ProSTRIP: A method to find similar structural repeats in three-dimensional protein structures

The occurrence of similar structural repeats in a protein structure has evolved through gene duplication. These repeats act as a structural building block and form more than one compact structural and functional unit called a repeat domain. The protein families comprising similar structural repeats are mainly involved in protein–protein interactions as well as binding to other ligand molecules. The identification of internal sequence repeats in the primary structure is not sufficient for the analysis of structural repeats. Thus, a new method called ProSTRIP has been developed using dynamic programming to find the similar structural repeats in a three-dimensional protein structure. The detection of these repeats is made by calculating the protein backbone Cα angles. An internet computing server is also created by implementing this method and enables graphical visualization of the results. It can be freely accessed at http://cluster.physics.iisc.ernet.in/prostrip/.     

A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Perspectives of Phytosterols in Insulin Resistance: A Mechanistic Approach

Natural products in the form of functional foods have become increasingly popular due to their protective effects against life-threatening diseases, low risk of adverse effects, affordability, and accessibility. Plant components such as phytosterol, in particular, have drawn a lot of press recently due to a link between their consumption and a modest incidence of global problems, such as Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancer, and cardiovascular disease. In the management of diet-related metabolic diseases, such as T2DM and cardiovascular disorders, these plant-based functional foods and nutritional supplements have unquestionably led the market in terms of cost-effectiveness, therapeutic efficacy, and safety. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder categoriszed by high blood sugar and insulin resistance, which influence major metabolic organs, such as the liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. These chronic hyperglycemia fallouts result in decreased glucose consumption by body cells, increased fat mobilisation from fat storage cells, and protein depletion in human tissues, keeping the tissues in a state of crisis. In addition, functional foods such as phytosterols improve the body’s healing process from these crises by promoting a proper physiological metabolism and cellular activities. They are plant-derived steroid molecules having structure and function similar to cholesterol, which is found in vegetables, grains, nuts, olive oil, wood pulp, legumes, cereals, and leaves, and are abundant in nature, along with phytosterol derivatives. The most copious phytosterols seen in the human diet are sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, which can be found in free form, as fatty acid/cinnamic acid esters or as glycosides processed by pancreatic enzymes. Accumulating evidence reveals that phytosterols and diets enriched with them can control glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as insulin resistance. Despite this, few studies on the advantages of sterol control in diabetes care have been published. As a basis, the primary objective of this review is to convey extensive updated information on the possibility of managing diabetes and associated complications with sterol-rich foods in molecular aspects.     

Approaches for Mitigating Microbial Biofilm-Related Drug Resistance: A Focus on Micro- and Nanotechnologies

Biofilms play an essential role in chronic and healthcare-associated infections and are more resistant to antimicrobials compared to their planktonic counterparts due to their (1) physiological state, (2) cell density, (3) quorum sensing abilities, (4) presence of extracellular matrix, (5) upregulation of drug efflux pumps, (6) point mutation and overexpression of resistance genes, and (7) presence of persister cells. The genes involved and their implications in antimicrobial resistance are well defined for bacterial biofilms but are understudied in fungal biofilms. Potential therapeutics for biofilm mitigation that have been reported include (1) antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, (2) antimicrobial lock therapy, (3) antimicrobial peptides, (4) electrical methods, and (5) antimicrobial coatings. These approaches exhibit promising characteristics for addressing the impending crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Recently, advances in the micro- and nanotechnology field have propelled the development of novel biomaterials and approaches to combat biofilms either independently, in combination or as antimicrobial delivery systems. In this review, we will summarize the general principles of clinically important microbial biofilm formation with a focus on fungal biofilms. We will delve into the details of some novel micro- and nanotechnology approaches that have been developed to combat biofilms and the possibility of utilizing them in a clinical setting.     

Purification and identification of 4-allylbenzene-1,2-diol: an antilisterial and biofilm preventing compound from the leaves of Piper betle L. var Pachaikodi

Antibiotic-resistant food-borne Listeriosis has been rising with up to 30% mortality threat in humans since several decades. Hence, discovering antilisterial from the extracts of ethnomedicinal plants may be of value as a novel antidote. In our preceding study, we reported that ethanolic extract of Piper betle L. var Pachaikodi leaves exhibited antibacterial activity towards Listeria monocytogenes MTCC 657. Consequently in the present study, the bioactive molecule responsible for anti-Listeria activity was purified and identified as 4-allylbenzene-1,2-diol. This identified bioactive compound may have significance while used as antimicrobials and/or food additives in food processing sector as evidenced by dual action: biofilm inhibition and pore formation on cell membrane.     

Versatile,metal free and temperature-controlled g-C3N4 as a highly efficient and robust photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In the present study, we report novel graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets at different calcination temperatures viz 500 °C,...     

Reactivity of Cyclanols Towards Quinaldinium Fluorochromate Oxidation

The kinetics of oxidation of cyclanols, viz., cyclohexanol, cyclopentanol, cycloheptanol and cyclooctanol by quinaldinium fluorochromate has been studied in aqueous acid medium at 313 K (±0.1 K). The cyclanols were converted to the corresponding cyclic ketones. The order of reaction was found to be one with respect to oxidant and fractional with respect to the substrate and hydrogen ion concentrations. Increase in the percentage of acetic acid increases the rate of reaction. The reaction mixture shows the absence of any free radicals in the reaction, which has ruled out the possibility of a one-electron transfer during the addition of acrylonitrile. The reaction has been studied at four different temperatures and the activation parameters were calculated. From the observed kinetic results a suitable mechanism was proposed. The relative reactivity order was found to be cyclohexanol < cyclopentanol < cycloheptanol < cyclooctanol. This was explained on the basis of I-strain theory.     

Synthesis, structure, and theoretical study of the nonclassical [CuTe(7)](3-) anion

The compound [PPh(4)](2)[NEt(4)][CuTe(7)] has been synthesized from the reaction of CuCl with a polytelluride solution in dimethylformamide at room temperature. The compound crystallizes with two formula units in the triclinic space group P(-)1 in a cell with dimensions a = 8.9507(18) A, b = 14.714(3) A, and c = 23.277(5) A and alpha= 86.32(3) degrees, beta= 80.17(3) degrees, and gamma= 75.63(3) degrees (T = -120 degrees C). Ab initio calculations indicate that the nonclassical [CuTe(7)](3)(-) anion is the result of joining Te(3)(2-) and [CuTe(4)](1-) fragments through donor-acceptor interactions.     

Biogenic Synthesis of Rod Shaped ZnO Nanoparticles Using Red Paprika (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum (L.) Sendt) and Their in Vitro Evaluation

Journal of Cluster Science - Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have gained attention in biomedicine due to their broad spectrum of applications, such as targeted drug delivery, their use as...