David W Morton

• Doctor of Philosophy
• La Trobe University

Iron-based materials (IBMs) have shown promise as adsorbents due to their unique physicochemical properties. This review provides an overview of the different types of IBMs, their synthesis methods, and their properties. Results found in the adsorption of emerging contaminants to a wide range of IBMs are discussed. The IBMs used were evaluated in t...

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a sample preparation technique which utilizes small amounts of an extraction phase for the extraction of target analytes from investigated sample matrices. Its simplicity of use, relatively short sample processing time, and fiber reusability have made SPME an attractive choice for many analytical applications....

This study compares different solvent systems with the use of spontaneous fermentation on the phytochemical composition of leaf extracts from a locally grown white variety of common fig (Ficus carica Linn.). The aim was to detect and identify bioactive compounds that are responsible for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), α-amylase and cyclooxygenase-1 (C...

Extracts of two Salvia species, Salvia apiana (white sage) and Salvia officinalis (common sage) were screened for phytoconstituents with the ability to act as antidiabetic, cognitive enhancing, or antimicrobial agents, by hyphenation of high-performance thin-layer chromatography with enzymatic and microbial effect directed assays. Two bioactive zon...

Recently, numerous materials have been used as adsorbents for environmental remediation. The characterization of these materials is of particular interest and importance from both fundamental and practical viewpoints. Characterization is important to identify surface morphology and phenomena at the solid-water interface during adsorption. Spectrosc...

Iron oxide-based materials (IOBMs) are the most abundant minerals in soil, sediment, and aquatic environments. These minerals have been used as adsorbents because of their natural abundance, simple preparation, availability, and low ecological impact. The relatively large specific surface area (SSA), moderate to high point of zero charge (pHPZC), m...

A novel HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for simultaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs and somatostatin analog quantitation was developed and validated. The developed method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies. The sample preparation process included solid-phase extraction (SPE). Effective chromatographic separation of the ana...

Objective: Dye waste is one of the major sources of environmental pollution due to the fast growth of the dye industry. The release of dye waste into the environment causes acute ecosystem and human health problems. Among various textile dyes, methylene blue (MB) and orange green (OG) have been widely used in textile, printing, and photographic ind...

Recently, environmental pollution is a great concern in both developing and developed countries. Rapid unplanned urbanization, industrialization, overpopulation growth, and intensive agricultural activities cause contamination of water, and soil notably. Major pollutants include heavy metals, metalloids, dyes, natural organic matters, chlorinated o...

Featured Application Improved extraction of polyphenolics and flavonoids from sage leaves. Abstract This work analysed the effect of spontaneous fermentation of sage leaves on the release and extraction of flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Chemical profiling based on thin-layer chromatography was used to compare different extracts from two sage sp...

Studies have shown that olfactory experience during breastfeeding plays an important role in the later development of certain food preferences in life. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict partitioning of odorous terpenes and terpenoids into breast milk from a predictive QSAR model for drug transfer. A large heterogenous data set based on dru...

In this study, effect-directed analysis (EDA) (i.e. TLC hyphenated with an in situ MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) antimicrobial assay), was used for screening and identification of antimicrobials in olive leaf extract. EDA detected that the same compounds exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against bact...

Featured Application Extraction and selective isolation and purification of oleanolic and maslinic acids from olive leaves. Abstract The present study reports on the use of the flash chromatography for the isolation and purification of oleanolic and maslinic acids from olive leaf extracts. Although the separation and identification of these acids...

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of spontaneous microbial maceration on the release and extraction of the flavonoids and phenolics from olive leaves. Bioprofiling based on thin-layer chromatography effect-directed detection followed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy proved to be a reliable and convenient method for simultaneous comparison of...

The effect of spontaneous fermentation by lactic acid bacteria on the extraction yield of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity from rosemary leaf extracts was investigated using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Brining and spontaneous fermentation with lactic acid bacteria more than doubled extraction of polyphenolics and...

Characterizing adsorbent and adsorption mechanism are significant for potential environmental applications. Spectroscopic studies are important tools for environmental chemists, enabling us to understand and predict adsorption mechanism in a natural environment. Adsorption of pollutants onto surfaces from aqueous solution and their underlying mecha...

Arsenic contamination is a worldwide concern due to its adverse effect on our ecosystem. It is a ubiquitous element that combines readily with many other elements to form organic and inorganic compounds. The release of As(III/V) into the aquatic environment can occur through natural and human activities. Too much exposure to As(III/V) can cause a d...

Phosphate is one of the most important macronutrients for the plant kingdom. However, excess phosphate in water bodies can cause serious problems including eutrophication. Numerous adsorbents have been developed and explored for phosphate removal due to their local abundance, low cost, environmentally friendliness, and chemically stability. This re...

Lead(II) is an important heavy metal ion toxic for our body. It is among the major pollutants responsible for soil, water, and atmospheric pollution. Rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, and industrialization have led to a situation of releasing huge quantities of Pb(II) in wastewater which has become a tremendous problem. Prolong expos...

UV-Vis spectrum of humic acid solution (0.1 mM) using Milli-Q water as a reference

Pittosporum angustifolium, known as gumbi gumbi, is a native Australian plant, which has traditionally been used as an Aboriginal medicine. This study investigates the effect of different solvents and extractive fermentation on the content and natural products composition of Pittosporum angustifolium extracts, and compares their antioxidant activit...

Water is indispensable for life, important for the ecosystem and it is in great demand because of its scarcity. Due to rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization and industrialization and lack of a proper waste management system, large-scale polluted water has been released into the aquatic environment which can pose a severe threat to the flo...

A high-performance thin-layer chromatography with microchemical derivatization and bioassay guided detection was used for bioanalytical profiling of selected marigold plant extracts. Anisaldehyde/sulfuric acid reagent and thymol/sulfuric acid reagent were used to visualize separated components on the chromatograms. Antioxidant activity and α-amylas...

Boehmite (γ-AlOOH) is a representative aluminium oxy-hydroxide mineral present in appreciable amounts in tropical soil, sediment, and the aquatic environment. This phase has been a precursor for numerous aluminium oxides which have been used as catalyst supports, coagulants, membranes, coatings, and adsorbents. Due to its compatibility, a particula...

Given the simplicity in sample preparation and application, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) as its most enhanced form are commonly used to separate and identify complex mixtures in solution [...]

Essential oils are highly volatile, aromatic concentrated extracts from plants with wide applications. In this study, fast, easy-to-use attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was combined with chemometric techniques to verify essential oils’ taxonomy and purity. Principal component analysis (PCA) clustered 30...

The aim of this study was to evaluate marine algae extracts in terms of their anti-inflammatory activity using a combination of chromatographic separation and chemical detection with subsequent infrared vibrational spectroscopy identification. Extraction parameters, chemical fingerprint, and the activity levels were considered for the method optimi...

Humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) are the prime components of natural organic matter (NOM) and ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. They can cause several problems in water such as odor, taste, and color. They can also produce hazardous disinfectant by-products (DBPs) and can reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquatic environment. Th...

In our society, anxiety and depression are serious health issues that affect a large proportion of the population. Unfortunately, drug therapies are not always effective and can lead to drug abuse, delay of therapeutic effect, dependence, and tolerance. Traditionally, aromatherapy has also been used for anxiety relief and mood improvement. The use...

Water polluted with metal ions is an important environmental problem in recent years. Cadmium (II) is a priority toxic pollutant metals which need to remove from contaminated water for environmental management. Over the years, numerous materials have been used to adsorb Cd(II) from polluted water. In this review Cd(II) adsorption onto a wide number...

Heavy metal ions are the most prevalent water contaminants. Recently, metal ion such as cobalt(II) polluted water is an emerging issue. Excessive concentrations of Co(II) is harmful to both plants and human beings, and thus, removal of this element from polluted water is warranted. Moreover, the sorption-desorption process occurring at the water-mi...

Complex samples such as botanical extracts contain hundreds of compounds. Since we can only identify compounds that are stable, extractable, separable and detectable from complex botanical extracts, minimal sample treatment and different detection methods are essential. A combination of high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with non-ta...

This study focuses on the health benefits of several fresh herbs that are commonly used in the Mediterranean diet. Antioxidant activity, phytosterol content and α-amylase inhibitory activity of fresh basil, lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme are analyzed and compared. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with effect...

Many native Australian plants have a long history of use as medicinal and culinary herbs and some are considered to be equivalents to the Mediterranean herbs. However, while therapeutic properties of Mediterranean herbs are well documented, there is limited information on the medicinal use of the Australian native herbs. Extracts of five native Aus...

Humic acid (HA) is an important component of natural organic matter (NOM) found in soil, sediment and aqueous media. HA can readily bind to surfaces thereby affecting its transport and reactivity in the soil system. To understand the fate of HA in soil environments, it is important to know the mechanism of HA adsorption onto mineral surfaces. Humic...

(Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, Elsevier)! Chromium (VI) is an important heavy metal commonly found in tannery wastewater. In order to manage this type of environmental pollution, there needs to be a better understanding of Cr(VI) adsorption mechanisms. This article reviews the recent usage of various adsorbents to adsorb C...

The use of pulp and paper is increasing Worldwide, and wastes are therefore being produced in appreciable amounts. These wastes often pose serious disposal problems and degrade the nearby environment. They are commonly disposed of through combustion and landfilling. Thus, the use of them as adsorbents is a promising and high priority because of the...

Human saliva is increasingly being used and validated as a biofluid for diagnosing, monitoring systemic disease status, and predicting disease progression. The discovery of biomarkers in saliva biofluid offers unique opportunities to bypass the invasive procedure of blood sampling by using oral fluids to evaluate the health condition of a patient....

Ni(II) polluted water becomes a significant issue in recent years. Excessive levels of Ni(II) are detrimental to the plant, animal and human life, so it is important to reduce the amount of Ni(II) that enters the environment from polluted water. Manganese oxides, found in soils are important in determining the availability of Ni(II) in soil systems...

The extraction and use of mineral resources are critical to modern societies. New technologies and practices have ensured the development of the mining industry. Currently, the industry is striving to become more efficient and more environmentally-friendly. This paper reports on the effect of chemical and mineralogical changes (weathering due to su...

In recent years, surface complexation model (SCM) is considered a reliable tool for identifying the possible adsorption reactions that occur at the solid-water interface. Combination of macroscopic results with both spectroscopic and SCM can provide molecular level mechanism of adsorption process. Therefore, a significant attention has been given f...

The enrichment of chromium (VI) in the soil is an important environmental concern due to its mobility and acute toxicity. Due to its emergent toxicity, removal of this species is very important. The mobility of Cr(VI) is highly governed by its adsorption onto the mineral surfaces. Manganese oxides are naturally occurring scavengers and have a signi...

Dyes are priority pollutants, commonly found at significant concentrations in textile effluents. The presence of dyes stuffs in wastewater can cause severe problems to aquatic life and human beings. Therefore, the removal of dyes from wastewater is important in order to minimize their hazardous effects on the environment. One way of removing dyes i...

Aromatherapy with essential oils (EOs) has been linked to improvement of cognitive function in patients with dementia. In order to act systemically, active EO components must be absorbed through the skin, enter the systemic circulation, and cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Thus, the aim of this work was to develop quantitative structure activit...

Marine organisms produce an array of biologically active natural products, many of which have unique structures that have not been found in terrestrial organisms. Hence, marine algae provide a unique source of bioactive compounds. The present study investigated 19 marine algae and one seagrass collected from Torquay beach, Victoria, Australia. High...

The presence of nickel (II) in the aquatic environment is of major concern because of its toxicity and tendency to bioaccumulate. Humic acid (HA) is the principal fraction of natural organic matter. Often, Ni(II) and HA present simultaneously in the soil environment. Ni(II) and HA can have adverse effects to fauna, flora, and humans. Remediation of...

Manganese oxides (MnOs) occur widely in the form of a colloid, concretions, nodules, coatings, fine-grained particles or poorly crystalline nanoparticles in nature. MnOs exhibit a wide variety of structures containing manganese in the tetravalent or trivalent state with not fully resolved crystal structures. They can establish two-dimensional layer...

Manganese oxides are ubiquitous in soil, sediment and aquatic environment. Over the years, manganese oxides and their composites have proved to be effective as adsorbents for the removal of metal ions and contaminants from water/wastewater. Because of their unique chemical and physical properties, they have attracted widespread attention as excelle...

The presence of cobalt(II) in wastewater is an emergent concern because of its toxicity at elevated concentration. Co(II) is a non-biodegradable, carcinogenic and mutagenic pollutant released from natural, industrial and manmade sources. In recent years, the control of water that has been polluted with Co(II) has been an emergent issue. The release...

The presence of cobalt(II) in wastewater is an emergent concern because of its toxicity at elevated concentration. Co(II) is a non-biodegradable, carcinogenic and mutagenic pollutant released from natural, industrial and manmade sources. In recent years, the control of water that has been polluted with Co(II) has been an emergent issue. The release...

Nanosized aluminium oxides (NAOs) are an important class of minerals widely found in soil, sediment, aquifer, and aquatic environments. Over the decades, these minerals have been explored as sorbents for the removal of wastewater contaminated with metal ions, anions, organic dyes, humic substances, phenolic compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceutical...

An increase in dementia numbers and global trends in population aging across the world prompts the need for new medications to treat the complex biological dysfunctions, such as neurodegeneration associated with dementia. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Cholinergic signaling, which is important in cognition, is slowly...

A high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for quantification of α-amylase inhibitory activity and stigmasterol content in ant plant extracts. An improved HPTLC method for the determination of total free radical scavenging activity in samples using DPPH• is also reported. For quantification of α-amylase inhibitory act...

A high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method to analyse antioxidant activity as free-radical scavenging activity and metal-chelation in selected mango varieties was developed and validated. The contributions of common phenolic acids to antioxidant activity in pulp and peel samples was assessed. Polyphenolic content in pulp and peel w...

A manganese oxide filter for environmental pollutants

Myrmecodia, or ant nest plant, is an indigenous medicinal plant traditionally used by local people in West Papua to treat a variety of hereditary diseases. It has been empirically proven to have a positive effect in treating various types of cancer, diabetes, heart problems, hypertension, lung, stroke, etc. High performance thin layer chromatograph...

The interaction of bioactive compounds from ethanolic extracts of selected marine algae samples, separated on chromatographic plates, with nitric/nitrous acid was investigated. The nature of bioactive compounds in the marine algae extracts was characterised using UV absorption spectra before and after reaction with diluted nitric acid, and from the...

While the health benefits of antioxidant compounds from terrestrial plants are widely accepted in Western counties, there is less recognition of the health benefits of marine algal antioxidant compounds. Oceans are an abundant source of biomaterials, with many natural antioxidants derived from marine algae being investigated as potential anti-aging...

Many plants containing terpenoids are used in traditional medicine for their pain-relieving and antiinflammatory properties. A well-known example is parthenolide, a sesquiterpene lactone produced by superficial leaf glands. While parthenolide is mainly isolated from the feverfew plant Tanacetum parthenium L. (syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium), it can...

The steady increase of diabetes is becoming a major burden on health care systems. As diabetic complications arise from oxidative stress, an antioxidant therapy along with anti-diabetic drugs is recommended. Myrmecodia or ant plant is highly valued as a traditional medicine in West Papua. It is used as an alternative treatment for diabetes, as the...

High-Performance Thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with DPPH free radical method and α-amylase bioassay was used to compare antioxidant and antidiabetic activities in ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts from 10 marine macroalgae species (3 Chlorophyta, 4 Phaeophyta and 3 Rhodophyta) from Blue Lagoon beach (Malaysia). Samples were also evalu...

The objective of this study was to determine which major grape varieties are present in a given wine using both high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting and multivariate analysis. For this purpose, 40 mono- and multi-varietal commercial wine samples from four vintages between 2003 and 2012 were collected and analyzed for th...

Aim and objective: This study investigates molecular structural requirements that are responsible for the antioxidant activity in phenolic compounds. Method: Antioxidant activity of compounds was determined with a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical assay. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify phenolic antioxidant...

One of the main challenges in drug discovery is to design a new biologically active compound on the basis of previously synthesized molecules and from established quantitative structure–activity relationships. This knowledge is then used to propose new drugs with enhanced biological activity and a better selectivity profile for a specific therapeut...

Anions are known to affect the adsorption of metal ions to soil minerals, with the change in adsorption depending on the nature of the anion. Organic phosphates, like inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), are present in significant amounts in most soil systems but little is known about their effect on metal ion adsorption. Since strong complexes are formed...

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid and simple high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method to screen for antioxidant activity in algal samples. 16 algal species were collected from local Victorian beaches. Fucoxanthin, one of the most abundant marine carotenoids was quantified directly from the HPTLC plates befo...

The aim of this study was to: (a) develop a simple, high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method combined with direct 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay to rapidly assess and compare free radical scavenging activity or anti-oxidant activity for major classes of polyphenolics present in wines; and (b) to investigate relationshi...

The healthy properties of functional food are associated with the presence of a wide range of phenolic antioxidants. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a simple, rapid, and reproducible high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method combined with a direct 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, to compare antioxidant activit...

The effect of humic acid ( HA ) on myo‐inositol hexaphosphate ( IP 6 ) sorption and desorption to gibbsite and kaolinite was investigated with measurements of macroscopic sorption. Gibbsite tended to have a larger sorption capacity for both HA and IP 6 . The behaviour in the ternary systems, where both HA and IP 6 were present, was complex. Both pH...

Midazolam, a potent anxiolytic drug with sedative properties, is susceptible to degradation by both light and hydrolysis in aqueous solution. When formulated as an intranasal product it was found to be effective in achieving seizure control in epileptic patients. In order to deliver an adequate therapeutic dose to a patient, a nasal formulation req...

This review is Part 12 of a series of contributions initially sponsored by the critical properties group of the previous IUPAC Commission I.2 on Thermodynamics, Subcommittee on Thermodynamic Data and then by IUPAC Project #2000-026-1-100, Critical Compilation of Vapor Liquid Critical Properties for the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division as...

With advances in technology in recent years and the use of modern techniques for generating and evaluating digital images, high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) has become a powerful analytical method to analyze complex herbal samples, providing both qualitative and quantitative data. One of the major concerns with the use of HPTLC is...

The present study describes a simple high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for the simultaneous quantification of apigenin, chamazulene, bisabolol and the use of DPPH free radical as a post-chromatographic derivatization agent to compare the free radical scavenging activities of these components in leaf and flower head extracts...

Most drugs are hydrophobic in nature, and while this is good for their pharmacological activity, it often affects their absorption into the systemic circulation due to poor aqueous solubility. One of the common approaches for the improvement of drug solubility is by complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs). Moreover, it can also make possible the prep...

A non-linear quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model based on 350 drug molecules was developed, as a predictive tool for drug protein binding, by correlating experimentally measured protein binding values with ten calculated molecular descriptors using a radial basis function (RBF) neural network. The developed model has a statist...

Human activities have introduced tens of thousands of chemicals into water systems around the world which has significantly impacted water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to develop an in silico QSAR model, capable of predicting the aquatic toxicity of pesticides in terms of a lethal dose (LD50) for fish without requiring...

There is a large chemical variability between commercially available Echinacea for both research and consumption impacts on the quality and efficacy of these products. Globally, herbal industries are largely unregulated, leaving manufacturers responsible for quality control. Several recent efforts to improve regulation have created a need for rapid...

Most drugs are carried from the site of absorption to their intended site of action (target site) by the bloodstream, either dissolved in the serum or bound to plasma proteins. Binding to plasma proteins influences (i.e. limits or favours), drug distribution through the body. Usually it is the unbound drug concentration that determines its pharmaco...

Export Date: 18 October 2014

The aim of this study was to develop an in silico Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) model capable of predicting partitioning of pesticides into breast milk from their respective chemical structures. A large data set of 190 diverse compounds, including drugs and their active metabolites (87%), and pesticides (13%) with experimental...

The primary goal of this study was to develop a simple and reliable High-Performance-Thin-Layer Chromatography method to quantitate active ingredients in commercial topical formulations containing Calendula officinalis extract and to investigate the affect of different extraction solvents on the overall quality of the formulation. The developed met...

Among marine organisms, marine algae are rich sources of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with various biological activities. Algae are widespread everywhere on earth where there is light to carry out photosynthesis and have the potential to produce a number of valuable compounds like Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs), pigments, and antio...

The aim of this study was to develop an in silico Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) model capable of predicting partitioning of pesticides into breast milk from their respective chemical structures. A large data set of 190 diverse compounds, including drugs and their active metabolites (87%), and pesticides (13%) with experimental...

The aim of this study was to use hybrid NNs with categorical (discrete) outputs, rather than encoded binary outputs to model phase behaviour of quaternary colloidal systems, and to predict microemulsion, liquid crystalline phase or coarse emulsion formulation (categorical outputs) from the water and oil proportion and HLB value of surfactants(s)/co...

Assessing the quality of pearls involves the use of various tools and methods, which are mainly visual and often quite subjective. Pearls are normally classified by origin and are then graded by luster, nacre thickness, surface quality, size, color and shape. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)...

This study investigated the chemical structure of extracted dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from thermally altered plant material found in the box–ironbark environments of central Victoria, namely: Eucalyptus tricarpa, Pinus pinaceae, Isolepsis nodosa, Acacia pycnantha, and Cassinia arcuata. Samples taken from the plants were burnt at 150, 3...