Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 towards Alcohols: Potential for Alcohol-Related Toxicity in Humans

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative organism that is highly contagious and has been responsible for more than 240 million cases and 5 million deaths worldwide. Using masks, soap-based hand washing, and maintaining social distancing are some of the common methods to prevent the spread of the virus. In the absence of any preventive medications, from the outset of pandemic, alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) have been one of the first-line measures to control transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 towards ABHS and understand their potential adverse effects on humans. Ethanol and isopropanol have been the most commonly used alcohols in ABHS (e.g., gel, solution, spray, wipes, or foam) with alcohol in the range of 70–85% v/v in World Health Organization or Food and Drug Administration-approved ABHS. The denaturation of proteins around the envelope of SARS-CoV-2 positive sense single-stranded RNA virus is the major mechanism of action of ABHS. Due to frequent use of high-percentage alcohol-containing ABHS over an extended period of time, the oral, dermal, or pulmonary absorption is a possibility. In addition to the systemic toxicity, topical adverse effects such as contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis are plausible and have been reported during COVID-19. ABHS appear to be effective in controlling the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 with the concern of oral, dermal, or pulmonary absorption

Asimafoetidnol: A New Sesquiterpenoid Coumarin From the Gum Resin of Ferula Assa-Foetida

Chemical investigation of the gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida L. resulted in the isolation of a new sesquiterpenoid coumarin, 7-(((E)-5-((1S,3S,6S)-3,6- dihydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl)-3-methylpent-2-en-1-yl)oxy) -2H-chromen-2-one (asimafoetidnol), together with several other known compounds. The structure of asimafoetidnol was established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. Geometry optimization of the compound has been carried out using a DFT/B3LYP/3-21G* method

Evaluation of single electron transfer reduction products of 3-oxoindoles as antibacterial agents

Objective: The objective of the present study is to assess the antibacterial properties of six indole derivatives viz, 3-(Naphth-1-y - methyl) –indole (II), 3-(1-Naphthylcarbonyl – indole (III), 3,3\u27 –diformyl-2,2\u27 –bis indole (IV), 1,4- (3,3\u27 –di indolyl) – 1,4-dioxobutane (V), 3-benzoyl indole (VI) and 1,1 – bis – (3-indolyl)- ethane (VII) synthesized by single electron transfer reduction of 3-formylindole (I) against two Gram +ve and two Gram –ve bacteria which usually cause human infections. Methods: Synthesis of 3-formyl indole from which the indole derivatives were prepared were further characterized by IR and NMR analysis. The six synthesized compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity by agar diffusion method and the activities were further confirmed by determining their MIC values by microdilution technique. Results: All of the compounds more or less showed activity against different bacterial species except compound IV which showed activity only against B. subtilis. Compound II exhibited the most potent activity with lower MIC values against two Gram –ve and one Gram +ve bacteria of which the Gram –ve ones are known to be responsible for nosocomial and community acquired infections. Conclusion: Compound II being the most potent active compound may serve as leads for further optimization most likely to contribute as a broad spectrum antibiotic

Leader RNA binding ability of chandipura virus P protein is regulated by its phosphorylation status: a possible role in genome transcription-replication switch

AbstractThe molecular events associated with the transcriptive and replicative cycle of negative-stranded RNA viruses are still an enigma. We took Chandipura virus, a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, as our model system to demonstrate that Phosphoprotein P, besides Nucleocapsid protein N, also acts as a leader RNA-binding protein in its unphosphorylated form, whereas CKII-mediated phosphorylation totally abrogates its RNA-binding ability. However, interaction between P protein and leader RNA can be distinguished from N-mediated encapsidation of viral sequences. Furthermore, P protein bound to leader chain can successively recruit N protein on RNA while itself being replaced. We also observed that the accumulation of phosphorylation null mutant of P protein in cells results in enhanced genome RNA replication with concurrent increase in the viral yield. All these results led us to propose a model explaining viral transcription-replication switch where Phosphoprotein P acts as a modulator of genome transcription and replication by its ability to bind to the nascent leader RNA in its unphosphorylated form, promoting read-through of the transcription termination signals and initiating nucleocapsid assembly on the nascent RNA chain

An Overview of the Genus Nardostachys

Nardostachys jatamansi, a medicinally important herb of Nepalese origin, has been used for centuries in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine. In combination with Marsilea minuta it is being used as an antistress and anticonvulsant drug and also finds use in the treatment of epilepsy. Recently, it has been reported that N. jatamansi, which plays an important role in protecting from cerebral ischemia and liver damage, is also used for the treatment of osteoporosis and hypercalcemia. The other member of the genus Nardostachys, N. chinensis, possesses antifungal and antimalarial properties. It is also used in the treatment of skin dysfunction. A short summary of the chemical constituents of the two species along with their physical and biological properties is reported

N-(4-Methylphenyl) Benzenepropanamide - the First Isolated Amide From the Genus Paederia

Investigation of the stem of Paederia foetida (Rubiaceae) resulted in the isolation and characterization of N-(4-methylphenyl)-benzopropanamide, which was hitherto unknown as a natural product This is the first report of an amide for the genus Paederia

Evaluation of the leaves of Ipomoea aquatica for its hypoglycemic and antioxidant activity

The present study was accomplished to explore the hypoglycemic and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of the leaves of I.aquatica. The animals used to test the antidiabetic activity were Swiss albino mice of 7-8 weeks, average weight 20-30 gm of both male and female sexes. Twenty four mice were randomly grouped into four where there were two drug groups, one control and one standard control group. Metformin was used as standard in the testing of hypoglycemic activity. Different doses as 200 mg/mg and 400 mg/kg body weight of extract were used during the course of study. Both of the doses showed potent hypoglycemic activity in comparison with the control (

Predicting Academic Success Based on Learning Material Usage

In this work, we explore students' usage of online learning material as a predictor of academic success. In the context of an introductory programming course, we recorded the amount of time that each element such as a text paragraph or an image was visible on the students' screen. Then, we applied machine learning methods to study to what extent material usage predicts course outcomes. Our results show that the time spent with each paragraph of the online learning material is a moderate predictor of student success even when corrected for student time-on-task, and that the information can be used to identify at-risk students. The predictive performance of the models is dependent on the quantity of data, and the predictions become more accurate as the course progresses. In a broader context, our results indicate that course material usage can be used to predict academic success, and that such data can be collected in-situ with minimal interference to the students' learning process.Peer reviewe

Performance Evaluation of 42 mm Diameter Stranded Ungalvanised Haulage Rope in a Mono-Cable Passenger Ropeway

Most common conventional method of rope condition evaluation is visual method i.e. watching the exterior strand and outer surface only. Core damage cannot be detected. To assess the rope condition, magnetic nondestructive method is the most suitable method. Periodic rope assessment is necessary to prevent rope failures and extension of rope life. Flaw detectors in the Magnetic Rope Tester detect LMA (loss in metallic area) and LF (localized faults) [1, 2]. This paper describes the performance of a haulage rope in two years