Novel antifungal drugs are urgently needed to treat candidiasis caused by the emerging fungal multidrug-resistant pathogen Candida auris. In this study, the most cost-effective drug repurposing technology was adopted to identify an appropriate option among the 1615 clinically approved drugs with anti-C. auris activity. High-throughput virtual screening of 1,3-beta-glucanosyltransferase inhibitors was conducted, followed by an analysis of the stability of 1,3-beta-glucanosyltransferase drug complexes and 1,3-beta-glucanosyltransferase–dutasteride metabolite interactions and the confirmation of their activity in biofilm formation and planktonic growth. The analysis identified dutasteride, a drug with no prior antifungal indications, as a potential medication for anti-auris activity in seven clinical C. auris isolates from Saudi Arabian patients. Dutasteride was effective at inhibiting biofilm formation by C. auris while also causing a significant reduction in planktonic growth. Dutasteride treatment resulted in disruption of the cell membrane, the lysis of cells, and crushed surfaces on C. auris, and significant (p-value = 0.0057) shrinkage in the length of C. auris was noted at 100,000×. In conclusion, the use of repurposed dutasteride with anti-C. auris potential can enable rapid recovery in patients with difficult-to-treat candidiasis caused by C. auris and reduce the transmission of nosocomial infection.

Lepidopteran insect pests voraciously feed the vegetable crops and causes yield loss every year. Chemical insecticides widely used to control the destructive pest incidence which heavily affects the beneficial and non-target organisms and in the mean time, pests developed resistance. Biopesticides are being developed to minimize these ill effects. Plants synthesize secondary metabolites to prevent from biotic and abiotic stresses. More than 27 families of pteridophyta (ferns) are reported with phytoecdysteroids (PEs). PEs are analogues of insect moulting hormone and acts as insect growth regulators (IGRs). The present study aimed to isolate the phytoecdysteroid fraction from the fern, Pityrogramma calomelanos, preliminary screening of phytochemicals using standard protocols including UV-Visible spectrophotometric analysis and survival, growth and developmental periods of Spodoptera litura treated with phytoecdysteroid fraction. Steroids and phenolic compounds were present in the fraction and six prominent peaks were recorded between the wavelength of 200-800nm. Spodoptera litura larvae treated with phytoecdysteroid fraction showed maximum larval mortality (68%) in 2000ppm (LC50 = 1473ppm; F = 48.65; p = 0.049). Pupation, pupal weight and adult emergence were decreased in higher concentrations. Pupal mortality was relatively high in treated group than control (2.04%). Larvae treated with minimal concentrations exhibited developmental deformities includes larval - pupal, pupal -adult intermediates, deformed pupae, ecdysial failure, adultoids, early/late developmental periods and it may due to the interaction of phytoecdysteroid fraction to the insect endocrine system. Therefore, phytoecdysteroid mediated biopesticide formulation could be the better alternative to commercial chemical insecticides under IPM programme.

Entomopathogenic fungi play an important role in the biological control of the insect pest population in an agroecosystem. Metarhizium anisopliae is one such entomopathogenic fungus, proved to be an effective biocontrol agent against different insect pests. However, different strains of entomopathogens show variations in their pathogenicity and host specificity. Hence the present study is aimed to determine the bioefficacy of local isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus M. anisopliae to control Dysdercus cingulatus. Fungal strains were isolated from cotton fields in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Thenkasi, and Viruthunagar districts of Tamil Nadu following standard protocols. Four different isolates were identified and used for the bioassay. Bioefficacy trials were carried out in all the five nymphal instars and the adults of D. cingulatus and were treated with eight different concentrations of M. anisopliae (101,102,103,104,105,106,107and 108 spores/mL). The formulations were evaluated for their pathogenicity and efficiency against D. cingulatusnymphal instars and adults which resulted in 70% to 100% mortality. A 100% mortality rate was observed in four isolates of M. anisopliae at higher concentrations (120 hrs) after treatment. Lethal concentration (LC50) values of M. anisopliae isolates against D. cingulatus were calculated as 5.94×107(ERUM1), 6.09×107(ERUM2), 2.62×107(ERUM3), 2.69×107(ERUM4). Approaching biocontrol agents instead of chemical pesticides seems to be very promising in the march towards more sustainable, eco-friendly agricultural pest management practices and protecting the environment

The family Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), commonly known as assassin bugs, represents one of the most diverse and ecologically significant lineages of predatory insects, encompassing over 7,000 described species worldwide. Despite their diversity and importance in ecological regulation and public health, the taxonomy and phylogeny of Reduviidae remain complex and contentious. This review synthesizes the historical and contemporary developments in reduviid systematics, tracing the transition from classical morphology-based classification to modern integrative and phylogenomic frameworks. Early taxonomic systems, largely based on external morphological characters, provided foundational classifications but were limited by homoplasy, convergent evolution, and cryptic diversity. The advent of molecular systematics, particularly DNA barcoding and multi-gene analyses, improved species delimitation and phylogenetic inference, although challenges such as gene-specific biases and incomplete lineage sorting persisted. Mitogenomic approaches further enhanced phylogenetic resolution by providing genome-scale datasets, revealing conserved structural features alongside lineage-specific variations. Recent advances in phylogenomics, integrating mitochondrial and nuclear genomic data with sophisticated analytical models, have significantly refined higher-level classification and resolved long-standing ambiguities. However, phylogenetic incongruence remains a key challenge, reflecting both biological complexity and methodological limitations. Evolutionary innovations, including predation, venom systems, and the emergence of hematophagy, have played critical roles in the diversification of the family. Integrative taxonomy, combining morphological, molecular, ecological, and behavioral data, is increasingly recognized as essential for achieving a stable and predictive classification. Future research should prioritize expanded genomic resources, advanced analytical frameworks, and interdisciplinary approaches to fully resolve the evolutionary history of Reduviidae.

Introduction: Risperidone is atypical antipsychotic medication commonly used to control behavioral symptoms in children with autism and widely considered a first-line treatment for acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar mania. However, the response to risperidone is varied between patients due to genetic factors such as dopamine receptor genes. Methods: Using state-of-the-art tools, the current study designed to predict the most deleterious SNPs of the five (DRD1, DRD2, DRD3, DRD4 and DRD5) dopamine receptors genes, and their impact on the function and structure of dopamine receptor protein and the binding with risperidone. In-silico tools such as SIFT, PolyPhen2, PANTHER, PROVEAN, SNPs & GO, CRAVAT-VEST score, Mutation Assessor, FannsDB-CONDEL score, predict SNP and SNAP2 were subjected to predicting the deleterious nature of 1581 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNP) of dopamine receptors genes. Results: The analysis predicted the most deleterious nsSNPs in each dopamine receptor: rs759268810 in DRD1, rs866976053 in DRD2, rs1274871399 in DRD3, rs745604469 in DRD4, and rs778635010 in DRD5. Significant reduction in the binding free energy in the mutant (F198C: S score = − 7.29 kcal/mol) in the D2 subtype of the dopamine receptor compared to the wild (F198: S score = − 8.73 kcal/mol) at the interaction analysis with risperidone. Cumulative analysis of the interaction between risperidone and dopamine receptor protein revealed the rs866976053 as the most deleterious nsSNP among the 1581 nsSNPs of the dopamine receptor genes. Conclusion: The observation of the state-of-the-art tools-based analysis and observations of MD simulations prioritized the F198C of DRD2 as a candidate variant for wet lab studies to find its impact on drug efficacy for managing autism, schizophrenia and bipolar mania.