Antimicrobial activity of bleached cattail fibers (Typha domingensis) impregnated with silver nanoparticles and benzalkonium chloride

Typha domingensis (Cattail) fiber is a significant natural resource, abundant in cellulose. The study reports the useful utilization of T. domingensis fiber for physicochemical impregnation of silver nanoparticles and benzalkonium chloride, in the development of a material with antimicrobial activity. The fibers were pre-treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (bleaching) for partial removal of lignin, pectin and waxes. Subsequently treated in a solution of different concentrations of benzalkonium chloride and Tollens' reagent. The new materials obtained were carefully investigated for their structure and thermal stability, morphology and susceptibility to antimicrobials (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimuruim, and Salmonella enteritidis). Fourier transform infrared spectra showed the presence of benzalkonium chloride. The morphology analysis showed the silver nanoparticles on the surface of the bleached fibers. The susceptibility profile to antimicrobials was confirmed by the formation of inhibition halos (≅11.26 mm). Based on the properties of the materials obtained, it can be concluded that the modified cattail fibers have the potential to be used as a functional filler, or coating, in the development of antimicrobial composites.     

Inhibition of salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell) by parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). II. Relative effect of flower,leaf, stem,and Root residue on Salvinia and Paddy

The relative effect of parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) plant residue on growth of salvinia and paddy seedlings was studied. The inhibitory activity of the residue as shown by its effect on the number of healthy fronds (HFN) and biomass was in the order: flower and leaf > stem and root. The flower (FP) and leaf (LP) residue was lethal at and above 0.75% (w/v, the convention used throughout), and inhibitory at lower doses. The stem (SP) and root (RP) residue supported growth of salvinia at lower doses and were slightly inhibitory at higher (1.25%) dose. All the above residue types supported the growth of paddy seedlings except at 1.25%, the highest concentration tested, which was slightly inhibitory. The amounts of chlorophylla, b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid pigments in the leaves of the paddy seedlings grown in the medium were comparable to the amounts in the leaves of seedlings grown in distilled water. This demonstrates beneficial effects of the treatments. The study shows that salvinia is more sensitive to allelochemicals released by FP and LP into the aqueous medium. Both salvinia and paddy responded similarly to SP and RP by supporting growth at lower doses, probably due to lower levels of inhibitors. The results are discussed with reference to the possible role of allelopathy by parthenium on the population dynamics of aquatic weeds in natural ecosystems.     

Inhibition of salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell) by parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). I. Effect of leaf residue and allelochemicals

Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) leaf residue (LP, leaf powder) inhibited salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell) biomass and the number of healthy fronds at 0.25% (w/v) and killed the treated plants at and above 0.75% (w/v) in about 5–15 days, depending on the quantity of the residue. At the lethal dose, the LP caused an abrupt desiccation of above-water plant parts, probably due mainly to root dysfunction. This was concurrent with the loss of dehydrogenase activity in, and an increase in solute leakage from, the roots and loss of chlorophylla, b, and total chlorophyll contents in the fronds, resulting in death of the treated plants. The LP appears inhibitory to salvinia through affecting macromolecules—proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The inhibitory activity of LP at the lethal dose suspended in water was completely lost when allowed to stand for 30 days under outdoor conditions and promoted growth of the salvinia plants placed in it. The standard allelochemicals, including those present in parthenium LP, except parthenin andp-hydroxybenzoic acid, did not inhibit growth up to 100 ppm. However, parthenin andp-hydroxybenzoic acid killed salvinia plants at 100 and 50 ppm, respectively. Sincep-hydroxybenzoic acid is unlikely to be present at such a high concentration, parthenin appears to be one of the main allelochemicals responsible for the inhibitory effect of parthenium leaf residue on salvinia.A portion of this work was presented at the International Symposium on Weed Management for Sustainable Agriculture held at C.C.S. Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar, India, November 18–20, 1993.     

Zimbro (Juniperus communis L.) as a Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds and Biomedical Activities: A Review on Recent Trends

Plant-derived products and their extracted compounds have been used in folk medicine since early times. Zimbro or common juniper (Juniperus communis) is traditionally used to treat renal suppression, acute and chronic cystitis, bladder catarrh, albuminuria, leucorrhea, and amenorrhea. These uses are mainly attributed to its bioactive composition, which is very rich in phenolics, terpenoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and volatile compounds. In the last few years, several studies have analyzed the huge potential of this evergreen shrub, describing a wide range of activities with relevance in different biomedical discipline areas, namely antimicrobial potential against human pathogens and foodborne microorganisms, notorious antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, antidiabetic, antihypercholesterolemic and antihyperlipidemic effects, and neuroprotective action, as well as antiproliferative ability against cancer cells and the ability to activate inductive hepato-, renal- and gastroprotective mechanisms. Owing to these promising activities, extracts and bioactive compounds of juniper could be useful for the development of new pharmacological applications in the treatment of several acute and chronic human diseases.     

Efficacy of a Chitin-Based Water-Soluble Derivative in Inducing Purpureocillium lilacinum against Nematode Disease (Meloidogyne incognita)

Plant-parasitic nematodes cause severe economic losses annually which has been a persistent problem worldwide. As current nematicides are highly toxic, prone to drug resistance, and have poor stability, there is an urgent need to develop safe, efficient, and green strategies. Natural active polysaccharides such as chitin and chitosan with good biocompatibility and biodegradability and inducing plant disease resistance have attracted much attention, but their application is limited due to their poor solubility. Here, we prepared 6-oxychitin with good water solubility by introducing carboxylic acid groups based on retaining the original skeleton of chitin and evaluated its potential for nematode control. The results showed that 6-oxychitin is a better promoter of the nematicidal potential of Purpureocillium lilacinum than other water-soluble chitin derivatives. After treatment, the movement of J2s and egg hatching were obviously inhibited. Further plant experiments found that it can destroy the accumulation and invasion of nematodes, and has a growth-promoting effect. Therefore, 6-oxychitin has great application potential in the nematode control area.     

6种常用杀虫剂对萝卜蚜的毒力测定及田间防效

[目的]采用室内毒力测定和田间药效试验方法,测定6种药剂对萝卜蚜的敏感性。[结果]结果表明萝卜蚜对不同类型杀虫剂敏感性有较大差异,其中95%毒死蜱对萝卜蚜杀虫活性最高,LC50值为0.1215 mg/L,其次为94%阿维菌素,LC50值为0.7795 mg/L,95%高效氯氰菊酯的敏感性最低,LC50值为996.8046 mg/L。通过田间试验可知:10%吡虫啉可湿性粉剂、1.8%阿维菌素乳油、3%啶虫脒可湿性粉剂、1%甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐乳油、40%毒死蜱乳油和4.5%高效氯氰菊酯乳油对萝卜蚜的防效都非常好,3 d的防效均达98%以上,14 d的防效为100%。[结论]在测试的6中药剂中,目前田间萝卜蚜与桃蚜相比具有较低的抗药性水平。     

eDNA Inactivation and Biofilm Inhibition by the PolymericBiocide Polyhexamethylene Guanidine Hydrochloride (PHMG-Cl)

The choice of effective biocides used for routine hospital practice should consider the role of disinfectants in the maintenance and development of local resistome and how they might affect antibiotic resistance gene transfer within the hospital microbial population. Currently, there is little understanding of how different biocides contribute to eDNA release that may contribute to gene transfer and subsequent environmental retention. Here, we investigated how different biocides affect the release of eDNA from mature biofilms of two opportunistic model strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (SA) and contribute to the hospital resistome in the form of surface and water contaminants and dust particles. The effect of four groups of biocides, alcohols, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium compounds, and the polymeric biocide polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG-Cl), was evaluated using PA and SA biofilms. Most biocides, except for PHMG-Cl and 70% ethanol, caused substantial eDNA release, and PHMG-Cl was found to block biofilm development when used at concentrations of 0.5% and 0.1%. This might be associated with the formation of DNA–PHMG-Cl complexes as PHMG-Cl is predicted to bind to AT base pairs by molecular docking assays. PHMG-Cl was found to bind high-molecular DNA and plasmid DNA and continued to inactivate DNA on surfaces even after 4 weeks. PHMG-Cl also effectively inactivated biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance gene eDNA released by a pan-drug-resistant Klebsiella strain, which demonstrates the potential of a polymeric biocide as a new surface-active agent to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance in hospital settings.     

Ferulic Acid,Pterostilbene, and Tyrosol Protect the Heart from ER-Stress-Induced Injury by Activating SIRT1-Dependent Deacetylation of eIF2α

Disturbances in Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) homeostasis induce ER stress, which has been involved in the development and progression of various heart diseases, including arrhythmias, cardiac hypertrophy, ischemic heart diseases, dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. A mild-to-moderate ER stress is considered beneficial and adaptative for heart functioning by engaging the pro-survival unfolded protein response (UPR) to restore normal ER function. By contrast, a severe or prolonged ER stress is detrimental by promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis through hyperactivation of the UPR pathways. Previously, we have demonstrated that the NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 is cardioprotective in response to severe ER stress by regulating the PERK pathway of the UPR, suggesting that activation of SIRT1 could protect against ER-stress-induced cardiac damage. The purpose of this study was to identify natural molecules able to alleviate ER stress and inhibit cardiomyocyte cell death through SIRT1 activation. Several phenolic compounds, abundant in vegetables, fruits, cereals, wine, and tea, were reported to stimulate the deacetylase activity of SIRT1. Here, we evaluated the cardioprotective effect of ten of these phenolic compounds against severe ER stress using cardiomyoblast cells and mice. Among the molecules tested, we showed that ferulic acid, pterostilbene, and tyrosol significantly protect cardiomyocytes and mice heart from cardiac alterations induced by severe ER stress. By studying the mechanisms involved, we showed that the activation of the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway of the UPR was reduced by ferulic acid, pterostilbene, and tyrosol under ER stress conditions, leading to a reduction in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The protection afforded by these phenolic compounds was not directly related to their antioxidant activity but rather to their ability to increase SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of eIF2α. Taken together, our results suggest that ferulic acid, pterostilbene, and tyrosol are promising molecules to activate SIRT1 to protect the heart from the adverse effects of ER stress.     

Pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction of natural antioxidants from mandarin (Citrus deliciosa Tenore) leaves: Experimental and modeling study

Pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE) of flavonoids and polyphenols from mandarin (Citrus deliciosa Tenore) leaves was examined. The response surface methodology (RSM) via face-centered central composite design (FCCD) was used to investigate the effects of extraction time (15–75?min), output amplitude (30–70%), and pH (4–10) to optimize the extraction process. The total phenolic material (TPM) and the total flavonoid material (TFM) and also the consumed energy of horn were measured as responses. Additionally, calorimetric calculations were done to evaluate the ultrasound energy dissipated into the solution. The calculated quadratic models were highly significant (p?R²) of 0.9722, 0.9805, and 0.9983. The results of the present study suggest that 65?min, 68.72?min, 15.00 extraction time, 61%, 59%, and 30% of ultrasound amplitude and 4, 6.7, and 4 pH of solution should be considered as optimal extraction conditions to get the optimum TPM (37.845?mg-GAE/g-DL), TFM (10.709?mg-CE/g-DL), and energy consumption (6130.275 Joule) for PUAE of mandarin leaves, respectively.     

Destruction of trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloromethane (TCM) in the presence of selected VOCs over Pt-Pd-based catalyst

Catalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloromethane (TCM) oxidized alone and in two-component mixtures with selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene, n-hexane, ethanol or acetone was investigated over a Pt-Pd-based catalyst on a monolithic, metallic, γ-Al₂O₃-washcoated support. TCE and TCM were more difficult to oxidize than VOCs and temperatures of their 50% conversion (T_50%) amouted to 420 and 330 °C, respectively. All the VOCs added were found to enhance the conversion of the two chlorinated compounds, drecreasing T_50% by 20 °C, at the most, for TCM in the presence of toluene and by 50 °C for TCE in the presence of acetone. Both the chlorinated compounds lowered the conversion of the VOCs added (except that of toluene), and this lowering was particularly distinct with n-heptane; they also raised the concentration of acetaldehyde formed during the oxidation of oxyderivative compounds.     

Effects of cotton condensed tannin,maysin (Corn) and pinitol (soybeans) onHeliothis zea growth and development

Maysin, a flavone glycoside from corn silks, inhibits ingestion, and thus growth, ofHeliothis zea (Boddie) larvae. Pinitol from soybeans inhibitedH. zea growth by the same mechanism. Despite the widely held assumption that tannins inhibit growth by inhibiting assimilation, cotton condensed tannin inhibitedH. zea growth by reducing ingestion; no evidence was found for a reduction in assimilation. Neonate larvae are shown to be much more sensitive to allelochemics than larvae that have fed on control diet before being transferred to diet containing plant allelochemics.Reference to a company and/or product named by the department is only for purposes of information and does not imply approval or recommendation of the product to the exclusion of others which may also be suitable.Published with the approval of the director of the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station as Miscellaneous Paper No. 968, Contribution No. 514 of the Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19711.     

Multitarget Inhibition of Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) and Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K): Current and Future Prospects

The discovery of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors is a hot topic in the medicinal chemistry community regarding cancer research. This is related primarily to two factors: success in the clinic, e. g., the four FDA-approved HDAC inhibitors, and strong versatility to combine their pharmacophoric features to design new hybrid compounds with multitarget profiles. Thus, the selection of adequate pharmacophores to combine, i. e., combining targets that can result in a synergistic effect, is desirable, as it increases the probability of discovering a new useful therapeutic strategy. In this work, we highlight the design of multitarget HDAC/PI3K inhibitors. Although this approach is still in its early stages, many significant works have described the design and pharmacological evaluation of this new promising class of multitarget inhibitors, where compound CUDC-907, which is already in clinical trials, stands out. Therefore, the question emerges of whether there still space for the design and evaluation of new multitarget HDAC/PI3K inhibitors. When considering the selectivity profile of the described multitarget compounds, the answer appears to be in the affirmative, especially since the first examples of compounds with a certain selectivity profile only recently appeared in 2020.     

哌啶类双氨基雄甾烷类化合物的合成及其活性研究

在对双氨基雄甾烷类化合物构效关系研究的基础上,合成了2个哌啶类双氨基雄甾烷类化合物,并对合成的过程和活性测定的结果进行了分析,以期发现更加有效或毒副作用更小的肌松药。化合物的结构均经1H NMR和13C NMR确证。     

Photocatalytic oxidation of treated municipal wastewaters for the removal of phenolic compounds: optimization and modeling using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs)

BACKGROUND: TiO₂ heterogeneous photocatalysis should be optimized before application for the removal of pollutants in treated wastewaters. The response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were applied to model and optimize the photocatalytic degradation of total phenolic (TPh) compounds in real secondary and tertiary treated municipal wastewaters. RESULTS: RSM was developed by considering a central composite design (CCD) with three input variables, i.e. TiO₂ mass, initial concentration of TPh and irradiation intensity. At the same time a feed‐forward multilayered perceptron ANN trained using back propagation algorithms was used and compared with RSM. Under the optimum conditions established in experiments ([TPh]₀ = 3 mg L^?1; [TiO₂] = 300 mg L^?1; I = 600 W m^?2) the degradation for both TPh and total organic carbon (TOC) followed pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model. Complete degradation of TPh took place in 180 min and reduction of TOC reached 80%. A significant abatement of the overall toxicity was accomplished as revealed by Microtox bioassay. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the variables considered have important effects on TPh removal efficiency. The results demonstrated that the use of experimental design strategy is indispensable for successful investigation and adequate modeling of the process and that ANNs gave better modelling capability than RSM. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

硅钛酚醛树脂的合成和表征

采用烷氧基硅烷单体和钛酸四丁酯(TBOT)进行水解缩合,制得元素有机硅树脂聚钛硅氧烷(TiSi),再将聚钛硅氧烷与酚醛树脂(PF)进行脱水缩合,制得元素有机硅改性酚醛树脂(TiSiP)。利用红外光谱对得到的TiSi、PF和TiSiP的结构进行了表征,利用TG对TiSiP树脂的耐温性能进行了考察。所合成的树脂经180℃固化3h后,在空气气氛中300℃时开始出现明显的热失重,700℃时的残留率为64%。     

取代苯氧乙酸二乙氨基乙醇酯的合成、表征及生物活性

以取代苯酚为原料亲核取代制得取代苯氧乙酸,采用硅胶负载四氯化锡为催化剂,二甲苯为溶剂,与二乙氨基乙醇发生酯化反应合成了6个苯氧乙酸二乙氨基乙醇酯衍生物。利用IR、1HNMR、13CNMR和MS对其结构进行了表征。初步的活性测试表明:与2,4-D(2,4-二氯苯氧乙酸)相比,大多数目标化合物均可促进玉米幼苗生长,提高玉米幼苗的硝酸还原酶活性,其中2-溴苯氧乙酸二乙氨基乙酯的处理质量浓度为20 mg/L时玉米幼苗硝酸还原酶活性最高。     

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties of Three Actinidia (Actinidia kolomikta, Actinidia arguta, Actinidia chinensis) Extracts in Vitro

The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, vitamin C content, and antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts from different kiwifruit varieties (Actinidia kolomikta, Actinidia arguta, Actinidia chinensis) were determined in this study. Multiple scavenging activity assays including the hydroxyl radical, O(2) (-)·radical, DPPH, and the ABTS(+) radical scavenging activity assays were used to identify the antioxidant activities of Actinidia extracts. The cell viability of HepG2 and HT-29 cells was also examined in this study. The results demonstrated that the Actinidia kolomikta extract had a higher antioxidant activity than the other two Actinidia extracts. There is a positive correlation between antioxidant activity and the polyphenols and vitamin C content in all three extracts (R(2) ≥ 0.712, p < 0.05). The Actinidia arguta extract had the highest inhibitory effect on HepG2 and HT-29 cell growth. These results provide new insight into the health functions of fruit and demonstrate that Actinidia extracts can potentially have health benefits.     

Identification of olfactory cues used in host-plant finding by diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Olfactory attraction of female diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) to odors of intact and homogenized host plants, as well as individual compounds characteristic of host plants, were investigated by behavioral and electrophysiological methods. Moths were attracted to odors ofBrassica juncea andB. napus seedlings in a Y-tube bioassay. Solvent fractions of homogenizedB. juncea leaves were attractive to moths whether or not isothiocyanates (IC) were present. Moths were attracted in Y-tube bioassays and to field traps baited with individual ICs. Volatiles fromB. juncea andB. napus elicited an electroantennogram (EAG) response and were attractive in the Y-tube bioassay. Allyl IC was shown to be the attractive component in homogenized plant volatiles but was found to be virtually absent from intact plant volatiles. Gas chromatographic fractionation of intact plant volatiles revealed a terpene-containing fraction to be most attractive to the moths. We were unable to isolate individual attractive compounds from this fraction. Our results suggest that certain elements of this fraction, possibly in combination, are important olfactory cues for host-plant finding by the diamondback moth with mustard oils playing an important and possibly synergistic role, particularly when plants are damaged.     

Inhibition of corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement of a HSLA steel in 0.5m H2SO4 by nitrile compounds

The inhibitive action of valeronitrile, benzonitrile and derivatives of benzonitrile on the corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement behaviour of HSLA steel in 0.5m H2SO4 was investigated. All these inhibitors reduced the corrosion rate of the steel with naphthonitrile showing the highest inhibitive efficiency and valeronitrile the lowest. All the inhibitors adsorbed on the steel as per the Temkin adsorption isotherm. The steel become less active on the addition of benzonitrile, 3-chlorobenzonitrile, 4-chlorobenzonitrile, 4-methylbenzonitrile and naphthonitrile to the acid while valeronitrile and 2-chlorobenzonitrile made the steel more active. Naphthonitrile reduced the rate of the hydrogen evolution reaction most efficiently. Derivatives of benzonitrile inhibited hydrogen absorption most effectively.