Mithradates VI Eupator (120–63 BC) was the greatest of the kings of Pontus in Asia Minor, gradually extending his control over most of the regions, gravitating toward Euxine, including Colchis, and ...annexing Cappadocia and Bithynia. He exercised his authority over other lands in Asia Minor and Greece, becoming one of the most formidable enemies of the Roman state. Strabo refers to Mithradates’ intended military campaign against the Romans up to the Adriatic at an earlier stage of the king’s rule. Mithradates had already contemplated invading Italy at the time of his contacts with Quintus Sertorius in 75 BC; according to Plutarch, Sertorius was compared to Hannibal, Mithradates to Pyrrhus. The last to wage war victoriously against Mithradates was Pompey the Great. Ancient sources refer to the king’s plan of invading Italy across the territories of the Scordisci, Pannonia, and the Alps shortly before the revolt of his son Pharnaces and his own death. As is mentioned by Florus, Mithradates only planned an invasion (not wishing to admit the defeat), but was not able to carry it out. However, during the heyday of his reign such a plan would not have been impossible.
Plant-derived products have been used for preventive and curative purposes from the ancient era to the present day. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of either multicomponent-based ...extracts, enriched fractions, or isolated bioactives. However, they often display low solubility and bioavailability, chemical instability, poor absorption, and even toxicity, which restrict application in therapy. The use of drug delivery systems, especially nanocarriers, can overcome these physicochemical and pharmacokinetic limitations. In this study, an extract from
leaves was produced by maceration in 80% ethanol, characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and formulated in phospholipid vesicles with the aim of exploiting and possibly enhancing its bioactivity for skin delivery. The results showed that phenolic compounds were abundantly present in the extract, especially hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonol derivatives. The extract-loaded vesicles showed small size (<100 nm), high entrapment efficiency (even >90% for most phenolic compounds), and good long-term stability. Moreover, the extract-loaded vesicles exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by colorimetric assays and by enhanced reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cultured skin cells. Hence, our findings support the key role of nanotechnological approaches to promote the potential of plant extracts and strengthen their application in therapy.
The trade of glass beads has long been assumed to have been under Islamic dominance during the early centuries following the Arab conquest of the Middle East, judged by the prevalence of Islamic ...beads in the archaeological contexts from Viking Scandinavia to medieval Morocco. This paper explores the impact of the Byzantine-Slavic transition on the use and by extension trade of glass beads in the Balkans from the seventh to the ninth century CE. A series of 48 glass beads and 4 vessel fragments from two excavated sites in modern day Albania have been analysed morphologically, technologically and chemically by LA-ICP-MS. The seventh-century beads from Lezha have typological parallels among central European assemblages and are made from recycled natron-type glass. The presence of a high lead-iron-natron variant is of particular interest as it potentially reflects a regional production. The ninth-century beads from Komani are made from soda-rich plant ash glass from the eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia and correspond to an Islamic typology. The chronological and geographical differences are reflected in the distinctive cobalt sources used for the two groups. While the beads from Lezha are coloured with a cobalt not correlated with any particular element, the cobalt source of the Komani samples is associated with zinc, typical of Islamic glass making. It thus appears that the supply of beads during the seventh century when the Balkans were under Slavic occupation relied on regional production and recycled material, and that a long-distance trade with the eastern Mediterranean was revived following the Byzantine re-conquest of the south-eastern Adriatic in the ninth century. Intriguingly, the Albanian finds confirm the Islamic control of the production and trade of glass beads during this period and highlight the mediatory role of the Byzantine Empire.
From the methanol extract of the bulbs of
Pancratium illyricum L., three phenanthridine type alkaloids, ungeremine (
1), (−)-lycorine (
2) and (+)-vittatine (
3) were isolated. For the evaluation of ...their anticancer and antibacterial potential, compounds
1–
3 were tested against human (I, IIα) and bacterial (IA, IV) topoisomerases. Our data demonstrated that ungeremine impairs the activity of both, human and bacterial topoisomerases. Remarkably, ungeremine was found to largely increments the DNA cleavage promoted by bacterial topoisomerase IA, a new target in antimicrobial chemotherapy.
The monograph presents the results of two-year excavations (1982 and 1983) on the late-antique fortified hilltop settlement Korinjski hrib above Veliki Korini in Suha Krajina, where the remains of ...five defence towers and an early Christian church were explored. The settlement was initially recognized as a military post and as such represented an exception in the Eastern Alpine area. Such a definition raised some doubts and dilemmas. These dilemmas are presented - in addition to geographical outline and research history - in the Introduction.The following set presents - in text and with abundant graphic material – field reports of excavations of towers, the church, and a small cemetery.All groups of finds (non-pottery, pottery and coins) and anthropological and archaeological studies are also presented.An extensive chapter is devoted to the interpretation of architectural remains (towers, church, the fort as a whole).The conclusion also discusses the prehistoric settlement, and the results of structural survey of the ruins of church of St George just below the fort.
•The first time a remarkably simple, versatile, environmentally friendly, one-pot and biogenic fabrication and aqueous synthesis of monodisperse gold nanoparticles by using cynarin.•Cynarin as a ...reductant and capping agent.•Exclusion of extra reducing agents or reductant.•Fabrication of Pd and Ag nanoparticles using cynarin in aqueous media.
Herein we describe a water-based protocol that generates Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) by mixing aqueous solutions of HAuCl4 and cynarin (a natural product extract from artichoke leaf). Based on the observations from 1H NMR spectrum of AuNPs, a polyol oxidation mechanism by metal ions which eventually results in AuNPs formation, is proposed. Basically, the aromatic alcohol groups (1,2-benzenediol) of cynarin are oxidized to α-hydroxy ketone intermediate product, and then further oxidized to the vicinal diketone final product while the Au3+ ions are reduced to its atomic form (Au0) which leads the generation of Au nanoparticles. This new protocol has also been employed to prepare multiply twinned Pd nanoparticles and Ag cubical aggregates. Due to exclusion of organic solvent, surfactant, or stabilizer for all these synthesis, this protocol may provide a simple, versatile, and environmentally benign route to fabricate noble-metal nanoparticles having various compositions and morphologies.
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