Recent Patents On Biotechnology[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Impact of DMPEI on Biofilm Adhesion on Latex Urinary Catheter.
Tarabal VS, Silva FG, Sinisterra RD … +5 more , Gonçalves D, Silva J, Granjeiro JM, Speziali M, Granjeiro PA
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33588743 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Microorganisms can migrate from the external environment to the patient's organism through the insertion of catheters. Despite being indispensable medical device, the catheter surface can be colonized by micr...
BACKGROUND: Microorganisms can migrate from the external environment to the patient's organism through the insertion of catheters. Despite being indispensable medical device, the catheter surface can be colonized by microorganisms and become a starting point for biofilm formation. Therefore, new technologies are being developed in order to modify surfaces to prevent the adhesion and survival of microorganisms. Patents with the use of DMPEI have been filed. OBJECTIVE: In the present work, we coated latex catheter surfaces with 2 mg mL-1 DMPEI in different solvents, evaluated the wettability of the surface and the anti- biofilm activity of the coated catheter against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. METHODS: We coated the inner and outer catheter surfaces with 2 mg mL-1 of DMPEI solubilized in butanol, dimethylformamide, and cyclohexanone and the surfaces were analyzed visually. Contact angle measurement allowed the analysis of the wettability of the surfaces. The CFU mL-1 count evaluated E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans adhesion onto the control and treated surfaces. RESULTS: The contact angle decreased from 50.48º to 46.93º on the inner surface and from 55.83º to 50.91º on the outer surface of latex catheters coated with DMPEI. The catheter coated with DMPEI showed anti-biofilm activity of 83%, 88%, and 93% on the inner surface and 100%, 92%, and 86% on the outer surface for E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans, respectively. CONCLUSION: Latex catheter coated with DMPEI efficiently impaired the biofilm formation both on the outer and inner surfaces, showing a potential antimicrobial activity along with a high anti-biofilm activity for medical devices.
In Vitro Anticoccidial Activities of the Extract and Fractions of Garcinia kola (Heckel h.) Against Eimeria tenella Oocyst.
Shetshak MA, Jatau ID, Suleiman MM … +3 more , Ameh MP, Gabriel A, Akefe IO
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33511943 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Commercial poultry farming is expanding every day and contributing to the provision of affordable and high-quality protein. However, this sector is confronted with many diseases of which coccidiosis is among...
BACKGROUND: Commercial poultry farming is expanding every day and contributing to the provision of affordable and high-quality protein. However, this sector is confronted with many diseases of which coccidiosis is among the most important. There are many registered patents affirming the health benefits of Garcinia kola in poultry. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of in vitro anticoccidial activities of the extracts and fractions of Garcinia kola against Eimeria tenella oocyst was carried out. METHODS: Fresh seeds of G. kola were collected, dried under shade at room temperature, and pulverized using a mortar and a pestle. The powder was exhaustively extracted with a soxhlet apparatus using 70% methanol, and the crude methanol extract (CME) was concentrated to dryness using a rotary evaporator. The CME was further partitioned using butanol, ethylacetate, and n-hexane. The CME, butanol fraction (BTF), ethylacetate fraction (EAF), and hexane fraction (HXF) were concentrated in vacuo and tested for the presence of phytochemical constituents using standard procedures. Similarly, the CME, butanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane fractions were evaluated in vitro for oocyst sporulation inhibition. RESULTS: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of cardiac glycosides, saponins, carbohydrates, steroids/triterpenes, tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids in the CME and BTF. The EAF contains all the metabolites mentioned except saponins. Similarly, HXF contains only cardiac glycosides, tannins, and steroids/ triterpenes. The CME and BTF caused a concentration-dependent increase in the inhibition of sporulation of unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella. In the acute toxicity studies, the CME did not produce any toxic effect or mortality at doses between 10 and 5000 mg/kg. The CME was then considered safe, and the LD50 was assumed to be >5000 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The data obtained in this study suggested that the crude methanol extract (CME) of G. kola could be an appreciable beneficial effect as an anticoccidial agent against Eimeria tenella oocyst.
Patents Related to Pathogenic Human Coronaviruses.
Dos Santos M, Ferreira AVF, da Silva JO … +6 more , Nogueira LM, Machado JM, Francisco MFC, da Paz MC, Giunchetti RC, Galdino AS
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33504319 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of respiratory disease since the beginning of the 21st century, representing a significant threat to public health. Together, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi...
BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of respiratory disease since the beginning of the 21st century, representing a significant threat to public health. Together, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and, more recently, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have caused a large number of deaths around the world. Thus, investments in research and the development of strategies aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing these infections are urgently needed. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the patents that address pathogenic coronaviruses in Google Patents databases in the last year (2019-2020). METHODS: The search strategy was carried out in April 2020, based on the keywords "SARS", "SARS-CoV", "MERS", "MERS-CoV", "SARS-CoV-2" and "COVID-19. Out of the patents examined, 25 were selected for a short description in this study. RESULTS: A total of 191 patents were analyzed, 149 of which were related to SARS-CoV, and 29 and 12 were related to MERS-CoV and SARS- CoV2, respectively. The patents addressed the issues of diagnosis, therapeutic agents, prevention and control, along with other applications. CONCLUSION: Several promising strategies have been documented in intellectual property databases favoring the need for further studies on the pathogenesis and optimization of the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment for these emerging infections.
Bacteriophages as Therapeutic Agents: Alternatives to Antibiotics.
Samir S
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33475081 · Publisher ↗
Bacteriophages are bacterio-specific viruses that constitute the main portion of the environment. Bacteriophages inject their genome into the targeted bacterial cells and some of them can disrupt the metabolism of bacter...
Bacteriophages are bacterio-specific viruses that constitute the main portion of the environment. Bacteriophages inject their genome into the targeted bacterial cells and some of them can disrupt the metabolism of bacteria and cause bacterial cell disintegration. The application of bacteriophages to kill bacteria is known as bacteriophage therapy. Since bacteriophages target bacteria and are strain-specific, every bacteriophage/bacterial host pair is unique. They are believed to cause no harm to humans. An additional advantage of the strain-specific nature of bacteriophages is that they do not disrupt the beneficial natural flora in the body. Bacteriophage therapy in the West is not a recognized medicine at this time, and no products are registered. Some clinicians are turning to bacteriophage therapy for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. Lack of adverse effects makes bacteriophage therapy ideal for use. Funding research, media attention, and the increased publication of articles helped in a widespread understanding of its therapeutic potential. The first prerequisite for the use of bacteriophage therapy is simply the availability of bacteriophages for treatment, which is often complicated at this stage of bacteriophage production. This includes providing access to all biologically active bacteriophages against the bacterial isolate of the patient and meeting regulatory criteria of purity, traceability, and characterization. A monophage preparation, which is a single bacteriophage, or a phage cocktail, which consists of a number of combined bacteriophages against one or more bacterial species may be used. Accordingly, the antibiotic resistance crisis brought back bacteriophage therapy as a potential complementary or alternative treatment. Bacteriophages are promising cheap antibacterials.
Patents on Violacein: A Compound with Great Diversity of Biological Activities and Industrial Potential.
Durán N, Fávaro WJ, Brocchi M … +4 more , Justo GZ, Castro GR, Durán M, Nakazato G
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 Oct · PMID 33349223 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: This review outlines the current impact of violacein-derivative materials in several technological areas through patents. METHODS: A comprehensive examination of patent databases on violacein demonstrated the...
BACKGROUND: This review outlines the current impact of violacein-derivative materials in several technological areas through patents. METHODS: A comprehensive examination of patent databases on violacein demonstrated the relevance of this pigment, as well as the pertinent topics related to its technological development in order to obtain adaptable new pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and new quality fiber materials, together with other applications of violacein in different areas. RESULTS: At present, there is no efficient and economical technique for violacein preparation at the industrial scale. Many attempts have been made, but none have overcome the challenge of being an effective and inexpensive process. However, some potential applications of violacein in fields such as biomedicine make the pigment worthy of continuous investigation. In particular, violacein patents covering biosynthesis for different applications have been reported recently. CONCLUSION: Violacein has been used as a unique pigment in distinct specialty areas, such as in medical and industrial fields. This review of patents provides an update on violacein innovations that are useful for researchers working in the expanding and interesting field of biotechnology with natural pigments.
Development and Innovation on Dental Products in Argentina: A Technological Prospecting Based on Patents.
Valadas LAR, Oliveira Filho RD, Lotif MAL … +4 more , Júnior FJG, Júnior EAD, Bandeira MAM, Squassi A
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33305714 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Argentina has progressed with industrialization in comparison to other Latin American countries and this process had a direct impact on the innovative capacity of the national economy. A constant search for m...
BACKGROUND: Argentina has progressed with industrialization in comparison to other Latin American countries and this process had a direct impact on the innovative capacity of the national economy. A constant search for market leadership, including the dentistry field and dental materials, stimulates the industries to launch new products daily. Inventions related to health researches are mostly protected by patents as intellectual property. A patent landscape analysis through searches in patent banks is a tool used to identify trends in different areas of innovations. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify and evaluate the scenario of research, development and innovation of dental products in Argentina by a technological prospecting based on patents. METHODS: A survey of patent documents was conducted by searching for deposited and granted patents of dental products. The search was carried out during January 2020 in the patent database of the National Institute of Industrial Property of Argentina (INPI-AR). The terms "dentistry", "buccal", "dental" and "oral" were used to select the titles and abstracts of patent application reports. The information extracted from patent reports was organized in tables and Figs using Fig.Pad Prism 6 software to evaluate the applications. RESULTS: A total of 363 patents were published from 1989 to 2016, mainly by international industries, 93.3% as patent invention and 3.0% as utility model applications on dentistry. Only two patents (0.5%) were deposited by universities, as the University of Melbourne (Patent number 20060102378) and Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (Patent number 20140104149), among which only the last one is national. Among the deposits, only 6.6% were granted; mostly were in force, denied or lost. According to the specialties, most patents were related to compositions (64.7%) and personal products (21.7%), also on dentistry/cariology (6.33%) and prostheses/implants (4.68%). CONCLUSION: In general, we find that most patent applications are related to the preventive area, personal products and compositions for formulations. Few dental patents deposits are currently available in Argentina, suggesting that the importation of products into the area remains large, which can make dental products more expensive. It is important to invest in technology-based companies to promote increased economic activity, being a consequence of an investment in knowledge creation and intellectual property to the Dentistry area.
A Novel Cell-based In vitro Assay for Antiviral Activity of Interferons α, β, and γ by qPCR of MxA Gene Expression.
Saber MA, Okasha H, Khorshed F … +1 more , Samir S
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33183215 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Human MxA gene is related to the class of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) that plays a role in antiviral resistance. OBJECTIVE: Implementation of standard curves obtained from designing a procedure f...
BACKGROUND: Human MxA gene is related to the class of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) that plays a role in antiviral resistance. OBJECTIVE: Implementation of standard curves obtained from designing a procedure for data processing in relative qPCR between MxA expression and interferon's antiviral activity (IU/ml). These standard curves can be used to detect the antiviral activity of any new compound rapidly and safely. METHODS: To detect the optimum incubation time for maximum MxA gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), the isolated human PBMCs (1x106 cells) were incubated with a concentration of 1000 IU/ml of each IFN at different time intervals; 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 24 h post-treatment. A standard curve was performed for each IFN (α, β, and γ) at different concentrations (250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 IU/ml). RESULTS: As observed at 4 h incubation time of 1000 IU/ml concentration, IFN-γ provided a higher expression of MxA compared to IFN-α and IFN-β. Correlation analyses between IFN-α and IFN-β, IFN-β and IFN-γ were non-significant. However, there was a significant correlation between IFN-α and IFN-γ (p<0.01). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that cut-off values of IFN- γ, IFN-β, and IFN-α were 58.14 > 7.31 and > 3.33, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The relative expression of MxA is a biomarker for IFN-α, β, and γ, especially IFN-α. It has compiled and validated a standard curve-based protocol for PCR data processing. It shows that the standard curve is an easy alternative tool to assess antiviral activity. We revised all patents relating to the antiviral assays of the used interferons.
The Role of Advanced Technologies Supplemented with Traditional Methods in Pharmacovigilance Sciences.
Satwika MV, Sushma DS, Jaiswal V … +2 more , Asha S, Pal T
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2021 · PMID 33087036 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: The immediate automatic systemic monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions, improving the efficacy is the utmost need of the medical informatics community. The venturing of advanced digital technolog...
BACKGROUND: The immediate automatic systemic monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions, improving the efficacy is the utmost need of the medical informatics community. The venturing of advanced digital technologies into the health sector has opened new avenues for rapid monitoring. In recent years, data shared through social media, mobile apps, and other social websites has increased manifolds requiring data mining techniques. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this report is to highlight the role of advanced technologies together with the traditional methods to proactively aid in the early detection of adverse drug reactions concerned with drug safety and pharmacovigilance. METHODS: A thorough search was conducted on papers and patents regarding pharmacovigilance. All articles with respect to the relevant subject were explored and mined from public repositories such as Pubmed, Google Scholar, Springer, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Web of Science, etc. Results: The European Union's Innovative Medicines Initiative WEB-RADR project has emphasized the development of mobile applications and social media data for reporting adverse effects. Only relevant data has to be captured through the data mining algorithms (DMAs) as it plays an important role in timely prediction of risk with high accuracy using two popular approaches; the frequentist and Bayesian approach. Pharmacovigilance at the pre-marketing stage is useful for the prediction of adverse drug reactions in the early developmental stage of a drug. Later, post-marketing safety reports and clinical data reports are important to be monitored through electronic health records, prescription-event monitoring, spontaneous reporting databases, etc. Conclusion: The advanced technologies supplemented with traditional technologies are the need of the hour for evaluating a product's risk profile and reducing risk in population especially with comorbid conditions and on concomitant medications.
Designing an Outer Membrane Protein (Omp-W) Based Vaccine for Immunization against and : An in silico Approach.
Tehrani SS, Jahangiri A, Taheri-Anganeh M … +5 more , Maghsoudi H, Khalili S, Fana SE, Maniati M, Amani J
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32990553 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Cholera triggered by Vibrio cholerae remains the main reason for morbidity and mortality all over the world. In addition, salmonellosis is regarded as an infectious disease that makes it essential for the ide...
BACKGROUND: Cholera triggered by Vibrio cholerae remains the main reason for morbidity and mortality all over the world. In addition, salmonellosis is regarded as an infectious disease that makes it essential for the identification and detection of Salmonella. With a beta-barrel structure consisting of eight non-parallel beta strands, OmpW family is widely distributed among gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, OmpW isolated from S. typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae can be used in vaccine design. METHODS: Topology prediction was determined. T-cell and B-cell epitopes were selected from exposed areas, and sequence conservancy was evaluated. The remaining loops and inaccessible residues were removed to prepare OmpW-1. High antigenicity peptides were detected to replace inappropriate residues to obtain OmpW-2. Physicochemical properties were assessed, and antigenicity, hydrophobicity, flexibility, and accessibility were compared to the native Omp-W structure. Low score areas were removed from the designed structure for preparing the OmpW-3. To construct OmpW-4, TTFrC was used as T-CD4+ cell-stimulating factor and CTB as adjuvant to the end of the C-terminal of this sequence, which can increase the antigenicity and sequence density. The sequences were re-analyzed to delete the unfavorable residues. Besides, the solubility of the mature OmpW and the designed structure were predicted while overexpressed in E. coli. RESULTS: The designed vaccine is a stable protein that has immune cells recognizing epitopes and is considered as an antigen. The construct can be overexpressed in an E. coli. CONCLUSION: The multi-epitope vaccine is a suitable stimulator for the immune system and would be a candidate for experimental research. Recent patents describe numerous inventions related to the clinical facets of vaccine peptide against human infectious disease.
In Vitro and In Vivo Neutralizing Activity of Uvaria chamae Leaves Fractions on the Venom of Naja nigricollis in Albino Rat and Bovine Blood.
Gabriel A, Mohammed M, Magaji MG … +3 more , Ofemile YP, Matthew AP, Akefe IO
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32885765 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Snakebite envenomation is a global priority ranked top among other neglected tropical diseases. There is a folkloric claim that Uvaria chamae is beneficial for the management of snakebite and wounds in Africa...
BACKGROUND: Snakebite envenomation is a global priority ranked top among other neglected tropical diseases. There is a folkloric claim that Uvaria chamae is beneficial for the management of snakebite and wounds in African ethnobotanical surveys. Besides, there are many registered patents asserting the health benefits of U. chamae. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate U. chamae's potentials and identify candidates for the development of tools for the treatment and management of N. nigricollis envenomation. METHODS: Freshly collected U. chamae leaves were air-dried, powdered, and extracted in methanol. The median lethal dose of the extract was determined and further fractionated with n-hexane, n-butanol and ethyl acetate. Each fraction was tested for neutralizing effect against venom-induced haemolytic, fibrinolytic, hemorrhagic, and cytotoxic activities. RESULTS: U. chamae fractions significantly (p<0.05) neutralized the haemolytic activity of N. nigricollis venom in n-butanol; 31.40%, n-hexane; 33%, aqueous residue; 39.60% and ethyl acetate; 40.70% at the concentration of 100mg/ml of each fraction against 10mg/ml of the snake venom when compared to the positive control. The fibrinolytic activity of N. nigricollis venom was significantly (p<0.05) neutralized in n-hexane at 73.88%, n-butanol; 72.22% and aqueous residue; 72.22% by the fractions of U. chamae. In addition, haemorrhagic activity of N. nigricollis venom was significantly (p<0.05) neutralized by U. chamae fractions at the concentrations of 100mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 400mg/ml except for n-butanol and aqueous residues at 400 mg/ml. CONCLUSION: U. chamae leaves fractions possess a high level of protection against N. nigricollis venoms-induced lethality and thus validate the pharmacological rationale for its usage in the management of N. nigricollis envenomation.
Suitable Signal Peptides for Secretory Production of Recombinant Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor in Escherichia coli.
Tehrani SS, Goodarzi G, Naghizadeh M … +7 more , Khatami SH, Movahedpour A, Abbasi A, Shabaninejad Z, Khalaf N, Taheri-Anganeh M, Savardashtaki A
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32838727 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) expressed in engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a recombinant protein is utilized as an adjunct to chemotherapy for improving neutropenia. Recombinant prote...
BACKGROUND: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) expressed in engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a recombinant protein is utilized as an adjunct to chemotherapy for improving neutropenia. Recombinant proteins overexpression may lead to the creation of inclusion bodies whose recovery is a tedious and costly process. To overcome the problem of inclusion bodies, secretory production might be used. To achieve a mature secretory protein product, suitable signal peptide (SP) selection is a vital step. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed at in silico evaluation of proper SPs for secretory production of recombinant G-CSF in E. coli. METHODS: Signal peptide website and UniProt were used to collect the SPs and G-CSF sequences. Then, SignalP were utilized in order to predict the SPs and location of their cleavage site. Physicochemical features and solubility were investigated by ProtParam and Protein-sol tools. Fusion proteins sub-cellular localization was predicted by ProtCompB. RESULTS: LPP, ELBP, TSH, HST3, ELBH, AIDA and PET were excluded according to SignalP. The highest aliphatic index belonged to OMPC, TORT and THIB and PPA. Also, the highest GRAVY belonged to OMPC, ELAP, TORT, BLAT, THIB, and PSPE. Furthermore, G-CSF fused with all SPs were predicted as soluble fusion proteins except three SPs. Finally, we found OMPT, OMPF, PHOE, LAMB, SAT, and OMPP can translocate G-CSF into extracellular space. CONCLUSION: Six SPs were suitable for translocating G-CSF into the extracellular media. Although growing data indicate that the bioinformatics approaches can improve the precision and accuracy of studies, further experimental investigations and recent patents explaining several inventions associated to the clinical aspects of SPs for secretory production of recombinant GCSF in E. coli are required for final validation.
First Report of Mycovirus Infected Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Cauliflower from Sirmaur District of Himachal Pradesh.
Gupta T, Vanshika, Kumari C … +1 more , Kulshrestha S
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32767933 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen infecting more than 400 plant species. Sclerotinia stem rot is known to cause as high as 100% crop loss in many cases. Currently, chemical fungicides a...
BACKGROUND: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen infecting more than 400 plant species. Sclerotinia stem rot is known to cause as high as 100% crop loss in many cases. Currently, chemical fungicides are the only known solution to this problem. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing environment-friendly alternatives for controlling this pathogen. The review of published articles revealed that a number of mycoviruses with the potential of a biocontrol agent against Sclerotinia had been identified from different parts of the world. OBJECTIVE: The present investigation describes the isolation and characterization of isolates of S. sclerotiorum infecting cauliflower, peas, and mustard for the presence of a potent mycovirus from lower Himachal region of India. METHODS: Various infected fields were visited and samples in the form of sclerotia were collected. Various isolates of S. sclerotiorum were obtained, and putative hypovirulent isolates were screened. Thereafter, hypovirulent strains were chosen and mycovirus isolation was performed. Finally, isolates showing an extra nucleic acid band were used for mycovirus isolation and further characterization. Curing of mycovirus was used to confirm if altered phenotype was due to the presence of this virus. RESULTS: A ssDNA mycovirus was identified and confirmed from the growth defective isolate. CONCLUSION: This mycovirus can in turn act as a biocontrol agent, thus reducing dependency on chemical fungicides and can also be developed in the form of a patent once completely characterized and formulated. To our knowledge, this is the first report on mycovirus isolation from any Sclerotinia sclerotiorumisolate from India.
Recent Patents on the Industrial Application of Alpha-amylases.
Ferreira AVF, Silva FF, Silva AAM … +11 more , Azevedo LS, da Fonseca STD, Camilo NH, Dos Santos KPE, de Carvalho LC, Tarabal VS, da Silva JO, Machado JM, Nogueira LM, Torres FAG, Galdino AS
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32703144 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Alpha-amylases are enzymes capable of degrading polysaccharides, such as starch and glycogen. Found in various organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, these enzymes have great biotechnological potential due to...
BACKGROUND: Alpha-amylases are enzymes capable of degrading polysaccharides, such as starch and glycogen. Found in various organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, these enzymes have great biotechnological potential due to their insertion in several industrial sectors ranging from food to biofuels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze patents deposited in intellectual property databases on alpha-amylases in the fields of food, beverages, detergents, animal feeds, biofuels, pharmaceuticals and textiles, with the search period being 5 years. METHODS: This study targeted the use of alpha-amylases in various industrial sectors, so searches were carried out on the intellectual property database Espacenet website (European Patent Office - EPO) which contains more than 90 million patents deposited in its database. RESULTS: During the search for patents filed in the last 5 years, 186 were found related to the use of alpha-amylases. These were disturbed as follows: 84 (biofuel), 41 (drinks), 16 (pharmaceuticals), 15 (detergents), 11 (food), 10 (animal feed), 9 (textiles). From the total number of patents found, we selected 6 from each area, except pharmaceutical products, to discuss and provide information on the application of this enzyme. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the sectors of beverages and animal feed have preferences for thermostable alpha-amylases while sectors such as food, biofuels and textiles only regarded the importance of enzymatic efficiency. The detergent sector presented the greatest use of alpha-amylases which had distinct biochemical characteristics as solvent resistance and thermostability. The pharmaceutical sector was the one that presented less patents related to the application of alpha amylases. In addition, this work showed that China is the country with the highest patent registration for the use of alpha-amylases in the analyzed period.
Amino Acids Sequence-based Analysis of Arginine Deiminase from Different Prokaryotic Organisms: An In Silico Approach.
Abdollahi S, Morowvat MH, Savardashtaki A … +4 more , Irajie C, Najafipour S, Zarei M, Ghasemi Y
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32208128 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Arginine deiminase is a bacterial enzyme, which degrades L-arginine. Some human cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and melanoma are auxotrophic for arginine. Therefore, PEGylated arginine deiminas...
BACKGROUND: Arginine deiminase is a bacterial enzyme, which degrades L-arginine. Some human cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and melanoma are auxotrophic for arginine. Therefore, PEGylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) is a good anticancer candidate with antitumor effects. It causes local depletion of L-arginine and growth inhibition in arginineauxotrophic tumor cells. The FDA and EMA have granted orphan status to this drug. Some recently published patents have dealt with this enzyme or its PEGylated form. OBJECTIVE: Due to increasing attention to it, we aimed to evaluate and compare 30 arginine deiminase proteins from different bacterial species through in silico analysis. METHODS: The exploited analyses included the investigation of physicochemical properties, multiple sequence alignment (MSA), motif, superfamily, phylogenetic and 3D comparative analyses of arginine deiminase proteins thorough various bioinformatics tools. RESULTS: The most abundant amino acid in the arginine deiminase proteins is leucine (10.13%) while the least amino acid ratio is cysteine (0.98%). Multiple sequence alignment showed 47 conserved patterns between 30 arginine deiminase amino acid sequences. The results of sequence homology among 30 different groups of arginine deiminase enzymes revealed that all the studied sequences located in amidinotransferase superfamily. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, two major clusters were identified. Considering the results of various in silico studies; we selected the five best candidates for further investigations. The 3D structures of the best five arginine deiminase proteins were generated by the I-TASSER server and PyMOL. The RAMPAGE analysis revealed that 81.4%-91.4%, of the selected sequences, were located in the favored region of arginine deiminase proteins. CONCLUSION: The results of this study shed light on the basic physicochemical properties of thirty major arginine deiminase sequences. The obtained data could be employed for further in vivo and clinical studies and also for developing the related therapeutic enzymes.
Systematic Review and Study of S Curves for Biomass Quantification in Solid-state Fermentation (SSF) and Digital Image Processing (DIP) Applied to Biomass Measurement in Food Processes.
Oviedo-Lopera JC, Zartha-Sossa JW, Zapata-Ruiz DL … +2 more , Bohorquez-Naranjo I, Morales-Arevalo KS
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32164521 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: There are several methods for the quantification of biomass in SSF, such as glucosamine measurement, ergosterol content, protein concentration, change in dry weight or evolution of CO2 production. However, al...
BACKGROUND: There are several methods for the quantification of biomass in SSF, such as glucosamine measurement, ergosterol content, protein concentration, change in dry weight or evolution of CO2 production. However, all have drawbacks when obtaining accurate data on the progress of the SSF due to the dispersion in cell growth on the solid substrate, and the difficulty encountered in separating the biomass. Studying the disadvantages associated with the process of biomass quantification in SSF, the monitoring of the growth of biomass by a technique known as digital image processing (DIP), consists of obtaining information on the production of different compounds during fermentation, using colorimetric methods based on the pixels that are obtained from photographs. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to know about the state of the technology and the advantages of DIP. METHODS: The methodology employed four phases; the first describes the search equations for the SSF and the DIP. A search for patents related to SSF and DIP carried out in the Free Patents Online and Patent inspiration databases. Then there is the selection of the most relevant articles in each of the technologies. As a third step, modifications for obtaining the best adjustments were also carried out. Finally, the analysis of the results was done and the inflection years were determined by means of six mathematical models widely studied. RESULTS: For these models, the inflection years were 2018 and 2019 for both the SSF and the DIP. Additionally, the main methods for the measurement of biomass in SSF were found, and are also indicated in the review, as DIP measurement processes have already been carried out using the same technology. CONCLUSION: In addition, the DIP has shown satisfactory results and could be an interesting alternative for biomass measurement in SSF, due to its ease and versatility.
Construction and Cloning of Plastic-degrading Recombinant Enzymes (MHETase).
Janatunaim RZ, Fibriani A
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 32160855 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely produced polyester plastic in the world. PET is very difficult to catalyze or biological depolymerization due to the limited access to ester bonds. Conseque...
BACKGROUND: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely produced polyester plastic in the world. PET is very difficult to catalyze or biological depolymerization due to the limited access to ester bonds. Consequently, plastic will be stockpiled or flowed into the environment which is projected until hundreds of years. The most effective and environmental friendly plastic degradation method is biodegradation with microorganisms. Two specific enzyme for PET hydrolase, PETase and MHETase have been identified from Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6. Recombinant genes are made to increase the effectiveness of enzymes in degrading PET. Previous studies of the PETase gene have been carried out, but to produce the final degradation PET product, the enzyme MHETase is needed. Thus, in this study the MHETase gene construction was carried out. METHODS: The goal of this study is to construct MHETase gene in pUCIDT plasmid with native signal peptide from I. sakaensis 201-F6 and constitutive promoter J23106 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) by heats shock. Expression analysis using SDS-PAGE and activity of enzyme is analyzed by spectrophotometry method and SEM. RESULTS: MHETase gene protein was successfully constructed in pUCIDT +Amp plasmid with native signal peptide from Ideonella sakaensis 201-F6, T7 terminator and constitutive promoter J23106. PCR analysis showed that the gene successfully contained in the cells by band size (1813 bp) in electrophoresis gel. Analysis using Snap Gene, pairwise alignment using MEGA X, and NCBI was demonstrated that MHETase sequence the gene was in-frame in pUCIDT plasmid. CONCLUSION: MHETase gene was successfully constructed in plasmids by in silico method. Synthetic plasmids transformed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) contain MHETase gene sequences which were in frame. Hence, the E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells have the potential to produce MHETase proteins for the plastic degradation testing process. We will patent the construct of MHETase gene using constitutive promoter and signal peptide from native which expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). This patent refers to a more applicable plastic degradation system with a whole cell without the need for purification and environmental conditioning of pure enzymes.
Biodecomposition of Phenanthrene and Pyrene by a Genetically Engineered .
Ahankoub M, Mardani G, Ghasemi-Dehkordi P … +6 more , Mehri-Ghahfarrokhi A, Doosti A, Jami MS, Allahbakhshian-Farsani M, Saffari-Chaleshtori J, Rahimi-Madiseh M
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 31994474 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) can be used for bioremediation of the biological pollutants into nonhazardous or less-hazardous substances, at lower cost. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)...
BACKGROUND: Genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) can be used for bioremediation of the biological pollutants into nonhazardous or less-hazardous substances, at lower cost. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of these contaminants that associated with a risk of human cancer development. Genetically engineered E. coli that encoded catechol 2,3- dioxygenase (C230) was created and investigated its ability to biodecomposition of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soil using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurement. We revised patents documents relating to the use of GEMs for bioremediation. This approach have already been done in others studies although using other genes codifying for same catechol degradation approach. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated biodecomposition of phenanthrene and pyrene by a genetically engineered Escherichia coli. METHODS: Briefly, following the cloning of C230 gene (nahH) into pUC18 vector and transformation into E. coli Top10F, the complementary tests, including catalase, oxidase and PCR were used as on isolated bacteria from spiked soil. RESULTS: The results of HPLC measurement showed that in spiked soil containing engineered E. coli, biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene comparing to autoclaved soil that inoculated by wild type of E. coli and normal soil group with natural microbial flora, were statistically significant (p<0.05). Moreover, catalase test was positive while the oxidase tests were negative. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that genetically manipulated E. coli can provide an effective clean-up process on PAH compounds and it is useful for bioremediation of environmental pollution with petrochemical products.
Marine Algae of the Genus Gracilaria as Multi Products Source for Different Biotechnological and Medical Applications.
Nabil-Adam A, Shreadah MA, Abd El-Moneam NM … +1 more , El-Assar SA
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 31987028 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Gracilaria has been shown to be an important source of marine bioactive natural biomaterials and compounds. Although there are no enough patents used Gracilaria worldwide, the current study tries to put the G...
BACKGROUND: Gracilaria has been shown to be an important source of marine bioactive natural biomaterials and compounds. Although there are no enough patents used Gracilaria worldwide, the current study tries to put the Gracilaria on the spot for further important patents in the future. OBJECTIVE: The current study investigates the pharmaceuticals and biochemical activity of Gracilaria because no previous studies have been carried out to examine the biochemical and pharmaceutical activates of Gracilaria from the Suez Canal of Egypt as an excellent source for bioactive compounds. METHODS: Different advanced experimental models and analytical techniques, such as cytotoxicity, total antioxidant capacity, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory profiling were applied. The phytochemical analysis of different constituents was also carried out. RESULTS: The mineral analysis revealed the presence of copper (188.3 ppm) and iron (10.07 ppm) in addition to a remarkable wealth of selenium and sulfur contents giving up to 36% of its dry mass. The elemental analysis showed high contents of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The GCMS profiling showed varieties of different bioactive compounds, such as fatty acids, different types of carotenoids in addition to pigments, alkaloids, steroids. Many other compounds, such as carbohydrates and amino acids having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities, etc. were identified. The cytotoxicity activity of Gracilaria marine extract was very effective against cancerous cell lines and showed high ability as a potent antitumor due to their bioactive constituents. Specialized screening assays using two anticancer experimental models, i.e., PTK and SKH1 revealed 77.88% and 84.50% inhibition anticancer activity; respectively. The anti-inflammatory activities investigated using four different experimental models, i.e., COX1, COX2, IL6, and TNF resulted in 68%, 81.76%, 56.02% and 78.43% inhibition; respectively. Moreover, Gracilaria extracts showed potent anti-Alzheimer with all concentrations. CONCLUSION: Gracilaria proved to be a multi-product source of marine natural products for different biotechnological applications. Our recommendation is to investigate the Gracilaria bioactive secondary metabolites in order to create and innovate in more patents from current important seaweeds (Gracilaria).
Effects of Sulfur Starvation on Growth Rates, Biomass and Lipid Contents in the Green Microalga .
Morowvat MH, Ghasemi Y
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 31916524 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Scenedesmus obliquus, a green unicellular chlorophycean microalga, is well-established as a lipid and biomass production platform. The nutrient starvation strategy is considered as a robust platform for lipid...
BACKGROUND: Scenedesmus obliquus, a green unicellular chlorophycean microalga, is well-established as a lipid and biomass production platform. The nutrient starvation strategy is considered as a robust platform for lipid production from different microalgal strains. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyse the influences of sulfur starvation on the growth rates, and also biomass and lipid production and composition in a naturally isolated strain of S. obliquus. METHODS: The BG-11 culture medium was utilized for preservation and microalgal growth. To monitor the cell growth rates, two different methods, including direct cell counting and also dry cell weight measurement were used. The study was conducted in 28 days composed of two distinct growth modes as 10 days of sulfur-rich and 18 days of sulfur starved media. RESULTS: The studied S. obliquus strain displayed higher lipid and carbohydrate production levels (34.68% and 34.02%) in sulfur starved medium compared with the sulfur-rich medium (25.84% and 29.08%). Nevertheless, a noticeable reduction (51.36%) in biomass contents and also in cell growth rates (63.36%) was observed during sulfur starvation. The investigated strain was composed of some important fatty acids with potential applications as food, feed and biodiesel. CONCLUSION: The observed results implied the possibility of the sulfur starvation strategy to increase lipid production in S. obliquus strain. Besides, the available data from recently published patents reveals the promising potential of the identified lipids from S. obliquus in this study for bioenergy production and other biotechnological purposes.
Microbial Biosurfactants-an Ecofriendly Boon to Industries for Green Revolution.
Sharma P, Sharma N
Recent Pat Biotechnol · 2020 · PMID 31830890 · Publisher ↗
Biosurfactants have a biological origin, and are widely known as surface active agents. Different classes of biosurfactant have significant importance in both the biotechnological and microbiological arena. Pseudomonas a...
Biosurfactants have a biological origin, and are widely known as surface active agents. Different classes of biosurfactant have significant importance in both the biotechnological and microbiological arena. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Candida sp. are important classes of microorganisms that are highly investigated for the production of rhamnolipids (RLs) biosurfactants. Rhamnolipids have unique surface activity and have gained interest in various industrial applications. Due to their high biodegradability, renewability and functionally maintenance at extreme conditions, microbial biosurfactants are more advantageous than chemical-based biosurfactants. Biosurfactants produced by microorganisms are a potential candidate for biodegradation, environmental cleanup of pollutants and also play a role in the heavy metal removal of metallurgical industries also many patents have been filed. Therefore, greater attention has been paid to biosurfactants and identifying their potential applications for further studies.
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