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Molecular Plant Jan 2015Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders a vast variety of aromatic metabolites critically important for their growth, development, and environmental adaptation.... (Review)
Review
Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders a vast variety of aromatic metabolites critically important for their growth, development, and environmental adaptation. Some of these aromatic compounds have high economic value. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first committed enzyme in the pathway; it diverts the central flux of carbon from the primary metabolism to the synthesis of myriad phenolics. Over the decades, many studies have shown that exquisite regulatory mechanisms at multiple levels control the transcription and the enzymatic activity of PALs. In this review, a current overview of our understanding of the complicated regulatory mechanisms governing the activity of PAL is presented; recent progress in unraveling its post-translational modifications, its metabolite feedback regulation, and its enzyme organization is highlighted.
Topics: Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase; Plants; Propanols; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 25578269
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2014.11.001 -
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A Sep 2022Substantial amounts of phenolic aldehydes, represented by the structures of syringaldehyde, vanillin, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, are emitted to the atmosphere during...
Substantial amounts of phenolic aldehydes, represented by the structures of syringaldehyde, vanillin, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, are emitted to the atmosphere during biomass burning. The oxidative transformation of phenolic aldehydes during atmospheric transport has the potential to modify the physicochemical properties of particulates, which play a vital role in Earth's climate and human health. Herein, thin solid films made of syringaldehyde, vanillin, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde are oxidized in contact with O(g) under a relative humidity of 74% representative of average global conditions. New physical insights into the surface reactions are achieved by analyzing isopropanol-extracted films before and during oxidation by multiple techniques. Changes in electronic transitions at 220, 310, and 350-400 nm registered by UV-vis spectroscopy show that the oxidized films have enhanced mass absorption coefficients at λ > 300 nm. Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) and ion chromatography with conductivity and MS detection of extracted oxidized films confirm aromatic ring cleavage of syringaldehyde and vanillin by O(g) with the production of carboxylic acids. Carboxylic acids were observed as anions ([M - H]) at / 45 (formic acid), 73 (glyoxylic acid), 75 (glycolic acid), 89 (oxalic acid), 115 (maleic acid), 117 (mesoxalic acid), 119 (tartronic acid), and 129 (maleic acid monomethyl ester), while other polyfunctional products were registered by ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography with UV-vis and MS detection. In situ production of hydroxyl radicals is confirmed by demethoxylation products and ipso attack at the C ring position holding the -C(H)═O group. The order of reactivity increased with the number of methoxy substituents that donate electron density to the aromatic ring. Combined oxidation mechanisms for the three compounds are proposed based on all of the experimental observations and explain the contribution of aged biomass burning material to secondary organic aerosol formation.
Topics: 2-Propanol; Aerosols; Aged; Aldehydes; Benzaldehydes; Carboxylic Acids; Esters; Formates; Humans; Maleates; Oxalates; Phenols
PubMed: 36070234
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c04963 -
PloS One 2022Blood pressure (BP) elevations are commonly treated in hospitalized patients; however, treatment is not guideline directed. Our objective was to assess BP response to...
BACKGROUND
Blood pressure (BP) elevations are commonly treated in hospitalized patients; however, treatment is not guideline directed. Our objective was to assess BP response to commonly prescribed antihypertensives after the development of severe inpatient hypertension (HTN).
METHODS
This is a cohort study of adults, excluding intensive care unit patients, within a single healthcare system admitted for reasons other than HTN who developed severe HTN (systolic BP>180 or diastolic BP >110 mmHg at least 1 hour after admission). We identified the most commonly administered antihypertensives given within 6 hours of severe HTN (given to >10% of treated patients). We studied the association of treatment with each antihypertensive vs. no treatment on BP change in the 6 hours following severe HTN development using mixed-effects model after adjusting for demographics and clinical characteristics.
RESULTS
Among 23,147 patients who developed severe HTN, 9,166 received antihypertensive treatment. The most common antihypertensives given were oral metoprolol (n = 1991), oral amlodipine (n = 1812), oral carvedilol (n = 1116), IV hydralazine (n = 1069) and oral hydralazine (n = 953). In the fully adjusted model, treatment with IV hydralazine led to 13 [-15.9, -10.1], 18 [-22.2, -14] and 11 [-14.1, -8.3] mmHg lower MAP, SBP, and DBP in the 6 hours following severe HTN development compared to no treatment. Treatment with oral hydralazine and oral carvedilol also resulted in significantly lower BPs in the 6 hours following severe HTN development (6 [-9.1, -2.1 and -7 [-9.1, -4.2] lower MAP, respectively) compared to no treatment. Receiving metoprolol and amlodipine did not result in a drop in BP compared to no treatment.
CONCLUSION
Among commonly used antihypertensives, IV hydralazine resulted in the most significant drop in BP following severe HTN, while metoprolol and amlodipine did not lower BP. Further research to assess the effect of treatment on clinical outcomes and if needed which antihypertensives to administer are necessary.
Topics: Adult; Amlodipine; Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Carvedilol; Cohort Studies; Humans; Hydralazine; Hypertension; Inpatients; Metoprolol
PubMed: 35385506
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265497 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jul 2022In order to reduce the transmission of pathogens, and COVID-19, WHO and NHS England recommend hand washing (HW) and/or the use of hand sanitizer (HS). The planetary...
In order to reduce the transmission of pathogens, and COVID-19, WHO and NHS England recommend hand washing (HW) and/or the use of hand sanitizer (HS). The planetary health consequences of these different methods of hand hygiene have not been quantified. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out to compare the environmental impact of the UK population practising increased levels of hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic for 1 year. Washing hands with soap and water was compared to using hand sanitizer (both ethanol and isopropanol based sanitizers were studied). The isopropanol-based HS had the lowest environmental impact in 14 out of the 16 impact categories used in this study. For climate change, hand hygiene using isopropanol HS produced the equivalent of 1060 million kg CO, compared to 1460 million for ethanol HS, 2300 million for bar soap HW, and 4240 million for liquid soap HW. For both the ethanol and isopropanol HS, the active ingredient was the greatest overall contributing factor to the environmental impact (83.24% and 68.68% respectively). For HW with liquid soap and bar soap, there were additional contributing factors other than the soap itself: for example tap water use (28.12% and 48.68% respectively) and the laundering of a hand towel to dry the hands (10.17% and 17.92% respectively). All forms of hand hygiene have an environmental cost, and this needs to be weighed up against the health benefits of preventing disease transmission. When comparing hand sanitizers to handwashing with soap and water, this study found that using isopropanol based hand sanitizer is better for planetary health. However, no method of hand hygiene was ideal; isopropanol had a greater fossil fuel resource use than ethanol based hand sanitizer. More research is needed to find hand hygiene sources which do not diminish planetary health, and environmental impact is a consideration for public health campaigns around hand hygiene.
Topics: 2-Propanol; COVID-19; Ethanol; Hand Disinfection; Hand Hygiene; Hand Sanitizers; Humans; Pandemics; Soaps; Water
PubMed: 35199264
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18918-4 -
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection... Jul 2022The approval of ethanol by the Biocidal Products Regulation has been under evaluation since 2007. This follows concern over alcohol uptake from ethanol-based hand rubs... (Review)
Review
Ethanol is indispensable for virucidal hand antisepsis: memorandum from the alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) Task Force, WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, and the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
BACKGROUND
The approval of ethanol by the Biocidal Products Regulation has been under evaluation since 2007. This follows concern over alcohol uptake from ethanol-based hand rubs (EBHR). If ethanol is classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), then this would affect infection prevention and control practices.
AIM
A review was performed to prove that ethanol is toxicological uncritical and indispensable for hand antisepsis because of its unique activity against non-enveloped viruses and thus the resulting lack of alternatives. Therefore, the following main points are analyzed: The effectiveness of ethanol in hand hygiene, the evidence of ethanol at blood/tissue levels through hand hygiene in healthcare, and the evidence of toxicity of different blood/tissue ethanol levels and the non-comparability with alcoholic consumption and industrial exposure.
RESULTS
EBHR are essential for preventing infections caused by non-enveloped viruses, especially in healthcare, nursing homes, food industry and other areas. Propanols are effective against enveloped viruses as opposed to non-enveloped viruses but there are no other alternatives for virucidal hand antisepsis. Long-term ingestion of ethanol in the form of alcoholic beverages can cause tumours. However, lifetime exposure to ethanol from occupational exposure < 500 ppm does not significantly contribute to the cancer risk. Mutagenic effects were observed only at doses within the toxic range in animal studies. While reprotoxicity is linked with abuse of alcoholic beverages, there is no epidemiological evidence for this from EBHR use in healthcare facilities or from products containing ethanol in non-healthcare settings.
CONCLUSION
The body of evidence shows EBHRs have strong efficacy in killing non-enveloped viruses, whereas 1-propanol and 2-propanol do not kill non-enveloped viruses, that pose significant risk of infection. Ethanol absorbed through the skin during hand hygiene is similar to consumption of beverages with hidden ethanol content (< 0.5% v/v), such as apple juice or kefir. There is no risk of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reprotoxicity from repeated use of EBHR. Hence, the WHO Task Force strongly recommend retaining ethanol as an essential constituent in hand rubs for healthcare.
Topics: 2-Propanol; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Antisepsis; Berlin; Ethanol; Germany; Hand Disinfection; Hand Hygiene; Hospitals; Patient Safety; World Health Organization
PubMed: 35794648
DOI: 10.1186/s13756-022-01134-7 -
Journal of Ultrasound Dec 2016In this work we provide measurements of speed of sound () and acoustic impedance () of some doped/non-doped rubber-based materials dedicated to the development of...
PURPOSE
In this work we provide measurements of speed of sound () and acoustic impedance () of some doped/non-doped rubber-based materials dedicated to the development of ultrasound phantoms. These data are expected to be useful for speeding-up the preparation of multi-organ phantoms which show similar echogenicity to real tissues.
METHODS
Different silicones (Ecoflex, Dragon-Skin Medium) and polyurethane rubbers with different liquid (glycerol, commercial detergent, -propanol) and solid (aluminum oxide, graphene, steel, silicon powder) inclusions were prepared. of materials under investigation was measured in an experimental setup and was obtained by multiplying the density and the of each material. Finally, an anatomically realistic liver phantom has been fabricated selecting some of the tested materials.
RESULTS
and evaluation for different rubber materials and formulations are reported. The presence of liquid additives appears to increase the , while solid inclusions generally reduce the . The ultrasound images of realized custom fabricated heterogeneous liver phantom and a real liver show remarkable similarities.
CONCLUSIONS
The development of new materials' formulations and the knowledge of acoustic properties, such as speed of sound and acoustic impedance, could improve and speed-up the development of phantoms for simulations of ultrasound medical procedures.
Topics: 1-Propanol; Aluminum Oxide; Detergents; Equipment Design; Glycerol; Graphite; Humans; Liver; Models, Biological; Phantoms, Imaging; Polyurethanes; Rubber; Silicon; Silicones; Sound; Steel; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 27965715
DOI: 10.1007/s40477-016-0204-7 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022Due to the medical importance of dibenzoylmethane, one of the aims of the study was to find an appropriate packing material and a biologically friendly co-solvent to...
Due to the medical importance of dibenzoylmethane, one of the aims of the study was to find an appropriate packing material and a biologically friendly co-solvent to help its introduction into living systems. Accordingly, redox properties of dibenzoylmethane were investigated on glassy carbon electrodes in acetonitrile and in 1-propanol with cyclic voltammetry, and showed a diffusion-controlled process. In the anodic window, an oxidation peak appeared at around 1.9 V in both solvents. Cycling repeatedly between 0 and 2 V, the reproducibility of this peak was acceptable, but when extending the window to higher potentials, the electrode deactivated, obviously due to electrode material. The addition of the investigated tetrakis(3,5-dicarboxyphenoxy) cavitand did not significantly change the voltammograms. Further electrochemical experiments showed that the coexistence of water in acetonitrile and 1-propanol drastically reduces the solubility of dibenzoylmethane. Moreover, very rapid electrode deactivation occurred and this fact made the use of electrochemical methods complicated. Considering that both the cavitand and dibenzoylmethane are soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide, the interaction of these species was investigated and formation of stable complexes was detected. This observation was verified with fluorescence quenching studies. The mixture of water and dimethyl sulphoxide also dramatically improved the solubility of the cavitand-dibenzoylmethane complex at high excess of water. The addition of cavitand improved the solubility of dibenzoylmethane, a property which supports the application of dibenzoylmethane in therapy.
Topics: Carbon; 1-Propanol; Reproducibility of Results; Oxidation-Reduction; Solvents; Water; Electrodes; Acetonitriles
PubMed: 36615382
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010185 -
BMJ Open Respiratory Research Jul 2023Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently associated with cardiovascular disease. The utility of beta-blockers for treating patients with COPD may be... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently associated with cardiovascular disease. The utility of beta-blockers for treating patients with COPD may be beneficial, but their safety remains uncertain, including worsening of dynamic hyperinflation (DH) during exercise. We hypothesised that among cardioselective beta-blockers celiprolol, due to its partial beta-2 agonist activity, may be safer than bisoprolol on exercise DH.
METHODS
We measured isotime inspiratory capacity (IC) during cycle endurance testing in eleven moderate-severe COPD subjects, alongside other non-invasive cardiopulmonary exercise, bioreactance cardiac output, pulmonary function, biomarkers and daily domiciliary measures. Participants received titrated doses of either bisoprolol (maximim 5 mg) or celiprolol (maximum 400 mg) in randomised crossover fashion, each over 4 weeks.
RESULTS
Clinically relevant DH occurred between resting and exercise isotime IC but showed no significant difference with either beta-blocker compared with post-run-in pooled baseline or between treatments. There were no other significant differences observed for remaining exercise ventilatory; non-invasive cardiac output; resting pulmonary function; beta-2 receptor and cardiac biomarkers; domiciliary pulmonary function, oxygen saturation and symptom outcomes, either between treatments or compared with baseline. No significant adverse effects occurred.
CONCLUSIONS
Significant DH in moderate-severe COPD subjects was no different between bisoprolol or celiprolol or versus baseline. A broad spectrum of other non-invasive cardiopulmonary and domiciliary safety outcomes was equally reassuring. Bronchoprotection with a concomitant long-acting muscarinic antagonist might be an important safety measure in this context.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT02380053.
Topics: Humans; Bisoprolol; Celiprolol; Cross-Over Studies; Exercise Tolerance; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
PubMed: 37451701
DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001670 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022Tomato is an economically crucial vegetable/fruit crop globally. Tomato is rich in nutrition and plays an essential role in a healthy human diet. Phenylpropanoid, a...
Tomato is an economically crucial vegetable/fruit crop globally. Tomato is rich in nutrition and plays an essential role in a healthy human diet. Phenylpropanoid, a critical compound in tomatoes, reduces common degenerative and chronic diseases risk caused by oxidative stress. As an MYB transcription factor, can increase phenylpropanoid content by activating phenylpropanoid synthesis related genes, such as PAL, C4H, 4CL, CHS. However, the heterologous expression of in tomatoes can be altered through transgenic technologies, such as unstable expression vectors and promoters with different efficiency. In the current study, the efficiency of other fruit-specific promoters, namely E8S, 2A12, E4, and PG, were compared and screened, and we determined that the expression efficiency of was driven by the E8S promoter was the highest. As a result, the expression of phenylpropanoid synthesis related genes was regulated by , and the phenylpropanoid accumulation in transgenic tomato fruits increased 16 times. Additionally, the total antioxidant capacity of fruits was measured through Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay, which was increased by 2.4 times in E8S transgenic lines. TEAC was positively correlated with phenylpropanoid content. Since phenylpropanoid plays a crucial role in the human diet, expressing with stable and effective fruit-specific promoter E8S could improve tomato's phenylpropanoid and nutrition content and quality. Our results can provide genetic resources for the subsequent improvement of tomato varieties and quality, which is significant for human health.
Topics: Biosynthetic Pathways; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Fruit; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Solanum lycopersicum; Organ Specificity; Plant Proteins; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Propanols; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 35011551
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010317 -
Polish Journal of Microbiology Mar 2023Phage contamination is one of the significant problems in the food fermentation industry, which eventually causes economic losses to the industry. Here, we investigated...
Phage contamination is one of the significant problems in the food fermentation industry, which eventually causes economic losses to the industry. Here, we investigated the viability of phage P1 and P2 using various biocides treatments (ethanol, isopropanol, sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid). Results indicated that phage P1 and P2 could be completely inactivated by treatment with 75% ethanol for 5 min, followed by 400 ppm of sodium hypochlorite treatment for 5 min. Phage P2 could be completely inactivated in the reverse sequence, while 800 ppm of sodium hypochlorite was required to achieve a similar effect for phage P1. Moreover, 100% isopropanol could increase the inactivating effect of 75% ethanol. This study may provide basic information on using multiple antimicrobials for phage control in laboratories and food plants.
Topics: Bacteriophages; Sodium Hypochlorite; Lactobacillus; 2-Propanol; Hot Temperature; Disinfectants; Ethanol
PubMed: 36929891
DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-004