Selective toxicity of caffeic acid in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Caffeic acid is a natural phytochemical structurally similar to other cinnamic acids. In this study we found caffeic acid (CA) but not ferulic, sinapic or cinnamic acids inhibited proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC) and reduced cell numbers by inducing apoptosis. Only transient exposure to CA was required for these lethal effects that are associated with disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and induction of reactive oxygen species. By comparison, primary hepatocytes resisted CA toxicity for nearly 48 h, consistent with selective sensitivity of HCC to CA. These results support use of CA as an anti-tumor agent to inhibit HCC, especially if delivered by locoregional catheterization in an embolization procedure.

TiO2/UV based photocatalytic pretreatment of wheat straw for biogas production.

The present study deals with the application of an advanced oxidation process combining UV irradiation in the presence of the photocatalyst titanium dioxide (TiO2), as an effective pretreatment method of wheat straw as means for increasing its biodegradability for increased biogas production by anaerobic digestion (AD). Especially attention was paid in oxidation of the lignin in straw, besides release the sugars from the lignocellulosic structure of straw. Specifically, four different TiO2 concentrations (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% (w/w) TiO2) were tested at three different irradiation times (0, 1, 2, and 3 h). Products of lignin-fraction oxidation, namely, vanillic acid, ferullic acid and acetic acid were quantified for each set of pretreatment conditions. Subsequently, biochemical methane potentials (BMPs) assays were conducted under thermophilic conditions from differentially pretreated samples and the pretreatment with the best performance was further tested in continuous mode operation. From BMP assays, 1.5% (w/w) TiO2/straw at 3 h of UV light exposure pretreatment resulted in 37% (p < 0.05) increase in methane yield and 25% in CSTRs. It was concluded that the presence of TiO2 and the products of lignin oxidation did not inhibit the AD process. Finally, a simplified energy assessment showed that all pretreatment conditions become feasible when amounts of substrate to be treated are greater than the threshold value of 1.15 g.

Theoretical study of the thermodynamics of the mechanisms underlying antiradical activity of cinnamic acid derivatives.

The role of antiradical moieties (catechol, guaiacyl and carboxyl group) and molecular conformation in antioxidative potency of dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and dihydroferulic acid (DHFA) was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) method. The thermodynamic preference of different reaction paths of double (2H+/2e-) free radical scavenging mechanisms was estimated. Antiradical potency of DHCA and DHFA was compared with that exerted by their unsaturated analogs - caffeic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA). Cis/trans and anti-isomers of studied cinnamic acid derivatives may scavenge free radicals via double processes by involvement of catechol or guaiacyl moiety. Carboxyl group of syn-isomers may also participate in the inactivation of free radicals. Gibbs free energies of reactions with various free radicals indicate that syn-DHCA and syn-DHFA, colon catabolites that could be present in systemic circulation in low µM concentrations, have a potential to contribute to health benefits by direct free radical scavenging.