Article history Submitted: 2022-12-26 Revised: 2023-01-06 Accepted: 2023-02-19 Available online: 2023-03-02 Manuscript ID: PCBR-2212-1241 DOI: 10.22034/pcbr.2023.378340.1241 A new series of 3-furan-2-yl-1-p-aryl-propenone derivatives containing imine moieties (1-7) were synthesized and characterized using spectral analysis. The synthesized derivatives were screened in vitro against several bacterial species, including Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative bacteria), and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) to study the effect of different imine moieties on the activity of (E)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, which represent the potent hit against different bacterial species. The synthesized compounds were found to exhibit modest to vigorous activity, especially compounds 1, 4, and 6-7. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of compound 1 and 6 against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus were determined. The anti-biofilm activity of the potent discovered compounds (1, 4, 6, and 7) against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus were also determined. Docking study of the best discovered hits against the active site of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, the antimicrobial target enzyme was achieved to explore the interactions of the synthesized hits inside the enzyme residues.

Lack of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter in the brain, causes diseases such as Parkinson. Therefore, in order to diagnose and prevent these diseases, it is important to accurately measure the amount of dopamine. Aptasensor is one of the most sensitive and selective measuring tools for this purpose. In this research, a modified electrochemical sensor (Apt-AMP/AuNPs-PRGO/GCE) by nanocomposite was designed for highly accurate and selective measurement of dopamine. The results of the experiment using FTIR, SEM, and CV methods show a very favourable modification of the electron surface. Methylene blue dye was used as an indicator in this experiment and the maximum concentration and interaction time for this dye were optimized at 50 µM and 15 minutes. The electrode designed using the DPV method was able to identify and measure dopamine with a detection limit of 120 pM and a very high sensitivity compared with other compounds with the same structure.

Clay minerals are eco-friendly adsorbent materials that are abundant in nature. The usage of nano-clay for the cleanup of contaminated water has grown recently due to its distinctive physicochemical properties and characteristics. Emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceutical residue, are not typically monitored in the environment and are not controlled in our wastewater. However, due to environmental dangers and their influence on human and aquatic life, removing pharmaceutical residues and their metabolites from wastewater has piqued attention. Several researchers have investigated the application of natural clay, clay-carbon, and clay-polymer composites, among others, to remove this specific pollutant. In addition, to enhance the adsorption efficiency of natural clay minerals, the adsorption sites can be improved by acid activation, thermal treatment, or incorporation of functional groups into the clay mineral layers, which have a strong affinity for the adsorption of pharmaceutical resides. The literature review findings show that modified clays are better adsorbents for the remediation of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater than natural clays and represent an economically viable and efficient option for the cleanup of wastewater containing this contaminant. Consequently, this review gives an inclusive overview of current trends in employing clay minerals for the remediation of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater and outlines the research gaps for future research.