In Vivo and In Vitro Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies of Compounds Isolated from Micromeria biflora (Buch. Ham. ex D.Don) Benth

Micromeria biflora, a traditional medicinal plant, is extensively used for treating various painful conditions, such as nose bleeds, wounds, and sinusitis. A phytochemical investigation of the chloroform fraction of Micromeria biflora led to the isolation of salicylalazine. Salicylalazine was assessed in vivo for analgesia, muscle relaxation, sedative, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as in vitro for COX-1/2 inhibition activities. It was assessed against a hot plate-induced model at different doses. The muscle relaxant potential of salicylalazine was evaluated in traction and inclined screening models, while sedative properties were determined using an open-field model. The anti-inflammatory potential of salicylalazine was assessed in histamine and carrageenan-induced paw edema screening models. Salicylalazine exhibited significant analgesic potential in a dose-dependent manner. In both screening models, an excellent time-dependent muscle-relaxation effect was observed. Salicylalazine demonstrated excellent sedation at high doses. Its anti-inflammatory activity was determined through the initial and late phases of edema. It exhibited anticancer potential against NCI-H226, HepG2, A498, and MDR2780AD cell lines. In vitro, salicylalazine showed preferential COX-2 inhibition (over COX-1) with an SI value of 4.85. It was less effective in the initial phase, while, in the later phase, it demonstrated significant effects at 15 and 20 mg/kg doses compared with the negative control. Salicylalazine did not exhibit cytotoxicity in the MTT assay, preliminarily indicating its safety.     

Variation in minerals, phenolics and antioxidant activity of peel and pulp of different varieties of peach (Prunus persica L.) fruit from Pakistan

Peach (Prunus persica L.), being a potential source of bioactive compounds, has been demonstrated to have medicinal benefits. In this study variation of minerals and antioxidant characteristics (total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, reducing power, inhibition of peroxidation using linoleic acid system and DPPH free radical scavenging activity) between peel and pulp parts of different peach varieties, namely Golden, Shireen, and Shahpasand were investigated. The peel and pulp extracts, derived from the varieties analyzed, exhibited an appreciable amount of total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF), ranging from 1,209.3-1,354.5, 711.7-881.3 mg GAE/100 g and 599.7-785.5, 301.3-499.7 mg CE/100 g on a dry weight basis, respectively. Reducing power of peel and pulp extracts (12.5 mg/mL concentration) ranged from 2.57-2.77 and 1.54-1.99.The inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation and DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts varied from 70.8-80.9% and 66.8-76.5% in peels, and 51.9-60.1% and 43.4-49.1% in pulps. The mineral analysis revealed that the content of K was highest in both parts of the peach fruit followed by Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn and Zn. The results of our present study indicate that peach peel had significantly higher levels of minerals, antioxidant capacity and phenolics than those of the pulp, suggesting the intake of unpeeled peach as a potential source of high-value components. The peach peel can be a useful as a viable source of natural antioxidants for functional foods and nutraceutical applications.     

Improvement in the Water Retention Characteristics of Sandy Loam Soil Using a Newly Synthesized Poly(acrylamide-<em>co</em>-acrylic Acid)/AlZnFe₂O₄ Superabsorbent Hydrogel Nanocomposite Material

The use of some novel and efficient crop nutrient-based superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposites (SHNCs), is currently becoming increasingly important to improve the crop yield and productivity, due to their water retention properties. In the present study a poly(Acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/AlZnFe₂O₄ superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposite was synthesized and its physical properties characterized using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), FE-SEM and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The effects of different levels of SHNC were studied to evaluate the moisture retention properties of sandy loam soil (sand 59%, silt 21%, clay 19%, pH 7.4, EC 1.92 dS/m). The soil amendment with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 w/w% of SHNC enhanced the moisture retention significantly at field capacity compared to the untreated soil. Besides, in a separate experiment, seed germination and seedling growth of wheat was found to be notably improved with the application of SHNC. A delay in wilting of seedlings by 5-8 days was observed for SHNC-amended soil, thereby improving wheat plant growth and establishment.     

Upshot of Chemical Species and Nonlinear Thermal Radiation on Oldroyd-B Nanofluid Flow Past a Bi-directional Stretched Surface with Heat Generation/Absorption in a Porous Media

A three-dimensional mathematical model is developed to examine the flow of nonlinear thermal radiation Oldroyd-B nanofluid past a bidirectional linearly stretched surface in a porous medium. The flow is induced by temperature dependent thermal conductivity, chemical reaction and convective heat and mass conditions. Novel characteristics of Brownian motion and thermophoresis are accompanied by magnetohydrodynamic and heat generation/absorption.Self-similar transformations are employed to convert the system of nonlinear partial differential equations to a system of ordinary differential equations with high nonlinearity and are solved by strong analytic technique named as Homotopy Analysis method(HAM). Effects of varied arising parameters on involved distributions are reflected through graphical illustrations. From this study, it is perceived that strong magnetic field hinders the fluid's motion and leads to rise in temperature that eventually lowers heat transfer rate from the surface. Further, decrease in heat transfer rate is also observed for enhanced values of thermal radiation parameter. To validate our results, a comparison with already published paper in limiting case is also given and results are found in excellent oncurrence; hence reliable results are being presented.     

Simple in-line postcolumn oxidation and derivatization for the simultaneous analysis of ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids in foods

A new analytical procedure for the simultaneous determination of L-ascorbic acid (AA), isoascorbic acid (IAA), L-dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), and isodehydroascorbic acid (IDHAA) in food by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is developed. After separation on an HPLC column, an in-line oxidation of AA and IAA to DHAA and IDHAA, respectively, is performed on a short column of activated charcoal. The dehydroascorbic acids are derivatized with a 1,2-phenylenediamine solution in a heated capillary Tefzel reactor into fluorescent quinoxaline compounds and monitored fluorometrically. The chromatographic method provides good separation of LAA, LDHAA, and their diastereoisomers in a relatively short time (-10 min). After optimization of postcolumn derivatization conditions, calibration runs and recovery tests are performed. The fluorescent response in terms of peak area is highly proportional to the concentration of all derivatives examined over a range of 0.1 to 100 microg/mL solution for LAA, LDHAA, IAA, and IDHAA. Recoveries were in the range of 97 to 103%. The detection limit is 0.1 mg of each ascorbic acid derivative per 100 g food. A wide variety of foods (fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, vegetable products, milk, liver, and sausage) are analyzed by the developed procedure. The Vitamin C (LAA and LDHA) contents determined according to the present analytical method are in the same order of magnitude as the result of precolumn derivatization and the fluorometric methods. The described method is a highly specific procedure for determining Vitamin C in food. It is simple to handle, only slightly susceptible to disturbance, perfectly suitable for serial determinations, and yields reproducible results.     

The simultaneous determination of capsaicinoids,tocopherols, and carotenoids in pungent pepper powder

From nutritional points of view, carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and tocopherols are valuable constituents in pungent peppers. A rapid and reliable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of phytonutrients in spice red peppers and chili products was developed and validated. The method included simultaneous detection by fluorescence and diode-array detectors. The major capsaicinoids, two tocopherols and 43 carotenoid components, were simultaneously separated, detected, and identified in the appointed pepper powder (containing Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens) for method validation. The separation was performed on a Nucleosil C18 reverse phase column and optimized gradient elution. Resolution ranged between 0.96 and 1.46 with the highest values corresponding to γ-tocopherol and α-tocopherol. The limits of detection and quantification of target compounds ranged between 18.77 and 148.08 ng mL^?1. Recoveries were between 89.83–100.26 and 79.72–88.86% when standard materials were spiked at low and high amounts, respectively. The most sufficient extraction of the different phytonutrients was achieved by mixture of methanol and acetone, although it was only slightly better than the mixture of methanol and acetonitrile. These results suggest that the developed method could be used for rapid, one-step determination of a wide range of phytonutrients in chili and pepper powders.     

Comparative phytochemical study of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of Thymus linearis and their antibacterial and antioxidant potential

Thymus linearis (Thyme) is a medicinal plant widely distributed throughout Asia. Various parts of thyme are utilized for diverse medicinal purposes, including its use as a tonic and diuretic, for cough relief, as a flavoring agent, in treating dysentery, and for alleviating stomach disorders. Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the unexploited potential of thyme. Thyme was collected from the northern region of Pakistan, and sun-mediated extraction was conducted. Phytochemical analysis, utilizing GC–MS, revealed numerous bioactive phytochemical constituents with disease-preventing roles, including detoxifying agents, antioxidants, anticancer compounds, dietary fiber, neuropharmacological agents, and immunity-potentiating agents, in the methanolic and ethanolic (14 days) extracts of the flower, leaf, and stem. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay results indicated that the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the stem exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, reaching up to 67.34% and 62.73%, respectively, while the values for the flower and leaf extracts (both methanol and ethanol) were around 60%. The IC₅₀ (half maximal inhibitory concentration) values were also calculated for all the samples, ranging between 7 and 9 μg/mL. Positive antibacterial and antifungal effects against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, as well as Aspergillus niger (fungi), were observed only in the extracts of the flower (both methanol and ethanol). The sun-mediated technique was used for extraction for the first time in this study. Therefore, this study introduces a novel approach to the extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants, ultimately contributing to the development of herbal drugs with more convenient and cost-effective methods.     

Electro-vibro-acoustic Simulation of Linear Vibrations in Ducts

Due to standing waves the creation of artificial free-field conditions is required to detect sound sources in weakly damped interiors. Normally sound absorbing material is mounted on the interior walls to eliminate unwanted reflections. In contrast to this time consuming procedure, the present paper describes a local approach that is based on a sound intensity probe with an active free-field (SIAF). To study the dynamical behavior of a first SIAF-prototype that consists of two electro-dynamical loudspeakers mounted at the ends of a duct, an electro-vibro-acoustical model was implemented in Matlab/Simulink, and the dynamic behavior of the system was analyzed numerically. The results of these simulations proved that a one-dimensional free-field can be produced successfully, if a wave-separation approach together with an adaptive LMS-algorithm is applied. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Synthesis,characterization and study of antibacterial activity of enaminone complexes of zinc and iron

Complexes of enaminones; 4-N,N-diethylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL¹], 4-N,N-di n-propylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL²] and 4-N,N-dicyclohexylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL³] with Fe(II) and Zn(II) ions were prepared by reacting the equimolar ethanolic solutions of the ligands (HL¹, HL² and HL³) with ethanolic metal solutions. The complexes formed, were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Ligands and their metal complexes were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to assess their antibacterial action using disc diffusion method. Ligands were completely inactive against bacteria whereas the complex Zn (HL¹) has significant action on both bacteria, indicating that it has a good potential as bactericide. Other complexes have normal antiseptic character.