Novel vitamin D(3) analogs with carboxylic acid were explored, focusing on a nonsecosteroidal analog, LG190178, with a bisphenyl skeleton. From X-ray analysis of these analogs with vitamin D receptor (VDR), the carboxyl groups had very unique hydrogen bonding interactions in VDR and mimicked 1α-hydroxy group and/or 3β-hydroxy group of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin ...

The knowledge about vitamin B(12) and folic acid levels in preserving bone mass in older men is limited. In this retrospective study, we aimed to find out whether levels of vitamin B(12) and folic acid are related to BMD in older men. Two hundred and sixty-nine older men were included ...

Background/purpose: The skin possesses buffering capacity to resist acidic/alkaline aggression. Skin components contribute differently to this buffering capacity. This study investigates buffering capacity in three skin layers: intact stratum corneum (SC), epidermis and dermis. Methods: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions at 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 N were applied ...

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural product that occurs in seeds of many plants where it is generally located in the bran. This compound is a multifunctional ingredient endowed with antioxidative, radical scavenging, sunscreening and antibacterial actions. The aim of this study was to analyse the ferulic acid cutaneous permeation ...

Free fatty acids (FFAs) are known to have bacteriocidal activity and are important components of the innate immune system. Many FFAs are naturally present in human and animal skin, breast milk, and in the bloodstream. Here, the therapeutic potential of FFAs against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is demonstrated in cultures ...

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a reactive hypermelanosis and sequela of a variety of inflammatory skin conditions. PIH can have a negative impact on a patient's quality of life, particularly for darker-skinned patients. Studies show that dyschromias, including PIH, are one of the most common presenting complaints of darker-skinned racial ethnic ...

During feeding, hagfish may immerse themselves in the body cavities of decaying carcasses, encountering high levels of dissolved organic nutrients. We hypothesized that this feeding environment might promote nutrient acquisition by the branchial and epidermal epithelia. The potential for Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii, to absorb amino acids from the environment ...

Carboxylic acid-containing drugs can be metabolized to chemically-reactive acyl glucuronide, S-acyl-CoA thioester, and/or intermediate acyl-adenylate metabolites that are capable of transacylating the cysteinyl-thiol of glutathione (GSH) resulting in the formation of drug-S-acyl-GSH thioesters detected in-vivo in bile and in-vitro in hepatocytes. Authentic S-acyl-GSH thioesters of carboxylic acids can be readily ...

Background  The decrease in firmness is a hallmark of skin aging. Accelerated by chronic sun exposure, fundamental changes occur within the dermal extracellular matrix over the years, mainly impairing the collagenous network. Aims  Based on the qualitative and quantitative assessment of skin firmness, in vitro and in vivo studies were ...

Neonatal skin hydration decreases rapidly postnatally and then increases, indicating adaptive changes in stratum corneum water handling properties. Transition from high to low humidity at birth may initiate filaggrin proteolysis to free amino acids. Neonatal skin with vernix caseosa retained is more hydrated than skin with vernix removed. This study ...

Retinoic acid is essential for skin growth and differentiation and its concentration in skin is tightly controlled. In humans, four different members of the short-chain dehydrogenase/ reductase (SDR)* superfamily of proteins were proposed to catalyze the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of retinoic acid, the oxidation of retinol to retinaldehyde. ...

This review summarizes epidemiological data linking the fatty acid desaturation index measured in blood lipids, as a biomarker of hepatic stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity, the key enzyme involved in the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids, to breast cancer risk. The biological plausibility of this association is discussed. ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physicochemical properties and in vitro evaluation of fatty ester prodrugs of salicylic acid for ultraviolet (UV) protection. The physicochemical properties such as lipophilicity, chemical stability and enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated with the following fatty ester prodrugs of salicylic acid: octanoyl (C8SA), ...

Although discovered over a century ago it is only in the last 25 years that photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been the focus of intense research. This versatile treatment modality has been shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of malignancies, and with the increasing incidence of non-melanoma skin ...

BACKGROUND: There is some evidence from experimental studies that long-chain n-3 and n-6 fatty acids may be able to modify early skin carcinogenesis, but whether this applies in the general population is not known. METHODS: We investigated associations between serum polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations and p53 expression in normal skin, ...

Capric acid is a second medium-chain fatty acid, and recent studies have shown that fatty acids are associated with bone density and reduce bone turnover. In this study, we investigated the effects of capric acid on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW264.7 cells. After treatment with capric acid (1 mM), the ...

Background.  It has been recently recognized that p-coumaric acid (PCA) is a strong inhibitor of cellular melanogenesis. Aim.  To evaluate the erythema-suppressive and skin-lightening effects of PCA after topical application to human skin. Methods.  The control and PCA cream products were applied twice daily to the skin of the forearm ...

Topical photodynamic therapy with zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc), second-generation photosensitizer, can be an alternative method for the treatment of skin cancer. However, ZnPc has poor penetration in the skin. This study was aimed at investigating whether the presence of oleic acid (chemical enhancer) in propylene glycol can improve the topical delivery ...

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10), over-expressed in multiple human cancers, might be implicated in cancer development and progression via detoxifying cytotoxic carbonyls and regulating fatty acid synthesis. In the present study, we investigated the ortholog of AKR1B10 in mice, an ideal modeling organism greatly contributing to human disease ...

The potential effect of skin removal and roasting on individual and total phenolic content, and on antioxidative potential of 6 hazelnut cultivars were investigated. HPLC-MS identification of individual phenolics confirmed the presence of 7 flavan-3-ols (catechin, epicatechin, 2 procyanidin dimers, and 3 procyanidin trimers), 3 flavonols (quercetin pentoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, and ...

Glidobactins are hybrid NRPS-PKS natural products that function as irreversible proteasome inhibitors. A variety of medium chain 2(E),4(E)-diene fatty acids N-acylate the peptidolactam core and contribute significantly to the potency of proteasome inhibition. We have expressed the initiation NRPS module GlbF (C-A-T) in Escherichia coli and observe soluble active protein only ...

Ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) is a rare metabolic disorder caused by dysfunction of ETHE1, a mitochondrial dioxygenase involved in hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) detoxification. Patients present in infancy with psychomotor retardation, chronic diarrhea, orthostatic acrocyanosis and relapsing petechiae. High levels of lactic acid, ethymalonic acid (EMA) and methylsuccinic acid (MSA) are detected ...

Pseudomonas putida KT2442 produces medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates consisting of 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), 3-hydroxyoctanoate (3HO), 3-hydroxydecanoate (3HD), 3-hydroxydodecanoate (3HDD) and 3-hydroxytetradecanoate (3HTD) from relevant fatty acids. P. puitda KT2442 was found to contain key fatty acid degradation enzymes encoded by genes PP2136, PP2137 (fadB and fadA) and PP2214, PP2215 (fadB2x and fadAx), respectively. ...

The mycolyl-arabinogalactan (mAG) complex, a large glycolipid composed of arabinofuranose and galactofuranose monosaccharides and mycolic acid lipids, provides mycobacteria with substantial protection from their environment. It has been proposed that the presence of flexible furanose rings in the mAG facilitates the packing of the hydrophobic mycolic acids, forming a dense ...

Euchresta horsfieldii Benn., an oriental medicinal plant, has been used for the traditional treatment of hyperlipidemia and has been reported to possess bioactive isoflavones; however, the molecular mechanism underlying its hypolipidemic effects remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Euchresta horsfieldii on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α ...

The mechanisms by which macadamia nuts accumulate the unusual palmitoleic and asclepic acyl moieties, which constitute up to 20% of the fatty acids in some varieties, are still unknown. Acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterases (EC 3.1.2.14) are intraplastidial enzymes that terminate the synthesis of fatty acids in plants and that ...

In this study, we have investigated the transcriptome of Ralstonia eutropha H16 during cultivation with gluconate in presence of 3,3'-thiodipropionic acid (TDP) or 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid (DTDP) during biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-mercaptopropionate). Genome-wide transcriptome analyses revealed several genes which were upregulated during cultivation in presence of the above-mentioned compounds. Obtained data strongly ...

Fatty acid metabolism is controlled not only by the acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases but by some enzymes in the β-oxidation cycle. Medium-chain and long-chain acyl-CoA esters are key metabolites in fatty acid metabolism. We have developed an enzymatic assay method for determining chain shortening of the acyl-CoAs via β-oxidation from ...

Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is a central metabolite in carbon and energy metabolism. Because of its amphiphilic nature and bulkiness, acetyl-CoA cannot readily traverse biological membranes. In fungi, two systems for acetyl unit transport have been identified: a shuttle dependent on the carrier carnitine and a (peroxisomal) citrate synthase-dependent pathway. ...

The aim of the present research is to evaluate the skin delivery capabilities of different vesicular systems, including conventional liposomes (CL), Tween 80-based deformable liposomes (DL), invasomes (INS) and ethosomes bearing ferulic acid (FA) being an antioxidant exhibiting a wide range of therapeutic effects against various diseases. All of the ...

Mutation of the ACN1 (acetate non-utilizing 1) locus of Arabidopsis results in altered acetate assimilation into gluconeogenic sugars and anapleurotic amino acids and leads to an overall depression in primary metabolite levels by approx. 50% during seedling development. Levels of acetyl-CoA were higher in acn1 compared with wild-type, which is ...

Alkaptonuria is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of metabolism caused by deficiency of homogentisic acid oxidase and resulting in accumulation of homogentisic acid in collagenous structures. This causes the classic clinical triad: (1) homogentisic aciduria (urine blackens on standing when oxidized or alkalinized); (2) eumelanin-like pigmentation of skin, sclera, cartilages, ...

A mild method is presented for the formation of N-acylated oxazolidinones that employs acid fluorides and mild bases, such as (i)Pr(2)NEt and NEt(3). Optimized reaction conditions for two types of substrates have been developed utilizing either the oxazolidinone itself or the corresponding in situ generated O-silyloxazolidinones resulting in the formation ...

The enediyne antitumor antibiotic maduropeptin (MDP) is produced by Actinomadura madurae ATCC 39144. The biosynthetic pathway for the 3,6-dimethylsalicylic acid moiety of the MDP chromophore is proposed to be comprised of four enzymes: MdpB, MdpB1, MdpB2, and MdpB3. Based on the previously characterized biosynthesis of the naphthoic acid moiety of ...

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase 9 (ACAD9) is a recently identified member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family. It closely resembles very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD), involved in mitochondrial beta oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. Contrary to its previously proposed involvement in fatty acid oxidation, we describe a role for ACAD9 in oxidative phosphorylation. ...

alpha-Methyl-acyl-CoA-racemase (AMACR) deficiency (OMIM 604489) is a rare peroxisomal disorder with a variable age of onset from infancy to late adulthood. We describe a 45-year-old male with a history of seizures who presented with relapsing encephalopathy. Laboratory studies revealed an elevated serum pristanic acid concentration, an elevated pristanic/phytanic acid ratio, ...

Chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoyl quinic acid (CQA)) extracted from Hydrangea macrophylla (44%, w/w) with 98% purity, was acylated with palmitic acid by Novozym 435 to yield mono-acylated CQA. Acylation of CQA was achieved in 2-methyl-2-butanol at 60°C, and yielded two mono-acylated products: a major product acylated at the C-4 of the ...

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is responsible for the de novo synthesis of palmitate and stearate. This enzyme is activated by insulin and T(3), and inhibited by fatty acids. In this study, we show that insulin and T(3) have an inducing effect on FAS enzymatic activity, which is synergetic when both ...

Although the N-terminally attached fatty acids are key structural elements of nonribosomally assembled lipopeptide antibiotics, little is known about the mechanism of lipid transfer during the initial step of biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated the activity of the dissected initiation module (C-A(Glu)-PCP) of surfactin synthetase SrfAA in vitro to ...

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs) and fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) activate fatty acids (FAs) to acyl-CoAs prior to their downstream metabolism. Of numerous ACSL and FATP isoforms, ACSL5 is expressed predominantly in tissues with high rates of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis, suggesting it may have an anabolic role in lipid metabolism. ...

The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica possesses six acyl-CoA oxidase (Aox) isoenzymes encoded by genes POX1-POX6. The respective roles of these multiple Aox isoenzymes were studied in recombinant Y. lipolytica strains that express heterologous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase (phaC) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in varying POX genetic backgrounds, thus allowing assessment of the ...

Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 (SCD1) is the rate limiting enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids preferentially from palmitoyl-CoA and stearoyl-CoA forming respectively palmitoleyl-CoA and oleyl-CoA. These monounsaturated fatty acids are the key components of triglycerides and membrane phospholipids. Studying the regulation of SCD1 is of particular interest since alterations ...

This patient presented on the first day of life with pronounced lactic acidosis with an elevated lactate/pyruvate ratio. Urine organic acids showed Krebs cycle metabolites and mildly elevated methylmalonate and methylcitrate. The acylcarnitine profile showed elevated propionylcarnitine and succinylcarnitine. Amino acids showed elevated glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, and alanine. From ...

The performance of clear delta traps baited with 3.0 mg of pear ester, ethyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate, and 5.0 ml of acetic acid in separate lures was compared with orange delta traps baited with a single lure containing 3.0 mg of both pear ester and the sex pheromone, (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol (codlemone) for codling ...

It remains unclear whether in a bacterial fatty acid synthase (FAS) acyl chain transfer is a programmed or diffusion controlled and random action. Acyl carrier protein (ACP), which delivers all intermediates and interacts with all synthase enzymes, is the key player in this process. High-resolution structures of intermediates covalently bound ...

Isoproterenol increases phosphorylation of LKB, 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), enzymes involved in regulating fatty acid oxidation. However, inotropic stimulation selectively increases glucose oxidation in adult hearts. In the neonatal heart, fatty acid oxidation becomes a major energy source, while glucose oxidation remains low. This study tested ...

Dihydroquercetin (flavonoid of plant origin) immobilized with an amino acid in lecithin nanoparticles promotes reduction of inflammatory reactions in the wound after thermal burn. The use of a liposomal complex in burn injury stabilizes endogenous antioxidant system and limits the secondary necrotic zone in the wounds. The treatment was associated ...

In Taiwan, during the period March 2000 to June 2009, 1,495,132 neonates were screened for phenylketonuria (PKU) and homocystinuria (HCU), and 1,321,123 neonates were screened for maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), methylmalonic academia (MMA), medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency, isovaleric academia (IVA), and glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA-1) ...

Chemical investigation of the glandular trichome exudate from Silene gallica L. (Caryophyllaceae) resulted in isolation of 10 cyclic fatty acyl glycosides (gallicasides A-J). The cyclic structures were characterized by a glycosidic linkage of the glucose moiety to either the C-12 or the C-13 position of the octadecanoyl moiety, and by ...

Acyl-CoA thioesterase II (TesB), which catalyzes hydrolysis of acyl-CoAs to free fatty acids and CoA, is involved in 3-hydroxyalkanoic acid production in Escherichia coli. Effects of genetic replacement of tesB with Saccharomyces cerevisiae acyl-CoA thioesterase gene PTE1 on 3-hydroxyalkanoic acid production from oleic acid through β-oxidation were examined. Kinetic analyses ...