Isolation of phenolic compounds from eco-friendly white bee propolis: Antioxidant, wound-healing, and anti-Alzheimer effects

This study presents the first findings regarding extraction, isolation, enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant activity. The oral mucosal wound-healing process was investigated using propolis water extract (PWE) incubation with gingival fibroblast cells and concluded that propolis was effective on the oral mucosal wound-healing pattern compared to untreated controls. Additionally, phenolic compounds (fraxetin, apigenin, galangin, pinobanksin, chrysin, etc.) were isolated from propolis, and their chemical structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer potential activities of PWE and some isolated compounds were screened and revealing their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 values ranging from 0.45 ± 0.01 to 1.15 ± 0.03 mM, as well as remarkable free-radical scavenging and metal reduction capacities. The results suggest that these compounds and PWE can be used as therapeutic agents due to their antioxidant properties and inhibitory potential on AChE. It can also be used for therapeutic purposes since its wound-healing effect is promising.

Biological Screening of Polyphenol Derivatives for Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Apoptotic and Anti-Migrative Activities in Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF-7

Breast cancer is known as the most common type of invasive cancer in women. It is well-known that phenolic compounds play an important role in the treatment of this disease. This study hypothesized that isoeugenol based two polyphenolic compounds 1 and 2 exerts its anti-proliferative effects through the induction of apoptosis and cell migration arrest on human breast cancer cell. Based on this hypothesis, the study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative, anti-migrative effects of these compounds and their possible basic molecular mechanisms of action in MCF-7 cell lines. As a result, isoeugenol-based compounds 1 and 2 showed anti-proliferative, anti-apoptotic and anti-migrative effects in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This result was supported by molecular analyzes and it was determined that there were changes in the expression of some gene regions involved in apoptosis and migration. Additionally, it was a remarkable result that cell viability inhibition did not occur in healthy breast tissue cells and no cytotoxic effect was observed. The existence of such a differentiation between cancer cells and healthy cells significantly increases the potential of these compounds to be used as chemotherapeutic drug active ingredients without side effects.

Phosphorus-nitrogen compounds. Part 58. Syntheses, structural characterizations and biological activities of 4-fluorobenzyl-spiro(N/O)cyclotriphosphazene derivatives

The starting compound, tetrachloro-4-fluorobenzyl-spiro(N/O)cyclotriphosphazene (2), was synthesized from the substitution reaction of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazatriene (N₃P₃Cl₆; trimer; HCCP) with sodium 3-(4-fluorobenzylamino)-1-propanoxide (1). Reactions of spiro (2) with excess 1-(2-aminoethyl)-piperidine, 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperidine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine yielded the fully substituted cyclotriphosphazene derivatives (2a-2d), respectively. Elemental analysis, mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), FTIR, ¹H-, ¹³C- and ³¹P-NMR data confirmed the structure of the new cyclotriphosphazenes (2a-2d); and the crystal structure of 2 was also identified by X-ray crystallography. The quantum mechanical DFT calculations of 2 were performed to estimate the geometry optimization, total energy, orientation of frontier molecular orbitals (HOMOs and LUMOs), and chemical parameters. In addition, antibacterial and antifungal activities of the fully substituted 4-fluorobenzyl-spiro(N/O)cyclotriphosphazenes (2a-2d) were investigated against G(+) and G(-) bacteria and fungi. Using agarose gel electrophoresis, the DNA cleavage activities of these phosphazenes on double-stranded plasmid DNA were evaluated. To evaluate the abilities of compounds 2a-2d to inhibit cell proliferation in different concentrations, the antiproliferative and antimigrative activities against prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), breast cancer (MCF7) and colon cancer (HT29) cell lines were studied in vitro; and the compound 2c was determined to be the most efficient against the three cancer cells.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Antiproliferative, antioxidant, computational and electrochemical studies of new azo-containing Schiff base ruthenium(ii) complexes

A new series of ruthenium(ii) complexes 7–11 containing the –NN– group are synthesized and characterized via elemental analysis, and IR, UV-visible and ¹H–¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

Isolation and in vitro cultivation of human urine-derived cells: an alternative stem cell source

OBJECTIVE

For in vitro tissue engineering in urology, stem cells are commonly isolated from tissue specimens obtained during open or endoscopic surgery. Within the context of the present study our aim was to isolate cells from human urine by an alternative and safe technique rather than using the indicated method.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

After human urine samples had been collected from young and healthy donors via urethral catheterization, cells were precipitated by centrifugation and cultured. Following this isolation procedure, cells were characterized by immunocytochemical method using specific antibodies.

RESULTS

When these cells were characterized by immunocytochemical methods using specific antibodies some of them were positive for mesenchymal stem cell marker CD90 while the others were labelled with urothelial marker cytokeratin 7. When all these results were taken into consideration, urothelial cells together with stem cells were observed in the urine- derived cell population.

CONCLUSION

According to the results obtained from this study human urine may be preferred as an alternative stem cell and urothelial cell source in that this method is and easily reproducible non-invasive method.