Shell Extract Research Articles

Radical Scavenging and Cellular Antioxidant Activity of the Cocoa Shell Phenolic Compounds after Simulated Digestion.

The cocoa industry generates a considerable quantity of cocoa shell, a by-product with high levels of methylxanthines and phenolic compounds. Nevertheless, the digestion process can extensively modify these compounds' bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity as a consequence of their transformation. Hence, this work's objective was to assess the influence of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the concentration of phenolic compounds found in the cocoa shell flour (CSF) and the cocoa shell extract (CSE), as well as to investigate their radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity in both intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells. The CSF and the CSE exhibited a high amount of methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine) and phenolic compounds, mainly gallic acid and (+)-catechin, which persisted through the course of the simulated digestion. Gastrointestinal digestion increased the antioxidant capacity of the CSF and the CSE, which also displayed free radical scavenging capacity during the simulated digestion. Neither the CSF nor the CSE exhibited cytotoxicity in intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) or hepatic (HepG2) cells. Moreover, they effectively counteracted oxidative stress triggered by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) while preventing the decline of glutathione, thiol groups, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in both cell lines. Our study suggests that the cocoa shell may serve as a functional food ingredient for promoting health, owing to its rich concentration of antioxidant compounds that could support combating the cellular oxidative stress associated with chronic disease development.

Potential Antimicrobial Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Ur Burst Shells Against S.aureus Bacteria From Diabetic Foot Wounds

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global problem that requires special treatment. One of the complications of DM is diabetic foot ulcers. The spread of diabetic wounds accompanied by ulcers is caused by the presence of S. aureus bacteria. This bacterium is known to be able to adapt to various classes of antibiotics, so it is necessary to explore new antibiotics from natural materials, one of which is sea urchins. This study was conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extract of sea urchin shells on the growth of S. aureus bacteria. This research was conducted at the Laboratory of the Medica Farma Husada Polytechnic in Mataram and the URB Laboratory of the NTB Provincial Hospital. The results of this study showed that there was the antibacterial activity of sea urchin shell extract with an inhibition zone diameter of 12 mm which was classified as strong, while Ciprofloxacin formed an inhibition zone with a diameter of 27 mm. From this study, it was concluded that sea urchin shell extract was able to inhibit the growth of S. aureus.

The Effect of the Oğuzlar Walnut Extract as a Green Corrosion Inhibitor on AISI 1010 Mild Steel

Mild steel is primarily used in reinforced concrete structures, because it has a low corrosion rate due to the formation of a passive oxide film in the alkaline environment. However, when exposed to acidic and atmospheric environments or aqueous environments containing dissolved salts such as sea water, the protective film deteriorates and corrosion occurs due to contamination caused by chloride and carbonation. It is possible to obtain corrosion inhibitors by extraction of bioactive compounds from plants. Thus, inexpensive and environmentally friendly new effective inhibitors are obtained as an alternative to environmentally harmful inhibitors. In this context, the subject of the study was determined as the investigation of the inhibition efficiency of the vanillin phenolic compound in the Çorum Oğuzlar walnut shell extract, which is a local product, on the corrosion of AISI 1010 mild steel in acidic, alkaline and salty environments. The walnut shells, which were cleaned, ground and pre-sieved with a certain grain size, were extracted in seven different solvents. In order to find the appropriate solvent, the total phenolic content (TPC) in the extracts was determined by both the Folin Ciocalteu method and the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Tafel polarization methods were applied to determine the effect of the extract on the electrochemical behavior of AISI 1010 and its corrosion rate. LC-MS/MS analysis showed the presence of compounds containing p electrons, N and O heteroatoms responsible for the corrosion inhibition. The best inhibition effectiveness was obtained with 86.1% acetone-water mixture in acidic environment (0.2 M HCl).

Extraction and Characterization of Oil from Trichilia Dregeana (Luya) Seed Beans and Seed Shells

The objective of this study was to extract oils from seeds and seed shells of Trichilia dregeana growing in Ethiopia. The oils were extracted using Soxhlet extraction technique and an organic solvent (n-hexane). The yields of the oils were in the range of 39.64-55.4%. The physicochemical properties of the oils such as density, acid value, saponification value and peroxide values were 0.8 ± 0.004 -0.84±0.014g/mL, 0.039±0.004 -5.667 mg KOH/g, 75.82±0.0 - 102.01±0.0 mg KOH/g and 0.01±0.01-0.0182±0.0, respectively. The results showed that all the observed physicochemical data of the oil products to be consistent with literature reported data for oils from seed crops and seeds of Trichilia species. GC-MS analyses also showed that all the oils contain palmitic acid (14-69%). Oleic acid and Linoleic acids were also found in different amounts. Elaidic acid was found (86%) only in one seed shell extract. Soaps were prepared using the extracted oils and alkali solution via saponification process. The properties of the soaps were found to be 9.10-9.81, 8-25.5% and 0.373-0.682 for pH, moisture contents and total alkali contents, respectively. These data and the data for foam and cleaning abilities of the prepared soaps were found to be in the acceptable limit. The results also suggested that Trichilia dregeana seeds and seed shells are rich in oils. High yields of oils from seeds and seed shells suggest their future potential in soap making and also as inputs for biofuel production. This could have significant contribution to economy of a given community where the plant grows in abundance.

Biocompatibility of crab shell-derived graft sterilized by ultraviolet light towards human gingival fibroblast cell culture

Background: Portunus pelagicus crab species meat is generally taken, and their shells that is thrown away becoming untapped waste. Their shells contain so many useful minerals such as calcium carbonate ­which can be processed into hydroxyapatite (HA). HA has been extensively used in the medical field for bone grafting, to repair damaged in bone structures. Purpose: To determine the biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite from Portunus pelagicus crab’s shells extract after sterilized using UV on human gingival fibroblast cell. Methods: This research is an experimental laboratory research using post-test only control group design. The shells were first heated using furnace. Once hydroxyapatite was obtained, it was sterilized using ultraviolet (UV) with certain concentration (25 ppm, 50 ppm, and 100 ppm) to kill the microorganisms. MTT assay was done to test the biocompatibility of the sterilized hydroxyapatite on human gingival fibroblast cell. Results: The highest viability of fibroblast cells was the group with 50 ppm UV (98.10%), followed by 100 ppm UV (97.93%), and 25 ppm (93.28%). Conclusion: Hydroxyapatite from Portunus pelagicus crab’s shells extract sterilized using UV is biocompatible towards human gingival fibroblast cell.

Daya Antibakteri Ekstrak Kulit Buah Kakao (Theobroma cacao L.) sebagai Alternatif Bahan Irigasi Saluran Akar terhadap Streptococcus viridans

Streptococcus viridans is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobe that most commonly found in infected root canals. The biomechanical preparation of root canal treatment requires root canal irrigation as it functions not only used to cleanser but also antibacterial agent. NaOCl 2,5% is the most commonly used Endodontic irrigant, however it is still considered to have several disadvantages. Cocoa pod shell (Theobroma cacao L.) are industrial plantation waste which has a source of antibacterial compounds that expected to be an alternative to substitute NaOCl’s drawbacks. This study aim to examine the antibacterial effectiveness of cocoa pod shell extract against S.viridans. The research is posttest only group control design and the method use broth dilution to examine the antibacterial effectiveness. The results of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Levene's test showed that data set which exhibited both non-normally distributed and non-homogeneous, continued with the nonparametric test using the Kruskal-wallis test, it was found that p <0.5 meant there were significantly differences between all study groups. 25%; 12,5%; 6,25%; 3,125%; 1,56%; 0,78% concentration of cocoa pod shell extract has antibacterial activity against S.viridans. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration to against S.viridans is cocoa pod shell extract concentration 0,78%. Cocoa pod shell extract concentration 12,5% and 25% equal to NaOCL 2,5%.

The Effect of Shrimp Shell (Litopenaeus vannamei) Extract on Testicular Parameters of Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that has become a major health problem worldwide. Reproductive dysfunction is one of the main complications of DM, particularly in men. However, as is known, shrimp shell extract contains nutrients, such as astaxanthin, that affect reproductive traits. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of shrimp shell extract on the volume, weight, and histological features of the testes of a DM rat model. Fifteen adult male rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group A (n = 5) was a healthy control group, group B (n = 5) was a DM control group, and group C (n = 5) was a DM group treated with shrimp shell extract. Rats in groups B and C were treated with streptozotocin to induce DM. Rats in group C were given shrimp shell extract at 25 mg/kg body weight for 30 consecutive days after DM induction. Testicles were collected and submitted to dimension, weight, and histological examinations. The testicle volume and weight of rats in group C were significantly higher and heavier, respectively, than rats in group B and did not differ from rats in group A. The seminiferous tubule diameter of rats in group C was significantly larger than rats in group B and did not differ from rats in group A. Rats in group B had a lower testicle volume and lighter testicle weight as well as a shorter seminiferous tubule diameter than rats in groups A and C. In conclusion, shrimp shell extract could improve male fertility parameters in a DM rat model. However, the mechanism of action needs to be studied further.

Effects of Cashew Nut Shell Extract on Ruminal Fermentation and Nutrient Digestibility under Continuous Culture

The overall objective of this study was to determine the dose response to four levels of cashew nut shell extract in a granulated form (CNSE, containing 59% anacardic acid and 18% cardol) on culture pH, rumen fermentation metabolites, and apparent nutrient digestibility in continuous culture fermenters. The study was conducted as a generalized randomized complete block design with four treatments and four replications per treatment. The four treatments were randomly assigned to eight fermenters for two incubation runs of 10 d. Treatments consisted of (1) Control (CO, no CNSE), (2) Control plus 100 ppm of CNSE, (3) Control plus 200 ppm of CNSE, and (4) Control plus 300 ppm of CNSE. Fermenters were fed 52 g/d (DM basis) of a total mixed ration (TMR; 17.0% crude protein (CP), 29.7% NDF, and 29.9% starch), divided between two feedings at 0800 and 2000 h. The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were not affected by CNSE supplementation. Similarly, CNSE had no effect on culture pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFA) or individual VFA molar proportions. These results suggest that at the dosages evaluated in this study, CNSE has no impact on the rumen fermentation profile and the apparent nutrient digestibility under continuous culture conditions.

Cassia fistula L. pod shell and leaf extracts induce cell cytotoxicity and suppress cell migration by downregulating EGFR in MCF-7 cells

Introduction: Cassia fistula Linn. (CF) is a well-known Thai medicinal plant and a source of many bioactive compounds. The present work designed to examine the anticancer effects of pod shell and leaf of CF extracts on a human breast cancer cell line via the suppression of tumor development and metastasis. The expression of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression was interested to explore. Methods: The in vitro anticancer activities of the CF pod shell and leaf extracts, including cell cytotoxicity, cell growth, cell migration, cell death, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB), colony forming, wound healing, and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. The EGFR protein expression was determined by western blot analysis, which is related to increased cancer cell growth and resistance to apoptosis. Results: CF pod shell and leaf extracts showed significant toxicities against MCF-7 cells and inhibited the cancer cells proliferation and migratory ability of breast cancer MCF-7 cells in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Both extracts induced late cell apoptosis and significantly generated ROS formation at a dose of 250 mg/mL. Western blotting data exhibited low levels of EGFR protein expression after treating with the extracts at a dose of 1000 mg/mL. Conclusion: CF pod shell and leaf extracts are able to reduce breast cancer cell proliferation, increase cell apoptosis, and suppress cell migration through the downregulation of EGFR expression indicating anticancer activities.

Durian Shell-Mediated Simple Green Synthesis of Nanocopper against Plant Pathogenic Fungi.

The synthesis of fungicides in eco-friendly and cost-effective ways is significantly essential for agriculture. Plant pathogenic fungi cause many ecological and economic issues worldwide, which must be treated with effective fungicides. Here, this study proposes the biosynthesis of fungicides, which combines copper and Cu2O nanoparticles (Cu/Cu2O) synthesized using durian shell (DS) extract as a reducing agent in aqueous media. Sugar and polyphenol compounds contained in DS, as the main phytochemicals acting in the reduction procedure, were extracted under different temperatures and duration conditions to obtain the highest yields. We confirmed the extraction process performed at 70 °C for 60 min to be the most effective in extracting sugar (6.1 g/L) and polyphenols (22.7 mg/L). We determined the suitable conditions for Cu/Cu2O synthesis using a DS extract as a reducing agent for a synthesis time of 90 min, a volume ratio of DR extract/Cu2+ of 15:35, an initial pH solution of 10, a synthesis temperature of 70 °C, and a CuSO4 concentration of 10 mM. The characterization results of as-prepared Cu/Cu2O NP showed a highly crystalline structure of Cu2O and Cu with sizes estimated in the range of 40-25 nm and 25-30 nm, respectively. Through in vitro experiments, the antifungal efficacy of Cu/Cu2O against Corynespora cassiicola and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum was investigated by the inhibition zone. The green-synthesized Cu/Cu2O nanocomposites, which are potential antifungals against plant pathogens, exhibited excellent antifungal efficacy against both Corynespora cassiicola (MIC = 0.25 g/L, the diameter of the inhibition zone was 22.00 ± 0.52 mm) and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (MIC = 0.0625 g/L, the diameter of the inhibition zone was 18.00 ± 0.58 mm). Cu/Cu2O nanocomosites prepared in this study could be a valuable suggestion for the control of plant pathogenic fungi affecting crop species globally.

Antialcohol and Hepatoprotective Effects of Tamarind Shell Extract on Ethanol-Induced Damage to HepG2 Cells and Animal Models.

Alcohol liver disease (ALD) is one of the leading outcomes of acute and chronic liver injury. Accumulative evidence has confirmed that oxidative stress is involved in the development of ALD. In this study, we used chick embryos to establish ALD model to study the hepatoprotective effects of tamarind shell exttract (TSE). Chick embryos received 25% ethanol (75 μL) and TSE (250, 500, 750 μg/egg/75 μL) from embryonic development day (EDD) 5.5. Both ethanol and TSE were administrated every two days until EDD15. Ethanol-exposed zebrafish and HepG2 cell model were also employed. The results suggested that TSE effectively reversed the pathological changes, liver dysfunction and ethanol-metabolic enzyme disorder in ethanol-treated chick embryo liver, zebrafish and HepG2 cells. TSE suppressed the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in zebrafish and HepG2 cells, as well as rebuilt the irrupted mitochondrial membrane potential. Meanwhile, the declined antioxidative activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), together with the content of total glutathione (T-GSH) were recovered by TSE. Moreover, TSE upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and heme oxyense-1 (HO-1) expression in protein and mRNA level. All the phenomena suggested that TSE attenuated ALD through activating NRF2 to repress the oxidative stress induced by ethanol.

Proanthocyanins and anthocyanins in chestnut (Castanea mollissima) shell extracts: biotransformation in the simulated gastrointestinal model and interaction with gut microbiota in vitro.

Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) shell is rich in flavonoids and our previous studies showed that proanthocyanins and anthocyanins were the two markedly varied flavonoids in chestnut shell extracts (CSE) during digestion. Here, the biotransformation of proanthocyanins and anthocyanins in a simulated gastrointestinal model, and the interactions between non-absorption CSE (NACSE) and gut microbiota in vitro, were investigated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequencing. Chestnut shell was richer in proanthocyanins and anthocyanins, while the loss of proanthocyanins was greater after digestion. Additionally, the content of anthocyanin decreased after gastric digestion but increased after intestinal digestion and remained stable after fermentation. After fermentation, delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside and pelargonidin-3-O-galactoside were newly formed. Furthermore, microbiome profiling indicated that NACSE promoted the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, while inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. All these data suggest that CSE may be a promising candidate to protect gut health. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Potential of Tamarind Shell Extract against Oxidative Stress In Vivo and In Vitro

Tamarind shell is rich in flavonoids and exhibits good biological activities. In this study, we aimed to analyze the chemical composition of tamarind shell extract (TSE), and to investigate antioxidant capacity of TSE in vitro and in vivo. The tamarind shells were extracted with 95% ethanol refluxing extraction, and chemical constituents were determined by ultra-performance chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The free radical scavenging activity of TSE in vitro was evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. The antioxidative effects of TSE were further assessed in 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-stimulated ADTC5 cells and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-exposed zebrafish. A total of eight flavonoids were detected in TSE, including (+)-catechin, taxifolin, myricetin, eriodictyol, luteolin, morin, apigenin, and naringenin, with the contents of 5.287, 8.419, 4.042, 6.583, 3.421, 4.651, 0.2027, and 0.6234 mg/g, respectively. The ORAC assay revealed TSE and these flavonoids had strong free radical scavenging activity in vitro. In addition, TSE significantly decreased the ROS and MDA levels but restored the SOD activity in AAPH-treated ATDC5 cells and t-BHP-exposed zebrafish. The flavonoids also showed excellent antioxidative activities against oxidative damage in ATDC5 cells and zebrafish. Overall, the study suggests the free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant potential of TSE and its primary flavonoids in vitro and in vivo and will provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of tamarind shell.

Antibacterial mechanism of mixed natural preservatives (ε-poly-lysine, cinnamon extract, and chestnut inner shell extract) against Listeria monocytogenes

This study investigated whether Listeria monocytogenes growth could be controlled using a combination of ε-poly-lysine, cinnamon extract, and chestnut inner shell extract in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and chicken meat juice. A mixed natural preservative (MNP) inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes by approximately 1 log CFU/mL in TSB. The cell surface characteristics of L. monocytogenes, as well as hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation, were negatively impacted by treatment with MNP, and cell motility was also significantly lowered by treatment with MNP. The relative expression levels of flagella-associated and virulence-associated genes in L. monocytogenes treated with MNP were lower than those in the control treated with TSB. The antibacterial activity of MNP was clearly observed in the SEM images. L. monocytogenes treated with MNP in chicken meat juice at 4 °C completely died within 48 h, indicating that MNP exerted antibacterial effects against L. monocytogenes in chicken meat (an example of food media). Therefore, we suggest that the MNP composed of ε-poly-lysine, cinnamon extract, and chestnut inner shell extract had sufficient antibacterial effect against L. monocytogenes and may be utilized as an antibacterial agent in the food industry.

Development and Characterization of Functional Cookies Enriched with Chestnut Shells Extract as Source of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds.

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CSs), an undervalued agro-industrial biowaste, have arisen as a source of bioactive compounds with promising health-promoting effects. This study attempted, for the first time, to develop a functional food, namely cookies, using a CS extract obtained by an eco-friendly technology (subcritical water extraction). The cookies were characterized regarding their nutritional composition, total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), antioxidant/antiradical activities, phenolic profile, and sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that the CS-extract-enriched cookies were mainly composed of carbohydrates (53.92% on dry weight (dw)), fat (32.62% dw), and fiber (5.15% dw). The phenolic profile outlined by HPLC-PDA revealed the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins, attesting to the high TPC and TFC. The in vitro antioxidant/antiradical effects proved the bioactivity of the functional cookies, while the sensory evaluation unveiled excellent scores on all attributes (≥6.25). The heatmap diagram corroborated strong correlations between the TPC and antioxidant/antiradical properties, predicting that the appreciated sensory attributes were closely correlated with high carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. This study encourages the sustainable recovery of antioxidants from CSs and their further employment as an active nutraceutical ingredient in functional cookies.

Exploration of antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of prunus dulcis and arachis hypogaea shells extracts

Almond (Prunus dulcis) and Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) both are the edible dry fruits, belong to families "Rosaceae" and "Fabaceae" respectively. There are number of studies have reported the biological activities of fruit but a very little data is available on shells. Shells extracts possess antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and anticancer activities due to the presence of bioactive compounds, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and polyphenolic compound. In the present study, green extraction technique was performed. The green extraction technique has many benefits over traditional extraction technique such as use of alternative solvents, reduction of energy consumption and unit operation and by-products in it. Firstly, shells were collected and crushed then their extracts were prepared through green extraction technique. The shells extract of Almond and Peanut were screened to investigate antioxidant, and antimicrobial potential. Antimicrobial activity was measured through well diffusion method while DPPH scavenging assay was performed to determine antioxidant potential. In our study, the antimicrobial activity of Almond shells extract was maximum against Staphylococcus aureus with zone of inhibition 19mm ±0.20 and minimum against the Salmonella enterica with zone of inhibition 7mm ±0.85.

Simple deep-learning approach for α -decay half-life studies

To exploit the potential of deep learning (DL) in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay studies, we refocus on the essence of DL, which is a nonlinear input-output mapping with a hierarchical learning process. Here, instead of using the residual between experimental data and the calculation, the idea of training DL directly by experimental $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay half-life is used. The Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation algorithm is utilized for fixing free parameters of the mapping. A $\mathcal{K}$-fold cross-validation method is introduced to avoid overfitting and improve the generalization performance of DL, as well as to determine hyperparameters effectively. We find that DL results with both three-dimensional ${Z,A,{Q}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$ and four-dimensional ${Z,A,{Q}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}},l}$ input vectors achieve an impressive accuracy that matches or even exceeds the traditional models. Especially, DL realizes an efficient extraction of the pertinent shell and odd-even staggering effects of half-life solely from the characteristics of ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ values. On the other hand, the universal decay law (UDL) describes the classical relationship between ${Z,A,{Q}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$ and a-decay half-life, which is homologous with DL. Heuristically, we add the contributions of the angular momentum and blocking effect of unpaired nucleons in the UDL and develop an improved UDL formula.

Application of Terebralia palustris shell extract for bio-coagulation treatment of produced water and digestion of generated sludge into enriched biomethane

In this study, produced water (PW) was decontaminated using the coag-flocculation method, and generated sludge after treatment (GSAT) was transformed into methane-rich gas. The origin of the active coagulant was a novel extract from the green Terebralia palustris shell (TPS). The Terebralia palustris shell extract (TPSE) was created by processing the TPS using a modified Fernadez-Kim method into a protein-based active coagulant. To increase the output of bio-methane, the GSAT and cow dung (CD) were co-digested. Anaerobic digestion process kinetics were examined. The physicochemical characterization of TPS revealed the active component, which contains 16.67% protein. The optimal dosage, pH, and settling time for the coag-flocculation process were 2 g/L, pH 2, and 20 min, respectively, which produced the best turbidity removal efficiency of 94.2%. A total of 36 mL, 490 mL, and 641 mL of biogas were recovered from the anaerobic production of biogas, respectively. With a determination coefficient of 0.9291 for the GSAT and 0.9717 for the GSAT + CD, the anaerobic digestion kinetics followed exponential and logistic models, respectively. In conclusion, coagulation and anaerobic digestion were combined to effectively decontaminate PW and convert coagulation by-products into biogas.

Green Synthesis and Antimicrobial Study on Functionalized Chestnut-Shell-Extract Ag Nanoparticles

The chestnut shell is usually discarded as agricultural waste and the random deposition of it can cause environmental problems. In this study, monodisperse crystalline Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by a hydrothermal approach, in which the chestnut shell extract served as both reducing agent and stabilizer. The synthesized Ag nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The TEM, XRD and XPS results revealed that the synthesized product was spherical Ag nanoparticles with a face-centered cubic crystal structure. The antimicrobial activity test indicated that the Ag nanoparticles modified by the chestnut shell extract had an obvious inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The measured MIC and MBC of functionalized chestnut-shell-extract AgNPs against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans is relatively low, which indicated that the present functionalized chestnut-shell-extract AgNPs are an efficient antimicrobial agent.

Assessment of the anti-hair loss potential of Camellia japonica fruit shell extract in vitro.

Hair loss is caused by various factors. Impacts of these factors are often overlapped and intensified. Currently, mitigation of hair loss is being studied by proliferating dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and inhibiting deleterious factors such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and oxidative stress on hair growth. Camellia japonica (C.japonica) fruit shell is a discarded part. Its biological activity remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the capacity of C.japonica fruit shell extract (CJFSE) for hair loss mitigation. MTT assay, spheroid culture and quantitative RT-PCR were performed to observe the proliferative effect of CJFSE on hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs). Effects of CJFSE on DHT-induced hair loss were confirmed by Dkk-1 ELISA, β-galactosidase (β-gal) and 5α-reductase activity assay. In addition, effects of CJFSE on oxidative stress were confirmed through DPPH and ROS production assays. CJFSE increased the proliferation and spheroid size of HFDPCs. Expression levels of VEGF-A, Wnt-1, c-Myc and Cyclin D1 were upregulated by CJFSE. CJFSE also suppressed 5α-reductase activity and DHT-induced decrease in cell proliferation, Dkk-1 secretion and β-gal activity. Moreover, CJFSE showed DPPH scavenging activity and ameliorated hydrogen peroxide-induced ROS production and β-gal activity. Finally, gallic acid and protocatechuic acid were observed in CJFSE through HPLC analysis. CJFSE has the potential to alleviate hair loss by promoting hair cell growth and suppressing effects of DHT and oxidative stress on hair.