Tshwane University of Technology

About: Tshwane University of Technology is a education organization based out in Pretoria, South Africa. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Corrosion & Population. The organization has 3210 authors who have published 6686 publications receiving 93417 citations. The organization is also known as: TUT.

Composition and Applications of Aloe vera Leaf Gel

Abstract: Many of the health benefits associated with Aloe vera have been attributed to the polysaccharides contained in the gel of the leaves. These biological activities include promotion of wound healing, antifungal activity, hypoglycemic or antidiabetic effects antiinflammatory, anticancer, immunomodulatory and gastroprotective properties. While the known biological activities of A. vera will be briefly discussed, it is the aim of this review to further highlight recently discovered effects and applications of the leaf gel. These effects include the potential of whole leaf or inner fillet gel liquid preparations of A. vera to enhance the intestinal absorption and bioavailability of co-administered compounds as well as enhancement of skin permeation. In addition, important pharmaceutical applications such as the use of the dried A. vera gel powder as an excipient in sustained release pharmaceutical dosage forms will be outlined.

Advances in enzyme immobilisation

Abstract: Improvements in current strategies for carrier-based immobilisation have been developed using hetero-functionalised supports that enhance the binding efficacy and stability through multipoint attachment. New commercial resins (Sepabeads) exhibit improved protein binding capacity. Novel methods of enzyme self-immobilisation have been developed (CLEC, CLEA, Spherezyme), as well as carrier materials (Dendrispheres), encapsulation (PEI Microspheres), and entrapment. Apart from retention, recovery and stabilisation, other advantages to enzyme immobilisation have emerged, such as enhanced enzyme activity, modification of substrate selectivity and enantioselectivity, and multi-enzyme reactions. These advances promise to enhance the roles of immobilisation enzymes in industry, while opening the door for novel applications.

The contributions of nitrogen-fixing crop legumes to the productivity of agricultural systems.

Abstract: Data collated from around the world indicate that, for every tonne of shoot dry matter produced by crop legumes, the symbiotic relationship with rhizobia is responsible for fixing, on average on a whole plant basis (shoots and nodulated roots), the equivalent of 30–40 kg of nitrogen (N). Consequently, factors that directly influence legume growth (e.g. water and nutrient availability, disease incidence and pests) tend to be the main determinants of the amounts of N2 fixed. However, practices that either limit the presence of effective rhizobia in the soil (no inoculation, poor inoculant quality), increase soil concentrations of nitrate (excessive tillage, extended fallows, fertilizer N), or enhance competition for soil mineral N (intercropping legumes with cereals) can also be critical. Much of the N2 fixed by the legume is usually removed at harvest in high-protein seed so that the net residual contributions of fixed N to agricultural soils after the harvest of legumegrain may be relatively small.Nonetheless, the inclusion of legumes in a cropping sequence generally improves the productivity of following crops. Whilesome of these rotational effects may be associated with improvements in availability of N in soils, factors unrelated to N also play an important role. Recent results suggest that one such non-N benefit may be due to the impact on soil biology of hydrogenemitted from nodules as a by-product of N2, fixation.