Nanostructured material-based optical and electrochemical detection of amoxicillin antibiotic.

The penicillin derivative amoxicillin (AMX) plays an important role in treating various types of infections caused by bacteria. However, excessive use of AMX may have negative health effects. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to detect and quantify the AMX in pharmaceutical drugs, biological fluids, and environmental samples with high sensitivity. Therefore, this review article provides valuable and up-to-date information on nanostructured material-based optical and electrochemical sensors to detect AMX in various biological and chemical samples. The role of using different nanostructured materials on the performance of important optical sensors such as colorimetric sensors, fluorescence sensors, surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors, chemiluminescence/electroluminescence sensors, optical immunosensors, optical fibre-based sensors, and several important electrochemical sensors based on different electrode types have been discussed. Moreover, nanocomposites, polymer, and MXenes-based electrochemical sensors have also been discussed, in which such materials are being used to further enhance the sensitivity of these sensors. Furthermore, nanocomposite-based photo-electrochemical sensors and the market availability of biosensors including AMX have also been discussed briefly. Finally, the conclusion, challenges, and future perspectives of the above-mentioned sensing techniques for AMX detection are presented.

Iron Oxide Nanoparticle-Based Ferro-Nanofluids for Advanced Technological Applications.

Iron oxide nanoparticle (ION)-based ferro-nanofluids (FNs) have been used for different technological applications owing to their excellent magneto-rheological properties. A comprehensive overview of the current advancement of FNs based on IONs for various engineering applications is unquestionably necessary. Hence, in this review article, various important advanced technological applications of ION-based FNs concerning different engineering fields are critically summarized. The chemical engineering applications are mainly focused on mass transfer processes. Similarly, the electrical and electronics engineering applications are mainly focused on magnetic field sensors, FN-based temperature sensors and tilt sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and on-chip components, actuators, and cooling for electronic devices and photovoltaic thermal systems. On the other hand, environmental engineering applications encompass water and air purification. Moreover, mechanical engineering or magneto-rheological applications include dampers and sealings. This review article provides up-to-date information related to the technological advancements and emerging trends in ION-based FN research concerning various engineering fields, as well as discusses the challenges and future perspectives.

Elucidating the Role of Santalol as a Potent Inhibitor of Tyrosinase: In Vitro and In Silico Approaches.

This research work focuses on the potential application of an organic compound, santalol, obtained from santalum album, in the inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, which is actively involved in the biosynthesis of melanin pigment. Over-production of melanin causes undesirable pigmentation in humans as well as other organisms and significantly downgrades their aesthetic value. The study is designed to explain the purification of tyrosinase from the mushroom Agaricus bisporus, followed by activity assays and enzyme kinetics to give insight into the santalol-modulated tyrosinase inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. The multi-spectroscopic techniques such as UV-vis, fluorescence, and isothermal calorimetry are employed to deduce the efficiency of santalol as a potential candidate against tyrosinase enzyme activity. Experimental results are further verified by molecular docking. Santalol, derived from the essential oils of santalum album, has been widely used as a remedy for skin disorders and a potion for a fair complexion since ancient times. Based on enzyme kinetics and biophysical characterization, this is the first scientific evidence where santalol inhibits tyrosinase, and santalol may be employed in the agriculture, food, and cosmetic industries to prevent excess melanin formation or browning.

Transforming bio-waste lignin into amine functionalized carbon quantum dots for selective detection of trace Cu2+ in aqueous system.

Developing carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from bio-waste lignin for effectively detecting Cu2+ is of great significance for promoting the value-added utilization of lignin resources. However, the limited amount of surface-active groups and low quantum yield of lignin-based CQDs hinder their application in this regard. Herein, bio-waste lignin was converted into value-added amine functionalized CQDs using a facile two-step hydrothermal approach. The as-synthesized CQDs modified with amino groups exhibit bright green fluorescence, abundant surface functional groups, high water solubility and uniform particle size (3.9 nm). Systematic analysis demonstrates that the rich NH2 groups (~12.3 %) on the CQDs backbone improve their fluorescence properties (quantum yield increased from 3.4 % to 21.1 %) and specific detection ability for Cu2+. The developed NH2-CQDs serve as an efficient fluorescent probe, displaying high sensitivity and selectivity towards Cu2+ in aqueous system, with a detection limit of 2.42 µmol/L, which is lower than the maximum permitted amount of Cu2+ in drinking water (20 µmol/L). The detection mechanism of NH2-CQDs for Cu2+ is attributed to the synergy of static quenching and photo-induced electron transfer. This study provides a valuable reference for the synthesis of high-quality fluorescent CQDs from lignin resources and the effective detection of trace Cu2+ in aquatic environments.

A Review on Natural Antioxidants for Their Role in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

The neurodegenerative condition known as Parkinson's disease (PD) is brought on by the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, which is the brain region that controls body movement. PD occurs due to many factors, from which one of the acknowledged effects of oxidative stress is pathogenic pathways that play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease. Antioxidants, including flavonoids, vitamins E and C, and polyphenolic substances, help to reduce the oxidative stress brought on by free radicals. Consequently, this lowers the risk of neurodegenerative disorders in the long term. Although there is currently no cure for neurodegenerative illnesses, these conditions can be controlled. The treatment of this disease lessens its symptoms, which helps to preserve the patient's quality of life. Therefore, the use of naturally occurring antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which may be obtained through food or nutritional supplements and have a variety of positive effects, has emerged as an appealing alternative management strategy. This article will examine the extent of knowledge about antioxidants in the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses, as well as future directions for research. Additionally, an evaluation of the value of antioxidants as neuroprotective agents will be provided.

An Extensive Examination of the Warning Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Available Therapies, and Prognosis for Lumpy Skin Disease.

The lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infects cattle and buffalo and causes lumpy skin disease (LSD). It affects the lymph nodes of the sick animals, causing them to enlarge and appear as lumps (cutaneous nodules) that are 2-5 cm in diameter on their heads, necks, limbs, udders, genitalia, and perinea. A high temperature, a sharp drop in milk supply, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, a loss of appetite, depression, damaged hides, and emaciation are further warning signs and symptoms. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the incubation period, or the time between an infection and symptoms, is approximately 28 days. Infected animals can transfer the virus by direct contact with the vectors, direct virus secretion from mouth or nose, shared feeding and watering troughs, and even artificial insemination. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the FAO both warn that the spread of illnesses could lead to serious economic losses. This illness reduces cow's milk production because oral ulcers make the animal weak and lead them to lose their appetite. There are many diagnostics available for LSDV. However, very few tests yield accurate findings. The best methods for preventing and controlling the lumpy skin condition include vaccination and movement restrictions. As a specific cure is not available, the only available treatment for this illness is supportive care for cattle. Recently, India has developed a homologous, live-attenuated vaccine, Lumpi-ProVacInd, which is specifically intended to protect animals against the LSD virus. This study's primary goal is to accumulate data on symptoms, the most accurate method of diagnosis, treatments, and controls to stop infections from spreading as well as to explore future possibilities for the management of LSDV.

Size-Dependent Interplay of Volume Exclusion Versus Soft Interactions: Cytochrome c in Macromolecular Crowded Environment.

Even though there are a great number of possible conformational states, how a protein generated as a linear unfolded polypeptide efficiently folds into its physiologically active form remained a fascinating and unanswered enigma inside crowded conditions of cells. In this study, various spectroscopic techniques have been exploited to know and understand the effect and mechanism of action of two different sizes of polyethylene glycols, or PEGs (molecular mass ∼10 and ∼20 kilo Daltons, kDa), on cytochrome c (cyt c). The outcomes showed that small size of the PEG leads to perturbation of the protein structure, and conversely, large size of the PEG has stabilizing effect on cyt c. Moreover, binding measurements showed that small size of PEG interacts strongly via soft interactions compared to the larger size of PEG, the latter being governed more by excluded volume effect or preferential exclusion from the protein. Overall, this finding suggests that conformations of protein may be influenced in cellular crowded conditions via interactions which depend upon the size of molecule in the environment. This study proposes that both volume exclusion and soft (chemical) interactions governs the protein's conformation and functional activities. The cellular environment's internal architecture as evident from crowder size and shape in this study has a significant role.

CRISPR/Cas-Based Biosensor As a New Age Detection Method for Pathogenic Bacteria.

Methods enabling rapid and on-site detection of pathogenic bacteria are a prerequisite for public health assurance, medical diagnostics, ensuring food safety and security, and research. Many current bacteria detection technologies are inconvenient and time-consuming, making them unsuitable for field detection. New technology based on the CRISPR/Cas system has the potential to fill the existing gaps in detection. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system is a part of the bacterial adaptive immune system to protect them from intruding bacteriophages. The immunological memory is saved by the CRISPR array of bacteria in the form of short DNA sequences (spacers) from invading viruses and incorporated with the CRISPR DNA repeats. Cas proteins are responsible for triggering and initiating the adaptive immune function of CRISPR/Cas systems. In advanced biological research, the CRISPR/Cas system has emerged as a significant tool from genome editing to pathogen detection. By considering its sensitivity and specificity, this system can become one of the leading detection methods for targeting DNA/RNA. This technique is well applied in virus detection like Dengue, ZIKA, SARS-CoV-2, etc., but for bacterial detection, this CRISPR/Cas system is limited to only a few organisms to date. In this review, we have discussed the different techniques based on the CRISPR/Cas system that have been developed for the detection of various pathogenic bacteria like L. monocytogenes, M. tuberculosis, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Salmonella, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii.

Deleterious effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in vitiligo patients.

Vitiligo is a rare skin condition caused by an immune reaction. Vitiligo can occur anywhere on the body. This proposed explanation of vitiligo makes it clear that vitiligo is not linked to any other autoimmune diseases. The polymorphisms of some genes present in the immune system play a major function in susceptibility of vitiligo. Meta-analysis studies have shown that the Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion and deletion polymorphism is closely associated with vitiligo in many ethnicities. The connection between ACE gene and vitiligo is connected through the auto immune diseases and there are no genetic polymorphism studies have been carried out with ACE gene with vitiligo in the Saudi population. Previous studies show that vitiligo patients are more likely to also have an autoimmune disorder. The current study aims to investigate the I/D polymorphism in the ACE gene with diagnosed patients with vitiligo subjects. This is a case-control study carried out in the Saudi population with 100 vitiligo cases and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed through polymerase chain reaction followed by 3% agarose gel electrophoresis. Genotype and allele frequencies were carried out with genetic mode of inheritances. Statistical analysis was performed considering p < 0.05 as significant association. There was a substantial difference in allele frequency distribution between vitiligo patients and healthy controls (OR-1.70 (95%CI: 1.14-2.53); p = 0.008). Additionally, DD genotype (OR-4.71 (95%CI: 1.42-15.61); p = 0.008) and recessive model (OR-2.66 (95%CI: 1.41-5.02); p = 0.002) was strongly associated. Both dominant and co-dominant showed the negative association (p > 0.05) when compared between the vitiligo cases and controls. The correlation between age and genotyping was performed with Anova analysis and current study results confirmed the substantial link between 11 and 20 years (p = 0.01) and 31-40 years (p = 0.04) with the defined age groups. In conclusion, in Saudi populations, the ACE gene I/D polymorphism was identified as being correlated with vitiligo. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to report the risk factors of vitiligo with the ACE gene polymorphism.