Ivermectin (IVM) is a drug from the group of anthelmintics used in veterinary and human medicine. Recently, interest in IVM has increased as it has been used for the treatment of some malignant diseases, as well as viral infections caused by the Zika virus, HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. The electrochemical behaviour of IVM was investigated using cyclic (CV), differential pulse (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) at glassy carbon electrode (GCE). IVM showed independent oxidation and reduction processes. The effect of pH and scan rate indicated the irreversibility of all processes and confirmed the diffusion character of oxidation and reduction as an adsorption-controlled process. Mechanisms for IVM oxidation at the tetrahydrofuran ring and reduction of the 1,4-diene structure in the IVM molecule are proposed. The redox behaviour of IVM in a biological matrix (human serum pool) showed a pronounced antioxidant potential similar to that of Trolox during short incubation, whereas a prolonged stay among biomolecules and in the presence of an exogenous pro-oxidant (tert-butyl hydroperoxide, TBH) resulted in a loss of its antioxidant effect. The antioxidant potential of IVM was confirmed by voltametric methodology which is proposed for the first time.

Acridine and its derivatives (9-chloroacridine and 9-aminoacridine) are investigated here, supported on FAU type zeolite Y, as a delivery system of anticancer agents. FTIR/Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy revealed successful drug loading on the zeolite surface, while spectrofluorimetry was employed for drug quantification. The effects of the tested compounds on cell viability were evaluated using in vitro methylthiazol-tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric technique against human colorectal carcinoma (cell line HCT-116) and MRC-5 fibroblasts. Zeolite structure remained unchanged during homogeneous drug impregnation with achieved drug loadings in the 18–21 mg/g range. The highest drug release, in the µM concentration range, with favourable kinetics was established for zeolite-supported 9-aminoacridine. The acridine delivery via zeolite carrier is viewed in terms of solvation energy and zeolite adsorption sites. The cytotoxic effect of supported acridines on HCT-116 cells reveals that the zeolite carrier improves toxicity, while the highest efficiency is displayed by zeolite-impregnated 9-aminoacridine. The 9-aminoacridine delivery via zeolite carrier favours healthy tissue preservation while accompanying increased toxicity toward cancer cells. Cytotoxicity results are well correlated with theoretical modelling and release study, providing promising results for applicative purposes.

Due to the limited reaction rate of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), it is considered as a limiting factor in the performance of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Platinum is considered the benchmark catalyst for ORR; however, the scarcity of platinum, its high price, the drift phenomenon, its insufficient durability, and its susceptibility to gas poisoning are the reasons for the constant search for new ORR catalysts. Carbon-based catalysts show exceptional promise in this respect considering economic profitability and activity, and, in addition, they have favorable conductivity and often a large specific surface area. The use of chitin, cellulose, lignin, coconut shell particles, shrimp shells, and even hair for this purpose was reported, as they had similar electrochemical activity regarding Pt. Alginate, a natural polymer and a constituent of brown algae, can be successfully used to obtain carbon materials that catalyze ORR. In addition, metal atomic-level catalysts and metal N-doped porous carbon materials, obtained from sodium alginate as a precursor, have been proposed as efficient electrocatalysts for ORR. Except for alginate, other biopolymers have been reported to play an important role in the preparation of ORR catalysts. In this review, recent advances regarding biopolymer-derived ORR catalysts are summarized, with a focus on alginate as a source.

Evaluation of pharmacokinetic properties is a significant step at the early stages of drug development. In this study, an in vitro evaluation of the pharmacokinetic properties of five newly synthesized compounds was performed. These compounds belong to N-hydroxyurea and hydroxamic acid derivatives and analogs of NSAIDs indomethacin, flurbiprofen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen (compounds 1, 2, 3, 11, and 12, respectively) with dual COX-2 and 5-LOX inhibitory activity. Two in vitro methods (biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) and PAMPA) were used to evaluate passive gastrointestinal absorption, while high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to evaluate binding to human serum albumin (HSA). The introduction of N-hydroxyurea and hydroxamic acid groups into the structure of NSAIDs decreases both expected passive gastrointestinal absorption (BMC k values were from 3.02 to 9.50, while for NSAIDs were from 5.29 to 13.36; PAMPA –logPe values were between 3.81 and 4.76, while for NSAIDs were ≤3.46) and HSA binding (HPAC logk values were from 2.03 to 9.54, while for NSAIDs were ≥11.03; DPV peak potential shifts were between 7 and 34, while for NSAIDs were ≥54). Structural modifications of all tested compounds that increase lipophilicity could be considered to enhance their passive gastrointestinal absorption. Considering lower expected HSA binding and higher lipophilicity of tested compounds compared to corresponding NSAIDs, it can be expected that the volume of distribution of compounds 1, 2, 3, 11, and 12 will be higher. Reduced HSA binding may also decrease interactions with other drugs in comparison to corresponding NSAIDs. All tested compounds showed significant microsomal instability (25.07–58.44% decrease in concentration) in comparison to indomethacin (14.47%) and diclofenac (20.99%).