Agricultural production in Bangladesh's Charland (Riverine Island) region is primarily threatened by soil fertility and the use of chemical fertilizers. Baby corn can be interplanted with different leguminous crops to increase fertility while reducing the quantity of synthetic fertilizer needed. A field experiment was carried out at Charpakkimari in the Sherpur district of Bangladesh from November 2018 to March 2019 to examine the performance of several leguminous crops and baby corn cultivated as an intercrop. At row ratios of 2:1, 2:2, and 2:3, respectively, intercropping techniques for baby corn + chickpea, baby corn + pea, baby corn + groundnut, and baby corn + lentil were implemented. Additionally, baby corn, chickpea, pea, groundnut, and lentil were sown as sole crops using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Based on the results, the treatments with a row ratio of 2:1 that were determined to be relatively superior in terms of higher production and profitability were baby corn + chickpea, baby corn + pea, as well as baby corn + chickpea and baby corn + lentil (2:3). Baby corn + pea (2:1) intercropping produced the highest baby corn equivalent yield (6.02 t ha-1), net return (214425 Tk), and benefit cost ratio (2.46), compared to sole baby corn. These results demonstrated that it was more profitable and productive to intercrop baby corn with peas, chickpeas and lentils than to grow baby corn alone.
This research investigated the spatial distribution and levels of heavy metal contamination in sediments along the Prawet Burirom Canal, Ladkrabang District, Bangkok, Thailand. Surface sediment samples were collected from the bottom of the canal between Wat Ratchakosa and Wat Lat Krabang on August 29, 2025. The samples were prepared for elemental analysis via microwave-assisted acid digestion and measured by ICP-OES. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments in decreasing order of contamination were: iron (Fe) > manganese (Mn) > zinc (Zn) > copper (Cu) > arsenic (As) > chromium (Cr) > lead (Pb) > cobalt (Co). Their ranges were determined to be 50.81-66.94 g/kg for Fe, 361.04-690.49 mg/kg for Mn, 71.26-198.41 mg/kg for Zn, 44.15-67.14 mg/kg for Cu, 15.28-84.56 mg/kg for As, 32.28-47.49 mg/kg for Cr, 17.87-47.32 mg/kg for Pb, and 8.26-11.75 mg/kg for Co, while cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) were not detected. Five toxic metals, As, Pb, Cr, Zn and Cu, were used to evaluate pollution and ecological risk assessments. Based on the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), the sediments were classified as extremely contaminated with Pb and heavily to extremely contaminated with As. The contamination factors (CF) for As, Zn, and Cu indicated very high contamination while the pollution load index (PLI) displays a gradual decline in site quality. The overall ecological risk was categorized as considerable to high ecological risk. This study suggests that the high contamination levels of heavy metals, particularly As and Pb, were frequently related to anthropogenic activities in the surrounding environment.
This study evaluated residual methanol levels, lipid class distribution, and the glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and steryl glucoside (SG) contents of rice bran extracts from Hom Pathum (HP) and Riceberry (RB) cultivars and assessed the cytotoxicity of the GlcCer- and SG-enriched extracts using skin-relevant cell models. Rice bran from both cultivars was sequentially extracted with ethyl acetate followed by methanol. Residual methanol in crude extracts was quantified using headspace GC–MS. Total lipids were fractionated by solid-phase extraction into neutral lipids (NL), glycolipids (GL), and phospholipids (PL), and the GL fraction was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography with image-based quantification to determine GlcCer and SG contents. The RB extract, which showed higher glycolipid content, was selected for cytotoxicity testing using a resazurin reduction assay in HaCaT keratinocytes and BJ fibroblasts. HS-GC–MS results confirmed that residual methanol was below 10 ppm in all extracts, meeting international safety guidelines. Lipid profiling revealed clear varietal differences: HP bran was dominated by NL (90.3% w/w), whereas RB contained higher proportions of GL (14.3% w/w) and PL (17.3% w/w). GlcCer (3.08% of GL; 0.027% w/w of bran) and SG (6.34% of GL; 0.055% w/w of bran) were detected exclusively in RB. In vitro assays showed that RB extract was non-cytotoxic to HaCaT and BJ cells at 6.25–50 µg/mL and increased fibroblast viability (113-114%) at 100-200 µg/mL. Overall, the findings indicate that Riceberry bran provides a safe, GlcCer-rich lipid extract with potential dermal benefits. This integrated assessment identifies Riceberry bran as a promising source of functional sphingolipids for nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and topical applications.
Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric, has significantly therapeutic potential through its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. However, its clinical application is severely limited by its poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. This study systematically evaluated the formulation and optimization of curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CRCSNPs) via ionic gelation to overcome the limitations. Using a one-factor-at-a-time approach, critical parameters—including chitosan-to- sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) mass ratio, pH, and curcumin loading—were methodically evaluated to identify optimal formulation conditions. The results demonstrated that a chitosan-to-TPP ratio of 4:1 at pH 5.0 with 5% w/w curcumin loading produced nanoparticles with a mean size of 211.9±10.6 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 96.88%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed successful ionic crosslinking and specific interactions between curcumin and chitosan. Additionally, CRCSNPs achieved a 2.0-fold solubility enhancement in acetate buffer pH 4.5 and up to 2.8-fold enhancement in the presence of surfactants in comparison to free curcumin. Nanoparticle tracking analysis revealed a modal size of 162.5 nm, corroborating the dynamic light scattering data and supporting the presence of a well-dispersed nanoparticle population. These findings suggest a rational formulation strategy that supports improvements in curcumin's biopharmaceutical properties, offering further possibilities for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical applications The systematic optimization approach provides a reproducible method for other poorly water-soluble bioactive compounds. Optimizing the chitosan-to-TPP ratio, pH, and curcumin loading allows for the fine-tuning of ionic crosslinking and hydrogen bonding. This results in a stable nanoparticle matrix that directly supports the improved solubility of the drug.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted considerable research attention as a promising class of emerging adsorbents. MOFs possess exceptionally high surface areas, tunable pore structures and chemically tailored environments, making them well-suited for heavy metal selectivity. In this context, this review examines the regenerative performance and structural stability of pristine, functionalised, composite and MOF-derived materials following heavy metal adsorption. Across the reviewed studies, MOF-based systems generally exhibited favourable regenerative performance, particularly composite and selected functionalised systems, with losses in adsorption capacity typically below 10-15% after several cycles. These observations suggest that with appropriate MOF design, performance requirements for practical water treatment are attainable. Performance and stability depended mainly on the regeneration strategy and the type of MOF employed, particularly the framework composition, the metal node and the linker chemistry. Various regeneration techniques have been successfully reported, including chemical elution with acid or alkaline solutions, chelation-assisted desorption, electrochemically-assisted regeneration, photoregeneration and hybrid chemical-thermal strategies. Combined regeneration approaches showed strong potential to improve desorption efficiency while preserving structural integrity. MOF composites such as polymer-supported MOF beads, magnetic core-shell composites and MOF-oxide hybrid demonstrated enhanced recovery, stability and separation efficiency. Functionalisation with amines, thiols, sulfonates, and chelating agents improved selectivity in many systems. However, depending on the target metal, functionalisation can either facilitate or hinder regeneration due to strong coordination interactions. Despite these advances, most studies remain limited to batch-scale laboratory experiments with low regeneration cycles. Future work should prioritise increased regeneration cycles, leaching studies, stability evaluations, and continuous-flow systems to facilitate the practical implementation of MOF-based technology in water treatment.
