Preliminary Investigation of the Antioxidant,Anti-Diabetic,and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Enteromorpha intestinalis Extracts

Marine algae are a promising source of potent bioactive agents against oxidative stress, diabetes, and inflammation. However, the possible therapeutic effects of many algal metabolites have not been exploited yet. In this regard, we explored the therapeutic potential of Enteromorpha intestinalis extracts obtained from methanol, ethanol, and hexane, in contrasting oxidative stress. The total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) content were quantified in all extracts, with ethanol yielding the best values (about 60 and 625 mg of gallic acid and rutin equivalents per gram of extract, respectively). Their antioxidant potential was also assessed through DPPH^•, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide anion scavenging assays, showing a concentration-dependent activity which was greater in the extracts from protic and more polar solvents. The α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities were estimated for checking the antidiabetic capacity, with IC₅₀ values of about 3.8 µg/mL for the methanolic extract, almost as low as those obtained with acarbose (about 2.8 and 3.3 µg/mL, respectively). The same extract also showed remarkable anti-inflammatory effect, as determined by hemolysis, protein denaturation, proteinase and lipoxygenase activity assays, with respectable IC₅₀ values (about 11, 4, 6, and 5 µg/mL, respectively), also in comparison to commercially used drugs, such as acetylsalicylic acid.     

Approaches to achieve surface sensitivity in the in situ XAS of electrocatalysts

In situ and operando techniques providing information regarding adsorbate bonding and atomic arrangements on the electrode surface along with pure electrochemical measurements are needed to more fully understand the detailed mechanism of electrocatalytic reactions on high surface areas/nanoparticle electrocatalysts. X-ray adsorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a powerful tool to interrogate the electronic structure and local coordination environment of such electrocatalysts under working conditions, but it should be acknowledged that standard XAS methods are not intrinsically surface sensitive. This review will present recent in situ XAS studies on single-atom, metal, and metal oxide electrocatalysts, highlighting the approaches taken to achieve surface sensitivity by careful designing of the sample under investigation.     

Biocatalytic process intensification via efficient biocatalyst immobilization,miniaturization, and process integration

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Enhanced In situ Activity of Peroxidases and Lignification of Root Tissues after Exposure to Non-Thermal Plasma Increases the Resistance of Pea Seedlings

Improving the germination of economically important crops and the condition of young plants is a major challenge currently facing agricultural practice. Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is one of the four most important cultivated legumes, along with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Due to the high protein content (23–33%), there is an interest in growing this crop as a source of protein for humans and animals. In this study, we focused on the effect of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) on the decontamination and germination of pea seeds, on young seedling growth and production parameters, and on increasing their resistance and mechanical strength. We can state that germination increased by 10 to 25% after plasma treatment, and the most significant decontamination effect was detected when using non-thermal plasma generated in the ambient air (A-variants) and in the nitrogen atmosphere (N-variants). The increased in situ activity of peroxidases (POX) in the cell walls of A-variants and N-variants is also closely related to the increase in the mechanical strength of the cell walls and thus contributes to the higher resistance of these seedlings. This is also illustrated by the differences in lignin deposition among the different variants after CAPP treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first study concerning the influence of CAPP on the lignification of root tissues and on increasing the strength and resistance of plants.

     

Antimicrobial properties of viscose yarns ring-spun with integrated amino-functionalized nanocellulose

Cellulose - Bio-based, renewable and biodegradable products with multifunctional properties are also becoming basic trends in the textile sector. In this frame, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have...     

Addition of Al(OH)3 versus AlO(OH) nanoparticles on the optical,thermo-mechanical and heat/oxygen transmission properties of microfibrillated cellulose films

Cellulose - Differently structured aluminum (tri/mono) hydroxide (Al(OH)3 /AlO(OH)) nanoparticles were prepared and used as thermal-management additives to microfibrillated cellulose (MFC),...     

Role of polar and apolar moieties in water adsorption by humic acids under arid conditions

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In arid soils, humic acids (HAs) are used as amendments to improve water uptake from the atmosphere. This method of harvesting water involves several...     

Development of an Accurate Mass Retention Time Database for Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis and Its Application to Plasma and Urine Pediatric Samples

Liquid-chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) is currently the method of choice for untargeted metabolomic analysis. The availability of established protocols to achieve a high confidence identification of metabolites is crucial. The aim of this work is to describe the workflow that we have applied to build an Accurate Mass Retention Time (AMRT) database using a commercial metabolite library of standards. LC-HRMS analysis was carried out using a Vanquish Horizon UHPLC system coupled to a Q-Exactive Plus Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Milan, Italy). The fragmentation spectra, obtained with 12 collision energies, were acquired for each metabolite, in both polarities, through flow injection analysis. Several chromatographic conditions were tested to obtain a protocol that yielded stable retention times. The adopted chromatographic protocol included a gradient separation using a reversed phase (Waters Acquity BEH C18) and a HILIC (Waters Acquity BEH Amide) column. An AMRT database of 518 compounds was obtained and tested on real plasma and urine samples analyzed in data-dependent acquisition mode. Our AMRT library allowed a level 1 identification, according to the Metabolomics Standards Initiative, of 132 and 124 metabolites in human pediatric plasma and urine samples, respectively. This library represents a starting point for future metabolomic studies in pediatric settings.     

Personalized Metabolic Profile by Synergic Use of NMR and HRMS

A new strategy that takes advantage of the synergism between NMR and UHPLC–HRMS yields accurate concentrations of a high number of compounds in biofluids to delineate a personalized metabolic profile (SYNHMET). Metabolite identification and quantification by this method result in a higher accuracy compared to the use of the two techniques separately, even in urine, one of the most challenging biofluids to characterize due to its complexity and variability. We quantified a total of 165 metabolites in the urine of healthy subjects, patients with chronic cystitis, and patients with bladder cancer, with a minimum number of missing values. This result was achieved without the use of analytical standards and calibration curves. A patient’s personalized profile can be mapped out from the final dataset’s concentrations by comparing them with known normal ranges. This detailed picture has potential applications in clinical practice to monitor a patient’s health status and disease progression.