Acid Methyl Ester Research Articles

PCBM Constructing Heterojunction for Efficient CsPbI3 Perovskite Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have emerged as promising photovoltaic materials for third-generation solar cells, owing to their superior optoelectronic properties. Nevertheless, the performance of CsPbI3 PQD solar cells is primarily hindered by low carrier extraction efficiency, largely due to the insulative ligands. In this study, we introduced a semiconductor molecule, [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), onto the surfaces of CsPbI3 PQDs as surface ligands to enhance photogenerated charge extraction. The results indicate that PCBM accelerates carrier separation in CsPbI3 PQDs by forming a type II heterojunction, and also modulates the energy level of CsPbI3 PQDs by altering surface dipole moments. Additionally, we established an energy-level gradient alignment in the PCBM/CsPbI3 PQD heterojunction absorber layer, which was found to effectively promote carrier extraction and reduce carrier recombination loss in PQD solar cells. Ultimately, the PQD solar cells incorporating this novel structure achieved a power conversion efficiency of 14.23%, a significant improvement compared to 12.69% achieved by solar cells with a traditional structure, thus demonstrating the strong potential of this approach for high-performance PQD solar cells.

An endogenous aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand induces preeclampsia-like phenotypes in rats.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder during human pregnancy. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. Exogenous and endogenous AhR ligands can induce hypertension in male rats and mice. Herein, using rats as a model, we tested the hypothesis that over-regulation of endogenous AhR ligands during pregnancy impairs vascular functions by disrupting the transcriptome in the placenta, contributing to the development of PE. Pregnant rats were injected daily with an endogenous AhR ligand, 2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE), from gestational day (GD) 10 to 19. Maternal mean blood pressure was measured on GD16-20. Proteinuria and uteroplacental blood flow were monitored on GD20. Placentas collected on GD20 were used to determine changes in vascular density and transcriptome. Compared with the vehicle control, ITE elevated maternal mean blood pressure by 22% and 16% on GD16 and 17, respectively. ITE increased proteinuria by 50% and decreased uteroplacental blood flow by 26%. ITE reduced the placental vascular density by 18%. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that ITE induced 1316 and 2020 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in female and male placentas, respectively. These DEGs were enriched in pathways relevant to heart diseases, vascular functions and inflammation. Bioinformatics analysis also predicted that ITE altered immune cell infiltration in placentas depending on fetal sex. These data suggest that over-regulation of endogenous AhR ligands may lead to PE with impaired vascular functions and disrupted fetal sex-specific transcriptomes and immune cell infiltration in placentas. These AhR ligand-induced DEGs and pathways may represent promising therapeutic targets for PE-induced cardiovascular dysfunctions. KEY POINTS: An endogenous AhR ligand (ITE) elevated maternal blood pressure and proteinuria in pregnant rats, and decreased uteroplacental blood flow and fetal and placental growth, all of which are hallmarks of preeclampsia. ITE reduced vascular density and altered immune cell distribution in rat placentas. ITE dysregulated transcriptomes in rat placentas in a fetal sex-specific manner. These ITE-dysregulated genes and pathways are highly relevant to diseases of heart, vascular functions and inflammatory responses.

Terminal Effects of Fulleropyrrolidine Electron Transport Materials for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractFullerene (C60) and its derivatives are the most prevalent and efficient electron transport materials (ETMs) for state‐of‐the‐art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Benefiting from the high performance, simple synthesis, and easy availability of raw materials, fulleropyrrolidine derivatives (FDs) are potential next‐generation ETM alternatives to currently used fullerene materials. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of FDs still lags far behind that of methanofullerene derivatives such as [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Moreover, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this work, six FD ETMs are designed and synthesized, i.e., CN‐TPAX (X = H, Me, OMe, Cl, Br, I), for p‐i‐n PSCs, and obtained a champion PCE of over 25% for the CN‐TPACl ETM, outperforming all reported FDs until now. Subsequently, their performance is systematically characterized in terms of molecular characteristics, including single‐crystal structure, electronic properties, film formability/morphology, and electron dynamics, which helped reveal the terminal effects of FD ETMs on the molecular characteristics and photovoltaic performance of PSCs. This approach clarified the structure–performance relationships between the FDs and the resulting devices, highlighting the importance of the terminal design of fullerene ETMs for high‐performance PSCs.

Undescribed and known phenolic acid derivatives with significant antioxidant activity from the Scorzonera parviflora Jacq. roots.

The antioxidant activity of Scorzonera parviflora Jacq. roots were assessed by measuring their ability to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals. Bioactivity-guided fractionation was utilized to identify the compound(s) responsible for this activity. The most active phase, ethyl acetate, was isolated using column chromatography. The resulting fractions were then purified using preparative TLC on reverse phase and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the pure compounds were elucidated by spectral analysis (MS and 1H, 13C, 2D-NMR). Three undescribed phenolic acid derivatives, namely parvifloric acid A (1), B (2), and C (3), and one new sesquiterpene lactone, parviflorin (4) together with seven known compounds were isolated and identified as scopolin (5), scopoletin (6), caffeic acid (7), protocatechuic acid (8), 4,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (9) 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (10), and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (11). Finally, the pure compounds obtained were tested to evaluate their antioxidant capacities, using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging potencies. The highest activity was observed with 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (10), followed by its methyl ester.

Assessment of the cytotoxic effect of aerial parts of Gazania rigens hexane extract on HRT-18 and MCF-7 cell line and chemical composition analysis using GC/MS and LC/MS

Gazania rigens are cultivated for their vividly colored flowerheads. The herb, belonging to the Asteraceae family, displays various classes of secondary metabolites, including terpenes, phenols and fatty acid derivatives. Antioxidant, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and antimicrobial activities of the herb have been evaluated and have proven to benefit humans clinically specially in case of cancer affected people. Breast cancer is the second most frequent reason for female mortality, and the third most frequent reason in the world is colorectal cancer. A previous study stated the in vitro anticancer effect of the genus Gazania rigens on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell. N-hexane extract of Gazania rigens aerial parts was prepared by maceration, cold extraction methods and subjected to GC/MS and LC-MS analysis to characterize its constituents. In GC/MS, the total number of identified compounds were 2-pentadecanone, 6,10,14-trimethyl, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 11-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate hexanedioic acid, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester. LC/MS analysis revealed and confirmed the presence of lupeol. Based on the result, n-hexane extract was evaluated for its in vitro anticancer effect against the MCF-7 and HRT-18 cell lines using an MTT assay. Results from the MTT assay showed there is a significant cytotoxic effect for hexane extract against both cell line HRT-18 and MCF-7, the IC50 value for HRT-18 was 102.2±10 ug/ml, while the IC50 value for MCF-7 was 121.2±12 ug/ml.

The property differences of essential oils extracted by two methods from Dolichos lablab flowers: chemical composition, anti-microorganism and cholinesterase inhibition activities

In this study, the essential oils of Dolichos lablab (syn. Lablab purpureus) flowers (EOFs) were extracted by enzymatic pretreatment plus microwave extraction (EP-ME) method, and the key factors affecting yield of essential oils were investigated. The kinetic curves of essential oils extracted by EP-ME method were fitted, and the results showed that the first-order kinetic model was more appropriate for essential oils extracted by EP-ME method. Under the optimal extraction conditions, EP-ME method not only had high extraction yield, but also had low consumption time. The yield of essential oil extracted by EP-ME method (0.41 ± 0.021% g/g) was 51.9% higher than that by traditional hydro-distillation (HD) method (0.27 ± 0.013% g/g), and the time and energy consumption were 53.33% and 18.62% of the HD method, respectively. The results of GC-MS showed that the contents of main substances in the essential oils by EP-ME method were remarkably increased, including hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (+11.05%), 9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (+5.26%), (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (+3.85%), methyl hexadic-9-enoate (+3.11%), methyl linoleate (+2.68%), linalool (+1.83%), and methyl stearate (+1.18%). In vitro activity results revealed that EOFs extracted using EP-ME method not only had certain anti-microorganism activity, but also possessed good cholinesterase inhibition activity, and its semi-inhibition concentrations (IC50) against acetyl-cholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were 2.48 and 2.31 mg/mL, respectively. Therefore, the EP-ME method was a kind of green and effective method for extracting high-quality essential oils from Dolichos lablab flowers.

3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid methyl ester isolated from Polygala tenuifolia enhances hippocampal LTP through PKA and calcium-permeable AMPA receptor

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and neuronal death due to extracellular deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular deposition of tau proteins. Recently approved antibody drugs targeting Aβ have been shown to slow the progression of the disease, but they have minimal effects on cognitive improvement. Therefore, there is a need to develop drugs with cognitive-enhancing effects that can be used in conjunction with these antibody treatments. In this study, we investigated whether Polygala tenuifolia (PT), traditionally known for its cognitive-enhancing effects, can improve synaptic plasticity and identified its active components and mechanisms. PT demonstrated a dose-dependent effect in enhancing long-term potentiation (LTP), and among its components, 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid methyl ester (TMCA) showed a similar LTP-enhancing effect. TMCA increased the phosphorylation of the GluA1 subunit of the α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors and increased the amount of GluA1 on the synapse without affecting the amount of GluA2. Additionally, the increase in GluA1 induced by TMCA was inhibited by a PKA inhibitor. Consistent with these results, the enhancement of LTP by TMCA was inhibited by a GluA1 antagonist and a PKA inhibitor. In silico molecular docking experiments confirmed that TMCA binds to PKA. Finally, we confirmed the LTP-enhancing effect of TMCA in hippocampal slices from 5XFAD mice. These results suggest that PT and its active component, TMCA, can interact with PKA to enhance LTP, indicating the potential for improving cognitive function in AD patients

Enhanced catalytic performance of methanol-tolerant Rhizopus stolonifera immobilized on polyurethane foam with hydrophobic coating for biodiesel production

The limited methanol tolerance and glycerol adsorption tendency of whole-cell catalysts are the main factors contributing to the extended catalytic cycle and limited catalyst reusability in biodiesel preparation. In this study, a 7.5 % methanol-tolerant Rhizopus stolonifera mutant (MTS2) was developed through the atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP), exhibiting a 1.5-fold increase in methanol tolerance compared with the wild type strain (WT-RS), along with a 93.5 % increase in lipases activity. Polyurethane foam PF3 with an average pore size of 0.15 mm and 90 A rigidity is optimal for MTS2 immobilization (MTS2 @PF3), enabling its application in continuous processing for industrial applications. Utilizing soybean oil as a substrate, the catalyst MTS2 @PF3 produced 95.5 % of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in 36 hours under optimal conditions (30°C, 180 r/min, catalyst dosage of 15 % g/g oil, 30 % water content, and methanol addition in Scheme 3), achieving over a 50 % reduction in reaction time compared with WT-RS@PF3. To address limitations in catalyst reusability due to glycerol adsorption, various modifiers, including rosin-based modifier (RM), amino silicone oil (ASO), graphene (GRA), betaine and Tween 80 were evaluated. The glycerol adsorption rates experienced substantial reductions (39.3 % with RM and 85.6 % with betaine), and the catalysts maintained above 60 % FAME yield even after 8 reaction cycles. The combination of enhanced methanol tolerance, lipase activity, and reduced glycerol adsorption contribute to enhanced catalytic efficiency and reusability, which can reduce production costs for biodiesel manufacturing. The composite of these attributes makes MTS2 @RM1-PF3 and Betaine-MTS2 @PF3 as promising candidate for industrial biodiesel production, addressing previous limitations in catalyst performance and sustainability. The developed immobilized whole-cell catalysts exhibit promising potential for more sustainable and cost-effective processes in biodiesel manufacturing.

Effects of Laurus extract against cadmium-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal with widespread environmental presence, posing significant threats to human and animal health. This study investigates the neurotoxic effects of Cd exposure and explores the therapeutic efficacy of Laurus nobilis L. in counteracting these adverse effects. Cd exposure induces oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, leading to neuronal damage and histopathological alterations. Laurus, known for its antioxidant properties, is assessed for its potential in mitigating Cd-induced neurotoxicity through in vitro antioxidant assays, GC–MS analysis, HPLC profiling, and experimental animal models. Results demonstrate that Laurus ethanolic extract exhibits significant antioxidant activity, attributed to its phenolic and flavonoid constituents. GC–MS analysis reveals various bioactive compounds in the extract, including Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and (Z)-13-Docosenamide, which posses neuroprotective properties. HPLC analysis identifies phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid and flavonoids like rutin and kaempferol in the extract. In vivo studies in rats exposed to Cd demonstrate that Laurus extract administration mitigates Cd-induced alterations in body and brain weight, hematological parameters, liver and kidney function, oxidative stress markers, and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity. Histopathological examination confirms the protective effects of Laurus against Cd-induced neuronal damage. The SOD model, validated with high resolution (2.05 Å) and strong R values (work: 0.192, free: 0.236, observed: 0.194), shows strong structural stability (C-score: 0.30). Docking studies reveal high binding affinities of kaempferol (−8.1 kcal/mol) and rutin (−8.7 kcal/mol) with SOD with kaempferol demonstrating superior solubility, lipophilicity, and drug-likenessSimulation analysis confirms the protein’s flexibility and adaptability, highlighting its therapeutic potential, especially with kaempferol. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of Laurus. as a natural remedy for Cd-induced neurotoxicity, highlighting its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Amino Acid and Peptide Conjugates of 5-Bromovaleric Acid.

Among various carboxylic acid derivatives, valeric acid or pentanoic acid is found to be widely distributed in nature. It is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid containing five carbon atoms. Due to the therapeutic value of valeric acid, it is used as a versatile nucleus in the pharmaceutical field. Valeric acid derivatives are associated with a broad spectrum of biological activities, like anticonvulsant, antiplatelet, antidiabetic, and plant growth activities. It has previously been revealed that peptide derivatives of carboxylic acids are accountable for enhanced antimicrobial activity. Therefore, it was hypothesized that coupling peptides with valeric acid would increase the antimicrobial properties of the target compounds. So, the objective of the present study was to synthesize peptide derivatives of 5-bromovaleric acid and evaluate their antibacterial and antifungal activities. 5-bromovaleric acid was synthesized by the reaction of cyclopentanone and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of copper bromide and sodium bromide. Additionally, 5-bromovaleric acid was coupled with amino acid methyl esters, dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodimide (DCC) and N-methylmorpholine (NMM) as a base under continuous stirring for 36 hours to produce its peptide derivatives. The results obtained showed that 5-bromovaleric acid possesses more potent antibacterial activity than N-terminal 5-bromovaleric acid conjugates of selected di-, tri, and tetra peptide Cterminal methyl esters against ciprofloxacin as a standard. The selected dipeptide and tripeptide Nterminal 5-bromovaleric acid-conjugated C-terminal methyl ester derivatives were more active than the selected tetrapeptide methyl ester analogue. Using fluconazole as a reference, the antifungal efficacy of 5-bromovaleric acid against C. albicans and A. niger declined as it was combined with C-terminal methyl esters of selected dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. The novel selected peptide derivatives had less antibacterial and antifungal action than the parent 5-bromovaleric acid. Antibacterial and antifungal investigations showed that 5- bromopentanoic acid peptide derivatives might impair antimicrobial efficacy. Further, attaching 5- bromopentanoic acid to di, tri, and tetra peptides did not boost their antibacterial potential.

Surfactant-modified ZnFe2O4/CaOPS porous acid-base bifunctional catalysts for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil and process optimization

Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) with high acid value is useful for clean energy development and utilization. In this work, ZnFe2O4(5)/CaOPS porous bifunctional catalysts were prepared for catalytic production of biodiesel with the help of surfactants such as PVP, SDS and citric acid, using a sol-gel method. The ZnFe2O4(5)/CaOPS catalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, NH3-TPD, and BET. The parameters (reaction temperature, catalyst dosage, methanol-oil ratio and reaction time) for the transesterification reaction to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were optimized for the optimal materials using a one-variable method. Experiments were designed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for global optimization to obtain the best process parameters. The final average yield of FAMEs was 96.89% under the optimum reaction parameter of catalyst dosage of 5.06wt%, reaction temperature of 63.69°C, reaction time of 212.22min and methanol-oil ratio of 12.96:1. The prepared biodiesel was characterized using FT-IR, 1H NMR as well as 13C NMR and compared with international standard ASTM D6751. The ZnFe2O4(5)/CaOPS catalyst has excellent stability in biodiesel production and has some free fatty acid tolerance. In addition, a cost analysis and sensitivity analysis were done for the production of WCO biodiesel. It is hoped that the research results in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for biodiesel production from WCO with high free fatty acid content.

Exploring the freshness biomarker and volatiles formation in stored pork by means of lipidomics and volatilomics

Raw pork is prone to oxidation and rancidity as it contains a high level of unsaturated lipid molecules. Reliable biomarkers to benchmark pork freshness and their formation have not been systematically investigated. The results indicated that the peroxide values, TVB-N and rancid volatiles dramatically increased in pork during the storage period (4 °C, 0–9 d). Concentrations of most volatile compounds with carbonyl groups were increased markedly in pork during storing, including hexanal, acetic acid, and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester. Lipidomics, volatilomics and chemometrics methods were used to discriminate the freshness of pork, among which acetic acid and PC O-20:3 emerged as the most reliable freshness biomarkers. Phospholipids and neutral lipids, including phosphatidylcholines (PC), triglycerides (TG), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), played a crucial role in the formation of rancid volatiles and the decreased freshness. This work will provide technical supports for the efficient storage and preservation of raw meat.

Phytochemical profiling of aqueous extract of Gnetum africanum stem bark using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

The aqueous extract of stem bark of Gnetum africanum, was subjected to phytochemical screening using gas chromatography equipped with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this study gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of remarkable natural bioactive components in methanol extract of Gnetum africanum. The major constituents are propofol, trimethylsilyl ether (9.72%), phenol, 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-(methoxymethyl)- (7.25), -4'-dimethylamino-2'-(trimethylsilyl) acetanilide (5.69%), 2,2,2-trifluoro-N-(3-(methylthio)phenyl)acetamide (5.48%), 4-(4-bromophenyl)pyridine (5.35%), 17.beta.-hydroxy-6-oxo-4,5-secoandrostan-4-oic acid methyl ester (5.17%), methaqualone (5.07%). The bioactive components in the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Gnetum africanum have favourable medicinal qualities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, properties and also serve as an anesthetic and a sedative used in treatment of and neurological disorders. The phytochemical profiling of aqueous extract of Gnetum africanum using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of bioactive compounds with important therapeutic properties.

Heterogeneization of Biodiesel Production by Simultaneous Esterification and Transesterification of Oleins

The production of biodiesel via simultaneous esterification and transesterification reactions of residual fats such as palm oleins, with variable TG and FFA composition, using methanol and methane sulfonic acid (MSA) or an acid carbon-based structured catalyst (SO3H-C) as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts respectively, has been investigated. The influence of various parameters, such as methanol to oil molar ratio, operating temperature, amount of catalyst, or nature and composition of the raw materials on the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) yield was studied. It was determined that increasing the methanol to oil molar ratio resulted in an increase in the conversion of TG and FFA and a higher FAME yield; besides, reaction temperature has a strong effect. The best conditions tested to obtain the highest FAME yield (99.2%) was a methanol to oil molar ratio of 12:1, 120 °C (12 bar), a reaction time of at least 1 h, and 3% MSA as a homogeneous catalyst. The work demonstrated that an acidic solid catalyst, SO3H-C, homemade prepared, could be used as a heterogeneous catalyst in the simultaneous process under the optimized reaction conditions, achieving a complete esterification conversion with some limitations with respect to the transesterification reaction and a FAME yield close to 90.5%.

Producing and Testing the Properties of Biodiesel Sourced from Hemp Oil

Organic matter is converted into a variety of fuels, including potential replacements for transport fuels. New sources of raw materials are being sought for their acquisition. One such raw material that is currently attracting a growing degree of attention is hemp. The objective of this study was to produce biodiesel from hemp oil to ascertain its selected properties and to compare them with the properties of biodiesel obtained from rapeseed oil and the properties of diesel fuel. A reactor designed for the non-industrial, local conversion of available raw materials into fatty acid esters was used for the manufacture of biodiesel. The properties of hemp oil biodiesel were evaluated in comparison with those of rapeseed oil biodiesel, with properties of diesel fuel, and with the requirements set forth in the EN 14214 standard, pertaining to the specification of fatty acid methyl esters for utilization in compression-ignition internal combustion engines. The kinematic viscosity value of the hemp oil biodiesel yielded just below the upper limit defined in the standard. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that such biodiesel contains a considerable proportion of esters of linoleic and linolenic acids, which are susceptible to oxidation. The content of linolenic acid ester in esters produced from hemp oil is clearly higher than the content of this ester in esters obtained from rapeseed oil. This higher content contributes to the high value of the iodine number, significantly exceeding the standard requirements. The remaining designated properties of hemp oil biodiesel are in accordance with the requirements laid down in the standard and exhibit similarities to those of rapeseed oil biodiesel. Further research is recommended to enhance the characteristics of hemp oil biodiesel and its utilization in compression-ignition engines.

Comparative lipidome and transcriptome provide novel insights into zero-valent iron nanoparticle-treated Fremyella diplosiphon.

Understanding the intricate interplay between nanoparticle-mediated cyanobacterial interactions is pivotal in elucidating their impact on the transcriptome and lipidome. In the present study, total fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the wild-type (B481-WT) and transformant (B481-SD) Fremyella diplosiphon strains treated with nanoscale zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVIs) were characterized, and transcriptome changes analyzed. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed a 20-25% higher percentage of FAMEs in nZVI-treated F. diplosiphon strain B481-SD compared to B481-WT. Accumulation of alkanes was significantly higher (> 1.4 times) in both strains treated with 25.6 mg L-1 nZVIs compared to the untreated control. In addition, we observed significantly higher levels of monounsaturated FAMEs (11%) in B481-WT in 3.2 (11.34%) and 25.6 mg L-1 (11.22%) nZVI-treated cells when compared to the untreated control (7%). Analysis of the F. diplosiphon transcriptome treated with 3.2mg L-1 revealed a total of 1811 and 1651 genes that were differentially expressed in B481-SD and B481-WT respectively. While the expression of iron uptake and ion channel genes was downregulated, genes coding for photosynthesis, pigment, and antioxidant enzymes were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated in B481-SD treated with 3.2 mg L-1 nZVIs compared to the untreated control. This study on essential FAMEs and regulation of genes in nZVI-treated F. diplosiphon strains provides a molecular framework for optimization of metabolic pathways in this model species.

Lithocholic Acid’s Ionic Compounds as Promising Antitumor Agents: Synthesis and Evaluation of the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Mitochondria

The development of a methodology for the synthesis of new compounds with antitumor activity represents a significant and priority task within the field of medicinal chemistry. As a continuation of our research group’s earlier studies on the antitumor activity of ionic derivatives of natural compounds, we have synthesized a series of previously undescribed pyrazole ionic compounds through a series of transformations of lithocholic acid methyl ester. To investigate the biological activity of the newly synthesized lithocholic acid derivatives, a series of modern flow cytometry techniques were employed to assess their cytotoxic activity, effects on the cell cycle, and induction of apoptosis. This included the analysis of alterations in the mitochondrial potential, accumulation of ROS ions in mitochondria, and loss of cytochrome c. These compounds demonstrate promising antitumor activity through their effects on mitochondrial oxidation and phosphorylation processes. These compounds, which we have designated as “soft dissociators”, exhibit enhanced biopharmacological properties relative to the original lithocholic acid molecule.

Phycoremediation of rice bran oil processing wastewater and biodiesel production using green microalgae, Scenedesmus obliquus: a green approach to environmental protection and remediation.

The current study investigated the enhancement of biomass in S. obliquus, using rice bran oil processing (RBOP) wastewater in different RBOP wastewater concentrations, while also aiming to produce biofuel and treat the wastewater simultaneously. The strain was grown in Blue Green-11 (BG11) media as well as RBOP wastewater at different wastewater concentrations with distilled water at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% under controlled experimental settings. The study findings demonstrated a notable enhancement in the characteristics of RBOP wastewater during a 16-day growth period. The 75% RBOP wastewater concentration demonstrated superior efficacy as a growth medium for producing biomass as well as lipids, among other wastewater concentrations. Accordingly, physicochemical parameters and heavy metal percent of the RBOP wastewater were assessed. The collected biomass was employed in the production of biodiesel, and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were measured, along with an assessment of its characteristics. Physicochemical analysis indicated that S. obliquus was able to effectively decrease levels of nitrate, phosphate, sulfur, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in RBOP wastewater. The heavy metal reduction percentages for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) were 69.43%, 72.94%, 72.99%, 90.49%, and 91.5%, respectively, following treatment with S. obliquus. FTIR indicated the existence of various functional groups (including alcohol, carboxylic acid) on the surface of the microalgal biomass. The FAME profile of S. obliquus exhibited a moderate level of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid content. S. obliquus demonstrated significant phycoremediation capabilities and potential for lipid production. This study has indicated that S. obliquus is a potential candidate for the treatment of wastewater.

Chemical quantification of N-acyl alanine methyl ester (NAME) production and impact on temporal gene expression patterns in Roseovarius tolerans EL-164

BackgroundPrevious studies have identified structurally diverse N-acyl amino acid methyl esters (NAMEs) in culture extracts of Roseovarius tolerans EL-164 (Roseobacteraceae). NAMEs are structural analogues of the common signaling compounds N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), but do not participate in AHL-mediated signaling. NAMEs show minor antialgal and antimicrobial activity, but whether this activity serves as the primary ecological role remains unclear.ResultsTo enable dose-dependent bioactivity-testing, we have established a chromatographic method for quantification of NAMEs in bacterial culture extracts. The concentrations determined for the two major NAMEs produced by EL-164, C16:1-NAME and C17:1-NAME, ranged between 0.685 and 5.731 mg L− 1 (2.0-16.9 µM) and 5.3–86.4 µg L− 1 (15.0-244.3 nM), respectively. Co-quantification of the C14:1-AHL showed concentrations ranging between 17.5 and 58.7 mg L− 1 (56.6-189.7 µM). We observed distinct production patterns for NAMEs and AHLs, with a continuous NAME production during the entire incubation period. We conducted a spike-in experiment, using the determined metabolite concentrations. By comparing the transcriptomes of pre- and post-metabolite-spikes, we identified three clusters of differentially expressed genes with distinct temporal expression patterns. Expression levels of stress response genes differed between NAME- and AHL-spiked EL-164 cultures in the stationary phase.ConclusionsOur findings support previous studies suggesting an ecological role for C16:1-NAME as antibiotic, by proving that NAME concentrations in batch cultures were higher than the minimal inhibitory concentrations against Maribacter sp. 62 − 1 (Flavobacteriia) and Skeletonema costatum CCMP 1332 (Coscinodiscophyceae) reported in the literature. Our study further exemplified the broad application range of dose-dependent testing and highlighted the different biological activities of NAMEs and AHLs.

Study of Vertical Phototransistors Based on Integration of Inorganic Transistors and Organic Photodiodes.

We investigate the inorganic/organic hybrid vertical phototransistor (VPT) by integrating an atomic layer deposition-processed ZnO (ALD-ZnO) transistor with a prototype poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM) blend organic photodiode (OPD) based on an encapsulated source electrode geometry, and discuss the device mechanism. Our preliminary studies on reference P3HT:PC61BM OPDs show non-ohmic electron injection between the ALD-ZnO and P3HT:PC61BM layers. However, the ALD-ZnO layer enables the accumulation of photogenerated holes under negative bias, which facilitates electron injection upon illumination and thereby enhances the external quantum efficiency (EQE). This mechanism underpins the photoresponse in the VPT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the gate field in the VPT effectively modulates electron injection from the ALD-ZnO layer to the top OPD, resulting in the VPT operating as a non-ohmic OPD in the OFF state and as an ohmic OPD in the ON state. Benefiting from the unique transistor geometry and gate modulation capability, this hybrid VPT can achieve an EQE of 45,917%, a responsivity of 197 A/W, and a specific detectivity of 3.4 × 1012 Jones under 532 nm illumination and low drain-source voltage (Vds = 3 V) conditions. This transistor geometry also facilitates integration with various OPDs and the miniaturization of the ZnO channel area, offering an ideal basis for the development of highly efficient VPTs and high-resolution image sensors.