Oxygen-containing Compound Research Articles

Nontargeted screening of air samples using TD-GC-HRMS to identify volatile compounds as markers of an industrial plant fire in Rouen, France

An accidental industrial fire happened in Rouen (France) in september 2019 from a plant specialized in the production of mineral oils and engine additives. A few days after, passive sampling of the air was performed on thermodesorption tubes, from 09/30/2019 to 10/07/2019 using Tenax® TA and Carbopack B&X sorbents. Two identical samplings were carried out 18 (2021) and 26 months (2022) after the fire in the same place to evaluate the urban and in-house background noises. Analyses were performed using a thermodesorption gas chromatograph coupled to a hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer (TD-GC-Q-Orbitrap) in full scan mode. A non-targeted screening allowed to detect thousands of molecules (about 8000 on Tenax® TA and 3000 on Carbopack B&X sorbents) including a large number of hydrocarbons, alkylbenzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the tubes collected in 2019. But such hydrocarbons were not specific of the fire and then were not identified as industrial fire markers, as their presence were detected in the samples collected in 2021 and/or 2022. However, 22 sulfur-containing compounds were considered as potential markers because they were only detected in the samples collected in 2019 or at significantly higher level than in 2021 and/or 2022 and were detected in samples collected during Laboratory fire of engine oils. Moreover, these compounds were annotated with good confidence level. Among them, the identification of 6 sulfur-containing compounds, 2-acetylthiophene, 2-propionylthiophene, 2,2′-bithiophene, 3,3′-bithiophene, thieno [3,2-b]thiophene and di-tert-butyl-disulfide, and one oxygen-containing compound, 1,3,5-trioxane, was confirmed by injection of corresponding standards.

Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase 58 reduces tolerance of maize seedlings to low magnesium via promoting H2O2 over-accumulation.

ZmRLCK58, a negative growth regulator, reduces tolerance of maize seedlings to low Mg via enhancing H2O2 accumulation in the shoot. Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is one of critical limiting factors for crop production in widespread acidic soils worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism of crop response to Mg deficiency is still largely unclear. Here, we found higher concentrations of H2O2, soluble sugars, and starch (1.5-, 1.9-, and 1.4-fold, respectively) in the shoot of low-Mg-treated maize seedlings, compared with Mg sufficient plants under hydroponic culture. Consistent with over-accumulation of H2O2, transcriptome profiling revealed significant enrichment of 175 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in "response to oxygen-containing compound" out of 641 DEGs in the shoot under low Mg. Among 175 DEGs, a down-regulated receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase ZmRLCK58 underwent a recent duplication event before Poaceae divergence and was highly expressed in the maize shoot. ZmRLCK58 overexpression enhanced H2O2 accumulation in shoots by 21.3% and 29.8% under control and low-Mg conditions, respectively, while reducing biomass accumulation compared with wild-type plants. Low Mg further led to 39.7% less starch accumulation in the ZmRLCK58 overexpression shoot and lower Mg utilization efficiency. Compared with wild-type plants, overall down-regulated expression of genes related to response to carbohydrate, photosynthesis, H2O2 metabolic, oxidation-reduction, and ROS metabolic processes in ZmRLCK58 overexpression lines preconditioned aforementioned physiological alterations. Together, ZmRLCK58, as a negative growth regulator, reduces tolerance of maize seedlings to low Mg via enhancing H2O2 accumulation.

Transcriptome Study in Sicilian Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

ASD is a complex condition primarily rooted in genetics, although influenced by environmental, prenatal, and perinatal risk factors, ultimately leading to genetic and epigenetic alterations. These mechanisms may manifest as inflammatory, oxidative stress, hypoxic, or ischemic damage. To elucidate potential variances in gene expression in ASD, a transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was conducted via RNA-seq on 12 ASD patients and 13 healthy controls, all of Sicilian ancestry to minimize environmental confounds. A total of 733 different statistically significant genes were identified between the two cohorts. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) terms were employed to explore the pathways influenced by differentially expressed mRNAs. GSEA revealed GO pathways strongly associated with ASD, namely the GO Biological Process term "Response to Oxygen-Containing Compound". Additionally, the GO Cellular Component pathway "Mitochondrion" stood out among other pathways, with differentially expressed genes predominantly affiliated with this specific pathway, implicating the involvement of different mitochondrial functions in ASD. Among the differentially expressed genes, FPR2 was particularly highlighted, belonging to three GO pathways. FPR2 can modulate pro-inflammatory responses, with its intracellular cascades triggering the activation of several kinases, thus suggesting its potential utility as a biomarker of pro-inflammatory processes in ASD.

Efficient adsorption and rapid electrochemical degradation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) by three-dimensional nanostructured carbon anode

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a widely used oxygen-containing volatile organic compound, functioning as both an organic solvent and additive. Therefore, the advancement of effective methods for MMA removal is of great significance. In this study, three-dimensional nanostructured carbon (CNTs/CC) anode materials were prepared through the in-situ growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on carbon cloth (CC) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The prepared material showed outstanding adsorption-electrocatalytic degradation performance towards MMA, with a saturated adsorption capacity of 2033 mg·g−1 and complete degradation achieved after 90 min of electrification at a 100 mg·L−1 MMA concentration. The electrochemically active surface area increased to 29.8 cm2 with an Rs value of 2.35 Ω for the CNTs/CC-2 anode material, leading to enhanced ·OH generation capability and faster degradation rates. The material also exhibited excellent reusability over thirteen cycles of adsorption-electrochemical degradation of MMA, with a degradation efficiency consistently above 92 %. This research provides valuable insights for developing new materials and technologies for MMA degradation.

Identification of key genes and pathways in adrenocortical carcinoma: evidence from bioinformatic analysis.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with poor prognosis. The disease originates from the cortex of adrenal gland and lacks effective treatment. Efforts have been made to elucidate the pathogenesis of ACC, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. To identify key genes and pathways in ACC, the expression profiles of GSE12368, GSE90713 and GSE143383 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each microarray dataset on the basis of cut-off, we identified 206 DEGs, consisting of 72 up-regulated and 134 down-regulated genes in three datasets. Function enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed by DAVID online database and the results revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in cell cycle, cell cycle process, mitotic cell cycle, response to oxygen-containing compound, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, p53 signaling pathway. The STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and modules analysis was performed using Cytoscape. Finally, we filtered out eight hub genes, including CDK1, CCNA2, CCNB1, TOP2A, MAD2L1, BIRC5, BUB1 and AURKA. Biological process analysis showed that these hub genes were significantly enriched in nuclear division, mitosis, M phase of mitotic cell cycle and cell cycle process. Violin plot, Kaplan-Meier curve and stage plot of these hub genes confirmed the reliability of the results. In conclusion, the results in this study provided reliable key genes and pathways for ACC, which will be useful for ACC mechanisms, diagnosis and candidate targeted treatment.

The deoxygenation mechanism of biomass thermal conversion with molten salts: Experimental and theoretical analysis

Utilizing molten salt for biomass pyrolysis has emerged as a pivotal technology for enhancing product value and has become a crucial alternative to traditional pyrolysis methods. However, there remains a dearth of research on the deoxygenation mechanism of biomass during molten salt thermal treatment. This study focuses on investigating the deoxygenation characteristics of biomass during molten salts thermal treatment through a comprehensive analysis involving experimental and density functional theory (DFT) study. Our experimental results revealed that, compared to traditional pyrolysis, molten salt (NaNO3–NaNO2) significantly increased oxygenated gas products, favoring deoxygenation during biomass conversion. Formic acid was employed as a simplified oxygen-containing model compound to investigate the decomposition characteristics with and without the presence of molten salts using DFT calculations. DFT studies of formic acid decomposition revealed lower activation energies on NaNO3 (234.39 kJ/mol) and NaNO2 (84.11 kJ/mol) surfaces compared to homogeneous reactions (234.63 kJ/mol). This indicates that NaNO2 has a more pronounced promotional effect, facilitating formic acid decomposition. Furthermore, kinetic calculations show that both homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction rate constants for formic acid decomposition increase with temperature. The reaction rate constants on the surface of NaNO3 are similar to homogeneous reactions, while it is much higher two on NaNO2 surfaces. These findings highlight the critical role of NaNO2 in formic acid decomposition within the NaNO3–NaNO2 molten salt system. The experimental and computational results elucidate the deoxygenation mechanism of biomass thermal conversion using molten salts and establish a theoretical foundation for the high-value utilization of pyrolysis products.

Aromatic hydrocarbons rich bio-oil production from Miscanthus pyrolysis by coupling torrefaction and MoO3/ZSM-5 dual catalysis process

The valorization of Miscanthus pyrolysis by coupling torrefaction and MoO3/ZSM-5 dual catalysis process was studied to generate the aromatic hydrocarbons rich bio-oil, biochar, and combustible gas. With the optimal conditions of torrefied Miscanthus at 280 °C, MoO3/ZSM-5 catalysis process converted 24.17 % bio-oil, 30.27 % biochar, and 45.56 % gas. The coupled system accessed bio-oil phase deoxygenation by reducing the oxygen-containing compound content to 6.27 %. The aromatic yield reached 91.38 %, with an outstanding benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) selectivity of 52.24 %. Isolating investigations revealed that torrefaction declined the oxygen content of Miscanthus to 5.24 %, increasing their calorific value and promoting subsequent catalytic pyrolysis through deoxygenation. When only using the ZSM-5 catalyst, the increase in torrefaction temperature enhanced aromatic hydrocarbon compounds conversion in the bio-oil, leading to a boost in their content from 55.01 % to 75.97 %. Correspondingly, MoO3 promoted deoxygenation, decreased the ketone content from 40.4 % to 21.92 %, and inhibited the generation of aldehydes. The combination of MoO3 and ZSM-5 with torrefaction delivered a superimposed effect on yielding aromatic hydrocarbons and BTX, which allowed a promising product upgrading method for obtaining high-quality bio-oil.

Spatial proteomics landscape and immune signature analysis of renal sample of lupus nephritis based on laser-captured microsection

ObjectiveWe aimed to reveal a spatial proteomic and immune signature of kidney function regions in lupus nephritis (LN).Material and methodsThe laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to isolate the glomerulus, tubules, and interstitial of the kidney from paraffin samples. The data-independent acquisition (DIA) method was used to collect proteomics data. The bioinformatic analysis was performed.ResultsA total of 49,658 peptides and 4056 proteins were quantitated. Our results first showed that a high proportion of activated NK cells, naive B cells, and neutrophils in the glomerulus, activated NK cells in interstitial, and resting NK cells were accumulated in tubules in LN. The immune-related function analysis of differential expression proteins in different regions indicated that the glomerulus and interstitial were major sites of immune disturbance and regulation connected with immune response activation. Furthermore, we identified 7, 8, and 9 hub genes in LN’s glomerulus, renal interstitial, and tubules. These hub genes were significantly correlated with the infiltration of immune cell subsets. We screened out ALB, CTSB, LCN2, A2M, CDC42, VIM, LTF, and CD14, which show higher performance as candidate biomarkers after correlation analysis with clinical indexes. The function within three regions of the kidney was analyzed. The differential expression proteins (DEGs) between interstitial and glomerulus were significantly enriched in the immune-related biological processes, and myeloid leukocyte-mediated immunity and cellular response to hormone stimulus. The DEGs between tubules and glomerulus were significantly enriched in cell activation and leukocyte-mediated immunity. While the DEGs between tubules and interstitial were enriched in response to lipid, antigen processing, and presentation of peptide antigen response to oxygen-containing compound, the results indicated a different function within kidney regions.ConclusionsCollectively, we revealed spatial proteomics and immune signature of LN kidney regions by combined using LCM and DIA.

Exploring the Hepatotoxicity of Drugs through Machine Learning and Network Toxicological Methods

Background: The prediction of the drug-induced liver injury (DILI) of chemicals is still a key issue of the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that needs to be solved urgently in drug development. The development of a novel method with good predictive capability and strong mechanism interpretation is still a focus topic in exploring the DILI. Objective: With the help of systems biology and network analysis techniques, a class of descriptors that can reflect the influence of drug targets in the pathogenesis of DILI is established. Then a machine learning model with good predictive capability and strong mechanism interpretation is developed between these descriptors and the toxicity of DILI. Methods: After overlapping the DILI disease module and the drug-target network, we developed novel descriptors according to the number of drug genes with different network overlapped distance parameters. The hepatotoxicity of drugs is predicted based on these novel descriptors and the classical molecular descriptors. Then the DILI mechanism interpretations of drugs are carried out with important network topological descriptors in the prediction model. Results: First, we collected targets of drugs and DILI-related genes and developed 5 NT parameters (S, Nds=0, Nds=1, Nds=2, and Nds>2) based on their relationship with a DILI disease module. Then hepatotoxicity predicting models were established between the above NT parameters combined with molecular descriptors and drugs through the machine learning algorithms. We found that the NT parameters had a significant contribution in the model (ACCtraining set=0.71, AUCtraining set=0.76; ACCexternal set=0.79, AUCexternal set=0.83) developed by these descriptors within the applicability domain, especially for Nds=2, and Nds>2. Then, the DILI mechanism of acetaminophen (APAP) and gefitinib are explored based on their risk genes related to ds=2. There are 26 DILI risk genes in the regulation of cell death regulated with two steps by 5 APAP targets, and gefitinib regulated risk gene of CLDN1, EIF2B4, and AMIGO1 with two steps led to DILI which fell in the biological process of response to oxygen-containing compound, indicating that different drugs possibly induced liver injury through regulating different biological functions. Conclusion: A novel method based on network strategies and machine learning algorithms successfully explored the DILI of drugs. The NT parameters had shown advantages in illustrating the DILI mechanism of chemicals according to the relationships between the drug targets and the DILI risk genes in the human interactome. It can provide a novel candidate of molecular descriptors for the predictions of other ADRs or even of the predictions of ADME/T activity.

Role of Herbal Medicine in Modern Medicinal Age: Importance of Coumarin, an Oxygen-containing Heterocyclic Compound of Benzopyrone Chemical Class

Role of Herbal Medicine in Modern Medicinal Age: Importance of Coumarin, an Oxygen-containing Heterocyclic Compound of Benzopyrone Chemical Class

Study on the mechanism of Baihe Dihuang decoction in treating menopausal syndrome based on network pharmacology.

Menopausal syndrome (MS) refers to a series of symptoms with autonomic nervous system dysfunction caused by decreased sex hormones before and after menopause. Baihe Dihuang (BHDH) decoction positively affects MS, but its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism through network pharmacology. The components of the BHDH Decoction were found through HERB, while corresponding targets were obtained from the HERB, Drug Bank, NPASS, Targetnet, and Swisstarget databases. The MS targets were obtained from GeneCards and OMIM. STRING was used to construct the protein-protein interaction networks. OmicShare tools were used for Gene Ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analyses. Finally, Autodock Vina 1.1.2 software (https://vina.scripps.edu/downloads/) was used for molecular alignment to verify whether the main active ingredients and key targets had good binding activity. We screened out 27 active ingredients and 251 effective targets of BHDH Decoction, 3405 MS-related targets, and 133 intersection targets between BHDH Decoction and MS. Protein-protein interaction network identified tumor protein P53, Serine/threonine-protein kinase AKT, epidermal growth factor receptor, Estrogen Receptor 1, and jun proto-oncogene as critical targets. Gene ontology analysis showed that these targets were mainly involved in the cellular response to chemical stimulus, response to oxygen-containing compound, cellular response to endogenous stimulus, response to an organic substance, and response to chemical, etc. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways were mainly enriched in endocrine resistance, pathways in cancer, and the ErbB signaling pathway, etc. Molecular docking results showed that emodin and stigmasterol are strongly associated with Serine/threonine-protein kinase AKT, Estrogen Receptor 1, epidermal growth factor receptor, sarcoma gene, and tumor protein P53. This study preliminarily revealed the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-channel mechanism of BHDH Decoction in treating MS. It provides a reference for in vitro and in vivo research and clinical application of BHDH Decoction in the treatment of MS.

Experimental and DFT research for the effects of sodium on the heterogeneous reaction between NO and semichar derived fromO2/CO2 pretreatments

The excessive emission of NO is endangering the ecological environment and the health of humans. In-depth research on the reduction mechanisms of NO is crucial to regulating NO emissions. In this research, the influence of sodium on the heterogeneous reaction of NO by semichar derived from O2/CO2 pretreatments were investigated through the experimental and density functional theory (DFT) method. According to the results of atomic dipole corrected Hirshfeld atomic charge (ADCH), the additional Na and oxygen-containing compound altered the semichar's charge distribution of. The additional Na weakened the positive effects of the marginal hydrogen. And the charge of the carbon, which was attached to the phenol group, changed from negative to positive due to the strong electron-trapping ability of the phenol group. The energy potential diagrams between NO and semichars derived from O2/CO2 pretreatments without/with sodium addition reflected that sodium was beneficial to reduce NO. Compared with pure O2/CO2 pretreatments, the additional sodium decreased the energy gap of the NO reduction by 144.68 kJ/mol. On the other hand, the temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) results were performed to identify the accuracy of the calculation results. The experimental results illustrated that adding sodium enhanced the NO reducibility of semichar, expressing great consistency with the theoretical results.

Protein-to-protein interaction of genes responsible for the economic trait of Madura Cattle: an in silico analysis

Our previous study found five genes consist of Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), Growth hormone (GH1), Growth hormone receptor (GHR), Myostatin (MSTN), and Leptin (LEP) are responsible for the economic traits of Madura Cattle. This paper aimed to identify the protein-to-protein interaction of genes responsible for the economic traits of Madura Cattle. In silico study was done using STRING v.11.5 with Bos taurus IGF1, GH1, GHR, MSTN, and LEP as input analysis. Results show 24 biological processes, 3 molecular functions, and 6 KEGG pathways as potential protein interactions between genes. All genes are involved in six biological processes i.e. response to the hormone, response to oxygen-containing compound, cell surface receptor signalling pathway, regulation of signal transduction, positive regulation of the cellular metabolic process, and positive regulation of the macromolecule metabolic process. Five genes were predicted as functional partner genes, namely Leptin receptor (LEPR), Tyrosine-protein kinase receptor (INSR), Activin receptor type-2b precursor (ACVR2B), Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), and Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3). Based on the results, we can demonstrate the protein-to-protein interaction of IGF-1, GH, GHR, MSTN, and LEP genes which are potentially related to each other. Further experimental study is required to validate the interaction.

Regularities in the Simultaneous Conversion of Phenol and Tetralin During Catalytic Cracking

A phenol–tetralin model mixture was used to investigate the effect of the oxygen-containing compound on the cracking of aromatic hydrocarbon. The analysis of temperature dependences of the cracking rate constant for tetralin and tetralin in a mixture with phenol indicates that the cracking of tetralin is hindered in the case of its simultaneous conversion with the oxygen-containing compound due to higher adsorptivity of phenol on the catalyst surface. It was found that the presence of phenol in the model mixture changes the composition of liquid products, especially at a low cracking temperature. In addition, the effect of water on conversion of the phenol–tetralin mixture was studied. The presence of water in the model feedstock was shown to decrease the hindering of the aromatic hydrocarbon cracking by the oxygencontaining compound. The results of catalytic transformations revealed that the addition of water increased total conversion of the mixture and conversion of tetralin irrespective of temperature. Essential qualitative differences in the distribution of cracking products of the model mixtures containing or not containing water were not found.

Potential gene identification and pathway crosstalk analysis of age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most prevalent visual disorder among the elderly, is confirmed as a multifactorial disease. Studies demonstrated that genetic factors play an essential role in its pathogenesis. Our study aimed to make a relatively comprehensive study about biological functions of AMD related genes and crosstalk of their enriched pathways. 1691 AMD genetic studies were reviewed, GO enrichment and pathway crosstalk analyses were conducted to elucidate the biological features of these genes and to demonstrate the pathways that these genes participate. Moreover, we identified novel AMD-specific genes using shortest path algorithm in the context of human interactome. We retrieved 176 significantly AMD-related genes. GO results showed that the most significant term in each of these three GO categories was: signaling receptor binding (PBH = 4.835 × 10−7), response to oxygen-containing compound (PBH = 2.764 × 10−21), and extracellular space (PBH = 2.081 × 10−19). The pathway enrichment analysis showed that complement pathway is the most enriched. The pathway crosstalk study showed that the pathways could be divided into two main modules. These two modules were connected by cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway. 42 unique genes potentially participating AMD development were obtained. The aberrant expression of the mRNA of FASN and LRP1 were validated in AMD cell and mouse models. Collectively, our study carried out a comprehensive analysis based on genetic association study of AMD and put forward several evidence-based genes for future study of AMD.

Combined Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Reveal the Different Responses to UVA and UVB Radiation in Human Keratinocytes.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight is a major risk factor for many cutaneous pathologies including skin aging and cancers. Despite decades of research, the different responses to UVA and UVB in human keratinocytes have not been systemically investigated. Here, we performed multi-omics to characterize the common and different changes in gene transcription and protein expression after exposure to UVB and UVA, respectively. Keratinocyte cells, treated with or without UV, were analyzed by TMT-labeled MS/MS spectra and RNA-sequencing. A common set of genes/proteins was found to be impacted by both UVA and UVB and the other differential genes/proteins showed wavelength specificity. The common set of genes/proteins were mainly involved in keratinization, lipid metabolic processes and stimulus response. The UVB specifically responsive genes/proteins were mainly related to RNA processing, gene silencing regulation and cytoskeleton organization. The UVA specifically responsive genes/proteins were mainly involved in vesicle-mediated transport and oxygen-containing compound response. Meanwhile, the hub differential genes/proteins in each set were identified by protein-protein interaction networks and cluster analysis. This work provided a global view of the similar and differential molecular mechanisms of UVB- and UVA-induced cell damage in keratinocytes, which would be beneficial for further studies in the prevention or treatment of UV-related pathologies.

Therapeutic Journey and Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives.

Coumarin is an oxygen-containing compound in medicinal chemistry. Coumarin plays an important role in both natural systems like plants and synthetic medicinal applications as drug molecules. Many structurally different coumarin compounds have been found to possess a wide range of similarities with the vital molecular targets in terms of their pharmacological action and small modifications in their structures, resulting in significant changes in their biological activities. This review provides detailed information regarding the studies focused on the recent advances in various pharmacological aspects of coumarins. Various oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds represent remarkable biological significance. The fused aromatic oxygen-heterocyclic nucleus can change its electron density, thus altering the chemical, physical and biological properties, respectively, due to its multiple binding modes with the receptors, which play a crucial role in the pharmacological screening of drugs. Several heterocyclic compounds have been synthesized which have their nuclei derived from various plants and animals. In coumarins, the benzene ring is fused with a pyrone nucleus which provides stability to the nucleus. Coumarins have shown a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiviral, antimalarial, anti-HIV, antimicrobial, etc. Results: Reactive oxygen species, like superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide, are a type of unstable molecule containing oxygen, which reacts with other molecules in the cell during metabolism; however, when the number of reactive oxygen species increases, it may lead to cytotoxicity, thereby damaging the biological macromolecules. Hydroxyl Radical (OH) is a strong oxidizing agent and it is responsible for the cytotoxicity caused by oxygen in different plants, animals, and other microbes. Coumarin is the oldest and effective compound having antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant, analgesic, anticonvulsant activities, etc. Naturally existing coumarin compounds act against SARS-CoV-2 by preventing viral replication and targeting the active site against the Mpro target protein. This review highlights the different biological activities of coumarin derivatives. In this review, we provide an updated summary of the researches which are related to recent advances in biological activities of coumarins analogs and their most recent activities against COVID -19. Natural compounds act as a rich resource for novel drug development against various SARS-CoV-2 viral strains and viruses, like herpes simplex virus, influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, middle east respiratory syndrome, and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

A Review on Coumarin Derivatives as Potent Anti-tuberculosis Agents.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an acute or chronic infectious disease caused by several species of Mycobacterium, collectively called tubercle bacilli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Around 10 million people get sick with tuberculosis (TB) each year. TB is the second leading cause of death today after HIV/AIDS. A serious problem in the context of MDR-TB is the extensively drug-resistant TB, which is an important reason for the restricted chemotherapy in TB. Therefore, there is a need to explore new antitubercular (anti-TB) agents. Coumarin is an oxygencontaining heterocyclic compound and can be widely found in many natural products, and many of them display diverse biological activities. The wide spectrum of activities of coumarin molecules has intrigued the scientists to explore the natural coumarins and their synthetic derivatives for their potential as anti-TB drugs. The objective of this review is to emphasize important coumarin analogs with anti-TB activities and their structure-activity relationships (SAR) for designing better anti-TB agents. Latest, authentic and published reports on various synthetic and natural coumarin derivatives and their anti-TB activities is being thoroughly studied and analyzed. The structural requirements of coumarins as anti-TB drugs have also been studied. Collection and compilation of reports on various synthetic and natural coumarin derivatives and their anti-TB activities are being performed. The study provides the latest report on coumarin derivatives synthesized as anti-TB agent and whether their activity depends on structural changes or not.

Study on microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis and bio-oil of Chlorella vulgaris with high-density polyethylene under activated carbon

The microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was analyzed by adding activated carbon (AC) as microwave absorbent. The co-pyrolysis characteristics of C. vulgaris/HDPE under different mixing ratios (1:0, 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4) and the effects of different AC amounts (10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) on the co-pyrolysis were studied. The results show that the C. vulgaris/HDPE = 1:1 (C1HP1) was the optimal mixing ratio while the 40% AC was the best addition with greatly improving the co-pyrolysis characteristics of the C1HP1. Moreover, the hydrocarbons and alcohols in bio-oil of the C1HP1 group increased significantly due to the participation of HDPE, while the nitrogen-containing compounds decreased by 75.75% compared with the Pure C. vulgaris (PC) group by promoting the formation of NH3 and HCN. With the addition of 40% AC to C1HP1, the hydrocarbons in bio-oil increased to 48.88%, and the oxygen-containing compound decreased by 45.62% compared with the PC group by promoting the formation of H2O, CO and CO2. In general, the participation of HDPE and AC improve the pyrolysis characteristics of C. vulgaris and have a good denitrification and deoxygenation effect on bio-oil.

Transcriptome characterization of candidate genes for heat tolerance in perennial ryegrass after exogenous methyl Jasmonate application

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) plays a role in improving plant stress tolerance. The molecular mechanisms associated with heat tolerance mediated by MeJA are not fully understood in perennial grass species. The study was designed to explore transcriptomic mechanisms underlying heat tolerance by exogenous MeJA in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) using RNA-seq. Transcriptomic profiling was performed on plants under normal temperature (CK), high temperature for 12 h (H), MeJA pretreatment (T), MeJA pretreatment + H (T-H), respectively. The analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that H resulted in the most DEGs and T had the least, compared with CK. Among them, the DEGs related to the response to oxygen-containing compound was higher in CKvsH, while many genes related to photosynthetic system were down-regulated. The DEGs related to plastid components was higher in CKvsT. GO and KEGG analysis showed that exogenous application of MeJA enriched photosynthesis related pathways under heat stress. Exogenous MeJA significantly increased the expression of genes involved in chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis and antioxidant metabolism, and decreased the expression of Chl degradation genes, as well as the expression of heat shock transcription factor - heat shock protein (HSF-HSP) network under heat stress. The results indicated that exogenous application of MeJA improved the heat tolerance of perennial ryegrass by mediating expression of genes in different pathways, such as Chl biosynthesis and degradation, antioxidant enzyme system, HSF-HSP network and JAs biosynthesis.