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Research background. Hydrodistillation is a convenient and economical method to extract essential oils, but this technique has been abandoned due to limited extraction rates. Comparison to conventional hydrodistillation, maceration-mediated hydrodistillation could increase mass transfer and provide better control over the extraction thermodynamics, thereby preserving the aroma constituents and their antioxidant activities. The present study describes a useful and innovative modification of conventional hydrodistillation by introducing a macerating agent Triton X-100 and NaCl as an electrolyte to accelerate mass transfer for better extraction of caryophyllene-rich essential oil from sea buckthorn berries. Experimental approach. The parameters of maceration-mediated hydrodistillation, including the mass fraction of macerating agent, electrolyte concentration and extraction time, were investigated within a wide range of 1−10 %, 1−10 g/100 mL and 3−8 h, respectively, to increase the oil yield (g/100 g). The parameters were optimized according to the desirability approach using response surface methodology. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil obtained under optimal conditions was measured using in vitro antioxidant assays and its aroma profile using gas chromatography with mass spectrometery (GC-MS). Results and conclusions. The optimized parameters for the modified hydrodistillation were observed at 4.22 mL Triton X-100 and 4.03 g NaCl for 5.61 h of extraction time with the essential oil yield of (3.2±0.1) % compared to 2.1 % obtained with conventional hydrodistillation. The essential oil produced by the assisted hydrodistillation was rich in (−)-β-caryophyllene (37.2 %) with good antioxidant activities in terms of free radical scavenging capacity (84.2 %), inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (68.2 %) and antioxidant capacity expressed in Trolox equivalents (168 μmol/mL). Novelty and scientific contribution. Triton X-100 can disrupt the cell membrane to release the bioactive compounds, while the NaCl reduces the solubility of the non-polar components of the essential oil in the aqueous phase, which can ultimately improve the extraction yield. The proposed approach can be used with minor modifications with the existing hydrodistillation setups and it seems to be more economical for the extraction of sea buckthorn essential oil without compromising its antioxidant potential or its valuable aroma compounds on an industrial scale.

Keeping the sustainability concept in view, the present study aimed to valorize diatomite for adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) ions from waters and wastewaters. A modified diatomite nanocomposite was prepared via its impregnation with silver nanoparticles, using a one-pot technique, and the silver nanoparticles-diatomite nanocomposite potency was comprehensively investigated for Cr(VI) adsorption. The raw diatomite and silver nanoparticles-diatomite nanocomposite were characterized via XRD, SEM, and BET techniques. A statistical technique, based on response surface method, was exploited for finding the optimized conditions for adsorption. Accordingly, a maximal chromium sorption of 94.0% was observed at pH 4.61, sorption duration 60.37 min, and adsorbent dosage 2 g, for an initial level of 45 mg/L for the composite adsorbent. The equilibrium scrutinization shows that Langmuir isotherm model has a better fitness with the adsorption data. In addition, the adsorption kinetic analyses demonstrated the best fit to the pseudo-second order equation and multiple distinct phases of intraparticle diffusion for both adsorbents. Overall, silver nanoparticles-diatomite nanocomposite showed excellent properties for adsorption of Cr(VI) ions and could be exploited as an adsorbent in full-scale treatment plants.

This contribution proposes an enzyme-assisted eco-friendly process for the extraction of non-extractable polyphenols (NEPPs) from black tea leftover (BTLO), an underutilized tea waste. BTLO hydrolyzed with various enzyme formulations was extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide and ethanol as co-solvent (SC-CO 2  + EtOH). A conventional solvent extraction (CSE) was performed using EtOH + H 2 O (80:20, v / v ) for comparison purposes. The results revealed that hydrolysis of BTLO with 2.9% ( w / w ) kemzyme at 45 °C and pH 5.4 for 98 min improved the liberation of NEPPs offering 5-fold higher extract yield (g/100 g) as compared with non-treated BTLO. In vitro antioxidant evaluation and LC-MS characterization of extracts revealed the presence of phenolic acids (mainly caffeic and para -coumaric acid) of high antioxidant value. Scanning electron micrograph of the hydrolyzed BTLO samples indicated noteworthy changes in the ultrastructure of BTLO. Moreover, polyphenol extracts obtained by SC-CO 2  + EtOH extraction were found to be cleaner and richer in polyphenols as compared to CSE. The devised enzyme-assisted SC-CO 2  + EtOH extraction process in the present work can be explored as an effective biotechnological mean for the optimal recovery of antioxidant polyphenols. Graphical abstract Enzymatic pretreatment can effectively liberate non-extractable polyphenols (NEPPs) while hydrolyzing the cellulosic and hemicellulosic framework of black tea left overs (BTLO)

Background Sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ), a deciduous species plant, is widely distributed around the globe, and native to the cold-temperate regions of Europe and Asia. This medicinal herb contains several bioactive constituents including chlorogenic acid. The conventional methods used for the extraction of phenolic antioxidants from natural herbs often result in low yields, high toxicity, and pose environmental hazards limiting their effectiveness and scalability. Therefore, green extraction techniques using deep eutectic solvents, composed of natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable components were applied for extraction of chlorogenic acid from sea buckthorn weed. Fourteen deep eutectic solvent mixtures were prepared and evaluated for extraction yield of chlorogenic acid. Parameters such as hydrogen bond donor-to-hydrogen bond acceptor ratio, liquid-to-solid ratio, shaking speed, and shaking time were optimized for the best mixture. Results The combination of lactic acid and maltose (1:1) was found to give best extraction yield using response surface methodology. The deep eutectic solvent system under optimum conditions produced 12.2 g/100 g of crude extract sea buckthorn containing 174.7 mg gallic acid equivalents (mg GA)/g) of extract. Moreover, the optimized extract exhibited appreciable radical scavenging capacity (91%), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (11.2% of extract), and inhibition of peroxide in linoleic acid (80.6%). High-performance liquid chromatography-based characterization revealed the extracts contained chlorogenic acid (20.1 mg/g of extract) as the major constituent. Conclusions In summary, the adoption of DES for the extraction of bioactive phenolic constituents from sea buckthorn offers multiple benefits, including economic efficiency, enhanced extraction performance, and environmental sustainability. The findings of this study not only advance the understanding of DES in phytochemical extraction but also pave the way for broader application of green solvents in the natural products industry. Future research should focus on further optimizing DES formulations and scaling up the extraction process to fully realize the potential of this innovative extraction method in commercial applications.

In the present study, a partial least square regression (PLSR) was applied to Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) data for rapid and direct quantification of a quinolone family antibiotic moxifloxacin and the proposed method was counter validated by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography under diode array detection (RP‐HPLC‐DAD). The PLSR‐based processing of FTIR spectra of moxifloxacin standards and formulations disclosed a concentration‐dependent mid‐IR region at 1456 cm −1 . The FTIR‐based assay method was validated in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines and was found to be linear over the concentration range of 0.1 mg/mg–1.0 mg/mg (w/w) of solid mixtures with a coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) of 0.9951. Moreover, the results when counter validated by RP‐HPLC‐DAD were found to be concordant (RSD ≤ 2%). The analysis of moxifloxacin quality control samples through the developed FTIR assay offered overall recovery rates equals to 97.61%–103.74%. The real‐time analysis of moxifloxacin formulations marketed in Pakistan authenticated the presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) within the claimed ranges. We can eventually conclude that FTIR spectroscopy if coupled with a suitable data‐processing scheme can provide more expedient, rapid, and economical choice for the direct quantification of moxifloxacin API and its formulations.

Experimental approach. The parameters of maceration-mediated hydrodistillation, including the volume of macerating agent per mass of sample, electrolyte concentration and extraction time, were investigated within a wide range of 1-10%, 1-10 g/100 mL and 3-8 h, respectively, to increase the oil yield (g/100 g). The parameters were optimized according to the desirability approach using response surface methodology. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil obtained under optimal conditions was measured using in vitro antioxidant assays and its aroma profile using gas chromatography with mass spectrometery (GC-MS). Novelty and scientific contribution. Triton X-100 can disrupt the cell membrane to release the bioactive compounds, while the NaCl reduces the solubility of the non-polar components of the essential oil in the aqueous phase, which can ultimately improve the extraction yield. The proposed approach can be used with minor modifications with the existing hydrodistillation setups and it seems to be more economical for the extraction of sea buckthorn essential oil without compromising its antioxidant potential or its valuable aroma compounds on an industrial scale.

The present research describes the utilization of plant aqueous extracts for more sustainable and safe management red flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum Herbst); a highly concerned pest of stored rice and wheat grains in tropical and subtropical regions. The aqueous extracts of selected parts of Nigella sative , Coriandrum sativum , Ocimum basilicum , Neriwn oleander , Tamarindus indica , Chrysanthemum indicum , Linum usitatissimum , Myristica fragrans , Citrullus colocythis , and Musa acuminate plants were prepared by simple orbital type shaking and tested for their repellent and insecticidal activities. Besides, the phytochemical constituents and phenolic acids were identified by various spectroscopic assays and RP-HPLC-DAD analysis, respectively. The initial screening revealed that the aqueous extracts of Myristica fragrans nutmeg, Citrullus colocythis leave, Coriandrum sativum leaves Ocimum basilicum can exhibit the insect repellent potential of about 86.66% when applied at or above 1000 µg/ml for 24 h. It was interesting to note that the similar concentration of aqueous extracts of Myristica fragrans nutmeg, Citrullus colocythis (leaves), and Coriandrum sativum (leaves) caused 100% percent mortality of red flour beetle at the end of seven days under ideal growth conditions (28 ± 2° C and 70 ± 5% RH). Overall, the aqueous extracts of Myristica fragrans nutmeg and Citrullus colocythis leaves were found to be more potential candidates for the sustainable management of Tribolium castaneum during post-harvest storage of wheat and rice grains.

ABSTRACT Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) comprises an ensemble of ionized gas, neutral particles, and/or reactive species. Electricity is frequently used to produce CAPP via a variety of techniques, including plasma jets, corona discharges, dielectric barrier discharges, and glow discharges. The type and flow rates of the carrier gas(es), temperature, pressure, and vacuum can all be altered to control the desired properties of the CAPP. Since a few decades ago, CAPP has become a widely used technology with applications in every walk of life. The plasma activated liquid mediums like water, ethanol, and methanol have been merged as novel sterilizers. With recent advancements in material science, particularly work on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), essential oils, and agricultural technologies, CAPP has become a vital component of these advancements. Likewise, CAPP has been found as a green and benign technology to induce early seed germination and plant development. This review covers the critical components of CAPP, the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and mechanisms by which CAPP‐based technologies are applied to agricultural products, MOFs, and essential oils. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) comes with high‐energy reactive species. The present monograph explains the workings of CAPP technologies, their salient features, pertinence to MOF synthesis, seed germination/sterilization, and production/preservation of essential oils.