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Topic Review
Green Seaweeds and Ulvan
This entry analyzed the recent trend towards, progresses towards the preparation of chemicals of, and value-added biomaterials from marine macroalgae resources, especially green seaweeds and their derived ulvan polysaccharides for various applications. In recent years, ulvan both in pristine and modified forms has gained a large amount of attention for its effective utilization in various areas due to its unique physiochemical properties, lack of exploration, and higher green seaweed production. The pristine form of ulvan (sulfated polysaccharides) is used as a bio-component; food ingredient; or a raw material for the production of numerous chemicals such as fuels, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, whereas its modified form is used in the sector of composites, membranes, and scaffolds, among others, because of its physicochemical properties.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Sperm in Honey Bee Drones
The quality of honey bee drone semen is relevant in different contexts, ranging from colony productivity to pathology, toxicology and biodiversity preservation. Despite its importance, considerably less knowledge is available on this subject for the honey bee when compared to other domestic animal species. A proper assessment of sperm quality requires a multiple testing approach which discriminates between the different aspects of sperm integrity and functionality. Most studies on drone semen quality have only assessed a few parameters, such as sperm volume, sperm concentration and/or sperm plasma membrane integrity.
  • 1.4K
  • 13 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Roof Plate in Neural Development
The roof plate is the most dorsal region of the neural tube. The Roof plate serves as an organizing center that controls proliferation and differentiation of dorsal interneurons. In addition, this region is involved in development of neural crest cells, which are the source of migratory neural crest cells. During early development of the spinal cord, roof plate cells secrete signaling molecules, such as Wnt and BMP family proteins, which regulate development of neural crest cells and dorsal spinal cord. After the dorso-ventral pattern is established, spinal cord dynamically changes its morphology. With this morphological transformation, the lumen of the spinal cord gradually shrinks to form the central canal. Accompanied by formation of the central canal, roof plate cells dramatically stretch along the dorso-ventral axis. During this stretching process, the tips of roof plate cells maintain contact with cells surrounding the shrinking lumen of the spinal cord, eventually exposed to the inner surface of the central canal. In this late stage of the spinal cord development, Wnt secreted by stretched roof plate cells regulates transformation of roof plate cells themselves and promotes proliferation of ependymal cells surrounding the central canal, including neural progenitor cells, in the spinal cord.
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Podophyllotoxin
Podophyllotoxin is an aryltetralin-type lignan isolated from species of Podophyllum. Two most common sources are the rhizomes of Podophyllum peltatum (American mayapple) and Sinopodophyllum hexandrum Royle (Barberry family). The podophyllotoxin extract has been documented for its use as a laxative, and as a remedy for various medical complications such as gonorrhea, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, psoriasis, dropsy, cough, syphilis and venereal warts.
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids as Sunscreen
Prolonged exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can induce many chronic or acute skin disorders in humans. To protect themselves, many people have started to apply cosmetic products containing UV-screening chemicals alone or together with physical sunblocks, mainly based on titanium–dioxide (TiO2) or zinc-oxide (ZnO2). However, it has now been shown that the use of chemical and physical sunblocks is not safe for long-term application, so searches for the novel, natural UV-screening compounds derived from plants or bacteria are gaining attention. Certain photosynthetic organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria have evolved to cope with exposure to UVR by producing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). These are promising substitutes for chemical sunscreens containing commercially available sunblock filters. The use of biopolymers such as chitosan for joining MAAs together or with MAA-Np (nanoparticles) conjugates will provide stability to MAAs similar to the mixing of chemical and physical sunscreens. 
  • 1.4K
  • 21 May 2021
Topic Review
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
The Maillard reaction is a simple but ubiquitous reaction that occurs both in vivo and ex vivo during the cooking or processing of foods under high-temperature conditions, such as baking, frying, or grilling. Glycation of proteins is a post-translational modification that forms temporary adducts, which, on further crosslinking and rearrangement, form permanent residues known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Cooking at high temperature results in various food products having high levels of AGEs. This review underlines the basis of AGE formation and their corresponding deleterious effects on the body. Glycated Maillard products have a direct association with the pathophysiology of some metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), acute renal failure (ARF), Alzheimer’s disease, dental health, allergies, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The most glycated and structurally abundant protein is collagen, which acts as a marker for diabetes and aging, where decreased levels indicate reduced skin elasticity. In diabetes, high levels of AGEs are associated with carotid thickening, ischemic heart disease, uremic cardiomyopathy, and kidney failure. AGEs also mimic hormones or regulate/modify their receptor mechanisms at the DNA level. In women, a high AGE diet directly correlates with high levels of androgens, anti-Müllerian hormone, insulin, and androstenedione, promoting ovarian dysfunction and/or infertility. Vitamin D3 is well-associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS and modulates steroidogenesis. It also exhibits a protective mechanism against the harmful effects of AGEs.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
FTIR Spectroscopy as Diagnostic Tools
Infrared spectroscopy has long been used to characterize chemical compounds, but the applicability of this technique to the analysis of biological materials containing highly complex chemical components is arguable. However, recent advances in the development of infrared spectroscopy have significantly enhanced the capacity of this technique in analyzing various types of biological specimens. Consequently, there is an increased number of studies investigating the application of infrared spectroscopy in screening and diagnosis of various diseases. The lack of highly sensitive and specific methods for early detection of cancer has warranted the search for novel approaches. Being more simple, rapid, accurate, inexpensive, non-destructive and suitable for automation compared to existing screening, diagnosis, management and monitoring methods, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy can potentially improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes by detecting biochemical changes in cancer patients at the molecular level. Besides the commonly analyzed blood and tissue samples, extracellular vesicle-based method has been gaining popularity as a non-invasive approach. Therefore, infrared spectroscopic analysis of extracellular vesicles could be a useful technique in the future for biomedical applications.
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Nuclear Receptor Superfamily
The nuclear receptor superfamily comprises a large group of proteins with functions essential for cell signaling, survival, and proliferation. There are multiple distinctions between nuclear superfamily classes defined by hallmark differences in function, ligand binding, tissue specificity, and DNA binding. In this review, we utilize the initial classification system, which defines subfamilies based on structure and functional difference. The defining feature of the nuclear receptor superfamily is that these proteins function as transcription factors. The loss of transcriptional regulation or gain of functioning of these receptors is a hallmark in numerous diseases. For example, in prostate cancer, the androgen receptor is a primary target for current prostate cancer therapies. Targeted cancer therapies for nuclear hormone receptors have been more feasible to develop than others due to the ligand availability and cell permeability of hormones. 
  • 1.3K
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
The Biology of Coral
Coral reefs are portrayed as tropical underwater forests, profusely rich in biodiversity and has immense ecological and economical importance. Apart from other marine calcifying organisms, scleractinian corals are the major biogenic contributor of complex bicarbonate structures. Corals are built from a collective group of tiny transparent organisms known as coral polyps. The increasing impact of natural and anthropogenic factors such as variation in temperature, salinity, cyclones, pollution and so forth have exert direct or direct effects on the coral reef, engendering the phenomenon of coral bleaching with severe outcomes. Coral microbiome comprises of diverse microorganisms including symbiotic algae, which play a determining role in coral physiology, immunity and responsiveness. Further, corals are equipped with sophisticate chemical and biological warfare that is used to their advantage in unfavorable conditions. 
  • 1.3K
  • 17 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an essential signaling system in mammal physiology regulating several biological and disease conditions. ECS’s three main components are (i) cannabinoids receptors (CBR) CBR-1 and CBR-2; (ii) signaling molecules that are lipid-based termed the “endocannabinoids” (EC), endogenous ligands of the CBRs; and (iii) enzymes responsible for synthesizing and degrading ECs. ECS regulates multiple physiological processes, such as brain plasticity and neuronal development, cell death, inflammation, sleep, appetite, pain, and anxiety.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Mar 2022
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