Search Results (1,715)

Pharmaceutical residues continue to increasingly contaminate water systems at a global level, and conventional wastewater treatment plants are unable to completely remove these emergent compounds. This study investigates the benzocaine adsorption from aqueous solutions onto Amberlite XAD-7 (X7) resin, with emphasis on quantitative performance metrics and mechanistic understanding. Adsorption occurred rapidly, reaching equilibrium within 60 min, with a maximum adsorption capacity (Q_e) of 140 mg/g and a Langmuir monolayer capacity of 147 mg/g. Experimental parameters strongly influenced X7 performance: resin dosage (0.01–0.05 g) and agitation speed (25–200 rpm) enhanced removal efficiency from 10% to 99.9%, while pH variation (5–9) had a negligible effect, confirming a predominantly hydrophobic, non-ionic adsorption mechanism. Equilibrium data are best described by the Langmuir model (R² = 0.9920, b = 5.2 L/mg, RL = 0.0003), indicating highly favorable monolayer adsorption, while kinetic behavior is described by the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model. FTIR-ATR analysis confirms benzocaine retention through characteristic shifts in aromatic, amine, and ester bands. TG/DSC measurements prove the thermal stability of X7 and the incorporation of benzocaine within the polymeric matrix. Desorption efficiencies ranged from 40% (NaOH) to 97% (HCl-ethanol mixture), demonstrating that X7 was regenerated under the tested conditions with a single cycle. Overall, X7 exhibits high capacity, robustness, and recyclability, highlighting its strong potential for efficient benzocaine removal from contaminated wastewater. Full article

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as powerful media for enhancing the solubility of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, their rational design remains challenging due to the complex interplay of intermolecular interactions and non-ideal thermodynamic behavior. This study develops a comprehensive, data-driven taxonomy of solute–solvent systems by integrating COSMO-RS-derived descriptors with principal component analysis (PCA) and unsupervised clustering. This approach establishes a constrained, evidence-based decision framework, which is more appropriate for complex physicochemical systems like DESs than traditional empirical rules. The analysis successfully reduces the multidimensional descriptor space to five physically interpretable axes: solvation driving force, API thermodynamic stability, solvent interaction profile, hydrogen-bond network strength, and hydration effects. Two primary solubilization mechanisms are identified: interaction-driven solvation, characterized by high API–DES affinity, and destabilization-driven solvation. Furthermore, comparison of dry and water-containing systems reveals that water acts as a thermodynamic structuring agent, fundamentally reducing system dimensionality and promoting the emergence of more distinct solvation regimes. Validated through the projection of benzocaine and lidocaine, this framework enables a transition from trial-and-error screening to mechanism-guided formulation design, providing a robust roadmap for navigating the complex solubility landscape of pharmaceutical DESs. Full article

Ensuring the quality, reliability, and efficiency of cold chain logistics for thermolabile pharmaceutical products, particularly vaccines, remains a critical challenge in global health supply chains. These biologics require stringent temperature control throughout storage, transport, and distribution to preserve their efficacy. Persistent issues such as maintaining product integrity, accurately forecasting vaccine demand, and fostering trust among stakeholders often result in inefficiencies, waste, and public mistrust. This study proposes an intelligent digital management framework specifically designed for vaccine cold chains, integrating blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning (ML) to address these challenges in a holistic and sustainable manner. The main innovation of the study lies in combining secure traceability, real-time cold chain monitoring, and predictive decision support within a unified vaccine cold chain management framework rather than treating these functions as isolated technological solutions. Using WHO immunization coverage data and vaccine-related review data, the framework supports vaccine demand forecasting through the Informer model and stakeholder trust assessment through BERT-based sentiment analysis. In the sentiment analysis task, the BERT model achieved ~80% accuracy on dominant sentiment classes, with a weighted F1-score of 0.6974, demonstrating strong performance on imbalanced datasets. By minimizing vaccine spoilage and enabling more accurate demand planning, the system reduces excess production and distribution, thus lowering resource consumption, carbon emissions, and financial waste. Moreover, trust-informed analytics support better alignment of supply with actual community needs, fostering equity and resilience in vaccine distribution. While this framework has been validated through simulations and experimental evaluation, further real-world testing is needed to assess long-term stability and stakeholder adoption. Nonetheless, it provides a scalable and adaptive foundation for advancing sustainability and transparency in pharmaceutical cold chains. Full article

This study describes the development of an electrochemical sensor for quantitatively measuring acetaminophen (ACOP) in drug tablets. The sensor design is based on the modification of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) embedded in a naturally occurring clay matrix (Sa) functionalized with phenylalanine (Phe). To ensure that the ZnONPs are homogeneously dispersed on the clay surface, the nanocomposite was synthesized using an impregnation approach and low-temperature heat treatment. The amino acid promotes specific interactions with ACOP through hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking, acting as both a stabilizing agent and a molecular recognition moiety. FTIR, UV-Vis, XRD, and FESEM/EDX mapping were employed to fully characterize the developed material (ZnONPs-Sa/Phe). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used for the electrochemical determination of ACOP using the modified electrode GCE/ZnONPs-Sa/Phe. Parameters susceptible to affecting the sensitivity of the developed sensor were optimized, revealing that 5 µL of the suspension ZnONPs-Sa/Phe immobilized on GCE was ideal for the sensing of ACOP in a phosphate buffer solution at pH 2.0. The calibration curve obtained by plotting peak current intensity against ACOP concentration exhibited linear behavior within the concentration range between 0.02 µM and 0.28 µM, enabling determination of the limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) at 8.54 × 10⁻⁹ M and 2.84 × 10⁻⁸ M, respectively. The reproducibility, stability, and selectivity of the sensor were evaluated, followed by its application to the nano-sensing of ACOP in Africure and Doliprane tablets, yielding satisfactory results. The simplicity, affordability, and high analytical sensitivity of the developed sensor make this sensing platform a promising tool for pharmaceutical quality control applications. Full article

The presence of persistent pharmaceutical contaminants such as carbamazepine in aquatic environments represents a major challenge for sustainable water management and the long-term protection of water resources. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a persistent pharmaceutical pollutant frequently detected in surface waters and poorly removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants. This study investigates the ozonation of CBZ (50.0 mg/L) under alkaline conditions (pH 10.0–14.0), focusing on the influence of pH and ozone mass transfer on oxidation kinetics and water-quality parameters. Ozonation was conducted at 25 °C using a high ozone dose (58.5 g Nm⁻³), achieving complete CBZ degradation within the first 10 min at all pH values. Marked differences in pH evolution were observed: solutions initially at pH 10.1 rapidly acidified to pH ≈ 4.0, whereas highly alkaline systems (pH > 13.0) remained stable. The most intense yellow coloration was observed at pH 14.0, followed by progressive removal. Turbidity remained low at pH 10.1 (<2.5 NTU) but increased at pH 12.0–13.0. Ozone mass-transfer behaviour revealed a transition from molecular-ozone-dominated oxidation to radical-dominated regimes at pH ≥ 12.0. Overall, ozonation proves highly efficient for CBZ removal, and the pH-dependent behaviour highlights the need to optimise oxidation conditions to improve water quality and minimise residual by-products, thereby supporting the development of more sustainable advanced treatment strategies for wastewater reuse and environmental protection. Full article

This study proposes a novel data-driven machine learning (ML) framework for multi-criteria environmental, social, and governance (ESG) evaluation. The framework aims to address the transparency, consistency, and subjectivity limitations of existing ESG evaluation systems by employing a fully data-driven, modular, and ML-supported architecture. It comprises three main modules: (i) ESG data preprocessing with missing-data imputation by the MissForest algorithm; (ii) a three-plane ESG feature selection workflow that integrates clustering, feature importance, and classification algorithms to identify representative ESG indicators; and (iii) a hybrid weighting and ranking procedure that combines unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods. A recent 2024 real-world application involving 57 listed Chinese pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and 70 ESG indicators demonstrates the framework’s practical utility in producing transparent and objective ESG rankings. The main contributions of this work are fourfold: (1) the development of an end-to-end, entirely data-driven ML framework for ESG evaluation; (2) the introduction of an innovative three-plane ESG feature selection workflow within the framework; (3) the first study for designing a hybrid PCA-CRITIC-TOPSIS approach in ESG weighting and ranking; (4) the validation of the framework through a real-world industry application using recent and authentic ESG data. Full article

The increase in older adults and active lifestyles has made chondral and osteochondral lesions common in the population, making them one of the central challenges in orthopedics. Although hydrogel-based regenerative medicine offers an encouraging therapeutic option for these lesions, important obstacles still prevent these therapies from reaching the clinic. In view of these factors, we adopted a risk-based approach for this review, in line with the current legislative requirements in clinical translation and clinical trials. We identified the factors that could undermine patient safety or lead to poor outcomes. Then, we outlined solutions to remedy these problems that integrate hydrogel technology, clinical/pharmaceutical/surgical protocols, and post-operative follow-up. Upcoming studies should give priority to the development of hydrogel scaffolds modified to mimic cartilage’s mechanical and physicochemical properties, together with patient-specific features. Other crucial characteristics are host-tissue integration, long-lasting cartilage tissue regeneration, and a positive outcome. In parallel, to scale complex and costly innovations, efforts should focus on a harmonized, simplified legislative landscape, optimized standards, and established follow-up protocols. Getting through this “valley of death” between research and innovation is strategic for reaching the clinics and the largest number of patients. Full article

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, like danofloxacin, are considered as crucial veterinary drugs due to their high antibacterial potential, a broad spectrum of activity and good pharmacological properties. However, owing to the widespread use of this group of pharmaceuticals, microbial resistance to them is becoming a serious worldwide concern. In the present study, novel silver and copper complexes of danofloxacin were prepared and characterized using ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and IR spectroscopy, ESI-MS spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial properties of the obtained complexes were determined against selected bacterial and fungal strains, including yeast and conidia-forming fungi. Additionally, toxicities of danofloxacin metal-based complex solutions were assessed toward eukaryotic cells. The obtained results indicate that silver(I) and copper(II) complexes of danofloxacin exhibit good antimicrobial activity against bacteria that are important from the veterinary point of view, like Listeria monocytogenes or Campylobacter jejuni, in concentrations which are not cytotoxic. The MBC values of metal-based danofloxacin complexes for the mentioned strains were 1.5 times lower than those obtained for danofloxacin. Additionally, the solution of the novel silver–danofloxacin complex was found to have a fungicidal effect against the studied Candida and Aspergillus strains. Full article

Leucomisine is a major component of renewable plant raw material Artemisia leucodes Schrenk, a sesquiterpene γ-lactone exhibiting antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antiparasitic, and hepatoprotective activities. However, the use of leucomisine in pharmaceuticals is limited by its insufficient bioavailability associated with low aqueous solubility. Therefore, the effect of solid-state synthesis based on leucomisine using the methods of “solvent removal”, “simple mixing”, and “mixture heating”, with disodium glycyrrhizinate as a carrier, on the aqueous solubility of leucomisine was investigated. It was established that the synthesized solid dispersions exhibit increased solubility (7–19-fold) and dissolution rate (36–100-fold) of leucomisine released from the carrier. The most pronounced stimulation of the dissolution process was observed for samples obtained using the “simple mixing” method. Based on physicochemical studies (visible-range spectrophotometry, microcrystalloscopy, investigation of optical properties of solutions, and X-Ray phase analysis), it was determined that the enhancement of solubility is attributed to the loss of crystalline state, micronization, and the solubilization process of leucomisine by the carrier, as well as to the formation of a colloidal solution of leucomisine stabilized by disodium glycyrrhizinate. Full article

Shoot tip cryopreservation is essential for the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. It provides the only reliable method for establishing a long-term, readily available gene pool of clonally propagated crops and elite in vitro clones used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Still, its success is often limited by the inherent sensitivity of many species to the osmotic and chemical stresses imposed by concentrated cryoprotectant (vitrification) solutions and severe dehydration. The optimization of modern cryopreservation protocols primarily focuses on modifying shoot tip preculture, cryoprotectant treatments, or regrowth conditions, while frequently overlooking donor plant preconditioning or relegating it to a secondary role. However, the physiological state of in vitro plants from which apical or axillary shoot tips are extracted may hold the key to successful post-cryopreservation recovery, especially in cryo-sensitive taxa. This review revisits the critical role of donor plant vigor and induced stress tolerance in the cryopreservation of clonal crops by systematically evaluating preconditioning strategies, including cold acclimation, sucrose pretreatment, and the use of growth regulators and signaling molecules such as abscisic, jasmonic, and salicylic acids, involved in stress signaling and tolerance development. The beneficial physiological changes induced by donor plant pretreatment, such as reduced freezable water content and the accumulation of protective compounds, are discussed in the context of contemporary cryopreservation methods. The effects of culture conditions, including the roles of ammonium and nitrates, light quality, culture density and aeration, medium strength, culture age, and subculture duration, are also considered. We analyze how different treatments of in vitro donor plants improve shoot tip tolerance to osmotic and/or chemical toxicity imposed by specific cryopreservation methods to support a material-centered selection of a cryopreservation procedure. Future directions and potential approaches for integrating target donor plant preconditioning into modern cryopreservation protocols for shoot tips, particularly in stress-sensitive species, are discussed. Full article

Increasing water demand and the rising complexity of wastewater matrices, driven by pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and recalcitrant industrial contaminants, require advanced catalytic solutions capable of efficient mineralization under sustainable conditions. Solar-driven processes have attracted growing attention; however, ultraviolet disinfection, heterogeneous photocatalysis, and photo-Fenton systems are commonly treated as independent approaches without mechanistic integration. This review presents a unified photonic–thermal catalytic framework for solar-driven wastewater treatment, emphasizing the interplay between photon absorption, charge-carrier separation, reactive oxygen species generation, and radical-mediated oxidation pathways. The contributions of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation are analyzed in terms of catalyst activation, persulfate and ozone activation mechanisms, and temperature-enhanced reaction kinetics governed by Arrhenius behavior. Particular attention is given to photothermal effects that modulate surface reaction rates, mass transfer, and catalyst stability. By integrating mechanistic insights with reactor-level considerations, this work provides a rational basis for the design of robust solar catalytic systems with enhanced activity, selectivity, and scalability for real wastewater applications. Full article

(1) Background: Aristolochia spp. are plants spread around the world and are cautiously used for medicinal purposes due to their toxic compounds. Because of their content of aristolochic acid I (AAI), a major carcinogenic compound, these plant preparations can cause acute and chronic kidney disease, which is associated with cancer. These compounds also contaminate the environment where Aristolochia plants grow, leading to indirect exposure of the population. (2) Methods: The study provides a practical solution for minimizing the toxic effects of AAI using activated charcoal (AC). An ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) was used for the AAI qualitative and quantitative evaluation at different time points. Also, the greenness of the chromatographic analysis was evaluated with the AGREE method. (3) Results: A medical pill of 250 mg AC removed 125 µg/mL AAI from a methanolic solution in 30 min with 97.65% efficiency. The greenness for the analytical evaluation was 58%. (4) Conclusions: This study offers, for the first time, a low-cost medical and environmental solution for AAI contamination. The UHPLC–DAD method seems to be an environmentally responsible platform for the AAI routine analysis. AC shows efficient removal, which could be used both for Aristolochia sp. pharmaceutical preparations as well as in environmental decontamination. Full article

Background: Blockchain is increasingly proposed to strengthen pharmaceutical traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and chain of custody in multi-actor supply chains, but the evidence base remains heterogeneous in technical rigor and operational clarity. Methods: We conducted a mapping review of Scopus and Web of Science to map publication patterns, identify dominant thematic configurations, and compare citation-salient studies across recurring solution profiles and operational design dimensions. The final corpus comprised 103 records. Results: The literature expanded rapidly from 2019 to 2025, with notable geographic concentration and dissemination mainly through technically focused outlets. Keyword analysis identified a core traceability theme, an implementation stream centered on smart contracts, Ethereum, and security, and additional streams involving vaccines and regulatory or credentialing concerns. Citation-salient studies clustered into implemented systems and prototypes, architecture or framework proposals, and contextual maturity or decision-layer evidence. Across these profiles, transferability depended less on platform choice than on governance and access-control assumptions, modular smart contract roles, and verifiable on-chain/off-chain data placement. Conclusions: Chain-of-custody semantics and evaluation methods remain inconsistently formalized, limiting cross-study comparability and the interpretability of operational claims. Benchmark-oriented assessments and minimal reporting standards specifying governance parameters, logistics scope and checkpoints, workload, measurement conditions, and concrete evidence artifacts are needed. Full article

Water scarcity compels wastewater reuse, but lax discharge standards generate a regulatory mirage, misleading the public about safety. Here, “regulatory mirage” refers to situations where formal compliance with discharge standards creates a false perception of safety while ecological risks and degradation persist. Despite formal compliance, treated effluent severely harms Iran’s effluent-dependent Kashaf River, driving eutrophication, salinization, and the downstream transport of unregulated contaminants of emerging concern, including fluorinated substances (PFAS) and pharmaceuticals. These pressures extend beyond the river channel to adjacent natural wetlands, which act as de facto nature-based treatment systems yet are progressively transformed into sacrificial sinks for excess nutrients, salts, heavy metals, and micropollutants. By benchmarking the Iranian Wastewater Discharge Standards (IWDS) against international guidelines (WHO, EU, FAO), this study quantifies a “Permissibility Gap” frequently greater than 10 for key parameters such as BOD₅, nutrients, and trace metals, revealing how concentration-based limits ignore cumulative mass load and mixture toxicity at the basin scale. The Kashaf River case demonstrates that current end-of-pipe regulation undermines both natural wetlands and planned nature-based solutions, including constructed wetlands, in arid regions where effluent reuse is unavoidable. The study argues that aligning discharge standards with global benchmarks, adopting mass-based permits, and explicitly regulating contaminants of emerging concern are prerequisites for truly safe wastewater reuse and for protecting wetland ecosystems in effluent-dependent basins. This study shows that permissive, concentration-based discharge standards in effluent-dependent basins create a regulatory mirage that accelerates river and wetland degradation, and that stricter, mass-based limits are essential for safe wastewater reuse. Full article

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone (PBZ) are among the most widely used medications globally due to their effectiveness in relieving pain and reducing inflammation. This study aims to detect PBZ with metallic particle-based electrochemical sensors using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the presence of catechol as a redox probe. The approach focuses on evaluating the electrochemical behaviour of PBZ under different experimental conditions and optimizing the detection parameters to develop a simple, rapid, and cost-effective analytical method suitable for this pharmaceutical compound in lab practice. CV was performed using four types of screen-printed electrodes, each modified with different transitional metal particles, in potassium ferrocyanide/potassium ferricyanide, catechol, and catechol-PBZ solutions to study the electrochemical response and detection capability for PBZ. The best performance characteristics were obtained for the sensor modified with Ir particles that detect PBZ, with a linearity range of 0.01 to 1.00 μM and a detection limit of 1.53 nM. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to characterize the PBZ in pharmaceuticals. The method using an iridium-modified sensor developed in this study allows the accurate detection of PBZ in pharmaceuticals with a relative error lower than 4%. Full article