Unpacking Phthalates from Obscurity in the Environment.

Phthalates (PAEs) are a group of synthetic esters of phthalic acid compounds mostly used as plasticizers in plastic materials but are widely applied in most industries and products. As plasticizers in plastic materials, they are not chemically bound to the polymeric matrix and easily leach out. Logically, PAEs should be prevalent in the environment, but their prevalence, transport, fate, and effects have been largely unknown until recently.

Adsorption of doxorubicin on citrate-capped gold nanoparticles: insights into engineering potent chemotherapeutic delivery systems.

Gold nanomaterials have received great interest for their use in cancer theranostic applications over the past two decades. Many gold nanoparticle-based drug delivery system designs rely on adsorbed ligands such as DNA or cleavable linkers to load therapeutic cargo. The heightened research interest was recently demonstrated in the simple design of nanoparticle-drug conjugates wherein drug molecules are directly adsorbed onto the as-synthesized nanoparticle surface.

Efficacy of natural diosgenin on cardiovascular risk, insulin secretion, and beta cells in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

Costus igneus, has been prescribed for the treatment of diabetic mellitus in India for several years. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of plant derived diosgenin on cardiovascular risk, insulin secretion, and pancreatic composition through electron microscopical studies of normal and diabetic rats. Diosgenin at a dose of 5 or 10mg/kg per body weight (bw) was orally administered as a single dose per day to diabetic induced rats for a period of 30 days.

Conventional and nanotechniques for DNA methylation profiling.

DNA methylation is critical for gene silencing and is associated with the incidence of many diseases, including cancer. Underlying molecular mechanisms of human diseases and tissue-specific gene expression have been elucidated based on DNA methylation studies. This review highlights the advantages and drawbacks of various methylation screening techniques: blotting, genomic sequencing, bisulfite sequencing, methylation-specific PCR, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation, microarray analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, nanowire transistor detection procedure, quantum dot-based nanoassay, single-molecule real-time detection, fluorimetric assay, electrochemical detection, and atomic force spectroscopy.

Carbon distribution to toxic effect in toxin proteins.

The role of hydrophobic force in biological function through the formation of several local macro-molecular structures is evident. Carbon is the element that contributes to biological function in living systems. We show that carbon distribution is related to protein activity using an example.

In vitro evaluation of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals influenced by Costus igneus aqueous extract.

Objective: Calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals are frequently found in urinary calculi (stones).

Material And Methods: COM crystals were grown by the single diffusion gel growth technique and the inhibitory effects of aqueous extracts of leaves, stems and rhizome of Costus igneus on the growth of COM crystals were studied.

Results: With an increase in the concentration of aqueous extract of C.