The current study was conducted to obtain hybrid analogues of indole-based thiadiazole derivatives (1–16) in which a number of reaction steps were involved. To examine their biological activity in ...the presence of the reference drug Donepezil (0.21 ± 0.12 and 0.30 ± 0.32 M, respectively), the inhibitory potentials of AChE and BuChE were determined for these compounds. Different substituted derivatives showing a varied range of inhibitory profiles, when compared to the reference drug, analogue 8 was shown to have potent activity, with IC50 values for AchE 0.15 ± 0.050 M and BuChE 0.20 ± 0.10, respectively, while other substituted compounds displayed good to moderate potentials. Varied spectroscopic techniques including 1H, 13CNMR and HREI-MS were used to identify the basic skeleton of these compounds. Furthermore, all analogues have a known structure–activity relationship (SAR), and molecular docking investigations have verified the binding interactions of molecule to the active site of enzymes.
A novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 pandemic in humans, recently emerged and has exported in more than 200 countries as a result of rapid ...spread. In this study, we have made an attempt to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 genome reported from 13 different countries, identification of mutations in major coronavirus proteins of these different SARS-CoV-2 genomes and compared with SARS-CoV. These thirteen complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 showed high identity (>99%) to each other, while they shared 82% identity with SARS-CoV. Here, we performed a very systematic mutational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes from different geographical locations, which enabled us to identify numerous unique features of this viral genome. This includes several important country-specific unique mutations in the major proteins of SARS-CoV-2 namely, replicase polyprotein, spike glycoprotein, envelope protein and nucleocapsid protein. Indian strain showed mutation in spike glycoprotein at R408I and in replicase polyprotein at I671T, P2144S and A2798V,. While the spike protein of Spain & South Korea carried F797C and S221W mutation, respectively. Likewise, several important country specific mutations were analyzed. The effect of mutations of these major proteins were also investigated using various in silico approaches. Main protease (Mpro), the therapeutic target protein of SARS with maximum reported inhibitors, was thoroughly investigated and the effect of mutation on the binding affinity and structural dynamics of Mpro was studied. It was found that the R60C mutation in Mpro affects the protein dynamics, thereby, affecting the binding of inhibitor within its active site. The implications of mutation on structural characteristics were determined. The information provided in this manuscript holds great potential in further scientific research towards the design of potential vaccine candidates/small molecular inhibitor against COVID19.
Amylase and glucosidase enzymes are the primary harmful source in the development of the chronic condition known as diabetes mellitus. The main function of these enzymes is to break the ...macromolecules into simple sugar units which are directly involved in the solubility of blood, hence increasing blood glucose levels. To overcome this effect, there is a need for a potent and effective inhibitor that inhibits the conversion of macromolecules of sugar into its smaller units. In this regard, we synthesized thiazolidinone-based indole derivatives (1-20). The synthesized derivatives were evaluated for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Different substituted derivatives were found with moderate to good potentials having ICsub.50 values ranging, for α-amylase, from 1.50 ± 0.05 to 29.60 ± 0.40 μM and, for α-glucosidase, from ICsub.50 = 2.40 ± 0.10 to 31.50 ± 0.50 μM. Among the varied substituted compounds, the most active analogs four (1.80 ± 0.70 and 2.70 ± 0.70), five (1.50 ± 0.05 and 2.40 ± 0.10, respectively) of the series showed few folds better inhibitory activity than standard drug acarbose (ICsub.50 = 10.20 ± 0.10 and 11.70 ± 0.10 μM, respectively). Moreover, structure-activity relationship (SAR) was established and binding interactions were analyzed for ligands and proteins (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) through a molecular docking study.
A unique series of sulphonamide derivatives was attempted to be synthesized in this study using a new and effective method. All of the synthesized compounds were verified using several spectroscopic ...methods, including FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HREI-MS, and their binding interactions were studied using molecular docking. The enzymes urease and α-glucosidase were evaluated against each derivative (1–15). When compared to their respective standard drug such as acarbose and thiourea, almost all compounds were shown to have excellent activity. Among the screened series, analogs 5 (IC50 = 3.20 ± 0.40 and 2.10 ± 0.10 µM) and 6 (IC50 = 2.50 ± 0.40 and 5.30 ± 0.20 µM), emerged as potent molecules when compared to the standard drugs acarbose (IC50 = 8.24 ± 0.08 µM) and urease (IC50 = 7.80 ± 0.30). Moreover, an anti-microbial study also demonstrated that analogs 5 and 6 were found with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the presence of standard drugs streptomycin and terinafine.
By using the chemical bath deposition approach, binary bismuth sulphides (Bi2S3) and chromium-doped ternary bismuth sulphides (Bi2−xCrxS3) thin films were effectively produced, and their potential ...for photovoltaic applications was examined. Structural elucidation revealed that Bi2S3 deposited by this simple and cost-effective method retained its orthorhombic crystal lattice by doping up to 3 at.%. The morphological analysis confirmed the crack-free deposition, hence making them suitable for solar cell applications. Optical analysis showed that deposited thin films have a bandgap in the range of 1.30 to 1.17 eV, values of refractive index (n) from 2.9 to 1.3, and an extinction coefficient (k) from 1.03 to 0.3. From the Hall measurements, it followed that the dominant carriers in all doped and undoped samples are electrons, and the carrier density in doped samples is almost two orders of magnitude larger than in Bi2S3. Hence, this suggests that doping is an effective tool to improve the optoelectronic behavior of Bi2S3 thin films by engineering the compositional, structural, and morphological properties.
Table eggs are an affordable yet nutritious protein source for humans. Unfortunately, eggs are a vector for bacteria that could cause foodborne illness. This study aimed to investigate the ...effectiveness of a quaternary ammonium compound (quat) sanitizer against aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast, and mold load on the eggshell surface of free-range and commercial farms and the post-treatment effect on microbial load during storage. Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast, and molds were enumerated using plate count techniques. The efficacy of the quaternary ammonium sanitizer (quat) was tested using two levels: full factorial with two replicates for corner points, factor A (maximum: 200 ppm, minimum: 100 ppm) and factor B (maximum: 15 min, minimum: 5 min). Quat sanitizer significantly (
< 0.05) reduced approximately 4 log10 CFU/cm
of the aerobic mesophilic bacteria, 1.5 to 2.5 log10 CFU/cm
of the mold population, and 1.5 to 2 log10 CFU/cm
of the yeast population. However, there was no significant (
≥ 0.05) response observed between individual factor levels (maximum and minimum), and two-way interaction terms were also not statistically significant (
≥ 0.05). A low (<1 log10 CFU/cm
) aerobic mesophilic bacteria trend was observed when shell eggs were stored in a cold environment up to the production expiry date. No internal microbial load was observed; thus, it was postulated that washing with quat sanitizer discreetly (without physically damaging the eggshell) does not facilitate microbial penetration during storage at either room temperature or cold storage. Current study findings demonstrated that the quat sanitizer effectively reduced the microbial population on eggshells without promoting internal microbial growth.
In this study, a stepwise reaction afforded thiazolidinone-based benzothiazole derivatives 1–15, and the synthesized derivatives were then screened for biological significance and found to be the ...leading candidates against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Almost all derivatives showed excellent to good activity ranging against α-amylase, IC50 = 2.10 ± 0.70 to 37.50 ± 0.70 μM, and α-glucosidase, IC50 = 3.20 ± 0.05 to 39.40 ± 0.80 μM. Some analogues such as 4 (2.40 ± 0.70 and 3.50 ± 0.70 μM), 5 (2.30 ± 0.05 and 4.80 ± 0.10 μM), and 6 (2.10 ± 0.70 and 3.20 ± 0.70 μM) were found with folds better activity than that of the standard drug acarbose (9.10 ± 0.10 and 10.70 ± 0.10 μM), respectively. Moreover, the structure–activity relationship (SAR) has been established for all compounds. A molecular docking study has been carried out to explore the binding interactions against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes.
Tungsten trioxide (WO3) is mainly studied as an electrochromic material and received attention due to N-type oxide-based semiconductors. The magnetic, structural, and optical behavior of pristine WO3 ...and gadolinium (Gd)-doped WO3 are being investigated using density functional theory. For exchange-correlation potential energy, generalized gradient approximation (GGA+U) is used in our calculations, where U is the Hubbard potential. The estimated bandgap of pure WO3 is 2.5 eV. After the doping of Gd, some states cross the Fermi level, and WO3 acts as a degenerate semiconductor with a 2 eV bandgap. Spin-polarized calculations show that the system is antiferromagnetic in its ground state. The WO3 material is a semiconductor, as there is a bandgap of 2.5 eV between the valence and conduction bands. The Gd-doped WO3’s band structure shows few states across the Fermi level, which means that the material is metal or semimetal. After the doping of Gd, WO3 becomes the degenerate semiconductor with a bandgap of 2 eV. The energy difference between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) configurations is negative, so the Gd-doped WO3 system is AFM. The pure WO3 is nonmagnetic, where the magnetic moment in the system after doping Gd is 9.5599575 μB.
The disposal of dyes and organic matter into water bodies has become a significant source of pollution, posing health risks to humans worldwide. With rising water demands and dwindling supplies, ...these harmful compounds must be isolated from wastewater and kept out of the aquatic environment. In the research presented here, hydrothermal synthesis of manganese-doped zinc ferrites’ (Mn-ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) and their nanocomposites (NCs) with sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Mn-ZnFe2O4/S-g-C3N4) are described. The samples’ morphological, structural, and bonding features were investigated using SEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques. A two-phase photocatalytic degradation study of (0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 wt.%) Mn-doped ZnFe2O4 NPs and Mn-ZnFe2O4/(10, 30, 50, 60, and 70 wt.%) S-g-C3N4 NCs against MB was carried out to find the photocatalyst with maximum efficiency. The 9% Mn-ZnFe2O4 NPs and Mn-ZnFe2O4/50% S-g-C3N4 NCs exhibited the best photocatalyst efficiency in phase one and phased two, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Mn-ZnFe2O4/50% S-g-C3N4 NCs could be attributed to synergistic interactions at the Mn-ZnFe2O4/50% S-g-C3N4 NCs interface that resulted in a more effective transfer and separation of photo-induced charges. Therefore, it is efficient, affordable, and ecologically secure to modify ZnFe2O4 by doping with Mn and homogenizing with S-g-C3N4. As a result, our current research suggests that the synthetic ternary hybrid Mn-ZnFe2O4/50% S-g-C3N4 NCs may be an effective photocatalytic system for degrading organic pollutants from wastewater.
Common methodologies such as liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction are applied for the extraction of opioids from biological specimens i.e., blood and urine. Techniques including ...LC-MS/LC-MSMS, GC-MS, etc. are used for qualitative or quantitative determination of opioids. The goal of the present work is to design a green, economic, rugged, and simple extraction technique for famous opioids in human blood and urine and their simultaneous quantification by GC-MS equipped with an inert plus electron impact (EI) ionization source at SIM mode to produce reproducible and efficient results. Morphine, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine, nalbuphine, tramadol and dextromethorphan were selected as target opioids. Anhydrous Epsom salt was applied for dSPE of opioids from blood and urine into acetonitrile extraction solvent with the addition of sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6) and n-hexane was added to remove non-polar interfering species from samples. BSTFA was used as a derivatizing agent for GC-MS. Following method validation, the LOD/LLOQ and ULOQ were determined for morphine, codeine, nal-buphine, tramadol, and dextromethorphan at 10 ng/mL and 1500 ng/mL, respectively, while the LOD/LLOQ and ULOQ were determined for 6-acetylmorphine at 5 ng/mL and 150 ng/mL, respectively. This method was applied to real blood and urine samples of opioid abusers and the results were found to be reproducible with true quantification.