Insulin-like antigen of mangrove leaves and its anti-diabetic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-diabetic potential of three mangrove plants, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora annamalayana, and to detect the presence of their insulin-like protein. The in?vivo anti-diabetic experiment was done on male albino Wister rats. Oral administration of 60?mg?kg(-1) leaf powder extract of the three different mangrove plants for 30 days modulated the parameters such as blood glucose, plasma insulin, body weight, total haemoglobin, glycosylated haemoglobin, liver glycogen, plasma and tissue lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids to normal levels in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The anti-diabetic activity of R.?apiculata was more pronounced than that of the other mangrove extracts, but it was on a par with the commercial drug glibenclamide. The presence of an insulin-like protein in the mangrove extracts was detected by SDS-PAGE analysis and confirmed through ELISA. Hence, the anti-diabetic activity and the presence of an insulin-like protein in Rhizophora species were proved scientifically.     

Studies on a novel class of triaryl pyridine N-glycosylamine amphiphiles as super gelators

A novel class of six different triaryl pyridine N-glycosylamine amphiphiles was synthesised and characterized based on different spectral techniques, such as NMR and mass analysis. Gelation properties in different aromatic and aliphatic solvents were studied and gelation was observed predominantly in aliphatic solvents with CGC of 0.5% (w/v) and is attributed to the presence of long alkyl chain. All the gels thus obtained were studied using FE-SEM and powder XRD techniques which reveal fibrous entanglement of the molecules in the gel state with intermolecular spaces of 3.62 nm and 0.43 nm.     

Third-order NLO properties of solution grown methyl-p-hydroxy benzoate single crystals

The third-order nonlinear optical properties of solution-grown methyl-p-hydroxy benzoate (MHB) single crystals were studied by Z-scan technique using a He-Ne (632.8 nm, 30 mW) laser. From the closed aperture Z-scan data, the valley followed by peak on the normalized transmittance indicates the sign of the nonlinear refractive index is positive and shows a self focusing nature. From the open aperture Z-scan curve, it is found that the nonlinear absorption is due to saturation. The order of magnitude of third order susceptibility was estimated to be 10^?6 esu. UV-Vis-NIR spectrum of MHB single crystal reveals a very low cutoff wavelength (310 nm) and transparency in the entire visible region. Also the material has direct allowed transition and it possesses a band gap of 3.7 eV. The dissipation factor is low and SHG efficiency is high. The higher magnitudes of second and third order NLO parameters make the material suitable for photonic applications like frequency conversion and eye/sensor protection.     

Synthesis of differentially protected/functionalised acetylenic building blocks from p-benzoquinone and their use in the synthesis of new enediynes

Sequential addition of two different lithium acetylides to p-benzoquinone yielded diastereomeric mixtures of 1,4-diethynylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-diols wherein the two ethynyl groups bear different protective/functional groups. Selective deprotection to the terminal acetylene followed by Pd(0) mediated coupling with Z-1,2-dichloroethene yielded new enediynes bearing cyclohexa-2,5-diene units.     

Electron transfer. 147. Reductions with gallium(I)

Solutions 0.03-0.05 M in gallium(I) can be generated by treatment of the "mixed" halide Ga(I)Ga(III)Cl(4) with cold water under argon and then removing the precipitated metallic gallium and Ga(OH)(3) by centrifugation. Ga(I) is lost from such preparations with a half-life of about 3 h at 0 degrees C. These solutions, which may be handled by conventional techniques, readily reduce I(3)(-), IrCl(6)(2)(-), Fe(bipy)(3)(3+), Fe(NCS)(2+), aquacob(III)alamin, and a group of ring-substituted derivatives of Ru(NH(3))(5)(py)(3+) but are inert to (NH(3))(5)CoCl(2+) and (NH(3))(5)CoBr(2+). All reactions give Ga(III). Reduction of HCrO(4)(-) in 2-ethyl-2-hydroxybutanoate buffers (pH 3.6) yields a Cr(IV) chelate of the buffering anion but forms Cr(III) when carried out in 0.01 M H(+). Reactions of le(-) oxidants proceed via successive single changes with the conversion Ga(II) --> Ga(III) much more rapid than Ga(I) --> Ga(II). Only for the reactions of I(3)(-) and Fe(NCS)(2+) is there evidence for redox bridging.     

Computational description of quantum chemical calculations and pharmacological studies of the synthesized chalcone derivative: A promising NLO material

The intended chalcone, (E)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (4A3EP), was synthesized in an alkaline medium by the Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction of 4-aminoacetophenone with 4-ethoxybenzaldehyde. Spectroscopic analytical techniques such as UV–visible, FT-IR, FT-RAMAN, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR investigations were used to analyze the molecular structure of the title molecule. The optimized molecular structure of the chalcone in gas phase vibrational frequencies and associated vibrational assignments were theoretically studied and compared with experimental results using the B3LYP/6–311++G techniques. All the experimental results were found to be in line with the theoretical values. The non linear optical activity of the title compound was proved from the hyperpolarizability calculations. In addition, E_HOMO (?5.9038 eV), E_LUMO (?2.2833 eV), energy gap (3.6205 eV) and electrophilicity index (4.628) were calculated to explore the reactivity, stability and bio activity of the title compound. The molecular electrostatic potential map was generated in order to spot the electrophilic and nucleophilic sites in the title compound. Natural bond orbital analysis was investigated in order to forecast the stability and charge transfer tendency of a title molecule. FUKUI FUNCTIONS were also calculated using DFT. Its anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-oxidant activities were also investigated. A molecular docking model was used to study the ligand-protein binding interactions of a synthetic chalcone derivative with the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (the PDB code is 6yb7).     

Enhanced Production of Laccase from Coriolus versicolor NCIM 996 by Nutrient Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology

Plackett and Burman design criterion and central composite design were applied successfully for enhanced production of laccase by Coriolus versicolor NCIM 996 for the first time. Plackett and Burman design criterion was applied to screen the significance of ten nutrients on laccase production by C. versicolor NCIM 996. Out of the ten nutrients tested, starch, yeast extract, MnSO(4), MgSO(4) x 7H(2)O, and phenol were found to have significant effect on laccase production. A central composite design was applied to determine the optimum concentrations of the significant variables obtained from Plackett-Burman design. The optimized medium composition for production of laccase was (g/l): starch, 30.0; yeast extract, 4.53; MnSO(4), 0.002; MgSO(4) x 7H(2)O, 0.755; and phenol, 0.026, and the optimum laccase production was 6,590.26 (U/l), which was 7.6 times greater than the control.     

Synthesis,structure, thermal studies on Zn(II), Cd(II) complexes of N-(2-pyridylmethyl)pyridine-2-carbaldimine and N-(2-pyridylmethyl)pyridine-2-methylketimine

The bivalent zinc and cadmium complexes of two Schiff bases N-(2-pyridylmethyl)pyridine-2-carbaldimine (L1), N-(2-pyridylmethyl)pyridine-2-methylketimine (L2), tridentate ligands with an N₃ chromophore and coordinating with two five-membered chelate rings, were synthesized. Complexes [Zn(L1)(NO₃)₂] (1), [Zn(L2)(NO₃)₂] (2), [Cd(L1)(NO₃)₂(H₂O)] (3) and [Cd(L2)(NO₃)₂(CH₃OH)] (4) were characterized by X-ray crystallography. In 1 and 2, Zn(II) has a distorted square-pyramidal geometry where as in 3 and 4, Cd(II) possesses a pseudo-pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry. The following trends in the bond lengths are observed: M–N_im < M–N_py; Zn–N > Zn–O; Cd–N < Cd–O. The final residues from the thermogravimetric analysis are ZnO and CdO, the SEM studies revealed, respectively, their porous and spherical natures. The average activation energy (E) for the loss of pyridine rings obtained from the Friedman fitting of the DSC data, for 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 193.8(2), 114.5(3), 127.1(4), and 63.7(3) kJ mol⁻¹ and their logarithmic pre-exponential factor (A) are 11.22, 5.31, 6.88, and 2.09, respectively.     

Comparative effects of different triazole compounds on antioxidant metabolism of Solenostemon rotundifolius

The effect of different triazole compounds, viz., triadimefon (TDM) and hexaconazole (HEX) treatments on the antioxidant metabolism of Solenostemon rotundifolius Poir., Morton plants was investigated in the present study under pot culture. Plants were treated with TDM at 15 mg l⁻¹ and HEX at 10 mg l⁻¹ separately by soil drenching on 80, 110 and 140 days after planting (DAP). The plants were harvested randomly on 90, 120 and 150 DAP for determining the effect of both the triazoles on non-enzymatic antioxidant contents like ascorbic acid (AA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and -tocopherol (-toc), activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). All the analyses were made in leaf, stem and tubers of both control and treated plants. It was found that both these triazole compounds have profound effects on the antioxidant metabolism and caused an enhancement in both non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant potentials under treatments. These results suggest that, the application of triazoles may be a useful tool to increase the antioxidant production in S. rotundifolius and thereby make it an economical food crop.     

Switching the mechanism of polymerisation from vinyl addition to metathesis using single‐site catalysts

Titanium/methylaluminoxane‐based catalyst systems polymerising norbornene by vinyl addition were modified to initiate ring‐opening metathesis polymerisation by interrupting the course of polymerisation with phenylacetylene. The products showed nearly 30% ring‐opened structures according to their ¹H NMR spectra. The change in mechanism of polymerisation after the addition of the reactivity transfer reagent is seen from the kinetic data.