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Background/Aim:As recommended by WHO, breastfeeding is the best choice and safe for infants. The formula for infants plays an imperative role in the infant's diet and remains an excellent alternative for breast milk. The milk formula for most infants has been increasingly changed with various compositions to create a similar breast milk production. This study aims to analyze and determine the chemical composition of a few milk formulas available in the Saudi Arabian market.Materials and MethodsThirty-five milk formula samples for infants of different age categories were collected from Riyadh City and analyzed for protein, fat, carbohydrates, lactose, total solids, total non-fat solids, calcium, iron, and zinc. Among batches collected, there were 15 branded products suitable for those of age 0–6 months, five for those of age 0–12 months, four for those of age 1–3 years, and 11 for those of age 6–12 months.ResultsFor infants, the milk formula sample parameters investigated varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05). A significantly high protein value was 22.72% for a brand for infants with an age of 0–6 months, and the lowest was 11.31% for a brand for those of age 0–12 months. Fat content was high in a brand (26.92%) for infants of age 0–6 months and low in a brand (17.31%) for those aged 6–12 months. The high value of carbohydrates was found in a brand (60.64%) for those of age 0–6 months and a low one (44.97%) in a brand for those of age 0–12 months. The total energy, lactose, total solids, total non-fat solids, and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) varied between milk formulas at the same age.ConclusionThere were significant variations between milk formulas of the same ages. According to age groups, some nutrients were not identical to the reference values for children's food.

At present, the world is facing a pandemic named as COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2. Traditional Chinese medicine has recommended the use of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza species) in the treatment of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to identify the active molecule from the liquorice against different protein targets of COVID-19 using an in-silico approach. The molecular docking simulation study of 20 compounds along with two standard antiviral drugs (Lopinavir and Rivabirin) was carried out with the help of Autodock vina software using two protein targets from COVID-19 i.e. spike glycoprotein (PDB ID: 6VSB) and Non-structural Protein-15 (Nsp15) endoribonuclease (PDB ID: 6W01). From the observed binding energy and the binding interactions, glyasperin A showed high affinity towards Nsp15 endoribonuclease with uridine specificity, while glycyrrhizic acid was found to be best suited for the binding pocket of spike glycoprotein and also prohibited the entry of the virus into the host cell. Further, the dynamic behavior of the best-docked molecules inside the spike glycoprotein and Nsp15 endoribonuclease were explored through all-atoms molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study. Several parameters from the MD simulation have substantiated the stability of protein-ligand stability. The binding free energy of both glyasperin A and glycyrrhizic acid was calculated from the entire MD simulation trajectory through the MM-PBSA approach and found to high binding affinity towards the respective protein receptor cavity. Thus, glyasperin A and glycyrrhizic acid could be considered as the best molecule from liquorice, which could find useful against COVID-19. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma