Time-resolved relaxation and fragmentation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons investigated in the ultrafast XUV-IR regime.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) play an important role in interstellar chemistry and are subject to high energy photons that can induce excitation, ionization, and fragmentation. Previous studies have demonstrated electronic relaxation of parent PAH monocations over 10-100 femtoseconds as a result of beyond-Born-Oppenheimer coupling between the electronic and nuclear dynamics. Here, we investigate three PAH molecules: fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, using ultrafast XUV and IR laser pulses. Simultaneous measurements of the ion yields, ion momenta, and electron momenta as a function of laser pulse delay allow a detailed insight into the various molecular processes. We report relaxation times for the electronically excited PAH*, PAH+* and PAH2+* states, and show the time-dependent conversion between fragmentation pathways. Additionally, using recoil-frame covariance analysis between ion images, we demonstrate that the dissociation of the PAH2+ ions favors reaction pathways involving two-body breakup and/or loss of neutral fragments totaling an even number of carbon atoms.

Protective effect of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol against oxidative stress in kidney cells.

Bioavailability studies in animals and humans fed with extravirgin olive oil demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, the major simple phenolic compounds in extravirgin olive oil, are dose-dependently absorbed and excreted. Once absorbed, they undergo extensive metabolism; hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol concentrate mainly in the kidney, where they may exert an important role in the prevention of oxidative stress induced renal dysfunction. In this study we monitored the ability of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol to protect renal cells (LLC-PK1) following oxidative damage induced by H2O2. Oxidative stress was evaluated by monitoring the changes of the membrane lipid fraction. Hydroxytyrosol exerted a significant antioxidant action, inhibiting the production of MDA, fatty acids hydroperoxides and 7-ketocholesterol, major oxidation products of unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol, and thus protecting the cells from H2O2-induced damage. Tyrosol, instead, in this experimental model, did not exert any protective effect.