Extract of Salicornia europaea in fresh pasta to enhance phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity

Extract from Salicornia europaea was added to durum wheat fresh pasta. Sensory properties, cooking quality, microbiological stability, content in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, before and after pasta digestion were studied. The extract was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. From the technological point of view the extract did not affect pasta dough and the cooking parameters and sensory properties of the enriched samples were found similar to the control pasta. No antimicrobial effect was exerted by the extract. From the chemical point of view interesting findings were recorded for pasta before and after digestion. Specifically, data of bioaccessible fraction of digested sample showed a significantly higher amount of total phenols and flavonoid content (11.52 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.55 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively) than digested control pasta (9.54 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.23 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively). The antioxidant activity of enriched sample also increased compared to the control pasta (6.20 vs. 2.50 μmoles FeSO₄ g⁻¹).     

H mesh prosthesis in the treatment of ventral hernia

The Authors report their experience in the treatment of ventral hernias using a Marlex mesh moulded in an original way with a technique partially derived from plastic surgery. The complete mobilization of the umbilicus through a circular incision allows to fit this prosthesis symmetrically below the rectus abdominis muscles for the entire extension of the hernia.     

Modeling and biological investigations of an unusual behavior of novel synthesized acridine-based polyamine ligands in the binding of double helix and G-quadruplex DNA

Three novel 2,7-substituted acridine derivatives were designed and synthesized to investigate the effect of this functionalization on their interaction with double-stranded and G-quadruplex DNA. Detailed investigations of their ability to bind both forms of DNA were carried out by using spectrophotometric, electrophoretic, and computational approaches. The ligands in this study are characterized by an open-chain (L1) or a macrocyclic (L2, L3) framework. The aliphatic amine groups in the macrocycles are joined by ethylene (L2) or propylene chains (L3). L1 behaved similarly to the lead compound m-AMSA, efficiently intercalating into dsDNA, but stabilizing G-quadruplex structures poorly, probably due to the modest stabilization effect exerted by its protonated polyamine chains. L2 and L3, containing small polyamine macrocyclic frameworks, are known to adopt a rather bent and rigid conformation; thus they are generally expected to be sterically impeded from recognizing dsDNA according to an intercalative binding mode. This was confirmed to be true for L3. Nevertheless, we show that L2 can give rise to efficient π-π and H-bonding interactions with dsDNA. Additionally, stacking interactions allowed L2 to stabilize the G-quadruplex structure: using the human telomeric sequence, we observed the preferential induction of tetrameric G-quadruplex forms. Thus, the presence of short ethylene spacers seems to be essential for obtaining a correct match between the binding sites of L2 and the nucleobases on both DNA forms investigated. Furthermore, current modeling methodologies, including docking and MD simulations and free energy calculations, provide structural evidence of an interaction mode for L2 that is different from that of L3; this could explain the unusual stabilizing ability of the ligands (L2>L3>L1) toward G-quadruplex that was observed in this study.     

Solid Acid‐Catalysed Michael‐Type Conjugate Addition of Indoles to Electron‐Poor CC Bonds: Towards High Atom Economical Semicontinuous Processes

In this paper a novel application of solid acid catalysts in the chemoselective Friedel–Crafts (FC) alkylation of indoles is reported. The optimal protocol allows highly functionalised indolyl compounds to be synthesised in excellent yields through conjugate addition of indoles with α,β‐unsaturated ketones and nitro compounds. Finally, the use of commercial Amberlyst‐15 as the heterogeneous catalyst for highly atom efficient continuous and semicontinuous Friedel–Crafts processes is described.     

Eumelanin for nature‐inspired UV‐absorption enhancement of plastics

In the human body, the black‐brown biopigment eumelanin blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the plastics industry, additives are often added to polymers to increase their UV‐absorption properties. We herein report an assessment of the biopigment eumelanin as a nature‐inspired additive for plastics to enhance their UV absorption. Since eumelanin is produced by natural sources and is nontoxic, it is an interesting candidate in the field of sustainable plastic additives. In this work, the eumelanin‐containing films of commercial ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer, a plastic used for packaging applications, were obtained by melt compounding and compression molding. The biopigment dispersion in the films was improved by means of the melanin free acid treatment. It was observed that eumelanin amounts as low as 0.8 wt% caused an increase of the UV absorption, up to one order of magnitude in the UVA range. We also evaluated the effect of eumelanin on the thermal stability and photostability of the films: the biopigment proved to be double‐edged, working both as UV‐absorption enhancer and photo‐prooxidant, as thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy revealed. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Precursor gas chemistry determines the crystallinity of carbon nanotubes synthesized at low temperature

Despite significant progress in carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the factors determining the structure of the resulting carbon filaments and other graphitic nanocarbons are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that gas chemistry influences the crystal structure of carbon filaments grown at low temperatures (500 °C). Using thermal CVD, we decoupled the thermal treatment of the gaseous precursors (C₂H₄/H₂/Ar) and the substrate-supported catalyst. Varying the preheating temperature of the feedstock gas, we observed a striking transition between amorphous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and crystalline CNTs. These results were confirmed using both a hot-wall CVD system and a cold-wall CVD reactor. Analysis of the exhaust gases (by ex situ gas chromatography) showed increasing concentrations of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that correlated with the structural transition observed (characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy). This suggests that the crystallinity of carbon filaments may be controlled by the presence of specific gas phase precursor molecules (e.g., VOCs and PAHs). Thus, direct delivery of these molecules in the CVD process may enable selective CNF or CNT formation at low substrate temperatures. The inherent scalability of this approach could impact many promising applications, especially in the electronics industry.     

Design,Synthesis, Radiosynthesis and Biological Evaluation of Fenretinide Analogues as Anticancer and Metabolic Syndrome-Preventive Agents

Fenretinide (4-HPR) is a synthetic derivative of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) characterised by improved therapeutic properties and toxicological profile relative to ATRA. 4-HPR has been mostly investigated as an anti-cancer agent, but recent studies showed its promising therapeutic potential for preventing metabolic syndrome. Several biological targets are involved in 4-HPR's activity, leading to the potential use of this molecule for treating different pathologies. However, although 4-HPR displays quite well-understood multitarget promiscuity with regards to pharmacology, interpreting its precise physiological role remains challenging. In addition, despite promising results in vitro, the clinical efficacy of 4-HPR as a chemotherapeutic agent has not been satisfactory so far. Herein, we describe the preparation of a library of 4-HPR analogues, followed by the biological evaluation of their anti-cancer and anti-obesity/diabetic properties. The click-type analogue 3 b showed good capacity to reduce the amount of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes during differentiation. Furthermore, it showed an IC₅₀ of 0.53±0.8 μM in cell viability tests on breast cancer cell line MCF-7, together with a good selectivity (SI=121) over noncancerous HEK293 cells. Thus, 3 b was selected as a potential PET tracer to study retinoids in vivo, and the radiosynthesis of [¹⁸F] 3b was successfully developed. Unfortunately, the stability of [¹⁸F] 3b turned out to be insufficient to pursue imaging studies.     

On the Viscoelastic Properties of Collagen‐Gel‐Based Lattices under Cyclic Loading: Applications for Vascular Tissue Engineering

Reconstituted collagen gels are widely used as scaffolds even though their low strength and poor elasticity limit their applications in VTE. Here, two approaches are adopted to modify their mechanical behavior: in the first, gels prepared under physiologic conditions are remodeled by cell‐mediated contraction; in the second, gels prepared in non‐physiologic conditions are chemically crosslinked. Samples are tested under cyclic loading and their viscoelastic behavior is assessed. The results show that both approaches result in lattices with adequate strength, and crosslinking significantly reduces hysteresis and permanent deformation. SEM shows that SMCs are capable of contracting and remodeling all the lattices, confirming that these are suitable supports for tissue regeneration.