Optimization on thermal treatment synthesis of lactoferrin nanoparticles via Taguchi design method

A review on hazards and treatment methods of released antibiotics in hospitals wastewater during the COVID-19 pandemic

Drugs and related goods are widely used in order to promote public health and the quality of life. One of the most serious environmental challenges affecting public health is the ongoing presence of antibiotics in the effluents generated by pharmaceutical industries and hospitals. Antibiotics cannot be entirely removed from wastewater using the traditional wastewater treatment methods. Unmetabolized antibiotics generated by humans can be found in urban and livestock effluent. The antibiotic present in effluent contributes to issues with resistance to antibiotics and the creation of superbugs. Over the recent 2 years, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has substantially boosted hospital waste volume. In this situation, a detailed literature review was conducted to highlight the harmful effects of untreated hospital waste and outline the best approaches to manage it. Approximately 50 to 70% of the emerging contaminants prevalent in the hospital wastewater can be removed using traditional treatment strategies. This paper emphasizes the numerous treatment approaches for effectively eliminating emerging contaminants and antibiotics from hospital wastewater and provides an overview of global hospital wastewater legislation and guidelines on hospital wastewater administration. Around 90% of ECs might be eliminated by biological or physical treatment techniques when used in conjunction with modern oxidation techniques. According to this research, hybrid methods are the best approach for removing antibiotics and ECs from hospital wastewater. The document outlines the many features of effective hospital waste management and might be helpful during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, when waste creation on all hospitals throughout the globe has considerably increased.

Optimizing germination conditions of Ghaf seed using ZnO nanoparticle priming through Taguchi method analysis

Ghaf, a resilient tree in arid environments, plays a critical role in ecological restoration, desertification mitigation, and cultural heritage preservation. However, the seeds' inherent challenges, notably their hard outer coating restricting germination, emphasize the pressing need for innovative strategies. This work aimed to investigate the optimization of Ghaf seed germination process through seed priming with ZnO nanoparticles treatment (duration (t), concentration (c), temperature (T), and agitation (a), employing the Taguchi method for efficient experimental design. Furthermore, the study includes Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), analysis for the regression model to assess the significance of predictor variables and their interactions, thereby strengthening the statistical validity of our optimization approach. Notably, it revealed that concentration is a pivotal influencer in optimization of Ghaf seed germination. The results showed that the concentration of ZnO nanoparticles has no linear relation with any other parameters. To verify the outcomes, validation tests were performed utilizing the predicted optimal parameters. The observed low error ratio, falling within the range of 1 to 6%, confirmed the success of the Taguchi methodology in identifying optimal levels of the factors chosen. Significantly, ZnO-primed seeds showcased a remarkable enhancement in Ghaf seed germination, increasing from 15 to 88%. This study introduces a novel approach utilizing ZnO nanoparticle treatment optimized through the Taguchi method, significantly enhancing seed germination rates of Ghaf seeds and offering a promising avenue for sustainable agricultural practices in arid environments.

Antitrichomonal activity of metronidazole-loaded lactoferrin nanoparticles in pigeon trichomoniasis

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the novel drug delivery systems to reduce the dose of the drug and avoid side effects. Metronidazole has been used for many years in the treatment of anaerobic bacterial and protozoal infections. Nanolactoferrin, a newly developed antibacterial agent originated from lactoferrin, is applied both as an active therapeutic and a drug nanocarrier. The present study describes the development and characterization of metronidazole-loaded lactoferrin nanoparticles (nano-MTZ) as well as reports their antitrichomonal activity on Trichomonas gallinae, the protozoal causative agent of pigeon trichomoniasis. The activity of the nano-MTZ is compared with the regular metronidazole formulation (MTZ) under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Additionally, cytotoxicity of the nano-MTZ to fibroblast cell line and possible hepatotoxicity in treated pigeons were evaluated. Nano-MTZ was prepared based on the thermal treatment method and the average size and surface charge of the dispersion were 30.6 nm and - 44.6 mv, respectively. No significant cytotoxicity was noted for the nano-MTZ in comparison to the MTZ. Loading efficiency in nano-MTZ was calculated as 55%. In vitro susceptibility results demonstrated 24 h 90% lethal concentration values of 4.23 and 6.64 µg/mL for MTZ and nano-MTZ, respectively. Oral treatment of the pigeons experimentally infected with T. gallinae resulted in the earlier eradication of the infection in the nano-MTZ-treated pigeons. No adverse effects on the liver function have been observed for the nano-MTZ. These findings suggest that nanolactoferrin is a promising platform for the development of novel MTZ formulations with improved antitrichomonal activity.