{"title":"A Farewell to a Man of Vision, a Dedicated Leader and True Friend","authors":"Dionissios Mantzavinos","doi":"10.1002/jctb.70116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.70116","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15335,"journal":{"name":"Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology","volume":"101 1","pages":"5-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asma Rhimi, Indah Prihatiningtyas, Karima Horchani-Naiffer, Dorra Jellouli Ennigrou, Bart Van der Bruggen
Background
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as promising, renewable nanofillers for ultrafiltration (UF) membranes due to their low cost, hydrophilicity, and capacity to enhance mechanical properties. This study investigates the fabrication of cellulose triacetate (CTA) nanocomposite membranes using the eco-friendly solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), with poly (vinyl pyrrolidone). The goal was to evaluate the impact of CNC incorporation on membrane performance for the removal of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and heavy metals (cobalt and copper).
Results
A series of membranes with varying CNC content (0.5, 1, and 2 wt%) were fabricated via phase inversion. The incorporation of CNCs led to a more homogeneous surface and enhanced membrane hydrophilicity, which resulted in a substantial and consistent increase in pure water flux. The effect on solute retention, however, was dependent on the CNC loading and the target solute. While heavy metal (Co and Cu) retention improved, BSA retention exhibited a complex relationship, initially improving or remaining stable at lower CNC loadings but decreasing at the highest loading (2%), indicating a potential trade-off between high permeability and selectivity for larger molecules.
Asimina Koukoura, Evdokia Gkalipidou, Georgia Gatidou, Eirini Zkeri, Michalis S. Fountoulakis, Athanasios S. Stasinakis
Background
Algal-bacterial consortia represent a promising symbiotic system with high potential for removing major pollutants and micropollutants from municipal wastewater. Four continuously stirred sequential batch reactors (SBRs) were used to investigate the combination of Chlorella sorokiniana and activated sludge for municipal wastewater treatment in both suspended and attached-growth systems under three different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The reactors were configured as follows: SBR1 contained C. sorokiniana alone, SBR2 included C. sorokiniana and activated sludge, SBR3 combined C. sorokiniana with biocarriers, and SBR4 incorporated C. sorokiniana, activated sludge, and biocarriers.
Results
During Phases A (HRT = 3 d) and B (HRT = 2 d), all SBRs achieved dissolved chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates above 80%, with the highest removal observed in SBR4 (85%). Similarly, NH4-N removal exceeded 98% across all SBRs. In Phase C, the reduction of HRT to 1 d stressed the ability of SBR3 and SBR4 to efficiently remove COD and NH4-N as the existing biomass could not produce enough oxygen for maintaining aerobic conditions. PO4-P removal remained partial (<55%) in all SBRs, regardless of the HRT. Biomass collected from the different systems was analyzed for protein, starch, and lipid content, with the highest levels observed in SBR2, measuring 43.6%, 10.9%, and 34.1%, respectively. Experiments conducted during Phase C assessed the removal of four benzotriazoles and 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (2-HBT), demonstrating that these reactors were also capable of partially removing these micropollutants. The highest removal was observed for 2-HBT in SBR1 (93%) while dissolved oxygen appeared to be critical for micropollutants removal.
Rashi Srivastava, Shreyans K Jain, Atanu K Metya, Jose V Parambil
BACKGROUND
Green solvents provide sustainable alternatives to conventional organic solvents, reducing environmental and health hazards. This study investigates ultrasound-assisted extraction of phytochemicals from Aegle marmelos leaves using the hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent AD12 (acetic acid:n-decanoic acid, 1:2). Parameter optimization, solvent recovery, and reusability are explored in this study.
RESULTS
Process intensification using response surface methodology identified optimal ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions: 400 rpm, 8 min pulsed ultrasonication (13 W), and 10 mL/g solvent-to-feed. Under these optimized conditions, the total extractive yield reached 42.90 ± 4.4 mg/g, while the total alkaloid and phenolic contents were 0.75 ± 0.14 and 1.27 ± 0.15 mg/g, respectively. Alkaloids were best recovered under mild conditions (13 W, 5 min, 14 mL/g), whereas phenolics required higher power (130 W, 5 min, 10 mL/g) for best recovery. Solvent recovery was optimized using a three-stage pulsed ultrasonic protocol (10 min per stage, 130 W) with a 20 mL/mL deionized water-to-filtrate ratio, recovering 83.5 ± 0.02% decanoic acid and 31.25 ± 2.45 mg/g total extractive yield. AD12 retained >95% efficiency over five reuse cycles, confirming stability and recyclability. Further, extraction efficiency of three phytochemicals—aegeline, rutin, and marmelosin—showed a clear dependence on solute–solvent interactions in AD12 and ethanol. Alchemical free-energy perturbation calculations of solvation free energies closely matched HPLC-measured extractability, confirming AD12's superior capacity for aegeline and rutin, while ethanol favored marmelosin. This highlights the predictive value of solvent-based computational modeling for targeted phytochemical extraction.
Munirah S. O. Alhar, Odeh A. O. Alshammari, Asma Khalaf Alshamari, Nadia H. Elsayed, Khaled M. Elattar
Background
In this work, a novel and greenly synthesized Ag/TiO2@graphite nanocatalyst was utilized as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of a series of pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives with promising potential antioxidant and anticancer activities.
Methods
The nanocatalyst was prepared through a green protocol using Rosmarinus officinalis leaves extract and applied for catalyzing the condensation of enaminones with hydrazides under thermal conditions. The antioxidant and anticancer activities were assessed by DPPH and MTT assays.
Results
The nanocatalyst was characterized by UV–visible, FTIR, zeta potential, HR-TEM, and XRD analyses. Alternatively, the nanocatalyst demonstrated improved catalytic performance in the synthesis of a series of pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives, yielding high yields (86–97%) within short reaction times. FTIR, together with 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectroscopy, confirmed the successful synthesis of the investigated pyrazolopyrimidines. Among the synthesized compounds, 4a and 4b, bearing methoxy substituents, exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity and selective cytotoxicity toward MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (IC50 = 9.82 and 8.64 μg/mL, respectively), along with insignificant impacts on the normal WI-38 cells. Molecular docking verified strong binding interactions with the MDA-MB-231 receptor protein (PDB ID: 4GL7).
Grace Evelina, Sujeong Park, Yeonji Si, Soo Rin Kim
Background
Citrus peel waste (CPW) is a pectin-rich agro-industrial residue with potential as a renewable substrate for mucic acid production. However, commonly used laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae require nutrient supplementation, which limits their industrial applicability. This study aimed to restore prototrophy, enhance fermentation performance, and optimize process conditions for efficient mucic acid production from CPW.
Results
Prototrophic derivatives were engineered, enabling nitrogen-independent growth. Compared with the parental strain, the prototrophic strain achieved nearly 30% higher mucic acid titers and improved co-utilization of D-galacturonic acid with xylose. In simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of CPW, mucic acid production increased by 23% under nitrogen-limited conditions. Response surface methodology identified optimal conditions of 5% CPW, 7.89 g DCW/L inoculum, 130 rpm agitation, and 48 h incubation, yielding 15.38% mucic acid, closely matching the predicted maximum.
Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have emerged as promising adsorbent materials due to their affordability, expansive surface area, abundant active sites, and robust adsorption capacity. Utilizing green chemistry principles, this study aimed to synthesize CuO NPs via a precipitation method in a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride, ethylene glycol, and water, and to evaluate their effectiveness in removing metronidazole (MTZ), a pharmaceutical contaminant, from aqueous solutions.
RESULTS
The synthesized CuO NPs were characterized by BET, SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses, confirming their optimal morphology, crystalline structure, and monoclinic phase. The average crystallite size was calculated as 70.42 nm via the Debye–Scherrer equation. HPLC analysis demonstrated efficient MTZ adsorption, reaching a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 29.39 mg/g. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating monolayer adsorption on homogeneous surfaces. Thermodynamic studies revealed that MTZ adsorption on CuO NPs was spontaneous and endothermic, highlighting the significance of the DES-mediated nanostructure in enhancing removal efficiency.
Zheng Minglin, Lan Xin, Kaung Htet Oo, Kang Hua, Tian Xi, Chen Yu, Zhu Suiyi
BACKGROUND
-Oily Nd–Fe–B machining sludge contains oil–metal capsules that hinder conventional washing and acid leaching. Calcination is often used to remove the oil component but causes secondary pollution, lowers rare-earth recovery, and requires costly equipment. To address these challenges, we developed a noncalcination HCl–CCl4 coleaching route that simultaneously separates oil and valorizes metals from real oily Nd–Fe–B sludge.
RESULTS
The sludge contained 11.7% water, 10.44% oil, 55.82% Fe, 8.28% Nd, and 4.48% Pr. Pure HCl or conventional cleaners achieved <80% rare-earth leaching and left viscous residues. In contrast, HCl–CCl4 fully dissolved the sludge and produced clear phase separation: an organic phase yielding base oil after CCl4 evaporation (91.6% solvent recovery) and an acidic aqueous phase enriched in metals (74 g L−1 Fe, 11 g L−1 Nd, 5 g L−1 Pr, 1.9 g L−1 Al). Adding Na2SO4 (60 g L−1) rapidly precipitated rare-earths as double sulfates with 98.3% Nd and 98.9% Pr recovery, outperforming K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4. After that, the resulting supernatant contained ~96.5% Fe2+ of total Fe and, after nitrite-oxygen oxidation, yielded a ferric-rich flocculant suitable for wastewater treatment.
Eco-friendly and stable catalysts are key factors in catalytic decomposition technology for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Cu-based catalysts with more Cu2+ species and abundant oxygen vacancies exhibit superior catalytic activity in toluene catalytic oxidation. The active component can be uniformly dispersed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which can improve the catalytic performance.
RESULTS
A series of Cu-based sludge-derived char catalysts were successfully synthesized by CVD and impregnation (IM). Modern characterization exhibited that 10 wt% Cu-modified sludge-derived char prepared by CVD (10Cu/SC-CVD) showed a shaggy surface with crystallite size, which offered uniformly dispersed active sites compared with Cu-loaded ZSM-5. The excellent catalytic activity of 10Cu/SC-CVD afforded 50% and 90% toluene conversions at 259 and 304 °C, respectively, which was ascribed to the higher Cu2+ surface content, abundant oxygen vacancies and superior redox activity. In addition, the results of stability tests demonstrated that 10Cu/SC-CVD showed excellent catalytic stability for 50 h, while after 42 h of reaction over the IM catalyst, the conversion of toluene slightly declined from 90% to 72%.
Jorge Manuel Silva-Jara, Alfredo Juárez-Saldívar, Carlos Arnulfo Velázquez-Carriles, Luis Miguel Anaya-Esparza, Ernesto Rodríguez-Laffitte, Jorge Delgado-Caramutti, Blanca Rosa Aguilar-Uscanga, Omar Graciano-Machuca, Karina Jeanette Parra-Saavedra, Iván Balderas-León
Background
This study evaluated the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm properties of yellow (Pouteria campechiana), black (Diospyros digyna), and white (Casimiroa edulis) sapote peels, integrating in vitro bioassays and in silico pharmacological profiling.
Results
Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and maceration were compared; phytochemical analysis revealed that UAE significantly increased total polyphenol and flavonoid content, with black sapote ultrasound (BSUS) extract displaying the highest values (TPC: 10.72 mg GAE/g, TFC: 4.77 mg QE/g). Antioxidant activity, measured by ABTS, DPPH, β-carotene bleaching, and FRAP assays, was concentration-dependent; BSUS and white sapote ultrasound (WSUS) extracts showed low IC₅₀ values (e.g., WSUS DPPH IC₅₀: 154.1 μg/mL), outperforming BHT in some assays. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated that ultrasound extracts, particularly WSUS and yellow sapote ultrasound (YSUS) extracts, achieved up to 70% inhibition against E. coli ATCC 8739 and 60% against S. aureus ATCC 25923 at 800 μg/mL. All extracts exhibited strong antibiofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, achieving nearly 100% inhibition at 800 μg/mL. Toxicity assessment using Artemia salina indicated that white sapote extracts were toxic (viability ~40–50%), while yellow and black sapote extracts were non-toxic. In silico docking showed high binding affinities of sapote phenolics to the LasR protein, supporting observed antibiofilm effects; ADMET analysis indicated low mammalian toxicity but potential environmental risk for zapotin.
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