New articles published in 12(4A) - ENAN / INAC 2024
Evaluation of the antioxidant, cytotoxic and radioprotective potencial of the lectin WSMoL from Moringa oleífera Lam. seeds
Abstract: WSMoL (water-soluble lectin from the seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam.) is widely known for its biological properties, especially for its inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antitumor activity and is a promising candidate for a radioprotector of natural origin. Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic potential and the radioprotective effect of WSMoL in human lymphocyte culture (PBMC). The concentrations analyzed were 850, 425, 212.5, 106.25 and 53.12µg/mL. Materials and methods: Antioxidant activity was tested using the DPPH and ABTS assays. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were assessed using the MTT assay on PBMC lymphocytes. Radioprotection was verified by the Alkaline Comet and Micronucleus with Blockage of Cell Cytokinesis assays after exposure to Cobalt-60 gamma radiation. Results: In the DPPH test, WSMoL was unable to capture the radical. In the ABTS test, the inhibition index (I%) was ≤10% and the IC50 was 71.42 g/L. The MTT test showed that the lectin was not cytotoxic and cell viability was over 79%, with a maximum (≤125%) at a concentration of 53.12 µg/mL. In the Alkaline Comet test, the Damage Index (DI) observed was high at concentrations of 850 and 53.12 µg/mL (≥170 ± 30). The Damage Frequency (y) observed through the Micronucleus assay was 0.260 for the two concentrations analyzed, similar to the y of the irradiated control group. Conclusion: WSMoL did not show significant antioxidant activity in the DPPH and ABTS tests. The lectin did not show a cytotoxic profile, and its use at a concentration of 53.12µg/mL is recommended. WSMoL showed no radioprotective capacity after exposure to gamma radiation at a dose of 2.5Gy. Read full article.
Study for the Development of a Biosensor Aimed at the Interaction-Response of Chemical War Agents and Ionizing Radiation
Abstract: It has long been known that the nuclear sector is a potential branch capable of solving major obstacles relevant to modern society with regard to energy demands. The technology in this sphere is associated with various possibilities, including areas that require multidisciplinary expertise for their respective advancements, such as medical sciences, security and defense, national autonomy and sovereignty, energy generation, food technology, among others. With the development of nanostructured technologies, highly sensitive, accessible, and easy to handle, it is possible to introduce new alternatives to reduce the “gap” between these possibilities within the sector, making the nuclear area more visible to new researchers due to the potential for new research to be developed. With the prospect of innovation for the sector and with increasing technological input, a special look at instrumental and measurement issues is necessary, since it is also necessary to ensure the quality of nuclear technology for the development of any system focused on this theme. This research presents a combination of different areas, highlighting the multidisciplinarity of construction, aiming to obtain the necessary support for the creation of a device capable of interacting with systems that represent chemical and radiological-nuclear threats. As it is a biosensor, it presents a biological interface sensitive to chemical warfare agents (organophosphates), neurotoxins and undergoes a process analogous to radiolysis, it is the means by which it is possible to associate electronics to the system, being capable of transducing information from one form of energy to another, making it possible to quantify and obtain relevant and proportional information about the exposure of this system created. For the in silico study carried out, the energy fluctuations for both the chemical simulations and the MCNP simulations were guiding the verification process, since the lower the energy value, the stronger the chemical interaction between ligands and enzymes. Read full article.
