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Green synthesis methods offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to producing nanoparticles (NPs), particularly metal-based oxides. This study explores the green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles using Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) leaf extract. The characterization revealed a unique sago-shaped morphology revealed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Distinctive metal-oxygen bonds at 521 and 601 cm-1 were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, UV-visible spectroscopy revealed absorbance at 248 nm, suggesting electron transitions across energy bands and varying surface conduction electrons. The band gap value indicated the presence of quantum confinement effects, which were probably caused by the distinctive morphology and surface structure of the biogenic NPs. Additionally, molecular docking studies were carried out against key proteins of Salmonella typhi and Listeria monocytogenes, namely, listeriolysin O (PDB ID: 4CDB), internalin (InlA) (PDB ID: 1O6T), Salmonella effector protein (SopB) (PDB ID: 4DID), and YfdX (PDB ID: 6A07) using AutoDock 4.2. The results revealed binding energies against S. typhi and L. monocytogenes proteins, indicating potential interactions establishing the foundation for further in-depth understanding of the molecular basis underlying the observed antibacterial effects in vitro against S. typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and L. monocytogenes. Antibacterial activity evaluation yielded impressive results, with CuO NPs displaying significant activity against S. typhi and L. monocytogenes, exhibiting zones of inhibition values of 13 ± 0.02 and 15 ± 0.04 mm, respectively. Moreover, the CuO NPs demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic efficacy, resulting in the degradation of 77% of the methylene blue dye when exposed to UV irradiation. This study highlighted the potential of green-synthesized CuO NPs derived from A. vera with their unique morphology, interesting spectroscopic properties, and promising antibacterial and photocatalytic activities.
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The pervasive presence of microplastics in various settings, such as freshwater and marine ecosystems, has sparked serious concerns. Microplastics can operate as possible transporters for hazardous trace elements or microbes, even though they are not naturally able to actively absorb these compounds. The binding sites on the plastic's surface or the complexes that are formed with the organic material on the plastic are how this adsorption process takes place. Microplastics' surfaces also seem to be attractive to microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae. Microorganisms can adhere to the rough surface of microplastics, which facilitates their colonization and formation of biofilms. Numerous bacteria, including ones that have the ability to absorb hazardous trace elements, can be found in these biofilms. Microplastics and microbes can interact in ways that are advantageous and detrimental. Microplastics have the ability to act as a substrate for microbial growth, which could lead to an increase in the quantity of microorganisms in the surrounding environment. On the other hand, microplastics may make it easier for microbes to spread to new areas, which could help dangerous or deadly species proliferate. Research is still ongoing to determine the degree to which microplastics serve as carriers of microbes and hazardous trace elements. Comprehending the implications of microplastics, pollutants, and microorganisms in a variety of environmental conditions is difficult due to their complex interplay. This review provides a detailed description of the complexity of the problem and used the examples related to microplastics, its environmental effects, and impacts on human health.
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Microplásticos , Oligoelementos , Biofilmes , Bactérias/metabolismo , Poluentes Químicos da ÁguaRESUMO
Leishmania, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for the occurrence of leishmaniasis, a disease that is prevalent in tropical regions. Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar in Asian countries, is one of the most significant forms of VL, along with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) and Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (ML). Management of this condition typically entails the use of chemotherapy as the sole therapeutic option. The current treatments for leishmaniasis present several drawbacks, including a multitude of side effects, prolonged treatment duration, disparate efficacy across different regions, and the emergence of resistance. To address this urgent need, it is imperative to identify alternative treatments that are both safer and more effective. The identification of appropriate pharmacological targets in conjunction with biological pathways constitutes the initial stage of drug discovery. In this review, we have addressed the key metabolic pathways that represent potential pharmacological targets as well as prominent treatment options for leishmaniasis.
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Leishmania donovani , Leishmania , Leishmaniose Cutânea , Leishmaniose Mucocutânea , Leishmaniose Visceral , Leishmaniose , Animais , Leishmaniose/tratamento farmacológico , Leishmaniose Visceral/tratamento farmacológico , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , ÁsiaRESUMO
AbstractPharmaceutical compounds are a significant source of environmental pollution, particularly in hospital wastewater, which contains high concentrations of such compounds. Constructed wetlands have emerged as a promising approach to removing pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater. This paper aims to review the current state of knowledge on the removal of pharmaceutical compounds from hospital wastewater using constructed wetlands, including the mechanism of removal, removal efficiency, and future prospects. Pharmaceutical contaminants have been considered to be one of the most emerging pollutants in recent years. In this review article, various studies on constructed wetlands are incorporated in order to remove the pharmaceutical contaminants. The nature of constructed wetland can be explained by understanding the types of constructed wetland, characteristics of hospital wastewater, removal mechanism, and removal efficiency. The results of the review indicate that constructed wetlands are effective in removing pharmaceutical compounds from hospital wastewater. The removal mechanism of these compounds involves a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes, including adsorption, degradation, and uptake by wetland plants. The removal efficiency of constructed wetlands varies depending on several factors, including the type and concentration of pharmaceutical compounds, the design of the wetland system, and the environmental conditions. Further research is necessary to optimize the performance of these systems, particularly in the removal of emerging contaminants, to ensure their effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
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Águas Residuárias , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Áreas Alagadas , Eliminação de Resíduos Líquidos/métodos , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Hospitais , Preparações FarmacêuticasRESUMO
Brain stroke (BS, also known as a cerebrovascular accident), represents a serious global health crisis. It has been a leading cause of permanent disability and unfortunately, frequent fatalities due to lack of timely medical intervention. While progress has been made in prevention and management, the complexities and consequences of stroke continue to pose significant challenges, especially, its impact on patient's quality of life and independence. During stroke, there is a substantial decrease in oxygen supply to the brain leading to alteration of cellular metabolic pathways, including those involved in mitochondrial-damage, leading to mitochondrial-dysfunction. The present proof-of-the-concept metabolomics study has been performed to gain insights into the metabolic pathways altered following a brain stroke and discover new potential targets for timely interventions to mitigate the effects of cellular and mitochondrial damage in BS. The serum metabolic profiles of 108 BS-patients were measured using 800 MHz NMR spectroscopy and compared with 60 age and sex matched normal control (NC) subjects. Compared to NC, the serum levels of glutamate, TCA-cycle intermediates (such as citrate, succinate, etc.), and membrane metabolites (betaine, choline, etc.) were found to be decreased BS patients, whereas those of methionine, mannose, mannitol, phenylalanine, urea, creatine and organic acids (such as 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetone) were found to be elevated in BS patients. These metabolic changes hinted towards hypoxia mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in BS-patients. Further, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) values for five metabolic features (methionine, mannitol, phenylalanine, mannose and urea) found to be more than 0.9 suggesting their high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating BS from NC subjects.
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Manose , Acidente Vascular Cerebral , Humanos , Qualidade de Vida , Metabolômica/métodos , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Estresse Oxidativo , Fenilalanina , Metionina , Manitol , Ureia , BiomarcadoresRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary sarcoidosis (SAR) and tuberculosis (TB) are two granulomatous lung-diseases and often pose a diagnostic challenge to a treating physicians. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to explore the diagnostic potential of NMR based serum metabolomics approach to differentiate SAR from TB. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The blood samples were obtained from three study groups: SAR (N = 35), TB (N = 28) and healthy normal subjects (NC, N = 56) and their serum metabolic profiles were measured using 1D 1H CPMG (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill) NMR spectra recorded at 800 MHz NMR spectrometer. The quantitative metabolic profiles were compared employing a combination of univariate and multivariate statistical analysis methods and evaluated for their diagnostic potential using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Compared to SAR, the sera of TB patients were characterized by (a) elevated levels of lactate, acetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), glutamate and succinate (b) decreased levels of glucose, citrate, pyruvate, glutamine, and several lipid and membrane metabolites (such as very-low/low density lipoproteins (VLDL/LDL), polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc.). CONCLUSION: The metabolic disturbances not only found to be well in concordance with various previous reports, these further demonstrated very high sensitivity and specificity to distinguish SAR from TB patients suggesting serum metabolomics analysis can serve as surrogate method in the diagnosis and clinical management of SAR.
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Sarcoidose , Tuberculose , Humanos , Metabolômica/métodos , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Sarcoidose/diagnósticoRESUMO
Primary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PPTS) is a rare disorder of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in the absence of an identifiable underlying etiology. Afflicted patients are usually obese women in their reproductive age presenting with symptoms of elevated ICP. Seldom, patients can present with an encephalocele. We reported a case of a 31-year-old female who initially presented to our center with complaints of headaches, foreign body sensation in the nasal cavity, and decreased ability to smell. Brain computed tomography (CT) scan showed a large intranasal encephalocele and defect along the frontal skull base, through which brain tissue was herniating. The patient was successfully treated surgically by implantation of a lumboperitoneal shunt to manage the high ICP caused by her PPTS. In combination, reconstruction of the frontal skull base defect for the encephalocele was performed. Currently, the patient is doing well despite some on-and-off headaches.
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The drug discovery and development (DDD) process in pursuit of novel drug candidates is a challenging procedure requiring lots of time and resources. Therefore, computer-aided drug design (CADD) methodologies are used extensively to promote proficiency in drug development in a systematic and time-effective manner. The point in reference is SARS-CoV-2 which has emerged as a global pandemic. In the absence of any confirmed drug moiety to treat the infection, the science fraternity adopted hit and trial methods to come up with a lead drug compound. This article is an overview of the virtual methodologies, which assist in finding novel hits and help in the progression of drug development in a short period with a specific medicinal solution.
An extensive survey of technological applications in drug discovery and development, encompassing offline and online approaches, is presented in this review. The span of research issues that can be tackled using these advances is vast, opening new horizons for future innovations. The article is designed to incite further research investments into drug development procedures and bridge existing research voids by outlining multiple pharmaceutical products that resulted from employing systematic computational methodologies.
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Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania donovani (Ld), and most cases occur in Brazil, East Africa, and India. The treatment for VL is limited and has many adverse effects. The development of safer and more efficacious drugs is urgently needed. Drug repurposing is one of the best processes to repurpose existing drugs. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is an important target against L. donovani in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. In this study, we have modeled the 3D structure of ODC and performed high-throughput virtual screening of 8630 ZINC database ligands against Leishmania donovani ornithine decarboxylase (Ld ODC), selecting 45 ligands based on their high binding score. It is further validated through molecular docking simulation and the selection of the top two lead molecules (ceftaroline fosamil and rimegepant) for Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation, Density functional theory (DFT), and molecular mechanics generalized born surface area (MMGBSA) analysis. The results showed that the binding affinities of ceftaroline fosamil, and rimegepant are, respectively, -10.719 and 10.159 kcal/mol. The docking complexes of the two lead compounds, ceftaroline fosamil, and rimegepant, with the target ODC, were found stable during molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, the analysis of MMGBSA revealed that these compounds had a high binding free energy. The DFT analysis showed that the top lead molecules were more reactive than the standard drug (pentamidine). In-silico findings demonstrated that ceftaroline fosamil, and rimegepant might be recognized as potent antagonists against ODC for the treatment of VL.
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Leishmania donovani , Leishmaniose Visceral , Humanos , Inibidores da Ornitina Descarboxilase/química , Inibidores da Ornitina Descarboxilase/farmacologia , Reposicionamento de Medicamentos , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Ornitina Descarboxilase/química , Ornitina Descarboxilase/metabolismo , Ornitina Descarboxilase/farmacologia , Ligantes , Leishmania donovani/metabolismo , CeftarolinaRESUMO
A highly stereo-selective, one-pot, multicomponent method was chosen to synthesize the novel functionalized 1, 3-cycloaddition spirooxindoles (SOXs) (4a-4h). Synthesized SOXs were analyzed for their drug-likeness and ADME parameters and screened for their anticancer activity. Our molecular docking analysis revealed that among all derivatives of SOXs (4a-4h), 4a has a substantial binding affinity (∆G) -6.65, -6.55, -8.73, and -7.27 Kcal/mol with CD-44, EGFR, AKR1D1, and HER-2, respectively. A functional study demonstrated that SOX 4a has a substantial impact on human cancer cell phenotypes exhibiting abnormality in cytoplasmic and nuclear architecture as well as granule formation leading to cell death. SOX 4a treatment robustly induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in cancer cells as observed by enhanced DCFH-DA signals. Overall, our results suggest that SOX (4a) targets CD-44, EGFR, AKR1D1, and HER-2 and induces ROS generation in cancer cells. We conclude that SOX (4a) could be explored as a potential chemotherapeutic molecule against various cancers in appropriate pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo model systems.
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Antineoplásicos , Humanos , Estrutura Molecular , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Antineoplásicos/química , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio , Receptores ErbB/metabolismoRESUMO
Pathogenic bacteria, with their innate resistance to drugs, pose a constant threat to human health and well-being and put a persistent strain on the health care system. Development of more effective and safer novel antibacterial drugs is warranted to counter the menace unleashed by pathogenic bacteria. Integration of privileged pharmacophores from various bioactive molecules into a single template is a promising strategy to obtain new leads with unique mechanisms of action to overcome drug resistance. In the past few years, numerous isatin-based hybrid molecules were screened and their pharmacological properties were explored in efforts to develop novel therapeutics. The results of screening show that isatin conjugates exhibit promising activity against a broad range of highly pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and can serve as important leads in the discovery of highly potent broad spectrum antibacterial drugs. Herein, we review the antibacterial bioactive profile of a variety of hybrid isatin derivatives, including isatin-azole, isatin-quinoline/ quinolone, isatin-furan/coumarin, isatin-hydrazone/(thio)semicarbazone, isatin dimers, and isatin- indole hybrids.
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Antibacterianos , Isatina , Humanos , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Isatina/farmacologia , Bactérias Gram-Negativas , Bactérias Gram-Positivas , Bactérias , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Testes de Sensibilidade MicrobianaRESUMO
Studies have revealed high rates of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric comorbid conditions among individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, research on this topic in the Arab world has been limited. This study evaluates the medical, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric comorbidities in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 428 pediatric patients diagnosed with ADHD were included. Children and adolescents with ADHD had high rates of comorbid disorders. Twenty comorbid conditions were identified. More than 3 quarters of the study sample had at least 1 comorbid disorder. The most common comorbidity among children was autism spectrum disorder, and among adolescents was anxiety disorders. Comprehensive assessments are highly warranted to identify and manage associated comorbid conditions. Further research is needed in exploring the biopsychosocial factors contributing to the elevated rate of comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD.
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It has been over a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and subsequently a global pandemic. The world has experienced a lot of uncertainty since then as we all get used to this new 'normal' with social distancing measures, lockdowns, the emergence of new variants, and an array of hope with the development of vaccines. Having an abstract understanding of vaccine delivery, public perceptions of vaccines, and promoting acceptance of vaccines are critical to tackling the pandemic. The advent of the pandemic has led to the emergence of an 'infodemic' or rampant misinformation surrounding the virus, treatment, and vaccines. This poses a critical threat to global health as it has the potential to lead to a public health crisis by exacerbating disease spread and overwhelming healthcare systems. This 'infodemic' has led to rising vaccine hesitancy which is of paramount concern with the WHO even identifying it as one of the ten main threats to Global health almost 2 years before the approval of COVID-19 vaccines. Pregnant African women are one of the most vulnerable population groups in a region with an already burdened healthcare system. Currently, there isn't ample research in the literature that explores vaccine hesitancy in this subpopulation and the impact of social media misinformation surrounding it. The aim of this paper is to highlight the implications of this 'infodemic' on the pregnant African population and suggest key recommendations for improved healthcare strategies.
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Pessoal de Saúde , Saúde Mental , Árabes , Pessoal de Saúde/psicologia , Humanos , Estudos LongitudinaisRESUMO
With numbers of active COVID-19 cases in India falling in recent weeks and the healthcare system finally showing signs of coping with the mucormycosis epidemic, several new reports of COVID-19 cases linked to "white fungus" have emerged. This has led to rising concern with the potential to stretch the capacity of an already burdened healthcare system. Moreover, the implications of this disease in the COVID-19 population and its consequences on the health and socio-economic structure of the country have not been vastly studied. This commentary explores the need for government efforts in the context of containing candidiasis during the pandemic and provides key recommendations on combating this imminent public health challenge.
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Highly crystalline bare and N-doped SrTiO3 nanoparticles were effectively synthesized with strontium acetate, titanium isopropoxide, hexamethylenetetramine as precursor via citric acid assisted hydrothermal process followed by calcination. The hydrothermally synthesized bare and N-doped SrTiO3 NPs possessed monodispersity throughout with particle size diameter 50±5 nm but because of annealing at 750 °C temperature the synthesized NPs got agglomerate which created rough surface and induces oxygen vacancy in the NPs. Introducing N3- ions impurity into SrTiO3 lattice tailored the electronic band structure of SrTiO3 and extends its absorption into the visible region. It would display the p-type conductivity and facilitate the photoinduced electron-hole pairs towards respective site which diminishes the chances of recombination of electron-hole pairs that enhances photocatalytic degradation reaction. The results showed MB degraded about ~88 in just 140 min and followed first order reaction kinetics with rate constant k = 0.01489 mint-1.
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BACKGROUND: Demineralized white spot lesions (DWSLs) are one of the unfavourable effects of orthodontic treatment. Resin modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) was introduced to reduce its occurrence. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the incidence of DWSLs as primary objective and bond failure rate in brackets bonded with RMGIC versus conventional composite (CC) as secondary objective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A thorough literature search was done until April 2019 on various databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane database, CINHAL, Dental and Oral Science, and manual search. Only human clinical trials and published in English language were included. We considered the experimental group of orthodontic patients with brackets bonded with RMGIC and the control group with brackets bonded with CC. Blind and induplicate study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were undertaken. RevMan software was used for data analysis. Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to express the effect estimate of frequency of bracket failure bonded using RMGIC and CC. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs and ROBINS-I tool for N-RCTs. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analysis were performed as well. RESULTS: Out of 2285 articles, nine met the inclusion criteria. Five were RCTs and four were N-RCTs. Out of nine, seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. A random effect model was used. No significant difference was found in the bond failure rate (risk ratio: 1.48; 95% CI: 0.57-3.87; P≤0.42). No difference was found in the occurrence of DWSLs between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the limited number of studies and studies with high risk of bias, no strong conclusion can be drawn. More studies need to be done to reasonably conclude that RMGIC is beneficial in reducing the occurrence of DWSLs and have comparable bond failure rate. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019125386) prior to the commencement of the systematic review.
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Resinas Compostas/química , Colagem Dentária/métodos , Cimentos de Ionômeros de Vidro/química , Braquetes Ortodônticos , Desmineralização do Dente/prevenção & controle , Esmalte Dentário/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Teste de MateriaisRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Various treatment modalities are used to treat skeletal Class II malocclusion with different effects on the soft tissue. This study was aimed to determine factors affecting changes in soft tissue profile after various treatment modalities for skeletal Class II malocclusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-treatment and post-treatment lateral cephalograms of 141 subjects. The sample consisted of 47 patients treated with Clark's Twin Block, 47 with first premolar extractions, and 47 with Class II elastics. The post-treatment cephalograms were superimposed on pre-treatment radiographs using stable landmarks: anterior wall of sella turcica and anterior cranial base. The changes in profile were evaluated by paired t-test using X-Y co-ordinate system. Changes in profile were predicted by using multi-variable linear regression analysis. Level of significance was kept at P≤0.05. RESULTS: The changes in soft tissue profile were statistically significant for all the landmarks (P<0.001) of nose, upper and lower lip, and chin in horizontal and vertical direction, except subnasale and labrale superius in the horizontal direction. The soft tissue profile changes can be predicted for all landmarks with various prediction powers except pronasale, subnasale, and inferior labial sulcus in the vertical direction. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all the soft tissue landmarks of nose and lower third of the face exhibit downward and forward movement. The changes in the upper lip in both horizontal and vertical directions were found to be more predictable than those occurring in the lower lip.