Good Activity Research Articles

Tunable optoelectronic performances of fluorinated benzene-EDOT based hybrid electrochromic polymers

Due to its high electronegativity and small atomic radius without undesirable steric hindrance, the incorporation of fluorine atoms into the benzene unit which started from the commercially available compounds is a feasible way to tune the energy levels of polymers, and its electrochromic application is expected to achieve a new breakthrough. Herein, in this paper, benzene units with different fluorine atom numbers were selected as the core and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as the terminal unit, three fluorinated electrochromic precursors (FPh-EDOT, 2FPh-EDOT, and 4FPh-EDOT) were designed and synthesized by Stille coupling reaction, and the corresponding fluorinated π-conjugated electrochromic polymers (P(FPh-EDOT), P(2Ph-EDOT), and P(4FPh-EDOT)) were prepared by electrochemical polymerization method. The effects of different fluorinated benzene units on the photophysics, electrochemistry, and electrochromic properties of precursors and polymers were systematically investigated, and the structure-property relationship was further revealed. All of them have low initial oxidation potentials {FPh-EDOT (0.65 V), 2FPh-EDOT (0.72 V), and 4FPh-EDOT (0.70 V)}, which makes it easy to obtain high-quality new fluorinated polymers at low polymerization potential. With the increase of the number of F atoms, the UV–vis absorption spectra and emission spectra of fluorinated monomer firstly red-shifted and then blue-shifted. The corresponding fluorinated polymers have good electrochemical activity and stability (the P(2Ph-EDOT) activity remained 82.7% after 500 cycles), making it possible to realize their electrochromic devices. All these three fluorinated polymers show obvious color change from the neutral state to the fully oxidized state (P(FPh-EDOT) changes from brown to grayish blue, P(2FPh-EDOT) changes from brown to gray, and P(4FPh-EDOT) changes from dark blue to light blue). The kinetic study further shows that all of them have distinguish electrochromic properties with good optical stability, very short response time (0.9 s for P(2FPh-EDOT) at 700 nm), and favorable coloration efficiency (130.7 cm2 C−1 for P(FPh-EDOT) at 503 nm). Overall, all these three fluorinated polymers have low optical band gap, good redox stability and electrochromic properties, are very promising electrochromic materials, which is worthy for the further research and development.

Construction of Fu brick tea polysaccharide-cold plasma modified alginate microgels for probiotic delivery: Enhancing viability and colonization

Emerging food processing technologies provide broader avenues for enhancing probiotic delivery systems. In this study, the new Fu brick tea polysaccharide (FBTP) was extracted and combined with cold plasma-modified alginate nano-montmorillonite (AMT) to prepare microgels by ionic gelation to improve the viability of encapsulated Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens JKSP109. Results showed that cold plasma treatment for 3 min changed the surface charge of AMT biopolymer solution, and FBTP addition reduced the particle size to the lowest of 223 ± 5.50 nm. Morphological analysis showed that the AMT treated with cold plasma for 3 min and FBTP (C3AMT + FBTP) formed a dense microgel through electrostatic interaction, and the probiotics were randomly distributed in their internal polysaccharide network, as well as the interlayer and surrounding of nanoparticles. The probiotics immobilized in C3AMT + FBTP microgel exhibited the highest viability (8.48 ± 0.03 log CFU/g) and colonic colonization after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In addition, the good antioxidant activity of FBTP reduced the loss of probiotic viability during storage, with only 2.58 log CFU/g decreased after 4 weeks. Therefore, such probiotic products enriched with natural bioactive ingredients can be developed as a potential functional food additive.

Proximate composition, physico-chemical, techno-functional, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, nutritional quality, antioxidant, anti-amylase and anti-lipase properties of bee bread, royal jelly, and bee propolis

Approximate composition, physico-chemical, techno-functional, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, nutritional quality, antioxidant, anti-amylase and anti-lipase properties of bee bread, royal jelly, and bee propolis were investigated. The main differences between the analyzed bee products were found in the content of protein (royal jelly), polysaccharides (bee bread), balsam (propolis), wax (propolis), and polyphenol (propolis). Bee products had considerable oil-holding capacity, water-binding capacity, water-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and foaming capacity. Bee products had higher amounts of glucogenic amino acid, non-essential amino acid, sweet amino acid, hydrophobic amino acid, essential amino acid, ketogenic amino acid, and flavor amino acids and lower amounts of bitter amino acid, non-protein amino acid, branched-chain amino acid, and aromatic amino acid. Bee products contained higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, saturated fatty acid, omega-3, and omega-6, and lower amounts of omega-9 and omega-7. Bee products, especially royal jelly, had a considerable health-promoting index, hypocholesterolemic index, omega-6/omega-3, atherogenicity index, and thrombogenicity index. Bee bread, royal jelly, and bee propolis showed good radical scavenging activity and effectively inhibited amylase and lipase similar to the control. Propolis, bee bread, and royal jelly are proposed as possible techno-functional ingredients for food and health.

Newly synthesized surfactants as antimicrobial and anti-adhesion agents

Quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) are widely used in medicine, industry and agriculture as disinfectants, biocides, and fungicides. QAS have the ability to coat various surfaces, prevent adhesion of microorganisms to them and inhibit the formation of biofilm. A group of surfactants derived from benzoic acid with different chemical structures was tested: monomeric QAS with different alkyl chain lengths (C12, C14, C16), gemini QAS containing 12-carbon alkyl chains and linkers of various lengths (3,4,6 methylene groups), as well as multifunctional QAS. Among the tested surfactants, monomeric QAS showed the highest bactericidal and fungicidal activity. All three groups of tested compounds inhibited the filamentation of C. albicans. The best antimicrobial activity was demonstrated by the monomeric surfactant C12AA, while the multifunctional equivalent (2xC12AA) was characterized by good anti-adhesive activity. All tested compounds are non-mutagenic and cause low hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes. Multifunctional and gemini surfactants are also non-toxic.

Multifunctional baicalin nanoparticles inhibit tumor cell growth and activate RAW264.7 macrophages

Materpaials-based drug delivery systems can enhance the effect of cancer treatment by improving chemotherapy and immunomodulation. Recent research revealed that Baicalin（BA）have good immunomodulatory activity and anti-tumor effect. Here, a pH-sensitive tumor-targeting delivery system for Baicalin (BA-LP-PEOz) was constructed using DSPE-PEOz for pH sensitization. This preparation method was conducted using three single-factor experiments. Response surface Box-Behnken (BBD) design was used to optimize the factor levels. Our results showed that BA-LP-PEOz had synergistic capacity of inhibiting tumor cell (HepG2，4T1 and A549) growth and activating macrophages (RAW264.7). Further mechanistic studies revealed that BA-LP-PEOz can activate RAW264.7 by affecting the NF-κB signaling pathway. We expect that the improved efficacy of the synergetic system provides a prospective strategy for cancer therapy.

Discovery of novel octahydroquinazoline scaffolds endowed with dual inhibition of tubulin polymerization/Eg5 against HCC: Apoptotic and radio-chemotherapeutic studies

Mitotic kinesin Eg5 isozyme as a motor protein plays a critical role in cell division of tumor cells. Kinesin Eg5 selective inhibitors and Colchicine binding site suppressors are essential targets for many anticancer drugs and radio chemotherapies. On this work, a new series of octahydroquinazoline as anti-mitotic candidates 2–13 has been synthesized with dual inhibition of tubulin polymerization/Eg5 against HCC cell line. All octahydroquinazolines have been in vitro assayed against HepG-2 cytotoxicity, Eg5 inhibitory and anti-tubulin polymerization activities. Chalcones 9, 10, and 12 displayed the most cytotoxic potency and anti-tubulin aggregation in comparable with reference standard colchicine and potential anti-mitotic Eg5 inhibitory activity in comparison with Monastrol as well. Besides, they exhibited cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Moreover, good convinced apoptotic activities have been concluded as overexpression of caspase-3 levels and tumor suppressive gene p53 in parallel with higher induction of Bax and inhibition of Bcl-2 biomarkers. Octahydroquinazoline 10 displayed an increase in caspase-3 by 1.12 folds compared to standard colchicine and induce apoptosis and demonstrated cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase arrest by targeting p53 pathway. Analogue 10 has considerably promoted cytotoxic radiation activity and boosted apoptotic induction in HepG-2 cells by 1.5 fold higher than standard colchicine.

Multi-Enzyme Co-Expressed Ruthenium dioxide nanoparticles activate mitochondrial autophagy and regulate oxidative stress for Alzheimer's disease treatment

Mitochondrial damage induced by reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial autophagy dysfunction are closely related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, the recovery of mitochondrial autophagy disorder is crucial in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, protecting neurons, and improving AD. Herein, Ruthenium dioxide nanoparticles (RuO2) have multi-enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD). And the multi-enzyme activity depends on the size, oxygen vacancy, morphology and specific surface area of the nanoparticles. The ultrasmall Ruthenium dioxide showed excellent antioxidant activity in the enzyme activity experiment. The results of in vitro experiments show that RuO2 can restore damaged neurons by clearing Aβ and H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). It maintains mitochondrial function, restores mitochondrial autophagy and normalizes mitochondrial dysfunction, thereby restoring injured neuronal cells. At the same time, it also showed the ability to regulate microglia polarization, inhibit microglia overactivation, and relieve neuroinflammation. After screening the results of enzyme activity experiment and in vitro experiment, sRuO2 with small particle size and good enzyme activity was selected for in vivo experiment. sRuO2 can inhibit oxidative stress in vivo, reduce the burden of Aβ, regulate the neuroprotective function of microglia and improve neuroinflammation. It ultimately improve memory decline and cognitive impairment in Aβ mice. These results suggest that sRuO2 nanoenzymes with antioxidant activity have great potential in the treatment of AD. The multi-target strategy also offers a promising treatment option for AD.

Characterization of banana powder-based film reinforced with CNF and Bio-mediated ZnO nanoparticles for potential food applications

The formulation of a multifunctional nanocomposite packaging material with potential against agents of food deterioration, such as free radicals and microorganisms, has emerged as a solution for shelf-life extension and food security. This study developed banana powder (BP) film infused with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and ZnO-PPW and ZnO-PSW nanoparticles (NPs) at different concentrations for food applications. The BP/CNF/ZnO films were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, XRD, FT-IR, and SEM techniques. The analyses confirmed the successful infusion of ZnO NPs into the BP/CNF matrix, leading to significant changes (p < 0.05) in color and appearance, enhanced UV–vis barrier properties, and increased thickness and flexibility of the films. Furthermore, the presence of ZnO in the base matrix influenced the moisture content (19%–29%), film solubility (68%–74%), and oil permeability significantly more than the control BP/CNF film. Adding ZnO significantly improved the UV barrier properties compared to the control. The nanocomposite BP/CNF/ZnO films demonstrated concentration-based antioxidant and good antimicrobial activity against five selected food pathogens (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus). Similarly, good antioxidant properties were reported in different assays, proving superior to the control BP/CNF. These key findings, especially those of the BP/CNF/ + 0.6% ZnO NPs films, showed that these films possess great potential for application as food packaging materials with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Novel magnetic separable BiOBr@Fe3O4 p-n heterostructure with highly efficient photocatalytic property toward organic pollutants

In this work, by considering good photocatalytic activity and p-type property but insufficient visible light absorbing property of BiOBr and excellent light absorption, n-type property of Fe3O4 that has poor photocatalytic property due to fast recombination of charge carriers having narrow bandgap, a solar light-active BiOBr@Fe3O4 p-n heterostructure was designed and synthesized for the first time using a versatile chemical precipitation method, combining the p-type BiOBr with the n-type Fe3O4. The developed photocatalyst underwent comprehensive investigation using various high-precision techniques. Its photocatalytic properties were assessed for the photodegradation of organic contaminants, such as Congo red (CR) and rhodamine B (Rh B), under solar light irradiation. The degree of mineralization of these pollutants by the BiOBr@Fe3O4 p-n heterostructure during photodegradation was also evaluated. Additionally, the photodegradation pathway was examined using LC-MS, and a possible mechanism were proposed. The findings reveal that the developed BiOBr@Fe3O4 p-n heterostructure exhibited exceptional photocatalytic performance, degrading 100 % and 81 % of Rh B and CR, respectively. Kinetic findings also indicate that the rate of photodegradations of the pollutants by the BiOBr@Fe3O4 heterostructure is approximately 7.2 and 3.4 times higher than that of pure Fe3O4 for the degradation of CR and Rh B, respectively. Besides, the developed heterojunction exhibited better photocatalytic performance than existing photocatalysts for photodegradation of CR and Rh B. The total organic carbon content (TOC) analysis further demonstrates the exceptional mineralization properties of the fabricated photocatalyst toward the pollutants. Therefore, the developed BiOBr@Fe3O4 p-n heterostructure shows promise in the treatment of these organic pollutants, contributing significantly to environmental remediation, particularly in photocatalysis.

Doxorubicin encapsulated blend of sitagliptin-lignin polymeric drug delivery system for effective combination therapy against cancer

In this research, a sitagliptin-lignin biopolymer (SL) containing zinc selenide quantum dots (ZnSe QDs) and doxorubicin (doxo) was synthesized. The fabricated polymeric drug delivery system was characterized via FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, IR, and DSC. SLQD-Doxo exhibited an irregular surface with a 32 nm diameter and well-defined surface chemistry. Drug loading efficiency was assessed at different concentrations, pH levels, time intervals, and temperatures, and drug kinetics were calculated. Maximum drug release was observed at 6 μmol concentration after 24 h, pH of 6.5 and 45 °C. The maximum drug encapsulation efficiency was 81.75 %. SLQD-Doxo demonstrated 24.4 ± 1.04 % anti-inflammatory activity, and the maximum lipoxygenase inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner was 71.45 ± 2.02 %, compared to indomethacin, a standard anticancer drug. The designed system was applied to breast cancer MCF-7 cells to evaluate anticancer activity. Cytotoxicity of SLQD-Doxo resulted in 24.48 ± 1.64 dead cells and 74.39 ± 4.12 viable cells. Lignin's polyphenolic nature resulted in good antioxidant activity of LLQD-Doxo. The combination of SLQD-Doxo was appropriate for drug delivery at high temperatures and acidic pH of tumor cells compared to healthy cells.

Production of novel Zr–Mg nanoceramics based on kaolinite clay with strong antibacterial activity

Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas putida, Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus were utilized as test samples to evaluate the antibacterial characteristics of DD3-clay/MgO and DD3+38 wt% ZrO2-clay/MgO nanoparticles. The ceramic powders prepared by a thermal autoclave method are characterized before and after Mg addition by SEM, EDX, XRD, IR, UV–visible, and TEM in order to investigate microstructure, phase, and surface morphology. The results showed that after adding Mg, it led to the deformation of the crystal lattices of (mullite, zirconium silicate, and zirconium oxide) together with a decrease in particle size (75–103 nm) and a complete change in its shape from nanotube to nanospherical, as observed by SEM and TEM analyses. It also confirmed by UV–visible spectroscopy that the addition of Mg increases the absorbance accompanying a decrease in the energy gap of 1.91, 1.74, 1.73, and 1.43 eV corresponding to DD3, DD3Z, DD3/30 wt% Mg and DD3Z/30 wt% Mg respectively. The antibacterial mechanism is related to the size of the particles, the solvent used for powder dissolution, the nanoparticle's size when they come into touch with bacteria, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS: ˙O2−, ˙OH, and H2O2). It was observed that the anti-bacterial activity is enhanced with 10 wt% and 30 wt% of Mg added to a modified ceramic powder. Also, more O2− is formed on the surface of the prepared powder, which penetrates the bacterial cell and destroys it. The nanocomposite particles showed remarkable antibacterial activity when they were dissolved in DMSO compared to methanol and chloroform as organic solvents. The aim is to enrich knowledge on the antibacterial activities of metal nanoparticles (ZrSiO4 and MgO) on three bacterial strains with different Grams due to their extensive involvement in the phenomena of contamination and infection encountered in the medical field. The synthesized nanoparticles have good antimicrobial activity against all strains tested. A maximum inhibition zone of 35 ± 0.2 mm was obtained with S. aureus, a zone of 23 ± 0.46 mm with P. putida and a zone of 27 ± 0.46 nm with B. subtilis for DD3/30 wt% Mg and an inhibition zone of 38 ± 0.93 mm, 26 ± 0.24 nm and 17 ± 0.33 nm was obtained with same strains for DD3Z/30 wt% Mg, respectively.

Fabrication and evaluation of porous coatings doped with bioactive elements on titanium surfaces.

Although pure titanium (PT) and its alloys exhibit excellent mechanical properties, they lack biological activity as implants. The purpose of this study was to improve the biological activity of titanium implants through surface modification. Titanium was processed into titanium discs, where the titanium discs served as anodes and stainless steel served as cathodes, and a copper- and cobalt-doped porous coating [pure titanium model (PTM)] was prepared on the surface of titanium via plasma electrolytic oxidation. The surface characteristics of the coating were evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and profilometry. The corrosion resistance of PTM was evaluated with an electrochemical workstation. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of coated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were evaluated through in vitro cell experiments. A copper- and cobalt-doped porous coating was successfully prepared on the surface of titanium, and the doping of copper and cobalt did not change the surface topography of the coating. The porous coating increased the surface roughness of titanium and improved its resistance to corrosion. In addition, the porous coating doped with copper and cobalt promoted the adhesion and spreading of BMSCs. A porous coating doped with copper and cobalt was prepared on the surface of titanium through plasma electrolytic oxidation. The coating not only improved the roughness and corrosion resistance of titanium but also exhibited good biological activity.

Computational method on highly efficient D-π-A-π-D-based different molecular acceptors for organic solar cells applications and non-linear optical behaviour

Eight molecular structures (BT-A1 to BT-A8) with high-performance non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) were selected for organic solar cells (OSCs) and non-linear optical (NLO) applications. Their electronic, photovoltaic (PV) and optoelectronic properties were tuned by adding powerful electron-withdrawing groups to the acceptor (A) of the D-π-A-π-D structure. Using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) techniques, based on the laws of quantum chemical calculations, the absorption spectra, stability of the highest and lowest-energy molecular orbitals (HOMO/LUMOs), electron density, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), transition density matrix (TDM), were examined. The binding energy (Eb) and density of states (DOS) were probed to realize the optoelectronic analysis of the structures BT-A1 to BT-A8. Noncovalent interactions (NCIs) based on a reduced density gradient (RDG) were used to describe the nature and strength of D-A interactions in the molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8. The new refined molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8 exhibited strong absorbance bands between 408–721 nm and high electron transfer contribution (ETC) ranges between 87–96 %, along with the smallest excitation energies (Ex) between 1.71–3.55 eV in the solvent dichloromethane. Dipolar moment strengths ranging from 0.38 to 4.72 Debye in both the excited and ground states have determined with good solubility properties of BT-A1 to BT-A8 in polar solvent. Highly effective charge mobilities and prevention of charge recombination have been demonstrated by the electron (0.18–0.41 eV) and hole RE values (0.13–0.89 eV) for the new compounds. Power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of BT-A1 to BT-A8 were nearly the same because of better outcomes compared to the molecules in the BT. Compared to poly[4.8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b: 4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6- diyl-alt-(4–2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2–6-diyl)] (PTB7-Th), the open circuit voltages (Voc) of compounds BT-A1 to BT-A8 were ranged from 1.52 to 2.13 eV. The polarizability (α) and hyperpolarizability (β) of the molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8 were used to determine the non-linear optical (NLO) properties. The results showed that BT-A2, BT-A6 and BT-A7 have good NLO activity. This computational analysis demonstrates the superiority of the molecules with NFA. Hence the compounds are advised for the use in production of high-performance OSCs and NLO activity.

Rational design, synthesis, and antimicrobial evaluation of novel 1,2,4-trizaole-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives with a dual thioether moiety.

In this paper, a series of novel 1,2,4-trizaole-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives with a dual thioether moiety were constructed. The synthetic compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and single crystal diffraction. The antimicrobial activities of title compounds against fungi (Pyricutaria oryzae Cav., Phomopsis sp., Botryosphaeria dothidea, cucumber Botrytis cinerea, tobacco Botrytis cinerea, blueberry Botrytis cinerea) and bacteria (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, Xoc; Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, Xac) revealed these compounds possessed excellent antibacterial activity through mycelial growth rate method and turbidity method, respectively. Among them, compounds 7a, 7d, 7g, 7k, 7l, and 7n had the antibacterial inhibition rate of 90.68, 97.86, 93.61, 97.70, 97.26, and 92.34%, respectively. The EC50 values of 7a, 7d, 7g, 7k, 7l, and 7n were 58.31, 48.76, 58.50, 40.11, 38.15, and 46.99μg/mL, separately, superior to that of positive control pesticide thiodiazole copper (104.26μg/mL). The molecular docking simulation of compound 7l and glutathione s-transferase also confirmed its good activity. The in vivo bioassay toward Xac infected citrus leaves was also performed to evaluate the potential of compounds as efficient antibacterial reagent. Further study of antibacterial mechanism was also carried out, including extracellular polysaccharide production, permeability of bacterial membrane, and scanning electron microscope observations. The excellent antibacterial activities of these compounds provided a strong support for its application for preventing and control plant diseases.

Essential oil composition of passiflora foetida L. (passifloraceae) flowers and chemical-biology study of the leaves extracts and isolated compound

Passiflora foetida is a climbing herb employed in ethno-medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The essential oil from flowers of P. foetida was obtained by hydrodistillation. The ethanol extract of the leaves was dissolved in water, then partitioned with n-hexane and n-butanol to obtain the various fractions; the fractions and isolated compound were subjected to in vitro antioxidant activity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry afforded the identification of forty-two constituents in the floral oil, dominated by β-caryophyllene (17.2%), cedrol (11.5%), and α-humulene (11.5%). The n-butanol fraction was the most active (70% inhibition and absorbance 0.401; 100 µg/mL) in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and ferric reducing power assays, respectively. Chromatographic analysis facilitated the isolation of 8-C-β-d-glucosylapigenin (vitexin) from the butanol fraction of P. foetida. Vitexin demonstrated good antioxidant activities (75% inhibition and absorbance 0.424; 100 µg/mL) compared with ascorbic acid. The volatile metabolites of P. foetida flowers are reported for the first time.

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial studies of ciprofloxaci-imines and their complexes with oxozirconium(IV), dioxomolybdenum(VI), and dioxotungsten(VI)

We synthesized and characterized ciprofloxacin-imine complexes, generated from ciprofloxacin and either 4-nitro-1,2-phenylenediamine (NO2PD) or 1,3-propanediamine (PD), in conjunction with zirconyl nitrate dihydrate, sodium molybdate dihydrate, and sodium tungstate dihydrate. Characterization involved numerous analytical methods, containing melting point determination, conductance dimensions, elemental analysis (CHN), metal content determination (%), infrared, electronic spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry. Our findings reveal that the ligand as functions a tetra-dentate chelate binding to metal ions via azomethine and deprotonated carboxylate group. Additionally, the complexes and ligands were tested in contradiction of two types of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and all prepared compounds showed good spectrum activity. KEY WORDS: 4-Nitro-1,2-phenylenediamine, Ciprofloxacin-imine, In-vitro antimicrobial activity, Zr complexes Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(4), 949-962. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i4.11

Co-encapsulation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCIM 2083 with resveratrol for improved bioaccessibility

Numerous research studies have recently focused on the benefits of co-delivering nutraceuticals and probiotics. The current study aimed to optimize and characterize the properties of the probiotic-nutraceutical formulation and to explore their combined effect in terms of stability and functionality. A combination of nutraceutical - resveratrol (RSV) and probiotics - Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCIM 2083 (LP) as an active compound and whey protein (WP) as a matrix material were selected for this study. Different formulations of WP:RSV:LP were co-encapsulated using conductive hydro drying (CHD) at different water temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) of the dryer reservoir. Overall, the formulation of WP:RSV:LP (15:0.5:0.5) dried at 50 °C was optimized with lesser moisture content (3.53% ± 0.30% d.b.), better yield (90.63% ± 0.97%), higher encapsulation efficiency (80.85 ± 2.57 and 84.29% ± 2.63% of RSV and LP, respectively), good radical-scavenging activity (74.92% ± 1.54%), increased in-vitro release (49.47% ± 3.59%), enhanced cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) with retained adhesion ability, and improved bioaccessibility of RSV (48.30% ± 2.75%) and probiotic survivability (79.86% with 7.02 ± 0.45 log10 CFU/g) under digestion conditions. Thus, the study results confirmed that the RSV-LP combination showed positive effects on each other.

Self-Assembled Fe-Phenolic Acid Network Synergizes with Ferroptosis to Enhance Tumor Nanotherapy.

Natural polyphenolic compound rosmarinic acid (RA) has good antitumor activity. However, the distinctive tumor microenvironment, characterized by low pH and elevated levels of glutathione (GSH), enhances the tolerance of tumors to the singular anti-tumor treatment mode using RA, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy. Targeting nonapoptotic programmed cell death processes may provide another impetus to inhibit tumor growth. RA possesses the capability to coordinate with metal elements. To solve the effect restriction of the above single treatment mode, it is proposed to construct a self-assembled nanocomposite, Fe-RA. Under tumor microenvironment, Fe-RA nanocomposite exerts the characteristics of POD-like enzyme activity and depletion of GSH, producing a large amount of hydroxyl radical (·OH) while disrupting the antioxidant defense system of tumor cells. Moreover, due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR), Fe-RA can transport Fe2+ to a greater extent to tumor cells and increase intracellular iron content. Causing an imbalance in iron metabolism in tumor cells and promoting cell ferroptosis. The results of the synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) prove the successful complexation of Fe-RA nanocomposite. Density functional theory (DFT) explains the efficient catalytic mechanism of its peroxide-like enzyme activity and the reaction principle with GSH.

In vitro Antibacterial, ADME and Toxicity Screening of Newly Synthesized 4-(Substituted phenyl)-2-(2-chloroquinolin-3-yl)thiazoles

A series of novel thiazole (Va-o) compounds were synthesized following multi-step synthetic process. Using analytical methods like nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry and FTIR, the elucidation of the structure of the synthesized compounds was performed. All the 15 novel thiazoles were assessed for their antibacterial activity. The synthesized thiazoles were examined for inhibitory antibacterial activity against a panel Gram-positive strain viz. Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 65710), Streptococcus pyogenes (MTCC-442), Bacillus subtilis (NCIM 2250) and Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 10662) and Escherichia coli (NCTC 10418) by agar well diffusion technique. It was observed that some of the compounds, particularly those having substitution groups like chloro, fluoro and bromo in the phenyl ring bonded to thiazole nucleus, had moderate to good antibacterial activity. Quinoline clubbed thiazoles compounds Vk, Vl, Vn and Vo showed significant antibacterial against all bacterial strains having values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) from 12.5 to 25 µg/mL. The results of antimicrobial investigation suggest that 2-chloroquinoline incorporated thiazole scaffold appears to more promising for developing potent antibacterial agents. Genome gyrase docking experiments (PDB ID: 1KZN) revealed a favourable binding relationship similar to that of the pre-occupied ligand clorobiocin. The study also provides in silico ADME and toxicity studies evaluation which revealed that compounds are impartially compatible and were devoid of potential toxicity except the hepatotoxicity.

Optimization of Ti-PA efficiently catalytic the alcoholysis of waste PET using response surface methodology.

A new type of titanium phthalate (Ti-PA) catalyst was prepared by exchange method of phthalic acid and isopropyl titanate, which is never been reported before. The Ti-PA catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, TG, Uv-vis, BET, SEM, and EDS. The Ti-PA catalyst shows good catalytic activity in the alcoholysis reaction of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and optimal experimental conditions for the alcoholysis process were optimized by response surface methodology; the Ti-PA catalyst provided a BHET yield of 81.98% for reaction lasting 3.98h at 191°C of 0.86% catalyst and 13.7ml ethylene glycol; the model has good reliability. The kinetics and reaction mechanism of the process were explored and apparent activation energy is 75.52kJ/mol. Finally, the good catalytic activity of Ti-PA was illustrated by comparing it with currently reported catalysts.