Hydroxyl radical (.OH) is a reactive oxygen species produced during severe hypoxia, asphyxia, or ischemia that can cause cell death resulting in brain damage. Generation of .OH may occur in the fetal brain during asphyxia in utero. The very short half-life of .OH requires use of trapping agents such as salicylic acid or phenylalanine for detection, but their hydroxylated derivatives are either ...

Monoesters of ginsenoside metabolite M1 at the 3-OH, 4-OH and 6-OH positions of the glucose moiety at M1 were synthesized via the reaction of M1 with acyl chloride, or acid-N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide in the presence of DMAP. Their structures were fully characterized by spectral methods. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against then MGC80-3 human gastric cancer cell line was also assessed. ...

Transition metal (Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd and Pt) doped Cu(111) models are selected to examine the effects of transition metals on Cu surface for ethanol synthesis from acetic acid hydrogenation using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. On these surfaces, the adsorption of the main intermediates and reaction barriers of key elementary steps are investigated. The calculation results indicat...

The aim of this study was to assess workers' exposure to endotoxins and peptidoglycans, as well as associations between workers' reported symptoms and the detected bacterial exposures. From the filter samples, biologically-active endotoxins were analysed with the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. The total amount of endotoxins was analysed as 3-hydroxy (OH) fatty acids with a gas chromatogr...

Melanin synthesis of B16 mouse melanoma cells was found to be stimulated dose and time dependently by 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3], the hormonal form of vitamin D3. The stimulation of melanogenesis resulted from an increase in the activity of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin synthesis. The minimum dose required for this stimulation was as low as 0.05 ng/ml, or 0.12 nM, ...

We have previously developed water-based microwave (MW)-assisted peptide synthesis using Fmoc-amino acid nanopaticles. It is an organic solvent-free, environmentally friendly method for peptide synthesis. Here we describe water-based MW-assisted solid-phase synthesis using Boc-amino acid nanoparticles. The microwave irradiation allowed rapid solid-phase reaction of nanoparticle reactants on the...

We characterize a new water soluble fluorescent probe sensitive to changes in pH. The new probe shows spectral shifts and intensity changes in different pH media, in a wavelength ratiometric and colorimetric manner. Subsequently, changes in pH can readily be determined around the physiological level. The new probe’s response is based on the ability of the boronic acid group to interact with str...

Vitamin D receptor (VDR), a nuclear receptor that regulates calcium homeostasis, has been found to function as a receptor for secondary bile acids. Because the in vivo role of VDR in bile acid metabolism remains unknown, we investigated the effect of VDR activation in a mouse model of cholestasis. We treated mice with 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha(OH)D(3)] after bile duct ligation (BDL) an...

Active yet low-cost electrocatalysts for water oxidation are crucial the development of hydrogen energy economy. The Fe doping into Ni(OH)2 dramatically enhances catalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but fabricating high loading is still challenging. Herein, we report a one-pot strategy to prepare disordered ?-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets with level (9.9 at%, D-Fe-Ni(OH)2). By engagin...

BACKGROUND Storage triacylglycerols in castor bean seeds are enriched in the hydroxylated fatty acid ricinoleate. Extensive tissue-specific RNA-Seq transcriptome and lipid analysis will help identify components important for its biosynthesis. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS Storage triacylglycerols (TAGs) in the endosperm of developing castor (Ricinus communis) seeds are highly enriched in ricinoleic ac...