Raman spectral analysis of the brainstem and responses of neuroglia and cytokines in whole-body gamma-irradiated rats after administration of aminothiol-based radioprotector GL2011

The search for an effective and non-toxic radioprotector is ongoing. We tested a novel, natural aminothiol-based radioprotector, GL2011, that was applied 30 min, 3 h or 6 h after the exposure of male albino Wistar rats to a 6.7 Gy mild dose of gamma radiation. The molecular signatures of radioprotection were investigated with Raman microspectroscopy of brainstem tissue samples. Morphological changes and activation of astrocytes and microglia were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Global markers of neuroinflammation were followed by ELISA to monitor blood plasma levels of proinflammatory (IL-6 and TNF-?) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines. A thirty-day follow-up determined survival of unprotected animals 37.5%. A survival increase was observed after radioprotection (75%, irrespective of the time of application). Raman spectra revealed a slightly deleterious effect of radiation on nucleic acids in surviving animals that was mitigated with the radioprotector, as GL2011 preserved the morphology of both astrocytes and microglia, with reduced microglial infiltration. Cytokine assessment revealed an immunomodulatory effect of the novel radioprotector. The overall results point out the positive effects of a single dose of GL2011 applied at different times. The molecular and cellular changes in the brainstem indicate that the radioprotector applied after radiation conferred better protection, which underlines its translation to cure radiation accidents.

Potential sustainable biomaterials derived from cover crops

Plant-derived biopolymers are renewable and readily available, thus making viable alternatives to synthetic polymers. The present study examined properties of biopolymers from cover crops such as rye, oat, clover, vetch, and barley, which were grown organically in a greenhouse. The yields of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of the cover crops were calculated based on the dry weight. Structural variations and thermal properties of the isolated cellulose were characterized and compared with commercial cellulose using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The average yield percentages of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were 19 to 27%, 9 to 25%, and 1.42 to 4.86%, respectively. The FTIR and Raman spectral analysis indicated that the isolated cellulose had similar peaks and patterns to commercial cellulose, and confirmed the removal of non-cellulosic constituents. The onset decomposition temperature occurred at 270 °C in all samples. Interestingly, the maximum degradation temperature beyond 370 °C in cellulose was isolated from black oat, which was higher than commercial cellulose (350 °C). The findings of this research suggest that cellulose isolated from cover crops may be a benefit to the polymer industry in the development of bio-based materials such as biofuels, bio-composites, and biomedical devices.