Palladium doped PDA-coated hercynite as a highly efficient catalyst for mild hydrogenation of nitroareness.

Hercynite magnetic nanoparticles were produced through the co-precipitation of ferrous and aluminum cations. The surface of hercynite was respectively coated with silica, 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine, and 1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylic acid to provide a suitable substrate for Pd(II) loading, furnishing Pd@Her-TCT-PDA. Subsequently, the introduced Pd(II) was reduced to Pd(0) using NaBH4. FT-IR, EDS, XRD, TGA, TEM and SEM images were the characteristic methods to prove the success of catalyst synthesis. The SEM image illustrated the particles with a nanosize of 25-50 nm and TEM image confirmed the presence of Pd nanoparticles with sizes lower than 2 nm. EDS elemental analysis of the catalyst proved the existence of Pd, Fe, and Al atoms along with the C, O, N, and Si atoms belong to the heterocyclic moieties. VSM analysis clarified a considerable drop in the magnetic properties of the hercynite core of the final catalyst due to its modified surface. TGA curve demonstrated that Pd@Her-TCT-PDA contains 20% organic content, attributed to the anchored heterocyclic ligands. Finally, Pd@Her-TCT-PDA was employed along with NaBH4 as a catalytic system to reduce completely the nitro group of aromatic compounds to their corresponding amines. The recyclability tests showed low drop in the catalytic activity of Pd@Her-TCT-PDA after third run with negligible leaching of Pd NPs.

Study of the anti-cancer activity of a mesoporous silica nanoparticle surface coated with polydopamine loaded with umbelliprenin.

A mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) coated with polydopamine (PDA) and loaded with umbelliprenin (UMB) was prepared and evaluated for its anti-cancer properties in this study. Then UMB-MSN-PDA was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and FTIR methods. UV-visible spectrometry was employed to study the percentage of encapsulation efficiency (EE%). UMB-MSN-PDA mediated cell cytotoxicity and their ability to induce programmed cell death were evaluated by MTT, real-time qPCR, flow cytometry, and AO/PI double staining methods. The size of UMB-MSN-PDA was 196.7 with a size distribution of 0.21 and a surface charge of -41.07 mV. The EE% was 91.92%. FESEM and TEM showed the spherical morphology of the UMB-MSN-PDA. FTIR also indicated the successful interaction of the UMB and MSN and PDA coating. The release study showed an initial 20% release during the first 24 h of the study and less than 40% during 168 h. The lower cytotoxicity of the UMB-MSN-PDA against HFF normal cells compared to MCF-7 carcinoma cells suggested the safety of formulation on normal cells and tissues. The induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was indicated by the upregulation of P53, caspase 8, and caspase 9 genes, enhanced Sub-G1 phase cells, and the AO/PI fluorescent staining. As a result of these studies, it may be feasible to conduct preclinical studies shortly to evaluate the formulation for its potential use in cancer treatment.

Green synthesis of zinc and nickel dual-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles: antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity effects.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) and Zn-Ni dual-doped CeO2-NPs were synthesized through a green approach by the implication of zucchini peel (Cucurbita pepo) extract as a capping and reduction agent. All the synthesized samples were studied by the results of FTIR, UV-Vis, XRD, and FESEM/EDAX/PSA analyses. The Zn-Ni dual-doped CeO2-NPs contained a spherical morphology and their size was observed to increase at higher temperatures. The conducted MTT assay on the Huh-7 cell line displayed 50% of cells annihilation as a result of using undoped CeO2-NPs and Zn-Ni dual-doped CeO2-NPs at the inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 700 and 185.4 µg/mL, respectively. We also evaluated the enzymatic functionality of SOD and CAT of undoped CeO2-NPs and dual-doped NPs and found it to be dose dependent. Moreover, Zn-Ni dual-doped CeO2-NPs intensified the CAT activity without causing any changes in SOD activity in similar concentrations.

Cellulose nanocrystals derived from chicory plant: an un-competitive inhibitor of aromatase in breast cancer cells via PI3K/AKT/mTOP signalling pathway.

A significant contributing factor in the development of breast cancer is the estrogens. The synthesis of estrogens is primarily facilitated by aromatase (CYP19), a cytochrome P450 enzyme. Notably, aromatase is expressed at a higher level in human breast cancer tissue compared with the normal breast tissue. Therefore, inhibiting aromatase activity is a potential strategy in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer treatment. In this study, Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from Chicory plant waste through a sulfuric acid hydrolysis method with the objective of investigating that whether the obtained CNCs could act as an inhibitor of aromatase enzyme, and prevent the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Structural analysis of CNCs was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), while morphological results were obtained using AFM, TEM, and FE-SEM. Furthermore, the nano-particles were found to be spherical in shape with a diameter range of 35-37 nm and displayed a reasonable negative surface charge. Stable transfection of MCF-7 cells with CYP19 has demonstrated the ability of CNCs to inhibit aromatase activities and prevent cell growth by interfering with the enzyme activities. Spectroscopic results revealed the binding constant of CYP19-CNCs and (CYP19-Androstenedione)-CNCs complexes to be 2.07 × 103 L/gr and 2.06 × 104 L/gr, respectively. Conductometry and CD data reported different interaction behaviors among CYP19 and CYP19-Androstenedione complexes at the presence of CNCs in the system. Moreover, the addition of CNCs to the solution in a successive manner resulted in the enhancement of the secondary structure of the CYP19-androstenedione complex. Additionally, CNCs showed a marked reduction in the viability of cancer cells compared to normal cells by enhancing the expression of Bax and p53 at protein and mRNA levels, and by decreasing mRNA levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOP, as well as protein levels of PI3Kg-P110 and P-mTOP, in MCF-7 cells after incubation with CNCs at IC50 concentration. These findings confirm the decrease in proliferation of breast cancer cells associated with induction of apoptosis through down-regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOP signaling pathway. According to the provided data, the obtained CNCs are capable of inhibiting aromatase enzyme activity, which has significant implications for the treatment of cancer.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Urolithin B loaded in cerium oxide nanoparticles enhances the anti-glioblastoma effects of free urolithin B in vitro.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive kind of malignant primary brain tumor in humans. Given the limitation of Conventional therapeutic strategy, the development of nanotechnology and natural product therapy seems to be an effective method enhancing the prognosis of GBM patients. In this research, cell viability, mRNA expressions of various apoptosis-related genes apoptosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human U-87 malignant GBM cell line (U87) treated with Urolithin B (UB) and CeO2-UB. Unlike CeO2-NPs, both UB and CeO2-UB caused a dose-dependent decrease in the viability of U87 cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of UB and CeO2-UB were 315 and 250 µM after 24 h, respectively. Moreover, CeO2-UB exerted significantly higher effects on U87 viability, P53 expression, and ROS generation. Furthermore, UB and CeO2-UB increased the accumulation of U87 cells in the SUB-G1 population, decreased the expression of cyclin D1, and increased the Bax/Bcl2 ratio expression. Collectively, these data indicate that CeO2-UB exhibited more substantial anti-GBM effects than UB. Although further in vivo investigations are needed, these results proposed that CeO2-NPs could be utilized as a potential novel anti-GBM agent after further studies.

Inhibition of glioblastoma proliferation, invasion, and migration by Urolithin B through inducing G0/G1 arrest and targeting MMP-2/-9 expression and activity.

One kind of brain cancer with a dismal prognosis is called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) due to its high growth rate and widespread tumor cell invasion into various areas of the brain. To improve therapeutic approaches, the objective of this research investigates the cytotoxic, anti-metastatic, and apoptotic effect of urolithin-B (UB) as a bioactive metabolite of ellagitannins (ETs) on GBM U87 cells. The malignant GBM cell line (U87) was examined for apoptosis rate, cell cycle analysis, cell viability, mRNA expressions of several apoptotic and metastasis-associated genes, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), MMP-2, and MMP-9 activity and protein expression, and migration ability. The findings revealed that UB decreased U87 GBM viability in a dose-dependent manner and NIH/3T3 normal cells with the IC50 value of 30 and 55 µM after 24 h, respectively. UB also induces necrosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in U87 cells. UB also increases ROS production and caused down-regulation of Bcl2 and up-regulation of Bax apoptotic genes. Additionally, treatment of UB reduced the migration of U87 cells. The protein levels, mRNA expression, and the MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activities also decreased concentration-dependently. So, due to the non-toxic nature of UB and its ability to induce apoptosis and reduce the U87 GBM cell invasion and migration, after more research, it can be regarded as a promising new anti-GBM compound.

Inflammatory, oxidative stress and cognitive functions in patients under maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine and healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Methadone and buprenorphine which are widely used for opioid maintenance treatment can affect redox status and also brain functions. The present study aimed to compare inflammation, oxidative stress, and cognitive function in methadone maintenance patients (MMP), buprenorphine maintenance patients (BMP), and healthy participants. METHOD: Oxidative- antioxidant markers, inflammatory factors were investigated in MMP (n = 30), BMP (n = 30), and healthy participants (n = 30) by evaluating the ferritin, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and also High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Also, executive function was evaluated using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). FINDINGS: MMP and BMP showed impairment in executive function compared to the healthy participants. Both buprenorphine and methadone treatments induced oxidative stress. The ferritin level in BMP was significantly lower compared to MMP and healthy participants (P = 0.01). There was a significant difference between control and MMP and BMP (P > 0.0001) in terms of hs-CRP level. BMP had the highest and healthy participant's lowest MDA level (P < 0.001). The TAC levels in BMP were lower than in MMP (p = 0.002) and healthy participants (p = 0.001). Finally, executive function was significantly correlated with oxidative-antioxidant status. DISCUSSION: Both methadone and buprenorphine induced severe oxidative activity (especially buprenorphine) and cognitive deficits compared to healthy participants. Stress oxidative can affect normal brain activity and consequently cognitive functions. It's suggested that concomitant antioxidant administration with buprenorphine or methadone can potentially enhance their beneficial action by regulating blood redox status.

Upregulation of biochemical and biophysical properties of cell-laden microfiber, silk-hyaluronic acid composite.

Cell-laden filament-like hydrogels are advantageous for many applications including drug screening, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. However, most of the designed filament vehicles hold weak mechanical properties, which hinder their applications in specific tissue engineering. We present a binary hybrid silk and hyaluronic acid hydrogel microfiber generated through a microfluidic system to encapsulate cells with superior mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Cell-laden hydrogel microfibers were continuously produced through coaxial double orifice microfluidic device and horseradish peroxidase mediated crosslinking, which conjugated introduce phenolic moieties in the backbone of silk fibroin and HA derivatives (Silk-Ph and HA-Ph, respectively). The iterative hybrid Silk-Ph + HA-Ph fibers were fabricated in tunable size distribution between 195 and 680 µm through control of outer flow velocity. Tensile strength and maximum stain of prepared Silk-Ph + HA-Ph sample upregulated more than three times higher than the single HA-Ph sample, which demonstrated significant impacts of synthesized silk derivative in hydrogel fiber composition. The proteolytic degradation of microfibers manipulated by hyaluronidase and collagenase treatment. Encapsulation process and crosslinking did not insert any harmful effect on cell viability (> 90%) and the cells maintained their growth ability after encapsulation process. Cellular filament-like tissue fabricated from proliferation of cells in Silk-Ph + HA-Ph microfiber.

ZnO nanoparticles supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica as efficient catalysts for the one-pot synthesis of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones.

The transmutation of waste into valuable materials has a special place in green chemistry. Herein, we report the preparation of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones from 2-iodoaniline, isocyanides, and carbon dioxide in the presence of ZnO NPs stably placed on the surface of dendritic fibrous nanosilica by cellulose (DFNS/cellulose-ZnO) as a catalyst. This is a great economic strategy to create three bonds in a one-pot multicomponent reaction step employing functional groups. To prepare the catalyst, the dendritic fibrous nanosilica surface was first activated using cellulose as a substrate to support ZnO NPs. Cellulose acts as a stabilizing and reducing agent for the ZnO nanocatalyst and eliminates the need for a reducing agent. The structure of the prepared DFNS/cellulose-ZnO was examined by various methods, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The largest amount of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones was obtained under ideal situations in the presence of 5 mg of DFNS/cellulose-ZnO under carbon dioxide (1 atm) utilizing a balloon set at 70 °C for 3 hours. The substance was reused for ten consecutive runs and the quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione content was more than 92% each time. This indicates the potential for application in the green and economic production of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones, especially from low-cost feedstocks.

Sulfated zirconium oxide-decorated magnetite KCC-1 as a durable and recyclable adsorbent for the efficient removal of asphaltene from crude oil.

Sulfated zirconium oxide (ZrO2/SO4 2-) as a highly durable acidic reagent was immobilized on magnetite KCC-1 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2/KCC-1@ZrO2/SO4 2- NPs), and the resulting hybrid was used as a highly efficient recyclable adsorbent for the adsorption and removal of asphaltene from crude oil. The presence of ZrO2/SO4 2- groups not only promotes the adsorption capacity, but also helps recycle the adsorbents without any significant efficiency loss arising from its high chemical resistance. The results showed an obvious synergistic effect between the magnetic core (Fe3O4 NPs), fibrous silica (KCC-1) and the sulfated zirconium oxide groups with high correlation for asphaltene adsorption. The effective parameters in asphaltene adsorption, including initial asphaltene concentration, catalyst concentration and temperature, were investigated. Maximum adsorption occurred in the presence of 0.7 g L-1 of the adsorbent, at a concentration of 2000 mg L-1 of asphaltene. The asphaltene adsorption by NPs follows a quasi-second order adsorption kinetics. Asphaltene adsorption kinetics were studied by Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms. The prominent advantage of the adsorbent is its ability to be recovered after each adsorption by acid treatment, so that no significant reduction in adsorbent adsorption activity was observed, which can be directly attributed to the presence of ZrO2/SO4 2- groups in the hybrid.

A new class of organoplatinum-based DFNS for the production of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO2.

We studied the potential application of an efficient, reusable, and easily recoverable catalyst of dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS)-supported platinum(ii) complexes (DFNS/Pt(ii) NPs) to form cyclic carbonates in the presence of epoxides by converting carbon dioxide. Cyclic carbonates from epoxides and carbon dioxide is proposed as the most appropriate way to synthesis this C1 building block. We performed FE-SEM, TEM, TGA, BET, VSM, and ICP-MS to thoroughly characterize DFNS/Pt(ii) NPs.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel TEMPO@FeNi3/DFNS-laccase magnetic nanocomposite for the reduction of nitro compounds.

Water is an essential substance for life on earth and for all living things. Plants and animals need almost pure water to live; if it is contaminated with harmful chemicals and micro organisms, it will be impossible for them to survive. This study has tried to investigate the performance of catalyst to reduce nitro-aromatic combinations in the attendance of NaBH4 solution duo to the hydrogen source. TEMPO@FeNi3/DFNS-laccase MNPs was prepared, and its features were reviewed using SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA, VSM, AFM, and FTIR. Then, its strength as a nanocatalyst for removal of nitro-aromatic combinations was tested in contact time, initial concentration, the effects of pH and nanocatalyst amount was study. The results of this research proved that TEMPO@FeNi3/DFNS-laccase MNPs has a good return in removal of nitro-aromatic combinations, as its easy synthesis and reliable recovery.

FeNi3 magnetic nanoparticles supported on ruthenium silicate-functionalized DFNS for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to formate.

For aerobic oxidation, anchoring ruthenium(ii) in the nanospaces of magnetic dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS) afforded a potential nanocatalyst (the complex FeNi3/DFNS/Ru(ii)), which showed enhanced activity. The FeNi3/DFNS/Ru(ii) complex exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate in the presence of visible-light irradiation. We have analyzed its characteristics by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Photooxidation of triarylphosphines under aerobic conditions in the presence of a gold(iii) complex on cellulose extracted from Carthamus tinctorius immobilized on nanofibrous phosphosilicate.

Triarylphosphines were converted to the corresponding oxides via photooxidation as a novel method. In this study, cellulose was extracted from the Carthamus tinctorius plant and then oxidized by sodium metaperiodate. A gold complex was supported on this natural cellulose. Then, a gold complex on natural cellulose supported on FPS (FPS/Au(iii)) was synthesized for the reduction of phosphine oxides to corresponding phosphines with remarkable chemoselectivity. The morphology of FPS led to higher catalytic activity. FPS/Au(iii) NPs were thoroughly characterized using TEM, FESEM, FTIR, TGA, and BET.

Synthesis of benzimidazolones by immobilized gold nanoparticles on chitosan extracted from shrimp shells supported on fibrous phosphosilicate.

Here we demonstrate the synthesis of benzimidazolones from o-phenylenediamines and carbon dioxide in the presence of gold nanoparticles supported on a composite material based on microcrystalline chitosan from shrimp shells and fibrous phosphosilicate (CS-FPS/Au). The results showed that the gold nanoparticles were stable with the P, N and O atoms of CS-FPS. The morphology and structure of FPS leads to a higher catalytic activity. The CS-FPS/Au NPs were thoroughly characterized using TEM, FESEM, TGA, FTIR, and BET.

A molecular approach on the ability of functionalized single walled carbon nanotube for cathinone sensing.

In this article, single walled carbon nanotube functionalized with COOH (NT1) and CONHCH3 (NT2) groups were used for detection of the cathinone (CT) molecule in the gas phase and the liquid phase from the theoretical point of view. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the NT2 nanostructure is more sensitive to the cathinone molecule than to the NT1 nanostructure. Compared to the gas phase, in the liquid phase water increases the sensitivity of the nanostructures toward the cathinone molecules. DFT results show that the polarity of the solvent increases the stability of the complexes. Donor-acceptor orbital interactions reveal that the cathinone molecule has a more effective orbital interaction with the NT2 nanostructure, especially in a water solvent. Also, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations confirm that the interactions between the cathinone molecule and the nanostructures increase in the water solvent. Therefore, NT nanostructures are more sensitive toward the CT molecule in a water solvent.

Fixing CO2 into ß-oxopropylcarbamates in neat condition by ionic gelation/Ag(i) supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica.

In this research, a novel approach to produce a novel nanocatalyst, AgBr supported on an ionic gelation (IG)-based nanomaterial, was developed through the aqueous coprecipitation approach for the dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS) production and the wet impregnation method for IG coating, taking into account TPP as the cross-linking agent. In addition, DFNS/IG@Ag(i) had heterogeneous features that contributed to the quick improvement of the catalyst by filtration separation. The catalytic activity of DFNS/IG@Ag(i) was examined to synthesize ß-oxopropylcarbamates through a multicomponent coupling of CO2, amines and propargyl alcohols in moderate conditions. The DFNS/IG@Ag(i) NPs were completely investigated by taking advantage of TG, TEM, FESEM and FT-IR spectroscopy analyses. The DFNS/IG@Ag(i) nanocatalyst indicated high stability in the reaction for five cycles without considerable loss of some properties like activity, which could be because of the high loading of IG on the catalyst surface.

C-C and C-H coupling reactions by Fe3O4/KCC-1/APTPOSS supported palladium-salen-bridged ionic networks as a reusable catalyst.

This study investigates the potential application of an efficient, easily recoverable and reusable magnetically separable Fe3O4/KCC-1/APTPOSS nanoparticle-supported salen/Pd(ii) catalyst for C-C and C-H cross-couplings. The Fe3O4/KCC-1/APTPOSS/salen/Pd(ii) MNPs were thoroughly characterized by using TEM, FE-SEM, TGA, XRD, VSM, FT-IR, ICP-MS, and BET. This observation was exploited in the direct and selective chemical reaction of 2-acetyl-benzaldehyde with cyclopentadiene for the synthesis of pentafulvene. The recycled catalyst has been analyzed by ICP-MS showing only minor changes in the morphology after the reaction, thus confirming the robustness of the catalyst.

Synthesis of spiroindenopyridazine-4H-pyran derivatives using Cr-based catalyst complexes supported on KCC-1 in aqueous solution.

An efficient bis(2-dodecylsulfanyl-ethyl)-amine·CrCl3 complex supported on KCC-1 (KCC-1/SNS/Cr) has been developed for the synthesis of spiroindenopyridazine-4H-pyran, providing excellent yields of the corresponding products with remarkable chemoselectivity. This morphology ultimately leads to higher catalytic activity for the KCC-1-supported nanoparticles. The KCC-1/SNS/Cr NPs were thoroughly characterized by using TEM, SEM, TGA, FT-IR, ICP-MS, and BET. The recycled catalyst has been analyzed by ICP-MS showing only minor changes in morphology after the reaction, thus confirming the robustness of the catalyst.

Green synthesis of PbCrO4 nanostructures using gum of ferula assa-foetida for enhancement of visible-light photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic selective oxidation has attracted considerable attention as an environmentally friendly strategy for organic transformations. Some methods have been reported for the photocatalytic oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides in recent years. However, the practical application of these processes is undermined by several challenges, such as low selectivity, sluggish reaction rates, requirement of UV-light irradiation, use of additives, and instability of the photocatalyst. Pure monoclinic lead chromate nanoparticles were prepared via a new simple way as Pb and Cr sources. PbCrO4 NPs were synthesized via a green method in the presence of gum of ferula assa-foetida from Pb(NO3)2 and CrCl3 as lead and chromium resources, respectively. The structural analysis of the samples confirmed the formation of PbCrO4 nanostructures in the range of 30 ± 5 nm. The PbCrO4 nanocatalyst was thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) study. Considering the large ionic internal character and high mechanical and thermal stability as well as long-term colloidal stability, this system can be considered as a perfect nanocatalyst by using the host-guest approach. A green and ecofriendly method for oxidation of sulfides to sulfones in the presence of O2 as an oxidant was examined for the synthesised PbCrO4 NPs. The easy and applied reusability of the catalyst was observed after the completion of the reaction under visible-light irradiation.