Latest news with #ROS
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
FutureCeuticals, Inc. Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication Highlighting Cellular Health and Immune Support Benefits of vitAlign®
MOMENCE, Ill., June 5, 2025 /CNW/ -- New research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences shows that vitAlign®, a proprietary and comprehensive healthy aging innovation from FutureCeuticals, delivers significant benefits for restoring cellular health and supporting a healthy immune response. The study highlights vitAlign's effectiveness in regulating cellular function and metabolic imbalances associated with immune stressors—from the seasonal cold and flu to more complex environmental and immune-related challenges. Researchers evaluated the impact of a low, 50 mg dose of vitAlign in medically stable adults aged 40–55 recovering from a moderate course of COVID-19, as defined by CDC guidelines. The study compared vitAlign to a 1000 mg dose of Vitamin C, focusing on key markers and processes that directly impact immune and cellular health. Results showed that vitAlign significantly reduced excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mitochondria and through the NOX2 and iNOS pathways—key mechanisms that influence immune and cellular function. Additionally, researchers observed increased levels of circulating, bioavailable nitric oxide, suggesting support for endothelial function and cardiovascular health. The authors noted that the increase in nitric oxide is likely attributable to vitAlign's ability to regulate multiple pathways of ROS production. Notably, vitAlign delivered measurable effects within 30 minutes, lasting up to three hours. In contrast, Vitamin C, which was used as a positive control, was administered at twenty times the dose and did not demonstrate comparable broad-spectrum activity. "These findings build on over a decade of published clinical research establishing vitAlign as a significant cellular health innovation, now extended directly to immune function," said J. Randal Wexler, FutureCeuticals' General Counsel and Vice President of R&D. "Previously, we've shown that vitAlign improves cellular energy efficiency and helps restore metabolic balance, both acutely and over time." Wexler added, "These new results, which compare favorably to a well-known antioxidant like Vitamin C, reinforce vitAlign's potential as a multi-faceted phytonutrient formula, providing broad support for healthy aging, cardiovascular health, and immune function. Our partners are excited about what this means for product innovation and their customers looking for daily cellular health support." About FutureCeuticals: FutureCeuticals, Inc. is the developer of vitAlign and a leader in the research, development, and manufacture of plant-based powders and extracts for the functional food, beverage, and dietary supplement markets.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
IISc Bengaluru develops nanozymes to prevent excess clotting
BENGALURU: A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have developed a new method which will help control abnormal blood clotting conditions, including Pulmonary Thromboembolism (PTE). The team from Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry have developed an artificial metal-based nanosyme that mimics the activity of natural antioxidant enzymes which help in clotting blood. The research paper — Vanadia Nanozymes Inhibit Platelet Aggregation, Modulate Signaling Pathways and Prevent Pulmonary Embolism in Mice — published on May 11 was made public on Tuesday. It explained that under normal circumstances, when a blood vessel is injured, specialised blood cells called platelets get activated and cluster together around the vessel to form protective blood clots. This process is known as blood clotting cascade (haemostasis). But when this does not happen in conditions like PTE or diseases like Covid-19, the oxidative stress and levels of toxic Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) increases, leading to over-activation of platelets. This triggers the formation of excess clots in the blood vessel, contributing to thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The nanomaterials developed by the researchers mimic the activity of natural antioxidant enzymes and they control the ROS levels, thereby preventing the over-activation of platelets that leads to excess clot formation or thrombosis, the report stated. The team synthesised redox active nanomaterials of different sizes, shapes and morphologies through a series of controlled chemical reactions starting from small building blocks. They then isolated platelets from human blood, activated them using physiological agonists, and tested how effectively the different nanozymes could prevent excess platelet aggregation, the researchers explained in the report. Sherin GR, PhD student and co-author of the paper said, they found spherical-shaped vanadium pentoxide nanozymes were the most efficient. These material mimic a natural antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase to reduce oxidative stress. 'The unique chemistry of the vanadium metal is crucial because the redox reactions that reduce ROS levels are happening on the surface of the vanadium nanomaterial,' added G Mugesh, Professor, and co-author of the paper.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
IISc researchers develop novel nanozyme which prevents excess clotting
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have developed an artificial metal-based nanozyme that can potentially be used to clamp down on abnormal blood clotting caused by conditions like pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). According to IISc., under normal circumstances, when a blood vessel is injured, specialised blood cells called platelets get activated, and cluster together around the vessel to form protective blood clots. This process, known as the blood clotting cascade (haemostasis), involves a complex series of protein interactions triggered by signals from physiological agonists (chemicals), such as collagen and thrombin. However, when these signals go haywire in conditions like PTE or diseases like COVID-19, oxidative stress and levels of toxic Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) increase, leading to over-activation of platelets. This triggers the formation of excess clots in the blood vessel, contributing to thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality. To tackle this challenge, researchers led by G. Mugesh, professor in the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, have developed nanomaterials that mimic the activity of natural antioxidant enzymes, which scavenge reactive oxidative molecules. These nanozymes work by controlling ROS levels, thereby preventing the over-activation of platelets that leads to excess clot formation or thrombosis. The team synthesised redox active nanomaterials of different sizes, shapes, and morphologies via a series of controlled chemical reactions starting from small building blocks. They then isolated platelets from human blood, activated them using physiological agonists, and tested how effectively the different nanozymes could prevent excess platelet aggregation. The team found that spherical-shaped vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanozymes were the most efficient. These materials mimic a natural antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase to reduce oxidative stress. 'The unique chemistry of the vanadium metal is crucial because the redox reactions that reduce ROS levels are happening on the surface of the vanadium nanomaterial,' said Prof. Mugesh. The team injected the nanozyme in a mouse model of PTE. They found that it significantly reduced thrombosis and increased the animals' survival rates. They also observed the weight, behaviour, and blood parameters of the animal for up to five days after injecting the nanozyme, and did not find any toxic effects. The team now plans to explore the efficacy of the nanozyme in preventing ischemic stroke, which is also caused by clogging of blood vessels. 'We are hopeful about clinical studies in humans because we have done our experiments with human platelets, and they worked,' said Prof. Mugesh.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Going beyond AQI: study shows why toxicity matters in measuring air pollution
The ability of PM2.5 air pollutants to cause damage to cells increases sharply after concentration levels cross a certain threshold value, new research has found. For Kolkata, where the study was carried out, this threshold value is about 70 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), the study found. Once the PM2.5 concentration crosses this level, its toxicity — or the potential to cause damage to the human body — increases sharply, and continues to rise until the concentration reaches about 130 µg/m³. Toxicity stabilises after that, and further increases in concentration do not lead to an appreciable rise in damage potential. The study, by Abhijit Chatterjee of the Bose Institute, Kolkata, and two of his former PhD students, Abhinandan Ghosh and Monami Dutta, is the first attempt at investigating how toxicity of air pollution changes with concentration levels in Indian cities. ('Contrasting features of winter-time PM2.5 pollution and PM2.5-toxicity based on oxidative potential: A long-term (2016–2023) study over Kolkata megacity at eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain', Science of the Total Environment, December 2024) This is not to suggest that at concentrations below 70 µg/m³ in Kolkata, air pollution is benign and does not pose any threat to human health. Pollution is damaging at lower concentrations as well, but it becomes much more toxic after crossing the threshold value. At lower concentrations, the body copes better with the adverse impacts of inhaling pollutants. After the threshold level, however, the body's defence mechanisms are overwhelmed, and the pollutants are able to cause greater damage to cells, particularly the respiratory systems which are affected first. When pollutants are inhaled, the body's immune system tends to fight back through the release of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which are chemicals used by immune cells to neutralise foreign substances. When larger concentrations of pollutants are inhaled, greater amounts of ROS are released. The problem is ROS is damaging for the body's cells as well. Therefore, as a natural counter-defence mechanism, the body produces another set of chemicals, called antioxidants, that protect the cells against ROS. However, antioxidants are present in small quantities, and take time to build up. So, while they are able to effectively deal with smaller amounts of ROS, they are helpless when ROS is produced in large amounts. This leads to an imbalance in the body, a situation called oxidative stress, which leaves the internal cells prone to damage from excess ROS. 'The PM2.5 pollution level is well understood and established in every city in India… We wanted to see how the level of toxicity increases with the increase in pollution level,' Prof Chatterjee said. 'We know that when PM levels increase, there are several consequences, such as haze, dust, and visibility reduction. But how far does toxicity surge? We did not know. Though India has its standards of PM2.5 and PM10, we don't have a threshold value in terms of oxidative stress in the human body. That's where we wanted to determine the standard,' he said. According to Prof Chatterjee, 'When the PM2.5 concentration level exceeds about 70 µg/m³, its potential to create oxidative stress increases steeply, mainly because of the presence of some specific chemical components like those coming from biomass or solid waste burning. The components from vehicular emissions also help increase oxidative stress, but this is much less compared to biomass burning.' The threshold levels at which toxicity sees a sharp rise is expected to vary from city to city, mainly due to the differences in the composition of the air pollutants. In some cities, vehicular emissions might be the biggest contributor to pollution; in other places, biomass burning might be significant. Air quality standards are framed in terms of their concentration, not toxicity. In India, for example, a PM2.5 concentration level of 40 µg/m³, averaged over a year, is considered safe. On a daily basis, a concentration of 60 µg/m³ is considered safe. However, the harmful impacts of air pollution on human health depend not just on concentration, but also on toxicity, which takes into account factors like chemical composition of pollutants. In Kolkata, for example, the threat that annual PM2.5 concentrations of 50 or 60 µg/m³ poses is not going to be very different from the one posed by a concentration of 30-40 µg/m³. But alarm bells must go off once a level of 70 µg/m³ is reached. In other cities, this would be different. This study can thus make the case for toxicity-based air quality standards, which can trigger targeted warnings/emergency actions once the threshold concentration is breached. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Revenue extends deadline to file for RZLT
Revenue has announced that the deadline for submission of annual Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) returns for 2025 has been extended to Friday, May 30, 2025. RZLT is a self-assessed annual tax based on the valuation of a relevant site. It is calculated at 3% of the market value of the relevant site. It aims to activate serviced, zoned land for residential or mixed use to boost housing supply and regenerate vacant, idle urban land. Some farmers and landowners have applied to have their land rezoned. Revenue said it has seen positive levels of engagement from site owners in respect of their RZLT obligations to date, with liabilities of approximately €12 million having been paid. Revenue added that it is, however, aware that some site owners have commenced the process to register for RZLT, but have not yet submitted a return. The extension is aimed at supporting taxpayers by giving them additional time to complete this process. RZLT RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing planning permissions for housing on land identified on maps published by Local Authorities as meeting this criteria, or to engage with planning authorities and seek planning permission in respect of such land. The tax applies from 2025 onwards, at a rate equal to 3% of the market value of the relevant site. Site owners with land which has been included on the Local Authority 2025 Revised Maps are advised to register for RZLT and submit their return online. There is a 24-hour turnaround time between completing the RZLT registration and issuance of the Site ID required to complete the RZLT return. As such, early engagement with the registration process is encouraged, according to Revenue. Taxpayers are advised to ensure that they have as much information to hand as possible when completing their registration, to ensure that their identity can be verified. Revenue has said that if it is not possible to verify the taxpayer's identity online, password and registration details will be issued by standard post. Taxpayers using an agent or advisor to assist them in filing their RZLT return should note that their agent or advisor must be linked to their Revenue record through the Agent Link Manager Application process. As part of this process, the agent or advisor should initiate the link request, and the taxpayer will then receive a prompt, through their ROS inbox notification or MyEnquiries, to review and accept the request. As a self-assessed tax, Revenue stated that site owners are responsible for determining whether they have a liability to RZLT, and, if so, for satisfying their pay and file obligations. Surcharges will be applied where a site owner, who is required to submit an RZLT return, fails to do so. These surcharges range from 10% to 30%.
