[Discussion on the relationship between pathological changes of sciatic nerve and Sarm1 protein expression in rats with n-hexane poisoning].

Objective: To explore the potential evidence of active peripheral nerve necrosis when n-hexane produces toxic effects on peripheral nerves. Methods: In May 2023, 36 SPF grade SD male rats with a body weight of 200-220 g were divided into 4 groups with 9 rats in each group and given normal saline and different doses of n-hexane (168, 675, 2 700 mg/kg) by gavage for 6 consecutive weeks (5 days/week). Three rats in each group were killed at the 2nd, 4th and 6th week, respectively. The spinal cord to sciatic nerve tissue was broken and the supernatant was extracted for SDS-PAGE protein isolation. The expression level of Sarm1 protein was analyzed with the ß-Actin color strip of internal reference protein by Western blot. The expression of Sarm1 protein was analyzed by the gray ratio of the two. At the 6th week, the sciatic nerve sections of the each group were observed by light microscope and electron microscope. Results: The number of axons was obviously reduced by light microscopy. According to electron microscope, myelin lesions were mainly local disintegration, deformation, and different thickness. The deformation of axonal surface became smaller. The axons in the nerve bundle membrane showed degeneration and reduction. The gray ratio of Sarm1 protein and internal reference protein bands in each group had no significant change at the second week of exposure, and the ratio of SARM1 protein to internal reference protein bands was 1.47 in the high dose group at the fourth week, and 1.51 and 1.89 in the middle and high dose group at the sixth week, respectively. Conclusion: Waller's degeneration was observed in sciatic neuropathologic manifestations of n-hexane-poisoned rats, and the expression level of Sarm1 protein increased.

The prediction of occupational health risks of n-Hexane in small and micro enterprises within China's printing industry using five occupational health risk assessment models.

Background: Chronic n-Hexane poisoning is prevalent among workers in small and micro printing industries in China. Despite this, there is limited research on occupational health risk assessment in these sectors. Conducting comprehensive risk assessments at key positions and proposing effective countermeasures are essential. Methods: Data were collected from 84 key positions across 32 small and micro-sized printing enterprises. Air samples were tested for n-Hexane exposure levels in accordance with Chinese standards. Five risk assessment models were employed: COSHH, EPA, MOM, ICMM, and Technical Guide GBZ/T 289-2017 of China. The consistency of results across these models was analyzed. Results: Workers in 84 job positions were categorized into four exposure groups, with exposure to n-Hexane for 8-10 h daily, 5-6 days weekly. Most positions operated with low automation levels (96.9% in printing, 5.9% in oil blending, and 42.9% in pasting), while others were manual. Localized ventilation rates were notably low in oil blending (23.5%), cleaning (14.3%), and pasting (9.5%) groups. n-Hexane concentrations exceeded Chinese occupational limits in 15.6% of printing, 17.7% of oil blending, and 21.4% of cleaning groups. Risk assessment models identified over 60% of work groups as high risk. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found among the seven risk assessment methods. Consistency analysis revealed moderate agreement between the Chinese synthesis index and exposure index methods (k = 0.571, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The Chinese synthesis and exposure index methods from Technical Guide GBZ/T 289-2017 are practical and reliable for assessing n-Hexane exposure risks in small and micro printing enterprises. Cleaning and printing roles were found to be at the highest risk for n-Hexane exposure. These findings provide valuable insights for targeted risk management strategies to protect workers' health in the industry.

Facile Preparation of Heteropolypeptides from Crude Mixtures of α-Amino Acid N-Carboxyanhydrides.

Heteropolypeptides bearing two or more functional side chains are promising polymeric materials for various biomedical applications. However, conventional preparation of heteropolypeptides relies on the synthesis and purification of each N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer in a separate manner, which substantially increases the time and cost. Herein, we report the facile preparation of heteropolypeptides with up to 86% yield within several hours, which are obtained from a mixture of crude NCA monomers. The combination of n-hexane precipitation and biphasic segregation effectively removed >90% impurities from crude NCA mixtures, allowing for the successful polymerization process. Various heteropolypeptides with monomodal distribution and narrow dispersity were efficiently prepared, whose compositions were predetermined by the feeding ratios of amino acids. We believe that this work significantly simplifies the preparation of various heteropolypeptides, boosting the downstream studies of these promising materials.

Nanoparticle Encapsulation of the Hexane Fraction of Cyperus Rotundus Extract for Enhanced Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities in vitro.

Aim: Cyperus rotundus L. (CR) is traditionally used in medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, α-cyperone, which is isolated from the essential oil and found primarily in the n-hexane fraction of the ethanolic extract, is known to inhibit NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. However, high concentrations of α-cyperone are required for sufficient anti-inflammatory activity. Even, essential oil obtained from C. rotundus has the disadvantage of low solubility and stability in aqueous environment, which makes it difficult to be applied in various fields and easily loses its activity. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to increase the extraction yield of C. rotundus by microbubble extraction and prepare nanoparticles (NPs) that can preserve its activity in a stable and bioavailable manner by utilizing nanoprecipitation. Methods: C. rotundus rhizomes were extracted in 50% ethanol using microbubbles and then fractionated with n-hexane to obtain α-cyperone-rich C. rotundus n-hexane fraction (CRHF). The biodegradable plant extract, α-cyperone, was prepared as green nanoparticles (CR@NPs) by nanoprecipitation technique under mild reaction conditions. The physicochemical properties of CR@NPs, including size, polydispersity index, and surface charge, were determined using dynamic light scattering. The extraction yield and encapsulation efficiency of α-cyperone were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by DPPH assay and in vitro ROS and NO assays, and biocompatibility was assessed by MTT assay. Results: C. rotundus loaded nanoparticles demonstrated overcoming the limitation of α-cyperone solubility and stability in CRHF and also the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties as evidenced by in vitro assays in cellular models. Conclusion: The versatility of green chemistry, such as α-cyperone, enables the production of nanoparticles with promising biomedical applications such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food products.

Prediction model for retention volumes of the three-phase solvent system in high-speed countercurrent chromatography.

Owing to its ability to separate substances with a broad scope of polarities, exploring the three-phase solvent systems (TPSSs) with high-speed countercurrent chromatography is a topic of interest in separation science, and their retention volumes should be more concerned. This study primarily investigates the behavior of retention volumes while examining the isolation abilities of the TPSS in the technique above. We took standard compounds, including sophoricoside, Sudan red 7B, and rotenone, which have a broad range of polarity, for investigation in this study and separated them using different four-liquid TPSSs made up of water, acetonitrile, methyl acetate, and n-hexane (WAMH). Our findings show that the retention volumes gradually alter in response to changes in phase polarity within the proposed solvent systems. With TPSSs, we preliminarily studied compound isolation and the promising formula of their retention volumes. The proposed solvent systems WAMH in different ratios showed high correlations and adjusted correlation coefficients above 0.9978 and 0.9913 for the actual and calculated retention volumes. This study will be particularly beneficial for researchers focusing on countercurrent chromatography with TPSSs, as it offers valuable time-saving insights.

A comprehensive study on solvent effect and establishment of n-hexane solvent system based normal-phase liquid chromatography × reversed-phase liquid chromatography for isolation of natural products.

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) represents an effective separation method, and is widely employed as the second dimension in most 2D-LC systems. Nevertheless, the solvent effect of the eluent from the first dimension on RPLC presents a challenge to the online coupling of RPLC with other separation modes, particularly normal phase liquid chromatography (NPLC). To address this issue, a comprehensive understanding of the solvent effect is essential. Following a comprehensive investigation into the influence of diverse solvents on RPLC separations, it was observed that alkane solvents, such as n-hexane, exhibited a pronounced tendency to be retained during RPLC separations. Such solvents do not affect the analysis of samples with weaker retention abilities than themselves, even when a large injection volume is used. The solvent effect was thus reduced by employing n-hexane-based solvent dilution. Leveraging the markedly enhanced solvent tolerance and extensive injection volume in RPLC, a versatile integration of the NPLC and RPLC was devised, necessitating merely a purge pump and a 10 port 2 position valve in conjunction with two sample loops. The novel 2D-LC system was then deployed for the analysis of propolis, a naturally occurring complex sample, and demonstrated remarkable separation efficiency.

Valorization of Carapa guianensis Aubl. seeds treated by compressed n-propane.

This study evaluated the oil content obtained from andiroba seeds by pressurized n-propane at different conditions of temperature (25, 35, and 45 °C) and pressure (40, 60, and 80 bar), and conventional extraction technique using n-hexane as the solvent. Kinetic extraction curves were fitted using Sovová's mathematical model. The chemical characterization of the oil was reported as well as the protein content in the extraction by-product. Pressurized extractions conducted at 25 °C provided the highest oil recovery (~45 wt%) from the seeds. The increase in pressure at 25 ºC favored obtaining oil with higher Stigmasterol contents, however, the Squalene content was higher in the oil obtained at 40 bar. The oils with the highest concentration phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were obtained at 80 bar. Extraction with n-propane provided oils with higher levels of phenolic compounds, however, with antioxidant activity similar to conventional extraction. For all evaluated extractions, the product showed a predominance of oleic and palmitic acids, with similar values of oxidative stability. The extraction of the by-product with the highest soluble protein content was obtained under mild processing conditions (25 °C and 40 bar) with n-propane.

Enhancing bacterial biodegradation of n-hexane by utilizing the adsorption capacity of non-degrading fungi.

Biodegradation of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as n-hexane is limited by their poor accessibility. Constructing fungal-bacterial degradation alliances is an effective approach, but the role of those fungi without the capability to degrade VOCs may have been overlooked. In this study, a non-n-hexane-degrading fungus, Fusarium keratoplasticum FK, was utilized to enhance n-hexane degradation by the bacterium Mycobacterium neworleansense WCJ. It was shown that strain WCJ removed 64.84% of n-hexane (at a concentration of 648.20 mg L-1) over 3 d, and 84.04% after introducing strain FK. Microbial growth kinetic studies revealed that the growth of strain WCJ was also promoted. Through a stepwise adsorption-degradation experiment combined with qPCR technology, it was found that the strain WCJ could utilize the n-hexane pre-adsorbed by strain FK, with an increase in copy number from 108.2662 to 108.7731. Therefore, the non-degrading fungi can improved the accessibility of n-hexane by providing n-hexane adsorbed by the mycelium to the degrading bacteria. In addition, the adsorption tests and characterization of the fungal samples before and after Soxhlet extraction indicated that the adsorption of n-hexane on strain FK conformed to Lagergren's pseudo-second-order kinetics and Freundlich adsorption isotherms, and was correlated with the presence of lipids and nonpolar groups. This study emphasizes the potential role of non-degrading fungi in bioremediation and proposes a viable strategy to enhance the bacterial degradation of hydrophobic VOCs.

Natural wax recovery from Musa acuminata biomass using organic solvents.

The main aim of this study is to experimentally investigate the yield of extraction and the presence of wax in the extracted yield from Musaacuminata (banana) biomass based on various functional groups that are present in natural wax. Extraction of natural wax from Musaacuminata (banana) biomass has been done by using the Soxhlet apparatus method in the presence of both polar (ethyl acetate and ethanol) and non-polar (toluene and hexane) solvents. The extracted yield has been found as 3.58% from hexane, 5.16% from toluene, 7.03% from ethyl acetate, and 10.26% from ethanol. The wax was also found in the extracted yield only in the case of nonpolar solvents (toluene and hexane). The novelty of this work is that Musaacuminata (banana) waste biomass has been utilized to recover the natural wax using nonpolar solvents and also compared with that of polar solvents to check the scope of wax extraction using polar solvents. Also, statistical analysis has been performed of the extracted yield using both solvents. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) methods have been used to determine the various hydrocarbon chains present in the extracted yield which is similar to that of natural wax.

Effects of n-hexane fraction of Piper guineense seed extract on Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride-induced hypertension in rats.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the n-hexane fraction of the ethanolic seed extract of PG (NFESEPG) on hypertension induced by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in rats. Specifically, the study examined the impact of NFESEPG on blood pressure, oxidative stress markers, NO concentration, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and arginase activities, and cardiac biomarkers in hypertensive rats. The study involved collecting, identifying, and processing the PG plant to obtain the ethanolic seed extract. The extract was then partitioned with solvents to isolate the n-hexane fraction. Hypertension was induced in rats by oral administration of L-NAME for 10 days, while concurrent treatment with NFESEPG at two doses (200 and 400 mg/kg/day) was administered orally. Blood pressure was measured using a noninvasive tail-cuff method, and various biochemical parameters were assessed. Treatment with both doses of NFESEPG significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. Additionally, NFESEPG administration increased NO concentration and decreased ACE and arginase activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and cardiac biomarkers in hypertensive rats. The findings indicate that NFESEPG effectively lowered blood pressure in hypertensive rats induced by L-NAME, potentially through mechanisms involving the modulation of oxidative stress, NO bioavailability, and cardiac biomarkers. These results suggest the therapeutic potential of NFESEPG in managing hypertension and related cardiovascular complications.

Boswellia carterii n-hexane extract suppresses breast cancer growth via induction of ferroptosis by downregulated GPX4 and upregulated transferrin.

Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant health concern for women globally, prompting the relentless pursuit of novel therapeutic modalities. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Boswellia carterii has been extensively used to treat various cancers, such as BC. However, the anti-BC effect and underlying mechanism of Boswellia carterii remain largely unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the therapeutic effect of Boswellia carterii n-hexane extract (BCHE) against BC as well as its underlying mechanism. The present study showed that BCHE significantly suppressed the viability of human BC cells. Moreover, BCHE exhibited potent anti-BC activity in vivo with no significant toxic effects. Additionally, BCHE induced ferroptosis via increased Transferrin expression and the intracellular accumulation of Fe2+, as well as decreased glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression and the upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced lipid peroxidation in BC cells. In vivo experimental results also demonstrated that BCHE effectively induced ferroptosis through GPX4 downregulation and Transferrin upregulation in tumor-bearing mice. Overall, BCHE inhibited the growth of BC cells by inducing ferroptosis mediated by modulating the iron accumulation pathway and the lipid peroxidation pathway. Therefore, BCHE could serve as a potential ferroptosis-targeting drug for treating BC.

Evaluation of antifungal potentials of Albizia kalkora extract as a natural fungicide: In vitro and computational studies.

The antifungal bioactivity potential of the organic extract of silk tree (Albizia kalkora) was investigated in the current study. The crude extracts of A. kalkora and methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions were prepared. The antifungal activity of obtained fractions of A. kalkora was studied at different concentrations ranging from 0.39-50 µg/mL. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was taken as a toxicity control, whereas thiophanate methyl (TM) as a positive control. All the fractions significantly reduced the FOL growth (methanolic: 9.49-94.93 %, n-hexane: 11.12-100 %, chloroform: 20.96-91.41 %, and ethyl acetate: 18.75-96.70 %). The n-hexane fraction showed 6.25 µg/mL MIC as compared to TM with 64 µg/mL MIC. The non-polar (n-hexane) fraction showed maximum antifungal bioactivity against FOL in comparison with chloroform, methanol, and ethyl acetate fractions. GC/MS analysis exhibited that the n-hexane fraction contained hexadecanoic acid, 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, methyl stearate, and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid. The results of in vitro antifungal inhibition were further reinforced by molecular docking analysis. Five virulence proteins of FOL i.e., pH-responsive PacC transcription factor (PACC), MeaB, TOR; target of rapamycin (FMK1), Signal transducing MAP kinase kinase (STE-STE7), and High Osmolarity Glycerol 1(HOG1) were docked with identified phytocompounds in the n-hexane fraction by GC/MS analysis. MEAB showed maximum binding affinities with zinnimide (-12.03 kcal/mol), HOG1 and FMK1with α-Tocospiro-B (-11.51 kcal/mol) and (-10.55 kcal/mol) respectively, STE-STE7 with docosanoic acid (-11.31 kcal/mol), and PACC with heptadecanoic acid (-9.88 kcal/mol) respectively with strong hydrophobic or hydrophilic interactions with active pocket residues. In conclusion, the n-hexane fraction of the A. kalkora can be used to manage FOL.

Phytochemical investigation of the n-hexane-extracted oil from four umbelliferous vegetables using GC/MS analysis in the context of antibacterial activity.

Umbelliferous (Apiaceae) vegetables are widely consumed worldwide for their nutritive and health benefits. The main goal of the current study is to explore the compositional heterogeneity in four dried umbelliferous vegetables viz, celery, coriander, dill, and parsley targeting their volatile profile using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 133 volatile metabolites were detected belonging to 12 classes. Aromatic hydrocarbons were detected as the major components of the analyzed vegetables accounting ca. 64.0, 62.4, 59.5, and 47.8% in parsley, dill, celery, and coriander, respectively. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were detected at ca. 6.39, 8.21, 6.16, and 6.79% in parsley, dill, celery, and coriander, respectively. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of various health benefits were detected in parsley and represented by roughanic acid and α-linolenic acid at 4.99 and 0.47%, respectively. Myristicin and frambinone were detected only in parsley at 0.45 and 0.56%. Investigation of antibacterial activity of umbelliferous vegetables n-hexane extract revealed a moderate antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with higher activity for celery and dill against Staphylococcus aureus with inhibition zone 20.3 mm compared to 24.3 mm of the standard antibacterial drug.

Rapid purification and scale-up of tilianin using counter-current chromatography with rectangular horizontal tubing.

In counter-current chromatography (CCC), linear scale-up is an ideal amplification strategy. However, when transferring from analytical to predictable preparative processes with high throughput, linear scale-up would be challenging due to limitations imposed by differences in instrument parameters, such as gravitational forces, tubing cross-section area, tubing length, column volume and flow rate. Some effective scale-up strategies have been studied for different instrument parameters, but so far, these scale-up works have only been tested on standard circular (SC) tubing. The previous research of our group found that rectangular horizontal (RH) tubing can double the separation efficiency compared with conventional SC tubing, and has industrial production potential. This paper used the separation of tilianin from Dracocephalum moldavica L. as an example to demonstrate how to scale up the optimized process from analytical SC tubing to preparative RH tubing. After systematic optimization of solvent systems, sample concentration and flow rate on the analytical CCC, the optimized parameters obtained were successfully transferred to the preparative CCC. The results showed that a crude sample of 2.07 g was successfully separated using a solvent system of n-hexane - ethyl acetate - ethanol - water (1:4:1:5, v/v/v/v) in reversed phase mode, and the three consecutive separations produced a total of 380 mg tilianin in 75 min with high purities of 98.3%, as analyzed by HPLC. The total throughput achieved from the analytical to semi-preparative scale was improved by 138 times (from 12 mg/h to 1.66 g/h), while the column volume was increased by only 46.5 times (from 15.5 mL to 720 mL). This is the successful application of CCC for the separation and purification of tilianin. Given that SC tubing is the traditional configuration for CCC columns, this study is a necessary step to prove the applicability of RH tubing columns for routine use and potential large-scale industrial applications.

Biofiltration of toluene in the presence of ethyl acetate or n-hexane: Performance and microbial community.

This study describes the operation of two independent parallel laboratory-scale biotrickling filters (BTFs) to degrade different types of binary volatile organic compound (VOC) mixtures. Comparison experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of two typical VOCs, i.e., ethyl acetate (a hydrophilic VOC) and n-hexane (a hydrophobic VOC) on the removal performance of toluene (a moderately hydrophobic VOC) in BTFs ''A" and ''B", respectively. Experiments were carried out by stabilizing the toluene concentration at 1.64 g m-3 and varying the concentrations of gas-phase ethyl acetate (0.85-2.8 g m-3) and n-hexane (0.85-2.8 g m-3) at an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 30 s. In the presence of ethyl acetate (850 ± 55 mg m-3), toluene exhibited the highest removal efficiency (95.4 ± 2.2%) in BTF "A". However, the removal rate of toluene varied from 48.1 ± 6.9% to 70.1 ± 6.8% when 850 ± 123 mg m-3 to 2800 ± 136 mg m-3 of n-hexane was introduced into BTF "B". The high-throughput sequencing data revealed that the genera Pseudomonas and Comamonadaceae_unclassified are the core microorganisms responsible for the degradation of toluene. The intensity of the inhibitory or synergistic effects on toluene removal was influenced by the type and concentration of the introduced VOC, as well as the number and activity of the genera Pseudomonas and Comamonadaceae_unclassified. It provides insights into the interaction between binary VOCs during biofiltration from a microscopic perspective.

Synergistic Interaction Effect of Artemisia cina n-hexane Extract and Tagetes lucida Ethyl Acetate Extract on Haemonchus Contortus.

PURPOSE: We analysed the possible synergistic activity among active extracts from Artemisia cina and Tagetes lucida combinations on Haemonchus contortus, a nematode parasitising sheep. METHODS: The work was carried out in vitro on eggs and infective larvae (L3) of H. contortus. The results were analysed with SAS 9.1, applying the ANOVA and Tukey test, and the lethal concentration (LC) values LC50 and LC90 were determined with regression analysis, employing Proc Probit of SAS 9.1. Additionally, the lethal concentration (LC) was calculated with LC50 and LC90 to determine the synergistic effect. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a high efficacy of the two plants studied on both nematode eggs and L3 larvae as well as of their combinations. The highest egg hatching inhibition was obtained with a 50/50 combination, and the best larvae mortality was obtained with 25% A. cina and 75% T. lucida at 10 mg/mL. Additionally, this combination showed a synergistic effect. CONCLUSION: The two plant species studied here can be applied as natural anthelmintic alternatives due to their high bioactive effect and synergistic response.

Redox profile of silver catfish challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila and treated with hexane extract of Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling through immersion bath.

The growing increase in the fish farming sector has favored the establishment of bacterial outbreaks caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in several species. The hexane extract of Hesperozygis ringens (HEHR) (Lamiaceae) leaves increased the survival rate of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) experimentally infected by A. hydrophila. However, it is noteworthy that no reports have been found on the possible mechanisms of action of this extract in infected fish. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the HEHR, administered through single immersion bath, on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defenses in muscle and liver tissue of silver catfish challenged with A. hydrophila. The results showed that the oxidative status of silver catfish was altered, although oxidative stress was not triggered during the experiment. HEHR at 30 mg/L (HEHR30) was not characterized as a pro-oxidant agent in the presence of infection, unlike florfenicol and HEHR at 15 mg/L treatments in some cases. In short, HEHR30 provided an important increase in hepatic catalase activity, characterizing one of the possible mechanisms involved in the greater survival of fish experimentally infected by A. hydrophila. Additionally, HEHR30 did not induce lipid peroxidation, nor reduced antioxidant defenses of silver catfish infected or not by A. hydrophila.

Phyllodulcin from the hexane fraction of Hydrangea macrophylla inhibits glucose-induced lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species generation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

We confirmed that the hexane layer of Hydrangea macrophylla leaf extract (HLH) is rich in phyllodulcin (PD), an alternative sweetener, through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. To investigate in vivo activity of HLH and its PD, acute toxicity and growth rate of Caenorhabditis elegans were tested and there are no clinical abnormalities at 125-500 µg/mL of HLH. HLH decreased the total lipid and triglyceride contents dose-dependently in glucose-induced obese worms. Also, HLH increased survival rates under oxidative and thermal stress and decreased body reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents significantly. Such antioxidant properties of HLH were attributed to the enhanced activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase. To determine whether the effect of HLH was due to PD, worms were treated with PD (concentration contained in HLH), and inhibitory effects on total lipids and ROS were observed. Our results suggest that HLH and its PD as a natural alternative sweetener can be used as materials to improve metabolic diseases.

Enantiomeric separation of thiourea derivatives of naringenin on amylose and cellulose polymeric chromatographic chiral columns.

Due to a great demand for amylose and cellulose polymeric chromatographic chiral columns, the enantiomeric separation of thiourea derivatives of naringenin was achieved on the different amylose (Chiralpak-IB) and cellulose chiral (Chiralcel-OJ and Chiralcel-OD-3R) columns with varied chromatographic conditions. The isocratic mobile phases used were ethanol and methanol, where ethanol/hexane and methanol/hexane were used as gradient mode and were prepared in volume/volume relation. The separation and resolution factors for all the enantiomers were in the range of 1.25 to 3.47 and 0.48 to 1.75, respectively. The enantiomeric resolution was obtained within 12 min making fast separation. The docking studies confirmed the chiral recognition mechanisms with binding affinities in the range of -4.7 to -5.7 kcal/mol. The reported compounds have good anticoagulant activities and may be used as anticoagulants in the future. Besides, chiral separation is fast and is useful for enantiomeric separation in any laboratory in the world.

Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities for different extracts of Casuarina equisetifolia.

BACKGROUND: Casuarina equisetifolia belongs to the Casuarina species with the most extensive natural distribution, which contain various phytochemicals with potential health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and biological activities of different extracts of Casuarina equisetifolia. METHODS: The n-hexane extract was analyzed for its unsaponifiable and fatty acid methyl esters fractions, while chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol extracts were studied for their phenolic components. Six different extracts of C. equisetifolia needles were evaluated for their total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. RESULTS: The n-hexane extract contained mainly hydrocarbons and fatty acid methyl esters, while ten phenolic compounds were isolated and identified in the chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol extracts. The methanolic extract exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content, highest antioxidant activity, and most potent cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines. The ethyl acetate extract showed the most significant inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. CONCLUSION: Casuarina equisetifolia extracts showed promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. Overall, Casuarina equisetifolia is a versatile tree with a variety of uses, and its plant material can be used for many different purposes.