-
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024species, a group of economically destructive phytopathogens, are poorly studied in Mauritius where agriculture holds much significance. Furthermore, the increasing...
BACKGROUND
species, a group of economically destructive phytopathogens, are poorly studied in Mauritius where agriculture holds much significance. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of organic farming has prompted interest in alternatives to chemical fungicides.
METHODS
After gaining an overview of prevalence in Mauritius fields through a survey, the pathogen was isolated from infected crops and identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Methanol and water extracts were then prepared from , , cinnamon and cloves before determining their phytochemical profiles. Additionally, the antioxidant and antifungal effects of different concentrations of aqueous extracts were assessed.
RESULTS
The isolate was confirmed as , and cloves inhibited its growth by up to 100%, especially at 60 and 90 g/L, with the results being significantly higher than those of the synthetic fungicide mancozeb. Over 50% inhibition was also noted for cinnamon and , and these effects could be linked to the flavonoids, phenols and terpenoids in the extracts.
CONCLUSION
This study presented the aqueous extracts of cloves, cinnamon and as potential alternatives to chemical fungicides. It also confirmed the prevalence of infection in Mauritius fields, thereby highlighting the need for additional studies on the pathogen.
PubMed: 38921734
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060436 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2024Omega-3 fatty acids are in high demand due to their efficacy in treating hypertriglyceridemia and preventing cardiovascular diseases. However, the growth of the industry...
Omega-3 fatty acids are in high demand due to their efficacy in treating hypertriglyceridemia and preventing cardiovascular diseases. However, the growth of the industry is hampered by low purity and insufficient productivity. This study aims to develop an efficient RP-MPLC purification method for omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters with high purity and capacity. The results indicate that the AQ-C18 featuring polar end-capped silanol groups outperformed C18 and others in retention time and impurity separation. By injecting pure fish oil esters with a volume equivalent to a 1.25% bed volume on an AQ-C18 MPLC column using a binary isocratic methanol-water (90:10, :) mobile phase at 30 mL/min, optimal omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters were obtained, with the notable purity of 90.34% and a recovery rate of 74.30%. The total content of EPA and DHA produced increased from 67.91% to 85.27%, meeting the acceptance criteria of no less than 84% set by the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. In contrast, RP-MPLC significantly enhanced the production efficiency per unit output compared to RP-HPLC. This study demonstrates a pioneering approach to producing omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters with high purity and of greater quantity using AQ-C18 RP-MPLC, showing this method's significant potential for use in industrial-scale manufacturing.
Topics: Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Esters; Fish Oils; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Eicosapentaenoic Acid
PubMed: 38921596
DOI: 10.3390/md22060285 -
Marine Drugs May 2024In this research, the chemical compositions of various extracts obtained from , a type of green seaweed collected from the Nador lagoon in the northern region of...
In this research, the chemical compositions of various extracts obtained from , a type of green seaweed collected from the Nador lagoon in the northern region of Morocco, were compared. Their antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties were also studied. Using GC-MS technology, the fatty acid content of the samples was analyzed, revealing that palmitic acid, eicosenoic acid, and linoleic acid were the most abundant unsaturated fatty acids present in all samples. The HPLC analysis indicated that sinapic acid, naringin, rutin, quercetin, cinnamic acid, salicylic acid, apigenin, flavone, and flavanone were the most prevalent phenolic compounds. The aqueous extract obtained by maceration showed high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, with values of 379.67 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g and 212.11 ± 0.11 mg QE/g, respectively. This extract also exhibited an impressive ability to scavenge DPPH radicals, as indicated by its IC value of 0.095 ± 0.12 mg/mL. Additionally, the methanolic extract obtained using the Soxhlet method demonstrated antioxidant properties by preventing β-carotene discoloration, with an IC of 0.087 ± 0.14 mg/mL. Results from in-vitro studies showed that extracts from were able to significantly inhibit the enzymatic activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Among the various extracts, methanolic extract (S) has been identified as the most potent inhibitor, exhibiting a statistically similar effect to that of acarbose. Furthermore, molecular docking models were used to evaluate the interaction between the primary phytochemicals found in these extracts and the human pancreatic α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. These findings suggest that extracts contain bioactive substances that are capable of reducing enzyme activity more effectively than the commercially available drug, acarbose.
Topics: Hypoglycemic Agents; Antioxidants; Ulva; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; alpha-Amylases; alpha-Glucosidases; Molecular Docking Simulation; Morocco; Humans; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Polyphenols; Flavonoids; Edible Seaweeds
PubMed: 38921551
DOI: 10.3390/md22060240 -
Marine Drugs May 2024Neurodegenerative diseases involve neuroinflammation and a loss of neurons, leading to disability and death. Hence, the research into new therapies has been focused on...
Neurodegenerative diseases involve neuroinflammation and a loss of neurons, leading to disability and death. Hence, the research into new therapies has been focused on the modulation of the inflammatory response mainly by microglia/macrophages. The extracts and metabolites of marine sponges have been presented as anti-inflammatory. This study evaluated the toxicity of an extract and purified compound from the Brazilian marine sponge as well as its neuroprotection against inflammatory damage associated with the modulation of microglia response. PC12 neuronal cells and neonatal rat microglia were treated with the methanolic extract of (AF-MeOH, 0.1-200 μg/mL) or with its purified dimethyl ketal of 3,5-dibromoverongiaquinol (AF-H1, 0.1-100 μM). Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT tetrazolium, Trypan blue, and propidium iodide; microglia were also treated with the conditioned medium (CM) from PC12 cells in different conditions. The microglia phenotype was determined by the expression of Iba-1 and CD68. AF-MeOH and AF-H1 were not toxic to PC12 or the microglia. Inflammatory damage with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 μg/mL) was not observed in the PC12 cells treated with AF-MeOH (1-10 μg/mL) or AF-H1 (1-10 μM). Microglia subjected to the CM from PC12 cells treated with LPS and AF-MeOH or AF-H1 showed the control phenotype-like (multipolar, low-CD68), highlighting the anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effect of components of this marine sponge.
Topics: Animals; Microglia; Rats; Porifera; Neuroprotective Agents; PC12 Cells; Brazil; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Hydrocarbons, Brominated; Inflammation
PubMed: 38921546
DOI: 10.3390/md22060235 -
Membranes Jun 2024The separation of a toluene/methanol/water ternary mixture is a difficult task due to the toluene/water and toluene/methanol azeotropes. In this article, low-energy...
The separation of a toluene/methanol/water ternary mixture is a difficult task due to the toluene/water and toluene/methanol azeotropes. In this article, low-energy pervaporation is proposed for the separation of the ternary azeotrope toluene-methanol-water. This work investigates the effects of feed temperature, feed flow rate, and vacuum on pervaporation and compares the energy consumption of pervaporation with that of distillation. The results showed that at the optimized flow rate of 50 L/h and a permeate side vacuum of 60 kPa at 50 °C, the water and methanol content in the permeate was about 63.2 wt.% and 36.8 wt.%, respectively, the water/ methanol separation factor was 24.04, the permeate flux was 510.7 g/m·h, the water content in the feed out was reduced from 2.5 wt.% to less than 0.66 wt.%, and the dehydration of toluene methanol could be realized. Without taking into account the energy consumption of pumps and other power equipment, pervaporation requires an energy consumption of 43.53 kW·h to treat 1 ton of raw material, while the energy consumption of distillation to treat 1 ton of raw material is about 261.5 kW·h. Compared to the existing distillation process, the pervaporation process consumes much less energy (about one-sixth of the energy consumption of distillation). There is almost no effect on the surface morphology and chemical composition of the membrane before and after use. The method provides an effective reference for the dehydration of organic solvents from ternary mixtures containing toluene/methanol/water.
PubMed: 38921506
DOI: 10.3390/membranes14060139 -
Metabolites May 2024(Vahl) Hepper & J.R.I. Wood is widely distributed throughout Africa. It is used ethnobotanically to treat various diseases. However, the metabolic profile of the...
(Vahl) Hepper & J.R.I. Wood is widely distributed throughout Africa. It is used ethnobotanically to treat various diseases. However, the metabolic profile of the species is not well characterized and the metabolites that are responsible for the bioactivity of this plant remain unknown. Therefore, there is a need to determine the phytochemical and bioactivity profile to identify metabolites that contribute to the antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferation activity, including the genotoxicity and cytotoxic effects, of . The study is aimed at exploring the metabolomic profile antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferation activity, as well as the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects, of constituents of . The compounds in the extract were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS), and the resultant data were further analyzed using a molecular networking approach. The crude stem bark and root extracts showed the highest antidiabetic activity against α-amylase at the lowest test concentration of 62.5 µg/mL, with 74.53 ± 0.74% and 79.1 ± 1.5% inhibition, respectively. However, the crude stem bark and root extracts showed the highest antidiabetic activity against α-glucosidase at the lowest test concentration of 31.3 µg/mL, with 98.20 ± 0.15% and 97.98 ± 0.22% inhibition, respectively. The crude methanol leaf extract showed a decrease in the nitrite concentration at the highest concentration of 200 µg/mL, with cell viability of 90.34 ± 2.21%, thus showing anti-inflammatory activity. No samples showed significant cytotoxic effects at a concentration of 10 µg/mL against HeLa cells. Furthermore, a molecular network of species using UPLC-QTOF-MS with negative mode electrospray ionization showed the presence of organic oxygen compounds, lipids, benzenoids, phenylpropanoids and polyketides. These compound classes were differentially distributed in the three different plant parts, indicating the chemical differences between the stem bark, root and leaf extracts of Therefore, the identified compounds may contribute to the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activity of . The stem bark, root and leaf extracts of yielded thirteen compounds identified for the first time in this plant, offering a promising avenue for the discovery of new lead drugs for the treatment of diabetes and inflammation. The use of molecular networking produced a detailed phytochemical overview of this species. The results reported in this study show the importance of searching for bioactive compounds from and provide new insights into the phytochemical characterization and bioactivity of different plant parts of .
PubMed: 38921427
DOI: 10.3390/metabo14060291 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Current agrochemicals used in crop farming mainly consist of synthetic compounds with harmful effects on the environment and human health. Crop-associated fungal...
Current agrochemicals used in crop farming mainly consist of synthetic compounds with harmful effects on the environment and human health. Crop-associated fungal endophytes, which play many ecological roles including defense against pathogens, represent a promising source for bioactive and ecologically safer molecules in agrochemical discovery. The methanolic extract of the endophyte sp. LCM 1078 was evaluated in vitro against the plant pathogens , , , , and . Bioassay-guided isolation using chromatographic techniques followed by detailed chemical characterization by NMR and mass spectrometry led to the identification of menisporopsin A, which showed inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner against the five fungal pathogens including an endophytic strain (), with MIC values in the range of 0.63-10.0 μg/mL showing a potency equivalent to the broadly employed agrochemical mancozeb.
PubMed: 38921369
DOI: 10.3390/jof10060381 -
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Biorefinery plays a crucial role in the decarbonization of the current economic model, but its high investments and costs make its products less competitive. Identifying...
Biorefinery plays a crucial role in the decarbonization of the current economic model, but its high investments and costs make its products less competitive. Identifying the best technological route to maximize operational synergies is crucial for its viability. This study presents a new superstructure model based on mixed integer linear programming to identify an ideal biorefinery configuration. The proposed formulation considers the selection and process scale adjustment, utility selection, and heat integration by heat cascade integration from different processes. The formulation is tested by a study where the impact of new technologies on energy efficiency and the total annualized cost of a sugarcane biorefinery is evaluated. As a result, the energy efficiency of biorefinery increased from 50.25% to 74.5% with methanol production through bagasse gasification, mainly due to its high heat availability that can be transferred to the distillery, which made it possible to shift the bagasse flow from the cogeneration to gasification process. Additionally, the production of DME yields outcomes comparable to methanol production. However, CO hydrogenation negatively impacts profitability and energy efficiency due to the significant consumption and electricity cost. Nonetheless, it is advantageous for surface power density as it increases biofuel production without expanding the biomass area.
PubMed: 38920511
DOI: 10.3390/e26060501 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Jun 2024Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women. Finding novel therapeutic agents with significant cytotoxic action and minimal adverse impact on...
In-vitro study of cytotoxic and apoptotic potential of Thalassia hemprichii (Ehren.) Asch. And Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) with correlation to their chemical profile.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women. Finding novel therapeutic agents with significant cytotoxic action and minimal adverse impact on normal cells becomes crucial. Today, natural anticancer agents present an unconventional method of treating cancer, either as a curative or preventative agent, with considerable concern for marine organisms.
METHODS
The anticancer effect of the alcoholic extract of different Red Sea Seagrasses on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line has been investigated. Seagrasses were collected from Wadi El Gamal, Red Sea and extracted. Qualitative HPLC analysis was performed on the extracts for the identification of their active biomarkers. This study was aimed to explore the cytotoxic impact of Thalassia hemprichii (Ehren.) and Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle on MCF-7 and their mode of action. Their anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells were performed using Neutral red assay. On the other hand, their apoptotic effect and their capacity to induce cell cycle arrest were investigated by flow cytometry assay. The effect of Seagrasses on the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔψM) was studied by using JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit in Seagrasses treated cancer cells to Δψ Caspases 3/7activity was examined using the colorimetric method. Gene expression analysis and quantitative real time RT-PCR for the sea grasses on MCF-7 was performed. Immune-blotting technique for Bcl-2 and p53 was investigated.
RESULTS
HPLC analysis demonstrated that the extracts contained mainly flavonoids and polyphenols such as Caffeic acid, Chlorogenic acids, catechin and kaempferol that might be responsible for these anticancer effects. Seagrasses alcoholic crude extract markedly suppressed the growth and expansion of MCF-7 cells concentration-dependently with no toxicity against normal human skin fibroblast HSF. Thalassia hemprichii and Enhalus acoroides trigger mode of cell death primarily via apoptosis as confirmed by the flow cytometry. Additionally, they have ability to induce G0/S cell cycle arrest in MCF-7. The data showed the depletion in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔψM) in the treated cells dose-dependently Caspases 3/7activities markedly increased following 24 h treatment. Finally, Gene expression analysis showed a marked reduction in Bcl-2, Survivin and CDC2 gene expression levels and a significant increase in the expression of p53 and CC2D1A as compared to control cells.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the Methanolic extract of seagrass, Thalassia hemperchii and Enhalus ocoroides are able to induce concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects in human MCF-7 cells through intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. This study reveals the beneficial importance of sea grasses as a source of anticancer agents. Further in vivo study is recommended for the active isolated biomolecules.
Topics: Humans; MCF-7 Cells; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Plant Extracts; Hydrocharitaceae; Cell Proliferation; Antineoplastic Agents
PubMed: 38915036
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04512-3 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024To achieve high-efficiency combustion of heavy fuel oil (HFO), this study investigated the combustion characteristics of methanol/HFO droplets with methanol content from...
To achieve high-efficiency combustion of heavy fuel oil (HFO), this study investigated the combustion characteristics of methanol/HFO droplets with methanol content from 10 to 30% using the suspension method under ambient temperature from 923 to 1023 K. The combustion of methanol/HFO droplets was summarized as a two-phase process consisting of six typical stages, emphasizing liquid phase. Especially, the fluctuation evaporation stage, induced by frequent and intense puffing, was identified as prominent character. Both the ignition delay and lifetime of HFO and methanol/HFO droplets decreased with increasing ambient temperatures. For the methanol/HFO droplet, the ignition delay and droplet lifetime increased with the increasing methanol content. Prominently, compared to HFO, HM10 had the most significant reduction in droplet lifetime and TINL under the same operating conditions, which indicated that the addition of 10% methanol accelerated the combustion process and reduced soot generation. Additionally, the thermos-dynamic characteristics of methanol/HFO droplets were investigated. Puffing was primarily attributed to superheating of methanol and pyrolysis of heavy components in HFO, which resulted in active and passive rupture of bubbles. Similarity and maximum deformation were employed to qualitatively distinguish between them. The obtained findings aimed to develop a promising alternative fuel to reduce emissions and preserve energy.
PubMed: 38914642
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64482-x