The Combination of Niacinamide,Vitamin C,and PDRN Mitigates Melanogenesis by Modulating Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) is involved in decreasing melanogenesis through tyrosinase degradation induced by cellular redox changes. Nicotinamide is a component of coenzymes, such as NAD⁺, NADH, NADP⁺, and NADPH, and its levels are modulated by NNT. Vitamin C and polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) are also known to decrease skin pigmentation. We evaluated whether a mixture of nicotinamide, vitamin C, and PDRN (NVP-mix) decreased melanogenesis by modulating mitochondrial oxidative stress and NNT expression in UV-B-irradiated animals and in an in vitro model of melanocytes treated with conditioned media (CM) from UV-B-irradiated keratinocytes. The expression of NNT, GSH/GSSG, and NADPH/NADP⁺ in UV-B-irradiated animal skin was significantly decreased by UV-B radiation but increased by NVP-mix treatment. The expression of NNT, GSH/GSSG, and NADPH/NADP⁺ ratios decreased in melanocytes after CM treatment, although they increased after NVP-mix administration. In NNT-silenced melanocytes, the GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADP⁺ ratios were further decreased by CM compared with normal melanocytes. NVP-mix decreased melanogenesis signals, such as MC1R, MITF, TYRP1, and TYRP2, and decreased melanosome transfer-related signals, such as RAB32 and RAB27A, in UV-B-irradiated animal skin. NVP-mix also decreased MC1R, MITF, TYRP1, TYRP2, RAB32, and RAB27A in melanocytes treated with CM from UV-irradiated keratinocytes. The expression of MC1R and MITF in melanocytes after CM treatment was unchanged by NNT silencing. However, the expression of TYRP1, TYRP2, RAB32, and RAB27A increased in NNT-silenced melanocytes after CM treatment. NVP-mix also decreased tyrosinase activity and melanin content in UV-B-irradiated animal skin and CM-treated melanocytes. In conclusion, NVP-mix decreased mitochondrial oxidative stress by increasing NNT expression and decreased melanogenesis by decreasing MC1R/MITF, tyrosinase, TYRP1, and TYRP2.     

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Titanium-Porphyrinic Aerogels

We present novel titanium-porphyrinic gels (TPGs) and titanium-porphyrinic aerogels (TPAs), in which porphyrinic ligand tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin is coordinated to Ti-oxo clusters. These hierarchically porous TPAs, with micro-, meso-, and macropores and reactant-concentration-dependent Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of 407–738 m² g⁻¹, are prepared by CO₂ critical point drying of TPGs. Although the Ti⁴⁺ → Ti³⁺ photoreduction of TPAs is less efficient than that of crystalline microporous Ti-porphyrinic framework DGIST-1, prompt diffusion of O₂ and spin-trapping agents into the TPA pores causes the rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as observed by EPR spectroscopy. When used as an ROS scavenger, large 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran is degraded by the best-performing TPA 10 times faster than by DGIST-1, suggesting that the accessibility of molecules (reactants) to pores (reactive centers) strongly influences photocatalytic activity.     

Weighted L p -estimates for Elliptic Equations with Measurable Coefficients in Nonsmooth Domains

We obtain a global weighted L ^p estimate for the gradient of the weak solutions to divergence form elliptic equations with measurable coefficients in a nonsmooth bounded domain. The coefficients are assumed to be merely measurable in one variable and to have small BMO semi-norms in the remaining variables, while the boundary of the domain is supposed to be Reifenberg flat, which goes beyond the category of domains with Lipschitz continuous boundaries. As consequence of the main result, we derive global gradient estimate for the weak solution in the framework of the Morrey spaces which implies global Hölder continuity of the solution.     

Substrate specificity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis> transglutaminases

Transglutaminase (TGase) is a multifunctional enzyme vital for many physiologic processes, such as cell differentiation, tissue regeneration, and plant pathogenicity. The acyl transfer function of the enzyme can activate primary amines and, consequently, attach them onto a peptidyl glutamine, a reaction important for various in vivo and in vitro protein crosslinking and modification processes. To understand better the structure-function relationship of the enzyme and to develop it further as an industrial biocatalyst, we studied TGase secreted by several Streptomyces species and Phytophthora cactorum. We purified the enzyme from S. lydicus, S. platensis, S. nigrescens, S. cinnamoneus, and S. hachijoensis. The pH and temperature profiles of S. lydicus, S. platensis, and S. nigrescens TGases were determined. The specificity of S. lydicus TGase toward its acyl-accepting amine substrates was characterized. Correlation of the electronic and steric features of the substrates with their reactivity supported the mechanism previously proposed for Streptomyces mobaraensis TGase.     

Tuning the active species from syndiospecific styrene polymerisation to ethylene/styrene copolymerisation by (aryloxo)(cyclopentadienyl)titanium complexes-MAO catalysts

Exclusive formation of poly(ethylene-co-styrene)s were observed by introduction of ethylene into the solution of syndiospecific styrene polymerisation using Cp'TiCl(2)(O-2,6-(i)Pr(2)C(6)H(3)) (Cp' = 1,2,4-Me(3)C(5)H(2), tert-BuC(5)H(4))-MAO catalysts without by-production of syndiotactic polystyrene, whereas the styrene polymerisation did not proceed when ethylene was removed from the reaction mixture of ethylene/styrene copolymerisation.     

Stagewise Dilute-Acid Pretreatment and Enzyme Hydrolysis of Distillers’ Grains and Corn Fiber

Distillers’ grains and corn fiber are the coproducts of the corn dry grind and wet milling industries, respectively. Availability of distillers’ grains and corn fiber at the ethanol plant and their high levels of lignocellulosic material make these coproducts attractive feedstocks for conversion to ethanol. In this study, dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis of these coproducts was investigated in a multistage scheme. After the completion of each pretreatment stage, the liquid substrate was separated and reused in the succeeding pretreatment stage with a fresh substrate. The substrate from each stage was also subjected to enzyme hydrolysis in a separate experiment. The sulfuric acid concentration and the substrate loading were maintained at 1.0 vol% and 15.0 wt.%, respectively, and the temperature was maintained at 120 °C in all the experiments. Experiments were also performed to study the effect of removing oil from the samples prior to the pretreatment. The highest concentration of monomeric sugars (MS) was observed when three stages of pretreatment were followed by the enzyme reaction. The enzyme hydrolysis of the three-stage pretreated dried distillers’ grains and corn fiber yielded 122.6 ± 5.8 and 184.5 ± 4.1 mg/mL of MS, respectively. The formation of inhibitory products was also monitored.