The Bouguer-Beer-Lambert Law: Shining Light on the Obscure

The Beer-Lambert law is unquestionably the most important law in optical spectroscopy and indispensable for the qualitative and quantitative interpretation of spectroscopic data. As such, every spectroscopist should know its limits and potential pitfalls, arising from its application, by heart. It is the goal of this work to review these limits and pitfalls, as well as to provide solutions and explanations to guide the reader. This guidance will allow a deeper understanding of spectral features, which cannot be explained by the Beer-Lambert law, because they arise from electromagnetic effects/the wave nature of light. Those features include band shifts and intensity changes based exclusively upon optical conditions, i. e. the method chosen to record the spectra, the substrate and the form of the sample. As such, the review will be an essential tool towards a full understanding of optical spectra and their quantitative interpretation based not only on oscillator positions, but also on their strengths and damping constants.     

Current Knowledge and Perspectives of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Pharmacological Applications: A Mini-Review

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a widespread group of secondary metabolites in plants. PAs are notorious for their acute hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity and neurological damage to humans and animals. In recent decades, the application of PAs for beneficial biological activities to cure disease has drawn greater attention. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the pharmacological properties of PAs and discuss PAs as promising prototypes for the development of new drugs.     

Marine Bacterial Dextranases: Fundamentals and Applications

Dextran, a renewable hydrophilic polysaccharide, is nontoxic, highly stable but intrinsically biodegradable. The α-1, 6 glycosidic bonds in dextran are attacked by dextranase (E.C. 3.2.1.11) which is an inducible enzyme. Dextranase finds many applications such as, in sugar industry, in the production of human plasma substitutes, and for the treatment and prevention of dental plaque. Currently, dextranases are obtained from terrestrial fungi which have longer duration for production but not very tolerant to environmental conditions and have safety concerns. Marine bacteria have been proposed as an alternative source of these enzymes and can provide prospects to overcome these issues. Indeed, marine bacterial dextranases are reportedly more effective and suitable for dental caries prevention and treatment. Here, we focused on properties of dextran, properties of dextran—hydrolyzing enzymes, particularly from marine sources and the biochemical features of these enzymes. Lastly the potential use of these marine bacterial dextranase to remove dental plaque has been discussed. The review covers dextranase-producing bacteria isolated from shrimp, fish, algae, sea slit, and sea water, as well as from macro- and micro fungi and other microorganisms. It is common knowledge that dextranase is used in the sugar industry; produced as a result of hydrolysis by dextranase and have prebiotic properties which influence the consistency and texture of food products. In medicine, dextranases are used to make blood substitutes. In addition, dextranase is used to produce low molecular weight dextran and cytotoxic dextran. Furthermore, dextranase is used to enhance antibiotic activity in endocarditis. It has been established that dextranase from marine bacteria is the most preferable for removing plaque, as it has a high enzymatic activity. This study lays the groundwork for the future design and development of different oral care products, based on enzymes derived from marine bacteria.     

An Integrated Chemical Cytometry Method: Shining a Light on Akt Activity in Single Cells

Tools to evaluate oncogenic kinase activity in small clinical samples have the power to guide precision medicine in oncology. Existing platforms have demonstrated impressive insights into the activity of protein kinases, but these technologies are unsuitable for the study of kinase behavior in large numbers of primary human cells. To address these limitations, we developed an integrated analysis system that utilizes a light‐programmable, cell‐permeable reporter deliverable simultaneously to many cells. The reporter's ability to act as a substrate for Akt, a key oncogenic kinase, was masked by a 2‐4,5‐dimethoxy 2‐nitrobenzyl (DMNB) moiety. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light and release of the masking moiety, the substrate sequence enabled programmable reaction times within the cell cytoplasm. When coupled to automated single‐cell capillary electrophoresis, statistically significant numbers of primary human cells were readily evaluated for Akt activity.     

In Situ Synchrotron X‐ray Characterization Shining Light on the Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Colloidal Nanoparticles

Rational synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles with desirable properties relies on precise control over the nucleation and growth kinetics, which is still not well understood. The recent development of in situ high energy synchrotron X‐ray techniques offers an excellent opportunity to quantitatively monitor the growth trajectories of colloidal nanoparticles in real time under real reaction conditions. The time‐resolved, quantitative data of the growing colloidal nanoparticles are unique to reveal the mechanism of nanoparticle formation and determine the corresponding intrinsic kinetic parameters. This review discusses the kinetics of major steps of forming colloidal nanoparticles and the capability of in situ synchrotron X‐ray techniques in studying the corresponding kinetics.     

Applications of Thermal Analysis on the Marine Phytoplankton,Tetraselmis Suecica

Marine microalgae represent an essential link in the planktonic food web and some of them are commonly utilised in aquaculture systems as food for larval and juvenile stages of fishes, crustacea and mollusca. However, the caloric content and the biochemical composition of these microrganisms vary in relation to ageing and to several environmental conditions; so if the parameters under which phytoplankton grow are not suitable, marine microalgae can supply small quantities of energy and essential nutrients. The aim of this work was to study the effects of temperature on the marine planktonic alga Tetraselmis suecica using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis(DTA). Marked differences have been observed between exponentially, stationary and senescence phases probably due to both the presence of different biomolecules produced during algal growth and to the differences in the thermal properties of these intracellular molecules. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photolyase Production and Current Applications: A Review

The photolyase family consists of flavoproteins with enzyme activity able to repair ultraviolet light radiation damage by photoreactivation. DNA damage by the formation of a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) and a pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproduct can lead to multiple affections such as cellular apoptosis and mutagenesis that can evolve into skin cancer. The development of integrated applications to prevent the negative effects of prolonged sunlight exposure, usually during outdoor activities, is imperative. This study presents the functions, characteristics, and types of photolyases, their therapeutic and cosmetic applications, and additionally explores some photolyase-producing microorganisms and drug delivery systems.     

Quantum Yields and Kinetics of the Firefly Bioluminescence Reaction of Beetle Luciferases

Quantum yields of firefly bioluminescence reactions were determined for beetle luciferases from the three main families of luminous beetles emitting different bioluminescence colors. Quantum yield (QY) was significantly correlated with luminescence spectrum. The green light-emitting luciferase of the Brazilian click beetle, Pyrearinus termitilluminans, whose luminescence spectrum had the shortest peak wavelength of all the luciferases investigated, had the highest QY (0.61). Mutant analyses of active site-substituted Pyrocoelia miyako luciferases showed that, although k_cat was decreased by the mutations, the QY was not significantly affected.     

Shining light on photoredox catalysis: theory and synthetic applications

Photoredox catalysis is emerging as a powerful tool in synthetic organic chemistry. The aim of this synopsis is to provide an overview of the photoelectronic properties of photoredox catalysts as they are applied to organic transformations. In addition, recent synthetic applications of photoredox catalysis are presented.     

Chemical Analysis of the Luminous Slime Secreted by the Marine Worm Chaetopterus (Annelida,Polychaeta)

The marine annelid Chaetopterus variopedatus produces bioluminescence by an unknown and potentially novel mechanism. We have advanced the study of this fascinating phenomenon, which has not been investigated for nearly 60 years after initial studies were first reported for this species. Here, we show that the luminous slime produced by the worm exhibits blue fluorescence that matches the bioluminescence emission. This result suggests that the oxyluciferin emitter is present. However, while the blue fluorescence decays over time green fluorescence is increasingly revealed that is likely associated with products of the luminescence reaction. LC/MS and fluorescence analysis of harvested luminescent material revealed riboflavin as the major green fluorescent component. Riboflavin is usually associated with the mechanism of light production in bacteria, yet luminous bacteria were not found in the worm mucus, and accordingly were not reported to be directly responsible for the light emission, which is under nervous control in the worm. We therefore propose a hypothesis in which riboflavin or a structurally related derivative serves as the emitter in the worm's light producing reaction.     

Nanotherapeutic Anti-influenza Solutions: Current Knowledge and Future Challenges

Nanotechnology has impacted every aspect of human life and the environment. The raising concern against influenza outbreaks is an ongoing issue. With the current drugs and natural remedies, some amount of resolution has been reached. Yet, nothing conclusive has been achieved. With every resource tapped, it is now time to combine strategies. This review highlights the low enthusiasm in this area, where not much has been probed into employing nanomaterials into influenza research. The achievements made through the intervention of nanotechnology into anti influenza research, has been surveyed in this review. Except for a few, not much progress was evidenced. Although significant progress has been achieved with nano inputs, yet nothing much has been done in this direction. This review emphasizes the need to combine strategies and find new remedies against influenza virus using nano platforms. New directions and future perspectives for accessing the nano inputs for combating the influenza issues have been discussed.     

Griseofulvin: An Updated Overview of Old and Current Knowledge

Griseofulvin is an antifungal polyketide metabolite produced mainly by ascomycetes. Since it was commercially introduced in 1959, griseofulvin has been used in treating dermatophyte infections. This fungistatic has gained increasing interest for multifunctional applications in the last decades due to its potential to disrupt mitosis and cell division in human cancer cells and arrest hepatitis C virus replication. In addition to these inhibitory effects, we and others found griseofulvin may enhance ACE2 function, contribute to vascular vasodilation, and improve capillary blood flow. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis revealed that griseofulvin and its derivatives have good binding potential with SARS-CoV-2 main protease, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD), suggesting its inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 entry and viral replication. These findings imply the repurposing potentials of the FDA-approved drug griseofulvin in designing and developing novel therapeutic interventions. In this review, we have summarized the available information from its discovery to recent progress in this growing field. Additionally, explored is the possible mechanism leading to rare hepatitis induced by griseofulvin. We found that griseofulvin and its metabolites, including 6-desmethylgriseofulvin (6-DMG) and 4- desmethylgriseofulvin (4-DMG), have favorable interactions with cytokeratin intermediate filament proteins (K8 and K18), ranging from −3.34 to −5.61 kcal mol⁻¹. Therefore, they could be responsible for liver injury and Mallory body (MB) formation in hepatocytes of human, mouse, and rat treated with griseofulvin. Moreover, the stronger binding of griseofulvin to K18 in rodents than in human may explain the observed difference in the severity of hepatitis between rodents and human.     

Editorial: Current Issues on Future Researches and Applications of Natural Product Medicines

The use of natural product medicine has emerged from traditional to modern therapy in order to increase the quality of health worldwide. To prove pharmacological effects of medicinal plants and to further develop the rational use of herbal medicines, scientific approaches are essential. The development of sciences and technologies have highly supported the research on natural product medicines in all aspects. Recent findings from research in natural product medicines were a major focus in the International Seminar on Natural Product Medicines 2012 which was held in Bandung and organized by School of Pharmacy, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and Indonesian Society on Natural Product Researchers (PERHIPBA). Furthermore, there was an interesting sharing of experiences and knowledge on how to develop and practice some well-known traditional medicines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ayurveda and jamu     

Harnessing Light with Photonic Nanowires: Fundamentals and Applications to Quantum Optics

The efficient feeding of spontaneous emission (SE) into a controlled optical mode lies at the heart of a new generation of advanced optoelectronic devices, such as low‐threshold microlasers and bright sources of quantum light. In the solid state, single‐mode emission was first demonstrated by using the Purcell effect that arises in a resonant microcavity. Recently, the need to relax the constraints inherent to such a narrow‐band approach has motivated large effort to develop structures ensuring broadband and efficient SE control. This minireview deals with fiber‐like photonic nanowires, a class of high‐index waveguides that features key assets in this context. Combining theoretical predictions and experimental results, the paper details the SE dynamics in such tiny wires. In addition, it shows how the far‐field emission of a single wire can be tailored through proper engineering of the two wire ends. As an application in the field of quantum optics, we review the realization of an ultrabright single‐photon source. This first device was based on a self‐assembled quantum dot embedded in a wire antenna realized with a top‐down fabrication process. Considering recent advances in the direct growth of tapered photonic wires, we also propose a bottom‐up fabrication route to realize a complete device. In particular, this proposal ensures the optimal 3D positioning of a single emitter inside the antenna. Finally, future research and application prospects are also reviewed.     

苝类化合物研究与应用

苝类化合物具有大的共轭体系,易于进行结构修饰,可引入各种功能性基团,这种奇特结构赋予了苝类化合物优良的理化性质和特殊功能,在材料科学、超分子化学、生物、药学、医学等领域具有宽广的应用潜力,尤其在苝类有机光电材料已得到广泛的研究,取得了许多重要成就。尤其是近来越来越多的研究致力于开发苝类化合物其它可能的应用,已延伸到诸多领域,特别是相关生物医药的应用研究已成为近几年来异常活跃的新兴研究领域,引起广泛关注,进展迅速。本文结合课题组的研究工作,参考国内外近五年文献,首次系统地综述了苝类化合物在有机光电材料、纳米材料、生物医药光敏剂、生物荧光标记和成像、药物载体、人工诊断剂、人工离子受体和荧光分子探针等材料、生物、医药领域应用研究新进展。文中注重强化了化合物结构对苝类化合物性质和应用的影响。对未来苝类化合物研究与应用的发展趋势作了展望。     

2D Materials in Light: Excited‐State Dynamics and Applications

The development of two‐dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increasing interest due to their unique structure and various potential applications such as opto‐electronic devices and photocatalysis. Our group have contributed to this exciting field by creating novel preparation methods for a various of 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), carbon nitrides and single elemental 2D materials from Group 15. Particularly, employing powerful time‐resolved spectroscopic techniques such as femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we elucidated the excited‐state dynamics of 2D materials behind their outstanding performance in photocatalytic and photonic devices. Therefore in this account, we focus on the effective fabrication methods of 2D materials and their photoinduced excited‐state dynamics. Following the introduction in Part 1 , we will summarize our novel strategies for fabricating 2D materials ( Part 2 ). Then in Part 3 we will introduce the instrumentation for exploring the photoinduced excited‐state dynamics of the 2D materials spanning a wide time scale from ultrafast fs to slow ms. Part 4 details the applications of the 2D materials in photocatalysis and nonlinear optics determined by their excited‐state physics and chemistry. Part 5 of perspectives summarizes a few future trends of 2D materials on a series of issues like fabrications, dynamic investigations and photonic optoelectronic applications. Collective efforts through researchers from interdisciplinary fields are expected to further push the exciting territory towards a new horizon.     

Shining the light: the mechanism of the bioluminescence reaction of calcium-binding photoproteins

The Cat²⁺-binding photoproteins from jellyfish have the unique ability to emit blue light in the presence of calcium ions but without molecular oxygen or any other cofactor. Although there is no crystallographic data on the structure of the photoprotein complex, structure-activity studies have elucidated many features of the complex and many aspects of the mechanism of the bioluminescence reaction.     

Shining light on the role of shape-controlled nanomaterials in photocatalysis

Shape-controlled nanomaterials have been in the spotlight of photocatalysis for nearly two decades as they afford a unique level of energetic and structural tunability while possessing many desirable characteristics of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, such as solution stability, high turnover number, and facile catalyst isolation. However, they come with their own set of challenges. Fundamentally, photocatalysis can be thought of as an analog to electrocatalysis, wherein thermodynamic driving force is provided by photosensitizer-originated excited charge carriers as opposed to an external circuit. In this minireview, recent advances and challenges in the development of shape-controlled nanomaterials for photocatalysis are highlighted, drawing attention to emerging areas of research and development such as nontoxic heavy metal–free photocatalysts, nanocrystal–ligand–solution interface engineering, and biohybrid systems for improved activity in challenging redox reactions.     

An Insight into the Anti-Angiogenic and Anti-Metastatic Effects of Oridonin: Current Knowledge and Future Potential

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with a mortality rate of more than 9 million deaths reported in 2018. Conventional anti-cancer therapy can greatly improve survival however treatment resistance is still a major problem especially in metastatic disease. Targeted anti-cancer therapy is increasingly used with conventional therapy to improve patients’ outcomes in advanced and metastatic tumors. However, due to the complexity of cancer biology and metastasis, it is urgent to develop new agents and evaluate the anti-cancer efficacy of available treatments. Many phytochemicals from medicinal plants have been reported to possess anti-cancer properties. One such compound is known as oridonin, a bioactive component of Rabdosia rubescens. Several studies have demonstrated that oridonin inhibits angiogenesis in various types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic, lung, colon and skin cancer. Oridonin’s anti-cancer effects are mediated through the modulation of several signaling pathways which include upregulation of oncogenes and pro-angiogenic growth factors. Furthermore, oridonin also inhibits cell migration, invasion and metastasis via suppressing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and blocking downstream signaling targets in the cancer metastasis process. This review summarizes the recent applications of oridonin as an anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic drug both in vitro and in vivo, and its potential mechanisms of action.