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The synergistic effects of metal complex nanoparticles in remediation of environment had opened a versatile field of research as providing differential attractive forces for a given pollutant on their surfaces. Herein, trimetallic nanoparticles of silver, copper and cobalt (Ag–Cu–Co TNPs) were prepared via chemical reduction method using sodium borohydride as reductant which were then characterized through SEM, EDX, XRD and FT-IR analytical techniques. As model dye, acid blue 7 was adsorbed on the surface of fabricated particles utilizing batch adsorption approach. The adsorption conditions like temperature, adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time were optimized to get maximum adsorption of the selected dye which were; 333 K, 0.01 g, pH 6 and 30 min respectively. The adsorption data were analyzed using kinetic and isotherm models, with the linear pseudo 2nd order kinetics and Langmuir models being the most suitable. The maximum adsorption capacity at 333 K was found to be 74.07 mg/g. Thermodynamic variables such as entropy (ΔS°), enthalpy (ΔH°), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) changes were calculated to understand the adsorption feasibilities. Results indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic (ΔH° = 6.867 KJ mol−1) and spontaneous ΔG° (J mol−1) −219.2, −702.9 and −1086.6 at 293 K, 313 K and 333 K respectively. The entropy change (ΔS° = 24.185 J mol−1K−1) suggested an increased disorder at the solid–solution interface during adsorption.

AbstractCommiphora foliaceaSprague and related species are renowned for the expensive perfumes, cosmetics, and aromatherapy due to its pleasant smell of essential oils used to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve memory loss.The chemical ingredients from the stem of C. foliaceaSprague essential oil (EO) were evaluated for GC-MS analysis, in vitro(antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and carbonic anhydrase-II (CA-II)) and in vivo(anti-analgesic and anti-inflammatory) studies. The EO encompasses 56 compounds contributed 93.58% of the total with leading compounds of camphene (14.02%) followed by eremophilene (11.46%). Maximum activity was depicted via DPPH and ABTS protocols compared to the standards. The EO was found effective against B. subtilis(gram-positive bacteria), while maximum antifungal inhibition was observed against A. parasiticus. The substantial antidiabetic and CA-II potential was noted compared with standards. The EO presented considerable potential against breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and normal (MCF-10A) cell lines with an IC50of 108.4 and 300 μg/mL, correspondingly and it has been assumed that the essential oil did not deliver much damage to the normal cell lines. Moreover, among the in vivo, the EO revealed the substantial anti-inflammatory potential to reduce paw edema with 63.81% inhibition in comparison to the standard Diclofenac. EO also depicted a significant reduction in analgesic potential (62.05%) compared to the standard aspirin. Furthermore, up to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the GC-MS analysis, in vitro, anti-analgesic, and anti-inflammatory potential of the EO isolated from the stem of C. foliacea.

This study presents the synthesis of a sensitive AKBA-Based fluorescent “Turn off” chemosensor for rapid detection of abamectin residues in tomatoes. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (β-AKBA) by chemical reduction method. The characterization of AKBA-AgNPs was performed by UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average particle size of NPs was found to be 46.2 ± 2 nm with lumps of macro-sized particles. TEM data further revealed that nanoparticles were polydispersed and spherical in shape and also show good stability at high temperatures and pH. The biosensing properties of nanoparticles were studied for the detection of abamectin residues in tomato samples. Abamectin a natural product derived from the bacterium Streptomyces avermitilisis effective against a wide range of pests. In sensing protocol 67 organic tomato samples were segregated into 34 (safe group, without a spray of abamectin) and 33 samples (as an unsafe group, sprayed with abamectin insecticide solution). Emission spectra of these sample solutions were measured in the wavelength range of 450–530 nm, excitation wavelength was fixed at 488 nm. The effect of minor wavelength variation for the discrimination and classification of the two groups was investigated by applying two chemometric methods including partial least square discriminant analysis and principal component analysis with projection. The mechanism of its interaction between the AKBA-Ag NPs and abamectin residue was also established through UV/visible, FTIR, and TEM microscopy. This newly synthesized nanoparticle was found to have excellent stability at variables, i.e., temperature, storage period, salt concentration, and pH. Therefore, the synthesized Ag NPs are potential candidates for biosensing applications against abamectin.

Carbon materials are suitable electrode candidates in supercapacitors (SCs) because of their availability, well-defined microstructures, and ultrahigh surface areas. Herein, a universal chemical activation method was utilized to obtain activated carbon (C-KOH) from poly-anthraquinone sulfide (PAQS) at 850 °C and reduced activated carbon (C-KOH-H) from C-KOH via a mild hydrogen reduction process at low temperature. The electrochemical performances of the PAQS derived activated carbon electrodes were investigated by assembling electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Electrodes fabricated from C-KOH and C-KOH-H showed 174 and 182.3 F g−1specific capacitances at 0.5 A g−1current density, respectively. Whereas their energy densities were 44 and 46 Wh kg−1at 350 and 423 W kg−1power densities, respectively. SCs assembled from C-KOH-H showed excellent rate performance, that retained 140 F g−1even at high current density (20 A g−1), while the one assembled with C-KOH stored 54 F g−1. Furthermore, the C-KOH-H electrode retained 98 % of the initial capacitance at 1 A g−1over 20,000 continuous cycles. The experimental results revealed that C-KOH-H showed the best electrochemical performance in SCs, which is attributed to the presence of less sulfur and oxygen than C-KOH after the mild reduction. These results prove that PAQS show excellent activation with KOH to produce well-organized porous activated carbons having high specific surface areas, which can be utilized as high-performance electrode materials in SCs.

AbstractThe essential oils (EOs) of the stem (SEO) and leaves (LEO) of Zygophyllum qatarensewere analysed by GC/MS. Seventeen compounds comprising 94.0% of the total oil composition were identified in the essential oil leaves (LEO), while eleven compounds accounting 100% of the total oil composition were detected in the essential oil stem (SEO). The main constituents identified in the LEO were methyl-8-pimaren-18-oate (33.09%), methyl palmitate (10.55%), methyl linolenate (7.67%), 6,6-dimethylhept-1-en-4-yne (7.45%) and caryophyllene (6.14%). The SEO was found rich in urs-12-en-28-ol (21.81%), followed by 15-bromopentadecan-1-ol (13.67%), 8,8-diheptylpentadecane (10.35%), α-pinene (8.92%), octadecanamide (8.92%), 2,6,10,14-tetramethylheptadecane (8.87%), hentriacontane (8.52), and caryophyllene (7.15%). Both the EOs were further screened for carbonic anhydrase II (CA II), and α-glucosidase inhibitions. Essential oil leaves of Z. qatarenseexhibited significant CA-II activity (IC50= 68.4 ± 2.3 µg/mL) than stem (IC50= 76.9 ± 1.32 µg/mL) compared to standard (acetazolamide, IC50= 18.2 ± 1.2 µM). Similarly, stem oil presented significant α-glucosidase (IC50= 10.18 ± 0.39 µg/mL) inhibition than leaves (IC50= 19.9 ± 1.17 µg/mL) in comparison with standard Acarbose (377.7 ± 1.34 µg/mL). From the results, it can be concluded that EOs of both parts of the study plant might have potential to be used for treatment of diabetes mellitus and CA II related diseases. In addition to that, up to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the GC/MS analysis, α-glucosidase, and CA-II enzyme inhibition of the essential oils isolated from stem and leaves of Z. qatarense.

and purpose: The formation of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion band formation may lead to severe complications. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of local administration of frankincense n-hexane extract (FHE) on the formation of postsurgical adhesion bands.

AbstractEvaluation of CA inhibition activity and the identification of the components of the essential oil of Frankenia pulverulenta(FPEO) and Boerhavia elegans(BEEO) were undertaken for the first time in this study. Twenty-five components were identified using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) in the FPEO, representing 92.7 % of the total oil. The major components were β-caryophyllene (32.5 %), δ-cadinene (8.4 %), alloaromadendrene (7.1 %), copaene (6.9 %), and ledol (5.3 %). Similarly, the BEEO contained 13 components representing 92.9 % of the total oil with β-caryophyllene (17.1 %) and β-amyrin (13.7 %) as the major components. The results determined that the FPEO was a rich source of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (69.8 %), while BEEO contains a higher concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons (46.4 %). The EOS of both plants were further screened for carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II), and antimicrobial activities. Essential oil of F. pulverulentaexhibited significant CA-II activity with 101.5±2.35 % inhibition, while B. elegansessential oil presented promising bactericidal and fungicidal activities against Escherichia coli(Gramnegative bacteria) and Penicillium simplicissimumi. These results indicate that the essential oil of B. eleganscan inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. In addition, FPEO significantly inhibited CA and might have the potential to be used for the treatment of CA-related diseases.

AbstractIn the current investigation, the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) from the stem and leaves of Acridocarpus orientalisA. Juss. were evaluated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main volatile constituents identified in the essential oil of stem were rich in methyl 8-pimaren-18-oate (43.8 %), octacosane (5.8 %), heptacosane (4.6 %) and hexacosane (4.1 %), methyl dehydroabietate (3.9 %) and methyl pimar-8(14)-en-18-oate (3.6 %), while tetracosane (16.6 %), heptacosane (16.4 %), docosane (13.9 %), hentriacontane (13.5 %), heneicosane (10.9 %) and α-pinene (7.7 %) were abundant in the EO of leaves. Both essential oils, screened against urease, α-glucosidase and carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) enzyme inhibitory activities, were found active against CA-II and inactive against urease and α-glucosidase enzymes. The leaves of AO were found more active only against CA-II enzyme having IC50values of 45.6 ± 1.0 μg/mL than stem (156.3 ± 1.5 μg/mL). The results determined that the EO of leaves could be a promising target for anti-cancer treatment. This is the first report, up to the best of the author’s knowledge, on the chemical composition and CA-II activity of this essential oil.

Incensole acetate (diterpenoid), macrocyclic cembrenoid, found in significant amounts in Boswellia papyriferahas been shown to cause anti-inflammatory, psychoactive, anxiolytic and anti-depressive effects. Boswelliais the main source of incensole acetate and therefore developing a reliable and fast method of its analysis is of high importance. Thin layer chromatography and near infrared spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression were used for a rapid quantification of incensole acetate in the resins of five Boswelliaspecies. The findings showed that the acetylated fraction of Boswellia papyriferaresin (MeOH extract) yielded the maximum amount of incensole acetate (32.87%) followed by n-hexane (14.66%) and ethyl acetate (2.84%), while no incensole acetate was found in the resins from four other species. The results obtained by non-destructive NIR spectroscopy are in complete agreement with the results obtained by HPLC, suggesting that the two alternative methods provide fast quantitative analysis of incensole acetate in B. papyrifera.

Incensole acetate (diterpenoid), macrocyclic cembrenoid, found in significant amounts in Boswellia papyrifera has been shown to cause anti-inflammatory, psychoactive, anxiolytic and anti-depressive effects. Boswellia is the main source of incensole acetate and therefore developing a reliable and fast method of its analysis is of high importance. Thin layer chromatography and near infrared spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression were used for a rapid quantification of incensole acetate in the resins of five Boswellia species. The findings showed that the acetylated fraction of Boswellia papyrifera resin (MeOH extract) yielded the maximum amount of incensole acetate (32.87%) followed by n-hexane (14.66%) and ethyl acetate (2.84%), while no incensole acetate was found in the resins from four other species. The results obtained by non-destructive NIR spectroscopy are in complete agreement with the results obtained by HPLC, suggesting that the two alternative methods provide fast quantitative analysis of incensole acetate in B. papyrifera.

Oxidative stress is often considered detrimental for cellular processes and damaging for the lipid bi-layer. Counteracting such stresses with the aid of nature-based chemical constituents can be an ideal therapeutic approach. The current study aimed to investigate the chemical constituents of resins derived from the well-known Aloe veraand less known Commiphora mukultrees and their effect in mitigating the lipid peroxidation (LPO) process. The bio-guided isolation of bio-active fractions from both resins afforded 20 chemical constituents (17 from A. veraand 3 from C. mukul). These compounds belonged to anthraquinones, anthraquinone glycosides, quinones, coumarins, polypodane-type terpenoids and benzene derivatives. Major chemical constituents of the resins of A. veraand C. mukulwere from the classes of quinones and terpenoids. Feroxidin (4, from A. vera) showed slightly higher inhibition (IC50= 201.7 ± 0.9 µmol L−1) than myrrhanone C (18, from C. mukul: IC50= 210.7 ± 0.0 µmol L−1) and methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate from A. vera(13, IC50= 232.9 ± 0.2 µmol L−1) compared to the other compounds. Structure-activity relationship showed that the existence of hydroxyl, methoxy and ether groups might play a major role in countering oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge, anti-LPO activities of compounds 1–4, 14, 18and 20are reported for the first time. Such chemical constituents with high anti-lipid peroxidation activity could be helpful in synthesizing candidate drugs.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Glycyrrhetinic acids (GAs) viz., 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid and 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid, are oleanane-type triterpenes having a carboxylic acid group at C-30, and are extracted from the Chines herbal medicine licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis). Although the pharmacological properties of GAs have long been known, attention to them has greatly increased in recent times due to their cytotoxic activity.Areas covered: This review represents the patents granted about natural and synthetic glycyrrhetinic acid analogs from January 2010 to December 2017, the advances made by research groups in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies in the discovery of new natural or synthetic glycyrrhetinic acid analogs.Expert opinion: GAs demonstrate excellent cytotoxic, antimicrobial, enzyme inhibitory, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and antiviral effects. It is interesting to note that the C-3(OH) and C30-CO2H functional groups make GAs very attractive lead structures for medicinal scientists since these functionalities allow the generation of further chemical diversity for improved pharmacological effects. Moreover, various GA analogues have been prepared via modification of the C30-CO2H. It is noteworthy that the C-30 amide of GA demonstrated better cytotoxic effects compared to the parent compounds. In addition, GAs have the capability to conjugate with other anticancer drugs or be converted into their halo or amino analogs which is expected to stimulate medicinal chemist to synthesize new lead compounds in cancer drug discovery.

Polyphenols are reported to provide treatment for specific pathological situations. Acridocarpus orientalisand Moringa peregrinaare reported to contain highly antioxidant polyphenols, which prompted us to investigate the total polyphenol contents in these natural resources. The dried plant materials were extracted with methanol and then submitted for NIR spectroscopic analysis in the wavelength ranges 700–2500 nm, followed by PLS regression. The external cross-validation was done by the test set and thus the total polyphenol content (TPC) was estimated. Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method was then applied to verify the NIR results. These results indicated the highest TPC in leaves of M. peregrina(242.2 ± 0.13 mg/100 g) and the least in the stem of A. orientalis(46.6 ± 0.14 mg/100 g). The present study thus demonstrates the application of our newly developed method for the rapid and non-destructive quantification of TPC for comparative study of the selected medicinal plants.

Thermoelectric and electronic properties of cubic bi-intermetallics R–Au (R = Tb, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb) compounds were explored. Electronic properties i.e. density of states and band structure were computed using first principles calculations which proved the metallic nature of these compounds. Post-DFT (BoltzTraP) calculations were carried out to explore their thermoelectric properties like electrical conductivities, Seebeck coefficient, electronic thermal conductivities and figure of merit. The highest Seebeck coefficient and figure of merit were found for YbAu among these compounds which are 105 μV/K and 0.285 respectively. All the calculations were carried out at 300 K. Large values of figure of merit obtained for these compounds at room temperature indicate that these materials can be used for thermoelectric devices however need experimental verification.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of Aloe vera(L.) Burm.f. resulted in the isolation and characterization of one new C-glucosyl chromone, 7-methoxy-6′-O-coumaroylaloesin (1), along with the known dihydroisocoumarin feralolide (2). The structure of 1was elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D-NMR, and mass spectrometry. Both compounds 1and 2were tested for their effects on the growth of cancer cells in culture and it was observed that unlike compound 1, compound 2displayed concentration-dependent antiproliferative effects on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3). Additionally, only feralolide (2) demonstrated good urease, weak α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, and weak antioxidant effects.

Bio-guided fractionation of the guggul gum resin of Commiphora mukulHOOK using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay for the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 led to the isolation of a new C17 norditerpene named myrrhanone C (1) along with two known polypodane-type triterpenes, namely, myrrhanone B (2) and myrrhanol B (3). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by means of 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D (correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence, heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation, and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy) NMR spectroscopy as well as mass (electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy) spectral analyses. Interestingly myrrhanone C (1) was able to induce a substantial decline in cell proliferation. It reduced the viability of cancer cells by almost 81% and 87% at concentrations of 50 and 100 μg mL−1, respectively. Myrrhanone B (2) and myrrhanol B (3) showed a concentration-dependent growth inhibitory effect on cancer cells, with the latter being slightly more cytotoxic than the former at both the concentrations tested. Furthermore, myrrhanone C (1) and myrrhanone B (2) showed good α-glucosidase and urease inhibition.

Introduction:Anthraquinones are aromatic compounds whose structures are related to anthracene (parent structure: 9,10-dioxoanthracene) for which various methods for their synthesis have been developed. In the past decade (2005 – 2014), much work has been done regarding anthraquinone chemistry in order to discover new compounds related to this scaffold as anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti-HCV, antifibrotic, fungicidal and anti-inflammatory agents.Areas covered:This review covers the patents on therapeutic activities of anthraquinones and their derivatives in the years between 2005 and 2014. A large portion of the therapeutic applications that were reported in international patents will be presented and discussed. Although a large number of patents have been registered over the last decade, this review is focused on important patents related to cancer, inflammation, infectious diseases, diabetic conditions and hepatitis C.Expert opinion:The tricyclic planar ring system of anthraquinones displays a wide range of important pharmaceutical properties. By linking active anthraquinone analogs to other important pharmacophores or conjugates such as oximes, N-heterocycles, benzodiazepines or glycosyl ethers, their anticancer potential is enhanced. The ability of anthraquinone analogs to become more prominent as novel pharmaceutical agents may further be enhanced by fusing functionalized heterocyclic rings onto established anthraquinone cores.

Quercetin, a member of a large family of polyphenolic compounds, has received remarkable attention due to its overwhelming presence in nutritional supplements. It is believed to have protective effects against several degenerative diseases by preventing lipid peroxidation. In the current study, the estimation of quercetin in methanol extracts of four medicinal plants including Amaranthus cruentus, Berberis calliobotrys, Solanum muricatum and Ribes himalensewas made by our developed fluorescence spectroscopic method coupled with PLSR. The results obtained indicated that methanol extract of R. himalenseexhibited higher quercetin content (3.83 ± 0.01%) followed by B. calliobotrys(1.91 ± 0.01%), A. eruentus(1.83 ± 0.02%) and S. muricatum(0.87 ± 0.05%). These results were also cross validated with UV–visible spectroscopy and found to be in close proximity to florescence emission method.

Phytochemical investigation of Ajuga bracteosaWall ex Benth. (Labiatae) resulted in the isolation of a new phenolic compound, ajuganane (1) and three known compounds, 3,4′-dihydroxy-3,6,7-trimethoxyflavone, 7-hydroxy-3,6,3′,4′-tetramethoxyflavone and ursolic acid. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by detailed spectroscopic (1H, 13CNMR, COSY, HMQC, HMBC), and HR-EI-MS analysis.