Evaluation of Pulp and Papermaking Properties of Melia azedarach

As the world’s population rises, there is a greater need for additional pulpwood for paper production worldwide. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the pulp and papermaking characteristics of Melia azedarach. Proximate chemical analysis, fiber morphology, pulping, bleaching, and physical tests were carried out to check the suitability of raw material. The proximate chemical analysis results showed that M. azedarach has a holocellulose content of 72.95% and a lignin content of 22.14%. Fiber morphology assessment revealed that the fibers were 0.571 mm long, 13.45 μm wide, and had a 2.52 μm cell wall thickness. Kraft pulping of M. azedarach was performed at different active alkali contents (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) and temperatures (150 °C, 160 °C, 170 °C, 180 °C, and 190 °C), keeping the sulfidity constant at 25%. The maximum pulp yield was 41.81% at an active alkali content of 15%, a temperature of 170 °C, and a cooking time of 90 min. The effect of pulping on the fiber morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy, which showed that the fiber’s surface before pulping was tight and arranged in an orderly way, with a relatively complex texture. After pulping, lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose were removed, and the fiber became softer and more loosened, containing micropores. The pulp produced was bleached, and sheet preparation and testing were performed. The prepared paper sheets had a tensile index of 23.3 Nm/g, a burst index of 1.4 kPa m2/g, and a tear index of 4.0 mN m2/g. This study concluded that M. azedarach could be a raw material for the pulp and papermaking industries. The results indicated that M. azedarach is also a potential alternative resource for pulp and paper production in Ethiopia

Agricultural Residues as Raw Materials for Pulp and Paper Production: Overview and Applications on Membrane Fabrication

The need for pulp and paper has risen significantly due to exponential population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. Most paper manufacturing industries use wood fibers to meet pulp and paper requirements. The shortage of fibrous wood resources and increased deforestation are linked to the excessive dependence on wood for pulp and paper production. Therefore, non-wood substitutes, including corn stalks, sugarcane bagasse, wheat, and rice straw, cotton stalks, and others, may greatly alleviate the shortage of raw materials used to make pulp and paper. Non-woody raw materials can be pulped easily using soda/soda-AQ (anthraquinone), organosolv, and bio-pulping. The use of agricultural residues can also play a pivotal role in the development of polymeric membranes separating different molecular weight cut-off molecules from a variety of feedstocks in industries. These membranes range in applications from water purification to medicinal uses. Considering that some farmers still burn agricultural residues on the fields, resulting in significant air pollution and health issues, the use of agricultural residues in paper manufacturing can eventually help these producers to get better financial outcomes from the grown crop. This paper reviews the current trends in the technological pitch of pulp and paper production from agricultural residues using different pulping methods, with an insight into the application of membranes developed from lignocellulosic materials

Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases with Plant Phytochemicals: A Review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world’s leading killers, accounting for 30% deaths. According to the WHO report, CVDs kill 17.9 million people per year, and there will be 22.2 million deaths from CVD in 2030. The death rates rise as people get older. Regarding gender, the death rate of women by CVD (51%) is higher than that of men (42%). To decrease and prevent CVD, most people rely on traditional medicine originating from the plant (phytochemicals) in addition to or in preference to commercially available drugs to recover from their illness. The CVD therapy efficacy of 92 plants, including 15 terrestrial plants, is examined. Some medicinal plants well known to treat CVD are, Daucus carota, Nerium oleander, Amaranthus Viridis, Ginkgo biloba, Terminalia arjuna, Picrorhiza kurroa, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Tinospora cordifolia, Mucuna pruriens, Hydrocotyle asiatica, Bombax ceiba, and Andrographis paniculate. The active phytochemicals found in these plants are flavonoids, polyphenols, plant sterol, plant sulphur compounds, and terpenoids. A general flavonoid mechanism of action is to prevent low-density lipoprotein oxidation, which promotes vasodilatation. Plant sterols prevent CVD by decreasing cholesterol absorption in the blood. Plant sulphur compound also prevent CVD by activation of nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. Quinone decreases the risk of CVD by increasing ATP production in mitochondria while terpenoids by decreasing atherosclerotic lesion in the aortic valve. Although several physiologically active compounds with recognized biological effects have been found in various plants because of the increased prevalence of CVD, appropriate CVD prevention and treatment measures are required. More research is needed to understand the mechanism and specific plants’ phytochemicals responsible for treating CVD

Synthesis of lignin nanoparticles from Oxytenanthera abyssinica by nanoprecipitation method followed by ultrasonication for the nanocomposite application

Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) have a wide range of potential uses in the biomedical and environmental fields. They are used to prepare antioxidants, food packaging material, energy storage, cosmetics, thermal/light stabilizers, reinforced materials, and drug delivery. In this study, LNPs were prepared from soda lignin obtained from Oxytenanthera abyssinica using dioxane, acetone, ethanol, and acid-base solvents through the nanoprecipitation method, followed by an ultrasonic process. These methods produced four different LNPs with yields in the range of 28.5% to 88.9%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the spherical-shaped LNPS (100–400 nm) were obtained using the acetone solvent, while irregularly shaped LNPs were formed by dioxane (150–400 nm), ethanol (40–200 nm) and acid-base (100–800 nm) solvents. The maximum zeta potential of the LNPAS samples was |-35.1 mV|, determined by the dynamic light scattering (DLS), with a particle size distribution between 91.28 and 458.7 nm. According to the energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) results, the sample contains the elements C, O, Si, Na, and Mo. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis showed very small crystallinity sizes ranging from 0.31 to 0.35 nm. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) and Fourier transformation infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to find the functional groups in the synthesized LNPs. The Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) peak showed that LNPS was thermally stable, and rapid mass loss occurred between 300 and 415 °C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) data shows that the highest exothermic peaks are obtained at 345.2 °C. Synthesis of LNPs by dissolving isolated soda lignin in acetone, ethanol, dioxane, and acid-base solvents was quickly recovered, cheap, and eco-friendly. The synthesized are free of sulfur; they do not use toxic solvents such as Tetrahydrofuran (THF), Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and Dimethylformamide (DMF). Thus, they provide benefits for high-value-added Nanocomposite applications such as bio-based nonmaterial and food packaging materials. Acid-base nanoprecipitation procedure is the best approach regarding stability and size, but the acetone nanoprecipitation method is preferable regarding shape