The regeneration of used oil is one of the essential processes for economical, industrial and environmental targets. Used oil is rich of hydrocarbons, metals (such as: aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, silicon and tin), gasoline, water and antifreeze. Due to the high increasing rate of the number of cars, there is a huge quantity of used oil. In this study, different brands of used oil were involved in extraction and adsorption processes as a regeneration process of these used oils. The optimum conditions were determined such as solvents composition, solvent: oil ratio, KOH concentration and temperature. The solvent mixture of 40% of petroleum ether, 11% of 1-butanol and 4% of 2-propanol has shown the best results in removing sludge. The 3:1 (solvent: oil) ratio may be considered as the best ratio practically and economically.

The volatile oils hydrodistilled from the aerial parts and roots of O. carduchorum C.C Towns. (Fabaceae) have been chemically characterized for the first time. A total of 43 constituents with an abundance >0.03% were identified and quantified in the two oils by GC/MS and GC/FID analyses. They comprise 38 components (98.58%) of the oil isolated from the aerial parts (OCA) and 34 components (93.33%) of the oil from the roots (OCR). Six constituents, α-pinene (23.11 ± 0.1%), β-elemene (17.33 ± 0.1%), 1,8-cineole (12.15 ± 0.2%), furfural (7.91 ± 0.1%), terpineol-4-ol (6.32 ± 0.2%), and limonene (4.13 ± 0.1%), accounted for about 75% of the total OCA oil. On the other hand, 1,8-cineole (15.79 ± 0.1%), furfural (10.44 ± 0.1%), β-elemene (10.14 ± 0.2%), α-terpineol (7.74 ± 0.1%), linalool (7.45 ± 0.1%), and α-pinene (4.76 ± 0.1%) made up about 60% of the OCR oil. The IC₅₀ values of the scavenging activities of the OCA and OCR oils towards the DPPH radical and H₂O₂ were 79.8 ± 0.5 and 153.3 ± 0.6 μg/mL and 394.09 ± 0.2 and 311.67 ± 0.4 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, in the MTS assay, the OCA and OCR oils showed significant antiproliferative effects against T47D, MDA-MB-453, BG-1, and A549 human cancer cells that were more powerful than those against two normal human cell lines, HEK-293 and HFF-1. The abundant presence of β-elemene as an antiproliferative component of the two oils suggested the existence of a new chemotype of O. carduchorum.

Objective: This study aims to develop a novel smart formulation based on dual-responsive Polyethylene Glycol Methacrylate-Grafted-Chitosan (PEGMA-g-Cs) copolymers for the controlled delivery of Lactoferrin. The goal is to enhance the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of Lactoferrin in treating colorectal cancer, addressing its rapid degradation in a highly acidic gastric environment. Methods: Gold-coated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (Au-SPIONs) were synthesized and loaded into PEGMA-g-Cs microspheres. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (HNMR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), optical microscopy, and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) were used to characterise the synthesized materials. Drug loading and release studies of lactoferrin-loaded microbead formulations were conducted to evaluate encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and release profiles. Results: The lactoferrin-loaded microbead formulations demonstrated excellent encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity. Specifically, Encapsulation Efficiency (EE) was 77% and Loading Capacity (LC) was 4.99% for the homogenizer batch, while the magnetic stirring batch achieved 86% EE and 3.12% LC. The formulation exhibited minimal release (<20%) in Simulated Gastric Fluid (SGF) and almost complete release in Simulated Colonic Fluid (SCF). The 3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl]-2,5-Diphenyl Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) cell cytotoxicity assay in human CaCo-2 colon cancer cells revealed a significant reduction in cell proliferation following treatment with the new formulations. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the new formulation can be a promising approach for the targeted delivery of Lactoferrin, thereby improving the efficacy of colorectal cancer treatment by enhancing the bioavailability of lactoferrin.

Thermoreversible colloidal suspensions/gels have attracted recent research attention in the field of biomedical applications. In this study, a novel thermoresponsive particle suspension with thermoreversible gelation properties has been prepared for biomedical application. First, polystyrene (PS) microspheres were synthesized by dispersion polymerization and poly diethyleneglycolmethylmethacrylate (PDEGMA) polymer were synthesized via free radical polymerisation. Then, the new developed thermoresponsive suspensions were prepared via physical adsorption of a thermoresponsive polymer, poly[di (ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate] (PDEGMA), onto the surface of polystyrene microspheres. PDEGMA acts as a steric stabilizer and induces thermoreversible gelation via chain extending and collapsing below and above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST), respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ¹H NMR spectroscopy, Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-vis spectroscopy, Rheometric measurement were conducted to characterize the prepared particles, polymers and suspensions. SEM images show that monodisperse microspheres with the sizes range 1.5–3.5 μm were prepared. UV-vis measurements demonstrate thermoresponsive properties of PDEGMA. ¹H NMR and GPC analysis confirms structural properties of prepared PDEGMA. Tube inversion tests demonstrated that the aqueous suspensions of the particles and polymer exhibited thermoreversible fluid-to-gel transitions. Rheological characterization revealed that the viscoelastic properties of the prepared suspension/gels can be fine tuned. This enables applications of the prepared gels as scaffolds for three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures.