Efficacy of Ulinastatin and Sulforaphane Alone or in Combination in Rat Model of Streptozotocin Diabetes Induced Vascular Dementia.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular Dementia (VaD), is associated with metabolic conditions. Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of VaD. This study investigates the efficacy of ulinastatin (UTI) and sulforaphane (SUL) in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes induced vascular endothelium dysfunction and related dementia. METHODS: Single dose STZ (50 mg/kg i.p.) was administered to Albino Wistar rats (male, 200-250 g). Morris water maze and attentional set shifting tests were used to assess the spatial learning, memory, reversal learning, and executive functioning in animals. Body weight, serum glucose, serum nitrite/nitrate, vascular endothelial function, aortic superoxide anion, brains' oxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive species-TBARS, reduced glutathione-GSH, superoxide dismutase-SOD, and catalase-CAT), inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase-MPO), acetylcholinesterase activity-AChE, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and histopathological changes were also assessed. UTI (10,000 U/kg) and SUL (25 mg/kg) were used alone as well as in combination, as the treatment drugs. Donepezil (0.5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. RESULTS: STZ-administered rats showed reduction in body weight, learning, memory, reversal learning, executive functioning, impairment in endothelial function, BBB permeability, increase in serum glucose, brains' oxidative stress, inflammation, AChE-activity, BBB permeability and histopathological changes. Administration of UTI and SUL alone as well as in combination, significantly and dose dependently attenuated the STZ-diabetes-induced impairments in the behavioral, endothelial, and biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: STZ administration caused diabetes and VaD which was attenuated by the administration of UTI and SUL. Therefore, these agents may be studied further for the assessment of their full potential in diabetes induced VaD.

Phycoremediation coupled production of algal biomass, harvesting and anaerobic digestion: possibilities and challenges.

Biogas produced from anaerobic digestion is a versatile and environment friendly fuel which traditionally utilizes cattle dung as the substrate. In the recent years, owing to its high content of biodegradable compounds, algal biomass has emerged as a potential feedstock for biogas production. Moreover, the ability of algae to treat wastewater and fix CO2 from waste gas streams makes it an environmental friendly and economically feasible feedstock. The present review focuses on the possibility of utilizing wastewater as the nutrient and waste gases as the CO2 source for algal biomass production and subsequent biogas generation. Studies describing the various harvesting methods of algal biomass as well as its anaerobic digestion have been compiled and discussed. Studies targeting the most recent advancements on biogas enrichment by algae have been discussed. Apart from highlighting the various advantages of utilizing algal biomass for biogas production, limitations of the process such as cell wall resistivity towards digestion and inhibitions caused due to ammonia toxicity and the possible strategies for overcoming the same have been reviewed. The studies compiled in the present review indicate that if the challenges posed in translating the lab scale studies on phycoremediation and biogas production to pilot scale are overcome, algal biogas could become the sustainable and economically feasible source of renewable energy.

Phycoremediation and biogas potential of native algal isolates from soil and wastewater.

The present study is a novel attempt to integrate phycoremediation and biogas production from algal biomass. Algal isolates, sp. 1 and sp. 2, obtained from wastewater and soil were evaluated for phycoremediation potential and mass production. The estimated yield was 58.4 sp. 1 and 54.75 sp. 2 tons ha(-1) y(-1). The algal isolates reduced COD by >70% and NH3-N by 100% in unsterile drain wastewater. Higher productivities of sp. 1 (1.05 g L(-1)) and sp. 2 (0.95 g L(-1)) grown in wastewater compared to that grown in nutrient media (0.89 g L(-1) for sp. 1 and 0.85 g L(-1) for sp. 2) indicate the potential of algal isolates in biogas production through low cost mass cultivation. Biogas yield of 0.401-0.487 m(3) kg(-1) VS added with 52-54.9% (v/v) methane content was obtained for algal isolates. These results indicate the possibilities of developing an integrated process for phycoremediation and biogas production using algal isolates.

Comparative performance evaluation of Aspergillus lentulus for dye removal through bioaccumulation and biosorption.

Dyes used in various industries are discharged into the environment and pose major environmental concern. In the present study, fungal isolate Aspergillus lentulus was utilized for the treatment of various dyes, dye mixtures and dye containing effluent in dual modes, bioaccumulation (employing growing biomass) and biosorption (employing pre-cultivated biomass). The effect of dye toxicity on the growth of the fungal isolate was studied through phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Dye biosorption was studied using first and second-order kinetic models. Effects of factors influencing adsorption and isotherm studies were also conducted. During bioaccumulation, good removal was obtained for anionic dyes (100 mg/l), viz. Acid Navy Blue, Fast Red A and Orange-HF dye (99.4 %, 98.8 % and 98.7 %, respectively) in 48 h. Cationic dyes (10 mg/l), viz. Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue, had low removal efficiency (80.3 % [48 h] and 92.7 % [144 h], respectively) as compared to anionic dyes. In addition to this, fungal isolate showed toxicity response towards Methylene Blue by producing larger aggregates of fungal pellets. To overcome the limitations of bioaccumulation, dye removal in biosorption mode was studied. In this mode, significant removal was observed for anionic (96.7-94.3 %) and cationic (35.4-90.9 %) dyes in 24 h. The removal of three anionic dyes and Rhodamine B followed first-order kinetic model whereas removal of Methylene Blue followed second-order kinetic model. Overall, fungal isolate could remove more than 90 % dye from different dye mixtures in bioaccumulation mode and more than 70 % dye in biosorption mode. Moreover, significant color removal from handmade paper unit effluent in bioaccumulation mode (86.4 %) as well as in biosorption mode (77.1 %) was obtained within 24 h. This study validates the potential of fungal isolate, A. lentulus, to be used as the primary organism for treating dye containing wastewater.

Process optimization for efficient dye removal by Aspergillus lentulus FJ172995.

Response surface methodology involving three variables with five level second order central composite experimental design was employed to optimize conditions for maximum dye removal by Aspergillus lentulus FJ172995. The interaction between three variables; glucose, urea and initial dye concentration was studied and modeled for two responses: dye removal and biomass production. The results indicate that urea is the main factor influencing dye removal whereas glucose plays a major role in biomass production. Also, initial dye concentration has depreciative effect on dye removal thereby suggesting that for the treatment of effluent containing higher concentrations of dye, nutrient input should be increased. A high dye removal efficiency (99.97%) and high uptake capacity (97.54 mg/g) was obtained in 24h using optimum process variables.

Alkali, thermo and halo tolerant fungal isolate for the removal of textile dyes.

In the present study potential of a fungal isolate Aspergillus lentulusFJ172995, was investigated for the removal of textile dyes. The removal percentages of dyes such as Acid Navy Blue, Orange-HF, Fast Red A, Acid Sulphone Blue and Acid Magenta were determined as 99.43, 98.82, 98.75, 97.67 and 69.98, respectively. None of the dyes inhibited the growth of A. lentulus. Detailed studies on growth kinetics, mechanism of dye removal and effect of different parameters on dye removal were conducted using Acid Navy Blue dye. It was observed that A. lentulus could completely remove Acid Navy Blue even at high initial dye concentrations, up to 900 mg/L. Highest uptake capacity of 212.92 mg/g was observed at an initial dye concentration of 900 mg/L. Dye removing efficiency was not altered with the variation of pH; and biomass production as well as dye removal was favored at higher temperatures. Dye removal was also efficient even at high salt concentration. Through growth kinetics studies it was observed that the initial exponential growth phase coincided with the phase of maximal dye removal. Microscopic studies suggest that bioaccumulation along with biosorption is the principle mechanism involved in dye removal by A. lentulus. Thus, it is concluded that being alkali, thermo and halo tolerant, A. lentulus isolate has a great potential to be utilized for the treatment of dye bearing effluents which are usually alkaline, hot and saline.

Fungal dye decolourization: recent advances and future potential.

Dyes released by the textile industries pose a threat to the environmental safety. Recently, dye decolourization through biological means has gained momentum as these are cheap and can be applied to wide range of dyes. This review paper focuses on the decolourization of dye wastewaters through fungi via two processes (biosorption and bioaccumulation) and discusses the effect of various process parameters like pH, temperature, dye concentration etc. on the dye removing efficiency of different fungi. Various enzymes involved in the degradation of the dyes and the metabolites thus formed have been compiled. Genetic manipulations of microorganisms for production of more efficient biological agents, various bioreactor configurations and the application of purified enzymes for decolourization, which constitute some of the recent advances in this field, have also been reviewed. The studies discussed in this paper indicate fungal decolourization has a great potential to be developed further as a decentralized wastewater treatment technology for small textile or dyeing units. However, further research work is required to study the toxicity of the metabolites of dye degradation and the possible fate of the utilized biomass in order to ensure the development of an eco-friendly technology.