Trace and Essential Elements Analysis in Cymbopogon citratus

Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf commonly known as lemon grass is used extensively as green tea and even as herbal tea ingredient across the world. Plants have the ability to uptake metals as nutrient from the soil and its environment which are so essential for their physiological and biochemical growth. Concentrations of these twelve trace elements, namely, Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, As, Cd, and Pb, are analysed by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS) and are compared with the permissible limits of FAO/WHO, ICMR, and NIH, USA, which are found to be within permissible limits. Toxic metals like As, Cd, and Pb, analysed are within the tolerable daily diet limit and at low concentration

Trace Elements Analysis in Drinking Water of Meghalaya by Using Graphite Furnace-Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and in relation to Environmental and Health Issues

Determination of the certain major and trace elements was carried out in drinking water supply scheme in three districts of Meghalaya. This work aims to identify trends resulting in the deterioration of drinking water which is also a potential source of environmental contaminants. About 50 samples, each from one district, were collected both from the source and various tanks and tap. The elements determined are Li, Na, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Ag, Au, Pb, Cd, Se, Ca, K, and Mg. The pH is slightly lower than neutral pH of 7 while the turbidity is very high even after treatment. The concentrations of Ca and Mg are found to be deficient. The elements Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Mo, and Pb decrease after treatment while Mn, Cu, and Cd increase slightly after treatment. Se concentration is found to be much higher than expected. The results were compared with the standard recommendation values for the quality of drinking water. This study provides a general indication of where water-quality constituent concentrations met or exceeded water-quality standards and the data presented in this report will be useful from public health point of view

Silicon-tethered colchicine aryne cyclo-adduct as a potent molecule for the abrogation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition via modulating cell cycle regulatory CDK-2 and CDK-4 kinases

The anticancer potential of colchicine and its derivatives has garnered significant attention due to their ability to bind with tubulin, a critical cytoskeletal protein crucial for cell division\u27s mitotic phase. In this study, we synthesized a new-generation library of colchicine derivatives via cycloaddition of colchicine utilizing position C-8 and C-12 diene system regioselectivity with aryne precursor to generate a small focussed library of derivatives. We assessed their anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines like MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, and PC-3. Normal human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293 was used to determine the toxicity. Among these derivatives, the silicon-tethered compound B-4a demonstrated the highest potency against breast cancer cells. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that B-4a effectively modulates cell cycle regulatory kinases (cdk-2 and cdk-4) and their associated cyclins (cyclin B1, cyclin D1), inducing apoptosis. Additionally, B-4a displayed a noteworthy impact on tubulin polymerization, distinct from the parent colchicine, and significantly disrupted the vimentin cytoskeleton, contributing to G1 arrest in breast cancer cells. Moreover, B-4a exhibited substantial anti-metastatic properties by inhibiting breast cancer cell migration and invasion. These effects were attributed to the down-regulation of major epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors, including Vimentin and Twist-1, as well as the upregulation of the epithelial marker E-cadherin in an apoptosis-dependent manner

Microwave-Assisted Biodiesel Production Using UiO-66 MOF Derived Nanocatalyst: Process Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology

The present work is on the transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel under microwave irradiation using a biomass and MOF−derived CaO−ZrO2 heterogeneous catalyst. The optimisation of different parameters was processed by adopting a central composite design for a response−surface methodology (RSM). The experimental data were fitted to a quadratic equation employing multiple regressions and investigated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The catalyst was exhaustively characterised by XRD, TGA, FTIR BET, SEM, TEM, CO2 TPD and XPS. In addition, the synthesized biodiesel was characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, GCMS. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel were also reported and compared with the ASTM standards. The maximum yield that was obtained after optimization using RSM was 97.22 ± 0.4% with reaction time of 66.2 min, at reaction temperature of 73.2 °C, catalyst loading of 6.5 wt.%, and methanol−to−oil ratio of 9.7 wt.%

Microwave-assisted biodiesel production using UiO-66 MOF derived nanocatalyst: process optimization using response surface methodology

The present work is on the transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel under microwave irradiation using a biomass and MOF−derived CaO−ZrO2 heterogeneous catalyst. The optimisation of different parameters was processed by adopting a central composite design for a response−surface methodology (RSM). The experimental data were fitted to a quadratic equation employing multiple regressions and investigated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The catalyst was exhaustively characterised by XRD, TGA, FTIR BET, SEM, TEM, CO2 TPD and XPS. In addition, the synthesized biodiesel was characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, GCMS. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel were also reported and compared with the ASTM standards. The maximum yield that was obtained after optimization using RSM was 97.22 ± 0.4% with reaction time of 66.2 min, at reaction temperature of 73.2 °C, catalyst loading of 6.5 wt.%, and methanol−to−oil ratio of 9.7 wt.%