Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of 5-mercapto(substitutedthio)-4-substituted-1,2,4-triazol based on nalidixic acid: A comprehensive study on its synthesis, characterization, and In silico evaluation

This study introduces a series of novel Alkyl thio-1,2,4-triazole (4a-p) and mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (3a-d) compounds derived from nalidixic acid. The synthesis was streamlined, involving interactions between nalidixic acid hydrazide and various isothiocyanates to yield cyclic and alkyl(aryl) sulfide compounds, characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, and elemental analysis. Antioxidant capabilities were quantified through DPPH and ABTS assays, highlighting significant potential, especially for compound 3d, which demonstrated an ABTS IC50 value of 0.397 μM, on par with ascorbic acid (IC50 = 0.87 μM). Antibacterial efficacy was established through MIC assessments against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Candida albicans. Compounds 3b, 4e, 4h, 4j, 4i, 4m, and 4o showed broad-spectrum activity, with 4k and 4m exhibiting pronounced potency against E. coli. Molecular docking studies validated the antibacterial potential, with compounds 4f and 4h showing high binding affinities (docking scores of -9.8 and -9.6 kcal/mol, respectively), indicating robust interactions with the bacterial enzyme targets. These scores underscore the compounds' mechanistic basis for their antibacterial action and support their therapeutic promise. Furthermore, compounds 3b, 4i, and 4m, identified through drug-likeness and toxicity predictions, were highlighted for their favorable profiles, suggesting their suitability for oral antibiotic therapies. This comprehensive study, blending synthetic, in vitro, and in silico approaches, emphasizes the triazole derivatives' potential as future candidates for antibiotic and antioxidant applications, particularly spotlighting compounds 3b, 4i, and 4m due to their promising efficacy and safety profiles.

Anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity of chemically fingerprinted extract from Cyclamen persicum Mill

In the last few decades, researchers have thoroughly studied the use of plants in Palestine, one of them is Cyclamen persicum Mill. (C. persicum). Cyclamen persicum has been historically cultivated since the 1700s due to its tuber. The tuber is known to stimulate the nasal receptors, thus triggering the sensory neurons. Cyclamen persicum has anti-inflammatory effects, reduces cholesterol levels, treats diabetes, and inhibits tumor growth. In this respect, in-vitro examination of antibacterial and anticancer activities and antioxidative potency of C. persicum ethanolic extract were evaluated. The antioxidative potency of the extracted plant material was determined spectrophotometrically using the DPPH free radical scavenging method and the HPLC-PDA method to evaluate its total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The experimental results revealed weak antibacterial activity of C. persicum extract against both gram negative (E. coli) and gram positive (Streptococcus aureus and S. aureus) bacterial strains, with the zones of inhibition found to be less than 8 mm. On the other hand, powerful activity against MCF7 breast cancer as well as HT29 colon cancer cell lines was obtained. The findings also revealed potent inhibition of free radicals and the presence of maximal levels of natural products such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which supportits biological activities and powerful ability to scavenge free radicals. HPLC results showed the presence of numerous flavonoid and phenolic compounds such as rutin, chlorogenic acid, kaempferol, trans-cinnamic acid, quercetin, sinapic acid, and p-coumaric acid.

Diosgenin and Monohydroxy Spirostanol from Prunus amygdalus var amara Seeds as Potential Suppressors of EGFR and HER2 Tyrosine Kinases: A Computational Approach

Cancer continues to be leading cause of death globally, with nearly 7 million deaths per year. Despite significant progress in cancer research and treatment, there remain several challenges to overcome, including drug resistance, the presence of cancer stem cells, and high interstitial fluid pressure in tumors. To tackle these challenges, targeted therapy, specifically targeting HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2) as well as EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), is considered a promising approach in cancer treatment. In recent years, phytocompounds have gained recognition as a potential source of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents in tumor cancer treatment. Phytocompounds are compounds derived from medicinal plants that have the potential to treat and prevent cancer. This study aimed to investigate phytocompounds from Prunus amygdalus var amara seeds as inhibitors against EGFR and HER2 enzymes using in silico methods. In this study, fourteen phytocompounds were isolated from Prunus amygdalus var amara seeds and subjected to molecular docking studies to determine their ability to bind to EGFR and HER2 enzymes. The results showed that diosgenin and monohydroxy spirostanol exhibited binding energies comparable to those of the reference drugs, tak-285, and lapatinib. Furthermore, the drug-likeness and ADMET predictions, performed using the admetSAR 2.0 web-server tool, suggested that diosgenin and monohydroxy spirostanol have similar safety and ADMET properties as the reference drugs. To get deeper insight into the structural steadiness and flexibility of the complexes formed between these compounds and theEGFR and HER2 proteins, molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 100 ns. The results showed that the hit phytocompounds did not significantly affect the stability of the EGFR and HER2 proteins and were able to form stable interactions with the catalytic binding sites of the proteins. Additionally, the MM-PBSA analysis revealed that the binding free energy estimates for diosgenin and monohydroxy spirostanol is comparable to the reference drug, lapatinib. This study provides evidence that diosgenin and monohydroxy spirostanol may have the potential to act as dual suppressors of EGFR and HER2. Additional in vivo and in vitro research are needed to certify these results and assess their efficacy and safety as cancer therapy agents. The experimental data reported and these results are in agreement.

Phytochemicals As a Potential Inhibitor of COVID-19: An In-Silico Perspective

The current research has centered on the use of pharmacological and binding affinity methods to test the 36 compounds as bioactive constituents’ inhibitors for COVID-19. Six compounds out of 36 phytoconstituents (rutin, quercetin, catechin gallate, rhamnetin, campesterol and stigmasterol) have demonstrated outstanding molecular docking and drug-like properties as HIV inhibitors Lopinavir and Indinavir. Interestingly, the lowest binding energies (LBE) and the inhibition constant (K_i) have showed that these compounds are able to bind to the P-glycoprotein substrate of 3CL^pro and Nsp15. Interestingly, rutin has been found to be an excellent potential inhibitor for COVID-19 proteins because it has the best LBE score and K_i value than those of other compounds, and of its ability to form strong H-bonds with COVID-19 proteins. The compounds that come next to the rutin compound are stigmasterol and campesterol. As a result, these compounds are considered possible novel inhibitors of COVID-19. In order to validate the computational results, more in vitro and in vivo investigations are required to support the findings of this research.

The Inhibitory Potency of Major Teucrium polium Active Ingredients for the Main Protease (Mpro) of COVID-19

The GC/MS and docking method were used to investigate the active coronaviral protein, the Main Protease (Mpro). This coronaviral protein was tested using Autodock with phytocompounds isolated from methanol extract made from T. polium leaves. According to the GC/MS results, the leaves extract shows 8 major natural Phytochemical compounds (Hydroxytetradecanoic acid (-5.40 kcal/mol, 110.65 μM), 3-Dodecenedioic acid (-5.38 kcal/mol, 380.36 μM), D-Glucuronic (-5.20 kcal/mol, 153.64 μM), 3-Hydroxysebacic acid (-5.12 kcal/mol, 175.66 μM), Dodecen-3-ol (-4.92 kcal/mol, 247.68 μM)). As HIV-inhibitors, these phytoconstituents demonstrated good pharmaco-kinetics (ADMET) and drug-like characteristics (Remdesivir (-4.59 kcal/mol, 431.87 μM), Chloroquine (-4.68 kcal/mol, 373.83 μM), and Hydroxychloroquine (-4.22 kcal/mol, 812.81 μM)). Because they cannot cross BBB (the blood-brain barrier), the examined molecules are believed to have a strong safety profile, great absorption through the gastrointestinal system, and low central side effects. The pharmacological potentials of these lead drugs have been identified and categorized based on their LBE (lowest binding energy) and Ki (inhibition constant). The affinity of examined compounds for Main Protease (Mpro), coronaviral protein, were investigated in order to determine their use inside the active pocket of the receptor, 3CLpro. The major compounds showed greater affinity to 3CLpro than the supporting control drugs. Furthermore, the binding of all lead compounds with all the amino acids of 3CLpro are evaluated, 3-Hydroxytetradecanoic acid is the highest LBE value and lowest Ki value when compared to the approved medication as well as all other compounds under examination. These compounds could be proven as potential corona viral inhibitors. Such computational findings require additional in vitro and in vivo research.

In silico anti-fungal efficacy and the mechanism of binding of some Syzygium aromaticum ingredient compounds to aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 6C8W and 6C85, enzymes from Blastomyces dermatitidis

This in silico work was carried out to reveal the proposed anti-fungal efficacy of some clove ingredient compounds against aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 6C8W and 6C85, enzymes from Blastomyces dermatitidis. The molecular docking simulation was implemented utilizing the Auto Dock 4.2. software. A set of 17 compounds were selected for this study, which is known to be active ingredients of Syzygium aromaticum crude and oil. The best docking scores associated with the Blastomyces dermatitidis enzymes 6C85 and 6C8W were for Maslinic acid and Oleanolic acid, followed by Stigmasterol and Campesterol. It was found that these compounds possess inhibitory potential against 6C85 and 6C8W and hence have anti-fungal efficacy. Maslinic acid and Oleanolic acid produced the strongest binding to 6C85 and 6C8W over the remaining bioactive compounds by forming H-bonds with some amino acids in these enzymes.

Vitamin D is a New Promising Inhibitor to the Main Protease (Mpro) of COVID-19 by Molecular Docking

In this study, vitamin D has shown greater efficacy of binding with Mpro of COVID-19 compared to the recently recommended drugs. The docking study was simulated to streamline interaction effects of Vitamin D, Remdesivir, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, Aspirin, and Azithromycin complexes with the active site of Mpro. Vitamin D is found to have the highest potential interaction in terms of total H-bond, van der Waal, torsional, and desolvation energy which were the lowest among all the selected drugs. The hydroxyl group of vitamin D and the thiol group of Mpro cysteine had played a leading role in increasing Vitamin D binding and stability with the Mpro pocket by contribution to the inception of three hydrogen bonds. The study recommend that vitamin D can be added to the COVID-19 treatment protocol, which may have the desired effect on viral replication inhibition and decreases mortality.

Phytonutrients and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanolic Extract from Hafr Al-Batin Truffles

The desert truffle is a wild mushroom, also referred to as Kamah or Fagaa. Kamah is a rich source of polysaccharides that have medicinal, antitumoral, antibacterial, and immune-stimulant effects. Studies of hypogeous fungi, especially desert truffles, have recently entered traditional studies of epigeous higher Basidiomycetes. Based on the tasty desert truffle Kamah obtained from Hafr Al-Batin Governorate, Saudi Arabia, as a source of potential antimicrobial agents with both the aim of obtaining novel agents toward bacteria and Fungi of clinical significance. We specifically tested the antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of methanol extracts of Kamah against the Gram-negative bacterial pathogens reference strains E. coli ATCC® 8739, P. Aeruginosa ATCC®9027, S. aureus ATCC®6538, Enterococci NCTC®775 and opportunistic fungus C. albicans ATCC®1231.The extract had MIC (minimum inhibitory concentrations) varying from 100 g/ml to 500 g/ml against the pathogens examined. The LC-QTOF-MS (liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry) phytoconstituents assay chromatogram indicated that the methanol extracts of Kamah comprises 264 with retention periods varying from 1.04 to 18.86, which were categorized as unsaturated and saturated natural ingredients sch as aromatic compounds, carboxylic acids, oxygenated hydrocarbons, fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins).The main compounds were discovered to be 21 with peak areas larger than 2X10-5 and retention periods varying from 2.3 to 9.13.The main known substances with the maximum peaks were adenosine (11.724), phenylalanine (7.711), phenprobamate (7.711), and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5.711). Such preliminary findings, we assume, are encouraging in terms of obtaining a beneficial antibiotic substitute to battle antibiotic-resistant pathogens especially eye infections.

Molecular Docking Evaluation of the Desert Truffles as Potent Antifungal Inhibitors

The research investigated the possible antifungal behavior of forty-four truffles bioactive compounds conducted to investigate the interaction modes of these inhibitors against three different types of the fungal proteins: Candida albicans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Ganoderma microsporum. The applied method in contrast to ketoconazole and griseofulvin revealed the possible anti-fungal agents ergosterol, Catechin gallate and rutin. With respect to Candida Albicans, the maximum possible binding energy was ergosterol (-11.75 Kcal/mol), followed then by catechin gallate (-11.46 Kcal/mol) then rutin (-9.90 Kcal/mol). Compared to Blastomyces, Ganoderma microsporum fungal protein with most negative binding energy among other components of the truffle is found to be of a relatively similar behavior for the same compounds. Ergosterol demonstrated the highest binding capacity for dermatitidis, while rutin scored the lowest against Ganoderma microsporum. The possible anti-fungal components of desert truffle have yet to be studied in vitro in the future.

Molecular Docking Evaluation of Syzygium aromaticum Isolated Compounds Against Exo-β-(1,3)-glucanases of Candida albicans

Seventeen compounds from Syzygium aromaticum are selected for exo-β-(1,3)-glucanases inhibitory activity by using molecular docking study. The compounds are uploaded from the PubChem database and molecular docking with AutoDock 1.5.6 tools is carried out. The molecular docking scores indicate that stigmasterol and campesterol are of the highest potentials, and approximately have similar binding affinities with Candida albicans' active site (3N9K, 3O6A). The hydroxyl moiety has played an important role in the antifungal potentiality of all studied compounds.

Thiacrown Ethers Engaged C60 through Charge Transfer: Experimental and Theoretical Study

UV-Vis spectroscopy is used to study the charge transfer complexes of thiacrown ethers 1-6 with fullerene. The size of TCE1-6 and the nature of the heteroatoms (N, O and S) have been systematically changed to examine the effect of these factors on the HOMO/LUMO energy levels, the optical energy gap and the interactions between TCE's and C60. The negative and positive values of ΔS designate the structural forming method and the randomness of the free solvent molecules, respectively. Thermodynamics and stability data show that the complexes have a 1:1 ratio that has been emphasized by density functional theory calculations. Additionally, they show a synergetic interplay of donor-acceptor, π-π, and n-π interactions, which are the basis for the affinity of our novel receptors toward C₆₀. The proposed system of enzyme model suggests a development concept in the future design of enzyme model organic photovoltaic systems.

Vitamin D is a potential inhibitor of COVID-19: In silico molecular docking to the binding site of SARS-CoV-2 endoribonuclease Nsp15

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic threat to public health. Vaccines and targeted therapeutics to prevent infections and stop virus proliferation are currently lacking. Endoribonuclease Nsp15 plays a vital role in the life cycle, including replication and transcription as well as virulence of the virus. Here, we investigated Vitamin D for its in silico potential inhibition of the binding sites of SARS-CoV-2 endoribonuclease Nsp15. In this study, we selected Remdesivir, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine and Vitamin D to study the potential binding affinity with the putative binding sites of endoribonuclease Nsp15 of COVID-19. The docking study was applied to rationalize the possible interactions of the target compounds with the active site of endoribonuclease Nsp 15. Among the results, Vitamin D was found to have the highest potency with strongest interaction in terms of LBE, lowest RMSD, and lowest inhibition intensity Ki than the other standard compounds. The investigation results of endoribonuclease Nsp15 on the PrankWeb server showed that there are three prospective binding sites with the ligands. The singularity of Vitamin D interaction with the three pockets, particularly in the second pocket, may write down Vitamin D as a potential inhibitor of COVID-19 Nsp15 endoribonuclease binding sites and favour addition of Vitamin D in the treatment plan for COVID-19 alone or in combination with the other used drugs in this purpose, which deserves exploration in further in vitro and in vivo studies.

Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Composition of Ethanolic Extract of Jordanian Silvia officinalis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Salvia officinalis (Sage) is a plant native to the Middle East and Mediterranean areas. It is from the family of Labiatae used for the treatment of different kinds of disorders. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of Salvia officinalis screened for its chemical composition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The extract obtained from Silvia officinalis growing wild in Al-Karak, Jordan, investigated for its photo components for the first time. The extract analyzed by GC-MS and HPLC instruments. The aerial part of the plant collected at the beginning of spring 2018.

RESULTS

Results show that the ethanolic extract has 28 natural compounds with 95.30% of the total identified components. Two peaks with 4.70% of total composition could not be identified. This analysis revealed that the compounds are mainly composed of aromatics and oxygenated hydrocarbons. Such as; L-Ascorbic acid, Silane, D-Glucuronic acid, Phenobarbital and Undecanedioic acid.

CONCLUSION

Overall this study highlights the identification of several oxygenated hydrocarbons of phytochemical compounds with two unknown components. Further investigation is needed for structural elucidation directed with pharmacological activity.