Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is an Indian public state university at Summer Hill in the state capital city Shimla. It is close to the vicinity of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. It is wholly financed by the government of Himachal Pradesh and the University Grants Commission, New Delhi.
The rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance demands therapeutic strategies that extend beyond conventional antibiotics. However, most existing reviews describe emerging alternatives without systematically linking their mechanistic advances to translational readiness and clinical implementation barriers. This review addresses this gap by integrating evidence across multiple beyond-antibiotic approaches, including antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophage therapy, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, nanotechnology-enabled delivery systems, anti-virulence agents, host-directed immunotherapies, microbiome modulation (engineered probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation), and drug-repurposing or combination therapies. The principal contribution of this synthesis is a comparative framework that maps mechanisms of action, engineering innovations, and translational evidence across these diverse strategies. Advances such as peptidomimetics, engineered phages, and nanoparticle carriers that enhance stability, targeting, and therapeutic efficacy are highlighted, along with synergistic strategies including phage-antibiotic and CRISPR-nanocarrier combinations. The review further identifies major barriers limiting clinical translation, including delivery efficiency, toxicity and ecological concerns, large-scale production challenges, cost, inconsistent clinical outcomes, and regulatory fragmentation for biologics and live therapeutics. To facilitate clinical implementation, the study proposes a translational roadmap emphasizing standardized evaluation assays, physiologically relevant infection models, integrated rapid diagnostics, and regulatory frameworks tailored for emerging antimicrobial platforms, thereby supporting the development of sustainable therapies for the post-antibiotic era.
The discussion on improving financial well-being (FWB) among academicians, industry practitioners, and policymakers has substantially increased over the last few years due to its importance in augmenting society’s well-being. Hence, the current study intends to empirically examine the influence of digital financial literacy (DFL), financial self-efficacy (FSE), and personal financial management behavior (PFMB) on FWB. Moreover, the study analyzes the mediating role of FSE and PFMB between DFL and FWB. The data is gathered from 493 young professionals belonging to millennials and Generation Z in the Northern Indian region using purposive sampling and analyzed with SmartPLS. Partial least square structural equation modeling is employed to address the study’s research questions. The study’s outcomes reveal that FSE, DFL, and PFMB significantly and positively influence FWB in their respective order. Additionally, the study reveals that FSE and PFMB establish complementary partial mediation in a relationship between DFL and FWB both individually and serially. The study augments knowledge base of individuals, financial advisors, employers, and policymakers about predictors of FWB. Ergo, the study’s outcomes can be utilized to frame policies to augment individuals’ and overall society’s well-being. Hence, the present study substantially contributes to the personal finance literature and society as a whole.
In this study, we report the synthesis and in-depth characterization of two novel mixed-ligand cobalt(II) complexes, C1 and C2, derived from the Schiff base [(E)-2-hydroxy-5-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)benzoic acid] (L1) and para-phenylphenol (L2). A comprehensive suite of analytical techniques, including FTIR,1H NMR, PXRD, HRMS, TGA, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-Vis. spectroscopy, confirmed the structural integrity and stability of the complexes. Biological investigations revealed that complex C2 exhibited remarkable antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities-significantly outperforming both the free ligand and conventional drugs. C2 demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (MIC = 0.97 mu g/mL), surpassing the standard antibiotic chloramphenicol (MIC = 3.78 mu g/mL), and exhibited superior antifungal efficacy over nystatin. Additionally, C2 showed strong antioxidant potential (81.35% DPPH radical scavenging), comparable to ascorbic acid, and induced a concentration-dependent cytotoxic response in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cancer cell lines. In silico molecular docking studies further corroborated these findings, with C2 exhibiting high binding affinities toward B. cereus (PDB: 2NYP), Candida albicans (PDB: 1M79), and Bovine Serum Albumin (PDB: 4FS5), recording binding energies as low as -8.6 kcal/mol. Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) analysis supported the enhanced bio-efficacy of C2 over C1.
Addressing the critical need for novel antimicrobial and therapeutic agents, and recognizing the established biological significance of hydroxamic acids, this study focuses on the strategic synthesis of a bioactive molecule and its corresponding metal-complex to precisely modulate their properties for targeted biological activity. In the light of this, mononuclear homoleptic Zn(II) complex [Zn(1-NaphAcH)2] (where 1-NaphAcHK = potassium 1-naphthaleneacetohydroxamate; potassium N-hydroxy-2-(naphthalen-1-yl)acetamide; C11H9CONHOK) (KHL) was synthesized. Physicochemical characterization (elemental analysis, molar conductivity measurements) and spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, UV-visible, 1H and 13C NMR), Powder X-ray diffraction and Mass spectrometry were studied to characterize the complex exhibiting a distorted tetrahedral geometry with O,O-coordination via carbonyl and hydroxamic oxygen atoms. Computational analysis confirmed its superior stability compared to the free ligand, with further analysis performed via quantum chemical calculations. The complex demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial activity against selected bacteria and fungi compared to standard drugs. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on L20B and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. To further corroborate the in vitro studies, molecular docking studies on bacterial protein Salmonella typhi LuxS (PDB ID: 5V2W) revealed favorable binding energy and a high docking score for the ligand, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent. A novel Zn(II) hydroxamate complex with distorted tetrahedral geometry was synthesized and characterized. DFT confirmed superior stability and reduced polarity, rationalizing the enhanced antimicrobial and cytotoxic profiles via improved lipophilicity (Overtone’s concept). Molecular docking revealed strong binding to S. typhi LuxS, indicating therapeutic potential.
Recently, the bioactive polysaccharides have not been extensively explored for development of bioactive wound dressing. Hence, moringa gum has been utilized to develop the hydrogel by graft copolymerization of poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate phosphate) in the presence a multifunctional crosslinker for use in drug delivery (DD) application. The hydrogel were characterized by FESEM, EDS, AFM, XRD FTIR, solid state 13C-NMRand TGA and DSC. The DD, wound sorption, biocompatibility, antioxidant, mucoadhesion, and antibacterial properties along with mechanical and oxygen/water permeability aspects. The sustained delivery of minocycline from hydrogel governed by a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism release data was best described by first-order kinetic model. The one gram dressings retained 5.59 ± 0.24 g of wound fluid, which is beneficial in preserving a moist surrounding for efficient wound healing. The dressing materials exhibited antioxidant activity quantified as 74.67 ± 1.35 µg gallic acid equivalentsby the F-C assay. The material illustrated notable mucoadhesion and required detachment force of 153.00 ± 13.00 mN from the mucosal surface for its separation. The hydrogels elucidated biocompatibility observed from minimal hemolytic effect, indicating safe interaction with the biological system. Hydrogel dressing expressed antibacterial properties that significantly enhanced after drug encapsulation. Further, the web-like network structure was permeable to the diffusion of water vapor and oxygen. The findings of various physicochemical and biomedical properties suggested their suitability for use as wound dressing materials.
