Binary Combinations Research Articles

A Combined Experimental and Computational Exploration of Heteroleptic cis-Pd2L2L'2Coordination Cages through Geometric Complementarity.

Heteroleptic (mixed-ligand) coordination cages are of interest as host systems with more structurally and functionally complex cavities than homoleptic architectures. The design of heteroleptic cages, however, is far from trivial. In this work, we experimentally probed the self-assembly of Pd(II) ions with binary ligand combinations in a combinatorial fashion to search for new cis-Pd2L2L'2 heteroleptic cages. A hierarchy of computational analyses was then applied to these systems with the aim of elucidating key factors for rationalising self-assembly outcomes. Simple and inexpensive geometric analyses were shown to be effective in identifying complementary ligand pairs. Preliminary results demonstrated the viability of relatively rapid semi-empirical calculations for predicting the topology of thermodynamically favoured assemblies with rigid ligands, whilst more flexible systems proved challenging. Stemming from this, key challenges were identified for future work developing effective computational forecasting tools for self-assembled metallo-supramolecular systems.

Preparation of novel polymeric surfactants based on synergistic effects and analysis of the mechanism driving the oil-displacement process and enhanced oil recovery

Polymeric surfactants have been favored by researchers due to their ability to increase the viscosity of the aqueous phase, reduce the viscosity of the oil phase, and avoid the chromatographic separation effects of polymer-surfactant binary combination flooding. However, there is little research into the oil-displacement effect of polymer surfactants, and the mechanism whereby it enhances heavy oil recovery remains unclear. To fill this theoretical gap in the research into the oil-displacement mechanism of polymer surfactants, a novel polymeric surfactant PNBM was prepared using acrylamide, acrylic acid, nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP), and 4-vinylbiphenyl (VB). The chemical structure of PNBM was validated by characterization methods such as 1HNMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The mechanism of PNBM for enhancing heavy oil recovery was systematically studied based on the displacement and profile control by thickening, reducing viscosity by emulsification, and peeling of oil films and droplets. Polymeric surfactant PNM containing NP and polymeric surfactant PBM containing VB were used as control groups. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of two viscosity-reducing monomers, PNBM has better oil displacement effect compared to PNM and PBM: (1) a tighter adsorption film can be formed at the water–oil interface due to the good interfacial activity of PNBM, so that the average viscosity reduction rate of PNBM at a low concentration reaches 85.5 %; (2) PNBM can significantly increase the viscosity of aqueous solutions (increasing to 38.2 mPa·s), decrease the water–oil mobility ratio, and expand the swept volume; (3) PNBM can reduce the contact angle of the water phase on the oil-wet surface to 62.8°, supplemented by its good viscoelasticity, thereby improving the oil-washing efficiency. Therefore, under the triple effects of displacement and profile control by thickening, reducing viscosity by emulsification, and peeling of oil films and droplets, PNBM can enhance heavy oil recovery by 17.7 %, significantly improving the beneficial industrial exploitation of heavy oil reservoirs.

Value of image enhancement of endoscopic ultrasound for diagnosis of gastrointestinal subepithelial lesions.

Among subepithelial lesions (SELs), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) should be identified and surgically treated at an early stage. However, it is difficult to diagnose SELs smaller than 20 mm. In recent years, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography (EUS-EG) and contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS) have been reported to be useful for the diagnosis of SELs, although the diagnostic accuracy of a combination of EUS techniques with image enhancement is unknown. Patients with SELs who underwent EUS-guided tissue acquisition, EUS shear-wave elastography (EUS-SWE), EUS strain elastography (EUS-SE), and CH-EUS from January 2019 to June 2023 were enrolled. To assess the diagnostic accuracy for differentiating GISTs from other SELs, shear-wave velocity on EUS-SWE, the strain ratio on EUS-SE, and vascularity on CH-EUS were determined and their diagnostic accuracies were compared. Forty-three patients were enrolled. When the cut-off value was set at 3.27 m/s, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of shear-wave velocity were 28.6%, 86.2%, and 34.9%, respectively. When the cut-off value was set at 3.79, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the strain ratio were 93.1%, 64.3%, and 83.7%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of CH-EUS were 79.3%, 92.3%, and 83.7%, respectively. When EUS-SE was combined with CH-EUS, the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy were the highest among binary combinations of image enhancement modalities. EUS-SE and CH-EUS are useful for differentiating GISTs from other SELs. Furthermore, the use of both modalities may further improve the identification of GISTs.

In vitro and Silico Exploration of the Insecticidal Properties of Lavandula multifida L. Essential Oil and its Binary Combinations with Cyantraniliprole and Emamectin benzoate on Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Control methods have faced challenges in effectively managing the spread and damage caused by the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, across various crops worldwide, highlighting the need for more sustainable and integrated approaches. This study explored the insecticidal effect of the essential oil (EO) of lavender (LV) (Lavandula multifida L.), cyantraniliprole (CY), and emamectin benzoate (EM) insecticides on FAW larvae. Toxicity, biological, and biochemical assays were employed to elucidate the impact of the two insecticides individually or combined with LV EO. Additionally, in silico molecular docking investigations were performed for eucalyptol (the major component of LV EO) and for CY against the acetylcholine esterase (AChE) enzyme (PDB ID: 6xyu) and cytochrome P450 (PDB ID: 2q6n). EM was the most toxic compound to FAW larvae with an LC50 of 0.0073 mg L−1, followed by CY and LV EO. The chi-square (χ2) test confirmed the synergistic effect of the LV EO/CY combination and the antagonistic effect LV EO/EM combination on FAW larvae. Biological development studies revealed that both LV EO/CY and LV EO/EM combinations impacted the larval and pupal durations. The biochemical assays indicated that the P450-specific activity was activated by LV EO (at LC25), CY (at LC25 & LC50), and their binary combination (at LC25:LC25). In addition, the LV EO/CY combination significantly activated the AChE and GST-specific activity, and the LV EO/CY combination and CY (at LC50) significantly activated α-esterase- specific activity. Molecular docking investigations revealed energy scores (S) of −6.7729 and −7.7644 kcal/mol for eucalyptol and CY, compared to −7.0993 kcal/mol for PDB ID: 6xyu ligand. The current results can serve as baseline data for utilizing the LV EO/CY combination in the integrated pest management (IPM) of FAW.

“Green mathematical approaches in fluorescence spectroscopy for quality control and clinical studies”

In the past decade, significant advancements have been made in mathematical spectral approaches for estimating binary and ternary drug combinations in raw materials and dosage forms. These approaches established on mathematical spectral manipulations of mixture analytes, without the need for separation techniques.The idea of using mathematical spectral approaches in fluorescence spectroscopy was resolving analytical issues and reach to biological concentrations thus, Ratio subtraction (RD) and ratio subtraction coupled with constant multiplication (RS-CM) have been proposed in fluorescence spectroscopy to evaluate the content uniformity of Flunarizine dihydrochloride (FLZ) and Propranolol hydrochloride (PRO) combination in raw materials, tablets, and spiked biological fluids (blood-urine). These approaches have demonstrated the ability to overcome the quantitative analytical challenges posed by the high native fluorescence intensity of the major component (PRO) at λex = 286/λem = 341 nm and the low native fluorescence intensity of the minor component (FLZ) at λex = 254/λem = 311 nm. The linearity range for (PRO) was found to be 25–500 ng/mL, and for (FLZ), it was 50–500 ng/mL. However, the spectrum addition technique was required to estimate (FLZ) in mixtures with concentrations less than 300 ng/mL.The overall validity of the proposed approaches was confirmed through adherence to ICH guidelines, and no statistical variation was observed in comparison to official studies. Additionally, the greenness and whiteness of the proposed approaches were evaluated using the Analytical greenness metric (AGREE), Green Solvents Selecting Tool (GSST), and Red-Green-Blue (RGB) algorithm.

Synergistic enhancement of oil recovery: Integrating anionic-nonionic surfactant mixtures, SiO2 nanoparticles, and polymer solutions for optimized crude oil extraction

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are essential for optimizing oil extraction from modern reservoirs. This research delved into the synergistic impact of combining anionic and nonionic surfactant mixtures with silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions, alongside the added enhancement of polymers, to improve crude oil recovery. The study comprehensively evaluated stability, rheological characteristics, interfacial tension (IFT) behavior, wettability alterations, and EOR experiments using mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and triton X-100 (TX-100) surfactants. Scenarios both with and without SiO2 NPs in a base solution containing 3000 ppm NaCl and 2000 ppm xanthan gum (XG) polymer were examined. Core flooding tests were carried out on San-Saba sandstone core specimens with low permeability. The stability tests and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis were performed to assess the stability of NPs in low saline-surfactant-polymer solution. It was observed that NPs significantly reduced the IFT between the test solutions and crude oil, with nanofluids exhibiting satisfactory stability at a 0.4 wt% SiO2 NPs concentration. Core flooding studies demonstrated a synergistic interaction between NPs and the binary surfactant-polymer mixture, resulting in substantially greater incremental recovery of oil in comparison with the case of using binary surfactant-polymer combination alone. The mechanisms contributing to EOR with nanofluids, such as IFT reduction and wettability alteration, were explored. Incorporating NPs at concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 wt% led to incremental oil recoveries of 4.01 %, 12.35 %, and 12.73 % of the original oil in place (OOIP), respectively, as opposed to the recovery achieved using only SDS + TX-100 + XG. Consequently, these findings advance the understanding of the potential application of SiO2 NPs in combination with the binary surfactant-polymer mixture as effective chemical EOR agents. Additionally, these insights aid in identifying suitable sandstone reservoirs for nanofluid application, contributing to the optimization of oil recovery strategies.

Antioxidant and antimalarial properties of hot aqueous leaf extracts of Setaria megaphylla, Ageratum conyzoides and Chromolaena odorata

This study investigated the antioxidant and antimalarial properties of leaf extracts of Setaria megaphylla, Ageratum conyzoides Linn, and Chromolaena odorata Linn, plants used in folkloric treatment of malaria. The plants were assessed for phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging activities using standard methods. Single, binary and ternary combinations of the processed leaves were subjected to hot aqueous extraction, and evaluated for in vivo antiplasmodial efficacy against Plasmodium berghei NK 65 using Swiss albino mice. The plants’ total phenolic profile varied as S. megaphylla (Sm; 118.06 µg/ml) > C. odorata (Co; 116.58 µg/ml) > A. conyzoides (Ac; 73.01 µg/ml), with catechin, dihydrocytisine and tannin being the most abundant phenolics. Total antioxidant capacities (TAC) and reducing power potentials (RPP) of the plants increased with increase in extract concentrations with Sm showing highest TAC (1.49 ± 0.02 mgAAE/g) and RPP (0.47 ± 0.01 mgAAE/g) values. A similar trend was observed for the hydroxyl, nitric oxide and DPPH radicals scavenging potentials, showing dose-dependent increases in scavenging potentials but with no observed significant (p<0.05) differences in activities at the highest extract dose of 400 µg/ml. The in vivo antimalarial study demonstrated that the combination of A. conyzoides and S. megaphylla was the most effective, significantly reducing parasitemia without causing mortality in the mice. This research highlights the potential of S. megaphylla, A. conyzoides, and C. odorata, especially the combination of their extracts as source of effective anti-malarial agents, and further confirms the folkloric use of hot aqueous extracts of the plants in malaria treatment.

Effect of different combinations of feed material of cattle dung with kitchen waste on growth rate of earthworm Eutyphoeus waltoni Michaelsen

In this study the effect of different combinations of animal dung (buffalo, cow, and goat) with kitchen wastes (vegetable wastes and banana peels) on the growth rate of Eutyphoeus waltoni during vermicomposting has been investigated. To identify the most potential feed material combination for enhancement of earthworm growth, the experiment was conducted using different combination of animal dung with kitchen waste as well as dung alone. Significant growth rate of Eutyphoeus waltoni was observed in all the binary combinations of animal dung with vegetable waste and banana peels whereas; the maximum growth rate was observed in the combination of buffalo dung and vegetable waste present in (1:1) ratio. It may be due to the balanced nutrient profile provided by the mixture, which enhances the decomposition process and creates an ideal environment for earthworm growth. The feed material combination of buffalo dung and vegetable waste in (1:1) ratio is suitable for better growth and development of earthworm Eutyphoeus waltoni which not only enhances the growth rate of earthworm but also contribute to efficient waste management by converting organic waste into nutrient-rich vermicompost.

Dual Centrifugation-based Screening for pH-responsive Liposomes.

In liposomal drug delivery development, the delicate balance of membrane stability is a major challenge to prevent leakage (during shelf-life and blood circulation), and to ensure efficient payload release at the therapeutic destination. Our composite screening approach uses the processing by dual centrifugation technique to speed up the identification ofde novoformulations of intermediate membrane stability. By screening binary lipid combinations at systemically varied ratios we highlight liposomal formulations of intermediate stability, what we termed "the edge of stability", requiring moderate stimuli for destabilization. Supplementation with a pH-sensitive cholesterol derivative (to obtain acid labile liposomes) and renewed assessment with cargo load led to the discovery of three formulations with sufficient shelf-life stability, acceptable cargo retention and efficient pH-responsive cargo release in vitro. The "lead candidates" exhibited promising in cellulo uptake with increased intracellular cargo release and revealed in vivo performance advantages compared to a control liposome. Our approach filters lipid compositions on "the edge of stability" that were introduced with a pH-sensitive cholesterol derivate leading pH-responsive liposomes, out of a multidimensional parameter space. Their discovery by rational approaches would have been highly unlikely, thus highlighting the potential of our screening approach.

A green approach: Simultaneous spectrophotometric detection of Co-administered levamisole and triclabendazole in Fasciola-infected sheep with environmental sustainability assessment

The goal of this work is to evaluate the greenness of six spectrophotometric approaches that have been presented for determining the binary combination of levamisole (LVA) and triclabendazole (TCZ). To evaluate the suggested approaches, the analytical community has taken an interest in using green analytical chemistry practices. Two tools, called "Analytical GREEness" (AGREE) and "Green Analytical Procedure Index" (GAPI), were utilized to assess the degree of greenness. The zero spectrum of TCZ and LVA is compared, and it is seen that their spectra overlap. This means that the six spectrophotometric methods can be used to find them: zero order (D0), first derivative (D1), second derivative (D2), the area under the curve (AUC), mean centering, and bivariate. Method I: The zero-order method (D0) is used to measure TCZ directly at 306 nm because LVA has no absorption. Method II: the first derivative method (D1) was used at wavelengths of 312 nm and 220 nm for TCZ and LVA respectively, and the linear range for TCZ and LVA was 2–18 μg/mL and 2–14 μg/mL, respectively. Method III: For the TCZ, the second derivative method (D2) was used at a wavelength of 312 nm and a linear range of 1–18 μg/mL. Method IV: The area under the curve (AUC) method was used with wavelengths of 202–207 nm and 218–226 nm, and concentrations of 2–14 μg/mL for LVA and 1–9 μg/mL for TCZ. Method V: we used a mean-centering method that involved dividing the mean-centered ratio spectrum by the spectrum of the 6 μg/mL TCZ and finding the mean-centered ratio values at 241 nm for LVA. Method VI: The bivariate method is based on measuring two components at two chosen wavelengths using the Kaiser Method. The wavelengths 215 and 225 nm gave the best value of K, so they could be used to find the concentrations of LVA and TCZ. It ranged from 2 to 16 μg/mL for TCZ and from 2 to 14 μg/mL for LVA. These methods were developed for analyzing binary mixtures in pharmaceutical dosage form and bulk powders with high recoveries. Following ICH guidelines, the developed techniques underwent validation. The results show that there were no significant differences when all methods were compared statistically to the described method for TCZ and LVA.

Enhanced Synergistic performance of ZnO@BiOX (X=Cl, Br, I) heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation of emerging pollutants under visible light

In this work, we study the influence of the proportion and halogen type present in heterojunctions of zinc oxide and bismuth oxyhalides ZnO@BiOX (Where X=Cl-, Br-, I- and several binary combinations of them) on the photocatalytic activity in the degradation of rhodamine-B (Rh-B) under visible light, as well as in two important emergent contaminants resorcinol and sulfadiazine. The materials were synthesized by a solvothermal process at 130 °C, starting from ZnO nanoparticles and BiOX precursors (Bi+ and X=Cl-, Br-, I- ions). It was found that the best combination of halogens was 75 % Br- and 25 % Cl- (ZnO@BiOBrCl bromine-chlorine ratio 3:1) forming a Z-type heterojunction with a time constant of τ = 5.6067 min (κ = τ-1 = 0.1784 min−1) in the degradation of Rh-B (C0 = 30 ppm, VRxn = 250 mL). The same composite degraded totally resorcinol in 250 min, and 85.2 % of sulfadiazine in 150 min.

Synthesis and application of MgCuAl-layered triple hydroxide/carboxylated carbon nanotubes/bentonite nanocomposite for the effective removal of lead from contaminated water

A novel multicomponent adsorbent nano-composite was synthesized by intercalating bentonite clay and carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH) into MgCuAl-layered triple hydroxide (MgCuAl-LTH), abbreviated as LTH/CNT-COOH/Bent. The produced nano-composite, its parental materials, and their binary combinations were characterized using various techniques. Pore filling was noted based on the BET analysis, hence, indicating effective component integration in the nano-composite structure. Further, distinct peaks appearing on the FTIR and XRD spectra of the single materials also appeared on the synthesized composites (including the binary combinations of the parental materials), hence, further indicating the successful synthesis of the targeted adsorbents. The effects of process parameters including pH, adsorbent dose, lead initial concentration and contact time on lead removal, were explored. In general, the application of LTH/CNT-COOH/Bent adsorbent yielded a significant improvement in lead adsorption capacity (∼260.8 mg/g) relative to all parental materials and their binary combinations. It was revealed that the adsorbent dose and lead initial concentration are the most significant factors affecting lead uptake onto the synthesized adsorbent and the adsorption kinetics was fast. The obtained results indicated that the Avrami kinetic and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models best fit the lead adsorption kinetics and isotherm experimental results, respectively. Furthermore, the response surface methodology (RSM) technique was employed for optimization of lead removal, achieving near complete removal (>99 %) at LTH/CNT-COOH/Bent dose of 0.5 g/L, lead initial concentration of 40 ppm and a time of 2 h. Additionally, the machine learning (ML) and the ANN based models for lead removal using LTH/CNT-COOH/Bent nano-composite yielded good predictions.

Multifunctional properties of peptides derived from black cricket (Gryllus assimilis) and effects of in vitro digestion simulation on their bioactivities

Insects are a rich source of proteins and are produced in systems that have lower environmental impact. As an alternative protein source, they can be consumed directly or used as an ingredient in other formulations. Recently, there has been growing interest in utilizing insect proteins as a substrate to obtain bioactive peptides as well as in investigating the maintenance of their biological properties under physiological conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of simulated digestion on the bioactive properties of protein hydrolysates from black crickets (Gryllus assimilis). Following simulated digestion of the hydrolysate obtained through the application of Flavourzyme, the scavenging activities of ABTS and DPPH radicals, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) increased by approximately 17 %, 246 %, and 173 %, respectively. For the hydrolysate obtained using the binary combination of Flavourzyme/Neutrase, the inhibitory activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase after digestion were 47.87 % and 12.73 %, respectively, not significantly (p > 0.05) different from non-digested hydrolysates. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the sample hydrolyzed with Flavourzyme/Alcalase proteases was 42.22 %, but this property was completely lost after in vitro digestion. Untargeted proteomic analysis allowed the identification of 22 peptides in the <3 kDa fraction of the digested black cricket protein. The LPPLP sequence was considered potentially bioactive for all activities tested in silico.

In vitro antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine in combination with essential oils of Mentha x piperita L. & Thymus serpyllum L. & Pelargonium graveolens L’hér

ABSTRACT In this study, the antimicrobial potential of Mentha piperita & Thymus serpyllum &Pelargonium graveolens essential oil combinations was evaluated with Chlorhexidine. These species used ethnobotanically against throat infections. The commercial oils were analysed by GC-MS to confirm phytochemistry. Antimicrobial evaluation of the essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans were performed using in vitro microdilution assay. Binary combinations of Chlorhexidine-essential oils were evaluated using the checkerboard method. M. piperita essential oil contained 47% menthol as the major component, whereas the main component of T. serpyllum essential oil was 19% geraniol, and the main component of P. graveolens was 25% citronellol, respectively. The calculated fractional inhibition concentration index (FICI) of chlorhexidine-T. serpyllum combinations against S. mutans resulted as antagonistic (FICI 3.3643), while the FICI of chlorhexidine-P. graveolens essential oil combination resulted in synergistic (FICI 0.4326). Also, the FICI value = 0.252 of chlorhexidine-P. graveolens essential oil combinations against S. aureus were synergistic. To the best of our knowledge, combinations of these oils with Chlorhexidine were observed for the first time in this study with the potential application as mouthwash formulation.

Investigation of the solubility behavior of emodin and aloe-emodin in water + ethanol mixtures at various temperatures ranging from 283.15 K to 323.15 K

A thermostated reactor and UV–visible spectrophotometer analysis were used to determine the solubility of emodin and aloe-emodin, two naturally occurring compounds with pharmacological activity. At a pressure of 0.1 MPa under atmospheric conditions, and temperatures from 283.15 to 323.15 K with intervals of 5 K, the solubility in different water–ethanol combinations was the primary focus of the investigation. Under constant solvent composition, a positive correlation was observed between the solubility of emodin/ or aleo-emodin and the experimental temperature in all examined mixed solvent systems. To better understand the relationships between solutes and solvents and the interactions between several solvents, the KAT-LSER model was used to conduct multiple linear regression analysis on systems containing either pure solvents or a combination of solvents. In addition, several thermodynamic models were used to establish a connection with the empirical solubility data. These models included the Jouyban-Acree, Apelblat-Jouyban-Acree, van’t Hoff-Jouyban-Acree, and Ma models. The correlation findings demonstrate that all four thermodynamic models accurately predicted emodin and aleo-solubility emodin’s behavior under different solvent and temperature settings. Furthermore, the thermodynamic characteristics of emodin solubility in binary solvent combinations were determined using the van’t Hoff model. According to the findings, two compounds were found to undergo endothermic and non-spontaneous dissolution.

Removal of antibiotics from aqueous solutions: insights of competitive adsorption onto Ni-impregnated biochar of spent coffee grounds

Antibiotics are among the most widely used pharmaceutically active compounds. Possessing the capability to adversely impact the ecological system, existence of antibiotics in the environment is an escalating concern. With the purpose of removing two widely used antibiotics efficiently from aqueous solutions, the competency of two biochar (BC)-based sorbents derived from spent coffee (SC) grounds was investigated. Both pristine (SCBC) and nickel (II) oxide-impregnated (Ni-SCBC) biochars were utilized as sustainable and cost-effective sorbents to remove daunorubicin (DAYN) and tigecycline (TIGY) from single synthetic aqueous solutions and binary combinations. Batch adsorption experiments were controlled implementing Box–Behnken design. The removal efficiency of Ni-SCBC was superior compared to SCBC (TIGY: 67.06%, DAYN: 94.30%). Results of characterizations showed that impregnation with NiO changed the degree of crystallization with a remarkable increase in the surface area from 49.23 m2/g in SCBC to 86.06 m2/g in Ni-SCBC. Adsorption of DAYN and TIGY (single solutions) conformed well to Freundlich, and Langmuir isotherms, respectively. A maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 136.62 mg/g (DAYN) and 73.15 mg/g (TIGY) was reported in single solutions, compared to 23.50 mg/g (DAYN) and 58.42 mg/g (TIGY) in binary mixture. Adsorption kinetics onto Ni-SCBC fitted well with the pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Elovich models. Acquired results demonstrated that SCBC and Ni-SCBC are promising adsorbents for remedying antibiotics.

Iturin A and Gramicidin A inhibit proliferation, trigger apoptosis, and regulate inflammation in breast cancer cells

Biosurfactants with antibiotic, antiviral, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory properties appear to have potential in cancer treatment due to their lack of known toxicities compared with conventional chemotherapy. However, there are few studies on the use of biosurfactants for the treatment of breast cancer. In this study, to develop a new strategy for breast cancer treatment, we evaluated the anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and apoptotic effects of two different biosurfactants (Iturin A and Gramicidin A) from bacillus in both single and binary combination on two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, which is estrogen receptor-negative and positive, respectively). First, the anti-proliferative effects of Iturin A and Gramicidin A, both single and in combination, were explored by MTT assay. Then, the effects of Iturin A and Gramicidin A on inflammatory factors were evaluated using the ELISA method. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V-PE/7-AAD and Giemsa staining methods. RT-qPCR analysis was used to evaluate the expressions of several cytokines with anti-tumor and apoptotic properties and the apoptotic BAX and BCL2 genes. Biosurfactants showed anti-proliferative and anti-tumor properties by decreasing the viability of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells depending on concentration and time (p < 0.05-p<0.01). Biosurfactants induced apoptosis by stimulating apoptotic cell death (p < 0.05-p<0.001) and by increasing BAX and decreasing BCL2 gene expression levels (p < 0.05-p<0.001) in breast cancer cells. Biosurfactants also regulated the expressions of extracellular and intracellular cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, IL12RB2, TGFβ, TNFα, VEGF) and chemokines (IL-8, CCL2, CXCL10) in breast cancer cells (p < 0.05-p<0.01). Both single and binary combination applications of Iturin A and Gramicidin A biosurfactants, may potentially treat breast cancer patients, and the in vitro results presented here warrant further in vivo studies.

Optimal formulation of bitter gourd and black galingale extract: Evaluation of effects on inflammation and oxidative stress-related genes

Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNOS) are defined as highly reactive molecules that can be generated endogenously and exogenously. The overproduction of RNOS leads to inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Natural antioxidants derived from plants are molecules that can neutralize those RNOS. In this study, to increase the antioxidant capacity in neutralizing RNOS, an in vitro evaluation of a binary combination of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) and black galingale (Kaempferia parviflora) extracts as potential natural antioxidant sources at different ratios was conducted. A combination at the ratio of 1:6 showed the highest total phenolic content (TPC) (336.48 ± 0.04 mg GAE/100g DW), while the ratios 1:6 (1511.73 ± 0.20 mg QE/100g DW) and 1:8 (1398.91 ± 0.28 mg QE/100g DW) exhibited the highest total flavonoid content (TFC) compared to the bitter gourd extract and other mixed ratios. The highest scavenging capacities in the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays were detected at the ratios of 1:3 (IC50 9.1 ± 0.07 mg/mL; moderate synergism), 1:6 (IC50 1.07 ± 0.07 mg/mL; synergism), and 1:4 (IC50 2.44 ± 0.04 mg/mL; strong synergism), respectively. Based on the overall cumulative ability to scavenge free radicals with synergistic or additive antioxidant interactions and the presence of functional groups analyzed using FT-IR, the 1:6 ratio was determined as the best combination ratio to neutralize RNOS where 15 proposed beneficial bioactive compounds were detected. Additionally, in vivo studies showed that the increase of CAT mRNA expression and the suppression of NF-kB and CPT-1 mRNA expression at 250 mg/kg BW of dosage confirms that this methanolic mixed extract potentially can effectively act as both an anti-inflammation and antioxidant agent. This study demonstrates that a specific binary combination ratio of plant extracts can synergistically and additively increase their antioxidant capacity, even when utilized in small quantities.

Study of mesomorphic, thermal and optical properties of 4-pentylbenzoic acid (5BA) and 4-n-alkyl-4́-cyanobiphenyl (nCB; n = 5, 6) supramolecular hydrogen bonded mesogenic complexes

Within the scope of this study, the process of producing and analyzing a liquid crystalline substance (supramolecular hydrogen-bonded mesogen) is presented. The formation of this mesogen involves the use of two chemicals, namely 4-pentylbenzoic acid (5BA) and 4-n-alkyl-4́-cyanobiphenyl (nCB; n = 5, 6). Equimolar (1:1) 5BA/5CB and 5BA/6CB binary combination samples have been organized by using one at a time mixing 5CB and 6CB liquid crystal chemical substances with 5BA. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) are employed for the examination of phase transitions, and liquid crystalline phase texture properties of the produced mesogens. The phase transformation sequence that occurred during heating and cooling is Crystal (Cr) ↔ Smectic A (SmA) ↔ Nematic (N) ↔ Isotropic (I) with the 1st order or weakly 1st order transition. The nematic range value observed for 5BA/6CB is considerably smaller than the nematic range value observed for 5BA/5CB, but the thermal mesophase range value for both is approximately the same. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) evaluation of 5BA, 5CB, and their hydrogen-bonded combos (5BA/nCB; n = 5, 6) confirmed attribute peaks. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study revealed that the produced mesogens possess a crystalline structure. In addition, UV–Vis experiments demonstrated that the increase in alkyl chain length in the combination resulted in a decrease in absorbance and wavelength values, while leading to an increase in absorbency and band gap energy values. These results propose workable purposes for the synthesized substances in liquid crystal displays and other optoelectronic devices. Overall, the findings display the feasibility and viability of these novel hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline mesogens in various technological applications.

Second order frequency selective surface design multi-functional at two bands

This paper proposes an active frequency selective surface which furnishes three bands of higher order filtering characteristics. It controls multi-functional features, at two bands (centered at 2 GHz and 4 GHz), namely electromagnetic response and polarization of plane wave. Nine discrete filtering outputs are independently controlled through switching in bias supply to four PIN diodes embedded in two layers of AFSS unit cell. Two multifunctional bands hold stability upto 45° angles under all polarizations of wave. Passive band at around 5.9 GHz contributed by all the independent binary combinations exhibits stability upto 45° angles of TE wave only. The equivalent circuit method is used to explain and verify the designed structure. Finally, the AFSS structure is fabricated and reliability of the simulation results is verified through experiments.