Milk Proteins—Their Biological Activities and Use in Cosmetics and Dermatology

Milk and colostrum have high biological potential, and due to their natural origin and non-toxicity, they have many uses in cosmetics and dermatology. Research is ongoing on their potential application in other fields of medicine, but there are still few results; most of the published ones are included in this review. These natural products are especially rich in proteins, such as casein, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and growth factors, and possess various antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, immunomodulatory properties, etc. This review describes the physico-chemical properties of milk and colostrum proteins and the natural functions they perform in the body and compares their composition between animal species (cows, goats, and sheep). The milk- and colostrum-based products can be used in dietary supplementation and for performing immunomodulatory functions; they can enhance the effects of certain drugs and can have a lethal effect on pathogenic microorganisms. Milk products are widely used in the treatment of dermatological diseases for promoting the healing of chronic wounds, hastening tissue regeneration, and the treatment of acne vulgaris or plaque psoriasis. They are also increasingly regarded as active ingredients that can improve the condition of the skin by reducing the number of acne lesions and blackheads, regulating sebum secretion, ameliorating inflammatory changes as well as bestowing a range of moisturizing, protective, toning, smoothing, anti-irritation, whitening, soothing, and antiaging effects.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial and pharmacological properties of new thiosemicarbazide and 1,2,4‐triazole derivatives

Reaction of 4‐phenyl‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thione with ethyl bromoacetate has led to the formation of ethyl [(4‐phenyl‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐yl)sulfanyl]acetate 1 , the structure of which was confirmed by X‐ray analysis. In the next reaction with 80% hydrazide hydrate, appropriate hydrazide 2 was obtained, which in reaction with isothiocyanates was converted to new acyl derivatives of thiosemicarbazides 2 , 3 , 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h . The cyclization of these compounds in alkaline media has led to formation of new derivatives of 5‐{[(4‐phenyl‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐yl)sulfanyl]methyl}‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3(2H)‐thiones 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g , 4j . The structure of the compounds was confirmed by elementary analysis and IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and MS spectra. Compounds 2 , 3 , 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h and 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g were screened for their antimicrobial activities, and the influence of the compounds 4a , 4b , and 4e , 4f , 4g on the central nervous system of mice in behavioral tests was examined. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Reactions and structural characterization of gold(III) complexes with amino acids, peptides and proteins

The present review article highlights recent findings in the field of gold(III) complexes with amino acids, peptides and proteins. The first section of this article provides an overview of the gold(III) reactions with amino acids, such as glycine, alanine, histidine, cysteine and methionine. The second part of the review is mainly focused on the results achieved in the mechanistic studies of the reactions between gold(III) and different peptides and structural characterization of gold(III)-peptide complexes as the final products in these reactions. The last section of this article deals with the reactions of gold(III) complexes with proteins as primary targets for cytotoxic gold compounds. Systematic summaries of these results contribute to the future development of gold(III) complexes as potential antitumor agents and also have importance in relation to the severe toxicity of gold-based drugs.     

Asymptotic dynamics of a deterministic and stochastic predator–prey model with disease in the prey species

In this paper, we discuss a predator–prey model with the Beddington–DeAngelis functional response of predators and a disease in the prey species. At first we study permanence and global stability of a positive equilibrium for the deterministic version of the model. Then we include a stochastic perturbation of the white noise type. We analyse the influence of this stochastic perturbation on the systems and prove that the positive equilibrium is also globally asymptotically stable in this case. The key point of our analysis is to choose appropriate Lyapunov functionals. We point out the differences between the deterministic and stochastic versions of the model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability and bifurcations for the chronic state in Marchuk's model of an immune system

In the paper we present known and new results concerning stability and the Hopf bifurcation for the positive steady state describing a chronic disease in Marchuk's model of an immune system. We describe conditions guaranteeing local stability or instability of this state in a general case and for very strong immune system. We compare these results with the results known in the literature. We show that the positive steady state can be stable only for very specific parameter values. Stability analysis is illustrated by Mikhailov's hodographs and numerical simulations. Conditions for the Hopf bifurcation and stability of arising periodic orbit are also studied. These conditions are checked for arbitrary chosen realistic parameter values. Numerical examples of arising due to the Hopf bifurcation periodic solutions are presented.     

Phase equilibria study of the binary systems (N-butyl-3-methylpyridinium tosylate ionic liquid + an alcohol)

Isothermal (vapour + liquid) equilibrium data, (VLE) have been measured by an ebulliometric method for the binary mixtures of ionic liquid (IL) {N-butyl-4-methylpyridinium tosylate (p-toluenesulfonate) [BMPy][TOS] + ethanol, 1-propanol, and 1-butanol} at T = 373.15 K over the pressure range from p = 0 kPa to p = 110 kPa. (Solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) for the binary systems: ionic liquid (IL) {N-butyl-4-methylpyridinium tosylate (p-toluenesulfonate) [BMPy][TOS] + ethanol and 1-propanol} have been determined at ambient pressure. A dynamic method was used over a broad range of mole fractions and temperatures from (320 to 390) K. For the binary systems containing alcohol, it was noticed that with increasing chain length of alcohol vapour pressure of the mixture and the solubility of the IL decreases. Well-known Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC equations have been used to correlate simultaneously the experimental VLE and SLE data sets with the same parameters. The excess molar Gibbs free energy, G^E function in general was negative in all systems at high temperature (VLE) and positive at low temperatures (SLE).     

Re-entrant isotropic phase between lamellar and columnar mesophases

Tetradental cis-enaminoketone Ni (II) complexes with different molecular shape have been synthesized. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which stiffen the mesogenic core and restrict rotation of some molecular parts, have been introduced in these compounds. In the case of molecules with two hydrogen bonds and alkoxy terminal chains filling the inner molecular space, the uncommon phase sequence Iso-D(h)-Iso(re)-SmA (series III-3) was detected. For the first time, it was observed that the isotropic re-entrant (Iso(re)) phase (short-range order) is separating the columnar (D) (high-temperature) and the lamellar (SmA) (low-temperature) phases, both revealing long-range ordered structures.     

Nonlinear effects in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals

We have investigated the nonlinear propagation of light in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals. We analyzed a configuration with a periodic modulation of the refractive index corresponding to a matrix of waveguides. Matrices of coupled waveguides allow observing a variety of new phenomena both for low power light beam propagation and with an existence of nonlinear effects. The opportunity for the creation of solitary waves caused by the interplay between diffraction and nonlinear effects in these kinds of fibers is investigated. At low power the propagating light beam spreads as it couples to more and more waveguides. When the intensity is increased the light modifies the refractive index distribution, inducing a defect in the periodic structure. The creation of such a defect can lead to a situation in which the light becomes self-localized and its diffractive broadening is eliminated. Eventually, in the case of positive Kerr-type nonlinearity, a discrete soliton can be created. In the case of negative nonlinearity the refractive index decreases with the optical power and can lead to bandgap shifting. The incident beam, with a frequency initially within the bandgap, is then turned outside the bandgap resulting in the changing of the propagation effect for the discrete diffraction effect. As a consequence the delocalization of the light can be observed. Presented at 9-th International Workshop on Nonlinear Optics Application, NOA 2007, May 17–20, 2007, Świnoujscie, Poland