Neuroprotection of Cannabidiol,Its Synthetic Derivatives and Combination Preparations against Microglia-Mediated Neuroinflammation in Neurological Disorders

The lack of effective treatment for neurological disorders has encouraged the search for novel therapeutic strategies. Remarkably, neuroinflammation provoked by the activated microglia is emerging as an important therapeutic target for neurological dysfunction in the central nervous system. In the pathological context, the hyperactivation of microglia leads to neuroinflammation through the release of neurotoxic molecules, such as reactive oxygen species, proteinases, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major pharmacologically active phytocannabinoids derived from Cannabis sativa L. CBD has promising therapeutic effects based on mounting clinical and preclinical studies of neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ischemic brain injuries, neuropathic pain, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. A number of preclinical studies suggested that CBD exhibited potent inhibitory effects of neurotoxic molecules and inflammatory modulators, highlighting its remarkable therapeutic potential for the treatment of numerous neurological disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of action underpinning CBD’s effects on neuroinflammation appear to be complex and are poorly understood. This review summarises the anti-neuroinflammatory activities of CBD against various neurological disorders with a particular focus on their main molecular mechanisms of action, which were related to the downregulation of NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS, TLR4-NFκB and IFN-β-JAK-STAT pathways. We also illustrate the pharmacological action of CBD’s derivatives focusing on their anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects for neurological disorders. We included the studies that demonstrated synergistic enhanced anti-neuroinflammatory activity using CBD and other biomolecules. The studies that are summarised in the review shed light on the development of CBD, including its derivatives and combination preparations as novel therapeutic options for the prevention and/or treatment of neurological disorders where neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathological components.     

Oxidation of Styrene to Benzaldehyde Catalyzed by Schiff Base Functionalized Triazolylidene Ni(II) Complexes

Four new Schiff base functionalized 1,2,3-triazolylidene nickel complexes, [Ni-(L₁NHC)₂](PF₆)₂; 3, [Ni-(L₂NHC)₂](PF₆)₂; 4, [Ni-(L₃NHC)](PF₆)₂; 7 and [Ni-(L₄NHC)](PF₆)₂; 8, (where L₁NHC = (E)-3-methyl-1-propyl-4-(2-(((2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)imino)methyl)phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium hexafluorophosphate(V), 1, L₂NHC = (E)-3-methyl-4-(2-((phenethylimino)methyl)phenyl)-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium hexafluorophosphate(V), 2, L₃NHC = 4,4′-(((1E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(3-methyl-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium) hexafluorophosphate(V), 5, and L₄NHC = 4,4′-(((1E)-(butane-1,4-diylbis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(3-methyl-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium) hexafluorophosphate(V), 6), were synthesised and characterised by a variety of spectroscopic methods. Square planar geometry was proposed for all the nickel complexes. The catalytic potential of the complexes was explored in the oxidation of styrene to benzaldehyde, using hydrogen peroxide as a green oxidant in the presence of acetonitrile at 80 °C. All complexes showed good catalytic activity with high selectivity to benzaldehyde. Complex 3 gave a conversion of 88% and a selectivity of 70% to benzaldehyde in 6 h. However, complexes 4 and 7–8 gave lower conversions of 48–74% but with higher (up to 90%) selectivity to benzaldehyde. Results from kinetics studies determined the activation energy for the catalytic oxidation reaction as 65 ± 3 kJ/mol, first order in catalyst and fractional order in the oxidant. Results from UV-visible and CV studies of the catalytic activity of the Ni-triazolylidene complexes on styrene oxidation did not indicate any clear possibility of generation of a Ni(II) to Ni(III) catalytic cycle.     

Quantum Information of the Aharanov–Bohm Ring with Yukawa Interaction in the Presence of Disclination

We investigate quantum information by a theoretical measurement approach of an Aharanov–Bohm (AB) ring with Yukawa interaction in curved space with disclination. We obtained the so-called Shannon entropy through the eigenfunctions of the system. The quantum states considered come from Schrödinger theory with the AB field in the background of curved space. With this entropy, we can explore the quantum information at the position space and reciprocal space. Furthermore, we discussed how the magnetic field, the AB flux, and the topological defect influence the quantum states and the information entropy.     

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Triplet State Excitons for High-Performance Organic Photodetectors: A Novel Strategy

Photoinduced charge-trapping is a promising strategy for boosting the photosensitivity of organic photodetectors at the expense of their response time. In addition, they have a low carrier extraction yield due to the formation of low-energy triplet excitons through the recombination of a photogenerated hole–electron pair. Materials with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) exhibit a long-lived (≈µs) excited spin-triplet nearly iso-energetically aligned with that of an excited spin-singlet, which results in suppressed exciton losses and is widely used in organic light-emitting diodes. The extraction and population of triplet state excitons in TADFs is a sought-after but underexplored aspect of photoinduced gating in photodetectors. A 1,2,3,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)4,6-Dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN) TADF blend with a high-mobility Poly[2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] (PBTTT-C₁₄) polymer via bulk type-II offset can increase free carrier extraction yield (fast response) and retain trapped electrons in TADF triplet states (high gain). The PBTTT-C₁₄/4CzIPN ultraviolet photodetector device maintains a trade-off between high photogain (≈10³) and fast response time (79 ms) at 300 nm while operating at a shallow dark current (≈pA). Furthermore, the device shows high external quantum efficiency (≈10⁴ %) and detectivity (≈10¹¹ Jones) for low light power (<pW). The innovative application of TADF material can lead to exciting new developments in organic-based high-performance photodetection.     

Electroanalysis of Ibuprofen and Its Interaction with Bovine Serum Albumin

The current work presents a sensitive, selective, cost-effective, and environmentally benign protocol for the detection of ibuprofen (IBP) by an electrochemical probe made of a glassy carbon electrode modified with Ag-ZnO and MWCNTs. Under optimized conditions, the designed sensing platform was found to sense IBP up to a 28 nM limit of detection. The interaction of IBP with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry. IBP−BSA binding parameters such as the binding constant and the stoichiometry of complexation were calculated. The results revealed that IBP and BSA form a single strong complex with a binding constant value of 8.7 × 10¹³. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example that reports not only IBP detection but also its BSA complexation.     

Wet-Chemical Synthesis of TiO2/PVDF Membrane for Energy Applications

To satisfy the ever-increasing energy demands, it is of the utmost importance to develop electrochemical materials capable of producing and storing energy in a highly efficient manner. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has recently emerged as a promising choice in this field due to its non-toxicity, low cost, and eco-friendliness, in addition to its porosity, large surface area, good mechanical strength, and remarkable transport properties. Here, we present titanium dioxide nanoplates/polyvinylidene fluoride (TiO₂/PVDF) membranes prepared by a straightforward hydrothermal strategy and vacuum filtration process. The as-synthesized TiO₂/PVDF membrane was applied for energy storage applications. The fabricated TiO₂/PVDF membrane served as the negative electrode for supercapacitors (SCs). The electrochemical properties of a TiO₂/PVDF membrane were explored in an aqueous 6 M KOH electrolyte that exhibited good energy storage performance. Precisely, the TiO₂/PVDF membrane delivered a high specific capacitance of 283.74 F/g at 1 A/g and maintained capacitance retention of 91% after 8000 cycles. Thanks to the synergistic effect of TiO₂ and PVDF, the TiO₂/PVDF membrane provided superior electrochemical performance as an electrode for a supercapacitor. These superior properties will likely be used in next-generation energy storage technologies.     

Compritol-Based Alprazolam Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Sustained Release of Alprazolam: Preparation by Hot Melt Encapsulation

The current study was designed to investigate the feasibility of incorporating the water-insoluble lipophilic drug Alprazolam (Alp) into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to offer the combined benefits of the quick onset of action along with the sustained release of the drug. Therefore, compritol-based alprazolam-loaded SLNs (Alp-SLNs) would provide early relief from anxiety and sleep disturbances and long-lasting control of symptoms in patients with depression, thereby enhancing patient compliance. The optimized Alp-SLNs analyzed by DLS and SEM showed consistent particle size of 92.9 nm with PI values and standard deviation of the measurements calculated at <0.3 and negative surface charge. These characteristic values demonstrate the desired level of homogeneity and good physical stability of Alp-SLNs. The SLNs had a good entrapment efficiency (89.4%) and high drug-loading capacity (77.9%). SEM analysis revealed the smooth spherical morphology of the SLNs. The physical condition of alprazolam and absence of interaction among formulation components in Alp-SLNs was confirmed by FTIR and DSC analyses. XRD analysis demonstrated the molecular dispersion of crystalline alprazolam in Alp-SLNs. The in vitro release study implied that the release of Alp from the optimized Alp-SLN formulation was sustained as compared to the Alp drug solution because Alp-SLNs exhibited sustained release of alprazolam over 24 h. Alp-SLNs are a promising candidate to achieve sustained release of the short-acting drug Alp, thereby reducing its dosing frequency and enhancing patient compliance.     

Fluorine extraction from organofluorine molecules to make fluorinated clusters in yttrium MOFs

A new rare earth based two-dimensional coordination network and a three-dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) have been synthesized using bicinchoninic acid (BCA) and yttrium(iii) ions. Yttrium dimer nodes are formed in the absence of a modulator, resulting in a 2D layered coordination network (Y–BCA-2D). The presence of fluorinating agents, e.g., 2-fluorobenzoic acid (2-FBA), 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid (2,6-DFBA), and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) result in μ₃-F bridged metal hexaclusters (Y₆F₈) that form a three-dimensional MOF (Y–BCA-3D). It was found that Y³⁺ can break highly stable C–F bonds in aromatic and aliphatic fluorinated compounds. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) shows the presence of fluorine in the metal cluster which was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). High resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ¹⁹F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) also verify the presence of metal–fluorine bonds in the cluster. The Y–BCA-3D MOF selectively adsorbs CO₂ but not N₂.

The reaction of yttrium(iii) and linker makes a 2D metal–organic framework. The addition of fluorinated modulators result in fluorine extraction from modulators and makes a 3D-MOF.     

Microwave Irradiation and Glutamic Acid-Assisted Phytotreatment of Tannery and Surgical Industrial Wastewater by Sorghum

We investigated how different doses of microwave irradiation (MR) affect seed germination in Sorghum, including the level of remediation against textile and surgical wastewater (WW) by modulating biochemical and morpho-physiological mechanisms under glutamic acid (GA) application. The experiment was conducted to determine the impact of foliar-applied GA on Sorghum under wastewater conditions. Plants were treated with or without microwave irradiation (30 s, 2.45 GHz), GA (5 and 10 mM), and wastewater (0, 25, 50, and 100). Growth and photosynthetic pigments were significantly decreased in plants only treated with various concentrations of WW. GA significantly improved the plant growth characteristics both in MR-treated and -untreated plants compared with respective controls. HMs stress increased electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content; however, the GA chelation significantly improved the antioxidant enzymes activities such as ascorbate oxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) both in MR-treated and -untreated plants under WW stress compared with respective controls. The results suggested that the MR-treated plants accumulate higher levels of HMs under GA addition in comparison to the WW-only-treated and MR-untreated plants. The maximum increase in Cd accumulation was observed in the range of 14–629% in the roots, 15–2964% in the stems, and 26–4020% in the leaves; the accumulation of Cu was 18–2757% in the roots, 15–4506% in the stems, and 23–4605% in the leaves; and the accumulation of Pb was 13–4122% in the roots, 21–3588% in the stems, and 21–4990% in the leaves under 10 mM GA and MR-treated plants. These findings confirmed that MR-treated sorghum plants had a higher capacity for HMs uptake under GA and could be used as a potential candidate for wastewater treatment.     

Pharmacological Properties of 4′, 5, 7-Trihydroxyflavone (Apigenin) and Its Impact on Cell Signaling Pathways

Plant bioactive compounds, particularly apigenin, have therapeutic potential and functional activities that aid in the prevention of infectious diseases in many mammalian bodies and promote tumor growth inhibition. Apigenin is a flavonoid with low toxicities and numerous bioactive properties due to which it has been considered as a traditional medicine for decades. Apigenin shows synergistic effects in combined treatment with sorafenib in the HepG2 human cell line (HCC) in less time and statistically reduces the viability of tumor cells, migration, gene expression and apoptosis. The combination of anti-cancerous drugs with apigenin has shown health promoting potential against various cancers. It can prevent cell mobility, maintain the cell cycle and stimulate the immune system. Apigenin also suppresses mTOR activity and raises the UVB-induced phagocytosis and reduces the cancerous cell proliferation and growth. It also has a high safety threshold, and active (anti-cancer) doses can be gained by consuming a vegetable and apigenin rich diet. Apigenin also boosted autophagosome formation, decreased cell proliferation and activated autophagy by preventing the activity of the PI3K pathway, specifically in HepG2 cells. This paper provides an updated overview of apigenin’s beneficial anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer effects, making it a step in the right direction for therapeutics. This study also critically analyzed the effect of apigenin on cancer cell signaling pathways including the PI3K/AKT/MTOR, JAK/STAT, NF-κB and ERK/MAPK pathways.