Biotechnologia最新文献

The oral cavity, being a nutritionally enriched environment, has been proven to be an ideal habitat for biofilm development. Various microenvironments, including dental enamel, supra- and subgingival surfaces, salivary fluid, and the dorsal surface of the tongue, harbor diverse microbes. These biofilms typically consist of four major layers. Depending on the food, age, clinical state, and lifestyle of the patient, the microbial growth dynamics in oral biofilm varies significantly. The presence of pathogenic bacteria that disrupt the normal floral composition of the oral cavity can lead to plaque biofilm formation, which is a precursor to various diseases. Noteworthy pathogenic bacteria, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Streptococcus mutans, often initiate biofilm formation. Undiagnosed and untreated oral biofilm can lead to severe diseases like periodontitis and eventual tooth loss. Therefore, studying the architecture and dynamics of oral biofilms is essential and can be achieved through image analysis and modern technologies, such as AI-enabled technologies and surface topography-adaptive robotic superstructures.

Gliclazide (GLZ), an oral antihyperglycemic medication, has additional beneficial effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, besides lowering blood glucose levels. In this study, the radio-protective effect of GLZ was evaluated against ionizing radiation (IR)-induced intestinal injury in mice. Eight groups of mice were randomized as follows: control, GLZ (5, 10, and 25 mg/kg), IR (6 Gy), and IR + GLZ (at 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg). GLZ was administered to the mice for eight consecutive days, after which they were exposed to X-rays at a single dose of 6 Gy. After irradiation, biochemical parameters, immunohistochemical, and histological examinations were conducted on the ileum of the mice. IR exposure increased the levels of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, while glutathione levels, as oxidative stress biomarkers, decreased. Apoptosis in ileum tissues was also assessed. Furthermore, histopathological changes were observed in the irradiated mice. GLZ treatment significantly mitigated these changes. The administration of GLZ resulted in a marked decrease in caspase-3 immunoreactivity in the ileum of irradiated mice. This preclinical study exhibited that GLZ has a radioprotective effect against intestinal injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis.

The utilization of quercetin nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic strategy has garnered significant attention in recent years. These nanoparticles offer a unique approach to enhancing delivery and effectiveness while overcoming the drawbacks of quercetin. By exploiting the advantages of nanotechnology, such as increased stability and improved bioavailability, quercetin nanoparticles hold significant potential for developing innovative treatments across various medical fields. Quercetin nanoparticles have emerged as an indispensable component in numerous pharmaceutical and medicinal formulations. They are recognized for their anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties, making them valuable in addressing allergic reactions, metabolic disorders, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and arthritis. From a pharmacological perspective, quercetin nanoparticles have demonstrated beneficial effects against Alzheimer's disease, primarily through their inhibitory impact on acetylcholinesterase. Furthermore, these nanoparticles have been scientifically documented to possess antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, and cytotoxic activities. This comprehensive review aims to explore the pharmacokinetics and biological activities associated with quercetin nanoparticles. It also highlights their potential as therapeutic agents in treating a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Background: The present study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and partial enzymatic properties of 52 thermophilic cyanobacteria isolates in vitro.

Materials and methods: The DPPH scavenging method was applied to test the antioxidant potential of isolates' methanol extracts. Agar block diffusion and agar well diffusion methods were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and measured in milimeters. The measurement of enzyme activity was carried out by a modification of the agar block method by the growth of the cyanobacteria.

Results: Among the cyanobacterial extracts, strain 37 (0.78 ± 0.055 mg/ml) showed an IC₅₀ value close to ascorbic acid (0.22 ± 0.04 mg/ml), indicating that it has a specific antioxidant source. Isolate G13 was shown to have the strongest antimicrobial activity against Micrococcus luteus NRRL B-4375 in the agar well diffusion method. In addition, the ability to produce enzymes was determined in isolate G1 (25 ± 5.66 mm), which had the highest cellulase activity at pH 8, and isolate K42 (22 ± 0.71 mm), which had the highest lipase activity at pH 7.

Conclusion: When percent inhibition and IC₅₀ values were examined, it was found that cyanobacterial methanol extracts had moderate and low scavenging activity in comparison to the standard antioxidant ascorbic acid. In a study using the agar well diffusion method, the activity of cyanobacterial extracts against test bacteria was observed. In light of the results obtained, it is believed that the isolates exhibited lipase and cellulase (pH 7 and 8) enzyme activity at both pH levels and have potential for industrial use.

Gracilaria is a genus of red algae found mainly in Asia. Various species of Gracilaria are distributed throughout Indonesia's marine waters, especially in coastal areas, and are cultivated for research and economic purposes. Gracilaria mainly consists of polysaccharides and pigments, which have hindered protein identification. The unique protein expressions have never been analyzed using a proteomic approach, and no reports are available on Gracilaria spp. amino acid sequences in Central Java. Based on this background, we aimed to explore Gracilaria protein characterization using unique peptide sequence analysis via LC-HRMS. The usage of liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) has been growing in biomedical and environmental sciences, offering high accuracy in protein detection. We followed the LC-HRMS standard protocol with an optimized precipitation procedure. TCA/acetone precipitation was used for protein purification, after which the precipitate was subjected to protein digestion to obtain small peptide fractions. Protein analysis results are presented as protein concentrations, molecular models, and peptide sequences. This experiment identified four sequences derived from the Rhodophyta database: TKKILDK (845.5455 Da), TVKSLLTK (889.5717 Da), ILVKTLK (814.5761 Da), and TGcGRSKR (921.4683 Da). This study reveals peptide sequences for Gracilaria spp., showing similarities with other red algae species, along with the functions of the peptide sequences. Furthermore, amino acid models of secondary structures were provided to support our findings.

Abaca (Musa textilis Nee) is the primary source of manila hemp fiber, a vital industrial product for the country. Previous studies have relied on molecular markers designed for other Musa species or distant genera like rice, limiting accurate genetic characterization and germplasm conservation. To address this, we developed 50 genome-specific molecular markers based on the recently released whole genome sequence assembly of Abaca var. Abuab by Galvez et al. (2021). Among these markers, 28 showed high polymorphism, with an average PIC value of 0.78. Population analysis revealed a heterozygosity of 0.428, indicating moderate genetic diversity, supported by an alpha value of 0.0735 and an F _stp value of 0.0815, which suggests moderate genetic differentiation among abaca accessions. Cluster analyses, generated by DARwin and STRUCTURE software with 91% similarity, identified four clusters. The new markers were also able to distinguish six Musa accessions exhibiting morphological traits of both abaca and banana. Discrepancies in sample identification due to identical or inverted names were resolved using population structure analysis. Molecular variance analysis showed a 12% variance among the four abaca subpopulations and 88% within populations, suggesting recent divergence. Our study highlights the diversity, identity, and genetic variation within the abaca collection using accurate, robust, cost-effective, and computationally simple genome-specific markers. These markers are pivotal for genetic studies of abaca, including traitmarker mapping and the differentiation of accessions even in the juvenile stage, when phenotypic differences may be subtle.

Background and objective: Since plant-based natural drugs are widely accepted in modern times and possess numerous pharmacological effects with an extensive therapeutic range, an ethnomedicinal plant native to Bangladesh was selected to investigate for investigation of its various pharmacological effects. Macropanax dispermus has been traditionally used and has demonstrated numerous pharmacological effects in preclinical investigations. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the central nervous system (CNS) depressant and antioxidant activities of the crude methanol extracts of the stem barks (MDMS), leaves (MDML), and their different fractions.

Methods: The CNS depressant activity was assessed using the hole cross, rota-rod, and elevated plus maze tests on Swiss Albino mice, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) nonradical scavenging, and ferric reducing power assays.

Results: The conducted assays successfully demonstrated that the chloroform fraction of MDML is a significantly (P < 0.001) effective CNS depressant, muscle relaxant, and anxiolytic agent with excellent antioxidative effects compared to standard and control. The aqueous fraction of MDML also acted as a significantly (P < 0.001) active CNS depressant and muscle relaxant, and it was a highly active ferric-reducing agent. All effects were dose and concentration-dependent.

Conclusion: The presence of various phytochemicals might contribute to these activities. However, further research is suggested to isolate their active compounds and evaluate their mechanisms of action.

Background: Recombinant plasminogen activator (r-PA) consists of the Kringle-2 and protease domains of human tissue-type plasminogen. It is used clinically to treat coronary artery thrombosis and acute myocardial infarction. However, the expression and production of reteplase (r-PA) are limited due to its susceptibility to proteolysis during manufacturing processes. Therefore, efforts have been made to address this limitation.

Materials and methods: To enhance the conformational stability of r-PA and increase its resistance to proteolysis, we used Gly 6 Ala substitutions in the Kringle-2 domain through in silico . We created an in silico mutant collection with eight structures, incorporating four designated mutations (R103S, G39A, G53A, and G55A). Using MODELLER software and homology modeling, we developed three-dimensional structures for two Kringle-2 and tissue plasminogen activator protease domains, including the wild noncleavable form (R103S) and mutants with all four designated mutations. We assessed protein stability using a dynamic cross-correlation matrix by extracting global properties such as Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) and Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) from trajectory files.

Results: The findings revealed that a single glycine-alanine substitution (G39A) enhanced the conformational stability of r-PA, as evidenced by improvements in RMSD, RMSF, radius of gyration, surface accessibility, hydrogen bond formation, eigenvector projection, and density analysis.

Conclusion: The conformational stability of r-PA conferred by glycine replacement with alanine may decrease the propensity for proteolysis in protease - rich environments across various recombinant systems and potentially enhance its production and expression levels.

Nanotechnology presents an exciting opportunity in cancer research by offering significant advancements in therapies, diagnosis, and management. It possesses unparalleled potential to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of cancer therapy while simultaneously reducing adverse effects, owing to its distinctive capability to manipulate matter at a molecular level. Using nanoparticle carriers has facilitated the precise administration of therapeutic agents to afflicted areas within the human body through customized drug delivery systems, resulting in improved treatment accuracy and efficacy while reducing adverse effects. These techniques improve drug solubility and stability, leading to elevated levels of biochemical availability and improved efficacy outcomes for patients with minimal negative effects during treatment cycles. Another use case for nanoparticles includes tumor imaging; functionalized with targeting ligands containing diagnostic agents, they foster early detection, making quicker remedial action plans possible. Overall, the incorporation of nanotechnology ensures a promising future, although it stresses the need to address regulatory hurdles and safety concerns before widespread clinical implementation. Despite the complexity of cancer research and patient care, nanotechnology shows promise in transforming both fields.

Screening for effective vaccines requires broad studies on their immunogenicity in vitro and ex vivo . We used a PBMC-based system to assess changes in CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, and CD19⁺ B cells upon stimulation with different combinations of antigens and adjuvants. We studied the activation mechanism using flow cytometry and two different adenoviral adjuvants characterized by the presence or absence of costimulatory ligands for the ICOS and CD40 receptors. Our studies identified the cellular targets and molecular mechanisms driving ongoing switched-antibody diversification. Class-switched memory B cells were the main precursor cells (95.03% ± 0.38 vs. mock 82.33% ± 0.45, P < 0.05) after treatment with the immunogenic formula: adenovirus armed (MIX1) or not (MIX2) with the ICOS and CD40 ligand, the recombinant receptor binding domain (rRBD), and Lentifect™ SARS-CoV-2 spike-pseudotyped lentivirus (GeneCopoeia, USA). Bcell class-switching towards the IgG⁺IgM⁺- positive phenotypes was noted (~50-fold increase vs. mock, P < 0.05). A significant increase was observed in the CD8⁺T_EM population of the MIX1 (~2-fold, P < 0.05) and MIX2 (~4.7-fold, P < 0.05) treated samples. CD8⁺T_EMRA increased when PBMCs were treated with MIX2 (9.63% ± 0.90, P < 0.05) vs. mock (2.63% ± 1.96). Class-switched memory B cells were the dominant antigen-specific cells in primary reactions. We indicated a correlation between the protection offered by vaccine regimens and their ability to induce high frequencies of multifunctional T cells.