Forensic Discrimination Potential of Blue, Black, Green, and Red Colored Fountain Pen Inks Commercially Used in Pakistan, by UV/Visible Spectroscopy, Thin Layer Chromatography, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Examination and comparison of fountain pen inks are very important in forensic questioned documents examination in developing countries where the chances of fraud are greater in cases of cheques, marriage papers, entry of birth and death, etc. In this study, fountain pen inks of blue, black, green, and red colours that are commercially used in Pakistan have been discriminated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TLC, and FTIR spectroscopy. We have calculated and compared the results in terms of discriminating power. UV/Visible Spectroscopy of fountain pen inks of different brands showed different composition despite their similar colours. TLC was effectively used to differentiate between the colored components of inks. FTIR results showed that each brand could be distinguished by studying the pattern of their absorption spectra that appeared due to the presence of different functional groups. On the basis of combined results of UV-VIS, TLC, and FTIR, the DP was found from 0.73-0.8 for blue, 0.80-1.0 for black, 0.5-1.0 for green, and 1.0 for red colored fountain pen inks. Overall, this study demonstrated the elevated worth of analysis of fountain pen inks commercially used in Pakistan as the study for fountain pen inks, while not very common, remains an interesting target study

In Silico and In Vivo Evaluation of Synthesized SCP-2 Inhibiting Compounds on Life Table Parameters of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)

For environment-friendly, safe and nonpersistent chemical control of a significant polyphagous insect pest, Helicoverpa armigera, discovery of growth-regulating xenobiotics can offer a sustainable alternative to conventional insecticides. For this purpose, chemically synthesized compounds to inhibit sterol carrier protein (SCP-2) function using in silico and in vivo assays were evaluated to estimate their impact on the survivals and lifetable indices of H. armigera. From nine chemically synthesized compounds, OA-02, OA-06 and OA-09 were selected for this study based on binding poses mimicking cholesterol, a natural substrate of sterol carrier protein and molecular dynamics simulations. In vivo bioassays revealed that all compounds significantly reduced the larval and pupal weight accumulations and stadia lengths. Subsequently, the pupal periods were prolonged upon treatment with higher doses of the selected compounds. Moreover, OA-09 significantly reduced pupation and adult emergence rates as well as the fertility of female moths; however, fecundity remained unaffected, in general. The life table parameters of H. armigera were significantly reduced when treated with OA-09 at higher doses. The population treated with 450 μM of OA-09 had the least net reproductive rates (Ro) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) compared to the control population. The same compound resulted in a declining survival during the early stages of development coupled with reduced larval and pupal durations, and fertility. These results have a significant implication for developing an effective and sustainable chemical treatment against H. armigera infestation