Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women and is worldwide. The incidence rate of women's breast cancer in 2020 was 2,261,419 and 2022 estimates diagnosing 1,918,030 cases. The disease is heterogeneous and the pathogenesis of breast cancer still remains unclear. Much progress has been made in early detection and better treatment to improve survival. Unfortunately, the current treatment strategies destroy the patient's quality of life. The patients develop drug resistance, exhibit severe side effects, and not afford the cost creates anxiety among the patients, families, and friends. In addition, a considerable number of patients relapse as a result of organ metastasis, e.g., the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC, ER-/PR-HER2-). The 5-year survival rate of patients who recurred with distant metastasis is less than 20%. More than half a million women worldwide still suffer from metastatic breast cancer annually, and 90% of their deaths could be attributed to metastasis. One of the reasons for the failure of cancer therapeutics is the approaches did not consider the cancer holistically. All breast cancer cells and their micro environmental capillary endothelial cells express asparagine-linked (N-linked) glycoproteins. We have tested a biologic and a small molecule, Tunicamycin-P (P = pure N-glycosylation inhibitor) to interfere with the protein N-glycosylation pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by specifically blocking the catalytic activity of N-acetylglusosaminyl 1-phosphate transferase (GPT) activity. The outcome has been quantitative inhibition of in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis and the breast tumor progression of multiple subtypes in pre-clinical mouse models with "zero" toxicity. We have, therefore, concluded that Tunicamycin-P is expected to supersede the current therapeutics and become a Glycotherapy treating breast cancer of all subtypes.
Biomass conversion to chemicals and fuels is an important subject in the development of alternative feedstock that are sustainable and meet environmental compatibility and economics of emerging technologies. In this article, a perspective of how catalysis research has led to many discoveries for alternative synthetic routes is presented. Fundamental aspects of catalyst design involving multi-metallic nano structured catalysts have been highlighted that led to exceptional performance of biomass conversion processes. The challenges in commercial implementation of these inventions in the context of competitive economics, separation technologies and sustainability have been addressed.
Carbohydrate-based surfactants (CBS) are an important class of amphiphilic compounds containing both hydrophilic and lipophilic moieties. These natural surfactants are biosynthesized within living cells and also easily can be prepared synthetically from the most abundant carbohydrate-rich renewable vegetable raw materials such as cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose, starch, etc. and fatty materials by sequential reactions. Extensive exploitation of non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum; natural gas etc. damages the human and ecological health with significant contribution in overall pollution, thus the quest for novel methods and strategies has been accelerated to replace the conventional non-renewable fossil fuel sources with renewable, biodegradable, as well as sustainable sources for surfactant production. In this scenario, carbohydrate surfactants are of great interest because they are naturally abundant, biocompatible, highly biodegradable, and not noxious for the environment, which makes them an excellent alternative to surfactants from petrochemical sources.
In this mini-review, simple aspects of carbohydrate based gelator molecules and detailed overview about the design strategy, syntheses, and the self-assembly of several sugar-based gelators,which can form organogel and hydrogel has been discussed. We have also elucidated the use of these sugar-based gelators, particularlyorganogelators, hydrogelators, phase selective gelators and photo-responsive gelators for numerous applications,viz., marine oil-spill recovery, removal of dyes, water treatment, self-healing property and bio-medical applications. Moreover the mechanism of gelation of few of these gelators has been deliberated. [GRAPHICS] .
Tissue engineering in alliance with regenerative medicine provides new strategies to improve or repair different types of biological tissues. The main requirement of tissue engineering is 2D or 3D polymeric scaffolds to provide cell attachment, proliferation and cell differentiation to the damaged tissue. In recent times, the interest to synthesize scaffolds using natural polymers is thriving. Among these polymers, chitosan-based materials have gained more attention in tissue engineering because of their unique inherent biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability and also cost effectiveness. The weaknesses of chitosan due to its low mechanical strength and poor water solubility have significantly affected the spectrum of its applications in biological engineering, however, it has been shown to overcome these concerns either through conjugation with other polymers or by synthesizing modified derivatives. The present review mainly focusses on the different properties of chitosan and its applicability in tissue engineering in combination with other polymers with an outlook into future applications.
Extracellular insults and intrinsic changes are associated with impaired metabolic functions, leading to the development of several disorders. Carbohydrate metabolism is one of the basic processes responsible for the supply of energy to cells, an imbalance of which can affect physiological and metabolic processes severely. In contrast to normal cells that use primarily mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for the source of energy, cancer cells alternatively rely on aerobic glycolysis for ATP generation. Cancer cells also show extensive metabolic reprogramming to support their growth and proliferation. This altered metabolic status is achieved by aberrant gene expressions, signaling, and redox status. Also, patients undergoing radiotherapy holds a great risk of developing metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, and components of the metabolic syndrome. This article reviews the impact of ionizing radiation on cellular macromolecules with particular reference to carbohydrate metabolism. A comparison of glucose metabolism in normal and cancer cells is presented. Key molecular events that are relevant to alter metabolism in cancer cells are presented. We further focus on radiotherapy and chemotherapy influencing and targeting the metabolic status of cancer cells and finally, present different therapeutic interventions currently used to treat metabolic alterations.
Rice, being one of the primary dietary sources of carbohydrates worldwide, is of particular interest when assessing variability in starch digestibility. The digestion of starch is an important metabolic response and the rate and extent of starch digestibility are nutritionally important. To determine the retrogradation properties of traditional rice varieties, they were subjected to cooking and cooling conditions and analyzed for In vitro starch fractions of different digestibilities.Traditional rice varieties showed good amount of resistant starch that is important for good health. Formation of resistant starch due to cooling effect was more pronounced in the varieties Jeerige sanna (6.77%), Kagisaale (6.40%), and Krishnaleela (5.31%).The knowledge of the chemical and nutritional composition of traditional rice varieties of Karnataka would help the local industry to utilize these varieties in the preparation and formulation of food products rather than procuring the rice varieties from outside.The outcome will assist consumers on the choice of the rice variety best suitable for their nutritional needs.As we begin the twenty-first century, the challenge of reducing malnutrition remains great. Increasing our knowledge and use and application of existing diverse plant genetic resources can positively contribute to nutritional improvements.
Modern farming is the necessity of the time, as traditional agriculture would be insufficient to feed the world's ever-increasing population. This is due to the changing weather patterns, dwindling resources, land scarcity, and environmental toxicity. In this perspective, the research work on pesticide delivery using natural biopolymers, based mainly on polysaccharides, metals, metal oxides, SiO2, graphene and its oxides, polymers, clay and other compounds using nanotechnology have been explored to regulate the release of pesticides. On the other hand, polysaccharides were chosen for the controlled release of pesticides because they are readily available, inexpensive, and biodegradable. This nano encapsulated pesticide formulation will decrease pesticide dosage and human exposure, making crop safety more environmentally safe and resulting in greener agriculture.
Glycobiology has found wide acceptance in recent years and encompasses a broad spectrum of studies concerning the chemistry and biology of carbohydrates and their conjugates. In the context of cells and organisms, glycoconjugates contribute to the dynamics of biological membranes, to energy storage, and to transmitting messages at all cellular levels. The development of new glycoconjugate derivatives and glycomimetic lead compounds and their clinical practices are often slowed or hindered by unexpected technical and medical issues. Therefore, we postulate that a greater basic understanding of how glycoconjugates operate would necessarily be evolved in the future as a result of this continued and accelerated studies taking place in the field of glycobiology and would help decision-making logically sound and thus widely acceptable. Glycoconjugates are now used to answer a variety of biology-related questions and play a significant role in the development of potential vaccines against cancer and viral and bacterial infections. Therefore, the applications of glycoconjugates are an important backdrop to this review. So, we summarize the common synthetic approaches followed for glycoconjugate synthesis and their applications as designing of potential vaccines against cancer and viral, fungal and bacterial infections."
Self-healing or shape-memory is one of the most ultimate characteristics of living tissues. 'Self-healing hydrogels' are three-dimensionally cross-linked polymeric materials that have played an important role in numerous fields because of their property to recover itself spontaneously after being damaged. In recent years, the researcher has particularly focused on self-healing hydrogels based on natural polysaccharides due to their promising properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and their ability to self-repair. This self-repair property inspired in nature gives them the possibility of maintaining their integrity even after damage, owing to specific physical interactions or dynamic covalent bonds that provide reversible linkages. In this review, we have covered the different types of polysaccharides based on self-healing hydrogels and their formation mechanism is offered together with the potential applications in the various fields.
The new millennium era is becoming challenging due to the development and modification of various pathological mechanisms of infectious/non-infectious diseases. Glycosylation is post translational modification (PTM) in which glycans comprise of multiple sugar moieties that bind glycosidically to proteins. This synthesis of glycoconjugates is known as glycosylation, an essential post translational modification. having biological importance in various processes such as signal transduction, cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions. Abnormal glycosylation is one of the major attributes of various diseases. Glycobiology is the field related to the study of different glycans including their synthesis and function. Study of glycome is essential to understand the underlying mechanism of diseases which may arise due to alteration in glycosylation pattern. This review deals with alterations in major types of glycosylation and their pathophysiological impact on disease development.
Over the years polysaccharides have served many useful applications in food industry. The profound food applications of polysaccharides such as stabilizers, thickening agents, emulsifiers and humectants have proven to be invaluable and could be employed in the concerned food industries as additives. In the present review, attempts have been made to discuss the functional properties of polysaccharides with reference to their well-known food applications. For such applications, the reviewed information in this communication may provide valuable contribution to the literature.
Aryl C-glycosides are the most important class of carbohydrates that display various biological activities. They are of mainly two types, namely 2-hydroxyaryl C-glycosides and aryl 2-deoxy-C-glycosides. In this short review, various methods of synthesis of aryl C-glycosides, including via cross-coupling reactions, electrophilic reactions, free radical reactions, intramolecular O -> C rearrangements, cyclization, tunpolung strategy, etc., have been outlined. [GRAPHICS] .
Milk Oligosaccharides are an important class of bioactive natural products with immunostimulant activities and are emerging as potent drugs against fatal diseases like cancer and AIDS. Recently a number of natural oligosaccharides have been isolated from milk of various animal origin and were examined in animal models of different human diseases. A number of biologically active oligosaccharides have been isolated from cow, camel, buffalo, human, sheep, mare, yak, elephant and goat milk. The medicinal property of goat milk is well documented in our ancient literature, according to Ayurveda and Unani medicinal systems, enormous biological activities such as anti-bacterial, immunological, anti-inflammatory, hypoallergenic and therapeutic properties have been reported. It is used against tuberculosis in folk medicine and also helps in the enhancement of platelet count during dengue fever. Goat milk oligosaccharides have anti-inflammatory properties and are involved in the repairing process after a dextran sodium sulphate-induced colitis. Keeping in mind the biological importance of goat milk and the role of oligosaccharides, in the present studies, goat milk was analyzed for its oligosaccharide content which led to the isolation of a novel tetrasaccharides, rasose, C26H45O21N. The structure of the isolated oligosaccharide was elucidated by chemical transformation, chemical degradation, H-1, C-13, 2D-NMR (COSY, TOCSY, HMBC and HSQC) and mass spectrometry as under. The geometry of compound rasose was optimized by B3LYP method and 6-31 G (d,p) basis set.
Nanoscale designed fibers, particles, cubes and other shapes of cellulose and its nanocomposites have great potential as a green material for multiple applications including sensing, coating and a low-cost light material for packaging. This article is an overview on the recent progress of nanocellulose (NC) crystals, fibers, bacterial cellulose and NC-based composites. We have reviewed formation and mechanisms of NC growth into nanofibers and nanocrystals. Variety of methods has been developed for the synthesis of large batches of NC composites by embodying into variety of matrices. The main focus was to summarize synthesis and processing of cellulose nanocomposites from green materials and applications for coating and packaging specifically where stability, light weight and environmentally-friendly considerations are important.
Nanovectors advocate extensive scientific advancement for feeding safe and efficient pharmaceutical delivery systems. Embraced as both organic and inorganic vectors, these nanovectors can be designed and engineered with various layers of complexity to achieve therapeutic targeting and ensuring effective pharmacotherapy for disease management. A substantial challenge that the most therapeutic agents face is an inability to penetrate effectively to the target site. Chemical methods offer a solution to allow safe, controlled release and specific delivery of therapeutic molecules to the target tissue. Chemical targeting of vectors to diseased tissues or macrophages can utilize molecular recognition units for decorating the surface of particles or molecular units responsive to diseased microenvironments or remote stimuli. This review aims to provide insights into the sophisticated chemical vectors designing and characterization that can be used as carriers for implication in nanotechnology. Further, desired characteristic properties of nanovectors essential for therapeutic delivery have been stressed in the communication. Additionally, the current trends and novel concepts for mannose receptor macrophage-specific drug or gene or antigen targeting that use conjugation or encapsulation pathways for binding targeting moieties have been addressed.
Different methods have been presented to extract and measure glycogen in animal tissues. The current study performed to resolve the problems encountered in the new protocol to assay glycogen fractions. The new method has four phases of tissue digestion, extraction, fractionation and measurement. The tissue was weighed and digested with hot KOH and total glycogen was precipitated with ethanol. The suspension of total glycogen was separated into the fractions of acid soluble (ASG) and insoluble (AIG) by adjusting the pH. The recovery of total glycogen during precipitation with ethanol was insensitive to temperature. But, chemical method of phenol-sulfuric acid was highly dependent on the air temperature of the laboratory. The recovery of total glycogen increased significantly by about 25% at 4000 rpm and reached the plateau. The pellet of total glycogen was washed with ethanol to eliminate excess KOH and to reduce the values of perchloric acid and KOH to minimum essential volumes for adjusting the pH. This prevented over-production and precipitation of KClO4. It is concluded that, the ambient temperature is an important factor that affects the chemical assay. Minor modifications of the new protocol improved the analysis.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus impacting more than 75 million people across 220 countries. The pharma and biotech industries, along with research institutes, strive to develop an effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Efforts are also underway for finding drugs through drug repurposing and novel drug discovery methods. In this study, we have used a multi-target drug approach. The objective is to identify phytochemicals from plant sources effective against novel coronavirus. Natural products having good medicinal properties are known to have minimal side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Therefore, the medicinal products from natural sources are of significance in drug discovery research. In this study, compounds from three common plants were selected for analysis, namely, Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera, and Punica granatum. The primary target selected for this study was glycoprotein. Glycoproteins are known to play a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation, growth, and signaling pathways. We also investigated the effect of screened compounds on other targets in order to have a multi-target therapy. The target proteins chosen for drug design are Spike glycoprotein, Main Protease, and uridylate-specific Endoribonuclease (EndoU). The spike glycoprotein (S) of coronavirus, is a trimeric transmembrane protein, which facilitates entry into cells and is the main target of antibodies. The spike glycoprotein is highly sensitive to mutation. The main protease (MPro) of SRAS-CoV-2 plays an essential role in disease propagation by processing the polyproteins necessary for its replication. Inhibiting the main protease by designing agonists/antagonists can serve in the repair mechanism-the uridylate-specific Endoribonuclease (EndoU) of SRAS-CoV-2 causes a delay in the host sensor system. The objective of this study was to identify potential natural hit compounds which could target multiple proteins of coronavirus. Compounds that can target all the three, namely, Spike glycoprotein, EndoU, and MPro will have better therapeutic index and efficacy than a single target approach. Therefore, the compounds were screened against all these three structural targets. The compounds targeting only one of the proteins were filtered and only those compounds showing activity against all the three structural proteins were retained for further analysis. Drug design methods, including Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Elimination (ADME) profiling and molecular docking studies, have been used in the study to identify potential hit molecules. The twenty four hits obtained targeted all the three selected proteins. This will pave the way for developing lead molecules from the screened compounds effective against all three proteins of novel coronavirus: Main protease, Spike glycoprotein, and Endoribonuclease.
Industrial production of fuels, commodity chemicals and value added products mainly depends on fossil resources. The demand for fossil derived fuels and chemicals has increased adding more concerns on climate change, global economic stability and sustainable supply of fossil resources. Therefore, lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is receiving great attention as an alternative to fossil resources since it is globally available and sustainable feedstock. LCB is a sugar rich platform that can be converted to biofuels and specialty products through appropriate processing. Various conversion technologies are available for the production of fuels and value added products from LCB. However, sustainable biomass processing is still a global challenge requiring fulfillment of fundamental demands such as economic efficiency, environmental compatibility and societal responsibility. The key challenges being faced in biomass conversion include sustainable biomass supply, cost effective pretreatment technologies to make LCB amenable to efficient hydrolysis using less enzyme doses, development of low cost and efficient enzyme cocktails, conversion of all available sugars in LCB to fuels and value added products. The conversion of LCB to ethanol is complex and expensive and hence the cost of LCB derived ethanol cannot compete with fossil fuels. The promising strategy for low cost LCB derived ethanol production is to employ a biorefinery approach which integrates all the processes including physical, chemical and biological to produce bulk as well as high value chemicals from all the components of LCB. This review discusses on the latest developments in 2G-ethanol process and the integration of processes for some of the commodity as well as high value chemicals to be produced from LCB that are at manufacturing level.
Wood and cellulose have been known to mankind for several millennia and is among the oldest materials in continuous use. Wood as well as its constituents, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, have been widely explored in the literature as fibres, thermoplastics and building blocks of a variety of bulk and fine chemicals. They also find numerous practical applications. Yet, wood is still an imperfectly understood natural composite in terms of its primary and secondary structures. Continuing research is now leading to a better understanding of the structure of naturally occurring wood and enhancing our ability to manipulate the structure at a molecular level leading to emergence of new functional properties. This article provides a brief perspective on some recent scientific developments that have the potential to transform cellulose and wood into functional materials with exceptional properties useful in a diverse range of advanced applications
