Browsing by Author "Nyandoro, Stephen"

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Alternative tanning technologies and their suitability in curbing environmental pollution from the leather industry: A comprehensive review.
(Elsevier Ltd., 2020-04-18) China, Cecilia; Maguta, Mihayo; Nyandoro, Stephen; Hilonga, Askwar; Kanth, Swarna; Njau, Karoli
Chrome tanning remains the most favourite technology in the leather industry worldwide due to its ability to produce leather with attributes desirable for high-quality leather such as excellent hydrothermal stability, better dyeing characteristics and softness. Nevertheless, the technology has been censured globally for its severe environmental detriments and adverse effects on human health and other organisms. Developing alternative eco-friendly tanning technologies capable of producing leather of high quality has remained a challenging scientific inquiry. This review article provides an assessment of various eco-friendly tanning attempts geared towards improving or replacing the chrome technology without compromising the quality of the produced leather. The reviewed publications have ascertained that, these attempts have been centred on recycling of spent liquors; chromium exhaustion enhancement and total replacement of chromium salts. The research gaps and levels of key environmental pollutants from the reviewed technologies are presented, and the qualities of the leather produced from these technologies are highlighted. Of all the examined alternative technologies, total replacement of chromium salts sounds ideal to elude adverse effects associated with chrome tanning. Combination tanning, which implies blending two tanning agents that individually cannot impart desired properties to the leather, is anticipated to be an alternative technology to chrome tanning. Apart from being an eco-friendly technology, combination tanning produces leather with similar features to those produced by chrome tanning. In this regard, blending vegetable tannins with aluminium sulphate provides a promising chrome-free tanning technology. However, further studies to optimize combination tanning technologies to suit industrial applications are highly recommended.
Ensemble-based screening of natural products and FDA-approved drugs identified potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 that work with two distinct mechanisms
(Elsevier Ltd., 2021-06) Shadrack, Daniel; Deogratias, Geradius; Kiruri, Lucy; Swai, Hulda; Vianney, John-Mary; Nyandoro, Stephen
The recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for high morbidity and mortality rate across the globe. This requires an urgent identification of drugs and other interventions to overcome this pandemic. Computational drug repurposing represents an alternative approach to provide a more effective approach in search for COVID-19 drugs. Selected natural product known to have antiviral activities were screened, and based on their hits; a similarity search with FDA approved drugs was performed using computational methods. Obtained drugs from similarity search were assessed for their stability and inhibition against SARS-CoV-2 targets. Diosmin (DB08995) was found to be a promising drug that works with two distinct mechanisms, preventing viral replication and viral fusion into the host cell. Isoquercetin (DB12665) and rutin (DB01698) work by inhibiting viral replication and preventing cell entry, respectively. Our analysis based on molecular dynamics simulation and MM-PBSA binding free energy calculation suggests that diosmin, isoquercetin, rutin and other similar flavone glycosides could serve as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor, hence an alternative solution to treat COVID-19 upon further clinical validation.
Ensemble-based screening of natural products and FDA-approved drugs identified potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 that work with two distinct mechanisms
(Elsevier Inc., 2021-02-23) Shadrack, Daniel; Deogratias, Geradius; Kiruri, Lucy; Swai, Hulda; Vianney, John-Mary; Nyandoro, Stephen
The recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for high morbidity and mortality rate across the globe. This requires an urgent identification of drugs and other interventions to overcome this pandemic. Computational drug repurposing represents an alternative approach to provide a more effective approach in search for COVID-19 drugs. Selected natural product known to have antiviral activities were screened, and based on their hits; a similarity search with FDA approved drugs was performed using computational methods. Obtained drugs from similarity search were assessed for their stability and inhibition against SARS-CoV-2 targets. Diosmin (DB08995) was found to be a promising drug that works with two distinct mechanisms, preventing viral replication and viral fusion into the host cell. Isoquercetin (DB12665) and rutin (DB01698) work by inhibiting viral replication and preventing cell entry, respectively. Our analysis based on molecular dynamics simulation and MM-PBSA binding free energy calculation suggests that diosmin, isoquercetin, rutin and other similar flavone glycosides could serve as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor, hence an alternative solution to treat COVID-19 upon further clinical validation.
Luteolin: a blocker of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry based on relaxed complex scheme, molecular dynamics simulation, and metadynamics
(Springer Nature, 2021-07-08) Shadrack, Daniel; Deogratias, Geradius; Kiruri, Lucy; Onoka, Isaac; Vianney, John-Mary; Swai, Hulda; Nyandoro, Stephen
Natural products have served human life as medications for centuries. During the outbreak of COVID-19, a number of naturally derived compounds and extracts have been tested or used as potential remedies against COVID-19. Tetradenia riparia extract is one of the plant extracts that have been deployed and claimed to manage and control COVID-19 by some communities in Tanzania and other African countries. The active compounds isolated from T. riparia are known to possess various biological properties including antimalarial and antiviral. However, the underlying mechanism of the active compounds against SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown. Results in the present work have been interpreted from the view point of computational methods including molecular dynamics, free energy methods, and metadynamics to establish the related mechanism of action. Among the constituents of T. riparia studied, luteolin inhibited viral cell entry and was thermodynamically stable. The title compound exhibit residence time and unbinding kinetics of 68.86 ms and 0.014 /ms, respectively. The findings suggest that luteolin could be potent blocker of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. The study shades lights towards identification of bioactive constituents from T. riparia against COVID-19, and thus bioassay can be carried out to further validate such observations.
Preparation of aluminium sulphate from kaolin and its performance in combination tanning
(SN Applied Sciences, 2019-07-25) China, Cecilia; Hilonga, Askwar; Maguta, Mihayo; Nyandoro, Stephen; Kanth, Swarna V.; Jayakumar, Gladstone; Njau, Karoli
Leather making commonly use chromium salts to produce high quality products. However, the use of chromium salts is compromised by environmental safety concerns. Combination tanning using vegetable tanning coupled with aluminium sulphate can sustainably replace chrome tanning system. Adversely, the use of commercial aluminium sulphate poses economic burden that entails for cost effective sources. Abundance of kaolin on earth’s crust with scarce utilization is an opportunity towards cost effective aluminium sulphate for tanning. Therefore, in the present work aluminium sulphate was prepared from kaolin and its performance for combination tanning was studied. Diffraction and vibrational spectroscopic studies were carried out to confirm the prepared aluminium sulphate. Combination tanning was carried out with mimosa vegetable tannins. Leathers tanned with the combination of aluminium sulphate from kaolin and mimosa vegetable tannin exhibited hydrothermal stability of up to 118 °C as compared to mimosa alone that showed the average of 80 °C. Physical strength characteristics met the standard norms. Fibers separation was good as confirmed through microscopic studies. The study provides a new
Solvent effects on host-guest residence time and kinetics: further insights from metadynamics simulation of Toussaintine-A unbiding from chitosan nanoparticle
(Springer Nature, 2021-04-14) Shadrack, Daniel; Kiruri, Lucy; Swai, Hulda; Nyandoro, Stephen
Solvents play an important role in host-guest intermolecular interactions. The kinetics and residence time of Toussaintine-A (TouA) unbinding from chitosan was investigated by means of well-tempered metadynamics and thermodynamic integration using two solvents, polar aprotic (DMSO), and polar protic (water). The kinetic rates were found to be strongly dependent on the solvent polarity; hence, the unbinding rate proceeded much faster in DMSO compared to water. DMSO tends to participate less in a chemical reaction by weakening the intermolecular interaction between chitosan and TouA due to lack of acidic hydrogen resulting in a reduction of the transition state. On the other hand, water, which ought to donate hydrogen atoms, sustains a strong interaction and hence large barrier heights. Consequently, this reduces the unbinding rate and increases the residence time. Binding free energy from thermodynamic integration suggests a thermodynamic stable chitosan-TouA complex in water than in DMSO.
Suitability of selected vegetable tannins traditionally used in leather making in Tanzania
(Elsevier Ltd., 2020-04-01) China, Cecilia; Hilonga, Askwar; Nyandoro, Stephen; Schroepfer, Michaela; Kanth, Swarna; Meyer, Michael; Njau, Karoli
The use of chromium salt has dominated in tanning industry worldwide due to its high versatility in quality leather production. However, Environmental concerns of chromium have shifted the interest of current research to chrome-free and greener chemical processing options. Vegetable tannins, especially when used in combination with some benign metals, have been proven to be environmentally safe and manageable, while producing good quality leather with similar shrinkage temperature as that of chromium tanned. As such, shortage of vegetable tannin supply necessitates characterization of non-commercialized sources locally available to feed cottage tanneries. In the present work, extracts from Acacia mearnsii, Acacia xanthophloea, Euclea divinorum and Euclea racemosa, leached by simple technique at 30–80 °C temperature range were characterized for extract yield, tannin, total flavonoid and phenolic contents, crosslinking ability as well as properties of tanned leather. Results indicate that at 50 °C extraction temperature, A. xanthophloea bark gave extract with properties similar to that of A. mearnsii (commercialized source of tannin). Extract from E. divinorum bark contain fairly less extract yield, tannin, total flavonoid and phenolic contents than that of A. mearnsii, but had good crosslinking ability and tanning performance similar to that of A. mearnsii when used in combination with Aluminium Sulphate [Al2(SO4)3]. The 2% Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3) equivalent was established to be optimal dose of Al2(SO4)3 for extract pre-treatment. E. racemosa barks have high extract yield, but very low crosslinking ability, making it not suitable as a tannin source. This work provides useful information on the potential source of tannins for cottage leather industries in Tanzanian and beyond.
Tanning capacity of Tessmannia burttii extracts: the potential eco-friendly tanning agents for the leather industry
(2021-05-15) Cecilia, China; Nyandoro, Stephen; Nyandoro, Stephen; Joan, Munissi; Mihayo, Maguta; Meyer, Michael; Schroepfer, Michaela
In the present study, the tannins from stem and root barks of Tessmannia burttii Harms (Caesalpiniaceae), a plant species abundantly growing in Tanzania and other parts of Africa, were investigated for their suitability in hides tanning. Tannin powder was extracted at selected temperatures (30, 50 and 80 °C) and the influence of each temperature on the crosslinking capacity was evaluated. The interaction mechanism between hide powder collagen and the tannins was studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), trinitrobenzensulfonic (TNBS) acid assay and amino acid hydrolysis methods. Extraction temperatures showed low influence on crosslinking capacity of the tannins. However, extract obtained at 50 °C exhibited best performance in terms of gap size between T onset and T peak. The stem bark extract yield was higher than that from the root bark, but both were within the recommended ranges. The tannin content (61%) of T. burttii stem bark extract was above recommended value (10%), whereas its total phenolic content and total flavonoic content were found to be above that of commercial Acacia mearnsii tannin. The study of cross-linking parameters as a function of pH showed cross-linking to occur via a covalent mechanism at the basic amino groups. However, the bonds were not resistant to acid hydrolysis. The observed interaction mechanism indicated that tannins from stem and root barks of T. burttii belong to the condensed tannin, similar to A. mearnsii (black wattle), a commercial tannin source that was used in this study as a reference. Findings from this study depict that T. burttii extracts are auspicious eco-friendly alternative source of vegetable tannins to overcome the use of chromium salts in the leather industry.