For a long time iodine has been used as an active dermal agent in the treatment of inflammatory, immune-mediated and infectious diseases. Moreover, topical iodine application has been reported to provide protection against sulfur-mustard-induced skin lesions, heat-induced and acid-induced skin burns in both haired guinea-pigs and mouse ear swelling models. However, the exact mechanism of action underlying these benefits of iodine has not yet been elucidated. In the current study, a novel mechanism of action by which iodine provides skin protection and relief, based on its electrophilic nature, is suggested. This study demonstrates that both iodine and iodide are capable of activating the Nrf2 pathway in human skin. As a result, skin protection against UVB-induced damage was acquired and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8) from LPS-challenged skin was reduced. Iodide role in the enhanced activation of this pathway is demonstrated. The mode of action by which iodine and iodide activate the Nrf2 pathway is discussed.
Simultaneous transport and scanning nanoSQUID-on-tip magnetic imaging studies in Cr-(Bi,Sb)(2)Te-3 modulation-doped films reveal the presence of superparamagnetic order within the quantum anomalous Hall regime. In contrast to the expectation that a long-range ferromagnetic order is required for establishing the quantum anomalous Hall state, superparamagnetic dynamics of weakly interacting nanoscale magnetic islands is observed both in the plateau transition regions, as well as within the fully quantized C = +/- 1 Chern plateaus. Modulation doping of the topological insulator films is found to give rise to significantly larger superparamagnetic islands as compared to uniform magnetic doping, evidently leading to enhanced robustness of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Nonetheless, even in this more robust quantum state, attaining full quantization of transport coefficients requires magnetic alignment of at least 95% of the superparamagnetic islands. The superparamagnetic order is also found within the incipient C = 0 zero Hall plateau, which may host an axion state if the top and bottom magnetic layers are magnetized in opposite directions. In this regime, however, a significantly lower level of island alignment is found in our samples, hindering the formation of the axion state. Comprehension and control of superparamagnetic dynamics is thus a key factor in apprehending the fragility of the quantum anomalous Hall state and in enhancing the endurance of the different quantized states temperatures for utilization of robust topological protection in novel devices.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a highly versatile spectroscopy method widely used in diverse disciplines, but its sensitivity and spatial resolution are limited by the inductive measurement of magnetic nuclei. Nano-NMR methods are emerging that aim to measure a single nuclear spin—an improvement in sensitivity of 13 orders of magnitude. The main workhorse of these methods has been atomic defects in diamond, which have distinctive optical and magnetic properties. On page 67 of this issue, Aslam et al. (1) demonstrate a modified sensing scheme based on diamond defects that achieves spectral resolutions sufficient for measuring chemical shifts.
Mushroom polysaccharides are edible polymers that have numerous reported biological functions; the most common effects are attributed to beta-glucans. In recent years, it became apparent that the less abundant alpha-glucans also possess potent effects in various health conditions. Here we explore several Pleurotus species for their total, beta and alpha-glucan content. Pleurotus eryngii was found to have the highest total glucan concentrations and the highest alpha-glucans proportion. We also found that the stalks (stipe) of the fruit body contained higher glucan content then the caps (pileus). Since mushrooms respond markedly to changes in environmental and growth conditions, we developed cultivation methods aiming to increase the levels of alpha and beta-glucans. Using olive mill solid waste (OMSW) from three-phase olive mills in the cultivation substrate. We were able to enrich the levels mainly of alpha-glucans. Maximal total glucan concentrations were enhanced up to twice when the growth substrate contained 80% of OMSW compared to no OMSW. Taking together this study demonstrate that Pleurotus eryngii can serve as a potential rich source of glucans for nutritional and medicinal applications and that glucan content in mushroom fruiting bodies can be further enriched by applying OMSW into the cultivation substrate.
Mushroom polysaccharides are edible polymers that have numerous reported biological functions; the most common effects are attributed to β-glucans. In recent years, it became apparent that the less abundant α-glucans also possess potent effects in various health conditions. Here we explore several species for their total, β and α-glucan content. was found to have the highest total glucan concentrations and the highest α-glucans proportion. We also found that the stalks (stipe) of the fruit body contained higher glucan content then the caps (pileus). Since mushrooms respond markedly to changes in environmental and growth conditions, we developed cultivation methods aiming to increase the levels of α and β-glucans. Using olive mill solid waste (OMSW) from three-phase olive mills in the cultivation substrate. We were able to enrich the levels mainly of α-glucans. Maximal total glucan concentrations were enhanced up to twice when the growth substrate contained 80% of OMSW compared to no OMSW. Taking together this study demonstrate that can serve as a potential rich source of glucans for nutritional and medicinal applications and that glucan content in mushroom fruiting bodies can be further enriched by applying OMSW into the cultivation substrate.
Mushroom polysaccharides are edible polymers that have numerous reported biological functions; the most common effects are attributed to β-glucans. In recent years, it became apparent that the less abundant α-glucans also possess potent effects in various health conditions. Here we explore several species for their total, β and α-glucan content. was found to have the highest total glucan concentrations and the highest α-glucans proportion. We also found that the stalks (stipe) of the fruit body contained higher glucan content then the caps (pileus). Since mushrooms respond markedly to changes in environmental and growth conditions, we developed cultivation methods aiming to increase the levels of α and β-glucans. Using olive mill solid waste (OMSW) from three-phase olive mills in the cultivation substrate. We were able to enrich the levels mainly of α-glucans. Maximal total glucan concentrations were enhanced up to twice when the growth substrate contained 80% of OMSW compared to no OMSW. Taking together this study demonstrate that can serve as a potential rich source of glucans for nutritional and medicinal applications and that glucan content in mushroom fruiting bodies can be further enriched by applying OMSW into the cultivation substrate.
