Computational Advancement towards the Identification of Natural Inhibitors for Dengue Virus: A Brief Review.

Viral infectious illnesses represent a severe hazard to human health due to their widespread incidence worldwide. Among these ailments, the dengue virus (DENV) infection stands out. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that DENV infection affects ~400 million people each year, with potentially fatal symptoms showing up in 1% of the cases. In several instances, academic and pharmaceutical researchers have conducted several pilot and clinical studies on a variety of topics, including viral epidemiology, structure and function analyses, infection source and route, therapeutic targets, vaccinations, and therapeutic drugs. Amongst Takeda, TAK-003, Sanofi, Dengvaxia®, and Butantan/NIH/Merck, Dengvaxia® (CYD-TDV) is the only licensed vaccination yet; however, the potential inhibitors are under development. The biology and evolution of DENVs are briefly discussed in this review, which also compiles the most recent studies on prospective antiviral targets and antiviral candidates. In conclusion, the triumphs and failures have influenced the development of anti-DENV medications, and the findings in this review article will stimulate more investigation.

Comparative expression analysis of sucrose phosphate synthase gene family in a low and high sucrose Pakistani sugarcane cultivars.

Sugarcane is the world's largest cultivated crop by biomass and is the main source of sugar and biofuel. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) enzymes are directly involved in the synthesis of sucrose. Here, we analyzed and compared one of the important gene families involved in sucrose metabolism in a high and low sucrose sugarcane cultivar. A comprehensive in silico analysis of the SoSPS family displayed their phylogenetic relationship, gene and protein structure, miRNA targets, protein interaction network (PPI), gene ontology and collinearity. This was followed by a spatial expression analysis in two different sugarcane varieties. The phylogenetic reconstruction distributed AtSPS, ZmSPS, OsSPS, SoSPS and SbSPS into three main groups (A, B, C). The regulatory region of SoSPS genes carries ABRE, ARE, G-box, and MYC as the most dominant cis-regulatory elements. The PPI analysis predicted a total of 14 unique proteins interacting with SPS. The predominant expression of SPS in chloroplast clearly indicates that they are the most active in the organelle which is the hub of photosynthesis. Similarly, gene ontology attributed SPS to sucrose phosphate synthase and glucosyl transferase molecular functions, as well as sucrose biosynthetic and disaccharide biological processes. Overall, the expression of SPS in CPF252 (high sucrose variety) was higher in leaf and culm as compared to that of CPF 251 (low sucrose variety). In brief, this study adds to the present literature about sugarcane, sucrose metabolism and role of SPS in sucrose metabolism thereby opening up further avenues of research in crop improvement.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica, Silver-Silica, and Zinc Oxide-Silica Nanoparticles for Evaluation of Blood Biochemistry, Oxidative Stress, and Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats.

Evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) for biomedical applications has received a lot of attention for detailed study on pharmacokinetics prior to clinical application. In this study, pure C-SiO2 (crystalline silica) NPs and SiO2 nanocomposites with silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared by utilizing different synthesis routes such as sol-gel and co-precipitation techniques. The prepared NPs showed highly crystalline nature as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis where average crystallite sizes of 35, 16, and 57 nm for C-SiO2, Ag-SiO2, and ZnO-SiO2 NPs, respectively, were calculated. Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups related to the chemicals and procedures used for sample preparation. Due to agglomeration of the prepared NPs, the scanning electron microscope images showed large particle sizes when compared to their crystalline sizes. The optical properties of the prepared NPs such as absorption were obtained with UV-Vis spectroscopy. For in vivo biological evaluation, albino rats, both male and female, kept in different groups were exposed to NPs with 500 µg/kg dose. Hematological, serum biochemistry, histo-architecture, oxidative stress biomarkers, and antioxidant parameters in liver tissues along with various biomarkers for the evaluation of erythrocytes were estimated. The results on hemato-biochemistry, histopathological ailments, and oxidative stress parameters exhibited 95% alteration in the liver and erythrocytes of C-SiO2 NPs-treated rats while 75 and 60% alteration in the liver tissues of rats due to exposure to Ag-SiO2 and ZnO-SiO2 NPs, respectively, when compared with the albino rats of the control (untreated) group. Therefore, the current study showed that the prepared NPs had adverse effects on the liver and erythrocytes causing hepatotoxicity in the albino rats in respective order C-SiO2 > Ag SiO2 > ZnO-SiO2. As the C-SiO2 NPs appeared to be the most toxic, it has been concluded that coating SiO2 on Ag and ZnO reduced their toxicological impact on albino rats. Consequently, it is suggested that Ag-SiO2 and ZnO-SiO2 NPs are more biocompatible than C-SiO2 NPs.

Pharmacological Progress of Mitophagy Regulation.

With the advancement in novel drug discovery, biologically active compounds are considered pharmacological tools to understand complex biological mechanisms and the identification of potent therapeutic agents. Mitochondria boast a central role in different integral biological processes and mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with multiple pathologies. It is, therefore, prudent to target mitochondrial quality control mechanisms by using pharmacological approaches. However, there is a scarcity of biologically active molecules, which can interact with mitochondria directly. Currently, the chemical compounds used to induce mitophagy include oligomycin and antimycin A for impaired respiration and acute dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential by using CCCP/FCCP, the mitochondrial uncouplers. These chemical probes alter the homeostasis of the mitochondria and limit our understanding of the energy regulatory mechanisms. Efforts are underway to find molecules that can bring about selective removal of defective mitochondria without compromising normal mitochondrial respiration. In this report, we have tried to summarize and status of the recently reported modulators of mitophagy.

Diversity of Rotavirus Strains among Children with Acute Diarrhea in Karachi, Pakistan.

One of the common viral pathogens in infectious diarrhea is Rotavirus; in developing countries, it is a primary cause of deaths in children less than five years of age. This study was planned to find out the etiologic agents of acute watery diarrhea. In this study, 1465 stool samples were analyzed with the symptoms of acute diarrhea. Demographic data analysis showed no. of episodes of diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. All samples were checked by ELISA technique for the presence of Rotavirus circulating strains. More than 6% patients were found to be positive with Rotavirus. Common Rotavirus genotypes, including G2P4, G2P6, G3P4, G8P4, G8P6, G9P4, and G10P4, were detected in patients through RT-PCR. This study concluded that detection of rotavirus strain diversity and management of diarrheal patients may identify assortment of emerging strains and reduce emergence of antimicrobial resistance and repeated episodes of diarrhea, which may also help to avoid and manage the essential nutrients lost leading to malnutrition and stunted growth, as well as to reduce high mortality rate in young children less than five years.