Browsing by Author "Ozdemir Tozlu, Ozlem"

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Assessment of Subacute Toxicity of Ulexite in Rats: Behavioral, Hematological, and Biochemical Insights
(Springer Nature, 2025) Turkez, Hasan; Ozdemir Tozlu, Ozlem; Yildiz, Edanur; Saracoglu, Melik; Baba, Cem; Cinar, Burak; Cadirci, Kenan
Ulexite (UX), a naturally occurring borate mineral, has gained interest for its diverse industrial applications, yet its toxicological profile remains inadequately characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the subacute toxicity of UX in rats, focusing on behavioral, hematological, and biochemical parameters. Rats were administered UX via gavage at doses of 10, 30, and 300 mg/kg for 7 days. No mortality or significant signs of toxicity were observed, although body weight measurements indicated a notable reduction in the UX-treated groups compared to controls. Behavioral assessments demonstrated increased exploratory activity in the 10 and 300 mg/kg UX treated groups, suggesting low anxiety levels. Likewise, hematological analysis revealed that 30 and 300 mg/kg UX led a significant (P < 0.001) increase in hematocrit and a decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P < 0.001), indicating potential changes in erythropoiesis. Additionally, serum biochemistry showed elevated aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.05), lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.001), and uric acid levels (P < 0.01), suggesting liver stress. Histopathological examinations indicated dose-dependent alterations, with mild hepatocellular degeneration and neuronal changes observed at the highest dose. Also, MN levels in the blood of rats exposed to 10 and 30 mg/kg UX showed no significant differences. These results suggest that UX is relatively safe at lower doses, though higher exposures may pose health risks. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying UX-induced effects and to evaluate its safety for therapeutic and occupational applications.
The in Vitro Cytotoxic, Genotoxic, and Oxidative Damage Potentials of the Oral Artificial Sweetener Aspartame on Cultured Human Blood Cells
(TÜBİTAK Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2020) Cadirci, Kenan; Ozdemir Tozlu, Ozlem; Turkez, Hasan; Mardinoglu, Adil
Background/aim: Aspartame (APM, L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methylester) is a low-calorie, nonsaccharide artificial sweetener widely used in foods and beverages. When metabolized by the body, APM is broken down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine amino acids, and a third substance, methanol. Since the amino acid phenylalanine serves as a neurotransmitter building block affecting the brain, and methanol is converted into toxic formaldehyde, APM has deleterious effects on the body and brain. Thus, its safety and, toxicity have been the subjects of concern ever since it was first discovered. Although many studies have been performed on it, due to the presence of conflicting data in the literature, there are still numerous question marks concerning APM. Therefore, the safety of aspartame was tested using in vitro methods. Materials and methods: We aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects by using 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase release tests, genotoxic damage potential by using chromosome aberration (CA) assay, and antioxidant/oxidant activity by using total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) analysis in primary human whole blood cell cultures. Results: The results of the MTT test showed that APM led to significant decreases in cell viability in a clear concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, an increase in CA frequency was found in the cells treated with APM. However, APM treatments did not cause any significant changes in TAC and TOS levels in whole blood cultures. Conclusion: Overall, the obtained results showed that APM had genotoxicity potential and a concentration-dependent cytotoxic activity in human blood cells.
Synthesis of Alnustone-Like Diarylpentanoids Via a 4+1 Strategy and Assessment of Their Potential Anticancer Activity
(TÜBİTAK Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2023) Celebioglu, Neslihan; Ozdemir Tozlu, Ozlem; Turkez, Hasan; Secen, Hasan
Twelve compounds with a 1,5-diaryl-1-penten-3-one structure were synthesized and their cytotoxic activities were evaluated. The 1,5-diaryl-1-penten-3-one compounds were obtained via in situ enaminations of 4-phenyl-2-butanone and 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2butanone in the presence of pyrrolidine-AcOH, followed by condensation with six different benzaldehydes. The synthesized compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity against human glioblastoma (U87-MG), breast (MCF-7), and prostate (PC-3) cancer cell lines. Some of the novel compounds exhibited remarkable cytotoxic action, especially against MCF-7 cancer cells.