BioTech最新文献

Candida species are frequently implicated in the development of both superficial and invasive fungal infections, which can impact vital organs. In the quest for novel strategies to combat fungal infections, there has been growing interest in exploring synthetic and semi-synthetic products, particularly chromone derivatives, renowned for their antimicrobial properties. In the analysis of the antifungal activity of the compound (E)-benzylidene-chroman-4-one against Candida, in silico and laboratory tests were performed to predict possible mechanisms of action pathways, and in vitro tests were performed to determine antifungal activity (MIC and MFC), to verify potential modes of action on the fungal cell membrane and wall, and to assess cytotoxicity in human keratinocytes. The tested compound exhibited predicted affinity for all fungal targets, with the highest predicted affinity observed for thymidylate synthase (-102.589 kJ/mol). MIC and CFM values ranged from 264.52 μM (62.5 μg/mL) to 4232.44 μM (1000 μg/mL). The antifungal effect likely occurs due to the action of the compound on the plasma membrane. Therefore, (E)-benzylidene-chroman-4-one showed fungicidal-like activity against Candida spp., possibly targeting the plasma membrane.

Although enzymes have been used for thousands of years, their application in industrial processes has gained importance since the 20th century due to technological and scientific advances in several areas, including biochemistry [...].

Bioaerosols and pathogens in indoor workplaces and residential environments are the primary culprits of several infections. Techniques for sanitizing air and surfaces typically involve the use of UV rays or chemical sanitizers, which may release chemical residues harmful to human health. Essential oils, natural substances derived from plants, which exhibit broad antimicrobial properties, could be a viable alternative for air and surface sanitation. The objective of this study has been to investigate the efficacy of thyme essential oil (TEO) in environmental sanitation processes. In Vitro assays through agar well diffusion, disk volatilization and tube dilution methods revealed significant antimicrobial activity of TEO 100% against foodborne and environmental isolates, with both bacteriostatic/fungistatic and bactericidal/fungicidal effects. Therefore, aqueous solutions of TEO 2.5% and 5% were formulated for air sanitation through nebulization and surface disinfection via direct contact. Bioaerosol samples and surface swabs were analyzed before and after sanitation, demonstrating the efficacy of aqueous solutions of TEO in reducing mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria and environmental fungi levels in both air and on surfaces. The obtained results prove the antimicrobial potential of aqueous solutions of TEO in improving indoor air quality and surface cleanliness, suggesting thyme essential oil as an effective and safe natural sanitizer with minimal environmental impact compared to dangerous chemical disinfectants.

A myogenetic oligodeoxynucleotide (myoDN), iSN04 (5'-AGA TTA GGG TGA GGG TGA-3'), is a single-stranded 18-base telomeric DNA that serves as an anti-nucleolin aptamer and induces myogenic differentiation, which is expected to be a nucleic acid drug for the prevention of disease-associated muscle wasting. To improve the drug efficacy and synthesis cost of myoDN, shortening the sequence while maintaining its structure-based function is a major challenge. Here, we report the novel 12-base non-telomeric myoDN, iMyo01 (5'-TTG GGT GGG GAA-3'), which has comparable myogenic activity to iSN04. iMyo01 as well as iSN04 promoted myotube formation of primary-cultured human myoblasts with upregulation of myogenic gene expression. Both iMyo01 and iSN04 interacted with nucleolin, but iMyo01 did not bind to berberine, the isoquinoline alkaloid that stabilizes iSN04. Nuclear magnetic resonance revealed that iMyo01 forms a G-quadruplex structure despite its short sequence. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a computational molecular dynamics simulation indicated that iMyo01 forms a homodimer to generate a G-quadruplex. These results provide new insights into the aptamer truncation technology that preserves aptamer conformation and bioactivity for the development of efficient nucleic acid drugs.