Edible bird's nest (EBN) is constructed from saliva of swiftlets birds and consumed largely by Southeast and East Asians for its nutritional value and anti-aging properties. Although the neuroprotection of EBN in animals has been reported, there has not been yet systemically summarized. Thus, this review systemically outlined the evidence of the neuroprotective activity of EBN in modulating the cognitive functions of either healthy or with induced-cognitive dysfunction animals as compared to placebos. The related records from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect using pre-specified keywords. The relevant records to the effect of EBN on cognition were selected according to the eligibility criteria and these studies underwent appraisal for the risk of bias. EBN improved the cognitive functions of induced-cognitive dysfunction and enhanced the cognitive performance of healthy animals as well as attenuated the neuroinflammations and neuro-oxidative stress in the hippocampus of these animals. Malaysian EBN could improve the cognitive functions of experimental animals as a treatment in induced cognitive dysfunction, a nutritional cognitive-enhancing agent in offspring and a prophylactic conservative effect on cognition against exposure to subsequent noxious cerebral accidents in a dose-depended manner through attenuating neuroinflammation and neuro-oxidative stress. This systemic review did not proceed meta-analysis.
Studies have shown an association between oxidative stress and alopecia. Patients with alopecia generally exhibit lower levels of antioxidants in their scalp area as well as a higher lipid peroxidation index. Tocotrienols belong to the vitamin E family and are known to be potent antioxidants. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of tocotrienol supplementation on hair growth in volunteers suffering from hair loss. Twenty one volunteers were randomly assigned to orally receive 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols daily while 17 volunteers were assigned to receive placebo capsule orally. The volunteers were monitored for the number of hairs in a pre-determined scalp area as well as the weight of 20 strands of 1 cm length hair clippings at 0 (before supplementation), 4 and 8 months. The number of hairs of the volunteers in the tocotrienol supplementation group increased significantly as compared to the placebo group, with the former recording a 34.5% increase at the end of the 8-month supplementation as compared to a 0.1% decrease for the latter. Nevertheless, the cumulative weight of 20 strands of hair clippings did not differ much from the baseline for both supplementation groups at the end of the study period. In conclusion, this trial demonstrated that supplementation with tocotrienol capsules increases hair number in volunteers suffering from hair loss as compared to the placebo group. This observed effect was most likely to be due to the antioxidant activity of tocotrienols that helped to reduce lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the scalp, which are reported to be associated with alopecia.
Microcystins (MCs) are hepatotoxic cyanotoxins implicated in several incidents of human and animal toxicity. Microcystin-(Lysine, Arginine) or MC-LR is the most toxic and encountered variant of MCs where oxidative stress plays a key role in its toxicity. This study investigated the oxidative damages induced in the liver and heart of Balb/C mice by an intraperitoneal injected acute dose of MC-LR. Thereafter, the potential protective effect of garlic (Allium sativum) extract supplementation against such damages was assessed through the evaluation of oxidative stress and cytotoxicity markers. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), carbonyl content (CC), glutathione content (GSH), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activities were measured. Results showed important oxidative damages in hepatic and cardiac cells of mice injected with the toxin. However, these damages have been significantly reduced in mice supplemented with garlic extract. Thus, this study demonstrated for the first time the effective use of garlic as an antioxidant agent against oxidative damages induced by MC-LR. As well, this study supports the use of garlic as a potential remedy against pathologies related to toxic agents.
This study aimed to analyze the environmental impacts of the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) process catalyzed by metal-free reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through life cycle assessment (LCA). The environmental impacts study containing the rGO production process, the ODS process, the comparison of different oxidants and solvents was developed. This study was performed by using ReCiPe 2016 V1.03 Hierarchist midpoint as well as endpoint approach and SimaPro software. For the production of 1 kg rGO, the results showed that hydrochloric acid (washing), sulfuric acid (mixing), hydrazine (reduction) and electricity were four main contributors in this process, and this process showed a significant impact on human health 14.21 Pt followed by ecosystem 0.845 Pt and resources 0.164 Pt. For the production of 1 kg desulfurized oil (400 ppm), main environmental impacts were terrestrial ecotoxicity (43.256 kg 1,4-DCB), global warming (41.058 kg CO2), human non-carcinogenic toxicity (19.570 kg 1,4-DCB) and fossil resource scarcity (13.178 kg oil), and the main contributors were electricity, diesel oil and acetonitrile. The whole ODS process also showed a greatest effect on human health. For two common oxidants hydrogen peroxide and oxygen used in ODS, hydrogen peroxide showed a greater impact than oxygen. On the other hand, for three common solvents employed in ODS, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone had a more serious impact on human health followed by acetonitrile and N,N-dimethylformamide. As such, LCA results demonstrated the detailed environmental impacts originated from the catalytic ODS, hence elucidating systematic guidance for its future development toward practicality.
Crude rubber seed oil is a potential source for biofuel production. However it contains undesirable impurities such as peroxides and high oxidative components that not only affect the oil stability, colour and shelf-life but promote insoluble gums formation with time that could cause deposition in the combustion engines. Therefore to overcome these problems the crude rubber seed oil is refined by undergoing degumming and bleaching process. The effect of bleaching earth dosage (15-40 wt %), phosphoric acid dosage (0.5-1.0 wt %) and reaction time (20-40 min) were studied over the reduction of the peroxide value in a refined crude rubber seed oil. The analysis of variance shows that bleaching earth dosage was the most influencing factor followed by reaction time and phosphoric acid dosage. A minimum peroxide value of 0.1 milliequivalents/gram was achieved under optimized conditions of 40 wt % of bleaching earth dosage, 1.0 wt % of phosphoric acid dosage and 20 min of reaction time using Response Surface Methodology design.
Swietenia macrophylla (SM) is a medicinally important plant found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The ethyl acetate fraction of the seeds of S. macrophylla (SMEAF) is reported to exhibit potent anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antifeedant activities. Till date, there have been no studies reported on the acute oral toxicity profile of the ethyl acetate fraction of the seeds of SM. The objective of the present study was to determine the acute toxicity of SMEAF and evaluate the in-vitro neuroprotective activity of SMEAF using primary neuronal cell cultures. In acute oral toxicity study, the SMEAF did not produce any lethal signs of morbidity and mortality. Histo-pathological findings, support the safety of SMEAF, as there were no significant changes observed in any of the parameters studied. Based on the results obtained in MTT assay, we infer that SMEAF has a significant neuroprotective effect, as it increased the cell viability and exhibited protection to the neuronal cells against TBHP induced oxidative stress. Thus, SMEAF can be suggested for use in the development of herbal drug formulations with neuroprotective potential.
Herein we examine the characteristics of date seed oil extracted from Chamaerops humilis L. var. humilis seeds (HSO) cultivated in a gardening zone in Tunisia. Its physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and thermal and antioxidant properties were evaluated and compared with those of seed oil from another variety of Chamaerops humilis. The results showed that HSO possessed higher contents of oleic (44%) and linoleic (20%) acids than the other seed oil. The total tocopherol and tocotrienol content was 88 mg/100 g oil, where α-tocotrienol (64%) was the major isomer. The total phenolic (91 μg/g oil) and flavonoid contents (18 μg/g oil) of the HSO were determined, and its antioxidant capacities, measured in terms of ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging capacities, were 210 µM TEAC/g DW and 4.3 mM TEAC/g DW, respectively. The oxidative stability index (OSI) of the oil was 16 h at 110 °C. Furthermore, the OSI of soybean oil was significantly enhanced upon blending with HSO. HSO exhibited higher thermal stability than the other oils and significantly different thermal behavior. The determination of fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, bioactive content, oxidative stability, and thermal behavior of HSO demonstrated that this renewable resource can be used for edible purposes.
Herbicides are inevitable inputs to control excessive weed in crop land, particularly where modern agricultural practices such as conservation tillage, are opted. Intensive farming has increased the market value of herbicides among the other pesticides. Although herbicides are effective in controlling weed population, administration of this synthetic chemicals may alter the soil microbial community causing potential increase of plant pathogens. Moreover, herbicides may also have nontarget effects on the cultivated crops making them more susceptible to diseases. Actions of herbicides in soil that either stimulate microbial growth or wipe out some microbial population may create space for the thrivial of opportunistic fungi. Previous studies showed that white rot fungi are more tolerant to herbicides as they produce lignin degrading enzymes that are highly oxidative, non-specific and are able to transform a wide range of herbicides. Besides that, this group of fungi can grow on agricultural waste substrates. Influence of these herbicides on soil microbial ecosystem and interactions of plants and pathogenic white rot fungi modulate disease development in plant hosts.
Type II (proteic) toxin-antitoxin systems (TAs) are widely distributed among bacteria and archaea. They are generally organized as operons integrated by two genes, the first encoding the antitoxin that binds to its cognate toxin to generate a harmless protein⁻protein complex. Under stress conditions, the unstable antitoxin is degraded by host proteases, releasing the toxin to achieve its toxic effect. In the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae we have characterized four TAs: pezAT, relBE, yefM-yoeB, and phD-doc, although the latter is missing in strain R6. We have assessed the role of the two yefM-yoeB and relBE systems encoded by S. pneumoniae R6 by construction of isogenic strains lacking one or two of the operons, and by complementation assays. We have analyzed the phenotypes of the wild type and mutants in terms of cell growth, response to environmental stress, and ability to generate biofilms. Compared to the wild-type, the mutants exhibited lower resistance to oxidative stress. Further, strains deleted in yefM-yoeB and the double mutant lacking yefM-yoeB and relBE exhibited a significant reduction in their ability for biofilm formation. Complementation assays showed that defective phenotypes were restored to wild type levels. We conclude that these two loci may play a relevant role in these aspects of the S. pneumoniae lifestyle and contribute to the bacterial colonization of new niches.
The present study deals with optimizing, producing, characterizing, application and techno- economic analysis of oxidative enzymes [Laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP)] from Aspergillus iizukae EAN605 in submerged fermentation process using pumpkin peels as a production substrate. The best operating parameters for producing Lac, MnP and LiP (6.15, 2.58 and 127.99 U mg-1 respectively) were recorded with 20 g 100 mL-1 of substrate, 4.6 mL 100 mL-1 of inoculum size at pH 5.5 after 10 days. The crude enzyme exhibited high stability at pH (3-9) and temperatures (20-60 °C). Km (Michaelis-Menten) of Lac, MnP and LiP crude enzyme was 2.25, 1.79 and 0.72 mM respectively. The decolourization of Remazol Brilliant Blue R by the crude enzyme was 84.84 %. The techno-economic analysis was assessed for a production unit with an annual operating time for enzymatic production and application is 7920 h/year and 100 m3 of the capacity. The process would produce 27,000 cm3 of crude enzyme with a price of USD 0.107 per cm3 compared to USD 1 per cm3 of the current commercial enzyme. The findings indicated that pumpkin peels have potential as a production substrate for oxidative enzymes from A. iizukae EAN605 and is economically feasible.
hlorophyll a is known as the prevailing light absorbing pigment giving a strong absorption and fluorescence emission in visible region. Quenching reactions of the chlorophyll a fluorescence by Fe(acac)3 were precisely investigated in various organic solvents which are benzene toluene, ethanol, methanol, dmf, dmso and acetonitrile. Electron transfer performance of chlorophyll a by Fe(acac)3 was investigated from oxidative quenching reaction. Herein, the simplified Rehm-Weller relationship was used to calculate the free energy change of the photo-induced electron transfer reaction. Emission intensity decreased when the concentration of Fe(acac)3 quencher was increased. Non-linear Stern-Volmer plots are found to be affected by inner filter effect more than the ground state complex formation. Rate of quenching reactions (kq) were determined from the Stern-Volmer equation with corrected inner filter effect. The rates of quenching reactions occurred faster in high viscous solvents.
Microplastics (MPs) have become pollutants of concern due to their unknown human health effect and negative impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. There is increasing number of experimental research on MPs globally with its effects not fully understood; recent animal studies explore its effects on the intestines, yet on other vital organs. Javanese medaka fish was exposed to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) beads for a period of 21 days. Histological alterations, intestinal oxidative stress, permeability and neurotoxicity were evaluated. Significant inflammatory changes and tissue damage were observed in the intestine, liver and kidney. Intestinal oxidative stress and permeability were found to be significantly increased. In the brain, neurotoxicity characterised by a significant induction of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme were elucidated. This study provided an insight into the multiple organ effect of microplastics exposure, necessitating further exploration and identification of biomarkers to be utilised for biomonitoring population at risk in the future.
This study explored fishmeal replacement with two freshwater microalgae: Spirulina Platensis and Chlorella vulgaris in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) diet. The effect of inclusion of the two microalgae on biomarkers of oxidative stress, haematological parameters, enzyme activities and growth performance were investigated. The juvenile fish were given 3 distinct treatments with isonitrogenous (35.01-36.57%) and isoenergetic (417.24-422.27 Kcal 100 g-1) diets containing 50% S. platensis (50SP), 75% S. platensis (75SP), 50% C. vulgaris (50CL), 75% C. vulgaris (75CL) and 100% fishmeal (100% FM) was used as the control diet. The result shows that all the diets substituted with both S. platensis, and C. vulgaris boosted the growth performance based on specific growth rate (SGR) and body weight gain (BDWG) when compared with the control diet. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) was significantly influenced by all the supplementations. The haematological analysis of the fish shows a significant increase in the value of red and white blood cells upon supplementation with 50SP and 50CL but decrease slightly when increased to 75SP and 75CL. Furthermore, the value of haematocrit and haemoglobin also increased upon supplementation with 50SP and 50CL but decrease slightly when increased to 75SP and 75CL. The white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) increased, while total cholesterol (TCL), and Plasma glucose levels decreased significantly upon supplementation of algae. This is a clear indication that S. platensis and C. vulgaris are a promising replacement for fishmeal, which is a source protein in the C. gariepinus diet.
Exposure to cyclophosphamide (CPA) for cancer treatment results in over-production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress thus affecting the DNA in male germ cell inducing sperm defects. Our goal is to assess the potential effects of Nigella sativa extract (NSE) and thymoquinone (TQ) on sperm and embryo quality following fertlization of sperm produced from germ cells which have been exposed to the damaging alkylating effects of CPA.
The efficient oxidative removal of persistent organic components in wastewater relies on low-cost heterogeneous catalysts that offer high catalytic activity, stability, and recyclability. Here, we designed a series of nanostructured Co-Mn containing perovskite catalysts, LaCo1-xMnxO3+δ (LCM, x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0), with over-stoichiometric oxygen (δ > 0) to show superior catalytic activity for the degradation of a variety of persistent aqueous organic pollutants by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The nature of LCM for catalysis was comprehensively investigated. A "volcano-shaped" correlation was observed between the catalytic activity and electron filling (eg) of Co in LCM. Among these compounds, LaCo0.5Mn0.5O3+δ (LCM55) exhibited an excellent activity with eg = 1.27. The high interstitial oxygen ion diffusion rate (DO2- = 1.58 ± 0.01 × 10-13 cm2 s-1) of LCM55 also contributes to its catalytic activity. The enhanced stability of LCM55 can be ascribed to its stronger relative acidity (3.22). Moreover, an increased solution pH (pH ≥ 7) generated a faster organic degradation rate and a decrease in metal leaching (0.004 mM) for LCM55 perovskite, justifying it as a potential material for environmental remediation.
Atherosclerosis is a complex pathology that involves several factors in its development, like oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. Several drugs and therapeutic approaches have been developed to handle these aspects of atherosclerosis. However, some of these treatments can be costly and have undesirable side effects. Many constituents of mushrooms have been shown to have potential anti-atherosclerotic effects in several in vitro and in vivo studies. Recently, the possible mechanisms in which they exert these effects have also been elucidated. In this review, some of the research focusing on mushrooms and their potential anti-atherosclerotic effects are examined. Many mushroom species exhibited anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic effects that can potentially attenuate the progression of atherosclerosis, either through their isolated compounds or use of crude extracts. More studies are focused on the effect that mushrooms have on gene expressions that are involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperlipidemia. These studies could provide us with a better understanding on the mechanisms in which the consumption of mushrooms could exert their possible anti-atherosclerotic effects. Further research needs to be done to uncover other possible mechanisms that are affected by mushroom use.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an irreversible inflammatory respiratory disease characterized by frequent exacerbations and symptoms such as cough and wheezing that lead to irreversible airway damage and hyperresponsiveness. The primary risk factor for COPD is chronic cigarette smoke exposure, which promotes oxidative stress and a general pro-inflammatory condition by stimulating pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory pathways and, simultaneously, inactivating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant detoxification pathways. These events cause progressive damage resulting in impaired cell function and disease progression. Treatments available for COPD are generally aimed at reducing the symptoms of exacerbation. Failure to regulate oxidative stress and inflammation results in lung damage. In the quest for innovative treatment strategies, phytochemicals, and complex plant extracts such as agarwood essential oil are promising sources of molecules with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, their clinical use is limited by issues such as low solubility and poor pharmacokinetic properties. These can be overcome by encapsulating the therapeutic molecules using advanced drug delivery systems such as polymeric nanosystems and nanoemulsions. In this study, agarwood oil nanoemulsion (agarwood-NE) was formulated and tested for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-treated BCi-NS1.1 airway basal epithelial cells. The findings suggest successful counteractivity of agarwood-NE against CSE-mediated pro-inflammatory effects by reducing the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-8, and GDF-15. In addition, agarwood-NE induced the expression of the anti-inflammatory mediators IL-10, IL-18BP, TFF3, GH, VDBP, relaxin-2, IFN-γ, and PDGF. Furthermore, agarwood-NE also induced the expression of antioxidant genes such as GCLC and GSTP1, simultaneously activating the PI3K pro-survival signalling pathway. This study provides proof of the dual anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of agarwood-NE, highlighting its enormous potential for COPD treatment.
A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the spinal cord is deteriorated or traumatized, leading to motor and sensory functions lost even totally or partially. An imbalance within the generation of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense levels results in oxidative stress (OS) and neuroinflammation. After SCI, OS and occurring pathways of inflammations are significant strenuous drivers of cross-linked dysregulated pathways. It emphasizes the significance of multitarget therapy in combating SCI consequences. Polyphenols, which are secondary metabolites originating from plants, have the promise to be used as alternative therapeutic agents to treat SCI. Secondary metabolites have activity on neuroinflammatory, neuronal OS, and extrinsic axonal dysregulated pathways during the early stages of SCI. Experimental and clinical investigations have noted the possible importance of phenolic compounds as important phytochemicals in moderating upstream dysregulated OS/inflammatory signaling mediators and axonal regeneration's extrinsic pathways after the SCI probable significance of phenolic compounds as important phytochemicals in mediating upstream dysregulated OS/inflammatory signaling mediators. Furthermore, combining polyphenols could be a way to lessen the effects of SCI.
Bacteria that surround plant roots and exert beneficial effects on plant growth are known as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In addition to the plant growth-promotion, PGPR also imparts resistance against salinity and oxidative stress and needs to be studied. Such PGPR can function as dynamic bioinoculants under salinity conditions. The present study reports the isolation of phytase positive multifarious Klebsiella variicola SURYA6 isolated from wheat rhizosphere in Kolhapur, India. The isolate produced various plant growth-promoting (PGP), salinity ameliorating, and antioxidant traits. It produced organic acid, yielded a higher phosphorous solubilization index (9.3), maximum phytase activity (376.67 ± 2.77 U/mL), and copious amounts of siderophore (79.0%). The isolate also produced salt ameliorating traits such as indole acetic acid (78.45 ± 1.9 µg/mL), 1 aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (0.991 M/mg/h), and exopolysaccharides (32.2 ± 1.2 g/L). In addition to these, the isolate also produced higher activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (13.86 IU/mg protein), catalase (0.053 IU/mg protein), and glutathione oxidase (22.12 µg/mg protein) at various salt levels. The isolate exhibited optimum growth and maximum secretion of these metabolites during the log-phase growth. It exhibited sensitivity to a wide range of antibiotics and did not produce hemolysis on blood agar, indicative of its non-pathogenic nature. The potential of K. variicola to produce copious amounts of various PGP, salt ameliorating, and antioxidant metabolites make it a potential bioinoculant for salinity stress management.
Microalgae have been recognized as emerging cell factories due to the high value-added bio-products. However, the balance between algal growth and the accumulation of metabolites is always the main contradiction in algal biomass production. Hence, the security and effectiveness of regulating microalgal growth and metabolism simultaneously have drawn substantial attention. Since the correspondence between microalgal growth and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level has been confirmed, improving its growth under oxidative stress and promoting biomass accumulation under non-oxidative stress by exogenous mitigators is feasible. This paper first introduced ROS generation in microalgae and described the effects of different abiotic stresses on the physiological and biochemical status of microalgae from these aspects associated with growth, cell morphology and structure, and antioxidant system. Secondly, the role of exogenous mitigators with different mechanisms in alleviating abiotic stress was concluded. Finally, the possibility of exogenous antioxidants regulating microalgal growth and improving the accumulation of specific products under non-stress conditions was discussed.