Adrenomedullin has a role in angiogenic effects of resveratrol in adipose tissues of obese female rats.

Obesity is a complex, chronic disease that arises according to the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The expansion and growth of white adipose tissue (WAT) could be related to angiogenesis. Resveratrol and adrenomedullin (AdM) were used for the inhibition of angiogenesis in metabolically passive WAT for inhibiting the expansion of this tissue, and the activation of angiogenesis in metabolically active brown adipose tissue (BAT) for increasing daily energy consumption as a way of reducing obesity. Rats were divided into eight groups. Four obese groups were fed with a high-fat diet containing 60% fat as energy for three months. After obtaining obesity, 2.5 nmol/kg AdM and 10 mg/kg resveratrol were treated to experiment groups intraperitoneally (i.p.) every other day for four weeks. AdM and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) mRNA levels were detected with semi-quantitative PCR; protein levels were detected with Western Blotting. AdM and resveratrol are multifactorial molecules, thus, this study has revealed a few novel evidence. The results were distinct in the group and treatment levels. The results showed that resveratrol has a role in angiogenesis in obesity and contributed to AdM production. It is observed that AdM has regulated its expression and increased the effect of resveratrol in WAT. AdM and VEGF-A gene expressions could not be detected in BAT; however, it is suggested that resveratrol may have a pro-angiogenic effect in BAT of obese rats according to the protein levels. AdM also has regulated VEGF-A level according to the metabolic situation of the organism.

Different Plant Sporopollenin Exine Capsules and Their Multifunctional Usage.

Sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) are highly resistant to heat and various acids and bases. They are also cheap, highly porous, eco-friendly polymer biomaterials with stable microencapsulation capacity. Due to their strong and uniquely shaped exine layers, they can allow growth on metal oxide materials, as a biotemplate for use in different applications. In this study, first, a single SEC extraction method was applied to three different pollens from Pinus, Fraxinus excelsior, and Tilia. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) measurements both before and after the extraction process were performed to observe changes in surface area, morphology, porous structure, and degradation properties. The protein content and removal were analyzed by elemental and spectrophotometric analyses. Then, SECs were loaded by passive and centrifuge loading for drug delivery, and the loading capacities were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and spectrophotometry. The method was successful in opening the pores and maintaining the structural integrity of SECs. It was determined that the morphology and porosity affected the encapsulation efficiency. According to the loading capacities, Tilia SECs were the most efficient SECs for both loading methods. In addition, three different SECs were hydrothermally coated with cobalt and then heat-treated to obtain a metal oxide structure. A CO3O4 supercapacitor electrode constructed using CO3O4-F. excelsior SEC powder had the best surface area parameters. The electrode showed a maximum specific capacity of 473 F/g for over 3000 continuous cycles of galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD).

Juglans Sporopollenin for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrode Design.

Recently, plant pollen has been used as a source of activated carbon to produce carbon-containing supercapacitor electrodes. However, in this study, pollen was used as a biotemplate with a completely different approach. As a biotemplate, pollen offers a wide range of varieties in terms of exterior, porosity, shape, and size. An electrode formed by the use of metal oxide grown on the pollen exine layer (sporopollenin microcapsules) as the active substance will inevitably exhibit good electrochemical capacitive properties. Juglans male flowers have been distinguished by dissection from anthers. Isolation of pollen grains from anthers was carried out using sieving from suitable sieves (45-200 µm). Juglans sporopollenin exine microcapsules (SECs) were separated from the intine and protoplasm by acetolysis in combination with reflux. The solution containing SECs, metal ions, and Ni foam was put into a Teflon-lined hydrothermal container, and then, it was reacted at 120 °C for 15 h. The resulting precipitate, as well as the Ni foam, was heat-treated at 300 and 360 °C for 3 h in air. The raw pollen, chemically treated pollen, and cobalt-coated SEC (CoSEC) and CoSEC/Ni foam were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Two different types of supercapacitor electrode designs, with the use of exine microcapsules of Juglans sporopollenin, were performed for the first time. The maximum specific capacitance was up to 1691 F g-1 at 5 A g-1.