Exploration of Amylases Producing Competency of Helicoverpa armigera Gut Bacterial Strain, Bacillus subtilis RTSBA6 6.00

The Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous insect pest of agriculturally important crops. The alkaline gut of this insect pest possesses diverse bacterial communities which may assist in digestive physiology. As part our investigations of understanding the role of gut bacterial communities in insect gut, here amylase producing competency of earlier identified H. armigera gut bacterial strain, i.e., Bacillus subtilis RTSBA6 6.00 is reported. Initial screening for amylase activity was assessed by starch agar plate. Upon 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis amylase zymography, bacterial culture supernatant produced seven amylase bands on the gel. The observed molecular weights of amylases were 191.2 KDa, 158.0 KDa, 131.7 KDa, 54.0 KDa, 31.3 KDa, 67.2 KDa, and 44.6 KDa, respectively. Considerable amylase activity was observed in neutral to alkaline pH with optimum at pH 6.8. The optimal activity temperature of amylases was found to be 50°C, and the activity decreased dramatically at temperatures above 75°C

Simultaneous determination of 6-shogaol and 6-gingerol in various ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extracts and commercial formulations using a green RP-HPTLC-densitometry method

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Various analytical methodologies have been reported for the determination of 6-shogaol (6-SHO) and 6-gingerol (6-GIN) in ginger extracts and commercial formulations. However, green analytical methods for the determination of 6-SHO and 6-GIN, either alone or in combination, have not yet been reported in literature. Hence, the present study was aimed to develop a rapid, simple, and cheaper green reversed phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) densitometry method for the simultaneous determination of 6-SHO and 6-GIN in the traditional and ultrasonication-assisted extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas. The simultaneous analysis of 6-SHO and 6-GIN was carried out via RP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates. The mixture of green solvents, i.e., ethanol:water (6.5:3.5 v/v) was utilized as a mobile phase for the simultaneous analysis of 6-SHO and 6-GIN. The analysis of 6-SHO and 6-GIN was performed at λmax = 200 nm for 6-SHO and 6-GIN. The densitograms of 6-SHO and 6-GIN from traditional and ultrasonication-assisted extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas were verified by obtaining their single band at Rf = 0.36 ± 0.01 for 6-SHO and Rf = 0.53 ± 0.01 for 6-GIN, compared to standard 6-SHO and 6-GIN. The green RP-HPTLC method was found to be linear, in the range of 100–700 ng/band with R2 = 0.9988 for 6-SHO and 50–600 ng/band with R2 = 0.9995 for 6-GIN. In addition, the method was recorded as “accurate, precise, robust and sensitive” for the simultaneous quantification of 6-SHO and 6-GIN in traditional and ultrasonication-assisted extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas. The amount of 6-SHO in traditional extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas was obtained as 12.1, 17.9, 10.5, and 9.6 mg/g of extract, respectively. However, the amount of 6-SHO in ultrasonication-assisted extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas were obtained as 14.6, 19.7, 11.6, and 10.7 mg/g of extract, respectively. The amount of 6-GIN in traditional extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas were found as 10.2, 15.1, 7.3, and 6.9 mg/g of extract, respectively. However, the amount of 6-GIN in ultrasonication-assisted extracts of ginger rhizome, commercial ginger powder, commercial capsules, and commercial ginger teas were obtained as 12.7, 17.8, 8.8, and 7.9 mg/g of extract, respectively. Overall, the results of this study indicated that the proposed analytical technique could be effectively used for the simultaneous quantification of 6-SHO and 6-GIN in a wide range of plant extracts and commercial formulations

Ganga and Yamuna Rivers: Through the Lens of the National Green Tribunal

Despite the country’s extensive environmental jurisprudence and many historic rulings in which the courts have rescued worsening environmental situations, river (Ganga and Yamuna) water does not match the mandated minimum “bathing quality.” Rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, which flow through numerous states and towns, would be in a different situation. Without strict monitoring and enforcement of the measures, no action plan can work. Punishment of defaulters can serve as deterrence while also instilling fear in other non-compliant enterprises. In comparison to environmental legislation, the NGT Act allows for substantially harsher fines and penalties. River rejuvenation plans must be carefully monitored to ensure that they do not suffer the same fate. Making action plans will not improve river water quality unless they are implemented with sincerity and consistency, as well as continuous monitoring and severe enforcement

AEROSOL SYNTHESIS OF CATHODE MATERIALS FOR NA-ION AND LI-ION BATTERIES

Energy production and storage are important issues that play a key role in our daily lives. There is a need for high energy and high power systems for portable electronic devices and zero-emission vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are crucial in addressing these needs. However, for the smart electric grid and renewable energy storage where cost is critical but weight and footprint requirement is less important, the sodium-ion battery is the most suitable power sources. To achieve both high power density and high energy density, nanostructured sphere particles with controlled porosity and high tapping density are desired for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. The versatile and facile ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method allows for the synthesis of a variety of electrode materials with sphere morphology. Work has been done to develop electrode materials through an aerosol method that can be readily applied to industry. Two classes of high energy cathodes suitable for lithium-ion batteries were studied. These include the 5V spinels and lithium-rich materials. The 5V spinels are a promising class of electrodes for secondary lithium batteries. This class of material has the highest intrinsic rate capability of the intercalation cathodes with high safety, low toxicity, and low cost making it ideal for high-power applications such as electric vehicles, while the lithium-rich compounds exhibit high capacity and reasonable cycle stability. Two classes of stable cathodes suitable for sodium-ion batteries were studied. The first was carbon coated porous hollow Na2FePO4F spheres with 500 nm diameter and 80 nm wall thickness synthesized by a one-step template-free ultrasonic spray pyrolysis process using sucrose as the carbon source. Nano-sized porous hollow Na2FePO4F spheres allow electrolyte to penetrate into the hollow structure, and thus the electrochemical reaction can take place on both the outside and inside surface and in the pores. Also, the carbon coating on Na2FePO4F hollow spheres enhances the electronic conductivity and charge transfer reaction kinetics. The exceptional performance of hollow Na2FePO4F spheres combined with mature aerosol spray synthesis technology make these carbon coated porous hollow Na2FePO4F spheres very promising as cathode materials for practical applications in Na-ion batteries. Finally, P2-type earth abundant layered oxides with high energy density and long cycling stability were also developed and studied. These layered materials were investigated due to their high theoretical capacity. A novel ultrasonic spray pyrolysis system has been developed to effectively coat any cathode, including layered oxides, with a thin layer of carbon to improve the kinetics and increase the electronic conductivity. The residence time in air is sufficiently short to allow the decomposition of the carbon source (sucrose) without further reduction of the cathode material. A vertical configuration allows the solid particles to reach the filter for collection with high efficiency. As a test sample, lithium-rich cathodes have been successfully carbon coated and compared with the bare material

Expanding the Focus of Occupational Safety and Health: Lessons From a Series of Linked Scientific Meetings

There is widespread recognition that the world of work is changing, and agreement is growing that the occupational safety and health (OSH) field must change to contribute to the protection of workers now and in the future. Discourse on the evolution of OSH has been active for many decades, but formalized support of an expanded focus for OSH has greatly increased over the past 20 years. Development of approaches such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)\u27s total Worker Healt

Dizajn, razvoj i vrednovanje novih nanoemulzija za transdermalnu primjenu celekoksiba

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of nanoemulsion formulations for transdermal delivery of celecoxib (CXB). The in vitro skin permeation profile of optimized formulations was compared with CXB gel and nanoemulsion gel. Significant increase in the steady state flux (Jss), permeability coefficient (Kp) and enhancement ratio (Er) was observed in nanoemulsion formulations T1 and T2 (p < 0.05). The highest value of these permeability parameters was obtained in formulation T2, which consisted of 2% m/m of CXB, 10% m/m of oil phase (Sefsol 218 and Triacetin), 50% m/m of surfactant mixture (Tween-80 and Transcutol-P) and 40% m/m of water. The anti-inflammatory effects of formulation T2 showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in inhibition after 24 h compared to CXB gel and nanoemulsion gel on carrageenean-induced paw edema in rats. These results suggested that nanoemulsions are potential vehicles for improved transdermal delivery of CXB.U radu su opisana ispitivanja nanoemulzija za transdermalnu primjenu celekoksiba (CXB). Profil permeacije kroz kožu ispitivan je in vitro i uspoređivan sa CXB gelom i nanoemulzijskim gelom. U formulacijama T1 i T2 postignuto je značajno povećanje ustaljenog fluksa (Jss), koeficijenta permeabilnosti (Kp) i povećanje omjera (Er) (p < 0.05). Najveće vrijednosti parametara permeabilnosti dobivene su u formulaciji T2 koja je sadržala 2% m/m CXB, 10% m/m uljne faze (Sefsol 218 i Triacetin), 50% m/m površinski-aktivnih tvari (Tween-80 i Transcutol-P) i 40% m/m vode. Protuupalno djelovanje formulacije T2 na edem šape štakora uzrokovan karageninom značajno je povećano (p < 0.05) poslije 24 h u usporedbi sa CXB gelom i nanoemulzijskim gelom. Rezultati ukazuju na poboljšanu isporuku celekoksiba putem nanoemulzija