Cross-Linked Chitosan-Based Hydrogels for Dye Removal

International audienceSynthetic dyes are a major class of recalcitrant organic compounds, often occurring in the environment as a result of their wide industrial use. More than 100,000 dyes are commercially available. Synthetic dyes are common contaminants, many of them being toxic or carcinogenic. Colored effluents from industrial plant are also perceived by the public as an indication of the presence of a dangerous pollution. Even at very low concentrations, dyes are both highly visible, inducing an esthetic pollution, and impacting the aquatic life and food chain, as a chemical pollution. Dye contamination of water is a major problem worldwide and the treatment of wastewaters before their discharge into the environment is a priority. Dyes are difficult to treat due to their complex aromatic structure and synthetic origin. In general, a combination of different physical, chemical and biological processes is often used to obtain the desired water quality. However, there is a need to develop new removal strategies and decolorization methods that are more effective, acceptable in industrial use, and ecofriendly. Currently, there is an increasing interes

Bio-Based Nanoemulsion Formulations Applicable in Agriculture, Medicine, and Food Industry

Nanotechnology providing “a new dimension” accompanied with new properties conferred to many current materials is widely used for production of a new generation of agrochemicals; in medicine, it enables improved drug bioavailability, reducing undesirable side effects, minimizing non-specific uptake and specific targeting to certain target cells; while in food industry, it has great importance in food protection and biofortification of food with valuable ingredients. In bio-based nanoemulsions belonging to lipid nanocarriers, plant oils used for oil phase, emulsifiers, biosurfactants, cosurfactants, targeting ligands on the surface of nanoemulsion (e.g., folate), or encapsulated active ingredients are of natural origin. The biocomponents of such nanoemulsions show low toxicity to living organisms, could protect encapsulated compounds against degradation, ensure their sustainable release, and reduce the amount of active ingredient necessary for required effect. This chapter presents a comprehensive current overview of recent findings in the field of nanoemulsions and their utilization in agriculture and food industry, with the main emphasis on formulations encapsulating essential oils or plant extracts suitable as effective pesticide preparations as well as medicinal applications of bio-based nanoemulsions, where attention is paid to transdermal nanoemulsion formulations, the use of nanoemulsions in cancer therapy, and for pulmonary and ocular drug delivery. Nanoemulsions formulated with natural emulsifiers, biosurfactants, and biopolymers are presented, and bio-based nanoemulsions of essential oils and their constituents as well as nanoemulsions with encapsulated vitamins, fatty acids, and some bioactive compounds applicable in food products are discussed. Applications of nanoemulsions in edible coatings are outlined as well.Division of Biologically Active Complexes and Molecular Magnets Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Palacky UniversityDepartment of Analytical Chemistry Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius UniversityInstitute of Chemistry Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius UniversitySão Paulo State University (UNESP) Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology Institute of Science and Technology of SorocabaSão Paulo State University (UNESP) Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology Institute of Science and Technology of Sorocab