Formulation, evaluation and bioactive potential of Xylaria primorskensis terpenoid nanoparticles from its major compound xylaranic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Adnan, Mohd; Patel, Mitesh; Reddy, Mandadi Narsimha; Alshammari, Eyad

2018-01-29

In recent years, fungi have been shown to produce a plethora of new bioactive secondary metabolites of interest, as new lead structures for medicinal and other pharmacological applications. The present investigation was carried out to study the pharmacological properties of a potent and major bioactive compound: xylaranic acid, which was obtained from Xylaria primorskensis (X. primorskensis) terpenoids in terms of antibacterial activity, antioxidant potential against DPPH & H 2 O 2 radicals and anticancer activity against human lung cancer cells. Due to terpenoid nature, low water solubility and wretched bioavailability, its pharmacological use is limited. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel xylaranic acid silver nanoparticle system (AgNPs) is developed. In addition to improving its solubility and bioavailability, other advantageous pharmacological properties has been evaluated. Furthermore, enhanced anticancer activity of xylaranic acid and its AgNPs due to induced apoptosis were also confirmed by determining the expression levels of apoptosis regulatory genes p53, bcl-2 and caspase-3 via qRT PCR method. This is the first study developing the novel xylaranic acid silver nanoparticle system and enlightening its therapeutic significance with its improved physico-chemical properties and augmented bioactive potential.

Molecular characteristics of humic acids isolated from vermicomposts and their relationship to bioactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Balmori, Dariellys; Spaccini, Riccardo; Aguiar, Natália Oliveira; Novotny, Etelvino Henrique; Olivares, Fábio Lopes; Canellas, Luciano Pasqualoto

2014-11-26

Vermitechnology is an effective composting method, which transforms biomass into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. Mature vermicompost is a renewable organic product containing humic substances with high biological activity. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical characteristics and the bioactivity of humic acids isolated from different vermicomposts produced with either cattle manure, sugar cane bagasse, sunflower cake from seed oil extraction, or filter cake from a sugar cane factory. More than 200 different molecules were found, and it was possible to identify chemical markers on humic acids according to the nature of the organic source. The large hydrophobic character of humic extracts and the preservation of altered lignin derivatives confer to humic acids the ability to induce lateral root emergence in maize seedlings. Humic acid-like substances extracted from plant biomass residues represent an additional valuable product of vermicomposting that can be used as a plant growth promoter.

Main chain acid-degradable polymers for the delivery of bioactive materials

Science.gov (United States)

Frechet, Jean M. J. [Oakland, CA; Standley, Stephany M [Evanston, IL; Jain, Rachna [Milpitas, CA; Lee, Cameron C [Cambridge, MA

2012-03-20

Novel main chain acid degradable polymer backbones and drug delivery systems comprised of materials capable of delivering bioactive materials to cells for use as vaccines or other therapeutic agents are described. The polymers are synthesized using monomers that contain acid-degradable linkages cleavable under mild acidic conditions. The main chain of the resulting polymers readily degrade into many small molecules at low pH, but remain relatively stable and intact at physiological pH. The new materials have the common characteristic of being able to degrade by acid hydrolysis under conditions commonly found within the endosomal or lysosomal compartments of cells thereby releasing their payload within the cell. The materials can also be used for the delivery of therapeutics to the acidic regions of tumors and other sites of inflammation.

Bioactivity and cytocompatibility of dicalcium phosphate/poly (amino acid) biocomposite with degradability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yunfei [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Shan Wenpeng; Li Xiangde [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Wei Jie, E-mail: biomater2006@yahoo.com.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Li Hong [College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Ma Jian [Hospital of Stomatology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Yan Yonggang, E-mail: yan_yonggang@vip.163.com [College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China)

2012-01-15

A bioactive composite of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) and poly (amino acid) (PAA) was fabricated, and the in vitro bioactivity, degradability, and cellular responses to the DCP/PAA composite (DPC) were investigated as compared to PAA. Apatite formation on DPC surfaces occurred after immersion into simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7 days, but not on the surface of PAA. The weight loss ratio of DPC could reach 18.6 {+-} 0.3 wt% after soaking into phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 2 months, which was higher than PAA (11.0 {+-} 0.2 wt%). Cell attachment and proliferation of MG-63 cells on DPC was obviously higher than on PAA. Moreover, the cells spread and formed confluent layer on the DPC surfaces. The alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) of the cells on DPC was significantly greater than PAA at day 5 and day 7. The results suggested that introducing DCP into PAA makes the composite bioactive and more degradable, and meanwhile enhances osteoblast-like cells attach, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

Gastrointestinal Endogenous Proteins as a Source of Bioactive Peptides - An In Silico Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dave, Lakshmi A.; Montoya, Carlos A.; Rutherfurd, Shane M.; Moughan, Paul J.

2014-01-01

Dietary proteins are known to contain bioactive peptides that are released during digestion. Endogenous proteins secreted into the gastrointestinal tract represent a quantitatively greater supply of protein to the gut lumen than those of dietary origin. Many of these endogenous proteins are digested in the gastrointestinal tract but the possibility that these are also a source of bioactive peptides has not been considered. An in silico prediction method was used to test if bioactive peptides could be derived from the gastrointestinal digestion of gut endogenous proteins. Twenty six gut endogenous proteins and seven dietary proteins were evaluated. The peptides present after gastric and intestinal digestion were predicted based on the amino acid sequence of the proteins and the known specificities of the major gastrointestinal proteases. The predicted resultant peptides possessing amino acid sequences identical to those of known bioactive peptides were identified. After gastrointestinal digestion (based on the in silico simulation), the total number of bioactive peptides predicted to be released ranged from 1 (gliadin) to 55 (myosin) for the selected dietary proteins and from 1 (secretin) to 39 (mucin-5AC) for the selected gut endogenous proteins. Within the intact proteins and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide sequences were the most frequently observed in both the dietary and endogenous proteins. Among the dietary proteins, after in silico simulated gastrointestinal digestion, myosin was found to have the highest number of ACE-inhibitory peptide sequences (49 peptides), while for the gut endogenous proteins, mucin-5AC had the greatest number of ACE-inhibitory peptide sequences (38 peptides). Gut endogenous proteins may be an important source of bioactive peptides in the gut particularly since gut endogenous proteins represent a quantitatively large and consistent source of protein. PMID:24901416

Gastrointestinal endogenous proteins as a source of bioactive peptides--an in silico study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dave, Lakshmi A; Montoya, Carlos A; Rutherfurd, Shane M; Moughan, Paul J

2014-01-01

Dietary proteins are known to contain bioactive peptides that are released during digestion. Endogenous proteins secreted into the gastrointestinal tract represent a quantitatively greater supply of protein to the gut lumen than those of dietary origin. Many of these endogenous proteins are digested in the gastrointestinal tract but the possibility that these are also a source of bioactive peptides has not been considered. An in silico prediction method was used to test if bioactive peptides could be derived from the gastrointestinal digestion of gut endogenous proteins. Twenty six gut endogenous proteins and seven dietary proteins were evaluated. The peptides present after gastric and intestinal digestion were predicted based on the amino acid sequence of the proteins and the known specificities of the major gastrointestinal proteases. The predicted resultant peptides possessing amino acid sequences identical to those of known bioactive peptides were identified. After gastrointestinal digestion (based on the in silico simulation), the total number of bioactive peptides predicted to be released ranged from 1 (gliadin) to 55 (myosin) for the selected dietary proteins and from 1 (secretin) to 39 (mucin-5AC) for the selected gut endogenous proteins. Within the intact proteins and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide sequences were the most frequently observed in both the dietary and endogenous proteins. Among the dietary proteins, after in silico simulated gastrointestinal digestion, myosin was found to have the highest number of ACE-inhibitory peptide sequences (49 peptides), while for the gut endogenous proteins, mucin-5AC had the greatest number of ACE-inhibitory peptide sequences (38 peptides). Gut endogenous proteins may be an important source of bioactive peptides in the gut particularly since gut endogenous proteins represent a quantitatively large and consistent source of protein.

Phytic acid derived bioactive CaO-P2O5-SiO2 gel-glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ailing; Qiu, Dong

2011-12-01

The possibility of using phytic acid as a precursor to synthesize CaO-P(2)O(5)-SiO(2) glasses by sol-gel method has been explored and the pseudo ternary phase diagram has been established. It was shown that gel-glasses over a broader range of compositions could be prepared compared to other phosphorus precursors or melt-quenching method. Furthermore, phytic acid was found to assist calcium being incorporated into glass networks. In vitro tests in simulated body fluid (SBF) were performed on the above gel-glasses and it was found that they were bioactive over a much broader compositional range especially at high phosphate content, thus enabling one to design bioactive materials with various degradation rates by adjusting the phosphate content.

Photocurable bioactive bone cement based on hydroxyethyl methacrylate-poly(acrylic/maleic) acid resin and mesoporous sol gel-derived bioactive glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hesaraki, S., E-mail: S-hesaraki@merc.ac.ir

2016-06-01

This paper reports on strong and bioactive bone cement based on ternary bioactive SiO{sub 2}-CaO-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} glass particles and a photocurable resin comprising hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and poly(acrylic/maleic) acid. The as-cured composite represented a compressive strength of about 95 MPa but it weakened during soaking in simulated body fluid, SBF, qua its compressive strength reached to about 20 MPa after immersing for 30 days. Biodegradability of the composite was confirmed by reducing its initial weight (~ 32%) as well as decreasing the molecular weight of early cured resin during the soaking procedure. The composite exhibited in vitro calcium phosphate precipitation in the form of nanosized carbonated hydroxyapatite, which indicates its bone bonding ability. Proliferation of calvarium-derived newborn rat osteoblasts seeded on top of the composite was observed during incubation at 37 °C, meanwhile, an adequate cell supporting ability was found. Consequently, it seems that the produced composite is an appropriate alternative for bone defect injuries, because of its good cell responses, high compressive strength and ongoing biodegradability, though more in vivo experiments are essential to confirm this assumption. - Highlights: • Light cure cement based on SiO{sub 2}-CaO-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} glass and polymer-like matrix was formed. • The matrix includes poly(acrylic/maleic acid) and poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate). • The cement is as strong as polymethylmethacrylate bone cement. • The cement exhibits apatite formation ability in simulated body fluid. • The cement is biodegradable and supports proliferation of osteoblastic cells.

Effect of l-lysine-assisted surface grafting for nano-hydroxyapatite on mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid).

Science.gov (United States)

Liuyun, Jiang; Lixin, Jiang; Chengdong, Xiong; Lijuan, Xu; Ye, Li

2016-01-01

It is promising and challenging to study surface modification for nano-hydroxyapatite to improve the dispersion and enhance the mechanical properties and bioactivity of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). In this paper, we designed an effective new surface grafting with the assist of l-lysine for nano-hydroxyapatite, and the nano-hydroxyapatite surface grafted with the assist of l-lysine (g-nano-hydroxyapatite) was incorporated into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) to develop a series of g-nano-hydroxyapatite/poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) nano-composites. The surface modification reaction for nano-hydroxyapatite, the mechanical properties, and in vitro human osteoblast-like cell (MG-63) response were characterized and investigated by Fourier transformation infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, dispersion test, electromechanical universal tester, differential scanning calorimeter measurements, and in vitro cells culture experiment. The results showed that the grafting amount on the surface of nano-hydroxyapatite was enhanced with the increase of l-lysine, and the dispersion of nano-hydroxyapatite was improved more, so that it brought about better promotion crystallization and more excellent mechanical enhancement effect for poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid), comparing with the unmodified nano-hydroxyapatite. Moreover, the cells' attachment and proliferation results confirmed that the incorporation of the g-nano-hydroxyapatite into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) exhibited better biocompatibility than poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). The above results indicated that the new surface grafting with the assist of l-lysine for nano-hydroxyapatite was an ideal novel surface modification method, which brought about better mechanical enhancement effect and in vitro bioactivity for poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) with adding higher g-nano-hydroxyapatite content, suggesting it had a great potential to be used as bone fracture internal fixation materials

Chemical composition, fatty acid profile and bioactive compounds of guava seeds (Psidium guajava L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Maria Athayde Uchôa-thomaz

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition, determine the fatty acid profile, and quantify the bioactive compounds present in guava seed powder (Psidium guajava L.. The powder resulted from seeds obtained from guava pulp processing. The agro-industrial seeds from red guava cv. paluma were used, and they were donated by a frozen pulp fruit manufacturer. They contain varying amounts of macronutrients and micronutrients, with a high content of total dietary fiber (63.94 g/100g, protein (11.19 g/100g, iron (13.8 mg/100g, zinc (3.31 mg/100g, and reduced calorie content (182 kcal/100g. Their lipid profile showed a predominance of unsaturated fatty acids (87.06%, especially linoleic acid (n6 and oleic acid (n9. The powder obtained contained significant amounts of bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid (87.44 mg/100g, total carotenoids (1.25 mg/100 g and insoluble dietary fiber (63.55 g/100g. With regard to their microbiological quality, the samples were found suitable for consumption. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the powder produced has favorable attributes for industrial use, and that use of these seeds would be a viable alternative to prevent various diseases and malnutrition in our country and to reduce the environmental impact of agricultural waste.

Berry Leaves: An Alternative Source of Bioactive Natural Products of Nutritional and Medicinal Value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia-Varvara Ferlemi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Berry fruits are recognized, worldwide, as “superfoods” due to the high content of bioactive natural products and the health benefits deriving from their consumption. Berry leaves are byproducts of berry cultivation; their traditional therapeutic use against several diseases, such as the common cold, inflammation, diabetes, and ocular dysfunction, has been almost forgotten nowadays. Nevertheless, the scientific interest regarding the leaf composition and beneficial properties grows, documenting that berry leaves may be considered an alternative source of bioactives. The main bioactive compounds in berry leaves are similar as in berry fruits, i.e., phenolic acids and esters, flavonols, anthocyanins, and procyanidins. The leaves are one of the richest sources of chlorogenic acid. In various studies, these secondary metabolites have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties. This review focuses on the phytochemical composition of the leaves of the commonest berry species, i.e., blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, bilberry, blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry leaves, and presents their traditional medicinal uses and their biological activities in vitro and in vivo.

Characterization of bioactive RGD peptide immobilized onto poly(acrylic acid) thin films by plasma polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Hyun Suk; Ko, Yeong Mu; Shim, Jae Won [Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, MRC Center, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Yun Kyong; Kook, Joong-Ki [Department of Oral Biochemistry, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Dong-Lyun [School of Applied Chemical Engineering and Center for Functional Nano Fine Chemicals, Chonnam National University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byung Hoon, E-mail: kim5055@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, MRC Center, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2010-11-01

Plasma surface modification can be used to improve the surface properties of commercial pure Ti by creating functional groups to produce bioactive materials with different surface topography. In this study, a titanium surface was modified with acrylic acid (AA) using a plasma treatment and immobilized with bioactive arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide, which may accelerate the tissue integration of bone implants. Both terminals containing the -NH{sub 2} of RGD peptide sequence and -COOH of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) thin film were combined with a covalent bond in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide (EDC). The chemical structure and morphology of AA film and RGD immobilized surface were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All chemical analysis showed full coverage of the Ti substrate with the PAA thin film containing COOH groups and the RGD peptide. The MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on each specimen, and the cell alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were examined. The surface-immobilized RGD peptide has a significantly increased the ALP activity of MC3T3-E1 cells. These results suggest that the RGD peptide immobilization on the titanium surface has an effect on osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells and potential use in osteo-conductive bone implants.

Pelvic floor disorders in gynecological malignancies. An overlooked problem?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana M. Bodean

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Cervical, endometrial, ovarian, vulvar, and vaginal cancers affect women of a broad age spectrum. Many of these women are still sexually active when their cancer is diagnosed. Treatment options for gynecological malignancies, such as gynecological surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, are proven risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction. The prevalence of urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and sexual dysfunction before cancer treatment is still unclear. Hypotheses have been raised in the literature that these manifestations could represent early symptoms of pelvic cancers, but most remain overlooked even in cancer surviving patients. The primary focus of therapy is always cancer eradication, but as oncological and surgical treatment options become more successful, the number of cancer survivors increases. The quality of life of patients with gynecological cancers often remains an underrated subject. Pelvic floor disorders are not consistently reported by patients and are frequently overlooked by many clinicians. In this brief review we discuss the importance of pelvic floor dysfunction in patients with gynecological malignant tumors.

Photoprotectant improves photostability and bioactivity of abscisic acid under UV radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Hu, Tanglu; Tan, Weiming; Yu, Chunxin; Li, Zhaohu; Zhang, Lizhen; Duan, Liusheng

2016-05-01

Photosensitivity causes serious drawback for abscisic acid (ABA) application, but preferable methods to stabilize the compound were not found yet. To select an efficient photoprotectant for the improvement of photostability and bioactivity of ABA when exposed to UV light, we tested the effects of a photostabilizer bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (HS-770) and two UV absorbers 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxy-benzophenone (UV-531) and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid (BP-4) with or without HS-770 on the photodegradation of ABA. Water soluble UV absorber BP-4 and oil soluble UV absorber UV-531 showed significant photo-stabilizing capability on ABA, possibly due to competitive energy absorption of UVB by the UV absorbers. The two absorbers showed no significant difference. Photostabilizer HS-770 accelerated the photodegradation of ABA and did not improve the photo-stabilizing capability of BP-4, likely due to no absorption in UVB region and salt formation with ABA and BP-4. Approximately 26% more ABA was kept when 280mg/l ABA aqueous solution was irradiated by UV light for 2h in the presence of 200mg/l BP-4. What's more, its left bioactivity on wheat seed (JIMAI 22) germination was greatly kept by BP-4, comparing to that of ABA alone. The 300 times diluent of 280mg/l ABA plus 200mg/l BP-4 after 2h irradiation showed more than 13% inhibition on shoot and root growth of wheat seed than that of ABA diluent alone. We concluded that water soluble UV absorber BP-4 was an efficient agent to keep ABA activity under UV radiation. The results could be used to produce photostable products of ABA compound or other water soluble agrichemicals which are sensitive to UV radiation. The frequencies and amounts of the agrichemicals application could be thereafter reduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenethyl ester and amide of Ferulic Acids: Synthesis and bioactivity against P388 Leukemia Murine Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Firdaus; Soekamto, N. H.; Seniwati; Islam, M. F.; Sultan

2018-03-01

Bioactivity of a compound is closely related to the molecular structure of the compound concerned, its strength being the quantitative relation of the strength of the activity of the group it possesses. The combining of moieties of the active compounds will produce more active compounds. Most phenolic compounds as well as compounds containing moiety phenethyl groups have potential activity as anticancer. Combining phenolic groups and phenethyl groups in a compound will result in compounds having strong anticancer bioactivity. This study aims to combine the feruloyl and phenethyl groups to form esters and amides by synthesize of phenethyl trans-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate (5) and trans-3-(4- hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-N-phenethylacrylamide (6) from ferulic acid with phenethyl alcohol and phenethylamine, and to study their bioactivity as anticancer. The synthesis of both compounds was conducted via indirect reaction, including acetylation, chlorination, esterfication/amidation, and deacetylation. Structures of products were characterized by FTIR and NMR data, and their bioactivity assay of the compounds against P388 Leukemia Murine Cells was conducted by an MTT method. Results showed that the compound 5 was obtained as a yellow gel with the IC50 of 10.79 μg/mL (36.21 μΜ), and the compound 6 was a yellowish solid with a melting point of 118-120°C and the IC50 of 29.14 μg/mL (97.79 μΜ). These compounds were more active than the analog compounds.

Bioactive glass coupling with natural polyphenols: Surface modification, bioactivity and anti-oxidant ability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cazzola, Martina [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129 (Italy); Corazzari, Ingrid [Università degli Studi di Torino, Department of Chemistry, Via Pietro Giuria 7, Torino 10125 (Italy); Centro Interdipartimentale “G. Scansetti” per lo studio degli amianti e di altri particolati nocivi, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Torino (Italy); Prenesti, Enrico [Università degli Studi di Torino, Department of Chemistry, Via Pietro Giuria 7, Torino 10125 (Italy); Bertone, Elisa [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129 (Italy); Vernè, Enrica, E-mail: enrica.verne@polito.it [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129 (Italy); Ferraris, Sara [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129 (Italy)

2016-03-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Surface functionalization of bioactive glass with biomolecules has been optimized. • Biomolecules are present and active on the glass surface after functionalization. • Biomolecules affect deposition kinetics and morphology of hydroxyapatite. • Free radical scavenging activity is seen for the first time on bioactive glasses. - Abstract: Polyphenols are actually achieving an increasing interest due to their potential health benefits, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial and bone stimulation abilities. However their poor bioavailability and stability hamper an effective clinical application as therapeutic principles. The opportunity to couple these biomolecules with synthetic biomaterials, in order to obtain local delivery at the site of interest, improve their bioavailability and stability and combine their properties with the ones of the substrate, is a challenging opportunity for the biomedical research. A silica based bioactive glass, CEL2, has been successfully coupled with gallic acid and natural polyphenols extracted from red grape skins and green tea leaves. The effectiveness of grafting has been verified by means of XPS analyses and the Folin&Ciocalteu tests. In vitro bioactivity has been investigated by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). Surface modification after functionalization and early stage reactivity in SBF have been studied by means of zeta potential electrokinetic measurements in KCl and SBF. Finally the antioxidant properties of bare and modified bioactive glasses has been investigated by means of the evaluation of free radical scavenging activity by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)/spin trapping technique after UV photolysis of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} highlighting scavenging activity of the bioactive glass.

Synthesis, characterization, bioactivity and potential application of phenolic acid grafted chitosan: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun; Pu, Huimin; Liu, Shuang; Kan, Juan; Jin, Changhai

2017-10-15

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the grafting of phenolic acid onto chitosan in order to enhance the bioactivity and widen the application of chitosan. Here, we present a comprehensive overview on the recent advances of phenolic acid grafted chitosan (phenolic acid-g-chitosan) in many aspects, including the synthetic method, structural characterization, biological activity, physicochemical property and potential application. In general, four kinds of techniques including carbodiimide based coupling, enzyme catalyzed grafting, free radical mediated grafting and electrochemical methods are frequently used for the synthesis of phenolic acid-g-chitosan. The structural characterization of phenolic acid-g-chitosan can be determined by several instrumental methods. The physicochemical properties of chitosan are greatly altered after grafting. As compared with chitosan, phenolic acid-g-chitosan exhibits enhanced antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Notably, phenolic acid-g-chitosan shows potential applications in many fields as coating agent, packing material, encapsulation agent and bioadsorbent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioactive glass coupling with natural polyphenols: Surface modification, bioactivity and anti-oxidant ability

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzola, Martina; Corazzari, Ingrid; Prenesti, Enrico; Bertone, Elisa; Vernè, Enrica; Ferraris, Sara

2016-03-01

Polyphenols are actually achieving an increasing interest due to their potential health benefits, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial and bone stimulation abilities. However their poor bioavailability and stability hamper an effective clinical application as therapeutic principles. The opportunity to couple these biomolecules with synthetic biomaterials, in order to obtain local delivery at the site of interest, improve their bioavailability and stability and combine their properties with the ones of the substrate, is a challenging opportunity for the biomedical research. A silica based bioactive glass, CEL2, has been successfully coupled with gallic acid and natural polyphenols extracted from red grape skins and green tea leaves. The effectiveness of grafting has been verified by means of XPS analyses and the Folin&Ciocalteu tests. In vitro bioactivity has been investigated by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). Surface modification after functionalization and early stage reactivity in SBF have been studied by means of zeta potential electrokinetic measurements in KCl and SBF. Finally the antioxidant properties of bare and modified bioactive glasses has been investigated by means of the evaluation of free radical scavenging activity by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)/spin trapping technique after UV photolysis of H2O2 highlighting scavenging activity of the bioactive glass.

Phosphatidic acid: an electrostatic/hydrogen-bond switch?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooijman, E.E.; Testerink, C.; Munnik, T.

2010-01-01

Phosphatidic acid (PA) has been shown to be an important bioactive lipid that is specifically recognized by various proteins. As such, it plays a crucial role in cellular signaling in all eukaryotes. An important determinant for PA’s role in its diverse functions is its anionic headgroup that

Wetspun poly-L-(lactic acid)-borosilicate bioactive glass scaffolds for guided bone regeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandes, João S., E-mail: joao.fernandes@dep.uminho.pt [3B' s Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark-Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco GMR (Portugal); ICVS/3B' s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal); Reis, Rui L. [3B' s Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark-Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco GMR (Portugal); ICVS/3B' s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal); Pires, Ricardo A., E-mail: rpires@dep.uminho.pt [3B' s Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark-Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco GMR (Portugal); ICVS/3B' s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães (Portugal)

2017-02-01

We developed a porous poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold compounded with borosilicate bioactive glasses (BBGs) endowing it with bioactive properties. Porous PLLA-BBG fibre mesh scaffolds were successfully prepared by the combination of wet spinning and fibre bonding techniques. Micro-computed tomography (μCT) confirmed that the PLLA-BBG scaffolds containing ≈ 25% of BBGs (w/w) exhibited randomly interconnected porous (58 to 62% of interconnectivity and 53 to 67% of porosity) with mean pore diameters higher that 100 μm. Bioactivity and degradation studies were performed by immersing the scaffolds in simulated body fluid (SBF) and ultrapure water, respectively. The PLLA-BBG scaffolds presented a faster degradation rate with a constant release of inorganic species, which are capable to produce calcium phosphate structures at the surface of the material after 7 days of immersion in SBF (Ca/P ratio of ~ 1.7). Cellular in vitro studies with human osteosarcoma cell line (Saos-2) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) showed that PLLA-BBGs are not cytotoxic to cells, while demonstrating their capacity to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Overall, we showed that the proposed scaffolds present a tailored kinetics on the release of inorganic species and controlled biological response under conditions that mimic the bone physiological environment. - Highlights: • We prepared borosilicate glasses and their PLLA composites in the form of fibres. • These glasses imparted bioactivity and controlled degradability to the fibres. • The prepared fibres did not elicit cytotoxicity. • hASCs attached and proliferated in the surface and inner sections of the scaffolds. • The composites present appropriate properties to be used in bone tissue engineering.

Wetspun poly-L-(lactic acid)-borosilicate bioactive glass scaffolds for guided bone regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, João S.; Reis, Rui L.; Pires, Ricardo A.

2017-01-01

We developed a porous poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold compounded with borosilicate bioactive glasses (BBGs) endowing it with bioactive properties. Porous PLLA-BBG fibre mesh scaffolds were successfully prepared by the combination of wet spinning and fibre bonding techniques. Micro-computed tomography (μCT) confirmed that the PLLA-BBG scaffolds containing ≈ 25% of BBGs (w/w) exhibited randomly interconnected porous (58 to 62% of interconnectivity and 53 to 67% of porosity) with mean pore diameters higher that 100 μm. Bioactivity and degradation studies were performed by immersing the scaffolds in simulated body fluid (SBF) and ultrapure water, respectively. The PLLA-BBG scaffolds presented a faster degradation rate with a constant release of inorganic species, which are capable to produce calcium phosphate structures at the surface of the material after 7 days of immersion in SBF (Ca/P ratio of ~ 1.7). Cellular in vitro studies with human osteosarcoma cell line (Saos-2) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) showed that PLLA-BBGs are not cytotoxic to cells, while demonstrating their capacity to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Overall, we showed that the proposed scaffolds present a tailored kinetics on the release of inorganic species and controlled biological response under conditions that mimic the bone physiological environment. - Highlights: • We prepared borosilicate glasses and their PLLA composites in the form of fibres. • These glasses imparted bioactivity and controlled degradability to the fibres. • The prepared fibres did not elicit cytotoxicity. • hASCs attached and proliferated in the surface and inner sections of the scaffolds. • The composites present appropriate properties to be used in bone tissue engineering.

Cold-pressed pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L. oils from the central Anatolia region of Turkey: Characterization of phytosterols, squalene, tocols, phenolic acids, carotenoids and fatty acid bioactive compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Akin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available There is a growing interest in cold-pressed oils because they present high contents of bioactive compounds. These oils have the characteristic properties of seeds and are specific products of their regions. The aim of this study was to determine the compositions and contents of fatty acids, phytosterols, squalene, tocols, phenolic acids, carotenoids and phenolic bioactives, and the free radical scavenging as well as antioxidant activities of cold-pressed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. seed oils. Oil samples from raw pumpkin seeds cultivated in four different central Anatolia regions of Turkey were prepared using a laboratory screw-pressing machine. The results indicate that cold-pressed pumpkin seed oils (PSO have excellent quality with high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (%ΣPUFAs (53.60 ±0.06-53.73 ±0.05, total phytosterols (782.1±9.7–805.2 ±11.3 mg/100 g oil, squalene (591.3±10.6–632.5±11.4 mg/100 g oil, tocols (97.79 ±0.76?94.29 ±0.34 mg/100 g oil, phenolic acids (22.73 ±0.41–23.98 ±0.46 mg/100 g oil, carotenoids (6.95 ±0.03–7.60 ±0.03 mg/100 g oil, total phenolics (3.96 ±0.13 –5.82±0.15 mg GAE/100 g, free radical-scavenging activity (5.70 ±0.13?7.35 ±0.15 mg GAE/100 g and total antioxidant activity (26.67±0.97-38.89±1.41 mg GAE/100 g values. Thus, this study demonstrates that the cold- pressed PSOs from the central Anatolia regions of Turkey are an excellent source of natural bioactive compounds, free of chemical contaminants and nutritious.

Modulation of phenytoin teratogenicity and embryonic covalent binding by acetylsalicylic acid, caffeic acid, and alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone: implications for bioactivation by prostaglandin synthetase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, P.G.; Zubovits, J.T.; Wong, S.T.; Molinari, L.M.; Ali, S.

1989-01-01

Teratogenicity of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin is thought to involve its bioactivation by cytochromes P-450 to a reactive arene oxide intermediate. We hypothesized that phenytoin also may be bioactivated to a teratogenic free radical intermediate by another enzymatic system, prostaglandin synthetase. To evaluate the teratogenic contribution of this latter pathway, an irreversible inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally (ip), was administered to pregnant CD-1 mice at 9:00 AM on Gestational Days 12 and 13, 2 hr before phenytoin, 65 mg/kg ip. Other groups were pretreated 2 hr prior to phenytoin administration with either the antioxidant caffeic acid or the free radical spin trapping agent alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone (PBN). Caffeic acid and PBN were given ip in doses that respectively were up to 1.0 to 0.05 molar equivalents to the dose of phenytoin. Dams were killed on Day 19 and the fetuses were assessed for teratologic anomalies. A similar study evaluated the effect of ASA on the in vivo covalent binding of radiolabeled phenytoin administered on Day 12, in which case dams were killed 24 hr later on Day 13. ASA pretreatment produced a 50% reduction in the incidence of fetal cleft palates induced by phenytoin (p less than 0.05), without significantly altering the incidence of resorptions or mean fetal body weight. Pretreatment with either caffeic acid or PBN resulted in dose-related decreases in the incidence of fetal cleft palates produced by phenytoin, with maximal respective reductions of 71 and 82% at the highest doses of caffeic acid and PBN (p less than 0.05)

Non-crystalline composite tissue engineering scaffolds using boron-containing bioactive glass and poly(d,l-lactic acid) coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantsos, T; Chatzistavrou, X; Roether, J A; Boccaccini, A R; Hupa, L; Arstila, H

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was the fabrication of three-dimensional, highly porous, bioactive scaffolds using a recently developed bioactive glass powder, denominated '0106', with nominal composition (in wt%): 50 SiO 2 , 22.6 CaO, 5.9 Na 2 O, 4 P 2 O 5 , 12 K 2 O, 5.3 MgO and 0.2 B 2 O 3 . The optimum sintering conditions for the fabrication of scaffolds by the foam-replica method were identified (sintering temperature: 670 deg, C and dwell time: 5 h). Composite samples were also fabricated by applying a biopolymer coating of poly( D,L -lactic acid) (PDLLA) using a dip coating process. The average compressive strength values were 0.4 MPa for uncoated and 0.6 MPa for coated scaffolds. In vitro bioactivity studies in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed that a carbonate hydroxyapatite (HCAp) layer was deposited on uncoated and coated scaffolds after only 4 days of immersion in SBF, demonstrating the high in vitro bioactivity of the scaffolds. It was also confirmed that the scaffold structure remained amorphous (no crystallization) after the specific heat treatment used, with scaffolds exhibiting mechanical properties and bioactivity suitable for use in bone tissue engineering applications.

Non-crystalline composite tissue engineering scaffolds using boron-containing bioactive glass and poly(d,l-lactic acid) coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mantsos, T; Chatzistavrou, X; Roether, J A; Boccaccini, A R [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Hupa, L; Arstila, H, E-mail: a.boccaccini@imperial.ac.u [Process Chemistry Centre, Abo Akademi University, Piispankatu 8, FI-20500 Turku (Finland)

2009-10-15

The aim of this study was the fabrication of three-dimensional, highly porous, bioactive scaffolds using a recently developed bioactive glass powder, denominated '0106', with nominal composition (in wt%): 50 SiO{sub 2}, 22.6 CaO, 5.9 Na{sub 2}O, 4 P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 12 K{sub 2}O, 5.3 MgO and 0.2 B{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The optimum sintering conditions for the fabrication of scaffolds by the foam-replica method were identified (sintering temperature: 670 deg, C and dwell time: 5 h). Composite samples were also fabricated by applying a biopolymer coating of poly({sub D,L}-lactic acid) (PDLLA) using a dip coating process. The average compressive strength values were 0.4 MPa for uncoated and 0.6 MPa for coated scaffolds. In vitro bioactivity studies in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed that a carbonate hydroxyapatite (HCAp) layer was deposited on uncoated and coated scaffolds after only 4 days of immersion in SBF, demonstrating the high in vitro bioactivity of the scaffolds. It was also confirmed that the scaffold structure remained amorphous (no crystallization) after the specific heat treatment used, with scaffolds exhibiting mechanical properties and bioactivity suitable for use in bone tissue engineering applications.

An insight into the biological activities of heterocyclic-fatty acid hybrid molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Venepally, Vijayendar; Reddy Jala, Ram Chandra

2017-12-01

Heterocyclic compounds are the interesting core structures for the development of new bioactive compounds. Fatty acids are derived from renewable raw materials and exhibit various biological activities. Several researchers are amalgamating these two bioactive components to yield bioactive hybrid molecules with some desirable features. Heterocyclic-fatty acid hybrid derivatives are a new class of heterocyclic compounds with a broad range of biological activities and significance in the field of medicinal chemistry. Over the last few years, many research articles emphasized the significance of heterocyclic-fatty acid hybrid derivatives. The present review article focuses the developments in designing and biological evaluation of heterocyclic-fatty acid hybrid molecules. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Effect of different drying techniques on bioactive components, fatty acid composition, and volatile profile of robusta coffee beans.

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Dong, Wenjiang; Hu, Rongsuo; Chu, Zhong; Zhao, Jianping; Tan, Lehe

2017-11-01

This study investigated the effect of different drying techniques, namely, room-temperature drying (RTD), solar drying (SD), heat-pump drying (HPD), hot-air drying (HAD), and freeze drying (FD), on bioactive components, fatty acid composition, and the volatile compound profile of robusta coffee beans. The data showed that FD was an effective method to preserve fat, organic acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, HAD was ideal for retaining polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids. Sixty-two volatile compounds were identified in the differently dried coffee beans, representing 90% of the volatile compounds. HPD of the coffee beans produced the largest number of volatiles, whereas FD resulted in the highest volatile content. A principal component analysis demonstrated a close relationship between the HPD, SD, and RTD methods whereas the FD and HAD methods were significantly different. Overall, the results provide a basis for potential application to other similar thermal sensitive materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards the synthesis of an experimental bioactive dental ceramic. Part I: Crystallinity characterization and bioactive behavior evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goudouri, O.-M.; Kontonasaki, E.; Papadopoulou, L.; Kantiranis, N.; Lazaridis, N.K.; Chrissafis, K.; Chatzistavrou, X.; Koidis, P.; Paraskevopoulos, K.M.

2014-01-01

An attachment between the dental ceramic and the surrounding marginal tissues in fixed prosthetic restorations could eliminate secondary carries prevalence. The development of dental ceramics with apatite forming ability could provide the biological surface required for selective spread and attachment of specific cell types able to promote tissue attachment. Dental ceramics/bioactive glass composites synthesized by the sol gel method have been previously reported to develop carbonated hydroxyapatite (HCAp) in biomimetic solutions, requiring though a high amount of bioactive glass, which resulted in the compromise of their mechanical integrity. Thus, the aim of the present work was the synthesis and characterization of an experimental sol–gel derived dental ceramic with low amount of bioactive glass and the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity. Differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (TG–DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to evaluate the crystal structure and the in vitro apatite forming ability of the synthesized material. The results of this study indicated the successful sol–gel synthesis of an experimental dental ceramic containing low amount of bioactive glass that presented similar structural and morphological characteristics with a commercial feldspathic dental ceramic, while exhibiting in vitro bioactivity. The apatite forming ability of the experimental sol–gel derived feldspathic dental ceramic may trigger the appropriate cellular mechanisms towards the establishment of attachment with the surrounding connective tissue. This attachment could provide a barrier to oral bacteria penetration, prolonging the life expectation of the restorations. - Highlights: • Synthesis of a bioactive sol–gel dental ceramic for fixed prosthetic restorations. • The sol–gel technique promoted the crystallization of

Towards the synthesis of an experimental bioactive dental ceramic. Part I: Crystallinity characterization and bioactive behavior evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goudouri, O.-M. [Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Kontonasaki, E. [School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Papadopoulou, L.; Kantiranis, N. [Department of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Lazaridis, N.K. [Chemistry Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Chrissafis, K.; Chatzistavrou, X. [Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Koidis, P. [School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Paraskevopoulos, K.M., E-mail: kpar@auth.gr [Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2014-05-01

An attachment between the dental ceramic and the surrounding marginal tissues in fixed prosthetic restorations could eliminate secondary carries prevalence. The development of dental ceramics with apatite forming ability could provide the biological surface required for selective spread and attachment of specific cell types able to promote tissue attachment. Dental ceramics/bioactive glass composites synthesized by the sol gel method have been previously reported to develop carbonated hydroxyapatite (HCAp) in biomimetic solutions, requiring though a high amount of bioactive glass, which resulted in the compromise of their mechanical integrity. Thus, the aim of the present work was the synthesis and characterization of an experimental sol–gel derived dental ceramic with low amount of bioactive glass and the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity. Differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (TG–DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to evaluate the crystal structure and the in vitro apatite forming ability of the synthesized material. The results of this study indicated the successful sol–gel synthesis of an experimental dental ceramic containing low amount of bioactive glass that presented similar structural and morphological characteristics with a commercial feldspathic dental ceramic, while exhibiting in vitro bioactivity. The apatite forming ability of the experimental sol–gel derived feldspathic dental ceramic may trigger the appropriate cellular mechanisms towards the establishment of attachment with the surrounding connective tissue. This attachment could provide a barrier to oral bacteria penetration, prolonging the life expectation of the restorations. - Highlights: • Synthesis of a bioactive sol–gel dental ceramic for fixed prosthetic restorations. • The sol–gel technique promoted the crystallization of

Informal leadership support: an often overlooked competitive advantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, L H; O'Connor, E J

2001-01-01

As environmental pressures mount, the advantage of using the same strategies and tactics employed by competitors continues to shrink. An alternative is adapting and applying answers successfully employed in other industries to health care organizations. Working with informal influence leaders to share your change management efforts represents one such example. Informal influence leaders offer an often-overlooked source of competitive advantage--they have already earned credibility and respect from others, who regularly look to them for guidance. When sharing their views, they significantly influence the acceptance or rejection of new initiatives. Influence leaders reach into every conversation, every meeting, and every decision made in an organization. The important question is whether they will exert their leadership in support or in opposition to changes you propose. By identifying influence leaders and inviting them to join a group to discuss change initiatives, physician executives can create a positive force for change.

Therapeutic Properties of Bioactive Compounds from Different Honeybee Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornara, Laura; Biagi, Marco; Xiao, Jianbo; Burlando, Bruno

2017-01-01

Honeybees produce honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, bee pollen, and beeswax, which potentially benefit to humans due to the bioactives in them. Clinical standardization of these products is hindered by chemical variability depending on honeybee and botanical sources, but different molecules have been isolated and pharmacologically characterized. Major honey bioactives include phenolics, methylglyoxal, royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), and oligosaccharides. In royal jelly there are antimicrobial jelleins and royalisin peptides, MRJPs, and hydroxy-decenoic acid derivatives, notably 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory, metabolic syndrome preventing, and anti-aging activities. Propolis contains caffeic acid phenethyl ester and artepillin C, specific of Brazilian propolis, with antiviral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Bee venom consists of toxic peptides like pain-inducing melittin, SK channel blocking apamin, and allergenic phospholipase A2. Bee pollen is vitaminic, contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phenolics, as well as antiatherosclerotic, antidiabetic, and hypoglycemic flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and sterols. Beeswax is widely used in cosmetics and makeup. Given the importance of drug discovery from natural sources, this review is aimed at providing an exhaustive screening of the bioactive compounds detected in honeybee products and of their curative or adverse biological effects.

Therapeutic Properties of Bioactive Compounds from Different Honeybee Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Cornara

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Honeybees produce honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, bee pollen, and beeswax, which potentially benefit to humans due to the bioactives in them. Clinical standardization of these products is hindered by chemical variability depending on honeybee and botanical sources, but different molecules have been isolated and pharmacologically characterized. Major honey bioactives include phenolics, methylglyoxal, royal jelly proteins (MRJPs, and oligosaccharides. In royal jelly there are antimicrobial jelleins and royalisin peptides, MRJPs, and hydroxy-decenoic acid derivatives, notably 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA, with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory, metabolic syndrome preventing, and anti-aging activities. Propolis contains caffeic acid phenethyl ester and artepillin C, specific of Brazilian propolis, with antiviral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Bee venom consists of toxic peptides like pain-inducing melittin, SK channel blocking apamin, and allergenic phospholipase A2. Bee pollen is vitaminic, contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phenolics, as well as antiatherosclerotic, antidiabetic, and hypoglycemic flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and sterols. Beeswax is widely used in cosmetics and makeup. Given the importance of drug discovery from natural sources, this review is aimed at providing an exhaustive screening of the bioactive compounds detected in honeybee products and of their curative or adverse biological effects.

Meat and fermented meat products as a source of bioactive peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Stadnik, Joanna; Kęska, Paulina

2015-01-01

Bioactive peptides are short amino acid sequences, that upon release from the parent protein may play different physiological roles, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, and other bioactivities. They have been identified from a range of foods, including those of animal origin, e.g., milk and muscle sources (with pork, beef, or chicken and various species of fish and marine organism). Bioactive peptides are encrypted within the sequence of the parent protein molecule and latent until released and activated by enzymatic proteolysis, e.g. during gastrointestinal digestion or food processing. Bioactive peptides derived from food sources have the potential for incorporation into functional foods and nutraceuticals. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the muscle-derived bioactive peptides, especially those of fermented meats and the potential benefits of these bioactive compounds to human health.

GC-MS evaluation of fatty acid profile and lipid bioactive of partially hydrogenated cooking oil consumed in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandhroab, A.A.; Sherazi, S.T.H.; Mahesar, S.A.; Talpura, M.Y.; Bhutto, A.A.

2010-01-01

Evaluation of fatty acid profile including trans fat and lipid bioactive (tocopherol and sterol contents) of most commonly used vanaspati ghee and cooking oil brands was made by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer detector (GC-MSD). Among the saturated fatty acids (SFA), palmitic and stearic acid were dominant fatty acids; the mean value of SFA in ghee and oil was 44.98 and 30.83%, respectively. Mean values of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fatty acids in ghee were 47.51, 7.49 and 8.08%, and in oil 49.26, 19.90 and 0.91%, respectively. alpha-tocopherol was the major tocopherol while campesterol, stigmasterol and sitosterol were main phytosterols in terms of their quantity. (author)

SpirPep: an in silico digestion-based platform to assist bioactive peptides discovery from a genome-wide database.

Science.gov (United States)

Anekthanakul, Krittima; Hongsthong, Apiradee; Senachak, Jittisak; Ruengjitchatchawalya, Marasri

2018-04-20

Bioactive peptides, including biological sources-derived peptides with different biological activities, are protein fragments that influence the functions or conditions of organisms, in particular humans and animals. Conventional methods of identifying bioactive peptides are time-consuming and costly. To quicken the processes, several bioinformatics tools are recently used to facilitate screening of the potential peptides prior their activity assessment in vitro and/or in vivo. In this study, we developed an efficient computational method, SpirPep, which offers many advantages over the currently available tools. The SpirPep web application tool is a one-stop analysis and visualization facility to assist bioactive peptide discovery. The tool is equipped with 15 customized enzymes and 1-3 miscleavage options, which allows in silico digestion of protein sequences encoded by protein-coding genes from single, multiple, or genome-wide scaling, and then directly classifies the peptides by bioactivity using an in-house database that contains bioactive peptides collected from 13 public databases. With this tool, the resulting peptides are categorized by each selected enzyme, and shown in a tabular format where the peptide sequences can be tracked back to their original proteins. The developed tool and webpages are coded in PHP and HTML with CSS/JavaScript. Moreover, the tool allows protein-peptide alignment visualization by Generic Genome Browser (GBrowse) to display the region and details of the proteins and peptides within each parameter, while considering digestion design for the desirable bioactivity. SpirPep is efficient; it takes less than 20 min to digest 3000 proteins (751,860 amino acids) with 15 enzymes and three miscleavages for each enzyme, and only a few seconds for single enzyme digestion. Obviously, the tool identified more bioactive peptides than that of the benchmarked tool; an example of validated pentapeptide (FLPIL) from LC-MS/MS was demonstrated. The

Bio-active nanoemulsions enriched with gold nanoparticle, marigold extracts and lipoic acid: In vitro investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Guler, Emine; Barlas, F Baris; Yavuz, Murat; Demir, Bilal; Gumus, Z Pinar; Baspinar, Yucel; Coskunol, Hakan; Timur, Suna

2014-09-01

A novel and efficient approach for the preparation of enriched herbal formulations was described and their potential applications including wound healing and antioxidant activity (cell based and cell free) were investigated via in vitro cell culture studies. Nigella sativa oil was enriched with Calendula officinalis extract and lipoic acid capped gold nanoparticles (AuNP-LA) using nanoemulsion systems. The combination of these bio-active compounds was used to design oil in water (O/W) and water in oil (W/O) emulsions. The resulted emulsions were characterized by particle size measurements. The phenolic content of each nanoemulsion was examined by using both colorimetric assay and chromatographic analyses. Two different methods containing cell free chemical assay (1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl method) and cell based antioxidant activity test were used to evaluate the antioxidant capacities. In order to investigate the bio-activities of the herbal formulations, in vitro cell culture experiments, including cytotoxicity, scratch assay, antioxidant activity and cell proliferation were carried out using Vero cell line as a model cell line. Furthermore, to monitor localization of the nanoemulsions after application of the cell culture, the cell images were monitored via fluorescence microscope after FITC labeling. All data confirmed that the enriched N. sativa formulations exhibited better antioxidant and wound healing activity than N. sativa emulsion without any enrichment. In conclusion, the incorporation of AuNP-LA and C. officinalis extract into the N. sativa emulsions significantly increased the bio-activities. The present work may support further studies about using the other bio-active agents for the enrichment of herbal preparations to strengthen their activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioactive Compounds in Functional Meat Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorzelska-Nowicka, Ewelina; Atanasov, Atanas G; Horbańczuk, Jarosław; Wierzbicka, Agnieszka

2018-01-31

Meat and meat products are a good source of bioactive compounds with positive effect on human health such as vitamins, minerals, peptides or fatty acids. Growing food consumer awareness and intensified global meat producers competition puts pressure on creating new healthier meat products. In order to meet these expectations, producers use supplements with functional properties for animal diet and as direct additives for meat products. In the presented work seven groups of key functional constituents were chosen: (i) fatty acids; (ii) minerals; (iii) vitamins; (iv) plant antioxidants; (v) dietary fibers; (vi) probiotics and (vii) bioactive peptides. Each of them is discussed in term of their impact on human health as well as some quality attributes of the final products.

Bioactive lipids in kidney physiology and pathophysiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daria Sałata

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Lipids not only have structural functions, but also play an important role as signaling and regulatory molecules and participate in many cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. Bioactive lipids act both as extracellular mediators, which are associated with receptors on the surface of cells, and intracellular mediators triggering different signal pathways. They are present and active in physiological conditions, and are also involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. Bioactive lipids such as derivatives of arachidonic acid and sphingolipids have an important role in renal development, physiology and in many renal diseases. Some of them are potential indicators of kidney damage degree and/or function of the transplanted kidneys.

Comparative study on major bioactive components in natural, artificial and in-vitro cultured Calculus Bovis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Shi-Kai; Wu, Yan-Wen; Liu, Run-Hui; Zhang, Wei-Dong

2007-01-01

Major bioactive components in various Calculus Bovis, including natural, artificial and in-vitro cultured Calculus Bovis, were comparatively studied. An approach of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detections (HPLC/UV/ELSD) was established to simultaneously determinate six bioactive components thereof, including five bile acids (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid) and bilirubin. ELSD and UV detector were applied to detect bile acids and bilirubin respectively. The assay was performed on a C(18) column with water-acetonitrile gradient elution and the investigated constituents were authenticated by comparing retention times and mass spectra with those of reference compounds. The proposed method was applied to analyze twenty-one Calculus Bovis extraction samples, and produced data with acceptable linearity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. The result indicated the variations among Calculus Bovis samples under different developmental conditions. Artificial and in-vitro cultured Calculus Bovis, especially in-vitro cultured ones, which contain total bioactive constituents no less than natural products and have the best batch-to-batch uniformity, suffice to be used as substitutes of natural Calculus Bovis.

Legume bioactive compounds: influence of rhizobial inoculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis R. Silva

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Legumes consumption has been recognized as beneficial for human health, due to their content in proteins, fiber, minerals and vitamins, and their cultivation as beneficial for sustainable agriculture due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with soil bacteria known as rhizobia. The inoculation with these baceria induces metabolic changes in the plant, from which the more studied to date are the increases in the nitrogen and protein contents, and has been exploited in agriculture to improve the crop yield of several legumes. Nevertheless, legumes also contain several bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, bioactive peptides, isoflavones and other phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols and fatty acids, which makes them functional foods included into the nutraceutical products. Therefore, the study of the effect of the rhizobial inoculation in the legume bioactive compounds content is gaining interest in the last decade. Several works reported that the inoculation of different genera and species of rhizobia in several grain legumes, such as soybean, cowpea, chickpea, faba bean or peanut, produced increases in the antioxidant potential and in the content of some bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, flavonoids, organic acids, proteins and fatty acids. Therefore, the rhizobial inoculation is a good tool to enhance the yield and quality of legumes and further studies on this field will allow us to have plant probiotic bacteria that promote the plant growth of legumes improving their functionality.

Fumaric acid: an overlooked form of fixed carbon in Arabidopsis and other plant species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chia, D.W.; Yoder, T.J.; Reiter, W.D.; Gibson, S.I.

2000-01-01

Photoassimilates are used by plants for production of energy, as carbon skeletons and in transport of fixed carbon between different plant organs. Many studies have been devoted to characterizing the factors that. regulate photoassimilate concentrations in different plant species. Most studies examining photoassimilate concentrations in C(sub 3) plants have focused on analyzing starch and soluble sugars. However, work presented here demonstrates that a number of C(sub 3) plants, including the popular model organism Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., and agriculturally important plants, such as soybean[Glycine ma (L.) Merr.], contain significant quantities of furnaric acid. In fact, furnaric acid can accumulate to levels of several mg per g fresh weight in A-abidopsis leaves, often exceeding starch and soluble sugar levels. Furnaric acid is a component of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and, like starch and soluble sugars, can be metabolized to yield energy and carbon skeletons for production of other compounds. Fumaric acid concentrations increase with plant age and light intensity in Arabidopsis leaves. Arabidopsis phloem exudates contain significant quantities of fumaric acid, raising the possibility that fumaric acid may function in carbon transport

Fumaric acid: an overlooked form of fixed carbon in Arabidopsis and other plant species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chia, D.W.; Yoder, T.J.; Reiter, W.D.; Gibson, S.I.

2000-10-01

Photoassimilates are used by plants for production of energy, as carbon skeletons and in transport of fixed carbon between different plant organs. Many studies have been devoted to characterizing the factors that. regulate photoassimilate concentrations in different plant species. Most studies examining photoassimilate concentrations in C{sub 3} plants have focused on analyzing starch and soluble sugars. However, work presented here demonstrates that a number of C{sub 3} plants, including the popular model organism Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., and agriculturally important plants, such as soybean [Glycine ma (L.) Merr.], contain significant quantities of furnaric acid. In fact, furnaric acid can accumulate to levels of several mg per g fresh weight in A-abidopsis leaves, often exceeding starch and soluble sugar levels. Furnaric acid is a component of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and, like starch and soluble sugars, can be metabolized to yield energy and carbon skeletons for production of other compounds. Fumaric acid concentrations increase with plant age and light intensity in Arabidopsis leaves. Arabidopsis phloem exudates contain significant quantities of fumaric acid, raising the possibility that fumaric acid may function in carbon transport.

Marine actinobacteria: an important source of bioactive natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Kang, Kyong-Hwa; Sivakumar, Kannan; Li-Chan, Eunice C Y; Oh, Hyun-Myung; Kim, Se-Kwon

2014-07-01

Marine environment is largely an untapped source for deriving actinobacteria, having potential to produce novel, bioactive natural products. Actinobacteria are the prolific producers of pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, accounting for about 70% of the naturally derived compounds that are currently in clinical use. Among the various actinobacterial genera, Actinomadura, Actinoplanes, Amycolatopsis, Marinispora, Micromonospora, Nocardiopsis, Saccharopolyspora, Salinispora, Streptomyces and Verrucosispora are the major potential producers of commercially important bioactive natural products. In this respect, Streptomyces ranks first with a large number of bioactive natural products. Marine actinobacteria are unique enhancing quite different biological properties including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, insecticidal and enzyme inhibitory activities. They have attracted global in the last ten years for their ability to produce pharmaceutically active compounds. In this review, we have focused attention on the bioactive natural products isolated from marine actinobacteria, possessing unique chemical structures that may form the basis for synthesis of novel drugs that could be used to combat resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gamma radiation enhances the bioactivity of fresh parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss Var. Neapolitanum)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cătunescu, Giorgiana M.; Rotar, Ioan; Vidican, Roxana; Bunghez, Florina; Rotar, Ancuța M.

2017-01-01

Research showed the effects of drying, freezing, and irradiation on the bioactivity of parsley, but overlooked comparing them. In the present study, the effect of minimal processing paired with gamma irradiation (0.7–2.7 kGy) was evaluated in respect to the content of ascorbic acid, polyphenols, antiradical capacity and antibacterial activity of parsley methanolic extracts. The results were compared with natural drying (20–22 °C) and rapid freezing (−20 °C). Absorbed doses of 0.7–1.4 kGy can be recommended to no treatment from a nutritional point of view because the content of vitamin C was better preserved and a significant increase of polyphenols content was observed when compared with control samples. Drying can be recommended only in terms of vitamin C and polyphenols content per consumed serving, as it doubles the content of vitamin C and triples polyphenols compared to the same mass of fresh product. Plant extracts with optimal antioxidant and antimicrobial can be obtained from fresh herbs stored at refrigeration temperature as little as possible. Extracts from dried or frozen herbs preserved for long periods of time are not recommended. An absorbed dose of 2.7 kGy may be applied to parsley in order to increase its antibacterial against Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and S. Typhimurium. - Highlights: • An absorbed dose of 2.7 kGy decreased the content of vitamin C by 30%. • Doses below 2.0 kGy increased the content of total polyphenols. • Freezing and drying affected more harshly the bioactivity of parsley than ionizing. • Resistance to parsley extracts was: E. coli > S. aureus > B. cereus > S. Typhimurium. • Irradiation increased the susceptibility of Gram-negatives to parsley.

Potential of Fruit Wastes as Natural Resources of Bioactive Compounds

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Wen-Hua Ling

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Fruit wastes are one of the main sources of municipal waste. In order to explore the potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant potency and total phenolic contents (TPC of lipophilic and hydrophilic components in wastes (peel and seed of 50 fruits were systematically evaluated. The results showed that different fruit residues had diverse antioxidant potency and the variation was very large. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified, and catechin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, epicatechin, galangin, gallic acid, homogentisic acid, kaempferol, and chlorogenic acid were widely found in these residues. Especially, the values of ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC and TPC in the residues were higher than in pulps. The results showed that fruit residues could be inexpensive and readily available resources of bioactive compounds for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Invertebrate welfare: an overlooked issue

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Kelsey Horvath

2013-03-01

Full Text Available While invertebrates make up the majority of animal species, their welfare is overlooked compared to the concern shown to vertebrates. This fact is highlighted by the near absence of regulations in animal research, with the exception of cephalopods in the European Union. This is often justified by assumptions that invertebrates do not experience pain and stress while lacking the capacity for higher order cognitive functions. Recent research suggests that invertebrates may be just as capable as vertebrates in experiencing pain and stress, and some species display comparable cognitive capacities. Another obstacle is the negative view of invertebrates by the public, which often regards them as pests with no individual personalities, gastronomic entities, or individuals for scientific experimentation without rules. Increasingly, studies have revealed that invertebrates possess individual profiles comparable to the personalities found in vertebrates. Given the large economic impact of invertebrates, developing certain attitude changes in invertebrate welfare may be beneficial for producers while providing higher welfare conditions for the animals. While the immense number and type of species makes it difficult to suggest that all invertebrates will benefit from increased welfare, in this review we provide evidence that the topic of invertebrate welfare should be revisited, more thoroughly investigated, and in cases where appropriate, formally instituted.

Alteration of Rumen Bacteria and Protozoa Through Grazing Regime as a Tool to Enhance the Bioactive Fatty Acid Content of Bovine Milk.

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Bainbridge, Melissa L; Saldinger, Laurel K; Barlow, John W; Alvez, Juan P; Roman, Joe; Kraft, Jana

2018-01-01

Rumen microorganisms are the origin of many bioactive fatty acids (FA) found in ruminant-derived food products. Differences in plant leaf anatomy and chemical composition between cool- and warm-season pastures may alter rumen microorganisms, potentially enhancing the quantity/profile of bioactive FA available for incorporation into milk. The objective of this study was to identify rumen bacteria and protozoa and their cellular FA when cows grazed a warm-season annual, pearl millet (PM), in comparison to a diverse cool-season pasture (CSP). Individual rumen digesta samples were obtained from five Holstein cows in a repeated measures design with 28-day periods. The treatment sequence was PM, CSP, then PM. Microbial DNA was extracted from rumen digesta and sequence reads were produced with Illumina MiSeq. Fatty acids (FA) were identified in rumen bacteria and protozoa using gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Microbial communities shifted in response to grazing regime. Bacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes were more abundant during PM than CSP ( P rumenic acid, and α-linolenic acid in milk. In conclusion, grazing regime can potentially be used to alter microbial communities shifting the FA profile of microbial cells, and subsequently, alter the milk FA profile.

Chemical, Bioactive, and Antioxidant Potential of Twenty Wild Culinary Mushroom Species

OpenAIRE

Sharma, S. K.; Gautam, N.

2015-01-01

The chemical, bioactive, and antioxidant potential of twenty wild culinary mushroom species being consumed by the people of northern Himalayan regions has been evaluated for the first time in the present study. Nutrients analyzed include protein, crude fat, fibres, carbohydrates, and monosaccharides. Besides, preliminary study on the detection of toxic compounds was done on these species. Bioactive compounds evaluated are fatty acids, amino acids, tocopherol content, carotenoids (β-carotene, ...

l-theanine: A potential multifaceted natural bioactive amide as health supplement

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Rajsekhar Adhikary

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Natural bioactive compounds from plants are of great importance in modern therapeutics, which are used to prepare antibiotics, growth supplements or some other therapeutics. l-theanine is such a bioactive amide amino acid presented in different plants and fungi, especially in tea. Theanine has influential effects on lifestyle associated diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, stress relief, tumor suppression, menstruation and liver injury. This amino acid can maintain normal sleep and improve memory function and nullify effect of the neurotoxins. The rate of bioavailability and its medium of ingestion in the body is one of the great concerns for its additional antioxidant properties. Pharmacokinetics of the bioactive compound and its mode of action are described herewith. The biosynthesis and industrial synthesis are also reviewed to promote accelerated production of this bioactive compound in the pharmaceutical industries.

Chemistry and Functionality of Bioactive Compounds Present in Persimmon

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Shazia Yaqub

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Extensive research has related the consumption of persimmon with the reduced risk of various diseases and particularly highlighted the presence of bioactive phenolic compounds for their therapeutic properties. Major phenolic compounds present in persimmon are ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and gallic acid. β-Cryptoxanthin, lycopene, β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein are important carotenoids having antioxidant potential. They are important to prevent oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, safeguard beta cells of the pancreas, and reduce cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and damage caused by chronic alcohol consumption. In this paper, the chemistry and health benefits of bioactive compounds present in persimmon are reviewed to encourage impending applications and to facilitate further research activities.

Bioactive Carbohydrates and Peptides in Foods: An Overview of Sources, Downstream Processing Steps and Associated Bioactivities.

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Hayes, Maria; Tiwari, Brijesh K

2015-09-17

Bioactive peptides and carbohydrates are sourced from a myriad of plant, animal and insects and have huge potential for use as food ingredients and pharmaceuticals. However, downstream processing bottlenecks hinder the potential use of these natural bioactive compounds and add cost to production processes. This review discusses the health benefits and bioactivities associated with peptides and carbohydrates of natural origin and downstream processing methodologies and novel processes which may be used to overcome these.

Cell Based Meniscal Repair Using an Aligned Bioactive Nanofibrous Sheath

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-01

to subsequently guide tissue regeneration , for example, by seeded tissue progenitor cells . To achieve this objective, the first step is to develop...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0104 TITLE: Cell -Based Meniscal Repair Using an Aligned Bioactive Nanofibrous Sheath PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Cell -Based Meniscal Repair Using an Aligned Bioactive Nanofibrous Sheath 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0104 5c. PROGRAM

Common Amino Acid Subsequences in a Universal Proteome—Relevance for Food Science

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Piotr Minkiewicz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A common subsequence is a fragment of the amino acid chain that occurs in more than one protein. Common subsequences may be an object of interest for food scientists as biologically active peptides, epitopes, and/or protein markers that are used in comparative proteomics. An individual bioactive fragment, in particular the shortest fragment containing two or three amino acid residues, may occur in many protein sequences. An individual linear epitope may also be present in multiple sequences of precursor proteins. Although recent recommendations for prediction of allergenicity and cross-reactivity include not only sequence identity, but also similarities in secondary and tertiary structures surrounding the common fragment, local sequence identity may be used to screen protein sequence databases for potential allergens in silico. The main weakness of the screening process is that it overlooks allergens and cross-reactivity cases without identical fragments corresponding to linear epitopes. A single peptide may also serve as a marker of a group of allergens that belong to the same family and, possibly, reveal cross-reactivity. This review article discusses the benefits for food scientists that follow from the common subsequences concept.

Reinforcement of poly-l-lactic acid electrospun membranes with strontium borosilicate bioactive glasses for bone tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, João S; Gentile, Piergiorgio; Martins, Margarida; Neves, Nuno M; Miller, Cheryl; Crawford, Aileen; Pires, Ricardo A; Hatton, Paul; Reis, Rui L

2016-10-15

Herein, for the first time, we combined poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) with a strontium borosilicate bioactive glass (BBG-Sr) using electrospinning to fabricate a composite bioactive PLLA membrane loaded with 10% (w/w) of BBG-Sr glass particles (PLLA-BBG-Sr). The composites were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microcomputer tomography (μ-CT), and the results showed that we successfully fabricated smooth and uniform fibres (1-3μm in width) with a homogeneous distribution of BBG-Sr microparticles (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) demonstrated that PLLA-BBG-Sr membranes promoted the osteogenic differentiation of the cells as demonstrated by increased alkaline phosphatase activity and up-regulated osteogenic gene expression (Alpl, Sp7 and Bglap) in relation to PLLA alone. These results strongly suggest that the composite PLLA membranes reinforced with the BBG-Sr glass particles have potential as an effective biomaterial capable of promoting bone regeneration. PLLA membranes were reinforced with 10% (w/w) of strontium-bioactive borosilicate glass microparticles, and their capacity to induce the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was evaluated. These membranes presented an increased: degradability, water uptake, Young modulus and tensile strength. We also demonstrated that these membranes are non-cytotoxic and promote the attachment of BM-MSCs. The addition of the glass microparticles into the PLLA membranes promoted the increase of ALP activity (under osteogenic conditions), as well as the BM-MSCs osteogenic differentiation as shown by the upregulation of Alpl, Sp7 and Bglap gene expression. Overall, we demonstrated that the reinforcement of PLLA with glass microparticles results in a biomaterial with the appropriate properties for the regeneration of bone tissue. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioactive compounds of fresh and dehydrated green pepper

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Ana Marinho do Nascimento

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Pepper Capsicum annuum L., belongs to the Solanaceae family, which contains approximately 31 species. Bioactive compounds also known as phytochemicals are chemical and biochemical components that are present in most fruits and vegetables. The objective of the present study was to verify if the bioactive compounds of the green pepper remain after being submitted to the drying process. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 2 treatments and 5 replicates. Green peppers were used from the (Economic Center of Supply Corporation of the city of Patos, Paraíba. The peppers were packed in plastic boxes and transported to the Laboratory of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Food Analysis of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Campus Pombal. Where they were selected, washed and sanitized. After that, the minimum processing was done and the drying was carried out in a circulation oven at 60 ºC. At the end of the drying, the samples were crushed and sieved. After this process, the analyzes of ascorbic acid, chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanin flavonoids and phenolic compounds. It was found that there was a significant difference between treatments. The bioactive properties of green pepper were not lost after the heat treatment. Some phytochemicals as ascorbic acid, carotenoids and phenolic compounds were concentrated. Therefore the loss of water during the drying process increased the concentration of the bioactive compounds of dehydrated pepper, the product obtained with this method exhibited high levels of phytochemicals, the use of drying may be an alternative to prolong the shelf life of the vegetable.

Extraction and evaluation of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential from green arabica coffee extract

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Simona PATRICHE

2015-12-01

Full Text Available During the last decade researches concerning the essential role of coffee in health and disease prevention showed an increased development. In the present study we obtained extracts from three green Arabica coffee varieties which demonstrated a significant antioxidant potential due to the presence in their composition of two bioactive compounds, caffeine and chlorogenic acids. The content and antioxidant activity of bioactive compounds were evaluated by qualitative and quantitative analyses using spectrophotometric and chromatography methods. The chlorogenic acid was found in high concentrations, being followed by gallic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids. The highest caffeine contents were found in the green coffee extracts of the Supremo–Columbia and Top Quality–Kenya products.

Lewis Acid Catalyzed Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 1,2,4-Benzenetriol, an Overlooked Biobased Compound.

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Kumalaputri, Angela J; Randolph, Caelan; Otten, Edwin; Heeres, Hero J; Deuss, Peter J

2018-03-05

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a platform chemical that can be produced from renewable carbohydrate sources. HMF can be converted to 1,2,4-benzenetriol (BTO) which after catalytic hydrodeoxygenation provides a route to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol. This mixture, known as KA oil, is an important feedstock for polymeric products such as nylons which use benzene as feedstock that is obtained from the BTX fraction produced in oil refineries. Therefore, the conversion of HMF to BTO provides a renewable, alternative route toward products such as nylons. However, BTO is usually considered an undesired byproduct in HMF synthesis and is only obtained in small amounts. Here, we show that Lewis acid catalysts can be utilized for the selective conversion of HMF to BTO in subsuper critical water. Overall, up to 54 mol % yield of BTO was achieved at 89% HMF conversion using ZnCl 2 . ZnCl 2 and similarly effective Zn(OTf) 2 and Fe(OTf) 2 are known as relatively soft Lewis acids. Other Lewis acid like Hf(OTf) 4 and Sc(OTf) 3 gave increased selectivity toward levulinic acid (up to 33 mol %) instead of BTO, a well-known HMF derivative typically obtained by acid catalysis. Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of BTO toward cyclohexanone in water was achieved in up to 45% yield using 5 wt % Pd on Al 2 O 3 combined with AlCl 3 or Al(OTf) 3 as catalysts. Additionally, a mild selective oxygen induced dimerization pathway of BTO to 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexahydroxybiphenyl (5,5'-BTO dimer) was identified.

Bioactive Components in The Meat and Their Functional Properties: A Literature Study

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Khothibul Umam Al Awwaly

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Consumer awareness in meat and meat products is generally recognized as a good source of food, with high biological value protein, B group vitamins, minerals and minor elements like several other bioactive compounds that are beneficial to the human body. But in many cases, a processing error is affecting the bioactive compounds of functional foods and consumer impression are relatively negative to some levels of substances in meat such as fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, salt and other substances, which however also involves a diseases of western society such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory, carcinogenesis, obesity, impaired immune system and accelerate the aging process. Hence there is a need for adequate information related to favorable nutritional value of meat that has not been widely disclosed. Bioactive components in the meat can be anserin, karnosin and bioactive peptides. The generation of bioactive components in the meat in the form of bioactive peptides can be done in three ways: (1 aging or storage of meat, (2 meat fermentation, and (3 the enzyme treatment. Functional properties of bioactive components in meat varies greatly as an antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anticancer and immunomodulatory.

Surface functionalization of bioactive glasses with natural molecules of biological significance, Part I: Gallic acid as model molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Ferraris, Sara; Prenesti, Enrico; Verné, Enrica

2013-12-01

Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, GA) and its derivatives are a group of biomolecules (polyphenols) obtained from plants. They have effects which are potentially beneficial to heath, for example they are antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antibacterial, as recently investigated in many fields such as medicine, food and plant sciences. The main drawbacks of these molecules are both low stability and bioavailability. In this research work the opportunity to graft GA to bioactive glasses is investigated, in order to deliver the undamaged biological molecule into the body, using the biomaterial surfaces as a localized carrier. GA was considered for functionalization since it is a good model molecule for polyphenols and presents several interesting biological activities, like antibacterial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. Two different silica based bioactive glasses (SCNA and CEL2), with different reactivity, were employed as substrates. UV photometry combined with the Folin&Ciocalteu reagent was adopted to test the concentration of GA in uptake solution after functionalization. This test verified how much GA consumption occurred with surface modification and it was also used on solid samples to test the presence of GA on functionalized glasses. XPS and SEM-EDS techniques were employed to characterize the modification of material surface properties and functional group composition before and after functionalization.

Bioactive compounds of sea cucumbers and their therapeutic effects

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Shujuan; Feng, Wenjing; Hu, Song; Liang, Shixiu; An, Nina; Mao, Yongjun

2016-05-01

Sea cucumbers belong to the Class Holothuroidea of marine invertebrates. They are commercially valuable and prized as a food and folk medicine in Asia. Nutritionally, sea cucumbers have an impressive profile of valuable nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids. A number of unique biological and pharmacological activities/properties, including anticancer, anticoagulant/antithrombotic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antihypertension and radioprotective, have been ascribed to various compounds isolated from sea cucumbers. The therapeutic properties and medicinal benefits of sea cucumbers can be linked to the presence of a wide array of bioactives, especially triterpene glycosides, acid mucopolysaccharide, sphingoid bases, glycolipids, fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, polysaccharides, phospholipids, cerebrosides, phosphatidylcholines, and other extracts and hydrolysates. This review highlights the valuable bioactive components as well as the multiple therapeutic properties of sea cucumbers with a view to exploring their potential uses as functional foods and a natural source of new multifunctional drugs.

Epizoochory in dry forest iguanas: an overlooked seed dispersal mechanism?

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Eloisa Lasso

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The role of animals as seed dispersal vectors is widely acknowledged, including dispersal by reptiles (saurochory. Most reports of saurochory have been via endozoochory, through feces deposition. We present the first evidence of epizoochory in Iguanas from a dry forest in Colombia via seeds attached to the snout. Our results show that seeds of a cactus Melocactus curvispinus ingested by iguana suffers from their passage through the digestive tract while seeds transported while attached to the snout germinate faster and in higher numbers. Our data suggest that we may have overlooked an alternative means of seed dispersal by lizards that does not comprise a passage through their digestive tract, and that deserves further attention for the understanding of dry forest ecology.

Bioactivity of calcium phosphate bioceramic coating fabricated by laser cladding

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yizhi; Liu, Qibin; Xu, Peng; Li, Long; Jiang, Haibing; Bai, Yang

2016-05-01

There were always strong expectations for suitable biomaterials used for bone regeneration. In this study, to improve the biocompatiblity of titanium alloy, calcium phosphate bioceramic coating was obtained by laser cladding technology. The microstructure, phases, bioactivity, cell differentiation, morphology and resorption lacunae were investigated by optical microscope (OM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and scanning electronic microscope (SEM), respectively. The results show that bioceramic coating consists of three layers, which are a substrate, an alloyed layer and a ceramic layer. Bioactive phases of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were found in ceramic coating. Osteoclast precursors have excellent proliferation on the bioceramic surface. The bioceramics coating could be digested by osteoclasts, which led to the resorption lacunae formed on its surface. It revealed that the gradient bioceramic coating has an excellent bioactivity.

Bioactivity of calcium phosphate bioceramic coating fabricated by laser cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Yizhi; Liu, Qibin; Xu, Peng; Li, Long; Jiang, Haibing; Bai, Yang

2016-01-01

There were always strong expectations for suitable biomaterials used for bone regeneration. In this study, to improve the biocompatiblity of titanium alloy, calcium phosphate bioceramic coating was obtained by laser cladding technology. The microstructure, phases, bioactivity, cell differentiation, morphology and resorption lacunae were investigated by optical microscope (OM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and scanning electronic microscope (SEM), respectively. The results show that bioceramic coating consists of three layers, which are a substrate, an alloyed layer and a ceramic layer. Bioactive phases of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were found in ceramic coating. Osteoclast precursors have excellent proliferation on the bioceramic surface. The bioceramics coating could be digested by osteoclasts, which led to the resorption lacunae formed on its surface. It revealed that the gradient bioceramic coating has an excellent bioactivity. (letter)

Chemical, Bioactive, and Antioxidant Potential of Twenty Wild Culinary Mushroom Species

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S. K.; Gautam, N.

2015-01-01

The chemical, bioactive, and antioxidant potential of twenty wild culinary mushroom species being consumed by the people of northern Himalayan regions has been evaluated for the first time in the present study. Nutrients analyzed include protein, crude fat, fibres, carbohydrates, and monosaccharides. Besides, preliminary study on the detection of toxic compounds was done on these species. Bioactive compounds evaluated are fatty acids, amino acids, tocopherol content, carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene), flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanidins. Fruitbodies extract of all the species was tested for different types of antioxidant assays. Although differences were observed in the net values of individual species all the species were found to be rich in protein, and carbohydrates and low in fat. Glucose was found to be the major monosaccharide. Predominance of UFA (65–70%) over SFA (30–35%) was observed in all the species with considerable amounts of other bioactive compounds. All the species showed higher effectiveness for antioxidant capacities. PMID:26199938

Chemical, Bioactive, and Antioxidant Potential of Twenty Wild Culinary Mushroom Species

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S. K. Sharma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The chemical, bioactive, and antioxidant potential of twenty wild culinary mushroom species being consumed by the people of northern Himalayan regions has been evaluated for the first time in the present study. Nutrients analyzed include protein, crude fat, fibres, carbohydrates, and monosaccharides. Besides, preliminary study on the detection of toxic compounds was done on these species. Bioactive compounds evaluated are fatty acids, amino acids, tocopherol content, carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanidins. Fruitbodies extract of all the species was tested for different types of antioxidant assays. Although differences were observed in the net values of individual species all the species were found to be rich in protein, and carbohydrates and low in fat. Glucose was found to be the major monosaccharide. Predominance of UFA (65–70% over SFA (30–35% was observed in all the species with considerable amounts of other bioactive compounds. All the species showed higher effectiveness for antioxidant capacities.

Chemical, Bioactive, and Antioxidant Potential of Twenty Wild Culinary Mushroom Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S K; Gautam, N

2015-01-01

The chemical, bioactive, and antioxidant potential of twenty wild culinary mushroom species being consumed by the people of northern Himalayan regions has been evaluated for the first time in the present study. Nutrients analyzed include protein, crude fat, fibres, carbohydrates, and monosaccharides. Besides, preliminary study on the detection of toxic compounds was done on these species. Bioactive compounds evaluated are fatty acids, amino acids, tocopherol content, carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene), flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanidins. Fruitbodies extract of all the species was tested for different types of antioxidant assays. Although differences were observed in the net values of individual species all the species were found to be rich in protein, and carbohydrates and low in fat. Glucose was found to be the major monosaccharide. Predominance of UFA (65-70%) over SFA (30-35%) was observed in all the species with considerable amounts of other bioactive compounds. All the species showed higher effectiveness for antioxidant capacities.

Secondary metabolites and bioactivities of Myrtus communis

OpenAIRE

Mahmoud I Nassar; El-Sayed A Aboutabl; Rania F Ahmed; Ezzel-Din A El-Khrisy; Khaled M Ibrahim; Amany A Sleem

2010-01-01

Background: Myrtus species are characterized by the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, volatile oils and fatty acids. They are remedies for variety of ailments. This study therefore investigated medicinal effects of Myrtus communis L. Methods: Bioactivity studies of Myrtus communis L. leaves were carried out on volatile oil, 7% methanol and aqueous extracts and the isolated compounds myricetin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-∝-rhamnopyranoside and gallic acid. Results: Dete...

Hierarchical Structures and Shaped Particles of Bioactive Glass and Its In Vitro Bioactivity

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U. Boonyang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, bioactive glass particles with controllable structure and porosity were prepared using dual-templating methods. Block copolymers used as one template component produced mesopores in the calcined samples. Polymer colloidal crystals as the other template component yielded either three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM products or shaped bioactive glass nanoparticles. The in vitro bioactivity of these bioactive glasses was studied by soaking the samples in simulated body fluid (SBF at body temperature (37°C for varying lengths of time and monitoring the formation of bone-like apatite on the surface of the bioactive glass. A considerable bioactivity was found that all of bioactive glass samples have the ability to induce the formation of an apatite layer on its surface when in contact with SBF. The development of bone-like apatite is faster for 3DOM bioactive glasses than for nanoparticles.

Bioactive Compounds Derived from the Yeast Metabolism of Aromatic Amino Acids during Alcoholic Fermentation

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Albert Mas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Metabolites resulting from nitrogen metabolism in yeast are currently found in some fermented beverages such as wine and beer. Their study has recently attracted the attention of researchers. Some metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids are bioactive compounds that can behave as hormones or even mimic their role in humans and may also act as regulators in yeast. Although the metabolic pathways for their formation are well known, the physiological significance is still far from being understood. The understanding of this relevance will be a key element in managing the production of these compounds under controlled conditions, to offer fermented food with specific enrichment in these compounds or even to use the yeast as nutritional complements.

Biomolecules and Natural Medicine Preparations: Analysis of New Sources of Bioactive Compounds from Ribes and Rubus spp. Buds

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Dario Donno

2016-02-01

Full Text Available It is well known that plants are important sources for the preparation of natural remedies as they contain many biologically active compounds. In particular, polyphenols, terpenic compounds, organic acids, and vitamins are the most widely occurring groups of phytochemicals. Some endemic species may be used for the production of herbal preparations containing phytochemicals with significant bioactivity, as antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory capacities, and health benefits. Blackberry sprouts and blackcurrant buds are known to contain appreciable levels of bioactive compounds, including flavonols, phenolic acids, monoterpenes, vitamin C, and catechins, with several clinical effects. The aim of this research was to perform an analytical study of blackcurrant and blackberry bud-preparations, in order to identify and quantify the main biomarkers, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint to evaluate the single botanical class contribution to total phytocomplex and relative bioactivity, using a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph−Diode Array Detector; the same analyses were performed both on the University laboratory and commercial preparations. Different chromatographic methods were used to determine concentrations of biomolecules in the preparations, allowing for quantification of statistically significant differences in their bioactive compound content both in the case of Ribes nigrum and Rubus cultivated varieties at different harvest stages. In blackcurrant bud-extracts the most important class was organic acids (50.98% followed by monoterpenes (14.05%, while in blackberry preparations the main bioactive classes were catechins (50.06% and organic acids (27.34%. Chemical, pharmaceutical and agronomic-environmental knowledge could be important for obtaining label certifications for the valorization of specific genotypes, with high clinical and pharmaceutical value: this study allowed to develop an effective tool for the natural

Biomolecules and Natural Medicine Preparations: Analysis of New Sources of Bioactive Compounds from Ribes and Rubus spp. Buds.

Science.gov (United States)

Donno, Dario; Mellano, Maria Gabriella; Cerutti, Alessandro Kim; Beccaro, Gabriele Loris

2016-02-05

It is well known that plants are important sources for the preparation of natural remedies as they contain many biologically active compounds. In particular, polyphenols, terpenic compounds, organic acids, and vitamins are the most widely occurring groups of phytochemicals. Some endemic species may be used for the production of herbal preparations containing phytochemicals with significant bioactivity, as antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory capacities, and health benefits. Blackberry sprouts and blackcurrant buds are known to contain appreciable levels of bioactive compounds, including flavonols, phenolic acids, monoterpenes, vitamin C, and catechins, with several clinical effects. The aim of this research was to perform an analytical study of blackcurrant and blackberry bud-preparations, in order to identify and quantify the main biomarkers, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint to evaluate the single botanical class contribution to total phytocomplex and relative bioactivity, using a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Diode Array Detector; the same analyses were performed both on the University laboratory and commercial preparations. Different chromatographic methods were used to determine concentrations of biomolecules in the preparations, allowing for quantification of statistically significant differences in their bioactive compound content both in the case of Ribes nigrum and Rubus cultivated varieties at different harvest stages. In blackcurrant bud-extracts the most important class was organic acids (50.98%) followed by monoterpenes (14.05%), while in blackberry preparations the main bioactive classes were catechins (50.06%) and organic acids (27.34%). Chemical, pharmaceutical and agronomic-environmental knowledge could be important for obtaining label certifications for the valorization of specific genotypes, with high clinical and pharmaceutical value: this study allowed to develop an effective tool for the natural preparation quality

Bioactive and metal uptake studies of carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-D-glucuronic acid membranes for tissue engineering and environmental applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakumar, R; Rajkumar, M; Freitas, H; Sudheesh Kumar, P T; Nair, S V; Furuike, T; Tamura, H

2009-08-01

Carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-D-glucuronic acid (CMCS-g-D-GA) was prepared by grafting D-GA onto CMCS in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and then the membranes were made from it. In this work, the bioactivity studies of CMCS-g-D-GA membranes were carried out and then characterized by SEM, CLSM, XRD and FT-IR. The CMCS-g-D-GA membranes were found to be bioactive. The adsorption of Ni2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions onto CMCS-g-D-GA membranes has also been investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of CMCS-g-D-GA for Ni2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ was found to be 57, 56.4 and 70.2 mg/g, respectively. Hence, these membranes were useful for tissue engineering, environmental and water purification applications.

Bioactive compounds from flesh and by-product of fresh-cut watermelon cultivars.

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Tarazona-Díaz, Martha Patricia; Viegas, Joana; Moldao-Martins, Margarida; Aguayo, Encarna

2011-03-30

The fresh-cut industry produces thousands of tons of waste in non-edible portions that present an environmental and management problem. These by-products could be reused, in particular, to obtain bioactive compounds. In this study, five different fresh-cut watermelon cultivars were assessed for their flesh and by-product bioactive contents. The amount of by-product varied between 31.27 and 40.61% of initial fresh weight (f.w.) depending on the cultivar. Watermelon cultivars were poor sources of total antioxidant, and the content was similar between rind and flesh samples (46.96 vs 43.46 mg ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity kg(-1) f.w.). However, the rind had a moderate total phenolic content higher than that of the flesh (458 vs 389 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent kg(-1) f.w.) and a much higher content of the amino acid citrulline (3.34 vs 2.33 g kg(-1) f.w.), which has potential bioactive properties. Watermelon rind offers quantitative interest as a natural source of citrulline, particularly Fashion, a dark-skinned, seedless cultivar. More research is required on the efficient extraction of citrulline from watermelon rind and its suitability as an additive to drinks, juices or others products to produce new functional food products with valid health claims. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Different Types of Berries

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Sona Skrovankova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Berries, especially members of several families, such as Rosaceae (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and Ericaceae (blueberry, cranberry, belong to the best dietary sources of bioactive compounds (BAC. They have delicious taste and flavor, have economic importance, and because of the antioxidant properties of BAC, they are of great interest also for nutritionists and food technologists due to the opportunity to use BAC as functional foods ingredients. The bioactive compounds in berries contain mainly phenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, such as anthocyanins and flavonols, and tannins and ascorbic acid. These compounds, either individually or combined, are responsible for various health benefits of berries, such as prevention of inflammation disorders, cardiovascular diseases, or protective effects to lower the risk of various cancers. In this review bioactive compounds of commonly consumed berries are described, as well as the factors influencing their antioxidant capacity and their health benefits.

Identification of Bioactivity, Volatile and Fatty Acid Profile in Supercritical Fluid Extracts of Mexican arnica

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J. Saúl García-Pérez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE is a sustainable technique used for the extraction of lipophilic metabolites such as pigments and fatty acids. Arnica plant is considered a potential candidate material with high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, in this study, a locally available Heterotheca inuloides, also known as Mexican arnica, was analyzed for the extraction of high-value compounds. Based on different pressure (P, temperature (T, and co-solvent (CoS, four treatments (T were prepared. A maximum 7.13% yield was recovered from T2 (T = 60 °C, P = 10 MPa, CoS = 8 g/min, followed by 6.69% from T4 (T = 60 °C, P = 30 MPa, CoS = 4 g/min. Some bioactive sesquiterpenoids such as 7-hydroxycadalene, caryophyllene and δ-cadinene were identified in the extracts by GC/MS. The fatty acid profile revealed that the main components were palmitic acid (C16:0, followed by linoleic acid (C18:2ω6c, α-linolenic acid (C18:3ω3 and stearic acid (C18:0 differing in percent yield per treatment. Antibacterial activities were determined by the agar diffusion method, indicating that all the treatments exerted strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus, C. albicans, and E. coli strains. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was also measured by three in vitro assays, DPPH, TEAC and FRAP, using Trolox as a standard. Results showed high antioxidant capacity enabling pharmaceutical applications of Mexican arnica.

Helminthosporic acid functions as an agonist for gibberellin receptor

OpenAIRE

Miyazaki, Sho; Jiang, Kai; Kobayashi, Masatomo; Asami, Tadao; Nakajima, Masatoshi

2017-01-01

Helminthosporol was isolated from a fungus, Helminthosporium sativum, as a natural plant growth regulator in 1963. It showed gibberellin-like bioactivity that stimulated the growth of the second leaf sheath of rice. After studying the structure–activity relationship between the compound and some synthesized analogs, it was found that helminthosporic acid (H-acid) has higher gibberellin-like activity and chemical stability than helminthosporol. In this study, we showed that (1) H-acid displays...

[Bread from the bioactivated wheat grain with the raised nutrition value].

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Ponomareva, E I; Alekhina, N N; Bakaeva, I A

2016-01-01

Bread from the bioactivated grain of wheat differs in high content of dietary fibers, minerals and vitamins compared to traditional types of bread, but, despite this, it has low protein and lysine content. The aim of the study was the development of bread with the raised nutritional value from the bioactivated wheat grain by use of flour from cake of wheat germ (6.5%). It has been established that the flour from wheat germ has protein biological value (77.4%) and the amino acid score according to lysine (100.3%) above 12 and 40.5%, respectively, compared with those from bioactivated wheat. During calculation of nutritive, biological and energy value of products from the bioactivated wheat grain it is revealed that the biological value of bread from wheat germ flour slightly exceeded the biological value of the bread without its addition and amounted to 70.80%, due to a high protein content and a balanced amino acid composition. The protein content in the test sample of bakery products was 19.0% higher than the control, phosphorus - 13.0%, zinc - 50.0%.

Evaluation of quality of kefir from milk obtained from goats supplemented with a diet rich in bioactive compounds.

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Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota; Pikul, Jan; Wójtowski, Jacek; Danków, Romualda; Teichert, Joanna; Czyżak-Runowska, Grażyna; Bagnicka, Emilia

2015-04-01

The composition of bioactive components in dairy products depends on their content in raw milk and the processing conditions. The experimental material consisted of the milk of dairy goats supplemented with 120 g d(-1) per head of false flax cake. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of kefir produced from goat's milk with a higher content of bioactive components resulting from supplementation of the goats' diet with false flax cake. The administration of false flax cake to goats had a positive effect on the fatty acid profile of the raw milk, causing an increase in the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and n-3 fatty acids. Their increased percentage was detected in the kefir after production as well as after storage. The processing value of the harvested milk did not differ from the qualitative characteristics of milk from goats of the control group. Increasing the proportion of bioactive components in goat's milk did not result in changes in the acidity, texture, colour, flavour, aroma or consistency of the kefir obtained. Milk and kefir obtained after the administration of false flax cake to goats contain bioactive components (PUFA including CLA, n-3 and monoenic trans fatty acids) in significant amounts. Kefir from experimental goat's milk did not differ in quality from kefir made from the milk of the control group. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thermal analysis and in vitro bioactivity of bioactive glass-alumina composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatzistavrou, Xanthippi, E-mail: x.chatzistavrou@imperial.ac.uk [Solid State Physics Section, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Kantiranis, Nikolaos, E-mail: kantira@geo.auth.gr [School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Kontonasaki, Eleana, E-mail: kont@dent.auth.gr [School of Dentistry, Department of Fixed Prosthesis and Implant Prosthodontics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Chrissafis, Konstantinos, E-mail: hrisafis@physics.auth.gr [Solid State Physics Section, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Papadopoulou, Labrini, E-mail: lambrini@geo.auth.gr [School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Koidis, Petros, E-mail: pkoidis@dent.auth.gr [School of Dentistry, Department of Fixed Prosthesis and Implant Prosthodontics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Boccaccini, Aldo R., E-mail: a.boccaccini@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College, SW7 2AZ London (United Kingdom); Paraskevopoulos, Konstantinos M., E-mail: kpar@auth.gr [Solid State Physics Section, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2011-01-15

Bioactive glass-alumina composite (BA) pellets were fabricated in the range 95/5-60/40 wt.% respectively and were heat-treated under a specific thermal treatment up to 950 {sup o}C. Control (unheated) and heat-treated pellets were immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) for bioactivity testing. All pellets before and after immersion in SBF were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. All composite pellets presented bioactive response. On the surface of the heat-treated pellets the development of a rich biological hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer was delayed for one day, compared to the respective control pellets. Independent of the proportion of the two components, all composites of each group (control and heat-treated) presented the same bioactive response as a function of immersion time in SBF. It was found that by the applied methodology, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} can be successfully applied in bioactive glass composites without obstructing their bioactive response. - Research Highlights: {yields} Isostatically pressed glass-alumina composites presented apatite-forming ability. {yields} The interaction with SBF resulted in an aluminium phosphate phase formation. {yields} The formation of an aluminium phosphate phase enhanced the in vitro apatite growth.

Adhesive Bioactive Coatings Inspired by Sea Life.

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Rego, Sónia J; Vale, Ana C; Luz, Gisela M; Mano, João F; Alves, Natália M

2016-01-19

Inspired by nature, in particular by the marine mussels adhesive proteins (MAPs) and by the tough brick-and-mortar nacre-like structure, novel multilayered films are prepared in the present work. Organic-inorganic multilayered films, with an architecture similar to nacre based on bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG), chitosan, and hyaluronic acid modified with catechol groups, which are the main components responsible for the outstanding adhesion in MAPs, are developed for the first time. The biomimetic conjugate is prepared by carbodiimide chemistry and analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The buildup of the multilayered films is monitored with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and their topography is characterized by atomic force microscopy. The mechanical properties reveal that the films containing catechol groups and BG present an enhanced adhesion. Moreover, the bioactivity of the films upon immersion in a simulated body fluid solution is evaluated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the constructed films promote the formation of bonelike apatite in vitro. Such multifunctional mussel inspired LbL films, which combine enhanced adhesion and bioactivity, could be potentially used as coatings of a variety of implants for orthopedic applications.

Maize Bioactive Peptides against Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Gómez, Jorge L.; Castorena-Torres, Fabiola; Preciado-Ortiz, Ricardo E.; García-Lara, Silverio

2017-06-01

Cancer is one of the main chronic degenerative diseases worldwide. In recent years, consumption of whole-grain cereals and their derived food products has been associated with reduction risks of various types of cancer. Cereals main biomolecules includes proteins, peptides, and amino acids present in different quantities within the grain. The nutraceutical properties associated with peptides exerts biological functions that promote health and prevent this disease. In this review, we report the current status and advances on maize peptides regarding bioactive properties that have been reported such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, and anti-tumour activities. We also highlighted its biological potential through which maize bioactive peptides exert anti-cancer activity. Finally, we analyse and emphasize the possible areas of application for maize peptides.

Gamma radiation enhances the bioactivity of fresh parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss Var. Neapolitanum)

Science.gov (United States)

Cătunescu, Giorgiana M.; Rotar, Ioan; Vidican, Roxana; Bunghez, Florina; Rotar, Ancuța M.

2017-03-01

Research showed the effects of drying, freezing, and irradiation on the bioactivity of parsley, but overlooked comparing them. In the present study, the effect of minimal processing paired with gamma irradiation (0.7-2.7 kGy) was evaluated in respect to the content of ascorbic acid, polyphenols, antiradical capacity and antibacterial activity of parsley methanolic extracts. The results were compared with natural drying (20-22 °C) and rapid freezing (-20 °C). Absorbed doses of 0.7-1.4 kGy can be recommended to no treatment from a nutritional point of view because the content of vitamin C was better preserved and a significant increase of polyphenols content was observed when compared with control samples. Drying can be recommended only in terms of vitamin C and polyphenols content per consumed serving, as it doubles the content of vitamin C and triples polyphenols compared to the same mass of fresh product. Plant extracts with optimal antioxidant and antimicrobial can be obtained from fresh herbs stored at refrigeration temperature as little as possible. Extracts from dried or frozen herbs preserved for long periods of time are not recommended. An absorbed dose of 2.7 kGy may be applied to parsley in order to increase its antibacterial against Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and S. Typhimurium.

BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES OF THE COW MILK WHEY PROTEINS (Bos taurus

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A. V. Iukalo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Data on the biological functions of milk whey proteins, which are implemented at the level of their proteolytic degradation products — bioactive peptides have been reviewed. The main functions of these proteins is to provide the amino acid nutrition of mammals in the early stages of development, as well as the transport of fatty acids, retinol, involved in the synthesis of lactose, ions of calcium and iron, immune protection, antimicrobial action, etc. However, in recent years, it has been found that milk proteins like casein are precursors of biologically active peptides. Аngiotensin — converting enzyme, opioid peptides which are opiate receptor agonists, anti–microbial peptides, peptides with immunomodulatory and hypocholesterolemic action, and peptides affecting motility have been found among the products of proteolytic degradation of ?-lactoglobulin, ?-laktoalbumin, lactoferrin and milk whey albumin. Also data on the possible participation of peptides from milk whey proteins in the implementation of the biological functions of both the assimilation of calcium, antioxidant effect, the regulation of appetite, anticarcinogenic are provided. The authors assume that the phenomenon of bioactive peptides formation could be considered as an additional function of natural food proteins, which gives advantages to the mammals and has a positive effect on their development in the postnatal period. Ways of bioactive peptides formation, their resistance to action of proteolytic enzymes, the ability to cross into the bloodstream and have biological effects have been also discussed. Up to date, only a few products with bioactive peptides from milk whey proteins are obtained. Further studies of their structure, mechanism of action, ways of formation and methods of isolation are required for their wider use. Formation of functional products based on bioactive peptides from milk whey proteins will allow efficient use of milk whey, which is often a

Nutrients, phytochemicals and bioactivity of wild Roman chamomile: a comparison between the herb and its preparations.

Science.gov (United States)

Guimarães, Rafaela; Barros, Lillian; Dueñas, Montserrat; Calhelha, Ricardo C; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Queiroz, Maria João R P; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2013-01-15

Roman chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile L. (Asteraceae), has been used for medicinal applications, mainly through oral dosage forms (decoctions and infusions). Herein, the nutritional characterisation of C. nobile was performed, and herbal material and its decoction and infusion were submitted to an analysis of phytochemicals and bioactivity evaluation. The antioxidant activity was determined by free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation, the antitumour potential was tested in human tumour cell lines (breast, lung, colon, cervical and hepatocellular carcinomas), and the hepatotoxicity was evaluated using a porcine liver primary cell culture. C. nobile proved to be an equilibrated valuable herb rich in carbohydrates and proteins, and poor in fat, providing tocopherols, carotenoids and essential fatty acids (C18:2n6 and C18:3n3). Moreover, the herb and its infusion are a source of phenolic compounds (flavonoids such as flavonols and flavones, phenolic acids and derivatives) and organic acids (oxalic, quinic, malic, citric and fumaric acids) that showed antioxidant and antitumour activities, without hepatotoxicity. The most abundant compounds in the plant extract and infusion were 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and an apigenin derivative. These, as well as other bioactive compounds, are affected in C. nobile decoction, leading to a lower antioxidant potential and absence of antitumour potential. The plant bioactivity could be explored in the medicine, food, and cosmetic industries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric-Pressure Cold Plasmas Used to Embed Bioactive Compounds in Matrix Material for Active Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables

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Fernandez, Sulmer; Pedrow, Patrick; Powers, Joseph; Pitts, Marvin

2009-10-01

Active thin film packaging is a technology with the potential to provide consumers with new fruit and vegetable products-if the film can be applied without deactivating bioactive compounds.Atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) processing can be used to activate monomer with concomitant deposition of an organic plasma polymerized matrix material and to immobilize a bioactive compound all at or below room temperature.Aims of this work include: 1) immobilize an antimicrobial in the matrix; 2) determine if the antimicrobial retains its functionality and 3) optimize the reactor design.The plasma zone will be obtained by increasing the voltage on an electrode structure until the electric field in the feed material (argon + monomer) yields electron avalanches. Results will be described using Red Delicious apples.Prospective matrix precursors are vanillin and cinnamic acid.A prospective bioactive compound is benzoic acid.

Three-dimensional, bioactive, biodegradable, polymer-bioactive glass composite scaffolds with improved mechanical properties support collagen synthesis and mineralization of human osteoblast-like cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Helen H; El-Amin, Saadiq F; Scott, Kimberli D; Laurencin, Cato T

2003-03-01

In the past decade, tissue engineering-based bone grafting has emerged as a viable alternative to biological and synthetic grafts. The biomaterial component is a critical determinant of the ultimate success of the tissue-engineered graft. Because no single existing material possesses all the necessary properties required in an ideal bone graft, our approach has been to develop a three dimensional (3-D), porous composite of polylactide-co-glycolide (PLAGA) and 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) that is biodegradable, bioactive, and suitable as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering (PLAGA-BG composite). The objectives of this study were to examine the mechanical properties of a PLAGA-BG matrix, to evaluate the response of human osteoblast-like cells to the PLAGA-BG composite, and to evaluate the ability of the composite to form a surface calcium phosphate layer in vitro. Structural and mechanical properties of PLAGA-BG were measured, and the formation of a surface calcium phosphate layer was evaluated by surface analysis methods. The growth and differentiation of human osteoblast-like cells on PLAGA-BG were also examined. A hypothesis was that the combination of PLAGA with BG would result in a biocompatible and bioactive composite, capable of supporting osteoblast adhesion, growth and differentiation, with mechanical properties superior to PLAGA alone. The addition of bioactive glass granules to the PLAGA matrix resulted in a structure with higher compressive modulus than PLAGA alone. Moreover, the PLAGA-BA composite was found to be a bioactive material, as it formed surface calcium phosphate deposits in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and in the presence of cells and serum proteins. The composite supported osteoblast-like morphology, stained positively for alkaline phosphatase, and supported higher levels of Type I collagen synthesis than tissue culture polystyrene controls. We have successfully developed a degradable, porous, polymer bioactive glass composite possessing

Metabolomics and Ionomics of Potato Tuber Reveals an Influence of Cultivar and Market Class on Human Nutrients and Bioactive Compounds

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Jacqueline M. Chaparro

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. is an important global food crop that contains phytochemicals with demonstrated effects on human health. Understanding sources of chemical variation of potato tuber can inform breeding for improved health attributes of the cooked food. Here, a comprehensive metabolomics (UPLC- and GC-MS and ionomics (ICP-MS analysis of raw and cooked potato tuber was performed on 60 unique potato genotypes that span 5 market classes including russet, red, yellow, chip, and specialty potatoes. The analyses detected 2,656 compounds that included known bioactives (43 compounds, nutrients (42, lipids (76, and 23 metals. Most nutrients and bioactives were partially degraded during cooking (44 out of 85; 52%, however genotypes with high quantities of bioactives remained highest in the cooked tuber. Chemical variation was influenced by genotype and market class. Specifically, ~53% of all detected compounds from cooked potato varied among market class and 40% varied by genotype. The most notable metabolite profiles were observed in yellow-flesh potato which had higher levels of carotenoids and specialty potatoes which had the higher levels of chlorogenic acid as compared to the other market classes. Variation in several molecules with known association to health was observed among market classes and included vitamins (e.g., pyridoxal, ~2-fold variation, bioactives (e.g., chlorogenic acid, ~40-fold variation, medicinals (e.g., kukoamines, ~6-fold variation, and minerals (e.g., calcium, iron, molybdenum, ~2-fold variation. Furthermore, more metabolite variation was observed within market class than among market class (e.g., α-tocopherol, ~1-fold variation among market class vs. ~3-fold variation within market class. Taken together, the analysis characterized significant metabolite and mineral variation in raw and cooked potato tuber, and support the potential to breed new cultivars for improved health traits.

Metabolomics and Ionomics of Potato Tuber Reveals an Influence of Cultivar and Market Class on Human Nutrients and Bioactive Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Chaparro, Jacqueline M.; Holm, David G.; Broeckling, Corey D.; Prenni, Jessica E.; Heuberger, Adam L.

2018-01-01

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important global food crop that contains phytochemicals with demonstrated effects on human health. Understanding sources of chemical variation of potato tuber can inform breeding for improved health attributes of the cooked food. Here, a comprehensive metabolomics (UPLC- and GC-MS) and ionomics (ICP-MS) analysis of raw and cooked potato tuber was performed on 60 unique potato genotypes that span 5 market classes including russet, red, yellow, chip, and specialty potatoes. The analyses detected 2,656 compounds that included known bioactives (43 compounds), nutrients (42), lipids (76), and 23 metals. Most nutrients and bioactives were partially degraded during cooking (44 out of 85; 52%), however genotypes with high quantities of bioactives remained highest in the cooked tuber. Chemical variation was influenced by genotype and market class. Specifically, ~53% of all detected compounds from cooked potato varied among market class and 40% varied by genotype. The most notable metabolite profiles were observed in yellow-flesh potato which had higher levels of carotenoids and specialty potatoes which had the higher levels of chlorogenic acid as compared to the other market classes. Variation in several molecules with known association to health was observed among market classes and included vitamins (e.g., pyridoxal, ~2-fold variation), bioactives (e.g., chlorogenic acid, ~40-fold variation), medicinals (e.g., kukoamines, ~6-fold variation), and minerals (e.g., calcium, iron, molybdenum, ~2-fold variation). Furthermore, more metabolite variation was observed within market class than among market class (e.g., α-tocopherol, ~1-fold variation among market class vs. ~3-fold variation within market class). Taken together, the analysis characterized significant metabolite and mineral variation in raw and cooked potato tuber, and support the potential to breed new cultivars for improved health traits. PMID:29876353

Bioactive lipids as radioprotectors and potentiators of radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Undurti N.

2016-01-01

Selective elimination of tumor cells with little or no effects on normal cells is desirable for the treatment of cancer. Radiotherapy, a well accepted form of cancer therapy, is associated with significant side effects that need to be eliminated or dampened. Our studies revealed that radiation can produce significant changes in the metabolism of essential fatty acids that could be related to its actions and side effects. It was noted that UVB exposed skin produced PGE2, PGF2a and PGE3 that accompany the erythema in the first 24-48 h, associated with increased COX-2 expression at 24 h. Leukocyte chemoattractants 11-, 12- and 8-monohydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) are elevated from 4 to 72 h, in association with peak dermal neutrophil influx at 24 h, and increased dermal CD3"+ lymphocytes and 12- and 15-LOX expression from 24 to 72 h. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory metabolite 15-HETE shows later expression, peaking at 72 h. Thus, skin lesions are characterized by overlapping sequential profiles of increases in COX products followed by LOX products that may regulate subsequent events and ultimately its resolution. The enhanced expression of 15-HETE at 72 h is interesting since it forms the precursor to antiinflammatory bioactive lipids. We and others also showed that the anti-cancer action of radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs can be augmented by certain polyunsaturated fatty acids with little or no action on normal cells. Even tumor cell drug resistance could be reversed by these bioactive lipids. Our recent studies revealed that these bioactive lipids also prevent genetic damage induced by radiation and other drugs. These studies imply that employing certain bioactive lipids may be exploited as radiation protective molecules and as enhancers of the anti-cancer action of radiation in the therapy of cancer. (author)

Important Determinants for Fucoidan Bioactivity: A Critical Review of Structure-Function Relations and Extraction Methods for Fucose-Containing Sulfated Polysaccharides from Brown Seaweeds

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Anne S. Meyer

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Seaweeds—or marine macroalgae—notably brown seaweeds in the class Phaeophyceae, contain fucoidan. Fucoidan designates a group of certain fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (FCSPs that have a backbone built of (1→3-linked α-l-fucopyranosyl or of alternating (1→3- and (1→4-linked α-l-fucopyranosyl residues, but also include sulfated galactofucans with backbones built of (1→6-β-d-galacto- and/or (1→2-β-d-mannopyranosyl units with fucose or fuco-oligosaccharide branching, and/or glucuronic acid, xylose or glucose substitutions. These FCSPs offer several potentially beneficial bioactive functions for humans. The bioactive properties may vary depending on the source of seaweed, the compositional and structural traits, the content (charge density, distribution, and bonding of the sulfate substitutions, and the purity of the FCSP product. The preservation of the structural integrity of the FCSP molecules essentially depends on the extraction methodology which has a crucial, but partly overlooked, significance for obtaining the relevant structural features required for specific biological activities and for elucidating structure-function relations. The aim of this review is to provide information on the most recent developments in the chemistry of fucoidan/FCSPs emphasizing the significance of different extraction techniques for the structural composition and biological activity with particular focus on sulfate groups.

Bioactive Properties of Maillard Reaction Products Generated From Food Protein-derived Peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Arihara, K; Zhou, L; Ohata, M

Food protein-derived peptides are promising food ingredients for developing functional foods, since various bioactive peptides are released from food proteins. The Maillard reaction, which plays an important role in most processed foods, generates various chemical components during processing. Although changes of amino acids or proteins and reduced sugars by the Maillard reaction have been studied extensively, such changes of peptides by the Maillard reaction are still not resolved enough. Since food protein-derived peptides are widely utilized in many processed foods, it deserves concern and research on the changes of peptides by the Maillard reaction in foods during processing or storage. This chapter initially overviewed food protein-derived bioactive peptides. Then, Maillard reaction products generated from peptides are discussed. We focused particularly on their bioactivities. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability of bioactive compounds in butiá (Butia odorata) fruit pulp and nectar.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Jessica Fernanda; Zandoná, Giovana Paula; Dos Santos, Priscila Silveira; Dallmann, Camila Müller; Madruga, Francine Bonemann; Rombaldi, Cesar Valmor; Chaves, Fábio Clasen

2017-12-15

Butia odorata is a palm tree native to southern Brazil whose fruit (known as butiá) and leaves are used to make many food products and crafts. Butiá contain several biologically active compounds with potential health benefits. However, processing conditions can alter quality attributes including bioactive compound content. This study evaluated the stability of bioactive compounds in butiá pulp upon pasteurization, during 12months of frozen storage, and in butiá nectar after a 3-month storage period. Pulp pasteurization resulted in a reduction in phenolic, flavonoid, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents. After a 12-month frozen storage period, flavonoid, phenolic, and ascorbic acid contents decreased while carotenoid content remained unaltered. Carotenoid, ascorbic acid, and phenolic contents were unaffected by the 3-month storage of butiá nectar; however, flavonoid content and antioxidant potential were reduced. Despite bioactive compound degradation upon heat treatment and storage, butiá nectar remained rich in phenolics, especially (-)-epicatechin, rutin, and (+)-catechin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Helminthosporic acid functions as an agonist for gibberellin receptor.

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Miyazaki, Sho; Jiang, Kai; Kobayashi, Masatomo; Asami, Tadao; Nakajima, Masatoshi

2017-11-01

Helminthosporol was isolated from a fungus, Helminthosporium sativum, as a natural plant growth regulator in 1963. It showed gibberellin-like bioactivity that stimulated the growth of the second leaf sheath of rice. After studying the structure-activity relationship between the compound and some synthesized analogs, it was found that helminthosporic acid (H-acid) has higher gibberellin-like activity and chemical stability than helminthosporol. In this study, we showed that (1) H-acid displays gibberellin-like activities not only in rice but also in Arabidopsis, (2) it regulates the expression of gibberellin-related genes, (3) it induces DELLA degradation through binding with a gibberellin receptor (GID1), and (4) it forms the GID1-(H-acid)-DELLA complex to transduce the gibberellin signal in the same manner as gibberellin. This work shows that the H-acid mode of action acts as an agonist for gibberellin receptor.

Comparison of Bioactive Compound Content in Egg Yolk Oil Extracted from Eggs Obtained from Different Laying Hen Housing Systems

OpenAIRE

Aleksandrs Kovalcuks

2015-01-01

Egg yolk oil is a natural source of bioactive compounds such as unsaturated fatty acids, oil soluble vitamins, pigments and others. Bioactive compound content in egg yolk oil depends from its content in eggs, from which oil was extracted. Many studies show that bioactive compound content in egg is correlated to the content of these compounds in hen feed, but there is also an opinion that hen housing systems also have influence on egg chemical content. The aim of this stud...

Preparation and bioactive properties of nano bioactive glass and segmented polyurethane composites.

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Aguilar-Pérez, Fernando J; Vargas-Coronado, Rossana F; Cervantes-Uc, Jose M; Cauich-Rodríguez, Juan V; Covarrubias, Cristian; Pedram-Yazdani, Merhdad

2016-04-01

Composites of glutamine-based segmented polyurethanes with 5 to 25 wt.% bioactive glass nanoparticles were prepared, characterized, and their mineralization potential was evaluated in simulated body fluid. Biocompatibility with dental pulp stem cells was assessed by MTS to an extended range of compositions (1 to 25 wt.% of bioactive glass nanoparticles). Physicochemical characterization showed that composites retained many of the matrix properties, i.e. those corresponding to semicrystalline elastomeric polymers as they exhibited a glass transition temperature (Tg) between -41 and -36℃ and a melting temperature (Tm) between 46 and 49℃ in agreement with X-ray reflections at 23.6° and 21.3°. However, with bioactive glass nanoparticles addition, tensile strength and strain were reduced from 22.2 to 12.2 MPa and 667.2 to 457.8%, respectively with 25 wt.% of bioactive glass nanoparticles. Although Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy did not show evidence of mineralization after conditioning of these composites in simulated body fluid, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed the formation of an apatite layer on the surface which increased with higher bioactive glass concentrations and longer conditioning time. Dental pulp stem cells proliferation at day 5 was improved in bioactive glass nanoparticles composites containing lower amounts of the filler (1-2.5 wt.%) but it was compromised at day 9 in composites containing high contents of nBG (5, 15, 25 wt.%). However, Runx2 gene expression was particularly upregulated for the dental pulp stem cells cultured with composites loaded with 15 and 25 wt.% of bioactive glass nanoparticles. In conclusion, low content bioactive glass nanoparticles and segmented polyurethanes composites deserve further investigation for applications such as guided bone regeneration membranes, where osteoconductivity is desirable but not a demanding mechanical performance. © The

Bioactive peptides from meat muscle and by-products: generation, functionality and application as functional ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafarga, Tomas; Hayes, Maria

2014-10-01

Bioactive peptides are sequences of between 2-30 amino acids in length that impart a positive health effect to the consumer when ingested. They have been identified from a range of foods, including milk and muscle sources including beef, chicken, pork and marine muscles. The myriad of peptides identified from these sources have known antihypertensive, opioid, antioxidant, antithrombotic and other bioactivities. Indeed, bioactive peptides could play a role in the prevention of diseases associated with the development of metabolic syndrome and mental health diseases. The aim of this work is to present an overview of the bioactive peptides identified in muscle proteins and by-products generated during the processing of meat. The paper looks at the isolation, enrichment and characterisation strategies that have been employed to date to generate bioactive peptides and the potential future applications of these peptides in functional foods for the prevention of heart and mental health problems and obesity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on chemical constituents and bioactivity of Rosa micrantha: an alternative antioxidants source for food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic applications.

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Guimarães, Rafaela; Barros, Lillian; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2010-05-26

Rose species have long been used for food and medicinal purposes. Rosa micrantha is one of the rose species that grow feral in the northeastern Portuguese region so-called Nordeste Transmontano. For the first time, chemical composition and bioactivity of their petals, fertilized flowers, unripe, ripening, and overripe hips were evaluated in order to valorize them as sources of important phytochemicals. Chemical characterization included determination of proteins, fats, ash, and carbohydrates, particularly sugars, by HPLC-RI, fatty acids by GC-FID, tocopherols by HPLC-fluorescence, and phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid by spectrophotometric techniques. Bioactivity was evaluated through screening of antioxidant properties: radical scavenging effects, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Ripening and overripe hips showed high nutritional value including proteins, carbohydrates, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, energy, sugars, particularly the reducing sugars fructose and glucose, and ascorbic acid (>693 mg/100 g). Fertilized flowers and petals revealed the highest antioxidant activity (EC(50) > 152 microg/mL) and phenolics, flavonoids, and tocopherols contents (>35 mg/100 g). Furthermore, petals, ripening, and overripe hips are important sources of carotenoid pigments (>64 mg/100 g). Because of the diversity and abundance of antioxidants found in this species, some food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications could be explored.

Nanotech: propensity in foods and bioactives.

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Kuan, Chiu-Yin; Yee-Fung, Wai; Yuen, Kah-Hay; Liong, Min-Tze

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology is seeing higher propensity in various industries, including food and bioactives. New nanomaterials are constantly being developed from both natural biodegradable polymers of plant and animal origins such as polysaccharides and derivatives, peptides and proteins, lipids and fats, and biocompatible synthetic biopolyester polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkonoates (PHA), and polycaprolactone (PCL). Applications in food industries include molecular synthesis of new functional food compounds, innovative food packaging, food safety, and security monitoring. The relevance of bioactives includes targeted delivery systems with improved bioavailability using nanostructure vehicles such as association colloids, lipid based nanoencapsulator, nanoemulsions, biopolymeric nanoparticles, nanolaminates, and nanofibers. The extensive use of nanotechnology has led to the need for parallel safety assessment and regulations to protect public health and adverse effects to the environment. This review covers the use of biopolymers in the production of nanomaterials and the propensity of nanotechnology in food and bioactives. The exposure routes of nanoparticles, safety challenges, and measures undertaken to ensure optimal benefits that outweigh detriments are also discussed.

Bioactive Materials in Endodontics: An Evolving Component of Clinical Dentistry.

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Mohapatra, Satyajit; Patro, Swadheena; Mishra, Sumita

2016-06-01

Achieving biocompatibility in a material requires an interdisciplinary approach that involves a sound knowledge of materials science, bioengineering, and biotechnology. The host microbial-material response is also critical. Endodontic treatment is a delicate procedure that must be planned and executed properly. Despite major advances in endodontic therapy in recent decades, clinicians are confronted with a complex root canal anatomy and a wide selection of endodontic filling materials that, in turn, may not be well tolerated by the periapical tissues and may evoke an immune reaction. This article discusses published reports of various bioactive materials that are used in endodontic therapy, including calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide aggregate, a bioactive dentin substrate, calcium phosphate ceramics, and calcium phosphate cements.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. as a source of nutrients, bioactive compounds and colouring agents.

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Jabeur, Inès; Pereira, Eliana; Barros, Lillian; Calhelha, Ricardo C; Soković, Marina; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2017-10-01

The nutritional and bioactive composition of plants have aroused much interest not only among scientists, but also in people's daily lives. Apart from the health benefits, plants are a source of pigments that can be used as natural food colorants. In this work, the nutritional composition of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. was analysed, as well as its bioactive compounds and natural pigments. Glucose (sugar), malic acid (organic acid), α-tocopherol (tocopherol) and linoleic acid (fatty acid) were the major constituents in the corresponding classes. 5-(Hydroxymethyl) furfural was the most abundant non-anthocyanin compound, while delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside was the major anthocyanin both in its hydroethanolic extract and infusion. H. sabdariffa extracts showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, highlighting that the hydroethanol extract presents not only lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity, but also bactericidal/fungicidal inhibition ability for all the bacteria and fungi tested. Furthermore, both extracts revealed the absence of toxicity using porcine primary liver cells. The studied plant species was thus not only interesting for nutritional purposes but also for bioactive and colouring applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antagonistic bioactivity of an endophytic bacterium isolated from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Antagonistic bioactivity of an endophytic bacterium isolated from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. R He, G Wang, X Liu, C Zhang, F Lin. Abstract. Endophytic bacteria are one of the most potential biological control agents in plant disease protection. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of a strain of ...

Influence of cultivar and ripening time on bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties in Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.).

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Bravo, Karent; Sepulveda-Ortega, Stella; Lara-Guzman, Oscar; Navas-Arboleda, Alejandro A; Osorio, Edison

2015-05-01

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) is an exotic fruit highly valued for its organoleptic properties and bioactive compounds. Considering that the presence of phenolics and ascorbic acid could contribute to its functional capacity, it is important to investigate the quality parameters, bioactive contents and functional properties with respect to genotype and ripening time. In this study the genotype effect was evaluated in 15 cultivars for two different harvest times. Changes during maturation were recorded in two commercial cultivars within seven levels of maturity. Multivariate statistical analysis suggested that phenolic content and ORAC value were mainly affected by harvest time and that ascorbic acid content and DPPH level were mainly affected by genotype. In addition, acidity, phenolic content, ORAC value and inhibition of LDL oxidation decreased with maturity, but soluble solids content, ascorbic acid content, β-carotene content and DPPH-scavenging activity were higher in mature fruits. The phenolic content, ascorbic acid content and antioxidant properties of Cape gooseberry fruit were strongly affected by cultivar, harvest time and maturity state. Consequently, the harvest time must be scheduled carefully to gain the highest proportion of bioactive compounds according to the specific cultivar and the environment where it is grown. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactivity Improvement of Olea europaea Leaf Extract Biotransformed by Wickerhamomyces anomalus Enzymes.

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Palmeri, Rosa; Restuccia, Cristina; Monteleone, Julieta Ines; Sperlinga, Elisa; Siracusa, Laura; Serafini, Mauro; Finamore, Alberto; Spagna, Giovanni

2017-06-01

Olive leaves represent a quantitatively significant by-product of agroindustry. They are rich in phenols, mainly oleuropein, which can be hydrolyzed into several bioactive compounds, including hydroxytyrosol. In this study, water extract from olive leaves 'Biancolilla' was analyzed for polyphenol profile, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and protective effect on differentiated Caco-2 cells. The efficacy of two enzymatic treatments in promoting the release of bioactive phenols was investigated: a) enzymatic extract from Wickerhamomyces anomalus, characterized by β-glucosidase and esterase activities; b) commercial β-glucosidase. Composition and bioactivity of the resulting extracts were compared. The results showed that the yeast-treated extract presented hydroxytyrosol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity comparable to those obtained using commercial β-glucosidase; however, it was showed the additional presence of hydroxycinnamic acids. In experiments on Caco-2 cells, the leaf extracts promoted the recovery of cell membrane barrier at different minimum effective concentrations. The high specificity of W. anomalus enzymatic extract may represent an effective tool for the release of bioactive phenols from olive by-products.

Metabolite analysis of endophytic fungi from cultivars of Zingiber officinale Rosc. identifies myriad of bioactive compounds including tyrosol.

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Anisha, C; Radhakrishnan, E K

2017-06-01

Endophytic fungi associated with rhizomes of four cultivars of Zingiber officinale were identified by molecular and morphological methods and evaluated for their activity against soft rot pathogen Pythium myriotylum and clinical pathogens. The volatile bioactive metabolites produced by these isolates were identified by GC-MS analysis of the fungal crude extracts. Understanding of the metabolites produced by endophytes is also important in the context of raw consumption of ginger as medicine and spice. A total of fifteen isolates were identified from the four varieties studied. The various genera identified were Acremonium sp., Gliocladiopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum sp., Aspergillus sp., Phlebia sp., Earliella sp., and Pseudolagarobasidium sp. The endophytic community was unique to each variety, which could be due to the varying host genotype. Fungi from phylum Basidiomycota were identified for the first time from ginger. Seven isolates showed activity against Pythium, while only two showed antibacterial activity. The bioactive metabolites identified in the fungal crude extracts include tyrosol, benzene acetic acid, ergone, dehydromevalonic lactone, N-aminopyrrolidine, and many bioactive fatty acids and their derivatives which included linoleic acid, oleic acid, myristic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, palmitic acid methyl ester, and methyl linoleate. The presence of these varying bioactive endophytic fungi may be one of the reasons for the differences in the performance of the different ginger varieties.

Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy

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Rein, Maarit J.; Renouf, Mathieu; Cruz‐Hernandez, Cristina; Actis‐Goretta, Lucas; Thakkar, Sagar K.; da Silva Pinto, Marcia

2013-01-01

Bioavailability is a key step in ensuring bioefficacy of bioactive food compounds or oral drugs. Bioavailability is a complex process involving several different stages: liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination phases (LADME). Bioactive food compounds, whether derived from various plant or animal sources, need to be bioavailable in order to exert any beneficial effects. Through a better understanding of the digestive fate of bioactive food compounds we can impact the promotion of health and improvement of performance. Many varying factors affect bioavailability, such as bioaccessibility, food matrix effect, transporters, molecular structures and metabolizing enzymes. Bioefficacy may be improved through enhanced bioavailability. Therefore, several technologies have been developed to improve the bioavailability of xenobiotics, including structural modifications, nanotechnology and colloidal systems. Due to the complex nature of food bioactive compounds and also to the different mechanisms of absorption of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds, unravelling the bioavailability of food constituents is challenging. Among the food sources discussed during this review, coffee, tea, citrus fruit and fish oil were included as sources of food bioactive compounds (e.g. (poly)phenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)) since they are examples of important ingredients for the food industry. Although there are many studies reporting on bioavailability and bioefficacy of these bioactive food components, understanding their interactions, metabolism and mechanism of action still requires extensive work. This review focuses on some of the major factors affecting the bioavailability of the aforementioned bioactive food compounds. PMID:22897361

Tough and strong porous bioactive glass-PLA composites for structural bone repair.

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Xiao, Wei; Zaeem, Mohsen Asle; Li, Guangda; Bal, B Sonny; Rahaman, Mohamed N

2017-08-01

Bioactive glass scaffolds have been used to heal small contained bone defects but their application to repairing structural bone is limited by concerns about their mechanical reliability. In the present study, the addition of an adherent polymer layer to the external surface of strong porous bioactive glass (13-93) scaffolds was investigated to improve their toughness. Finite element modeling (FEM) of the flexural mechanical response of beams composed of a porous glass and an adherent polymer layer predicted a reduction in the tensile stress in the glass with increasing thickness and elastic modulus of the polymer layer. Mechanical testing of composites with structures similar to the models, formed from 13-93 glass and polylactic acid (PLA), showed trends predicted by the FEM simulations but the observed effects were considerably more dramatic. A PLA layer of thickness -400 µm, equal to -12.5% of the scaffold thickness, increased the load-bearing capacity of the scaffold in four-point bending by ~50%. The work of fracture increased by more than 10,000%, resulting in a non-brittle mechanical response. These bioactive glass-PLA composites, combining bioactivity, high strength, high work of fracture and an internal architecture shown to be conducive to bone infiltration, could provide optimal implants for healing structural bone defects.

Affinity Crystallography Reveals the Bioactive Compounds of Industrial Juicing Byproducts of Punica granatum for Glycogen Phosphorylase.

Science.gov (United States)

Stravodimos, George A; Kantsadi, Anastassia L; Apostolou, Anna; Kyriakis, Efthimios; Kafaski-Kanelli, Vassiliki-Nafsika; Solovou, Theodora; Gatzona, Pagona; Liggri, Panagiota G V; Theofanous, Stavroula; Gorgogietas, Vyron A; Kissa, Apostolia; Psachoula, Chariklia; Lemonakis, Angelos; Chatzileontiadou, Demetra S M; Psarra, Anna-Maria G; Skamnaki, Vassiliki T; Haroutounian, Serkos A; Leonidas, Demetres D

2018-01-01

Glycogen phosphorylase (GP) is a pharmaceutical target for the discovery of new antihyperglycaemic agents. Punica granatum is a well-known plant for its potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities but so far has not been examined for antihyperglycaemic activity. The aim was to examine the inhibitory potency of eighteen polyphenolic extracts obtained from Punica granatum fruits and industrial juicing byproducts against GP and discover their most bioactive ingredients. Kinetic experiments were conducted to measure the IC50 values of the extracts while affinity crystallography was used to identify the most bioactive ingredient. The inhibitory effect of one of the polyphenolic extracts was also verified ex vivo, in HepG2 cells. All extracts exhibited significant in vitro inhibitory potency (IC50 values in the range of low μg/mL). Affinity crystallography revealed that the most bioactive ingredients of the extracts were chlorogenic and ellagic acids, found bound in the active and the inhibitor site of GP, respectively.While ellagic acid is an established GP inhibitor, the inhibition of chlorogenic acid is reported for the first time. Kinetic analysis indicated that chlorogenic acid is an inhibitor with Ki=2.5 x 10-3Mthat acts synergistically with ellagic acid. Our study provides the first evidence for a potential antidiabetic usage of Punica granatum extracts as antidiabetic food supplements. Although, more in vivo studies have to be performed before these extracts reach the stage of antidiabetic food supplements, our study provides a first positive step towards this process. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The Stability of Bioactive Compounds in Spaceflight Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, M. R.; Douglas, G. L.

2017-01-01

The status and stability of bioactive compounds in the processed and shelf-stable spaceflight food system have not previously been investigated though the presence of such compounds in aged space foods could have health significance for crews on long duration exploration missions. Over forty foods - either existing International Space Station (ISS) food provisioning items, newly developed foods for spaceflight, or commercially-available ready-to-eat foods - that were predicted to have a relatively high concentrations of one or more bioactive compounds (lycopene, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids, phenolics, sterols, and/or flavonoids) were selected for the study. Food samples were sent overnight to the Food Composition Laboratory of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) for bioactive compound analysis. Three packages of each product were blended together for the analysis to reduce package-to-package variability. All ISS food items and commercial foods were analyzed initially and after 12 and 24 months of 21degC storage. Food development occurred in a staggered fashion, so data collection for the newly developed foods continues. Lastly, sensory evaluation and additional temperature storage data (4degC, 35degC) for select foods were collected to establish additional stability parameters. Efficacious concentrations of lycopene, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids were measured in limited spaceflight foods; two grams of sterols a day may be difficult to achieve with the current space diet. Total polyphenol delivery appears stable and adequate, but individual phenolic compounds vary in stability and were not specifically evaluated in this study. The data suggests that some bioactive compounds, like lycopene and lutein, degrade and then plateau at some equilibrium concentration. The anthocyanin stability appears to be related to storage temperature and food matrix, and lutein stability in leafy vegetables may be impacted by storage temperature

Milk from cows grazing on cool-season pastures provides an enhanced profile of bioactive fatty acids compared to those grazed on a monoculture of pearl millet.

Science.gov (United States)

Bainbridge, Melissa L; Egolf, Emily; Barlow, John W; Alvez, Juan P; Roman, Joe; Kraft, Jana

2017-02-15

The demand for dairy products from grass-fed cows is driven, in part, by their more desirable fatty acid (FA) profile, containing more n-3 FA and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) than conventionally produced dairy products. This study investigated the effects of pearl millet (PM) vs. cool-season pasture (CSP) on animal performance and milk FA in a grazing system. Eight Holstein dairy cows were used in a repeated measures design with four-week periods. Forage type had no effect on animal performance (estimated dry matter intake, milk production, fat, or protein). The contents of CLA and n-3 FA in a serving of whole milk (3.25% fat) increased when cows grazed CSP compared to PM. A serving of whole milk from cows grazing PM had a higher content of saturated FA and branched-chain FA. In conclusion, the contents of various bioactive FA were higher in milk fat of cows grazing a CSP compared to PM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of an HPLC-UV method for the identification and quantification of bioactive amines in chicken meat

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D.C.S. Assis

2016-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT A high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV method was validated for the study of bioactive amines in chicken meat. A gradient elution system with an ultraviolet detector was used after extraction with trichloroacetic acid and pre-column derivatization with dansyl chloride. Putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine standards were used for the evaluation of the following performance parameters: selectivity, linearity, precision, recovery, limits of detection, limits of quantification and ruggedness. The results indicated excellent selectivity, separation of all amines, a coefficient of determination greater than 0.99 and recovery from 92.25 to 102.25% at the concentration of 47.2mg.kg-1, with a limit of detection at 0.3mg.kg-1 and a limit of quantification at 0.9mg.kg-1 for all amines, with the exception of histamine, which exhibited the limit of quantification, of 1mg.kg-1. In conclusion, the performance parameters demonstrated adequacy of the method for the detection and quantification of bioactive amines in chicken meat.

Bioactive Triterpenes from the Fungus Piptoporus betulinus

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Zeyad Alresly

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Phytochemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract of the fruiting bodies from the basidiomycete Piptoporus betulinus led to the isolation of a new bioactive lanostane triterpene identified as 3 b -acetoxy-16-hydroxy-24-oxo-5α-lanosta-8- ene-21-oic acid (1. In addition, ten known triterpenes, polyporenic acid A (5, polyporenic acid C (4, three derivatives of polyporenic acid A (8, 10, 11, betulinic acid (3, betulin (2, ergosterol peroxide (6, 9,11-dehydroergosterol peroxide (7, and fomefficinic acid (9, were also isolated from the fungus. All isolated compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as against a fungal strain. The new triterpene and some of the other compounds showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Organically grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.): bioactive compounds in the fruit and infection with Phytophthora infestans.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Afrah E; Smit, Inga; Pawelzik, Elke; Keutgen, Anna J; Horneburg, Bernd

2012-05-01

Tomato fruits are characterized by a good nutritional profile, including different bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid. The objective of this study was to analyze the content of bioactive compounds in the fruit and the infection by Phytophthora infestans of 28 tomato genotypes from organic outdoor production. The relationship between bioactive compounds in the fruit and infection with P. infestans was estimated. Field experiments were carried out in 2004 and 2005 at two locations in central Germany. Significant variation among genotypes, locations and years was observed for the content of lycopene, ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and the infection level of P. infestans. Antioxidant capacity seemed to be influenced mainly by the phenolics and was highest in small fruits, which were less infected with P. infestans. The large genetic variation among tomato genotypes for the content of bioactive compounds in their fruit allows for selection gains. None of the investigated bioactive compounds can be recommended for the indirect selection for increased field resistance against P. infestans. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactivity of cellulose acetate/hydroxyapatite nanoparticle composite fiber by an electro-spinning process.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Dae Hyun; Lee, Eun Ju; Kim, Deug Joong

2014-11-01

Hydroxyapatite/cellulose acetate composite webs were fabricated by an electro-spinning process. This electro-spinning process makes it possible to fabricate complex three-dimensional shapes. Nano fibrous web consisting of cellulose acetate and hydroxyapatite was produced from their mixture solution by using an electro-spinning process under high voltage. The surface of the electro-spun fiber was modified by a plasma and alkaline solution in order to increase its bioactivity. The structure, morphology and properties of the electro-spun fibers were investigated and an in-vitro bioactivity test was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF). Bioactivity of the electro-spun web was enhanced with the filler concentration and surface treatment. The surface changes of electro-spun fibers modified by plasma and alkaline solution were investigated by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy).

Preventive and Prophylactic Mechanisms of Action of Pomegranate Bioactive Constituents

Science.gov (United States)

Viladomiu, Monica; Hontecillas, Raquel; Lu, Pinyi; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2013-01-01

Pomegranate fruit presents strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiobesity, and antitumoral properties, thus leading to an increased popularity as a functional food and nutraceutical source since ancient times. It can be divided into three parts: seeds, peel, and juice, all of which seem to have medicinal benefits. Several studies investigate its bioactive components as a means to associate them with a specific beneficial effect and develop future products and therapeutic applications. Many beneficial effects are related to the presence of ellagic acid, ellagitannins (including punicalagins), punicic acid and other fatty acids, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, anthocyanins, estrogenic flavonols, and flavones, which seem to be its most therapeutically beneficial components. However, the synergistic action of the pomegranate constituents appears to be superior when compared to individual constituents. Promising results have been obtained for the treatment of certain diseases including obesity, insulin resistance, intestinal inflammation, and cancer. Although moderate consumption of pomegranate does not result in adverse effects, future studies are needed to assess safety and potential interactions with drugs that may alter the bioavailability of bioactive constituents of pomegranate as well as drugs. The aim of this review is to summarize the health effects and mechanisms of action of pomegranate extracts in chronic inflammatory diseases. PMID:23737845

Impact of dehydration of purslane on retention of bioactive molecules and antioxidant activity.

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Shanker, Niharika; Debnath, Sukumar

2015-10-01

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) has several health benefits, such as it reduces risk of CVD, obesity and diabetes. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of different drying on retention of bioactive molecules, such as omega-3 fatty acids, total phenolic content and antiradical activity of purslane. Five different dehydration methods including microwave (100 MW, 5 min), tray, vacuum, low temperature low humidity, infrared were used at 55-60 °C for 5-7 h for dehydration of purslane. Three solvents, viz. water, ethanol and methanol were used for extraction of bioactive molecules from purslane. Total polyphenol content, antiradical activity and rehydration ratio of the bioactive molecules were determined. Results revealed that total PUFA, α-linolenic acid (ALA), total polyphenol content and antiradical activity were found to retain in the dried purslane in the range of (47.9-59.9 %), (42.5-50 %), (188-408GAE/100 g) and (33.0-88.8 mg/100 g) respectively. The highest values of ALA, total polyphenol content and antiradical activity were found to obtain in the vacuum dried sample. Rehydration ratio was found in the range of 3.2-4.3 and vacuum dried purslane showed maximum rehydration. It could be concluded that vacuum dehydration of purslane is an effective method for retention of bioactive molecules and good rehydration behaviour of dried purslane.

Myonecrosis in Sickle Cell Anemia—Overlooked and Underdiagnosed

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Nishant Tageja

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Medical literature detailing muscular complications of sickle cell anemia is sparse and limited to a few case-reports. Features consistent with myositis and myonecrosis are often overlooked and patients are inadequately treated, leading to unforeseen complications. We report an interesting case of sickle cell myonecrosis and review the existing literature on this subject.

Sol-gel derived porous bioactive nanocomposites: Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity

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Shankhwar, Nisha; Kothiyal, G. P.; Srinivasan, A.

2013-06-01

Porous bioactive composites consisting of SiO2-CaO-Na2O-P2O5 bioactive glass-ceramic and synthetic water soluble polymer Polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP (C6H9NO)n, MW˜40000 g/mol] have been synthesized by sol-gel route. As-prepared polymeric composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Two major bone mineral phases, viz., hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] and wollastonite [calcium silicate (CaSiO3)] have been identified in the XRD patterns of the composites. Presence of these bone minerals indicates the bioactive nature of the composites. In vitro bioactivity tests confirm bioactivity in the porous composites. The flexibility offered by these bioactive polymer composites is advantageous for its application as implant material.

Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rein, Maarit J; Renouf, Mathieu; Cruz-Hernandez, Cristina; Actis-Goretta, Lucas; Thakkar, Sagar K; da Silva Pinto, Marcia

2013-03-01

Bioavailability is a key step in ensuring bioefficacy of bioactive food compounds or oral drugs. Bioavailability is a complex process involving several different stages: liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination phases (LADME). Bioactive food compounds, whether derived from various plant or animal sources, need to be bioavailable in order to exert any beneficial effects. Through a better understanding of the digestive fate of bioactive food compounds we can impact the promotion of health and improvement of performance. Many varying factors affect bioavailability, such as bioaccessibility, food matrix effect, transporters, molecular structures and metabolizing enzymes. Bioefficacy may be improved through enhanced bioavailability. Therefore, several technologies have been developed to improve the bioavailability of xenobiotics, including structural modifications, nanotechnology and colloidal systems. Due to the complex nature of food bioactive compounds and also to the different mechanisms of absorption of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds, unravelling the bioavailability of food constituents is challenging. Among the food sources discussed during this review, coffee, tea, citrus fruit and fish oil were included as sources of food bioactive compounds (e.g. (poly)phenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)) since they are examples of important ingredients for the food industry. Although there are many studies reporting on bioavailability and bioefficacy of these bioactive food components, understanding their interactions, metabolism and mechanism of action still requires extensive work. This review focuses on some of the major factors affecting the bioavailability of the aforementioned bioactive food compounds. © 2012 Nestec S. A.. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

Bioactivity of immobilized hyaluronic acid derivatives regarding protein adsorption and cell adhesion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Köwitsch, Alexander; Yang, Yuan; Ma, Ning

2011-01-01

with HA on physicochemical surface properties of these substrata and estimates of the quantities of immobilized HA were obtained by different physical methods such as contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy. The bioactivity of aHA and tHA toward their natural binding partner...... affects cell growth and differentiation. A lower number and spreading of cells were observed on HA-modified surfaces compared to amino- and vinyl-terminated glass and silicon surfaces. Immunofluorescence microscopy also revealed that adhesion of fibroblast plated on HA-modified surfaces was mediated...... primarily by HA receptor CD44, indicating that bioactivity of HA was not significantly reduced by chemical modification....

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: an overlooked cause of chest pain

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Leonardo Hackbart Bermudes

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC, also known as apical ballooning syndrome, broken heart syndrome, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is defined as a transient disturbance of the left ventricle, which is quite often associated with electrocardiographic abnormalities that may mimic acute myocardial infarction. The syndrome is also characterized by a mild alteration of cardiac biomarkers in absence of coronary blood flow obstruction on the coronariography. Clinical presentation is often manifested by angina, dyspnea, syncope, and arrhythmias. Peculiarly, the left ventricle takes the form of “tako-tsubo” (a Japanese word for “octopus trap” on the imaging workup. The authors report the case of a post-menopausal, hypertensive, dyslipidemic and type-II diabetic woman admitted at the emergency service with acute chest pain post physical exertion. Electrocardiogram showed signs of ischemia and myocardial necrosis markers were mildly increased. Echocardiography and ventriculography showed apical and mid-ventricular akinesia, with mild atherosclerotic coronary lesions. Thus diagnostic workup and the outcome followed the diagnostic criteria for TTC. The authors called attention to the potential of overlooking this diagnosis, since this syndrome is still not widely recognized.

Comparison of bioactive components in pressurized and pasteurized longan juices fortified with encapsulated Lactobacillus casei 01

Science.gov (United States)

Chaikham, Pittaya; Apichartsrangkoon, Arunee

2012-06-01

In this study, longan juice was subjected to a high pressure of 500 MPa for 30 min and compared with a juice pasteurized at 90°C/2 min. Probiotic Lactobacillus casei 01 was fortified into both juices and the shelf life of these products was studied. Their bioactive components such as ascorbic acid, gallic acid and ellagic acid were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Total phenolic compounds and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrythydrazyl radical-scavenging activity were determined by colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods. It was found that the pressurized longan juice retained higher amounts of bioactive compounds than the pasteurized juice. In terms of storage stability, bioactive compounds in both processed juices decreased according to the increase in storage time. The survivability of probiotic L. casei 01 in both processed juices declined from 9 to 6 log CFU/mL after 4 weeks of storage.

Impact of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration of an industrial fish protein hydrolysate on its bioactive properties.

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Picot, Laurent; Ravallec, Rozenn; Fouchereau-Péron, Martine; Vandanjon, Laurent; Jaouen, Pascal; Chaplain-Derouiniot, Maryse; Guérard, Fabienne; Chabeaud, Aurélie; Legal, Yves; Alvarez, Oscar Martinez; Bergé, Jean-Pascal; Piot, Jean-Marie; Batista, Irineu; Pires, Carla; Thorkelsson, Gudjon; Delannoy, Charles; Jakobsen, Greta; Johansson, Inez; Bourseau, Patrick

2010-08-30

Numerous studies have demonstrated that in vitro controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of fish and shellfish proteins leads to bioactive peptides. Ultrafiltration (UF) and/or nanofiltration (NF) can be used to refine hydrolysates and also to fractionate them in order to obtain a peptide population enriched in selected sizes. This study was designed to highlight the impact of controlled UF and NF on the stability of biological activities of an industrial fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) and to understand whether fractionation could improve its content in bioactive peptides. The starting fish protein hydrolysate exhibited a balanced amino acid composition, a reproducible molecular weight (MW) profile, and a low sodium chloride content, allowing the study of its biological activity. Successive fractionation on UF and NF membranes allowed concentration of peptides of selected sizes, without, however, carrying out sharp separations, some MW classes being found in several fractions. Peptides containing Pro, Hyp, Asp and Glu were concentrated in the UF and NF retentates compared to the unfractionated hydrolysate and UF permeate, respectively. Gastrin/cholecystokinin-like peptides were present in the starting FPH, UF and NF fractions, but fractionation did not increase their concentration. In contrast, quantification of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like peptides demonstrated an increase in CGRP-like activities in the UF permeate, relative to the starting FPH. The starting hydrolysate also showed a potent antioxidant and radical scavenging activity, and a moderate angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-1 inhibitory activity, which were not increased by UF and NF fractionation. Fractionation of an FPH using membrane separation, with a molecular weight cut-off adapted to the peptide composition, may provide an effective means to concentrate CGRP-like peptides and peptides enriched in selected amino acids. The peptide size distribution observed after UF and NF fractionation

Peptide profiling and the bioactivity character of yogurt in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yan; Yu, Yang; Qi, Yanxia; Wang, Fangjun; Yan, Jiaze; Zou, Hanfa

2016-06-01

This study investigated the relationship between peptide profiles and the bioactivity character of yogurt in simulated gastrointestinal trials. A total of 250, 434 and 466 peptides were identified by LC-MS/MS analyses of yogurt, gastric digest and pancreatic digest. Forty peptides of yogurt survived in gastrointestinal digestion. κ-CN and β-CN contributed the diversity of peptides during the fermentation process and gastrointestinal digestion, respectively. The favorite of κ-CN by lactic acid bacteria complemented gut digestion by hydrolyzing κ-CN, the low abundance milk proteins. The potential bioactivities were evaluated by in vitro ACE and DPP-IV inhibition assays. The ACE inhibition rate of the pancreatic digests was ~4 - and ~2 - fold greater than that of yogurt and the gastric digests. The ACE inhibitory peptides generated during gastrointestinal digestion improved the ACE inhibitory activity of the gastric and pancreatic digests. The DPP-IV inhibition rate of the pancreatic digest was ~6 - and ~3 - fold greater than that of yogurt and the gastric digest. The numbers of potential DPP-IV inhibitory peptides were positively correlated to the DPP-IV inhibitory activity of the gastric and pancreatic digests. The present study describes the characters and bioactivities of peptides from yogurt in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The number of peptides identified from yogurt and gastrointestinal digests by LC-MS/MS increased in the simulated gastrointestinal trials. The in vitro ACE and DPP-IV inhibition bioactivities revealed that the bioactivity of yogurt was enhanced during gastrointestinal digestion. The correlation between peptides and bioactivity in vitro indicated that not only the peptides amount but also the proportion of peptides with high bioactivities contributed to increased bioactivity during gastrointestinal digestion. The study of peptides identified from yogurt and digests revealed that the number of released peptides was not determined

Production of bioactive substances by intestinal bacteria as a basis for explaining probiotic mechanisms: bacteriocins and conjugated linoleic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Shea, Eileen F; Cotter, Paul D; Stanton, Catherine; Ross, R Paul; Hill, Colin

2012-01-16

The mechanisms by which intestinal bacteria achieve their associated health benefits can be complex and multifaceted. In this respect, the diverse microbial composition of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) provides an almost unlimited potential source of bioactive substances (pharmabiotics) which can directly or indirectly affect human health. Bacteriocins and fatty acids are just two examples of pharmabiotic substances which may contribute to probiotic functionality within the mammalian GIT. Bacteriocin production is believed to confer producing strains with a competitive advantage within complex microbial environments as a consequence of their associated antimicrobial activity. This has the potential to enable the establishment and prevalence of producing strains as well as directly inhibiting pathogens within the GIT. Consequently, these antimicrobial peptides and the associated intestinal producing strains may be exploited to beneficially influence microbial populations. Intestinal bacteria are also known to produce a diverse array of health-promoting fatty acids. Indeed, certain strains of intestinal bifidobacteria have been shown to produce conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid which has been associated with a variety of systemic health-promoting effects. Recently, the ability to modulate the fatty acid composition of the liver and adipose tissue of the host upon oral administration of CLA-producing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli was demonstrated in a murine model. Importantly, this implies a potential therapeutic role for probiotics in the treatment of certain metabolic and immunoinflammatory disorders. Such examples serve to highlight the potential contribution of pharmabiotic production to probiotic functionality in relation to human health maintenance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Bioactive Food Components in Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis

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Emília Hijová

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was the evaluation of possible protective effects of selected bioactive food components in experimental N,N-dimethylhydrazine (DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis. Wistar albino rats (n = 92 were fed a high fat diet or conventional laboratory diet. Two weeks after the beginning of the trial, DMH injections were given to six groups of rats at the dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. twice weekly. The activity of bacterial enzymes in faeces and serum bile acid concentrations were determined. High fat diet, DMH injections, and their combination significantly increased the activies of β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, and α-glucosidase (p p < 0.001, as well as the bile acid concentration compared to the group at the highest risk. The protective effects of selected bioactive food components in experimentally induced colon carcinogenesis allow for their possible use in cancer prevention or treatment.

In vitro bioactivity of polymer matrices reinforced with a bioactive glass phase

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Oréfice Rodrigo L.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Composites that can mimic the in vitro bioactive behavior of bioactive glasses were designed to fulfill two main features of bioactive glasses that are responsible for their high bond-to-bone rates: (1 capability of providing ions such as calcium and phosphate to the nearby environment and (2 ideal surface structure that allows fast heterogeneous precipitation of hydroxy-carbonate-apatite (HCA. The novel composites were prepared by incorporating bioactive glass particles into polymer matrices. The in vitro bioactivity test was performed by introducing samples into a buffered solution as well as into a simulated body fluid solution. FTIR was used to evaluate the kinetics of HCA (hydroxy-carbonate-apatite precipitation. The results showed that the obtained composites can supply ions, such as silicates and phosphates in rates and concentrations comparable or superior than bulk bioactive glasses. Moreover, the surface chemistry of the composites was altered to mimic the surface of bioactive glasses. It was demonstrated that the in vitro bioactivity of the composites was enhanced by chemically modifying polymer surfaces through the introduction of special alkoxysilane groups.

Chemotaxonomic Metabolite Profiling of 62 Indigenous Plant Species and Its Correlation with Bioactivities

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Sarah Lee

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Chemotaxonomic metabolite profiling of 62 indigenous Korean plant species was performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap (LTQ-IT mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. In partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA, the 62 species clustered depending on their phylogenetic family, in particular, Aceraceae, Betulaceae, and Fagaceae were distinguished from Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. Quinic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, quercetin derivatives, kaempferol, and kaempferol derivatives were identified as family-specific metabolites, and were found in relatively high concentrations in Aceraceae, Betulaceae, and Fagaceae. Fagaceae and Asteraceae were selected based on results of PLS-DA and bioactivities to determine the correlation between metabolic differences among plant families and bioactivities. Quinic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, quercetin derivatives, and kaempferol derivatives were found in higher concentrations in Fagaceae than in Asteraceae, and were positively correlated with antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition activities. These results suggest that metabolite profiling was a useful tool for finding the different metabolic states of each plant family and understanding the correlation between metabolites and bioactivities in accordance with plant family.

Aspergillus fumigatus CY018, an endophytic fungus in Cynodon dactylon as a versatile producer of new and bioactive metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, J Y; Song, Y C; Zhang, Z; Wang, L; Guo, Z J; Zou, W X; Tan, R X

2004-11-09

Aspergillus fumigatus CY018 was recognized as an endophytic fungus for the first time in the leaf of Cynodon dactylon. By bioassay-guided fractionation, the EtOAc extract of a solid-matrix steady culture of this fungus afforded two new metabolites, named asperfumoid (1) and asperfumin (2), together with six known bioactive compounds including monomethylsulochrin, fumigaclavine C, fumitremorgin C, physcion, helvolic acid and 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxy-ergosta-6,22-diene-3beta-ol as well as other four known compounds ergosta-4,22-diene-3beta-ol, ergosterol, cyclo(Ala-Leu) and cyclo(Ala-Ile). Through detailed spectroscopic analyses including HRESI-MS, homo- and hetero-nuclear correlation NMR experiments (HMQC, COSY, NOESY and HMBC), the structures of asperfumoid and asperfumin were established to be spiro-(3-hydroxyl-2,6-dimethoxyl-2,5-diene-4-cyclohexone-(1,3')-5'-methoxyl-7'-methyl-(1'H, 2'H, 4'H)-quinoline-2',4'-dione) and 5-hydroxyl-2-(6-hydroxyl-2-methoxyl-4-methylbenzoyl)-3,6-dimethoxyl-benzoic methyl ester, respectively. All of the 12 isolates were subjected to in vitro bioactive assays against three human pathogenic fungi Candida albicans, Tricophyton rubrum and Aspergillus niger. As a result, asperfumoid, fumigaclavine C, fumitremorgin C, physcion and helvolic acid were shown to inhibit C. albicans with MICs of 75.0, 31.5, 62.5, 125.0 and 31.5 microg/mL, respectively.

Seasonal Effects on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Six Economically Important Brassica Vegetables

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Eduardo A.S. Rosa

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Research on natural and bioactive compounds is increasingly focused on their effects on human health, but there are unexpectedly few studies evaluating the relationship between climate and natural antioxidants. The aim of this study was analyze the biological role of six different Brassica vegetables (Brassica oleracea L. and Brassica rapa L. as a natural source of antioxidant compounds. The antioxidant activity may be assigned to high levels of L-ascorbic acid, total phenolics and total flavonoids of each sample. The climate seasons affected directly the concentration of bioactive components and the antioxidant activity. Broccoli inflorescences and Portuguese kale showed high antioxidant activity in Spring-Summer whilst turnip leaves did so in Summer-Winter. The Brassica vegetables can provide considerable amounts of bioactive compounds and thus may constitute an important natural source of dietary antioxidants.

The effects of bioactive compounds on Alzheimer’s disease and Mild cognitive impairment

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Brian McAnany

2016-06-01

Full Text Available As the prevalence and rate of Alzheimer’s disease are increasing around world, identifying effective treatments to manage cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration has become a global health priority. Decades of scientific research have led to a more comprehensive understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, a transitional stage of accelerated cognitive decline. This understanding has enabled researchers to envision and develop novel Alzheimer’s Disease therapies, including the use of bioactive compounds found in plants and animals. Within the past 15 years, a significant amount of clinical research has been published documenting the effects specific bioactive compounds have on patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and MCI. This article reviews the results of this research, along with relevant epidemiological studies, measures of cognition, and disease pathologies to discuss whether sufficient evidence exists to support the use of specific bioactive compounds by individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and MCI. The results of clinical trials within the last 15 years do not conclusively prove that the studied quantities of vitamin B, Omega-3 fatty acids, or bioactive compounds within Fortasyn Connect are beneficial for use in the management of Alzheimer’s Disease or MCI. Additionally, the documented effects of these bioactive compounds do not warrant development of a functional food product to help manage AD or MCI. Conclusion: The results of clinical trials within the last 15 years do not conclusively prove that the specified quantities of vitamin B, Omega-3 fatty acids, or bioactive compounds within Fortasyn Connect, are beneficial for use in the management of AD or MCI. Additionally, the documented effects of these bioactive compounds do not warrant development of a functional food product utilizing the previously specified quantities to help manage AD or MCI. The effects bioactive compound

Bioactive phenolic acids from Scorzonera radiata Fisch.

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N Tsevegsuren

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Chromatographic separation of the crude extract obtained from the aerial parts of the Mongolian medicinal plant Scorzonera radiata yielded five new dihydrostilbenes [4], two new flavonoids, one new quinic acid derivative, as well as twenty known compounds including eight quinic acid derivatives, four flavonoids, two coumarins, five simple benzoic acids, and one monoterpene glycoside. We present here results on isolation and structural identification some active phenolic compounds from the Scorzonera radiata - eight quinic acid derivatives (quinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid (trans, 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid (cis. Quinic acid derivatives exhibited antioxidative activity.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v12i0.177 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry Vol.12 2011: 78-84

Direct Enzymatic Branch-End Extension of Glycocluster-Presented Glycans: An Effective Strategy for Programming Glycan Bioactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayón, Carlos; He, Ning; Deir-Kaspar, Mario; Blasco, Pilar; André, Sabine; Gabius, Hans-Joachim; Rumbero, Ángel; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Fessner, Wolf-Dieter; Hernáiz, María J

2017-01-31

The sequence of a glycan and its topology of presentation team up to determine the specificity and selectivity of recognition by saccharide receptors (lectins). Structure-activity analysis would be furthered if the glycan part of a glycocluster could be efficiently elaborated in situ while keeping all other parameters constant. By using a bacterial α2,6-sialyltransferase and a small library of bi- to tetravalent glycoclusters, we illustrate the complete conversion of scaffold-presented lactoside units into two different sialylated ligands based on N-acetyl/glycolyl-neuraminic acid incorporation. We assess the ensuing effect on their bioactivity for a plant toxin, and present an analysis of the noncovalent substrate binding contacts that the added sialic acid moiety makes to the lectin. Enzymatic diversification of a scaffold-presented glycan can thus be brought to completion in situ, offering a versatile perspective for rational glycocluster engineering. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bioactive substances

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Wahidullah, S.

Chemistry related to certain bioactive molecules, from Indian Ocean Region, developed into drugs or which served as models for the synthesis of more effective bioactive substances or in use in fundamental studies of physiological and biochemical...

Rett syndrome: an overlooked diagnosis in women with stereotypic hand movements, psychomotor retardation, Parkinsonism, and dystonia?

Science.gov (United States)

Roze, Emmanuel; Cochen, Valérie; Sangla, Sophie; Bienvenu, Thierry; Roubergue, Anne; Leu-Semenescu, Smaranda; Vidaihet, Marie

2007-02-15

Rett syndrome is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder resulting in profound psychomotor retardation. It is usually diagnosed by a pediatrician or pediatric neurologist. Adult neurologists may, therefore, overlook the possibility of Rett syndrome in women with psychomotor retardation of unknown etiology. We report the case of a woman diagnosed with Rett syndrome at age 49 years. This report emphasizes the diagnostic value of movement disorders, including hand stereotypies, Parkinsonism, and dystonia, in adults with Rett syndrome.

Secondary Metabolites from Higher Fungi: Discovery, Bioactivity, and Bioproduction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jian-Jiang; Xiao, Jian-Hui

Medicinal higher fungi such as Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum have been used as an alternative medicine remedy to promote health and longevity for people in China and other regions of the world since ancient times. Nowadays there is an increasing public interest in the secondary metabolites of those higher fungi for discovering new drugs or lead compounds. Current research in drug discovery from medicinal higher fungi involves a multifaceted approach combining mycological, biochemical, pharmacological, metabolic, biosynthetic and molecular techniques. In recent years, many new secondary metabolites from higher fungi have been isolated and are more likely to provide lead compounds for new drug discovery, which may include chemopreventive agents possessing the bioactivity of immunomodulatory, anticancer, etc. However, numerous challenges of secondary metabolites from higher fungi are encountered including bioseparation, identification, biosynthetic metabolism, and screening model issues, etc. Commercial production of secondary metabolites from medicinal mushrooms is still limited mainly due to less information about secondary metabolism and its regulation. Strategies for enhancing secondary metabolite production by medicinal mushroom fermentation include two-stage cultivation combining liquid fermentation and static culture, two-stage dissolved oxygen control, etc. Purification of bioactive secondary metabolites, such as ganoderic acids from G. lucidum, is also very important to pharmacological study and future pharmaceutical application. This review outlines typical examples of the discovery, bioactivity, and bioproduction of secondary metabolites of higher fungi origin.

Protein-tannic acid multilayer films: A multifunctional material for microencapsulation of food-derived bioactives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Hooi Hong; Murney, Regan; Yakovlev, Nikolai L; Novoselova, Marina V; Lim, Su Hui; Roy, Nicole; Singh, Harjinder; Sukhorukov, Gleb B; Haigh, Brendan; Kiryukhin, Maxim V

2017-11-01

The benefits of various functional foods are often negated by stomach digestion and poor targeting to the lower gastrointestinal tract. Layer-by-Layer assembled protein-tannic acid (TA) films are suggested as a prospective material for microencapsulation of food-derived bioactive compounds. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-TA and pepsin-TA films demonstrate linear growth of 2.8±0.1 and 4.2±0.1nm per bi-layer, correspondingly, as shown by ellipsometry. Both multilayer films are stable in simulated gastric fluid but degrade in simulated intestinal fluid. Their corresponding degradation constants are 0.026±0.006 and 0.347±0.005nm -1 min -1 . Milk proteins possessing enhanced adhesion to human intestinal surface, Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and β-Lactoglobulin (BLG), are explored to tailor targeting function to BSA-TA multilayer film. BLG does not adsorb onto the multilayer while IgG is successfully incorporated. Microcapsules prepared from the multilayer demonstrate 2.7 and 6.3 times higher adhesion to Caco-2 cells when IgG is introduced as an intermediate and the terminal layer, correspondingly. This developed material has a great potential for oral delivery of numerous active food-derived ingredients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioactive Compounds in Functional Meat Products

OpenAIRE

Ewelina Pogorzelska-Nowicka; Atanas G. Atanasov; Jarosław Horbańczuk; Agnieszka Wierzbicka

2018-01-01

Meat and meat products are a good source of bioactive compounds with positive effect on human health such as vitamins, minerals, peptides or fatty acids. Growing food consumer awareness and intensified global meat producers competition puts pressure on creating new healthier meat products. In order to meet these expectations, producers use supplements with functional properties for animal diet and as direct additives for meat products. In the presented work seven groups of key functional cons...

Enhanced bioactivity, biocompatibility and mechanical behavior of strontium substituted bioactive glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Arepalli, Sampath Kumar; Tripathi, Himanshu; Hira, Sumit Kumar; Manna, Partha Pratim; Pyare, Ram; S P Singh

2016-12-01

Strontium contained biomaterials have been reported as a potential bioactive material for bone regeneration, as it reduces bone resorption and stimulates bone formation. In the present investigation, the bioactive glasses were designed to partially substitute SrO for SiO2 in Na2O-CaO-SrO-P2O5-SiO2 system. This work demonstrates that the substitution of SrO for SiO2 has got significant benefit than substitution for CaO in the bioactive glass. Bioactivity was assessed by the immersion of the samples in simulated body fluid for different intervals. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite layer was identified by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The elastic modulus of the bioactive glasses was measured and found to increase with increasing SrO for SiO2. The blood compatibility of the samples was evaluated. In vitro cell culture studies of the samples were performed using human osteosarcoma U2-OS cell lines and found a significant improvement in cell viability and proliferation. The investigation showed enhancement in bioactivity, mechanical and biological properties of the strontia substituted for silica in glasses. Thus, these bioactive glasses would be highly potential for bone regeneration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced bioactivity, biocompatibility and mechanical behavior of strontium substituted bioactive glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arepalli, Sampath Kumar; Tripathi, Himanshu; Hira, Sumit Kumar; Manna, Partha Pratim; Pyare, Ram; Singh, S.P.

2016-01-01

Strontium contained biomaterials have been reported as a potential bioactive material for bone regeneration, as it reduces bone resorption and stimulates bone formation. In the present investigation, the bioactive glasses were designed to partially substitute SrO for SiO 2 in Na 2 O–CaO–SrO–P 2 O 5 –SiO 2 system. This work demonstrates that the substitution of SrO for SiO 2 has got significant benefit than substitution for CaO in the bioactive glass. Bioactivity was assessed by the immersion of the samples in simulated body fluid for different intervals. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite layer was identified by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The elastic modulus of the bioactive glasses was measured and found to increase with increasing SrO for SiO 2 . The blood compatibility of the samples was evaluated. In vitro cell culture studies of the samples were performed using human osteosarcoma U2-OS cell lines and found a significant improvement in cell viability and proliferation. The investigation showed enhancement in bioactivity, mechanical and biological properties of the strontia substituted for silica in glasses. Thus, these bioactive glasses would be highly potential for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • The substitution of SrO was done for SiO 2 in Na 2 O–CaO–SrO–P 2 O 5 –SiO 2 bioactive glass. • Network connectivity significantly influenced on bioactivity and biocompatibility. • In vitro SBF studies showed enhanced HCA crystallinity on the glass surface. • The cell culture studies exhibited better cell compatibility and significant growth. • Density and elastic moduli increased with increasing concentration of strontia.

Enhanced bioactivity, biocompatibility and mechanical behavior of strontium substituted bioactive glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arepalli, Sampath Kumar, E-mail: askumar.rs.cer11@iitbhu.ac.in [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005 (India); Tripathi, Himanshu [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005 (India); Hira, Sumit Kumar; Manna, Partha Pratim [Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005 (India); Pyare, Ram; Singh, S.P. [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005 (India)

2016-12-01

Strontium contained biomaterials have been reported as a potential bioactive material for bone regeneration, as it reduces bone resorption and stimulates bone formation. In the present investigation, the bioactive glasses were designed to partially substitute SrO for SiO{sub 2} in Na{sub 2}O–CaO–SrO–P{sub 2}O{sub 5}–SiO{sub 2} system. This work demonstrates that the substitution of SrO for SiO{sub 2} has got significant benefit than substitution for CaO in the bioactive glass. Bioactivity was assessed by the immersion of the samples in simulated body fluid for different intervals. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite layer was identified by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The elastic modulus of the bioactive glasses was measured and found to increase with increasing SrO for SiO{sub 2}. The blood compatibility of the samples was evaluated. In vitro cell culture studies of the samples were performed using human osteosarcoma U2-OS cell lines and found a significant improvement in cell viability and proliferation. The investigation showed enhancement in bioactivity, mechanical and biological properties of the strontia substituted for silica in glasses. Thus, these bioactive glasses would be highly potential for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • The substitution of SrO was done for SiO{sub 2} in Na{sub 2}O–CaO–SrO–P{sub 2}O{sub 5}–SiO{sub 2} bioactive glass. • Network connectivity significantly influenced on bioactivity and biocompatibility. • In vitro SBF studies showed enhanced HCA crystallinity on the glass surface. • The cell culture studies exhibited better cell compatibility and significant growth. • Density and elastic moduli increased with increasing concentration of strontia.

Bioactivation of carboxylic acid compounds by UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases to DNA-damaging intermediates: role of glycoxidation and oxidative stress in genotoxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sallustio, Benedetta C; Degraaf, Yvette C; Weekley, Josephine S; Burcham, Philip C

2006-05-01

Nonenzymatic modification of proteins by acyl glucuronides is well documented; however, little is known about their potential to damage DNA. We have previously reported that clofibric acid undergoes glucuronidation-dependent bioactivation to DNA-damaging species in cultured mouse hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying such DNA damage, and to screen chemically diverse carboxylic acid drugs for their DNA-damaging potential in glucuronidation proficient murine hepatocytes. Cells were incubated with each aglycone for 18 h, followed by assessment of compound cytotoxicity using the MTT assay and evaluation of DNA damage using the Comet assay. Relative cytotoxic potencies were ketoprofen > diclofenac, benoxaprofen, nafenopin > gemfibrozil, probenecid > bezafibrate > clofibric acid. At a noncytotoxic (0.1 mM) concentration, only benoxaprofen, nafenopin, clofibric acid, and probenecid significantly increased Comet moments (P Clofibric acid and probenecid exhibited the greatest DNA-damaging potency, producing significant DNA damage at 0.01 mM concentrations. The two drugs produced maximal increases in Comet moment of 4.51 x and 2.57 x control, respectively. The glucuronidation inhibitor borneol (1 mM) abolished the induction of DNA damage by 0.5 mM concentrations of clofibric acid and probenecid. In an in vitro cell-free system, clofibric acid glucuronide was 10 x more potent than glucuronic acid in causing DNA strand-nicking, although both compounds showed similar rates of autoxidation to generate hydroxyl radicals. In cultured hepatocytes, the glycation inhibitor, aminoguanidine, and the iron chelator, desferrioxamine mesylate, inhibited DNA damage by clofibric acid, whereas the free radical scavengers Trolox and butylated hydroxytoluene, and the superoxide dismutase mimetic bis-3,5-diisopropylsalicylate had no effect. In conclusion, clinically relevant concentrations of two structurally unrelated carboxylic acids, probenecid and

The Overlooked Role of Obesity in Infertility

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Safaa Al-Hasani

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Being either underweight or overweight can affect a woman's fertility. Irregular menstrual cycles, reduced spontaneous and assisted fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage are risks associated with obesity that are often overlooked. Excessive weight and central distribution of body fat are both related to an increased risk of normogonadotrophic anovulation. Weight loss can re-establish ovulation in obese anovulatory patients or improve their response to ovulation induction. However, even a small amount of weight loss (5% may improve fertility. Men who are overweight or obese have significantly lower sperm counts than men of normal weight.

Extraction and identification of bioactive components in Sida cordata (Burm.f.) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

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Ganesh, Mani; Mohankumar, Murugan

2017-09-01

Sida cordata (Burm.f.) is a pineal tropical plant in the family Malvaceae that is found throughout India and used to treat various diseases and ailments in many complementary and alternative medicine systems. This study identified the bioactive components present in whole-plant ethanol extracts of S . cordata using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on their retention times (RT) and mass-to-charge ratios (m/z), 29 bioactive compounds were identified: nonanoic acid, vitamin D 3 , 3-trifluroacetoxypentadecane, α-d-glucopyranoside, O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1.fwdarw.3)-α-d-fructofuranosyl,3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecan-1-ol, octadecanoic acid, ethyl ester, phytol, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (E,E), 9,12,15-octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (Z,Z,Z), oleic acid, 1,2-15,16-diepoxyhexadecane, 3-hexadecyloxycarbonyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methylimidazolium ion, methoxyacetic acid, 4-tetradecyl ester, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono (2-ethylhexyl) ester, 1-iodo-2-methylundecane, dodecane, 2,6,10-trimethyl-, 2-piperidinone-N-[4-bromo-n-butyl]-, squalene, octadecane-1-(ethenyloxy)-, Z,Z-2,5-pentadecadien-1-ol, 1-hexadecanol, 2-methyl-, spiro[androst-5ene-17,1'-cyclobutan]-2'-one-3-hydroxy-, (3a,17a)-, diethylene glycol monododecyl ether, vitamin E, cholestan-3-ol, 2-methylene-, (3a,5a)-, 2H-pyran, 2-(7-heptadecynyloxy)tetrahydro-, and cis -Z-α-bisabolene epoxide. The presence of various bioactive compounds justifies the use of this plant for treating various ailments by traditional practitioners.

Bread enriched in lycopene and other bioactive compounds by addition of dry tomato waste

OpenAIRE

Nour, Violeta; Ionica, Mira Elena; Trandafir, Ion

2015-01-01

The tomato processing industry generates high amounts of waste, mainly tomato skins and seeds, which create environmental problems. These residues are attractive sources of valuable bioactive components and pigments. A relatively simple recovery technology could consist of production of powders to be directly incorporated into foods. Tomato waste coming from a Romanian tomato processing unit were analyzed for the content of several bioactive compounds like ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene,...

Bioactive glasses: Frontiers and challenges

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Larry L. Hench

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Bioactive glasses were discovered in 1969 and provided for the first time an alternative to nearly inert implant materials. Bioglass formed a rapid, strong and stable bond with host tissues. This article examines the frontiers of research crossed to achieve clinical use of bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics. In the 1980’s it was discovered that bioactive glasses could be used in particulate form to stimulate osteogenesis, which thereby led to the concept of regeneration of tissues. Later, it was discovered that the dissolution ions from the glasses behaved like growth factors, providing signals to the cells. This article summarizes the frontiers of knowledge crossed during four eras of development of bioactive glasses that have led from concept of bioactivity to widespread clinical and commercial use, with emphasis on the first composition, 45S5 Bioglass®. The four eras are: a discovery; b clinical application; c tissue regeneration; and d innovation. Questions still to be answered for the fourth era are included to stimulate innovation in the field and exploration of new frontiers that can be the basis for a general theory of bioactive stimulation of regeneration of tissues and application to numerous clinical needs.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Bioactive PHA and γ-PGA Oligomers for Potential Applications as a Delivery System

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Iwona Kwiecień

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The (transesterification reaction of bacterial biopolymers with a selected bioactive compound with a hydroxyl group was applied as a convenient method for obtaining conjugates of such compound. Tyrosol, a naturally occurring phenolic compound, was selected as a model of a bioactive compound with a hydroxyl group. Selected biodegradable polyester and polyamide, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB-co-4HB and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA, respectively, were used. The (transesterification reactions were carried out in melt mediated by 4-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate. The structures of (transesterification products were established at the molecular level with the aid of ESI-MS2 (electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and/or 1H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Performed analyses confirmed that the developed method leads to the formation of conjugates in which bioactive compounds are covalently bonded to biopolymer chains. The amount of covalently bonded bioactive compounds in the resulting conjugates depends on the type of biopolymers applied in synthesis.

Pressure-activated microsyringe (PAM) fabrication of bioactive glass-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

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Mattioli-Belmonte, M; De Maria, C; Vitale-Brovarone, C; Baino, F; Dicarlo, M; Vozzi, G

2017-07-01

The aim of this work was the fabrication and characterization of bioactive glass-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) composite scaffolds mimicking the topological features of cancellous bone. Porous multilayer PLGA-CEL2 composite scaffolds were innovatively produced by a pressure-activated microsyringe (PAM) method, a CAD/CAM processing technique originally developed at the University of Pisa. In order to select the optimal formulations to be extruded by PAM, CEL2-PLGA composite films (CEL2 is an experimental bioactive SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 -CaO-MgO-Na 2 O-K 2 O glass developed at Politecnico di Torino) were produced and mechanically tested. The elastic modulus of the films increased from 30 to > 400 MPa, increasing the CEL2 amount (10-50 wt%) in the composite. The mixture containing 20 wt% CEL2 was used to fabricate 2D and 3D bone-like scaffolds composed by layers with different topologies (square, hexagonal and octagonal pores). It was observed that the increase of complexity of 2D topological structures led to an increment of the elastic modulus from 3 to 9 MPa in the composite porous monolayer. The elastic modulus of 3D multilayer scaffolds was intermediate (about 6.5 MPa) between the values of the monolayers with square and octagonal pores (corresponding to the lowest and highest complexity, respectively). MG63 osteoblast-like cells and periosteal-derived precursor cells (PDPCs) were used to assess the biocompatibility of the 3D bone-like scaffolds. A significant increase in cell proliferation between 48 h and 7 days of culture was observed for both cell phenotypes. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis evidenced an induction of early genes of osteogenesis in PDPCs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Discovery of Novel Lipid Profiles in PCOS: Do Insulin and Androgen Oppositely Regulate Bioactive Lipid Production?

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Li, Shengxian; Chu, Qianqian; Ma, Jing; Sun, Yun; Tao, Tao; Huang, Rong; Liao, Yu; Yue, Jiang; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Lihua; Xue, Xinli; Zhu, Mingjiang; Kang, Xiaonan; Yin, Huiyong; Liu, Wei

2017-03-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome showing clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder, including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their derivatives, both tightly linked to PCOS and obesity, play important roles in inflammation and reproduction. This study aimed to investigate serum lipid profiles in newly diagnosed patients with PCOS using lipidomics and correlate these features with the hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism associated with PCOS and obesity. Thirty-two newly diagnosed women with PCOS and 34 controls were divided into obese and lean subgroups. A PCOS rat model was used to validate results of the human studies. Serum lipid profiles, including phospholipids, free fatty acids (FFAs), and bioactive lipids, were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography-MS. Elevation in phosphatidylcholine and a concomitant decrease in lysophospholipid were found in obese patients with PCOS vs lean controls. Obese patients with PCOS had decreased PUFA levels and increased levels of long-chain saturated fatty acids vs lean controls. Serum bioactive lipids downstream of arachidonic acid were increased in obese controls, but reduced in both obese and lean patients with PCOS vs their respective controls. Patients with PCOS showed abnormal levels of phosphatidylcholine, FFAs, and PUFA metabolites. Circulating insulin and androgens may have opposing effects on lipid profiles in patients with PCOS, particularly on the bioactive lipid metabolites derived from PUFAs. These clinical observations warrant further studies of the molecular mechanisms and clinical implications of PCOS and obesity. Copyright © 2017 by the Endocrine Society

Bioactive glass in tissue engineering

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Rahaman, Mohamed N.; Day, Delbert E.; Bal, B. Sonny; Fu, Qiang; Jung, Steven B.; Bonewald, Lynda F.; Tomsia, Antoni P.

2011-01-01

This review focuses on recent advances in the development and use of bioactive glass for tissue engineering applications. Despite its inherent brittleness, bioactive glass has several appealing characteristics as a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. New bioactive glasses based on borate and borosilicate compositions have shown the ability to enhance new bone formation when compared to silicate bioactive glass. Borate-based bioactive glasses also have controllable degradation rates, so the degradation of the bioactive glass implant can be more closely matched to the rate of new bone formation. Bioactive glasses can be doped with trace quantities of elements such as Cu, Zn and Sr, which are known to be beneficial for healthy bone growth. In addition to the new bioactive glasses, recent advances in biomaterials processing have resulted in the creation of scaffold architectures with a range of mechanical properties suitable for the substitution of loaded as well as non-loaded bone. While bioactive glass has been extensively investigated for bone repair, there has been relatively little research on the application of bioactive glass to the repair of soft tissues. However, recent work has shown the ability of bioactive glass to promote angiogenesis, which is critical to numerous applications in tissue regeneration, such as neovascularization for bone regeneration and the healing of soft tissue wounds. Bioactive glass has also been shown to enhance neocartilage formation during in vitro culture of chondrocyte-seeded hydrogels, and to serve as a subchondral substrate for tissue-engineered osteochondral constructs. Methods used to manipulate the structure and performance of bioactive glass in these tissue engineering applications are analyzed. PMID:21421084

Antidiabetic Properties, Bioactive Constituents, and Other Therapeutic Effects of Scoparia dulcis

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Karunaratne, D. Nedra

2016-01-01

This review discusses the antidiabetic activities of Scoparia dulcis as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in relation to the diabetes and its complications. Ethnomedical applications of the herb have been identified as treatment for jaundice, stomach problems, skin disease, fever, and kidney stones, reproductory issues, and piles. Evidence has been demonstrated through scientific studies as to the antidiabetic effects of crude extracts of S. dulcis as well as its bioactive constituents. The primary mechanisms of action of antidiabetic activity of the plant and its bioactive constituents are through α-glucosidase inhibition, curbing of PPAR-γ and increased secretion of insulin. Scoparic acid A, scoparic acid D, scutellarein, apigenin, luteolin, coixol, and glutinol are some of the compounds which have been identified as responsible for these mechanisms of action. S. dulcis has also been shown to exhibit analgesic, antimalarial, hepatoprotective, sedative, hypnotic, antiulcer, antisickling, and antimicrobial activities. Given this evidence, it may be concluded that S. dulcis could be promoted among the masses as an alternative and complementary therapy for diabetes, provided further scientific studies on the toxicological and pharmacological aspects are carried out through either in vivo or clinical means. PMID:27594892

Antidiabetic Properties, Bioactive Constituents, and Other Therapeutic Effects of Scoparia dulcis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pamunuwa, Geethi; Karunaratne, D Nedra; Waisundara, Viduranga Y

2016-01-01

This review discusses the antidiabetic activities of Scoparia dulcis as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in relation to the diabetes and its complications. Ethnomedical applications of the herb have been identified as treatment for jaundice, stomach problems, skin disease, fever, and kidney stones, reproductory issues, and piles. Evidence has been demonstrated through scientific studies as to the antidiabetic effects of crude extracts of S. dulcis as well as its bioactive constituents. The primary mechanisms of action of antidiabetic activity of the plant and its bioactive constituents are through α-glucosidase inhibition, curbing of PPAR-γ and increased secretion of insulin. Scoparic acid A, scoparic acid D, scutellarein, apigenin, luteolin, coixol, and glutinol are some of the compounds which have been identified as responsible for these mechanisms of action. S. dulcis has also been shown to exhibit analgesic, antimalarial, hepatoprotective, sedative, hypnotic, antiulcer, antisickling, and antimicrobial activities. Given this evidence, it may be concluded that S. dulcis could be promoted among the masses as an alternative and complementary therapy for diabetes, provided further scientific studies on the toxicological and pharmacological aspects are carried out through either in vivo or clinical means.

Antidiabetic Properties, Bioactive Constituents, and Other Therapeutic Effects of Scoparia dulcis

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Geethi Pamunuwa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This review discusses the antidiabetic activities of Scoparia dulcis as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in relation to the diabetes and its complications. Ethnomedical applications of the herb have been identified as treatment for jaundice, stomach problems, skin disease, fever, and kidney stones, reproductory issues, and piles. Evidence has been demonstrated through scientific studies as to the antidiabetic effects of crude extracts of S. dulcis as well as its bioactive constituents. The primary mechanisms of action of antidiabetic activity of the plant and its bioactive constituents are through α-glucosidase inhibition, curbing of PPAR-γ and increased secretion of insulin. Scoparic acid A, scoparic acid D, scutellarein, apigenin, luteolin, coixol, and glutinol are some of the compounds which have been identified as responsible for these mechanisms of action. S. dulcis has also been shown to exhibit analgesic, antimalarial, hepatoprotective, sedative, hypnotic, antiulcer, antisickling, and antimicrobial activities. Given this evidence, it may be concluded that S. dulcis could be promoted among the masses as an alternative and complementary therapy for diabetes, provided further scientific studies on the toxicological and pharmacological aspects are carried out through either in vivo or clinical means.

Study on chemical, bioactive and food preserving properties of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrović, Jovana; Stojković, Dejan; Reis, Filipa S; Barros, Lillian; Glamočlija, Jasmina; Ćirić, Ana; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Soković, Marina

2014-07-25

Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr. was studied to determine the nutritional value, bioactive compounds, in vitro antioxidants, and antimicrobial and antitumor activities. The studied mushroom is a rich source of carbohydrates and proteins. Mannitol and trehalose were the main free sugars. In addition, the polyunsaturated fatty acids α-, γ- and δ-tocopherols were found. Oxalic and citric acids were the most abundant organic acids; cinnamic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were quantified in the methanolic extract and could be related to the antioxidant properties. It was the polysaccharidic extract that exhibited higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, indicating that the compounds present in this extract possess stronger bioactivity. Only the polysaccharidic extract revealed antiproliferative activity in human tumor cell lines. In addition, a suitable model system with chicken pâté was developed to test the antimicrobial preserving properties of L. sulphureus. The methanolic extract was used to examine in situ preserving properties against Aspergillus flavus and demonstrated excellent preserving potential.

BIOPEP database and other programs for processing bioactive peptide sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Minkiewicz, Piotr; Dziuba, Jerzy; Iwaniak, Anna; Dziuba, Marta; Darewicz, Małgorzata

2008-01-01

This review presents the potential for application of computational tools in peptide science based on a sample BIOPEP database and program as well as other programs and databases available via the World Wide Web. The BIOPEP application contains a database of biologically active peptide sequences and a program enabling construction of profiles of the potential biological activity of protein fragments, calculation of quantitative descriptors as measures of the value of proteins as potential precursors of bioactive peptides, and prediction of bonds susceptible to hydrolysis by endopeptidases in a protein chain. Other bioactive and allergenic peptide sequence databases are also presented. Programs enabling the construction of binary and multiple alignments between peptide sequences, the construction of sequence motifs attributed to a given type of bioactivity, searching for potential precursors of bioactive peptides, and the prediction of sites susceptible to proteolytic cleavage in protein chains are available via the Internet as are other approaches concerning secondary structure prediction and calculation of physicochemical features based on amino acid sequence. Programs for prediction of allergenic and toxic properties have also been developed. This review explores the possibilities of cooperation between various programs.

BioPepDB: an integrated data platform for food-derived bioactive peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qilin; Zhang, Chao; Chen, Hongjun; Xue, Jitong; Guo, Xiaolei; Liang, Ming; Chen, Ming

2018-03-12

Food-derived bioactive peptides play critical roles in regulating most biological processes and have considerable biological, medical and industrial importance. However, a large number of active peptides data, including sequence, function, source, commercial product information, references and other information are poorly integrated. BioPepDB is a searchable database of food-derived bioactive peptides and their related articles, including more than four thousand bioactive peptide entries. Moreover, BioPepDB provides modules of prediction and hydrolysis-simulation for discovering novel peptides. It can serve as a reference database to investigate the function of different bioactive peptides. BioPepDB is available at http://bis.zju.edu.cn/biopepdbr/ . The web page utilises Apache, PHP5 and MySQL to provide the user interface for accessing the database and predict novel peptides. The database itself is operated on a specialised server.

Triterpene Composition and Bioactivities of Centella asiatica

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Uma Devi Palanisamy

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Leaves of Centella asiatica (Centella were analysed for their triterpene composition and bioactivity such as collagen enhancement, antioxidant, anticellulite and UV protection capacity properties. Triterpenes of Centella were measured using HPLC-PAD on an Excil ODS 5 mm (C18 column for the simultaneous determination of asiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside and madecassoside. Centella was found to contain significant amounts of madecassoside (3.10 ± 4.58 mg/mL and asiaticoside (1.97 ± 2.65 mg/mL, but was low in asiatic and madecassic acid. The highest collagen synthesis was found at 50 mg/mL of Centella extracts. The antioxidant activity of Centella (84% was compared to grape seed extract (83% and Vitamin C (88%. Its lipolytic activity was observed by the release of glycerol (115.9 µmol/L at 0.02% concentration. Centella extracts exhibited similar UV protection effect to OMC at 10% concentration. In view of these results, the potential application of Centella in food and pharmaceutical industries is now widely open.

Study on chemical, bioactive and food preserving properties of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr.

OpenAIRE

Petrović, Jovana; Stojković, Dejan; Reis, Filipa; Barros, Lillian; Glamočlija, Jasmina; Ćirić, Ana; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Soković, Marina

2014-01-01

Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr. was studied regarding the nutritional value, bioactive compounds, in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor activities. The studied mushroom is a rich source of carbohydrates and proteins. Mannitol and trehalose were the main free sugars, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. α-, γ- and δ-Tocopherols were found. Oxalic and citric acids were the most abundant organic acids; cinnamic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were quantified in the methanolic extract...

Investigation of bioactivity and cell effects of nano-porous sol–gel derived bioactive glass film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Zhijun, E-mail: mokuu@zju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Ji, Huijiao [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China); Hu, Xiaomeng [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Teng, Yu [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Zhao, Guiyun; Mo, Lijuan; Zhao, Xiaoli [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China); Chen, Weibo [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Qiu, Jianrong, E-mail: qjr@scut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Zhang, Ming, E-mail: zhangming201201@126.com [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China)

2013-11-01

In orthopedic surgery, bioactive glass film coating is extensively studied to improve the synthetic performance of orthopedic implants. A lot of investigations have confirmed that nano-porous structure in bioactive glasses can remarkably improve their bioactivity. Nevertheless, researches on preparation of nano-porous bioactive glasses in the form of film coating and their cell response activities are scarce. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-porous bioactive glass film on commercial glass slide based on a sol–gel technique, together with the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity through immersion in simulated body fluid and monitoring the precipitation of apatite-like layer. Cell responses of the samples, including attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, were also investigated using BMSCS (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) as a model. The results presented here provide some basic information on structural influence of bioactive glass film on the improvement of bioactivity and cellular effects.

Investigation of bioactivity and cell effects of nano-porous sol-gel derived bioactive glass film

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zhijun; Ji, Huijiao; Hu, Xiaomeng; Teng, Yu; Zhao, Guiyun; Mo, Lijuan; Zhao, Xiaoli; Chen, Weibo; Qiu, Jianrong; Zhang, Ming

2013-11-01

In orthopedic surgery, bioactive glass film coating is extensively studied to improve the synthetic performance of orthopedic implants. A lot of investigations have confirmed that nano-porous structure in bioactive glasses can remarkably improve their bioactivity. Nevertheless, researches on preparation of nano-porous bioactive glasses in the form of film coating and their cell response activities are scarce. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-porous bioactive glass film on commercial glass slide based on a sol-gel technique, together with the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity through immersion in simulated body fluid and monitoring the precipitation of apatite-like layer. Cell responses of the samples, including attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, were also investigated using BMSCS (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) as a model. The results presented here provide some basic information on structural influence of bioactive glass film on the improvement of bioactivity and cellular effects.

Bioactive compounds: historical perspectives, opportunities, and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Bhimanagouda S; Jayaprakasha, G K; Chidambara Murthy, K N; Vikram, Amit

2009-09-23

Mom's conventional wisdom of eating fruits and vegetables to lead a healthy life has evolved with scientific, fact-finding research during the past four decades due to advances in science of "Foods for Health". Epidemiological and prospective studies have demonstrated the vital role of fruits, vegetables, and nuts in reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, several meta-analyses strongly suggested that by adding one serving of fruits and vegetables to daily diet, the risk of cardiovascular diseases will be decreased up to 7%. The multidisciplinary and partnership efforts of agriculture and medical scientists across the globe stimulated interest in establishing certain interdisciplinary centers and institutes focusing on "Foods for Health". While the consumption of various healthy foods continues, several questions about toxicity, bioavailability, and food-drug interactions of bioactive compounds are yet to be fully understood on the basis of scientific evidence. Recent research on elucidation of the molecular mechanisms to understand the "proof of the concept" will provide the perfect answer when consumers are ready for a "consumer-to-farm" rather than the current "farm-to-consumer" approach. The multidisciplinary research and educational efforts will address the role of healthy foods to improve eye, brain, and heart health while reducing the risk of cancer. Through this connection, this review is an attempt to provide insight and historical perspectives on some of the bioactive compounds from the day of discovery to their current status. The bioactive compounds discussed in this review are flavonoids, carotenoids, curcumin, ascorbic acid, and citrus limonoids.

β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex to Improve Physicochemical Properties of Pipemidic Acid: Characterization and Bioactivity Evaluation

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Gaetano Malgieri

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aptitude of cyclodextrins (CDs to form host-guest complexes has prompted an increase in the development of new drug formulations. In this study, the inclusion complexes of pipemidic acid (HPPA, a therapeutic agent for urinary tract infections, with native β-CD were prepared in solid state by kneading method and confirmed by FT-IR and 1H NMR. The inclusion complex formation was also characterized in aqueous solution at different pH via UV-Vis titration and phase solubility studies obtaining the stability constant. The 1:1 stoichiometry was established by a Job plot and the inclusion mechanism was clarified using docking experiments. Finally, the antibacterial activity of HPPA and its inclusion complex was tested on P. aeruginosa, E. coli and S. aureus to determine the respective EC50s and EC90s. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of HPPA:β-CD against E. coli and S. aureus is higher than that of HPPA. Furthermore, HPPA and HPPA:β-CD, tested on human hepatoblastoma HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines by MTT assay, exhibited, for the first time, antitumor activities, and the complex revealed a higher activity than that of HPPA. The use of β-CD allows an increase in the aqueous solubility of the drug, its bioavailability and then its bioactivity.

Bioactive Compounds of Edible Purple Laver Porphyra sp. (Nori).

Science.gov (United States)

Bito, Tomohiro; Teng, Fei; Watanabe, Fumio

2017-12-13

Porphyra sp. (nori) is widely cultivated as an important marine crop. Dried nori contains numerous nutrients, including vitamin B 12 , which is the only vitamin absent from plant-derived food sources. Vegetarian diets are low in iron and vitamin B 12 ; depletion of both causes severe anemia. Nori also contains large amounts of iron compared with other plant-derived foods and eicosapentaenoic acid, which is an important fatty acid found in fish oils. In nori, there are also many bioactive compounds that exhibit various pharmacological activities, such as immunomodulation, anticancer, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidative activities, indicating that consumption of nori is beneficial to human health. However, Porphyra sp. contains toxic metals (arsenic and cadmiun) and/or amphipod allergens, the levels of which vary significantly among nori products. Further evidence from human studies of such beneficial or adverse effects of nori consumption is required.

Influence of barium substitution on bioactivity, thermal and physico-mechanical properties of bioactive glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arepalli, Sampath Kumar, E-mail: askumar.rs.cer11@iitbhu.ac.in; Tripathi, Himanshu; Vyas, Vikash Kumar; Jain, Shubham; Suman, Shyam Kumar; Pyare, Ram; Singh, S.P., E-mail: spsinghceram@gmail.com

2015-04-01

Barium with low concentration in the glasses acts as a muscle stimulant and is found in human teeth. We have made a primary study by substituting barium in the bioactive glass. The chemical composition containing (46.1 − X) SiO{sub 2−}–24.3 Na{sub 2}O–26.9 CaO–2.6 P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, where X = 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 mol% of BaO was chosen and melted in an electric furnace at 1400 ± 5 °C. The glasses were characterized to determine their use in biomedical applications. The nucleation and crystallization regimes were determined by DTA and the controlled crystallization was carried out by suitable heat treatment. The crystalline phase formed was identified by using XRD technique. Bioactivity of these glasses was assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various time periods. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite (HCA) layer was identified by FTIR spectrometry, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD which showed the presence of HCA as the main phase in all tested bioactive glass samples. Flexural strength and densities of bioactive glasses have been measured and found to increase with increasing the barium content. The human blood compatibility of the samples was evaluated and found to be pertinent. - Highlights: • In vitro bioactivity of soda-lime–baria-phospho-silicate glass was investigated. • HCA formed on surface of glasses was confirmed by XRD, SEM and FTIR spectrometry. • Mechanical properties of glasses were found to increase with barium addition. • Hemolysis showed that 1.2 mol% BaO bioactive glass exhibited better biocompatibility. • Barium substituted bioactive glasses can be used as bone implants.

Evaluation of Agro-Industrial Co-Products as Source of Bioactive Compounds: Fiber, Antioxidants and Prebiotic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernández-Alcántara Annel M

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Agro-industrial co-products derived of fruit processing represents an important source of bioactive compounds as fiber, antioxidants and prebiotics. The objective of this work was to determine the content of fiber, antioxidant capacity and prebiotic activity of three flours obtained from commonly co-products (banana peel, apple peel, and carrot bagasse. The results showed a higher total fiber content in carrot bagasse, and lower in apple peel. Significantly differences were found in antioxidant activity. Fruit co-products flours were a suitable carbon source increasing specific growth rate with a reduction in duplication time as compared to glucose. The prebiotic activity was positive in the three co-products, all flours survived at pH 1.0 and showed resistance to simulated gastric acid for about 60 min. Banana peel, apple peel and carrot bagasse showed to be a good source of bioactive compounds as fiber and antioxidants and can be used as prebiotics for lactic acid bacteria.

Food Proteins and Bioactive Peptides: New and Novel Sources, Characterisation Strategies and Applications

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Maria Hayes

2018-03-01

Full Text Available By 2050, the world population is estimated to reach 9.6 billion, and this growth continues to require more food, particularly proteins. Moreover, the Westernisation of society has led to consumer demand for protein products that taste good and are convenient to consume, but additionally have nutritional and health maintenance and well-being benefits. Proteins provide energy, but additionally have a wide range of functions from enzymatic activities in the body to bioactivities including those associated with heart health, diabetes-type 2-prevention and mental health maintenance; stress relief as well as a plethora of other health beneficial attributes. Furthermore, proteins play an important role in food manufacture and often provide the binding, water- or oil-holding, emulsifying, foaming or other functional attributes required to ensure optimum sensory and taste benefits for the consumer. The purpose of this issue is to highlight current and new protein sources and their associated functional, nutritional and health benefits as well as best practices for quantifying proteins and bioactive peptides in both a laboratory and industry setting. The bioaccessibility, bioavailability and bioactivities of proteins from dairy, cereal and novel sources including seaweeds and insect protein and how they are measured and the relevance of protein quality measurement methods including the Protein Digestibility Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS and Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS are highlighted. In addition, predicted future protein consumption trends and new markets for protein and peptide products are discussed.

Bioactive protein fraction DLBS1033 containing lumbrokinase isolated from Lumbricus rubellus: ex vivo, in vivo, and pharmaceutic studies

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Tjandrawinata RR

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Raymond R Tjandrawinata,1 Jessica Trisina,1 Puji Rahayu,1 Lorentius Agung Prasetya,1 Aang Hanafiah,2 Heni Rachmawati3 1Dexa Laboratories of Biomolecular Sciences, Dexa Medica, Cikarang, Indonesia; 2National Nuclear Energy Agency, Bandung, Indonesia; 3School of Pharmacy, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia Abstract: DLBS1033 is a bioactive protein fraction isolated from Lumbricus rubellus that tends to be unstable when exposed to the gastrointestinal environment. Accordingly, appropriate pharmaceutical development is needed to maximize absorption of the protein fraction in the gastrointestinal tract. In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo stability assays were performed to study the stability of the bioactive protein fraction in gastric conditions. The bioactive protein fraction DLBS1033 was found to be unstable at low pH and in gastric fluid. The “enteric coating” formulation showed no leakage in gastric fluid–like medium and possessed a good release profile in simulated intestinal medium. DLBS1033 was absorbed through the small intestine in an intact protein form, confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE analysis. This result confirmed that an enteric coating formula using methacrylic acid copolymer could protect DLBS1033 from the acidic condition of the stomach by preventing the release of DLBS1033 in the stomach, while promoting its release when reaching the intestine. From the blood concentration–versus-time curve, 99mTc-DLBS1033 showed a circulation half-life of 70 minutes. This relatively long biological half-life supports its function as a thrombolytic protein. Thus, an enteric delivery system is considered the best approach for DLBS1033 as an oral thrombolytic agent. Keywords: bioactive protein fraction, enteric coated tablet, pharmacodynamic

Is There a Role for Bioactive Lipids in the Pathobiology of Diabetes Mellitus?

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Undurti N. Das

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Inflammation, decreased levels of circulating endothelial nitric oxide (eNO and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, altered activity of hypothalamic neurotransmitters (including serotonin and vagal tone and gut hormones, increased concentrations of free radicals, and imbalance in the levels of bioactive lipids and their pro- and anti-inflammatory metabolites have been suggested to play a role in diabetes mellitus (DM. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (type 1 DM is due to autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells because of enhanced production of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α and other pro-inflammatory cytokines released by immunocytes infiltrating the pancreas in response to unknown exogenous and endogenous toxin(s. On the other hand, type 2 DM is due to increased peripheral insulin resistance secondary to enhanced production of IL-6 and TNF-α in response to high-fat and/or calorie-rich diet (rich in saturated and trans fats. Type 2 DM is also associated with significant alterations in the production and action of hypothalamic neurotransmitters, eNO, BDNF, free radicals, gut hormones, and vagus nerve activity. Thus, type 1 DM is because of excess production of pro-inflammatory cytokines close to β cells, whereas type 2 DM is due to excess of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the systemic circulation. Hence, methods designed to suppress excess production of pro-inflammatory cytokines may form a new approach to prevent both type 1 and type 2 DM. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and similar surgeries ameliorate type 2 DM, partly by restoring to normal: gut hormones, hypothalamic neurotransmitters, eNO, vagal activity, gut microbiota, bioactive lipids, BDNF production in the gut and hypothalamus, concentrations of cytokines and free radicals that results in resetting glucose-stimulated insulin production by pancreatic β cells. Our recent studies suggested that bioactive lipids, such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaneoic acid, and docosahexaenoic

Fat-soluble bioactive components in colored rice varieties.

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Minatel, Igor Otavio; Han, Sang-Ik; Aldini, Giancarlo; Colzani, Mara; Matthan, Nirupa R; Correa, Camila Renata; Fecchio, Denise; Yeum, Kyung-Jin

2014-10-01

Bioactive components in rice vary depending on the variety and growing condition. Fat-soluble components such as γ-oryzanol, tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids, and fatty acids were analyzed in brown, sugary brown, red, and black rice varieties using established high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and GC methodologies. In addition, these colored rice varieties were further analyzed using a high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (LTQ-Orbitrap XL) to identify the [M-H](-) ions of γ-oryzanol, ranging from m/z 573.3949 to 617.4211. The highest content of tocopherols (α-, 1.5; γ-, 0.5 mg/100 g) and carotenoids (lutein 244; trans-β carotene 25 μg/100 g) were observed in black rice; tocotrienols (α-, 0.07; γ-, 0.14 mg/100 g) in red rice, and γ-oryzanol (115 mg/100 g) in sugary brown rice. In all colored rice varieties, the major fatty acids were palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1n-9), and linoleic (18:2n-6) acids. When the γ-oryzanol components were further analyzed by LC-MS/MS, 3, 10, 8, and 8 triterpene alcohols or sterol ferulates were identified in brown, sugary brown, red, and black rice varieties, respectively. Such structural identification can lead to the elucidation of biological function of each component at the molecular level. Consumption of colored rice rich in beneficial bioactive compounds may be a useful dietary strategy for achieving optimal health.

Bioactive substances of the Techirghiol therapeutic mud

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Mihail Hoteteu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The study aims to characterize Techirghiol's sapropelic mud both by determining the organic and inorganic composition of the constituent phases and by isolating some compounds of humic substances. The distribution between the solid and liquid phases of the peloid of the Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+cations, PO43- anion, bioactive compounds of the protein, lipid and carbohydrate classes as well as the phosphatase activity of Techirghiol sapropelic mud are analyzed. The mud is fractionated using the pH and solvent polarity variation and is spectrophotometrically characterized based on absorption in the wavelength range 340-700 nm humic acids and fulvic acids differentiated on the basis of solubility and molecular mass.

Thermoluminescence as a probe in bioactivity studies; the case of 58S sol-gel bioactive glass

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Polymeris, George S; Tsirliganis, Nestor C; Goudouri, Ourania Menti; Paraskevopoulos, Konstantinos M; Kontonasaki, Eleana; Kitis, George

2011-01-01

The formation of a carbonated hydroxyapatite (HCAp) layer on the surface of bioactive materials is the main reaction that takes place upon their immersion in physiological fluids. To date, all techniques used for the identification of this HCAp formation are rather time consuming and not well suited to detailed and rapid monitoring of changes in the bioactivity response of the material. The aim of this work is to explore the possibility of using thermoluminescence (TL) for the discrimination between different bioactive responses in the case of the 58S bioactive glass. Results provided strong indications that the 110 deg. C TL peak of quartz can be used effectively in the study of the bioactive behaviour of 58S bioactive glass, since it is unambiguously present in all samples and does not require deconvolution analysis. Furthermore, the intensity of the 110 deg. C TL peak is proven to be very sensitive to the different bioactive responses, identifying the loss of silica which takes place at the first stages of the sequence. The discontinuities of the 110 deg. C TL peak intensity plot versus immersion time at 8 and 1440 min provide experimental indications regarding the timescale for both the beginning of amorphous CaP formation as well as the end of crystalline hydroxyl-apatite formation respectively, while the spike in the sensitization of the 110 deg. C TL peak, which was observed for immersion times ranging between 20 and 40 min, could be an experimental feature indicating the beginning of the crystalline HCAp formation.

Bioactivity, mechanical properties and drug delivery ability of bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds coated with a natural-derived polymer.

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Araújo, M; Viveiros, R; Philippart, A; Miola, M; Doumett, S; Baldi, G; Perez, J; Boccaccini, A R; Aguiar-Ricardo, A; Verné, E

2017-08-01

In this work, hybrid melanin-coated bioactive glass-ceramic multifunctional scaffolds were developed and characterized in terms of mechanical strength, in vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF) and ability to load ibuprofen. The coated scaffolds exhibited an accelerated bioactivity in comparison with the uncoated ones, being able of developing hydroxyapatite-like crystals after 7days soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). Besides its positive influence on the scaffolds bioactivity, the melanin coating was able to enhance their mechanical properties, increasing the initial compressive strength by a factor of >2.5. Furthermore, ibuprofen was successfully loaded on this coating, allowing a controlled drug release of the anti-inflammatory agent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Induction of the synthesis of bioactive compounds of the marine alga Tetraselmis tetrathele (West Butcher grown under salinity stress

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Hala Yassin El-Kassas

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This work aims at the induction of the synthesis bioactive compounds in microalgae which are used in aquacultures. Experiments were done using Tetraselmis tetrathele in batch culture for 8 days under different salinity levels. The growth of the alga at salinity 20 ppm was increased by fivefold and synthesis of carotenoids by 20-fold in comparison to the controlled. Increasing NaCl concentration resulted in increasing the fatty acid accumulation in T. tetrathele cells. Saturated fatty acids were the main constituent in the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs (3.48 mg/g at salinity 25 ppm. The predominated fatty acids were tridecylic, myristic and pentadecanoic which have potential antimicrobial activities. GC–MS analyses of the alga acetone extract grown under different NaCl concentrations were established. The results showed the presence of 18 bioactive compounds: 9-octadecenamide; in addition to the different esters of some fatty acids: hexanedioic, 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic, phthalic, oleanitrile, hexanedioic and 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic (71.5%; 64.9%; 55.4%; 49.6%; 18.7%; 25.2% and 14.5%, respectively. The study suggested that the alga biosynthesized various bioactive compounds under different salinity levels as defense mechanisms. Accordingly, the growth of T. tetrathele under salinity stress before being used in aquacultures is recommended.

Improvement of Nutritional and Bioactive Compound Production by Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), by Spraying Growth Regulators.

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Vi, Minhthuan; Yang, Xueqin; Zeng, Xianlu; Chen, Rui'an; Guo, Liqiong; Lin, Junfang; He, Qianyun; Zheng, Qianwang; Wei, Tao

2018-01-01

Hericium erinaceus is a popular culinary and medicinal mushroom in China because of its broad beneficial effects. In this study we evaluated the effects of stimulation with 7 growth regulators at 5 different concentrations on improving the production of nutritional and bioactive compounds by H. erinaceus. Results showed that among all the tested regulators, gibberellic acid (GA) increased protein content (165%), free amino acids (100%), polysaccharides (108%), and polyphenols (26%). Spraying nephthyl acetic acid increased polysaccharides and triterpenoids to 4.37 and 17.27 g/100 g, respectively. Spraying chitosan significantly increased polyphenols by 42%. The addition of triacontanol, indole acetic acid, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid improved the production of proteins, free amino acids, polysaccharides, and polyphenols, but not to the extent that GA did. These results indicate that adding certain growth regulators can effectively improve the production of nutritional and bioactive compounds in H. erinaceus.

Cucurbitaceae Seed Protein Hydrolysates as a Potential Source of Bioactive Peptides with Functional Properties

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César Ozuna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Seeds from Cucurbitaceae plants (squashes, pumpkins, melons, etc. have been used both as protein-rich food ingredients and nutraceutical agents by many indigenous cultures for millennia. However, relatively little is known about the bioactive components (e.g., peptides of the Cucurbitaceae seed proteins (CSP and their specific effects on human health. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of latest research on bioactive and functional properties of CSP isolates and hydrolysates. Enzymatic hydrolysis can introduce a series of changes to the CSP structure and improve its bioactive and functional properties, including the enhanced protein solubility over a wide range of pH values. Small-sized peptides in CSP hydrolysates seem to enhance their bioactive properties but adversely affect their functional properties. Therefore, medium degrees of hydrolysis seem to benefit the overall improvement of bioactive and functional properties of CSP hydrolysates. Among the reported bioactive properties of CSP isolates and hydrolysates, their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antihyperglycaemic activities stand out. Therefore, they could potentially substitute synthetic antioxidants and drugs which might have adverse secondary effects on human health. CSP isolates and hydrolysates could also be implemented as functional food ingredients, thanks to their favorable amino acid composition and good emulsifying and foaming properties.

Improving phenolic bioactive-linked anti-hyperglycemic functions of dark germinated barley sprouts (Hordeum vulgare L.) using seed elicitation strategy.

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Ramakrishna, Ramnarain; Sarkar, Dipayan; Manduri, Avani; Iyer, Shreyas Ganesan; Shetty, Kalidas

2017-10-01

Sprouts of cereal grains, such as barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), are a good source of beneficial phenolic bioactives. Such health relevant phenolic bioactives of cereal sprouts can be targeted to manage chronic hyperglycemia and oxidative stress commonly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore improving phenolic bioactives by stimulating plant endogenous defense responses such as protective pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) during sprouting has significant merit. Based on this metabolic rationale, this study aimed to enhance phenolic bioactives and associated antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic functions in dark germinated barley sprouts using exogenous elicitor treatments. Dark-germinated sprouts of two malting barley cultivars (Pinnacle and Celebration), treated with chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and marine protein hydrolysate (GP), were evaluated. Total soluble phenolic content (TSP), phenolic acid profiles, total antioxidant activity (TA) and in vitro inhibitory activities of hyperglycemia relevant α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes of the dark germinated barley sprouts were evaluated at day 2, 4, and 6 post elicitor treatments. Overall, TSP content, TA, and α-amylase inhibitory activity of dark germinated barley sprouts decreased, while α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and gallic acid content increased from day 2 to day 6. Among barley cultivars, high phenolic antioxidant-linked anti-hyperglycemic bioactives were observed in Celebration. Furthermore, GP and COS seed elicitor treatments in selective doses improved T2D relevant phenolic-linked anti-hyperglycemic bioactives of barley spouts at day 6. Therefore, such seed elicitation approach can be strategically used to develop bioactive enriched functional food ingredients from cereal sprouts targeting chronic hyperglycemia and oxidative stress linked to T2D.

Peptidome characterization and bioactivity analysis of donkey milk.

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Piovesana, Susy; Capriotti, Anna Laura; Cavaliere, Chiara; La Barbera, Giorgia; Samperi, Roberto; Zenezini Chiozzi, Riccardo; Laganà, Aldo

2015-04-24

Donkey milk is an interesting commercial product for its nutritional values, which make it the most suitable mammalian milk for human consumption, and for the bioactivity associated with it and derivative products. To further mine the characterization of donkey milk, an extensive peptidomic study was performed. Two peptide purification strategies were compared to remove native proteins and lipids and enrich the peptide fraction. In one case the whole protein content was precipitated by organic solvent using cold acetone. In the other one the precipitation of the most abundant milk proteins, caseins, was performed under acidic conditions by acetic acid at pH4.6, instead. The procedures were compared and proved to be partially complementary. Considered together they provided 1330 peptide identifications for donkey milk, mainly coming from the most abundant proteins in milk. The bioactivity of the isolated peptides was also investigated, both by angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activity assays and by bioinformatics, proving that the isolated peptides did have the tested biological activities. The rationale behind this study is that peptides in food matrices often play an important biological role and, despite the extensive study of the protein composition of different samples, they remain poorly characterized. In fact, in a typical shotgun proteomics study endogenous peptides are not properly characterized. In proteomics workflows one limiting point is the isolation process: if it is specific for the purification of proteins, it often comprises a precipitation step which aims at isolating pure protein pellets and remove unwonted interferent compounds. In this way endogenous peptides, which are not effectively precipitated as well as proteins, are removed too and not analyzed at the end of the process. Moreover, endogenous peptides do often originate from precursor proteins, but in phenomena which are independent of the shotgun digestion

Bioactive Compound Content and Cytotoxic Effect on Human Cancer Cells of Fresh and Processed Yellow Tomatoes

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Assunta Raiola

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Tomato, as a fresh or processed product, has a high nutritional value due to its content of bioactive components such as phenolic compounds. Few studies describe the effect of processing on antioxidant content and the cancer cell growth inhibition activity. In this study we determined the phenolic and ascorbic acid content of three yellow tomato varieties, before and after thermal processing. Moreover, we determined the antioxidative power and tested the effects of tomato extracts on three human cancer cell lines. We found that the amount of phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid decreased in all the samples after processing, whereas the flavonoid content increased after the heat treatment in two samples. A cytotoxic effect of tomato extracts was observed only after processing. This result well correlates with the flavonoid content after processing and clearly indicates that processed yellow tomatoes have a high content of bioactive compounds endowed with cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, thus opening the way to obtain tomato-based functional foods.

LASER-INDUCED BIOACTIVITY IN DENTAL PORCELAIN MODIFIED BY BIOACTIVE GLASS

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ANASTASIA BEKETOVA

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of laser-liquid-solid interaction method in the bioactivity of dental porcelain modified by bioactive glass. Forty sol-gel derived specimens were immersed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium, 31 and 9 specimens of which were treated with Er:YAG and Nd:YAG laser respectively. Untreated specimens served as controls. Incubation of specimens followed. Bioactivity was evaluated, using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM. FTIR detected peaks associated with hydroxyapatite on 1 Nd:YAG- and 4 Er:YAG-treated specimens. SEM analysis revealed that Er:YAG-treated specimens were covered by granular hydroxyapatite layer, while Nd:YAG treated specimen presented growth of flake-like hydroxyapatite. TEM confirmed the results. The untreated controls presented delayed bioactivity. In conclusion, Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser treatment of the material, under certain fluencies, accelerates hydroxyapatite formation. Nd:YAG laser treatment of specific parameters causes the precipitation of flake-like hydroxyapatite in nano-scale.

StraPep: a structure database of bioactive peptides

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Wang, Jian; Yin, Tailang; Xiao, Xuwen; He, Dan; Xue, Zhidong; Jiang, Xinnong; Wang, Yan

2018-01-01

Abstract Bioactive peptides, with a variety of biological activities and wide distribution in nature, have attracted great research interest in biological and medical fields, especially in pharmaceutical industry. The structural information of bioactive peptide is important for the development of peptide-based drugs. Many databases have been developed cataloguing bioactive peptides. However, to our knowledge, database dedicated to collect all the bioactive peptides with known structure is not available yet. Thus, we developed StraPep, a structure database of bioactive peptides. StraPep holds 3791 bioactive peptide structures, which belong to 1312 unique bioactive peptide sequences. About 905 out of 1312 (68%) bioactive peptides in StraPep contain disulfide bonds, which is significantly higher than that (21%) of PDB. Interestingly, 150 out of 616 (24%) bioactive peptides with three or more disulfide bonds form a structural motif known as cystine knot, which confers considerable structural stability on proteins and is an attractive scaffold for drug design. Detailed information of each peptide, including the experimental structure, the location of disulfide bonds, secondary structure, classification, post-translational modification and so on, has been provided. A wide range of user-friendly tools, such as browsing, sequence and structure-based searching and so on, has been incorporated into StraPep. We hope that this database will be helpful for the research community. Database URL: http://isyslab.info/StraPep PMID:29688386

Simultaneous determination of bioactive constituents in Danggui Buxue Tang for quality control by HPLC coupled with a diode array detector, an evaporative light scattering detector and mass spectrometry.

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Yi, Ling; Qi, Lian-Wen; Li, Ping; Ma, Yi-Han; Luo, Yong-Jing; Li, Hai-Yun

2007-09-01

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a classical traditional Chinese formula comprising Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RAS) and Radix Astragali (RA), has been widely used to treat menopausal irregularity in Chinese women for nearly 800 years. In this study, a comprehensive analytical method of simultaneously determining the main types of bioactive constituents, eighteen in all from the formula, involving flavonoids, saponins, organic acid and some volatile compounds, was developed. This method was based on HPLC coupled to a diode array and evaporative light scattering detectors (HPLC-DAD-ELSD) on a common reverse-phase C(18) column. Liquid chromatography coupled with on-line electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) was also used to further validate and analyze the constituents. It was found that 0.3% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile was the optimum mobile phase for gradient elution. This method, which showed good precision and accuracy, was successfully used to quantify the bioactive constituents in six products. As a result, the validated HPLC method, together with the LC-ESI-MS analysis, provided a new basis for assessing the quality of traditional Chinese medicinal compound preparations (TCMCPs) consisting of many bioactive components.

In situ reduction of antibacterial silver ions to metallic silver nanoparticles on bioactive glasses functionalized with polyphenols

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Ferraris, S., E-mail: sara.ferraris@polito.it [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy); Miola, M. [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy); Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale UPO, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara (Italy); Cochis, A.; Azzimonti, B.; Rimondini, L. [Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale UPO, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara (Italy); Prenesti, E. [Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, Torino, 10125 (Italy); Vernè, E. [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Gallic acid and natural polyphenols were grafted onto bioactive glasses. • Grafting ability was dependent on glass reactivity. • In situ reduction of silver nanoparticles was performed onto functionalized glasses. • Bioactive glasses decorated with silver nanoparticles showed antibacterial activity. - Abstract: The realization of surfaces with antibacterial properties due to silver nanoparticles loaded through a green approach is a promising research challenge of the biomaterial field. In this research work, two bioactive glasses have been doubly surface functionalized with polyphenols (gallic acid or natural polyphenols extracted from red grape skins and green tea leaves) and silver nanoparticles deposited by in situ reduction from a silver nitrate aqueous solution. The presence of biomolecules – showing reducing ability to directly obtain in situ metallic silver – and silver nanoparticles was investigated by means of UV–vis spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The antibacterial activity of the modified surfaces was tested against a multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strain.

Therapeutic potential of abalone and status of bioactive molecules: A comprehensive review.

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Suleria, H A R; Masci, P P; Gobe, G C; Osborne, S A

2017-05-24

Marine organisms are increasingly being investigated as sources of bioactive molecules with therapeutic applications as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In particular, nutraceuticals are gaining popularity worldwide owing to their therapeutic potential and incorporation in functional foods and dietary supplements. Abalone, a marine gastropod, contains a variety of bioactive compounds with anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer activities. For thousands of years different cultures have used abalone as a traditional functional food believing consumption provides health benefits. Abalone meat is one of the most precious commodities in Asian markets where it is considered a culinary delicacy. Recent research has revealed that abalone is composed of many vital moieties like polysaccharides, proteins, and fatty acids that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. A review of past and present research is presented with relevance to the therapeutic potential of bioactive molecules from abalone.

The role of red blood cell S-nitrosation in nitrite bioactivation and its modulation by leucine and glucose

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Nadeem Wajih

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Previous work has shown that red blood cells (RBCs reduce nitrite to NO under conditions of low oxygen. Strong support for the ability of red blood cells to promote nitrite bioactivation comes from using platelet activation as a NO-sensitive process. Whereas addition of nitrite to platelet rich plasma in the absence of RBCs has no effect on inhibition of platelet activation, when RBCs are present platelet activation is inhibited by an NO-dependent mechanism that is potentiated under hypoxia. In this paper, we demonstrate that nitrite bioactivation by RBCs is blunted by physiologically-relevant concentrations of nutrients including glucose and the important signaling amino acid leucine. Our mechanistic investigations demonstrate that RBC mediated nitrite bioactivation is largely dependent on nitrosation of RBC surface proteins. These data suggest a new expanded paradigm where RBC mediated nitrite bioactivation not only directs blood flow to areas of low oxygen but also to areas of low nutrients. Our findings could have profound implications for normal physiology as well as pathophysiology in a variety of diseases including diabetes, sickle cell disease, and arteriosclerosis.

Bioactive compounds, antioxidant and binding activities and spear yield of Asparagus officinalis L.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong Won; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Yu, In Ho; Gorinstein, Shela; Bae, Jong Hyang; Ku, Yang Gyu

2014-06-01

The aim of this investigation was to find a proper harvesting period and establishing fern number, which effects the spear yield, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of Asparagus officinalis L. Spears were harvested at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after sprouting. Control for comparison was used without harvest. Spears and total yield increased with prolonged spear harvest period. In harvest of 6 weeks long optimum spear yield was the highest and fern numbers were 5 ~ 8. Bioactive compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, flavanols, tannins and ascorbic acid) and the levels of antioxidant activities by ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays in asparagus ethanol extracts significantly differed in the investigated samples and were the highest at 6 weeks harvest period (P asparagus were studied by the interaction of polyphenol ethanol extracts with HSA, using 3D- FL. In conclusion, antioxidant status (bioactive compounds, binding and antioxidant activities) improved with the harvesting period and the first segment from spear tip. Appropriate harvesting is effective for higher asparagus yield and its bioactivity.

Experimental resin cements containing bioactive fillers reduce matrix metalloproteinase-mediated dentin collagen degradation.

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Osorio, Raquel; Yamauti, Monica; Sauro, Salvatore; Watson, Thimoty F; Toledano, Manuel

2012-09-01

Collagen dentin matrix may represent a suitable scaffold to be remineralized in the presence of bioactive materials. The purpose of this study was to determine if experimental resin cements containing bioactive fillers may modulate matrix metalloproteinase-mediated collagen degradation of etched dentin. Human dentin beams demineralized using 10% phosphoric acid or 0.5 mol/L EDTA were infiltrated with the following experimental resins: (1) unfilled resin, (2) resin with Bioglass 45S5 particles (Sylc; OSspray Ltd, London, UK), and (3) resin with β-tricalcium phosphate-modified calcium silicate cement (HCAT-β) particles. The filler/resin ratio was 40/60 wt%. The specimens were stored in artificial saliva, and the determination of C-terminal telopeptide (ICTP) was performed by radioimmunoassay after 24 hours, 1 week, and 4 weeks. Scanning electron microscopic analysis of dentin surfaces after 4 weeks of storage was also executed. Collagen degradation was prominent both in phosphoric acid and EDTA-treated dentin. Resin infiltration strongly reduced the MMP activity in demineralized dentin. Resin-containing Bioglass 45S5 particles exerted higher and more stable protection of collagen at all tested dentin states and time points. HCAT-β induced collagen protection from MMPs only in EDTA-treated specimens. Dentin remineralization was achieved when dentin was infiltrated with the resin cements containing bioactive fillers. MMP degradation of dentin collagen is strongly reduced in resin-infiltrated dentin. The inclusion of Bioglass 45S5 particles exerted an additional protection of collagen during dentin remineralization. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facile syntheses of bioactive 5-arylidenethiobarbituric acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharif, A.; Ahmed, E.; Munawar, M.A.; Jabeen, S.; Khan, Misbah-ul-Ain; Begum, R.; Farrukh, A.; Ashraf, M.; Arshad, S.; Afza, N.

2011-01-01

A simple and green chemistry route for the preparation of 5- arylidenethiobarbituric acids has been developed by Knoevenagel condensation of thiobarbituric acid with different aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes using catalytic amount of acetic acid by grinding in mortar and pestle. The title compounds were obtained in good to high yields (50-89%) and characterized by IR, NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. All compounds exhibited DPPH radical scavenging and antibacterial activities, respectively. (author)

Synthesis, Anti-HCV, Antioxidant and Reduction of Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species Generation of a Chlorogenic Acid Analogue with an Amide Bond Replacing the Ester Bond.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling-Na; Wang, Wei; Hattori, Masao; Daneshtalab, Mohsen; Ma, Chao-Mei

2016-06-08

Chlorogenic acid is a well known natural product with important bioactivities. It contains an ester bond formed between the COOH of caffeic acid and the 3-OH of quinic acid. We synthesized a chlorogenic acid analogue, 3α-caffeoylquinic acid amide, using caffeic and quinic acids as starting materials. The caffeoylquinc acid amide was found to be much more stable than chlorogenic acid and showed anti-Hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) activity with a potency similar to chlorogenic acid. The caffeoylquinc acid amide potently protected HepG2 cells against oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide.

Bioactive Peptides from Muscle Sources: Meat and Fish

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Catherine Stanton

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Bioactive peptides have been identified in a range of foods, including plant, milk and muscle, e.g., beef, chicken, pork and fish muscle proteins. Bioactive peptides from food proteins offer major potential for incorporation into functional foods and nutraceuticals. The aim of this paper is to present an outline of the bioactive peptides identified in the muscle protein of meat to date, with a focus on muscle protein from domestic animals and fish. The majority of research on bioactives from meat sources has focused on angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE inhibitory and antioxidant peptides.

An overview of the effects of thermal processing on bioactive glasses

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Bellucci D.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Bioglass® 45S5 is widely used in biomedical applications due to its ability to bond to bone and even to soft tissues. The sintering ability of Bioglass® powders is a key factor from a technological point of view, since its govern the production of advanced devices, ranging from highly porous scaffolds to functionalized coatings. Unfortunately this particular glass composition is prone to crystallize at the temperature required for sintering and this may impair the bioactivity of the original glass. For these reasons, a prerequisite to tailor the fabrication of Bioglass®-derived implants is to understand the interaction between sintering, crystallization and bioactivity. In this work the structural transformations which occur during the heat treatment of Bioglass® are reviewed and a special attention is paid to the sintering and crystallization processes. Moreover the bioactivity of the final glass-ceramics is discussed and some alternative glass formulations are reported.

OrgTrace – No difference found in bioactive compounds of organic and conventional crops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knuthsen, Pia; Søltoft, Malene; Laursen, Kristian Holst

years as well as soil types. The results showed that contents of neither polyacetylenes and carotenoids in carrots, flavonoids in onions, nor phenolic acids in carrots and potatoes were significantly influenced by growth system. Thus it could not be concluded that the organically grown crops had higher...... contents of bioactive compounds than the conventionally grown. This indicates that giving preference to organic products because they contain more bioactive components is doubtfull. However, there are many other reasons for the consumer to choose organic food products, including: no pesticide residues...

Prospects in the use of aptamers for characterizing the structure and stability of bioactive proteins and peptides in food.

Science.gov (United States)

Agyei, Dominic; Acquah, Caleb; Tan, Kei Xian; Hii, Hieng Kok; Rajendran, Subin R C K; Udenigwe, Chibuike C; Danquah, Michael K

2018-01-01

Food-derived bioactive proteins and peptides have gained acceptance among researchers, food manufacturers and consumers as health-enhancing functional food components that also serve as natural alternatives for disease prevention and/or management. Bioactivity in food proteins and peptides is determined by their conformations and binding characteristics, which in turn depend on their primary and secondary structures. To maintain their bioactivities, the molecular integrity of bioactive peptides must remain intact, and this warrants the study of peptide form and structure, ideally with robust, highly specific and sensitive techniques. Short single-stranded nucleic acids (i.e. aptamers) are known to have high affinity for cognate targets such as proteins and peptides. Aptamers can be produced cost-effectively and chemically derivatized to increase their stability and shelf life. Their improved binding characteristics and minimal modification of the target molecular signature suggests their suitability for real-time detection of conformational changes in both proteins and peptides. This review discusses the developmental progress of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), an iterative technology for generating cost-effective aptamers with low dissociation constants (K d ) for monitoring the form and structure of bioactive proteins and peptides. The review also presents case studies of this technique in monitoring the structural stability of bioactive peptide formulations to encourage applications in functional foods. The challenges and potential of aptamers in this research field are also discussed. Graphical abstract Advancing bioactive proteins and peptide functionality via aptameric ligands.

Phenolic acids and antioxidant activity of wheat species: a review

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Leváková Ľudmila

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Wheat (genus Triticum is considered to be an important source of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites with numerous health-promoting effects. Many phytochemicals are responsible for the high antioxidant activity of whole grain products. However, there is a lack of information about composition of phenolic acids and their concentrations in different Triticum species. Despite the fact that the increased consumption of whole grain cereals and whole grain-based products has been closely related to reduced risk of chronic diseases, bioactive compounds found in whole grain cereals have not achieved as much attention as the bioactive compounds in vegetables and fruits. Recent studies have revealed that the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of whole grain cereals have been regularly undervalued in the literature, because they contain more polyphenols and other phytochemicals than was reported in the past. Phenolic acids represent a large group of bioactive compounds in cereals. These compounds play a significant role in the possible positive effects of the human diet rich in whole grain cereals, especially in wheat and provide health benefits associated with demonstrably diminished risk of chronic disease development. Ferulic acid, the primary and the most abundant phenolic acid contained in wheat grain, is mainly responsible for the antioxidant activity of wheat, particularly bran fraction. In this paper, selected phenolic compounds in wheat, their antioxidant activity and health benefits related to consumption of whole grain cereals are reviewed.

Lauric acid and myristic acid from Allium sativum inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra: in silico analysis reveals possible binding to protein kinase B.

Science.gov (United States)

Muniyan, Rajiniraja; Gurunathan, Jayaraman

2016-12-01

The bulb of Allium sativum Linn (Alliaceae) has numerous medicinal values. Though the petroleum ether extract of the bulb has shown to exhibit antimycobacterial activity, the phytochemical(s) responsible for this inhibitory activity is not known. To characterize the bioactive compounds in the petroleum ether extract of Allium sativum (garlic) that inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. Bioactivity-guided fractionation was employed to isolate the bioactive compounds. Antimycobacterial activity was evaluated by well-diffusion method and microplate alamar blue assay (MABA). Infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to characterize the bioactive compounds. Autodock was used to obtain information on molecular recognition, and molecular dynamics simulation was performed using GROMACS. The bioactive compounds that inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis H37Ra were found to be lauric acid (LA) and myristic acid (MA). The minimal inhibitory concentration of LA and MA was found to be 22.2 and 66.7 μg/mL, respectively. In silico analysis revealed that these fatty acids could bind at the cleft between the N-terminal and C-terminal lobes of the cytosolic domain of serine/threonine protein kinase B (PknB). The inhibition activity was dependent on the alkyl chain length of the fatty acid, and the amino acid residues involved in binding to fatty acid was found to be conserved across the Pkn family of proteins. The study indicates the possibility of using fatty acid derivatives, involving Pkn family of proteins, to inhibit the signal transduction processes in M. tuberculosis.

Acid Neutralizing Ability and Shear Bond Strength Using Orthodontic Adhesives Containing Three Different Types of Bioactive Glass

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Song-Yi Yang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to compare the acid neutralizing ability and shear bond strength (SBS of three different types of orthodontic adhesives containing bioactive glasses (BAGs. 45S5, 45S5F and S53P4 BAGs were prepared using the melting technique and ground to fine particles. Orthodontic adhesives containing three types of BAGs were prepared as follows: 52.5% 45S5 BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5_A; 61.25% 45S5 BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5_B; 52.5% 45S5F BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5F_A; 61.25% 45S5F BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5F_B; 52.5% S53P4 BAG + 17.5% glass (S53P4_A; 61.25% S53P4 BAG + 8.75% glass (S53P4_B; and 70.0% glass (BAG_0. To evaluate the acid neutralizing properties, specimens were immersed in lactic acid solution, and pH changes were measured. SBS was measured with a universal testing machine. For all of the BAG-containing adhesives, the one with 61.25% of BAG showed a significantly greater increase of pH than the one with 52.5% of BAG (p < 0.05. Groups with 61.25% of BAG showed lower SBS than samples with 52.5% of BAG. 45S5F_A showed no significant difference of SBS compared to BAG_0 (p > 0.05. The adhesive containing 61.25% of 45S5F BAG exhibited clinically acceptable SBS and acid neutralizing properties. Therefore, this composition is a suitable candidate to prevent white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment.

Composite bone cements loaded with a bioactive and ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic: Leaching, bioactivity and cytocompatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verné, Enrica; Bruno, Matteo; Miola, Marta; Maina, Giovanni; Bianco, Carlotta; Cochis, Andrea; Rimondini, Lia

2015-01-01

In this work, composite bone cements, based on a commercial polymethylmethacrylate matrix (Palamed®) loaded with ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic particles (SC45), were produced and characterized in vitro. The ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic belongs to the system SiO 2 –Na 2 O–CaO–P 2 O 5 –FeO–Fe 2 O 3 and contains magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) crystals into a residual amorphous bioactive phase. Three different formulations (containing 10, 15 and 20 wt.% of glass-ceramic particles respectively) have been investigated. These materials are intended to be applied as bone fillers for the hyperthermic treatment of bone tumors. The morphological, compositional, calorimetric and mechanical properties of each formulation have been already discussed in a previous paper. The in vitro properties of the composite bone cements described in the present paper are related to iron ion leaching test (by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer), bioactivity (i.e. the ability to stimulate the formation of a hydroxyapatite – HAp – layer on their surface after soaking in simulated body fluid SBF) and cytocompatibility toward human osteosarcoma cells (ATCC CRL-1427, Mg63). Morphological and chemical characterizations by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectrometry have been performed on the composite samples after each test. The iron release was negligible and all the tested samples showed the growth of HAp on their surface after 28 days of immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Cells showed good viability, morphology, adhesion, density and the ability to develop bridge-like structures on all investigated samples. A synergistic effect between bioactivity and cell mineralization was also evidenced. - Highlights: • An in vitro biological characterization was carried out on ferromagnetic and bioactive composite cements. • No release of iron was revealed in the physiological solution. • Bioactivity tests show hydroxyapatite precipitates

Composite bone cements loaded with a bioactive and ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic: Leaching, bioactivity and cytocompatibility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verné, Enrica, E-mail: enrica.verne@polito.it [Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Torino, C. so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Bruno, Matteo [Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Torino, C. so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Miola, Marta [Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Torino, C. so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara (Italy); Maina, Giovanni; Bianco, Carlotta [Traumatology Orthopedics and Occupational Medicine Dept., Università di Torino, Via G. Zuretti 29, 10126 Torino (Italy); Cochis, Andrea [Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara (Italy); Rimondini, Lia [Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara (Italy); Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali, Via G. Giusti, 9, 50121 Firenze (Italy)

2015-08-01

In this work, composite bone cements, based on a commercial polymethylmethacrylate matrix (Palamed®) loaded with ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic particles (SC45), were produced and characterized in vitro. The ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic belongs to the system SiO{sub 2}–Na{sub 2}O–CaO–P{sub 2}O{sub 5}–FeO–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and contains magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) crystals into a residual amorphous bioactive phase. Three different formulations (containing 10, 15 and 20 wt.% of glass-ceramic particles respectively) have been investigated. These materials are intended to be applied as bone fillers for the hyperthermic treatment of bone tumors. The morphological, compositional, calorimetric and mechanical properties of each formulation have been already discussed in a previous paper. The in vitro properties of the composite bone cements described in the present paper are related to iron ion leaching test (by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer), bioactivity (i.e. the ability to stimulate the formation of a hydroxyapatite – HAp – layer on their surface after soaking in simulated body fluid SBF) and cytocompatibility toward human osteosarcoma cells (ATCC CRL-1427, Mg63). Morphological and chemical characterizations by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectrometry have been performed on the composite samples after each test. The iron release was negligible and all the tested samples showed the growth of HAp on their surface after 28 days of immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Cells showed good viability, morphology, adhesion, density and the ability to develop bridge-like structures on all investigated samples. A synergistic effect between bioactivity and cell mineralization was also evidenced. - Highlights: • An in vitro biological characterization was carried out on ferromagnetic and bioactive composite cements. • No release of iron was revealed in the physiological solution. • Bioactivity tests

Novel aspects of health promoting compounds in meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, J F; Therkildsen, M; Ekstrand, B; Che, B N; Larsen, M K; Oksbjerg, N; Stagsted, J

2013-12-01

Meat is an integral part of the human diet. Besides essential amino acids and nutritive factors of high quality and availability, meat provides often overlooked components of importance for human health. These are amino acids and bioactive compounds that may be very important in i) preventing muscle wasting diseases, such as in sarcopenia, ii) reducing food and caloric intake to prevent metabolic syndrome, iii) blood pressure homeostasis via ACE-inhibitory components from connective tissue, and iv) maintaining functional gut environment through meat-derived nucleotides and nucleosides. In addition, meat could be an important source of phytanic acid, conjugated linoleic acids and antioxidants. Further, it becomes increasingly apparent that design of in vitro meat will be possible, and that this development may lead to improved health benefits from commercially viable and sustainable meat products. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colour Evaluation, Bioactive Compound Content, Phenolic Acid Profiles and in Vitro Biological Activity of Passerina del Frusinate White Wines: Influence of Pre-Fermentative Skin Contact Times.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbone, Katya; Fiordiponti, Luciano

2016-07-22

Passerina del Frusinate is an autochthonous wine grape variety, which grows in the Lazio region that is currently being evaluated by local wine producers. In this study, colour properties (CIELab coordinates), bioactive compounds (total polyphenols and flavan-3-ols), HPLC-DAD phenolic acid profiles and in vitro biological activity of monovarietal Passerina del Frusinate white wines and the effect of different maceration times (0, 18 and 24 h) were evaluated based on these parameters. Results highlighted statistically significant differences for almost all analysed parameters due to a strong influence of the pre-fermentative skin contact time. The flavan content of macerated wines was six times higher than that of the control, while total polyphenols were 1.5 times higher. According to their phytochemical content, macerated wines showed the highest antiradical capacity tested by means of DPPH(•) and ABTS(+•) assays. Besides, prolonged maceration resulted in a reduction of CIELab coordinates as well as of the content of phenolic substances and antiradical capacity. Among the phenolic acids analysed, the most abundant were vanillic acid and caffeic acid; the latter proved to be the most susceptible to degradation as a result of prolonged maceration. Passerina del Frusinate appears as a phenol-rich white wine with a strong antioxidant potential similar to that of red wines.

The influence of phosphorus precursors on the synthesis and bioactivity of SiO2-CaO-P 2O 5 sol-gel glasses and glass-ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Siqueira, Renato Luiz; Zanotto, Edgar Dutra

2013-02-01

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics of the SiO(2)-CaO-P(2)O(5) system were synthesised by means of a sol-gel method using different phosphorus precursors according to their respective rates of hydrolysis-triethylphosphate (OP(OC(2)H(5))(3)), phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) and a solution prepared by dissolving phosphorus oxide (P(2)O(5)) in ethanol. The resulting materials were characterised by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and by in vitro bioactivity tests in acellular simulated body fluid. The different precursors significantly affected the main steps of the synthesis, beginning with the time required for gel formation. The most striking influence of these precursors was observed during the thermal treatments at 700-1,200 °C that were used to convert the gels into glasses and glass-ceramics. The samples exhibited very different mineralisation behaviours; especially those prepared using the phosphoric acid, which had a reduced onset temperature of crystallisation and an increased resistance to devitrification. However, all resulting materials were bioactive. The in vitro bioactivity of these materials was strongly affected by the heat treatment temperature. In general, their bioactivity decreased with increasing treatment temperature. For crystallised samples obtained above 900 °C, the bioactivity was favoured by the presence of two crystalline phases: wollastonite (CaSiO(3)) and tricalcium phosphate (α-Ca(3)(PO(4))(2)).

Does a Simple Cope's Rule Mechanism Overlook Predators?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penteriani, V.; Kenward, R.

2007-01-01

The Copes rule predicts a tendency for species to evolve towards an increase in size. Recently, it has been suggested that such a tendency is due to the fact that large body sizes provide a general increase in individual fitness. Here we highlight evidence that predator species do not always fit the large-size = high-fitness mechanism for Copes rule. Given the specific requirements of predators and the complexity of prey-predator relationships, any analysis that does not take into account all animal groups may overlook a significant portion of evolutive trends. Generalisations may not be possible regardless of taxa.

Elicitor Mixtures Significantly Increase Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and Quality Parameters in Sweet Bell Pepper

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Lina Garcia-Mier

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sweet bell peppers are greatly appreciated for their taste, color, pungency, and aroma. Additionally, they are good sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, which can be improved by the use of elicitors. Elicitors act as metabolite-inducing factors (MIF by mimic stress conditions. Since plants rarely experience a single stress condition one by one but are more likely to be exposed to simultaneous stresses, it is important to evaluate the effect of elicitors on plant secondary metabolism as mixtures. Jasmonic acid (JA, hydrogen peroxide (HP, and chitosan (CH were applied to fruits and plants of bell pepper as mixtures. Bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and quality parameters were evaluated. The assessed elicitor cocktail leads to an increase in the variables evaluated (P ≤ 0.05 when applied to mature fruits after harvest, whereas the lowest values were observed in the treatment applied to immature fruits. Therefore, the application of the elicitor cocktail to harvested mature fruits is recommended in order to improve bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of sweet bell peppers.

Acid neutralizing, mechanical and physical properties of pit and fissure sealants containing melt-derived 45S5 bioactive glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Song-Yi; Piao, Yin-Zhu; Kim, Sung-Min; Lee, Yong-Keun; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kim, Kwang-Mahn

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 45S5 bioactive glass (BAG) on the acid neutralizing, mechanical and physical properties of pit and fissure sealants. 45S5BAG (glass (180 ± 30 nm) and added into a resin matrix [Bis-GMA/TEGDMA 50/50 (wt%) containing 1% of DMAEMA/CQ 2:1 (wt%)] with varying filler proportions; 0% 45S5BAG+50% glass (BAG0); 12.5% 45S5BAG+37.5% glass (BAG12.5); 25% 45S5BAG+25% glass (BAG25); 37.5% 45S5BAG+12.5% glass (BAG37.5); and 50% 45S5BAG+0% glass (BAG50). To evaluate the acid neutralizing properties, specimens were immersed in lactic acid solution (pH 4.0). Then, the change in pH and the time required to raise the pH from 4.0 to 5.5 were measured. In addition, flexural strength, water sorption and solubility were analyzed. The acid neutralizing properties of each group exhibited increasing pH values as more 45S5BAG was added, and the time required to raise the pH from 4.0 to 5.5 became shorter as the proportion of 45S5BAG increased (P0.05), except for BAG50. The novel pit and fissure sealants neutralized the acid solution (pH 4.0) and exhibited appropriate mechanical and physical properties. Therefore, these compounds are suitable candidates for caries-inhibiting dental materials. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating in vitro bioactivity and magnetic properties of the ferrimagnetic bioactive glass–ceramic fabricated using soda-lime–silica waste glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbasi, M. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Zand Street, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hashemi, B., E-mail: hashemib@shirazu.ac.ir [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Zand Street, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shokrollahi, H. [Electroceramics Group, Materials Science and Engineering Department, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-04-01

The main purpose of the current research is the production and characterization of a ferrimagnetic bioactive glass–ceramic prepared through the solid-state reaction method using soda-lime–silica waste glass as the main raw material. In comparison with the conventional route, that is, the melt-quenching and subsequent heat treatment, the present work is an economical technique. Structural, thermal and magnetic properties of the samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The in vitro test was utilized to assess the bioactivity level of the samples by Hanks' solution as simulated body fluid (SBF). The apatite surface layer formation was examined by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The calcium ion concentration in the solutions was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). VSM results revealed that with the addition of 5–20 wt% strontium hexaferrite to bioactive glass–ceramics, the ferrimagnetic bioactive glass–ceramics with hysteresis losses between 7024 and 75,852 erg/g were obtained. The in vitro test showed that the onset formation time of hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of the samples was 14 days and after 30 days, this layer was completed. - Highlights: • A novel ferrimagnetic bioactive glass–ceramic was synthesized by an incorporation method. • The bioactive part was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method using soda-lime–silica waste glass. • The doping of SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} to Bioglass{sup ®} 45S5 glass–ceramic is likely to decrease bioactivity.

Bioactive Glasses in Dentistry: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abbasi Z

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Bioactive glasses are silicate-based and can form a strong chemical bond with the tissues. These biomaterials are highly biocompatible and can form a hydroxyapatite layer when implanted in the body or soaked in the simulated body fluid. Due to several disadvantages, conventional glass processing method including melting of glass components, is replaced by sol-gel method with a large number of benefits such as low processing temperature, higher purity and homogeneity and therefore better control of bioactivity. Bioactive glasses have a wide range of applications, particularly in dentistry. These glasses can be used as particulates or monolithic shapes and porous or dense constructs in different applications such as remineralization or hypersensitivity treatment. Some properties of bioactive glasses such as antibacterial properties can be promoted by adding different elements into the glass. Bioactive glasses can also be used to modify different biocompatible materials that need to be bioactive. This study reviews the significant developments of bioactive glasses in clinical application, especially dentistry. Furthermore, we will discuss the field of bioactive glasses from beginning to the current developments, which includes processing methods, applications, and properties of these glasses.

Development of implants composed of bioactive materials for bone repair

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Wei

The purpose of this Ph.D. research was to address the clinical need for synthetic bioactive materials to heal defects in non-loaded and loaded bone. Hollow hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres created in a previous study were evaluated as a carrier for controlled release of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) in bone regeneration. New bone formation in rat calvarial defects implanted with BMP2-loaded microspheres (43%) was significantly higher than microspheres without BMP2 (17%) at 6 weeks postimplantation. Then hollow HA microspheres with a carbonate-substituted composition were prepared to improve their resorption rate. Hollow HA microspheres with 12 wt. % of carbonate showed significantly higher new bone formation (73 +/- 8%) and lower residual HA (7 +/- 2%) than stoichiometric HA microspheres (59 +/- 2% new bone formation; 21 +/- 3% residual HA). The combination of carbonate-substituted hollow HA microspheres and clinically-safe doses of BMP2 could provide promising implants for healing non-loaded bone defects. Strong porous scaffolds of bioactive silicate (13-93) glass were designed with the aid of finite-element modeling, created by robocasting and evaluated for loaded bone repair. Scaffolds with a porosity gradient to mimic human cortical bone showed a compressive strength of 88 +/- 20 MPa, a flexural strength of 34 +/- 5 MPa and the ability to support bone infiltration in vivo. The addition of a biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) layer to the external surface of these scaffolds increased their load-bearing capacity in four-point bending by 50% and dramatically enhanced their work of fracture, resulting in a "ductile" mechanical response. These bioactive glass-PLA composites, combining bioactivity, high strength, high work of fracture and an internal architecture conducive to bone infiltration, could provide optimal implants for structural bone repair.

Bioactive Peptides in Animal Food Products

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Marzia Albenzio

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Proteins of animal origin represent physiologically active components in the human diet; they exert a direct action or constitute a substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis upon food processing and consumption. Bioactive peptides may descend from the hydrolysis by digestive enzymes, enzymes endogenous to raw food materials, and enzymes from microorganisms added during food processing. Milk proteins have different polymorphisms for each dairy species that influence the amount and the biochemical characteristics (e.g., amino acid chain, phosphorylation, and glycosylation of the protein. Milk from other species alternative to cow has been exploited for their role in children with cow milk allergy and in some infant pathologies, such as epilepsy, by monitoring the immune status. Different mechanisms concur for bioactive peptides generation from meat and meat products, and their functionality and application as functional ingredients have proven effects on consumer health. Animal food proteins are currently the main source of a range of biologically-active peptides which have gained special interest because they may also influence numerous physiological responses in the organism. The addition of probiotics to animal food products represent a strategy for the increase of molecules with health and functional properties.

Synthesis of Polyamidoamine Dendrimer for Encapsulating Tetramethylscutellarein for Potential Bioactivity Enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Shadrack, Daniel M; Mubofu, Egid B; Nyandoro, Stephen S

2015-11-04

The biomedical potential of flavonoids is normally restricted by their low water solubility. However, little has been reported on their encapsulation into polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers to improve their biomedical applications. Generation four (G4) PAMAM dendrimer containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid core with acrylic acid and ethylenediamine as repeating units was synthesized by divergent approach and used to encapsulate a flavonoid tetramethylscutellarein (TMScu, 1) to study its solubility and in vitro release for potential bioactivity enhancement. The as-synthesized dendrimer and the dendrimer-TMScu complex were characterized by spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The encapsulation of 1 into dendrimer was achieved by a co-precipitation method with the encapsulation efficiency of 77.8% ± 0.69% and a loading capacity of 6.2% ± 0.06%. A phase solubility diagram indicated an increased water solubility of 1 as a function of dendrimer concentration at pH 4.0 and 7.2. In vitro release of 1 from its dendrimer complex indicated high percentage release at pH 4.0. The stability study of the TMScu-dendrimer at 0, 27 and 40 °C showed the formulations to be stable when stored in cool and dark conditions compared to those stored in light and warmer temperatures. Overall, PAMAM dendrimer-G4 is capable of encapsulating 1, increasing its solubility and thus could enhance its bioactivity.

Preliminary Study on Kinetic Solid-Liquid Extraction and Bio-Active Components Analysis of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saiful Irwan Zubairi; Haizulizam Suradi; Syazwan Aizad Abdul Mutalib; Zetty Shafiqa Othman; Norshahida Bustaman; Wan Ros Maryana Wan Musa

2014-01-01

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis or commonly known as 'Hibiscus' is a kind of decorative flowers which often grown in a subtropical countries. This plant is often used in the preparation of traditional medicine because of its pharmacological properties that are capable of treating number of health problems. The plant contains several essential bio-active substances and nutrients especially in its flowers and leaves. One of the bioactive substances is β-sitosterol which is abundant in the leaf crude extract. Hibiscus leaves water extract yielded mucilage which is widely used in lowering high body temperature due to fever (antipyretic). Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to determine the maximum concentration of mucilage and time of exhaustive extraction from fresh and dried leaves using a Peleq's mathematical model. Moreover, several analyses were conducted such as qualitative analysis to determine the presence of bioactive substances using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and determination of functional groups by means of fourier transform infrared method (FTIR). Physical properties of the extracts were evaluated to determine its acidity and viscosity of the mucilage with respect to different shear stress. The result show that the extract of dried Hibiscus leaves exhibited high in its concentrations even though the achieved exhaustive extraction was relatively slow as compared to fresh leaves (p < 0.05). Based on the HPLC analysis, the main bio-active substances of β-sitosterol was only existed in fresh leaves samples. The absence of β-sitosterol in dried leaves extract was caused by the loss of other important bio-active substances which possess surfactant capability, due to thermal degradation of drying process or the component itself was deteriorated during the pre-preparation drying process. Furthermore, the FTIR analysis shows that the same composition of the absorption peaks for both extracts with the highest absorption of O-H bonds was

An Investigation into Spent Coffee Waste as a Renewable Source of Bioactive Compounds and Industrially Important Sugars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damhan S. Scully

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Conventional coffee brewing techniques generate vast quantities of spent espresso grounds (SEGs rich in lignocellulose and valuable bioactives. These bioactive compounds can be exploited as a nutraceutical or used in a range of food products, while breakdown of lignocellulose generates metabolizable sugars that can be used for the production of various high-value products such as biofuels, amino acids and enzymes. Response surface methodology (RSM was used to optimize the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose in SEGs following a hydrothermal pretreatment. A maximum reducing sugar yield was obtained at the following optimized hydrolysis conditions: 4.97 g of pretreated SEGs, 120 h reaction time, and 1246 and 250 µL of cellulase and hemicellulase, respectively. Industrially important sugars (glucose, galactose and mannose were identified as the principal hydrolysis products under the studied conditions. Total flavonoids (p = 0.0002, total polyphenols (p = 0.03 and DPPH free-radical scavenging activity (p = 0.004 increased significantly after processing. A 14-fold increase in caffeine levels was also observed. This study provides insight into SEGs as a promising source of industrially important sugars and polyphenols.

Microencapsulation of bioactives for food applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Maria Inês; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Barreiro, Maria Filomena

2015-04-01

Health issues are an emerging concern to the world population, and therefore the food industry is searching for novel food products containing health-promoting bioactive compounds, with little or no synthetic ingredients. However, there are some challenges in the development of functional foods, particularly in which the direct use of some bioactives is involved. They can show problems of instability, react with other food matrix ingredients or present strong odour and/or flavours. In this context, microencapsulation emerges as a potential approach to overcome these problems and, additionally, to provide controlled or targeted delivery or release. This work intends to contribute to the field of functional food development by performing a comprehensive review on the microencapsulation methods and materials, the bioactives used (extracts and isolated compounds) and the final application development. Although several studies dealing with microencapsulation of bioactives exist, they are mainly focused on the process development and the majority lack proof of concept for final applications. These factors, together with the lack of regulation, in Europe and in the United States, delay the development of new functional foods and, consequently, their market entry. In conclusion, the potential of microencapsulation to protect bioactive compounds ensuring their bioavailability is shown, but further studies are required, considering both its applicability and incentives by regulatory agencies.

Endophytes: a treasure house of bioactive compounds of medicinal importance

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Sushanto Gouda

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Endophytes are an endosymbiotic group of microorganisms that colonize in plants and microbes that can be readily isolated from any microbial or plant growth medium. They act as reservoirs of novel bioactive secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, phenolic acids, quinones, steroids, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids that serve as a potential candidate for antimicrobial, anti-insect, anticancer and many more properties. While plant sources are being extensively explored for new chemical entities for therapeutic purposes, endophytic microbes also constitute an important source for drug discovery. This review aims to comprehend the contribution and uses of endophytes as an impending source of drugs against various forms of diseases and other possible medicinal use.

Bioactive properties of faveleira (Cnidoscolus quercifolius) seeds, oil and press cake obtained during oilseed processing.

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Ribeiro, Penha Patrícia Cabral; Silva, Denise Maria de Lima E; Assis, Cristiane Fernandes de; Correia, Roberta Targino Pinto; Damasceno, Karla Suzanne Florentino da Silva Chaves

2017-01-01

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature concerning the bioactive properties of faveleira products. This work focuses on the physicochemical evaluation of faveleira oil, as well as it investigates the bioactive properties of faveleira seeds, faveleira oil and the press cake obtained during the oilseed processing. The seeds were cold pressed and the following tests were performed: physicochemical characteristics (acidity, peroxide values, moisture and volatile matter, density and viscosity) and fatty acid profile of faveleira oil; total phenolic and flavonoid content of faveleira seed and press cake; antibacterial activity of seed, oil and press cake; and antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide radical scavenging assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of seed, oil and press cake. Our work demonstrated that the faveleira seed oil has low acidity (0.78 ± 0.03% oleic acid) and peroxide value (1.13 ± 0.12 mEq/1000g), associated with the relevant concentration of linoleic acid (53.56%). It was observed that important phenolics (398.89 ± 6.34 mg EAG/100 g), especially flavonoids (29.81 ± 0.71 mg RE/g) remain in the press cake, which indicates that the by-product of the faveleira oilseed production constitutes a rich residual source of bioactive compounds. No bacterial growth inhibition was detected, but all samples including faveleira seeds, press cake, oil and its fractions have potent antioxidant activities, mainly the press cake, with oxygen radical absorbance capacity of 28.39 ± 4.36 μM TE/g. Our results also show that faveleira oil has potential to be used as edible oil and the press cake should be used to contain the most antioxidants from seed.

Characterization of the bioactive and mechanical behavior of dental ceramic/sol-gel derived bioactive glass mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Zahra; Bahrololoum, Mohammad E; Bagheri, Rafat; Shariat, Mohammad H

2016-02-01

Dental ceramics can be modified by bioactive glasses in order to develop apatite layer on their surface. One of the benefits of such modification is to prolong the lifetime of the fixed dental prosthesis by preventing the formation of secondary caries. Dental ceramic/sol-gel derived bioactive glass mixture is one of the options for this modification. In the current study, mixtures of dental ceramic/bioactive glass with different compositions were successfully produced. To evaluate their bioactive behavior, prepared samples were immersed in a simulated body fluid at various time intervals. The prepared and soaked specimens were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. Since bioactive glasses have deleterious effects on the mechanical properties of dental ceramics, 3-point bending tests were used to evaluate the flexural strength, flexural strain, tangent modulus of elasticity and Weibull modulus of the specimens in order to find the optimal relationship between mechanical and bioactive properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Antibacterial Activity and Bioactive Compounds of the Giant Mushroom, Macrocybe gigantea (Agaricomycetes), from India.

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Gaur, Tanvi; Rao, P B

2017-01-01

The antibacterial activity, phenolic profile, and bioactive compounds of fruiting bodies from 2 strains (MA1 and MA2) of the giant mushroom Macrocybe gigantea were evaluated to access their nutraceutical efficacy. The antibacterial activity was higher in MA2 against all selected pathogenic bacteria. Selected phenolics were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet-visible detection. Gallic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, and rutin contents (micrograms per gram dry weight) were quantified. Quercetin and rutin were absent in both strains of M. gigantea. M. gigantea MA2 showed relatively higher phenolic content (915.8 μg/g dry weight) than M. gigantea MA1 (854.4 μg/g dry weight). Among the phenolics, gallic acid is found in the largest amount; in M. gigantea MA2, it was 847.9 ± 2.67 μg/g dry weight. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed the presence of bioactive compounds in both strains; most compounds were antibacterial. Thus, the selected strains of M. gigantea can combat oxidative damage and can be used in foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics because of their antioxidant potential.

Bioactivity and properties of a dental adhesive functionalized with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and bioactive glass.

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Rizk, Marta; Hohlfeld, Lisa; Thanh, Loan Tao; Biehl, Ralf; Lühmann, Nicole; Mohn, Dirk; Wiegand, Annette

2017-09-01

This study aimed to analyze the effect of infiltrating a commercial adhesive with nanosized bioactive glass (BG-Bi) particles or methacryl-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) on material properties and bioactivity. An acetone-based dental adhesive (Solobond Plus adhesive, VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany) was infiltrated with nanosized bioactive glass particles (0.1 or 1wt%), or with monofunctional or multifunctional POSS particles (10 or 20wt%). Unfilled adhesive served as control. Dispersion and hydrodynamic radius of the nanoparticles were studied by dynamic light scattering. Set specimens were immersed for 28days in artificial saliva at 37°C, and surfaces were mapped for the formation of calcium phospate (Ca/P) precipitates (scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy). Viscosity (rheometry) and the structural characteristic of the networks were studied, such as degree of conversion (FTIR spectroscopy), sol fraction and water sorption. POSS particles showed a good dispersion of the particles for both types of particles being smaller than 3nm, while the bioactive glass particles had a strong tendency to agglomerate. All nanoparticles induced the formation of Ca/P precipitates. The viscosity of the adhesive was not or only slightly increased by POSS particle addition but strongly increased by the bioactive glass particles. The degree of conversion, water sorption and sol fraction showed a maintained or improved network structure and properties when filled with BG-Bi and multifunctional POSS, however, less polymerization was found when loading a monofunctional POSS. Multifunctional POSS may be incorporated into dental adhesives to provide a bioactive potential without changing material properties adversely. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced splicing correction effect by an oligo-aspartic acid-PNA conjugate and cationic carrier complexes.

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Bae, Yun Mi; Kim, Myung Hee; Yu, Gwang Sig; Um, Bong Ho; Park, Hee Kyung; Lee, Hyun-il; Lee, Kang Taek; Suh, Yung Doug; Choi, Joon Sig

2014-02-10

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are synthetic structural analogues of DNA and RNA. They recognize specific cellular nucleic acid sequences and form stable complexes with complementary DNA or RNA. Here, we designed an oligo-aspartic acid-PNA conjugate and showed its enhanced delivery into cells with high gene correction efficiency using conventional cationic carriers, such as polyethylenimine (PEI) and Lipofectamine 2000. The negatively charged oligo-aspartic acid-PNA (Asp(n)-PNA) formed complexes with PEI and Lipofectamine, and the resulting Asp(n)-PNA/PEI and Asp(n)-PNA/Lipofectamine complexes were introduced into cells. We observed significantly enhanced cellular uptake of Asp(n)-PNA by cationic carriers and detected an active splicing correction effect even at nanomolar concentrations. We found that the splicing correction efficiency of the complex depended on the kind of the cationic carriers and on the number of repeating aspartic acid units. By enhancing the cellular uptake efficiency of PNAs, these results may provide a novel platform technology of PNAs as bioactive substances for their biological and therapeutic applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oleuropein as a bioactive constituent added in milk and yogurt.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoidou, Evangelia; Magiatis, Prokopios; Melliou, Eleni; Constantinou, Maria; Haroutounian, Serkos; Skaltsounis, Alexios-Leandros

2014-09-01

Oleuropein is a bioactive natural product from olives known to display a broad variety of health beneficial properties. However its presence in most edible olives is lowered due to debittering. In this respect, we envisaged the incorporation of oleuropein into dairy products (cow's milk and yogurt) aiming to produce novel functional foods. Additionally, an analytical method for the monitoring of oleuropein in milk and yogurt was also developed and validated. Oleuropein was not affected during heat treatment of milk, while during the milk fermentation process it was not hydrolysed by the produced acids. Oleuropein was not metabolised by lactic acid bacteria, did not inhibit their growth and its stability in the final products was proven. The novel products displayed same taste, colour and texture as the conventional ones. Results herein indicate that oleuropein can be added as an active ingredient in milk and yogurt preparations to provide two novel functional dairy products. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaves as a Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds

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Isabel Borrás-Linares

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In an extensive search for bioactive compounds from plant sources, the composition of different extracts of rosemary leaves collected from different geographical zones of Serbia was studied. The qualitative and quantitative characterization of 20 rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis samples, obtained by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE, was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI-QTOF-MS. The high mass accuracy and true isotopic pattern in both MS and MS/MS spectra provided by the QTOF-MS analyzer enabled the characterization of a wide range of phenolic compounds in the extracts, including flavonoids, phenolic diterpenes and abietan-type triterpenoids, among others. According to the data compiled, rosemary samples from Sokobanja presented the highest levels in flavonoids and other compounds such as carnosol, rosmaridiphenol, rosmadial, rosmarinic acid, and carnosic acid. On the other hand, higher contents in triterpenes were found in the extracts of rosemary from Gložan (Vojvodina.

Influence of barium substitution on bioactivity, thermal and physico-mechanical properties of bioactive glass.

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Arepalli, Sampath Kumar; Tripathi, Himanshu; Vyas, Vikash Kumar; Jain, Shubham; Suman, Shyam Kumar; Pyare, Ram; Singh, S P

2015-04-01

Barium with low concentration in the glasses acts as a muscle stimulant and is found in human teeth. We have made a primary study by substituting barium in the bioactive glass. The chemical composition containing (46.1-X) SiO2--24.3 Na2O-26.9 CaO-2.6 P2O5, where X=0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6mol% of BaO was chosen and melted in an electric furnace at 1400±5°C. The glasses were characterized to determine their use in biomedical applications. The nucleation and crystallization regimes were determined by DTA and the controlled crystallization was carried out by suitable heat treatment. The crystalline phase formed was identified by using XRD technique. Bioactivity of these glasses was assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various time periods. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite (HCA) layer was identified by FTIR spectrometry, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD which showed the presence of HCA as the main phase in all tested bioactive glass samples. Flexural strength and densities of bioactive glasses have been measured and found to increase with increasing the barium content. The human blood compatibility of the samples was evaluated and found to be pertinent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Purification of bioactive phenolics from Phanerochaete chysosporium biomass extract on selected macroporous resins

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Idris, Z. M.; Dzahir, M. I. H. M.; Jamal, P.; Barkat, A. A.; Xian, R. L. W.

2017-06-01

In this study, two different types of macroporous resins known as XAD-7HP and HP-20 were evaluated for the adsorption and desorption properties against bioactive phenolics extracted from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. From the previous static sorption studies, it was found that the adsorption capacity for both resins had has no significant difference. Then, the kinetic adsorption data were analyzed with both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equations and the later performed better. The adsorption isotherm data were fitted well by both Langmuir and Freundlich models. Meanwhile in desorption study, HP-20 and XAD-7HP gave 90.52% and 88.28% recoveries, respectively. Considering the desorption results of the macroporous resins, HP-20 and XAD-7HP were packed in chromatography column to further purify the phenolics. For dynamic adsorption, breakthrough capacity of HP-20 (0.522) was found to be higher than XAD-7HP (0.131). Different ethanol concentrations (30% to 50% (v/v)) were investigated at fixed flowrate (1 ml/min) on phenolics recovery from both types of resins. The highest recovery of bioactive phenolics was 94.3% using XAD-7HP resins at 50% (v/v) of ethanol. Only 77.1% of bioactive phenolics were recovered using HP-20 resin at the same experimental conditions. The purified extract subsequently was analyzed using HPLC. The results showed that three phenolics (gallic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) were identified with higher concentrations as compared to non-purified extract. Finally, the purified extract was tested for scavenging activity against DPPH, and it showed that the activity increased significantly to 90.80% from 59.94% in non-purified extract.

Indication of bioactive candidates among body volatiles of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gregarious adult locusts are believed to release many bioactive volatiles from their bodies for the mediation of their biological characteristics. The determination of these bioactive body volatiles can contribute to the development of new, environmentally benign methods of locust control. An important locust, Locusta ...

Overlooked density : re-thinking transportation options in suburbia, phase II.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

Comprising over 9 million units in this country, suburban multifamily housing is a widespread and overlooked example of density located : within walking distance to commercial development in suburbia. This report focuses on resident demographics, att...

In Vitro Bioactivity and Antimicrobial Tuning of Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Added with Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Powder

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Prabhu, M.; Ruby Priscilla, S.; Kavitha, K.; Manivasakan, P.; Rajendran, V.; Kulandaivelu, P.

2014-01-01

Silica and phosphate based bioactive glass nanoparticles (58SiO2-33CaO-9P2O5) with doping of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf powder and silver nanoparticles were prepared and characterised. Bioactive glass nanoparticles were produced using sol-gel technique. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared samples was investigated using simulated body fluid. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of prepared glass particles reveals amorphous phase and spherical morphology with a particle size of less than 50 nm. When compared to neem doped glass, better bioactivity was attained in silver doped glass through formation of hydroxyapatite layer on the surface, which was confirmed through XRD, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. However, neem leaf powder doped bioactive glass nanoparticles show good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and less bioactivity compared with silver doped glass particles. In addition, the biocompatibility of the prepared nanocomposites reveals better results for neem doped and silver doped glasses at lower concentration. Therefore, neem doped bioactive glass may act as a potent antimicrobial agent for preventing microbial infection in tissue engineering applications. PMID:25276834

In vitro bioactivity and antimicrobial tuning of bioactive glass nanoparticles added with neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf powder.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhu, M; Ruby Priscilla, S; Kavitha, K; Manivasakan, P; Rajendran, V; Kulandaivelu, P

2014-01-01

Silica and phosphate based bioactive glass nanoparticles (58SiO2-33CaO-9P2O5) with doping of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf powder and silver nanoparticles were prepared and characterised. Bioactive glass nanoparticles were produced using sol-gel technique. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared samples was investigated using simulated body fluid. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of prepared glass particles reveals amorphous phase and spherical morphology with a particle size of less than 50 nm. When compared to neem doped glass, better bioactivity was attained in silver doped glass through formation of hydroxyapatite layer on the surface, which was confirmed through XRD, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. However, neem leaf powder doped bioactive glass nanoparticles show good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and less bioactivity compared with silver doped glass particles. In addition, the biocompatibility of the prepared nanocomposites reveals better results for neem doped and silver doped glasses at lower concentration. Therefore, neem doped bioactive glass may act as a potent antimicrobial agent for preventing microbial infection in tissue engineering applications.

Colour Evaluation, Bioactive Compound Content, Phenolic Acid Profiles and in Vitro Biological Activity of Passerina del Frusinate White Wines: Influence of Pre-Fermentative Skin Contact Times

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Katya Carbone

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Passerina del Frusinate is an autochthonous wine grape variety, which grows in the Lazio region that is currently being evaluated by local wine producers. In this study, colour properties (CIELab coordinates, bioactive compounds (total polyphenols and flavan-3-ols, HPLC-DAD phenolic acid profiles and in vitro biological activity of monovarietal Passerina del Frusinate white wines and the effect of different maceration times (0, 18 and 24 h were evaluated based on these parameters. Results highlighted statistically significant differences for almost all analysed parameters due to a strong influence of the pre-fermentative skin contact time. The flavan content of macerated wines was six times higher than that of the control, while total polyphenols were 1.5 times higher. According to their phytochemical content, macerated wines showed the highest antiradical capacity tested by means of DPPH• and ABTS+• assays. Besides, prolonged maceration resulted in a reduction of CIELab coordinates as well as of the content of phenolic substances and antiradical capacity. Among the phenolic acids analysed, the most abundant were vanillic acid and caffeic acid; the latter proved to be the most susceptible to degradation as a result of prolonged maceration. Passerina del Frusinate appears as a phenol-rich white wine with a strong antioxidant potential similar to that of red wines.

Preparation of high bioactivity multilayered bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cell sheets for myocardial infarction using a 3D-dynamic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yingwei; Zhang, Jianhua; Qin, Zixi; Fan, Zepei; Lu, Cheng; Chen, Baoxin; Zhao, Jupeng; Li, Xiaojuan; Xiao, Fei; Lin, Xi; Wu, Zheng

2018-05-01

Cell sheet techniques offer a promising future for myocardial infarction (MI) therapy; however, insufficient nutrition supply remains the major limitation in maintaining stem cell bioactivity in vitro. In order to enhance cell sheet mechanical strength and bioactivity, a decellularized porcine pericardium (DPP) scaffold was prepared by the phospholipase A2 method, and aspartic acid was used as a spacer arm to improve the vascular endothelial growth factor crosslink efficiency on the DPP scaffold. Based on this scaffold, multilayered bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell sheets were rapidly constructed, using RAD16-I peptide hydrogel as a temporary 3D scaffold, and cell sheets were cultured in either the 3D-dynamic system (DCcs) or the traditional static condition (SCcs). The multilayered structure, stem cell bioactivity, and ultrastructure of DCcs and SCcs were assessed. The DCcs exhibited lower apoptosis, lower differentiation, and an improved paracrine effect after a 48 h culture in vitro compared to the SCcs. Four groups were set to evaluate the cell sheet effect in rat MI model: sham group, MI control group, DCcs group, and SCcs group. The DCcs group improved cardiac function and decreased the infarcted area compared to the MI control group, while no significant improvements were observed in the SCcs group. Improved cell survival, angiogenesis, and Sca-1 + cell and c-kit + cell amounts were observed in the DCcs group. In conclusion, the DCcs maintained higher stem cell bioactivity by using the 3D-dynamic system to provide sufficient nutrition, and transplanting DCcs significantly improved the cardiac function and angiogenesis. This study provides an efficient method to prepare vascular endothelial growth factor covalent decellularized pericardium scaffold with aspartic acid, and a multilayered bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) sheet is constructed on it using a 3D-dynamic system. The dynamic nutrition supply showed a significant benefit on BMSC bioactivity

Bioactive glasses materials, properties and applications

CERN Document Server

Ylänen, Heimo

2011-01-01

Due to their biocompatibility and bioactivity, bioactive glasses are used as highly effective implant materials throughout the human body to replace or repair damaged tissue. As a result, they have been in continuous use since shortly after their invention in the late 1960s and are the subject of extensive research worldwide.Bioactive glasses provides readers with a detailed review of the current status of this unique material, its properties, technologies and applications. Chapters in part one deal with the materials and mechanical properties of bioactive glass, examining topics such

Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. and Their Bioactivities against Lasioderma serricorne.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen-Juan; Guo, Shan-Shan; You, Chun-Xue; Geng, Zhu-Feng; Liang, Jun-Yu; Deng, Zhi-Wei; Wang, Cheng-Fang; Du, Shu-Shan; Wang, Yong-Yan

2016-10-01

Two essential oil samples were obtained from the pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum with the methods of hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical fluid CO 2 extraction (SFE), their chemical components were identified, and their bioactivities against Lasioderma serricorne adults were evaluated. In the process of testing, the two samples showed significant bioactivities against Lasioderma serricorne adults. For an example, the SFE-sample expressed relatively stronger fumigant toxicity on Lasioderma serricorne adults (LC 50 = 3.99 μg/mL air) than that of the HD-sample (LC 50 = 12.54 μg/mL air). According to GC-MS analysis, the chemical components between two samples were different. The major chemical components for HD included linalool (25.99%), limonene (19.34%), linalyl anthranilate (12.22%), 4-terpinenol (10.49%), eucalyptol (6.53%) and α-terpineol (5.02%), while for SFE included nonanoic acid (21.43%), γ-terpinene (14.51%), eucalyptol (13.45%), α-terpineol (5.83%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.48%). The results showed that different chemical components result in different bioactivities. This work provides theoretical basis for traditional Chinese concept of antagonistic storage, and it also provides important information for the development and comprehensive utilization of Zanthoxylum bungeanum.

Correlations between chromatographic parameters and bioactivity predictors of potential herbicides.

Science.gov (United States)

Janicka, Małgorzata

2014-08-01

Different liquid chromatography techniques, including reversed-phase liquid chromatography on Purosphere RP-18e, IAM.PC.DD2 and Cosmosil Cholester columns and micellar liqud chromatography with a Purosphere RP-8e column and using buffered sodium dodecyl sulfate-acetonitrile as the mobile phase, were applied to study the lipophilic properties of 15 newly synthesized phenoxyacetic and carbamic acid derivatives, which are potential herbicides. Chromatographic lipophilicity descriptors were used to extrapolate log k parameters (log kw and log km) and log k values. Partitioning lipophilicity descriptors, i.e., log P coefficients in an n-octanol-water system, were computed from the molecular structures of the tested compounds. Bioactivity descriptors, including partition coefficients in a water-plant cuticle system and water-human serum albumin and coefficients for human skin partition and permeation were calculated in silico by ACD/ADME software using the linear solvation energy relationship of Abraham. Principal component analysis was applied to describe similarities between various chromatographic and partitioning lipophilicities. Highly significant, predictive linear relationships were found between chromatographic parameters and bioactivity descriptors. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Bioactive Glass and Glass-Ceramic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

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Aldo R. Boccaccini

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, bioactive glasses have been used to fill and restore bone defects. More recently, this category of biomaterials has become an emerging research field for bone tissue engineering applications. Here, we review and discuss current knowledge on porous bone tissue engineering scaffolds on the basis of melt-derived bioactive silicate glass compositions and relevant composite structures. Starting with an excerpt on the history of bioactive glasses, as well as on fundamental requirements for bone tissue engineering scaffolds, a detailed overview on recent developments of bioactive glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds will be given, including a summary of common fabrication methods and a discussion on the microstructural-mechanical properties of scaffolds in relation to human bone (structure-property and structure-function relationship. In addition, ion release effects of bioactive glasses concerning osteogenic and angiogenic responses are addressed. Finally, areas of future research are highlighted in this review.

Effects of an onion by-product on bioactivity and safety markers in healthy rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roldan-Marin, Eduvigis; Krath, Britta; Poulsen, Morten

2009-01-01

Onions are excellent sources of bioactive compounds including fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and polyphenols. An onion by-product was characterised in order to be developed as a potentially bioactive food ingredient. Our main aim was to investigate whether the potential health and safety effects...... of this onion by-product were shared by either of two derived fractions, an extract containing the onion FOS and polyphenols and a residue fraction containing mainly cell wall materials. We report here on the effects of feeding these products on markers of potential toxicity, protective enzymes and gut...... environment in healthy rats. Rats were fed during 4 weeks with a diet containing the products or a control feed balanced in carbohydrate. The onion by-product and the extract caused anaemia as expected in rodents for Allium products. No other toxicity was observed, including genotoxicity. Glutathione...

An overlooked mandibular-rubbing behavior used during recruitment by the African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda.

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Olivier Roux

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In Oecophylla, an ant genus comprising two territorially dominant arboreal species, workers are known to (1 use anal spots to mark their territories, (2 drag their gaster along the substrate to deposit short-range recruitment trails, and (3 drag the extruded rectal gland along the substrate to deposit the trails used in long-range recruitment. Here we study an overlooked but important marking behavior in which O. longinoda workers first rub the underside of their mandibles onto the substrate, and then--in a surprising posture--tilt their head and also rub the upper side of their mandibles. We demonstrate that this behavior is used to recruit nestmates. Its frequency varies with the rate at which a new territory, a sugary food source, a prey item, or an alien ant are discovered. Microscopy analyses showed that both the upper side and the underside of the mandibles possess pores linked to secretory glands. So, by rubbing their mandibles onto the substrate, the workers probably spread a secretion from these glands that is involved in nestmate recruitment.

In vitro bioactivity and mechanical properties of bioactive glass nanoparticles/polycaprolactone composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Lijun; Wang, Wenjun; Jin, Duo; Zhou, Songtao; Song, Xiaoli

2015-01-01

Nanoparticles of bioactive glass (NBG) with a diameter of 50-90 nm were synthesized using the Stöber method. NBG/PCL composites with different NBG contents (0 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.%) were prepared by a melt blending and thermal injection moulding technique, and characterized with XRD, FTIR, and SEM to study the effect of NBG on the mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity of the NBG/PCL composites. In spite of the high addition up to 40 wt.%, the NBG could be dispersed homogeneously in the PCL matrix. The elastic modulus of the NBG/PCL composites was improved remarkably from 198±13 MPa to 851±43 MPa, meanwhile the tensile strength was retained in the range of 19-21.5 MPa. The hydrophilic property and degradation behavior of the NBG/PCL composites were also improved with the addition of the NBG. Moreover, the composites with high NBG content showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity after being immersed in simulated body fluid, which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized NBG. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A one-step method to fabricate PLLA scaffolds with deposition of bioactive hydroxyapatite and collagen using ice-based microporogens

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiashen; Chen, Yun; Mak, Arthur F.T.; Tuan, Rocky S.; Li, Lin; Li, Yi

2010-01-01

Porous poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffolds with bioactive coatings were prepared by a novel one-step method. In this process, ice-based microporogens containing bioactive molecules, such as hydroxyapatite (HA) and collagen, served as both porogens to form the porous structure and vehicles to transfer the bioactive molecules to the inside of PLLA scaffolds in a single step. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, the bioactive components were found to be transferred successfully from the porogens to PLLA scaffolds evenly. Osteoblast cells were used to evaluate the cellular behaviors of the composite scaffolds. After 8 days culturing, MTT assay and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity results suggested that HA/collagen could improve the interactions between osteoblast cells and the polymeric scaffold. PMID:20004261

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with post-column dual-bioactivity assay for simultaneous screening of xanthine oxidase inhibitors and free radical scavengers from complex mixture.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D Q; Zhao, J; Li, S P

2014-06-06

Xanthine oxidase (XO) can catalyze hypoxanthine and xanthine to generate uric acid and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide anion radical (O₂(•-)) and hydrogen peroxide. XO inhibitors and free radical scavengers are beneficial to the treatment of gout and many related diseases. In the present study, an on-line high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with post-column dual-bioactivity assay was established and successfully applied to simultaneously screening of XO inhibitors and free radical scavengers from a complex mixture, Oroxylum indicum extract. The integrated system of HPLC separation, bioactivity screening and mass spectrometry identification was proved to be simple and effective for rapid and sensitive screening of individual bioactive compounds in complex mixtures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quenched/unquenched nano bioactive glass-ceramics: Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity evaluation in Ringer’s solution with BSA

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Nabian Nima

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper reports the first attempt at changing cooling treatment of synthesizing method in order to investigate its effect on the physical properties of sol-gel derived nano bioactive glass-ceramic in the system 58SiO2-33CaO-9P2O5 (wt.%. We hypothesized that the method of cooling may affect the properties of nano bioactive glass-ceramic. To test this hypothesis, two different method of cooling treatment was applied after calcinations in synthesizing method. Both quenched and unquenched nano bioactive glass-ceramics were soaked in Ringer’s solution with bovine serum albumin (BSA for bioactivity evaluation. The obtained samples were analyzed for their composition, crystalinity and morphology through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, surface electron microscope (SEM and transmission electron microscope (TEM. The SEM images showed that the morphology of nano bioactive glass-ceramics was completely changed by quenching process. Results of in vitro bioactivity evaluation revealed that the unquenched attains faster apatite formation ability than the quenched sample. Other properties of these two morphologically different nano bioactive glass-ceramics were strongly discussed.

Current Strategies to Improve the Bioactivity of PEEK

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Rui; Tang, Tingting

2014-01-01

The synthetic thermoplastic polymer polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is becoming a popular component of clinical orthopedic and spinal applications, but its practical use suffers from several limitations. Although PEEK is biocompatible, chemically stable, radiolucent and has an elastic modulus similar to that of normal human bone, it is biologically inert, preventing good integration with adjacent bone tissues upon implantation. Recent efforts have focused on increasing the bioactivity of PEEK to improve the bone-implant interface. Two main strategies have been used to overcome the inert character of PEEK. One approach is surface modification to activate PEEK through surface treatment alone or in combination with a surface coating. Another strategy is to prepare bioactive PEEK composites by impregnating bioactive materials into PEEK substrate. Researchers believe that modified bioactive PEEK will have a wide range of orthopedic applications. PMID:24686515

Comparison of Method for the Simultaneous Analysis of Bioactive for the Eurycoma longifolia jack using different Analysis Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmah Moosa; Sobri Hussein; Rusli Ibrahim; Maizatul Akmam Md Nasir

2011-01-01

Eurycoma longifolia jack (Tongkat Ali, Genus: Eurycoma; Family, Simaroubaceae) is one of the most popular tropical herbal plants. The plant contains a series of quassinoids, which are mainly responsible for its bitter taste. The plant extract, especially roots, are exclusively used (traditionally) for enhancing testosterone levels in men. The roots also have been used in indigenous traditional medicines for its unique anti-malarial, anti-pyretic, antiulcer, cytotoxic and aphrodisiac properties. As part of an on-going research on the bioactive compound of Eurycoma longifolia and evaluation for an optimized analysis method and parameter that influence in LC-MS analysis were carried out. Identification of the bioactive compounds was based on comparison of calculated retention time and mass spectral data with literature values. Examination of the Eurycoma longifolia sample showed some variations and differences in terms of parameters in LC-MS. However, combined method using methanol as the solvent with injection volume 1.0 μL and analysis in ultra scan mode and acetic acid as acidic modifier is the optimum method for LCMS analysis of Eurycoma longifolia because it successfully detected the optimum mass of compounds with good resolution and perfectly separated within a short analysis time. (author)

Molecular characterization of an enzyme that degrades neuromodulatory fatty-acid amides.

Science.gov (United States)

Cravatt, B F; Giang, D K; Mayfield, S P; Boger, D L; Lerner, R A; Gilula, N B

1996-11-07

Endogenous neuromodulatory molecules are commonly coupled to specific metabolic enzymes to ensure rapid signal inactivation. Thus, acetylcholine is hydrolysed by acetylcholine esterase and tryptamine neurotransmitters like serotonin are degraded by monoamine oxidases. Previously, we reported the structure and sleep-inducing properties of cis-9-octadecenamide, a lipid isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of sleep-deprived cats. cis-9-Octadecenamide, or oleamide, has since been shown to affect serotonergic systems and block gap-junction communication in glial cells (our unpublished results). We also identified a membrane-bound enzyme activity that hydrolyses oleamide to its inactive acid, oleic acid. We now report the mechanism-based isolation, cloning and expression of this enzyme activity, originally named oleamide hydrolase, from rat liver plasma membranes. We also show that oleamide hydrolase converts anandamide, a fatty-acid amide identified as the endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptor, to arachidonic acid, indicating that oleamide hydrolase may serve as the general inactivating enzyme for a growing family of bioactive signalling molecules, the fatty-acid amides. Therefore we will hereafter refer to oleamide hydrolase as fatty-acid amide hydrolase, in recognition of the plurality of fatty-acid amides that the enzyme can accept as substrates.

3D nanocomposite chitosan/bioactive glass scaffolds obtained using two different routes: an evaluation of the porous structure and mechanical properties

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Elke M. F. Lemos

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Porous synthetic substrates are developed through tissue engineering technologies to grow new tissue, restoring the function of tissue or an organ. For bone regeneration, these scaffolds must support the dynamic load exerted on this tissue, achieved primarily by increasing their compression strength, as established in the literature. The aim of this paper was to incorporate an inorganic composite bioactive glass (60%SiO2 - 36%CaO - 4%P2O5 as a reinforcing agent in mechanical 3D scaffolds that must remain porous. Two strategies were adopted: a co-precipitation method to obtain a nanoparticulate dispersion of bioactive glass (BGNP and a sol-gel method to combine a bioactive glass solution (BG with a previously prepared chitosan polymer solution. Moreover, a lyophilization process was also used, generating highly porous scaffolds. Various aspects of the scaffold were evaluated, including the morphology, orientation and size of the pores, and mechanical strength, as obtained using the two synthetic methods. The data for compressive strength revealed increased strength after the incorporation of bioactive glass, which was more pronounced when utilizing the nanoscale bioactive glass.

Bioactive glasses potential biomaterials for future therapy

CERN Document Server

Kaur, Gurbinder

2017-01-01

This book describes the history, origin and basic characteristics of bioactive materials. It includes a chapter dedicated to hydroxyapatite mineral, its formation and its bioactive properties. The authors address how cytotoxicity is a determining step for bioactivity. Applications of bioactive materials in the contexts of tissue regeneration, bone regeneration and cancer therapy are also covered. Silicate, metallic and mesoporous glasses are described, as well as the challenges and future prospects of research in this field.

Centesimal composition and bioactive compounds in fruits of buriti collected in Pará

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Luciana Ribeiro Trajano Manhães

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The link between diet and the incidence of chronic and degenerative diseases has already been established. The foods that play a role in preventing and/or treating these diseases are called functional foods. Buriti can be highlighted amongst these foods since it is an excellent source of vegetable oil, which is rich in β-carotene and oleic acid. This research evaluated the potential of the pulp of this fruit as a functional food focusing on its incorporation to the diet. Buriti pulp presented 62.93% moisture, 8.25% total carbohydrates, and 2.10% protein. The lipid fraction corresponded to 13.85%, and oleic acid was the main fatty acid. It also contained 0.94% total mineral content. Based on the results obtained, it can be said that the pulp of buriti may contain bioactive compounds with functional activities, but further research is needed to assess such potential.

Laser cladding of bioactive glass coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Comesaña, R; Quintero, F; Lusquiños, F; Pascual, M J; Boutinguiza, M; Durán, A; Pou, J

2010-03-01

Laser cladding by powder injection has been used to produce bioactive glass coatings on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) substrates. Bioactive glass compositions alternative to 45S5 Bioglass were demonstrated to exhibit a gradual wetting angle-temperature evolution and therefore a more homogeneous deposition of the coating over the substrate was achieved. Among the different compositions studied, the S520 bioactive glass showed smoother wetting angle-temperature behavior and was successfully used as precursor material to produce bioactive coatings. Coatings processed using a Nd:YAG laser presented calcium silicate crystallization at the surface, with a uniform composition along the coating cross-section, and no significant dilution of the titanium alloy was observed. These coatings maintain similar bioactivity to that of the precursor material as demonstrated by immersion in simulated body fluid. Copyright 2009 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of the main bioactive components of Xin-Sheng-Hua granule and its single herbs by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Hanqing; Wang, Jun; Tang, Yuping; Xu, Huiqin; Wu, Liang; Jin, Yi; Zhu, Zhenhua; Guo, Sheng; Shi, Xuqin; Huang, Shengliang; Sun, Dazheng; Duan, Jin-Ao

2016-11-01

Xin-Sheng-Hua granule, a representative formula for postpartum hemorrhage, has been used clinically to treat postpartum diseases. Its main bioactive components comprise aromatic acids, phthalides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and gingerols among others. To investigate the changes in main bioactive constituents in its seven single herbs before and after compatibility, a rapid, simple, and sensitive method was developed for comparative analysis of 27 main bioactive components by using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for the first time. The sufficient separation of 27 target constituents was achieved on a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD column (100 mm × 3 mm, 1.9 μm) within 20 min under the optimized chromatographic conditions. Compared with the theoretical content, the observed content of each analyte showed remarkable differences in Xin-Sheng-Hua granule except thymine, p-coumaric acid, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, and ligustilide; the total contents of 27 components increased significantly, and the content variation degrees for the different components were gingerols > flavonoids > aromatic acids > alkaloids > phthalides. The results could provide a good reference for the quality control of Xin-Sheng-Hua granule and might be helpful to interpret the drug interactions based on variation of bioactive components in formulae. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detection of Ganoderic Acid A in Ganoderma lingzhi by an Indirect Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Seiichi; Kohno, Toshitaka; Shimizu, Kuniyoshi; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Morimoto, Satoshi

2016-05-01

Ganoderma is a genus of medicinal mushroom traditionally used for treating various diseases. Ganoderic acid A is one of the major bioactive Ganoderma triterpenoids isolated from Ganoderma species. Herein, we produced a highly specific monoclonal antibody against ganoderic acid A (MAb 12 A) and developed an indirect competitive ELISA for the highly sensitive detection of ganoderic acid A in Ganoderma lingzhi, with a limit of detection of 6.10 ng/mL. Several validation analyses support the accuracy and reliability of the developed indirect competitive ELISA for use in the quality control of Ganoderma based on ganoderic acid A content. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of ganoderic acid A in G. lingzhi revealed that the pileus exhibits the highest ganoderic acid A content compared with the stipe and spore of the fruiting body; the best extraction efficiency was found when 50 % ethanol was used, which suggests the use of a strong liquor to completely harness the potential of Ganoderma triterpenoids in daily life. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Amazonian Native Palm Fruits as Sources of Antioxidant Bioactive Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos, Mary de Fátima Guedes; Mamede, Rosa Virginia Soares; Rufino, Maria do Socorro Moura; de Brito, Edy Sousa; Alves, Ricardo Elesbão

2015-09-07

The Amazon region has many sources of fruits, especially native ones not yet explored, but which have some potential for use, as is the case with certain palms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the content of bioactive compounds and total antioxidant capacities of fruits from native palms from the Brazilian Amazon. The fruits of five palm species (bacaba, buriti, inajá, pupunha, and tucumã) were evaluated for levels of ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, yellow flavonoids, total carotenoids, and total extractable polyphenols, as well as the total antioxidant capacities. The fruits had high contents of extractable total polyphenols, especially bacaba and tucumã (941.56 and 158.98 mg of galic acid·100g(-1)), total carotenoids in the case of tucumã and buriti (7.24 and 4.67 mg·100g(-1)), and anthocyanins in bacaba (80.76 mg·100g(-1)). As for the antioxidant capacity, bacaba had the highest total antioxidant activity by the Oxygen Radical Antioxidant Capacity (ORAC) (194.67 µM·Trolox·g(-1)), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (47.46 g·pulp·g(-1) DPPH), and β-carotene/linoleic acid (92.17% Oxidation Inhibition (O.I) methods. Bacaba phenolic profile revealed the presence of cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and other flavonoids. The palm fruits studied can be considered good sources of bioactive compounds, some containing higher amounts than that of commonly consumed fruits. Total extractable polyphenols and anthocyanins were directly correlated to antioxidant activity in these fruits.

Amazonian Native Palm Fruits as Sources of Antioxidant Bioactive Compounds

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Mary de Fátima Guedes dos Santos

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The Amazon region has many sources of fruits, especially native ones not yet explored, but which have some potential for use, as is the case with certain palms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the content of bioactive compounds and total antioxidant capacities of fruits from native palms from the Brazilian Amazon. The fruits of five palm species (bacaba, buriti, inajá, pupunha, and tucumã were evaluated for levels of ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, yellow flavonoids, total carotenoids, and total extractable polyphenols, as well as the total antioxidant capacities. The fruits had high contents of extractable total polyphenols, especially bacaba and tucumã (941.56 and 158.98 mg of galic acid·100g−1, total carotenoids in the case of tucumã and buriti (7.24 and 4.67 mg·100g−1, and anthocyanins in bacaba (80.76 mg·100g−1. As for the antioxidant capacity, bacaba had the highest total antioxidant activity by the Oxygen Radical Antioxidant Capacity (ORAC (194.67 µM·Trolox·g−1, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH (47.46 g·pulp·g−1 DPPH, and β-carotene/linoleic acid (92.17% Oxidation Inhibition (O.I methods. Bacaba phenolic profile revealed the presence of cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and other flavonoids. The palm fruits studied can be considered good sources of bioactive compounds, some containing higher amounts than that of commonly consumed fruits. Total extractable polyphenols and anthocyanins were directly correlated to antioxidant activity in these fruits.

Proficient synthesis of bioactive annulated pyrimidine derivatives: A review

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Ajmal R. Bhat

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Syntheses of bioactive annulated pyrimidine derivatives are the most significant tasks in N-heterocyclic chemistry because these compounds have proved to be very attractive and useful for the design of new molecular frameworks of potential drugs with varying pharmacological activities. This review paper summarizes the one-pot multicomponent synthesis of annulated nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocycles, such as pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines, pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines and pyrido[2,3-d;5-6-d]dipyrimidines. The synthetic procedure is based on the chemistry of the domino Knoevenagel-Michael addition mechanism. Keywords: Pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines, Pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines, Pyrido[2,3-d;5-6-d]dipyrimidines, Barbituric acid/Thio-barbituric acid, Aromatic aldehydes, 6-aminouracil

Effect of Mobile Phase Additives on the Resolution of Four Bioactive Compounds by RP-HPLC

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Shengnan Li

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The use of mobile phase additives enhances the separation and resolution of the bioactive compounds on the C18 column. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and scoparone from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae were investigated as the target compounds. Acetic acid, triethylamine, inorganic salts, and several ionic liquids were added as mobile phase additives into methanol/water (40:60, v/v. The result revealed that a mobile phase with 0.01 mol/L of ionic liquid [BMIM][BF4] enabled the optimum separation of the four target compounds.

Antioxidant activity and bioactive compound contents before and after in vitro digestion of new tomato hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Tommonaro, Giuseppina; Speranza, Giovanna; De Prisco, Rocco; Iodice, Carmine; Crudele, Egle; Abbamondi, Gennaro Roberto; Nicolaus, Barbara

2017-12-01

The antioxidant properties and bioactive compound contents of fresh new tomato hybrids before and after in vitro digestion were investigated. To this aim, the antioxidant activities of lipophilic, hydrophilic and polyphenolic extracts of tomato hybrids were determined by ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), DMPD (N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) methods respectively, while the bioactive compound contents were estimated via Folin-Ciocalteu (polyphenols), pH differential (anthocyanins) and high-performance liquid chromatography (lycopene and β-carotene) methods. After the digestion process, a marked loss (ranging from 37 to 77%) of antioxidant capacity linked to the hydrophilic fraction was observed. In contrast, the lipophilic and methanolic fractions showed an increase in antioxidant activity (ranging from 9 to 40%) after gastric digestion, and a rapid decrease was observed after total digestion. Moreover, the presence of anthocyanins and carotenoids after simulated digestion was a notable result. The bioavailability of bioactive metabolites from nutraceutical food and their healthful properties in humans are strictly dependent on the digestion process. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity of mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shih, C.J., E-mail: cjshih@kmu.edu.tw [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Chen, H.T. [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Huang, L.F. [School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Lu, P.S.; Chang, H.F. [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Chang, I.L., E-mail: 84004@cch.org.tw [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang-Hua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan (China)

2010-06-15

The main objective of the present study was to determine the effect of thermal treatment procedures (calcination temperature, heating rate and duration time) on the synthesis of SiO{sub 2}-CaO-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds. This is accomplished by thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and by analysis of nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. In vitro bioactivity can also be assessed by the cytotoxic effect of the glasses on the NIH-3T3 cell line, and by characterization of MC-3T3-E1 cell attachment.

Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity of mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, C.J.; Chen, H.T.; Huang, L.F.; Lu, P.S.; Chang, H.F.; Chang, I.L.

2010-01-01

The main objective of the present study was to determine the effect of thermal treatment procedures (calcination temperature, heating rate and duration time) on the synthesis of SiO 2 -CaO-P 2 O 5 mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds. This is accomplished by thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and by analysis of nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. In vitro bioactivity can also be assessed by the cytotoxic effect of the glasses on the NIH-3T3 cell line, and by characterization of MC-3T3-E1 cell attachment.

The Influence of Na and Ti on the In Vitro Degradation and Bioactivity in 58S Sol-Gel Bioactive Glass

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Shirong Ni

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Na and Ti on the in vitro degradation and bioactivity in the 58S bioactive glass. The degradation was evaluated through the activation energy of Si ion release from bioactive glasses and the weight loss of bioactive glasses in Tris-HCl buffer solution. The in vitro bioactivity of the bioactive glasses was investigated by analysis of apatite-formation ability in the simulated body fluid (SBF. The results showed that Na in the 58S glass accelerated the dissolution rate of the glass, whereas Ti in the 58S glass slowed down the rate of glass solubility. Bioactivity tests showed that Na in glass increased the apatite-forming ability in SBF. In contrast, Ti in glass retards the apatite formation at the initial stage of SBF soaking but does not affect the growth of apatite after long periods of soaking.

Screening plant derived dietary phenolic compounds for bioactivity related to cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Croft, Kevin D; Yamashita, Yoko; O'Donoghue, Helen; Shirasaya, Daishi; Ward, Natalie C; Ashida, Hitoshi

2018-04-01

The potential health benefits of phenolic acids found in food and beverages has been suggested from a number of large population studies. However, the mechanism of how these compounds may exert biological effects is less well established. It is also now recognised that many complex polyphenols in the diet are metabolised to simple phenolic acids which can be taken up in the circulation. In this paper a number of selected phenolic compounds have been tested for their bioactivity in two cell culture models. The expression and activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human aortic endothelial cells and the uptake of glucose in muscle cells. Our data indicate that while none of the compounds tested had a significant effect on eNOS expression or activation in endothelial cells, several of the compounds increased glucose uptake in muscle cells. These compounds also enhanced the translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane, which may explain the observed increase in cellular glucose uptake. These results indicate that simple cell culture models may be useful to help understand the bioactivity of phenolic compounds in relation to cardiovascular protection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Horse gram- an underutilized nutraceutical pulse crop: a review

OpenAIRE

Prasad, Saroj Kumar; Singh, Manoj Kumar

2014-01-01

Horse gram is an underutilized pulse crop grown in wide range of adverse climatic conditions. It occupies an important place in human nutrition and has rich source of protein, minerals, and vitamins. Besides nutritional importance, it has been linked to reduced risk of various diseases due to presence of non-nutritive bioactive substances. These bioactive substances such as phytic acid, phenolic acid, fiber, enzymatic/proteinase inhibitors have significant metabolic and/or physiological effec...

Identification of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid (HMG) as a hypoglycemic principle of Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides).

Science.gov (United States)

Witherup, K M; McLaughlin, J L; Judd, R L; Ziegler, M H; Medon, P J; Keller, W J

1995-08-01

Bioactivity-directed fractionation, using brine shrimp lethality and murine hypoglycemia, of an ethanol extract prepared from Tillandsia usneoides, led to the isolation of four apparently bioactive compounds from the water-soluble fraction. The compounds were identified as citric acid, succinic acid, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid (HMG), and 3,6,3',5'-tetramethoxy-5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone-7-O-beta-D-g lucoside. The brine shrimp lethality of the acids was simply due to acidity; however, HMG elicited significant hypoglycemic responses in fasting normal mice. Ethyl and methyl esters of citric acid were prepared and tested in the murine hypoglycemic assay. Five of the predominant sugars were identified by tlc. Free thymidine was also isolated. Further evaluation of HMG and other potential inhibitors of HMG CoA lyase, in the treatment of symptoms of diabetes mellitus, is suggested.

Design of cinnamaldehyde amino acid Schiff base compounds based on the quantitative structure–activity relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Hui Wang; Mingyue Jiang; Shujun Li; Chung-Yun Hse; Chunde Jin; Fangli Sun; Zhuo Li

2017-01-01

Cinnamaldehyde amino acid Schiff base (CAAS) is a new class of safe, bioactive compounds which could be developed as potential antifungal agents for fungal infections. To design new cinnamaldehyde amino acid Schiff base compounds with high bioactivity, the quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSARs) for CAAS compounds against Aspergillus niger (A. niger) and...

Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Tissue Repair

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Diane R. Bienek

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Bioactive polymeric materials based on calcium phosphates have tremendous appeal for hard tissue repair because of their well-documented biocompatibility. Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP-based ones additionally protect against unwanted demineralization and actively support regeneration of hard tissue minerals. Our group has been investigating the structure/composition/property relationships of ACP polymeric composites for the last two decades. Here, we present ACP’s dispersion in a polymer matrix and the fine-tuning of the resin affects the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties of ACP polymeric composites. These studies illustrate how the filler/resin interface and monomer/polymer molecular structure affect the material’s critical properties, such as ion release and mechanical strength. We also present evidence of the remineralization efficacy of ACP composites when exposed to accelerated acidic challenges representative of oral environment conditions. The utility of ACP has recently been extended to include airbrushing as a platform technology for fabrication of nanofiber scaffolds. These studies, focused on assessing the feasibility of incorporating ACP into various polymer fibers, also included the release kinetics of bioactive calcium and phosphate ions from nanofibers and evaluate the biorelevance of the polymeric ACP fiber networks. We also discuss the potential for future integration of the existing ACP scaffolds into therapeutic delivery systems used in the precision medicine field.

Alkali-free bioactive glasses for bone regeneration =

Science.gov (United States)

Kapoor, Saurabh

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics are a class of third generation biomaterials which elicit a special response on their surface when in contact with biological fluids, leading to strong bonding to living tissues. The purpose of the present study was to develop diopside based alkali-free bioactive glasses in order to achieve good sintering behaviour, high bioactivity, and a dissolution/ degradation rates compatible with the target applications in bone regeneration and tissue engineering. Another aim was to understand the structure-property relationships in the investigated bioactive glasses. In this quest, various glass compositions within the Diopside (CaMgSi2O6) - Fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F) - Tricalcium phosphate (3CaO•P2O5) system have been investigated. All the glasses were prepared by melt-quenching technique and characterized by a wide array of complementary characterization techniques. The glass-ceramics were produced by sintering of glass powders compacts followed by a suitable heat treatment to promote the nucleation and crystallization phenomena. Furthermore, selected parent glass compositions were doped with several functional ions and an attempt to understand their effects on the glass structure, sintering ability and on the in vitro bio-degradation and biomineralization behaviours of the glasses was made. The effects of the same variables on the devitrification (nucleation and crystallization) behaviour of glasses to form bioactive glass-ceramics were also investigated. Some of the glasses exhibited high bio-mineralization rates, expressed by the formation of a surface hydroxyapatite layer within 1-12 h of immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. All the glasses showed relatively lower degradation rates in comparison to that of 45S5 Bioglass. Some of the glasses showed very good in vitro behaviour and the glasses co-doped with zinc and strontium showed an in vitro dose dependent behaviour. The as-designed bioactive glasses and glass

Bio-actives and Drug

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Bio-actives. have an effect on or elicit a response from living tissue. Refer to a substance that can be acted upon by a living organism or by an extract from a living organism. are constituents in foods or dietary supplements, other than those needed to meet basic nutritional needs, that are responsible for changes in health ...

Microbial quality and bioactive constituents of sweet peppers from sustainable production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín, Alicia; Gil, María I; Flores, Pilar; Hellín, Pilar; Selma, María V

2008-12-10

Integrated, organic, and soil-less production systems are the principal production practices that have emerged to encourage more sustainable agricultural practices and safer edible plants, reducing inputs of plaguicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Sweet peppers grown commercially under integrated, organic, and soil-less production systems were compared to study the influence of these sustainable production systems on the microbial quality and bioactive constituents (vitamin C, individual and total carotenoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids). The antioxidant composition of peppers was analyzed at green and red maturity stages and at three harvest times (initial, middle, and late season). Irrigation water, manure, and soil were shown to be potential transmission sources of pathogens to the produce. Coliform counts of soil-less peppers were up to 2.9 log units lower than those of organic and integrated peppers. Soil-less green and red peppers showed maximum vitamin C contents of 52 and 80 mg 100 g(-1) fresh weight (fw), respectively, similar to those grown in the organic production system. Moreover, the highest content of total carotenoids was found in the soil-less red peppers, which reached a maximum of 148 mg 100 g(-1) fw, while slightly lower contents were found in integrated and organic red peppers. Hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids represented 15 and 85% of the total phenolic content, respectively. Total phenolic content, which ranged from 1.2 to 4.1 mg 100 g(-1) fw, was significantly affected by the harvest time but not by the production system assayed. Soil-less peppers showed similar or even higher concentrations of bioactive compounds (vitamin C, provitamin A, total carotenoid, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids) than peppers grown under organic and integrated practices. Therefore, in the commercial conditions studied, soil-less culture was a more suitable alternative than organic or integrated practices, because it improved the microbial

Evaluation of an injectable bioactive borate glass cement to heal bone defects in a rabbit femoral condyle model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, Xu [Institute of Bioengineering and Information Technology Materials, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Center for Human Tissues and Organs Degeneration, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Huang, Wenhai [Institute of Bioengineering and Information Technology Materials, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Zhang, Yadong, E-mail: zhangyadong6@126.com [Department of Spine Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120 (China); Huang, Chengcheng; Yu, Zunxiong; Wang, Lei; Liu, Wenlong; Wang, Ting [Center for Human Tissues and Organs Degeneration, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Zhou, Jie; Wang, Hui; Zhou, Nai; Wang, Deping [Institute of Bioengineering and Information Technology Materials, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Pan, Haobo, E-mail: hb.pan@siat.ac.cn [Center for Human Tissues and Organs Degeneration, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Rahaman, Mohamed N., E-mail: rahaman@mst.edu [Department of Spine Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120 (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409-0340 (United States)

2017-04-01

There is a need for synthetic biomaterials to heal bone defects using minimal invasive surgery. In the present study, an injectable cement composed of bioactive borate glass particles and a chitosan bonding solution was developed and evaluated for its capacity to heal bone defects in a rabbit femoral condyle model. The injectability and setting time of the cement in vitro decreased but the compressive strength increased (8 ± 2 MPa to 31 ± 2 MPa) as the ratio of glass particles to chitosan solution increased (from 1.0 g ml{sup −1} to 2.5 g ml{sup −1}). Upon immersing the cement in phosphate-buffered saline, the glass particles reacted and converted to hydroxyapatite, imparting bioactivity to the cement. Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells showed enhanced proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity when incubated in media containing the soluble ionic product of the cement. The bioactive glass cement showed a better capacity to stimulate bone formation in rabbit femoral condyle defects at 12 weeks postimplantation when compared to a commercial calcium sulfate cement. The injectable bioactive borate glass cement developed in this study could provide a promising biomaterial to heal bone defects by minimal invasive surgery. - Highlights: • New class of injectable bone cement composed of bioactive borate glass particles and chitosan bonding phase was created. • The cement is biocompatible and bioactive, and has a much lower temperature increase during setting than PMMA cement. • The cement has a more controllable degradation rate and higher strength over a longer time than calcium sulfate cement. • The cement showed a better ability to heal bone defects than calcium sulfate over a twelve-week implantation period.

Bioactive focus in conformational ensembles: a pluralistic approach

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Habgood, Matthew

2017-12-01

Computational generation of conformational ensembles is key to contemporary drug design. Selecting the members of the ensemble that will approximate the conformation most likely to bind to a desired target (the bioactive conformation) is difficult, given that the potential energy usually used to generate and rank the ensemble is a notoriously poor discriminator between bioactive and non-bioactive conformations. In this study an approach to generating a focused ensemble is proposed in which each conformation is assigned multiple rankings based not just on potential energy but also on solvation energy, hydrophobic or hydrophilic interaction energy, radius of gyration, and on a statistical potential derived from Cambridge Structural Database data. The best ranked structures derived from each system are then assembled into a new ensemble that is shown to be better focused on bioactive conformations. This pluralistic approach is tested on ensembles generated by the Molecular Operating Environment's Low Mode Molecular Dynamics module, and by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre's conformation generator software.

Synthesis and characterization of TEP-EDTA-regulated bioactive hydroxyapatite

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Haders, Daniel Joseph, II

Hydroxyapatite (HA), Ca10(PO4)6(OH) 2, the stoichiometric equivalent of the ceramic phase of bone, is the preferred material for hard tissue replacement due to its bioactivity. However, bioinert metals are utilized in load-bearing orthopedic applications due to the poor mechanical properties of HA. Consequently, attention has been given to HA coatings for metallic orthopedic implants to take advantage of the bioactivity of HA and the mechanical properties of metals. Commercially, the plasma spray process (PS-HA) is the method most often used to deposit HA films on metallic implants. Since its introduction in the 1980's, however, concerns have been raised about the consequences of PS-HA's low crystallinity, lack of phase purity, lack of film-substrate chemical adhesion, passivation properties, and difficulty in coating complex geometries. Thus, there is a need to develop inexpensive reproducible next-generation HA film deposition techniques, which deposit high crystallinity, phase pure, adhesive, passivating, conformal HA films on clinical metallic substrates. The aim of this dissertation was to intelligently synthesize and characterize the material and biological properties of HA films on metallic substrates synthesized by hydrothermal crystallization, using thermodynamic phase diagrams as the starting point. In three overlapping interdisciplinary studies the potential of using ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid/triethyl phosphate (EDTA/TEP) doubly regulated hydrothermal crystallization to deposit HA films, the TEP-regulated, time-and-temperature-dependent process by which films were deposited, and the bioactivity of crystallographically engineered films were investigated. Films were crystallized in a 0.232 molal Ca(NO3)2-0.232 molal EDTA-0.187 molal TEP-1.852 molal KOH-H2O chemical system at 200°C. Thermodynamic phase diagrams demonstrated that the chosen conditions were expected to produce Ca-P phase pure HA, which was experimentally confirmed. EDTA regulation of

Sodium Is Not Essential for High Bioactivity of Glasses

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Chen, Xiaojing; Chen, Xiaohui; Brauer, Delia S.; Wilson, Rory M.; Law, Robert V.; Hill, Robert G.; Karpukhina, Natalia

2017-01-01

This study aims to demonstrate that excellent bioactivity of glass can be achieved without the presence of an alkali metal component in glass composition. In vitro bioactivity of two sodium-free glasses based on the quaternary system SiO2-P2O5-CaO-CaF2 with 0 and 4.5 mol% CaF2 content was investigated and compared with the sodium containing glasses with equivalent amount of CaF2. The formation of apatite after immersion in Tris buffer was followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), 31P and 19F solid state MAS-NMR. The dissolution study was completed by ion release measurements in Tris buffer. The results show that sodium free bioactive glasses formed apatite at 3 hours of immersion in Tris buffer, which is as fast as the corresponding sodium containing composition. This signifies that sodium is not an essential component in bioactive glasses and it is possible to make equally degradable bioactive glasses with or without sodium. The results presented here also emphasize the central role of the glass compositions design which is based on understanding of structural role of components and/or predicting the network connectivity of glasses. PMID:29271977

What Money Can't Buy: Powerful, Overlooked Opportunities for Learning

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Schmoker, Mike

2009-01-01

States are in fiscal funk. This means that "ambitious education initiatives" are being scuttled. The current downturn could force teachers to see how much can be accomplished by attending to some long overlooked, incontrovertibly effective actions and initiatives. In this article, the author recommends several simple fundamental changes in…

Characterization of GdFFD, a d-Amino Acid-containing Neuropeptide That Functions as an Extrinsic Modulator of the Aplysia Feeding Circuit*

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Bai, Lu; Livnat, Itamar; Romanova, Elena V.; Alexeeva, Vera; Yau, Peter M.; Vilim, Ferdinand S.; Weiss, Klaudiusz R.; Jing, Jian; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2013-01-01

During eukaryotic translation, peptides/proteins are created using l-amino acids. However, a d-amino acid-containing peptide (DAACP) can be produced through post-translational modification via an isomerase enzyme. General approaches to identify novel DAACPs and investigate their function, particularly in specific neural circuits, are lacking. This is primarily due to the difficulty in characterizing this modification and due to the limited information on neural circuits in most species. We describe a multipronged approach to overcome these limitations using the sea slug Aplysia californica. Based on bioinformatics and homology to known DAACPs in the land snail Achatina fulica, we targeted two predicted peptides in Aplysia, GFFD, similar to achatin-I (GdFAD versus GFAD, where dF stands for d-phenylalanine), and YAEFLa, identical to fulyal (YdAEFLa versus YAEFLa), using stereoselective analytical methods, i.e. MALDI MS fragmentation analysis and LC-MS/MS. Although YAEFLa in Aplysia was detected only in an all l-form, we found that both GFFD and GdFFD were present in the Aplysia CNS. In situ hybridization and immunolabeling of GFFD/GdFFD-positive neurons and fibers suggested that GFFD/GdFFD might act as an extrinsic modulator of the feeding circuit. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that GdFFD induced robust activity in the feeding circuit and elicited egestive motor patterns. In contrast, the peptide consisting of all l-amino acids, GFFD, was not bioactive. Our data indicate that the modification of an l-amino acid-containing neuropeptide to a DAACP is essential for peptide bioactivity in a motor circuit, and thus it provides a functional significance to this modification. PMID:24078634

Marine bioactives and potential application in sports.

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Gammone, Maria Alessandra; Gemello, Eugenio; Riccioni, Graziano; D'Orazio, Nicolantonio

2014-04-30

An enriched diet with antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, β-carotene and phenolic compounds, has always been suggested to improve oxidative stress, preventing related diseases. In this respect, marine natural product (MNP), such as COX inhibitors, marine steroids, molecules interfering with factors involved in the modulation of gene expression (such as NF-κB), macrolides, many antioxidant agents, thermogenic substances and even substances that could help the immune system and that result in the protection of cartilage, have been recently gaining attention. The marine world represents a reserve of bioactive ingredients, with considerable potential as functional food. Substances, such as chitin, chitosan, n-3 oils, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and bioactive peptides, can provide several health benefits, such as the reduction of cardiovascular diseases, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic activities. In addition, new marine bioactive substances with potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and thermogenic capacity may provide health benefits and performance improvement, especially in those who practice physical activity, because of their increased free radical and Reacting Oxygen Species (ROS) production during exercise, and, particularly, in athletes. The aim of this review is to examine the potential pharmacological properties and application of many marine bioactive substances in sports.

Bioactive Mushroom Polysaccharides: A Review on Monosaccharide Composition, Biosynthesis and Regulation.

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Wang, Qiong; Wang, Feng; Xu, Zhenghong; Ding, Zhongyang

2017-06-13

Mushrooms are widely distributed around the world and are heavily consumed because of their nutritional value and medicinal properties. Polysaccharides (PSs) are an important component of mushrooms, a major factor in their bioactive properties, and have been intensively studied during the past two decades. Monosaccharide composition/combinations are important determinants of PS bioactivities. This review summarizes: (i) monosaccharide composition/combinations in various mushroom PSs, and their relationships with PS bioactivities; (ii) possible biosynthetic pathways of mushroom PSs and effects of key enzymes on monosaccharide composition; (iii) regulation strategies in PS biosynthesis, and prospects for controllable biosynthesis of PSs with enhanced bioactivities.

Comparison of metabolic profiles and bioactivities of the leaves of three edible Congolese Hibiscus species.

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Kapepula, Paulin Mutwale; Kabamba Ngombe, Nadege; Tshisekedi Tshibangu, Pascal; Tsumbu, César; Franck, Thierry; Mouithys-Mickalad, Ange; Mumba, Dieudonné; Tshala-Katumbay, Désiré; Serteyn, Didier; Tits, Monique; Angenot, Luc; Kalenda, Pascal Dibungi T; Frédérich, Michel

2017-12-01

Methanolic and dichloromethane extracts from the leaves of Congolese Hibiscus species were characterised by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques and their in vitro biochemical activities against ROS production were evaluated in cellular models and on an enzyme, myeloperoxidase (MPO), involved in inflammation. Hibiscus acetosella has a chemical fingerprint different from Hibiscus cannabinus and Hibiscus sabdariffa both having similar fingerprints. Major compounds were polyphenols, represented mainly by caffeoyl-hydroxycitric acid for H. acetosella and neochlorogenic acid for the two other species. All extracts displayed high cellular antioxidant activity with IC 50 values ranging from 0.5 to 3 μg mL -1 using lucigenin on neutrophils. Dichloromethane extracts showed more efficient effects on extracellular ROS production and MPO activity. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of caffeoyl-hydroxycitric acid were significantly higher than those of neochlorogenic acid. The bioactivities of Hibiscus species were positively correlated with their phytochemical content and could justify their use as local nutraceutical resources and medicines.

Sol-gel synthesis and in vitro bioactivity of copper and zinc-doped silicate bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics.

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Bejarano, Julian; Caviedes, Pablo; Palza, Humberto

2015-03-11

Metal doping of bioactive glasses based on ternary 60SiO2-36CaO-4P2O5 (58S) and quaternary 60SiO2-25CaO-11Na2O-4P2O5 (NaBG) mol% compositions synthesized using a sol-gel process was analyzed. In particular, the effect of incorporating 1, 5 and 10 mol% of CuO and ZnO (replacing equivalent quantities of CaO) on the texture, in vitro bioactivity, and cytocompatibility of these materials was evaluated. Our results showed that the addition of metal ions can modulate the textural property of the matrix and its crystal structure. Regarding the bioactivity, after soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) undoped 58S and NaBG glasses developed an apatite surface layer that was reduced in the doped glasses depending on the type of metal and its concentration with Zn displaying the largest inhibitions. Both the ion release from samples and the ion adsorption from the medium depended on the type of matrix with 58S glasses showing the highest values. Pure NaBG glass was more cytocompatible to osteoblast-like cells (SaOS-2) than pure 58S glass as tested by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The incorporation of metal ions decreased the cytocompatibility of the glasses depending on their concentration and on the glass matrix doped. Our results show that by changing the glass composition and by adding Cu or Zn, bioactive materials with different textures, bioactivity and cytocompatibility can be synthesized.

Characterization,Mechanical, and In Vitro Bioactivity Properties of Hydroxyapatite/Bioactive Glass Composite

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Israa Kahatan Sabree

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bioactive ceramic materials can help bone reparation and regeneration by offering support to bone growth. Biological hydroxyapatite powder was prepared by burning animal bone followed by studying the mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HA/ (20wt.%, and 40wt.% of binary bioactive glass (70% SiO2- 30% CaO in order to evaluate the influence of composition on the compressive strength and hardness. HA-composite material exhibited increasing density, microhardness, and compressive strength with increasing amount of glass addition. X-ray diffraction after sintering at 1200°C showed no alter of HA to secondary phases while the hydroxyapatite/ bioactive glass composites contained a HA phase and different amounts of wollastonite phase, depending on the amount of bioglass added. In vitro tests, the samples were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF for ten days in order to evaluate the change in compression strength, weight loss, and pH. The HA composite reinforced with 40 wt % bioglass showed highest compression strength, and lowest weight loss

Bioactive compounds in seaweed; functional food applications and legislation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holdt, Susan Løvstad; Kraan, Stefan

2011-01-01

Seaweed is more than the wrap that keeps rice together in sushi. Seaweed biomass is already used for a wide range of other products in food, including stabilising agents. Biorefineries with seaweed as feedstock are attracting worldwide interest and include low-volume, high value-added products...... and vice versa. Scientific research on bioactive compounds in seaweed usually takes place on just a few species and compounds. This paper reviews worldwide research on bioactive compounds, mainly of nine genera or species of seaweed, which are also available in European temperate Atlantic waters, i...... described in this review. This applies either to the choice of high value-added bioactive products to be exploited in an available species or to the choice of seaweed species when a bioactive compound is desired. Data are presented in tables with species, effect and test organism (if present) with examples...

Structure, bioactivity, and synthesis of methylated flavonoids.

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Wen, Lingrong; Jiang, Yueming; Yang, Jiali; Zhao, Yupeng; Tian, Miaomiao; Yang, Bao

2017-06-01

Methylated flavonoids are an important type of natural flavonoid derivative with potentially multiple health benefits; among other things, they have improved bioavailability compared with flavonoid precursors. Flavonoids have been documented to have broad bioactivities, such as anticancer, immunomodulation, and antioxidant activities, that can be elevated, to a certain extent, by methylation. Understanding the structure, bioactivity, and bioavailability of methylated flavonoids, therefore, is an interesting topic with broad potential applications. Though methylated flavonoids are widely present in plants, their levels are usually low. Because developing efficient techniques to produce these chemicals would likely be beneficial, we provide an overview of their chemical and biological synthesis. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Up in the tree--the overlooked richness of bryophytes and lichens in tree crowns.

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Boch, Steffen; Müller, Jörg; Prati, Daniel; Blaser, Stefan; Fischer, Markus

2013-01-01

Assessing diversity is among the major tasks in ecology and conservation science. In ecological and conservation studies, epiphytic cryptogams are usually sampled up to accessible heights in forests. Thus, their diversity, especially of canopy specialists, likely is underestimated. If the proportion of those species differs among forest types, plot-based diversity assessments are biased and may result in misleading conservation recommendations. We sampled bryophytes and lichens in 30 forest plots of 20 m × 20 m in three German regions, considering all substrates, and including epiphytic litter fall. First, the sampling of epiphytic species was restricted to the lower 2 m of trees and shrubs. Then, on one representative tree per plot, we additionally recorded epiphytic species in the crown, using tree climbing techniques. Per tree, on average 54% of lichen and 20% of bryophyte species were overlooked if the crown was not been included. After sampling all substrates per plot, including the bark of all shrubs and trees, still 38% of the lichen and 4% of the bryophyte species were overlooked if the tree crown of the sampled tree was not included. The number of overlooked lichen species varied strongly among regions. Furthermore, the number of overlooked bryophyte and lichen species per plot was higher in European beech than in coniferous stands and increased with increasing diameter at breast height of the sampled tree. Thus, our results indicate a bias of comparative studies which might have led to misleading conservation recommendations of plot-based diversity assessments.

Effects of UV-B Radiation on the Content of Bioactive Components and the Antioxidant Activity of Prunella vulgaris L. Spica during Development

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Yuhang Chen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The effects of UV-B radiation on the content of bioactive components and the antioxidant activity of Prunella vulgaris L. spica during development were studied. The experimental design involved two levels of UV-B radiation intensity (0 and 120 μW cm−2 nm−1. The results showed that the contents of total flavonoids, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and hyperoside, as well as the antioxidant capacities (DPPH● and ABTS•+ scavenging activities, in the spicas significantly decreased during spica development. The content of salviaflaside in the spicas significantly increased during development. The highest contents of total flavonoids, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid and the highest antioxidant activities were found in spicas in the full-flowering stage, while the highest content of hyperoside was found in spicas in the bud stage. In addition, the highest content of salviaflaside was found in spicas in the mature-fruiting stage. UV-B radiation significantly promoted the synthesis of secondary metabolites, increased the contents of the main bioactive components in the three developmental stages of isolated dried spicas, and significantly increased the DPPH● and ABTS•+ scavenging activities of P. vulgaris spicas in the mature-fruiting stage. Moreover, the total flavonoids content was positively correlated with the DPPH● and ABTS•+ scavenging activities, and the correlation with the DPPH● scavenging activity was very strong. This result shows that the highest contents of the main bioactive components in the spicas were not all found in the same developmental stages of P. vulgaris. Our research revealed that the best stage for harvesting P. vulgaris spica was between the bud stage and the full-flowering stage since harvesting at this point provides a higher content of bioactive components and a higher antioxidant capacity, which is relevant for medicinal applications.

A Review on Ethnopharmacological Applications, Pharmacological Activities, and Bioactive Compounds of Mangifera indica (Mango)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Mangifera indica (family Anacardiaceae), commonly known as mango, is a pharmacologically, ethnomedically, and phytochemically diverse plant. Various parts of M. indica tree have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of different ailments, and a number of bioactive phytochemical constituents of M. indica have been reported, namely, polyphenols, terpenes, sterols, carotenoids, vitamins, and amino acids, and so forth. Several studies have proven the pharmacological potential of different parts of mango trees such as leaves, bark, fruit peel and flesh, roots, and flowers as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antiplasmodial, and antihyperlipemic. In the present review, a comprehensive study on ethnopharmacological applications, pharmacological activities, and bioactive compounds of M. indica has been described. PMID:29456572

A Review on Ethnopharmacological Applications, Pharmacological Activities, and Bioactive Compounds of Mangifera indica (Mango

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Meran Keshawa Ediriweera

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Mangifera indica (family Anacardiaceae, commonly known as mango, is a pharmacologically, ethnomedically, and phytochemically diverse plant. Various parts of M. indica tree have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of different ailments, and a number of bioactive phytochemical constituents of M. indica have been reported, namely, polyphenols, terpenes, sterols, carotenoids, vitamins, and amino acids, and so forth. Several studies have proven the pharmacological potential of different parts of mango trees such as leaves, bark, fruit peel and flesh, roots, and flowers as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antiplasmodial, and antihyperlipemic. In the present review, a comprehensive study on ethnopharmacological applications, pharmacological activities, and bioactive compounds of M. indica has been described.

Effect of surface topography and bioactive properties on early adhesion and growth behavior of mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells.

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Li, Na; Chen, Gang; Liu, Jue; Xia, Yang; Chen, Hanbang; Tang, Hui; Zhang, Feimin; Gu, Ning

2014-10-08

The effects of bioactive properties and surface topography of biomaterials on the adhesion and spreading properties of mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells was investigated by preparation of different surfaces. Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) electrospun fibers (ES) were produced as a porous rough surface. In our study, coverslips were used as a substrate for the immobilization of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and collagen type I (COL I) in the preparation of bioactive surfaces. In addition, COL I was immobilized onto porous electrospun fibers surfaces (E-COL) to investigate the combined effects of bioactive molecules and topography. Untreated coverslips were used as controls. Early adhesion and growth behavior of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the different surfaces were studied at 6, 12, and 24 h. Evaluation of cell adhesion and morphological changes showed that the all the surfaces were favorable for promoting the adhesion and spreading of cells. CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry revealed that both topography and bioactive properties were favorable for cell growth. Analysis of β1, α1, α2, α5, α10 and α11 integrin expression levels by immunofluorescence, real-time RT-PCR, and Western blot and indicated that surface topography plays an important role in the early stage of cell adhesion. However, the influence of topography and bioactive properties of surfaces on integrins is variable. Compared with any of the topographic or bioactive properties in isolation, the combined effect of both types of properties provided an advantage for the growth and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells. This study provides a new insight into the functions and effects of topographic and bioactive modifications of surfaces at the interface between cells and biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Environmental, genetic and cellular toxicity of tenuazonic acid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Alternaria alternata, an important pathogen of many plants, produces tenuazonic acid (TeA) with bioactivity to microbes, plants and animals. TeA is one of the main mycotoxin to humans and other organisms. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Vicia faba root tip and three mammalian normal cell lines as target materials, ...

Integrative approach to analyze biodiversity and anti-inflammatory bioactivity of Wedelia medicinal plants.

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Wen-Ching Lin

Full Text Available For the development of "medical foods" and/or botanical drugs as defined USA FDA, clear and systemic characterizations of the taxonomy, index phytochemical components, and the functional or medicinal bioactivities of the reputed or candidate medicinal plant are needed. In this study, we used an integrative approach, including macroscopic and microscopic examination, marker gene analysis, and chemical fingerprinting, to authenticate and validate various species/varieties of Wedelia, a reputed medicinal plant that grows naturally and commonly used in Asian countries. The anti-inflammatory bioactivities of Wedelia extracts were then evaluated in a DSS-induced murine colitis model. Different species/varieties of Wedelia exhibited distinguishable morphology and histological structures. Analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS region revealed significant differences among these plants. Chemical profiling of test Wedelia species demonstrated candidate index compounds and distinguishable secondary metabolites, such as caffeic acid derivatives, which may serve as phytochemical markers or index for quality control and identification of specific Wedelia species. In assessing their effect on treating DSS induced-murine colitis, we observed that only the phytoextract from W. chinensis species exhibited significant anti-inflammatory bioactivity on DSS-induced murine colitis among the various Wedelia species commonly found in Taiwan. Our results provide a translational research approach that may serve as a useful reference platform for biotechnological applications of traditional phytomedicines. Our findings indicate that specific Wedelia species warrant further investigation for potential treatment of human inflammatory bowel disease.

Metabolic profile of the bioactive compounds of burdock (Arctium lappa) seeds, roots and leaves.

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Ferracane, Rosalia; Graziani, Giulia; Gallo, Monica; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Ritieni, Alberto

2010-01-20

In this work the bioactive metabolic profile, the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of burdock (Arctium lappa) seeds, leaves and roots were obtained. TEAC values and total phenolic content for hydro-alcoholic extracts of burdock ranged from 67.39 to 1.63 micromol Trolox equivalent/100g dry weight (DW), and from 2.87 to 45 g of gallic acid equivalent/100g DW, respectively. Phytochemical compounds were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in negative mode. The main compounds of burdock extracts were caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, lignans (mainly arctiin) and various flavonoids. The occurrence of some phenolic acids (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and cynarin) in burdock seeds; arctiin, luteolin and quercetin rhamnoside in burdock roots; phenolic acids, quercetin, quercitrin and luteolin in burdock leaves was reported for the first time.

Physicochemical properties and bioactivity of freeze-cast chitosan nanocomposite scaffolds reinforced with bioactive glass.

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Pourhaghgouy, Masoud; Zamanian, Ali; Shahrezaee, Mostafa; Masouleh, Milad Pourbaghi

2016-01-01

Chitosan based nanocomposite scaffolds were prepared by freeze casting method through blending constant chitosan concentration with different portions of synthesized bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGNPs). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) image showed that the particles size of bioactive glass (64SiO2.28CaO.8P2O5) prepared by sol-gel method was approximately less than 20 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis showed proper interfacial bonding between BGNPs and chitosan polymers. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images depicted a unidirectional structure with homogenous distribution of BGNPs among chitosan matrix associated with the absence of pure chitosan scaffold's wall pores after addition of only 10 wt.% BGNPs. As the BGNP content increased from 0 to 50 wt.%, the compressive strength and compressive module values increased from 0.034 to 0.419 MPa and 0.41 to 10.77 MPa, respectively. Biodegradation study showed that increase in BGNP content leads to growth of weight loss amount. The in vitro biomineralization studies confirmed the bioactive nature of all nanocomposites. Amount of 30 wt.% BGNPs represented the best concentration for absorption capacity and bioactivity behaviors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Soil emissions of gaseous reactive nitrogen from North American arid lands: an overlooked source.

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Sparks, J. P.; McCalley, C. K.; Strahm, B. D.

2008-12-01

The biosphere-atmosphere exchange and transformation of nitrogen has important ramifications for both terrestrial biogeochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. Several important mechanisms within this process (e.g., photochemistry, nitrogen deposition, aerosol formation) are strongly influenced by the emission of reactive nitrogen compounds from the Earth's surface. Therefore, a quantification of emission sources is a high priority for future conceptual understanding. One source largely overlooked in most global treatments are the soil emissions from arid and semi-arid landscapes worldwide. Approximately 35-40% of global terrestrial land cover is aridland and emission of reactive nitrogen from soils in these regions has the potential to strongly influence both regional and global biogeochemistry. Here we present estimates of soil emission of oxidized (NO, total NOy including NO2 and HONO) and reduced (NH3) forms of reactive nitrogen from two North American arid regions: the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Plateau. Soil fluxes in these regions are highly dependent on soil moisture conditions. Soil moisture is largely driven by pulsed rain events with fluxes increasing 20-40 fold after a rain event. Using field measurements made across seasons under an array of moisture conditions, precipitation records, and spatially explicit cover type information we have estimated annual estimates for the Mojave Desert (1.5 ± 0.7 g N ha-1 yr-1), the shale derived (1.4 ± 0.9 g N ha-1 yr-1), and sandy soil derived (2.8 ± 1.2 g N ha-1 yr-1) regions of the Colorado Plateau. The chemical composition of soil emissions varies significantly both with season and soil moisture content. Emissions from dry soils tend to be dominated by ammonia and forms of NOy other than NO. In contrast, NO becomes a dominant portion of the flux post rain events (~30% of the total flux). This variability in chemical form has significant implications for the tropospheric fate of the emitted N. NO and other

Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism as combination of different etiologies: an overlooked entity in the elderly.

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Foppiani, Luca; Cascio, Christian; Lo Pinto, Giuliano

2016-10-01

Iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis, which raises several diagnostic and therapeutical challenges, is often overlooked. Hyperthyroidism can induce atrial fibrillation, a harmful arrhythmia which can precipitate heart failure and cause stroke. We report the case of an elderly man who was diagnosed with tachyfibrillation secondary to hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hyperfunction was subsequently related both to previous amiodarone therapy (probably mixed form) and the recent use of iodinated contrast medium for computed tomography scan. Thyroid ultrasonography showed a plongeant multinodular goitre. After initial worsening, thyroid function improved slowly but progressively on high-dose thyreostatic therapy combined with steroid therapy; tachyfibrillation caused heart failure and a thrombus in the left atrium, and proved initially resistant to combined antiarrhythmic treatments. Progressive reduction in thyroid hormone levels, together with combined cardiologic therapies, controlled the heart rate, though atrial fibrillation persisted; anticoagulant therapy resolved the atrial thrombus. Alterations in thyroid function are common in amiodarone-treated patients, who therefore require regular hormonal checks. The different forms of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis must be investigated, since they require different therapies, though mixed forms often occur. The superimposition of further iodine excess due to other causes may be catastrophic and cause severe cardiac problems in these patients.

Bioactivation mechanism of the cytotoxic and nephrotoxic S-conjugate S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dekant, W.; Lash, L.H.; Anders, M.W.

1987-01-01

The bioactivation of S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine (CTFC) was studied with purified bovine kidney cysteine conjugate β-lyase and with N-dodecylpyridoxal bromide in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles as a pyridoxal model system. The β-lyase and the pyridoxal model system converted CTFC to chlorofluoroacetic acid and inorganic fluoride, which were identified by 19 F NMR spectrometry. 2-Chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethanethiol and chlorofluorothionoacetyl fluoride were formed as metabolites of CTFC and were trapped with benzyl bromide and diethylamine, respectively, to yield benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide and N,N-diethyl chlorofluorothioacetamide, which were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The bioactivation mechanism of CTFC therefore involves the initial formation of the unstable thiol 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethanethiol, which loses hydrogen fluoride to form the acylating agent chlorofluorothionoacetyl fluoride; hydrolysis of the thionoacyl fluoride affords the stable, terminal metabolites chlorofluoroacetic acid and inorganic fluoride. The intermediate acylating agent and chlorofluoroacetic acid may contribute to the cytotoxic effects of CTFC

Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Components from Fish for Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulia Chiesa

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cardiovascular disease remains the most common health problem in developed countries, and residual risk after implementing all current therapies is still high. Permanent changes in lifestyle may be hard to achieve and people may not always be motivated enough to make the recommended modifications. Emerging research has explored the application of natural food-based strategies in disease management. In recent years, much focus has been placed on the beneficial effects of fish consumption. Many of the positive effects of fish consumption on dyslipidemia and heart diseases have been attributed to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs, i.e., EPA and DHA; however, fish is also an excellent source of protein and, recently, fish protein hydrolysates containing bioactive peptides have shown promising activities for the prevention/management of cardiovascular disease and associated health complications. The present review will focus on n-3 PUFAs and bioactive peptides effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Moreover, since considerable controversy exists regarding the association between n-3 PUFAs and major cardiovascular endpoints, we have also reviewed the main clinical trials supporting or not this association.

BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS DURING THE MATURATION OF FOUR FRUITS NATIVE TO THE RESTINGA FOREST OF CEARA

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NIGÉRIA PEREIRA GONÇALVES

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Fruits provide not only essential nutrients for food, but also bioactive compounds that promote health benefits and help reducing the risk of developing non-communicable chronic diseases. In this sense, this work aimed at quantifying bioactive compounds during the maturation of four fruits native to the Restinga forest of Ceara. Myrtle fruits (Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth DC. were collected at the Botanical State Park of Ceara, Caucaia-CE, and guajiru (Chrisobalanus icaco L., manipuça (Mouriri cearensis Huber and murici-pitanga fruits (Byrsonima gardneriana A. Juss. at the Botanical Garden of São Gonçalo, São Gonçalo do Amarante-CE. Fruits were collected at different stages (E and transported to the Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology, being characterized into five or six maturation stages according to the bark color, then processed and frozen for the following physicochemical and chemical evaluations: ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, total carotenoids, total anthocyanins and yellow flavonoids. A completely randomized design was used, with five or six treatments, depending on the maturation stages of fruits and four replicates. Murici-pitanga had higher contents of ascorbic acid (ascorbic acid 646.23 mg/100 g E5, total carotenoids (6.13 mg/100 g E5 and total anthocyanins (7.99 mg/100 g E2; and myrtle had higher contents of total chlorophyll (11.05 mg/100 g E1 and yellow flavonoid (69.11 mg/100 g E2. There are positive and significant correlations between chlorophyll and carotenoid (R= 0.99; P <0.01 for manipuça and between anthocyanin and yellow flavonoid (R= 0.97; P <0.05 for murici-pitanga fruits; however, the correlation is negative and significant between ascorbic acid and yellow flavonoids (R= -0.98; P <0.05 for myrtle fruits. It could be concluded that murici-pitanga and myrtle fruits had the highest contents of bioactive compounds with the highest levels, therefore both fruits can be recommended to be commercially exploited by

Bactericidal strontium-releasing injectable bone cements based on bioactive glasses

OpenAIRE

Brauer, Delia S.; Karpukhina, Natalia; Kedia, Gopal; Bhat, Aditya; Law, Robert V.; Radecka, Izabela; Hill, Robert G.

2013-01-01

Strontium-releasing injectable bone cements may have the potential to prevent implant-related infections through the bactericidal action of strontium, while enhancing bone formation in patients suffering from osteoporosis. A melt-derived bioactive glass (BG) series (SiO2–CaO–CaF2–MgO) with 0–50% of calcium substituted with strontium on a molar base were produced. By mixing glass powder, poly(acrylic acid) and water, cements were obtained which can be delivered by injection and set in situ, gi...

Extraction of bioactive compounds and free radical scavenging activity of purple basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaf extracts as affected by temperature and time.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedro, Alessandra C; Moreira, Fernanda; Granato, Daniel; Rosso, Neiva D

2016-05-13

In the current study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess the effects of extraction time and temperature on the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of purple basil leaf (Ocimum basilicum L.) extracts. The stability of anthocyanins in relation to temperature, light and copigmentation was also studied. The highest anthocyanin content was 67.40 mg/100 g extracted at 30 °C and 60 min. The degradation of anthocyanins with varying temperatures and in the presence of light followed a first-order kinetics and the activation energy was 44.95 kJ/mol. All the extracts exposed to light showed similar half-lives. The extracts protected from light, in the presence of copigments, showed an increase in half-life from 152.67 h for the control to 856.49 and 923.17 h for extract in the presence of gallic acid and phytic acid, respectively. These results clearly indicate that purple basil is a potential source of stable bioactive compounds.

Bioactive composite for keratoprosthesis skirt.

Science.gov (United States)

Laattala, Kaisa; Huhtinen, Reeta; Puska, Mervi; Arstila, Hanna; Hupa, Leena; Kellomäki, Minna; Vallittu, Pekka K

2011-11-01

In this study, the fabrication and properties of a synthetic keratoprosthesis skirt for use in osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) surgery are discussed. In the search for a new material concept, bioactive glass and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based composites were prepared. Three different bioactive glasses (i.e. 45S5, S53P4 and 1-98) and one slowly resorbing glass, FL107, with two different forms (i.e. particles and porous glass structures) were employed in the fabrication of specimens. In in vitro studies, the dissolution behaviour in simulated aqueous humour, compressive properties, and pore formation of the composites were investigated. According to the results, FL107 dissolved very slowly (2.4% of the initial glass content in three weeks); thus, the pore formation of the FL107 composite was also observed to be restricted. The dissolution rates of the bioactive glass-PMMA composites were greater (12%-17%). These faster dissolving bioactive glass particles caused some porosity on the outermost surfaces of the composite. The slight surface porosity was also confirmed by a decrease in compressive properties. During six weeks' in vitro dissolution, the compressive strength of the test specimens containing particles decreased by 22% compared to values in dry conditions (90-107 MPa). These results indicate that the bioactive composites could be stable synthetic candidates for a keratoprosthesis skirt in the treatment of severely damaged or diseased cornea. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine actinomycetes: an ongoing source of novel bioactive metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramani, Ramesh; Aalbersberg, William

2012-12-20

Actinomycetes are virtually unlimited sources of novel compounds with many therapeutic applications and hold a prominent position due to their diversity and proven ability to produce novel bioactive compounds. There are more than 22,000 known microbial secondary metabolites, 70% of which are produced by actinomycetes, 20% from fungi, 7% from Bacillus spp. and 1-2% by other bacteria. Among the actinomycetes, streptomycetes group are considered economically important because out of the approximately more than 10,000 known antibiotics, 50-55% are produced by this genus. The ecological role of actinomycetes in the marine ecosystem is largely neglected and various assumptions meant there was little incentive to isolate marine strains for search and discovery of new drugs. The search for and discovery of rare and new actinomycetes is of significant interest to drug discovery due to a growing need for the development of new and potent therapeutic agents. Modern molecular technologies are adding strength to the target-directed search for detection and isolation of bioactive actinomycetes, and continued development of improved cultivation methods and molecular technologies for accessing the marine environment promises to provide access to this significant new source of chemical diversity with novel/rare actinomycetes including new species of previously reported actinomycetes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Bioactive carbon-PEEK composites prepared by chemical surface treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Toshiki; Matsunami, Chisato; Shirosaki, Yuki

2017-01-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has attracted much attention as an artificial intervertebral spacer for spinal reconstruction. Furthermore, PEEK plastic reinforced with carbon fiber has twice the bending strength of pure PEEK. However, the PEEK-based materials do not show ability for direct bone bonding, i.e., bioactivity. Although several trials have been conducted for enabling PEEK with bioactivity, few studies have reported on bioactive surface modification of carbon-PEEK composites. In the present study, we attempted the preparation of bioactive carbon-PEEK composites by chemical treatments with H 2 SO 4 and CaCl 2 . Bioactivity was evaluated by in vitro apatite formation in simulated body fluid (SBF). The apatite formation on the carbon-PEEK composite was compared with that of pure PEEK. Both pure PEEK and carbon-PEEK composite formed the apatite in SBF when they were treated with H 2 SO 4 and CaCl 2 ; the latter showed higher apatite-forming ability than the former. It is conjectured that many functional groups able to induce the apatite nucleation, such as sulfo and carboxyl groups, are incorporated into the dispersed carbon phase in the carbon-PEEK composites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EFFECTS OF INCORPORATING NATURAL MINERALS ON PRODUCTION AND BIOACTIVITY OF BIOACTIVE GLASS CERAMICS

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Franco Matias Stabile

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Two glass-ceramics composition were produced from natural minerals. Quartzes and feldspars were pre-selected on the basis of their purities studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD and chemical analysis. Prepared compositions of glasses precursors were two different theoretical leucite (KAlSi₂O₆ /Bioglass 45S5 (L/Bg ratios. Transformations of raw materials mixtures and glass precursors were studied by differential thermal analyses. On the basis of thermal analysis results, glass ceramics were produced and characterized by XRD. Glass-ceramics were composed of two major crystalline phases, leucite and sodium calcium silicate. Bioactivity tests were performed submerging the glass-ceramics into simulated body fluid (SBF for different periods (1, 5 and 10 days. Bioactive behavior was monitored by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Studied samples were found to be bioactive, in which hydroxyapatite layer was developed within 5 days of contact with SBF.

Improved surface bioactivity of stainless steel substrates using osteocalcin mimetic peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseini, Samaneh; Naderi-Manesh, Hossein; Vali, Hojatollah; Faghihi, Shahab

2014-01-01

Although stainless steel has a good biocompatibility for most clinical cases, the higher tissue response (bone bonding property) is required in orthopedic field. In this study, to improve bone-bonding ability of stainless steel substrates, a specific sequence of osteocalcin mimetic peptide is used as bioactive coating material to biochemically modify the surface of metallic samples. This sequence consists of thirteen amino acids present in the first helix of osteocalcin is synthesized in amidic form and physically adsorbed on the surface of 316LS (316 low carbon surgical grade) stainless steel substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to characterize the surface of peptide coated and uncoated substrates. The bioactivity and bone bonding ability of coated and uncoated substrates are assessed by level of hydroxyapatite formation, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pre-osteoblast cell attachment and proliferation are also evaluated by MTT assay. The results show that the surface of coated sample is homogenously covered by the peptide and display a rougher surface relative to uncoated sample. TEM images reveal the formation of plate-like hydroxyapatite crystals in the presence of the peptide and an amorphous calcium phosphate phase without the peptide. Pre-osteoblast cells proliferation is significantly higher on the surface of peptide coated substrate, while cell attachment remains unaffected by the peptide coatings. Pre-osteoblast cells also demonstrate a higher degree of spreading on the surface of coated sample. It is believed that osteocalcin mimetic peptide improve surface bioactivity and promote hydroxyapatite crystal formation may lead to increased mineralization and bone formation on the surface of metallic biomedical devices. - Graphical abstract: A peptide sequence located in the first helix of OC is selected based on its

Improved surface bioactivity of stainless steel substrates using osteocalcin mimetic peptide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosseini, Samaneh [Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 14965/161 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Naderi-Manesh, Hossein, E-mail: naderman@modares.ac.ir [Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vali, Hojatollah [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7 (Canada); Faghihi, Shahab, E-mail: sfaghihi@nigeb.ac.ir [Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 14965/161 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-02-14

Although stainless steel has a good biocompatibility for most clinical cases, the higher tissue response (bone bonding property) is required in orthopedic field. In this study, to improve bone-bonding ability of stainless steel substrates, a specific sequence of osteocalcin mimetic peptide is used as bioactive coating material to biochemically modify the surface of metallic samples. This sequence consists of thirteen amino acids present in the first helix of osteocalcin is synthesized in amidic form and physically adsorbed on the surface of 316LS (316 low carbon surgical grade) stainless steel substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to characterize the surface of peptide coated and uncoated substrates. The bioactivity and bone bonding ability of coated and uncoated substrates are assessed by level of hydroxyapatite formation, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pre-osteoblast cell attachment and proliferation are also evaluated by MTT assay. The results show that the surface of coated sample is homogenously covered by the peptide and display a rougher surface relative to uncoated sample. TEM images reveal the formation of plate-like hydroxyapatite crystals in the presence of the peptide and an amorphous calcium phosphate phase without the peptide. Pre-osteoblast cells proliferation is significantly higher on the surface of peptide coated substrate, while cell attachment remains unaffected by the peptide coatings. Pre-osteoblast cells also demonstrate a higher degree of spreading on the surface of coated sample. It is believed that osteocalcin mimetic peptide improve surface bioactivity and promote hydroxyapatite crystal formation may lead to increased mineralization and bone formation on the surface of metallic biomedical devices. - Graphical abstract: A peptide sequence located in the first helix of OC is selected based on its

An automated SO2 camera system for continuous, real-time monitoring of gas emissions from Kīlauea Volcano's summit Overlook Crater

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Christoph; Sutton, Jeff; Elias, Tamar; Lee, Robert Lopaka; Kamibayashi, Kevan P.; Antolik, Loren; Werner, Cynthia A.

2015-01-01

SO2 camera systems allow rapid two-dimensional imaging of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitted from volcanic vents. Here, we describe the development of an SO2 camera system specifically designed for semi-permanent field installation and continuous use. The integration of innovative but largely “off-the-shelf” components allowed us to assemble a robust and highly customizable instrument capable of continuous, long-term deployment at Kīlauea Volcano's summit Overlook Crater. Recorded imagery is telemetered to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) where a novel automatic retrieval algorithm derives SO2 column densities and emission rates in real-time. Imagery and corresponding emission rates displayed in the HVO operations center and on the internal observatory website provide HVO staff with useful information for assessing the volcano's current activity. The ever-growing archive of continuous imagery and high-resolution emission rates in combination with continuous data from other monitoring techniques provides insight into shallow volcanic processes occurring at the Overlook Crater. An exemplary dataset from September 2013 is discussed in which a variation in the efficiency of shallow circulation and convection, the processes that transport volatile-rich magma to the surface of the summit lava lake, appears to have caused two distinctly different phases of lake activity and degassing. This first successful deployment of an SO2 camera for continuous, real-time volcano monitoring shows how this versatile technique might soon be adapted and applied to monitor SO2 degassing at other volcanoes around the world.

In vitro study of polycaprolactone/bioactive glass composite coatings on corrosion and bioactivity of pure Mg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yuyun; Michalczyk, Carolin [Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Singer, Ferdinand [Institute of Surface Science and Corrosion, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Virtanen, Sannakaisa, E-mail: virtanen@ww.uni-erlangen.de [Institute of Surface Science and Corrosion, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Boccaccini, Aldo R., E-mail: aldo.boccaccini@ww.uni-erlangen.de [Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Bioactive glass nanoparticles (nBG) enhance bioactivity of PCL coatings on Mg. • Barrier properties of PCL can be altered by nBG addition. • Degradation of PCL increased by addition of nBG. - Abstract: The influence of the addition of nano-scaled bioactive glass (nBG) powder into polycaprolactone (PCL) coatings on the biodegradation and bioactivity of pure Mg was investigated in the present work. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical methods were employed to characterize the morphology, chemical composition and anticorrosion properties of the coatings. The results indicate that nBG addition in PCL increases the degradation of PCL in physiological solution; depending on the amount of nBG in the composite coating, the barrier properties of PCL therefore can be modified. At the same time, the addition of nBG facilitates the formation of hydroxyapatite during 7 days immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF).

Biomimetic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite by Mixed Acid Treatment of Titanium Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J M; Park, W U; Hwang, K H; Lee, J K; Yoon, S Y

2015-03-01

A simple chemical method was established for inducing bioactivity of Ti metal. In the present study, two kinds of mixed acid solutions were used to treat Ti specimens to induce Ca-P formation. Following a strong mixed acid activation process, Ca-P coatings successfully formed on the Ti surfaces in the simulated body fluid. Strong mixed acid etching was used to increase the roughness of the metal surface, because the porous and rough surfaces allow better adhesion between Ca-P coatings and substrate. Nano-scale modification of titanium surfaces can alter cellular and tissue responses, which may benefit osseointegration and dental implant therapy. Some specimens were treated with a 5 M NaOH aqueous solution, and then heat treated at 600 °C in order to form an amorphous sodium titanate layer on their surface. This treated titanium metal is believed to form a dense and uniform bone-like apatite layer on its surface in a simulated body fluid (SBF). This study proved that mixed acid treatment is not only important for surface passivation but is also another bioactive treatment for titanium surfaces, an alternative to alkali treatment. In addition, mixed acid treatment uses a lower temperature and shorter time period than alkali treatment.

Acid Ceramidase in Melanoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Realini, Natalia; Palese, Francesca; Pizzirani, Daniela

2016-01-01

Acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine amidase that controls sphingolipid signaling by lowering the levels of ceramides and concomitantly increasing those of sphingosine and its bioactive metabolite, sphingosine 1-phosphate. In the present study, we evaluated the role of AC-regulated sphing...

Ionic-Liquid-Mediated Extraction and Separation Processes for Bioactive Compounds: Past, Present, and Future Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Ventura, Sónia P M; E Silva, Francisca A; Quental, Maria V; Mondal, Dibyendu; Freire, Mara G; Coutinho, João A P

2017-05-24

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as promising media for the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from the most diverse origins. This critical review offers a compilation on the main results achieved by the use of ionic-liquid-based processes in the extraction and separation/purification of a large range of bioactive compounds (including small organic extractable compounds from biomass, lipids, and other hydrophobic compounds, proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, and pharmaceuticals). ILs have been studied as solvents, cosolvents, cosurfactants, electrolytes, and adjuvants, as well as used in the creation of IL-supported materials for separation purposes. The IL-based processes hitherto reported, such as IL-based solid-liquid extractions, IL-based liquid-liquid extractions, IL-modified materials, and IL-based crystallization approaches, are here reviewed and compared in terms of extraction and separation performance. The key accomplishments and future challenges to the field are discussed, with particular emphasis on the major lacunas found within the IL community dedicated to separation processes and by suggesting some steps to overcome the current limitations.

In vitro and in vivo bioactivity assessment of a polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite composite for bone regeneration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Danoux, Charlene; Barbieri, D.; Yuan, Huipin; de Bruijn, Joost Dick; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; Habibovic, Pamela

2014-01-01

Synthetic bone graft substitutes based on composites consisting of a polymer and a calcium-phosphate (CaP) ceramic are developed with the aim to satisfy both mechanical and bioactivity requirements for successful bone regeneration. In the present study, we have employed extrusion to produce a

Up in the tree--the overlooked richness of bryophytes and lichens in tree crowns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffen Boch

Full Text Available Assessing diversity is among the major tasks in ecology and conservation science. In ecological and conservation studies, epiphytic cryptogams are usually sampled up to accessible heights in forests. Thus, their diversity, especially of canopy specialists, likely is underestimated. If the proportion of those species differs among forest types, plot-based diversity assessments are biased and may result in misleading conservation recommendations. We sampled bryophytes and lichens in 30 forest plots of 20 m × 20 m in three German regions, considering all substrates, and including epiphytic litter fall. First, the sampling of epiphytic species was restricted to the lower 2 m of trees and shrubs. Then, on one representative tree per plot, we additionally recorded epiphytic species in the crown, using tree climbing techniques. Per tree, on average 54% of lichen and 20% of bryophyte species were overlooked if the crown was not been included. After sampling all substrates per plot, including the bark of all shrubs and trees, still 38% of the lichen and 4% of the bryophyte species were overlooked if the tree crown of the sampled tree was not included. The number of overlooked lichen species varied strongly among regions. Furthermore, the number of overlooked bryophyte and lichen species per plot was higher in European beech than in coniferous stands and increased with increasing diameter at breast height of the sampled tree. Thus, our results indicate a bias of comparative studies which might have led to misleading conservation recommendations of plot-based diversity assessments.

Bioactivity evolution of the surface functionalized bioactive glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Magyari, Klára; Baia, Lucian; Vulpoi, Adriana; Simon, Simion; Popescu, Octavian; Simon, Viorica

2015-02-01

The formation of a calcium phosphate layer on the surface of the SiO2 -CaO-P2 O5 glasses after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) generally demonstrates the bioactivity of these materials. Grafting of the surface by chemical bonding can minimize the structural changes in protein adsorbed on the surface. Therefore, in this study our interest was to evaluate the bioactivity and blood biocompatibility of the SiO2 -CaO-P2 O5 glasses after their surface modification by functionalization with aminopropyl-triethoxysilane and/or by fibrinogen. It is shown that the fibrinogen adsorbed on the glass surfaces induces a growing of the apatite-like layer. It is also evidenced that the protein content from SBF influences the growth of the apatite-like layer. Furthermore, the good blood compatibility of the materials after fibrinogen and bovine serum albumin adsorption is proved from the assessment of the β-sheet-β-turn ratio. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mung bean proteins and peptides: nutritional, functional and bioactive properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Yi-Shen

2018-02-01

Full Text Available To date, no extensive literature review exists regarding potential uses of mung bean proteins and peptides. As mung bean has long been widely used as a food source, early studies evaluated mung bean nutritional value against the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO/the World Health Organization (WHO amino acids dietary recommendations. The comparison demonstrated mung bean to be a good protein source, except for deficiencies in sulphur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine. Methionine and cysteine residues have been introduced into the 8S globulin through protein engineering technology. Subsequently, purified mung bean proteins and peptides have facilitated the study of their structural and functional properties. Two main types of extraction methods have been reported for isolation of proteins and peptides from mung bean flours, permitting sequencing of major proteins present in mung bean, including albumins and globulins (notably 8S globulin. However, the sequence for albumin deposited in the UniProt database differs from other sequences reported in the literature. Meanwhile, a limited number of reports have revealed other useful bioactivities for proteins and hydrolysed peptides, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity, anti-fungal activity and trypsin inhibitory activity. Consequently, several mung bean hydrolysed peptides have served as effective food additives to prevent proteolysis during storage. Ultimately, further research will reveal other nutritional, functional and bioactive properties of mung bean for uses in diverse applications.

Bioactivity and Functionality of Bonghwa Sweetfish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Hun; Lee, Ju Woon; Choi, Jong Il; Song, Beom Seok; Yoon, Yo Han; Sung, Nak Yun; Jeong, Pil Mun

2010-04-01

- Smoked sweetfish had higher contents of calories, carbohydrate, protein, fat sodium, and calcium than unsmoked sweetfish - DHA and EPA which are omega-3 fatty acid and have therapeutic effects on arthritis and high blood pressure - Proteins and peptide from sweetfish had various bioactivities such as antioxidation, hypertensive, especially for antiinflammatory, and whitening effects. However no anticancer effect was observed - The proteins and peptide suppressed nitric oxide and cytokines (a-TNF, IL-6, IL-1 beta), and prostaglandin (PGE2) productions, and mRNA related iNOS and cyclooxygenase (COX-2), which are related to inflammation - The proteins and peptide prevented tyrosinase formation, which is related formation of melanin, and also showed preventive effects of melanin synthesis, antioxidation and anti-aging effects. Thus, the proteins and peptides from sweetfish may be useful source for cosmetics

Bioactivity and Functionality of Bonghwa Sweetfish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Hun; Lee, Ju Woon; Choi, Jong Il; Song, Beom Seok; Yoon, Yo Han; Sung, Nak Yun; Jeong, Pil Mun

2010-04-15

- Smoked sweetfish had higher contents of calories, carbohydrate, protein, fat sodium, and calcium than unsmoked sweetfish - DHA and EPA which are omega-3 fatty acid and have therapeutic effects on arthritis and high blood pressure - Proteins and peptide from sweetfish had various bioactivities such as antioxidation, hypertensive, especially for antiinflammatory, and whitening effects. However no anticancer effect was observed - The proteins and peptide suppressed nitric oxide and cytokines (a-TNF, IL-6, IL-1 beta), and prostaglandin (PGE2) productions, and mRNA related iNOS and cyclooxygenase (COX-2), which are related to inflammation - The proteins and peptide prevented tyrosinase formation, which is related formation of melanin, and also showed preventive effects of melanin synthesis, antioxidation and anti-aging effects. Thus, the proteins and peptides from sweetfish may be useful source for cosmetics

Graphene oxide for solid-phase extraction of bioactive phenolic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xiudan; Wang, Xusheng; Sun, Yingxin; Wang, Licheng; Guo, Yong

2017-05-01

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for the efficient analysis of trace phenolic acids (PAs, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, cinnamic acid) in urine was established. In this work, a graphene oxide (GO) coating was grafted onto pure silica to be investigated as SPE material. The prepared GO surface had a layered and wrinkled structure that was rough and well organized, which could provide more open adsorption sites. Owing to its hydrophilicity and polarity, GO showed higher extraction efficiency toward PAs than reduced GO did, in agreement with the theoretical calculation results performed by Gaussian 09 software. The adsorption mechanism of PAs on GO@Sil was also investigated through static state and kinetic state adsorption experiments, which showed a monolayer surface adsorption. Extraction capacity of the as-prepared material was optimized using the response surface methodology. Under the optimized conditions, the as-established method provided wide linearity range (2-50 μg L -1 for protocatechuic acid and 1-50 μg L -1 for caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid) and low limits of detection (0.25-1 μg L -1 ). Finally, the established method was applied for the analysis of urine from two healthy volunteers. The results indicate that the prepared material is a practical, cost-effective medium for the extraction and determination of phenolic acids in complex matrices. Graphical Abstract A graphene oxide coating was grafted onto pure silica as the SPE material for the extraction of phenolic acids in urines and the extraction mechanism was also mainly investigated.

History and trends of bioactive glass-ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Montazerian, Maziar; Dutra Zanotto, Edgar

2016-05-01

The interest around bioactive glass-ceramics (GCs) has grown significantly over the last two decades due to their appropriate biochemical and mechanical properties. The intense research effort in this field has led to some new commercial products for biomedical applications. This review article begins with the basic concepts of GC processing and development via controlled heat treatments of monolithic pieces or sinter-crystallization of powdered glasses. We then go on to describe the processing, properties, and applications of some commercial bioactive GCs and discuss selected valuable reported researches on several promising types of bioactive GCs. The article finishes with a section on open relevant research directions for bioactive GC development. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Silicon Utilizing Microbial Bioactivities in the Biosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Sen, M. M.; Das, S.

2012-12-01

Diatoms are unicellular eukaryotic algae and an important member of the silicon utilizing organisms, that generate ~20% of the ~100 billion metric tons of organic carbon produced through photosynthesis on Earth each year. Fragilariopsis is a dominating psychrophilic diatom genus in polar sea ice. The two species Fragilariopsis cylindrus and Fragilariopsis curta are able to grow and divide below freezing temperature. Antifreeze proteins (AFPs), involved in cold adaptation in several psychrophilic organisms, are widespread in this two polar species. Achanthes minutissima isolated as dominant diatom has degradable effects involving petroleum hydocarbons. Phaeodactylum tricornutum, have antibacterial activity and the fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has been identified as one compound responsible for this activity. Other antibacterial compounds are monounsaturated fatty acid (9Z)-hexadecenoic acid (palmitoleic acid; C16:1 n-7) and the relatively unusual polyunsaturated fatty acid (6Z, 9Z, 12Z)-hexadecatrienoic acid (HTA; C16:3 n-4). Both are active against Gram-positive bacteria and many Gram-negative pathogen. Palmitoleic acid is active at micro-molar concentrations, kills bacteria rapidly, and is highly active against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Domoic acid -a neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia accumulates in marine invertebrates. Evidences of sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and human poisoning following consumption of contaminated blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) is mainly due to this toxin. Among the most prominent features described in human beings was memory impairment which led to the name Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning [ASP]. Silicon utilizing organisms can act as a bioindicator of environmental contamination, thus a rapid change in phytochelatins to both the increase in and the withdrawal of environmental Cd stress was found in Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii. Some of them also can produce biofuels particularly diatoms have significant

Identification and Characterization of Bioactive Peptides of Fermented Goat Milk as a Sources of Antioxidant as a Therapeutic Natural Product

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdi, Chanif; Untari, Handayu; Cendrakasih Padaga, Masdiana

2018-01-01

The increasing of functional food is rising in line with public awareness for healthy food consumption. Provision of functional food source is developed through enhanced bioactive that has a regulatory function for body. Bioactive peptides in milk is known have variety of beneficial function of the body such as immunomodulator, immunostimulatory, anti-hypertension, anti-hyper cholesterol, as well as a variety of other beneficial function. The aim of this study is to obtain fermentation methods to product functional dairy product contain bioactive peptides and beneficial of fermented goat milk. The result of this study showed that goat milk fermented using 3 % commercial starter able to produce the best yoghurt than using local yoghurt starter. Analysis of protein content showed that the fermentation processing increased the amount of protein in goat milk sample. Using SDS-PAGE showed that the breakdown of protein into fraction of fermented goat milk greater than unfermented goat milk. The result of fractional protein was analyzed by LC MS/MS and showed that there were three kind bioactive sequences of bioactive peptides. Each of which consist of 16 amino acids that safely protected from gastrointestinal animal model that fed by dietary treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Therapeutic potential of dairy bioactive peptides: A contemporary perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Sultan, Saira; Huma, Nuzhat; Butt, Masood Sadiq; Aleem, Muhammad; Abbas, Munawar

2018-01-02

Dairy products are associated with numerous health benefits. These are a good source of nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein (bioactive peptides), lipids, minerals, and vitamins, which are essential for growth, development, and maintenance of the human body. Accordingly, dairy bioactive peptides are one of the targeted compounds present in different dairy products. Dairy bioactive compounds can be classified as antihypertensive, anti-oxidative, immmunomodulant, anti-mutagenic, antimicrobial, opoid, anti-thrombotic, anti-obesity, and mineral-binding agents, depending upon biological functions. These bioactive peptides can easily be produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, and during fermentation and gastrointestinal digestion. For this reason, fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, and sour milk, are gaining popularity worldwide, and are considered excellent source of dairy peptides. Furthermore, fermented and non-fermented dairy products are associated with lower risks of hypertension, coagulopathy, stroke, and cancer insurgences. The current review article is an attempt to disseminate general information about dairy peptides and their health claims to scientists, allied stakeholders, and, certainly, readers.

Alkali-free bioactive glasses for bone regeneration

OpenAIRE

Kapoor, Saurabh

2014-01-01

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics are a class of third generation biomaterials which elicit a special response on their surface when in contact with biological fluids, leading to strong bonding to living tissues. The purpose of the present study was to develop diopside based alkali-free bioactive glasses in order to achieve good sintering behaviour, high bioactivity, and a dissolution/ degradation rates compatible with the target applications in bone regeneration and tiss...

Influence of cell culture medium composition on in vitro dissolution behavior of a fluoride-containing bioactive glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Furqan A; Brauer, Delia S; Wilson, Rory M; Hill, Robert G; Hing, Karin A

2014-03-01

Bioactive glasses are used clinically for bone regeneration, and their bioactivity and cell compatibility are often characterized in vitro, using physiologically relevant test solutions. The aim of this study was to show the influence of varying medium characteristics (pH, composition, presence of proteins) on glass dissolution and apatite formation. The dissolution behavior of a fluoride-containing bioactive glass (BG) was investigated over a period of one week in Eagle's Minimal Essential Medium with Earle's Salts (MEM), supplemented with either, (a) acetate buffer, (b) 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer, (c) HEPES + carbonate, or (d) HEPES + carbonate + fetal bovine serum. Results show pronounced differences in pH, ion release, and apatite formation over 1 week: Despite its acidic pH (pH 5.8 after BG immersion, as compared to pH 7.4-8.3 for HEPES-containing media), apatite formation was fastest in acetate buffered (HEPES-free) MEM. Presence of carbonate resulted in formation of calcite (calcium carbonate). Presence of serum proteins, on the other hand, delayed apatite formation significantly. These results confirm that the composition and properties of a tissue culture medium are important factors during in vitro experiments and need to be taken into consideration when interpreting results from dissolution or cell culture studies. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biota: Providing often-overlooked connections among freshwater systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mushet, David M.; Christensen, Jay R.; Bennett, Michah; Alexander, Laurie C.

2017-01-01

When we think about connections in and among aquatic systems, we typically envision clear headwater streams flowing into downstream rivers, river floodwaters spilling out onto adjacent floodplains, or groundwater connecting wetlands to lakes and streams. However, there is another layer of connectivity moving materials among freshwater systems, one with connections that are not always tied to downgradient flows of surface waters and groundwater. These movements are those of organisms, key components of virtually every freshwater system on the planet. In their movements across the landscape, biota connect aquatic systems in often-overlooked ways.

Effect of a novel bioactive glass-ceramic on dentinal tubule occlusion: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Y; Liu, J; Li, X; Yin, W; He, T; Hu, D; Liao, Y; Yao, X; Wang, Y

2015-03-01

This in vitro study aimed to assess the ability and efficacy of HX-BGC, a novel bioactive glass-ceramic (SiO2-P2 O5-CaO-Na2 O-SrO), to reduce dentine tubule permeability. Dentine discs from human third molars were etched and randomly allocated into five groups: Group 1--distilled water; Group 2--Sensodyne Repair toothpaste (containing NovaMin®); Group 3--HX-BGC toothpaste (containing 7.5% HX-BGC); Group 4--control toothpaste (without HX-BGC); and Group 5--HX-BGC powder. Specimens were treated daily by brushing with an electric toothbrush for 20 seconds. Between daily treatments (7 days total), specimens were immersed in artificial saliva for 24 hours. Dentine permeability was measured at baseline, after the first treatment, after the first 24-hour immersion in artificial saliva and at the end of day 7. Dentine morphology and surface deposits were observed by scanning electron microscopy after one day and 7 days of treatment, respectively. Sensodyne Repair and bioactive glass-ceramic toothpaste significantly and immediately lowered dentine permeability. The HX-BGC powder group showed the highest reduction in dentine permeability after 7 days of treatment. The novel bioactive glass-ceramic material HX-BGC is effective in reducing dentine permeability by occluding open dentine tubules, indicating that HX-BGC may be a potential treatment for dentine hypersensitivity. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

Marine Bioactives as Functional Food Ingredients: Potential to Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Lordan, Sinéad; Ross, R. Paul; Stanton, Catherine

2011-01-01

The marine environment represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to various aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Moreover, numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities, with some reported to interfere with the pathogenesis of diseases. Bioactive peptides isolated from fish protein hydrolysates as well as algal fucans, galactans and alginates have been shown to possess anticoagulant, anticancer and hypocholesterolemic activities. Additionally, fish oils and marine bacteria are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while crustaceans and seaweeds contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. On the basis of their bioactive properties, this review focuses on the potential use of marine-derived compounds as functional food ingredients for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic diseases. PMID:21747748

Marine Bioactives as Functional Food Ingredients: Potential to Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Stanton

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The marine environment represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to various aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Moreover, numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities, with some reported to interfere with the pathogenesis of diseases. Bioactive peptides isolated from fish protein hydrolysates as well as algal fucans, galactans and alginates have been shown to possess anticoagulant, anticancer and hypocholesterolemic activities. Additionally, fish oils and marine bacteria are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while crustaceans and seaweeds contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. On the basis of their bioactive properties, this review focuses on the potential use of marine-derived compounds as functional food ingredients for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic diseases.

Applied bioactive polymeric materials

CERN Document Server

Carraher, Charles; Foster, Van

1988-01-01

The biological and biomedical applications of polymeric materials have increased greatly in the past few years. This book will detail some, but not all, of these recent developments. There would not be enough space in this book to cover, even lightly, all of the major advances that have occurred. Some earlier books and summaries are available by two of this book's Editors (Gebelein & Carraher) and these should be consul ted for additional information. The books are: "Bioactive Polymeric Systems" (Plenum, 1985); "Polymeric Materials In Medication" (Plenum, 1985); "Biological Acti vi ties of Polymers" (American Chemical Society, 1982). Of these three, "Bioacti ve Polymeric Systems" should be the most useful to a person who is new to this field because it only contains review articles written at an introductory level. The present book primarily consists of recent research results and applications, with only a few review or summary articles. Bioactive polymeric materials have existed from the creation of life...

Human Milk Composition: Nutrients and Bioactive Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Ballard, Olivia; Morrow, Ardythe L.

2013-01-01

Synopsis The composition of human milk is the biologic norm for infant nutrition. Human milk also contains many hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute to immune maturation, organ development, and healthy microbial colonization. Some of these molecules, e.g., lactoferrin, are being investigated as novel therapeutic agents. A dynamic, bioactive fluid, human milk changes in composition from colostrum to late lactation, and varies within feeds, diurnally, and between mothers. Feeding infants with expressed human milk is increasing. Pasteurized donor milk is now commonly provided to high risk infants and most mothers in the U.S. express and freeze their milk at some point in lactation for future infant feedings. Many milk proteins are degraded by heat treatment and freeze-thaw cycles may not have the same bioactivity after undergoing these treatments. This article provides an overview of the composition of human milk, sources of its variation, and its clinical relevance. PMID:23178060

Evaluation of fruit quality, bioactive compounds and total antioxidant activity of flat peach cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Vaio, Claudio; Marallo, Nadia; Graziani, Giulia; Ritieni, Alberto; Di Matteo, Antonio

2015-08-15

Fruit quality traits (fresh weight, dry weight, soluble solids content, titratable acidity and firmness) as well as the content of bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds) and total antioxidant activity were evaluated in four commercial cultivars of peach (Greta, Ufo 4, Rome Star and Ufo 6) and four of nectarine (Neve, Planet 1, Maria Carla and Mesembrina) differing in fruit shape (standard or flat) and flesh colour (white or yellow), important cultivars of the Italian and foreign market. The higher fruit organoleptic quality and nutritional profile of flat peach and nectarine cultivars make them candidates for exploiting new market opportunities and the chance to improve profits of farmers. The results showed that assayed quality parameters differed greatly among cultivars. In particular, flesh color and fruit shape accounted for most of the variation in traits underlying organoleptic and nutritional quality. Overall data suggested that the flat white-fleshed nectarine Planet 1, the yellow-fleshed nectarine Mesembrina and the yellow-fleshed peach Ufo 6, because of their profiles in terms of soluble solids content, titratable acidity and bioactive compounds, have the greatest potential to meet current consumer requirements. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bread enriched in lycopene and other bioactive compounds by addition of dry tomato waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Nour, Violeta; Ionica, Mira Elena; Trandafir, Ion

2015-12-01

The tomato processing industry generates high amounts of waste, mainly tomato skins and seeds, which create environmental problems. These residues are attractive sources of valuable bioactive components and pigments. A relatively simple recovery technology could consist of production of powders to be directly incorporated into foods. Tomato waste coming from a Romanian tomato processing unit were analyzed for the content of several bioactive compounds like ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene, total phenolics, mineral and trace elements. In addition, its antioxidant capacity was assayed. Results revealed that tomato waste (skins and seeds) could be successfully utilized as functional ingredient for the formulation of antioxidant rich functional foods. Dry tomato processing waste were used to supplement wheat flour at 6 and 10 % levels (w/w flour basis) and the effects on the bread's physicochemical, baking and sensorial characteristics were studied. The following changes were observed: increase in moisture content, titratable acidity and bread crumb elasticity, reduction in specific volume and bread crumb porosity. The addition of dry tomato waste at 6 % resulted in bread with good sensory characteristics and overall acceptability but as the amount of dry tomato waste increased to 10 %, bread was less acceptable.

Impact of high hydrostatic pressure and pasteurization on the structure and the extractability of bioactive compounds of persimmon “Rojo Brillante”.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Carrión, M; Vázquez-Gutiérrez, J L; Hernando, I; Quiles, A

2014-01-01

Rojo Brillante is an astringent oriental persimmon variety with high levels of bioactive compounds such as soluble tannins, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and dietary fiber. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and pasteurization on the structure of the fruit and on the extractability of certain bioactive compounds. The microstructure was studied using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and low temperature scanning electron microscopy, and certain physicochemical properties (carotenoid and total soluble tannin content, antioxidant activity, fiber content, color, and texture properties) were measured. The structural changes induced by HHP caused a rise in solute circulation in the tissues that could be responsible for the increased carotenoid level and the unchanged antioxidant activity in comparison with the untreated persimmon. In contrast, the changes that took place during pasteurization lowered the tannin content and antioxidant activity. Consequently, HHP treatment could improve the extraction of potentially bioactive compoundsxsts from persimmons. A high nutritional value ingredient to be used when formulating new functional foods could be obtained using HHP. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Study on bioactive compounds of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis and natural Calculus Bovis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Tien-Chun; Cheng, Fu-Yuan; Liu, Yu-Tse; Lin, Liang-Chuan; Sakata, Ryoichi

2009-12-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate bioactive compounds of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis and natural Calculus Bovis obtained as valuable by-products from animals used for meat production. The results showed that the components of natural Calculus Bovis were rich in bilirubin and biliverdin and had higher content of essential amino acids. The major amino acids of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis were identified as glycine, alanine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and those for natural Calculus Bovis were found to be glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, and arginine. The methionine and cysteine contents of precursors for glutathione in natural Calculus Bovis were significantly higher than those of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis. The mineral contents of zinc, iron and manganese of natural Calculus Bovis were significantly higher than those of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis. The major bile acids in both products were cholic acid and dehydrocholic acid, respectively. The chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acid content of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis was significantly higher than that of natural Calculus Bovis.

Fabrication and bioactivity behavior of HA/bioactive glass composites in the presence of calcium hexaboride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Bassyouni, Gehan T.; Beherei, Hanan H. [Biomaterials Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Mohamed, Khaled R., E-mail: kh_rezk1966@yahoo.com [Biomaterials Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Kenawy, Sayed H. [Ceramics Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt)

2016-06-01

In the current study, composites were prepared using both the synthesized nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA), bioactive glass (BG) powders (obtained by the traditional melt-quenching route) together with the purchased nano-sized calcium hexaboride (CB) with different ratios and were fired at 1250 °C. The structure and composition of the solid reaction products were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy; scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques and compressive strength. The mechanical testing was to designate the role of the CB in improving the mechanical property of the prepared composites. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared composites was assessed by soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ± 0.5 °°C for 10 days. The effect of different ratios of the three components (CB, HA & BG) on the bioactivity properties was assessed to explore the possibility of enhancing such property to perform in vitro imitations of in vivo conditions in the future. It can be pointed out that the Si-HA content in the composition showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity than pure hydroxyapatite which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized composites. - Highlights: • The prepared of nano-composites containing CB, HA and BG powders were achieved. • The addition of CB powder enhanced the compressive strength for all the composites. • The composites containing high BG and CB contents improved formation of bone-like apatite layer.

Fabrication and bioactivity behavior of HA/bioactive glass composites in the presence of calcium hexaboride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Bassyouni, Gehan T.; Beherei, Hanan H.; Mohamed, Khaled R.; Kenawy, Sayed H.

2016-01-01

In the current study, composites were prepared using both the synthesized nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA), bioactive glass (BG) powders (obtained by the traditional melt-quenching route) together with the purchased nano-sized calcium hexaboride (CB) with different ratios and were fired at 1250 °C. The structure and composition of the solid reaction products were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy; scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques and compressive strength. The mechanical testing was to designate the role of the CB in improving the mechanical property of the prepared composites. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared composites was assessed by soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ± 0.5 °°C for 10 days. The effect of different ratios of the three components (CB, HA & BG) on the bioactivity properties was assessed to explore the possibility of enhancing such property to perform in vitro imitations of in vivo conditions in the future. It can be pointed out that the Si-HA content in the composition showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity than pure hydroxyapatite which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized composites. - Highlights: • The prepared of nano-composites containing CB, HA and BG powders were achieved. • The addition of CB powder enhanced the compressive strength for all the composites. • The composites containing high BG and CB contents improved formation of bone-like apatite layer.

Chemically Aware Model Builder (camb): an R package for property and bioactivity modelling of small molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Murrell, Daniel S; Cortes-Ciriano, Isidro; van Westen, Gerard J P; Stott, Ian P; Bender, Andreas; Malliavin, Thérèse E; Glen, Robert C

2015-01-01

In silico predictive models have proved to be valuable for the optimisation of compound potency, selectivity and safety profiles in the drug discovery process. camb is an R package that provides an environment for the rapid generation of quantitative Structure-Property and Structure-Activity models for small molecules (including QSAR, QSPR, QSAM, PCM) and is aimed at both advanced and beginner R users. camb's capabilities include the standardisation of chemical structure representation, computation of 905 one-dimensional and 14 fingerprint type descriptors for small molecules, 8 types of amino acid descriptors, 13 whole protein sequence descriptors, filtering methods for feature selection, generation of predictive models (using an interface to the R package caret), as well as techniques to create model ensembles using techniques from the R package caretEnsemble). Results can be visualised through high-quality, customisable plots (R package ggplot2). Overall, camb constitutes an open-source framework to perform the following steps: (1) compound standardisation, (2) molecular and protein descriptor calculation, (3) descriptor pre-processing and model training, visualisation and validation, and (4) bioactivity/property prediction for new molecules. camb aims to speed model generation, in order to provide reproducibility and tests of robustness. QSPR and proteochemometric case studies are included which demonstrate camb's application.Graphical abstractFrom compounds and data to models: a complete model building workflow in one package.

Immense essence of excellence: marine microbial bioactive compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, Ira; Kim, Se-Kwon

2010-10-15

Oceans have borne most of the biological activities on our planet. A number of biologically active compounds with varying degrees of action, such as anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-microtubule, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, photo protective, as well as antibiotic and antifouling properties, have been isolated to date from marine sources. The marine environment also represents a largely unexplored source for isolation of new microbes (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, microalgae-cyanobacteria and diatoms) that are potent producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Extensive research has been done to unveil the bioactive potential of marine microbes (free living and symbiotic) and the results are amazingly diverse and productive. Some of these bioactive secondary metabolites of microbial origin with strong antibacterial and antifungal activities are being intensely used as antibiotics and may be effective against infectious diseases such as HIV, conditions of multiple bacterial infections (penicillin, cephalosporines, streptomycin, and vancomycin) or neuropsychiatric sequelae. Research is also being conducted on the general aspects of biophysical and biochemical properties, chemical structures and biotechnological applications of the bioactive substances derived from marine microorganisms, and their potential use as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals. This review is an attempt to consolidate the latest studies and critical research in this field, and to showcase the immense competence of marine microbial flora as bioactive metabolite producers. In addition, the present review addresses some effective and novel approaches of procuring marine microbial compounds utilizing the latest screening strategies of drug discovery.

Immense Essence of Excellence: Marine Microbial Bioactive Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ira Bhatnagar

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Oceans have borne most of the biological activities on our planet. A number of biologically active compounds with varying degrees of action, such as anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-microtubule, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, photo protective, as well as antibiotic and antifouling properties, have been isolated to date from marine sources. The marine environment also represents a largely unexplored source for isolation of new microbes (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, microalgae-cyanobacteria and diatoms that are potent producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Extensive research has been done to unveil the bioactive potential of marine microbes (free living and symbiotic and the results are amazingly diverse and productive. Some of these bioactive secondary metabolites of microbial origin with strong antibacterial and antifungal activities are being intensely used as antibiotics and may be effective against infectious diseases such as HIV, conditions of multiple bacterial infections (penicillin, cephalosporines, streptomycin, and vancomycin or neuropsychiatric sequelae. Research is also being conducted on the general aspects of biophysical and biochemical properties, chemical structures and biotechnological applications of the bioactive substances derived from marine microorganisms, and their potential use as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals. This review is an attempt to consolidate the latest studies and critical research in this field, and to showcase the immense competence of marine microbial flora as bioactive metabolite producers. In addition, the present review addresses some effective and novel approaches of procuring marine microbial compounds utilizing the latest screening strategies of drug discovery.

Encapsulation for preservation of functionality and targeted delivery of bioactive food components

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vos, Paul; Faas, Marijke M.; Spasojevic, Milica; Sikkema, Jan

There has been a tremendous increase in the number of food products containing bioactive components with a health promoting or disease preventing effect. Bioactive food components can be divided into bioactive molecules and bioactive living cells (probiotics). Both bioactive molecules and bioactive

Lipidomic Approaches towards Deciphering Glycolipids from Microalgae as a Reservoir of Bioactive Lipids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabete da Costa

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, noteworthy research has been performed around lipids from microalgae. Among lipids, glycolipids (GLs are quite abundant in microalgae and are considered an important source of fatty acids (FAs. GLs are rich in 16- and 18-carbon saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and often contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs like n-3 α-linolenic (ALA 18:3, eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6. GLs comprise three major classes: monogalactosyldiacyl glycerolipids (MGDGs, digalactosyl diacylglycerolipids (DGDGs and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerolipids (SQDGs, whose composition in FA directly depends on the growth conditions. Some of these lipids are high value-added compounds with antitumoral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and also with important nutritional significance. To fully explore GLs’ bioactive properties it is necessary to fully characterize their structure and to understand the relation between the structure and their biological properties, which can be addressed using modern mass spectrometry (MS-based lipidomic approaches. This review will focus on the up-to-date FA composition of GLs identified by MS-based lipidomics and their potential as phytochemicals.

Bioactive compounds and quality parameters of avocado oil obtained by different processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Krumreich, Fernanda D; Borges, Caroline D; Mendonça, Carla Rosane B; Jansen-Alves, Cristina; Zambiazi, Rui C

2018-08-15

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of avocado oil whose pulp was processed through different drying and oil extraction methods. The physicochemical characteristics of avocados cv. Breda were determined after drying the pulp in an oven under ventilation (40 °C and 60 °C) and vacuum oven (60 °C), followed by the oil extracted by mechanical pressing or the Soxhlet method. From the approximately 72% pulp found in the avocado fruit, the 16% fraction is lipids. The quality indices evaluated in avocado oil showed better results when the pulp was dried at 60 °C under vacuum and oil extraction was done by the Soxhlet method with petroleum ether, whereas the bioactive compounds were better preserved when the avocado pulp was dried at 60 °C under ventilation and mechanical pressing was used for the oil extraction. Among the fatty acids found, oleic acid was the main. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances on Bioactive Polysaccharides from Medicinal Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jian-Hua; Jin, Ming-Liang; Morris, Gordon A; Zha, Xue-Qiang; Chen, Han-Qing; Yi, Yang; Li, Jing-En; Wang, Zhi-Jun; Gao, Jie; Nie, Shao-Ping; Shang, Peng; Xie, Ming-Yong

2016-07-29

In recent decades, the polysaccharides from the medicinal plants have attracted a lot of attention due to their significant bioactivities, such as anti-tumor activity, antioxidant activity, anticoagulant activity, antidiabetic activity, radioprotection effect, anti-viral activity, hypolipidemic and immunomodulatory activities, which make them suitable for medicinal applications. Previous studies have also shown that medicinal plant polysaccharides are non-toxic and show no side effects. Based on these encouraging observations, most researches have been focusing on the isolation and identification of polysaccharides, as well as their bioactivities. A large number of bioactive polysaccharides with different structural features and biological effects from medicinal plants have been purified and characterized. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments in physiochemical, structural features and biological activities of bioactive polysaccharides from a number of important medicinal plants, such as polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium plants, Bupleurum, Cactus fruits, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Dimocarpus longan Lour. Moreover, the paper has also been focused on the applications of bioactive polysaccharides for medicinal applications. Recent studies have provided evidence that polysaccharides from medicinal plants can play a vital role in bioactivities. The contents and data will serve as a useful reference material for further investigation, production, and application of these polysaccharides in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

Peptides: Production, bioactivity, functionality, and applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hajfathalian, Mona; Ghelichi, Sakhi; García Moreno, Pedro Jesús

2017-01-01

Production of peptides with various effects from proteins of different sources continues to receive academic attention. Researchers of different disciplines are putting increasing efforts to produce bioactive and functional peptides from different sources such as plants, animals, and food industry...... by-products. The aim of this review is to introduce production methods of hydrolysates and peptides and provide a comprehensive overview of their bioactivity in terms of their effects on immune, cardiovascular, nervous, and gastrointestinal systems. Moreover, functional and antioxidant properties...... of hydrolysates and isolated peptides are reviewed. Finally, industrial and commercial applications of bioactive peptides including their use in nutrition and production of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are discussed....

Differential effect of adrenocorticosteroids on 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase bioactivity at the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Idrus, R B; Mohamad, N B; Morat, P B; Saim, A; Abdul Kadir, K B

1996-08-01

11 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-OHSD) is a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the dehydrogenation of cortisol (F) to cortisone (E) in man and corticosterone (B) to 11-dehydrocorticosterone (A) in rats. 11 beta-OHSD has been identified in a wide variety of tissues. The differential distribution of 11 beta-OHSD suggests that this enzyme has locally defined functions that vary from region to region. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the glucocorticoids B and dexamethasone (DM), the mineralocorticoid deoxycorticosterone (DOC), and the inhibitors of 11 beta-OHSD glycyrrhizic acid (Gl) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GE) on 11 beta-OHSD bioactivity at the hypothalamus (HT) and anterior pituitary (AP). Male Wistar rats were treated with GI or were adrenalectomized (ADX) and treated with either B, DM, or DOC for 7 days. All treatments were in vivo except GE, which was used in vitro. At the end of treatment, homogenates of HT and AP were assayed for 11 beta-OHSD bioactivity, expressed as the percentage conversion of B to A in the presence of NADP, 11 beta-OHSD bioactivity is significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in the AP compared with the HT. Adrenalectomy significantly increased the enzyme activity in the AP (P < 0.05), an effect reversed by B or DM. ADX rats treated with DOC showed decreased enzyme activity in the AP (P < 0.001) but increased the activity in the HT (P < 0.0001). Gl increased activity in both HT and AP, whereas GE decreased activity significantly. We conclude that the modulation of 11 beta-OHSD is both steroid specific and tissue specific.

Content and Composition of Branched-Chain Fatty Acids in Bovine Milk Are Affected by Lactation Stage and Breed of Dairy Cow.

Science.gov (United States)

Bainbridge, Melissa L; Cersosimo, Laura M; Wright, André-Denis G; Kraft, Jana

2016-01-01

Dairy products contain bioactive fatty acids (FA) and are a unique dietary source of an emerging class of bioactive FA, branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA). The objective of this study was to compare the content and profile of bioactive FA in milk, with emphasis on BCFA, among Holstein (HO), Jersey (JE), and first generation HO x JE crossbreeds (CB) across a lactation to better understand the impact of these factors on FA of interest to human health. Twenty-two primiparous cows (n = 7 HO, n = 7 CB, n = 8 JE) were followed across a lactation. All cows were fed a consistent total mixed ration (TMR) at a 70:30 forage to concentrate ratio. Time points were defined as 5 days in milk (DIM), 95 DIM, 185 DIM, and 275 DIM. HO and CB had a higher content of n-3 FA at 5 DIM than JE and a lower n-6:n-3 ratio. Time point had an effect on the n-6:n-3 ratio, with the lowest value observed at 5 DIM and the highest at 185 DIM. The content of vaccenic acid was highest at 5 DIM, yet rumenic acid was unaffected by time point or breed. Total odd and BCFA (OBCFA) were higher in JE than HO and CB at 185 and 275 DIM. Breed affected the content of individual BCFA. The content of iso-14:0 and iso-16:0 in milk was higher in JE than HO and CB from 95 to 275 DIM. Total OBCFA were affected by time point, with the highest content in milk at 275 DIM. In conclusion, HO and CB exhibited a higher content of several bioactive FA in milk than JE. Across a lactation the greatest content of bioactive FA in milk occurred at 5 DIM and OBCFA were highest at 275 DIM.

Functionalization of yogurts with Agaricus bisporus extracts encapsulated in spray-dried maltodextrin crosslinked with citric acid.

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Francisco, Cristhian R L; Heleno, Sandrina A; Fernandes, Isabel P M; Barreira, João C M; Calhelha, Ricardo C; Barros, Lillian; Gonçalves, Odinei Hess; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Barreiro, Maria Filomena

2018-04-15

Mushroom extracts contain bioactive compounds potentially useful to functionalize foodstuffs. Herein, alcoholic extracts of Agaricus bisporus were studied for their bioactivity and viability as functional ingredients in a food product with high water content (yogurt). Extracts were microencapsulated (to improve their stability and hydrophilicity) by spray-drying, using maltodextrin crosslinked with citric acid as encapsulating material. The effect of thermal treatment (after atomization) on crosslinking and bioactivity of microspheres was tested. The incorporation of free and thermally untreated forms resulted in yogurts with higher initial antioxidant activity (EC 50 values: 214 and 272 mg.mL -1 ) that decreased after 7 days (EC 50 values: 248 and 314 mg.mL -1 ). Contrarily, thermally treated microencapsulated extracts showed higher antioxidant activity after the same period (EC 50 values, 0 days: 106 mg.mL -1 ; 7 days: 48.7 mg.mL -1 ), in result of an effective protection provided by microencapsulation with crosslinked maltodextrin and citric acid. Functionalized yogurts showed an overall maintenance of nutritional properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioactive phytochemicals and antioxidant activity in fresh and dried lychee fractions1

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Estela de Rezende Queiroz

Full Text Available Fruit of the lychee cv. Bengal are approximately 50% peel and seeds, which are discarded. These by-products have antioxidant compounds which are capable of blocking the harmful effects of free radicals in the body. Bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, lycopene and phenols and antioxidant activity were evaluated in different extracts, both fresh and dried at 45 °C, of the skin, pulp and seeds of the lychee, which were subjected to principal component analysis to clarify which of the compounds are responsible for this activity. Principal component analysis explained 82.90% of the variance of the antioxidant profile of the lychee. The peel displayed higher levels of phenols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and antioxidant activity, while the seeds stood out due to their levels of lycopene. With drying, there was a decrease in the levels of ascorbic acid and beta-carotene and in antioxidant activity, with an increase in the levels of phenols and lycopene. The antioxidant activity found in the peel and seeds of the lychee is high, and is mainly due to ascorbic acid and beta-carotene, as demonstrated by principal component analysis, allowing the use of these fractions as sources of natural antioxidants.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and Its Bioactive Constituents Exhibit Antiviral Activity against HSV-2 and Anti-enzymatic Properties against Urease by an ESI-MS Based Assay.

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Hassan, Sherif T S; Švajdlenka, Emil; Berchová-Bímová, Kateřina

2017-04-30

For decades, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and its phytochemicals have been shown to possess a wide range of pharmacologic properties. In this study, aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (AEHS) and its bioactive constituent protocatechuic acid (PCA), have been evaluated in vitro for their antiviral activity against HSV-2 clinical isolates and anti-enzymatic activity against urease. Antiherpetic activity was evaluated by the titer reduction assay in infected Vero cells, and cytotoxicity was evaluated by the neutral red dye-uptake method. Anti-urease activity was determined by a developed Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS)-based assay. PCA showed potent anti-HSV-2 activity compared with that of acyclovir, with EC 50 values of 0.92 and 1.43 µg∙mL -1 , respectively, and selectivity indices > 217 and > 140, respectively. For the first time, AEHS was shown to exert anti-urease inhibition activity, with an IC 50 value of 82.4 µg∙mL -1 . This, combined with its safety, could facilitate its use in practical applications as a natural urease inhibitor. Our results present Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and its bioactive compound PCA as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of HSV-2 infection and the treatment of diseases caused by urease-producing bacteria.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and Its Bioactive Constituents Exhibit Antiviral Activity against HSV-2 and Anti-enzymatic Properties against Urease by an ESI-MS Based Assay

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Sherif T. S. Hassan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available For decades, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and its phytochemicals have been shown to possess a wide range of pharmacologic properties. In this study, aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (AEHS and its bioactive constituent protocatechuic acid (PCA, have been evaluated in vitro for their antiviral activity against HSV-2 clinical isolates and anti-enzymatic activity against urease. Antiherpetic activity was evaluated by the titer reduction assay in infected Vero cells, and cytotoxicity was evaluated by the neutral red dye-uptake method. Anti-urease activity was determined by a developed Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS-based assay. PCA showed potent anti-HSV-2 activity compared with that of acyclovir, with EC50 values of 0.92 and 1.43 µg∙mL−1, respectively, and selectivity indices > 217 and > 140, respectively. For the first time, AEHS was shown to exert anti-urease inhibition activity, with an IC50 value of 82.4 µg∙mL−1. This, combined with its safety, could facilitate its use in practical applications as a natural urease inhibitor. Our results present Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and its bioactive compound PCA as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of HSV-2 infection and the treatment of diseases caused by urease-producing bacteria.

Profile of bioactive compounds from grape pomace (Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca) by spectrophotometric, chromatographic and spectral analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, L F; Ribani, R H; Francisco, T M G; Soares, A A; Pontarolo, R; Haminiuk, C W I

2015-12-15

The aim of this study was to characterize grape pomace (GP) from winemaking byproducts of different grape samples (Cabernet Sauvignon-CS; Merlot-ME; Mix composed of 65% Bordeaux, 25% Isabel and 10% BRS Violet-MI and Terci-TE) with a view to exploiting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds and an alternative to the reuse of waste. Bioactive compounds such as individual phenolic compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were identified and quantified by spectrophotometric, chromatographic and spectral analyses. The sample of MI had the highest concentrations for total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids, while TE had the highest content for total monomeric anthocyanins. For all samples it was possible to identify 13 different anthocyanins by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). Moreover, the GP samples showed phenolic acids; flavan-3-ols such as catechin; flavonols such as quercetin, rutin and kaempferol; and stilbenes such as trans-resveratrol. Therefore, grape pomace can be considered a source for the recovery of phenolic compounds having antioxidant activity as well as a rich source of PUFA. Thus it can be used as an ingredient in the development of new food products, since it is suitable for human consumption, and a viable alternative both to adding nutritional value to food and to reduce environmental contamination. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Antidiabetic Activity from Gallic Acid Encapsulated Nanochitosan

Science.gov (United States)

Purbowatiningrum; Ngadiwiyana; Ismiyarto; Fachriyah, E.; Eviana, I.; Eldiana, O.; Amaliyah, N.; Sektianingrum, A. N.

2017-02-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a health problem in the world because it causes death. One of the phenolic compounds that have antidiabetic activity is gallic acid. However, the use of this compound still provides unsatisfactory results due to its degradation during the absorption process. The solution offered to solve the problem is by encapsulated it within chitosan nanoparticles that serve to protect the bioactive compound from degradation, increases of solubility and delivery of a bioactive compound to the target site by using freeze-drying technique. The result of chitosan nanoparticle’s Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that chitosan nanoparticle’s size is uniform and it is smaller than chitosan. The value of encapsulation efficiency (EE) of gallic acid which encapsulated within chitosan nanoparticles is about 50.76%. Inhibition test result showed that gallic acid-chitosan nanoparticles at 50 ppm could inhibite α-glucosidase activity in 28.87% with 54.94 in IC50. So it can be concluded that gallic acid can be encapsulated in nanoparticles of chitosan and proved that it could inhibit α-glucosidase.

Bio-Activity and Dereplication-Based Discovery of Ophiobolins and Other Fungal Secondary Metabolites Targeting Leukemia Cells

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Tanja Thorskov Bladt

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize fungal natural products (NPs with in vitro bioactivity towards leukemia cells. We based our screening on a combined analytical and bio-guided approach of LC-DAD-HRMS dereplication, explorative solid-phase extraction (E-SPE, and a co-culture platform of CLL and stromal cells. A total of 289 fungal extracts were screened and we tracked the activity to single compounds in seven of the most active extracts. The novel ophiobolin U was isolated together with the known ophiobolins C, H, K as well as 6-epiophiobolins G, K and N from three fungal strains in the Aspergillus section Usti. Ophiobolins A, B, C and K displayed bioactivity towards leukemia cells with induction of apoptosis at nanomolar concentrations. The remaining ophiobolins were mainly inactive or only slightly active at micromolar concentrations. Dereplication of those ophiobolin derivatives possessing different activity in combination with structural analysis allowed a correlation of the chemical structure and conformation with the extent of bioactivity, identifying the hydroxy group at C3 and an aldehyde at C21, as well as the A/B-cis ring structure, as indispensible for the strong activity of the ophiobolins. The known compounds penicillic acid, viridicatumtoxin, calbistrin A, brefeldin A, emestrin A, and neosolaniol monoacetate were identified from the extracts and also found generally cytotoxic.

Innovative micro-textured hydroxyapatite and poly(l-lactic)-acid polymer composite film as a flexible, corrosion resistant, biocompatible, and bioactive coating for Mg implants.

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Kim, Sae-Mi; Kang, Min-Ho; Kim, Hyoun-Ee; Lim, Ho-Kyung; Byun, Soo-Hwan; Lee, Jong-Ho; Lee, Sung-Mi

2017-12-01

The utility of a novel ceramic/polymer-composite coating with a micro-textured microstructure that would significantly enhance the functions of biodegradable Mg implants is demonstrated here. To accomplish this, bioactive hydroxyapatite (HA) micro-dots can be created by immersing a Mg implant with a micro-patterned photoresist surface in an aqueous solution containing calcium and phosphate ions. The HA micro-dots can then be surrounded by a flexible poly(l-lactic)-acid (PLLA) polymer using spin coating to form a HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer. The HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer showed an excellent corrosion resistance when it was immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution and good biocompatibility, which was assessed by in vitro cell tests. In addition, the HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer had high deformation ability, where no apparent changes in the coating layer were observed even after a 5% elongation, which would be unobtainable using HA and PLLA coating layers; furthermore, this allowed the mechanically-strained Mg implant with the HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer to preserve its excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility in vitro. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lowering dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids: interaction with brain arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Alashmali, Shoug M; Hopperton, Kathryn E; Bazinet, Richard P

2016-02-01

Arachidonic (ARA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the brain, where they have many biological effects, including on inflammation, cell-signaling, appetite regulation, and blood flow. The Western diet contains a high ratio of n-6: n-3 PUFA. Although interest in lowering this ratio has largely focused on increasing intake of n-3 PUFA, few studies have examined lowering dietary n-6 PUFA. This review will evaluate the effect of lowering dietary n-6 PUFA on levels and metabolism of ARA and DHA in animal models and in humans, with a primary focus on the brain. In animal models, lowering dietary ARA or linoleic acid generally lowers levels of brain ARA and raises DHA. Lowering dietary n-6 PUFA can also modulate the levels of ARA and DHA metabolizing enzymes, as well as their associated bioactive mediators. Human studies examining changes in plasma fatty acid composition following n-6 PUFA lowering demonstrate no changes in levels of ARA and DHA, though there is evidence of alterations in their respective bioactive mediators. Lowering dietary n-6 PUFA, in animal models, can alter the levels and metabolism of ARA and DHA in the brain, but it remains to be determined whether these changes are clinically meaningful.

Seaweed Bioactivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zaharudin, Nazikussabah Binti

. In conclusion, two brown seaweeds, Laminaria digitata and Undaria pinnatifida, inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities due to their content of several bioactive components with a potential use for future functional foods. Their effects on the postprandial insulin response and the in vitro findings...

Isolation and Characterisation of Some Microalgae Bioactive Molecules

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Emeka Ugoala

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study involved the isolation, structure elucidation, and biological screening of secondary metabolites in freshwater microalgae for bioactive and chemically novel compounds. Isolates were fractionated and purified from the methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of microalgae via column chromatography technique over silica gel using a gradient mixture of solvents. The chemical structures of isolated compounds have been elucidated using Solid-state cross polarization (CP and magic angle spinning (MAS 13C-NMR spectroscopic technique at spectrometer frequency at a field strength corresponding to 91.3695 MHz for 13C and 363.331 MHz for 1H. Of the nine compounds isolated, eight have a glycan skeleton with attached amino acids units. Two of the eight contain beta amino acids units. These are not very common metabolites but hold promise as drug leads. The elements of diversity in the isolates were the gluco and manno configurations of the pyranose ring, the α-configurations at the anomeric centre, and the positions of the carbohydrate and amino acid sectors in the ring. These molecules are not easily available through gene technology since they are post translational products resulting from the activity of glycosyl hydrolases and transferases. The chemical shifts were rationalized in terms of the number of sugar residues, the sugar ring structures, the positions and anomeric configurations of the inter-sugar linkages. Considering all the NMR data, it was concluded that the compounds were glycylglycylglycylglycine, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-amino-4-methylpentanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-methylamino-4-methylpentanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-amino-4-methylpentanoate, α-D-glucopyranosyl-glycylglycine, α-D-glucopyranosyl-3-aminobutanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,4,7-triaminooctantrioic acid, α-D-mannopyranosyl-2-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid and α-D-mannopyranosyl-3-aminobutanoic acid.

Composite bone cements loaded with a bioactive and ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic: Leaching, bioactivity and cytocompatibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Verné, Enrica; Bruno, Matteo; Miola, Marta; Maina, Giovanni; Bianco, Carlotta; Cochis, Andrea; Rimondini, Lia

2015-08-01

In this work, composite bone cements, based on a commercial polymethylmethacrylate matrix (Palamed®) loaded with ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic particles (SC45), were produced and characterized in vitro. The ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic belongs to the system SiO2-Na2O-CaO-P2O5-FeO-Fe2O3 and contains magnetite (Fe3O4) crystals into a residual amorphous bioactive phase. Three different formulations (containing 10, 15 and 20 wt.% of glass-ceramic particles respectively) have been investigated. These materials are intended to be applied as bone fillers for the hyperthermic treatment of bone tumors. The morphological, compositional, calorimetric and mechanical properties of each formulation have been already discussed in a previous paper. The in vitro properties of the composite bone cements described in the present paper are related to iron ion leaching test (by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer), bioactivity (i.e. the ability to stimulate the formation of a hydroxyapatite - HAp - layer on their surface after soaking in simulated body fluid SBF) and cytocompatibility toward human osteosarcoma cells (ATCC CRL-1427, Mg63). Morphological and chemical characterizations by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectrometry have been performed on the composite samples after each test. The iron release was negligible and all the tested samples showed the growth of HAp on their surface after 28 days of immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Cells showed good viability, morphology, adhesion, density and the ability to develop bridge-like structures on all investigated samples. A synergistic effect between bioactivity and cell mineralization was also evidenced. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioactivity characterization of 45S5 bioglass using TL, OSL and EPR: Comparison with the case of 58S sol-gel bioactive glass

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Polymeris, G.S., E-mail: gspolymeris@ankara.edu.tr [Ankara University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 06100 Beşevler, Ankara (Turkey); Giannoulatou, V. [Ankara University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 06100 Beşevler, Ankara (Turkey); Solid State Section, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Kyriakidou, A. [Solid State Section, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Sfampa, I.K. [Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Theodorou, G.S. [Solid State Section, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Şahiner, E.; Meriç, N. [Ankara University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 06100 Beşevler, Ankara (Turkey); Kitis, G. [Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Paraskevopoulos, K.M. [Solid State Section, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2017-01-01

The current work exploits the effective application of thermoluminescence (TL), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and the possibility of applying Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) for the discrimination between different bioactive responses in the case of the 45S5 bioactive glass (SiO{sub 2} 45, Na{sub 2}O 24.5, CaO 24.5, P{sub 2}O{sub 5} 6 in wt%), which was synthesized through melting process. These techniques are suggested mainly due to their low spectroscopic detection thresholds. The original 45S5 in grain size range of 20–40 μm was immersed in the Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) for various different immersion times ranging over one week. In this work the 110 °C TL peak, a specific OSL component and the EPR signal at g = 2.013 ascribed to oxygen hole center (OHC) are used due to their sensitivity to the different bioactive responses. For all luminescence and EPR components, the intensity plot versus immersion time yields sharp discontinuities, resulting in effective probes regarding the timescale for both the beginning as well as the end of the procedure of the crystalline HCAp formation respectively. On the contrary to the smooth decreasing pattern of both luminescence entities, the peak to peak amplitude of the EPR signal indicates an initial increase for the initial 16 min of immersion, followed by a further decrease throughout the immersion time duration. The discontinuities monitored for both sensitivity of TL, OSL and EPR, in conjunction with the discontinuities monitored for the sensitization of TL and OSL, when plotted versus immersion time, provide an individual time scale for each one of the chemical reactions involved in the five steps of the aforementioned procedure. According to the authors' best knowledge, scarce characterization techniques could provide this time scale frame, while it is the first time that such an application of OSL and EPR is attempted. Finally, the bioactive response of the 45S5 bioglass was compared with that

Efficacy of fatty acid chemistry : candidate mold and decay fungicides

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Coleman; Vina Yang; Bessie Woodward; Patti Lebow; Carol Clausen

2010-01-01

Although organic, lipophilic acids, such as acetic, propionic, sorbic and benzoic, have a long history as preservatives in the food industry, relatively high concentrations are required and their bioactivities generally pertain to retarding microbial growth rather than eliminating pathogens. Moreover, exclusive use of organic acids such as lactic or citric acid, alone...

Enhanced Bioactivity and Bacteriostasis of Surface Fluorinated Polyetheretherketone.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meiling; Ouyang, Liping; Lu, Tao; Wang, Heying; Meng, Fanhao; Yang, Yan; Ning, Congqin; Ma, Jingzhi; Liu, Xuanyong

2017-05-24

Although polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been considered as a potential orthopedic and dental application material due to its similar elastic modulus as bones, inferior osseointegration and bacteriostasis of PEEK hampers its clinical application. In this work, fluorinated PEEK was constructed via plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) followed by hydrofluoric acid treatment to ameliorate the osseointegration and antibacterial properties of PEEK. The surface microstructure, composition, and hydrophilicity of all samples were investigated. Rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were cultured on their surfaces to estimate bioactivity. The fluorinated PEEK can enhance the cell adhesion, cell spreading, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity compared to pristine PEEK. Furthermore, the fluorinated PEEK surface exhibits good bacteriostatic effect against Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is one of the major periodontal pathogens. In summary, we provide an effective route to introduce fluorine and the results reveal that the fluorinated PEEK can enhance the osseointegration and bacteriostasis, which provides a potential candidate for dental implants.

Up in the Tree – The Overlooked Richness of Bryophytes and Lichens in Tree Crowns

Science.gov (United States)

Boch, Steffen; Müller, Jörg; Prati, Daniel; Blaser, Stefan; Fischer, Markus

2013-01-01

Assessing diversity is among the major tasks in ecology and conservation science. In ecological and conservation studies, epiphytic cryptogams are usually sampled up to accessible heights in forests. Thus, their diversity, especially of canopy specialists, likely is underestimated. If the proportion of those species differs among forest types, plot-based diversity assessments are biased and may result in misleading conservation recommendations. We sampled bryophytes and lichens in 30 forest plots of 20 m × 20 m in three German regions, considering all substrates, and including epiphytic litter fall. First, the sampling of epiphytic species was restricted to the lower 2 m of trees and shrubs. Then, on one representative tree per plot, we additionally recorded epiphytic species in the crown, using tree climbing techniques. Per tree, on average 54% of lichen and 20% of bryophyte species were overlooked if the crown was not been included. After sampling all substrates per plot, including the bark of all shrubs and trees, still 38% of the lichen and 4% of the bryophyte species were overlooked if the tree crown of the sampled tree was not included. The number of overlooked lichen species varied strongly among regions. Furthermore, the number of overlooked bryophyte and lichen species per plot was higher in European beech than in coniferous stands and increased with increasing diameter at breast height of the sampled tree. Thus, our results indicate a bias of comparative studies which might have led to misleading conservation recommendations of plot-based diversity assessments. PMID:24358373

A Critical Review of Bioactive Food Components, and of their Functional Mechanisms, Biological Effects and Health Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Gregorio, Rosa; Simal-Gandara, Jesus

2017-01-01

Eating behaviours are closely related to some medical conditions potentially leading to death such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Healthy eating practices, maintaining a normal weight, and regular physical activity could prevent up to 80% of coronary heart disease, 90% of type-2 diabetes and onethird of all cancers [1]. Over the last two decades, the food industry has invested much effort in research and development of healthier, more nutritious foods. These foods are frequently designated "functional" when they contain nutritional components required for healthy living or "nutraceuticals" when intended to treat or prevent disease or disorders through a variety of bioactive (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, hypocholesterolaemic) functions that are performed by functional enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, fibres, phytosterols, peptides, proteins, isoflavones, saponins or phytic acid, among other substances. Some agricultural and industrial residues have proven to be excellent choices as raw materials for producing bioactive compounds and have been proposed as potentially safe natural sources of antimicrobials and/or antioxidants for the food industry. Functional food ingredients containing bioactive compounds could be used as plant extracts by pharmaceutical and food industries. Bioactive food components influence health outcomes. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Nanomodified Peek Dental Implants: Bioactive Composites and Surface Modification—A Review

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Shariq Najeeb

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of this review is to summarize and evaluate the relevant literature regarding the different ways how polyetheretherketone (PEEK can be modified to overcome its limited bioactivity, and thereby making it suitable as a dental implant material. Study Selection. An electronic literature search was conducted via the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using the keywords “PEEK dental implants,” “nano,” “osseointegration,” “surface treatment,” and “modification.” A total of 16 in vivo and in vitro studies were found suitable to be included in this review. Results. There are many viable methods to increase the bioactivity of PEEK. Most methods focus on increasing the surface roughness, increasing the hydrophilicity and coating osseoconductive materials. Conclusion. There are many ways in which PEEK can be modified at a nanometer level to overcome its limited bioactivity. Melt-blending with bioactive nanoparticles can be used to produce bioactive nanocomposites, while spin-coating, gas plasma etching, electron beam, and plasma-ion immersion implantation can be used to modify the surface of PEEK implants in order to make them more bioactive. However, more animal studies are needed before these implants can be deemed suitable to be used as dental implants.

A New Highly Bioactive Composite for Scaffold Applications: A Feasibility Study

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Antonella Sola

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Hydroxyapatite (HA has been widely investigated as scaffolding material for bone tissue engineering, mainly for its excellent biocompatibility. Presently, there is an increasing interest in the composites of hydroxyapatite with bioactive glasses, with the aim to obtain systems with improved bioactivity or mechanical properties. Moreover, modifying the ratio between bioactive glass and hydroxyapatite results in the possibility of controlling the reaction rate of the composite scaffold in the human body. However, high temperature treatments are usually required in order to sinter HA-based composites, causing the bioactive glass to crystallize into a glass-ceramic, with possible negative effects on its bioactivity. In the present research work, a glass composition belonging to the Na2O-CaO-P2O5-SiO2 system, with a reduced tendency to crystallize, is applied to realize HA-based composites. The novel samples can be sintered at a relative low temperature (750 °C compared to the widely studied HA/45S5 Bioglass® composites. This fact greatly helps to preserve the amorphous nature of the glass, with excellent effects in terms of bioactivity, according to in vitro tests. As a first application, the obtained composites are also tested to realize highly porous scaffolds by means of the standard burning out method.

Bioactivities and Health Benefits of Wild Fruits

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Ya Li

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Wild fruits are exotic or underutilized. Wild fruits contain many bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins and flavonoids. Many studies have shown that wild fruits possess various bioactivities and health benefits, such as free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity. Therefore, wild fruits have the potential to be developed into functional foods or pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat several chronic diseases. In the present article, we review current knowledge about the bioactivities and health benefits of wild fruits, which is valuable for the exploitation and utilization of wild fruits.

The Correlation of Pore Size and Bioactivity of Spray-Pyrolyzed Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses

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Yu-Jen Chou

2017-05-01

Full Text Available SiO2–CaO–P2O5-based mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs were synthesized by spray pyrolysis in this study. Three commonly used non-ionic tri-block copolymers (L121, P123, and F127 with various lengths of hydrophilic chains were applied as structural templates to achieve different pore sizes. A mesoporous structure was observed in each as-prepared specimen, and the results showed that the L121-treated MBG had the largest pore size. The results of bioactivity tests indicated that the growth of hydroxyapatite is related to the pore size of the materials.

Benchmarking of protein descriptor sets in proteochemometric modeling (part 2): modeling performance of 13 amino acid descriptor sets

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background While a large body of work exists on comparing and benchmarking descriptors of molecular structures, a similar comparison of protein descriptor sets is lacking. Hence, in the current work a total of 13 amino acid descriptor sets have been benchmarked with respect to their ability of establishing bioactivity models. The descriptor sets included in the study are Z-scales (3 variants), VHSE, T-scales, ST-scales, MS-WHIM, FASGAI, BLOSUM, a novel protein descriptor set (termed ProtFP (4 variants)), and in addition we created and benchmarked three pairs of descriptor combinations. Prediction performance was evaluated in seven structure-activity benchmarks which comprise Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) dipeptidic inhibitor data, and three proteochemometric data sets, namely (1) GPCR ligands modeled against a GPCR panel, (2) enzyme inhibitors (NNRTIs) with associated bioactivities against a set of HIV enzyme mutants, and (3) enzyme inhibitors (PIs) with associated bioactivities on a large set of HIV enzyme mutants. Results The amino acid descriptor sets compared here show similar performance (set differences ( > 0.3 log units RMSE difference and >0.7 difference in MCC). Combining different descriptor sets generally leads to better modeling performance than utilizing individual sets. The best performers were Z-scales (3) combined with ProtFP (Feature), or Z-Scales (3) combined with an average Z-Scale value for each target, while ProtFP (PCA8), ST-Scales, and ProtFP (Feature) rank last. Conclusions While amino acid descriptor sets capture different aspects of amino acids their ability to be used for bioactivity modeling is still – on average – surprisingly similar. Still, combining sets describing complementary information consistently leads to small but consistent improvement in modeling performance (average MCC 0.01 better, average RMSE 0.01 log units lower). Finally, performance differences exist between the targets compared thereby underlining that

Facilitated uptake of a bioactive metabolite of maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol into human erythrocytes.

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Max Kurlbaum

Full Text Available Many plant secondary metabolites exhibit some degree of biological activity in humans. It is a common observation that individual plant-derived compounds in vivo are present in the nanomolar concentration range at which they usually fail to display measurable activity in vitro. While it is debatable that compounds detected in plasma are not the key effectors of bioactivity, an alternative hypothesis may take into consideration that measurable concentrations also reside in compartments other than plasma. We analysed the binding of constituents and the metabolite δ-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl-γ-valerolactone (M1, that had been previously detected in plasma samples of human consumers of pine bark extract Pycnogenol, to human erythrocytes. We found that caffeic acid, taxifolin, and ferulic acid passively bind to red blood cells, but only the bioactive metabolite M1 revealed pronounced accumulation. The partitioning of M1 into erythrocytes was significantly diminished at higher concentrations of M1 and in the presence of glucose, suggesting a facilitated transport of M1 via GLUT-1 transporter. This concept was further supported by structural similarities between the natural substrate α-D-glucose and the S-isomer of M1. After cellular uptake, M1 underwent further metabolism by conjugation with glutathione. We present strong indication for a transporter-mediated accumulation of a flavonoid metabolite in human erythrocytes and subsequent formation of a novel glutathione adduct. The physiologic role of the adduct remains to be elucidated.

Preparation of radiolabeled bioactive asbestos fibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tewson, T J; Francsechini, M P; Scheule, R K; Holian, A [Texas Univ., Houston, TX (USA). Health Science Center

1991-01-01

We have developed an efficient procedure to radiolabel asbestos fibers while retaining the bioactivity of the fibers. The fibers are labeled with {sup 68}Ge. The {sup 68}Ge decays into {sup 68}Ga, which then can be detected by its characteristic positron emission. Both chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos, a serpentine and an amphibole, respectively, were radiolabeled successfully. Mild reaction conditions and short reaction times were found under which {similar to}90% of the added {sup 68}Ge and {sup 68}Ga bound to the fibers. The radiolabel was retained even after washing the fibers extensively with physiologic buffers. The effects of the labeling on the bioactivity of the fibers were evaluated in an in vitro assay using guinea pig alveolar macrophages as a target cell. Labeled chrysotile fibers were found to retain >95% of their ability to stimulate these cells. The labeling procedure described in this study should be useful in preparing labeled fibers to investigate both in vitro and in vivo phenomena. (author).

Effect of nitrogen and fluorine on mechanical properties and bioactivity in two series of bioactive glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachar, Ahmed; Mercier, Cyrille; Tricoteaux, Arnaud; Hampshire, Stuart; Leriche, Anne; Follet, Claudine

2013-07-01

Bioactive glasses are able to bond to bone through formation of carbonated hydroxyapatite in body fluids, and fluoride-releasing bioactive glasses are of interest for both orthopaedic and, in particular, dental applications for caries inhibition. However, because of their poor strength their use is restricted to non-load-bearing applications. In order to increase their mechanical properties, doping with nitrogen has been performed on two series of bioactive glasses: series (I) was a "bioglass" composition (without P2O5) within the quaternary system SiO2-Na2O-CaO-Si3N4 and series (II) was a simple substitution of CaF2 for CaO in series (I) glasses keeping the Na:Ca ratio constant. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the variation in nitrogen and fluorine content on the properties of these glasses. The density, glass transition temperature, hardness and elastic modulus all increased linearly with nitrogen content which indicates that the incorporation of nitrogen stiffens the glass network because N is mainly in 3-fold coordination with Si atoms. Fluorine addition significantly decreases the thermal property values but the mechanical properties of these glasses remain unchanged with fluorine. The combination of both nitrogen and fluorine in oxyfluoronitride glasses gives better mechanical properties at much lower melting temperatures since fluorine reduces the melting point, allows higher solubility of nitrogen and does not affect the higher mechanical properties arising from incorporation of nitrogen. The characterization of these N and F substituted bioactive glasses using (29)Si MAS NMR has shown that the increase in rigidity of the glass network can be explained by the formation of SiO3N, SiO2N2 tetrahedra and Q(4) units with extra bridging anions at the expense of Q(3) units. Bioactivity of the glasses was investigated in vitro by examining apatite formation on the surface of glasses treated in acellular simulated body fluid (SBF) with ion

Combined genetic and bioactivity-based prioritization leads to the isolation of an endophyte-derived antimycobacterial compound.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvin, A; Kalaitzis, J A; Sasia, B; Neilan, B A

2016-05-01

To initiate a genetic and bioactivity-based screening programme of culturable endophytes to identify micro-organisms capable of producing bioactive polyketides and peptides. Fungal endophytes were isolated from flowers, leaves and roots of Rhoeo spathacea, revealing a community consisting of Colletotrichum sp., Fusarium sp., Guignardia sp., Phomopsis sp., Phoma sp. and Microdochium sp. Genetic screening showed that all isolates had polyketide synthase (PKS) genes and most had nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes. Ethyl acetate extracts of the fungal isolates exhibited antiproliferative activity against at least one of the seven bacterial and mycobacterial test strains. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance -guided fractionation of the crude extract from a Fusarium sp. strain which exhibited strong antiproliferative activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis resulted in the isolation of the polyketide javanicin. This compound was active against Myco. tuberculosis (MIC = 25 μg ml(-1)) and Mycobacterium phlei (MIC = 50 μg ml(-1)). The medicinal plant R. spathacea hosts a variety of fungal endophytes capable of producing antibacterial and antimycobacterial compounds. There is a positive correlation between the presence of PKS and/or NRPS encoding genes in endophytes and the bioactivity of their respective organic extracts. This is the first report on the fungal endophytic diversity of R. spathacea, and the isolation of an antimycobacterial compound from the plant which has been traditionally used for the treatment of tuberculosis symptoms. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

In vivo bone regeneration using a novel porous bioactive composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie En [Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an (China); Hu Yunyu [Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an (China)], E-mail: orth1@fmmn.edu.cn; Chen Xiaofeng [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology University, Guangzhou (China); Bai Xuedong; Li Dan [Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an (China); Ren Li [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology University, Guangzhou (China); Zhang Ziru [Foreign Languages School, Northwest University Xi' an (China)

2008-11-15

Many commercial bone graft substitutes (BGS) and experimental bone tissue engineering scaffolds have been developed for bone repair and regeneration. This study reports the in vivo bone regeneration using a newly developed porous bioactive and resorbable composite that is composed of bioactive glass (BG), collagen (COL), hyaluronic acid (HYA) and phosphatidylserine (PS), BG-COL-HYA-PS. The composite was prepared by a combination of sol-gel and freeze-drying methods. A rabbit radius defect model was used to evaluate bone regeneration at time points of 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Techniques including radiography, histology, and micro-CT were applied to characterize the new bone formation. 8 weeks results showed that (1) nearly complete bone regeneration was achieved for the BG-COL-HYA-PS composite that was combined with a bovine bone morphogenetic protein (BMP); (2) partial bone regeneration was achieved for the BG-COL-HYA-PS composites alone; and (3) control remained empty. This study demonstrated that the novel BG-COL-HYA-PS, with or without the grafting of BMP incorporation, is a promising BGS or a tissue engineering scaffold for non-load bearing orthopaedic applications.

In vivo bone regeneration using a novel porous bioactive composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie En; Hu Yunyu; Chen Xiaofeng; Bai Xuedong; Li Dan; Ren Li; Zhang Ziru

2008-01-01

Many commercial bone graft substitutes (BGS) and experimental bone tissue engineering scaffolds have been developed for bone repair and regeneration. This study reports the in vivo bone regeneration using a newly developed porous bioactive and resorbable composite that is composed of bioactive glass (BG), collagen (COL), hyaluronic acid (HYA) and phosphatidylserine (PS), BG-COL-HYA-PS. The composite was prepared by a combination of sol-gel and freeze-drying methods. A rabbit radius defect model was used to evaluate bone regeneration at time points of 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Techniques including radiography, histology, and micro-CT were applied to characterize the new bone formation. 8 weeks results showed that (1) nearly complete bone regeneration was achieved for the BG-COL-HYA-PS composite that was combined with a bovine bone morphogenetic protein (BMP); (2) partial bone regeneration was achieved for the BG-COL-HYA-PS composites alone; and (3) control remained empty. This study demonstrated that the novel BG-COL-HYA-PS, with or without the grafting of BMP incorporation, is a promising BGS or a tissue engineering scaffold for non-load bearing orthopaedic applications

Bioactive Glass Nanopowder for theTreatment of Oral Bone Defects

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MH. Fathi

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: Osseous defects around dental implants are often seen when implants are placed in areas with inadequate alveolar bone, or around failing implants. Bone regenera-tion in these areas using bone grafts or its substitutes may improve dental implants prog-nosis. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize the bioactive glass nanopow-der and development of its coating for treatment of oral bone defects.Materials and Methods: Bioactive bioglass coating was made on stainless steel plates by sol-gel technique. The powder shape and size was evaluated by transmission electron mi-cropscopy, and thermal properties studied using differential thermal analysis (DTA. Structural characterization techniques (XRD were used to analyze and study the structure and phase present in the prepared bioactive glass nanopowder. This nanopowder was immersed in the simulated body fluid (SBF solution. Fourier transform infrared spec-troscopy (FTIR was utilized to recognize and confirm the formation of apatite layer on prepared bioactive glass nanopowder.Results: The bioglass powder size was less than 100 nanometers which was necessary for better bioactivity, and preparing a homogeneous coating. The formation of apatite layer confirmed the bioactivity of the bioglass nanopowder. Crack-free and homogeneous bioglass coatings were achieved with no observable defects.Conclusion: It was concluded that the prepared bioactive glass nanopowder could be more effective as a bone replacement material than conventional bioactive glass to pro-mote bone formation in osseous defects. The prepared bioactive glass nanopowder could be more useful for treatment of oral bone defects compare to conventional hydroxyapatite or bioactive glass.

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics

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de Aza, P. N.

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Since the late 1960´s, a great interest in the use of bioceramic materials for biomedical applications has been developed. In a previous paper, the authors reviewed crystalline bioceramic materials “sensus stricto”, it is to say, those ceramic materials, constituted for non-metallic inorganic compounds, crystallines and consolidates by thermal treatment of powders at high temperature. In the present review, the authors deal with those called bioactive glasses and glassceramics. Although all of them are also obtained by thermal treatment at high temperature, the first are amorphous and the second are obtained by devitrification of a glass, although the vitreous phase normally prevails on the crystalline phases. After an introduction to the concept of bioactive materials, a short historical review of the bioactive glasses development is made. Its preparation, reactivity in physiological media, mechanism of bonding to living tissues and mechanical strength of the bone-implant interface is also reported. Next, the concept of glass-ceramic and the way of its preparation are exposed. The composition, physicochemical properties and biological behaviour of the principal types of bioactive glasses and glass-ceramic materials: Bioglass®, Ceravital®, Cerabone®, Ilmaplant® and Bioverit® are also reviewed. Finally, a short review on the bioactive-glass coatings and bioactive-composites and most common uses of bioactive-glasses and glass-ceramics are carried out too.

Desde finales de los años sesenta, se ha despertado un gran interés por el uso de los materiales biocerámicos para aplicaciones biomédicas. En un trabajo previo, los autores hicieron una revisión de los denominados materiales biocerámicos cristalinos en sentido estricto, es decir, de aquellos materiales, constituidos por compuestos inorgánicos no metálicos, cristalinos y consolidados mediante tratamientos térmicos a altas temperaturas. En el presente trabajo, los autores

Analytical workflow for rapid screening and purification of bioactives from venom proteomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otvos, R.A.; Heus, F.A.M.; Vonk, F.J.; Halff, J.; Bruynzeel, B.; Paliukhovich, I.; Smit, A.B.; Niessen, W.M.A.; Kool, J.

2013-01-01

Animal venoms are important sources for finding new pharmaceutical lead molecules. We used an analytical platform for initial rapid screening and identification of bioactive compounds from these venoms followed by fast and straightforward LC-MS only guided purification to obtain bioactives for

Bioactive Polymeric Nanoparticles for Periodontal Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Osorio, Raquel; Alfonso-Rodríguez, Camilo Andrés; Medina-Castillo, Antonio L; Alaminos, Miguel; Toledano, Manuel

2016-01-01

to design calcium and zinc-loaded bioactive and cytocompatible nanoparticles for the treatment of periodontal disease. PolymP-nActive nanoparticles were zinc or calcium loaded. Biomimetic calcium phosphate precipitation on polymeric particles was assessed after 7 days immersion in simulated body fluid, by scanning electron microscopy attached to an energy dispersive analysis system. Amorphous mineral deposition was probed by X-ray diffraction. Cell viability analysis was performed using oral mucosa fibroblasts by: 1) quantifying the liberated deoxyribonucleic acid from dead cells, 2) detecting the amount of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme released by cells with damaged membranes, and 3) by examining the cytoplasmic esterase function and cell membranes integrity with a fluorescence-based method using the Live/Dead commercial kit. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Precipitation of calcium and phosphate on the nanoparticles surfaces was observed in calcium-loaded nanoparticles. Non-loaded nanoparticles were found to be non-toxic in all the assays, calcium and zinc-loaded particles presented a dose dependent but very low cytotoxic effect. The ability of calcium-loaded nanoparticles to promote precipitation of calcium phosphate deposits, together with their observed non-toxicity may offer new strategies for periodontal disease treatment.

A Glutamic Acid-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Malaysian Fermented Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Zareian, Mohsen; Ebrahimpour, Afshin; Bakar, Fatimah Abu; Mohamed, Abdul Karim Sabo; Forghani, Bita; Ab-Kadir, Mohd Safuan B.; Saari, Nazamid

2012-01-01

l-glutamaic acid is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and an important intermediate in metabolism. In the present study, lactic acid bacteria (218) were isolated from six different fermented foods as potent sources of glutamic acid producers. The presumptive bacteria were tested for their ability to synthesize glutamic acid. Out of the 35 strains showing this capability, strain MNZ was determined as the highest glutamic-acid producer. Identification tests including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and sugar assimilation ability identified the strain MNZ as Lactobacillus plantarum. The characteristics of this microorganism related to its glutamic acid-producing ability, growth rate, glucose consumption and pH profile were studied. Results revealed that glutamic acid was formed inside the cell and excreted into the extracellular medium. Glutamic acid production was found to be growth-associated and glucose significantly enhanced glutamic acid production (1.032 mmol/L) compared to other carbon sources. A concentration of 0.7% ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source effectively enhanced glutamic acid production. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of glutamic acid production by lactic acid bacteria. The results of this study can be further applied for developing functional foods enriched in glutamic acid and subsequently γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) as a bioactive compound. PMID:22754309

The Krebs Uric Acid Cycle: A Forgotten Krebs Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Salway, Jack G

2018-05-25

Hans Kornberg wrote a paper entitled 'Krebs and his trinity of cycles' commenting that every school biology student knows of the Krebs cycle, but few know that Krebs discovered two other cycles. These are (i) the ornithine cycle (urea cycle), (ii) the citric acid cycle (tricarboxylic acid or TCA cycle), and (iii) the glyoxylate cycle that was described by Krebs and Kornberg. Ironically, Kornberg, codiscoverer of the 'glyoxylate cycle', overlooked a fourth Krebs cycle - (iv) the uric acid cycle. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of edible coatings on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of tomatoes at different maturity stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Dávila-Aviña, Jorge E; Villa-Rodríguez, José A; Villegas-Ochoa, Mónica A; Tortoledo-Ortiz, Orlando; Olivas, Guadalupe I; Ayala-Zavala, J Fernando; González-Aguilar, Gustavo A

2014-10-01

This work evaluated the effect of carnauba and mineral oil coatings on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of tomato fruits (cv. "Grandela"). Carnauba and mineral oil coatings were applied on fresh tomatoes at two maturity stages (breaker and pink) over 28 day of storage at 10 °C was evaluated. Bioactive compound and antioxidant activity assays included total phenols, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid (ASA), lycopene, DPPH radical scavenging activity (%RSA), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC). The total phenolic, flavonoid and lycopene contents were significantly lower for coated fruit than control fruits. However, ascorbic acid content was highest in fruits treated with carnauba, followed by mineral oil coating and control fruits. The ORAC values were highest in breaker tomatoes coated with carnauba wax, followed by mineral oil-coated fruits and controls. No significant differences in ORAC values were observed in pink tomatoes. % RSA and TEAC values were higher for controls than for coated fruit. Edible coatings preserve the overall quality of tomatoes during storage without affecting the nutritional quality of fruit. We found that the physiological response to the coatings is in function of the maturity stage of tomatoes. The information obtained in this study support to use of edible coating as a safe and good alternative to preserve tomato quality, and that the changes of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of tomato fruits, was not negatively affected. This approach can be used by producers to preserve tomato quality.

Porous surface modified bioactive bone cement for enhanced bone bonding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang He

Full Text Available Polymethylmethacrylate bone cement cannot provide an adhesive chemical bonding to form a stable cement-bone interface. Bioactive bone cements show bone bonding ability, but their clinical application is limited because bone resorption is observed after implantation. Porous polymethylmethacrylate can be achieved with the addition of carboxymethylcellulose, alginate and gelatin microparticles to promote bone ingrowth, but the mechanical properties are too low to be used in orthopedic applications. Bone ingrowth into cement could decrease the possibility of bone resorption and promote the formation of a stable interface. However, scarce literature is reported on bioactive bone cements that allow bone ingrowth. In this paper, we reported a porous surface modified bioactive bone cement with desired mechanical properties, which could allow for bone ingrowth.The porous surface modified bioactive bone cement was evaluated to determine its handling characteristics, mechanical properties and behavior in a simulated body fluid. The in vitro cellular responses of the samples were also investigated in terms of cell attachment, proliferation, and osteoblastic differentiation. Furthermore, bone ingrowth was examined in a rabbit femoral condyle defect model by using micro-CT imaging and histological analysis. The strength of the implant-bone interface was also investigated by push-out tests.The modified bone cement with a low content of bioactive fillers resulted in proper handling characteristics and adequate mechanical properties, but slightly affected its bioactivity. Moreover, the degree of attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of preosteoblast cells was also increased. The results of the push-out test revealed that higher interfacial bonding strength was achieved with the modified bone cement because of the formation of the apatite layer and the osseointegration after implantation in the bony defect.Our findings suggested a new bioactive

Littoral lichens as a novel source of potentially bioactive Actinobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Parrot, Delphine; Antony-Babu, Sanjay; Intertaglia, Laurent; Grube, Martin; Tomasi, Sophie; Suzuki, Marcelino T

2015-10-30

Cultivable Actinobacteria are the largest source of microbially derived bioactive molecules. The high demand for novel antibiotics highlights the need for exploring novel sources of these bacteria. Microbial symbioses with sessile macro-organisms, known to contain bioactive compounds likely of bacterial origin, represent an interesting and underexplored source of Actinobacteria. We studied the diversity and potential for bioactive-metabolite production of Actinobacteria associated with two marine lichens (Lichina confinis and L. pygmaea; from intertidal and subtidal zones) and one littoral lichen (Roccella fuciformis; from supratidal zone) from the Brittany coast (France), as well as the terrestrial lichen Collema auriforme (from a riparian zone, Austria). A total of 247 bacterial strains were isolated using two selective media. Isolates were identified and clustered into 101 OTUs (98% identity) including 51 actinobacterial OTUs. The actinobacterial families observed were: Brevibacteriaceae, Cellulomonadaceae, Gordoniaceae, Micrococcaceae, Mycobacteriaceae, Nocardioidaceae, Promicromonosporaceae, Pseudonocardiaceae, Sanguibacteraceae and Streptomycetaceae. Interestingly, the diversity was most influenced by the selective media rather than lichen species or the level of lichen thallus association. The potential for bioactive-metabolite biosynthesis of the isolates was confirmed by screening genes coding for polyketide synthases types I and II. These results show that littoral lichens are a source of diverse potentially bioactive Actinobacteria.

eBASIS (Bioactive Substances in Food Information Systems) and Bioactive Intakes: Major Updates of the Bioactive Compound Composition and Beneficial Bioeffects Database and the Development of a Probabilistic Model to Assess Intakes in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Plumb, Jenny; Pigat, Sandrine; Bompola, Foteini; Cushen, Maeve; Pinchen, Hannah; Nørby, Eric; Astley, Siân; Lyons, Jacqueline; Kiely, Mairead; Finglas, Paul

2017-03-23

eBASIS (Bioactive Substances in Food Information Systems), a web-based database that contains compositional and biological effects data for bioactive compounds of plant origin, has been updated with new data on fruits and vegetables, wheat and, due to some evidence of potential beneficial effects, extended to include meat bioactives. eBASIS remains one of only a handful of comprehensive and searchable databases, with up-to-date coherent and validated scientific information on the composition of food bioactives and their putative health benefits. The database has a user-friendly, efficient, and flexible interface facilitating use by both the scientific community and food industry. Overall, eBASIS contains data for 267 foods, covering the composition of 794 bioactive compounds, from 1147 quality-evaluated peer-reviewed publications, together with information from 567 publications describing beneficial bioeffect studies carried out in humans. This paper highlights recent updates and expansion of eBASIS and the newly-developed link to a probabilistic intake model, allowing exposure assessment of dietary bioactive compounds to be estimated and modelled in human populations when used in conjunction with national food consumption data. This new tool could assist small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development of food product health claim dossiers for submission to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Investigation of the Key Pharmacological Activities of Ficus racemosa and Analysis of Its Major Bioactive Polyphenols by HPLC-DAD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salma Akter Sumi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Oxidative stress leads to numerous physiological disorders including infectious diseases, inflammation, and cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activity of methanol crude extract of leaves and fruits of the Ficus racemosa (LCME and FCME, resp. and to analyse its major bioactive polyphenols by HPLC-DAD. Methods. Antioxidant capacity of the extracts was evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging, reducing power, total phenolic, total flavonoid, total tannin content assay, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Identification and quantification of bioactive polyphenols were done by HPLC-DAD method. Antibacterial activity was tested by “disc diffusion” method. Brine shrimp lethality assay was carried out to check the cytotoxic potential. Result. Both LCME and FCME showed DPPH scavenging ability and concentration dependent reducing power activity. They had phenolic content, flavonoid content, and tannin content. Both the extracts showed superoxide radical scavenging ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging ability. HPLC analysis of LCME and FCME indicated the presence of significant amount of gallic acid along with other phenolic constituents. Conclusion. Significant amount of gallic acid along with other phenolic constituents might have played an important role in the observed antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activity.

Using machine learning for improving knowledge on antibacterial effect of bioactive glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Echezarreta-López, M M; Landin, M

2013-09-10

The aim of this work was to find relationships between critical bioactive glass characteristics and their antibacterial behaviour using an artificial intelligence tool. A large dataset including ingredients and process variables of the bioactive glasses production, bacterial characteristics and microbiological experimental conditions was generated from literature and analyzed by neurofuzzy logic technology. Our findings allow an explanation on the variability in antibacterial behaviour found by different authors and to obtain general conclusions about critical parameters of bioactive glasses to be considered in order to achieve activity against some of the most common skin and implant surgery pathogens. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimized Solid Phase-Assisted Synthesis of Dendrons Applicable as Scaffolds for Radiolabeled Bioactive Multivalent Compounds Intended for Molecular Imaging

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Gabriel Fischer

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Dendritic structures, being highly homogeneous and symmetric, represent ideal scaffolds for the multimerization of bioactive molecules and thus enable the synthesis of compounds of high valency which are e.g., applicable in radiolabeled form as multivalent radiotracers for in vivo imaging. As the commonly applied solution phase synthesis of dendritic scaffolds is cumbersome and time-consuming, a synthesis strategy was developed that allows for the efficient assembly of acid amide bond-based highly modular dendrons on solid support via standard Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis protocols. The obtained dendritic structures comprised up to 16 maleimide functionalities and were derivatized on solid support with the chelating agent DOTA. The functionalized dendrons furthermore could be efficiently reacted with structurally variable model thiol-bearing bioactive molecules via click chemistry and finally radiolabeled with 68Ga. Thus, this solid phase-assisted dendron synthesis approach enables the fast and straightforward assembly of bioactive multivalent constructs for example applicable as radiotracers for in vivo imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET.

Mate-finding as an overlooked critical determinant of dispersal variation in sexually-reproducing animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilroy, James J; Lockwood, Julie L

2012-01-01

Dispersal is a critically important process in ecology, but robust predictive models of animal dispersal remain elusive. We identify a potentially ubiquitous component of variation in animal dispersal that has been largely overlooked until now: the influence of mate encounters on settlement probability. We use an individual-based model to simulate dispersal in sexually-reproducing organisms that follow a simple set of movement rules based on conspecific encounters, within an environment lacking spatial habitat heterogeneity. We show that dispersal distances vary dramatically with fluctuations in population density in such a model, even in the absence of variation in dispersive traits between individuals. In a simple random-walk model with promiscuous mating, dispersal distributions become increasingly 'fat-tailed' at low population densities due to the increasing scarcity of mates. Similar variation arises in models incorporating territoriality. In a model with polygynous mating, we show that patterns of sex-biased dispersal can even be reversed across a gradient of population density, despite underlying dispersal mechanisms remaining unchanged. We show that some widespread dispersal patterns found in nature (e.g. fat tailed distributions) can arise as a result of demographic variability in the absence of heterogeneity in dispersive traits across the population. This implies that models in which individual dispersal distances are considered to be fixed traits might be unrealistic, as dispersal distances vary widely under a single dispersal mechanism when settlement is influenced by mate encounters. Mechanistic models offer a promising means of advancing our understanding of dispersal in sexually-reproducing organisms.

Intuitive Choices Lead to Intensified Positive Emotions: An Overlooked Reason for "Intuition Bias"?

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkebøen, Geir; Nordbye, Gro H H

2017-01-01

positive outcomes of intuitive versus non-intuitive choices, is an overlooked reason for intuition bias.

Extraction and characterization of naturally occurring bioactive peptides from different tissues from Salmon (Salmo salar)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falkenberg, Susan Skanderup; Nielsen, Henrik Hauch

2011-01-01

used. Combination of different extraction conditions such as with/without boiling, with/without inhibitor and variation of pH resulted in a total of 36 extracts. The activity of the extracts was analyzed in vitro for ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibiting activity, and anti-oxidative activity...... (Free Radical Scavenging assay). A number of extracts showed high ACE inhibiting and anti-oxidative activity. The extracts were then size fractionated by ultrafiltration using a 10 kDa filter, and relevant fractions below 10 kDa from gills, skin and belly flap were further fractionated by gel...... is therefore to extract and identify naturally occurring bioactive peptides from different tissues from salmon. A number of aqueous extracts were made from gills, skin and belly flap. In order to preserve the bioactivity of the peptides mild extraction procedures as acidic, basic and aqueous solutions were...

Effect of Bioprocessing on the In Vitro Colonic Microbial Metabolism of Phenolic Acids from Rye Bran Fortified Breads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koistinen, Ville M; Nordlund, Emilia; Katina, Kati

2017-01-01

in an in vitro colon model, the metabolites were analyzed using two different methods applying mass spectrometry. While phenolic acids were released more extensively from the bioprocessed bran bread and ferulic acid had consistently higher concentrations in the bread type during fermentation, there were only......Cereal bran is an important source of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acids. We aimed to study the phenolic acid metabolism of native and bioprocessed rye bran fortified refined wheat bread and to elucidate the microbial metabolic route of phenolic acids. After incubation...

A Review of Hyaluronic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid-based Hydrogels for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Walimbe, Tanaya; Panitch, Alyssa; Sivasankar, Preeti M

2017-07-01

Vocal fold scarring is a common cause of dysphonia. Current treatments involving vocal fold augmentation do not yield satisfactory outcomes in the long term. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine offer an attractive treatment option for vocal fold scarring, with the aim to restore the native extracellular matrix microenvironment and biomechanical properties of the vocal folds by inhibiting progression of scarring and thus leading to restoration of normal vocal function. Hyaluronic acid is a bioactive glycosaminoglycan responsible for maintaining optimum viscoelastic properties of the vocal folds and hence is widely targeted in tissue engineering applications. This review covers advances in hyaluronic acid-based vocal fold tissue engineering and regeneration strategies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Nutrients and bioactive substances in aquatic organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devadasan, K.; Mukundan, M.K.; Antony, P.D.; Viswanathan Nair, P.G.; Perigreen, P.A.; Joseph, Jose

1994-01-01

The International Symposium on Nutrients and Bioactive Substances in Aquatic Organisms, was held during 16-17 September 1993 by the Society of Fisheries Technologists (India) to review the progress of research in this area in India and elsewhere. The papers presented indicate that scientific productivity in this field is substantial and that some of the bioactive materials isolated from aquatic organisms have potential application in human health, nutrition and therapy. The symposium focussed attention on toxicants, nutrients and bioactive substances in aquatic organisms in general, and also on pollution of aquatic systems due to thermal effluents. Paper relevant to INIS database is indexed separately. (M.K.V.)

Bioactivity of Minor Milk Components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Duc Ninh

. In particular, 3-15% of very low birth weight preterm infants suffer from the most servere form of intestinal inflammation, known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This disease is incurable with a high mortality rate of 15-30%. Mother’s breast milk consists of different bioactive constituents...... of infant formula. Thereafter, bioactive milk components which were preserved in gently-processed infant formula were selected for further investigation of their immunomodulatory activity in cell and preterm pig models. We hope this project will contribute to the research on the development of new...

Metabolite fingerprinting, pathway analyses, and bioactivity correlations for plant species belonging to the Cornaceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae families.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Su Young; Kim, Na Kyung; Lee, Sunmin; Singh, Digar; Kim, Ga Ryun; Lee, Jong Seok; Yang, Hee-Sun; Yeo, Joohong; Lee, Sarah; Lee, Choong Hwan

2016-09-01

A multi-parallel approach gauging the mass spectrometry-based metabolite fingerprinting coupled with bioactivity and pathway evaluations could serve as an efficacious tool for inferring plant taxonomic orders. Thirty-four species from three plant families, namely Cornaceae (7), Fabaceae (9), and Rosaceae (18) were subjected to metabolite profiling using gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS), followed by multivariate analyses to determine the metabolites characteristic of these families. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed the distinct clustering pattern of metabolites for each family. The pathway analysis further highlighted the relatively higher proportions of flavonols and ellagitannins in the Cornaceae family than in the other two families. Higher levels of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols were observed among species from the Rosaceae family, while amino acids, flavones, and isoflavones were more abundant among the Fabaceae family members. The antioxidant activities of plant extracts were measured using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays, and indicated that extracts from the Rosaceae family had the highest activity, followed by those from Cornaceae and Fabaceae. The correlation map analysis positively links the proportional concentration of metabolites with their relative antioxidant activities, particularly in Cornaceae and Rosaceae. This work highlights the pre-eminence of the multi-parallel approach involving metabolite profiling and bioactivity evaluations coupled with metabolic pathways as an efficient methodology for the evaluation of plant phylogenies.

Combining Bioactive Multifunctional Dental Composite with PAMAM for Root Dentin Remineralization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shimeng Xiao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The objectives of this study were to: (1 develop a bioactive multifunctional composite (BMC via nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC, dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM and nanoparticles of silver (NAg; and (2 investigate the effects of combined BMC + poly (amido amine (PAMAM on remineralization of demineralized root dentin in a cyclic artificial saliva/lactic acid environment for the first time. Methods. Root dentin specimens were prepared and demineralized with 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s. Four groups were prepared: (1 root dentin control; (2 root dentin with BMC; (3 root dentin with PAMAM; (4 root dentin with BMC + PAMAM. Specimens were treated with a cyclic artificial saliva/lactic acid regimen for 21 days. Calcium (Ca and phosphate (P ion concentrations and acid neutralization were determined. The remineralized root dentin specimens were examined via hardness testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Results. Mechanical properties of BMC were similar to commercial control composites (p = 0.913. BMC had excellent Ca and P ion release and acid-neutralization capability. BMC or PAMAM alone each achieved slight mineral regeneration in demineralized root dentin. The combined BMC + PAMAM induced the greatest root dentin remineralization, and increased the hardness of pre-demineralized root dentin to match that of healthy root dentin (p = 0.521. Significance. The excellent root dentin remineralization effects of BMC + PAMAM were demonstrated for the first time. BMC + PAMAM induced effective and complete root dentin remineralization in an acid challenge environment. The novel BMC + PAMAM method is promising for Class V and other restorations to remineralize and protect tooth structures.

Formation of high-order oligomers is required for functional bioactivity of an African bat henipavirus surface glycoprotein.

Science.gov (United States)

Behner, Laura; Zimmermann, Louisa; Ringel, Marc; Weis, Michael; Maisner, Andrea

2018-05-01

Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are highly pathogenic henipaviruses originating from fruit bats in Australia and Asia that can cause severe infections in livestock and humans. In recent years, also African bat henipaviruses were identified at the nucleic acid level. To assess their potential to replicate in non-bat species, several studies were performed to characterize the two surface glycoproteins required for virus entry and spread by cell-cell fusion. It has been shown that surface expression and fusion-helper function of the receptor-binding G protein of Kumasi virus (KV), the prototypic Ghanaian bat henipavirus, is reduced compared to other non-African henipavirus G proteins. Immunostainings and pulse-chase analysis revealed a delayed export of KV G from the ER. As defects in oligomerization of viral glycoproteins can be responsible for limited surface transport thereby restricting the bioactivity, we analyzed the oligomerization pattern of KV G. In contrast to HeV and NiV whose G proteins are known to be expressed at a dimer-tetramer ratio of 1:1, KV G almost exclusively formed stable tetramers or higher oligomers. KV G also showed less stringent requirements for defined stalk cysteines to form dimers and tetramers. Interestingly, any changes in the oligomeric forms negatively affected the fusion-helper activity although surface expression and receptor binding was unchanged. This clearly indicates that the formation of mostly higher oligomeric KV G forms is not a deficiency responsible for ER retention, but is rather a basic structural feature essential for the bioactivity of this African bat henipavirus glycoprotein. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of PLA/CaCO3 hybrid micro-particles as carriers for water-soluble bioactive molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudryavtseva, Valeriya L; Zhao, Li; Tverdokhlebov, Sergei I; Sukhorukov, Gleb B

2017-09-01

We propose the use of polylactic acid/calcium carbonate (PLA/CaCO 3 ) hybrid micro-particles for achieving improved encapsulation of water-soluble substances. Biodegradable porous CaCO 3 microparticles can be loaded with wide range of bioactive substance. Thus, the formation of hydrophobic polymeric shell on surface of these loaded microparticles results on encapsulation and, hence, sealing internal cargo and preventing their release in aqueous media. In this study, to encapsulate proteins, we explore the solid-in-oil-in-water emulsion method for fabricating core/shell PLA/CaCO 3 systems. We used CaCO 3 particles as a protective core for encapsulated bovine serum albumin, which served as a model protein system. We prepared a PLA coating using dichloromethane as an organic solvent and polyvinyl alcohol as a surfactant for emulsification; in addition, we varied experimental parameters such as surfactant concentration and polymer-to-CaCO 3 ratio to determine their effect on particle-size distribution, encapsulation efficiency and capsule permeability. The results show that the particle size decreased and the size distribution narrowed as the surfactant concentration increased in the external aqueous phase. In addition, when the CaCO 3 /PLA mass ratio dropped below 0.8, the hybrid micro-particles were more likely to resist treatment by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and thus retained their bioactive cargos within the polymer-coated micro-particles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of an instant coffee enriched with chlorogenic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Corso, Marinês Paula; Vignoli, Josiane Alessandra; Benassi, Marta de Toledo

2016-03-01

The objective of this study was to present possible formulations for an instant coffee product enriched with chlorogenic acids for the Brazilian market. Formulations were prepared with different concentrations of freeze dried extracts of green Coffea canephora beans (G) added to freeze dried extracts of roasted Coffea arabica (A) and Coffea canephora (C). Medium (M) and dark (D) roasting degrees instant coffee were produced (AM, AD, CM and CD) to obtain four formulations with green extract addition (AMG, ADG, CMG and CDG). Chlorogenic acids were determined by HPLC, with average contents of 7.2 %. Roasted extracts and formulations were evaluated for 5-CQA and caffeine contents (by HPLC), browned compounds (absorbance 420 nm), and antioxidant activity (ABTS and Folin). Coffee brews of the four formulations were also assessed in a lab-scale test by 42 consumers for acceptance of the color, aroma, flavor and body, overall acceptance and purchase intent, using a 10 cm hybrid scale. The formulations obtained acceptance scores of 6.6 and 7.7 for all attributes, thus they were equally acceptable. Greater purchase intent was observed for ADG, CDG and CMG (6.9) in comparison to AMG (6.1). The formulations had, on average, 2.5 times more 5-CQA than the average obtained from conventional commercial instant coffees. In addition to being more economically viable, the formulations developed with C. canephora (CDG and CMG) showed greater antioxidant potential (32.5 g of Trolox/100 g and 13.8 g of gallic acid equivalent/100 g) due to a balance in the amount of bioactive compounds.

Broad spectrum bioactive sunscreens.

Science.gov (United States)

Velasco, Maria Valéria Robles; Sarruf, Fernanda Daud; Salgado-Santos, Idalina Maria Nunes; Haroutiounian-Filho, Carlos Alberto; Kaneko, Telma Mary; Baby, André Rolim

2008-11-03

The development of sunscreens containing reduced concentration of chemical UV filters, even though, possessing broad spectrum effectiveness with the use of natural raw materials that improve and infer UV absorption is of great interest. Due to the structural similarities between polyphenolic compounds and organic UV filters, they might exert photoprotection activity. The objective of the present research work was to develop bioactive sunscreen delivery systems containing rutin, Passiflora incarnata L. and Plantago lanceolata extracts associated or not with organic and inorganic UV filters. UV transmission of the sunscreen delivery system films was performed by using diffuse transmittance measurements coupling to an integrating sphere. In vitro photoprotection efficacy was evaluated according to the following parameters: estimated sun protection factor (SPF); Boot's Star Rating category; UVA/UVB ratio; and critical wavelength (lambda(c)). Sunscreen delivery systems obtained SPF values ranging from 0.972+/-0.004 to 28.064+/-2.429 and bioactive compounds interacted with the UV filters positive and negatively. This behavior may be attributed to: the composition of the delivery system; the presence of inorganic UV filter and quantitative composition of the organic UV filters; and the phytochemical composition of the P. incarnata L. and P. lanceolata extracts. Among all associations of bioactive compounds and UV filters, we found that the broad spectrum sunscreen was accomplished when 1.68% (w/w) P. incarnata L. dry extract was in the presence of 7.0% (w/w) ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, 2.0% (w/w) benzophenone-3 and 2.0% (w/w) TiO(2). It was demonstrated that this association generated estimated SPF of 20.072+/-0.906 and it has improved the protective defense against UVA radiation accompanying augmentation of the UVA/UVB ratio from 0.49 to 0.52 and lambda(c) from 364 to 368.6nm.

Surface coated polyurethane with improved bioactivity and cytocompatability

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chetty, AS

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Polyurethane (PU) may be suitable for various implant applications; however, it lacks bioactivity. Bioactivity allows for direct tissue attachment at the bio- interface, enabling implant fixation while preventing fibrous encapsulation. To impart...

Fabrication and characterization of bioactive glass-ceramic using soda-lime-silica waste glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Mojtaba; Hashemi, Babak

2014-04-01

Soda-lime-silica waste glass was used to synthesize a bioactive glass-ceramic through solid-state reactions. In comparison with the conventional route, that is, the melt-quenching and subsequent heat treatment, the present work is an economical technique. Structural and thermal properties of the samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The in vitro test was utilized to assess the bioactivity level of the samples by Hanks' solution as simulated body fluid (SBF). Bioactivity assessment by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was revealed that the samples with smaller amount of crystalline phase had a higher level of bioactivity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent Evidence on Bioactive Glass Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity: A Mini-Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenzo Drago

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Bone defects caused by trauma or pathological events are major clinical and socioeconomic burdens. Thus, the efforts of regenerative medicine have been focused on the development of non-biodegradable materials resembling bone features. Consequently, the use of bioactive glass as a promising alternative to inert graft materials has been proposed. Bioactive glass is a synthetic silica-based material with excellent mechanical properties able to bond to the host bone tissue. Indeed, when immersed in physiological fluids, bioactive glass reacts, developing an apatite layer on the granule’s surface, playing a key role in the osteogenesis process. Moreover, the contact of bioactive glass with biological fluids results in the increase of osmotic pressure and pH due to the leaching of ions from granules’ surface, thus making the surrounding environment hostile to microbial growth. The bioactive glass antimicrobial activity is effective against a wide selection of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, either in planktonic or sessile forms. Furthermore, bioglass is able to reduce pathogens’ biofilm production. For the aforementioned reasons, the use of bioactive glass might be a promising solution for the reconstruction of bone defects, as well as for the treatment and eradication of bone infections, characterized by bone necrosis and destruction of the bone structure.

Chemical Composition and Yield of Six Genotypes of Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.): An Alternative Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Petropoulos, Spyridon Α; Karkanis, Anestis; Fernandes, Ângela; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Ntatsi, Georgia; Petrotos, Konstantinos; Lykas, Christos; Khah, Ebrahim

2015-12-01

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an annual weed rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is consumed for its edible leaves and stems. In the present study six different genotypes of common purslane (A-F) were evaluated for their nutritional value and chemical composition. Nutritional value and chemical composition depended on genotype. Oxalic acid content was the lowest for genotype D, whereas genotypes E and F are more promising for commercial cultivation, since they have low oxalic acid content. Genotype E had a very good antioxidant profile and a balanced composition of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Regarding yield, genotype A had the highest yield comparing to the other genotypes, whereas commercial varieties (E and F) did not differ from genotypes B and C. This study provides new information regarding common purslane bioactive compounds as affected by genotype and could be further implemented in food industry for products of high quality and increased added value.

Acidic and basic drugs in medicinal chemistry: a perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Charifson, Paul S; Walters, W Patrick

2014-12-11

The acid/base properties of a molecule are among the most fundamental for drug action. However, they are often overlooked in a prospective design manner unless it has been established that a certain ionization state (e.g., quaternary base or presence of a carboxylic acid) appears to be required for activity. In medicinal chemistry optimization programs it is relatively common to attenuate basicity to circumvent undesired effects such as lack of biological selectivity or safety risks such as hERG or phospholipidosis. However, teams may not prospectively explore a range of carefully chosen compound pKa values as part of an overall chemistry strategy or design hypothesis. This review summarizes the potential advantages and disadvantages of both acidic and basic drugs and provides some new analyses based on recently available public data.

The effect of growth hormone on bioactive IGF in overweight/obese women.

Science.gov (United States)

Dichtel, Laura E; Bjerre, Mette; Schorr, Melanie; Bredella, Miriam A; Gerweck, Anu V; Russell, Brian M; Frystyk, Jan; Miller, Karen K

2018-03-10

Overweight/obesity is characterized by decreased growth hormone (GH) secretion whereas circulating IGF-I levels are less severely reduced. Yet, the activity of the circulating IGF-system appears to be normal in overweight/obese subjects, as estimated by the ability of serum to activate the IGF-I receptor in vitro (bioactive IGF). We hypothesized that preservation of bioactive IGF in overweight/obese women is regulated by an insulin-mediated suppression of IGF-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and IGFBP-2, and by suppression of IGFBP-3, mediated by low GH. We additionally hypothesized that increases in bioactive IGF would drive changes in body composition with low-dose GH administration. Cross-sectional analysis and 3-month interim analysis of a 6-month randomized, placebo-controlled study of GH administration in 50 overweight/obese women without diabetes mellitus. Bioactive IGF (kinase receptor activation assay) and body composition (DXA) were measured. Prior to treatment, IGFBP-3 (r = -0.33, p = 0.02), but neither IGFBP-1 nor IGFBP-2, associated inversely with bioactive IGF. In multivariate analysis, lower IGFBP-3 correlated with lower peak stimulated GH (r = 0.45, p = 0.05) and higher insulin sensitivity (r = -0.74, p = 0.003). GH administration resulted in an increase in mean serum IGF-I concentrations (144 ± 56 to 269 ± 66 μg/L, p IGF (1.29 ± 0.39 to 2.60 ± 1.12 μg/L, p IGF, but not total IGF-I concentration, predicted an increase in lean mass (r = 0.31, p = 0.03) and decrease in total adipose tissue/BMI (r = -0.43, p = 0.003). Our data suggest that in overweight/obesity, insulin sensitivity and GH have opposing effects on IGF bioactivity through effects on IGFBP-3. Furthermore, increases in bioactive IGF, rather than IGF-I concentration, predicted GH administration-related body composition changes. NCT00131378. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Accelerated bone ingrowth by local delivery of Zinc from bioactive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-10-19

Oct 19, 2015 ... Aims: This study aims to evaluate in vivo the performance therapy of zinc-doped bioactive glass (BG-Zn) and ... Keywords: zinc metallic ion; bioactive glass; osteoporosis; trabecular bone architecture; mechanical property; oxidative stress ..... Ducheyne P, Qiu Q. Bioactive ceramics: the effect of surface.

Synthesis and Antiradical/Antioxidant Activities of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester and Its Related Propionic, Acetic, and Benzoic Acid Analoguesc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Touaibia

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE is a bioactive component isolated from propolis. A series of CAPE analogues was synthesized and their antiradical/antioxidant effects analyzed. The effect of the presence of the double bond and of the conjugated system on the antioxidant effect is evaluated with the analogues obtained from 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl propanoic acid. Those obtained from 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid allow the evaluation of the effect of the presence of two carbons between the carbonyl and aromatic system.

Physico-chemical properties and fatty acid composition of pomegranate, cherry and pumpkin seed oils.

Science.gov (United States)

Siano, Francesco; Straccia, Maria C; Paolucci, Marina; Fasulo, Gabriella; Boscaino, Floriana; Volpe, Maria G

2016-03-30

Nut and seed oils are often considered waste products but in recent years they have been receiving growing interest due to their high concentration of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive components, which have important pharmacological properties on human health. The aim of this work was to compare the physico-chemical and biochemical properties of pomegranate (Punicagranatum), sweet cherry (Prunusavium) and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed oils obtained by solvent extraction. High amount of linoleic acid was found in the cherry and pumpkin seed oils, while pomegranate seed oil showed relevant content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) along to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and nervonic acid. Pumpkin seed oil had high concentration of carotenoids, while pomegranate oil was the best absorber in the UV-A and UV-B ranges. Pomegranate, cherry and pumpkin seed oils can be an excellent source of bioactive molecules and antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids and unsaturated fatty acids. These seed oils can be included both as preservatives and functional ingredients in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields and can contribute to disease prevention and health promotion. Moreover, high absorbance of UV light indicates a potential use of these oils as filters from radiations in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Induction of the synthesis of bioactive compounds of the marine alga Tetraselmis tetrathele (West) Butcher grown under salinity stress

OpenAIRE

Hala Yassin El-Kassas; Mostafa M. El-Sheekh

2016-01-01

This work aims at the induction of the synthesis bioactive compounds in microalgae which are used in aquacultures. Experiments were done using Tetraselmis tetrathele in batch culture for 8 days under different salinity levels. The growth of the alga at salinity 20 ppm was increased by fivefold and synthesis of carotenoids by 20-fold in comparison to the controlled. Increasing NaCl concentration resulted in increasing the fatty acid accumulation in T. tetrathele cells. Saturated fatty acids we...

Oxidation of phenolic acid derivatives by soil and its relevance to allelopathic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, T

2001-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that phenolic acids from legume green manures may contribute to weed control through allelopathy. The objectives of this study were to investigate the oxidation reactions of phenolic acids in soil and to determine the subsequent effects of oxidation upon phytotoxicity. Soils were reacted for 18 h with 0.25 mmol L(-1) benzoic and cinnamic acid derivative solutions and Mn release from the suspension was used as a marker for phenolic acid oxidation. The extent of oxidation in soil suspensions was in the order of 3,4dihydroxy- > 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy- > 4-hydroxy-approximately 2-hydroxy-substituted benzoic and cinnamic acids. The same ranking was observed for cyclic voltammetry peak currents of the cinnamic acid derivatives. This suggests that the oxidation of phenolic acids is controlled by the electron transfer step from the sorbed phenolic acid to the metal oxide. A bioassay experiment showed that the 4-hydroxy-, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-, and 3,4-dihydroxy-substituted cinnamic acids were bioactive at 0.25 mmol L(-1) concentration. Reaction with soil for 18 h resulted in the elimination of bioactivity of these three cinnamic acids at the 5% significance level. The oxidative reactivity of phenolic acids may limit the potential of allelopathy as a component of an integrated weed management system. However, the initial phytotoxicity after soil incorporation may coincide with the early, critical stage of weed emergence and establishment, so that allelopathic phenolic acids may still play a role in weed management despite their reactivity in soil systems.

Functionally graded bioactive coatings: From fabrication to testing

Science.gov (United States)

Foppiano, Silvia

Every year about half a million Americans undergo total joint replacement surgery of some kind. This number is expected to steadily increase in the future. About 20% of these patients will need a revision surgery because of implant failure, with a significant increase in health care cost. Current implant materials for load bearing applications must be strong enough to support the loads involved in daily activities, and bioinert, to limit reactivity in the body that may cause inflammatory and other adverse reactions. Metal alloys are typically used as materials for load bearing implants and rely on mechanical interlocking to achieve fixation which can be improved by using bone cements. To improve implant osteointegration, metal implants have been coated with a bone-like mineral: hydroxyapatite (HA). The plasma spray technique is commonly used to apply the HA coating. Such implants do not require the use of bone cement. Plasma sprayed HA coated implants are FDA approved and currently on the market, but their properties are not reproducible or reliable. Thus, coating delamination can occur. Our research group developed a novel family of bioactive glasses which were enameled onto titanium alloy using a functionally graded approach. We stratified the coating with different glass compositions to fulfill different functions. We coupled a first glass layer, with a good CTE match to the alloy, with a second layer of bioactive glass obtaining a functionally graded bioactive coating (FGC). In this thesis for the first time the cytocompatibility of novel bioactive glasses, and their functionally graded coatings on Ti6Al4V, was studied with an in vitro bone model (MC3T3-E1.4 mouse preosteblast cells). The novel bioactive glasses are cytocompatible and no compositional change is required. The fabrication process is reproducible, introduces a small (average 6 vol%) amount of crystallization, which does not significantly affect bioactivity in SBF as tested. The coatings are

Preparation and corrosion resistance of magnesium phytic acid/hydroxyapatite composite coatings on biodegradable AZ31 magnesium alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Cai, Shu; Zhang, Feiyang; Xu, Guohua; Wang, Fengwu; Yu, Nian; Wu, Xiaodong

2017-06-01

In this work, a magnesium phytic acid/hydroxyapatite composite coating was successfully prepared on AZ31 magnesium alloy substrate by chemical conversion deposition technology with the aim of improving its corrosion resistance and bioactivity. The influence of hydroxyapatite (HA) content on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the coatings was investigated. The results showed that with the increase of HA content in phytic acid solution, the cracks on the surface of the coatings gradually reduced, which subsequently improved the corrosion resistance of these coated magnesium alloy. Electrochemical measurements in simulated body fluid (SBF) revealed that the composite coating with 45 wt.% HA addition exhibited superior surface integrity and significantly improved corrosion resistance compared with the single phytic acid conversion coating. The results of the immersion test in SBF showed that the composite coating could provide more effective protection for magnesium alloy substrate than that of the single phytic acid coating and showed good bioactivity. Magnesium phytic acid/hydroxyapatite composite, with the desired bioactivity, can be synthesized through chemical conversion deposition technology as protective coatings for surface modification of the biodegradable magnesium alloy implants. The design idea of the new type of biomaterial is belong to the concept of "third generation biomaterial". Corrosion behavior and bioactivity of coated magnesium alloy are the key issues during implantation. In this study, preparation and corrosion behavior of magnesium phytic acid/hydroxyapatite composite coatings on magnesium alloy were studied. The basic findings and significance of this paper are as follows: 1. A novel environmentally friendly, homogenous and crack-free magnesium phytic acid/hydroxyapatite composite coating was fabricated on AZ31 magnesium alloy via chemical conversion deposition technology with the aim of enhancing its corrosion resistance and

Neutral atom beam technique enhances bioactivity of PEEK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, Joseph; Kirkpatrick, Sean R.; Maxwell, Melissa; Cherian, Raymond E.; Kirkpatrick, Allen; Svrluga, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is currently gaining popularity in orthopedic and spinal applications but has potential drawbacks in use. PEEK is biocompatible, similar in elasticity to bone, and radiolucent; however, it has been shown to be inert and does not integrate well with bone. Recent efforts have focused on increasing the bioactivity of PEEK by modifying the surface to improve the bone-implant interface. We have employed a novel Accelerated Neutral Atom Beam technique (ANAB) to enhance the bioactivity of PEEK. ANAB employs an intense beam of cluster-like packets of accelerated unbonded neutral argon (Ar) gas atoms. These beams are created by first producing a highly energetic Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB) comprised of van der Waals bonded Ar atoms, then transferring energy to the clusters so as to cause release of most of the interatomic bonds, and finally deflecting away the remaining electrically charged cluster cores of still bonded atoms. We identified that ANAB treatment of PEEK results in nanometer scale surface modifications as well as increased surface hydrophilicity. Human osteoblasts seeded onto the surface of ANAB-treated PEEK exhibited enhanced growth as compared to control PEEK as evidenced by cell proliferation assays and microscopy. This increase in bioactivity resulted in cell proliferation levels comparable to native titanium. An in vivo study using a rat calvarial critical size defect model revealed enhanced osseointegration where bone tissue formation was evident only on the ANAB treated PEEK. Taken together, these data suggest that ANAB treatment of PEEK has the potential to enhance its bioactivity, resulting in bone formation and significantly decreasing osseointegration time of orthopedic and spinal implants

Bioactive glass-based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Will, J.; Gerhardt, L.C.; Boccaccini, A.R.

2012-01-01

Originally developed to fill and restore bone defects, bioactive glasses are currently also being intensively investigated for bone tissue engineering applications. In this chapter, we review and discuss current knowledge on porous bone tissue engineering scaffolds made from bioactive silicate

Synthesis and characterization of 64SiO2-26CaO-5P2O5-5CuO bioactive composition for the growth of hydroxyapatite layer by XRD, Raman and pH studies

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Pardeep; Singh, K. J.

2016-05-01

Bioactive sample with the nominal composition of 64SiO2-26CaO-5P2O5-5CuO has been prepared in the laboratory by using the sol-gel technique. The bioactivity of the prepared sample has been analyzed by using the Tris Simulated Body Fluid which has also been prepared in the laboratory. XRD and Raman techniques have been employedto probe the formation of hydroxyapatite layer. pH studies has also been undertaken to check the acidic/non-acidic behavior of sample. Growth of hydroxyapatite layer has been observed after one day on the surface of the sample. Moreover, sample has been observed to be non-acidic in nature.

Overlooked and underestimated? Problematic alcohol use in clients recovering from drug dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

Staiger, Petra K; Richardson, Ben; Long, Caroline M; Carr, Victoria; Marlatt, G Alan

2013-07-01

Despite recognition of the harms related to alcohol misuse and its potential to interfere substantially with sustained recovery from drug dependency, research evaluating drug treatment outcomes has not addressed the issue comprehensively. It has been overlooked possibly because treatment research has been framed according to the primary drug of choice, rather than investigating the interactions between different combinations of drugs and/or alcohol use. This paper reports on a systematic review investigating whether concurrent alcohol use could impede recovery from illicit drug use in two potential ways: first, alcohol could become a substitute addiction and/or secondly, alcohol misuse post-treatment may place an individual at risk for relapse to their primary drug problem. A systematic search of four relevant databases was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed, quantitative drug treatment outcome studies that reported alcohol use pre-, post-treatment and follow-up. The search revealed 567 papers, of which 13 were assessed as fulfilling the key inclusion criteria.The review indicated inconsistent and therefore inconclusive support for the substitution hypothesis. However, the data revealed consistent support for the hypothesis that alcohol use increases relapse to drug use. (i) The potential negative impact of alcohol misuse on drug treatment outcomes remains under-researched and overlooked; (ii) alcohol consumption post-drug treatment may increase the likelihood that an individual will relapse to their primary drug; (ii) existing evidence regarding the substitution hypothesis is inconclusive, although there was an indication that a subgroup of participants will be vulnerable to alcohol becoming the primary addiction instead of drugs. We argue that future drug treatment outcome studies need to include detailed analysis of the influence of alcohol use pre- and post-drug treatment. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Design and characterization of protein-quercetin bioactive nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leng Xiaojing

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The synthesis of bioactive nanoparticles with precise molecular level control is a major challenge in bionanotechnology. Understanding the nature of the interactions between the active components and transport biomaterials is thus essential for the rational formulation of bio-nanocarriers. The current study presents a single molecule of bovine serum albumin (BSA, lysozyme (Lys, or myoglobin (Mb used to load hydrophobic drugs such as quercetin (Q and other flavonoids. Results Induced by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, BSA, Lys, and Mb formed spherical nanocarriers with sizes less than 70 nm. After loading Q, the size was further reduced by 30%. The adsorption of Q on protein is mainly hydrophobic, and is related to the synergy of Trp residues with the molecular environment of the proteins. Seven Q molecules could be entrapped by one Lys molecule, 9 by one Mb, and 11 by one BSA. The controlled releasing measurements indicate that these bioactive nanoparticles have long-term antioxidant protection effects on the activity of Q in both acidic and neutral conditions. The antioxidant activity evaluation indicates that the activity of Q is not hindered by the formation of protein nanoparticles. Other flavonoids, such as kaempferol and rutin, were also investigated. Conclusions BSA exhibits the most remarkable abilities of loading, controlled release, and antioxidant protection of active drugs, indicating that such type of bionanoparticles is very promising in the field of bionanotechnology.

Current and potential uses of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Suleria, Hafiz Ansar Rasul; Masci, Paul; Gobe, Glenda; Osborne, Simone

2016-03-15

Food industries produce huge amounts of processing waste that are often disposed of incurring expenses and impacting upon the environment. For these and other reasons, food processing waste streams, in particular marine processing waste streams, are gaining popularity amongst pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries as sources of bioactive molecules. In the last 30 years, there has been a gradual increase in processed marine products with a concomitant increase in waste streams that include viscera, heads, skins, fins, bones, trimmings and shellfish waste. In 2010, these waste streams equated to approximately 24 million tonnes of mostly unused resources. Marine processing waste streams not only represent an abundant resource, they are also enriched with structurally diverse molecules that possess a broad panel of bioactivities including anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-cancer and immune-stimulatory activities. Retrieval and characterisation of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste also contributes valuable information to the vast field of marine natural product discovery. This review summarises the current use of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste in different products and industries. Moreover, this review summarises new research into processing waste streams and the potential for adoption by industries in the creation of new products containing marine processing waste bioactives. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidative activity of colored rice bran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ping Huang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The profiles of bioactive compounds (including phenolics and flavonoids in free and bound fractions, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, vitamin E, and γ-oryzanol of outer and inner rice bran from six colored rice samples collected from local markets were investigated. Proanthocyanidins could only be detected in red rice bran but not in black rice bran. The free fraction of the extracts dominated the total phenolics (72–92% and the total flavonoids (72–96% of colored rice bran. Most of the phenolic acids (83–97% in colored rice bran were present in the bound form. Protocatechualdehyde was identified for the first time in the bound fraction of red rice bran by high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The antioxidative activities of the free fraction of the colored rice bran were attributed to the proanthocyanidins in red colored rice and anthocyanins in black rice, while that of the bound fraction was mainly due to the phenolic acids.

Molecular Regulation of Adipogenesis and Potential Anti-Adipogenic Bioactive Molecules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothy Moseti

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Adipogenesis is the process by which precursor stem cells differentiate into lipid laden adipocytes. Adipogenesis is regulated by a complex and highly orchestrated gene expression program. In mammalian cells, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ, and the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs such as C/EBPα, β and δ are considered the key early regulators of adipogenesis, while fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4, adiponectin, and fatty acid synthase (FAS are responsible for the formation of mature adipocytes. Excess accumulation of lipids in the adipose tissue leads to obesity, which is associated with cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes and other pathologies. Thus, investigating adipose tissue development and the underlying molecular mechanisms is vital to develop therapeutic agents capable of curbing the increasing incidence of obesity and related pathologies. In this review, we address the process of adipogenic differentiation, key transcription factors and proteins involved, adipogenic regulators and potential anti-adipogenic bioactive molecules.

A glass fiber-reinforced composite - bioactive glass cranioplasty implant: A case study of an early development stage implant removed due to a late infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Posti, Jussi P; Piitulainen, Jaakko M; Hupa, Leena; Fagerlund, Susanne; Frantzén, Janek; Aitasalo, Kalle M J; Vuorinen, Ville; Serlo, Willy; Syrjänen, Stina; Vallittu, Pekka K

2015-03-01

This case study describes the properties of an early development stage bioactive glass containing fiber-reinforced composite calvarial implant with histology that has been in function for two years and three months. The patient is a 33-year old woman with a history of substance abuse, who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury later unsuccessfully treated with an autologous bone flap and a custom-made porous polyethylene implant. She was thereafter treated with developmental stage glass fiber-reinforced composite - bioactive glass implant. After two years and three months, the implant was removed due to an implant site infection. The implant was analyzed histologically, mechanically, and in terms of chemistry and dissolution of bioactive glass. Mechanical integrity of the load bearing fiber-reinforced composite part of the implant was not affected by the in vivo period. Bioactive glass particles demonstrated surface layers of hydroxyapatite like mineral and dissolution, and related increase of pH was considerably less after two and three months period than that for fresh bioactive glass. There was a difference in the histology of the tissues inside the implant areas near to the margin of the implant that absorbed blood during implant installation surgery, showed fibrous tissue with blood vessels, osteoblasts, collagenous fibers with osteoid formation, and tiny clusters of more mature hard tissue. In the center of the implant, where there was less absorbed blood, only fibrous tissue was observed. This finding is in line with the combined positron emission tomography - computed tomography examination with (18F)-fluoride marker, which demonstrated activity of the mineralizing bone by osteoblasts especially at the area near to the margin of the implant 10 months after implantation. Based on these promising reactions found in the bioactive glass containing fiber-reinforced composite implant that has been implanted for two years and three months, calvarial

Bioactivity and chemical ecology of some intertidal animals

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Parulekar, A.H.; Shirwaikar, P.

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Nutrient reference values for bioactives: new approaches needed?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biesalski, Hans Konrad; Erdman Jr., John W.; Hathcock, John

2013-01-01

Nutrients can be classified as either "essential" or "non-essential," the latter are also termed bioactive substances. Whereas the absence of essential nutrients from the diet results in overt deficiency often times with moderate to severe physiological decrements, the absence of bioactive substa...

Fruit and cereal bioactives: sources, chemistry, and applications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tokusoglu, Ozlem; Hall, Clifford, III

2011-01-01

"Presenting up-to-date data in an easy-to-use format, this comprehensive overview of the chemistry of bioactive components of fruits and cereals addresses the role of these compounds in determining...

Glutamic Acid Selective Chemical Cleavage of Peptide Bonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Nalbone, Joseph M; Lahankar, Neelam; Buissereth, Lyssa; Raj, Monika

2016-03-04

Site-specific hydrolysis of peptide bonds at glutamic acid under neutral aqueous conditions is reported. The method relies on the activation of the backbone amide chain at glutamic acid by the formation of a pyroglutamyl (pGlu) imide moiety. This activation increases the susceptibility of a peptide bond toward hydrolysis. The method is highly specific and demonstrates broad substrate scope including cleavage of various bioactive peptides with unnatural amino acid residues, which are unsuitable substrates for enzymatic hydrolysis.

Aluminum-free glass-ionomer bone cements with enhanced bioactivity and biodegradability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomes, Filipa O.; Pires, Ricardo A., E-mail: rpires@dep.uminho.pt; Reis, Rui L.

2013-04-01

Al-free glasses of general composition 0.340SiO{sub 2}:0.300ZnO:(0.250-a-b)CaO:aSrO:bMgO:0.050Na{sub 2}O:0.060P{sub 2}O{sub 5} (a, b = 0.000 or 0.125) were synthesized by melt quenching and their ability to form glass-ionomer cements was evaluated using poly(acrylic acid) and water. We evaluated the influence of the poly(acrylic acid) molecular weight and glass particle size in the cement mechanical performance. Higher compressive strength (25 ± 5 MPa) and higher compressive elastic modulus (492 ± 17 MPa) were achieved with a poly(acrylic acid) of 50 kDa and glass particle sizes between 63 and 125 μm. Cements prepared with glass formulation a = 0.125 and b = 0.000 were analyzed after immersion in simulated body fluid; they presented a surface morphology consistent with a calcium phosphate coating and a Ca/P ratio of 1.55 (similar to calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite). Addition of starch to the cement formulation induced partial degradability after 8 weeks of immersion in phosphate buffer saline containing α-amylase. Micro-computed tomography analysis revealed that the inclusion of starch increased the cement porosity from 35% to 42%. We were able to produce partially degradable Al-free glass-ionomer bone cements with mechanical performance, bioactivity and biodegradability suitable to be applied on non-load bearing sites and with the appropriate physical characteristics for osteointegration upon partial degradation. Zn release studies (concentrations between 413 μM and 887 μM) evidenced the necessity to tune the cement formulations to reduce the Zn concentration in the surrounding environment. Highlights: ► We developed partially degradable, bioactive, Al-free glass-ionomer cements (GICs). ► Enhanced mechanical behavior was achieved using 63–125 μm glass particle size range. ► The highest mechanical resistance was obtained using poly(acrylic acid) of 50 kDa. ► Biodegradation was successfully tuned to start 8 weeks after GIC preparation. ► Zn

Aluminum-free glass-ionomer bone cements with enhanced bioactivity and biodegradability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, Filipa O.; Pires, Ricardo A.; Reis, Rui L.

2013-01-01

Al-free glasses of general composition 0.340SiO 2 :0.300ZnO:(0.250-a-b)CaO:aSrO:bMgO:0.050Na 2 O:0.060P 2 O 5 (a, b = 0.000 or 0.125) were synthesized by melt quenching and their ability to form glass-ionomer cements was evaluated using poly(acrylic acid) and water. We evaluated the influence of the poly(acrylic acid) molecular weight and glass particle size in the cement mechanical performance. Higher compressive strength (25 ± 5 MPa) and higher compressive elastic modulus (492 ± 17 MPa) were achieved with a poly(acrylic acid) of 50 kDa and glass particle sizes between 63 and 125 μm. Cements prepared with glass formulation a = 0.125 and b = 0.000 were analyzed after immersion in simulated body fluid; they presented a surface morphology consistent with a calcium phosphate coating and a Ca/P ratio of 1.55 (similar to calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite). Addition of starch to the cement formulation induced partial degradability after 8 weeks of immersion in phosphate buffer saline containing α-amylase. Micro-computed tomography analysis revealed that the inclusion of starch increased the cement porosity from 35% to 42%. We were able to produce partially degradable Al-free glass-ionomer bone cements with mechanical performance, bioactivity and biodegradability suitable to be applied on non-load bearing sites and with the appropriate physical characteristics for osteointegration upon partial degradation. Zn release studies (concentrations between 413 μM and 887 μM) evidenced the necessity to tune the cement formulations to reduce the Zn concentration in the surrounding environment. Highlights: ► We developed partially degradable, bioactive, Al-free glass-ionomer cements (GICs). ► Enhanced mechanical behavior was achieved using 63–125 μm glass particle size range. ► The highest mechanical resistance was obtained using poly(acrylic acid) of 50 kDa. ► Biodegradation was successfully tuned to start 8 weeks after GIC preparation. ► Zn release should be

Bioactive peptides released from in vitro digestion of human milk with or without pasteurization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Yasuaki; Lönnerdal, Bo

2015-04-01

Pasteurized donor human milk (HM) serves as the best alternative for breast-feeding when availability of mother's milk is limited. Pasteurization is also applied to mother's own milk for very low birth weight infants, who are vulnerable to microbial infection. Whether pasteurization affects protein digestibility and therefore modulates the profile of bioactive peptides released from HM proteins by gastrointestinal digestion, has not been examined to date. HM with and without pasteurization (62.5 °C for 30 min) were subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, followed by peptidomic analysis to compare the formation of bioactive peptides. Some of the bioactive peptides, such as caseinophosphopeptide homologues, a possible opioid peptide (or propeptide), and an antibacterial peptide, were present in undigested HM and showed resistance to in vitro digestion, suggesting that these peptides are likely to exert their bioactivities in the gastrointestinal lumen, or be stably transported to target organs. In vitro digestion of HM released a large variety of bioactive peptides such as angiotensin I-converting enzyme-inhibitory, antioxidative, and immunomodulatory peptides. Bioactive peptides were released largely in the same manner with and without pasteurization. Provision of pasteurized HM may be as beneficial as breast-feeding in terms of milk protein-derived bioactive peptides.