Doubly Base-Stabilized Diborane(4) and Borato-Boronium Species and Their Chemistry with Chalcogens.

In an effort to isolate diborane(4) derivatives, we have developed an efficient and uncatalyzed approach using [BH3·THF] and the mercaptopyridine ligand. Thermolysis of 2-mercaptopyridine, in the presence of [BH3·THF], afforded a doubly base-stabilized diborane(4) species 1, [HB(µ-C5H4NS)]2, along with the formation of its isomeric species 2, [HB(µ-C5H4NS)]2, albeit in less yield. Based on the coordination of the boron with the mercaptopyridine ligand in 2 and its spectroscopic data, compound 2 has been designated as a borato-boronium species, in which the anionic borate and cationic boronium units are covalently bonded to each other. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the oxidative insertion of chalcogen atoms (S and Se) through the B-B bond of the base-stabilized diborane(4), 1, that yielded chalcogenido-diboron species, 3(S) and 4(Se).

Combination of enzymatically hydrolyzed potato powder with skimmed milk powder on the quality improvements of yogurt during refrigeration storage.

This study aimed to prepare a stirred type of fat-free yogurt from enzymatically hydrolyzed potato powder (EHPP) and skimmed milk powder (SMP) without changing its quality and consumer acceptance. The yogurt formulations prepared contained different amount of EHPP 0, 10, 25 and 50% and were stored for 28 days at 4 °C and observed that with increasing substitution ratio, acid production was increased while the viability of lactic acid bacteria was decreased after 28 days of storage at 4 °C. The antioxidant activities (2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the yogurt were increased with increasing EHPP over the storage period. The yogurt formulations having 25 to 50% EHPP has the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity and FRAP values. Water holding capacity (WHC) was decreased over the storage period with 25% EHPP. The hardness, adhesiveness and gumminess were decreased while no significant change was found in springiness with EHPP addition over the storage period. The rheological analysis showed an elastic behavior of yogurt gels with EHPP supplementation. The sensory results of yogurt containing 25% EHPP have the highest values of taste and acceptance. Yogurt in combination with EHPP and SMP has the higher levels of WHC than non-supplemented yogurt and better stability was recorded during storage. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05737-9.

Discovery of stylissatin A analogs exhibiting potent nitric oxide inhibition.

The cyclic peptide stylissatin A(STA) was obtained from the Papua New Guinean marine spongeStylissamassaas a potent nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor.Among its reported analogs,cyclo-{Glu6, Ala2}-STA1potentlyinhibited theinterleukin-2 and proliferation of T-cells indicating position 2 of sequence playing important part in biological activities of this compound.In current studies, second generation analogs of STAwere synthesizedaround its most active analog1by screening position 2 of analog1with different amino acid. All analogs2-6were identified by mass, and NMR techniques.The synthesized analogswere also evaluated against NO generation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine J774.2macrophages, ROS inhibition from whole blood phagocytes, and T-cell proliferation from Jurkat cells.All analogswere found to be inactive towards interleukin-2, T-cells proliferation, and ROS inhibition. The analog2showed a potent suppression of NO (IC50 = 46.0 ± 2.2 µM) that was superior to the activityreported for natural product STA.Further attempts to optimizeanalog2afforded new nitric oxide inhibitors2a-2fwhich were found less active than2.The analog2also downregulated the transcription of pro-inflammatory molecules, tumor necrosis factor-α, interlukin-1ß, caspase-1 and ASC which further highlights its anti-inflammatory and possible therapeutic potential. Analog2was non-toxic to BJ and Vero cell lines of normal mammalian origin.

Cooperative B-H and Si-H Bond Activations by κ2-N,S-Chelated Ruthenium Borate Complexes.

Cooperative E-H (E = B, Si) bond activations employing κ2-N,S-chelated ruthenium borate species, [PPh3{κ2-N,S-(NS2C7H4)}Ru{κ3-H,S,S'-H2B(NC7H4S2)2}], (1) are established. Treatment of 1 with BH3·SMe2 yielded the six-membered ruthenaheterocycle [PPh3{κ2-S,H-(BH3NS2C7H4)}Ru{κ3-H,S,S'-H2B(C7H4NS2)2}] (2) formed by a hemilabile ring opening of a Ru-N bond and capturing of a BH3 unit coordinated in an "end-on" fashion. On the other hand, the bulky borane H2BMes shows different reactivity with 1 that led to the formation of the two dihydroborate complexes [{κ3-S,H,H-(NBH2Mes)(S2C7H4)}Ru{κ3-H,S,S'-H2B(C7H4NS2)2}] (3) and [PPh3{κ3-S,H,H-(NBH2Mes)(S2C7H4)}Ru(κ2-N,S-C7H4NS2)] (4), in which H2BMes has been inserted into the Ru-N bond of the initial κ2-N,S-chelated ligand. In an attempt to directly activate hydrosilanes by 1, reactions were carried out with H2SiPh2 that yielded two isomeric five-membered ruthenium silyl complexes, namely [PPh3{κ2-S,Si-(NSiPh2)(S2C7H4)}Ru{κ3-H,S,S'-H2B(C7H4NS2)2}] (5a,b), and the hydridotrisilyl complex [Ru(H){κ2-S,Si-(SiPh2NC7H4S2}3] (6). These complexes were generated by Si-H bond activation with the release of H2 and the formation of N-Si and Ru-Si bonds. When the reaction of 1 was carried out in the presence of PhSiH3, the reaction only produced the analogous complexes [PPh3{κ2-S,Si-(NSiPhH)(S2C7H4)}Ru{κ3-H,S,S'-H2B(C7H4NS2)2}] (5a',b'). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to probe the bonding modes of boranes/silane with the ruthenium center.

Five-Membered Ruthenacycles: Ligand-Assisted Alkyne Insertion into 1,3-N,S-Chelated Ruthenium Borate Species.

Building upon previous work, the chemistry of [(η6 -p-cymene)Ru{P(OMe)2 OR}Cl2 ], (R=H or Me) has been extended with [H2 B(mbz)2 ]- (mbz=2-mercaptobenzothiazolyl) using different Ru precursors and borate ligands. As a result, a series of 1,3-N,S-chelated ruthenium borate complexes, for example, [(κ2 -N,S-L)PR3 Ru{κ3 -H,S,S'-H2 B(L)2 }], (2 a-d and 2 a'-d'; R=Ph, Cy, OMe or OPh and L=C5 H4 NS or C7 H4 NS2 ) and [Ru{κ3 -H,S,S'-H2 B(L)2 }2 ], (3: L=C5 H4 NS, 3': L=C7 H4 NS2 ) were isolated upon treatment of [(η6 -p-cymene)RuCl2 PR3 ], 1 a-d (R=Ph, Cy, OMe or OPh) with [H2 B(mp)2 ]- or [H2 B(mbz)2 ]- ligands (mp=2-mercaptopyridyl). All the Ru borate complexes, 2 a-d and 2 a'-d' are stabilized by phosphine/phosphite and hemilabile N,S-chelating ligands. Treatment of these Ru borate species, 2 a'-c' with various terminal alkynes yielded two different types of five-membered ruthenacycle species, namely [PR3 {C7 H4 S2 -(E)-N-C=CH(R')}Ru{κ3 -H,S,S'-H2 B(L)2 }], (4-4'; R=Ph and R'=CO2 Me or C6 H4 NO2 ; L=C7 H4 NS2 ) and [PR3 {C7 H4 NS-(E)-S-C=CH(R')}Ru{κ3 -H,S,S'-H2 B(L)2 }], (5-5', 6 and 7; R=Ph, Cy or OMe and R'=CO2 Me or C6 H4 NO2 ; L=C7 H4 NS2 ). All these five-membered ruthenacycle species contain an exocyclic C=C moiety, presumably formed by the insertion of a terminal alkyne into the Ru-N and Ru-S bonds. The new species have been characterized spectroscopically and the structures were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Theoretical studies and chemical-bonding analyses established that charge transfer occurs from phosphorus to ruthenium center following the trend PCy3

Isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Helicobacter pylori strains from gastric biopsies from Pakistani patients.

Helicobacter pylori is the etiological agent of gastritis and peptic ulcer. This importance had proposed antibiotics as a principle treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies. The focus of this research was to investigate the occurrence of H. pylori in patients having gastritis or gastric ulcer and also draw the susceptibility profile of isolates to several antibiotics. Blood and biopsy specimen from 96 acid peptic disease patients from both sexes were collected. Each sample was used for culture, gram staining, catalase, oxidase, urease and nitrate reduction test by conventional method. Serology using anti Helicobacter pylori IgG was done. The susceptibility profile to six common antibiotics was checked by E- test method. H. pylori was obtained from 40 patients (41.67%) with greater frequency in male (25%) than females (16.67%). With regards to age, H. pylori was recovered highest from the patients between 51-55 (75.86%) years of age. Tetracycline and rifampin were the most effective antibiotics in vitro, while metronidazole was less effective. Nine (22.5%) strains displayed resistance to at least one antimicrobial drug. Whereas, resistance to amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and combination of antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin and metronidazole, and ciprofloxin and metronidazole were 11.11, 55.56, 22.22, 33.33, 11.11 and 44.44% respectively. Lower susceptibility profile of H. pylori to antibiotics is because of frequent use of antibiotics to treat other infections.

Correlation Filters for Detection of Cellular Nuclei in Histopathology Images.

Nuclei detection in histology images is an essential part of computer aided diagnosis of cancers and tumors. It is a challenging task due to diverse and complicated structures of cells. In this work, we present an automated technique for detection of cellular nuclei in hematoxylin and eosin stained histopathology images. Our proposed approach is based on kernelized correlation filters. Correlation filters have been widely used in object detection and tracking applications but their strength has not been explored in the medical imaging domain up till now. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme gives state of the art accuracy and can learn complex nuclear morphologies. Like deep learning approaches, the proposed filters do not require engineering of image features as they can operate directly on histopathology images without significant preprocessing. However, unlike deep learning methods, the large-margin correlation filters developed in this work are interpretable, computationally efficient and do not require specialized or expensive computing hardware. AVAILABILITY: A cloud based webserver of the proposed method and its python implementation can be accessed at the following URL: http://faculty.pieas.edu.pk/fayyaz/software.html#corehist .

Physicochemical characteristics, nutritional properties, and health benefits of argan oil: a review.

The argan tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels), an endemic tree in Morocco, is the most remarkable species in North Africa, due to its botanical and bioecologic interest as well as its social value. Argan oil is traditionally well known for its cardioprotective properties and it is also used in the treatment of skin infections. This paper gives an overview of scientific literature available on nutritional and pharmacologic properties of argan oil. Owing to its unique organoleptic properties associated with its cardioprotective properties, argan oil has found, recently, its place in the highly competitive international edible oil market. This success is a very positive sign for the preservation of the argan tree, the argan forests and, therefore, in general, the biodiversity.

Stabilizers: indispensable substances in dairy products of high rheology.

The functionality of stabilizers is apparent in many food applications including dairy products. The role of stabilizers like gelatin, pectins, alginates, carboxymethylcellulose, gums, ispghol, sago starch, and chitosan in the development of dairy products of high rheology, like yoghurt, ice cream, and flavored milk, is discussed in this review. Attention is also paid to comprehend on interactions among milk proteins, minerals, and other milk constituents with the reactive sites of stabilizers to get the desirable properties such as appearance, body and texture, mouthfeel, consistency. The role played by stabilizers in the control of syneresis and overrun problems in the high-rheology dairy products is also the topic of discussion.

Lactobacillus acidophilus: characterization of the species and application in food production.

L. acidophilus is a homofermentative, microaerophilic, short chain gram positive microorganism with rod morphology having its bacteriocins belonging to class II a. Several bacteriocins of L. acidophilus have been isolated and characterized. These are structurally similar, but their molecular weight varies as well as their spectrum of antimicrobial activity. They exhibit important technical properties, i.e., thermostability and retaining of activity at a wide pH range along with strong inhibitory actions against food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria make them an important class of biopreservatives. L. acidophilus can be added as an adjunct in many food fermentation processes contributing to unique taste, flavor, and texture. It also preserves the products by producing lactic acid and bacteriocins. A lot of new information regarding the bacteriocins of L. acidophilus has emerged during the last few years. In this review, an attempt has been made to summarize and discuss all the available information regarding the sources of bacteriocins production, their characteristics, and their antimicrobial action along with their application.

Nutritional and health perspectives of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): an overview.

Beans, the variants of Phaseolus vulagris, are nutritionally and economically important food crop in each part of the world. Besides providing nutrients such as multifaceted carbohydrates, elevated proteins, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, these also contain rich variety of polyphenolic compounds with prospective health benefits. This review mainly focuses the important nutritional aspects of beans as well as their contribution in decreasing the risks of chronically degenerative diseases.

A question mark on zinc deficiency in 185 million people in Pakistan--possible way out.

This paper reviews research published in recent years concerning the effects of zinc deficiency, its consequences, and possible solutions. Zinc is an essential trace element necessary for over 300 zinc metalloenzymes and required for normal nucleic acid, protein, and membrane metabolism. Zinc deficiency is one of the ten biggest factors contributing to burden of disease in developing countries. Populations in South Asia, South East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are at greatest risk of zinc deficiency. Zinc intakes are inadequate for about a third of the population and stunting affects 40% of preschool children. In Pakistan, zinc deficiency is an emerging health problem as about 20.6% children are found in the levels of zinc, below 60 µg/dL. Signs and symptoms caused by zinc deficiency are poor appetite, weight loss, and poor growth in childhood, delayed healing of wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy. As body stores of zinc decline, these symptoms worsen and are accompanied by diarrhea, recurrent infection, and dermatitis. Daily zinc requirements for an adult are 12-16 mg/day. Iron, calcium and phytates inhibit the absorption of zinc therefore simultaneous administration should not be prescribed. Zinc deficiency and its effects are well known but the ways it can help in treatment of different diseases is yet to be discovered. Improving zinc intakes through dietary improvements is a complex task that requires considerable time and effort. The use of zinc supplements, dietary modification, and fortifying foods with zinc are the best techniques to combat its deficiency.

Perspective of surface active agents in baking industry: an overview.

Different researchers have previously used surfactants for improving bread qualities and revealed that these compounds result in improving the quality of dough and bread by influencing dough strength, tolerance, uniform crumb cell size, and improve slicing characteristics and gas retention. The objective of this review is to highlight the areas where surfactants are most widely used particularly in the bread industries, their role and mechanism of interaction and their contribution to the quality characteristics of the dough and bread. This review reveals some aspects of surface-active agents regarding its role physiochemical properties of dough that in turn affect the bread characteristics by improving its sensory quality and storage stability.

A question mark on iron deficiency in 185 million people of Pakistan: its outcomes and prevention.

Micronutrient deficiency especially the iron deficiency is the bane of our lives, affecting all strata of society. Unfortunately, the women during pregnancy, adolescence, and children are under this curse particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. It is one of the biggest reasons of complications during pregnancy and malnourished children under five years of age. Maternal death, still-births, and underweight births are most common consequences of iron deficiency and these outbreaks as iron-deficiency anemia in Pakistan. Disastrous nature of iron deficiency requires an urgent call to eradicate it. Hence, the solution should not be frail comparing with the huge economic loss and other incompatibilities. Flour fortification, supplementation, dietary diversification, and especially maternal education are possible solutions for combating this micronutrient deficiency.

Kefir and health: a contemporary perspective.

Kefir and its related products are renowned nutraceutical dairy products produced through fermentation of yeasts and bacteria naturally present in grains of kefir. The nutritional attributes of this self-carbonated beverage are due to presence of vital nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and some nutraceutical components. Antimicrobial activity, better gut health, anticarcinogenic activity, control on serum glucose and cholesterol, control on lactose intolerance and better immune system can be achieved through its regular consumption. Moreover, on the one side kefir is good dietetic beverage, and of particular interest of athletes, and on the other side the whole kefir is good for feeding small babies and pre-schoolers for good tolerance against disease and quick weight gain. Lots of works have been done on kefir from a health point of view. This study summarizes all the data that have been compiled to date. The purpose of this review is to gather information about microbiological, chemical, nutritional, and therapeutic aspects of kefir and kefir-like products to provide justification for its consumption. This review leads us to conclude that kefir begins a new dawn of food for the mankind.

Nutritional and functional evaluation of wheat flour cookies supplemented with gram flour.

Protein-enriched cookies were prepared by supplementing gram flour into wheat flour at levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% and analysed for physicochemical properties. The protein quality of the cookies was assessed by feeding gram flour-supplemented cookies to albino rats for 10 days. The supplementation resulted in a significant increase in protein, fat, crude fibre and ash contents of the cookies. The thickness and spread factor of cookies differ significantly while non-significant effect was observed in the width of the cookies. The protein efficiency ratio, net protein utilization, biological value and true digestibility differed significantly among diets containing cookies with gram flour fed to rats. Cookies with 30% substitution of straight grade flour and gram flour produced acceptable cookies as compared to control. The cookies containing 40-50% gram flour were best regarded as protein bioavailability for rats.

Evaluation of various concentrations of alkaline surface treatment on interfacial bond strengths of amalgam bonded to amalgam.

This study was done to assess the influence of alkaline surface modification on interfacial bond strength of existing fractured (old) amalgam restoration bonded to fresh amalgam. Old and Fresh amalgam interfaced samples were prepared by applying a 4-methacryloyloxyethy trimellitate anhydride (4-META) containing adhesive. The adhesive used was Amalgabond (Parkell, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA). Four concentrations of calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 solutions were used as a surface modifiers for old amalgam to increase the pH of the amalgam surfaces. The concentrations used were 2.5, 5, 10 and 15%. Direct measurement of the interfacial bond strength was carried out using an electromechanical universal tensile testing machine at crosshead speed of 10mm per minute. Results show that all the calcium hydroxide modified samples produced the increased tensile bond strength (TBS) as compared to their control group. The highest values of bond strength were achieved using 15% Ca(OH)2 solution as surface modifier. Pretreatment of fractured amalgam with calcium hydroxide improves the bond strength of 4-META adhesives. Its use in repair of amalgam may therefore be considered.

Recent Innovations in Non-dairy Prebiotics and Probiotics: Physiological Potential, Applications, and Characterization.

Non-dairy sources of prebiotics and probiotics impart various physiological functions in the prevention and management of chronic metabolic disorders, therefore nutraceuticals emerged as a potential industry. Extraction of prebiotics from non-dairy sources is economical and easily implemented. Waste products during food processing, including fruit peels and fruit skins, can be utilized as a promising source of prebiotics and considered "Generally Recognized As Safe" for human consumption. Prebiotics from non-dairy sources have a significant impact on gut microbiota and reduce the population of pathogenic bacteria. Similarly, next-generation probiotics could also be isolated from non-dairy sources. These sources have considerable potential and can give novel strains of probiotics, which can be the replacement for dairy sources. Such strains isolated from non-dairy sources have good probiotic properties and can be used as therapeutic. This review will elaborate on the potential non-dairy sources of prebiotics and probiotics, their characterization, and significant physiological potential.

Beta glucan: a valuable functional ingredient in foods.

ß-Glucan is a valuable functional ingredient and various extraction techniques are available for its extraction. Choice of an appropriate extraction technique is important as it may affect the quality, structure, rheological properties, molecular weight, and other functional properties of the extracted ß-glucan. These properties lead to the use of ß-glucan into various food systems and have important implications in human health. This review focuses on the extraction, synthesis, structure, molecular weight, and rheology of ß-glucan. Furthermore, health implications and utilization of ß-glucan in food products is also discussed.

Effect of flour processing on the quality characteristics of a soy-based beverage.

Four treatments (roasting, germination, autoclaving and an application of 0.5% EDTA+0.5% sodium hydroxide) were used to reduce the beany flavour of soya beans to produce a soy-based beverage. While germination significantly increased the protein level as compared to the other treatments, the maximum reduction of the beany flavour was achieved by the 0.5% EDTA+0.5% sodium hydroxide application. The soya beans that underwent this treatment were used during the second phase for optimized beverage formulation. During the second phase, a beverage was prepared according to different formulations and analysed for chemical composition and total viable count during a two-month storage period. During storage, the beverage samples exhibited variations in several parameters. The acidity, reducing sugars and total sugars increased, while the ascorbic acid, total soluble solids and pH decreased. Overall, chemical and microbial analyses showed the stability of the product during the storage period.