Padma Vasudevan

• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Various designs are discussed for ecosystem services in engineered wetlands for contaminated water treatment. Techniques such as Rhizo filtration, Constructed wetlands and Floating rafts are highlighted based on our experiments. Specifically, enhanced bioenergy production by domestic wastewater treatment in rhizo filtration by fast growing trees is...

Plants contribute significantly to human health and nutrition, because they contain all the essential nutrients. Leaves, roots, stem, flowers and fruits of many plants are not only nutritious but also have medicinal value. Many food bearing plants being seasonal, annual or perennial reduce the load on agriculture. Often consumption of such foods is...

Sustainable development requires combining economic viability with energy and environment conservation and ensuring social benefits. It is conceptualized that for designing a micro industry for sustainable rural industrialization, all these aspects should be integrated right up front. The concept includes; (a) utilization of local produce for value...

Community acceptance has been identified as one of the key requirements for a sustainable bioenergy project. However less attention has been paid to this aspect from developing nations and small projects perspective. Therefore this research examines the role of community acceptance for sustainable small scale bioenergy projects in India. While addr...

Pitcher irrigation is particularly useful for horticulture in arid zones. It is of interest to see the correlation of water flow (WF) through the pitcher wall into air, water, and soil with the moisture deficit in air (MD). The pattern of WF into the three media was studied for four pitchers filled with water up to the neck, under natural atmospher...

Distillation can remove all types of contaminants at any concentration level. In this phase change method the feed water is evaporated into steam using a heat source. The vapor formed leaves behind all contaminants in the feed water. The steam led to a condenser gives premium quality water with Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) less than 10 ppm. Generati...

Solar energy is the most abundant, widely distributed and clean renewable energy resource. Since the insolation intensity is only in the range of 0.5 - 1.0 kW/m2, solar concentrators are required for attaining temperatures appropriate for medium and high temperature applications. The concentrated energy is transferred through an absorber to a therm...

Purpose – The paper aims to design and prove the concept of micro-industry using trigeneration fuelled by biomass, for sustainable development in rural NW India. Design/methodology/approach – This is being tested at village Malunga, near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The system components comprise burning of waste biomass for steam generation and its use...

Purpose – A variety of biomass plantations are being raised for energy production. This case study is on energy production potential of seasonal oil bearing crops in India. These crops have the advantage of producing oil (liquid fuel) as well as biomass as agro residue (solid fuel). The purpose of the study is to estimate total energy yields of oil...

Purpose – The energy demand of growing population is on rise despite the fact that conventional energy reserves are limited and exhaustive in nature. To quench the ever-needing demand of energy, there is an urgent need to find out new energy options. In this regard, role of bioenergy plantation has gained enormous attention of scientist community a...

Experiments were designed to determine the effect of untreated wastewater (T1), phytoremediated wastewater (T2), and rainwater (T3) irrigation on Capsicum annuum and soil. Morphological parameters of plants and accumulation of metal and nutrients in crop and soil were studied. The biomass of C. annuum was greatest under T1 followed by T2 and T3. Ro...

To evaluate the usefulness of sericulture (silkworm culture) waste (silkworms ejected feces litter) for composting with other mixed plant residues and for raising earthworms Eisenia foetida, composting was done by aerobic (pit), anaerobic and vermi-composting processes. The litter proved to be as good for composting the mixed plant residues as cow...

We describe a polygeneration system that can run on neat plant oils, such as Jatropha and Pongamia, or standard diesel fuel. A prototype has been constructed using a compression ignition engine of 9.9 kW shaft output. It consumes 3 L/h of fuel and will produce 40 kg/h of ice by means of an adsorption refrigerator powered from the engine jacket heat...

Experiments were conducted on four vegetable crops (Solanum melongena, Lycospersicon esculentum, Capsicum annuum and Abelmoschus esculentus) to determine the effects of untreated wastewater (T1), phytoremediated waste-water (T2) and rainwater as control (T3) on mineral (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and K +) uptake and their partitioning in various plant parts. Th...

The aspects of fabrication, design and operation with design optimization of various components of the small scale multiple effect distillation (MED) unit have been discussed in part I of the paper. The MED system can be operated as n effects + condenser (n + C), where 1 ≤ n ≤ 9. Extensive experiments were carried out respectively using 9 + C, 6 +...

Domestic wastewater is generated continuously and in large quantities. It can serve as an alternative water nutrient source for irrigation. In the present study Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Ladyfinger) was irrigated using untreated wastewater (T1), treated wastewater (T2) and rainwater (T3) in pot experiments. The effect was seen on nutrient forticat...

Removal of dissolved salts and toxic chemicals in water, especially at a few parts per million (ppm) levels is one of the most difficult problems. There are several methods used for water purification. The choice of the method depends mainly on the level of feed water salinity, source of energy and type of contaminants present. Distillation is an a...

Overall Heat Transfer Co-efficient (OHTC) is the governing factor for heat transfer and depends on surface area utilized for heat transfer and temperature difference. The aspects of fabrication, design and operation along with design optimization of various components of the small scale multiple effect distillation (MED) unit have been discussed in...

Effect of irrigation to Azadirachta indica Juss saplings by untreated domestic wastewater (N 1), wastewater treated by phytoremediation (N 2) and tap water as control (N 3) on their establishment and growth were compared. Constructed wetland (CW) was able to reduce BOD, N, P and K to a significant level. Growth measured in terms of morphological an...

This study presents water flow (WF) into soil from several pitchers buried in the soil up to their neck and filled with water, under natural atmospheric conditions for a period of two years. Variation in daily WF into soil indicated a direct correlation with moisture deficit (MD) in atmosphere. WF increases linearly with MD for non rainy days. WF w...

Constructed wetlands (CW) are an alternative localized treatment technology suitable for reducing BOD, COD, NPK and pathogens to acceptable levels for subsequent use of treated water, especially for irrigation. Dissolved chemicals and heavy metals are also reduced to an extent. CWs are extensively used in developed countries for secondary and terti...

This study examines localized treatment of domestic wastewater for use in irrigation in Indian scenario. Use of domestic wastewater in partially treated or untreated forms for irrigation is suggested to mitigate wastewater disposal problem and meet irrigation water needs. Also nutrients present in water get recycled, saving on chemical fertilizers...

This study presents development of a farmer’s agroforestry model involving tree species that bioremediate water table through efficient biodrainage (evapotranspiration). An abandoned waterlogged (water table up to 2 m) degraded farm area (900 m x 200 m) adjacent to Balsamand canal at CCS HAU farm at Hisar, India was planted with 10 tree species (Ca...

This study estimates above-ground biomass in high density plantations of six important semi-arid tree species at Palwal (70 km from Delhi) irrigated with secondary treated sewage water at the rate of 0, 25, 50 and 100% of daily net evaporation potential (EP). In 2.5 y old plantations (plant spacing, 2 m x 2 m for single stem species and 2 m x 1 m f...

Biomass production, conversion and utilization can be done locally with value addition to small farmers. However, new technical inputs are needed for profitable exploitation of biomass within the constraints related to land, water and skill availability and to provide higher quality of energy needed for rural industries. Trigeneration, which is gen...

This review presents current status of crude pyro-oil production in India from agro and forest based biomass with its limitations and the state of technologies for second and third generation fuel production. Also, bio oil obtained from hydropyrolysis of different bamboo species has been characterized. Bio-fuel production is reviewed as a two step...

This study presents use of a vertical multiple effect distillation (VMED) technique for defluoridation and dearsenification of contaminated water and desalination of sea water. Distillation of tap water was also undertaken for comparison. VMED unit has been found able to remove all types of salt from water to produce good quality distilled water.

Successful conversions of wastelands into productive arable land, requires physical barriers for protection from grazing and encroachment. Such barrier possesses desired functionality and be sustainable for local conditions (soil, climatic, and social). In the long run, agriculture has to be environmentally sustainable in terms of inputs (energy, w...

This study evaluates use of vegetation filter for pollutant load removal from grey water, generated from GBPUAT, Pantnagar, India. Grey water is rich in nutrients and organic load and was used for fertigation of woody crops of Eucalyptus hybrid, Populus deltoides, Salix alba and Melia azedarach. Average reduction of N, P and K was 50, 34 and 15%, r...

This study presents technical, environmental and socio economic benefits under some case studies carried out by using buried clay pot irrigation for establishing small orchards in Rajasthan, India. Feasibility of treating saline water locally by multi effect distillation and using product water mixed with saline water for irrigation in clay pots ha...

The comparative effect of dual inoculation of native N fixer (Rhizobium) and AM fungi consortia with different organic fertilizers (vermicompost and farm yard manure) on fodder production and quality of two leguminous tree species (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de. Wit. and Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr.) in silvopastoral system and their impact on the f...

A few aryloxy substituted phthalonitrile viz. 4-(p-methylphenoxy)phthalonitrile, 4-(p-tertbutylphenoxy)phthalonitrile, 4-(2,4-dimethylphenoxy)phthalonitrile, 4-(p-nitrophenoxy)phthalonitrile, 4-(p-chlorophenoxy)phthalonitrile, 4-(p-cumylphenoxy)phthalonitrile, and 4-(p-ethylphenoxy)phthalonitrile have been synthesised and characterised by elemental...

IO,' (100 ppm +) in water exhibits antimicrobial properties when taken alone or with salt. Polyiodide resin killed experimental bacteria on contact and exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties while resin loaded with IO; was not effective. Therefore, polyiodide resin would be an efficient system for water disinfection.

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Livestock is an important component of agriculture in India. In Bundelkhand region of Central India, animals are reared for milk, manure, draft and as wealth. The traditional practices in animal feeding and healthcare are area specific and depend upon the locally available bioresources. In the study, efforts have been made to evaluate the livestock...

This study analyses feasibility of using domestic wastewater for fertigation of tree crops. Wastewater samples from different sources in domestic sector were analyzed and evaluated in terms of water quality and quantity. Water is rich in plant nutrients. However, due to possible presence of toxic ions and microbial load, it is recommended that dire...

In many areas of northern India, salinity renders groundwater unsuitable for drinking and even for irrigation. Though membrane treatment can be used to remove the salt, there are some drawbacks to this approach e.g. (1) depletion of the groundwater due to over-abstraction, (2) saline contamination of surface water and soil caused by concentrate dis...

The biocompatibility and biodegradability of periodate oxidized cellulose is assessed in vivo. Morophological and histopathological studies over a period of six months indicate that oxidized cellulose degrades slowly without producing excessive tissue reaction. Preliminary investigations on the kinetics of degradation of oxidized cellulose in vitro...

Stylosanthes is regarded as an important forage legume for the humid to semiarid tropics in India. Comparative potential of single and dual inoculation of N fixers (native Rhizobium spp.) and AM fungi consortia was studied in unsterilized soil with two Stylosanthes species (S. hamata accession CPI 110123 and S. seabrana accession CPI 105546B) for n...

Thermal distillation and reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane filtration are the most widely used water desalination technologies in the world. Thermal systems are generally associated with high consumption of energy and only efficient for large scale plants. RO system is expensive, but it is widely used due to its high total dissolved solids (TDS) reduct...

BACKGROUND:Panicum maximum Jacq. is one of the most important fodder grasses of the tropics. For good production and growth it requires high amounts of N fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers have a deleterious effect on soil fertility and are not economical for resource-poor farmers. Utilization of plant growth-promoting bacteria and fungi proved to be...

Rainwater samples (54) were tested to study efficacy of H 2 S strip test by comparing with MPN (Most Probable Number) and other tests. Both H 2 S strip test and MPN agree in approx. 65-75% of cases. Disagreement is more pronounced at low bacterial content. Feasibility of local treatments of rainwater harvested for drinking purpose by exposure to su...

The manufacture of oxalic acid from waste of plants obtained from a variety of starting materials such as glucose, sugar, glycol, flour, rice straw, sarkanda (Saccharum munja), arhar (Cajanas cajan) sticks, pineapple waste, molasses, jute stick, potato pulp, peat and unsaturated hydrocarbons such as acetylene and propylene, etc., is described. The...

2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) based polymeric hydrogels were synthesized by free-radical redox bulk polymerization technique using 1% ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinking monomer and ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TEMED) as redox initiator. Polymeric hydrogel samples were loaded with solid...

Experimental data on cadmium (II) and nickel (II) ion sorption on deactivated protonated yeast over a wide range of sorbent and initial metal concentrations, were analyzed by an equilibrium model based on a thermodynamics approach. Model describes relationships between the equilibrium concentration of metal, metal sorption per unit biomass dosage a...

Experiments were conducted to compare the effectiveness of Rhizobia procured from Division of Microbiology, Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (cowpea miscellany, CP) and native strains isolated from the nodules of there plant species namely Acacia nilotica, Leucaena leucocephala and Dalbergia sisso. The Rhizobia cowpea miscell...

Often bacteriological quality of ground water or surface water does not meet the prescribed standards. Iodine has been known for its germicidal action and has been used since 1920 for water disinfection. NASA, USA has used iodine-based disinfection in its space flights. In this review, water disinfection by different formulations incorporating iodi...

Polyphenylene sulphide is a polymer with good thermal stability and high crystallinity. This paper summarizes the results of friction and wear studies of polyphenylene sulphide and its composites made with conventional solid lubricants to ascertain the suitability of the material as a matrix for solid lubricant additives. The polymer itself has a h...

Bismaleimides are the addition type of polyimide resin. They are synthesized by reaction of diamino compounds with maleic anhydride. By varying the structure of the diamino compound it is possible to make various bismaleimides. This paper discusses improvement of the friction and wear properties of bismaleimide resin, by the addition of solid lubri...

With depleting oil resources and negative environmental impacts associated with the use of petro fuels, there is a renewed interest in biomass based fuels, which can still form the base for sustainable development in terms of techno-economics, environmental as well as socio-cultural considerations. As it is a locally available resource, energy equi...

Due to expansive and environment-polluting chemical amendments for reclaiming alkaline salt-affected wastelands that have large share worldwide, it is important to use biological means like native bioinoculants to counteract the alkalinity and increase crop productivity on a sustainable basis. Field experiments were conducted to culture native Arbu...

Bentonite, a clay, was used for the adsorption of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from aqueous solution. Effect of pH, dose of adsorbent and initial concentration was studied on adsorption by bentonite clay. Desorption of Cr(VI) was also studied. Adsorption experiments were conducted in a batch system and found to be maximum at pH 2.0. Equilibrium dat...

Larvicidal activity of Tagetes patula essential oil was tested against the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex quinquefaciatus. Five different concentrations of essential oil were studied and the results were compared with that of synthetic insecticide, malathion. A. aegypti (LC(50) 13.57, LC(90) 37.91) was most su...

Many investigations have been carried on metal binding capacity of different groups of microorganisms. However, the reports on the kinetic, thermodynamic and desorption study of biosorption process are quite limited. The present study was carried out in a batch system using Mucor hiemalis for its sorption and desorption study of Cr(VI). M. hiemalis...

Essential oils of Lantana camara, Ocimum sanctum and Tagetes patula leaves were evaluated for antibacterial and antifungal activity. L. camara oil was also evaluated for larvicidal activity against different mosquito larvae. The growth of Bacillus megatarim and Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited at 1600 ppm. But, L. camara oil was able to inhibit...

Scientific investigations have established the viability of using earthworms as a treatment technique for numerous waste streams besides producing organic fertilizers. Vermicomposting results in the bioconversion of the waste stream into two useful products, earthworm biomass and vermicompost. The former can be used as a protein source whereas verm...

Direct solutions of pipe flow problems are not possible because of the implicit form of Colebrook-White equation, which is most commonly used for determining the friction factor of commercial pipes. New empirical equations for head loss, h , due to friction undergone by water flowing in the PVC, commercial steel, asphalted cast iron, galvanized iro...

In vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the extracts of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM)-colonized roots of Trigonella foenum-graecum, Ricinus communis, Solanum melongena and M. alba var. sujanpuri on the rhizogenesis of M. alba var. sujanpuri under NaCl stress. The AM fungi (Glomus mosseae, Glomus microcarpum, Glomus macrocarpum,...

Efficacy of native bioinoculants, viz. AM fungi and Azotobacter, separately as well as in combination was evaluated for enhancing biomass productivity of Morus alba, Populus deltoides, Psidium guajava and Leucaena leucocephala under different agroforestry models along with other plant species. The combination of all plant species tested was found t...

In vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the extracts of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM)-colonized roots of Trigonella foenum-graecum, Ricinus communis, Solanum melongena and M. alba var. sujanpuri on the rhizogenesis of M. alba var. sujanpuri under NaCl stress. The AM fungi (Glomus mosseae, Glomus microcarpum, Glomus macrocarpum,...

Pot experiments were conducted for the development of salt-resistant saplings of Morus alba (var. sujanpuri) involving bioinoculants, namely arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Azotobacter and indole butyric acid (IBA). The IBA and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations were optimized prior to the experiments. By using both low and high concentration...

Protonated form (Hy) of yeast was subjected to thermal analysis (TGA and DTG) in the temperature range 60-800 degrees C. Chemically bound water volatilizes around 200 degrees C and the matrix undergoes extensive oxidative decomposition at 450 degrees C, the weight loss reaching 75% at 800 degrees C. The sorption capacity of the matrix for nickel(II...

In the present study the kinetics of biosorption of cadmium(II) ions by deactivated protonated yeast converted to sodium form was investigated for different initial concentrations of the metal ion (10-100 ppm) and different sorbent dosages (0.1-2.0 g) at a pH of 6.5. The adsorption process occurred in four distinct steps and the rates for these ste...

The biosorption of nickel(II) ions by deactivated protonated yeast was investigated with respect to the initial pH and initial metal ion concentration. The kinetics of sorption was also followed based on the amounts of metal sorbed at various time intervals for different yeast doses. The equilibrium data could be fitted by the Langmuir isotherm mod...

In this paper we report some of the physico-chemical changes occurring in poly(phenylene sulphide) prepared by the homopolycondensation of thiophenol. The various electrical properties measured on these polymers were used to identify the temperatures at which these transitions occur.In dieser Arbeit wird über einige physiko-chemische Veränderungen...

A thiourea-formaldehyde polycondensate was synthesized in acidic medium using glacial acetic acid. It was characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and thermal techniques. The thermally stimulated depolarization (TSD) current characteristics were studied under different polarization and depolarization conditions. The TSD results in...

The immobilization of α-chymotrypsin on periodate oxidized cellulose as a biocompatible carrier was investigated. The properties and release of the enzyme from the polymer were studied. It was found that after an initial spurt, the amount of the released enzyme attains a practically constant value and the released enzyme retains its activity and sh...

A set of experimental conditions are described for the synthesis of monomeric and polymeric iron-phthalocyanines and compared with those reported in the literature. The dielectric constant and resistivity of characterised samples are studied as a function of temperature. The data indicate possible transitions at 90 and 180°C for monomeric iron-phth...

Thiourea formaldehyde polymers were synthesized by condensing thiourea with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions and were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. The stability of the samples was determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Electrets were prepared by polarizing the polymer at 100–300 kV m−1 and at 303–353 K. The complex thermal depol...

Metal porphyrins are active electrocatalysts for both oxidation and reduction. Such a dual donor-acceptor function is possible because of the presence of two types of active sites; chelate bound metal sites and sites with a buffer character of the conjugated system of π-electrons. The electrocatalytic activity and product composition depend on the...

Biosorption of monovalent ions Na+ and K+, by deactivated protonated yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at controlled pH, was compared with biosorption of divalent ions Ca2+ and Mg2+ to help to understand the underlying bindingmechanisms. The adsorption for monovalent ions was accompanied by H+ release. Divalent ions were sorbed by proton displacemen...

The larvicidal and pupicidal values of hot and cold water extracts from the leaves and seeds of Tagetes patula. Eucalyptus citridora. Ricinus communis, Callistemon maxicana, Cassia fistula and Azadirachta indica were evaluated against the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quiquefasciatus. The mortality rate was recorded...

Mycorrhizal fungi are a part of soil biota and are ubiquitous in nature. Interactions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with rhizospheric microflora and the plant's root can be beneficial, neutral or detrimental. The type of interaction has been found to vary with the plant species, type of soil and the microflora present in the rhizosphere. No speci...

Increasing environmental pollution by metal ions has led to the necessity of evolving efficient and cost-effective treatment technologies. Biosorption of metal ions using microbial biomass could be useful, especially for wastewater treatment. The metal uptake capacity of various biosorbents and the mechanism of uptake are reviewed in this context.

Studies were carried out to evaluate the larvicidal, growth inhibitor and repellent actions of D.sissoo oil against Anophelesstephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culexquinquefasciatus under laboratory conditions. Pure oil was applied at 0.4–5 ml/m2 on a water surface. This showed that larvicidal activity was directly proportional to dosages. One hundred pe...

Under current situation of rapidly increasing population, wastelands, and unemployment generation, it is necessary to produce the quality biomass at faster rate for various purposes, i.e., food, fibre, fuel, fertilizer, fodder, and agro-industries. In this regard, tissue culture has proved to be an efficient, eco-friendly, income generating, and te...

Oil of Mentha piperita L. (Peppermint oil), a widely used essential oil, was evaluated for larvicidal activity against different mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus by exposing IIIrd instar larvae of mosquitoes in enamel trays 6 + 4 inch2 size filled to a depth of 3 inch with water. Of the three species t...

Pathak N, Mittal PK, Singh OP, Sagar DV, Vasudevan P. Larvicidal action of essential oils from plants against the vector mosquitoes Anopheles stephensi (Liston), Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Aedes aegypti (L.). International Pest Control 42: 53—55, 2000.

Publisher Summary Phthalocyanine is a highly conjugated aromatic macrocycle that has four isoindolene units linked by aza bridges. The two central hydrogen atoms in the phthalocyanine ring can be replaced by more than 70 elements. They have high chemical stability and can easily be processed as thin films and liquid crystals. Metallophthalocyanines...

This review paper deals with the biology and potential of Psidium guajava relating to its food value, medicinal value and various types of chemicals obtained from it. Guava is a mycorrhizotrophic and multipurpose plant highly suited to tropical and subtropical climates. Evaluation of high yielding and short duration varieties of guava with tissue c...

The review deals with the efficacy of bioactive components of Ocimum sp. (Tulsi) relating to pesticidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, and medicinal values used since ancient times. Eugenol, methyl chavicol, linalool, isoeugenol, and methyl isoeugenol are the main constituents found with active combinations against stored grain insects, pests, mosquito...

The pollution. of drinking water is a ubiquitous problem. Distillation as an option of pure water production is gaining industrial acceptability. Vapour compression (VC), multi effect distillation (MED) and hybrid distillation are some of the techniques applicable for water distillation. MED is already an attractive choice for large-scale desalinat...

Mycorrhizae have been shown to increase growth and yield of plants. They have been identified with both nutrient mobilization and nutrient cycling. Arbuscular (or endo-) mycorrhizae play a significant role in agriculture and most natural ecosystems, whereas ectomycorrhizae have a great potential in forestry and wasteland regeneration. The use of my...

This paper is in two parts. The part I deals with technological options available for demineralisation. The second part provides details of method based on distillation such as MED, VC and their combinations. The need for removal of dissolved solids from water arises under several situations. These range from effluent water treatment, water purif...

This paper is in two parts. The part I deals with technological options available for demineralisation. The second part provides details of method based on distillation such as MED, VC and their combinations. The need for removal of dissolved solids from water arises under several situations. These range from effluent water treatment, water purif...

The oxygen reduction activity of carbon electrodes containing some copper- and cobalt-phthalocyanine monomer and polymer derivatives in phosphoric acid electrolyte is determined. It is found that the electrolytic activity of cobalt[bis(dicarboxybenzoyl)] phthalocyanine derivatives towards oxygen reduction is higher than that of a unsubstituted coba...

Natural products, traditionally used as biocides in indigenous cultures, are being reevaluated for safer means of bacterial and pest control, as compared to the synthetics. While unequivocal identification of bioactive components of plant extracts is difficult due to synergy and other type of interactions among the constituents, a variety of terpen...

Tagetes species, popularly known as marigold, are grown as ornamental plants and thrive in varied agro-climates. Bioactive extracts of different Tagetes parts exhibit nematocidal, fungicidal and insecticidal activity. Nematocidal activity of roots is attributed to thienyls while the biocidal components of the essential oil from flowers and leaves a...

New soluble phthalocyanines MPcX4 (M = 2H, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe) with four aryloxy substituents (X = p-methylphenoxy, 2,4-dimethylphenoxy) have been prepared and characterised by molecular weight measurements, elemental analyses, IR, electronic, H and C NMR spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements and thermal decomposition studies. The degr...

Bioconversion of agro-residues, rice straw and wheat straw, was carried out with the edible mushroom Pleurotus sajor-caju, with a view to increasing nutritive values and digestibilities for animal feed. Amongst the inorganic and organic nitrogen sources tested, soyabean meal and ficus fruits, in which nitrogen is present in complex form, were the b...