A novel biocompatible chitosan passivated manganese doped zinc sulfide (Mn doped ZnS) nanophosphor has been synthesized through a simple aqueous precipitation reaction. Upon excitation with ultraviolet light, the quantum dots (QDs) emit an orange luminescence peaking at 590 nm, which is visible to the naked eye. These chitosan coated Mn doped ZnS QDs can have potential applications in bio-labeling, particularly in fluorescence-based imaging. One of the envisioned applications of these QDs is in improving the conventional, organic dye-reliant Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) technique, a widely used method for microbial detection. Here we demonstrate that the chitosan-capped Mn doped ZnS QDs are suitable for this purpose.
The processing of Citrofortunella mircocarpa fruit juice generates large volume of solid waste, causing disposal problem. Several studies have demonstrated that wastes from agricultural and food processing industries such as fruit and vegetable peels contain high amount of polysaccharides that can be transformed into useful chemicals, including lactic acid, through fermentation. Lactic acid is widely used in various industries, such as in the manufacture of biodegradable plastic, and the demand for this chemical justifies the search of renewable feedstock for its biotechnological production. This study aimed to produce lactic acid from C. microcarpa fruit waste biomass through fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum. The hydrolysate from C. microcarpa fruit waste was prepared, inoculated with different amounts of L. plantarum cell suspension, and incubated for three days. Lactic acid production was monitored daily. The lactic acid produced from the fermentation was recovered as calcium lactate and lactic acid crystals. The identity of the crystals was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy and paper chromatography. The highest lactic acid production was observed in fermentation mixtures containing the highest number of L. plantarum cells. Within three days of fermentation, the amount of lactic acid production increased with increasing period of incubation. Partial characterization of the crystals recovered from the fermentation mixtures by FTIR spectroscopy showed that the peaks in the spectrum were consistent with the chemical structure of lactate. Paper chromatography results likewise confirmed that the crystals are lactate. C. microcarpa fruit waste can afford lactic acid when fermented with L. plantarum. The results of the study may serve as basis for the development of technology for the utilization of C. microcarpa fruit waste biomass as renewable resource for industrial production of lactic acid.
There is a growing interest in natural antioxidants due to their potential in improving the quality of food and cosmetic products and their health-promoting properties. Distilled spirits contain high amount of ethanol and may be an alternative to the food-grade solvents, while agricultural by-products contain phenolic substances that may have antioxidant properties. This study was therefore conducted to find out if gin, vodka, and tequila flavored spirit, alcoholic beverages with about 40% ethanol, can extract the phenolic compounds from agricultural by-products, and to determine if the extracts possess the antioxidant activity. Peels of ripe banana (Musa acuminata), ripe mango (Mangifera indica), calamansi (Citrofortunella microcarpa), squash (Cucurbita maxima), ripe pineapple (Ananas comosus), purple yam (Dioscorea alata), and sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) were collected, dried, and ground. The phenolic substances in the plant materials were extracted with alcoholic beverages or 40% ethanol. The total phenolic content (TPC) of the extracts was determined by means of UV-Vis spectroscopy using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and gallic acid as reference compound. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) served as positive control in the DPPH assay. Non-linear regression was applied to the DPPH assay data to estimate the values of median effective concentration (EC 50). All three alcoholic beverages were able to extract the phenolic materials from the plant samples. However, the ability of vodka and gin to extract the phenolic substances was either statistically comparable or better than 40% ethanol. The results of the DPPH scavenging assay showed that the M. indica peel had the strongest activity, while C. microcarpa had the weakest scavenging activity. At 1000-ppm level, the antioxidant activity of the M. indica peel was comparable with that of BHA, regardless of the solvent used for extraction. Therefore, the M. indica peel can be a source of natural antioxidants and potential substitute to synthetic antioxidants. Both gin and vodka can be used as a substitute for food-compatible solvents.
This study investigates the use of sodium silicate as surface modifier for coir dust waste in cement composite. The improvement of interfacial bond between the lignocellulosic coir dust material and cement matrix could increase potential application of coir dust waste in civil industry, an added value and a solution to its disposal problem. A coir dust-cement composite was produced using a ratio of 1:.0.11:0.75 by weight of cement (cement: coir dust: water). The specimen sizes of 50mmx50mmx100mm for compression and 50mmx50mmx250mm for modulus of rupture were prepared in triplicate and tested using Universal testing machine. Sodium silicate significantly improved compressive and flexural strength and effectively reduced sorption properties of the coir dust cement composite. Based on the mechanical properties test, produced composite was suitable for light weight construction material.
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