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Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has occupied a significant place among infectious pathogens and it has been documented as a leading challenge due to its higher resistance to the commonly used drugs...

Hydrophobic drug encapsulation inside targeted nanoparticles can enhance accumulation in inflamed sites, limit toxicity to healthy tissue, and improve pharmacokinetics compared to free drug dosing. This study reports a functionalized marine polysaccharide nanoparticle with a controlled release, targeting abilities, and in-situ imaging properties. Carbon dots functionalized Enteromorpha polysaccharide/Mannose/Methionine functionalized Chitosan (CDs.EP/Man/Meth.Cs) NPs could deliver apremilast to inflammatory macrophages and Caco-2 intestinal cells as an in vitro model for application in oral drug delivery to cure IBD. The nanoparticles were simply a polyelectrolyte complex between cationic functionalized chitosan and anionic polysaccharide of Enteromorpha prolifera. Functionalized polysaccharides and the prepared NPs were well characterized. The functionalized nanoparticles could overcome the limitation of poor drug bioavailability and showed a high loading capacity of (45 %) with a controlled release of about (74.5 %). Confocal laser scanning imaging showed higher cellular uptake of the modified nanoparticles than that of the unmodified nanoparticles in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages and Caco-2 cells. The effect of functionalization on the cellular uptake targetability was assessed using spectrofluorometric measurements after mannose competition. Anti-inflammatory activity of apremilast-loaded NPs is more elevated than the free drug. These results suggest the feasibility of using functionalized EP/Cs nanoparticles in IBD oral drug delivery.

Objective: phytochemical investigation of the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of 80% aqueous methanol extract (AME) of Dypsis leptocheilos leaves, in addition to evaluation of the antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of the AME and EAF. Docking was used to predict and understand cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds. Methods: The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of Dypsis leptocheilos leaves was subjected to different chromatographic separation techniques. Structures of the isolated compounds were established by different spectroscopic techniques (1H/13C NMR). Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH assay, while cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT cell viability assay. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar diffusion method. The docking study was conducted using Auto Dock Vina; the estrogen receptor (PDB 5t92) was used as a receptor for the docking. Results: Chromatographic separation techniques were led to the isolation of five phenolic compounds; these compounds were identified to be apigenin 8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (Vitexin) (1), apigenin 6-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (Isovitexin) (2), luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), luteolin 8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (Orientin) (4), luteolin 6-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (Isoorientin) (5). They were isolated and identified for the first time from this plant species. The AME and EAF showed moderate activity against Gram positive and Gram negatvie bacteria, while both of them showed similar and powerful antioxidant activity with SC50 = 12.8±0.56 µg/ml and SC50 = 17±0.77 µg/ml respectively, compared to ascorbic (reference drug) SC50 = 14.2±0.35 µg/ml. The EAF showed higher cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 cells (human breast cancer cell line), with IC50 = 12.3 ± 1.82 µg/ml, compared to Vinblastine Sulfate (reference drug). All isolated compounds showed good binding affinity to the estrogen receptors existed in the MCF-7 cell. Conclusion: Five phenolic compounds were isolated for the first time from the EAF of Dypsis leptocheilos leaves. The AME and EAF extracts showed variable antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

In the current study, γ-AlOOH, γ-MnOOH, and α-Mn2O3 nanorods (NRs) were easily synthesized and applied as advanced antibacterial materials. γ-AlOOH NRs with 20 nm width, [100] crystal plane, and 200 nm length were fabricated through a surfactant-directed solvothermal method. γ-MnOOH NRs with 20 nm width, [101] crystal direction and 500 nm length were fabricated through a hydrothermal method. The prepared γ-MnOOH NRs were calcinated (for 5 h) at 700 °C to produce α-Mn2O3 NRs with 20 nm average width and increased surface area. The NRs' structures were confirmed through FT-IR, XRD, XPS, FESEM, and FETEM. The antibacterial activity of the NRs was studied against different Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains and yeast. The three NRs exhibited antibacterial activity against all of the used strains. Biological studies indicated that the NRs' antimicrobial activity increased in the order of γ-MnOOH < γ-AlOOH < α-Mn2O3 NRs. The α-Mn2O3 NRs exhibited the lowest MIC value (39 μg mL-1) against B. subtilis, B. pertussis, and P. aeruginosa. The prepared NRs exhibited a higher antimicrobial potential toward Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. The higher antimicrobial activity of the α-Mn2O3 NRs is highlighted based on their larger surface area and smaller diameter. Consequently, uniform NR architectures, single crystallinity, small nanoscale diameters, and more highly exposed [110] Mn-polar surfaces outwards are promising structures for α-Mn2O3 antibacterial agents. These NRs adhered firmly to the bacterial cells causing cell wrapping and morphology disruption, and microbial death. The designed NRs provide a great platform for microbial growth inhibition.

Effective and precise eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most promising approach to avoid H. pylori-related gastrointestinal disorders. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the co-delivery of hesperidin (Hesp) and clarithromycin (CLR) in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) against H. pylori. We have produced a new delivery system by combining bioflavonoid Hesp and CLR NLCs to address the failure in single antibiotic therapies. Briefly, a blend of solid lipid, liquid lipid, and surfactant was used. Homogeneous NLCs with all the formulations showed a nano size and surface-negative charge and presented high in vitro stability and slow release of the drug even after 24 h. Bioimaging studies by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and imaging flow cytometry indicated that NLCs interacted with the membrane by adhering to the outer cell membrane and disrupted the membrane that resulted in the leakage of cytoplasmic contents. The prepared NLCs provide sustained and controlled drug release that can be used to increase the rate of H. pylori eradication.

Fungal endophytes are considered promising sources of new bioactive natural products. In this study, a Mucor sp. has been isolated as an endophyte from the medicinal plant Centaurea stoebe. Through bioactivity-guided fractionation, the isolation of the new bioactive terezine E in addition to the previously reported 14-hydroxyterezine D was carried out. The isolated compounds were fully characterised by HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR analyses. Both compounds exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against K-562 and HUVEC cell lines and antifungal efficacy against the tested fungal strains.

The catastrophe of the coronavirus continues from one part of the world to another, and hardly a country is left without its devastations. Millions of people were infected and several hundred thousand died of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. There is no clear targeted drug therapy available for the treatment of the patients. The discovery of vaccines is not enough to curtail its spread and disastrous implications. An instantly qualifying approach is needed to utilize the current drugs and isolated compounds. The purpose of this work is to determine potent inhibitors against the target proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this purpose, molecular docking study of pathogenic spike glycoproteins (S), nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (N), an envelope protein (E), two drugs i.e., cefixime, etoposide, and a previously isolated compound nebrodenside A is performed. Promising results were obtained via complimentary analysis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations performed for the complexes of three proteins with etoposide drug. Minimum values were recorded for the docking scores and binding energies of the complexes. These results were further supported by the RMSD, RMSF data for the stability of proteins and ligands. Additionally, ligand properties and ligand-protein contacts were also explained with histograms of every simulation trajectory. The computational studies confirmed that cefixime, etoposide, and nebrodenoside A can be used as potent inhibitors of COVID-19. Nevertheless, additional experimental investigations and validation of the selected candidates are mandatory to confirm their applicability for clinical trials., Graphical Abstract Image, graphical abstract

Nanostructured lipid-based carriers (NLCs) efficiently improved as potential targeted drug delivery for six common pathogens eradication. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that all the formulas fully characterized nanosize and surface-negative charge and presented the drug's slow release even after 48 h in vitro. The biological studies proved that the nanostructures' antibacterial potency is in the order of Fe3O4

Two new compounds calothphenone (1) and 6-methoxy kaempferol 3-O-(6″-E-p-coumaroyl)-β- d-glucopyranoside (6-methoxy tiliroside) (2) along with six known compounds viz gallic acid (3), methyl gallate (4), kaempferol 3-O-(6″-E-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside (tiliroside) (5), castalagin (6), kaempferol (7) and quercetin (8) were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of 80% aqueous methanol extract of Calothamnus quadrifidus aerial parts. Their structure was established based on different chemical and spectroscopic techniques (1H-/13C-NMR and 2D NMR). Antioxidant activity for EAF and compounds 1, 2 and 5 was evaluated using DPPH, superoxide radical and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition methods. EAF exhibited strong activity to inhibit DPPH, superoxide and NO radicals. Moreover, all tested compounds demonstrated a close high ability to inhibit superoxide and NO radicals in comparison to ascorbic acid, but they exerted lower activity towards DPPH radical.

The combination of liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRESMS)-based dereplication and antiproliferative activity-guided fractionation was applied on the Red Sea-derived soft coral Sarcophyton sp. This approach facilitated the isolation of five new cembrane-type diterpenoids (1–5), along with two known analogs (6 and 7), as well as the identification of 19 further, known compounds. The chemical structures of the new compounds were elucidated while using comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR and HRMS. All of the isolated cembranoids (1–7) showed moderate in vitro antiproliferative activity against a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), with IC50 ranging from 22.39–27.12 µg/mL. This class of compounds could thus serve as scaffold for the future design of anticancer leads.

Fungal endophytes are considered promising sources of new bioactive natural products. In this study, a

Methanolic extracts of edible plants and seaweeds were tested for their inhibitory activity against Jack bean urease. Quercetin-4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside was isolated from Allium cepa as a urease inhibitor with an IC(50) value of 190 microM-. Quercetin and two quercetin glycosides, avicularin and guaijaverin, were isolated from Psidium guajava as urease inhibitors with respective IC(50) values of 80 microM-, 140 microM-, and 120 microM-.