Cytotoxicity of Silica Nanoparticles with Transcaucasian Nose-Horned Viper, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana</Emphasis>, Venom on U87MG and SHSY5Y Neuronal Cancer Cells

Highly bioactive compounds of the snake venom make them particular sources for anticancer agent development. They contain very rich peptide-protein structures. Therefore, they are very susceptible to environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, and light. In this study, Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana venom was encapsulated in PAMAM-G4 dendrimer by sol-gel method in order to prevent degradation of venom contents from the environmental conditions. For this purpose, nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel methodology and SEM analyses were performed. U87MG and SHSY5Y neuronal cancer cell lines were treated with different concentrations of venom-containing nanoparticles and cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. IC₅₀ values of nanoparticles with snake venom were calculated as 37.24 and 44.64 μg/ml for U87MG and SHSY5Y cells, respectively. The IC₅₀ values of nanoparticles with snake venom were calculated as 10.07 and 7.9 μg/ml for U87MG and SHSY5Y cells, respectively. As a result, nanoparticles with V. a. transcaucasiana venom showed remarkably high cytotoxicity. Encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles with 1 mg/ml snake venom was determined as %67 via BCA? protein analysis. In conclusion, this method is found to be convenient and useful for encapsulating snake venom as well as being suitable for drug delivery systems.     

Some thermal characteristics of a mineral mixture of palygorskite,metahalloysite, magnesite and dolomite

An industrial raw material taken from Sivrihisar (Eskişehir, Turkey) region was heat-treated at different temperatures in the range of 100–1000°C for 2 h. The volumetric percentage of the particles having a diameter below 2 μm after staying in an aqueous suspension of the material was determined as 67% by the particle size distribution analysis. The mineralogical composition of the material was obtained as mass% of 32% palygorskite, 10% metahalloysite, 35% magnesite, 20% dolomite and 3% interparticle water by using the acid treatment, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis (TG, DTA) data. The temperature ranges were determined for the endothermic dehydrations for the interparticle water as 25–140°C, for the zeolitic water as 140–320°C, and for the bound water as 320–480°C, in the palygorskite. The temperature range for the endothermic dehydroxylation and exothermic recrystalization of the palygorskite is 780–840°C. The temperature range for the endothermic dehydroxylation of the metahalloysite and calcinations of magnesite are coincided at 480–600°C. Dolomite calcined in the temperature range of 600–1000°C by two steps. The zig-zag changes in the specific surface area (S/m² g⁻¹) and specific micro and mesopore volume (V/cm³ g⁻¹) as the temperature increases were discussed according to the dehydrations in the palygorkskite, dehydroxylation of palygorskite and metahalloysite, and calcinations in magnesite and dolomite.     

Contamination by butyltin compounds in harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) from the Black Sea

Concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs) were determined in harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) collected from the Turkish coastal waters of the Black Sea. Total butyltin compounds (∑ BTs) in the liver were in the range of 89–219 ng/g on a wet weight basis. The dibutyltin (DBT) residues were higher than those of tributyltin (TBT), suggesting the degradation of TBT to DBT in the liver and the metabolic capacity comparable to other marine mammals. Any sex difference and age-dependent accumulation of BTs residues were not found in harbour porpoises, but residue levels increased until maturity and then remained constant. When compared with other marine mammals, the present results indicate that the Black Sea is also contaminated with butyltin compounds, but to a lesser degree than coastal waters of developed nations. The biomagnification factor in harbour porpoises was 0.8, which was comparable with pinnipeds and lower than cetaceans. Received: 23 December 1996 / Revised: 15 April 1997 / Accepted: 16 April 1997     

Antioxidant activity of whey protein fractions isolated by gel exclusion chromatography and protease treatment

Whey proteins were isolated from whey powder by a combination of gel exclusion chromatography and protease (pepsin or trypsin) treatment. Whey solution (6g/dl) was applied to Sephadex G-200 column chromatography and three fractions were obtained. Gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to identify the fractions; the first one contained immunoglobulins and bovine serum albumin, the second contained beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin whereas the third fraction contained small peptides. We have also subjected the whey filtrate to proteases (pepsin and trypsin). Treatment with proteases showed that beta-lactoglobulin can be obtained after hydrolysis of the second fraction with pepsin. When the whey filtrate was treated with pepsin and then applied to Sephadex G-200 column chromatography three fractions were obtained; the first one was bovine serum albumin, the second was beta-lactoglobulin and the third fraction contained small peptides. After trypsin treatment only two fractions were obtained; the first one was serum albumin and the second fraction was an alpha-lactalbumin rich fraction. We have determined the antioxidant activity of the fractions using an assay based on the measurement of superoxide radical scavenging activity. Our results showed that among the three fractions, the first fraction had the highest superoxide radical scavenging activity. Also, protease treatment of the second fraction resulted in an increase in the antioxidant activity.     

Carbon nanofiber based CuO nanorod counter electrode for enhanced solar cell performance and adsorptive photocatalytic activity

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - A comprehensive study of the antibacterial (bacteriostatic and bactericidal) properties of non-doped carbon nanodots (CNDs), nitrogen-doped (N-doped), and...     

Lightlike real hypersurfaces of indefinite quaternion Kaehler manifold

In this paper, we introduce real lightlike hypersurfaces of indefinite quaternion Kaehler manifold. Fundamental properties of real lightlike hypersurfaces of an indefinite quaternion Kaehler manifold are investigated. We prove the non existence of real lightlike hypersurfaces in indefinite qaternionic space form under some conditions. Received 31 October 2000; revised 20 June 2001.     

Hysteresis behaviors in a cylindrical Ising nanowire

The hysteresis behaviors of the cylindrical Ising nanowire are investigated within the effective-field theory with correlations at temperatures below, around and above the critical temperature. The hysteresis curves are obtained for different reduced temperatures both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions between the shell and the core. We find that the hysteresis loop areas decrease when the reduced temperatures increase, and the hysteresis loops disappear at certain reduced temperatures. Moreover, for the antiferromagnetic nanowire the hysteresis loop areas disappear earlier than the ferromagnetic case as the reduced temperature increases. An unusual form of triple hysteresis behaviors is observed for the antiferromagnetic nanowire system. The thermal behaviors of the coercivities and remanent magnetizations are also investigated. The results are in good agreement with some experimental and theoretical results.     

Sequential warped product submanifolds having holomorphic,totally real and pointwise slant factors

Periodica Mathematica Hungarica - We introduce sequential warped product submanifolds of Kaehler manifolds, provide examples and establish Chen’s inequality for such submanifolds. The...     

Synthesis of Quinoxalinophenazine Derivatives and Reaction of 3,12-Dimethylbenzo[a]quinoxalino-[2,3-c]phenazine with Mercury(Ⅱ) Bromide: Spectral and Structural Characterization

A new series of quinoxalinophenazine derivatives were synthesized in good yields by the reaction of 2,3-dibromonaphthalene-1,4-dione with different aryl-1,2-diamines in DMF as solvent at 120~130℃ or under reflux conditions. 3,12-dimethylbenzo[a]quinoxalino[2,3-c] phenazine with bidentate character reacts with mercury(II) bromide to give suitable crystals. All products were confirmed by IR, 1H and 13 C NMR, and the metal complex by single-crystal X-ray method. The crystal(C24H16Br2HgN4, Mr = 720.82) belongs to the triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 10.186(6), b = 10.421(6), c = 11.470(7) , α = 98.670(7), β = 95.069(7), γ = 109.831(7)o, V = 1119.4(12) 3, Z = 2, Dc = 2.139 Mg/m3, μ = 10.46 mm-1, F(000) = 676, R = 0.043 and wR = 0.115 for 3982 observed reflections with I 2σ(I).     

Metabolic control analysis of trio enzymes system

For practical purposes the calculation of rate constants is not particularly valuable, since their physical significance is not clear. Of greater practical use are metabolic control coefficients and elasticities. Given the definition of the flux control coefficients , concentration control coefficient and elasticity . We can calculate symbolic formulae for these using computer algebra techniques. These are then functions of V_max, K_m, K_i enzyme and concentrations. Having derived estimates of V_max, K_m, K_i using the fitting method we can then calculate values of the control coefficients and elasticities. Furthermore we can calculate the metabolic control parameters using symbolic values for the conventional kinetic parameters. Using these we have verified the summation and connectivity theorems. This is a useful cross check on the reliability of the calculations.