Effect of thermal and NaOH pretreatment on water hyacinth to enhance the biogas production.

Water hyacinth (WH) is used as the substrate for biogas production due to its high lignocellulosic composition and natural abundance. The present study used thermal and chemical (alkali) pretreatment techniques to enhance biogas production from water hyacinth used as a substrate by anaerobic digestion. Thermal pretreatment was done using an autoclave at 121 °C and 15 lb (2 bar) pressure and alkali pretreatment by NaOH at two concentrations (2% and 5% w/v). The inoculum:substrate ratio for biogas production was 2:1, where cow dung was used as inoculum. Results indicated that the pretreatments increased biomass degradability and improved biogas production. Water hyacinth pretreated with 5% NaOH produced the highest amount of biogas (142.61 L/Kg VS) with a maximum methane content of 64.59%. The present study found that alkali pretreatment can modify the chemical structure and enhance WH hydrolysis, leading to enhanced energy production.

Biogas production potential of aquatic weeds as the next-generation feedstock for bioenergy production: a review.

Aquatic weeds have exceptionally high reproduction rates, are rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, and contain a negligible amount of lignin, making them an ideal crop for the next generation of biofuels. Previously reported studies proposed that water hyacinth, water lettuce, common duckweeds, and water spinach can be managed or utilized using different advanced techniques; from them, anaerobic digestion is one of the feasible and cost-effective techniques to manage these biowastes. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential of utilizing four common aquatic weed species (water hyacinth, water lettuce, common duckweeds, and water spinach) as substrates for anaerobic digestion in order to produce biogas for use in biofuels. The high reproduction rates and high cellulose and hemicellulose content, coupled with low lignin content, of these aquatic weeds make them ideal candidates for this purpose. The study evaluated the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion as a management technique for these aquatic weeds, which are often considered invasive and difficult to control. The results from various studies indicate that these aquatic weeds are productive feedstock options for anaerobic digestion, yielding a high biogas output. Among the aquatic weeds studied, water hyacinth, water lettuce, and common duckweeds exhibit higher methane production compared to water spinach. The study provides an overview of the characteristics and management strategies of these aquatic weeds in relation to biogas production, with possible future developments in the field.

Analysis of Youths' Perspective in India On and During the Pandemic of COVID-19.

Objective: In this COVID-19 pandemic, there are not many sound studies focusing on the extensive socioeconomic impact ushered in with this disaster. This work aims to understand the thought of the youth, their opinions and understanding of various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Using a combined qualitative-quantitative approach, Q-method, we tried to assess people's discernment from different perspectives. This was done through a questionnaire survey method during the national-level lockdown 1.0 in India. Results: We have differentiated the perceptions of youth respondents into seven factors, including six subdimensions, on COVID-19 pandemic (viz., science, society, environment, economy, politics, and religion). The choices and opinions have been segregated into two major groups: quantitative and qualitative. Conclusion: This work yielded a firsthand ground-level insight into the comprehensive yet diverse responses from youths regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in India. There are various topics that arise from this study, for example, misinformation, misinterpretation of science, dubious nature of faith in governance and policy, turbid understanding of strategy, polarization of opinion, and so forth. Following this work of identification, the next steps would be to understand how to mitigate the problems toward betterment in the COVID-19 pandemic situation or similar widespread crisis events in the foreseeable future.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Diethyl Ether and n-Hexane Extract of Polyalthia suberosa Leaves.

In folk medicine, Polyalthia suberosa is used as abortifacient, laxative, febrifuge analgesic, filler of tooth cavities, and anti-HIV drug and for rheumatism and various skin infections. The present study was directed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of diethyl ether and n-hexane extracts of Polyalthia suberosa leaves (PSDE and PSNH). A variety of tests including formalin-induced paw licking test, acetic acid induced writhing test, and tail immersion test were used to assess the analgesic activity. In addition, xylene-induced ear edema test was used to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of PSDE and PSNH. PSDE and PSNH at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses expressed analgesic as well as anti-inflammatory activities in mice. In formalin-induced paw licking test, acetic acid induced writhing test, and xylene-induced ear edema test, the extracts exhibited significant inhibition (⁎P < 0.05 versus control) of pain and inflammation. Alternatively, in tail immersion test, PSDE 400 mg/kg showed significant (⁎P < 0.05 versus control) latency at 30 min but another tested sample had no significant latency. From this study, it could be shown that Polyalthia suberosa leaves may contain analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents which support its use in traditional medicine.