Molecules

Compared to terrestrial environments, marine ecosystems are characterized by dynamic environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, pressure. As major producers of marine natural products, marine-derived fungi thrive in these extreme habitats, leading to produce secondary metabolites with unprecedented chemical structures and unique bioactivities. In this study, two new linear N-acetylpeptides (1 and 2) and one new long-chain carboxylic acid (3) along with fifteen known compounds were isolated from Penicillium sp. SCSIO41052 separated from Mariana Trench sediment. Their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis. Marfey’s analysis of the hydrolysate of 1 was performed to determine the absolute configurations of its amino acid residues. By comparing the ECD curves of 1 and 2, it can be concluded that they have identical absolute configurations. The activity screening indicated that eight compounds (3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13 and 18) exhibited antimicrobial activity. Notably, compound 13 exhibited varying levels of antimicrobial activity against six pathogenic strains with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.5 to 64 μg/mL, highlighting its potential antimicrobial properties. Moreover, compound 2 displayed moderate cytotoxic activity against the PC3 cell line. Compound 5 showed weak acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibition. These findings not only enriched the chemical structural diversity of secondary metabolites from marine fungi but also explored potential bioactive molecules, thereby laying a foundation for further research on marine medicinal resources.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as versatile materials for advanced applications due to their exceptional structural diversity, high surface areas, and tunable porosity. Among them, calcium-based MOFs (Ca-MOFs) are attracting significant interest owing to the natural abundance, low cost, and biocompatibility of calcium. In this work, a calcium benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Ca-BTC) MOF was successfully synthesized and characterized as a multifunctional material. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of the crystalline Ca₃(BTC)₂ phase, in agreement with the simulated pattern derived from the reported single-crystal structure. Electron microscopy revealed a nanorod morphology and ordered crystalline regions at the nanoscale, while Raman spectroscopy provided evidence of Ca–O coordination and the characteristic carboxylate bonding of the BTC linker. Under 365 nm excitation, the Ca-BTC MOF exhibited a bluish-white emission with significantly higher intensity than that obtained under 265 nm excitation, together with an average luminescence lifetime of 51.48 ms and a photoluminescence quantum yield of 7.7%. The higher emission intensity under near-UV excitation highlights its potential as a phosphor for pc-WLED applications. The electrochemical performance of Ca-BTC was evaluated in a solid-state supercapacitor (SC) assembled with graphene-based electrodes and a phosphoric acid electrolyte. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated a specific capacitance of 296.5 F g⁻¹ at 25 mV s⁻¹, together with excellent cycling stability, retaining 97.8% of its initial capacitance after 1000 charge–discharge cycles. These findings demonstrate that the Ca-BTC MOF combines a crystalline structure, long-lived bluish-white luminescence, and electrochemical charge-storage properties, making it a promising candidate for optoelectronic and energy-storage applications.

Chicken feathers, an underutilized poultry-processing by-product, are a rich keratin source whose native disulfide-crosslinked structure limits solubility and functional applicability. This study investigated the effects of probe ultrasound treatment (30–60% amplitude, 10 min) on the structural and techno-functional properties of alkali-extracted chicken feather keratin (CFK) to support its valorization in various applications. Control (untreated) and ultrasound-treated CFK samples were characterized by FTIR, SDS–PAGE, free sulfhydryl (–SH) content, ζ-potential, surface hydrophobicity, antioxidant activity (ABTS and CUPRAC assays), in vitro protein digestibility, water solubility, oil-holding capacity, and emulsifying and foaming properties. FTIR and SDS–PAGE revealed that the characteristic amide bands and apparent molecular-weight profile of keratin were mainly preserved following ultrasound treatment, whereas Amide I deconvolution indicated an amplitude-dependent reduction in native β-sheet content and Ellman’s assay showed a loss of free –SH groups. Ultrasound treatment enhanced several functional properties in an amplitude-dependent manner. Surface hydrophobicity, oil-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and ABTS-based antioxidant activity showed the highest values at 40% amplitude, while water solubility and emulsion stability were highest at 60%. The in vitro digestibility remained above 90% for all samples. These findings show that ultrasound treatment can modify the functional performance of feather keratin in an amplitude-dependent manner without marked changes in its apparent molecular-weight profile or its major amide bands, supporting its potential as a functional ingredient for various applications.