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Biodiesel was produced from waste frying oil using calcium oxide derived from the calcination of egg shell as a heterogeneous base catalyst. The catalyst was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive atomic X‐ray spectrometry. The effects of reaction variables such as methanol/oil molar ratio, amount of catalyst, reaction temperature, and reaction time on biodiesel yield were investigated. The activity of the egg shell‐derived CaO was compared with the commercial CaO. A high biodiesel yield of 95.05% and conversion of 96.11% were obtained at 3 wt % catalyst (based on oil weight), methanol/oil molar ratio of 9:1, reaction temperature of 65°C, and reaction time of 3 h. The structure of biodiesel was characterized by FTIR, and the biodiesel conversion was determined by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 248–254, 2015

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A sustainable biomass-based nanocomposite hydrogel was formulated, characterized, and applied for curcumin delivery. Phytosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) employing musk melon (Cucumis melo) seed extract was embedded in the hydrogel matrices and cross-linked using Dialdehyde cellulose prepared from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) bagasse (SCB). Nanoparticle incorporation enhanced the hydrogel's swelling degree to 4048% at pH 4.0. Also, an improved tensile strength of 14.1 ± 0.32 MPa was exhibited by the nanocomposite hydrogel compared to 9.79 ± 0.76 MPa for the pure chitosan cellulose hydrogel. A curcumin loading efficiency of 89.68% with around 30% increased loading was exhibited for the nanocomposite hydrogel. A Fickian diffusion-controlled curcumin release mechanism with maximum release at pH 7.4 was obtained. The synergistic effect on the antimicrobial activity was exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton rubrum. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies employing L929 cells and A431 cells demonstrated good biocompatibility and enhanced anticancer activity of the curcumin-loaded green nanocomposite hydrogel compared to pure curcumin.