BioTechnologia最新文献

Methylene blue is a toxic dye present in the textile industry, and if left untreated, it causes harm to the environment. Therefore, to decolorize methylene blue from industrial effluents, a green approach using Rhodococcus pyridinivorans strain UCC 0003 was attempted. Methylene blue decolorization was measured spectro-photometrically, and the static condition yielded 86% decolorization after 24 h as compared to the shaking mode (20%). Optimization of static conditions using the one-factor-at-a-time approach resulted in 100% decolorization at 30°C, pH 6, inoculum size of 16% (v/v), and 5% (v/v) banana peel addition as a carbon source. The R. pyridinivorans strain UCC 0003 could successfully and completely decolorize 0.75 g/l methylene blue for 4 consecutive cycles, which is advantageous from an economic point of view. The rate of methylene blue disappearance was investigated using 10% (v/v) R. pyridinivorans strain UCC 0003 at 30°C over a certain incubation time with 0.4 g/l to 10.0 g/l methylene blue as the substrate. This study revealed V_max and K_m values of 37.04 g/l/h and 55.69 g/l, respectively, as the kinetic behavior of methylene blue-decolorizing enzymes from the bacterial strain. The properties of the treated solution of methylene blue resembled the control system (distilled water) for the phytotoxicity study, thereby indicating the complete removal of dye toxicity as evidenced by the growth of Vigna radiata and Triticum aestivum, respectively, in the treated methylene blue solution. This local bacterial strain has therefore a huge potential to be used as a green biocatalyst for the bioremediation of methylene blue-containing industrial effluents.

In the present study, the effect of various fermentation media on the production of carotenoid pigment in a radiation-resistant strain of Dietzia maris was reported. The biomass and pigment production of this strain was evaluated using various sources of carbon and nitrogen as well as different concentrations of whey medium. The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the extracted pigment were also determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH), and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assays. The antibacterial activity of the carotenoid pigment was also evaluated. All carbon sources increased the pigment production of D. maris in the following order: glucose > raffinose = starch = xylose > sorbitol > sucrose. However, only glucose, xylose, and sorbitol significantly increased the microbial biomass as compared to the control. Moreover, all organic nitrogen sources and ammonium sulfate enhanced the pigment production of the studied strain by approximately 6-9 folds. The free radical scavenging capacity and FRAP of the D. maris carotenoid extract were reported as half-maximal effective concentration or EC₅₀ = 3.30 mg/ml and EC₅₀ =28.46 μg/ml, respectively. The maximum amount of biomass and carotenoid pigment produced by D. maris was obtained in the fermentation medium containing 1 g/l glucose and 1 g/l yeast extract (18 mg/l). This strain can be considered as a promising biocatalyst for the commercial production of natural carotenoids due to its antioxidant capacity and noncytotoxic activity.

Wild edible plants are often found to be rich sources of nutrients and medicinally beneficial compounds with pharmacological activities. Gnetum gnemon is a nutritionally important plant and a popular food source in parts of Assam and North-East India. Various microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recently identified in many plants; however, there are no records of identification of miRNAs in any species of Gnetum. The prediction of miRNA-target associations in G. gnemon is an important step to facilitate functional genomics studies in this species. In the present study, all known miRNAs from plants available in public domain were used to search for the conserved G. gnemon miRNA homologues in publicly accessible expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in NCBI database. An aggregate of 20 new potential miRNAs belonging to two diverse miRNA families (miR399 and miR5021) were identified through a homology-based search by following stringent filtering criteria. To investigate the potential cross-kingdom effects of the identified miRNAs, we further identified the putative target genes of G. gnemon miRNAs in human transcriptome and analyzed them against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. The KEGG analysis of the target genes indicated that these genes were involved in different metabolic pathways such as caffeine metabolism, drug metabolism, and nitrotoluene degradation. The target genes of G. gnemon miRNAs in humans were found to be associated with various disorders of both hereditary and non-hereditary origin. These results could help to shed new light on understanding of miRNA-mRNAs functional networks in this species and its potential use as a small RNA-based therapy against some human diseases.

Despite significant progress made in drug discovery and development over the past few decades, malaria remains a life-threatening infectious disease across the globe. Because of the widespread emergence of drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, the clinical utility of existing drug therapies including Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) in the treatment of malaria has been increasingly limited. It has become a serious health concern which, therefore, necessitates the development of novel drug molecules and/or alternative therapies to combat, particularly resistant P. falciparum. The objective of the present study was to develop 1,2,4-trioxane derivatives as novel antimalarial agents that would be effective against resistant P. falciparum. In our study, 15 new trioxane derivatives were designed by molecular modification of the 1,2,4-trioxane scaffold as possible antimalarial agents. Molecular modeling studies of trioxane derivatives were performed based on the CADD approach using Biovia Discovery Studio (DS) 2018 software. The protein-ligand docking study was performed against P. falciparum falcipain 2 (FP-2) using the simulation-based docking protocol LibDock by the flexible docking method. The assessment of drug-likeness, ADMET properties, and toxicity was also performed. Furthermore, the compounds CC3 and CC7, which showed the best binding affinity against the target P. falciparum FP-2, were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies followed by the calculation of MM-PBSA binding free energy of protein-ligand complexes using DS 2020. Results of the docking study showed that among the 15 compounds, three trioxane derivatives were found to possess promising binding affinity with LibDock scores ranging from 117.16 to 116.90. Drug-likeness, ADMET, and toxicity properties were found to be satisfactory for all the compounds. Among the 15 compounds, two compounds, namely CC3 and CC7, showed the highest binding affinity against FP-2 with LibDock score of 117.166 and 117.200, respectively. The Libdock score of the co-crystal inhibitor was 114.474. MD studies along with MM-PBSA calculations of binding energies further confirmed the antimalarial potential of the compounds CC3 and CC7, with the formation of well-defined and stable receptor-ligand interactions against the P. falciparum FP-2 enzyme. Additionally, the selectivity of trioxane hits identified as potential inhibitors of P. falciparum cysteine protease FP-2 was determined on human cysteine proteases such as cathepsins (Cat K and Cat L), which are host homologous. Finally, it was concluded that the newly designed 1,2,4-trioxane derivatives can be further studied for in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities for their possible development as potent antimalarial agents effective against resistant P. falciparum.

This study investigated the potential protective role of aqueous leafextracts of Chromolaena odorata and Tridax procumbens against pulmonary toxicity induced by doxorubicin. To this end, the effects of these extracts on the profiles of pulmonary biomarkers, lipids and electrolytes were monitored in doxorubicin-treated rats. Doxorubicin was intraperitoneally administered at 15 mg/kg body weight (48 h prior to sacrifice); metformin was orally administered daily at 250 mg/kg body weight (for 14 days); and both extracts were orally administered daily at 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg body weight (for 14 days).The concentrations of pulmonary malondialdehyde, cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, chloride and sodium of Test control were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of the other groups. However, the concentrations of pulmonary ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, magnesium and potassium as well as pulmonary catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities of Test control were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of the other groups.The administration of the extracts prevented doxorubicin-induced adverse alterations in the profiles of pulmonary biomarkers of oxidative stress, cholesterol and electrolytes and maintained them within the normal ranges .Therefore, these herbal preparations from C. odorata and T. procumbens are promising candidates for the prevention/alleviation of doxorubicin-induced pulmonary toxicity.

Invasive alien species are non-native plant species that displace native species and pose adverse effects to environment, ecosystem, economy, and human health by diminishing the growth of native plants and by exhibiting higher stress tolerance. In our present study, four invasive alien species, namely Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorous, Ricinus communis, and Ageratum conyzoides, were studied from different locations. Plants growing under natural environmental conditions were sampled at random in the vicinity of Jalandhar. To gain insights into the biochemical basis of invasiveness of these plants, the samples were subjected to chemical fingerprinting by using UV-Vis, fluorescent, and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) techniques under natural abiotic stress conditions (moderate and hot conditions). Indices of oxidative stress, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), were also studied. MDA levels were enhanced under hot conditions. Elevated peaks (major and minor) were observed in UV fingerprinting during adverse abiotic conditions. Fluorescent spectroscopy also validated the enhanced levels of secondary metabolites. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of alkaloids and phenolics during stress conditions. Peaks were identified as rutin, vanillic acid, ascorbic acid, and glutathione reduced. The obtained results showed that under stressful conditions, the studied plants may produce an increased level of metabolites that might play a role in minimizing the oxidative stress faced by these plants. It was concluded that the studied plants, namely P. hysterophorus, L. camara, R. communis, and A. conyzoides, have the potential to cope with abiotic stress such as high temperature, which could be the reason for their invasiveness and vast adaptability.

Background: The extensive use of pepper fruit creates a constant demand for new cultivars with specific agromorphological properties. The wide variety of breeding materials of this species means that methods based on morphological traits descriptions are not always sufficient to allow for their identification. Genetic homogeneity must be guaranteed to ensure repeatability of phenotypic traits. Most often, molecular analyses characterizing diversity at the DNA level are used for this purpose.

Material and methods: The PCR-RAPD technique was used for molecular analysis of the generative offspring of three cultivars of pepper: "Anchi", "Luba" and "Sono" and their forms of different fruit colour. The genetic distance between the tested genotypes was determined using the Nei and Li formula.

Results: The reaction with 26 RAPD primers resulted in a total of 262 products and 5.2% of them were polymorphic bands. Eight of the used primers generated 12 polymorphic products that differentiated the tested genotypes. The "Anchi" cultivar was identified by the primers A07, K10, Q07 and AE10. Starter Q07 identified as well the "Luba" cultivar. Reactions carried out with primers B10 and RAD1 identified the "Sono" cultivar. In addition, primer A15 generated products that made it possible to distinguish yellow-fruit and red-fruit forms within the "Luba" and "Sono" cultivars.

Conclusion: The analyses showed a low degree of genetic distance between C. annuum L. cultivars confirming the genetic homogeneity of the examined groups of plants and creating and opportunity for molecular identification of the genetic diversity within the "Luba" and "Sono" cultivars.

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence, antibiotic susceptibility pattern, and plasmid profile of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae isolated from soymilk hawked in the Ibadan Polytechnic Community, Nigeria. Bacterial isolation and identification were performed using a culture-dependent method and biochemical characterization, respectively, while antibiotic susceptibility was tested using the disk diffusion method. Plasmid analysis and curing were performed using standard procedures. The results revealed the following occurrence rate of bacterial species in soymilk samples collected from all axes (South, North, East, West, and Central) of Ibadan Polytechnic: Citrobacter spp., 64%; Klebsiella spp., 7%; Enterobacter spp., Escherichia coli, and Serratia spp., 6% each; Proteus spp., 5%; and Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp., 3% each. The highest heterotrophic bacterial count of 9.3 × 10³ CFU/ml was recorded at Ibadan Polytechnic North and South, while the least count (3.2 × 10⁷ CFU/ml) was recorded at Ibadan Polytechnic Central. The highest enteric bacterial count of 1.3 × 10³ CFU/ml was recorded in soymilk samples from Ibadan Polytechnic Central, while the least count of 1.7 × 10⁷ CFU/ml was recorded in soymilk samples from Ibadan Polytechnic North. A total of 26% of the isolates showed resistance to cefpodoxime, while 88% of the isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Four of the MDR isolates possessed plasmid bands ranging from 6 to 1 with molecular weights from 2.7 to 17.2 kbp. Enterobacteriaceae such as isolates O14 (Klebsiella spp.) and B10 (E. coli ) retained their resistance to antibiotics even after removal of plasmids, while isolates S13 (Citrobacter spp.) and O4 (Shigella spp.) were susceptible to some antibiotics after curing. Conclusively, soymilk sold in the sampled areas was highly contaminated with Enterobacteriaceae, thereby indicating poor hygiene standards of soymilk production.

The use of biotechnological approaches to increase soil fertility and productivity allows to obtain sustainable agriculture with lesser use of chemical fertilizers. The present study aimed to determine whether the inoculation of Bacillus panthothenicus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas syringae, or Serratia marcescens combined with reduced doses of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertilizer can improve the growth and yield of maize on poor ferruginous soils under field conditions in central Benin. For this purpose, maize seeds of the EVDT 97 STR C1 variety were inoculated with 10 ml suspension of five plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, and the plots were fertilized at seeding with the recommended doses (0, 25, 50, 100%) of 200 kg/ha of NPK and 100 kg of urea for corn cultivation. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 replicates. The results showed that except for P. syringae , which induced the highest fresh aerial biomass (94.51%) and dry aerial biomass (63.63%), all other parameters were positively improved with inoculation associated with reduced doses of NPK + urea. The best height, leaf area, fresh underground biomass, and grain yield were recorded in response to the application of P. syringae + 50% NPK + urea, with an increase of 26.82, 32.23, 107.57, and 30.64%, respectively, compared to those of the control. The inoculation of seeds with P. syringae + 50% NPK + urea can be considered to be an environmentally sustainable strategy for maize cultivation.

Ferritin is a unique buffering protein in iron metabolism. By storing or releasing iron in a tightly controlled manner, it prevents the negative effects of free ferrous ions on biomolecules in all domains of life - from bacteria to mammals. This review focuses on the structural features and activity of the ferritin protein family with an emphasis on nematode ferritins and the similarities in their biological roles with mammalian ferritins. The conservative characteristic of the ferritin family across the species originates from the ferroxidase activity against redox-active iron. The antioxidative function of these proteins translates into their involvement in a wide range of important biological processes, e.g., aging, fat metabolism, immunity, anticancer activity, and antipathogenic activity. Moreover, disturbances in ferritin expression lead to severe iron-associated diseases. Research on the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism may allow us to better understand the wide spectrum of mechanisms involving ferritin activity.