Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission

Glycoglycerolipids are amphiphilic compounds found in thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria, algae, and plants, attracting interest for their therapeutic potential, especially anticancer applications. They interact with biological molecules and show anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Among them, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) inhibits cancer cell proliferation through DNA polymerase inhibition, kinesin repression, and T-cell activation. While plant sources are well studied, microalgal MGDGs remain understudied. This work isolated, purified, and characterized MGDGs from the green microalgae Ch. vulgaris and N. oleoabundans and evaluated their anticancer activity. Microalgae were cultured in a photobioreactor, lipids were extracted and MGDGs purified by chromatography. HPLC and NMR confirmed their profiles. In MTT assays, microalgal MGDGs markedly reduced MCF-7 cell viability, with stronger effects when combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid, while parsley MGDG showed moderate activity. These findings highlight the strong anticancer potential of microalgal MGDGs.

Temporally shaped femtosecond pulses provide a versatile approach for controlling energy deposition in transparent materials. In this work, bulk modification of N-BK7 glass is investigated using double femtosecond pulses with variable delay and energy contrast. Each sub-pulse is set below the single-pulse modification threshold, so any resulting modification arises from their combined interaction within the focal volume. The results reveal an additive effect in which two individually sub-threshold sub-pulses jointly produce permanent bulk modification. The observed effect is most pronounced for comparable sub-pulse energies, whereas the range of energy contrasts supporting modification narrows with increasing delay. The accompanying reduction in the effective transmittance of the second sub-pulse indicates that the first pulse creates a transient material state that promotes subsequent energy deposition. These findings identify pulse delay and energy contrast as effective parameters for controlling bulk modification and suggest a potential route toward more localized energy deposition and smaller feature sizes in three-dimensional glass microfabrication.

Background . Long-term residence in mining regions exposes populations to environmental contaminants such as heavy metals and natural geochemical factors, both of which may trigger genotoxic stress and disturb cellular homeostasis. The molecular mechanisms underlying these effects in human populations remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate genotoxic and oxidative stress responses and their links to gene expression changes and plasma metal concentrations. Methods . Forty-three residents from mining region residents (MRRs) and 39 from non-mining areas were examined. Genotoxicity was evaluated using micronucleus assays in lymphocytes and buccal cells. Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) was quantified by qPCR, oxidative stress was analysed in erythrocytes and DNA (8-OHdG). Transcriptomic data were integrated with plasma metal levels to identify associations. Results . MRR exhibited higher micronuclei frequency in lymphocytes and reduced mtDNAcn. Micronuclei frequency correlated with plasma manganese and altered CDK10 and JUN expression. mtDNAcn was negatively associated with Mn, positively with Ni, and linked to HSPA1A, IL1A, and TNF expression. Gene-level analyses revealed downregulation of DNA repair genes and upregulation of stress-responsive genes, some of which were associated with both genotoxicity biomarkers and specific metals. Conclusions . Mining-region residency is associated with genomic instability and mitochondrial compromise through dysregulated DNA repair and stress-response genes.

For the first time, the capacitive characteristics of a Pt-Ba0.25Sr0.75TiO3-Pt heterojunction structure sensitive to hydrogen peroxide vapor have been investigated in the temperature range of t = 36...42 °C and H2O2 concentrations of 0

The present study reports the isolation and characterization of secondary metabolites from the methanolic extract of Knema malayana leaves, including five polymethoxylated flavones 3′,4′,5,7-tetramethoxyflavone (1), 3′,4′,5′,5,7-pentamethoxyflavone (2), 4′-hydroxy-3′,5′,5,7-tetramethoxyflavone (3), 3-hydroxy-3′,4′,5′,5,7-pentamethoxyflavone (4), and 3,3′,5′,5,7-pentamethoxyflavone (5). Structural elucidation was performed using 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), IR, MS, and, in the case of compound (2), single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). Among them, compound (2) exhibited the most notable dual inhibitory activity, with IC50 values of 10.2 μM (AChE) and 12.6 μM (5-LOX). Molecular docking supported these findings, with binding affinities of –10.5 kcal/mol (AChE) and –7.2 kcal/mol (5-LOX), revealing key hydrogen bonds and π–cation interactions within active site residues. Other flavonoids, particularly compounds (1) and (5), also displayed notable binding profiles. In silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) evaluation using the Toxometris.ai platform indicated favorable drug-likeness and safety profiles, including non-mutagenic and non-cardiotoxic predictions, along with acceptable pharmacokinetic properties such as aqueous solubility, Caco-2 permeability, plasma protein binding, and microsomal stability. These findings were further supported by promising physicochemical and medicinal chemistry properties, including quantitative estimate of drug-likeness (QED) scores ranging from 0.65 to 0.75 and the absence of pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS) alerts, among other parameters. This study highlights the therapeutic relevance of K. malayana polymethoxylated flavones as promising dual-target AChE and LOX inhibitor with favorable safety and pharmacokinetic properties, supporting their potential development for neuroinflammatory disorders.