Consumers demand clean-label food products, necessitating the search for new, natural antimicrobials to meet this demand while ensuring food safety. This review aimed at investigating the antimicrobial properties of black pepper (Piper guineense) against foodborne microorganisms. The existence of foodborne illness, food spoilage, food waste, the resulting negative economic impact of these issues, and consumer interests have all pushed the food industry to find alternative, safe, and natural antimicrobials to be used in foods and beverages. Consumers have also influenced the demand for novel antimicrobials due to the perceived association of current synthetic preservatives with diseases and adverse effects on children. They also have a desire for clean-label products. These combined concerns have prompted researchers at investigating plant extracts as potential sources for antimicrobials. Plants possess many antimicrobial properties; therefore, evaluating these plant extracts as a natural source of antimicrobials can lead to a preventative control method in reducing foodborne illness and food spoilage, inclusively meeting consumer needs. In most regions, P. guineense is commonly utilized due to its potent and effective medicinal properties against foodborne microorganisms.

In this study, a method of preparing fertilizers with the fly ash from biomass power plants and the waste acid solution from flue gas desulfurization and denitrification was disclosed. In addition, the study also explored the effects of added fine particles, unburned biochar, and other commercial fertilizers on soil water retention and slow-release effect of fertilizers. The analysis was done by comparing the aggregation degrees of crystalline salt and the variations of the chemical bonds. The experimental results showed that the added fine particles could effectively increase the water absorption of fertilizers, which helped to improve soil water retention. Meanwhile, the fine particles could strengthen the special adsorption of basic compounds containing N, P, and other nutrients by biochar and enhance the slow-release effect of fertilizers. Although adding part commercial fertilizers weakened the water absorption of fertilizers slightly, it had only a relatively small effect on the aggregation of water-soluble crystalline salt on the surfaces of fine particles and biochar. Furthermore, the microwave was applied to promote the absorption of N by unburned biochar, during which only small amounts of volatile were released and lost. The experiments had confirmed that microwave irradiation could promote the agglomeration of biochar on crystalline salt effectively, thus enhancing the slow-release effect of crystalline salt in fertilizers. Finally, pot experiments demonstrated that the self-prepared fertilizer improved plant growth by its better water absorption and slow-release properties during the whole growth period, which had promising application potential as the slow-release fertilizer in the plant growth field.

While the independent effect is widely examined, the joint effect of financial development and renewable energy on energy consumption has largely been ignored in the current literature. Eleven members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) must balance the simultaneous requirements of supporting financial development, increasing renewable energy usage, and minimizing the adverse effects of energy consumption on the environment. Unlike previous studies, the paper examines the joint and independent effects of financial development and renewable energy on energy consumption for the CPTPP countries during the 1971–2019 period using the second-generation estimator analysis. Our variables are carefully selected based on solid hypotheses and empirical studies. Our results confirm an inverted U-shaped relationship between energy consumption and economic growth. We claim that financial development affects energy consumption depending on the level of renewable energy consumption. The bidirectional causality effect between financial development, energy consumption, and economic growth is also confirmed. Robustness checks have been conducted using sub-samples based on the per capita income threshold of $39,054. Policy implications have emerged based on these findings. An increase in renewable energy consumption can help these nations achieve the dual objectives: (i) to support financial development and to enhance economic growth and (ii) to reduce an adverse effect of financial development and economic growth on the environment.

Occupational exposure to pesticides has been identified as a major trigger of the development of cancer. Pesticides can cause intoxication in the individuals who manipulate them through either inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact. Given this, we investigated the association between the incidence of cancer and occupational exposure to pesticides through a bibliometric analysis of the studies published between 2011 and 2020, based on 62 papers selected from the Scopus database. The results indicated an exponential increase in the number of studies published over the past decade, with most of the research being conducted in the USA, France, India, and Brazil, although a further 17 nations were also involved in the research on the association between cancer and pesticides. The principal classes of pesticides investigated in relation to their role in intoxication and cancer were insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The types of cancer reported most frequently were multiple myeloma, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer, leukemia, and breast cancer. Despite the known association between pesticides and cancer, studies are still relatively scarce in comparison with the global scale of the use of these xenobiotic substances, which is related to the increasing demand for agricultural products throughout the world.

The toxic effects of mercury in earthworms and the potential alleviation effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) using ATR-FTIR and LC–MS analysis methods were investigated. Different concentrations of mercury chloride (H1: 5 µg/mL, H2: 10 µg/mL, H3: 20 µg/mL, H4: 40 µg/mL, and C1: control) and mercury chloride prepared in hydrogen-rich water (H5: 5 µg/mL, H6: 10 µg/mL, H7: 20 µg/mL, H8: 40 µg/mL, and C2: control) were injected into earthworms. The changes and reductions in some bands representing proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides (3280 cm⁻¹, 2922 cm⁻¹, 2855 cm⁻¹, 1170 cm⁻¹, and 1047 cm⁻¹) showed that protective effects could occur in groups prepared with hydrogen-rich water. In the FTIR results, it was found that these bands in the H3 group were more affected and decreased by the influence of mercury on earthworms than the H7 group prepared with hydrogen. LC–MS analysis showed that the changes in some ions of the highest dose groups (H4 and H8) were different, and mercury caused oxidative DNA damage in earthworms. When the high-level application groups of mercury, i.e., H4 and H8 were compared with the controls, the ion exchange ([M + H] + ; m/z 283.1) representing the 8-Oxo-dG level in earthworms was higher in the H4 group than the H8 group. This reveals that HRW exhibited the potential ability to alleviate the toxic effects of mercury; however, a longer period of HRW treatment may be necessary to distinguish an obvious effect. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy provided a rapid and precise method for monitoring the changes in biological tissues caused by a toxic compound at the molecular level.

The novel iron-based reductive particles, functionalized with amino and carboxylic functional groups, were synthesized to remove Cr(VI) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The morphological structure and surface functional groups of new composites were characterized with SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, and other techniques. The influence of pH, initial concentration, adsorbent dosing, and temperature on removal efficiencies were explored by batch experiments. The adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) and Cd(II) increased by 159.95% and 76.60%, respectively, compared with Fe⁰, reaching 47.638 and 62.047 mg/g. EDS and XPS analysis showed most of Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) and precipitated as ferrochrome oxide, and Cd(II) was mainly precipitated as hydroxide. Reduction-precipitation and complexation may predominate in the removal process of Cr(VI), which fitted well with Langmuir and Freundlich models and pseudo-second-order kinetics. While hydrolysis and complexation may prevail for Cd(II), which was suited with Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Having good magnetic properties, the A/C-Fe@SiO₂ particles exhibited excellent reusable stability after four times regeneration experiments, promising a prospect for in-situ remediations of groundwater contaminated by Cr(VI) and Cd(II).

Pollution is a significant and growing concern for any population regardless of age because these environmental contaminants exhibit different neurodegenerative effects on persons of different ages. These environmental contaminants are the products of human welfare projects like industry, automobile exhaust, clinical and research laboratory extrudes, and agricultural chemicals. These contaminants are found in various forms in environmental matrices like nanoparticles, particulate matter, lipophilic vaporized toxicants, and ultrafine particulate matter. Because of their small size, they can easily cross blood–brain barriers or use different cellular mechanisms for assistance. Other than this, these contaminants cause an innate immune response in different cells of the central nervous system and cause neurotoxicity. Considering the above critiques and current needs, this review summarizes different protective strategies based on bioactive compounds present in plants. Various bioactive compounds from medicinal plants with neuroprotective capacities are discussed with relevant examples. Many in vitro studies on clinical trials have shown promising outcomes using plant-based bioactive compounds against neurological disorders.

The rates of CO₂ absorption into fresh and regenerated aqueous solutions of N,N-diethylethanolamine (DEEA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), and their mixture with sulfolane are investigated in a batch stirred cell reactor. The data are obtained in the temperature range of 293.15–313.15 K, pressures up to 800 kPa, and different concentrations of alkanolamines and sulfolane. The diffusion coefficients and Henry’s law constants for all the solutions are obtained. The absorption rate of DEEA solutions increased by increasing component concentrations and pressure, but the effects of temperature on the absorption rates of hybrid and aqueous DEEA solutions are different. Comparison of absorption rates in aqueous and hybrid solutions under the same conditions can determine the role of sulfolane as the physical solvent. It has been found that sulfolane acts as an effective absorption activator in the hybrid DEEA solutions. However, in the MDEA solutions, in all experimental conditions except for high pressure ([Formula: see text] 400 kPa) and certain MDEA concentration (20 wt%), sulfolane has a negative effect on the absorption rate. The absorption rates of regenerated aqueous DEEA solutions are in the range of 50.5–87.7% of fresh ones, while these values for the hybrid DEEA solution are in the range of 75–90.5%. These values for the aqueous and hybrid MDEA solutions are almost equal. Based on the values of Hatta number and enhancement factor, the CO₂ absorption regime in the DEEA solutions is determined as the fast second-order reaction. The absorption rate can be interpreted considering the tradeoff between kinetics and thermodynamics of CO₂ absorption in the aqueous and hybrid DEEA/MDEA solutions. The desorption rates in hybrid DEEA/MDEA solutions are higher than those in aqueous solutions.

Aim of this study was to evaluate the interactive effects of glycine, alanine, calcium nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂], and their mixture on the growth of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties, i.e., var. Punjab-2011 and var. Anaj-2017 under lead [0.5 mM Pb(NO₃)₂] stress. A pot experiment was conducted for this purpose. Pre-sowing seed treatment with 1 mM glycine, alanine, and calcium nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂] was applied under two levels of lead nitrate [Pb(NO₃)₂] stress, i.e., control and 0.5 mM Pb(NO₃)₂. Lead (0.5 mM) stress significantly decreased root and shoot lengths, fresh and dry weights of root and shoot, and chlorophyll contents, while it increased activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and peroxidase (POD) in both wheat varieties. Lead (0.5 mM) stress increased the accumulation of free proline, glycinebetaine, total free amino acids, and total soluble protein contents. Although var. Punjab-2011 was higher in root fresh and dry weights, shoot length, and total leaf area per plant, however, var. Anaj-2017 showed less reduction in shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, and shoot length under lead stress. Under lead stress, Punjab-2011 was higher in grain yield and number of grain plant⁻¹, chlorophyll a contents, membrane permeability (%), POD activity, total free amino acids, and glycinebetaine (GB) contents as compared to Anaj-2017. Pre-sowing seed treatments with glycine, alanine, calcium nitrate, and their mixture (1 mM of each) increased shoot dry weight, number of grains per plants, 100-grain weight, number of spikes, and chlorophyll a contents under normal and lead-stressed conditions. Wheat var. Anaj-2017 showed higher growth and yield attributes as compared to var. Punjab-2011. Results of the current study have shown that pre-sowing seed treatments with glycine, alanine, calcium nitrate, and their mixture (1 mM of each) can overcome the harmful effects of lead (Pb) stress in wheat plants.

Environmental problems caused by the food processing industry have always been one of the concerns for the public. Herein, for the first time, a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was employed to evaluate the environmental impact of rice bran oil production. Four subsystems, namely, transportation of the raw rice bran to oil factory, crude oil extraction, oil refining, and oil storage, were established. The product sustainability software GaBi and the method CML 2001-Jan. 2016 were used to calculate and analyze the environmental burdens at each stage of the rice bran oil production chain. The results show the oil refining stage had the greatest environmental impact, followed by the oil extraction stage. High demands for coal and electricity make a critical difference in generating vast majority of environmental impacts. Modifying the electricity source and replacing traditional fuels with cleaner ones will do bring benefits to the sustainable development of the industry.