Good Activity Research Articles

Design and radiosynthesis of class-IIa HDAC inhibitor with high molar activity via repositioning the 18F-radiolabel

The design and radiosynthesis of [18F]NT376, a high potency inhibitor of class-IIa histone deacetylases (HDAC) is reported. We utilized a three-step radiochemical approach that led to the radiosynthesis of [18F]NT376 in a good radiochemical yield, (17.0 ± 3%, decay corrected), high radiochemical purity (> 97%) and relatively high molar activity of 185.0 GBq/µmol (> 5.0 Ci/µmol). The repositioning of the 18F-radiolabel into a phenyl ring (18F-Fluoro-aryl) of the class-IIa HDAC inhibitor avoided the shortcomings of the direct radiolabeling of the 5-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety that was reported by us previously and was associated with low molar activity (0.74–1.51 GBq/µmol, 20–41 mCi/µmol). This radiochemical approach could find a wider application for radiolabeling similar molecules with good radiochemical yield and high molar activity.

Phytochemistry, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Anti-Diabetes Studies of Extracts and Chemical Constituents of Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis Leaves

Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis (L.f.) Koekemoer, also known as rhinoceros bush and previously called Elytropappus rhinocerotis (L.f.) Less., is from the Asteraceae plant family. The plant is traditionally used to treat indigestion, stomach ulcers, influenza, and diarrhea. This study was aimed at investigating the phytochemistry, anti-glucosidase, anti-amylase, and anti-tyrosinase effects of D. rhinocerotis as research in this area is limited. The air-dried plant materials were macerated in 80% methanol (MeOH) and fractionated between hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and butanol (BuOH). Column chromatography on silica gel was employed for the isolation of the compounds. A total of six compounds (1–6) were isolated from the fractions viz. acacetin (1), 15-hydroxy-cis-clerodan-3-ene-18-oic-acid (2), acacetin-7-glucoside (3), pinitol (4), apigenin (5), and β-sitosterol-3-O-glycoside (6). Compounds 2–4 and 6 are reported for the first time from this plant. Among the different fractions, the BuOH and EtOAc fractions had strong tyrosinase inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 13.7 ± 1.71 and 11.6 ± 2.68 µg/mL, respectively, while among the isolated compounds, apigenin (5) had the strongest inhibitory activity, with an IC50 of 14.58 µM, which competes favorably with Kojic acid (17.26 µM). The anti-glucosidase assay showed good activity in three of the fractions and compound 5, while the anti-amylase assays did not show significant inhibition activity.

Synthesis of amino juglone derivatives with adjuvant activity against clinical isolated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus strains

1,4-naphthoquinones hydroxyderivatives belong to an important class of natural products and have been known as a favored scaffold in medicinal chemistry due to their multiple biological properties. Juglone is one of the most important 1,4-naphthoquinone extracted from juglandaceae family showing a good antibacterial activity. In this study, we report the synthesis of aminojuglone derivatives through Michael addition reaction using Cerium (III) chloride heptahydrate (CeCl3·7H2O) as catalyst. The synthesized aminojuglone derivatives were evaluated for their antibacterial properties against sensitive, clinical resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Compound 3c showed a good antibacterial activity similar to cloxacillin (2 µg/mL) against the clinically resistant S.aureus. The antibiotic adjuvant activity of compounds was evaluated in combination with three clinically use antibiotics. The combination of compounds 3a, 3b, 3e, 3 h-3 l, 3n and 3o with cloxacillin showed remarkable adjuvant activity against clinically resistant S. aureus (66-fold potentiation of cloxacillin activity). 3e is the only compound consistent with the concept of antibiotic adjuvant, presenting insufficient antibacterial activity (MIC > 128 µg/mL) and potentiate the activity of cloxacillin (66-fold) with synergistic effect. A structural characterization of 3e was carried out for the first time using X-ray diffraction technic. Moreover, compound 3e did not show a cytotoxic activity on sheep red blood cells.

Formulation, Optimization, and Evaluation of Non-Propellent Foam-Based Formulation for Burn Wounds Treatment

Burn injuries worldwide pose significant health risks due to frequent microbial infections, which worsen complications and increase mortality rates. The conventional antimicrobial formulations are available in the form of ointments and creams. These formulations are very greasy and stick to the clothes. The applications of these formulations by finger or applicator produce pain in the affected area and incur the possibility of microbial infection. To overcome these hurdles, authors developed a novel non-propellent foam (NPF) based formulation containing chlorhexidine for effective topical delivery. Initially, NPF containing Labrasol® (26.7%), sodium lauryl sulfate (1.2%), hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (0.56%), butylated hydroxytoluene (0.1%), ethanol (1%), and distilled water was prepared and assessed for its consistency, and ability to form foam. The NPF was statistically optimized using the Box-Behnken design to determine the effect of polymer and surfactants on the critical foam properties. The optimized formulation showed a collapse time of 45 s with a unique nature of collapsing upon slight touch which is highly beneficial for burn patients with microbial infection. The diffusion study showed that more than 90% of the drug was released within 6 h. The skin permeation study showed that 23% of the total drug permeated through the skin after 6 h with 7.64 µg/cm2/h permeation flux. The developed formulation showed good antibacterial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of prepared NPF was found to be 2.5 µg/mL, 2.5 µg/mL, and 5.0 µg/mL against E. coli (MTCC-1687), P. aeruginosa (MTCC-1688), and S aureus (MTCC-737) respectively. The developed NPF formulation showed quick collapse time, excellent spreadability, good anti-bacterial activity, and a non-sticky nature representing a promising avenue for burn wound treatment without using any applicator.

“In vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Potentials of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Ocimum gratissimum essential oil”

IntroductionOcimum known as Tulsi has various health benefits mentioned in Ayurveda. Ocimum polysaccharides are used in pharmacology as the capacity to prevent ageing, boost immunity, suppress tumor growth, reduce diabetes mellitus and function as an antioxidant. Therefore, the goal of the current investigation was to examine the antibacterial and antifungal activities of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Ocimum gratissimum essential oils. MethodEssential oils of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Ocimum gratissimum were extracted by hydrodistillation method and antibacterial and antifungal activities were done by agar well diffusion and broth micro dilution method. Furthermore, In silico toxicity analysis was done by the SwissADME server. ResultOcimum gratissimum essential oil was found to have an extraction yield of 2.75 ± 0.5% and 3.90 ± 0.5% for O. tenuiflorum. α-thujene (15.33%), eugenol (16.11%) and β-terpineol (7.75%) were the major phytocompounds of O. tenuiflorum whereas chavibetol (17.70), α-pinene (15.16%) and bicyclosesquiphellandrene (9.07%) were the major phytocompounds of O. gratissimum essential oil. Forging ahead, essential oil of O. tenuiflorum showed MIC of 0.078% against E. coli ATCC29213, 0.3125% against K. pneumoniae MTCC39, 0.078% against S. aureus ATCC25922, 0.625% against both C. albicans, MTCC277 and ATCC90028, however, essential oil of O. gratissimum showed MIC of 1.25% against E. coli ATCC29213, followed by K. pneumonia MTCC39 (2.5%) and S. aureus ATCC25922 (2.5%) and 5.0% against both C. albicans MTCC277 and ATCC90028. Certainly, phytocompounds of both the Ocimum spp. also fulfilled the Lipinski rule and showed characteristics similar to drugs. β-terpinole demonstrated the best antibacterial activity with a Pa value of 0,610 and β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide had the best antifungal activity with a Pa value of 0,647. ConclusionTo conclude, the current study showed that O. tenuiflorum and O. gratissimum have good antibacterial and antifungal activity and on the basis of further experimentation, can be used as a source of natural antimicrobials.

Biocompatible ionic liquid self-assembled transdermal delivery system (P-M IL/AKE) for significantly improved skin photoaging and reduced wrinkles

Most peptide drugs have good biological activity and safety, but their stability and permeability are poor, limiting their applications in the field of local drug delivery. Snake venom peptide (AKE) is a tripeptide with good anti-wrinkle effects, but its weak esterophilicity, poor penetration, and low bioavailability limit its full anti-wrinkle potential. To address this issue, a bioactive ionic liquid (P-M IL) was prepared and an efficient self-assembled peptide drug delivery system was constructed through AKE loading, which increased the cumulative absorption of AKE in the skin by more than five-fold, resulting in good biocompatibility. Further, P-M IL/AKE can significantly increase collagen protein secretion by human fibroblasts, improved skin photoaging and reduce the areas and volume of wrinkle in the eye tail lines. In addition, for the first time, quantum chemical calculations, homology modeling, molecular docking and binding free energy calculations were used to analyze the structural stability of the system, construct the 3D model, explore the interaction mode and reveal the theoretical basis of anti-wrinkle effect. Therefore, this supramolecular self-assembled transdermal drug delivery system has potential advantages, providing a novel approach for the highly efficient and non-invasive delivery of peptide drugs.

Hierarchical core-shelled CoMo layered double hydroxide@CuCo2S4 nanowire arrays/nickel foam for advanced hybrid supercapacitors

The development of core-shelled heterostructures with the unique morphology can improve the electrochemical properties of hybrid supercapacitors (HSC). Here, CuCo2S4 nanowire arrays (NWAs) are vertically grown on nickel foam (NF) utilizing hydrothermal synthesis. Then, CoMo-LDH nanosheets are uniformly deposited on the CuCo2S4 NWAs by electrodeposition to obtain the CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4 NWAs/NF electrode. Due to the superior conductivity of CuCo2S4 (core) and good redox activity of CoMo-LDH (shell), the electrode shows excellent electrochemical properties. The electrode’s specific capacity is 1271.4C g−1 at 1 A g−1, and after 10, 000 cycles, its capacity retention ratio is 92.2 % at 10 A g−1. At a power density of 983.9 W kg−1, the CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4 NWAs/NF//AC/NF device has an energy density of 52.2 Wh kg−1. This indicates that CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4/NF has a great potential for supercapacitors.

Lifestyle Practices of Adolescents in a Tertiary Care Centre in India

Introduction: Adolescents are individuals in the 10–19year age group; there are 253 million adolescents in India. Growth and development are predominant during adolescence, a relatively healthy time. Good diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time are pillars of good health. Aims & Objectives: To identify lifestyle practices such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time among adolescents in the outpatient and inpatient services, Departments of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore. Methods: A descriptive study design employing a non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 1420 adolescents. Written consent and assent were obtained, demographic and clinical variables were collected using interviews, and the lifestyle practice was assessed using a modified YRBS questionnaire. Results: 70.8% of the adolescents were in the age group of 10-14 years; males and females were almost equal (46.2 and 53.8%), 73.6% lived in nuclear families, and 19.4% had a BMI of 23 adult equivalent. Regarding diet in the past 7 days, 41.3% did not consume green/vegetable salads, and 89.7% of the adolescents ate breakfast daily, but the meals of 81.4% did not contain 25% carbohydrates. 42.2% did not meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, and 51% were not a part of any sports team in the past year. Most (33.8%) of the adolescents slept for about 8 hours during the school days, but 68% reported difficulty falling asleep. Most participants (58.7% and 59.2%) stopped screentime just before sleep on weekdays and weekends. Conclusion: Adolescence is when lifestyle behaviours that affect present and future health begin. Therefore, helping adolescents establish healthy lifestyles and avoid developing health risk behaviours is crucial and should be started before these behaviours are firmly established. Keywords: Adolescents, Lifestyle, Diet, Physical Activity, Sleep, Screen time.

Immobilization of multilayer sodium alginate/polysaccharide antibacterial material composite beads as glufosinate controlled release matrices

To find a new way to slow down the release of glufosinate (GA) pesticide and to solve the susceptibility to decomposition by soil microorganisms, a series of novel antibacterial polysaccharide-based sustained release beads (PSRB) were prepared. The PSRB was prepared by immobilization of GA loaded polysaccharide-based chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (PS-HACC) microcapsules in the core and layers of the multilayer sodium alginate beads. The PSRB was characterized by FI-IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and BET to reveal their composition and surface morphology. The optimal conditions of the slow release beads were as follows, the concentration of Ca2+, pH, temperature and the coating layer number was 0.1 mol/L, 7, 25 °Cand 3, respectively. The kinetic study showed that the slow release of PSRB was in accordance with the Higuchi kinetic model, and the FI-IR and XRD analyses revealed that the PS-HACC and GA were successfully cross-linked to the PSRB. BET showed that PSRB were greater than PSRB3 at surface area, pore volume and pore size. Inhibition circles experiments demonstrated that WPSRB3 has good antibacterial activity. The weed control in soybean with PSRB3 application is perfect and the weed control cycle is long. Therefore, this technology can provide a potential way to control GA release, improve utilization efficiency, reduce pesticide use and environmental pollution, and at the same time, provide a potential way to achieve ecological agriculture.

Salvia verticillata (L.)—Biological Activity, Chemical Profile, and Future Perspectives

Species belonging to the genus Salvia, Lamiaceae, have been deeply involved in the folk medicine of different nations since ancient times. Lilac sage, or Salvia verticillata L. (S. verticillata) is a less studied species from the genus. However, it seems to have a prominent potential for the future drug discovery strategies of novel phytopharmaceuticals. This review aims to summarise the data on the biological activity and the phytochemical profile of extracts and essential oils derived from S. verticillata. This review is based on data from 57 in vitro and in vivo studies. The chemical profile of S. verticillata includes different synergic compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenes, and salvianolic acids. Although some small amounts of salvianolic acid B were found in S. verticillata extracts, the major compound among the salvianolic acids is salvianolic acid C, a compound associated with the potential for improving liver fibrosis, cardio- and hepatoprotection, and the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The cannabinoid type 2 receptor agonist β-caryophyllene is one of the major compounds in S. verticillata essential oils. It is a compound with a prominent potential in regenerative medicine, neurology, immunology, and other medical fields. The in vivo and the in vitro studies, regarding S. verticillata highlighted good antioxidant potential, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal activity. S.verticillata was also reported as a potential source of drug candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, because of the inhibitory activity on the acetylcholinesterase. However, the number of studies in this direction is limited.

Synthesis of spiroindoline derivatives and biphenyl compounds in green solvent via a “capture–release” mechanism using modified polyacrylonitrile fiber as a catalyst

Green synthesis of critical bioactive molecules and fine chemicals is attracting increasing interest. This study investigates the use of two distinct functionalized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers (PANEDBPF and PANEDBP-Pd0F) as effective catalysts in a green solvent comprising ethanol and water. Firstly, a PAN fiber was modified using 2-(diphenylphosphino) ethylamine, a strongly nucleophilic phosphine compound, to obtain PANEDBPF. Spiroindoline derivatives were obtained in 98 % yields when the reaction was conducted using 5 mol% of PANEDBPF as the catalyst at 70 °C for 30 min. Next, we loaded PdNPs onto PANEDBPF to obtain PANEDBP-Pd0F. When the Suzuki coupling reaction was conducted at room temperature (25 °C) using 0.5 mol% of PANEDBP-Pd0F, the products were obtained in an extremely high yield of 99 %. Additionally, the unique enrichment of the substrate by the functionalized fibers during the reaction and the subsequent release of the product from the microenvironment conform to the “capture–release” reaction mode of catalysis. Both PANEDBPF and PANEDBP-Pd0F demonstrated good gram-scale amplification, repeatability, catalytic activity, and stability. Hence, they are highly promising candidates for green chemistry applications.

Synthesis, optical properties, DNA, β-cyclodextrin interactions, and antioxidant evaluation of novel isoxazolidine derivative (ISoXD2): A multispectral and computational analysis

ISoXD2 are well explored among versatile and outstanding class of pharmacophores for the preparation and discovery of drugs. Herein, the electronic absorption and emission spectra of ISoXD2 were investigated in three different solvents. The observed transition was attributed to π-π* with charge transfer character. Changes in the excited state and shift of the absorption and emission peaks to longer wavelengths are observed as a result of increasing solvent polarity, due to the interactions between the ISoXD2 molecule and the solvent molecules surrounding it. Changing the solvent confirms its solvatochromic effect. UV-vis and fluorescence analysis revealed that ISoXD2 binds to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by intercalation mode, with a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1.5. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of DNA bound to ethidium bromide (EB) in the presence of ISoXD2 was investigated. From this analysis, the Stern-Volmer quenching constant (Ksv), quenching rate constant (kq), binding constant (Kb) and binding sites number (n) were found to be 5.654 x 103 M-1, 2.827 × 1011 M-1 s-1, 3.81×104 M-1 and 1.225, respectively. The interaction between ISoXD2 and β-CD was investigated through absorption spectra analysis. Kb for this interaction was determined to be 4.9×104 M-1. The free radical-scavenging ability of the prepared ISoXD2, examined by DPPH and ABTS assays have shown a good antioxidant activity. Furthermore, modeling study was conducted to explore their plausible binding mechanism with ISoXD2 and to support the experimental results.

Hierarchical core-shelled CoMo layered double hydroxide@CuCo2S4 nanowire arrays/nickel foam for advanced hybrid supercapacitors

The development of core-shelled heterostructures with the unique morphology can improve the electrochemical properties of hybrid supercapacitors (HSC). Here, CuCo2S4 nanowire arrays (NWAs) are vertically grown on nickel foam (NF) utilizing hydrothermal synthesis. Then, CoMo-LDH nanosheets are uniformly deposited on the CuCo2S4 NWAs by electrodeposition to obtain the CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4 NWAs/NF electrode. Due to the superior conductivity of CuCo2S4 (core) and good redox activity of CoMo-LDH (shell), the electrode shows excellent electrochemical properties. The electrode’s specific capacity is 1271.4C g−1 at 1 A g−1, and after 10, 000 cycles, its capacity retention ratio is 92.2 % at 10 A g−1. At a power density of 983.9 W kg−1, the CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4 NWAs/NF//AC/NF device has an energy density of 52.2 Wh kg−1. This indicates that CoMo-LDH@CuCo2S4/NF has a great potential for supercapacitors.

A comprehensive study of Tianma Toutong Tablets from the dual dimensions of quality and efficacy using fingerprint techniques and network pharmacology

BackgroundThe quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the prerequisite for ensuring its safe and effective clinical application. With the increasing popularity of TCM worldwide, the quality control of TCM products has become increasingly crucial. Tianma toutong tablet (TMTTT) is mainly used for migraine caused by external wind and cold, blood stasis, or deficiency of blood and nourishment. However, the mechanism of action of TMTTT is still unclear, and there has been a lack of in vitro antioxidant activity research and migraine treatment mechanism research. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a set of comprehensive and effective evaluation methods. Resultsthree fingerprint profiles were established using HPLC, UV, and DSC analysis methods, and established three digital parameters simple complexity index (SX), simple clarity index (SY), simple complexity clarity ratio (Sω), 22 batches of samples were evaluated using a comprehensive linear quantitative fingerprint method (CLQFM). In addition, the antioxidant activity of the samples was determined using the DPPH method, and the relationship between fingerprint peaks in different fingerprints and antioxidant capacity was explored using Pearson correlation coefficients. Finally, network pharmacological research was conducted to investigate the potential targets, compounds, and pathways involved in the treatment of migraines with TMTTT. The results showed that the 22 batches of samples were classified into different quality grades. TMTTT exhibited good antioxidant activity, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship showed that gastrodin, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, imperatorin and isoimperatorin had strong antioxidant capacity, providing directions for the identification of active compounds. A total of 36 core targets were identified and screened by network pharmacology, which AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), albumin (ALB), insulin (INS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and compounds such as β-sitosterol, chrysophanol, vanillin are the key to the treatment of migraine, providing references for subsequent clinical research and new drug development. Significance: This study examined the consistency of the quality of TMTTT and the mechanism of action in treating migraines from both quality and efficacy perspectives, providing a favorable direction for further research on TMTTT and offering new ideas for the quality control of TCM compound formulations.

Inhibition of carbon steel corrosion caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms using the eco-friendly ε-Polylysine antimicrobial peptide

This study evaluated the effect of the ε-Polylysine (E-PL) antimicrobial peptide on the corrosion behavior of P. aeruginosa attached to carbon steel surfaces. The results showed that E-PL exhibited good antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, further effectively inhibited the corrosion behavior of P. aeruginosa by biofilm thickness, surface morphology, corrosion product, EIS and molecular biology method. In addition, the transcriptome and qPCR data showed that E-PL significantly downregulated the expression of key genes in flagella, quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and phenazines for resisting microbiologically influenced corrosion. This study has theoretical significance for evaluating the corrosion of marine equipment.

Phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped-graphene: Stability and catalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction

This study systematically investigated the stable configurations and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity of PN co-doped graphene using first-principles methods. We found that PN co-doped graphene substrates are generally highly stable. The adsorption energy of adsorbates is linearly positively correlated with the number of electrons obtained from the substrate. The P atoms serve as catalytic activity sites, the co-doping of N significantly enhances the adsorption energies of intermediate species in the ORR process, facilitating the direct dissociation of O2 and O2H. The solvation effect has a non-negligible impact on the adsorption energy of adsorbates, especially for O2. Due to the excessive adsorption of O, it poisons and inhibits the catalytic activity of P active sites for ORR. However, after O adsorption, the C atoms neighboring the PN impurity atoms in the P-Nn-Gra (n=2,3) substrates exhibit better catalytic activity than that of graphene doped with P/N alone. The P-Nn-defect-Gra (n=2,3,4) substrates are potential catalysts with good HER catalytic activity.

A new composite electrode based on hemin/copper nanoparticles/oxidized graphitic nitride for sensitive detection of organophosphorus pesticide

A new composite of Hemin, copper oxide nanoparticle, and oxidized g-C3N4 (He/CuO/Oxi-gC3N4) is fabricated and successfully employed for electrocatalysis of the chlorinated Organo-Phosphorous pesticide, Dichlorvos. Hemin (He) is a well-known metalloporphyrin, which has an electroactive center of Fe3+. Pure hemin aggregates easily due to its poor solubility in an aqueous solution and hence is usually composited with other electroactive materials. The composite electrode has been thoroughly characterized including SEM, AFM, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and Voltammetric techniques for the determination of Dichlorvos in water sample. Herein we have used a composite of Hemin with green synthesized copper oxide nanoparticle, (CuO)-Nps adsorbed on a porous oxidized graphitic carbon nitride surface (Oxi-gC3N4). The obtained linear range for Dichlorvos was found to be 2.5 × 10−10 to 62.5 × 10−10 M with a detection limit of 0.83×10−11 M. The composite electrode performance was further extended for use in real samples like lake water, well water, and tap water containing Dichlorvos. The analysis was carried out based on the standard addition method. Good recovery ranges from 99.0 to 100.0% were observed. Also, the He/CuO/Oxi-gC3N4 showed very good antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Identification of 5-Thiocyanatothiazol-2-amines Disrupting WDR5-MYC Protein-Protein Interactions.

MYC amplification is frequently observed in approximately 50% of human cancers, rendering it a highly desired anticancer target. Given the challenge of direct pharmacological inhibiting of MYC, impairing the interaction of MYC and its key cofactor WDR5 has been proposed as a promising strategy for MYC-driven cancer treatment. Herein, we report the discovery of 5-thiocyanatothiazol-2-amines that disrupt the WDR5-MYC interaction. Hit fragments were initially identified in a fluorescence polarization (FP)-based screening of an in-house library, and structural-activity relationship exploration resulted in the lead compounds 4m and 4o with potent inhibitory activities on WDR5-MYC interaction (K i = 2.4 μM for 4m; K i = 1.0 μM for 4o). These compounds were further validated via differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) and coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Moreover, 4m and 4o exhibited good cellular activities with the IC50 values at the micromolar level (IC50 = 0.71-7.40 μM) against multiple MYC-driven cancer cell lines. Our findings afforded a potential small molecule blocking the WDR5-MYC interaction.

Multicomponent hierarchical Ni-MOFs/MWCNTs@Ni/Co-LDH nanohybrid as advanced electrode material for supercapacitor

Layer double hydroxide (LDH) is a metal hydroxide with two or more metal components. It has promising prospects in supercapacitors (SCs) as electrode material due to the chemical composition adjustability, excellent ion exchangeability, good redox activity and high specific capacity. However, the further application of LDH is limited to the inferior electrochemical conductivity and slow reaction kinetics. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as electrode materials possess excellent conductivity and distinctive hollow structure but the specific capacities are low. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have abundant electrochemical active sites, multifunctionality and tunable porosity, which could accelerate the process of transporting and diffusing electrolyte ions, enhancing the specific capacitance as electrode material. Hence, in this work, MWCNTs decorated with Ni-MOFs were introduced into Ni/Co-LDH to fabricate multicomponent heterostructure Ni-MOFs/MWCNTs@Ni/Co-LDH nanohybrid by in situ chemical reaction. The specific capacity of Ni-MOFs/MWCNTs@Ni/Co-LDH was 1032.0 C g-1 at a current density of 1.0 A g-1 and retained 66.0% initial capacity following 5000 cycles at 5 A g-1. A power density of 850.0 W kg-1 and an energy density of 28.9 Wh kg-1 were obtained for the assembled asymmetric supercapacitor.

Construction and antibacterial activities of walnut green husk polysaccharide based silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)

In this paper, the size-controllable nano‑silver particles (AgNPs) were synthesized from walnut green husk polysaccharide, and its cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity were evaluated. Firstly, acidic polysaccharide WGHP2 was extracted from walnut green husk, and then the silver ion in AgNO3 was reduced in WGHP2 aqueous solution using NaBH4, so as to synthesize the nano‑silver composite. The nano‑silver composite was characterized by transmission electron microscope, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that AgNPs stabilized by WGHP2 are mainly regular spheres with an average particle size distribution of 15.04–19.23 nm. The particle size distribution and morphology of AgNPs changed with the concentration of silver precursor, which is related to the dispersion of silver precursor in polysaccharide aqueous solution and the formation of AgO coordination bond between silver precursor and polysaccharide molecules. These coordination bonds changed the ability of nanoparticles to produce and release Ag+, and thus regulated their antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity, as evidenced by the experimental result of the cytotoxicity of the nano‑silver particle against PC12 cells and the bacteriostatic effect on E.coli and S.aureus. Conclusively, WGHP2-Ag has good stability, antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity.