Dye effluents released from numerous dye-utilizing industries are harmful towards the environment and living things. Consequently, existence of dye effluent in environmental water bodies is becoming a growing concern to environmentalists and civilians. A long term sustainable and efficient dye effluent treatment method should be established to eliminate this issue. Dye wastewater should be treated first before release to minimize its negative impacts towards the environment and living things. However, due to lack of information on efficient dye removal methods, it is difficult to decide on a single technique that resolves the prevailing dye effluent issue. Therefore, this paper reviews existing research papers on various biological, chemical and physical dye removal methods to find its efficiency through percentage of dye removal. Although there are numerous existing tried and tested methods to accomplish dye removal, most of them have a common disadvantage which is the generation of secondary pollution to the environment. This paper highlights enzyme degradation (biological) and adsorption (physical) dye removal as these are known as one of the most efficient dye removal techniques these days. This paper also suggests the usage of a combined adsorbent as it is envisioned that this technique has better efficiency and is able to remove dyes at a faster rate.

Efficiency of various recent wastewater dye removal methods: A review

The remarkable achievement by Fujishima and Honda (1972) in the photo-electrochemical water splitting results in the extensive use of TiO 2 nanomaterials for environmental purification and energy storage/conversion applications. Though there are many advantages for the TiO 2 compared to other semiconductor photocatalysts, its band gap of 3.2 eV restrains application to the UV-region of the electromagnetic spectrum ( λ  ≤ 387.5 nm). As a result, development of visible-light active titanium dioxide is one of the key challenges in the field of semiconductor photocatalysis. In this review, advances in the strategies for the visible light activation, origin of visible-light activity, and electronic structure of various visible-light active TiO 2 photocatalysts are discussed in detail. It has also been shown that if appropriate models are used, the theoretical insights can successfully be employed to develop novel catalysts to enhance the photocatalytic performance in the visible region. Recent developments in theory and experiments in visible-light induced water splitting, degradation of environmental pollutants, water and air purification and antibacterial applications are also reviewed. Various strategies to identify appropriate dopants for improved visible-light absorption and electron–hole separation to enhance the photocatalytic activity are discussed in detail, and a number of recommendations are also presented.

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Visible-light activation of TiO2 photocatalysts: Advances in theory and experiments

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide, which has many biological roles including protection against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The primary goal of this paper is to characterize the principal mechanisms of the protective role of GSH against reactive species and electrophiles. The ancillary goals are to provide up-to-date knowledge of GSH biosynthesis, hydrolysis, and utilization; intracellular compartmentalization and interorgan transfer; elimination of endogenously produced toxicants; involvement in metal homeostasis; glutathione-related enzymes and their regulation; glutathionylation of sulfhydryls. Individual sections are devoted to the relationships between GSH homeostasis and pathologies as well as to developed research tools and pharmacological approaches to manipulating GSH levels. Special attention is paid to compounds mainly of a natural origin (phytochemicals) which affect GSH-related processes. The paper provides starting points for development of novel tools and provides a hypothesis for investigation of the physiology and biochemistry of glutathione with a focus on human and animal health.

https://downloads.hindawi.com/archive/2012/736837.pdf

Glutathione Homeostasis and Functions: Potential Targets forMedical Interventions

With increasing environmental and ecological concerns due to the use of petroleum-based chemicals and products, the synthesis of fine chemicals and functional materials from natural resources is of great public value. Nanocellulose may prove to be one of the most promising green materials of modern times due to its intrinsic properties, renewability, and abundance. In this review, we present nanocellulose-based materials from sourcing, synthesis, and surface modification of nanocellulose, to materials formation and applications. Nanocellulose can be sourced from biomass, plants, or bacteria, relying on fairly simple, scalable, and efficient isolation techniques. Mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments, or a combination of these, can be used to extract nanocellulose from natural sources. The properties of nanocellulose are dependent on the source, the isolation technique, and potential subsequent surface transformations. Nanocellulose surface modification techniques are typically used to introduce e...

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Nanocellulose, a Versatile Green Platform: From Biosources to Materials and Their Applications

Turmeric is traditionally used as a spice and coloring in foods. It is an important ingredient in curry and gives curry powder its characteristic yellow color. As a consequence of its intense yellow color, turmeric, or curcumin (food additive E100), is used as a food coloring (e.g. mustard). Turmeric contains the curcuminoids curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Recently, the health properties (neuroprotection, chemo-, and cancer prevention) of curcuminoids have gained increasing attention. Curcuminoids induce endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms in the organism and have anti-inflammatory activity. Curcuminoids influence gene expression as well as epigenetic mechanisms. Synthetic curcumin analogues also exhibit biological activity. This Review describes the development of curcumin from a "traditional" spice and food coloring to a "modern" biological regulator.

Curcumin—From Molecule to Biological Function

MicroRNAs: synthesis, mechanism, function, and recent clinical trials.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a derivative of turmeric is one of the most commonly used and highly researched phytochemicals. Abundant sources provide interesting insights into the multiple mechanisms by which curcumin may mediate chemotherapy and chemopreventive effects on cancer. The pleiotropic role of this dietary compound includes the inhibition of several cell signaling pathways at multiple levels, such as transcription factors (NF-κB and AP-1), enzymes (COX-2, MMPs), cell cycle arrest (cyclin D1), proliferation (EGFR and Akt), survival pathways (β-catenin and adhesion molecules), and TNF. Curcumin up-regulates caspase family proteins and down-regulates anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L)). In addition, cDNA microarrays analysis adds a new dimension for molecular responses of cancer cells to curcumin at the genomic level. Although, curcumin's poor absorption and low systemic bioavailability limits the access of adequate concentrations for pharmacological effects in certain tissues, active levels in the gastrointestinal tract have been found in animal and human pharmacokinetic studies. Currently, sufficient data has been shown to advocate phase II and phase III clinical trials of curcumin for a variety of cancer conditions including multiple myeloma, pancreatic, and colon cancer.

Curcumin in Cancer Chemoprevention: Molecular Targets, Pharmacokinetics, Bioavailability, and Clinical Trials

Bacterial cellulose-zinc oxide nanocomposites as a novel dressing system for burn wounds

Advances in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of functional bacterial cellulose-based nanocomposites

Economic, social and environmental factors have led many industries to find new and attractive ways of waste management. Clean biotechnology is an integrated platform for the conversion of wastes into valuable and less toxic end products. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has a long history of its use as an important biomaterial for various applications. However, the potential for its industrialization and commercialization at large scale is still a challenge due to high fermentation cost, low productivity and expensive culture media. To overcome this problem, low-cost substrates and large waste biomass byproducts of various industries have been evaluated for BC production. Of these, tons of wastes produced from the agro, food, brewery and sugar industries, lignocellulosic biorefineries, textile and pulp mills are ideal raw materials for BC production. Recently, various studies have reported the wastes from these industries as a source of various nutrient for the low cost production of BC. This review is centered on BC production from low cost substrates with a major focus on the wastes from agro, food, brewery, sugar industries, lignocellulosic biorefineries, textile and pulp mills. Moreover, recent research trends and commercial media available for BC production are also discussed. This review also discuss briefly the properties and applications of BC. This article would likely draw the attention of researchers towards utilization of industrial wastes as potential alternate media for the production of BC.

Fazli Wahid

Papers

MicroRNAs: synthesis, mechanism, function, and recent clinical trials.

Curcumin in Cancer Chemoprevention: Molecular Targets, Pharmacokinetics, Bioavailability, and Clinical Trials

Bacterial cellulose-zinc oxide nanocomposites as a novel dressing system for burn wounds

Advances in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of functional bacterial cellulose-based nanocomposites

Production of bacterial cellulose from industrial wastes: a review