Search Results (25)

Background/Objectives: Mammary carcinoma is a common disease in female dogs. Cannabidiol (CBD) can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. However, its low solubility in aqueous media requires solvents such as ethanol or dimethylsulfoxide that limit their dosage. Incorporating CBD into oil-in-water nanoemulsions (Nem) can improve its aqueous dispersibility. This study aimed to develop a CBD-Nem formulation and evaluate its effects on canine mammary cancer cell lines (CF41.Mg and IPC366) and non-cancer cells (MDCK). Methods: CBD-Nem was prepared with Miglyol 812 oil and Epikuron 145 V as the surfactant, and was characterized by analyzing size, morphology, zeta potential, release profile, and uptake/internalization. Moreover, the antitumor effects of CBD-Nem were evaluated in cancer cells through viability, proliferation, cell cycle, and migration–invasion assays. Results: CBD-Nem exhibited a monodisperse nanometric population (~150 nm), spherical shape, and negative zeta potential (~−50 mV). The in vitro release kinetics showed slow and sustained delivery at both pH 5.5 and pH 7.4. Rhodamine-Nem, as a fluorescent model of CBD-Nem, was taken up and homogenously internalized in CF41.Mg cells. CBD-Nem decreased the viability of cancer cells with a maximum effect at 50 µM and showed a lower toxicity in MDCK cells. Long-term efficacy (20 days) was evidenced by CBD-Nem at inhibiting colony formation in cancer cells. Furthermore, CBD-Nem reduced the proportion of cells in the G2-M phase, induced apoptosis, and inhibited the migration and invasion of CF41.Mg cells. Conclusions: CBD-Nem exhibited an in vitro antitumor effect, which supports its study in dogs with mammary carcinoma. Full article

Rose geranium is widely used for oil extraction and in the food, perfume, and pharmaceutical industries. The waste produced after oil extraction has no alternative use and is usually dumped into the environment, causing pollution. This study aimed to use waste rose geranium stems (SPG) as a potential adsorbent for ibuprofen from water. The adsorbent was characterised by SEM-EDX, FTIR, TGA, and BET. The SEM images showed that the adsorbent had a rough surface with voids and pores. Different functional groups were detected on the surface of SPG with FTIR. The trend of IBU adsorption showed that the adsorption capacity increases when the initial concentration of working standards is increased. The data for the contact time effect show that the adsorption rate was fast in the initial stage between 1 and 45 min. Afterward, a slow adsorption rate occurred between 65 and 105 min. The kinetic data corresponded to the Langmuir and pseudo-first-order (PFO) models. The highest recorded IBU uptake was 34.88 mg/g. The ΔH^o value shows that the adsorption of IBU on SPG was controlled by physisorption. The obtained values of ΔG^o are negative, indicating that the uptake of IBU was spontaneous. Full article

Colombian goldenberries that do not reach sufficient quality for export are exposed to waste, so the search for processes that provide added value while guaranteeing the conservation of this fruit is paramount. Thus, snacks by vacuum frying from goldenberries (Physalis peruviana L.) with low export quality were made. Goldenberry slices previously subjected to ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration were used for this purpose. Response surface methodology with different levels of temperature (110 °C and 130 °C), vacuum pressure (0.3 bar and 0.5 bar), and time (2 min and 6 min) was used to optimize the process. At optimal vacuum frying conditions (i.e., 108 °C, 0.5 bar, and 5.5 min), snacks with lower (p ≤ 0.05) oil content were produced, compared to atmospheric frying chips. The optimized snacks had 9% oil, 7% moisture, ΔE of 13 (with respect to fresh fruit), a_w of 0.3, and hardness of 14 N. The kinetics and modeling of moisture loss and oil uptake were performed under optimal conditions, obtaining the best fit with the Page (R² = 99%) and the first-order (R² = 96%) models, respectively. There was a clear correlation between oil uptake and moisture loss, as the highest oil retention in the product took place when the product had lost the greatest amount of water; therefore, the low initial moisture in the product due to pretreatment resulted in lower oil uptake in it. The obtained goldenberry snack showed adequate physicochemical properties, and the pretreatment yielded a product with much healthier characteristics (i.e., lower oil content, and therefore, a lower caloric intake); so, the proposed process could represent an alternative to the processing of low-export quality Colombian goldenberries. Full article

Ammonium sulfate (AS) has been utilized in agriculture; however, there is a dearth of research on its application in maize cultivation subsequent to the implementation of nitrification inhibitors or coating treatments. This study aimed to analyze the impacts of various combinations of AS fertilizers on soil nutrients, plant nutrient uptake, yield, and fertilizer utilization efficiency in maize cultivation to establish an optimal and stabilized disposal method for AS. A completely randomized design was employed with five treatments (AU, the control using urea; AS, treatment using ammonium sulfate; ASN, treatment using ammonium sulfate with a nitrification inhibitor; ASG, treatment using oil-coated ammonium sulfate; and ASD, treatment using oil–humic acid-coated ammonium sulfate). The results show the following: (1) Compared with AU and AS, ASN, ASG, and ASD decreased the leaching rates of total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), and more residual N had accumulated in the soil. The first-order kinetic equation N_t = N₀(1 − e^−kt) could better fit the process of N accumulation and release, and the N-release rate constant was in the order of AU > CK > AS > ASG > ASN > ASD. (2) Compared with the AU and AS treatments, the plant dry weight, grain dry weight, spike width, spike length, and yields of maize increased by 8.85–11.08%, 12.98–14.15%, 2.95–3.52%, 5.50–5.65%, and 43.21–51.10%, respectively, under the ASG treatment. A path analysis revealed the main decision coefficient of the effective spike number on the maize yield. Furthermore, the accumulation levels of N, P, and K within above-ground plants significantly increased under the ASG treatment compared with those under the AU and AS treatments. N, P, and K partial factor productivity under the ASG treatment increased by 47.12%, 47.15%, and 73.40% on average, while grain N, P, and K balance increased by 50.45%, 47.10%, 55.61% on average, compared with the AU and AS treatments. Therefore, the ASG treatment exhibited the optimal slow-release effect on nutrients and achieved excellent performance in enhancing the production and efficiency of maize. Full article

Lignocellulosic biomass can uptake CO₂ during growth, which can then be pyrolysed into three major products, biochar (BC), syngas, and bio-oil. Due to the presence of oxygenated organic compounds, the produced bio-oil is not suitable for direct use as a fuel and requires upgrading via hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydrogenation. This is typically carried out over a supported metal catalyst. Regarding circular economy and sustainability, the BC from the pyrolysis step can potentially be activated and used as a novel catalyst support, as reported here. A 15 wt% Ni/BC catalyst was developed by chemically modifying BC with sulfuric acid to improve mesoporous structure and surface area. When compared to the pristine Ni/BC catalyst, sulfuric activated Ni/BC catalyst has excellent mesopores and a high surface area, which increases the dispersion of Ni nanoparticles and hence improves the adsorptive effect and thus catalytic performance. A liquid phase hydrogenation of furfural to 2-methylfuran was performed over the developed 15 wt% Ni/BC catalyst. Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) kinetic type models for adsorption of dissociative H₂ were screened based on an R² value greater than 99%, demonstrating that the experimental data satisfactorily fit to three plausible models: competitive (Model I), competitive at only one type of adsorption site (Model II), and non-competitive with two types of adsorption sites (Model III). With a correlation coefficient greater than 99% between the experimental rates and the predicted rate, Model III, which is a dual-site adsorption mechanism involving furfural adsorption and hydrogen dissociative adsorption and surface reaction, is the best fit. The Ni/BC catalyst demonstrated comparative performance and significant cost savings over previous catalysts; a value of 24.39 kJ mol⁻¹ was estimated for activation energy, −11.43 kJ mol⁻¹ for the enthalpy of adsorption for H₂, and −5.86 kJ mol⁻¹ for furfural. The developed Ni/BC catalyst demonstrated excellent stability in terms of conversion of furfural (96%) and yield of 2-methylfuran (54%) at the fourth successive experiments. Based on furfural conversion and yield of products, it appears that pores are constructed slowly during sulfuric acid activation of the biochar. Full article

The ramped temperature oxidation (RTO) test is a screening method used to assess the stability of a reservoir for air-injection Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and to evaluate the oxidation behavior of oil samples. It provides valuable kinetic data for specific cases. The RTO test allows for the analysis of various characteristics, such as temperature evolution, peak temperatures, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide generation, oxidation and combustion front velocity, recovered and burned hydrocarbons, and residual coke. The adaptation of RTO experiments to in situ combustion (ISC) modeling involves validation and history matching based on numerical simulation of RTO tests, using 3D digital models of experimental setup. The objective is to estimate the kinetic parameters for a customized reaction model that accurately represents ISC. Within this research, the RTO test was provided for bitumen samples related to the Samara oil region. A 3D digital model of the RTO test is constructed using CMG STARS, a thermal hydrodynamic simulator. The model is designed with multiple layers and appropriate heating regimes to account for uncertainties in the experimental setup and to validate the numerical model. The insulation of the setup affects radial heat transfers and helps to control the observed temperature levels. The modified traditional reaction model incorporates thermal cracking of Asphaltenes, low-temperature oxidation (LTO) of Asphaltenes and Maltenes, and high-temperature combustion of coke. Additionally, the model incorporates high-temperature combustion of light oil in the vapor phase, which is generated through Asphaltenes cracking and LTO reactions. Full article

Due to the release of hazardous heavy metals from various industries, water pollution has become one of the biggest challenges for environmental scientists today. Mercury Hg(II) is regarded as one of the most toxic heavy metals due to its ability to cause cancer and other health issues. In this study, a tailor-made modern eco-friendly molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)/nanoporous carbon (NC) nanocomposite was synthesized and examined for the uptake of Hg(II) using an aqueous solution. The fabrication of the MIP/NC nanocomposite occurred via bulk polymerization involving the complexation of the template, followed by polymerization and, finally, template removal. Thus, the formed nanocomposite underwent characterizations that included morphological, thermal degradation, functional, and surface area analyses. The MIP/NC nanocomposite, with a high specific surface area of 884.9 m²/g, was evaluated for its efficacy towards the adsorptive elimination of Hg(II) against the pH solution changes, the dosage of adsorbent, initial concentration, and interaction time. The analysis showed that a maximum Hg(II) adsorption effectiveness of 116 mg/g was attained at pH 4, while the Freundlich model fitted the equilibrium sorption result and was aligned with pseudo-second-order kinetics. Likewise, thermodynamic parameters like enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy indicated that the adsorption was consistent with spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic reactions. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiency of MIP/NC was also evaluated against a real sample of condensate from the oil and gas industry, showing an 87.4% recovery of Hg(II). Finally, the synthesized MIP/NC showed promise as a selective adsorbent of Hg(II) in polluted environments, suggesting that a variety of combined absorbents of different precursors is recommended to evaluate heavy metal and pharmaceutical removals. Full article

Fibrous structures are promising candidates for oil–water separation applications. In this study, we have produced poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) thermoplastic elastomeric fibers with the centrifugal spinning fiber production method. The optimal fiber production conditions were achieved when using a 25% w/w solution concentration in an 80/20 tetrahydrofuran/toluene (w/w) solvent system at 8000 rpm rotational speed. The produced fibers were bead-free and smooth-surfaced with a diameter of 3.68 µm. The produced fibers were highly hydrophobic and oleophilic, suggested by a water contact angle of 129° and the instantaneous absorption of the oil droplet. The oil absorption study showed fast absorption kinetics with 94% relative oil uptake after 1 min and a maximum of 16.5 g sunflower oil/g fiber. The results suggest that polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomers could be promising alternatives in oil absorption applications. Full article

The use of Polypropylene PP in disposable items such as face masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment has increased exponentially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing significantly to microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment. Upcycling of waste PP provides a useful alternative to traditional thermal and mechanical recycling techniques. It transforms waste PP into useful products, minimizing its impact on the environment. Herein, we synthesized an oil-sorbent pouch using waste PP, which comprises superposed microporous and fibrous thin films of PP using spin coating. The pouch exhibited super-fast uptake kinetics and reached its saturation in fewer than five minutes with a high oil uptake value of 85 g/g. Moreover, it displayed high reusability and was found to be effective in absorbing oil up to seven times when mechanically squeezed between each cycle, demonstrating robust oil-sorption capabilities. This approach offers a potential solution for managing plastic waste while promoting a circular economy. Full article

In recent years, the global population has increased significantly, resulting in elevated levels of pollution in waterways. Organic pollutants are a major source of water pollution in various parts of the world, with phenolic compounds being the most common hazardous pollutant. These compounds are released from industrial effluents, such as palm oil milling effluent (POME), and cause several environmental issues. Adsorption is known to be an efficient method for mitigating water contaminants, with the ability to eliminate phenolic contaminants even at low concentrations. Carbon-based materials have been reported to be effective composite adsorbents for phenol removal due to their excellent surface features and impressive sorption capability. However, the development of novel sorbents with higher specific sorption capabilities and faster contaminant removal rates is necessary. Graphene possesses exceptionally attractive chemical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties, including higher chemical stability, thermal conductivity, current density, optical transmittance, and surface area. The unique features of graphene and its derivatives have gained significant attention in the application of sorbents for water decontamination. Recently, the emergence of graphene-based adsorbents with large surface areas and active surfaces has been proposed as a potential alternative to conventional sorbents. The aim of this article is to discuss novel synthesis approaches for producing graphene-based nanomaterials for the adsorptive uptake of organic pollutants from water, with a special focus on phenols associated with POME. Furthermore, this article explores adsorptive properties, experimental parameters for nanomaterial synthesis, isotherms and kinetic models, mechanisms of nanomaterial formation, and the ability of graphene-based materials as adsorbents of specific contaminants. Full article

The effect of frying temperature on heat transfer, water loss kinetic, oil uptake kinetic, and quality of French fries was evaluated. With increasing frying temperature, the core temperature of fries increased, and the Biot number and heat transfer coefficient (h) first decreased and then increased significantly (p < 0.05). The water loss rate (k_w) and water effective diffusion of fries increased with the increasing frying temperature. The k_w of fries fried at 150–190 °C were 0.2391, 0.2414, 0.3205, 0.3998, and 0.3931, respectively. The oil uptake rate (k_o) first increased and then decreased with increasing frying temperature, and the k_o of samples fried at 150–190 °C were 0.2691, 0.2564, 0.4764, 0.3387, and 0.2522, respectively. There were significant differences in the a*, L*, ΔE, and BI between fries with different temperatures (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in the b* (p > 0.05). The hardness and crispness of fries increased with increased frying temperature. The highest overall acceptability scores of fries were fried at 170 °C. Therefore, the changes in color, texture overall acceptability, and oil content were due to the Maillard reaction and the formation of porous structure, which was induced by h and water evaporation of fries when they changed. Full article

In this study, fly ash (FA) compacts were prepared by accelerated carbonation as a potential sustainable building material application with the locally available ashes (oil shale ash (OSA), wood ash (WA) and land filled oil shale ash (LFA)) of Estonia. The carbonation behaviour of FAs and the performance of 100% FA based compacts were evaluated based on the obtained values of CO₂ uptake and compressive strength. The influence of different variables (compaction pressure, curing temperature, CO₂ concentration, and pressure) on the CO₂ uptake and strength development of FA compacts were investigated and the reaction kinetics of the carbonation process were tested by different reaction-order models. A reasonable relation was noted between the CO₂ uptake and compressive strength of the compacts. The porous surface structure of the hydrated OSA and WA compacts was changed after carbonation due to the calcite formations (being the primary carbonation product), especially on portlandite crystals. The increase of temperature, gas pressure, and CO₂ concentration improved the CO₂ uptake levels of compacts. However, the positive effect of increasing compaction pressure was more apparent on the final strength of the compacts. The obtained compressive strength and CO₂ uptake values of FA compacts were between 10 and 36 MPa and 11 and 13 wt%, respectively, under various operation conditions. Moreover, compacts with mixed design (OSA/LFA and WA/LFA) resulted in low-strength and density compared to the single behaviour of OSA and WA compacts, yet a higher CO₂ uptake was achieved (approximately 15% mass) with mixed design. The conformity of Jander equation (3D-diffusion-limited reaction model) was higher compared to other tested reaction order models for the representation of the carbonation reaction mechanism of OSA and WA. The activation energy for OSA compact was calculated as 3.55 kJ/mol and for WA as 17.06 kJ/mol. Full article

Petroleum products are hazardous both for humans and nature. Diesel oil is one of the main contaminants of land but also of sea, during its transportation. Currently, there are many different clean-up techniques for petroleum products. One of the most common is adsorption by adsorbent materials. Although adsorption is an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach, it lacks efficiency. The present study investigates the performance of low-cost activated carbon, derived from potato peels and activated under different temperature conditions, from 350 °C to 800 °C. The yield of activated carbon decreases with the increase in the carbonization temperature. However, the sample prepared at 600 °C shows an oil sorption capacity of 72 g/g, which is the highest of all samples. Nitrogen adsorption characterization reveals that this specific sample has the highest specific surface (SSA) area of 1052 m²/g and total a pore volume of 2.959 cm³/g, corresponding to a 94% and 77% increase compared to the sample prepared at 350 °C. Oil sorption kinetics experiments show that, for all samples, the maximum uptake is reached after 1h. Oil uptake was also investigated under realistic conditions by introducing the best performance activated carbon to an oil/seawater system, and the outcome does not show a significant decrease in the oil sorption. The outcomes of this study indicate that low-cost adsorbents from agricultural by-products have strong potential as an oil spill response technique. Full article

The growth kinetics and the lipid and protein content of the microalgal species Chlorella sorokiniana (CS) grown heterotrophically in growth media containing glycerol and increasing amounts of anaerobic digestate (AD) equal to 0%, 15%, 30%, and 50% was studied. The effect of the AD on the fatty acid (FA) distribution of the bio-oil extracted from the CS, as well as on the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) properties such as the saponification number (SN), the iodine value (IV), the cetane number (CN), and the higher heating value (HHV) was also estimated. The percentage of AD in the growth medium affects the rate of carbon uptake. The maximum carbon uptake rate occurs at about 30% AD. Protein and lipid content ranged from 32.3–38.4% and 18.1–23.1%, respectively. Fatty acid distribution ranged from C10 to C26. In all AD percentages the predominant fatty acids were the medium chain FA C16 to C18 constituting up to about 89% of the total FA at 0% AD and 15% AD and up to about 54% of the total FA at 30% AD and 50% AD. With respect to unsaturation, monounsaturated FA (MUFA) were predominant, up to 56%, while significant percentages, up to about 38%, of saturated FA (SFA) were also produced. The SN, IV, CN, and HHV ranged from 198.5–208.3 mg KOH/g FA, 74.5–93.1 g I/100 g FAME, 52.7–56.1, and 39.7–40.0 MJ/kg, respectively. The results showed that with increasing AD percentage, the CN values tend to increase, while decrease in IV leads to biofuel with better ignition quality. Full article

We have investigated different properties (thickness, moisture loss, oil uptake, breaking force, color, puffing ratio during 0.5–5 min frying, microstructure, and sensory evaluation) of raw pork skins with varying thickness (2, 3, and 4 mm) after drying, intended as deep-fried snacks. We have found that the oil content, breaking force, and puffing ratio of fried pork skin with different raw skin thickness have no significant difference under similar water content (1.68–1.98 g/100 g wet weight basis, wb) after 3–5 min of deep-frying at 180 °C. Additionally, sensory score results have shown that fried pork skins with 4 mm raw skin thickness had lower flavor, texture, and overall acceptability than those with 2 mm and 3 mm raw skin thickness. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) have revealed less holes and irregular and crack microstructure in fried pork skins with 4 mm raw skin thickness than in other groups. Different thickness of raw pork skins resulted in different effects in microstructure and influenced water evaporation and oil uptake of fried pork skin. Finally, we have proposed the kinetic equations of water loss and oil uptake of fried pork skins. Fried pork skin from raw skin thicker than 4 mm need frying at temperature higher than 180 °C to improve their puffing ratio and sensory acceptability. Full article