Water-related limits to growth for agriculture in Iran.

Globally, agriculture is the primary water consumption sector. This study used water footprint () as a bottom-up tool and satellite imagery as a top-down tool to estimate the internal water use () in the agricultural sector in an innovative way to show the effects of water-intensive use in agriculture in an arid country. The of Iran has been quantified for 19 main crops and for related agricultural products exported from Iran to partner countries.

Biodegradable zein film composites reinforced with chitosan nanoparticles and cinnamon essential oil: Physical, mechanical, structural and antimicrobial attributes.

Natural bio-based zein films were prepared by incorporating cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) at 2% and 4% (w/w) amounts, respectively, in order to provide mechanical and antimicrobial functionalities. The physical, mechanical, structural and antibacterial properties of the enriched zein films were also scrutinized. The results showed that the combination of CEO-CNPs significantly improves the tensile strength and decreases the elongation of zein film composite.