Ternary Coordination Compounds of Copper(II) with Glycine and 2,2\u27-bipyridine: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, Magnetic and Biological Properties

Three new coordination compounds of copper(II) with glycine (HGly) and 2,2\u27-bipyridine (bipy) were synthesized by solution-based and mechanochemical methods: [Cu(Gly)(H2O)(bipy)][Cu(Gly)(SO4)(bipy)]·6H2O (1a·6H2O), [Cu(Gly)(H2O)(bipy)]2SO4 (1b), [Cu(Gly)(H2O) (bipy)]2SO4·H2O (1b·H2O). The amount of water in the reaction mixture influenced the product of crystallization. All compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction methods and form 1D infinite chains or 2D sheets of complex ions connected by π-interactions. Compounds 1a·6H2O and 1b were characterized by X-band electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and the values of g-tensors for Cu(II) ions were determined. Compounds 1a·6H2O and 1b showed pronounced antiproliferative activity toward a panel of six human cell lines. The most impared was HepG2 cell line at 10−5 mol dm−3 concentration (74.5 % reduction of cell growth) followed by moderate activity toward KATO III, Caco-2, MDA-MB-231, PANC-1 and MRC-5 cells at 10−4 mol dm−3 concentration of compounds 1a·6H2O and 1b. Generally, both compounds express similar antiproliferative effect on evaluated cells

3D Cell Technology in Biomedical Research

Traditional two dimensional cell culture has enabled great strides in biomedicine but needs to be improved to be able to keep up with the demands of modern biomedical research. 2D monolayer culture cannot replicate tissue responses and needs to be supplemented with extensive animal research. Growing cells in three dimensional scaffolds provides a more functional model for biomedical research than traditional monolayer culture. Depending on the needs and the complexity of the model there are several ways that 3D models can be initiated. Simple spheroids can be grown in low adherence plates and in hanging drops while larger spheroids and co-cultured ones need to be grown in systems with greater support such as hydro gels. The system that offers the greatest flexibility is the magnetic levitation approach. In the paper we offer a brief resume to various 3D methods and their characteristics to ease the choice of methods for implementing 3D cell culture techniques

Effect of Wheatgrass Juice on Nutritional Quality of Apple, Carrot, Beet, Orange and Lemon Juice

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are commonly consumed as a valuable source of nutrients, while wheatgrass juice is, due to its nutritional value, used as a natural dietary supplement. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of wheatgrass juice addition to apple, beet, carrot, orange, and lemon juice on total and in vitro bioaccessible concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn, vitamin C concentration, total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. In comparison to other juices, wheatgrass juice had the highest total and in vitro bioaccessible concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn, while beet juice had the highest K concentration. Lemon and orange juices had the highest vitamin C concentration, while the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content were found in wheatgrass juice. After the addition of wheatgrass juice, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn concentration increased in all examined juices, vitamin C concentration increased in apple, beet, and carrot juice, total phenolic content increased in carrot juice, while total flavonoid content increased in apple, carrot, and orange juice. In comparison to the examined juices, wheatgrass juice has better nutritional value, and it could be used in a mixture with other juices to improve their nutritional value

Antioxidant and antiproliferative potentials of phenolic-rich extracts from biotransformed grape pomace in colorectal Cancer

Abstract Background Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. Consumption of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals such as phenolic compounds may help combat colorectal carcinoma. The effect of two phenolic-rich extracts prepared from biotransformed grape pomace on the antioxidant properties and antiproliferative activity against two colorectal cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and SW620) were investigated. Methods A 15-day solid-state fermentation with the white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes gibbosa was used to biotransform grape pomace. Solid-liquid extraction was then performed to extract bioactive compounds. The extract was analyzed for the determination of phenolic compounds by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and in vitro assays of biological activities (antioxidant activity, antiproliferative activity, cell cycle analysis). Results The 4 days of solid-state fermentation proved to be the optimal period to obtain the maximum yield of phenolic compounds. The tested extracts showed significant antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Grape pomace treated with P. chrysosporium and T. gibbosa reduced cancer cell growth by more than 60% at concentrations (solid/liquid ratio) of 1.75 mg/mL and of 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. The cell cycle perturbations induced by the grape pomace extracts resulted in a significant increase in the number of cells in the S (9.8%) and G2/M (6.8%) phases of SW620 exposed to T. gibbosa after 48 hours, while P. chrysosporium increased the percentage of cells in the G1 phase by 7.7%. The effect of grape pomace extracts on Caco-2 was less pronounced. Conclusions The obtained results suggest the presence of bioactive compounds in biotransformed grape pomace as a residue from winemaking, which could be used to prevent colon cancer