Temporal and differential proteomic profile of molecular mediators associated with chronic and acute wound healing.

The underlying pathophysiology of nonhealing chronic wounds is poorly understood due to the changes occurring at the gene level and the complexity arising in their proteomic profile. Here, we elucidated the temporal and differential profile of the normal and diabetic wound-healing mediators along with their interactions and associated pathways. Skin tissues corresponding to normal and diabetic wounds were isolated at Days 0, 3, 6, and 9 representing different healing phases. Temporal gene expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Concurrently, differential protein patterns in the wound tissues were identified by Nano LC-ESI-TOF mass spectrometry and later confirmed by Western blot analysis. Gene ontology annotation, protein-protein interaction, and protein pathway analysis were performed using DAVID, PANTHER, and STRING bioinformatics resources. Uniquely identified proteins (complement C3, amyloid beta precursor protein, and cytoplasmic linker associated protein 2) in the diabetic wound tissue implied that these proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic wound. They exhibit enhanced catalytic activity, trigger pathways linked with inflammation, and negatively regulate wound healing. However, in the normal wound tissue, axin 1, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4, and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor were identified, which are involved in proliferation, angiogenesis, and remodeling. Our findings demonstrate the correlation between elevated gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and identified mediators: aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator, 5'-aminolevulinate synthase 2, and CXC-family, that inflicted an inflammatory response by activating downstream MAPK, JAK-STAT, and NF-κB pathways. Similarly, in normal wound tissue, the upregulated IL-4 and hepatocyte growth factor levels in conjunction with the identified proteins, serine/threonine-protein kinase mTOR and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, played a significant role in the cellular response to platelet-derived growth factor stimulus, dermal epithelialization, and cell proliferation, processes associated with the repair mechanism. Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated elevated levels of inflammatory markers and reduced levels of proliferative and angiogenic factors in the diabetic wound.

Stearic Acid and CeO2 Nanoparticles Co-functionalized Cotton Fabric with Enhanced UV-Block, Self-Cleaning, Water-Repellent, and Antibacterial Properties.

Superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with multifunctional features are highly desired in domestic and outdoor applications. However, the short coating longevity and hazardous reagents significantly reduce their commercial-scale applications. Herein, we introduce CeO2 nanoparticles and stearic acid (SA) to develop a fluorine-free, durable superhydrophobic cotton fabric that mimics the lotus effect. The pristine cotton fabric is treated with APTES-functionalized CeO2 nanoparticles by immersion followed by a dip and drying treatment with a 2% myristic acid solution. This sequential process creates a stable superhydrophobic cotton fabric (SA/CeO2-cotton fabric) with a water contact angle of 158° and a water sliding angle of 5°. The results are attributed to the combined effect of CeO2 nanoparticles and stearic acid that enhances surface roughness and reduces surface sorption energy. APTES facilitates the durable attachment of CeO2 nanoparticles and stearic acid to the cotton fabric. The modified cotton fabric is characterized by advanced analytical tools, demonstrating enhanced superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, and antiwater absorption properties. Additionally, it exhibits remarkable UV-blocking (UPF 542) and antibacterial properties. The designed superhydrophobic cotton fabric unveils good mechanical, thermal, and chemical durability. The proposed strategy is simple, green, and economical and can be used commercially for functional fabric preparation.

BCL11A-targeted γ-globin gene induction by triterpenoid glycosides of Fagonia indica: A preclinical scientific validation of indigenous herb for the treatment of ß-hemoglobinopathies.

Pharmacological induction of fetal hemoglobin has proven to be a promising therapeutic intervention in ß-hemoglobinopathies by reducing the globin chain imbalance and inhibiting sickle cell polymerization. Fagonia indica has shown therapeutic relevance to ß-thalassemia. Therefore, we study the ethnopharmacological potential of Fagonia indica and its biomarker compounds for their HbF induction ability for the treatment of ß-thalassemia. Here, we identify, compound 8 (triterpenoid glycosides) of F. indica. as a prominent HbF inducer in-vitro and in-vivo. Compound 8 showed potent erythroid differentiation, enhanced cellular proliferation, ample accumulation of total hemoglobin, and a strong notion of γ-globin gene expression in K562 cultures. Compound 8 treatment also revealed strong induction of erythroid differentiation and fetal hemoglobin mRNA and protein in adult erythroid precursor cells. This induction was associated with simultaneous downregulation of BCL11A and SOX6, and overexpression of the GATA-1 gene, suggesting a compound 8-mediated partial mechanism involved in the reactivation of fetal-like globin genes. The in vivo study with compound 8 (10 mg/kg) in ß-YAC mice resulted in significant HbF synthesis demonstrated by the enhanced level of F-cells (84.14 %) and an 8.85-fold increase in the γ-globin gene. Overall, the study identifies compound 8 as a new HbF-inducing entity and provides an early "proof-of-concept" to enable the initiation of preclinical and clinical studies in the development of this HbF-inducing agent for ß-thalassemia.

Acidotic and hypoxic tumor microenvironment induces changes to histone acetylation and methylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Hypoxia and acidosis are ubiquitous hallmarks of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and in most solid cancers they have been linked to rewired cancer cell metabolism. These TME stresses are linked to changes in histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as methylation and acetylation, which lead to tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Hypoxic and acidotic TME cause changes in histone PTMs by impacting the activities of histone-modifying enzymes. These alterations are yet to be extensively explored in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), one of the most prevalent cancers in developing countries. Hypoxic, acidotic, and hypoxia with acidotic TME affecting histone acetylation and methylation in the CAL27 OSCC cell line was studied using LC-MS-based proteomics. The study identified several well-known histone marks, in the context of their functionality in gene regulation, such as H2AK9Ac, H3K36me3, and H4K16Ac. The results provide insights into the histone acetylation and methylation associated with hypoxic and acidotic TME, causing changes in their level in a position-dependent manner in the OSCC cell line. Hypoxia and acidosis, separately and in combination, cause differential impacts on histone methylation and acetylation in OSCC. The work will help uncover tumor cell adaptation to these stress stimuli in connection with histone crosstalk events.

Structure elucidation of olasubscorpioside C, a new rotameric biflavonoid glycoside from the stem barks of Olax subscorpioidea (Oliv).

From the n-butanol soluble fraction of the ethanol extract of the medicinal plant Olax subscorpioidea, a previously unreported rotameric biflavonoid glycoside constituted of 4'-O-methylgallocatechin-(4α → 8)-4'-O-methylgallocatechin as aglycone named olasubscorpioside C (1) along with the known 4'-O-methylgallocatechin (2) were isolated. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectrometric and spectroscopic techniques including HRFABMS, 1 H and 13 C NMR, DEPT 135o , HSQC, HMBC, ROESY, and CD followed by comparison with the reported data.

Structure-fragmentation study of pentacyclic triterpenoids using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOFMS/MS).

RATIONALE: Pentacyclic triterpenoids are secondary plant metabolites widespread in fruit peel, leaves, and stem bark. Due to their important biological activities, these compounds are widely screened using advance analytical techniques like electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Over the past few decades, the practice of ESI has been refined into a versatile ionization technique for a wide variety of analytes differing in their chemical makeup, size, complexity, and bimolecular stability. METHODS: The structure-fragmentation relationships (SFRs) of 16 pentacyclic triterpenoids were studied using a positive ion ESI quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QqTOFMS/MS) hybrid instrument. RESULTS: ESI-QqTOFMS (positive ion mode) showed the presence of the protonated molecules [M + H]+ of most of analyzed compounds. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation MS/MS analysis of these molecules indicated multiple losses of water molecules and the loss of the formic acid moiety [M + H - HCOOH]+ and other substituents as the predominant pathway for further fragmentation. Key product ions were identified which resulted from the retro-Diels-Alder cleavage of the ring system. SFRs of all the compounds analyzed were also developed. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a fragmentation pattern of pentacyclic triterpenoids using the ESI-QqTOFMS/MS technique. It was concluded that the formation of key product ions and loss of characteristic neutrals can give detailed insight into structural information about the basic structure and attached substituents.

Metabolomics Study of Serum Samples of ß-YAC Transgenic Mice Treated with Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate.

ß-thalassemia is one of the most common monogenic disorders and a life-threatening health issue in children. A cost-effective and safe therapeutic approach to treat this disease is to reactivate the γ-globin gene for fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production that has been silenced during infancy. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the only FDA approved HbF inducer. However, its cytotoxicity and inability to respond significantly in all patients pose a need for an HbF inducer with better efficacy. The study describes the serum metabolic alteration in ß-YAC transgenic mice treated with Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) (n = 5), a newly identified HbF inducer, and compared to the mice groups treated with HU (n = 5) and untreated control (n = 5) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Various univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to identify discriminant metabolites that altered the biological pathways encompassing galactose metabolism, lactose degradation, and inositol. Furthermore, the decreased concentrations of L-fucose and geraniol in TDF-treated mice help in recovering towards normal, decreasing oxidative stress even much better than the HU-treated mice. The proposed study suggested that TDF can reduce the deficiency of blood required for ß-thalassemia and can be used for the preclinical study at phase I/II for fetal hemoglobin production.

A new progestin from fungal transformation of norethisterone and its comparative antimicrobial studies.

Fungal transformation of a norethisterone (17α-ethynylestra-4-en-17ß-ol-3-one) (1) by using Macrophomina phaseolina and Paecilomyces variotii was studied. A new metabolite, 17α-hydroxymethyl-androst-4-en-11ß-ol-3-one-17ß-acetate (2) with novel changes and a known metabolite, 17α-ethynylestradiol (3) were obtained from 1 by using M. phaseolina and P. variotii, respectively. Based on various spectroscopic techniques, the structures of both metabolites were characterized. The antimicrobial activities of 1-3 were also evaluated. Compound 1 was found to be moderately active against Salmonella paratyphi while 1-3 were almost inactive against other microorganisms.

High-Throughput Detection of an Alkaloidal Plant Metabolome in Plant Extracts Using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS.

Plant alkaloids represent a diverse group of nitrogen-containing natural products. These compounds are considered valuable in drug discovery and development. High-throughput identification of such plant secondary metabolites in complex plant extracts is essential for drug discovery, lead optimization, and understanding the biological pathway. The present study aims to rapidly identify different classes of alkaloids in plant extracts through the liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) approach using 161 isolated and purified alkaloids. These are biologically important unique alkaloids belonging to different sub-classes such as isoquinoline, quinoline, indole, tropane, pyridine, piperidine, quinolizidine, aporphine, steroidal, and terpenoid. The majority of these are not available commercially and are known to manifest valuable biological activities. Four pools of a maximum of 50 phytostandards each were prepared, based on their log P value to minimize co-elution for rapid and cost-effective analyses. MS/MS spectra were acquired in the positive ionization mode by using their [M + H]+ and/or [M + Na]+ with both the average collisional energy (25.5-62 eV) and individual collisional energies (10, 20, 30, and 40 eV). Accurate mass, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) data, MS/MS data, and retention times were curated for each compound. The developed LC-MS/MS method was successfully used to interrogate and fast dereplicate alkaloids in 13 medicinal plant extracts and a herbal formulation. A total of 56 alkaloids were identified based on the reference standard retention times (RTs), HR-MS spectra, and/or MS/MS spectra. The MS data have been submitted to the MetaboLights online database (MTBLS2914). The mass spectrometric and chromatographic data will be useful for the discovery of new congeners and the study of biological pathways of alkaloids in the plant kingdom.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate induces fetal hemoglobin production in K562 cells and ß-YAC transgenic mice: A therapeutic approach for γ-globin induction.

Pharmacologic induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is an effective strategy for treating ß-hemoglobinopathies like ß-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia by ameliorating disease severity. Hydroxyurea is the only FDA-approved agent that induces HbF, but significant nonresponders and toxicity limit its clinical usefulness. This study relates preclinical investigation of Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as a potential HbF inducing agent, using human erythroleukemia cell line and a ß-YAC mouse model. Erythroid induction of K562 cells was studied by the benzidine/H2O2 reaction, total hemoglobin production was estimated by plasma hemoglobin assay kit, and γ-globin gene expression by RT-qPCR, whereas, fetal hemoglobin production was estimated by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. We observed significantly increased γ- globin gene transcription and HbF expression mediated by TDF in K562 cells. Subsequent treatment of ß-YAC transgenic mice with TDF confirmed HbF induction in vivo through an increase in γ-globin gene expression and in the percentage of HbF positive red blood cells. Moreover, TDF showed no cytotoxic effect at HbF inducing concentrations. These data support the potential development of TDF for the treatment of hematological disorders, including ß-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

A UPLC-DAD-Based Bio-Screening Assay for the Evaluation of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Potential of Plant Extracts and Compounds: Pyrroquinazoline Alkaloids from Adhatoda vasica as a Case Study.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure in the human body. Identification of potential ACE inhibitors from medicinal plants supported the idea of repurposing these medicinal plants against hypertension. A method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) was used for the rapid screening of plant extracts and purified compounds to determine their ACE inhibitory activity. Hippuryl-histidiyl-leucine (HHL) was used as a substrate, which is converted into hippuric acid (HA) by the action of ACE. A calibration curve of the substrate HHL was developed with the linear regression 0.999. The limits of detection and quantification of this method were found to be 0.134 and 0.4061 mM, respectively. Different parameters of ACE inhibitory assay were optimized, including concentration, incubation time and temperature. The ACE inhibition potential of Adhatoda vasica (methanolic-aqueous extract) and its isolated pyrroquinazoline alkaloids, vasicinol (1), vasicine (2) and vasicinone (3) was evaluated. Compounds 1-3 were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The IC50 values of vasicinol (1), vasicine (2) and vasicinone (3) were found to be 6.45, 2.60 and 13.49 mM, respectively. Molecular docking studies of compounds 1-3 were also performed. Among these compounds, vasicinol (1) binds as effectively as captopril, a standard drug of ACE inhibition.

Phosphoproteomic strategies in cancer research: a minireview.

Understanding the cellular processes is central to comprehend disease conditions and is also true for cancer research. Proteomic studies provide significant insight into cancer mechanisms and aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. Phosphoproteome is one of the most studied complements of the whole proteome given its importance in the understanding of cellular processes such as signaling and regulations. Over the last decade, several new methods have been developed for phosphoproteome analysis. A significant amount of these efforts pertains to cancer research. The current use of powerful analytical instruments in phosphoproteomic approaches has paved the way for deeper and sensitive investigations. However, these methods and techniques need further improvements to deal with challenges posed by the complexity of samples and scarcity of phosphoproteins in the whole proteome, throughput and reproducibility. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the variety of steps used in phosphoproteomic methods applied in cancer research including the enrichment and fractionation strategies. This will allow researchers to evaluate and choose a better combination of steps for their phosphoproteome studies.

Profiling of hydroxyurea-treated ß-thalassemia/ serum proteome through nano-LC-ESI-MS/ MS in combination with microsol-isoelectric focusing.

Advancements in proteomic tools offer a comprehensive solution to studying the complexity of diseases at molecular level. This study focusses on the clinical proteomic profiling of pre- and post-hydroxyurea (HU)-treated ß-thalassemia patients in parallel with healthy individuals to better understand the role of HU in the treatment of ß-thalassemia. The strategy encompasses sequential high-resolution protein fractionation using MicroSol-isoelectric focusing (ZOOM- IEF) followed by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE before nano-RP-LC-MS/ MS analysis of tryptic peptides. Protein identification was performed through Mascot search using NCBInr and SwissProt databases. Several different proteins were observed in pool serum samples of each of the three study groups. Approximately, 1250 proteins exclusive to each group were identified, and after removing the redundant and low sequence coverage proteins, the number was reduced to 576 (201 in healthy, 187 in HU-untreated and 188 in HU-treated group). Uniquely identified proteins in the HU-treated group regulate the focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling, Rap1 signaling, cAMP signaling, platelet activation, and Ca2+ signaling pathways in the HU-treated group. The proteomic profile presented here will add to the current state of understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in hydroxyurea treatment of ß-thalassemia.

Combining untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches for the standardization of polyherbal formulations through UPLC-MS/MS.

INTRODUCTION: Polyherbal formulations are an integral part of various indigenous medicinal systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. The presence of a very large number of compounds makes the quality control of polyherbal formulations very difficult. OBJECTIVES: To overcome this problem, we have developed a comprehensive strategy for the dereplication of natural products in polyherbal formulations by using Adhatoda vasica as a case study. METHODS: The strategy is based on five major steps: the collection of plant samples from different locations to observe the effects of environmental variables; LC-ESI-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolite profiling of the plant samples to identify marker compounds using extensive chemometric analysis of the obtained data; the identification of marker compounds in polyherbal products; the isolation, purification and characterization of the marker compounds; and MRM-based quantitative analysis of the isolated marker compounds using LC-ESI-MS/MS. RESULTS: Using this strategy, we identified a total of 51 compounds in the methanolic extract of A. vasica plants from 14 accessions. Chemical fingerprinting of the plant led to the identification of characteristic peaks that were used to confirm the presence of A. vasica in complex polyherbal formulations. Four quinazoline alkaloids (marker compounds) were isolated, purified and quantified in various herbal formulations containing A. vasica. CONCLUSION: This method demonstrates a comprehensive strategy based on untargeted and targeted metabolite analysis that can be used for the standardization of complex polyherbal formulations.

Untargeted metabolomic analysis of coronary artery disease patients with diastolic dysfunction show disturbed oxidative pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with prevalence estimates of 34% and constitutes a predictor of all-cause mortality. Although diastolic dysfunction is induced by myocardial ischemia and has been shown to alter the clinical course, the role of coronary artery disease in the diastolic dysfunction and its progression into heart failure has not been completely elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to identify possible metabolites in coronary artery disease patients that are differentially regulated in patients with diastolic dysfunction. METHODS: The serum of CAD (n = 75) patients and young healthy volunteers (n = 43) were analysed by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Pre-processing of data results in 1547 features; among them 1064 features were annotated using NIST library. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Fifteen metabolites were found to be statistically different between cases and control. Variation in metabolites were identified and correlated with several clinically important echocardiography parameters i.e. LVDD grades, ejection fraction (EF) and E/e' values. The results suggested that metabolic products of fatty acid oxidation and glucose oxidation pathways such as oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, galactose, pyruvic and lactic acids are predominantly up regulated in patients with coronary artery disease and severity of diastolic dysfunction appears to be linked to increase in fatty acid oxidation and inflammation. The metabolic fingerprints of these patients give us an insight into the pathophysiological mechanism of diastolic dysfunction in coronary artery disease patients although it did not identify validated novel markers.

Facile liquid-phase deposition synthesis of titania-coated magnetic sporopollenin for the selective capture of phosphopeptides.

Titania-grafted magnetic sporopollenin is synthesized by the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) technique, characterized by SEM, EDX, and nitrogen adsorption porosimetry, and used for the selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides. The material is low cost because of easier availability of pollens and has rich surface chemistry which enables strong attachment of titania onto magnetic sporopollenin. The material shows higher selectivity of 1:1000 with ß-casein spiked in BSA. Higher sensitivity of 10 fmol is recorded for phosphopeptides from standard ß-casein digest. Twenty phosphorylated peptides are enriched from milk digest and four endogenous phosphopeptides from diluted human serum. The magnetic property of titania-coated magnetic sporopollenin facilitates the fast and effective isolation of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures through external magnet. The material is finally applied to tryptic digest of rat brain cell lysate for phosphopeptide enrichment where 2718 phosphopeptides are identified by using LC-MS/MS with C18 column. Titania-coated magnetic sporopollenin captures both mono-phosphorylated (2489) and multi-phosphorylated peptides (229) due to strong affinity of TiO2 with phosphates. TiO2-coated magnetic material also shows better enrichment efficiency in comparison to commercial TiO2. Graphical abstract.

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with chitosan and polyethylenimine as anion exchanger for sorptive enrichment of phosphopeptides.

An anion exchange solid-phase sorbent is described. Chitosan coated magnetite nanoparticles were modified with polyethylenimine which is positively charged at pH 3 and therefore can be used for the magnet-supported enrichment of phosphopeptides which are negatively charged at this pH value. A 2-step strategy was used to synthesize the sorbent. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and magnetic moment analysis. The anion exchanger was applied to extract phosphopeptides from a ß-casein digest. Characteristic analytical figures include (a) a loading buffer of pH 3, (b) and elution buffer of pH 11, (c) a loading time of 5 min, (d) good selectivity (the ß-casein to BSA ratio is 1:1000), and (e) excellent sensitivity (1 fmol). The optimized method was applied to egg yolk digest, non-fat milk digest, and diluted human serum. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of synthesis of PEI@chitosan@Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and of the enrichment of phosphopeptides by magnetic solid phase extraction prior to the determination of the peptides by MALDI-MS analysis.

Impact of hydroxyurea therapy on serum fatty acids of ß-thalassemia patients.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Fatty acids (FAs) influence cell and tissue metabolism, function, responsiveness to hormonal and other signals in addition to maintenance of membrane integrity of cells. ß-Thalassemia is a prevalent inherited blood disorder characterized by abnormal red cell membrane structure and function. Induction of HbF by hydroxyurea (HU) is an enduring therapeutic intervention to manage this. Therefore, in the present study we have carried out the quantification of thirteen free fatty acids to disclose the prognosis of HU in ß-thalassemia. METHODS: FAs quantification was carried out using GC-MRM-MS method in the serum of 98 cases of ß-thalassemia patients and out of which samples from 34 patients were collected before and after treatment with HU in addition to healthy controls (n = 31). RESULTS: Using the combination of random forest (RF) with GC-MRM-MS we were able to establish a classification and prediction model that can discriminate the ß-thalassemia from healthy as well as from HU treated group. Docosanoic acid (C-22:0) was most significantly altered in ß-thalassemia as compared to healthy at p-value of 8.3 × 10-09 while erucic acid (C-22:1 Δcis-13) can be used as potential marker of HU prognosis because its level became significantly dissimilar at p-value of 3.7 × 10-04 in same patients in response to HU. However, nervonic acid (C-24:1 Δcis-15) was found to be the key player in effectively separating three groups. CONCLUSION: In inference, we have noticed that HU therapy also rectifies the serum fatty acid profile in addition to its reported affect i.e. HbF induction in ß-thalassemia patients.

Chromatographic characterization of amphiphilic di- and tri-block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ε-caprolactone).

Amphiphilic di- and tri-block copolymers based on poly(ethylene oxide) as a hydrophilic segment and poly(ε-caprolactone) as a hydrophobic part are synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone while using poly(ethylene glycol)s and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s of varying molar masses as macro-initiators. The synthesized block copolymers are characterized with respect to their total relative molar mass and its distribution by size exclusion chromatography. Liquid chromatography at critical conditions of both blocks is established for the analysis of individual block lengths and tracking presence of unwanted homopolymers of both types in the block copolymer samples. New critical conditions of polycaprolactone on reversed phase column are reported using organic mobile phase. The established critical conditions of polycaprolactone extended the applicable molar mass range significantly compared to already reported critical conditions of polycaprolactone in aqueous mobile phase. Block copolymers are also analyzed at critical conditions of poly(ethylene glycol). Complete analysis of the di- and tri-block copolymers at corresponding critical conditions provided a fair estimate of molar mass of non-critical block besides information regarding presence of homopolymers of both types in the samples.

Quantitative assessment of metal dysregulation in ß-thalassemia patients in comparison with healthy controls by ICP-MS and chemometric analyses.

ß-Thalassemia is one of the most common inherited disorders and is widely distributed throughout the world. Owing to severe deficiencies in red blood cell production, blood transfusion is required to correct anemia for normal growth and development but causes additional complications owing to iron overload. The aim of this study is to quantify the biometal dysregulations in ß-thalassemia patients as compared with healthy controls. A total of 17 elements were analyzed in serum samples of ß-thalassemia patients and healthy controls using ICP-MS followed by chemometric analyses. Out of these analyzed elements, 14 showed a significant difference between healthy and disease groups at p < 0.05 and fold change >3. A PLS-DA model revealed an excellent separation with 89.8% sensitivity and 97.2% specificity and the overall accuracy of the model was 92.2%. This metallomic study revealed that there is major difference in metallomic profiling of ß-thalassemia patients specifically in Co, Mn, Ni, V and Ba, whereas the fold changes in Co, Mn, V and Ba were found to be greater than that in Fe, providing evidence that, in addition to Fe, other metals are also altered significantly and therefore chelation therapy for other metals may also needed in ß-thalassemia patients.