Lipase-catalyzed green synthesis of starch–maleate monoesters and its characterization

The present study reports the green synthesis of starch–maleate (SM) at ambient temperature in solvent-free system using Rhizopus arrhizus lipase as a biocatalyst and maleic acid (MA) as an esterification agent. The synthetic scheme was found to be efficient, economical, and ecofriendly. The newly synthesized SM samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopic techniques. The degree of substitution (DS) was found in the range of 0.53–0.62. Moreover, DS was found to be temperature and time-dependent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) exhibited that maleation did not change the crystalline nature of native starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that size of SM granules was in the range of 4–18 µm. The activation energy (E_a) of SM formation was calculated to be 42.94 kcal mol^?1 which clearly indicated the effective and rapid interaction of functional groups. Hence, the solvent-free solid-state synthetic methodology proved to be excellent for the synthesis of novel biomaterials with appreciable high DS for drug delivery and sorption of heavy metal ions from water.     

“Smart” Polymers: Physicochemical Characteristics and Applications in Bio-Separation Strategies

In recent years, smart polymers (SPs), which are also referred to as bio-responsive polymers, have gained considerable attention as a unique class of polymers and their applications have been increasing significantly. These so-called “smart” polymers, either synthetic or biological, have been defined as “polymers designed to respond or undergo physical and structural conformational changes/rearrangement in response to slight changes in their surrounding environment”. They are categorized as thermo-, pH-, electro- and magneto-responsive polymers. The advances in upstream bio-production stages and the high cost associated with downstream chromatographic techniques have pushed the development of new alternatives. In this context, the use of SPs, in combination with non-chromatographic technologies, represents a useful approach to the development of new downstream operation units. With the key scientific advancements, SPs have become the “next generation” of the bio-separation tool for eco-friendlier and cost-effective purification. This review describes the different characteristics and classifications of various “smart” polymers available for use in bio-separation strategy. Focus is also given to the recent advances in SP inclusion in the improvement of alternative non-chromatographic methods in downstream bioprocessings.     

Crystal structure of benzyl triphenyl phosphonium chlorometallate: Some surface and biological properties of their metallosurfactant derivatives

The crystal structures of benzyl triphenyl phosphonium tri-chloro cupprate (1) and tetra-chloroferrate (2) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The structures contain completely isolated elongated tetrahedral [CuCl₃]^? as dimmers with two bridging and four terminal chlorines (1), and tetrahedral [FeCl₄]^? (2). In designing a metal containing surfactant system, salts (1) and (2) were refluxed with dodecyl amine to form the corresponding metallosurfactants (1a) and (2a) or to hexadecyl pyridinium chloride to form the corresponding cationic metallosurfactants (1b) and (2b), respectively. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of these surfactant metal complexes in aqueous solution were recorded from surface tension measurements. They showed antibacterial activity against the growth of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.     

Phytochemistry,Food Application,and Therapeutic Potential of the Medicinal Plant (Withania coagulans): A Review

Herbal plants have been utilized to treat and cure various health-related problems since ancient times. The use of Ayurvedic medicine is very significant because of its least reported side effects and host of advantages. Withania coagulans (Family; Solanaceae), a valuable medicinal plant, has been used to cure abnormal cell growth, wasting disorders, neural as well as physical problems, diabetes mellitus, insomnia, acute and chronic hepatic ailments. This review provides critical insight regarding the phytochemistry, biological activities, and pharmacognostic properties of W. coagulans. It has been known to possess diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, cardio-protective, hepato-protective, hypoglycemic, anti-oxidative, and anti-mutagenic properties owing to the existence of withanolides, an active compound present in it. Apart from withanolides, W. coagulans also contains many phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, and β-sterols. Several studies indicate that various parts of W. coagulans and their active constituents have numerous pharmacological and therapeutic properties and thus can be considered as a new drug therapy against multiple diseases.     

A Novel Digital Contents Privacy Scheme Based on Kramer’s Arbitrary Spin

The privacy of digital contents plays an important role in digitally advanced era. The transmission of digital information over public networks have extraordinary impact and gradually imperative due to theft and manipulation in contents. In this article, we have suggested a new encryption scheme based on Kramer’s arbitrary spinning in order to provide the confidentiality to digital contents. We have implemented our offered scheme on standard digital images and performed the security performance analyses to authentic the robustness against cryptographic attacks.

     

A comprehensive analysis of electronic transitions in naphthalene and perylene diimide derivatives through computational methods

Perylene diimide (PDI) and naphthalene diimides (NDIs) are compounds widely used in supramolecular structures due to their versatile and functional properties. They have high absorptions and photoluminescence capabilities, which make them ideal for electronic transition studies. Reflux method, a widely employed synthetic technique, was utilized to synthesize NDI and PDI derivatives. In this method, the respective amino acids and NTDA (naphthalene-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic dianhydride) were combined in acetic acid and the resulting mixture was subjected to reflux. This study centered on a diverse set of NDI and PDI ligands, comprising L-ala-NDI, B-ala-NDI, Gly-NDI, Imi-NDI, Pyr-NDI, L-ala-PDI, B-ala-PDI, Gly-PDI, Imi-PDI, and Pyr-PDI ligands. Crystal structures were obtained for three NDI ligands, while the characterization of all ligands involved several analytical techniques such as NMR, IR, UV, DFT, TD-DFT calculations, and single-crystal x-ray crystallography specifically for the NDI ligands. The investigation focused on studying the electron acceptor/donor behavior of the NDI and PDI ligands, identifying their potential for charge transfer applications. Furthermore, the NLO (nonlinear optical) response of all 10 NDI and PDI ligands was assessed through an analysis involving HOMO-LUMO, TDM, EDDM, NCI, Iso-surface, MEP, natural population, and DOS analysis. This evaluation encompassed the examination of linear polarizability, as well as first and second hyperpolarizability in the context of NLO. The findings of the study revealed that Gly-PDI, Imi-PDI, L-ala-PDI, and B-ala-PDI ligands displayed a higher NLO response compared with the other ligands. These results highlight the potential of these ligands for nonlinear optical applications. The comprehensive characterization and assessment of the NDI and PDI ligands contribute to a deeper understanding of their electron properties, positioning them as promising candidates for charge transfer and nonlinear optical materials.     

Phenolics and flavonoids compounds, phenylanine ammonia lyase and antioxidant activity responses to elevated CO₂ in Labisia pumila (Myrisinaceae)

A split plot 3 × 3 experiment was designed to examine the impact of three concentrations of CO? (400, 800 and 1,200 μmol·mol?1) on the phenolic and flavonoid compound profiles, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and antioxidant activity in three varieties of Labisia pumila Benth. (var. alata, pumila and lanceolata) after 15 weeks of exposure. HPLC analysis revealed a strong influence of increased CO? concentration on the modification of phenolic and flavonoid profiles, whose intensity depended on the interaction between CO? levels and L. pumila varieties. Gallic acid and quercetin were the most abundant phenolics and flavonoids commonly present in all the varieties. With elevated CO? (1,200 μmol·mol?1) exposure, gallic acid increased tremendously, especially in var. alata and pumila (101-111%), whilst a large quercetin increase was noted in var. lanceolata (260%), followed closely by alata (201%). Kaempferol, although detected under ambient CO? conditions, was undetected in all varieties after exposure. Instead, caffeic acid was enhanced tremendously in var. alata (338~1,100%) and pumila (298~433%). Meanwhile, pyragallol and rutin were only seen in var. alata (810 μg·g?1 DW) and pumila (25 μg·g?1 DW), respectively, under ambient conditions; but the former compound went undetected in all varieties while rutin continued to increase by 262% after CO? enrichment. Interestingly, naringenin that was present in all varieties under ambient conditions went undetected under enrichment, except for var. pumila where it was enhanced by 1,100%. PAL activity, DPPH and FRAP also increased with increasing CO? levels implying the possible improvement of health-promoting quality of Malaysian L. pumila under high CO? enrichment conditions.     

Impact of elevated carbon dioxide on primary, secondary metabolites and antioxidant responses of Eleais guineensis Jacq. (oil palm) seedlings

A split plot 3 by 3 experiment was designed to investigate the relationships among production of primary metabolites (soluble sugar and starch), secondary metabolites (total flavonoids, TF; total phenolics, TP), phenylalanine lyase (PAL) activity (EC 4.3.1.5), protein and antioxidant activity (FRAP) of three progenies of oil palm seedlings, namely Deli AVROS, Deli Yangambi and Deli URT, under three levels of CO? enrichment (400, 800 and 1,200 μmol·mol?1) for 15 weeks of exposure. During the study, the treatment effects were solely contributed by CO? enrichment levels; no progenies and interaction effects were observed. As CO? levels increased from 400 to 1,200 μmol·mol?1, the production of carbohydrate increased steadily, especially for starch more than soluble sugar. The production of total flavonoids and phenolics contents, were the highest under 1,200 and lowest at 400 μmol·mol?1. It was found that PAL activity was peaked under 1,200 μmol·mol?1 followed by 800 μmol·mol?1 and 400 μmol·mol?1. However, soluble protein was highest under 400 μmol·mol?1 and lowest under 1,200 μmol·mol?1. The sucrose/starch ratio, i.e., the indication of sucrose phosphate synthase actvity (EC 2.4.1.14) was found to be lowest as CO? concentration increased from 400 > 800 > 1,200 μmol·mol?1. The antioxidant activity, as determined by the ferric reducing/antioxidant potential (FRAP) activity, increased with increasing CO? levels, and was significantly lower than vitamin C and α-tocopherol but higher than butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Correlation analysis revealed that nitrogen has a significant negative correlation with carbohydrate, secondary metabolites and FRAP activity indicating up-regulation of production of carbohydrate, secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of oil palm seedling under elevated CO? was due to reduction in nitrogen content in oil palm seedling expose to high CO? levels.     

Radiolabeling of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibody (MAb BW 431/26) for clinical applications

A method for labeling of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibody (MAb) BW 431/26 is described. For preparations of^99mTc-anti-CEA complex, a solution (1 ml) of tetrasodium-1,1,3,3-propanetetetraphosphate dihydrate (2.7 mg), stannous chloride dihydrate (0.12 mg) and sodium chloride (0.2 mg) in 5 ml of 0.9% saline was added to a vial containing monoclonal antibody (2 mg) from mouse (MAb BW 431/26), D-glucitol (2 mg) and sodium sulfate (2 mg) to obtain a clear solution. A quantitative labeling yield of the MAb BW 431/26 was achieved by addition of 5 ml (40.5 mCi, 1.5 Gbq) technetium-99m-pertechnetate (^99mTcO₄) generator eluate at room temperature within 10 minutes. The radiochemical purity determined by ITLC (Gelman, SG) plates was >95%.     

Advancements in biocatalysis: From computational to metabolic engineering

Through several waves of technological research and un-matched innovation strategies, bio-catalysis has been widely used at the industrial level. Because of the value of enzymes, methods for producing value-added compounds and industrially-relevant fine chemicals through biological methods have been developed. A broad spectrum of numerous biochemical pathways is catalyzed by enzymes, including enzymes that have not been identified. However, low catalytic efficacy, low stability, inhibition by non-cognate substrates, and intolerance to the harsh reaction conditions required for some chemical processes are considered as major limitations in applied bio-catalysis. Thus, the development of green catalysts with multi-catalytic features along with higher efficacy and induced stability are important for bio-catalysis. Implementation of computational science with metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and machine learning routes offers novel alternatives for engineering novel catalysts. Here, we describe the role of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in catalysis. Machine learning algorithms for catalysis and the choice of an algorithm for predicting protein-ligand interactions are discussed. The importance of molecular docking in predicting binding and catalytic functions is reviewed. Finally, we describe future challenges and perspectives.