Antioxidant and Anticarcinogenic Effects of Methanolic Extract and Volatile Oil of Fennel Seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)

Ragaa Hosny Mohamad,Amal Mohamad El-Bastawesy,Mohamad Gamil Abdel-Monem,Assmaa Mahmoud Noor,Hussain Abdel Rahman Al-Mehdar,Sabry Mohamad Sharawy,Mahmuod Mohamad El-Merzabani 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.9

The present study evaluated the efficacy of fennel seed methanolic extract (FSME) for its antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antitumor activities and for its capacity to serve as a nontoxic radioprotector in Swiss albino mice. We also assessed the natural antioxidant compounds of FSME for use in industrial application. Cytotoxic activity of FSME was evaluated in a mouse model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and on different types of human cell lines in vitro. The safety and optimum dose of FSME were determined. FSME, 100 mg/kg, was injected intraperitoneally into mice bearing EAC before the mice were exposed to three 2-Gy doses of gamma irradiation. After 30 days, mice were fasted for 18 hours and then sacrificed to observe the lifespan of EAC-bearing hosts. Malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase activity, glutathione content, and total protein in serum, liver tissue, and ascitic fluid were determined. Iron, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin, and ferritin were also evaluated in serum. The data showed the presence of different types of compounds in FSME, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols, and sterols; estragole (71.099%) was the predominant alcohol, gallic acid was the phenolic compound (18.895%), and L-limonene was the most prevalent monoterpene hydrocarbon (11.967%). The mean±standard deviation 50% inhibitory concentrations were 50±0.03 μg/mL for the MCF7 breast cancer cell line and 48±022 μg/mL for the Hepg-2 liver cancer cell line. The significant increase in MDA levels and the significant decrease in catalase activity and glutathione content in liver and tumor tissue in mice bearing EAC were ameliorated after FSME administration. In contrast, total protein content was increased in ascitic fluid. Serum iron was inversely proportional to the levels of ferritin and transferrin and total iron-binding capacity. Administration of FSME before irradiation exerted a cytoprotective effect against gamma irradiation, as manifested by a restoration of the MDA level, catalase activity, and GSH content to near-normal levels. In conclusion, FSME may have remarkable anticancer potential against a breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and liver cancer cell line (Hepg-2). It also showed strong free radical–scavenging activity (100%). Thus, FSME may reduce oxidative stress and protect mouse cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species. In addition, it could be used as a safe, effective, and easily accessible source of natural antioxidants to improve the oxidative stability of fatty foods during storage. FSME also exhibited an antitumor effect by modulating lipid peroxidation and augmenting the antioxidant defense system in EAC-bearing mice with or without exposure to radiation.

Catalytic pyrolysis of waste oil into hydrocarbon fuel utilizing cerium oxide catalyst

Mohamad Arsyad Abdul Khalid,Nurhayati Abdullah,Mohamad Nasir Mohamad Ibrahim,Rahmad Mohd Taib,Salmiah Jamal Mat Rosid,Nurasmat Mohd Shukri,NoorFatimah Yahaya,Wan Nazwanie Binti Wan Abdullah 한국화학공학회 2022 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.39 No.6

The depletion of fossil fuels has prompted research into alternative fuels made from regeneration of wastematerials. Pyrolysis is a method of converting waste oil into valuable products, such as char, gas, and fuel. This studypresents the catalytic pyrolysis of waste oil for producing fuel utilizing cerium oxide, CeO2/Al2O3 and zinc oxide, ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. The catalyst and oil were characterized using several characterization techniques to find the physicochemicalproperties of the catalyst and oil. The optimum condition for catalytic pyrolysis was a reaction temperature at500 oC, with the heating rate at 10 oC/min, utilizing CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst calcined at 700 oC. The catalytic pyrolysis successfullyconverted the waste oil into fuel and the oil product obtained was 93.01 wt% with a high calorific value(54.2MJ/kg). The pyrolysis oil is comprised of aliphatic hydrocarbon (C5-C15 hydrocarbon) that is within the hydrocarbonrange for gasoline and diesel. The oil product was also detected to have a low content of oxygen (3.07 wt%) andsulfur (0.60wt%), indicating its potential to serve as a cleaner, fuel reducing the sulfur dioxide, SOX formation. Theresults reveal that pyrolysis reactors have the ability to convert waste oil into hydrocarbon fuel.

The Role of Curcuma longa Against Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)-Induced Toxicity in Rats

Ragaa Hosny Mohamad,Amal Mohamad El-Bastawesy,Zekry Khalid Zekry,Hussain A. Al-Mehdar,Mohamad Gamil Abdel Monaam Al-said,Soaad Shaker Aly,Sabry Mohamed Sharawy,Mahmuod M. El-Merzabani 한국식품영양과학회 2009 Journal of medicinal food Vol.12 No.2

The major component, called curcumin, of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) (Family Zingiberaceae) powder is responsible for its biological actions. The present study aimed to prove the protective effect of turmeric extract against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicity as evaluated in rats. Body weight and urine volume of the animal groups under investigation were recorded daily throughout the experimental period. Also, the cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicities were determined by estimating the changes in serum activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, nitric oxide, albumin, and calcium, and kidney and liver tissue activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the contents of glutathione and malondialdehyde. Hyperlipidemia was also determined, and protein and albumin changes in urine were estimated. Biochemical and histopathological findings demonstrate that turmeric extract has multiple therapeutic activities that are beneficially protective, and it has an ameliorative effect against DOX-induced cardiac toxicity and hepatotoxicity and blocks DOX-induced nephrosis. Similarly, turmeric extract inhibited the DOX-induced increase in plasma cholesterol, LDH, and CK. The present findings conclude that the turmeric extract has multiple therapeutic activities that block the cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicities induced by DOX, and it also possibly acts as a free radical scavenger.

The Role of Curcuma longa Against Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)-Induced Toxicity in Rats

Al-Tahtawy, Ragaa Hosny Mohamad,El-Bastawesy, Amal Mohamad,Zekry, Zekry Khalid,Al-Mehdar, Hussain A.,Al-said, Mohamad Gamil Abdel Monaam,Aly, Soaad Shaker,Sharawy, Sabry Mohamed,El-Merzabani, Mahmuod The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition 2009 Journal of medicinal food Vol.12 No.2

The major component, called curcumin, of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) (Family Zingiberaceae) powder is responsible for its biological actions. The present study aimed to prove the protective effect of turmeric extract against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicity as evaluated in rats. Body weight and urine volume of the animal groups under investigation were recorded daily throughout the experimental period. Also, the cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicities were determined by estimating the changes in serum activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, nitric oxide, albumin, and calcium, and kidney and liver tissue activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the contents of glutathione and malondialdehyde. Hyperlipidemia was also determined, and protein and albumin changes in urine were estimated. Biochemical and histopathological findings demonstrate that turmeric extract has multiple therapeutic activities that are beneficially protective, and it has an ameliorative effect against DOX-induced cardiac toxicity and hepatotoxicity and blocks DOX-induced nephrosis. Similarly, turmeric extract inhibited the DOX-induced increase in plasma cholesterol, LDH, and CK. The present findings conclude that the turmeric extract has multiple therapeutic activities that block the cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicities induced by DOX, and it also possibly acts as a free radical scavenger.

Highly efficient Al-doped ZnO : Ag catalyst for RB19 photocatalytic degradation: Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization

Mohamad Ebrahim Olya,Mohamad Reza Khodadadi,Alireza Naeimi 한국화학공학회 2016 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.33 No.7

ZnO: Ag·Al nano-catalyst was synthesized by microwave technique. The characterization and evaluation of this semiconductor catalyst was examined in contrast with ZnO and ZnO:Ag by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tunneling electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thermodynamic study of combustion synthesis showed the reaction temperature for ZnO: Ag·Al samples decreased to 481.48 oC compared to ZnO that is 1141 oC. Tauc’s plot was used to calculate the band gap of samples and the location of absorption edge was found at 380 nm. Different molar ratios of Ag and Al were examined to find the best activity of catalyst. In this study, reactive blue 19 (RB19) as a water pollution was used to find the efficiency of catalyst, and the effect of pH on the reaction was studied in a batch reactor under UV radiation. Also, the recyclability experiments confirm that the synthesized ZnO: Ag·Al (7mole% Ag and 3% mole Al) has responsible photocatalytic activity as compared to ZnO at a similar operating condition.

Mechanical Performance of Alkali-activated Stabilized Sandy Soil Reinforced with Glass Wool Residue Microfibers

Mohamad Kianynejad,Mohamad Mohsen Toufigh,Vahid Toufigh 대한토목학회 2024 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.28 No.2

Alkali-activated binders have been introduced as promising alternatives to conventional binders such as lime and ordinary Portland cement (OPC). However, alkali-activated materials exhibit a brittle behavior and crack formation due to tensile stresses is inevitable. To overcome these limitations, incorporation of fibers into the cementitious matrix is among the well-known techniques to improve the flexural behavior and energy absorption of the corresponding composites. The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using reinforced alkali-activated metakaolin as an alternative to common stabilizers to improve the engineering characteristics of sandy soil. Calcium carbide residue (CCR) was used as an alkali activator, and glass wool residue (GWR) microfibers were used as reinforcement elements to maximize waste stream utilization. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), and three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the alkali-activated products. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were employed to determine the microstructure and elemental composition of these products. The results indicate that the compressive strength and ductile behavior of the stabilized soil samples improved significantly. Furthermore, the SEM/EDX analysis of the reinforced alkali-activated samples revealed the interfacial bond between the microfibers and alkali-activated binding gel, enhancing the mechanical performance between the microfibers and cementitious matrix.

A Coordinated Performance of Power System Operated with Participants in Demand Response Programs Considering Environmental Pollution Constraints

Mohamad Dosaranian-Moghadam,Payam Qaderi-Baban,Mohamad-Bagher Menhaj,Ahmad Fakharian 대한전기학회 2021 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.16 No.1

In a re-structured environment, demand response (DR) programs are presented in a new style. The demand response program consists of demand-side management methods which answers to electricity price variations. With advent of electricity markets, the demand-side management programs was introduced into two categories: (1) energy effi ciency program, (2) demand response program. This paper studies engagement of participants load in an electricity market having a grid with large and small loads interested to participate in the market, energy storage systems, micro-grids, and distributed generations. In the proposed scheme, it is supposed to have an aggregator which sends demand-side preferences including load curtailment, load shifting, onsite generation, and energy storage systems along with proposed value and prices and all respective system constraints to the independent system operator (ISO). In fact, load aggregators submit aggregated DR off ers to the ISO in order to optimize fi nal decisions on aggregators’ DR contributions in wholesale market. The main goal of this paper is to solve the operation problem considering demand-side, system, and pollution and reliability constraints. Compared to other methods, the results indicate that the explicit modeling of customer DR would provide ISOs with more fl exible options for scheduling the available energy resources in day-ahead energy markets.

Utilization of Oil Palm Decanter Cake for Cellulase and Polyoses Production

Mohamad Nafis Abdul Razak,Mohamad Faizal Ibrahim,Phang Lai Yee,Mohd Ali Hassan,Suraini Abd-Aziz 한국생물공학회 2012 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.17 No.3

The abundance of oil palm decanter cake (OPDC) is a problem in oil palm mills. However, this lignocellulosic biomass can be utilized for cellulase and polyoses production. The effectiveness of chemical and physical pretreatment in reducing the lignin content was studied by saccharification using a Celluclast 1.5 L and scanning electron microscope. Physicochemical pretreatment of OPDC with 1% (w/v) NaOH and autoclaving at 121oC for 20 min increased potential polyoses produced to 52.5%and removed 28.7% of the lignin content. The optimized conditions for cellulase production by a locally isolated fungus were a time of 120 h, a substrate of untreated OPDC,a spore concentration of 1 × 107 spore/mL, a temperature of 30oC, and a pH between 7.0 and 7.5. Trichoderma asperellum UPM1 produced carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase),β-glucosidase and filter paper activity (FPase) in the following concentrations: 17.35, 0.53, and 0.28 U/mL,respectively. Aspergillus fumigatus UPM2 produced the CMCase, β-glucosidase and FPase in the following amounts: 10.93, 0.76, and 0.24 U/mL. The cellulases from T. asperellum UPM1 produced 2.33 g/L of polyoses and the cellulases from A. fumigatus UPM2 produced 4.37 g/L of polyoses.

A Weibull Distribution Based Technique for Downscaling of Climatic Wind Field

Mohamad Javad Alizadeh,Mohamad Reza Kavianpour,Bahareh Kamranzad,Amir Etemad-Shahidi 한국기상학회 2019 Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences Vol.55 No.4

This study proposes a simple approach based on Weibull distribution parameters for downscaling climatic wind speed and direction. In this method, the Weibull parameters of a Global Climate Model (GCM) are modified using Weibull parameters of the reference data (ECMWF). To correct the wind direction, the downscaling technique was applied to the eastward and northward wind components. All the wind components were simply transformed to positive values in order to fit a Weibull distribution. The unbiased wind speed was calculated by integrating the corrected wind components. Moreover, other models were considered to directly modify the wind speed (not wind components) using the same methodology. Performance and ability of the proposed approach were evaluated against the existing statistical downscaling techniques such as Multiplicative Shift Method (MSM), quantile mapping and support vector regression. In the models, the 6-h GCM wind component/speed was the sole predictor and the ECMWFreanalysis wind data was considered as the predictand. It is demonstrated that direct application of the proposed method on the wind speed slightly gives better estimation of the predictand rather than its application on wind components. The results indicate theWeibull distribution based method outperforms the other techniques for wind direction and magnitude. The method provides sound predictions for a wide range of wind speed from low to high values. By using the proposed downscaling technique for wind components, wind direction can be adjusted accordingly.

Sustainable anaerobic digestion of euphorbiaceae waste for biogas production: Effects of feedstock variation

Kamaruddin, Mohamad Anuar,Ismail, Norli,Fauzi, Noor Fadhilah,Alrozi, Rasyidah,Hanif, Mohamad Haziq,Norashiddin, Faris Aiman Techno-Press 2021 Advances in environmental research Vol.10 No.1

Anaerobic digestion (AD) refers to the biological process which can convert organic substrates to biogas in the absence of oxygen. The aim of this study was to determine the capability of feedstock to produce biogas and to quantify the biogas yield from different feedstocks. A co-digestion approach was carried out in a continuous stirred tank reactor operated under mesophilic conditions and at a constant organic loading rate of 0.0756 g COD/ L.day, with a hydraulic retention time of 25 days. For comparison, mono-digestion was also included in the experimental work. 2 L working volumes were used throughout the experimental work. The seed culture was obtained from composting as substrate digestion. When the feedstock was added to seeding, the biogas started to emit after three days of retention time. The highest volume of biogas was observed when the seeding volume used for 1000mL. However, the lowest volume of biogas yield was obtained from both co-digestion reactors, with a value of 340 mL. For methane yield, the highest methane production rate was 0.16 L CH4/mg. The COD with yield was at 8.6% and the lowest was at 0.5%. The highest quantity of methane was obtained from a reactor of Euphorbiaceae peel with added seeding, while the lowest methane yield came from a reactor of Euphorbiaceae stems with added seeding. In this study, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was used as a buffering solution to correct the pH in the reactor if the reactor condition was found to be in a souring or acidic condition.