The Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG #6) of the United Nations (UN) is hinged on the provision, availability, and sustainability of water for the global populace by 2030. In a bid to achieve this goal, the quest to seek for ubiquitous and low-cost adsorbents to treat effluents laden with industrial dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), is on the increase in recent years. Acute exposure of humans to (MB) dye causes cyanosis, necrosis, and jaundice and even leads to death. In this research, zinc-modified hybrid clay composite adsorbent (materials from kaolinite and biomass (crushed Carica papaya seeds and/or plantain peel)) was developed via microwave route. This adsorbent was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). These characterization techniques confirmed the success achieved in doping hybrid clay with Zn. These adsorbents were used to sequester cationic dye (MB) from aqueous solutions and textile effluent under various experimental conditions. The adsorption and desorption data obtained were analyzed using various kinetic models, which are two-step kinetics, pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, fractal kinetics, first-order desorption, second-order desorption, and modified statistical rate theory (MSRT) desorption models. Results showed that the adsorption of the dye occurred via several chemical interactions, while the latter models (for desorption) indicated that desorption occurred in two different desorption sites on the adsorbent surfaces, which showed that the adsorption of MB dye onto the adsorbents was stable without the emergence of any secondary pollution. Adsorption of MB was achieved within 15 min for aqueous solutions and 900 min for textile effluent, which is an improvement on previous results from other studies. The three adsorption-desorption cycles for MB uptake by the adsorbents showed that it is pragmatically applicable to treat textile effluents. Hence, low-cost composite adsorbents have a potential for the effective remediation of MB dye from textile effluents as this study confirmed.

Cassia fistula L. (Caesalpinioideae) is a highly admirable medicinal plant and is traditionally recommended for the treatment of rheumatism, liver disorders, jaundice, and other inflammatory diseases. This study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective properties of ethyl acetate fraction from C. fistula leaves in an animal model. Treatment with thioacetamide significantly elevated the level of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (1.75-fold), alkaline phosphatase (4.07-fold), and total bilirubin (2.29-fold) as compared to the control. It was found that pretreatment of fraction followed by consecutive 2 days thioacetamide reduced the conversion of thioacetamide carcinogen to its reactive metabolites by phase I enzymes and increased the level of detoxification phase II along with antioxidative enzymes. The histopathological studies revealed the hepatoprotective nature of the fraction in restoring the normal architecture of thioacetamide-intoxicated damaged liver. The fraction showed downregulation in the expression level of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR pointing towards its chemopreventive potential. The HPLC analysis of the fraction had shown the dominance of three phenolic compounds namely, catechin, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid. The above studies comprising histopathological, immunohistochemical, and hepatic enzymes are strong indicative of the potential protective ability of ethyl acetate fraction phytoconstituents against thioacetamide-induced toxicity. Graphical abstract