Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. fil.) is commonly utilized as a culinary and medicinal fruit and is most famous in indigenous systems of medicine. The present research work aims to appraise and validate the potential of polyphenol-rich star anise tea (SAT) on oxidative stress, obesity and related biochemical parameters in high-fat-sugar-diet (HFSD)-induced obesity model in rats. SAT was prepared using the traditional method in warm water. The Reverse Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis was performed for the simultaneous determination of phenolic acids and flavonoids in SAT. Two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) were selected to investigate the anti-obesity potential of SAT using HFSD-induced obese rat model. Major (>5 mg/100 mL) phenolic acids in SAT were p-coumeric acid, gallic aid, cinamic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid while catechin and rutin were the major flavonoids detected in the SAT. SAT exhibited 51.3% DPPH radical scavenging activity. In vivo study showed that higher doses of SAT (500 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the body weight increase (74.82%) and BMI (0.64 g/cm²). Moreover, significant reductions in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL were recorded in all the treatment groups in comparison to the HFSDC group. Furthermore, SAT reduced the alterations in MDA, SOD and GSH levels of experimental groups thus showing the potential against oxidative stress. The SAT-500 group showed a significant decrease in the elevated kidney and liver weights and atherogenic index in comparison to the HFSDC group. The present study proved that SAT exhibited strong protective effects against obesity and oxidative stress, especially at higher doses.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc; Zingiberaceae family) is an herb commonly used as a spice and remedy for a broad spectrum of diseases. The essential oil extracted from ginger is an effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal agent. The present study has investigated the variations in yield and chemical composition of essential oils of two cultivars (Chinese and Thailand) of ginger locally available in Pakistan. Two different drying pretreatments were employed to observe the changes in compositional variations of the essential oils of ginger. The essential oil extracted from fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried samples of two different cultivars of ginger was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil yield was found to be highest for the sun-dried sample of each variety. The major compounds (>4%) overall in the essential oil of fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried ginger samples from Thailand origin were camphene, 3-carene, o-cymene, caryophyllene, α-curcumene, sabinol trans, citral, and santalol. Major compounds overall in the essential oil of fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried ginger samples of Chinese origin were α-pinene, Camphene, limonene, longicyclene, copaene, longifolene, β-sesquiphellandrene, alloaromadendrene, γ-muurolene, α-curcumene, α-farnesene, and citral. The inter-varietal variations and pretreatment methods considerably affected yield and chemical composition. Cluster analysis was performed to validate the results further. Significantly varying compounds responsible for the significant variation among varieties and treatments of the ginger were identifies by using the heat map. There was clear differentiation among Chinese and Thailand varieties due to the variation in the concentrations of the volatile compounds. The results obtained can be helpful for the ginger growers and end users to choose the ginger variety and the way of use that is more beneficial.

This study aimed to develop a cost-effective and eco-friendly mosquito-repellent textile finish based on microcapsules incorporated with limonene, camphor, linalool, menthol, and 1-octanol individually. Essential oil-based microcapsules were prepared by the emulsion extrusion microencapsulation method. The concentration of active components was determined by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique at different time intervals. The prepared microcapsules were incorporated into the textile finish to prepare an insect-repellent finish and applied to polyester: cotton (40:60) fabric using a conventional pad-dry cure method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to ensure the presence and stability of essential oil components on the fabric. FT-IR spectra showed that peaks observed in the range of (3400–3200 cm⁻¹) and (1720–1600 cm⁻¹) correspond to –OH stretching and bending vibrations in both untreated and microencapsulated essential oil-treated fabric. Mosquito-repellent activity was assessed by exposing treated and untreated fabric to mosquitoes. To study the long-lasting impact of microencapsulation of essential oil components on fabric, mosquito repellency was repeated every 10 to 50 days. Fabrics treated with microencapsulated essential oil components presented higher and longer-lasting protection from mosquitoes than untreated fabrics. Menthol (97%), linalool (93%), and limonene (93%) encapsulated finishes showed significantly higher repellency (>90%) as compared with octanol finishes. The studied mosquito repellent finishes could be ideal candidates for textile finishing industries.

The synthesis and design of low-cost visible-light-active catalysts for the photodegradation of organic dyes have been regarded as an efficient way to use solar energy in addressing environmental issues. We report the fabrication of MoS₂/CdS nanoparticles functionalized with Bi₂S₃ nanoflakes. The ternary composites of “MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃” were synthesized in situ by a hydrothermal method at different temperatures. The changes in structural, optical, and morphological properties of the synthesized CdS/MoS₂/Bi₂S₃ were explored. The effects of Bi₂S₃ on CdS/MoS₂ were thoroughly studied by performing an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an ultra-violet–visible spectrometer (Uv–vis), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) studies of the nanoparticles. XRD confirms the cubical crystal structure of the nanoparticles. SEM studies possess the modulation in the surface morphology with the tenability in volume ratios of “MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃” composites. It was observed that the bandgaps calculated using absorption measurements could be manipulated from 2.40 eV to 0.97 eV with varying Bi₂S₃ in the MoS₂/CdS nanostructures. FT-IR confirmed the synthesis of “MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃” nanoparticles. On allowing the visible light to fall for 120 min, it was observed that “MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃” degrades the methylene blue up to 90%. The calculated results of “MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃” suggest that the synthesized material could be a strong candidate for photodegradation applications. This research work explains the synthesis of MoS₂/CdS/Bi₂S₃-based nanocomposites for the degradation of dye using a photocatalytic process. The final results show that this catalyst effectively degrades the dye.

Fermentation parameters, especially the duration, are important in imparting a peculiar taste and flavor to soy sauce. The main purpose of this research was to monitor metabolic changes occurring during the various time intervals of the fermentation process. NMR-based metabolomics was used to monitor the compositional changes in soy sauce during fermentation. The ¹H-NMR spectra of the soy sauce samples taken from the fermentation tanks at 0 to 8 months were analyzed using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, and the obtained spectra were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Square Discriminate analysis (PLSDA) revealed the separation of samples fermented for various time durations under identical conditions. Key metabolites shown by corresponding loading plots exhibited variations in amino acids (lysine, threonine, isoleucine, etc.), acetate, glucose, fructose, sucrose, ethanol, glycerol, and others. The levels of ethanol in soy sauce increased with longer fermentation durations, which can be influenced by both natural fermentation and the intentional addition of ethanol as a preservative. The study shows that the variation in metabolite can be very efficiently monitored using ¹H-NMR-based metabolomics, thus suggestion to optimize the time duration to get the soy sauce product with the desired taste and flavor.

Even in the 21st century, water contamination has been a big problem and industrial processes are to be blamed for polluted water supplies. The use of sunlight in the process of photocatalysis is an efficient way to purify wastewater. Composites of TiO₂/activated carbon/two-dimensional selenides performed better than either of the individual material or binary composites for this application. A straightforward hydrothermal technique was employed in the synthesis of photocatalysts. The synthesized photocatalytic composites were verified with the help of UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and SEM. The heterostructures absorbed nearly all of the sun’s UV and visible light. These photons are then converted into usable reducing electrons and oxidizing species such as ^•O₂ and OH^• to decompose organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. Since there were additional pathways available for charge transfer along with several active edge sites, the composite photocatalysts are proven more active than individual TiO₂ and 2D MoSe₂ components. With the help of a cascade-driven mechanism of electrons, these channels can transmit more charges than single-component heterojunctions. The results provided a realistic method for developing photocatalyst composites powered by solar light for use in industrial wastewater treatment. Results of degradation of methylene blue suggest that the synthesized composites possess better photocatalytic activity. This enhanced photocatalytic activity is not limited to organic dyes. Other hazardous organic pollutants present in industrial wastewater can be decomposed by using this approach.