High Frequency Shoots Regeneration for Mass Multiplication of Phyllanthus fraternus Webster—An Important Antiviral and Hepatoprotective Plant

An efficient, rapid, and highly reproducible regeneration protocol was successfully developed for Phyllanthus fraternus from the field-derived mature nodal segments. The explants induced multiple shoots on cytokinin containing medium. The highest frequency (99 %) and maximum number of shoots (19.75) were induced on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 2.22 μM 6-benzylaminopurine after 3–4 weeks of culture initiation. The elongated shoots were rooted on MS medium supplemented with indol-3-butyric acid (IBA) or α-naphthalene acetic acid. Pulse treatment of microshoots promoted significant increase in the percentage of rooting and number of root regeneration per shoot. The highest rooting (100 %) and maximum number of roots (8.75) per shoot was obtained when shoots were dipped in IBA solution (0.98 mM) for 5 min and further subcultured on MS basal medium. Plantlets were successfully acclimatized and established in soil. Regenerated plants were grown normally in the field without showing any morphological variations. This cost-effective protocol will help the mass multiplication of P. fraternus for commercial propagation and high biomass production of this valuable medicinal plant.     

Benzothiazole-based chemosensor for CN− and Cu2+: multi-logic operations within a single molecule

2-Hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde-based benzothiazole chemosensor (1) undergoes absorption and fluorescence changes with addition of CN^?  and Cu²⁺ ions. Addition of CN^?  ions results in the appearance of two new bands at 420 and 440 nm. However, Cu²⁺ addition causes decrease in absorption band at 370 nm up to 12 equiv., while addition of higher equiv. of Cu²⁺(～190 equiv.) results in the appearance of two new bands at 400 and 800 nm. Differential absorption changes observed with addition of Cu²⁺ and CN^?  ions results in the construction of ‘NOR’ and ‘INHIBIT’ logic gates at 370 and 440 nm, respectively.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effect of Phyllanthus fraternus Against a Chemotherapeutic Drug Cyclophosphamide

In the present study, hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus fraternus (AEPF 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg body weight (bw), orally) were investigated against cyclophosphamide (CPA 200 mg/kg, bw, intraperitoneally administered) induced liver damage in mice. Histopathological studies of CPA administration cause liver injury, featuring substantial increase in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and total bilirubin. Moreover, CPA intoxication also causes strong oxidative stress, which is evident from significant increase in lipid peroxide level. These changes were coupled with a decline in superoxide dismutase and catalase as well as albumin, cholesterol level, red blood cell (RBC), and white blood cell (WBC) count. AEPF-treated mice displayed a significant inhibition of lipid peroxidation and augmentation of endogenous antioxidants. The study emphasizes the hepatoprotective effect of AEPF against CPA-induced oxidative liver injury, which may serve as a promising medicinal herb in complementary chemotherapeutic modalities.     

Improved Protocol for Somatic Embryogenesis and Calcium Alginate Encapsulation in Anethum graveolens L.: A Medicinal Herb

An improved procedure has been developed for efficient somatic embryogenesis in Anethum graveolens. Green friable embryogenic callus was obtained from hypocotyl segments on medium augmented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The highest embryogenic callus induction frequency of 87 % was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1.13 μM 2,4-D. At lower concentration of 2,4-D (0.34 μM) callus turned dark in color and slow growing. Embryogenic cultures (76 %) responded with a mean number of 43 globular and 18 heart stage embryos. Somatic embryo maturation and subsequent conversion into plantlets took place on MS lacking growth regulators. Maximum number of somatic embryos developed on MS medium was 128.3 (per flask) and a plantlet conversion of 82 % was observed. Calcium alginate beads were produced by encapsulating somatic embryos. Highest percent germination (83 %) was observed on 0.8 % agar solidified MS medium with the plantlets acquiring an average length of 2.1 cm. Encapsulated somatic embryos could be stored at 4 °C up to 60 days with a conversion frequency of 49.3 %. Highest protein and proline content has been observed in embryogenic callus with small globular embryos. During morphological differentiation of the somatic embryos, changes in the antioxidant enzymatic system were observed. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased during initial stages and decreased catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were detected.     

Hydroxo‐Bridged Dimers of Oxo‐Centered Ruthenium(III) Triangle: Synthesis and Spectroscopic and Theoretical Investigations

The homometallic hexameric ruthenium cluster of the formula [Ru^III₆(μ₃‐O)₂(μ‐OH)₂((CH₃)₃CCO₂)₁₂(py)₂] ( 1 ) (py=pyridine) is solved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on 1 suggest that the antiferromagnetic interaction between the Ru^III centers is dominant, and this is supported by theoretical studies. Theoretical calculations based on density functional methods yield eight different exchange interaction values for 1 : J₁=?737.6, J₂=+63.4, J₃=?187.6, J₄=+124.4, J₅=?376.4, J₆=?601.2, J₇=?657.0, and J₈=?800.6 cm^?1. Among all the computed J values, six are found to be antiferromagnetic. Four exchange values (J₁, J₆, J₇ and J₈) are computed to be extremely strong, with J₈, mediated through one μ‐hydroxo and a carboxylate bridge, being by far the largest exchange obtained for any transition‐metal cluster. The origin of these strong interactions is the orientation of the magnetic orbitals in the Ru^III centers, and the computed J values are rationalized by using molecular orbital and natural bond order analysis. Detailed NMR studies (¹H, ¹³C, HSQC, NOESY, and TOCSY) of 1 (in CDCl₃) confirm the existence of the solid‐state structure in solution. The observation of sharp NMR peaks and spin‐lattice time relaxation (T1 relaxation) experiments support the existence of strong intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the metal centers. A broad absorption peak around 600–1000 nm in the visible to near‐IR region is a characteristic signature of an intracluster charge‐transfer transition. Cyclic voltammetry experiments show that there are three reversible one‐electron redox couples at ?0.865, +0.186, and +1.159 V with respect to the Ag/AgCl reference electrode, which corresponds to two metal‐based one‐electron oxidations and one reduction process.     

α,α‐Dibromoketones: A Superior Alternative to α‐Bromoketones in Hantzsch Thiazole Synthesis

Abstract

α,α‐Dibromoketones (2) have been found to be a superior alternative to the conventionally used α‐bromoketones (1) for performing the Hantzsch thiazole synthesis.1 Ahluwalia, V. K., Mehta, B. and Rawat, M. 1992. Synth. Commun., 22: 2697[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] These crystalline, nonlachrymatory compounds are more reactive than 1 as demonstrated by their reaction with 3,5‐dimethyl‐1‐thiocarboxamide (5).     

Study of structural phase transition in NH4SCN from Raman scattering

The temperature dependence of the CN Raman stretching mode of NH₄SCN is presented. Two bands at 2063 and 2072 cm^?1 give place to a si     

Platinum-graphite electrode system for the biamperometric determination of iodine

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Platinum-graphite electrode system for the biamperometric determination of iodine

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Our thanks are due to Prof. G. B. Singh, Head of the Department of Chemistry for providing necessary facilities. We also express our thanks to Dr. T. S. B. Narasaraju and Dr. V. S. Sankara Rao for their valuable suggestions.     

E−Z Isomerization in Guanidine: Second-order Saddle Dynamics,Non-statisticality,and Time-frequency Analysis

Our recent work on the E−Z isomerization reaction of guanidine using ab initio chemical dynamics simulations [Rashmi et al., Regul. Chaotic Dyn. 2021 , 26, 119] emphasized the role of second-order saddle ( SOS ) in the isomerization reaction; however, we could not unequivocally establish the non-statistical nature of the dynamics followed in the reaction. In the present study, we performed thousands of on-the-fly trajectories using forces computed at the MNDO level to investigate the influence of second-order saddle in the E−Z isomerization reaction of guanidine and the role of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) on the reaction dynamics. The simulations reveal that while majority of the trajectories follow the traditional transition state pathways, 15 % of the trajectories follow the SOS path. The dynamics was found to be highly non-statistical with the survival probabilities of the reactants showing large deviations from those obtained within the RRKM assumptions. In addition, a detailed analysis of the dynamics using time-dependent frequencies and the frequency ratio spaces reveal the existence of multiple resonance junctions that indicate the existence of regular dynamics and long-lived quasi-periodic trajectories in the phase space associated with non-RRKM behavior.