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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024is a species of pharmacological interest for providing volatile and non-volatile extracts with antifungal and amebicidal properties. The biological activities of...
is a species of pharmacological interest for providing volatile and non-volatile extracts with antifungal and amebicidal properties. The biological activities of non-volatile extracts may be related to the presence of coumarins, a promising group of secondary metabolites. In the present study, leaves and inflorescences previously used for the extraction of essential oils instead of being disposed of were subjected to extraction with supercritical CO after pretreatment with microwaves. An experimental design was followed to seek the best extraction condition with the objective function being the maximum total extract. Pressure and temperature were statistically significant factors, and the optimal extraction condition was 240 bar, 60 °C, and pretreatment at 30 °C. The applied mathematical models showed good adherence to the experimental data. The extracts obtained by supercritical CO were analyzed and the presence of coumarins was confirmed. The extract investigated for cytotoxicity against bladder tumor cells (T24) exhibited significant reduction in cell viability at concentrations between 6 and 12 μg/mL. The introduction of green technology, supercritical extraction, in the exploration of as a source of coumarins represents a paradigm shift with regard to previous studies carried out with this species, which used organic solvents. Furthermore, the concept of circular bioeconomy was applied, i.e., the raw material used was the residue of a steam-distillation process. Therefore, the approach used here is in line with the sustainable exploitation of native plants to obtain extracts rich in coumarins with cytotoxic potential against cancer cells.
Topics: Coumarins; Carbon Dioxide; Plant Extracts; Humans; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid; Plant Components, Aerial; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
PubMed: 38930806
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122741 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Seven new abietane diterpenoids, comprising medusanthol A-G (-, , -) and two previously identified analogs ( and ), were isolated from the hexane extract of the aerial...
Seven new abietane diterpenoids, comprising medusanthol A-G (-, , -) and two previously identified analogs ( and ), were isolated from the hexane extract of the aerial parts of The structures of the compounds were elucidated by HRESIMS, 1D/2D NMR spectroscopic data, IR spectroscopy, NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analysis, and ECD calculations. The anti-neuroinflammatory potential of compounds - was evaluated by determining their ability to inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α in BV2 microglia stimulated with LPS and IFN-γ. Compounds - and exhibited decreased NO levels at a concentration of 12.5 µM. Compound demonstrated strong activity with an IC of 3.12 µM, and compound had an IC of 15.53 µM; both compounds effectively reduced NO levels compared to the positive control quercetin (IC 11.8 µM). Additionally, both compounds significantly decreased TNF-α levels, indicating their potential as promising anti-neuroinflammatory agents.
Topics: Abietanes; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Animals; Nitric Oxide; Mice; Microglia; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Plant Extracts; Cell Line; Molecular Structure; Lipopolysaccharides; Plant Components, Aerial
PubMed: 38930790
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122723 -
Micromachines Jun 2024The sol-gel method is a widely adopted technique for the preparation of tungsten trioxide (WO) materials, favored for its cost-effectiveness and straightforward...
The sol-gel method is a widely adopted technique for the preparation of tungsten trioxide (WO) materials, favored for its cost-effectiveness and straightforward production procedures. However, this method encounters challenges such as prolonged annealing periods and limited flexibility in fabricating patterned WO films. This study introduces a novel approach that integrates femtosecond laser processing with the sol-gel method to enhance the fabrication of WO films. By adjusting polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) concentrations during sol-gel synthesis, precise control over film thickness and optimized film properties were achieved. The innovative technique significantly reduced the annealing time required to achieve an 80% transmittance rate from 90 min to 40 min, marking a 56% decrease. Laser processing increased the surface roughness of the films from Sa = 0.032 to Sa = 0.119, facilitating enhanced volatilization of organics during heat treatment. Additionally, this method improved the transmittance modulation of the films by 22% at 550 nm compared to unprocessed counterparts. This approach not only simplifies the manufacturing process but also enhances the optical efficiency of electrochromic devices, potentially leading to broader applications and more effective energy conservation strategies.
PubMed: 38930755
DOI: 10.3390/mi15060785 -
Microorganisms May 2024This study extensively analyzed the bacterial information of biofilms and activated sludge in oxic reactors of full-scale moving bed biofilm reactor-integrated...
This study extensively analyzed the bacterial information of biofilms and activated sludge in oxic reactors of full-scale moving bed biofilm reactor-integrated fixed-film activated sludge (MBBR-IFAS) systems. The bacterial communities of biofilms and activated sludge differed statistically (R = 0.624, < 0.01). The denitrifying genera , , , and were more abundant in activated sludge ( < 0.05), while comammox was more abundant in biofilms ( < 0.05), with an average relative abundance of 8.13%. and had weak co-occurrence relationships with other genera in the MBBR-IFAS systems. Potential function analysis revealed no differences in pathways at levels 1 and 2 based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) between biofilms and activated sludge. However, in terms of pathways at level 3, biofilms had more potential in 26 pathways, including various organic biodegradation and membrane and signal transportation pathways. In comparison, activated sludge had more potential in only five pathways, including glycan biosynthesis and metabolism. With respect to nitrogen metabolism, biofilms had greater potential for nitrification (ammonia oxidation) (M00528), and complete nitrification (comammox) (M00804) concretely accounted for methane/ammonia monooxygenase (K10944, K10945, and K10946) and hydroxylamine dehydrogenase (K10535). This study provides a theoretical basis for MBBR-IFAS systems from the perspective of microorganisms.
PubMed: 38930504
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061121 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Conductive polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI), have interesting applications, ranging from flexible electronics, energy storage devices, sensors, antistatic or...
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline Emeraldine Salt (PANI-ES) Colloids Using Potato Starch as a Stabilizer to Enhance the Physicochemical Properties and Processability.
Conductive polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI), have interesting applications, ranging from flexible electronics, energy storage devices, sensors, antistatic or anticorrosion coatings, etc. However, the full exploitation of conductive polymers still poses a challenge due to their low processability. The use of compatible stabilizers to obtain dispersible and stable colloids is among the possible solutions to overcome such drawbacks. In this work, potato starch was used as a steric stabilizer for the preparation of colloidal polyaniline (emeraldine salt, ES)/starch composites by exploiting the oxidative polymerization of aniline in aqueous solutions with various starch-to-aniline ratios. The polyaniline/starch bio-composites were subjected to structural, spectroscopic, thermal, morphological, and electrochemical analyses. The samples were then tested for their dispersibility/solubility in a range of organic solvents. The results demonstrated the formation of PANI/starch biocomposites with a smaller average size than starch particles, showing improved aqueous dispersion and enhanced solubility in organic solvents. With respect to previously reported PANI-EB (emeraldine base)/starch composites, the novel colloids displayed a lower overall crystallinity, but the conductive nature of PANI-ES enhanced its electrochemical properties, resulting in richer redox chemistry, particularly evident in its oxidation behavior, as observed through cyclic voltammetry. Finally, as proof of the improved processability, the colloids were successfully integrated into a thin polyether sulfone (PES) membrane.
PubMed: 38930310
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122941 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Aluminum technical alloys are well known for their outstanding mechanical properties, especially after heat treatment. However, quenching and aging, which improve the... (Review)
Review
Aluminum technical alloys are well known for their outstanding mechanical properties, especially after heat treatment. However, quenching and aging, which improve the mechanical properties, by the formation of Cu-rich zones and phases that are coherent with the matrix and block the dislocation motion, cause uneven distribution of the elements in the alloy and consequently make it prone to corrosion. One method providing satisfactory corrosion protection of aluminum alloys is anodizing. On an industrial scale, it is usually carried out in electrolytes containing chromates that were found to be cancerogenic and toxic. Therefore, much effort has been undertaken to find substitutions. Currently, there are many Cr(VI)-free substitutes like tartaric-sulfuric acid anodizing or citric-sulfuric acid anodizing. Despite using such approaches even on the industrial scale, Cr(VI)-based anodizing still seems to be superior; therefore, there is an urge to find more complex but more effective approaches in anodizing. The incorporation of anions into anodic alumina from the electrolytes is a commonly known effect. Researchers used this phenomenon to entrap various other anions and organic compounds into anodic alumina to change their properties. In this review paper, the impact of the incorporation of various corrosion inhibitors into anodic alumina on the corrosion performance of the alloys is discussed. It is shown that Mo compounds are promising, especially when combined with organic acids.
PubMed: 38930307
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122938 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis is a good method to remove organic pollutants in wastewater. In recent decades, persistent photocatalysis has gained...
The synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis is a good method to remove organic pollutants in wastewater. In recent decades, persistent photocatalysis has gained considerable interest for its ability to sustain the catalytic degradation of organic pollutants in the dark. Herein, we report three different TiO nanomaterials to remove tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in solution. We found that the removal ability of TiO, Ni-TiO, and Ag/Ni-TiO is 8.8 mg/g, 13.9 mg/g and 23.4 mg/g, respectively, when the initial concentration of TCH is 50 mg/L. Chemical adsorption could be the rate-determining step in the TCH adsorption process. Moreover, Ag nanoparticles dispersed on Ni doped TiO surface act as traps to capture photo-generated electrons upon illumination with indoor light. The holes in Ag/Ni-TiO serve as critical oxidative species in TCH degradation under dark conditions. This work provides new insights into the design of persistent photocatalysts that can be activated by weak illumination and degrade organic pollutants in wastewater after sunset.
PubMed: 38930299
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122930 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024A solvent-free method was proposed for the synthesis of hexaimidazolecobalt(II) nitrate and perchlorate complexes-[Co(CHN)](NO) and [Co(CHN)](ClO)-by adding cobalt salts...
A solvent-free method was proposed for the synthesis of hexaimidazolecobalt(II) nitrate and perchlorate complexes-[Co(CHN)](NO) and [Co(CHN)](ClO)-by adding cobalt salts to melted imidazole. The composition, charge state of the metal, and the structure of the resulting complexes were confirmed by elemental analysis, XPS, IR spectroscopy, and XRD. The study of the thermochemical properties of the synthesized complexes showed that [Co(CHN)](NO) and [Co(CHN)](ClO) are thermally stable up to 150 and 170 °C, respectively. When the critical temperature of thermal decomposition is reached, oxidative two-stage gasification is observed. In this case, the organic component of the [Co(CHN)](NO) complex undergoes almost complete gasification to form CoO with a slight admixture of CoO, which makes it attractive as a component of gas-generation compositions, like airbags.
PubMed: 38930279
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122911 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024In the present work, magnesium oxide (MgO) and lead oxide (PbO) nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method. Their structural parameters and morphology...
In the present work, magnesium oxide (MgO) and lead oxide (PbO) nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method. Their structural parameters and morphology were investigated using XRD, HRTEM, and FTIR. The formation of the phases was seen to have small average crystallite sizes and an orthorhombic crystal structure for both MgO and PbO nanoparticles. The results of HR-TEM showed irregularly shaped nanoparticles: quasi-spherical or rod-like shapes and spherical-like shapes for MgO and PbO nanoparticles, respectively. The produced nanoparticles' size using X-ray diffraction analysis was found to be 17 nm and 41 nm for MgO and PbO nanoparticles, respectively. On the other hand, it was observed from the calculations that the optical band gap obeys an indirect allowed transition. The calculated values of the band gap were 4.52 and 4.28 eV for MgO and PbO NPs, respectively. The MB was extracted from the wastewater using the prepared composites via absorption. Using a variety of kinetic models, the adsorptions were examined. Out of all the particles, it was discovered that the composites were best. Furthermore, of the models currently under consideration, the pseudo-second-order model best fit the degradation mechanism. The resultant composites could be beneficial for degrading specific organic dyes for water purification, as well as applications needing a wider optical band gap.
PubMed: 38930259
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122890 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Bertoni, a no-calorie natural sweetener, contains a plethora of polyphenols that exert antioxidant properties with potential medicinal significance. Due to the variety... (Review)
Review
Bertoni, a no-calorie natural sweetener, contains a plethora of polyphenols that exert antioxidant properties with potential medicinal significance. Due to the variety of functional groups, polyphenols exhibit varying solubility depending on the nature of the extraction solvents (water, organic, or their mixtures, defined further on as hydroalcoholic extracts). In the present study, we performed a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, and meta-analysis, synthesizing all available data from 45 articles encompassing 250 different studies. Our results showed that the total phenolic content (TPC) of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts presents higher values (64.77 and 63.73 mg GAE/g) compared to organic extracts (33.39). Total flavonoid content (TFC) was also higher in aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts; meta-regression analysis revealed that outcomes in different measuring units (mg QE/g, mg CE/g, and mg RUE/g) do not present statistically significant differences and can be synthesized in meta-analysis. Using meta-regression analysis, we showed that outcomes from the chemical-based ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC antioxidant assays for the same extract type can be combined in meta-analysis because they do not differ statistically significantly. Meta-analysis of ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC assays outcomes revealed that the antioxidant activity profile of various extract types follows that of their phenolic and flavonoid content. Using regression meta-analysis, we also presented that outcomes from SOD, CAT, and POX enzymatic antioxidant assays are independent of the assay type (-value = 0.905) and can be combined. Our study constitutes the first effort to quantitatively and statistically synthesize the research results of individual studies using all methods measuring the antioxidant activity of stevia leaf extracts. Our results, in light of evidence-based practice, uncover the need for a broadly accepted, unified, methodological strategy to perform antioxidant tests, and offer documentation that the use of ethanol:water 1:1 mixtures or pure water can more efficiently extract stevia antioxidant compounds.
PubMed: 38929131
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060692