Displaying publications 2121 - 2140 of 10540 in total

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  1. A protein nanocomposite for ultra-fast, efficient and non-irritating skin decontamination of nerve agents
    Wang J, Li Y, Huang J, Li W, Luo Y, Sui X, et al.
    Nanoscale, 2020 Feb 21;12(7):4400-4409.
    PMID: 32025678 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr09015k
    In recent assassinations reported in London and Malaysia, nerve agents were used to cause death, by skin poisoning. Skin decontamination is the ultimate and most important defense against nerve agent poisoning, because no effective antidote currently exists. However, almost no existing material can achieve effective and rapid decontamination without irritating the skin. This study links proteins that exhibit no decontamination ability with polymers to form a nanocomposite. This creates a nanospace on the surface of the protein that attracts and traps organic molecules, effectively adsorbing the nerve agent Soman within several seconds, without irritating the skin. Analysis of the different components of proteins and polymers reveals that the decontamination efficiency is considerably affected by the thickness of the coated polymer. Moreover, the thickness of the layer is predominantly determined by the size and species of the core and the crosslinking method. Further in vivo experiments on rats poisoned with Soman verify the efficiency and safety of the nanocomposite. These results could be used to design and synthesize more multi-functional and effective decontamination materials.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nerve Agents/chemistry*; Proteins/chemistry*; Soman/chemistry*; Coated Materials, Biocompatible/chemistry*; Nanocomposites/chemistry*
  2. Quantitation of Protein Cysteine-Phenol Adducts in Minced Beef Containing 4-Methyl Catechol
    Arsad SS, Zainudin MAM, De Gobba C, Jongberg S, Larsen FH, Lametsch R, et al.
    J Agric Food Chem, 2020 Feb 26;68(8):2506-2515.
    PMID: 32013414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b07752
    Thiol groups of cysteine (Cys) residues in proteins react with quinones, oxidation products of polyphenols, to form protein-polyphenol adducts. The aim of the present work was to quantify the amount of adduct formed between Cys residues and 4-methylcatechol (4MC) in minced beef. A Cys-4MC adduct standard was electrochemically synthesized and characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) as well as NMR spectroscopy. Cys-4MC adducts were quantified after acidic hydrolysis of myofibrillar protein isolates (MPIs) and LC-MS/MS analysis of meat containing either 500 or 1500 ppm 4MC and stored at 4 °C for 7 days under a nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere. The concentrations of Cys-4MC were found to be 2.2 ± 0.3 nmol/mg MPI and 8.1 ± 0.9 nmol/mg MPI in meat containing 500 and 1500 ppm 4MC, respectively, and stored for 7 days under oxygen. The formation of the Cys-4MC adduct resulted in protein thiol loss, and ca. 62% of the thiol loss was estimated to account for the formation of the Cys-4MC adduct for meat containing 1500 ppm 4MC. Furthermore, protein polymerization increased in samples containing 4MC as evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and the polymerization was found to originate from protein-polyphenol interactions as evaluated by a blotting assay with staining by nitroblue tetrazolium.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cysteine/chemistry*; Guaiacol/chemistry*; Muscle Proteins/chemistry; Quinones/chemistry; Phenol/chemistry*
  3. Fulltext Preparation of kenaf stem hemicellulosic hydrolysate and its fermentability in microbial production of xylitol by Escherichia coli BL21
    Shah SSM, Luthfi AAI, Low KO, Harun S, Manaf SFA, Illias RM, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 03 11;9(1):4080.
    PMID: 30858467 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40807-z
    Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), a potential fibre crop with a desirably high growth rate, could serve as a sustainable feedstock in the production of xylitol. In this work, the extraction of soluble products of kenaf through dilute nitric-acid hydrolysis was elucidated with respect to three parameters, namely temperature, residence time, and acid concentration. The study will assist in evaluating the performance in terms of xylose recovery. The result point out that the maximum xylose yield of 30.7 g per 100 g of dry kenaf was attained from 2% (v/v) HNO3 at 130 °C for 60 min. The detoxified hydrolysate was incorporated as the primary carbon source for subsequent fermentation by recombinant Escherichia coli and the performance of strain on five different semi-synthetic media on xylitol production were evaluated herein. Among these media, batch cultivation in a basal salt medium (BSM) afforded the highest xylitol yield of 0.35 g/g based on xylose consumption, which corresponded to 92.8% substrate utilization after 38 h. Subsequently, fermentation by E. coli in the xylose-based kenaf hydrolysate supplemented with BSM resulting in 6.8 g/L xylitol which corresponding to xylitol yield of 0.38 g/g. These findings suggested that the use of kenaf as the fermentation feedstock could be advantageous for the development of sustainable xylitol production.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polysaccharides/chemistry*; Protein Hydrolysates/chemistry; Xylitol/chemistry; Plant Stems/chemistry; Hibiscus/chemistry*
  4. Current strategies in extending half-lives of therapeutic proteins
    Zaman R, Islam RA, Ibnat N, Othman I, Zaini A, Lee CY, et al.
    J Control Release, 2019 05 10;301:176-189.
    PMID: 30849445 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.02.016
    Macromolecular protein and peptide therapeutics have been proven to be effective in treating critical human diseases precisely. Thanks to biotechnological advancement, a huge number of proteins and peptide therapeutics were made their way to pharmaceutical market in past few decades. However, one of the biggest challenges to be addressed for protein therapeutics during clinical application is their fast degradation in serum and quick elimination owing to enzymatic degradation, renal clearance, liver metabolism and immunogenicity, attributing to the short half-lives. Size and hydrophobicity of protein molecules make them prone to kidney filtration and liver metabolism. On the other hand, proteasomes responsible for protein destruction possess the capability of specifically recognizing almost all kinds of foreign proteins while avoiding any unwanted destruction of cellular components. At present almost all protein-based drug formulations available in market are administered intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously (SC) with high dosing at frequent interval, eventually creating dose-fluctuation-related complications and reducing patient compliance vastly. Therefore, artificially increasing the therapeutic half-life of a protein by attaching to it a molecule that increases the overall size (eg, PEG) or helps with receptor mediated recycling (eg, albumin), or manipulating amino acid chain in a way that makes it more prone towards aggregate formation, are some of the revolutionary approaches to avoid the fast degradation in vivo. Half-life extension technologies that are capable of dramatically enhancing half-lives of proteins in circulation (2-100 folds) and thus improving their overall pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters have been successfully applied on a wide range of protein therapeutics from hormones and enzymes, growth factor, clotting factor to interferon. The focus of the review is to assess the technological advancements made so far in enhancing circulatory half-lives and improving therapeutic potency of proteins.
    Matched MeSH terms: Carbohydrates/chemistry; Peptides/chemistry; Polymers/chemistry; Proteins/chemistry; Nanoparticles/chemistry
  5. Fulltext The Health Beneficial Properties of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa as Potential Functional Food
    Vo TS, Ngo DH
    Biomolecules, 2019 02 21;9(2).
    PMID: 30795643 DOI: 10.3390/biom9020076
    Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk. is a flowering plant belonging to the family Myrtaceae, native to southern and southeastern Asia. It has been used in traditional Vietnamese, Chinese, and Malaysian medicine for a long time for the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, gynecopathy, stomachache, and wound healing. Moreover, R. tomentosa is used to make various food products such as wine, tea, and jam. Notably, R. tomentosa has been known to contain structurally diverse and biologically active metabolites, thus serving as a potential resource for exploring novel functional agents. Up to now, numerous phenolic and terpenoid compounds from the leaves, root, or fruits of R. tomentosa have been identified, and their biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer have been evidenced. In this contribution, an overview of R. tomentosa and its health beneficial properties was focused on and emphasized.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry*; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry*; Antioxidants/chemistry*; Myrtaceae/chemistry*
  6. Chitosan-glyoxal film as a superior adsorbent for two structurally different reactive and acid dyes: Adsorption and mechanism study
    Jawad AH, Norrahma SSA, Hameed BH, Ismail K
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2019 Aug 15;135:569-581.
    PMID: 31150675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.05.127
    In this work, chitosan (Chi) was cross-linked with glyoxal (Gly) and deposited onto glass plate to be a superior adsorbent film for two structurally different reactive orange 16 (RO-16) and methyl orange (MO) dyes by using non-conventional adsorption system without filtration process. The characterizations indicate that the cross-linked chitosan-glyoxal (Chi-Gly) film has a low swelling index, high adherence strength on glass plate, amine group (NH2) content was 32.52%, and pHpzc of ∼6.0 indicating a negative surface charge occurs above pHpzc. The adsorption isotherm data of RO-16 and MO by Chi-Gly film were in agreement with Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption capacities of 1554.3 mg/g and 1451.9 mg/g, respectively. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model best described the kinetic data. The adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature at Chi-Gly film thickness of 8.55 μm, and pH ~3. The mechanism of adsorption included mainly electrostatic attractions, dipole-dipole hydrogen bonding interactions, n-π stacking attractions, and Yoshida H-bonding. This study reveals that immobilized Chi-Gly film as a good candidate for adsorption of reactive and acid dyes as it does not require any filtration process and adsorbent recovery during and post-adsorption process.
    Matched MeSH terms: Azo Compounds/chemistry*; Coloring Agents/chemistry*; Glyoxal/chemistry*; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry*; Chitosan/chemistry*
  7. Could choline chloride-citric acid monohydrate molar ratio in deep eutectic solvent affect structural, functional and antioxidant properties of pectin?
    Shafie MH, Gan CY
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2020 Apr 15;149:835-843.
    PMID: 32027904 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.013
    The deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which were made from different molar ratios (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3) of choline chloride and citric acid monohydrate, were used as media for the pectic polysaccharide extraction from Averrhoa bilmbi (ABP). The physico-chemical, structural, functional and antioxidant properties of ABP were subsequently determined. The ABP was found to be xylogalacturonan. Moreover, results showed that different structures (i.e. linearity of pectin and branch size) of ABP were obtained, hence, affecting the solubility and functional properties due to the surface availability and steric effect. In addition, when increasing the molar ratio of citric acid monohydrate in DES, lower pH and higher TPC values were observed. These values were correlated with antioxidant activities (i.e. free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power) of ABP. In conclusion, the molar ratio of the DES components plays an important role in extracting ABP with the aforementioned properties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antioxidants/chemistry*; Choline/chemistry*; Pectins/chemistry*; Solvents/chemistry*; Citric Acid/chemistry*
  8. Fulltext Magnetically recoverable magnetite-reduced graphene oxide as a demulsifier for surfactant stabilized crude oil-in-water emulsion
    Yau XH, Khe CS, Mohamed Saheed MS, Lai CW, You KY, Tan WK
    PLoS One, 2020;15(4):e0232490.
    PMID: 32353051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232490
    Oily wastewater, especially water-oil emulsion has become serious environmental issue and received global attention. Chemical demulsifiers are widely used to treat oil-water emulsion, but the toxicity, non-recyclable and non-environmental friendly characteristic of chemical demulsifiers had limited their practical application in oil-water separation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an efficient, simple, eco-friendly and recyclable demulsifiers for breaking up the emulsions from the oily wastewater. In this study, a magnetic demulsifier, magnetite-reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO) nanocomposites were proposed as a recyclable demulsifier to break up the surfactant stabilized crude oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion. M-rGO nanocomposites were prepared via in situ chemical synthesis by using only one type Fe salt and GO solid as precursor at room temperature. The prepared composites were fully characterized by various techniques. The effect of demulsifier dosage and pH of emulsion on demulsification efficiency (ED) has been studied in detailed. The demulsification mechanism was also proposed in this study. Results showed that M-rGO nanocomposites were able to demulsify crude O/W emulsion. The ED reaches 99.48% when 0.050 wt.% of M-rGO nanocomposites were added to crude O/W emulsion (pH = 4). Besides, M-rGO nanocomposites can be recycled up to 7 cycles without showing a significant change in terms of ED. Thus, M-rGO nanocomposite is a promising demulsifier for surfactant stabilized crude O/W emulsion.
    Matched MeSH terms: Graphite/chemistry; Surface-Active Agents/chemistry*; Ferrosoferric Oxide/chemistry; Nanocomposites/chemistry*; Waste Water/chemistry*
  9. Fulltext Dielectric response of nitrogen in soil amended with chicken litter biochar and urea under Oryza sativa L. cultivation
    Maru A, Ahmed OH, Primus WC, Jeffary AV
    Sci Rep, 2021 06 15;11(1):12545.
    PMID: 34131184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91426-6
    Unbalanced utilization of nitrogen (N) rice not economically viable neither is this practice environmental friendly. Co-application of biochar and urea could reduce the unbalanced use of this N fertilizer in rice cultivation. Thus, a field study was carried out to: (i) determine the effects of chicken litter biochar and urea fertilization on N concentration in soil solution of a cultivated rice (MR219) using dielectric measurement at a low frequency and (ii) correlate soil dielectric conductivity with rice grain yield at maturity. Dielectric response of the soil samples at 20, 40, 55, and 75 days after transplanting were determined using an inductance-capacitance-resistance meter HIOKI 3522-50 LCR HiTESTER. Selected soil chemical properties and yield were determined using standard procedures. The dielectric conductivity and permittivity of the soil samples measured before transplanting the rice seedlings were higher than those for the soil samples after transplanting. This was due to the inherent nitrogen of the chicken litter biochar and the low nitrogen uptake at the transplanting stage. The soil N response increased with increasing measurement frequency and N concentration. The permittivity of the soil samples was inversely proportional to frequency but directly proportional to N concentration in the soil solution. The estimated contents of N in the soil using the dielectric conductivity approach at 1000 Hz decreased with increasing days of fertilization and the results were similar to those of soil NH4+ determined using chemical analysis. The conductivity measured within 1000 Hz and 100,000 Hz correlated positively with the rice grain yield suggesting that nitrogen concentration of the soil can be used to estimate grain yield of the cultivated rice plants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Edible Grain/chemistry; Charcoal/chemistry; Nitrogen/chemistry*; Soil/chemistry*; Urea/chemistry
  10. Effects of different polyaniline emeraldine compositions in electrodepositing ginsenoside encapsulated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microcapsules coating: Physicochemical characterization and in vitro evaluation
    Lukman SK, Saidin S
    J Biomed Mater Res A, 2020 05;108(5):1171-1185.
    PMID: 31994824 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.36891
    Even though drug-eluting stent (DES) has prominently reduced restenosis, however, its complication of delayed endothelialization has caused chronic side effect. A coating of ginseng-based biodegradable polymer could address this issue due to its specific therapeutic values. However, deposition of this type of stable coating on metallic implant often scarce. Therefore, in this study, different polyaniline (PANI) emeraldine compositions were adopted to electrodeposit ginsenoside encapsulated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microcapsules coating. The coating surfaces were analyzed using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, and atomic force microscopy instruments. A month coating stability was then investigated with an evaluation of in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cell analyses consisted of cytotoxicity and cells attachment assessments. The 1.5 mg PANI emeraldine has assisted the formation of stable, uniform, and rounded microcapsules coating with appropriate wettability and roughness. Less than 1.5 mg PANI emeraldine was not enough to drive the formation of microcapsules coating while greater than 1.5 mg caused the deposition of melted microcapsules. The similar coating also has promoted greater cells proliferation and attachment compared to other coating variation. Therefore, the utilization of electrodeposition to deposit a drug-based polymer coating could be implemented to develop DES, in accordance to stent implantation which ultimately aims for enrich endothelialization.
    Matched MeSH terms: Aniline Compounds/chemistry*; Benzene Derivatives/chemistry*; Sulfhydryl Compounds/chemistry*; Coated Materials, Biocompatible/chemistry*; Ginsenosides/chemistry*
  11. A Potential MRI Agent and an Anticancer Drug Encapsulated within CPMV Virus-Like Particles
    Aljabali AAA, Alzoubi L, Hamzat Y, Alqudah A, Obeid MA, Al Zoubi MS, et al.
    Comb Chem High Throughput Screen, 2021;24(10):1557-1571.
    PMID: 32928083 DOI: 10.2174/1386207323666200914110012
    BACKGROUND: Virus nanoparticles have been extensively studied over the past decades for theranostics applications. Viruses are well-characterized, naturally occurring nanoparticles that can be produced in high quantity with a high degree of similarity in both structure and composition.

    OBJECTIVES: The plant virus Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV) has been innovatively used as a nanoscaffold. Utilization of the internal cavity of empty Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) for the inclusion of therapeutics within the capsid has opened many opportunities in drug delivery and imaging applications.

    METHODS: The encapsidation of magnetic materials and anticancer drugs was achieved. SuperscriptCPMV denotes molecules attached to the external surface of CPMV and CPMVSubscript denotes molecules within the interior of the capsid.

    RESULTS: Here, the generation of novel VLPs incorporating iron-platinum nanoparticles TCPMVFePt and cisplatin (Cis) (TCPMVCis) is reported. TCPMVCis exhibited a cytotoxic IC50 of TCPMVCis on both A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines of 1.8 μM and 3.9 μM, respectively after 72 hours of incubation. The TCPMVFePt were prepared as potential MRI contrast agents.

    CONCLUSION: Cisplatin loaded VLP (TCPMVCis) is shown to enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines with its potency increased by 2.3-folds.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Capsules/chemistry; Contrast Media/chemistry; Comovirus/chemistry*; Capsid Proteins/chemistry*
  12. Fabrication and performance evaluation of polymeric membrane using blood compatible hydroxyapatite for artificial kidney application
    Zaman SU, Saif-Ur-Rehman, Zaman MKU, Rafiq S, Arshad A, Khurram MS, et al.
    Artif Organs, 2021 Nov;45(11):1377-1390.
    PMID: 34152645 DOI: 10.1111/aor.14020
    In the current study, a phase inversion scheme was employed to fabricate hydroxyapatite (HA)/polysulfone (PSF)-based asymmetric membranes using a film applicator with water as a solvent and nonsolvent exchanging medium. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopic studies were conducted to confirm the bonding chemistry and purity of filler. The inherent thick nature of PSF generated sponge-like shape while the instantaneous demixing process produced finger-like pore networks in HA/PSF-based asymmetric membranes as exhibited by scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. The FTIR spectra confirmed noncovalent weak attractions toward the polymer surface. The leaching ratio was evaluated to observe the dispersion behavior of HA filler in membrane composition. Hydrophilicity, pore profile, pure water permeation (PWP) flux, and molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) values of all formulated membranes were also calculated. Antifouling results revealed that HA modified PSF membranes exhibited 43% less adhesion of bovine serum albumin (BSA) together with >86% recovery of flux. Membrane composition showed 74% total resistance, out of which 60% was reversible resistance. Biocompatibility evaluation revealed that the modified membranes exhibited prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT) comparable with typical blood plasma, whereas proliferation of living cells over membrane surface proved its nontoxic behavior toward biomedical application. The urea and creatinine showed effective adsorption aptitude toward HA loaded PSF membranes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Creatinine/chemistry; Polymers/chemistry*; Sulfones/chemistry*; Urea/chemistry; Durapatite/chemistry*
  13. Fulltext The impact of different plant extracts on population suppression of Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) yield under field conditions
    Ali S, Li Y, Haq IU, Abbas W, Shabbir MZ, Khan MM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0260470.
    PMID: 34852006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260470
    Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) is a destructive pest of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) crop in Pakistan. Although insecticides are the primary management strategy used to control H. armigera, most of them are not effective due to considerable toxic residual effects on the fruits. Nonetheless, H. armigera is rapidly evolving resistance against the available pesticides for its management. This situation calls upon the need of alternative management options against the pest. Different plant extracts have been suggested as a viable, environment-friendly option for plant protection with minimal side effects. Furthermore, the plant extracts could also manage the insect species evolving resistance against pesticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of different plant extracts (i.e., Neem seed, turmeric, garlic and marsh pepper) against H. armigera. Furthermore, the impact of the plant extracts on growth and yield of tomato crop was also tested under field conditions. The results revealed that all plant extracts resulted in higher mortality of H. armigera compared to control. Similarly, the highest plant height was observed for the plants treated with the plant extracts compared to untreated plants. Moreover, the highest tomato yield was observed in plants treated with plant extracts, especially with neem seed (21.013 kg/plot) followed by pepper extract (19.25 kg/plot), and garlic extract 18.4 kg/plot) compared to the untreated plants (8.9 kg/plot). It is concluded that plant extracts can be used as eco-friendly approaches for improving tomato yield and resistance management of H. armigera.
    Matched MeSH terms: Capsicum/chemistry; Garlic/chemistry; Insecticides/chemistry*; Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Azadirachta/chemistry
  14. Alkaloids from leaves and stem bark of Ervatamia corymbosa
    Zèches M, Mesbah K, Loukaci A, Richard B, Schaller H, Sévenet T, et al.
    Planta Med, 1995 Feb;61(1):97.
    PMID: 7701009
    Matched MeSH terms: Alkaloids/chemistry; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Trees/chemistry*; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Plant Stems/chemistry
  15. Fulltext Thermodynamic stability, in-vitro permeability, and in-silico molecular modeling of the optimal Elaeis guineensis leaves extract water-in-oil nanoemulsion
    Romes NB, Abdul Wahab R, Abdul Hamid M, Oyewusi HA, Huda N, Kobun R
    Sci Rep, 2021 10 21;11(1):20851.
    PMID: 34675286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00409-0
    Nanoemulsion is a delivery system used to enhance bioavailability of plant-based compounds across the stratum corneum. Elaeis guineensis leaves are rich source of polyphenolic antioxidants, viz. gallic acid and catechin. The optimal E. guineensis leaves extract water-in-oil nanoemulsion was stable against coalescence, but it was under significant influence of Ostwald ripening over 90 days at 25 °C. The in-vitro permeability revealed a controlled and sustained release of the total phenolic compounds (TPC) of EgLE with a cumulative amount of 1935.0 ± 45.7 µgcm-2 after 8 h. The steady-state flux and permeation coefficient values were 241.9 ± 5.7 µgcm-2 h-1 and 1.15 ± 0.03 cm.h-1, respectively. The kinetic release mechanism for TPC of EgLE was best described by the Korsmeyer-Peppas model due to the highest linearity of R2 = 0.9961, indicating super case II transport mechanism. The in-silico molecular modelling predicted that the aquaporin-3 protein in the stratum corneum bonded preferably to catechin over gallic acid through hydrogen bonds due to the lowest binding energies of - 57.514 kcal/mol and - 8.553 kcal/mol, respectively. Thus, the in-silico study further verified that catechin could improve skin hydration. Therefore, the optimal nanoemulsion could be used topically as moisturizer to enhance skin hydration based on the in-silico prediction.
    Matched MeSH terms: Emulsions/chemistry*; Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Water/chemistry*; Plant Leaves/chemistry*; Arecaceae/chemistry*
  16. Fulltext Isotopic signatures reveal zinc cycling in the natural habitat of hyperaccumulator Dichapetalum gelonioides subspecies from Malaysian Borneo
    van der Ent A, Nkrumah PN, Aarts MGM, Baker AJM, Degryse F, Wawryk C, et al.
    BMC Plant Biol, 2021 Sep 27;21(1):437.
    PMID: 34579652 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03190-4
    BACKGROUND: Some subspecies of Dichapetalum gelonioides are the only tropical woody zinc (Zn)-hyperaccumulator plants described so far and the first Zn hyperaccumulators identified to occur exclusively on non-Zn enriched 'normal' soils. The aim of this study was to investigate Zn cycling in the parent rock-soil-plant interface in the native habitats of hyperaccumulating Dichapetalum gelonioides subspecies (subsp. pilosum and subsp. sumatranum). We measured the Zn isotope ratios (δ66Zn) of Dichapetalum plant material, and associated soil and parent rock materials collected from Sabah (Malaysian Borneo).

    RESULTS: We found enrichment in heavy Zn isotopes in the topsoil (δ66Zn 0.13 ‰) relative to deep soil (δ66Zn -0.15 ‰) and bedrock (δ66Zn -0.90 ‰). This finding suggests that both weathering and organic matter influenced the Zn isotope pattern in the soil-plant system, with leaf litter cycling contributing significantly to enriched heavier Zn in topsoil. Within the plant, the roots were enriched in heavy Zn isotopes (δ66Zn ~ 0.60 ‰) compared to mature leaves (δ66Zn ~ 0.30 ‰), which suggests highly expressed membrane transporters in these Dichapetalum subspecies preferentially transporting lighter Zn isotopes during root-to-shoot translocation. The shoots, mature leaves and phloem tissues were enriched in heavy Zn isotopes (δ66Zn 0.34-0.70 ‰) relative to young leaves (δ66Zn 0.25 ‰). Thisindicates that phloem sources are enriched in heavy Zn isotopes relative to phloem sinks, likely because of apoplastic retention and compartmentalization in the Dichapetalum subspecies.

    CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal Zn cycling in the rock-soil-plant continuum within the natural habitat of Zn hyperaccumulating subspecies of Dichapetalum gelonioides from Malaysian Borneo. This study broadens our understanding of the role of a tropical woody Zn hyperaccumulator plant in local Zn cycling, and highlights the important role of leaf litter recycling in the topsoil Zn budget. Within the plant, phloem plays key role in Zn accumulation and redistribution during growth and development. This study provides an improved understanding of the fate and behaviour of Zn in hyperaccumulator soil-plant systems, and these insights may be applied in the biofortification of crops with Zn.

    Matched MeSH terms: Soil/chemistry*; Zinc Isotopes/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Plant Roots/chemistry; Malpighiaceae/chemistry
  17. Fulltext Choline Chloride-urea Deep Eutectic Mixture Water for the Synthesis of an Amphiphilic Compound of Glyceryl Monocaffeate
    Gonawan FN, Bakar PNMA, Kamaruddin AH
    J Oleo Sci, 2021 Oct 05;70(10):1437-1445.
    PMID: 34497176 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess21010
    The Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of glyceryl monocaffeate (GMC) in choline chloride-urea of natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) media is reported to provide amphiphilic character to caffeic acid (CA). The modification of CA into GMC could potentially increase its solubility and widen the application of CA's biological activities in water and oil-based systems. The high conversion was achieved when the reaction was carried out with the addition of more than 20 %v/v water, at a high molar ratio of glycerol and 40°C. It was found that the lipase-catalyzed transesterification of ethyl caffeate (EC) and glycerol in choline chloride-urea of DES media obeyed ping-pong bi-bi mechanism with Vmax = 10.9 mmol.min-1, KmEC = 126.5 mmol and KmGly = 1842.7 mmol.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caffeic Acids/chemistry*; Choline/chemistry*; Lipase/chemistry*; Urea/chemistry*; Water/chemistry*
  18. Pharmaceutical Aspects of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles: A Boon to Cancer Treatment
    Mishra V, Nayak P, Singh M, Tambuwala MM, Aljabali AA, Chellappan DK, et al.
    Anticancer Agents Med Chem, 2021;21(12):1490-1509.
    PMID: 32951580 DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200918111024
    BACKGROUND: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most investigated nanostructures in recent years, which exhibit more challenging and promising qualities in different biomedical applications. The AgNPs synthesized by the green approach provide potential healthcare benefits over chemical approaches, including improvement of tissue restoration, drug delivery, diagnosis, being environmentally friendly, and a boon to cancer treatment.

    OBJECTIVE: In the current scenario, the development of safe and effective drug delivery systems is the utmost concern of formulation development scientists as well as clinicians.

    METHODS: Google, Web of Science, and PubMed portals have been searched for potentially relevant literature to get the latest developments and updated information related to different aspects of green synthesized AgNPs along with their biomedical applications, especially in the treatment of different types of cancers.

    RESULTS: The present review highlights the latest published research regarding the different green approaches for the synthesis of AgNPs, their characterization techniques as well as various biomedical applications, particularly in cancer treatment. In this context, environment-friendly AgNPs are proving themselves as better candidates in terms of size, drug loading and release efficiency, targeting efficiency, minimal drug-associated side effects, pharmacokinetic profiling, and biocompatibility issues.

    CONCLUSION: With continuous efforts by multidisciplinary team approaches, nanotechnology-based AgNPs will shed new light on diagnostics and therapeutics in various disease treatments. However, the toxicity issues of AgNPs need greater attention as unanticipated toxic effects must be ruled out for their diversified applications.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Silver/chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry*; Green Chemistry Technology*
  19. Estimation and influence of physicochemical properties and chemical fractions of surface sediment on the bioaccessibility of Cd and Hg contaminant in Langat River, Malaysia
    Kadhum SA, Ishak MY, Zulkifli SZ
    Environ Geochem Health, 2017 Oct;39(5):1145-1158.
    PMID: 27848092 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-016-9883-4
    This study applied the use of sequential extraction technique and simple bioaccessibility extraction test to quantify the bioavailable fractions and the human bioaccessible concentration of metals collected from nine stations in surface sediment of the Langat River. The concentrations of total and bioaccessible metals from different stations were in the range of 0.49-1.04, 0.10-0.32 μg g-1 for T-Cd, Bio-Cd, respectively, and 12.9-128.03, 2.06-8.53 μg kg-1 for T-Hg, Bio-Hg, respectively. The results revealed highest R-Bio-Cd in Banting station (55.3 %), while the highest R-Bio-Hg was in Kajang station (49.61 %). The chemical speciation of Cd in most sampling stations was in the order of oxidisable-organic > residual > exchangeable > acid-reducible, while speciation of Hg was in the order of exchangeable > residual > oxidisable-organic > acid-reducible. The correlation matric of mean content showed that the TOM, particle size and Mg++ in polluted surface sediments was highly correlated with total mercury. The PCA showed that the main factors influencing the bioaccessibility of Hg in surface sediments were the sediment TOM, F1 (EFLE) and F3 (oxidation-organic), while the factor influencing the bioaccessibility of Cd was the F3 (oxidation-organic) and T-Cd.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cadmium/chemistry; Mercury/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry; Geologic Sediments/chemistry*; Rivers/chemistry*
  20. Adsorption of malachite green from aqueous solution by using novel chitosan ionic liquid beads
    Naseeruteen F, Hamid NSA, Suah FBM, Ngah WSW, Mehamod FS
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2018 Feb;107(Pt A):1270-1277.
    PMID: 28965968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.09.111
    Chitosan ionic liquid beads were prepared from chitosan and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids to remove Malachite Green (MG) from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of initial pH, adsorbent dosage, agitation time and initial MG concentration. The optimum conditions were obtained at pH 4.0, 0.008g of adsorbent dosage and 20min of agitation time were utilized in the kinetic and isotherm studies. Three kinetic models were applied to analyze the kinetic data and pseudo-second order was found to be the best fitted model with R2>0.999. In order to determine the adsorption capacity, the sorption data were analyzed using the linear form of Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. The isotherm was best fitted by Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) obtained from Langmuir isotherm for two chitosan beads 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate A and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium B are 8.07mgg-1 and 0.24mgg-1 respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rosaniline Dyes/chemistry; Water/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry; Chitosan/chemistry*; Ionic Liquids/chemistry*
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