Food freshness is one of the main concerns of consumers. Food spoilage is mainly caused by contamination and microbial growth in which the latter produces volatile amines in the process. Several methods have been used to determine volatile amines to indicate food freshness, and indicator films are deemed as the most time-efficient and economical. In this study, anthocyanin was extracted from mangosteen rind as a natural dye indicator and was incorporated in a chitosan/PVA polymer matrix. The film with different concentrations of anthocyanin extract (5%, 15%, and 25%) was prepared and tested for their sensitivity to 136 ppm ammonia vapor followed by colorimetric analysis using ImageJ software. The film with 25% anthocyanin yielded the most visible color change upon exposure to ammonia vapor. The color changed from pink to yellowish-brown within 14 minutes of exposure. The RGB-converted images of the film with 25% anthocyanin extract showed gradual loss of red coloration being replaced by cyan spots. FTIR spectra showed incorporation of anthocyanin to the chitosan/PVA matrix with the decrease in the intensity of the C-N stretching peak. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the film has high thermal stability with onset temperature of 310.43°C. Thus, the film developed is an excellent candidate for optimization and production of a thermally stable amine detector for food products.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) has glycoproteins gp41 and gp120 use to attached to the host cell. Development of antiviral drug use in silico drug design to select potent lead molecule from medicinal plants. Bioactive components of Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.), Luyang dilaw (Curcuma longa Linn.), Lagundi (Vitex negundo) were used as ligands to inhibit HIV-1 gp120 and gp41 using ArgusLab Software. Inhibition of gp120, results showed that the α-Guaiene from Sweet basil has the lowest binding affinity and energy fitness which, are-9.6kcal/mol and -8.6kcal/mol, respectively. Sitosterol from Sweet basil has the lowest binding affinity and energy fitness of -10.9kcal/mol and -10.58kcal/mol for the inhibition of gp41. Statistical analysis shows that these bioactive components are comparable with that of the active component of commercially available drugs in inhibiting gp120 and gp41 based on these parameters. Thus, these bioactive compounds may be developed further as drugs in inhibiting HIV-1.

Wound dressing is a vital component of wound infection management specially by immunocompromised patients due to accidents that caused injuries. Biodegradable hydrogel-based wound dressings are being developed to acquire the advantage of high swelling capacity and being environment friendly at the same time. The study involves development of hydrogels using solution casting method with different ratio of rice bran starch. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength and swelling capacity were determined. The hydrogel developed with 7% starch emerged with comparable tensile strength and swelling capacity with the available wound dressing in the market. FT-IR spectra confirmed the crosslinking of PVA and starch while SEM images revealed that the hydrogel is not porous. Drug loading capacity of the hydrogel was determined to be 83.48% with PBS which is higher than with water. Results suggest that the developed hydrogel has great potential for wound dressing application with the advantage of being biodegradable.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized through green chemistry using lemon extract as reducing agent. The sensitivity of the synthesized nanoparticles against pesticide residues in water was determined. The nanoparticles were characterized based on the absorbance. Characteristic peaks were observed at 281 nm and 328 nm attributed to the exciton absorption peak and maximum absorbance that confirmed the size of the product. The nanoparticles were mixed with different concentration of pesticides in water at varying ratio. The color change was observed in relation to its sensitivity to the solutions. Evident change in color from pale yellow to colorless were observed for both 400 ppb of clothianidin and imidacloprid mixed with ZnO nanoparticles at 1:1 ratio. Absorbance spectra revealed that there is a difference in the interaction of the two pesticides with ZnO nanoparticles. However, same visual color change were observed for both pesticides from pale yellow to colorless. This suggests that the ZnO nanoparticles were not selective as colorimetric detector for clothianidin and imidacloprid.

Solid waste and air pollution are never ending environmental problems that can be partially solved by turning waste into useful bio-products. In this study, enzymatic solutions were developed by formulating enzymatic solutions from fish intestines and fruit peels. This aimed to help in biodegradation of organic solid wastes. Organic waste samples were treated with formulated enzymatic solutions for 7 days in aerated set-up for aerobic degradation. Biodegradability and odor of the waste samples were compared with commercial enzymatic solution. Determination of evolved carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) using gravimetric analysis (GA) was used to determine the percent biodegradability, Dt, of organic solid waste and odor-ranking method was used to determine the odor intensity of the organic waste samples. The result showed that the weight loss and percentage biodegradability of organic waste sample treated with formulated enzymatic solution is comparable with that of the commercial enzymatic solution. In terms of odor intensity, waste treated with the product, formulated enzymatic solution (FES) is also comparable to the waste treated with commercial enzymatic solution. Thus, implying that the developed FES is as efficient as that of the commercial enzymatic solution. These significant results will be helpful to future researchers in providing ways on improving the degradation of organic solid waste and mitigating the increasing glitches on our environment. Enzyme kinetics, physical and chemical properties studies of the solution were recommended for future researchers to accurately determine the effectiveness of the formulated enzymatic solution in the degradation of organic solid waste.