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BioNanoScience (21911630) 15(3)
Streptococci and Staphylococci are pathogenic agents that cause antibiotic-resistant infections through biofilm formation. Therefore, researchers are seeking alternative methods to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. This study aimed to compare the anti-biofilm effect of an aptamer-silver nanoparticle complex (Apt-AgNP) on Streptococci and Staphylococci. In the in silico studies, the physicochemical properties and secondary and tertiary structures of the selected bacterial surface proteins were compared and validated using ProtParam, GOR IV, SWISS-MODEL, Phyre2, I-TASSER, and GalaxyWEB servers. Aptamer binding to proteins was performed using molecular docking with HDock and ZDock servers. In the in vitro experiments, silver nanoparticles were synthesized and then attached to biotinylated AptBH via streptavidin. The anti-biofilm effect of Apt-AgNP on Streptococci and Staphylococci was compared with that of silver nanoparticles alone. For the characterization of silver nanoparticles and Apt-AgNP, XRD, FESEM, DLS, and zeta potential tests were used. The in silico results showed that aptamer docking with staphylococcal surface proteins yielded high binding scores, with the best results of − 310.74 for S. aureus and − 300.76 for S. epidermidis on the HDock server. Characterization results confirmed the spherical shape of the silver nanoparticles with a size of approximately 80 nm and their successful attachment to the aptamer. The Apt-AgNP at a concentration of 400 μg/mL showed a better anti-biofilm effect compared to silver nanoparticles alone. The highest anti-biofilm effect of this complex was observed on Staphylococci (69–72%). Overall, the consistency between in silico and in vitro results demonstrated the potential of this complex in developing new strategies for combating bacterial infections. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (01418130) 296
Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is a significant threat to fruit crops, with limited biocontrol methods. This study aimed to develop a nanosystem using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with a phenolic plant extract (ZP) derived from Myrtus communis, Thymus vulgaris, and Curcuma longa, and coated with natural biopolymers Gum Tragacanth (GT) and sodium alginate (SA). The MSNs were synthesized and characterized by XRD, FTIR, and TEM, exhibiting a specific surface area of about 750 m2/g and an average pore diameter of 5 nm. ZP was effectively loaded into the MSNs with a loading efficiency of ∼25 %, and GT-MSNs-ZP demonstrated sustained release, releasing 56 % of phenolic compounds over 168 h. In antibacterial tests, GT-MSNs-ZP demonstrated the highest effectiveness against E. amylovora, maintaining inhibition for up to 7 days. In vivo experiments showed that GT-MSNs-ZP reduced diseased leaves by 60 % at a concentration of 5/1000 mL/mL, comparable to commercial pesticides. Additionally, the system showed no adverse effects on beneficial bacteria such as Rhizobium meliloti and Bacillus licheniformis. These results emphasize the potential of GT-MSNs-ZP as a sustainable and effective biocontrol solution for agricultural applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Nanoscience And Nanotechnology - Asia (22106812) 15(2)
Background: Therapeutic effects of plant metabolites have been used for the treatment of burns, wounds and infections over the centuries. Electrospun nanofibers containing plant metabolites have also been considered recently for the development of new and efficient wound dressings. Ferula assa-foetida has received much attention in traditional medicine due to its numerous healing properties. Objective: In the present study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers containing aqueous extracts of F. assa-foetida gum (FAE) were prepared and characterized. The antibacterial activity of nanofibers was investigated. Methods: Electrospinning was utilized for the fabrication of PVA/FAE nanofibers. The morphology, physical and chemical properties of the synthesized nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and contact angle test. Results: The uniform nanofibers with the average diameter of 256 nm were obtained by using 8 wt.% PVA, 1:4 (w: w %) ratio of PVA/FAE, needle to collector distance of 13 cm, 20 kV voltage, collector rotation speed of 3 m/min, and flow rate of 0.5 mL/h. The use of FAE led to the increased diameter of nanofibers and their contact angle compared to PVA nanofibers. Interestingly, the PVA/FAE nanofibers displayed considerable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion: The overall results indicated that PVA/FAE nanofibers can be considered as a potential candidate for the preparation of wound dressings with antibacterial properties. © 2025 Bentham Science Publishers.
Molecular Biology Research Communications (2322181X) 14(1)pp. 1-14
Pseudomonas syringae is a gram-negative bacterium that causes a diversity of diseases in numerous plants. Strategies to inhibit P. syringae growth include protective procedures; however, controlling the disease is complicated due to its rapid spread. Several antimicrobial agents can prevent this disease, such as chemical compounds, biological agents, secondary metabolites, nanoparticles, bacteriophages, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The most effective way to control the disease is through chemical control. Using copper compounds and antibiotics is a conventional practice to decrease canker disease symptoms. However, due to environmental pollution caused by chemicals and bactericides and the resistance of different pathovars of P. syringae, other methods for bacterial pathogens control are needed. Biological control, using antagonistic bacteria has shown promising results against P. syringae under in vitro conditions. New studies focus on using secondary metabolites from plants to control plant diseases. Studies have shown that essential oils when preserved from degradation and evaporation by nanoparticles like mesoporous silica, can increase their antibacterial activities. Using nanoparticles, especially silver, is a suitable strategy for controlling P. syringae. However, high concentrations of silver nanoparticles are toxic. Bacteriophages and AMPs are recommended as alternatives to control bacterial infections in agriculture, including P. syringae. Combined treatments of phages and secondary metabolites have shown higher efficacy, potentially overcoming resistance. However, bacteriophages and AMPs are expensive and limited. In the end, using secondary metabolites and nanoparticles at low concentrations presents economic benefits and antibacterial activities without phytotoxic properties. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Current Nutrition And Food Science (22123881)
Background: Nitrate and acrylamide as carcinogenic substances are increased during the baking process of foods, such as cereals. Objective: This study aimed to reduce the amount of acrylamide and nitrate in three types of cereals, wheat, barley, and maize, by treatment with probiotic bacteria and several plant extracts. Methods: Three types of plant extracts were prepared from Coriandrum sativum, Nigella sativa, and Thymus sp. leaves and stem. Also, Lactobacillus casei subspecies rhamnosus LCR6013 was used as probiotic bacteria for bacterial treatment. Acrylamide and nitrate were measured by HPLC and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Results: Adding plant extracts and LCR 6013 bacteria could reduce the level of nitrate and acrylamide in the cereal samples. Among plant extracts, nigella could reduce nitrate in all samples below detectable levels. Also, it was effective in reducing acrylamide content from samples to the extent of 87% in barley, 60% in wheat, and 100% in corn. Bacterial treatment could also reduce nitrate levels between 70 and 100% while having a variable impact on decreasing acrylamide. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistically significant results. Conclusion: It was concluded that pre-baking exposure to plant extract and bacteria is effective in the reduction of nitrate and acrylamide quantity in the heat processing of cereals. © 2025 Bentham Science Publishers.
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is the cause of bovine viral diarrhea disease, one of the most economically important livestock diseases worldwide. The majority of BVD disease control programs rely on the detection and then elimination of persistent infection (PI) cattle, as the continuing source of disease. The main purpose of this study was to design and develop an accurate G-quadruplex-based aptasensor for rapid and simple detection of BVDV-1. In this work, we utilized in silico techniques to design a G-quadruplex aptamer specific for the detection of BVDV-1. Also, the rationally designed aptamer was validated experimentally and was used for developing a colorimetric biosensor based on an aptamer-gold nanoparticle system. Firstly, a pool of G-quadruplex forming ssDNA sequences was constructed. Then, based on the stability score in secondary and tertiary structures and molecular docking score, an aptamer (Apt31) was selected. In the experimental part, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with an average particle size of 31.7 nm were synthesized and electrostatically linked with the Apt31. The colorimetric test showed that salt-induced color change of AuNPs from red to purple-blue occurs only in the presence of BVDV-Apt31 complex, after 20 min. These results approved the specificity of Apt31 for BVDV. Furthermore, our biosensor could detect the virus at as low as 0.27 copies/ml, which is an acceptable value in comparison to the qPCR method. The specificity of the aptasensor was confirmed through cross-reactivity testing, while its selectivity was confirmed through plasma testing. The sample analysis showed 90% precision and 94% accuracy. It was concluded that the biosensor was adequately sensitive and specific for the detection of BVDV in plasma samples and could be used as a simple and rapid method on the farm. © 2024 Rabiei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Microbial Pathogenesis (10961208) 196
Today, many infections in plants are related to biofilm-developing bacteria. These infections can result in severe agricultural losses. Thus, this study aims to investigate the synergistic antibiofilm activity of Thymus vulgaris extract on the inherent antibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles against Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Additionally, to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of phytocompounds’ antibacterial activity, the molecular interactions of T. vulgaris phytochemicals with the TolC protein and TonB-dependent siderophore receptor were investigated through in-silico studies. Green-synthesized ZnO NPs (ZnO@GS) and chemically synthesized ZnO (ZnO@CHS) were evaluated using XRD and SEM techniques, showing a crystalline structure for both powders with average sizes of 50, and 40 nm, respectively. According to FT-IR and EDS spectroscopy, ZnO@GS was covered with thyme extract. Based on the in vitro results, all samples of ZnO NPs exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against both bacteria. At the same time, thyme aqueous extract alone proved considerably less effective at all tested concentrations. Compared to ZnO@CHS and thyme extract, the antibacterial efficacy of ZnO@GS against E. amylovora (MIC = 512 μg/mL) and P. syringae pv. syringae (MIC = 256 μg/mL) was significantly improved upon surface covering with thyme phytocompounds. Moreover, their antibiofilm properties were enhanced by almost 20 % compared to ZnO@CHS. In addition, molecular docking investigations showed that most of the phytocompounds could form stable interactions with the TonB-dependent siderophore receptor (P. syringae) plug domain and the TolC (E. amylovora) external channel. In vitro and in silico studies demonstrate that using the green approach for synthesizing ZnO NPs via thyme extract can notably boost its antibacterial and antibiofilm effects on the tested phytopathogenic bacteria. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Gavanji S. ,
Baghshahi H. ,
Bakhtari A. ,
Mohamadi A. ,
Chamgordani Z.H. ,
Khandan M. ,
Sinaei J. ,
Momtazi-borojeni, A. ,
Momtazi-borojeni, A. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Sadeghi, H. Gazi Medical Journal (21472092) (3)pp. 243-247
Objective: Most research on the therapeutic effects of wild pistachio species has focused on bacteria and fungi. This study investigated the flavonoid and phenolic contents of different leaves and hulls of Pistacia atlantica (P. atlantica) subsp. Kurdica (P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica) extracts and their effect on herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1). Methods: In this study, aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts of the leaf and hull of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica were prepared by the percolation method. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in different extracts were measured by UV/Vis spectrophotometry using the Folin-Ciocâlteu reagent and the colorimetric method of aluminum chloride, respectively. On African green monkey kidney cells (VERO), the ethanolic extract of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica was tested for toxicity. Furthermore, 50% cytotoxic and inhibitory concentrations (CC50 and IC50) were identified. Results: Compared with aqueous and methanolic extracts, the ethanolic extract of the leaf and hull of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica had the highest phenolic and flavonoid concentrations. In addition, our study showed that CC50 values were 661.81 and 795.21 μg/mL. Also, IC50 values were 97.51 and 110.82 μg/mL for leaf and hull extracts, respectively. The selectivity index for the ethanolic leaf and hull extracts were 6.79 and 7.18, respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed that P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica had an anti-HSV1 effect in a dose-dependent manner but at a higher dose than acyclovir. Ethanolic extract of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica is probably a suitable herbal medicine with anti-herpetic effects. © 2024 The Author.
Microbial Pathogenesis (10961208) 194
Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the world. Resistance to anticancer treatments in patients with advanced solid tumors leads to new treatments. Therefore, more alternative anticancer methods have been found over time with greater specificity against tumor cells and with less or no adverse effects on normal cells. Bacterial spores of obligate anaerobes exclusively germinate in the hypoxic/necrotic areas and not in the well oxygenated areas of the body. This unique phenomenon has been exploited in using bacterial spores as a remedy for cancer. Bacterial toxins also play a significant role in either directly killing tumor cells or altering the cellular processes of the tumor cells which ultimately leads to the inhibition and regression of the solid tumor. In the microbial environment, pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, or Streptococcus pyogenes produce hemolysin. This protein is used as an anti-cancer protein. To identify the production of hemolysin by bacteria, which can destroy cancer cells more effectively, different bacterial strains were first cultured in blood agar culture medium. The Strains that completely lysed red blood cells, creating transparent zones, were selected for further investigation. Then, to find out which strains have more ability to lyse red blood cells, the qualitative method of halo diameter measurement was used. Also, using quantitative methods, hemolysin strength in microtubes was determined compared to control samples. The results of the hemolysis in the microtube and the qualitative test results showed similar results. In the next step, the cell viability test was performed with the partially purified proteins. Then, bioinformatics studies such as secondary structure investigation, physicochemical properties, pseudo amino acid composition, and molecular docking were performed. The results of molecular docking showed that the hemolysin protein has the highest affinity for the cholesterol of the cytoplasmic membrane, respectively, of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which play a significant role in either directly killing tumor cells or altering the cellular processes of the tumor cells which ultimately leads to the inhibition and regression of the solid tumor. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PLoS ONE (19326203) 19(6 June)
The development of a cancer vaccine has become an essential focus in the field of medical biotechnology and immunology. In our study, the NY-SAR-35 cancer/testis antigen was targeted to design a novel peptide vaccine using bioinformatics tools, and BALB/c mice were used to evaluate the vaccine’s immunological function. This evaluation involved assessing peptide-specific IgG levels in the serum via ELISA and measuring the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and granzyme B in the supernatant of cultured splenocytes. The final vaccine construct consisted of two T lymphocyte epitopes linked by the AAY linker. This construct displayed high antigenicity, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, stability, and ability to induce IFN-γ and IL-4. It showed stable dynamics with both human MHC-I and II molecules, as well as mouse MHC-II molecules, and revealed strong Van der Waals and electrostatic energies. Emulsifying our peptide vaccine in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant resulted in a remarkable increase in the levels of IgG. The splenocytes of mice that received the combination of peptide and adjuvant displayed a noteworthy increase in IFN-γ, IL-4, and granzyme B secretion. Additionally, their lymphocytes exhibited higher proliferation rates compared to the control group. Our data demonstrated that our vaccine could stimulate a robust immune response, making it a promising candidate for cancer prevention. However, clinical trials are necessary to assess its efficacy in humans. © 2024 Samman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Iranian Journal Of Science (27318095) 48(1)pp. 9-16
Serine proteases are an essential and immensely diverse group of enzymes found in many different organisms, from mammals to viruses. Alkaline serine proteases (ASPs) are a type of serine protease that exhibit their highest activity levels in alkaline conditions. These enzymes play a critical role across a wide range of industries, providing immense value and benefits. ASPs are produced mainly by bacteria and fungi on industrial scales. The present study involved an analysis of various sequences of alkaline serine proteases derived from fungi and bacteria. The analytical approach employed encompassed the assessment of the pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), the tripeptide composition (TPC), physicochemical properties, secondary structures, and conserved motifs. Motif discovery and analysis showed that a considerable majority of bacterial alkaline serine protease sequences (over 94%) and fungal alkaline serine protease sequences (99%) in the dataset were associated with the subtilisin-like serine protease superfamily. This finding highlights the prevalence of this particular superfamily in alkaline serine protease sequences and provides valuable insight into the evolutionary relationships between different protease families. Based on the results of the study, the utilization of PseAAC and TPC techniques was successful in categorizing fungal and bacterial ASPs into separate groups. This was made possible by precise predictive models generated using machine learning algorithms. Bacterial and fungal ASPs had no significant differences in amino acid composition, ProtParam features, and GORIV secondary structure prediction outcomes. This underscores the importance of TPC and PseAAC concepts in accurately clustering and predicting ASP sequences. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shiraz University 2024.
Probiotics have poor gastrointestinal delivery because they lose their viability during intestinal passage. Microencapsulation has a significant effect on the survival of probiotic bacteria. This study aimed to synthesize chitosan-alginate nanoparticles and encapsulate Bacillus coagulans NBRC-12583 and Enterococcus faecium MGFR1 in alginate (Alg), chitosan (Cht) and inulin (Inu) by micro- and nano-encapsulation to investigate the viability of encapsulated strains in simulated gastrointestinal condition. The survival of free and encapsulated bacteria was studied for 120 min. The population of B. coagulans encapsulated in Cht-Alg only decreased by 0.86 log CFU, while that of E. faecium encapsulated in Cht-Alg nanoparticles only decreased by 0.27 log CFU. Treated with simulated intestinal fluid, B. coagulans and E. faecium populations decreased by 1.03 and 0.17 log CFU, respectively. E. faecium microencapsulated in Cht-Alg and Inu had a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 96.78%. E. faecium encapsulated in Cht-Alg nanoparticles and Inu was more viable than other encapsulated bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy was done to investigate the microcapsules' surface morphology, structure, internal cross-sectional view, and the zeta potential for the surface charge of Cht-Alg nanoparticles. The viability of the probiotic bacteria was enhanced significantly by microencapsulation and nanomaterial-based encapsulation within the chitosan-alginate and inulin matrix. © 2024
International Journal Of Molecular And Cellular Medicine (22519645) 13(1)pp. 46-63
One of the burning issues facing healthcare organizations is multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. P. aeruginosa is an MDR opportunistic bacterium responsible for nosocomial and fatal infections in immunosuppressed individuals. According to previous studies, efflux pump activity and biofilm formation are the most common resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa. The aim of this study was to propose new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that target P. aeruginosa and can effectively address these resistance mechanisms through in silico and in vitro assessments. Since AMPs are an attractive alternative to antibiotics, in vitro experiments were carried out along with bioinformatics analyses on 19 Nef peptides (derived from the HIV-1 Nef protein) in the current study. Several servers, including Dbaasps, Antibp2, CLASSAMP2, ToxinPred, dPABBs and ProtParam were used to predict Nef peptides as AMPs. To evaluate the binding affinities, a molecular docking analysis was performed with the HADDOCK web server for all Nef peptide models against two effective proteins of P. aeruginosa (MexB and PqsR) that play a role in efflux and quorum sensing. Moreover, the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of the Nef peptides was investigated in a resistant strain of P. aeruginosa. The results of molecular docking revealed that all Nef peptides have a significant binding affinity to the abovementioned proteins. Nef-Peptide-19 has the highest affinity to the active sites of MexB and PqsR with the HADDOCK scores of -136.1 ± 1.7 and -129.4 ± 2, respectively. According to the results of in vitro evaluation, Nef peptide 19 showed remarked activity against P. aeruginosa with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) of 10 µM and 20 µM, respectively. In addition, biofilm inhibitory activity was observed at a concentration of 20 µM. Finally, Nef peptide 19 is proposed as a new AMP against P. aeruginosa. © The Author(s). Publisher: Babol University of Medical Sciences This work is published as an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4). Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted, provided the original work is properly cited.
Molecular Biology Research Communications (2322181X) 13(4)pp. 183-191
L-asparaginase is a commercial enzyme with a wide variety of applications. Asparaginase is known as an anti-cancer agent that is effective for the treatment of certain lymphomas and leukemias by growth inhibition of human cancer cells. Additionally, asparaginase is used in the food industry in a pretreatment process to decrease the accumulation of carcinogenic acrylamide. In this paper, different aspects of bacterial and fungal asparaginases such as mass, hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), physicochemical properties, and structural motifs were studied, and ROC curve statistical analysis was used for the comparison. The results showed that none of the physicochemical properties of fungal and bacterial asparaginase could not be differed, except molecular weight and sequence length. MEME Suite analysis demonstrated that there was a motif that was specific for bacterial asparaginases. However, analysis based on the concept of PseACC indicated a differentiation line between fungal and bacterial asparaginases. In conclusion, although there was not any specific demonstration to separate the bacterial and fungal asparaginases in the case of physicochemical properties, PseAAC analysis can be an appropriate and usable method to differentiate between them. © (2024), (Shiraz University). All rights reserved.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials (15524973) 112(2)
More than 70% of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections are related to urinary catheters, which are commonly used for the treatment of about 20% of hospitalized patients. Urinary catheters are used to drain the bladder if there is an obstruction in the tube that carries urine out of the bladder (urethra). During catheter-associated urinary tract infections, microorganisms rise up in the urinary tract and reach the bladder, and cause infections. Various materials are used to fabricate urinary catheters such as silicone, polyurethane, and latex. These materials allow bacteria and fungi to develop colonies on their inner and outer surfaces, leading to bacteriuria or other infections. Urinary catheters could be modified to exert antibacterial and antifungal effects. Although so many research have been conducted over the past years on the fabrication of antibacterial and antifouling catheters, an ideal catheter needs to be developed for long-term catheterization of more than a month. In this review, we are going to introduce the recent advances in fabricating antibacterial materials to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections, such as nanoparticles, antibiotics, chemical compounds, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophages, and plant extracts. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Current Nutrition And Food Science (22123881) 20(7)pp. 865-874
Background: Food security has always been a concern in the multi-factorial systems analysis of health and wellbeing. The presence of nitrate and acrylamides in cooked meat leads to negative health outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to reduce nitrate and acrylamide content in different kinds of meats (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, quail, and fish) using some plant extracts and lactobacillus treatment. Methods: The extracts were prepared from Coriandrum sativum, Nigella sativa, and Thymus leaves and stem. The used bacteria was Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus LCR6013. Acrylamide and nitrate were measured by liquid chromatography and colorimetric spectrophotometry methods Results: The results showed that both bacterial treatment and plant extracts could reduce the amount of acrylamide and nitrate. The most reduction in the amount of acrylamide and nitrate was obtained by adding Thymus and Nigella sativa extracts, followed by coriander extract and bacterial inoculum. Also, bacterial treatment was more effective for nitrate reduction than acrylamide. Conclusion: It was concluded that the plant extracts and bacterial treatment are appropriate solutions to reduce the amount of acrylamide and nitrate during the baking process of meat. © 2024 Bentham Science Publishers.
Algal Research (22119264) 82
Haematococcus pluvialis is a type of microalgae that is commercially important as it is the primary source of natural astaxanthin - a potent antioxidant used in nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food, and aquaculture industries. Various nanoparticles and chemicals have been used to stimulate the growth of H. pluvialis to increase astaxanthin production. In this study, silicon nanoparticles were synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and characterized to ensure the pure synthesis of uniform nanocrystals of silicon dioxide. The microalgae were cultivated in optimal Haematococcus medium (OHM) under specific conditions, including a temperature of 25 °C, a pH of 7, and a light intensity of 50 μmol. s−1.m−2 for 12 h of light and 12 h of darkness. To study the amount of viability and astaxanthin production, the microalgae were exposed to different concentrations of silicon, sodium silicate, calcium silicate, and potassium silicate. The highest astaxanthin production (194 mg/g) was obtained after stimulation at 200 μg/ml of silicon compared to the control after 15 days by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Therefore, it can be concluded that certain concentrations of silicon and silicon salts can be considered a suitable stimulus to produce astaxanthin in the H. pluvialis microalgae. This study highlights the potential of using silicon nanoparticles as a stimulant for astaxanthin production in H. pluvialis, which could have significant implications for the nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food, and aquaculture industries. © 2024
Arabian Journal Of Chemistry (18785352) 15(11)
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterial agent of biofilm formation in medical environments. The formed biofilm of this bacterium in bone tissue is one of the main causes of osteomyelitis, which is a serious health issue. Due to the importance of this infection after traumatic injuries or surgical intervention, it is necessary to develop a system that could release the antibiotics at the site of injury, specifically and gradually. The current study aimed to develop a nanosystem composed of single-stranded G-quadreplex DNA aptamer as the bio-recognition element, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as the carrier for gradual drug release, and Ampicillin as the cargo to be delivered to the site of infection. In silico methods were used to select an optimum binding aptamer against protein A of S. aureus. The binding of aptamer was confirmed via gel retardation assay, DLS, and Zeta potential analyses. The loading of the drug was confirmed by the FTIR method, and the drug release investigation showed almost 30 % of drug release via 48 h dialysis assay. The acquired results from the biofilm suppression assay indicated that this system provides a significant inhibitory effect against the S. aureus biofilm and has a high potential for the desired drug release to prevent the formation of biofilm, and could destroy the biofilm on the mice bone. The results of the MTT assay proved that this system does not pose a significant toxicity thread for MCF-7 cell viability, as a model for eukaryotic cells. In vivo studies are required to further confirm the efficacy of this system against S. aureus biofilm on bone. © 2022 The Authors
Aquaculture (00448486) 548
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most threatening viral pathogens of shrimp worldwide. VP28, the major capsid protein of WSSV, is reported to play an essential role in the interaction with the host cells. Usually, the diagnostic test of WSSV is performed by one-step PCR, which is neither field-usable nor rapid enough. Therefore, the development of early diagnostic tests is imperative for the management of disease and to prevent huge economic losses. In this work, a rapid colorimetric aptasensor with high selectivity and sensitivity was introduced. First, a new ssDNA aptamer for the detection of WSSV was designed from a random pool of aptamer sequences based on the docking score and bioconjugate free energy, and then, evaluated experimentally. The designed aptamer was used to prepare an aptasensor conjugate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a recognition element that increased the resistance of AuNPs to salt-induced aggregation. Therefore, the AuNPs with spherical morphology and average particle size of about 20 nm were synthesized for this reason. The results showed that the aptamer didn't attach to the other pathogens (i.e., IHHN and Vibrio harveyi) and healthy shrimp cells, and remained stable. Interestingly, the gray-blue color of aptasensor was seen only by the presence of WSSV, indicating the aptasensor assay showed good specificity to WSSV. The limit of detection (LOD) of the aptasensor was 104 copies of WSSV that could be detected only utilizing naked eyes. It was concluded that the designed aptamer had excellent potential for the detection of WSSV as a rapid visual colorimetric assay in aquaculture shrimp farmers. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
RSC Advances (20462069) 12(38)pp. 24876-24886
Streptococcus mutans is a commensal and opportunistic pathogen that causes several diseases by forming a biofilm in humans and animals in many areas such as nasopharyngeal, cardiac valves, lungs, and oral cavity. Biofilms are very important in prosthetic infections associated with medical implants. The use of nanoparticles is one of the evolving fields in biofilm targeting. Silver nanoparticles can be used for biofilm targeting due to their inherent antimicrobial properties. Hybridization of nanoparticles with small molecules increases their biological properties and makes them multifunctional. The present investigation aimed to design an appropriate silver nanoparticles-aptamer complex that binds to the surface receptors of streptococcal strains. For this reason, silver nanoparticles with particle sizes in a range of 50 to 70 nm were synthesized and connected to a designed aptamer with a streptavidin-biotin linker. Then, the effect of the complex was investigated on the S. mutans biofilm formed on the surface of a medical-grade titanium substrate. The silver nanoparticles-aptamer complex at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1 after 48 h inhibited 43% of the biofilm formation and degraded 63% of the formed biofilm. Also, the cell availability reached 96% and the complex was stable in cell medium culture for 360 min. It was concluded that this complex could be a good candidate for removing the formed biofilms on the surface of titanium implants. © 2022 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Shokouhy, M. ,
Sarvnaz, H. ,
Taslimi, Y. ,
Lajevardi, M.S. ,
Habibzadeh, S. ,
Mizbani, A. ,
Shekari, F. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Torrecilhas, A.C. ,
Rafati, S. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (22352988) 12
Leishmania (L.) species are protozoan parasites with a complex life cycle consisting of a number of developmental forms that alternate between the sand fly vector and their host. The non-pathogenic species L. tarentolae is not able to induce an active infection in a human host. It has been observed that, in pathogenic species, extracellular vesicles (EVs) could exacerbate the infection. However, so far, there is no report on the identification, isolation, and characterization of L. tarentolae EVs. In this study, we have isolated and characterized EVs from L. tarentolaeGFP+ (tEVs) along with L. majorGFP+ as a reference and positive control. The EVs secreted by these two species demonstrated similar particle size distribution (approximately 200 nm) in scanning electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Moreover, the said EVs showed similar protein content, and GFP and GP63 proteins were detected in both using dot blot analysis. Furthermore, we could detect Leishmania-derived GP63 protein in THP-1 cells treated with tEVs. Interestingly, we observed a significant increase in the production of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-1β, while there were no significant differences in IL-6 levels in THP-1 cells treated with tEVs following an infection with L. major compared with another group of macrophages that were treated with L. major EVs prior to the infection. Another exciting observation of this study was a significant decrease in parasite load in tEV-treated Leishmania-infected macrophages. In addition, in comparison with another group of Leishmania-infected macrophages which was not exposed to any EVs, tEV managed to increase IFN-γ and decrease IL-6 and the parasite burden. In conclusion, we report for the first time that L. tarentolae can release EVs and provide evidence that tEVs are able to control the infection in human macrophages, making them a great potential platform for drug delivery, at least for parasitic infections. Copyright © 2022 Shokouhy, Sarvnaz, Taslimi, Lajevardi, Habibzadeh, Mizbani, Shekari, Behbahani, Torrecilhas and Rafati.
Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences (13385178) 11(3)pp. 1-5
COVID-19 has shown higher virulence compared to the previous coronavirus epidemics and has shown that it causes damages to the nervous system. In the present study, PrionW web server was used to predict the prion-like domains (PrLDs) in 15 structural and non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Among all of these proteins, the results demonstrated one PrLD with the sequence 951EDDYQGKPLEFGATSAALQPEEEQEEDWLDDDSQQTVGQQDGSEDNQTTTIQTIVEVQPQL1012, having an amyloid-core of 988GQQDGSEDNQTTTIQTIVEVQ1009 in the non-structural protein of SARS-CoV-2 with pWALTZ_Score of 59.9936. The sequence of SARS-CoV-2 polyprotein was further investigated by FoldIndex© tool, and a negative fold index was demonstrated at the site of predicted prion-like domain. Multiple sequence alignment of this region with non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, showed that there is no sequence similarity between this predicted region and the corresponding regions of two other viruses. Considering the high similarity between polyproteins of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, and their ability to affect the nervous system, it could be suggested that a potential PrLD might be added to SARS-CoV polyprotein. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Molecular Biology Research Communications (2322181X) 10(4)pp. 171-178
SARS-CoV-2 is a member of β-genus of the coronavirus subfamily, alongside the virus that causes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). As implied by their names, SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV genome sequences have close kinship (about 79% genomic sequence similarity). In the current research, sequence-based physiochemical properties of RNA polymerase and membrane glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV were compared. In addition, impacts of substitution mutations on stability and glycosylation patterns of these proteins were studied. In comparison of physiochemical features of membrane and RNA polymerase proteins, only instability index of membrane protein was difference between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Mutation analysis showed increase in stability of RNA polymerase and decrease in stability of membrane protein in SARS-CoV-2. Glycosylation pattern analysis showed glycosylation enhancement in both membrane and RNA polymerase proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to SARS-CoV. In conclusion, more glycosylation and stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase could be one of the reasons of high pathogenicity property and host immune system evasion of SARS-CoV-2. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Scientific Reports (20452322) 11(1)
Breast cancer is the most common carcinoma in women, and natural products would be effective preventing some side effects of cancer treatment. In the present study, cytotoxic activities of different Iranian Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivars were evaluated in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) and human lymphocytes. A systems pharmacology approach was employed between major compounds of these cultivars (chlorogenic acid, luteolin, quercetin, rutin, ferulic acid, and apigenin) and known breast cancer drugs (tucatinib, methotrexate, tamoxifen, and mitomycin) with 22 breast cancer-related targets to analyze the mechanism through which Chrysanthemum cultivars act on breast cancer. Target validation was performed by the molecular docking method. The results indicated that Chrysanthemum extracts inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 cells in a dose- and cultivar-dependent manner. In all studied cultivars, the most effective extract concentration with the lowest viability of MCF-7 cells, was as much as 312 µg ml−1. Also, higher concentrations of the extracts (> 1000 µg ml−1) reduced the lymphocyte cell viability, demonstrating that these doses were toxic. The gene ontology analysis revealed the therapeutic effects of Chrysanthemum’s active compounds on breast cancer by regulating the biological processes of their protein targets. Moreover, it has been documented that rutin, owing to its anticancer effects and several other health benefits, is a promising multi-targeted herbal ingredient. Finally, the present study compared different Iranian Chrysanthemum cultivars to provide new insights into useful pharmaceutical applications. © 2021, The Author(s).
Journal of Biotechnology (01681656) 342pp. 72-78
Today, there is a great interest in using astaxanthin due to its potential health advantages. Application of different types of nanoparticles (NPs) as stress agents to enhance astaxanthin production in Haematococcus pluvialis, a microalgae strain, has been reported in the literature. In this study, the effect of different concentrations of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs on the enhancement of astaxanthin production in H. pluvialis was investigated. First, ZnO NPs were synthesized from zinc nitrate as the precursor and sodium hydroxide (chemical method), and peel extract of pomegranate (green method) as reducing agents. To study the cell viability and stimulate the astaxanthin production, H. pluvialis cells were exposed to the different concentrations (i.e. 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg.ml−1) of ZnO NPs. The synthesized powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. The characterization results showed that the pure ZnO NPs were successfully synthesized via both methods with uniform particle size distribution. But, the average particle size of the green synthesized ZnO NPs (about 30 nm) was smaller than that of the chemically synthesized ones (about 80 nm). Maximum astaxanthin production (~ 20 mg.g−1 of dry biomass of H. pluvialis) was achieved at 100 μg.ml−1 of green synthesized ZnO NPs exposure to the H. pluvialis in comparison with the control culture after 15 days. However, ZnO NPs concentration above 200 μg.ml−1 was toxic to the microalgae. From these results, it can be concluded that a specific amount of ZnO NPs could be considered as a worthy candidate for the enhancement of astaxanthin production in H. pluvialis. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (18788181) 35
This study aimed to investigate the effects of two plant extracts, Prangos ferulaceae, and Carum copticum, on the growth and survival of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains in 4 types of yogurt prepared using milk of cow, sheep, goat, and camel. The conditions of the yogurt probiotics were evaluated through the colony count method after 0, 7, 14, and 21 days with the lactic acid produced in each sample assessed using gas chromatography analysis after 21 days. The sensory characteristics of different yogurts were evaluated 7 days after production. We also examined the effect of casein and whey protein derived from four mentioned milk on the growth of probiotic bacteria in MRS agar medium. According to the results, the presence of both extracts significantly enhanced the survival of probiotics in each yogurt. The sheep yogurt treated with Prangos ferulaceae contained 9.7 log CFU/mL of Lactobacillus plantarum. Further, the lactic acid content of all samples was considerably higher than the controls. Also, Prangos ferulaceae could raise the lactic acid generated by Lactobacillus plantarum to more than 5 g/L of sheep yogurt. Notably, whey protein derived from sheep milk had the most positive effect on the growth of the mentioned bacteria. On the other hand, bovine casein showed a significant effect on decrease in growth of probiotics bacteria. The sensory analysis also determined that the yogurt samples supplemented with Prangos ferulaceae were more preferable than plain yogurt samples. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Informatics in Medicine Unlocked (23529148) 26
Nucleic acid aptamers are short sequences of nucleic acid ligands that bind to a specific target molecule. Aptamers are experimentally nominated using the well-designed SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) method. Here, we designed a new method for diagnosis and blocking SARS-CoV-2 based on G-quadruplex aptamer. This aptamer was developed against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) region of the spike protein. In the current study, ten quadruplex DNA aptamers entitled AP1, AP2, AP3, AP4, AP5, AP6, AP7, AP8, AP9, and AP10 were designed in silico and had high HADDOCK scores. One quadruplex aptamer sequence (AP1) was selected based on the interaction with RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Results showed that AP1 aptamer could be used as an agent in the diagnosis and therapy of SARS-CoV-2, although more works are still needed. © 2021
Aquaculture (00448486) 534
Selenium is one of the essential elements with an important role in improving immune responses. Besides, in humans and animals, the element helps to resist infections. Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) have recently been examined for their biological activities. In this study, selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) were synthesized using the microwave-assisted method under molar ratios of selenious acid to ascorbic acid ranging from 5:1 to 50:1 as starting materials and different irradiation times (5 to 15 min). The results showed that the size and morphology of the synthesized Se NPs were controlled by the selenious acid/ascorbic acid concentration ratio and the microwave irradiation time. The synthesized Se NPs with spherical morphology, small particle size (about 40 nm), and good colloidal stability were selected and coated with aqueous extract of Sargassum angustifolium. The antibacterial activity of the algae-coated and uncoated Se NPs was studied against Vibrio harveyi (a serious pathogen of Penaeus vannamei). In addition, the cytotoxicity of different concentrations (10 to100 μg/mL) of the Se NPs (algae-coated and uncoated) was investigated via the cell viability assay on two cultured cells; shrimp hemocyte and human lymphocyte. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of algae-coated Se NPs against Vibrio harveyi (MIC: 200 μg/mL) was improved compared to uncoated Se NPs (MIC: 400 μg/mL). The cell viability assay revealed that both the algae-coated and uncoated Se NPs showed toxicity effect neither on the human lymphocyte nor on the shrimp hemocyte at 25 μg/mL concentration after 48 h of incubation. Due to the antibacterial effects and no toxicity of the synthesized algae-coated Se NPs on both human and shrimp cells, the current study for the first time reports that the algae coated Se NPs can be considered for further investigation as a potential replacement for antibiotics in controlling Vibrio harveyi infections in Penaeus vannamei farming. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology (14230097) 181(11)pp. 813-821
Background: A large number of allergens are derived from plant and animal proteins. A major challenge for researchers is to study the possible allergenic properties of proteins. The aim of this study was in silico analysis and comparison of several physiochemical and structural features of plant- and animal-derived allergen proteins, as well as classifying these proteins based on Chou's pseudo-amino acid composition (PseAAC) concept combined with bioinformatics algorithms. Methods: The physiochemical properties and secondary structure of plant and animal allergens were studied. The classification of the sequences was done using the PseAAC concept incorporated with the deep learning algorithm. Conserved motifs of plant and animal proteins were discovered using the MEME tool. B-cell and T-cell epitopes of the proteins were predicted in conserved motifs. Allergenicity and amino acid composition of epitopes were also analyzed via bioinformatics servers. Results: In comparison of physiochemical features of animal and plant allergens, extinction coefficient was different significantly. Secondary structure prediction showed more random coiled structure in plant allergen proteins compared with animal proteins. Classification of proteins based on PseAAC achieved 88.24% accuracy. The amino acid composition study of predicted B- and T-cell epitopes revealed more aliphatic index in plant-derived epitopes. Conclusions: The results indicated that bioinformatics-based studies could be useful in comparing plant and animal allergens. © 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel. All rights reserved.
Journal of Biotechnology (01681656) 308pp. 56-62
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) are two important phosphatase enzymes that play fundamental roles in Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, they are useful for various biotechnological and industrial applications. In the present study, different aspects of bacterial ALPs and ACPs such as pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), amino acid composition, dipeptide composition, physicochemical properties, secondary structures and structural motifs were studied. The binding affinity of the phosphomonoesters to ALP and ACP enzymes was predicted by docking, and the activity of ALPs and ACPs were measured using colorimetric assay. ROC curve statistical analysis the machine learning algorithms were applied for classification of these two phosphatase protein groups. The results indicated that the physicochemical properties of ALPs and ACPs were not significantly different, although the aliphatic index and Extinction coefficient of motifs of these two enzymes were significantly different. Classification based on the concept of PseAAC and dipeptide composition also indicated high accuracy. The result of docking demonstrated that the binding free energy of ALPs was less than ACPs and the experimental results demonstrated that the activity of ACPs was more than ALPs. In conclusion, there is a relationship between efficiency and PseAAC and dipeptide compositions of these two enzymes. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (07189508) 20(1)pp. 232-243
The present study was done to isolate and characterize two strains of phosphate solubilizing bacteria from rhizospheres of acacia, sugar beet, and wheat, then determine synergic effects of nanosilica and these strains on the vegetative growth of land cress plant. Isolates identification was performed using physiological, morphological, biochemical tests, and 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing. Nanosilica was extracted from Equisetum telmateia and characterized via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, and X-ray fluorescence techniques. The size and the purity of extracted silica powder were about 30 nm, 97.5 %, respectively. Two strains, namely, Pseudomonas stutzeri and Mesorhizobium sp. were the most efficient strains to grow and solubilize phosphorus in the presence of 860 mM NaCl and various pH conditions. The highest growth of these two strains was observed at 0.05 and 0.07 ppm of nanosilica. The highest amount of dry weight of shoot and root of land cress plant was recorded with the simultaneous application of these strains in combination with nanosilica. The combination of nanosilica and these strains enhanced the soil nitrogen and phosphorus content and the vegetative growth of land cress plant. © 2019, Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo.
SLAS Discovery (24725552) 25(9)pp. 1087-1093
Nucleic acid aptamers that specifically bind to other molecules are mostly obtained through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Because SELEX is a time-consuming procedure, the in silico design of specific aptamers has recently become a progressive approach. HIV-1 surface glycoprotein gp120, which is involved in the early stages of HIV-1 infection, is an attractive target for RNA and DNA aptamer selection. In this study, four single-stranded DNA aptamers, referred to as HD2, HD3, HD4, and HD5, that had the ability of HIV-1 inhibition were designed in silico. In a proposed non-SELEX approach, some parts of the B40 aptamer sequence, which interacted with gp120, were isolated and considered as a separate aptamer sequence. Then, to obtain the best docking scores of the HDOCK server and Hex software, some modifications, insertions, and deletions were applied to each selected sequence. Finally, the cytotoxicity and HIV inhibition of the selected aptamers were evaluated experimentally. Results demonstrated that the selected aptamers could inhibit HIV-1 infection by up to 80%, without any cytotoxicity. Therefore, this new non-SELEX approach could be considered a simple, fast, and efficient method for aptamer selection. © 2020 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.
International Immunopharmacology (18781705) 78
This study was aimed to introduce a novel algorithm for determining linear B- and T-cell epitopes from Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) antigens. To this end, 387 approved B- and T-cell epitopes, as well as 331 non-epitope peptides from different serotypes of the virus were collected from IEDB database for generating of the train datasets. After that, the physicochemical properties of the epitopes were expressed as the numeric vectors using Chou's pseudo amino acid composition method. The vectors then were used for training of four machine learning algorithms including artificial neural network (ANN), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), support vector machine (SVM) and Random forest (RF). The results confirmed that ANN was the most accurate algorithm for discriminating between the epitopes and non-epitopes with the accuracy of 0.90. Furthermore, for evaluating the performance of the ANN algorithm, an epitope prediction challenge was performed to a random peptide library from envelopment polyprotein of CCHFV. Moreover, the efficiency of the predicted epitopes in term of antigenicity and affinity to MHC-II were compared to the predicted epitope by standard epitope prediction tools based on their VaxiJen 2.0 score and molecular docking outputs. Finally, the ability of the screened epitopes to stimulation of humoral and cellular responses was evaluated by an in silico immune simulation process thought C-Immsim 10.1 server. The results confirmed that this method has more accuracy for epitope-mapping than the standard tools and could considered as an effective algorithm to develop a serotype independent one-click automated epitope based vaccine design tool. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (02732289) 190(3)pp. 1035-1048
Laccases are a group of enzymes with a critical activity in the degradation process of both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds. These enzymes present in a diverse array of species, including fungi and bacteria. Since this enzyme is in the market for different usages from industry to medicine, having a better knowledge of its structures and properties from diverse sources will be useful to select the most appropriate candidate for different purposes. In the current study, sequence- and structure-based characteristics of these enzymes from fungi and bacteria, including pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), physicochemical characteristics, and their secondary structures, are being compared and classified. Autodock 4 software was used for docking analysis between these laccases and some phenolic and non-phenolic compounds. The results indicated that features including molecular weight, aliphatic, extinction coefficient, and random coil percentage of these protein groups present high degrees of diversity in most cases. Categorization of these enzymes by the notion of PseAAC, showed over 96% accuracy. The binding free energy between fungal laccases and their substrates showed to be considerably higher than those of bacterial ones. According to the outcomes of the current study, data mining methods by using different machine learning algorithms, especially neural networks, could provide valuable information for a fair comparison between fungal and bacterial laccases. These results also suggested an association between efficacy and physicochemical features of laccase enzymes from different sources. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Materials Research Express (20531591) 6(9)
The medicinal plant of Echinacea purpurea has been used commonly in traditional medicine of Iran for antioxidant and anticancer activity. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using Allium jesdianum extract and then the effects of synthetized ZnO NPs on anti-cancer activity and amount of cichoric acid and flavonoid in aerial and root extracts of E. purpurea were investigated. The formation of ZnO NPs was confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectrum, XRD, DLS, FTIR and SEM techniques. The effect of extracts of E. purpurea treated with synthesized ZnO NPs on the MCF-7, MCF-10 and peripheral blood monolayer cells were investigated. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of phytochemicals around the ZnO NPs surface. The effect of synthesized ZnO NPs on anticancer activity of extract of E. purpurea and its biomass was found positive contrary to the untreated and ZnO microparticles (MPs) treated plants. According to HPLC result, the relative retention time for cichoric acid was appeared at 12 min. The plants treated with ZnO NPs produced up to 3.5 times more cichoric acid than the control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the primary study on the synthesis of ZnO NPs by A. jesdianum with to its effects on enhancing anticancer activity, PBMCs proliferation, contents of cichoric acid and flavonoid. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Journal of Biotechnology (01681656) 306pp. 1-8
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a highly glycosylated protein, overexpresses in many cancers. In this study, computational methods were used to optimize CEA aptamers. Experimental evaluvation of selected aptamers were conducted through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. After two and three-dimensional structure modeling, the complexes of twelve reported aptamers against CEA were simulated using the ZDOCK server. Based on docking scores, two aptamer sequences (CSR59 and CSR57.1) were selected and used to create a new library. This ssDNA aptamer library consisting of 91 sequences was created using diverse in silico mutational methods. We obtained seventeen sequences having higher binding scores than reported sequences. Based on ZDOCK scores, the interaction domain of CEA, and steric hindrance due to glycosylation, two aptamer sequences (G3S1.5 and G2S2.2) were selected. An impedimetric aptasensor was designed, and selected aptamers were used as biorecognition elements. Resistance to charge transfer (Rct) quantities confirmed the bioinformatic approach and molecular docking scores. The result showed that the interaction ability of selected aptamers was about 13.5 fold higher than the control. It can be concluded that the selected aptamers have good potential for detection of carcinoembryonic antigen biomarker. © 2019
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (02732289) 187(1)pp. 90-100
One of the most dangerous human pathogens with high prevalence worldwide is Streptococcus pyogenes, which has major impacts on global morbidity and mortality. A major challenge for S. pyogenes vaccine development is the detection of epitopes that confer protection from infection by multiple S. pyogenes types. Our aim was to identify the most conserved and immunogenic antigens of S. pyogenes, which can be a potential candidate for vaccine design in the future. Eight important surface proteins were analyzed. Using different prediction servers, strongest epitopes were selected. They had the ability to stimulate the humoral and cell-mediated immune system. Molecular docking was performed for measuring free-binding energy of selected epitopes. Seven epitopes from three surface proteins were selected as potential candidates for vaccine development. Conservation of selected epitopes among different Streptococcus types was checked. Further in vitro and in vivo tests are required to validate the suitability of the epitopes for vaccine design. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Molecular Biology Research Communications (2322181X) 8(2)pp. 91-98
A great number of researches over the last years are allocated to know cancer reasons, prevention and treatment strategies. Bacterial infections are one of the promoting factors in cancer development. The present study was carried out to study effects of heat-killed bacteria on cancer cell lines MCF7 and HT-29. To this purpose, four bacterial strains including Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were assayed. Thermal inactivation method was used to kill the bacteria and preserve the bacterial surface proteins unchangeable. The concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/ml of inactivated bacteria were prepared to evaluate the effects of heat-inactivated bacterial solutions on MCF7 and HT-29 cell lines. MTT assay was used to measure the cell viability of cancer cells treated with different concentration of inactivated bacterial solutions.The MTT assay results after 48 hours showed that the heat-killed bacterial solutions were able to induce the proliferation of both cancer cell lines. In addition, the most cell viability in MCF-7 cell line was seen in samples treated with S. epidermidis, while in HT29 cells, the most one was seen in S. typhi treated samples. It was concluded that bacterial infections are cancer-deteriorating agents, and any species of bacteria is specific to certain cancerous tissue. © 2019 Shiraz University.
Journal of Biomedical Informatics (15320480) 93
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is considered one of the major public health concerns with case fatality rates of up to 80%. Currently, there is no effective approved vaccine for CCHF. In this study, we used a computer-aided vaccine design approach to develop the first multi-epitope recombinant vaccine for CCHF. For this purpose, linear B-cell and T-cell binding epitopes from two structural glycoproteins of CCHF virus including Gc and Gn were predicted. The epitopes were further studied regarding their antigenicity, allergenicity, hydrophobicity, stability, toxicity and population coverage. A total number of seven epitopes including five T-cell and two B-cell epitopes were screened for the final vaccine construct. Final vaccine construct composed of 382 amino acid residues which were organized in four domains including linear B-cell, T-cell epitopes and cholera toxin B-subunit (CTxB) along with heat labile enterotoxin IIc B subunit (LT-IIc) as adjuvants. All the segments were joined using appropriate linkers. The physicochemical properties as well as the presence of IFN-γ inducing epitopes in the proposed vaccine, was also checked to determining the vaccine stability, solubility and its ability to induce cell-mediated immune responses. The 3D structure of proposed vaccine was subjected to the prediction of computational B-cell epitopes and molecular docking studies with MHC-I and II molecules. Furthermore, molecular dynamics stimulations were performed to study the vaccine-MHCs complexes stability during stimulation time. The results suggest that our proposed vaccine was stable, well soluble in water and potentially antigenic. Results also demonstrated that the vaccine can induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and could serve as a promising anti-CCHF vaccine candidate. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.
Journal Of Herbmed Pharmacology (23455004) 7(3)pp. 176-184
Introduction: Streptococcus mutans is a principal pathogenic agent in biofilm formation on the teeth surfaces and subsequently development of dental caries and plaque. Therefore, currently introducing novel anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm agents, especially plant based materials are highly regarded. This study was planned to investigate in silico and in vitro antibacterial activities of Prangos acaulis extracts against S. mutans in single and biofilm forms and their mutagenicity in Ames test. Methods: The anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm effects of methanol extracts from various parts of P. acaulis were evaluated using disk diffusion and microtiter assay. Moreover, the potential mutagenicity of the extracts was investigated using Ames test. In addition, dominant constitutes of P. acaulis that reported in previous studies were subjected to an in silico analysis. The ability of selected phytochemicals to inhibit the glucosyltransferase was evaluated using molecular docking method. Results: All tested extracts especially root extract had significant antibacterial activity against the single form of S. mutans and inhibited biofilm formation without any mutagenic activity. The results also confirmed that three compounds consisting of ar-curcumene, d-limonene and alpha-pinene had strong and appropriate interactions to glucosyltransferase. Conclusion: This study indicated that P. acaulis has potent antibacterial and biofilm inhibition activity against S. mutans and can be good candidate for in vitro and in vivo studies with the aim of introducing novel inhibitors of dental caries development. © 2018, Nickan Research Institute.
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (17359260) 27(156)pp. 38-49
Background and purpose: Allium sativum belongs to the Liliaceae family and is widely used in folk medicine. Antibacterial, anticancer and antioxidant activity of this genus have been previously reported. Current study, aimed at investigating the cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of fermented and non-fermented extracts of A. sativum on breath cancer cells (MCF7), lymphocyte cells, and some pathogenic bacteria. Materials and methods: MCF-7 and lymphocyte cells were maintained in DMEM and RPMI medium supplemented with 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), respectively. Cytotoxic effect of the methanol extracts of fermented and non-fermented garlics was measured on MCF7 at different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500 μg/ml) using MTT assay. The antibacterial properties of these extracts were also investigated against Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli by disk diffusion. Results: The garlic fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum, strain1745, showed the highest cytotoxic activity (CC50 400µg/ml) compared to strain 1058 (CC50 450µg/ml) and natural flora (CC50 >500µg/ml). We observed a significant relationship between the flavonoid contents of garlic and cytotoxic activity (P value < 0.05). Among these extracts, fermented garlic had the highest levels of flavonoid, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activity. Conclusion: This study showed that lacto fermented garlic extract might be a good candidate against breast cancer cells and pathogenic bacteria. © 2018, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transaction A: Science (10286276) 42(4)pp. 1805-1811
Reverse transcriptase (RT) is an important enzyme for retrovirus replication in susceptible target cells. RT of HIV-1 is one of the key targets for anti-HIV drugs. In contrast, HIV-2 RT reveals a basic resistance to non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs). In the present study, a comparison of different aspects of RT proteins in HIV-1 and HIV-2 such as pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), conventional amino acid composition (AAC), physicochemical properties, secondary structures and structural motifs has been performed. Statistical analysis and support vector machine (SVM) algorithm have been used for final comparison of two RT protein groups. The results demonstrate that AAC of four amino acids (Ala, Leu, Gln and Ser), molecular weight and percentage of alpha helix of RT proteins are significantly different between these two types. Classification based on the concept of PseAAC also showed 100% accuracy and highlighted that pseudo pI and pseudo pKa values are significant differences between two RT groups. In conclusion, the results indicate that the computational techniques can provide useful information for comparing HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs. Our results may also explain the dissimilarity between the susceptibility of HIV-1 and HIV-2 to different drugs. © 2017, Shiraz University.
Advances in Natural Sciences: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (20436262) 9(4)
This investigation was done to study the effect of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on the anticancer activity of callus extracts of Echinacea purpurea in comparison with commercial ZnO microparticles (MPs). Leaf explants of E. purpurea were grown on the Murashinge and Skoog (MS) medium containing different concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Callus induction at optimum concentrations were considered under both light and dark conditions. Among media with diverse concentrations of 2,4-D and NAA, fast-growing friable callus was started within three weeks after culturing on the MS medium containing 2.0 mg . After adding different concentrations of synthesized ZnO NPs and ZnO MPs to the culture medium containing 2 mg , the effect of ZnO NPs on the anticancer activity of plant extracts and callus biomass was found positive contrary to the control and ZnO MPs. However, these extracts did not have any cytotoxic activity on MCF-10 cells and peripheral blood monolayer cells. The frequency and intensity of CD4 expression on peripheral blood monolayer cells was not increased in the presence of all extracts. The highest flavonoid production of the extracts was also achieved in calli treated with different concentration of ZnO NPs. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a direct relationship between the anticancer activity of E. purpurea and flavonoid contents. © 2018 Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology.
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transaction A: Science (10286276) 42(4)pp. 1735-1742
The present investigation was carried out to evaluate anticancer and antibacterial activity of lacto- and natural fermented onions. The effect of the methanol extracts of lacto-fermented and natural fermented onions on MCF7 and peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation was measured using MTT assay at different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500 μg/ml). Two lactobacillus strains named Lactobacillus plantarum strains 1745 and 1058 were used in this study. The antibacterial activity of these extracts was also investigated against Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans. The best growth condition and lactic acid production for strains 1745 and 1058 were, respectively, achieved under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at 37 °C after 3 days. The highest level of lactic acid and acetic acid was also obtained in onions fermented by strains 1745. The lacto-fermented onion extracts in all species were found to have potent anticancer and antibacterial activity compared to natural fermented onions. In the present study, a good correlation has been shown between the flavonoid contents of onions and cytotoxic or antibacterial activity. Our data demonstrated that lacto-fermented onions might be good candidates against breast cancer cells. © 2017, Shiraz University.
Journal of Molecular Liquids (18733166) 265pp. 243-250
HIV-1 P24 protein-derived peptides-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) were synthesized, based on the ionic gelation method and development of electrostatic interactions between CS-NPs and negatively charged of HIV-1 P24 protein-derived peptides. Dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS) revealed that CS-NPs had a mean diameter of 22 nm. The prepared peptides loaded CS-NPs showed that peptide loading via incubation method led to an increase in the particle size to 70 nm, in comparison to CS-NPs. The results obtained by Zetasizer revealed that the surface charge of CS-NPs is positive due to the presence of amine groups on its surface. Peptide adsorption on the nanoparticles would have decreased the positive surface charge of the cationic chitosan molecule and led to the decline in the values of zeta-potential in CS-NPs from+30.3 to+23.2 mV. The rate of loading efficiency became 96%, the peptide was very quickly released in the first 24 h, and after that the releasing rate was decreased. After 216 h, >70% of the drug was released. Since the use of peptides in high concentrations is not economically feasible, this paper attempts to use the nano-carrier to overcome this limitation. The novelty of this work is to use of chitosan nanoparticles to increasing the effectiveness of peptides at low concentrations. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Behbahani, M. ,
Nosrati, M. ,
Mohabatkar, H. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Nosrati, M. ,
Mohabatkar, H. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (2732289) 185(3)pp. 786-798
Lysozyme is a relatively small enzyme with different biological activities, which is found in tears, saliva, egg white, and human milk. In the study, the anti-HIV-1 activity of lysozymes purified from quail, Meleagris, and hen egg white has been determined. For this end, a time-of-drug-addition assay was performed to identify the target of anti-HIV-1 agents and for determination of probable anti HIV-1 mechanism of the studied lysozyme, the binding affinity of the lysozymes to the human CD4 receptor was studied by molecular docking method. To define structural differences between studied lysozymes, structural motifs of them were predicted by MEME tool. Quail, hen, and Meleagris lysozymes showed potent anti-HIV-1 activity with EC50 of 7.5, 10, and 55 nM, respectively. The time-of-drug-addition study demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of all purified lysozymes is before HIV-1 infection. The frequency and intensity of CD4 expression in PBMCs decreased in the presence of all mentioned lysozymes. Also, the expression level of C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) on CD4+ T cells was not changed in cells treated with these lysozymes. The results of in silico study confirmed that the binding energy of quail lysozyme with CD4 was more than that of other studied lysozymes. The results revealed that these lysozymes restrict HIV-1 attachment to host cell CD4. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Meta Gene (22145400) 17pp. 23-27
The purpose of the work was to study mutation screening of BRCA1 in Iranian patients with sporadic breast cancer. We carried out a mutational analysis of BRCA1 gene in 101 breast cancer patients from a population in Central of Iran. The comparison of DNA of paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue from patients was studied, and breast tissue from 30 unrelated normal women without cancer was selected as controls. The entire BRCA1 coding sequence was amplified by PCR with primers especially designed for comprehensive mutation screening by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. The PCR products revealing abnormal SSCP migration pattern were sequenced. Then, in silico investigation was performed to identify the effects of new mutations on stability and function of BRCA 1.A total of ten nucleotide alterations were observed in the breast cancer tissue DNA. Six cases of single nucleotide changes in BRCA1 were detected in the study without records in the BIC database consisted four polymorphism in exon 11 (1543 Del G, 1597C>T, 2246 Del T, 2612C>G), one missense mutation in exon 7 (490C>T), and one deletion mutation in exon 10 (743 Del C). No nucleotide alterations were detected in the controls. In addition, the results of in silico analysis indicated that three mutations including 2612C>G, 1543 Del G and 743 Del C were not recorded in the especial database. Furthermore, the results of molecular docking studies confirmed that 2612C>G could change physicochemical properties of BRCA1.The findings of the present study suggest that screened mutations may have an important role on the incidence of breast cancer in women. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (16720415) pp. 1-6
Objective: To test the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity of pure compounds isolated from aerial part extracts of Alhaji maurorum and its parasite Cuscuta kotchiana. Methods: The anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2 activities of these extracts were performed by use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay and high pure viral nucleic acid kit. The most active fractions against HIV-1 were detected by nuclear magnetic resonance as pratensein and pratensein glycoside respectively in A. maurorum and C. campestris. Results: These two extracts have low toxicity on HIV-2 replication. The 50% effective concentration for HIV-1 replication of pratensein and pratensein glycoside were 100 and 22 μg/mL, respectively. The time of addition assay showed that pratensein and pratensein glycoside were most effective when added at the early stage (0–4 h) of virus replication. Conclusion: The pratensein glycoside inhibits HIV-1 replication in host cells more than pratensein and both extracts are potent inhibitors of HIV-1 entry. © 2017 Chinese Association of the Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany
Molecular Biology Research Communications (2322181X) 6(2)pp. 57-64
The present investigation was carried out to evaluate anticancer activity of cow, goat, sheep, mare, donkey and camel milks and their casein and whey proteins against MCF7 cell line. The structure-based properties of the casein proteins were also investigated, using bioinformatics tools to find explanation for their antitumor activities. The effect of different milks and their casein and whey proteins on MCF7 proliferation was measured using MTT assay at different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/ml). The results showed that mare, donkey, cow and camel milks and their casein and whey proteins have potent cytotoxic activity against MCF7 cells in a dose dependent manner while sheep and goat milks and their proteins did not reveal any cytotoxic activity. The in silico results demonstrated that mare, donkey and camel caseins had highest positive and negative charges. The secondary structure prediction indicated that mare and donkey caseins had the maximum percentage of α helix and camel casein had the highest percentage of extended strand. This study suggests that there is a striking correlation between anti-cancer activity of milk caseins and their physicochemical properties such as alpha helix structure and positive and negative charges. In conclusion, the results indicated that mare, camel and donkey milks might be good candidates against breast cancer cells.
Journal Of Medicinal Plants (27172058) 16pp. 167
Background: Today the use of medicinal plants to improve the immune system function and against pathogenic bacteria has been considered. Objective: In this study, the effect of methanol extract of the aerial parts of Agrimonia eupatoria on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and 12 pathogenic bacteria were investigated. Methods: The methanol extract of branches, stems, seeds and leaves of Agrimonia eupatoria were prepared and the effect of different concentrations of 50, 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 Hg/ml of the extract on proliferation of PBMC was evaluated by MTT assay. Also the effect of concentrations of 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 10 mg/ml of the extract was tested on 12 pathogenic bacteria by disc method and on nutrient agar media. Results: The methanol extract of the branch, stem and seed of Agrimonia eupatoria showed the most stimulatory effects on immune system and induced the proliferation of PBMCs up to 8 times. Methanol extract of Agrimonia eupatoria showed antibacterial effects against gram-positive bacteria and the most antibacterial effect was on Bacillus subtilis at a concentration of 4 mg/ml and Staphylococcus aureus at concentration of 7 mg/ml. Conclusion: The Agrimonia eupatoria methanol extract showed stimulatory effects on the immune system and also antibacterial properties against certain gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. These finding indicate that Agrimonia eupatoria can be considered to use for immunodeficiency patients and moreover to control some bacterial infections.
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (17359260) 26(135)pp. 32-42
Background and purpose: Avicennia marina (family Acanthaceae) has been used as traditional medicine in Iran to treat some diseases such as ulcers, rheumatism and burns. The present study investigated the in silico and in vitro mutagenicity of the fruit, leaf, seed and stem extracts of Avicennia marina and their effects on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, air dried and powdered plant materials were extracted by methanol using maceration. The extracts were evaporated to dryness by rotary evaporator at 40°C and were diluted using different PBS concentrations (50, 100, 500, 1000, and 1500 μg/ml). The effect of the methanol extract of this plant on lymphocyte proliferation was measured using MTT assay. The mutagenicity of these extracts was also investigated using Ames test. In silico analysis of 15 dominant compounds of the plant was performed by Toxtree 2.6.6 software. Results: The methanol extracts of the leaf and root had the highest and lowest inducing effect on lymphocyte proliferation, respectively. Leaf and stem extracts of Avicennia marina did not show any mutagenicity on this strain. In silico analysis demonstrated that among 15 compounds, four triterpenoids (Taraxerol, Betulin, Lupeol, and Gossypol) had weak mutagenicity. Conclusion: Avicennia marina showed positive effects on proliferation of lymphocytes and their mutagenicity, therefore, it could be considered as a good candidate in treatment of immunodeficiency diseases. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Journal of Theoretical Biology (10958541) 411pp. 1-5
Lignin peroxidases (LiPs) are important enzymes in the degradation process of lignin which are presented in different species of fungi and bacteria. In the present study, sequence and structure-based properties of LPs in fungi and bacteria are compared. These properties include pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), physicochemical properties and the secondary structure. Autodock 4 has been used for docking between LiPs and lignan. The motifs of LiP were predicted by MEME tool. Statistical analysis and Multinomial Naïve Bayes (MNB) algorithm were used for the classification of two LiP protein groups. The results demonstrated that molecular weight, isoelectric point, aliphatic, extinction coefficient and random coil percentage of LiPs in fungi and bacteria were significantly different between these two groups. The classification of these two groups based on the concept of PseAAC showed over 80% accuracy. The binding free energy between bacterial LiPs and lignan is significantly more than fungi LiP and ligand. The aliphatic and instability of most important motifs of bacteria and fungi were significantly different. In conclusion, the results indicated that computational techniques could provide useful information for comparing fungal and bacterial LiPs. These results can also explain that there is a relationship between efficacy and physicochemical properties of LiPs. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (17359260) 26(142)pp. 82-95
Background and purpose: Currently medicinal plants as immunomodulator or antimicrobial agents have gained interests in pharmaceutical researches. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity, mutagenicity and proliferator effect of different parts of seven species of Artemisia genus on human lymphocyte cells of methanolic extracts. Materials and methods: In this experimental study the plant materials were collected, identified, air dried, and powdered. Then, the plant materials were extracted by methanol using maceration method. Antibacterial activity was determined by disk diffusion method. Also, mutagenic and proliferative activities of the extracts were evaluated by Ames test and MTT assay, respectively. Results: None of the species showed mutagenic activity. The extracts from the flowers and roots in all tested species showed high antibacterial and proliferative activities. Artimisia vulgaris and A. sieberi had the most and least antibacterial activity, respectively. On the other hand, A. khorasanica and A. deserti showed the highest and lowest proliferative effects on human lymphocyte cells, respectively. Conclusion: In this investigation none of the species showed mutagenic activity. We also observed significant antibacterial and proliferative activities in flower and root extracts. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transaction A: Science (10286276) 40(4)pp. 275-279
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that exert beneficial health effects on the host. These bacteria produce lactic acid as a product of fermentation. The aim of this study was to optimize growth and production of lactic acid by three strains of probiotic bacteria at different concentrations of sucrose, glucose, stevia leaf and stevioside. These three strains were Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum. Lactic acid production and bacterial growth were, respectively, estimated by use of gas chromatography and colony-forming units (CFU) assay. The highest bacterial growth and lactic acid production in these three strains were obtained by high concentration of sucrose. Among these three bacteria, Lact. casei and Lact. brevis can produce more lactic acid compared to Lact. plantarum. All strains could produce lactic acid in the presence of sucrose, glucose and stevia leaf extract in a dose dependent manner. The effect of stevioside on lactic acid production in these strains at high and low concentrations was almost same. In conclusion, data indicate that sucrose is the best carbon source for lactic acid production and bacterial growth. Stevioside and stevia leaf also have a good potential to increase lactic acid production in these three strains. © Shiraz University 2016.
Cell Journal (Yakhteh) (22285806) 18(2)pp. 255-261
Objective: The genus Thymus L. is a cushion plant that was previously used for the treatment of bronchitis and rheumatism. The present investigation was carried out to study the effects of root, shoot, leaf and seed extracts of five Thymus species and subspecies on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) toxicity and HIV-1 replication. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the activity of the Thymus extracts on HIV-1 replication and lymphocytes population were examined respectively using HIV-1 p24 Antigen kit and flow-cytometer. The Thymus species effect was investigated, including Thymus kotschyanus, Thymus vulgaris, Thymus carmanicus, Thymus daenensis subspecies lancifolius and Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis. Results: The effect of root methanol extracts of all species on PBMCs proliferation was significantly higher than the other extracts. The intensity of CD4, CD3 and CD45 were decreased in the presence of all root extracts. Although the average median fluorescence intensity (MFI) values of CD19 were increased in the cells treated with these extracts. All methanol extracts showed anti-HIV-1 activity at high concentrations (200 and 500 μg/ml). Anti-HIV-1 activity of Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis was significantly more than the other species. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that root extracts of Thymus species might be a good candidate to investigate anti-HIV infection in vivo.
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (17359260) 25(129)pp. 92-101
Background and purpose: Resistance to antibiotics has decreases the performance of antibiotics and has dramatically increased over the past few years. This has led to increasing interest towards discovery and introduction of new antibiotic compounds, especially plant-derived compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of the methanol extracts from different parts of Prangos crossoptera against pathogenic bacteria and their drug synergistic and antagonistic with standard antibiotics. Materials and methods: Antibacterial activity of methanol extracts from different parts of Prangos crossoptera was investigated against Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus in 250 to 3000 μg/ml concentrations by disc diffusion and micro-broth dilution methods. Then, the MIC and MBC values and inhibition zone of all extracts were measured. The synergistic effects of the most efficient concentration were studied on four common antibiotics. Results: All tested extracts, especially the flower, exhibited significant antibacterial activity against studied bacteria. The flower extract also showed synergistic effect on penicillin and ampicillin activity but did not influence the performance of gentamicin and streptomycin. Conclusion: The P.crossoptera has significant antibacterial effect and could increase the activity of penicillin and ampicillin. © 2015, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Current Nutrition And Food Science (22123881) 11(1)pp. 16-20
The present study investigated the mutagenicity of fruit and leaf extracts of five Iranian grape cultivars and their effect on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation. The grape cultivars studied were: Bidane sefid, Shahroodi, Halvaie, Yaghoti and Ghermez yaghoti dorosht. The effect of the methanol extracts of Vitis vinifera cultivars on PBMC proliferation were measured using MTT assay at different concentrations (100, 1000, 2000, 3000 µg/ml). The mutagenicity of these extracts at two concentrations (1000, 3000 µg/ml) was also investigated on Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98. Among these five species, methanol old leaf and seed extracts strongly increased PBMC proliferation. The grape juices of all cultivars did not have any effect on PBMC proliferation. The grape juices of all species were also found to have potent mutagenicity on S. typhimurium. But skin, seed and leaf extract of all cultivars didn’t show any mutagenicity on this strain. This study provides data concerning the Immune-enhancing activity of fruit, leaf extracts of grape as well as weak mutagenic potency of grape juice. © 2015 Bentham Science Publishers
Iranian Journal Of Basic Medical Sciences (20083874) 18(1)pp. 47-52
Objective(s): This study aims at exploring cytotoxic activity of different peptides derived from VSVG protein against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines and human embryonic kidney normal cell (HEK 293).
Journal of Isfahan Medical School (10277595) 33(325)pp. 221-230
Background: The vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSVG) protein is a transmembran glycoprotein, which is involved in virus attachment to the specific receptor at the cell surface. This protein has been widely used to study therapeutic gene delivery. However, the major limitation of its usage in gene therapy is toxicity of protein for host cells in high concentrations. Methods: The vesicular stomatitis virus G protein was produced via transfection of HEK-293T cells with using polyfection kit. The cytotoxic activity was examined against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines and human embryonic kidney normal cell line (HEK293) using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and morphology changes assay. Findings: The cytotoxic activity of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein against MCF-7 and MDAMB-231 cells was significantly more than that of the normal cells (P < 0.05). In addition, cancer cells treated with vesicular stomatitis virus G protein showed morphology changes. Conclusion: The results indicated that cytotoxic activity of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells was more than that of the normal cells and it could be an appropriate candidate for in-vivo testing as cytotoxic agent. © 2015, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.
Journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences (15614107) 17(6)pp. 64-73
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The genus Prangos is among plants with numerous species. The positive medicinal effects of this herb have been demonstrated in multiple studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of methanolic extracts from Prangos uloptera and crossoptera on the growth and proliferation of human lymphocytes and determine their mutagenic potentials. METHODS: In this experimental study, the plants were dried and milled after determining their species. The methanolic extracts of Prangos uloptera and crossoptera were prepared by immersion and were diluted to final concentrations of 10, 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 mg/ml, using sterile phosphate-buffered saline. The effects of the extracts on the growth and proliferation of human-extracted lymphocytes were evaluated by lymphodex. The samples cultured in RPMI medium were evaluated by MTT assay, and the mutagenic potential was measured by Ames test. FINDINGS: The results showed that the extracts from both Prangos species increased the growth and proliferation of lymphocytes (by 5-300%) and exhibited no mutagenic potentials. The seed and leaf extracts from both species had the least and most significant impacts on the growth and proliferation of lymphocytes (5-7% and 2.1-3.1% times, respectively), respectively. CONCLUSION: The obtained results showed that the two evaluated species of Prangos are safe and lack any mutagenic potentials. They also enhanced the growth and proliferation of human lymphocytes. © 2015, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Monofloral Iranian honeys from eight floral sources were analyzed to determine their anti-HIV-1 activities as well as their effects on lymphocyte proliferation. The Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) used in this study were prepared from five healthy volunteers who were seronegative for HIV, HCV, HBV and TB. The anti-HIV-1 activity of eight different honeys was performed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and high pure viral nucleic acid kit. The results demonstrated that monofloral honeys from Petro selinum sativum, Nigella sativa, Citrus sinensis, Zataria multiflora, Citrus aurantium and Zizyphus mauritiana flowers had potent anti-HIV-1 activity with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 37.5, 88, 70, 88, 105 and 5 μg/ml respectively. However, monofloral Iranian honeys from Astragalus gummifer and Chamaemelum nobile flowers had weak anti-HIV-1 activity. The frequency and intensity of CD4 expression on PBMCs increased in the presence of all honey types. CD19 marker were also increased after the treatment with monofloral honeys from Z.multiflora and N. sativa. The anti-HIV-1 agent in monofloral honeys from P.sativum, N. sativa, Z. multiflora and Z mauritiana flowers was detected by spectroscopic analysis as methylglyoxal. Time of drug addition studies demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of methylglyoxal is higher on the late stage of HIV-1 infection. The result demonstrated that methylglyoxal isolated from monofloral honey types is a good candidate for preclinical evaluation of anti-HIV-1 therapies. © 2014 Mandana Behbahani.
Ghannadi, A. ,
Fattahian, K. ,
Shokoohinia, Y. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Shahnoush, A. Iranian Journal Of Pharmaceutical Research (17350328) 13(2)pp. 523-530
Several complications attributed with Herpes virus related infections and the emergence of drug resistant viruses prompt scientists to search for new drugs. Several terpenoids and coumarins have shown anti HSV effects while no sesquiterpene coumarins have been previously tested for HSV treatment. Three sesquiterpene coumarins badrakemin acetate (1), kellerin (2) and samarcandin diastereomer (3) were isolated from the gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida, a herbal medicine with antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antiviral effects. Compounds were identifed by 1D and 2D- NMR spectroscopies and comparison with literature data. A comparative evaluation of cytotoxicity and antiviral activity showed that kellerin (2) could signifcantly inhibit the cytopathic effects and reduce the viral titre of the herpes virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA viral strain KOS at concentrations of 10, 5 and 2.5 μg/mL. © 2014 by School of Pharmacy.
Shokoohinia, Y. ,
Sajjadi, S. ,
Gholamzadeh, S. ,
Fattahi, A. ,
Behbahani, M. Pharmaceutical Biology (13880209) 52(12)pp. 1543-1549
Context: Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl. (Apiaceae) is a perennial plant found in the Middle-East, where it is commonly used as an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory agent. It is a rich source of coumarins. Objective: To purify several coumarins from P. ferulacea and to screen their cytotoxicity and anti-herpes activity. Materials and methods: Acetone extract of roots of P. ferulacea was subjected to several chromatographic separations to render pure coumarins (1-8). Anti-herpes virus effects of 1-7 were evaluated at concentration 2.5, 5, and 10gmL-1, on a confluent monolayer of Vero cells infected with 25 PFU of HSV1. Cytotoxic effects of 1 and 2 were evaluated on an A2780S cell line using the MTT assay. The cells were exposed to a series of concentrations of coumarins (0.01-2.5mM, 37°C, 72h). Results: Compounds 1-8 were identified as osthole, isoimperatorin, oxypeucedanin, psoralen, oxypeucedanin hydrate, gosferol, oxypeucedanin methnolate, and pranferol. This is the first report of occurrence of 4 and 7 in this plant. Compound 1 showed a viability of 9.41%±2.4 at 2.5mM on A2780S cells (IC50=0.38mM). The cell survival of 2 at 2.5mM was 46.86%±5.5 with IC50 equal to 1.1mM. Discussion and conclusion: Compound 1 shows cytotoxic effects on the A2780S cell line. Compound 2 is a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor and the A2780S cell line does not express COX-2 which may interpret the non-toxic effect of the compound on this cell line. None of the tested compounds showed an anti-HSV effect at non-toxic concentrations. © 2014 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.
Iranian Journal Of Pharmaceutical Research (17350328) 13(2)pp. 719-724
Boswellia has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases such as cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the gum methanol extract of Boswellia thurifera on the viability and P53 gene expression of cultured breast cancer cells. The gum methanol extract was obtained in various concentrations using the maceration method. Normal (HEK-293) and cancer (MDA-MB-231) human cells were cultured and treated with various concentrations of the extract. Then MTT assay was used for the study of cytotoxic effect of the extract and real time PCR method was also applied for the investigation of P53 gene expression in cancer cells. The IC50 of the extract against cancer cells was 80 μg/mL and had less cytotoxic effect in normal cells. The effect of the extract was dose dependent. Induction of P53 expression by extract was also significantly more in treated cancer cells than untreated cells. This inductive effect in cells was higher after 12 h treatment than it was after 6 h. The results of the current study show that gum methanol extract of Boswellia thurifera has probably anti-cancer effects and could induce P53 gene transcription and toxicity in the cultured breast cancer cell line. The increase of P53 gene specific mRNA may be a mechanism of gum methanol extract induced cytotoxicity. However, for a definitive conclusion, further studies on other cell lines as well as animal models and subsequent clinical studies are warranted. © 2014 by School of Pharmacy.
Medical Archives (0350199X) 68(4)pp. 276-278
BACKGROUND: The previous studies showed that herpes human virus-6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7 exist in salivary glands. One of the important areas in oral and maxillofacial pathology field is tumors of the salivary glands. In this study, to declare the major sites of persistent infection with HHV-6 and HHV-7, the existence of HHV-6 and HHV-7 genomes in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples of salivary gland tumors.
International Immunopharmacology (18781705) 23(1)pp. 262-266
This study was carried out to check the efficacy of methanol seed extract of Avicenna marina and its column chromatographic fractions on Peripheral Blood Mono nuclear Cells (PBMCs) toxicity and HIV-1 replication. The anti-HIV-1 activities of crude methanol extract and its fractions were performed by use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and HIV-1 p24 antigen kit. A time of drug addiction approach was also done to identify target of anti-HIV compound. The activity of the extracts on CD4, CD3, CD19 and CD45 expression in lymphocytes population was performed by use of flow cytometry. The most active anti-HIV agent was detected by spectroscopic analysis as 2′-O-(4-methoxycinnamoyl) mussaenosidic acid. The apparent effective concentrations for 50% virus replication (EC50) of methanol extract and iridoid glycoside were 45 and 0.1 μg/ml respectively. The iridoid glycoside also did not have any observable effect on the proportion of CD4, CD3, CD19 and CD45 cells or on the intensity of their expressions on PBMCs. In addition, the expression level of C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) on CD4+T cells were decreased in cells treated with this iridoid glycoside. The reduction of these two HIV coreceptors and the result of time of addition study demonstrated that this iridoid glycoside restricts HIV-1 replication on the early stage of HIV infection. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.
The present investigation was carried out to study the relationship between presence of cytotoxic compounds in Ocimum basilicum, Alhagi maurorum, Calendula officinalis and their parasite Cuscuta campestris. The cytotoxic activity of the pure compounds was performed by MTT assay against breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and normal breast cell line (MCF 10A). The induction of apoptosis was measured by the expression levels of p53, bcl-2, bax and caspase-3 genes using quantitative Real Time PCR. Three active fractions were detected by nuclear magnetic resonance as lutein, lupeol and eugenol, respectively, in C. officinalis, A. maurorum and O. basilicum. These compounds and their epoxidized forms were also detected in their parasite C. campestris. The cytotoxic activity of lutein epoxide, lupeol epoxide and eugenol epoxide was significantly more than lutein, lupeol and eugenol. The mRNA expression level of p53, caspase-3 and bax genes were increased in both cancer cells treated with all pure compounds. However, bcl-2 gene expression decreased in treated breast cancer cells. In conclusion, all the data indicated that the epoxide forms of lupeol, lutein and eugenol are potential drug candidates for inducing apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. © 2014 Mandana Behbahani.
Genetics in the Third Millennium (24237159) 11(4)pp. 3288-3295
Probiotics are useful bacteria that exert beneficial health effects on the host. These bacteria produce lactic acid as the main product of sugar fermentation via lactate dehydrogenase activity. Lactic acid is considered an important chemical compound which has significant applications in pharmaceutical and food industry. In the present study, lactic acid production and in silico properties of lactate dehydrogenase in three strains of probiotic bacteria were investigated. These three strains were Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum. These strains were grown in the de Man, Rogose Sharpe (MRS) medium containing different concentrations of sucrose (20, 10, 5, 2.5, 0 g/l). These bacteria were incubated at 37°C for 72 hours. The bacterial growth and lactic acid production were estimated by colony-forming unit (CFU) and Gas Chromatography (GC) analyzes, respectively. In silico properties of lactate dehydrogenase, which is responsible for lactic acid production, was also evaluated. The result showed that 10 and 20% sucrose could greatly induce growth and production of lactic acid in these three strains. Among these three bacteria, L. plantarum and L. casei could produce more lactic acid. The in silico results of lactate dehydrogenase demonstrated that alpha-helix and beta-sheet percentage in L. plantarum and L. casei were significantly more than L. bervis. These results verified that lactate dehydrogenase of L. plantarum and L. casei is a good candidate for genetic engineering processes. © 2014, Iranian Neurogenetics Society. All rights reserved.
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology (09737510) 8(SPEC. ISS. 1)pp. 293-298
The level of disease proceeding are related to different factors, for example, genotype/subtype and viral load. Six important genotypes of HCV and multiplex subtypes have been determined worldwide, HCV Genotyping is considerable clinical option before planning therapy. The proof is that various genotypes of HCV will need diverse term and of course the anti-viral treatment. The purpose of the current study was to assign the dispensation sample of different genotypes of HCV showed in the research reign and their relationship with the viral load in patients suffering suffer from HCV. Patients having positive serology for HCV were chosen for current research (N=105). After that, viral load and genotyping anticipation were carried out utilizing Real-time PCR 59.05 percent (62/105) of samples were contaminated with genotype 3a and consequently genotype 1a and genotype 1b were detected in 13.33percent (14/105) and 8.57percent (9/105) of samples respectively. However, genotype 3 didn't deal with a prominently higher viral load in comparison with the other genotypes (P= 0.113). Nevertheless, the prominently higher viral load was detectable among male HCV patients (P=0.012) in contrast to women infected with HCV The current research shows that genotype of HCV 3 computed mostly for almost 70.47 percent of the HCV septicity in Isfahan city. Moreover, genotype 3 was not relevance with more extremity of liver disease in contrast to other genotypes as estimated by viral load.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (02732289) 172(1)pp. 188-195
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important pathogen which is classified into two, high- and low-risk groups. The proteins of high-risk and low-risk HPV types have different functions. Therefore, there is a need to develop a computational method for predicting these two groups. In the present study, the physiochemical properties of all early (E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, and E7) and late (L1 and L2) proteins in high- and low-risk HPV types have been studied. The concept of receiver operating characteristic analysis and support vector machines methods has been used for comparison of high- and low-risk HPV types. The results demonstrate that amino acid composition, physiochemical, and secondary structure of E2 protein are significantly different between these two groups. The results demonstrate that in silico properties can create useful information to predict high-risk and low-risk HPV types. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Behbahani, M. ,
Sayedipour s., ,
Pourazar, A. ,
Shanehsazzadeh m., M. Research In Pharmaceutical Sciences (17355362) 9(6)pp. 463-469
Previously, we reported that the kaempferol and kaempferol-7-O-glucoside isolated from Securigera securidaca showed potent anti-HSV activity. In the present study the anti-HIV-1 activities of kaempferol and kaempferol-7-O-glucoside are investigated at different concentrations (100, 50, 25 and 10 ìg/ml) using HIV- 1 p24 Antigen kit. Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was also used for quantification of full range of virus load observed in treated and untreated cells. According to the results of RT- PCR, tested compounds at a concentration of 100 ìg/ml exerted potent inhibitory effect. Time of drug addition experiments demonstrated that these compounds exerted their inhibitory effects on the early stage of HIV infection. The results also showed potent anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity. Antiviral activity of kaempferol-7-O-glucoside was more pronounced than that of kaempferol. These findings demonstrate that kaempferol-7-O-glucoside could be considered as a new potential drug candidate for the treatment of HIV infection which requires further assessments.
Research In Pharmaceutical Sciences (17355362) 9(2)pp. 91-96
The present study was carried out to investigate cytotoxic activity of flower, leaf, stem and root extracts of five Artemisia species against breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and human embryonic kidney normal cell line (HEK293). The studied Artemisia species were A. absinthium, A. vulgaris, A. incana, A. fragrans and A. spicigera. The cytotoxic activity was measured by MTT assay at different concentrations (62.5, 125, 250, 500 μg/ml). Among these five species, methanol extracts of flower, leaf, stem and root of A. absinthium and A. vulgaris exhibited considerable cytotoxic activity. The flower extracts of these two species were found to have higher cytotoxic effect on MCF7 cell with an IC50 value of 221.5 and >500 μg/ml, respectively. Leaf methanol extract of A. incana also showed cytotoxic activity. Cytotoxic activity of different extracts of A. absinthium, A. vulgaris and A. incana against MCF7 was 10%-40% more than HEK293 cells. Not only the extracts of A. spicigera and A. fragrans did not show any cytotoxic effect against both cell lines, but also increased the number of cells. This study revealed that A. absinthium and A. vulgaris may have a great potential to explore new anticancer drugs.
Journal of Theoretical Biology (10958541) 341pp. 34-40
Cancer is an important reason of death worldwide. Traditional cytotoxic therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy, are expensive and cause severe side effects. Currently, design of anticancer peptides is a more effective way for cancer treatment. So there is a need to develop a computational method for predicting the anticancer peptides. In the present study, two methods have been developed to predict these peptides using support vector machine (SVM) as a powerful machine learning algorithm. Classifiers have been applied based on the concept of Chou's pseudo-amino acid composition (PseAAC) and local alignment kernel. Since a number of HIV-1 proteins have cytotoxic effect, therefore we predicted the anticancer effect of HIV-1 p24 protein with these methods. After the prediction, mutagenicity of 2 anticancer peptides and 2 non-anticancer peptides was investigated by Ames test. Our results show that, the accuracy and the specificity of local alignment kernel based method are 89.7% and 92.68%, respectively. The accuracy and specificity of PseAAC-based method are 83.82% and 85.36%, respectively. By computational analysis, out of 22 peptides of p24 protein, 4 peptides are anticancer and 18 are non-anticancer. In the Ames test results, it is clear that anticancer peptides (ARP788.8 and ARP788.21) are not mutagenic. Therefore the results demonstrate that the described computation methods are useful to identify potential anticancer peptides, which are worthy of further experimental validation and 2 peptides (ARP788.8 and ARP788.21) of HIV-1 p24 protein can be used as new anticancer candidates without mutagenicity. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
Open Bioinformatics Journal (18750362) 9(1)pp. 13-19
Traditional antiviral therapies are expensive, limitedly available, and cause several side effects. Currently, designing antiviral peptides is very important, because these peptides interfere with the key stage of virus life cycle. Most of the antiviral peptides are derived from viral proteins for example peptide derived from HIV-1 capsid protein. Because of the importance of these peptides, in this study the concept of pseudo-amino acid composition (PseAAC) and machine learning methods are used to classify or identify antiviral peptides. © Zare et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.
Journal of Antivirals and Antiretrovirals (discontinued) (19485964) 5(3)pp. 57-61
Objectives: The present investigation was carried out to test anti-HIV-1 activity of pure compounds isolated from aerial part extracts of Ocimum basilicum and its parasite Cuscuta campestris. Materials: The anti-HIV-1 activity of these extracts was performed by use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and high pure viral nucleic acid kit. Results: The most active fractions were detected by NMR as eugenol and eugenol epoxide respectively in Ocimum basilicum and Cuscuta campestris. The apparent effective concentrations for 50% plaque reduction (EC50) of eugenol and eugenol epoxide were 350 and 80 μg/ml. Time of addition studies demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of eugenol and eugenol epoxide is higher respectively in pre HIV-1 infection and during infection. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that eugenol and eugenol epoxide may prevent HIV-1 replication with two different mechanisms. © 2013 Behbahani M, et al.
Iranian Journal Of Basic Medical Sciences (20083874) 16(11)pp. 1203-1208
Objective(s): Regarding the presence of many active biological constituents in Avicennia marina, the present investigation was carried out to study cytotoxic activity of crude methanol leave extract and column chromatographic fractions of A. marina against MDA-MB 231 cell line (human breast cancer cell) and HEK (Human embryonic kidney cell) line. Materials and Methods: The anticancer activity of crude methanol extract and sub-fractions were evaluated, using MTT assay. The induction of apoptosis was determined by analyzing DNA fragmentation in breast cancer cells treated with active fraction of crude methanol extract using agarose gel electrophoresis. To investigate molecular mechanism of apoptosis, gene expression levels of p53 and Bcl-2 were measured using quantitative real time PCR. Results: Fraction 10 was the most active fraction and was detected with HPLC as luteolin. The 50% cell cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of crude methanol extract and luteolin was 250 and 28 μg/ml, respectively. This fraction was found to be an apoptotic agent against MDA-MB 231 cells, which leads to causing DNA fragmentation. The mRNA expression level of Bcl-2 and p53 was significantly decreased and increased respectively in cancer cells treated by luteolin. Conclusion: The results suggested that Luteolin isolated from Avicennia marina could probably induce apoptosis on breast cancer cell line by the regulation of p53 and Bcl-2 pathways.
Behbahani, M. ,
Shanehsazzadeh m., M. ,
Shokoohinia, Y. ,
Soltani, M. Journal of Antivirals and Antiretrovirals (discontinued) (19485964) 5(4)pp. 72-76
Objectives: Securigera securidaca Degen & Dörfl (Fabaceae) is an annual herb occurring wild in West Asia, Europe and Africa. The seeds of this plant are used for the treatment of disorders such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and epilepsy in Iranian folk medicine. Materials: This study was carried out to check antiherpetic substances of crude methanol seed extract of Securigera securidaca and its column chromatographic fractions. The antiherpetic activities of different concentrations (20, 2, 0.2 and 0.02 μg/ml) of crude methanol extract and sub-fractions were tested by use of plaque-forming unit (PFU) assay and the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Results: The most active fractions analyzed by column chromatography, containing kaempferol and kaempferol7-O-glucoside. The apparent effective concentration for 50% plaque reduction (EC50) of crude methanol extract, kaempferol, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside and acyclovir (ACV) were 2, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.1 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that kaempferol and kaempferol-7-O-glucoside isolated from S. securidaca may inhibit virus attachment to the cell membrane, virus entry into the cell and viral polymerase. © 2013 Behbahani M.
Esfahanian, Z. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Shanehsaz, M. ,
Hessami, M.J. ,
Nejatian, M.A. Cell Journal (Yakhteh) (22285806) 15(2)pp. 116-123
Objective: Grape virus diseases are a serious problem in Iran. Leaves and fruits of grape have been used for different purposes like cooking in Iran. The present investigation was carried out to study on the cytotoxic-activities of extracts of fruits and leaves of Vitis vinifera from both virus-free and virus-infected grape cultivars against breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and human embryonic kidney normal cell line (HEK 293). Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the considered grape cultivars were as follows: Rish Baba Sefid, Shahani Ghasre Shirin, Rotabi Zarghan, Asgari Najaf Abad, Fars, Kaj Angor Bojnord, Sarkesh Shiraz and Siahe Zarqan. A real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction (real-time Multiplex PCR) assay was applied to detect virus infected cultivars. The cytotoxic effect of the methanol extracts of different Vitis vinifera varieties on cultured cells was monitored using (3- (4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay at different concentrations (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000 μg mL-1). Results: Among these cultivars, Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) along with related symptoms was detected in Siahe Zarqan and Fars. Methanolic extracts of leaves and fruits of Vitis vinifera from both virus free and virus infected cultivars showed a range of limited to moderate cytotoxic activity. However, methanol extract of leaves belonged to virus infected cultivars was found to have strong cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-231 at different concentrations. Conclusion: Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) can potentially increase the cytotoxicity of grape cultivars.
Antiviral Research (01663542) 97(3)pp. 376-380
Aim: This study was carried out to check antiherpetic substances of crude methanol leaf extract of Avicenna marina and its column chromatographic fractions. Background: Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is a harmful pathogen especially in highly susceptible individuals. Materials and methods: The antiherpetic activity of crude methanol extract and sub-fractions was performed in different concentrations (20, 2, 0.2, and 0.02. μg/ml) by use of plaque-forming unit (PFU) assay and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Results: The most active fraction analyzed by NMR contained luteolin 7-O-methylether 3'-O-beta-d-glucoside (LMEG). The other active fraction was detected by HPLC as luteolin. The apparent effective concentrations for 50% plaque reduction (EC50) of crude methanol extract, LMEG, luteolin and ACV were 10, 5, 16.6 and 2.97. μg/ml, respectively. The three extracts showed no cytotoxic effect on Vero cell line at concentrations of 32. μg/ml or below. According to the consequences of time-of-addition studies, antiherpetic compound LMEG exerted an inhibitory effect on the early stage of HSV-2 infection during which it was added. Conclusions: In conclusion, LMEG isolated from A. marina could probably inhibit HSV attachment to the cell membrane and its entry into the cell. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Iranian Journal Of Pharmaceutical Research (17350328) 12(2)pp. 435-443
Avicennia marina (Avicenniaceae) is a species of mangrove tree used for treatment of small pox lesions in Persian folk medicine. The antiviral activity of methanol, ethanol, water, chloroform and n-hexane extracts was evaluated against HIV-1 and HSV. Methanol extract had the highest antiviral activity and the most polar fraction of this extract (fraction D) inhibited HSV with TI and SI values of 57.1 and 133; however, it showed mild activity against HIV with SI value of 6.25 (fraction 3). The anti-HSV activity of active fraction was confirmed using FLASH-PCR. Phytochemical investigation revealed that fraction D encompasses flavonoids compounds. The time-of-addition study demonstrated that fraction D disturbs viral replication after penetrating to the cell. A. marina was endowed with fragments by which found to be able to inhibit replication of HSV after entry but did not show significant potency against HIV-1. This promotes further investigation in anti-HSV drug discovery. © 2013 by School of Pharmacy.
Protein And Peptide Letters (09298665) 20(2)pp. 180-186
Microbial resistance to antibiotics is a rising concern among health care professionals, driving them to search for alternative therapies. In the past few years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted a lot of attention as a substitute for conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides have a broad spectrum of activity and can act as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and sometimes even as anticancer drugs. The antibacterial peptides have little sequence homology, despite common properties. Since there is a need to develop a computational method for predicting the antibacterial peptides, in the present study, we have applied the concept of Chou's pseudo-amino acid composition (PseAAC) and machine learning methods for their classification. Our results demonstrate that using the concept of PseAAC and applying Support Vector Machine (SVM) can provide useful information to predict antibacterial peptides. © 2013 Bentham Science Publishers.
Journal of Luminescence (00222313) 143pp. 687-692
The interaction of bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), as one of the main active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), with bovine β-casein nanoparticle, as an efficient drug carrier system, was investigated using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking calculations. Results of fluorescence quenching experiments, Forster energy transfer measurements and molecular docking calculations suggested that BDMC bind to the hydrophobic core of β-casein via formation of 3 hydrogen bonds and several vander Waals contacts that represented the encapsulation of BDMC in β-casein micelle nanoparticles. The binding parameters including number of substantive binding sites and the binding constants were evaluated by fluorescence quenching method. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of free BDMC and BDMC-β-casein complex in human breast cancer cell line MCF7 was evaluated in vitro. The study revealed the higher cytotoxic effects of encapsulated BDMC on MCF7 cells compared to equal dose of free BDMC. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Current Protein And Peptide Science (13892037) 13(6)pp. 547-559
Scientists have united in a common search to sequence, store and analyze genes and proteins. In this regard, rapidly evolving bioinformatics methods are providing valuable information on these newly-discovered molecules. Understanding what has been done and what we can do in silico is essential in designing new experiments. The unbalanced situation between sequence-known proteins and attribute-known proteins, has called for developing computational methods or high-throughput automated tools for fast and reliably predicting or identifying various characteristics of uncharacterized proteins. Taking into consideration the role of viruses in causing diseases and their use in biotechnology, the present review describes the application of protein bioinformatics in virology. Therefore, a number of important features of viral proteins like epitope prediction, protein docking, subcellular localization, viral protease cleavage sites and computer based comparison of their aspects have been discussed. This paper also describes several tools, principally developed for viral bioinformatics. Prediction of viral protein features and learning the advances in this field can help basic understanding of the relationship between a virus and its host. © 2012 Bentham Science Publishers.
Journal Of Applied Biological Sciences (21460108) 6(2)pp. 9-12
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections of the high-risk types are strongly linked to the development of cervical carcinoma. The HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 are thought to play a crucial role in this process through their interactions with the P53 protein. E6 binds to P53 protein promoting its degradation. This is considered to contribute to the oncogenesis of HPV-associated anogenital cancer. On the other hand, in HPVnegative cervical carcinoma, P53 mutations are thought to have a role in the transformation process. In 25 formaldehyde-fixed paraffin embedded cervical carcinoma tissue samples were evaluated for the presence of HPV-DNA and mutations in exons 5-8 of the P53 gene by single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis. Fourteen samples were HPV positive and only 3 missense point mutations were detected. These findings suggest that other mechanisms independent of P53 inactivation may play a role in the genesis of cervical carcinomas.
Journal Of Applied Biological Sciences (21460108) 6(2)pp. 31-36
Background: The PCR-based techniques detect Toxoplasma gondii DNA in patients' samples. Real-time PCR is used mainly to quantify infection agents especially in immunecompromised cases. The aim of our study was to examine the probable association of toxoplasmosis and appendectomy in an Iranian sample of women undergone a recent abortion by the performance of real-time PCR. Methods: Sixty five abortion cases were occurred from March 2008 to October 2009 in Isfahan, Iran. Specimens from their products of conception were screened for T. gondii DNA by both the conventional PCR and real-time PCR. The acquired data was assessed in relation to the history of appendices by the statistical methods in SPSS software. Results: The results of the conventional PCR were positive in 10 (15.48%) of 65 patients and negative in 55 (84.6%). After the conventional PCR, 8 (80%) PCR positive patients with surgical appendix had the average number of obtained parasites that was 10.63 which was significantly higher than the group without appendectomy (P≤0.05); that is appendectomy was associated with infection in immunosuppressive cases. Conclusions: The pregnant women with immunocompromised condition are at a risk for toxoplasmosis and finally abortion; all T. gondii positive patients should be followed up with real-time PCR techniques.
Pharmaceutical Sciences (23832886) 16(4)pp. 229-238
Objectives: The medicinal plant of Avicennia marina has been used widely in traditional medicine for treatment of skin disease and rheumatoid in Iran. The present investigation was carried out to study the anticancer effects of different crude extracts of A. marina's leaves against breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB 231). Methods: MDA-MB 231 and L929 healthy cells were separately cultured in RPMI-1640 medium completed with 10% fetal calf serum and penicillin / streptomycin (50 IU/ml and 50 μg/ ml respectively). Collected leaves were dried and powdered, then were soaked in five solvents with different lipophilicity. The cytotoxic effects of different concentration of crude extracts on cultured cells were measured using the MTT assay. Chromosomal DNA was extracted, isolated and resolved using agarose gel electrophoresis. Result: Methanolic extract exerted higher anti-cancer activity on human breast cancer cells compared with other extracts. IC50 of the methanolic extract was measured at 480 μg/ml. Furthermore, the methanol extract induced a significant growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner on MDA-MB 231 as human cancer cells but there was no significant effect against L929 as normal cells. Methanolic extract showed time dependent growth inhibition effect so that, after 24, 48, and 72 h treatment cell growth was inhibited by 40%, 44%, and 59%, respectively. Conclusion: The present results suggest that valuable cytotoxic components could be isolated from this plant by partitioning methanol crude extract. Further investigations are underway in this regard.
Behbahani, M. ,
Shanehsazzadeh m., M. ,
Hessami, M.J. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Shanehsazzadeh m., M. ,
Hessami, M.J. Scientia Agricola (1039016) 68(1)pp. 69-76
Lycopene is present in a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in the leaves of Barringtonia racemosa. The traditional lycopene extraction from the plant is being employed instead of an easy propagation technique like cell culture process from the leaf explants. We intend to assess how lycopene could be extracted via tissue culture under light (illuminance: 8,200 lux under white fluorescent lamps, photoperiod 16 h per day at 25°C) and dark. Leaf explants of Barringtonia racemosa were cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS), Woody Plant Medium (WPM) and B5 media, supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4- Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Optimal conditions for callus induction and maintenance under both dark and light were investigated, and growth and lycopene accumulation were evaluated. Among media with different concentrations of 2,4-D, fast growing, friable callus initiated within three weeks after culturing on WPM basal medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1 (weight per volume) of 2,4-D, whereas callus induction in explants cultured on all other media started only after five weeks. Calli were subcultured once every fortnight. Pale yellow and green calli developed under conditions of dark and light respectively were then selected for evaluation of their lycopene contents. An improved reversed phase of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used for a selective chemical determination of the lycopene content. Light induced lycopene production; and likewise maximum lycopene level incubated in light was higher than those incubated in darkness. The best growth rates of callus and cell suspension were achieved in WPM and B5 media respectively. The production of lycopene was growth-dependent through analysis of growth and lycopene content of both callus and cell suspension cultures.
Scientia Horticulturae (03044238) 124(3)pp. 393-399
Soil phosphorous (P) uptake mechanisms by the interaction of plants and soil microorganisms benefit plant growth with preparing agriculture inoculants. But it is influenced by soil factors. The present study was performed to identify three effective strains of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on the basis of 16S rDNA sequence in vitro. Bacillus lentus strain PS5, Bacillus licheniformis strain PS7 and Pseudomonas putida strain PS13 were isolated from an alkaline soil in Iran and the rhizosphere of Beta vulgaris and Solanum tuberosom. Their high root colonization ability and P solubilizing activity was detected in relation to soil physical and chemical properties influenced by environmental factors including salinity of 800 mM/L and temperature of 42 °C. Root colonization assays were performed to determine the distribution and metabolic activity of the bacterial isolates obtained from the potato rhizosphere. The seedling was planted in the soil sample inoculated with three strains after lux bioluminescence gene insertion and also marking for resistance to kanamycine and rifampin. Then it was placed in non-sterile natural soil. The introduced bacterial strains were quantified by dilution plating on antibiotic media together with observation of bioluminescence. The results demonstrated that these strains could survive in the potato root system at high temperature, high H+ concentrations and high salt concentrations. These three bacterial isolates possessed the ability to solubilize phosphate under stress conditions of alkaline soils in Iran as high salinity, high H+ concentrations and high temperature. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Journal of Medicinal Plant Research (19960875) 3(12)pp. 1118-1125
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is a major opportunistic infection in immunosuppressed persons. The development of resistant strains of HSV to the available drugs for infection management, as is evident in the first drug of choice acyclovir, has further compounded this situation. There is therefore an urgent need to identify and develop new alternative agents for management of HSV infections, more so, for those due to resistant strains. We report here on methanolic extract preparation from the leaves of Hyssopus officinalis, a medicinal plant locally growing in Iran that has exhibited remarkable anti-HSV activity in vitro and in vivo for both wild type and resistant strains of HSV. The extract significantly inhibited formation of plaques in Vero E6 cells infected with 100 PFU of wild type strains of HSV (7401H HSV-1 and Ito-1262 HSV-2) or resistant strains of HSV (TK-7401H HSV-1 and AP r 7401H HSV-1) by 100% at 25 μg/ml in vitro with minimal cell cytotoxicity (CC 50 = 960 μg/ml). When the extract was examined for in vivo efficacy in a murine model using Balb/C mice cutaneously infected with wild type or resistant strains of HSV, the extract at an oral dose of 125 mg/kg significantly delayed the onset of HSV infections by over 50%. It also increased the mean survival time of treated infected mice by between 55 and 65% relative to the infected untreated mice (p < 0.05 versus control by Student's t-test). The mortality rate for mice treated with extract was also significantly reduced by 90% as compared with the infected untreated mice that exhibited 100% mortality. No acute toxicity was observed in mice at the oral therapeutic dose of 125 mg/kg. These results suggest that this herbal extract has potent anti-viral agents against herpes simplex viruses that can be exploited for development of an alternative remedy for HSV infections. © 2009 Academic Journals.
Journal of Medicinal Plant Research (19960875) 3(12)pp. 1126-1133
The ability of a few soil microorganisms to convert insoluble forms of phosphorus (P) to an accessible form is an important trait in plant growth-promoting bacteria for increasing plant yields. The use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria as inoculants increases the P uptake by plants. In this study, isolation and characterization of 3 strains of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from Central province of Iran were carried out. Identification of three isolates was carried out by 16S rDNA sequencing. Three strains namely Bacillus lentus strain PS5, Bacillus Licheniformis strain PS7 and Pseoudomonas putida strain PS13 were isolated from the rhizospere of Beta vulgaris and solanum tuberosom. All of the three strains were selected in vitro for their phosphate solubilizing abilities from alkaline soils. Among the three strains, PS5 and PS7 were the most efficient strains in terms of their capabilities to grow and solubilize phosphorus in the presence of 5% NaCl and 42° C. Root colonization analyses were performed to determine the distribution and metabolic activity of the strains in the potato rhizosper. The soil containing potato seedling was treated with all strains marked with lux genes for bioluminescence, as well as resistance to kanamycin and rifampin prior to planting in non-sterile natural soil. The introduced bacteria were quantified on roots by dilution plating on antibiotic media along with observation of bioluminescence. Results demonstrated the strains could survive in the potato root system under stress conditions. The significance of this study lies in the fact that the bacterial strains isolated from alkaline soils have ability to solubilize phosphate in high salt, pH and temperature conditions. © 2009 Academic Journals.
Malboobi, M.A. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Madani, H. ,
Owlia, P. ,
Deljou, A. ,
Yakhchali, B. ,
Moradi, M. ,
Hassanabadi, H. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (09593993) 25(8)pp. 1479-1484
Three phosphate solubilizing bacterial isolates identified as Pantoea agglomerans strain P5, Microbacterium laevaniformans strain P7 and Pseudomonas putida strain P13 were assessed for mutual relationships among them, competitiveness with soil microorganisms and associations with plant root using luxAB reporter genes for follow-up studies. Synergism between either P. agglomerans or M. laevaniformans, as acid-producing bacteria, and P. putida, as a strong phosphatase producer, was consistently observed both in liquid culture medium and in root rhizosphere. All laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments proved that these three isolates compete well with naturally occurring soil microorganisms. Consistently, the combinations of either P. agglomerans or M. laevaniformans strains with Pseudomonas putida led to higher biomass and potato tuber in greenhouse and in field trials. It is conceivable that combinations of an acid- and a phosphatase-producing bacterium would allow simultaneous utilization of both inorganic and organic phosphorus compounds preserving the soil structure. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.
Malboobi, M.A. ,
Owlia, P. ,
Behbahani, M. ,
Sarokhani, E. ,
Moradi, S. ,
Yakhchali, B. ,
Deljou, A. ,
Morabbi heravi, K. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (09593993) 25(8)pp. 1471-1477
Screening soil samples collected from a diverse range of slightly alkaline soil types, we have isolated 22 competent phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Three isolates identified as Pantoea agglomerans strain P5, Microbacterium laevaniformans strain P7 and Pseudomonas putida strain P13 hydrolyzed inorganic and organic phosphate compounds effectively. Bacterial growth rates and phosphate solubilization activities were measured quantitatively under various environmental conditions. In general, a close association was evident between phosphate solubilizing ability and growth rate which is an indicator of active metabolism. All three PSB were able to withstand temperature as high as 42°C, high concentration of NaCl upto 5% and a wide range of initial pH from 5 to 11 while hydrolyzing phosphate compounds actively. Such criteria make these isolates superior candidates for biofertilizers that are capable of utilizing both organic and mineral phosphate substrates to release absorbable phosphate ion for plants. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.
Biotechnology (discontinued) (1682296X) 7(1)pp. 19-26
To study the genetic diversity of the melon collection at the National Plant Genetic of Iran, 35 genotypes were planted at Bu Ali Sina University Hamedan in 2004 and were evaluated with 15 micro satellite SSR markers. Micro satellite markers in the upper levels showed polymorphisms and 87% of them are polymorphic and 63 alleles have been identified. The number of effective alleles in the polymorphic loci varied from 1.25-8.19 and the mean is 2.80. The percentage of genetic loci having polymorphism is 87.67%. Cluster analysis of genotypes was divided into 5 groups wherein genotype of foreign origin has smooth skin while different groups of Iran genotype are netted. Genetic distance between Iranian and foreign is 0.98. Results obtained from this study showed the significant difference between Iranian genotypes with other genotypes. These genotypes have high diversity which could be used in breeding programs. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information.
