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Abstract The in vitro sporulation of Didymella bryoniae is of great importance for studies that require pure inoculum and in large quantities. Thus, the objectives of this study were to identify the best condition for D. bryoniae sporulation combining different light spectra (UV-A or UV-B light, white light, and continuous dark), with distinct culture media (PDA, V8, ML, and PDAB) and, to evaluate fungus survivability stored at -20°C over time. The fungus samples were only able to sporulate when subjected to the UV-B light treatment, regardless of the culture medium. The highest appearance of spores conidium type was observed in the PDAB medium, and the lowest production occurred in the ML medium. Reproductive structures, such as perithecia and pycnidia, were observed in all culture media. However, there was considerable variation in the amount of each structure between the different culture media. The ML and V8 media showed a greater number of perithecia and the PDA and PDAB media presented a greater proportion of pycnidia compared to perithecia. The storage duration at -20°C did not affect mycelial growth or mycelial growth rate. In conclusion, the UV-B light is essential for D. bryoniae in vitro sporulation. Moreover, the culture medium composition influences the type of fungal structure produced, as well as spores size and quantity. Freezing at -20°C is an efficient technique that can be used to store D. bryoniae for at least five months without loss of viability.
Resumo A esporulação de Didymella bryoniae in vitro é de grande importância para estudos que requerem inóculo puro e em grandes quantidades. Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar a melhor condição para esporulação de D. bryoniae combinando diferentes espectros de luz (luz UV-A ou UV-B, luz branca e escuro contínuo) com distintos meios de cultura (PDA, V8, ML e PDAB) e, avaliar a sobrevivência do fungo armazenado a -20°C ao longo do tempo. As amostras de fungo só esporularam quando submetidas ao tratamento com luz UV-B, independentemente do meio de cultura. Maior aparecimento de esporos do tipo conídio foi observado no meio PDAB, e a menor produção ocorreu no meio ML. Estruturas reprodutivas, como peritécios e picnídeos, foram observadas em todos os meios de cultura. No entanto, houve uma variação considerável na quantidade de cada estrutura entre os diferentes meios de cultura. Os meios ML e V8 apresentaram maior número de peritécios e os meios PDA e PDAB apresentaram maior proporção de picnídeos em relação aos peritécios. A duração do armazenamento a -20°C não afetou o crescimento micelial ou a taxa de crescimento micelial. Em conclusão, a luz UV-B é essencial para a esporulação de D. bryoniae in vitro. Além disso, a composição do meio de cultura influencia o tipo de estrutura fúngica produzida, bem como o tamanho e a quantidade dos esporos. O congelamento a -20°C é uma técnica eficiente que pode ser usada para armazenar D. bryoniae por pelo menos cinco meses sem perda de viabilidade
ABSTRACT
Abstract The in vitro sporulation of Didymella bryoniae is of great importance for studies that require pure inoculum and in large quantities. Thus, the objectives of this study were to identify the best condition for D. bryoniae sporulation combining different light spectra (UV-A or UV-B light, white light, and continuous dark), with distinct culture media (PDA, V8, ML, and PDAB) and, to evaluate fungus' survivability stored at -20°C over time. The fungus samples were only able to sporulate when subjected to the UV-B light treatment, regardless of the culture medium. The highest appearance of spores conidium type was observed in the PDAB medium, and the lowest production occurred in the ML medium. Reproductive structures, such as perithecia and pycnidia, were observed in all culture media. However, there was considerable variation in the amount of each structure between the different culture media. The ML and V8 media showed a greater number of perithecia and the PDA and PDAB media presented a greater proportion of pycnidia compared to perithecia. The storage duration at -20°C did not affect mycelial growth or mycelial growth rate. In conclusion, the UV-B light is essential for D. bryoniae in vitro sporulation. Moreover, the culture medium composition influences the type of fungal structure produced, as well as spores' size and quantity. Freezing at -20°C is an efficient technique that can be used to store D. bryoniae for at least five months without loss of viability.
Resumo A esporulação de Didymella bryoniae in vitro é de grande importância para estudos que requerem inóculo puro e em grandes quantidades. Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar a melhor condição para esporulação de D. bryoniae combinando diferentes espectros de luz (luz UV-A ou UV-B, luz branca e escuro contínuo) com distintos meios de cultura (PDA, V8, ML e PDAB) e, avaliar a sobrevivência do fungo armazenado a -20°C ao longo do tempo. As amostras de fungo só esporularam quando submetidas ao tratamento com luz UV-B, independentemente do meio de cultura. Maior aparecimento de esporos do tipo conídio foi observado no meio PDAB, e a menor produção ocorreu no meio ML. Estruturas reprodutivas, como peritécios e picnídeos, foram observadas em todos os meios de cultura. No entanto, houve uma variação considerável na quantidade de cada estrutura entre os diferentes meios de cultura. Os meios ML e V8 apresentaram maior número de peritécios e os meios PDA e PDAB apresentaram maior proporção de picnídeos em relação aos peritécios. A duração do armazenamento a -20°C não afetou o crescimento micelial ou a taxa de crescimento micelial. Em conclusão, a luz UV-B é essencial para a esporulação de D. bryoniae in vitro. Além disso, a composição do meio de cultura influencia o tipo de estrutura fúngica produzida, bem como o tamanho e a quantidade dos esporos. O congelamento a -20°C é uma técnica eficiente que pode ser usada para armazenar D. bryoniae por pelo menos cinco meses sem perda de viabilidade
Subject(s)
Ascomycota , Spores, Fungal , Temperature , MyceliumABSTRACT
Abstract We developed poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL)-based nanoparticles containing D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol-1000 succinate (TPGS) or Poloxamer 407 as stabilizers to efficiently encapsulate genistein (GN). Two formulations, referred to as PNTPGS and PNPol, were prepared using nanoprecipitation. They were characterized by size and PDI distribution, zeta potential, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), GN association (AE%), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). PNTPGS-GN exhibited a particle size of 141.2 nm, a PDI of 0.189, a zeta potential of -32.9 mV, and an AE% of 77.95%. PNPol-GN had a size of 146.3 nm, a better PDI than PNTPGS-GN (0.150), a less negative zeta potential (-21.0 mV), and an AE% of 68.73%. Thermal and spectrometric analyses indicated that no new compounds were formed, and there was no incompatibility detected in the formulations. Cellular studies revealed that Poloxamer 407 conferred less toxicity to PCL nanoparticles. However, the percentage of uptake decreased compared to the use of TPGS, which exhibited almost 80% cellular uptake. This study contributes to the investigation of stabilizers capable of conferring stability to PCL nanoparticles efficiently encapsulating GN. Thus, the PCL nanoparticle proposed here is an innovative nanomedicine for melanoma therapy and represents a strong candidate for specific pre-clinical and in vivo studies.
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ABSTRACT With an estimated approximately 2 million deaths per year, diabetes is one of the top 5 deadliest noncommunicable diseases globally. Although this disease is not fatal, the degradation of the patient's health due to a bad plan to control their glucose levels can have a fatal outcome. In order to lay the foundations for the development of a device that allows estimating glucose levels in some body fluid, we present the results obtained not only for the estimation of glucose in deionized water, but also describe the development and configuration of the created device. After analyzing 50 signals obtained from 5 different glucose concentrations, the feasibility of using the developed device for the analysis is evident, since, considering the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm, all the signals were associated correctly to the glucose group to which they belong.
RESUMEN Con un estimado de aproximadamente 2 millones de muertes por año, la diabetes es una de las 5 enfermedades no transmisibles más mortales a nivel mundial. Aunque esta enfermedad no es mortal, el deterioro de la salud del paciente por un mal plan para controlar sus niveles de glucosa puede tener un desenlace fatal. Con el fin de sentar las bases para el desarrollo de un dispositivo que permita estimar los niveles de glucosa en algún fluido corporal, presentamos los resultados obtenidos no solo para la estimación de glucosa en agua desionizada, sino que también describimos el desarrollo y configuración del dispositivo creado. Luego de analizar 50 señales obtenidos a partir de 5 concentraciones de glucosa diferentes, se evidencia la factibilidad de utilizar el dispositivo desarrollado para el análisis, ya que, considerando el algoritmo K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), todas las señales se asociaron correctamente al grupo de glucosa al que pertenecen.
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Introduction: Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partial permeable membrane to remove ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. In the process of reverse osmosis the amount of water that is drained is a concern area for the people using the R.O. filtration device in their household because it wasted about 70% of the water to purify just one liter of water. This R.O. waste water can be utilized for various purposes such as washing vehicle like car bike etc, cleaning toilet this study is aimed to assess the knowledge reverse osmosis waste water utilization among general public at Indore. Objectives: 1. To assess the pretest knowledge regarding reverse osmosis (R.O) waste water utilization among general public. 2. To assess the posttest knowledge regarding reverse osmosis waste water utilization among general public. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching program on reverse osmosis (R.O) waste water utilization among general public. Hypothesis: H1- there will be significant difference between pretest and posttest knowledge who received structured teaching program regarding the utilization of waste R.O water. Materials and Methods: Quantitative, pre-experimental, one group pretest posttest design was adopted for the study. Total of 60 general public selected by using simple randomized sampling technique was used. Description of Tools: Structured knowledge questionnaire. Result: Data was analyzes using descriptive and inferential statistics. Major Finding: In the pre-test majority of the sample (44 out of 60, 73.3%) had inadequate knowledge and in the post-test, majority (54 out of 60, 90%) had adequate knowledge regarding reverse osmosis. A paired‘t’ test was done and it showed a‘t’ value of 22.34 at 0.05 level of significance, this indicates the effectiveness of structured teaching programme in enhancing the knowledge of the general public. There was no association found between the mean pre-test knowledge of the general public. There was no association found between the mean pre-test knowledge scorer with the selected socio-demographic variable such as age (?2 = 8.643), gender (?2 = 4.455), education qualification (?2 = 4.706), Occupation (?2 = 2.531), number of family member (?2 = 5.653) and previous knowledge about reverse osmosis filter water (?2 =0.393). Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test knowledge score among general public regarding reverse osmosis waste water utilization.
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Purpose: To investigate the effects of riboflavin and/or ultraviolet?A (UV?A) irradiation on the cell viability of ex?vivo?cultured rat limbal stem cells (LSCs). Methods: LSCs of male Wistar rats (N = 12 eyes) were cultured, and immunofluorescence staining was performed to evaluate them. After characterization, these cells were assigned to four groups of control (C), a group that was exposed to UV?A radiation (UV), a group that was treated with riboflavin (R), and a group that cotreated with both UV?A and riboflavin (UV+R). To determine the cell viability of LSCs, these cells were subjected to MTT assay on days 1, 3, and 7 after exposure to UV?A and/or riboflavin. The duration of exposure to UV?A and riboflavin was similar to levels used during the conventional corneal collagen cross?linking procedure. Results: Compared with the viable cells in the control group, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.0001) in the number of LSCs in the UV group during all study days. In the R group, the level of viable LSCs was as same as the level of viable LSCs in the C group. Combined treatment with UV?A plus riboflavin significantly decreased the survival of LSCs on days 1 and 3 (P < 0.0001, P < 0.001, respectively) compared with the control group. Interestingly, in the UV+R group, the photosensitizing effect of riboflavin significantly decreased the cytotoxic effect of UV irradiation 7 days after exposure. Conclusion: These results suggest that the administered UV energy in the presence or absence of riboflavin can damage LSCs. Likewise, riboflavin could decrease the toxic effect of UVA on LSCs
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Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap HRMS) was employed to systematically analyze the chemical constituents in Lysionoti Herba, and high perfor-mance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet(HPLC-UV) to determine the content of main compounds. A Synergi~(TM) Hydro-RP 100 Å colu-mn(2 mm×100 mm, 2.5 μm) was used for gradient elution with acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1) and a column temperature of 40 ℃. MS and MS/MS were conducted with electrospray ionization(ESI) in both positive and negative modes. The chemical components in Lysionoti Herba were identified by comparison with the retention time and mass spectra of reference compounds and the relevant mass spectral data reported in MS databases and relevant literature. Furthermore, the content of five constituents(neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, forsythoside B, acteoside, and nevadensin) in different Lysiono-ti Herba samples was simultaneously determined by HPLC-UV at the wavelength of 330 nm. A total of 84 compounds were identified in Lysionoti Herba, including 27 flavonoids, 20 phenylethanoid glycosides, 5 amino acids, 18 organic acids, 1 alkaloid, 6 nucleosides, and 7 others. The content of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, forsythoside B, acteoside, and nevadensin showed good linear relationship(r>0.999) with the peak area within certain concentration ranges, which were 3.22-102.90, 12.84-410.82, 31.63-1 012.01, 25.00-800.11, and 4.08-130.51 μg·mL~(-1), respectively. The instrument precision, method repeatability, and solution stability all met requirement, and the average recovery rate was 97.31%-100.2%, with RSD ranging from 0.95% to 2.4%. The content of the five components varied among different Lysionoti Herba samples collected from different regions of Guizhou, and the average content of forsythoside B was the highest. The established qualitative method can rapidly and efficiently identify the chemical components of Lysionoti Herba, and the developed HPLC-UV method can simultaneously determine the content of five components in a simple, ra-pid, and accurate manner, providing a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Lysionoti Herba.
Subject(s)
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods , Chlorogenic Acid , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistryABSTRACT
Abstract Bauhinia forficata Link aqueous extract is usually recommended as a phytomedicine to reduce blood glucose levels and its biological activity has been linked to the presence of phenolic compounds from B. forficata preparations. Several drying processes are used in the production of dry herbal extracts, which may influence the chemical composition and efficacy of final herbal medicines. Due to significant chemical changes, defining appropriate drying processes is essential for phytopharmaceutical drug development. In view of this, we analyzed dried B. forficata leaf infusion (BFLI) extracts by HPLC-UV-MSn, followed by molecular networking analysis to evaluate the chemical profiles from dried extracts yielded by freeze-and spray-drying processes. The main metabolites detected included 11 ferulic/isoferulic acid derivatives and 13 glycosylated flavonoids. The qualitative chemical profiles were alike for both drying processes, whereas the relative abundance of some flavonoids was higher using spray-drying. Taken together, our results showed that freeze-and spray-drying preserved the phenolic profile of BFLI and suggested that spray-drying may be the most suitable to obtain its dried products. Along with studying the chemical profiles of dried herbal extracts, evaluating the influence of drying processes on the quality and chemical profiles of final products is pivotal and may benefit future research.
Subject(s)
Plant Leaves/classification , Bauhinia/adverse effects , Phenolic Compounds , Fabaceae/classification , Flavonoids/agonists , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Total Quality Management/organization & administration , Herbal Medicine/trends , Drug Development/instrumentationABSTRACT
SUMMARY Aims: To carry out a bibliographic review related to plants available in Costa Rica that have demonstrated antioxidant power and a sun protection factor (SPF) suitable to be used in sunscreen products. Methods: The bibliographic review was carried out using different descriptors and by consulting different databases. Results: Information about antioxidant power about acerola, avocado, carrots, passion fruit, moringa, banana, pumpkin and amaranth, guava, matico, ginkgo, blackberry, mango, coffee was obtained. The information obtained suggests that the mentioned plants could be used for the formulation of sunscreens. Conclusion: Sun protection products should be used every day to prevent skin damage; some sunscreens produce allergic reactions, so it is necessary to investigate natural options to be used in sun protection products. Some natural products exhibit SPF values that allow their incorporation as sun protection agents, adjuvants, or enhancers in sunscreens.
Objetivo: llevar a cabo una investigación bibliográfica sobre plantas disponibles en Costa Rica que han demostrado su poder antioxidante y un factor de protector solar (SPF) apto para ser utilizados en protectores solares. Métodos: la revisión bibliográfica se realizó utilizando diferentes descriptores y mediante la consulta en diferentes bases de datos. Resultados: se obtuvo información sobre el poder antioxidante de las plantas: acerola, aguacate, zanahoria, maracuyá, moringa, banano, calabaza y amaranto, guayaba, matico, ginkgo, mora, mango, café. La información obtenida sugiere que las plantas mencionadas podrían ser utilizadas para la formulación de protectores solares. Conclusiones: los protectores solares deben ser utilizados diariamente para prevenir el daño sobre la piel. Algunos de estos productos generan reacciones alérgicas y por esta razón es necesario investigar posibles opciones naturales para ser incorporadas en bloqueadores solares. Algunos productos naturales exhiben valores de SPF que permiten su uso como agentes protectores solares, adyuvantes o potenciadores en los bloqueadores solares.
Objetivo: realizar uma pesquisa bibliográfica sobre plantas disponíveis na Costa Rica que demonstraram poder antioxidante e um fator de proteção solar (FPS) adequado para uso em protetores solares. Métodos: a revisão bibliográfica foi realizada usando diferentes descritores e consultando diferentes bases de dados. Resultados: foram obtidas informações sobre o poder antioxidante das plantas: acerola, abacate, cenoura, maracujá, moringa, banana, abóbora e amaranto, goiaba, matico, ginkgo, amora, manga, café. As informações sugerem que as referidas plantas poderiam ser utilizadas para a formulação de protetores solares. Conclusões: protetores solares devem ser usados diariamente para prevenir danos à pele. Alguns desses produtos geram reações alérgicas e por isso é necessário investigar possíveis opções naturais para serem incorporadas aos protetores solares. Alguns produtos naturais apresentam valores de FPS que permitem seu uso como protetores solares, adjuvantes ou potencializadores em protetores solares.
ABSTRACT
La diabetes mellitus tipo 2 es una afección crónica con una elevada prevalencia en las comunidades rurales e indígenas de Guatemala, en las cuales se ha reportado el uso de plantas medicinales para su tratamiento. Con el propósito de conocer qué plantas son utilizadas en la población para esta afección, se realizó un estudio etnofarmacológico con 36 sujetos de la población tz'utujil de Santiago Atitlán, Sololá, por medio de un análisis antropológico y farmacológico-toxicológico de entrevistas semiestructuradas y cuestionarios abiertos. Se identificaron 19 plantas, y se calculó el índice de consenso de enfermedad (ICE) y el valor de uso (VU) para evaluar el conocimiento y la importancia relativa de cada especie; ambos valores ayudan a comprender la relevancia cultural, es decir, la importancia de las especies medicinales para la población. Las cinco plantas con mayor relevancia cultural fueron Neurolaena lobata R.Br. ex Cass. (ICE=0.4074, VU=0.0084), Artemisia absinthium L. (ICE=0.1481, VU=0.0027), Psidium guajava L. (ICE=0.1111, VU=0.0023), Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip. (ICE=0.0741, VU=0.0015) y Coffea arabica L. (ICE=0.0741, VU=0.0015). Se determinó que N. lobata y P. guajava tienen un alto potencial para tratar la diabetes, C. arabica y T. parthenium pueden provocar efectos adversos e interacciones con ciertos medicamentos y A. absinthium puede ser peligrosa para su consumo. No obstante, se requieren estudios de los metabolitos secundarios aislados responsables de la actividad antidiabética para establecer dosis seguras, efectos adversos, interacciones y toxicología.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with a high prevalence in rural and indigenous communities of Guatemala, in which the use of medicinal plants for its treatment has been reported. In order to know which plants are used by the population for this condition, an ethnopharmacological study was carried out with 36 individuals from the Tz'utujil population of Santiago Atitlán, Sololá, through an anthropological and pharmacological-toxicological analysis of semistructured interviews and open questionnaires. Nineteen plants were identified, and the disease consensus index (DCI) and the value in use (UV) were calculated to assess the knowledge and relative importance of each species; both values help to understand the cultural relevance, that is, the importance of medicinal species for the population. The five plants with the higher cultural relevance were Neurolaena lobata R.Br. ex Cass. (DCI = 0.4074, UV = 0.0084), Artemisia absinthium L. (DCI = 0.1481, UV = 0.0027), Psidium guajava L. (DCI = 0.1111, UV = 0.0023), Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip. (DCI = 0.0741, UV = 0.0015) and Coffea arabica L. (DCI = 0.0741, UV = 0.0015). It was determined that N. lobata and P. guajava have a high potential to treat diabetes, C. arabica and T. parthenium can cause adverse effects and interactions with certain medications, and A. absinthium can be dangerous if consumed. However, further studies of the isolated secondary metabolites responsible for antidiabetic activity are required to establish safe doses, adverse effects, interactions and toxicology
ABSTRACT
In the present study, Graphene-TiO2 catalysts are prepared by solvothermal method with varied graphene concentrations (1%, 2.5% and 5%). The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by FTIR, Raman and TEM. The photocatalytic activity towards the destruction of Escherichia coli in water under UV and UV-visible irradiations were studied. Graphene-TiO2 nano composite destructs the bacteria significantly at higher rates than unmodified TiO2 and graphene. The results indicates that, at the beginning, the inactivation of E. coli cells is more due to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) like, OH, H2O2, and O2– . Among all samples, the nano composite containing 2.5 wt.% of graphene exhibits a complete E. coli destruction in a minimum irradiation time of 15 and 20 min under UV–Visible and UV light irradiation respectively. The high photocatalytic activity is achieved with the optimum loading concentration of 2.5 wt. % graphene on titania
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Background & objectives: Mosquitoes are insects of public health importance that act as a vector to transmit various vector-borne diseases in humans including dengue, malaria, filariasis and yellow fever. The continually employed synthetic insecticides have developed resistance in mosquitoes. Nano-based botanical insecticides can be considered as the best alternative due to several advantages like being simple, non-pathogenic, biodegradable and safe to the environment. The present work reported the maximum larvicidal potential of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from the leaf extract of Solanum xanthoearpum against the third instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus over its crude leaf extract. Methods: The synthesis of AgNPs was done by adding leaf extract into silver nitrate solution in a conical flask. The characterization of AgNPs was done using different techniques such as UV-Vis, SEM, TEM, XRD, DLS and SAED. FT-IR analysis was done to find out the compound responsible for bio-reduction of silver nitrate. Larvicidal activity of AgNPs was checked against An. stephensi, Ae. aegypti, and Cx. quinquefasciatus according to WHO standard protocol and toxicity was evaluated against Poecilia reticulate. Results: A change in colour was observed indicating the synthesis of AgNPs which was further confirmed by a strong surface plasmon resonance peak at 421nm under the UV-Vis spectrum. SEM and TEM micrographs exhibited that the most common shape of AgNPs was spherical. XRD spectrum showed crystalline nature of silver nanoparticles. FT-IR spectrum showed the presence of various functional groups such as carboxyl and hydroxyl which might be responsible for bio-reduction and capping of silver nanoparticles. Further, silver nanoparticles were very effective against An. stephensi, Ae. aegypti, and Cx. quinquefasciatus with LC50 and LC90 values of 1.90, 2.36, 2.93, 3.82, 4.31 and 7.63 ppm, respectively, as compared to aqueous leaf extract after 72 h of exposure and were non-toxic against non-target organism P. retieulata. Interpretation & eonelusion: From the above finding, it can be concluded that fabricated AgNPs can be promising eco-friendly tools for controlling mosquito vectors.
ABSTRACT
High dilutions (HD) of drugs used in homeopathy are mostly too dilute to contain original drug molecules. But evidences support their specific biological and therapeutic effects. The reason behind this is thought to be water structure characteristic of the original drug. Spectroscopic studies indicate that the specific water structure in HDs can be resolved into free water molecules, hydrogen bonding strength of water hydroxyl, number of hydrogen bonds and clathrate hydrate crystals (CHC). HDs are prepared in EtOH water solution by serial dilution and mechanical agitation, and are called potencies. The objective of the present study is to further confirm the presence of CHCs in the two potencies of three drugs. Electronic spectra of the HDs of the potencies indicate two broad peaks and marked difference in intensities of absorption. Furior Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the test potencies and their control show difference in intensity shift and contour shape of OH stretching and bending bands. All the experimental data indicate the presence of CHCs in varying amounts in the test potencies.
Subject(s)
Homeopathic Remedy , Chloral Hydrate , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet , Static ElectricityABSTRACT
Conventional science regards the study of UHD (highly homeopathically potentized) solutions as pseudo-science. However, an increasing number of rigorous scientific investigations demonstrate differences in physicochemical and physical characteristics of such solutions. Strictly chemically regarded, they correspond to highly distilled water. Our research team developed a system of physicochemical and UV spectrographic measurements, whereby the differences may be consistently confirmed with high statistical significance.Methods:For measurement of the physicochemical parameters,we usedpH,electrical conductivity,and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP)sensors.For UV/VIS spectroscopymeasurements,we useda Macherey-Nagelspectrophotometer.For UHD research, we used two batches of substances: Russian (R) and Brazilian (B). In R, distilled water (W) was used for dilutions and potencies as follows: potentized water (W cH9), potentized dilution of antibodies to interferon-gamma (Abs IFNγ cH9), the same original substance in the form of a mixture of potencies (Abs IFNγ cH12, cH30, cH50, shortly Abs IFNγ mix). Furthermore, we prepared higher potencies of the substances (supplementary potentiation) in a specially prepared solution and measured their characteristics. In B, the solution was used for further dilutions and potencies as follows: potentized water (W cH1) and Glyphosate potencies (Gly cH6 => cH8, cH30 => cH 32, and cH200 => cH 202).For direct or post-hoc analysis, we used Wilcoxon signed-rank test, two-tailed.Results:UV-VIS spectroscopy (R): measurements of received liquids potentized for further cH1 show statistically significant differences between all substances, except between water W and W cH9 at 260 nm. Significant differences (p-values) were as follows: Abs IFNγ mixvs. W= 0.007; Abs IFNγ mixvs.W cH9=0.008; Abs IFNγ cH9vs. W=0.044; Abs IFNγ cH9vs.W cH9= 0.026; Abs IFNγ mixvs.W cH9= 0.007; W vs.W cH9= 0.506.Physicochemical measurements:R: measurementsdemonstrated statistical difference only in pH (Abs IFNγ mix towards all others). Significant differences (p-values) were as follows: Abs IFNγ mixvs. W=0.022; Abs IFNγ mixvs.W cH9=0.005; Abs IFNγ mixvs.Abs IFNγ cH9=0.025. After supplementarypotentiation, we obtained a more conspicuous picture with many statistical differences in conductivity and ORP, ranging from p= 0.001 to 0.046.A difference between water and potentized water has also been demonstrated.B: the measurements demonstrated statistical differences mainly in pH between Gly cH8 and the rest and between Gly cH202 and W cH1.Significant differences (p-values) were as follows:Gly cH8vs. Gly cH32 =0.027; Gly cH8vs. Gly cH202 = 0.011; Gly cH8vs. W cH1= 0.014; Gly cH202vs. W cH1= 0.034.Conclusion:UV/VIS at wavelength 260 nm Abs IFNγ mix discloses a pattern similar to exclusion zone (EZ)water at 270 nm.By additional potentiation and with physicochemical measurements, we obtained higher statistical differences than in the original dilutions.In contrast, UV/VIS spectroscopy showed more conspicuous results without additional potentiation. However, the very act of succussion becomes very distinct
Subject(s)
Water/analysis , Potency , Chemical Phenomena , Photoelectron SpectroscopyABSTRACT
Purpose: Mutations in human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) are associated with increased telomerase activity in cutaneous melanomas. Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma, also referred to as ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma, is cancer on the surface of the eye. Recent studies have identified UV signature mutations in TERT promoters in ocular melanoma and ocular surface squamous neoplasia. However, its immunohistochemical status has not been reported in ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma. This study aimed to explore the immunohistochemical and mutational status of TERT in ocular surface SCC. Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of TERT and mutational status of TERT promoter was evaluated in 19 ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma cases. Conjunctival melanoma tissue was used as a positive control. Results: The cytoplasmic overexpression of TERT was detected in 11/19 (57%), and TERT promoter mutations were identified in 6/19 (31%) of ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma. Out of these, 66% had a C228T mutation, and 33% had a C250T mutation. The TERT expression was found to be associated with a high (?T3) AJCC category (P = 0.023), and TERT immunoexpression was significantly correlated with reduced disease?free survival (P = 0.024, log?rank analysis) in ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma patients. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that TERT promoter mutations with UV signatures are frequent in ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma. The increased expression of TERT could be of biological significance in aggressive ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma.
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Denaturation of proteins plays a crucial part in cellular activities. In this study, we have investigated the folding unfolding pathways of zebrafish dihydrofolate reductase (zDHFR) in presence of different chemical denaturants which were found to be an influential factor for the refolding yield by UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis. The activity change of zDHFR has been observed in presence of three different denaturants like Acetic Acid (AcOH), Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS), and Ethanol (C2H5OH). Spectrophotometric analysis reveals that protein unfolded completely at different concentrations and times by these denaturants. The spontaneous refolding experiments of chemically denatured zDHFR were also conducted to verify the spontaneous refolding yield. These investigations have helped us to decipher a picture about the denaturants contributing to achieving the refolding yield. We observed that acetic acid is a stronger denaturant among all, and the spontaneous refolding yields were higher from SDS denaturation. In the light of the above findings, higher spontaneous refolding yields were obtained from the low concentration of denaturants.
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Therapeutic drug monitoring(TDM)has played an important role in clinical medicine for precise dosing.Currently,chromatographic technology and immunoassay detection are widely used in TDM and have met most of the needs of clinical drug therapy.However,some problems still exist in practical appli-cations,such as complicated operation and the influence of endogenous substances.Surface plasmon resonance(SPR)has been applied to detect the concentrations of small molecules,including pesticide residues in crops and antibiotics in milk,which indicates its potential for in vivo drug detection.In this study,a new SPR-based biosensor for detecting chloramphenicol(CAP)in blood samples was developed and validated using methodological verification,including precision,accuracy,matrix effect,and extraction recovery rate,and compared with the classic ultra-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet(UPLC-UV)method.The detection range of SPR was 0.1-50 ng/mL and the limit of detec-tion was 0.099±0.023 ng/mL,which was lower than that of UPLC-UV.The intra-day and inter-day ac-curacies of SPR were 98％-114％and 110％-122％,which met the analysis requirement.The results show that the SPR biosensor is identical to UPLC-UV in the detection of CAP in rat blood samples;moreover,the SPR biosensor has better sensitivity.Therefore,the present study shows that SPR technology can be used for the detection of small molecules in the blood samples and has the potential to become a method for therapeutic drug monitoring.
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Ectoine is an amino acid derivative and an important natural product in halophilic microorganisms. It plays an important role in protecting cells and stabilizing biological macromolecules, and can be widely used in biomedical fields such as drug preparation adjuvants, organ transplantation and preservation, skin wound repair and cosmetics. Due to the medical value and commercial market demand of ectoine, this article summarized the recent advances in the microbial production of ectoine, including the mutation and breeding of hyper-producing strains, construction of genetically and metabolically engineered strains, optimization of fermentation processes, and extraction and purification processes. The application of multi-omics technologies and computational biology to develop an ectoine producing cell factory was prospected, with the aim to provide a reference for ectoine overproduction.
Subject(s)
Amino Acids, Diamino/metabolism , FermentationABSTRACT
Objective To establish a method for the determination of total polyphenols and catechins in betel nut polyphenols extract, and provide reference for the quality control of betel nut polyphenols extract. Methods The content of total phenol in betel nut extract was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The content of catechins was determined by HPLC. Results The linear range of total polyphenols in betel nuts extract was 9.8~58.8 μg/ml. The three components of catechin, epicatechin and protocatechuic acid were completely separated by HPLC, and the linear relationship was good in their respective ranges, with the recoveries between 99.17% and 101.67%, the RSD between 1.2% and 2.5%. Conclusion The established method is simple, stable and reliable, which could be used for the quantitative analysis of betel polyphenol extract, and provide experimental basis for the quality control of betel polyphenol extract.
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Na área da saúde pública, as doenças provocadas pela radiação solar têm ganho grande destaque, por serem cada vez mais comuns. Dentre as principais formas de prevenção a utilização de filtros solares são as mais comuns e de fácil acesso. Os filtros utilizados atuam por sua capacidade de refletir, absorver ou dispersar os raios solares ultravioletas (UV). A aplicação de métodos teóricos tornou-se indispensável no auxílio do planejamento de novos compostos com função terapêutica, em estudos de suas diferentes propriedades, buscando gerar, manipular e analisar representações realistas de estruturas moleculares obtidas a partir de cálculos de propriedades físico-químicas por meio da química computacional. Neste estudo, foram selecionados compostos naturais de origem vegetal (3-O-metilquercetina, ácido gálico, aloína, catequina, quercetina e resveratrol), os quais são descritos com propriedades fotoprotetoras, para os quais se aplicou métodos computacionais para predição dos espectros de absorção, por meio do método TD-DFT (Teoria funcional da densidade dependente do tempo). Foram avaliadas as principais transições eletrônicas dos compostos estudados e se as diferenças de energia HOMO e LUMO para os compostos que absorvem na faixa UV compreendem na UVA (320400 nm, 3.103.87 eV), UVB (290320 nm, 3.874.27 eV) ou na UVC (100290 nm, 4.2712.4 eV). Realizou-se a validação experimental para o método aplicado para o EMC, quercetina e resveratrol, demonstrando a eficácia. Após os estudos realizados concluímos que o resveratrol, teoricamente é um ótimo candidato a fotoprotetor. O estudo ofereceu informações relevantes sobre o poder de predição in silico para fotoprotetores, e se utilizado pode contribuir diminuindo de tempo e custos em pesquisas para desenvolver fármacos
In the area of public health, diseases caused by solar radiation have gained great prominence, as they are increasingly common. Among the main ways to prevent the use of sunscreens are the most common and easily accessible. The filters used act by their ability to reflect, absorb or scatter the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. The application of theoretical methods has become indispensable in helping to plan new compounds with therapeutic function, in studies of their different properties, seeking to generate, manipulate and analyze realistic representations of molecular structures obtained from calculations of physicochemical properties through computational chemistry. In this study, natural compounds of plant origin (3-O-methylquercetin, gallic acid, aloin, catechin, quercetin, and resveratrol) were selected, which are described with photoprotective properties, for which computational methods were applied to predict the absorption spectra, using the TD-DFT (Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory) method. The main electronic transitions of the studied compounds were evaluated and whether the differences in HOMO and LUMO energy for compounds that absorb in the UV range comprise UVA (320400 nm, 3.103.87 eV), UVB (290 320 nm, 3.87 4.27 eV) or UVC (100290 nm, 4.2712.4 eV). Experimental validation was carried out for the method applied for CME, quercetin, and resveratrol, demonstrating its effectiveness. After the studies carried out, we concluded that resveratrol, theoretically, is an excellent candidate for sunscreen. The study provided relevant information about the in silico predictive power for photoprotectors, and if used, it can contribute to reducing time and costs in research to develop drugs