Kapok fiber is a light, cottony, pale yellow to brown fiber obtained from Kapok fruit. The fiber is characterized by a large, hollow lumen and is generally hydrophobic due to its waxy surface. The fiber is difficult to spun into thread and it is commonly used as filling in mattresses, pillows, stuffed toys and upholstery. Compared to other natural fiber, kapok’s use is limited in application. However, it is now gaining attention in the scientific community as an important material due to its outstanding properties. This review will provide a detailed overview on the structure, composition and morphology of kapok fiber. It will also discuss the recent researches conducted on kapok fiber including its application as adsorbent material, biocomposite, biotemplate, electrode material and others.
The demand for clean and safe water together with increasingly strict environmental regulations in both developed and developing countries has necessitated the need for a highly efficient yet low-cost water treatment technology to prevent the negative effects of pollutants on the human health and the environment. Nanotechnology holds great potential as a novel and promising field in water treatment. This review presents the recent development in nanotechnology for water and wastewater treatment. The review includes discussion on the nanomaterials- its properties and mechanism that allows its use in the remediation of pollutants in both water and waste water.
Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) is an underutilized fruit usually grown in tropical countries and is widely added as souring agent in many Filipino dishes. However, it is undervalued and its utilization is limited due to short shelf life. Drying is one of the more popular and cheapest means of prolonging its storage life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of drying methods on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of bilimbi. Analysis of proximate composition, pH, total sugar, ascorbic acid content, oxalic acid content and antioxidant activity was conducted on the fresh and dried fruit samples. Data showed that drying significantly affected the proximate composition and pH of bilimbi (p < 0.05). The oxalic acid content, total sugar content and antioxidant activity of dried bilimbi generally increased while significant loss in ascorbic acid was observed in solar dried and oven dried bilimbi. Freeze drying removed the most amount of moisture while preventing significant decrease in ascorbic acid level in bilimbi. Dried bilimbi is a good source of macronutrients, ascorbic acid and possessed good antioxidant activity regardless of the method of drying utilized.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.