro-industrial apple herbal waste resulted in obtaining extracts with high potential for utilization in different industrial branches (food and pharmaceutical industries), contributing to both cleaner production and reduced environmental impact. Full article

This study establishes an efficient and eco-friendly ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method for total flavonoids present in Cercis chinensis seeds using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). Among nine NADES formulations screened, choline chloride–levulinic acid (ChCl–Lev, 1:2) demonstrated optimal performance, yielding 112.1 mg/g total flavonoids. Through Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters were explored. Under the optimized conditions (water content of 30%, time of 28 min, temperature of 60 °C, and solvent-to-solid ratio of 1:25 g/mL), the total flavonoid yield reached 128.5 mg/g, representing a 195% improvement compared to conventional ethanol extraction. The recyclability of NADES was successfully achieved via AB-8 macroporous resin, retaining 80.89% efficiency after three cycles. Extraction kinetics, modeled using Fick’s second law, confirmed that the rate constant (k) increased with temperature, highlighting temperature-dependent diffusivity as a key driver of efficiency. The extracted flavonoids exhibited potent antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.86 mg/mL (ABTS•⁺) and 0.69 mg/mL (PTIO•). This work presents a sustainable NADES-UAE platform for flavonoid recovery and offers comprehensive mechanistic and practical insights for green extraction of plant bioactives. Full article

This study investigates the solubility correlation of oil extracted from Sabah green Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) beans through supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) extraction. Sabah, recognized as the largest coffee-producing region in Malaysia, serves as a significant source of Robusta beans for this research. The solubility of coffee bean oil was evaluated under varying pressures (10–30 MPa) and temperatures (40–80 °C). The maximum solubility, 2.681 mg/g CO₂, was recorded at 30 MPa and 40 °C, whereas the lowest solubility, approximately 0.440 mg/g CO₂, occurred at 20 MPa and 80 °C. A clear inverse relationship between solubility and temperature was observed, with solubility decreasing as temperature increased to 80 °C. Conversely, elevated pressure, particularly at 30 MPa, enhanced solubility due to the increased density and solvent power of SC-CO₂. Experimental data exhibited strong agreement with Chrastil’s equation, yielding a relatively low percentage error of 3.37%, compared with 14.57% for the del Valle-Aguilera model. These findings demonstrate the reliability of Chrastil’s model in predicting the solubility of Sabah green coffee bean oil in SC-CO₂. Overall, the research highlights the potential of SC-CO₂ extraction as a sustainable, solvent-free approach for obtaining high-quality coffee oil extracts, with promising applications in the food industry and possible extension to the recovery of other bioactive compounds in food processing. Full article

Norovirus (NoV) is a symptomatic virus that is the leading cause of gastrointestinal disease. It spreads easily through the fecal–oral route and contact with contaminated food or surfaces. Maintaining a high level of hygiene in food industry settings and refocusing food production on isolating and testing natural compounds that exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties are important elements in preventing NoVs infection. This study evaluated plant extracts prepared by cold brew and cold concentrate techniques for their antioxidant and antiviral activity. The extracts obtained demonstrated high antioxidant activity, with notable variation depending on the plant material, ranging from moderate to very strong levels. Correspondingly, high antiviral potential was observed, reaching the nearly complete inactivation of the virus. Remarkably, the highest virucidal effects were already achieved at relatively elevated, but not maximal, antioxidant activity levels. The results of the study indicate that cold water extraction techniques allow for the obtention of plant extracts showing strong virus-inactivating activity and favorable antioxidant activity. Full article

Land degradation in Iraq’s Mesopotamian plain threatens food security and rural livelihoods, yet the relative roles of climatic water deficits versus anthropogenic pressures remain poorly attributed in space. We test the hypothesis that multi-timescale climatic water deficits (SPEI-03/-06/-12) exert a stronger effect on vegetation degradation risk than anthropogenic pressures, conditional on hydrological connectivity and irrigation. Using Babil and Al-Qadisiyah (2000–2023) as a case, we implement a four-part pipeline: (i) Fractional Vegetation Cover with Mann–Kendall/Sen’s slope to quantify greening/browning trends; (ii) LandTrendr to extract disturbance timing and magnitude; (iii) annual LULC maps from a Random Forest classifier to resolve transitions; and (iv) an XGBoost classifier to map degradation risk and attribute climate vs. anthropogenic influence via drop-group permutation (ΔAUC), grouped SHAP shares, and leave-group-out ablation, all under spatial block cross-validation. Driver attribution shows mid-term and short-term drought (SPEI-06, SPEI-03) as the strongest predictors, and conditional permutation yields a larger average AUC loss for the climate block than for the anthropogenic block, while grouped SHAP shares are comparable between the two, and ablation suggests a neutral to weak anthropogenic edge. The XGBoost model attains AUC = 0.884 (test) and maps 9.7% of the area as high risk (>0.70), concentrated away from perennial water bodies. Over 2000–2023, LULC change indicates CA +515 km², HO +129 km², UL +70 km², BL −697 km², WB −16.7 km². Trend analysis shows recovery across 51.5% of the landscape (+29.6% dec⁻¹ median) and severe decline over 2.5% (−22.0% dec⁻¹). The integrated design couples trend mapping with driver attribution, clarifying how compounded climatic stress and intensive land use shape contemporary desertification risk and providing spatial priorities for restoration and adaptive water management. Full article

This paper presents TwinP2G, a software application for optimal planning of investments in power-to-gas (PtG) systems. TwinP2G provides simulation and optimization services for the techno-economic analysis of user-customized energy networks. The core of TwinP2G is based on power flow simulation; however it supports energy sector coupling, including electricity, green hydrogen, natural gas, and synthetic methane. The framework provides a user-friendly user interface (UI) suitable for various user roles, including data scientists and energy experts, using visualizations and metrics on the assessed investments. An identity and access management mechanism also serves the security and authorization needs of the framework. Finally, TwinP2G revolutionizes the concept of data availability and data sharing by granting its users access to distributed energy datasets available in the EnerShare Data Space. These data are available to TwinP2G users for conducting their experiments and extracting useful insights on optimal PtG investments for the energy grid. Full article

Vitis vinifera L. cultivar, “Assyrtiko”, is a famous grape variety native to Santorini island. Its wine production residues are rich in bioactive polyphenols, making them valuable for extraction and use in cosmetics. The aim of this work was the development and optimization of an extraction process from “Assyrtiko” Wine Production Residue (AWPR), using a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NaDES) as the extraction medium. Four NaDESs were synthesized and screened for the extraction, and the extracts were evaluated for Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC). The NaDES comprising betaine and 1,3-propanediol was chosen for further analysis because of its effectiveness as an extraction solvent. The extraction process was optimized using a Box–Behnken experimental design. The NaDES %w/w content in the NaDES/water system was found to play the most statistically significant role in the quality of the extracts, assessed via TPC and TFC values. The quality of the extract obtained from the optimal conditions was practically stable with respect to TPC and TFC after long storage, suggesting that NaDESs have a potential “protective” effect for the extracted phytochemicals and give energy-efficient character to the process. This extract was also directly incorporated into a moisturizing cosmetic formulation, which remained homogeneous and stable after testing, demonstrating the extract’s potential for cosmetic applications. Full article

In this study, sludge retting was used as a pretreatment method for extracting banana pseudostem fibers. A Box–Behnken response surface design was employed to optimize the retting conditions. Three variables—Bacillus subtilis concentration, treatment time, and pH—were selected for analysis. Their effects on the mechanical properties of the fibers were systematically evaluated. Experimental data were analyzed using ANOVA in Design-Expert 13, and a regression model was established for parameter optimization. The optimal conditions were determined to be a Bacillus subtilis concentration of 1.18%, a treatment time of 20 days, and a pH of 7. Under these conditions, the tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation at break of the fibers reached 1161.63 MPa, 50.68 GPa, and 2.32%, respectively—representing improvements of 46.23%, 42.48%, and 34.1% compared to untreated samples. In addition, the fibers were analyzed using SEM, TGA-DTG, FTIR, and XRD to investigate changes in surface topography, thermal behavior, chemical bonding, and crystalline structure. Results showed that sludge retting effectively removed non-cellulosic components, enhanced thermal stability and crystallinity, and significantly improved the mechanical performance of the fibers. This study demonstrates that sludge retting is a green and sustainable pretreatment technique with strong potential for banana pseudostem fiber processing. Full article

Tomato leaves, typically discarded during harvest, are a rich yet underutilized source of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to valorize tomato leaves by optimizing the extraction of their phenolic compounds using a water-based method and response surface methodology. The optimal conditions, notably heating a mixture of 1:50 solid-to-liquid ratio at 71 °C for 29 min, yielded the most total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The biological activities of the lyophilized tomato leaf extract (TLE) were then assessed. TLE showed dose-dependent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, but neither against Pseudomonas aeruginosa nor Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, it demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC₅₀ value of 114.5 µg/mL. Interestingly, the extract significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels in RAW 264.7 macrophages, supporting its anti-inflammatory potential. LC-MS analysis identified rutin (45.21%), 4-hydroxycoumarin (13.60%), and α-tomatine (12.37%) as the major chemical constituents in TLE, suggesting contributing effects behind the observed bioactivities. These results support the potential of tomato leaf extract as an eco-friendly source for functional ingredients, transforming agricultural waste through green extraction into valuable applications for nutraceuticals and sustainable product development. Full article

Laboratory and industrial tests were conducted to study the impact of grinding media material on key indicators such as grinding product particle size, sodium cyanide consumption, gold recovery rate, unit power consumption, and ball consumption. Laboratory test results indicate that the reasonable mixing of ceramic and steel balls can achieve an increase of more than 2.8% in the fineness of the grinding product (−0.038 mm), an increase of 0.3% in the gold recovery rate, and a decrease of 1.3 kg/t in the consumption of sodium cyanide. Industrial trial studies indicate that, compared to the traditional steel ball scheme, using a ceramic ball to steel ball mass ratio of 3:1 under conditions of processing 50,000 tons of gold concentrate annually can save a total of 1.31 million yuan in annual ball consumption, electricity consumption, and cyanide consumption costs. Additionally, the improved recovery rate generates an additional economic benefit of 3.63 million yuan, resulting in an annual comprehensive economic benefit increase of 4.94 million yuan. In summary, in gold cyanide leaching grinding, the mixture ratio between ceramic balls and steel balls demonstrates significant potential for energy conservation, cost reduction, and efficiency enhancement, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for subsequent process optimization and green gold extraction. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a new formulation combining citicoline, vitamin C, and extracts from green tea and aronia (Cytodeox™) on the lipid profile and redox status in healthy individuals following a six-month intervention. Additionally, we examined whether these effects depend on lifestyle factors such as body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity. Forty-three volunteers aged 40–65 (F31/M12) completed the study. Prior to the intervention, all participants filled out a questionnaire assessing their health status and lifestyle habits. At baseline and after supplementation, anthropometric and physical parameters were measured, and fasting blood samples were collected from all participants. Furthermore, all participants were grouped based on their gender and lifestyle habits. Cytodeox™ significantly reduced lipid profile parameters and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the overall group. The analysis of these effects in relation to lifestyle habits revealed that smoking, but not alcohol consumption, negatively influences the effects of the supplement. Surprisingly, the beneficial effects were observed in the overweight group and those leading a sedentary lifestyle. The results strongly suggest that six months of supplementation with Cytodeox™ can improve the lipid profile and redox status, even in individuals with some poor lifestyle habits. Full article