scholarly journals Spicy Bitumen: Curcumin Effects on the Rheological and Adhesion Properties of Asphalt

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1622
Author(s):  
Abraham A. Abe ◽  
Cesare Oliviero Rossi ◽  
Paolino Caputo ◽  
Maria Penelope De Santo ◽  
Nicolas Godbert ◽  
...  

Over the years, the need for the synthesis of biodegradable materials has facilitated the drift of the asphalt industry towards eco-sustainable and cost-effective production of road pavements. The principal additives in the asphalt industry to improve the performance of road pavements and increase its lifespan are majorly rheological modifiers, adhesion promoters and anti-oxidant agents. Rheological modifiers increase physico-chemical properties such as transition temperature of asphalt binder (bitumen), adhesion promoters increase the affinity between binder and stone aggregates while anti-oxidant agents reduce the effects of oxidation caused by exposure to air, water and other natural elements during the production of asphalt pavements. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a food grade bio-additive on these three aforementioned properties. We also sought to hypothesize the mechanisms by which the additive confers these desired features on bitumen. We present this study to evaluate the effects of turmeric, a food-based additive, on bitumen. The study was conducted through dynamic shear rheology (DSR), atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and boiling test analysis.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D Geoffrion ◽  
David Medina Cruz ◽  
Matthew Kusper ◽  
Sakr Elsaidi ◽  
Fumiya Watanabe ◽  
...  

Bismuth oxide is an important bismuth compound having applications in electronics, photo-catalysis and medicine. At the nanoscale, bismuth oxide experiences a variety of new physico-chemical properties because of its increased...


Author(s):  
Shushank Sharma

The oral route is the most convenient route of administration for various drugs. It is viewed as the most convenient, most secure, and economical route for patients. Fast disintegrating tablets are popular these days as they disintegrate in the mouth within a few seconds without the use of water. The burdens of regularly used medications in pediatric and geriatric patients have been overwhelmed by quick-dissolving tablets. Natural superdisintegrants have been used for fast-dissolving tablets because they are biodegradable, chemically inert, non-harmful, more affordable, and generally accessible. Natural polymer improves the properties of the tablet as it is commonly used as diluents and binders. Natural super disintegrants decrease the release time and give healthful results to the patients. Most polymers are obtained from nature, they are cost-effective, non-toxic, and non-irritants. Disintegration is the most important step for releasing the drug from the tablet matrix to decrease the disintegration time. In this, drug and polymers come in contact with water, it swells, hydrate, and react chemically to release the drug in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Superdisintegrants are those substances that encourage the quick breaking down with a lesser amount contrasted with disintegrants. The quick disintegrants tablets are set up by utilizing suitable polymers which rely on the Physico-chemical properties of drugs and excipients, for example, drug and polymer compatibility, hardness and thickness of tablet, nature of drug and excipients, PH of drug and release parameters of drug formulation. Superdisintegrants are the vehicles added to tablet formulation to advance the breaking of tablets and capsules into small microparticles in aqueous media resulting in to increase in the surface area and promote quick drug release. The disintegrants have a significant capacity to oppose the efficacy of tablet binders and compression forces to form the tablet. Commonly there are three methods to incorporate disintegrants into the tablet: A. Inner addition, B. External expansion, C. Internal, and external addition. Most of the regularly based tablets are those expected to be swallow, disintegrate and release medicaments in the gastrointestinal tract but over a while tablets are manufactured to deliver medicaments in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract within few seconds of swallowing. It has been demonstrated that characteristic polymers are more effective than synthetic polymers. Some research is going to develop safe and effective medication with super disintegrating agents that can be dissolved rapidly to treat the disease.


Author(s):  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Monika Chandrabhan Dhote

Environmental contamination due to petroleum compounds is a serious global issue. Oil /petroleum refineries produce huge amount of oil sludge during drilling, storage, transport, refining which spoil soil and ground water resources. Such activities release different compounds viz. alkane, mono- polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), asphaltene, resins and heavy metals. Due to physico-chemical properties, PAHs are one of most targeted compounds as they are highly persistent, carcinogenic, and have mutagenic effects on ecosystem. Such problems of PAHs drag researcher's attention to find some reliable and cost effective solution for oil sludge disposal management. Since last few decades, extensive research work has been carried out on various methods for treatment of oil sludge. In recent years, microbial assisted phytoremediation treatment technologies are being studied since these are reliable and cost effective for field applications. Here, we have discussed about combined eco-friendly technology of plant and microbe(s) to treat oil sludge for its better management.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 3460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Fajstavr ◽  
Klára Neznalová ◽  
Václav Švorčík ◽  
Petr Slepička

A laser induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) on graphene doped polystyrene was prepared by the means of a krypton fluoride (KrF) laser with the wavelength of 248 nm and precisely desired physico-chemical properties were obtained for the structure. Surface morphology after laser modification of polystyrene (PS) doped with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) was studied. Laser fluence values of modifying laser light varied between 0–40 mJ·cm−2 and were used on polymeric PS substrates doped with 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt. % of GNP. GNP were incorporated into PS substrate with the solvent casting method and further laser modification was achieved with the same amount of laser pulses of 6000. Formed nanostructures with a periodic pattern were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The morphology was also studied with scanning electron microscopy SEM. Laser irradiation resulted in changes of chemical composition on the PS surface, such as growth of oxygen concentration. This was confirmed with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).


Coatings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo De Leo ◽  
Sante Di Gioia ◽  
Francesco Milano ◽  
Paola Fini ◽  
Roberto Comparelli ◽  
...  

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol with strong antioxidant activity. However, this molecule shows a very poor bioavailability, instability, and rapid metabolism in vivo. In this work curcumin was loaded in Eudragit-coated liposomes to create a gastroresistant carrier, able to protect its load from degradation and free it at the site of absorption in the colon region. Small unilamellar vesicles were prepared and coated with Eudragit by a pH-driven method. The physico-chemical properties of the prepared systems were assessed by light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The uptake of vesicles by Caco-2 cells and the anti-oxidant activity in cells were evaluated. The produced vesicles showed dimensions of about forty nanometers that after covering with Eudragit resulted to have micrometric dimensions at acid pH. The experiments showed that at pH > 7.0 the polymeric coating dissolves, releasing the nanometric liposomes and allowing them to enter Caco-2 cells. Delivered curcumin loaded vesicles were then able to decrease significantly ROS levels as induced by H2O2 in Caco-2 cells. The proposed work showed the possibility of realizing effective gastroresistant curcumin liposome formulations for the delivery of antioxidant molecules to Caco-2 cells, potentially applicable to the treatment of pathological conditions related to intestinal oxidative stress.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrita Basu ◽  
Pabitra Maity ◽  
Prasanta Karmakar ◽  
Sanat Karmakar

Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUV) and supported planar membranes are excellent model biological systems for studying the structure and functions of membranes. We have prepared GUV from Large Unilamellar Vesicles (LUV) using electroformation and Supported planar Lipid Bilayer (SLB) by vesicle fusion method. LUV was prepared using an extrusion method and was characterized using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The techniques for obtaining GUV as well as SLB from LUV have been demonstrated. We have directly observed the formation of GUV under phase contrast microscopy. This study will provide some insights into the physico-chemical properties of both nano and micron size vesicles. We believe that this method could be extremely useful for reconstituting various bio-molecules in GUV. We have presented one example where an antimicrobial peptide NK-2 was reconstituted in GUV prepared from LUV. SLB formation was monitored and characterized using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1335-1342
Author(s):  
Kh. E. Yunusov ◽  
A.A. Sarymsakov ◽  
S.V. Mullajonova ◽  
F.M. Turakulov ◽  
S. Sh. Rashidova

Stable silver nanoparticles in solutions of sodium-carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) were synthesized and their structure and physico-chemical properties were evaluated. The form and sizes of silver nanoparticles formed in solutions of CMC and cotton fabrics were studied using UV-VIS spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy methods. It was found that silver nitrate concentration increase in sodium carboxymethylcellulose solutions, as well as photoirradiation of the hydrogel lead to the changes of the silver nanoparticles size and shape. Investigations have also shown that spherical silver nanoparticles with sizes of 5-35 nm and content of 0.0086 mass% in cotton fabrics possess high bactericidal activity. Stabilization of silver nanoparticles has preserved bactericidal and bacteriostatic activities during the washing of cotton fabrics and textiles on their base.


Author(s):  
Shushank Sharma ◽  
Sikha Chauhan

The oral route is the most convenient route of administration for various drugs. It is viewed as the most convenient, most secure, and economical route for patients. Fast disintegrating tablets are popular these days as they disintegrate in the mouth within a few seconds without the use of water. The burdens of regularly used medications in pediatric and geriatric patients have been overwhelmed by quick-dissolving tablets. Natural superdisintegrants have been used for fast-dissolving tablets because they are biodegradable, chemically inert, non-harmful, more affordable, and generally accessible. Natural polymer improves the properties of the tablet as it is commonly used as diluents and binders. Natural super disintegrants decrease the release time and give healthful results to the patients. Most polymers are obtained from nature, they are cost-effective, non-toxic, and non-irritants. Disintegration is the most important step for releasing the drug from the tablet matrix to decrease the disintegration time. In this, drug and polymers come in contact with water, it swells, hydrate, and react chemically to release the drug in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Superdisintegrants are those substances that encourage the quick breaking down with a lesser amount contrasted with disintegrants. The quick disintegrants tablets are set up by utilizing suitable polymers which rely on the Physico-Chemical properties of drugs and excipients, for example, drug and polymer compatibility, hardness and thickness of tablet, nature of drug and excipients, PH of drug and release parameters of drug formulation. Superdisintegrants are the vehicles added to tablet formulation to advance the breaking of tablets and capsules into small microparticles in aqueous media resulting in to increase in the surface area and promote quick drug release. The disintegrants have a significant capacity to oppose the efficacy of tablet binders and compression forces to form the tablet. Commonly there are three methods to incorporate disintegrants into the tablet: A. Inner addition, B. External expansion, C. Internal, and external addition. Most of the regularly based tablets are those expected to be swallow, disintegrate and release medicaments in the gastrointestinal tract but over a while tablets are manufactured to deliver medicaments in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract within few seconds of swallowing. It has been demonstrated that characteristic polymers are more effective than synthetic polymers. Some research is going to develop safe and effective medication with super disintegrating agents that can be dissolved rapidly to treat the disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Siti Nur Amalina Mohamad Sukri ◽  
Kamyar Shameli ◽  
Teow Sin-Yeang ◽  
Nur Afini Ismail

Fungal infections are affecting millions of people in the world every year. Severity of infections range from superficial mycoses to more chronic systemic mycoses. As more fungi species evolve, emergence of drug resistant strains is becoming a serious concern to the public health. There is now less number of effective antifungal drugs available in the market for treatment of invasive fungal infections. In an effort to combat this escalating issue, the use of nanoparticles as antifungal agent has been proposed and explored. Versatility of nanoparticles and its unique physico-chemical properties are proven beneficial for developing new therapeutic methods in treatment of fungal infections. Nanoparticles produced from biological synthesis have attracted keen interests from researchers, as they are more environmentally friendly, sustainable, cost-effective, and biocompatible. This mini review will provide an insight on the current antifungal studies and discuss the theory behind mechanism of actions of nanoparticles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Narisetty Vivek ◽  
Nishant Gopalan ◽  
Satyajit Das ◽  
Keerthi Sasikumar ◽  
Raveendran Sindhu ◽  
...  

In this study, chitosan-based composite films blended with a dextran like exopolysaccharide derived from lactic acid bacteria were prepared using the solvent casting method. Later, these composite films were plasticized with 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) produced biologically using biodiesel derived crude glycerol. Further, their physical properties, such as tensile strength, water vapor barrier, thermal behavior, and antioxidant properties, were tested. In comparison to the control chitosan-exopolysaccharide films, 1,3-PDO plasticized films increased tensile strengths (20.08 vs. 43.33 MPa) with an elongation percentage (%E) of 20.73, which was two times more than the control films. As a polymer composite, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum displayed the characteristic peaks at 1000 cm−1, 1500 cm−1, and 3000–3500 cm−1 to describe the functional groups related to chitosan, exopolysaccharide, and 1,3-PDOThe thermogravimetric analysis displayed a significant three-step degradation at 100–105 °C, 250–400 °C, and 600 °C, where 100% of the films were degraded. The plasticized films were observed to have enhanced water solubility (51%) and rate of moisture absorption (193%). The plasticized films displayed enhanced physico-chemical properties, anti-oxidant properties, and were100% biodegradable.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document