Displaying publications 2181 - 2200 of 10379 in total

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  1. Leucoridines A-D, cytotoxic Strychnos-Strychnos bisindole alkaloids from Leuconotis
    Gan CY, Etoh T, Hayashi M, Komiyama K, Kam TS
    J Nat Prod, 2010 Jun 25;73(6):1107-11.
    PMID: 20515042 DOI: 10.1021/np1001187
    Four new bisindole alkaloids of the Strychnos-Strychnos type, leucoridines A-D (1-4), were isolated from the stem-bark extract of Leuconotis griffithii. Alkaloids 1-4 showed moderate cytotoxicity against drug-sensitive and vincristine-resistant human KB cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Plant Bark/chemistry; Indole Alkaloids/chemistry; Apocynaceae/chemistry*; Strychnos/chemistry*
  2. Fulltext HPLC and anti-inflammatory studies of the flavonoid rich chloroform extract fraction of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves
    Yam MF, Lim V, Salman IM, Ameer OZ, Ang LF, Rosidah N, et al.
    Molecules, 2010 Jun 21;15(6):4452-66.
    PMID: 20657453 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15064452
    The aim of the present study was to verify the anti-inflammatory activity of Orthosiphon stamineus leaf extracts and to identify the active compound(s) contributing to its anti-inflammatory activity using a developed HPLC method. Active chloroform extract of O. stamineus was fractionated into three fractions using a dry flash column chromatography method. These three fractions were investigated for anti-peritoneal capillary permeability, in vitro nitric oxide scavenging activity, anti-inflammatory and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema method. The flavonoid rich chloroform extract fraction (CF2) [containing sinensetin (2.86% w/w), eupatorin (5.05% w/w) and 3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone (1.101% w/w)], significantly reduced rat hind paw edema, NO and decreased dye leakage to peritoneal cavity at p < 0.05. IC(50) of in vitro NO scavenging of CF2 was 0.3 mg/mL. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of these CF2 may possibly be due to the presence of flavonoid compounds capable of affecting the NO pathway.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry*; Chloroform/chemistry*; Flavonoids/chemistry*; Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Plant Leaves/chemistry*; Orthosiphon/chemistry*
  3. Biosensor based on glutamate dehydrogenase immobilized in chitosan for the determination of ammonium in water samples
    Azmi NE, Ahmad M, Abdullah J, Sidek H, Heng LY, Karuppiah N
    Anal Biochem, 2009 May 1;388(1):28-32.
    PMID: 19454217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2009.02.005
    An optical biosensor based on glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) immobilized in a chitosan film for the determination of ammonium in water samples is described. The biosensor film was deposited on a glass slide via a spin-coating method. The ammonium was measured based on beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidation in the presence of alpha-ketoglutaric acid at a wavelength of 340 nm. The biosensor showed optimum activity at pH 8. The optimum chitosan concentrations and enzyme loading were found to be at 2% (w/v) and 0.08 mg, respectively. Optimum concentrations of NADH and alpha-ketoglutaric acid both were obtained at 0.15 mM. A linear response of the biosensor was obtained in the ammonium concentration range of 0.005 to 0.5 mM with a detection limit of 0.005 mM. The reproducibility of the biosensor was good, with an observed relative standard deviation of 5.9% (n=8). The biosensor was found to be stable for at least 1 month when stored dry at 4 degrees C.
    Matched MeSH terms: Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry; Glutamate Dehydrogenase/chemistry*; Ketoglutaric Acids/chemistry; NAD/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry; Chitosan/chemistry*
  4. Development of an implantable D-serine biosensor for in vivo monitoring using mammalian D-amino acid oxidase on a poly (o-phenylenediamine) and Nafion-modified platinum-iridium disk electrode
    Zain ZM, O'Neill RD, Lowry JP, Pierce KW, Tricklebank M, Dewa A, et al.
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2010 Feb 15;25(6):1454-9.
    PMID: 19945264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2009.10.049
    D-serine has been implicated as a brain messenger, promoting not only neuronal signalling but also synaptic plasticity. Thus, a sensitive tool for D-serine monitoring in brain is required to understand the mechanisms of D-serine release from glia cells. A biosensor for direct fixed potential amperometric monitoring of D-serine incorporating mammalian D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) immobilized on a Nafion coated poly-ortho-phenylenediamine (PPD) modified Pt-Ir disk electrode was therefore developed. The combined layers of PPD and Nafion enhanced the enzyme activity and biosensor efficiency by approximately 2-fold compared with each individual layer. A steady state response time (t(90%)) of 0.7+/-0.1s (n=8) and limit of detection 20+/-1 nM (n=8) were obtained. Cylindrical geometry showed lower sensitivity compared to disk geometry (61+/-7 microA cm(-2) mM(-1), (n=4), R(2)=0.999). Interference by ascorbic acid (AA), the main interference species in the central nervous system and other neurochemical electroactive molecules was negligible. Implantation of the electrode and microinjection of D-serine into rat brain striatal extracellular fluid demonstrated that the electrode was capable of detecting D-serine in brain tissue in vivo.
    Matched MeSH terms: D-Amino-Acid Oxidase/chemistry*; Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry; Fluorocarbon Polymers/chemistry; Iridium/chemistry; Phenylenediamines/chemistry; Platinum/chemistry
  5. Identification of sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on short capillary column
    Man CN, Nor NM, Lajis R, Harn GL
    J Chromatogr A, 2009 Nov 20;1216(47):8426-30.
    PMID: 19853256 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2009.10.016
    Sildenafil and its analogues (tadalafil and vardenafil) are phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors used in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. Some dietary supplements, herbal preparations and food products which claim to enhance male sexual function have been found to be adulterated with these drugs. In this study, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) assay was developed for identification of the drugs. In addition to good and short chromatographic separation that can be achieved within 6 min by using a short 10 m capillary column, no prior sample clean-up before GC-MS analysis was required, thus making this assay a cost saving and rapid method. Furthermore, the assay is specific as the identification of sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil were done by detection of molecular ions; m/z 474, 389 and 488, [corrected] respectively, and several other characteristic ions resulted from the mass fragmentation of individual molecules. Using our currently developed assay, sildenafil and its analogues were successfully identified in food and herbal matrices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Carbolines/chemistry; Imidazoles/chemistry; Piperazines/chemistry; Purines/chemistry; Sulfones/chemistry; Triazines/chemistry
  6. Development of a synthetic bone scaffold using porous hydroxyapatite for bone repair
    Mustaffa R, Besar I, Andanastuti M
    Med J Malaysia, 2008 Jul;63 Suppl A:95-6.
    PMID: 19025001
    In this study, porous hydroxyapatite (HA) samples were fabricated via sponge techniques with the aid of sago as part of the binder mixture. Development processes for the production of porous bone graft substitutes are studied using polyurethane sponge. To obtain the optimum amount of binder for successful fabrication of porous HA were done. Initially, porous HA powder was synthesized using calcium hydroxide and orthorphosphoric acid. Meanwhile, sago was mixed with PVA in a certain ratio to be used as binder for preparing the porous HA. After a series of investigative tests were conducted to characterize the sintered samples, the use of the sago and polymeric mixture was found to successfully aid the fabrication of porous HA samples. In this investigation, comparison of physical and mechanical characteristics between samples prepared using difference techniques was made.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/chemistry*; Calcium Hydroxide/chemistry; Phosphoric Acids/chemistry; Durapatite/chemistry*; Bone Substitutes/chemistry*; Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry*
  7. New alkaloids from Phoebe scortechinii
    Awang K, Mukhtar MR, Mustafa MR, Litaudon M, Shaari K, Mohamad K, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2007 Jul 10;21(8):704-9.
    PMID: 17616898
    The leaves of the Phoebe scortechinii (Gamb.) Kochummen Comb. Nov. (Lauraceae), afforded one new proaporphine-tryptamine dimer; (-)-phoebescortechiniine (1), along with two known ones; phoebegrandine A and phoebegrandine B. The proaporphine, tetrahydropronuciferine (2), was isolated for the first time as a natural product. The alkaloids were elucidated primarily by means of high field NMR and HRMS.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alkaloids/chemistry; Antimalarials/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Tryptamines/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Lauraceae/chemistry*
  8. Drug release property of chitosan-pectinate beads and its changes under the influence of microwave
    Wong TW, Nurjaya S
    Eur J Pharm Biopharm, 2008 May;69(1):176-88.
    PMID: 17980563
    The effects of microwave irradiation on the drug release property of pectinate beads loaded internally with chitosan (chitosan-pectinate beads) were investigated against the pectinate beads and beads coacervated with chitosan externally (pectinate-chitosonium beads). These beads were prepared by an extrusion method using sodium diclofenac as the model water-soluble drug. The beads were subjected to microwave irradiation at 80 W for 5, 10, 21 and 40 min. The profiles of drug dissolution, drug content, drug-polymer interaction and polymer-polymer interaction were determined by drug dissolution testing, drug content assay, drug adsorption study, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Treatment of pectinate beads by microwave did not lead to a decrease, but an increase in the extent of drug released at 4h of dissolution owing to reduced pectin-pectin interaction via the CO moiety of polymer. In addition, the extent of drug released from the pectinate beads could not be reduced merely through the coacervation of pectinate matrix with chitosan. The reduction in the extent of drug released from the pectinate-chitosonium beads required the treatment of these beads by microwave, following an increase in drug-polymer and polymer-polymer interaction in the matrix. The extent of drug released from the pectinate beads was reduced through incorporating chitosan directly into the interior of pectinate matrix, owing to drug-chitosan adsorption. Nonetheless, the treatment of chitosan-pectinate matrix by microwave brought about an increase in the extent of drug released unlike those of pectinate-chitosonium beads. Apparently, the loading of chitosan into the interior of pectinate matrix could effectively retard the drug release without subjecting the beads to the treatment of microwave. The microwave was merely essential to reduce the release of drug from pectinate beads when the chitosan was introduced to the pectinate matrix by means of coacervation. Under the influences of microwave, the drug release property of beads made of pectin and chitosan was mainly modulated via the CH, OH and NH moieties of polymers and drug, with CH functional group purported to retard while OH and NH moieties purported to enhance the drug released from the matrix.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods*; Drug Carriers/chemistry; Pectins/chemistry*; Polymers/chemistry; Chitosan/chemistry*
  9. Analysis of secondary structure predictions of dengue virus type 2 NS2B/NS3 against crystal structure to evaluate the predictive power of the in silico methods
    Othman R, Wahab HA, Yusof R, Rahman NA
    In Silico Biol. (Gedrukt), 2007;7(2):215-24.
    PMID: 17688447
    Multiple sequence alignment was performed against eight proteases from the Flaviviridae family using ClustalW to illustrate conserved domains. Two sets of prediction approaches were applied and the results compared. Firstly, secondary structure prediction was performed using available structure prediction servers. The second approach made use of the information on the secondary structures extracted from structure prediction servers, threading techniques and DSSP database of some of the templates used in the threading techniques. Consensus on the one-dimensional secondary structure of Den2 protease was obtained from each approach and evaluated against data from the recently crystallised Den2 NS2B/NS3 obtained from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Results indicated the second approach to show higher accuracy compared to the use of prediction servers only. Thus, it is plausible that this approach is applicable to the initial stage of structural studies of proteins with low amino acid sequence homology against other available proteins in the PDB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amino Acids/chemistry*; Dengue Virus/chemistry*; Endopeptidases/chemistry; Serine Endopeptidases/chemistry; Viral Nonstructural Proteins/chemistry*; RNA Helicases/chemistry
  10. Biologically active indole alkaloids from Kopsia arborea
    Lim KH, Hiraku O, Komiyama K, Koyano T, Hayashi M, Kam TS
    J Nat Prod, 2007 Aug;70(8):1302-7.
    PMID: 17665953
    Nine new indole alkaloids, rhazinoline (1), 19(S)-methoxytubotaiwine (2), 19(R)-methoxytubotaiwine (3), kopsamidine A (4), kopsamidine B (5), kopsinidine A (6), kopsinidine B (7), paucidactine C (8), and pericine N-oxide (9), in addition to several recently reported novel indoles and 34 other known ones, were obtained from the stem-bark extract of the Malayan Kopsia arborea. The structures were determined using NMR and MS analysis. Valparicine (12) showed pronounced cytotoxic effects against KB and Jurkat cells (IC(50) 13.0 and 0.91 microM, respectively).
    Matched MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Plant Stems/chemistry; Plant Bark/chemistry; Indole Alkaloids/chemistry; Apocynaceae/chemistry*
  11. Amino benzoic acid modified silica--an improved catalyst for the mono-substituted product in the benzylation of toluene with benzyl chloride
    Adam F, Andas J
    J Colloid Interface Sci, 2007 Jul 1;311(1):135-43.
    PMID: 17391688
    Iron and 4-(methylamino)benzoic acid have been successfully incorporated into silica extracted from rice husk. The silica/Fe/amine complex, RH-Fe(5% amine), showed a ca. 24% increase in specific surface area compared to RH-Fe. This increase was attributed to the templated formation of regular pores. The XRD showed the RH-Fe(5% amine) to be amorphous. The Friedel-Crafts benzylation reaction with toluene using RH-Fe(5% amine) showed a drastic reduction in the di-substituted products to ca. 1.0%.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Compounds/chemistry*; Iron/chemistry; Organometallic Compounds/chemistry*; 4-Aminobenzoic Acid/chemistry; Silicon Dioxide/chemistry*; Toluene/chemistry*
  12. Studies of reaction parameters on synthesis of Citronellyl laurate ester via immobilized Candida rugosa lipase in organic media
    Serri NA, Kamaruddin AH, Long WS
    Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2006 Oct;29(4):253-60.
    PMID: 16868763
    Immobilized Candida rugosa lipase was used for the synthesis of citronellyl laurate from citronellol and lauric acid. Screening of different types of support (Amberlite MB-1 and Celite) for immobilization of lipase and solvent (n-hexane, n-heptane, and iso-octane) and optimization of reaction conditions, such as catalyst loading, effect of substrates molar ratio and temperature, have been studied. The maximum enzyme activity was obtained at 310 K. The immobilized C. rugosa lipase onto Amberlite MB-1 support was found to be the best support with a conversion of 89% of citronellyl laurate ester in iso-octane compared to Celite 545. Deactivation of C. rugosa lipase at 313, 318 and 323 K were observed. Ordered bi bi mechanism with dead end complex of lauric acid was found to fit the initial rate data and the kinetic parameters were obtained by non-linear regression analysis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry; Fungal Proteins/chemistry*; Lauric Acids/chemistry*; Lipase/chemistry*; Organic Chemicals/chemistry; Monoterpenes/chemistry*
  13. Fulltext Free radical scavenging potential of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl fruits extract
    Mayakrishnan V, Veluswamy S, Sundaram KS, Kannappan P, Abdullah N
    Asian Pac J Trop Med, 2013 Jan;6(1):20-6.
    PMID: 23317881 DOI: 10.1016/S1995-7645(12)60195-3
    OBJECTIVE: To elucidate free radical scavenging activity of ethanolic extract Lagenaria siceraria (L. siceraria) (Molina) fruit.

    METHODS: The free radical scavenging activity of the L. siceraria (Molina) fruit extract was assayed by using α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,20-azinobis 3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS), FRAP, reducing power, chelating ability and β-carotene bleaching assay.

    RESULTS: The IC(50) values of DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity was found to be 1.95 mg/mL and 19 mg/mL, respectively. In ferrous chelation assay, the percentage of inhibition was found to be 89.21%. The reducing power of ethanolic extract of L. siceraria (Molina) fruit was 0.068 at 1 mg/mL and increased to 0.192 at 5 mg/mL. The β-carotene linoleate bleaching assay was 46.7% at 5 mg/mL and antioxidant activity using FRAP at 0.305 for 1 mg/mL to 0.969 for 5 mg/mL.

    CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that L. siceraria (Molina) fruit could be an important sources of natural radical scavengers.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antioxidants/chemistry; Fruit/chemistry*; Iron Chelating Agents/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; beta Carotene/chemistry; Cucurbitaceae/chemistry*
  14. Aging and microwave effects on alginate/chitosan matrices
    Wong TW, Chan LW, Kho SB, Heng PW
    J Control Release, 2005 Jun 2;104(3):461-75.
    PMID: 15911046
    The influence of microwave irradiation on the drug release properties of freshly prepared and aged alginate, alginate-chitosan and chitosan beads was investigated. The beads were prepared by extrusion method with sulphathiazole as a model drug. The dried beads were subjected to microwave irradiation at 80 W for 10 min, 20 min or three consecutive cycles of 10 and 20 min, respectively. The profiles of drug dissolution, drug content, drug stability, drug polymorphism, drug-polymer interaction, polymer crosslinkage and complexation were determined by dissolution testing, drug content assay, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. The chemical stability of drug embedded in beads was unaffected by microwave conditions and length of storage time. The release property of drug was mainly governed by the extent of polymer interaction in beads. The aged alginate beads required intermittent cycles of microwave irradiation to induce drug release retarding effect in contrast to their freshly prepared samples. Unlike the alginate beads, the level of polymer interaction was higher in aged alginate-chitosan beads than the corresponding fresh beads. The drug release retarding property of aged alginate-chitosan beads could be significantly enhanced through subjecting the beads to microwave irradiation for 10 min. No further change in drug release from these beads was observed beyond 30 min of microwave irradiation. Unlike beads containing alginate, the rate and extent of drug released from the aged chitosan beads were higher upon treatment by microwave in spite of the higher degree of polymer interaction shown by the latter on prolonged storage. The observation suggested that the response of polymer matrix to microwave irradiation in induction of drug release retarding property was largely affected by the molecular arrangement of the polymer chains.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alginates/chemistry; Drug Carriers/chemistry; Hexuronic Acids/chemistry; Sulfathiazoles/chemistry; Glucuronic Acid/chemistry; Chitosan/chemistry
  15. A Review of Bisindolylmethane as an Important Scaffold for Drug Discovery
    Imran S, Taha M, Ismail NH
    Curr Med Chem, 2015;22(38):4412-33.
    PMID: 26438249
    Bisindolylmethane and its derivatives are pharmacologically active and applicable in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry. Bisindolylmethanes have a variety of biological activities such as antihyperglycemic, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and antileishmanial activities, including enzyme inhibition activity. They play a crucial role in many diseases especially anticancer activity. Modifying their structure had proven to be useful in the search of new therapeutic agents. Extensive research carried out on bisindolylmethane and its derivatives shows that they are pharmacologically significant. The present review focuses on the pharmacological profile of bisindolylmethane derivatives. This review includes the current literature with an update of research findings as well as the perspectives that they hold for future research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/chemistry*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry*; Antiprotozoal Agents/chemistry*; Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry*; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry*; Indoles/chemistry*
  16. Fulltext Nerolidol: A Sesquiterpene Alcohol with Multi-Faceted Pharmacological and Biological Activities
    Chan WK, Tan LT, Chan KG, Lee LH, Goh BH
    Molecules, 2016 Apr 28;21(5).
    PMID: 27136520 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21050529
    Nerolidol (3,7,11-trimethyl-1,6,10-dodecatrien-3-ol) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol that is present in various plants with a floral odor. It is synthesized as an intermediate in the production of (3E)-4,8-dimethy-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), a herbivore-induced volatile that protects plants from herbivore damage. Chemically, nerolidol exists in two geometric isomers, a trans and a cis form. The usage of nerolidol is widespread across different industries. It has been widely used in cosmetics (e.g., shampoos and perfumes) and in non-cosmetic products (e.g., detergents and cleansers). In fact, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also permitted the use of nerolidol as a food flavoring agent. The fact that nerolidol is a common ingredient in many products has attracted researchers to explore more medicinal properties of nerolidol that may exert beneficial effect on human health. Therefore, the aim of this review is to compile and consolidate the data on the various pharmacological and biological activities displayed by nerolidol. Furthermore, this review also includes pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies of nerolidol. In summary, the various pharmacological and biological activities demonstrated in this review highlight the prospects of nerolidol as a promising chemical or drug candidate in the field of agriculture and medicine.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antioxidants/chemistry; Cosmetics/chemistry; Detergents/chemistry; Flavoring Agents/chemistry; Oils, Volatile/chemistry; Sesquiterpenes/chemistry*
  17. New insight into the structural, electrochemical and biological aspects of macroacyclic Cu(II) complexes derived from S-substituted dithiocarbazate schiff bases
    Low ML, Maigre L, Tahir MI, Tiekink ER, Dorlet P, Guillot R, et al.
    Eur J Med Chem, 2016 Sep 14;120:1-12.
    PMID: 27183379 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.04.027
    Copper (II) complexes synthesized from the products of condensation of S-methyl- and S-benzyldithiocarbazate with 2,5-hexanedione (SMHDH2 and SBHDH2 respectively) have been characterized using various physicochemical (elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility) and spectroscopic (infrared, electronic) methods. The structures of SMHDH2, its copper (II) complex, CuSMHD, and the related CuSBHD complex as well as a pyrrole byproduct, SBPY, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In order to provide more insight into the behaviour of the complexes in solution, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrochemical experiments were performed. Antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity were evaluated. The compounds, dissolved in 0.5% and 5% DMSO, showed a wide range of antibacterial activity against 10 strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Investigations of the effects of efflux pumps and membrane penetration on antibacterial activity are reported herein. Antiproliferation activity was observed to be enhanced by complexation with copper. Preliminary screening showed Cu complexes are strongly active against human breast adenocarcinoma cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Copper/chemistry; Hydrazines/chemistry; Schiff Bases/chemistry*; Macrocyclic Compounds/chemistry; Coordination Complexes/chemistry
  18. Fulltext Modulation of Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Neuronal Cells by Thymoquinone-Rich Fraction and Thymoquinone via Transcriptomic Regulation of Antioxidant and Apoptotic Signaling Genes
    Ismail N, Ismail M, Azmi NH, Abu Bakar MF, Basri H, Abdullah MA
    Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2016;2016:2528935.
    PMID: 26823946 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2528935
    Nigella sativa Linn. (N. sativa) and its bioactive constituent Thymoquinone (TQ) have demonstrated numerous pharmacological attributes. In the present study, the neuroprotective properties of Thymoquinone-rich fraction (TQRF) and TQ against hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced neurotoxicity in differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells were investigated. TQRF was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction while TQ was acquired commercially, and their effects on H2O2 were evaluated using cell viability assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, morphological observation, and multiplex gene expression. Both TQRF and TQ protected the cells against H2O2 by preserving the mitochondrial metabolic enzymes, reducing intracellular ROS levels, preserving morphological architecture, and modulating the expression of genes related to antioxidants (SOD1, SOD2, and catalase) and signaling genes (p53, AKT1, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK, and NF-κβ). In conclusion, the enhanced efficacy of TQRF over TQ was likely due to the synergism of multiple constituents in TQRF. The efficacy of TQRF was better than that of TQ alone when equal concentrations of TQ in TQRF were compared. In addition, TQRF also showed comparable effects to TQ when the same concentrations were tested. These findings provide further support for the use of TQRF as an alternative to combat oxidative stress insults in neurodegenerative diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acridine Orange/chemistry; Hydrogen Peroxide/chemistry*; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Propidium/chemistry; Benzoquinones/chemistry*; Nigella sativa/chemistry
  19. Enzymatic Production of Bioxylitol from Sawdust Hydrolysate: Screening of Process Parameters
    Rafiqul IS, Sakinah AM, Zularisam AW
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2015 Jun;176(4):1071-83.
    PMID: 25904039 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-015-1630-2
    Xylose-rich sawdust hydrolysate can be an economic substrate for the enzymatic production of xylitol, a specialty product. It is important to identify the process factors influencing xylitol production. This research aimed to screen the parameters significantly affecting bioxylitol synthesis from wood sawdust by xylose reductase (XR). Enzymatic bioxylitol production was conducted to estimate the effect of different variables reaction time (2-18 h), temperature (20-70 °C), pH (4.0-9.0), NADPH (1.17-5.32 g/L), and enzyme concentration (2-6 %) on the yield of xylitol. Fractional factorial design was followed to identify the key process factors. The screening design identified that time, temperature, and pH are the most significant factors influencing bioxylitol production among the variables with the values of 12 h, 35 °C, and 7.0, respectively. These conditions led to a xylitol yield of 71 % (w/w). This is the first report on the statistical screening of process variables influencing enzyme-based bioxylitol production from lignocellulosic biomass.
    Matched MeSH terms: Aldehyde Reductase/chemistry*; Fungal Proteins/chemistry*; NADP/chemistry*; Wood/chemistry*; Xylose/chemistry*; Candida tropicalis/chemistry
  20. Fulltext Degradation and mineralization of phenol compounds with goethite catalyst and mineralization prediction using artificial intelligence
    Tisa F, Davoody M, Abdul Raman AA, Daud WM
    PLoS One, 2015;10(4):e0119933.
    PMID: 25849556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119933
    The efficiency of phenol degradation via Fenton reaction using mixture of heterogeneous goethite catalyst with homogeneous ferrous ion was analyzed as a function of three independent variables, initial concentration of phenol (60 to 100 mg /L), weight ratio of initial concentration of phenol to that of H2O2 (1: 6 to 1: 14) and, weight ratio of initial concentration of goethite catalyst to that of H2O2 (1: 0.3 to 1: 0.7). More than 90 % of phenol removal and more than 40% of TOC removal were achieved within 60 minutes of reaction. Two separate models were developed using artificial neural networks to predict degradation percentage by a combination of Fe3+ and Fe2+ catalyst. Five operational parameters were employed as inputs while phenol degradation and TOC removal were considered as outputs of the developed models. Satisfactory agreement was observed between testing data and the predicted values (R2Phenol = 0.9214 and R2TOC= 0.9082).
    Matched MeSH terms: Ferric Compounds/chemistry*; Ferrous Compounds/chemistry*; Minerals/chemistry*; Phenols/chemistry*; Water Pollutants/chemistry*; Iron Compounds/chemistry*
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