The Multifaceted Role of Curcumin in Advanced Nanocurcumin Form in the Treatment and Management of Chronic Disorders

Curcumin is the primary polyphenol in turmeric’s curcuminoid class. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and anticancer effects against various cancers, but has poor solubility and low bioavailability. Objective: To improve curcumin’s bioavailability, plasma concentration, and cellular permeability processes. The nanocurcumin approach over curcumin has been proven appropriate for encapsulating or loading curcumin (nanocurcumin) to increase its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Though incorporating curcumin into nanocurcumin form may be a viable method for overcoming its intrinsic limitations, and there are reasonable concerns regarding its toxicological safety once it enters biological pathways. This review article mainly highlights the therapeutic benefits of nanocurcumin over curcumin.     

Chromatographic Determination of the Content and the Composition of Extracts and Essential Oils from the Fruits of Three Varieties of Stalk Celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill. Pers.)

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - The object of this study was determination of the content and composition of the essential oil of the fruits of three varieties of...     

Experimental (13C NMR) and theoretical (ab initio molecular orbital calculations) studies on the prototropic tautomerism of benzotriazole and some derivatives symmetrically substituted on the benzene ring

The prototropic tautomerism in anhydrous DMSO of benzotriazole and six derivatives symmetrically substituted on the benzene ring (5,6-dichloro, tetrachloro, 4,7-dibromo, tetrabromo, 5,6-dimethyl, and tetramethyl), was followed by both experimental (13C NMR and UV spectroscopy) and theoretical methods. In all of the analyzed systems, predominance of the asymmetric form, N(1)/N(3) protonated, was found. The rates of the N(1)-H<-->N(3)-H prototropic equilibrium, estimated by 13C NMR techniques, were in the medium exchange regime of 300-3000 s(-1), and are correlated with the spectroscopically determined pKa values in aqueous medium, and the anionic forms are the putative rate-limiting intermediate states.     

Thermal Decomposition of Carbamoyl Meldrum's Acids: A Starting Point for the Preparation of 1,3‐Oxazine Derivatives

The ability to undergo [4 + 2] versus [2 + 2] cycloaddition was under investigation for ketenes thermally generated from carbamoyl Meldrum's acid. Usually, 1,3‐oxazino‐5‐carbamoylo‐4,6‐diones are formed when carbamoyl Meldrum's acid reacts with imine. However, in some cases, a reaction takes an unexpected course, leading to the formation of tetraponerines alkaloids derivatives or cyclic iminoethers.     

Characterization of Citrus nobilis Peel Methanolic Extract for Antioxidant,Antimicrobial, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Currently, the potential utilization of fruits and vegetable waste as a source of micronutrients and antioxidants has increased. The present study, therefore, aimed to determine the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of Citrus nobilis peel extract. A modified solvent evaporation technique was employed for peel extract preparation. For effective utilization of the natural product, quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds was carried out using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy technique. Phenolic and flavonoids were present in high amounts, while β-carotene and lycopene were present in vestigial amounts. The antimicrobial efficiency of peel extract was evaluated against four bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 3384), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 2295), and Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 1254), and one fungal strain Candida albicans (MTCC 183), and zone of inhibition was comparable to the positive control streptomycin and amphotericin B, respectively. The extract of Citrus nobilis peels showed effective anti-inflammatory activity during human red blood cell membrane stabilization (HRBC) and albumin denaturation assay. The extracts also exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity ranging from 53.46 to 81.13%. Therefore, the obtained results suggest that Citrus nobilis peel could be used as an excellent source of polyphenols and transformed into value-added products.     

Anticonvulsive Effects of Chondroitin Sulfate on Pilocarpine and Pentylenetetrazole Induced Epileptogenesis in Mice

Chondroitin sulfate is a proteoglycan component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that supports neuronal and non-neuronal cell activity, provides a negative domain to the extracellular matrix, regulates the intracellular positive ion concentration, and maintains the hypersynchronous epileptiform activity. Therefore, the present study hypothesized an antiepileptic potential of chondroitin sulfate (CS) in pentylenetetrazole-induced kindled epilepsy and pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in mice. Levels of various oxidative stress markers and inflammatory mediators were estimated in the brain tissue homogenate of mice, and histopathological changes were evaluated. Treatment with valproate (110 mg/kg; i.p.) as a standard drug and chondroitin sulfate (100 & 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.01) and dose-dependently prevented the severity of kindled and spontaneous recurrent seizures in mice. Additionally, chondroitin sulfate showed its antioxidant potential by restoring the various biochemical levels and anti-inflammatory properties by reducing NF-kB levels and pro-inflammatory mediators like TNF-alpha, IL-1β, and IL-6, indicating the neuroprotective effect as well as the suppressed levels of caspase-3, which indicated a neuroprotective treatment strategy in epilepsy. The proteoglycan chondroitin sulfate restores the normal physiology and configuration of the neuronal tissue. Further, the molecular docking of chondroitin sulfate at the active pockets of TNF-alpha, IL-1β, and IL-6 showed excellent interactions with critical amino acid residues. In conclusion, the present work provides preclinical evidence of chondroitin sulfate as a new therapeutic approach in attenuating and preventing seizures with a better understanding of the mechanism of alteration in ECM changes influencing abnormal neuronal activities.     

Heat and mass transfer in a gas-transport reactor for multicomponent solid phase deposition

Gas temperature distribution in an epitaxial horizontal flow reactor was measured by means of a thin thermoprobe and measurement error was calculated. For a turbulent gas flow, the thickness of an equilibrium layer was estimated, the results obtained being coincident with the boundary layer thickness determined from the relationships for gas temperature distribution in the reactor. The distribution pattern of the rates of mass-transfer processes is discussed with reference to multicomponent solid phase deposition lengthwise the reactor. That the layer of nearly uniform composition can be deposited under turbulent flow conditions only is exemplified by the deposition of solid solutions of aluminium and gallium nitrides.     

Band gap and mass renormalisation in GaInP/AlGaInP quantum wells

We report magneto-luminescence studies of dense electron–hole plasmas in compressively strained GaInP/AlGaInP quantum wells. At carrier densities of order 10¹³ cm⁻² many-body effects are investigated. The band gap is reduced by up to 36 meV, much less than expected from conventional random phase approximation calculations. However, much better agreement is obtained on comparison with recent density functional calculations which include the Hartree energy. The reduced mass is found to increase by up to 40% over values from low-excitation measurements. Comparison with other work suggests that the mass renormalisation is substantial in materials with wide band gaps.     

New bound spin-flip transitions in n-InSb

Donor spin - flip transitions with ΔN = 0, ΔM = ?1, and Δλ = 1 are observed in InSb in high magnetic fields using an optically pumped far-infrared laser system. Variational calculations of the donor levels yielded good agreement with previously observed donor transitions energies. As regards the new spin - flip transitions reported in this work, the theoretical treatment has to be revised particularly for obtaining correct selection rules.