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The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has spread rapidly and is considered the predominant variant in the world, and its main characteristic is related to evade immunity from natural infection or vaccines, due to its multiple mutations in the spike protein. On the other hand, medicinal plants have been used as alternatives therapies to ameliorate some signs and symptoms in COVID-19, and in our previous work, the cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) stem bark has been studied in vitro and showed antiviral activity on SARS-CoV-2 as well as in silico studies on the 3CLpro protein and as disruptor between the ACE-2 human receptor and the spike protein. The aim in this computational study was to determine the main phytochemical constituents from U. tomentosa stem bark against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein based on molecular modeling. A molecular docking was carried out on the isolated phytochemicals in a previous work against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein-binding domain (PDB ID: 7T9K). Next, a molecular dynamic study was carried out to monitor the stability during the MD simulations. As results proanthocyanidin-C1 (-10.76 kcal/mol), quinovic acid-type 2 (-9.86 kcal/mol), and proanthocyanidin-B2 (-9.82 kcal/mol) were the constituents with the best binding free energy on the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein, and the best compound was stable during the dynamic simulation under physiological conditions. It is concluded that the anthocyanidin-based compounds determined in the stem bark ethanol extract could be responsible for the potential antiviral activity on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and the proanthocyanidin-C1 emerged as a powerful candidate to combat new variants.

In this study, we are presenting the effect of three ripening stages of air-dried bitter gourd fruit extracts on phenolic acid composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. The results showed mature bitter gourd fruit extract in 100% methanol showing 78% DPPHº scavenging activity. Immature dried fruit extract in 80% and 100% methanol showed promising antibacterial activities, i.e., >18.5 ± 0.21 mm zone-of-inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus, while mature dried fruit extract in 80% methanol showed 18.4 ± 0.17 mm zone-of-inhibition against Escherichia coli. Anticancer activity results of 100% methanol extracts of ripened fruit possess showed 6.72 ± 1.81 and 3.55 ± 0.51 mg/mL IC50 values with HeLa and MDBK cancer cell lines, respectively. The overall results indicate that the immature and ripen fruits of BG could be extracted in pure methanol as an antibacterial and anticancer phytomedicine.

In developing countries, various sociodemographic and climatic factors such as urbanization, industrialization, and improved living standard, and water and energy demands will all characterize wastewater’s future. Increasing population and water shortage are the main driving forces for the reuse of untreated wastewater for irrigation and other uses in many poor countries, posing a significant threat to global food security. Although wastewater contains essential nutrients required for plant growth, it also contains toxic heavy metals and pathogens that pose a significant threat to the environment and human health. Present research work was carried out to study important physicochemical and microbiological parameters of industrial wastewater collected from various discharged points at different locations of Kala Shah Kaku (KSK) city, Pakistan. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, sodium, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates, sodium adsorption ratio, chlorides, and heavy metals such as nickel, cadmium, and iron of all industrial wastewater samples were within the standard limits. However, certain water’s quality parameters such as TSS, BOD, COD, residual sodium carbonate, heavy metals such as chromium, and total suspended solids of all samples were exceeding the maximum allowable limits listed by Pakistani Standards. Carbonates, manganese, and cobalt were not detected in any of the wastewater samples. Total viable count and total coliform counts were higher in all samples describing low levels of sanitation. Contamination of fecal coliform and Escherichia coli was observed in about 50% of the studied wastewater samples. The overall results focus on the discharge of highly polluted wastewater in and around KSK city. Indirectly it creates significant threats to environmental pollution and human health. Continuous monitoring of physicochemical and microbial indicators of effluent’s quality for its reuse for irrigation purpose is proposed to safeguard the public health and environment.

Three different plants (Solanum indicum, Solanum surattense, and Solanum nigrum) of Solanaceae family were explored to extract and characterize hydrocolloids in aqueous solution. S. indicum fruit fractions bring in maximum hydrocolloid yield of 21.39 ± 0.42% based on % dry weight of the sample. The observed order of extracting hydrocolloid yield amongst investigating aerial parts of S. surattense, S. nigrum, and S. indicum (% dry weight) is fruits > stem > leaves. Maximum protein (22%) and starch (0.85%) contents were observed in fruit fractions of S. nigrum and S. indicum, respectively. Among the functional characteristics, the fruit fraction of S. indicum has higher water-holding capacity (24.80%), oil-holding capacity (2.96%), emulsifying activity (90%), emulsion stability (70%), foaming capacity (65%), and foaming stability (90%). Monosaccharide profiling results showed the presence of glucose, galacturonic acid, galactose, glucuronic acid, arabinose, and xylose in extracted fractions. The findings propose that hydrocolloids (extracted with water) are cost-effective and would be potential candidate as a substitute for pectin added into foamy and frothy food products and frothy beverages.

Two analytical techniques HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) and HPTLC (high performance thin layer chromatography) were validated to reveal the quality and quantity of pesticide residues (organophosphorus, organochlorine, and pyrethroids) in brinjal samples collected from a local market of Faisalabad. The HPTLC methods showed linear behavior for standard samples and residue was in the range of 1–130 ng. The organochlorine (α-endosulfan) contaminates the samples at 4, 5, 9, and 10 weeks, and detected quantity was less than MRL (minimum residue level) of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations), i.e., 0.5 mg·kg−1. The organophosphorus pesticide (chlorpyriphos, methamidophos, monocrotophos, dichlorvos, carbosulfan, profenophos, and dimethoate) residue contaminated the samples and violated the MRL limit. Pyrethroids (deltamethrin, β-cyhalothrin, and cypermethrin) were present at appreciable levels, in samples of 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9 weeks. The concentration of β-cyhalothrin (0.25 mg·kg−1) and cypermethrin (0.205 mg·kg−1) was significantly higher than that of all detected pesticides. The carbosulfan and deltamethrin contaminated all 10-week samples. The HPLC analysis of samples was carried out to confirm the efficiency of HPTLC as cost-effective method. The concentration of α-endosulfan, chlorpyriphos, dimethoate, monocrotophos, profenophos, deltamethrin, and cypermethrin in brinjal samples through the HPTLC method showed similar residual concentration with HPLC analysis.