The papain-like protease (PLPro) is a highly conserved, non-structural protein that plays a crucial role in the formation of the replication-transcription complex and the processing of polyproteins in SARS-CoV-2, as well as improving the host’s antiviral immune responses against said virus. Chalcone is a common ingredient, which can be found in a multitude of natural substances, such as food and herbs. It has been proven to have various biological activities, including antiviral effects. Previous studies have identified several natural chalcone-based compounds with the ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 by targeting the PLPro enzyme. Based on these findings, this study investigated potential chalcone-derived PLPro inhibitors, as retrieved from Pubchem and in-house libraries. Virtual screening protocols, specifically molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulating filter, were applied to reach the desired goal. As a result, 1448 out of 1454 chalcone derivatives can effectively bind to SARS-CoV-2 via PLPro. The 5 substances with the most suitable docking score and binding mode were selected for the next step. Through MD, CID1021201513 and CID101585417 showed the greatest potential in targeting PLPro. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies must be conducted before the bio-activities of these chalcones against SARS-CoV-2 can be confirmed. Furthermore, the ligand-protein interaction mode analysed in this research can help design effective chalcone derivatives.

Cordyceps has long been considered as a valuable medicinal herb known to possess numerous biological activities, including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-metastasis and immunomodulatory effects. With its benefits, many studies on optimizing the cultivation and production of C. militaris have been carried out. In addition, extraction methods have also been improved to intense efficiency extract the medicinal substances contained in this rare fungi. In this study, the aim was to optimize the process of C. militaris extraction from fruiting bodies based on 17 experimental data using water extraction method. The factors that affects to the extraction productivity such as: extraction temperature, extraction time and water/fungi ratio were investigated within a certain range. The experiments were arranged according to the Box-Behnken design, and then the results was optimized by Design expert software (version 13). In the optimal condition, the maximum productivity can be up to 32.23% with the extraction temperature is at 98oC, the water/fungi ratio is 18:1 and the extraction time is 4 hours.

Mentha aquatica L. (water mint) is known as a medicinal plant that has many novel compositions. The phenolic compounds and essential oils in Mentha aquatica L. played an important role in many types of diseases treatments such as flatulence, anorexia, indigestion, ulcerative colitis, etc. However, there are still little data concerning these compounds and their functions. The aim of this study was to review the biological activities, phenolic compounds, and essential oils in Mentha aquatica L.