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The recent pandemic scenario has caused demand for green products that have medicinal aspects, as well as greener approaches for global health. Natural dye from plants, particularly from harmal seeds, is an excellent alternative to carcinogenic yellow synthetic dyes. The current study has been conducted to isolate natural colorants from harmal seeds in methanolic medium through Gamma-Assisted Extraction (GAE). The dyeing variables that are necessary for shade development before and after mordanting were selected. It has been found that 6 kGy is the optimal absorbed dose for extraction of colorant from 6 g of powder to isolate the colorant in the methanolic medium through the Gamma-irradiated extraction mode (GAE). To get excellent results, 30 mL of methanolic extract containing 6 g/100 mL of Glauber salt was sued for dyeing of irradiated wool at 45 °C for 65 min. For improving the color strength and acceptable rating of fastness, 9% of henna, 3% of acacia, 10% of turmeric, and 7% of pomegranate extracts as pre-bio-mordants as well as 7% of acacia, 3% of pomegranate, 9% of henna, and 10% of turmeric extracts as post-mordants have given high results compared to when chemical mordants have been used. It was concluded that Gamma-ray treatment has excellent color strength in the dyeing of bio-mordanted wool using harmal seed extracts under mild conditions, and has good fastness ratings after using chemical and bio-mordanting methods as well.

The exceptional behavior of graphene has not yet been entirely implicit in the polymer matrix. To explore this fact in the present work, two series of Polyurethan (PU) composites were synthesized. The structural modification was observed by the use of two different diisocyanate of methylene diisocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) in hydroxylterminated polybutadiene (HTPB) by using I,4 Butane diol (BD) as the chain extender. The variation in hard segment up to 25 (wt.%) in both series led to significant changes in the mechanical behavior of graphene oxide (GO) induced composites. Both series were prepared by an in situ polymerization process. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed a peak in the region of 1700 cm⁻¹, which confirmed the conversion of the NCO group into urethane linkages. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed a thermal stability up to 450 °C @ 90% weight loss. The swelling behavior showed the optimum uptake of 30% of water and 40% of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with aliphatic diisocyanate. The values of storage modulus (E′), complex modulus (E*), and compliance complex (D*) were observed up to 7 MPa, 8 Mpa, and 0.7 MPa⁻¹, respectively. The degree of entanglement (N) values were calculated from DMA and were found in the range of 1.7 × 10⁻⁴ (mol/m³). Phase segregation of PU was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elucidating the morphology of composites.

Background: Cuscuta reflexa (C. reflexa) is a parasitic climber of medicinal importance. The present study was aimed to evaluate the nutraceutical potential of C. reflexa stems collected from different hosts and to evaluate the role of the herbal formulation in dandruff, hair fall control as well as hair growth promoter.Materials and Methods: Hair formulations of C. reflexa collected from different host plants were prepared in the form of herbal oils (10% w/v). C. reflexa stems were extracted using mustard oil as base oil by using direct boiling technique. Prepared oil was studied as hair tonic. The experimental protocols used were anti-dandruff hair growth activity, as well as hair fall reduction. Herbal hair oils versus mustard oil were evaluated by applying oils on human volunteers with hair fall and dandruff problem whereas promotion of hair growth activity was conducted on rats. The formulated oils were also characterised for proximate analysis, physiochemical composition, as well as antimicrobial activity.Result: The test oils of C. reflexa collected from Azadiracta indica and Zizyphus jujuba were effective in the promotion of hair growth, dandruff control, as well as reduction in hair fall activity.Conclusion: All the formulated oils showed potent antimicrobial activity against all selected strains of bacteria and fungi.Keywords: Cuscuta reflexa, host plants, Hair fall, Dandruff, Combing assay, Herbal hair oil, Hair growth activity.