The journal retracts the article titled “Anthocyanins Derived from Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Contributes Anti-Cancer Effects by Suppressing NF-κB Pathways in Hep3B Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells and In Vivo” [...]
The Tokaj region is one of the oldest and most famous European wine regions, located in two neighboring countries, Hungary and Slovakia, both of which are famous for their production of high-quality botrytized wines. Unfortunately, no analysis aimed at the identification of the most abundant monoethyl esters present in this type of wine has yet been made. In this paper, we present the LC-MS identification of the most abundant monoethyl esters of the common dicarboxylic aliphatic and phenolic acids in the botrytized Slovak and Hungarian wines, as well as the Slovak varietal wines, produced in the Tokaj wine region. French botrytized wines, produced in the Sauternes region, were also included in this study. Among the identified compounds, the unique esters, namely conjugates of tartaric acids and derivatives of cinnamic acid, were identified. The identification was based on the detection of the respective parent and product ions. Since the reports on the identification of the analyzed ethyl esters in wines are rare, their fragmentation pathways, including those of the identified isomers, were discussed in detail. Similar relative amounts of some of the identified unique esters in botrytized wines offer the potential of using these compounds as authenticity markers for this type of wine.
Low-grade sheep wool is an underused, keratin-rich by-product whose cystine-derived sulphur could be returned to agricultural soils. Carded wool was bonded with sprayed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) hot-melt to obtain porous wool–PLA biocomposite mats, which were exposed in field soil, in a pasture-grass composter and under soil-free outdoor conditions. The elemental composition of the wool, soil, forage, composting material and exposed mats was determined by ICP-OES after 60 days of exposure; each reported value is the mean of at least three analytical determinations, whereas the field layout comprised one plot per treatment. Forage from the plot with buried mats contained 47.8% more S and 21.9% more K than forage from the untreated plot, whereas Ca, Mg, B and Mo concentrations were lower; because the plots were not replicated, these differences are reported as preliminary observations rather than as demonstrated treatment effects. After composting, the mats retained only 17–23% of their initial storage modulus between −30 and 50 °C, while the relaxation of the PLA phase shifted by 7–10 °C towards higher temperatures. The water contact angle decreased from 72.3 ± 10.0° to 55.7 ± 12.1° (six droplets on one mat per condition), while the stylus roughness did not change appreciably. Digital microscopy revealed swelling, fissuring, cavities and fibre exposure along wool–PLA interfaces. A coupled mechanism of PLA ester hydrolysis and keratinolytic release of sulphur is proposed as a working hypothesis that is consistent with, but not yet proven by, the present data. The results support wool–PLA mats as temporary, degradable carriers of keratin-bound sulphur; replicated field trials with yield, nutrient uptake and soil measurements, together with direct degradation markers, are required before any fertilising or soil-improving effect can be claimed.
Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTp) opening is a critical event in neurodegeneration, representing a point of no return in cell death cascades. Despite the neuroprotective potential of MPTp inhibitors, systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies for this target remain scarce. Here we present the first standardized dataset of 57 γ-carboline derivatives evaluated for their ability to inhibit MPTp under uniform experimental conditions. Using complementary Free–Wilson and 2D-QSAR analyses, we expertly propose rational structure–activity relationships (SAR) for this scaffold. Based on the Free–Wilson analysis, we assume that increasing lipophilicity and steric bulk at all four substitution positions to a certain limit positively correlates with inhibitory activity. The R3 linker plays a critical role: the presence of positively ionizable amine groups and potentially hydrogen bond donors enhances activity, whereas non-ionizable amide linkers may be detrimental. The QSAR model based on physicochemical descriptors of substituents corroborates these findings, with positive contributions from cLogP and HBD descriptors. This integrated computational–experimental approach provides a predictive framework for the rational design of novel neuroprotective agents targeting MPTp, with potential implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is an important component of the aquatic nitrogen pool, which is composed of countless molecular individuals with different ecological functions. Yet, its sources and molecular composition remain poorly understood in reservoir ecosystems. In this study, water samples were collected from different regions of the Beidagang Reservoir. Hydrochemical measurements and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) were used to characterize the molecular composition, spatial distribution, and potential sources of DON. The results demonstrated that DON constituted a substantial fraction of total dissolved nitrogen and exhibited pronounced spatial variability in both concentration and molecular composition. CHO and CHON formulas were abundant across the reservoir, with carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM-like) representing the dominant molecular class. A total of 16,338 CHON formulas were identified, of which only 407 were shared by all samples, indicating pronounced spatial variation in DON composition. Paired mass distance (PMD) analysis further showed that approximately 60% of the DON formulas could be classified as potential precursors or products. Amine reactions accounted for approximately 40% of all putative transformation pairs, suggesting that transformations involving nitrogen functional groups may represent an important pathway during DON transport. Upstream DON was likely influenced by the combined effects of surface runoff, atmospheric deposition, and internal reservoir processes, whereas downstream DON appeared to be more strongly affected by anthropogenic activities and seawater-related sources. These findings revealed the molecular diversity and potential transformation pathways of DON in the Beidagang Reservoir and provided molecular-level evidence for understanding nitrogen cycling in reservoirs exposed to multiple environmental inputs, which helped predict the response of nitrogen cycling to global climate change.
