Search

The healthy benefits of seaweed have increased its market demand in recent times. Quality control is crucial for seaweed to ensure the customers' interest and the sustainable development of seaweed farming industry. This study developed a quality control method for seaweed Sargassum fusiforme, rapid and simple, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and chemometrics for the prediction of antioxidant capacity of S. fusiforme from different growth stages, S. fusiforme was distinguished according to growth stage by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and particle swarm optimization-support vector machine (PSO-SVM). The antioxidant properties including 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging capacity, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were quantified using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS)-PLS model. Based on the spectra data preprocessed by multiplicative scatter and standard normal variate methods, the PSO-SVM models can accurately identify the growth stage of all S. fusiforme samples. The CARS-PLS models exhibited good performance in predicting the antioxidant capacity of S. fusiforme, with coefficient of determination (R P 2 ) and root mean square error (RMSEP) values in the independent prediction sets reaching 0.9778 and 0.4018 % for ABTS, 0.9414 and 2.0795 % for DPPH, and 0.9763 and 2.4386 μmol L -1 for FRAP, respectively. The quality and market price of S. fusiforme should increase in the order of maturation < growth < seedling regarding the antioxidant property. The overall results indicated that the NIR spectroscopy accompanied by chemometrics can assist for the quality control of S. fusiforme in a more rapid and simple manner. This study also provided a customer-oriented concept of seaweed quality grading based on deep insight into the antioxidant capability of S. fusiforme at different growth stages, which is highly valuable for precise quality control and standardization of seaweed market., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A zwitterionic stationary phase comprising pyridinium cations and sulfonate anions was successfully developed through thiol-ene click chemistry. Using seven polar small molecules as probes, the zwitterionic stationary phase showed high separation selectivity and excellent column efficiency (35,200-54,800 plates/m) compared with two commercial columns. The influence of water proportion, salt concentration, and pH in the mobile phase, and column temperature, on the retention of six polar compounds was examined. The retention mechanism was explored by three hydrophilic retention models, Tanaka test and linear solvation energy relationship analysis. For the analysis of sample dairy products (milk powder, milk, and yogurt), the stationary phase was operated in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode without the addition of buffer salts, facilitating rapid and efficient detection and quantification of melamine. The LOD and LOQ are 0.04 mg⋅g -1 and 0.13 mg⋅g -1 , respectively, and the recovery rate is 90.3 - 102.8 %. The zwitterionic stationary phase has the advantages of simple preparation, good method reproducibility, good selectivity and high precision., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new acid catalyst derived from renewable sources was developed using an ultrasound-assisted approach. This involved the formation of a metal-organic framework called MIL-88(Fe) in the presence of carboxymethylated-cellulose (CMC). Subsequently, the catalyst underwent a post-synthetic modification to introduce further acidic -SO 3 H groups into the structure of the CMC/MIL-88(Fe) composite. Various examinations were carried out that validated the successful creation of the CMC/MIL-88(Fe)-SO 3 H catalyst. The effectiveness of the catalyst was assessed in the process of solid acid catalysis, specifically in the dehydration of fructose to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Through the employment of Response Surface Method (RSM) optimization, it was determined that utilizing 34 wt% of the catalyst at a temperature of 90 °C for 30 min resulted in a remarkable 98 % HMF yield. The catalyst exhibited good reusability, as it retained its catalytic effectiveness throughout four consecutive cycles. Comparative catalytic investigations involving CMC and CMC/MIL-88(Fe) composite without sulfonation revealed the superior activity of CMC/MIL-88(Fe)-SO 3 H catalyst, emphasizing the collaborative effect of CMC, MIL-88(Fe), and the impact of post-functionalization with -SO 3 H on the performance of the catalyst., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Studies have highlighted the great potential of Oudemansiella canarii laccase in degrading synthetic dyes for reducing their toxicity. Immobilization of enzymes improves usability in degradation processes and the present work succeeded in immobilizing this laccase onto MANAE-agarose. Immobilization improved pH, thermal, and storage stabilities. Both, free and immobilized enzymes presented Michaelis-Menten kinetics with the substrate 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) with K m values of 0.056 ± 0.003 and 0.195 ± 0.022 mM, respectively. Immobilization increased V max 1.27-fold. NaCl caused incomplete (hyperbolic) inhibition, which was satisfactorily described by the one-substrate one-modifier mechanism. Immobilization reduced the maximal inhibition by NaCl from 80.2 to 55.7 %. The effect of Na 2 SO 4 was predominantly stimulation, but inhibition of the free enzyme occurred at high substrate concentrations. Stimulation of the immobilized enzyme by Na 2 SO 4 was much more pronounced. It strongly depended on the substrate concentration and was much stronger (up to 300 %) at low substrate concentrations. The combined effects of substrate and sulfate on the immobilized laccase could be satisfactorily described by the one-substrate one-modifier mechanism. The modified response of the immobilized O. canarii laccase to NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 considerably favors its use as a tool in bioremediation processes because environmental contamination by salts frequently represents a strong operational challenge., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

There have been numerous studies on flame retardant modification of natural fiber/PLA composite materials due to the demand for applications. However, the existing flame retardant modification methods mostly involve adding flame retardants, which have a negative impact on the mechanical properties. Based on this, this study aims to introduce sulfonic groups into the cellulose of straw fibers via modification with a sulfamic acid-based deep eutectic solvent (SDES), thereby achieving flame retardance without affecting the inherent mechanical properties of the composite material. The performance enhancement of DS/PLA is manifested in the following specific aspects: the LOI reaches 36.53 %, the thermal stability is improved from 7.8 % of the residual carbon of PS/PLA to 38.4 %, and the tensile modulus is increased by 69.5 %. The preparation scheme for straw/PLA composite materials in this study is simple, economical, and efficient, and the flame retardant performance of the composite material is excellent, providing valuable references for flame retardant modification of natural fiber/plastic composite materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Iron-anchored nitrogen/doped carbon single-atom nanozymes (Fe-N/C), which possess homogeneous active sites and adjustable catalytic environment, represent an exemplary model for investigating the structure-function relationship and catalytic activity. However, the development of pyrolysis-free synthesis technique for Fe-N/C with adjustable enzyme-mimicking activity still presents a significant challenge. Herein, Fe-N/C anchored three carrier morphologies were created via a pyrolysis-free approach by covalent organic polymers. The peroxidase-like activity of these Fe-N/C nanozymes was regulated via the pores of the anchored carrier, resulting in varying electron transfer efficiency due to disparities in contact efficacy between substrates and catalytic sites within diverse microenvironments. Additionally, a colorimetric sensor array for identifying antioxidants was developed: (1) the Fe-N/C catalytically oxidized two substrates TMB and ABTS, respectively; (2) the development of a colorimetric sensor array utilizing oxTMB and oxABTS as sensing channels enabled accurate discrimination of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), gallic acid (GA), and caffeic acid (CA). Subsequently, the sensor array underwent rigorous testing to validate its performance, including assessment of antioxidant mixtures and individual antioxidants at varying concentrations, as well as target antioxidants and interfering substances. In general, the present study offered valuable insights into the active origin and rational design of nanozyme materials, and highlighting their potential applications in food analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

As the most abundant renewable resource, cellulose fibers are potential candidates for use in health-protective clothing. Herein, we demonstrate a novel strategy for preparing cellulose fiber with prominent antibacterial and antiviral performance by the synergistic effect of amino groups and sulfonic acid groups. Specifically, guanylated chitosan oligosaccharide (GCOS) and N-sulfopropyl chitosan oligosaccharide (SCOS) were synthesized and chemically grafted onto cellulose fibers (CFs) to endow the fibers with antibacterial and antiviral properties. Moreover, a compounding strategy was applied to make the fibers with simultaneously high antibacterial and antiviral activity, especially in short contact time. The bacteriostatic rate (against S. aureus: 95.81 %, against E. coli: 92.07 %, 1 h) of the compounded fibers improved substantially when a few GCOS-CFs were mixed with SCOS-CFs; especially, it was much higher than both the individual GCOS-CFs and SCOS-CFs. By contrast, the improvement of the antiviral properties was less dramatic; however, even a few SCOS-CFs was mixed, the antiviral properties increased pronouncedly. Although the electrostatic interaction between SCOS and GCOS can make the SCOS-GCOS mixture lose some extent of antibacterial activity, the long chains of cellulose restrain the electrostatic interaction between sulfonic and amino groups, leading to their synergistic action and eventually superior antibacterial and antiviral effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of intrinsically disordered proteins has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, although direct mechanisms are poorly defined. Here, we report on a maturation process for the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) that involves a conformational change after LLPS and is regulated by mutations and poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid- co -maleic acid) (PSCMA), a molecule that has been reported to rescue Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive deficits by antagonizing the interaction between PrP C and amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo). We show that PSCMA can induce reentrant LLPS of PrP C and lower the saturation concentration ( C sat ) of PrP C by 100-fold. Regardless of the induction method, PrP C molecules subsequently undergo a maturation process to restrict molecular motion in a more solid-like state. The PSCMA-induced LLPS of PrP C stabilizes the intermediate LLPS conformational state detected by NMR, though the final matured β-sheet-rich state of PrP C is indistinguishable between induction conditions. The disease-associated E200 K mutation of PrP C also accelerates maturation. This post-LLPS shift in protein conformation and dynamics is a possible mechanism of LLPS-induced neurodegeneration.

We present our results on the synthesis and preliminary in silico and in vitro studies of the toxicology and antioxidant properties of selenylated analogs of Tacrine. Initially, we synthesized 2-aminobenzonitriles containing an organic selenium moiety, resulting in sixteen compounds with various substituents linked to the portion derived from diorganyl diselenide. These compounds were then used as substrates in reactions with cyclic ketones, in the presence of 1.4 equivalents of trifluoroboroetherate as a Lewis acid, to synthesize selenylated analogs of Tacrine with yields ranging from 20 % to 87 %. In silico studies explored computational parameters related to antioxidant activity and hepatotoxicity. In vitro studies elucidated the antioxidant effects of Tacrine and its selenium hybrid (TSe) in neutralizing ABTS radicals, scavenging DPPH radicals, and reducing iron ions. Additionally, the acute oral toxicity of one synthesized compound was evaluated., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Considering the emergence of new anticancer drugs, in this review we emphasized and highlighted the recent reports and advances related to sulfamate-incorporating compounds with potential anticancer activity during the last 5 years (2020-2024). Additionally, we discussed their structure-activity relationship, clarifying their potent bioactivity as anticancer agents. Sulfamate derivatives hold promise as effective therapeutic candidates against cancer. By targeting biological targets associated with the development of cancer, such as steroid sulfatases (STS), carbonic anhydrases (CAs), microtubules, NEDD8-activating enzyme, small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO)-activating enzyme (SAE), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1), and so on, this can furnish small molecules as anticancer lead candidates serving the drug discovery field. For example, compound 2, an STS inhibitor, demonstrated superior activity compared to its reference, irosustat, by fivefold. In addition, compound 21, an SAE, is under phase I clinical trials. Continued research into sulfamate derivatives holds potential for the development of novel therapeutic agents targeting various diseases., (© 2024 Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft.)

Cottonseed protein isolate (CPI) is a valuable agro-industrial waste with potential biotechnological applications. However, inadequate stability in water due to its characteristic hinders its widespread use. Therefore, a new sulfonation modification approach was developed to improve the amphiphilicity and structural flexibility of CPI. Structural characterizations confirmed the successful incorporation of sulfonate groups with structural and conformational changes. This significantly unfolded molecular-chain, and improved amphiphilicity, flexibility, and surface-hydrophobicity while reducing pI (5.1-1.7), and molecular-weight (5745-2089 g/mol). The modified samples exhibited improved emulsification with higher amounts of absorbed proteins on the droplet interface, smaller droplet size, and a higher zeta-potential. Additionally, they possessed good emulsification ability under acidic conditions. The nano-emulsions exhibited long-term stability (≥70 days) under different environmental conditions, with excellent fluidity. This study contributes to understanding sulfonation as a viable approach for improving protein properties, thus, opening up new possibilities for their application and maximizing their economic benefits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are negatively charged polysaccharides found on cell surfaces, where they regulate transport pathways of foreign molecules toward the cell. The structural and functional diversity of GAGs is largely attributed to varied sulfation patterns along the polymer chains, which makes understanding their molecular recognition mechanisms crucial. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, thanks to their unmatched microscopic resolution, have the potential to be a reference tool for exploring the patterns responsible for biologically relevant interactions. However, the capability of molecular dynamics force fields used in biosimulations to accurately capture sulfation-specific interactions is not well established, partly due to the intrinsic properties of GAGs that pose challenges for most experimental techniques. In this work, we evaluate the performance of molecular dynamics force fields for sulfated GAGs by studying ion pairing of Ca 2+ to sulfated moieties─ N -methylsulfamate and methylsulfate─that resemble N- and O-sulfation found in GAGs, respectively. We tested available nonpolarizable (CHARMM36 and GLYCAM06) and explicitly polarizable (Drude and AMOEBA) force fields, and derived new implicitly polarizable models through charge scaling (prosECCo75 and GLYCAM-ECC75) that are consistent with our developed "charge-scaling" framework. The calcium-sulfamate/sulfate interaction free energy profiles obtained with the tested force fields were compared against reference ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, which serve as a robust alternative to experiments. AIMD simulations indicate that the preferential Ca 2+ binding mode to sulfated GAG groups is solvent-shared pairing. Only our scaled-charge models agree satisfactorily with the AIMD data, while all other force fields exhibit poorer agreement, sometimes even qualitatively. Surprisingly, even explicitly polarizable force fields display a notable disagreement with the AIMD data, likely attributed to difficulties in their optimization and possible inherent limitations in depicting high-charge-density ion interactions accurately. Finally, the underperforming force fields lead to unrealistic aggregation of sulfated saccharides, which qualitatively disagrees with our understanding of the soft glycocalyx environment. Our results highlight the importance of accurately treating electronic polarization in MD simulations of sulfated GAGs and caution against over-reliance on currently available models without thorough validation and optimization.

Ricinodendron heudelotii is a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases, including high blood pressure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant and vasorelaxant effects of the aqueous extract of the stem bark of R. heudelotii . The pharmacological studies were carried out using the aqueous extract obtained by infusion. The antioxidant capacity of R. heudelotii was assessed by in vitro tests with DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), iron-reducing capacity (FRAP), and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) release. In vitro studies, the aortic rings obtained from adult Wistar albino rats of both sexes were used to determine the vasorelaxant effects of the extract of R. heudelotii on the NO and prostacyclin (PGI2) pathways as well as its involvement on various potassium channels were determined on intact or naked fragments of rat aorta precontracted with phenylephrine (10 -6  M) or KCl (60 mM). The aqueous extract of R. heudelotii exhibited a remarkable DPPH (EC 50 : 1.68  μ g/mL) and ABTS (EC 50 : 106.30  μ g/mL) and nitric oxide (53.71% inhibition at 1000  μ g/mL) radical scavenging activities as well as reducing power (absorbance of 1.56 at 1000  μ g/mL). The nitric oxide inhibitor, N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and prostacyclin inhibitor, indomethacin, significantly attenuated the vasodilatory effect of R. heudelotii . Tetraethylammonium could not inhibit the vasodilatory effect of the extract, unlike glibenclamide and barium chloride. Ricinodendron heudelotii extract possesses antioxidant properties and vasorelaxing effect linked to endothelium-related factors, and this relaxation was partially mediated mainly through the inhibition of K ir and K ATP channels., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Jacquy Joyce Wanche Kojom et al.)

Background: Plant-derived drugs are often preferred over synthetic drugs because of their superior safety profiles. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids-major plant components-possess antioxidant properties. Limited research has been conducted on the bioactive compounds and biochemical properties of Bellevalia pseudolongipes (Asparagaceae), an important pharmacological species endemic to Turkey. Therefore, the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of B. pseudolongipes were investigated in this study., Methods: The chemical composition of B. pseudolongipes was analyzed using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry, and radical scavenging and antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) tests., Results: Thirty-eight compounds were identified, including trans-cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, vitexin, schaftoside, orientin, and narirutin. B. pseudolongipes showed high antioxidant activity in antioxidant activity tests., Conclusion: These findings provide novel insights into the potential utility of B. pseudolongipes in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, highlighted by its significant antioxidant capacity., Competing Interests: The author declares that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Yolbaş.)

This work demonstrates the use of a solid-state nanopore detector to monitor the activity of a single molecule of a model enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP). This detector includes a measuring cell, which is divided into cis- and trans- chambers by a silicon nitride chip (SiN structure) with a nanopore of 5 nm in diameter. To entrap a single HRP molecule into the nanopore, an electrode had been placed into the cis-chamber; HRP solution was added into this chamber after application of a negative voltage. The reaction of the HRP substrate, 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), oxidation by the enzyme molecule was performed in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. During this reaction, the functioning of a single HRP molecule, entrapped in the nanopore, was monitored by recording the time dependence of the ion current flowing through the nanopore. The approach proposed in our work is applicable for further studies of functioning of various enzymes at the level of single molecules, and this is an important step in the development of single-molecule enzymology.

This work aims to describe the morpho-anatomy and determine the mineral composition of H. muticus L. subsp. falezlez seed, and investigate the influence of extraction solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol) on contents of total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) and the antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, reducing power and phenanthroline). The mineral content analysis revealed the presence of different elements. The results indicated that the seed extract obtained by methanol exhibited the highest yield and TPC (82.07 % and 27.14±2.2 μg GAE/mg), while the chloroform extract had the maximum TFC (24.63±0.4 μg QE/mg). In addition, all seed extracts showed excellent performances on DPPH scavenging activity. However, methanolic extract was the most effective extraction solvent for scavenging ABTS free radicals (IC 50 <12.5 μg/mL). Chloroform and petroleum ether extracts were the most potent in phenanthroline activity. GC-MS analysis identified 28 phytochemical compounds in all extracts and 16 compounds were identified by HPLC/DAD analysis of the methanolic extract. The multivariate analysis results highlighted the influence of solvents on the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of seed extracts. The results suggest that H. muticus L. seeds can be a promising source enriched with bioactive constituents for application in the pharmaceutical industry., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Photothermal therapy has gained great attention as an alternative candidate for radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancers. However, photothermal agents for photothermal therapy are generally in the form of nanoparticles that are too small to remain in the target tissue, and therefore, the agents are rather quickly removed from the targeted site. Furthermore, conventional photothermal agents are generally expensive or complicated to synthesize. As an approach to these issues, here we present new hydrogels with oxidized alginate ionically crosslinked with Ca 2+ , bearing polyaniline:poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PANI:PSS) nanoparticles in the polymer network. The presented oxidized alginate PANI:PSS hydrogels exhibited excellent injectability as well as a gradual degradation rate from several days to several months depending on the oxidation degree of alginate chains. The presented oxidized alginate PANI:PSS hydrogels showed an excellent photothermal effect even under a neutral pH environment by showing temperature increased to 53 °C in 5 min upon NIR irradiation, which provide strong potential as a candidate for photothermal agent in photothermal therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a versatile biosensing label and signal reporter owing to its broad-spectrum catalytic ability. In present work, we characterized HRP's catalytic performance with various substrates using electrochemical collision technique and analyzed the associated electron transfer processes. Different electrolyte solutions greatly affected enzyme dispersibility and zeta potential, thereby impacting HRP collision dynamics in single H 2 O 2 substrate system. The maximum turnover number (k cat ) for single HRP molecules was calculated to be 3.611 ± 0.149 × 10 3 s -1 in 0.85 % NaCl and 2.967 ± 0.286 × 10 3 s -1 in 0.1 M PBS solution, reflecting differences in cluster size induced by the electrolyte conditions. More severe agglomeration of HRP molecules was observed in double-substrate systems, where the hydrophilic mediator (K 4 Fe(CN) 6 ) and lipophilic mediator (ABTS) served as electron donors and signal reporters. The calculated k cat value of single HRP molecules in ABTS-H 2 O 2 was 7.6 times higher than that in K 4 Fe(CN) 6 -H 2 O 2 . This difference is attributed to mediators' solubility, lipophilicity, and HRP's affinity for different substrates, with HRP demonstrated stronger affinity for ABTS-H 2 O 2 substrates, which realized more efficient electron transfer and compensated for the low diffusion coefficient of ABTS. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of electrolytes and substrates on HRP collision and catalytic behavior, offering valuable insights for the advanced design of HRP-based biosensors and diagnostic platforms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in driving immunosenescence by disrupting cellular homeostasis and impairing immune function. Humic substances exhibit scavenging activity against reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibit ROS generation via metal chelation, and modulate endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, humic substances display anti-inflammatory effects, further supporting cellular redox balance. Given their antioxidant activity, humic substances hold promise as natural compounds for mitigating oxidative stress-associated immunosenescence. Here we describe the evaluation of antioxidant capacities of humic products by ABTS spectrophotometric assay., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Self-powered biosensors with high sensitivity have garnered significant interest for their potential applications in the realm of portable sensing. Herein, a self-powered biosensor with a novel signal amplification strategy was developed by integrating target-controlled release of mediator with an enzyme biofuel cell for the ultrasensitive detection of acetamiprid (ACE). Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 was utilized as both a nanocontainer for capturing the electron mediator 2,2'-azidobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and a precursor for the synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles/nitrogen, sulfur-codoped carbon nanotubes (Co NPs/NS-CNTs), which were employed as the electrode material for constructing both the glucose oxidase-based bioanode and the laccase-based biocathode. The target analyte ACE can specifically bind to its aptamer, leading to the release of ABTS, which cyclically participates in the catalytic reaction of the biocathode, thereby amplifying the electrochemical signal. By leveraging the benefits of ABTS cyclic catalysis and the effective electrocatalysis of bioelectrodes based on Co NPs/NS-CNTs, the self-powered biosensor has a broad detection range of 0.1-1000 fM and a low detection limit of 25 aM toward ACE. The proposed signal amplification approach presents a promising strategy for enhancing sensitivity and enabling portable analysis in applications of food safety, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnostics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Glycerine pitch is a highly alkaline residue from the oleochemical industry that contains glycerol and contaminants, such as water, soap, salt and ash. In this study, acidic heterogeneous glycerol-based carbon catalysts were synthesised for biodiesel production via single-step partial carbonisation and sulfonation using pure glycerol and glycerine pitch, producing products labelled as SGC and SGPC, respectively. Carbon materials were obtained by heating glycerol and concentrated sulfuric acid (1:3) at 200℃ for 1 h. The produced SGC and SGPC displayed high densities of sulfonic group (-SO 3 H), i.e. 1.49 and 1.00 mmol·g -1 , respectively, alongside carboxylic (-COOH) and phenolic (-OH) acid. In the catalytic evaluation, excellent oleic acid conversions of 96.0 ± 0.4 % and 92.4 ± 0.5 % were achieved using SGC and SGPC, respectively, under optimised reaction conditions: 1:10 M ratio of oleic acid to methanol, 5 % (w/w) catalyst, 64℃ and 5 h. SGPC was found to be recyclable with 68.5 % conversion after the 6th cycle, which was attributed to the loss of -SO 3 H and catalyst deactivation by the deposition of oleic acid on its surface. Remarkably, despite the impurities present in the glycerine pitch, the obtained results demonstrated that the reactivity of SGPC is comparable to SGC and superior to that of commercial solid acid catalysts, which demonstrated that the presence of impurities appears to have minimal impact on the production of carbon materials and their properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Design and synthesis of a series of 5-benzylidene(thio)barbiturates 3a-r . Methodology: Evaluation of the inhibitory activity of the new chemical entities on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) using Donepezil as the standard reference. Results & Conclusion: Compound 3r emerged as the most potent AChE inhibitor (IC 50  = 9.12 μM), while compound 3q exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against BChE (IC 50  = 19.43 μM). Toxicological bioassays confirmed the absence of cytotoxicity for the most potent compounds at the tested doses. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that the tested derivatives effectively bind to the active sites of both enzymes. Overall, this study sheds light on the potential of barbiturate-sulfonate conjugates as promising drug candidates.

Herein, spore@Cu-trimesic acid (TMA) biocomposites were prepared by self-assembling Cu-based metal-organic framework on the surface of Bacillus velezensis spores. The laccase-like activity of spore@Cu-TMA biocomposites was enhanced by 14.9 times compared with that of pure spores due to the reaction of Cu 2+ ions with laccase on the spore surface and the microporous structure of Cu-TMA shell promoting material transport and increasing substrate accessibility. Spore@Cu-TMA rapidly oxidized and transformed 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) into ABTS ●+ without using H 2 O 2 . Under optimum conditions, the ABTS ●+ could be stored for 21 days at 4 °C and 7 days at 37 °C without the addition of any stabilizers, allowing for the large-scale preparation and long-term storage of ABTS ●+ . The ultrarobust stable ABTS ●+ obtained with the use of Cu-TMA could effectively reduce the "back reaction" by preventing the leaching of the metabolites released by the spores. On the basis of these findings, a rapid, low-cost, and eco-friendly colorimetric platform was successfully developed for the detection of antioxidant capacity. Determination of antioxidant capacity for several antioxidants such as caffeic acid, glutathione, and Trolox revealed their corresponding limits of detection at 4.83, 8.89, and 7.39 nM, respectively, with linear ranges of 0.01-130, 0.01-140, and 0.01-180 μM, respectively. This study provides a facile way to prepare ultrarobust stable ABTS ●+ and presents a potential application of spore@Cu-TMA biocomposites in food detection and bioanalysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are important targets to incorporate in biomaterial scaffolds to orchestrate tissue repair. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as heparin allow the capture of BMPs and their retention at the surface of biomaterials at safe concentrations. Although heparin has strong affinities for BMP2 and BMP4, two important types of growth factors regulating bone and tissue repair, it remains difficult to embed stably at the surface of a broad range of biomaterials and degrades rapidly in vitro and in vivo. In this report, biomimetic poly(sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PSPMA) brushes are proposed as sulfated GAG mimetic interfaces for the stable capture of BMPs. The growth of PSPMA brushes via a surface-initiated activator regenerated by electron transfer polymerization is investigated via ellipsometry, prior to characterization of swelling and surface chemistry via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared. The capacity of PSPMA brushes to bind BMP2 and BMP4 is then characterized via surface plasmon resonance. BMP2 is found to anchor particularly stably and at high density at the surface of PSPMA brushes, and a strong impact of the brush architecture on binding capacity is observed. These results are further confirmed using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, providing some insights into the mode of adsorption of BMPs at the surface of PSPMA brushes. Primary adsorption of BMP2, with relatively little infiltration, is observed on thick dense brushes, implying that this growth factor should be accessible for further binding of corresponding cell membrane receptors. Finally, to demonstrate the impact of PSPMA brushes for BMP2 capture, dermal fibroblasts were then cultured at the surface of functionalized PSPMA brushes. The presence of BMP2 and the architecture of the brush are found to have a significant impact on matrix deposition at the corresponding interfaces. Therefore, PSPMA brushes emerge as attractive coatings for scaffold engineering and stable capture of BMP2 for regenerative medicine applications.

Aim: This study aimed to enhance the aqueous dissolution of SRPK inhibitor N -(2-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)isonicotinamide (SRPIN340). Materials & Methods: A complex with p -sulfonic calix[6]arene (Host) and SRPIN340 (Guest) was prepared, studied via 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and theoretical calculations and biologically evaluated on cancer cell lines. Results & conclusion: The 1:1 host (H)/guest (G) complex significantly enhanced the aqueous dissolution of SRPIN340, achieving 64.8% water solubility as determined by 1 H NMR quantification analysis. The H/G complex reduced cell viability by 75% for HL60, ∼50% for Nalm6 and Jurkat, and ∼30% for B16F10 cells. It exhibited greater cytotoxicity than free SRPIN340 against Jurkat and B16F10 cells. Theoretical studies indicated hydrogen bond stabilization of the complex, suggesting broader applicability of SRPIN340 across diverse biological systems.

Liver cancer is a complex disease that involves various oncoproteins and the inactivation of tumor suppressor proteins (TSPs). Gankyrin is one such oncoprotein, first identified in human hepatocellular carcinoma, that is known to inactivate multiple TSPs, leading to proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells. Despite this, there has been limited development of small molecule gankyrin binders for the treatment of liver cancer. In this study, we are reporting the structure-based design of gankyrin-binding small molecules which inhibit the proliferation of HuH6 and HepG2 cells while also increasing the levels of certain TSPs, such as Rb and p53. Interestingly the first molecule to exhibit inhibition by 3D structure stabilization is seen. These results suggest a possible mechanism for small-molecule inhibition of gankyrin and demonstrate that gankyrin is a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of liver cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This research investigated the comparative efficacy of sulfamic acid (SA) and phytic acid (PA), both individually and in combination, for treating potential foodborne pathogens and pre-formed foulants. Pathogens studied included Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli DH5α, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and vegetative Bacillus cereus, in suspended aqueous solutions, as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm on quartz glass surfaces. Inactivation kinetics for Listeria monocytogenes revealed concentration-dependent rate constants (k) of 6.6(±0.2) × 10 -6  M and 2.8(±0.1) × 10 -8  M for single treatments of SA and PA, respectively, and ranged from 6.9(±0.3) to 50.7(±2.3) × 10 -6  M for combined treatments with PA pre-treatment concentrations of 75-758 μM. Observable cellular abnormalities in Listeria monocytogenes, such as membrane vesiculation, chelation, cellular disruption, biomolecule leakage, and lipid peroxidation, were identified after exposure to PA or SA, either individually or in combination. The optimized combined treatment of PA and SA achieved significant removal (i.e., >3-log; 99.9%) of potential foodborne pathogens under simulated food-washing process conditions. Additionally, over 90% descaling efficacy was observed for pre-formed foulants such as CaCO 3 precipitates and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm on quartz glass surfaces with the combined treatment. These findings provide novel insights into the versatile utility of PA and SA for optimizing combinational water disinfection systems and addressing (in)organic foulant scaling on surfaces in the food processing industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

N-(sodium 2-hydroxypropylsulfonate) chitosan (HSCS), N-sulfonate chitosan (SCS) and N-isonicotinic sulfonate chitosan (ISCS) were prepared. The structures of the prepared chitosan derivatives were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and elemental analysis (EA). Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of these chitosan derivatives were evaluated in vitro. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of HSCS and SCS against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were 0.625 mg/mL and 0.156 mg/mL, respectively. ISCS exhibited MIC values of 0.313 mg/mL and 0.078 mg/mL against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. ISCS demonstrated superior antibacterial and antibiofilm properties compared to SCS and HSCS. These findings suggest that the incorporation of a pyridine structure into sulfonate chitosan enhances its antibacterial and antibiofilm activities, and the prepared ISCS has a promising application prospect for controlling the reproduction of microorganisms in the field of food packaging., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial or personal relationships with any individuals or organizations that could inappropriately influence our work. We have no professional or personal interest in any product, service, or company that could be seen as influencing the position presented in, or the review of the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The bioactivities of sulfonated polysaccharides are frequently related to their substitution pattern. In this study, the regioselective sulfonation of an exocellular fungal (1→3)(1→6)-β-D-glucan (botryosphaeran) was performed by two different methods: mild sulfonation (MS) and via pivaloyl ester (PS), in order to study the influence of the sulfonation pattern on the antiviral activity of the respective derivatives. Two sulfonated derivatives with substitution degrees of 0.82 (MS) and 0.49 (PS) were obtained, with substitution patterns at positions C-6, and C-2/C-4 of the glucose units, respectively. All derivatives were chemically characterized and evaluated for antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) KOS strain, and dengue type 2 (DENV-2). The sample sulfonated at positions C-6 (MS) showed a remarkable antiviral effect on HSV-1 (IC 50 of 5.38 μg mL 1 ), while PS remained inactive. The investigation of the mode of action of sample MS pointed to the inhibition of HSV-1 adsorption to the host cells. Both samples were inactive towards the dengue virus strain. This study demonstrated that the presence of sulfate groups at the C-6 positions of botryosphaeran is the preferred substitution pattern that enables the antiviral activity towards HSV-1., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sorghum, a cereal grain rich in nutrients, is a major source of phenolic compounds that can be altered by different processes, thereby modulating their phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Previous studies have characterised phenolic compounds from pigmented and non-pigmented varieties. However, the impact of processing via the cooking and fermentation of these varieties remains unknown. Wholegrain flour samples of Liberty (WhiteLi 1 and WhiteLi 2 ), Bazley (RedBa 1 and RedBa 2 ), Buster (RedBu 1 and RedBu 2 ), Shawaya black (BlackSb), and Shawaya short black 1 (BlackSs) were cooked, fermented, or both then extracted using acidified acetone. The polyphenol profiles were analysed using a UHPLC-Online ABTS and QTOF LC-MS system. The results demonstrated that combining the fermentation and cooking of the BlackSs and BlackSb varieties led to a significant increase ( p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities, as determined through DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays. The 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity of WhiteLi 1 , BlackSb, RedBu 2 , and BlackSs increased by 46%, 32%, 25%, and 10%, respectively, post fermentation and cooking. Conversely, fermentation only or cooking generally resulted in lower phenolic content and antioxidant levels than when samples were fully processed compared to raw. Notably, most of the detected antioxidant peaks (53 phenolic compounds) were only detected in fermented and cooked black and red pericarp varieties. The phenolic compounds with the highest antioxidant activities in pigmented sorghum included 3-aminobenzoic acid, 4-acetylburtyic acid, malic acid, caffeic acid, and luteolin derivative. Furthermore, the growing location of Bellata, NSW, showed more detectable phenolic compounds following processing compared to Croppa Creek, NSW. This study demonstrates that sorghum processing releases previously inaccessible polyphenols, making them available for human consumption and potentially providing added health-promoting properties.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are biobased colloidal nanorods that have unlocked new opportunities in the area of sustainable functional nanomaterials including structural films and coatings, biomedical devices, energy, sensing, and composite materials. While selective light reflection and sensing develop from the typical chiral nematic (cholesteric, Nem*) liquid crystallinity exhibited by CNCs, a wealth of technologies would benefit from a nematic liquid crystal (LC) with CNC uniaxial alignment. Therefore, this study answers the central question of whether surfactant complexation suppresses CNC chirality in favor of nematic lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystallinity. Therein, we use a common surfactant having both nonionic and anionic blocks, namely, oligo(ethylene glycol) alkyl-3-sulfopropyl diether potassium salt (an alcohol ethoxy sulfonate (AES)). AES forms complexes with CNCs in toluene (a representative for nonpolar organic solvent) via hydrogen bonding with an AES' oligo(ethylene glycol) block. A sufficiently high AES weight fraction endows the dispersibility of CNC in toluene. Lyotropic liquid crystallinity with Schlieren textures containing two- and four-point brush defects is observed in polarized optical microscopy (POM), along with the suppression of the cholesteric fingerprint textures. The results suggest a nematic (Nem) phase in toluene. Moreover, thermotropic liquid crystallinity is observed by incorporating an excess of AES, in the absence of an additional solvent and upon mild heating. The Schlieren textures suggest a nematic system that undergoes uniaxial alignment under mild shear. Importantly, replacing AES with a corresponding nonionic surfactant does not lead to liquid crystalline properties, suggesting electrostatic structural control of the charged end group of AES. Overall, we introduce a new avenue to suppress CNC chirality to achieve nematic structures, which resolves the long-sought uniaxial alignment of CNCs in filaments, composite materials, and optical devices.

Chicken meat production has increased over the years, leading to a proportional increase in waste generation, which often contains high levels of proteins, such as viscera. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the enzymatic hydrolysis of chicken viscera proteins as a strategy to value solid waste from the poultry industry. The hydrolysates were characterized for their antioxidant properties and molecular weight distribution. Additionally, the enzymatic hydrolysis process was scaled up from 125 mL flasks with 50 mL of protein solution to 3 L using a 6 L bioreactor. The enzymatic hydrolysis of chicken viscera proteins using a binary mixture of proteases (85.25 U/mL of each enzyme, Alcalase and Flavourzyme, totaling 170.5 U/mL) resulted in an increase of up to 245% in 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, 353% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) in radical scavenging, 69% in Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP) and 146% in total reducing capacity (TRC). The antioxidant properties of the protein hydrolysates are preserved during the scale-up of enzymatic hydrolysis. Protein fractions smaller than 5 kDa showed the highest ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities, while fractions greater than 30 kDa showed the best results for the FRAP method.

This work studied the degradation reaction of sulfonated dyes, indigo carmine, phenol red, and their mixtures by non-thermal plasma (NTP). Interestingly, the degradation rate constant showed a faster process and lower activation energy (E a ) for the dye mixtures than for the degradation reaction of the individual dyes. This unexpected result opened up new opportunities for understanding plasma chemistry and the interaction between reactive species formed by the plasma and the target molecule. As no catalyst or chemical additive was added to the reactor, the decrease in Ea came from a self-synergistic effect (SSE), through the dye molecules fragmentation, which resulted in plasma catalysis. The hypothesis proposed in this work is that oxysulfur (SO x ) species are formed by the desulfonation reaction of dyes. The sulfonic groups (SO 3 ) present in the chemical structures of dyes can function as precursors for forming several SO x •- species. Studies based on oxygenated sulfonated species such as SO 3 •- , SO 4 •- and SO 5 •- have been widely applied in advanced oxidative and reductive processes due to their satisfactory efficiency and low cost. Among them, SO 4 •- is the key reactive species with the best performance in the degradation of pollutants due to its high oxidation potential (E° = 2.60 V). In addition, it is an alternative source of HO • in aqueous media, improving the oxidation reaction. In order to elucidate the SSE, the kinetic process was followed by UV-Vis analysis, and the reactive species, such as alkyl, hydroxyl, and oxy-sulfur radicals were identified by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. The by-products of the NTP degradation reaction were analyzed by ultrafast liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer, and a fragmentation route was proposed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Catalytic esterification of acid-rich coffee waste-derived bio-oil was performed using sulfonated metal oxide catalysts (Al 2 O 3 , MgO, ZrO 2 , and TiO 2 ) and ethanol to produce fatty acid alkyl esters. The potential of the sulfonated catalysts for esterification decreased in the following order: Ti-SO 4  > Zr-SO 4  > Al-SO 4  > Mg-SO 4 . Particularly, Ti-SO 4 and Zr-SO 4 resulted in 91.2 % (peak area %) and 85.2 % esters, respectively. This is attributed to the contributions of well-dispersed Brønsted acid sites created by -SO 3 H functional groups, additional Lewis acid sites formed by Ti and Zr oxides, and their appropriate pore size. Compared with HCl and H 3 PO 4 , the use of H 2 SO 4 for TiO 2 treatment significantly enhanced ester formation. When using Ti-SO 4 , increasing the catalyst-to-feedstock ratio (1/2 ∼ 1/10) significantly increased the esters' selectivity (38.7 %∼94.7 %). Ethanol utilization caused a superior selectivity for esters than methanol, while the increasing temperature favored ester production. This study proposes an eco-friendly and practical method for biodiesel generation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hexadimethrine bromide (HB), a synthetic polycationic species, was introduced to clinical practice as a heparin antidote and recently used in gene therapy. However, HB causes various complications such as severe red blood cells (RBCs) aggregation and tissue damage. Herein, we have synthesized a water-soluble quaterphen[3]arene containing multiple sulfonate moieties (SQP3) as a novel macrocyclic neutralizer to reverse HB via direct host-guest complexation. SQP3 exhibited a robust binding affinity toward HB with a considerably high association constant of (4.73 ± 0.61) × 10 7 M -1 . Co-dosed with 1 equiv of SQP3, HB-induced RBCs aggregation and blood coagulation could be effectively reversed. In vitro cellular assay verified that complexation of HB with SQP3 significantly decreased reactive oxygen species production, thereby suppressing cell apoptosis. In vivo neutralization efficacy studies demonstrated that HB/SQP3 was capable of alleviating related organic damage caused by HB and improving the survival rate of HB-treated mice from 20 to 100%.

A small library of 79 substituted phenylsulfonamidoalkyl sulfamates, 1b - 79b , was synthesized starting from arylsulfonyl chlorides and amino alcohols with different numbers of methylene groups between the hydroxyl and amino moieties yielding intermediates 1a - 79a , followed by the reaction of the latter with sulfamoyl chloride. All compounds were screened for their inhibitory activity on bovine carbonic anhydrase II. Compounds 1a - 79a showed no inhibition of the enzyme, in contrast to sulfamates 1b - 79b . Thus, the inhibitory potential of compounds 1b - 79b towards this enzyme depends on the substituent and the substitution pattern of the phenyl group as well as the length of the spacer. Bulkier substituents in the para position proved to be better for inhibiting CAII than compounds with the same substituent in the meta or ortho position. For many substitution patterns, compounds with shorter spacer lengths were superior to those with long chain spacers. Compounds with shorter spacer lengths performed better than those with longer chain spacers for a variety of substitution patterns. The most active compound held inhibition constant as low as K i = 0.67 μM (for 49b ) and a tert -butyl substituent in para position and acted as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme.

This study prepared sulfonated Camellia oleifera shell biochar using Camellia oleifera shell agricultural waste as a carbon source, and evaluated its performance as a catalyst for preparing biodiesel. The biochar obtained from carbonizing Camellia oleifera shells at 500 °C for 2 h serves as the carbon skeleton, and then the biochar is sulfonated with chlorosulfonic acid. The sulfonic acid groups are mainly grafted onto the surface of Camellia oleifera shell biochar through covalent bonding to obtain sulfonic acid type biochar catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nitrogen adsorption-desorption Brunel-Emmett-Taylor Theory (BET), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The acid density of the sulfonated Camellia oleifera fruit shell biochar catalyst is 2.86 mmol/g, and the specific surface area is 2.67 m 2 /g, indicating high catalytic activity. The optimal reaction conditions are 4 wt% catalyst with a 6:1 alcohol to oil ratio. After esterification at 70 °C for 2 h, the yield of biodiesel was 91.4%. Under the optimal reaction conditions, after four repeated uses of the catalyst, the yield of biodiesel still reached 90%. Therefore, sulfonated Camellia oleifera shell biochar is a low-cost, green, non-homogeneous catalyst with great potential for biodiesel production by esterification reaction in future development.

A series of sulfonate and sulfamate derivatives bearing benzofuran or benzothiophene scaffold exhibited potent inhibitory effect on urease enzyme. Most of the derivatives exhibited significantly higher potency than thiourea, the standard inhibitor. Compound 1s was identified as the most potent urease inhibitor with an IC 50 value of 0.42 ± 0.08 μM, which is 53-fold more potent than thiourea, positive control (IC 50  = 22.3 ± 0.031 μM). The docking results further revealed the binding interactions towards the urease active site. Phenotypic screening revealed that compounds 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1j, 1n, and 1t exhibit high potency against H. pylori with MIC values ranging from 0.00625 to 0.05 mM and IC 50 values ranging from 0.0031 to 0.0095 mM, much more potent than the positive control, acetohydroxamic acid (MIC and IC 50 values were 12.5 and 7.38 mM, respectively). Additional studies were performed to investigate the toxicity of these compounds against the gastric epithelial cell line (AGS) and their selectivity profile against E. coli, and five Lactobacillus species representative of the gut microflora. Permeability characteristics of the most promising derivatives were investigated in Caco-2 cell line. The results indicate that the compounds could be targeted in the GIT only without systemic side effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A series of novel l-ascorbic acid derivatives bearing aryl and alkyl sulfonate substituents were synthesized and characterized. In vitro anticancer evaluation against MCF-7 (breast) and A-549 (lung) cancer cell lines revealed potent activity for most of the compounds, with 2b being equipotent to the standard drug colchicine against MCF-7 (IC 50  = 0.04 μM). Notably, compound 2b displayed 89-fold selectivity for MCF-7 breast cancer over MCF-10A normal breast cells. Derivatives with two sulfonate groups (2a-g, 3a-g) exhibited superior potency over those with one sulfonate (4a-c,5g, 6b). Compounds 2b and 2c potently inhibited tubulin polymerization in A-549 cancer cells (73.12 % and 62.09 % inhibition, respectively), substantiating their anticancer potential through microtubule disruption. Molecular docking studies showed higher binding scores and affinities for these compounds at the colchicine-binding site of α, β-tubulin compared to colchicine itself. In-silico ADMET predictions indicated favourable drug-like properties, with 2b exhibiting the highest binding affinity. These sulfonate derivatives of l-ascorbic acid represents promising lead scaffolds for anticancer drug development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Coumarins represent a diverse class of natural compounds whose importance in pharmaceutical and agri-food sectors has motivated multiple novel synthetic derivatives with broad applicability. The phenolic moiety in 4-hydroxycoumarins underscores their potential to modulate the equilibrium between free radicals and antioxidant species within biological systems. The aim of this work was to assess the antioxidant activity of 18 4-hydroxycoumarin coumarin derivatives, six of which are commercially available and the other 12 were synthesized and chemically characterized and described herein. The 4-hydroxycoumarins were prepared by a two steps synthetic strategy with satisfactory yields. Their antioxidant potential was evaluated through three in vitro methods, two free radical-scavenging assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+) and a metal chelating activity assay. Six synthetic coumarins ( 4a , 4g , 4h , 4i , 4k , 4l ) had a scavenging capacity of DPPH• higher than butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (IC 50  = 0.58 mmol/L) and compound 4a (4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2 H-chromen-2-one) with an IC 50  = 0.05 mmol/L outperformed both BHT and ascorbic acid (IC 50  = 0.06 mmol/L). Nine hydroxycoumarins had a scavenging capacity against ABTS•+ greater ( C3 , 4a , 4c ) or comparable ( C1 , C2 , C4 , C6 , 4g , 4l ) to Trolox (IC 50  = 34.34 µmol/L). Meanwhile, the set had a modest ferrous chelation capacity, but most of them ( C2 , C5 , C6 , 4a , 4b , 4h , 4i , 4j , 4k , 4l ) reached up to more than 20% chelating ability percentage. Collectively, this research work provides valuable structural insights that may determine the scavenging and metal chelating activity of 4-hydroxycoumarins. Notably, substitutions at the C6 position appeared to enhance scavenging potential, while the introduction of electron-withdrawing groups showed promise in augmenting chelation efficiency., Competing Interests: The authors have no relevant financial or nonfinancial interests to disclose.

The naturally occurring bile acid lithocholic acid (LCA) has been a crucial core structure for many non-sugar-containing sialyltranferase (ST) inhibitors documented in literature. With the aim of elucidating the impact of the terminal carboxyl acid substituent of LCA on its ST inhibition, in this present study, we report the (bio)isosteric replacement-based design and synthesis of sulfonate and sulfate analogues of LCA. Among these compounds, the sulfate analogue SPP-002 was found to selectively inhibit N-glycan sialylation by at least an order of magnitude, indicating a substantial improvement in both potency and selectivity when compared to the unmodified parent bile acid. Molecular docking analysis supported the stronger binding of the synthetic analogue in the enzyme active site. Treatment with SPP-002 also hampered the migration, adhesion, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro by suppressing the expression of signaling proteins involved in the cancer metastasis-associated integrin/FAK/paxillin pathway. In totality, these findings offer not only a novel structural scaffold but also valuable insights for the future development of more potent and selective ST inhibitors with potential therapeutic effects against tumor cancer metastasis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An [Et 3 NH][HSO 4 ] ionic-liquid catalyzed, intermolecular C-N bond formation for 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole synthesis was achieved by the reaction of OPD and substituted aldehydes at ambient reaction conditions. Operational simplicity, use of easily available substrate and reagents, good yields (74-95 %) in short reaction time (4-18 min), simple work-up, and column chromatographic free synthesis are the remarkable features of this new protocol. The applicability of [Et 3 NH][HSO 4 ] ionic-liquid as a green and inexpensive catalyst with good recyclability and compatibility with a broad range of functional group having heteroatom, electron-withdrawing, and electron-releasing groups manifested the sustainability, eco-friendliness, and efficiency of the present methodology. Moreover, the antioxidant studies of the synthesized compounds using DPPH and ABTS assays were appealing and several synthesized compounds showed significant antioxidant activity., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Sulfonated lignin-based dye dispersants have intensively attracted attention due to their low cost, renewability and abundant sources. However, their utilization is limited by the low content of sulfonic groups and high content of hydroxyl groups in their complex lignin structure, which results in various problems such as high reducing rate of dye, severe staining of the fibers and uneven dyeing. Here, the multi-site sulfonated lignin-based dispersants were prepared with high sulfonic group content (2.20 mmol/g) and low hydroxyl content (2.43 mmol/g). When using it as the dispersant, the dye uptake rate was improved from 69.23 % to 98.55 %, the reducing rate was decreased from 20.82 % to 2.03 %, the K/S value was reduced from 0.69 to 0.02, and the particle sizes in dye system before and after high temperature treatment were stabilized below 0.5 μm. Besides, the dispersion effect was significantly improved because no obvious separation between dye and water was observed even if without the assistance of grinding process. In short, the multi-site sulfonation method proposed in this work could remarkably improve the performances of the lignin-based dye dispersants, which would facilitate the development of the dye dispersion and the high value utilization of lignin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that would appear to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lonicera macranthoides , the main source of traditional Chinese medicine Lonicerae Flos, is extensively cultivated in Southwest China. However, the quality of L. macranthoides produced in this region significantly varies due to its wide distribution and various cultivation breeds. Herein, 50 Lonicerae Flos samples derived from different breeds of L. macranthoides cultivated in Southwest China were collected for quality evaluation. Six organic acids and three saponin compounds were quantitatively analyzed using HPLC. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of a portion of samples was conducted with 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging experiments. According to the quantitative results, all samples met the quality standards outlined in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The samples from Guizhou, whether derived from unopened or open wild-type breeds, exhibited high quality, while the wild-type samples showed relatively significant fluctuation in quality. The samples from Chongqing and Hunan demonstrated similar quality, whereas those from Sichuan exhibited relatively lower quality. These samples demonstrated significant abilities in clearing ABTS and DPPH radicals. The relationship between HPLC chromatograms and antioxidant activity, as elucidated by multivariate analysis, indicated that chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C are active components and can serve as Q-markers for quality evaluation.

Oligonucleotides hold great promise as therapeutic agents but poor bioavailability limits their utility. Hence, new analogues with improved cell uptake are urgently needed. Here, we report the synthesis and physical study of reduced-charge oligonucleotides containing artificial LNA-sulfamate and sulfamide linkages combined with 2'-O-methyl sugars and phosphorothioate backbones. These oligonucleotides have high affinity for RNA and excellent nuclease resistance.

In this study, a novel piperidinium-sulfonate based zwitterionic hydrophilic monolith was prepared through thermally initiated co-polymerization of a piperidinium-sulfonate monomer 3-(4-((methacryloyloxy)methyl)-1-methylpiperidin-1-ium-1-yl)propane-1-sulfonate (MAMMPS), and a hydrophilic crosslinker N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) using n-propanol and H 2 O as porogenic system. Satisfactory mechanical and chemical stabilities, good repeatability and high column efficiency (120,000 N/m) were obtained on the optimal monolith. The resulting poly(MAMMPS-co-MBA) monolith showed a typical HILIC retention behavior over an ACN content range between 5 and 95 %. Furthermore, this column exhibited good separation performance for various polar compounds. Compared to quaternary ammonium-sulfonate based zwitterionic hydrophilic monolith, i.e. poly(N,N-dimethyl-N-methacryloxyethyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium betaine-co-MBA), the poly(MAMMPS-co-MBA) monolith displayed stronger retention and better selectivity for the tested phenolic and amine compounds at different pH conditions. Finally, this column was applied for the separation of six sulfonamide antibiotics, and the analytical characteristics of the method were evaluated in terms of precision, repeatability, limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ). Overall, this study not only developed a novel HILIC monolithic column, but also proved the potential of piperidinium-sulfonate based zwitterionic chemistry as stationary phase, which further increased the structure diversity of zwitterionic HILIC stationary phases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In order to characterize and identify the chemical components in different parts of Artemisia argyi(roots, stems, leaves, and seeds), compounds with antioxidant activity were screened. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt-quadrupole time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-ABTS-Q-TOF-MS) was used as an online combination technique. Poroshell 120 SB-Aq(3.0 mm×150 mm, 2.7 μm) was used as the column, and acetonitrile(A)-0.2% formic acid water(B) was adopted as the mobile phase to perform gradient elution and was scanned in positive and negative ion modes. MassLynx software was utilized, and combined with reference substances and related literature, the chemical components of different parts of A. argyi were identified and compared. The antioxidant active components were detected by using the online detection system, and the antioxidant activities of active components of different parts of A. argyi were compared and evaluated by scavenging efficiency. As a result, a total of 87 compounds were identified from extracts of different parts of A. argyi, and 38, 72, 85, and 33 components were identified from roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. 22 compounds with antioxidant activity were screened, and 14, 17, 20, and 11 compounds with antioxidant activity were identified from roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. The results show that there are certain differences in chemical components and antioxidant components of different parts of A. argyi, which provides data support for the resource utilization and further research and development of A. argyi.

Vinylsulfonic acid (VSA), acrylamide (AM) and N, N methylene bis acrylamide(MBA) were copolymerized by radical polymerization in the presence of gum ghatti (GG) and treated water hyacianth (WH) in water. Several composite copolymers were prepared by varying the i) AM: VSA molar ratios ii) wt% of GG and iii) wt% of treated WH based on a Box-Behnken Design(BBD) of a response surface methodology (RSM) model with three input variables and the batch adsorption capacity (mg/g) of 100 mg/L Cd (II) from water as response. The composite polymer was characterized by Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA), X- ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), compressive strength, pH reversibility, pH at point zero charge (pH PZC ), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The network parameters of the composites were determined. The copolymer composite prepared with AM: VSA of 5:1 containing 10 wt% GG and 4 wt% treated WH showed an optimum batch adsorption capacity of 399.15 mg/g Cd (II) from water containing 100 mg/L Cd (II). The same composite showed an adsorption capacity of 170.1 mg/g and a removal% of 31.5 at a feed concentration/feed flow rate/bed height of 150 mgL -1 /30mLmin -1 /30 mm in a fixed bed column., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Newly, green metallic-nanoparticles (NPs) have received scientists' interest due to their wide variable medicinal applications owned to their economical synthesis and biologically compatible nature. In this study, we used rosmarinic acid (RosA) to prepare Cu 0.5 Zn 0.5 FeO 4 NPs and later encapsulated them using PEG polymer. Characterization of NPs was done using the XRD method and SEM imaging. Further, we explored the encapsulated NPs for anti-inflammatory properties by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines mRNA in LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. Besides, employing DPPH, NO and ABTS radical scavenging assays to examine the antioxidant activity of the synthesized Cu 0.5 Zn 0.5 FeO 4 NPs. Cu0.5Zn0.5FeO4 NPs revealed moderate antioxidant activity by scavenging DPPH and nitric oxide. We demonstrated that the NPs showed high potential anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the mRNA and protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner, in LPS-induced Raw 264.7 cells. To our best knowledge, this is the first report where RosA was found to be a suitable phyto source for the green synthesis of Cu0.5Zn0.5FeO4 NPs and their in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Taken together, our findings suggest that the RosA is a green resource for the eco-friendly synthesis of Cu0.5Zn0.5FeO4/PEG NPs, which further can be employed as a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Two new compounds (1-2) together with ten known compounds (3-12) were isolated for the first time from the 95 % EtOH extract of aerial parts of Itea omeiensis. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with published data. The structure of 1 was further confirmed through single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectrum in combination with acid hydrolysis was employed for the absolute configuration determination of 2. Compound 1 was the first 2-arylbenzo[b]furan with an extra six-membered lactone ring from Itea plants. Anti-oxidant assays indicated that compound 1 possessed significant radical scavenging effects on 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⋅ + ) with IC 50 values of 0.14 and 0.06 mg/mL, respectively, which were comparable to the positive control of ascorbic acid. However, no obvious anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity was observed for compounds 1 and 2., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)