19 research outputs found
Biodiesel Production Potential from Native Tehran Oil Crops Using GIS
Get PDFOne of the main factors in the alternative fuel economy is the primary raw materials. Importing raw materials and preparation conditions for cultivation of non-native species require high expenditure. Therefore, using native species can greatly reduce production costs. Therefore in this paper, this is for the first time a comprehensive study indigenous oil plant of Tehran province and their suitable growth conditions is presented. Then three species non-edible rapeseed, cotton and barley were selected due to their feasibility of producing biodiesel. The purpose of this study is therefore to propel relevant policies in the country towards greater use of domestic raw materials and known potentials. Therefore, the potential for biodiesel production from plant sources, in this region was studied using GIS software. The present paper describes the zoning map and identifies the potential map of producing biodiesel from indigenous plant sources in Tehran province. According to the map, concentration of biodiesel production is in the central and western cities of province. This map shows that 116806.8665 hectare of land with the greatest potential to produce biodiesel. Also the potential of biodiesel production from introduced species, considering the yield per hectare and their oil content, was calculated. The results show that the potential of biodiesel production for the three species of rapeseed, cotton and barley are respectively 98117.77, 58403.43, 83516.91 tons in Tehran province. Non-edible rapeseed with the highest production potential has been introduced as a superior indigenous species for the future investments in biodiesel production in Tehran provinc
Investigating The Effect Of Curcumin Supplement Consumption On Systematic Inflammation In Hemodialysis Patients
Get PDFAssessment of SnFe2O4 nanoparticles for potential application in theranostics: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro, and in vivo toxicity
Get PDFIn this research, tin ferrite (SnFe2O4 ) NPs were synthesized via hydrothermal route using ferric chloride and tin chloride as precursors and were then characterized in terms of morphology and structure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The obtained UV-Vis spectra was used to measure band gap energy of as-prepared SnFe2O4 NPs. XRD confirmed the spinel structure of NPs, while SEM and TEM analyses disclosed the size of NPs in the range of 15–50 nm and revealed the spherical shape of NPs. Moreover, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and BET analysis was carried out to estimate elemental composition and specific surface area, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized NPs were studied on normal (HUVEC, HEK293) and cancerous (A549) human cell lines. HUVEC cells were resistant to SnFe2O4 NPs; while a significant decrease in the viability of HEK293 cells was observed when treated with higher concentrations of SnFe2O4 NPs. Furthermore, SnFe2O4 NPs induced dramatic cytotoxicity against A549 cells. For in vivo study, rats received SnFe2O4 NPs at dosages of 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg. The 10 mg/kg dose increased serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine compared to the controls (P < 0.05). The pathology showed necrosis in the liver, heart, and lungs, and the greatest damages were related to the kidneys. Overall, the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that SnFe2O4 NPs at high doses had toxic effects on lung, liver and kidney cells without inducing toxicity to HUVECs. Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate the side effects of SnFe2O4 NPs for their application in theranostics
In vitro and in vivo anticancer effect of pH-responsive paclitaxel-loaded niosomes
Get PDFIn this study, paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded pH-responsive niosomes modified with ergosterol were developed. This new formulation was characterized in terms of size, morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and in vitro release at pH 5.2 and 7.4. The in vitro efficacy of free PTX and niosome/PTX was assessed using MCF7, Hela, and HUVEC cell lines. In order to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of niosomal PTX in rats as compared to free PTX, the animals were intraperitoneally administered with 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg niosomal PTX for two weeks. Results showed that the pH-responsive niosomes had a nanometric size, spherical morphology, 77% EE, and pH-responsive release in pH 5.2 and 7.4. Compared with free PTX, we found markedly lower IC50s when cancer cells were treated for 48 h with niosomal PTX, which also showed high efficacy against human cancers derived from cervix and breast tumors. Moreover, niosomal PTX induced evident morphological changes in these cell lines. In vivo administration of free PTX at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg significantly increased serum biochemical parameters and liver lipid peroxidation in rats compared to the control rats. The situation was different when niosomal PTX was administered to the rats: the 5 mg/kg dosage of niosomal PTX significantly increased serum biochemical parameters, but the group treated with the 2.5 mg/kg dose of niosomal PTX showed fewer toxic effects than the group treated with free PTX at the same dosage. Overall, our results provide proof of concept for encapsulating PTX in niosomal formulation to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. [Figure not available: see fulltext.
Biochemical, ameliorative and cytotoxic effects of newly synthesized curcumin microemulsions: Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies
Get PDFCurcumin is known to exhibit antioxidant and tissue-healing properties and has recently attracted the attention of the biomedical community for potential use in advanced therapies. This work reports the formulation and characterization of oil-in-water F127 microemulsions to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin Microemulsions showed a high encapsulation efficiency and prolonged release. To investigate the interactions of curcumin with one unit of the polymeric chain of surfactant F127, ethyl butyrate, and sodium octanoate, as well as the interaction between ethyl butyrate and one unit of the F127 polymer chain, the Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X level of theory, were performed in water solution. The MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of free and encapsulated curcumin on non-malignant and malignant cell lines. Combination effects were calculated according to Chou-Talalay’s principles. Results of in vitro studies indicated that MCF7 and HepG2 cells were more sensitive to curcumin microemulsions. Moreover, a synergistic relationship was observed between curcumin microemulsions and cisplatin in all affected fractions of MCF7 and HepG2 cells (CI < 0.9). For in vivo investigation, thioacetamide-intoxicated rats received thioacetamide (100 mg/kg Sc) followed by curcumin microemulsions (30 mg/kg Ip). Thioacetamideintoxicated rats showed elevated serum liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels, and a significant reduction in liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities (p < 0.05). Curcumin microemulsions reduced liver enzymes and serum creatinine and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in thioacetamide-treated rats in comparison to the untreated thioacetamide-intoxicated group. Histopathological investigations confirmed the biochemical findings. Overall, the current results showed the desirable hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and anti-cancer effects of curcumin microemulsions
F127/cisplatin microemulsions: In vitro, in vivo and computational studies
Get PDFThe development of effective strategies for local administration of chemotherapeutic drugs, thus minimizing the adverse side effects to patients, is one of the key challenges in biomedicine and cancer research. This work reports the formulation and characterization of PluronicF127 microemulsions to enhance the bioavailability of Cisplatin (Cis). The size of Cis microemulsion was about 12.0 nm, as assessed by dynamic light scattering analysis. In vitro cytotoxic activity of free Cis and F127/Cis microemulsions were studied on malignant (C152 and MCF7) and normal (HUVEC) cells via tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. Cell morphology was also monitored. In vitro assessments revealed thatF127/Cis microemulsions induced cytotoxicity/morphological changes to a lesser extent than free Cis. Regarding in vivo experiments, F127/Cis microemulsions were injected intraperitoneally at 7 and 14 mg/kg doses into adult male Wistar rats to assess histologic and biochemical changes. In this case, the bulk Cis group caused severe histopathological changes and significant increases in serum liver enzymes and serum kidney function markers. The group treated with the 14 mg/kg dose of F127/Cis microemulsions also showed severe fatty changes and significant increases in serum liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine levels. The group treated with the low dose of nano-Cis showed a significant increase in serum liver enzymes levels accompanied by mild fatty changes of the liver. Theoretical surveys were performed to get an understanding of the interplay between F127 and Cis. Results reveal that hydrogen bonding (HB) interactions with F127have an influence on the molecular properties of Cis and may playa role in the lower toxicity of F127/Cis in comparison to free Cis
CoNi alloy nanoparticles for cancer theranostics: synthesis, physical characterization, in vitro and in vivo studies
Get PDFNanomaterials are attracting increasing interest in many biomedical fields, including the fight against cancer. In this context, we successfully synthesized CoNi alloy nanoparticles (NPs) by a simple polyol process. The magnetic characteristics of the products were measured by vibration sample magnometry, which revealed that the samples have soft ferromagnetic behavior. The microstructure and morphology were inspected by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Human cancer cells derived from the breast (MCF7) and oral cavity (C152) and normal cells derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with increasing concentrations of CoNi NPs, and their cytotoxic effect was measured via MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assays. We found that treatments by using 12.5 to 400 µg/mL of Co0.5Ni0.5, Co0.6Ni0.4, and Co0.4Ni0.6 NPs were associated with significant concentration-dependent toxicity toward such cell lines and profoundly enhanced LDH leakage following 48 h of exposure (P < 0.05 compared with untreated cells). Besides, a NP dose of 6.25 µg/mL did not affect the survival of HUVECs while leading to marked cell death in MCF7 and C152 cells. In vivo experiments in rats were done to investigate the biochemical and histopathological changes over three weeks, following intraperitoneal administration of Co0.5Ni0.5, Co0.6Ni0.4, and Co0.4Ni0.6 NPs (100 mg/kg). As compared with the controls, the exposure to NPs caused significant elevations in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum catalase activity, serum superoxide dismutase, and liver malondialdehyde levels. Also, rats treated with Co0.6Ni0.4 NPs showed more severe histopathological changes of the liver and kidney. Our findings represent an essential step toward developing theranostic nanoplatforms for selective cancer treatment
The Effect Of Curcumin Supplementation On Lipid Profiles In Hemodialysis Patients
Get PDFAbstract. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of curcumin on systemic inflammation andserum lipid profiles in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of curcumin on systemic inflammation and serum lipid profiles in hemodialysis patients. Then, an experimental group received 80 mg of curcumin for 2 months and the control group received placebo. Before and after intervention, after 12 hours of fasting blood cc5, blood samples were taken from patients for triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C parameters. Data were then entered into SPSS 16 software and analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Fisher test and T-test. According to the results of the analyzes, the results of the assumptions under study indicated that the supplementation of curcumin reduced serum LDL-C concentrations (P <0.05) and increased serum HDL-C (P = 0.003) in hemodialysis patients. Serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride in patients without hemodialysis are equal to (P> 0.05). The results of this study showed that curcumin supplement can be effective in preventing heart disease and can be used as a complementary therapy.Keywords: Curcumin, Systemic inflammation, Hemodialysis, Serum lipid profile
PROPOSING AND ANALYSIS OF TWO COUPLED STIRLING ENGINES FOR HEAT-TO-COOL CONVERSION
No full textThe Stirling cycle is one of the thermodynamic cycles that has many advantages.
Advantages of this cycle have made Stirling engines popular and widely applicable to the industry and other applications. One of the advantages of the
Stirling cycle is its ability to operate inversely to produce cold energy. In this paper, a novel structure is proposed by which cold energy can be produced by a heat source using the coupling of two similar Stirling engines. By using this system, cold energy can be produced directly by the heat generated from renewable or non-renewable sources. The system is able to produce cold energy at different temperatures using solar energy, heat dissipation in thermal systems, biomass fuel, or other heat sources. Thermal energy is directly converted to the required mechanical energy for refrigeration in this system, which is the reason why this system is more efficient than others that convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and, then, convert the electrical energy to cold energy. In this paper, in addition to introducing and analyzing the proposed system, simulations are performed, showing that a temperature of can be produced using a solar dish at an ambient temperature of , which is suitable for saving foodstuffs and vegetables. It is assumed that the first Stirling engine produces about 60 J work from solar energy. Then, this amount of work is transferred to the second engine using a mechanical belt. The second engine produces cold energy using the transferred work. The proposed Stirling engines include two identical ST500 Gamma-type Stirling engines coupled to each other to convert heat to cool. Environmental conditions are assumed based on actual values and requirements in the south of Iran
