Phytochemical analysis of UV active and inactive bioactive compounds present in Polianthes tuberosa (Linn.) flower.

Polianthes tuberosa (Linn.) is traditionally considered an ornamental and medicinal plant worldwide. However, extensive studies on its phytochemical composition are very limited. Hence the present work aims to identify the total phytochemical ingredients present in different crude extracts of tuberosa. Phytochemical analysis has been carried out for differential cold solvent extracts of various parts of tuberosa such as petals, stamens, and ovary by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and evaporative light scattering detector analyzers for the identification of bioactive components. Among the various solvents used for the extraction, diethyl ether is found to be the most suitable and efficient solvent, as its total differential recovery from the crude extract is about 0.24% as compared to 0.04% obtained by using n-hexane or petroleum ether. Numerous phytochemicals have been identified by the chromatography and MS techniques, which demonstrate the presence of essential fatty acids along with other pharmacological importance phytoconstituents. Identification of additional phytochemicals present in the crude extract of tuberosa flower further enhances its biological and pharmacological significance. The present work lays a foundation for further research and development of phytoconstituents of the tuberosa flower.

Prostate Carcinogenesis: Insights in Relation to Epigenetics and Inflammation.

Prostate cancer is a multifactorial disease that mainly occurs due to the accumulation of somatic, genetic, and epigenetic changes, resulting in the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes. Mutations in genes, specifically those that control cell growth and division or the repair of damaged DNA, make the cells grow and divide uncontrollably to form a tumor. The risk of developing prostate cancer depends upon the gene that has undergone the mutation. Identifying such genetic risk factors for prostate cancer poses a challenge for the researchers. Besides genetic mutations, many epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation, histone modifications (methylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation, sumoylation, and phosphorylation) nucleosomal remodeling, and chromosomal looping, have significantly contributed to the onset of prostate cancer as well as the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. Chronic inflammation also plays a major role in the onset and progression of human cancer, via modifications in the tumor microenvironment by initiating epithelialmesenchymal transition and remodeling the extracellular matrix. In this article, the authors present a brief history of the mechanisms and potential links between the genetic aberrations, epigenetic changes, inflammation, and inflammasomes that are known to contribute to the prognosis of prostate cancer. Furthermore, the authors examine and discuss the clinical potential of prostate carcinogenesis in relation to epigenetics and inflammation for its diagnosis and treatment..

Sunlight-Driven Combustion Synthesis of Defective Metal Oxide Nanostructures with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity.

Synthesis of metal oxide nanostructures through combustion routes is a promising technique owing to its simplicity, rapidity, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Herein, a sunlight-driven combustion approach is developed to synthesize pristine metal oxides and their heterostructures. Sunlight, a sustainable energy source, is used not only to initiate the combustion reaction but also to create oxygen vacancies on the metal oxide surface. ZnO nanostructures are successfully synthesized using this novel approach, and the products exhibit higher photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methyl orange (MO) than ZnO nanostructures synthesized by the conventional methods. The higher photocatalytic activity is due to the narrower band gap, higher porosity, smaller and more uniform particle size, surface oxygen vacancies, as well as the enhanced exciton dissociation efficiency induced by the sunlight. Porous Fe3O4 nanostructures are also prepared using this environmentally benign method. Surprisingly, few-layer Bi2O3 nanosheets are successfully obtained using the sunlight-driven combustion approach. Moreover, the approach developed here is used to synthesize Bi2O3/ZnO heterostructure exhibiting a structure of few-layer Bi2O3 nanosheets decorated with ZnO nanoparticles. Bi2O3 nanosheets and Bi2O3/ZnO heterostructures synthesized by sunlight-driven combustion route exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than their counterparts synthesized by the conventional solution combustion method. This work illuminates a potential cost-effective method to synthesize defective metal oxide nanostructures at scale.

Smart Fortified PHBV-CS Biopolymer with ZnO-Ag Nanocomposites for Enhanced Shelf Life of Food Packaging.

Thymus vulgaris leaf extract was used as a stabilizer and reducing agent in the green, facile, and biomimetic hydrothermal decomposition reaction for the fabrication of zinc oxide-silver nanocomposites (ZnO-Ag NCs). The nanocomposite (NC) as an active agent was integrated into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-chitosan (PHBV-CS) in a highly precise ratio of solvent mixture by ultrasonication without the aid of any coupling agent to fabricate the novel degradable biopolymer (BP) nanocomposite via solvent casting method to enhance the mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity and with the lowest immigration rate to improve the shelf life of poultry items. The ZnO-Ag NCs as a nanoactive agent in the food packaging preserved food safety by controlling its spoilage. The morphology, physical, mechanical, barrier, antibacterial, and migration properties of the nanocrystals were assessed via several characterization methods to show the enhancement of the prepared polymer in various aspects of properties. The NCs BP were used for potential sensory evaluation of chicken breast refrigerated over a period of 15 days. The data demonstrated that these bio-based nanocomposites show great antimicrobial activity that offers perspectives for the replacement of traditional petrochemical-based polymers currently used for food packaging of poultry items.

Novel Green Biomimetic Approach for Synthesis of ZnO-Ag Nanocomposite; Antimicrobial Activity against Food-borne Pathogen, Biocompatibility and Solar Photocatalysis.

A simple, eco-friendly, and biomimetic approach using Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) leaf extract was developed for the formation of ZnO-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) without employing any stabilizer and a chemical surfactant. T. vulgaris leaf extract was used for the first time, in a novel approach, for green fabrication of ZnO-Ag NCs as a size based reducing agent via the hydrothermal method in a single step. Presence of phenols in T. vulgaris leaf extract has served as both reducing and capping agents that play a critical role in the production of ZnO-Ag NCs. The effect of silver nitrate concentration in the formation of ZnO-Ag NCs was studied. The in-vitro Antimicrobial activity of NCs displayed high antimicrobial potency on selective gram negative and positive foodborne pathogens. Antioxidant activity of ZnO-Ag NCs was evaluated via (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH method. Photocatalytic performance of ZnO-Ag NCs was appraised by degradation of phenol under natural sunlight, which exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity on phenol. Cytotoxicity of the NCs was evaluated using the haemolysis assay. Results of this study reveal that T. vulgaris leaf extract, containing phytochemicals, possess reducing property for ZnO-Ag NCs fabrication and the obtained ZnO-Ag NCs could be employed effectively for biological applications in food science. Therefore, the present study offers a promising way to achieve high-efficiency photocatalysis based on the hybrid structure of semiconductor/metal.

Microwave mediated synthesis and characterization of CeO2-GO hybrid composite for removal of chromium ions and its antibacterial efficiency.

A facile fabrication and processing of cerium oxide-graphene oxide (CeO2-GO) hybrid nanocomposites without the use of any surfactant or any organic solvents using chemical method and treatment with microwave irradiation technique are reported. In-situ hexagonal nano cerium oxide particles embedded on the layered surface of GO sheets were investigated for the photodegradation of dyes, removal of chromium Cr(VI) ions and against antibacterial studies. The results imply that hybrid nanocomposites shows enhanced 5-folds of photocatalytic activities in UV (ultraviolet) light irradiation and exhibited rapid efficiency in the elimination of chromium ion better than the pure GO and CeO2, which are inhibited by competent photosensitive electron inoculation and controlling the electron-hole recombination. The synergetic effect of CeO2-GO composites played a vital role in showing better results against model bacterium than GO and CeO2 are due to higher physical interaction endorsed to the stress of membranes acute by piercing edges, large surface area, and higher adsorptive conditions of graphene oxide sheets tailored with ceria particles. The amount of charge transferred at the interface increases with the concentration of O atoms, demonstrating the interaction between CeO2 and GO is much stronger than CeO2 and GO are due to the decrease of the average equilibrium distance between the interfaces. The CeO2-GO interface staggered band alignments existing between the CeO2 surfaces and GO which shows an excellent synergism. The structure and morphology of composites were tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM).

Phyto-Fabrication of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Piper betel Aqueous Extract and Evaluation of its Applicability in Dentistry.

BACKGROUND: Facile, environmental friendly synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles is of paramount importance when its biological applications are considered. OBJECTIVE: Current study reports phyto-fabrication of Zinc oxide nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Piper betel leaves as stabilizing and capping agent using co-precipitation method. RESULTS: P betel synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (PZnO) was characterized using Powder X-ray diffraction, UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. PXRD pattern demonstrated hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred orientation (100) plane confirmed by JCPDS file 36-1451. UV- Vis spectroscopy showed peak at 370 nm due to band edge of semiconductor, the PZnO. The average particle size determined by DLS measurement was 69 nm and morphologically the particles were short rod shaped and agglomerated as demonstrated by SEM images. Antibacterial activity of PZnO against dental pathogens namely Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidphillus was performed using well-diffusion method and antioxidant activity against 2, 2 diphenyl 1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and were compared with ZnO used in clinical dentistry (DZnO). PZnO showed higher antioxidant activity of ~70% at 200 µg/mL with consistent activity at lower aliquots. PZnO showed higher antimicrobial activity than DZnO against both tested microbes and also exhibited inhibitory effects in concentration as low as 3.25 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity study using Balb 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell lines showed <40% cellular growth inhibition by both PZnO and DZnO, indicating their benignity towards selected cell lines. CONCLUSION: Phyto-fabricated facile PZnO nanoparticles having demonstrable antibacterial and antioxidant activity can be considered for use in clinical dentistry after further clinical trials.

A study on adsorption behavior of newly synthesized banana pseudo-stem derived superabsorbent hydrogels for cationic and anionic dye removal from effluents.

In this work, an environmentally benign superabsorbent hydrogel based on banana pseudo-stem has been synthesized by free radical graft co-polymerization of sodium acrylate (NaAc) and acrylamide (AM) on to modified banana pseudo-stem cellulose backbone using ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) as initiator and crosslinker respectively.The optimum condition for initiator, monomers and crosslinker concentrations was found to be 0.0032molL-1, 0.013molL-1 and 0.00048molL-1 respectively. Structural confirmation of the hydrogel prepared is performed by FT-IR spectroscopy whereas the morphology and thermal properties assessments were performed by SEM and TGA analysis respectively. Swelling behavior in solutions with different pH (2, 4, 7, 9 and 12) and contact time (5-750min) indicated 323.54gg-1 in pH 7 solutions for 570min. The optimized hydrogel was used as adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) with a maximum adsorption of 333.3 and 124 mgg-1 respectively. Kinetics and Isotherm adsorption studies revealed pseudo second-order and Freundlich isotherm as befitting models.

Crystal structures of N,N-dimethyl-(2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-yn-yloxy)acet-oxy)ethyl-amine and N,N-dimethyl-(2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-yn-yl--oxy)acet-oxy)ethyl-ammonium 2,4,6-tri-nitro-phenolate.

The N,N-di-methyl-ethylamminium unit in N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-ynyloxyacet-oxy]ethyl-amine, C21H23NO3 (I), is disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.880 (3) and 0. 120 (3), but there are no direction-specific inter-actions between the mol-ecules of (I). The cation in N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-ynyloxyacet-oxy]ethyl-ammonium 2,4,6-tri-nitro-phenolate (picrate), C21H24NO3+·C6H2N3O7- (II), shows a similar type of disorder, with occupancies of 0.654 (11) and 0.346 (11), although the overall conformation of the cation in (II) is different from that in the neutral (I). The component ions are are linked by an almost planar three-centre N-H⋯(O)2 hydrogen bond, and the ion pairs are further linked by a combination of three C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form sheets. Comparisons are made with some related structures.

Spectroscopic, single crystal X-ray, Hirshfeld, in vitro and in silico biological evaluation of a new series of potent thiazole nucleus integrated with pyrazoline scaffolds.

In the present study, the spectroscopic characterization of a new series of substituted thiazole linked pyrazoline scaffolds 4a-l was performed. The formation of 4a-l from the intermediate 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide 2 and substituted 2-bromo-1-phenylethanone 3a-l was evidenced through the changes in FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, LCMS data. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed that compound 2 and 4g crystallized in monoclinic crystal system with P21/n space group. Compound 4j crystallized in triclinic system, P1̄ space group with Z=4. The percentage of intermolecular contacts and distribution of electrostatic potential of molecular crystal structures was resolved by Hirshfeld surface analysis with 2D finger plots and electrostatic potential map. The newly synthesized derivatives were screened for their in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The single crystal studies revealed that, for compounds 2, 4g and 4j the isopropyl phenyl ring is positioned at near right angle with the other rings. Due to the lack of planarity of bulkier group substituted to phenyl ring (ring B), all the synthesized molecules showed weak to moderate radical scavenging capacity owing to the destabilization of the radical formed during oxidation. Also, on performing molecular docking studies to explore the interactions of ligand with the target pyrimidine nucleoside hydrolase YbeK with bound ribose complex (PNH, PDB ID-3GHW), disclosed that active compounds emerged for in vitro studies also bound to PNH more efficiently. The compounds with polar group substitution interacted through hydrogen bonding while other molecules with non-covalent interactions.

Photocatalytic treatment of municipal wastewater using modified neodymium doped TiO(2) hybrid nanoparticles.

Photocatalytic degradation of municipal wastewater was investigated using reagent grade TiO(2) and modified neodymium doped TiO(2) hybrid nanoparticles. For the first time, surface modification of Nd(3 +) doped TiO(2) hybrid nanoparticles were carried out with n-butylamine as surface modifier under mild hydrothermal conditions. The modified nanoparticles obtained were characterized by Powder XRD, FTIR, DLS, TEM, BET surface area, zeta potential and UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated better morphology, particle size distribution and low agglomeration of the nanoparticles synthesized. It was found that photodegradation of wastewater using surface modified neodymium doped TiO(2) nanoparticles was more compared to pure TiO(2), which can be attributed to the doping and modification with n-butylamine.

Synthesis of Some New 3, 5-Bis (substituted) Pyrazoles and Isoxazoles Based on (N'(1)E, N'(3)E)- N'(1), N'(3)-Bis (3, 4, 5-substitutedbenzlidene) Malonohydrazide under Solvothermal Conditions.

The new 3,5-(substituted) pyrazoles and isoxazoles were prepared by reaction of (N'(1)E, N'(3)E)- N'(1), N'(3)-bis (3,4,5-substitutedbenzylidene)malonohydrazide with hydrazine hydrate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride respectively under solvothermal conditions involving an ecofriendly method without any environmental pollution, the yield are in the range of 75-96%. The structure of the new compounds were established using elemental analysis, IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR.

The role of ammonium citrate washing on the characteristics of mechanochemical-hydrothermal derived magnesium-containing apatites.

The role of citrate washing on the physical and chemical characteristics of magnesium-substituted apatites (HAMgs) was performed. HAMgs were synthesized by a mechanochemical-hydrothermal route at room temperature in as little as 1 h, which is five times faster than our previous work. Magnesium-substituted apatites had concentrations as high as 17.6 wt% Mg with a corresponding specific surface area (SSA) of 216 m(2)/g. A systematic study was performed to examine the influence of increasing magnesium content on the physical and chemical characteristics of the reaction products. As the magnesium content increased from 0 to 17.6 wt%, magnesium-doped apatite crystallite size decreased from 12 to 8.8 nm. The Mg/(Mg + Ca) ratio in the product was enriched relative to that used for the reacting precursor solution. During mechanochemical-hydrothermal reaction, magnesium doped apatites co-crystallize with magnesium hydroxide. Citrate washing serves to remove the magnesium hydroxide phase. The concomitant increase in surface area results because of the removal of this phase. Possible mechanisms for magnesium hydroxide leaching are discussed to explain the measured trends.

Preparation of magnesium-substituted hydroxyapatite powders by the mechanochemical-hydrothermal method.

Magnesium-substituted hydroxyapatite (Mg-HAp) powders with different crystallinity levels were prepared at room temperature via a heterogeneous reaction between Mg(OH)(2)/Ca(OH)(2) powders and an (NH(4))(2)HPO(4) solution using the mechanochemical-hydrothermal route. The as-prepared products contained unreacted Mg(OH)(2) and therefore had to undergo purification in ammonium citrate aqueous solutions at room temperature. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and chemical analyses were performed and it was determined that the purified powders were phase-pure Mg-HAp containing 0.24-28.4 wt% of Mg. The concentration of Mg was slightly lower near the surface than in the bulk of the HAp crystals as indicated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering revealed that the median particle size of the room temperature Mg-HAp powders was in the range of 102 nm-1.2 microm with a specific surface area between 91 and 269 m(2)/g. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the Mg-HAp powders consisted of submicron agglomerates of nanosized crystals, less than approximately 20 nm.

Mechanochemical-hydrothermal synthesis of carbonated apatite powders at room temperature.

Crystalline carbonate- and sodium-and-carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite (CO3HAp and NaCO3HAp) powders were prepared at room temperature via a heterogeneous reaction between Ca(OH)2/CaCO3/Na2CO3 and (NH4)2HPO4 aqueous solution using the mechanochemical hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and chemical analysis were performed. Room temperature products were phase-pure CO3HAp and NaCO3HAp containing 0.8-12 wt% of carbonate ions in the lattice. Dynamic light scattering revealed that the median agglomerate size of the room temperature CO3HAp and NaCO3HAp powders was in the range of 0.35-1.6 microm with a specific surface area between 82 and 121 m2/g. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the carbonated HAp powders consisted of mostly submicron aggregates of nanosized, approximately 20 nm crystals. The synthesized carbonated apatite powders exhibit chemical compositions and crystallinities similar to those of mineral constituents of hard tissues and therefore are promising for fabrication of bone-resembling implants.