Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences最新文献

{"title":"Diverse bioactive secondary metabolites from <i>Aspergillus terreus</i>: antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity studies.","authors":"Abdelaaty Hamed, Ahmed S Abdel-Razek, Ahmed B Abdelwahab, Ahmed El Taweel, Mohamed GabAllah, Norbert Sewald, Mohamed Shaaban","doi":"10.1515/znc-2024-0083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2024-0083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Owing to its high interest as prolific source of diverse bioactive compounds referred in our previous research work, we have scaled-up the fermentation of the marine <i>Aspergillus terreus</i> LGO13 on a liquid culture medium to isolate and identify the very minor/further promising bioactive secondary metabolites and to study their antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antiviral properties. Twenty-three known bioactive metabolites, including the recently discovered microbial natural product <i>N</i>-benzoyl-tryptophan (<b>1</b>), were obtained herein. Their structures were determined using HR-ESI-MS 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy and data from the literature. The biological properties of the microbial extract and the resulting compounds were examined using a set of microorganisms, cervix carcinoma KB-3-1, nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), respectively. Molecular docking (MD) simulations were used to investigate the potential targets of the separated metabolites as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. According to the current study, a viral protein that may be the target of anticovid drugs is a papain-like protease (PLpro), and chaetominine (<b>2</b>) appears to be a viable choice against this protein. We evaluated the antiviral efficacy of chaetominine (<b>2</b>), fumitremorgin C (<b>6</b>), and azaspirofuran A (<b>9</b>) against SARS-CoV-2 based on MD data. Chaetominine (<b>2</b>) and azaspirofuran A (<b>9</b>) displayed intermediate selectivity indices (SI = 6.6 and 3.2, respectively), while fumitremorgin C (<b>6</b>) displayed a high selectivity index (SI = 19.77). These findings show that fumitremorgin C has promising antiviral action against SARS-CoV-2.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141447432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel benzene sulfonamide-piperazine hybrid compounds: design, synthesis, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition activities and docking, ADME profiling studies.","authors":"Kerem Buran, Yiğit İnan, Abdullahi Ibrahim Uba, Gökhan Zengin","doi":"10.1515/znc-2024-0062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2024-0062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Benzene sulfonamides are an important biological substituent for several activities. In this study, hybridization of benzene sulfonamide with piperazine derivatives were investigated for their antioxidant capacity and enzyme inhibitory potencies. Six molecules were synthesized and characterized. DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, chelating and phosphomolybdemum assays were applied to evaluate antioxidant capacities. Results show that compounds have high antioxidant capacity and compound <b>4</b> has the best antioxidant activity among them. Compound <b>4</b> has higher antioxidant activity than references for FRAP (IC₅₀: 0.08 mM), CUPRAC (IC₅₀: 0.21 mM) and phosphomolybdenum (IC₅₀: 0.22 mM) assays. Besides this, compound <b>4</b> has moderate DPPH and ABTS antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, enzyme inhibition activities of these molecules were investigated against AChE, BChE, tyrosinase, <i>α</i>-amylase and <i>α</i>-glucosidase enzymes. It was revealed that all compounds have good enzyme inhibitory potential except for <i>α</i>-amylase enzyme. The best inhibitory activities were observed for AChE with compound <b>5</b> the same value (IC₅₀: 1.003 mM), for BChE with compounds <b>2</b> and <b>5</b> the same value (IC₅₀: 1.008 mM), for tyrosinase compound <b>4</b> (IC₅₀: 1.19 mM), and for <i>α</i>-glucosidase with compound <b>3</b> (IC₅₀: 1.000 mM). Docking studies have been conducted with these molecules, and the results correlate well with the inhibitory assays.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141441025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the MDCK cell permeability of greenly synthesize bimetallic Ag/Zn Nanoparticles using leaf extract of <i>Vallaris solanacea</i> as a potential antipesticide-resistant agent.","authors":"Muhammad Naveed, Arooj Azeem, Tariq Aziz, Khushbakht Javed, Imran Ali, Ayaz Ali Khan, Abdullah F Alasmari, Thamer H Albekairi","doi":"10.1515/znc-2024-0065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2024-0065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bimetallic nanoparticles, particularly Ag/Zn bimetallic nanoparticles, have gained increasing attention due to their unique properties, making them suitable for a variety of applications such as catalysis, water treatment, and environmental remediation. This study aimed to elucidate the use of bimetallic nanoparticles of Ag/Zn as an alternative to resistant pesticides for pest control. Furthermore, this research demonstrates that BNPs can target specific pollutants and degrade them through various mechanisms. BNP docking with the <i>Nilaparvata lugens</i> cytochrome P450 (CYP6ER1) protein exhibited the lowest binding energy of -7.5 kcal/mol. The cell permeability analysis of BNP in plant cells reveals that the BNP has 0 % permeability towards any cell at -10 kcal/mol energy, which is the lowest free energy translocation pathway. The harmful leftover residues of the pesticides have a higher chance of degradability in case of interaction with BNP validated by chemical-chemical interaction analysis. Additionally, MDCK permeability coefficient of small molecules based on the regression model was calculated for BNP which authenticated the efficiency of BNP. Moreover, Swiss ADMET simulated absorption using a boiled egg model with no blood-brain barrier and gastrointestinal crossing for the expected BNP molecule has been observed. Significantly, the findings indicate that employing bimetallic nanoparticles like Ag/Zn is a crucial strategy for bioremediation because they proficiently decompose pesticides while posing no risk to humans. Our results will facilitate the design of novel BNPs materials for environmental remediation and pest control ensuring human health safety that are predicated on bimetallic nanoparticles.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141428013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Chitin structures and pathways as targets for biopesticides and drugs.","authors":"Klaus H Hoffmann","doi":"10.1515/znc-2024-2001","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2024-2001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141421598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing microbial fuel cell performance through microbial immobilization.","authors":"Yana Mersinkova, Hyusein Yemendzhiev","doi":"10.1515/znc-2023-0175","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2023-0175","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bio-electrochemical Systems (BES), particularly Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC), have emerged as promising technologies in environmental biotechnology. This study focused on optimizing the anode bacterial culture immobilization process to enhance BES performance. The investigation combines and modifies two key immobilization methods: covalent bonding with glutaraldehyde and inclusion in a chitosan gel in order to meet the criteria and requirements of the bio-anodes in MFC. The performance of MFCs with immobilized and suspended cultures was compared in parallel experiments. Both types showed similar substrate utilization dynamics with slight advantage of the immobilized bio-anode considering the lower concentration of biomass. The immobilized MFC exhibited higher power generation and metabolic activity, as well. Probably, this is due to improved anodic respiration and higher coulombic efficiency of the reactor. Analysis of organic acids content supported this conclusion showing significant inhibition of the fermentation products production in the MFC reactor with immobilized anode culture.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141312112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Controlled delivery of nikkomycin by PEG coated PLGA nanoparticles inhibits chitin synthase to prevent growth of <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> and <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>.","authors":"Kamal Mayattu, Vandana Ghormade","doi":"10.1515/znc-2023-0185","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2023-0185","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aspergillosis is one of the most common fungal infections that can threaten individuals with immune compromised condition. Due to the increasing resistance of pathogens to the existing antifungal drugs, it is difficult to tackle such disease conditions. Whereas, nikkomycin is an emerging safe and effective antifungal drug which causes fungal cell wall disruption by inhibiting chitin synthase. Hence, the study aims at the development of nikkomycin loaded PEG coated PLGA nanoparticles for its increased antifungal efficiency and inhibiting <i>Aspergillus</i> infections. The P-PLGA-Nik NPs were synthesized by w/o/w double emulsification method which resulted in a particle size of 208.3 ± 15 nm with a drug loading of 52.97 %. The NPs showed first order diffusion-controlled drug release which was sustained for 24 h. These nanoparticle's antifungal efficacy was tested using the CLSI - M61 guidelines and the MIC₅₀ defined against <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> and <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> was found to be >32 μg/ml which was similar to the nikkomycin MIC. The hyphal tip bursting showed the fungal cell wall disruption. The non-cytotoxic and non-haemolytic nature highlights the drug safety profile.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141263308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of silver-doped copper oxide and chitosan nanocomposites for enhanced antimicrobial activities.","authors":"Yasir Anwar, Hisham Faiz Jaha, Mazhar Ul-Islam, Tahseen Kamal, Sher Bahadar Khan, Ihsan Ullah, Saleh M Al-Maaqar, Sameer Ahmed","doi":"10.1515/znc-2023-0166","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2023-0166","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a significant and pressing public health concern, posing serious challenges to effectively preventing and treating persistent diseases. Despite various efforts made in recent years to address this problem, the global trends of AMR continue to escalate without any indication of decline. As AMR is well-known for antibiotics, developing new materials such as metal containing compounds with different mechanisms of action is crucial to effectively address this challenge. Copper, silver, and chitosan in various forms have demonstrated significant biological activities and hold promise for applications in medicine and biotechnology. Exploring the biological properties of these nanoparticles is essential for innovative therapeutic approaches in treating bacterial and fungal infections, cancer, and other diseases. To this end, the present study aimed to synthesize silver@copper oxide (Ag@CuO) nanoparticles and its chitosan nanocomposite (Chi-Ag@CuO) to investigate their antimicrobial efficacy. Various established spectroscopic and microscopic methods were employed for characterization purposes, encompassing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Subsequently, the antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles was assessed through MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration), MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration), and well-disk diffusion assays against <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, and <i>Candida albicans</i>. The size of the CuO-NPs, Ag@CuO, and Chi-Ag@CuO NPs was found to be 70-120 nm with a spherical shape and an almost uniform distribution. The nanocomposites were found to possess a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5 μg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 250 μg/mL. Moreover, these nanocomposites generated varying clear inhibition zones, with diameters ranging from a minimum of 9 ± 0.5 mm to a maximum of 25 ± 0.5 mm. Consequently, it is evident that the amalgamation of copper-silver-chitosan nanoparticles has exhibited noteworthy antimicrobial properties in the controlled laboratory environment, surpassing the performance of other types of nanoparticles.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141184645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring chitin: novel pathways and structures as promising targets for biopesticides.","authors":"Malkiet Kaur, Manju Nagpal, Gitika Arora Dhingra, Ankit Rathee","doi":"10.1515/znc-2024-0027","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2024-0027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chitin, the most prevalent polymer in nature, a significant structural polysaccharide that comes in second only to cellulose. Chitin is a crucial component of fungal cell walls and also present in many other creatures, such as viruses, plants, animals, insect exoskeletons, and crustacean shells. Chitin presents itself as a promising target for the development of biopesticides. It focuses on unraveling the unique structures and biochemical pathways associated with chitin, aiming to identify vulnerabilities that can be strategically leveraged for effective and environmentally sustainable pest control. It involves a comprehensive analysis of chitinase enzymes, chitin biosynthesis, and chitin-related processes across diverse organisms. By elucidating the molecular intricacies involved in chitin metabolism, this review seeks to unveil potential points of intervention that can disrupt essential biological processes in target pests without harming non-target species. This holistic approach to understanding chitin-related pathways aims to inform the design and optimization of biopesticides with enhanced specificity and reduced ecological impact. The outcomes of this study hold great promise for advancing innovative and eco-friendly pest management strategies. By targeting chitin structures and pathways, biopesticides developed based on these findings may offer a sustainable and selective alternative to conventional chemical pesticides, contributing to the ongoing efforts towards more environmentally conscious and effective pest control solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140960572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the potential of chitosan-coated lipid nanoparticles in drug delivery for management of critical illness: a review.","authors":"Ushasi Das, Devesh U Kapoor, Sudarshan Singh, Bhupendra G Prajapati","doi":"10.1515/znc-2023-0181","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2023-0181","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chitosan (CT), a natural, cationic, chemically stable molecule, biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic, polysaccharide derived from the deacetylation of chitin, has very uniquely surfaced as a material of promise for drug delivery and biomedical applications. For the oral, ocular, cutaneous, pulmonary, and nose-to-brain routes, CT-coated nanoparticles (CTCNPs) have numerous advantages, consisting of improved controlled drug release, physicochemical stability, improved cell and tissue interactions, and increased bioavailability and efficacy of the active ingredient. CTCNPs have a broad range of therapeutic properties including anticancer, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties, treating neurological disorders, and other diseases. This has led to substantial research into the many potential uses of CT as a drug delivery vehicle. CT has also been employed in a wide range of biomedical processes, including bone and cartilage tissue regeneration, ocular tissue regeneration, periodontal tissue regeneration, heart tissue regeneration, and wound healing. Additionally, CT has been used in cosmeceutical, bioimaging, immunization, and gene transfer applications. CT exhibits a number of biological activities, which are the basis for its remarkable potential for use as a drug delivery vehicle, and these activities are covered in detail in this article. The alterations applied to CT to obtain the necessary properties have been described.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140900095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>In silico</i> studies on the anti-acne potential of <i>Garcinia mangostana</i> xanthones and benzophenones.","authors":"Natalia Blicharska, Ziyad Ben Ahmed, Simon Jackson, Dino Rotondo, Veronique Seidel","doi":"10.1515/znc-2023-0118","DOIUrl":"10.1515/znc-2023-0118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Garcinia mangostana</i> fruits are used traditionally for inflammatory skin conditions, including acne. In this study, an <i>in silico</i> approach was employed to predict the interactions of <i>G. mangostana</i> xanthones and benzophenones with three proteins involved in the pathogenicity of acne, namely the human JNK1, <i>Cutibacterium acnes</i> KAS III and exo-β-1,4-mannosidase. Molecular docking analysis was performed using Autodock Vina. The highest docking scores and size-independent ligand efficiency values towards JNK1, <i>C. acnes</i> KAS III and exo-β-1,4-mannosidase were obtained for garcinoxanthone T, gentisein/2,4,6,3',5'-pentahydroxybenzophenone and mangostanaxanthone VI, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the potential of xanthones and benzophenones to interact with <i>C. acnes</i> KAS III. Molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS indicated that the JNK1-garcinoxanthone T complex had the highest stability of all ligand-protein complexes, with a high number of hydrogen bonds predicted to form between this ligand and its target. Petra/Osiris/Molinspiration (POM) analysis was also conducted to determine pharmacophore sites and predict the molecular properties of ligands influencing ADMET. All ligands, except for mangostanaxanthone VI, showed good membrane permeability. Garcinoxanthone T, gentisein and 2,4,6,3',5'-pentahydroxybenzophenone were identified as the most promising compounds to explore further, including in experimental studies, for their anti-acne potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":49344,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung Section C-A Journal of Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140319634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}