3 Biotech最新文献

Aluminium (Al) deposition in different parts of the brain contributes significantly for the progression of neurodegenerative changes. The present study was undertaken to find out the influence of Ficus religiosa leaves against Al induced deposition of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and amyloid plaque in Wistar rats. We used rats of around 12-week age for the study. The animals were divided into 7 groups classified as control, Al, T200 & 300 as two extract treatment groups, FR200 & 300 which served as FR extract control and PRL, the prophylactic group. Aluminium exposure increased the expression of NFT and amyloid plaques along with decreased locomotor activity in the present study. However, these deleterious effects were improved in the form of reduced number of NFT and amyloid plaques by Ficus religiosa leaf extract treatment in a dose dependent manner. The outcomes of our study reveal the therapeutic potential of FR leaves against neurological disorders by combating the amyloid plaque and NFT formation.

Plant-based synthesis of nanoparticles offers a sustainable, biocompatible alternative to chemical methods. The present study reports the green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Coleus aromaticus aqueous extract (CA-AE) and evaluates their bio-efficacy. CA-AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, DLS, FTIR, and GC-MS. UV-Vis showed a surface plasmon resonance peak at 420 nm; XRD confirmed a crystalline FCC structure with a 33.58 nm average size. DLS analysis revealed particle sizes ranging from 10-120 nm, mostly between 50-70 nm. FTIR and GC-MS identified functional groups and ten phytocompounds, including methyl palmitate. Antioxidant assays showed CA-AgNPs had enhanced activity in DPPH (89.12%), H₂O₂ (74.66%), and FRAP (1.28 AAE) at 100 µg/mL compared to CA-AE. Antibacterial studies indicated moderate inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (ZOI: 5 mm at 15 µL) and limited activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Larvicidal assays on Aedes aegypti revealed dose- and time-dependent mortality, with CA-AgNPs achieving 96% mortality at 100 µg/mL after 72 h (LC₅₀: 5.989 µg/mL; LC₉₀: 49.564 µg/mL), compared to CA-AE (88% mortality; LC₅₀: 9.634 µg/mL; LC₉₀: 111.482 µg/mL). Treated larvae showed gut blackening and deformities. In silico docking showed methyl palmitate bound to Sterol Carrier Protein-2 (- 6.9 kcal/mol) and Pheromone Binding Protein (- 6.3 kcal/mol). These results of the present study recommend the eco-friendly synthesis and biological potential of CA-AgNPs, particularly in vector control, highlighting their promise as sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical insecticides.

The rising burden of diabetes, oxidative stress, and antimicrobial resistance underscores the need for safe, multifunctional therapeutics. This study explores the antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm properties of Silybum marianum (S. marianum) L. Gaertn. acetic acid extract, complemented by phytochemical profiling and molecular docking. The extract of S. marianum exhibited strong multifunctional bioactivity supported by in vitro and in silico analyses. Antioxidant evaluation (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) revealed dose-dependent radical scavenging, achieving up to 92.5% inhibition at 1000 µg/mL and a high ferric-reducing capacity (105.6 µM Fe²⁺ equivalents). The extract significantly inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase, confirming its antidiabetic potential. In antimicrobial assays, notable activity was observed against Bacillus subtilis (15.2 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (14.6 mm), with moderate effects on Gram-negative and fungal strains. The extract also showed over 85% inhibition of S. aureus biofilm formation, suggesting interference with quorum sensing and EPS matrix synthesis. Anti-inflammatory assays demonstrated up to 91.2% inhibition of protein denaturation and 86.7% red blood cell membrane stabilization, comparable to indomethacin. Macrophage-based cellular studies confirmed suppression of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) with > 85% cell viability. GC-MS analysis identified major bioactives including D-arabinitol, chalcone derivatives, and isoquinoline compounds, which were strongly bound to key targets in docking studies-α-amylase, DNA gyrase, COX-2, and NADPH oxidase (binding energies - 9.0 to - 9.9 kcal/mol). These results collectively highlight S. marianum as a biocompatible source of multifunctional phytochemicals with antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm properties, supporting its potential for nutraceutical and therapeutic applications.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe functional impairments and involves both primary mechanical damage and secondary inflammation. Exosomes from human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) are emerging as promising therapies due to their bioactive components that regulate inflammation and support repair. Thirty-two male rats were randomly divided into four groups: Group A (laminectomy), Group B (contusion), Group C (contusion + PBS), and Group D (contusion + HUCB-exosomes). Contusion injuries were induced using the New York University (NYU) impactor method. HUCB-derived exosomes were extracted and confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), surface markers CD81 and CD9 via flowcytometry, along with dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis. HUCB-exosomes were administered without prior in vitro expansion; 30 minutes' post-injury, Group D received 100 µg of HUCB-exosomes via tail vein injection for one week. Motor and behavioral functions were assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale, narrow beam test (NBT), rotarod test, and open-field test. Western blotting was performed eight weeks' post-injury to analyze changes in inflammatory cytokines, and histological changes were assessed via H&E staining. HUCB-exosome administration significantly enhanced functional recovery in SCI rats, as evidenced by higher BBB scores, improved narrow beam, rotarod, and open-field performances compared with PBS and contusion groups. Histological analysis showed reduced cavity formation, increased neuronal density, and decreased gliosis in the exosome-treated group. Western blot results revealed marked downregulation of TNF-α, NLRP3, and GFAP expression. Additionally, exosome therapy restored antioxidant balance by reducing ROS and GSSG levels while elevating GSH, and immunohistochemistry confirmed reduced expression of apoptotic and autophagy markers. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of HUCB-derived exosomes in SCI, demonstrating their ability to attenuate inflammation and promote functional recovery. These findings support HUCB-exosomes as a promising, non-cell-based treatment strategy for SCI.

This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which FBXW4 suppresses the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Functional experiments demonstrated that FBXW4 significantly inhibited LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while promoting apoptosis. Furthermore, rescue experiments indicated that PKNOX2 silencing partially reversed the tumor-suppressive effects of FBXW4. Mechanistically, FBXW4 facilitated the ubiquitination and degradation of DNMT1, leading to a decrease of methylation of the PKNOX2 promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that PKNOX2 transcriptionally activated FHL1 by directly binding to its promoter. In addition, FHL1 was identified as a functional downstream effector responsible for mediating the inhibitory role of PKNOX2 in LUAD malignancy. These findings reveal a previously uncharacterized FBXW4/DNMT1/PKNOX2/FHL1 regulatory axis, providing mechanistic insight into LUAD suppression and potential therapeutic strategies.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04646-2.

This investigation was intended to prepare lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) that are laden with Gemcitabine hydrochloride (GEM) for the controlled delivery to treat Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LPHNPs were developed by the solvent evaporation technique employing polycaprolactone (PCL) as the biodegradable polymeric core and a phospholipid shell comprised of soya phosphatidylcholine (SPC) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE). This study presents a cost-effective, simple method for functionalizing LPHNPs with the carbohydrate ligand D-galactose (GA) using stearyl amine (SA) as a linker. To examine the impact of three independent factors on the particle size, percent entrapment efficiency (% EE), and percent drug loading (% DL), a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) was implemented with Design-Expert 13 software. The nanoparticles' size range increased from 194.1 to 505.3 nm when the polymer content increased. GEM's percent drug release profile in the galactose functionalized gemcitabine-loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (GEM-LPHNPs-GA) suggests they are appropriate candidates for targeting the tumors microenvironment. In vitro drug release tests revealed a higher GEM release at pH 5.5 compared to the physiological pH of 7.4 for 48 h. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy verified that the conjugate GA-SA imine bond formed. The cytotoxicity of GEM-LPHNPs-GA was significantly greater than that of GEM-LPHNPs or GEM alone, as evidenced by the MTT assay conducted on HepG2 cells. Throughout the incubation period, HepG2 cells exhibit a markedly higher absorption of dye-loaded LPHNPs-GA than LPHNPs. GEM-LPHNPs-GA is an efficacious formulation for the targeted administration of anti-cancer therapeutics.

Petroleum refinery wastewater (PRWW) with 4% salinity was subjected to treatment and simultaneous generation of energy in air cathode-microbial fuel cell (MFC). Substrate load (SL) such as 0.41 gCOD/L, 0.84 gCOD/L, 1.26 gCOD/L, 1.78 gCOD/L and 2.25 gCOD/L was trialed in air cathode MFC. COD (chemical oxygen demand) reduction was 88% (total COD) and 87% (soluble COD) at optimized SL of 1.78 gCOD/L. Corresponding power and current density derived at optimized SL of 1.78 gCOD/L was 879 mW/m² and 1052 mA/m² respectively. Degradation of low and high molecular weight petroleum hydrocarbons in the PRWW was greater than 90% to 100%  and 71% to 82% respectively. Supplementation with a mild nutritional substrate in PRWW accelerated the hydrocarbon biodegradation with time reduction in MFC operated at 1.78 gCOD/L SL. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the dominancy of exo-electrogenic halophilic strains such as Ochrobactrum, Marinobacter, Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas in the reactor. Thus the bioaugmentation of halophiles in MFC efficiently treated PRWW and harvested bioenergy under saline condition.

A novel Streptomyces violaceoruber strain BM-41, isolated from shellfish aquaculture waste, demonstrated potent chitinolytic activity (2.362 U/mL). Whole-genome sequencing revealed a 7.83 Mb genome (72.6% GC) encoding 238 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), with 75 glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Significantly, seven chitinase genes were identified: six GH18 family members (ChiA-ChiF) and one GH19 member (Chi2a), displaying greater genetic diversity than S. albidoflavus ATCC 27,414 (45 GHs). Fermentation optimization via single-factor experiments and Box-Behnken response surface methodology yielded optimal enzyme production conditions: 4.5% colloidal chitin, 7 g/L yeast extract, 0.3 g/L MgSO₄, pH 5.0, 30 ℃, and 30% medium volume. This enhanced chitinase activity 2.37-fold (from 0.995 to 2.362 U/mL). Enzymatic characterization showed optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 50 ℃, stability across pH 4-8, and ion-specific modulation: Mg²⁺ and K⁺ increased activity by 25-30%, whereas Cu²⁺ strongly inhibited catalysis. Genomic analysis uncovered a synergistic degradation pathway involving extracellular chitinases (ChiA-ChiF) and 10 key metabolic enzymes, including N-acetylglucosaminidases (EC 3.2.1.52), deacetylases (EC 3.5.1.25), and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylases (EC 2.7.7.23). This enzymatic network facilitates efficient conversion of chitin to N-acetylglucosamine monomers and downstream metabolites. The findings contribute to the understanding of S. violaceoruber BM-41 genomic features and its potential as a source of industrially relevant enzymes.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04634-6.

Rice microbiome plays a critical role in the growth, health, stress tolerance, nutrient uptake, root development, and productivity of its host. In this study, advanced machine learning algorithms were applied to analyze the genomic data from 1365 rice-associated bacteria sourced from Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC) database. After filtering, the genomic data of 280 organisms were selected and annotated to identify their respective genes. These were further categorized into ortholog groups, and based on the presence and absence of the ortholog groups, the organisms were clustered into eight groups. Genes encoding amino acid transport, inorganic ion transport and metabolism were the most common Clusters of Orthologous Genes (COG) categories observed across the various clusters while cellular process, biological regulation, and response to stimuli were the most common gene ontology terms. However, the presence of a large proportion of genes having unknown functions suggests the distribution of novel genes which could facilitate the functions including the plant colonization. Further to this, machine learning models were used to classify the organisms as either beneficial or pathogenic. Here, Support Vector Machine based analysis showed the highest accuracy (92.98%) when compared to the Logistic Regression (90.16%) and Random Forest (57.80%). From the analysis, ABC-type transporters such as ABC-type oligopeptide transport system were more abundantly distributed in beneficial bacteria. On the other hand, transposase such as Transposase InsA were observed to be common among pathogenic strains. From the results obtained, the presence of genes responsible for the nutrient transport and metabolic versatility was found to be significant for the beneficial bacteria, while the genetic variability was remarkable for the pathogens. The information generated in this study hence highlights the power of AI for predicting the beneficial interactions between the rice and its microbiome, and thereby offer its applications in enhancing the crop resilience and productivity for the sustainable agricultural practices.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04665-z.

Statins are widely used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia; however, their specific mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. To identify key therapeutic targets, we integrated differential expression analysis with machine learning and identified IL27RA as a pivotal candidate. IL27RA expression was significantly upregulated in atorvastatin-treated hyperlipidemia patients compared to healthy controls but decreased following statin intervention. Functional enrichment analysis revealed its association with immune-related pathways, and consistent with this, immune infiltration analysis showed significant correlations between IL27RA expression and the abundance of Th1 and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations further confirmed stable binding between IL27RA and atorvastatin. Collectively, these results establish IL27RA as a key therapeutic target for statins in hyperlipidemia and highlight its role in modulating the immune microenvironment.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04668-w.