Assessment of materno-foetal transmission of SARS-CoV-2: A prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The issue of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection to the foetus has not yet been resolved. Its main reason is lack of a bigger study to analyse this question. The evidence of the affection of the foetus during antenatal or intrapartum period is limited to some anecdotal reports. To look for the possibility of vertical transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to the foetus, this prospective pilot study was conducted at a tertiary health care COVID-19 designated centre of Armed Forces. METHODS: This study was conducted during 01 June 2020 and 15 October 2020 and included 54 covid-positive pregnant mothers. During delivery, amniotic fluid and cord blood samples were collected in a sterile manner. Amniotic fluid samples were not collected during vaginal deliveries as chances of contamination was very high. These samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 gene by Reverse Transcriptasee Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test, and the results were analysed. Newborns were allowed to room in with mother, and they underwent throat and nasal swab RT-PCR testing of covid within 24-48 h of delivery. RESULTS: A total of 1520 pregnant mothers underwent RT-PCR test during the study period. Total positivity rate among our pregnant women was 2.8%. Out of 54 covid-positive women during the study period, amniotic fluid RT-PCR tests were carried out for 43 women, and cord blood was tested for 45 women. CONCLUSION: RT-PCR test of amniotic fluid, cord blood and nasal and throat swab of all newborns delivered by SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women were negative. Based on our study, the possibility of intrauterine vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to be unlikely.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens induces production of a novel blennolide K in coculture of Setophoma terrestris.

AIMS: The discovery of known bioactive chemical leads from microbial monocultures hinders the efficiency of drug discovery programmes. Therefore, in recent years, the use of fungal-bacterial coculture experiments has gained considerable attention due to their ability to generate new bioactive leads. In this work, fungal strain Setophoma terrestris was cocultured with Bacillus amyloliquifaciens to discover novel bioactive compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bioactive methanolic coculture extract was chosen for the isolation of compounds by chromatographic methods. The isolated compounds were characterized by NMR and mass spectrometric techniques. CONCLUSION: Coculture extract has resulted in the production of five blennolides. The novel compound, blennolide K was found active against PC-3 (prostate) and MCF-7 (breast) cell lines with an IC50 value of 3·7 ± 0·6 and 4·8 ± 0·4 µmol l-1 respectively. Furthermore, the nuclear morphology study in PC-3 cells after treatment with blennolide K, demonstrated chromatin condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies and shrinkage of cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: To our knowledge, only few studies have reported the induction of bioactive compounds by coculture having long-distance inhibition morphology. This is principally due to the low occurrences of such morphology. Our study demonstrates the impact of coculture on production of new chemical leads in drug discovery programmes.

New cytochalasin from Rosellinia sanctae-cruciana, an endophytic fungus of Albizia lebbeck.

AIM: To explore the potential of Rosellinia sanctae-cruciana an endophytic fungus associated with Albizia lebbeck for pharmaceutically important cytotoxic compounds. METHODS AND RESULTS: One novel cytochalasin, named jammosporin A (1) and four known analogues (2-5) were isolated from the culture of the endophytic fungus R. sanctae-cruciana, harboured from the leaves of the medicinal plant A. lebbeck. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses including one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance data along with MS data and by comparison with literature reports. In preliminary screening the ethyl acetate extract of the fungal culture was tested for cytotoxic activity against a panel of four cancer cell lines (MOLT-4, A549, MIA PaCa-2 and MDA-MB-231), and found to be active against MOLT-4 with an IC50 value of 10 µg ml-1 . Owing to the remarkable cytotoxic activity of the extract the isolated compounds (1-5) were evaluated for their cytototoxicity against the MOLT-4 cell line by MTT assay. Interestingly, compounds 1-2, 4 and 5 showed considerable cytotoxic potential against the human leukaemia cancer cell line (MOLT-4) with IC50 values of 20·0, 10·0, 8·0 and 6·0 µmol l-1 , respectively, while compound 3 showed an IC50 value of 25 µmol l-1 . This is the first report of the existence of this class of secondary metabolites in R. sanctae-cruciana fungus. CONCLUSION: This study discovered a novel compound, named jammosporin A, isolated for the first time from R. sanctae-cruciana, an endophytic fungus of A. lebbeck with anticancer activity against the MOLT-4 cell line. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Rosellinia sanctae-cruciana represents an interesting source of a new compound with bioactive potential as a therapeutic agent against a human leukaemia cancer cell line (MOLT-4).

Ectopic pregnancy: Review of 80 cases.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic pregnancy or extrauterine pregnancy will invariably result in abortion or rupture. Though there are risk factors for ectopic pregnancy, but at times the condition can occur without any apparent predisposing factor. Cases admitted with provisional diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy were included in this prospective study. METHODS: Eighty suspected cases of ectopic pregnancy were incorporated in the study. The management was done based on standard practice. All the cases underwent urine pregnancy test, routine blood investigations including blood group, and transvaginal ultrasound. Serial ßhCG was measured in cases where the diagnosis was not clear initially. RESULTS: Incidence of ectopic was 2.46 per 100 deliveries; there was no apparent risk factor in 28.7% and many cases had more than one risk factor. 'Triad' of ectopic was present in only 21 cases. Sixteen cases were asymptomatic and two were admitted as emergency. Ultrasound findings were inconsistent and wide ranging. In 37 doubtful cases, ßhCG was measured serially.There was one case of suspected interstitial pregnancy confirmed on laparoscopy. Twenty-seven cases were managed medically, and 9 were managed expectantly. Forty-six cases were managed surgically either by laparoscopy or by laparotomy. Salpingectomy was performed in 37 cases, and salpingostomy in 7 cases either laparoscopically or by laparotomy. CONCLUSION: Ectopic pregnancy can be managed by laparotomy, operative laparoscopy, and medically and occasionally by observation alone. Management must be customized to the clinical condition and needs of future fertility of the patient.

A randomized control trial to assess efficacy of Mifepristone in medical management of uterine fibroid.

BACKGROUND: Fibroids are the most common benign tumours of uterus. Heavy menstrual bleeding is the commonest concern for which medical attention is sought. Hysterectomies for leiomyoma constitute a third of all hysterectomies. Thus, healthcare cost to society due to uterine leiomyomas is of considerable importance. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at tertiary care hospital of armed forces. 120 women in pre-menopausal age group with complaints of menorrhagia, Pictorial Bleeding Assessment Chart (PBAC) scoring ≥100 and at least one fibroid ≥2.5 cm in size were recruited in the study. Patients in Group 1 were given Tab Tranexemic acid (500 mg) and Tab Mefenemic acid (500 mg) three times a day during menstrual bleeding for a period of 6 months. Patients in Group 2 were given Tab Mifepristone 50 mg twice a week. They were followed up at 1, 3 and 6 months of starting the medicine. Results were statistically analysed using Microsoft Excel sheet and paired t-test. RESULTS: The average age was 40 years in the Group 2 and 45 years in Group 1. A size reduction of 36.99% in intramural and 39.39% in submucosal fibroids after six months of treatment with Mifepristone resulted in marked clinical improvement. 10% patients had side effects. In 30% of patients symptoms reappeared during the follow up period. CONCLUSION: Mifepristone when given in bi-weekly doses was found to be safe, efficacious, and cost effective as compared to treatment with tranexemic acid and mefenemic acid for management of fibroid uterus.

Antibiofilm potential of flavonoids extracted from Moringa oleifera seed coat against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans.

AIMS: The increased microbial drug resistance due to biofilms and the side effects associated with the use of conventional drugs is still a major concern in the medical fraternity. This work evaluates the antibiofilm potential of flavonoids extracted from Moringa oleifera seed coat (SC) in search for green and effective alternatives for overcoming menace of biofilms. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study evaluated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of flavonoids against respective test organisms, inhibition of initial cell attachment as well as disruption of preformed biofilms and metabolic activity of treated biofilms. Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity as well as characterization of the active component were also carried out. Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the lowest MIC of 0.05 mg ml(-1), the action of flavonoids and gentamicin on initial cell attachment revealed a comparable effect against bacterial biofilms, i.e. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with approx. 80% inhibition compared to Candida albicans. Disruption of the preformed biofilms revealed that susceptibility of P. aeruginosa began as early as 4 h of exposure to flavonoids with 88% growth inhibition at the end of 24-h incubation. Encouragingly, t-test analysis on the effect of the extract and the standard antibiotic against each organism indicated no significant variance at P < 0.05. A drastic low metabolic activity exhibited by the treated biofilms as compared to the untreated ones was further supportive of the antibiofilm potential of seed coat flavonoids. CONCLUSION: The bioactive component from M. oleifera seed coat has exhibited antibiofilm potential against the test organisms belonging to Gram positive, Gram negative and yeast. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Antibiofilm potential and biosafety of plant-based flavonoids from M. oleifera seed coat reveal a prospective active principle that could be of use in biofilm-associated menace.

Allele characterization of genes required for rpg4-mediated wheat stem rust resistance identifies Rpg5 as the R gene.

A highly virulent form of the wheat stem rust pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK is virulent on both wheat and barley, presenting a major threat to world food security. The recessive and temperature-sensitive rpg4 gene is the only effective source of resistance identified in barley (Hordeum vulgare) against P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK. Efforts to position clone rpg4 localized resistance to a small interval on barley chromosome 5HL, tightly linked to the rye stem rust (P. graminis f. sp. secalis) resistance (R) gene Rpg5. High-resolution genetic analysis and post-transcriptional gene silencing of the genes at the rpg4/Rpg5 locus determined that three tightly linked genes (Rpg5, HvRga1, and HvAdf3) are required together for rpg4-mediated wheat stem rust resistance. Alleles of the three genes were analyzed from a diverse set of 14 domesticated barley lines (H. vulgare) and 8 wild barley accessions (H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum) to characterize diversity that may determine incompatibility (resistance). The analysis determined that HvAdf3 and HvRga1 code for predicted functional proteins that do not appear to contain polymorphisms determining the compatible (susceptible) interactions with the wheat stem rust pathogen and were expressed at the transcriptional level from both resistant and susceptible barley lines. The HvAdf3 alleles shared 100% amino acid identity among all 22 genotypes examined. The P. graminis f. sp. tritici race QCCJ-susceptible barley lines with HvRga1 alleles containing the limited amino acid substitutions unique to the susceptible varieties also contained predicted nonfunctional rpg5 alleles. Thus, susceptibility in these lines is likely due to the nonfunctional RPG5 proteins. The Rpg5 allele analysis determined that 9 of the 13 P. graminis f. sp. tritici race QCCJ-susceptible barley lines contain alleles that either code for predicted truncated proteins as the result of a single nucleotide substitution, resulting in a stop codon at amino acid 161, a single cytosine indel causing a frame shift, and a stop codon at amino acid 217, or an indel that deleted the entire STPK domain. The three P. graminis f. sp. tritici race QCCJ-susceptible lines (Swiss landraces Hv489, Hv492, and Hv611) and the wild barley accession WBDC160 contain rpg5 alleles predicted to encode full-length proteins containing a nonsynonomous nucleotide substitution that results in the amino acid substitution E1287A. This amino acid substitution present in the uncharacterized C-terminal domain is not found in any resistant line and may be important to elicit the resistance reaction. These data suggest that rpg4-mediated resistance against many wheat stem rust pathogen races, including P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK, rely on the Rpg5 R gene; thus, rpg4- and Rpg5-mediated resistance rely on a common R gene and should not be considered completely distinct. The data also determined that Rpg5 gene-specific molecular markers could be used to detect rpg4-mediated wheat stem rust resistance for marker-assisted selection.

Actinomycetes diversity among rRNA gene clones and cellular isolates from Sambhar salt lake, India.

The vertical stratification of actinomycetes diversity in Sambhar salt lake (India's largest salt lake) was investigated by using cultivable and uncultivable approaches. The isolates from cultured approaches were clustered on the basis of cultural, morphological, biochemical, and cell wall characteristics, and results were further strengthened by 16S rDNA-RFLP into five major groups. 16S rDNA sequencing of the representative isolates from each clusters was identified as belonging to Streptomyces, Actinopolyspora, Microbispora, Saccharopolyspora, and Actinoplanes genera, while culture independent group was established as Streptomyces (130 clones, 20 OTUs), Micromonospora (96 clones, 7 OTUs), Streptosporangium (79 clones, 9 OTUs), Thermomonospora (46 clones, 8 OTUs), and Dactylosporangium (58 clones, 8 OTUs). The diversity assessment using Shannon and Wiener index was found to be 1.55, 1.52, 1.55, and 1.49 from surface lake water, at depth of 1.5 m, shallow layer of water with algal population, and finally at depth of 2.5 m, respectively. We observed diversity in terms of the species richness as Streptomyces is dominant genus in both culture dependent and culture independent techniques followed by Microbispora (culture dependent methods) and Micromonospora (culture independent method) genera, respectively.

Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour for Choosing Oral Hygiene Aids among Students of Management Institutes, Ghaziabad, India.

OBJECTIVE: There is a lot of information available about various oral hygiene aids used for the maintenance of oral hygiene and the prevention of oral diseases but the reason why people choose a particular product is under-reported. This study sought to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of choosing oral hygiene aids among students of management institutes in Ghaziabad, India. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five management institutes selected by simple random sampling and data were collected from 1224 students by self-administered structured validated questionnaire. RESULTS: The study showed that toothbrush (96.8%) and toothpaste (95.2%) were the main products used for the maintenance of oral hygiene. The most commonly used brand dentifrices were Colgate and Close-Up (47%, 23.3%) and in toothbrush, Oral B and Colgate (48.4%, 30.9%), respectively. A particular brand of toothpaste was preferred by 66.4% of the subjects because of childhood and parental use, which was the most influential factor (56.9%). Bristle design was the main criterion for choosing a toothbrush (44.9%), followed by bristle consistency (33.1%). The most commonly used toothbrushes were of soft bristle consistency (51.2%) and 10.9% of the subjects did not know the type of bristle consistency present in their toothbrush. CONCLUSION: Selection of oral hygiene products was based more on parental influence and there seems to be a lack of knowledge and awareness about how to choose a dentifrice and toothbrush.

Energy measurement of 241Am-9Be neutrons by tagged neutron time-of-flight.

Neutron energy spectrum of a 241Am-9Be source was measured in the energy range of 0.3 to ∼ 6.5 MeV using γ-ray tagged neutron time-of-flight method. BC501A type organic liquid scintillator detector was used at a flight path of 175 cm to detect neutrons with good energy resolution. The de-excitation γ-ray emitted in coincidence with neutrons was detected using a fast BaF2 detector. The measured data has been compared with the ISO 8529-2 standard neutron reference spectrum and found good agreement in the overlapping energy region. Present measurement applied efficiency correction to the data and extended up to 0.3 MeV in the lower energy region compared to earlier reported measurement using similar technique.

OGAS: Omni-directional Glider Assisted Scheme for autonomous deployment of sensor nodes in open area wireless sensor network.

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is built with the wireless interconnection of Sensor Nodes (SNs) generally deployed to monitor the changes within the environment of hostile, rugged, and unreachable target regions. The optimal placement of SNs is very important for the efficient and effective operation of any WSN. Unlike small and reachable regions, the deployment of the SNs in large-scale regions (e.g., forest regions, nuclear radiation affected regions, international border regions, natural calamity affected regions, etc.) is substantially challenging. Present paper deals with an autonomous air-bone scheme for the precise placement of SNs in such large-scale regions. It uses an Omni-directional Circular Glider (OCG) per SN. After being aerially dropped, SN pilots the OCG to glide itself to the predetermined locations (PL) within a target region. The major advantage of using OCG is its capability to quickly update the direction, during the flight (with turning radius = 0) toward its PL. The proposed uses a recursive path correction model to maintain the orientation of the gliding SN towards the PL. The simulation results, and the hardware implementation, indicate that the proposed model is effectively operational in the environmental winds. It is time-efficient and more accurate in the deployment of the SNs in comparison to existing state of art SN deployment models.

Screening, diversity and partial sequence comparison of vegetative insecticidal protein (vip3A) genes in the local isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner.

Characterization, direct sequencing of the PCR amplicon and phylogenetic relationship was done to discover a novel Vip protein genes of the Bt isolates, to improve the prospects for insect control, more Vip proteins should be sought out and researched to predict their insecticidal activity. Characterization was based on direct sequencing of PCR amplicon using primers specific to vip3A gene was presented here. 12 out of 18 isolates screened were positive for vip gene-specific primers. Homology search for the partial sequences using BLAST showed that 11 isolates had high similarity to vip3Aa gene and only one fragment with vip3Ae gene (25-100% at nucleotide and amino acid level). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the gene sequences were responsible for geographic separation for divergence within vip genes, consistent with the evaluation of distinct bacterial population. Despite the geographical distances, strains harbouring vip genes have originated from common ancestors may significantly contribute to control resistant insect pests. Some strains have evolved to be quite distinct and others remain as members of closely related groups. The reported method is a powerful tool to find novel Vip3A proteins from large-scale Bt strains which is effective in terms of time and cost. Further the Vip proteins produced by different strains of B. thuringiensis are unique in terms of the sequence divergence and hence may also differ in their insecticidal activities.

Restriction analysis and partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene as index for rapid identification of Bacillus species.

Restriction fragment length analysis of PCR amplified 16S rDNA with AluI revealed the presence of a 265 bp fragment in all species of Bacillus with the exception of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis, which contains two restriction sites within this fragment which results in three smaller fragments totalling to 265 bp. Some distant species of Bacillus with no evidence of this fragment could be delineated into other genera based on phenotypic and genotypic parameters. BLAST search for homologous sequences of individual species revealed that it is a highly conserved region. Multiple alignment of the fragment suggests that a region between 160 and 265 bp of the 265 bp fragment was a hypervariable region and were highly species-specific. A set of primers was designed for amplification of this hypervariable region. Partial sequencing of the hypervariable region within the 265 bp fragment seems an index for identification of Bacillus species.

Cloning, characterization and diversity of insecticidal crystal protein genes of bacillus thuringiensis native isolates from soils of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Bt strains were isolated from soils of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and characterized by microscopic and molecular methods. Diversity was observed both in protein and cry gene profiles, where majority of the isolates showed presence of 65 kDa protein band on SDS-PAGE while rest of them showed 130, 72, 44, and 29 kDa bands. PCR analysis revealed predominance of cry1I and cry7, 8 genes in these isolates. The PCR screening strategy presented here led us to identify putative novel cry genes which could be active against Coleoptera insects. Variation in the nucleotide sequences of cry genes from the isolates suggests that the genetic diversity of Bt isolates results from the influence of different ecological factors and spatial separation between strains generated by the conquest of different habitats in the soils of Andaman and Nicobar islands. The implications of our studies are important from the point of view of identifying novel cry genes that could be toxic to insects other than lepidoptera.

Changes in biochemical constituents of paddy straw during degradation by white rot fungi and its impact on in vitro digestibility.

AIMS: To improve the digestibility of paddy straw to be used as animal feed by means of selective delignification using white rot fungi. METHODS AND RESULTS: Solid state fermentation of paddy straw was carried out with some white rot fungi for 60 days. Different biochemical analyses, e.g. total organic matter (TOM) loss, hemicellulose loss, cellulose loss, lignin loss and in vitro digestibility, were carried out along with laccase, xylanase and carboxymethyl cellulase activity. The results were compared with that of a widely studied fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, which degraded 464 g kg(-1) TOM and enhanced the in vitro digestibility from 185 to 254 g kg(-1) after 60 days of incubation. Straw inoculated with Phlebia brevispora possessed maximum crude protein. CONCLUSIONS: All the tested white rot fungi efficiently degraded the lignin and enhanced the in vitro digestibility of paddy straw. Phlebia brevispora, Phlebia radiata and P. chrysosporium enhanced the in vitro digestibility almost to similar levels, while the loss in TOM was much lesser in P. brevispora and P. radiata when compared to P. chrysosporium. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study reflects the potential of P. brevispora and P. radiata as suitable choices for practical use in terms of availability of organic matter with higher protein value, selective ligninolysis and better digestibility.

Genesis of dihydropyrimidinone(psi) calcium channel blockers: recent progress in structure-activity relationships and other effects.

In the armamentarium of calcium channel blockers appropriately functionalized 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones have received considerable attention in recent past owing to their structural similarity with 1,4-dihydropyridine based drugs. In this review, we highlight detailed investigations in the calcium channel blocking and other activities of this category of compounds as well as trace their genesis from 1,4-dihydropyridine based drugs.

RAPD cluster analysis and chlorate sensitivity of some Indian isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina from sorghum and their relationships with pathogenicity.

Charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is an economically important disease in sorghum grown during the post rainy season in India. Variations in random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymorphisms, chlorate sensitivity and pathogenicity were studied among sorghum isolates of M. phaseolina collected from different parts of India. RAPD data based on 14 random primers of Kit A and C (OPA and OPC) on 20 isolates showed a high degree of polymorphism (98.1%) in different isolates. UPGMA dendrogram on RAPD data produced 7 clusters at the level of 37% similarity. Isolates from the same locations showed a tendency to group closer, substantiating closer genetic relatedness. Sorghum infecting Macrophomina isolates showed a mixed response for sensitivity to potassium chlorate (120 mM). Chlorate-resistant isolates were predominant (>65% of the isolates) over sensitive isolates. Chlorate-sensitive isolates were found to be genetically closer among them than the resistant ones. For the first time it was shown that chlorate sensitivity in Macrophomina had some relations with charcoal rot severity in sorghum.

In Vitro Evaluation and Statistical Optimization of Antimicrobial Activity of Prunus cerasoides Stem Bark.

Nature is a generous source of compounds with the potential for prevention of infections. Antimicrobial screening of aqueous extract from bark of wild Himalayan cherry (Prunus cerasoides) was carried out against various pathogenic microorganisms with inhibition zone ranging from 19 to 24 mm. An optimization strategy, which included classical method and statistical method (RSM), was applied to optimize the effect of process variables. Fifteen percent plant material extracted at 40 °C for 60 min and at its natural pH (4.5) exhibited best antimicrobial activity with an average zone of inhibition ranging from 19 to 29 mm. Statistical optimization using RSM further enhanced the activity by 1.09-1.24 folds. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the aqueous extract against different microorganism ranged from 1 to 10 mg/ml. The aqueous extract was found to be reasonably thermostable at boiling temperature for 1 h. Viable cell count (VCC) studies of the extract showed it to be bactericidal in nature. Further, the aqueous extract was found to be neither cytotoxic nor mutagenic, when evaluated by MTT assay and Ames mutagenicity test. The results suggest that the aqueous extract of P. cerasoides could be a potential source to obtain new antimicrobials and effective herbal medicines to combat the problem of ever emerging microbial resistance.

Rational modification of a lead molecule: Improving the antifungal activity of indole - triazole - amino acid conjugates.

The modification of a molecule that was identified as highly efficacious in the previous studies could considerably improve the biological activity of the resulting compounds. While targeting lanosterol 14-α demethylase, the molecular modelling studies convinced that the extension of the phenyl ring of compound 1 deep into the hydrophobic pocket of the enzyme may increase the enzyme - ligand interactions and hence improve the anti-fungal profile of the molecules. As a result, the newly designed compounds 2 were synthesized and screened for their anti-microbial properties and these compounds were found to exhibit considerably better activity than the previous molecule 1. Some of the compounds in this series exhibited MIC90 16 µg mL-1 and 32 µg mL-1 against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger, respectively as against 312 µg mL-1 for compound 1.