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Carbazoles: Role and Functions in Fighting Diabetes

Research Abstract

Carbazole derivatives have gained a lot of attention in medicinal chemistry over the last few decades due to their wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, including antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The therapeutic potential of natural, semi-synthetic or synthetic carbazole-containing molecules has expanded considerably owing to their role in the pathogenesis and development of diabetes. Several studies have demonstrated the ability of carbazole derivatives to reduce oxidative stress, block adrenergic hyperactivation, prevent damage to pancreatic cells and modulate carbohydrate metabolism. In this survey, we summarize the latest advances in the synthetic and natural carbazole-containing compounds involved in diabetes pathways.

Research Authors
Fedora Grande, Giuseppina Ioele, Anna Caruso, Maria Occhiuzzi, Hussein El-Kashef, Carmela Saturnino, and Maria Stefania Sinicropi
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Applied Sciences
Research Year
2023

Annona cherimola Mill. Leaf Extracts Affect Melanoma Cells Growth and Progression

Research Abstract

Cancer represents one of the major causes of mortality worldwide; indeed, 19.3 million new cases and almost 10.0 million deaths were estimated last year. Among the different type of cancers, malignant melanoma represents the most aggressive and deadly skin cancer. Unfortunately, the long-term efficacy of melanoma treatments is limited by the lack of clinical efficacy, onset of side effects and resistance. The latter is a major obstacle for the success of the melanoma therapy; thus, the exploration of new potent and safer anticancer agents is of great importance. Recently, numerous plant species, used for therapeutic purposes and containing various non-toxic nutraceuticals have been widely studied. Herein, we investigated the antioxidant and anticancer properties on melanoma cells of the ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous Annona cherimola leaf extracts (ACE, ACM and ACW, respectively). The ethanolic extract showed higher anticancer activity, mostly against the malignant A2058 melanoma cell line (IC50 = 5.6 ± 0.8 ng/mL), together with a very low activity on the normal cells. It blocks the melanoma cells migration process, and induces a clear disorganization of cytoskeleton, triggering cell apoptosis. Finally, some bioactive compounds were identified in the studied extracts

Research Authors
hussein el kashef
Research Date
Research Department
Research Year
2022

Sustainable Biodiesel Production from a New Oleaginous Fungus, Aspergillus carneus Strain OQ275240: Biomass and Lipid Production Optimization Using Box–Behnken Design

Research Abstract

Due to their low cost and ability to synthesize lipids for sustainable biodiesel production, oleaginous fungus has recently gained more prominence than other microorganisms. The new oleaginous fungus Aspergillus carneus OQ275240’s dry biomass, lipid content, and lipid yield were all optimized in this work, using the response surface methodology-based Box–Behnken design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used to examine the experimental data, and multiple regression analysis was used to fit the data to a second-order polynomial equation. Three independent variables, such as the concentration of yeast, glucose, and phosphorus, were examined for their mutual impacts. Maximum dry biomass (0.024 g/50 mL), lipid content (36.20%), and lipid yield (8.70 mg/50 mL) were achieved at optimal concentrations of 2.68 g/L of yeast, 20.82 g/L of glucose, and 0.10 g/L of phosphorus, respectively, showing that the actual data and predictions of the models were in good agreement. A. carneus OQ275240 has a favorable fatty acid profile that can be used to successfully create biodiesel, as shown by the presence of palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), and oleic acid (C18:1) in its fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profile. Furthermore, the qualities of the biodiesel were investigated, and it was found that they fell within the parameters established by the international specifications EN 14214 (Europe) and ASTM D6751-08 (United States). These findings point to the newly evaluated filamentous fungal strain as a potential feedstock for the production of high-quality biodiesel.

Research Authors
Amany G Ibrahim, Alaa Baazeem, Mayasar I Al-Zaban, Mustafa A Fawzy, Sedky HA Hassan, Mostafa Koutb
Research Date
Research Journal
Sustainability
Research Pages
6836
Research Publisher
MDPI
Research Year
2023

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE MEDFLY CERATITIS CAPITATA WIEDEMANN (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) TO THE EXTRACTS OF VIOLA ODORATA AND EUCALYPTUS CAMALDEULENSIS

Research Abstract

The medfly (Ceratitis capitata) is a polyphagous serious fruit pests spreaded in Africa and worldwide. The medfly infests several plant species and causes economic losses in many crops.The problems of using undesirable chemical insecticides against medfly have forced the scientists to look for more safe pesticides. Therefore, two plant extracts, Viola odorata and Eucalyptus camaldeulensis, were tested against the adult and immature stages of C. capitata. Each extract composition was analyzed using GC-MS. Terpenoids were identified as the major constituents in V. odorata extract, while E. camaldeulensis extract contains heterocyclic organic compounds together with terpenoids. The toxicity of both extracts on C. capitata was addressed using the contact and spray application methods. The contact treatment method showed higher toxicity than the spray method. In the meantime, the pupae were more susceptible to V. odorata extract than the full grown larvae; while E. camaldeulensis extract showed higher toxicity on larvae. Both extracts affected adult flies with higher toxicity in V. odorata-treated flies. The pupal deformations were recorded in the plant extracts-treated C. capitata. The malformations of pupae included emergence of only head and thorax of the flies and keeping the rest of the body inside the puparia, decoloration of the puparium, and no emergence of the flies at all. Furthermore, the V. odorata extract induced adult antennal and wings abnormalities. Both extracts degraded within a short period of time in the soil. In conclusion, the V. odorata and E. camaldeulensis extracts might act as powerful insecticides against C. capitata.

Research Authors
Ahmed Ibrahim, Nehad A Soliman, Sherihan M Alamin, Amira E Mesbah, Ali Mahmoud
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Egyptian Journal of Zoology
Research Publisher
The Zoological Society of AR Egypt
Research Year
2023

Interaction of Stacking Faults with point/extended defects in Fe-He irradiated 6H-SiC

Research Abstract

The study explored the microstructure evolution of 6H-SiC that underwent sequential iron and helium ion irradiation with energies of 2.5 MeV and 500 keV, respectively, at room temperature, followed by annealing at 1500◦C for two hours. Following irradiation, the entire damaged layer underwent amorphization. However, during subsequent annealing, epitaxial recrystallization took place, resulting in the formation of defected polycrystalline 6H-SiC characterized by the presence of Fe-rich clusters, cavities, and stacking faults. Fe-rich cavities were found to predominantly form at the edges of the stacking faults, as revealed by XTEM. The interaction of microstructural defects is further investigated via first-principles calculations. The periphery of the stacking faults has been identified as the primary location for the emergence of vacancy clusters, serving as favorable sites for the accumulation of point defects, including Fe atoms. This behavior can be attributed to the combined effects of mechanical and electronic energy relaxation mechanisms. Mechanically, the presence of stacking faults allows for the release of elastic energy that had been stored at the boundary. Electronically, the energy relaxation arises from the saturation of C- and Si-dangling bonds. Both of these processes contribute to the observed behavior, highlighting the intricate interplay between mechanical and electronic factors in the system. The low point defect migration energy barriers in the vicinity of the stacking faults promise high recombination, which can limit cavity growth and enhance radiation resistance. The study not only offers valuable insights into the mechanism of cavity/stacking faults interaction, contributing to a better understanding of radiation damage in 6H-SiC but also demonstrates that 6H-SiC material containing stacking faults could serve as a viable alternative to 3C-SiC for nuclear application.

Research Authors
H.S. Sen , N. Daghbouj , B.S. Li , A.T. AlMotasem , F.F. Ge, L. Zhang , M. Callisti, T. Polcar
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Acta Materialia
Research Pages
119129
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Vol
256
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359645423004603
Research Year
2023
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