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Materials with a soft tissue regenerative capacity can be produced using biopolymer scaffolds and nanomaterials, which allow injured tissue to recover without any side effects or limitations. Four formulations were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS), with silicon dioxide nanoparticles (NPs-SiO 2 ) incorporated using the freeze-drying method at a temperature of -50 °C. TGA and DSC showed no change in thermal degradation, with glass transition temperatures around 74 °C and 77 °C. The interactions between the hydroxyl groups of PVA and CS remained stable. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the incorporation of NPs-SiO 2 complemented the freeze-drying process, enabling the dispersion of the components on the polymeric matrix and obtaining structures with a small pore size (between 30 and 60 μm) and large pores (between 100 and 160 μm). The antimicrobial capacity analysis of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria revealed that the scaffolds inhibited around 99% of K. pneumoniae , E. cloacae , and S. aureus ATCC 55804. The subdermal implantation analysis demonstrated tissue growth and proliferation, with good biocompatibility, promoting the healing process for tissue restoration through the simultaneous degradation and formation of type I collagen fibers. All the results presented expand the boundaries in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by highlighting the crucial role of nanoparticles in optimizing scaffold properties.

Tomatoes are well known for their impressive nutritional value among vegetables. However, the industrial processing of tomatoes generates a significant amount of waste. Specifically, 10% to 18% of the raw materials used in tomato processing become waste. This waste can seriously affect ecosystems, such as freshwater bodies, wetlands, rivers, and other natural environments, if not properly managed. Interestingly, tomato waste, specifically the skin, contains lycopene, a potent antioxidant and antimutagenic that offers a range of health benefits. This makes it a valuable ingredient in industries such as food and cosmetics. In addition, researchers are exploring the potential of lycopene in the treatment of various types of cancer. This systematic review, guided by the PRISMA 2020 methodology, examined studies exploring the possibility of tomato peel as a source of lycopene and carotenoids for cancer treatment. The findings suggest that tomato peel extracts exhibit promising anticancer properties, underscoring the need for further investigation of possible therapeutic applications. The compiled literature reveals significant potential for using tomato peel to create new cancer treatments, which could potentially revolutionize the field of oncology. This underscores the importance of continued research and exploration, emphasizing the urgency and importance of the scientific community's contribution to this promising area of study.

In this research, we explore the potential of employing density functional theory (DFT) for the design of biodegradable hydrogels aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. We employed biodegradable hydrogel models, including polyethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, chitosan, and poly-2-hydroxymethacrylate. The complexation process between the hydrogel and CO 2 was thoroughly investigated at the ωB97X-D/6-311G(2d,p) theoretical level. Our findings reveal a strong affinity between the hydrogel models and CO 2 , with binding energies ranging from -4.5 to -6.5 kcal/mol, indicative of physisorption processes. The absorption order observed was as follows: chitosan > PVP > HEAC > PEG. Additionally, thermodynamic parameters substantiated this sequence and even suggested that these complexes remain stable up to 160 °C. Consequently, these polymers present a promising avenue for crafting novel materials for CO 2 capture applications. Nonetheless, further research is warranted to optimize the design of these materials and assess their performance across various environmental conditions.

The constant demand for biocompatible and non-invasive materials for regenerative medicine in accidents and various diseases has driven the development of innovative biomaterials that promote biomedical applications. In this context, using sol-gel and ionotropic gelation methods, zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs-ZnO) and chitosan nanoparticles (NPs-CS) were synthesized with sizes of 20.0 nm and 11.98 nm, respectively. These nanoparticles were incorporated into chitosan scaffolds through the freeze-drying method, generating a porous morphology with small (<100 μm), medium (100-200 μm), and large (200-450 μm) pore sizes. Moreover, the four formulations showed preliminary bioactivity after hydrolytic degradation, facilitating the formation of a hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on the scaffold surface, as evidenced by the presence of Ca (4%) and P (5.1%) during hydrolytic degradation. The scaffolds exhibited average antibacterial activity of F1 = 92.93%, F2 = 99.90%, F3 = 74.10%, and F4 = 88.72% against four bacterial strains: K. pneumoniae , E. cloacae , S. enterica , and S. aureus . In vivo , evaluation confirmed the biocompatibility of the functionalized scaffolds, where F2 showed accelerated resorption attributed to the NPs-ZnO. At the same time, F3 exhibited controlled degradation with NPs-CS acting as initiation points for degradation. On the other hand, F4 combined NPs-CS and NPs-ZnO, resulting in progressive degradation, reduced inflammation, and an organized extracellular matrix. All the results presented expand the boundaries in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by highlighting the crucial role of nanoparticles in optimizing scaffold properties., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The Rutaceae family is one of the most studied plant families due to the large number of alkaloids isolated from them with outstanding biological properties, among them the quinoline-based alkaloids Graveoline 1 and Dubamine 2 . The most common methods for the synthesis of alkaloids 1 and 2 and their derivatives involves cycloaddition reactions or metal-catalyzed coupling processes but with some limitations in scope and functionalization of the quinoline moiety. As a continuation of our current studies on the synthesis and chemical transformation of 2-aminochalcones, we are reporting here an efficient metal-free approach for the total synthesis of alkaloids 1 and 2 along with their analogues with structural diversity, through a two-step sequence involving intramolecular cyclization, oxidation/aromatization, N -methylation and oxidative C-C bond processes, starting from dihydroquinolin-4-ones as common precursors for the construction of the structures of both classes of alkaloids.

In this article, three unsymmetrical 7-(diethylamino)quinolone chalcones with D-π-A-D and D-π-A-π-D type push-pull molecular arrangements were synthesized via a Claisen-Schmidt reaction. Using 7-(diethylamino)quinolone and vanillin as electron donor (D) moieties, these were linked together through the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl system acting as a linker and an electron acceptor (A). The photophysical properties were studied, revealing significant Stokes shifts and strong solvatofluorochromism caused by the ICT and TICT behavior produced by the push-pull effect. Moreover, quenching caused by the population of the TICT state in THF-H 2 O mixtures was observed, and the emission in the solid state evidenced a red shift compared to the emission in solution. These findings were corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the wb97xd/6-311G(d,p) method. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds was assessed on BHK-21, PC3, and LNCaP cell lines, revealing moderate activity across all compounds. Notably, compound 5b exhibited the highest activity against LNCaP cells, with an LC 50 value of 10.89 μM. Furthermore, the compounds were evaluated for their potential as imaging agents in living prostate cells. The results demonstrated their favorable cell permeability and strong emission at 488 nm, positioning them as promising candidates for cancer cell imaging applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Cancer is a severe disease that, in 2022, caused more than 9.89 million deaths worldwide. One worrisome type of cancer is bone cancer, such as osteosarcoma and Ewing tumors, which occur more frequently in infants. This study shows an active interest in the use of graphene oxide and its derivatives in therapy against bone cancer. We present a systematic review analyzing the current state of the art related to the use of GO in treating osteosarcoma, through evaluating the existing literature. In this sense, studies focused on GO-based nanomaterials for potential applications against osteosarcoma were reviewed, which has revealed that there is an excellent trend toward the use of GO-based nanomaterials, based on their thermal and anti-cancer activities, for the treatment of osteosarcoma through various therapeutic approaches. However, more research is needed to develop highly efficient localized therapies. It is suggested, therefore, that photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and the use of nanocarriers should be considered as non-invasive, more specific, and efficient alternatives in the treatment of osteosarcoma. These options present promising approaches to enhance the effectiveness of therapy while also seeking to reduce side effects and minimize the damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The bibliometric analysis of photothermal and photochemical treatments of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide from January 2004 to December 2022 extracted 948 documents with its search strategy, mainly related to research papers, review papers, and conference papers, demonstrating a high-impact field supported by the need for more selective and efficient bone cancer therapies. The central countries leading the research are the United States, Iran, Italy, Germany, China, South Korea, and Australia, with strong collaborations worldwide. At the same time, the most-cited papers were published in journals with impact factors of more than 6.0 (2021), with more than 290 citations. Additionally, the journals that published the most on the topic are high impact factor journals, according to the analysis performed, demonstrating the high impact of the research field.

Cancer stands as one of the deadliest diseases in human history, marked by an inferior prognosis. While traditional therapeutic methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have demonstrated success in inhibiting tumor cell growth, their side effects often limit overall benefits and patient acceptance. In this regard, three different graphene oxides (GO) with variations in their degrees of oxidation were studied chemically and tissue-wise. The accuracy of the synthesis of the different GO was verified by robust techniques using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as conventional techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), RAMAN spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The presence of oxygenated groups was of great importance. It affected the physicochemical properties of each of the different graphene oxides demonstrated in the presence of new vibrational modes related to the formation of new bonds promoted by the graphitization of the materials. The toxicity analysis in the Hep-2 cell line of graphene oxide formulations at 250 µg/mL on the viability and proliferation of these tumor cells showed low activity. GO formulations did not show high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. However, the different graphene oxides showed biocompatibility in the subdermal implantation model for 30, 60, and 90 days in the biomodels. This allowed healing by restoring hair and tissue architecture without triggering an aggressive immune response.

The propargyl group is a highly versatile moiety whose introduction into small-molecule building blocks opens up new synthetic pathways for further elaboration. The last decade has witnessed remarkable progress in both the synthesis of propargylation agents and their application in the synthesis and functionalization of more elaborate/complex building blocks and intermediates. The goal of this review is to highlight these exciting advances and to underscore their impact.

In this study, a series of novel quinolinone-based thiosemicarbazones were designed in silico and their activities tested in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M. tuberculosis ). Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies were performed using quinolinone and thiosemicarbazide as pharmacophoric nuclei; the best model showed statistical parameters of R 2 = 0.83; F = 47.96; s = 0.31, and was validated by several different methods. The van der Waals volume, electron density, and electronegativity model results suggested a pivotal role in antituberculosis (anti-TB) activity. Subsequently, from this model a new series of quinolinone-thiosemicarbazone 11a - e was designed and docked against two tuberculosis protein targets: enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) and decaprenylphosphoryl- β - D -ribose-2'-oxidase (DprE1). Molecular dynamics simulation over 200 ns showed a binding energy of -71.3 to -12.7 Kcal/mol, suggesting likely inhibition. In vitro antimycobacterial activity of quinolinone-thiosemicarbazone for 11a - e was evaluated against M. bovis , M. tuberculosis H37Rv, and six different strains of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis . All compounds exhibited good to excellent activity against all the families of M. tuberculosis . Several of the here synthesized compounds were more effective than the standard drugs (isoniazid, oxafloxacin), 11d and 11e being the most active products. The results suggest that these compounds may contribute as lead compounds in the research of new potential antimycobacterial agents.

3-formyl-2-quinolones have attracted the scientific community's attention because they are used as versatile building blocks in the synthesis of more complex compounds showing different and attractive biological activities. Using copper-catalyzed Chan-Lam coupling, we synthesized 32 new N -aryl-3-formyl-2-quinolone derivatives at 80 °C, in air and using inexpensive phenylboronic acids as arylating agents. 3-formyl-2-quinolones and substituted 3-formyl-2-quinolones can act as substrates, and among the products, the p -methyl derivative 9a was used as a substrate to obtain different derivatives such as alcohol, amine, nitrile, and chalcone.

A new series of sulfonamides, 8a-b, 10, 12 , and 14a-b , were synthesized by N -sulfonation reaction with sulfonyl chlorides 6a-b . Five new series of chalcone-sulfonamide hybrids (16-20)a-f were prepared via Claisen-Schmidt condensation of the newly obtained sulfonamides with aromatic aldehydes 15a-f in basic medium. Chalcones substituted with chlorine at position 4 of each series were used as precursors for the generation of their five-membered heterocyclic pyrazoline ( 22-23)a-d , ( 24-25 ) a-b and carbothioamide 27a-f derivatives. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer and antituberculosis activities. To determine their anticancer activity, compounds were screened against sixty human cancer cell lines at a single dose (10 μM). Compounds 17a-c were highly active against LOX IMVI (melanoma), with IC 50 values of 0.34, 0.73 and 0.54 μM, respectively. Chalcone 18e showed remarkable results against the entire panel of leukemia cell lines with IC 50 values between 0.99-2.52 μM. Moreover, compounds 20e and 20f displayed growth inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv at concentrations below 10 μM. Although they showed low selectivity in cytotoxicity tests against the Vero cell line, further optimization could advance the potential biological activity of the selected compounds.

P-gp-associated multidrug resistance is a major impediment to the success of chemotherapy. With the aim of finding non-toxic and effective P-gp inhibitors, we investigated a panel of quinolin-2-one-pyrimidine hybrids. Among the active compounds, two of them significantly increased intracellular doxorubicin and rhodamine 123 accumulation by inhibiting the efflux mediated by P-gp and restored doxorubicin toxicity at nanomolar range. Structure-activity relationships showed that the number of methoxy groups, an optimal length of the molecule in its extended conformation, and at least one flexible methylene group bridging the quinolinone to the moiety bearing the pyrimidine favored the inhibitory potency of P-gp. The best compounds showed a similar binding pattern and interactions to those of doxorubicin and tariquidar, as revealed by MD and hybrid QM/MM simulations performed with the recent experimental structure of P-gp co-crystallized with paclitaxel. Analysis of the molecular interactions stabilizing the different molecular complexes determined by MD and QTAIM showed that binding to key residues from TMH 4-7 and 12 is required for inhibition., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Focusing on the literature progress since 2002, the present review explores the highly significant role that multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have played as a very important tool for expedite synthesis of a vast number of organic molecules, but also, highlights the fact that many of such molecules are biologically active or at least have been submitted to any biological screen. The selected papers covered in this review must meet two mandatory requirements: (1) the reported products should be obtained via a multicomponent reaction; (2) the reported products should be biologically actives or at least tested for any biological property. Given the diversity of synthetic approaches utilized in MCRs, the highly diverse nature of the biological activities evaluated for the synthesized compounds, and considering their huge structural variability, much of the reported data are organized into concise schemes and tables to facilitate comparison, and to underscore the key points of this review., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate is now emerging as an important player in cancer, inflammation, autoimmune, neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Abundance evidence in animal and humans cancer models has shown that SphK1 is linked to cancer. Thus, there is a great interest in the development new SphK1 inhibitors as a potential new treatment for cancer. In a search for new SphK1 inhibitors we selected the well-known SKI-II inhibitor as the starting structure and we synthesized a new inhibitor structurally related to SKI-II with a significant but moderate inhibitory effect. In a second approach, based on our molecular modeling results, we designed new structures based on the structure of PF-543, the most potent known SphK1 inhibitor. Using this approach, we report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of compounds with inhibitory activity against both SphK1 and SphK2. These new inhibitors were obtained incorporating new connecting chains between their polar heads and hydrophobic tails. On the other hand, the combined techniques of molecular dynamics simulations and QTAIM calculations provided complete and detailed information about the molecular interactions that stabilize the different complexes of these new inhibitors with the active sites of the SphK1. This information will be useful in the design of new SphK inhibitors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The antileukemia cancer activity of organic compounds analogous to ellipticine representes a critical endpoint in the understanding of this dramatic disease. A molecular modeling simulation on a dataset of 23 compounds, all of which comply with Lipinski's rules and have a structure analogous to ellipticine, was performed using the quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) technique, followed by a detailed docking study on three different proteins significantly involved in this disease (PDB IDs: SYK, PI3K and BTK). As a result, a model with only four descriptors (HOMO, softness, AC1RABAMBID, and TS1KFABMID) was found to be robust enough for prediction of the antileukemia activity of the compounds studied in this work, with an R 2 of 0.899 and Q 2 of 0.730. A favorable interaction between the compounds and their target proteins was found in all cases; in particular, compounds 9 and 22 showed high activity and binding free energy values of around -10 kcal/mol. Theses compounds were evaluated in detail based on their molecular structure, and some modifications are suggested herein to enhance their biological activity. In particular, compounds 22 &#95; 1 , 22&#95;2 , 9&#95;1 , and 9&#95;2 are indicated as possible new, potent ellipticine derivatives to be synthesized and biologically tested., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Eight quinoline-based hydroxyimidazolium hybrids 7a-h were prepared and evaluated in vitro against a panel of clinically important fungal and bacterial pathogens, including mycobacteria. Hybrid compounds 7c-d showed remarkable antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 15.6 µg/mL. Against other opportunistic fungi such as Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp., these hybrids showed MIC values of 62.5 µg/mL. Regarding their antibacterial activity, all the synthetic hybrids demonstrated little inhibition of Gram-negative bacteria (MIC ≥50 µg/mL), however, hybrid 7b displayed >50% inhibition against Klebsiella pneumoniae at 20 µg/mL and full inhibition at 50 µg/mL. Moreover, this hybrid was shown to be a potent anti-staphylococcal molecule, with a MIC value of 2 µg/mL (5 µM). In addition, hybrid 7h also demonstrated inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus at 20 µg/mL (47 µM). Hybrids 7a and 7b were the most potent against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with MIC values of 20 and 10 µg/mL (46 and 24 µM), respectively. The 7b hybrid demonstrated high selectivity in killing S. aureus and M. tuberculosis H37Rv in comparison with mammalian cells (SI >20), and thus it can be considered a hit molecule for mechanism of action studies and the exploration of related chemical space.

1,5-Bis(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-3-yl)pentane-1,5-dione, (Ia), and 1,5-bis(2-chlorophenyl)-3-(2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-3-yl)pentane-1,5-dione, (Ib), crystallize as an 84:16 mixture, 0.84C(26)H(19)Cl(2)NO(3)·0.16C(26)H(19)Cl(2)NO(3), in the space group I4(1)/a, where the molecules of the two isomers occupy very similar sites in the unit cell. A combination of one N-H...O hydrogen bond and one C-H...O hydrogen bond links the molecules, regardless of isomeric form, into a single three-dimensional framework structure. The molecules of (9RS,10RS)-8,9-bis(4-chlorobenzyl)-10-(2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-3-yl)-5,6,9,10-tetrahydrophenanthridine, C(36)H(22)Cl(2)N(2)O(4), (II), are linked by two hydrogen bonds, one each of the N-H...O and C-H...O types, into a molecular ribbon in which centrosymmetric rings of R(2)(2)(18) and R(4)(4)(24) types alternate. The hydrogen-bonded ribbons enclose channels, which contain highly disordered solvent molecules.