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Search results for: environmental toxicity
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Electrically Conductive Carbon‐based (Bio)‐nanomaterials for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
PublicationA proper self-regenerating capability is lacking in human cardiac tissue which along with the alarming rate of deaths associated with cardiovascular disorders makes tissue engineering critical. Novel approaches are now being investigated in order to speedily overcome the challenges in this path. Tissue engineering has been revolutionized by the advent of nanomaterials, and later by the application of carbon-based nanomaterials...
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Silicon’s Influence on Polyphenol and Flavonoid Profiles in Pea (Pisum sativum L.) under Cadmium Exposure in Hydroponics: A Study of Metabolomics, Extraction Efficacy, and Antimicrobial Properties of Extracts
PublicationThe current study aimed to investigate the impact of silicon (Si) supplementation in the form of Na2SiO3 on the metabolome of peas under normal conditions and following exposure to cadmium (Cd) stress. Si is known for its ability to enhance stress tolerance in various plant species, including the mitigation of heavy metal toxicity. Cd, a significant contaminant, poses risks to...
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Role of Silicon in Counteracting Cadmium Stress in Pea Plants (Pisum sativum L.): Insights Into Cadmium Binding Mechanisms and Pectin Methylesterase Activity
PublicationPurpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of silicon (Si) in counteracting a cadmium (Cd) stress to pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) and to identify the mechanism by which Cd is bound within pea roots. Methods: These goals were achieved through (i) a histochemical study of Cd localization in pea roots, (ii) spectrophotometric determination of pectin content and the activity...
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ADAPTATION OF THE ACTIVATED SLUDGE TO THE DIGESTATE LIQUORS DURING THE NITRIFICATION AND DENITRIFICATION PROCESSES
PublicationThe activated sludge process of the digestate liquors after chemical separation was conducted using a 10 L lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a 0.50 m3 pilotscale SBR independently (with pH control). Due to the relatively high concentration of free ammonia (FA), clear inhibitory effects of the digestate liquors on the nitrifying bacteria were observed. The adaptation of the activated sludge to the toxicity was evaluated...
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Microporous Polyurethane Thin Layer as a Promising Scaffold for Tissue Engineering
PublicationThe literature describes that the most efficient cell penetration takes place at 200–500 µm depth of the scaffold. Many different scaffold fabrication techniques were described to reach these guidelines. One such technique is solvent casting particulate leaching (SC/PL). The main advantage of this technique is its simplicity and cost efficiency, while its main disadvantage is the scaffold thickness, which is usually not less than...
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Metabolic transformation of antitumor acridinone C-1305 but not C-1311 via selective cellular expression of UGT1A10 increases cytotoxic response: implications for clinical use.
PublicationThe acridinone derivates C-1305 and C-1311 are promising antitumor agents with high activity against several experimental cellular and tumor models and which are under evaluation in pre-clinical and early phase clinical trials. Recent evidence from our laboratories has indicated that both compounds were conjugated by several UGT isoforms with the most active being extrahepatic UGT1A10. The present studies were designed to test...
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A Green Chemistry "environmentally friendly" approach to the synthesis of chloro-intermediates of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine
PublicationMethylamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. It is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. There is much interest in methylamphetamine among scientists and therefore the synthesizes of methylamphetamine and its metabolites are carried out on a large scale in chemical laboratories. Globally, ephedrine...
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Cell Density-Dependent Cytological Stage Profile and Its Application for a Screen of Cytostatic Agents Active Toward Leukemic Stem Cells
PublicationProliferation and expansion of leukemia is driven by leukemic stem cells (LSCs). Multidrug resistance (MDR) of LSCs is one of the main reasons of failure and relapses in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment. In this study, we show that maintaining HL-60 at low cell culture density or applying a 240-day treatment with anthrapyridazone (BS-121) increased the percentage of primitive cells, which include LSCs determining the overall...
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Structural investigations of niobium-doped bioactive calcium-phosphate glass-ceramics by means of spectroscopic studies
PublicationSynthetic calcium-phosphate based glasses and glass-ceramics play a crucial role in the development of tissue engineering. These materials have a high biocompatibility with biological analogues, excellent ability to undergo varying degrees of resorbability and due to their non-toxicity and relatively high bioactivity they are commonly used as bone and dental implants. A substantial research effort is devoted to improve synthetic...
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Exploring the Antitumor Efficacy of N-Heterocyclic Nitrilotriacetate Oxidovanadium(IV) Salts on Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells
PublicationThe crystal structures of two newly synthesized nitrilotriacetate oxidovanadium(IV) salts, namely [QH][VO(nta)(H2O)](H2O)2 (I) and [(acr)H][VO(nta)(H2O)](H2O)2 (II), were determined. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of four N-heterocyclic nitrilotriacetate oxidovanadium(IV) salts— 1,10-phenanthrolinium, [(phen)H][VO(nta)(H2O)](H2O)0.5 (III), 2,2′-bipyridinium [(bpy)H][VO(nta)(H2O)](H2O) (IV), and two newly synthesized compounds...
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Phospholipids as potential prevention factor in carcinogenesis
PublicationPhospholipids are a group of complex lipids, which can be used in cancer chemoprevention. Glicerophospholipids are composed of fatty acids esterified to a glycerol backbone, a phosphate group and a hydrophilic residue such as: cho- line, ethanoloamine, serine or inositol. In the sn-2 position of glicerophospholipid usually there are unsaturated fatty acids, i.e. linolenic acid, while in the sn-1 position more typi- cal are saturated...
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Multidirectional Characterization of Phytochemical Profile and Health-Promoting Effects of Ziziphora bungeana Juz. Extracts
PublicationZiziphora species (Lamiaceae) have been used in traditional medicine as sedatives, anti-septics, carminatives, or expectorants. Despite their common applications in phytotherapy, there is still lack of evidence about the composition of their extracts and its impact on biological properties of the plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of Ziziphora bungeana, a less studied species growing in Kazakhstan, using...
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Chitosan-Based Membranes as Gentamicin Carriers for Biomedical Applications — Influence of Chitosan Molecular Weight
PublicationOver the past decade, much attention has been paid to chitosan as a potential drug carrier because of its non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability and antibacterial properties. The effect of various chitosan characteristics on its ability to carry different antibiotics is discussed in the literature. In this work, we evaluated the influence of the different molecular weights of this polymer on its potential as an antibacterial...
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Electrochemistry/mass spectrometry (EC/MS) for fast generation and identification of novel reactive metabolites of two unsymmetrical bisacridines with anticancer activity.
PublicationThe development of a new drug requires knowledge about its metabolic fate in a living organism, regarding the comprehensive assessment of both drug therapeutic activity and toxicity profiles. Electrochemistry (EC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is an efficient tool for predicting the phase I metabolism of redox-sensitive drugs. In particular, EC/MS represents a clear advantage for the generation of reactive drug transformation...
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Evaluation of the content of inorganic anions in tree saps
PublicationTree saps were once commonly used in the countries of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Although once almost forgotten, their popularity has been growing recently as part of an interest in organic food and traditional medicine. Tree saps, tapped mainly from birch and maple trees, are drunk both fresh and fermented or are used as raw material for the production of food products, e.g. syrups. The aim of this study was to determine...
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Theoretical Encapsulation of Fluorouracil (5-FU) Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy Drug into Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) and Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNT)
PublicationIntroduction: Chemotherapy with anti-cancer drugs is considered the most common approach for killing cancer cells in the human body. However, some barriers such as toxicity and side effects would limit its usage. In this regard, nano-based drug delivery systems have emerged as cost-effective and efficient for sustained and targeted drug delivery. Nanotubes such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT) are promising...
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Synthesis, crystal structure and spectroscopic characterization of new anionic iridium(III) complexes and their interaction with biological targets
PublicationThe synthesis and characterisation of new anionic iridium(II) complexes (NH4)2[IrCl4(κ2N,N’-H2biim)]2 · 5H2O (1) and ((CH3)2NH2)[IrCl4(κ2N,N’-PyBIm)] · H2O (2) are presented in this article. Spectroscopic methods (1H, 13C and 15N NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis) were used to characterize these new complexes. Solid-state structural analysis (SC-XRD) of complexes 1 and 2 shows a slightly distorted octahedral geometry of Ir(III) ions, which is...
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On the Possibility of the Amphotericin B-Sterol Complex Formation in Cholesterol- and Ergosterol-Containing Lipid Bilayers: A Molecular Dynamics Study
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known membrane-active antibiotic that has been used to treat systemicfungal infections for more than 45 years. Therapeutic application of AmB is based on the fact that it is moreactive against ergosterol-containing membranes of fungal cells than against mammalian membranes withcholesterol. In this paper, we examine the hypothesis according to which the selectivity of the AmB's membraneaction originates...
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Novel 2-(2-arylmethylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-1-(1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)guanidine derivatives: Inhibition of human carbonic anhydrase cytosolic isozymes I and II and the transmembrane tumor-associated isozymes IX and XII, anticancer activity, and molecular modeling studies
PublicationA series of novel 2-(2-arylmethylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-1-(6-substituted-4-chloro-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)guanidine derivatives 9–20 have been synthesized by substitution of chlorine atom at the 1,3,5-triazine ring in compounds 5–8 with 3- or 4-aminobenzenesulfonamide and 4-(aminomethyl)benzenesulfonamide hydrochloride. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity toward hCA I, II,...
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Chitosan, Collagen and Gelatin in the design of novel materials with antimicrobial acticity
PublicationMedical devices containing and releasing antiinfective agents directly on the site of injury are a common group of materials available and widely used in treating difficult to heal wounds. Sustained contact of the active agent to the damaged tissue, needed to inhibit infection and preservation of microbiological purity of the wound, is provided by the immobilization antimicrobial agents on the surface of the matrix material or...
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Antibiotic-Based Conjugates Containing Antimicrobial HLopt2 Peptide: Design, Synthesis, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities
PublicationRecent studies have shown that modified human lactoferrin 20−31 fragment, named HLopt2, possesses antibacterial and antifungal activity. Thus, we decided to synthesize and evaluate the biological activity of a series of conjugates based on this peptide and one of the antimicrobials with proven antibacterial (ciprofloxacin, CIP, and levofloxacin, LVX) or antifungal (fluconazole, FLC) activity. The drugs were covalently connected...
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The lethal effect of hydrotechnical concrete on freshwater Bivalvia
PublicationMost hydrotechnical buildings under construction demand the concrete mixture to be set directly under water. The main reason for such a procedure is to limit the washing away of the the concrete binding mixture and to increase the efficiency of organisation of work so as to ensure continuity in concreting. The impact on the aquatic environment of recent developments in concrete technology and the use of new components has not yet...
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Determination of trace levels of eleven bisphenol A analogues in human blood serum by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationChemicals showing structural or functional similarity to bisphenol A (BPA), commonly called BPA analogues, have recently drawn scientific attention due to their common industrial and commercial application as a substitute for BPA. In the European Union, the use of BPA has been severely restricted by law due to its endocrine disrupting properties. Unfortunately, it seems that all BPA analogues show comparable biological activity,...
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Polymer and graphitic carbon nitride based nanohybrids for the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment – A review
PublicationPharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, have been frequently detected in water reservoirs, in concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L, owing to their wide use in treatment of human and animal disease. Their uncontrolled use results in their increased release into the environment which is harmful for humans, animals, aquatic life and aquatic system. To remove these pollutants from water bodies, various...
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Evaluation and cellular responses of modulators of TRF1/TRF2 protein’s function as potential anticancer drugs interfering with telomeric shelterin’s function
PublicationA number of proteins that interact with telomeres have been identified in human cells, indicating the high plasticity of human nucleoprotein complex organization. The most important complex is the "shelterin" complex, which consists of six proteins: TRF1, TRF2, TIN2, POT1, TPP1. The TRF1 and TRF2 directly bind to telomeric double-stranded DNA and the TIN2 protein. The TIN2 protein also binds to the TPP1 protein, stabilizing the...
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Phytoecdysteroid containing plants – a source of bioactive compounds with potential anticarcinogenic effects
PublicationEcdysteroids are a group of steroids synthesized in inver- tebrates as molting hormones and also in some plants as secondary metabolites acting as a defense against parasites. These compounds do not naturally occur in mammals and are not structurally related to mammalian steroid hor- mones, consequently do not activate mammalian hormone receptors. Ecdysteroids exhibit very low toxicity to mam- mals and to date no serious side effects...
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Dual-Activity Fluoroquinolone-Transportan 10 Conjugates offer alternative Leukemia therapy during Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
PublicationHematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is often considered a last resort leukemia treatment, fraught with limited success due to microbial infections, a leading cause of mortality in leukemia patients. To address this critical issue, we explored a novel approach by synthesizing antileukemic agents containing antibacterial substances. This innovative strategy involves conjugating fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin...
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Fabrication of polyurethane and polyurethane based composite fibers by the electrospinning technique for soft tissue engineering of cardiovascular system
PublicationElectrospinning is the unique technique, which provides forming of polymeric scaffolds for soft tissue engineering, which include tissue scaffolds for soft tissues of cardiovascular system. Such artificial soft tissues of cardiovascular system may possess mechanical properties comparable to native vascular tissues. Electrospinning technique gives the opportu nity to form fibres with nm- to μm-scale in diameter. The arrangement...
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Membrane Sterols Modulate the Binding Mode of Amphotericin B without Affecting Its Affinity for a Lipid Bilayer
PublicationMembrane-active antibiotics are known to selectively target certain pathogens based on cell membrane properties, such as fluidity, lipid ordering, and phase behavior. These are in turn modulated by the composition of a lipid bilayer and in particular by the presence and type of membrane sterols. Amphotericin B (AmB), the golden standard of antifungal treatment, exhibits higher activity toward ergosterol-rich fungal membranes, which...
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Uptake, accumulation, and translocation of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr by P. australis seedlings in an urban dredged sediment mesocosm: impact of seedling origin and initial trace metal content
PublicationThe study presents results from 6 months of phytoremediation of sediments dredged from three urban retention tanks carried out in a mesocosm setup with the use of P. australis. Two kinds of P. australis seedlings were considered: seedlings originating from natural (uncontaminated - Suncont) and anthropogenically changed environments (contaminated – Scont); this distinction was reflected in the baseline concentrations of trace metals...
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Bioactivation of Konjac Glucomannan Films by Tannic Acid and Gluconolactone Addition
PublicationWound healing is a dynamic process that requires an optimal extracellular environment, as well as an accurate synchronization between various cell types. Over the past few years, great efforts have been devoted to developing novel approaches for treating and managing burn injuries, sepsis, and chronic or accidental skin injuries. Multifunctional smart-polymer-based dressings represent a promising approach to support natural healing...
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Non-toxic fluorine-doped TiO2 nanocrystals from TiOF2 for facet-dependent naproxen degradation
PublicationIn the present study, the photocatalytic degradation of naproxen (NPX), which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), frequently detected in drinking water, was investigated. The F-doped TiO2 with defined morphology was successfully obtained from TiOF2 and applied for photocatalytic degradation under UV-vis and visible light. All samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron...
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White light thermoplasmonic activated gold nanorod arrays enable the photo-thermal disinfection of medical tools from bacterial contamination
PublicationThe outspread of bacterial pathogens causing severe infections and spreading rapidly, especially among hospitalized patients, is worrying and represents a global public health issue. Current disinfection techniques are becoming insufficient to counteract the spread of these pathogens because they carry multiple antibiotic-resistance genes. For this reason, a constant need exists for new technological solutions that rely on physical...
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Exposure of a small Arctic seabird, the little auk (Alle alle) breeding in Svalbard, to selected elements throughout the course of a year
PublicationThe Arctic marine ecosystem can be altered by processes of natural and anthropogenic origin. Spatio-temporal variation in species exposure to contamination is still poorly understood. Here, we studied elemental concentrations in the non-lethally collected samples from the most numerous seabird in European Arctic, the little auk (Alle alle) nesting in one breeding colony in Svalbard. This seabird spent the breeding season in the...
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New Unsymmetrical Bisacridine Derivatives Noncovalently Attached to Quaternary Quantum Dots Improve Cancer Therapy by Enhancing Cytotoxicity toward Cancer Cells and Protecting Normal Cells
PublicationThe use of nanoparticles for the controlled drug delivery to cells has emerged as a good alternative to traditional systemic delivery. Quantum dots (QDs) offer potentially invaluable societal benefits such as drug targeting and in vivo biomedical imaging. In contrast, QDs may also pose risks to human health and the environment under certain conditions. Here, we demonstrated that unique combination of nanocrystals core components...
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Analysis of catalitic reactors usefulness to reduce pollution generated by piston combustion engines with regard to ship main engines
PublicationThe article presents results which indicate that the use of catalytic reactors to reduce emissions of harmful compunds contained in the exhaust gas is important in the operation of vehicle motors operation. Efforts of the shipbuilding industry to reduce the toxicity of exhaust gas emitted by the main engines have been indicated and pointed to the desirability of the use of these catalysts in maritime transport. It has been pointed...
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Anticancer imidazoacridinone C-1311 inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenesis
PublicationAntitumor imidazoacridinone C-1311 is a DNA-reactive topoisomerase II and FLT3 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Here, we demonstrate the mechanism of C-1311 inhibitory action on novel targets: hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiogenesis. In a cell-free system, C-1311 prevented HIF-1α binding to an oligonucleotide encompassing a canonical hypoxia-responsive element (HRE),...
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Understanding ion–ion and ion–solvent interactions in aqueous solutions of morpholinium ionic liquids with N-acetyl-L-alaninate anion through partial molar properties and molecular dynamics simulations
PublicationAmino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) provide a low toxicity, biodegradable alternative to conventional ionic liquids, while also maintaining solubility in water. Densities and sound velocities of aqueous solutions of four amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs), based on the N-alkyl-N-methylmorpholinium ([Mor1,R], R = 2, 3, 6, 8) cation and N-acetyl-L-alaninate ([N-Ac-L-Ala]) anion were measured at T = (293.15–313.15) K and at atmospheric...
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Does the chemical modification of Nystatin A1 affect the drug's ability to overcome the multidrug resistance of fungi?
PublicationAlthough the contemporary medicine keeps moving forward, disseminated infections caused by fungal pathogens are an emerging challenge. The dramatic rise of fungal diseases, especially the most life-threatening systemic mycoses is associated with a permanently growing number of immunodeficient patients. Undoubted difficulties in the treatment of fungal infections are caused by lack of highly effective and selective antifungal drugs,...
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Electrochemical simulation of enzymatic transformations studied for the selected antitumor acridine derivatives
PublicationThe elucidation of the metabolic pathways and the biotransformation mechanisms of potential drugs is a crucial point in drug development. It allows to know the activation routes of the new biologically active compounds, especially in respect to their possible toxicity. Generally, in vivo or in vitro experiments with liver microsomes or hepatocytes are performed. However, these testing schemes are tedious, time consuming and of...
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Electrochemistry meets enzymes: Investigation of the biotransformation pathway of C-1311 based on electrochemical simulation in comparison to in vitro methods.
PublicationThe knowledge of the metabolic pathways and the biotransformation of new drugs is one of the major challenges in pharmaceutical research. It is crucial for elucidation of degradation routes of the new biologically active compounds, especially in the area of possible toxicity. Conventional in vitro drug metabolism studies are based on incubating drug candidate with e.g. hepatocytes or, most importantly, liver cell microsomes and...
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Recent advancements in molecularly imprinted polymers for the removal of heavy metal ions and dyes
PublicationContamination set off by highly toxic metal ions and dyes is a big threat to the environment and living beings. Various industries like metal plating, mining, pesticides, battery manufacturing, and dyeing release metal ions and toxic dyes directly into the water. It is necessary to remove these toxic substances from the environment. Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) got a lot of attention in the last two decades because of...
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Dietary intervention with beetroot juice during doxorubicin cancer chemotherapy in vivo reduces markers of oxidative stress
PublicationCancer chemotherapy with doxorubicin, despite high antitumor activity and broad spectrum of this drug, is on decline due to toxic side effects. The clinical efficacy of anthracyclines have continuously prompted the search for new adjuvants to alleviate undesirable side toxicity incurred by this group of cytostatics. The recent approaches involve the application of synthetic or purified natural antioxidants in combination with doxorubicin...