Methyl 3‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)prop‐2‐enoate

The title mol­ecule, C₁₁H₁₂O₃, is almost planar, with an average deviation of the C and O atoms from the least‐squares plane of 0.146 (4) Å. The geometry about the C=C bond is trans. The phenyl ring and –COOCH₃ group are twisted with respect to the double bond by 9.3 (3) and 5.6 (5)°, respectively. The endocyclic angle at the junction of the propenoate group and the phenyl ring is decreased from 120° by 2.6 (2)°, whereas two neighbouring angles around the ring are increased by 2.3 (2) and 0.9 (2)°. This is probably associated with the charge‐transfer interaction of the phenyl ring and –COOCH₃ group through the C=C double bond. The mol­ecules are joined together through C—H?O hydrogen bonds between the methoxy and ester groups to form characteristic zigzag chains extended along the c axis.     

Impact of the ΔPhe configuration on the Boc-Gly-ΔPhe-NHMe conformation: experiment and theory

Conformational propensities of N-t-butoxycarbonyl-glycine-(E/Z)-dehydrophenylalanine N′-methylamides (Boc-Gly-(E/Z)-ΔPhe-NHMe) in chloroform were investigated by NMR and IR techniques. The low-temperature crystal structure of the E isomer was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and the experimental data were elaborated by theoretical calculations using DFT (B3LYP, M06-2X) and MP2 approaches. The β-turn tendencies for both isomers were determined in the gas phase and in the presence of solvent. The obtained results reveal that the configuration of ΔPhe residue significantly affects the conformations of the studied dehydropeptides. The tendency to adopt β-turn conformations is significantly lower for the E isomer (Boc-Gly-(E)-ΔPhe-NHMe), both in gas phase and in chloroform solution.

     

Positive Effect of Cannabis sativa L. Herb Extracts on Skin Cells and Assessment of Cannabinoid-Based Hydrogels Properties

The skin is an organ that is constantly exposed to many external factors that can affect its structure and function. Due to the presence of different cannabinoid receptors on many types of skin cells, cannabinoids can interact directly with them. Therefore, as part of this work, the impact of two types of Cannabis sativa L. herb extracts on keratinocytes and fibroblasts was assessed. The content of biologically active compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls and cannabinoids was evaluated. The antioxidant capacity of prepared extracts using the DPPH radical, H₂DCFDA probe and measurement of superoxide dismutase activity was also assessed. The cytotoxicity of hemp extracts was determined using the Alamar Blue, Neutral Red and LDH assays. The ability of the extracts to inhibit the activity of matrix metalloproteinases, collagenase and elastase, was assessed. Preparations of model hydrogels were also prepared and their effect on transepidermal water loss and skin hydration was measured. The obtained results indicate that hemp extracts can be a valuable source of biologically active substances that reduce oxidative stress, inhibit skin aging processes and positively affect the viability of skin cells. The analysis also showed that hydrogels based on cannabis extracts have a positive effect on skin hydration.     

Flower Extracts as Multifunctional Dyes in the Cosmetics Industry

Flowers are a natural source of bioactive compounds that not only have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties, but can also be used as natural dyes. For this reason, nowadays plants are widely used to produce natural cosmetics and foods. In these studies, the properties of the water extracts of Papaver rhoeas L., Punica granatum L., Clitoria ternatea L., Carthamus tinctorius L., and Gomphrena globosa L., as bioactive, natural dyes, were investigated. Plant flower extracts were tested for their antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH radical methods) and anti-inflammatory effects by determining the ability to inhibit the activity of lipoxygenase and proteinase. The extracts were tested for their cytotoxic effect on skin cells, using Alamar Blue and Neutral Red tests. The ability to inhibit the activity of enzymes responsible for the destruction of elastin and collagen was also studied. Research has shown that extracts have no toxic effect on skin cells, are a rich source of antioxidants and show the ability to inhibit the activity of elastase and collagenase enzymes. P. rhoeas extract showed the strongest antioxidant properties with IC50 value of 24.8 ± 0.42 µg/mL and 47.5 ± 1.01 µg/mL in ABTS and DPPH tests, respectively. The tested plants are also characterized by an anti-inflammatory property, for which the ability to inhibit lipoxygenase at a level above 80% and proteinase at the level of about 55% was noted. Extracts from P. rhoeas, C. ternatea, and C. tinctorius show the strongest coloring ability and can permanently dye cosmetic products, without significant color changes during the storage of the product.     

Biodegradation of tobacco waste by composting: Genetic identification of nicotine-degrading bacteria and kinetic analysis of transformations in leachate

The tobacco industry produces large quantities of solid and liquid waste. This waste poses a significant environmental problem, as some major components are harmful and toxic. The aim of this work is to isolate and identify the nicotine-degrading microorganisms in the composting of tobacco waste. The bioremediation process for the detoxification of waste was carried out in a column reactor at an airflow-rate of 0.4 L min^?1 kg^?1. The concentrations of nicotine and number of CFU in the samples taken from reactor were monitored over nineteen days. After nineteen days, 89.8 % of nicotine conversion was obtained. A nicotine-degrading bacterium, strain FN, was isolated from the composting mass and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the basis of morphology, 16S rDNA sequence, and the phylogenetic characteristics. To confirm that the isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa FN is the actual nicotine degrader, batch experiments were performed using tobacco leachate. It was confirmed that the strain FN possesses a considerable capacity to degrade nicotine with simultaneous COD removal. The Monod kinetic model for single substrate was applied to obtain the substrate degradation rate and half saturation constant.