Identification of Potential SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Spike Protein Inhibitors from the Genus Aloe: An In Silico Study for Drug Development

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease is a global rapidly spreading virus showing very high rates of complications and mortality. Till now, there is no effective specific treatment for the disease. Aloe is a rich source of isolated phytoconstituents that have an enormous range of biological activities. Since there are no available experimental techniques to examine these compounds for antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, we employed an in silico approach involving molecular docking, dynamics simulation, and binding free energy calculation using SARS-CoV-2 essential proteins as main protease and spike protein to identify lead compounds from Aloe that may help in novel drug discovery. Results retrieved from docking and molecular dynamics simulation suggested a number of promising inhibitors from Aloe. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) calculations indicated that compounds 132, 134, and 159 were the best scoring compounds against main protease, while compounds 115, 120, and 131 were the best scoring ones against spike glycoprotein. Compounds 120 and 131 were able to achieve significant stability and binding free energies during molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, the highest scoring compounds were investigated for their pharmacokinetic properties and drug-likeness. The Aloe compounds are promising active phytoconstituents for drug development for SARS-CoV-2.     

On the practical global uniform asymptotic stability of stochastic differential equations

The method of Lyapunov functions is one of the most effective ones for the investigation of stability of dynamical systems, in particular, of stochastic differential systems. The main purpose of the paper is the analysis of the stability of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) by using Lyapunov functions when the origin is not necessarily an equilibrium point. The global uniform boundedness and the global practical uniform exponential stability of solutions of SDEs based on Lyapunov techniques are investigated. Furthermore, an example is given to illustrate the applicability of the main result.     

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate Production by Fast-Growing Rhizobia Cultivated in Sludge and in Industrial Wastewater

In our study, the potential of producing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by cultivating fast-growing rhizobia (Sinorhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae, R. leguminosarum bv. phaseoli and R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii) in sludge and in industrial wastewater was evaluated. Results confirmed the possibility of using sludge as media for rhizobial growth. During growth, substantial quantity of PHB was accumulated and yields varied depending on the media and rhizobial species. Growing in sludge, PHB production did not exceed 3.7% w/w for all strains at the end of experiment (after 72 h). During the growth of S. meliloti, PHB yield varied and the maximum value reached 7.27% w/w after 60 h, with 1% Total Suspend Solid (TSS) sludge. Alkaline sludge pre-treatment affects rhizobial growth but did not improve the PHB accumulation. While growing S. meliloti in industrial wastewater, the PHB yields varied and the highest value was obtained with slaughterhouse wastewater (10.7% w/w) after 35 h of growth. Therefore, this work shows the potential of exploiting PHB production by rhizobia growing in wastewater or sludge which could be applied to bioplastic industry, and confirms the potential of these recyclable wastes for high production of rhizobial cells useable for legumes inoculants production. This study provides an environmentally sound way of sludge and wastewater management and use in diverse biotechnological applications.     

Image restoration and edge detection by topological asymptotic expansion

A new method for edge detection and image restoration is proposed. This method is based on topological gradient approach. Experimental results obtained on noisy images illustrate the capabilities of this promising method in image processing. To cite this article: L.J. Belaid et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 342 (2006).     

Towards gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling protocols for both identifying and quantification essential oils of Thymus capitatus Hoff et Link

Essential oil of Thymus capitatus Hoff et Link is analysed by using four techniques: GC/pyrolyse/MS, GC/FID, electronic impact GC/MS (quadripole), and GC/MS (ion trap). Both major and trace components are analysed. The GC/pyrolyse/MS coupling provides reference to the exact mass compositions without any need of the previously purified references, neither for major or trace components. The comparison between this reference analysis and GC/FID shows that the FID response coefficients may vary by a mean 7% from one component to another. As it was expected, quadripole or ion trap response coefficients vary to a much greater extent (a mean 25%), although the two MS techniques response coefficients are first order consistent. We conclude that GC/MS coupling could be used not only as it is usual for reliable identifications, but also for a complete quantitative routine analysis of essential oils. Expected precision could be very similar to GC/FID precision provided correcting species by species the MS analysis by a mean value of the response coefficient measured for the MS 70 eV electronic impact ionisation technologies. The GC/pyrolyse/MS coupling is proposed as a relevant tool for analysing reference samples containing trace natural species that could not be purified.     

Three-component,one-pot synthesis of pyrano[3,2-c]chromene derivatives catalyzed by ammonium acetate: Synthesis,characterization, cation binding,and biological determination

Three-component reaction of arylaldehydes with malononitrile and 4-hydroxycoumarine using CH₃COONH₄ as a catalyst at reflux was used for the synthesis of novel substituted pyrano[3,2-c]chromene derivatives. The structure of these compounds was assigned by spectroscopic data such as (IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, and mass spectral data). The cation binding properties of chromene derivatives 4a-c towards Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺ were studied in methanol. The results showed that Zn²⁺ is the most complexed in this series of cations, and 4c is best complexed with either Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺. Antimicrobial properties of new pyrano[3,2-c]chromene derivatives are investigated, the compound 4c presents against Micrococcus luteus LB 14110 an MIC value of 0.0185 mg/mL quite better to that of ampicillin (0.0195 mg/mL) used as standard. Concerning acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity (AChEI), compound 4c presents an interesting AChEI activity with an inhibition of 52%.     

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of a new μ-hydroxo dinuclear cobalt complex containing one cis-β folded and one planar salen moiety

The reduction of [Co(III)(tmsalen)(py)₂]⁺ with NaBH₄/PdCl₂ and the successive oxidative addition of CH₂ClI, carried out in neutral methanolic solution and followed by the addition of NaOH, afford a new dinuclear complex. The molecular structure reveals that it is formed by an octahedral [Co(tmsalen)(py)(OH)] unit connected to a β-folded [Co(tmsalenCH₂)]⁺ fragment, in such a way that the latter metal completes the coordination sphere with the hydroxo group and a tmsalen oxygen from the former unit.     

Alternative cocrystallization of “almost” enantiomers and true enantiomers in some cis-β-organocobalt salen-type complexes with α-amino acids

The reaction of a chiral cis-β-organocobalt salen-type complex, 1, racemic mixture of Δ and Λ enantiomers, with enantiomerically pure l-histidine and a non-chiral monocationic cobalt complex, 3, resulted quite unexpectedly in the cocrystallization of diastereomers. Each diastereomer is a dicobalt monocationic complex, where four positions around one metal center are occupied by the tetradentate ligand in a cis fashion, the remaining two positions being occupied by l-histidinate. Histidinate further axially coordinates the other Co atom through the nitrogen of the imidazole residue. The two diastereomers are related by a quasi-symmetry center. In this case, the opposite helical chirality of the metal complex 1 prevails over the identical configuration of the asymmetric carbon in the crystallization process and the diastereomers behave as if they were enantiomers.The reaction of the same cobalt complexes 1 and 3 with dl-histidine led to the formation of two pairs of enantiomers, which crystallized separately as racemic compound. Therefore, in this case, the chirality of the asymmetric center is the property that allows the mutual selective recognition of the “true” enantiomers and drives their cocrystallization.     

Calixarene-Based Dendrimers. A Timely Review

This timely review focuses on the synthesis of dendrimers from calix[4]arenes and thiacalix[4]arenes. Some interesting features of these calix-dendrimers are given.     

A New Approach to Dendrimers made from p-tert-Butyl Calix[4]arenes

A new family of hyperbranched molecules and dendrimers has been constructed from a diamide–dicalix derivative prepared from monocarbomethoxymethyl p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (‘tren’) via amide-formation reactions. The selective 1,3-di-O-functionalization of p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene moieties allows the synthesis of first- (G1) and second-generation (G2) calix-dendrimers. Replacement of the quadridentate amine by a trithia-ether-triamine-mono-ol, ’hyten’, again results in acylation of the amino groups, but with the generation of a central cavity with different complexing properties.

A new family of hyperbranched molecules and dendrimers has been constructed from a diamide–dicalix derivative prepared from monocarbomethoxymethyl p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (‘tren’) via amide-formation reactions. The selective 1,3-di-O-functionalization of p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene moieties allows the synthesis of first- (G1) and second-generation (G2) calix-dendrimers