α-Lactalbumin based scaffolds for infected wound healing and tissue regeneration.

Interruption of wound healing by multi-drug resistant-bacterial infection is a harmful issue for the worldwide health care system, and conventional treatment approaches may not resolve this issue due to antimicrobial resistance. So, there is an unmet need to develop scaffolds with intrinsic wound healing properties to combat bacterial-infected wounds. Inspired by the α-lactalbumin's (Lalb's) ability to promote collagen synthesis, we herein electrospun Lalb with cephalexin (CPL) and epigallocatechin (EP) to produce nanofibers (CE-Lalb NFs) to solve this issue. The CE-Lalb NFs were prepared using the electrospinning technique and subjected to physicochemical characterizations, in vitro, and in vivo assessments. The CE-Lalb NFs promoted fibroblast migration, proliferation, and collagen synthesis, while CPL/EP annihilated MRSA and E. coli infections. Physicochemical characterizations proved the successful fabrication and doping of CE-Lalb NFs. Antimicrobial assays and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) declared synergistic antibacterial activity of CE-Lalb NFs against MRSA and E. coli. The in vivo and immunohistochemical data evidenced its exceptional potential for wound healing, promoting growth factor, collagen synthesis, and reduced scar formation. The presence of mature collagen, fewer inflammatory cytokines, increased expression of blood vessels, and low expression of IL-6 at the wound site support in vitro and in vivo results. In our view, the tailored scaffold is the next step for personalized wound dressings that could meet patients with infected wounds' unmet needs by the subscription of noninvasive and easily navigable therapeutic options.

Obstructed vein delivery of ceftriaxone via poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone)-iodine-chitosan nanofibers for the management of diabetic foot infections and burn wounds.

Superficial skin injuries especially burn injuries and unhealed diabetic foot open wounds remain troubling for public health. The healing process is often interrupted by the invasion of resistant pathogens that results in the failure of conventional procedures outside the clinical settings. Herein, we designed nanofibers dressing with intrinsic antibacterial potential of poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone)-iodine/ poly (vinyl)-alcohol by electrospinning with chitosan encapsulating ceftriaxone (CPC/NFs). The optimized electrospun CPC/NFs exhibited smooth surface morphology with average diameter of 165 ± 7.1 nm, drug entrapment and loading efficiencies of 76.97 ± 4.7 % and 8.32 ± 1.73 %, respectively. The results displayed smooth and uniformed fibers with adequate thermal stability and ensured chemical doping. The enhanced in vitro antibacterial efficacy of CPC/NFs against resistant E. coli isolates and biosafety studies encourage the use of designed nanofibers dressing for burn injuries and diabetic foot injuries. In vivo studies proved the healing power of dressing for burn wounds model and diabetic infected wounds model. Immunofluorescence investigation of the wound tissue also suggested promising healing ability of CPC/NFs. The designed approach would be helpful to treat these infected skin open wounds in the hospitals and outside the clinical settings.

Bio-evaluations of sericin coated hesperidin nanoparticles for gastric ulcer management.

Gastric ulcers are worrying, and their worsening conditions may result in bleeding in the internal lining of the stomach. The problem is annoying, and both patients and professionals are still not satisfied with the available treatment options. Hesperidin, a flavonoid molecule with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, can work like witchcraft to repair gastric ulcers and preserve the stomach lining. Here, we employed a strategy that involved covering the surface of the nano-lipid carriers (NLCs) with sericin before encasing the hesperidin within (Se-He-NLC). Sericin, a biodegradable polymer increases the muco-adhesion with stomach lining and deployment of hesperidin in controlled manner. Se-He-NLCs were physico-chemically characterized for drug loading, encapsulation, particle size, morphology, drug release, chemical stability, and chemical bonding. The nanocarriers showed first order drug release in a controlled manner. Se-He-NLCs showed better in vitro permeation and ex vivo mucoadhesion, thereby by promoting the in vivo bioavailability. Se-He-NLCs also promoted the reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) levels by 2.24- and 1.61-folds, respectively in the stomach lining, and also the regulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities parallel to the control group. In addition, tissues lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were reduced significantly with Se-He-NLCs administration. Se-He-NLC therapy of stomach ulcers in vivo demonstrated better binding ratio and ulcer healing potential. This approach reveals huge capacity for delivering therapies to treat gastric ulcers based on the clinical significance of sericin coated hesperidin nanocarriers in gastric ulcer treatment.

Study on Optimal Extraction and Hypoglycemic Effect of Quercetin.

Quercetin was extracted from Portulaca oleracea L. through biphasic acid hydrolysis to investigate its potential as a suppressor of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) and its hypoglycemic effect in type 2 diabetic mice. The extraction procedure was optimized utilizing the response surface method (RSM) in a single-factor experimental setting. An extraction efficiency of 0.675% was achieved using the following optimized parameters: 0.064 mol/L vitriol, 1 : 109.155 solid-liquid ratio, and 21.408 min ultrasonication. Overall, findings indicate the effectiveness of quercetin extraction. A mouse model for type 2 diabetes was established to receive oral treatment with various quercetin concentrations for 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and the DPP-IV activity in the serum were significantly reduced. The weight and insulin levels of the mice in the quercetin group were raised compared to those in the model group (P < 0.01). Quercetin dose-dependently inhibited postprandial blood glucose excursions, as demonstrated by the oral glucose tolerance test. These results confirmed that quercetin has hypoglycemic effects and considerably improves insulin sensitivity via DPP-IV targeting.

Comparative Study of the Supercapacitive Performance of Three Ferrocene-Based Structures: Targeted Design of a Conductive Ferrocene-Functionalized Coordination Polymer as a Supercapacitor Electrode.

As redox-active based supercapacitors are known as highly desirable next-generation supercapacitor electrodes, the targeted design of two ferrocene-functionalized (Fc(COOH)2 ) clusters based on coinage metals, [(PPh3 )2 AgO2 CFcCO2 Ag(PPh3 )2 ]2 ⋅7 CH3 OH (SC1 : super capacitor) and [(PPh3 )3 CuO2 CFcCO2 Cu(PPh3 )3 ]⋅3 CH3 OH (SC2 ), is reported. Both structures are fully characterized by various techniques. The structures are utilized as energy storage electrode materials, giving 130 F g-1 and 210 F g-1 specific capacitance at 1.5 A g-1 in Na2 SO4 electrolyte, respectively. The obtained results show that the presence of CuI instead of AgI improves the supercapacitive performance of the cluster. Further, to improve the conductivity, the PSC2 ([(PPh3 )2 CuO2 CFcCO2 ]∞ ), a polymeric structure of SC2 , was synthesized and used as an energy storage electrode. PSC2 displays high conductivity and gives 455 F g-1 capacitance at 3 A g-1 . The PSC2 as a supercapacitor electrode presents a high power density (2416 W kg-1 ), high energy density (161 Wh kg-1 ), and long cycle life over 4000 cycles (93 %). These results could lead to the amplification of high-performance supercapacitors in new areas to develop real applications and stimulate the use of the targeted design of coordination polymers without hybridization or compositions with additive materials.

Ultrasonic effect on RuO2 nanostructures prepared by direct calcination of two new Ru(II)-organic supramolecular polymers.

Two novel Ru(II) complexes [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl(L1)]PF6 (R1) and [(η6-C6H6)RuCl(L1)]PF6 (R3) with ligand (E)-4-(methylthio)-N-((quinolin-2-yl)methylene)benzenamine (L1), were synthesized and investigated using elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Complexes R1 and R3 have coordination environments with formulated (η6-p-cymene)Ru(N2Cl) and (η6-C6H6)Ru(N2Cl) respectively. The thermal stabilities of compounds R1 and R3 were studied by thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The binding of the complexes R1 and R3 to calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) was investigated by using electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence and redox behavior studies. Such experimental data showed that there are interactions between complexes and CT-DNA and the nature of this binding is electrostatic interaction type. Calcination of ultrasonic treated R1 and R3 results in the formation of nanoparticles of RuO2. The nanoparticles were characterized by IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also size and morphology of nanoparticles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Sequencing and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of the masked shrew (Sorex caecutiens) from China.

The complete mitogenome sequence of the masked shrew (Sorex caecutiens) was determined using long PCR. The genome was 17,096 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, one origin of L strand replication, and one control region. The overall base composition of the heavy strand is A (32.9%), C (24.5%), T (29.3%), and G (13.3%). The base compositions present clearly the A-T skew, which is most obviously in the control region and protein-coding genes. The extended termination-associated sequence domain, the central conserved domain and the conserved sequence block domain are defined in the mitochondrial genome control region of the masked shrew. Mitochondrial genome analyses based on MP, ML, NJ, and Bayesian analyses yielded identical phylogenetic trees. The five Sorex species formed a monophyletic group with the high bootstrap value (100%) in all examinations.

The hydrogen-bonded complex bis(tert-butylammonium) 2,6-dichlorophenolate 2,4-dichlorophenol-2,4-dichlorophenolate tetrahydrofuran disolvate containing a chiral R53(10) hydrogen-bonded ring as a supramolecular synthon.

A fixed hydrogen-bonding motif with a high probability of occurring when appropriate functional groups are involved is described as a `supramolecular hydrogen-bonding synthon'. The identification of these synthons may enable the prediction of accurate crystal structures. The rare chiral hydrogen-bonding motif R53(10) was observed previously in a cocrystal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and dicyclohexylamine. In the title solvated salt, 2C4H12N+·C6H3Cl2O-·(C6H3Cl2O-·C6H4Cl2O)·2C4H8O, five components, namely two tert-butylammonium cations, one 2,4-dichlorophenol molecule, one 2,4-dichlorophenolate anion and one 2,6-dichlorophenolate anion, are bound by N-H...O and O-H...O hydrogen bonds to form a hydrogen-bonded ring, with the graph-set motif R53(10), which is further associated with two pendant tetrahydrofuran molecules by N-H...O hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen-bonded ring has internal symmetry, with a twofold axis running through the centre of the 2,6-dichlorophenolate anion, and is isostructural with a previous and related structure formed from 2,4-dichlorophenol, dicyclohexylamine and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. In the title crystal, helical columns are built by the alignment and twisting of the chiral hydrogen-bonded rings, along and across the c axis, and successive pairs of rings are associated with each other through C-H...π interactions. Neighbouring helical columns are inversely related and, therefore, no chirality is sustained, in contrast to the previous case.

Isolation and absolute configurations of diastereomers of 8α-hydroxy-T-muurolol and (1α,6ß,7ß)-cadinane-4-en-8α,10α-diol from Chimonanthus salicifolius.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Chimonanthus salicifolius resulted in the isolation of two sesquiterpenoids, 8α-hydroxy-T-muurolol and (1α,6ß,7ß)-cadinane-4-en-8α,10α-diol, together with 13 known compounds. The 15 structures were established by means of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The relative and absolute configurations of 8α-hydroxy-T-muurolol and 8α,11-elemodiol were achieved by NOESY experiments and X-ray crystallography using CuKα radiation. 8α-hydroxy-T-muurolol and (1α,6ß,7ß)-cadinane-4-en-8α,10α-diol showed immunosuppressive activities in a dose-dependent manner.

Two half-sandwiched ruthenium (II) compounds containing 5-fluorouracil derivatives: synthesis and study of DNA intercalation.

Two novel coordination compounds of half-sandwiched ruthenium(II) containing 2-(5-fluorouracil)-yl-N-(pyridyl)-acetamide were synthesized, and their intercalation binding modes with calf thymus DNA were revealed by hyperchromism of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy; the binding constants were determined according to a Langmuir adsorption equation that was deduced on the base of careful cyclic voltammetry measurements. The two compounds exhibited DNA intercalation binding activities with the binding constants of 1.13×106 M-1 and 5.35 ×105 M-1, respectively.

[Application of genetic diversity in the researches on rodents].

Genetic diversity is the base of the species diversity and ecosystem diversity, and also the foundation for biological evolution and species differentiation. Furthermore, genetic diversity is important evidence for evaluation of biological resources of nature. The genetic diversity data from a wide variety of rodents have many complex applications. We summarized the application of rodent prevention, the origin and differentiation including evolutionary history of rodents, the potential adaptation of rodents, the dynamics of population and regulatory mechanisms, and the conservation biology of rodents. Researches in the future should focus on the systematic study on the relationships between population dynamics and genetic diversity, and long-term monitoring of genetic diversity of rodents.

A hydrogen-bonded three-component complex: bis(dicyclohexylammonium) 2,4-dichlorophenolate 2,4,6-trichlorophenolate 2,4-dichlorophenol.

The title complex, 2C12H24N(+)·C6H3Cl2O(-)·C6H2Cl3O(-)·C6H4Cl2O, consists of three different achiral components, dicyclohexylammonium cations, 2,4,6-trichlorophenolate anions and H-atom-bridged 2,4-dichlorophenolate/2,4-dichlorophenol units, held together by O-H···N and O-H···O hydrogen bonds to form a chiral hydrogen-bonded ring. A helical cylinder is established by the packing of these rings along a crystallographic 41 screw axes. Helical cylinders may be generated from each other by translation, resulting in the formation of the chiral crystal. Neighbouring parallel helical cylinders are associated by van der Waals interactions only.

N-Methyl-piperazinediium penta-chloridoanti-monate(III) monohydrate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C(5)H(14)N(2))[SbCl(5)]·H(2)O, consists of an N-methyl-piperazinediium cation, a penta-chloridoanti-monate anion with the Sb(III) ion in a slightly distorted square-pyramidal coordination environment, and one solvent water mol-ecule. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter-molecular N-H⋯Cl, O-H⋯Cl and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Doxofyllinium tetra-chloridoanti-monate(III) monohydrate.

The title compound, (C(11)H(14)N(4)O(4))[SbCl(4)]·H(2)O, comprises a protonated doxofyllinium cation [7-(1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmeth-yl)-1,3-dimethyl-2,6-dioxo-3,7-dihydro-1H-purin-9-ium], an [SbCl(4)](-) anion and a water mol-ecule linked by N-H⋯O and O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds: the [SbCl(4)](-) anions form centrosymmetric dimers via weak Sb⋯Cl inter-actions [Sb⋯Cl = 3.1159 (9) Å]. The geometrical arrangement in the crystal structure is characterized by slipped π-π stacking of the parallel purine ring systems, with an inter-planar separation of 3.32 Å.

Cinchonidinium chloride monohydrate.

In the title salt, C(19)H(23)N(2)O(+)·Cl(-)·H(2)O, the ions and the water mol-ecule are held together by O-H⋯Cl, N-H⋯Cl, O-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional framework. The vinyl group is disordered over two orientations with refined occupancies of 0.564 (16) and 0.436 (16). The cell parameters of the title compound have been reported previously [Griffiths (1952 ▶). Acta Cryst.5, 290-291].

Gibberellin A4 monohydrate.

The title compond, C(19)H(24)O(5)·H(2)O, has two gibberellin A4 mol-ecules and two water mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The A and B rings have chair conformations, whereas the C and D rings have envelope conformations; the two rings which contain the lactone and carbonyl bridge adopt chair and envelope conformations. The crystal structure is established by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and supported by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Redetermination of ethyl-ene-diammonium bis-(p-methyl-benzene-sulfonate) monohydrate.

In the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(2)H(10)N(2) (2+)·2C(7)H(7)O(3)S(-)·H(2)O, there are two independent 4-methyl-benzene-sulfonate anions, one ethyl-enediammonium cation and a water mol-ecule. The present redetermination was carried out to improve the treatment of disorder, which was not refined in the previous study [Ahn & Kim (1985 ▶). J. Korean Chem. Soc.29, 335-340]. One of the sulfonate groups is disordered over two positions, with site-occupancy factors of 0.588 (14) and 0.412 (14). Inter-molecular N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds hold the three components together, affording a layer structure extending parallel to the (001) plane.

7-(1,3-Dioxolan-2-ylmeth-yl)-1,3-di-methyl-purine-2,6(1H,3H)-dione trichloro-acetic acid solvate.

In the title compound, C(11)H(14)N(4)O(4)·C(2)HCl(3)O(2), the dioxolane ring adopts an envelope conformation. Doxophylline [7-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl-meth-yl)-1,3-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione] and trichloro-acetic acid mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯N and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Proton exchanges between phenols and ammonia or amines: a computational study.

Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory have been performed to explore proton exchanges between phenols and ammonia or amines, which can be used to account for previous NMR experiments. For the parent phenol-NH(3) system, a transition state with a symmetric phenolate-NH(4)(+)-like structure, which lies about 35 kcal mol(-1) in energy above the hydrogen-bonded complex, has been successfully located. An intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) analysis indicates that the proton exchange is a concerted process, which can be roughly divided into four continuous subprocesses. A series of para-substituted phenol-NH(3) systems have been considered to investigate the substituent effect. Whereas introduction of an electron-withdrawing group on the phenol appreciably reduces the barrier, an opposite effect is observed for an electron-donating group. Moreover, it has been disclosed that there exists a good linear correlation between the activation barriers and the interaction energies between the phenols and NH(3), indicating the important role of proton transfer (or hydrogen bonding) in determining the proton exchange. Also considered are the proton exchanges between phenol and amines and those for some sterically hindered systems. The results show that the phenol tends to exchange hydrogen with the amines, preferably the secondary amines, and that the steric effect is favorable for the proton exchange, which imply that, as the IRC analysis suggested, besides the proton transfer, the flip of the ammonium-like moiety may play a significant role in the course of proton exchange. For all of these systems, we investigated the solvent effects and found that the barrier heights of proton exchange decrease remarkably as compared to those in a vacuum due to the ion pair feature of the transition state. Finally, we explored the phenol radical cation-NH(3) system; the barrierless proton transfer and remarkably low barrier (5.2 kcal mol(-1)) of proton exchange provide further evidence for the importance of proton transfer in the proton exchange.

Hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions in a laminar structure: benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid-4-methylpyridine (1/2).

The title complex, C8H6O4.2C6H7N, consists of two crystallographically independent 1:2 clusters of benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid and 4-methylpyridine. Each cluster, the components of which are linked by O-H...N hydrogen bonds, is almost planar by alignment of C-H...O hydrogen bonds. Herring-bone ribbons of clusters are formed by other C-H...O hydrogen bonds, and these ribbons are further packed to form a laminar structure by pi-pi interactions.