Effects of hydrolyzed collagen alone or in combination with fish oil on the gut microbiome in patients with major burns.

Burns are associated with gut dysbiosis. Collagen peptides and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are suggested to improve wound healing and the inflammatory response. These are also correlated with microbiome colonization. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of hydrolyzed collagen alone or in combination with fish oil on specific species of the gut microbiome in patients with major burns. In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, 57 adults (aged 18-60 years) with 20-45% total body surface area burns were randomised into three groups to receive either 40 gr hydrolyzed collagen +10 ml sunflower oil, 40 g hydrolyzed collagen +10 ml fish oil or placebo, divided into two daily drinks, for two weeks. Gut bacteria were measured using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. The mean concentration of Bifidobacterium was significantly reduced in the control (P = 0.002) and collagen (P = 0.005) groups compared with the baseline values, whereas no significant change was observed in the collagen omega-3 group. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio decreased significantly in the collagen group (p = 0.002) after supplementation compared to baseline . No significant changes in concentration of Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, and F.prausnitzii were observed between or within the study groups. Two weeks of supplementation with collagen and omega-3 FAs in patients with major burns did not result in a significant difference in the concentration of bacteria measured between the study groups. However, the addition of omega-3 FAs prevented a significant reduction in gut Bifidobacterium. Future studies are suggested to investigate the potential efficacy of these nutrients in improving the gut microbiota and clinical outcomes in major burns. REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT20131125015536N9.

Curve fitting model of Polycarbonate Al2O3-nanoparticle membranes for removing emerging contaminants from wastewater: Effect of temperature and nanoparticles.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of the phase separation procedure in order to synthesize ultrafiltration polycarbonate containing aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) to remove emerging contaminants from wastewater at varying temperatures and nanoparticle contents. In the membrane structure, Al2O3-NPs are loaded at rates of 0≤φ≤1% volume. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the fabricated membrane containing Al2O3-NPs. Nevertheless, volume fractions ranged from 0 to 1% during the experiment, which was conducted between 15 and 55 °C. An analysis of the ultrafiltration results was conducted by using a curve-fitting model to determine the interaction between these parameters and the effect of all independent factors on the emerging containment removal. Shear stress and shear rate for this nanofluid are nonlinear at different temperatures and volume fractions. Viscosity decreases with increasing temperature at a specific volume fraction. In order to remove emerging contaminants, a decrease in viscosity at a relative level fluctuates, resulting in more porosity in the membrane. NPs become more viscous with an increasing volume fraction at any given temperature on the membrane. For example, a maximum relative viscosity increases of 34.97% is observed for a 1% volume fraction at 55 °C. A novel model is then used to measure the viscosity of nanofluid. This indicates that the results and experimental data are in very close agreement, as the maximum deviation is 2.6%.

Effect of a collagen-enriched beverage with or without omega-3 fatty acids on wound healing, metabolic biomarkers, and adipokines in patients with major burns.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study investigated the effects of collagen hydrolysate and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) on the rate and quality of wound healing, metabolic disorders, and adipose-derived peptides in patients with major burns. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 66 patients with 20-45% deep partial or full-thickness burns were randomly assigned to three groups to receive either a beverage containing collagen (40 gr/d), collagen (40 gr/d) plus 3 gr/d omega-3 (ω-3) FAs, or placebo for four weeks. Wound healing rate, Vancouver scar scale (VSS), as well as baseline, weeks two and three serum concentrations of adiponectin, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), neuregulin 4 (NRG4), transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, and pre-albumin/hs-CRP ratio were assessed. RESULTS: The wound healing rate during the weeks post-burn (p = 0.006 and p = 0.01), and days of 95% (21.3 ± 6.8 and 22.9 ± 8.7 vs. 34.3 ± 14.8 days, p = 0.003 and p = 0.03) and complete (26 ± 7.7 and 27.4 ± 9.4 vs. 41.1 ± 16.6 days, p = 0.003 and p = 0.01) wound healing were significantly better with Collagen and Collagen. ω-3 compared to the placebo group. The VSS was significantly lower, indicated better scar status, in the both intervention groups compared to the placebo (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01). Wound healing outcomes were not statistically different between the Collagen and Collagen. ω-3 groups. Hs-CRP/pre-albumin ratio was significantly lower in the Collagen. ω-3 than the placebo group at week three (1.2 ± 1.9 vs. 4.8 ± 7.7 dl/l, p = 0.03). The significant decrease in serum adiponectin seen during the trial course within the placebo (10 ± 8.8 to 5.8 ± 4.9 mg/l, p = 0.03) and Collagen (11.8 ± 14 to 8.6 ± 11.7 mg/l, p = 0.03) groups was prevented in the Collagen. ω-3 group (p = 0.4). Circulating FGF21 decreased significantly within the Collagen (p = 0.005) and Collagen. ω-3 (p = 0.02) groups at the end of week three compared to the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Adding collagen hydrolysate as part of adjunctive therapy improved wound healing rate and quality. These findings as well as the efficacy of omega-3 FAs need to be further confirmed in larger populations. This study was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20090901002394N42).

Machine learning modeling of polycarbonate ultrafiltration membranes at different temperatures, Al2O3 nanoparticle volumes, and water ratios.

The efficacy of novel polycarbonate ultrafiltration, aluminum oxide nanoparticle (Al2O3-NPs) volume fraction, temperature, and water/ethylene glycol (EG) ratio were evaluated to determine the thermophysical properties of the membrane. 5%-10% of Al2O3-NPs have been added to the PC. A machine learning approach was used to compare the volume fraction of Al2O3-NPs, the temperature, and the water-to-ethylene glycol (EG) ratio. To determine the impact of Al2O3-NPs loading on the Response Surface Method (RSM), DOE, ANOVA, ANN, MLP, and NSGA-II, the number of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3-NPs), temperature, and water/ethylene glycol (EG) on membranes in PC ultrafiltration are evaluated. Based on the Relative Thermal Conductivity Model (RSM), the regression coefficient of Al2O3 in water and EG was 0.9244 and 0.9170 with adjusted regression coefficients. A higher concentration of EG enhances the thermal conductivity of the membrane when the effective parameters are considered. The effect of temperature on the relative viscosity of the membrane led to the conclusion that Al2O3 water/EG can cool at high temperatures while providing no viscosity change. When Al2O3 is dissolved in water and EG, more EG is necessary to optimize the mode of reactivity. Using the MLP model, the calculated R-value is 0.9468, the MSE is 0.001752989 (mean square error), and the MAE is 0.01768558 (mean absolute error). RSM predicted the average thermal conductivity behavior of nanofluid better. The ANN model, however, has proven to be more effective than the RSM in simulating the relative viscosity of nanofluids. The NSGA-II optimized results showed that the minimum relative viscosity and maximum coefficient of thermal conductivity occurred at the lowest water ratio and maximum temperature.

The effects of all trans retinoic acid, vitamin D3 and their combination on plasma levels of miRNA-125a-5p, miRNA-34a, and miRNA-126 in an experimental model of diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ATRA (all trans retinoic acid), vitamin D3, and their combination on circulating levels of miR (MicroRNA) -125a-5p, miR-126, and miR-34ain diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total miRNA was extracted from plasma samples. miRNA expression profiles of 30 rats in five groups were analyzed after 4-week intervention. The expression levels of miRNAs were measured using qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We analyzed the expression of miR-126, miR-125a-5p, and miR-34a in serum among all five groups (p=0.268). The levels of miRNA-126 (p=0.004) and miR-125a-5p (p=0.014) showed a significant difference among our experimental groups. The circulating levels of miR-126 decreased in DC (Diabetic control) group compared to the HC (Healthy control) group (p=0.009). In addition, vitamin D3+ATRA supplementation increased miR-126 expression (p=0.014). Moreover, the levels of miR-125a-5p decreased in the DC group compared to the HC group (p=0.019). CONCLUSION: The expression of miR-126 and miR-125a-5p decreased in diabetic rats. Also, vitamin D3+ATRA can be considered a new therapeutic agent that can elevate miR-126 expression and prevent diabetes-related cardiovascular complications.

Effect of Collagen Hydrolysate and Fish Oil on High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Glucose Homeostasis in Patients with severe Burn; a Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Collagen and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are suggested to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and insulin-sensitizing properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of collagen hydrolysate and omega-3 FAs on inflammation and insulin resistance in patients with major burns. METHODS: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 66 patients with 20-45% burns were assigned to either of the three groups of collagen (40 gr/d), collagen (40 gr/d) plus fish oil (10 ml/d), or control. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin concentrations, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed at baseline, as well as end of weeks two and three. RESULTS: Based on post-hoc analyses, hs-CRP levels were significantly lower in the collagen (p=0.026) and collagen+omega-3 (p=0.044) groups compared to the control group, at week three. However, pre- to post- (week three) changes of hs-CRP were significantly higher only in the collagen+omega-3 group compared to the control group (173.2 vs. 103.7 mg/l, p=0.024). After three weeks of the intervention, insulin (11.3 and 11.9 vs. 22.8 µIU/ml) and HOMA-IR (2.9 and 2.8 vs. 7.9) values seemed to be clinically, but not statistically, lower in both intervention groups compared to the control group. Pre- to post- (week three) values of FBG decreased significantly in the collagen (p=0.002) and collagen+omega-3 (p=0.036) groups. Insulin (p=0.008) and HOMA-IR (p=0.001) decreased significantly only in the collagen+omega-3 group at week three compared to the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with collagen hydrolysate and omega-3 FAs can improve hs-CRP concentration and probably insulin resistance in patients with severe burns. Omega-3 FAs had additional effects on modulating inflammation. Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm the current findings especially in terms of glucose homeostasis.

Effect of bariatric surgery on endogenous sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most studies have shown beneficial effect of bariatric surgery (BS) on serum levels of sex hormones. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the magnitude of possible changes in levels of sex hormones following BS. SETTINGS: Electronic databases were searched, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, for relevant studies. METHODS: The heterogeneity of the studies was examined by χ2 tests and the degree of heterogeneity was estimated using I2 statistic. RESULTS: The results of pooled analyses revealed that BS caused a significant increase in luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone (TT), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels and conversely, decreased dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estradiol (E2) levels in males. For females, BS significantly increased LH, FSH, and SHBG levels and conversely, decreased androstenedione (AE), E2 and TT levels. Additionally, the level of progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL), free testosterone (FT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) showed no significant changes in patients who had undergone BS. CONCLUSION: BS changed most sex hormones levels including LH, FSH, TT, SHBG, AE, DHEA, and E2. It seems that BS is able to exert substantial impacts on sex hormones levels and as well as sexual function, however, larger, and more precise trials are required to specifically focus on these claims.

Can vitamin E supplementation affect obesity indices? A systematic review and meta-analysis of twenty-four randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Several mechanisms have been proposed for the effect of vitamin E on weight loss. Yet various interventional studies with wide ranges of doses and durations have reported contradictory results. METHODS: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched up to December 2020. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect method. Effect size was presented as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 index. In order to identification of potential sources of heterogeneity, predefined subgroup and meta regression analyses was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies with 33 data sets were included. There was no significant effect of vitamin E on weight (WMD: 0.15, 95% CI: -1.35 to 1.65, P = 0.847), body mass index (BMI) (WMD = 0.04, 95% CI: -0.29 to 0.37, P = 0.815), and waist circumference (WC) (WMD = -0.19 kg, 95% CI: -2.06 to 1.68, P = 0.842), respectively. However, subgroup analysis revealed that vitamin E supplementation in studies conducted on participants with normal BMI (18.5-24.9) had increasing impact on BMI (P = 0.047). CONCLUSION: There was no significant effect of vitamin E supplementation on weight, BMI and WC. However, vitamin E supplementation might be associated with increasing BMI in people with normal BMI (18.5-24.9).

The effect of obesity, macronutrients, fasting and nutritional status on drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s: a systematic review of current evidence on human studies.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are a class of hemoproteins involved in drug metabolism. It has been reported that body composition, proportion of dietary macronutrients, fasting and nutritional status can interfere with the activity of drug-metabolizing CYPs. OBJECTIVES: The present systematic review was conducted to summarize the effect of obesity, weight reduction, macronutrients, fasting and malnutrition on the CYP-mediated drug metabolism. METHODS: PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Embase and Cochrane Library databases and Google Scholar were searched up to June 2020 to obtain relevant studies. The PRISMA guidelines were employed during all steps. Two reviewers independently extracted the information from the included studies. Studies investigating CYPs activity directly or indirectly through pharmacokinetics of probe drugs, were included. Increase in clearance (CL) or decrease in elimination half-life (t½) and area under the curve (AUC) of probe drugs were considered as increase in CYPs activity. RESULTS: A total of 6545 articles were obtained through searching databases among which 69 studies with 126 datasets fully met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that obesity might decrease the activity of CYP3A4/5, CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 and increase the activity of CYP2E1. The effect of obesity on CYP2D6 is controversial. Also, weight loss increased CYP3A4 activity. Moreover, CYP1A2 activity was decreased by high carbohydrate diet, increased by high protein diet and fasting and unchanged by malnutrition. The activity of CYP2C19 was less susceptible to alterations compared to other CYPs. CONCLUSION: The activity of drug-metabolizing CYPs are altered by body composition, dietary intake and nutritional status. This relationship might contribute to drug toxicity or reduce treatment efficacy and influence cost-effectiveness of medical care.

Effect of evening primrose oil supplementation on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that evening primrose oil (EPO) supplementation might be effective in improving lipid profile, however, the results are inconsistent. This study was performed to determine the direction and magnitude of the EPO effect on the lipid profile. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science databases and Google Scholar were searched up to September-2019. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model. Lipid profile including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was considered as the primary outcome. RESULTS: A total of 926 articles were identified through database searching, of which, six RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. There were six studies on HDL, TC, and TG and four studies on LDL. EPO supplementation had no significant effect on TC, TG, LDL, and HDL. However, in subgroup analysis, a significant reduction in TG at a dose of ≤4 g/day (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -37.28 mg/dl; 95% CI: -73.53 to -1.03, p = .044) and a significant increase in HDL in hyperlipidemic subjects (WMD = 5.468 mg/dl; 95% CI: 1.323 to 9.614, p = .010) was found. CONCLUSION: Oral intake of EPO at a dose of ≤4 g/day significantly reduces serum TG levels and significantly increases HDL levels in hyperlipidemic subjects.

Vitamin C supplementation and C-reactive protein levels: Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Background and purpose C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker which prognosticates cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have reached mixed conclusions regarding the effect of vitamin C on reducing CRP or hs-CRP level. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to resolve these inconsistencies. Materials and methods: Related articles published up to August 2018 were searched through PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, ISI web of science, Embase, and Cochrane databases by relevant keywords. Clinical trials which examined the effect of either vitamin C supplementation or vitamin C-enriched foods on CRP and hs-CRP levels were included. A total of 11 studies with 14 data sets involving 818 subjects were included. Results Overall, the pooled analysis revealed that vitamin C could decrease CRP level relative to placebo group (Weighted mean difference [WMD]=-0.73 mg/L: 95% CI: -1.30 to -0.15, p=0.013) with a considerable heterogeneity (I2=98%, p<0.001). Moreover, subgroup analyses revealed that the beneficial effect of vitamin C on CRP level alternation only was found in male (p=0.003), non-smoker (p=0.041), healthy (p=0.029) and younger participants (p=0.010). Vitamin C could improve CRP level only at doses of less than 500 mg/day (p=0.009). Regarding hs-CRP changes, the pooled analysis did not show any significant effect of vitamin C (WMD=-0.65 mg/L: 95% CI: -2.03 to 0.72, p=0.35). This finding was confirmed by all subgroup analyses expect for high quality articles in which hs-CRP level was elevated after vitamin C supplementation (p=0.026). Conclusion In conclusion, supplementation with vitamin C might have a significant effect only on CRP reduction. Further studies are needed to confirm this effect.

Vitamin D suppresses proangiogenic factors in patients with ulcerative colitis: A randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to assess the effect of vitamin D on serum levels of proangiogenic factors, visfatin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in patients with UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety patients were randomized to receive either a single intramuscular injection of 300,000 IU vitamin D or normal saline. Visfatin, VEGF, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were assessed before and 90 days after the intervention. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in visfatin and VEGF levels between the two groups following supplementation. In patients with vitamin D insufficiency, visfatin increase was significantly lower in the intervention versus placebo group. There was an inverse correlation between serum 25(OH)D and visfatin in the subgroup with vitamin D insufficiency. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D might be beneficial in decreasing proangiogenic factors such as visfatin in UC patients with low 25(OH)D levels.

The Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Serum Leptin Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Recently, obesity has become a common worldwide concern. Leptin, as an adipocytokine, plays a major role in the etiology of obesity. Prior studies have demonstrated that zinc potentially affects serum leptin levels. However, clinical trials carried out in this regard are not consistent. Therefore, current meta-analysis was conducted to ascertain the actual effect of zinc supplementation on serum leptin levels in adults. Databases of PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar were methodically searched to identify relevant articles up to April 2018. Clinical trials that examined the effect of zinc supplementation on serum leptin concentrations as outcome variables in human adults were included. The mean difference (SD) of leptin changes in the intervention and placebo groups were used to calculate the overall effect size. Totally, 663 articles were identified, of which 6 studies were eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 7 treatment arms. The analysis suggested that zinc supplementation exerts no significant effect on overall serum leptin (WMD: 0.74 ng/ml; 95% CI: -1.39 to 2.87, p=0.49). Nevertheless, sex and duration of intervention seemed to impact the extent of zinc's influence. In trials with female subjects, zinc consumption led to a significant decrease in serum leptin level (WMD: -1.93 ng/ml; 95% CI: -3.72 to -0.14, p=0.03) as well as trials that lasted for more than 6 weeks (WMD: -1.71 ng/ml; 95% CI: -3.07 to -0.35, p=0.01), in comparison to the control group. Zinc supplementation did not significantly improve leptin concentrations, but it may result in a decreased circulating leptin level in studies with a duration of more than 6 weeks especially among females.

Optimization of the removal Pb (II) and its Gibbs free energy by thiosemicarbazide modified chitosan using RSM and ANN modeling.

In this research, the removal of Pb (II) by thiosemicarbazide modified chitosan (TSFCS) using RSM and ANN modeling was studied. Also, Gibbs free energy changes of adsorption process based on changes in initial concentration and temperature of solution was investigated. Optimization of these two objectives was performed using NSGA-II and RSM. The regression coefficients of the RSM model for the removal percentage and Gibbs free energy changes were 0.9776 and 0.9864, respectively. Also, the F-values of RSM for the removal efficiency and Gibbs free energy were 81.72365 and 93.78053, respectively, show the proper accuracy of model. The best structure of the neural network with 5 hidden layers, which has 3, 3, 6, 4, 2 neurons in each layers, respectively. Also the transfer function was tansig, tansig, logsig, tansig, tansig for each layer. The initial population of the study for the purpose of optimization with NSGA-II algorithm was consist of 50 samples. The results of two methods NSGA-II and RSM show that the maximum removal efficiency (92%) and minimum ΔGo (-5 Kj/mol) are achieved at the highest temperature (55 °C) and lowest initial concentration of solution (10 ppm). The desirability degree for the RSM optimization obtained 0.981.

Effect of vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Although emerging evidence suggests that vitamin E may contribute to blood pressure improvement, the effects of vitamin E on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) are still controversial. The aim was to evaluate the influence of vitamin E on SBP, DBP, and MAP through meta-analysis. We identified all studies that assessed the effect of vitamin E supplementation on SBP, DBP, and MAP from PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and Google scholar up to March 2018. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were expressed as effect size. Pre-specified subgroup analysis was conducted to evaluate potential sources of heterogeneity. Meta-regression analyses were performed to investigate association between blood pressure-lowering effects of vitamin E and duration of follow-up and dose of treatment. Eighteen trials, comprising 839 participants met the eligibility criteria. Results of this study showed that compared to placebo, SBP decreased significantly in vitamin E group (WMD = -3.4 mmHg, 95% CI = -6.7 to -0.11, P < 0.001), with a high heterogeneity across the studies (I2 = 94.0%, P < 0.001). Overall, there were no significant effects on DBP and MAP. This meta-analysis suggested that vitamin E supplements decreased only SBP and had no favorable effect on DBP and MAP.

A novel thiosemicarbazide modified chitosan (TSFCS) for efficiency removal of Pb (II) and methyl red from aqueous solution.

Thiosemicarbazide modified chitosan, TSFCS, was prepared and characterized by FTIR, SEM and TGA techniques and its application as a novel adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) and methyl red (MR) was investigated. The effect of some adsorption parameters such as pH, TSFCS dosage and initial concentration of solutions were evaluated. The maximum removal percentage for MR and Pb(II) was found to be about 91% and 85.6% at pH 8 and 5 and TSFCS dosage of 3.33 g/l and 1.33 g/l, respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were evaluated and the maximum adsorption capacities for Pb(II) and MR were found to be 56.89 mg/g and 17.31 mg/g at 55 °C and 25 °C, respectively. Isotherm studies indicate that Pb (II) and MR adsorptions follow Freundlich and Langmuir models, respectively. The adsorption kinetic was more accurately fitted by the pseudo-second order model. Thermodynamic parameters including ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were determined over the temperature range of 25-55 °C. The findings show that the sorption process was spontaneous (ΔG°â€¯< 0) and endothermic (ΔH°â€¯> 0).

Dynamic filtration and static adsorption of lead ions in aqueous solution by use of blended polysulfone membranes with nano size MCM-41 particles coated by polyaniline.

MCM-41 mesopore was prepared by hydrothermal method and used for synthesis of polyaniline/MCM-41 nanocomposite via in situ polymerization. The nanocomposite was blended with polysulfone to prepare mixed matrix membrane in different content of nanocomposite by phase inversion method. Structural and surface properties of the samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, AFM, TGA, BET, and zeta potential measurements. Effect of the nanocomposite content on the hydrophilicity, porosity, and permeability of the membrane was determined. Membrane performance was evaluated for removal of lead ions in dynamic filtration and static adsorption. The membranes were found as effective adsorptive filters for removal of lead ions via interactions between active sites of nanocomposite in membrane structure and lead ions during filtration. Results of batch experiments proved adsorptive mechanism of membranes for removal of lead ions with the maximum adsorption capacity of 19.6 mg/g.