16 pages, 1681 KiB  
Article
Production of Biosurfactant Produced from Used Cooking Oil by Bacillus sp. HIP3 for Heavy Metals Removal
by Nurul Hanisah Md Badrul Hisham, Mohamad Faizal Ibrahim, Norhayati Ramli and Suraini Abd-Aziz
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2617; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142617 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 88 | Viewed by 9039
Abstract
Heavy metals from industrial effluents and sewage contribute to serious water pollution in most developing countries. The constant penetration and contamination of heavy metals into natural water sources may substantially raise the chances of human exposure to these metals through ingestion, inhalation, or [...] Read more.
Heavy metals from industrial effluents and sewage contribute to serious water pollution in most developing countries. The constant penetration and contamination of heavy metals into natural water sources may substantially raise the chances of human exposure to these metals through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, which could lead to liver damage, cancer, and other severe conditions in the long term. Biosurfactant as an efficient biological surface-active agent may provide an alternative solution for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastes. Biosurfactants exhibit the properties of reducing surface and interfacial tension, stabilizing emulsions, promoting foaming, high selectivity, and specific activity at extreme temperatures, pH, and salinity, and the ability to be synthesized from renewable resources. This study aimed to produce biosurfactant from renewable feedstock, which is used cooking oil (UCO), by a local isolate, namely Bacillus sp. HIP3 for heavy metals removal. Bacillus sp. HIP3 is a Gram-positive isolate that gave the highest oil displacement area with the lowest surface tension, of 38 mN/m, after 7 days of culturing in mineral salt medium and 2% (v/v) UCO at a temperature of 30 °C and under agitation at 200 rpm. An extraction method, using chloroform:methanol (2:1) as the solvents, gave the highest biosurfactant yield, which was 9.5 g/L. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis confirmed that the biosurfactant produced by Bacillus sp. HIP3 consists of a lipopeptide similar to standard surfactin. The biosurfactant was capable of removing 13.57%, 12.71%, 2.91%, 1.68%, and 0.7% of copper, lead, zinc, chromium, and cadmium, respectively, from artificially contaminated water, highlighting its potential for bioremediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals Removal from Contaminated Soil and Water)
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13 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
Dissipation Kinetics and the Pre-Harvest Residue Limits of Acetamiprid and Chlorantraniliprole in Kimchi Cabbage Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
by Jonghwa Lee, Byung Joon Kim, Eunhye Kim and Jeong-Han Kim
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2616; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142616 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4967
Abstract
The dissipation behaviors of acetamiprid and chlorantraniliprole in kimchi cabbages were studied under open-field conditions. A simple and rapid analytical method was developed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) conditions of two pesticides [...] Read more.
The dissipation behaviors of acetamiprid and chlorantraniliprole in kimchi cabbages were studied under open-field conditions. A simple and rapid analytical method was developed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) conditions of two pesticides were optimized to quantify and identify the pesticide residues. Sample preparation was performed by the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method. Average recovery rates at the different spiked levels (0.05 and 0.25 mg/kg) were in the range of 103.6–113.9% (acetamiprid) and 80.8–91.2% (chlorantraniliprole), and the relative standard deviations were ≤4.3% for all. The dissipation kinetics were assessed using first-order equations after spraying acetamiprid and chlorantraniliprole individually on kimchi cabbages. The biological half-lives in field 1 and 2 were 5.2 and 6.3 days (acetamiprid) and 10.0 and 15.2 days (chlorantraniliprole), respectively. Based on the dissipation equations, the pre-harvest residue limits (PHRLs) corresponding to each day before harvest were suggested as the guidelines to meet the MRL on harvest day. It was also predicted that the terminal residues observed after multiple sprayings (three and seven days) would be below the MRL when harvested, in compliance with the established pre-harvest intervals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Residues in Food and Environment)
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21 pages, 5154 KiB  
Article
Identification of Auxin Metabolites in Brassicaceae by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
by Panagiota-Kyriaki Revelou, Maroula G. Kokotou and Violetta Constantinou-Kokotou
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2615; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142615 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5739
Abstract
Auxins are signaling molecules involved in multiple stages of plant growth and development. The levels of the most important auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), are regulated by the formation of amide and ester conjugates with amino acids and sugars. In this work, IAA and [...] Read more.
Auxins are signaling molecules involved in multiple stages of plant growth and development. The levels of the most important auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), are regulated by the formation of amide and ester conjugates with amino acids and sugars. In this work, IAA and IAA amide conjugates with amino acids bearing a free carboxylic group or a methyl ester group, along with some selected IAA metabolites, were studied in positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) modes, utilizing high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) as a tool for their structural analysis. HRMS/MS spectra revealed the fragmentation patterns that enable us to identify IAA metabolites in plant extracts from eight vegetables of the Brassicaceae family using a fast and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) method. The accurate m/z (mass to charge) ratio and abundance of the molecular and fragment ions of the studied compounds in plant extracts matched those obtained from commercially available or synthesized compounds and confirmed the presence of IAA metabolites. Full article
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14 pages, 937 KiB  
Article
Anti-Edematogenic and Anti-Granuloma Activity of a Synthetic Curcuminoid Analog, 5-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)penta-2,4-dien-1-one, in Mouse Models of Inflammation
by Nadia Hisamuddin, Wan Mastura Shaik Mossadeq, Mohd Roslan Sulaiman, Faridah Abas, Sze Wei Leong, Nadhirah Kamarudin, Hui Ming Ong, Ahmad Farhan Ahmad Azmi, Rasyidah Ryta Ayumi and Madihah Talib
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2614; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142614 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4919
Abstract
Curcumin, derived from the rhizome Curcuma longa, has been scientifically proven to possess anti-inflammatory activity but is of limited clinical and veterinary use owing to its low bioavailability and poor solubility. Hence, analogs of curcuminoids with improved biological properties have been synthesized [...] Read more.
Curcumin, derived from the rhizome Curcuma longa, has been scientifically proven to possess anti-inflammatory activity but is of limited clinical and veterinary use owing to its low bioavailability and poor solubility. Hence, analogs of curcuminoids with improved biological properties have been synthesized to overcome these limitations. This study aims to provide the pharmacological basis for the use of 5-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)penta-2,4-dien-1-one (DHHPD), a synthetic curcuminoid analog, as an anti-edematogenic and anti-granuloma agent. The carrageenan-induced paw edema and the cotton pellet-induced granuloma assays were used to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of DHHPD in mice. The effects of DHHPD on the histaminergic, serotonergic, and bradykininergic systems were determined by the histamine-, serotonin-, and bradykinin-induced paw edema tests, respectively. DHHPD (0.1, 0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) evoked significant reductions (p < 0.05) in carrageenan-induced paw edema at different time intervals and granuloma formation (p < 0.0001) by 22.08, 32.57, 37.20, and 49.25%, respectively. Furthermore, DHHPD significantly reduced paw edema (p < 0.05) induced by histamine, serotonin, and bradykinin. The present study suggests that DHHPD exerts anti-edematogenic activity, possibly by inhibiting the synthesis or release of autacoid mediators of inflammation through the histaminergic, serotonergic, and bradykininergic systems. The anti-granuloma effect may be attributed to the suppression of transudative, exudative, and proliferative activities associated with inflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Molecules and Their Mechanisms of Action)
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21 pages, 1825 KiB  
Article
Development of Palm Fatty Acid Distillate-Containing Medium for Biosurfactant Production by Pseudomonas sp. LM19
by Abdul Hamid Nurfarahin, Mohd Shamzi Mohamed and Lai Yee Phang
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2613; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142613 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3451
Abstract
High production costs of biosurfactants are mainly caused by the usage of the expensive substrate and long fermentation period which undermines their potential in bioremediation processes, food, and cosmetic industries even though they, owing to the biodegradability, lower toxicity, and raise specificity traits. [...] Read more.
High production costs of biosurfactants are mainly caused by the usage of the expensive substrate and long fermentation period which undermines their potential in bioremediation processes, food, and cosmetic industries even though they, owing to the biodegradability, lower toxicity, and raise specificity traits. One way to circumvent this is to improvise the formulation of biosurfactant-production medium by using cheaper substrate. A culture medium utilizing palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a palm oil refinery by-product, was first developed through one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) technique and further refined by means of the statistical design method of factorial and response surface modeling to enhance the biosurfactant production from Pseudomonas sp. LM19. The results shows that, the optimized culture medium containing: 1.148% (v/v) PFAD; 4.054 g/L KH2PO4; 1.30 g/L yeast extract; 0.023 g/L sodium-EDTA; 1.057 g/L MgSO4·7H2O; 0.75 g/L K2HPO4; 0.20 g/L CaCl2·2H2O; 0.080 g/L FeCl3·6H2O gave the maximum biosurfactant productivity. This study demonstrated that the cell concentration and biosurfactant productivity could reach up to 8.5 × 109 CFU/mL and 0.346 g/L/day, respectively after seven days of growth, which were comparable to the values predicted by an RSM regression model, i.e., 8.4 × 109 CFU/mL and 0.347 g/L/day, respectively. Eleven rhamnolipid congeners were detected, in which dirhamnolipid accounted for 58% and monorhamnolipid was 42%. All in all, manipulation of palm oil by-products proved to be a feasible substrate for increasing the biosurfactant production about 3.55-fold as shown in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontier in Green Chemistry Approaches II)
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15 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Extraction, Chemical Composition, and Anticancer Potential of Origanum onites L. Essential Oil
by Katerina Spyridopoulou, Eleni Fitsiou, Eleni Bouloukosta, Angeliki Tiptiri-Kourpeti, Manolis Vamvakias, Antigoni Oreopoulou, Eleni Papavassilopoulou, Aglaia Pappa and Katerina Chlichlia
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2612; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142612 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 7452
Abstract
Origanum species are plants rich in volatile oils that are mainly used for culinary purposes. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the biological activities of their essential oils. Origanum onites L. is a plant mainly found in Greece, Turkey, [...] Read more.
Origanum species are plants rich in volatile oils that are mainly used for culinary purposes. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the biological activities of their essential oils. Origanum onites L. is a plant mainly found in Greece, Turkey, and Sicily, whose oil is rich in carvacrol, a highly bioactive phytochemical. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of Origanum onites essential oil (OOEO), and investigate its potential anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo. GC/MS analysis identified carvacrol as OOEO’s main constituent. In vitro antiproliferative activity was assayed with the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay against human cancer cell lines from four tumor types. HT-29, a colorectal cancer cell line, was the most sensitive to the antiproliferative activity of OOEO. Wound-healing assay and Annexin V-PI staining were employed to investigate the antimigratory and the pro-apoptotic potential of OOEO, respectively, against human (HT-29) and murine (CT26) colon cancer cells. Notably, OOEO attenuated migration and induced apoptosis-related morphological changes in both cell lines. Prophylactic oral administration of the oil in a BALB/c experimental mouse model inhibited the growth of syngeneic CT26 colon tumors. As far as we know, this is the first report on the antitumor potential of orally administered OOEO. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Activities of Essential Oils)
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12 pages, 2945 KiB  
Article
Physical–Chemical Composition and Quality Related Changes in “Ruaner” Pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) During Freezing–Thawing Period
by Yulian Liu, Yuxia Wu, Fei Che, Zhimin Zhang and Baihong Chen
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2611; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142611 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3149
Abstract
“Ruaner” pear (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.) is a fruit crop that is frequently served frozen in China. It is a typical postharvest ripening fruit that needs to ripen after harvest before it can be eaten, and freezing–thawing is one way that pears are [...] Read more.
“Ruaner” pear (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.) is a fruit crop that is frequently served frozen in China. It is a typical postharvest ripening fruit that needs to ripen after harvest before it can be eaten, and freezing–thawing is one way that pears are treated during postharvest ripening. In order to study the physical–chemical composition and quality-related changes in “Ruaner” pears that result the freezing–thawing period, “Ruaner” pears were kept in a freezer (−20 °C) for 7 days, after which they were transferred to room temperature for thawing. The color of the peel of the “Ruaner” pears changed from yellow-green to yellow and then brown. The chlorophyll content and titratable acidity (TA) decreased significantly throughout 0–12 h period. The carotenoid content tended to rise and then decrease, peaking at 3 h after thawing (HAT), while the soluble solids content (SSC), firmness, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content all generally decreased. The composition of soluble sugars and organic acids was examined in “Ruaner” pears, and the major soluble sugars were fructose and glucose, with citric acid being the most abundant organic acid. The data suggest that freezing–thawing significantly changes firmness, water content, SSC, and TA in “Ruaner” pears. At 3–4 HAT, “Ruaner” pears have moderate hardness, high water content, low acid content, and higher total phenolic, total flavonoid, and soluble solids content. Therefore, 3–4 HAT is the best time for pears in terms of both table and processing quality. Full article
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16 pages, 6663 KiB  
Article
Local Interaction Density (LID), a Fast and Efficient Tool to Prioritize Docking Poses
by Célien Jacquemard, Viet-Khoa Tran-Nguyen, Malgorzata N. Drwal, Didier Rognan and Esther Kellenberger
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2610; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142610 - 18 Jul 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3534
Abstract
Ligand docking at a protein site can be improved by prioritizing poses by similarity to validated binding modes found in the crystal structures of ligand/protein complexes. The interactions formed in the predicted model are searched in each of the reference 3D structures, taken [...] Read more.
Ligand docking at a protein site can be improved by prioritizing poses by similarity to validated binding modes found in the crystal structures of ligand/protein complexes. The interactions formed in the predicted model are searched in each of the reference 3D structures, taken individually. We propose to merge the information provided by all references, creating a single representation of all known binding modes. The method is called LID, an acronym for Local Interaction Density. LID was benchmarked in a pose prediction exercise on 19 proteins and 1382 ligands using PLANTS as docking software. It was also tested in a virtual screening challenge on eight proteins, with a dataset of 140,000 compounds from DUD-E and PubChem. LID significantly improved the performance of the docking program in both pose prediction and virtual screening. The gain is comparable to that obtained with a rescoring approach based on the individual comparison of reference binding modes (the GRIM method). Importantly, LID is effective with a small number of references. LID calculation time is negligible compared to the docking time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Docking in Drug Design 2018)
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13 pages, 5376 KiB  
Article
Role of Pyridine Nitrogen in Palladium-Catalyzed Imine Hydrolysis: A Case Study of (E)-1-(3-bromothiophen-2-yl)-N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)methanimine
by Gulraiz Ahmad, Nasir Rasool, Komal Rizwan, Ataf Ali Altaf, Umer Rashid, Mohd Zobir Hussein, Tariq Mahmood and Khurshid Ayub
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2609; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142609 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5913
Abstract
In the present study, 4-methylpyridin-2-amine was reacted with 3-bromothiophene-2-carbaldehyde and the Schiff base (E)-1-(3-bromothiophen-2-yl)-N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)methanimine was obtained in a 79% yield. Coupling of the Schiff base with aryl/het-aryl boronic acids under Suzuki coupling reaction conditions, using Pd(PPh3)4 as catalyst, yielded products [...] Read more.
In the present study, 4-methylpyridin-2-amine was reacted with 3-bromothiophene-2-carbaldehyde and the Schiff base (E)-1-(3-bromothiophen-2-yl)-N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)methanimine was obtained in a 79% yield. Coupling of the Schiff base with aryl/het-aryl boronic acids under Suzuki coupling reaction conditions, using Pd(PPh3)4 as catalyst, yielded products with the hydrolysis of the imine linkages (5a5k, 6a6h) in good to moderate yields. To gain mechanistic insight into the transition metal-catalyzed hydrolysis of the compounds, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed. The theoretical calculations strongly supported the experiment and provided an insight into the transition metal-catalyzed hydrolysis of imines. Full article
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14 pages, 2805 KiB  
Article
1,3-Dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin as a Precatalyst for Activation of Carbonyl Functionality
by Klara Čebular, Bojan Đ. Božić and Stojan Stavber
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2608; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142608 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 8967
Abstract
Activation of carbonyl moiety is one of the most rudimentary approaches in organic synthesis and is crucial for a plethora of industrial-scale condensation reactions. In esterification and aldol condensation, which represent two of the most important reactions, the susceptibility of the carbonyl group [...] Read more.
Activation of carbonyl moiety is one of the most rudimentary approaches in organic synthesis and is crucial for a plethora of industrial-scale condensation reactions. In esterification and aldol condensation, which represent two of the most important reactions, the susceptibility of the carbonyl group to nucleophile attack allows the construction of a variety of useful organic compounds. In this context, there is a constant need for development of and improvement in the methods for addition-elimination reactions via activation of carbonyl functionality. In this paper, an advanced methodology for the direct esterification of carboxylic acids and alcohols, and for aldol condensation of aldehydes using widely available, inexpensive, and metal-free 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin under neat reaction conditions is reported. The method is air- and moisture-tolerant, allowing simple synthetic and isolation procedures for both reactions presented in this paper. The reaction pathway for esterification is proposed and a scale-up of certain industrially important derivatives is performed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development on Metal-Free Catalysis)
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19 pages, 9550 KiB  
Article
Synthesis, Fungicidal Activity and SAR of 2-Thiazolamide/Pyrazolamide-Cyclohexylsulfonamides against Botrytis cinerea
by Shen Zhang, Siqi Meng, Yong Xie, Yonggui Yang, Yumeng Zhang, Lu He, Kai Wang, Zhiqiu Qi, Mingshan Ji, Peiwen Qin and Xinghai Li
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2607; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142607 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3404
Abstract
In order to explore more efficient sulfonamides against Botrytis cinereal, 36 novel cyclohexylsulfonamides were synthesized by N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide (EDCI) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) condensation reaction using chesulfamide as a lead compound, introducing thiazole and pyrazole active groups. Their structures were characterized [...] Read more.
In order to explore more efficient sulfonamides against Botrytis cinereal, 36 novel cyclohexylsulfonamides were synthesized by N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide (EDCI) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) condensation reaction using chesulfamide as a lead compound, introducing thiazole and pyrazole active groups. Their structures were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, mass spectrum (MS), and elemental analysis. Compound III -31 was further confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction. The in vitro and in vivo fungicidal activities against B. cinerea were evaluated by three bioassay methods. The results of mycelial growth demonstrated that median effective concentration (EC50) values of nine compounds were close to boscalid (EC50 = 1.72 µg/mL) and procymidone (EC50 = 1.79 µg/mL) against B. cinerea (KZ-9). In the spore germination experiment, it was found that compounds III-19 and III-31 inhibited germination 93.89 and 98.00%, respectively; at 10 µg/mL, they approached boscalid (95.97%). In the tomato pot experiment, the control effects of two compounds (III-21 and III-27) were 89.80 and 87.90%, respectively, at 200 µg/mL which were significantly higher than boscalid (81.99%). The structure–activity relationship (SAR) was also discussed, which provided a valuable idea for developing new fungicides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry)
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18 pages, 7179 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Characterization of Lactobacillus spp. from Kefir Samples in Malaysia
by Noorshafadzilah Talib, Nurul Elyani Mohamad, Swee Keong Yeap, Yazmin Hussin, Muhammad Nazirul Mubin Aziz, Mas Jaffri Masarudin, Shaiful Adzni Sharifuddin, Yew Woh Hui, Chai Ling Ho and Noorjahan Banu Alitheen
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142606 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 94 | Viewed by 15414
Abstract
Kefir is a homemade, natural fermented product comprised of a probiotic bacteria and yeast complex. Kefir consumption has been associated with many advantageous properties to general health, including as an antioxidative, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor moiety. This beverage is commonly found and [...] Read more.
Kefir is a homemade, natural fermented product comprised of a probiotic bacteria and yeast complex. Kefir consumption has been associated with many advantageous properties to general health, including as an antioxidative, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor moiety. This beverage is commonly found and consumed by people in the United States of America, China, France, Brazil, and Japan. Recently, the consumption of kefir has been popularized in other countries including Malaysia. The microflora in kefir from different countries differs due to variations in culture conditions and the starter media. Thus, this study was aimed at isolating and characterizing the lactic acid bacteria that are predominant in Malaysian kefir grains via macroscopic examination and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The results revealed that the Malaysian kefir grains are dominated by three different strains of Lactobacillus strains, which are Lactobacillus harbinensis, Lactobacillusparacasei, and Lactobacillus plantarum. The probiotic properties of these strains, such as acid and bile salt tolerances, adherence ability to the intestinal mucosa, antibiotic resistance, and hemolytic test, were subsequently conducted and extensively studied. The isolated Lactobacillus spp. from kefir H maintained its survival rate within 3 h of incubation at pH 3 and pH 4 at 98.0 ± 3.3% and 96.1 ± 1.7% of bacteria growth and exhibited the highest survival at bile salt condition at 0.3% and 0.5%. The same isolate also showed high adherence ability to intestinal cells at 96.3 ± 0.01%, has antibiotic resistance towards ampicillin, penicillin, and tetracycline, and showed no hemolytic activity. In addition, the results of antioxidant activity tests demonstrated that isolated Lactobacillus spp. from kefir G possessed high antioxidant activities for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazine (DPPH) assay compared to other isolates. From these data, all Lactobacillus spp. isolated from Malaysian kefir serve as promising candidates for probiotics foods and beverage since they exhibit potential probiotic properties and antioxidant activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Studies of Food and Beverages)
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16 pages, 3966 KiB  
Article
Preparation of SiO2-MnFe2O4 Composites via One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis Method and Microwave Absorption Investigation in S-Band
by Pengfei Yin, Limin Zhang, Jian Wang, Xing Feng, Liang Zhao, Hanbing Rao, Yanying Wang and Jianwu Dai
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2605; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142605 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 3635
Abstract
MnFe2O4 NPs are successfully decorated on the surface of SiO2 sheets to form the SiO2-MnFe2O4 composite via one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. The phase identification, morphology, crystal structure, distribution of elements, and microwave absorbing properties [...] Read more.
MnFe2O4 NPs are successfully decorated on the surface of SiO2 sheets to form the SiO2-MnFe2O4 composite via one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. The phase identification, morphology, crystal structure, distribution of elements, and microwave absorbing properties in S-band (1.55~3.4 GHz) of the as-prepared composite were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, and Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) respectively. Compared with the pure MnFe2O4 NPs, the as-prepared SiO2-MnFe2O4 composite exhibits enhanced microwave absorption performance in this frequency band due to the strong eddy current loss, better impedance matching, excellent attenuation characteristic, and multiple Debye relaxation processes. The maximum reflection loss of −14.87 dB at 2.25 GHz with a broader −10 dB bandwidth over the frequency range of 1.67~2.9 GHz (1.23 GHz) can be obtained at the thickness of 4 mm. Most importantly, the preparation method used here is relatively simple, hence such composite can be served as a potential candidate for effective microwave absorption in S-band. Full article
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11 pages, 2280 KiB  
Article
Divergent Effects of Resveratrol on Rat Cardiac Fibroblasts and Cardiomyocytes
by Xavier Lieben Louis, Zach Meikle, Laura Chan, Garret DeGagne, Rebecca Cummer, Shannon Meikle, Sampath Krishnan, Liping Yu, Thomas Netticadan and Jeffrey T. Wigle
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2604; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142604 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3626
Abstract
In this study, we tested the potential cardioprotective effects of the phytoalexin resveratrol (Rsv) on primary adult rat cardiac fibroblasts (CF), myofibroblasts (MF) and cardiomyocytes. Adult rat CF and cardiomyocytes were isolated from male 10-week old Sprague–Dawley rats, cultured for either 24 h [...] Read more.
In this study, we tested the potential cardioprotective effects of the phytoalexin resveratrol (Rsv) on primary adult rat cardiac fibroblasts (CF), myofibroblasts (MF) and cardiomyocytes. Adult rat CF and cardiomyocytes were isolated from male 10-week old Sprague–Dawley rats, cultured for either 24 h (cardiomyocytes) or 48 h (CF) before treatments. To isolate MF, CF were trypsinized after 48 h in culture, seeded in fresh plates and cultured for 24 h prior to treatment. All three cells were then treated for a further 24 h with a range of Rsv doses. In CF and MF, cell proliferation, viability, apoptosis assays were performed with or without Rsv treatment for 24 h. In cardiomyocytes, cell viability and apoptosis assay were performed 24 h after treatment. In separate experiments, CF was pre-incubated with estrogen, tamoxifen and fulvestrant for 30 min prior to Rsv treatment. Rsv treatment decreased proliferation of both fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Rsv treatment also increased the proportion of dead CF and MF in a dose dependent manner. However, treatment with Rsv did not induce cell death in adult cardiomyocytes. There was an increase in the percentage of cells with condensed nuclei with Rsv treatment in both CF and MF, but not in cardiomyocytes. Treatment with estrogen, tamoxifen and fulvestrant alone or in combination with Rsv did not have any additional effects on CF survival. Our results demonstrate that treatment with Rsv can inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell death in rat CF and MF, while not affecting cardiomyocyte survival. We also demonstrated that the induction of cell death in CF with Rsv treatment was independent of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resveratrol: From the Farm to the Clinic)
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13 pages, 1554 KiB  
Article
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of EdAP, a 4′-Ethynyl-2′-Deoxyadenosine 5′-Monophosphate Analog, as a Potent Influenza a Inhibitor
by Toshifumi Takeuchi, Nongluk Sriwilaijaroen, Ayako Sakuraba, Ei Hayashi, Shinji Kamisuki, Yasuo Suzuki, Hiroshi Ohrui and Fumio Sugawara
Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2603; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142603 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4330
Abstract
Influenza A viruses leading to infectious respiratory diseases cause seasonal epidemics and sometimes periodic global pandemics. Viral polymerase is an attractive target in inhibiting viral replication, and 4′-ethynyladenosine, which has been reported as a highly potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nucleoside derivative, can [...] Read more.
Influenza A viruses leading to infectious respiratory diseases cause seasonal epidemics and sometimes periodic global pandemics. Viral polymerase is an attractive target in inhibiting viral replication, and 4′-ethynyladenosine, which has been reported as a highly potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nucleoside derivative, can work as an anti-influenza agent. Herein, we designed and synthesized a 4′-ethynyl-2′-deoxyadenosine 5′-monophosphate analog called EdAP (5). EdAP exhibited potent inhibition against influenza virus multiplication in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells transfected with human α2-6-sialyltransferase (SIAT1) cDNA and did not show any toxicity toward the cells. Surprisingly, this DNA-type nucleic acid analog (5) inhibited the multiplication of influenza A virus, although influenza virus is an RNA virus that does not generate DNA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry)
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