Mixture Of Phosphate Research Articles

Development and characterization of an amphotericin B - loaded nanoemulsion applied to Candida auris biofilms control

Nanoemulsions (NE) belong to the class of emulsions widely used in the scientific field in order to improve drugs bioavailability and selectivity, especially in the control of microbial resistance. Among the resistant microorganisms, Candida auris is highly resistant to conventional treatments and has caused serious public health concerns. The amphotericin B (AmB) has shown good antifungal activity, however, with a considerable level of toxicity. In light of this, the incorporation of AmB in NE comprises an efficient strategy to overcome side effects besides enhancing its action. Furthermore, NE can be lower cost and less complex to develop compared to other systems already available. This work aimed to design, characterize and evaluate AmB-loaded NE (denominated NEA) against C. auris biofilm. NE were prepared by a mixture of phosphate buffered saline (PBS - aqueous phase), cholesterol and sunflower oil (oil phase) and Polyoxyethylene (20) cetyl ether (Brij® 58) and soy phosphatidylcholine (surfactants). The proposed nanosystem was successfully characterized and the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and release assays were evaluated using HPLC. NEA was applied against developing and mature biofilms formed by C. auris CDC B11903. The characterization assays results showed a clear liquid NE with the size ranging from 44 to 47 nm, good uniformity and zeta potential (ZP) ranging from −3.77 to −3.56 mV. The thermal data analysis confirmed that the drug incorporation did not change the NE profile. Cryo-TEM images exhibited spherical shape with nanostructures well dispersed with an average size of 40 nm. NEA EE ranged from 69 to 17%, having a slower release potential compared to free AmB. In vitro studies performed against C. auris biofilms displayed promising results with high antibiofilm capacity regarding to the growth control (with no treatment). Considering the aforementioned, NE displayed essential characteristics for an effective nanocarrier, exhibiting good EE, slow AmB release and activity against C. auris biofilms.

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of tocopheryl phosphate mixture (TPM) for all animal species (Avecho biotechnology limited).

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of tocopheryl phosphate mixture (TPM) as nutritional feed additive for all animal species. The additive has not been authorised for use in animal nutrition. TPM is produced by chemical synthesis and is a mixture of two different phosphorylated tocopheryl compounds in approximate 2:1 weight ratio: all‐rac‐α‐tocopheryl di‐hydrogen phosphate (TP) and all‐rac‐di‐α‐tocopheryl hydrogen phosphate (T2P). It is intended to be used as nutritional additive (as a source of vitamin E) in feed for all animal species and categories. Considering the limited information on the ADMER for the components of the additive and the uncertainties on the potential aneugenicity and clastogenicity of the additive, the Panel cannot conclude on the safety of the additive for the target species and for the consumer. TPM is not a skin irritant nor a skin sensitiser but should be considered irritant to the eyes and the upper respiratory tract. Owing to the uncertainty on the potential aneugenicity and clastogenicity of the additive, it is not possible to conclude on safety for the user. The FEEDAP Panel cannot conclude on the safety of TPM for the environment due to lack of data on environmental impact of T2P. TPM is a bioavailable source of α‐tocopherol. The data available, however, do not allow the Panel to establish the relative bioequivalence of TPM as vitamin E. Therefore, the Panel is not in the position to conclude on the efficacy of TPM for all animal species.

Cross-reactive binding versus selective phosphate sensing in an imine macrocycle sensor

<h2>Summary</h2> We demonstrate a new approach to chemosensors suited for analysis of phosphate mixtures. Here, a combination of a cross-reactive receptor and an environmentally sensitive fluorophore allows for binding various phosphates and obtaining analyte-specific fluorescence response. We have investigated a flexible and cross-reactive imine-pyrrole macrocycle comprising both hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors, one that is capable of self-organizing in response to phosphate-type anions. This cross-reactive binding was elucidated by theoretical and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies. Incorporating an environmentally sensitive dansyl fluorophore, which responds to the presence of analytes with a varying degree of fluorescence amplification, resulted in translating the cross-reactive binding into variable analyte response and enabled differentiation of oxyanions. The trend of anion affinities is H₂PO₄⁻>AMP>H₂P₂O7²⁻>ADP>ATP. We show that only one sensor can differentiate among various phosphates including their mixtures. By applying machine learning algorithms, we were able to differentiate between 12 anions and accurately quantify ATP, ADP, AMP, PPi, Pi, and their mixtures.

Hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/beta-TCP) scaffold combined with bone and endothelial cells as a potential candidate for oral and maxillofacial bone regeneration.

Cell-based scaffolds have been proposed as useful for tissue repair and bone regeneration in oral and maxillofacial tissue engineering. However, vascularization, a key player in bone regeneration, is often inadequate. To improve this, the use of biphasic calcium phosphate biomaterial (30% hydroxyapatite (HA)-70% tricalcium phosphate (TCP) mixture) HA/beta-TCP-scaffold with defined micron-channel sizes and pore sizes capable of driving angiogenesis, may prove helpful. Therefore, our study aimed to combine the HA/beta-TCP scaffold with in vitro differentiated cells, especially endothelial cells, well-known players in angiogenesis. The HA/beta-TCP-scaffold was combined with primary cultures of human osteoblasts (hOBs), osteoclasts (hOCs), and endothelial cells (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, HUVECs). Cells were co-cultured with HA/beta-TCP-scaffold in normoxia (20% oxygen tension) for 14 days. Then, we evaluated: cell adhesion/morphology (Scanning Electron Microscopy and Confocal Microscopy); cell viability (Calcein AM/Propidium Iodide Assay); the presence of multinucleated hOCs (Tartrate Resistant- Acid Phosphatase assay); expression of specific markers of both osteo- and vasculogenic differentiation (Immunohistochemistry). All cell types were viable and well adhered to the entire scaffold surface. Interestingly, bone matrix formation and newly formed vessel-like structures were both detected. Although further investigation is needed, our data proved that differentiated cells combined in vitro with HA/beta-TCP-scaffold prior to implantation could represent a useful strategy for future applications in bone regeneration. Especially, the use of customized micro-vascularized cell-based scaffold would fall within the innovative "personalized medicine” approach.

ULTRA PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN, LEVOCETIRIZINE AND PHENYL PROPONOLAMINE IN BULK AND PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM

A novel, rapid and stability indicatinganalytical method is developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of levocetirizen, dextromethorphan, paracetamol, and phenylpropanolaminein bulk and its Pharmaceutical formulations by UPLC a Kromosil C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5m).column with a solvent mixture of sodium dihydrogen phosphate :methanol(60:40 %V/V) 0.1N hydrochloric acid is used to adjusted the pH : 7.5 as mobilephasewith a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Isocratic mode was used for the separation of Levocetirizen, dextromethorphan, paracetamol, and p h e ny l p ro p a n o l a m i n e. T h e re t e n t i o n t i m e s o f L evo c e t i r i z e n , d e x t ro m e t h o r p h a n , p a ra c e t a m o l , andphenylpropanolamine were found to be around 2.5 min,5.2min,3.9,5.9minrespectively From the linearity studies the specified range for Levocetirizen was determined to be 1.25-7.5 g/ml and for dextromethorphan was determined to be 3.75-22. g/ml, and for paracetamol was determined to be 125-750 g/ml and for phenylpropanolamine was determined to be 6.25-37.5 g/ml. The proposed method was successful in simultaneous quantification of Levocetirizen, dextromethorphan, paracetamol, and phenylpropanolamine.

Rheological properties and decomposition rates of Gellan gum/hyaluronic acid/β-tricalcium phosphate mixtures

The effects of β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) on the mixture of low acyl gellan gum (LA-GAGR) and hyaluronic acid (HA) were investigated for the rheological properties and decomposition rates. All the tested mixture samples exhibited shear-thinning and typical viscoelastic behaviors. The sample made with 1.0% TCP and 0.30% LA-GAGR had the highest viscosity and loss and storage moduli and displayed gel-like behavior with the highest swelling capacity. The same mixture also exhibited the lowest average cumulative decomposition rate. High concentrations of LA-GAGR and TCP increased the degree of cross-linking of the polysaccharides, and as a result, the mixture was more elastic and less fluidic and decomposed slower. The samples prepared by gradual mixing of LA-GAGR and TCP decomposed slower than the sample prepared by sudden mixing, which indicates the well-dispersed TCP enhanced cross-linking of the polymers. This study demonstrates the possible applicability of natural polysaccharide-based shear-thinning gels for biomedical applications.

Effect of intumescent flame retardants on non‐isothermal crystallization behavior of high‐density polyethylene

AbstractIn this study, the influence of the addition of intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) on the non‐isothermal crystallization of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied. The investigations were carried out for polyethylene compositions containing two different IFRs, ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and a mixture of copper phosphate and melamine phosphate (CUMP). Both IFRs have been incorporated with a constant amount of 20 wt%. Non‐isothermal kinetic parameters were calculated from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis using the Jeziorny and Mo methods. The research demonstrates the appropriateness of using the latter approach to evaluate the HDPE‐based crystallization process changes. The results of the obtained kinetic parameters describing HDPE crystallization were related to the activation energy assessed by the Friedman method, microscopic analysis performed using polarized light microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). Despite the increase in the activation energy (EX) of the flame retarded polyethylene series, the degree of crystallinity was comparable to that of unmodified HDPE due to a limited dependence effect of EX on relative crystallinity. Investigations made using polarized light microscopy showed an increase in the density of spherulite impingement for HDPE/IFRs. Moreover, despite introducing crystalline organic compounds, polyethylene did not reveal any polymorphic changes according to WAXS.

Increased effectiveness of the flotation separation of hornblende and magnesite by adding citric acid as depressant

Abstract The microflotation experiments were systematically carried out to investigate the inhibitory effect of citric acid (CA) on the flotation behavior of hornblende and magnesite. When the mixture consisted of sodium oleate and dodecyl phosphate was utilized as a mixed trapping reagent, CA could obviously inhibit the hornblende flotation but had little inhibitory effect on magnesite flotation. The desilication of magnesite flotation was accomplished when CA was employed as the hornblende inhibitor. Moreover, to reveal the adsorption mechanism of CA on the surfaces of hornblende and magnesite, a series of surface analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were conducted. Based on the zeta-potential and FTIR analyses, it is revealed that CA or CA together with collector (sodium oleate and dodecyl phosphate mixture) was applicable for the magnesite flotation tests. In the meanwhile, the introduced CA had obviously hindered the adsorption of sodium oleate and dodecyl phosphate mixtures on the hornblende surface, resulting in a significant difference in the flotation performance of hornblende and magnesite minerals. Moreover, XPS measurements revealed that the strong adsorption of CA on the hornblende surface can be ascribed to its affinity for the negative electron groups of CA and Ca ions.

Two Green Micellar HPLC and Mathematically Assisted UV Spectroscopic Methods for the Simultaneous Determination of Molnupiravir and Favipiravir as a Novel Combined COVID-19 Antiviral Regimen.

Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, a race was initiated to find a successful regimen for postinfections. Among those trials, a recent study declared the efficacy of an antiviral combination of favipiravir (FAV) and molnupiravir (MLP). The combined regimen helped in a successful 60% eradication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the lungs of studied hamster models. Moreover, it prevented viral transmission to cohosted sentinels. Because both medications are orally bioavailable, the coformulation of FAV and MLP can be predicted. The developed study is aimed at developing new green and simple methods for the simultaneous determination of FAV and MLP and then at their application in the study of their dissolution behavior if coformulated together. A green micellar HPLC method was validated using an RP-C18 core-shell column (5 μm, 150 × 4.6 mm) and an isocratic mixed micellar mobile phase composed of 0.1 M SDS, 0.01 M Brij-35, and 0.02 M monobasic potassium phosphate mixture and adjusted to pH 3.1 at 1.0 mL min−1 flow rate. The analytes were detected at 230 nm. The run time was less than five minutes under the optimized chromatographic conditions. Four other multivariate chemometric model methods were developed and validated, namely, classical least square (CLS), principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS-1), and genetic algorithm–partial least squares (GA–PLS-1). The developed models succeeded in resolving the great similarity and overlapping in the FAV and MLP UV spectra unlike the traditional univariate methods. All methods were organic solvent-free, did not require extraction or derivatization steps, and were applied for the construction of the simultaneous dissolution profile for FAV tablets and MLP capsules. The methods revealed that the amount of the simultaneously released cited drugs increases up until reaching a plateau after 15 and 20 min for FAV and MLP, respectively. The greenness was assessed on GAPI and found to be in harmony with green analytical chemistry concepts.

Advanced Nonflammable Localized High‐Concentration Electrolyte For High Energy Density Lithium Battery

The key to realize long‐life high energy density lithium batteries is to exploit functional electrolytes capable of stabilizing both high voltage cathode and lithium anode. The emergence of localized high‐concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) shows great promise for ameliorating the above‐mentioned interfacial issues. In this work, a lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB) based nonflammable dual‐anion LHCE is designed and prepared. Dissolving in the mixture of trimethyl phosphate (TMP) /1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoroethyl‐2,2,3,3‐tetrafluoropropylether (D2), the continuously consumption of LiDFOB is suppressed by simply introducing lithium nitrate (LiNO3). Meantime, as most of the TMP molecular are coordinated with Li+, the electrolyte does not show incompatibility issue between neither metal lithium nor graphite anode. Therefore, it demonstrates excellent capability in stabilizing the interface of Ni‐rich cathode and regulating lithium deposition morphology. The Li||LiNi0.87Co0.08Mn0.05O2 (NCM87) batteries exhibit high capacity retention of more than 90% after 200 cycles even under the high cutoff voltage of 4.5 V, 1 C rate. This study offers a prospective method to develop safe electrolytes suitable for high voltage applications, thus providing higher energy densities.

Sustainable and efficient leaching of tungsten from scheelite using the mixture of ammonium phosphate, ammonia and calcium fluoride

The traditional scheelite treatment process, which involves the sodium hydroxide decomposition and anion exchange, discharges a large amount of high-salinity wastewater, resulting in severe environmental pollution. In this study, ammonium tungstate solution was prepared directly by scheelite leaching with a mixture of ammonium phosphate, ammonia and calcium fluoride. The effects of ammonium phosphate and calcium fluoride dosages, initial ammonium concentration, temperature, liquid-solid ratio and holding time on the leaching efficiency of scheelite were investigated. The leaching efficiency of scheelite reached 98.6% under the following conditions: the dosages of ammonium phosphate and calcium fluoride were 1.6 and 2 times their theoretical amounts, respectively. Other conditions included: initial ammonia concentration of 30 g/L and L/S ratio of 2:1 at 180 °C and a holding time of 3 h. In addition, the leaching reaction sequence of scheelite and the formation pattern of calcium fluorophosphate were inferred. After purification of the ammonium tungstate solution, a high-purity ammonium paratungstate was prepared by evaporative crystallization. This study presents a new approach for the green and efficient extraction of tungsten from scheelite.

Thermal and Optical Behavior of Novel Phosphate-Based Inorganic Mixtures Containing Fe and Na and Their Application as Solar Reflective Coating

Abstract Herein, the synthesis of the novel and inexpensive phosphate mixtures, Fe3(PO4)2·0.5 Na3PO4.6 H2O· NaOH (calcined) and Fe3(PO4)2·0.5 Na3PO4·4 H2O· NaOH (non-calcined) of iron (Fe) and sodium (Na) and their application as reflective coating with building envelope materials is reported. The main objective of this work is to determine the effect of hydrated mixtures as a reflective coating. To obtain different hydrated mixtures, samples were synthesized in both calcined and non-calcined manner. Various measurement techniques were used to characterize and study the thermal behavior of mixtures. From the thermal behavior of the mixtures, it is noticed that the mixtures can be used as heat-dissipating materials. The average crystallite size was found to be 40.18 nm and 25.48 nm for the calcined and the non-calcined mixtures, respectively. The calculated band gap for the calcined mixture is 3.71 eV and the non-calcined mixture is 3.73 eV. According to Reddy's equation, the refractive index of the calcined and the non-calcined mixtures is 2.61 and 2.60, respectively. Both the calcined (1A) and the non-calcined (1B) mixtures were fabricated with commercial white paint to develop aesthetic light gray coatings. Both coatings were painted and tested on two building material slabs separately. Then, the highest reflective coating material between these two was painted on a house prototype and tested against commercial gray paint available in the market. An average temperature reduction of 3.8 K was observed in modified gray coating compared to commercial building paint. The reflective coating of the calcined mixture blended with white paint was observed to be better than the non-calcined mixture blended with white paint.

A new process for the efficient decomposition of low-grade scheelite based on the formation of insoluble calcium fluorophosphate

With the exhaustion of wolframite and scheelite concentrates, low-grade scheelite has gradually become the main raw material of the tungsten industry. The current processes used for leaching low-grade scheelite with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate in an autoclave have the disadvantages of low tungsten leaching efficiency and the requirement of a large leaching reagent dosage. In this study, a new process for leaching low-grade scheelite by using a mixture of sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide and calcium fluoride is proposed. In the leaching process, scheelite is converted into calcium fluorophosphate while transferring WO42− from the mineral to the solution. To explore the conditions favourable for the formation of calcium fluorophosphate during leaching, thermodynamic analysis of the Ca-W-P-F-H2O system was carried out. The results show that calcium fluorophosphate can be formed over a wide range of pH values. Increasing the concentration of total phosphorus and total fluorine in the solution is beneficial to the decomposition of scheelite. The effects of various parameters on the leaching of low-grade scheelite were studied, and the optimum process parameters were determined. A total of 98.21% of the tungsten can be leached from low-grade scheelite using 2 times the theoretical amount of sodium phosphate, 1.5 times the theoretical amount of calcium fluoride, a sodium hydroxide to ore mass ratio of 14%, and an L/S ratio of 4:1 at 453 K for 3 h, with a residual phosphorus concentration of only 0.12 g/L in the leaching solution. Mineralogical analysis of the leaching residue shows that most of the associated mineral calcite in the low-grade scheelite is not decomposed, which indicates that selective and efficient decomposition of scheelite is achieved by using this novel process.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE EXTRACTION REFINING OF NATURAL URANIUM

The paper presents the results of studies of the physicochemical processes of the extraction and nitric acid purification of uranium salts obtained by the method of precipitation of ammonium uranyl carbonate (AUC) from ore solutions of leaching of uranium and polymetallic ores with their subsequent dissolution in nitric acid. It is shown that the process of extraction on a mixture of tributyl phosphate (TBP) in kerosene makes it possible to obtain high-purity uranium oxide. For the selective extraction of impurities, the process of uranium extraction from the nitric acid medium was carried out with a mixture of TBP and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in kerosene. The first uranium concentration 40…50 g/L simulated the process of uranium desorption, the second ≤ 100 g/L simulated the process of dissolution of uranium oxide. The study of the uranium extraction made it possible to determine the required number of extraction stages to achieve the minimum uranium content in the raffinate and the maximum extractant capacity, which ensured the specified coefficients of uranium purification from metal impurities (V, Mo, etc.). After extraction, the nitric acid raffinate served as a raw material for the production of a mineral fertilizer – sodium nitrate.

Solubilization of struvite and biorecovery of cerium by Aspergillus niger

Cerium has many modern applications such as in renewable energies and the biosynthesis of nanomaterials. In this research, natural struvite was solubilized by Aspergillus niger and the biomass-free struvite leachate was investigated for its ability to recover cerium. It was shown that struvite was completed solubilized following 2 weeks of fungal growth, which released inorganic phosphate (Pi) from the mineral by the production of oxalic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that crystals with distinctive morphologies were formed in the natural struvite leachate after mixing with Ce3+. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of cerium phosphate hydrate [Ce(PO4)·H2O] at lower Ce concentrations and a mixture of phosphate and cerium oxalate decahydrate [Ce2(C2O4)3·10H2O] at higher Ce concentrations. The formation of these biogenic Ce minerals leads to the removal of > 99% Ce from solution. Thermal decomposition experiments showed that the biogenic Ce phosphates could be transformed into a mixture of CePO4 and CeO2 (cerianite) after heat treatment at 1000 °C. These results provide a new perspective of the fungal biotransformation of soluble REE species using struvite leachate, and also indicate the potential of using the recovered REE as biomaterial precursors with possible applications in the biosynthesis of novel nanomaterials, elemental recycling and biorecovery.Key points• Cerium was recovered using a struvite leachate produced by A. niger.• Oxalic acid played a major role in struvite solubilization and Ce phosphate biorecovery.• Resulting nanoscale mineral products could serve as a precursor for Ce oxide synthesis.

Synthesis and characterization of zinc and fluorine co-substituted hydroxyapatite for bone and dental applications

Ionic substituted hydroxyapatites are widely used in bone tissue engineering applications. The present research is aimed at the synthesis of zinc and fluorine co-substituted hydroxyapatite (ZnFHA10, Ca9.0Zn1.0(PO4)6(OH)F) using a sol–gel method. This research investigates the effect of zinc and fluorine co-substitution on the structure of synthesized hydroxyapatite. The as-synthesized nanopowder was heat-treated in the temperature range 800 °C–1200 °C. The physicochemical properties were investigated using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The thermal stability of nanopowder was assessed by the thermogravimetric analysis. Bioactive behavior was evaluated by studying the variation in pH of simulated body fluid on immersion of nanopowders. Peaks of zinc and fluorine in the XRF spectra confirmed the substitution of ions. TEM images of as-synthesized and calcined nanopowders showed rod-like and spherical morphology. X-ray diffraction pattern of as-synthesized nanopowder showed the formation of nanoparticles of low crystallinity. On calcination, the crystallinity and crystallite size increased and the biphasic mixture of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate was formed. Spectra obtained from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of OH…F…OH group, depicting the presence of fluorine in hydroxyapatite. FTIR spectra of nanopowders obtained after immersion in simulated body fluid and change in pH values on immersion of nanopowders in simulated body fluid confirmed the bioactive behavior of nanopowders. The study revealed that the substitution of ions in hydroxyapatite could significantly increase the bioactivity and bioresorbability of hydroxyapatite, thus finding a wide range of clinical applications in orthopedics and dentistry.

Application of bioceramic materials in endodontic therapy: a brief review

Bioceramics (BCs) are materials that include vitreous ceramics, zirconia, bioactive glass, alumina, hydroxyapatite, resorbable calcium phosphate (CaP), and other materials. They have been utilized to fill bone defects, as root repair material, apical fill material, perforation sealing, endodontic sealers, and regeneration aids in dentistry. BCs have various advantages over other materials, including biocompatibility, BC nontoxicity, dimensional stability, and, most importantly, bioinertness in endodontic applications. There is a similarity of BC to hydroxyapatite in that they have an intrinsic osteoconductive action and the ability to initiate the regenerative responses in the human body. In endodontics, they can be broadly categorized into CaP, mixtures of calcium silicate and phosphates, hydroxyapatite-based, tricalcium, and calcium silicate-based. This review focuses on an overview of BCs; it furthermore provides a complete overview of individual BC material currently utilized in the fields of endodontics, as well as their features and applications.

Comparison of a novel combination of bio-organic fertilizers vis-à-vis a chemical fertilizer

Plant nutrients are essential for the production of healthy crops for the world’s expanding population and thus, they are a vital component of sustainable agriculture. Increased crop production depends on the type of fertilizers used to supplement essential nutrients for plants. The nutrient level fertilizers provide depends on their nature- each type of fertilizer has its advantages and disadvantages concerning crop growth and soil fertility. The management of using fertilizer must aim to ensure both an enhanced and safeguarded environment. Thus, a balanced fertilization strategy must be implemented. An experiment was conducted under field conditions to assess the effects of combinations of bio-fertilizers on agronomic and quality criteria of Brassica juncea (brown mustard), Basella alba (climbing spinach), and Amaranthus dubius (red spinach). Randomized block design with three replicas were used for the study, one set with the application of fertilizers containing Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Sesbania, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Glomus (Mycorrhizal inoculant)- under bio-fertilizer; another with a mixture of urea, Potassium Nitrate, Super Phosphate, Potassium Sulfate, and Maple EM solution as chemical fertilizer and a control (water). Results indicated that yield and other plant criteria like chlorophyll content and gel volume were enhanced in bio-fertilizer treated plants compared to the plants grown with chemical fertilizer and control. In general, the application of bio-fertilizer significantly increased leaf length by 16-50%, the total number of leaves by 50-80%, plant size 19.15-63.15%, and gel volume by 147% (approximately) in comparison with untreated plants.

Determination of Taurine in Quadriceps Femoris by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Precolumn Derivatization

A method for determination of taurine in mouse quadriceps femoris by high performance liquid chromatography with precolumn derivatization ophthalaldehyde (OPA) was established. The sample was extracted and treated with canon exchange resin. Results showed that taurine in quadriceps femoris was separated and quantified on C18 reversed phase column by high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) after derivatization with OPA in 3min, using mixture of methanol and phosphate （V/V＝1:1，pH＝4.9） as mobile phase, rate of flow is 0.6mL/min, detecting at 340nm by UV-detector, L-Glutamine as internal standard. The result showed that the linear ranger of taurine was 6.25-187.7ng/mL, correlation coefficient R2=0.9994, the recoveries were 91.8%-101.8%, RSD=3.2% (n=6). The retention time of taurine is 7.32 min. The concentration of taurine in mouse quadriceps femoris is 3.18mg/g. The protein and amino acid were separated by sample pre-treatment. The method is of good separation effect, simple, reliable, and can be used to analyze the taurine concentration in mammal tissue.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Biphasic Calcium Phosphate from Cuttlebone Assisted by the Biosurfactant L-rhamnose Monohydrate for Biomedical Materials

The motivation of this research work is to develop novel medical material from cuttlebone (calcium source) by L-rhamnose monohydrate (biosurfactant) for aged people. The process can be synthesized biphasic calcium phosphate which is eco-friendly to environment. One of the most important aspects for this work is to use cuttlebone as a naturally occurring calcium source from a local beach in Thailand. It usually contains 90% calcium carbonate. The objective of this research work is to synthesize the biphasic calcium phosphate by hydrothermal reaction. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) of 10, 20, 100, 500 and 1000 of L-rhamnose monohydrate were used to control particle size and shape. XRD revealed a mixture of β-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite powder. SEM reported that the size of particles can be effectively controlled by the addition of L-rhamnose monohydrate, and with the addition of surfactant, size uniformity was achieved. The cytotoxicity test was reported to be in the range of 70–75%. It was remarkable to note that biphasic calcium phosphate synthesized from cuttlebone with the aid of L-rhamnose monohydrate will be considered an excellent candidate as a scaffold material.