Benzothiazinone analogs as Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis DprE1 irreversible inhibitors: Covalent docking, validation, and molecular dynamics simulations.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a lethal human pathogen, with the key flavoenzyme for catalyzing bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis, decaprenylphosphoryl-D-ribose oxidase (DprE1), considered an Achilles heal for tuberculosis (TB) progression. Inhibition of DprE1 blocks cell wall biosynthesis and is a highly promising antitubercular target. Macozinone (PBTZ169, a benzothiazinone (BTZ) derivative) is an irreversible DprE1 inhibitor that has attracted considerable attention because it exhibits an additive activity when combined with other anti-TB drugs.

A DFT investigation on the potential of beryllium oxide (Be12O12) as a nanocarrier for nucleobases.

The study of the interactions between biomolecules and nanostructures is quite fascinating. Herein, the adsorption propensity of beryllium oxide (Be12O12) nanocarrier toward nucleobases (NBs) was investigated. In terms of DFT calculations, the adsorption tendency of Be12O12 toward NBs, including cytosine (NB-C), guanine (NB-G), adenine (NB-A), thymine (NB-T), and uracil (NB-U), was unveiled through various configurations.

Repurposing of drug candidates against Epstein-Barr virus: Virtual screening, docking computations, molecular dynamics, and quantum mechanical study.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first tumor virus identified in humans, and it is mostly linked to lymphomas and cancers of epithelial cells. Nevertheless, there is no FDA-licensed drug feasible for this ubiquitous EBV viral contagion. EBNA1 (Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1) plays several roles in the replication and transcriptional of latent gene expression of the EBV, making it an attractive druggable target for the treatment of EBV-related malignancies.

On the Versatility of the -, -, and -Hybridized Chalcogen-Bearing Molecules To Engage in Type I Chalcogen···Chalcogen Interactions: A Quantum Mechanical Investigation of Like···Like and Unlike Complexes.

The predilection of -, -, and -hybridized chalcogen-bearing molecules to engage in type I chalcogen···chalcogen interactions was comparatively unveiled in like···like/unlike CY···YC, YCY···YCY, and FY···YF (where Y = O, S, and Se) complexes, respectively. Upon the optimized monomers, a potential energy surface (PES) scan was conducted to pinpoint the most favorable complexes. The energetic findings unveiled the ability of the investigated systems to engage in the interactions under study with binding energy values ranging from -0.

RuC nanosheet as a promising biosensing material for detecting the aromatic amino acids: a DFT study.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to examine the potential of the RuC nanosheet as a biosensor towards the aromatic amino acids (AAA; tryptophan (TRP), histidine (HIS), tyrosine (TYR), and phenylalanine (PHE)). The AAA molecules were placed vertically and horizontally with respect to the RuC surface and then subjected to geometrical relaxation. According to the geometry relaxation results, it was found that all AAA molecules preferred to be adsorbed on the RuC surface in a horizontal configuration rather than a vertical one, except the HIS molecule, which desired to be vertically adsorbed on the RuC nanosheet.

Unconventional Radical and Radical-Hole Site-Based Interactions in Halogen-Bearing Dimers and Trimers: A Comparative Study.

Radical (R) and R-hole site-based interactions are comparatively studied, for the first time, using methods. In this regard, R-bearing molecules XO (where X = Cl, Br, and I) were subjected to direct interaction with NH within dimeric and trimeric forms in the form of NH···XO/XO···NH and NH···XO···NH complexes, respectively. As confirmed by electrostatic potential analysis, the studied R-bearing molecules XO had the outstanding potentiality to interact as Lewis acid centers via two positive sites dubbed as R and R-hole sites.

σ-Hole, lone-pair-hole, and π-hole site-based interactions in aerogen-comprising complexes: a comparative study.

Herein, the potential of ZO and ZF aerogen-comprising molecules (where Z = Ar, Kr, and Xe) to engage in σ-, lp-, and π-hole site-based interactions was comparatively studied using various computations. For the first time, a premier in-depth elucidation of the external electric field (EEF) influence on the strength of the σ-, lp-, and π-hole site-based interactions within the ZO/ZF⋯NH and ⋯NCH complexes was addressed using oriented EEF with disparate magnitude. Upon the energetic features, σ-hole site-based interactions were noticed with the most prominent preferability in comparison to lp- and π-hole analogs.

A Comparative DFT Investigation of the Adsorption of Temozolomide Anticancer Drug over Beryllium Oxide and Boron Nitride Nanocarriers.

Herein, attempts were made to explore the adsorption prospective of beryllium oxide (BeO) and boron nitride (BN) nanocarriers toward the temozolomide (TMZ) anticancer drug. A systematic investigation of the TMZ adsorption over nanocarriers was performed by using quantum chemical density functional theory (DFT). The favorability of BeO and BN nanocarriers toward loading TMZ was investigated through A↔D configurations.

Upcycling of sugar refining mud solid waste as a novel adsorbent for removing methylene blue and Congo red from wastewater.

The feasibility of utilizing the mud solid waste (MSW) produced during the carbonation process of sugar refining as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the water removal of methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR), being highly utilized organic dyes representing cationic and anionic species, respectively is presented. Prior to its use, the MSW was dried at 110 °C for 24 h and sieved through a 100-mesh screen. The chief constituent of the MSW utilized was CaCO, with a point of zero charge (PZC) found at pH 8.

Aluminium phosphide (AlP) nanocage as a potential sensor for volatile organic compounds: A DFT study.

The efficacy of aluminium phosphide (AlP) nanocage toward sensing methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was herein thoroughly elucidated utilizing various density functional theory (DFT) computations. In this perspective, MeOH⋯ and EtOH⋯AlP complexes were investigated within all plausible configurations. According to the energetic features, the EtOH⋯AlP complexes exhibited larger negative values of adsorption and interaction energies with values up to -27.

σ-Hole Site-Based Interactions within Hypervalent Pnicogen, Halogen, and Aerogen-Bearing Molecules with Lewis Bases: A Comparative Study.

σ-Hole site-based interactions in the trigonal bipyramidal geometrical structure of hypervalent pnicogen, halogen, and aerogen-bearing molecules with pyridine and NCH Lewis bases (LBs) were comparatively examined. In this respect, the ZF···, XFO···, and AeFO···LB complexes (where Z = As, Sb; X = Br, I; Ae = Kr, Xe; and LB = pyridine and NCH) were investigated. The electrostatic potential (EP) analysis affirmations outlined the occurrence of σ-holes on the systems under consideration with disparate magnitudes that increased according to the following order: AeFO < XFO < ZF.

Hole interactions of aerogen oxides with Lewis bases: an insight into σ-hole and lone-pair-hole interactions.

σ-Hole and lone-pair (lp)-hole interactions of aerogen oxides with Lewis bases (LB) were comparatively inspected in terms of quantum mechanics calculations. The ZO ⋯ LB complexes (where Z = Kr and Xe, = 1, 2, 3 and 4, and LB = NH and NCH) showed favourable negative interaction energies. The complexation features were explained in light of σ-hole and lp-hole interactions within optimum distances lower than the sum of the respective van der Waals radii.

Efficient adsorption of chloroquine phosphate by a novel sodium alginate/tannic acid double-network hydrogel in a wide pH range.

In this work, a novel double-network composite hydrogel (SA/TA), composed of sodium alginate (SA) and tannic acid (TA), was designed and fabricated by a successive cross-linking method using Ti(IV) and Ca(II) as crosslinkers. SA/TA exhibited reinforced mechanical strength and anti-swelling properties because of the double-network structure. SA/TA was used as an adsorbent for removal of a popular antiviral drug, chloroquine phosphate (CQ), in water.

Density functional theory study of the corrosion inhibition performance of 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine expired drugs toward the aluminium (111) surface.

The potentiality of the 6-mercaptopurine (MP) and 6-thioguanine (TG) expired drugs toward the corrosion inhibition of the aluminium (Al) (111) surface was widely investigated using a series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A competition between the anti-corrosive features of the studied drugs in the gas and aqueous phases was conducted on both neutral and protonated forms by means of quantum mechanical descriptors. The results of the electrostatic potential analysis demonstrated the prominent nucleophilic nature of the sulfur and nitrogen atoms over the structures of the examined drugs.

Sigma-Hole and Lone-Pair-Hole Site-Based Interactions of Seesaw Tetravalent Chalcogen-Bearing Molecules with Lewis Bases.

For the first time, sigma (σ)- and lone-pair (lp)-hole site-based interactions of SF and SeF molecules in seesaw geometry with NH and FH Lewis bases were herein comparatively investigated. The obtained findings from the electrostatic potential analysis outlined the emergence of sundry holes on the molecular entity of the SF and SeF molecules, dubbed the σ- and lp-holes. The energetic viewpoint announced splendid negative binding energy values for σ-hole site-based interactions succeeded by lp-hole analogues, which were found to be -9.

Pyronaridine as a Bromodomain-Containing Protein 4--Terminal Bromodomain (BRD4-BD1) Inhibitor: Database Mining, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

BRD4 (bromodomain-containing protein 4) is an epigenetic reader that realizes histone proteins and promotes the transcription of genes linked to cancer progression and non-cancer diseases such as acute heart failure and severe inflammation. The highly conserved -terminal bromodomain (BD1) recognizes acylated lysine residues to organize the expression of genes. As such, BD1 is essential for disrupting BRD4 interactions and is a promising target for cancer treatment.

Elucidating the adsorption of 2-Mercaptopyridine drug on the aluminum phosphide (AlP) nanocage: A DFT study.

Adsorption amplitude of the aluminum phosphide (AlP) nanocage toward the 2-Mercaptopyridine (MCP) drug was herein monitored based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption process through MCP⋅⋅⋅AlP complex in various configurations was elucidated by means of adsorption () energies. According to the energetic affirmations, the AlP nanocage demonstrated potential versatility toward adsorbing the MCP drug within the investigated configurations and exhibited significant negative adsorption energies up to -27.

Preferability of Molnupiravir, an Anti-COVID-19 Drug, toward Purine Nucleosides: A Quantum Mechanical Study.

Structural aspects of molnupiravir complexed with the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been recently resolved inside the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), demonstrating the interactions of molnupiravir with purine nucleosides. However, the preference of molnupiravir to interact with one purine nucleoside over another has not been clearly investigated. Herein, the complexation of molnupiravir in its active form with guanosine and adenosine was compared, using sundry density functional theory calculations.

In-Silico Mining of the Toxins Database (T3DB) towards Hunting Prospective Candidates as ABCB1 Inhibitors: Integrated Molecular Docking and Lipid Bilayer-Enhanced Molecular Dynamics Study.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the most problematic issues in chemotherapeutic carcinoma therapy. The ABCB1 transporter, a drug efflux pump overexpressed in cancer cells, has been thoroughly investigated for its association with MDR. Thus, discovering ABCB1 inhibitors can reverse the MDR in cancer cells.

Adsorption Features of Tetrahalomethanes (CX; X = F, Cl, and Br) on Borophene and Pristine Graphene Nanosheets: A Comparative DFT Study.

The potentiality of the borophene () and pristine graphene (GN) nanosheets to adsorb tetrahalomethanes (CX; X = F, Cl, and Br) were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) methods. To provide a thorough understanding of the adsorption process, tetrel (XC-X∙∙∙/GN)- and halogen (XC-X∙∙∙/GN)-oriented configurations were characterized at various adsorption sites. According to the energetic manifestations, the adsorption process of the CX∙∙∙/GN complexes within the tetrel-oriented configuration led to more desirable negative adsorption energy () values than that within the halogen-oriented analogs.

A green compliant hand-held selective electrode device for monitoring active pharmaceuticals and the kinetics of their degradation.

An in-line smartphone connected to a screen-printed selective electrode hand-held device was used to determine the concentration of distigmine bromide (DB) in its pure and dosage forms as well as its degradation kinetics by continuously measuring the change in the produced emf over time. The main objective, supported by the data presented, is to produce a highly reliable smartphone integrated selective sensor as a portable analyzer with potential high cloud connectivity combining a wide linear dynamic range, the fastest response time with the lowest limits of detection and quantitation while best integrating green analytical chemistry principles. The choice of ionophore used in this approach was guided by computation and the data obtained was compared with traditional analytical techniques.

On the Use of Graphene Nanosheets for Drug Delivery: A Case Study of Cisplatin and Some of Its Analogs.

Graphene (GN) nanosheets have been widely exploited in biomedical applications as potential nanocarriers for various drugs due to their distinct physical and chemical properties. In this regard, the adsorption behavior of cisplatin (PtCl) and some of its analogs on a GN nanosheet was investigated in perpendicular and parallel configurations by using density functional theory (DFT). According to the findings, the most significant negative adsorption energies () within the PtX⋯GN complexes (where X = Cl, Br, and I) were observed for the parallel configuration, with values up to -25.

Mono- and Multicomponent Biosorption of Caffeine and Salicylic Acid onto Processed Cape Gooseberry Husk Agri-Food Waste.

There is an increasing need to find cost-effective and sustainable solutions for treating wastewater from contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). In this regard, cape gooseberry husk-typically an agri-food waste-is investigated for the first time as a potential biosorbent for the removal of model pharmaceutical contaminants of caffeine (CA) and salicylic acid (SA) from water. Three different preparations of husks were investigated and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, zeta potential, and point of zero charge measurements.

Adsorption of Favipiravir on pristine graphene nanosheets as a drug delivery system: a DFT study.

The efficiency of pristine graphene (GN) in the delivery process of the Favipiravir (FPV) anti-COVID-19 drug was herein revealed within the FPV⋯GN complexes in perpendicular and parallel configurations in terms of the density functional theory (DFT) method. Adsorption energy findings unveiled that the parallel configuration of FPV⋯GN complexes showed higher desirability than the perpendicular one, giving adsorption energy up to -15.95 kcal mol.