Impact of LaZnFe2O4 supported NiWO4@D400-MMT@CMS/MMA nanocomposites as a catalytic system in remediation of dyes from wastewater

Herein, a novel nanocomposite based on lanthanum zinc ferrite and nickel tungstate was created by incorporation between (MMT-jeffamine-400) nanoparticles (NPs), chloromethyl styrene as a binder and polymethyl methacrylate monomer using solution polymerization. The as-designed nanocomposites were employed to confiscate xylenol orange "X.O" as an acidic dye and rhodamine B "RhB" as "an amphoteric dye" from colored wastewater. The impact of several parameters such as solution pH, initial dye concentration, the effect of time, and the effect of temperature was explored. The consequences indicated that the pure organoclay had negligible adsorption while that composed of organoclay with PMMA@CMS-polymer incorporated with LaZnFe2O4@NiWO4 particles detached more than 90% for xylenol orange (XO) and 93% for "rhodamine B" molecules. Electrostatic interactions are the predominant factor in the adsorption of cationic and amphoteric adsorbates, as proven by zeta-potential measurement. Additionally, the adsorbent may be regenerate and utilized up to five times with good adsorption capabilities by adding sodium hydroxide. As a result, the removal can be effectively accomplished using the nanocomposite as an adsorbent. The actual and theoretical adsorption capacity values for both dyes at all doses were closely matched, which supported the adsorption kinetics data that fit the pseudo-first order rate model well. The adsorption data's correlation values (0.995 for XO and 0.98 for RhB) indicated that both dyes' Langmuir adsorption would perform well. Furthermore, the adsorption of XO and RhB dyes on the adsorbent is confirmed to be a viable reaction by the negative values of ΔGo. The enhanced adsorbent material for the removal of amphoteric and anionic dyes from waste water is the synthesized LaZnFe2O4 supported NiWO4@D400-MMT@CMS/MMA nanocomposites, which exhibits a reusability affinity of up to five cycles.

Mechanical properties and curing kinetics of bio-based benzoxazine-epoxy copolymer for dental fiber post

Biocopolymers based on vanillin/fufurylamine-biobenzoxazine (V-fa) and epoxide castor oil (ECO), a bioepoxy, were prepared for application as dental fiber-reinforced composite post. The mechanical and thermal properties of the V-fa/ECO biocopolymers were assessed with regard to the influence of ECO content. The addition of the ECO at an amount of 20% by weight into the poly(V-fa) preserved the stiffness, glass transition temperature and thermal stability nearly to the poly(V-fa). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to examine the curing kinetics of the V-fa/ECO monomer system with different heating rates. To determine the activation energy (Ea), the experimental data were subjected to the isoconversional methods, namely Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Friedman (FR). The V-fa/ECO monomer mixture showed average Ea values of 105 kJ/mol and 94 kJ/mol. The results derived using the curing reaction model and the experimental data were in good agreement, demonstrating the efficacy of the FWO method for determining the curing kinetics parameters. The simulated mechanical response to external applied loads by finite-element analysis of the tooth model restored with glass fiber-reinforced V-fa/ECO biocopolymer post showed a similar stress field to the tooth model restored with a commercial glass fiber post. Therefore, based on the findings in this work, it is evident that the bio-based benzoxazine/epoxy copolymer possesses a great potential to be used for dental fiber post.

Hydrogen Peroxide Produced from Selective Phenolic Acids in Cell Culture Underlies Caco-2 Changes in Cell Proliferation Parameters

The physicochemical property of phenolic acids to generate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in cell culture media has been underreported when describing multiple biological effects in vitro. Our aim was to focus on examining the relative capacity of four common phenolic acids widely consumed in the Western diet for autoxidation potential to generate H₂O₂ during in vitro culture. Furthermore, quantifying H₂O₂ derived from different phenolic acids cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) was associated with changes in cell proliferation in non-differentiated human intestinal carcinoma cells. Results showed that the different percentage losses of phenolic acids, namely, caffeic (84.78 ± 1.51), chlorogenic (37.3 ± 0.38), ferulic (1.26 ± 0.78), and gallic (100%), paralleled a relative capacity to generate H₂O₂ when present in DMEM media for 24 h. The rate and total H₂O₂ generated was dependent on both phenolic acid type and concentration (p < 0.05). Gallic acid had the greatest capacity to generate H₂O₂ in culture without the presence of cells (p < 0.05). When cultured with non-differentiated Caco-2 cells, gallic acid evoked the greatest bioactivity that included cytotoxicity, anti-proliferation, apoptosis, and nuclear condensation, respectively (p < 0.05). Corresponding treatments with cells with phenolic acids in the presence of catalase confirmed that H₂O₂ generated from phenolic acid autoxidation was involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Magnetic MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH for Enhanced Phosphate and Cr (VI) Removal from Water

Due to the layered structure and recycling characteristics, magnetic MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH was prepared by co-precipitation. In this study, we intensively explored MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH for water purification compared with the ZnFe-LDH. The morphological and structural characteristics of the obtained products were systematically characterized. MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH exhibits the maximum adsorption capacity of 94.52 mg/g for phosphate and 49.03 mg/g for Cr (VI), respectively, which is superior to that of the ZnFe-LDH, indicating that the magnetic MnFe2O4 effectively enhanced adsorption performance. Meanwhile, the mechanism of adsorption of phosphate and Cr (VI) was briefly studied, where the metal center ion in MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH and between layers of SO42- serves as capture sites for phosphate and Cr (VI) removal. Furthermore, the MnFe2O4/ZnFe-LDH can be used for magnetic recycled and still maintained excellent removal efficiency (70%) for phosphate and Cr (VI) after five adsorption-desorption cycles. This work could open a new vista of designing magnetic novel adsorbents in environmental remediation.

Induction of apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells by iridium(III) complexes via endoplasmic reticulum stress-mitochondrial dysfunction pathway

This study was intended to evaluate the anticancer activity of three newly synthesized iridium(III) complexes [Ir(ppy)₂(PEIP)](PF₆) (1) (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, PEIP = 2-phenethyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), [Ir(ppy)₂(SIP)](PF₆) (2) (SIP = (E)-2-styryl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) and [Ir(ppy)₂(PEYIP)](PF₆) (3) (PEYIP = 2-phenethynyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline). The cytotoxic activity in vitro against A549, SGC-7901, HepG2, HeLa and normal NIH3T3 cells was investigated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. We found that the complexes 1, 2 and 3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, in particular, complexes 2 and 3 show high cytotoxic effect on SGC-7901 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 5.8 ± 0.7 and 4.4 ± 0.1 μM. Moreover, cell cycle assay revealed that the complexes could block G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Apoptotic evaluation by Annexin V/PI staining indicated that complexes 1-3 can induce apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells. In addition, microscopy detection suggested that disruption of mitochondrial functions, characterized by increased generation of intracellular ROS and Ca²⁺ as well as decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blot analysis shows that the complexes upregulate the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and downregulate the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, which further activates caspase-3 and prompts the cleavage of PARP. Taken together, these results demonstrated that complexes 1-3 exert a potent anticancer effect on SGC-7901 cells via ROS-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress-mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and have a potential to be developed as novel chemotherapeutic agents for human gastric cancer. Three new iridium(III) complexes [Ir(ppy)₂(PEIP)](PF₆) (1) (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, PEIP = 2-phenethyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), [Ir(ppy)₂(SIP)](PF₆) (2) (SIP = 2-styryl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) and [Ir(ppy)₂(PEYIP)](PF₆) (3) (PEYIP = 2-phenethynyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized. The anticancer activity in vitro was investigated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The results show that the complexes induce apoptosis via ROS-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress-mitochondrial dysfunction pathway.

Phenolic Constituents, Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Activities, Enzyme Inhibition Abilities of Five Fractions from Vaccinium dunalianum Wight

The bud of Vaccinium dunalianum Wight has been traditionally consumed as health herbal tea by “Yi” people in Yunnan Province, China, which was locally named “Que Zui tea”. This paper studied the chemical constituents of five fractions from Vaccinium dunalianum, and their enzyme inhibitory effects of α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase, antioxidant activity, and cytoprotective effects on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells. The methanol extract of V. dunalianum was successively partitioned with petroleum ether (PF), chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EF), n-butanol (BF), and aqueous (WF) to obtain five fractions. The chemical profiling of the five fractions was analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), and 18 compounds were tentatively identified. Compared to PF, CF, BF and WF, the EF revealed the highest total phenols (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC), and displayed the strongest enzyme inhibition ability (α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). Furthermore, these five fractions, especially EF, could effectively inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell apoptosis on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage protection in HepG2 cells. This inhibitory effect might be caused by the up-regulation of intracellular antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, SOD, and GSH). The flavonoids and phenolic acids of V. dunalianum might be the bioactive substances responsible for enzyme inhibitory, antioxidant, and cytoprotective activities.

Hypoglycemic activity of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. in vitro and in vivo and its chemical composition identification by UPLC-Triple-TOF-MS/MS

Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. (CPN), mainly planted in the northwest region, is a traditional Chinese medicine/good health food for nourishing qi and promoting blood circulation. This study firstly evaluated the inhibitory effects of the CPN extraction (CPNE) on α-glucosidase in vitro and in vivo, and tentatively confirmed its chemical ingredients by employing UHPLC-Triple-TOF-MS/MS. The CPNE had strong inhibitory activities against mammalian α-glucosidase (sucrase and maltase) and yeast α-glycosidase with semi-inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of 0.241 mg mL^-1, 0.326 mg mL^-1 and 1.167 mg mL^-1, respectively. In addition, the CPNE could significantly decrease the postprandial blood glucose (PBG) levels in the sucrose/maltose/starch tolerance assays of diabetic mice. Furthermore, a total of 29 compounds, including 3 alkaloids, 13 phenolic acids, 8 alcohol glycosides and 5 alkynosides, were assigned based on comparison with the standards and references, as well as the analysis of main fragments. These results demonstrated that CPN could be used as an adjuvant therapy or dietary supplements to effectively control the occurrence and development of diabetes.

Complementarity of Raman and Infrared spectroscopy for rapid characterization of fucoidan extracts

BACKGROUND

Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides from the cell-wall of brown algae. They have a wide range of applications in medicine, including regenerative medicine, ophthalmology, cancer, and autoimmune disease. Biological activity of fucoidans directly depends on their structure, which remains poorly understood. This is primarily because the polymeric nature of these molecules limits the use of nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, classical tools of structural biology for their structural characterization. Raman and Infrared spectroscopies are non-invasive and non-destructive techniques that can be used to probe the structural organization of biological specimens. In this study, we investigate the potential of Raman and Infrared spectroscopy for structural analysis of several fucoidan extracts.

RESULTS

Our results show that Infrared and Raman provide different but complimentary information about the structure of crude extracts of fucoidans, revealing the presence of minor impurities from co-extractants. We also found that at high extraction temperatures acidic conditions limit formation of melanoidins, while also yielding relatively high sulfate ester fucoidan. However, at high temperatures, water extraction may potentially result in formation of advanced glycation end products. Their presence could be problematic for fucoidan extracts intended for medicinal use, as advanced glycation end products have been linked to endocrine interruption mechanisms in vivo by crosslinking to and permanently altering extracellular matrix proteins.

CONCLUSION

Raman and Infrared can be used as complementary tools for rapid screening of crude fucoidan extracts, which can be a valuable tool for assessing impurities that remain after extraction.

Fabrication of the magnetic mesoporous silica Fe-MCM-41-A as efficient adsorbent: performance, kinetics and mechanism

Antibiotics are emerging pollutants and increasingly present in aquaculture and industrial wastewater. Due to their impact on the environment and health, their removal has recently become a significant concern. In this investigation, we synthesized nano zero-valent iron-loaded magnetic mesoporous silica (Fe-MCM-41-A) via precipitation and applied the adsorption of oxytetracycline (OTC) from an aqueous solution. The effects of competing ions such as Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cu²⁺ on the adsorption process under different pH conditions were studied in depth to providing a theoretical basis for the application of nanomaterials. The characterization of the obtained material through transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that the adsorbent possesses hexagonal channels, which facilitate mass transfer during adsorption. The loaded zero-valent iron made the magnetic, and was thus separated under an applied magnetic field. The adsorption of OTC onto Fe-MCM-41-A is rapid and obeys the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of OTC is 625.90 mg g^-1. The reaction between OTC and Fe-MCM-41-A was inner complexation and was less affected by the Na⁺. The effect of Ca²⁺ on the adsorption was small under acidic and neutral conditions. However, the promotion effect of Ca²⁺ increased by the increase of pH. Cu²⁺ decreased the removal efficiencies continuously and the inhibitory effects decrease varied with the increase of pH. We propose that surface complexing, ion-exchange, cationic π-bonding, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobicity are responsible for the adsorption of OTC onto Fe-MCM-41-A.

Quercetin, a Flavonoid Antioxidant, Ameliorated Procarbazine-Induced Oxidative Damage to Murine Tissues

Procarbazine (PCZ) (indicated in Hodgkin's disease), is an alkylating agent known to generate free radicals in vivo, while Quercetin (QCT) is a flavonoid antioxidant with proven free radical scavenging capacity. This study investigated the protective effects of QCT on PCZ-induced oxidative damage in the rat. Male Wistar rats (160-180 g) were randomized into five groups (n = 5/group): I (control), II PCZ-treated (2 mg/kg body weight (bw) for seven days); III pre-treated with QCT (20 mg/kg bw) for seven days, followed by PCZ for seven days; IV co-treated with PCZ and QCT for seven days and V administered QCT alone for seven days. PCZ caused a significant increase in plasma total bilirubin, urea, and creatinine when compared with control (P < 0.05). Similarly, plasma activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) were significantly increased in the PCZ-treated group relative to control. Furthermore, PCZ caused a significant decrease in the activities of hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) as well as levels of ascorbic acid (AA) and glutathione (GSH). This was followed by a significant increase in hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content. However, QCT pre-treatment and co-treatment ameliorated the PCZ-induced changes in plasma levels of urea, creatinine, and bilirubin as well as the activities of ALP, AST, ALT, and GGT. QCT also ameliorated hepatic AA and GSH levels and the activities of SOD, CAT, and GST. This all suggests that QCT protected against PCZ-induced oxidative damage in rats.

Pennyroyal and gastrointestinal cells: multi-target protection of phenolic compounds against t-BHP-induced toxicity

Pennyroyal infusion maintains gastrointestinal cells antioxidant balance.