Harnessing the Power of a Novel Triple Chelate Complex in Fermented Probiotic Dairy Products: A Promising Solution for Combating Iron Deficiency Anemia.

This study discovered and examined novel triple chelate complexes involving iron, ascorbic acid, and essential amino acids (AsA-Fe-AmA triple chelate complexes) for the first time. The mechanism of complex formation was studied using FTIR spectroscopy and quantum chemical modeling. The produced complexes were shown to be suitable for fortifying food items with a pH of 3-7 that have not been exposed to heat treatment at temperatures over 75 °C for more than 15 min. Thus, it can be said that the concentration for milk fortification should be 0.005 mol/L or less. In vivo experiments in rats models revealed that the synthesized complexes increased serum iron levels after a single application to reference values within 24 h of oral administration. The iron level increased by 14.0 mmol/L at 2 mL dose of the complex. This fact makes it possible to consider the use of developed complexes and developed fermented dairy products for the prevention of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. Research on the effect of discovered compounds on the physicochemical and organoleptic qualities of milk was conducted. Furthermore, iron ascorbate threoninate, iron ascorbate methioninate, iron ascorbate lysinate, and iron ascorbate tryptophanate all had a beneficial effect on Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus at concentrations as low as 0.0005 mol/L, which is significant for milk fermentation. A study of fermented milk products revealed that the most effective AsA-Fe-AmA triple chelate complex is iron ascorbate lysinate, which might be further investigated as a viable molecule for dietary fortification in iron deficiency anemia. It was found that fortified fermented milk products had a titratable acidity of 67 ± 1°T, pH of 4.38 ± 0.05, and a viscosity of 2018 ± 142 Pa·s.

Effect of MnO2 Nanoparticles Stabilized with Cocamidopropyl Betaine on Germination and Development of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seedlings.

This study aimed to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the effect of cocamidopropyl betaine-stabilized MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the germination and development of pea seedlings. The synthesized NPs manifested as aggregates ranging from 50-600 nm, comprising spherical particles sized between 19 to 50 nm. These particles exhibited partial crystallization, indicated by peaks at 2θ = 25.37, 37.62, 41.18, 49.41, 61.45, and 65.79°, characteristic of MnO2 with a tetragonal crystal lattice with a I4/m spatial group. Quantum chemical modelling showed that the stabilization process of MnO2 NPs with cocamidopropyl betaine is energetically advantageous (∆E > 1299.000 kcal/mol) and chemically stable, as confirmed by the positive chemical hardness values (0.023 ≤ η ≤ 0.053 eV). It was revealed that the interaction between the MnO2 molecule and cocamidopropyl betaine, facilitated by a secondary amino group (NH), is the most probable scenario. This ascertain is supported by the values of the difference in total energy (∆E = 1299.519 kcal/mol) and chemical hardness (η = 0.053 eV). These findings were further confirmed using FTIR spectroscopy. The effect of MnO2 NPs at various concentrations on the germination of pea seeds was found to be nonlinear and ambiguous. The investigation revealed that MnO2 NPs at a concentration of 0.1 mg/L resulted in the highest germination energy (91.25%), germinability (95.60%), and lengths of roots and seedlings among all experimental samples. However, an increase in the concentration of preparation led to a slight growth suppression (1-10 mg/L) and the pronounced inhibition of seedling and root development (100 mg/L). The analysis of antioxidant indicators and phytochemicals in pea seedlings indicated that only 100 mg/L MnO2 NPs have a negative effect on the content of soluble sugars, chlorophyll a/b, carotenoids, and phenols. Conversely, lower concentrations showed a stimulating effect on photosynthesis indicators. Nevertheless, MnO2 NPs at all concentrations generally decreased the antioxidant potential of pea seedlings, except for the ABTS parameter. Pea seedlings showed a notable capacity to absorb Mn, reaching levels of 586.5 µg/L at 10 mg/L and 892.6 µg/L at 100 mg/L MnO2 NPs, surpassing the toxic level for peas according to scientific literature. However, the most important result was the observed growth-stimulating activity at 0.1 mg/L MnO2 NPs stabilized with cocamidopropyl betaine, suggesting a promising avenue for further research.

Synthesis, Characterization and Potential Antimicrobial Activity of Selenium Nanoparticles Stabilized with Cetyltrimethylammonium Chloride.

Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) have a number of unique properties that determine the use of the resulting nanomaterials in various fields. The focus of this paper is the stabilization of Se NPs with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). Se NPs were obtained by chemical reduction in an aqueous medium. The influence of the concentration of precursors and synthesis conditions on the size of Se NPs and the process of micelle formation was established. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of Se NPs. The influence of the pH of the medium and the concentration of ions in the sol on the stability of Se micelles was studied. According to the results of this study, the concentration of positively charged ions has a greater effect on the particle size in the positive Se NPs sol than in the negative Se NPs sol. The potential antibacterial and fungicidal properties of the samples were studied on Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus and Mucor. Concentrations of Se NPs stabilized with CTAC with potential bactericidal and fungicidal effects were discovered. Considering the revealed potential antimicrobial activity, the synthesized Se NPs-CTAC molecular complex can be further studied and applied in the development of veterinary drugs, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Investigation of the Effect of Dispersion Medium Parameters on the Aggregative Stability of Selenium Nanoparticles Stabilized with Catamine AB.

This article presents the results of the synthesis of Se NPs stabilized by a quaternary ammonium compound-catamine AB. Se NPs were obtained by chemical reduction in an aqueous medium. In the first stage of this study, the method of synthesis of Se NPs was optimized by a multifactorial experiment. The radius of the obtained samples was studied by dynamic light scattering, and the electrokinetic potential was studied using acoustic and electroacoustic spectrometry. Subsequently, the samples were studied by transmission electron microscopy, and the analysis of the data showed that a bimodal distribution is observed in negatively charged particles, where one fraction is represented by spheres with a diameter of 45 nm, and the second by 1 to 10 nm. In turn, positive Se NPs have a diameter of about 70 nm. In the next stage, the influence of the active acidity of the medium on the stability of Se NPs was studied. An analysis of the obtained data showed that both sols of Se NPs exhibit aggregative stability in the pH range from 2 to 6, while an increase in pH to an alkaline medium is accompanied by a loss of particle stability. Next, we studied the effect of ionic strength on the aggregative stability of Se NPs sols. It was found that negatively charged ions have a significant effect on the particle size of the positive sol of Se NPs, while the particle size of the negative sol is affected by positively charged ions.

Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Stabilized with Biopolymers for Application in Wound-Healing Mixed Gels.

A method for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) gels was developed. ZnO NPs were obtained through a sol-gel method with zinc acetate usage as a precursor. Optimization of the method of synthesis of ZnO NPs gel has been carried out. It was observed that the most stable ZnO NPs gels are formed at room temperature, pH = 8 and molar concentration of zinc C(Zn2+) = 0.05-0.2 M. It was shown that the addition of polysaccharide significantly affects the rheological properties and microstructure of ZnO NPs gels. We found that the optimal polysaccharide for the synthesis of ZnO NPs gels is hydroxyethyl cellulose. It is shown that the microstructure of a gel of ZnO NPs stabilized with hydroxyethyl cellulose is represented by irregularly shaped particles that are assembled into aggregates, with sizes ranging from 150 to 1400 nm. A significant hysteresis region is observed in a gel of ZnO NPs stabilized with hydroxyethyl cellulose. The process of interaction of ZnO NPs with polysaccharides was investigated. It was shown that the interaction of ZnO NPs with polysaccharides occurs through a charged hydroxyl group. In the experiment, a sample of a gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose was tested. It was shown that the gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose has a pronounced regenerative effect on burn wounds, which is significantly higher than that of the control group and the group treated with a gel of ZnO microparticles (MPs) and hydroxyethyl cellulose. It is also shown that the rate of healing of burn wounds in animals treated with gel of ZnO nanoparticles with hydroxyethyl cellulose (group 3) is 16.23% higher than in animals treated with gel of ZnO microparticles with hydroxyethyl cellulose (group 2), and 24.33% higher than in the control group treated with hydroxyethyl cellulose. The average rate of healing of burn wounds for the entire experimental period in experimental animals of group 3 is 1.26 and 1.54 times higher than in animals of group 2 and control group, respectively. An experimental study of a gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose has shown the effectiveness of its use in modeling the healing of skin wounds through primary tension.