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Breast cancer remains the second-most significant cause of female mortality worldwide. The emergence of naturally occurring plant-derived compounds called phytoestrogens has aroused substantial interest in their potential to mitigate breast cancer. Phytoestrogens demonstrate structural similarities to human estrogen and can therefore interact with the estrogen receptors.

Naringenin, an important flavonoid and phytoestrogen, has gathered significant attention in the field of cancer due to its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties while its O-alkyl derivatives can enhance its bioavailability and target specificity. In this study, we have screened Naringenin and four of its O-alkyl derivatives, namely Methylnaringenin, Isosakuranetin, Sakuranetin and 5-O 4',7-Di-O methylnaringenin for their binding affinity with estrogen receptor-α (PDB ID: 6VJD). Molecular docking studies targeting estrogen receptor-α (PDB ID: 6VJD) revealed favorable binding energies and interaction patterns for naringenin and its derivatives, suggesting potential as therapeutic agents against breast cancer.

Additionally, analysis with SwissADME highlighted the compounds' permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), high absorption rates and water solubility, emphasizing their potential for therapeutic applications beyond breast cancer. Furthermore, the compounds exhibited promising pharmacokinetic profiles, synthetic accessibility and adherence to Lipinski's rule of five, supporting their candidacy for further development as therapeutic agents.

Most wastewater treatment still runs on activated sludge, a roughly hundred-year-old process where aerated microbes strip nutrients from the water, followed by chemical or UV treatment to knock down pathogens. It works, but it is energy-hungry and expensive to run. Algae offer a cheaper, greener alternative: they grow fast, soak up carbon dioxide, and boost oxygen levels in water, which speeds up nutrient removal. Their biomass can also be reused for industry, agriculture, or aquaculture, and almost none of the existing research had looked at species specific to Kerala.

So we went and collected algae growing wild in local wastewater around Amritapuri and other sites in Kerala, and identified 29 algal and cyanobacterial species by habitat and morphology. I picked three for closer study, comparing growth rates and analysing protein and lipid content, and used PCR with rbcL gene primers to start DNA barcoding the strains for confirmation.