Malachite green (cationic dye) removal with modified Pinus brutia biochar.

Dyes are frequently used in industries such as textile, leather, paper and printing, to water sources causes harmful effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively remove colored contaminants from water in order to protect the environment and public health, maintain biodiversity and preserve the esthetic aspects of water resources. In this study, wood chips obtained from Pinus brutia (PB) tree grown in many parts of the world were turned into biochar and then modified and used for the removal of malachite green, a cationic dye. For this purpose, biochar (PBB) was made by collecting PB wood and turning it into chips (PB). Later, PBB was modified to gain nano-magnetic properties. The structure of the obtained PBB and nM-PBB adsorbents was characterized by FT-IR. pH (2-9), temperature (25 °C-55 °C), time change (15 min-240 min), adsorbent amount change (0.05 g-0.45g) and MG concentration (25 mg/L-250 mg/L) were investigated in MG removal of PBB and nM-PBB. The process was found to be pseudo-second-order and spontaneous endothermic reaction. PBB and nM-PBB were found to be suitable for Langmuir isotherm in MG removal (qmax=13.004 mg/g for PBB, qmax=18.215 mg/g for nM-PBB).

Various adsorbents are used to remove different substances from water. The use of pinus brutia tree, which is a biochar product, in the removal of malachite green dyes from aqueous solutions has not been found in the literature. The findings revealed that Pinus brutia could be used to extract malachite green, a cationic dyestuff. Pinus brutia is a widely distributed, easy-to-access, low-cost species with many uses. Our study, in which Pinus brutian is used as an adsorbent, will contribute to the literature in this respect, and its use in the removal of different anionic and cationic dyes will be discussed in the future.

Decolorization of water through removal of methylene blue and malachite green on biodegradable magnetic Bauhinia variagata fruits.

Batch sorption experiments were performed to investigate the potential of Bauhinia variagata fruit (BVf) and nano-magnetic Bauhinia variagata fruit (nM-BVf) to remove methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG). Equilibrium studies have been carried out using various experimental parameters such as the amount of biosorbent, initial solution concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Scatchard, D-R and Temkin adsorption models were applied for the experimental information of MB and MG. The Freundlich model fits better than the Langmuir model. Freundlich model confirmed the magnificent dye sorption ability; 19.3 mg/g for BVf/MB, 21.2 mg/g for nM-BVf/MB, 19.7 mg/g for BVf/MG, and 30.1 mg/g for nM-BVf/MG. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model displayed a more suitable behavior to the experimental result for the removal of MG and MB. Thermodynamic parameters such as changes in Gibbs free energy (ΔGo), enthalpy (ΔHo), and entropy (ΔSo) were investigated and the fine details in the adsorption system were completed. The conclusion from this study is that the prepared nano biosorbent can be efficient for the removal of cationic dyes from wastewater.

Cytotoxic and bioactive properties of different color tulip flowers and degradation kinetic of tulip flower anthocyanins.

This study was conducted to determine the potential use of anthocyanin-based extracts (ABEs) of wasted tulip flowers as food/drug colorants. For this aim, wasted tulip flowers were samples and analyzed for their bioactive properties and cytotoxicity. Total phenolic contents of the extracts of the claret red (126.55 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract) and orange-red (113.76 mg GAE/g dry extract) flowers were the higher than those of the other tulip flowers. Total anthocyanin levels of the violet, orange-red, claret red and pink tulip flower extracts were determined as 265.04, 236.49, 839.08 and 404.45 mg pelargonidin 3-glucoside/kg dry extract, respectively and these levels were higher than those of the other flowers. The extracts were more effective for the inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica compared to other tested bacteria. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of five different tulip flower extracts on human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line were investigated. The results showed that the orange red, pink and violet extracts had no cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell lines while yellow and claret red extracts appeared to be toxic for the cells. Overall, the extracts of tulip flowers with different colors possess remarkable bioactive and cytotoxic properties.

Efficacy of various plant hydrosols as natural food sanitizers in reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium on fresh cut carrots and apples.

In the present study, inhibitory effects of the hydrosols of thyme, black cumin, sage, rosemary and bay leaf were investigated against Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated to apple and carrots (at the ratio of 5.81 and 5.81 log cfu/g for S. Typhimurium, and 5.90 and 5.70 log cfu/g for E. coli O157:H7 on to apple and carrot, respectively). After the inoculation of S. Typhimurium or E. coli O157:H7, shredded apple and carrot samples were washed with the hydrosols and sterile tap water (as control) for 0, 20, 40 and 60 min. While the sterile tap water was ineffective in reducing (P>0.05) S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7, 20 min hydrosol treatment caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction compared to the control group. On the other hand, thyme and rosemary hydrosol treatments for 20 min produced a reduction of 1.42 and 1.33 log cfu/g respectively in the E. coli O157:H7 population on apples. Additional reductions were not always observed with increasing treatment time. Moreover, thyme hydrosol showed the highest antibacterial effect on both S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 counts. Inhibitory effect of thyme hydrosol on S. Typhimurium was higher than that for E. coli O157:H7. Bay leaf hydrosol treatments for 60 min reduced significantly (P<0.05) E. coli O157:H7 population on apple and carrot samples. In conclusion, it was shown that plant hydrosols, especially thyme hydrosol, could be used as a convenient sanitizing agent during the washing of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Characterization of butter spoiling yeasts and their inhibition by some spices.

This study was designed to identify the yeasts in packaged and unpackaged butters and screen antiyeast activity of spices, including marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.), and black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) against the most dominant yeast species in the packaged and unpackaged butters. Mean total yeast populations were 5.40 log CFU/g in unpackaged butter samples and 2.22 log CFU/g in packaged butter samples, indicating better hygienic quality of packaged samples. Forty-nine yeast species were isolated and identified from butter samples with the most prevalent isolates belonging to genera Candida-C. kefyr, C. zeylanoides, and C. lambica-and with moderate number of isolates belonging to genera Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, and Zygosaccharomyces. Black cumin exhibited the highest antiyeast activity against C. zeylanoides and C. lambica species, even inhibited these species, while summer savory inhibited C. kefyr. The results of this study revealed clear antimicrobial potential of black cumin against the yeast species isolated from butters. Marjoram, summer savory, and black cumin could be used as natural antimicrobial agents against spoilage yeasts in food preservation, especially in butter.