Plant biomass extracted eco-friendly natural surfactant enhanced bio-electrokinetic remediation of crude oil contaminated soil

The current work investigates bioremediation (BIO) and electrokinetic (EK) remediation of crude oil hydrocarbons utilizing the biomass-electrokinetic (BIO-EK) approaches. The use of natural surfactants derived from plant biomass may improve remediation capacity by enhancing the solubility of organic pollutants. Sapindus mukorossi, a natural surfactant producer, was extracted from plant biomass in this study. The crude oil biodegradation efficiency was reported to be 98 %. In nature, FTIR confirms that plant biomass is lipopeptide. GCMS revealed that the crude oil (C7 - C23) was efficiently bio-degraded from lower to higher molecular weight. The application of natural surfactants in electokinetic remediation increased the plant biomass degradation of crude oil polluted soil by 98% compared to electrokinetic 55% in 2 days. Natural surfactant improves hydrocarbon solubilization and accelerates hydrocarbon electro migration to the anodic compartment, as confirmed by the presence of greater total organic content than the electrokinetic. This study proves that BIO-EK compared with a natural surfactant derived from plant biomass may be utilized to improve in situ bioremediation of crude oil polluted soils.

Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm.: biotechnological advancements and perspectives

Shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) is a multipurpose ginger that has confirmed their role as food, medicine, and for decorative purposes. The rhizome possesses zerumbone, curcuminoids, and other bioactive molecules that play crucial roles in treating several human diseases. To date, several reports are existing on the in vitro biotechnology of Z. zerumbet. The present review highlights the consolidated clarification and comprehensive explanation of in vitro biotechnological implications based on plant tissue culture for the improvement of Z. zerumbet. Studies on biotechnological involvement in shampoo ginger were primarily emphasized in the study of the last 3 decades, for instance, in vitro regeneration, micro-rhizome production, callus culture, somatic embryogenesis, ex vitro establishment, and molecular assessment of in vitro-raised clones. Moreover, this review provides insights into different in vitro culture systems and endophytes involvement in the production of secondary metabolites. This review will assist for advanced research areas related to in vitro manipulation of shampoo ginger, especially for the commercial cultivation of secondary metabolites rich clones of Z. zerumbet. Moreover, it will provide an insight into crop upgrading and breeding programs of this underutilized, aromatic, and medicinal plant for amended yield and quality. KEY POINTS: • Z. zerumbet is an aromatic spice and an ornamental • This review comprehensively assesses Z. zerumbet tissue culture • Key shortcomings and future directions of Z. zerumbet biotechnology.

Interfacial organization and phase behavior of mixed galactolipid-DPPC-phytosterol assemblies at the air-water interface and in hydrated mesophases

The structural behavior of model assemblies composed of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), the two main galactolipids found in plants, was investigated at the air/water interface and in aqueous dispersion. To approach the composition of the natural photosynthetic membranes, tunable Langmuir model membrane of galactolipids (GL) were used, and were complexified to form either heterogenous binary or ternary assemblies of GL, phospholipids (PL), and phytosterols (pS). The impact of pS, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) or both on the structural properties of GL membrane was studied. The nature of the interactions between the different molecules was investigated using biophysical characterizations (ellipsometry, tensiometry, atomic force microscopy). In addition, the phase behavior was determined by SAXS analysis on the model assemblies in aqueous dispersions. Results revealed the good interfacial stability of these specific plant membrane lipids. The morphology of the GL film was characteristic of a fluid phase, with an interfacial roughness induced by the intercalation of monogalactosyl and digalactosyl polar heads of MGDG and DGDG, respectively. A phase heterogeneity in the monolayer was induced by the addition of DPPC and/or pS, which resulted in the modification of galactolipid organization and headgroup interactions. These structural changes were confirmed by SAXS analysis, showing more favorable interactions between MGDG and DPPC than between DGDG and DPPC in aqueous dispersion. This phenomenon was exacerbated in the presence of pS.

Natural surfactant-aided dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of waste wheat straw to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency

Traditional surfactants have been reported to enhance enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose, however, it is important to transfer these findings to a system that uses a high-efficiency and low-toxicity natural surfactant instead. In this work, a novel hybrid method involving use of the natural surfactant (humic acid, HA) during mild acid (H₂SO₄) pretreatment was developed for waste wheat straw (WWS) biorefinery. The HA was found to help remove lignin up to 40.6%, and hemicellulose up to 96.2%. As a result of these changes, the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency reached as high as 92.9%. The success of enzymatic digestion was partly attributed to the improved accessibility of cellulose to cellulase and changes in lignocellulose structures. We anticipate that these findings will be used to further evaluate HA as a beneficial surfactant in biorefinery pretreatment processes, and perhaps spur others to identify other natural surfactants that may prove even more effective.

Spinach leaf and chloroplast lipid: A natural rheology modifier for chocolate?

In this study the possibility of replacing current surfactants in chocolate formulations with natural lipids extracted from spinach leaf (SPLIP) or spinach chloroplast (CH.SPLIP) was evaluated. SPLIP and CH.SPLIP were extracted with chloroform/methanol following enzyme deactivation with hot isopropanol. Results showed a higher extraction yield for SPLIP while glycolipids were more concentrated in CH.SPLIP. Sugar/oil suspensions with dispersed volume fractions of 0.28, 0.33 and 0.37 containing 0.1% to 0.7% (w/w) surfactant (SPLIP, CH.SPLIP, lecithin and PGPR as commercial references) based on oil phase were prepared and analyzed in shear rheology. Apparent viscosity at 40 s^-1 was significantly lower for the natural surfactants compared to lecithin at 0.5-0.7% (w/w) addition. With regard to yield stress, taken as the shear stress at 5 s^-1, both natural surfactants showed comparable performance to PGPR at 0.3% to 0.7% addition. As SPLIP and CH.SPLIP behaved similar (p > 0.05), SPLIP, due to higher extraction yield, would be the preferred choice for application in chocolate matrices.