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COVID-19 pandemic started more than a year ago and has infected more than 115 million of people from ~210 countries and >2.5 million of deaths worldwide being reported without any commercial and effective treatment or vaccine being yet released. However, recent studies on nanomaterials such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene showed that they possess anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-oxidant and anti-HIV properties. Herein, the interactions which established between the fullerenes Cm (m = 48, 60, 70, 80, 84 and 86) and the spike protein (SP) of SARS-CoV-2 and the human ACE2 receptor have been investigated based on the density functional theory (DFT) method with the CAM-B3LYP functional and the 6-31G* basis. The results of this study show that C48 exhibited as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. Because of the presence of heteroatoms on the surface of fullerenes which systematically reduce energy gaps, which in turn increase their reactivities. The oxygen adsorbed by fullerenes increases the number of non-covalent contacts and involves a large number of hydrogen bonds, while decreasing the binding energies. Thus, the hACE2-SP-4O2@C60 complex is strongly recommended for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 in the final phase of contamination. Stabilizing interactions between fullerenes and the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical screening, the acute toxicity, in vivo antiinflammatory and anti-diarrheal activities of the Zizyphus lotus (Z lotus) leaf’s aqueous extract. The extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis, acute toxicity study, anti-inflammatory evaluation using carrageenan induced paw edema and the anti-diarrheal activity was assessed by the castor oil induced diarrhea inhibition method in laboratory rats. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids. The extract at the doses used caused a significant (P< 0.05) reduction in the wet feces dumped by the rat with the castor oil-induced diarrhea, and decreased the distance travelled by the charcoal meal. The results showed that the extract of Zizyphus lotus has a significant antidiarrheal and anti-inflammatory activity which supports its use in traditional herbal medicine practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]