Antony Mugiira Arimba, D. K. Wamukuru, Zachary Orato Anditi
Abstract The use of case-based learning and team-based learning may help increase students’ self-concept in chemistry. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by finding out the effects of case-based learning, team-based learning and regular teaching methods on secondary school students’ self-concept in chemistry in Maara Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed a 3 × 2 × 2 pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental factorial design. The study targeted 18,611 students in 52 secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to choose three co-educational secondary schools with similar characteristics in Maara Sub-County. A total of 106 form two chemistry students were selected for the study using simple random sampling method. The experimental groups were taught using case-based learning and team-based learning while the control group was taught by regular teaching methods. The three groups were compared two-by-two to find out groups in which the differences in self-concept in chemistry would occur. Student’s self-concept questionnaire was administered to the students in the three groups. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts from Egerton University. Pilot testing was done in Meru South Sub-County in schools with similar characteristics. Reliability of the instruments estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.81. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis at α = 0.05. The mean differences in self-concept in the post-test were statistically significant among the three groups. The results of this study may offer valuable knowledge to policy makers as well as chemistry teachers so as to give greater attention to chemistry self-concept among students. The study findings fill a knowledge gap of effectiveness of methods of teaching chemistry.
{"title":"Effect of case-based learning, team-based learning and regular teaching methods on secondary school students’ self-concept in chemistry in Maara sub-county, Tharaka Nithi county, Kenya","authors":"Antony Mugiira Arimba, D. K. Wamukuru, Zachary Orato Anditi","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0287","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The use of case-based learning and team-based learning may help increase students’ self-concept in chemistry. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by finding out the effects of case-based learning, team-based learning and regular teaching methods on secondary school students’ self-concept in chemistry in Maara Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed a 3 × 2 × 2 pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental factorial design. The study targeted 18,611 students in 52 secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to choose three co-educational secondary schools with similar characteristics in Maara Sub-County. A total of 106 form two chemistry students were selected for the study using simple random sampling method. The experimental groups were taught using case-based learning and team-based learning while the control group was taught by regular teaching methods. The three groups were compared two-by-two to find out groups in which the differences in self-concept in chemistry would occur. Student’s self-concept questionnaire was administered to the students in the three groups. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts from Egerton University. Pilot testing was done in Meru South Sub-County in schools with similar characteristics. Reliability of the instruments estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.81. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis at α = 0.05. The mean differences in self-concept in the post-test were statistically significant among the three groups. The results of this study may offer valuable knowledge to policy makers as well as chemistry teachers so as to give greater attention to chemistry self-concept among students. The study findings fill a knowledge gap of effectiveness of methods of teaching chemistry.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78444877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nazrin Asmawi, R. A. Ilyas, Muhammad Huzaifah Mohd Roslim, L. Rajeshkumar, W. Abotbina, E. Syafri, R. Jumaidin, R. Syafiq, S. Rafiqah, R. Ridwan, S. Jusoh, Mohd Zuhri Mohamed Yusoff
Abstract Recent researchers are keen on developing alternative bioplastic materials from renewable and eco-friendly sources to replace the materials obtained from crude oil and other petroleum-based sources. The measures for these replacements have been made continuously to create a sustainable future for the forthcoming generations. Researchers are focusing on bio-based alternatives due to their numerous benefits, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and structural flexibility. The main problem on the current bio-based material such as poly lactic acid, poly butylene succinate and poly L lactide, polyhydroxybuturate, and polyhydroxyalkalonates is the cost of production. Compare with cassava starch, the cost is much cheaper around 0.32 $/kg compare with other bio-based will cost around 1.2–2.4 $/kg. Conversion of biomass into useful materials has been the order of the day, as it reduces the cost of inventory and aims to develop a nature-derived material. The development of nanocomposites from biological sources has progressively experimented with the researchers and the deriving of polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, and glycogen has aided the development of nanobiocomposites. Corn starch has been the dominant bioplastic material derived out of corn which can handle a variety of reinforcements and render a biocomposite material with better and enhanced properties. Cassava starch is the most economic and cheap polysaccharide derived from the cassava plant and has a greater potential to act as biopolymer material for the development of biocomposites. The development of cassava starch-based biocomposite film was widely used for a wide range of applications mainly for food packaging applications. This review focuses on the extraction, preparation, and properties of cassava starch from cassava plants. The properties of the cassava starch and its composites were also comprehensively dealt with. The development of biocomposite films based on cassava starch for food packaging applications has been reviewed along with the challenges associated with it.
{"title":"Cassava starch nanocomposite films reinforced with nanocellulose","authors":"Nazrin Asmawi, R. A. Ilyas, Muhammad Huzaifah Mohd Roslim, L. Rajeshkumar, W. Abotbina, E. Syafri, R. Jumaidin, R. Syafiq, S. Rafiqah, R. Ridwan, S. Jusoh, Mohd Zuhri Mohamed Yusoff","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Recent researchers are keen on developing alternative bioplastic materials from renewable and eco-friendly sources to replace the materials obtained from crude oil and other petroleum-based sources. The measures for these replacements have been made continuously to create a sustainable future for the forthcoming generations. Researchers are focusing on bio-based alternatives due to their numerous benefits, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and structural flexibility. The main problem on the current bio-based material such as poly lactic acid, poly butylene succinate and poly L lactide, polyhydroxybuturate, and polyhydroxyalkalonates is the cost of production. Compare with cassava starch, the cost is much cheaper around 0.32 $/kg compare with other bio-based will cost around 1.2–2.4 $/kg. Conversion of biomass into useful materials has been the order of the day, as it reduces the cost of inventory and aims to develop a nature-derived material. The development of nanocomposites from biological sources has progressively experimented with the researchers and the deriving of polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, and glycogen has aided the development of nanobiocomposites. Corn starch has been the dominant bioplastic material derived out of corn which can handle a variety of reinforcements and render a biocomposite material with better and enhanced properties. Cassava starch is the most economic and cheap polysaccharide derived from the cassava plant and has a greater potential to act as biopolymer material for the development of biocomposites. The development of cassava starch-based biocomposite film was widely used for a wide range of applications mainly for food packaging applications. This review focuses on the extraction, preparation, and properties of cassava starch from cassava plants. The properties of the cassava starch and its composites were also comprehensively dealt with. The development of biocomposite films based on cassava starch for food packaging applications has been reviewed along with the challenges associated with it.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74812289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract According to a general understanding, a crystal structure is defined by a lattice and the content of the unit cell of this lattice. As consequence a crystal exhibits three-dimensional periodicity with respect to the atoms. However, an increasing number of known crystal structures does not follow this idea of periodicity, but shows an aperiodic arrangement of its atoms. This group of so-called “aperiodic crystals” contains quasicrystals, modulated phases and composite structures. The latter two can be properly described within the higher-dimensional superspace approach to enable an accurate crystal-chemical analysis. Here the superspace is a mathematical tool, in which periodicity can be recovered in a higher-dimensional space. In the first part of this review the basic concept of periodic and aperiodic crystals is presented and similarities and differences of modulated phases, composite structures and quasicrystals are discussed. In a second part the higher-dimensional superspace approach is introduced in reciprocal and in direct space and the implementation of symmetry in superspace is reviewed. In the last part representative examples and the origin of aperiodicity in the crystal structures are discussed.
{"title":"Structural peculiarities? Aperiodic crystals, modulated phases, composite structures","authors":"A. Schönleber","doi":"10.1515/psr-2018-0140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2018-0140","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract According to a general understanding, a crystal structure is defined by a lattice and the content of the unit cell of this lattice. As consequence a crystal exhibits three-dimensional periodicity with respect to the atoms. However, an increasing number of known crystal structures does not follow this idea of periodicity, but shows an aperiodic arrangement of its atoms. This group of so-called “aperiodic crystals” contains quasicrystals, modulated phases and composite structures. The latter two can be properly described within the higher-dimensional superspace approach to enable an accurate crystal-chemical analysis. Here the superspace is a mathematical tool, in which periodicity can be recovered in a higher-dimensional space. In the first part of this review the basic concept of periodic and aperiodic crystals is presented and similarities and differences of modulated phases, composite structures and quasicrystals are discussed. In a second part the higher-dimensional superspace approach is introduced in reciprocal and in direct space and the implementation of symmetry in superspace is reviewed. In the last part representative examples and the origin of aperiodicity in the crystal structures are discussed.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90673365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sera Bolat, Ralph Greifenstein, M. Franzreb, D. Holtmann
Abstract The application potential of enzymes is undoubtedly very high. However, despite the very large number of different enzymes and enzyme activities, the number of industrial enzyme processes is comparatively small. The particular challenge often lies in transferring promising laboratory processes to an industrial scale. Here, the required performance parameters, such as enzyme stability or productivity, must be achieved. On the one hand, this can be achieved by improving the enzymes. On the other hand, the key performance indicators can often only be achieved by using technical systems in the sense of process intensification. In enzymatic processes, immobilization of enzymes is often the means of choice to enable technical processes. The aim of this article is to outline the most important enzyme immobilization methods and to summarize the most important performance indicators of immobilized enzymes. Finally, the different immobilization methods and performance indicators are compared in a case study with unspecific peroxygenase.
{"title":"Process intensification using immobilized enzymes","authors":"Sera Bolat, Ralph Greifenstein, M. Franzreb, D. Holtmann","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0110","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The application potential of enzymes is undoubtedly very high. However, despite the very large number of different enzymes and enzyme activities, the number of industrial enzyme processes is comparatively small. The particular challenge often lies in transferring promising laboratory processes to an industrial scale. Here, the required performance parameters, such as enzyme stability or productivity, must be achieved. On the one hand, this can be achieved by improving the enzymes. On the other hand, the key performance indicators can often only be achieved by using technical systems in the sense of process intensification. In enzymatic processes, immobilization of enzymes is often the means of choice to enable technical processes. The aim of this article is to outline the most important enzyme immobilization methods and to summarize the most important performance indicators of immobilized enzymes. Finally, the different immobilization methods and performance indicators are compared in a case study with unspecific peroxygenase.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90369325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. O. Adedotun, M. Abdul-Hammed, Basirat Temidayo Egunjobi, Ubeydat Temitope Ismail, Jemilat Yetunde Yusuf, Tolulope Irapada Afolabi, Ibrahim Olajide Gbadebo
Abstract Ovarian cancer is a crucial gynaecological unmet medical disease with a high mortality rate. According to recent research, the phosphoinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways are hyper-activated in the majority of ovarian cancer patients, necessitating the use of inhibitors. Over the years, phytochemicals have been used as alternative sources of therapeutic agents due to their reported biological activities and limited side effects. Curcuma longa (Tumeric), a reported ayurvedic medicine has also been noted for its anti-cancer properties. Thus, 155 phytochemicals from this plant and 2 reference drugs were evaluated for their inhibitory prowess against P13K/AKT receptor using a computer-aided drug design approach. The binding scores and inhibiting efficiencies were obtained via virtual screening. Molinspiration Chemoinformatics and SwissADME tools were used to investigate the drug-likeness properties and oral bioavailability of the compounds selected, while the ADMET SAR-2 website was used to conduct the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis. Other analyses performed on the selected compounds include bioactivity, activity spectra for substances (PASS) prediction, binding mode, and molecular interaction. The results revealed that Hopenone 1 (−8.8 kcal mol−1) and Epriprocurcumenol (−7.8 kcal mol−1) are potent inhibitors of the P13K receptor, while Epiprocurcumenol (−9.0 kcal mol−1), Procurcuminol (−8.6 kcal mol−1) and Curlone (−8.3 kcal mol−1) are potential inhibitors of AKT receptor. In comparison to Topotecan and Melphalan, they have better binding affinities, oral bioavailability, drug-likeness characteristics, ADMET properties, bioactivities, PASS properties, binding mechanism, and also interact well with the active site of the target receptor. As a result, this preliminary investigation suggests that these chemicals should be studied further for the design of novel ovarian cancer therapeutics.
{"title":"Identification of novel inhibitors of P13K/AKT pathways: an integrated in-silico study towards the development of a new therapeutic agent against ovarian cancer","authors":"I. O. Adedotun, M. Abdul-Hammed, Basirat Temidayo Egunjobi, Ubeydat Temitope Ismail, Jemilat Yetunde Yusuf, Tolulope Irapada Afolabi, Ibrahim Olajide Gbadebo","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0341","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Ovarian cancer is a crucial gynaecological unmet medical disease with a high mortality rate. According to recent research, the phosphoinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways are hyper-activated in the majority of ovarian cancer patients, necessitating the use of inhibitors. Over the years, phytochemicals have been used as alternative sources of therapeutic agents due to their reported biological activities and limited side effects. Curcuma longa (Tumeric), a reported ayurvedic medicine has also been noted for its anti-cancer properties. Thus, 155 phytochemicals from this plant and 2 reference drugs were evaluated for their inhibitory prowess against P13K/AKT receptor using a computer-aided drug design approach. The binding scores and inhibiting efficiencies were obtained via virtual screening. Molinspiration Chemoinformatics and SwissADME tools were used to investigate the drug-likeness properties and oral bioavailability of the compounds selected, while the ADMET SAR-2 website was used to conduct the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis. Other analyses performed on the selected compounds include bioactivity, activity spectra for substances (PASS) prediction, binding mode, and molecular interaction. The results revealed that Hopenone 1 (−8.8 kcal mol−1) and Epriprocurcumenol (−7.8 kcal mol−1) are potent inhibitors of the P13K receptor, while Epiprocurcumenol (−9.0 kcal mol−1), Procurcuminol (−8.6 kcal mol−1) and Curlone (−8.3 kcal mol−1) are potential inhibitors of AKT receptor. In comparison to Topotecan and Melphalan, they have better binding affinities, oral bioavailability, drug-likeness characteristics, ADMET properties, bioactivities, PASS properties, binding mechanism, and also interact well with the active site of the target receptor. As a result, this preliminary investigation suggests that these chemicals should be studied further for the design of novel ovarian cancer therapeutics.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89483333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Syafiq, S. M. Sapuan, M. Y. M. Mohd Zuhri, S. H. Othman, R. A. Ilyas
Abstract In the past few decades, there has been increased interest in the use of natural fibers as reinforcement in bioplastic polymer composites because it is biodegradable. This is a result of the drawbacks of biodegradable polymer-based materials, which are brittle, intractable, and poorly water-sensitive. Natural fibers are chosen because they may be obtained organically, can be collected safely, and can be less expensive. In this work, cinnamon essential oil (CEO)/sugar palm nanocellulose/starch biopolymer composites were casted to investigate the morphological, water barrier and biodegradable properties. From the research, it shows water absorption increased regarding the plasticizer concentration. Besides, water vapor permeability (WVP) and solubility of the different concentration plasticizer used in the biopolymer shows an increasing trend due to high water content. All films degrade completely after the 12th day indicating the biodegradability of the film. Furthermore, seal strength for the lower concentrations of plasticizer shows the higher strength, while GS4.5 cannot be sealed due to high water contents. The images show the compatible films with slightly yellowish and transparent films. The variation of plasticizers did not affect the antibacterial activity of CEO inside the film forming solution. Overall, cinnamon essential oil (CEO)/sugar palm nanocellulose/starch biopolymer composites are good potential to enhance their suitability for food packaging applications.
{"title":"Morphological, water barrier and biodegradable properties of sugar palm nanocellulose/starch biopolymer composites incorporated with cinnamon essential oils","authors":"R. Syafiq, S. M. Sapuan, M. Y. M. Mohd Zuhri, S. H. Othman, R. A. Ilyas","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0029","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In the past few decades, there has been increased interest in the use of natural fibers as reinforcement in bioplastic polymer composites because it is biodegradable. This is a result of the drawbacks of biodegradable polymer-based materials, which are brittle, intractable, and poorly water-sensitive. Natural fibers are chosen because they may be obtained organically, can be collected safely, and can be less expensive. In this work, cinnamon essential oil (CEO)/sugar palm nanocellulose/starch biopolymer composites were casted to investigate the morphological, water barrier and biodegradable properties. From the research, it shows water absorption increased regarding the plasticizer concentration. Besides, water vapor permeability (WVP) and solubility of the different concentration plasticizer used in the biopolymer shows an increasing trend due to high water content. All films degrade completely after the 12th day indicating the biodegradability of the film. Furthermore, seal strength for the lower concentrations of plasticizer shows the higher strength, while GS4.5 cannot be sealed due to high water contents. The images show the compatible films with slightly yellowish and transparent films. The variation of plasticizers did not affect the antibacterial activity of CEO inside the film forming solution. Overall, cinnamon essential oil (CEO)/sugar palm nanocellulose/starch biopolymer composites are good potential to enhance their suitability for food packaging applications.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80836093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. A. Ilyas, A. Nazrin, M. Huzaifah, S. M. Sapuan, R. Syafiq, N. M. Nurazzi, M. Asyraf, M. Norrrahim, M. Uda, K. Hazrati, L. Rajeshkumar
Abstract Owing to the increasing global pollution due to the use of conventional plastic materials, biodegradable films and sheets have been given prominent importance owing to their efficiency in replacing traditional plastic materials. In the recent times, due to globalization and industrialization, the minimization of the use of synthetic petroleum-based materials has been in practice by the global community, and increase in the use of natural materials like biomass waste in place of traditional materials promoting the green and sustainable technology development. Such production of alternative biomaterials development from the lignocellulosic fiber-reinforced composite films and laminates has been seriously investigated by engineers, technologists, and materialists owing to their sustainability, renewability, low toxicity, and abundantly available. Banana is one among the largely consumed tropical crop globally which is due to the quantity of cultivation and the availability of calorific values in the fruit. It is also a fruit which is potentially rich in starch content with more than 65 % of starch. This banana starch can be considered as a potential material for the manufacturing of coating material, edible sheet, food preservation and packaging owing to its innocuous, less cost, and biodegradability. The application of banana starch is dictated by the functional, structural and physicochemical properties of the developed material. But an unmodified native banana starch may not be characterized with all the necessary properties for any customized application. In order to widen the application band of the banana starch, it has to be modified by using enzymes, chemical, and physical methods. This review comprehensively deals with the extraction and synthesis of banana starch from various sources, their modification, properties of the banana starch and its characterization. Some aspects regarding the hybridization of the banana starch with nanoparticles has also been given.
{"title":"Banana starch nanocomposite films reinforced with nanocellulose","authors":"R. A. Ilyas, A. Nazrin, M. Huzaifah, S. M. Sapuan, R. Syafiq, N. M. Nurazzi, M. Asyraf, M. Norrrahim, M. Uda, K. Hazrati, L. Rajeshkumar","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0034","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Owing to the increasing global pollution due to the use of conventional plastic materials, biodegradable films and sheets have been given prominent importance owing to their efficiency in replacing traditional plastic materials. In the recent times, due to globalization and industrialization, the minimization of the use of synthetic petroleum-based materials has been in practice by the global community, and increase in the use of natural materials like biomass waste in place of traditional materials promoting the green and sustainable technology development. Such production of alternative biomaterials development from the lignocellulosic fiber-reinforced composite films and laminates has been seriously investigated by engineers, technologists, and materialists owing to their sustainability, renewability, low toxicity, and abundantly available. Banana is one among the largely consumed tropical crop globally which is due to the quantity of cultivation and the availability of calorific values in the fruit. It is also a fruit which is potentially rich in starch content with more than 65 % of starch. This banana starch can be considered as a potential material for the manufacturing of coating material, edible sheet, food preservation and packaging owing to its innocuous, less cost, and biodegradability. The application of banana starch is dictated by the functional, structural and physicochemical properties of the developed material. But an unmodified native banana starch may not be characterized with all the necessary properties for any customized application. In order to widen the application band of the banana starch, it has to be modified by using enzymes, chemical, and physical methods. This review comprehensively deals with the extraction and synthesis of banana starch from various sources, their modification, properties of the banana starch and its characterization. Some aspects regarding the hybridization of the banana starch with nanoparticles has also been given.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86160155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yarini Arrebola Sánchez, Fabiola Almeida García, Daniel Ojeda del Sol, Mario E. Valdés-Tresanco, Carlos David Ortiz, Belinda Sánchez Ramírez, Isel Pascual Alonso
Abstract Ectopeptidases are particularly interesting due to their potential to regulate/dysregulate the peptide mediated signaling cellular pathways because the active site located to the extracellular space. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV, EC 3.4.14.5) is currently one of the ectopeptidases that has a great and complex influence on important physiological and pathological processes. Due to its influence on the immune system, type 2 diabetes mellitus, pulmonary pathologies, cardiovascular system, viral infections and cancer, DPP-IV is very attractive as a possible therapeutic target. However, its versatility makes such expectations very difficult. The aim of this work is to summarize relevant structural and functional aspects of DPP-IV and the role of this protein in several pathologies with special emphasis on cancer. DPP-IV role in cancer seems to depend on specific location, histologic type of tumour, tumour microenvironment, and presence/absence of molecules able to interact with DPP-IV. Because of DPP-IV controversial effects, generalizations are difficult and most of the time the role of DPP-IV must be analyzed case by case. However, new evidences in cell lines, animal models and clinical studies suggest that DPP-IV inhibitors open a promissory window through new therapeutic strategies against some cancers.
外肽酶特别有趣，因为它们具有调节/失调肽介导的细胞信号通路的潜力，因为活性位点位于细胞外空间。二肽基肽酶IV (Dipeptidyl peptidase IV, DPP-IV, EC 3.4.14.5)是目前对重要生理病理过程影响巨大而复杂的外肽酶之一。由于其对免疫系统、2型糖尿病、肺部病变、心血管系统、病毒感染和癌症的影响，DPP-IV作为可能的治疗靶点非常有吸引力。然而，它的多功能性使得这种期望非常困难。本研究的目的是总结DPP-IV的相关结构和功能方面，以及该蛋白在几种病理中的作用，特别强调癌症。DPP-IV在癌症中的作用似乎取决于特定的位置、肿瘤的组织学类型、肿瘤微环境以及能够与DPP-IV相互作用的分子的存在/缺失。由于DPP-IV的效果存在争议，因此很难进行概括，大多数情况下必须逐个分析DPP-IV的作用。然而，细胞系、动物模型和临床研究的新证据表明，DPP-IV抑制剂通过新的治疗策略为某些癌症打开了一扇希望之窗。
{"title":"Dipeptidyl peptidase IV: a multifunctional enzyme with implications in several pathologies including cancer","authors":"Yarini Arrebola Sánchez, Fabiola Almeida García, Daniel Ojeda del Sol, Mario E. Valdés-Tresanco, Carlos David Ortiz, Belinda Sánchez Ramírez, Isel Pascual Alonso","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0288","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0288","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Ectopeptidases are particularly interesting due to their potential to regulate/dysregulate the peptide mediated signaling cellular pathways because the active site located to the extracellular space. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV, EC 3.4.14.5) is currently one of the ectopeptidases that has a great and complex influence on important physiological and pathological processes. Due to its influence on the immune system, type 2 diabetes mellitus, pulmonary pathologies, cardiovascular system, viral infections and cancer, DPP-IV is very attractive as a possible therapeutic target. However, its versatility makes such expectations very difficult. The aim of this work is to summarize relevant structural and functional aspects of DPP-IV and the role of this protein in several pathologies with special emphasis on cancer. DPP-IV role in cancer seems to depend on specific location, histologic type of tumour, tumour microenvironment, and presence/absence of molecules able to interact with DPP-IV. Because of DPP-IV controversial effects, generalizations are difficult and most of the time the role of DPP-IV must be analyzed case by case. However, new evidences in cell lines, animal models and clinical studies suggest that DPP-IV inhibitors open a promissory window through new therapeutic strategies against some cancers.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85937898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. O. Adedotun, M. Abdul-Hammed, Bamidele Toheeb Towolawi, Tolulope Irapada Afolabi, Karimot Motunrayo Mufutau, H. Adegoke
Abstract As the fight against SARS-CoV-2 remains undefeated despite available vaccines, continuous efforts to curtail this deadly and highly spreading virus remain a world priority. In this research, we have investigated the antiviral properties of the phytochemicals from Annona muricata (Sour Sop) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and Spike Receptor Protein. Pharmacokinetic analyses such as in-silicoADME, drug-likeness, PASS prediction, oral-bioavailability and bioactivity were carried out to screen the phytochemicals, 9 out of the 131 ligands satisfied the screening. A molecular docking approach was used to obtain the binding energies of the 9 ligands, and the result showed that Roseoside (−7.50 kcal/mol) and Coreximine (−7.0 kcal/mol) displayed the best docking score and have predicted to have stable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 main protease and Spike Glycoprotein. Data from this study could be further explored in developing multi-target drugs against SARS-CoV-2.
{"title":"Phytochemicals from Annona muricata (Sour Sop) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and spike receptor protein: a structure-based drug design studies and chemoinformatics analyses","authors":"I. O. Adedotun, M. Abdul-Hammed, Bamidele Toheeb Towolawi, Tolulope Irapada Afolabi, Karimot Motunrayo Mufutau, H. Adegoke","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0338","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0338","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract As the fight against SARS-CoV-2 remains undefeated despite available vaccines, continuous efforts to curtail this deadly and highly spreading virus remain a world priority. In this research, we have investigated the antiviral properties of the phytochemicals from Annona muricata (Sour Sop) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and Spike Receptor Protein. Pharmacokinetic analyses such as in-silicoADME, drug-likeness, PASS prediction, oral-bioavailability and bioactivity were carried out to screen the phytochemicals, 9 out of the 131 ligands satisfied the screening. A molecular docking approach was used to obtain the binding energies of the 9 ligands, and the result showed that Roseoside (−7.50 kcal/mol) and Coreximine (−7.0 kcal/mol) displayed the best docking score and have predicted to have stable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 main protease and Spike Glycoprotein. Data from this study could be further explored in developing multi-target drugs against SARS-CoV-2.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86011761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Nazrin, A. S. Norfarhana, R. A. Ilyas, S. M. Sapuan, A. Khalina, R. Syafiq, M. Huzaifah, A. Azmi, P. S. Khoo, A. H. Nordin, H. S. N. Hawanis, S. A. Hassan
Abstract Araucaria Araucana starch is a raw material with proven potential in obtaining biodegradable polymers. Plasticization improves the flexibility characteristics of starch-based films, however, they still tend to have low tensile strength and high hydrophilicity. The addition of nanocellulose is a technique to improve these characteristics. In this paper, the effects of adding different sources and concentrations of nanocellulose (NC) on the properties of thermoplastic Araucaria Araucana films are addressed. One can highlight, the main effects are the increase of tensile strength and transparency of the films along with the reduction of water vapor permeability and water solubility. Further studies involving the reinforcement of Araucaria Araucana starch and nanocellulose should be conducted to overcome the lack of information.
{"title":"Araucaria Araucana thermoplastic starch nanocomposite films reinforced with nanocellulose","authors":"A. Nazrin, A. S. Norfarhana, R. A. Ilyas, S. M. Sapuan, A. Khalina, R. Syafiq, M. Huzaifah, A. Azmi, P. S. Khoo, A. H. Nordin, H. S. N. Hawanis, S. A. Hassan","doi":"10.1515/psr-2022-0021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2022-0021","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Araucaria Araucana starch is a raw material with proven potential in obtaining biodegradable polymers. Plasticization improves the flexibility characteristics of starch-based films, however, they still tend to have low tensile strength and high hydrophilicity. The addition of nanocellulose is a technique to improve these characteristics. In this paper, the effects of adding different sources and concentrations of nanocellulose (NC) on the properties of thermoplastic Araucaria Araucana films are addressed. One can highlight, the main effects are the increase of tensile strength and transparency of the films along with the reduction of water vapor permeability and water solubility. Further studies involving the reinforcement of Araucaria Araucana starch and nanocellulose should be conducted to overcome the lack of information.","PeriodicalId":20156,"journal":{"name":"Physical Sciences Reviews","volume":"470 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74595430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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