Dilution-Induced Physico-Chemical Changes of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Due to Homeopathic Preparation Steps of Trituration and Succussion.

BACKGROUND: Although the presence of starting materials in extreme dilutions of homeopathic medicines has been established, the physico-chemical changes of these materials induced by the manufacturing steps-that is, solid-solid mixing involving grinding (trituration) and slurry mixing involving impact (succussion), followed by dilution-are still unknown. METHODS: We subjected cupric oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) to the homeopathic processes of trituration and succussion, followed by dilution up to 6 cH. Particle image velocimetry was employed to analyze the fluid motion during succussion and its effect on the NPs. The resulting microstructural and chemical changes at different dilution steps were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The succussion triggered multi-sized bubble generation and turbulent fluid motion up to a duration of 400 ms, with maximum average velocity of 0.23 m/s. Due to 1% transfer of kinetic energy from a moving eddy with this velocity, upon collision, the rate of temperature change in a particle of size 1 µm and 1 nm was predicted to rise by approximately 102 K/s and 106 K/s respectively. During trituration, the oxide NPs reduced to metals and did not aggregate by remaining within lactose, but they converted to oxidized finer NPs after impact. Silicate chains leached from the vial cross-linked after third dilution, forming large macro-particles and encapsulating the NPs that were retained and carried at higher dilution steps. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the NPs sustained significant rate of temperature change due to energy transfer from moving eddies during succussion. Different physico-chemical changes, such as size reduction, successive reduction and oxidation of NPs, and morphological changes, were achieved through trituration and succussion. The retention of NPs within cross-linked poly-siloxane chains reveals the importance of both the borosilicate glass vial and the ethanol solution during preparation of homeopathic medicines.

Evidence of rapid coaggregation of globular proteins during amyloid formation.

The question of how an aggregating protein can influence aggregation of other proteins located in its vicinity is particularly significant because many proteins coexist in cells. We demonstrate in vitro coaggregation and cross-seeding of lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, insulin, and cytochrome c during their amyloid formation. The coaggregation process seems to be more dependent on the temperature-induced intermediate species of these proteins and less dependent on their sequence identities. Because amyloid-linked inclusions and plaques are recognized as multicomponent entities originating from aggregation of the associated protein, these findings may add new insights into the mechanistic understanding of amyloid-related pathologies.

Chain length dependence of polyol synthesis of zinc ferrite nanoparticles: why is diethylene glycol so different?

Superparamagnetic ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with size range of 28-38 nm were synthesized by polyol process based on use of varying chain length glycols as solvent. We have offered, for the first time, the plausible mechanism behind in situ formation of zinc ferric oxalate hydroxide hydrate [Fe2Zn(C2O4)2(OH)3](+)·4H2O complex from diethylene and polyethylene glycol. We are also reporting, the magnetic properties of above complexes. We have found a ferromagnetic ordering in precursor complex compounds. The intermediate hydrocarbon chain between the oxalato bridged metal cations plays a crucial role in obtaining anomalous magnetic behavior. ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles obtained after annealing the DEGylated precursor complex (precursor complex formed in diethylene glycol) showed the highest superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior (22.4 emu g(-1)) among others. The reasons for anomalous SPM behavior of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are explained on the basis of the degree of inversion of the spinel structure, high surface-to-volume ratio, which causes non-collinear spin arrangement in a surface layer and higher oxygen concentration on the surface of dead organic layer, which increases the unpaired valence electrons leading to uncompensated surface spins.