Recovery of Polyphenols Using Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE) from Black Rosehip Followed by Encapsulation for Increased Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity

In this work, pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) of hydrophilic polyphenols from black rosehip fruit was maximized using response surface methodology for simultaneous optimization in terms of extraction yield, total antioxidant capacity, total (poly)phenols, catechin, total monomeric anthocyanins, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside. Extraction parameters, including temperature (X1: 40–80 °C) and the solvent-to-solid ratio (X2: 10–40 mL/g), were investigated as independent variables. Experimentally obtained values were fitted to a second-order polynomial model, and optimal conditions were determined using multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance. The black rosehip extract (BRE) obtained at optimized PHWE conditions was further encapsulated in biopolymer-coated liposomes and spray dried to enhance its processing and digestive stability. After reconstitution, the fabricated particles had an average size of 247–380 nm and a zeta-potential of 15–45 mV. Moreover, encapsulation provided remarkable protection of the phenolics under in vitro gastrointestinal digestion conditions, resulting in up to a 5.6-fold more phenolics in the bioaccessible fraction, which also had 2.9–8.6-fold higher antioxidant activity compared to the nonencapsulated BRE. In conclusion, PHWE in combination with a biopolymer coating is a potent method for the production of stable and safe edible natural extracts for the delivery of (poly)phenolic compounds in food and dietary supplements.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Ammonia on Ir Anode in Potential Fixed Electrochemical Sensor

Ir catalyst possesses a good electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for the oxidation of NH3 and/or NH4OH at Ir anode in the potential fixed electrochemical sensor with the neutral solution. Owing to the same electrochemical behavior of NH3 and NH4OH in a NaClO4 solution, NH4OH can be used instead of NH3 for the experimental convenience. It was found that the potential of the oxidation peak of NH4OH at the Ir/GC electrode in NaClO4 solutions is at about 0.85 V, and the current density of the oxidation peak of NH4OH is linearly proportional to the concentration of NHaOH. The electrocatalytic oxidation of NH4OH is diffusion-controlled. Especially, Ir has no electrocatalytic activity for the CO oxidation, illustrating that CO does not interfere in the measurement of NH4OH and the potential fixed electrochemical NH3 sensor with the neutral solution, and the anodic Ir catalyst possesses a good selectivity. Therefore, Ir may have practical application in the potential fixed electrochemical NH3 sensor with the neutral solution.     

Inclusion Complex between Local Anesthetic/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in Stealth Liposome

The drugs delivery system in the treatment of diseases has advantages such as reduced toxicity, increased availability of the drug, etc. Therefore, studies of the supramolecular interactions between local anesthetics (LAs) butamben (BTB) or ropivacaine (RVC) complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-βCD) and carried in Stealth liposomal (SL) are performed. ¹H-NMR nuclear magnetic resonance (DOSY and STD) were used as the main tools. The displacements observed in the ¹H-NMR presented the complexion between LAs and HP-βCD. The diffusion coefficients of free BTB and RVC were 7.70 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ and 4.07 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹, and in the complex with HP-βCD were 1.90 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ and 3.64 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹, respectively, which indicate a strong interaction between the BTB molecule and HP-βCD (98.3% molar fraction and Ka = 72.279 L/mol). With STD-NMR, the encapsulation of the BTB/HP-βCD and RVC/HP-βCD in SL vesicles was proven. Beyond the saturation transfer to the LAs, there is the magnetization transfer to the hydrogens of HP-βCD. BTB and RVC have already been studied in normal liposome systems; however, little is known of their behavior in SL.     

Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Loaded Liposomes

Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a species that is widely known for its culinary and medicinal uses. The purpose of the present study consisted of the evaluation of the antiproliferative and antimicrobial effects of R. officinalis-loaded liposomes (L-R). Characterization of the liposomes was performed by establishing specific parameters. The load of the obtained liposomes was analyzed using an LC-MS method, and antiproliferative assays evaluated the cell viability on a liver adenocarcinoma cell line and on a human hepatic stellate cell line. Antimicrobial assays were performed by agar–well diffusion and by broth microdilution assays. The obtained liposomes showed high encapsulation efficiency, suitable particle size, and good stability. High amounts of caffeic (81.07 ± 0.76), chlorogenic (14.10 ± 0.12), carnosic (20.03 ± 0.16), rosmarinic (39.81 ± 0.35), and ellagic (880.02 ± 0.14) acids were found in their composition, together with other polyphenols. Viability and apoptosis assays showed an intense effect on the cancerous cell line and a totally different pattern on the normal cells, indicating a selective toxicity towards the cancerous ones and an anti-proliferative mechanism. Antimicrobial potential was noticed against all tested bacteria, with a better efficacy towards Gram-positive species. These results further confirm the biological activities of R. officinalis leaf extract, and proposes and characterizes novel delivery systems for their encapsulation, enhancing the biological activities of polyphenols, and overcoming their limitations.     

双波长动力学光度法测定邻苯二酚的研究

Fe(Ⅲ)能够催化H2O2氧化中性红和灿烂甲酚蓝混合体系并使其褪色,加入邻苯二酚以后,该催化氧化褪色反应的速度明显提高.分别测定540 nm和640 nm处加入邻苯二酚和没有加入邻苯二酚体系的吸光度变化,发现吸光度的变化之和(△A)与邻苯二酚的浓度之间存在线性关系.研究了反应体系的吸收光谱,优化了实验条件,建立了双波长动力学光度法测定邻苯二酚的新方法.该方法测定邻苯二酚的线性范围为0.16～1.44 mg/L,检出限为0.05 mg/L.方法用于废水样品中邻苯二酚的测定,结果满意.     

Adamantyl ferrocene derivatives: Antioxidant abilities and effects on model lipid membranes

A series of homoannularly and heteroannularly substituted adamantyl ferrocene derivatives has been synthesized and their effects on membrane fluidity were investigated using liposomes as the membrane models. The liposome formulations of adamantyl ferrocene derivatives were characterized by using dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence anisotropy measurements. It was demonstrated that adamantyl ferrocene derivatives incorporated into the liposome significantly affect the structure of the lipid bilayer. The results of the study have revealed that adamantyl ferrocene derivatives, compounds 9 – 12, partition into the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface of the membrane, causing a significant decrease in membrane fluidity. The antioxidant potential of synthesized compounds was assessed with DPPH method and it was shown that the examined compounds possess certain antioxidant activity.     

Liposome-Boosted Peroxidase-Mimicking Nanozymes Breaking the pH Limit

Peroxidase-mimicking nanozymes such as Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are promising substitutes for natural enzymes like horseradish peroxidase. However, most such nanozymes work efficiently only in acidic conditions. In this work, the influence of various liposomes on nanozyme activity was studied. By introducing negatively charged liposomes, peroxidase-mimicking nanozymes achieved oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in neutral and even alkaline conditions, although the activity towards anionic 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was inhibited. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles adsorbed on the liposomes without disrupting membrane integrity as confirmed by fluorescence quenching, dye leakage assays, and cryo-electron microscopy. Stabilization of the blue-colored oxidized products of TMB by electrostatic interactions was believed to be the reason for the enhanced activity. This work has introduced lipids to nanozyme research, and it also has practically important applications for using nanozymes at neutral pH, such as the detection of hydrogen peroxide and glucose.     

Lipid Switches: Stimuli-Responsive Liposomes through Conformational Isomerism Driven by Molecular Recognition

Advancements in the field of liposomal drug carriers have culminated in greatly improved delivery properties. An important aspect of this work entails development of designer liposomes for release of contents triggered by environmental changes. The majority of these systems are driven by chemical reactions in the presence of different stimuli. However, a promising new paradigm instead focuses on molecular recognition events as the impetus for content release. In certain cases, these platforms exploit synthetic lipid switches designed to undergo conformational changes upon binding to target ions or molecules that perturb membrane assembly, thereby triggering cargo release. Examples of this approach reported thus far showcase how rational design of lipid switches can result in dramatic changes in lipid assembly properties. These strategies show great promise for opening up new pathophysiological stimuli that can be harnessed for programmed content release in drug delivery applications.     

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of novel cholesterol–cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugates

The novel conjugates of cholesterol with cobalt – bis(dicarbollide) were synthesized by the ring-opening reactions of the cyclic oxonium derivatives of [3,3′-Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]^– with the OH group of cholesterol 2-hydroxyethyl ether. The compounds obtained were tested for toxicity to glioblastoma U-87 MG cells and human embryo fibroblasts FECH-15 cells