Seaweed Research Articles

Halimeda gracilis (Kadarpassi chooranam) Phytochemical analysis and biological significance- a novel Siddha drug.

To evaluate biological activity and the phytochemical analysis of kadarpassi chooranam. Seaweeds are the marine macro algae, species belonging to Protista kingdom that has no true system, internal vascular systems, seeds and flowers. It has a lot of biological activity and has been proven to have a lot of medicinal benefits. Since time immemorial, their usage in traditional medicine has been recognized. Halimeda gracilis has been standardized as per siddha pharmacopoeia standard protocol guidelines and prepared kadarpassi Chooranam curtained for Phytochemical analysis (qualitative and quantitative) and carried out various pharmacological activity. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer actions of kadarpassi Chooranam have been associated to alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins, and diterpenes. The Siddha medicine, kadarpassi chooranam has various phytochemical bioactive compounds, and because of its pharmacological activity can be a potential drug candidate for human use.

Biofertilizer efficiency of seaweed liquid extracts of marine green and red macro algae on growth and biochemical parameters of Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Biofertilizer efficiency of seaweed liquid extracts of marine green and red macro algae on growth and biochemical parameters of Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Preparatory Conditions Optimization and Characterization of Hierarchical Porous Carbon from Seaweed as Carbon-Precursor Using a Box-Behnken Design for Application of Supercapacitor.

This study has developed an environmentally friendly, simple, and economical process by utilizing seaweed as a carbon precursor to prepare a hierarchical porous carbon for the application of a supercapacitor. In the carbonization process, the design of experiment (DOE) technology is used to obtain the optimal preparatory conditions with the best electrochemical properties for the electrode materials of supercapacitors. Without using strong acid and alkali solution of the green process, NaCl is used as the pore structure proppant of seaweed (SW) for carbonization to obtain hierarchical porous carbon material to improve the pore size distribution and surface area of the material. In the experiment of SW activation, the interaction between factors has been explored by the response surface methodology (RSM) and Box–Behnken design, and the optimal conditions are found. The activated carbon with the specific surface area of 603.7 m2 g−1 and its capacitance reaching 110.8 F g−1 is successfully prepared. At a current density of 1 A g−1, the material still retains 95.4% of the initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles of stability testing. The hierarchical porous carbon material prepared by the design of experiment planning this green process has better energy storage properties than supercapacitors made of traditional carbon materials.

Physicochemical screening and antibacterial activity of fresh water macroalgae (L.) Kutz

The plant kingdom is rich in bioactive natural compounds, and extracts from various plants, as well as red, green, and brown macro and micro algae, can be used. is one of the largest filamentous green-alga genus. The majority of Cladophora species can be found all over the world, in both temperate and tropical climates. They are rich in secondary metabolites. The dried algal mass was crushed into a fine powder and acetone extract was used for phytochemical screening. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of various secondary metabolites like alkaloids, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, and proteins. Antibacterial activity of against showed positive results.

Effect of Organic Nutrients on Growth and Flowering Attributes of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) under Terai Region of West Bengal

A field experiment was conductedat Instructional farm, Department of Floriculture, Medicinal and Aromatic plants, Faculty of Horticulture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya during 2019-2020 to study the “Effect of organic nutrients on growth and flowering attributes of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) under Terai region of West Bengal” with the objectives of different organic inputs for production of quantitative and qualitative flowers of African Marigold. Now a day’s organic cultivation practices have immense potentiality due to huge demand as because it resulted low health hazards as well as gave pollution free environment and improved soil fertility. The experiment was laid out by following Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design, consists of two factors in which first factor was varieties (Pusa Bahar-V1 and Pusa Narangi Gainda- V2)and second factor was ten treatments combination. Different Organic nutrients like Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Vermicompost, Poultry Manure, Sea Weed extract, Vermi wash and Mustard oil cake extract used in the experiments as basal application and foliar spray according to the treatments. The vegetative and floral attributes were recorded at peak flowering stage and the data was statisticallyanalysed. The data was significantly differed among the varieties, treatments and different treatment combinations with varieties. Between the two varieties, var.Pusa Narangi Gainda (V2) showed early flowering compared to var. Pusa Bahar (V1) but the longer duration of flowering (49.41 days) was observed with the var. Pusa Bahar (V1). Among the ten treatments,the treatment T10 (Poultry Manure @ 2.5t/ha + Vermiwash @ 3%) resulted the best against the important flowering parameters like total number of flowers per plant (55.73) and weight of ten fresh flowers (103.08 g). The var.Pusa Narangi Gainda when treated with Poultry Manure @ 2.5t/ha + Vermiwash @ 3% (T10)showed better performance in respect of several morphological and quality parameters of African Marigold. It may be recommended that the application of Poultry Manure@ 2.5t/ha as basal with combination of Vermi wash @3% spraying attwice (30 and 45 days after transplanting) during the plant growth for quantitative and qualitative producesof African Marigold in the terai region of West Bengal.

Effect of The Inclusion of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) and Green Sea Weed (Ulva lactuca) in The Complete Feed on The Concentration of Blood Metabolites of Male Kacang Goats

This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of including Clitoria ternatea and Ulva lactuca in the complete feed on the concentration of blood metabolites of male kacang goats. Four male kacang goats were involved in this experiment arranged following a Latin Square Design with 4 treatments and 4 periods as replication. The treatments were R0= native grass hay 60%+concentrate 40%, R1= native grass hay 30%+concentrate 40%+ Clitoria ternatea 30%, R2= native grass hay 30%+concentrate 40%+ Clitoria ternatea 15%+ Ulva lactuca 15% and R3= native grass hay 30%+ concentrate 40%+Ulva lactuca 30%. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and followed by the Duncan Multiple Range Test when significant differences were found. The results showed that feeding a complete feed containing Clitoria ternatea and Ulva lactuca did not significantly (P>0,05) affect the concentration of urea, glucose and plasm total protein in the blood of male kacang goats. Therefore, it can be concluded the inclusion of Clitoria ternatea and Ulva lactuca has no effect on the concentration of blood metabolites in male kacang goats.

Influence of Sea Weed Extract (Kappaphycus alverzii) and Zinc on Growth and Yield of Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.)

A field experiment was conducted in Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Science, Prayagraj, (U.P), during the zaid season of 2022 with the objective to study the ‟Influence of sea weed extract (Kappaphycus alverzii) and Zinc on growth and yield of Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.)”. Pulses are an integral part of many diets across the globe and they have great potential to improve human health. Black gram crop grown in many parts of India. This crop is grown in the cropping systems as a mixed crop, catch crop, sequential crop besides growing as a sole crop under residual moisture conditions after the harvest of other summer crops under semi-irrigated and dry land conditions ,and the variety is shekar 2. The soil in the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, pH (6.9), low in organic carbon (0.112%), available N(278.93 kg ha-1), available P (10.80 kg ha-1) and available K (206.4 kg ha-1).The layout of the experiment was done in a Randomized block design with nine treatments which is replicated thrice. The 3 levels of concentration of sea weed extract (Kappaphycus alverzii) (2%, 3%, 4%) foliar application and three levels of zinc (15,20,25 kg ha-1) soil application.Growth and yield parameters namely plant height, dry weight, pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, test weight, seed yield, Stover yield, harvest index were collected from this experiment. Results revealed that significantly higher plant height (24.2cm), dry weight (4.9), pods/plant (21.2), seeds/pod (5.7), seed yield (637.0 kg ha-1), Stover yield (873 kg ha-1) were recorded with treatment combination of 4%K sap + ZnSO4 25 kg ha-1 (treatment 9). Maximum gross return (82819.00 INR/ha), net returns (55880.00 INR/ha), and benefit cost (2.07) were obtained highest in the treatment combination of 4%K sap + ZnSO4 25 kg ha-1 (treatment 9).

Energy Balance Of Third Generation Bioethanol

Global greenhouse gas emissions are constantly increasing, despite the partial replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energies. The transport sector is responsible for almost 24% of direct CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, generating greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the need for a greater focus of international policies to encourage the production and the use of biofuels. Bioethanol is the most consumed biofuel in the world; it is produced by fermentation from materials rich in sugar (glucose, starch, cellulose). However, the controversy around the use of first and second generation have forced the transition to the third generation based on marine and freshwater algae; the latter have the advantage of being abundant, even invasive, easy to cultivate with good energy potential. This study proposes a life cycle analysis (LCA) of bioethanol production from the macro algae Ulva Lactuca, it was carried out after the introduction of several data into the SimPro8.1 software (e.g. quantity of water, consumed electricity, used chemicals) using the Impact 2002+ methodology. The results show a positive energy balance reflecting high-energy efficiency since the system produces about 1.44 times the energy consumed.

Comparative Assessment of Bioactive Compounds, Nutritive, Mineral Composition and In-Vitro Bioactivity of Marine Macro Algae Valoniopsis Pachynema and Dictyota Ciliolata

Marine-based nutraceuticals have proved their extensive applications in functional foods and its bioactive molecules play a crucial role as therapeutic agents. The aim of the study is to elucidate in-depth understanding of the nutritional properties and biological activities of the two marine algae. The main objectives of the current study is to comparatively analyse the phytochemicals, nutritional composition and its pharmacological activities of the green and the brown marine macro algae named V.pachynema and D.ciliolata respectively using three different solvents. Additionally, the total chlorophyll content, phenolic content, nutritional, mineral composition, antioxidative and antibacterial activities of the methanolic extract were evaluated. Results showed elemental distribution of V.pachynema in the decreasing order Na > Ca> k > Mg > Fe > Ni> Mn >Co> As > Pb > Cu> Zn > Cr > Cd> Se> V while D.ciliolata in the order of Na > Ca> k > Mg >Ni >Fe> As> Co >Pb> Mn > Zn> Se>Cr> Cd> V>Cu. The relative nutritional composition showed high ash and carbohydrate for both the algae. The percentage composition of ash content was 68.42 ± 0.43% , 37.45 ± 0.26 % (g 100g-1 DW) while carbohydrate content was 50.17± 0.60%, 45.78 ± 0.69% (g 100g-1 DW) for V.pachynema and D.ciliolata respectively. The crude methanolic extract of both the algae were investigated for antioxidant activity with two in vitro antioxidant assays including 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), Phosphomolybdenum (PMB) assays. In addition, Folin–Ciocalteu was used to measure phenolic content (TPC) to determine the antioxidant components. Total phenolic content was found to be highest in V.pachynema 51 GAE 10µg/ml and the methanolic extract of V.pachynema showed higher levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities when compared with D.ciliolata. The tested marine algal extracts exhibited radical scavenging activity that is comparatively dose-dependent to its phenolic concentration. Methanolic extract of the marine algae V.pachynema exhibited better inhibitory activity against gram positive bacterium that are resistant to drugs when compared to the brown algae D.ciliolata. This study enabled a detailed understanding of the nutritional and biochemical composition, free radical scavenging activities of two marine macroalgae. This algal biomass could be potent resources of anti-oxidants and could act as dietary food supplements owing to their rich diversified bioactivities.

Nutritional Assessment on Brown Macro algae Lobophora variegata from GOMBR, Tamil Nadu, India

Nutrition is very important to all living organisms and human beings obtained range of nutrition from different resources. Despite this fact, marine natural resources provide unique nutrition to human society. Based on that reason, the present study was conducted to analysis nutritional profile of brown seaweed Lobophora variegata (J.V. Lamouroux) Womersley ex. Oliveira collected from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere, Tamil Nadu, India. The proximate composition (moisture, ash, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber, mineral, amino acid , fatty acid and antioxidant activity (2-dipheny- 1 – picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Reducing power assays) of L.veriegata. The result indicated that the maximum concentration of protein (34.09 ± 0.95 mg/100g), carbohydrate (28.81 ± 0.07 mg/100g) and total dietary fiber (2.53 ± 0.037 mg/100g) soluble fiber (1.28 ± 0.07 mg/100g) and insoluble fiber (1.50 ± 0.07 mg/100g) recorded in the brown algae L. variegata. The mineral content of L. variegata exhibits high amount of minerals, such as Magnesium (1712.6 ± 16.75 mg/100g DW), Phosphorus (1477.3 ± 4.49 mg/100g DW), Potassium (1078.3 ± 6.23 mg/100g), Sodium (916.6 ± 4.47 mg/100g), Iron (913.6 ± 4.49 mg/100g DW), Zinc (813.6 ± 12.47 mg/100g) and Copper (427.3 ± 5.24 mg/100g DW). Fatty acid profile of docosahexaenoic acid (5.89 ± 0.021mg) and palmitic methyl ester (5.33 ±0.09 mg) were predominantly found in L. variegata. Finally the amino acids are essential (12.43±0.04 mg/g) and non essential (16.99±0.05 mg/g) respectively. DPPH scavenging of Ic50 (175.41µg /ml,) and reducing powder (186.26µg /ml) respectively. According to the current findings, brown seaweed, L. variegata, appears to be a viable marine natural resource for generating innovative nutraceutical and antioxidant products.

Industrial Fishing in Obolo (Andoni), 1970-2020

The paper explores the impact of industrial fishing on the Obolo (Andoni) people. The Obolo people sometime called Andoni are among the various ethnic groups found in the Niger Delta region precisely, the Eastern Niger Delta. Presently the Obolo speaking people are found in two local government areas, namely; Andoni local government, administered by the Rivers State government, while the Eastern Obolo Local Government is in Akwa Ibom State. Traditionally, fishing is the main occupation of the people. Other occupations of the people include, commerce, farming and marine transportation. The Obolo people are artisanal fishermen and women who engaged in fishing in the creeks, rivers and later in the open sea (Atlantic Ocean). The emergent of industrial or mechanized fishing which probably began in Nigeria in the 1950s has led to an increase in both Nigerian and foreign fishing trawler vessels; which ultimately led to what is described in fishery as “by-catch” and “discard”. Ukpatu (2012:3) defines the “by-catch” as anything the fishermen does not intend to catch namely; sea turtle, fish, crabs, shrimps, sharks, weed and sea debris; while “discard referred to the sub-set of the by-catch or portion of the catch that is thrown over into the sea, Andoni Forum, USA (2004:1). The by-catch is a new trend in fishing among the Obolo in particular and the coastal communities in general. The new trend is described in Obolo language as “Kpokpoben” meaning “don’t select” or “just carry” or “trawler”. The Kpokpoben provides employment, food, boast economic activities of the people of the coastal communities. In spite of what seem to be the advantages, its adverse effects include, depletion in natural fish stock, damage to fishing gears, loss of lives and property. Other adverse effects are increase in sea piracy and water pollution. The study recommends among others, the review / overhaul of the fishery laws in Nigeria, equipping the Nigerian Navy with modern security gadgets and mounting an enlightenment campaign in English and Local languages to create an awareness on the adverse effects of the kpokpoben on the Andoni environment

Diversity and Distribution of Marine Macro Algae at Dickwella, Bathigama Algal Bed in Southern Sri Lanka

Seaweeds or marine macro algae are important factors in marine biodiversity of Sri Lanka. They are classified into three divisions as Chlorophyta (green algae), Phaeophyta (brown algae) and Rhodophyta (red algae). Irrespective of the great ecological importance and the higher potential for the economic uses, studies on marine macro algae in Sri Lanka is scanty. The current research was aimed at studying the diversity and distribution of marine macro algae at Dickwella, Bathigama algal bed in Southern coast Sri Lanka. The algal bed of 75 m×5 m were studied using 12 quadrates (0.5 m×0.5 m) distributed systematically with 15 m gap along the four line transects which were located parallel to the coast and with 5 m gap between them. The identification of macro algal species was done according to the standard guidelines and abundance was assessed following the Braun-Blanuet cover abundance scale. According to the results, twenty five species were found including nine Rhodophytes, twelve Chlorophyta, and four Pheaophyta. There was greater species richness in intertidal zone and high species diversity was found in upper intertidal zone of beach rock. Ulva fasciata and Caulerpa recemosa were the highest abundance species. Sargassum sp. was very high on intertidal zone covering a large area of the algal bed. Lower intertidal zone of algal platform had a lower species diversity as well as the lower species abundance. C. recemosa and crustose coralinealgae were the dominant in the study area. Halimeda sp. were recorded in the sand portion of the intertidal pools. The results suggests that the continuous survey with monthly intervals to study the seasonal variations of the algal flora and introduce rules and regulations are important to conserve algal diversity in Sri Lankan coastal belt.
 Keywords: Bathigama algal bed, Sri Lanka, Diversity, Marine macro algae

Biostimulants: Concept, Types and Way to Enhance Soil Health

Soil has immense capacity to function as a vital living ecosystem that not only support plants and animals but also acknowledges survival of people, as a result there has been renewed interest in soil health but due to the environmental repercussions of poor management, such as soil erosion and nutrient contamination, the health of soil is deteriorating with an increasing rate. Application of biostimulants can prove to be a prominent tool for enhancing soil health. Biostimulants are compounds, microorganisms or other materials that are capable of stimulating nutrition processes in plants or in their growth environments. Regardless of their nutritional content they increase the plant's nutrient use efficiency, partial factor productivity, tolerance to abiotic stress and quality of the crop. Many types of biostimulants have been differentiated by their administration technique either soil or foliar, or may be plant or animal derivatives, or by the distinctive procedure involved for their derivation that may be hydrolysis, fermentation or acid/alkali extraction. Stimulants of biological origin that are soil applied can promote the establishment, proliferation of beneficial soil organisms that furnish substrates for plant growth. Biostimulants enhance soil health (physical, chemical, biological properties) by targeting certain major prospects such as enhanced buffering capacity of soil, enhanced stability of aggregates and specific surface area. The use of environmentally friendly natural preparations is especially significant in light of the ongoing processes of soil degradation and air pollution. Enzymes, Protein hydrolysates, and Sea Weed Extracts, Humic substances, Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria and Phosphorus Solubilising Bacteria, Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria briefly comes under the umbrella of biostimulants. These biostimulants can be extracted from various methods such as alkali hydrolysis, partial hydrolysis, pressurised liquid extraction,etc. Even while a biostimulants may not have a short-term effect, it has the potential to improve soil health with progression, ensuing higher yields in the succeeding years.

Assessement of Water Quality of Ameenpur Lake: The Biodiversity Heritage Site of India

Across the world, the various water bodies are being exposed to different forms of environmental degradationand deterioration caused due to population explosion, urbanization and development in the industrialsector. Another factor affecting the quality of water is the aggregations of producers of the water ecosystemi.e., the phytoplankton, macro algae and occasionally colourless heterotrophic protists which can discolourthe water giving rise to foam. Due to this, there is decrease in Dissolved Oxygen (DO) level which ultimatelyaffects the ecological balance of the water and eventually leads to eutrophication in water bodies. Thepresent paper deals with water quality of Ameenpur Lake, Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Telangana, India, thefirst urban lake to be declared as a Biodiversity Heritage Site. The water quality assessment is made throughDissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD).

The effect of olive pomace and seaweed extract on the growth of pepper seedling

In recent years, environmental pollution problems have increased due to organic wastes. The use of organic wastes as fertilizer plays an important role in reducing environmental pollution and improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. This study was carried out to determine the effect of unprocessed olive pomace (OP) which is a by-product of olive oil industry and seaweed (SW) on the growth of pepper seedlings. In the study, 4 different pomace ratios (5% OP + 95% peat, 10% OP + 90% peat, 15% OP + 85% peat and 20% OP + 80% peat V:V) and 4 different SW extract doses ( 0% 0.5%, 1% and 2% ) were used. In the study, parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, plant fresh and dry weights, and chlorophyll index were investigated. According to the results of the study, OP applications significantly decreased the stem diameter, leaf area, leaf number, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, root dry weight, chlorophyll content, stem-root ratio and total plant dry weight, while root length increased. On the other hand, SW applications had no an important effect on plant growth but partially imporoved in the zero OP application.

Toxicity evaluation of novel antidiabetic compound (11-methoxy-2-methyltridecane-4-ol) from marine macro alga, Gracilaria edulis

Diabetic mellitus is considered to be a global public health issue with high prevalence in Asian countries including India. Pharmaceutical approach using a wide range of existing drugs is problematic because of their side effects, toxicity and resistance. Natural ingredients are promising for the treatment of Diabetic mellitus including seaweeds. This study evaluates the toxicity and safety of a novel antidiabetic compound 11-methoxy-2-methyltridecane-4-ol extracted and isolated from the marine macroalgae Gracilaria edulis. The toxicity impact of this compound was assessed using Artemia franciscana model, Red Blood Cells hemolysis assay (RBC), cytotoxicity assay using 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes cell line models and in vivo acute toxicity tests using rat (Rattus norvegicus) model. The cytotoxicity tests with 1000 µg/mL concentration of 11-methoxy-2-methyltridecane-4-ol compound on A. franciscana, red blood cell hemolysis and 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes cell line did not show any adverse effects. Acute toxicity study on hematological and biochemical parameters of experimental and control rats (Rattus norvegicus) at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight recorded values within the normal range. The results of present study are indicative of the nontoxic nature and safety of this bioactive compound suggesting its utilization as a novel drug for long term treatment of Diabetes mellitus.

H2 production by steam reforming of Saccharina japonica-derived liquefied oils on NixCuy hydrotalcite-derived catalysts

H2 is highlighted as a sustainable energy resource, and mainly produced by steam reforming of fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases. Marine biomass can be an alternative because of high productivity and carbon neutrality compared to terrestrial biomass. In this work, we studied bio-oil from Saccharina japonica (macroalgae) as a renewable H2 resource by steam reforming on NiCu hydrotalcite-derived catalysts (NixCu1.5-xMg1.5Al1.0). After the hydrothermal liquefaction of S. japonica, minerals were removed by the desalting process. GC-MS showed bio-oil mainly consists of ketone and N-containing compounds. Increasing Cu content improved the reducibility of Ni, evidenced by H2-TPR and XPS, suggesting the synergetic interaction between Ni and Cu. Chemisorption showed the catalyst had the smallest particle sizes (∼19 nm) at 1 to 1 Ni:Cu atomic ratio. As for steam reforming of bio-oil, NixCu1.5-xMg1.5Al1.0 catalysts, except Cu1.5Mg1.5Al1.0, were stable with >89% of carbon conversion and H2 selectivity of 76–78% during 5 h. Especially, at 1:1 Ni:Cu atomic ratio, the catalyst maximized H2 production rates with the highest H2/CO ratio of 28. It suggests that designing small NiCu particles is critical for H2 production. In summary, NixCu1.5-xMg1.5Al1.0 catalysts are promising for H2 production by the steam reforming of the bio-oil from macro algae.

Influence of temperature on kinetics and hydraulic retention time in discontinuous and continuous anaerobic systems

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biological treatment susceptible to temperature variations. The Arrhenius model and the Van´t Hoff-Arrhenius relationship analyze the temperature effect in AD first-order kinetic constant (k). Kinetic data is relevant for estimating the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in continuous reactors. This research aimed to evaluate the behavior of kinetic constants concerning temperature using the Arrhenius model and Van´t Hoff-Arrhenius relationship and analyze the influence of kinetic constants as estimators of the HRT. The evaluation of the temperature effect in AD analyzed k fit to the Arrhenius model and Van’t Hoff-Arrhenius relationship. The research used data of AD methane yield (B0) kinetics from the literature, corresponding to macroalgae (MA) (25, 35, 45oC), swine manure (SM) (25, 30, 35oC), and co-digestion of chicken manure with sawdust and miscanthus (CM) (35, 40, 42oC). The Arrhenius model and Van´t Hoff-Arrhenius relationship fitted the data with reduced temperature intervals (∆T = 5°C). The HRT analysis used a mass balance model considering 80% of the maximum B0 compared with the technical digestion time at 80 (T80) and 90% (T90) of the maximum B0. The results indicate that the HRT calculation is sensitive for k below 0.13 d-1.

Fabrication of pH responsive FU@Eu-MOF nanoscale metal organic frameworks for lung cancer therapy

Fabrication of biocompatible drug delivery systems (DDS) with enhanced permeation -retention effect and precise targeting is a major challenge in cancer therapy. The present study focused on fabrication of europium metal-organic framework (EuMOF) as pH responsive drug delivery system for sea weed polysaccharide fucoidan (FU@Eu-MOF) by one-pot synthesis method and assess its anticancer potential against lung cancer. Fabricated Eu-MOF exhibited high drug loading efficiency (22.15% by wt) and pH responsive controlled release of drug fucoidan (85.3 ± 0.02% in 48 h at pH 5.0). Material characterization revealed the formation of monodispersed uniform rod shaped structure decorated with fucoidan on the surface with average particle size of 71 ± 0.21 nm. Results of anticancer studies revealed that FU@Eu-MOF showed enhanced anticancer potential (IC50 value 32.17 ± 0.06 μg/ml) in lung cancer cells (A549) when compared to fucoidan alone (IC50 60.34 ± 0.03 μg/ml). Mechanism of anticancer potential revealed that FU@Eu-MOF enhanced ROS level inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage leading to apoptosis. Safety evaluation studies revealed that FU@Eu-MOF showed neither cytotoxic, nor hemolytic activity under in vitro condition. To conclude the results of the study reveals FU@Eu-MOF as promising biocompatible material for drug delivery system for lung cancer therapy and other biomedical applications.

Exploring Dose-Dependent Cytotoxicity Profile of Gracilaria edulis-Mediated Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles against MDA-MB-231 Breast Carcinoma.

Green-based synthesis of metal nanoparticles using marine seaweeds is a rapidly growing technology that is finding a variety of new applications. In the present study, the aqueous extract of a marine seaweed, Gracilaria edulis, was employed for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles without using any reducing and stabilizing chemical agents. The visual color change and validation through UV-Vis spectroscopy provided an initial confirmation regarding the Gracilaria edulis-mediated green synthesized silver nanoparticles. The dynamic light scattering studies and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy pictographs exhibited that the synthesized Gracilaria edulis-derived silver nanoparticles were roughly spherical in shape having an average size of 62.72 ± 0.25 nm and surface zeta potential of -15.6 ± 6.73 mV. The structural motifs and chemically functional groups associated with the Gracilaria edulis-derived silver nanoparticles were observed through X-ray diffraction and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Further, the synthesized nanoparticles were further screened for their antioxidant properties through DPPH, hydroxyl radical, ABTS, and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays. The phycosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells having IC50 value of 344.27 ± 2.56 μg/mL. Additionally, the nanoparticles also exhibited zone of inhibition against pathogenic strains of Bacillus licheniformis (MTCC 7425), Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 3216), Vibrio cholerae (MTCC 3904), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1098), Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 3615), and Shigella dysenteriae (MTCC9543). Hence, this investigation explores the reducing and stabilizing capabilities of marine sea weed Gracilaria edulis for synthesizing silver nanoparticles in a cost-effective approach with potential anticancer and antimicrobial activity. The nanoparticles synthesized through green method may be explored for their potential utility in food preservative film industry, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries.