Role of Daucus carota in Enhancing Antiulcer Profile of Pantoprazole in Experimental Animals

The carrot plant (Daucus carota) and its components are traditionally reported for the management of gastric ulcers. This study was performed to evaluate the role of carrot when administered concurrently with a conventional antiulcer treatment, pantoprazole, in alleviating gastric and duodenal ulcers in female experimental animals. The study involved standard animal models to determine the ulcer preventive effect using pylorus ligation, ethanol, and stress induced acute gastric ulcer models and duodenal ulcer models involving cysteamine. Acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcer and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models were used to evaluate the ulcer healing effect. Carrot fruit (500 mg/kg) and its co-administration with pantoprazole produced significant protection in an ethanol- and stress-induced acute gastric ulcer and cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer. The healing of the acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcer was also augmented with this combination. Both total proteins and mucin contents were significantly increased in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers. Similarly, in pylorus ligation, the pepsin content of gastric juice, total acidity, and free acidity were reduced. Overall, both ulcer preventive effects and ulcer healing properties of the pantoprazole were significantly enhanced in animals who received the co-administration of carrot fruit (500 mg/kg).     

Flow and heat transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluids over porous surfaces

In the present study, heat transfer and fluid flow of a pseudo-plastic non-Newtonian nanofluid over permeable surface has been solved in the presence of injection and suction. Similarity solution method is utilized to convert the governing partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations, which then is solved numerically using Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg fourth–fifth order (RKF45) method. The Cu, CuO, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles are considered in this study along with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/water as base fluid. Validation has been done with former numerical results. The influence of power-law index, volume fraction of nanoparticles, nanoparticles type and permeability parameter on nanofluid flow and heat transfer was investigated. The results of the study illustrated that the flow and heat transfer of non-Newtonian nanofluid in the presence of suction and injection has different behaviors. For injection and the impermeable plate, the non-Newtonian nanofluid shows a better heat transfer performance compared to Newtonian nanofluid. However, changing the type of nanoparticles has a more intense influence on heat transfer process during suction. It was also observed that in injection, contrary to the other two cases, the usage of non-Newtonian nanofluid can decrease heat transfer in all cases.

     

Morus alba Prevented the Cyclophosphamide Induced Somatic and Germinal Cell Damage in Male Rats by Ameliorating the Antioxidant Enzyme Levels

Cytogenetic analysis is essential to determine the effect of mutagens and antimutagens on genetic material. This study was done to evaluate the protective effect of root bark extract of Morus alba (M. alba) against cyclophosphamide induced somatic and germinal cell damage in male rats. The ethanolic extract of M. alba (0.25, 0.5 and 1 g/kg, 2 weeks) was evaluated against cyclophosphamide (75 mg/kg, single dose) induced nuclear damage. The sampling was done after 48 h of the clastogen treatment. The somatic and germinal nuclear damage was studied by bone marrow micronucleus and sperm analysis, respectively. Serum superoxide and catalase levels were estimated to determine the antioxidant status in each group. The results were analyzed statistically to find the significant variation. The administration of M. alba for 2 weeks suppressed dose-dependently the changes induced by cyclophosphamide. M. alba (0.5 g/kg) decreased the frequency of micronucleated erythrocyte, sperm shape abnormality and enhanced the sperm count, sperm motility and polychromatic-normochromatic erythrocytes ratio significantly (p < 0.05) in comparison with the cyclophosphamide treated group. The highest tested dose of M. alba (1 g/kg) produced more prominent suppression (p < 0.01) in the cyclophosphamide-induced somatic and germinal cell defects. The results also showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in the serum antioxidant enzymes levels with M. alba when compared with the challenge group. The lower dose of M. alba extract (0.25 g/kg) prevented the CP-induced changes but was found to be statistically insignificant. Therefore, antimutagenic potential of the high dose of the extract of M. alba is possibly due to its antioxidant nature. The ability of the M. alba extract to prevent the nuclear damage could play an important role in overcoming several mutational defects that are associated with anticancer chemotherapy.     

Comments on: “Toward improved heat transfer performance of annular heat exchangers with water/ethylene glycol based nanofluids containing graphene nanoplatelets,Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 126.3 (2016): 1427–1436”

The present study has investigated the complex mechanisms in the aluminum–titanium system with different percentages of titanium through a combination of thermal and X-ray analyses. Thermogravimetry, derivative thermogravimetric, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transition electron microscope were used for characterization of the samples. Initially, different Al–Ti powder mixtures were produced by high-energy ball milling and after 30 h of milling the phases generated at different percentages of Ti were analyzed. The XRD results revealed that the intermetallic Al₃Ti powder is obtained after a certain duration of milling. In addition, L1₂ to D0₂₃ phase transformation is possible with increase of the Ti percent. Analyses of the powder annealed at different temperatures yielded interesting results, including the effect of stearic acid as the surface control agent on phase transformations of the aluminum–titanium system and also the formation of unexpected phases such as Al₄C₃ and TiC. Moreover, ductile to brittle transition during phase transformations of the intermetallic Al₃Ti powder was quite conspicuous, which could result in more homogeneity of the powders and the occurrence of more reactions in the system. For example, formation of D0₂₃-Al₃Ti powder which is more brittle compared to L1₂ resulted in the exit of Al from among its layers, leading to the increase of the chances for Al reaction with the system impurities.     

Toluene methylation to para-xylene

To investigate the effect of operational parameter and transport phenomena on para-xylene production from toluene methylation with methanol, a fixed bed tubular reactor packed with Al-HMS-5 mesoporous catalyst was numerically studied. A mechanistic Longmuir–Hinshelwood-type kinetic study has been implemented on a proposed reaction network based on former experimental observation and theoretical background. Kinetic parameters and activation energy related to proposed reaction network for toluene methylation were evaluated using nonlinear regression and Arrhenius plot, respectively. In addition, heat transfer, fluid flow, and chemical reaction equations consisting of toluene methylation and xylene isomerization were solved using finite element method. In order to optimize toluene methylation process, reaction temperature and residence time were investigated. The results showed that uniform distribution of temperature exists at the reactor. There is only deviation from uniform temperature at the reactor entrance, but in other places, the temperature distribution is uniform. As a result, fluid temperature quickly becomes the same as the wall temperature, making the toluene methylation reaction highly efficient. Finally, the residence time of 60 s and wall temperature of 425 K were recommended as optimum working values.