Ptolemy Journal of Chemistry (PJC)

The present study investigates the phytochemical composition and biopesticidal efficacy of bark extracts from four medicinal plants—Terminalia arjuna, Neltuma juliflora, Saraca asoca, and Cinnamomum verum—against the stored-grain pest Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Bark samples were taxonomically authenticated, extracted using standardized protocols, and subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening, revealing abundant alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, and other secondary metabolites. GC–MS profiling, supported by retention time, fragmentation patterns, and library match scores, identified several bioactive constituents, with T. arjuna and N. juliflora displaying the highest diversity and peak abundance. Repellency and toxicity bioassays, conducted with three independent replicates, demonstrated a significant concentration- and time-dependent response. One-way ANOVA followed by LSD post-hoc analysis confirmed statistically significant differences among treatments, while probit analysis provided LC₅₀ values with 95% confidence intervals, establishing T. arjuna as the most potent extract. In-silico molecular docking further highlighted compounds such as ellagic acid, catechin, quercetin, and luteolin as strong binders to key insect enzymatic targets, showing interaction energies comparable to or exceeding those of the synthetic insecticide malathion. Collectively, the integrated chemical, biological, and computational evidence underscores the promise of T. arjuna and N. juliflora bark extracts as effective, biodegradable, and environmentally safe biopesticide candidates. The findings support further purification, SAR-guided optimization, and field-scale validation of the active compounds for sustainable pest-management applications.

A series of novel substituted benzaldehyde derivatives of 4-Amino-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (4A7HPP), designated as compounds 1a–1d, were synthesized under microwave irradiation, providing a safe, cost-effective, and efficient alternative to conventional procedures. The condensation of 4A7HPP with hydroxybenzaldehyde analogues in DMF afforded the corresponding imine derivatives in high yields (71.54–85.02%) with reduced reaction time and solvent consumption. The synthesized compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, FT-IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, confirming the presence of characteristic azomethine (–CH=N–) and aromatic proton signals. The compounds exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC: 7.5–28 mm), surpassing the standard drug streptomycin. Notably, antifungal evaluation against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated activity up to 2.5 times greater than fluconazole. Molecular docking studies performed against target proteins—S. aureus DHFR (PDB ID: 2W9H), E. coli DHFR (PDB ID: 1RX2), and C. albicans ERG11 (PDB ID: 5TZ1)—revealed stronger binding affinities for compounds 1b and 1d (−8.3 to −9.0 kcal mol⁻¹) compared with reference ligands, supported by low RMSD values (0.655–0.785 Å). Brine shrimp lethality bioassay indicated moderate cytotoxicity (LD₅₀: 3.50–8.50 × 10⁻⁴ M). ADME analysis suggested favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, high gastrointestinal absorption, and compliance with Lipinski’s rule of five. These results highlight compounds 1a–1d as potential lead molecules for the development of new antimicrobial and antifungal agents, warranting further biological and pharmacological investigations.

A series of novel 2-methyl-5-[2-(substituted)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (6a–6i) was synthesized via a multi-step protocol starting from commercially available salicylic acid (1). The initial esterification of salicylic acid using thionyl chloride and ethanol at 80 °C for 12 h yielded ethyl 2-hydroxybenzoate (2), which was subsequently converted to 2-hydroxybenzohydrazide (3) upon treatment with hydrazine monohydrate in ethanol at 80 °C for 2 h. Acetylation of intermediate 3 with acetic anhydride afforded N’-acetyl-2-hydroxybenzoate (4), which was reacted with various halo compounds (4a–4i) to produce a series of N’-acetyl-2-(substituted)oxybenzohydrazides (5a–5i). These key intermediates were cyclized using triphenylphosphine, triethylamine, carbon tetrachloride, and acetonitrile at 100 °C for 1 h to furnish the final oxadiazole derivatives (6a–6i). The compounds were purified using appropriate chromatographic techniques and fully characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FTIR, and mass spectrometry. Biological screening of the synthesized compounds revealed that several derivatives, particularly 6c, 6d, and 6g, exhibited promising antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Notably, compound 6a demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against HeLa cancer cells. Molecular docking studies further supported the biological potential of the compounds, with 6e displaying a high docking score of –5.66 kcal/mol.

Shea butter is a natural moisturizer used to improve skin health. This study investigates its effects on skin barrier function, hy-dration, and lipid profile, using analytical chemistry methodologies. Trans-Epithelial Water Loss (TEWL), corneometry, im-pedance spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to assess skin barrier function, hydra-tion, and lipid profile after shea butter application. Results show that TEWL decreased by 37.8% after 24 hours (p < 0.01), Skin hydration increased by 58% after 24 hours (p< 0.001). Impedance spectroscopy showed a 33% increase in skin imped-ance, GC-MS analysis revealed a balanced fatty acid composition in shea butter, ceramide profiling showed six subclasses, with Ceramide 1 and 2 being the most abundant. The results demonstrate shea butter's efficacy in improving skin barrier func-tion, hydration, and lipid profile. The rapid decrease in TEWL and increase in skin hydration suggest immediate effects on skin lipids. Shea butter's fatty acid composition contributes to its moisturizing and barrier-enhancing properties. This study provides evidence for the benefits of shea butter in maintaining healthy skin. Its natural moisturizing properties make it a valuable in-gredient in skincare products.

Medicinal plant’s quality and safety are becoming a great interest topic worldwide, especially due to contamination with heavy metals. The main objective of this study is to determine the phytochemical composition and quantify the concentration of heavy metals, trace and macro elements in fourteen medicinal plants purchased in the Central Market of San Salvador. Samples were dried and fractionated, subsequently digested and analyzed at first by phytochemical screening and then by atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration of twelve elements was determined, only Matricaria chamomilla exceeded the established World Health Organization limit for Cd and Cu. Acourtia nudicaulis and Turnera diffusa exceeded the permitted concentration of Ni. The concentration of these elements must be inspected in medicinal plants sold in the informal markets of El Salvador to ensure the safety and quality. To our knowledge, this is the first study of heavy metals in medicinal plants conducted in El Salvador.

Due to the beneficial effects of anthocyanins on plants, animals and human beings, they have become the most interesting topic of research for scientists. They are being used in food industry as well as in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Anthocyanins are present in red, blue, orange, purple, violet and intermediate color mostly. They are non-hazardous natural pigments that have positive impact on human health. They occur in nature since the evolution of flowering plants on earth. As humans were wild in ancient times, they consumed their large concentration through their diet and human digestive system is very active for their digestion. In this review, the chemistry and impact of anthocyanins on human health is discussed briefly.

Banana is a commercially and nutritionally important food crop worldwide and is affected by several fungal diseases. The most important post-harvest disease is fruit rotting. Fruit rot is responsible for significant losses in banana. The present study was therefore, designed to isolate and explore the mycoflora associated with banana fruit rot. For this, infected samples were grown on different media to obtain pure cultures of isolated fungal pathogens. Identifications were made initially on morphological basis and then confirmed by genetic analysis. A comprehensive study of micro and macroscopic features revealed four Aspergillus species with two of Aspergillus fumigatus, one of Aspergillus flavus and one of Aspergillus niger. Genetic analysis by Nucleotide sequence analysis of ITS region of rDNA was performed. The sequence alignment of two different isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus showed 99% homology to different strains deposited in Genbank i.e., 004(KU321562.1), SK1(KM207771.1), and 98% homology to AHBR16(KF305755.1),  SF8(KX011021.1).

The anthelmintic properties and composition of an Italian traditional anthelmintic remedy based on a red algae mixture (RAE) was assessed using the egg hatch test (EHT). The ability of different dilutions \((1.0, 5.0, 50,\) or \(100%)\) of RAE was determined and compared with the positive and negative controls against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) of donkeys. The experiment was performed in triplicate. Data were analysed using the ANOVA and Tukey test. In the mixture, Palisada tenerrima, Laurencia intricata and Laurencia spp. red algae were identified. The $100\%$ RAE was able to totally inhibit the egg hatch, showing an efficacy comparable \((P < 0.05)\) to that of the reference drug \((98.7%)\). An egg hatch reduction of \(89.5, 43.7\), and \(23.4%\) was observed at \(50, 5\) and \(1%\) dilutions, respectively. In conclusion, RAE was able to inhibit the egg hatch of GIN of donkeys in a concentration-dependent manner with a correlation coefficient \((R2)\) of $0.968$, corroborating with its anthelmintic effect.

In this research, we reported facile synthesis of efficient \(Ni_3Fe\) electrocatalyst nanostructures deposited on conducting carbon fibers surface by a simple chemical bath deposition method at moderate temperature. The composition, phase and electrocatalytic property of as-prepared binder-free electrocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and electrochemical measurements. The as-synthesized \(Ni_3Fe@t-CF\) presented excellent performance and durability as water oxidation electrocatalyst in alkaline electrolyte owing to non-segregated deposition of \(Ni_3Fe\) nanostructures on conducting surface of carbon, high electrochemical surface area, and the fast absorption and desorption of water molecules during oxygen evolution reaction due to the \(3D\) architecture of conducting interlaced carbon fibers template.

Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae) “Cannonball tree” is a tropical plant with ethnobotanical uses. The present study is focused on analyzing the essential oil composition of Couroupita guianensis (C. guianensi) fresh flowers collected in El Salvador. Steam distillation, coupled with GC/FID and GC/MS analysis were employed to characterize the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity study were carried out using DPPH assay. Eugenol was identified to be the most abundant constituent and quantified as \(46.20\)% of the total volatiles. Other constituents were found to be \(2\)-phenylethanol \((34.82\)%), \((E)-(E)\)-farnesol \((5.53\)%), nerol \((3.95\)%), geraniol \((3.20\)%), benzyl alcohol \((1.77\)%). \(DPPH\) assay showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity. The study demonstrated that C. guianensis essential oil from El Salvador is a rich source of eugenol, which may be responsible for its antioxidant properties. Based on these results, further studies on the antibacterial and antifungal activity of C. guianensis essential oil are of fundamental importance.