Aktywność biologiczna substancji zawartych w mszakach

Bryophytes have found a wide application in traditional medicine around the world.Nevertheless, they are still a poorly understood group of plants from a phytochemicalpoint of view. Scientific research indicates that these plants contain substances withantibacterial, antifungal and anticancer properties. The antioxidant character of theextracts obtained from them is also signficant. The article is a review of traditionalapplications of bryophytes and the latest research on these plants.Mszaki znalazły szerokie zastosowanie w medycynach tradycyjnych całego świata.Mimo to, z punktu widzenia fitochemicznego stanowią wciąż słabo poznaną grupęroślin. Badania naukowe wskazują, że te rośliny zawierają w sobie substancje o wła-ściwościach przeciwbakteryjnych, przeciwgrzybiczych oraz przeciwnowotworowych.Istotny jest również charakter antyoksydacyjny otrzymanych z nich ekstraktów. Ar-tykuł jest przeglądem tradycyjnych zastosowań mszaków oraz najnowszych badańdotyczących tych roślin

Bilberries as valuable sources of polyphenols with health-promoting properties

Subject of research: Vaccinium uliginosum L. (swamp blueberry) and Vaccinium myrtillus L. (black blueberry) are species of the Vaccinium genus belonging to the Ericaceae family. The fruits of these plants are characterized by a high content of biologically active polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins. These chemical compounds are responsible for the therapeutic potential of the berries and their red-purple-blue coloration. Anthocyanins from blueberries have been shown in studies to have strong antioxidant properties as well as biological potential that can be used in the prevention of cancer and lifestyle diseases. There are also studies indicating the antibacterial activity of polyphenols found in berries. Bilberry berries are used to produce jams and juices commonly available in Europe. These products may constitute a valuable source of polyphenols. However, it should be noted that the method of blueberry breeding and processing affects the final content of active substances in the product. Research goal: Systematizing the currently available knowledge regarding polyphenols found in the fruits of V. uliginosum and V. myrtillus. Methods: In preparation of the literature review for this work, the PubMed search engine using the MEDLINE database was used. The article includes articles from the last 20 years. Results: This study reviews the latest literature on the content and identification of anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanols and phenolic acids in black bilberry and bog bilberry. Works on the biological activity of polyphenols present in V. uliginosum and V. myrtillus, demonstrated in in vivo and in vitro tests, are also described. Polyphenols derived from berries of the Vaccinium genus may also be an active ingredient in dietary supplements designed to support the proper functioning of the eyes and blood vessels. Clinical studies confirm the benefits of using V. uliginosum and V. myrtillus supplementation while maintaining a proper diet. Conclusions: Due to their therapeutic values and rich phytochemical composition, blueberry fruit extracts and products are a potential ingredient of functional food. Such preparations could be targeted at patients at risk of metabolic (diabetes) and cancer diseases

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Porównanie zdolności chelatowania jonów żelaza (II) i zmiatania wolnego rodnika DPPH przez ekstrakty z mchów

In recent years, compounds with antioxidant properties occurring in plants are very popular among scientists due to their ability to neutralize free radicals. It is assumed that free radicals may participate in the formation of many diseases, especially civilization diseases, the number of which is growing drastically. Bryophytes are still a poorly studied group of plants, which makes them an interesting object of phytochemical research. Determination of the antioxidative potential of extracts from twenty moss species. The ethanol extracts from gametophytophytes of twenty moss species were tested. The following methods were used in the work: method of measuring the scavenging ability of a synthetic DPPH radical, the method of measurement of iron (II) ions chelating ability. Based on the results obtained using the above methods, it can be concluded that the extracts of all species used in the studies show the ability to scavenge free radicals and the ability to bind iron (II) ions. Extracts from the following species showed the lowest antioxidant activity in the samples using the method of scavenging the synthetic DPPH radical: Polustriella commutata (IC50 = 264.5 mg/ml), Sphanum fimbriatum (IC50 = 154.66 mg/ml) and Pleurozium schreberi (IC50 = 126.81 mg/ml). The highest iron chelation capacity is presented by Hypnum cupressiforme (IC50 = 0.32 mg/ml.) and Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (IC50 = 0.50 mg/ml) extracts.The studies have shown the antioxidant potential of 20 species of mosses. The highest potential for the free radical scavenging of DPPH has been demonstrated by mosses from the Polytrichopsida family.W ostatnich latach związki o właściwościach antyoksydacyjnych występujące w roślinach – ze względu na ich zdolność neutralizacji wolnych rodników – cieszą się dużym zainteresowaniem naukowców. Zakłada się, że wolne rodniki mogą uczestniczyć w powstawaniu wielu chorób, zwłaszcza cywilizacyjnych, których liczba drastycznie rośnie. Mszaki stanowią wciąż słabo przebadaną grupę roślin, przez co są ciekawym obiektem badań fitochemicznych. Celem pracy było określenie potencjału antyoksydacyjnego ekstraktów z dwudziestu gatunków mchów. Badaniom poddano ekstrakty etanolowe z gametofitofitów dwudziestu gatunków mchów. W pracy wykorzystano następujące metody: metodę pomiaru zdolności zmiatania syntetycznego rodnika DPPH, metodę pomiaru zdolności chelatowania jonów żelaza (II). Na podstawie wyników uzyskanych z wykorzystaniem powyższych metod można stwierdzić, że ekstrakty ze wszystkich gatunków użytych w badaniach wykazują zdolność zmiatania wolnych rodników oraz zdolność do wiązania jonów żelaza (II). Najniższą aktywność antyoksydacyjną w próbach z wykorzystaniem metody zmiatania syntetycznego rodnika DPPH wykazały ekstrakty z gatunków: Polustriella commutata (IC50 = 264,52 mg/ml), Sphanum fimbriatum (IC50 = 154,66 mg/ml) oraz Pleurozium schreberi (IC50 = 126,81 mg/ml). Najwyższą zdolność chelatacji jonów żelaza wykazują ekstrakty: Hypnum cupres-siforme (IC50 = 0,32 mg/ml) oraz Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (IC50 = 0,50 mg/ml). Przeprowadzone badania wykazały potencjał antyoksydacyjny 20 gatunków mchów. Najwyższy potencjał neutralizacji wolnego rodnika DPPH wykazały mchy z rodziny Polytrichopsida

Design, Synthesis, Antibacterial Evaluations and In Silico Studies of Novel Thiosemicarbazides and 1,3,4-Thiadiazoles

The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains continues to be one of the major challenges of medicine. For this reason, the importance of searching for novel structures of antibacterial drugs chemically different from the currently known antibiotics is still of great importance. In this study, we synthesized the thiosemicarbazide and 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives and tested them for antibacterial activity. In in vitro tests, we examined the activity of the synthesized substances against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. While all 1,3,4-thiadiazoles tested lacked significant activity, the antimicrobial response of the thiosemicarbazides was moderate and it was also dependent on the type and position of the substituent on the phenyl ring. The highest activity towards all Gram-positive bacteria strains was shown by all three linear compounds containing the trifluoromethylphenyl group in the structure. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values were in the range of 3.9–250 µg/mL. Additionally, we try to explain the mechanism of the antibacterial activity of the tested compounds using the molecular docking to DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, following previous reports on the molecular basis of the activity of thiosemicarbazides. Docking simulations allow the purposing dual mechanism of the antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds through inhibition of topoisomerase IV DNA gyrase with the moderate prevalence of the topoisomerase pathway

Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of 1,3,4-Thiadiazoles with 3-Methoxyphenyl Substituent

Based on the results of previous work, we designed and synthesized 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained compounds was then determined in biological studies using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and a normal cell line (fibroblasts). The results showed that all compounds displayed weak anticancer activity towards two breast cancer lines: an estrogen-dependent cell line (MCF-7) and an estrogen-independent cell line (MDA-MB-231). The compound most active towards MCF-7 breast cancer cells was SCT-4, which decreased DNA biosynthesis to 70% ± 3 at 100 µM. The mechanism of the anticancer action of 1,3,4-thiadiazole was also investigated. We choose a set of the most investigated proteins, which are attractive anticancer targets. In silico studies demonstrated a possible multitarget mode of action for the synthesized compounds but the most likely mechanism of action for the new compounds is connected with the activity of caspase 8