Untying arsenite tolerance mechanisms in contrasting maize genotypes attributed to NIPs-mediated controlled influx and root-to-shoot translocation, redox homeostasis and phytochelatin-mediated detoxification pathway.

Contamination of ground water and soil with toxic metalloids like arsenic (As) poses a serious hazard to the global agricultural food production. One of the best ways to restrict entry of As into the food chain is selection of germplasms which accrue extremely low level of As in grains. Here, we screened diverse maize genotypes under high arsenite (100 μM AsIII) stress and identified PMI-PV-9 and PMI-PV-3 as AsIII-tolerant and -sensitive maize genotype respectively.

Untying the regulatory roles of miRNAs in CuO-NPs stress response mechanism in maize: A genome-wide sRNA transcriptome analysis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a group of tiny non-coding RNAs play pivotal role in plant responses to environmental stress. The present small RNA transcriptome study aims to untie the role of miRNAs in CuO-NPs stress adaptation in maize seedlings. Restricted seedling growth, enhanced ROS generation and higher membrane damage were recorded under CuO-NPs [<50 nm, 8 mM] treatment.

The role of bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) in the synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanomaterials: A state-of-the-art review.

The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens poses a significant global health concern due to the failure of conventional medical treatment. As a result, the development of several metallic (Ag, Au, Zn, Ti, etc.) nanoparticles, has gained prominence as an alternative to conventional antimicrobial therapies.

DNA hypomethylation is the plausible driver of heat stress adaptation in Linum usitatissimum.

Heat stress has a significant impact on the climatic adaptation of flax, a cool-season economic crop. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns are crucial for understanding how flax cultivars respond to heat adversities. It is worth noting that the DNA methylome in flax has yet to be investigated at the nucleotide level.

Sweet Potato Peels and Cancer Prevention.

A bioassay-guided fractionation of an alcoholic extract from the peels of Ipomoea batatas Lam has been carried out. Sulforhodamine B and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were used to evaluate the anticancer and antioxidant potential, respectively, while silica gel column chromatography (CC) was used to isolate compounds that were characterized using 1D- and 2D-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and mass spectrometry. The alcoholic extract was fractionated into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water.

New Xanthone from the roots of Swertia cordata (G. Don) Clarke.

The chloroform extract of Swertia cordata (G. Don) roots was subjected to column chromatography, afforded two (one new and one known) xanthones. Both the compounds were isolated for the first time from S.

Natural antifungal compounds from the peels of Ipomoea batatas Lam.

Three antifungal compounds have been isolated for the first time from the peels of Ipomoea batatas Lam. Their structures were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra data as well as ESI-MS and IR analysis. Urs-13(18)-ene-3β-yl acetate was found to possess a weak activity against Sporothrix schenckii and Trichophyton metagrophytes fungi with an MIC value of 50 μg/mL each.

β-aminobutyric acid mediated drought stress alleviation in maize (Zea mays L.).

The present study highlights the role of β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) in alleviating drought stress effects in maize (Zea mays L.). Chemical priming was imposed by pretreating 1-week-old plants with 600 μM BABA prior to applying drought stress.

Substrate and stereocontrolled iodocycloetherification of highly functionalized enantiomerically pure allylic alcohols: application to synthesis of cytotoxic 2-epi jaspine B and its biological evaluation.

Stereoselectivities of electrophilic additions of molecular iodine to enantiomerically pure highly functionalized allylic alcohols with internal nucleophiles have been investigated. The intramolecular nucleophilic attack on the I2-π complex by an oxygen nucleophile to obtain tri- and tetrasubstituted THFs is highly regio-, stereoselective and substrate controlled. The application of this study has been shown by utilizing one of the THFs 4a as a key intermediate to complete the total synthesis of marine anti-cancer natural product 2-epi jaspine B.

3D-QSAR and molecular modeling studies on 2,3-dideoxy hexenopyranosid-4-uloses as anti-tubercular agents targeting alpha-mannosidase.

Ligand-based and structure-based methods were applied in combination to exploit the physicochemical properties of 2,3-dideoxy hex-2-enopyranosid-4-uloses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Statistically valid 3D-QSAR models with good correlation and predictive power were obtained with CoMFA steric and electrostatic fields (r(2) = 0.797, q(2) = 0.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bicyclic iminosugar hybrids: conformational constraint as an effective tool for tailoring the selectivity of α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Principle guided design of glycan processing enzyme inhibitors involves embedding aromatic groups onto charge and shape mimics. Intramolecular azide-alkyne cycloaddition was used as a simple and versatile strategy for the synthesis of novel condensed bicyclic triazoles from carbohydrate derived Perlin aldehydes. These newly synthesised molecules were evaluated for glycosidase inhibition against 11 commercially available enzymes and were found to possess significant affinity (micromolar range) as well as high degree of selectivity for α-glucosidases.

Synthesis of 2,3,6-trideoxy sugar triazole hybrids as potential new broad spectrum antimicrobial agents.

Here, we describe a molecular hybridization inspired design and synthesis of novel 6-triazolyl 2,3,6-trideoxy sugars as promising new broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents using click chemistry in key step. These compounds showed MIC between 0.39 and 50 μg/mL against different native and resistant bacteria and fungi with no toxicity.

Deoxysugars as antituberculars and alpha-mannosidase inhibitors.

A promising modified sugar molecule was identified which was active against multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, suggesting involvement of a new target. The compound was demonstrated to be bactericidal, inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis in mice, and targeted alpha-mannosidase as a competitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 353.

Impact of nano-CuO stress on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings.

Indiscriminate release of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) into the environment due to anthropogenic activities has become a serious threat to the ecological system including plants. The present study assesses the toxicity of nano-CuO on rice (Oryza sativa cv. Swarna) seedlings.

A chiron approach to aminocytitols by Petasis-Borono-Mannich reaction: formal synthesis of (+)-conduramine E and (-)-conduramine E.

A chiron approach to a stereoselective route for the synthesis of aminocytitols from carbohydrates is described. The formal synthesis of (+)-conduramine E and (-)-conduramine E was achieved by utilizing this strategy. The key features of the synthetic strategy include one-pot three-component Petasis-Borono-Mannich reaction to introduce the syn-β-amino alcohol functionality of conduramine E and ring-closing metathesis to construct its carbocyclic core.

Chiral pyridin-3-ones and pyridines: syntheses of enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones, 2,3-disubstituted 4-iodopyridines, and enantiopure 2,3-disubstituted 4-pyridinemethanols.

The development of an innovative method to access enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones starting from D-glucal via the aza-Achmatowicz transformation has been described. These highly functionalized pyridin-3-ones have been utilized for the synthesis of contiguously substituted pyridines through a rapid and efficient Et(3)N/Ac(2)O promoted cyclo-elimination, aromatization cascade, allowing the facile assembly of important pyridine-based building blocks like 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-iodopyridines and enantiopure 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-pyridinemethanols possessing benzylic stereogenic centers, whose synthesis otherwise would be tedious. The utilization of commercially available sugars as starting materials, mild reaction conditions, catalytic transfer hydrogen (CTH) of α-furfuryl azide derivatives, transfer of chiral aryl/alkyl methanols from enulosides to pyridin-3-ones and pyridines, high yields, and short reaction times are key features of this method.

Diastereoselective one-pot Wittig olefination-Michael addition and olefin cross metathesis strategy for total synthesis of cytotoxic natural product (+)-varitriol and its higher analogues.

A stereoselective route for the total synthesis of anticancer marine natural product (+)-varitriol (1) is detailed herein. The impressive biological activity and interesting structural features of natural (+)-varitriol fuelled us to undertake the synthesis of some higher analogues (1a-j) of this molecule. The key features of the synthetic strategy include one-pot Wittig olefination followed by a highly diastereoselective oxa-Michael addition to assemble stereochemically pure tetrasubstituted THF moiety of the natural varitriol and olefin cross metathesis to couple the aromatic part with tetrasubstituted THF moiety.

Overexpression of Rv3097c in Mycobacterium bovis BCG abolished the efficacy of BCG vaccine to protect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice.

Rv3097c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis encoding lipase (LipY) was overexpressed in Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Efficacy of recombinant BCG to protect against infection of M. tuberculosis was evaluated in mice.

2,3-dideoxy hex-2-enopyranosid-4-uloses as promising new anti-tubercular agents: design, synthesis, biological evaluation and SAR studies.

The alarming resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) underlines the urgent need for development of new and potent anti-TB drugs. Towards this goal we herein report the design and synthesis of 2,3-dideoxy hex-2-enopyranosid-4-uloses as promising new anti-tubercular agents. These easily accessible, small molecules were found to exhibit in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in a MIC range of 0.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of glycal-derived novel tetrahydrofuran 1,2,3-triazoles by 'click' chemistry.

Thirteen new 1,2,3-triazoles (5a-e, 15a-d, 17a-b, 19, and 21) were synthesized by 'click' reaction of sugar-derived azides with commercially available acetylenes. The synthesized triazoles were tested in vitro for their biological activity, and compound 5b displayed both antibacterial and antifungal activities at an MIC value of 12.5 microg/mL, while compounds 15b and 19 showed antibacterial activity at an MIC value of 25 microg/mL.

A chiron approach to the total synthesis of cytotoxic (+)-muricatacin and (+)-5-epi-muricatacin from D-ribose.

A chiron approach strategy toward the total synthesis of (+)-muricatacin and (+)-5-epi-muricatacin starting from commercially available and inexpensive d-ribose through the key intermediate (S)-5-((R)-1-hydroxyallyl)furan-2(5H)-one has been disclosed.

Facile synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2- and 2,3-disubstituted furans catalysed by mixed Lewis acids: an easy route to 3-iodofurans and 3-(hydroxymethyl)furans.

Simple and efficient syntheses, catalysed by a mixed Lewis acid system (ZrCl(4)/ZnI(2)), of enantiomerically pure 2- and 2,3-disubstituted furan derivatives--including important synthons such as 3-iodofuran and 3-(hydroxymethyl)furan derivatives--from commercially available 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal are described. The transformation is achieved through a synergistic interaction between ZrCl(4) and ZnI(2) in catalytic amounts.

First total synthesis of (+)-varitriol.

A highly stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-varitriol, an antitumor natural product, has been achieved for the first time from commercially available methyl alpha,D-mannopyranoside and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid.