The active fraction and/or compounds of Calendula officinalis responsible for wound healing are not known yet. In this work we studied the molecular target of C. officinalis hydroethanol extract (CEE) and its active fraction (water fraction of hydroethanol extract, WCEE) on primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). In vivo, CEE or WCEE were topically applied on excisional wounds of BALB/c mice and the rate of wound contraction and immunohistological studies were carried out. We found that CEE and only its WCEE significantly stimulated the proliferation as well as the migration of HDF cells. Also they up-regulate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in vitro. In vivo, CEE or WCEE treated mice groups showed faster wound healing and increased expression of CTGF and α-SMA compared to placebo control group. The increased expression of both the proteins during granulation phase of wound repair demonstrated the potential role of C. officinalis in wound healing. In addition, HPLC-ESI MS analysis of the active water fraction revealed the presence of two major compounds, rutin and quercetin-3-O-glucoside. Thus, our results showed that C. officinalis potentiated wound healing by stimulating the expression of CTGF and α-SMA and further we identified active compounds. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Incorporation of three distinct linkers with identical functionality in a coordination copolymer is accomplished in materials designated UMCM-10, -11, and -12. Uniaxial lattice expansion, achieved in these highly porous and non-interpenetrated materials, is utilized in size-selective guest incorporation.

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In this paper, we have tuned the dual properties, i.e., wettability and photoluminescence of GQDs by simply covalent modification with long chain alkyl (–C12H27) groups.

Prolonged and strenuous exercise has been proposed as a possible source of male-factor infertility. Forced intensive swimming has also been identified as one source of a dysfunctional male reproduction system. The present study evaluated the possible protective role of α-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on intensive swimming-induced germ-cell depletion in adult male rats. Forced exhaustive swimming of 1 hr/day, 6 days/week for 8 consecutive weeks resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in epididymal sperm; testicular androgenic enzyme activities; and plasma and intra-testicular testosterone; and produced different types of germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium cycle. Conversely, plasma corticosterone levels and sperm-head abnormalities increased. Western-blot analysis showed a considerable decrease in testicular StAR protein expression whereas reverse-transcriptase PCR analysis showed no significant change in cytochrome P450scc (Cyp11a1) gene expression. Significant (P < 0.05) elevation in testicular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content versus reduction in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and caspase-3 activities along with a depletion in the glutathione pool, mitochondrial membrane potential (▵ψm ), and intracellular ATP generation. A considerable level of DNA damage in testicular spermatogenic cells were also noted following forced extensive swimming. Alpha-lipoic acid and NAC supplementation prevented the swimming-induced testicular spermatogenic and steroidogenic disorders by lowering ROS generation. We therefore conclude that intensive forced swimming causes germ-cell depletion through the generation of ROS and depletion of steroidogenesis in the testis, which can be protected by the co-administration of α-lipoic acid and NAC.

We report a novel phenazine-embedded fluorescent probe (2-[2-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-1H-imidazo­[4,5-b]­phenazine, PIP), which upon complexation with Cu­(II)-ion-forming [(PIP)­CuII(Cl)] becomes nonfluorescent but regenerates fluorescence in a selective reaction with NO and HNO over different biologically reactive oxygen and nitrogen (ROS/RNS) species under physiological conditions. The fluorescence intensity of PIP gets quenched due to the formation of the [(PIP)­CuII(Cl)] complex, which regenerates the fluorescence by 67 and 84% upon reaction either with NO or HNO, respectively, in the presence of other biological reducing species. Details of photophysical properties of PIP, [(PIP)­CuII(Cl)], and [(PIP)­CuI] have been studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The recognition efficacy of [(PIP)­CuII(Cl)] for exogenous and endogenous NO and HNO in A549 and RAW 264.7 cells with the flow cytometry application has also been demonstrated successfully.