Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences (Te Ara Hauora A Pūtaiao)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/10759
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences - Te Ara Hauora A Pūtaiao encompasses the
  • School of Clinical Sciences - Te Kura Mātai Haumanu
  • School of Science - Te Kura Pūtaiao
  • School of Sport and Recreation - Te Kura Hākinakina

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    Browsing Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences (Te Ara Hauora A Pūtaiao) by Subject "0399 Other Chemical Sciences"

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      Concussion-Related Biomarker Variations in Retired Rugby Players and Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Risk: The UK Rugby Health Study
      (MDPI AG, 2024-07-17) Alanazi, N; Fitzgerald, M; Hume, P; Hellewell, S; Horncastle, A; Anyaegbu, C; Papini, MG; Hargreaves, N; Halicki, M; Entwistle, I; Hind, K; Chazot, P
      The health and well-being of retired rugby union and league players, particularly regarding the long-term effects of concussions, are of major concern. Concussion has been identified as a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), in athletes engaged in contact sports. This study aimed to assess differences in specific biomarkers between UK-based retired rugby players with a history of concussion and a non-contact sports group, focusing on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s, ALS, and CTE. We randomly selected a sample of male retired rugby or non-contact sport athletes (n = 56). The mean age was 41.84 ± 6.44, and the mean years since retirement from the sport was 7.76 ± 6.69 for participants with a history of substantial concussions (>5 concussions in their career) (n = 30). The mean age was 45.75 ± 11.52, and the mean years since retirement was 6.75 ± 4.64 for the healthy controls (n = 26). Serum biomarkers (t-tau, RBP-4, SAA, Nf-L, and retinol), plasma cytokines, and biomarkers associated with serum-derived exosomes (Aβ42, p-tau181, p-tau217, and p-tau231) were analyzed using validated commercial ELISA assays. The results of the selected biomarkers were compared between the two groups. Biomarkers including t-tau and p-tau181 were significantly elevated in the history of the substantial concussion group compared to the non-contact sports group (t-tau: p < 0.01; p-tau181: p < 0.05). Although between-group differences in p-tau217, p-tau231, SAA, Nf-L, retinol, and Aβ42 were not significantly different, there was a trend for higher levels of Aβ42, p-tau217, and p-tau231 in the concussed group. Interestingly, the serum-derived exosome sizes were significantly larger (p < 0.01), and serum RBP-4 levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the highly concussed group. These findings indicate that retired athletes with a history of multiple concussions during their careers have altered serum measurements of exosome size, t-tau, p-tau181, and RBP-4. These biomarkers should be explored further for the prediction of future neurodegenerative outcomes, including ALS, in those with a history of concussion.
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      Phytochemical Composition of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and Indian Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) Leaves Extracted Using Different Ethanol Concentrations
      (UMT Press, 2024-09-01) Noor, NAM; Islam, M; Hamid, N; Raseetha, S
      Consumers rely on medical plants for their health benefits. Jackfruit leaves and Indian jujube leaves are commonly used in traditional remedies to address conditions such as ulcers and gout. This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical composition of Artocarpus heterophyllus and Ziziphus mauritiana leaves by conducting alkaloid and coumarin tests, pigments analysis, and phenolic compound profiling. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging assay on extracts prepared with 50% and 100% ethanol as solvents. The colour (L* value) of each leaf showed significant variation, with the topside being considerably lighter and the underside being noticeably darker. Coumarins were present in the 50% ethanolic leave extracts. A. heterophyllus leaves extracted in 100% ethanol had the highest amount of total chlorophyll content (85.95 ± 0.24 mg/g), followed by A. heterophyllus leaves extracted in 50% ethanol (50.91 ± 0.30 mg/g), Z. mauritiana leaves extracted in 100% ethanol (42.89 ± 1.44 mg/g) and Z. mauritiana leaves extracted in 50% ethanol (18.38 ± 2.14 mg/g). Additionally, Z. mauritiana leaves contained a higher concentration of caffeic acid (1.49 mg/mL) compared with A. heterophyllus leaves (0.15 mg/mL) when extracted with 50% ethanol. Finally, the 50% ethanolic extract of A. heterophyllus leaves exhibited higher radical scavenging activity than the 100% ethanolic leaves extract.
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      Syntheses and Structures of Transition Metal Complexes of Quinoline-Containing Multidentate Amine Ligands
      (Elsevier BV, 2024-03-01) Carr, B; Fleming, CL; Blackman, AG
      The literature pertaining to tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexadentate amine ligands containing unsubstituted quinoline moieties is reviewed. The syntheses of these 46 ligands are detailed, and all X-ray structurally characterised transition metal complexes of these ligands are compiled and discussed. Comparisons to the analogous pyridine complexes, where they exist, are made. Most differences are found amongst the five-coordinate complexes, where the quinoline complexes mostly exhibit square pyramidal geometries, while the analogous pyridine complexes are predominantly trigonal bipyramidal. A structural feature we term the quinolyl split, where one or two quinolyl rings bisect an X-M-X angle, in contrast to their pyridine congeners, is identified.
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