Effect of caffeic acid derivatives on polychlorinated biphenyls induced hepatotoxicity in male mice

Chronic exposure to coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls（PCBs）,a potent inducer of toxic reactive oxygen species（ROS）,in the environment and food can cause liver diseases.It remains unknown whether caffeic acid derivatives（CADs） exerted protective effect on PCB-induced hepatotoxicity.We sought to evaluate the activities of 3CADs on PCB169-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in the liver.Male ICR mice were administered with1 μmol/mL PCB169 at 5 mL/kg body weight for 2 weeks.The mice were given CADs by gastric gavage for 3weeks.We found that PCB169 decreased the growth rate and reduced the levels of superoxide dismutase（SOD）,glutathione（GSH） and GSH peroxidase（GPx）.It increased the liver weight,malondialdehyde（MDA）and 8-hydroxy-2＇-deoxyguanosine（8-OHdG） levels and CYPlAl activity in the liver tissues and plasma of mice（P〈0.05）.Pretreatment of mice with CADs restored the above parameters to normal levels.There was a synergistic protective effect between CADs in preventing MDA and 8-OHdG formation and inducing CYPlAl and phase II metabolism enzyme（SOD,GPx） activities（P〈0.05）.In conclusion,PCB169 induced hepatotoxicity and pretreatment with CADs had synergistic protective effects on liver damage.

Superhydrophobic self-extinguishing cotton fabrics for electromagnetic interference shielding and human motion detection

Multifunctional intelligent fire-safe cotton fabric promises next-generation fire-fighting uniform and sen-sor applications.However,cotton fabrics’hygroscopicity and intrinsic flammability significantly impede their potential applications in industries.Herein,we report a superhydrophobic fireproof cotton fabric(PEI-APP-PEI-MXene)generated via sequential layer-by-layer deposition of polyethyleneimine(PEI),am-monium polyphosphate(APP),and titanium carbide(MXene),followed by hydrophobic treatment with silicone elastomer.Compared to untreated cotton,the treated cotton fabric with 10 polymolecular layers exhibits∼43%and∼42%reductions in the peak heat release rate and total heat release,respectively,a desired UL-94 V-0 rating,and a high limiting oxygen index(LOI)value of 39.5 vol.%.In addition to that,the treated fabrics displayed improved electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding and motion-sensing abilities.The presented work provides a facile and effective surface modification approach to generate multifunctional cotton fabrics with promising practical applications.

Engineering phosphorus-containing lignin for epoxy biocomposites with enhanced thermal stability,fire retardancy and mechanical properties

Fabricating a high-performing thermoset using bio-based flame retardant is critical for the sustain-able development of engineering materials with superior fire safety and robust mechanical properties.Herein,the epoxy(EP)composites with the industrial requirements are manufactured with a novel high-efficient,lignin-based flame retardant named DAL-x,which is fabricated by grafting 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaze-10-oxide(DOPO)onto lignin.The resulting DAL-x/EP composite exhibits excellent flame retardancy with a desirable UL-94 V-0 rating and a satisfactory limiting oxygen index(LOI)of 29.8%due to the appropriate phosphorus content of DAL-x with adjustable molecular chain structure.More-over,the DAL-x/EP composite shows an unexpected improvement in the elastic modulus(∼36%)and well-preserved strength and ductility compared with those of pure EP.This work offers a feasible strat-egy for creating efficient bio-based flame retardants utilizing industrial waste lignin and preparing high-performance EP composites that meet the demanding requirement of fire retardancy in industries,con-tributing to the circular economy and sustainability.