The structural integrity, elasticity, and fluidity of lipid membranes are critical for cellular activities such as communication between cells, exocytosis, and endocytosis. Unsaturated lipids, the main components of biological membranes, are particularly susceptible to the oxidative attack of reactive oxygen species. The peroxidation of unsaturated lipids, in our case 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), induces the structural reorganization of the membrane. We have employed a multi-technique approach to analyze typical properties of lipid bilayers, i.e., roughness, thickness, elasticity, and fluidity. We compared the alteration of the membrane properties upon initiated lipid peroxidation and examined the ability of flavonols, namely quercetin (QUE), myricetin (MCE), and myricitrin (MCI) at different molar fractions, to inhibit this change. Using Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), we identified various carbonyl products and examined the extent of the reaction. From Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Force Spectroscopy (FS), Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiments, we concluded that the membranes with inserted flavonols exhibit resistance against the structural changes induced by the oxidative attack, which is a finding with multiple biological implications. Our approach reveals the interplay between the flavonol molecular structure and the crucial membrane properties under oxidative attack and provides insight into the pathophysiology of cellular oxidative injury.
Understanding the effect that specific amino acids (AA) exert on calcium phosphate (CaPs) formation is proposed as a way of providing deeper insight into CaPs’ biomineralization and enabling the design of tailored-made additives for the synthesis of functional materials. Despite a number of investigations, the role of specific AA is still unclear, mostly because markedly different experimental conditions have been employed in different studies. The aim of this paper was to compare the influence of different classes of amino acids, charged (aspartic acid, Asp and lysine, Lys), polar (asparagine, Asn and serine, Ser) and non-polar (phenylalanine, Phe) on CaPs formation and transformation in conditions similar to physiological conditions. The precipitation process was followed potentiometrically, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR), scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used for the characterization of precipitates. Except for Phe, all investigated AAs inhibited amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) transformation, with Ser being the most efficient inhibitor. In all systems, ACP transformed in calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CaDHA). However, the size of crystalline domains was affected, as well as CaDHA morphology. In EPR spectra, the contribution of different radical species with different proportions in diverse surroundings, depending on the type of AA present, was observed. The obtained results are of interest for the preparation of functionalized CaPs’, as well as for the understanding of their formation in vivo.
Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) attracts attention as a precursor of crystalline calcium phosphates (CaPs) formation in vitro and in vivo as well as due to its excellent biological properties. Its formation can be considered to be an aggregation process. Although aggregation of ACP is of interest for both gaining a fundamental understanding of biominerals formation and in the synthesis of novel materials, it has still not been investigated in detail. In this work, the ACP aggregation was followed by two widely applied techniques suitable for following nanoparticles aggregation in general: dynamic light scattering (DLS) and laser diffraction (LD). In addition, the ACP formation was followed by potentiometric measurements and formed precipitates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that aggregation of ACP particles is a process which from the earliest stages simultaneously takes place at wide length scales, from nanometers to micrometers, leading to a highly polydisperse precipitation system, with polydispersity and vol. % of larger aggregates increasing with concentration. Obtained results provide insight into developing a way of regulating ACP and consequently CaP formation by controlling aggregation on the scale of interest.
Superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with excellent biocompatibility and negligible toxicity were prepared by solvothermal method and stabilized by widely used and biocompatible polymer poly(ethylene glycol) PEG-4000 Da. The unique properties of the synthesized MNPs enable them to host the unstable and water-insoluble quercetin as well as deliver and localize quercetin directly to the desired site. The chemical and physical properties were validated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE–SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer, FTIR spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The kinetics of in vitro quercetin release from MNPs followed by UV/VIS spectroscopy was controlled by employing combined stationary and alternating magnetic fields. The obtained results have shown an increased response of quercetin from superparamagnetic MNPs under a lower stationary magnetic field and s higher frequency of alternating magnetic field. The achieved findings suggested that we designed promising targeted quercetin delivery with fine-tuning drug release from magnetic MNPs.
Calcium phosphates (CaP) composites with biomacromolecules and/or nanomaterials have recently emerged as a potential solution to improve the poor mechanical properties and biological response of CaP. Among the methods available for preparation of such composites, precipitation at low temperatures attracts special interest as it allows preservation of the activity of biomacromolecules. However, precipitation of CaP in the presence of two additives is a complex process that needs to be studied in detail to rationalize composite preparation. This study aimed to investigate co-precipitation of CaP on different TiO2 nanomaterials (TiNMs), including nanoparticles (TiNPs), nanoplates (TiNPls), nanotubes (TiNTs), and nanowires (TiNWs), in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and chitosan (Chi). The obtained results have shown that both BSA and Chi inhibited transformation of amorphous to crystalline CaP, even in the presence of TiNMs at concentrations that promoted transformation. Chi proved to be a stronger inhibitor due to its more flexible structure. The presence of BSA and Chi did not influence the composition of the CaP formed as calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CaDHA) was formed in all the systems. However, both macromolecules influenced the morphology of the formed CaDHA in different ways depending on the type of TiNM used. BSA and Chi adsorbed on all the TiNMs, as confirmed by zeta potential measurements, but this adsorption reduced the amount of CaP formed on TiNMs only in the case of TiNWs. The obtained results contribute to the understanding of the influence of BSA and Chi on CaP precipitation in the presence of nanomaterials and thus to the rational design of CaP-based multi-composite materials.
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