Neuroprotective Effect of Sterculia setigera Leaves Hydroethanolic Extract.

Plants are a valuable source of information for pharmacological research and new drug discovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of the leaves of the medicinal plant Sterculia setigera. In vitro, the effect of Sterculia setigera leaves dry hydroethanolic extract (SSE) was tested on cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) survival when exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), using the viability probe fluorescein diacetate (FDA), a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assay, an immunocytochemical staining against Gap 43, and the quantification of the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, necrosis, or oxidative stress. In vivo, the effect of intraperitoneal (ip) injection of SSE was assessed on the developing brain of 8-day-old Wistar rats exposed to ethanol neurotoxicity by measuring caspase-3 activity on cerebellum homogenates, the expression of some genes in tissue extracts, the thickness of cerebellar cortical layers and motor coordination. In vitro, SSE protected CGN against H2O2 and 6-OHDA-induced cell death at a dose of 10 µg/mL, inhibited the expression of genes Casp3 and Bad, and upregulated the expression of Cat and Gpx7. In vivo, SSE significantly blocked the deleterious effect of ethanol by reducing the activity of caspase-3, inhibiting the expression of Bax and Tp53, preventing the reduction of the thickness of the internal granule cell layer of the cerebellar cortex, and restoring motor functions. Sterculia setigera exerts neuroactive functions as claimed by traditional medicine and should be a good candidate for the development of a neuroprotective treatment against neurodegenerative diseases.

Lennard-Jones interaction parameters of Mo and W in He and N2 from collision cross-sections of Lindqvist and Keggin polyoxometalate anions.

Drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS) coupled with mass spectrometry was used to determine the collision cross-sections (DTCCS) of polyoxometalate anions in helium and nitrogen. As the geometry of the ion, more than its mass, determines the collision cross-section with a given drift gas molecule, we found that both Lindqvist ions Mo6O192- and W6O192- had a DTCCSHe value of 103 ± 2 Å2, and both Keggin ions PMo12O403- and PW12O403- had a DTCCSHe value of 170 ± 2 Å2. Similarly, ion mobility experiments in N2 led to DTCCSN2 values of 223 ± 2 Å2 and 339 ± 4 Å2 for Lindqvist and Keggin anions, respectively. Using optimized structures and partial charges determined from density functional theory calculations, followed by CCS calculations via the trajectory method, we determined Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential parameters ε, σ of 5.60 meV, 3.50 Å and 3.75 meV, 4.40 Å for both Mo and W atoms interacting with He and N2, respectively. These parameters reproduced the CCS of polyoxometalates within 2% accuracy.

Exploring the self-assembly of dumbbell-shaped polyoxometalate hybrids, from molecular building units to nanostructured soft materials.

The formation of hierarchical nanostructures using preformed dumbbell-like species made of covalent organic-inorganic polyoxometalate (POM)-based hybrids is herein described. In this system, the presence of charged subunits (POM, metal linkers, and counter ions) in the complex molecular architecture can drive their aggregation, which results from a competition between the solvation energy of the discrete species and intermolecular electrostatic interactions. We show that the nature of the POM and the charge of the metal linker are key parameters for the hierarchical nanoorganization. The experimental findings were corroborated with a computational investigation combining DFT and molecular dynamics simulation methods, which outlines the importance of solvation of the counter ion and POM/counter ion association in the aggregation process. The dumbbell-like species can also form gels, in the presence of a poorer solvent, displaying similar nanoorganization of the aggregates. We show that starting from the designed molecular building units whose internal charges can be controlled by redox trigger we can achieve their implementation into soft nanostructured materials through the control of their supramolecular organization.

A calibration framework for the determination of accurate collision cross sections of polyanions using polyoxometalate standards.

RATIONALE: Polyoxometalates (POMs) are remarkable oxo-clusters forming compact highly charged anions. We measured their collision cross sections (CCS) in N2 with drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS). These values were then used to calibrate a traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry (TWIMS) device and the accuracy of the calibration was tested. METHODS: Six POM standards were analyzed by DTIM-MS (Tofwerk, Thun, Switzerland) at different voltages to determine absolute DT CCS (N2 ) values. Five POM compounds (Lindqvist TBA2 Mo6 O19; decatungstate TBA4 W10 O32; Keggin TBA3 PMo12 O40 ; TBA3 PW12 O40 and Dawson TBA6 P2 W18 O62 ) were used for the calibration of the TWIM-MS instrument (Synapt G2 HDMS, Waters, Manchester, UK) and a sixth Dawson POM, TBA9 P2 Nb3 W15 O62 , was used to compare the accuracy of the calibrations with POM or with polyalanine and dextran reference ions. RESULTS: We determined 45 DT CCS (N2 ) values at 30°C or 60°C. Fourteen DT CCS (N2 ) values at 30°C were used to perform calibration of the TWIMS instrument. Better correlations were observed than when DT CCS values in helium from the literature were used. The accuracy tests on six ions of Dawson POM TBA9 P2 Nb3 W15 O62 led to relative errors below 3.1% while relative errors of 3.6% to 10.1% were observed when calibration was performed with polyalanine and dextran reference ions. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel calibration strategy for determination of CCS values of multiply negatively charged ions on TWIM-MS devices based on DT CCS (N2 ) of standard POM structures covered a wider range of CCS and improved the accuracy to 2.1% relative error on average compared with 6.9% using polyalanine and dextran calibration.

Charge Effect on the Formation of Polyoxometalate-Based Supramolecular Polygons Driven by Metal Coordination.

The metal-driven self-assembly of a Keggin-based hybrid bearing two remote pyridine units was investigated. The resulting supramolecular species were identified by combination of 2D diffusion NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) as a mixture of molecular triangles and squares. This behavior is different from that of the structural analogue Dawson-based hybrid displaying a higher charge, which only led to the formation of molecular triangles. This study highlights the decisive effect of the charge of the POMs in their self-assembly processes that disfavors the formation of large assemblies. An isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiment confirmed the stronger binding in the case of the Keggin hybrids. A correlation between the diffusion coefficient D and the molecular mass M of the POM-based building block and its coordination oligomers was also observed. We show that the diffusion coefficient of these compounds is mainly determined by their occupied volume rather than by their shape.