Electrochemical detection of sulfite in food samples

In various pharmaceutical and food industries, sulfite is utilized for the inhibition of nonenzymatic and enzymatic browning. Also, in brewing industries, it acts as an antioxidizing and antibacterial agent. Several toxic and adverse reactions, including vitamin deficiency, hypersensitivity, and allergic diseases, have been attributed to sulfite ingestion that may cause dysbiotic oral and gut microbiota events. Thus, the content of sulfite in foods must be controlled and monitored, and it is essential to find a specific, reproducible, and sensitive method to detect sulfite. Some analytical solutions are being tested to quantify sulfite. However, due to their advantage over traditional techniques, electroanalytical techniques are attracting much attention because they are simple, fast, affordable, and sensitive to implement. In addition, by the electrode modification, the morphology and size can be controlled, resulting in the miniaturization to be used in portable electrochemical devices. Therefore, the present review addressed some articles on the electrooxidation of sulfite from real samples using various electrochemical sensors

Phosphate ion removal from synthetic and real wastewater using MnFe2O4 nanoparticles: a reusable adsorbent

The purpose of this study was to eliminate phosphate (P) from wastewater using MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. BET, TGA/DTG, FTIR, SEM, TEM, VSM, XRD and EDX/Map analyses were used to determine the MnFe2O4 surface properties. The specific surface area of the adsorbent was 196.56 m2/g and VSM analysis showed that the adsorbent has a ferromagnetic property. The maximum P sorption efficiency using MnFe2O4 (98.52%) was achieved at pH 6, temperature of 55 °C, P concentration of 10 mg/L, time of 60 min, and sorbent dosage of 2.5 g/L, which is a significant value. Also, the thermodynamic study indicated that the P sorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, the utmost sorption capacity of P using MnFe2O4 was 39.48 mg/g. Besides, MnFe2O4 can be used for up to 6 reuse cycles with high sorption efficiency (>91%). Also, MnFe2O4 was able to remove phosphate, COD, and BOD5 from municipal wastewater with considerable removal efficiencies of 82.7%, 75.8%, and 77.3%, respectively.Campus Lima Centr

Synthesis of efficient cobalt–metal organic framework as reusable nanocatalyst in the synthesis of new 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives with antioxidant activity

Efficient cobalt–metal organic framework (Co-MOF) was prepared via a controllable microwave-assisted reverse micelle synthesis route. The products were characterized by SEM image, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, FTIR spectrum, and TG analysis. Results showed that the products have small particle size distribution, homogenous morphology, significant surface area, and high thermal stability. The physicochemical properties of the final products were remarkable compared with other MOF samples. The newly synthesized nanostructures were used as recyclable catalysts in the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives. After the confirmation of related structures, the antioxidant activity of derivatives based on the DPPH method was evaluated and the relationship between structures and antioxidant activity was observed. In addition to recyclability, the catalytic activity of Co-MOF studied in this research has remarkable effects on the synthesis of 1,4 dihydropyridine derivatives

Synthesis of Bioactive Yttrium-Metal–Organic Framework as Efficient Nanocatalyst in Synthesis of Novel Pyrazolopyranopyrimidine Derivatives and Evaluation of Anticancer Activity

Novel Yttrium-metal–organic framework (Y-MOF) was synthesized under optimal conditions of microwave with a power of 20 W, the temperature of 30 degrees of centigrade, and time duration of 10 min. The products were characterized by SEM (morphology and size distribution), TGA (thermal stability), BET technique (surface area), and FTIR (characterization of the related group). The Yttrium-metal–organic framework (Y-MOF) synthesized in this study, after identifying and confirming the structure, was used as an efficient and recyclable catalyst in the synthesis of new pyrazolopyranopyrimidine derivatives. Following the study of the properties and applications of Y-MOF, its anticancer properties on breast cancer cells based on the MTT method were evaluated, and significant results were observed. In addition, the anticancer properties of the pyrazolopyranopyrimidine derivatives were investigated

An investigation of the effect of smoking, alcohol, and drug use on male infertility

Background: Infertility in men has increased in recent years. Numerous physical, chemical, biological, and social factors are known to play a role in reducing semen quality, in between, there are high-risk behaviors that affect the quality of semen. In this paper, the effects of three factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, and drugs have been investigated. Methods: This case-control study was performed from June to September 2021 on 500 people, 250 people with normal semen quality and 250 people with defective semen quality. The data collection tool was a questionnaire made by researchers and semen test results. Finally, the collected data were analyzed by descriptive method with SPSS software. For quantitative variables, mean and standard deviation (SD) were used, while frequency and percentage reports were used for qualitative variables. Results: Drug use had a significant relationship with the shape and motility of sperm (B = -0.675, P = 0.005). The chance of natural semen decreases by 0.506 times with an increase of one drug use unit; moreover, the older the age of onset of drug use, the more the semen disorders (B = 0.514, P = 0.002).. Conclusion: Smoking and alcohol consumption were not identified as factors affecting semen quality, but there was a significant relationship between drug use and age of onset and semen disorders

Moderating role of compassion in the link between fear of Coronavirus disease and mental health among undergraduate students

"Background: The societal challenges presented by fear related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic may present unique challenges for an individual's mental health. However, the moderating role of compassion in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental health has not been well-studied. The present study aimed to explore the association between fear of COVID-19 and mental health, as well as test the buffering role of compassion in this relationship. Methods: The participants in this study were 325 Iranian undergraduate students (228 females), aged 18–25 years, who completed questionnaires posted on social networks via a web-based platform. Results: The results showed that fear of COVID-19 was positively related with physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The results also showed that compassion was negatively associated with physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The interaction-moderation analysis revealed that compassion moderated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and subscale of mental health. Conclusion: Results highlight the important role of compassion in diminishing the effect of fear of COVID-19 on the mental health (physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms) of undergraduate students.

Emerging trends and future opportunities for coumarin-heterocycle conjugates as antibacterial agents

Infectious diseases resulting from various strains of pathogenic bacteria are among the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide. The currently-available antibacterial medications developed from natural or synthetic sources are the cornerstone of bacterial infection intervention, but somehow the mounting spread and expansion of multidrug-resistant harmful bacteria has become a major concern for medical-providing communities and pharmaceutical-releasing companies. The pervasiveness of coumarin-based products in nature and the simplicity of their lab chemical synthesis, in addition to the ability of the coumarin backbone to communicate, may interact with the bacterial DNA gyrase at the B subunit and hinder DNA secondary structure by abolishing ATPase activity; thus, coumarin-based products and their conjugates may have the potential to act as antibacterial agents. It is conceivable that conjugation of the coumarin chemical nucleus with other heterocyclic-based antibacterial scaffolds may present opportunities for the creation of novel antibacterial drugs. This presentation may be based on the fact that several coumarin-heterocycle conjugates, including clorobiocin, coumermycin A1, and novobiocin, have already been used in medical methods for the treatment of various infectious bacterial diseases. This study explores, during the period of the last 5 years, the relationships between the structure and activity of coumarin-heterocycle conjugates with potential for antibacterial action. This investigation also explored the potential for developing these conjugates into antibacterial medicines

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of novel heterocycle, coumacine, and two of its derivatives

Heterocyclic nucleus plays a fundamental role in the medicinal chemistry and serves as a key template for the development of various therapeutic agents including broad spectrum antibacterial drugs. In an effort to develop new antibacterial agents, a bicyclic twelve-membered heterocyclic nucleus derived from coumarin was prepared by an uncomplicated method. The rate of ring closure for this nucleus, which was given the name coumacine, in addition to two of its derivatives was monitored spectroscopically and this rate followed zero order kinetics. The chemical structures of the synthesized products were established by detecting their physicochemical properties and analyzing their IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra. The in vitro antibacterial activity of coumacines was evaluated via agar dilution method against different standard aerobic and anaerobic bacterial strains using ciprofloxacin and metronidazole as positive controls, respectively; the results indicated that coumacine I has an excellent broad spectrum antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains with percentage of growth inhibition approximating to those of positive controls. Keywords: Coumacine, Novel heterocycle, Coumarin, Antibacterial, Ring closur

Novel functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives of benzo [e]-bispyrone fused hybrids: Synthesis and biological activities

Eighteen novel functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids and their three precursors are developed in this study. The precursor acetic acid congeners of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids (Y1, Y8, and Y15) were created by combining acetone dicarboxylic acid and three resorcinol-based compounds. They were utilized in the preparation of novel functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids (Y2-Y7, Y9-Y14, and Y16-Y21). Six in vitro biological activities were investigated for the synthesized precursors and their functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives. First, the reactive species-caging activity was tested against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Second, the cellular viability-terminating activity was assayed using MTT-visual probing methodology against six common cancerous cell lines. Third, fourth, and fifth activities, collectively termed microbial-shedding potential, were examined using a microdilution broth methodology against six aerobic pathogenic bacterial strains, four anaerobic pathogenic bacterial strains, and two pathogenic fungal strains, respectively. Finally, the blood sugar-dropping activity was assessed against two related enzymes. Moreover, the toxic effects of the twenty-one synthesized compounds were assessed against one normal human cell line and one non-pathogenic bacterial strain. The results showed that the fused hybrids' methoxyphenyl acetate derivatives (Y2, Y9, and Y16) had the greatest reactive species-caging, anaerobic pathogenic bacterial-shooting, and blood sugar-dropping activities. In terms of cellular viability-terminating activity, the fluorophenyl acetate derivatives (Y4, Y11, and Y18) demonstrated the greatest activity against the tested cancerous cell lines while causing the least toxicity to the normal cell line. Chlorophenyl acetate derivatives had the highest aerobic pathogen-shedding activity while causing the least toxicity on normal bacterial strains (Y5, Y12, and Y19). Finally, the precursors and derivatives with flourophenyl or chlorophenyl acetate demonstrated the highest levels of fungal-shooting activity, exceeding the reference. The researchers concluded from these observations that the synthesized precursors and their derivatives provided several biosafe scaffolds with multiple and selective activities

La benzocumarina como andamio potencial: una revisión de sus actividades biomédicas

Coumarin derivatives have piqued the curiosity of many researchers in the medicine and industry fields due primarily to their chemical diversity and bioactivities. Amongst coumarin derivatives, benzocomarins have garnered significant interest from pharmaceutical chemists in the past few years. Many scientific studies in the literature reported the bioactivities of natural and synthesized benzocoumarin derivatives. The focus of this review was on the general synthetic routes of benzocoumarins, besides the depiction of their biological activities, particularly those pertaining to anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and antidiabetic potentials. The authors concluded that the benzocoumarin backbone is an attractive scaffold that sheds light on exploring new drug candidates with novel or improved bioactivities.Los derivados de la cumarina han despertado la curiosidad de muchos investigadores en los campos de la medicina y la industria debido principalmente a su diversidad química y bioactividades. Entre los derivados de la cumarina, las benzocomarinas han despertado un gran interés entre los químicos farmacéuticos en los últimos años. Muchos estudios científicos en la literatura informaron sobre las bioactividades de los derivados de benzocumarina naturales y sintetizados. El enfoque de esta revisión estuvo en las rutas sintéticas generales de las benzocumarinas, además de la descripción de sus actividades biológicas, particularmente aquellas relacionadas con los potenciales anticancerígenos, antioxidantes, antibacterianos, antivirales y antidiabéticos. Los autores concluyeron que la columna vertebral de la benzocumarina es un andamio atractivo que arroja luz sobre la exploración de nuevos fármacos candidatos con bioactividades novedosas o mejorada