Evaluation of transfer factor and ecological half life of 137Cs in terrestrial matrices around Kakrapar Gujarat Site,India during 1993–2019

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The activity of 137Cs was measured in different terrestrial samples around Kakrapar Gujarat site. Transfer Factor and Ecological half-life of...     

The stability of L3 sponge phase in acidic solutions

In the synthesis of the disordered lyotropic liquid crystalline L3 sponge phase prepared with the cosurfactants cetylpyridinium chloride and hexanol, aqueous NaCl solution is used as the solvent. When this sponge phase is used as the template for L3 silica-phase processing, we replace NaCl with HCl to facilitate the acid catalysis of tetramethoxysilane in forming a templated silica gel, assuming that changing the solvent from NaCl(aq) to HCl(aq) of equivalent ionic strength does not affect the stability range of the L3 phase. In this work, we confirm that changing the pH of the solvent from neutral to acidic (with HCl) has negligible effect on the L3 phase region. Equivalent ionic strength is provided by either NaCl(aq) or HCl(aq) solvent; therefore, a similar phase behavior is observed regardless of which aqueous solvent is used.     

Insight into OroxylinA-7-O-β-d-Glucuronide-Enriched Oroxylum indicum Bark Extract in Oral Cancer HSC-3 Cell Apoptotic Mechanism: Role of Mitochondrial Microenvironment

Oroxylum indicum, of the Bignoniaceae family, has various ethnomedical uses such as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bronchitis, anti-helminthic and anti-microbial, including anticancer properties. The druggability of OI stem bark extract was determined by its molecular docking interactions with PARP and Caspase-3, two proteins involved in cell survival and death. Note that 50 µg/mL of Oroxylum indicum extract (OIE) showed a significant (p < 0.05%) toxicity to HSC-3 cells. MTT aided cell viability and proliferation assay demonstrated that 50 µg/mL of OIE displayed significant (p < 0.5%) reduction in cell number at 4 h of incubation time. Cell elongation and spindle formation was noticed when HSC-3 cells were treated with 50 µg/mL of OIE. OIE initiated DNA breakage and apoptosis in HSC-3 cells, as evident from DNA ladder assay and calcein/EB staining. Apoptosis potential of OIE is confirmed by flow cytometer and triple-staining (live cell/apoptosis/necrosis) assay. Caspase-3/7 fluorescence quenching (LANCE) assay demonstrated that 50 µg/mL of OIE significantly enhanced the RFU of caspases-3/7, indicating that the apoptosis potential of OIE is probably through the activation of caspases. Immuno-cytochemistry of HSC-3 cells treated with 50 µg/mL of OIE showed a significant reduction in mitochondrial bodies as well as a reduction in RFU in 60 min of incubation time. Immunoblotting studies clearly showed that treatment of HSC-3 cells with OI extract caused caspase-3 activation and PARP deactivation, resulting in apoptotic cell death. Overall, our data indicate that OIE is an effective apoptotic agent for human squamous carcinoma cells and it could be a future cancer chemotherapeutic target.     

Most recent strategies targeting estrogen receptor alpha for the treatment of breast cancer

Molecular Diversity - Breast cancer is the most prominent, frequently diagnosed and leading cause of death among women. Estrogen is an agonist of estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α), expressed in...     

A polymer-supported diacetatobis(2-quinolylbenzimidazole)copper(II) complex as an efficient catalyst for oxidation of alcohols with tert-butyl hydroperoxide

A polymer-supported diacetatobis(2-quinolylbenzimidazole)copper(II) complex [PS–(QBIM)₂Cu(II)] was synthesized by functionalization of chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 6.5 % divinyl benzene with 2-(2′-quinolyl)benzimidazole and subsequent treatment with Cu(OAc)₂ in methanol. The complex was characterized by physical, analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Electronic and ESR spectra, together with magnetic susceptibility measurements, indicated that the complex was paramagnetic with distorted octahedral geometry around the copper. The complex was found to be active toward oxidation of various alcohols including phenol, benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol using 70 % aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide under mild conditions. Under the optimized reaction conditions, cyclohexanol gave 100 % conversion to cyclohexanone, benzyl alcohol gave 98 % yield of benzaldehyde and phenol gave 89 % yield of catechol and 4 % of hydroquinone. The complex was recycled five times without much loss in catalytic activity.     

Physical and conductivity properties of poly (vinyl chloride) ionomers

Poly (vinyl chloride)(PVC) is a cheapest plastic. Importance of PVC based ionomer has been gradually being popularizing due to compatibility of PVC with a number of salts to replace polyethylene oxide based ionomer. Under present investigation few of chloride group of PVC chain have been replaced by basic thiouronium group and these thiouronium groups are further oxidized to sulfonate group. Introduction of thiouronium group in PVC is confirmed through FTIR and further its oxidation to sulfonate group is also confirmed by FTIR. Conductivity in different stoichiometric ratio of PVCTU and PVCSO₃H was studied and found that PVCTU: PVCSO₃H in 1:1 ratio has conductivity near to pure PVC (10⁻⁹ Ohm-1 cm⁻¹) and increases with proportion of PVCSO₃Na in the mixture (10⁻⁶ Ohm⁻¹ cm⁻¹) for pure PVC, PVCTU has less conductivity not much significant.     

Copolymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 using achiral salophen Co(III) penta-florobenzoate as catalyst and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide as co-catalyst

Copolymerization of racemic propylene oxide with carbon dioxide is investigated in the presence of economically inexpensive and effective achiral salophenCo(III)X [salophen = N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-phenylenediimine, X = pentaflorobenzoate] catalyst and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide as co-catalyst. Effects of different variables like monomer to catalyst ratio, catalyst/co-catalyst ratio, temperature, pressure of CO₂ on molecular weight, yield and selectivity of poly(propylene carbonate) [PPC] have been investigated. The maximum M_w of 25.8 g/mol has been obtained at 15 bar and 50°C. All the samples were found to have excellent polydispersity near to 1.     

Interaction of Globular Plasma Proteins with Water‐Soluble CdSe Quantum Dots

The interactions between water‐soluble semiconductor quantum dots [hydrophilic 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)‐coated CdSe] and three globular plasma proteins, namely, bovine serum albumin (BSA), β‐lactoglobulin (β‐Lg) and human serum albumin (HSA), are investigated. Acidic residues of protein molecules form electrostatic interactions with these quantum dots (QDs). To determine the stoichiometry of proteins bound to QDs, we used dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential techniques. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments revealed energy transfer from tryptophan residues in the proteins to the QD particles. Quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of protein molecules was noticed during this binding process (hierarchy HSA<β‐Lg <BSA, lower binding affinity for hydrophobic protein molecules). Upon binding with QD particles, the protein molecules underwent substantial conformational changes at the secondary‐structure level (50 % helicity lost), due to loss in hydration.     

Design and synthesis of oxaprozin-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids as potential anticancer and antibacterial agents

In the present study, we report design, synthesis and screening of new novel 5-substituted-2-mercapto-1,3,4-oxadiazole analogues appended to oxaprozin for their in vitro anticancer and antibacterial activity. The synthesised compounds were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, the structure of 5b (2-(2-[4,5-diphenyloxazol-2-yl]ethyl)-5-(ethylthio)-1,3,4-oxadiazole) was unequivocally confirmed by X-ray analysis. Among the series 5c (2-(2-[4,5-diphenyloxazol-2-yl]ethyl)-5-(propylthio)-1,3,4-oxadiazole) showed most promising anticancer activity against A549 cancer cell line and all the reported analogues manifested satisfactory safety profiles against human normal cell line HEK293T. The products exhibited good antibacterial activity and among the tested 5j (2-(2-[4,5-diphenyloxazol-2-yl]ethyl)-5-([4-fluorobenzyl]thio)-1,3,4-oxadiazole) exhibited most potent.     

Polyaniline–Prussian blue hybrid: synthesis and magnetic behaviour

We report the synthesis of an organic–inorganic hybrid material composed of a conducting polyaniline (PANI) matrix and Prussian blue (PB) network, the latter formed in situ in the polymer matrix. The hybrid was prepared by treating FeCl₄ ^?-doped PANI with K₃Fe(CN)₆ unlike the previously reported method of potential cycling to obtain alternate layers of PANI and PB. Cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations confirmed the formation of a network typical of PB inside the PANI matrix. Infrared spectroscopy points to the formation of an extended network between Fe in PANI matrix and Fe from K₃Fe(CN)₆. Magnetization studies of the hybrid material showed ferromagnetic ordering with a T _c of about 6?K.