The study aimed to synthesize and evaluate polyethylene carboxylates (PECs) as a biocompatible polymer for drug delivery. The synthesis of PECs has been achieved by making slight modifications through statistical optimization in reaction conditions using the Jones reagent. The transformation has been confirmed by FTIR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The synthesized polymer was evaluated for its acute toxicity and ulcerogenic and hemolytic activity. The results revealed that PECs have successfully synthesized and have not shown any toxicity-related mortality. Moreover, PECs did not show any ulcerogenic and hemolytic activity, which was expected due to the presence of two carboxylic groups in the synthesized derivatives. The ease of performing the reaction and mild reagents make it the most suitable condition for synthesizing PECs. Biocompatibility (safety issues) regarding the employability of synthesized PECs has been tested, and the results have supported the same. The availability of the carboxylic group will open possibilities for the conjugation of bioactive compounds. This research work widens the scope for conjugation of most of the bioactive compounds and also proves to be an option for the linkers as they, by themselves, can be directly involved in the formation of polymer-drug conjugates.

Bronchial asthma is a significant inflammatory disorder impacting the airways. While current therapeutic interventions manage these symptoms, they do not offer a cure for the condition. Emerging research indicates that specific microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and the associated airway remodeling. Notably, miR-16-5p has been identified as a regulator of TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bronchial epithelial cells. This study investigates the influence of miR-16-5p on pulmonary function, inflammation, and fibrosis in asthma, focusing on its interaction with the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway, using a rat model for experimental analysis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminum hydroxide to create an asthma model. They were divided into six groups. miRNA treatments were delivered using PEG-liposomes before each asthma challenge for 8 weeks. Asthma rats had lower levels of miR-16-5p. Elevating miR-16-5p levels improved breathing, reduced inflammation, and prevented lung damage. miR-16-5p regulated the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway by targeting Smad3, indicating its protective role against asthma. Increasing miR-16-5p levels can improve lung function, reduce inflammation, and prevent lung fibrosis in asthma rats by targeting Smad3 to block the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway. This finding suggests that miR-16-5p has translational potential as a novel therapeutic target for asthma treatment, which could lead to more effective strategies for asthma management in the future.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) has been the subject of many inhibition studies due to its presence in many species, causing enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables, and its pigmentation role in mammalian species. In the present study, the inhibitory properties of twelve 1-alkyl-1H-benzimidazolium sulfonates and two 1-alkyl-1H-benzimidazolium iodides on PPO activity have been investigated. The PPO enzyme was purified from banana using Sepharose 4B-tyrosine-p-aminobenzoic acid affinity gel chromatography. The effects of 14 different synthesized benzimidazole derivatives on the PPO enzyme were investigated, and they were found to significantly inhibit the enzyme in question. When ADME predictions were examined, it was seen that all compounds that include methylbenzenesulfonate structure showed good pharmacokinetic properties; only compounds 3a and 3b, which contain iodide, violated the Ghose rules. These compounds, which were effective at low concentrations, may serve as promising lead molecules for the development of PPO inhibitors with potential applications in food preservation, cosmetic formulations, and pharmaceutical research, pending further in vivo and formulation-based studies.

Dengue is an acute mosquito-borne viral infection that has become a major health problem worldwide in recent years. Currently, no specific antiviral therapies are available to treat dengue fever. Every year, an enormous number of deaths are reported due to dengue fever. This necessitates the identification of inhibitors against the dengue virus. The RNA genome of DENV is composed of 10,723 nucleotides, which encodes for 10 proteins (three structural proteins and seven nonstructural proteins). The nonstructural NS2B-NS3 protease complex has been reported to be the most powerful therapeutic target for the development of anti-dengue drugs. In the present study, a ligand library comprised of 3496 phytochemicals from 160 medicinal plants was subjected to high-throughput virtual screening against the NS2B-NS3 protease of dengue virus. The top 25 best-fit compounds were shortlisted based on their binding affinity, RMSD UB, and LB values. The binding energies of these phytochemicals were found to be within the range of -9.84 to -2.98kcal/mol. These phytochemicals were further analyzed through site-specific docking for 100 independent genetic algorithm (GA) runs. With further analysis of hydrogen bond interactions, binding energy, and clustering, the best binding confirmations of the four protein-ligand complexes were identified. It includes 4-hydroxystrychnine (Strychnos nux-vomica, PubChem ID: 211181), andrograpanin (Andrographis paniculata, PubChem ID: 11666871), norsanguinarine (Argemone mexicana, PubChem ID: 97679), and pongaglabrone (Pongamia pinnata, PubChem ID: 10957726). The thermodynamic stability of these protein-ligand complex structures was evaluated using Schrödinger's Desmond (v7.3) molecular dynamics simulation for a duration of 100ns. These complex structures were identified to be stable throughout 100ns. With further experimental and clinical investigations, potential inhibitors identified in the present study could be used as effective lead molecules for the development of novel drugs against the dengue virus.

Green amaranth, or Amaranthus viridis L., is a plant that thrives in warmer climates worldwide. Additionally, the whole plant has analgesic and antipyretic properties, which serve to treat fever and pain, respectively, in traditional medicine. Chromium (Cr), a transition metal with versatile applications, but is poisonous in excess. It becomes more soluble and potent in acidic soils, where the growth and efficiency of the plant are drastically constricted by its toxicity. Our findings indicate that chromium is toxic to A. viridis, resulting in poor root elongation, necrosis, chlorosis, and reduced growth. Cr stress jeopardizes the integrity and functioning of cells by weakening lipids, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) through oxidative damage that produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). To counteract these effects, A. viridis stimulates an assortment of defense mechanisms, comprising antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidases, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Likewise, in the aftermath of chromium stress, nonenzymatic antioxidants like glutathione and ascorbate accumulate, boosting the plant's resilience to oxidative damage. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms behind the resistance of A. viridis to chromium toxicity through an investigation of physiological, biochemical, forby anatomical responses of the plant to chromium stress. Understanding the stress response mechanism is critical for improving cultivation in acidic soils, advancing sustainable agriculture, and ensuring food security in locations where soil acidification is a danger. Furthermore, the findings of this study may aid in the development of chromium-resistant crop types, therefore enhancing agricultural processes and crop yields throughout the world.

The clinical efficacy of existing antibiotics is threatened by the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. In India, traditional herbal medicine has attracted much of the scientific interest and increasing continuously. This study evaluates the antimicrobial activity of crude plumbagin extract (CRPB) from Plumbago auriculata and standard plumbagin (PB) (which is a 98% pure compound from Sigma Aldrich, USA) against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobactor, and their MDR strains with disc diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). PB was extracted from leaves of P. auriculata and verified by spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Standard PB showed the lowest MIC against S. aureus ATCC and its MDR strains B48 and F204 at 64µg/mL. Although E. coli ATCC had an MIC at 128µg/mL, and it's MDR U1815, P1189 at 256µg/mL. K. pneumoniae ATCC and its MDR showed a higher MIC at 128µg/mL. CRPB showed MIC against S. aureus ATCC (256µg/mL), B48 (256µg/mL), and F204 (512µg/mL). P. aeruginosa ATCC, E. coli ATCC and their MDR strains, and K. pneumoniae ATCC and its MDR P290 were resistant at all the concentrations for CRPB. CRPB showed relatively specific antimicrobial activity, and naphthoquinone compound PB could be mainly responsible for its activity. In the disc diffusion assay, compared to standard streptomycin, CRPB exhibited good activity against S. aureus ATCC (31mm) and MDR B48 (37mm), E. coli MDR P1189 (18mm), and Citrobactor MDR F182 (22mm). Growth of S. aureus was completely inhibited. PB can be developed as a potential drug candidate after further purification.

A pond ecosystem is one of the most important freshwater ecosystems. It serves as the home to various flora and fauna. Ipomoea aquatica, or water spinach, is a common pond water plant. It is consumed by people for its taste and health benefits. Pond water also serves as a water resource for everyday domestic activities. These pollute the pond water, endangering the health of the plants and fish in the pond. In our work, we have studied the quality of the water from used and unused ponds. This was correlated with the health quality and stress response of the plants. It was found that decreasing pond water quality leads to a decrease in the quality of aquatic plants.

This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of four novel N-acetyl-derived heterocyclic compounds, namely 2-((1-acetyl-3-substituted-5-oxo-1,5-dihydro-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)iminomethyl)-phenyl-naphthalene-2-sulfonates. The compounds were synthesized via acetylation reactions using acetic anhydride and were fully characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 1 3C NMR, elemental analysis, and HR-MS techniques. The anticancer activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated in the concentration range of 1.563-200µM against HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma) and U87 (glioblastoma) cell lines, showing significant cytotoxic effects. Enzyme inhibition assays demonstrated potent inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and glutathione S-transferase (GST), with IC50 values ranging from 1.4 to 2.9µM. Molecular docking studies, performed using DFT-optimized geometries, supported the experimental findings and revealed strong and specific interactions with the target proteins. Among the studied derivatives, compound 2a exhibited the highest affinity toward α-glucosidase, 2d showed superior binding to α-amylase and AChE, while 2c demonstrated enhanced interaction with GST. Compound 2b displayed promising anticancer potential, forming stable complexes with proteins associated with the HepG2 and U87 cell lines.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms are widely recognized as a public health concern due to the antibiotic resistance, which is a major risk to global human health. Amino acids have been utilized to produce antimicrobial peptides as they are extremely effective and less likely to build microbial resistance. This study evaluates the efficacy of six aliphatic amino acids, isoleucine, methionine, valine, glycine, alanine, and proline against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is a Gram-negative MDR pathogen that utilizes N-acyl-homoserine lactones as signaling molecules to regulate the quorum sensing pathway and express virulence factors. The MIC and sub-MIC were determined by the broth dilution method. This finding reveals that isoleucine exhibits a higher inhibitory effect on the organism at MIC and sub-MIC concentration of amino acids compared to the inhibition by other amino acids. The biofilm production was inhibited at a higher percentage, and also EPS production was inhibited in treatment with isoleucine. Confocal laser scanning microscope results depicts the disintegration of biofilm formation upon treatment. The isoleucine-treated culture of P. aeruginosa effectively inhibits the toxic pyocyanin production. Pyoverdines play a crucial role in iron acquisition, and their production was found to be inhibited by isoleucine. Motility was observed by swimming and swarming, and the results obtained from the gene expression studies demonstrated that isoleucine, methionine, valine, and glycine inhibited more virulence gene expression compared to alanine and proline.