To evaluate the iron ion release profile of zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based nanoparticles (NPs) and their relationship with lysosomes in cancer cells, silica and mesoporous silica-coated ZVI NPs (denoted as ZVI@SiO and ZVI@mSiO) were synthesized and characterized for the following study of cytotoxicity, intracellular iron ion release, and their underlying mechanisms. ZVI@mSiO NPs showed higher cytotoxicity than ZVI@SiO NPs in the OEC-M1 oral cancer cell line. In addition, internalized ZVI@mSiO NPs deformed into hollow and void structures within the cells after a 24-h treatment, but ZVI@SiO NPs remained intact after internalization. The intracellular iron ion release profile was also accordant with the structural deformation of ZVI@mSiO NPs. Burst iron ion release occurred in ZVI@mSiO-treated cells within an hour with increased lysosome membrane permeability, which induced massive reactive oxygen species generation followed by necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, inhibition of endosome-lysosome system acidification successfully compromised burst iron ion release, thereby reversing the cell fate. An in vivo test also showed a promising anticancer effect of ZVI@mSiO NPs without significant weight loss. In conclusion, we demonstrated the anticancer property of ZVI@mSiO NPs as well as the iron ion release profile in time course within cells, which is highly associated with the surface coating of ZVI NPs and lysosomal acidification.
Phytate in plants (inositol phosphates, InsPs) affects mineral bioavailability. However, methods for their quantification may lead to variable results, and some are nonspecific (spectrophotometric techniques). In this study, ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was coupled with post-column derivatization to allow fluorescence detection (FLD, λ324/λ364 nm) of InsPs.
The viscosity of silicate melts is one of the most important physical properties for understanding high-temperature phenomena in magmatic systems and material processing. The effects of composition and temperature on viscosity have long been elucidated. Although iron ions are the main components of magmatic systems, their influence on viscosity remains unclear because the behavior of iron is complicated; iron ions have two redox states, Fe3+ and Fe2+.
Anaerobic digestion is a sustainable technology for methane (CH) production from organic waste and wastewater. However, its performance is frequently hindered by excessive acidification in readily acidified substrates, such as starch wastewater. Oyster shell (OS), a natural alkaline material, effectively regulates pH and enhances CH production.
Nanocarriers responding to tumor microenvironment have been extensively exploited to improve the antitumor outcome of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, selectively and completely releasing drugs within the tumor remains a challenge, thereby limiting the therapeutic effect of drug delivery nanosystem. To tackle this challenge, a metal-phenolic networks (MPNs)-based nanosystem (F-MGD) showing the capability of self-accelerating drug release was originally fabricated in this study.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for half of the world's population, and its biofortification is a key factor in fighting micronutrient malnutrition. However, harmful heavy metals tend to accumulate in rice grains due to soil and water contamination.
