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Introduction. Depressions are among the civilization diseases of the 21st century and are disorders in the human psyche. It comes in various age groups and affects children, adolescents, women, men and the elderly. In Poland, over 1.5 million people struggle with depression, and at present, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the incidence has increased to over 3 million. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the factors influencing the occurrence of depression. Material and Methods. The study included 200 people — nurses from treatment and conservative departments. The prevalence of depressive disorders was assessed using the Depression Measurement Questionnaire, which consists of 75 statements — terms referring to the approach to life and everyday life. A self-questionnaire containing questions about the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents was used as a research tool. The obtained results were analysed statistically. Results. In the case of men, the indicator reached a statistically higher value, i.e. 242.2 points, which means the average level, while for women it amounted to 238.1 points, which means a low level. A low level of the NREAP index was shown by the group of respondents aged 20–30, while a high level was observed among the group of respondents aged 41–50. Nurses with lower education — certified ones showed a low level of the DMQ index, while nurses with higher education with a master’s degree obtained a higher level of the DMQ index. According to the statistical analysis, the low level of the KRP indicator was shown by people working briefly in the profession from 1 to 5 years. People who worked in the profession from 11 to 20 years had a high level of DMQ. Nurses working in the conservative ward showed a low level of the DMQ index, while the index of nurses in the surgical wards remained at the average levels. Conclusions. Sociodemographic factors had a significant impact on the occurrence of depressive disorders in the studied group. The study also confirmed a large influence of professional factors on the occurrence of depression among nurses. The statistical analysis showed a significant relationship between the gender, age of the respondents and the depression measurement index — DMQ. (JNNN 2021;10(3):126–132)

A synthesis of 1,4-imino-ᴅ-lyxitols and their N-arylalkyl derivatives altered at C-5 is reported. Their inhibitory activity and selectivity toward four GH38 α-mannosidases (two Golgi types: GMIIb from Drosophila melanogaster and AMAN-2 from Caenorhabditis elegans, and two lysosomal types: LManII from Drosophila melanogaster and JBMan from Canavalia ensiformis) were investigated. 6-Deoxy-DIM was found to be the most potent inhibitor of AMAN-2 (Ki = 0.19 μM), whose amino acid sequence and 3D structure of the active site are almost identical to the human α-mannosidase II (GMII). Although 6-deoxy-DIM was 3.5 times more potent toward AMAN-2 than DIM, their selectivity profiles were almost the same. N-Arylalkylation of 6-deoxy-DIM resulted only in a partial improvement as the selectivity was enhanced at the expense of potency. Structural and physicochemical properties of the corresponding inhibitor:enzyme complexes were analyzed by molecular modeling.

Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), the most serious bacterial disease affecting developing honeybee larvae and pupas. In this study, a library of 24 (thio)glycosides, glycosyl sulfones, 6-O-esters, and ethers derived from d-mannose, d-glucose, and d-galactose having C10 or C12 alkyl chain were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy against two P. larvae strains. The efficacy of the tested compounds determined as minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varied greatly. Generally, dodecyl derivatives were found to be more potent than their decylated analogs. Thioglycosides were more efficient than glycosides and sulfones. The activity of the 6-O-ether derivatives was higher than that of their ester counterparts. Seven derivatives with dodecyl chain linked (thio)glycosidically or etherically at C-6 showed high efficacy against both P. larvae strains (MICs ranged from 12.5 μM to 50 μM). Their efficacies were similar or much higher than those of selected reference compounds known to be active against P. larvae—lauric acid, monolaurin, and honeybee larval food components, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, and sebacic acid (MICs ranged from 25 μM to 6400 μM). The high efficacies of these seven derivatives suggest that they could increase the anti-P. larvae activity of larval food and improve the resistance of larvae to AFB disease through their application to honeybee colonies.

A synthetic approach to 1,4-imino-L-lyxitols with various modifications at the C-5 position is reported. These imino-L-lyxitol cores were used for the preparation of a series of N-(4-halobenzyl)polyhydroxypyrrolidines. An impact of the C-5 modification on the inhibition and selectivity against GH38 α-mannosidases from Drosophila melanogaster, the Golgi (GMIIb) and lysosomal (LManII) mannosidases and commercial jack bean α-mannosidase from Canavalia ensiformis was evaluated. The modification at C-5 affected their inhibitory activity against the target GMIIb enzyme. In contrast, no inhibition effect of the pyrrolidines against LManII was observed. The modification of the imino-L-lyxitol core is therefore a suitable motif for the design of inhibitors with desired selectivity against the target GMIIb enzyme.

Several bioactive natural p-hydroxyphenylalkyl β-D-glucopyranosides, such as vanillyl β-D-glucopyranoside, salidroside and isoconiferin, and their glycosyl analogues were prepared by a simple reaction sequence. The highly efficient synthetic approach was achieved by utilizing acetylated glycosyl bromides as well as aromatic moieties and mild glycosylation promoters. The aglycones, p-O-acetylated arylalkyl alcohols, were prepared by the reduction of the corresponding acetylated aldehydes or acids. Various stereoselective 1,2-trans-O-glycosylation methods were studied, including the DDQ–iodine or ZnO–ZnCl2 catalyst combination. Among them, ZnO–iodine has been identified as a new glycosylation promoter and successfully applied to the stereoselective glycoside synthesis. The final products were obtained by conventional Zemplén deacetylation.