This research aims to explore the mechanical and microstructural properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy, which is reinforced with ZrC nanoparticles and produced through stir casting enhanced by ultrasonic assistance. The material’s inherent limitations in overall mechanical performance and toughness under harsh conditions are meant to be solved by the addition of ZrC nanoparticles. Tensile strength, hardness, and varied ZrC concentrations (1.5
Thyroid hormones influence cardiovascular homeostasis through effects on metabolism, vascular tone, and inflammatory signaling. Growing evidence suggests that thyroid hormone dysregulation contributes to coronary artery disease (CAD), yet the combined role of thyroid dysfunction and inflammatory biomarkers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) remains inadequately characterized, particularly in the Indian population. This case–control study included 70 angiographically confirmed CAD patients and 70 age-matched healthy controls aged 18–50 years. Serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and TNF-α levels were measured using standardized immunoassays. Statistical analysis included independent t-test, chi-square test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and multivariate binary logistic regression. CAD patients showed significantly lower T3 and T4 levels and markedly higher TSH levels compared with controls (p < 0.001). TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in CAD cases (p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy for TNF-α (AUC = 0.841) and TSH (AUC = 0.748). Multivariate analysis showed that elevated TSH and TNF-α were significantly associated with CAD after adjustment for selected variables. Thyroid hormone dysregulation and elevated TNF-α are significantly associated with coronary artery disease. These findings highlight a potential link between endocrine and inflammatory pathways in CAD; however, further prospective studies are required to establish clinical applicability.
Synthetic preservatives—sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite and the phenolic antioxidants BHA and BHT—underpin the safety and shelf life of the modern food supply, yet mounting toxicological scrutiny, tightening regulation and consumer rejection of chemical additives are eroding their acceptability; in 2026 regulators including the US FDA opened formal reassessments of BHA and BHT. Plant-derived antimicrobials offer a scientifically credible and sustainable alternative, combining broad-spectrum activity with renewable sourcing, biodegradability and high consumer acceptance. This review evaluates plant-derived antimicrobials as sustainable substitutes for synthetic preservatives across the entire farm-to-fork supply chain. Six compound classes—phenolics, terpenoid essential oils, organosulfur compounds, alkaloids, saponins and antimicrobial peptides—are examined with respect to chemistry, structure–activity relationships, antimicrobial spectrum and mechanism. Compiled minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) show that the principal actives carvacrol, thymol and cinnamaldehyde inhibit major foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus) at roughly 128–400 µg/mL, with Gram-positive organisms generally more susceptible than Gram-negative.Their multi-target mode of action—membrane disruption, proton-motive-force collapse, reactive-oxygen-species induction, efflux-pump and quorum-sensing inhibition, and DNA binding—confers a low propensity for resistance, and binary combinations exhibit marked synergy, lowering effective doses by up to 75–94% and mitigating sensory impact. Supply-chain applications spanning pre-harvest treatment, processing, active packaging and storage are reviewed, with documented shelf-life extensions of two- to threefold. A sustainability assessment contrasts the renewable, low-ecotoxicity profile of plant antimicrobials with the cost, stability and regulatory advantages that still favour synthetics, and identifies the principal translational barriers—dose–sensory trade-offs, formulation stability, matrix effects, cost and regulatory harmonisation. The review concludes that plant-derived antimicrobials are best deployed not as one-for-one replacements but as engineered components of hurdle-based, clean-label preservation systems.
