Phedimus aizoon has been utilized as a medicinal plant in Asia. However, the production of phytochemical-rich extracts from P. aizoon and the evaluation of their bioactivity are limited. Herein, phytochemical-rich extracts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction of P. aizoon, with a high extraction yield of 16.56%. The extracts contained about 126 mg of phenolics and 31 mg of flavonoids per g of the extracts. The chromatographic analysis (GC-MS and HPLC analyses) identified 19 notable phytochemicals of the extracts from P. aizoon, including pentacosane, hexadecanoic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, and quercetin. The gallic acid content of the extracts was relatively high at 2.75 mg/g. The identified compounds are known to have various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. In fact, the prepared extracts exhibited antioxidant activity at 24-28% of that of ascorbic acid. In addition, it showed antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria). This study highlights that P. aizoon deserves attention as a natural bioactive substance and emphasizes the need for applications of the extracts from P. aizoon.

Recently, nanoparticles have received considerable attention owing to their efficiency in overcoming the limitations of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs. In our study, we synthesized a vanillic acid nanocomposite using both chitosan and silver nanoparticles, tested its efficacy against lung cancer cells, and analyzed its antimicrobial effects. We used several characterization techniques such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the stability, morphological characteristics, and properties of the biosynthesized vanillic acid nanocomposites. Furthermore, the vanillic acid nanocomposites were tested for their antimicrobial effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The data showed that the nanocomposite effectively inhibited microbes, but its efficacy was less than that of the individual silver and chitosan nanoparticles. Moreover, the vanillic acid nanocomposite exhibited anticancer effects by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (BAX, Casp3, Casp7, cyt C, and p53) and decreasing the gene expression of Bcl-2. Overall, vanillic acid nanocomposites possess promising potential against microbes, exhibit anticancer effects, and can be effectively used for treating diseases such as cancers and infectious diseases.

The engineered nano-vehicle was constructed using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) and chitosan (CTS) to stabilize anticancer agent vanillic acid (VNA) which was loaded on CTS-coated MIONs nanocarrier, and more importantly, to achieve sustained VNA release and subsequent proper anticancer activity. The new thermally stable VNA-CTS- MIONs nanocomposite was spherical with a middle diameter of 6 nm and had a high drug loading of about 11.8 %. The MIONs and resulting nanocomposite were composed of pure magnetite and therefore, were superparamagnetic with saturation magnetizations of 53.3 and 45.7 emu.g-1, respectively. The release profiles of VNA from VNA-CTS-MIONs nanocomposite in different pH values were sustained and showed controlled pH-responsive delivery of the loaded VNA with 89 % and 74 % percentage release within 2354 and 4046 min at pH 5 and 7.4, respectively, as well as were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order model. The VNA-CTS-MIONs nanocomposite treatment at diverse concentrations remarkably decreased the viability and promoted ROS accumulation and apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Hence, it can be a propitious candidate for the management of breast cancer in the future.

Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment, loss of learning and memory, and abnormal behaviors. Scopolamine (SCOP) is a non-selective antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors that exhibits the behavioral and molecular hallmarks of AD. Vanillic acid (VA), a phenolic compound, is obtained from the roots of a traditional plant called Angelica sinensis, and has several pharmacologic effects, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anti-metastatic, and antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, VA\'s neuroprotective potential associated with the memory has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study investigated whether VA treatment has an ameliorative effect on the learning and memory impairment induced by SCOP in rats. Behavioral experiments were utilized to assess the learning and memory performance associated with the hippocampus. Using western blotting analysis and assay kits, the neuronal damage, oxidative stress, and acetylcholinesterase activity responses of hippocampus were evaluated. Additionally, the measurement of long-term potentiation was used to determine the function of synaptic plasticity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. In addition, the synaptic vesicles\' density and the length and width of the postsynaptic density were evaluated using electron microscopy. Consequently, the behavioral, biochemical, electrophysiological, and ultrastructural analyses revealed that VA treatment prevents learning and memory impairments caused by SCOP in rats. The study\'s findings suggest that VA has a neuroprotective effect on SCOP-induced learning and memory impairment linked to the hippocampal cholinergic system, oxidative damage, and synaptic plasticity. Therefore, VA may be a prospective therapeutic agent for treating AD.

Caldimonas thermodepolymerans, a Gram-negative, moderately thermophilic bacterium, exhibits a remarkable biotechnological potential. Given the presence of genes in its genome dedicated to the metabolization of ferulic acid (FA), this study aimed to explore the bacterium\'s capability for biotransforming FA into high-value metabolites. The results unequivocally demonstrate the bacterium\'s proficiency in the efficient and rapid conversion of FA into vanillyl alcohol (VOH) and vanillic acid (VA). By manipulating key cultivation parameters, such as adjusting initial FA doses and varying cultivation periods, the product profile can be tailored. Higher initial doses and shorter cultivation periods favor the production of VOH, while lower FA doses and extended cultivation periods lead to the predominant formation of VA. Furthermore, the process can be operated in a repeated-batch scenario. This underscores the potential of C. thermodepolymerans for industrial biotransformation of FA, presenting a promising avenue for leveraging its capabilities in practical applications.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the effects of vanillic acid (VA) on fracture healing radiologically, histologically, immunohistochemically, and biomechanically using a rat femur open fracture injury model.
METHODS: 32 male Wistar-Albino rats were used and divided into two groups: the study group (VA) and the control group. From the time they were operated on until they were sacrificed, the rats in the study group were given 100 mg/kg/day VA by oral gavage. After sacrification, the femurs were analyzed.
RESULTS: It was observed that the Huo histological scoring was significantly higher in the VA group (p = 0.001), and the ratio of the amount of callus tissue compared to intact bone tissue was significantly higher. While no significant difference was observed in immunohistochemical H-scores in ColI antibody staining (p = 1.000), a borderline significant difference in favor of VA was observed in ColIII antibody staining (p = 0.078). In biomechanical analysis, failure load (N), total energy (J), maximum stress (MPa), and stiffness (N/mm) measurements were significantly higher in the VA group (p = 0.040, p = 0.021, p = 0.015, and p = 0.035, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: It has been observed that VA, with its antioxidative properties, increases fracture healing in rats, in which an open fracture model was created. We are hopeful that such an antioxidant, which is common in nature, will increase fracture healing. Since this study is the first to examine the effect of VA on fracture healing, further studies are needed.

Several series of new polymers were synthesized in this study: binary copolyesters of vanillic (VA) and 4\'-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylic (HBCA) acids, as well as ternary copolyesters additionally containing 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and obtained via three different ways (in solution, in melt, and in solid state). The high values of logarithmic intrinsic viscosities and the insolubility of several samples proved their high molecular weights. It was found that the use of vanillic acid leads to the production of copolyesters with a relatively high glass transition temperature (~130 °C). Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the onset of weight loss temperatures of ternary copolyesters occurred at 330-350 °C, and the temperature of 5% mass loss was in the range of 390-410 °C. Two-stage thermal destruction was observed for all aromatic copolyesters of vanillic acid: decomposition began with VA units at 420-480 °C, and then the decomposition of more heat-resistant units took place above 520 °C. The copolyesters were thermotropic and exhibited a typical nematic type of liquid crystalline order. The mechanical characteristics of the copolyesters were similar to those of semi-aromatic copolyesters, but they were much lower than the typical values for fully aromatic thermotropic polymers. Thus, vanillic acid is a mesogenic monomer suitable for the synthesis of thermotropic fully aromatic and semi-aromatic copolyesters, but the processing temperature must not exceed 280 °C.

BACKGROUND: Vanillic acid (VA; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) is a flavouring agent found in various natural sources such as olives, fruits, and green tea. While VA exhibits numerous pharmacological effects, its potential protective effects against gastric injury warrants further investigation. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to elucidate investigate the gastroprotective properties of VA against ethanol-induced gastric injury.
RESULTS: Rats were orally administered either saline or VA at different doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day), with omeprazole (20 mg/kg) serving as a positive control, for fourteen consecutive days before ethanol administration. Blood and gastric tissue samples were collected one hour after ethanol administration for biochemical, molecular, and histological analyses. Pre-treatment with VA before ulcer induction alleviated both macroscopic and microscopic damage. It also increased antioxidant glutathione levels and decreased malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase activity, along with reducing inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Additionally, VA pre-treatment reversed the elevation of Bax mRNA expression and gastric caspase-3 levels induced by gastric damage. It also mitigated the reduction in Bcl-2 mRNA expression.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that VA exerts protective effects against ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats. It achieves this by augmenting gastric antioxidant capacity and mitigating oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic damage.

A new and practical method for the thermal degradation of technically relevant bio-based lignin is presented. By heating a solution of lignin in highly concentrated caustic potash, vanillic acid is almost exclusively obtained in yields up to 10.6 wt %. By altering the reaction parameters, the selectivity of the reaction can be shifted towards the demethylation product, protocatechuic acid, which is obtained in a yield of 6.9 wt %. Furthermore, the procedure was applicable to different types of Kraft and organosolv lignin. To create an economically feasible process, ion exchange resins were used for the work-up of the highly caustic reaction media without neutralizing the complete mixture. By the selective removal of the desired vanillic acid from the caustic potash, this alkaline media could directly be reused for at least 5 further lignin degradations without significant loss of yield.

It has been reported that lipophilic statins such as atorvastatin can more readily penetrate into β-cells and reach the mitochondria, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, decrease in insulin release. Many studies have shown that natural products can protect mitochondrial dysfunction induced by drug in different tissue. We aimed to explore mitochondrial protection potency of hesperidin, vanillic acid, and sinapic acid as natural compounds against mitochondrial dysfunction induced by atorvastatin in pancreas isolated mitochondria. Mitochondria were isolated form rat pancreas and directly treated with toxic concentration of atorvastatin (500 µM) in presence of various concentrations hesperidin, vanillic acid, and sinapic acid (1, 10, and 100 µM) separately. Mitochondrial toxicity parameters such as the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, succinate dehydrogenases (SDH) activity, mitochondrial swelling, depletion of glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, and malondialdehyde (MDA) production were measured. Our findings demonstrated that atorvastatin directly induced mitochondrial toxicity at concentration of 500 μM and higher in pancreatic mitochondria. Except MDA, atorvastatin caused significantly reduction in SDH activity, mitochondrial swelling, ROS formation, depletion of GSH, and collapse of MMP. While, our data showed that all three protective compounds at low concentrations ameliorated atorvastatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction with the increase of SDH activity, improvement of mitochondrial swelling, MMP collapse and mitochondrial GSH, and reduction of ROS formation. We can conclude that hesperidin, vanillic acid, and sinapic acid can directly reverse the toxic of atorvastatin in rat pancreas isolated mitochondria, which may be beneficial for protection against diabetogenic-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in pancreatic β-cells.