Sequential application of activated sludge and phytoremediation with aquatic macrophytes on tannery effluents: in search of a complete treatment.

Tannery effluents with a high organic matter load (indicated by their COD level) have to be treated before they are discharged, so as to minimize their negative impact on the environment. Using field mesocosm systems, this study evaluated the feasibility of treating such effluents through bioaugmentation with activated sludge, followed by phytoremediation with aquatic macrophytes (Lemnoideae subfamily). Regardless of its quality, the activated sludge was able to remove approximately 77% of the COD from effluents with a low initial organic load (up to 1500 mg/L).

Determination of sildenafil by preconcentration on surfactant coated polymeric resin followed by spectrofluorimetry.

The illicit addition of phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra) in product offered as herbal medicine or dietary supplement for male erectile dysfunction has concerned authorities in recent times. In this paper, we proposed a sensitive surfactant-coated Amberlite XAD resin for sildenafil preconcentration method with spectrofluorimetric detection. Retention capacity of micellar coated XAD resin for sildenafil was studied and the obtained eluate was measured by spectrofluorometer at excitation and emission wavelengths of 350 and 430 nm, respectively.

On-line enantioseparation of chlorpheniramine using β-cyclodextrin and carbon nanotubes after multivariate optimization.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are evaluated here as solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent aiming to (±)-chlorpheniramine (CPA) enantioresolution with fluorimetric detection. β-cyclodextrin (CD) was added to the racemate and solutions with HCl and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in different proportions were assayed as eluents to achieve the separation between both enantiomers. The overall methodology involved a flow injection (FI) strategy enabling high sample throughput and low reagents consumption making it suitable for drug routine quality control.

In vitro-in vivo antifungal evaluation and structure-activity relationships of 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione derivatives.

As part of our project devoted to the search of new antifungal agents, we report here the in vitro-in vivo antifungal evaluations and a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of 17 thione derivatives. Some compounds of this series exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of pathogenic opportunistic fungi. SAR studies provide a useful information for the determination of the minimum structural requirements for producing the biological response.