Moringa oleifera (MO) seed coat, a postharvest waste of MO seed, was mercerized and used as eco-friendly adsorbent for removal of Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous solution at different time and temperature. Mercerized M. oleifera seed coat (MSC) was characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before and after adsorption process. Data obtained from effect of contact time on CR dye-uptake were applied on Elovich, pseudo-first- and second-order kinetic models, as well as on intraparticle diffusion and Boyd models. SEM and FTIR showed adsorption of CR dye on MSC through filled holes (SEM), appearance of new and shifting existing of functional groups (FTIR) on the surface of MSC after adsorption process. Adsorption kinetics was seen to be best fitted with pseudo-second-order model with the highest value of correlation coefficient at all temperatures. Film diffusion mechanism controlled the adsorption process, where external mass transfer was higher than internal mass transfer. Adsorption kinetics parameters confirmed removal of CR dye from aqueous solution through chemical and physical adsorption on MSC.

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Novel 1,3-bis[(furan-2-yl) methylene]thiourea (BFMT) dye was synthesized from condensation reaction between sugarcane bagasse derived furfural and thiourea. The synthesized BFMT dye was characterized by physicochemical (melting point and CHN) and spectrometry (UV–Vis, FTIR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR) analyses. The synthesized BFMT dye was screened for its antimicrobial (antibiotic and antifungal) properties. BFMT dye was applied on wool and cotton fabrics. The functional properties of BFMT dyed fabrics (color value, color strength, fastness properties, antimicrobial activities, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), and mechanical properties) were assessed. Chemical composition of synthesized BFMT dye was determined by CHN analyzer, while its structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectrometry analyses. BFMT dye solution showed reddish brown complementary color with λ max 485 nm on UV–Visible spectrophotometer. The antibiotic property of the synthesized dye was moderate, while antifungal property was excellent on tested microorganisms. BFMT dyed wool and cotton fabrics displayed good mechanical properties, air permeability, water vapor permeability and wetability. Dyed fabrics possessed excellent exhaustion (> 80%), fastness properties, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF > 40) and fungal growth inhibition rate (> 70%).

A branch of Teak tree was cut, dried and grounded with mortar and pestle before using blender. The powder was extracted with four different solvents namely n-hexane, benzene, chloroform and distilled water; the extracts were concentrated using rotary evaporator. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used to identify various constituents in the samples. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was the major constituent common to Chloroform (35.50 %) and benzene (26.78 %) while n-hexadecanoic acid was the major constituent extracted by n-hexane (21.76 %) and water (24.16 %). Other phthalic acid derivatives extracted by both chloroform and benzene are Phthalic acid, di(2-propylpentyl)ester and di(oct-3-yl)ester. All the extracts were screened for termites repellence; all of them except water extract repelled termites in various degrees.

Urea and thiourea derivatives: 1,3-bis[(E)-furan-2-yl)methylene]urea (BFMU) and 1,3-bis[(E)-furan-2-yl)methylene]thiourea (BFMT) were synthesized and characterized by spectrometry analyses (UV, IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR). They were screened for antibacterial (Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Xanthomonas axonopodis and Streptococcus bovis) and antifungal (Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Cercospora zeae-maydis) activities. Quantum chemical calculations of frontier molecular orbital energies (EHOMO and ELUMO), and their associated global parameters were carried out by DFT levels of theory, with complete relaxation in the potential energy surface using 6-31G* basis set (DFT/B3LYP/6-31G*). Azomethine functional groups (C=N) appeared at δ 7.6 ppm and δ 7.0 ppm in the proton spectra, the peaks between δ 105 and δ 160 ppm of 13C spectra represent the methylene carbons (C=C). BFMU is a better inhibitor of P. aeruginosa and S. bovis, while BFMT is a better inhibitor of S. typhi, S. aureus and X. axonopodis and the fungi isolates (F. oxysporum, C. gloeosporioides and C. zeae-maydis) used. The global parameters agreed favorably with the experimental results, indicating the higher activity of BFMT.

The effect of 2-(2-nitrovinyl)furan on the redox status of male rat liver and kidney was evaluated. Twenty male rats were randomized into four groups; group A received olive oil and groups B, C, and D rats received 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg bodyweight of 2-(2-nitrovinyl)furan intraperitoneally, daily at 24 h interval, respectively, for 14 days. 2-(2-Nitrovinyl)furan significantly reduced (P < 0.05) alkaline phosphatase, alanine, and aspartate aminotransferase activities in male rat liver and kidney with a corresponding increase in serum. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and levels of reduced glutathione/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio in the liver and kidney of 2-(2-nitrovinyl)furan-treated rats decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In contrast, GSSG, protein carbonyl, conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde, and fragmented DNA (%) in 2-(2-nitrovinyl)furan-treated rats increased significantly (P < 0.05). Overall, data from this study revealed that 2-(2-nitrovinyl)furan exhibited its toxic effect by suppressing or depleting the antioxidant systems.

This research investigated the design, chemical modification, characterization and biocidal evaluation of waxes. Tallow (animal fat), bee-wax (insect) and shea butter (plant fat) were first converted to carboxylates by metathesis and later transformed into urea and thiourea complexes. The transformation was monitored using UV–visible, FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. They were also screened for biocidal activities using two white rots (Pleurotus sajor-cajor and Pleurotus oestratus), two brown rots (Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizotonia solanii) and a soft rot (Cheatomium globosum). The UV–visible absorption peaks shifted to a longer wavelength for the complexes in relation to the carboxylates signifying lower energy and higher activities. Carboxylates showed very sharp peaks around 1700 cm−1 attributable to the carbonyl functional group (C=O) (Scheme 1), the carbonyl (C=O) peaks in the carboxylates were replaced by the appearance of another peaks in the urea and thiourea complexes at around 1600 cm−1 attributable to azomethine (C=N) (Scheme 2 and 3). None of the surface morphologies of the samples (crystalline) is identical. This result further confirmed the formation of the products. The result of fungi assay showed that tallow based carboxylate, urea and thiourea complexes greatly inhibited the growth of all the fungi species used. However, bees wax based carboxylate and its complexes as well as plant-fat based carboxylate and its complexes could not inhibit the growth of Sclerotium rolfsii. For insect and plant-based urea complexes, there were tiny growths (pin head) seen on the plates inoculated with P. sajor-cajor and P. oestratus, respectively. The findings of this work showed that urea and thiourea complexes performed better than carboxylates in fungi inhibition. Tallow-based products (carboxylates, urea and thiourea) showed the greatest anti-fungi properties.

The oils of Citrus sinensis(CS) and Carica papaya(CP) seeds were extracted with soxhlet extractor apparatus using n-hexane as the solvent. The oils were concentrated by distillation and degummed with water and phosphoric acid, which was thereafter neutralized. Gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was used to determine fatty acid fraction (FAF). The prominent acids in the crude and refined oils of Carica papaya seed were oleic acid (74.5 %), (75.0 %), palmitic acid (12.1 %), (12.3 %), stearic acid (5.9 %), (5.6 %) and Linoleic acid (4.3 %), (4.1 %) respectively. The major fatty acids obtainable in Citrus sinensis sample were oleic acid (62.8 %), (63.4 %), palmitic acid (25.3 %), (24.3 %), stearic acid (7.2 %), (7.5 %) and Linoleic acid (3.4 %), (3.6 %) for crude and refined oils respectively. The statistical test results revealed that there was no significant difference in the values for the crude and refined oils. Thus, the purification processes (degumming and neutralization) did not affect the percentage fatty acid fractions of the oil but only reduced the phospholipid contents.