Thermosensitive Gels for the Topical Administration of Diltiazem

In the present work, thermosensitive systems were prepared, characterized, and proposed for diltiazem administration in the topical treatment of anal fissures. Methylcellulose and PluronicF127 were used as gelling polymers. Some low-toxicity molecules, such as sodium glycocholate, citric acid, and lactic acid, were added to gel formulations as counterions to enhance diltiazem lipophilicity. The systems were characterized by sol-gel transition temperature, viscosity, and rheological studies. The resulting data allowed us to determine which systems presented sol-gel transition. A change from Newtonian to plastic behavior at sol-gel transition temperature was observed. An increase in diltiazem pig skin permeability and two-fold skin accumulation was observed in the presence of citric acid.     

Synthesis of New Glucosylated Porphyrins Bearing an α‐d‐Linkage

This paper presents the synthesis of two new glucosyl tritolylporphyrins in which the carbohydrate moiety is connected through a carboxymethyl glycosidic α‐D‐linkage. These compounds have been obtained by reaction between porphyrins bearing an amino function with a lactone prepared from the available disaccharide isomaltulose. The photocytotoxicity of these compounds against K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells has been evaluated in comparison to Photofrin II.     

Glucose detection at attomole levels using dynamic light scattering and gold nanoparticles

Glucose is directly related to brain activity and to diabetes.Therefore,developing a rapid and sensitive method for glucose detection is essential.Here,label-free glucose detection at attomole levels was realized by detecting the average diameter change of gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)utilizing dynamic light scattering(DLS).Single-strand DNA(ssDNA)adsorbed into the AuNPs’surfaces and prevented them from aggregating in solution that contained NaCl.However,ssDNA cleaved onto ssDNA fragments upon addition of glucose,and these fragments could not adsorb onto the AuNPs’surfaces.Therefore,in high-salt solution,AuNPs would aggregate and their average diameter would increase.Based on monitoring the average diameter of AuNPs with DLS,glucose could be detected in the range from 15 pmol/L to 2.0 nmol/L,with a detection limit of 8.3 pmol/L.Satisfactory results were also obtained when the proposed method was applied in human serum glucose detection.     

The Effect of Alkaline Addition in Hydrothermal Pretreatment of Empty Fruit Bunches on Enzymatic Hydrolysis Efficiencies

In general, lignocellulosic biomass contains three major components, namely lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose which are the polymers of C5 and C6 sugars. Thus, there is potential to utilize of this biomass for bioethanol production. The hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose was difficult due to the more fibrous nature and thus inhibit enzyme penetration into the cellulose. In order to solve this problem, hydrothermal pretreatment can be used for breaking the bonds within the lignin structure and increase the accessibility of enzyme into the cellulose. In this study, the effect of chemical addition, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and calcium oxide (CaO) in hydrothermal pretreatment at 180 °C and 30 minutes reaction time of palm oil empty fruit bunches (EFB) on the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies was investigated. The enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrothermally pretreated EFB give the highest concentration of glucose at 0.67 g/L while the hydrothermally pretreated of EFB in the presence of NaOH gives the lowest glucose concentration 0.45 g/L.     

An Overview of Wearable and Implantable Electrochemical Glucose Sensors

Electrochemical glucose sensors have garnered considerable attention because of their attractive prospect in point-of-care testing (POCT). In this review, we firstly introduce the principles and challenges of electrochemical glucose sensors. Subsequently, we present an overview of the application of electrochemical glucose sensors and discuss their advantages and drawbacks. Wearable and implantable devices based on diverse target biofluid and platforms provide a considerable prospect of accurate and continuous monitoring. Thus, we believe that the future development direction of electrochemical glucose sensors is non-invasive, wearable devices and implantable devices with minimally invasive for continuous glucose monitoring in real time.     

水热法制备锂电池Si@C负极材料的工艺优化研究

水热法是广泛应用于锂离子电池Si@C电极材料的一种制备方法,其反应条件是影响产物最终形貌和性能的重要因素, 采取最佳的反应工艺可以大大提升材料的电化学性能。本研究中, 使用葡萄糖作为碳源, 光伏切割废料硅为硅源, 探究了水热法制备核壳结构Si@C电极材料的最优工艺, 分别研究了温度、 原料浓度、 反应时间和原料比例对产物的形貌、 性能的影响以及相互之间的关系, 并得到最佳反应条件。在该条件下(葡萄糖浓度为0.5 mol·L^-1, 硅与葡萄糖重量比为0.3:1, 反应温度190 ^oC, 反应时间9 h), 得到了包覆完整、 粒径适中的Si@C电极材料(CS190-3), 对以该样品为负极的扣式半电池进行电化学测试, 在655 mA·g^-1的电流密度下, 其首圈放电比容量为3369.5 mAh·g^-1, 经过500次循环剩余容量为1405.0 mAh·g^-1。倍率测试中, 在6550 mA·g^-1的电流密度下,其剩余容量为937.1 mAh·g^-1,当电流密度恢复至655 mA·g^-1时,电池放电比容量仍可恢复至1683.0 mAh·g^-1。     

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Zinc Sulfate Impact Physiological Parameters and Boosts Lipid Peroxidation in Soil Grown Coriander Plants (Coriandrum sativum)

The objective of this study was to determine the oxidative stress and the physiological and antioxidant responses of coriander plants (Coriandrum sativum) grown for 58 days in soil with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) at concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg of Zn/kg of soil. The results revealed that all Zn compounds increased the total chlorophyll content (CHLt) by at least 45%, compared to the control group; however, with 400 mg/kg of ZnSO₄, chlorophyll accumulation decreased by 34.6%. Zn determination by induction-plasma-coupled atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES) showed that Zn absorption in roots and shoots occurred in plants exposed to ZnSO₄ at all concentrations, which resulted in high levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Only at 400 mg/kg of ZnSO₄, a 78.6% decrease in the MDA levels was observed. According to the results, the ZnSO₄ treatments were more effective than the ZnO NPs to increase the antioxidant activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidases (POD). The results corroborate that phytotoxicity was higher in plants subjected to ZnSO₄ compared to treatments with ZnO NPs, which suggests that the toxicity was due to Zn accumulation in the tissues by absorbing dissolved Zn⁺⁺ ions.     

Electrophysiological Activity and Survival Rate of Rats Nervous Tissue Cells Depends on D/H Isotopic Composition of Medium

The deuterium content modification in an organism has a neuroprotective effect during the hypoxia model, affecting anxiety, memory and stress resistance. The aim of this work was to elucidate the possible mechanisms of the medium D/H composition modification on nerve cells. We studied the effect of an incubation medium with a 50 ppm deuterium content compared to a medium with 150 ppm on: (1) the activity of Wistar rats’ hippocampus CA1 field neurons, (2) the level of cultured cerebellar neuron death during glucose deprivation and temperature stress, (3) mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the generation of reactive oxygen species in cultures of cerebellar neurons. The results of the analysis showed that the incubation of hippocampal sections in a medium with a 50 ppm deuterium reduced the amplitude of the pop-spike. The restoration of neuron activity was observed when sections were returned to the incubation medium with a 150 ppm deuterium content. An environment with a 50 ppm deuterium did not significantly affect the level of reactive oxygen species in neuron cultures, while MMP decreased by 16–20%. In experiments with glucose deprivation and temperature stress, the medium with 50 ppm increased the death of neurons. Thus, a short exposure of nerve cells in the medium with 50 ppm deuterium acts as an additional stressful factor, which is possibly associated with the violation of the cell energy balance. The decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, which is known to be associated with ATP synthesis, indicates that this effect may be associated with the cell energy imbalance. The decrease in the activity of the CA1 field hippocampal neurons may reflect reversible adaptive changes in the operation of fast-reacting ion channels.     

A review on recent advances in hierarchically porous metal and metal oxide nanostructures as electrode materials for supercapacitors and non-enzymatic glucose sensors

The remarkable significance of electrode materials in industrial processes, energy, sustainability and diabetes monitoring has captivated scientists to develop advance nanomaterials for the benefit of life across the globe. Here in, the recent developments in nanostructured porous metal and metal oxide composite materials for supercapacitor applications and non-enzymatic glucose sensors (NEGS) has been extensively discussed. The essential and active electrode materials from the research and application perspective has been emphasized in detail. We have also evaluated the worthiness, taxonomical classification, efficiency, specific capacitance and sensitivity of these materials for the aforementioned potential applications. Eventually, we concluded the review by providing the aspect ratio, surface morphology, particle size and specific surface area of these materials that plays an indispensable role for their promising potential applications.