A new sesquiterpenoid from the shoots of Iranian Daphne mucronata Royle with selective inhibition of STAT3 and Smad3/4 cancer-related signaling pathways

In silico and in vitro evaluation of newly synthesized pyrazolo-pyridine fused tetrazolo-pyrimidines derivatives as potential anticancer and antimicrobial agents

Diversely functionalized pyrazolo-pyridine fused tetrazolo-pyrimidines 10aa-am and 10ba-bn were successfully synthesized via a catalyst-free synthetic protocol with moderate to very good yields. The compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HEK-293 cells using MTT assay. Among the tested compounds, 10ab (IC50- 23.83 µM) and 10ah (IC50- 23.30 µM) demonstrated the highest potency against MCF-7 cells, while 10bc (IC50- 14.46 µM) and 10bh (IC50- 2.53 µM) exhibited excellent cytotoxicity against HEK-293 cells. Additionally, antibacterial screening was performed against three Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. enterica) and three Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, B. megaterium, and B. subtilis) using broth dilution method, while antifungal activity was assessed against three fungal strains (A. niger, Penicillium, and S. cerevisiae) using agar well diffusion method. In antimicrobial screening, the majority of the compounds demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy compared to antifungal activity. We also conducted comprehensive computational studies, including DFT calculations, molecular docking and dynamics, and drug-likeness assessments. In the DFT study, compounds 10ac and 10bc displayed stable conformations, indicating their potential for higher therapeutic activity. Molecular docking analyses revealed compelling interactions, with compound 10ah demonstrating docking score -7.42 kcal/mol against catalytical domain PARP1 (PDB ID: 7KK4) and 10bh exhibiting a best docking score -10.77 kcal/mol against human corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (PDB ID: 4Z9G). A 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of compounds 10ah and 10bh revealed the stable conformation and binding energy in a stimulating environment. In drug-likeness assessments, both the compounds 10ah and 10bh adhere all the established guidelines.

Syringin: Plant Source, Traditional Uses, Anti-Cancer, Brain Protection, and Related Pharmacological Properties

Traditional herbal medicines, containing syringin in different parts of the world, have been used to enhance memory, relieve pain, cough, clear fever, treat psoas tension, tonsillitis, sore throat, acute gastroenteritis, and anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and so on. In this article, the extraction, analytical method, pharmacological action, and research progress of syringin-containing plants were reviewed. Various extraction methods and detection methods of syringin were summarized, especially the ultrasonic-assisted extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography, which were recommended for the extraction and determination of syringin. We spotlighted the anti-cancer, brain-protective, and anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects of syringin. An in-depth analysis of four plants contains syringin-Eleutherococcus senticosus, Codonopsis pilosula, Daphne tangutica Maxim, and Syringa reticulata subsp. amurensis. In addition, the safety and efficacy of these four plants and preparations containing syringin (Shugan Jieyu Capsule, compound Coginseng tablet, hyoscyamine ointment, and Qinfenghong Zhike capsule) were analyzed. Although syringin has been widely used in traditional medicine, its specific mechanism of action and clinical efficacy are still not completely understood, and further research is needed to explore and verify it. This study provides a valuable theoretical basis and potential research direction for the research and development of new drugs such as anti-cancer and brain protection.

Structural basis for the recognition of anthelmintic activity of bioactive metabolite in watery rose apple leaf through in silico investigation

This research is part of the research umbrella regarding the use of watery rose apple leaf [Eugenia aqueum (Burm. F) Alston] in the health sector. Infectious diseases of worms, are still a health problem with a high burden based on the incidence and mortality rates in Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, we tried to create a 3D structure of vital receptors of worms including Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptor (NCR), Acetylcholinesterase Enzymes (AE), and Phosphorylase Enzymes (PE) using homology modeling method through the SWISS-MODEL webserver, then conducted a molecular dynamics simulations using active metabolite of watery rose apple leaf i.e. 2',4'‑dihydroxy‑6'‑methoxy‑3',5'‑dimethylchalcone which was then compared with Piperazine Citrate and Pyrantel Pamoate which are anthelmintic drugs on the market. Based on the results of the study, the structure of the three receptors with high resolution was successfully obtained which was characterized by a good Ramachandran value, which was above 90%. Then the ligand structure was successfully modeled in a three-dimensional model and optimized geometrically using GaussView 5.0.8 and Gaussian09 software. In further, Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) and Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) analysis of molecular dynamics simulations ligand against the three receptors, compound 2',4'‑dihydroxy‑6'‑methoxy‑3',5'‑dimethylchalcone showed better stability than Piperazine Citrate and Pyrantel Pamoate at 50 ns simulation, although from the calculation of binding free energy Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) is not better than the two comparisons. It can be concluded that the compound 2',4'‑dihydroxy‑6'‑methoxy‑3',5'‑dimethylchalcone from watery rose apple leaf showed potential as anthelmintic candidates.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Novel oxadiazole-thiadiazole derivatives: synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies

In the search for new anticancer agents, we synthesized a new series of thiazole derivatives carried on thiadiazole-oxadiazole hybrid. Final compounds (5a-5i) were analyzed via 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. The pharmacokinetic profile of the targeted compounds was predicted via in silico calculations. Their anticancer properties were determined using MTT method against MCF7 and A549 cell lines. Compounds 5a, 5b and 5c were found more active against MCF7 cells than A549 cells while they were not cytotoxic on L929 healthy cells. Generally, it can be summarized that acetamide moiety has a pivotal role in anticancer activity. For further studies, their aromatase inhibitory activity was evaluated. After determination all these features, the binding modes of the active compounds and the stability and relation of the ligand-enzyme complex were investigated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies, respectively. In vitro and in silico studies suggest two important structure-activity relationship (SAR) points that at least one azole ring is essential, and if there is approximately 8.0 ± 0.5 Å distance between the H-bond rich zone of ligand and the heteroaryl ring system of ligand has a major impact on aromatase inhibitory activity. Compounds with small group substitution on thiazole are found potentially may be used for the treatment of anti-breast cancer orally.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, hemolytic activities and in silico POM/DFT/DNA-binding and pharmacokinetic analyses of new sulfonamide bearing thiazolidin-4-ones

In this work, Schiff bases and Thiazolidin-4-ones, were synthesized using Sonication and Microwave techniques, respectively. The Schiff base derivatives (3a-b) were synthesized via the reaction of Sulfathiazole (1) with benzaldehyde derivatives (2a-b), followed by the synthesis of 4-thiazoledinone (4a-b) derivatives by cyclizing the synthesized Schiff bases through thioglycholic acid. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as FT IR, NMR and HRMS. The synthesized compounds were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant and in vivo cytotoxicity and hemolysis ability. The synthesized compounds displayed better antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and low toxicity in comparison to reference drugs and negative controls, respectively. The hemolysis test revealed the compounds exhibit lower hemolytic effects and hemolytic values are comparatively low and the safety of compounds is in comparison with standard drugs. Theoretical calculations were carried out by using the molecular operating environment (MOE) and Gaussian computing software and observations were in good agreement with the in vitro and in vivo biological activities. Petra/Osiris/Molinspiration (POM) results indicate the presence of three combined antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor pharmacophore sites. The molecular docking revealed the significant binding affinities and non-bonding interactions between the compounds and Erwinia Chrysanthemi (PDB ID: 1SHK). The molecular dynamics simulation under in silico physiological conditions revealed a stable conformation and binding pattern in a stimulating environment. HighlightsNew series of Thaiazolidin-4-one derivatives have been synthesized.Sonication and microwave techniques are used.Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and hemolysis activities were observed for all synthesized compounds.Molecular Docking and DFT/POM analyses have been predicted.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Phytochemical study of Seriphidium khorassanicum (syn. Artemisia khorassanica) aerial parts: sesquiterpene lactones with anti-protozoal activity

Two new eudesmane-type sesquiterpene lactones, 1β,3α,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroeudesma-4(15)-en-12,6α-olide (1) and 1β,4α,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroeudesma-12,6α-olide (2), and an unprecedented elemane-type sesquiterpene lactone, 1β,2β,8α-trihydroxy-11β,13-dihydroelema-12,6α-olide (3) along with a known eudesmanolide artapshin (4) were isolated from Seriphidium khorassanicum. Structures were elucidated by NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and ECD spectral data analysis. The anti-protozoal activity was evaluated against Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigote-infected macrophages. They showed dose- and time-dependent activity against L. major amastigotes with IC50 values in the range of 4.9 to 25.3 μM being favourably far below their toxicity against normal murine macrophages with CC50 values ranging from 432.5 to 620.7 μM after 48 h of treatment. Compound 3 exhibited the strongest activity and the highest selectivity index (SI) with IC50 of 4.9 ± 0.6 μM and SI of 88.2 comparable with the standard drug, meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime), with IC50 and SI values of 15.5 ± 2.1 μM and 40.0, respectively.

Research Progress on Application of Inonotus obliquus in Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the prime causes of end-stage renal disease. At present, the treatment of DKD is mainly confined to inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, but the therapeutic effects is not satisfactory. As a kind of very rare and precious medicinal fungi, Inonotus obliquus has a very high medicinal value. Due to its special hypoglycemic and pharmacological effect, researchers currently have attached great importance to it. In this paper, the biological activities, pharmacological effects and application status in the treatment of DKD-related diseases of Inonotus obliquus and the latest progress of metabolites isolated from it in DKD were summarized, thus providing detailed insights and basic understanding of the potential application prospects in DKD.

Methanol extract of Iraqi Kurdistan Region Daphne mucronata as a potent source of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents for the synthesis of novel and bioactive polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers

In this study, aqueous, ethanol, methanol, and hexane extracts from Iraqi Kurdistan Region Daphne mucronata were prepared due to the numerous applications and development of nanofibers in biological and medical fields, including food packaging, enzyme stabilization, and wound dressing. In the initial evaluation of the extracts, the antioxidant properties against DPPH, antimicrobial properties against 3-gram-positive bacterial species, 3-gram negative bacterial species, 3-common bacterial species between aquatic and human, and 3-fungal species, and anticancer properties against breast cancer cells were performed. The results proved that the methanol extract has the highest antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. After identifying the compounds of prepared methanol extract using GC/MS, polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of Daphne mucronata were prepared. The structure and characteristics of prepared nanofibers were confirmed and determined using FTIR, TGA, BET, SEM, flexural strength, compressive strength, and hydrophilicity. Synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata were subjected to antimicrobial properties on the strains studied in methanol extract of D. mucronata. The antimicrobial properties of synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata were compared. The results showed that synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata have the potential to introduction bioactive natural synthesis nanoparticles.

Spiro-Flavonoids in Nature: A Critical Review of Structural Diversity and Bioactivity

Based on the literature data from 1973 to 2022, this work summarizes reports on spiro-flavonoids with a spiro-carbon at the center of their structure and how this affects their isolation methods, stereochemistry, and biological activity. The review collects 65 unique structures, including spiro-biflavonoids, spiro-triflavonoids, spiro-tetraflavonoids, spiro-flavostilbenoids, and scillascillin-type homoisoflavonoids. Scillascillin-type homoisoflavonoids comprise spiro[bicyclo[4.2.0]octane-7,3'-chromane]-1(6),2,4-trien-4'-one, while the other spiro-flavonoids contain either 2H,2'H-3,3'-spirobi[benzofuran]-2-one or 2'H,3H-2,3'-spirobi[benzofuran]-3-one in the core of their structures. Spiro-flavonoids have been described in more than 40 species of eight families, including Asparagaceae, Cistaceae, Cupressaceae, Fabaceae, Pentaphylacaceae, Pinaceae, Thymelaeaceae, and Vitaceae. The possible biosynthetic pathways for each group of spiro-flavonoids are summarized in detail. Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities are the most important biological activities of spiro-flavonoids, both in vitro and in vivo. Our work identifies the most promising natural sources, the existing challenges in assigning the stereochemistry of these compounds, and future research perspectives.

Studies on Chemical Composition of Pueraria lobata and Its Anti-Tumor Mechanism

Fourteen compounds were isolated from Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi by column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography; the structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis and compared with data reported in the literature. Seven compounds were isolated and identified from Pueraria lobata for the first time: Linoleic acid, Sandwicensin, Isovanillin, Ethyl ferulate, Haginin A, Isopterofuran, 3′.7-Dihydroxyisoflavan. The other 10 compounds were structurally identified as follows: Lupenone, Lupeol, β-sitosterol, Genistein, Medicarpin, Coniferyl Aldehyde, Syringaldehyde. All compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit SW480 and SW620 cells using the CCK-8 method; compound 5 (Sandwicensin) had the best activity, and compounds 6, 9, 11 and 12 exhibited moderate inhibitory activity. In addition, the targets and signaling pathways of Sandwicensin treatment for CRC were mined using network pharmacology, and MAPK3, MTOR, CCND1 and CDK4 were found to be closely associated with Sandwicensin treatment for CRC; the GO and KEGG analysis showed that Sandwicensin may directly regulate the cycle, proliferation and apoptosis of CRC cells through cancer-related pathways.

Characterization of Ikaria Heather Honey by Untargeted Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics and Melissopalynological Analysis

Honey represents a valuable food commodity, known since ancient times for its delicate taste and health benefits due to its specific compositional characteristics, mainly the phenolic compound content. "Anama" honey is a monofloral honey produced from the nectar of Erica manipuliflora plant, a heather bush of the Greek island of Ikaria, one of the Mediterranean's longevity regions. "Anama" is characterized by a unique aroma and taste, with a growing demand for consumption and the potential to be included in the list of products with a protected designation of origin. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical and botanical profile of authentic Anama honey samples and find similarities and differences with honey samples of a different botanical origin from the same geographical area. Untargeted Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) metabolomics study was conducted on authentic heather, pine, and thyme honey samples from Ikaria and neighboring islands. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and differential analysis were performed using the entire metabolic profile of the samples and allowed the identification of chemical markers for sample discrimination. Thirty-two characteristic secondary metabolites (cinnamic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenes) and other bioactive phenolic compounds, some of them not previously reported in a heather honey (aucubin, catalpol, domesticoside, leonuriside A, picein among others), emerged as potential chemical indicators of Anama honey. Melissopalynological analysis was also carried out to decipher the botanical and geographical origin of Anama honey. The relative frequency of the pollen of dominant plants of the Ericaceae family and a multitude of nectariferous and nectarless plants contributing to the botanical profile of Anama was evaluated. The identification of the pollen sources enabled a potential correlation of differentially increased secondary metabolites and chemicals with their botanical origin. The physicochemical profile of Anama was also determined, including the parameters of pH, color, electrical conductivity, diastase, moisture, as well as sugars, supporting the high quality of this heather honey.

Towards the discovery of potential RdRp inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19: structure guided virtual screening, computational ADME and molecular dynamics study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major challenge affecting almost every corner of the world, with more than five million deaths worldwide. Despite several efforts, no drug or vaccine has shown the potential to check the ever-mutating SARS-COV-2. The emergence of novel variants is a major concern increasing the need for the discovery of novel therapeutics for the management of this pandemic. Out of several potential drug targets such as S protein, human ACE2, TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2), 3CLpro, RdRp, and PLpro (papain-like protease), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) is a vital enzyme for viral RNA replication in the mammalian host cell and is one of the legitimate targets for the development of therapeutics against this disease. In this study, we have performed structure-based virtual screening to identify potential hit compounds against RdRp using molecular docking of a commercially available small molecule library of structurally diverse and drug-like molecules. Since non-optimal ADME properties create hurdles in the clinical development of drugs, we performed detailed in silico ADMET prediction to facilitate the selection of compounds for further studies. The results from the ADMET study indicated that most of the hit compounds had optimal properties. Moreover, to explore the conformational dynamics of protein-ligand interaction, we have performed an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation which indicated a stable interaction throughout the simulation period. We believe that the current findings may assist in the discovery of drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2.

Antimicrobial effects of Cynara scolymus essential oil: In vitro analysis

By benefits of using silicon and vermicompost based biofertilizers and also induction of drought stress for growing more efficient medicinal plants, we investigated such issues on growing Cynara scolymus (C. scolymus), as one of the most significant edible medicinal plants. In this regard, the antimicrobial effects of grown C. scolymus essential oil was investigated against some foodborne pathogens. Different concentrations of silicon and vermicompost with and without drought stress were considered for growing the plant and the extracted essential oils were extracted to examine their antimicrobial effects against different bacterial agents. Using vermicompost and silicon and 50% moisture discharge yielded significant increase in the mean diameter of growth inhibition zone and significant decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration of tested bacteria (P <  0.05). The highest diameters of the inhibition zones of S. aureus, S. saprophyticus, P. aeruginosa, S. dysenteriae, and S. typhi were found for C. scolymus essential oil treated with 8 mmol silicon and conventional irrigation (14.92 mm), 4 mmol silicon and 50% moisture discharge (15.28 mm), 50% vermicompost and 50% moisture discharge (15.71 mm), 8 mmol silicon and conventional irrigation (17.34 mm) and 25% vermicompost, and 50% moisture discharge (15.48 mm), respectively. Antimicrobial effects of some treatments of C. scolymus were higher than some kinds of referenced antibiotics such as erythromycin. These findings could be used for the production of antibiotic drugs for specific purposes against certain bacteria.

Electronic and structural computing features of some chromene derivatives and evaluating their anticancer activities

Electronic and structural features of some of representative chromene derivatives were investigated in this work towards recognizing their anticancer roles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to obtain five structures of chromene derivatives with the same skeleton of original structure. In addition to obtaining optimized structural geometries, electronic molecular orbital features were evaluated for the models. Energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) indicated effects of additional R group pf chromene derivatives on electronic features. Based on such results, it was predicted that one of derivatives, L5, could better participate in interactions with other substances in comparison with other ligand structures. This achievement was obtained based on availability of HOMO and LUMO levels in lower energies easily catchable for electron transferring. On the other hand, L5 was assumed to interact in the weakest mode with other substances. Indeed, the main goal of this work was to examine anticancer activity of the investigated chromene derivatives, in which each of L1–L5 chromene derivatives were analyzed first to recognized electronic and structural features. Next, molecular docking (MD) simulations were performed to examine anticancer role of L1–L5 against methyltransferase cancerous enzyme target. The results indicated that formations of ligand-target complexes could be occurred within different types of interactions and surrounding amino acids of central ligand. In agreement with the achievements of analyses of single-standing L1–L5 compounds, L4-Target was seen as the strongest complex among possible complex formations. Moreover, values of binding energies and inhibition constant indicated that all five chromene derivatives could work as inhibitors of methyltransferase cancerous enzyme by the most advantage for L4 ligand. And as a final remark, details of such anticancer activity were recognized by graphical representations of ligand-target complexes showing types of interactions and involving amino acids in interactions.

Chemical analysis of essential oil component, perfume and synthetic essential oil of narcissus and its harmful compounds

Within this work, tazetta, one of the fragrant narcissus species used in the perfume industry, was extracted by steam distillation. The extracts were chemically analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). All substances of perfume, synthetic essence, and essential oil of narcissus flower were prepared and their constituents were identified and compared based on GC/MS results. Their harmful compounds were also identified using MSDS and LD50 methods. According to the obtained information of MSDS and LD50, essential oil of flower, perfume and synthetic essence all contain harmful compounds with many side effects to be considered with extra care for the human health.

Piperlongumine loaded PLGA nanoparticles inhibit cancer stem-like cells through modulation of STAT3 in mammosphere model of triple negative breast cancer

TNBC exhibits higher rate of chemoresistance, metastasis, and relapse among all subtypes of breast cancer. This malignant statein TNBC is due to self-renewing sub-population of cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs). They are major caveats in TNBC treatment and need to be obliterated. In this regard, we explored piperlongumine (PL) that has remarkable anti-cancerous property but poor pharmacokinetics limits its application. So, to enhance its biological activity we developed PLGA based nanoformulation for PL (PL-NPs) and examined anti-CSCs effects of PL and PL-NPs in mammospheres. Results indicated that PL-NPs have higher cellular uptake than PL in mammospheres. Further, we demonstrated that PL-NPs remarkably inhibit various characteristics of CSCs like expression of ALDH, self-renewability, chemoresistance, and EMT in mammopsheres. We next investigated the possible mechanism underlying these multi-modal effects, and found that inhibition of STAT3 might be the driving force. In order to confirm this, we used colivelin a potent synthetic peptide activator of STAT3 in combination with treatments and found that anti-CSCs effects of PL and PL-NPs were reversed. Taken together, our data indicates that PL-NPs show enhanced inhibition of CSCs through downregulation of STAT3 and provides insight into development of PL based nanomedicine for targeting CSCs in TNBC.

Antimicrobial effects of Arctium lappa against infectious bacteria: Experimental in vitro analysis

Arctium lappa (A. lappa) is one of the most significant edible medicinal plants with high antibacterial effects, in which it could be supposed to grow with more beneficial effects under administration by salicylic acid and chitosan based biofertilizers. Accordingly, the effects of salicylic acid, chitosan, and 50% moisture discharge were investigated in this work to see the antimicrobial treatments of some foodborne pathogens effects by A. lappa. To this aim, plants were cultivated based on different concentrations of salicylic acid and chitosan with/without drought stress, in which their extracted essential oils were examined for showing the antimicrobial effect against different bacterial agents. The results indicated that the salicylic acid and chitosan administrated A. lappa could work with improved inhibitory functions. Comparing with referenced antibiotics showed even higher antimicrobial effects of A. lappa against the targeted bacterial agents, in which the species with 14 mmol of salicylic acid and 2 g/l of chitosan was a distinguished one for approaching the purpose. Consequently, the achievements of this work could be further investigated for producing novel antibiotic drug agents.

A quick review of advantages and limitations of biological fertilizers in wheat cultivation

Achieving adequate, healthy and nutritious food is emphasized as one of the basic rights of individuals in society in all the world countries. In this regard, the agricultural sector is committed to approach the necessary capability in establishing food security and self-reliance on basic products. Soil is very important as a basic source and bed of production, so that food safety mainly depends on soil security and to enlighten thoughts. Due to climate changes, lack of organic matters, and soil conditions, soil fertility management and nutrition of wheat plant are important. To this aim, knowing information about the soils and providing required nutrients could help to approach desired levels of wheat production in quantity and quality. Instead of chemical fertilizers, biological fertilizers have been seen useful for approaching the purposes. However, lack of enough information besides negative sights of view by the farmers are those the most important limiting factors. Therefore, investigating various aspects of biological fertilizers is very important for reaching a point of optimum usage of biological fertilizers for sustainable agricultural systems especially for the wheat production.

Increasing Aspartoacylase in the Central Amygdala: The Common Mechanism of Gastroprotective Effects of Monoamine-Based Antidepressants Against Stress

Monoamine-based antidepressants can prophylactically protect against stress-induced gastric ulcers. Although the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) has been shown to modulate the severity of stress ulcers, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the gastroprotective effect of this kind of drugs. Here, we first used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a non-invasive tool, to explore the change of neurometabolites of the CeA of rats pretreated with the duloxetine of selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors during 6 h of water-immersion restraint stress (WIRS). Duloxetine decreased N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine ratio (NAA/creatine) in CeA after WIRS, which was paralleled by the amelioration of gastric lesions. Meanwhile, the gastric ulcer index was negatively correlated with reduced NAA/creatine. Furthermore, the intra-CeA infusion of NAA aggravated WIRS-induced gastric mucosa damage, which suggested the crucial role of reduced NAA. Western blotting was performed to identify the specific enzymes responsible for the change of the contents of NAA at 0.5 h/3 h/6 h after WIRS, considering the preventative gastric protection of duloxetine. The NAA-catabolizing enzyme aspartoacylase (ASPA) was the only enzyme downregulated by 0.5 h WIRS and upregulated by duloxetine. Moreover, overexpressing ASPA in CeA alleviated stress ulcers. Additionally, all of the other three monoamine-based antidepressants, the fluoxetine of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the amitriptyline of tricyclic agents, and the moclobemide of MAOs, increased ASPA expression in CeA. Together, these results indicate that increasing ASPA to hydrolyze NAA in CeA is a common mechanism of gastroprotective effects against stress exerted by monoamine-based antidepressants, and ASPA is a shared target more than monoamine regulation for this kind of drugs.

4-Amino modified derivatives of cytidine towards interactions with the methyltransferase enzyme

By the importance of exploring novel compounds for inhibiting the cancerous enzymes activities, this work was performed to recognize advantages of employing 4-amino modified derivatives of cytidine for participating in more efficient interactions with the methyltransferase (MTN) cancerous enzyme target. To this aim, four groups of modified models of cytidine were investigated in addition the original models to recognize the structural features and the corresponding activities. The 4-amino site of cytidine was functionalized by different carbon-based groups in linear and cyclic modes through a bridging peptide linkage. The models were optimized to reach the minimized energy structures by performing quantum chemical calculations and their interactions with the target were analyzed by performing molecular docking simulations. The obtained results of 4-amino modified derivatives of cytidine showed advantages of employing structural modifications to find structures with better molecular orbital based features. Formations of interacting complexes indicated that the additional of carbon-based groups helped to improve possibility of interactions between the substances in both of chemical and physical modes. As a remarkable achievement of this work, the model of cytidine with a phenyl group showed the best advantage of participating in interactions with the MTN target among all twenty five models of the investigated cytidine compounds.

Isolation and identification of Streptomyces tunisiensis from Garmsar salt cave soil with antibacterial and gene expression activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

It is known that more than 70% of the current antibiotics have been produced by Streptomyces; therefore, the main goal of the present study was to isolate halophiles Streptomyces to investigate their antimicrobial properties on the expression of the pathogenic genes of clinically resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To this aim, isolation of Streptomyces from soil was performed by serial dilution method, and cultivation on ISP2 and SCA medium. The secondary metabolite was extracted by ethyl acetate method. The presence of exo A, alg D and oprl genes were determined by PCR in 50 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The inhibitory effect of active metabolites on gene expression were investigated by employing the real-time PCR technique. The purification of secondary metabolites were performed by employing the HPLC technique. Moreover, the FTIR technique was employed to determine the functional groups to help performing identifications by employing the LC-MS technique. Finally, selected Streptomyces was identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Accordingly, the possible forms of Streptomyces were isolated and identified, in which Streptomyces number 25 had the highest growth inhibition zone against the clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The obtained results of molecular analysis showed 95.4% similarity to Streptomyces tunisiensis. The effect of selected Streptomyces secondary metabolites reduced expressions of both of exo A and algD genes in 1024μg/mL concentration. In this regard, the potent fraction could be known as an isobutyl Nonactin analogue. The concluding remarks of this work showed the antimicrobial activity of halophilus Streptomyces species against the resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the ability of producing antibiotics proposing for running further investigations to determine the active compound structures.

A detailed kinetic study on the tautomerization reactions of barbituric acid: A combined DFT-QTAIM analysis

A detailed kinetic study on the tautomerization reactions of barbituric acid (BA) at elevated temperatures from 270 K up to 1000 K was performed in this work. The B3LYP/6-311 + G(3df,2p) density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to evaluate the rate constants of transition states (TS) conversions of the tautomerization reactions. The connections from a given TS to the corresponding local minima of the reactant and product sides were confirmed by means of employing the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) method. Moreover, the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) approach was employed to analyze the molecular mechanisms of reactions. The effects of vibrational normal mode frequencies of the reactant and TS were investigated on the curvature of the corresponding Arrhenius plot in the presence and absence of the tunneling effect. For each tautomerization reaction, the investigated reaction was partitioned into three different stages and four zones. The obtained results were plotted along with the corresponding reaction coordinates for each reaction considering and comparing different factors in agreement with already affirmed concepts. As a consequence, details of performed kinetic study on the tautomerization reactions of BA were successfully provided in this work.

Vismodegib anticancer drug: Analyzing electronic and structural features and examining biological activities

Vismodegib (Vis) is an anticancer drug, in which its electronic and structural features were examined in this work. To this aim, the chlorine atoms of original Vis model were substituted by other fluorine, bromine, and iodine halogen atoms yielding F-Vis, Br-Vis, and I-Vis in addition to the original Cl-Vis model. The models were optimized by performing quantum chemical calculations and their interactions with the smoothened (SMO) target were examined by performing molecular docking simulations. The results indicated that the stabilized structures of halogenated Vis models were achievable and their features indicated the dominant role of halogen atoms for their participation in interactions with other substances. Based on the obtained results, Br-Vis model was seen suitable for participating in interaction with the SMO target even better than the original Vis model. The hypothesis of this work was affirmed by employing the in silico approach for analyzing the features of singular ligands and for evaluating their biological functions.

Molecular interactions of indomethacin and amino acids: Computational approach

Molecular interactions of indomethacin (IND) and amino acids (AA) were investigated in this work by employing the computational approaches. To this aim, the models of IND-AA were stabilized by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations yielding the most favorable configurations regarding the energy values. Next, the approach of quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) was used to recognize the roles of interactions and their significance in the bimolecular models. The results of interaction energies indicate that tryptophan (TRP) and phenylalanine (PHE) could be considered for participating in strong interactions with the IND substance. The results of QTAIM indicated that not only the electronegative atomic centers, but also homo-atomic centers could play significant roles in formations of IND-AA bimolecular models.

GC-MS analysis of chemical composition, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities of essential oils of Senecio glaucus under drastic conditions

This study was designed to analyze essential oils by GC-MS and to evaluate the chemical composition, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of aerial part of plant Seniso glaucus using two methods hydro distillation and organic solvent extraction. The essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS revealed the presence of 32 compounds most of them are sesquiterpene, the main component of essential oil were, Isolongifolene, 9-one (14.4%) Longiverbenone (13.5%), (+) 4-Carene (8.39 %), O-cymene, 4.64%, and thujone were 3.54%. Cytotoxic activity of essential oil was tested against four carcinoma cell lines (A549, McF7, HepG, and HCT-16) by using (3- (4, 5- dimethyl thiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT), the results indicate promising cytotoxic activity at the concentration (100, and50μg/ml) essential oil exhibit high cytotoxic activities against Hepg2 cell lines (83. 33 and 59.14 %) and good cytotoxicity against A549, McF-7 and HCT116 cell lines by (62.1 %, 74.40 %, and 76.60%respectively). The essential oil showed antioxidant activity with IC50 = 69.59±0.24μg/ml, using 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay the present study concluded the importance of plant Seniso glaucus as a natural antioxidant.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of the Diterpenoids from the Genus Daphne

There are abundant natural diterpenoids in the plants of the genus Daphne from the Thymelaeaceae family, featuring a 5/7/6-tricyclic ring system and usually with an orthoester group. So far, a total of 135 diterpenoids has been isolated from the species of the genus Daphne, which could be further classified into three main types according to the substitution pattern of ring A and oxygen-containing functions at ring B. A variety of studies have demonstrated that these compounds exert a wide range of bioactivities both in vitro and in vivo including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antifertility, neurotrophic, and cholesterol-lowering effects, which is reviewed herein. Meanwhile, the fascinating structure-activity relationship is also concluded in this review in the hope of providing an easy access to available information for the synthesis and optimization of efficient drugs.

Betulinic acid in the treatment of tumour diseases: Application and research progress

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpene compound that can be obtained by separation, chemical synthesis and biotransformation from birch. BA has antitumour activity, and its mechanisms of action mainly include the induction of mitochondrial oxidative stress; the regulation of specificity protein transcription factors, and the inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and nuclear factor-κB signalling pathways. In addition, BA can increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to other chemotherapy drugs. Recent studies have shown that BA plays an anticancer role in several kinds of tumour diseases. In this article, the anticancer mechanism of BA and its application in the treatment of tumour diseases are reviewed.

Molecular mechanisms of anticancer effect of rutin

Because of the extensive biological functions of natural substances such as bioflavonoids, and their high safety and low costs, they could have high priority application in the health care system. The antioxidant properties of rutin, a polyphenolic bioflavonoid, have been well documented and demonstrated a wide range of pharmacological applications in cancer research. Since chemotherapeutic drugs have a wide range of side effects and rutin is a safe anticancer agent with minor side effects so recent investigations are performed for study of mechanisms of its anticancer effect. Both in-vivo and in-vitro examinations on anticancer mechanisms of this natural agent have been widely carried out. Regulation of different cellular signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, p53-independent pathway, PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, MAPK, p53, apoptosis as well as NF-ĸB signaling pathways helps to mediate the anticancer impacts of this agent. This study tried to review the molecular mechanisms of rutin anticancer effect on various types of cancer. Deep exploration of these anticancer mechanisms can facilitate the development of this beneficial compound for its application in the treatment of different cancers.

Multispectral and molecular modeling investigations on the binding behaviors of two anticoccidials with serum albumins

The interaction properties of monensin/clopidol with bovine/human serum albumin (BSA/HSA) were determined via multispectral together with molecular modeling techniques in the report. Fluorescence quenching spectra at different temperatures and fluorescence lifetime determination demonstrated that the fluorescence quenching belonged to a static quenching type. In the case of monensin-BSA, clopidol-BSA, monensin-HSA and clopidol-HSA, the binding constants K_a (291 K) were 5.42 × 10⁴, 4.96 × 10⁴, 3.22 × 10⁴ and 2.99 × 10⁴ M^-1, respectively; the binding distances r₀ were 1.88, 2.53, 2.19 and 2.02 nm, respectively. Monensin and clopidol bound strongly with BSA/HSA with binding free energies equal to -26.37/-25.11 and -26.11/-24.93 kJ mol^-1, respectively. The spontaneous binding process was dominated by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces as reflected in thermodynamic parameters analyses. Synchronous, CD, FTIR and UV-vis spectra assays confirmed that serum albumins conformations were altered. Using competitive experiment, monensin/clopidol was observed to bind at site I of serum albumins, which were reconfirmed by the results of molecular modeling.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

High-throughput virtual screening of novel potent inhibitor(s) for Human Vanin-1 enzyme

Vanin-1 (VNN1) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ectoenzyme which hydrolyzes pantetheine to pantothenic acid and cysteamine. It has emerged as a promising drug target for many human diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. In the present study we used structure-based virtual screening approach for the identification of small molecule inhibitors of vanin-1. A chemical library consisting of natural compounds, synthetic compounds and RRV analogs were screened for drug-like molecules. The filtered molecules were subjected to molecular docking studies. Three potential hits-ZINC04073864 (Natural compound), CID227017 (synthetic compound) and CID129558381 (RRV analog)-were identified for the target enzyme. The molecules form good number of hydrogen bonds with the catalytic residues such as Glu79, Lys178 and Cys211. The apo-VNN1 and VNN1-ligand complexes were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for 30 ns. The geometric properties such as root mean square deviation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, number of hydrogen bonds and the distance between the catalytic triad residues-Glu79, Lys178 and Cys211 were altered upon binding of the compounds. Essential dynamics and entropic studies further confirmed that the fluctuations in VNN1 decrease upon binding of the compounds. The lead molecules were stable throughout the simulation time period. Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) studies showed that Van der Waals interaction energy contributes significantly to the total binding free energy. Thus, our study reveals three lead molecules-ZINC04073864, CID227017 and CID129558381 as potential inhibitors of Vanin-1 which can be validated through further studies. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Halogenated derivatives of cytidine: Structural analysis and binding affinity

Cytidine is a well-known inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase (MTN) enzyme for preventing cancer cells growth. Based on therapeutic benefits, it could be considered as a “lead compound” to be optimized through structural modification for arising better binding affinity in this case. Halogenated derivatives of cytidine were investigated in this work to examine structural and biological features employing in silico approach. To this aim, geometries of the original cytidine and four of its halogenated derivatives were minimized to prepare ligands for interacting with MTN enzyme target in molecular docking simulations. The results for singular ligand structures introduced I-cytidine as an optimized lead compound for contributing to proper interactions with MTN enzyme; the trend was confirmed by molecular docking simulations. As a final remark, I-cytidine could be considered as better ligand for complexation with the MTN enzyme in comparison with the original cytidine.

Fingerprint-based similarity search identified p-anisidine as an anticancer agent in HeLa and a prospective phytochemical ETV1 transcription factor inhibitor

Overexpression of E26 transformation-specific (ETS) PEA3 subfamily transcription factor (TF) ETV1 is reportedly oncogenic and metastatic in several cancers. Albeit, a few synthetic small molecule inhibitors of ETV1 have been identified to date. In this context, we hereby proposed a phytochemical lead development scheme to gather inhibitor scaffolds for ETV1. A fingerprint-based similarity search was conducted to screen plant compounds structurally similar to known ETV1 perturbagens. At default cutoffs, 20 compounds were retrieved whose pharmacokinetic, docking, and scaffold analysis rendered eight compounds for final evaluation in HeLa cells by MTT assay. CID7732 (p-anisidine) belonging to the subclass aminophenyl ethers was emerged as a promising anticancer agent with an IC50 of 27.769 µg/mL. This is the first natural product-based chemical hunt carried out for ETV1 repressors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.