Pathways in permanganate oxidation of mandelic acid: reactivity and selectivity of intermediate manganese species.

We report a comprehensive kinetic and product study of the oxidation of mandelic acid (MA) by permanganate in the pH range of 1-13, including a full account of total oxidizing equivalents (five and three-electron change in acidic and basic media, respectively). In the entire pH range, the reaction shows a primary kinetic deuterium isotope effect (/ ≥8-9), indicating rate-limiting hydride transfer. The deuterium label in α-deutero-mandelic acid is retained in benzaldehyde.

A Drug Repurposing Approach to Identify Therapeutics by Screening Pathogen Box Exploiting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus -2 (SARS-CoV-2) and is responsible for a higher degree of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a smaller number of approved therapeutics available to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the virus is evolving at a fast pace. So, there is a continuous need for new therapeutics to combat COVID-19.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in plants and their possible ecotoxicological and agri food impacts.

Scientific investigations on levels of Organochlorine Pesticide (OCP) residues in plants largely consider the edible parts (crops, vegetables, and fruit plants). Though the non-edible parts of plants are not eaten by human beings directly, these parts are consumed by livestock and other animals, thereby facilitating the flow of chemical residues through the food chain. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the concentration of OCP residues in non-edible plant parts to provide insights on their potential ecotoxicological impacts.

Polymyxins, the last-resort antibiotics: Mode of action, resistance emergence, and potential solutions.

Infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity across the world. Indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has seriously affected this situation. With the diminishing discovery of novel antibiotics, new treatment methods are urgently required to combat MDR pathogens.

Geo-ecological cues for mass nesting synchronization of Olive Ridley turtles along Rushikulya estuary in Odisha, east coast of India.

In this study, we have analyzed how geo-ecological cues for endangered Olive Ridley turtles' mass nesting behavior got modified by impact of four severe cyclones during 2010-2019 that made landfall in the vicinity of Rushikulya estuary, which is one of the largest mass nesting congregation (arribada) sites in the world. Analyzing last 10 years of shoreline dynamics, we show that even the slightest modification in beach morphology influenced their nesting behavior in Rushikulya rookery. Shoreline change analysis showed periodic phases of high/low erosion and the northward longshore sediment movement, which becomes impeded by the southern spit, the length of which increased by about 1800 m.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Fruit Extract and Assessments of Their Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP).

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has currently been gaining wide applications in the medical field of nanomedicine. Green synthesis is one of the most effective procedures for the production of AgNPs. The tree grown throughout India has been reported to have antioxidant and various therapeutic applications.

Functionalized Chitosan Nanomaterials: A Jammer for Quorum Sensing.

The biggest challenge in the present-day healthcare scenario is the rapid emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance due to the rampant use of antibiotics in daily therapeutics. Such drug resistance is associated with the enhancement of microbial virulence and the acquisition of the ability to evade the host's immune response under the shelter of a biofilm. Quorum sensing (QS) is the mechanism by which the microbial colonies in a biofilm modulate and intercept communication without direct interaction.

Macrolactin A as a Novel Inhibitory Agent for SARS-CoV-2 M: Bioinformatics Approach.

COVID-19 is a disease that puts most of the world on lockdown and the search for therapeutic drugs is still ongoing. Therefore, this study used in silico screening to identify natural bioactive compounds from fruits, herbaceous plants, and marine invertebrates that are able to inhibit protease activity in SARS-CoV-2 (PDB: 6LU7). We have used extensive screening strategies such as drug likeliness, antiviral activity value prediction, molecular docking, ADME, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and MM/GBSA.

Microbial Fabrication of Nanomaterial and Its Role in Disintegration of Exopolymeric Matrices of Biofilm.

Bacterial biofilms are responsible for the development of various chronic wound-related and implant-mediated infections and confer protection to the pathogenic bacteria against antimicrobial drugs and host immune responses. Hence, biofilm-mediated chronic infections have created a tremendous burden upon healthcare systems worldwide. The development of biofilms upon the surface of medical implants has resulted in the failure of various implant-based surgeries and therapies.

Amylases: Biofilm Inducer or Biofilm Inhibitor?

Biofilm is a syntrophic association of sessile groups of microbial cells that adhere to biotic and abiotic surfaces with the help of pili and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). EPSs also prevent penetration of antimicrobials/antibiotics into the sessile groups of cells. Hence, methods and agents to avoid or remove biofilms are urgently needed.

Bacterial Biopolymer: Its Role in Pathogenesis to Effective Biomaterials.

Bacteria are considered as the major cell factories, which can effectively convert nitrogen and carbon sources to a wide variety of extracellular and intracellular biopolymers like polyamides, polysaccharides, polyphosphates, polyesters, proteinaceous compounds, and extracellular DNA. Bacterial biopolymers find applications in pathogenicity, and their diverse materialistic and chemical properties make them suitable to be used in medicinal industries. When these biopolymer compounds are obtained from pathogenic bacteria, they serve as important virulence factors, but when they are produced by non-pathogenic bacteria, they act as food components or biomaterials.

Synthesis and Characterization of Diosgenin Encapsulated Poly-ε-Caprolactone-Pluronic Nanoparticles and Its Effect on Brain Cancer Cells.

Diosgenin encapsulated PCL-Pluronic nanoparticles (PCL-F68-D-NPs) were developed using the nanoprecipitation method to improve performance in brain cancer (glioblastoma) therapy. The nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS)/Zeta potential, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The encapsulation efficiency, loading efficiency, and yield were calculated.

Population data and genetic characteristics of 12 X-STR loci using the Investigator® Argus X-12 Quality Sensor kit for the Kedayan population of Borneo in Malaysia.

DNA profiling of X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STR) has exceptional value in criminal investigations, especially for complex kinship and incest cases. In this study, Investigator® Argus X-12 Quality Sensor (QS) kits were successfully used to characterize 12 X-STR loci in 199 unrelated healthy Kedayan individuals living in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia. The LG1 haplogroup (DXS8378 - DXS10135 - DXS10148) has the largest HD (0.

Microbiologically-Synthesized Nanoparticles and Their Role in Silencing the Biofilm Signaling Cascade.

The emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led to the search for alternate antimicrobial treatment strategies. Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) for efficient penetration into a living system have become more common in the world of health and hygiene. The use of microbial enzymes/proteins as a potential reducing agent for synthesizing NPs has increased rapidly in comparison to physical and chemical methods.

Effect of arsenate toxicity on antioxidant enzymes and expression of nicotianamine synthase in contrasting genotypes of bioenergy crop Ricinus communis.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic environmental pollutant. Growing Ricinus communis (castor) on As-contaminated land has the advantage that in addition to revegetation of contaminated land, it can produce bioenergy. To date, As tolerance mechanisms of this plant are not fully understood.