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A series of benzothiazolopyrimidine-thiazole conjugates 7, 8, and 9 were produced through the reactions of 8-acetylbenzothiazolopyrimidine-thiosemicarbazone compound 6 with chloroacetone, (un)substituted phenacyl chlorides, and ethyl chloroacetate, respectively. Based on DFT study, the synthesized conjugates had a twisted shape, except for the parent benzothiazolopyrimidine 5 and its thiosemicarbazone compound 6, which were flat. The study of FMO's also showed that the substituted thiazole derivatives 7 and 8a-c have equivalent configurations of HOMO and LUMO, as well as exhibiting the least FMO's gap (ΔEH-L). The antimicrobic activeness of the constructed derivatives has been assessed against the two Gram's types of bacteria and fungi using the broth microdilution method. The benzothiazolopyrimidine-thiazole conjugate 8c exhibited the strongest inhibition towards Gram-negative E. coli (MIC

This work aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of some new quinoline derivatives linked to pyrazole derivatives. The target compounds pyrazolylvinylquinoline 11a-g and 12a-g were achieved by the reaction of 2-chloro-6-nitro-3-quinolinecarboxaldehyde (4) with bromotriphenylphosphonylmethylpyrazole derivatives 9a,b to give the new quinoline derivatives 10a,b which in turn reacted with different aryl amines to afford 11a-g and 12a-g. Pyrazole derivatives 9a,b were obtained by the reaction of hydroxymethylpyrazole derivatives 8a,b with triphenylphosphine hydrobromide. Antimicrobial evaluation of the newly synthesized compounds showed that most of the new compounds appeared active toward Gram-positive bacteria more than Gram-negative bacteria. The biological evaluation of compounds 12d-g displayed the highest antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganism strains. Additionally, compounds 12d and 12f showed excellent activity against P. aeruginosa (MIC50 0.019 mg/mL), while compounds 11d, 11f, 12e, and 12g displayed good activity against the same microorganism (MIC50 0.07 mg/mL). On the other hand, most of the new compounds have moderate activity against E. coli. Compounds 12d and 12f showed excellent activity versus C. albicans in vitro antifungal activity (MIC50 0.15 mg/mL) comparing to or slightly lower than that of Fluconazole. Using molecular docking simulations, we evaluated the binding affinities and interactions of four chosen derivatives 12d-g with a target PDB code 3WT0 protein.

In this manuscript, we are motivated to investigate the reaction site-selectivity for the hydrazo thiazole derivatives (6a–c) with different types of active methylene groups such as malononitrile, and ethyl cyanoacetate. Based on their structural investigations and spectrum data, the results of these reactions have been established to be iminopyridazines (7a–c) and 6-oxopyridazine derivatives (8a–c). We tested the ability of the newly synthesized pyridazine derivatives to inhibit the microbes and COVID-19 proteins. Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) was used to investigate the antiviral efficacy of prepared compounds. Green monkey kidney (Vero-E6) cell lines were used to investigate MTT and cytopathic effect (CPE). The new 6-oxopyridazine derivatives (8a–c) revealed significant inhibitory efficacy and were capable of inhibiting the human coronavirus 229E. Moreover, the antimicrobial result showed that compounds iminopyridazine (7c) followed by iminopyridazine (7a) followed by iminopyridazine (7b) exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties toward all utilized strains, usually greater than that of common reference drugs, with MIC values ranging from 13 to 21 ppm, from 9 to 14 ppm, and from 8 to 19 ppm whereas, the remaining substances appeared to be promising effective. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) revealed that pyridazine scaffolds containing NH group, as well as substituted electron withdrawal group (Cl) in para-position for benzene ring attributed to thiazole moiety have the best activity. The current study successfully illustrated the possible application of heterocyclic derivatives with pyridazie nucleus including thiazole ring as the main compound in the development of dual antiviral (COVID-19) and antibacterial pharmaceuticals in the future.

Background: Tetrazole-based derivatives and their electronic structures have displayed interesting antimicrobial activity. Methods: The tetrazole-based hybrids linked with thiazole, thiophene and thiadiazole ring systems have been synthesized through various chemical reactions. The computational method DFT/B3LYP has been utilized to calculate their electronic properties. The antimicrobial effectiveness was investigated against representative bacterial and fungal strains. Additionally, the synthesized derivatives binding interaction was stimulated by docking program against PDB ID: 4URO as a model of the ATP binding domain of S. aureus DNA Gyrase subunit B. Results: The structures of the synthesized tetrazole-based derivatives were confirmed by IR, NMR, and Mass spectroscopic data. The DFT/B3LYP method showed that the thiadiazole derivatives 9a–c had lower ΔEH-L than the thiophenes 7a–c and thiazoles 5a–c. The hybrids 5b, 5c, and 7b exhibited proper antibacterial activity against Gram’s +ve bacterial strains (S. aureus and S. pneumonia), while 9a displayed potent activity towards Gram’s -ve bacterial strains (S. typhimurium and E. coli). Meanwhile, derivatives 5a-b, 7a, 7c, and 9c showed good effectiveness towards fungal strain (C. albicans). Conclusion: The study provides valuable tetrazole core-linked heterocyclic rings and opens the door to further research on their electrical characteristics and applications. Tetrazoles and thiazoles have antibacterial properties in pharmacological frameworks, making these hybrids potential lead molecules for drug development. The conclusion summarizes the data and suggests that the synthesized chemicals' interaction with a particular protein domain suggests focused biological activity.

Microbial infections pose a significant global health threat, affecting millions of individuals and leading to substantial mortality rates. The increasing resistance of microorganisms to conventional treatments requires the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a natural medicinal drug involved in various cellular processes, holds promise as a potential antimicrobial agent. In the present study, our aim was, for the first time, to explore the antimicrobial activity of PQQ against 29 pathogenic microbes, including 13 fungal strains, 8 Gram-positive bacteria, and 8 Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings revealed potent antifungal properties of PQQ, particularly against Syncephalastrum racemosum, Talaromyces marneffei, Candida lipolytica, and Trichophyton rubrum. The MIC values varied between fungal strains, and T. marneffei exhibited a lower MIC, indicating a greater susceptibility to PQQ. In addition, PQQ exhibited notable antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, with a prominent inhibition observed against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus vulgaris, and MRSA strains. Remarkably, PQQ demonstrated considerable biofilm inhibition against the MRSA, S. epidermidis, and P. vulgaris strains. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed that PQQ caused structural damage and disrupted cell metabolism in bacterial cells, leading to aberrant morphology, compromised cell membrane integrity, and leakage of cytoplasmic contents. These findings were further affirmed by shotgun proteomic analysis, which revealed that PQQ targets several important cellular processes in bacteria, including membrane proteins, ATP metabolic processes, DNA repair processes, metal-binding proteins, and stress response. Finally, detailed molecular modeling investigations indicated that PQQ exhibits a substantial binding affinity score for key microbial targets, including the mannoprotein Mp1P, the transcriptional regulator TcaR, and the endonuclease PvuRTs1I. Taken together, our study underscores the effectiveness of PQQ as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent capable of combating pathogenic fungi and bacteria, while also inhibiting biofilm formation and targeting several critical biological processes, making it a promising therapeutic option for biofilm-related infections.

Eight thiazolyl-thienyl and thiazolyl-thiadiazolyl ketones 5a-d and 6a-d were synthesized based on the reaction of 5-(2-bromoacetyl)-4-methyl-2-(methylamino)thiazole (2) and/or N-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-methyl-2-(methylamino)thiazol-5-yl)-2-oxoacetohydrazonoyl bromide (3) with four various thiocarbamoyl compounds 4a-d. The synthesized thiazolyl-thienyl and thiazolyl-thiadiazolyl ketones were optimized using DFT approach offered analogous models in which the thiazolyl, thienyl and thiazolyl nuclei have a planar structure. The HOMO and LUMO of studied hybrids have been consisted mainly of the π- and π*-orbitals of the whole molecule, respectively. Hence, the thiazolyl-thiadiazolyl ketones revealed smaller energy gap (ΔEH-L) than the thiazolyl-thienyl derivatives and may be sorted as 5c

The horseradish tree “Moringa oleifera” is the most nutritious terrestrial plant around the globe. Although native to India, its fast growth and drought resistance ability enabled the plant to be cultivated worldwide. In the current study, we report on the isolation of a new phenolic methyl ester namely moringinine A (1) along with four other known compounds viz. caffeic acid (2), ferulic acid (3), 4-hydroxybenzonitrile (4), and 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid (5) from Moringa seeds. The later compound was first to be isolated from family Moringaceae. Compounds identification was guided by interplay of NMR and HR-ESI-MS analysis. Anti-epileptic studies conducted in vivo showed that the extract attenuates convulsions by suppressing stress–induced pro-inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-ɣ whereas upregulating the anti-inflammatory markers TGF-β and IL-10 in the hippocampal tissues of epileptic rats. The isolated compounds were subjected to computational studies through docking on lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), where all showed binding modes and interaction energies comparable to those of the reference drug diazepam. ADME investigation revealed good pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties. These results show that Moringa oleifera seeds could potentially be used as adjuvant in the management of epilepsy.

The significant biological activity of phenylthiourea derivatives prompted the synthesis of a new phenylthiourea-based heterocyclic ring systems (pyrazole, thiazole, and pyran), and their chemical structures were elucidated by spectral data. The DFT/B3LYP methodology was applied to explore the configuration and energetic features of the FMO’s of the compounds. The derivatives exhibited comparable energy gap, ranging from 2.13 to 2.56 eV, and were arranged in the following order: 5 < 8 < 7 < 6 < 4b < 4a. The antitumor activity of the new phenylthiourea-based derivatives was investigated against diverse cell lines, such as HepG2, HCT-116, MCF-7, PC3, and WI38, using Doxorubicin as a reference drug. The hybrids 5, 6, and 8 revealed strong cytotoxic against HCT-116 (IC50 = 2.29 ± 0.46-9.71 ± 0.34 µM). Furthermore, the molecular docking studies of the compounds indicated that the hybrids 5, 6 and 8 exhibited the greatest docking score values, in accordance to the antitumor activity.

Several new thiazole derivatives linked pyrazole and/or pyridine rings were synthesized based on the versatile precursor 2-(5-acetyl-4-methyl-3-phenylthiazol-2(3H)-ylidene)acetonitrile (1). The synthesized derivatives were optimized using DFT approach in order to inspect the configurations and energies of the HOMO-LUMO orbitals. The data disclosed low energy gap (ΔEH-L), 0.99–2.54 eV, following the order 9

Hydrazones have been a significant group of materials with diverse pharmacological and industrial applications, such as treatment of cardiovascular diseases, parasitic infections, and viral disorders, as well as cosmetic and food additives. In this context, we present the synthesis and characterization of novel hydrazonotriazole analogues with different hydrophobic alkoxy units. The synthesized alkyl-substituted naphthalene-type hydrazonotriazoles were able to act as pH-sensitive and thermoreversible organogelators. They were prepared by a straightforward aldol condensation of 2-naphthalaldehyde with different adducts of 1-(5-methyl-1-(4-alkoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)ethan-1-one at room temperature in ethanolic solution and in the presence of sodium hydroxide as a catalytic agent. The provided compounds were exposed to condensation reaction with (2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydrazine in a refluxing acid ethanolic solution. Different spectroscopic methods were utilized to analyze and prove the chemical structures of the naphthalene-type hydrazonotriazoles, inclusing FT-IR, elemental analysis, and NMR spectra. The photophysical properties of the prepared hydrazonotriazoles were reported. The alkyl-substituted naphthalene-type hydrazonotriazole gelators were able to gelate a variety of solvents, displaying a sol–gel reversible response to pH changes together with colorimetric change from yellow to purple. The optimal gelation was monitored for nonyl-substituted hydrazone in a variety of solvents, demonstrating thermal stability up to 58 °C, and critical gelator concentration (CGC) of ∼ 1–11 mM. Several analytical methods were used to inspect the morphological properties of the hydrazonotriazole-based organogelators, displaying self-assembled nanofibers (7–15 nm). Both cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of the alkyloxy-containing naphthalene-type hydrazonotriazole gelators was investigated.

A series of various substituted thiazole-pyrazole hybrids 5, 7, 8, and 9 were synthesized, and their chemical structures were confirmed by spectral data (infrared, 1H & 13C NMR and Mass). The frontier molecular orbital structural and energetic properties of the targeting thiazole-pyrazole hybrids were explored using the DFT/B3LYP methodology. The data indicated that they had a low energy gap (ΔEH-L), 1.51–2.42 eV, and may be sorted as 6 9 > 7 > 6. Meanwhile, most of the synthesized analogues displayed a significant reduction for the activity of the CAIX inhibitor, with IC50 = 0.071 ± 0.015 to 0.902 ± 0.043 µM. Likewise, they revealed an IC50 = 0.119 ± 0.043 to 0.906 ± 0.04 µM for CAXII inhibitor. Moreover, the newly synthesized thiazole-pyrazole analogues were exposed to the theoretical molecular docking study with PDB:1RHJ as the crystal structure of caspase-3 to examine their antiapoptotic effect as well as their certain properties on the caspase-3 enzyme.

Abstract Novel tri-and tetra-cyclic compounds based on the thiadiazolopyrimidine ring system were synthesized, and their antimicrobial activity was estimated. The obtained results evidenced the substantial efficiencies of pyrano-thiadiazolopyrimidine compounds 8a–b and 9a–b toward the two strains of gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. cereus). Besides, tetracyclic pyrazolopyrimido-thiadiazolopyrimidine derivatives 16a–b and 17a–b displayed prominent efficiencies toward the two strains of gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and P. aeruginosa). In addition, compounds 8a–b and 9a–b displayed good efficacy toward C. albicans. The activity of antiquorum sensing (anti-QS) inhibition of the newly synthesized thiadiazolopyrimidine-based compounds toward C. violaceum was tested, suggesting satisfactory activity for derivatives 16a–b, 17a–b, 8b, and 9a. The cytotoxic activity of these derivatives was screened toward various cancer cell lines (MCF-7, PC3, Hep-2, and HepG2) and standard normal fibroblast cells (WI38) by utilizing the MTT assay. The pyrazolopyrimido-thiadiazolopyrimidine derivatives 16a, 16b 17a, and 17b showed potent cytotoxic efficacy against the MCF-7 cells with the IC50 values ranging from 5.69 to 9.36 µM. Also, the endorsed structural activity relationship (SAR) of the inspected thiadiazolopyrimidine derivatives provided a correlation between the chemical structure and anticancer efficiency. The in silico docking studies were implemented for silencing the hormonal signaling in the breast (PDB Code-5NQR). The results were found to be consistent with the cytotoxic activity.

Abstract Background Several plants have not been investigated for their endophytes, such as the medicinal plant Ficus carica for which anticancer activity has been confirmed. The endophyte Aspergillus neoniger was selected for investigation of its metabolites since it exerted anticancer activities in preliminary screening assays. Results Bioactivity-guided chromatographic fractionation was performed on the endophytic extract and resulted in the identification of asperazine and asperazine A through spectroscopic analysis. Moderate cytotoxicity against HeLa cell lines (CC50 = 18.4 µg mL−1) and moderate antiproliferative effects against HUVEC and K-562 cell lines (GI50 = 31.5 and 24.8 µg mL−1, respectively) were observed for asperazine. Asperazine A on the other hand showed weak cytotoxic activity against HeLa cell lines (CC50 = 34.6 µg mL−1) as well as weak cytostatic activities against HUVEC and K-562 cell lines (GI50 = 40.7 and 50.2 µg mL−1, respectively) while no antimicrobial activity was detected for both compounds. Conclusions These results suggest contribution of A. neoniger to the reported anticancer activity of the host plant and provides a new source of anticancer metabolites with therapeutic potential.

In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activities of 17 flavonoids as natural products. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Their antiviral activity was evaluated for the first time based on POM (Petra/Osiris/Molispiration) theory and docking analysis. POM calculation was used to analyze the atomic charge and geometric characteristics. The side effects, drug similarities, and drug scores were also assumed for the stable structure of each compound. These results correlated with the experimental values. The bioinformatics POM analyses of the relative antiviral activities of these derivatives are reported for the first time.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole moiety is a crucial pharmacophore in many biologically active compounds. In a typical synthesis, probenecid was subjected to a sequence of reactions to obtain a 1,3,4-oxadiazole–phthalimide hybrid (PESMP) in high yields. The NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopic analysis initially confirmed the structure of PESMP. Further spectral aspects were validated based on a single-crystal XRD analysis. Experimental findings were confirmed afterwards by executing a Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis and quantum mechanical computations. The HS analysis showed the role of the π⋯π stacking interactions in PESMP. PESMP was found to have a high stability and lower reactivity in terms of global reactivity parameters. α-Amylase inhibition studies revealed that the PESMP was a good inhibitor of α-amylase with an s value of 10.60 ± 0.16 μg/mL compared with that of standard acarbose (IC50 = 8.80 ± 0.21 μg/mL). Molecular docking was also utilized to reveal the binding pose and features of PESMP against the α-amylase enzyme. Via docking computations, the high potency of PESMP and acarbose towards the α-amylase enzyme was unveiled and confirmed by docking scores of −7.4 and −9.4 kcal/mol, respectively. These findings shine a new light on the potential of PESMP compounds as α-amylase inhibitors.

In the present study, two new Schiff bases 10a,b were synthesized by the condensation of 9a,b with cinnamaldehyde. The chemical structures of 10a,b were confirmed using spectral (IR, mass, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and DEPT C135) and elemental analysis. The effect of 10a,b on the viability of five (SKOV-3, HeLa, HepG2, MCF-7, and SW620) cancer cell lines was evaluated, where MCF-7 ​cell line was the most sensitive. In addition, compounds 10a,b exhibited their cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 ​cells at IC50 values of 8.06 and 0.58 ​μM, respectively, compared to doxorubicin (IC50 ​= ​2.07 ​μM). Cell cycle analysis of MCF-7 ​cells treated with 10a revealed a significant increase (18 folds) of cell cycle at the pe-G1 phase, while 10b increased cell population at both pre-G1 and G2/M phase (11.5 and 2.5 folds increase, respectively). In addition, 10a induced 33 folds increase of combined early and late apoptotic cells, compared with 17 folds increase of combined apoptosis in MCF7 cells by 10b. Computational studies including target prediction, docking, and ADME studies were performed for 10a,b. The results revealed higher binding free energy for 10b toward COX-2 and p38 MAP kinase compared to 10a. To sum up, the results above suggested that 10b could be evaluated in future studies as a potential cytotoxic and apoptotic agent.

New S-alkyl phthalimide 5a–f and S-benzyl 6a–d analogs of 5-(2-phenylquinolin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (4) were prepared by reacting 4 with N-bromoalkylphthalimide and CF3-substituted benzyl bromides in excellent yields. Spectroscopic techniques were employed to elucidate the structures of the synthesized molecules. The inhibition activity of newly synthesized molecules toward MAO-A, MAO-B, and AChE enzymes, was also assessed. All these compounds showed activity in the submicromolar range against all enzymes. Compounds 5a and 5f were found to be the most potent compounds against MAO-A (IC50 = 0.91 ± 0.15 nM) and MAO-B (IC50 = 0.84 ± 0.06 nM), while compound 5c showed the most efficient acetylcholinesterase inhibition (IC50 = 1.02± 0.65 μM). Docking predictions disclosed the docking poses of the synthesized molecules with all enzymes and demonstrated the outstanding potency of compounds 5a, 5f, and 5c (docking scores = −11.6, −15.3, and −14.0 kcal/mol against MAO-A, MAO-B, and AChE, respectively). These newly synthesized analogs act as up-and-coming candidates for the creation of safer curative use against Alzheimer’s illness.

Ten new pyridine linked various substituted thiazole hybrids through (hydrazonomethyl)phenoxy-acetamide spacer were synthesized. The synthetic strategy was based on the reaction of the precursor 2-(4-((2-carbamothioylhydrazono)methyl)phenoxy)-N-(pyridin-2-yl)acetamide (3) with various α-halogenated carbonyl compounds (namely; phenacyl bromides, ethyl bromoacetate, diethyl bromomalonate and 3-chloropentane-2,4-dione). Moreover, the cytotoxicity properties of the synthesized compounds have been studied against liver carcinoma (HepG2), laryngeal carcinoma (Hep-2), prostate cancer (PC3), breast cancer (MCF-7) and normal fibroblast cells (WI38). The pyridine-thiazole compounds 7 and 10 revealed promising anticancer activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines with IC50 values in the range 5.36–8.76 μM compared to the activity of 5-fluorouracil. Docking study provided valuable insights for binding sites of the synthesized compounds with Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK-1).

Targeting the EGFR with small-molecule inhibitors is a confirmed valid strategy in cancer therapy. Since the FDA approval of the first EGFR-TKI, erlotinib, great efforts have been devoted to the discovery of new potent inhibitors. Until now, fourteen EGFR small-molecule inhibitors have been globally approved for the treatment of different types of cancers. Although these drugs showed high efficacy in cancer therapy, EGFR mutations have emerged as a big challenge for these drugs. In this review, we focus on the EGFR small-molecule inhibitors that have been approved for clinical uses in cancer therapy. These drugs are classified based on their chemical structures, target kinases, and pharmacological uses. The synthetic routes of these drugs are also discussed. The crystal structures of these drugs with their target kinases are also summarized and their bonding modes and interactions are visualized. Based on their binding interactions with the EGFR, these drugs are also classified into reversible and irreversible inhibitors. The cytotoxicity of these drugs against different types of cancer cell lines is also summarized. In addition, the proposed metabolic pathways and metabolites of the fourteen drugs are discussed, with a primary focus on the active and reactive metabolites. Taken together, this review highlights the syntheses, target kinases, crystal structures, binding interactions, cytotoxicity, and metabolism of the fourteen globally approved EGFR inhibitors. These data should greatly help in the design of new EGFR inhibitors.

In the current study, eight new hybrids of the NSAIDs, ibuprofen and ketoprofen with five pyrrolizine/indolizine derivatives were designed and synthesized. The chemical structures of these hybrids were confirmed by spectral and elemental analyses. The antiproliferative activities of these hybrids (5 μM) was investigated against MCF-7, A549, and HT-29 cancer cell lines using the cell viability assay, MTT assay. The results revealed 4–71% inhibition of the growth of the three cancer cell lines, where 8a,e,f were the most active. In addition, an investigation of the antiproliferative activity of 8a,e,f against MCF-7 cells revealed IC50 values of 7.61, 1.07, and 3.16 μM, respectively. Cell cycle analysis of MCF-7 cells treated with the three hybrids at 5 μM revealed a pro-apoptotic increase in cells at preG1 and cell cycle arrest at the G1 and S phases. In addition, the three hybrids induced early apoptotic events in MCF-7 cells. The results of the molecular docking of the three hybrids into COX-1/2 revealed higher binding free energies than their parent compounds 5a,c and the co-crystallized ligands, ibuprofen and SC-558. The results also indicated higher binding free energies toward COX-2 over COX-1. Moreover, analysis of the binding modes of 8a,e,f into COX-2 revealed partial superposition with the co-crystallized ligand, SC-558 with the formation of essential hydrogen bonds, electrostatic, or hydrophobic interactions with the key amino acid His90 and Arg513. The new hybrids also showed drug-likeness scores in the range of 1.06–2.03 compared to ibuprofen (0.65) and ketoprofen (0.57). These results above indicated that compounds 8a,e,f deserve additional investigation as potential anticancer candidates.

The main objective of this research work was the development and evaluation of transfersomes integrated oral films for the bioavailability enhancement of Ebastine (EBT) to treat allergic rhinitis. The flexible transfersomes, consisting of drug (EBT), lipid (Phosphatidylcholine) and edge activator (EA) Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate or Sorbitan monolaurate, were prepared with the conventional thin film hydration method. The developed transfersomes were further integrated into oral films using the solvent casting method. Transfersomes were evaluated for their size distribution, surface charge, entrapment efficiency (EE%) and relative deformability, whereas the formulated oral films were characterized for weight, thickness, pH, folding endurance, tensile strength, % of elongation, degree of crystallinity, water content, content uniformity, in vitro drug release and ex vivo permeation, as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics profile. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of transfersomes was detected to be 75.87 ± 0.55 nm with an average PDI and zeta potential of 0.089 ± 0.01 and 33.5 ± 0.39 mV, respectively. The highest deformability of transfersomes of 18.52 mg/s was observed in the VS-3 formulation. The average entrapment efficiency of the transfersomes was about 95.15 ± 1.4%. Transfersomal oral films were found smooth with an average weight, thickness and tensile strength of 174.72 ± 2.3 mg, 0.313 ± 0.03 mm and 36.4 ± 1.1 MPa, respectively. The folding endurance, pH and elongation were found 132 ± 1, 6.8 ± 0.2 and 10.03 ± 0.4%, respectively. The ex vivo permeability of EBT from formulation ETF-5 was found to be approximately 2.86 folds higher than the pure drug and 1.81 folds higher than plain film (i.e., without loaded transfersomes). The relative oral bioavailability of ETF-5 was 2.95- and 1.7-fold higher than that of EBT-suspension and plain film, respectively. In addition, ETF-5 suppressed the wheal and flare completely within 24 h. Based on the physicochemical considerations, as well as in vitro and in vivo characterizations, it is concluded that the highly flexible transfersomal oral films (TOFs) effectively improved the bioavailability and antihistamine activity of EBT.

BackgroundAntibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transfer rapidly among bacterial species all over the world contributing to the aggravation of antibiotic resistance crisis. Antibiotics at sub-inhibitory concentration induce horizontal gene transfer (HRT) between bacteria, especially through conjugation. The role of common non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals in the market in disseminating antibiotic resistance is not well studied.ObjectivesIn this work, we indicated the effect of some commonly used non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals including antiemetic (metoclopramide HCl) and antispasmodics (hyoscine butyl bromide and tiemonium methyl sulfate) on the plasmid-mediated conjugal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between pathogenic E. coli in the gastric intestinal tract (GIT).MethodsBroth microdilution assay was used to test the antibacterial activity of the tested non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals. A conjugation mating system was applied in presence of the studied non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals to test their effect on conjugal transfer frequency. Plasmid extraction and PCR were performed to confirm the conjugation process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for imaging the effect of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals on bacterial cells.ResultsNo antibacterial activity was reported for the used non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals. Plasmid-mediated conjugal transfer between isolates was induced by metoclopramide HCl but suppressed by hyoscine butyl bromide. Tiemonium methylsulfate slightly promoted conjugal transfer. Aggregation between cells and periplasmic bridges was clear in the case of metoclopramide HCl while in presence of hyoscine butyl bromide little affinity was observed.ConclusionThis study indicates the contribution of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals to the dissemination and evolution of antibiotic resistance at the community level. Metoclopramide HCl showed an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance.