Synthesis of CuS and ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanoparticles and their evaluation for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities

In this study, the copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS‐NPs) and the zinc oxide/zinc hydroxide nanoparticles ((ZnO/Zn(OH)₂‐NPs) were synthesized by a simple and low‐cost method, and the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized and identified by UV–Vis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The antimicrobial activity of the CuS‐NPs and the ZnO/Zn(OH)₂‐NPs were examined by broth dilution to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibacterial agent required to inhibit the growth of a pathogen and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) required to kill a particular bacterium. Agar disc diffusion method was used to determine the zone of inhibition. The nanoparticles demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 1827), Acinetobacter baumannii (ATCC 150504), Escherichia coli (ATCC 33218) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25293). Antifungal activity against Aspergillus oryzae (PTCC 5164) was also obtained. The data obtained from antimicrobial activities by broth dilution and agar disc diffusion methods exhibited the CuS‐NPs were more effective than the ZnO/Zn(OH)₂‐NPs. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained by both methods.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of the Tetracyclic Ring-System of Isocryptolepine and Regioisomers for Antimalarial,Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Activities

A series of novel quinoline-based tetracyclic ring-systems were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their antiplasmodial, antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities. The novel hydroiodide salts 10 and 21 showed the most promising antiplasmodial inhibition, with compound 10 displaying higher selectivity than the employed standards. The antiproliferative assay revealed novel pyridophenanthridine 4b to be significantly more active against human prostate cancer (IC₅₀ = 24 nM) than Puromycin (IC₅₀ = 270 nM) and Doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 830 nM), which are used for clinical treatment. Pyridocarbazoles 9 was also moderately effective against all the employed cancer cell lines and moreover showed excellent biofilm inhibition (9a: MBIC = 100 µM; 9b: MBIC = 100 µM).     

Effects of Fermentation and Storage on Bioactive Activities in Milks and Yoghurts

Fermentation of milk enhances its nutritional value through improved bioavailability of nutrients and production of bioactive substances which have biological functions. The goals of this research were to study the effect of fermentation and storage on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in buffalo, goat and cow milks and yoghurts. Samples of buffalo, goat, cow milks and their yoghurts during their fermentation and storage were determined for proximate analysis and bioactive activities including antioxidant activities of DPPH, ABTS and reducing power assays, and antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Results showed that buffalo, cow and goat yoghurts had antioxidant activities in all assays and their activities significantly increased during their fermentation. Pasteurization did not affect the antioxidant activities. The activities of all yoghurts remained unchanged after a storage time of 21 days at 4 °C. For the antimicrobial activities, only yoghurts from buffalo, cow and goat milks had the activities, while all milks did not show any activities. However, buffalo yoghurt could inhibit only Gram positive strains (S. aureus and B. cereus), while goat and cow yoghurt inhibited all tested strains. A chemical responsible for antimicrobial activities in yoghurts was lactic acid formed by lactic acid bacteria. However, bioactive peptides produced by protein digestion during milk fermentation by lactic acid bacteria could not be ruled out for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities present. The antimicrobial activities of all yoghurts remained constant during their storage. It is concluded that all yoghurts would retain milk nutrition and bioactive functions during their storage in a refrigerator and may be served as a functional food with benefits from those activities for consumers.     

Portuguese Propolis Antitumoral Activity in Melanoma Involves ROS Production and Induction of Apoptosis

Melanoma is the most aggressive and life-threatening skin cancer type. The melanoma genome is the most frequently mutated, with the BRAF mutation present in 40–60% of melanoma cases. BRAF-mutated melanomas are characterized by a higher aggressiveness and progression. Adjuvant targeted treatments, such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors, are added to surgical excision in BRAF-mutated metastatic melanomas to maximize treatment effectiveness. However, resistance remains the major therapeutic problem. Interest in natural products, like propolis, for therapeutic applications, has increased in the last years. Propolis healing proprieties offer great potential for the development of novel cancer drugs. As the activity of Portuguese propolis has never been studied in melanoma, we evaluated the antitumoral activity of propolis from Gerês (G18.EE) and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol) in A375 and WM9 melanoma cell lines. Results from DPPH•/ABTS• radical scavenging assays indicated that the samples had relevant antioxidant activity, however, this was not confirmed in the cell models. G18.EE and its fractions decreased cell viability (SRB assay) and promoted ROS production (DHE/Mitotracker probes by flow cytometry), leading to activation of apoptotic signaling (expression of apoptosis markers). Our results suggest that the n-BuOH fraction has the potential to be explored in the pharmacological therapy of melanoma.     

Microbiological and Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Compounds in Olive Leaf Extract

According to many reports, phenolic compounds isolated from olive leaves have very good biological activities, especially antimicrobial. Presently, the resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics is greater than ever. Therefore, there are numerous recent papers about alternative solutions for inhibiting their influence on human health. Olive leaf is studied as an important source of antimicrobials with low cost and used in medicine. Numerous publications on involving green technologies for isolation of active compounds from olive leaves have appeared over the past few decades. The present review reports on current knowledge of the most isolated phenolic compounds from olive leaf extract as well as methods for their isolation and characterization. This paper uses recent research findings with a wide range of study models to describe the antimicrobial potential of phenolic compounds. It also describes the vast range of information about methods for determination of antimicrobial potential focusing on effects on different microbes. Additionally, it serves to highlight the role of olive leaf extract as an antioxidants and presents methods for determination of antioxidant potential. Furthermore, it provides an overview of presence of enzymes. The significance of olive leaves as industrial and agricultural waste is emphasized by means of explaining their availability, therapeutic and nutritional effects, and research conducted on this field.     

Synthesis,biological evaluation,and molecular docking study of pyridine clubbed 1,3,4-oxadiazoles as potential antituberculars

A series of pyridine clubbed 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives were efficiently synthesized, characterized by standard spectral techniques and evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H₃₇Ra and Mycobacterium bovis BCG in active and dormant state using an established methods. Compounds 5a, 5m, and 5t were identified as the most active compounds against MTB. Molecular docking was performed against MTB enoyl-ACP (CoA) reductase (FabI/ENR/InhA) enzyme to predict the binding modes and affinity. The theoretical predictions from molecular docking could establish a link between the observed biological activity and the binding affinity shedding light into specific bonded and non-bonded interactions influencing the activity. The active compounds were studied for cytotoxicity against three cell lines and were found to be non-cytotoxic. Specificity of these compounds was checked by screening them for their antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains.     

Synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of some novel sulfonamide derivatives

A simple and convenient method for the synthesis of biologically active sulfonamide derivatives was achieved. All the title compounds were characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. They were further screened in vitro for their abilities towards antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. The compound N,N'-(3,3′-dimethoxybiphenyl-4,4′-diyl)bis(4-fluorobenzenesulfonamide) (5b) and N-(3-(9H-carbazol-4-yloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl)-4-fluoro-N-isopropylbenzenesulfonamide (5e) exhibited good activity when compared to the standard bactericide, Chloramphenicol and fungicide, Ketoconazole respectively. The compounds (2S)-N-((2S,4S)-5-(4-Chloro-phenylsulfonamido)-4-hydroxy-1, 6-diphenylhexan-2-yl)-3-methyl-2-(2-oxotetrahydropyrim-idin-1(2H)-yl)butan-amide (4f) and (2S)-N-((2S,4S)-5-(4-fluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-hydroxy-1,6-diphenyl-hexan-2-yl)-3-methyl-2-(2-oxotetrahydropyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)bu-tana-mide (5f) exhibited good antioxidant activity when compared with standard antioxidant, Ascorbic acid.     

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Lavender,Mint, and Rosemary Essential Oils and the Effect of Their Vapours on Growth of Penicillium spp. in a Bread Model System

The chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties of three commercially available essential oils: rosemary (REO), lavender (LEO), and mint (MEO), were determined in the current study. Our data revealed that the major components of REO, MEO, and LEO were 1,8-cineole (40.4%), menthol (40.1%), and linalool acetate (35.0%), respectively. The highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity was identified in MEO (36.85 ± 0.49%) among the investigated EOs. Regarding antimicrobial activities, we found that LEO had the strongest inhibitory efficiencies against the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida (C.) tropicalis, MEO against Salmonella (S.) enterica, and REO against Staphylococcus (S.) aureus. The strongest antifungal activity was displayed by mint EO, which totally inhibited the growth of Penicillium (P.) expansum and P. crustosum in all concentrations; the growth of P. citrinum was completely suppressed only by the lowest MEO concentration. The lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against S. enterica, S. aureus, and C. krusei were assessed for MEO. In situ analysis on the bread model showed that 125 µL/L of REO exhibited the lowest mycelial growth inhibition (MGI) of P. citrinum, and 500 µL/L of MEO caused the highest MGI of P. crustosum. Our results allow us to make conclusion that the analysed EOs have promising potential for use as innovative agents in the storage of bakery products in order to extend their shelf-life.     

Succinct and Facile Synthesis of Innovative Thiopyrimidines With Antimicrobial and Antitubercular Investigation

Abstract

To develop a series of bioactive heterocycles in minimum number of steps, 3-methyl- 4-(substituted phenyl)-1-phenyl-4,8-dihydropyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine-5,7 (1H,6H)-dithione 2(a–j), 4-(4-substituted phenyl)-5-imino-3-methyl-1,6-diphenyl-4,5,6,8-tetrahydropyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine-7(1H)-thione 3(a–j), and N-[4-(subs- tituted phenyl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-7-thioxo-1,4,7,8-hexahydropyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine-5-yl]thiourea 4(a–j) have been synthesized from amino nitrile functionality 1(a–j). The structures of the compounds were elucidated by IR, ¹H NMR, elemental analysis, and some representative ¹³C NMR and mass spectra. All the title compounds were screened for antimicrobial and antitubercular activities, while some representative compounds were tested for antioxidant activity. Out of synthesized compounds, compounds 1j (4-CH₃), 2d (4-F), 4c (4-OH), and 4i (3-Br) exhibited maximum inhibition against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis H₃₇Rv. Compound 3c (4-OH) revealed elevated efficacy against all tested bacterial strain, while compounds 1i (3-Br), 2c (4-OH), and 3h (3-NO₂) were found efficacious against Candida albicans as compared to standard drugs.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Pharmacological Potential and Chemical Composition of Crocus sativus Leaf Extracts

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) has been traditionally used as a food coloring or flavoring agent, but recent research has shown its potent pharmacological activity to tackle several health-related conditions. Crocus sp. leaves, and petals are the by-products of saffron production and are not usually used in the medicine or food industries. The present study was designed to determine the chemical composition of the water and ethanolic extracts of C. sativus leaves and test their cytotoxic activity against melanoma (IGR39) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines by MTT assay. We also determined their anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral activities. HPLC fingerprint analysis showed the presence of 16 compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids, xanthones, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids, which could contribute to the extracts’ biological activities. For the first time, compounds such as tectoridin, iristectorigenin B, nigricin, and irigenin were identified in Crocus leaf extracts. The results showed that mangiferin (up to 2 mg/g dry weight) and isoorientin (8.5 mg/g dry weight) were the major active ingredients in the leaf extracts. The ethanolic extract reduced the viability of IGR39 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with EC₅₀ = 410 ± 100 and 330 ± 40 µg/mL, respectively. It was more active than the aqueous extract. Kaempferol and quercetin were identified as the most active compounds. Our results showed that Crocus leaves contain secondary metabolites with potent cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.     

1,2,4-三唑类化合物的合成及其农用活性研究进展

1,2,4-三唑类化合物是生物活性分子的重要结构单元,具有多种药理活性,特别是在抗真菌、杀虫和除草等农用活性方面得到广泛应用。本文对部分1,2,4-三唑环上的活性位点改性研究及其在农用活性方面的应用进行了总结归纳,期望为后期该类化合物的设计合成及农用活性研究提供参考和借鉴。     

Intracellular uptake and photodynamic activity of water-soluble [60]- and [70]fullerenes incorporated in liposomes

Water-soluble fullerenes have attracted attention as promising compounds that have been used to forge new paths in the field of photo-biochemistry. To prepare water-soluble fullerenes, we employed lipid-membrane-incorporated fullerenes (LMICx; x=60 or 70) by using the fullerene exchange method from a gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) cavity to vesicles. LMIC60 have low toxicity in the dark and engender cell death by photoirradiation (lambda>350 nm). Furthermore, the photodynamic activity of LMIC70 is 4.7-fold that of LMIC60 for the same photon flux (lambda>400 nm). One of the reasons for the higher phototoxicity of LMIC70 is the higher generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) in LMIC70 than in LMIC60. The difference between LMIC60 and LMIC70 is considered to be simply derived from the amount of light absorption in the 400-700 nm region that is suitable for photodynamic therapy (PDT). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case in which biological activity of C70 and its derivatives toward HeLa cells has been assayed.     

Biological Activity of Essential Oils of Four Juniper Species and Their Potential as Biopesticides

The objective of this study was to assess the biological activity of essential oils (EOs) of four Juniperus species obtained via two different distillation methods and their potential as biopesticides. The studied factors were juniper species (Juniperus communis L., J. oxycedrus L., J. pygmaea C. Koch., and J. sibirica Burgsd), plant sex (male (M) and female (F)), and distillation method (hydrodistillation via a standard Clevenger apparatus (ClevA) and semi-commercial (SCom) steam distillation). The hypothesis was that the EO will have differential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities as a function of plant species, plant sex, and distillation method. The two distillation methods resulted in similar EO composition within a given species. However, there were differences in the EO content (yield) due to the sex of the plant, and also differences in the proportions of some EO components. The concentration of α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene and δ-cadinol was dissimilar between the EO of M and F plants within all four species. Additionally, M and F plants of J. pygmaea, and J. sibirica had significantly different concentrations of sabinene within the respective species. The EOs obtained via ClevA extraction showed higher antioxidant capacity within a species compared with those from SCom extraction. All of the tested EOs had significant repellent and insecticidal activity against the two aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi (bird cherry-oat aphid) and Sitobion avenae (English grain aphid) at concentrations of the EO in the solution of 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. The tested EOs demonstrated moderate activity against selected pathogens Fusarium spp., Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Cylindrocarpon pauciseptatum. The results demonstrate that the standard ClevA would provide comparable EO content and composition in comparison with SCom steam distillation; however, even slight differences in the EO composition may translate into differential bioactivity.     

B环取代的新型磺烷酮衍生物的合成及杀菌活性

植物抗毒素;构效关系;B环取代的新型磺烷酮衍生物的合成及杀菌活性