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Bacterial infections and oxidative damage caused by various reactive oxygen species (ROS) pose a significant threat to human health. It is highly desirable to find an ideal biomaterial system with broad spectrum antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities. A new supramolecular antibacterial and antioxidant composite hydrogel made of chiral L‐phenylalanine‐derivative (LPFEG) as matrix and Mxene (Ti3C2Tx) as filler material is presented. The noncovalent interactions (H‐bonding and π–π interactions) in between LPFEG and Mxene and the inversion of LPFEG chirality are verified by Fourier transform infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The composite hydrogels show improved mechanical properties revealed by rheological analysis. The composite hydrogel system exhibits photothermal conversion efficiency (40.79%), which enables effective photothermal broad‐spectrum antibacterial activities against both Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Furthermore, the Mxene also enables the composite hydrogel to exhibit excellent antioxidant activity by efficiently scavenging free radicals like DPPH•, ABTS•+, and •OH. These results indicate that the Mxene‐based chiral supramolecular composite hydrogel, with improved rheological, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties has a great potential for biomedical applications.

The study was based on the comparative evaluation of physical and physicochemical properties and antioxidant potential of different cooking oils as awareness for the consumers. The cooking oils extracted from sunflower, corn, canola, soybean, and rapeseed and available for consumers as different commercial brands were purchased from the local market and analysed for their physical, physicochemical and antioxidant properties. All of the selected oils were found to be statistically similar on the basis of their physical properties including odour, specific gravity (P=.65) and refractive index (P=0.84). All of the selected oils contained vitamin A except one brand of each of the sunflower, corn and canola oils. The selected oils and their blend showed statistically different physicochemical properties and antioxidant potential (P=.000). The corn oil and rapeseed oil were found to be the best quality oil due to comparatively lower acid, peroxide and Nawaz et al.; EJNFS, 10(3): 199-207, 2019; Article no.EJNFS.2019.021 200 saponification values and higher antioxidant potential in terms of free radical scavenging capacity. The study results would provide valuable information to the consumers and the researchers regarding the selection of the best quality cooking oils available in the market. Original Research Article

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