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Highly selective and sensitive 2,7-naphthyridine based colorimetric and fluorescence "Turn Off" chemosensors (L1-L4) for detection of Ni 2+ in aqueous media are reported. The receptors (L1-L4) showed a distinct color change from yellow to red by addition of Ni 2+ with spectral changes in bands at 535-550 nm. The changes are reversible and pH independent. The detection limits for Ni 2+ by (L1-L4) are in the range of 0.2-0.5 µM by UV-Visible data and 0.040-0.47 µM by fluorescence data, which is lower than the permissible value of Ni 2+ (1.2 µM) in drinking water defined by EPA. The binding stoichiometries of L1-L4 for Ni 2+ were found to be 2:1 through Job's plot and ESI-MS analysis. Moreover the receptors can be used to quantify Ni 2+ in real water samples. Formation of test strips by the dip-stick method increases the practical applicability of the Ni 2+ test for "in-the-field" measurements. DFT calculations and AIM analyses supported the experimentally determined 2:1 stoichiometries of complexation. TD-DFT calculations were performed which showed slightly decreased FMO energy gaps due to ligand-metal charge transfer (LMCT)., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

This study reported the volatile profile, the antimicrobial activity and the synergistic potential of essential oil (EO) from the Moroccan endemic Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Roussine, in combination with the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and fluconazole for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The EO chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and the antimicrobial activity assessed by the disc diffusion method against three Gram positive ( Bacillus subtilis , Micrococcus luteus , Staphylococcus aureus ) and three Gram-negative bacteria ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli and one clinical isolate, Klebsiella pneumonia ). The antifungal activity was evaluated in four pathogenic yeasts ( Candida albicans , C. glabrata , C. krusei and C. parapsilosis ). The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and the synergistic effect with ciprofloxacin and fluconazole were determined by the two-fold dilution technique and checkerboard test, respectively. Twenty-one constituents were identified by GC-MS in the EO, including carvacrol (21.62%) and borneol (21.13%) as the major components. The EO exhibited a significant antimicrobial activity with inhibition zones ranging from 0.7 mm to 22 mm for P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis , respectively, and MIC values varying from 0.56 mg/mL to 4.47 mg/mL. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values ranged from 0.25 to 0.50 for bacteria and from 0.25 to 0.28 for yeasts. The maximum synergistic effect was observed for K. pneumonia with a 256-fold gain of antibiotic MIC. Our results have suggested that EO from T. atlanticus may be used alone or in association with antibiotics as a new potential alternative to prevent and control the emergence of resistant microbial strains both in the medical field and in the food industry.

Multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial cells embedded in biofilm matrices can lead to the development of chronic cariogenesis. Here, we isolated and identified three Gram-positive MDR oral cocci, (1) SJM-04, (2) SJM-38, and (3) SJM-65, and characterized them morphologically, biochemically, and by 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis as Georgenia sp., Staphylococcus saprophyticus , and Rothia mucilaginosa , respectively. These three oral isolates exhibited antibiotic-resistance against nalidixic acid, tetracycline, cefuroxime, methicillin, and ceftazidime. Furthermore, these Gram positive MDR oral cocci showed significant ( p < 0.05) variations in their biofilm forming ability under different physicochemical conditions, that is, at temperatures of 28, 30, and 42 °C, pH of 6.4, 7.4, and 8.4, and NaCl concentrations from 200 to 1000 µg/mL. Exposure of oral isolates to TiO 2 NPs (14.7 nm) significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced planktonic cell viability and biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner, which was confirmed by observing biofilm architecture by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Overall, these results have important implications for the use of tetragonal anatase phase TiO 2 NPs (size range 5-25 nm, crystalline size 13.7 nm, and spherical shape) as an oral antibiofilm agent against Gram positive cocci infections. We suggest that TiO 2 NPs pave the way for further applications in oral mouthwash formulations and antibiofilm dental coatings.

The release of untreated tannery effluents comprising biotoxic heavy metal (HM) compounds into the ecosystem is one of our society's most serious environmental and health issues. After discharge, HM-containing industrial effluents reach agricultural soils and thus negatively affect the soil microbial diversity. Considering these, we assessed the effect of HMs on identified soil beneficial bacteria. Here, the effects of four heavy metals (HMs), viz., chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb), on cellular growth, physiology, cell permeability, and biofilm formation of Enterobacter cloacae MC9 (accession no.: MT672587) were evaluated. HMs in a concentration range of 25-200 μg mL -1 were used throughout the study. Among HMs, Cd in general had the maximum detrimental effect on bacterial physiology. With increasing concentrations of HMs, bacterial activities consistently decreased. For instance, 200 μgCr mL -1 concentration greatly and significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) reduced the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by 70% over control. Furthermore, 200 μg mL -1 Cd maximally and significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) reduced the synthesis of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), salicylic acid (SA), 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and extra polymeric substances (EPSs) of E. cloacae MC9 by 80, 81, 77, and 59%, respectively, over control. While assessing the toxic effect of HMs on the P-solubilizing activity of E. cloacae , the toxicity pattern followed the order Cr (mean value = 94.6 μg mL -1 ) > Cd (mean value = 127.2 μg mL -1 ) > Pb (mean value = 132.4 μg mL -1 ) > Ni (mean value = 140.4 μg mL -1 ). Furthermore, the colony-forming unit (CFU) count (Log 10 ) of strain MC9 was completely inhibited at 150, 175, and 200 μg mL -1 concentrations of Cr and Cd. The confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) analysis of HM-treated bacterial cells showed an increased number of red-colored dead cells as the concentration of HMs increased from 25 to 200 μg mL -1 . Likewise, the biofilm formation ability of strain MC9 was maximally ( p ≤ 0.05) inhibited at higher concentrations of Cd. In summary, the present investigation undoubtedly suggests that E. cloacae strain MC9 recovered from the HM-contaminated rhizosphere endowed with multiple activities could play an important role in agricultural practices to augment crop productivity in soils contaminated with HMs. Also, there is an urgent need to control the direct discharge of industrial waste into running water to minimize heavy metal pollution. Furthermore, before the application of HMs in agricultural fields, their appropriate field dosages must be carefully monitored., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Soil with heavy metals contamination, mainly lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) is a progressively worldwide alarming environmental problem. Recently, biochar has been used as a soil amendment to remediate contaminated soils, but little work has been done to compare with other organic amendments like compost. We investigated biochar and compost's comparative effect on Pb, Cd, and Cr immobilization in soil, photosynthesis, and growth of maize plants. Ten kg soil was placed in pots and were spiked with Pb, Cd, and Cr at concentrations 20, 10, 20 mg kg -1 . The biochar and compost treatments included 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4% were separately applied to the soil. The crop from pots was harvested after 60 days. The results show that the highest reduction of AB-DTPA extractable Pb, Cd, and Cr in soil was 79%, 61% and 78% with 4% biochar, followed by 61%, 43% and 60% with 4% compost compared to the control, respectively. Similarly, the highest reduction in shoot Pb, Cd, and Cr concentration was 71%, 63% and 78%with 4% biochar, followed by 50%, 50% and 71% with 4% compost than the control, respectively. The maximum increase in shoot and dry root weight, total chlorophyll contents, and gas exchange characteristics were recorded with 4% biochar, followed by 4% compost than the control. The maximum increase in soil organic matter and total nitrogen (N) was recorded at 4% biochar application while available phosphorus and potassium in the soil at 4% compost application. It is concluded that both biochar and compost decreased heavy metals availability in the soil, reducing toxicity in the plant. However, biochar was most effective in reducing heavy metals content in soil and plant compared to compost. In the future, more low-cost, eco-friendly soil remediation methods should be developed for better soil health and plant productivity., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The Indian poultry industry is one of the fast-growing sectors of which duck farming plays an important role. Duck population in India is 33.51 million that is concentrated towards north-east and southern parts of the country who rears mainly for eggs and meat. Duck diseases are of great concern as they badly affect the financial status of the small, landless farmers. Databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, J gate were used to search articles between 2000 and 2019 that showed the prevalence of viral, bacterial, and parasitic duck diseases. R open source software was used to derive forest plots by statistical analysis. Pooled prevalence estimates of duck diseases worldwide was found to be 20% (95%-CI:15-26). Also, continent-wise analysis of all duck diseases has revealed highest prevalence in North America, followed by Asia, Africa, Europe,Oceania and South America. This prevalence of data would be helpful to the policymakers to develop appropriate intervention strategies to prevent and control diseases in their respective locations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Ophioceras is accommodated in the monotypic family Ophioceraceae (Magnaporthales, Sordariomycetes), and the genus is delimited based on molecular data. During an ongoing survey of bambusicolous fungi in southwest China, we collected a submerged decaying branch of bamboo from Sichuan Province, China and an Ophioceras species occurring on this substrate was observed and isolated. An Ophioceras taxon was delimited based on morphological characteristics and combined LSU, RPB1 and ITS sequence analyses and is described as Ophioceras sichuanense sp. nov. The species formed a well-supported clade basal to Ophioceras (100% ML, 1.00 PP). Based on the updated phylogenetic tree of Magnaporthales, Ceratosphaerella castillensis (generic type) and C. rhizomorpha formed a clade within Ophioceras and morphologically resemble Ophioceras. Therefore, Ceratosphaerella is synonymized under Ophioceras. The phylogenetic relationships of Ophioceras are discussed in relation to morphological similarities of genera in Magnaporthales. The generic circumscription of Ophioceras is emended., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The edible parts of the plants Camellia sinensis , Vitis vinifera and Withania somnifera were extensively used in ancient practices such as Ayurveda, owing to their potent biomedical significance. They are very rich in secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, which are very good antioxidants and exhibit anti-carcinogenic properties. This study aims to evaluate the anti-cancerous properties of these plant crude extracts on human liver cancer HepG2 cells. The leaves of Camellia sinensis , Withania somnifera and the seeds of Vitis vinifera were collected and methanolic extracts were prepared. Then, these extracts were subjected to DPPH, α- amylase assays to determine the antioxidant properties. A MTT assay was performed to investigate the viability of the extracts of HepG2 cells, and the mode of cell death was detected by Ao/EtBr staining and flow cytometry with PI Annexin- V FITC dual staining. Then, the protein expression of BAX and BCl2 was studied using fluorescent dye to determine the regulation of the BAX and BCl2 genes. We observed that all the three extracts showed the presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols or phytochemicals. The W. somnifera bioactive compounds were found to have the highest anti-proliferative activity on human liver cancer cells.

Camellia sinensis is one of the major crops grown in Taiwan and has been widely cultivated around the island. Tea leaves are prone to various fungal infections, and leaf spot is considered one of the major diseases in Taiwan tea fields. As part of a survey on fungal species causing leaf spots on tea leaves in Taiwan, 19 fungal strains morphologically similar to the genus Diaporthe were collected. ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α), tub2 (beta-tubulin), and cal (calmodulin) gene regions were used to construct phylogenetic trees and determine the evolutionary relationships among the collected strains. In total, six Diaporthe species, including one new species, Diaporthe hsinchuensis , were identified as linked with leaf spot of C. sinensis in Taiwan based on both phenotypic characters and phylogeny. These species were further characterized in terms of their pathogenicity, temperature, and pH requirements under laboratory conditions. Diaporthe tulliensis , D. passiflorae , and D. perseae were isolated from C. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests revealed that, with wound inoculation, only D. hongkongensis was pathogenic on tea leaves. This investigation delivers the first assessment of Diaporthe taxa related to leaf spots on tea in Taiwan.

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical profile of the essential oils (EOs) of three Moroccan lavender species (Lavandula pedunculata, LP; Lavandula angustifolia, LA; and Lavandula maroccana, LM) and to investigate, for the first time, the synergistic effect of the optimal mixture of the EOs with conventional antibiotic ciprofloxacin against three pathogenic foodborne bacteria. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis showed that eucalyptol (39·05%), camphor (24·21%) and borneol (8·29%) were the dominant compounds of LA-EO. LP-EO was characterized by the abundance of camphor (74·51%) and fenchone (27·06%), whereas carvacrol (42·08%), camphor (17·95%) and fenchone (12·05%) were the main constituents of LM-EO. EOs alone or combined showed a remarkable antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 3·53 to 15·96 mg ml -1 . The optimal mixture, calculated using a mixture design, corresponded to 19% LA, 38% LP and 43% LM. All combination of the EOs and the best EO mixture with ciprofloxacin exhibited a total synergism with fractional inhibitory concentration index values ranging from 0·27 to 0·37. The best EO mixture showed the highest gain of 128-fold, especially against Salmonella spp., more than that found testing the EOs separately. These findings should be taken into consideration for a possible application in the pharmaceutical and food industries., (© 2021 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Organic pollutants present in waste water have undesirable effect on the environment. Industry activities are the key sources of organic pollutants. Prime pollutants released from various sources react instantly with the environment and become derived (secondary) pollutants, which stay for an elongated time. The present research work has been carried out using biosorbent prepared from various Zea mays wastes for elimination of oxybenzene. Different parameters viz contact time, initial concentration; adsorbent dose, temperature and pH were optimized for the biosorption of oxybenzene on to the biosorbent samples. BCS (Baby corn silk) showed higher percentage of biosorption at optimum contact time of 3 h, pH between 5 and 6 and temperature at 25 °C. Analysis of equilibrium biosorption data in terms of several isotherm models revealed that Langmuir isotherm and Freundlich isotherm indicates better agreement with the experimental data. The kinetics of oxybenzene biosorption on to the biosorbents was described with the pseudo-first-order model. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that biosorption onto biosorbent was feasible in nature, spontaneous, and endothermic for some biosorbents, but on contrary not feasible, exothermic and non spontaneous for other biosorbents. The result of this study showed that the biosorbent derived from Zea mays can be used as a prospective biosorbent for oxybenzene in wastewater and also can be an alternative for the commercially activated carbon., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Candida albicans , an opportunistic fungal pathogen, frequently colonizes immune-compromised patients and causes mild to severe systemic reactions. Only few antifungal drugs are currently in use for therapeutic treatment. However, evolution of a drug-resistant C. albicans fungal pathogen is of major concern in the treatment of patients, hence the clinical need for novel drug design and development. In this study, in vitro screening of novel putative pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline derivatives as the lead drug targets and in silico prediction of the binding potential of these lead molecules against C. albicans pathogenic proteins, such as secreted aspartic protease 3 (SAP3; 2H6T), surface protein β-glucanase (3N9K) and sterol 14-alpha demethylase (5TZ1), were carried out by molecular docking analyses. Further, biological activity-based QSAR and theoretical pharmacokinetic analysis were analyzed. Here, in vitro screening of novel analogue derivatives as drug targets against C. albicans showed inhibitory potential in the concentration of 0.4 µg for BQ-06, 07 and 08, 0.8 µg for BQ-01, 03, and 05, 1.6 µg for BQ-04 and 12.5 µg for BQ-02 in comparison to the standard antifungal drug fluconazole in the concentration of 30 µg. Further, in silico analysis of BQ-01, 03, 05 and 07 analogues docked on chimeric 2H6T, 3N9K and 5TZ1 revealed that these analogues show potential binding affinity, which is different from the therapeutic antifungal drug fluconazole. In addition, these molecules possess good drug-like properties based on the determination of conceptual Density Functional Theory (DFT)-based descriptors, QSAR and pharmacokinetics. Thus, the study offers significant insight into employing pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline analogues as novel antifungal agents against C. albicans that warrants further investigation.

Fungicides among agrochemicals are consistently used in high throughput agricultural practices to protect plants from damaging impact of phytopathogens and hence to optimize crop production. However, the negative impact of fungicides on composition and functions of soil microbiota, plants and via food chain, on human health is a matter of grave concern. Considering such agrochemical threats, the present study was undertaken to know that how fungicide-tolerant symbiotic bacterium, Mesorhizobium ciceri affects the Cicer arietinum crop while growing in kitazin (KITZ) stressed soils under greenhouse conditions. Both in vitro and soil systems, KITZ imparted deleterious impacts on C. arietinum as a function of dose. The three-time more of normal rate of KITZ dose detrimentally but maximally reduced the germination efficiency, vigor index, dry matter production, symbiotic features, leaf pigments and seed attributes of C. arietinum. KITZ-induced morphological alterations in root tips, oxidative damage and cell death in root cells of C. arietinum were visible under scanning electron microscope (SEM). M. ciceri tolerated up to 2400 µg mL -1 of KITZ, synthesized considerable amounts of bioactive molecules including indole-3-acetic-acid (IAA), 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, siderophores, exopolysaccharides (EPS), hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and solubilised inorganic phosphate even in fungicide-stressed media. Following application to soil, M. ciceri improved performance of C. arietinum and enhanced dry biomass production, yield, symbiosis and leaf pigments even in a fungicide-polluted environment. At 96 µg KITZ kg -1 soil, M. ciceri maximally and significantly (p ≤ 0.05) augmented the length of plants by 41%, total dry matter by 18%, carotenoid content by 9%, LHb content by 21%, root N by 9%, shoot P by 11% and pod yield by 15% over control plants. Additionally, the nodule bacterium M. ciceri efficiently colonized the plant rhizosphere/rhizoplane and considerably decreased the levels of stressor molecules (proline and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant defence enzymes viz. ascorbate peroxidise (APX), guaiacol peroxidise (GPX), catalase (CAT) and peroxidises (POD) of C. arietinum plants when inoculated in soil. The symbiotic strain effectively colonized the plant rhizosphere/rhizoplane. Conclusively, the ability to endure higher fungicide concentrations, capacity to secrete plant growth modulators even under fungicide pressure, and inherent features to lower the level of proline and plant defence enzymes makes this M. ciceri as a superb choice for augmenting the safe production of C. arietinum even under fungicide-contaminated soils.

The marine bacterium able to consume DDT as the nutrient source was isolated from sea water which was identified as Paracoccus sp. DDT-21 based on 16 S rDNA gene sequence and Gram negative rod, obligate aerobic, non-motile biochemical characteristics. The isolate can degrade over 80% of the DDT, at a concentration of 50 mg/L in MSM in 72 h. Time and pollutant (DDT) dependent growth studies indicated that the isolate Paracoccus sp., DDT-21 significantly degrade the DDT and tolerates under DDT stress up to 50 mg/L. The DDT degradation capability of the strain Paracoccus sp. DDT-21 was found to be 5 ˃ 10 ˃ 15 ˃ 25 ˃ 50 mg/L DDT. The high concentrations (75 and 100 mg/L) of DDT showed significant decrease in DDT degradation. The optimal DDT degradation (∼90.0%) was observed at 6 g/L of yeast extract, 6% of glucose in pH 7.0 at 35 °C with 72 h of incubation as constant. Furthermore, four metabolites were observed by GC-MS analysis such as, DDE, DDD, DDMU, and DDA. The obtained results indicate that the isolate Paracoccus sp. DDT-21 is a promising candidate for the removal and/or detoxification of DDT in the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they don’t have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nanoworld is an attractive sphere with the potential to explore novel nanomaterials with valuable applications in medicinal science. Herein, we report an efficient and ecofriendly approach for the synthesis of Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) via a solution combustion method using Areca catechu leaf extract. As-prepared NiO NPs were characterized using various analytical tools such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). XRD analysis illustrates that synthesized NiO NPs are hexagonal structured crystallites with an average size of 5.46 nm and a hexagonal-shaped morphology with slight agglomeration. The morphology, size, and shape of the obtained material was further confirmed using SEM and TEM analysis. In addition, as-prepared NiO NPs have shown potential antidiabetic and anticancer properties. Our results suggest that the inhibition of α-amylase enzyme with IC 50 value 268.13 µg/mL may be one of the feasible ways through which the NiO NPs exert their hypoglycemic effect. Furthermore, cytotoxic activity performed using NiO NPs exhibited against human lung cancer cell line (A549) proved that the prepared NiO NPs have significant anticancer activity with 93.349 μg/mL at 50% inhibition concentration. The biological assay results revealed that NiO NPs exhibited significant cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cell line (A549) in a dose-dependent manner from 0-100 μg/mL, showing considerable cell viability. Further, the systematic approach deliberates the NiO NPs as a function of phenolic extracts of A. catechu with vast potential for many biological and biomedical applications.

The present study describes the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles, using the fungus Penicillium verrucosum . The silver nanoparticles were synthesised by reacting silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) with the cell free filtrates of the fungal culture, and were then characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive, and X-ray diffraction analysis to further evaluate their successful biosynthesis, optical and morphological features (size and shape), and crystallinity. The bioactivity of the synthesized nanoparticles against two phytopathogenic fungi i.e: Fusarium chlamydosporum and Aspergillus flavus was evaluated using nanomaterial seeding media. These biogenic silver nanoparticles were polydisperse in nature, with a size of 10-12 nm. With regard to the antifungal activity, 150 ppm of the nanoparticles suppressed the growth of F. chlamydosporum and A. flavus by about 50%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the use of P. verrucosum to synthesise silver nanoparticles. The present study demonstrates a novel, simple, and eco-friendly process for the generation of biofunctionally useful biogenic nanoparticles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Existing coronavirus named as a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has speeded its spread across the globe immediately after emergence in China, Wuhan region, at the end of the year 2019. Different techniques, including genome sequencing, structural feature classification by electron microscopy, and chest imaging using computed tomography, are primarily used to diagnose and screen SARS-CoV-2 suspected individuals. Determination of the viral structure, surface proteins, and genome sequence has provided a design blueprint for the diagnostic investigations of novel SARS-CoV-2 virus and rapidly emerging diagnostic technologies, vaccine trials, and cell-entry-inhibiting drugs. Here, we describe recent understandings on the spike glycoprotein (S protein), receptor-binding domain (RBD), and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and their receptor complex. This report also aims to review recently established diagnostic technologies and developments in surveillance measures for SARS-CoV-2 as well as the characteristics and performance of emerging techniques. Smartphone apps for contact tracing can help nations to conduct surveillance measures before a vaccine and effective medicines become available. We also describe promising point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies that are under consideration by researchers for advancement beyond the proof-of-concept stage. Developing novel diagnostic techniques needs to be facilitated to establish automatic systems, without any personal involvement or arrangement to curb an existing SARS-CoV-2 epidemic crisis, and could also be appropriate for avoiding the emergence of a future epidemic crisis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Green synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted enormous attention for their clinical and non-clinical applications. A natural polyphenol, gallo-tannin (GT) was used to reduce and cap the Fe 2 O 3 -NPs. GT-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs were synthesized following co-precipitation of FeCl 3 and FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O with GT. Fe 2 O 3 -NPs absorbed light at 380 nm. Physicochemically, Fe 2 O 3 -NPs were spherical with slight aggregation and average diameter of 12.85 nm. X-ray diffraction confirmed crystallinity and EDX revealed the elemental percentage of iron and oxygen as 21.7% and 42.11%, respectively. FT-IR data confirmed the adsorption of gallo-tannin functional groups. Multiple drug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (ESβL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ESβL), and Staphylococcus aureus were found susceptible to 500-1000 μg GT-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs per ml. In synergy, Fe 2 O 3 -NPs enhanced the efficiency of some antibiotics. GT-Fe 2 O 3 NPs showed significant ( P ≤ 0.05) inhibition of growth and biofilm against MDR E. coli , P. aeruginosa , and S. aureus causing morphological and biofilm destruction. Violacein production (quorum sensing mediated) by C. violaceum was inhibited by GT-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs in a concentration-dependent manner with a maximum decrease of 3.1-fold. A decrease of 11-fold and 2.32-fold in fungal mycelial growth and human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell viability, respectively was evident. This study suggests a plausible role of gallo-tannin capped Fe 2 O 3 -NPs as an alternative antibacterial, antiquorum sensing, antibiofilm, antifungal, and anti-proliferative agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of financial or personal interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The present work describes a facile and convenient procedure for synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles using luteolin isolated from Eclipta alba plant (L-ZnONPs) at room temperature. The formation of as-grown L-ZnONPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The Wurtzite structure of ZnO was observed by its hexagonal phases in diffraction patterns. The SEM images revealed the different sizes and morphologies of L-ZnONPs, with diameters between 12 and 25 nm. The HR-TEM result showed that the inter-planar distance between two lattice fringes was 0.262 nm, which coincides with the d-spacing of (002) and (101) lattice planes of the as-obtained material. The anticancer activity of L-ZnONPs against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was greater as compared to that of luteolin or ZnO alone. The mechanistic evaluation of such an activity carried out using in silico methods suggested that the anti-breast cancer activity of L-ZnONPs was mediated by polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) proteins.

In this investigation, an alternate green-route based on myco-synthesised silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was evaluated to control plant disease to reduce the usage of synthetic chemicals. Here, we described biologically synthesised Ag NPs using the corn grain contaminant, Nigrospora oryzae , and were well-characterised by UV-visible spectrophotometer, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and particle size analyzer. The pathogenic behaviour of the Fusarium spp. were checked on Giza 86 and Giza 90 cultivars under greenhouse conditions. F. moniliforme and F. oxysporum exhibited high pathogenecity against Giza 90 and Giza 86 cultivars respectively. The antifungal activity of biosynthesised Ag NPs was evaluated against eight species of Fusaria causing damping-off of cotton seedlings. In vitro treatments with different concentrations of Ag NPs were achieved on Czapek Dox agar and Potato dextrose agar plates. Fungal growth was drastically retarded from 25 to 200 ppm of Ag NPs interaction. The antifungal activity of Ag NPs against the Fusarium spp. was clearly proven., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Vincamine, a well-known plant alkaloid, has been used as a dietary supplement and as a peripheral vasodilator to combat aging in humans. In this study, for the very first time, we demonstrated that vincamine can function as an anticancer agent in a human alveolar basal epithelial cell line A549 (IC 50  = 309.7 μM). The anticancer potential of vincamine in A549 cells was assessed by molecular assays to determine cell viability, generation of intracellular ROS, nuclear condensation, caspase-3 activity and inhibition, and change in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). In silico studies predicted that the anti-proliferative potential of vincamine is enhanced by its interaction with the apoptotic protein caspase-3, and that this interaction is driven by two hydrogen bonds and has a high free energy of binding (-5.64 kcal/mol) with an estimated association constant (K a ) of 73.67 μM. We found that vincamine stimulated caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, which ultimately led to cytochrome C release. Vincamine was also found to quench hydroxyl free radicals and deplete iron ions in cancer cells. As a dietary supplement, vincamine is almost non-toxic in BEAS-2B and 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, we propose that vincamine represents a safe anticancer agent in lung cancer cells. Its role in other cancers has yet to be explored., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Entomopathogenic fungi are ubiquitous in tropical rainforests and feature a high level of diversity. This group of fungi not only has important ecological value but also medicinal value. Nevertheless, they are often ignored, and many unknown species have yet to be discovered and described. The present study aims to contribute to the taxonomical and phylogenetic understanding of the genus Paraisaria by describing three new species collected from Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces in China and Krabi Province in Thailand. The three novel species named Paraisaria alba, P. arcta , and P. rosea share similar morphologies as those in the genus Paraisaria , containing solitary, simple, fleshy stroma, completely immersed perithecia and cylindrical asci with thickened caps and filiform ascospores that often disarticulate at maturity. Phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU, TEF1-α, RPB1, RPB2, and ITS sequence data confirm their placement in the genus Paraisaria. In this study, the three entomopathogenic taxa are comprehensively described with color photographs and phylogenetic analyses. A synopsis table and a key to all treated species of Paraisaria are also included., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wei, Wanasinghe, Xu, To-anun, Mortimer, Hyde, Elgorban, Madawala, Suwannarach, Karunarathna, Tibpromma and Lumyong.)

The development of nanotechnology for hazardous heavy metal detection with nanoparticles (NPs) created an interest for the preparation of MnS/Ag nanocomposite. Here, MnS/Ag-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanocomposite was developed for the detection of mercury. The prepared composite was analyzed using particle size analyzer, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, zetasizer, high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The λ max of MnS/Ag-PVP nanocomposite was observed at 404 nm. The particle size was determined to be 21 ± 1.7 nm and the surface charge was -31.19 ± 3 mV. The brownish yellow colour of the nanocomposite changed into colourless when Hg 2+ was added. The different metal ions present with the analyte did not show any interference on detection of Hg 2+ . The MnS/Ag-PVP nanocomposite incorporated paper and gel exhibited visual detection of Hg 2+ from aqueous sample. There was an excellent linearity (y = -0.0015x + 0.8744) found in plot of 20 to 100 nM Hg 2+ concentrations versus absorbance at 404 nm and the LOD was calculated to be 16 nM. The probe was applied to quantify Hg 2+ from spiked environmental sample and the results were further confirmed with atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. Hence, the investigation suggests that the present probe could efficiently detect and quantify Hg 2+ at nano molar level. In addition, the study suggests that MnS/Ag-PVP nanocomposite exhibit multifunctional property including efficient photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This is the first report of thraustochytrids from Saudi Arabia. A total of 108 isolates of thraustochytrid were cultured from Syhat mangroves, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. Isolated thraustochytrids belonged to five genera: Aplanochytrium , Aurantiochytrium , Schizochytrium , Thraustochytrium and Ulkenia . Cultured thraustochytrids isolated from decaying leaves of Avicennia marina (77 isolates), sediment (15), seawater (10) and decaying thalli of Sargassum (6). Of the 108 isolates, three strains (SY25, SY38 and SY52) were selected based on their high biomass productivity and high percentages of PUFAs. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rDNA placed the three strains within the Aurantiochytrium clade with high statistical support. Species of Aurantiochytrium formed six separate clades, the two strains (SY38 and SY52) formed a separate clade that is a sister clade to the one that contains the type species A . limacinum , while SY25 grouped with Aurantiochytrium sp. TA4, that is also isolated from mangroves in Iran, Arabian Gulf. The strains (SY38 and SY52) shared the phylogenetic placement, their morphology and fatty acid profile. The strain SY25 have different shape of sporangia that divide to give zoospores directly, sporogenous cells are surrounded by thick gelatinous sheath and produce high levels of Linoleic and Oleic essential unsaturated fatty acids. The three studied strain produced high levels of Palmitic acid (ranged between 31.1 and 65.3 % of total fatty acids) that can be further optimized for biofuel production., (© 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Mercury and its derivates cause distinct toxicity and it is detrimental to the ecosystem where the excessive concentration contributes towards the environmental pollutants. The current study reported a colorimetric method for the detection of Hg(II) ion with high specificity and selectivity using Ag-Ce nanocomposite (NC) functionalized by 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate. The synthesized Ag-Ce NC was characterized by using double beam UV-visible spectrophotometer, zeta sizer, EDS, TEM, FT-IR, XRD and particle size analyzer. The synthesized particle possessed an average particle size of 27 ± 1 nm and zeta potential of -39.32 ± 3 mV. The brownish yellow colored Ag-Ce NC changed to colorless in presence of Hg(II) where the colorimetric detection was extremely specific and superior towards Hg(II) ion on comparing the tests with other metal ions. An excellent linear correlation was observed between absorbance (395 nm) and Hg(II) concentrations (1 nM-10 μM) (R 2  = 0.988) with LOD of 0.03 nM. A cotton swab based probe was prepared for selective, elegant and low cost colorimetric method to detect Hg(II). The parametric study was performed for optimizing the suitable condition. The colorimetric probe developed by this study for Hg(II) detection using Ag-Ce NC shows excellent practical applicability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The main objective of this study was to identify the antifungal metabolites from Achromobacter kerstersii JKP9, a rhizosphere bacterium isolated from tomato cultivations, inhibiting the melanin biosynthetic pathways in vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol). To achieve this objective, all the rhizobacterial morphotypes were screened for plant-growth-promoting and antagonistic activities. Ethyl acetate extract of Achromobacter kerstersii JKP9 was purified in HPLC and predicted for antifungals in GC-MS equipped with Wiley library. After identification, molecular docking of useful ligands with modeled Short-chain Dehydrogenase/ Reductase (SDR) of Fol (Locus: FOXG&#95;00472). Results were indicated that the potential strain Achromobacter kerstersii JKP9 exclusively secreted five pyrrole analogs notable for their antifungal role with no extracellular antifungal enzyme production as seen in other rhizobacterial isolates. In silico docking studies identified, Pyrrolo[1, 2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro- as effective for SDR in Fol. From these results, we conclude that bacterial pyrroles can be used as an effective fungicide to control Fusarium wilt in tomatoes. In the future, these pyrrole derivatives can directly be employed as eco-friendly fungicides or may be used as antifungal supplements in agrochemical products for the sustainable production of tomatoes.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that reaches to the water bodies mainly by coal burning, mining and petrol refining. The study was focused to investigate the application of Ag-cellulose nanocomposite to detect and quantify mercury colorimetrically. The Ag-cellulose nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, particle size analyzer and zetasizer. The study identified that the presence of other metal ions did not interfere with the detection of Hg 2+ ion by the probe. The prepared Ag-cellulose nanocomposite-phenylalanine conjugate incorporated paper strip showed an excellent result in Hg 2+ detection. The Ag-cellulose nanocomposite was used to quantify the unknown concentration of mercury on real sample (environmental sample) and it was found to be highly accurate by confirming with atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. The Ag-cellulose nanocomposite showed effective detection at 45 °C, pH 9 and 0.1% of salinity. The Ag-cellulose nanocomposite showed efficient photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation. The half-life period of MB by Ag-cellulose nanocomposite under visible light was determined to be 90 min. The study suggests the application of prepared probe in photocatalysis and the detection of Hg 2+ from various environmental samples., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Excessive use of fungicides in agriculture may result in substantial accumulation of active residues in soil, which affect crop health and yield. We investigated the response of Raphanus sativus (white radish) to fungicides in soil and potential beneficial interactions of radish plants with fungicide-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The PGPR were isolated from cabbage and mustard rhizospheres. Morphological and biochemical characteristics measured using standard methods, together with analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that fungicide-tolerant PGPR, isolates PS3 and AZ2, were closely related to Pseudomonas spp. These PGPR survived in the presence of high fungicide concentrations i.e., up to 2400 μg mL -1 carbendazim (CBZM) and 3200 μg mL -1 hexaconazole (HEXA). Bacterial isolates produced plant growth stimulants even under fungicide stress, though fungicides induced surface morphological distortion and alteration in membrane permeability of these bacteria, which was proved by a set of microscopic observations. Fungicides considerably affected the germination efficiency, growth, and physiological development of R. sativus , but these effects were relieved when inoculated with PGPR isolates. For instance, CBZM at 1500 mg kg -1 decreased whole dry biomass by 71%, whole plant length by 54%, total chlorophyll by 50%, protein content by 61%, and carotenoid production by 29%. After applying isolate AZ2 for white radish grown in CBZM (10 mg kg -1 )-amended soil, it could improve plant growth and development with increased whole plant dry weight (10%), entire plant length (13%) and total chlorophyll content (18%). Similarly, isolate PS3 enhanced plant survival by relieving plant stress with declined biomarkers, i.e., proline (12%), malondialdehyde (3%), ascorbate peroxidase (6.5%), catalase (18%), and glutathione reductase (4%). Application of isolates AZ2 and PS3 could be effective for remediation of fungicide-contaminated soil and for improving the cultivation of radish plants while minimizing inputs of fungicides.

The efficacy of Allium sativum and Cannabis sativa against Rhipicephalus microplus ticks was evaluated using the adult immersion and the larval packet test. In addition, an in silico approach was utilized by performing a docking study in order to identify the active ingredients from both plants. Results showed a comparatively high lethal effect of A. sativum and C. sativa on egg laying (index of egg laying = 0.26 and 0.24, respectively), egg hatching (33.5 and 37.1, respectively), and total larval mortality (100%, both), at 40 mg/mL. When applied to cattle which had been inoculated with larvae ticks, it was observed that a 45% solution of both herbal extracts significantly reduced the number of ticks by 96 h post treatment. We analyzed in silico 27 known active molecules from both plants and identified in the PubChem database to explore the hypothesis that the effect found on ticks was based on inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Vitamin E and cannabidiol are the most potent AChE inhibitors with docking scores of -15.85 and -14.38, respectively. Based on these findings, we conclude that A. sativum and C. sativa may potentially be used for the control of R. microplus, and should be further investigated as a potential supplement to or replacement of synthetic acaricides.

Mango is one of the most popular and nutritious fruits in the world and Mexico is the world's largest exporter. There are many diseases that directly affect fruit yield and quality. During the period 2016-2017, leaves with grey leaf spots were collected from 28 commercial mango orchards distributed in two main production areas in Sinaloa State of Mexico, and 50 Neopestalotiopsis isolates were obtained. Fungal identification of 20 representative isolates was performed using morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA, part of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) and the β-tubulin (TUB) genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 20 isolates from this study formed four consistent groups, however, overall tree topologies do not consistently provide a stable and sufficient resolution. Therefore, even though morphological and phylogenetic separation is evident, these isolates were not assigned to any new taxa and were tentatively placed into four clades (clades A-D). Pathogenicity tests on detached mango leaves of cv. Kent showed that the 20 isolates that belong to the four Neopestalotiopsis clades from this study and induce lesions on mango leaves. This is the first report of species of Neopestalotiopsis causing mango grey leaf spot disease in Mexico.

Rhizobacteria are known to ameliorate salinity stress through a wide variety of mechanisms including the production of aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD). Application of ACCD positive halophilic rhizobacteria ameliorate soil salinity along with its plant growth promotion activity. An effect of the inoculation of ACCD and antioxidant positive and halophilic Enterobacter sp. PR14 was reported on the seed germination and growth of rice and millet seedlings grown in saline and alkaline soil was evaluated. The rhizobacterial strain grew well over a high level of NaCl (15-90 M); at a wide range of pH (5-9); and produced a wide variety of plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits viz. indole-acetic acid (13 µg mL -1 ), ACCD (5.20 M mg -1  h -1 ), phosphate solubilization (0.99 g mL -1 ) and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (5.143 IU mg -1 protein), catalase (0.43 IU mg -1 protein) and glutathione (19.077 µg mg -1 protein) during log phase (30 h) of its growth. The stress with alkaline pH (9) and high salinity (90 M) caused a further increase in the synthesis of PGP traits, ACCD, and antioxidant enzymes. The combined application of Enterobacter sp. PR14, ammonium sulfate (as a substitute of ACC), and NaCl (30 M) resulted in a further increase in the seed germination and vigor in rice and millets vis-à-vis control and other treatments. After 15 days of growth, 61.72% more seed germination in rice and millet and 63.15% increase in sorghum was recorded over the control, and after 30 days of growth, 99.67%, 30%, and 54%, root length 50%, 30% and 54% shoot length in rice, sorghum and millet were observed respectively. A significant increase of 38.13%, 30.75%, and 16.36% in dry weight of rice, sorghum, and millet shoots was recorded respectively. Enterobacter sp PR 14, showing multiple plant growth-promoting traits has a great potential to be used as an efficient bioinoculant for growth promotion of rice and millets under alkaline and saline conditions., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interestAll the authors declare no conflict of interest., (© Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society 2020.)

Present work elucidates the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Woodwardia unigemmata (Makino) Nakai along with chemical characterization using its aqueous (AEW), methanol (MEW), and hexane (HEW) extracts. Chemical profile of different extracts was illustrated by using Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Antioxidant activities were tested using DPPH and FRAP assays, total phenolic and flavonoid content by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride method, respectively. Further, antibacterial activity against six plant and four animal pathogenic bacteria was analyzed by employing the disc diffusion assay. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of catechol (21.96%), glycerol (20.22%), n-pentadecanoic acid (6.95%), glyceryl monoacetate (6.35 %), ethyl acetimidate (5.39 %) and 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydromaltol (5.36%) in AEW; β-sitosterol (17.39%), pentadecanoic acid (9.81%), vitamin E (7.82%) and glycerol (7.05%) in MEW; γ-sitosterol (33.45%), vitamin E (10.04%) and campesterol (7.32%) in HEW as major constituents. Maximum phenolics (873 ± 6.01 mgGAE/g dry extract) as well as flavonoids (151 ± 11.44 mgQE/g dry extract) content was found in MEW, which also showed remarkable antioxidant potential (IC 50 6.07 ± 1.4 µg/ml for DPPH and 768 ± 10.4 mg AAE/g dry extract for FRAP assay. In antibacterial activity, maximum inhibition (15 ± 0.9 mm) was observed for HEW against R. solanacearum , followed by AEW against A. tumefaciens and X. phaseoli (11 ± 0.3 mm each). MEW was found positive only against A. tumefaciens . Significant minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value observed for AEW against L. monocytogenes (10 mg/ml). Polar extracts had remarkable antioxidant potential, while non-polar extract did show significant antibacterial activity. Further, GC- MS reports indicated that this traditionally useful fern species can be an excellent source of biologically active compounds., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Herein we report the synthesis and structural elucidation of two novel imine-based ligands, 2-(1,10-phenanthrolin-5-yl)imino)methyl)-5-bromophenol (PIB) and N -(1,10-phenanthrolin-5-yl)-1-(thiophen-3-yl)methanimine (PTM) ligands. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay of the synthesized molecules was carried out against breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer cell lines as well as immortalized human keratinocytes. The observations indicated that both the molecules possesses dose-dependent selective cytotoxicity of cancer cells with no detrimental effect on the normal cell lines. Furthermore, the detailed computational analysis of newly synthetized ligands (PIB and PTM) has been conducted in order to identify their most important parts from the perspective of local reactivity. The IC 50 values of PIB treatment on MCF-7, HeLa, HCT-116 and PC-3 were 15.10, 16.25, 17.88, 17.55 and 23.86 micromoles, respectively. Meanwhile, the IC 50 values of PTM on MCF-7, HeLa, HCT-116, PC-3 and HaCat were observed to be 14.82, 15.03, 17.88, 17.28 and 21.22 micromoles, respectively. For computational analysis, we have employed the combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and MD simulations. DFT calculations provided us with information about structure and reactivity descriptors based on the electron distribution. Surfaces of molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and averaged local ionization energy (ALIE) indicated the sites within studied molecules that are most reactive. These results indicated the importance of nitrogen atoms and OH group. Additionally, the values of bond dissociation for hydrogen abstraction showed that both molecules, especially the PTM, are stable toward the influence of autoxidation mechanism. On the other side, MD simulations gave us an insight how ligands interact with water molecules. Namely, the radial distribution functions (RDF) indicated that the hydrogen atom of the OH group in the case of the PIB has the most pronounced interactions with water.

Although laccase has been recognized as a wonder molecule and green enzyme, the use of low yielding fungal strains, poor production, purification, and low enzyme kinetics have hampered its large-scale application. Thus,this study aims to select high yielding fungal strains and optimize the production, purification, and kinetics of laccase of Aspergillus sp. HB&#95;RZ4. The results obtained indicated that Aspergillus sp. HB&#95;RZ4 produced a significantly large amount of laccase under meso-acidophilic shaking conditions in a medium containing glucose and yeast extract. A 25 μM CuSO4 was observed to enhance the enzyme yield. The enzyme was best purified on a Sephadex G-100 column. The purified enzyme resembled laccase of A. flavus. The kinetics of the purified enzyme revealed high substrate specificity and good velocity of reaction,using ABTS as a substrate. The enzyme was observed to be stable over various pH values and temperatures. The peptide structure of the purified enzyme was found to resemble laccase of A. kawachii IFO 4308. The fungus was observed to decolorize various dyes independent of the requirement of a laccase mediator system.Aspergillus sp. HB&#95;RZ4 was observed to be a potent natural producer of laccase, and it decolorized the dyes even in the absence of a laccase mediator system. Thus, it can be used for bioremediation of effluent that contains non-textile dyes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Recent trend in the nanotechnology made an interest to make nano based system to detect the environmental pollutant including heavy metals, pesticides and antibiotics. Mercury is toxic heavy metals which causes hazardous effect to human and environmental organisms. They usually reach to the environment by mining, petrol refining and coal burning, which can change to its ionic forms according to the environmental condition. The present study was concentrated on the effective detection of Hg (II) ion from environmental sample colorimetrically by developing Ag NPs - tryptophan nanoconjugate functionalized with 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMPM). The characterization of prepared particles was performed by UV-visible spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), particle size analyzer and zeta sizer. The size of prepared NPs was 9 ± 1.10 nm and it possess the surface charge of -37.41 ± 4 mV. Upon the interaction of Ag NPs - tryptophan nanoconjugate and Hg (II) ion, the colour of the conjugate disappeared. The effect of environmental factors (Temperature, pH and saline concentration) on Hg (II) ion detection was also investigated. The probe indicated that Ag NPs - tryptophan nanoconjugate functionalized with TMPM was found to be an efficient tool for mercury detection from various environmental water samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seed-borne fungus Penicillium duclauxii was examined in this study to investigate its capability of synthesizing silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). In vitro experiments were conducted using corn-grain contaminating fungal isolate. Ag-NPs detection and characterization were assayed by the aid of spectroscopic techniques. Spectroscopy (energy dispersive), X-ray diffraction, transmission electron-microscope and optical absorption dimensions were employed. Ag-NPs with biosynthesized were used to test invitro against Bipolaris sorghicola ; the cause of target leaf spot disease on sorghum plants. The myco-synthesis of Ag NPs using Penicillium duclauxii was proved in this study. Moreover, Bipolaris sorghicola was successfully inhibited by such Ag NPs in vitro ., Competing Interests: The authors declared that there is no Conflict of Interest., (© 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Glucose isomerase (GI), an enzyme with deserved high potential in the world market. GI plays a major role in high Fructose Corn Syrup Production (HFCS). HFCS is used as a sweetener in food and pharmaceutical industries. Streptomyces are well-known producers of various industrially valuable enzymes, including Glucose isomerase. Currently, recombinant strains have been available for the production of various enzymes, but it has limitation in the large scale production. Therefore, identifying effective streptomyces strains have emerged. The current study, the novel S. lividans RSU26 was isolated from a marine source and optimized its potential to produce glucose isomerase at different physical and chemical conditions. The optimum pH and temperature for GI and biomass production were 7.5 and 35 °C, respectively at 96 h. Characterization study revealed that the approximate molar mass of GI was 43 kDa for monomeric and 170 kDa for tetrameric forms. Kinetic behavior exhibits Km , and Vmax values for the conversion of fructose to glucose conversion were 48.8 mM and 2.54 U mg -1 at 50 °C and glucose to fructose were 29.4 mM and 2.38 U mg -1 at 65 °C protein, respectively. Therefore, the present study suggested that the wild-type S. lividans RSU26 has strong potential to produce glucose isomerase for various industrial applications., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Nitroaromatic and nitroamine compounds such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) are teratogenic, cytotoxic, and may cause cellular mutations in humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Microbial-based bioremediation technologies have been shown to offer several advantages against the cellular toxicity of nitro-organic compounds. Thus, the current study was designed to evaluate the ability of Trichoderma viride to degrade nitrogenous explosives, such as TNT, by microbiological assay and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. In this study, T. viride fungus was shown to have the ability to decompose, and TNT explosives were used at doses of 50 and 100 ppm on the respective growth media as a nitrogenous source needed for normal growth. The GC/MS analysis confirmed the biodegradable efficiency of TNT, whereas the initial retention peak of the TNT compounds disappeared, and another two peaks appeared at the retention times of 9.31 and 13.14 min. Mass spectrum analysis identified 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde with the molecular formula C 6 H 6 O 3 and a molecular weight of 126 g·mol -1 as the major compound, and 4-propyl benzaldehyde with a formula of C 10 H 12 O and a molecular weight of 148 g mol -1 as the minor compound, both resulting from the biodegradation of TNT by T. viride . In conclusion, T. viride could be used in microbial-based bioremediation technologies as a biological agent to eradicate the toxicity of the TNT explosive. In addition, future molecular-based studies should be conducted to clearly identify the enzymes and the corresponding genes that give T. viride the ability to degrade and remediate TNT explosives. This could help in the eradication of soils contaminated with explosives or other toxic biohazards.

Here, we focus on the fabrications of an osteosarcoma implant for bone repair via the development of a hydroxyapatite/κ-carrageenan-maleic anhydride/casein with doxorubicin (HAP/κ-CA-MA-CAS/DOX) composite-deposited titanium (Ti) plate. The HAP/κ-CA-MA-CAS/DOX material was coated on the Ti plate through the EPD method (electrophoretic deposition), applying direct current (DC) signals to deposit the composite on the surface of the Ti plate. The physicochemical and morphological possessions and biocompatibility in vitro of the prepared nanocomposite were examined to assess its prospective effectiveness for purposes of bone regeneration. Excellent biocompatibility and elevated osteoconductivity were confirmed using MG63 osteoblast-like cells. In vivo studies were performed at tibia sites in Wistar rats, and rapid bone regeneration was detected at four weeks in defective bone. Overall, the studies demonstrate that the HAP/κ-CA-MA-CAS/DOX composite enhances the biocompatible and cell-stimulating biointerface of Ti metallic implants. As such, HAP/κ-CA-MA-CAS/DOX implants are viable prospects for osteosarcoma-affected bone regeneration.

Development of potential sensors is inevitable for the detection of environmental pollutants including toxins, organic pollutants and heavy metal which cause hazardous effect to human and other living organisms. The present study is to develop silver nanoparticle (Ag NPs) based sensor for the accurate, sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of Hg 2+ ions from aqueous samples at nano molar level. The nanoparticles were synthesized chemically and it was stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The prepared particles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle analysiser and Zetasizer. The UV-visible spectra of Ag NPs showed absorbance maximum at 392 nm. The average diameter of Ag NPs was determined to be 6 ± 0.9 nm by using particle analyzer. The zeta sizer analysis showed that the PVP stabilized Ag NPs possessed a zeta potential of -35.56 ± 3 mV. The Ag NPs-methionine conjugate showed the colour change from the brownish yellow colour to colourless when it was reacted with mercury. The Ag NPs conjugated methionine is sensitive to mercury and detects the mercury at nano molar level. The influence of other metal ion did not interfere with the detection and quantification of Hg 2+ . The detection of Hg 2+ was also performed with paper strip and agarose gel method. The Ag NPs conjugate with methionine can applied for the detection of Hg 2+ from various aqueous samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financialinterestsor personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The application of nanotechnology in medicine is gaining popularity due to its ability to increase the bioavailability and biosorption of numerous drugs. Chrysin, a flavone constituent of Orocylumineicum vent is well-reported for its biological properties. However, its therapeutic potential has not been fully exploited due to its poor solubility and bioavailability. In the present study, chrysin was encapsulated into chitosan nanoparticles using TPP as a linker. The nanoparticles were characterized and investigated for their anti-biofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus . At sub-Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, the nanoparticles exhibited enhanced anti-biofilm efficacy against S. aureus as compared to its bulk counterparts, chrysin and chitosan. The decrease in the cell surface hydrophobicity and exopolysaccharide production indicated the inhibitory effect of the nanoparticles on the initial stages of biofilm development. The growth curve analysis revealed that at a sub-MIC, the nanoparticles did not exert a bactericidal effect against S. aureus . The findings indicated the anti-biofilm activity of the chrysin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and their potential application in combating infections associated with S. aureus ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The present study aimed to explore the anticancer potentials of the gold nanoparticles (NPs) obtained by green synthesis method using an endophytic strain Fusarium solani ATLOY - 8 has been isolated from the plant Chonemorpha fragrans. The formation of the NPs was analyzed by UV, FTIR, SEM and XRD. The synthesized NPs showed pink-ruby red colors and high peak plasmon band was observed between 510 and 560 nm. It is observed that intensity of absorption steadily increases the wavelength and band stabilizes at 551 nm. The XRD pattern revealed the angles at 19, 38.32, 46.16, 57.50, and 76.81° respectively. Interestingly, the FTIR band absorption noted at 1413 cm -1 , 1041 cm -1 and 690 cm -1 ascribed the presence of amine II bands of protein, C-N and C-H stretching vibrations of the nanoparticles. SEM analysis indicated that the average diameter of the synthesized nanoparticles was between 40 and 45 nm. These NPs showed cytotoxicity on cervical cancer cells (He La) and against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and the NPs exhibited dose dependent cytotoxic effect. IC50 value was 0.8 ± 0.5 μg/mL on MCF-7 cell line and was found to be 1.3 ± 0.5 μg/mL on MCF-7 cell lines. The synthesized NPs induced apoptosis on these cancer cell lines. The accumulation of apoptotic cells decreased in sub G0 and G1 phase of cell cycle in the MCF-7 cancer cells were found to be 55.13%, 52.11% and 51.10% after 12 h exposure to different concentrations. The results altogether provide an apparent and versatile biomedical application for safer chemotherapeutic agent with little systemic toxicity., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Background: The low cost of aminoglycoside (AMG) antibiotics facilitates their excessive use in animal husbandry and the agriculture sector. This scenario has led to the occurrence of residues in the food chain. After several years of AMG use in antibacterial therapy, resistance to streptomycin has begun to appear. Most of the detection methods developed for AMG antibiotics lacks specificity. A broad target specific nanoprobe would be ideal for detecting the entire class of AMGs. A rapid and sensitive method for the detection of AMGs is urgently needed., Results: Gallic acid-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were demonstrated as a nanoprobe for the colorimetric detection of AMGs (yellow to orange / red). A linear dynamic range of 50-650 pmol L -1 was achieved readily by ratiometric spectrophotometry (A 560 /A 400 ) with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 36 pmol L -1 . The amine-groups of the AMGs function as molecular linkers, so that electrostatic coupling interactions between neighboring particles drive the formation of AgNP aggregates. The assay can also be applied for the determination of streptomycin residues in serum and milk samples., Conclusion: This study revealed the potential of an AgNP probe for the rapid and cost-effective detection of low-molecular-weight target analytes, such as the AMGs. A ligand-induced aggregation of AgNPs coated with gallic acid was reported to be a rapid and sensitive assay for AMGs. Analysis of streptomycin was demonstrated with excellent picomolar-level sensitivity. Thus, the validated method can find practical applications in the ultrasensitive detection of AMGs in complex and diagnostic settings. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Fraxinus rhynchophylla belongs to the family of Oleaceae and also called as Chinese ash wood possesses various pharmacological properties such as neuroprotective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, etc. Therefore we synthesized ZnO nanoparticles using Fraxinus rhynchophylla wood extract as reducing and capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with the aid of UV-Spec, DLS, FT-IR and TEM analysis. Green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were then assessed for anti-nociceptive property by using various nociception models such as thermal stress-induced, acetic acid, glutamate, capsaicin, and formalin-induced nociception. The sedative effect of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated with an open field test. UV-Spectroscopic analysis confirms the formation of ZnO nanoparticles and the characterization studies DLS, FT-IR, and TEM analysis prove it has ideal nanoparticle can be used as a nano-drug. Results of both thermal stress-induced methods hot plate and tail immersion nociception test verified the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles are a potent antinociceptive drug. ZnO nanoparticles effectively reduced the abdominal writhes in acetic acid-induced nociception and it also significantly decreased the nociception activity in another glutamate, capsaicin, and formalin-induced nociception models. Open field experiment proved that synthesized ZnO nanoparticles are less sedative compared to the standard antinociceptive drug morphine. Overall our findings authentically confirm ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from Fraxinus rhynchophylla wood extract is a novel drug that persuasively reduces nociception in different nociceptive induced mice models and can be the best alternative for allopathic drugs which renders severe side effects., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Blindness and vision impairment are caused by irremediable retinal degeneration in affected individuals worldwide. Cell therapy for a retinal replacement can potentially rescue their vision, specifically for those who lost the light sensing photoreceptors in the eye. As such, well-characterized retinal cells are required for the replacement purposes. Stem cell-based therapy in photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium transplantation is well received, however, the drawbacks of retinal transplantation is the limited clinical protocols development, insufficient number of transplanted cells for recovery, the selection of potential stem cell sources that can be differentiated into the target cells, and the ability of cells to migrate to the host tissue. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) belong to a subset of mesenchymal stem cells, and are recently being studied due to its high capability of differentiating into cells of the neuronal lineage. In this review, we look into the potential uses of DPSC in treating retinal degeneration, and also the current data supporting its application., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Management of degenerative spine pathologies frequently leads to the need for bone growth. Rehmanniae Radix (RR), a Chinese herbal formulation was found to exhibit numerous therapeutic properties including its potent effect against cancer cell lines. However, the underlying mechanism through which the Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) synthesized from Rehmanniae Radix exerts its anti-cancer activity against osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 needs to be explored. Therefore, the study was performed to evaluate the anticancer, cytotoxicity and apoptotic effectiveness of ZnONPs from RR against MG-63 cells. Characterization studies such UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, TEM and XRD analysis were performed. Cytotoxicity assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), morphological examination of cells and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis inducing ability of RR were evaluated by various procedures. Western blot analysis of apoptotic markers such as Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were also performed. RR was found to inhibit growth of MG-63 cells at increasing dose. AO/EB staining confirmed the apoptotic efficacy of ZnONPs induced by RR in MG-63 cells. ZnONPs was also found to initiate increased generation of ROS and decreased MMP. Decreased MMP has resulted in increased levels of apoptotic proteins Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 and induction of apoptosis was substantiated by western blot analysis. The outcomes of the work propose that ZnONPs from RR exhibits strong anticancer action and inducing apoptosis on MG-63 cells via stimulating increased generation of ROS. Thus, ZnONPs from RR might be used as a hopeful drug target against several types of cancer cell lines., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study is to evaluate the potential of endophytic fungi of Salvadora persica for the production of bioactive compounds against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Forty-two fungal isolates were obtained from 135 young and old stem and 125 root segments. Those 42 isolates representing ten fungi include: Trichoderma sp. (the most common), two species of Alternaria , Rhizopus arrhizus and 6 sterile mycelia. The ten fungi were grown in liquid culture and their crude extracts were tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Nine crude extracts gave positive reactions against pathogenic bacteria of which Alternaria sp. (A8) was chosen further study. The fungal isolate was growing as sterile mycelium and was identified by phylogenetic analyses based on LSU rDNA sequence data and it might represent undescribed species of Alternaria . Sixty-two bioactive chemical compounds were identified from the ethyl acetate crude extracts of Alternaria sp., of which the following were recorded as major compounds in the active sub-fractions. These compounds showed strong antibacterial activity in combination.

In this study, monodispersed, highly biocompatible and substantially stable glucose encapsulated CdO nanoparticles (G-CdO NPs) of uniform sizes were synthesized using a sol-gel route. In addition, naked CdO (n-CdO) NPs without any capping or surface functionalization were synthesized using the same method. These NPs were uniformly dispersed in an aqueous solution. The synthesis of G-CdO and n-CdO NP was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering analyses. The average size of G-CdO and n-CdO NP was found to be 17±1and 27 ± 1 nm, under TEM, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis of G-CdO and n-CdO NPs confirmed their sizes to be 18.83 and 28.41 nm, respectively, and revealed their cubic crystal structures with no impurity. The surface functionalization of G-CdO NPs with glucose was confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. As per our knowledge, this is the first report to investigate the potencies of G-CdO and n-CdO NPs against gram-negative and gram-positive multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of G-CdO and n-CdO NPs were6.42 and 16.29 μg/ml, respectively, against Escherichia coli (NCIM 2571-MDR), whereas 7.5 μg/ml & 11.6 μg/ml, respectively against S. aureus (NCIM- 2079) as determined by the double dilution method. The minimum bactericidal concentration was determined at the concentration for which no growth was observed. TEM analysis of E. coli cells treated with G-CdO NPs revealed cell shrinkage and degraded cell membranes, while the cell surfaces of untreated viable cells were smooth., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microorganisms based biosynthesis of nanomaterials has triggered significant attention, due to their great potential as vast source of the production of biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs). Such biosynthesized functional nanomaterials can be used for various biomedical applications. The present study investigates the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using the fungus Curvularia pallescens ( C. pallescens ) which is isolated from cereals. The C. pallescens cell filtrate was used for the reduction of AgNO 3 to Ag NPs. To the best of our knowledge C. pallescens is utilized first time for the preparation of Ag NPs. Several alkaloids and proteins present in the phytopathogenic fungus C. pallescens were mainly responsible for the formation of highly crystalline Ag NPs. The as-synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM micrographs have revealed that spherical shaped Ag NPs with polydisperse in size were obtained. These results have clearly suggested that the biomolecules secreted by C. pallescens are mainly responsible for the formation and stabilization of nanoparticles. Furthermore, the antifungal activity of the as-prepared Ag NPs was tested against Cladosporium fulvum , which is the major cause of a serious plant disease, known as tomato leaf mold. The synthesized Ag NPs displayed excellent fungicidal activity against the tested fungal pathogen. The extreme zone of reduction occurred at 50 μL, whereas, an increase in the reduction activity is observed with increasing the concentration of Ag NPs. These encouraging results can be further exploited by employing the as synthesized Ag NPs against various pathogenic fungi in order to ascertain their spectrum of fungicidal activity.