Influence of Major Polyphenols on the Anti-Candida Activity of Eugenia uniflora Leaves: Isolation, LC-ESI-HRMS/MS Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation.

The content of chemical constituents in Eugenia uniflora leaf extracts correlates positively with biological activities. The experimental objective was to carry out the phytochemical screening and purification of the major polyphenols from the leaves of E. uniflora. In addition, the anti-Candida activity of the hydroalcoholic extract, fraction, subfractions and polyphenols purified were evaluated. After partitioning of the extract with ethyl acetate, the fractions were chromatographed on Sephadex® LH-20 gel followed by RP-flash chromatography and monitored by TLC and RP-HPLC. The samples were characterized by mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS2) and subjected to the microdilution method in 96-well plates against strains of C. albicans, C. auris, and C. glabrata. Myricitrin (93.89%; w/w; m/z 463.0876), gallic acid (99.9%; w/w; m/z 169.0142), and ellagic acid (94.2%; w/w; m/z 300.9988) were recovered. The polyphenolic fraction (62.67% (w/w) myricitrin) and the ellagic fraction (67.86% (w/w) ellagic acid) showed the best antifungal performance (MIC between 62.50 and 500 µg/mL), suggesting an association between the majority constituents and the antifungal response of E. uniflora derivatives. However, there is a clear dependence on the presence of the complex chemical mixture. In conclusion, chromatographic strategies were effectively employed to recover the major polyphenols from the leaves of the species.

Gallic acid improves color quality and stability of red wine via physico-chemical interaction and chemical transformation as revealed by thermodynamics, real wine dynamics and benchmark quantum mechanical calculations.

The aim of this study was to explore the copigmentation effect of gallic acid on red wine color and to dissect its mechanism at the molecular level. Three-dimensional studies, e.g., in model wine, in real wine and in silico, and multiple indicators, e.g., color, spectrum, thermodynamics and phenolic dynamics, were employed. The results showed that gallic acid significantly enhanced the color quality and stability of red wine. Physico-chemical interactions and chemical transformations should be the most likely mechanism, and physico-chemical interactions are also a prerequisite for chemical transformations. QM calculations of the physico-chemical interactions proved that the binding between gallic acid and malvidin-3-O-glucoside is a spontaneous exothermic reaction driven by hydrogen bonding and dispersion forces. The sugar moiety of malvidin-3-O-glucoside and the phenolic hydroxyl groups of gallic acid affect the formation of hydrogen bonds, while the dispersion interaction was related to the stacking of the molecular skeleton.

Eco-friendly cellulose-based antioxidation film by partial esterification.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have received increasing attention because of their superior dispersion and thermal stability. In this study, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystal (TOCNC) multifunctional antioxidationantioxidation films (TOCNC-GA film) were prepared by the esterification of TOCNC and gallic acid (GA). TOCNC-GAX films, where X represents the ratio of the amount of GA to the amount of TOCNC, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The films with the GA:TOCNC ratio of 1:1 achieved higher interfacial compatibility than the other films. The mechanical properties and water resistance of the TOCNC-GA films were superior than those of pure TOCNC films. Moreover, the original TOCNC structure changed owing to the presence of GA, which endowed a certain thermoplasticity owing to the formation of ester groups. The antioxidation properties of the TOCNC-GA1 films reached 43.8 % and 71.85 % after 6 and 24 h, respectively, as evaluated by the 2,2-biphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method and the free radical scavenging activities of the TOCNC-GA1 films. The innovative development of the functional antioxidation film presented in this paper has great potential for use in antioxidation packaging materials and food preservation.

Structural characterization and evaluation of antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of six plant phenolic acids.

Phenolic acids still gain significant attention due to their potential antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. In this study, we have investigated the antimicrobial of six phenolic acids, namely chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, rosmarinic, gallic and tannic acids in the concentration range 0.5-500 µM, against Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of these phenolic acids on two cancer cell lines, the colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cell line and Dukes' type C colorectal adenocarcinoma DLD-1 cell line was examined. To further understand the molecular properties of these phenolic acids, quantum chemical calculations were performed using the Gaussian 09W program. Parameters such as ionization potential, electron affinity, electronegativity, chemical hardness, chemical softness, dipole moment, and electrophilicity index were obtained. The lipophilicity properties represented by logP parameter was also discussed. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of six phenolic acids, compounds deliberately selected due to their chemical structure. They are derivatives of benzoic or cinnamic acids with the increasing number of hydroxyl groups in the aromatic ring. The integration of experimental and computational methodologies provides a knowledge of the molecular characteristics of bioactive compounds and partial explanation of the relationship between the molecular structure and biological properties. This knowledge aids in guiding the development of bioactive components for use in dietary supplements, functional foods and pharmaceutical drugs.

Eliciting Polyphenols in Strawberry Leaves: Preliminary Experiments in Fragaria × ananassa cv. Festival.

Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites that function mostly as a general stress-induced protective mechanism. Polyphenols have also gained interest due to their beneficial properties for human health. Strawberry leaves represent an agro-industrial waste material with relevant bioactive polyphenol content, which could be incorporated into circular economy strategies. However, due to the low quantities of polyphenols in plants, their production needs to be improved for cost-effective applications. The objective of this research was to compare polyphenol production in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Festival) leaves in plants grown in greenhouse conditions and plants grown in vitro, using three possible elicitor treatments (UV irradiation, cold exposure, and cysteine). General vegetative effects were morphologically evaluated, and specific polyphenolic compounds were quantified by UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS. Gallic acid was the most abundant polyphenol found in the leaves, both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed higher amounts and faster accumulation of polyphenols in the in vitro regenerated plants, highlighting the relevance of in vitro tissue culture strategies for producing compounds such as polyphenols in this species and cultivar.

ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with short-chain phenolipids: An effective formulation for the dual sustained-release of phenolic compounds.

The ß-cyclodextrin and short-chain alkyl gallates (A-GAs), which are representative of phenolipids, such as butyl, propyl, ethyl, and methyl gallates, were chosen to form inclusion complexes by the use of the freeze-drying process. In the everted rat gut sac model, HPLC-UV analysis demonstrated that the released A-GAs from inclusion complexes were degraded to yield free gallic acid (GA) (sustained-release function 1). The small intestine membrane may be crossed by both the GA and the A-GAs. A-GAs may also undergo hydrolysis to provide GA (sustained-release function 2) following transmembrane transfer. Clearly, a helpful technique for the dual sustained-release of phenolic compounds is to produce ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with short-chain phenolipids. This will increase the bioactivities of phenolic compounds and prolong their in vivo residence length. Moreover, changing the carbon-chain length of these ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes would readily modify the dual sustained-release behavior of the phenolic compounds. Thus, our work effectively established a theoretical foundation for the use of ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing short-chain phenolipids as new source of functional food components to provide the body with phenolic compounds more efficiently.

Exploring Zingiber officinale bioactive compounds for inhibitory effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis proteins: In silico study.

The capsule is a major virulence factor for Streptococcus pneumoniae which causes global morbidity and mortality. It is already known that there are few conserved genes in the capsular biosynthesis pathway, which are common among all known serotypes, called CpsA, CpsB, CpsC and CpsD. Inhibiting capsular synthesis can render S. pneumoniae defenseless and vulnerable to phagocytosis. The Inhibitory potential of active Zingiber officinale compounds was investigated against the 3D (3-dimensional) structural products of Cps genes using in silico techniques. A 3D compound repository was created and screened for drug-likeness and the qualified compounds were used for molecular docking and dynamic simulation-based experiments using gallic acid for outcome comparison. Cavity-based docking revealed five different cavities in the CpsA, CpsB and CpsD proteins, with gallic acid and selected compounds of Zingiber in a binding affinity range of -6.8 to -8.8 kcal/mol. Gingerenone A, gingerenone B, isogingerenone B and gingerenone C showed the highest binding affinities for CpsA, CpsB and CpsD, respectively. Through the Molegro Virtual Docker re-docking strategy, the highest binding energies (-126.5 kcal/mol) were computed for CpsB with gingerenone A and CpsD with gingerenone B. These findings suggest that gingerenone A, B and C are potential inhibitors of S. pneumoniae-conserved capsule-synthesizing proteins.

Study on the Antifungal Activity of Gallic Acid and Its Azole Derivatives against Fusarium graminearum.

The wheat scab caused by Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) has seriously affected the yield and quality of wheat in China. In this study, gallic acid (GA), a natural polyphenol, was used to synthesize three azole-modified gallic acid derivatives (AGAs1-3). The antifungal activity of GA and its derivatives against F. graminearum was studied through mycelial growth rate experiments and field efficacy experiments. The results of the mycelial growth rate test showed that the EC50 of AGAs-2 was 0.49 mg/mL, and that of AGAs-3 was 0.42 mg/mL. The biological activity of AGAs-3 on F. graminearum is significantly better than that of GA. The results of field efficacy tests showed that AGAs-2 and AGAs-3 significantly reduced the incidence rate and disease index of wheat scab, and the control effect reached 68.86% and 72.11%, respectively. In addition, preliminary investigation was performed on the possible interaction between AGAs-3 and F. graminearum using density functional theory (DFT). These results indicate that compound AGAs-3, because of its characteristic of imidazolium salts, has potential for use as a green and environmentally friendly plant-derived antifungal agent for plant pathogenic fungi.

Gold nanoparticles decorated kaolinite mineral modified screen-printed electrode: Use for simple, sensitive determination of gallic acid in food samples.

The current study offers the nanomolar quantification of gallic acid (GAL) based on gold nanoparticles (AuNps) and kaolinite minerals (KNT) modified on a screen-printed electrode (SPE). The electrochemical behavior of GAL was performed using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in Britton Robinson (BR) buffer solution at pH 2.0 as a supporting electrolyte. Under the optimized DPV mode parameters, the oxidation peak current of GAL (at 0.72 V vs Ag/AgCl) increased linearly in the range between 0.002 µmolL-1 and 40.0 µmolL-1 with a detection limit of 0.50 nmolL-1. The effect of common interfering agents was also investigated. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method was verified by quantification analysis of GAL in black tea and pomegranate juice samples.

Camellia Oleifera shells derived nano cellulose crystals conjugated with gallic acid as a sustainable Pickering emulsion stabilizer.

Lately, emulsions with low-fat and natural stabilizers are predominant. This study extracted the nano cellulose crystals (NCs) from Camellia Oleifera shells, and their gallic acid (GA) conjugates were synthesized by free-radical grafting. Pickering emulsions were prepared using NCs 1 %, 1.5 %, 2.5 %, and gallic acid conjugates NC-GA1, NC-GA2, and NC-GA3 as stabilizers. The obtained nano cellulose crystals exhibited 18-25 nm, -40.01 ±â€¯2.45 size, and zeta potential, respectively. The contact angle of 83.4° was exhibited by NC-GA3 conjugates. The rheological, interfacial, and microstructural properties and stability of the Pickering emulsion were explored. NC-GA3 displayed the highest absorption content of 79.12 %. Interfacial tension was drastically reduced with increasing GA concentration in NC-GA conjugates. Rheological properties suggested that the low-fat NC-GA emulsions showed a viscoelastic behavior, increased viscosity, gel-like structure, and increased antioxidant properties. Moreover, NC-GA3 displayed reduced droplet size and improved emulsion temperature and storage stability (28 days) against phase separation. POV and TBARS values were reduced with the NC-GA3 (P < 0.05). This work confirmed that grafting phenolic compounds on NCs could enhance bioactive properties, which can be used in developing low-fat functional foods. NC-GA conjugates can potentially fulfill the increasing demand for sustainable, healthy, and low-fat foods.

Effects of preheat treatment and syringic acid modification on the structure, functional properties, and stability of black soybean protein isolate.

This study investigated preheated (25-100°C) black soybean protein isolate (BSPI) conjugated with syringic acid (SA) (25 and 50 µmol/g protein) under alkaline conditions, focusing on the structure, functional properties, and storage stability. The results revealed that the SA binding equivalent and binding rate on BSPI increased continuously as the preheat temperature increased. Additionally, preheating positively impacted the surface hydrophobicity (H0) of BSPI, with further enhancement observed upon SA binding. Preheating and SA binding altered the secondary and tertiary structure of BSPI, resulting in protein unfolding and increased molecular flexibility. The improvement in BSPI functional properties was closely associated with both preheating temperature and SA binding. Specifically, preheating decreased the solubility of BSPI but enhanced the emulsifying activity index (EAI) and foaming capacity (FC) of BSPI. Conversely, SA binding increased the solubility of BSPI with an accompanying increase in EAI, FC, foaming stability, and antioxidant activity. Notably, the BSPI100-SA50 exhibited the most significant improvement in functional properties, particularly in solubility, emulsifying, and foaming attributes. Moreover, the BSPI-SA conjugates demonstrated good stability of SA during storage, which positively correlated with the preheating temperature. This study proposes a novel BSPI-SA conjugate with enhanced essential functional properties, underscoring the potential of preheated BSPI-SA conjugates to improve SA storage stability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Preheated BSPI-SA conjugates can be used as functional ingredients in food or health products. In addition, preheated BSPI shows potential as a candidate for encapsulating and delivering hydrophobic bioactive compounds.

Prussian blue nanocubes with peroxidase-like activity for polyphenol detection in commercial beverages.

The present study describes an efficient method for the determination of polyphenol content in beverages based on a composite material of graphene oxide decorated with Prussian blue nanocubes (rGO/PBNCs). In this method, rGO/PBNCs act as a nanoenzyme with peroxidase-like catalytic activity and produce a colorimetric product in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). To verify the effectiveness of the method, we used two model standards for antioxidants: gallic acid (GA) and tannic acid (TA). The method validation included a comparison of the performance of a natural enzyme and an artificial one (rGO/PBNCs) and two polyphenols in the analysis of commercial beverage samples. After optimization, a pH of 4, ambient temperature (22 °C), a reaction time of 2 minutes and an rGO/PBNCs concentration of 0.01 µg mL-1 were found to be the most favorable conditions. The detection limits obtained were 5.6 µmol L-1 for GA and 1.5 µmol L-1 for TA. Overall, rGO/PBNCs offer advantages over natural enzymes in terms of stability, versatility, scalability and durability, making them attractive candidates for a wide range of catalytic and sensory applications.

Controlled dual release of phenol compounds from phospholipid complexes of short-chain lipophenols.

Ethanol evaporation method was applied to synthesize phospholipid complexes from phosphatidylcholine (PC) and short-chain alkyl gallates (A-GAs, a typical representative of lipophenols) including butyl-, propyl- and ethyl gallates. 1H NMR, UV and FTIR showed that A-GAs were interacted with PC through weak physical interaction. Through the analysis of concentrations of A-GAs and gallic acid (GA) by an everted rat gut sac model coupled with HPLC-UV detection, phospholipid complexes were found to gradually release A-GAs. These liberated A-GAs were further hydrolyzed by intestinal lipases to release GA. Both of GA and A-GAs could cross intestinal membrane. Especially, the transmembrane A-GAs could also be hydrolyzed to produce GA. Undoubtedly, the dual release of phenol compounds from phospholipid complexes of short-chain lipophenols will be effective to extend the in vivo residence period of phenol compounds. More importantly, such behavior is easily adjusted by changing the acyl chain lengths of lipophenols in phospholipid complexes.

Development of cellulose nanowhisker-gallic acid antioxidant bioconjugate via covalent conjugation and supramolecular interactions: A comparative study.

A new supramolecular antioxidant bioconjugate based on cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) and gallic acid (GA) was developed by grafting ß-CD on the surface of CNW and then employing host- guest chemistry to involve GA. Our challenge was to explore the effect of supramolecular conjugation of antioxidant molecules versus their covalent binding on the CNW backbone on the antioxidant activity. The synthesis of these products was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The antioxidant activity of gallic acid (GA) containing products, both products including its non-covalent interactions with CNW-g-ß-CD and covalent bonding with CNW were experimentally evaluated using DPPH test. Theoretical calculations using Gaussian software and the density functional theory (DFT) method were also performed. The results showed that GA's antioxidant activity increased in non-covalent conjugated form. Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) was used to predict the antioxidant activity of GA in computational methods. These findings not only expand our understanding of the structure-activity relationships in antioxidant systems but also provide valuable insights that can aid in the design and development of novel biopolymer-based antioxidants with improved properties.

Natural Polymer Encapsulated Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-12 Composite toward Electrochemical Sensing of Antitumor Agent.

Encapsulation of natural polymer pectin (Pec) into a zeolitic imidazolate framework-12 (ZIF-12) matrix via a simple chemical method toward anticancer agent gallic acid (GA) detection is reported in this work. GA, a natural phenol found in many food sources, has gained attention by its biological effects on the human body, such as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately and rapidly determine the GA level in humans. The encapsulation of Pec inside the ZIF-12 has been successfully confirmed from the physiochemical studies such as XRD, Raman, FTIR, and XPS spectroscopy along with morphological FESEM, BET, and HRTEM characterization. Under optimized conditions, the Pec@ZIF-12 composite exhibits wide linear range of 20 nM-250 µM with a detection limit of 2.2 nM; also, it showed excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Furthermore, the real sample analysis of food samples including tea, coffee, grape, and pomegranate samples shows exceptional recovery percentage in an unspiked manner. So far, there is little literature for encapsulating proteins, enzymes, metals, etc., that have been reported; here, we successfully encapsulated a natural polymer Pec inside the ZIF-12 cage. This encapsulation significantly enhanced the composite electrochemical performance, which could be seen from the overall results. All of these strongly suggest that the proposed Pec@ZIF-12 composite could be used for miniaturized device fabrication for the evaluation of GA in both home and industrial applications.

Combination of omics, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and experimental validation to elucidate the hepatoprotective effects, mechanisms, and active compounds of Shandougen.

Omics, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and experimental validation were used to elucidate the hepatoprotective effects, mechanisms, and active compounds of Shandougen (SDG) based on the biolabel-led research pattern. Integrated omics were used to explore the biolabels of SDG intervention in liver tissue. Subsequently, bioinformatics and molecular docking were applied to topologically analyze its therapeutic effects, mechanisms, and active compounds based on biolabels. Finally, an animal model was used to verify the biolabel analysis results. Omics, bioinformatics, and molecular docking revealed that SDG may exert therapeutic effects on liver diseases in the multicompound and multitarget synergistic modes, especially liver cirrhosis. In the validation experiment, SDG and its active compounds (betulinic acid and gallic acid) significantly improved the liver histopathological damage in the CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis model. Meanwhile, they also produced significant inhibitory effects on the focal adhesion pathway (integrin alpha-1, myosin regulatory light chain 2, laminin subunit gamma-1, etc.) and alleviated the associated pathological processes: focal adhesion (focal adhesion kinase 1)-extracellular matrix (collagen alpha-1(IV) chain, collagen alpha-1(VI) chain, and collagen alpha-2(VI) chain) dysfunction, carcinogenesis (alpha-fetoprotein, NH3, and acetylcholinesterase), inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-6, and IL-10), and oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde, and superoxide dismutase). This study provides new evidence and insights for the hepatoprotective effects, mechanisms, and active compounds of SDG.

Cold plasma for enhancing covalent conjugation of ovalbumin-gallic acid and its functional properties.

The utilization of cold plasma (CP) treatment to promote covalent conjugation of ovalbumin (OVA) and gallic acid (GA), as well as its functionality, were investigated. Results demonstrated that CP significantly enhanced the covalent grafting of OVA and GA. The maximum conjugation of GA, 24.33 ± 2.24 mg/g, was achieved following 45 s of CP treatment. Covalent conjugation between GA and OVA were confirmed through analyses of total sulfhydryl (-SH) group, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Unfolding of the OVA molecule occurred upon conjugation with GA, as evidenced by multiple spectroscopy analyses. Additionally, conjugation with GA resulted in significant improvements in the antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties of OVA. This study demonstrated that CP is a robust and sustainable technique for promoting the covalent conjugate of polyphenols and proteins, offering a novel approach to enhance the functional properties of proteins.

Development of a multifunctional nano-hydroxyapatite platform (nHEA) for advanced treatment of severely infected full-thickness skin wounds.

The treatment of full-thickness skin injuries complicated by severe infection is hampered by the lack of comprehensive solutions that can regulate the various stages of wound healing. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a multifunctional dressing capable of multi-level regulation. In this study, we propose a novel solution by covalently integrating ε-poly-l-lysine-grafted gallic acid (EG) and in situ bioreduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP), thereby developing a multi-layered, multifunctional nanoplatform (nHEA). Cell experiments have shown that, compared to nHAP and nHAP loaded only with EG (nHEG), the addition of AgNPs to nHEA confers excellent antibacterial properties while maintaining optimal biocompatibility. The incorporation of EG onto nHEG and nHEA imparts antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic functions, and the release of Ca2+ and EG further enhances fibroblast migration and collagen secretion. In a rat model of full-thickness skin injury with severe infection, nHEA demonstrates remarkable antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, along with promoting collagen remodeling and regeneration. Together, both cell experiments and animal studies confirm the significant potential of this innovative multifunctional nanoplatform in the treatment of full-thickness skin injuries with severe infection. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Treating infected full-thickness skin injuries poses a longstanding challenge due to the lack of comprehensive solutions that can regulate different stages of wound healing. This study introduces a novel multifunctional nanoplatform, nHEA, developed by covalently integrating ε-poly-l-lysine grafted with gallic acid (EG) and in situ bioreduced AgNPs onto nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP). Cell experiments reveal that the integration of AgNPs enhances nHEA's antibacterial performance while maintaining optimal biocompatibility. The inclusion of EG bestows antioxidant, inflammation-regulating, and angiogenetic properties upon nHEA, and the release of Ca2+ and EG stimulates the migration and collagen secretion of fibroblast cells. Consequently, nHEA exhibits superior antibacterial and inflammation-regulating efficacy, and stimulates collagen remodeling and regeneration in vivo, making it a promising treatment for severely infected skin injuries.

Novel thymohydroquinone gallate derivative loaded ligand modified quantum dots as pH-sensitive multi-modal theragnostic agent for cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Nanomedicine, as the combination of radiopharmaceutical and nanocarrier (QDs), is developed for treating cancer. Gallic acid is antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic. Typical retention time of gallic acid is approximately 4 to 8 h. To increase the retention time gallic acid is converted to prodrug by adding lipophilic moieties, encapsulating in lipophilic nanoparticles, or liposome formation. Similarly, thymoquinone is powerful antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effect, with reduced DNA damage. METHODS: In this study, a hydrophilic drug (gallic acid) is chemically linked to the hydrophobic drug (thymohydroquinone) to overcome the limitations of co-delivery of drugs. Thymohydroquinone (THQG) as the combination of gallic acid (GA) and thymoquinone (THQ) is loaded onto the PEI functionalized antimonene quantum dots (AM-QDs) and characterized by FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Zeta sizer, SEM and AFM, in-vitro and in-vivo assay, and hemolysis. RESULTS: The calculated drug loading efficiency is 90 %. Drug release study suggests the drug combination is pH sensitive and it can encounters acidic pH, releasing the drug from the nanocarrier. The drug and drug-loaded nanocarrier possesses low cytotoxicity and cell viability on MCF-7 and Cal-27 cell lines. The proposed drug delivery system is radiolabeled with Iodine-131 (131I) and Technetium (99mTc) and its deposition in various organs of rats' bodies is examined by SPECT-CT and gamma camera. Hemolytic activity of 2, 4, 6, and 8 µg/mL is 1.78, 4.16, 9.77, and 15.79 %, respectively, reflecting low levels of hemolysis. The system also sustains oxidative stress in cells and environment, decreasing ROS production to shield cells and keep them healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the proposed drug carrier system can be used as a multi-modal theragnostic agent in cancer treatment.

LMD and LC-MS-based chemical constituents and pharmacological effects assessment for two different processing methods of the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.

The plant of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. belongs to Ranunculaceae, and its root can be divided into two categories according to different processing methods, which included that one was directly dried without peeling the root of the P. lactiflora (PR), and the other was peeled the root of the P. lactiflora (PPR) after boiled and dried. To evaluate the difference of chemical components, UPLC-ESI-Q-Exactive Focus-MS/MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS were applied. The distribution of chemical components in different tissues was located by laser microdissection (LMD), especially the different ingredients. A total of 86 compounds were identified from PR and PPR. Four kind of tissues were isolated from the fresh root of the P. lactiflora (FPR), and 54 compounds were identified. Especially the content of gallic acid, albiflorin, and paeoniflorin with high biological activities were the highest in the cork, but they were lower in PR than that in PPR, which probably related to the process. To illustrate the difference in pharmacological effects of PR and PPR, the tonifying blood and analgesic effects on mice were investigated, and it was found that the tonifying blood and analgesic effects of PPR was superior to that of PR, even though PR had more constituents. The material basis for tonifying blood and analgesic effect of the root of P. lactiflora is likely to be associated with an increase in constituents such as paeoniflorin and paeoniflorin lactone after boiled and peeled. The study was likely to provide some theoretical support for the standard and clinical application.