Preparation and Characterization of UV-Curable Acrylic Membranes Embedding Natural Antioxidants.

We examine the behaviour of acrylic resin-based membranes containing natural anti-oxidants, such as tea powder extract (TP) and Taiwanese green propolis (TGP), in different concentrations ranging between 5 and 20 wt %. Membrane morphology was investigated by means of Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), while the UV-curing reaction was monitored by Fourier-Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. In most cases Thermogravimetric (TG), Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) and Dynamo-mechanical Thermal (DMT) analyses showed that the desirable characteristics of the UV-cured acrylic resin are not substantially altered by the presence of the organic fillers.

Conformational rearrangements of G-quadruplex topology promoted by Cu(II) 12-MC-4 metallacrown.

Cu(II) 12-MC-4 metallacrown was studied by several spectroscopic techniques as an interacting ligand with G-quadruplex DNA structures. Investigations were performed on oligonucleotides bearing human telomeric and protooncogenic c-myc sequences in buffered solution mimicking ionic conditions in cellular environment. The planar square-based Cu(II) 12-MC-4 metallacrown interacts with GQ via an end-stacking mode with 1:1 stoichiometry.

Sm(iii)[12-MC-4] as a luminescent probe for G-quadruplex structures.

G-quadruplexes (GQs), spatial assemblies of guanine-rich DNA strands, play an important role in the regulation of gene expression and chromosome stabilization. These structures are recognized to be useful in cancer therapies as the presence of multiple G-quadruplexes in a telomeric strand stops cancer cell proliferation. Metallacrowns of the type 12-MC-4 form planar structures that have remarkable similarity to G-tetrads in terms of dimension, shape and the ability to bind alkali metal and lanthanide cations in a central cavity.

Interaction of metallacrown complexes with G-quadruplex DNA.

Interactions of the G-quadruplex (GQ) DNA with two pentacoordinate lanthanide (III) metallacrown (MC) complexes containing phenylalanine hydroxamic acid (pheHA) and copper(II) ions of the formula Eu 15-[MCCu,pheHA]-5 (1) and Tb 15-[MCCu,pheHA]-5 (2) were investigated. Binding of both metallacrowns to human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA was followed using CD spectroscopy, DNA melting profiles, and fluorescent intercalator displacement (FID) assay. A new G-quadruplex binding assay based of quenching of Tb(III)-GQ luminescence was proposed and evaluated.