Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol-A (BPA) over titanium dioxide, and determination of its by-products by HF-LPME/GC-MS.

In this work, analytical strategies were developed based on the technique of hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction and chromatographic methods (LC-UV and GC/MS). These methods allowed the identification of the main Bisphenol-A by-products applying heterogeneous photocatalysis in water samples. BPA degradation in this study was in the order of 90%, and the conditions used in the HF-LPME were optimized through 23 factorial design (6 cm fiber length, stirring speed of 750 rpm, and an extraction time of 30 min). Using a HF-LPME/GC-MS analytical strategy, it was possible to identify six by-products of BPA photodegradation, two of which have not been reported in the literature so far. This knowledge was quite important since the degradation can lead to the formation of more toxic and persistent by-products than the BPA. With the Toxtree software, three degradation products were found to be persistent to the environment, in addition to BPA; however, in 360 minutes of reaction, chromatographic peaks of the precursors were not identified, suggesting that there may have been a total degradation of these compounds. The results showed a great application potential of a miniaturized extraction technique to extract and pre-concentrate the degradation products of emerging contaminants.

Pharmacological potential of alkylamides from Acmella oleracea flowers and synthetic isobutylalkyl amide to treat inflammatory pain.

Acmella oleracea ("jambu") is an Amazonian plant rich in alkylamides. Its flowers are widely used in folk medicine to treat toothache due to tingling, numbness, and local anaesthesia caused in the mouth. Our group previously demonstrated that the intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of an alkylamide-rich hexane fraction (HF) obtained from jambu flowers and a synthetic isobutylalkyl amide (IBA) displayed antinociceptive and anesthetic effects in acute pain models. Thus, here we evaluated the effects of HF and IBA on carrageenan-induced acute inflammation. Mice were pretreated with HF or IBA (0.01, 0.1, and 1 µg/20 µL, i.pl.) 15 min before carrageenan injection (300 µg/20 µL, i.pl.). Mechanical allodynia and paw oedema were evaluated previously (basal) and at 0.5 until 6 h following carrageenan. Both HF and IBA at 0.1 µg promoted effective and long-lasting antiallodynic and anti-oedematogenic activities until 3 and 5 h, respectively, in comparison to the different doses evaluated. At the inflammatory peak, the plantar surfaces were excised for measurement of inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters. HF and IBA (0.1 µg) reduced the myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-α and IL-1ß levels, prevented the production of lipid hydroperoxides, and the decrease of antioxidant agents, namely superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and glutathione contents. Furthermore, only HF maintained IL-10 levels and decreased PGE2 synthesis. On the basis of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, HF and IBA are devoid of antioxidant activity in vitro. Collectively, our results demonstrated the promising anti-inflammatory effect of local pretreatment with alkylamides, supporting the potential of these molecules to treat acute inflammatory pain conditions.

Arabinan-rich pectic polysaccharide fraction from Malpighia emarginata fruits alleviates inflammatory pain in mice.

Malpighia emarginata (Malpighiaceae), popularly known as "acerola", is a tropical and subtropical fruit native to the Americas. Despite its high vitamin C content, which gives it a high antioxidant property, soluble dietary fibers, such as polysaccharides, are also abundant constituents of acerola (10% of the dried fruit). The acerola cold-water soluble (ACWS) fraction presented anti-fatigue and antioxidant effects in vivo and in vitro. To infer further systemic effects of ACWS, this study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of ACWS in murine models of pain. In formalin-induced nociception, ACWS (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg) reduced only the inflammatory phase, and also (10 and 30 mg/kg) attenuated the acetic acid-induced writhing and leukocyte migration in the peritoneal cavity. The mechanical allodynia and paw edema induced by intraplantar injection of carrageenan were greatly reduced by ACWS (10 mg/kg). At the inflammatory pick induced by carrageenan (4 h), ACWS significantly reduced myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and PGE2 levels, and restored IL-10 levels. ACWS also exhibited antioxidant properties by decreasing lipid hydroperoxides content, increasing GSH levels, and restoring superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the carrageenan model and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Collectively, these results support the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of ACWS and reveal a promising candidate for the treatment of inflammatory pain conditions.