Synthesis and Evaluation of Thymol-Based Synthetic Derivatives as Dual-Action Inhibitors against Different Strains of H. pylori and AGS Cell Line

Following a similar approach on carvacrol-based derivatives, we investigated the synthesis and the microbiological screening against eight strains of H. pylori, and the cytotoxic activity against human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells of a new series of ether compounds based on the structure of thymol. Structural analysis comprehended elemental analysis and ¹H/¹³C/¹⁹F NMR spectra. The analysis of structure–activity relationships within this molecular library of 38 structurally-related compounds reported that some chemical modifications of the OH group of thymol led to broad-spectrum growth inhibition on all isolates. Preferred substitutions were benzyl groups compared to alkyl chains, and the specific presence of functional groups at para position of the benzyl moiety such as 4-CN and 4-Ph endowed the most anti-H. pylori activity toward all the strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values up to 4 µg/mL. Poly-substitution on the benzyl ring was not essential. Moreover, several compounds characterized by the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) values against H. pylori were also tested in order to verify a cytotoxic effect against AGS cells with respect to 5-fluorouracil and carvacrol. Three derivatives can be considered as new lead compounds alternative to current therapy to manage H. pylori infection, preventing the occurrence of severe gastric diseases. The present work confirms the possibility to use natural compounds as templates for the medicinal semi-synthesis.     

Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Acacia nilotica (L.) Extract to Overcome Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Recently, concerns have been raised globally about antimicrobial resistance, the prevalence of which has increased significantly. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC) is considered one of the most common resistant bacteria, which has spread to ICUs in Saudi Arabia. This study was established to investigate the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against KPC in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we used the aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica (L.) fruits to mediate the synthesis of ZnO-NPs. The nanoparticles produced were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, zetasizer and zeta potential analyses, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO-NPs against KPC was determined via the well diffusion method, and determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the results showed low MIC and MBC when compared with the MIC and MBC of Imipenem and Meropenem antibiotics. The results of in vitro analysis were supported by the results upon applying ZnO-NP ointment to promote wound closure of rats, which showed better wound healing than the results with imipenem ointment. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed good potential for use against bacteria due to their small size, applicability, and low toxicity to human cells.     

Thiazole Analogues of the Marine Alkaloid Nortopsentin as Inhibitors of Bacterial Biofilm Formation

Anti-virulence strategy is currently considered a promising approach to overcome the global threat of the antibiotic resistance. Among different bacterial virulence factors, the biofilm formation is recognized as one of the most relevant. Considering the high and growing percentage of multi-drug resistant infections that are biofilm-mediated, new therapeutic agents capable of counteracting the formation of biofilms are urgently required. In this scenario, a new series of 18 thiazole derivatives was efficiently synthesized and evaluated for its ability to inhibit biofilm formation against the Gram-positive bacterial reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and S. aureus ATCC 6538 and the Gram-negative strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Most of the new compounds showed a marked selectivity against the Gram-positive strains. Remarkably, five compounds exhibited BIC₅₀ values against S. aureus ATCC 25923 ranging from 1.0 to 9.1 µM. The new compounds, affecting the biofilm formation without any interference on microbial growth, can be considered promising lead compounds for the development of a new class of anti-virulence agents.     

Design,Synthesis, Molecular Docking,and Tumor Resistance Reversal Activity Evaluation of Matrine Derivative with Thiophene Structure

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) frequently occurs in Southern China. The main treatments of NPC are chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, chemo-resistance arises as a big obstacle in treating NPC. Therefore, there is a great need to develop new compounds that could reverse tumor drug resistance. In this study, eight matrine derivatives containing thiophene group were designed and synthesized. Structures of these 8 compounds were characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). The cytotoxicity and preliminary synergistic effects of these 8 compounds were detected against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and cisplatin-resistant NPC cells (CNE2/CDDP), respectively. Furthermore, the in vivo and in vitro tumor resistance reversal effects of compound 3f were evaluated. Moreover, docking studies were performed in Bclw (2Y6W). The results displayed that compound 3f showed synergistic inhibitory effects with cisplatin against CNE2/CDDP cells proliferation via apoptosis induction. Docking results revealed that compound 3f may exert its effects via inhibiting anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-w.     

Laminarin Induces Defense Responses and Efficiently Controls Olive Leaf Spot Disease in Olive

Olive leaf spot (OLS) caused by Fusicladium oleagineum is mainly controlled using copper fungicides. However, the replacement of copper-based products with eco-friendly alternatives is a priority. The use of plant resistance-inducers (PRIs) or biological control agents (BCAs) could contribute in this direction. In this study we investigated the potential use of three PRIs (laminarin, acibenzolar-S-methyl, harpin) and a BCA (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB24) for the management of OLS. The tested products provided control efficacy higher than 68%. In most cases, dual applications provided higher (p < 0.05) control efficacies compared to that achieved by single applications. The highest control efficacy of 100% was achieved by laminarin. Expression analysis of the selected genes by RT-qPCR revealed different kinetics of induction. In laminarin-treated plants, for most of the tested genes a higher induction rate (p < 0.05) was observed at 3 days post application. Pal, Lox, Cuao and Mpol were the genes with the higher inductions in laminarin-treated and artificially inoculated plants. The results of this study are expected to contribute towards a better understanding of PRIs in olive culture and the optimization of OLS control, while they provide evidence for potential contributions in the reduction of copper accumulation in the environment.     

四种无机纳米颗粒对塑料抗紫外性能的研究进展

无机纳米颗粒在塑料抗紫外的研究中一直备受关注,主要介绍了四种(TiO₂、ZnO、SiO₂、CeO₂)典型的无机纳米颗粒在该领域的应用。首先归纳了其既能吸收又能反射或散射紫外线的抗紫外机理;其次,分别论述了不同无机纳米颗粒适用的紫外光波长范围,以在塑料中的添加方法和应用特点为主线,重点介绍了国内外四种无机纳米颗粒在塑料抗紫外性能中的研究现状和进展;最后,将四种无机纳米颗粒在塑料抗紫外性能中的应用特点进行了对比,提出了应用过程中存在的分散和相容性差等问题,以期为无机纳米颗粒的深入应用和发展提供一定的参考。     

Combined nanosuspensions from two natural active ingredients for cancer therapy with reduced side effects

Tumor drug resistance and systemic side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs are the main reasons for the failure of cancer treatment. In recent years, it was found that some natural active ingredients can reverse MDR and regulate body immunity to enhance the efficacy and reduce toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this paper, a new nanosuspensions, HCPT and QUR hybrid nanosuspensions (HQ-NPs), was prepared by the microprecipitation-high pressure homogenization method to reverse tumor drug resistance, reduce toxicity, and increase therapeutic efficacy. The in vitro investigation results showed that HQ-NPs had a unique shape (particle size was about 216.3 ± 5.9 nm), changed crystalline, and different dissolution rates compared with HCPT-NPs and QUR-NPs, which is attributed to the strong intermolecular forces between HCPT and QUR as indicated by the results of the molecule dock. It was verified that the HQ-NPs could double the retention of HCPT in cells and enhance the cytotoxicity to A549/PTX cells in vitro tests compared with HCPT-NPs. We also found that HQ-NPs can significantly enhance the accumulation of HCPT in tumor sites, improve the antitumor activity of HCPT, and protect the immune organs and other normal tissues (P < 0.01), compared with HCPT-NPs. Therefore, hybrid nanosuspensions can offer promising potential as the drug delivery system for HCPT and QUR to increase the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the toxicity of HCPT.     

Preparation of modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes as a reinforcement for epoxy shape‐memory polymer composites

Effectively improving the mechanical properties and thermal resistance of epoxy shape‐memory polymers (ESMPs) without affecting their shape‐memory performance is necessary to expand these polymers in practical applications. In this article, modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared and used as efficient reinforcement for enhancing the comprehensive properties of ESMPs. Increases of nearly 289% to 444% for impact strength and 112% to 184% for tensile force were obtained by adding only 0.1 to 1 wt% epoxy‐modified MWCNTs. The addition of unmodified and carboxyl‐modified MWCNTs was also investigated but showed less impact on the mechanical properties of the ESMPs than epoxy‐modified MWCNTs. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) showed that less than 1 wt% modified MWCNTs can enhance the heat resistance of ESMPs greatly. Although the shape recovery time for composite materials increased upon adding the MWCNTs, the entire recovery time was still less than 1 minute, and the shape recovery rate was relatively high, nearly 100%.     

(CH3)2和(NH2)2基团修饰的齐聚苯乙炔分子电子输运性质研究

采用密度泛函理论和非平衡格林函数相结合的方法研究了S原子作为单、双端基的(CH₃)₂-OPE (齐聚苯乙炔)和(NH₂)₂-OPE分子在金电极间的电子输运性质. 通过第一性原理优化计算获得分子部分稳定结构, 再置于Au电极之间构成两极系统, 然后再优化整个两极系统获得稳定结构. 另外, 通过非平衡格林函数方法计算了两极系统的电子输运性质. 计算结果表明, 不同的修饰基团和桥接方式可以导致两极系统的开关效应、负微分电阻行为和整流行为等不同的电子输运性质. 通过计算不同偏压下的分子体系投影轨道电子分布、透射谱、态密度, 对这些新异的电输运性质出现的机理进行了解释.     

基于乙炔基-苯并噁嗪单元双重交联反应的聚酰亚胺树脂的制备与性能

为开发可低温固化的聚酰亚胺树脂, 通过分子结构设计将苯并噁嗪单元引入聚酰亚胺树脂中, 合成了含苯并噁嗪单元及乙炔基封端的双官能化新型聚酰亚胺预聚体(PIBzA). 经高温处理, 苯并噁嗪单元发生开环交联, 同时, 乙炔基端基发生三聚成环反应, 从而在固化树脂中形成双重交联网络结构. 苯并噁嗪单元的引入使聚酰亚胺树脂最快固化反应温度降低约32 ℃, 有效降低了固化温度. 同时, 苯并噁嗪单元的引入未大幅度降低树脂的耐热稳定性, 其玻璃化转变温度(T_g)介于266~290 ℃之间, 5%热失重温度(T_d,5%)接近500 ℃, 依然可以满足耐高温复合材料的应用需求. 此外, PIBzA固化树脂具有低介电特性, 其介电常数k介于2.3~3.0, 介电损耗介于0.002~0.008, 可满足透波复合材料及先进微电子封装材料的应用需求.