ABSTRACT
In the face of escalating environmental concerns, particularly the pervasive issue of non-biodegradable fast-food packaging waste, this study introduces a ground-breaking solution that not only addresses waste management but also advances biomedical technology. Utilizing the underexploited resource of Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide from brown algae, we have innovatively transformed fast-food packaging waste into eco-friendly fluorescent carbon dots (FPCDs). These FPCDs were meticulously characterized through advanced techniques like FT-IR, TEM, and XRD, shedding light on their unique structure, morphology, and composition. A significant discovery of this study is the potent antimicrobial properties of these FPCDs, which demonstrate remarkable effectiveness against specific bacterial and fungal strains. This opens new avenues in the realm of biomedical applications, including imaging, drug delivery, and biosensing. Furthermore, extensive toxicity assessments, including the Brine shrimp lethality assay and Adult Artemia toxicity tests, underscore the safety of these nanoparticles, bolstering their applicability in sensitive medical scenarios. Our research presents a compelling dual approach, ingeniously tackling environmental sustainability issues by repurposing waste while simultaneously creating valuable materials for biomedical use. This dual benefit underscores the transformative potential of our approach, setting a precedent in both waste management and medical innovation.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents , Food Packaging , Food Loss and Waste , Carbon , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , Anti-Infective Agents/toxicityABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic caused by Corona virus leading to millions of deaths worldwide. Till today no medicine was available to cure this disease. This study selected 262 potential bioactive natural products derived from mangroves to inhibit the main protease (Mpro) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein of the COVID-19 virus. All the ligands were subjected to Adsorption Digestion Metabolism Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) predictions and docking studies using AutodockVina. Among all the ligands, NP_143 (Shearinine A) and NP_242 (Amentoflavone), having the highest docking score of 10.2 and 10.1 Kj/mole, respectively, were picked for 100 ns of Molecular Dynamics using GROMACS. The trajectories generated were used to estimate Root mean square deviation (RMSD), Root mean square fluctuations (RMSF), Radius of Gyrations (RG), Solvent accessible surface area (SASA), and Hydrogen bonds. From the data generated, both the ligands have good binding ability at the active site of Mpro protein and do not deviate much. They have strong interactions with the amino acids during the 100 ns of simulations and can thus be considered potential drug candidates.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
HIGHLIGHTSSARS-CoV-2 Mpro plays a pivotal role in viral replication and serves as important drug target.Bioactive compounds of mangroves origin are promising source of antiviral drugs.ADMET and docking study explored two lead compounds from mangroves against Mpro.MD simulation validated ligands of lead compounds had stronger binding affinity with Mpro.
ABSTRACT
Scombrids are the important component of pelagic fishery resources which include 54 species under 15 genera commonly known as mackerels, bonitos, and tunas. Due to the high commercial value attained, there are real chances of fraudulent substitution by species of inferior value. DNA based species identification methods can be applied to detect product adulteration, as well as to better contribute to the conservation and management of these species by providing accurate species identification independently of the age of the individuals or the tissue processed. In this study, a total of 15 commercially important scombrid species from Indian waters were analyzed. Due to the inadequacy of mitochondrial COI barcoding gene in discriminating between some Thunnus species, cytochrome b sequences were used instead. For all the 15 species, we propose a DNA character-based keys which uses a diagnostic combination of nucleotides and respective probes, including the first character-based keys and probes to differentiate between Thunnus albacares and T. obsesus.
