The present study aims to evaluate the antioxidant potential of methyl gallate an ester of gallic acid in different in vitro assays. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using Molybdate ion reduction, DPPH, ABTS radical cation scavenging, deoxyribose degradation (site specific and non-site specific), reducing power, lipid peroxidation, superoxide anion scavenging, chelating power and DNA nicki...

We have determined the three-dimensional structure of a non-selfcomplementary nonanucleotide duplex which contains an abasic (apyrimidinic) site in the centre, i.e. a deoxyribose residue opposite an adenosine. The majority of the base and sugar proton resonances were assigned by NOESY, COSY and 2DQF spectra in D2O and H2O. We have measured the initial slope of buildup of NOEs in NOESY spectra a...

Oxidative damage to DNA has long been associated with aging and disease, with guanine serving as the primary target for oxidation owing to its low ionization potential. Emerging evidence points to a critical role for sequence context as a determinant of the guanine ionization potential and the associated chemical reactivity of the guanine, as well as the spectrum of damage products that arise f...

In this manuscript we describe for the first time mirror image catalytic nucleic acids (Spiegelzymes), which hydrolyze sequence specifically L-ribonucleic acid molecules. The mirror image nucleic acid ribozymes designed are based upon the known hammerhead ribozyme and DNAzyme structures that contain L-ribose or L-deoxyribose instead of the naturally occurring D-ribose or D-deoxyribose, respecti...

A four-stranded DNA helix is described that consists of two Watson-Crick double helices wound about the same axis, with no restriction on sequence. Its significance is that it permits a simple topological solution to the problem of unwinding a double helix to separate its strands. If a stretch of Watson-Crick double helix is supercoiled on itself as many times as it has helical turns it has no ...

Quinolinic acid (2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, QUIN) is a well-known neurotoxin. Consequently, QUIN could produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are generated in reactions catalyzed by transition metals, especially iron (Fe). QUIN can form coordination complexes with iron. A combination of differential pulse voltammetry, deoxyribose degradation and Fe(II) autoxidation assays was used for e...