Journal of Chemistry
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Acceptance rate20%
Submission to final decision115 days
Acceptance to publication15 days
CiteScore5.100
Journal Citation Indicator0.400
Impact Factor3.0

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Journal of Chemistry has been accepted into Food Science & Technology Abstracts.

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Journal of Chemistry publishes original research articles as well as review articles on all aspects of fundamental and applied chemistry, including biological, environmental, forensic, inorganic, organic, physical and theoretical.

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Journal of Chemistry maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.

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We currently have a number of Special Issues open for submission. Special Issues highlight emerging areas of research within a field, or provide a venue for a deeper investigation into an existing research area.

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Research Article

Antibacterial Mechanisms of Constituents from Galla chinensis Revealed by Experimental and Virtual Screening-Based Studies

Many traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been confirmed to have antibacterial activities. However, very few substances have been found to be active against Gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to identify antimicrobial activity substances against Gram-negative bacteria from fourteen TCMs. Fourteen TCMs with antibacterial potential were chosen for quantitative extraction and antibacterial activity assay, and the plant with the highest activity against Escherichia coli was selected to construct the component-target network. The following virtual screening and enzyme inhibition experiments were performed to analyse the antibacterial mechanisms of the compounds from Galla chinensis. The chemical constituents of Galla chinensis were identified by chemical fingerprinting. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) from Galla chinensis exhibited significant inhibition activity against adenylyl transferase (ATase) of E. coli and antibacterial activity against E. coli. Meanwhile, PGG was identified in the Galla chinensis ethanol extract as the abundant ingredient with a high content of 1.95% (w/w). PGG enriched in Galla chinensis is a promising natural antibiotic with the mode of action inhibiting ATase activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study attributing the antibacterial activity of PGG to its affinity with ATase.

Research Article

Effect of Ripening and Extraction Method on the Physicochemical Properties of Pectin Extracted from Peels of Apem and Apantu Plantain Cultivars in Ghana

Fruit waste has emerged as a significant environmental issue in recent years, adding to the global burden. In Ghana, the extensive use of plantains at various stages of ripeness results in substantial waste during each processing stage, leading to disposal challenges. Interestingly, these wastes often hold considerable economic value and can be repurposed as a source of valuable raw materials or products. Given the broad range of uses for plantains and the significant pollution problems associated with their processing, finding new uses for this organic waste has become a pressing necessity. This study investigated the impact of the method of extraction and ripening stages on the physicochemical characteristics of pectin obtained from two different cultivars of plantains, namely, Apem (M) and Apantu (T), which are indigenous to Ghana. Pectin samples were extracted from different stages of ripening (matured-green (G), half-ripe (H), and full-ripe (R)) by the utilization of acidic (D) and alkaline (L) extraction methods. The analyses conducted on the extracted pectin included proximate composition and moisture content determination, assessment of mineral/elemental composition, and solubility testing. Phytochemical investigations were performed to determine the phytoconstituents present in these pectin extracts. The pectin samples were characterized by determining their equivalent weight, methoxyl and anhydrouronic acid content, and the degree of esterification. The pectin yields obtained from the samples ranged from 10.01% to 46.55%. The moisture levels of all the pectins were below 20%. All pectin samples had swelling indexes between 37.5 ± 0.01% and 185.71 ± 0.02%. The equivalent weight (EW) of the pectin samples ranged from 1351.00 ± 0.6 g/mol to 10000.00 ± 0.07 g/mol. The methoxyl content (MeO) fell within the range of 6.2 ± 0.07% to 14.88 ± 0.14%, while the anhydrouronic acid content (AUA) varied between 38.72 ± 0.28% and 86.59 ± 0.21%. The degree of esterification (DE) ranged from 81.22 ± 0.21% to 97.56 ± 0.14%. Furthermore, the result of the micronutrient and mineral analysis indicated compliance with nutritional requirements. The levels of heavy metals were also within acceptable thresholds, thereby adhering to existing regulatory requirements. These findings highlight the significance of both the extraction technique and the ripening stage on the physicochemical properties of the extracted pectins. Generally, the extracted pectins possess excellent nutritional quality and physicochemical properties, rendering them a very valuable resource that holds promising potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Research Article

Multistaged In Silico Discovery of the Best SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors amongst 3009 Clinical and FDA-Approved Compounds

As a follow-up to our teamwork’s former work against SARS-CoV-2, eight compounds (ramelteon (68), prilocaine (224), nefiracetam (339), cyclandelate (911), mepivacaine (2325), ropivacaine (2351), tasimelteon (2384), and levobupivacaine (2840)) were revealed as the best potentially active SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors targeting the main protease (PDB ID: 5R84), Mpro. The compounds were named in the midst of 3009 FDA and clinically approved compounds employing a multistaged in silico method. A molecular fingerprints study with GWS, the cocrystallized ligand of the Mpro, indicated the resemblance of 150 candidates. Consequently, a structure similarity experiment disclosed the best twenty-nine analogous. Then, molecular docking studies were done against the Mpro active site and showed the binding of the best compounds. Next, a 3D-pharmacophore study confirmed the obtained results for the eight compounds by exhibiting relative fit values of more than 90% (except for 68, 74%, and 2384, 83%). Levobupivacaine (2840) showed the most accurate docking and pharmacophore scores and was picked for further MD simulations experiments (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, and H-H bonding) over 100 ns. The MD simulations results revealed the accurate binding as well as the optimum dynamics of the Mpro-levobupivacaine complex. Finally, MM-PBSA studies were conducted and indicated the favorable bonding of the Mpro-levobupivacaine complex with a free energy value of −235 kJ/mol. The fulfilled outcomes hold out hope of beating COVID-19 through more in vitro and in vivo research for the named compounds.

Research Article

Design and In Silico and In Vitro Evaluations of a Novel Nicotinamide Derivative as a VEGFR-2 Inhibitor

A new nicotinamide derivative, (E)-N-(4-(1-(2-(4-benzamidobenzoyl)hydrazone)ethyl)phenyl)nicotinamide, was designed as a VEGFR-2 inhibitor. Utilizing the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the three-dimensional structure of the designed compound was determined, shedding light on its stability and reactivity. Molecular docking revealed its capability to inhibit VEGFR-2, which was further supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirming its binding to the target protein. In addition, molecular mechanics-generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA), protein-ligand interactions profiler (PLIP), and essential dynamics studies provided further validation of the compound’s precise binding with optimal energy. Then, the “compound 10” was synthesized and subjected to in vitro assays. Compound 10 inhibited VEGFR-2 with an IC50 value of 105.4 ± 0.896 nM, comparing sorafenib’s IC50 value of 61.65 ± 0.934 nM. Besides, it exhibited cytotoxicity against HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 35.78 ± 0.863 μM and 57.62 μM ± 0.871, comparing sorafenib’s IC50 values of 5.95 ± 0.917 μM and 8.45 ± 0.912 μM. Furthermore, compound 10 demonstrated a lower level of toxicity towards Vero cell lines, with an IC50 value of 127.3 μM. Likewise, compound 10 induced apoptosis in HepG2 cell lines through a flow cytometric analysis in addition to an increase in the levels of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Moreover, compound 10 hindered the migration and healing abilities of HepG2 cells. In conclusion, our study positions compound 10 as a promising candidate for further chemical modifications and biological evaluations.

Research Article

Sea Urchin-Like MnO2/Biomass Carbon Composite Electrode Material for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Manganese oxide materials for high-performance supercapacitors are as popular electrode materials of energy storage devices based on their high theoretical capacitance. However, its development is limited by its poor electrical conductivity and insufficient contact surface area, which causes the supercapacitor to fail to achieve its theoretical specific capacitance. In this paper, unique sea urchin-like MnO2/biomass carbon (BC) composite materials were prepared for supercapacitors, showing the lower resistance compared with pure MnO2, which possesses superior electrochemical performance due to the advances in outstanding electrical conductivity. The single electrode test results show that the composite material achieves a specific capacitance of 205.5 F·g−1 at the current density of 0.5 A·g−1; with the current density increasing by a factor of 20, the supercapacitor loaded with this composite still retained 63.2% of its initial capacitance, showing its high rate performance. Meanwhile, the constructed asymmetric supercapacitor can change the color of electrochromic devices and drive the light of electrochemiluminescent devices, indicating its promising application. This work provided a promising route for the rational construction of multiple dimensioned high-performance electrode materials for use in new energy storage devices.

Research Article

Antioxidant and Neuroproliferative Effects of THL-3-PTD5 Peptide Derived from Hydramacin-1 Antimicrobial Peptide

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by reduced dopamine levels in the brain, affecting over 6 million people worldwide. While current treatments for patients primarily focus on symptom relief, there is a necessity for the development of novel therapeutic agents due to the presence of side effects and declining effectiveness. Functional peptides, known for their high selectivity, specificity, and diverse bioactivities, have shown the potential to develop therapeutic candidates for neurodegenerative diseases. Notably, the macin family of proteins exhibits potent antimicrobial activity and nerve repair effects. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activity and neuroproliferative effects of a series of truncated peptides (THL, THL-1, THL-2, and THL-3) derived from the C-terminal sequence of hydramacin-1. Results showed that THL-3 exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (EC50 of 22.5 μM) in ABTS-radical scavenging assays, with amino acid residues Cys5, Pro6, Leu7, Lys9, and Lys10 playing critical roles in its activity. Upon conjugation with the cell-penetrating PTD5 peptide to form THL-3-PTD5, it exhibited a significant dose-dependent neuroproliferative effect, increasing the viability of SH-SY5Y cells by 118% at 100 μM. However, it did not exhibit neuroprotective effects under in vitro conditions of oxidative stress induced by an exogenous oxidizing agent. This study suggests that THL-3-PTD5 may serve as a potential candidate for developing therapeutic agents against neurodegenerative diseases.

Journal of Chemistry
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate20%
Submission to final decision115 days
Acceptance to publication15 days
CiteScore5.100
Journal Citation Indicator0.400
Impact Factor3.0
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