Application of deep eutectic solvents in biomass pretreatment and conversion

Ionic deep eutectic solvents for the extraction and separation of natural products

Deep eutectic solvents as efficient solvent system for the extraction of κ-carrageenan from Kappaphycus alvarezii.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as low-cost and green electrolytes for electrochromic devices

Green and efficient extraction of four bioactive flavonoids from Pollen Typhae by ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction.

Sustainable intensification of agricultural productivity is a global challenge. The sap of the commercially important red seaweed, Kappaphycus
 alvarezii, has been of interest in this regard, and its application as foliar spray has had a profound impact on the yields of many crops. It has been shown to contain indole acetic acid, kinetin, zeatin and gibberellic acid (GA3) but no study is yet reported on the interactions among these constituents, if any. In the present study, selective solvent extraction was undertaken to obtain GA3-free and indole acetic acid-free sap compositions. Another composition was prepared by autoclaving the sap which resulted in degradation of all the above growth hormones. The sap variants, along with water spray (control) and pristine sap, were applied on Zea mays as foliar spray over three consecutive seasons in dilute form. The four sap treatments were at par with one another—and significantly superior to control treatment—in so far as grain yield and quality were concerned. Pristine sap was subsequently shown to also contain choline and glycine betaine, and these were detected in similar amounts in all the sap variants, apparently indicating their profound influence on grain yield. Another important observation was that GA3-free sap led to heightened photosynthetic activity which translated into 26 % increase in corn stover yield compared to pristine sap. This is hypothesized to be on account of prevention of negative interactions between GA3 and other hormones. The study constitutes the first report of enhancement of performance of a natural seaweed plant stimulant towards increasing plant growth through simplification of its composition.

Elimination of gibberellin from Kappaphycus alvarezii seaweed sap foliar spray enhances corn stover production without compromising the grain yield advantage

Several deep eutectic solvents prepared by the complexation of choline chloride as the hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donors such as urea, thiourea, ethylene glycol, and glycerol were employed to partition glaucarubinone, an antimalarial compound present in roots of the plant, Simarouba glauca. Among all the solvents, the deep eutectic solvent consisting of the mixture of choline chloride and urea the most suitable to partition the antimalarial compound from the extract selectively. Analytical tools such as high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry were used for characterizations, and glaucarubinone extracted from the roots of the plant by conventional solvent extraction method was used as a reference for comparison. The hydrogen and noncovalent bonds formed between glaucarubinone and the deep eutectic solvents could be responsible for the selective partition of the drug molecule.

Fundamental studies on the feasibility of deep eutectic solvents for the selective partition of glaucarubinone present in the roots of Simarouba glauca.

Nidhi Bhatt

Papers

Elimination of gibberellin from Kappaphycus alvarezii seaweed sap foliar spray enhances corn stover production without compromising the grain yield advantage

Fundamental studies on the feasibility of deep eutectic solvents for the selective partition of glaucarubinone present in the roots of Simarouba glauca.

Synthesizing biochar-based slow-releasing fertilizers using vermicompost leachate, cow dung, and plant weed biomass.