Panos-Fermented Extract-Mediated Nanoemulsion: Preparation,Characterization, and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Effects on RAW 264.7 Cells

This study focused on developing Panos nanoemulsion (P-NE) and enhancing the anti-inflammatory efficacy for the treatment of inflammation. The effects of P-NE were evaluated in terms of Nitric oxide (NO production) in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induced RAW 264.7 cells, Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation using Human Keratinocyte cells (HaCaT), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Sea buckthorn oil, Tween 80, and span 80 were used and optimize the process. Panos extract (P-Ext) was prepared using the fermentation process. Further high-energy ultra-sonication was used for the preparation of P-NE. The developed nanoemulsion (NE) was characterized using different analytical methods. Field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) analyzed the spherical shape and morphology. In addition, stability was analyzed by Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis, where particle size was analyzed 83 nm, and Zeta potential −28.20 ± 2 (mV). Furthermore, 90 days of stability was tested using different temperatures conditions where excellent stability was observed. P-NE are non-toxic in (HaCaT), and RAW264.7 cells up to 100 µg/mL further showed effects on ROS and NO production of the cells at 50 µg/mL. The qPCR analysis demonstrated the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators for (Cox 2, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, NF-κB, Ikkα, and iNOS) gene expression. The prepared NE exhibited anti-inflammatory effects, demonstrating its potential as a safe and non-toxic nanomedicine.     

EPR Study of γ-Irradiated UHMWPE Doped with Vitamin E: Assessment of Thermal Effects on the Organic Radicals During Vitamin E Diffusion

Thermal effects on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) residual radicals during the vitamin E diffusion process were studied in detail. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique showed a significant reduction in concentrations of radiation-induced primary (alkyl (–CH₂– ^?CH–CH₂–), allyl (–CH₂–^?CH=CH–CH–CH₂–) and polyenyl (–^?CH–[CH=CH–] _m –) with m > 3) radicals for both control and vitamin E-doped samples. The concentrations of radiation-induced primary radicals (RIPRs) were found to decrease proportionally with the heat/diffusion time. While the EPR spectra of the control samples showed only polyethylene (PE) radicals, the spectra of vitamin E-doped samples were found to exhibit vitamin E radicals in addition to PE radicals. Of particular interest, the heat involved during vitamin E diffusion plays a significant role in reducing the radiation-induced primary radicals of UHMWPE. For 120 min of heat/diffusion time, the available quantity of primary radicals in control samples were found to be ~7.5 % of initial radicals. The leftover amounts of these primary radicals for vitamin E-doped samples were approximately ~10.0 %. In addition to this, EPR power saturation techniques were also used to assess the effects of initial heat/diffusion treatment on the oxygen-induced residual radicals (OIRRs): R₁ (–^?CH–[CH=CH–] _m –) with m > 3 and R₂ (^?OCH–[CH=CH–] _m –) with m = 2 or 3. It was found that the concentration of OIRRs also decreases proportionally with initial heat/diffusion time. The remaining amount of OIRRs relative to leftover RIPRs after heat/diffusion was found to be approximately 4.0 % in controls and was still found to be 10.0 % in vitamin E-doped UHMWPE. This may indicate that vitamin E slows down the oxidation processes, which may contribute to the strong oxidation resistance of vitamin E-doped UHMWPE.     

Restraining Cancer Cells by Dual Metabolic Inhibition with a Mitochondrion‐Targeted Platinum(II) Complex

Cancer cells usually adapt metabolic phenotypes to chemotherapeutics. A defensive strategy against this flexibility is to modulate signaling pathways relevant to cancer bioenergetics. A triphenylphosphonium‐modified terpyridine platinum(II) complex (TTP) was designed to inhibit thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and multiple metabolisms of cancer cells. TTP exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity against cisplatin‐insensitive human ovarian cancer cells in a caspase‐3‐independent manner and showed preferential inhibition to mitochondrial TrxR. The morphology and function of mitochondria were severely damaged, and the levels of mitochondrial and cellular reactive oxygen species were decreased. As a result, TTP exerted strong inhibition to both mitochondrial and glycolytic bioenergetics, thus inducing cancer cells to enter a hypometabolic state.     

Tetraoxotetraamide macrocyclic complexes

A new class of 16- and 17-membered tetraamide macrocyclic complexes, [ML¹X₂] and [ML²X₂] [M = Mn^II, Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II or Zn^II; X = NO₃ or Cl], have been prepared by the template reaction of anthranilic acid, 1,2-diaminoethane or 1,3-diaminopropane and succinic acid in 2:1:1 molar ratio. The stoichiometries and coordination modes of the complexes have been deduced from physicochemical and spectroscopic measurements. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Folic Acid on Carbon Paste Electrode Modified by Nickel Ions Dispersed into Poly(o‐anisidine) Film

Poly(o‐anisidine) (POA) was formed by successive cyclic voltammetry in monomer solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at the surface of carbon paste electrode. Then Ni(II) ions were incorporated to electrode by immersion of the polymeric modified electrode having amine group in 0.1 M Ni(II) ion solution. Cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric experiments were used for the electrochemical study of this modified electrode; a good redox behavior of Ni(OH)₂/NiOOH couple at the surface of electrode can be observed. The capability of this modified electrode for catalytic oxidation of folic acid was demonstrated. The amount of α and surface coverage (Γ*) of the redox species and catalytic chemical reaction rate constant (k) for folic acid oxidation were calculated. The catalytic oxidation peak current of folic acid was linearly dependent on its concentration and a linear calibration curve was obtained in the range of 0.1 to 5 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9994. The limit of detection (3σ) was determined as 0.091 mM. This electrocatalytic oxidation was used as simple, selective and precise voltammetric method for determination of folic acid in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Simultaneous voltammetric determination of ascorbic acid and dopamine at the surface of electrodes modified with self-assembled gold nanoparticle films

Gold nanoparticles (GNs) could be efficiently immobilized on binary mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on a gold surface composed of 1,6-hexanedithiol and 1-octanethiol (nano-Au/SAMs gold electrode). This GN chemically modified electrode was used for electrochemical determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA) in aqueous media. The result showed that the GN-modified electrode could clearly resolve the oxidation peaks of AA and DA, with a peak-to-peak separation (∆E _p) of 110 mV enabling determination of AA and DA in the presence of each other. The linear analytical curves were obtained in the ranges of 0.3–1.4 mM for AA and 0.2–1.2 mM for DA concentrations using differential pulse voltammetry. The detection limits (3σ) were 9.0 × 10⁻⁵ M for AA and 9.0 × 10⁻⁵ M for DA.     

Microbial fuel cell-based self-powered biosensing platform for determination of ketamine as an anesthesia drug in clinical serum samples

A novel self-powered DNA biosensor was successfully developed based on a dual-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) apparatus as a power supply and ketamine (KET) as a hybridization indicator. A graphite electrode coated with gold nanoparticles (GNP/graphite electrode), which provided larger surface area for immobilization of thiolated single-stranded (ssDNA) probe, was used as biocathode in the MFC system. When KET was used as the hybridization indicator for detection of ssDNA probe, the indicator exhibited excellent selectivity in detecting and discriminating the complementary, single-base mismatched, and noncomplementary target sequences. Furthermore, this self-powered biosensor based on MFC apparatus served as the biosensing platform for determination of KET in clinical serum samples. Under the steady-state operation condition, the difference between power densities of the ssDNA probe-modified GNP/graphite cathode in the absence and presence of accumulated KET (ΔP) served as the detection signal with a detection limit of 0.54 nM. The proposed MFC-based self-powered biosensor, as a low-cost portable device, showed a high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility. Therefore, it can become a promising platform for determination of KET in clinical researches.     

Jute as raw material for the preparation of microcrystalline cellulose

Cellulose was extracted at a yield of 59.8% from jute fibres based on the formic acid/peroxyformic acid process at an atmospheric pressure. The amounts of dissolved lignin and hemicelluloses were determined in the spent liquor. The results showed that the spent liquor contained 10.6% total sugars and 10.9% lignin (based on jute). Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was further prepared from the jute cellulose based on the acid hydrolysis technique. A very high yield, 48–52.8% (based on the jute raw material) was obtained. The acid hydrolysate of cellulose contained 2.7% glucose and 0.2% xylose. The MCC samples obtained from two different conditions, one at a low acidity and the other at a high acidity, were characterized by means of Thermo Gravimetric Analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared, X-ray detraction, Scanning Electron Micrograph, and Transmission Electron Micrograph techniques.