The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of flavonoid- (water, ethyl acetate and hexane fractions), polyphenol- and anthocyanin-rich extracts of Thymus kotschyanus aerial parts were investigated. All the extracts showed significant amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and exhibited strong antioxidant activity. Among the extracts, water fraction contained the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (881.06 ± 16.52 mg GAE/g of extract and 74.60 ± 3.05 mg QE/g of extract, respectively). It also presented the highest DPPH(•) scavenging activity with an IC50 of 14.21 ± 0.53 μg mL(-1), and the highest reducing power at 400 μg mL(-1) by A700 = 2.46 ± 0.04. The extracts were found to exert moderate antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These findings highlighted a scientific basis to the traditional usage of T. kotschyanus, also showed its potential as a rich source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial compounds.

No abstract

No abstract

Glycine max (L.) Merrill (soybean) is a major leguminous crop, cultivated globally as well as in Iran. This study examines the chemical composition of soybean essential oil, and evaluates the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of seeds on various plant pathogens that commonly cause irreparable damages to agricultural crops. The essential oil of soybean seeds was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial activity was tested against 14 microorganisms, including three gram-positive, five gram-negative bacteria, and six fungi, using disk diffusion method and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration technique. The soybean seeds were also subjected to screening for possible antioxidant activity by using catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Forty components were identified, representing 96.68% of the total oil. The major constituents of the oil were carvacrol (13.44%), (E,E)-2,4-decadienal (9.15%), p-allylanisole (5.65%), p-cymene (4.87%), and limonene (4.75%). The oil showed significant activity against Pseudomonas syringae subsp. syringae, Rathayibacter toxicus with MIC = 25 µg/mL, and Pyricularia oryzae with MIC = 12.5 µg/mL. In addition, the free radical scavenging capacity of the essential oil was determined with an IC value of 162.35 µg/mL. Our results suggest that this plant may be a potential source of biocide, for economical and environmentally friendly disease control strategies. It may also be a good candidate for further biological and pharmacological investigations.

No abstract

A novel magnetic nanocomposite of Au‐Ag nanoparticles anchored on Fe3O4/graphene oxide spheres (Fe3O4/GO/Au‐Ag) was successfully fabricated by the layer‐by‐layer assembly technique. The prepared Fe3O4/GO/Au‐Ag was fully characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. This nanocomposite showed unique catalytic performance for the synthesis of Spiro[indoline‐3,5′‐pyrido[2,3‐d:6,5‐d’]dipyrimidine]‐pentaone derivatives by the three‐component condensation reaction of isatins, barbituric acids and 6‐amino uracil at room temperature and in aqueous media. The significant advantages of this protocol include highly stable, easily separable and reusable catalyst, simple operation, environmental friendliness and excellent yields.

A retrievable nanostructure heterogeneous catalyst, based on lipase (lipase from the fungus Aspergillus niger), namely Fe 3 O 4 -bonded lipase (Fe 3 O 4 NPs@ lipase) was prepared in nano size and fully characterized by several techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and Vibrating sample magnetometer. The retrievable nanostructure catalyst was asserted to be an efficient catalyst in the synthesis of benzothiazepine and spirobenzothiazine chroman derivatives through three-component reaction of coumarine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives, 2-aminothiophenol, and alkyl isocyanides at room temperature under mild conditions. Graphical Abstract

The synthesis and catalytic application of a novel MgO containing periodic mesoporous organosilica with ionic liquid framework (MgO@PMO‐IL) is described. The prepared MgO@PMO‐IL was characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption, transmission electron microscopy, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric and inductively coupled plasma analyses. This nanocatalyst was successfully applied as a highly efficient and recoverable catalyst for the synthesis of novel spirooxindole‐furan derivatives via the three‐component reaction of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds, N‐phenacyl pyridinium salts and isatin derivatives. The products were achieved in high to excellent yields with a simple work‐up procedure and short reaction times, and the catalyst could be recovered through a simple filtration process and successfully reused seven times without any significant decrease in its efficiency.