Liquid Chromatography-mass Spectrometer Research Articles

Mechanism Exploration of Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. for Liver Cancer Based on Aspartic Acid Identification in Metabolomics.

To investigate the anti-liver cancer effects and aspartic acid (Asp)-related action mechanism of Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. (Lang Du, LD). The mice model of liver cancer was established by injection of H22 cells. After 5 days, mice were randomly divided into model group, sorafenib group (20 mg/kg), LD high-dose (LDH, 1.36 g/kg) group, LD medium-dose (LDM, 0.68 g/kg) group, and LD low-dose (LDL, 0.34 g/kg) group, 10 mice each group. Drugs were intragastrically administered to the mice once daily for 10 days, respectively. Body weight, tumor size and tumor weight were recorded. Hepatic index was calculated. Pathological changes of liver cancer tissues were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining and TUNEL staining. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer was used to analyze different metabolites between the model and LDH groups. After LD treatment, tumor weight, tumor size and hepatic index were reduced compared with the model group. Necrocytosis and karyorrhexis of tumor cells were found. Moreover, 61 differential metabolites (18 up-regulated, 43 down-regulated) were affirmed and 20 pathways of KEGG (P<0.05) were gotten. In addition, Bel-7402, HepG2 and H22 cell viabilities were significantly increased after adding Asp into the medium. And then, the cell proliferation effect induced by Asp was ameliorated by LD. The anti-liver cancer efficacy of LD extract was validated in H22 mice model, and inhibition of Asp level might be the underlying mechanism.

Reaction mechanism, degradation pathway and toxicity assessment of NH4+ enhanced potassium ferrate removal of levofloxacin

Considering that ammonium ion (NH4+) was widely distributed in natural water and many sewage, it was of great practical significance to study NH4+ enhanced potassium ferrate (Fe(VI)) to rapid removal of levofloxacin (LEV) from water. In this experiment, firstly, the reaction kinetic of NH4+ enhanced Fe(VI) removal of LEV was studied, and the results showed that the enhanced removal reaction conformed to the second-order kinetic equation. When pH ≤ 9, the second-order rate constant kapp was linearly related to NH4+ dosage, but when pH= 10, the above linear relationship was broken, and the slope of the fitting line would change toward a smaller trend. Subsequently, tert-butanol (TBA) and Methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) were used as probes for·OH and high-valent iron-based intermediate (Fe(V)/Fe(IV)) respectively, which further revealed the reaction mechanism that NH4+ enhanced Fe(VI) to remove LEV as follows: NH4+ could promote Fe(VI) to produce a large amount of Fe(V)/Fe(IV), thus accelerating the degradation of LEV. In addition, 10 degradation intermediates of LEV were identified by quadrupole time-of-flight tandem ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (Q-TOF LC-MS), and then combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculation, two possible degradation pathways were inferred. Through the luminescence inhibition experiment of Vibrio fischeri and the toxicity evaluation of ECOSAR, it could be concluded that in the process of NH4+ enhancing Fe(VI) to remove LEV, the toxicity of the solution showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and its toxicity was effectively improved and reduced after full oxidation. Finally, the experiments in actual water showed that it was feasible to use NH4+ in actual water to enhance Fe(VI) for rapid removal of LEV.

Ultrasonic degradation of tetracycline combining peroxymonosulfate and BiVO4 microspheres

Tetracycline (TC) has received widespread attention due to the negative impacts of the drug abuse on ecological system and human health. Sonodegradation coupled with catalyst has proven to be an efficient method to treating TC. In this paper, BiVO4 microspheres synthesized by hydrothermal method and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were used as sonocatalysts. Comparison of the degradation experiments revealed that combination of BiVO4/PMS with ultrasound (US) resulted in the highest degradation rate of TC, and the synergistic factor was calculated to be 6.17, which indicates a very significant synergistic effect. Effects of many factors, such as US power, BiVO4 concentration, dosage of PMS, initial TC concentration and matrix ion, on tetracycline degradation were investigated, and the operating parameters were optimized by response surface methodology, which predicted that TC degradation rate could reach 91.4 % after 60 min by setting initial TC concentration of 20 mg/L, BiVO4 concentration of 1.156 g/L, PMS dosage of 2.331 mM, and US power of 419 W. Active species analysis verified that radicals, such as OH, SO˙4−, h+ and O˙2−, were the primary contributors to TC removal, and ultrasonic cavitation plays a key role in sonocatalysis. The TC degradation rate only decreased by 1.6 % after four reuses of BiVO4. Moreover, the intermediate of TC degradation was detected using a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS), and the degradation pathway revealed that deamination, decarbonization and ring-opening reaction eventually result in the decomposition of TC. This work proposes a method for an efficient degradation of TC in waste water.

Highly sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on a monoclonal antibody against saikosaponin b2 for quality control of Kampo medicines containing Bupleuri radix.

Saikosaponins are naturally occurring oleanane-type triterpenoids that are found in Bupleuri radix (root of Bupleurum falcatum) and exhibit a broad biological activity spectrum. Saikosaponin b2 (SSb2) is the main saikosaponin in Kampo medicine extracts and is a designated quality control marker for the same in the Japanese Pharmacopeia. Although some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against saikosaponins have been produced to evaluate the quality of Bupleuri radix and related products, anti-SSb2 mAbs have not been used to quantify SSb2 in Kampo medicines. To address this knowledge gap, we herein established a new hybridoma cell line secreting a highly specific anti-SSb2 mAb and developed an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on this mAb for the detection of SSb2 in Bupleuri radix-containing Kampo medicines. The generated SSb2-recognized mAb exhibited high specificity to SSb2 in icELISA. The developed assay featured high sensitivity (linearity range = 1.95-125ng/ml), accuracy, precision and reproducibility (coefficient of variation < 5%), and the thus determined SSb2 contents were strongly correlated with those obtained using liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer. These results suggest that the anti-SSb2 mAb-based icELISA method can be used for the quality control and standardization of Kampo medicines containing Bupleuri radix.

A Developed and Validated Method for the Determination of Zolmitriptan in Human Plasma Through Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometric (LC-MS/MS)

A Developed and Validated Method for the Determination of Zolmitriptan in Human Plasma Through Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometric (LC-MS/MS)

Integrated 'omics analysis for the gut microbiota response to moxibustion in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

To observe the efficacy of moxibustion in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and explore the effects on gut microbiota and metabolic profiles. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control group (Con), CFS model group (Mod, established by multiple chronic stress for 35 d), MoxA group (CFS model with moxibustion Shenque (CV8) and Guanyuan (CV4), 10 min/d, 28 d) and MoxB group (CFS model with moxibustion Zusanli (ST36), 10 min/d, 28 d). Open-field test (OFT) and Morris-water-maze test (MWMT) were determined for assessment the CFS model and the therapeutic effects of moxibustion.16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis based gut microbiota integrated untargeted liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) based fecal metabolomics were executed, as well as Spearman correlation analysis, was utilized to uncover the functional relevance between the potential metabolites and gut microbiota. The results of our behavioral tests showed that moxibustion improved the performance of CFS rats in the OFT and the MWMT. Microbiome profiling analysis revealed that the gut microbiomes of CFS rats were less diverse with altered composition, including increases in pro-inflammatory species (such as Proteobacteria) and decreases in anti-inflammatory species (such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, and Prevotella). Moxibustion partially normalized these changes in the gut microbiota. Furthermore, CFS was associated with metabolic disorders, which were effectively ameliorated by moxibustion. This was demonstrated by the normalization of 33 microbiota-related metabolites, including mannose (P = 0.001), aspartic acid (P = 0.009), alanine (P = 0.007), serine (P = 0.000), threonine (P = 0.027), methionine (P = 0.023), 5-hydroxytryptamine (P = 0.008), alpha-linolenic acid (P = 0.003), eicosapentaenoic acid (P = 0.006), hypoxanthine (P = 0.000), vitamin B6 (P = 0.000), cholic acid (P = 0.013), and taurocholate (P = 0.002). Correlation analysis showed a significant association between the perturbed fecal microbiota and metabolite levels, with a notable negative relationship between LCA and Bacteroides. In this study, we demonstrated that moxibustion has an antifatigue-like effect. The results from the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomics analysis suggest that the therapeutic effects of moxibustion on CFS are related to the regulation of gut microorganisms and their metabolites. The increase in Bacteroides and decrease in LCA may be key targets for the moxibustion treatment of CFS.

Peroxydisulphate activated FTO-WO3 nanorods based photoelectrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline: Intermediate products, degradation pathway and ecotoxicity studies

This work reports sulphate radical assisted photoelectrocatalytic (SR-PEC) degradation of tetracycline using a visible light active fluorine-doped tin oxide – tungsten trioxide nanorods (FTO-WO3 NRs) photoanode. The WO3 NRs were synthesised via the hydrothermal method and then conducted on the FTO glass to form a photoanode. When the photoanode was applied without sulphate radicals for PEC degradation, 10 % of the tetracycline was degraded. Conversely, when 3 mM persulphate was added, the extent of tetracycline degraded was 88 % using the UV–vis spectrophotometer and 99 % using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS) within 90 min at 1.5 V. The mechanism of tetracycline degradation was proposed based on the intermediate products identified using UPLC-MS and the extent of toxicity was evaluated using quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analysis. Trapping experiment revealed that the photogenerated holes, sulphate radicals, and hydroxyl radicals were the oxidants that significantly took part in the degradation of tetracycline. Overall, the electrode was stable and reusable, therefore suggesting the suitability of FTO-WO3 NRs photoanode in the presence of sulphate radicals towards the decontamination of water laden with pharmaceutical pollutants.

Novel extraction technique: quantification of major phytoconstituents of arjuna in infused edible oil

A rapid, precise, accurate, and cost-effective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer method was developed by using a novel extraction technique for the simultaneous quantification of major oleane derivatives: arjunetin, arjungenin, arjunolic acid, and arjunic acid of Terminalia arjuna in infused edible oil. An innovative idea was implemented to extract the active phytoconstituents from the oil matrix based on the freezing point of oils and extraction solvent. The developed method was validated for all four active compounds in the linear working range of 0.47–1.72 µg/mL, 0.845–2.93 µg/mL, 1.73–5.95 µg/mL and 0.62–2.22 µg/mL with good correlations value (r 2) more than 0.99 for arjunetin, arjungenin, arjunolic acid, and arjunetin, respectively. Furthermore, the HPTLC method was also developed for the quick identification of all four active markers along with other phytoconstituents infused in oil.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Metabolomic Pattern of Different Pituitary Stalk Lesions.

To describe the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolomic pattern of pituitary stalk lesions. CSF was collected from patients with different pituitary stalk lesions treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital: germ cell tumor (GCT, n = 27); hypophysitis (n = 10); and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) or Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) (LCH + ECD, n = 10). The CSF metabolome profiles were characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). There were 44 metabolites that significantly differed between patients with GCT and those with hypophysitis (P < .05). Between patients with GCT with CSF level of beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) < 5 mIU/mL and those with hypophysitis, there were 15 differential metabolites (P < .05, fold change > 1.5 or < 1/1.5). All of the metabolites had an area under the curve (AUC) above 0.7. There were 9 metabolites that significantly differed between patients with GCT and those with LCH + ECD (P < .05) and 7 metabolites had significant differences between GCT (CSF β-hCG < 5 mIU/mL) and LCH + ECD (P < .05, fold change > 1.5 or < 1/1.5). We found 6 metabolites that were significantly different between patients with hypophysitis and those with LCH + ECD (P < .05) and 5 of these had fold change more than 1.5 or less than 1/1.5. Three metabolites, 5-deoxydiplosporin, cloversaponin I, and phytosphingosine, showed excellent capabilities to differentiate the 3 disease categories. Furthermore, we identified 67 metabolites associated with clinical test results (ρ > 0.2, P < .05) and 29 metabolites showed strong correlation (ρ > 0.4, P < .05). Our study is the first to systematically investigate the metabolomics of CSF in different pituitary stalk lesions. CSF metabolomics is a useful strategy for biomarker discovery.

An improved extraction and nonradioactive thin-layer chromatography detection method of mycolic acid

Mycolic acids (MAs), i.e. 2-alkyl, 3-hydroxy long-chain fatty acids, are the hallmark of the cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are related with antibiotic resistance and host immune escape. Nowadays, they've become hot target of new anti-tuberculosis drugs. There are two main methods to detect MAs, 14C metabolic labeling thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS). However, the user qualification of 14C or the lack of standards for LC-MS hampered the easy use of this method. TLC is a common way to analyze chemical substance and can be used to analyze MAs. In this study, we used tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and methyl iodide to hydrolyze and formylate MAs from mycobacterium cell wall. Subsequently, we used diethyl ether to extract methyl mycolate. By this method, we can easily extract and analyze MA in regular biological labs. The results demonstrated that this method could be used to compare MAs of different mycobacterium in different growth phases, MAs of mycobacteria treated by anti-tuberculosis drugs or MAs of mycobacterium mutants. Therefore, we can use this method as an initial validation for the changes of MAs in researches such as new drug screening without using radioisotope or when the standards are not available.

Surface modify BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx to enhance the carrier separation efficiency and weak electron utilization for photo-assisted peroxymonosulfate activation to degrade emerging contaminants

The low separation efficiency and light utilization of photogenerated carriers are one of the key problems in photocatalysis. This, Mn-Ti3C2Tx was prepared by surface modification of Ti3C2Tx, BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx composite photocatalysts were synthesized through in situ ion modification. The synergy of surface modification and built-in electric field improves carrier separation efficiency and weak electron utilization. This can promote electrocatalytic reduction of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to produce SO4·- and improve electron utilization. The various photovoltaic properties characterization found that BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx exhibited superior light capture ability and carrier separation efficiency compared to BiOBr/Ti3C2Tx, and thus had more efficient photocatalytic degradation performance, which was found to be increased from 90.88% to 98.29% using emerging contaminants as the target pollutant. Secondly, the migration path of carriers in BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx was analyzed by In Situ Irradiated X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ISI-XPS) as well as the proposed mechanism of ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation by BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx photo-assisted activation of PMS. The possible pathways of CIP degradation were further explored by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS), revealing that the BiOBr/Mn-Ti3C2Tx photocatalytic degradation pathways. In this work, a strategy of surface modification and built-in electric field synergy is proposed to improve the photogenerated carrier separation and light utilization efficiency for enhancing the emerging contaminants removal.

Different peroxymonosulfate activation and utilization pathways of typical cobalt oxides, cobalt-carbon and carbonaceous composites derived from metal-organic frameworks for pollutant oxidation in wastewater

Cobalt-based persulfate activation system has attracted increasing interests in recent years. However, few studies have focused on the corresponding relationship between different types of catalysts and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) utilization pathway in PMS activation process. To unravel this, three typical cobalt-based catalysts derived from ZIF materials (metal oxides ZMs, metal–carbon composite ZMCs, and etching metal–carbon composite ZCs) were applied in PMS activation system, and acetaminophen (APAP) was used as target contaminant. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation testified that SO4·− were considered as the dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ZMs/PMS system, whereas non-radical pathway was dominant in the ZMCs/PMS and ZCs/PMS system. More Co-N species in ZMCs promoted the adsorption of PMS molecules and the formation of metastable PMS-catalyst complex. Electrochemical analysis proved that the improved intrinsic redox potential of metastable PMS-catalyst complex was due to the strong combination of PMS with positively charged Co-N species, resulting in the mass consumption of PMS. In addition, the CoⅣ=O species were mainly generated from single atomic Co or encapsulated Co sites in ZMCs and ZCs. Major degradation intermediates of APAP were detected by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and differences in degradation pathway in three reaction systems were proposed. This study provides new insight into the PMS utilization mechanism during PMS activation process and offered environmentally friendly catalytic process for the degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater.

Degradation of ofloxacin by lanthanum cerate perovskite activated bisulfite

In recent years, the extensive utilization of ofloxacin (OFX) has led to elevated concentration of OFX compound in the aquatic environment. At the same time, the inherent recalcitrance of OFX has presented a formidable challenge for OFX degradation. In this study, lanthanum cerium perovskite (LaCeO3) was prepared by citric acid sol–gel method to activate bisulfite (BS) for the effective degradation of OFX. The results revealed that the LaCeO3/BS system removed 87.5% of OFX within 180 min with a pseudo-first-order kinetic constant of 3 × 10−3 min−1. Radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy confirmed that sulfate radicals (SO4•_) and hydroxyl radicals (HO•) were the primary reactive species responsible for OFX removal in LaCeO3/BS system. The reaction mechanism indicated that Ce in LaCeO3/BS system served as the primary active site for BS activation, and a regenerating cycle involving ≡Ce(III)/≡Ce(IV) was present. Additionally, possible intermediate products were identified by a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS), revealing potential degradation pathways of OFX. Cycle tests and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) data demonstrated the favorable reusability and stability of LaCeO3.

B4C/Ce co-modified Ti/PbO2 dimensionally stable anode: Facile one-step electrodeposition preparation and highly efficient electrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

The application of PbO2 for electrochemical oxidation technology is limited by its low electrocatalytic activity and short service life. Herein, based on the facile one-step electrodeposition, we prepared a boron carbide (B4C) and cerium (Ce) co-modified Ti/PbO2 (Ti/PbO2–B4C–Ce) electrode to overcome these shortcomings. Compared with Ti/PbO2 electrode, the denser surface is displayed by Ti/PbO2–B4C–Ce electrode. Meanwhile, electrochemical characterization indicates that the introduction of B4C and Ce significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of PbO2 electrode. In degradation experiments, under optimized conditions (current density 20 mA cm−2, pH 9, 0.15 M Na2SO4 and 30 °C), the fully degradation of tetracycline (TC) can be completed within 30 min. Furthermore, the trapping experiment demonstrates that ∙OH and SO4·- radicals have a synergistic effect in the degradation process of TC. Based on results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer, the generated ·OH preferentially attacks amides, phenols and conjugated double bond groups in TC. Importantly, Ti/PbO2–B4C–Ce electrode maintains a constant degradation efficiency even after 10 recycling tests, and its service life is 2.4 times of traditional Ti/PbO2 electrode. Hence, Ti/PbO2–B4C–Ce electrode is a promising electrode for degradation of organic wastewater containing amides, phenols, and conjugated double bond groups.

Citrinsorbicillin A, a novel homotrimeric sorbicillinoid isolated by LC-MS-guided with cytotoxic activity from the fungus Trichoderma citrinoviride HT-9

Citrinsorbicillin A (1), a novel homotrimeric sorbicillinoid, along with two new monomers citrinsorbicillins B (2) and C (3), were isolated from the Coptis chinensis endophyte Trichoderma citrinoviride HT-9 by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS)-guided strategy. 1 was the first trimeric-example from terrestrial fungi, which possessed a unique carbon skeleton with two bicyclo[2.2.2]octanedione ring connected through an enolated carbon forming by [4 + 2] cycloaddition. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and X-ray diffraction. 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against human colon cancer HT29 cells, and it induced significant cell cycle arrest by reducing the protein expression of cyclin D1.

Dendrobium officinale aqueous extract regulates bile acid synthesis to improve acute alcoholic liver injury in mice

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the most common type of chronic liver disease worldwide, which is linked to bile acid (BA) metabolism dysregulation. Large population studies showed that dendrobium officinale (D. officinale) could improve liver damage, however, the underlying mechanism of D. officinale altered BA metabolism in hepatic is still unclear. The protective effects of D. officinale aqueous extract (DOAE) on acute alcoholic liver injury (AALI) by determining the serum biochemical indicators and liver pathology in mice, and the mechanism was by analyzing the alteration of BA through liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into five groups: the control, model, DOAE high and low dose group, and the silymarin positive group. The control and model groups were given distilled water, other groups were respectively given DOAE, and silymarin by gavage for 14 consecutive days. On the 14th day, mice were given a single dose of 53% ethanol 2 h after administration except for the control group. The results showed that DOAE could protect AALI by inhibiting the alcohol-induced elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and triacylglycerol (TG) levels. Moreover, DOAE could change the composition and content of hepatic BAs in mice, especially regulate hepatic BAs synthesis by activating the hepatic FXR-SHP signaling axis with subsequently decreased the expression of cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) which mediated the synthesis of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA). Therefore, BA metabolism may be the potential target of the protective effect of DOAE.

Screening for chemicals with thyroid hormone-disrupting effects using zebrafish embryo

Thyroid disruption is an increasingly recognized issue in the use and development of chemicals and new drugs, especially to help toxicologist to complement the reproductive and developmental toxicology information of chemicals. Still, adequate assessment methods are scarce and often suffer a trade-off between physiological relevance and labor- and cost-intensive assays. Here, we present a tiered approach for a medium-throughput screening of chemicals to identify their thyroid disrupting potential in zebrafish embryos as a New Approach Methodology (NAM). After identifying the maximum tolerated concentrations, we exposed zebrafish larvae to sub-adverse effect levels of the reference compounds benzophenone-2, bisphenol A, phenylthiourea, potassium perchlorate, propylthiouracil, and phloroglucinol to exclude any systemic toxicity. Applying the transgenic zebrafish line that carries a gene for the red fluorescence protein (Tg(tg:mCherry)) under the thyroglobulin promoter, we could identify the thyroid disrupting effects of the chemicals by a time and cost-effective image analysis measuring the fluorescence levels in the thyroid glands. Our observations could be confirmed by altered expression patterns of genes involved in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Finally, to anchor the observed thyroid disruption, we determined some changes in the Thyroid hormone levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) using a newly developed liquid chromatography mass spectrometric (LCMS) method. The presented approach carries the potential to extend the toolbox for legislative authorities and chemical producers for the assessment of thyroid-specific endocrine disruption and to overcome current challenges in the evaluation of endocrine disruptors.

Multiple interface coupling on natural tourmaline enables high-efficiency removal of antibiotic: Superior property and mechanism

Reasonably designing highly active, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective catalysts for efficient elimination of pollutants from water is desirable but challenging. Herein, an efficient heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst tourmaline (TM)/tungsten oxide (WO3-x) (named TW10) containing tungsten/boron/iron (W/B/Fe) synergistic active centers and 90% of cheap natural tourmaline (TM) mineral rich in Fe and B elements. The TW10 catalyst can quickly activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate massive active free radicals, which may induce the rapid and efficient degradation of tetracycline (TC). The TW10/PMS/Visible light system can effectively degrade up to 98.7% of tetracycline (TC) in actual waters (i.e. seawater, Yellow River, and Yangtze River water), and the catalytic degradation rates reach 1.65, 5.569, and 2.38 times higher than those of TM, WO3-x, and commercial P25 (Degussa, Germany), respectively. In addition, the catalyst can be recycled and reused multiple times. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) analyses confirm that the synergistic catalytic effect of W/B/Fe sites on the TW10 catalyst accelerates the electron transfer between Fe(II) and Fe(III), as well as between W(V) and W(VI), and thus promotes the rapid degradation of TC. The catalytic reaction mechanism and degradation pathway of TC were explored. This work provides a feasible route for the design and development of new eco-friendly and efficient catalyst.

Phytochemical profiling and evaluation of the antidiabetic potential of Ichnocarpus frutescens (Krishna Sariva): kinetic study, molecular modelling, and free energy approach

This research explored novel antidiabetic drugs from natural sources using the Ayurvedic Rasayana herb Ichnocarpus frutescens through invitro enzyme assay, kinetics study, and computational approaches. Invitro enzyme inhibition assay demonstrated the promising inhibitory activity of root extract against alpha-amylase (α-A) and alpha-glucosidase (α-G) enzyme with IC50 value 7.34 ± 0.22 mg/ml and 4.40 ± 0.25 mg/ml respectively. Enzyme kinetic study revealed the competitive inhibition of both proteins by Ichnocarpus frutescens extract. High-Resolution Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometer and Docking study revealed the better binding energy of phytoconstituents 23-Acetoxysoladulcidine, Atrovirinone, Bismurrayaquinone A, Lamprolobine, Zygadenine, and Gambiriin A3 than standard drug acarbose. Molecular modelling showed stable protein-ligands binding interaction during the 100 ns simulation. It revealed comparable Root Mean Square Deviation, Radius of Gyration, and Solvent Accessible Surface Area of these compounds with acarbose. The active site residues of both proteins remained stable and showed significantly less Root Mean Square Fluctuation. Molecular Mechanics with Generalised Bonn Surface Area analysis has illustrated the similar inhibitory activity of Zygadenine for α-A, 23-Acetoxysoladulcidine, and Gambiriin A3 for α-G protein, compared to the FDA-approved drug acarbose. Thus, the study suggested that the root of Ichnocarpus frutescens can be used as α-A and α-G inhibitors and be considered a compelling lead for the medication of type 2 diabetes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The distinctive hepatoprotective activity of turmeric kombucha (Curcuma longa) induced by diethylnitrosamine in Balb/C mice

This study aims to investigate the potential hepatoprotective activity of turmeric kombucha before and after fermentation and to compare such distinctive activity in turmeric kombucha versus turmeric essence beverage (turmeric beverage without fermentation). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MC) analyses revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in turmeric kombucha and turmeric essence beverages. In vivo tests appraised the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA) in Balb/C mice and the histology of their livers was determined. Upon successful fermentation process new compounds such as: tetrahydrocurcumin, ferulic acid, glucuronidated curcumin, cyclofenil, acetic acid, glucuronic acid, and d-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone were produced in turmeric kombucha, which were not found in non-turmeric kombucha. The positive effect of fermentation has boosted the hepatoprotective activity of turmeric kombucha through the release of compounds and the production of new bioactive compounds. Therefore, fermented turmeric kombucha had a greater effect on the hepatoprotective activity compared to turmeric essence beverage in Balb/C mice.