Determination of oil contents from eight varieties of olea europaea (Olive) grown in Pakistan

Abstract

The olive (Olea europaea L.) is a worldwide famous tree crop having valuable commercial role due to nutritional as well as therapeutic benefits obtained from its edible oil. Eight varieties of Olea europaea L. fruits were obtained from three Agricultural research institutes located in different areas of Pakistan including Quetta, Lorallia and Zhob to extract and determine their oil contents by conventional method as solvent extraction (soxhlet apparatus). Statistical analysis showed significant (p?=?0.002) difference in oil composition of collected plants. Highest amount (percentage) of oil was obtained from Gemlik variety (65%) from Lorallia and lowest oil content from Dolece-agogia variety (17.5%) collected from Quetta. Further research is under consideration to rule out best suitable factors including some soil and environmental factors to obtained more potential cultivars of Olea europaea in Pakistan.     

Organometallic polymer-functionalized Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles as a highly efficient and eco-friendly nanocatalyst for C–C bond formation

A magnetically recoverable biopolymer-based nanocatalyst was prepared through the covalent immobilization of a chitosan-bound 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde Pd complex on the surface of superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The nanocatalyst was characterized by FTIR, X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, revealing an average particle size of 70 nm. The catalyst shows high thermostability by thermogravimetric analysis. Estimated Pd loading by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission analysis was found to be 0.348 mmol g^?1. The nanocatalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance in Suzuki couplings of various aryl halides with phenylboronic acid, and Heck reactions of iodo- and bromoarenes with butylacrylate. The catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture with an external magnet and reused consecutively four times without significant loss in activity.     

Development of air‐assisted dispersive micro‐solid‐phase extraction‐based supramolecular solvent‐mediated Fe3O4@Cu–Fe–LDH for the determination of tramadol in biological samples

A simple method, air‐assisted dispersive micro‐solid‐phase extraction‐based supramolecular solvent was developed for the preconcentration of tramadol in biological samples prior to gas chromatography–flame ionization detection. A new type of carrier liquid, supramolecular solvent based on a mixture of 1‐dodecanol and tetrahydrofuran was combined with layered double hydroxide coated on a magnetic nanoparticle (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Cu–Fe–LDH). The supramolecular solvent was injected into the solution containing Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Cu–Fe–LDH in order to provide high stability and dispersion of the sorbent without any stabilizer agent. Air assisted was applied to enhance the dispersion of the sorbent and solvent. A number of analytical techniques such as Fourier transform‐infrared spectrometry, field emission scanning electron microscope, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction measurements were applied to assess the surface chemical characteristics of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Cu–Fe–LDH nanoparticles. The effects of important parameters on the extraction recovery were also investigated. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection and quantification were obtained in the range of 0.9–2.4 and 2.7–7.5 μg L^?1 with preconcentration factors in the range of 450–472 in biological samples. This method was used for the determination of tramadol in biological samples (plasma, urine and saliva samples) with good recoveries.     

Chemical characterization and anti-breast cancer effects of silver nanoparticles using Phoenix dactylifera seed ethanolic extract on 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a] anthracene-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague Dawley male rats

The aim of the recent research was to investigate the anti-breast cancer effects of silver nanoparticles using Phoenix dactylifera seed ethanolic extract (AgNPs). After preparation of Phoenix dactylifera seed extract, GC/MS was performed to detect the compounds. The findings indicated that 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)- methyl ester (40.95%) and Dodecanoic acid methyl ester (20%) were the most frequent constituents found in P. dactylifera. These nanoparticles were spherical with a size range of 17-19 nm and characterized using various analytical techniques including UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy to determine the presence of AgNPs in the solution. We studied functional groups of P. dactylifera extract in the reduction and capping process of AgNPs by FT-IR, crystallinity and FCC planes by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and surface morphology, shapes, and size of AgNPs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DPPH free radical scavenging test was used to test the antioxidant properties of P. dactylifera and AgNPs, which revealed high antioxidant potential similar to butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) as the positive control. The results of cytotoxicity analysis indicated that P. dactylifera and AgNPs were toxic for MCF-7 cells. In vivo design, induction of breast cancer was done by 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a] anthracene (DMBA) in 50 animals. After 10 days, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including healthy control, untreated control, two groups receiving the P. dactylifera at 2 and 6 mg/kg and two groups receiving the AgNPs at 2 and 6 mg/kg concentrations. Both doses of P. dactylifera and AgNPs (especially AgNPs6) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the weight and volume of liver, mammary gland, kidney, spleen, ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, urea, creatinine, glucose, ferrous, ferritin, erythropoietin, GR, IL1, IL6, IL12, IL18, IFNY, and TNFα and increased HDL, total protein, albumin, WBC, lymphocyte, neutrophils, platelet, RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, SOD, CAT, GPx, IL4, IL5, IL10, IL13, and IFNα compared to the untreated group. Moreover, P. dactylifera and AgNPs (especially AgNPs6) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) treated breast cancer with reduction of organs free of metastasis compared to the untreated group. Seemingly, the AgNPs can be used for the treatment of breast cancer.     

Novel green synthesis of Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract conjugated gold nanoparticles with excellent anti-acute myeloid leukemia effect in comparison to daunorubicin in a leukemic rodent model

Nanobiotechnology is a capable technology that deals with nanomaterials in several scientific domains such as medicine, chemistry, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. In this scale, remarkable differences are seen in many properties of materials that are not observed on a larger scale. In this regard, pharmacologists have tried to synthesize many supplements and drugs from the nanoparticles. The present study confirms the ability of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa grown under in vitro condition for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Also, in this study, we revealed the anti-acute myeloid leukemia activity of AuNPs compared to daunorubicin in a leukemic rodent model. These nanoparticles were characterized by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis.), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. TEM and FE-SEM images exhibited a uniform spherical morphology and diameters of 15-45 nm for the biosynthesized nanoparticles. In vivo design, induction of acute myeloid leukemia was done by 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in 75 mice. Then, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including HAuCl₄, H. sabdariffa, AuNPs, daunorubicin, untreated, and control. AuNPs similar to daunorubicin, significantly (P ≤ .05) reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1, IL6, IL12, IL18, IFNY, and TNFα), and the total white blood cell (WBC), blast, monocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, and basophil counts and enhanced the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL4, IL5, IL10, IL13, and IFNα) and the platelet, lymphocyte, and red blood cell (RBC) parameters as compared to the untreated mice. By quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-5 mRNA expression in lymphocytes were significantly (P ≤ .05) raised by treating the leukemic mice with the AuNPs and daunorubicin. In vitro design, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test revealed similar antioxidant potentials for daunorubicin and AuNPs. Besides, AuNPs similar to daunorubicin had low cell viability dose-dependently against Murine C1498, Human HL-60/vcr, and 32D-FLT3-ITD cell lines without any cytotoxicity on HUVEC cell line. In conclusion, the results of chemical characterization confirm that the H. sabdariffa flower can be used to produce gold nanoparticles with a remarkable amount of anti-acute myeloid leukemia effect.     

Rhodium/chiral diene-catalyzed asymmetric methylation of N-sulfonylarylimines with trimethylboroxine

A hydroxorhodium complex coordinated with a chiral diene ligand catalyzed the asymmetric addition of trimethylboroxine to N-sulfonylarylimines to give high yields of chiral 1-aryl-1-ethylamines with high enantioselectivity.     

Engineering CNOT gate in cavity QED scenario

We present a quantum CNOT logic gate based on interaction of a three-level cesium atom with a two-mode electromagnetic field in a high-Q superconducting cavity. The three-level atom acts as a control qubit and the two-mode electromagnetic field serves as a target qubit. Presently available QED experiments make it feasible to realize the theoretical suggestion in the laboratory. We determine the feasibility of our proposal by calculating the fidelity.     

Micellar and salt effects on the interaction of [Cu(II)‐Gly‐Gly]+ with ninhydrin

The effect of cationic micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the kinetics of interaction of copper dipeptide complex [Cu(II)‐Gly‐Gly]⁺ with ninhydrin has been studied spectrophotometrically at 70°C and pH 5.0. The reaction follows first‐ and fractional‐order kinetics, respectively, in complex and ninhydrin. The reaction is catalyzed by CTAB micelles, and the maximum rate enhancement is about twofold. The results obtained in the micellar medium are treated quantitatively in terms of the kinetic pseudophase and Piszkiewicz models. The rate constants (k_obs or k_Ψ), micellar‐binding constants (k_S for [Cu(II)‐Gly‐Gly]⁺, k_N for ninhydrin), and index of cooperativity (n) have been evaluated. A mechanism is proposed in accordance with the experimental results. The influence of different inorganic (NaCl, NaBr, Na₂SO₄) and organic (NaBenz, NaSal) salts on the reaction rate has also been seen, and it is found that tightly bound/incorporated counterions are the most effective. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 556–564, 2007