Abdurahman H Nour | University Malaysia Pahang (original) (raw)

Papers by Abdurahman H Nour

In this investigation, the process of microwave heating technology was evaluated to measure the e... more In this investigation, the process of microwave heating technology was evaluated to measure the effect of some important parameters such as dielectric properties (έ and ɛʺ), rate of temperature increase (dT/dt), volume rate of heat generation (Qmw), wavelength (λ) and penetration depth (Dp) during the microwave irradiation on crude oil emulsions. Two types of Malaysian crude oil mixed together at a volume ratio of 50-50% and applied for further investigations. In order to ensure the efficiency of the process, the improvement of existing techniques and the development of new technology different ratios of water and oil were utilized to prepare the emulsions of water-in-crude oil (W/O). The emulsion samples were heated under 360 watt and 540 watt for 3 to 5 minutes. The findings of the microwave heating demulsification showed that higher microwave power (540 watt) along with the radiation time (5 min) were not much effective for water separation. This is because of the over boiling of...

Demulsification is a process of water and oil separ ation from the emulsion, which is a very impo... more Demulsification is a process of water and oil separ ation from the emulsion, which is a very important step in petroleum industries. A critical problem in petroleum field is the result ing stabilization of water (W/O) emulsion, which can cause m Mohammed 2013) . More than 95% of the crude oil emulsion Alqam, 2000). The presence of natural finally create stable crude oil emulsions. Emulsifi ed water may cause many problems at several stages of crude oil productions such as, increasing the oil viscosi ty, high cost of pump corrosions, and in some cases the poisoning of refinery catalys ts et al., 2010). Therefore, the emulsions of W/O must be treated. Th e traditional methods of crude oil emulsion demulsification including physical and chemical tre a ments such as, chemical demulsifiers, heating, el ectrical, and mechanical methods have been widely used in et al. 2011) and (Martínez-Pa lou dielectric heating technology has a greater influen ce on the separation efficiency comparing to...

The formation of emulsions during oil production and processing is a costly problem, both in term... more The formation of emulsions during oil production and processing is a costly problem, both in terms of chemicals used and production losses. For economic and operational reasons, it is necessary to separate the water completely from crude oils before transporting or refining them. Experimental data are presented to show the influences of Triton X-100, low-sulfur wax residue (LSWR), sorbitan monooleate (Span 83) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the stability and microwave demulsification of petroleum emulsions. It was found that emulsion stability was related to several parameters including the surfactant concentration, water-to-oil phase ratio (10 to 90%), temperature and agitation speed. Based on this study, a possible emulsion-minimization approach utilizing microwave irradiation is suggested, which could be implemented in refineries. Compared with conventional heating, the use of microwave heating can significantly enhance the demulsification rate, reaching over 90 v/v% for the...

The method selective simultaneous water alternating gas SSWAG is an enhanced oil recovery process... more The method selective simultaneous water alternating gas SSWAG is an enhanced oil recovery process. According to Nitrogen injection reservoir criteria, there are two rock types of reservoir that are suitable for nitrogen injection. Sandstone and carbonate are strongly advised in literature review; therefore, an experimental study to compare the two rocks is very useful. The mechanism of this process was to perform the selective (modified) simultaneous water alternating gas (SSWAG). The process was initially started with water flooding (WF), as a secondary recovery, to displace the possible producible oil original in Place (OOIP). When no more oil had been produced by WF, the developed SSWAG was applied, where the gas nitrogen (N2) was injected at the bottom of the producing zone, while water was injected at the top of the producing zone. The results showed improvement in the Total Oil Recovery Factor, ORF%. Furthermore, the results illustrated that ORF% in Sandstone sand pack was sli...

Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials, 2020

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Ijama in 1991, a researcher with the Nippon Electric C... more Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Ijama in 1991, a researcher with the Nippon Electric Company (NEC) Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan (Zhao et al., 2006) has been in the focus of material research due to their unique electronic and mechanical properties in combination with the chemical stability. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanostructures resulting from revolved graphene planes and have a range of attractive chemical and physical properties. CNTs exist as single (SWNTs), and multi-walled (MWNTs) structures. CNTs theoretically is well known of its high electrical conductivity, very high tensile strength, highly flexibility where it can be bent considerably without damage, very elastic B18% elongation to failure, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion coefficient, good field emission of electrons and high aspect ratio (length to diameter ratio more than 1,000,000

Advanced Science Letters, 2017

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is hard wastewater that contains a high amount of Chemical Oxygen D... more Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is hard wastewater that contains a high amount of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS). These vital parameters should be treated first before it is discharged into any water ways. There are many treatment methods implied until this decade with traditional method. Pond system is the most implied method due to its low cost. The performance of Ultrasonic-assisted Membrane Anaerobic System (UMAS) is evaluated on the ability of UMAS to treat these parameters. The UMAS must be operated daily for 5 hours operation per day with 3 hours sonication. The experiment is done when the UMAS is achieving a steady state. The steady state is achieved on day 7 with no gas was generated. The performance of UMAS showed high COD removal efficiency with 98.7%. The kinetic study is also evaluated by implying three models which are Monod, Contois and Chen and Hashimoto model.

International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2020

The need of energy never comes to an end so; the challenge is to procure power source sufficient ... more The need of energy never comes to an end so; the challenge is to procure power source sufficient to offer for our energy needs. Besides, this energy source must be dependable, renewable, recurring and non-contributing to climate change. Aims: This study was aimed to produce biodiesel from Roselle seed oil and to investigate its quality. Methodology: The Roselle seeds were clean from dirt, milled to proper size and the oil was extracted using soxhlet with n-hexane as solvent. The extracted oil was subjected to physiochemical analysis tests and then transesterified using methanol and potassium hydroxide as catalyst; with ratio of oil to alcohol 1:8 at 65°C. The quality of produced biodiesel was investigated and compared to international standards. The fatty acid composition of the produced biodiesel was determined by GC-MS. Results: Based on the experimental results, the yellow with characteristic odor oil was obtained from the seeds had the following physicochemical properties: yiel...

International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 2014

Ultrasonicated Membrane Anaerobic System UMAS was successfully used for sewage sludge treatment a... more Ultrasonicated Membrane Anaerobic System UMAS was successfully used for sewage sludge treatment and biogas production. Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology were used to determine the optimum conditions in which UMAS produce a maximum content of methane in the biogas produced. The effects of three variables namely pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and organic loading rate (OLR) on methane content were evaluated individually and interactively. The optimum conditions obtained were pH 7.74, COD 1061.06 Mg/l and OLR 0.90 kg/m 3 d. The predicted maximum percentage of methane was 89.72 % and confirmed close to RSM result.

Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 2019

Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis swingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significan... more Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis swingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significant importance by researchers because of its large number of functional benefits. In this research we particularly focused on the evaluation of antioxidant and nutritional properties of the peel and pulp of the Foshou. The Foshou peel showed significantly higher antioxidant properties and nutritional contents than the pulp, excluding water, carbohydrate, and energy content. The water extract of Foshou peel and pulp contained 227.45 and 88.76 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (FW) of total phenolic compounds, with IC 50 DPPH •-scavenging activity 22.79 and 54.74 μg GAE/mL, respectively. The antioxidant capacity for Foshou peel and pulp was 214.81 and 71.53 mg Trolox equivalents per 100 g FW respectively. Our results indicated increased levels of pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, and iron in Foshou peel whereas thiamin and pyridoxine were the highest in the pulp. In this research, we found that 100 g of Foshou contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients. These results draw attention towards the potential use of Foshou as a source of health-enhancing compounds.

Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 2018

The current work analyses the chemical constituents of Jasmine flower using Chromatography-Mass S... more The current work analyses the chemical constituents of Jasmine flower using Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The dried Jasmine flower powder was extracted by methanol via the Microwave-assisted Hydrodistillation (MAHD) process. The GC-MS analysis revealed different peaks that showed the presence of ten compounds. In the current study, we have focused on the main compounds that can be used for biological activity, i.e. 2-Phenylthiolane (57.31%), Cyclohexene, 3-ethenyl- (25.91%), Acetaldehyde (12.70%), N-Methylallylamine (9.99%), Propanamide (6.79%) and Phthalic acid, bis (7-methyloctyl) ester (5.21%). The bio-compounds with methanol extract of Jasmine flower were analyzed by using GC-MS. Functional group analysis was carried out on the volatile oil obtained through MAHD by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphologies of untreated dried powdered Jasmine flower (i.e. raw powdered jasmine flower without soaking into methanol solution prior to e...

Journal of King Saud University - Science, 2018

The traditional ways of protein extraction is disadvantageous from both economic and environment ... more The traditional ways of protein extraction is disadvantageous from both economic and environment perspective. In this study, ultrasonic assisted extraction, UAE technique was used for the first time for the optimization process of extracting proteins from Eurycoma longifolia roots. The experiments demonstrated the successful effect of applying eccentric agitation with UAE to provide a combination of agitation and sonication to extract the proteins in short extraction times. Central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of proteins from roots of Eurycoma longifolia by water. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the effects of five independent variables; particle sizes (A), extraction temperatures (B), agitation speeds (C), amplitude (D) and duty cycle (E). The second enhanced model (Y 2) prevailed to be more efficient in protein recovery with optimum conditions of A: 0.022 ± 0.022 mm, B: 49°C, C: 1314 rpm, D: 9 W and E: 63% UI: 2.94 WÁcm À2 was 9.543 ± 0. 946%. High agitation speed didn't only affect the solvent properties, the diffusion of the solutes from the particles, cooling the extraction temperature, but influenced the distribution of cavitation bubbles and their impact on the solid particles. UAE was found to minimize the extraction of the same amount by conventional extraction 7-fold times. The results obtained in this study have exposed the capability of ultrasonic assisted extraction, UAE technology in extraction of protein from E. longifolia roots. Further works are nevertheless required to provide deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved to facilitate the development of optimum system applicable to the industry.

Journal of Analysis and Testing, 2018

The phenolic and antioxidant constituents in Acacia nilotica fruits have become an important sour... more The phenolic and antioxidant constituents in Acacia nilotica fruits have become an important source of medicinal and therapeutic benefit with powerful biological properties. This study investigated the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of powdered Acacia fruits with seeds and without seeds. The phenolic content and antioxidant capacities in them were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH free radical-scavenging assays. The total phenolic and antioxidants of A. nilotica with seeds were spectrophotometrically determined to be 47.61 and 6.18% greater than when the seeds were removed from the dried fruits, respectively. The LC-MS/QTOF analysis shows the presence of 282 and 214 phenolic compounds in the methanol extracts of A. nilotica with seeds and without seeds, respectively. The present study, therefore, revealed that dried A. nilotica fruits with seeds have higher total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and bioactive constituents, which indicated that they have more medicinal value than fruits without seeds.

Scientific Research and Essays, Jan 16, 2012

Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology, 2015

This review is aimed to introduce a comprehensive survey on the most prominent and sustainable te... more This review is aimed to introduce a comprehensive survey on the most prominent and sustainable techniques and methods that could abate the environmental worries as well as financial insecurities in treating petroleum emulsions, since the existence of water is not desired because of the paramount troubles it may cause on the processing streamlines, as well as financial cost associated with transporting water mixed with petroleum. Currently, the most commonly used method for treating petroleum emulsion is the application of chemical additives, known as demulsifiers. Althogh, there are many other methods that are claimed to be more favorable from economic and environmental perspectives, yet, have not being fully put into real life practice, because of the drawbacks and disadvantages. In this review, several techniques have been surveyed including, chemical, electrical, membrane, centrifuge, bacteria, air floatation, ultrasonic, and microwave. Based on this Theoretical survey, silcone based demulsifiers were reported to be very effective and environmental friendly, but expensive. Also microwave and ultrasonics were reported to be very effective in treating petroleum emulsion and could be recommended as future ulternatives for treating petroleum emulsions.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) (Family: Meliaceae), also known as 'Pokok Mambu' in Malaysia is widely ... more Neem (Azadirachta indica) (Family: Meliaceae), also known as 'Pokok Mambu' in Malaysia is widely known to contain variety of bioactive compounds that had been proven for the cure of various infections and diseases related to toxicity and bacteria. The extractions of the plant constituents are mainly dependent on the extraction methods, conditions and solvents. This study aims on the extraction of the chemical constituents' and identification of the volatile constituents of A. indica extracts. The cytotoxicity effect was studied for the extracts that lead towards the isolation of a bioactive compound. The oil of the plant was studied for its physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity. The crude extracts (barks, leaves and roots) were extracted via solvent extraction (acetone, chloroform, maceration and refluxed in ethanol), while the fractions (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous) were produced from partitioning of 80% methanol crude. Seed oil was extracted via Soxhlet with hexane for six hours. Volatile compound analysis via GC-MS was performed for all crude and fractions and cytotoxicity test against brine shrimp, Artemia salina for determination of LC 50 after 24 h. The isolation and identification of bioactive compound from the most active fraction of cytotoxicity were performed via preparative-HPLC, UV-Vis, IR, MS and NMR. Physicochemical properties of oil were studied according to standard methods. Antibacterial activity of oil was determined against B. subtilis, E. coli and S. aureus via well diffusion method. Yields of the extracts were varied among different parts due to polarity of solvents and extraction conditions. Highest and lowest yields of crude extracts were leaf and bark reflux in ethanol with 5.46% and 0.13%, respectively. Minimum and maximum yield was obtained for fractions by root ethyl acetate (0.06%) and leaf chloroform (1.15%). The n-hexadecanoic acid was detected in all samples with seven similar compounds in both crude and fractions as the most abundant volatile compound. Cytotoxicity proves that root acetone (457.09 ± 0.88 ppm) and leaf ethyl acetate extract (1.35 ± 0.40 ppm) are the most toxic. All the fractions and only root acetone crude extract falls under toxic level (LC 50 values < 500 ppm). The partitioning to different fractions separates the complex plant constituents according to polarity that influences the cytotoxicity. The isolation of quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside from leaf ethyl acetate proves the cytotoxic effect. Major characteristics of the oils are; density: 0.95 g/cm 3 ; refractive index: 70.90; acid value: 4.80 mg KOH/g; free fatty acid (oleic): 4.75 %; iodine value: 93.09 gI 2 /100g; pH: 4; peroxide value: 8.49 meq O 2 /kg; moisture & volatile matter: 0.83 % and unsaponifiable matter: 1.84 %. The major fatty acid chains in the oil are; linoleic-: 34.69 %; oleic-: 20.46 %, stearic-: 20.42 % and palmitic acid: 18.66 %. Inhibition zone for antibacterial study with 20, 40, 60 and 80% of oil lies between 1.23 ± 0.03 to 1.70 cm, 1.33 ± 0.06 to 1.6 ± 1.57x10-16 cm and 1.4 ± 0.03 to 1.63 ± 0.03 cm for B. subtilis, S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The MIC was 0.63± 0.0002, 2.50± 0.0010 and 5.00± 0.006% for B. subtilis, E. coli and S. aureus, respectively and S. aureus is more resistant. Results obtained supports that A. indica plant has high advantage to be used as drug in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The study should be further continued through direct study with insect and human cell line to confirm the effect of the drug. viii

International Perspectives on Water Quality Management and Pollutant Control, 2013

BioMed Research International, 2014

Gymnema sylvestre(Asclepiadaceae), popularly known as “gurmar” for its distinct property as sugar... more Gymnema sylvestre(Asclepiadaceae), popularly known as “gurmar” for its distinct property as sugar destroyer, is a reputed herb in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The phytoconstituents responsible for sweet suppression activity includes triterpene saponins known as gymnemic acids, gymnemasaponins, and a polypeptide, gurmarin. The herb exhibits a broad range of therapeutic effects as an effective natural remedy for diabetes, besides being used for arthritis, diuretic, anemia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolemia, cardiopathy, asthma, constipation, microbial infections, indigestion, and anti-inflammatory.G. sylvestrehas good prospects in the treatment of diabetes as it shows positive effects on blood sugar homeostasis, controls sugar cravings, and promotes regeneration of pancreas. The herbal extract is used in dietary supplements since it reduces body weight, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and holds great prospects in dietary as well as pharmacological applications. This r...

International Journal of the Physical Sciences, 2012

Although, the cellulase enzyme can work with high catalysis under mild condition, however, it doe... more Although, the cellulase enzyme can work with high catalysis under mild condition, however, it does not fulfil the industry requirement. In this study, cellulase obtained from the fermentation of sewage treatment plant (STP) sludge by Trichoderma reesei RUT C-30 was covalently immobilised on functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Statistical optimisation using the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) method was implemented to identify parameters with significant effects on the process of immobilisation. The results obtained from this PBD showed that three parameters have a significant effect on immobilisation: pH, temperature and N-ethyl-N-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) concentration. Based on our PBD results, these parameters were further optimised using a face-centred central composite design (FCCCD). The resulting optimum conditions for cellulase immobilisation, as determined by FCCCD, were pH 4.5, 30°C and 1 ml of 10 mg/ml EDC. The amount of immobilised cellulase was approximately 98% using these optimum conditions. The resulting MWCNT-cellulase composite was further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique.

International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 2014

Pharmacognosy Magazine, 2013

Background: The growth in the production of biodiesel, which is principally fatty acid methyl est... more Background: The growth in the production of biodiesel, which is principally fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), has been phenomenal in the last ten years because of the general desire to cut down on the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also as a result of the increasing cost of fossil fuels. Objective: Establish whether there is any relationship between two different species (watermelon and muskmelon) within the same family (Cucurbitaceae) on fatty acid compositions and enumerate the different fatty acids in the two species. Materials and Methods: Extraction of fatty acids from the two species and preparation the extract to gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis to determine the fatty acids compositions qualitatively and quantitatively. Results: The analyzed plants (watermelon and muskmelon) contain five saturated fatty acids; tetrdecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid with different concentrations, while muskmelon contains an extra saturated fatty acid named eicosanoic acid. The watermelon plant contains five unsaturated fatty acids while muskmelon contains three only, the two plants share in two unsaturated fatty acids named 9-hexadecenoic acid and 9-octadecenoic acid, the muskmelon plant contains higher amounts of these two acids (2.04% and 10.12%, respectively) over watermelon plant (0.88% and 0.25%, respectively). Conclusion: The chemical analysis of watermelon and muskmelon revealed that they are similar in saturated fatty acids but differ in unsaturated fatty acids which may be a criterion of differentiation between the two plants.

In this investigation, the process of microwave heating technology was evaluated to measure the e... more In this investigation, the process of microwave heating technology was evaluated to measure the effect of some important parameters such as dielectric properties (έ and ɛʺ), rate of temperature increase (dT/dt), volume rate of heat generation (Qmw), wavelength (λ) and penetration depth (Dp) during the microwave irradiation on crude oil emulsions. Two types of Malaysian crude oil mixed together at a volume ratio of 50-50% and applied for further investigations. In order to ensure the efficiency of the process, the improvement of existing techniques and the development of new technology different ratios of water and oil were utilized to prepare the emulsions of water-in-crude oil (W/O). The emulsion samples were heated under 360 watt and 540 watt for 3 to 5 minutes. The findings of the microwave heating demulsification showed that higher microwave power (540 watt) along with the radiation time (5 min) were not much effective for water separation. This is because of the over boiling of...

Demulsification is a process of water and oil separ ation from the emulsion, which is a very impo... more Demulsification is a process of water and oil separ ation from the emulsion, which is a very important step in petroleum industries. A critical problem in petroleum field is the result ing stabilization of water (W/O) emulsion, which can cause m Mohammed 2013) . More than 95% of the crude oil emulsion Alqam, 2000). The presence of natural finally create stable crude oil emulsions. Emulsifi ed water may cause many problems at several stages of crude oil productions such as, increasing the oil viscosi ty, high cost of pump corrosions, and in some cases the poisoning of refinery catalys ts et al., 2010). Therefore, the emulsions of W/O must be treated. Th e traditional methods of crude oil emulsion demulsification including physical and chemical tre a ments such as, chemical demulsifiers, heating, el ectrical, and mechanical methods have been widely used in et al. 2011) and (Martínez-Pa lou dielectric heating technology has a greater influen ce on the separation efficiency comparing to...

The formation of emulsions during oil production and processing is a costly problem, both in term... more The formation of emulsions during oil production and processing is a costly problem, both in terms of chemicals used and production losses. For economic and operational reasons, it is necessary to separate the water completely from crude oils before transporting or refining them. Experimental data are presented to show the influences of Triton X-100, low-sulfur wax residue (LSWR), sorbitan monooleate (Span 83) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the stability and microwave demulsification of petroleum emulsions. It was found that emulsion stability was related to several parameters including the surfactant concentration, water-to-oil phase ratio (10 to 90%), temperature and agitation speed. Based on this study, a possible emulsion-minimization approach utilizing microwave irradiation is suggested, which could be implemented in refineries. Compared with conventional heating, the use of microwave heating can significantly enhance the demulsification rate, reaching over 90 v/v% for the...

The method selective simultaneous water alternating gas SSWAG is an enhanced oil recovery process... more The method selective simultaneous water alternating gas SSWAG is an enhanced oil recovery process. According to Nitrogen injection reservoir criteria, there are two rock types of reservoir that are suitable for nitrogen injection. Sandstone and carbonate are strongly advised in literature review; therefore, an experimental study to compare the two rocks is very useful. The mechanism of this process was to perform the selective (modified) simultaneous water alternating gas (SSWAG). The process was initially started with water flooding (WF), as a secondary recovery, to displace the possible producible oil original in Place (OOIP). When no more oil had been produced by WF, the developed SSWAG was applied, where the gas nitrogen (N2) was injected at the bottom of the producing zone, while water was injected at the top of the producing zone. The results showed improvement in the Total Oil Recovery Factor, ORF%. Furthermore, the results illustrated that ORF% in Sandstone sand pack was sli...

Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials, 2020

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Ijama in 1991, a researcher with the Nippon Electric C... more Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Ijama in 1991, a researcher with the Nippon Electric Company (NEC) Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan (Zhao et al., 2006) has been in the focus of material research due to their unique electronic and mechanical properties in combination with the chemical stability. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanostructures resulting from revolved graphene planes and have a range of attractive chemical and physical properties. CNTs exist as single (SWNTs), and multi-walled (MWNTs) structures. CNTs theoretically is well known of its high electrical conductivity, very high tensile strength, highly flexibility where it can be bent considerably without damage, very elastic B18% elongation to failure, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion coefficient, good field emission of electrons and high aspect ratio (length to diameter ratio more than 1,000,000

Advanced Science Letters, 2017

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is hard wastewater that contains a high amount of Chemical Oxygen D... more Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is hard wastewater that contains a high amount of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS). These vital parameters should be treated first before it is discharged into any water ways. There are many treatment methods implied until this decade with traditional method. Pond system is the most implied method due to its low cost. The performance of Ultrasonic-assisted Membrane Anaerobic System (UMAS) is evaluated on the ability of UMAS to treat these parameters. The UMAS must be operated daily for 5 hours operation per day with 3 hours sonication. The experiment is done when the UMAS is achieving a steady state. The steady state is achieved on day 7 with no gas was generated. The performance of UMAS showed high COD removal efficiency with 98.7%. The kinetic study is also evaluated by implying three models which are Monod, Contois and Chen and Hashimoto model.

International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2020

The need of energy never comes to an end so; the challenge is to procure power source sufficient ... more The need of energy never comes to an end so; the challenge is to procure power source sufficient to offer for our energy needs. Besides, this energy source must be dependable, renewable, recurring and non-contributing to climate change. Aims: This study was aimed to produce biodiesel from Roselle seed oil and to investigate its quality. Methodology: The Roselle seeds were clean from dirt, milled to proper size and the oil was extracted using soxhlet with n-hexane as solvent. The extracted oil was subjected to physiochemical analysis tests and then transesterified using methanol and potassium hydroxide as catalyst; with ratio of oil to alcohol 1:8 at 65°C. The quality of produced biodiesel was investigated and compared to international standards. The fatty acid composition of the produced biodiesel was determined by GC-MS. Results: Based on the experimental results, the yellow with characteristic odor oil was obtained from the seeds had the following physicochemical properties: yiel...

International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 2014

Ultrasonicated Membrane Anaerobic System UMAS was successfully used for sewage sludge treatment a... more Ultrasonicated Membrane Anaerobic System UMAS was successfully used for sewage sludge treatment and biogas production. Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology were used to determine the optimum conditions in which UMAS produce a maximum content of methane in the biogas produced. The effects of three variables namely pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and organic loading rate (OLR) on methane content were evaluated individually and interactively. The optimum conditions obtained were pH 7.74, COD 1061.06 Mg/l and OLR 0.90 kg/m 3 d. The predicted maximum percentage of methane was 89.72 % and confirmed close to RSM result.

Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 2019

Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis swingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significan... more Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis swingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significant importance by researchers because of its large number of functional benefits. In this research we particularly focused on the evaluation of antioxidant and nutritional properties of the peel and pulp of the Foshou. The Foshou peel showed significantly higher antioxidant properties and nutritional contents than the pulp, excluding water, carbohydrate, and energy content. The water extract of Foshou peel and pulp contained 227.45 and 88.76 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (FW) of total phenolic compounds, with IC 50 DPPH •-scavenging activity 22.79 and 54.74 μg GAE/mL, respectively. The antioxidant capacity for Foshou peel and pulp was 214.81 and 71.53 mg Trolox equivalents per 100 g FW respectively. Our results indicated increased levels of pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, and iron in Foshou peel whereas thiamin and pyridoxine were the highest in the pulp. In this research, we found that 100 g of Foshou contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients. These results draw attention towards the potential use of Foshou as a source of health-enhancing compounds.

Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 2018

The current work analyses the chemical constituents of Jasmine flower using Chromatography-Mass S... more The current work analyses the chemical constituents of Jasmine flower using Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The dried Jasmine flower powder was extracted by methanol via the Microwave-assisted Hydrodistillation (MAHD) process. The GC-MS analysis revealed different peaks that showed the presence of ten compounds. In the current study, we have focused on the main compounds that can be used for biological activity, i.e. 2-Phenylthiolane (57.31%), Cyclohexene, 3-ethenyl- (25.91%), Acetaldehyde (12.70%), N-Methylallylamine (9.99%), Propanamide (6.79%) and Phthalic acid, bis (7-methyloctyl) ester (5.21%). The bio-compounds with methanol extract of Jasmine flower were analyzed by using GC-MS. Functional group analysis was carried out on the volatile oil obtained through MAHD by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphologies of untreated dried powdered Jasmine flower (i.e. raw powdered jasmine flower without soaking into methanol solution prior to e...

Journal of King Saud University - Science, 2018

The traditional ways of protein extraction is disadvantageous from both economic and environment ... more The traditional ways of protein extraction is disadvantageous from both economic and environment perspective. In this study, ultrasonic assisted extraction, UAE technique was used for the first time for the optimization process of extracting proteins from Eurycoma longifolia roots. The experiments demonstrated the successful effect of applying eccentric agitation with UAE to provide a combination of agitation and sonication to extract the proteins in short extraction times. Central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of proteins from roots of Eurycoma longifolia by water. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the effects of five independent variables; particle sizes (A), extraction temperatures (B), agitation speeds (C), amplitude (D) and duty cycle (E). The second enhanced model (Y 2) prevailed to be more efficient in protein recovery with optimum conditions of A: 0.022 ± 0.022 mm, B: 49°C, C: 1314 rpm, D: 9 W and E: 63% UI: 2.94 WÁcm À2 was 9.543 ± 0. 946%. High agitation speed didn't only affect the solvent properties, the diffusion of the solutes from the particles, cooling the extraction temperature, but influenced the distribution of cavitation bubbles and their impact on the solid particles. UAE was found to minimize the extraction of the same amount by conventional extraction 7-fold times. The results obtained in this study have exposed the capability of ultrasonic assisted extraction, UAE technology in extraction of protein from E. longifolia roots. Further works are nevertheless required to provide deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved to facilitate the development of optimum system applicable to the industry.

Journal of Analysis and Testing, 2018

The phenolic and antioxidant constituents in Acacia nilotica fruits have become an important sour... more The phenolic and antioxidant constituents in Acacia nilotica fruits have become an important source of medicinal and therapeutic benefit with powerful biological properties. This study investigated the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of powdered Acacia fruits with seeds and without seeds. The phenolic content and antioxidant capacities in them were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH free radical-scavenging assays. The total phenolic and antioxidants of A. nilotica with seeds were spectrophotometrically determined to be 47.61 and 6.18% greater than when the seeds were removed from the dried fruits, respectively. The LC-MS/QTOF analysis shows the presence of 282 and 214 phenolic compounds in the methanol extracts of A. nilotica with seeds and without seeds, respectively. The present study, therefore, revealed that dried A. nilotica fruits with seeds have higher total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and bioactive constituents, which indicated that they have more medicinal value than fruits without seeds.

Scientific Research and Essays, Jan 16, 2012

Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology, 2015

This review is aimed to introduce a comprehensive survey on the most prominent and sustainable te... more This review is aimed to introduce a comprehensive survey on the most prominent and sustainable techniques and methods that could abate the environmental worries as well as financial insecurities in treating petroleum emulsions, since the existence of water is not desired because of the paramount troubles it may cause on the processing streamlines, as well as financial cost associated with transporting water mixed with petroleum. Currently, the most commonly used method for treating petroleum emulsion is the application of chemical additives, known as demulsifiers. Althogh, there are many other methods that are claimed to be more favorable from economic and environmental perspectives, yet, have not being fully put into real life practice, because of the drawbacks and disadvantages. In this review, several techniques have been surveyed including, chemical, electrical, membrane, centrifuge, bacteria, air floatation, ultrasonic, and microwave. Based on this Theoretical survey, silcone based demulsifiers were reported to be very effective and environmental friendly, but expensive. Also microwave and ultrasonics were reported to be very effective in treating petroleum emulsion and could be recommended as future ulternatives for treating petroleum emulsions.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) (Family: Meliaceae), also known as 'Pokok Mambu' in Malaysia is widely ... more Neem (Azadirachta indica) (Family: Meliaceae), also known as 'Pokok Mambu' in Malaysia is widely known to contain variety of bioactive compounds that had been proven for the cure of various infections and diseases related to toxicity and bacteria. The extractions of the plant constituents are mainly dependent on the extraction methods, conditions and solvents. This study aims on the extraction of the chemical constituents' and identification of the volatile constituents of A. indica extracts. The cytotoxicity effect was studied for the extracts that lead towards the isolation of a bioactive compound. The oil of the plant was studied for its physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity. The crude extracts (barks, leaves and roots) were extracted via solvent extraction (acetone, chloroform, maceration and refluxed in ethanol), while the fractions (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous) were produced from partitioning of 80% methanol crude. Seed oil was extracted via Soxhlet with hexane for six hours. Volatile compound analysis via GC-MS was performed for all crude and fractions and cytotoxicity test against brine shrimp, Artemia salina for determination of LC 50 after 24 h. The isolation and identification of bioactive compound from the most active fraction of cytotoxicity were performed via preparative-HPLC, UV-Vis, IR, MS and NMR. Physicochemical properties of oil were studied according to standard methods. Antibacterial activity of oil was determined against B. subtilis, E. coli and S. aureus via well diffusion method. Yields of the extracts were varied among different parts due to polarity of solvents and extraction conditions. Highest and lowest yields of crude extracts were leaf and bark reflux in ethanol with 5.46% and 0.13%, respectively. Minimum and maximum yield was obtained for fractions by root ethyl acetate (0.06%) and leaf chloroform (1.15%). The n-hexadecanoic acid was detected in all samples with seven similar compounds in both crude and fractions as the most abundant volatile compound. Cytotoxicity proves that root acetone (457.09 ± 0.88 ppm) and leaf ethyl acetate extract (1.35 ± 0.40 ppm) are the most toxic. All the fractions and only root acetone crude extract falls under toxic level (LC 50 values < 500 ppm). The partitioning to different fractions separates the complex plant constituents according to polarity that influences the cytotoxicity. The isolation of quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside from leaf ethyl acetate proves the cytotoxic effect. Major characteristics of the oils are; density: 0.95 g/cm 3 ; refractive index: 70.90; acid value: 4.80 mg KOH/g; free fatty acid (oleic): 4.75 %; iodine value: 93.09 gI 2 /100g; pH: 4; peroxide value: 8.49 meq O 2 /kg; moisture & volatile matter: 0.83 % and unsaponifiable matter: 1.84 %. The major fatty acid chains in the oil are; linoleic-: 34.69 %; oleic-: 20.46 %, stearic-: 20.42 % and palmitic acid: 18.66 %. Inhibition zone for antibacterial study with 20, 40, 60 and 80% of oil lies between 1.23 ± 0.03 to 1.70 cm, 1.33 ± 0.06 to 1.6 ± 1.57x10-16 cm and 1.4 ± 0.03 to 1.63 ± 0.03 cm for B. subtilis, S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The MIC was 0.63± 0.0002, 2.50± 0.0010 and 5.00± 0.006% for B. subtilis, E. coli and S. aureus, respectively and S. aureus is more resistant. Results obtained supports that A. indica plant has high advantage to be used as drug in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The study should be further continued through direct study with insect and human cell line to confirm the effect of the drug. viii

International Perspectives on Water Quality Management and Pollutant Control, 2013

BioMed Research International, 2014

Gymnema sylvestre(Asclepiadaceae), popularly known as “gurmar” for its distinct property as sugar... more Gymnema sylvestre(Asclepiadaceae), popularly known as “gurmar” for its distinct property as sugar destroyer, is a reputed herb in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The phytoconstituents responsible for sweet suppression activity includes triterpene saponins known as gymnemic acids, gymnemasaponins, and a polypeptide, gurmarin. The herb exhibits a broad range of therapeutic effects as an effective natural remedy for diabetes, besides being used for arthritis, diuretic, anemia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolemia, cardiopathy, asthma, constipation, microbial infections, indigestion, and anti-inflammatory.G. sylvestrehas good prospects in the treatment of diabetes as it shows positive effects on blood sugar homeostasis, controls sugar cravings, and promotes regeneration of pancreas. The herbal extract is used in dietary supplements since it reduces body weight, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and holds great prospects in dietary as well as pharmacological applications. This r...

International Journal of the Physical Sciences, 2012

Although, the cellulase enzyme can work with high catalysis under mild condition, however, it doe... more Although, the cellulase enzyme can work with high catalysis under mild condition, however, it does not fulfil the industry requirement. In this study, cellulase obtained from the fermentation of sewage treatment plant (STP) sludge by Trichoderma reesei RUT C-30 was covalently immobilised on functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Statistical optimisation using the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) method was implemented to identify parameters with significant effects on the process of immobilisation. The results obtained from this PBD showed that three parameters have a significant effect on immobilisation: pH, temperature and N-ethyl-N-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) concentration. Based on our PBD results, these parameters were further optimised using a face-centred central composite design (FCCCD). The resulting optimum conditions for cellulase immobilisation, as determined by FCCCD, were pH 4.5, 30°C and 1 ml of 10 mg/ml EDC. The amount of immobilised cellulase was approximately 98% using these optimum conditions. The resulting MWCNT-cellulase composite was further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique.

International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 2014

Pharmacognosy Magazine, 2013

Background: The growth in the production of biodiesel, which is principally fatty acid methyl est... more Background: The growth in the production of biodiesel, which is principally fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), has been phenomenal in the last ten years because of the general desire to cut down on the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also as a result of the increasing cost of fossil fuels. Objective: Establish whether there is any relationship between two different species (watermelon and muskmelon) within the same family (Cucurbitaceae) on fatty acid compositions and enumerate the different fatty acids in the two species. Materials and Methods: Extraction of fatty acids from the two species and preparation the extract to gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis to determine the fatty acids compositions qualitatively and quantitatively. Results: The analyzed plants (watermelon and muskmelon) contain five saturated fatty acids; tetrdecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid with different concentrations, while muskmelon contains an extra saturated fatty acid named eicosanoic acid. The watermelon plant contains five unsaturated fatty acids while muskmelon contains three only, the two plants share in two unsaturated fatty acids named 9-hexadecenoic acid and 9-octadecenoic acid, the muskmelon plant contains higher amounts of these two acids (2.04% and 10.12%, respectively) over watermelon plant (0.88% and 0.25%, respectively). Conclusion: The chemical analysis of watermelon and muskmelon revealed that they are similar in saturated fatty acids but differ in unsaturated fatty acids which may be a criterion of differentiation between the two plants.