Astragalin and rutin restore gut microbiota dysbiosis, alleviate obesity and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice

In the present study we investigated the impact of the combination of astragalin and rutin(CAR)on restoring gut-microbial dysbiosis and obesity and obesity related disorders.Randomized male C57BL/6J mice were experimentally divided into 5 groups and fed either a normal diet or a high-fat diet(HFD)for 16 weeks.Compared to vehicle treated group(HFD group),CAR could substantially improve selected gut microbiota abundance(Akkermansia,Lactobacillus,Bifidobacteria,Roseburia,Prevotella),reversed the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes proportions,and inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli,Salmonella,and Klebsiella in obese mice.In addition,CAR-treated mice showed significantly increased total short-chain fatty acid production,reduced body weight gain,organs’weights,serum lipid profile(except HDL)and insulin resistance.The mRNA expressions of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α(C/EBP-α),sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPAR-γ),acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC),adipocyte protein 2(aP2),and fatty acid synthase(FAS)were downregulated(P<0.05)and the protein expression of PPAR-γwas downregulated while adenosine 5’monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)was phosphorylated in CAR-treated HFD-fed mice compared to the HFD control group.Interestingly,CAR-treated HFD-fed mice showed significantly improved tissue architecture in the liver and fatty tissues.In conclusion,the findings suggest that CAR/Moringa oleifera may be beneficial in the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity disorders.

Phytotoxicity of cadmium on protein, proline and antioxidant enzyme activities in growing Arachis hypogaea L. seedlings

Phytotoxicity of cadmium on growing Arachis hypogaea L. seedlings was studied. Seeds were exposed to 25, 50, and 100 μmol/L CdCl2 concentrations, for a period of 10, 15, 20 and 25 d. The extent of damage to chlorophyll, protein, proline, nitrate and nitrite reductase, antioxidant enzyme activity in leaves and roots were evaluated after 10 d of cadmium stress. The higher concentration of cadmium （100 μmol/L） resulted （leaves and roots） total chlorophyll 91.01%, protein 79.51%, 83.61%, nitrate reductase 79.39%, 80.72% and nitrite reductase 77.07%, 75.88% activity decreased with increase in cadmium concentrations and exposure periods. Cadmium caused significant changes in the activity of antioxidative enzymes. Contrastingly Cd treated plant tissues showed an increase in proline 159.87%, 239.6%, gluthion reductase （GR） 337.72%, 306.14%, superoxide disumutase （SOD） 688.56%, 381.72%, ascorbate peroxidase （APX） 226.47%, 252.14%, peroxidase （POD） 72.19%, 60.29% and catalase （CAT） 228.96%, 214.74% as compared to control. Cadmium stress caused a significant increase in the rate of SOD activity in leaves and roots of plant species. Results show the crop A. hypogaea is highly sensitive even at very low cadmium concentrations.

A review of the effects of dietary organic acids fed to swine

Animal production depends on nutrient utilization and if done there is an accelerated momentum towards growth with a low cost to feed ratio Public concern over the consumption of pork with antibiotic residues of the animals fed with antibiotic growth promoters （AGP） has paved the way to use other additives like herbs and their products, probiotics, prebiotics etc. Numerous feed additives are in vogue for achieving this target and one such classical example is the usage of organic acids and their salts. Usage of organic acids was in progress for over four decades. Early weaned piglets are （3-4 weeks age） exposed to stress with a reduced feed intake, little or no weight gain. This post weaning lag period is due to a limited digestive and absorptive capacity due to insufficient production of hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes and sudden changes in feed consistency and intake. Lowering dietary pH by weak organic acids was found to overcome these problems. The main activity of organic acids is associated with a reduction in gastric pH converting the inactive pepsinogen to active pepsin for effective protein hydrolysis. Organic acids are both bacteriostatic and bactericidal. Lactic acid has been reported to reduce gastric pH and delay the multiplication of an enterotoxigenic E. coil These acids are the intermediary products in Kreb＇s cycle and thus act as an energy source preventing the tissue breakdown resulting from gluconeogenesis and lipolysis. Excretion of supplemental minerals and nitrogen are minimized with organic acids as these form complexes with minerals and aids for their bio-availability. Short chain fatty cids like acetic, propionic and n-butyric acid produced by microbial fermentation of dietary fibre in the large intestines may increase the proliferation of epithelial cells and have stimulatory effects on both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic secretions in pigs. Organic acids also enhances apparent total tract digestibility and improves growth performance. It is concluded that organic acids and their salts increase the protein utilization especially in weaner pigs and improves production indices.

Insecticidal,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of bulb extracts of Allium sativum

Objective:To evaluate the insecticidal,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of bulb extracts of Allium sativum(A.sativum).Methods:Dried bulbs of A.sativum were extracted with different solvents and evaluated for insecticidal,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.Results: Aqueous and methanol extracts showed highest insecticidal activity(mortality rate of 81%and 64%respectively) against the larvae of Spodoptera litura(S.litura) at a concentration of 1000 ppm.With regard to antimicrobial activity,aqueous extract exhibited antibacterial activity against gram positive(Bacillus subtilis,Staphylococcus aureu,) and gram negative(Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia) strains and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.While methanol extract showed antimicrobial activity against all the tested micro organisms except two(Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans),the extracts of hexane,chloroform and ethyl acetate did not show any anti microbial activity.Minimum inhibitory concentration of aqueous and methanol extracts against tested bacterial and fungal strains was 100-150μg/mL. Antioxidant activity of the bulb extracts was evaluated in terms of inhibition of free radicals by 2.2’-diphenly-l-picrylhydrazyl.Aqueous and methanol extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity(80%-90%of the standard).Conclusions:Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of A.sativum against the tested organisms therefore,provides scientific basis for its utilization in traditional and folk medicine.Also,our results demonstrated the insecticidal efficacy of A. sativum against S.litura,a polyphagous insect.

Simultaneous determination of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a human pharmacokinetic study

A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma.Irbesartan was used as an internal standard.The analytes were extracted from human plasma samples by solid-phase extraction technique using a Strata-X 33 mm polymeric sorbent.The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a C18 column by using a 80:20(v/v) mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.The calibration curves obtained were linear(rZ0.99) over the concentration range of 15-3000 ng/mL for pioglitazone and 5-608 ng/mL for candesartan.The results of the intra-and inter-day precision and accuracy studies were well within the acceptable limits.A run time of 2.7 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day.The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.

Simultaneous determination of telmisartan and amlodipine in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application in a human pharmacokinetic study

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric （LC-MS/MS） assay method has been developed and fully validated for the simultaneous quantification of telmisartan and amlodipine in human plasma. Carbamazepine was used as an internal standard. Analytes and the internal standard were extracted from human plasma by solid-phase extraction technique using Waters Oasis HLB 1 cm3 （30 mg） extraction cartridge. The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a Hypurity advance C18 column （50mm × 4.6mm, 5 gm） using a mixture of acetonitrile -5 mM ammonium acetate buffer （pH-4.0） （50：50, v/v） as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8mL/min. The calibration curve obtained was linear （r_〉0.99） over the concentration range of 2.01-400.06 ng/mL for telmisartan and 0.05 -10.01 ng/mL for amlodipine. Method validation was performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria. A run time of 2.5 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 400 human plasma samples per day. The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.

Prospects to the formation and control of potential dimer impurity E of pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate

Pantoprazole sodium, a substituted benzimidazole derivative, is an irreversible proton pump inhibitor which is primarily used for the treatment of duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The monographs of European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) specify six impurities, viz.;impurities A, B, C, D, E and F, respectively for its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The identification and synthesis of all impurities except impurity E are well described in the literature;however, there is no report related to impurity E. The prospects to the formation and controlling of impurity E up to -0.03% in the synthesis of pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate (PAN) were discussed in detail for the first time. The present work described the journey towards the successful development of an optimal preparation procedure of dimer impurity E. The most plausible mechanism involved in the formation of impurity E has been proposed.

Evaluation of anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant potential of an drographolide and echiodinin isolated from callus culture of Andrographis paniculata Nees

Objective:To evaluate the anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activity of and rographolide(AND)and echiodinin(ECH)of Andrographis paniculata.Methods:In this study,an attempt has been made to demonstrate the anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity of isolated AND and ECH by broth micro-dilution method and 2,2-dipheny l-2-picryl-hydrazyl(DPPH)assay,respectively.Structure elucidation was determined by electro-spray ionization-MSD,NMR(1H and13C)and IR spectra.Results:AND was effective against most of the strains tested including Mycobacterium smegmatis,showing broad spectrum of growth inhibition activity with Minimum inhibitory concentration values againstStaphylococcus aureus(100μg/mL),Streptococcus thermophilus(350μg/mL)Bacillus subtilis(100μg/mL),Escherichia coli(50μg/mL),Mycobacterium smegmatis(200μg/mL),Klebsiella pneumonia(100μg/mL),andPseudomonas aeruginosa(200μg/mL).ECH showed specific anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosaat a concentration higher than 225μg/mL.Both AND and ECH were not effective against the two yeast strains,Candida albicansand Saccharomyces cerevisiae tested in this study.Conclusion:This preliminary study showed promising anti-bacterial activity and moderate free radical scavenging activity of AND and ECH,and it may provide the scientific rationale for its popular folklore medicines.

铁苋菜叶提取物抑制大鼠实验性心肌缺血的生物化学和组织病理学研究(英文)

目的:研究富含类黄酮的热带铁苋菜叶的甲醇提取物抗心肌缺血的作用。方法:用异丙肾上腺素诱导大鼠心肌缺血。成年Wistar白化大鼠经热带铁苋菜提取物(100和200mg/kg大鼠体质量,口服)30d预处理后连续2d注射异丙肾上腺素(85mg/kg大鼠体质量,皮下注射)。第2次注射异丙肾上腺素后12h,肌肉注射氯胺酮(24mg/kg大鼠体质量)处死大鼠。检测血浆总胆固醇、三酰甘油、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、极低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、游离脂肪酸、磷脂质以及心肌脂质、肝脏脂质的含量,以衡量热带铁苋菜提取物的抗心肌缺血作用,同时观察大鼠心脏组织的组织病理学变化。结果:与模型组大鼠相比,所有热带铁苋菜提取物给药组(100和200mg/kg)大鼠的血浆脂质水平改善,且与正常组相比无明显变化。模型组大鼠心脏组织病理学结果显示心肌纤维缺失,广泛性心内膜下坏死,炎症细胞浸润,心肌细胞明显水肿,空泡变性。而经200mg/kg热带铁苋菜提取物预处理的大鼠心脏组织观察到较完整的心肌结构,心肌纤维可见,没有炎症细胞浸润、细胞水肿和坏死现象。结论:本研究的生化指标及组织学结果表明热带铁苋菜可抑制异丙肾上腺素诱导的大鼠心肌缺血。

Effect of Commiphora mukul gum resin on hepatic marker enzymes,lipid peroxidation and antioxidants status in pancreas and heart of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Objective:To study the antioxidant efficacy of Commiphora mukul(C.mukul) gum resin ethanolic extract in streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods:The male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight animals each:Control group(C),CM-treated control group(C_+CMEE),Diabetic control group(D),CM- treated diabetic group(D_+CMEE).Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ(55 mg/kg/ bwt).After being confirmed the diabetic rats were treated with C.mukul gum resin ethanolic extract(CMEE) for 60 days.The biochemical estimations like antioxidant,oxidative stress marker enzymes and hepatic marker enzymes of tissues were performed.Results:The diabetic rats showed increased level of enzymatic activities aspartate aminotransaminase(AST),alanine aminotransaminase(ALT) in liver and kidney and oxidative markers like lipid peroxidation(LPO) and protein oxidation(PO) in pancreas and heart. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly decreased in the pancreas and heart compared to control group.Administration of CMEE(200 mg/kg bw) to diabetic rats for 60 days significantly reversed the above parameters towards normalcy.Conclusions:In conclusion,our data indicate the preventive role of C.mukul against STZ-induced diabetic oxidative stress;hence this plant could be used as an adjuvant therapy for the prevention and/or management of diabetes and aggravated antioxidant status.

In vitro anti oxidant activity and acute oral toxicity of Terminalia paniculata bark ethanolic extract on Sprague Dawley rats

Objective:To ensure the safety and evaluate the anti oxidant activity of Terminalia paniculata(T.paniculata)ethanolic extract in Sprague Dawley rats.Methods:The solvent extracts(hexane,ethyl acetate and ethanol)of T.paniculata were subjected to phytochemical analysis and their DPPH radical scavenging activity was assayed.The oral acute toxicity was evaluated using ethanolic extract of T.paniculata.Results:Ethyl acetate and elhanolic extracts showed more phytochemicals,whereas highest DPPH scavenging activity was found in ethanolic extract.In an acute toxicity study,T.paniculata ethanolic extract was orally administered(1000 mg/kg body weight)to rats and observed for72 h for any toxic symptoms and the dose was continued up to 14 d.On the 15th day rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected from control and test animals and analyzed for some biochemical parameters.We did not observe any behavioral changes in test groups in comparison with their controls.Also,there were no significant alterations in biochemical,hematological(hemoglobin content and blood cells count)and liver function parameters such as serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase,serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase,alkaline phosphatase,total proteins,albumin and bilirubin levels between T.paniculata ethanolic extract treated and normal control groups.Conclusions:Together our results demonstrated that T.paniculala ethanolic possessed potent antioxidant activity and it was safer and non toxic to rats even at higher doses and therefore could be well considered for further investigation for its medicinal and therapeutic efficacy.

Functional analysis and screening small molecules to RpfF protein in Xanthomonas oryzae involved in rice bacterial blight disease

Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo) is an important rice pathogen.This is a vascular pathogen entering the plant via the hydathodes causing rice bacterial blight.It has been known that most regulation of pathogenicity factor F(RpfF) genes in Xanthomonas regulates virulence in response to the diffusible signal factor(DSF).The RpfF recognized as an attractive drug target in bacterial rice blight disease.In this study,we performed the gene-gene interaction of RpfF and pathway functional analysis.3 D structure of RpfF protein was predicted using a homology modelling tool Swiss-Model and refined by molecular dynamics(MD) simulation.The refined model protein was predicted structural assessment using various tools such as PROCHECK,ERRAT,and VERIFY-3 D.We have collected 2 500 rifampicin analogues from Zinc Database by virtual screening.The screened compounds were docked into the active site of the RpfF protein using AutoDock Vina in PyRx Virtual Screening Tool.Furthermore,docking result and in silico ADMET analysis described that the compounds ZINC03056414,ZINC03205310,ZINC08673779,ZINC09100848,ZINC09729566,ZINC11415953,ZINC12810788,ZINC24989313,ZINC27441787 and ZINC32739565 have best binding energies and less toxicity than reference compound.This study revealed that the active site residues such as HIS-118,HIS-147,THR-148,ARG-179,ASP-207,ARG-240 and THR-244 are key roles in the pathogenicity.It could be beneficial in the design of small molecule therapeutics or the treatment of rice bacterial blight disease.

Sperm DNA fragmentation does not affect the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an ICSI cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic male patients

Objective:To know whether sperm DNA fragmentation(SDF)affects the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males.Methods:The study included 252 couples who underwent their first ICSI cycles along with blastocyst transfer and whose male partner semen samples were normozoospermic according to the World Health Organization 2010 criteria.All the couples were classified into two groups based on the SDF:the low SDF group(SDF≤30%,n=162)and the high SDF group(SDF>30%,n=90).Clinical as well as laboratory outcomes were correlated between the two groups.Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed on the post-wash semen samples by acridine orange test.The main outcome measures were the live birth rate and miscarriage rate.Results:A significant decrease in the live birth rates was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group in fresh embryo transfer cycles(P<0.05).However,no significant difference was observed in the clinical outcomes either in the frozen embryo transfer cycles or in the overall cumulative transfer cycles(P>0.05).No significant difference was observed in the laboratory outcomes between the two SDF groups.A remarkable decrease in sperm motility was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group(P<0.05).Conclusions:Sperm DNA fragmentation does not affect the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an ICSI cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males.

Phytochemical Evaluation and <i>in Vitro</i>Antibacterial Activity of <i>Sphaeranthus indicus</i>(L.)—An Important Antijaundice Medicinal Plant

An investigation was carried out to study the antibacterial activity of Sphaeranthus indicus from leaf, stem and root extracts by the sequential cold maceration method against selected laboratory bacterial pathogens such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida by the agar well diffusion method. Zone of inhibition measured (mm) was compared with standard antibiotics such as Tetracycline, Erythromycin and Ampicillin. The organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether, chloroform as well as distilled water extracts were employed. Among all the extracts, tested ethanolic leaf extracts have showed more antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Phytochemical screening methods were also done to identify the major secondary metabolites in the present species such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids and tannins. This study concluded that Sphaeranthus indicus had the sufficient antibacterial activity due to the presence of various secondary metabolites.

Growth, Microstructure and Electrochemical Properties of RF Sputtered LiMn₂O₄Thin Films on Au/Polyimide Flexible Substrates

LiMn2O4 thin films are deposited on gold coated polyimide flexible substrates using RF magnetron sputtering technique maintained at a moderate substrate temperature of 300℃. The films exhibited characteristic peaks with predominant (111) orientation representing cubic spinel structure of Fd3m symmetry with an evaluated lattice parameter of 8.199 ?. The surface topography of films exhibited pyramidal shaped grains oriented vertical to the substrate surface with root mean square surface roughness of 90 nm. The Pt/LiMn2O4 electrochemical cell in aqueous region exhibited two step de-insertion and insertion kinetics of Li ion during oxidation and reduction reaction with an initial discharge capacity of 36 μAh?cm_2?μm_1.

Biosorption of Cd (II), Cr (VI) &Pb (II) from Aqueous Solution Using <i>Mirabilis jalapa</i>as Adsorbent

Mirabilis jalapa (chandrakantha) leaves were used as a biosorbent for the removal of toxic metals ions cadmium (II), chromium (VI) and lead (II) from water. The physiochemical properties of the developed biosorbent were studied using FTIR. The efficiency of this developed biosorbent was tested using batch experiments under controlled conditions such as a function of pH, contact time, initial metal concentration and the optimization amount of biosorbent. The residual metallic ion concentrations of cadmium (II), chromium (VI) and lead (II) were determined using AAS. The biosorption capacity of Mirabilis jalapa was found to be pH dependant and the percentage removal of cadmium (II), chromium (VI) and lead (II) was increased with increasing adsorbate solution pH and a maximum value was reached at an equilibrium pH = 6 for cadmium (II), pH = 5.5 for chromium (VI) and pH 4.5 for lead (II) respectively. The equilibrium time required for the saturation loading of cadmium (II), chromium (VI) and lead (II) in the biosorbent was found to be about 120 min. The obtained equilibrium biosorption data was fitted to the linear forms of Freundlich isotherms. The results proved the efficiency of Mirabilis jalapa leaves powder as biosorbent for the removal of metal ions and it can be used for the development of an efficient, clean and novel technology for waste water treatment.

Salicylic Acid Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity in Tomato Seedlings (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) through Activation of Antioxidant Defense System and Proline Biosynthesis

The aim of this work was to evaluate the alleviating efficacy of salicylic acid (100, 250 and 500 μM) against the toxic effects of aluminum (Al) on two tomato cultivars (GOWRI and SIRI) differing in their sensitivity to Al stress. Al treatment (500 μM) caused 40% - 80% drop in plant growth, relative water content (RWC) and cell viability and a reduction of 1 - 2.5 fold and 0.5 - 2 fold in glutathione and proline content respectively, when compared to their control plants grown in Al free medium. Al treatment also resulted in 2 - 5 fold raise in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, 2 - 3 fold higher Al uptake and 55% - 80% more electrolyte leakage and caused severe DNA damage. Al stress enhanced (1 - 2 fold) the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), but decreased catalase (CAT) activity over their respective controls. Exogenously-applied Salicylic acid (SA) significantly (p < 0.05) and dose-dependently alleviated Al-induced toxicity in tomato seedlings as marked by much improved plant growth, retention of higher RWC, cell viability, glutathione and proline content. SA also caused 0.6 - 1.5 fold reduction in Al uptake, 50% - 80% less electrolyte leakage, 40% - 80% drop in lipid peroxidation and considerable protection against DNA damage. Also, supplementation of SA could considerably reverse the Al-induced changes in the activities of SOD, POD and CAT. Together, our findings demonstrate that, SA is an efficient growth regulator with diversified roles that contribute to its potential alleviating effect against Al induced toxicity and SIRI is a relatively Al-resistant cultivar compared to GOWRI.

An Appraisal of Land Use/Land Cover Change Scenario of Tummalapalle, Cuddapah Region, India—A Remote Sensing and GIS Perspective

The study was aimed at appraising the changing land use/land cover scenario of Tummalapalle region in Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh using Remote sensing data and GIS technology. The region is considered as it has rich uranium reserves and is experiencing a remarkable expansion in recent times. The land use/land cover change analysis was carried out using IRS P6 LISS-III and LANDSAT-8 OLI multitemporal data pertaining to the years 2006 and 2016. The image classification resulted in five major land use/land cover classes namely built-up, agricultural, forest, wasteland and water bodies. The study noticed that the areas under built-up and agricultural classes are found increased from 0.94 km2 (0.84%) to 2.75 km2 (2.44%) and 61.68 km2 (54.84%) to 63.91 km2 (56.82%), respectively during 2006-2016. Area under forest, wasteland and water bodies are found decreased considerably from 3.09 km2 (2.75%) to 0.86 km2 (0.76%), 43.71 km2 (38.56%) to 42.60 km2 (37.88%) and 3.05 km2 (2.71%) to 2.35 km2 (2.09%), respectively. The study recommends development of industrial based economy by optimally utilizing the existing land resource (scrub and wasteland classes) and simultaneously extending the agricultural practices to other possible areas to make them more productive.

Recent progress on MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures:A new era in coordination chemistry for energy storage and conversion

The development of urbanization and industrialization leads to rapid depletion of fossil fuels.Therefore,the production of fuel from renewable resources is highly desired.Electrotechnical energy conversion and storage is a benign technique with reliable output and is eco-friendly.Developing an exceptional electrochemical catalyst with tunable properties like a huge specific surface area,porous channels,and abundant active sites is critical points.Recently,Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)and two-dimensional(2D)transition-metal carbides/nitrides(MXenes)have been extensively investigated in the field of electrochemical energy conversion and storage.However,advances in the research on MOFs are hampered by their limited structural stability and conventionally low electrical conductivity,whereas the practical electrochemical performance of MXenes is impeded by their low porosity,inadequate redox sites,and agglomeration.Consequently,researchers have been designing MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures to overcome the limitations in electrochemical energy conversion and storage.This review explores the recent advances in MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures design strategies,tailoring their properties based on the morphologies(0D,1D,2D,and 3D),and broadening their future opportunities in electrochemical energy storage(batteries,supercapacitors)and catalytic energy conversion(HER,OER,and ORR).The intercalation of MOF in between the MXene layers in the nanoarchitectures functions synergistically to address the issues associated with bare MXene and MOF in the electrochemical energy storage and conversion.This review gives a clear emphasis on the general aspects of MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures,and the future research perspectives,challenges of MOF/MXene design strategies and electrochemical applications are highlighted.

Photoluminescence and Energy Transfer Process in Bi³⁺/Sm³⁺Co-Doped Phosphate Zinc Lithium Glasses

Present paper reports on luminescence characteristics of individually doped Bi3+: PZL, Sm3+: PZL and co-doped (Bi3+/Sm3+): PZL (50P2O5-30ZnO-20LiF) glasses prepared by a melt quenching method. The results revealed that Bi3+: PZL glass exhibited a broad emission peak at 440 nm (3P1→1S0) under excitation wavelength 300 nm (1S0→3P1). Sm3+: PZL doped glass has shown a prominent orange emission at 601 nm (4G5/2→6H7/2) with an excitation wavelength 403 nm (6H5/2→4F7/2). Later on Bi3+ is added to Sm3+: PZL glass by increasing its concentrations from 0.1 - 1.5 mol%. By co-doping Bi3+ to Sm3+: PZL glass, Sm3+ emission intensity has been considerably enhanced till 1.0 mol% due to energy transfer from Bi3+ to Sm3+ and when its concentration exceeds this critical value (1.0 mol%) there has been a drastic decrease in Sm3+ emission which is explained accordingly from photoluminescence spectra, energy level diagram and lifetime measurements.