Determination of Trace Deoxyribonucleic Acid Based on a Room Temperature Phosphorescent Probe of Alizarin Red-piperidine Self-ordered Ring

Insight into the Progress on Natural Dyes: Sources, Structural Features, Health Effects, Challenges, and Potential

(1) Background: Dyes play an important role in food, medicine, textile, and other industries, which make human life more colorful. With the increasing demand for food safety, the development of natural dyes becomes more and more attractive. (2) Methods: The literature was searched using the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and SciFinder and this scoping review was carried out following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). (3) Results: 248 articles were included in this review. This review summarizes the research progress on natural dyes in the last ten years. According to structural features, natural dyes mainly include carotenoids, polyphenols, porphyrins, and alkaloids, and some of the newest dyes are summarized. Some pharmacological activities of carotenoids, anthocyanin, curcumin, and betalains in the last 10 years are summarized, and the biological effects of dyes regarding illumination conditions. The disadvantages of natural dyes, including sources, cost, stability, and poor bioavailability, limit their application. Here, some feasible strategies (potential resources, biotechnology, new extraction and separation strategies, strategies for improving stability) are described, which will contribute to the development and utilization of natural dyes. (4) Conclusion: Natural dyes show health benefits and potential in food additives. However, it is necessary for natural dyes to pass toxicity tests and quality tests and receive many regulatory approvals before their final entry into the market as food colorants or as drugs.

Spectroscopic studies on H2O2 damaging BSA induced by 1,2-dihydroxy-9, 10-anthraquinone-3-aminomethyl-N, N-diacetate-ferrous(III)

The interaction between 1,2-dihydroxy-9, 10-anthraquinone-3-aminomethyl-N, N-diacetate-Ferrous(III) (Alizarin-DA-Fe(III)) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by using UV-vis and fluorescence spectra. And then, the H2O2 damage of BSA induced by Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) was examined. The results show that due to the interaction the fluorescence of BSA solution can be obviously quenched by Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) and that the quenching process belongs to the static quenching. In addition, in the presence of Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) the BSA molecules were markedly damaged by H2O2. Meanwhile, the effects of the standing time, Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) concentration and H2O2 concentration on the damage of BSA molecules were also researched. The experimental results demonstrate that the damage degree increase with the increase of standing time, Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) concentration and H2O2 concentration. Finally, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from H2O2 induced by Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) as Fenton-like reagent was estimated by some quenchers. Because the Iminodiacetic-Ferrous(III) (IDA-Fe(III)) and Nitrilotriacetic-Ferrous(III) (NTA-Fe(III)) can be thought of as the active part of Alizarin-DA-Fe(III), they were used to compare the catalytic activity with Alizarin-DA-Fe(III). Owing to the special plane structure, the experiment results showed that the Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) exhibited higher damage ability than IDA-Fe(III) and NTA-Fe(III). Perhaps, the Alizarin-DA-Fe(III) may be used as a new antitumor compound to induce peroxides in body to kill cancer cells.