Assessing the mutagenicity of protic ionic liquids using the mini Ames test

Therapeutic Potential of Ramalin Derivatives with Enhanced Stability in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a significant public health challenge with limited effective treatment options. Ramalin, a compound derived from Antarctic lichens, has shown potential in the treatment of AD because of its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its instability and toxicity have hindered the development of Ramalin as a viable therapeutic agent. The primary objective of this study was to synthesize and evaluate novel Ramalin derivatives with enhanced stabilities and reduced toxic profiles, with the aim of retaining or improving their therapeutic potential against AD. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-BACE-1, and anti-tau activities of four synthesized Ramalin derivatives (i.e., RA-Hyd-Me, RA-Hyd-Me-Tol, RA-Sali, and RA-Benzo) were evaluated. These derivatives demonstrated significantly improved stabilities compared to the parent compound, with RA-Sali giving the most promising results. More specifically, RA-Sali exhibited a potent BACE-1 inhibitory activity and effectively reduced tau phosphorylation, a critical factor in AD pathology. Despite exhibiting reduced antioxidant activities compared to the parent compound, these derivatives represent a potential multi-targeted approach for AD treatment, marking a significant step forward in the development of stable and effective AD therapeutics.

Tetraalkylammonium salts (TAS) in solar energy applications - A review on in vitro and in vivo toxicity

Tetraalkylammonium salt (TAS) is an organic salt widely employed as a precursor, additive or electrolyte in solar cell applications, such as perovskite or dye-sensitized solar cells. Notably, Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered acclaim for their exceptional efficiency. However, PSCs have been associated with environmental and health concerns due to the presence of lead (Pb) content, the use of hazardous solvents, and the incorporation of TAS in their fabrication processes, which significantly contributes to environmental and human health toxicity. As a response, there is a growing trend towards transitioning to safer and biobased materials in PSC fabrication to address these concerns. However, the potential health hazards associated with TAS necessitate a thorough evaluation, considering the widespread use of this substance. Nevertheless, the overexploitation of TAS could potentially increase the disposal of TAS in the ecosystem, thus, posing a major health risk and severe pollution. Therefore, this review article presents a comprehensive discussion on the in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays of TAS as a potential material in solar energy applications, including cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, in vivo dermal, and systemic toxicity. In addition, this review emphasizes the toxicity of TAS compounds, particularly the linear tetraalkyl chain structures, and summarizes essential findings from past studies as a point of reference for the development of non-toxic and environmentally friendly TAS derivatives in future studies. The effects of the TAS alkyl chain length, polar head and hydrophobicity, cation and anion, and other properties are also included in this review.

Structure-property relationships in protic ionic liquids: a study of solvent-solvent and solvent-solute interactions

The ionic nature of a functionalized protic ionic liquid cannot be rationalized simply through the differences in aqueous proton dissociation constants between the acid precursor and the conjugate acid of the base precursor. The extent of proton transfer, i.e. the equilibrium ionicity, of a tertiary ammonium acetate protic ionic liquid can be significantly increased by introducing an hydroxyl functional group on the cation, compared to the alkyl or amino-functionalized analogues. This increase in apparent ionic nature correlates well with variations in solvent-solute and solvent-solvent interaction parameters, as well as with physicochemical properties such as viscosity.

Structure–property relationships in protic ionic liquids: a thermochemical study

How does cation functionality influence the strength of intermolecular interactions in protic ionic liquids (PILs)? Quantifying the energetics of PILs can be an invaluable tool to answer this fundamental question.