Recent Advances in Carbon Nanotube Utilization in Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review.

Due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, halide perovskites have emerged as prominent materials for the light-absorbing layer in various optoelectronic devices. However, to increase device performance for wider adoption, it is essential to find innovative solutions. One promising solution is incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which have shown remarkable versatility and efficacy. In these devices, CNTs serve multiple functions, including providing conducting substrates and electrodes and improving charge extraction and transport. The next iteration of photovoltaic devices, metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs), holds immense promise. Despite significant progress, achieving optimal efficiency, stability, and affordability simultaneously remains a challenge, and overcoming these obstacles requires the development of novel materials known as CNTs, which, owing to their remarkable electrical, optical, and mechanical properties, have garnered considerable attention as potential materials for highly efficient PSCs. Incorporating CNTs into perovskite solar cells offers versatility, enabling improvements in device performance and longevity while catering to diverse applications. This article provides an in-depth exploration of recent advancements in carbon nanotube technology and its integration into perovskite solar cells, serving as transparent conductive electrodes, charge transporters, interlayers, hole-transporting materials, and back electrodes. Additionally, we highlighted key challenges and offered insights for future enhancements in perovskite solar cells leveraging CNTs.

Anti-proliferative, Morphological and Molecular Docking Studies of New Thiophene Derivatives and their Strategy in Ionic Liquids Immobilized Reactions.

BACKGROUND: A number of research were conducted on the pyran and thiophene derivatives, which were attributed to have a wide range of biological activities, including anti-plasmodial, as well as acting as caspase, hepatitis C and cancer inhibitors. OBJECTIVE: The multicomponent reactions of the 5-acetyl-2-amino-4-(phenylamino)-thiophene-3-carbonitrile produced biologically active target molecules like pyran and their fused derivatives. Comparison between regular catalytic multi-component reactions and solvent-free ionic liquids immobilized multicomponent was studied. METHOD: The multicomponent reactions in this work were carried out not only under the reflux conditions using triethylamine as a catalyst but also in solvent-free ionic liquids immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) catalysts. RESULTS: Through this work, thirty-one new compounds were synthesized and characterized and were evaluated toward the six cancer cell lines, namely A549, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG, and SMMC-7721 and H460. The most active compounds were further screened toward seventeen cancer cell lines classified according to the disease. In addition, the effect of compound 11e on the A549 cell line was selected to make further morphological changes in the cell line. The Molecular docking studies of 11e and 11f were carried and promising results were obtained. CONCLUSION: The synthesis of heterocyclic compounds derived from thiophene derivatives has been receiving significant attention. After a detailed optimizing study, it has been found that the solvent-free ionic liquids immobilized multi-component syntheses afforded a high yield of compounds, opening a greener procedure for this synthetically relevant transformation. Many of the synthesized compounds can be considered anticancer agents, enhancing further studies.

Pregnancy-associated changes in urinary uromodulin excretion in chronic hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy involves major adaptations in renal haemodynamics, tubular, and endocrine functions. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Uromodulin is a nephron-derived protein that is associated with hypertension and kidney diseases. Here we study the role of urinary uromodulin excretion in hypertensive pregnancy. METHODS: Urinary uromodulin was measured by ELISA in 146 pregnant women with treated chronic hypertension (n = 118) and controls (n = 28). We studied non-pregnant and pregnant Wistar Kyoto and Stroke Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (n = 8/strain), among which a group of pregnant Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive rats was treated with either nifedipine (n = 7) or propranolol (n = 8). RESULTS: In pregnant women, diagnosis of chronic hypertension, increased maternal body mass index, Black maternal ethnicity and elevated systolic blood pressure at the first antenatal visit were significantly associated with a lower urinary uromodulin-to-creatinine ratio. In rodents, pre-pregnancy urinary uromodulin excretion was twofold lower in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive rats than in Wistar Kyoto rats. During pregnancy, the urinary uromodulin excretion rate gradually decreased in Wistar Kyoto rats (a twofold decrease), whereas a 1.5-fold increase was observed in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive rats compared to pre-pregnancy levels. Changes in uromodulin were attributed by kidney injury in pregnant rats. Neither antihypertensive changed urinary uromodulin excretion rate in pregnant Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive rats. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we demonstrate pregnancy-associated differences in urinary uromodulin: creatinine ratio and uromodulin excretion rate between chronic hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies. Further research is needed to fully understand uromodulin physiology in human pregnancy and establish uromodulin's potential as a biomarker for renal adaptation and renal function in pregnancy.

Ultrasound-Assisted Synthesis of Chalcone: A Highly Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent Chemosensor for the Detection of Fe3+ in Aqueous Media.

The chalcone compound DHPO was synthesized through a chemical reaction between 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanone and 3,4-dimethoxy benzaldehyde under ultrasound irradiation. The interaction between the DHPO compound and several metal ions was studied using fluorescence behavior, revealing that the chalcone function as a "turn on and turn off" switch fluorescent sensor, for selectively and sensitively detecting Fe3+ ions. The process of fluorescence quenching and complexation of DHPO with Fe3+ ion was further studied using methods such as Benesi-Hildebrand, Stern-Volmer plot, and job plot.

Ethanolic Extract of Polygonum minus Protects Differentiated Human Neuroblastoma Cells (SH-SY5Y) against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress.

Neuronal models are an important tool in neuroscientific research. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a major risk factor of neuronal oxidative stress, initiates a cascade of neuronal cell death. Polygonum minus Huds, known as 'kesum', is widely used in traditional medicine. P. minus has been reported to exhibit a few medicinal and pharmacological properties. The current study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of P. minus ethanolic extract (PMEE) on H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. LC-MS/MS revealed the presence of 28 metabolites in PMEE. Our study showed that the PMEE provided neuroprotection against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/ARE, NF-κB/IκB and MAPK signaling pathways in PMEE pre-treated differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Meanwhile, the acetylcholine (ACH) level was increased in the oxidative stress-induced treatment group after 4 h of exposure with H2O2. Molecular docking results with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) depicted that quercitrin showed the highest docking score at -9.5 kcal/mol followed by aloe-emodin, afzelin, and citreorosein at -9.4, -9.3 and -9.0 kcal/mol, respectively, compared to the other PMEE's identified compounds, which show lower docking scores. The results indicate that PMEE has neuroprotective effects on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in vitro. In conclusion, PMEE may aid in reducing oxidative stress as a preventative therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Assessment of the Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Capacity, and Hepatoprotective Effect of Andrographis paniculata against CCl4-Induced Liver Dysfunction in Wistar Albino Rats.

Recent studies have highlighted the necessity to thoroughly evaluate medicinal plants due to their therapeutic potential. The current study delves into the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and hepatoprotective effect of Andrographis paniculata. The investigation specifically targets its effectiveness in mitigating liver dysfunction induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in Wistar albino rats, aiming to uncover its promising role as a natural remedy for liver-related ailments. A. paniculata leaf extract was screened for phytoconstituents and antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects in Wistar albino rats against CCl4-induced liver dysfunction. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds in all extracts. The phenolic concentration ranged from 10.23 to 19.52 mg gallic acid per gram of the sample, while the highest flavonoid concentration was found in the ethanol fraction (8.27 mg rutin equivalents per gram). The antioxidant activity varied from 10.23 to 62.23. GC-MS analysis identified several phytochemicals including octadecanoic acid, stigmasterol, phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, and others. Effects of the ethanol extract of A. paniculata were evaluated in four groups of animals. Biochemical estimations of serum glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamine pyruvate transaminase, and serum bilirubin were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the CCl4-treated group. Treatment with 300 mg/kg b.w. of the ethanol extract of A. paniculata significantly (p < 0.05) decreased these serum enzymes. Lipid peroxidation levels in carbon tetrachloride-treated animals showed a substantial (p < 0.05) rise when compared to untreated animals, while the lipid peroxidation levels were considerably (p < 0.05) reduced after treatment with ethanol extract at 300 mg/kg b.w. Liver biochemical catalase activities were significantly reduced in the carbon tetrachloride-treated animals. The results of this study conclusively demonstrate that A. paniculata extracts are a rich source of phytochemicals and possess significant antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and hepatoprotective properties.

A Novel Protein Elicitor (PELL1) Extracted from Lecanicillium lecanii Induced Resistance against Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Protein elicitors play a key role in signaling or displaying plant defense mechanism and emerging as vital tools for biocontrol of insects. This study was aimed at the characterization of the novel protein elicitor isolated from entomopathogenic fungi Lecanicillium lecanii (V3) strain and its activity against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The sequence of purified elicitor protein showed 100% similarity with hypothetical protein LEL_00878 (Cordyceps confragosa RCEF 1005) (GenBank accession no. OAA81333.1). This novel protein elicitor has 253 amino acid residues and 762 bp with a molecular mass of 29 kDa. Their combatant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli using pET-28a (+) plasmid. Bioassay was revealed to quantify the impact of numerous concentrations of protein (i.e., 58.32, 41.22, and 35.41 µg/ml) on the fecundity rate of B tabaci on cotton plants. Bioassay results exhibited a significant effect (P ≤ 0.001) of all the concentrations of protein on the fecundity rate of B. tabaci. In addition, the gene expression analysis found a significant upregulation of the major genes associated with salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) defense pathways in elicitor protein-treated plants. Our results showed that the potential application of novel protein elicitor derived from Lecanicillium lecanii will be used as future biointensive controlling approaches against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

Antibacterial Effects of Flavonoids and Their Structure-Activity Relationship Study: A Comparative Interpretation.

According to the latest report released by the World Health Organization, bacterial resistance to well-known and widely available antibacterial drugs has become a significant and severe global health concern and a grim challenge to tackle in order to cure infections associated with multidrug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms efficiently. Consequently, various strategies have been orchestrated to cure the severe complications related to multidrug-resistant bacteria effectively. Some approaches involved the retardation of biofilm formation and multidrug-resistance pumps in bacteria as well as the discovery of new antimicrobial agents demonstrating different mechanisms of action. In this regard, natural products namely alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, anthraquinone, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, etc., have been suggested to tackle the multidrug-resistant bacterial strains owing to their versatile pharmacological effects. Amongst these, flavonoids, also known as polyphenolic compounds, have been widely evaluated for their antibacterial property due to their tendency to retard the growth of a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. The hydroxylation of C5, C7, C3', and C4'; and geranylation or prenylation at C6 have been extensively studied to increase bacterial inhibition of flavonoids. On the other hand, methoxylation at C3' and C5 has been reported to decrease flavonoids' antibacterial action. Hence, the latest information on the antibacterial activity of flavonoids is summarized in this review, with particular attention to the structure-activity relationship of this broad class of natural compounds to discover safe and potent antibacterial agents as natural products.

Insights into cyanobacterial alkane biosynthesis.

Alkanes are high-energy molecules that are compatible with enduring liquid fuel infrastructures, which make them highly suitable for being next-generation biofuels. Though biological production of alkanes has been reported in various microorganisms, the reports citing photosynthetic cyanobacteria as natural producers have been the most consistent for the long-chain alkanes and alkenes (C15-C19). However, the production of alkane in cyanobacteria is low, leading to its extraction being uneconomical for commercial purposes. In order to make alkane production economically feasible from cyanobacteria, the titre and yield need to be increased by several orders of magnitude. In the recent past, efforts have been made to enhance alkane production, although with a little gain in yield, leaving space for much improvement. Genetic manipulation in cyanobacteria is considered challenging, but recent advancements in genetic engineering tools may assist in manipulating the genome in order to enhance alkane production. Further, advancement in a basic understanding of metabolic pathways and gene functioning will guide future research for harvesting the potential of these tiny photosynthetically efficient factories. In this review, our focus would be to highlight the current knowledge available on cyanobacterial alkane production, and the potential aspects of developing cyanobacterium as an economical source of biofuel. Further insights into different metabolic pathways and hosts explored so far, and possible challenges in scaling up the production of alkanes will also be discussed.

Microwave assisted one-pot synthesis, photophysical and physicochemical studies of novel biologically active heterocyclic Donor (D)-π-Acceptor (A) chromophore.

A donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) chromophore, 2-amino-4-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-8-methoxy-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbonitrile (AEDQ) was synthesized from the condensation of 6-methoxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one, 9-ethyl-9H-carbazole-3-carbaldehyde, malononitrile and NH4OAc in ethanol. Spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis were employed to establish the structure of AEDQ. Photophysical parameters and fluorescence quantum yield were calculated in the different polarity solvents to evaluate the interactions of the solvent with AEDQ chromophore. Further, the interaction of the AEDQ with cationic and anionic surfactants (CTAB, SDS) were also evaluated by using fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The intensity of the fluorescence spectrum increased as the concentration of surfactants increased, suggesting that strong interaction occurs between AEDQ with surfactants, and this interaction arises from electrostatic forces. As a result, the AEDQ chromophore could be used to determine the CMC of surfactants. The disc diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) technique were used to test in-vitro antibacterial activity against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria, and the results are compared with the standard drug, tetracycline. AEDQ also showed good ADMET, pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties, which are desirable for a good drug candidate. The molecule also fits well in the DNA gyrase A active pocket site with the binding free energy of -17.92 kcal/mol, which testifies its good antibacterial activity.

Medicinal Potential of Isoflavonoids: Polyphenols That May Cure Diabetes.

In recent years, there is emerging evidence that isoflavonoids, either dietary or obtained from traditional medicinal plants, could play an important role as a supplementary drug in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to their reported pronounced biological effects in relation to multiple metabolic factors associated with diabetes. Hence, in this regard, we have comprehensively reviewed the potential biological effects of isoflavonoids, particularly biochanin A, genistein, daidzein, glycitein, and formononetin on metabolic disorders and long-term complications induced by T2DM in order to understand whether they can be future candidates as a safe antidiabetic agent. Based on in-depth in vitro and in vivo studies evaluations, isoflavonoids have been found to activate gene expression through the stimulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) (α, γ), modulate carbohydrate metabolism, regulate hyperglycemia, induce dyslipidemia, lessen insulin resistance, and modify adipocyte differentiation and tissue metabolism. Moreover, these natural compounds have also been found to attenuate oxidative stress through the oxidative signaling process and inflammatory mechanism. Hence, isoflavonoids have been envisioned to be able to prevent and slow down the progression of long-term diabetes complications including cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Further thoroughgoing investigations in human clinical studies are strongly recommended to obtain the optimum and specific dose and regimen required for supplementation with isoflavonoids and derivatives in diabetic patients.

Retracted: Novel spiro-thiazolidin-4-one and thioether derivatives of benzylidene flavanones: New leads in cancer and microbial chemotherapy.

The above article from Archiv der Pharmazie, published online on 12 March 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Holger Stark, and Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. The retraction has been agreed due to errors in the spectroscopic data of the investigated new compounds. REFERENCE TO RETRACTION: S. Mukhtar, M. A. Alsharif, M. I. Alahmdi, H. Parveen, A. U. Khan, Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2018;1-12. DOI: 10.1002/ardp.201700397.

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of novel 2,4,6-trisubstituted bis-pyrimidine derivatives.

A new series of 2,4,6-trisubstituted bis-pyrimidines were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antiamoebic activity against HM1:IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. Out of 16 compounds 8 compounds have shown IC(50) values in the range of 0.10-1.86 µM. Bis-pyrimidine having methyl-, methoxy-, thiomethyl- and dimehyl-phenyl substituents, exhibited higher antiamoebic activity than the reference drug metronidazole (IC(50) = 1.9 µM). The toxicological studies of active compounds on PC12-rat pheochoromocytoma cell line showed that all compounds were non-toxic at a concentration of 100 µM. 4-4'-Benzene-1,3-diylbis[6-(4-methylphenyl-2-(piperidin-1-yl)pyrimidine] (4c) was found most active (IC(50) = 0.10 µM) and least toxic among all the compounds.

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of novel 6-ferrocenyl-4-aryl-2-substituted pyrimidine derivatives.

A new series of 6-ferrocenyl-4-aryl-2-substituted pyrimidines were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antiamoebic activity against HM1:IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. Out of 16 compounds 10 compounds have shown IC(50) values in the range of 0.41-1.73 microM and 1.80 microM. Pyrimidine derivatives having thiomethyl group, chloro group and mono-, di-, and trimethoxy substitution, exhibited higher antiamoebic activity than the reference drug metronidazole (IC(50)=1.80 microM). The toxicological studies of these compounds on human kidney epithelial cell line showed that all compounds were non-toxic. 4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-6-ferrocenyl-2-piperidin-1-yl-pyrimidine (4f) was found most active (IC(50)=0.41 microM) and least toxic among all the compounds.

Synthesis, characterization, antiamoebic activity and toxicity of novel bisdioxazole derivatives.

Cyclization of benzene-1,4-dicarbaldehyde dioxime 1 with different aromatic aldehydes in inert atmosphere yielded the corresponding new bisdioxazoles 2-11. The structure of 2-11 was elucidated by spectral data. In vitro antiamoebic activity was performed against HM1:IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. The results showed that the compounds 3 (IC(50)=1.22 microM), 4 (IC(50)=1.41 microM), 7 (IC(50)=1.05 microM) and 10 (IC(50)=1.01 microM) exhibited better antiamoebic activity than the standard drug metronidazole (IC(50)=1.80 microM). The compounds 3, 4, 7 and 10 were tested for toxicity by MTT assay on H9c2 cardiac myoblasts and the results showed that the compounds 3, 4, 7 and 10 offered remarkable viability of 96.2%, 83.5%, 82% and 89%, respectively at a concentration of 12.5 microg/ml.