ABSTRACT
With the emergence of COVID-19 in late December 2019 in China and its exponential spread around the globe, on 11th March 2020 WHO declared it global pandemic. The first case of novel coronavirus in India was reported on 30th January 2020 in Kerala state of India. India is currently experiencing the worst situation amid COVID-19 pandemic with its 3rd position having the highest number of confirmed cases amongst the countries around the world with huge social and economic losses. Many studies reported that there is an improvement in air quality around different parts of the world due to cessation of vehicular, industrial and anthropogenic activities. The present study highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on air quality over India during the lockdown period amid COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed the significant decline in NO2 and aerosol optical depth (AOD) all around in India except for ozone. There has been a considerable decline in air pollution because of restricted activities during COVID-19 pandemic over India. Meteorological factors may not be directly related to the number of outbreaks. Although the COVID-19 lockdown has a negative impact on economic aspects but it has a positive impact on air quality. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of millions and having numerous global implications made humans believe that nothing will be normal as earlier. The study may help authorities and policy makers on taking specific measures for the pandemic it can be helpful in future to frame policies to reduce air pollution by policy makers. © 2022 Chemical Publishing Co.. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 pandemic has taught the world researchers the urgent need for new sources and novel pharmaceuticals not only for existing diseases but also for both seasonal epidemics and future pandemics. Pharmaceutical drug discoveries for the past fifty years depended deeply on the procedure of empirical transmission of a huge number of pure bioactive compounds to provide new leads. The screening of extracts or isolating compounds is a common way to discover novel biologically active molecules. Most of the valuable Blue-Green algal metabolites are concentrated in their biomass. For existence in nature, Blue-Green algae (BGA) secrete and contain various organic substances like proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, pigments, primary and secondary metabolites, and these compounds are explored for potential biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral (including the anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19), anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, protease inhibitory activity, anti-inflammatory activity, etc. Due to their diverse application, pharmaceutical companies have shown commercial interest in the Blue-green algal group for the discovery and development of novel molecules to combat deadly diseases for the benefit of society and mankind. The current review paper highlights and discusses the diverse pharmaceutical potential of laboratory-grown cultures of BGA along with comprehensive and current knowledge on bioactive compounds discovered by researchers globally. © 2021, Editorial board of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. All rights reserved.