Novel yellowish-green single-phased spinel Mg1-xBaxAl2O4:Mn2+ phosphor(s) for color rendering white-light-emitting diodes.

For white light-rendering research activities, interpretation by using colored emitting materials is an alternative approach. But there are issues in designing the white color emitting materials. Particularly, differences in thermal and decay properties of discrete red, green, and blue emitting materials led to the quest for the search of a single-phased material, able to emit primary colors for white light generation. The current study is an effort to design a simple, single-phase, and cost-effective material with the tunable emission of primary colors by a series of Mg1-xBaxAl2O4:Mn2+ nanopowders. Doping of manganese ion (Mn2+) in the presence of the larger barium cation (Ba2+) at tetrahedral-sites of the spinel magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) structure led to the creation of antisite defects. Doped samples were found to have lower bandgaps compared with MgAl2O4, and hybridization of 3d-orbitals of Mn2+ with O(2p), Mg(2s)/Al(2s3p) was found to be responsible for narrowing the bandgap. The distribution of cations at various sites at random results in a variety of electronic transitions between the valance band and oxygen vacancies as well as electron traps produced the antisite defects. The suggested compositions might be used in white light applications since they have three emission bands with centers at 516 nm (green), 464 nm (blue) and 622 nm (red) at an excitation wavelength of 380 nm. A detailed discussion to analyze the effects of the larger cationic radius of Ba2+ on the lattice strain, unit cell parameters, and cell volumes using X-ray diffraction analysis is presented.

Tailoring of an anti-diabetic drug empagliflozin onto zinc oxide nanoparticles: characterization and in vitro evaluation of anti-hyperglycemic potential.

Diabetes is a serious health issue that can be a great risk factor related to numerous physical problems. A class of drugs "Gliflozin" especially Sodium Glucose Co. Transporter 2 was inhibited by a novel drug, which is known as "empagliflozin". While ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) had considerable promise for combating diabetes, it was employed in the treatment and management of type-2 diabetes mellitus. The new drug empagliflozin was initially incorporated into Zinc Oxide NPs in this study using the surface physio-sorption technique, and the degree of drug adsorption was assessed using the HPLC method. The tailored product was characterized by using the FTIR, EDX, Ultraviolet-Visible, XRD and SEM techniques. With an average particle size of 17 nm, SEM revealed mono-dispersion of NPs and sphere-like form. The Freundlich isotherm model best fits and explains the data for the physio-sorption investigation, which examined adsorption capabilities using adsorption isotherms. The enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which are involved in the human metabolism of carbohydrates, were used in the in-vitro anti-diabetic assays. It was discovered that the composite showed the highest levels of 81.72 and 92.77% inhibition of -α-amylase and -glucosidase at an absolute concentration of 1000 µg per ml with IC50 values of 30.6 µg per ml and 72 µg per ml.

In Vitro Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Ephedra gerardiana (Root and Stem) Crude Extract and Fractions.

The utilization of medicinal plants to treat infectious disease is a common practice in developing countries worldwide. The present study was aimed at evaluating the crude extracts of Ephedra gerardiana (root and stem) with different chemicals for antioxidant and antimicrobial (fungal and bacterial) potential. The results revealed that the ethyl acetate fractions of E. gerardiana (root and stem) have significant free radical scavenging potential with values 2.96 ± 0.39 and 2.73 ± 0.84 while n-butanol and aqueous fractions showed IC502.69 ± 0.26 and 3.44 ± 0.69 µg/ml in stem. Furthermore, crude extract and fractions also revealed promising antibacterial activities against all tested microbial strains while aqueous fraction showed no activities against Bacillus subtilis, Kleibsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Interestingly, all crude extracts and fractions were nonactive against fungal strain, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus, as compare to control. In summary, the Ephedra gerardiana (root and stem) extract and fraction possess antioxidant activities, which might be helpful in preventing or slowing the progress of various oxidative stresses, suggested to be a strong pharmaceutical agent.

Dietary coral calcium and zeolite protects bone in a mouse model for postmenopausal bone loss.

In patients diagnosed with osteoporosis, calcium is lost from bones making them weaker and easily susceptible to fractures. Supplementation of calcium is highly recommended for such conditions. However, the source of calcium plays an important role in the amount of calcium that is assimilated into bone. We hypothesize that naturally occurring coral calcium and zeolite may prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss. We have measured bone loss in ovariectomized mice supplemented with coral calcium and Zeolite. Female C57BL/6 mice were either sham-operated or ovariectomized and fed diets containing coral calcium or zeolite for 6 months. Serum was analyzed for bone biochemical markers and cytokines. Bones were analyzed using dual x-ray absorbtiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and micro-computed tomography densitometry. In the distal femoral metaphysis, total bone and cortical bone mass was restored and the endocortical surface was significantly decreased in coral calcium and zeolite fed ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Trabecular number and the ratio of bone volume to total volume was higher in OVX mice after coral calcium and zeolite feeding, while trabecular separation decreased in the different treatment OVX groups. Coral calcium protected bone to a lesser extent in the proximal tibia and lumbar vertebrae. Overall, coral calcium and zeolite may protect postmenopausal bone loss.

Inhibition of Bone Loss by Cissus quadrangularis in Mice: A Preliminary Report.

Women drastically loose bone during and after menopause leading to osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass increasing the risk of fractures with minor trauma. Existing therapies mainly reduce bone resorption, however, all existing drugs have severe side effects. Recently, the focus is to identify alternative medicines that can prevent and treat osteoporosis with minimal or no side effects. We used Cissus quadrangularis (CQ), a medicinal herb, to determine its effects on bone loss after ovariectomy in C57BL/6 mice. Two-month old mice were either sham operated or ovariectomized and fed CQ diet. After eleven weeks, mice were sacrificed and the long bones scanned using pQCT and µCT. In the distal femoral metaphysis, femoral diaphysis, and proximal tibia, control mice had decreased cancellous and cortical bone, while CQ-fed mice showed no significant differences in the trabecular number, thickness, and connectivity density, between Sham and OVX mice, except for cortical bone mineral content in the proximal tibia. There were no changes in the bone at the tibio-fibular junction between groups. We conclude that CQ effectively inhibited bone loss in the cancellous and cortical bones of femur and proximal tibia in these mice.