Dinuclear Zn(II) and tetranuclear Co(II) complexes of a tetradentate N2O2 Schiff base ligand: Synthesis,crystal structure,characterization, DFT studies,cytotoxicity evaluation,and catalytic activity toward benzyl alcohol oxidation

Two novel dinuclear Zn(II) and tetranuclear Co(II) complexes of a tetradentate N₂O₂ Schiff base ligand (H₂ L = N,N′-bis-(4-hydroxysalicylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane) were prepared. The structures of the H₂ L ligand, [4(Zn₂ L (μ-O₂CCH₃)(O₂CCH₃)(H₂O))]⋅4CH₃OH⋅3H₂O (complex 1 ) and [Co₄ L ₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₂(O₂CCH₃)₂]⋅2H₂O (complex 2 ) were unambiguously characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that two Zn(II) nuclei of 1 were connected through μ-phenolato and μ-acetato bridges and had distorted square pyramidal and distorted octahedral coordination geometries. Four Co(II) nuclei of 2 , on the contrary, showed a Co₄O₄ cubane-like configuration in which Co(II) cations and O atoms were located at alternating corners of a distorted cube. Density functional theory studies at the B3LYP/6–31 G(d) level were carried out to gain an insight into the thermodynamic stability of the complexes. in vitro cytotoxicity of the ligand and the complexes were evaluated using the MTT assay against breast cancer MCF7 cells, melanoma cancer A375 cells, and prostate cancer PC3 cells as representative human cancer cell lines. Complex 1 showed a remarkable activity against A375 and PC3 cancer cell lines. In addition, 1 and 2 were used as precursors to produce zinc and cobalt oxide nanoparticles via pyrolysis technique. The resulting ZnO and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Then, these nanoparticles were used as heterogeneous catalysts in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with hydrogen peroxide at room temperature. Both catalysts showed good recyclability with a negligible decrease in their efficiency during four catalytic cycles. The results of theoretical calculations showed that the most stable product was benzaldehyde, which is in good agreement with the obtained experimental results.     

An Overview of NO Signaling Pathways in Aging

Nitric Oxide (NO) is a potent signaling molecule involved in the regulation of various cellular mechanisms and pathways under normal and pathological conditions. NO production, its effects, and its efficacy, are extremely sensitive to aging-related changes in the cells. Herein, we review the mechanisms of NO signaling in the cardiovascular system, central nervous system (CNS), reproduction system, as well as its effects on skin, kidneys, thyroid, muscles, and on the immune system during aging. The aging-related decline in NO levels and bioavailability is also discussed in this review. The decreased NO production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was revealed in the aged cardiovascular system. In the CNS, the decline of the neuronal (n)NOS production of NO was related to the impairment of memory, sleep, and cognition. NO played an important role in the aging of oocytes and aged-induced erectile dysfunction. Aging downregulated NO signaling pathways in endothelial cells resulting in skin, kidney, thyroid, and muscle disorders. Putative therapeutic agents (natural/synthetic) affecting NO signaling mechanisms in the aging process are discussed in the present study. In summary, all of the studies reviewed demonstrate that NO plays a crucial role in the cellular aging processes.     

The molecular diversity scope of 4-hydroxycoumarin in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds via multicomponent reactions

Molecular Diversity - 4-Hydroxycoumarins are some of the most versatile heterocyclic scaffolds and are frequently applied in the synthesis of various organic compounds. 4-Hydroxycoumarin-based...     

Signal Amplification Technologies for the Detection of Nucleic Acids: from Cell-Free Analysis to Live-Cell Imaging

Due to their unique properties, such as programmability, ligand-binding capability, and flexibility, nucleic acids can serve as analytes and/or recognition elements for biosensing. To improve the sensitivity of nucleic acid-based biosensing and hence the detection of a few copies of target molecule, different modern amplification methodologies, namely target-and-signal-based amplification strategies, have already been developed. These recent signal amplification technologies, which are capable of amplifying the signal intensity without changing the targets’ copy number, have resulted in fast, reliable, and sensitive methods for nucleic acid detection. Working in cell-free settings, researchers have been able to optimize a variety of complex and quantitative methods suitable for deploying in live-cell conditions. In this study, a comprehensive review of the signal amplification technologies for the detection of nucleic acids is provided. We classify the signal amplification methodologies into enzymatic and non-enzymatic strategies with a primary focus on the methods that enable us to shift away from in vitro detecting to in vivo imaging. Finally, the future challenges and limitations of detection for cellular conditions are discussed.     

In Silico Evaluation of Iranian Medicinal Plant Phytoconstituents as Inhibitors against Main Protease and the Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which initially appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Elderly individuals and those with comorbid conditions may be more vulnerable to this disease. Consequently, several research laboratories continue to focus on developing drugs to treat this infection because this disease has developed into a global pandemic with an extremely limited number of specific treatments available. Natural herbal remedies have long been used to treat illnesses in a variety of cultures. Modern medicine has achieved success due to the effectiveness of traditional medicines, which are derived from medicinal plants. The objective of this study was to determine whether components of natural origin from Iranian medicinal plants have an antiviral effect that can prevent humans from this coronavirus infection using the most reliable molecular docking method; in our case, we focused on the main protease (M^pro) and a receptor-binding domain (RBD). The results of molecular docking showed that among 169 molecules of natural origin from common Iranian medicinal plants, 20 molecules (chelidimerine, rutin, fumariline, catechin gallate, adlumidine, astragalin, somniferine, etc.) can be proposed as inhibitors against this coronavirus based on the binding free energy and type of interactions between these molecules and the studied proteins. Moreover, a molecular dynamics simulation study revealed that the chelidimerine–M^pro and somniferine–RBD complexes were stable for up to 50 ns below 0.5 nm. Our results provide valuable insights into this mechanism, which sheds light on future structure-based designs of high-potency inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2.     

Anchoring of Cu (II)-Schiff base complex on magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles: catalytic efficacy in one-pot synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles,antibacterial activity evaluation and immobilization of α-amylase

Magnetic mesoporous silica nanocomposite, Fe₃O₄@MCM-41, was prepared and functionalized with N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAPS). Then Schiff base grafted nanoparticles were synthesized by the condensation of 5,5'-methylene bis (salicylaldehyde) and then benzhydrazide with Fe₃O₄@MCM-41-AEAPS. Finally, by adding Cu (CH₃COOH)₂.H₂O, the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) functionalized with Cu (II) Schiff base complex were synthesized. The new organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposite was characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, AAS, BET, TGA, VSM, FE-SEM, HRTEM and EDX techniques. Then, the performance of this copper based magnetic nanocatalyst was investigated for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives using one pot three-component reactions of various aldehydes, hydroxyl amine hydrochloride and sodium azide. The catalyst can be easily isolated from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnet and reused for at least 5 times without significant loss in catalytic activity. Also, the antibacterial activity of the streptomycin loaded magnetic nanoparticles against Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria in the presence and absence of a magnetic field were studied. Results revealed that when these materials exposed to the magnetic field, bacteriostatic activity of nanocomposites was increased. Furthermore, the enzyme immobilization ability of the synthesized compounds was investigated and the results showed that these nanoparticles efficiently immobilized amylase enzyme.     

A novel operational vector for solving the general form of distributed order fractional differential equations in the time domain based on the second kind Chebyshev wavelets

Numerical Algorithms - The main aim of this research study is to present a new and efficient numerical method based on the second kind Chebyshev wavelets for solving the general form of distributed...     

Antioxidant activity assay based on the inhibition of oxidation and photobleaching of l-cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots

Quantum dots (QDs) have recently been the focus of attention of many investigators for development of diagnostic tools in many research areas. In this work, we established a new QD-based assay to evaluate the antioxidant/polyphenolic activity. This assay is based on measurement of the inhibitory effect of the antioxidant/polyphenolic compounds on the UV-induced bleaching of CdTe QDs with l-cysteine capping. QDs exhibited excellent photostability without any UV exposure, while they bleached rapidly under UV irradiation. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under UV irradiation is probably the main cause of the photobleaching of QDs. By comparing the photostability of QDs in buffer solution in the absence and presence of sodium azide, as a known (1)O(2) quencher, the involvement of (1)O(2) in photobleaching of QDs was confirmed. The photobleaching effect induced by ROS could be reduced in the presence of antioxidant/polyphenolic compounds. We tested several antioxidant/polyphenolic compounds as well as known antioxidants such as trolox and 4 different types of tea. The results obtained by the QD-based assay revealed a very good correlation with the data acquired by Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the mechanism and the solution for photobleaching of QDs under UV irradiation might be very meaningful in promoting their clinical applications.