• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2005

Polysaccharide hydrogels constitute a structurally diverse class of biological macromolecules with a wide range of physicochemical properties. They also constitute important members of the family of industrial water-soluble polymers. They find application in Pharmacy as binders, disintegrants, suspending, emulsifying and sustaining agents. According to the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC), an excipient must have an established safety profile. Hence, in the present study, in vitro cytotoxicity on Vero and HEp-2 cell lines, and in vivo acute toxicity in rats were carried out to establish the safety of polysaccharide hydrogels from the seeds of Plantago ovata and Ocimum basilicum. The in vitro cytotoxicity was determined by MTT and SRB assays. In the in vivo acute toxicity, the effects of three different doses of hydrogels (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) on food and water intake, body weight, biochemical and hematological parameters were studied. The results of in vitro did not show any cytotoxicity on both the cell lines used. In the in vivo acute toxicity, the hydrogels did not show any toxic symptoms in all three dose levels. This establishes the safety of the selected hydrogels. Hence, they can be used as excipients in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.815-821
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• 2011

This study aims to estimate the biological decomposition capacity of MPC(Microorganism Porous-Concrete). MPC has specific surface area formed by inside pores, and bio compound was added to those pores to reduce pollutants loading. To evaluate the water purification capacity of MPC, we carried out the comparative studies using different media types [GPC(General Porous-concrete), CPC(Compound porous-concrete), LPC(Lightweight aggregate porous-concrete)] under the condition of CFSTR, and different retention times (30, 60 and 120 min). We also estimated the purification capacity of MPC under different concentrations of pollutant loadings. The MPC showed higher efficiency in water purification function than other conventional porous concretes with efficient decrease rates of SS, BOD, COD, and nutrient concentrations. In the comparison experiment for different retention times, MPC showed the highest removal efficiency for all tested pollutants in the longest retention time(120 min). In the long period test, the removal efficiencies of MPC concrete were high until 100 days after the set up of the operation, but began to decrease. Outflow flux was invariable compared with inflow flux so that extra detention time for media fouling such as back washing is not needed. But the results suggested that appropriate management is necessary for long-term operation of MPC. As the final outcome, MPC using bio organisms is considered to be efficient for stream water purification when they used as substrates for artificial river structure.