Statistical optimization of nZVI chemical synthesis approach towards P and NO3- removal from aqueous solutions: Cost-effectiveness & parametric effects.

This study aims to conduct statistical optimization of nZVI synthesis parameters towards the removal efficiency of phosphorus (P) and nitrate (NO3-), considering for the first time the cost-effectiveness index. The detailed statistical analysis was implemented to evaluate the main effects and interactions of eight synthesis parameters, including reductant concentration (RC), reductant delivery rate (RDR), reductant liquid volume (RLV), pH, aging time (AGT), mixing speed (MS), temperature (T), and precursor concentration (PC). Results revealed that the experimental optimization of the synthesis factors improved the removal efficiency of NO3- and P by 27 and 9%, respectively, with respect to that before the optimization. ANOVA statistical results indicated the significance of RP (%) and [Formula: see text] (%) models with F-values of 4.480 × 108 and 23,755.08, respectively. Moreover, the p-values of all the eight main linear effects were less than 0.05 in both two models of RP (%) and [Formula: see text] (%). However, most of the interaction parameters were not statistically significant (higher than 0.05) in the case of [Formula: see text] (%), which is unlike RP (%) where all interaction parameters were statistically significant (less than 0.05). The normal probability plots of factors effects provided significant evidence of the significance of the investigated parameters RC had the highest positive statistically significant effect on RP (%) followed by RLV, RDR, MS and T. In case of [Formula: see text] (%), RLV had the highest positive significant effect, followed by AGT > RDR > pH > T > MS. The cost-effective optimal constraints in this study resulted in the best economically optimized values of the nZVI synthesis parameters in terms of higher reactivity and reduced synthesis cost.

A self-assembly hydrophobic oCDs/Ag nanoparticles SERS sensor for ultrasensitive melamine detection in milk.

A simple, ultra-sensitive, and super-stable hydrophobic SERS platform for detection of melamine in milk is developed. The hydrophobic SERS platform was constructed via directly growing hydrophobic carbon/silver nanoparticles on glass by in-situ one-step carbonization using hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate as stabilizer and reducing agent. The performances of SERS platform are systematically studied by using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a model, which achieves detection level of 10-13 M and enhancement factor of 3.4 × 1010 for R6G detection with good uniformity and reproducibility, as well as 110 days stability in air. The FDTD simulation was used to confirm SERS enhancement mechanism. More importantly, SERS platform delivers good linear property in the range from 0.01 to 100 ppm, and low limit detection of 9 ppb for melamine detection in milk through direct drop on the platform. The SERS platform could have great applications in food safety, environmental monitoring, biomedicine and other fields.

Reduction mechanisms of V5+ by vanadium-reducing bacteria in aqueous environments: Role of different molecular weight fractionated extracellular polymeric substances.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are high-molecular polymers secreted by microbes and play essential roles in metallic biogeochemical cycling. Previous studies demonstrated the reducing capacity of the functional groups on EPS for metal reduction. However, the roles of different EPS components in vanadium speciation and their responsible reducing substances for vanadium reduction are still unknown. In this study, the EPS of Bacillus sp. PFYN01 was fractionated via ultrafiltration into six components with different kDa (EPS>100, EPS100-50, EPS50-30, EPS30-10, EPS10-3, and EPS<3). Batch reduction experiments of the intact cells, EPS-free cells, the pristine and fractionated EPS with V5+ were conducted and characterized. The results demonstrated that the extracellular reduction of V5+ into V4+ by EPS was the major reduction process. Among the functional groups in EPS, C=O/C-N of amide in protein/polypeptide and CO of carboxyl in fulvic acid-like substances might act as the reductants for V5+, while CO in polysaccharide molecules and PO in phosphodiester played a key role in the adsorption process. The intracellular reduction was via translocating V5+ into the cells and releasing V4+ by the intracellular reductases. The reducing capacity of the fractionated EPS followed a sequence of EPS<3 > EPS10-3 > EPS50-30 > EPS100-50 > EPS30-10 > EPS>100. The small molecules of fulvic acid-like substances and amino acids were responsible for the high reducing capacity of EPS<3. EPS>100 had the lowest reducing capacity due to its macromolecular structure decreasing the exposure of the reactive sites. In addition to reduction, those intermediate EPS components may also have supporting functions, such as connecting protein skeletons and increasing the specific surface area of EPS. Therefore, the diverse effects of the EPS components cannot be neglected in vanadium biogeochemical cycling.

The optimal method for peroxydisulfate quenching: A comparison of commonly used reductants.

Peroxydisulfate-based advanced oxidation process has drawn increasing interest recently. Quenching the residual peroxydisulfate is essential for the accurate measurement of the concentration of target pollutants. However, it was rarely discussed which reductant is best for peroxydisulfate quenching. In this study, how the quenching of peroxydisulfate by four commonly used quenchers (methanol, ascorbic acid, sodium thiosulfate and sodium sulfite) affected the concentration of carbamazepine was investigated. Sodium sulfite reacted with carbamazepine directly, with the highest removal rate up to 39%. Higher carbamazepine removal rate was achieved by peroxydisulfate/sodium sulfite than by sodium sulfite alone. SO3•- and SO5•- rather than SO4•- played the major role in carbamazepine removal by sodium sulfite or peroxydisulfate/sodium sulfite. Methanol was found unable to reduce peroxydisulfate. Ascorbic acid, when used with a concentration more than three times higher than that of peroxydisulfate, was the best quencher with the lowest carbamazepine removal rate observed at a pH range of 3.5-10.0. Sodium thiosulfate was unfit for peroxydisulfate quenching at pH 3.5 as it was decomposed and formed bisulfite under strong acidic condition. The results of this study provided valuable guidance to the selection of proper quenchers for peroxydisulfate-related advanced oxidation processes.

The Application of Lamiaceae Lindl. Promotes Aroma Compounds Formation, Sensory Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of Oat and Buckwheat-Based Cookies.

Aroma plays an important role in designing innovative functional foods. This study aimed to study the influence of incorporating herbs from the Lamiaceae family (sage, mint, rosemary, oregano, thyme) on aroma compound formation and sensory properties in oat-buckwheat products. DPPH, FRAP and PCL have been used to describe possible antioxidant activity changes and reduce power of cookies after Lamiaceae Lindl. addition. The volatiles analysis by HS-SPME-GC/MS, has shown that Lamiaceae addition significantly influences the volatiles composition (29 molecules) with a predominance of molecules with a positive sensorial impression. Cookies elaborated with herbs were characterized by a greater share of monoterpenes (e.g., limonene, eucalyptol), in the volatile profile than in control cookies. These compounds' occurrence was closely correlated with the appearance of herbal odor and taste among sensory attributes in cookies with herbs addition. In contrast, a decrease of negative oil aroma and the bitter aftertaste was noted by a sensory panel. Moreover, in cookies of mint and rosemary, hexanal share decreased about 13 and 9.7-times, respectively. Considering all presented experiments, rosemary addition was the most effective in forming a positive aroma profile with high sensory acceptance and increased functional properties.

DNA-nanohydrogel self-assembled gold nanoparticles: co-profiling of multiple small molecule reductants in rat brain.

DNA nanohydrogel assembled AuNPs were proposed as a high-throughput multidimensional sensing strategy for small molecule reductant profiling in rat brain. The equilibrium among AuNPs, DNA nanohydrogel and targets produced a unique fingerprint-like pattern for differentiating the reducing capacity.

Application of cyclic voltammetry to analyse uric acid and reducing agents in commercial milks.

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were compared to quantify uric acid and antioxidant reducing agents in 36 milk samples. The enzymes uricase and ascorbate oxidase were used to remove uric and ascorbic acids and showed that the peaks obtained by CV and HPLC did not contain contributions from other unknown compounds. The levels of uric acid obtained by CV compared well to those determined using HPLC, with only a few exceptions, and the average difference was around 6%. CV measurements were made using the main anodic peak seen at approximately 330 mV (Ag/AgCl), while a later oxidation peak at approximately 650 mV can be associated with further reducing agents present in milk. The electrochemical method was quicker to apply than HPLC that included a pre-treatment step, and provides an inexpensive and simple method for the reliable analysis of uric acid in milk.

Diversidad bacteriana en el biocátodo reductor de Cr(VI) de una Celda de Combustible Microbiana con puente salino / Bacterial diversity in the Cr(VI) reducing biocathode of a Microbial Fuel Cell with salt bridge

Although Cr(VI)-reducing and/or tolerant microorganisms have been investigated, there is no detailed information on the composition of the microbial community of the biocathode microbial fuel cell for Cr(VI) reduction. In this investigation, the bacterial diversity of a biocathode was analyzed using 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. It was found that most bacteria belonged to phylum Proteobacteria (78.8%), Firmicutes (7.9%), Actinobacteria (6.6%) and Bacteroidetes (5.5%), commonly present in environments contaminated with Cr(VI). The dominance of the genus Pseudomonas (34.87%), followed by the genera Stenotrophomonas (5.8%), Shinella (4%), Papillibacter (3.96%), Brevundimonas (3.91%), Pseu-dochrobactrum (3.54%), Ochrobactrum (3.49%), Hydrogenophaga (2.88%), Rhodococcus (2.88%), Fluviicola (2.35%), and Alcaligenes (2.3%), was found. It is emphasized that some genera have not previously been associated with Cr(VI) reduction. This biocathode from waters contaminated with tannery effluents was able to remove Cr(VI) (97.83%) in the cathodic chamber. Additionally, through use of anaerobic sludge in the anodic chamber, the removal of 76.6% of organic matter (glucose) from synthetic waste water was achieved. In this study, an efficient biocathode for the reduction of Cr(VI) with future use in bioremediation, was characterized.

Aunque se ha investigado sobre los microorganismos reductores y/o tolerantes de Cr(VI), no hay información detallada sobre la composición de la comunidad microbiana del cátodo de una Celda de Combustible Microbiana para la reducción de Cr(VI). En esta investigación se analizó la diversidad bacteriana de un biocátodo usando pirosecuenciación 454 del gen 16S rRNA. Se encontró que la mayoría de las bacterias pertenecieron a los filos Proteobac-teria (78,8%), Firmicutes (7,9%), Actinobacteria (6,6%) y Bacteroidetes (5,5%), comúnmente presentes en ambientes contaminados con Cr(VI). Se encontró como género dominante a Pseudomonas (34,87%), seguido por los géneros Stenotrophomonas (5,8%), Shinella (4%), Papil-libacter (3,96%), Brevundimonas (3,91%), Pseudochrobactrum (3,54%), Ochrobactrum (3,49%), Hydrogenophaga (2,88%), Rhodococcus (2,88%), Fluviicola (2,35%) y Alcaligenes (2,3%). Se destaca que algunos géneros no han sido previamente asociados con la reducción de Cr(VI). Este biocátodo procedente de aguas contaminadas con efluentes de curtiembres fue capaz de remover Cr(VI) (97,83%) en la cámara catódica. Adicionalmente, a través del uso de lodo anaeróbico en la cámara anódica, se logró la remoción del 76,6% de materia orgánica (glucosa) a partir de agua residual sintética. En este estudio se caracterizó un eficiente biocátodo para la reducción de Cr(VI) con futuro uso en biorremediación.

Stress-reducing and anesthetic effects of the essential oils of Aloysia triphylla and Lippia alba on Serrasalmus eigenmanni (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae)

Anesthetic effect of Aloysia triphylla and Lippia alba essential oils (EOs) in the Amazonian fish Serrasalmus eigenmanni was evaluated. The fish were placed in aquaria containing A. triphylla or L. alba EOs (25 to 200 µL L-1). Then, fish were transferred to aquaria containing EO-free water to evaluate their recovery time. In another experiment, fish were transferred to aquaria containing A. triphylla or L. alba EOs (3 to 10 µL L-1) and swimming behavior was analyzed for up to 240 min of exposure. Water samples were collected at 0 and 240 min and blood samples were collected at 240 min. Tested concentrations induced all stages of anesthesia, except 25 µL L-1 A. triphylla EO and 50 µL L-1 L. alba EO, which only induced sedation. Prolonged exposure to both EOs reduced swimming time compared to the control at all evaluated times. The fish exposed to 3 µL L-1 A. triphylla EO showed a lower net K+ efflux compared to ethanol-exposed fish; in those exposed to 5 µL L-1, ammonia excretion was reduced. The blood parameters did not show significant differences between treatments. In conclusion, both EOs can be used as anesthetics and sedatives for transport of S. eigenmanni.(AU)

Avaliou-se o efeito anestésico dos óleos essenciais de Aloysia triphylla e de Lippia alba no peixe amazônico Serrasalmus eigenmanni. Os peixes foram colocados em aquários contendo OEs de A. triphylla ou L. alba (25 a 200 µL L-1). Após, foram transferidos para aquários com água sem anestésicos para avaliar o tempo de recuperação. Em outro experimento, peixes foram transferidos para aquários contendo OEs de A. triphylla ou L. alba (3 a 10 µL L-1) e o comportamento natatório foi analisado até 240 min de exposição. Foram coletadas amostras de água em 0 e 240 min e de sangue em 240 min. As concentrações testadas induziram todos estágios de anestesia, exceto 25 µL L-1 OE de A. triphylla e 50 µL L-1 OE de L. alba, que causaram somente sedação. Exposição prolongada a ambos OEs reduziu o tempo de natação comparado ao controle. Peixes expostos a 3 µL L-1 OE de A. triphylla apresentaram menor efluxo de K+ comparado aos expostos ao etanol e nos expostos a 5 µL L-1 a excreção de amônia reduziu. Parâmetros sanguíneos não diferiram entre tratamentos. Conclui-se que ambos OEs podem ser utilizados como anestésicos e no transporte de S. eigenmanni.(AU)

A highly selective, colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for NH2NH2 and its bioimaging.

In this work, we report a novel approach which employed substrate-triggered intramolecular addition-cyclization cascade to develop a highly selective fluorescent probe E)-3-(4-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1-(2-hydroxylphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one (P-OH) for NH2NH2. The new sensing mechanism of P-OH for NH2NH2 was investigated in detail by fluorescence spectroscopy, 1H NMR titration, mass spectrometry and control experiments. The synthesized probe showed ratiometric fluorescent response to NH2NH2 with naked-eye color changes from yellow to colorless. It's noteworthy that this probe displayed high sensitivity and selectivity to NH2NH2 over other species, including primary amines, Cys, Hcy, GSH, HS- and HSO3-. Furthermore, the probe can not only detect NH2NH2 in real water samples but also image NH2NH2 in living cells, indicating its potential utility for NH2NH2 sensing in environmental and biological samples.

The early nucleation stage of gold nanoparticles formation in solution as powerful tool for the colorimetric determination of reducing agents: The case of xylitol and total polyols in oral fluid.

Herein we report a simple non-enzymatic assay for xylitol and total polyols in water and oral fluid based on the time resolved formation of gold NPs in solution, and their colorimetric detection at fixed wavelength (520 nm). The key novelty of the proposed approach relies on the exploitation of information given by the early nucleation step of NPs formation instead of those related to final products at the end point of AuNPs growth, as generally reported in literature. We demonstrate that the nucleation stage is linearly correlated to the concentration of the reducing agent in solution. On the contrary, the optical reading carried out the end point of the reaction shows non-linear correlation and several undesired features. As case study, we applied the proposed method to xylitol and polyols determination, first tested in water and spiked oral fluid samples. The detection limits obtained on xylitol resulted 180 mg L-1 (CV% = 6.9) and 44 mg L-1 (CV% = 6.5) in water and oral fluid, respectively. Afterward, we successfully performed the monitoring of total polyols in oral fluid over time during xylitol-containing gums consumption. Data here reported show high correspondence with available data in literature. The proposed approach is fast, cheap, highly reproducible, and can be extended to other reducing substances of interest for analytical purposes.

Spectrophotometric total reducing sugars assay based on cupric reduction.

As the concentration of reducing sugars (RS) is controlled by European legislation for certain specific food and beverages, a simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of RS in various food products is proposed. The method is based on the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) with reducing sugars in alkaline medium in the presence of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (neocuproine: Nc), followed by the formation of a colored Cu(I)-Nc charge-transfer complex. All simple sugars tested had the linear regression equations with almost equal slope values. The proposed method was successfully applied to fresh apple juice, commercial fruit juices, milk, honey and onion juice. Interference effect of phenolic compounds in plant samples was eliminated by a solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up process. The method was proven to have higher sensitivity and precision than the widely used dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) colorimetric method.

Synergistic effect of reductive and ligand-promoted dissolution of goethite.

Ligand-promoted dissolution and reductive dissolution of iron (hydr)oxide minerals control the bioavailability of iron in many environmental systems and have been recognized as biological iron acquisition strategies. This study investigated the potential synergism between ligands (desferrioxamine B (DFOB) or N,N'-Di(2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (HBED)) and a reductant (ascorbate) in goethite dissolution. Batch experiments were performed at pH 6 with ligand or reductant alone and in combination, and under both oxic and anoxic conditions. Goethite dissolution in the presence of reductant or ligand alone followed classic surface-controlled dissolution kinetics. Ascorbate alone does not promote goethite dissolution under oxic conditions due to rapid reoxidation of Fe(II). The rate coefficients for goethite dissolution by ligands are closely correlated with the stability constants of the aqueous Fe(III)-ligand complexes. A synergistic effect of DFOB and ascorbate on the rate of goethite dissolution was observed (total rates greater than the sum of the individual rates), and this effect was most pronounced under oxic conditions. For HBED, macroscopically the synergistic effect was hidden due to the inhibitory effect of ascorbate on HBED adsorption. After accounting for the concentrations of adsorbed ascorbate and HBED, a synergistic effect could still be identified. The potential synergism between ligand and reductant for iron (hydr)oxide dissolution may have important implications for iron bioavailability in soil environments.

Compositional studies and Biological activities of Perovskia abrotanoides Kar. oils.

BACKGROUND: Current study has been designed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential and fixed oils from stem and leaves of Perovskia abrotanoides and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of these oils. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis of essential oil identified 19 compounds with (E)-9-dodecenal being the major component in stem and hexadecanoic acid in leaves. In contrast, GC-MS analysis of fixed oil showed 40 constituents with α-amyrin the major component in stem and α-copaene in leaves. The antioxidant activity showed the highest value of 76.7% in essential oil from leaves in comparison with fixed oil from stem (45.9%) through inhibition of peroxidation in linoleic acid system. The antimicrobial assay tested on different microorganisms (e.g. E. coli, S. aureus, B. cereus, Nitrospira, S. epidermis, A. niger, A. flavus and C. albicans) showed the higher inhibition zone at essential oil from leaves (15.2 mm on B. cereus) as compared to fixed oil from stem (8.34 mm on S. aureus) and leaves (11.2 mm on S. aureus). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the fact that essential oil analyzed from Perovskia abrotanoides stem and leaves could be a promising source of natural products with potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as compared to fixed oil.

Compositional studies and Biological activities of Perovskia abrotanoides Kar. oils

BACKGROUND: Current study has been designed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential and fixed oils from stem and leaves of Perovskia abrotanoides and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of these oils. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis of essential oil identified 19 compounds with (E)-9-dodecenal being the major component in stem and hexadecanoic acid in leaves. In contrast, GC-MS analysis of fixed oil showed 40 constituents with α-amyrin the major component in stem and α-copaene in leaves. The antioxidant activity showed the highest value of 76.7% in essential oil from leaves in comparison with fixed oil from stem (45.9%) through inhibition of peroxidation in linoleic acid system. The antimicrobial assay tested on different microorganisms (e.g. E. coli, S. aureus, B. cereus, Nitrospira, S. epidermis, A. niger, A. flavus and C. albicans) showed the higher inhibition zone at essential oil from leaves (15.2 mm on B. cereus) as compared to fixed oil from stem (8.34 mm onS. aureus) and leaves (11.2 mm on S. aureus). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the fact that essential oil analyzed from Perovskia abrotanoides stem and leaves could be a promising source of natural products with potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as compared to fixed oil.

In-vitro neuroprotective properties of the Maydis stigma extracts from four corn varieties.

Neuroprotective effect of the ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of the silks of four Zea mays L. varieties (var. intendata, var. indurata, var. everta and var. saccharata) was evaluated by acetylcholinesterase, butrylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitions and by antioxidant activity tests against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide as well as two iron-related antioxidant methods (iron-chelation capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power). Total phenol and flavonoid contents in the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically.

Potentiometric flow injection system for determination of reductants using a polymeric membrane permanganate ion-selective electrode based on current-controlled reagent delivery.

A polymeric membrane permanganate-selective electrode has been developed as a current-controlled reagent release system for potentiometric detection of reductants in flow injection analysis. By applying an external current, diffusion of permanganate ions across the polymeric membrane can be controlled precisely. The permanganate ions released at the sample-membrane interface from the inner filling solution of the electrode are consumed by reaction with a reductant in the sample solution thus changing the measured membrane potential, by which the reductant can be sensed potentiometrically. Ascorbate, dopamine and norepinephrine have been employed as the model reductants. Under the optimized conditions, the potential peak heights are proportional to the reductant concentrations in the ranges of 1.0×10(-5) to 2.5×10(-7)M for ascorbate, of 1.0×10(-5) to 5.0×10(-7)M for dopamine, and of 1.0×10(-5) to 5.0×10(-7)M for norepinephrine, respectively with the corresponding detection limits of 7.8×10(-8), 1.0×10(-7) and 1.0×10(-7)M. The proposed system has been successfully applied to the determination of reductants in pharmaceutical preparations and vegetables, and the results agree well with those of iodimetric analysis.

Bio-screening of a few green seaweeds from India for their cytotoxic and antioxidant potential.

BACKGROUND: It has been evidenced in several epidemiological studies that seaweeds when consumed as diet protect against several chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Seaweeds, raw, cooked, or dried, are used as food in many cultures, although not very popularly in India. Globally, several studies have indicated that seaweeds are a rich source of phenolic compounds and have antioxidant properties. In the present study, we screened methanolic extracts (MEs) of five species of green seaweeds commonly found in India for their cytotoxic activity by brine shrimp lethality assay and antioxidant properties using various in vitro assays, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, reducing power and metal ion chelating assays. RESULTS: A markedly variable, dose-dependent activity was observed in all the seaweed extracts relative to their total phenolic content. Statistical analysis indicated a significantly strong correlation between the DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content (R(2) = 0.88, P < 0.05) as well as reducing power and total phenolic content (R(2) = 0.99, P < 0.01) of the dry MEs. Also, a very poor correlation between total phenolic content and metal chelating activity (R(2) = 0.13, P > 0.05) was noted. None of the seaweed extracts were potently cytotoxic. CONCLUSION: The underlying results endorse seaweeds as a rich, novel source of antioxidant compounds needing systemic exploration.

Flavonol content in the water extract of the mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf and their antioxidant capacities.

UNLABELLED: The biological activities of the mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf have been attributed to its flavonoid content. The water extract of the mulberry leaf (WEML) was prepared by autoclaving at 121 °C for 15 min, and the flavonol content of the WEML was determined by HPLC The WEML contained 4 flavonols in the following order: quercetin-3-ß-D-glucose (QT-G) > quercetin-3-O-glucose-6″-acetate (QT-GA) > rutin (RT) > quercetin (QT). In the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, QT had the highest peroxyl radical-scavenging capacity and a similar hydroxyl radical-scavenging capacity as its glycosides (QT-G, QT-GA, and RT). QT exhibited a stronger cellular antioxidant capacity (CAC) against 2,2'-Azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)- and Cu²âº-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells compared to its glycosides, indicating that the intracellular antioxidant capacity of QT and its glycosides may depend upon both the permeability across the cell membrane and the peroxyl or hydroxyl radical-scavenging capacity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The information presented might be used for developing mulberry leaf-based functional foods.

Synthesis and properties of a novel artificial nucleoside that acts as a redox switch.

Oligonucleotide that can reversibly alter the duplex-forming ability in response to an external factor has potential to be applied to various genome technologies, e.g. antisense and gene diagnosis technology. A novel bridged nucleoside which is capable of sensing an oxidant and reductant was designed and synthesized. The nucleoside formed a disulfide bridge between C2' and C4' positions, which would enhance its duplex-forming ability under oxidative conditions. Contrastingly, the disulfide bridge was cleaved under reductive conditions; it could cause decrease of duplex-forming ability.