Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of rambutan (Nappecium lappaceum L.) and its industrial usage : A mini review

Rambutan, a famous tropical fruit, contains a high concentration of bioactive chemicals. Most of the components from this plant including leaves, pulp and seed have many uses and are thought to have medicinal properties.Bioactive components or phytochemicals (such as polyphenols, flavonoids, vital minerals, and vitamins) are found in most tropical fruits, as well as their bioactivity. Thus, this review study aims to give a general description of the phytochemical contents, medicinal qualities of rambutan trees and prospective industrial applications

Inhibitory effect of Sinapic acid derivatives targeting structural and non-structural proteins of dengue virus serotype 2 An in-silico assessment

DENV infects 50–100 million individuals, and 500,000 of them go on to acquire the more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever, which causes around 20,000 fatalities every year. Despite its widespread nature, there is no medication licenced to treat this condition. The purpose of this work is to identify anti-DENV medicines from sinapic acid (SA) derivatives utilising in-silico evaluation through docking and pharmacokinetics investigations. For the DENV-2 envelop protein, 1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl sinapate had a significant docking score of −7.7 kcal/mol, while sinapoyl malate had a docking score of −6.7 kcal/mol for the DENV-2 NS2B/NS3 protein. Additionally, according to the PASS server, 1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl sinapate and sinapoyl malate have a wide range of enzymatic activities since their probability active (Pa) values is > 0.700. These compounds exhibit a numerous pharmacological effect through activating the body's enzymes, according to analyses of their pharmacokinetic qualities. Accordingly, these substances showed acute toxicity rates at LD50 log10 (mmol/g) and LD50 (mg/g) concentrations when administered via various routes, including intraperitoneal, intravenous, oral, and subcutaneous. The result of this research suggests, 1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl sinapate and sinapoyl malate may function as possible inhibitors to halt the DENV, and more in-vitro and in-vivo research is required to validate their activity and other features

Characteristics, analysis, and potential applications of saponin as a biological surfactant from Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan) leaves: A mini review

Saponins are naturally occurring glucoside compounds found in various plant species, including the leaves of the rambutan tree. With their amphipathic structure, saponins possess a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails, making them capable of lowering surface tension and exhibiting solubilizing and emulsifying properties. As the demand for synthetic surfactants in diverse applications such as detergents, cosmetics, and industrial processes continues to rise, there is some interest in exploring alternative sources of surfactants. This mini review article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the saponins, including their characteristics, qualitative and quantitative determination, and chromatography analysis methods. Furthermore, exploring the potential applications of saponins as a biological surfactant derived from rambutan leaves, highlighting their unique properties and benefits over synthetic alternatives

Mefenamic acid inhibit transforming growth factor-beta type-1: Repurposing anti-inflammatory drugs in wound healing using in-silico approaches

Due to low cost and time-saving benefits, drug repurposing is a safe and successful method to discover drug. A druggable target for inflammation, transforming growth factor-beta type-1 (TGF-β 1) has been identified to be associated with wound healing. Finding the most effective TGF-β 1 inhibitor among FDA-approved anti-inflammatory medications was the goal of the current investigation. To find the best hits against TGF-β 1, we used structure-based virtual screening on medications that have received FDA approval. We discovered two FDA-approved medications with notable selectivity and affinity for the binding pocket of TGF-β 1. Mefenamic acid, one of these found hits, interacts with key TGF-β 1 residues and favourably attaches to the binding pocket, requiring further study. The kinetics of the binding between mefenamic acid and TGF-β 1 were revealed by all-atom precise molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Mefenamic acid, which may also be used as a possible lead chemical against TGF-β 1, may be a promising TGF-β 1 inhibitor

A mini-review on the insight into the effect of natural and Synthetic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-containing compounds on PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways to treat breast cancer

Breast cancer, which has been one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide for decades, continues to defy treatment. While researching a remedy to this problem, it was discovered that mTOR has a strong association with breast cancer. Uncontrolled activation of mTOR is shown in a variety of different cancer, making it a critical target for cancer treatment. Inhibition of the mTOR protein kinase can cause autophagic cell death. It is known that covalent inhibitors have become a prominent issue in drug discovery, with covalent inhibitors focusing on �; �-unsaturated carbonyl molecules. Structural modifications to �; �-unsaturated carbonyl may be one of the finest avenues for developing the best breast cancer medication. This review article discusses recent research on natural and synthetic �; �-unsaturated carbonyls and their anti-cancer properties targeting on mTOR, with SAR to showcase the efficacy of synthetic natural products compared to parental compounds using both biological assays and in silico studies

A Mini-Review on the Insight into the Effect of Natural and Synthetic α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl-Containing Compounds on PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathways to Treat Breast Cancer

Breast cancer, which has been one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide for decades, continues to defy treatment. While researching a remedy to this problem, it was discovered that mTOR has a strong association with breast cancer. Uncontrolled activation of mTOR is shown in a variety of different cancer, making it a critical target for cancer treatment. Inhibition of the mTOR protein kinase can cause autophagic cell death. It is known that covalent inhibitors have become a prominent issue in drug discovery, with covalent inhibitors focusing on α,β-unsaturated carbonyl molecules. Structural modifications to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl may be one of the finest avenues for developing the best breast cancer medication. This review article discusses recent research on natural and synthetic α,β-unsaturated carbonyls and their anti-cancer properties targeting on mTOR, with SAR to showcase the efficacy of synthetic natural products compared to parental compounds using both biological assays and in silico studies

Physicochemical properties and tenderness analysis of bovine meat using proteolytic enzymes extracted from pineapple (Ananas comosus) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) by-products

Present research investigation aimed to explore the pineapple and jackfruit by-products, the core and the seed, respectively, as a meat tenderizer. The effects of beef samples treated with bromelain and Artocarpus heterophyllus protease in four different concentrations (0, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%) and combination (4% bromelain and 4% A. heterophyllus protease) were studied. The physicochemical treated beef samples showed a 13.30 ± 0.30 decrease in the water holding capacity (WHC), pH 5.47 ± 0.03, moisture content 63.86 ± 0.16 and cooking yield 75.78 ± 0.16 with the increased addition of crude enzyme extract (p < .05). The cooking loss increased significantly with the concentration of extracted proteolytic enzymes (p < .05). Microstructural analysis of the treated beef samples demonstrated the degradation of muscle fibers and the generation of numerous gaps or space. The sensory evaluation analysis also revealed the acceptance of the treated beef sample compared to the untreated sample. The results showed that the bromelain and A. heterophyllus protease extract from by-products could be used as an effective natural meat tenderizer. The core and seed as (pineapple and jackfruit) waste by-product could effectively improve the tenderization of tough muscle in beef without disturbing quality parameters, significantly contributing to the agricultural processing industry

Diabetic wound healing of aloe vera major phytoconstituents through TGF-b1 suppression via in-silico docking, molecular dynamic simulation and pharmacokinetic studies

To restore the integrity of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the wound healing process involves a complex series of well-orchestrated biochemical and cellular events. Due to the existence of various active components, accessibility and few side effects, some plant extracts and their phytoconstituents are recognised as viable options for wound healing agents. To find possible inhibitors of diabetic wound healing, four main constituents of aloe vera were identified from the literature. TGF-b1 and the compounds were studied using molecular docking to see how they interacted with the active site of target protein (PDB ID: 6B8Y). The pharmacokinetics investigation of the aloe emodin with the highest dock score complied with all the Lipinski’s rule of five and pharmacokinetics criteria. Conformational change in the docked complex of Aloe emodin was investigated with the Amber simulation software, via a molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The MD simulations of aloe emodin bound to TGF-b1 showed the significant structural rotations and twists occurring from 0 to 200 ns. The estimate of the aloe emodin-TGF-b1 complex’s binding free energy has also been done using MM-PBSA/GBSA techniques. Additionally, aloe emodin has a wide range of enzymatic activities since their probability active (Pa) values is >0.700. ‘Aloe emodin’, an active extract of aloe vera, has been identified as the key chemical in the current investigation that can inhibit diabetic wound healing. Both in-vitro and in-vivo experiments will be used in a wet lab to confirm the current computational findings

Characterization of bacterial communities in prebiotics and probiotics treated shrimp farms from Kuantan

Aims: Prebiotics and probiotics profoundly enhance water quality and shrimp development to tackle infectious disease in shrimp farming. This study evaluated the impact of prebiotics and probiotics treatments in water by assessing the physicochemical properties and bacterial communities in local shrimp ponds. Methodology and results: Water was collected from shrimp pond 1 (SP1), treated with prebiotics and probiotics, and shrimp pond 2 (SP2), treated with only prebiotics. The physicochemical parameters of water from two shrimp ponds were measured, including pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia concentration and temperature. The total environmental DNA (eDNA) was extracted from the water samples and sequenced using amplicon sequencing targeting the full length of the 16S rRNA gene region via the Oxford Nanopore Technology Flongle. The water quality analysis indicated that SP1 had better water quality than SP2 for shrimp aquaculture. The dominant phyla in both shrimp ponds were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. SP1 samples had unique microbiota at the phylum level, including Bdellovibrionota, Firmicutes A, Patescibacteria and unclassified Rhizobiales, Saprospiraceae, Vulcanococcus and HIMB114 at the genus level. The alpha- and beta-diversity showed insignificant differences in microbiota composition between SP1 and SP2 (p-value>0.05). Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Research findings demonstrated that the probiotic-treated shrimp pond (SP1) had better water quality and more diverse microbial communities than the shrimp pond that was not treated with probiotics (SP2)

Insights from in silico exploration of major curcumin analogs targeting human dipeptidyl peptidase IV

The goal of this work is to use a variety of in-silico techniques to identify anti-diabetic agents against DPP-IV enzyme from five main curcumin analogues. To produce the successful molecules, five main curcumin analogues were docked into the active site of DPP-IV enzyme. In comparison to the control molecule (Saxagliptin, −6.9 kcal/mol), all the compounds have the highest binding affinity (-7.6 to −7.7 kcal/mol) for the DPP-IV enzyme. These compounds underwent further testing for studies on drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, and acute toxicity to see the efficacy and safety of compounds. To assess the stability of the docking complex and the binding posture identified during the docking experiment, our study got THC as the lead compound, which was then exposed to 200 ns of molecular dynamic simulation and PCA analysis. Additionally, DFT calculations were conducted to determine the thermodynamic, molecular orbital, and electrostatic potential characteristics of lead compound. Overall, the lead chemical has shown strong drug-like properties, is non-toxic, and has a sizable affinity for the DPP-IV enzyme