Search

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic progressive disease due to insulin resistance. Oxidative stress complicates the etiology of T2DM. Saxagliptin is a selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, while Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione insulin sensitizer. This study aimed to assess the effect of Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone monotherapy and combination therapy on the biochemical and biological parameters in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: The study included thirty-five male albino rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal STZ injection (35 mg/kg). For a 1-month duration, rats were divided into five groups. Glucose homeostasis traits, lipid profiles, kidney functions, liver enzymes, and oxidative stress markers were measured. Gene expression of miRNA-29a, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) was assessed using qRT-PCR. Results: At a 1-month treatment duration, combination therapy improves oxidative stress markers more than either drug alone. The combination therapy had significantly higher levels of SOD, catalase, and GSH and lower levels of MDA compared to the monotherapy. Additionally, the diabetic group showed a significant increase in the expression levels of miRNA-29a, PEPCK, and IL-1β and a significant decrease in PI3K compared to the normal control group. However, combination therapy of Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone was more effective than either Saxagliptin or Pioglitazone alone in reversing these results, especially for PEPCK and IL-1β. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that combining Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone improves glycemic control and genetic and epigenetic expression profiles, which play an essential regulatory role in normal metabolism.

Nitrogen-doped activated carbon (NDAC) was prepared from saw dust/zinc chloride (2:1) by heating under the flow of ammonia gas at 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C and tested for Acid Brown 14 (AB14) dye adsorption from aquatic solution. The fabricated N-doping activated carbons (NDACs) were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DTA, BET, BJH, MP, t-plot, SEM, EDX, and XRD. The NDACs fabricated at 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C were tested for their capacity to adsorb AB14 dye from water. The nitrogen mass % content in the prepared activated carbon ranged between 17.99 and 21.43%. The NDAC prepared at 600 °C specific surface area, monolayer volume, and mesoporous mean pore diameter were 281.84 m2/g, 64.753 cm3/g, and 2.352 nm, respectively. The NDAC synthesized at 600 °C with a 21.12% nitrogen content was found to be the best one to remove AB14 dye from water and named as NDAC600. The impact of solution pH, initial concentration, and adsorption dosage on the adsorption of AB14 dye by NDAC600 was tested. The adsorption of AB14 dye by NDAC600 was found to be pH dependent, with the optimal elimination of being obtained at pH value 1.5 with a removal efficiency of 89.03%. The adsorption of AB14 dye is attributed to the electrostatic contact between the NDAC600 positively charged sites and the anionic AB14 dye. The AB14 dye adsorption was perfectly designated by using both pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Temkin adsorption kinetic models. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qm) was 909.09 mg/g; moreover, the adsorption process was monolayer sorption of AB14 dye to NDAC600. NDAC600 had proven itself as an effective, available, and green adsorbent for the adsorption of AB14 dye from water and may be applicable to other hazardous pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work tested the ethanol extract of camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora bark (CTBEE) as a green corrosion inhibitor of low carbon steel (LCS) in 0.5 M H2SO4 with and without the synergistic effect of 4000 ppm NaCl or 800 ppm of KI. The corrosion protection of LCS was significantly increased in the presence of CTBEE‐KI and CBWE‐NaCl blends compared with CTBEE alone, according to data performed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical polarization (EP) analyses. The formation of a film by the blends blocks the LCS surface area, preventing corrosive gradients from reaching its surface. Inhibition efficiency (IE%) of 81% and 89% were obtained in the presence of 800 ppm CTBEE‐4000 ppm NaCl and CTBEE‐800 ppm KI, respectively, compared with IE of 65% in the presence of 800 ppm CTBEE only. A maximum IE% of 89% and 97% were reached after 72 h of immersion in the presence of CTBEE‐NaCl and CTBEE‐KI, respectively. Potentiodynamic experiments indicate that the blends act as mixed‐type inhibitors. The inhibition efficiency of CTBEE, CTBEE‐KI, and CTBEE‐NaCl remained effectively high during the testing period of immersion time, which proved the excellent stability of CTBEE in the corrosive acidic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study gives a description of the formation of self-nitrogen doped activated carbon (NDAC) by a novel way of employing fish meal (mixture of Atherina hepseetus and Sardina pilchardus of 60% protein) as nitrogen dopant, ZnCl2 as impregnate agent, sawdust as carbon source and water with a mass ratio (2:1:1:12), which subjected to the hydrothermal process. The hydrothermal mixture was oven dried and carbonized under a flow of nitrogen for one h at 600, 700, and 800 °C. The characterization of NDAC was performed by using various analytical techniques analyses. The synthesized NDAC exhibited unique features such as microporous structure (1.84 ~ 2.01 nm), high surface area (437.51 ~ 680.86 m2/g), the volume of total pores (0.22 ~ 0.32 cm3/g) and nitrogen content (12.82 ~ 13.73%). Batch removal tests were achieved to investigate the impact of chromium ions starting concentration (100–400 mg/L), NDAC dose (0.5–2.5 g/L), pH and contact time (5–120 min). Such helpful characteristics of NDAC, particularly for NDAC600, were suitable to use as an excellent adsorbent for Cr6+ ions with a maximum adsorption capacity (Qm) (769.23 mg/g), and the highest chromium ions adsorption uptake (81.18%) was obtained at pH value 1.5 at room temperature. Both Halsey and Temkin models fitted the adsorption data quite reasonably. The uptake of toxic chromium ions is best represented with pseudo-second-order rate kinetics data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel (Ca, Mg)CO3&SiO2 NPs-decorated multilayer graphene sheets could be successfully prepared from corn stalk pith using a simple alkaline hydrothermal treatment process followed by calcination in an inert atmosphere. The produced nanocomposite was characterized by SEM, EDX, TEM, FTIR, and XRD analytical techniques, which confirm the formation of multilayer graphene sheets decorated by inorganic nanoparticles. The nanocomposite shows efficient activity as a photocatalyst for water-splitting reactions under visible light. The influence of preparation parameter variations, including the alkaline solution concentration, hydrothermal temperature, reaction time, and calcination temperature, on the hydrogen evolution rate was investigated by preparing many samples at different conditions. The experimental work indicated that treatment of the corn stalk pith hydrothermally by 1.0 M KOH solution at 170 °C for 3 h and calcinating the obtained solid at 600 °C results in the maximum hydrogen production rate. A value of 43.35 mmol H2/gcat.min has been obtained associated with the energy-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 9%. Overall, this study opens a new avenue for extracting valuable nanocatalysts from biomass wastes to be exploited in hot applications such as hydrogen generation from water photo-splitting under visible light radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the activity of hydrochloride salt of chitosan biguanidine (CBG-HCl) as a green corrosion inhibitor of copper alloy in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The obtained results from both the potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses reported a noticeable increase in the corrosion inhibition of copper alloy in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution in the presence of CBGHCl. The presence of CBG-HCl in the corrosive solution may block the copper alloy’s pores on the outer surface, preventing the corrosive gradients from reacting with the surface of the copper alloy. An inhibition efficiency (IE) of 85% is achieved in the presence of 200 ppm CBG-HCl. Moreover, potentiodynamic experiments indicated that CBG-HCl acted as an anodic inhibitor that reduced partial anodic reaction to corrosion of studied copper alloy in 0.5 M H2SO4. IE of CBGHCl remains effective during a long exposure time which proved the high stability of CBG-HCl inhibitor in 0.5 M H2SO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]