The protein TRPM8, a non-selective, calcium (Ca2+) permeable ion channel is implicated in several pathological conditions, including neuropathic pain states. In our previous research endeavors, we have identified β–lactam derivatives with high hydrophobic character that exhibit potent and selective TRPM8 antagonist activity. This work describes the synthesis of novel derivatives featuring C-terminal amides and diversely substituted N’-terminal monobenzyl groups, in an attempt to increase the total polar surface area (TPSA) in this family of compounds. The primary goal was to assess the influence of these substituents on the inhibition of menthol-induced cellular Ca2+ entry, thereby establishing critical structure-activity relationships. While the substitution of the tert-butyl ester by isobutyl amide moieties improved the antagonist activity, none of the N’-monobencyl derivatives, regardless of the substituent on the phenyl ring, achieved the activity of the model dibenzyl compound. The antagonist potency of the most effective compounds was subsequently verified using Patch-Clamp electrophysiology experiments. Furthermore, we evaluated the selectivity of one of these compounds against other members of the TRP ion channel family and some receptors connected to peripheral pain pathways. This compound demonstrated specificity for TRPM8 channels. To better comprehend the potential mode of interaction, we conducted docking experiments to uncover plausible binding sites on the functionally active tetrameric protein, which come upon four main poses by the pore zone, differents from those described for other known antagonists. Finally, in vivo experiments, involving a couple of selected compounds, revealed significant antinociceptive activity within a mice model of cold allodynia induced by oxaliplatin.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model is adopted to study the relationship between the chemical and physical properties of various substances and the structure. Through QSAR studies, the internal relationship between the invisible structure and the activity can be obtained. In this paper, a novel chaos-enhanced accelerate particle swarm algorithm (CAPSO) is proposed, which is used to molecular descriptors screening and optimization of the weights of back propagation artificial neural network (BP ANN). Then, the QSAR model based on CAPSO and BP ANN is put forward, hereinafter referred to as CAPSO BP ANN model. The prediction experiment showed that the CAPSO algorithm is a reliable method for screening molecular descriptors and the five molecular descriptors obtained by CAPSO algorithm could well characterize the molecular structure of each compound in pKa prediction. The experimental results also showed the CAPSO BP ANN model has a good performance in predicting the pKa values of various compounds, the absolute mean relative error, root mean square error, and square correlation coefficient are respectively 0.5364, 0.0632, and 0.9438, indicating the higher prediction accuracy and correlation. The proposed hybrid intelligent model can be applied in all kinds of engineering design, prediction of physical and chemical properties and intelligent calculation.

Compounds with tyrosinase inhibitory efficacy could be effective as depigmenting agents. Although a large number of natural and synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors have been reported, few of them are used as skin-whitening agents due to poor activity and safety concerns. 3-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (DPPA), a naturally occurring compound isolated from Ficus carica, was previously discovered as a moderate tyrosinase inhibitor. In this study, the structure-activity relationship study of DPPA was conducted. Compound 3g, with the 2,4-resorcinol subunit and terminal hydrophobic di-butylamino group, was identified with low nanomolar enzymatic IC₅₀ value. Additionally, compound 3g could effectively reduce melanin levels in B16-F10 melanoma cells treated with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) without affecting cell viability and proliferation. All these results indicated that compound 3g could be considered as a promising candidate for the treatment of diseases associated with hyperpigmentation.

Four models of Ce(III) complexes with four ligands based on a 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were studied at four DFT levels. The effect of different ligands on the atomic charge value on the cerium ion was analyzed. Several relationships were clearly established between this atomic charge and that of the surrounding atoms, as well as with several geometric parameters of the ligand and with the molecular properties of the Ce(III) complex. The experimental IR and Raman spectra of the newly obtained Ce(III) complex with the (pyrrolidin-1-yl)-2H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylate ligand were interpreted based on their comparison to the theoretical scaled ones using the scaling equations determined by two procedures and four DFT levels. Therefore, the structure predicted for the synthesized Ce(III) complex was clearly characterized and confirmed. The potential antioxidant action of Ce(III) complex was elucidated and compared with other Ln(III) complexes in order to find out the differences in their biological activity profiles.

Japan is experiencing a super-aging society faster than is anywhere else worldwide. Consequently, extending healthy life expectancy is an urgent social issue. To understand diet that supports the extension of healthy life expectancy, we studied the relationships among quality of life (QOL: SF-36 questionnaire), physical activity (number of steps and activity calculated using an accelerometer), physical function (muscle strength, movement function, agility, static balance, dynamic balance, and walking function) and dietary intake among 469 older adults living in the Tokyo metropolitan area (65–75 years old, men/women = 166/303) from February 23, 2017, to March 31, 2018. There was a significant positive association between physical QOL and steps, moderate-intensity activity, and high-intensity activity (p < 0.05), and a significant positive association (p < 0.05) between physical activity and movement, static balance, and walking functions, but no association with muscle strength. These three body functions were significantly positively correlated with intake of vegetables, seeds, fruits, and milk, and with magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6, and the dietary fibre/carbohydrate ratio and composition ratios (p < 0.05). Balancing food and nutrition may improve QOL in older adults through increased physical function and physical activity. Future verification of interventions is needed.

Postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. Different bacterial strain and preparation method result in different functions. Herein, a postbiotic preparation named Postbiotic-P by intercepting 1-5 KD of the cell-free supernatants of L. caseiparacasei P6 fermentation broth was prepared, and its multifunctional activities were evaluated. The results showed that Postbiotic-P exerted good antihemolytic (10%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.9%-48.1% antihemolytic rate), anti-inflammatory (8% to 40% Postbiotic-P is comparable to 259.1-645.4 μg/mL of diclofenac sodium equivalents), antioxidant [reducing power (1.25%-12.5% Postbiotic-P resulted in the increase of OD700 from 0.279-2.322), DPPH free radical scavenging activity (2.5%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 38.9%-92.4% free radical scavenging rate), and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (0.5%-4% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.66%-10.38% hydroxyl radical scavenging rate)], and antimicrobial activities (against 2 Gram-positive, 8 Gram-negative and 1 fungus). Furthermore, it was proved that Postbiotic-P could significantly inhibit the increase of the peroxide value and the malondialdehyde content in cookies, indicating the application potential of Postbiotic-P in food preservation. Taken together, Postbiotic-P has good application potential for the development of health care products and functional foods. However, further studies are needed to determine their precise mechanism of action, to clarify the active components responsible for the function, and to validate the biological activities in animal models or clinical trials.

This study evaluates the comprehensive biological activities of anthocyanins isolated from Andean blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth) and Andean blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth), focusing on their antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and hemolytic properties. Chemical characterization revealed significant anthocyanin content with complex mass spectrometric profiles indicating diverse glycosylation patterns, which might influence their bioactivity. The antimicrobial assays demonstrated that the extracts were particularly effective against Gram-positive bacteria, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 1 mg/mL for Rubus glaucus, indicating strong potential for therapeutic use. The berries' antioxidant capacity was assessed and found to be substantial, though slightly lower than that of ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited notable antitumoral activities in various cancer cell lines, showing promise as adjunctive or preventative treatments against cancer. The anti-inflammatory effects were confirmed by inhibiting nitric oxide production in macrophage cells, highlighting their potential in managing inflammatory diseases. Regarding hemolytic activity, Rubus glaucus displayed dose-dependent hemolytic activity due to anthocyanins and phenolics, while Vaccinium floribundum showed no significant hemolytic activity, confirming its safety. These findings suggest that anthocyanins from Andean berries possess potent biological activities that could be harnessed for multiple health benefits in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Further studies are warranted to isolate specific bioactive compounds and explore their synergistic effects in clinical and real-world scenarios.

Solanum indicum Linn, is commonly known as Indian Nightshade or Poison Berry belongs to the family Solanaceae. This review studied the botanical description, traditional uses of its seeds, its chemical composition, pharmacological properties and modern applications in medicinal system. The plant is rich in alkaloids, steroidal saponins, flavonoids and phenolic acids having diverse pharmacological activities and phytochemical profile. It is used in treatment of various respiratory disorders, inflammation, skin problems and gastrointestinal disease since ancient times. Scientific research in modern times also tested many of the traditional uses revealing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities as well as some cytotoxic and even antidiabetic effects. These pharmacological activities show potential future as uses for organic drugs, natural health products, skincare formulations and agricultural advancements.

Several plant species produce mixtures of odorous and volatile compounds known as essential oils (EOs). These mixtures play important roles in nature and have been utilized by man for pharmaceutical and agrochemical purposes. There are more than 3000 EOs reported in the literature with approximately 300 having commercial use, including the oils from Eucalyptus species. Such oils are rich in monoterpenes and have found applications as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food flavorants and in the perfume industry. Such applications are related to their diverse biological and organoleptic properties. In view of their importance, we review in this article up to date information concerning chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils from different species of Eucalyptus. Among the 900 species and subspecies of the Eucalyptus genus¸ we examined 68 species. The studies associated with these species were conducted in 27 countries. We have focused on the antimicrobial, acaricide, insecticide and herbicide activities, hoping that such information will contribute in the advances of the research in this field. It is also intended that the information herein described can be useful in the rationalization of the use of Eucalyptus EOs as components for new pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications as well as food preservatives and flavorants.

Aim: Nepal’s medicinal plants are culturally important and have diverse benefits. Senna alata belongs to the family Leguminosae and is a valuable plant utilized for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The aim of the research was to extract Senna alata leaves by successive maceration with various solvents. Methods: In this study, various methods were utilized to evaluate phytochemistry, overall phenolic and flavonoid content, in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity assay, anti-thrombolytic activity, and antibacterial activities. Results: The extractive values of Senna alata were determined as 1.58%, 0.78%, and 5.92% in hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed major compounds such as 3-Methylmannoside, Neophytadiene, Campesterol, and Vitamin E in the leaf extract. Qualitative phytochemical screening verified the tannin content, carbohydrates, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, and saponins in the methanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid values were 46.36±4.5 mg GAE/gm and 480.4±3.055 QE/gm of dried extract, respectively. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, with IC50 values of 29.81 and 9.93, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrated cytotoxic activity with an LC50 value of 767.85 in the brine shrimp bioassay. In terms of thrombolytic activity, the extract showed clot lysis percentages of 7.89% and 10.13% at concentrations of 10 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the methanolic extract of Senna alata leaves displayed therapeutic potential, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, and antibacterial effects. The existence of several chemicals via GC-MS analysis also verified plant's potential for therapeutic use.

Due to their wide range of uses in modern technology, nanomaterial’s of silver metallic (Ag-NPs) have engaged considerable concern, driving significant research with development efforts. This study focuses on investigating the antimicrobial properties of Ag-NPs, encompassing their production, characterization, and biological aspects. The eco-friendly extracellular biosynthetic method employed in this work utilized extracts from the marine fungus Aspergillus flavus MK4 as reducing agents for nanoparticle synthesis. Analyzing the colloidal Ag-NPs using UV-visible spectroscopy revealed a peak in absorbance at 460 nm, indicating the presence of plasmonic properties. The electrons imaging of internal structure (TEM) elucidated spherical shape of the Ag-NPs by 15 nm size. Testing against bacterial diversities (Gr-ve & Gr+ve) revealed potent antibacterial and antifungal efficacy. Cytotoxicity versus HepG-2 cell line was assessed using the MTT assay, and antioxidant properties were examined through the radical scavenging (DPPH) assay. In wise of their conceivable applications in the fields of antibacterial, anticancer, and wound-healing, the Ag-NPs that were synthesized exhibit promising features. With its powerful ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP), Aspergillus flavus MK4 Aspergillus flavus MK4 can generate nanoparticles extensively characterized, demonstrating their antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and wound-healing properties.

Phenothiazine derivatives are widely studied in various fields such as biology, chemistry, and medicine research because of their pharmaceutical effects. The first reagent that was used suc-cessfully in the treatment of psychosis was a phenthiazine derivative, chlorpromazine. Apart from their activity in neurons, chlorpromazine have also been reported to display anticancer and antibacterial properties. In these studies, we present the synthesis and research on the activ-ity against A549, MDA, MiaPaCa, PC3 and HCT116 cancer cell lines and against S. aureus, S. epi-dermidis, E. coli and P. aeruginosa bacterial strains a series of new tetracyclic chlorpromazine ana-logues containing a quinoline scafford in their structure instead of the benzene ring and various substituents at the thiazine nitrogen. The structure of these novel molecules has been deter-mined by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS spectral techniques. The seven most active of the twen-ty-four new chlorpromazine analogues tested were selected for study of the mechanism of cyto-toxic action. Their ability to induce apoptosis or necrosis in cancer cells was assessed by flow cytometry analysis. The results obtained confirmed the proapoptotic activity of selected com-pounds, especially in terms of inducing late apoptosis or necrosis in cancer cell lines A549, Mi-aPaCa-2 and HCT-116. Furthermore, studies on the induction of cell cycle arrest suggest that the new chlorpromazine analogues exert antiproliferative effects by inducing cell cycle arrest in the S phase and, consequently, apoptosis.

Marine microalgae are a rich reservoir of natural compounds, including bioactives. Nonetheless, these organisms remain fairly unexplored despite their potential biotechnological applications. Culture collections with diverse taxonomic groups and lifestyles are a good source to unlock this potential and discover new molecules for multiple applications such as the treatment of human pathologies or the production of aquaculture species. In the present work extracts from 33 strains (including 20 dinoflagellates, 4 diatoms and 9 strains from other 7 algal classes), cultivated under identical conditions were examined for antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Among these, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities were detected in a few strains while antibacterial tests showed positive results in most assays. In turn, most trials did not show any anti-cancer activity. Wide differences were observed between species within the same class, in particular dinoflagellates which were better represented in this study. These preliminary findings pave the way for in-depth characterization of extracts with highest signals in each test, identification of compounds responsible of the biological activities found, and a further screening of the CCVIEO culture collection.

Quinoa, known as the "golden grain" for its high nutritional value, is a significant source of essential nutrients, including proteins, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, phytosterols, and flavonoids. However, the biological functions of quinoa polysaccharides remain understudied. In this research, two crude quinoa polysaccharides extracts (Q-40 and Q-60) were obtained extracting by 40% and 60% alcohol. The purity of Q-40 and Q-60 was 58.29% and 62.15%, with protein contents of 8.27% and 9.60%, respectively. Monosaccharide analysis revealed that Q-40 contained glucose (Glc), galacturonic acid (GalA), and arabinose (Ara) in a molar ratio of 0.967:0.027:0.006. Q-60 was composed of xylose (xyl), arabinose (Ara), galactose, and galacturonic acid (GalA) with a molar ratio of 0.889:0.036:0.034:0.020. The average molecular weight of Q-40 ranged from 47484 to 626488 Da, while Q-60 showed a range of 10025 to 47990 Da. Rheological experiments showed that Q-40 exhibited higher viscosity, while Q-60 demonstrated more elastic properties. Remarkably, Q-60 showed potent antioxidant abilities, with scavenging rates of 98.49% for DPPH and 57.5% for ABTS. Antibacterial experiments using the microdilution method revealed that Q-40 inhibited the growth of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli, while Q-60 specifically inhibited MRSA. At lower concentrations, both polysaccharides inhibited MDA cell proliferation, but at higher concentrations, they promoted proliferation. Similar proliferation-promoting effects were observed in HepG2 cells. The research provides important information in application of quinoa in food and functional food industries.

Pathogenic microorganisms can cause a range of infectious diseases and are often treated with antimicrobial agents. The rise of antimicrobial resistance caused by inappropriate use of these agents in various settings has become a global health threat. There is, therefore, a need to find new and effective agents to combat infections caused by resistant pathogens. Nanotechnology has seen significant growth and development in recent years and has a wide range of applications in various fields, including health, agriculture, and industry. This novel area offers the potential for the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) with antimicrobial activity, such as iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The use of IONPs is a promising way to overcome antimicrobial resistance or pathogenicity because of their ability to interact with several biological molecules and to inhibit microbial growth. This review focuses on the most common green synthesis methods for producing IONPs using bacteria, fungi, plants, and organic waste, as well as the most common methods for the characterization of these IONPs. Finally, it summarizes their application as promising antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral agents.

This study assesses the secondary metabolites, minerals, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties of Micromeria fruticosa plant different botanical parts (leaf, stem, root, flower) extracted with various solvents. The plant samples were sequentially obtained using different solvents (n-hexane, ethanol and water) through steeping. Then, each of the extracts was further analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Moreover, the extracts were bio-assayed to test their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cancer activities. Quali-quantitative analysis of M. fruticosa crude extracts revealed the occurrence of 27 secondary metabolites were identified including mainly monoterpenes, sesquterpenes, and fatty acids, with varying quantities. Some of the major bioactive compounds included, Menthone (5.42-30.05%), Oleamide (3.40-32.20%), Pulegone (10.66-64.1%), and Menthol (3.61-100.0%), which were detected mostly in all plant parts with significant quantities. Several antioxidant minerals, mainly, Fe, Zn, and Mn, were detected with the highest amounts in the Micromeria water extracts. Results from antimicrobial assays showed that the water extract of leaves exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity (89.73%) followed by the water extract of flowers (80.07%) at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The water extract of stems showed greater antimicrobial activity against all the tested gram negative and positive bacteria (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Shigella sonnie). The leaves ethanolic and stem aqueous extracts had a strong antimicrobial activity against E. coli. and C. albicans. Flower aqueous extract demonstrated the highest cytostatic effect on the colon cell line by reducing viability up to 30.4%, followed by the leaf ethanol extract with 38.6% cell viability reduction at 1000 µg/mL. In conclusion, extraction solvents influenced the recovery of phytocompounds and the highest pharmacological activities of the different extracts could be correlated to the presence of additional bioactive compounds. Our results suggest that M. fruticosa plant is a promising source of natural products with antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties for potential nutraceutical, therapeutic, and functional food applications. , , , , , ,

In the Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), the investigations showed a wide range of active molecules their biological properties. However, most of these studies were conducted on the wid varieties, while cultivated plan addressed. This study aimed to characterize the biomolecules and biological activities of Lemongrass growing us African conditions sons in in Marocco. Marocco. Phenolic compound profiles of aqueous (AE) E) ethanol ethanol (EE), (EE), and methanol (ME) extract: fractions were obtained with steric exclusion chromatography on Sephadex 050 gel and identified by LC-MS/MS polyphenols (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and antioxidant activities (FRAP: scavenging value and TAC: Total Antioxidant C the fraction were evaluated as well as the antimicrobial activity Obtained results showed that the ME contained e compounds (ie. Apigenine-7-0-rutinoside and myricitine-3-0-rutinoside). The AE showed the presence of five mole kaemiferol-3-0-glucuronide), while EE showed the presence of three molecules (Le. Quercetine-3-0-rutinoside). Reg chemical characterization, the rization, e highest value of Total phenolic content (TPC) was obtained in conten btained in AE ΑΕ (25) (4.60-0.29 mg highest value of Total flavonoids content (TFC) was obtained Ined in ME (29) (0.7±0.08 mg/g). Concerning the antioxide the highest FRAP was obtained in ME (29) (97.89%) and the highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was obtained (89.89%) Correlation between FRAP, TPC, and TFC was noted poly in fractions of AE and ME. All tested extracts of and their fractions showed a significant antimicrobial effect. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) wa for ME against E. col. Extracts biological activities and their fractions were governed by their active molecules. Ther new and clarify a novel aspect of bioactive molecules in the extracts of cultivated C. citratus Equaly, throughout this we clarified the relationship between identified molecules and their biological properties including antioxidant and comparative studies new activities, which is new for the study area. This study is suggested to be a reference. assays of other biological activities for the study plant

(-)-Zeylenone is a promising cytotoxic agent，which is a natural product isolated from Uvaria grandiflora Roxb. Though substantial antitumor mechanism has been researched , little has focused on its enantiomer (+)-Zeylenone.This article will try to find a gram scale synthesis method of (+)-Zeylenone and explain the structure-activity relationship of this kind of compound. Total synthesis of (+)-zeylenone was completed in 13 steps with quinic acid as starting material in 8.8% overall yield. The highlight of the route was the control of the three carbon’s chirality by clever use of single step dihydroxylation under the direction of the key C-3 chirality. In addition, zeylenone derivatives were designed and synthesized and their antitumor activity were evaluated against three human cancer cell lines using the CCK8 assay. Structure-activity relationship suggested compounds with both two absolute configurations exhibited good activity. Besides, hydroxyls at C-1/2 position were crucial for the activity and esterification of C-1 hydroxyl with large groups made the activity disappeared. Hydroxyl at C-3 position was also important as proper ester substituent could increase the potency.

Seaweeds are considered as one of the largest biomass producers in marine environment that is rich in bioactive metabolites and a source of natural ingredients for functional foods. The potential antioxidant activity and the potential inhibition of Caco2 cell proliferation, of crude extracts of: Chlorophyta (Ulva lactuca, and Codium tomentosum), Phaeophyta (Cystoseira crinita, Cystoseira stricta, and Sargassum vulgare), and Rhodophyta (Gelidium latifolium, Hypnea musciformis, and Jania rubens) collected from western Libyan coast were evaluated in vitro. The antioxidant activity was determined by reducing power and DPPH assays while cell proliferation, morphological changes and the cell cycle arrest were assessed by MTT, inverted light microscope and flow cytometry methods respectively. The polyphenols and flavonoids rich extracts showed remarkable reducing power and antiradical properties. After exposure of Caco2 cells to; various concentrations of extracts (50, 100,150 and 200 µg/mL) especially from brown algae for 72 h, significantly reduced cell proliferation. The antiproliferative effect of algae extracts was correlated with their polyphenol and flavonoid contents. Cell cycle analysis further showed that cells were arrested in G phases along with an increment in sub-diploidal cell population (sub-G) after extract application. These results imply that seaweeds which are rich in bioactive compounds may be in anticancer drug research programs. However, further investigations are essential to reveal the molecular mechanisms of the anticancer activities of these algae.

This paper focuses on optimal sensor positioning for monitoring activities of daily living and investigates different combinations of features and models on different sensor positions, i.e., the side of the waist, front of the waist, chest, thigh, head, upper arm, wrist, and ankle. Sixteen features are extracted and the feature importance is measured by using the Relief-F feature selection algorithm. Eight classification algorithms are evaluated on a dataset collected from young subjects and that collected from elderly subjects, with two different experimental settings. To deal with different sampling rates, signals with a high data rate are down-sampled and a transformation matrix is used for aligning signals to the same coordinate system. The thigh, chest, side of the waist, and front of the waist are the best four sensor positions for the first dataset (young subjects), with average accuracy values being greater than 95%. The best model obtained from the first dataset for the side of the waist is validated on the second dataset (elderly subjects). The most appropriate number of features for each sensor position is reported. The results provide a reference for building activity recognition models for different sensor positions, as well as for data acquired from different hardware platforms and subject groups.

Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the major skin bacteria that cause the formation of acne. The present study was conducted to investigate antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of cinnamon bark, honey and their combination against acne bacteria. The antibacterial activity of extract of cinnamon bark and honey were investigated against P. acnes and S. epidermidis using disc diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were performed using Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) methods. The interaction combination between extract of cinnamon bark and honey was determined by using a checkerboards method. The results showed that he MIC of extract of cinnamon bark and honey against P. acne were 256 µg/mL and 50% v/v, respectively, while against S. epidermidis were 1024 µg/mL and 50% v/v, respectively. The MBC of extract of cinnamon against P. acnes and S. epidermidis were more than 2048 µg/mL, whereas the MBC for honey against P. acnes and S. epidermidis were 100%. The combination of cinnamon bark extract and honey against against P. acnes and S. epidermidis, showed additive activity with the FICI value 0.625. Therefore, the combination of extract of cinnamon bark and honey has potential activity against acne causing bacteria.

Here we report a comparative study of the pyhtochemical profile and a biological activity of the two onion extracts, namely A. cepa L. and A. × cornutum (Clementi ex Visiani 1842). Identification of flavonoids and anthocyanins and their individual quantities were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The potency of both extracts to scavenge free radicals was determined by DPPH (2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) methods. DNA protective role was further tested by single-cell gel electrophoresis (COMET) assay and by Fenton’s reagent causing double strand brakes on pUC19 plasmid. In the presence of both extracts, a significant decrease in the DNA damage was observed, which indicates a protective role of A. cepa and A. × cornutum on the DNA strand brakes. Additionally, cytotoxicity was tested on glioblastoma and breast cancer cell lines. The results showed that both extracts had antiproliferative effect, but the most prominent decrease in cellular growth was observed with glioblastoma cells

Vitex agnus-castus L.(VAC) belonging to the Verbenaceae family is a Mediterranean plant which is widely used in traditional Tunisian medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antiviral and cytotoxic potential of methanolic VAC fruits extracts. Quantitative analyses of the different constituents of extracts were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Spectrophotometric methods and chemical tests were used for phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity. The cytotoxic study was evaluated using epidermoid carcinoma Hep-2 cells, while the antiviral assessment against clinical isolates of coxsackievirus B3 (CBV-3) was determined by using a HEp cell survival assay. VAC extracts presented several components and minerals The results of HPLC-DAD indicated the presence 7 of phenolic compounds with a remarkable abondance of chlorogenic and coumaric acids as polyphenols compounds. The data also showed that VAC extracts had an important antioxidant effect (IC50=0.061 mg/mL) with a reduced cytotoxicity (CC50= 213 µg/ml), and these effects are displayed in a dose-dependent manner. However, all the tested extracts are inactive against CBV-3. The results achieved confirm the important role of this plant as a source of therapeutic activities.

Bacterial infection poses a serious threat to human life due to its rapidly growing resistance to antibacterial drugs, which is a significant public health issue. This study was focused on the design and synthesis of a new series of 25 analogues bearing 5-cyano-6-oxo-4-substituted phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine scaffold hybridized with different substituted benzene-sulfonamides through thioacetamide linker M1-25 via the treatment of the key intermediates 2-mercapto-6-oxo-4-phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitriles 1a-c with different 2-chloro-N-substituted benzene-sulfonamide derivatives 4a-e overnight at room temperature. The spectroscopic data of all the new compounds (IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and Mass) was studied in detail to confirm their molecular structures. The antimicrobial activity of the new molecules was studied against various Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains. All the tested compounds showed promising broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, especially against K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, with ZOI values ranging from 15 to 30 mm. Furthermore, the most promising compounds M6, M19,M 20, and M25 were subjected to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. In addition, the anti-virulence activity of the compounds was also examined using multiple biofilm assays. The new compounds revealed promising suppressing activity of microbial biofilm formation in the examined K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa microbial isolates. Additional in silico ADMET studies were conducted to represent their oral bioavailability, drug-likeness characteristics, and human toxicity risks. The obtained data suggest the newly prepared pyrimidine-benzene-sulfonamide derivatives may serve as model compounds amenable for further optimization and development of new antimicrobial and antisepsis candidates.

The creation of mitochondria-targeted vector systems is a new tool for the treatment of socially significant diseases. Phosphonium groups provide targeted delivery of drugs through biological barriers to organelles. For this purpose, a new class of alkyl(diethylamino)(phenyl) phosphonium iodides (bromides) 1 containing one, two, or three diethylamino groups were obtained by the reaction of alkyl iodides (bromides) with (diethylamino)(phenyl)phosphines under mild conditions and high yields. The structure of compounds 1 was established by NMR and XRD. In vitro a high cytotoxicity against the lines M-Hela, HuTu 80, PC3, DU-145, PANC-1 and MCF-7 was found. Selectivity index are in the range of 0.06-4.0 M (SI 17-277) for the most active compounds. ROS production, mitochondrial localization and the process of cellular apoptosis were investigated. Decorated by 1 of lipid systems (liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles) improve the cytotoxicity and a decrease in toxicity against normal cell lines. Compounds 1 induce apoptosis proceeding along the mitochondrial pathway. Aminophosphonium salts 1 also exhibit a high selective activity against the Gram-positive bacteria strains S. aureus 209P, B. segeus 8035, including methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus (MRSA-1, MRSA-2), comparable to the activity of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic norfloxacin. A moderate in vivo toxicity in CD-1 mice was established for the lead compounds.

Background: Old age and illnesses can limit physical activity (PA). Objectives: To assess the level of PA and its limitations. Design: Cross-sectional study, January and June 2024. Setting: Diabetes Center. Subjects: Patients (N=207) >64 years with diabetes (DM). Methods: Surveying using: IPAQ, Accompanying Survey (AS). The significance was assessed by: Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson’s test. The relationships between the IPAQ and the AS results were analyzed based on a meta-analysis model for variable effects, OR with a 95% CI. ROC curve was used to determine the threshold values for age, BMI. Correlations between selected key variables were evaluated using the PCA. Results: The median age: 72 years (65–87), BMI: 28.70 kg/m2 (18.61–49.69). The median PA level: 1,837 MET-min/week (0–9,891). The individuals who obtained insufficient (n=28), sufficient (n=75), and high levels of PA (n=53) were 17.95%, 48.08%, and 33.97%, respectively. Diseases were the main factor limiting PA (53,54%) in patient’s opinion, followed by the lack of a companion or motivation. The meta-analysis found no diseases linked to insufficient PA, but those with BMI > 33.3 kg/m² and over 75 years old more often had insufficient PA. PCA revealed several characteristics that predispose individuals to insufficient PA. Conclusions: People over 75 years of age tend to avoid PA more than younger seniors, leading to its insufficient level, similarly like higher BMI. The individual with DM who has an insufficient level of PA is typically a single, woman, over 75, BMI>33.

Fingerhuthia africana Lehm belongs to family Poaceae, is an erect perennial grass used traditionally to cure different diseases. The current study was carried out to find the bioactive compounds by GC-MS, elemental analysis through atomic absorption spectrophotometry, proximate analysis by AOAC, genotoxic activity through comet assay, antioxidant activity through DPPH and antidiarrheal activity through castor oil induce diarrhea followed by charcoal meal on mice model. GC-MS chromatogram represents different compounds detected in the crude extract. Major pharmacological bioactive compounds are 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-; 4-Methyl itaconate; .alpha.-Terpineol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol, 1-acetate; Benzofuran, 2,3-dihydro-; Caryophyllene oxide; Hinesol; n-Hexadecanoic acid; 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, methyl ester; Hexadecanoic acid and methyl ester. Elemental analysis of stem, leaves and roots of the plant show the presence of (macro and micro) nutrients such as Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cd and Co were absent in all parts. Proximate analysis of different parts revealed the presence of moisture contents (8.57%), ash (9.77%), fats contents (5.96%), fibers contents (45.03%), protein (3.62%), carbohydrates (39.71%) and Gross energy (Kcal/100g) (220.10). The ethanolic extract show dose-dependent genoprotective potential (127.38 ± 1.16), (83.28 ± 0.65), and (44.08 ± 1.40) at 50, 75, and 100 mg/100 ml, respectively, as compared to the methanolic extract which show genotoxic activity (85.13 ± 1.23) at high dose. After 90 minutes at a concentration of 300 (g/ml), methanolic extract demonstrated the greatest antioxidant potential (79.5%), followed by aqueous extract (76.5%). The methanolic extract of F. africana demonstrated antidiarrheal efficacy, with the maximum inhibition of charcoal movement (83.78%) occurring at a dosage of 300 mg/kg, followed by doses of 200 and 100 mg/kg, 73.26% and 59.56%, respectively. The current research highlights that the plant contains a substantial quantity of micro and macro nutrients, possesses high nutritional value, and exhibits pharmacological activities. These properties render the plant suitable for developing remedies to treat various therapeutic diseases.

This study explores the development of an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion with a high concentration of ostrich oil, rich in omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, for potential skincare applications. Utilizing Span and Tween emulsifiers, an optimized O/W emulsion containing 20% w/w ostrich oil and 15% w/w mixed emulsifiers was formulated through homogenization, demonstrating the smallest droplet size (5.01 ± 0.43 μm) and appropriate zeta potential (-32.22 mV). The emulsion exhibited antioxidant and antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, suggesting its suitability for skincare. Stability tests over 6 months at varying temperatures (4 °C, 25 °C, 45 °C) confirmed the emulsion's physical and microbial stability, emphasizing its potential for topical applications. Despite slight changes in acid values (AV) and peroxide values (PV), results remained within acceptable limits. Cytotoxicity assessments on human dermal fibroblasts indicated the emulsion's safety, supporting its suitability for skin application. The emulsion demonstrated antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus and enhanced antioxidant activity compared to ostrich oil alone. The study underscores the importance of emulsification in optimizing the efficacy and stability of ostrich oil in skincare formulations, offering valuable insights for practical applications where stability is critical.

In our previous work, we demonstrated the potential of the amphiphilic cyclic peptide [W4R4] as a promising antimicrobial agent. The extensive data accumulated on the antimicrobial activity of this peptide and its homologs presented an opportunity to unravel the molecular mechanisms governing their action and establish crucial structure-activity relationships (SAR). To achieve this, we employed a comprehensive approach involving peptide synthesis, in vitro biological testing, and molecular modeling to systematically analyze the SAR of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the [W4R4] scaffold. Minimal modifications were introduced to the original peptide by incorporating either one aromatic hydrophobic residue (W) or one polar positively charged residue (R) while maintaining the sequential W/R arrangement. Additionally, we introduced an "intermediate" substitution by incorporating 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP), possessing both aromatic and polar properties, into the macrocycle [W4R4] between the W and R residues. Notably, this study marked the first synthesis and evaluation of the [W4R4(DKP)] peptide. Structural, dynamic, hydrophobic, and membrane-binding properties of four cyclic peptides ([W4R4], [W5R4], [W4R5], [W4R4(DKP)]) were explored using molecular dynamics simulations within a DOPC/DOPG lipid bilayer that mimics the bacterial membrane. The results obtained revealed distinct SAR profiles for all peptides, enabling the establishment of correlations between their antimicrobial activity and structural/dynamic parameters. These parameters included the degree of conformational plasticity, the depth of immersion into the bi-layer, and the population of the membrane binding mode characterized by the embedding of the hydrophobic peptide pattern into the acyl chain region of lipids. In particular, the peptide [W4R5] exhibited an optimal "activity/binding to the bacterial membrane" pattern. This work highlights the significance of our multidisciplinary approach in efficiently deciphering finely regulated SAR profiles for a series of homologous peptides with diverse activities. Furthermore, this research provides a solid foundation for the rational design of novel antimicrobial peptides.

Fifty-two kinds of N’-phenylhydrazides were successfully designed and synthesized. Their anti-fungal activity in vitro against five strains of C. alb. was evaluated. All prepared compounds owned varying degrees of activity and their MIC80, TAI, and TSI values were calculated. The in-hibitory activities of 27/52 compounds against fluconazole-resistant fungi C. alb. 4395 and C. alb. 5272 were much higher than those of fluconazole. The MIC80 values of 14/52 compounds against fluconazole-resistant fungus C. alb. 5122 were less than 4 μg/mL, so it was the most sensitive fungus (TSIB = 12.0). A11 showed the highest inhibitory activity against C. alb. SC5314, 4395, and 5272. The antifungal activities of B14 and D5 against four strains of fluconazole-resistant fungi were higher than those of fluconazole. The TAI values of A11 (2.71), B14 (2.13), and D5 (2.25) are the highest. Further exploring the antifungal mechanism revealed that the fungus treated with compound A11 produced free radicals and reactive oxygen species, and their mycelium mor-phology was damaged. In conclusion, the hydrazide scaffold showed potential in the develop-ment of antifungal lead compounds. Among them, A11, B14, and D5 demonstrated particularly promising antifungal activity and hold potential as novel antifungal agents.

Global warming has led to the increase in chalky grains of rice, which has also caused the deteriorations of physicochemical and cooking qualities of rice grains. These chalky rice grains are characterized by high α-amylase activity, high protease activity, and low apparent amylose contents, low degree of hardness and stickiness of boiled rice than those of the whole rice grains. In the present paper, we evaluated 14 Japonica unpolished rice grains harvested in Japan in 2021, and these samples (original grains) were divided to two groups (whole grain group and chalky grain one). We found that the chalky rice grains showed higher values of xylanase activity than those of the whole rice grains, while cellulase activity were lower than that of whole rice grains. Using rice grains blended with 30 % of chalky grains as material, we compared sugar and mineral contents and textural properties of the boiled rice grains soaked and boiled in the ordinary water or in the hard water, such as Evian or Contrex. It was shown that the hard water is useful for the prevention of the texture deterioration of the boiled rice grains due to the inhibition of the reduction of endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, such as amylase, proteinase, and xylanase. Furthermore, we found that hard water is useful for the increase of calcium and magnesium intake through the meal with the boiled rice grains soaked and cooked using hard water.

Alphaherpesviruses cause genital lesions and reproductive failure in both humans and animals. Their control is mainly based on prevention by hygienic prophylactic measures, due to the ab-sence of vaccines and limitations of antiviral drug therapy. Ozone is an oxidating gas showing a strong microbicidal activity on bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The present study assessed the in vitro virucidal and antiviral activity of ozone against Caprine herpesvirus type 1. Virucidal activity of a gaseous mixture containing O3 at 20 and 50 μg /mL was assessed against the virus for different contact times (30 s, 60s, 90s, 120s, 180s and 300s). Antiviral activity of a gaseous mix-ture containing O3 at 20 and 50 μg /mL was evaluated against the virus to for 30s and 60s. Ozone displayed significant virucidal activity when used at all the tested concentrations whilst signifi-cant antiviral activity was observed using ozone at 50 μg/ml. The gaseous mixture, tested in the present study, showed virucidal and antiviral activity against CpHV-1 with a dose- and a time-contact -dependent fashion. Ozone therapy could be evaluated in vivo for the treatment of CpHV-1-induced genital lesions in goats, through topical applications.

The aim of this work was to study the, so far, unexplored possibility that non-genetic inheritance of animal behavioral characteristics could depend on the state of the parents at the time of conception, by studying inheritance of high and low motor and exploratory activity in the first generation of rats. In this study, we measured the levels of motor and exploratory activity in rats at the ages of 2 and 5 months. Male and female rats were mated at the age of 5 months. The following groups were used: male and female rats with high motor activity at ages of 2 and 5 months (ACT+); male and female rats with high activity at the age of 2 months, but low activity at the age of 5 months (ACT–); male and female rats with low activity at the ages of 2 and 5 months (PAS–); male and female rats with low activity at the age of 2 months, but high activity at the age of 5 months (PAS+). Significant differences in the severity of exploratory activity were found between the offspring of ACT+ and ACT– rats. Moreover, these differences were observed only in males, and not in females. Differences between the offspring of PAS+ and PAS– rats were observed in both the male and female rats. The motor activity of animals in the period from 20 minutes after the start of registration did not differ between groups. Thus, it can be considered that individual characteristics of general motor activity are due to genetically inherited factors, while differences in the level of exploratory activity, apparently, are formed due to non-genetic influences from parents during mating.

Ephedra alata Decne. (Ephedraceae) is a medicinal species commonly used to treat cancers, respiratory diseases, fever, and hypertension. The present study aimed to establish a phytochemical profile, evaluate the antioxidant potential and estimate the anti-inflammatory activities of .. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of E. alata aerial parts were phytochemically investigated using standard methods. DPPH, phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant capacity and reducing power assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity was determined using total antioxidant capacity, the scavenging activity of the stable DPPH free radical and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined using egg albumin membrane denaturation and human red blood cells membrane stabilizing assays. The anti-inflammatory potential of E. alata extracts was evaluated using human red blood cells membrane stabilization, egg albumin and BSA albumin denaturation assays. Quinones, anthraquinones, steroids, phytosteroids, phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, Cardiac glycosides, reducing sugars and anthocyanins were present in the E. alata’s aqueous extract, in addition to coumarins and proteins in the methanolic extract. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content was recorded in the aqueous extract with 8.66 ±0.09 mg GA/g and 248.04 ±1.47 mg Q/g, respectively. On the other hand, E. alata methanolic extract had the highest tannin content of 62.12 ±0.10 mg C/g. The best radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 4.63±0.00 mg/ml) and total antioxidant capacity were exhibited by the E. alata aqueous (7.35±0.12 mg/ml AAE), whereas the methanolic extract possessed the highest reducing power activity (1.81±0.00 mg AAE/ml). Regarding the anti-inflammatory activities, E. alata methanolic extract exerted the highest HRBC stabilization of 34.72 ±0.08% whereas the aqueous extract exhibited the highest bovine serum and Egg albumin denaturation inhibition of 99.22 ±0.02% and 73.31 ±0.90, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that E. alata aerial parts aqueous and methanolic extracts can be utilized as future antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ethnomedicines owing to their rich bioactive molecules content.

Active films based on carboxymethyl chitosan incorporated corn peptide were developed. Physicochemical properties of the films, including thickness, opacity, moisture content, color, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and oil resistance, were measured. Biological activities of the films, including the antioxidant and antibacterial activities, were characterized in terms of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, the total antioxidant activity, and the filter disc inhibition zone method. The results indicated that the incorporation of corn peptide caused interactions between carboxymethyl chitosan and corn peptide in Maillard reaction and gave rise to the films light yellow appearance. Compared with the Control, the degree of glycosylation, browning intensity, thickness, opacity, tensile strength, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity of films were increased, but the elongation, vapor permeability, and oil resistance of films were decreased. The films based on corn peptide and carboxymethyl chitosan can potentially be applied to food packaging.

New antibacterial agents are needed to overcome the increasing number of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains. In this context, halogens, especially Iodine is known since ages for its antimicrobial activity. Therefore, especially triiodides encapsulated in organometallic complexes can be helpful as new agents against microorganisms. The aims of this work was to study the biological activity of [Na(12-Crown-4)₂]I₃ against gram positive Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus faecalis, the spore forming bacteria Bacillus subtilis and gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. The antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the triiodide were determined by zone of inhibition plate studies. [Na(12-Crown-4)₂]I₃ exhibited potent antimicrobial activity on gram positive Streptochocci and the yeast C. albicans. Furthermore, the gram negative bacteria P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae were less effectively inhibited, while E. coli and P. mirabilis proved to be even resistant.

A novel series of thiazole based-1,3,4-thiadiazoles were designed and prepared via the reaction of the 2-(4-methyl-2-phenylthiazole-5-carbonyl)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide with the appropriate hydrazonoyl chlorides. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established based on spectroscopic evidences and their alternative syntheses. Thirteen new 1,3,4-thiadiazoles have been evaluated for their anticancer activity against liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Also, their structure activity relationship (SAR) was studied. The 1,3,4-thiadiazoles 12d, 12c, 6g,18b, 6c, and 6f(IC₅₀ = 0.82, 0.91, 1.06, 1.25, 1.29 and 1.88 µM, respectively) have promising antitumor activity against liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2).

The genus Ajuga (Lamiaceae family) comprises approximately 300 species. Species within this genus are widely used in traditional medicine and are known for their diaphoretic, antiseptic, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, they are scarcely used in official medicine. Therefore, the study of one of the most common species, Ajuga reptans L., holds promise for developing new medicinal products for clinical and pharmaceutical applications. In aqueous and aqueous-alcoholic extracts of A. reptans herb, 8 organic acids, 16 amino acids, 20 phenolic compounds, 10 volatile substances, and 9 phytosterols were identified. The assay of the main groups of biologically active substances in the obtained extracts was determined. Experimental results demonstrated that A. reptans herb extracts are practically non-toxic, exhibit hepatoprotective activity in experimental carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatitis, moderate anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced oedema models, and possess significant local hemostatic and wound-healing properties. The most significant reduction in bleeding was caused by applying the aqueous extract, reducing bleeding time by 40.6%. The aqueous-ethanolic A. reptans extract (50% ethanol) demonstrated complete wound healing after 9 days of its local administration. This extract also has the most pronounced hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. A. reptans extracts are capable of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms and showing higher activity against gram-positive bacteria. Notably, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts increases in direct correlation with the ethanol concentration as an extracting agent. A. reptans herb extracts are promising agents for implementation in official medicine as wound healing and hepatoprotective remedies.

Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (Apiaceae), popularly known as parsley, is a ubiquitous aromatic herb used for culinary and medicinal purposes worldwide. Besides the richness in nutrients, sev-eral bioactive secondary metabolites, especially the flavone apigenin and its glycosides, have been described in the species. Parsley has already been shown to have several health-promoting activi-ties, such as antithrombotic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic. The multiple studies conducted in animal models so far suggest the species is a potential source of cardioprotective agents. This review provides up to date information and perspectives on the potential of parsley and its bioac-tive compounds for the development of nutraceutical products and drugs for the promotion of cardiovascular health. It includes not only a discussion on reported bioactivities, but also the knowledge of supplements and food additives developed as innovative parsley-based products.

A series of N-acyl derivatives of anabasine and cytisine were prepared to discover novel natural product-based medicinal agents. All synthesized compounds were tested for antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral and analgesic activity. The most pronounced antibacterial activity was shown by the compounds with isoxazole fragments, while adamantane derivatives showed the greatest antiviral effect. It was found that the majority of anabasine derivatives showed significant analgesic activity reducing the pain response of animals to the irritating effect of acetic acid. The presence of a high level of antimicrobial and antiviral activity in newly synthesized compounds makes it possible to consider them promising for further study of their pharmacological properties.

Anthocyanins, known for their antioxidant properties and potential health benefits, are prone to degradation due to environmental factors such as light, temperature, and pH. Microencapsulation, a technique involving the entrapment of anthocyanins in a protective matrix, is used to enhance their stability and bioavailability. This study investigates the bioactive properties of microencapsulated anthocyanins derived from Vaccinium floribundum (Andean blueberry) and Rubus glaucus (Andean blackberry). The extracts from V. floribundum and R. glaucus were microencapsulated using maltodextrin as the carrier agent through a spray-drying process. The microcapsules were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to assess their chemical and morphological properties. The biological activities of these microencapsulated anthocyanins were evaluated for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti inflammatory effects. The results demonstrated enhanced bioactivity of the microencapsulated anthocyanins, highlighting their potential use in developing functional foods and pharmaceuticals. This study provides insights into the effectiveness of microencapsulation in preserving anthocyanins' functional properties and enhancing their health-promoting effects.

The ubiquitous peptide endothelin is currently under investigation as a modulatory factor of autonomic responses to acute emotional stress. Baseline plasma levels of endothelin alter blood pressor responses, but it remains unclear whether autonomic activity and arrhythmogenesis are affected. We recorded sympathetic and vagal indices (derived from heart rate variability analysis), rhythm disturbances, voluntary motion, and blood pressure after acute emotional stress in conscious rats with implanted telemetry devices. Two strains were compared, namely wild-type and ETB-deficient rats, the latter displaying elevated plasma endothelin. No differences in heart rate or blood pressure were evident, but sympathetic responses were blunted in ETB-deficient rats, contrasting prompt activation in wild-type rats. Vagal withdrawal was observed in both strains at the onset of stress, but vagal activity was subsequently restored in ETB-deficient rats, accompanied by low voluntary motion during recovery. Reflecting such distinct autonomic patterns, frequent premature ventricular contractions were recorded in wild-type rats, as opposed to sinus pauses in ETB-deficient rats. Thus, chronically elevated plasma endothelin levels blunt autonomic responses to acute emotional stress, resulting in vagal dominance and bradyarrhythmias. Our findings provide further insights into the pathophysiology of stress-induced tachyarrhythmias and syncope.

Mushrooms are unexploited treasures of secondary metabolites. Analysis of the chemical constituents of these mushrooms would be necessary for the assessment of their pharmacological and biological activities. This study aimed at profiling of mycochemical constituents of five wild mushroom extracts thereby understanding their biological and pharmacological properties. Mushrooms were collected from Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega National Reserved Forests, Kenya. Specimens were identified by both morphological and molecular methods. Bioactive compounds were extracted using chloroform, 70% ethanol, and hot water solvents. Chloroform, 70% ethanol, and hot water extracts of Auricularia auricula-judae, Microporus xanthopus, Termitomyces umkowaani, Trametes elegans, and Trametes versicolor were determined using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). From all extracts, a total of fifty-one (51) compounds were identified and grouped into carboxylic acids, esters, phenols, fatty acids, alcohol, epoxides, aldehyde, fatty aldehyde, isoprenoid lipids, and steroid. Of the total compounds, Oleic acid (72.90%) from Trametes elegans was detected abundantly. Most of the compounds obtained from the chloroform extract of Trametes elegans and 70% ethanol extract of T. umkowaani are fatty acids. The identified compounds have revealed many biological and pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, anti-helminthic, larvicidal, vasodilator, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility anti-diuretic, antiasthma, antifouling, anti-dermatophytic, antispasmodic, anti-hypocholesterolemic, nematicide, pesticide, immunostimulant, antiarthritic, and antihistaminic. These fatty acids are particularly playing important roles in the anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic anticancer, and anti-biofilm formation activities. The presence of these bioactive components suggests that the extracts of five wild mushrooms could be good sources of secondary metabolites for drug discovery.

This study focuses on the enzymatic hydrolysis of hemoglobin, the main component of cruor that gives blood its red color in mammals. The antibacterial and antioxidant potential of human hemoglobin hydrolysates were evaluated in comparison to bovine hemoglobin. The results showed strong antimicrobial activity of the peptide hydrolysates against six bacterial strains, independent of the initial substrate concentration level. The hydrolysates also showed strong antioxidant activity measured by four different tests. In addition, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the human and bovine hemoglobin hydrolysates showed little or no significant difference, with only the concentration level being the determining factor in their activity. The results of the mass spectrometry study showed the presence of a number of bioactive peptides, the majority of which have characteristics similar to those mentioned in the literature. New bioactive peptides were also identified in human hemoglobin, such as antibacterial peptides PTTKTYFPHF (α37-46), FPTTKTYFPH (α36-45), TSKYR (α137-141) and STVLTSKYR (α133-141), as well as an antioxidant TSKYR (α137-141). According to these findings, human hemoglobin represents a promising source of bioactive peptides beneficial to the food or pharmaceutical industries.

A series of derivatives of trans-3-(2,4,6-trimethoxy phenyl)-4,5-dihydro isoxazolo-4,5-bis(aroylcarbohydrazide) and of trans-3-(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)4,5-dihydroisoxazolo-4,5-bis[carbonyl-(4’phenyl)thiosemi- carbazide (9) were synthesized from trans-3-(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-4,5-bis(hydrazenocarbonyl) Isoxazole (8). The structures of the Compounds were elucidated by elemental and spectral (IR, NMR, and MS) analysis. The compound 9 show activity against some bacterial species. Whereas, no activity was observed for compounds 10a, 10b and 10c against all bacterial species. The antioxidant activity of new compounds has been screened. Compound 9 showed higher antioxidant activity using the DPPH and ATBS method.

The antiradical and antimicrobial activity of lignin and lignin-based films are both of great interest for applications such as food packaging additives. The polyphenol structure of lignin in addition to the presence of O-containing functional groups is potentially responsible for these activities. This study used DPPH assays to discuss the antiradical activity of HPMC/lignin and HPMC/lignin/chitosan films. The scavenging activity (SA) of both binary (HPMC/lignin) and ternary (HPMC/lignin/chitosan) systems was affected by the percentage of the added lignin: the 5% addition showed the highest activity and the 30% addition had the lowest. Both, scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity are depending on the biomass source showing the following trend: organosolv of softwood > Kraft of softwood > organosolv of grass. Testing the antimicrobial activities of lignins and lignin-containing films showed high antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at 35 °C and at low temperatures (0-7 °C). Purification of kraft lignin has a negative effect on the antimicrobial activity while storage has positive effect. The lignin release in the produced films affected the activity positively and the chitosan addition enhances the activity even more for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Testing the films against spoilage bacteria that grow at low temperatures revealed the activity of the 30% addition on HPMC/L1 film against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens while L5 was active only against B. thermosphacta. In HPMC/lignin/chitosan films the 5% addition exhibited activity against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens.

Development and implementation of safe natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides are urgent needs that will provide ecological solutions for control of plant diseases, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, pests, and weeds, to ensure economic stability of the farmers and food security as well as protection of the environment and human health. Unambiguously, production of botanical pesticides will allow sustainable and efficient use of natural resources and finally decrease the use of chemical inputs and burden. This is underlined by the strict regulations on pesticide residues in agricultural products and harmonized with the Farm to Fork strategy aimed to reduce pesticide use by 55%, by 2030. Recognizing the urgent need for natural pesticides development, this work is an overview of the current research on the valorization of Mediterranean plants as potential source of biopesticides. More specifically, the extraction methods, the chemical composition, the biopesticidal activity, the commonly used assays for evaluating the antimicrobial, the pesticidal, the repellant and the herbicidal activity of plant extracts as well as toxicological and safety aspects of biopesticides formulation are discussed in detail. Finally, the aspects that have not yet been investigated or are under- investigated and future perspectives are highlighted.

This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract from aromatic Cynanchum thesioides (Freyn) K. Schum. by fractionating it with different solvents, aiming to provide theoretical evidence for the development of products related to aromatic Cynanchum thesioides (Freyn) K. Schum. The yield of the methanol extract was 13.33%, with the water fraction showing the highest yield, followed by n-hexane, n-butanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate. Among these fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity, as indicated by total polyphenol content and ABTS radical scavenging activity. The DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and SOD-like activity measurements showed no significant difference between the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions, as both showed the highest radical scavenging activity. In the FRAP activity measurement, the n-butanol fraction ranked behind the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions in terms of antioxidant activity. Although the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity, its yield was only 1.29%, making it unsuitable for product production considering productivity and economy. However, the n-butanol fraction showed overall high antioxidant activity and was approximately 4 times more abundant with a yield of 5.80% compared to the ethyl acetate fraction. Consequently, considering both productivity and economy, the n-butanol fraction is considered suitable for product development and production.

The present article describes the synthesis of an isonicotinate-derived meso-arylporphyrin, that has been fully characterized by spectroscopic methods (including fluorescence spectroscopy), as well as by elemental analysis and by HR-MS. The structure of a n-hexane monosolvate has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The radical scavenging activity of this new porphyrin against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) radical has been measured. Its antifungal activity against three yeast strains (C. albicans ATCC 90028, C. glabrata ATCC 64677 and C. tropicalis ATCC 64677) has been tested, using the disk diffusion and the microdilution methods. Whereas the measured antioxidant activity was low, the porphyrin showed moderate but encouraging antifungal activity. Finally, a study of its effect on the germination of lentil seeds revealed interesting allelopathic properties.

Two-photon imaging of light stimulus-evoked neuronal activity has been used to study all neuron classes in the vertebrate retina, from the photoreceptors to the retinal ganglion cells. Clearly, the ability to study retinal circuits down to the level of single synapses or zoomed out at the level of complete populations of neurons, has been a major asset in our understanding of this beautiful circuit. In this chapter, we discuss the possibilities and pitfalls of using an all-optical approach in this highly light-sensitive part of the brain.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and peptide levels of Feta cheese and other brined cheeses, and Metsovone cheese, and other smoked cheeses. The antioxidant activity was determined by Folin and FRAP assays, while the peptide content was determined by Bradford and Lowry assays. The assays were applied in the water soluble extract of cheeses. The results showed that Feta cheese and brined cow cheese differ in antioxidant activity. Feta cheese and brined goat cheese also differ in both antioxidant activity and peptide levels. Results also showed that Metsovone cheese and other smoked cheeses exhibit antioxidant activity and significant peptide levels. Moreover, the water soluble extracts of all cheeses show some anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting that may peptides exhibit anti-inflammatory activity.

The synthesis, anticancer and antioxidant activity of a series of indole-derived hybrid chalcones are reported here. First, using well known Claisen-Schmidt condensation method a set of 29 chalcones has been designed, synthesized, and consequently characterized. Subsequently, screening for the antiproliferative activity of the synthesized hybrid chalcones was performed on the on five cancer (HCT116, HeLa, Jurkat, MDA-MB-231 and MCF7) and two non-cancer (MCF-10A and Bj-5ta) cell lines. Chalcone 18c bearing 1-methoxyindole and catechol structural features, exhibited selective activity against cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 8.0 ± 1.4 µM (Jurkat) and 18.2 ± 2.9 µM (HCT116) and showed no toxicity to non-cancer cells. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was evaluated using tree different methods. The in vitro studies of radical scavenging activity utilizing DPPH radicals, as well as FRAP method, demonstrated the strong activity of catechol derivatives 18a-c. According to the ABTS radical scavenging assay, the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy substituted chalcones 19a–c were slightly more favorable. In general, a series of 3,4-dihydroxychalcone derivatives showed properties as a lead compound for both antioxidant and anticancer activity.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading infectious disease with serious antibiotic resistance. The benzothiazinone (BTZ) scaffold PBTZ169, an inhibitor of the decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose 2'-oxidase (DprE1) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), showed anti-TB potential in animal model and piloted clinical tests. Although highly potent, the BTZ type DprE1 inhibitors in general shows extremely low aqueous solubility, which adversely affect the drug like property. To improve the compounds physiochemical properties, we generated a series of BTZ analogues. Several optimized compounds had MIC values against Mtb in single digit nanomolar. The representative compound 37 displayed improved solubility and bioavailability compared to the lead compound. Additionally, compound 37 shows Mtb-killing ability in an acute infection mouse model.

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize varieties of Moringa alfileria honey (unfloral and polyfloral) from Saudi Arabia based on antibacterial, antioxidant activities, physicochemical, melissopalynological analysis, total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Material and Methods: The fresh 376 honey samples (3 kg of each) were kindly provided by Alnahal aljwal Company, 2021 flowering season. The honey samples collected in sterile universal glass containers and kept at 2– 8°C until tested. Antibacterial, antioxidant activities and physiochemical analysis were done. Determination of sediment content, total grains, moisture content, water-soluble solids, acidity, electrical conductivity, total sugars content, inverted sugars, glucose (g/100 g), fructose (g/100 g), total glucose + fructose, fructose/ glucose ratio, sucrose (g/100 g), diastase enzyme activity and HMF were calculated. As well as total phenolic and flavonoid contents Results: Antibacterial activity and physiochemical analysis of honey samples w varied. All parameters studied were significantly different (P < 0.05) among all honey varieties. The results of the physiochemical analysis were compared with Saudi National Standard, Codex standard, as well as published data in the literature. Conclusion: It was obvious that the honey quality was varied based on the botanical origins

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a recurring global problem, which constantly demands new antimicrobial compounds to challenge the resistance. It is well known that essential oils (EOs) have been known for biological activities including antimicrobial properties. In this study, EOs from seven aromatic plants of Asir region of southwestern Saudi Arabia were tested for their antimicrobial efficacy against four drug resistant pathogenic bacterial isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus typhimurium) and one fungal isolate (Candida albicans). Chemical compositions of EOs were determined by Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that EOs from Mentha cervina, Ocimum basilicum and Origanum vulgare proved most active against all isolates with inhibitory zone range between17 to 45 mm. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.025mg/ml was observed for Staph. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes with EO of Origanum vulgare. All the three EOs showed significant anti candida activity. Together form the results the EOs from Mentha cervina, Ocimum basilicum and Origanum vulgare demonstrated a significant antimicrobial efficacy against drug resistant microorganisms.

In this work we discuss the insights from activity landscape, docking and molecular dynamics towards the understanding of the structure-activity relationships of dual inhibitors of major epigenetic targets: lysine metiltransferase (G9a) and DNA metiltranferase 1 (DNMT1). The study was based on a novel data set of 50 published compounds with reported experimental activity for both targets. The activity landscape analysis revealed the presence of activity cliffs, e.g., pairs of compounds with high structure similarity but large activity difference. Activity cliffs were further rationalized at the molecular level by means of molecular docking and dynamics simulations that led to the identification of interactions with key residues involved in the dual activity or selectivity with the epigenetic targets.

Habit theory suggests that behavior performed in the presence of consistent cues is a core ingredient for successful habit development, with the repeated presence of these consistent cues facilitating the activation of automatic responses in future. We tested this assumption in a sample of 68 undergraduate students who, at baseline, reported on their physical activity behavior over the past year then, two weeks later, responded to measures of cue consistency, habit, and physical activity performance over the previous two weeks. As expected, habit mediated the effects of past behavior on prospectively measured behavior. Moreover, the mediating effect of habit between past and future behavior was significantly stronger in those reporting undertaking physical activity at the same time of day, doing the same activity, and in the same mood. Consistent place, people, and part of routine did not moderate the effects of habit. Results provide formative evidence for a key assertion of habit theory, that consistent contextual and internal cues are a cornerstone of habitual development and action, but also indicate the importance of examining different forms of cues and their impact on the formation and enaction of habits as some cues over others may be more relevant.

The impact of the crystalline or amorphous structure of a solid on the solubility and pharmacokinetic properties of a drug candidate is always considered by the pharmaceutical industry during the development of a new drug, however, it is not so frequently considered during the early discovery process by organic and medicinal chemists, particularly working at the academia. We want to share, as an example case, the false negative obtained in the biological testing of a solid sample of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor due to an unexpected crystallinity with respect to a solid amorphous batch of the same compound and the experimentation carried out to establish the origin of such inconsistency.

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) is a process to automatically detect human activities based on stream data generated from various sensors, including inertial sensors, physiological sensors, location sensors, cameras, time, and many others. Unsupervised contrastive learning has been excellent, while the contrastive loss mechanism is less studied. In this paper, we provide a temperature (τ) variance study affecting the loss of SimCLR model and ultimately full HAR evaluation results. We focus on understanding the implications of unsupervised contrastive loss in context of HAR data. In this work, also regulation of the temperature(τ) coefficient is incorporated for improving the HAR feature qualities and overall performance for downstream tasks in healthcare setting. Performance boost of 1.3% is observed in experimentation.

Rosemary is one of the most important medicinal plants for natural therapy due to its multiple pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antiproliferative, antitumor, hepato- and nephroprotective, hypolipidemic, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, anti-ischemic, hypoglycemic, radioprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiallergic, wound healing. Our study reports for the first time, over a 12-month period, the identification and quantification of polyphenols and the investigation of the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of the Rosmarinus officinalis L. species harvested at flowering from the flora of southwestern Romania (Oltenia Region). Identification and quantification of polyphenolic acids was made by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS). Total phenolic content was determined using the spectrophotometric method. In situ antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and AChE inhibitory assay, respectively, on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates. DPPH radical scavenging activity was also assessed spectrophotometrically. The results revealed significant correlations between specific polyphenolic compounds and the measured biological activities, understanding the role of seasonal variations and providing insights into the optimal harvesting times and medicinal benefits of rosemary. Our research brings new information on the phytochemical profile of R. officinalis, as a natural source of polyphenols with antioxidant and AChE inhibitory properties.

Atmospheric pressure Microplasma is a simple, cost-effective, efficient, and eco-friendly procedure, which is superior to the traditional nanomaterials synthesis techniques. It generates high yields and allows for a controlled growth rate and morphology of nanomaterials. The silver (Ag) nanomaterials, with their unique physical and chemical properties, exhibit outstanding antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Similarly, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials, known for their low toxicity and relatively lower cost, find wide applications in wound repair, bone healing, and antibacterial and anticancer applications. The use of core-shell nanomaterials in certain situations where some nanoparticles can cause serious harm to host tissues or organs is a testament to their potential. A benign material is coated over the core to reduce toxicity in these cases. This review compares the numerous configurations of microplasma systems used for synthesizing nanomaterials and their use in producing Ag, ZnO, and their core-shell (Ag-ZnO) nanomaterials for biomedical applications. The summary also includes the effect of control parameters, including cathode diameter, gas flow rate, precursor concentration, voltage, and current, on the nanomaterial's characteristics and applications. In addition, it provides a research gap in the synthesis of Ag, ZnO, and core shall nanomaterials by this technique, as well as the development and limitations of this technique and the use of these nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

The use of botanical extracts of the plant Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) represents a valuable alternative to control insect pests and avoid the detrimental effects on the environment and health that arise due to synthetic chemical insecticides. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the published evidence on the bioactivity of J. curcas against insect pests. Electronic databases were searched to identify studies that assessed J. curcas extracts against insect pests in various types of crops. We included 39 articles that reported the insecticidal and insectistatic activity of several botanical extracts from J. curcas against insects of eight different taxonomic orders. The evidence demonstrates that aqueous and methanolic extracts from seeds and leaves, seed oil, and petroleum ether seed extracts were effective against insect pests of stored grains, aphids of cabbage, sorghum, fruit flies, and desert locusts. The extracts caused high mortality, controlled the populations, reduced oviposition, diminished hatchability, and increased the antifeedant effect. However, the type of solvent used to obtain the botanical extract and the method of application (contact or food) are fundamental to increase its bioactivity. Therefore, botanical extracts from seeds and leaves of J. curcas should be considered as an alternative against insect pests and may be incorporated into integrative and sustainable management for insect control.

Type III interferon (IFN-λs) exhibit potent antiviral activity and immunomodulatory effects in specific cells. Nucleotide fragements of bovine ifn-λ (boifn-λ) gene was synthetized after codon optimization. The boifn-λ gene was then amplified by splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE PCR), resulting in serendipitous acquisition of the mutated boIFN-λ3V18M. Recombinant plasmids pPICZαA-boIFN-λ3/λ3V18M were constructed and the corresponding proteins were expressed in Pichia pastoris with high-level extracellular soluble form. Dominant expression strains of boIFN-λ3/λ3V18M were selected by Western blot and ELISA, cultured on a large scale, and the recombinant proteins purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography, yielding 1.5g/L and 0.3 g/L, with 85% and 92% purity, respectively. The antiviral activities of boIFN-λ3/λ3V18M exceeded 106 U/mg, were neutralized with IFN-λ3 polyclonal antibodies, were susceptible to trypsin, and retained stability within defined pH and temperature ranges. Furthermore, boIFN-λ3/λ3V18M exerted antiproliferative effects on MDBK cells without cytotoxicity at 104 U/mL. Overall, boIFN-λ3 and boIFN-λ3V18M did not differ substantially in biological activity, except for reduced glycosylation of the latter. Development of boIFN-λ3 and comparative evaluation with the mutant provide theoretical insights into antiviral mechanisms of boIFN-λs and provide material for therapeutic development.

Nowadays, fostered by technological progress and contextual circumstances such as economic crisis and pandemic restrictions, remote education is living a growing deployment. However, this growth generated widespread doubts about the actual effectiveness of remote/online compared to face-to-face education. The present study aimed at comparing face-to-face and remote education through a multimodal neurophysiological approach. It involved forty students at a driving school, during a real classroom, experiencing both the modalities. Wearable devices to measure brain, ocular, heart and sweating activities were employed in order to analyse the students’ neurophysiological signals to obtain insights about their cognitive dimension. In particular, four parameters were considered, the Eye Blink Rate, the Heart Rate and its Variability and the Skin Conductance Level. Also, the students filled a questionnaire at the end to obtain an explicit measure of their learning performance. Data analysis showed a higher cognitive activity, in terms of attention and mental engagement, in presence with respect to remote modality. On the other hand, students by remote felt more stressed, in particular during the first part of the lesson. Analysis of questionnaires demonstrated worst performance by remote, thus suggesting a common “disengaging” behaviour when attending remote courses, thus undermining their effectiveness. In conclusion, neuroscientific tools could help to obtain insights about mental concerns, often «blind», such as attentional decreasing and stress increasing, as well as their dynamics during the lesson itself, so allowing to define proper countermeasures to emerging issues when introducing new practices into daily life.

In this paper, we propose a robust video understanding model for activity recognition by learning the actor’s pair-wise correlations and relational reasoning, exploiting spatial and temporal information. In order to measure the similarity between the pair appearances and construct an actor relations map, the Zero Mean Normalized Cross-Correlation (ZNCC) and the Zero Mean Sum of Absolute Differences(ZSAD) is proposed to allow the Graph Convolution Network (GCN) to learn how to distinguish group actions. We recommend that MNASNet be used as the backbone to retrieve features. Experiments show a 38.50% and 23.7% reduction in training time in the 2-stage training process along with a 1.52% improvement in accuracy against traditional methods.

Current research in the field of antimicrobials is focused on the development of novel antibiotics and antimicrobial agents to counteract the huge dilemma that the human population is mainly facing in regards to the rise of bacterial resistance and biofilm infections. Host Defense peptides (HDPs) are a promising group of molecules for antimicrobial development as they share unique characteristics suitable for antimicrobial activity including their broad spectrum of activity and potency against bacteria. AamAP1 is a novel HDP that was identified through molecular cloning from the venom of the North African scorpion Androctonus amoeruxi. In vitro antimicrobial assays revealed that the peptide displays moderate activity against different strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the peptide proved to be highly hemolytic and displaying significantly high toxicity against mammalian cells. In our study, a novel synthetic peptide analogue named A3 was designed from the naturally occurring scorpion venom host defense peptide. The design strategy depended on modifying the amino acid sequence of the parent peptide in order to increase its net positive charge, percentage helicity and optimize other physico-chemical parameters involved theoretically in HDPs activity. Accordingly, A3 was evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity individually and in combination with four different types of conventional antibiotics against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-positive bacteria. A3 was also evaluated for its cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. A3 displayed potent and selective in vitro antimicrobial activities against a wide range of MDR Gram-positive bacteria. Our results also showed that combining A3 with conventional antibiotics displayed a synergistic mode of action which resulted in decreasing the MIC value for A3 peptide as low as 0.125 µM. These effective concentrations were associated with negligible toxicities on mammalian cells. In conclusion, A3 exhibits enhanced activity and selectivity when compared with the parent natural scorpion venom peptide. The combination of A3 with conventional antibiotics may be pursued as a potential novel treatment strategy against MDR and biofilm forming bacteria.

Rhizophora mangle L. is a well-known medicinal plant found in mangroves worldwide used to treatment diabetes. This study evaluated the chemical composition of the acetonic extract from Rhizophora mangle barks (AERM), by HPLC-PDA and FIA-ESI-IT-MS/MS and the effects on high-fat diet induced obesity in mice and its mechanism of action by gene expression of inflammatory markers (Pparg, Ppara, Srebf1, Cd36, Tnf, Ccl2, Lep, Il10, Il6, Fasn, 18s). High-fat diet fed mice during 12 weeks was used as model of obesity and associated alterations. The results were very satisfactory, the extract, rich in polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acids, displayed intense antioxidant activity in vitro (608 µmol Trolox/g), and showed excellent activity against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and reverse insulin resistance in a model of diet-induced obesity. We can registered a modulatory effect of AERM in liver PPAR-γ mRNA expression associated to an important inhibition of CD36 mRNA expression suggesting that AERM induces the down regulation of CD36 mRNA via PPAR-gamma inhibition. These results support the traditional knowledge about the use of R. mangle for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and reveal the potential of AERM for the treatment of NAFLD and management of obesity and comorbidities.

An eco-friendly plant-mediated approach was employed for the synthesis of green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Ag-doped ZnO NPs), using Artemisia Absinthium leaf extract as a reducing and capping agent. Pure ZnO NPs were also synthesized without the leaf extract, and a comparative study between them was conducted. The nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphological scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrum (SEM/EDX), and surface area (BET) analysis, and antioxidant and antibacterial activity measurements were conducted. The FTIR analysis showed the absorption peak of the Zn–O bond between 400 and 450 cm−1. The XRD analysis revealed that the ZnO NPs had a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a decrease in particle size from 36.32 to 27.40 to 25.13 nm, and an increase in the BET from 4.003 to 6.032 to 12.151 m2/g for the pure, green, and Ag-doped ZnO NPs, respectively. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) imaging revealed the presence of the ZnO NPs. The EDX results showed the zinc and oxygen composition exhibited strong energy signals of 71.28% and 18.12% for zinc and oxygen, respectively. The various characterization techniques used confirmed the formation of the ZnO NPs. The free radical scavenging activities (RSِA%) measured using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) assay at different concentrations and times for the pure, green, and Ag-doped ZnO NPs, and ascorbic acid were 25.50, 29.27, 28.56, and 56.7, respectively. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized samples was tested against three types of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, at different levels (5, 10, 20, and 30 µL), using the hole plate diffusion method. The Ag/ZnO NPs showed more enhanced antibacterial activity than the green ZnO NPs, whereas the pure ZnO NPs showed no antibacterial activity under the same conditions. Comparatively, the antibacterial activity of the Ag-doped ZnO NPs against the test bacteria was found to be higher than that of a commercial gentamycin antibiotic. Ultimately, the present investigation has clearly shown that the differences in the ZnO NPs’ sizes and surface-area-to-volume ratios are responsible for their stronger antibacterial activity.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Antioxidant activity, Bioactive compounds, Elementary analysis, Nutritional and phytochemical composition, Seaweed.

This study provides a comprehensive investigation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Argentinean Capsicum annum L. The research covers important aspects, including genotypic characterization, bacterial stress tolerance, adhesion ability, safety evaluation, and functional and technological properties. The predominant isolates were identified as Lactilactobacillus curvatus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Rep-PCR analysis grouped the isolates into 11 clonal groups. Lp. plantarum LVP 40 and LV 46; Levilactobacillus brevis LVP 41, Pediococcus pentosaseus LV P43, and Lt. curvatus LVP44, displayed both safety and resilience against adverse conditions such a slow pH, bile, and simulated gastric and intestinal juices. Moreover, the LAB strains exhibited high hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation percentages, NaCl tolerance, and substantial acidifying capacity. LAB supernatants demonstrated promising surfactant and emulsifying properties. Likewise, they differentially inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, showcasing their potential as antipathogenic agents. Noteworthy some strains displayed considerable co-aggregation with these pathogens, and several isolates showed an effective antimutagenic and detoxifying power, further emphasizing their multifaceted capabilities. Five pepper bacterial strains showcased probiotic properties, suggesting their potential for gut health enhancement. In summary, these LAB strains hold promise as vegetable fermentation starters, contributing to food safety and versatile applications in food science.

Obesity is invariably accompanied by autonomic dysfunction, although data in pediatric populations are conflicting. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies (totaling 1102 participants) comparing obese and normal-weight subjects (5-18 years of age), defined as body mass index &gt;95th or &lt;85th percentile, respectively. Using a random-effects model, we report the standardized mean differences (SMD) of sympathetic and vagal indices, calculated by heart rate variability. Autonomic dysfunction was present in the obese group, based on the average SMD in the standard deviation of sinus intervals (at -0.5340), and on the ratio of low (LF) to high (HF) frequency spectra (at 0.5735). There was no difference in sympathetic activity, but the heterogeneity among the relevant studies weakens this result. SMD in HF (at 0.5876), in the root mean square of successive differences between intervals (at -0.6333), and in the number of times successive intervals exceeded 50ms divided by the total number of intervals (at -0.5867) indicated lower vagal activity in the obesity group. Thus, autonomic dysfunction is present in obese children and adolescents, attributed to lower vagal activity. Further studies on autonomic function are needed in various pediatric cohorts, placing emphasis on sympathetic activity.

Grape pomace (GP) is a winemaking residue that can be used as a functional ingredient due to its phenolic content, among others. The influence of GP, grape pomace extract (GPE) and encapsulated grape pomace extract (BGPE) on the phenolic compounds content, physical, textural and sensory properties of the functional biscuit (FB) was studied. In the production of FB, 10-30 % of the wheat flour in the standard biscuit was replaced by GP or by adding GPE and BGPE in amounts equivalent to the phenolic content of GP. The highest content of phenolic compounds was found when 30 % of GP was used. The antioxidant activity (AA) correlated well with the phenolic compound content (R > 0.87). The antiproliferative activity of biscuit extracts against cancer cell lines is in the following order: SW620 > Caco-2 > Hep G2, but the positive correlation with phenols and AA was not found. Textural properties of biscuits with GPE and BGPE addition were worse compared to GP and standard biscuits, i.e. they were harder. Biscuits with BGPE addition received the highest overall sensory score. The results indicate that biscuits enriched with phenolics from grape pomace could be a promising functional food with good sensory properties.

Carvacrol is well-documented for its antibacterial and antioxidant effects. However, its high volatility has directed researchers towards nanoencapsulation technology according to bioeconomy and sustainability trends. This study examined and compared carvacrol microemulsion (MC), carvacrol microemulsion busted with chitosan (MMC) and carvacrol nanoemulsions as active coatings on extending minced pork meat shelf-life at 4±1 oC for 9 days, focusing on microbiological, physiochemical, and sensory characteristics. The research involved pre-characterizing droplet sizes, evaluating antioxidant, and determining antibacterial efficacy. The results demonstrated that NC with a 21 nm droplet size exhibited the highest antioxidant and antibacterial activity. All coatings succeed to extend the preservation of fresh minced pork meat in comparison to free carvacrol sample (FC). NC coating showed the highest extension of minced pork meat preservation and maintained meat freshness for 9 days, with a lower TBARs of 0.736 mg MDA/Kg, and effectively reduced mesophilic, lactic acid, and psychrotrophic bacterial counts more significantly 1.2, 2, and 1.3 log respectively as compared to FC. Sensory assessments confirmed the acceptability of NC and MCC coatings. Overall, the carvacrol based nanoemulsion can be considered as novel antioxidant and antimicrobial active coating due to its demonstrated higher efficacy in all the examined tests performed.

Fourteen quinolizidine derivatives, structurally related to the alkaloids lupinine and cytisine and previously studied for other pharmacological aims, were presently tested for antiarrhythmic, inotropic, and chronotropic effects on isolated guinea pig heart tissues, and to assess calcium antagonism in comparison to amiodarone, lidocaine, procainamide, and quinidine. All compounds, but two, compared favorably with the reference drugs. Potent antiarrhythmic activity was observed for compounds (in increasing order) 4, 1, 6 and 5. The last compound N-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)aminohomolupinane) was outstanding, exhibiting a nanomolar potency (EC50 = 0.017 µM) for the increase of threshold of ac-arrhythmia, and being devoid of antihypertensive activity against spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In the current work, in continuation of our recent research [1] we synthesized and studied new chimeric compounds comprising the ribosome-targeting antibiotic chloramphenicol (CHL) and the membrane-penetrating cation triphenylphosphonium (TPP) connected by alkyl linkers of different lengths. Using various biochemical assays, we showed that these CAM-Cn-TPP compounds bind to the bacterial ribosome, inhibit protein synthesis in vitro and in vivo in a way similar to that of the parent CHL, and significantly decrease membrane potential. Similar to CAM-C4-TPP, the mode of action of CAM-C10-TPP and CAM-C14-TPP on bacterial ribosomes differ from that of CHL. By simulating the dynamics of complexes of CAM-Cn-TPP with bacterial ribosomes, we have proposed a possible explanation for the specificity of the action of these analogs on the translation process. CAM-C10-TPP and CAM-C14-TPP stronger inhibit the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria in comparison to the CHL and suppress some strains of CHL-resistant bacteria. Thus, we have shown that TPP derivatives of CHL are dual-acting compounds that target the ribosomes and the cellular membranes of bacteria. The TPP fragment of CAM-Cn-TPP compounds contributes to the inhibitory effect on bacteria. Moreover, since the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells have qualities similar to those of their prokaryotic ancestors, we demonstrate the possibility of targeting chemoresistant cancer cells with these compounds.

Although Support Vector Machines (SVM) are widely used for classifying human motion patterns, their application in the automatic recognition of dynamic and static activities of daily life in the healthy older adults is limited. Using a body mounted wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU), this paper explores the use of SVM approach for classifying dynamic (walking) and static (sitting, standing and lying) activities of the older adults. Specifically, data formatting and feature extraction methods associated with IMU signals are discussed. To evaluate the performance of the SVM algorithm, the effects of two parameters involved in SVM algorithm—the soft margin constant C and the kernel function parameter $\mathsf{\gamma }$—are investigated. The changes associated with adding white-noise and pink-noise on these two parameters along with adding different sources of movement variations (i.e., localized muscle fatigue and mixed activities) are further discussed. The results indicate that the SVM algorithm is capable of keeping high overall accuracy by adjusting the two parameters for dynamic as well as static activities, and may be applied as a tool for automatically identifying dynamic and static activities of daily life in the older adults.

Six up-to-date reconstructions of hemispheric and global temperature and two indices of volcanic activity were analyzed using both Fourier and wavelet approaches over time intervals up to 1500 years. A cyclicity with a period of 188-250 years was found present in both Northern Hemisphere temperature and volcanic activity. These cycles were found to be negatively correlated, with the maximum correlation coefficient being reached when volcanic variations lead temperature vari-ations by 20 years. The combined probability of the null hypothesis – the proposition that in the Northern Hemisphere there is no real association between the bicentennial change in volcanic activity and temperature and that the revealed correlations arose purely by chance – was found to be no more than 1.2×10-2 over the entire time interval and less than 10-2 over the time interval AD 1270-1980. The effect was weaker in global temperature and was not detected in the Southern Hemisphere. Possible origins of the identified bicentennial correlations are discussed and guidelines for further research are proposed.

Background: Physical-sports habits in adulthood constitute one of the predictors of physical, psychological and social health within healthy lifestyles. Methods: The Acquired Healthy Lifestyle Assessment Scale was applied to a sample of 788 subjects between the ages of 22 and 72 and the dimension that makes up physical-sports practice habits was analyzed. Results: 74.4% of adults have habits of physical sports practice that are not healthy or unhealthy, 18.8% tend towards health and only 6.9% are healthy. Pearson's 2 tests show a significant association between men and healthy habits, without observing changes associated with the age variable. The t-student and one-factor ANOVA tests confirm the relationship between the level of health and physical-sports practice habits depending on sex and age. Conclusions: It is necessary to promote preventive programs to increase participation in the practice of physical and sports exercise in the adult population that has unhealthy or unhealthy levels of lifestyle.

The search for bioactive compounds for the treatment of several diseases has led to the study of endophytic fungi. Neoplastic diseases are among the most significant health concerns due to their high mortality rate, and there is a dearth of efficacious pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of cancer. Gastric cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and is among those with the highest mortality rates in Brazil. Accordingly, the objective of the present study was to identify compounds with cytotoxic activity from the mangrove-derived endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp. Isolation of the chemical compounds was conducted using chromatographic methods, while structural elucidation was achieved through the application of spectroscopic (NMR and UV) and spectrometric (MS) techniques. The fungus Trichoderma sp. was found to produce five distinct koninginins (A, B, C, E, and J). The organic phases of the extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic potentials, respectively, through microdilution testing and the MTT method. In the cytotoxicity assay, both the AF extract and koninginin A demonstrated favorable outcomes, indicating their potential as promising anticancer therapeutic agents.

Two new harziane diterpenes (1-2), five undescribed cyclonerane sesquiterpenes (3-7) and three known compounds, 11-cycloneren-3,7,10-triol (8), harziandione (9), and dehydroacetic acid (10) were isolated from Trichoderma hamatum b-3. Their structures were elucidated via comprehensive inspection of spectral evidences in HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, the absolute configuration of 1-8 was confirmed by NMR, ECD calculation as well as Mosher's method. In vitro fungicidal activity showed that some compounds showed great inhibitory activity against pathogenic fungi including Fusarium graminearum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani, among which compound 10 showed 100% inhibition of S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. In vivo activity test showed that compound 10 was 65.8% effective against B. cinerea and has the potential to be developed as a biocontrol pesticide.

Planar catechin (PCat), a natural antioxidant with a fixed 3D catechin structure on a plane, exhibits radical-scavenging activity approximately five times stronger than the conventional catechin. We synthesized a compound, PCat–TrOH, by binding Trolox (TrOH), an α-tocopherol analog, to PCat to enhance its antioxidant effect against oxidative stress, such as lipid peroxidation. TrOH shows radical-scavenging activity about 6.5 times greater than PCat, and PCat–TrOH exhibited a similar level of radical-scavenging activity to TrOH. Additionally, PCat–TrOH demonstrated twice the radical-scavenging activity against reactive oxygen species compared to PCat or TrOH. This compound is also expected to exhibit an excellent antioxidant effect against lipid peroxidation caused by radical chain reactions, through interactions with vitamin C, similar to that in the case of α-tocopherol.

This study evaluated the stability of the Poly-(sorbitol-co-citrate adipate) with potential applica-tion in the biomedical area. Thus, the physical, chemical and microbiological stability of this was investigated. First, the chemical stability in alkaline phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was evaluated for 5 days. In aqueous solution, the copolymer acidified the medium indicating the presence of residual citric acid. In the moisture absorption test the results obtained followed the pH, reinforcing the presence of citric acid. In the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity the results indicate that the copolymer did not allow the growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as the only source of carbon. However, in the cell lysis phase and due to the restriction of access to nutrients in the culture medium, the copolymer showed a loss of mass due to its use by the microorganism. Thus, it presented biodegradability property under extreme conditions of cell culture.

Pleione is a genus of Orchidaceae and is one of the major sources of Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones (PCsP). It contains many constituents, such as phenanthrene, bibenzyl, glycoside, flavonoid and so on, which have plenty of bioactivities, including anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, lowering glycemic levels and other pharma cological activities. In order to further utilize the edible and medicinal functions of Pleione, and clarify its medicinal active ingredients, this review systematically summarizes the constituents and pharmacological effects of Pleione, which will provide a theoretical foundation for the clinical application and new drug development．

The capability of measuring specific neurophysiological and autonomic parameters plays a crucial role in the objective evaluation of the human’s mental and emotional states. These human aspects are commonly known in scientific literature to be involved in a wide range of processes, such as the stress and arousal. These aspects represent a relevant factor especially in real and operational environment. Neurophysiological autonomic parameters, such as the Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Photoplethysmographic data (PPG), have been usually investigated through research-graded devices, therefore resulting in a high degree of invasiveness, which could negatively interfere with the monitored user’s activity. For such a reason, in the last decade the recent consumer-grade wearable devices, usually designed for fitness tracking purposes, are receiving an increasing attention from the scientific community, being characterized by higher comfort, easiness of use and, therefore, by higher compatibility with dailylife environments. The present preliminary study aimed at assessing the reliability of a consumer wearable device, i.e., the Fitbit Sense, with respect to a research-graded wearable, i.e., the Empatica E4 wristband, and a laboratory device, i.e., the Shimmer GSR3+. The EDA and PPG were collected among 12 participants while performing multiple resting conditions. The results demonstrated that the EDA and PPG-derived features computed through the wearable and research devices were positively and significantly correlated, while the reliability of the consumer device resulted to be significantly lower.

A biocatalytic system that could produce bioactive resveratrol poly-glucosides using sucrose as a low-cost source of UDP-glucose donors and amylosucrase DgAS from Deinococcus geothermalis was developed in this study. This system boasts several advantages, including fast and direct conversion of substrates to products, thermostable, and regio-stereospecific, and effectiveness in vitro and in vivo at 40°C. With a success rate of around 97.0% in a short period in vitro and 95.0% in vivo, resveratrol-O-glucosides showed exciting outcomes in cosmetic activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and whitening effects when tested with Raw 264.7, B16, and HS68 cell lines. DgAS is recognized as an important biocatalyst due to its higher thermostability, effectiveness, and specificity among all known amylosucrases (ASases) in the production of poly-glucosides in a chain of polyphenols, like resveratrol, making it an ideal candidate for industrial use to cost-effective production of cosmetic items.

Antibiotic resistance was described soon discovery of penicillin by Fleming. In recent years, there has been increasing research interest in the development of alternatives to address this problem. Natural products, mainly, have long been considered as sources of drugs, and a great part of pharmaceuticals available in modern medicine are directly or indirectly derived from natural sources. propolis been used to treat human diseases since ancient times, propolis, is a natural resinous mixture produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from collected parts of plants, he is increasingly recognized by their wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, As anti- infective agent, combination synergy with standard antibiotics could be very promising alternative strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic which have affected every part of the world have been deemed a public health concern and classified as a pandemic. The government imposing travel bans and quarantine measures have been found to be effective in preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19. A reduction in physical activity and increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods have been observed to be some of the major implications of quarantine. Adequate physical activity and increased access to healthy foods would help in improving the psychological wellbeing of individuals thereby preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases.

An important parameter in the development of a new drug is the drug's affinity to the identified target (protein/enzyme). Predicting the ligand binding to the target (protein/enzyme) by molecular simulation would allow the synthesis to be restricted to the most promising compounds.A restricted hybrid HF-DFT calculation was performed in order to obtain the most stable conformer of each ligand and a series of DFT calculations using the B3LYP levels with 6-31G* basis set has been conducted. The docking studies of the quinolone compounds will be performed with the CLC Drug Discovery Workbench to identify and visualize the ligand-receptor interaction mode.

Previously the nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical methods which were costly and toxic to bio-systems. Plant extracts provides simpler, eco-friendly and cost efficient method for synthesizing nanoparticles. Lemon peel extract (LPE) was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) which were evaluated for their antimicrobial effects after optimizing the pH of extract and concentration of both extract and synthesized AgNPs. The characterization of synthesized AgNPs was carried out using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Well diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial activities of synthesized AgNPs. The presence of phenols and proteins was assumed to reduce the Ag⁺ ion into silver nanoparticles. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance frequency was observed at 405–425 nm for all varying condition of silver nanoparticles synthesis. Furthermore, results revealed that the synthesized AgNPs remains stable upto 75 days. The average particle size was 2–5 nm, calculated with the help of scherrer’s equation by using XRD data. LPE mediated AgNPs (200 µg/mL) showed significant antimicrobial activity, compared to commercially available nanoparticles while LPE (50 mg/ml) showed no effect. LPE mediated AgNPs might get attention of pharmacists in order to design medicines against different diseases including the infections of bacteria.

A series of novel isobutylchalcones (A1-A20) were prepared, evaluated for their cytotoxic activity and characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and elemental analysis data. The logic behind the design is to synthesize and compare chalcones containing electron releasing lipophilic isobutyl substituent on aromatic ring A and the B ring with aromatic ring containing a range of electron releasing and electron withdrawing groups as well as heteroaromatic rings for their cytotoxic activity. The compounds were tested against HT-29 (colon cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer) and DU-145 (prostate cancer) cell lines using methotrexate (IC₅₀ 12 ± 1 (HT-29), 9 ±1 (MCF-7) 5 ± 1 (DU-145)) as reference standard. Compound A6 having 2,4-difluorphenyl moiety was most potent of the series against all the three cell lines and notably A6 was mainly effective against DU-145 cell lines with an IC₅₀ value of 18 µg/mL. The critical structural features required for the activity against all the cell lines were identified through pharmacophore model using PHASE^TM which has recognised a 5 point AHHRR model and is consistent with the cytotoxic activity of the tested compounds.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis is a pivotal tool in non-invasive diagnostics, including cancer monitoring and prenatal testing. However, the preanalytical phase, particularly the choice of anticoagulant, significantly impacts cfDNA integrity and yield. This study aims to compare cfDNA yield, stability, and DNase activity across plasma-citrate, plasma-heparin, plasma-EDTA, and serum, to identify the most suitable specimen for cfDNA analysis among the tested anticoagulants. Blood samples from 15 healthy volunteers were collected in four types of tubes (citrate, heparin, EDTA, and serum). cfDNA was extracted and quantified using qPCR, and endogenous DNase activity was assessed through hydrolysis probe assays. Samples were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours to evaluate cfDNA degradation rates. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated measures ANOVA and Sidak's multiple comparison tests. Baseline cfDNA levels were highest in serum, followed by heparin-plasma, while EDTA and citrate-plasma exhibited the lowest levels. DNase activity was fully inhibited in EDTA-plasma, partially inhibited in citrate-plasma, and active in both heparin-plasma and serum. cfDNA degradation was most pronounced in heparin-plasma (85.3%) and serum (55.6%), compared to minimal degradation in EDTA (8%) and citrate-plasma (13.3%). Among the tested anticoagulants, EDTA-plasma proved to be the most suitable specimen for cfDNA analysis due to its low DNase activity and minimal gDNA contamination. Citrate-plasma, with intermediate DNase inhibition, could be an alternative if the citrate concentration were increased. Heparin-plasma and serum showed significant cfDNA degradation, rendering them unsuitable for cfDNA analysis. These findings highlight the importance of anticoagulant selection in preserving cfDNA integrity for diagnostic applications.

Astragalus plants belong to the legume family and have obvious rhizosphere effect. The northwestern area of Yunnan China is the main distribution region of Astragalus plants with high application value, but low recognition and resource reserves. The aim of this research is to explore the species diversity of cultivable rhizosphere fungi derived from A. acaulis, A. forrestii, and A. ernestii growing in special high-cold environment of northwest Yunnan, and discover anti-infective components from these fungi. A total of 93 fungal strains belonging to 38 species in 18 genera were isolated and identified. Antibacterial and antimalarial screening yielded 10 target strains. Among them, the ethyl acetate crude extract of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus AA12 from A. acaulis fermentation substance showed a broad antibacterial spectrum and the best antimalarial activity. Further chemical investigation led to the first discovery of seven compounds from the species of A. calidoustus, including a sesterterpine 6-epi-ophiobolin G (1), two sesquiterpenes penicisochroman A (2), pergillin (3) and 7-methyl-2-(1-methylethylethlidene)-furo[3,2-H]isoquinoline-3-one (4), and three polyketides trypacidin (5), 1,2-seco-trypacidin (6) and questin (7). Compound 1 exhibited moderate to strong antibacterial activity against six Gram-positive pathogens with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 25 to 6.25 μg/mL, and prominent inhibitory effect on the biofilm of Streptococcus agalactiae at MIC value of 3.125 μg/mL. This compound also displayed potent antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strains 3D7 and chloroquine-resistant Dd2 at the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.319 and 4.340 µmol/L at 72 h, respectively. This study contributed to our understanding of the cultivable rhizosphere fungi Astragalus-derived in special high-cold environment and further increased the library of fungi available for natural anti-infectious products screening.

The main purpose of our research is the evaluation of the efficacity of solvent polarity on phenolic composition, as well as the antibacterial, and antioxidant activities of extract of Moroccan Mentha aquatica L., leaves. To attempt these objectives, the HPLC-DAD was used to identify the biomolecules. The total amount of phenolic and flavonoid content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum trichloride processes as well as the DPPH, RP, and TAC tests were used to evaluate the antioxidant capabilities. In addition, by employing both in vitro and in silico analysis through the microdilution method, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts were assessed against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that all extracts of M. aquatica were abundant in noteworthy phytochemical compounds, especially gallic acid, vanillic acid, chlorobenzoic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. Furthermore, the results indicated that the total phenolic content was higher in hydroethanolic extract (62.19 ± 1.19 mg GAE/g DW) in contrast to the acetonic and aqueous extracts (22.22 ± 0.64, and 22.44± 0.57 mg GAE/g DW) respectively. Similarly, the aqueous ethanol extract contained the greatest flavonoid concentration, with values of 29.15± 0.09 mg QE/g DW when compared with the other extracts. The seam extract poses excellent antioxidant power with an IC50 of 0.06 ± 0.00 mg/mL for the DPPH test, and lower RP with EC50 of 80± 0.00 µg/ml when compared with acetonic and aqueous extract (370± 0.00 and 460± 0.01 µg/mL) respectively. Moreover, the hydroethanolic extract has a high level of TAC 75.09± 2.00 mg EAA/g DW, followed by aqueous extract carrying a value of 28.53 ± 1.36 mg EAA/g DW. The antibacterial capacity is ranged between 0.78 ± 0.05 mg/mL and 12.60 ± 0.00 mg/L. The results of the in-silico study demonstrated that quercetin, vanillic acid, and naringenin components contribute to the antioxidant capability. While gallic acid, kaempferol, and quercetin components are attributed to the antibacterial capacity.

The Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (D. citri) is one of the major pests in the citrus industry, which spreads Citrus Huanglongbing disease. It has developed resistance to chemical insecticides. Therefore, searching for greener solutions for pest management is critically important. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the repellent and insecticidal efficacy of essential oils (EOs) from four species of Myrtaceae plants: Psidium guajava (PG), Eucalyptus robusta (ER), Eucalyptus tereticornis (ET), and Baeckea frutescens (BF) against D. citri and to analyze their chemical composition. GC-MS analysis was performed, and the results indicated that the EOs of PG, ER, ET, and BF were rich in terpenoids, ketones, esters, and alcohol compounds. The repellent rate of all four EOs showed that it decreased with exposure time but increased with concentrations of EOs. Repellent rates ranged from 80.50% to 100.00% after treating D. citri for 6 hours with four EOs at 100% concentration and decreased to 67.71% to 85.49% after 24 hours of exposure. Among the compounds from the EOs tested, eucalyptol had the strongest repellent activity, with a 24-hour repellency rate of 100%. The contact toxicity bioassay results showed that all EOs have insecticidal toxicity to D. citri; the LC50 for nymphs was 36.47-93.15 mL/L, and for adults, it was 60.72-111.00 mL/L. These results show that when PG is used as the reference material, both ER, ET, and BF EOs have strong biological activity against D. citri, which provides a scientific basis for the further development of plant-derived agrochemicals.

Cestrum parqui L'Herit. (Solanaceae family) is a species of forest shrub, self-incompatible and specialized in pollination, widespread in the subtropical area of the planet and now widely dis-tributed also in the Mediterranean area. The constituents of its leaves have antimicrobial, anti-cancer, insecticidal, antifeedant, and herbicidal properties. The spread of this species represents a valuable source of compounds with high biological value. Research on potential uses, under-standing of the nutritional and functional composition, and applications of C. parqui extracts is important and very promising for its commercial use. To date, there are some reports on the potential applications of C. parqui extracts as selective natural pesticides and for their potential phytotoxic role. Scientific knowledge and the use of extraction techniques for these components are essential for commercial applications. This article summarizes the research and recent studies available on the botany, phytochemistry, functional properties, and commercial applications of C. parqui as a biopesticide.

Dermatoses are essentially due to infectious or free radical aggression, immunoallergic disor-ders, or can be secondary to general diseases. To investigate new antimicrobial sources against dermatoses, Opilia amentacea crude ethanol extracts and fractions were subjected to phytochemical screening and tested for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities on Gram-positive cocci, Gram negative bacilli and fungi. Phytochemical screening revealed secondary metabolites such as sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids and tannins. Leaves and stem bark of Opilia amentacea exhibited the highest total phenolic contain (65,92 ± 0,93 and 65,71 ± 0,57 mg GAE/g DW respectivily) and flavonoids (38,8 ± 1,05 and 26,81 ± 0,19mg QE/g DW respectively). Dichloromethane fractions of leaves (FDFe) and stem bark (FDET) exhibited the best antioxidant activity with FRAP values of 741,15 and 662,84 mMol AAE/g and IC50 values of ABTS of 88,40 and 36,85 µg/mL respectively. These fractions were also the most active on Gram positive bacilli while Hexane leaves (FHFe) and hexane root bark (FHER) fractions exhibited the best antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis at MIC values of 0.23 mg/mL and 0.43 mg/mL respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were particularly resistant. This study constitutes a solid scientific basis that could justify the traditional uses of Opilia amen-tacea as an antidermatosis plant.

Study of gross alpha (GA) and gross beta (GB) activity in road and surface deposited sediments were performed in various geographical areas in three Russian cities. To perform radiation measurements, new methods were applied which allow dealing with low mass and low volume dust size (2-100μm) samples obtained after the size fractionation procedure. The 2-10 μm fraction size has the highest gross beta activity concentration (GB)– 1.32Bq/g in Nizhny Novgorod (NN) and Rostov-On-Don (RND) while the 50-100 μm fraction size in Ekaterinburg. This is maybe associated with the subsistence of radionuclides that conveyed through natural processes and anthropogenic applications. The highest gross alpha activity concentration (GA) in fraction sizes was found in Rostov-on-Don city within the 50-100 μm– 0.22Bq/g. The fraction size 50-100 μmhas a higher gross alpha activity concentration than 2-10 and 10-50 μmfraction sizes due to natural partitioning of the main minerals constituting the urban surface deposited sediment (USDS). The geochemical processes that occur during the formation and transportation of USDS are reflected in the observed dependencies.Developed experimental methods of radiation measurements allowed to the extent the methodological base of urban geochemical studies.

Machine Learning (ML) approaches have been fruitfully applied to several classification problems of neurophysiological activity. Considering the relevance of emotion in human cognition and behaviour, ML found an important application field in emotion identification based on neurophysiological activity. Nonetheless, the literature results present a high variability depending on the neuronal activity measurement, the signal features and the classifier type. The present work aims to provide new methodological insight on ML applied to emotion identification based on electrophysiological brain activity. For this reason, we recorded EEG activity while emotional stimuli, high and low arousal (auditory and visual) were provided to a group of healthy participants. Our target signal to classify was the pre-stimulus onset brain activity. Classification performance of three different classifiers (LDA, SVM and kNN) was compared using both spectral and temporal features. Furthermore, we also contrasted the classifiers performance with static and dynamic (time evolving) features. The results show a clear increased in classification accuracy with temporal dynamic features. In particular, the SVM classifiers with temporal features showed the best accuracy (63.8 %) in classifying high vs. low arousal auditory stimuli.

A fatty hydroxamic acid (FHA) mixture synthesized from olive oil triacylglycerides by hydroxylaminolysis and composed predominantly of oleyl and linoleyl hydroxamic acid (OHA and LHA, respectively) was characterized by means of IR, Raman, MS and 1D and 2D ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The ratio of OHA and LHA (4:1) was confirmed by MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. The radical scavenging and the Fe²⁺-chelating activity, as well as antioxidant activity in β-carotene-linoleic acid and the Fe³⁺-reducing power assays of the FHAs yielded positive results. The results of FHA cell toxicity on normal fibroblast (BJ) and a tumour cell line (HeLa) revealed that the normal cell line was sensitive to FHAs within the entire range of applied concentrations (5 × 10⁻⁴ mg/mL to 5 × 10⁻¹ mg/mL), while the HeLa tumour cell line was sensitive only at the highest FHA concentration (5 × 10⁻¹ mg/mL). In silico target prediction indicated cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2, the fatty-acid amide hydrolase 1 and hystone deacetylases as the most probable targets of OHA and LHA. According to ADMET predictor analysis, the safety profiles of OHA and LHA are comparable to that of SAHA (vorinostat) the histone deacetylase inhibitor in use as an antineoplastic and immunomodulating agent.

We report a facile route for the green synthesis of trimethylchitosan nitrate-capped silver nanoparticles (TMCN-AgNPs) with positive surface charge. In this synthesis, silver nitrate, glucose, and trimethyl chitosan nitrate (TMCN) were used as silver precursor, reducing agent, and stabilizer, respectively. The reaction was carried out in a stirred basic aqueous medium at room temperature without the use of energy-consuming or expensive equipment. We investigated the effects of the concentrations of NaOH, glucose, and TMCN on the particle size, zeta potential, and formation yield. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, laser Doppler anemometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the TMCN-AgNPs was studied by the reduction of 4-nitrophenol using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent. We evaluated the antibacterial effects of the TMCN-AgNPs on Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus using the broth microdilution method. The results showed that both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were killed by the TMCN-AgNPs at very low concentration (< 6.13 μg/mL). Moreover, the TMCN-AgNPs also showed high antibacterial activity against clinically isolated multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was ≤ 12.25 μg/mL.