Photoprotective effects of bucillamine against UV-induced damage in an SKH-1 hairless mouse model

UVB exposure of skin results in various biologic responses either through direct or indirect damage to DNA and non-DNA cellular targets via the formation of free radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation. Bucillamine [N-(2-mercapto-2-methylpropionyl)-l-cysteine] is a cysteine-derived compound that can replenish endogenous glutathione due to its two donatable thiol groups, and functions as an antioxidant. In this study, we investigated the effects of bucillamine on UVB-induced photodamage using the SKH-1 hairless mouse model. We have demonstrated that UVB exposure (two consecutive doses, 230 mJ cm(-2)) on the dorsal skin of SKH-1 mice induced inflammatory responses (edema, erythema, dermal infiltration of leukocytes, dilated blood vessels) and p53 activation as early as 6 h after the last UVB exposure. Bucillamine pretreatment (20 mg kg(-1) of body weight, administered subcutaneously) markedly attenuated UVB-mediated inflammatory responses and p53 activation. We have also demonstrated that the stabilization and upregulation of p53 by UVB correlated with phosphorylation of Ser-15 and Ser-20 residues of p53 protein and that bucillamine pretreatment attenuated this effect. We propose that bucillamine has potential to be effective as a photoprotective agent for the management of pathologic conditions elicited by UV exposure.     

A Targeted Review of Current Progress,Challenges and Future Perspective of g-C3N4 based Hybrid Photocatalyst Toward Multidimensional Applications

The increasing demand for searching highly efficient and robust technologies in the context of sustainable energy production totally rely onto the cost-effective energy efficient production technologies. Solar power technology in this regard will perceived to be extensively employed in a variety of ways in the future ahead, in terms of the combustion of petroleum-based pollutants, CO₂ reduction, heterogeneous photocatalysis, as well as the formation of unlimited and sustainable hydrogen gas production. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is regarded as potentially sustainable solution in this context. g-C₃N₄ is classified as non-metallic semiconductor to overcome this energy demand and enviromental challenges, because of its superior electronic configuration, which has a median band energy of around 2.7 eV, strong photocatalytic stability, and higher light performance. The photocatalytic performance of g-C₃N₄ is perceived to be inadequate, owing to its small surface area along with high rate of charge recombination. However, various synthetic strategies were applied in order to incorporate g-C₃N₄ with different guest materials to increase photocatalytic performance. After these fabrication approaches, the photocatalytic activity was enhanced owing to generation of photoinduced electrons and holes, by improving light absorption ability, and boosting surface area, which provides more space for photocatalytic reaction. In this review, various metals, non-metals, metals oxide, sulfides, and ferrites have been integrated with g-C₃N₄ to form mono, bimetallic, heterojunction, Z-scheme, and S-scheme-based materials for boosting performance. Also, different varieties of g-C₃N₄ were utilized for different aspects of photocatalytic application i. e., water reduction, water oxidation, CO₂ reduction, and photodegradation of dye pollutants, etc. As a consequence, we have assembled a summary of the latest g-C₃N₄ based materials, their uses in solar energy adaption, and proper management of the environment. This research will further well explain the detail of the mechanism of all these photocatalytic processes for the next steps, as well as the age number of new insights in order to overcome the current challenges.     

Interaction of glycine with cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfactants at different temperatures: a volumetric, viscometric, refractive index, conductometric, and fluorescence probe study

A number of thermodynamic parameters viz. apparent molar volumes, ϕ _v , partial molar volumes, , transfer volumes, , Falkenhagen coefficients, A, Jones–Dole coefficients, B, free energies per mole of solute, , and per mole of solvent, , molar refraction, R _D , and limiting molar conductivity, , have been calculated by using the experimentally measured densities, ρ, viscosities, η, refractive indices, n _D , and specific conductivities, κ, data of glycine (0.02–0.10 m) in 0.01 m aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and triton X-100 (TX-100) solutions at 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. The above calculated parameters were found to be sensitive towards the interactions prevailing in the studied amino acid–surfactant–water systems. Moreover, fluorescence study using pyrene as a photophysical probe has also been carried out, the results of which support the conclusions obtained from other techniques.     

苯乙烯与邻、间、对-二甲苯二元混合液的分子间相互作用

The densities (ρ), ultrasonic speeds (v), and refractive indices (n) of binary mixtures of styrene (STY)with m-, o-, or p-xylene, including those of their pure liquids, were measured over the entire composition range at the temperatures 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. The excess volumes (VE), deviations in isentropic compressibilities(△ks), acoustic impedances (△Z), and refractive indices (△n) were calculated from the experimental data. Partial molar volumes (V0φ,2) and partial molar isentropic compressibilities (K0φ,2) of xylenes in styrene have also been calculated. The derived functions, namely, VE, △ks, △Z, △n, V0φ,2, and K0φ,2 were used to have a better understanding of the intermolecular interactions occurring between the component molecules of the present liquid mixtures. The variations of these parameters suggest that the interactions between styrene and o-, m-, or p-xylene molecules follow the sequences: p-xylene＞o-xylene＞m-xylene. Apart from using density data for the calculation of VE, excess molar volumes were also estimated using refractive index data. Furthermore, several refractive index mixing rules have been used to estimate the refractive indices of the studied liquid mixtures theoretically. Overall, the computed and measured data were interpreted in terms of interactions between the mixing components.     

Dual solutions of time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic stagnation point boundary layer micropolar nanofluid flow over shrinking/stretching surface

Time-dependent, two-dimensional(2 D) magnetohydrodynamic(MHD)micropolar nanomaterial flow over a shrinking/stretching surface near the stagnant point is considered. Mass and heat transfer characteristics are incorporated in the problem. A model of the partial differential expressions is altered into the forms of the ordinary differential equations via similarity transformations. The obtained equations are numerically solved by a shooting scheme in the MAPLE software. Dual solutions are observed at different values of the specified physical parameters. The stability of first and second solutions is examined through the stability analysis process. This analysis interprets that the first solution is stabilized and physically feasible while the second one is un-stable and not feasible. Furthermore, the natures of various physical factors on the drag force, skin-friction factor, and rate of mass and heat transfer are determined and interpreted. The micropolar nanofluid velocity declines with a rise in the suction and magnetic parameters, whereas it increases by increasing the unsteadiness parameter.The temperature of the micropolar nanofluid rises with increase in the Brownian motion,radiation, thermophoresis, unsteady and magnetic parameters, but it decreases against an increment in the thermal slip constraint and Prandtl number. The concentration of nanoparticles reduces against the augmented Schmidt number and Brownian movement values but rises for incremented thermophoresis parameter values.     

One-pot access to indolo[2,3-b]quinolines by electrophile-triggered cross-amination/Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with 1-(2-tosylaminophenyl)ketones

Activation of C2 and C3 of indoles by molecular iodine (I(2)) and base followed by in situ reaction with 1-(2-tosylaminophenyl)ketones or 2-tosylaminobenzaldehyde can afford highly substituted indolo(2,3-b)quinolines in moderate to excellent yields (up to 99%). The reaction provides a metal-free selective difunctionalization of indoles. The synthetic potential of the protocol has been illustrated by the synthesis of neocryptolepine and its 11-methyl analogue.     

Variation in antioxidant attributes at three ripening stages of guava (Psidium guajava L.) fruit from different geographical regions of Pakistan

The present investigation was carried out to appraise the levels of total phenols and vitamin C as well as antioxidant potential at three different ripening stages (un-ripe, semi-ripe and fully-ripe) of guava (Psidium guajava L.) fruit collected from three different geographical regions of Pakistan (Islamabad, Faisalabad and Bhakkar). The antioxidant potential of guava fruit extracts was assessed by means of different in-vitro antioxidant assays, namely inhibition of peroxidation in linoleic acid system, reducing power and radical scavenging capability. Overall, fruit at the un-ripe stage (G1) exhibited the highest levels of TPC, TFC, reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging activity, followed by the semi-ripe (G2) and fully-ripe (G3) stages. On the other hand, vitamin C content increased as the fruit maturity progressed, with highest value seen at the fully-ripe stage (G3) followed by the semi-ripe (G2) and un-ripe stage (G1). The concentration of vitamin C in fruits varied as: Faisalabad (136.4-247.9 mg 100 g?1), Islamabad (89.7-149.7 mg 100 g?1) and Bhakkar (73.1-129.5 mg 100 g?1). The results showed that different stages of maturation and geographical locations had profound effects on the antioxidant activity and vitamin C contents of guava fruit.     

Optimized and validated initial-rate method for the determination of perindopril erbumine in tablets

A simple and sensitive kinetic spectrophotometric method for the determination of perindopril in pharmaceutical preparations is described. The method is based on the interaction of drug with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 40+/-1 degrees C. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the rate of change of the absorbance at 420 nm. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the calibration curve showed a linear relationship over the concentration range of 20-140 microg/ml. The activation parameter such as E(a), deltaH*, deltaS* and deltaG* for this reaction were calculated and found to be 27.31 kJ/mol, 24.69 kJ/mol, -138.84 J/K/mol and 61.50 kJ/mol, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of perindopril in commercial dosage forms. Statistical comparison of the results with the Abdellatef's spectrophotometric method shows excellent agreement and indicates no significant difference between the methods compared in terms of accuracy and precision.     

From hypervalent xenon difluoride and aryliodine(III) difluorides to onium salts: Scope and limitation of acidic fluoroorganic reagents in the synthesis of fluoroorgano xenon(II) and iodine(III) onium salts

Fluorinated organodifluoroboranes R_fBF₂ are in general suitable reagents to transform XeF₂ and RIF₂ into the corresponding onium tetrafluoroborate salts [R_fXe][BF₄] and [R(R_f)I][BF₄], respectively. (4-C₅F₄N)BF₂ and trans-CF₃CFCFBF₂ which represent boranes of high acidity form no Xe-C onium salts in reactions with XeF₂ but give the desired iodonium salts with RIF₂ (R = C₆F₅, o-, m-, p-C₆FH₄). The reaction of (4-C₅F₄N)BF₂ with XeF₂ ends with a XeF₂-borane adduct. C₆F₅Xe(4-C₅F₄N), the first Xe-(4-C₅F₄N) compound, was obtained when C₆F₅XeF was reacted with Cd(4-C₅F₄N)₂. We describe the synthesis of (4-C₅F₄N)IF₂ and reactions of (4-C₅F₄N)IF₂ and C₆F₅IF₂ with (4-C₅F₄N)BF₂. Analogous to [(4-C₅F₄N)₂I][BF₄] and [C₆F₅(4-C₅F₄N)I][BF₄] aryl(perfluoroalkenyl)iodonium salts [R(R′)I][BF₄] were obtained from RIF₂ (R = C₆F₅, o-, m-, p-C₆FH₄) and R′BF₂ (R′ = trans-CF₃CFCF, CF₂CF). The gas phase fluoride affinities pF⁻ of selected fluoroorganodifluoroboranes R_fBF₂ and their hydrocarbon analogs are calculated (B3LYP/6-31+G^*) and discussed with respect to their potential to introduce R_f-groups into hypervalent EF₂ bonds. Four aspects which influence the transformation of hypervalent EF₂ bonds (E = Xe, R′I) under the action of Lewis acidic reagents RAF_n−1 (A = B, P; n = 3, 5) into the corresponding [RE][AF_n+1] salts are presented and the important role of the acidity is emphasized. Fluoride affinities may help to plan the introduction of organo groups into EF₂ moieties and to expand the types of acidic reagents. Thus C₆H₅PF₄ with a pF⁻ value comparable to that of R_fBF₂ compounds is able to introduce the C₆H₅ group into RIF₂ (R = C₆F₅, p-C₆FH₄).     

Synthesis,Characterization, In Vitro Anticancer Potentiality,and Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Peptide–Glycyrrhetinic-Acid-Based Derivatives

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is one of many interesting pentacyclic triterpenoids showing significant anticancer activity by triggering apoptosis in tumor cell lines. This study deals with the design and synthesis of new glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)–amino acid peptides and peptide ester derivatives. The structures of the new derivatives were established through various spectral and microanalytical data. The novel compounds were screened for their in vitro cytotoxic activity. The evaluation results showed that the new peptides produced promising cytotoxic activity against the human breast MCF-7 cancer cell line while comparing to doxorubicin. On the other hand, only compounds 3, 5, and 7 produced potent activity against human colon HCT-116 cancer cell line. The human liver cancer (HepG-2) cell line represented a higher sensitivity to peptide 7 (IC₅₀; 3.30 μg/mL), while it appeared insensitive to the rest of the tested peptides. Furthermore, compounds 1, 3, and 5 exhibited a promising safety profile against human normal skin fibroblasts cell line BJ-1. In order to investigate the mode of action, compound 5 was selected as a representative example to study its in vitro effect against the apoptotic parameters and Bax/BCL-2/p53/caspase-7/caspase-3/tubulin, and DNA fragmentation to investigate beta (TUBb). Additionally, all the new analogues were subjected to antimicrobial assay against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the yeast candida Albicans. All the tested GA analogues 1–8 exhibited more antibacterial effect against Micrococcus Luteus than gentamicin, but they exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against the tested bacterial and yeast strains. Molecular docking studies were also simulated for compound 5 to give better rationalization and put insight to the features of its structure.