Pollution by heavy metal ions is one of the major environmental problems in many countries. In this study, four different species of dried marine macroalgae, Ulva lactuca, Jania rubens, Pterocladia capillacea and Colpomenia sinosa were used for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions Pb +2 , Cd +2 and Ni +2 from synthetic wastewater. In general, the highest efficiency of metal ion bioremoval was recorded for red alga J. rubens followed by C. sinosa and the lowest one was recorded for U. lactuca, with mean removal values of 91%, 89% and 85%, respectively. The effect of several parameters such as contact time, algal dose, effect of pH, and initial concentration of metal ions on the adsorption process was estimated. The optimum adsorption was found to occur at pH 5.0, contact time 60 min, adsorbent dose 20 g/L and initial concentration 40 mg/L. This work confirms the potential use of red macroalga J. rubens as an inexpensive and efficient alternative technology, for sequestering heavy metal ions from wastewater.
Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D and Simvastatin (SIM) on a high-fat diet (HFD) induced-obese rats. Methods: 40 adult male rats were divided into four groups: control group, HFD, HFD + vitamin D, and HFD + SIM for 14 weeks. Vitamin D or SIM supplementation was done for the last 6 weeks. Vitamin D dosage was 500 IU/kg, while SIM dosage was 10 mg/kg. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration and markers of oxidative stress including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reduced glutathione(GSH) concentrations in serum were determined using ELISA kits and spectrophotometry methods, respectively. Results: Treatment with vitamin D or SIM could significantly reduce IL-6 and MDA and increases SOD, GPx activities, and GSH levels. Oxidative stress can result not only from increased ROS production but also from dysfunctional antioxidant defenses. Conclusion: From the experimental results, it was observed that SIM and vitamin D could attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation markers associated with obesity.
Photocatalysis is an eco-friendly promising approach to the degradation of textile dyes. The majority of reported studies involved remediation of dyes with an initial concentration ≤50 mg/L, which was away from the existing values in textile wastewater. Herein, a simple solvothermal route was utilized to synthesize CoFe2O4@UiO-66 core-shell heterojunction photocatalyst for the first time. The photocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized catalysts was assessed through the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes at an initial concentration (100 mg/L). Under simulated solar irradiation, improved photocatalytic performance was accomplished by as-obtained CoFe2O4@UiO-66 heterojunction compared to bare UiO-66 and CoFe2O4. The overall removal efficiency of dyes (100 mg/L) over CoFe2O4@UiO-66 (50 mg/L) reached >60% within 180 min. The optical and photoelectrochemical measurements showed an enhanced visible light absorption capacity as well as effective interfacial charge separation and transfer over CoFe2O4@UiO-66, emphasizing the successful construction of heterojunction. The degradation mechanism was further explored, which revealed the contribution of holes (h+), superoxide (•O2−), and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals in the degradation process, however, h+ were the predominant reactive species. This work might open up new insights for designing MOF-based core-shell heterostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of industrial organic pollutants.
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans, representing a major public health problem. Few studies have investigated osteoporosis risk factors such as calcium and vitamin D intake, quality of life and body mass index (BMI) among multi-ethnic adults in the Malaysian context. This study aimed to determine the ethnic variation in osteoporosis risk factors among students in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). A cross-sectional study via a self-administrated questionnaire was carried out among 198 respondents aged 19 to 25 years from UMT. The data in the present study included a three -day food record and anthropometric measurements. Nutritionist ProTM analysis software version 5.3 was used to calculate dietary calcium and vitamin D intake from the diet histories, based on the Nutrient Composition of Malaysian Food Database guidance for the dietary calcium intake and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for vitamin D intake. The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and ChiSquare tests. The findings indicate the median calcium intake was 348.3 mg/day while for vitamin D intake was only 1.37 µg/day. Indian participants had a significantly lower intake level of calcium (243.5 mg/day), followed by Chinese (362.3 mg/day) and Malays (440.4 mg/day). The median vitamin D intakes of Malay, Chinese, and Indian adults were 2.15 μg/day, 1.37 μg/day and 1.14 μg/day, respectively. Furthermore, the BMI among respondents at 20.88 (6.4) kg/m2 categorized as normal weight. It was found that there was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in BMI across ethnicity. Lastly, there was a significant association (p< 0.05) between ethnicity and calcium intake (p = 0.001).
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