Award-Winning Parma! Vegan Parmesan Offers Cheese Lovers A Delectably Nutritious Range of Dairy-Free, Protein-Rich Condiments Ideal For Main Dishes, Salads, Pizza & More!
Parma! Debuts Bold New Website As Company Continues Major Expansion
MEDFORD, OREGON, JUNE 27, 2020 - With just the right condiment, a plain salad becomes a festival of flavors, a plate of vegetables transforms into a delectable stroll through a country garden, and an ordinary bowl of pasta becomes a savory work of art. And perhaps no condiment covers as many different foods and as many different cultures as classic Italian Parmesan cheese.
Unfortunately, for vegans or anyone following a dairy-free and/or calorie-conscious diet, parmesan cheese has always been not only off limits but one of the most difficult of life’s little indulgences to forego. If only someone, somewhere, could create a non-dairy parmesan cheese alternative so authentically delectable that even the most discerning cheese lovers would never miss its conventional counterpart ever again!
Well, luckily for countless millions of us, someone has. Welcome to the next revolution within the booming vegan cheese category – Parma!
Created in Oregon just over 15 years ago by Sister River Foods’ founder Shannon Schnibbe (Tofurky founder Seth Tibbott is an ongoing Advisor), Parma! was established in response to a rapidly-growing need within the vegetarian marketplace for a breakthrough allergen-free parmesan alternative.
Comprised of four deliciously distinct varieties – including Better Than Bacon Parma! –voted Favorite Bacon-Flavored Product in 2017 by VegNews magazine – Parma! is a plant-based umami superfood line of convenient and affordable products that are Paleo and Keto-friendly, a complete protein, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO and Certified Kosher.
In addition, all four raw nut and seed-based Parma! flavors contain whole raw ingredients, are low in sodium, heart-healthy, packed with essential B vitamins and trace minerals, replete with beneficial animo acids and an excellent source of healthy oils.
Enjoying its most successful period of growth to date in terms of both distribution and revenue, Parma! late last month introduced an ambitious new website featuring easy navigation, boldly colorful images and graphics, exciting new recipes and convenient shopping options.
A World Of Flavor
Available in health stores nationwide as well as on the brand new www.eatparma.com site, Amazon, VitaCost and other online retailers, Parma! is ideal for environmentally conscious consumers, vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and all health conscious eaters. Unlike some other vegan cheese alternatives, Parma! has also proven highly appealing to mainstream cheese aficionados who are ready to eschew traditional cheese so long as a healthier option boasting authentic flavor, aroma and texture is available.
Sold in 3.5 and 7-ounce bottles, Parma! can be savored on pasta, lightly steamed vegetables, pizza, salads, potatoes, avocado toast, popcorn and countless other hor d'oeuvres, main dishes and desserts. For suggested recipes, please visit https://eatparma.com/cat egory/recipes/.
Parma! varieties include:
Original Parma! – Featuring an irresistiblycheesey umami flavor. Ingredients: Nutritional Yeast, Organic SunflowerSeeds, Walnuts, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Organic Hemp Seeds.
Better Than Bacon Parma! – Voted Favorite Bacon FlavoredProduct by VegNews and featuring a smokey cheesey umami bacon flavor. Ingredients: Nutritional Yeast, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Ground Paprika, Organic Dried Onion, Natural Flavor, Organic Brown Sugar, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Smoked Salt, Organic Hemp Seeds.
Chipotle Cayenne Parma! – Blessed with a smokey umami flavor akin to the most popular barbeque potato chips, with a slight cayenne kick at the end. Ingredients: Nutritional Yeast, Organic SunflowerSeeds, Walnuts, Organic Ground Chipotle Pepper, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Ground Cayenne Pepper.
Garlicky Green Parma! – Distinguished by acheesey umami Italian herb flavour complemented by nutritiously delicious kelp, pumpkin and sesame seeds. Ingredients: Nutritional Yeast, Organic SunflowerSeeds, Walnuts, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, OrganicDried Garlic, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Kelp Powder, Organic Dried Basil, Organic Dried Oregano.
For parmesan lovers in Europe (in other words – just about everyone!), Parma! also offers a specially branded line called Shake! Original featuring a mouth-wateringly cheesey umami flavor and such ingredients as nutritional yeast, raw organic sunflower seeds, raw walnuts, raw organic pumpkin seeds, raw organic hemp seeds, and Himalayan crystal salt.
Parma! is expected to introduce a bold new line of products to the U.S. marketplace later this year.
Only The Beginning
Founded in 2004, Parma! has steadily grown to its current status as a leader in the dairy-free cheese alternative arena and a key player in the multi-billion-dollar global vegan food category.
Looking back on the origins of the Parma! brand, Sister River Foods’ co-founder and CEO Shannon Schnibbe recalls that it all started as the result of her severe allergies and effort to find foods that might give her relief. Introduced to raw foods, she was soon inspired to begin making what is now Parma! for herself, friends and family. After moving to Oregon and becoming pregnant with her first baby, she decided to combine her passion for healthy eating with her corporate experience and turn her hobby into an actual business. The vegan parmesan revolution had begun!
Today, Shannon takes special pride not only in the rave reviews, industry honors, new distribution channels and increased sales Parma! has enjoyed in recent years, but in her brand’s ability to provide a more nutritious yet equally delicious alternative for those who have been missing out on one of life’s true culinary pleasures – parmesan cheese.
According to Tofurky founder Seth Tibbott, "Like Tofurky, Parma is an authentic, trailblazing brand with deep roots that took hold when the plant-based world was very young. I love that it is a family owned business run by kind, passionate people producing a wholesome vegan food with exceptional flavor."
Adds Shannon, “Parma! gives you that cheesey flavor without all the dairy baggage. It provides an excellent food source of high-quality vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, omega 3’s and trace minerals, along with the natural goodness of hemp, and it tastes great! We’re deeply grateful for the exceptionally warm reception our brand has received from consumers and industry leaders since our very first days on the market and look forward to continuing to shake up the dairy-free industry for many, many years to come.”
###
The Buddha And The Badass Helps Us Change How We Work From The Inside Out In The Future
San Francisco, CA, July 6, 2020 - Millions of employees are facing massive challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19, resulting in real transformations in the way we view the traditional workplace. In the wake of the current social climate, these monumental shifts not only incorporate the way we work, but also how large corporations are exhibiting leadership and supporting growth for employees. Vishen Lakhiani, New York Timesbestselling author and founder of leading personal growth company, is joining the conversation by sharing his wisdom and learnings from his second book, The Buddha and The Badass: The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work (Rodale Books).
The average person in the developed world spends 70 percent of their waking hours at work and is miserable for most of those hours. Lakhiani's ‘bible for changing the nature of work’ has already hit the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at No. 9 on the ‘Advice/How to list’, and is completely disrupting our most deeply-held career beliefs and the myth that hard work and hustle are the paths to success. The only way to make a tangible difference is to break free from traditional ways of thinking and embrace today's workplace evolution.
“This book is about the way we work today—because the way we work is utterly broken. But let me warn you that this book is not about business in any conventional sense. It’s about transforming the way you work from the inside out—and how that internal change can ripple out to your world . . . I’d like it to be the bible for changing the nature of work,” -says Lakhiani.
The book illustrates the need to rethink the tired daily routine and redefine our attitudes by learning to awaken the Buddha mindset—the model of the spiritual master, and the Badass mindset—the inner changemaker seeking to make a significant impact on improving the lives of others. If readers integrate the critical skill sets of each powerful archetype, they will begin to work from a space of purpose and prosperity and make conscious shifts in the ways they approach work.
Whether you are an entrepreneur growing your own business or striving to strengthen your leadership skills, The Buddha and The Badass will shake up those old belief systems about the common career approach to help readers achieve the ultimate goal of an extraordinary work-life balance. For more on the book and to get a copy, please visit www.mindvalley.com. Those who pre-ordered the book gain access to live coaching sessions with Lakhiani and are enrolled in ‘Be Extraordinary at Work,’ one of Mindvalley’s top programs for corporate culture.
About the Author:
Vishen Lakhiani is one of today’s most influential minds in the fields of personal growth and human consciousness. He is the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, the world’s leading online personal growth education company, and behind several top-ranking health and wellness apps. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of The Code of The Extraordinary Mind, which peaked at number one globally on Amazon five times in 2017 and has been translated into more than 25 languages. With an incredible passion and drive to unite humanity and challenge the status quo, he has built a movement of growth-seekers, spanning 195 countries, engaging more than 15 million followers on social media, and half-a-million students online each year. Vishen is focused on expanding Mindvalley's global presence by bringing its teachers, technology and programs into 100 national school systems and every company in the Fortune 500 over the next decade. On June 9, 2020, Rodale Books published his latest bestselling book The Buddha and The Badass: The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work.
The Buddha and The Badass: The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work
Rodale Books
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781984823397
###
Hey guys and gals! Welcome back to the Train It Right Life. On this episode I get a bit personal about the fear of being lonely and getting out of your own way. You are always in control and remember nothing ever lasts. I hope you enjoy and feel free to drop a review or stars!
Post-grad courses in dementia care offer greater chances of career progression, say graduatesMake the leap to higher education and gain deeper understanding and chance to affect real change
01 July 2020 For many professionals working in the dementia care sector, the idea of embarking on a post graduate course while juggling already busy lives might seem daunting but those who have completed the process explain here why going back into education was one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives.Busy mum Kate Lester completed her MSc in Dementia Studies last year and urged anyone considering a post-grad course to apply.“I decided to apply for the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies course as my life had hit a plateau. The prospect of being nearly 30, with a soon to be three-year-old son, made me realise I needed to focus on achieving a new goal. I loved my job as a dementia care coordinator, but I wanted to further my knowledge in dementia care practice.“The idea of having to give up work to go and study at University full-time was daunting. The fact the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies course was three years, part-time and distance learning was perfect. The course enabled me to gain confidence in order to not only embrace change but to be the one to make changes within an organisation.“For anyone sitting at home thinking that it’s time they did something for themselves, that they aspire to deliver person-centred care to people living with dementia, or that they just want a new challenge, my advice would be to apply.”Mother-of-two Analisa Smythe, 47, pictured, from Tewksbury, studied for her PhD over seven years while working as a research nurse in Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust. Completing her PhD enabled her to apply for a position as a research matron at Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.She completed her studies remotely and praised the level of support offered at the University.“I got to the stage in my career where I felt like I needed to complete a PhD. I already had a masters but this was about making the transition from following other people’s research to creating my own. It took seven years but the PhD, it was well worth it.”They are not alone - read these graduate blogs about the benefits of MSc and other post-grad courses.Now the University of Bradford is urging more healthcare professionals to consider enrolling on a post-graduate course at its Centre for Applied Dementia Studies. Murna Downs, Professor in Dementia Studies in the Faculty of Health Studies, said: “If you have an ambition to achieve something, it’s then only a matter of getting effective and tailored support. It’s not just a personal gain when you do an MSc or PhD, it's a bonus for society and the community and your professional group because they rate the gain.”The Centre for Applied Dementia Studies is one of the UK’s leading centres for psychosocial research into living well with, and caring well for, people with dementia and their families. It has over 20 years experience of high quality pioneering research underpinned by the values of person-centred care. Its Doctoral Training Centre is one of eight specialist doctoral training centres around the country, funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, as part of its investment in future research leaders.Contact us: The Centre for Applied Dementia Studies runs an MSc Advanced Dementia Studies distance learning course and welcomes potential PhD students.The Centre aims to build research capacity in dementia, creating the future leaders that dementia research needs. FACTFILEThe Centre for Applied Dementia Studies has over 20 years of knowledge and experience in delivering dementia education and training and was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2016 for excellence in Higher and Further dementia educationIt offers part-time distance learning programmes, available to study from anywhere in the worldThe Person-Centred Care model was pioneered at the University of Bradford in the 1990s by the late Professor Tom Kitwood and is still evolving - the model is widely accepted nationally and internationally and embedded in policy such as National Institute of Clinical Excellence GuidelinesOur observational measure and practice development methodology is called Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) - since 2008, 3,616 practitioners have been trained in DCM in the UK and a further 3,189 internationally. DCM is endorsed by the National Audit OfficeThe University also involves ‘Experts by Experience’, who are people living with dementia and carersJune 30 Pictures: Analisa Smythe, post-grad from the University of Bradford and against green background: Murna Downs, Professor in Dementia Studies in the Faculty of Health Studies
Bradford academic working to mitigate BAME Covid riskUniversity teams up with major pharmacy chains to combat risk of Covid-19
01 July 2020 Two major pharmacy chains, Lloyds Pharmacy and Well Pharmacy, are working with Professor Mahendra Patel of the University of Bradford to mitigate the Covid-19 risk to their black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff.Professor Patel, who is Honorary Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Life Sciences and also a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board, has years of experience working with different BAME communities around health inequalities.Recent reports from Public Health England and others have highlighted how BAME communities face an increasing risk of catching Covid-19 and dying from the disease. Professor Patel is supporting Lloyds Pharmacy UK and Well Pharmacy in exploring ways to improve access to their healthcare services amongst BAME communities during the pandemic.Professor Patel has been active on this issue since the start of the crisis. As a UK-born pharmacist of Hindu faith, Professor Patel has been doing extensive outreach work to highlight important health messages to BAME communities in Yorkshire and beyond, in languages other than English, including Gujarati, Hindi/Urdu.Working through eight mosques within Dewsbury and Batley, he was able to reach out to more than 40,000 Muslim members via a video conference Q&A session through Zoom, partly relayed in Gujarati. He has delivered important health messages and information around Covid-19 through various television and radio stations, including a faith TV channel aimed at a largely Sikh audience with over 60,000 viewers, and regional ITV and news programmes.Professor Patel said: “We have known about the health inequalities faced by BAME communities for decades but they have been laid bare by the current crisis. However, the very scale of this crisis also means we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually overturn these inequalities with a vengeance.“BAME communities tend to underreport illness and are less likely to be involved in health research studies. We need to support these communities to come forward with confidence, through targeted messaging that works with, not against, religious, cultural and behavioural attitudes and linguistic divides.“We need to know more about the interplay between the virus and genetic, cultural, behavioural and societal differences in different BAME groups, to understand why they are disproportionately affected.”
Stretching your legs may help prevent diseases such as heart diseases, stroke and diabetes
UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 01.00 GMT 2 JULY 2020
Not for publication or broadcast before this time
New research published today in The Journal of Physiology shows that 12 weeks of easy-to-administer passive stretching helps improve blood flow by making it easier for your arteries to dilate and decreasing their stiffness.
Passive stretching differs from active stretching in that the former involves an external force (another person or gravity) stretching you, whereas active stretching is performed on your own. The changes they observed in blood vessels could have implications for diseases, including the number one global killer, heart disease.
Researchers at the University of Milan assigned 39 healthy participants of both sexes to two groups. The control group didn’t undergo any stretching. The experimental group performed leg stretches 5 times a week for 12 weeks.
Researchers evaluated the effect of passive stretching on the blood flow locally and in the upper arm. They found that the arteries in both the lower leg and upper arm had increased blood flow and dilation when stimulated, along with decreased stiffness.
Both of these changes may have implications for diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes as they are characterized by changes in blood flow control, due to an impaired vascular system.
If this study is replicated in patients with vascular disease, it could indicate whether or not this training method could serve as a new drug-free treatment for improving vascular health and reducing disease risk, especially in people with lower mobility.
Moreover, stretching may also be used during hospitalisation or after surgical interventions, in order to preserve the vascular health when patients have low mobility. It can be also performed at home by carers or family members.
Emiliano Ce, an author on the paper said:
This new application of stretching is especially relevant in the current pandemic period of increased confinement to our homes, where the possibility of performing beneficial training to improve and prevent heart disease, stroke and other conditions is limited.
The Journal of Physiologypublishes advances in physiology which increase our understanding of how our bodies function in health and disease. http://jp.physoc.org
The Physiological Society brings together over 4,000 scientists from over 60 countries. The Society promotes physiology with the public and parliament alike. It supports physiologists by organising world-class conferences and offering grants for research and also publishes the latest developments in the field in its three leading scientific journals, The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. www.physoc.org
Father-Daughter Bond Takes Center Stage In Powerful True Story Of Courage And Undying Love
Fort Wayne, IN, July 1, 2020 — Brittany Moser was a young, happy-go-lucky flight attendant, soaring high above reality, when an incurable disease suddenly brought her down to earth. Rather than buckle under the weight of her fear, she chose to be fearless and embarked upon the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend — her father. Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Lifeis Brittany’s unforgettable story as told by her father Philip Moser.
“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” Moser writes. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”
In 2015, Brittany was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare condition that can lead to adrenal failure. She passed away in 2017.
The book is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on those around her. Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:
1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us; 2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible; 3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored; 4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures; 5. To embrace change as a natural part of life; 6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.
“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”
Author Philip Moser grew up on a farm in Angola, Indiana. After high school, he began working in different aspects of the grocery business, a career that continues to this day. He and his wife, Marilyn Wells, raised two incredible daughters, Camille and Brittany.
Physician-Created App Unveils Remote Check-In Feature to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Medical Practices
TAMPA, FLA. - DocClocker®, a pioneering app that allows patients – for the first time – to receive real-time wait time reporting of their medical providers, has been aggressively preventing the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) nationwide by enabling patients to avoid long waits in medical waiting rooms – limiting exposure risks. Today, the company announced their latest achievement in supporting both providers and patients during the pandemic: DocClocker Remote Check-In.
In the wake of COVID-19, healthcare providers are being forced to rethink the traditional waiting room experience. DocClocker, a medical wait time reporting app that was founded and is run entirely by practicing physicians, is taking that step with the launch of DocClocker Remote Check-In. For the first time, patients can now remotely check-in to their doctor appointments from their car, in addition to receiving real-time wait time reporting; preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus by limiting the exposure of sick patients in waiting rooms.
“Recognizing that the waiting room during the COVID-19 pandemic is a potentially risky place to be, the new DocClocker Remote Check-In enables the healthcare system to function while keeping current best practice recommendations to maintain social distancing,” said Dr. Eric Carter, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of DocClocker.
Healthcare organizations across the United States are successfully using DocClocker to improve patient outcomes, prevent the spread of illness, increase new patient appointment bookings, improve practice online reputation and searchability, and much more. DocClocker can be installed and implemented to any healthcare waiting room in America in mere minutes.
In addition to remote check-ins and receiving real-time wait times, patients can easily locate and select in-network medical providers; selecting by reviewing the provider’s specific information and a display of average wait times. Patients can manage appointments through the app, receive appointment reminders, write reviews and report long waits. DocClocker is free to all patients and is significantly more affordable than basic appointment management tools that have dominated the market in recent years.
About DocClocker: Developed by Fast Pathway Inc, DocClocker brings transparency to the doctor’s waiting room using modern technology to streamline communication between doctors, patients, and their families. For more information about DocClocker, please visit the app’s website at: https://docclocker.com/
Location Information: Fast Pathway Inc 2202 North Westshore Blvd., Suite 200 Tampa, Florida 33607
About Fast Pathway, Inc: Fast Pathway Inc is the developer and operator of the DocClocker® platform and maintains the cloud-based technology for subscribers and users.
If you would rather not receive future communications from Jacobson Strategy, let us know by clicking here. Jacobson Strategy, 6304 Vista Verde Drive East, Gulfport, FL 33707 United States
Summer is here, which normally means it’s time to take a vacation! In the age of the Coronavirus Pandemic, many plans are being changed or curtailed. No matter where you’re going, if you’re not prepared, a potentially amazing holiday can turn out to be the worst. Here are our summer health tips to make sure everything goes smoothly and as safely as possible.
Wash your hands regularly
It might seem obvious, but this is your best and easiest way to stay healthy while you're traveling. Regular handwashing can help prevent COVID-19 transmission as well as more routine illnesses like diarrhea and respiratory infections. Washing up can also help you avoid bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, which can cause major gastrointestinal issues (or even something worse). You’ll also remove germs left from a sneeze or other factors that can cause colds and other illnesses that can ruin your trip.
And consider the health and habits of the people around you. Take antibacterial wipes to deal with germy surfaces, such as a gas pump, door handles, or hotel room surfaces.
Eat and drink in moderation
There’s no shame in indulging when you’re on vacation, but try to keep a balance between occasional splurges and nutritious food. For example, if you're planning a big dinner, try eating light vegetables during the day.
Also, try to eat vegetables at least once daily while traveling. Dark, leafy greens are especially a good choice: They can improve your mood and energy.
To further protect your health, try to eat outdoors whenever possible and avoid smaller, older restaurants. Getting to-go orders is a smart alternative as well and provide the opportunity for a fun family picnic.
Stay hydrated
It can be challenging to drink enough water when you’re busy enjoying the summer and sightseeing. However, dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue and even serious health problems.
Here are some useful tips:
Bring an empty bottle to the airport and fill it at the terminal.
Keep a bottle of water with you everywhere you go — and make sure you bring extra water for any children traveling with you.
Download an app to track your water intake and get notifications.
Get enough sleep
Vacation is a time for both play and rest. If you get less than six hours of sleep per night, even for just a week, you’re more likely to get a common cold than people who sleep more. If your body is thrown off from jet-lag, try taking a melatonin pill on the first night or two in your new environment. This will prepare your body to relax at your new bedtime.
Get some exercise
Even if you need a relaxing vacation where rest is the only thing you've planned, try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Exercising on vacation can help you recover from any stiffness from sleeping in a new bed, and it improves your overall energy level. Consider exercising outdoors and avoiding enclosed gyms and studios.
Use your sunscreen
Days spent at the pool or the beach mean more exposure to the sun’s harmful rays. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and apply it every couple of hours or when you’re sweaty and/or wet. This will reduce your risk for skin cancer. Hats are great extra protection for you and your kids.
Charcoal a weapon to fight superoxide-induced disease, injury Nanomaterials soak up radicals, could aid treatment of COVID-19
HOUSTON – (July 1, 2020) – Artificial enzymes made of treated charcoal could have the power to curtail damaging levels of superoxides, radical oxygen ions that are toxic at high concentrations.
The nanozymes developed by a Texas Medical Center team are highly effective antioxidants that break down damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in abundance in response to an injury or stroke.
The researchers suggested the materials, described in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Applied Nano Materials, could aid treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The biocompatible, highly soluble charcoal is a superoxide dismutase, and was synthesized and tested by scientists at Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Center’s McGovern Medical School and the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
Superoxide dismutases, or SODs, dismantle ROS into ordinary molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. In the project co-led by Rice chemist James Tour, previous materials were successfully tested for their ability to activate the process, including graphene quantum dots drawn from coal and polyethylene glycol-hydrophilic carbon clusters made from carbon nanotubes.
They have now found oxidized charcoal nanoparticles are not only effective antioxidants but can also be made from an activated carbon source that is inexpensive, good manufacturing practice (GMP)-certified and already being used in humans to treat acute poisoning.
“That these nanozymes are made from a GMP source opens the door for drug manufacturers,” said Tour, who led the project with A&M neurologist Thomas Kent and UTHealth biochemist Ah-Lim Tsai. “While coal was effective, an issue is that it can have a variety of toxic metallic elements and impurities that are not consistent across samples. And the clusters made from carbon nanotubes are very expensive.”
The disclike nanozymes are prepared from powdered, medical-grade charcoal oxidized by treatment with highly concentrated nitric acid. The nanozymes teem with oxygen-containing functional groups that bust up superoxides in solution.
Tour noted the nanozymes are able to pass through the membranes of cells’ mitochondria to quench a major source of free radicals without killing the cells themselves. “We published a paperon this recently,” he said. “This seems to be really important to why these work so well in traumatic brain injury and stroke.”
“While speculative that these particles will be helpful in COVID-19, if administration is timed correctly, they could reduce the damaging radicals that accompany the cytokine storm and could be further chemically modified to reduce other injury-causing features of this disease,” Kent said.
Gang Wu, an assistant professor of hematology at McGovern, and Rice graduate student Emily McHugh are co-lead authors of the study. Co-authors are Vladimir Berka, a senior research scientist at McGovern; Rice graduate students Weiyin Chen, Zhe Wang and Jacob Beckham; Rice undergraduate Trenton Roy; and Paul Derry, an assistant professor at Texas A&M’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology.
Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice. Kent is the Robert A. Welch Chair Professor in the Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Texas A&M-Houston Campus and an adjunct chemistry professor at Rice and at Houston Methodist Hospital. Tsai is a professor of hematology at UTHealth.
The National Institutes of Health and the Welch Foundation supported the research.
Artificial enzymes made of treated charcoal, seen in this atomic force microscope image, could have the power to curtail damaging levels of superoxides, toxic radical oxygen ions that appear at high concentrations after an injury. (Credit: Tour Group/Rice University)
Artificial enzymes made of charcoal nanoparticles heavily oxidized with fuming nitric acid (HNO3) could have the power to quench superoxides, toxic radical oxygen ions that appear at high concentrations in organisms after an injury. (Credit: Tour Group/Rice University)
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 4 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
TRAIN IT RIGHT NEWSLETTER
Sign Up and get a free 7 day Train it Right HIIT Program!
