Muhammad Ikram

Bio: Muhammad Ikram is an academic researcher from University of Sargodha. The author has contributed to research in topics: Chemistry & Metal. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 6 publications receiving 29 citations. Previous affiliations of Muhammad Ikram include Damanhour University.

Pectinase Production from Schizophyllum commune Through Central Composite Design Using Citrus Waste and Its Immobilization for Industrial Exploitation

Abstract: Pectinase is an important group of industrial enzymes. Pectinase manufacturing occupies about 10% of the overall enzyme production world over. The aim of this study is to produce pectin lyase from Schizophyllum commune using the mosambi (sweet lime) fruit peels as substrate in solid state fermentation. The cultural parameters optimized through response surface methodology showed maximum pectin lyase production of 480.45 U/mL at initial medium pH of 6, incubation temperature of 35 °C, time period of 1 day, substrate concentration of 15 g and 3 mL of inoculum size. A purification fold of 3.08 with 355 U/mg specific activity and 4.16% yield was obtained after purification. Enzyme immobilization was done by entrapment with sodium alginate and adsorption with chitosan. Chitosan immobilized enzyme exhibited best thermal stability in the range of 45–55 °C and pH 8.0–9.0. Enzyme activity was stimulated in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ while EDTA inhibited the enzyme activity. Chitosan immobilized pectin lyase was stable up to six cycles of reuse. The pH and thermal stability of S. commune pectin lyase makes it an important enzyme for industrial use. The results showed that pectin lyase produced from S. commune has significant potential for applications in the detergent and fruit juice industry. The enzyme produced from citrus agro waste via the proposed optimized biotechnological process can be explored for multiple industrial applications.

The extended generalized inverted Kumaraswamy Weibull distribution: Properties and applications

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a new six-parameters extension of the Weibull distribution. It will be called the extended generalized inverted Kumaraswamy Weibull (EGIKw-Weibull), that is commonly used to model lifetime data. Various useful properties of the new distribution are derived. A Monte Carlo simulation is employed to investigate the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for the parameters. Two real applications are presented.

A, The Allelopathic effects of Papavare somniferum on germination and initial seedling growth of Echinochloa cruss-galli

Abstract: Weeds are unwanted plants in crop that can be control by different methods among them use of aqueous extract of crop is an imperative method. To investigate the allopathic potential of aqueous extract of winter crop Papavare somniferum (opium) on summer weed Echinochloa cruss-galli (barnyard grass) laboratory experiments were conducted. The experiment coomprised seven concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1, 2, 4, and 8%) of different plant parts i.e., leaves, stem and flower of P. somniferumwere. All the tested concentrations and plant parts of P. somniferum significantly reduced mean emergence time, germination index, germination percentage, time to 50% germination as well as well growth of E. cruss-galliweed. However, maximum mean emergence time (9.07 days), time to 50% germination (3.67 days) was noted at leaves and stem extract, respectively. Application of aqueous extract of stem at 8% concentration resulted in greatest time to complete 50% germination (5.42 days) and lowest fresh weight (6.28 g), dry weight (1.00 g) and root length (0.33 cm) of E. cruss-galli. Whereas leaf extract at 8% concentration produces less shoot length (1.13 cm) and more emergence time (9.18 days). Lowest emergence percentage (6.67%) and germination index (0.89) were produced by aqueous extract of fruit at 8% concentration. On the basis of this experiment, it can be concluded that higher concentration (8%) of stem extract of P. somniferumwas used to biologically control the infestation of E. cruss-galli weed.

Synthesis, spectral, Hirshfeld surface analysis and biological evaluation of a Schiff base copper(II) complex: Towards a copper(II) based human anti-glioblastoma agent

Abstract: Schiff base ligand 4-{(Z)-[(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylidene]amino}-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (HNMDP) was synthesized from 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine. Since the ligand bears the suitable donor sites HCN (azomethine), hydroxyl and lactone carbonyl moieties it was reacted with Cu2+ to yield respective metal complex. The products were investigated by elemental analyses and IR spectroscopic techniques. Cu-NMDP crystallizes in the Ibam space group and forms a peculiar coordination polymer based on disordered acetate groups acting as bridging ligands producing distorted square planar geometry around copper. The molecular structure confirms the anticipated sites of coordination to be all involved in metal ion binding. The short interatomic interactions in the crystal structures were evaluated by mapping the Hirshfeld surface process using pseudo-mirrored 2D fingerprint plots. The major short interatomic interactions H···H, O···H and C···H cover the Hirshfeld surfaces. The interaction of the Schiff base ligand and its copper complex with human glioblastoma (malignant aggressive brain cancer) cells A172 and LN229 was studied. The copper complex on its own was found to be more active than its parent ligand. The Cu-NMDP IC50 values 5.698 µM after 72 h for A172 and 13.38 µM after 72 h for LN229 compared to HNMDP imply the copper based metallodrug to be a candidate for the chemotherapy of glioblastoma.

Application of Alkaline Phosphatase to Assess the Health of Oreochromis niloticus Exposed to Organophosphates and Synthetic Pyrethroid Pesticides In Vivo

Abstract: The most widely used pesticides for residential areas and agriculture purposes, which belong to the organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids, were evaluated in this study for their LC0 toxicity. In an aquatic environment, these pesticides are highly toxic to nontargeted organisms. Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) was selected for the bioassay tests due to its presence in the trophic levels and high bioaccumulation of the toxicants. This study evaluated the impact of pesticides on the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes in the brain, gills, and muscles of O. niloticus. The fish were exposed to the LC0 concentrations of malathion (1.425 ppm), chlorpyrifos (0.125 ppm), and λ-cyhalothrin (0.0039 ppm) for 24 and 48 h. For biochemical assays, malathion, chlorpyrifos, and λ-cyhalothrin measurements were carried out using spectrophotometry. ALP activity in the brain and gills was elevated and showed significant inhibition (p < 0.05) at 24- and 48-h exposure, respectively. For the muscle tissues, a statistically important (p < 0.05) inhibition was recorded for the activity of ALP after 24- and 48-h treatments. The highest (+138%) and the lowest (+28%) enhancement in ALP activity were reported in the gills and brain tissues, which were treated with chlorpyrifos and malathion, respectively. The minimum and maximum reduction in ALP levels were noted in the 48- and 24-h malathion-treated muscle tissues, respectively. The data for the muscle tissue sample showed good consistency, because inhibition in ALP activity was noted. Therefore, the assessment of ALP activity in different organs and tissues in fish for the detection of chemical hazards in the environment is recommended. These findings confirmed that pesticides should be consistently monitored in the environment, to lower the pollutant stress on nontargeted organisms, especially fish, because the pesticides have a toxic effect on the health of aquatic organisms.

Biochemical Prospects of Various Microbial Pectinase and Pectin: An Approachable Concept in Pharmaceutical Bioprocessing.

Abstract: Both pectin and pectinase are vitally imperative biomolecules in the biotechnological sector. These molecules are a feasible non-toxic contrivance of nature with extensive applicative perception. Understanding pectic substances and their structure, unique depolymerization, and biochemical properties such as a catalytic mechanism and the strong interrelationship among these molecules could immensely enhance their applicability in industries. For instance, gaining knowledge with respect to the versatile molecular heterogeneity of the compounds could be considered as the center of concern to resolve the industrial issues from multiple aspects. In the present review, an effort has been made to orchestrate the fundamental information related to structure, depolymerization characteristics, and classification of pectin as well as the types and biochemical properties of pectinase. Furthermore, various production methods related to the optimization of the product and its significant contribution to the pharmaceutical industry (either pectinase or derived pectic substances) are described in this article.

Advances in upstream and downstream strategies of pectinase bioprocessing: A review.

Abstract: This review aims to highlight the bioprocessing strategies behind one of the most commercially produced enzymes in the biotechnological market, pectinase Significant steps in the upstream processing of this enzyme include its source, the selection of the substrate, the reaction conditions and the overall reactor design, all of which will be discussed in great detail Past literature which has contributed to the viability of this design will be highlighted with the intention of generating a comparative review that accounts not only for the contributions of previous research but also for what needs to be done in the future to further increase the productivity of this vital industrial process There is an incredibly wide net of application based research and industry which currently depends on the bioprocessing of pectinase, these will thereby benefit greatly from the concepts of process intensification and optimisation which are at the forefront of this review and will likely be inspired by the outlined steps that need to be taken to further improve this process

Biopolymers and nanostructured materials to develop pectinases-based immobilized nano-biocatalytic systems for biotechnological applications.

Abstract: Pectinases are the emerging enzymes of the biotechnology industry with a 25% share in the worldwide food and beverage enzyme market. These are green and eco-friendly tools of nature and hold a prominent place among the commercially produced enzymes. Pectinases exhibit applications in various industrial bioprocesses, such as clarification of fruit juices and wine, degumming, and retting of plant fibers, extraction of antioxidants and oil, fermentation of tea/coffee, wastewater remediation, modification of pectin-laden agro-industrial waste materials for high-value products biosynthesis, manufacture of cellulose fibres, scouring, bleaching, and size reduction of fabric, cellulosic biomass pretreatment for bioethanol production, etc. Nevertheless, like other enzymes, pectinases also face the challenges of low operational stability, recoverability, and recyclability. To address the above-mentioned problems, enzyme immobilization has become an eminently promising approach to improve their thermal stability and catalytic characteristics. Immobilization facilitates easy recovery and recycling of the biocatalysts multiple times, leading to enhanced performance and commercial feasibility.In this review, we illustrate recent developments on the immobilization of pectinolytic enzymes using polymers and nanostructured materials-based carrier supports to constitute novel biocatalytic systems for industrial exploitability. The first section reviewed the immobilization of pectinases on polymers-based supports (ca-alginate, chitosan, agar-agar, hybrid polymers) as a host matrix to construct robust pectinases-based biocatalytic systems. The second half covers nanostructured supports (nano-silica, magnetic nanostructures, hybrid nanoflowers, dual-responsive polymeric nanocarriers, montmorillonite clay), and cross-linked enzyme aggregates for enzyme immobilization. The biotechnological applications of the resulted immobilized robust pectinases-based biocatalytic systems are also meticulously vetted. Finally, the concluding remarks and future recommendations are also given.

Recent Trends on the Valorization Strategies for the Management of Citrus By-products

Abstract: Citrus is one of the most widely cultivated, processed and consumed fruits throughout the world. A large amount of by-products is generated from citrus processing industries, which causes severe en...

Insights on sustainable approaches for production and applications of value added products.

Abstract: The increasing demand for the development of sustainable strategies to utilize and process agro-industrial residues paves new paths for exploring innovative approaches in this area. Biotechnology based microbial transformations provide efficient, low cost and sustainable approaches for the production of value added products. The use of organic rich residues opens new avenues for the production of enzymes, pigments, biofuels, bioactive compounds, biopolymers etc. with vast industrial and therapeutic applications. Innovative technologies like strain improvement, enzyme immobilization, genome editing, morphological engineering, ultrasound/supercritical fluid/pulse electric field extraction, etc. can be employed. These will be helpful in achieving significant improvement in qualitative and quantitative parameters of the finished products. The global trend for the valorisation of biowaste has boosted the commercialization of these products which has transformed the markets by providing new investment opportunities. The upstream processing of raw materials using microbes poses a limitation in terms of product development and recovery which can be overcome by modifying the bioreactor design, physiological parameters or employing alternate technologies which will be discussed in this review. The other problems related to the processes include product stability, industrial applicability and cost competitiveness which needs to be addressed. This review comprehensively discusses the recent progress, avenues and challenges in the approaches aimed at valorisation of agro-industrial wastes along with possible opportunities in the bioeconomy.