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We herein report the synthesis of a 7-chloro-aminoquinoline triazine conjugate. The s-triazine library was generated by stepwise nucleophilic substitution of cyanuric chloride with butylamine. The structure of the compound was comprehensively determined using various analytical techniques, including proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), and Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT-135) experiments. Additionally, ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) were employed for full characterization. Preliminary studies explored the potential interaction of the molecule with dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using molecular modeling. Furthermore, its drug-likeness was assessed by predicting relevant pharmacokinetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The distribution of micro‐ and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the environment is increasingly becoming a cause of concern for human health. The small size of these particles makes them prone to accumulate not only in the tissues of various organs but also enables them to enter cells and act as carriers of external materials and microbes. Since environmental pollutants influence both male and female reproductive function and foetal development, it is expected that this also applies to MNPs, as they can easily accumulate in reproductive organs. This highlights the potential risks associated with MNPs and the need for further research in this area. In the female reproductive system, the ovary plays a crucial role in producing oocytes. The SK‐OV‐3 human ovarian cancer cell line represents an epithelial‐like model for ovarian cells, and it has been widely used in nanomedicine and nanotoxicological studies. In the present study, x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy was used to investigate the accumulations of model polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanoplastics (NPs), labelled with cadmium‐selenide quantum dots (CdSe‐QDs), in SK‐OV‐3 cells at sub‐micrometric spatial resolution. The Cd and Se QDs components distribution and the Cl of PVC were successfully used to track the NPs and to confirm that NPs do not leach the QDs, while endogenous elements such as Na, Mg, S and P were also monitored to investigate potential biochemical changes attributed to NPs toxicity. Our study suggests that nanoplastics made of PVC can accumulate in ovarian cells, even if they appear less incline than in other types of cells, such as macrophages. Moreover, our results demonstrate that XRF analyses are a useful tool for biological studies aimed at deepening our understanding on the toxicological mechanisms of pollutants on human fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanine-rich sequences of nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are known to fold into non-canonical structures named G-quadruplexes (G4s). Such arrangements of these macromolecular polymers are mainly located in telomeres and in promoter regions of oncogenes and, for this reason, they represent a potential target for compounds with therapeutic applications. In fact, the ligand-mediated stabilization of G4s inhibits telomerase and the activity of transcriptional machinery and counteracts cancer cell immortalization. Flavonoids, along with other classes of small molecules, have been previously tested for their ability to stabilize G4s, but the mechanism of their interaction has not been fully elucidated. In the current work, we report a multi-technique investigation on the binding of tosylated isoflavones obtained by the B-ring modification of compounds from Maclura pomifera to a telomeric DNA sequence. Our study demonstrates that such derivatization leads to compounds showing lower binding affinity but with an increased selectivity toward G4 with respect to double-stranded DNA. The binding mode to the macromolecular target G4 was studied by combining results from electrospray mass spectrometry binding studies, nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and computational simulations. Overall, our findings show that tosylation influences the selectivity toward the macromolecular target by affecting the interaction mode with the nucleic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-oryzanol (ORY), found in rice (Oryza sativa L.), is a mixture of ferulic acid esters with triterpene alcohols, well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Our past research demonstrated its positive impact on cognitive function in adult mice, influencing synaptic plasticity and neuroprotection. In this study, we explored whether ORY can exert neuro-differentiating effects by using different experimental models. For this purpose, chemical characterization identified four components that are most abundant in ORY. In human neuroblastoma cells, we showed ORY's ability to stimulate neurite outgrowth, upregulating the expression of GAP43, BDNF, and TrkB genes. In addition, ORY was found to guide adult mouse hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs) toward a neuronal commitment. Microinjection of ORY in zebrafish Tg (-3.1 neurog1:GFP) amplified neurog1-GFP signal, islet1, and bdnf mRNA levels. Zebrafish nrf2a and nrf2b morphants (MOs) were utilized to assess ORY effects in the presence or absence of Nrf2. Notably, ORY's ability to activate bdnf was nullified in nrf2a-MO and nrf2b-MO. Furthermore, computational analysis suggested ORY's single components have different affinities for the Keap1-Kelch domain. In conclusion, although more in-depth studies are needed, our findings position ORY as a potential source of bioactive molecules with neuro-differentiating potential involving the Nrf2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent upgrading of synchrotron radiation (SR) sources has favored, in the last few years, the construction and design of beamlines optimized for the study of cultural heritage materials, which may require ad hoc setups, specific spatial resolutions, and detection limits. In the field of cultural heritage, integrated approaches combining different techniques are often required, even at large facilities, where some beamlines offer the possibility of performing different types of measurements at the same point of analysis, complementing preliminary information usually obtained by conventional laboratory and/or portable in situ methods. An overview of the last ten years of synchrotron applications for the study of pigments is given, with discussion of upstream and downstream challenges to methods and techniques. The possibilities offered by the synchrotron techniques are illustrated by a case study of a particular class of painted ceramics, as an example of different research questions that are solved by a combination of SR-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]