Current pharmaceutical biotechnology最新文献

Introduction: Enterococci are common commensals in the gastrointestinal tract and are opportunistic organisms that can cause urinary tract infections, bacteremia, endocarditis, and pelvic infections. The study aimed to investigate antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and the presence and expression of virulence factors in clinical isolates of E. faecalis from Jordan.

Methods: Clinical isolates (n=89) of E. faecalis isolated from patients in Jordan were collected. Antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and the presence/expression of virulence genes asa1, gelE, esp, cylA, and efaA were examined.

Results: High resistance of E. faecalis was detected for ampicillin (98.9%), followed by quinupristin-dalfopristin (96.6%), tetracycline (83.1%), erythromycin (78.6%), and rifampin (68.5%). Most isolates (93.3%) were found to be biofilm producers. The prevalence of virulence genes was efaA (77.5%), asa1 (77.5%), gelE (69.7%), esp (50.6%), and cylA (30%). About 25.8% of the isolates were found to be gelatinase producers. In addition, hemolysin production was observed in 37.1% of the isolates.

Discussion: The esp gene was associated with tetracycline resistance. The asa1 gene was associated with susceptibility to vancomycin. CylA was associated with resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin, as well as susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The presence of gelE was associated with susceptibility to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, levofloxacin, and erythromycin. The cylA gene was associated with esp and asa1 genes, while the efaA was found to be associated with gelE and asa1 genes (P<0.05). Finally, biofilm formation was not associated with antimicrobial resistance (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The antibiotic resistance profiles and associated genes of E. faecalis isolates from Jordanian patients were reported. The efaA, asa1, and gelE virulence genes were highly prevalent among the isolates. The present findings can be used in the management of E. faecalis infection in Jordan.

Introduction: The rise of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) has become a major public health concern due to its resistance to conventional antibiotics and ability to form biofilms. The urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies has led to increased interest in natural compounds with antimicrobial potential. Pubescine (PBN), a steroidal alkaloid isolated from Holarrhena pubescens, has demonstrated antimicrobial properties, but its efficacy against VRE remains unexplored.

Methods: PBN was isolated and purified from Holarrhena pubescens using chromatographic techniques and identified through spectroscopic analysis. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined via broth microdilution assays. Time-kill assays assessed the bacteriostatic or bactericidal nature of PBN. Resistance development was evaluated through prolonged bacterial exposure to subinhibitory concentrations. Synergistic interactions with vancomycin and cefoxitin were analyzed using checkerboard microdilution assays. Biofilm formation and eradication were assessed via crystal violet staining and fluorescence imaging. Metabolic activity and oxidative stress induction were measured using the Alamar Blue assay and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) quantification, respectively.

Results: PBN exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of VRE growth, primarily exerting a bacteriostatic effect without promoting the development of resistance. Checkerboard assays revealed strong synergy between PBN and vancomycin (FICI = 0.1875) and cefoxitin (FICI = 0.3125), suggesting that PBN enhances the efficacy of these antibiotics.

Discussion: PBN significantly reduced biofilm formation and facilitated biofilm disruption at concentrations as low as 4 μg/mL. Metabolic assays demonstrated that PBN suppresses bacterial metabolic activity, while ROS quantification indicated a substantial increase in oxidative stress, suggesting a multi-targeted mechanism of action.

Conclusion: These findings establish PBN as a promising antimicrobial agent with potent activity against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis. Its ability to enhance antibiotic efficacy, inhibit biofilm formation, and induce oxidative stress underscores its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy against multidrug-resistant infections. Further in vivo studies and pharmacokinetic evaluations are warranted to assess its clinical applicability.

Background: Alzheimer's disease poses a major challenge as a widespread and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, primarily affecting the elderly population worldwide.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the potential protective and therapeutic effects of virgin olive oil and tiger nut essential oil on Alzheimer's dementia in male rats while also analyzing serum biomarker gene expression profiles in both Alzheimer's and control groups.

Methods: Rats were fed basal diets supplemented with 5% virgin olive oil or tiger nut essential oil, along with high-fat meals containing trans fats, butter (25%), margarine (25%), and hydrogenated shorten oils (25%) to evaluate lipid profiles and serum biomarkers. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of acetylcholinesterase, P53, BCL2, Mouse ICAM-1, PSEN, and BACE genes in the Alzheimer's disease group compared to controls. Real-time PCR analysis also identified inflammatory biomarkers and Alzheimer's disease-associated risk factors in high-fat diet-treated, virgin olive oil-treated, and control samples.

Results: The study found significant correlations between serum biomarker levels, lipid profiles, and dietary treatments. The activities of acetylcholinesterase, glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase differed notably between virgin olive oil and tiger nut essential oil treatments. High-fat dietary treatments resulted in substantial increases in serum lipid profiles due to trans-fat intake compared to the control group. Overall, both virgin olive oil and tiger nut essential oil demonstrated cognitive enhancement and potential therapeutic effects against Alzheimer's disease symptoms induced by trans-fat feeding, including inhibition of acetylcholines-terase activity, reduction of amyloid-beta accumulation, and mitigation of inflammation.

Conclusion: The study suggests that serum biomarker gene expression profiles could serve as valuable indicators for differentiating between Alzheimer's disease, virgin olive oil, and dietary treatments. Both virgin olive oil and tiger nut essential oil demonstrated protective effects, enhancing cognitive function and offering therapeutic potential against AD symptoms. These effects were achieved through the reduction of inflammation, the inhibition of AChE activity, and the reduction of amyloid-beta accumulation.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health crisis driven by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, inadequate infection control practices, and the evolution of microbes. It compromises the effective treatment of infections, posing severe implications for morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Pathogens such as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- producing Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exemplify the growing threat of drug-resistant organisms. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms underlying AMR, including enzymatic drug inactivation, efflux pump overexpression, target site modification, and biofilm formation. Additionally, it examines the clinical and economic implications of AMR and assesses emerging strategies for mitigation. Innovative solutions, such as bacteriophage therapy, CRISPR-based genome editing, and the One Health approach, offer promising avenues to address resistance across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Coordinated global efforts in surveillance, stewardship, and research are essential to curbing the spread and impact of AMR.

Introduction: Radiation targets cancer but risks causing infertility by damaging sensitive testes, especially spermatogonia. This study investigates IR-induced testicular damage and assesses PGZ's potential protective role as a ferroptosis inhibitor.

Material & methods: In this study, Seventy-two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into eight groups: a control, PGZ (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg), IR (8 Gy), and IR+ PGZ (in three doses). PGZ was administered for 10 consecutive days, and mice were exposed to IR on the 11th day of the study. 24 h after RT, the mice's testis tissue was subjected to a series of evaluations to assess oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters, with histopathological analyses conducted one week after IR.

Results: Biochemical analyses revealed that exposure to IR significantly increased ferroptosis markers, while concurrently decreasing intracellular antioxidants GSH. Histological examinations confirmed damage to spermatogenic cells, leading to detachment from the basement membrane and reduced sperm counts. Pre-treatment with PGZ at 30 mg/kg effectively reduced the levels of oxidative stress markers and improved antioxidant levels, demonstrating its potential protective effects against ferroptosis.

Discussion: The results suggest PGZ can protect against radiation-induced testicular damage by inhibiting ferroptosis and promoting spermatogenesis recovery.

Conclusion: These results indicate that PGZ may act as a protective agent against radiationinduced testicular damage and support the recovery of spermatogenesis following IR exposure. Further research is warranted to explore the molecular mechanisms of PGZ's protective effects.

Taxifolin (TAX) (5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavanol, dihydroquercetin) belongs to the flavonoid family. TAX elicits a wide range of pharmacological effects, and for this reason, it is of high commercial interest as a flavonoid. The widespread use of TAX in medical practice is limited by the physicochemical properties of the compound and, in part, the related features of its pharmacokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of technological methods that can be utilized to enhance the solubility of TAX, potentially increasing its bioavailability. The review describes various technological approaches: micronization, crystal engineering, self-microemulsifying systems, liposomes and their modifications, microemulsifying systems, phospholipid nanoparticles, inclusion complexes (clathrate generation), and chemical modification. Most of the approaches described in the review for improving the solubility and bioavailability of TAX have proven to be successful. Nanotechnologies are the most efficient means for improving the solubility and bioavailability of TAX. Developing new TAX substances with improved solubility and bioavailability holds promise as a basis for the development of innovative drugs.

Introduction: The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has made it possible to create advanced health monitoring systems. It allows the system to detect problems early, thereby mitigating long-term effects. This development will likely enhance the quality of healthcare professionals by reducing their workload and healthcare costs. The IoT in medical technology offers a wide range of information technology capabilities, including intelligent and collaborative healthcare solutions. Aggregating health data in a single repository raises security, copyright, and compliance issues when building a complex machine-learning model.

Method: Federated learning overcomes the above challenges by dispersing a global learning model through a central aggregate server. It retains mastery of patient data in a local participant who ensures data privacy and integrity. This research aims to develop an advanced healthcare monitoring system utilizing federated learning techniques. The system is designed to enable healthcare providers to effectively track patient health through medical sensors and respond promptly when necessary.

Results: The federated learning-based XGBoost model achieved a predictive accuracy of 97.2% in diagnosing Parkinson's disease. Additionally, the system demonstrated improved privacy preservation, significantly reducing sensitive data exposure with minimal computational overhead, confirming its practical effectiveness in clinical scenarios.

Discussion: By leveraging federated learning, the proposed approach seeks to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of health monitoring in clinical settings. To achieve accurate classification and early detection of Parkinson's disease, the study employs two key machine learning algorithms: Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). These methods were selected for their statistical robustness and suitability for the task at hand.

Conclusion: The combination of federated learning, SVM, and XGBoost enhances healthcare monitoring and ensures patient data privacy and integrity.

Introduction: The research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has experienced the transition from qualitative research to quantitative study. The application of mathematical modeling for data processing and analysis offers a more efficient and precise approach compared to conventional methods, enabling the timely acquisition of key efficacy indicators for preliminary evaluation. Therefore, the concept of mathematical modeling has been proposed to form a systematic theoretical system of TCM and diseases.

Methods: The article reviews the application of mathematical models in the research of traditional Chinese medicine in terms of compounding, extraction, optimization, quality evaluation, production, new drug development, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical symptom analysis. Relevant Chinese and English literature was obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Data, CNKI and China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM).

Results: We have found that integrating the concept of mathematical modeling with TCM theory has shortened the cycle of extracting active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs, while also accelerating the realization of maximum clinical efficacy.

Discussion: However, the comprehensiveness and precision of existing databases remain areas for improvement. In the future, further integration of multi-disciplinary technologies will be essential to advance the convergence of traditional medicine and modern science.

Conclusion: This review explores the application of mathematical models in the study of traditional Chinese medicine. It is evident that mathematical modeling has played a pivotal role in promoting fundamental research and the modernization of TCM.

Plants contain valuable phytochemicals with biological activity. However, factors such as instability, poor solubility, and bioavailability limit their use in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. In this context, a wide variety of strategies have been developed with the objective of improving the stability of herbal sources and bioactive compounds under processing, storage, or gastrointestinal digestion conditions. Moreover, these strategies seek to enhance solubility, mask undesirable flavors, and facilitate targeted delivery to specific tissues, thereby enabling the bioactive compounds to exert their biological activity and contribute to improved human health. It is of great importance to conduct studies on the stability of herbal medicines to identify the various factors, physical, chemical, and environmental, which may affect their stability. Also, such studies are essential for determining the shelf life of the products and always ensuring their quality during storage and use. This review presents the strategies and latest advances utilized to improve the stability of pure plant bioactive compounds, extracts, and essential oils to overcome the previously mentioned challenges. The information presented will assist in the production of safe, stable, and effective substances and products. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of the various applications of these compounds is provided, along with an analysis of emerging trends.