Appl. Biosci., Volume 1, Issue 1 (June 2022) – 6 articles

In this brief Opinion paper, the term “muco-microbiotic layer” is introduced to describe the innermost layer of the intestinal wall. This layer may contribute not only to the overall health of the bowel, but also to that of extraintestinal organs. Its constituents, in terms of soluble molecules and nanovesicles, need to be studied further. Moreover, one can hypothesize the existence of an analogous layer in other organs, such as the airways or some parts of the genital tracts. Further studies on it are needed. Full article

Bryophytes are a poorly studied group of land plants that have been used in traditional medicine as a multipurpose remedy for centuries. Due to their peculiar morphology and physiology, bryophytes synthesise a multitude of secondary metabolites with a wide range of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical activities. Research has highlighted that secondary metabolites in bryophytes can also act as antitumour agents. Several studies have shown that bryophyte extracts and pure metabolites are cytotoxic against many cancer cell lines. Interestingly, some of these molecules and their derivatives are capable of acting on a specific target in cancer cells. Some macrocyclic(bis)bibenzyls from bryophytes can inhibit P-glycoprotein, reverting multidrug resistant cancer cell phenotypes, induce depolymerization of tubulin, stimulate apoptotic pathways, and inhibit angiogenesis. This brief review aims to collect recent knowledge on secondary metabolites of bryophytes and their derivatives, which have demonstrated an interaction with different molecular processes in cancer cells. Full article

Functionalized pyrazole-urea scaffolds are a common type II chemotype for the inhibition of protein kinases (PKs), binding simultaneously into the ATP-binding pocket with an ATP bioisostere and into a vicinal allosteric pocket with a pyrazole group. Standard approaches to the scaffold require multi-step synthesis of the ATP bioisostere followed by phosgene or triphosgene-mediated coupling with the substituted pyrazole group. Here we report an expedient approach to the chemotype, characterized by an optimized MW-assisted Suzuki coupling on easily accessed bromo-phenyl pyrazole ureas. The new protocol allowed quick access a large library of target analogues covering a broad chemical space of putative protein kinases inhibitors (PKIs). Full article

European caves contain some of the world’s greatest Paleolithic paintings, and their conservation is at risk due to the use of artificial lighting. Both lighting and high CO₂ promotes the growth of phototrophic organisms on walls, speleothems and ground sediments. In addition, the combined effect of increases in CO₂, vapor concentration and temperature variations induced by visitors can directly affect the development of corrosion processes on the cave rock surfaces. An early detection of the occurrence of phototrophic biofilms on Paleolithic paintings is of the utmost importance, as well as knowing the microorganisms involved in the colonization of rocks and walls. Knowledge of the colonizing species and their ecology will allow the adoption of control measures. However, this is not always possible due to the limited amount of biomass available for molecular analyses. Here, we present an alternative approach to study faint green biofilms of Chlorophyta in the initial stage of colonization on the Polychrome Panel in El Castillo Cave, Cantabria, Spain. The study of the biofilms collected on the rock art panel and in the ground sediments revealed that the lighting of the cave promoted the development of the green algae Jenufa and Coccomyxa, as well as of complex prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities, including amoebae, their endoparasites and associated bacteria and fungi. The enrichment method used is proposed as a tool to overcome technical constraints in characterizing biofilms in the early stages, allowing a preliminary characterization before deciding for direct or indirect interventions in the cave. Full article

Cellulose, a linear polysaccharide, is the most common and renewable biopolymer in nature. Because this natural polymer cannot be melted (heated) or dissolved (in typical organic solvents), making complicated structures from it necessitates specialized material processing design. In this review, we looked at the literature to see how cellulose in various shapes and forms has been utilized in conjunction with microfluidic chips, whether as a component of the chips, being processed by a chip, or providing characterization via chips. We utilized more than approximately 250 sources to compile this publication, and we sought to portray cellulose manufacturing utilizing a microfluidic system. The findings reveal that a variety of products, including elongated fibres, microcapsules, core–shell structures and particles, and 3D or 2D structured microfluidics-based devices, may be easily built utilizing the coupled topics of microfluidics and cellulose. This review is intended to provide a concise, visual, yet comprehensive depiction of current research on the topic of cellulose product design and understanding using microfluidics, including, but not limited to, paper-based microfluidics design and implications, and the emulsification/shape formation of cellulose inside the chips. Full article