New Insights on Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl: UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS Profile,Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities

This study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and phytochemical profiling of extracts from the leaves and stem/root of Acanthus ebracteatus (AE). The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity, 2, 2′-azino-Bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical-scavenging activity, metal chelating activities (MCA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) were used for antioxidant assessment. The ethanolic extracts of the leaves (AEL-nor) and stem/root (AEWP-nor) without chlorophyll removal and those with chlorophyll removal, using sedimentation process (AEL-sed and AEWP-sed), were prepared. Generally, AEL-sed showed the highest antioxidant activity (FRAP: 1113.2 µmol TE/g; ORAC: 11.52 µmol TE/g; MCA: 47.83 µmol EDTA/g; ABTS 67.73 µmol TE/g; DPPH 498.8 µmol TE/g; TPC: 140.50 mg/GAE g and TFC: 110.40 mg/CE g) compared with other extracts. Likewise, AEL-sed also showed the highest bacteriostatic (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) effects, as well as the highest anticancer and antiproliferative activity against oral squamous carcinoma (CLS-354/WT) cells. UPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS analysis of AEL-sed and AEWP-sed tentatively identified several bioactive compounds in the extracts, including flavonoids, phenols, iridoids, and nucleosides. Our results provide a potentially valuable application for A. ebracteatus, especially in further exploration of the plant in oxidative stress-related disorders, as well as the application of the plant as potential nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals.     

Cardiorenal Protective Effect of Costunolide against Doxorubicin-Induced Toxicity in Rats by Modulating Oxidative Stress,Inflammation and Apoptosis

Doxorubicin (DXB) is one of the most commonly used anticancer agents for treating solid and hematological malignancies; however, DXB-induced cardiorenal toxicity presents a limiting factor to its clinical usefulness in cancer patients. Costunolide (COST) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone with excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. This study evaluated the effect of COST on DXB-induced cardiorenal toxicity in rats. Rats were orally treated with COST for 4 weeks and received weekly 5 mg/kg doses of DXB for three weeks. Cardiorenal biochemical biomarkers, lipid profile, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, histological and immunohistochemical analyses were evaluated. DXB-treated rats displayed significantly increased levels of lipid profiles, markers of cardiorenal dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, troponin T, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and creatinine). In addition, DXB markedly upregulated cardiorenal malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 levels and decreased glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. COST treatment significantly attenuated the aforementioned alterations induced by DXB. Furthermore, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that COST ameliorated the histopathological features and reduced p53 and myeloperoxidase expression in the treated rats. These results suggest that COST exhibits cardiorenal protective effects against DXB-induced injury presumably via suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.     

Remediation of <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs radionuclide in nuclear waste effluents by polymer composite: adsorption kinetics,isotherms and gamma irradiation studies

Polypyrrole is incorporated with activated carbon in large size dopant solution and investigated for ¹³⁷Cs removal studies. Adsorption experiments showed optimum conditions within 240 min contact time, pH 6, 0.2 g adsorbent and?≤?100 mg/l adsorbate dose, respectively, while the kinetic data followed pseudo-first-order model. Isotherm data were reproducible by the Langmuir isotherm yielding 23 mg/g maximum sorption capacity. Regeneration of adsorbent was attempted and indicated promising results within three cycles. The surface behavior has also been examined and revealed a well-ordered structure under gamma irradiation. This is a cheap adsorbent to consider and has also proven to possess higher sorption capacity than most highly-cost inorganic materials in use.     

A first‐principles study of diatomic NiAl: Ground state,structure, and spectroscopic constants

A computational study of diatomic NiAl is reported. Molecular properties evaluated include the equilibrium bond length (r_e), equilibrium stretching frequency (ω_e), doublet‐quartet energy splitting, and nickel‐aluminum bond strength. Several interesting conclusions have resulted from this research. First, convergence in calculated properties is smoother with recently reported correlation consistent basis sets than earlier basis sets for Ni and Al. Second, with the exception of bond strength, basis set limit properties extrapolated using correlation basis sets are in agreement with reported data. Third, this research suggests that caution may be needed with regard to the use of DFT for developing interatomic potentials for larger scale simulations. For example, B97‐1 showed better agreement with reported r_e for ²NiAl than B3LYP. However, the situation was reversed for the calculation of ω_e. With respect to bond strength, the situation is unclear due to the scatter among experiment and calculations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Oxidation of thiourea and thioacetamide by octacyanomolybdate(v) anion in perchloric acid

Summary The kinetics of the reduction of octacyanomolybdate(V) anion by thiourea and thioacetamide have been studied in aqueous HClO₄ at constant ionic strengthI=0.10 mol dm^–3 (NaClO₄). The rate of oxidation of these substrates by the oxidant shows a first order dependence in both the oxidant and the substrates and while the thiourea system exhibits an inverse first-order dependence on [H⁺] that of thioacetamide is found to be first-order in [H⁺]. The variation observed in [H⁺] dependences in these reactions is attributed to the nature of the thiourea in the pH range used in this study and the inductive effect of the methyl group in thioacetamide. A mechanistic interpretation of these observations is advanced.     

The kinetics of the oxidation of iodide and thiocyanate ions by 12-tungstocobaltate(III)

The rates and mechanism of the reaction of 12-tungstocobaltate(III) anion with thiocyanate and iodide ions have been examined in aqueous acidic solution and constant ionic strength I = 1.00M (LiClO₄). The reactions follow second-order kinetics, i.e. first-order in both the oxidant and the reductant and the rate constants are found to be independent of hydrogen ions in the range [H⁺] = 0.10–1.00M. Outer-sphere mechanism is postulated for the systems based on the relative inertness of the oxidant and linear free energy relations are employed in demonstrating that in the reaction involving thiocyanate ion, the rate determining step is the diffusion apart of the product while the corresponding step in the iodide reaction is the electron transfer. The latter reaction is also catalysed by both bromide and chloride ions and this is rationalised in terms of possible stabilization of atomic iodine as product by these halide ions.     

Stoichiometry and kinetics of the oxidation of hydroxylammonium ion by 12-tungstocobaltate(III) anion in aqueous solution

Summary The stoichiometry and kinetics of the oxidation of hydroxylammonium ion by the 12-tungstocobaltate(III) anion has been studied in hydrochloric acid medium. The ratio of mols of oxidant consumed per mol of hydroxylammonium ion is 11 and the evolution of nitrogen is confirmed. In the 0.1–1.0 mol dm^–3 [H⁺] region, the oxidation is acid-independent and obeys the empirical rate law: –d[oxidant]/dt=k[oxidant] [reductant] where k=(3.51±0.18)×10^–4 mol^–1dm³s^–1 at 22.4±0.1C and I=2.0 mol dm^–3 (NaCl). Possible reaction steps and mechanism are suggested.     

Electron transfer at an encapsulated cobalt(III) centre: kinetics of oxidation of thiourea and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-thiourea in aqueous acidic media

Summary The stoichiometries, kinetics and mechanisms of oxidation of (NH₂)₂CS (1) and (Me₂N)₂CS (2) to the corresponding disulphides by Co^IIIM (M = W₁₂O₄₀ ^∞-) in aqueous HC1O₄ were investigated. The reaction with (1) follows the empirical rate law- d[oxidant] = k[reductant][oxidant] where k = 12.5 ± 0.3 m⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 25° C, while that with (2) follows the equation- d[oxidant] = a + b [reductant] [reductant] [oxidant] where a = 5.4 × 10⁴ M⁻¹s⁻¹ and b = 3.3 × 10⁶M⁻² s⁻¹ at 25° C. Free radicals are important in the reactions and possible reaction mechanisms are suggested and discussed.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of bis(O-methyl hydrogenato carbonodithioate)-Pb(II): structural,optical and photocatalytic studies of PbS nanoparticles from the complex

Abstract

Lead(II) methyl xanthate [Pb(S₂COMe)₂] was synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The molecular structure showed a distorted tetrahedral geometry around Pb(II) with each monomeric unit linked with another through Pb···S interactions. The compound was used to prepare hexadecylamine capped PbS (HDA-PbS) and oleylamine capped PbS (OLA-PbS) nanoparticles. The PbS nanoparticles were indexed to the cubic PbS crystalline phase with particle sizes of 4.5 – 34.5?nm. The estimated optical bandgaps obtained from the tauc’s plots were 3.47 and 3.30?eV for HDA-PbS and OLA-PbS, respectively, which are blue shifted in comparison to bulk PbS. The photodegradation of methylene blue using PbS as photocatalyst shows that HDA-PbS have the best degradation efficiency of 77.70% after 240?min.