Plant sterols have shown potent anti-proliferative effects and apoptosis induction against breast and prostate cancers. However, the effect of sterols against hepatic cancer has not been investigated. In the present study, we assessed whether the stigmasterol isolated from Navicula incerta possesses apoptosis inductive effect in hepatocarcimona (HepG2) cells. According to the results, Stigmasterol has up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic gene expressions (Bax, p53) while down-regulating the anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2). Probably via mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway. With the induction of apoptosis caspase-8, 9 were activated. The DNA damage and increase in apoptotic cell numbers were observed through Hoechst staining, annexin V staining and cell cycle analysis. According to these results, we can suggest that the stigmasterol shows potent apoptosis inductive effects and has the potential to be tested as an anti-cancer therapeutic against liver cancer. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(8): 433-438]
Indolyl alkaloids, Nb-acetyltryptamine (1) and the known oxaline (2) have been isolated from the organic extract of the broth of an unidentified fungus collected from the surface of the marine red alga Gracilaria verrucosa. The structure of Nb-acetyltryptamine (1) was assigned on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses.
Antioxidants are the chemical substances that reduce or prevent oxidation. The present study aimed to assess in vitro antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts Hyptis rhomboidea. DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays were used for characterization of antioxidant activities of several extracts. Eventually, the promising extract was the ethyl acetate (EAc) extract, The analyzed extracts exhibited that antioxidant activities varied considerably as function of extracts. The highest DPPH• scavenging ability was found in Y6-8,which was divided from EAc by silica column, the lowest IC50 value (6.9μg/ml), followed by Y6-9 (11.7μg/ml) and the TEAC of Y6-8 and Y6-9were greater than positive control trolox. The same tendency was observed using ABTS and FRAP assays. These results suggest that the H. rhomboidea shows a better antioxidant activity, especially in the EAc extract and these results would be a guide in the selection of potential cultivars which are used in food and chemical industry and fresh market.
All‐solution processed organic Schottky junctions (OSJs) with a near‐infrared absorbing donor material poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole‐terthiophene) (PDPP3T) of 5 wt.% mixed into [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) were fabricated. Solution‐processed 1,4,5,8,9,11‐hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile (s‐HAT‐CN) and N‐arylbenzimidazoles (s‐TPBi) served as the hole and electron transporting layer (HTL and ETL), which was usually prepared by thermal‐evaporation. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) was improved from 1.15 to 1.45%, compared with the control device with traditional poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and bathocuproine (BCP) as the HTL and ETL. It could be ascribed to the efficient hole extraction by s‐HAT‐CN and smoother surface, and thus, lower trap density of s‐TPBi. s‐HAT‐CN showed a comparable transparency and higher hole mobility than PEDOT:PSS, and was proved to be an efficient and promising HTL for solution‐processed OSJs. The dependence of OSJ performances on the evaporation‐ and solution‐processed 4,7‐diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline (Bphen) and TPBi was comparably investigated. s‐Bphen and s‐TPBi devices both demonstrated a higher photocurrent relative to the evaporation‐processed Bphen and TPBi devices.
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