Protective effect of mitochondrially targeted antioxidant MitoQ on oxidatively stressed fibroblasts

3T3 and VH10 cells were subjected to oxidative damage by hydroxyl radicals generated from Cu(II) ions and ascorbate. The presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in cells was determined using fluorescent dyes. MitoQ—a mitochondrially targeted antioxidant—was examined to prevent cell death and was compared with trolox as a reference standard serving as an antioxidant. MitoQ at lower concentrations (up to 500 nM) prevented damage of mitochondria and thereby increased viability of cells. However, at higher concentrations (over 500 nM) MitoQ decreased the viability of both strains of cells. The last observation indicates that the application of MitoQ should be evaluated also from the point of its cell-destructive potential.     

Heterogeneous liquid phase oxidation of ethylbenzene to acetophenone with graphene carbon-based catalyst

The series of graphene materials and N-doped graphene materials were successfully synthesized and improved by high-temperature treatment with trace iron oxide. XRD, Raman, FT-IR, TEM and XPS were employed for these catalysts. The catalytic performance of these catalysts was investigated in the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant. The impacts of temperature, mass of catalysts, reaction time and oxidants on the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene were also investigated. The N-doped graphene materials exhibit greatly remarkable catalytic performance than others. The conversion of ethylbenzene is more than 90% and the selectivity of acetophenone is more than 95% at 353 K. Graphene can be used as catalyst owing to its unique structures and chemical properties. The characterization tests show that the doping of N atoms can create more defects and more active sites in the N-doped graphene materials which could greatly improve the catalytic performance. Furthermore, such cost-effective graphene-based catalysts possess good stability and could be reused at least five times without remarkable loss of the catalytic activity.     

Ultrasensitive bioelectronic devices based on conducting polymers for electrophysiology studies

Conducting polymer electrodes based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are evaluated as transducers to record extracellular signals in cell populations. The performance of the polymer electrode is compared with a gold electrode. A small-signal impedance analysis shows that in the presence of an electrolyte, the polymer electrode establishes for frequencies below 100 Hz a higher capacitive electrical double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Furthermore, the polymer/electrolyte interfacial resistance is several orders of magnitude lower than the resistance of the gold/electrolyte interface. The polymer low interfacial resistance minimizes the intrinsic thermal noise and increases the system sensitivity. The ultra-sensitivity of the polymer-based transducer system was demonstrated by recording the electrical activity of cancer cells of the nervous system.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Yarrowia lipolytica</Emphasis> application as a prospective approach for biosynthesis of pyruvic acid from glycerol

With the problems related to chemical methods of pyruvic acid (PA) synthesis, a fast-growing interest has been observed in research aiming at reducing the production cost of PA by applying biotechnological methods. This study aimed to investigate the potential applicability of Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia 1.31 yeast strain for valorisation of pure and crude glycerol through the production of industrially desired PA. Conditions required for the effective PA biosynthesis, i.e., pH value, thiamine concentration, agitation, and substrate concentration, were examined in batch and fed-batch cultivation modes. The efficient production of PA occurred under the limitation of thiamine (1 µg L^?1) and was stimulated by moderate pH (4.5) and agitation (800 rev min^?1) of the culture. Under optimal conditions, Y. lipolytica Wratislavia 1.31 was able to produce 85.2 g L^?1 of PA with volumetric productivity of 0.90 g L^?1 h^?1. The yield of PA biosynthesis reached a high level of 1.03 g g^?1. Obtained results confirmed the aptitude of Y. lipolytica yeast to produce high amounts of PA from simple glycerol-containing media. Presented process was very promising and might be considered as an attractive alternative for currently used chemical methods of PA synthesis.     

Bromine formation in solid NaBr/KNO<Subscript>3</Subscript> mixture and assay of this reaction via bromination of activated aromatics

Bromine formation in the mixture of solid NaBr and KNO₃ was observed and the process was studied in different acidified organic solvent–water mixtures by monitoring the bromination of acetanilide and other compounds, containing activated aromatic substituents. This assay is based on fast bromination reaction of these aromatic compounds, as differently from the assay of Br₂, the brominated aromatics can be easily determined by conventional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) methods. It was found that bromine was generated autocatalytically on the surface of salt crystals and the reaction was characterized by a lag period, the duration of which depended on reaction conditions, and importantly on the type of the organic solvent in the reaction mixture. As the bromine formation could be easily controlled by reaction conditions, it was suggested that the studied reaction might have practical applications as an environmentally friendly and economically feasible bromination method. It was also shown that the bromination of aromatics followed the mechanism of classical electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction.     

Screening of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Isochrysis</Emphasis> Strains and Utilization of a Two-Stage Outdoor Cultivation Strategy for Algal Biomass and Lipid Production

Isochrysis is a genus of marine algae without cell wall and capable of accumulating lipids. In this study, the lipid production potential of Isochrysis was assessed by comparing 15 Isochrysis strains with respect to their growth rate, lipid production, and fatty acid profiles. Three best strains were selected (lipid productivity, 103.0~121.7 mg L^?1 day^?1) and their lipid-producing capacities were further examined under different controlled parameters, e.g., growth phase, medium nutrient, and light intensity in laboratory cultures. Furthermore, the three Isochrysis strains were monitored in outdoor panel photobioreactors with various initial cell densities and optical paths, and the strain CS177 demonstrated the superior potential for outdoor cultivation. A two-stage semi-continuous strategy for CS177 was subsequently developed, where high productivities of biomass (1.1 g L^?1 day^?1) and lipid (0.35 g L^?1 day^?1) were achieved. This is a comprehensive study to evaluate the lipid-producing capability of Isochrysis strains under both indoor and outdoor conditions. Results of the present work lay a solid foundation for the physiological and biochemical responses of Isochrysis to various conditions, shedding light on the future utilization of this cell wall-lacking marine alga for biofuel production.     

Purification and Characterisation of a Thermostable β-Xylosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> van Tieghem of Potential Application in Lignocellulosic Bioethanol Production

A locally isolated strain of Aspergillus niger van Tieghem was found to produce thermostable β-xylosidase activity. The enzyme was purified by cation and anion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Maximum activity was observed at 70–75 °C and pH 4.5. The enzyme was found to be thermostable retaining 91 and 87% of its original activity after incubation for 72 h at 60 and 65 °C, respectively, with 52% residual activity detected after 18 h at 70 °C. Available data indicates that the purified β-xylosidase is more thermostable over industrially relevant prolonged periods at high temperature than those reported from other A. niger strains. Maximum activity was observed on p-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside and the enzyme also hydrolysed p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl α-l-arabinofuranoside. The purified enzyme acted synergistically with A. niger endo-1,4-β-xylanase in the hydrolysis of beechwood xylan at 65 °C. During hydrolysis of pretreated straw lignocellulose at 70 °C using a commercial lignocellulosic enzyme cocktail, inclusion of the purified enzyme resulted in a 19-fold increase in the amount of xylose produced after 6 h. The results observed indicate potential suitability for industrial application in the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol where thermostable β-xylosidase activity is of growing interest to maximise the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose.     

An In situ Study on the Orderly Crystal Growth of Pluronic F127 Block Copolymer Blended with and without Ionic Liquid during Isothermal Crystallization

Isothermal crystallization behavior of Pluronic F127 blended with and without an ionic liquid (IL) was investigated by in situ polarized optical microscopy (POM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For the pure F127, the POM and FTIR results showed that the spherulite size and crystallinity of F127 increased with the melting temperature increasing to 60, 80, and 135°C. This could be explained by the flexibility of the polymer chain at high melting temperatures. For the F127 blended with IL, the POM results showed that the morphology of F127 evolved from spherulite to dendritic segregation and fibrous crystal with the increasing IL content. FTIR results indicated that hydrogen bonds were formed between F127 and IL, and the intensity of the hydrogen bonds became strengthened gradually with increasing IL content. The effect of hydrogen bonds on the morphology evolution of F127/IL is discussed.     

Mechanism of the Enhanced Electrochemical Properties of LiNi<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Co<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Cathode Materials by a Pre-Sintering Process

α-NaFeO₂ layered LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode materials were synthesized by mechanical milling accompanied by the solid phase sintering. The sample exhibited a good crystallinity and layered structure while sintered at 900°C, which can be further improved by adding a pre-sintering process at 500°C before high temperature sintering. The sample with a pre-sintering process presents an average particle size about 0.6 μm, and a hexagonal crystalline structure. The optimally fabricated sample showed a first charge capacity of 210.2 mA h/g, discharge capacity of 171.2 mA h/g with a current rate of 0.2 C within the voltage range of 2.7~4.5 V. With increasing the current rate to 1 C, the charge–discharge capacity faded quickly during the cycling process, which can be partially recovered while operated at a low current rate. However, the capacity fading at a current rate of 2 C was largely irreversible. The evolution of the surface chemical states was evaluated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on the charged and discharged samples to understand the high rate capacity fading.     

Extraction and Determination of Two Antidepressant Drugs in Human Plasma by Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction‒HPLC

In this study, an effective method of ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (UA?IL?DLLME) coupled with HPLC was applied for extraction and determination of two antidepressant drugs: venlafaxine hydrochloride and amitriptyline hydrochloride from human plasma samples. Three ionic liquids were studied: 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-hexyl-3- methyl imidazolium hexa-fluoro-phosphate, and 1-octyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C8MIM][PF6]. Various factors affect the stages and efficiency of extraction, some of which are pH of sample solution, type and volume of ionic liquid, the time of ultrasonication, centrifuging time and rate, and the ionic strength of solution. In this research, optimum conditions were obtained as 55 μL of [C8MIM][PF6] selected as ionic liquid, pH 11, 2% NaCl, 4 min ultrasonication and 5 min centrifuging at 3500 rpm. Under the optimized conditions, the linearity was obtained in the range of 0.2 to 250 μg/L. The limits of detection were 0.5 μg/L for venlafaxine and 0.8 μg/L for amitriptyline. Pre-concentration factors were 1.3 × 10³ for venlafaxine and 1.2 × 10³ for amitriptyline. The UA?IL?DLLME method coupled with HPLC was successfully used for the determination of venlafaxine and amitriptyline spiked into the real samples of human plasma.