CaCl2 Concentration Research Articles

Effects of clay colloids on ciprofloxacin transport in saturated quartz sand porous media under different solution chemistry conditions.

Antibiotics, a highly prevalent class of environmental organic pollutants, are becoming a matter of global concern. Clay minerals that are ubiquitous in subsurface environments may play an important role in the fate and transport of antibiotics. Taking ciprofloxacin (CIP) as a model antibiotic, this work explored the role of clay colloids (kaolinite and montmorillonite) on the adsorption and transport of CIP under different chemical solution conditions. The adsorption isotherms showed that montmorillonite colloids had a larger CIP sorption capacity than kaolinite colloids. The results of transport experiments indicated that montmorillonite colloids could promote CIP transport in saturated sand columns, but the addition of kaolinite colloids affected CIP mobility to a much smaller extent. The much stronger transport-enhancement effect of montmorillonite colloids was due to CIP adsorbed strongly to the colloids and desorption hysteresis of colloid-adsorbed CIP, likely stemming from the intercalation of this antibiotic in the interlayer of montmorillonite. Interestingly, transport of clay colloids increased with the increasing pH from 5.0 to 9.0; however, CIP transport decreased with the increasing pH in the presence of clay colloids. The observations were likely attributable to pH-dependent ciprofloxacin adsorption/desorption to clay minerals. Increasing the concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2 generally decreased the contaminant-mobilizing ability of montmorillonite colloids, mainly by increasing the aggregation of colloids and thus, decreasing the transport of colloid-adsorbed CIP. Moreover, under the test conditions (1mM NaCl and pH 7.0), the presence of CIP inhibited the transport of clay colloids due to the increase in aggregate size of clay colloids with the addition of CIP. Overall, these findings suggest that clay colloids with high adsorption abilities for antibiotics in the subsurface environment may act as a carrier for certain antibiotic compounds.

In Silico Study and Optimization of Bacillus megaterium alpha-Amylases Production Obtained from Honey Sources.

This study aimed to screen alpha-amylase producing microorganisms from honey as a low water activity medium, a suitable source for selecting stable and cost-beneficial bacterial enzyme production systems. Plackett-Burman method was used to select twelve effective factors including pH, inoculum size, temperature, time, corn starch, KH2PO4, peptone, MgSO4, CaCl2, NaCl, glycerin, and yeast extract concentrations on bacterial alpha-amylases production yield. The Box-Behnken method was utilized to optimize the level of selected significant factors. The stability of bacterial alpha-amylases was also determined in low pH and high-temperature conditions. In addition, in silico study was used to create the alpha-amylase structure and study the stability in high-temperature and low water available condition. Among all isolated and characterized microorganisms, Bacillus megaterium produced the highest amount of alpha-amylases. The in silico data showed the enzyme 3D structure similarity to alpha-amylase from Halothermothrix orenii and highly negative charge amino acids on its surface caused the enzyme activity and stability in low water conditions. Based on Box-Behnken results, the temperature 35 °C, pH 6 and starch 40g/l were determined as the optimum level of significant factors to achieve the highest alpha-amylases unit (101.44 U/ml). This bacterial alpha-amylases enzyme showed stability at pH 5 and a range of temperatures from 40 to 60 °C that indicates this enzyme may possess the potential for using in industrial processes.

Extracellular-Ca2+-Induced Decrease in Small Molecule Electrotransfer Efficiency: Comparison between Microsecond and Nanosecond Electric Pulses.

Electroporation—a transient electric-field-induced increase in cell membrane permeability—can be used to facilitate the delivery of anticancer drugs for antitumour electrochemotherapy. In recent years, Ca2+ electroporation has emerged as an alternative modality to electrochemotherapy. The antitumor effect of calcium electroporation is achieved as a result of the introduction of supraphysiological calcium doses. However, calcium is also known to play a key role in membrane resealing, potentially altering the pore dynamics and molecular delivery during electroporation. To elucidate the role of calcium for the electrotransfer of small charged molecule into cell we have performed experiments using nano- and micro-second electric pulses. The results demonstrate that extracellular calcium ions inhibit the electrotransfer of small charged molecules. Experiments revealed that this effect is related to an increased rate of membrane resealing. We also employed mathematical modelling methods in order to explain the differences between the CaCl2 effects after the application of nano- and micro-second duration electric pulses. Simulation showed that these differences occur due to the changes in transmembrane voltage generation in response to the increase in specific conductivity when CaCl2 concentration is increased.

Production of a bioflocculant by using activated sludge and its application in Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution

AbstractIn this study, the characteristics of a bioflocculant produced by using activated sludge as raw materials were investigated. The performance of this bioflocculant in the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution and the corresponding mechanisms were determined as well. After cultivating a bioflocculant-producing strain in an alkaline thermal pre-treatment sludge for 60 h, approximately 4.45 g of bioflocculant containing a protein backbone was harvested from 1 L of fermentation broth. This bioflocculant can remove 98.5% of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions under optimal conditions, which include a bioflocculant dosage of 6 mg/L and a CaCl2 concentration of 70 mg/L at a pH of 6.5.

CaСl2 Salt Signaling in Primary Root Architecture and Lateral Root Emergence in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant root architecture modulates during developmental stages and adjusts with the environmental condition. The cytosolic calcium which is a ubiquitous secondary messenger in all eukaryotes strongly affects the root system in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. We proposed that calcium chloride gradients affect PIN2 expression, which in term modulates root architecture and lateral root emergence. In the present study, the root development of PIN2 overexpressing lines of A. thaliana were investigated on different CaCl2 concentrations. This study found that the abundance of PIN2 protein has a direct effect on the root curvature with respect to CaCl2 gradient. In the presence of low concentration of CaCl2, PIN2 protein is stabilized and its subsequent accumulation lead to straight root architecture. However, as the CaCl2 concentration were increased, PIN2 protein destabilized and subsequently degraded which in turn showed a wavy root phenotype. On the other hand, different concentrations of CaCl2 did not show any effect on PIN2 gene at transcript level.

Effect of Xylanase Immobilisation Conditions by Combination of Entrapment and Covalent Binding on Alginate Beads

The immobilisation of enzymes offer improvement in enzyme stability and characteristics as well as overcome the limitations of free enzyme systems for commercial purposes. In the current study, xylanase was immobilised using a combination technique of entrapment and covalent binding within and onto calcium alginate beads. The sodium alginate and calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration used for the preparation of alginate beads which is the support matrix for xylanase immobilisation were fixed at 3% (w/v) and 0.3 M, respectively. The effect of immobilisation conditions (agitation rate, enzyme loading, and glutaraldehyde concentration) were studied using One-Factor-At-a-Time (OFAT) approach. The best condition for optimum immobilisation yield (83.93%) was found to be made up of the following parameter combination: agitation rate, 200 rpm; xylanase loading, 200 U; and glutaraldehyde concentration, 12% (w/w). The study shows the immobilisation conditions play a significant role towards the immobilisation yield of xylanase.

Effective passivation of lead by phosphate solubilizing bacteria capsules containing tricalcium phosphate

Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) shows high potential to be used for lead passivation in sediments due to the abilities of releasing phosphate and the subsequent formation of insoluble Pb-phosphate compounds. In this research, microbial capsules implemented with sodium alginate and CaCl2, containing Leclercia adecarboxylata L15 (a lead resistant PSB) and Ca3(PO4)2, were developed and the performance on lead passivation under different conditions was examined. The optimal concentrations of sodium alginate and CaCl2 for formulating the capsules were determined to be 0.3% and 10%, respectively. The removal efficiency of Pb2+ by capsules containing L15 and Ca3(PO4)2 was up to 98% with a capsule dosage of 2%, initial Pb2+ concentration of 1mM and pH of 3.0, which was better than that of free L15 (18%) and capsules containing only L15 (34%). Lead was immobilized via the formation of Pb5(PO4)3Cl on the surface and Pb3(PO4)2 in the interior of the capsules. The simulated sediment remediation experiments showed that the acid soluble fraction of lead reduced from 28% to 14% and transformed into more stable fractions after 10 days. The experiment results indicated that PSBs capsules coupled with phosphate materials have a great promise for application in remediation of lead contaminated sediments.

Ion specific effects on the pressure solution of calcite single crystals

Pressure solution of carbonate-based rocks participates in many geophysical and geochemical processes occurring at or near the Earth’s surface, but fundamental knowledge is still lacking. Here, the pressure solution of calcite single crystals in water, NaCl and CaCl2 brines was investigated with an extended surface forces apparatus (SFA). This highly mechanically and thermally stable measuring technique enables to measure the deformation of two single calcite crystals undergoing pressure solution and the deformation rates with high precision as a function of load and fluid composition. The measurements in water reveal both diffusion- and dissolution-limited scenarios. Further, the pressure solution of calcite decelerates with a small concentration of NaCl compared to CaCO3-saturated solution, while the rate is promoted with an increase to 100 mM NaCl, reflecting the competition of at least two different mechanisms. In contrast, the addition of small concentrations of CaCl2 already speeds up calcite’s pressure solution. These experimental results cannot be solely explained via the increase in solubility of calcite with ionic strength, as generally proposed. Instead, they are consistent with the ion-specific effects of the interfacial composition and the distortion of the hydration structure of calcite under an applied pressure smaller than ∼25 MPa. This work advances the fundamental knowledge of pressure solution of calcite. More broadly, the novel technique developed here can be applied to other brittle and unexfoliable minerals, which notably expands the applications of SFA.

Experimental investigation of additives enhanced vacuum flash evaporation for binary ice generation

AbstractIn this study, an experimental investigation was conducted into the characteristics of different varieties of additives (including CaCl2, ethanol, and TiO2 nanoparticles) in the vacuum ice‐making system under adsorption condition. The concentration of CaCl2, ethanol, and TiO2 nanoparticles were treated as experimental variables, while the supercooling degree, ice packing factor (IPF), flashing rate, thermal conductivity, and latent heat were taken as evaluation parameters. According to the experimental results, 0.20 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles and 1 wt% CaCl2 are applicable as additive, the former is superior to the latter, and ethanol is not suitable for use as additive. Under the optimal conditions, compared with distilled water, the supercooling degree, IPF, and thermal conductivity of TiO2 nanofluids are improved by 77.92%, 40.61%, and 57.23%, respectively; for CaCl2 solution, the supercooling degree and IPF are improved by 9.96% and 84.67%, respectively. Furthermore, though the flashing rate increases with the addition of additives, the flashing driving force remains sufficient. The latent heat of nanofluids is barely affected by the addition of nanoparticles. As the CaCl2 concentration is on the rise, both the thermal conductivity and the latent heat of CaCl2 solution show a decreasing trend.

Oxidative stability of linseed oil nano-emulsions filled in calcium alginate hydrogels

The main objective of this study was to fabricate calcium alginate hydrogels filled with linseed oil nanoemulsion (LON). Alginate beads were fabricated at different concentrations of sodium alginate (1% and 2%) and CaCl2 (0.25 and 0.5 M) and filled with whey protein isolate–stabilized LON. The hydrogels mechanical properties were influenced by the concentration of alginate and CaCl2. An increase in the concentration of both constituents decreased the release of LON mainly due to increasing the compactness in the bead microstructure. The first derivative of FT-IR spectra revealed no chemical interaction between LON and alginate matrix. SEM micrographs revealed structural differences among various hydrogels. As determined by Raman spectral mapping, the higher alginate concentration led to more uniform distribution of LON. The amounts of lipid oxidation products developed in LON were decreased after its loading into the alginate beads. The GC-FID analysis of fatty acids profiles revealed that the alginate beads (particularly those prepared from the higher concentrations of alginate and CaCl2) could significantly (p < 0.05) retard the degradation of alpha-linolenic acid. The results of this study showed that the alginate beads are appropriate carriers for delivery of the emulsified form of functional lipids rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Effect of polymer and ion concentration on mechanical and drug release behavior of gellan hydrogels using factorial design

AbstractDeveloping optimized hydrogel products requires an in‐depth understanding of the mechanisms that drive hydrogel tunability. Here, we performed a full 4 × 4 factorial design study investigating the impact of gellan, a naturally derived polysaccharide (1%, 2%, 3%, or 4% w/v) and CaCl2 concentration (1, 3, 7, or 10 mM) on the viscoelastic, swelling, and drug release behavior of gellan hydrogels containing a model drug, vancomycin. These concentrations were chosen to specifically provide insight into gellan hydrogel behavior for formulations utilizing polymer and salt concentrations expanding beyond those commonly reported by previous studies exploring gellan. With increasing gellan and CaCl2 concentration, the hydrogel storage moduli (0.1–100 kPa) followed a power‐law relationship and on average these hydrogels had higher liquid absorption capability and greater total drug release over 6 days. We suggest that the effects of gellan and CaCl2 concentration and their interactions on hydrogel properties can be explained by various phenomena that lead to increased swelling and increased resistance to network expansion.

Thermal and Mineral Sensitivity of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Stabilised using Lentil Proteins.

Oil-in-water emulsion systems formulated with plant proteins are of increasing interest to food researchers and industry due to benefits associated with cost-effectiveness, sustainability and animal well-being. The aim of this study was to understand how the stability of complex model emulsions formulated using lentil proteins are influenced by calcium fortification (0 to 10 mM CaCl2) and thermal processing (95 or 140 °C). A valve homogeniser, operating at first and second stage pressures of 15 and 3 MPa, was used to prepare emulsions. On heating at 140 °C, the heat coagulation time (pH 6.8) for the emulsions was successively reduced from 4.80 to 0.40 min with increasing CaCl2 concentration from 0 to 10 mM, respectively. Correspondingly, the sample with the highest CaCl2 addition level developed the highest viscosity during heating (95 °C × 30 s), reaching a final value of 163 mPa·s. This was attributed to calcium-mediated interactions of lentil proteins, as confirmed by the increase in the mean particle diameter (D[4,3]) to 36.5 µm for the sample with 6 mM CaCl2, compared to the unheated and heated control with D[4,3] values of 0.75 and 0.68 µm, respectively. This study demonstrated that the combination of calcium and heat promoted the aggregation of lentil proteins in concentrated emulsions.

Both Tough and Soft Double Network Hydrogel Nanocomposite Based on O‐Carboxymethyl Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Graphene Oxide: A Promising Alternative for Tissue Engineering

A reinforced double network (DN) hydrogel as a candidate for skin scaffold was prepared. It consists of O‐carboxymethyl chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, honey, CaCl2, and graphene oxide. The various concentrations of CaCl2, namely, 30, 45, and 60 wt% were investigated. Besides, the GO content was studied as 3, 5, and 10 wt%. The structure of the DN was characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, energy dispersive X‐ray and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller were evaluated. The mechanical properties were studied, too. It showed that the DN with 45 wt% CaCl2 was optimized. Also, swelling mechanism was investigated. Moreover, with the increase in GO content, the mechanical strength was increased. The cytotoxicity was evaluated and it was indicated that DN with 45% CaCl2 and 5% GO had an acceptable level of biocompatibility. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy images showed the porous structure of the DN nanocomposite. Thus, the DN has the potential to be applied in tissue engineering as a skin scaffold. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:889–899, 2020. © 2020 Society of Plastics Engineers

A Statistical Study on the Development of Metronidazole-Chitosan-Alginate Nanocomposite Formulation Using the Full Factorial Design.

The goal of this study was to develop and statistically optimize the metronidazole (MET), chitosan (CS) and alginate (Alg) nanoparticles (NP) nanocomposites (MET-CS-AlgNPs) using a (21 × 31 × 21) × 3 = 36 full factorial design (FFD) to investigate the effect of chitosan and alginate polymer concentrations and calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration ondrug loading efficiency(LE), particle size and zeta potential. The concentration of CS, Alg and CaCl2 were taken as independent variables, while drug loading, particle size and zeta potential were taken as dependent variables. The study showed that the loading efficiency and particle size depend on the CS, Alg and CaCl2 concentrations, whereas zeta potential depends only on the Alg and CaCl2 concentrations. The MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in vitro drug release studies. XRD datashowed that the crystalline properties of MET changed to an amorphous-like pattern when the nanocomposites were formed.The XRD pattern of MET-CS-AlgNPs showed reflections at 2θ = 14.2° and 22.1°, indicating that the formation of the nanocompositesprepared at the optimum conditions havea mean diameter of (165±20) nm, with a MET loading of (46.0 ± 2.1)% and a zeta potential of (−9.2 ± 0.5) mV.The FTIR data of MET-CS-AlgNPs showed some bands of MET, such as 3283, 1585 and 1413 cm−1, confirming the presence of the drug in the MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites. The TGA for the optimized sample of MET-CS-AlgNPs showed a 70.2% weight loss compared to 55.3% for CS-AlgNPs, and the difference is due to the incorporation of MET in the CS-AlgNPs for the formation of MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites. The release of MET from the nanocomposite showed sustained-release properties, indicating the presence of an interaction between MET and the polymer. The nanocomposite shows a smooth surface and spherical shape. The release profile of MET from its MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites was found to be governed by the second kinetic model (R2 between 0.956–0.990) with more than 90% release during the first 50 h, which suggests that the release of the MET drug can be extended or prolonged via the nanocomposite formulation.

A study of the effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and pH on the flocculation ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCYC 1195)

The best fermentation ability of yeast-forming flock species is highly desirable in the bioethanol production process. Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC 1195 is known to have the ability to form flock which is influenced by the concentration of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and pH. This is because calcium ions can form bonds with mannose on the surface of the cell wall of S. cerevisiae, while the degree of acidity will affect the charges of specific protein on the cell wall. The ability of flocculation will precipitate S. cerevisiae cells so that they will not be mixed with fermentation medium. Thus, the separation process of cell and fermentation media can be done quickly and efficiently, without expensive centrifugation step. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of CaCl2 concentration and pH that used to determine the ability and stability of the flock of S. cerevisiae. Three concentration of CaCl2 (10-5, 10-7, 10-9 M) were used as well as three variations of pH (4,5,6). Culture was incubated at 30°C with 100 rpm agitation and analysed for flocculation ability every 4 hours during 24 hours. The stability of the flock was analysed every 24 hours during 30 days. The highest flock formation ability (73.15%) was obtained with the concentration of CaCl2 concentration 10-9 M and pH 5.

Extraction of Indium from By-products of Zinc Metallurgy by Ultrasonic Waves

The extraction of indium from hard zinc slag is a relatively common method, but it is desired to further improve the leaching efficiency of indium. The leaching effect of indium from a hard zinc slag via ultrasonication was studied. We have found that the infiltration efficiency of indium can be improved by ultrasonic waves through its cavitation effect, mechanical effect, etc. The use of calcium hypochlorite instead of the chlorine used in the conventional method as an oxidant reduces corrosion of the equipment and does not pollute the environment. In this paper, HCl–CaCl2 and Ca(ClO)2 were employed as a leaching agent and oxidant, respectively. The effects of ultrasonic power, leaching time, initial acidity, reaction temperature, concentration of CaCl2, and amount of Ca(ClO)2 on the leaching rate of indium from zinc metallurgy by-products were investigated. The optimum conditions were as follows: ultrasonic power 700 W, reaction temperature 70 °C, leaching time 50 min with ultrasonication and 60 min without ultrasonication, HCl concentration 4.5 mol/L, CaCl2 concentration 150 g/L, and oxidizing agent concentration 35 g/L. Under the optimal conditions, the leaching rate of indium was 96.42% with ultrasonication and 94.8% without ultrasonication. The effect of the ultrasonic waves on the slag during hard zinc leaching was studied by scanning electron microscope.

Enhancement of desorption amount of carbon dioxide gas from monoethanolamine solution using ultrasound and calcium chloride

Ultrasound can desorb CO2 from dissolved CO2 gas [CO2(aq)] in a low-concentration monoethanolamine (MEA) solution (0.2 M) at a low temperature (25 °C). However, it is difficult to desorb CO2 using ultrasound at pH >8.2 because CO2 mainly exists as HCO3− and not as CO2(aq). We investigated the increment of the CO2 gas desorption ratio on the synthesis reaction of CaCO3 by the shift in the CO2 equilibrium in the direction of the increase of CO2(aq) by the decrease of pH from 8.2 with an increase in the H+ concentration in the MEA solution. Results indicated that a high Ca recovery ratio of 93.1% was observed by CaCl2 addition and ultrasound irradiation. Compared with the desorption ratio of CO2 gas using ultrasound irradiation without the addition of CaCl2, the CO2 gas desorption ratio increases from 2.2% to 9.8% using ultrasound with a low concentration of CaCl2 (Ca/MEA molar ratio 0.026).

Optimization Performance and Physical Stability of Ciprofloxacin HCL-Ca Alginate Microspheres: Effect of Different Concentration of Alginate and CaCl2

Inhalation treatment using antibiotics is an alternative for lung delivery. However, the therapeutic efficacy of inhaled drugs is limited by their rapid clearance in the lungs. Sustained release systems in the lungs can improve therapeutic outcomes of drugs because they can retain the drug load within the lungs and progressively release the drug locally at therapeutic levels. This study presents the formulation strategies to control drug release in the lungs using an alginate polymer-based microspheres system. The microsphere’s composition can be adjusted to modulate release and can encapsulate compounds with high loading. The pulmonary route is commonly used and has been well accepted as a portal for non-invasive drug delivery for many lung diseases. It is explored for decades as an alternative for systemic as well as local drug delivery. The present study explored the in vitro benefits of ciprofloxacin encapsulated in alginate microspheres. The studies included size, morphology, yield, drug loading, and encapsulation efficiency as well as stability. Current results showed small, smooth, and spherical ciprofloxacin-alginate microspheres were produced using aerosolization techniques. Small particles of less than 5μm were formed, which suitable for inhalation particles for lung delivery. High entrapment efficiency up to 95%, loadings of 80%, and a yield of 89% were also showed from microspheres. It was confirmed that all microspheres were stably indicated by no significant changes in morphology, organoleptic, and drug content after 30 days of storage. The recent promising characteristics of microspheres for pulmonary delivery will need further evaluation of the potency against microorganisms in lung disease.

Recovery of metallic Bi from Pb[sbnd]Bi slag: An integrated process of chloride leaching and electrowinning

In this research, an effective approach for recovering metallic Bi from PbBi slag using selective leaching followed by Bi electrowinning was demonstrated. First, a thermodynamics calculation was performed to analyze the differences of solubility between PbSO4 and Bi2O3 in chloride system. Then the experiments results indicated that bismuth was selectively dissolved with a high leaching efficiency and lead was remained in the residue, which was agreed well with thermodynamics analysis. The effects of leaching parameters, i.e. CaCl2 concentration, L/S ratio, temperature and reaction time, on leaching were comprehensively studied. Under the optimum conditions, the leaching efficiency of bismuth and lead were found to be 99.2% and 12.2%, respectively. The leaching liquor were further treated with electrowinning at temperature of 50 °C and cathode current density of 150A/m2 to obtain 99.5% high-purity metallic Bi with a current efficiency of 85.46%.

Wheat bran extracts as biomineralization scaffolds: An exploratory study leading to aqueous solution synthesis of spheroidal brushite particles

Biomineralization in solution was investigated with aqueous extracts of wheat bran, pH 5–8, added with CaCl2 and incubated 5, 10, or 15 d at 6±2°C. Solution pH and weight of precipitates were monitored. Particles were isolated and characterized by stereoscopic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD). Stereoscopical images showed polydisperse particles of undefined shape at 5d in the whole range of pH and CaCl2 concentrations. Starting from 10d, the effects of pH and CaCl2 concentration were evident on precipitate weight, particle size, and morphology, as smooth spherical particles were seen. Best conditions for production of particles were incubating 10d, initial pH 6.27, 0.75M CaCl2. SEM images revealed spheroidal particles, 110–200μm diameter, with internal microstructure consisting of elongated sheets, 200nm width, 20nm thick, radially aligned. The P/Ca rates were around 1.0, whereas FTIR and XRD analyses evidenced a single phase of calcium phosphate dihydrate (Ca2HPO4·2H2O), or brushite, in a range of final pH 5.3–6.3. Results confirmed that wheat bran extracts act as scaffolds for biomineralization in aqueous solution.