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Generally, there are scant data about the constituents and eventually the biological activity of essential oils (EOs) from aromatic plants that grow naturally in Sudan. The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition, and antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of EO extracted from the fruit of Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold and Zucc.) Endl. (family Cupressaceae), root of Chrysopogon nigritanus (Benth.) Veldkampis (family Poaceae) and aerial part of Lavandula coronopifolia Poir (family Lamiaceae). The fruit of C. obtusa contained only monoterpenes, mainly hydrogenated ones, with α-pinene (69.07%) as the major component. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes comprised the highest content of the C. nigritanus root EO with cedr-8-en-15-ol (28.69%) as the major constituent while aerial parts of L. coronopifolia contained both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes and the oxygenated monoterpene lavandulol (26.56%) as dominant compounds. The EO of the root of C. nigritanus significantly displayed (p < 0.05) the highest anti-DPPH radical, Fe[sup.3+] - and Cu[sup.2+] -reducing and metal-chelating activities, while that of C. obtusa fruit significantly exerted (p < 0.05) the best anti-ABTS radical and total antioxidant activity. The two EOs significantly exhibited (p < 0.05) the highest anti-acetylcholinesterase and -butyrylcholinesterase activities, respectively, while EO of L. coronopifolia was the only oil to show a considerable inhibitory effect against the tyrosinase and α-glucosidase enzymes. In conclusion, EOs from these three plants could be natural agents with promising functional properties for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.

This study reported the isolated compound from vetiver grass-root (Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf) have bioactivity as a repellant against termites. The compounds were extracted by n-hexane solvent using the soxhletation method. The compounds were tested through bioactivity assay using wood pieces added isolated compound as a sample on the final assay, acetone as a blank, and wood pieces without treatment as a control. The result showed that the isolated compound was acquired by separation and purification in the form of colorless oil 0.0225 g. Of the thin-layer chromatography (TLC) assay using eluents of n-Hexane eluent 100%, n-Hexane : DCM 95%, and n-Hexane : Acetone 70%, were obtained a red-purple spot and Rf values which are 0.27, 0.59, and 0.91, respectively. 2-methyl butane-1-amine (C5H13N) was supposed by the structure elucidation of the isolated compound. The molecular weight was 87.1 g/mol as a precursor terpenoid based on the spectrum examination of FTIR and GC-MS. The bioactivity showed that an isolated compound has acted as a repellent against termite (Cryptotermes sp.) with % attractive (0.025 %) and attractiveness index (AI) (-0.039). A negative value of AI indicated that the compound is potential as a repellent against termites.

Fast-paced global industrialisation due to population growth poses negative environmental implications, such as pollution by heavy metals. We assessed the application of vetiver grass assisted by clay minerals for the remediation of soil and water contaminated by multiple metals in a mesocosm study. The technique was tested previously in a greenhouse study that confirmed the effectiveness of 2.5% (w/w) attapulgite and 2.5% (w/v) bentonite to improve vetiver grass remediation of soil and water contaminated by multiple metals. At the end of the experiment, the total accumulation of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn by vetiver grass from the soil was 1.8, 38.1, 19.0, 7.2 and 55.4 mg/kg, respectively, while in water, the total metal accumulation of Al and Mn by vetiver grass was 4534.5 and 104.5 mg/kg, respectively. The results confirm the effectiveness of attapulgite and bentonite as amendments to improve the remediation potential of vetiver in soil and water under natural conditions. Metal accumulation was generally higher in the roots than in shoots. We found the removal efficiency in the soil to be in the order Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Co and Al > Mn in water. Results also demonstrated that heavy metal accumulation was even better under natural conditions than in the greenhouse study. For example, Zn accumulation increased from 0.4 mg/kg in the greenhouse study to 55.4 mg/kg in the outdoor study. This study validates the application of bentonite and attapulgite-assisted phytoremediation for heavy metal contaminated soil and water.

Textile wastewater poses significant risks if discharged untreated, especially due to the presence of synthetic dyes, salts, and heavy metals. As a result, constructed wetlands have emerged as a promising solution for sustainable textile wastewater management. In this context, this study evaluates a micro-scale vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland (VSSFCW) for treating textile wastewater. Specifically, the experimental setup consisted of two microcosm units, each with a depth of 32 cm and a diameter of 24 cm, which were filled with scoria media. One unit was planted with Vetiver grass, while the other was left unplanted. Furthermore, the experiment was conducted with a hydraulic retention time of 3 days. Additionally, the scoria media was characterized using FTIR, SEM, XRD, CEC, and pH analyses, which revealed notable changes in both functional groups and surface morphology. The scoria was found to have a CEC of 12 meq/100 g and a pH of 8.86, both of which facilitated pollutant removal. Moreover, the textile wastewater that was fed into the VSSFCW systems contained dye concentrations ranging from 39.41 to 45.29 mg/L throughout the study period. As a result of this setup, the dye removal efficiency in both wetland cells increased over time. Notably, the VSSFCW planted with Vetiver grass achieved a higher dye removal efficiency (84%) compared to the unplanted system (80%). These findings, therefore, demonstrate that the VSSFCW consistently meets wastewater standards, representing a low-cost, decentralized solution to address textile pollution, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. In conclusion, the synergy between the scoria media and Vetiver grass proved highly effective in treating textile wastewater.

In this work, zirconium chloride octahydrate/CTAB/vetiver grass-activated carbon (ZR/CTAB/VGAC) was prepared from vetiver grass-activated carbon (VGAC), using zirconium chloride octahydrate (ZR) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as modifiers. The optimized conditions of the simultaneous phosphate and nitrate removal by ZR/CTAB/VGAC were discussed, including amount of adsorbent, initial concentration, pH, contact time, and temperature. The simultaneous removal efficiency of phosphate and nitrate was 96.50% and 51.17% under optimized conditions. The structural and morphology of ZR/CTAB/VGAC was investigated by using automatic volumetric adsorption analyzer (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was found that the removal efficiencies of phosphate and nitrate were enhanced dramatically because ZR and CTAB were introduced on the surface of VGAC after modification. Moreover, the adsorption data fitted significantly well with Freundlich isotherm model. It was described well by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Phosphate and nitrate adsorbed via chemisorption (ion exchange) by ZR, CTAB, and functional groups of the surface of ZR/CTAB/VGAC. Electrostatic adsorption of AC in ZR/CTAB/VGAC also played an important role in the adsorption process. ZR/CTAB/VGAC is an excellent adsorbent, which could be applied to remove nitrate and phosphate from wastewater.

This research investigated the potential for using vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) to remediate metal-polluted sites in Bulgaria. In the second year of the experiment, the vetiver grass was gathered. The heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Hg), micro (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn), and macro (P, K, Ca, Mg) element contents in vetiver roots and shoots were determined by ICP after microwave mineralization. The essential oil of the ground vetiver roots was obtained by steam distillation in laboratory conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified fifteen compounds in the oil, mainly sesquiterpenes. The vetiver grass is tolerant to heavy metals with no signs of toxicity (chlorosis and necrosis) and can be grown on heavy metal polluted soils (37.7 mg.kg-1 Cd, 1238.7 mg.kg-1 Pb and 1676.4 mg.kg-1 Zn). Bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor values (BAF and TF < 1) were less than one, suggesting low accumulation in the shoot. This crop can be referred to as a non-accumulating plant for Pb, Cd, and Zn and can be used for the phytostabilisation of contaminated soils in situ. Cultivating vetiver on soils contaminated with heavy metals has a beneficial effect on the yield and production of oil of high commercial value (high in khusimol).

Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides L. Nash) is a grass that has been known for its tolerance to drought conditions. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the combination of watering level and soil pH on the production of essential oil in the root of the plant. Watering level was given based on percentage of field capacity i.e. 100%; 75%; 50%; 25%; and 5%, while the soil pH was 3; 7; and 11. Analysis of the quality and quantity of essential oils was carried out using GC-MS. At soil pH 3 and watering volume of 25%, the highest levels of terpenoid compounds were produced (47.36%), while at pH 3 and watering level of 100%, fatty acid compounds were produced at highest level (38.51%). Watering level of 100% and 25% combined with pH 3 showed as optimal combinations for vetiver to produce essential oils.

Since ancient times, Chrysopogon zizanioides has been utilized as a traditional medicinal plant for the treatment of numerous ailments, but neither its plant extract form nor its phytoconstituents have been fully explored. With this in mind, the present research was designed to isolate and structurally characterize one of its chemical constituents and evaluate its cytotoxic potential. Therefore, an ethanolic extract of roots was prepared and subjected to column chromatography using solvents of varying polarities. The obtained pure compound was characterized using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), carbon and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and identified as longifolene. This compound was evaluated for its cytotoxic potential using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay on the prostate (DU-145), oral (SCC-29B) cancer cell line and normal kidney cell line (Vero cells), taking doxorubicin as a standard drug. The obtained outcomes revealed that longifolene possesses cytotoxic potential against both prostate (IC50 = 78.64 µg/mL) as well as oral (IC50 = 88.92 µg/mL) cancer cell lines with the least toxicity in healthy Vero cells (IC50 = 246.3 µg/mL) when compared to doxorubicin. Hence, this primary exploratory study of longifolene exhibited its cytotoxic potency along with wide safety margins in healthy cell lines, giving an idea that the compounds possess some ability to differentiate between cancerous cells and healthy cells.

Background and aims Data on cyclic root mechanical behaviour (i.e. roots subjected to repeated loading and unloading cycles at a given frequency) are lacking. In this study, cyclic root mechanical traits were measured. Methods Chrysopogon zizanioides L. roots were sampled for monotonic and cyclic tensile tests. The effects of pre-cyclic loading on the monotonic mechanical properties ( n  = 92) and reversal strains on any changes in cyclic mechanical properties ( n  = 88) were measured. The root water content and root traits, including diameter, dry density, and specific root length (SRL), were also measured for each sample. Results Pre-cyclic loading at 5% and 50% strain levels reduced the root tensile strength ( T r ) by 18.17% and 27.10%, respectively, yet increased the breakage strain ( ε r ) by 30.85% and 52.13%, respectively. Although T r and the Young’s modulus ( E ) were reduced after cyclic loading, the trend of their correlations with root diameter (i.e. negative power law correlation) was unaffected. Remarkable hysteresis was found in any loading cycle. The hysteresis loop size and peak tensile stress decreased abruptly during the first 20 cycles. The peak tensile stress explained more than 86% of the variability of Young’s modulus along the unloading path at all the reversal strains. Conclusion The root mechanical traits obtained from monotonic tests should not be used to explain the root reinforcement in cyclic events because of cyclic-induced changes in the T r and E. Regardless of the strain range experienced in a cyclic event, determining the changes in root mechanical properties during the first 20 regular cycles of loading is crucial.

Over the years, ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetate (EDTA) has been widely used for many purposes. However, there are inadequate phytoassessment studies conducted using EDTA in Vetiver grass. Hence, this study evaluates the phytoassessment (growth performance, accumulation trends, and proficiency of metal uptake) of Vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides (Linn.) Nash in both single and mixed heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn)-disodium EDTA-enhanced contaminated soil. The plant growth, metal accumulation, and overall efficiency of metal uptake by different plant parts (lower root, upper root, lower tiller, and upper tiller) were thoroughly examined. The relative growth performance, metal tolerance, and phytoassessment of heavy metal in roots and tillers of Vetiver grass were examined. Metals in plants were measured using the flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS) after acid digestion. The root-tiller (R/T) ratio, biological concentration factor (BCF), biological accumulation coefficient (BAC), tolerance index (TI), translocation factor (TF), and metal uptake efficacy were used to estimate the potential of metal accumulation and translocation in Vetiver grass. All accumulation of heavy metals were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in both lower and upper roots and tillers of Vetiver grass for Cd + Pb + Cu + Zn + EDTA treatments as compared with the control. The single Zn + EDTA treatment accumulated the highest overall total amount of Zn (8068 ± 407 mg/kg) while the highest accumulation for Cu (1977 ± 293 mg/kg) and Pb (1096 ± 75 mg/kg) were recorded in the mixed Cd + Pb + Cu + Zn + EDTA treatment, respectively. Generally, the overall heavy metal accumulation trends of Vetiver grass were in the order of Zn >>> Cu > Pb >> Cd for all treatments. Furthermore, both upper roots and tillers of Vetiver grass recorded high tendency of accumulation for appreciably greater amounts of all heavy metals, regardless of single and/or mixed metal treatments. Thus, Vetiver grass can be recommended as a potential phytoextractor for all types of heavy metals, whereby its tillers will act as the sink for heavy metal accumulation in the presence of EDTA for all treatments.