Treated Rice Bran for Scavenging Cr(III) and Hg(II) from Acidic Solution

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficiency with which rice bran (treated or untreated) removes heavy metals, especially Cr(III) and Hg(II), from acidic solution. Sorption assays were done in shaken flasks in the presence of rice bran. Different experimental conditions such as pH, volume of solution, bran weight, particle size, exchange time and stirring time were improved. The efficiency of bran was studied before and after treatments. For treatment, solutions of acid, alkali and salt were used. The results show that after treating with 4 M sodium chloride solution, its efficiency in removal of Cr(III) and Hg(II) was improved. Kinetic measurements of chromium and mercury removal by bran have revealed that sorption equilibrium was obtained after 10 min of contact. Sorption experiments done with various granulometric fractions of rice bran have shown that this sorbent has the same efficiencies in meshes higher than 20. Further research is necessary in order to determine a mechanism for cations removal by the bran. It is mentioned that the process of making polished rice from brown rice discharges rice bran; therefore, it is very inexpensive, with a cost of 1/50 ? 1/40 of that of synthetic sorbent, and thus its use would significantly lower the cost of wastewater treatment.     

Stability analysis of environmentally benign green emulsion liquid membrane

A new stable green emulsion liquid membrane (GELM) was formulated by selecting the environmentally benign vegetable oils. The rice bran oil (RBO) based GELM has shown better stability in comparison to that obtained from other oils. GELM was prepared using 10?mL RBO, 0.25 [M] NaOH concentration, 2 (v/v, %) surfactant concentration, 0.4 (v/v) phase ratio, 2000?rpm emulsification speed, and 20?min emulsification time. Under these optimum conditions, GELM has been found to be stable for 120?±?2?min (no significant phase change) and has shown complete phase separation after 4 hours. Therefore, RBO as a green solvent has high potential to be applied in several ELM process applications.     

二乙氨乙基交联葡聚糖和季氨基琼脂糖色谱分离植物脂多糖的比较

比较了应用Q Sepharose Fast Flow凝胶和DEAE-Sephadex A50凝胶柱色谱分离米糠提取物中米糠脂多糖(LPSR)的效果。结果表明：通过改变体系的离子强度，两凝胶都可使LPSR与一般多糖分离，但仅Q Sepharose Fast Flow柱色谱可实现LPSR与米糠色素的有效分离，并获得淡黄色、99．5％纯度的LPSR产品，而且耐盐性能好于DEAE-Sephadex A50。     

Emerging Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Cancer Therapy

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have drawn tremendous attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and promising applications in the fields of electronics, energy storage, and catalysis. Recently, the biomedicine community has gradually started to recognize the great potential of these nanostructured materials for biomedical applications – in particular those related to cancer therapy. In this review, we provide a brief overview of a few representative 2D nanomaterials, discuss their preparation strategies and physicochemical properties, and highlight their applications in cancer nanomedicine. We expect that this review will shed some light on the new opportunities associated with 2D nanomaterials for biomedical research.     

Enriching Oryzanol in Rice Bran Oil using Membranes

Oryzanol present in rice bran is associated with various physiological functions. However, these beneficial ferulate esters are lost to the extent of 87% during conventional refining of crude rice bran oil. In the present investigation, oryzanol enrichment in rice bran oil was attempted using nonporous polymeric membranes under undiluted as well as hexane-diluted conditions with different (crude, refined, and model oil) systems varying widely in their oryzanol content. During membrane processing, oryzanol content in the refined rice bran oil increased from 2,420 to 7,340 mg/kg (approximately threefold enrichment). While processing crude oil and model oil systems, the oryzanol content in the oil improved from 17,600 to 27,300 mg/kg and 20,400 to 30,300 mg/kg, respectively. The enrichment of oryzanol was due to its moderate rejection by the nonporous hydrophobic membrane owing to the hydrophilic nature of the ferulic esters. Hexane dilution improved the oil flux by one order of magnitude but reduced the selectivity. Enriched rice bran oil may find wider applications in the pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and dietary preparations as well as in producing standard cooking oil with guaranteed oryzanol content.     

Biotransformation of Rice Bran to Ferulic Acid by Pediococcal Isolates

Ferulic acid (FA) is widely used in foods, in beverages, and in various pharmaceutical industries as a precursor of vanillin. FA biotransformation can occur during the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and its conversion to other phenolic derivatives is observed by many scientists, where ferulic acid esterase (FAE) and ferulic acid decarboxylase (FDC) play significant roles. The present study aimed at screening a panel of LAB for their ability to release FA from rice bran, an agro waste material. FAE and FDC activities were analyzed for the preliminary screening of various dairy isolates. Two Pediococcus acidilactici isolates were selected for studying further the hydrolysis of FA from rice bran and its bioconversion into phenolic derivatives like 4-ethylphenol, vanillin, vanillic acid, and vanillyl alcohol. P. acidilactici M16, a probiotic isolate, has great potential for the production of FA from rice bran and could be exploited as starter culture in the food industry for the production of biovanillin.     

The Photosensitizer Temoporfin (mTHPC) – Chemical,Pre-clinical and Clinical Developments in the Last Decade†‡

This review follows the research, development and clinical applications of the photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-tetra(m-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (mTHPC, temoporfin) in photodynamic (cancer) therapy (PDT) and other medical applications. Temoporfin is the active substance in the medicinal product Foscan® authorized in the EU for the palliative treatment of head and neck cancer. Chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology, as well as clinical and other applications of temoporfin are addressed, including the extensive work that has been done on formulation development including liposomal formulations. The literature has been covered from 2009 to early 2022, thereby connecting it to the previous extensive review on this photosensitizer published in this journal [Senge, M. O. and J. C. Brandt (2011) Photochem. Photobiol. 87, 1240–1296] which followed its way from initial development to approval and clinical application.     

Self‐Assembling Proteins for Design of Anticancer Nanodrugs

Inspired by the diverse protein‐based structures and materials in organisms, proteins have been expected as promising biological components for constructing nanomaterials toward various applications. In numerous studies protein‐based nanomaterials have been constructed with the merits of abundant bioactivity and good biocompatibility. However, self‐assembly of proteins as a dominant approach in constructing anticancer nanodrugs has not been reviewed. Here, we provide a comprehensive account of the role of protein self‐assembly in fabrication, regulation, and application of anticancer nanodrugs. The supramolecular strategies, building blocks, and molecular interactions of protein self‐assembly as well as the properties, functions, and applications of the resulting nanodrugs are discussed. The applications in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, gene therapy, and combination therapy are included. Especially, manipulation of molecular interactions for realizing cancer‐specific response and cancer theranostics are emphasized. By expounding the impact of molecular interactions on therapeutic activity, rational design of highly efficient protein‐based nanodrugs for precision anticancer therapy can be envisioned. Also, the challenges and perspectives in constructing nanodrugs based on protein self‐assembly are presented to advance clinical translation of protein‐based nanodrugs and next‐generation nanomedicine.     

纳米材料在肿瘤光动力治疗中的研究进展

光动力治疗是新兴的非侵入性癌症治疗方法。纳米材料以其独特的结构以及光物理、光化学性质成为可用于光动力治疗的光敏剂。根据纳米材料的不同种类,分别对无机非金属纳米材料、无机金属纳米材料、有机小分子纳米材料以及有机聚合物纳米材料等的构建策略及其在光动力治疗肿瘤中的应用进行综述。展望了纳米材料在未来肿瘤光动力治疗中的挑战和发展方向。为新一代纳米光敏剂的构建提供创新思路,并扩展其在癌症治疗中的潜力。     

What are carbon nanotubes’ roles in anti-tumor therapies?

Since their discovery, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become one of the most promising nanomaterials in many industrial and biomedical applications. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, CNTs have been proposed and actively exploited as multipurpose innovative carriers for cancer therapy. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the status of applications, advantages, and up-to-date research and development of carbon nanotubes in cancer therapy with an emphasis on drug delivery, photothermal therapy, gene therapy, RNAi, and immune therapy. In addition, the issues of risk and safety of CNTs in cancer nanotechnology are discussed briefly.     

Graphene Oxide-Based Stimuli-Responsive Platforms for Biomedical Applications

Graphene is a two-dimensional sp² hybridized carbon material that has attracted tremendous attention for its stimuli-responsive applications, owing to its high surface area and excellent electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The physicochemical properties of graphene can be tuned by surface functionalization. The biomedical field pays special attention to stimuli-responsive materials due to their responsive abilities under different conditions. Stimuli-responsive materials exhibit great potential in changing their behavior upon exposure to external or internal factors, such as pH, light, electric field, magnetic field, and temperature. Graphene-based materials, particularly graphene oxide (GO), have been widely used in stimuli-responsive applications due to their superior biocompatibility compared to other forms of graphene. GO has been commonly utilized in tissue engineering, bioimaging, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery. GO-based stimuli-responsive platforms for wound healing applications have not yet been fully explored. This review describes the effects of different stimuli-responsive factors, such as pH, light, temperature, and magnetic and electric fields on GO-based materials and their applications. The wound healing applications of GO-based materials is extensively discussed with cancer therapy and drug delivery.     

Biological Activities of Thermo-tolerant Microbes from Fermented Rice Bran as an Alternative Microbial Feed Additive

To evaluate the commercial potential of new microbial feed additive, Issatchenkia orientalis Y266 and Bacillus subtilis B266 from commercial fermented rice bran were tested for their tolerance or resistance to pH, bile, oxgall, and temperature. It was found that the strains grew very well up to pH 3.0 and resistant to relatively high concentrations of bile salt and oxgall. I. orientalis and B. subtilis are extremely tolerant in range of 70–90°C in solid medium. B. subtilis B266 also has excellent tolerant property up to 90°C in liquid medium. The health indexes (the microflora in the small intestines and the antibody titer to Newcastle disease virus) of chicks were significantly improved in the fermented rice bran with these strains (0.25% addition to diet) in comparison with the Avilamycin (20 mg/kg diet)-fed group (p < 0.05). The fermented rice bran-fed group showed a better microbial flora in the small intestines. Accordingly, it would appear that the fermented rice bran with these strains may be a potential candidate for an alternative microbial feed additive.     

Cr(VI) and Cu(II) removal from aqueous solution in fixed bed column using rice bran; experimental,statistical and GA modelling

Rice bran, a green and low-cost adsorbent, is used for Chromium (VI) and Copper (II) remotion from its aqueous solution. The influence of different process parameters in a fixed-bed on the removing efficiency has been investigated. The results show that the removal efficiency is higher at a minimum flow rate, low metal ion concentration, and higher bed height. The adsorption studies show that the rice bran has a better affinity to Chromium (VI) than Copper (II). Different kinetic models are used for the prediction of the column performance. This study shows that rice bran could be a potential and eco-friendly adsorbent for chromium (VI) and copper (II) removal and is suitable for developing countries like India. Multiple linear regression and ANN-based genetic algorithm modelling have been applied successfully to predict both metal ions' percentage removal separately.     

Novel pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives as promising anticancer agents: A review

Pyridines and pyrimidines are the class of heterocyclic nitrogenous compounds having plethora of applications in anticancer drug development. These synthetic sources serve as the potent class of compounds in treatment of breast cancer, myeloid leukemia, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer and idiopathic respiratory fibrosis etc. The present review enumerates the results of studies published during past three years (2019–2021) on pyridine and pyrimidine analogues with their respective anticancer properties characterized in vitro or through in silico studies and illustrates their potential in development of anticancer agents. Recent advances on pyridine and pyrimidine analogues mentioned in this review add to the appealing opportunities for cancer therapy.     

Personalized hydrogels for individual health care: preparation,features, and applications in tissue engineering

Biomaterials-based tissue engineering scaffolds play an essential role as an independent therapy or with the combination of cellular or biological active constituents in tissue regeneration applications. However, synthetic grafts, xenografts, and allografts are recognized as foreign materials in human body, resulting in suboptimal clinical outcomes. Recently, autologous materials from a patient's body have drawn great attention in clinical treatment and tissue engineering. Moreover, the autologous scaffolds equipped with the advantages of tissue-like hydrogels have great potential to become a highly versatile tool as personalized hydrogels (PHs) for applications in 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. PHs may feature excellent biocompatibility, tailorable mechanical properties, regenerative capability, non-rejection of grafts/transplants on immunological responses, and customizable properties which could be suitable to meet the personal and clinical care. Here, we present a scoping review of recent progress of PHs with a focus on detailed preparation methods, material properties, and tissue engineering applications along with their challenges and opportunities. It is expected that PHs will circumvent the limitations of current tissue engineering therapies and will be used as next-generation scaffolds for tissue engineering and translational research.     

肝病患者血硒水平与甲胎蛋白浓度的相关性研究

硒是人体不可缺少的一种微量元素,其水平的高低影响着机体的肿瘤免疫反应,甲胎蛋白是癌胚蛋白,其浓度的高低反映了肝脏损害的程度（除胎儿期外）,本文血硒水平与甲胎蛋白浓度相关性研究结果表明,两者呈负相关（相关系数－0．627）,且血硒水平呈现慢乙肝＞肝硬化＞肝癌,提示硒对肝脏具有一定的潜在保护作用,补硒可以预防肝癌,在肝癌治疗中适量补硒,对增强患者免疫功能,延长生存期有着十分重要的临床意义。     

Phytochemical study,potential cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of selected food byproducts (Pomegranate peel,Rice bran,Rice straw & Mulberry bark)

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate common food by-products (Pomegranate peel, Rice bran, Rice straw & Mulberry bark) to screen out their medicinal importance such as cytotoxic & antioxidant activities. HPLC revealed that all tested samples were rich in phenolics. Tested samples exerted significant antioxidant activity with high potency to Pomegranate peel. All tested extracts were able to reduce cell viability of tested cell lines in a dose-response manner after treatment. In most cases, the IC50 values were under 30 μg/ml except IC50 of pomegranate peel against breast cell line (42.4?ug/ml). The antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of pomegranate peel, rice bran, rice straw and mulberry bark have been attributed to synergetic effects of phenolic phytochemicals.     

Studies on an enzymatically synthesized antitumor polysaccharide SPR-901

An antitumor polysaccharide SPR-901 was found in a fermented broth of a kind of lactic acid bacteria isolated from rice bran. SPR-901 is a high molecular alpha-glucan and its linkages are almost linear alpha-1,6 glucosidic ones with a small amount (ca. 5%) of branches at C-3 positions. It is a highly purified alpha-glucan and it contains no protein and no inorganic salts. SPR-901 showed significant antitumor activities against murine allogeneic and syngeneic tumors by both intraperitoneal and oral administration, and enhanced carbon clearance ability in mice, while it showed no direct cytotoxicities in vitro. The mechanism of antitumor activities of SPR-901 is supposed to be a host-mediated one, and this substance is classified as one of the biological response modifiers. These properties of SPR-901 were identical to those of RON, which was obtained from rice bran, therefore we concluded that these two polysaccharides were the same substance.     

Biological heat generation by the cultivation ofAlternaria alternata in rice bran

Biological heat generation was observed whenAlternaria alternata was grown in rice bran. A temperature of more than 50°C was maintained for 25 d, and the maximum temperature was 56.5°C. After 30 d of cultivation, 55% of the energy of rice bran was liberated. The consumption rates of the lipids and sugar contained in rice bran increased with the increase of the maximum temperature during the cultivation ofA. alternata.     

Production of fumaric acid using rice bran and subsequent conversion to succinic acid through a two-step process

The fungal production of fumaric acid using rice bran and subsequent bacterial conversion of succinic acid using fungal culture broth were investigated. Since the rice bran contains abundant proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, it is suitable material that fungi use as a nitrogen source. The effective concentration of rice bran to produce fumaric acid was 5 g/L. A large amount of rice bran caused excessive fungal growth rather than enhance fumaric acid production. In addition, we could produce fumaric acid without the addition of zinc and iron. Fungal culture broth containing appro × 25 g/L of fumaric acid was directly employed for succinic acid conversion. The amount of glycerol and yeast extract required for succinic acid conversion was reduced to 70 and 30%, respectively, compared with the amounts cited in previous studies.