Imidazole ring is an important five-membered aromatic heterocycle widely present in natural products and synthetic molecules. The unique structural feature of imidazole ring with desirable electron-rich characteristic is beneficial for imidazole derivatives to readily bind with a variety of enzymes and receptors in biological systems through diverse weak interactions, thereby exhibiting broad bioactivities. The related research and developments of imidazole-based medicinal chemistry have become a rapidly developing and increasingly active topic. Particularly, numerous imidazole-based compounds as clinical drugs have been extensively used in the clinic to treat various types of diseases with high therapeutic potency, which have shown the enormous development value. This work systematically gives a comprehensive review in current developments of imidazole-based compounds in the whole range of medicinal chemistry as anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, antitubercular, anti-inflammatory, antineuropathic, antihypertensive, antihistaminic, antiparasitic, antiobesity, antiviral, and other medicinal agents, together with their potential applications in diagnostics and pathology. It is hoped that this review will be helpful for new thoughts in the quest for rational designs of more active and less toxic imidazole-based medicinal drugs, as well as more effective diagnostic agents and pathologic probes.

Comprehensive Review in Current Developments of Imidazole‐Based Medicinal Chemistry

Treatment of textile wastewater using titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis has been started from the last decade and reached attention to the researchers because of its versatile application. The variety of applications of TiO2 as a photocatalyst has been taken place because of low operating temperature, biologically inert nature, low energy consumption, water insolubility, ease availability and photoactivity, less toxicity, high chemical stability, suitable flat band potential, narrow band gap and environmentally benign. The successful and efficient application of photocatalysis depends on quality of photocatalyst, nature of pollutants, and source of light, which should be in close contact with each other. The TiO2 photocatalyst is used for the effluent treatment of textile wastewater in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Heterogeneous UV-TiO2 photocatalysis is capable to remove organic pollutants from textile wastewater, which has been widely studied and the technology also being commercialized in many developing countries in the world. This review focuses on the mechanism of UV-TiO2 photocatalysis, modification of TiO2 photocatalyst, and application of doping and co-doping in order to improve the photocatalytic activity in wastewater treatment. In addition, the review conveys comprehensive and fundamental assessments of the photocatalytic activity for the removal of organic dyes and phenolic compounds from textile wastewater.

Photocatalytic Activity Improvement and Application of UV-TiO2 Photocatalysis in Textile Wastewater Treatment: A Review

Carotenoids and their cleavage products: Biosynthesis and functions

Textile finishing dyes and their impact on aquatic environs.

PurposeTherapeutic selectivity is one of the most important considerations in cancer chemotherapy. The design of therapeutic strategies to preferentially kill malignant cells while minimizing harmful effects to normal cells depends on our understanding of the biological differences between cancer and normal cells. We have previously demonstrated that certain agents generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) preferentially kill human leukemia cells without exhibiting significant cytotoxicity in normal lymphocytes. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the biochemical basis for such selective anticancer activity.MethodsFlow cytometric analyses were utilized to measure intracellular O2− levels and apoptosis. MTT assays were used as indicators of cellular viability. Western blot analysis was used to measure the expression of antioxidant enzymes in cancer and normal cells.ResultsMalignant cells in general are more active than normal cells in the production of O2−, are under intrinsic oxidative stress, and thus are more vulnerable to damage by ROS-generating agents. The intrinsic oxidative stress in cancer cells was associated with the upregulation of SOD and catalase protein expression, likely as a mechanism to tolerate increased ROS stress. The increase in SOD and catalase expression was observed both in primary human leukemia cells and in primary ovarian cancer cells. Both malignant cell types were more sensitive to 2-ME than their normal counterparts, as demonstrated by the significant accumulation of O2− and subsequent apoptosis. The administration of ROS scavengers in combination with 2-ME prevented the accumulation of O2− and abrogated apoptosis induction.ConclusionsO2− is an important mediator of 2-ME-induced apoptosis. The increased oxidative stress in cancer cells forces these cells to rely more on antioxidant enzymes such as SOD for O2− elimination, thus making the malignant cells more vulnerable to SOD inhibition than normal cells.

Intrinsic oxidative stress in cancer cells: A biochemical basis for therapeutic selectivity using ROS -generating agents

New Schiff base 2-[(4-Methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl)oxy]-N'-(substitutedmethylene)aceto hydrazides (4a-p) were synthesized by the condensation of aryl/hetero aromatic aldehydes with 2-[(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl)oxy]acetohydrazide under conventional and microwave conditions and characterized through IR, H NMR and Mass spectral data. The synthesized compounds have been screened for antimicrobial activity.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new Schiff bases containing coumarin moiety and their spectral characterization

Enhanced photo-catalytic activity of Sr and Ag co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles for the degradation of Direct Green-6 and Reactive Blue-160 under UV & visible light.

Biotransformation of Direct Blue 1 by a moderately halophilic bacterium Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA and toxicity assessment of degraded metabolites

The ability of halophiles to survive in the extreme salt concentrations has gained them the importance of being used in the treatment of industrial waste waters. A moderately halophilic bacterial strain with the ability to degrade the complex azo dye Direct Blue-1 (DB-1) was isolated from sea water and identified as Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA. Complete decolorization of DB-1 (100 mg L–1) was achieved in 6 h at 37 °C, pH 8 and with 70 g L–1 NaCl. Decolorization was analyzed by UV-vis spectrophotometer. The FT-IR spectrum revealed that Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA specifically targeted azo bond (NN) at 1631 cm–1 to break down Direct Blue-1. Formation of metabolites at different retention times in HPLC indicated degradation. Biotransformation pathway for DB-1 was proposed based on LC-MS. Phytotoxicity study revealed the less toxic nature of the metabolites compared to the dye. Genotoxicity with Allium cepa confirmed the cytotoxic nature of DB-1 by inducing several chromosomal abnormalities compared to the negligible effects of degraded metabolites. The current study is the first report on the detoxification of DB-1 by Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA.

V. S. V. Satyanarayana

Papers

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new Schiff bases containing coumarin moiety and their spectral characterization

Enhanced photo-catalytic activity of Sr and Ag co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles for the degradation of Direct Green-6 and Reactive Blue-160 under UV & visible light.

Biotransformation of Direct Blue 1 by a moderately halophilic bacterium Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA and toxicity assessment of degraded metabolites

Biotransformation of Direct Blue 1 by a moderately halophilic bacterium Marinobacter sp. strain HBRA and toxicity assessment of degraded metabolites.

Molecular characterization of bixin - an important industrial product.