scholarly journals Evaluation of impact of Siddha Suthi (purification) processes on nut of Serankottai (Semecarpus anacardium L.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 637-644
Author(s):  
JULIET L ◽  
Sunil Kumar K N ◽  
Reena V L ◽  
Aarthi V ◽  
Sivakkumar S ◽  
...  

Introduction: Serankottai (Semecarpus anacardium L.) is a Schedule E (1) drug and is considered for treating all kinds of Vatha diseases, venereal disease, skin disease and cancerous conditions. Suthi murai denotes the purification process before any drug is employed in medicine. This study is aimed at evaluating the impact of Siddha purification processes on macro-microscopical and physico-chemical characteristics of Serankottai so that a justification for such classical processes can be derived. Materials and Method: The raw (S1) and purified Serankottai (S2 to S6) samples were analyzed for their macroscopic, microscopic and powder microscopic analysis followed by the physicochemical parameters like loss on drying (LOD), total ash (TA), water soluble ash (WSA), acid insoluble ash (AIA), water soluble extractive (WSE), alcohol soluble extractive (ASE) and pH values. Results: Prismatic crystals, oil globules, sclereids, resin, fiber were observed in the microscopical studies of raw sample and these are found in the purified samples except S2 which has revealed charred cell structure. Physical nature of Serankottai has been maintained in all the purification methods except for S2. The LOD was 5.53%, 2.90%, 6.47%, 5.03%, 4.6%, 5.05% in sampleS1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6 respectively. The TA values were 3.44%, 18.90%, 2.59%, 2.54% 2.7% and 3.65% in sample S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6 respectively. Significant differences in physico-chemical parameters were observed in different purification methods. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the Siddha purification processes have impact on physicochemical characters of Semecarpus anacardium. The need of the purification, as mentioned in Siddha texts is hereby justified.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4-A) ◽  
pp. 290-295
Author(s):  
L Janarthanan ◽  
BR Balakrishnan ◽  
V Karthikeyan ◽  
P Senniappan ◽  
BS Venkateswarlu ◽  
...  

A genus of plant belongs to the family Solanaceae well distributed in India more than 26 species which are found naturalised in India. Solanum torvum Sw. is a medium sized flowering plant in the Solanaceae family that is found in India, Malaysia. Transverse section of lamina showed the adaxial part has thick, short hump; the midrib and the adaxial hump have thin, angular epidermal cells. The upper part of adaxial hump has a few layers sclerenchyma cells. The inner layer of the adaxial midrib also has few layers of thick walled cells. The ground tissue consists of wide circular thin walled parenchyma cells with narrow inter cellular spaces. The vascular system of the midrib showed bi-collateral structure. Non glandular, profusely branched, thick walled, lignified epidermal trichome occurs as both on the veins and lamina. Physico-chemical standards such as Foreign Matter, Total Ash, Water Soluble Ash, Sulphated Ash, Loss on Drying, Water Soluble Extractive, Alcohol Soluble Extractive and Crude Fiber Content in percentage were estimated. Preliminary phytochemical screening of appropriate solvent extracts showed the presence of Alkaloids, Amino Acids, Carbohydrates, Cellulose, Lignin, Fats & Fixed Oils, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Tannins, Proteins, Starch, Steroids and Triterpenoids and absence of Volatile Oil, Mucilage and Pectin. Microscopic analysis and other parameters were informative and provide valuable information in the identification, standardization of Solanum torvum leaves. Keywords: Solanum torvum, Solanaceae, leaf, Microscopical evaluation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Imtiyaz Ahmad ◽  
Shariq Shamsi ◽  
Mohd Shadab

Sharbat (Syrup) is one of the important dosage forms of Unani system of the medicine (USM). In the form of Sharbat, numbers of formulations are manufactured because of its various advantages in respiratory system, digestive system and urinary system. Out of these, Sharbat Aloo baloo (SAB) is one of the important formulations, being used in urinary system to cure the renal calculi and stone in bladder. Both of these diseases are very common and present everywhere. SAB is very effective for both diseases, hence was selected and prepared as per the ratio of drug and sugar (1:4) given in Bayaz Kabeer and then evaluated for its standardization on different physicochemical parameters. Physico-chemical evaluation was done on three batches of SAB of different volumes (one litre batch, five lire batch and ten litre batch). Physico-chemical standards of SAB were fixed on various parameters like (a) organoleptic properties (appearance, colour, odour and taste) (b) Viscosity (c) pH values (d) Ash values (e) Extractive values (f) Alcohol soluble matter (g) Water soluble matter (h) Specific gravity at 25ºC (i) Refractive index (j) Sugar quantity (total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar) (k) Estimation of calcium, potassium and phosphorus (l)TLC finger printing. The results obtained for the various Physico-chemical tests of lab samples of SAB may be taken as standard values for future reference.


2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 867-881
Author(s):  
ARIFA SHAFQAT ◽  
ARIFA TAHIR ◽  
WAHEED ULLAH KHAN ◽  
ADEEL MAHMOOD ◽  
GHULAM HASSAN ABBASI

The present study focuses on testing the potential of starch from two different sources: corn and rice, to produce bioplastics, and the impact of natural agricultural waste materials (eggshells and rice hulls) as fillers. Bioplastic samples with different starches, plasticizers and amounts of fillers, in varying combinations, were prepared to determine the feasibility of the produced bioplastics. The physico-chemical properties of the bioplastics, such as moisture content, water absorption, water and alcohol solubility, biodegradability, tensile strength and Young’s modulus, were investigated. FT-IR analysis was also performed. The RTV silicone coating of the samples was tested to induce hydrophobic properties to water-soluble bioplastics. This study demonstrated that the utilization of starches from different sources, various types of plasticizers, as well as filler types and amounts, can have a significant impact on the physico-chemical properties of the bioplastics. Moreover, the bioplastics produced are safe for the environment and biodegradable, so starch-based bioplastics can be a promising environmentally friendly alternative to harmful petroleum-based plastics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 68-76
Author(s):  
V. M. Zverkovsky ◽  
O. S. Zubkova

The physicochemical characteristics of mine rocks and artificial soils of forest recultivation plot № 1 of «Pavlogradska» main were studied. The absorbed moisture, maximal absorbed moisture, volume weight, unit weight, porosity of soils, content of water-soluble elements, pH of soils’ solutions, salinity and wilting point of plants were described. The dynamics of mine rocks and artificial soils physicochemical characteristics, which have an influence on forests suitability and silvicultural effect, gradually changing due to long-term reclamation, were ascertained. Variants of artificial soils, created on the experimental forest recultivation plot, have qualitative differences from natural etalon soils, disturbed destructive soils and differences between themselves. During the creation of various soil constructioins at the technical stage of recultivation it is often not taken into account the possible distant consequences that arise in connection with the dynamic features of the climate, topography, lithology, hydrology and other indicators of technogenic landscapes. Due to the functioning of these soil constructions on the biological stage of recultivation there are significant changes in physical properties and processes, occurring in the remediation root layer, therefore the monitoring of pedogenesis and evolution of these structures becomes relevant. Tehnozems, formed during reclamation process, are significantly different from zonal soils in the level of fertility (trophicity), physical, water-physical, agrochemical and other important ecosystem indicators. Spatial variability of artificial soils properties leads to a diversity of ecological conditions of mikrobocenosis, phytocenosis and zoocenosis functioning on the recultivation plots. The most important properties for evaluation of the prospects of ways and methods of mine dumps forest reclamation are the following physico-chemical parameters of mine rock and artificial soils as the actual acidity, content of water-soluble salts and humus, fraction composition of the clay fraction, mechanical (granulometric) composition, water-physical properties within a recultivation layer. The aim of the research is investigation of the dynamics of physico-chemical properties and forests suitability of bulk substrates on the forest recultivation plot № 1 of «Pavlogradska» main, with area of 3.2 hectares, where different constructions of forest plantations are being tested since 1976 on the different versions of artificial soils. The novelty of the work is that the findings substantiate the environmental assessment of artificial soils properties dynamics under influence of the long-term biological remediation. Over a long period of reclamation an acidity of main rock remains exceeding because of high sulphates content (up to 3,1 %). Salinity of substrates, contacting with main rock, decreased by 14–22 % in comparison with an initial salinity due to water-soluble salts migration and reclamation influence of experimental forest cultures. Bulk soil constructions on mine dumps of the forest recultivation plot in the steppe conditions can be attributed to humus-accumulative tehnozems with gradually increasing silvicultural effect.


2010 ◽  
Vol 80 (45) ◽  
pp. 319-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allyson A. West ◽  
Marie A. Caudill

Folate and choline are water-soluble micronutrients that serve as methyl donors in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Inadequacy of these nutrients can disturb one-carbon metabolism as evidenced by alterations in circulating folate and/or plasma homocysteine. Among common genetic variants that reside in genes regulating folate absorptive and metabolic processes, homozygosity for the MTHFR 677C > T variant has consistently been shown to have robust effects on status markers. This paper will review the impact of genetic variants in folate-metabolizing genes on folate and choline bioefficacy. Nutrient-gene and gene-gene interactions will be considered along with the need to account for these genetic variants when updating dietary folate and choline recommendations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisham Al-Obaidi ◽  
Mridul Majumder ◽  
Fiza Bari

Crystalline and amorphous dispersions have been the focus of academic and industrial research due to their potential role in formulating poorly water-soluble drugs. This review looks at the progress made starting with crystalline carriers in the form of eutectics moving towards more complex crystalline mixtures. It also covers using glassy polymers to maintain the drug as amorphous exhibiting higher energy and entropy. However, the amorphous form tends to recrystallize on storage, which limits the benefits of this approach. Specific interactions between the drug and the polymer may retard this spontaneous conversion of the amorphous drug. Some studies have shown that it is possible to maintain the drug in the amorphous form for extended periods of time. For the drug and the polymer to form a stable mixture they have to be miscible on a molecular basis. Another form of solid dispersions is pharmaceutical co-crystals, for which research has focused on understanding the chemistry, crystal engineering and physico-chemical properties. USFDA has issued a guidance in April 2013 suggesting that the co-crystals as a pharmaceutical product may be a reality; but just not yet! While some of the research is still oriented towards application of these carriers, understanding the mechanism by which drug-carrier miscibility occurs is also covered. Within this context is the use of thermodynamic models such as Flory-Huggins model with some examples of studies used to predict miscibility.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Karol Leluk ◽  
Stanisław Frąckowiak ◽  
Joanna Ludwiczak ◽  
Tomasz Rydzkowski ◽  
Vijay Kumar Thakur

Recently, biocomposites have emerged as materials of great interest to the scientists and industry around the globe. Among various polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) is a popular matrix material with high potential for advanced applications. Various particulate materials and nanoparticles have been used as the filler in PLA based matrix. One of the extensively studied filler is cellulose. However, cellulose fibres, due to their hydrophilic nature, are difficult to blend with a hydrophobic polymer matrix. This leads to agglomeration and creates voids, reducing the mechanical strength of the resulting composite. Moreover, the role of the various forms of pure cellulose and its particle shape factors has not been analyzed in most of the current literature. Therefore, in this work, materials of various shapes and shape factors were selected as fillers for the production of polymer composites using Polylactic acid as a matrix to fill this knowledge gap. In particular, pure cellulose fibres (three types with different elongation coefficient) and two mineral nanocomponents: precipitated calcium carbonate and montmorillonite were used. The composites were prepared by a melt blending process using two different levels of fillers: 5% and 30%. Then, the analysis of their thermomechanical and physico-chemical properties was carried out. The obtained results were presented graphically and discussed in terms of their shape and degree of filling.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel Arce ◽  
Mia M. Bengtsson ◽  
Daniel von Schiller ◽  
Dominik Zak ◽  
Jana Täumer ◽  
...  

AbstractDroughts are recognized to impact global biogeochemical cycles. However, the implication of desiccation on in-stream carbon (C) cycling is not well understood yet. We subjected sediments from a lowland, organic rich intermittent stream to experimental desiccation over a 9-week-period to investigate temporal changes in microbial functional traits in relation to their redox requirements, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Concurrently, the implications of rewetting by simulated short rainfalls (4 and 21 mm) on gaseous C fluxes were tested. Early desiccation triggered dynamic fluxes of CO2 and CH4 with peak values of 383 and 30 mg C m−2 h−1 (mean ± SD), respectively, likely in response to enhanced aerobic mineralization and accelerated evasion. At longer desiccation, CH4 dropped abruptly, likely because of reduced abundance of anaerobic microbial traits. The CO2 fluxes ceased later, suggesting aerobic activity was constrained only by extended desiccation over time. We found that rainfall boosted fluxes of CO2, which were modulated by rainfall size and the preceding desiccation time. Desiccation also reduced the amount of WSOC and the proportion of labile compounds leaching from sediment. It remains questionable to which extent changes of the sediment C pool are influenced by respiration processes, microbial C uptake and cell lysis due to drying-rewetting cycles. We highlight that the severity of the dry period, which is controlled by its duration and the presence of precipitation events, needs detailed consideration to estimate the impact of intermittent flow on global riverine C fluxes.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
Alioune Diop ◽  
Jean–Michel Méot ◽  
Mathieu Léchaudel ◽  
Frédéric Chiroleu ◽  
Nafissatou Diop Ndiaye ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the harvest stage, ripening conditions and maturity on color changes of cv. ‘Cogshall’ and cv. ‘Kent’ variety mangoes during drying. A total of four harvests were undertaken, and the fruits were ripened at 20 and 35 °C for five different ripening times at each temperature. At each ripening time, mangoes were dried at 60 °C/30% RH/1.5 m/s for 5 h. A wide physico-chemical and color variability of fresh and dry pulp was created. The relationships according to the L*, H* and C* coordinates were established using mixed covariance regression models in relation to the above pre- and postharvest (preprocess) parameters. According to the L* coordinate results, browning during drying was not affected by the preprocess parameters. However, dried slices from mangoes ripened at 35 °C exhibited better retention of the initial chroma, and had a greater decrease in hue than dried slices from mangoes ripened at 20 °C. However, fresh mango color, successfully managed by the pre- and postharvest conditions, had more impact on dried mango color than the studied parameters. The preprocess parameters were effective levers for improving fresh mango color, and consequently dried mango color.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 567
Author(s):  
Brixhilda Domi ◽  
Kapil Bhorkar ◽  
Carlos Rumbo ◽  
Labrini Sygellou ◽  
Spyros N. Yannopoulos ◽  
...  

Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials have been increasingly explored for potential applications in chemistry and biology fields (e.g., biomedical, pharmaceutical, and energy industries) due to their unique physico-chemical properties. However, their safe utilization requires a profound knowledge on their potential toxicological and environmental impact. To date, BN nanoparticles have been considered to have a high biocompatibility degree, but in some cases, contradictory results on their potential toxicity have been reported. Therefore, in the present study, we assessed two commercial 2D BN samples, namely BN-nanopowder (BN-PW) and BN-nanoplatelet (BN-PL), with the objective to identify whether distinct physico-chemical features may have an influence on the biological responses of exposed cellular models. Morphological, structural, and composition analyses showed that the most remarkable difference between both commercial samples was the diameter of their disk-like shape, which was of 200–300 nm for BN-PL and 100–150 nm for BN-PW. Their potential toxicity was investigated using adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cells) and the unicellular fungus Saccharomycescerevisiae, as human and environmental eukaryotic models respectively, employing in vitro assays. In both cases, cellular viability assays and reactive oxygen species (ROS) determinations where performed. The impact of the selected nanomaterials in the viability of both unicellular models was very low, with only a slight reduction of S. cerevisiae colony forming units being observed after a long exposure period (24 h) to high concentrations (800 mg/L) of both nanomaterials. Similarly, BN-PW and BN-PL showed a low capacity to induce the formation of reactive oxygen species in the studied conditions. Even at the highest concentration and exposure times, no major cytotoxicity indicators were observed in human cells and yeast. The results obtained in the present study provide novel insights into the safety of 2D BN nanomaterials, indicating no significant differences in the toxicological potential of similar commercial products with a distinct lateral size, which showed to be safe products in the concentrations and exposure conditions tested.


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