This study optimized the co-encapsulation of the probiotic Lactobacillus brevis strain LSe and the prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) in calcium alginate beads using a Central Composite Design (CCD). The statistically derived optimal formulation (3.0

The presence of persistent pharmaceutical micropollutants like pyrvinium pamoate (PP) in aquatic environments demands eco-friendly remediation approaches. We report a bio-inspired LRE-Ca-1(0)(PO4)(6)(OH)(2)@Li-H3BTC-MOFs nanocomposite synthesized via in situ hydrothermal integration of licorice root extract (LRE)-functionalized hydroxyapatite with a lithium-based metal-organic framework. Comprehensive characterization (FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, DLS, TGA) confirmed nanoscale (similar to 100 nm) morphology, structural integrity, and retention of bioactive -OH, -COO-, and PO groups. Under UV irradiation (30 W/m(2)) and minimal H2O2 (0.55 mM), PP removal was optimized via Response Surface Methodology (D-optimal design, R-2 = 0.988), achieving 99.96% (SD = 2.7%) efficiency at low nanocomposite dosage (2 mg/L) and environmentally relevant PP concentration (30 mg/L). Kinetic studies revealed chemisorption-dominated removal (pseudo-second-order, R-2 = 0.9997), while reusability tests confirmed >85% performance retention after five cycles. This sustainable, plant-derived nanocomposite offers a scalable solution for efficient pharmaceutical pollutant removal under practical water treatment conditions.

The use of sunscreen is essential to protect the skin from the acute and chronic effects of UV rays. This study was aimed at investigating in vitro evaluation of photoprotection, cytotoxicity, and phototoxicity of extracts from Golnar-e-farsi, saffron, and true indigo. The plant extracts were prepared using the maceration method. The in vitro evaluation showed that the sun protection factor (SPF) of the barrier cream containing 1

Enzymes are used in various industries and one of the enzymes used in these industries is proteases. In this research, the effort was to optimize the immobilization process of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes strain Te cells in calcium alginate beads, which would lead to a possible increase in the protease production. At first, the desired bacterial strain, i.e., P. pseudoalkaligenes strain Te, was selected and prepared. To optimize the immobilization process of desired bacterial cells in calcium alginate beads, the experimental design method was used by the help of Design-Expert software. The highest amount of enzyme production was determined that the levels of three variables including sodium alginate, 2.5

Berberine (Ber) as a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, with a wide range of biological activities, mainly suffers from low bioavailability, decreasing its therapeutic efficacy. In this study, two novel conjugates of Ber with self-assembly property, Ber–polyethylene glycol (B–PEG) and Ber–diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (B–DG), were synthesized to investigate the effect of the anchoring part on the CMC, morphology as well as antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of the nanomicelles. The CMC increased from 1.2 μmol in B–DG to 3.0 μmol in B–PEG, measured by pendant drop. The anchored part affected greatly the shape and CMC of the self-assembled nanomicelles. A mixture of semi-spherical and cubic nanomicelles in the average hydrodynamic size of 93 nm was achieved for B–PEG, while B–DG nanomicelles were just in semispherical morphology with the hydrodynamic size of 64 nm. The antioxidant property of the nanomicelles was studied by DPPH scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays, exhibiting improved antioxidant activity of B–PEG and B–DG conjugates compared to free Ber. The neuroprotection potency of Ber was improved significantly after conjugation compared to free Ber against H 2 O 2 -induced cell death and B–PEG showed activity as level as that of the standard drug, Quercetin. Owing to the self-assembly property and interesting biological activities of the introduced amphiphilic Ber–PEG conjugate, we propose application of this nanomicelle alone, or as a promising bioactive carrier of the poorly water-soluble drugs, against neurodegenerative diseases.

Abstract Background and Aims Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, a precise and reliable diagnosis of this disease is critical. The use of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can help facilitate the diagnosis of COVID‐19. This scoping review aimed to investigate the role of CDSS in diagnosing COVID‐19. Methods We searched four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) using three groups of keywords related to CDSS, COVID‐19, and diagnosis. To collect data from studies, we utilized a data extraction form that consisted of eight fields. Three researchers selected relevant articles and extracted data using a data collection form. To resolve any disagreements, we consulted with a fourth researcher. Results A search of the databases retrieved 2199 articles, of which 68 were included in this review after removing duplicates and irrelevant articles. The studies used nonknowledge‐based CDSS (n = 52) and knowledge‐based CDSS (n = 16). Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) (n = 33) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) (n = 8) were employed to design the CDSS in most of the studies. Accuracy (n = 43) and sensitivity (n = 35) were the most common metrics for evaluating CDSS. Conclusion CDSS for COVID‐19 diagnosis have been developed mainly through machine learning (ML) methods. The greater use of these techniques can be due to their availability of public data sets about chest imaging. Although these studies indicate high accuracy for CDSS based on ML, their novelty and data set biases raise questions about replacing these systems as clinician assistants in decision‐making. Further studies are needed to improve and compare the robustness and reliability of nonknowledge‐based and knowledge‐based CDSS in COVID‐19 diagnosis.

Viola tricolor L. has many uses in treatment of various skin disorders, which attributed to their antioxidant-flavonoid compounds. The aim of this study was evaluation of photoprotection, cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of the ethanolic extract of Viola tricolor flowers (EE-Viola). At concentration of 0.2 mg/mL of EE-Viola, the sun protection factor (SPF) value was 15.3 +/- 0.7. By evaluation of the survival of mouse fibroblast cells (3T3) in the presence and absence of UV light using MTT-based colorimetric assay, the calculated IC50 was found to be 30.79 mu g/mL and 34.89 mu g/mL, respectively. The phytosomes of EE-Viola (Phy&EE-Viola) were then prepared using thin-layer hydration technique and optimized by experimental design method. The optimum particle size (487.6 nm) and encapsulation efficiency (95.2%) of the prepared phytosomes obtained when ratio of extract amount to lecithin amount (3 to 1), experiment temperature of 50 degrees C, and bath sonication were used. The optimum prepared phytosome was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. In the next step, Phy&EE-Viola was formulated in a cream base and its photoprotective potential was evaluated. Finally, the Phy&EE-Viola cream was evaluated for its pH, spread-ability, occlusivity, in vitro SPF determination, release and stability studies. The SPF value of the cream containing 4% of Phy&EE-Viola was equal to 14.0 +/- 0.7. The results clearly indicated that the cream formulations exhibited a good stability at applied temperatures and good release profile. Therefore, the obtained cream of Phy&EE-Viola might be introduced as candidate as for sun protection which merit further investigations.

Dopamine (DA) shows numerous roles in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. In this study, an immobilized laccase-derived biosensor was developed for DA detection. The carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) was applied for immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor (TvLac). According to Plackett-Burman statistical design, the optimum conditions showed at 5 mg/mL of MWCNTs-COOH, 25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), sonication time for 15 min, 2.5 U/mg of enzyme concentration, immobilization time for 4 h at 4 °C, and rotation at 100 rpm. At these conditions, the experimental and predicted specific activities were 14.19 ± 1.41 U/mg and 13.99 ± 1.54 U/mg, respectively. The activity of immobilized TvLac was >90 % at 60 °C and pH 7.0 as well as after 10 sets of uses. The carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with the immobilized TvLac was then fabricated, characterized and applied as a biosensor (TvLac@MWCNTs-COOH/CPE) for determination of DA. The mean of diffusion coefficient for DA was considered to be 9.1 × 10-6 cm2/s. The TvLac@MWCNTs-COOH/CPE represented a linear dynamic range of 0.005-100.0 μM with detection limit of 1.0 nM. The TvLac@MWCNTs-COOH/CPE might be introduced as a suitable sensor for monitoring of DA in real specimens which merit further studies.

According to the favorable antitumor properties of selenium, this study aimed to design a novel form of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) functionalized with chitosan (Cs) and sialic acid to assess their antitumor effects on the human glioblastoma cell lines (T98 and A172). Se NPs were synthesized in the presence of chitosan and ascorbic acid (Vc) and the synthesis conditions were optimized using response surface methodology. Se NPs@Cs were obtained with a monoclinic structure with an average diameter of 23 nm under the optimum conditions (reaction time = 30 min, chitosan concentration =1 % w/v, Vc/Se molar ratio = 5). To modify Se NP@Cs for glioblastoma treatment, sialic acid was used to cover the surface of the NPs. Sialic acid was successfully attached to the surface of Se NPs@Cs, and Se NPs@Cs-sialic acid were formed in the size range of 15-28 nm. Se NPs@Cs-sialic acid were stable for approximately 60 days at 4 celcius. The as-synthesized NPs exerted inhibitory effects on T98 greater than 3 T3 > A172 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Additionally, sialic acid ameliorated the blood biocompatibility of Se NPs@Cs. Taken together, sialic acid improved both the stability and biological activity of Se NPs@Cs.

In the present study, the immobilization of Trametes versicolor laccase (TvLac) was optimized on the synthesized NaY-zeolite by experimental of design. For this purpose, the central composite design was employed to study the effects of the immobilization parameters on the activity of the immobilized TvLac on the NaY-zeolite. The optimum conditions were occurred at 2.5 mg/mL of NaY-zeolite concentration, 1 U/mg of enzyme concentration, 1 mM of glutaraldehyde concentration for 4 h immobilization time at 4 & DEG;C. In these conditions, the laccase activity developed to 15.68 & PLUSMN; 0.56 U/mg, which was very close to the predicted amount (16.09 & PLUSMN; 1.6 U/mg). Generally, the immobilized TvLac showed stability higher than that of the free TvLac at the different temperatures and pHs. The activity of the immobilized TvLac on the NaY-zeolite was 88.2% and 98.3% after incubation for 120 min at 60 & DEG;C and pH 5, respectively. Moreover, the free TvLac and immobilized TvLac on NaY-zeolite retained about 54.2% and 78.3% of its initial activity after 15 days of storage. The immobilized TvLac lost near 20% of its initial activity after 5 cycles of uses. The immobilized TvLac exhibited higher efficiency (93.0 & PLUSMN; 1.7% and 80.3 & PLUSMN; 1.8%, respectively) in removal of bromothymol blue (BTB) and trypan blue compared with the free TvLac (23.7 & PLUSMN; 1.8% and 15.1 & PLUSMN; 1.5%, respectively). Meanwhile, the kinetic parameters (Km and Vmax) for immobilized TvLac were 0.07 & mu;M and 1.38 & mu;mol/min, respectively, for removal of BTB. Therefore, the immobilized TvLac as a good candidate could be suggested for the elimination of dye-containing pollutants due to its high efficiency (more than 80%), which requires further investigations.& COPY; 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanostructures are bioinorganic hybrid systems considered for drug delivery. The aim of the present study was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the cellular toxicity of Mg/Ca-LDH nanostructures. The Mg/Ca-LDHs were synthesized through microwave-assisted reverse micelle method. The final products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Also, the effect of microwave power was investigated based on the morphology, particle size, and distribution. The determination of IC50 by MTT assay and an oxidative stress biomarker system, including the measurement of the levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), were used to evaluate the cellular toxicity of the synthesized nano-LDH in A549 cell line. The results indicated that the synthesized Mg/Ca-LDH nanostructures were layered and the size of the obtained ranged within 80–300 nm and the particle size distribution had a good shape. MTT results showed that the IC50 value of the synthesized Mg/Ca-LDH (A, B, and C) nanostructures on the A549 cell line was 57.1 ± 5.3, 58.2 ± 5.7, and 93 ± 6.5 μg/mL, respectively. Determining oxidative stress factors such as glutathione, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase revealed the highest increase in glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and also the lowest level of malondialdehyde for the C sample has lower toxicity among the other preparations. Thus, Mg/Ca-LDH nanostructures can be considered as a new material drug carrier due to its properties such as well dispersed in size distribution, crystalline morphology, and uniformity. Among them, the C sample can be considered as a drug carrier and a new material due to its lower toxicity.

The hydroxyapatite/glycyrrhizin/lithium-based metal–organic framework (HA/GL/Li-MOF) nanocomposites were synthesized via the hydrothermal method in the presence of lecithin and glycyrrhizin. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were applied for characterization of the fabricated nanocomposites. The HA/GL/Li-MOF and Li-MOF nanocomposites were employed as support for immobilization of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL). The Plackett–Burman and Box-Behnken designs were used for screening and optimizing of variables affecting the immobilization conditions, respectively. The optimum specific activity of immobilized TLL on HA/GL/Li-MOF and Li-MOF nanocomposites (41.8 ± 1.2 U/mg and 39.4 ± 3.1 U/mg, respectively) was predictably determined at support concentration of 0.5 mg/mL, glutaraldehyde concentration of 5 mM, and enzyme activity of 20 U/mg, while the specific activities of TLL@ HA/GL/Li-MOF and TLL@Li-MOF were experimentally found to be 39.5 ± 3.7 U/mg and 38.5 ± 2.3 U/mg, respectively. The stability results showed that the TLL@ HA/GL/Li-MOF has suitable stability against pH and thermal denaturation. However, the immobilized TLL on Li-MOF represented lower stability compared with that of the HA/GL/Li-MOF. The immobilized TLL on HA/GL/Li-MOF maintained near 70% of its original activity after 15 days’ storage and during 5 runs of application. In addition, TLL@HA/GL/Li-MOF exhibited higher enzyme–substrate affinity (Km, 10.1 mM) compared to that of TLL@Li-MOF (Km, 23.4 mM). Therefore, these findings demonstrated the potential use of HA/GL/Li-MOF nanocomposites for enzyme immobilization.

Applying sunscreen is essential for protecting the skin from UV’s acute and chronic effects. Some of these products on the market display side effects and are expensive. There is a great demand for effective, cheap, safe, and herbal sunscreens with a wide range of sun protection activities. This study aimed to evaluate the photoprotection, cytotoxicity, and phototoxicity of aqueous extracts of Cuscuta campestris (CC-AE) and Rosa damascena (RD-AE). The maceration method prepared the CC-AE and RD-AE from the aerial branch. In-vitro photoprotection was evaluated by determining the sun protective factor (SPF) of CC-AE and RD-AE by a UV-visible spectrophotometer. The cytotoxicity and phototoxicity studies were assessed using the MTT assay on 3T3 cells. In the final, the PIF (Photo Inhibitor Factor) was calculated. The SPF values of CC-AE and RD-AE were found at 11.10±0.05 and 1.36±0.04, respectively, at the concentration of 0.2 mg mL-1. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of CC-AE and RD-AE was obtained at 35.05±0.91 µg mL-1 and 40.7±0.87 µg mL-1, respectively. The phototoxicity analysis showed that CC-AE and RD-AE had low PIF values and were considered probable phototoxic. Overall, regarding SPF and PIFs values, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, can be evaluated for further pharmaceutical formulations.

Anthelmintic drugs such as mebendazole, niclosamide, albendazole, pyrantel, pyrvinium etc. have been applied to kill the helminthes, worm-like parasites such as flukes, roundworms, and tapeworms, in humans and livestock [1, 2]. Pyrvinium pamoate as a quinoline-derived cyanine dye, has been used to treat pinworm, nematode, or a roundworm infection in humans [3, 4]. This drug as an FDA-approved classical anthelmintic, can be useful for cancer therapy, antitumor activity [3, 5, 6]. During the past decades a wide range of these compounds as well as other pharmaceuticals have been described as emerging environmental contaminants [7-10]. High levels of pharmaceutical compounds have been discovered in sewage, sludge fields, surface water, groundwater, and even drinking water [11]. The majority of the adverse effects of toxic organic micro-pollutants has increased the requirement of the complete removal of these contaminants from the aquatic environment [12]. Different procedures such as physical approaches (flocculation, adsorption, coagulation, and membrane filtration, etc.), chemical approaches (electrochemical treatment and ozonation), and biological methods (using microorganisms and/or enzymes) have been applied for degradation of dyes and drugs [13, 14]. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as Fenton's oxidation, ozonation, photocatalytic oxidation, and sonolysis have been widely used for treatment of wastewaters [15-18]. AOPs have related to the ultraviolet light and semiconductors such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) etc. and applied for the change of molecules and the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH) [17, 19, 20]. In general, photocatalytic oxidation together with ultraviolet radiation formed a redox environment in the aqueous solution and usually decomposed the undesired contaminant into water [21, 22]. Investigation of photocatalytic methods by using the photo-catalysts such as TiO2, ZnO, WO3, Fe2O3, ZnS, and CdS have included in the previous studies for the removal of pollution resources from wastewaters [17, 23]. For example, Jiang et al. [24] described about photocatalytic degradation of dimethyl phthalate by TiO2 coated glass microspheres–UV irradiation process. In the other study done by Zhang et al. [25], the photo-catalyst nano-TiO2 has been successfully applied for the degradation of chloramphenicol under UV irradiation [25]. Zeolites as crystalline aluminosilicates with 3D microporous structure, which attracted great attentions due to their unique properties such as ion exchangeability, high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability, high capacity for catalytic reactions. The uses of zeolites for removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewaters have been reported in the last decades [26-28]. For example, Li et al. [27] applied the HZSM-5 zeolite supported boron-doped TiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin. Liu et al. [28] also used novel CoS2/MoS2@Zeolite for tetracycline removal in wastewater. The statistical and mathematical methods have successfully been applied to determine the optimal conditions for a variety of processes [8, 9, 24, 25]. In the study of Farzadkia et al. [11], the influences of some effective parameters, such as varying of pH value, nano-ZnO loading amount, UV-A light time, and intensity of radiation on the degradation efficiency of metronidazole in aqueous solution were discussed through photocatalytic trials using nano-ZnO as the photo-catalyst [11]. Optimization of photocatalytic degradation of phenazopyridine under UV light irradiation using immobilized TiO2 nanoparticles studied by Fathinia and Khataee [29]. In the present study the potential ability of the synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures for elimination of pyrvinium pamoate (PP) in the presence of UV light and H2O2 was evaluated. For this purpose, response surface methodology (RSM), a mathematical and statistical technique, was applied for the optimization of the removal process of PP and determines the optimum operational condition of the removal (%) by a predictive model. Pyrvinium pamoate was purchased from Aboureihan Pharmaceuticals Co. (Tehran, Iran). Sodium hydroxide, silicon dioxide, sodium aluminate, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution (30 wt%) were obtained from Merck chemicals (Darmstadt, Germany). All other chemicals and the used solvents were of analytical grade. In order to synthesize zeolite-based nanostructures, 5 mL sodium hydroxide (2 m) was added to a 50 mL round bottom balloon and 0.05 g silicon dioxide was added to the above solution until clarified completely. In the next step, the obtained silicate solution was slowly added to the alumina solution (0.1 mm) to form a clear white gel. The formed white gel was then transferred to a 250 mL container and exposed to microwave irradiation in a domestic microwave oven operating at 2,450 MHz for different output such as 600 and 300 W for 15 min. Then, the solution was transferred to an autoclave and heated at 200°C for 6 h. Then, to eliminate the alkalinity, the solution was passed through a filter paper and washed several times with deionized water. The pH of the solution was measured after each washing step until the solution reached a dull state and the pH adjusted to approximately 7. The remaining precipitate from the washed solution was transferred to a glass filter on a filter paper and kept aside for 9 h. At the final step, the precipitates were dried in vacuum at 50°C for 48 h. XRD patterns of as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures were collected from a diffractometer of Philips company with X'PertPro monochromatized Cu Ka radiation (k = 1.54 A°). Microscopic morphology of the products was visualized by a LEO 1455VP scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated at 20 keV. The synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures were examined for removal of PP by direct irradiation of UV light in a UV cabinet equipped by three 15 W UV lamps with wavelength of 254 nm (Philips, Holland) which sited in 25 cm on the top and behind the batch photoreactor [8, 30]. The reaction mixture was prepared by mixing PP solution of different concentrations (5−100 μg/mL) with the altered doses of nanostructure solution (0.5−5 μg/mL) and hydrogen peroxide (0−5 mm). The prepared mixtures were continuously stirred for 60 min in the presence of UV light (15−30 W/m2) and samples then taken each 15 min for 60 min. The nanocatalyst was then removed by centrifugation (8,000 × g for 5 min) and filtration (0.22 μm filters). The concentration of PP in samples was monitored using a Shimadzu UV–vis Double Beam PC Scanning spectrophotometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu CO, USA) at maximum absorbance of 507 nm (Figure 1). The experimental design technique, response surface methodology (RSM), was employed to optimize the removal process [8, 25, 31]. The removal effectiveness of pyrvinium pamoate was assessed using D-optimal design. Four factors were chosen including nanostructure dose (1−2 μg/mL), drug concentration (10−50 μg/mL), hydrogen peroxide concentration (0−1 mm), and light intensity (15−30 W/m2) (Table 1). XRD pattern of the as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures sample is shown in Figure 2. It can be seen from the XRD pattern that crystallinity phase shows the formation of structures in a completely pure way. No other crystalline phases were detected in the heated sample. The diffraction peaks of the as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures were matched with the signals of standards including Na2CO3 (JCPDS No. 00-018-1208), NaNO3 (JCPDS No. 01-070-1518) and Na3H (CO3)2.2H2O (JCPDS No. 01-078-1064) (Figure 2). Talebian-Kiakalaieh and Tarighi [32] synthesized and characterized the initially parent NaY and ZSM-5 zeolites. All XRD patterns demonstrated the high crystallinity of obtained zeolites without any amorphous phase. Ahmadi et al. [33] showed the characteristic peaks of zeolite NaY at 2 theta 6.1°, 11.8°, 15.5°, and 23.4°. Selim et al. [34] prepared the Na-A zeolite from aluminium scrub and sodium silicate and revealed the formation of pure Na-A zeolite without interference of other crystalline by-products [34]. Microscopic images show that samples are nanometre-sized and generally formed on a regular, uniform substrate (Figure 3). Ramezani et al. [35] synthesized NaY zeolite and revealed the formation of well-shaped crystals with an approximate size of 1 μm. Ameri et al. [36] observed the faujasite and hexagonal shapes for NaY and ZSM-5 zeolite, respectively, in the SEM images [36]. FESEM images of NH4Y zeolite, and amorphous silica–alumina assessed by Aghakhani et al. [37]. The NH4Y zeolite showed the agglomerated particles with smooth surface and sharp edges having average particle size of 0.7 μm while silica–alumina displayed rough surface irregular agglomerates with sizes in the range of 0.2–2 μm [37]. TEM analysis was used to further investigate the surface properties of zeolite-based nanostructures. According to the TEM image it can be concluded that the porous structures were well formed. The average pore size is below 50 nm. TEM image of the as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures is shown in Figure 4. In order to study the porosity of as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis was used. The obtained data through the BET and BJH with the adsorption/desorption isotherm method demonstrate that cross section area, total pore volumes and dead volume were calculated 0.162 nm2, 0.062 cm3/g, and 17.442 cm3, respectively. BET analysis of the as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures is shown in Figure 5. It seems that with increasing the amount of porosity at the level of zeolite structures, these porosities are evenly distributed at the surface of the sample. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) elemental mapping was used to show the distribution of elements within some selected area as a complement to the SEM analysis in the distribution of the as-synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures. The EDX elemental mapping is shown in Figure 6. In this example, the number of elements formed with a uniform scattering distribution. There is a small amount of Ti as impurities in the sample. At first, the effects of each parameter were individually assessed on the removal of PP and thus, the parameters, such as the initial concentration of PP, existence of zeolite-based nanostructures, the presence of UV light irradiation, UV light intensity, the presence of H2O2, and irradiation time were solely evaluated on the elimination of PP in solution. The obtained results showed that the total parameters have the positive effects on the removal process. So, these factors were selected for the optimization of removal conditions of PP using RSM. However, the irradiation time was considered to be constant during the PP removal process (15 min). These results were in accordance with the results reported by Samara et al. [38], who showed that the photodegradation in the absence of a catalyst resulted in changes of the peak intensity under 302-nm UV light. Wang et al. [26] assessed the effective degradation of sulfamethoxazole by Fe2+-zeolite/peracetic acid, and reported that the increase in Fe2+-zeolite/peracetic acid dosage enhanced the degradation of sulfamethoxazole. Sturini et al. [39] evaluated the photocatalytic removal for the degradation of ofloxacin from polluted water. They found that the highest degradation rate (95%) obtained in the presence of undoped composites, the synthesized sepiolite–TiO2 (ST-1) and the synthesized zeolite–TiO2 (ZT) [39]. Before performing of the experimental design, initial experiments (selected as one factor study) were accomplished to evaluate the effect of each parameter on PP elimination. Results obtained by individual factors including the elimination in the absence of UV light (in the presence of zeolite-based nanostructures and dark conditions), photolysis (UV light irradiation), and photodegradation (assisted by UV/zeolite-based nanostructures) for a time period of 90 min proved that factors of UV light intensity, irradiation time, and existence of zeolite-based nanostructures positively affected the elimination of PP. So, these factors were selected for the optimization of PP elimination using UV/zeolite-based nanostructures/H2O2. However, the radiation time was remained constant (15 min) during the removal processes of PP. The graphical tools were applied for diagnostics of the normal distribution of data. The residuals versus the predicted plot were the residuals versus the ascending predicted response values. As shown in Figure 7a, the plot must have a random scatter, which is appropriate for continuing analysis. Figure 7b represents a graph of the actual response values versus the predicted response values. The data points should be split evenly by the 45° line. It can be seen that there was a high correlation between the predicted and experimental PP removal (%). The relationship between factors and PP removal (%) was investigated by 3D surface plots. Figure 8a shows the effect of H2O2 concentration and nanostructure dose on pyrvinium pamoate removal (%), while factors such as drug concentration and light intensity were kept at their centre points. As can be seen in the plot, the PP removal (%) improved with increase in nanostructure dose from 1 to 2 μg/mL. However, the removal of PP decreased with the increase in H2O2 concentration (Figure 8a). In the study performed by Zhang et al. [25], they found that the degradation rate of chloramphenicol was 85.97% under optimal conditions especially at TiO2 concentration of 0.94 g/L. Gupta et al. [9] reported that the maximum quinoline degradation efficiency (about 92%) obtained at the optimum condition of 400°C calcination temperature, 8 pH, 1:1 ZnO:TiO2 molar ratio, 50 mg/L initial quinoline concentration, and 2.5 g/L catalyst dose [9]. Photocatalytic degradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (2,3,7,8-TCDF) evaluated by Samara et al. [38]. They also applied the both types of silver zeolite (AgY1 and AgY2) to degrade 2,3,7,8-TCDF. The amount of the adsorbed 2,3,7,8-TCDF on AgY1 and AgY2 catalyst was 37.9% and 18.9%, respectively [38]. In general, the amount of catalyst has affected on the degradation efficiency due to provide a greater number of actives sites. Therefore, an enhancement in the amount of catalyst has led to increase in the number of •OH radicals, which produced more free electrons [8, 9]. The effects of the light intensity and H2O2 concentration (other factors such as drug concentration and nanostructure dose were at centre points) on the removal (%) of PP are shown in Figure 8b. The results show that the PP elimination (%) increased with the increasing of light intensity (Figure 8b). Indeed, this behaviour is as an indication of producing the activated •OH and the atomic oxygen due to absorbed UV light energy via H2O2 and O─O bond. The created molecular oxygen, an electron acceptor, operates for the avoidance of recombination of electrons and holes during the photochemical process [17, 40, 41]. When, the higher light intensity was used for the degradation process, the more electron–hole pairs were created by photocatalyst elements [17, 40, 41]. Since the same study reported by Trapido et al. [42] for diclofenac degradation. They applied the several protocols such as UV photolysis, H2O2/ photolysis, and Fenton/photo-Fenton treatment for the diclofenac degradation and reported that the UV photolysis was the main pathway for diclofenac degradation. Achilleos et al. [40] applied the hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer on diclofenac degradation. They found that the ratio of H2O2 to drug concentration influenced the rate of degradation. Samy et al. [43] synthesized the nanocomposites of carbon nanotubes/lanthanum vanadate for the photocatalytic degradation of a sulfamethazine and optimized the degradation parameters such as solution pH, catalyst dose and light intensity using a central composite design. The predicted and experimental sulfamethazine removal rates were 95.54% and 96.2%, respectively, in the optimum parameters obtained 3.0 (pH), 0.2495 g/L (catalyst dose), and 152.727 W/m2 (light intensity). Apollo et al. [44] assessed a UV/H2O2/TiO2/Zeolite combined system for treatment of molasses wastewater and achieved the highest decolorization in the order H2O2/UV/TiO2/zeolite > H2O2/UV/TiO2 > UV/TiO2 > H2O2/UV system [44]. The effect of drug concentration and nanostructure dose, while factors such as H2O2 concentration and light intensity were at centre points, on PP removal (%) is presented in Figure 8c. It can be observed that nanostructure dose had a major effect on the response, with a high increase in PP removal for high nanostructure dose (2 μg/mL) (Figure 8c). When, an increase in drug concentration from 10 μg/mL to 50 μg/mL decreased the elimination of PP from 65.00% to 60.20%, at high nanostructure dose (2 μg/mL). As observed, at high concentration of drug (50 μg/mL) and in the presence of low dose of nanostructure (1 μg/mL), the PP removal (%) was occurred 53.15% (Figure 8c). Mostafaloo et al. [45] optimized the degradation parameters of ciprofloxacin by BiFeO3 nanocomposites using RSM. The maximum ciprofloxacin removal (100%) obtained at pH 6, initial ciprofloxacin concentration of 1 mg/L, BiFeO3 dosage of 2.5 g/L, and at 30°C for 46 min. They found that the removal efficiency enhanced at low level of ciprofloxacin and at high level of BiFeO3. Apollo et al. [44] reported that when the molasses concentration increased from 1 to 20 g/L, the degradation efficiencies decreased from 57% to 49%, respectively [44]. In the other study of Gupta et al. [9], the initial quinoline concentration (ranging from 50 to 500 mg/L) evaluated for photocatalytic degradation of quinoline. They observed that increasing the concentration of quinoline from 50 to 500 mg/L, the degradation rate reduced from 81.2% to 45.3%, respectively [9]. Figure 8d illustrates the effects of nanostructure dose and light intensity on PP removal efficiencies. As shown in from Figure 8d, the highest removal percent of PP (62.85%) obtained when the nanostructure dose and light intensity were 2 μg/mL and 24 W/m2, respectively. Similar observations were reported by Li et al. [27], who applied HZSM-5 zeolite supported boron-doped TiO2 with ultraviolet irradiation for photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin [27]. The photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline using a series of CoS2/MoS2@Zeolite photocatalysts showed that CoS2/MoS2@Z-50 was the most effective photocatalyst. Nenavathu et al. [46] found that there is the significant difference between removal of trypan blue with and without UV light irradiation using Se-doped ZnO NPs [46]. Generally, an enhancement of electron–hole pairs generation and an increase of the hydroxyl radical formation depends on the higher energy obtained from UV light intensity, which led to enhancement of removal efficiency [17, 31]. The adequacy of the model was validated under the optimal conditions obtained from D-optimal design (Table 4). Experimental PP removal (%) was found 70.14±1.71% at the optimal conditions. Also predicted PP removal (%) was calculated 72.25 ± 1.23% at the optimal conditions. According to results, verification experiments confirmed the validity of the predicted model (Table 4). Based on Figure 9, the PP removal (%) was increased (97.67 ± 1.1%) with enhancement of irradiation time of 15 to 60 min. X1: 2.00 μg/mL X2: 10.00 μg/mL X3: 0.00 mm X4: 22.50 W/m2 The present study was designed to assess the elimination of PP in the presence of the synthesized zeolite-based nanostructures assisted by UV light radiation in the aqueous solution. Statistical method, D-optimal design, was applied to optimize the essential components for elimination. The effect of four factors including nanostructure dose, drug concentration, H2O2 concentration, and light intensity were evaluated on removal efficiency of PP. Among the total variables, nanostructure dose, and light intensity were significantly showed positive effects on PP removal (p < 0.05), while H2O2 concentration, and drug concentration had negative effect (p < 0.05). Lastly, the best optimum conditions for maximum elimination of PP (70.14 ± 1.71%) was experimentally reached at nanostructure dose of 2.00 μg/mL, drug concentration of 10.00 μg/mL, H2O2 concentration of 0.00 mm, light intensity of 22.50 W/m2, which was very near to the predicted amount (72.25 ± 1.23%). The PP removal (%) was also increased (97.67 ± 1.1%) with the enhancement of irradiation time of 15–60 min. The obtained results confirmed the potential application of zeolite-based nanostructures in the presence of UV light radiation for elimination of the PP. However, more studies are needed to investigate the related mechanism(s) on this process and to identify the probable by-products. Research reported in this publication was supported by Elite Researcher Grant Committee under award number [982564] from the National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), Tehran, Iran. The authors declare no conflict of interest. None Research reported in this publication was supported by Elite Researcher Grant Committee under award number [982564] from the National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), Tehran, Iran. Furthermore, we thank the Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences (Kerman, Iran). The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

In the present study, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with glycyrrhizin and Tween 80 and applied for immobilization of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PcL). Characterization of f-MWCNTs was performed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The optimum specific activity of immobilized PcL (studied by Plackett–Burman statistical design) occurred at 0.3 mg/mL of f-MWCNTs, 25 mM of phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), 15 min sonication time, 8 U/mL of enzyme concentration, and 24 h immobilization time at 4 °C in the absence of glutaraldehyde. In these conditions, the specific activity was 16.57 ± 0.71 U/mg, which was very close to the predicted amount (16.62 ± 0.64 U/mg). The results of thermal and pH stability showed that the stability of immobilized PcL was higher than that of the free PcL. The activity of immobilized PcL on f-MWCNTs held 93% after being incubated for 60 min at 70 °C. Moreover, the immobilized PcL on f-MWCNTs retained about 65% of its initial activity after 30 days of storage at 25 °C. In addition, about 50% of initial activity of immobilized PcL retained after 10 cycles of uses. Therefore, f-MWCNTs could be introduced as suitable support for enzymes immobilization.

A zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) has been synthesized through solvothermal method. The structure was characterized by means of FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized ZIF-90 was applied as a support for immobilization of porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The immobilized enzyme (PPL@ZIF-90) exhibited immobilization yield and efficiency of 66 +/- 1.8% and 89 +/- 1.4%, respectively. The pH and thermal stability of PPL was improved after immobilization and the initial activity was retained at about 57% after 20days of storage at 4 degrees C for PPL@ZIF-90. Moreover, about 57% of the original activity was remained following 10 cycles of application. In Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies, K-m value for PPL@ZIF-90 was lower, while, the V-max was higher than free PPL Moreover, optimized conditions to produce fruity banana flavour upon esterification of butyric acid were investigated. The optimum esterification yield was 73.79 +/- 1.31% in the presence of 245 mg PPL@ZIF-90, alcohol/acid ratio of 2.78 and 39 h reaction time. PPL@ZIF-90 showed 39% relative esterification yield after six cycles of reuse. The results suggested that PPL@ZIF-90 can be used as a potential effective biocatalyst for synthesis of isoamyl butyrate. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.

In this study, platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were synthesized by a green method using an aqueous extract of Eucalyptus camaldulensis with assistance of microwave irradiation (850 W) and their physicochemical characteristics were studied by UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. Antioxidant activities, hemocompatibility, and cytotoxic effects of the prepared Pt NPs were then evaluated. The attained results showed that the newly formed Pt NPs possess a size range between 7.4 and 11.2 nm. These spherical-shaped NPs were slightly aggregated and held various functional groups on their surface. The antioxidant activity of Pt nanostructures was comparable to that of butylated hydroxyl anisole at concentrations higher than 320 µg/mL. At the same concentration of 640 μg/mL, the scavenging activities were 3.36 ± 0.9% (hexachloroplatinic acid) and 52.13 ± 0.43% (Pt NPs). The results of hemolytic assay revealed satisfactory hemocompatibility of the Pt NPs even at the concentration as high as 4 mg/mL (hemolysis percent equal to 3.5 ± 1.3%). The cytotoxicity studies revealed that MCF-7, A549, and 3T3 cell lines treated with hexachloroplatinic acid and cisplatin for 24 h and 48 h showed a higher percentage of cell death compared with the Pt NPs. After 24 h, for A549, 3T3, and MCF-7 cells exposed to Pt NPs, the cell viability was measured to be 80 ± 3.2%, 96 ± 1%, and 89 ± 2.6%, respectively, at concentration of 640 µg/mL. Further investigations are required to elucidate the mechanisms behind the biological activities of as-synthesized Pt NPs.

This study was performed to synthesize and characterize NaY and ZSM-5 zeolites and their hierarchical forms (HR-Y and HR-Z) through dealumination and soft templating procedure. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed significant increase in the average pore diameter (DP) size for HR-Y (2.43 nm) and HR-Z (5.07 nm) compared to those of the parent types (NaY and ZSM-5: 1.85 and 2.01 nm, respectively). The mesoporous pore volumes (Vmeso) exhibited notable enhancement for HR-Y (114%) and HR-Z (566%) compared to their parent forms. Laccase (Lac) was subsequently immobilized on NaY and ZSM-5 zeolites, and their hierarchical forms by immobilization efficiency of 74.4 +/- 1.4%, 71.6 +/- 1.0%, 98+/-2.9%, and 94+/-1.8% for Lac@NaY, Lac@ZSM-5, Lac@HR-Y, and Lac@HR-Z, respectively. Thermal and pH stability of the immobilized laccases were enhanced compared with the free enzyme. The relative activity for the immobilized laccases was kept over 50% of its original activity after about 3 weeks of storage at 4 degrees C. Moreover, reusability of Lac@HR-Z and Lac@HR-Y was considerably higher (68% and 92%, respectively) than those of Lac@ZSM-5 and Lac@NaY (6% and 5.6%, respectively) after 10 cycles of reuse. Lac@HR-Z and Lac@HR-Y exhibited higher efficiency (80.5% and 89.3%, respectively) in phenol bio-removal compared with those of ZSM-5 (67.5%) and NaY (76.5%). Besides, 90.4 +/- 1.3% of phenol was practically removed under optimal conditions including 12 U/mg of Lac@HR-Y, 2.6 mM of phenol, and 70 min of the reaction time. Lac@HR-Y also exhibited 56% efficiency after 10 cycles of phenol removal. Furthermore, three phenolic compounds were detected by GC-mass analysis due to phenol bio-removal in the optimal conditions after removing the dark brown precipitate of polymerized metabolites. Therefore, Lac@HR-Y could be suggested for the elimination of phenol-containing pollutants that merits further investigations. (c) 2021 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The biologically synthesised tellurium nanoparticles (Te NPs) were applied in the fabrication of Te NP-embedded polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/GEL) electrospun nanofibres and their antioxidant and in vivo wound healing properties were determined. The as-synthesised nanofibres were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and elemental mapping, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The mechanical properties and surface hydrophobicity of scaffolds were investigated using tensile analysis and contact angle tests, respectively. The biocompatibility of the produced scaffolds on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (3T3) was evaluated using MTT assay. The highest wound healing activity (score 15/19) was achieved for scaffolds containing Te NPs. The wounds treated with PCL/GEL/Te NPs had inflammation state equal to the positive control. Also, the mentioned scaffold represented positive effects on collagen formation and collagen fibre's horizontalisation in a dose-dependent manner. The antioxidative potency of Te NP-containing scaffolds was demonstrated with lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (∼3 times) and a higher level of glutathione (GSH) (∼2 times) in PCL/GEL/Te NP-treated samples than the negative control. The obtained results strongly demonstrated the healing activity of the produced nanofibres, and it can be inferred that scaffolds containing Te NPs are suitable for wound dressing.

The main aim of this study was to determine physicochemical, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of cadmium nanoparticles (Cd NPs) produced using Artemisia persica extract combined with microwave irradiation (850 W). The obtained results showed that the Cd NPs were hexagonal in shape and their size was in the range of 11.2–18.6 nm. The attained results of antioxidant activity showed that at concentrations ranging from 10 to 2560 µg mL−1, there was no considerable difference between scavenging effect of Cd NPs and ascorbic acid (p > 0.05). For A549, 3T3, HT-29, MCF-7, and U87 cells exposed to Cd NPs, the IC50 was measured to be 47.2 ± 1.2 µg mL−1, 10.6 ± 1 µg mL−1, 133.5 ± 1.3 µg mL−1, 1.8 ± 0.7 µg mL−1, and 62.9 ± 3.3 µg mL−1, respectively. Generally, Cd NPs exhibited lower cytotoxicity and higher antioxidant effect in comparison to cadmium ions which further studies should perform to find about the related mechanisms.