BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan infectious disease in warmblooded mammals that poses a serious worldwide threat due to the lack of effective medications and vaccines. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to de...BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan infectious disease in warmblooded mammals that poses a serious worldwide threat due to the lack of effective medications and vaccines. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to design a multi-epitope vaccine using several bioinformatics approaches against the antigens of . METHODS: Three proteins of , including ROP18, MIC4, and SAG1 were analyzed to predict the most dominant B- and T-cell epitopes. Finally, we designed a chimeric immunogen RMS (ROP18, MIC4, and SAG1) using some domains of ROP18 (N377-E546), MIC4 (D302-G471), and SAG1 (T130-L299) linked by rigid linker A (EAAAK) A. Physicochemical properties, secondary and tertiary structure, antigenicity, and allergenicity of RMS were predicted utilizing immunoinformatic tools and servers. RESULTS: RMS protein had 545 amino acids with a molecular weight (MW) of 58,833.46 Da and a theoretical isoelectric point (IP) of 6.47. The secondary structure of RMS protein contained 21.28% alpha-helix, 24.59% extended strand, and 54.13% random coil. In addition, evaluation of antigenicity and allergenicity showed the protein to be an immunogen and nonallergen. The results of the Ramachandran plot indicated that 76.4%, 12.9%, and 10.7% of amino acid residues were incorporated in the favored, allowed, and outlier regions respectively. ΔG of the best-predicted mRNA secondary structure was -593.80 kcal/mol which indicates a stable loop is not formed at the 5' end. CONCLUSION: Finally, the accuracy and precision of the analysis must be confirmed by successful heterologous expression and experimental studies.
BACKGROUND: SNP based association studies have revolutionized the field of biomedicines. Enteric fever is a systemic disease with etiologic agent serovar typhi and . It is a serious health issue worldwide and presents w...BACKGROUND: SNP based association studies have revolutionized the field of biomedicines. Enteric fever is a systemic disease with etiologic agent serovar typhi and . It is a serious health issue worldwide and presents wide variations in incidence, rates, and severity. Previous investigations revealed that genetic variations may lead to susceptibility to typhoid fever. The current study was performed to investigate the potential association of polymorphism with the susceptibility to typhoid in the Punjabi population. METHODS: For this case-control study, blood samples obtained from typhoid patients with positive Typhidot or blood culture test (n=72) and healthy controls (n=73) were processed for DNA extraction. The polymorphism analysis was carried out by using PCR and RFLP. RESULTS: No allelic association was found between and susceptibility to typhoid fever in the understudy population. CONCLUSION: This case control study is the demonstration of the non-association of with typhoid in the Pakistani population. Future research, using larger population size, will help to elucidate the role of polymorphism in typhoid pathogenesis.
BACKGROUND: Nasal colonization of increases the risk of nosocomial infections. Therefore, medications that can decolonize this pathogen can help prevent such infections. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to compare the efficac...BACKGROUND: Nasal colonization of increases the risk of nosocomial infections. Therefore, medications that can decolonize this pathogen can help prevent such infections. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to compare the efficacy of povidone-iodine solution with intranasal mupirocin ointment in decolonizing from the nasal cavity of healthcare workers. METHODS: This single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted on healthcare workers carrying S. aureus nasally. After confirming nasal colonization through culture tests, participants were assigned to intervention groups A and B with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Group A received intranasal mupirocin ointment twice daily for five days, while group B received intranasal povidone-iodine solution twice daily for five days. After the decolonization period, samples were taken to compare the efficacy of both interventions in decolonizing S. aureus. RESULTS: In this study, 54 healthcare workers with a mean age of 39.37±7.80 years were included, 42.6% and 57.4% of whom were male and female, respectively. They were randomly assigned to each of the intervention groups. After the intervention, individuals who received povidone-iodine had significantly more positive cultures than those who received mupirocin (37.0% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.026). Additionally, factors such as age, gender, wards, and employment duration may affect the efficacy of mupirocin and povidone-iodine in decolonizing S. aureus from the nasal cavity. CONCLUSION: The study findings revealed that both mupirocin and povidone-iodine were effective in decolonizing S. aureus from nasal carriers. However, mupirocin was more effective compared with povidone-iodine. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT 20170417033487 N2.
AIMS: The present study aimed to assess the antibacterial effect of co-loaded rutin and curcumin in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cur-Rut-MSNs). BACKGROUND: Rutin is a nontoxic phytochemical that is present expansivel...AIMS: The present study aimed to assess the antibacterial effect of co-loaded rutin and curcumin in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cur-Rut-MSNs). BACKGROUND: Rutin is a nontoxic phytochemical that is present expansively in vegetables and fruits. Curcumin is an active ingredient of Curcuma longa. Curcumin and rutin have a variety of therapeutic effects, essentially antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant actions. OBJECTIVE: Low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability of rutin and curcumin limit their application in therapeutic goals. One of the advantageous routes to improve their bioavailability and solubility is nanoformulation. Co-delivery of therapeutic agents has been reported to have better therapeutic effects than monotherapy. METHODS: The present study has evaluated the antibacterial properties of Cur-Rut-MSNs. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of Cur-Rut-MSNs has been assessed against different bacteria. RESULTS: Cur-Rut-MSNs exerted significantly higher antibacterial effect than curcumin-loaded MSNs (Cur-MSNs) and rutin-loaded MSNs (Rut-MSNs) against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The antibacterial effect was enhanced by the co-loading of rutin and curcumin in MSNs. According to the findings of this study, Cur-Rut-MSNs exhibit an antibacterial effect and can be a favorable nanoformulation against planktonic bacteria.
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to formulate and evaluate herbal gels containing essential oils for the treatment of infection caused by microbial species, , and . These species are also responsible for acne directly...OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to formulate and evaluate herbal gels containing essential oils for the treatment of infection caused by microbial species, , and . These species are also responsible for acne directly and indirectly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The gels were prepared using a gelling agent with 1% Carbopol-940, and they were further evaluated for physical appearance, drug content, drug release, viscosity, extrudability, pH, and spreadability. Further, anti-microbial screening was done with various microbial species. RESULTS: Studies revealed that the gel was highly effective against the selected species except for the fungal strain. ZOI was observed ranging from 3.1 ± 0.01 mm to 13.4 ± 0.14 mm. The maximum ZOI was observed at 13.4 ± 0.14 mm against . The physical properties of the gel satisfied the standard parameters. CONCLUSION: The prepared herbal gel was found to have highly promising activity against bacterial species associated with bacterial infection but in a dose-dependent manner. However, more research is required.
Infect Disord Drug Targets
· 2025 · PMID 39313889
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BACKGROUND: The alarming increase in antibiotic resistance urges alternative and efficacious antimicrobial solutions. Historically, medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic purposes, such as relieving pain and hea...BACKGROUND: The alarming increase in antibiotic resistance urges alternative and efficacious antimicrobial solutions. Historically, medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic purposes, such as relieving pain and healing wounds. The evaluation of the natural therapeutic effects of medicinal plants in a manner that resembles how humans typically consume them is lacking. In this study, many medicinal plants known to have some antimicrobial effects, including Frankincense, Garlic, Myrrh, and Ginger, were evaluated for their direct antibacterial activity in raw form. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The direct antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants was evaluated against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, such as and using agar well diffusion method and turbidity measurements in suspension culture. RESULTS: Out of all the tested medicinal plants, only raw garlic powder, when dissolved in water or vinegar, offered a straightforward antibacterial activity. A combination of garlic extract and vinegar increased antibacterial activity. Aqueous garlic extracts displayed robust antimicrobial activity against many resistant bacteria. Other medicinal plants used in this study had absent or minimal antibacterial effects. CONCLUSION: Only garlic in its raw form was effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The increase in the antibacterial activity of garlic when combined with vinegar suggests synergistic activity of garlic. The straightforward antibacterial action of raw garlic may be strategically harnessed to combat the continuous challenge of increasing antibiotic resistance. This work promotes additional testing of more natural products (in raw form) and assesses their therapeutic effects clinically.
Hasanzadeh M, Rejali M, Khalili-Tanha G
… +17 more, Mehramiz M, Yavari N, Nazari E, Malakuti P, Maleki F, Ghorbannezhad G, Rafiei M, Mirani A, Gholampoor-Shamkani N, Saber H, Mousavi-Seresht L, Emamdadi-Aliabad Z, Mahdian Z, Akbari M, Ferns GA, Al Moustafa AE, Avan A
INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is among the most common types of cancer in women and is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The association between cervical cancer and high-risk HPV infection has been we...INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is among the most common types of cancer in women and is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The association between cervical cancer and high-risk HPV infection has been well documented. However, the effect of simultaneous infection with high- and low-risk HPV or low-risk HPV alone on the risk of developing cervical malignancy remains unanswered in guidelines. METHOD: We investigated the association of high and low-risk HPVs (HR or LR) genotypes with cervical carcinoma risk and pathological and cytological information in cases recruited from a population- based cohort study of 790 patients. Correlation matrix and t-test were used for analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of HR+LR and HR-HPV16/18 were 9.30% and 11.20% in class II, 7.15% and 7.10% in class IV, and 7.15% and 5.80% in As-CUS smears. Interestingly, concurrent infection with HR-HPV and LR-HPV types led to a significant reduction in the risk of developing malignancy compared to the high-risk group (OR=0.3 (0.098-0.925), pvalue= 0.04). The percentage of individuals with cervical malignancy was 10.2% and 28.2% within the co-infected and the HR-HPV participants. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that simultaneous infection with high- and low-risk HPV may reduce the risk of cervical malignancy.
A mystery pathogen that has not yet infected the entire world's population is predicted to be the cause of Disease X, which will be contagious. According to WHO scientists, 50 million people are expected to die from Dise...A mystery pathogen that has not yet infected the entire world's population is predicted to be the cause of Disease X, which will be contagious. According to WHO scientists, 50 million people are expected to die from Disease X, which would be 20 times deadlier than coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many international initiatives are currently in motion to get ready for future pandemics. These include updating the International Health Regulation and the European Legislation, establishing the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), establishing international hubs, taking on the international challenge of developing a vaccine for Disease X within 100 days of recognition of emerging Pathogen X, and updating the preparedness plan of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Our current review's main objective is to determine whether black seeds (Nigella Sativa) can manage Disease X. It has been established by several studies that black seeds () have antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, which would be useful in the management of Disease X. Black seeds ) may be utilized in conjunction with supportive care and symptomatic therapy to manage Disease X in early phases. Future randomized controlled clinical trials would further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of black seeds (N. sativa) in patients with Disease X.
Posaconazole is an antifungal medication used primarily to treat invasive fungal infections caused by various organisms, such as Aspergillus, Candida, and certain molds. It belongs to the class of drugs known as triazole...Posaconazole is an antifungal medication used primarily to treat invasive fungal infections caused by various organisms, such as Aspergillus, Candida, and certain molds. It belongs to the class of drugs known as triazole antifungals. Clinical studies have reported posaconazole to be effective in treating various invasive fungal infections, especially in patients who are immunocompromised, such as those with weakened immune systems due to conditions like HIV/AIDS, undergoing chemotherapy, or having received an organ transplant. It has effectively treated invasive candidiasis, aspergillosis, zygomycosis, and other serious fungal infections. The effectiveness of the drug varies based on factors, such as the type of infection, the patient's immune status, and the site of infection. This review describes the types of infection, the drug's safety profile, the development of resistance to posaconazole, and strategies to manage or prevent resistance.
Pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, etc., are common types of acne that pop up on the skin each time, whenever dead cells and oils obstruct the outgrowth of hair from the hair follicle. It is very common to observe this con...Pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, etc., are common types of acne that pop up on the skin each time, whenever dead cells and oils obstruct the outgrowth of hair from the hair follicle. It is very common to observe this condition in teenagers, but regardless of age, if the causing condition is met, acne can occur at any point in life. The characteristic feature of all types of acne is it starts with inflammation of the skin. These inflammatory marks (like black spots, pores, small scars, etc.) leave behind even when acne disappears. Plants like vegetables and flowers are naturally rich in different types of polyphenolic compounds called flavonoids. These flavonoids have various key functions, from guiding cell movement to maintaining oxidative pressure in the body. In this study, we discuss six types of flavonoids that have the potential to be used as medicine for the treatment of different kinds of skin breakouts. Moreover, the result of molecular docking of different proteins that have an association with acne is also discussed.
The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is one of the most challenging tasks in tuberculosis treatment. Conventional TB treatment regimens have proven ineffective in treating MDR-TB, thus de...The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is one of the most challenging tasks in tuberculosis treatment. Conventional TB treatment regimens have proven ineffective in treating MDR-TB, thus demanding the development of new drugs followed by delivery systems. Bedaquiline, a novel anti-TB drug, has been reported to inhibit the ATP synthase required for the growth and replication of TB bacteria. Bedaquiline is able to target the persistent or latent form of TB, which remains difficult to treat with conventional drugs. This makes bedaquiline an important drug in the fight against MDR-TB. The drug has been approved by the US FDA as well as European Medicines Agency and is now widely used as part of combination therapy for the treatment of MDR-TB. Bedaquiline and its advanced drug delivery system play a key role in tackling MDR-TB, providing a much-needed boost to control and eventually eliminate the disease. However, the cost of the drug remains a concern, and efforts are underway to make bedaquiline more accessible and affordable to patients in resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, the development of bedaquiline nanoformulations represents a significant step forward in the fight against TB and offers hope to millions of patients across the globe.
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is an opportunistic infection that can lead to antibiotic- associated diarrhea and toxic megacolon. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review study aimed to investigate polyphenols' antibacteria...BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is an opportunistic infection that can lead to antibiotic- associated diarrhea and toxic megacolon. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review study aimed to investigate polyphenols' antibacterial and antitoxin properties and their effects on reducing complications related to C. difficile Infections (CDI). METHODS: This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guideline 2020. Multiple databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Scopus, were searched thoroughly for existing literature. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review, 18 articles were included. Data were collected and registered into an Excel file for further investigations and conclusions. RESULTS: Polyphenols by reducing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, increasing inflammatory factor Interleukin 10 (IL-10), reducing Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Tumour Necrosis Factor- α (TNF-α), IL-6, IL-1α, IL-1β, Granulocyte Colony-stimulating Factor (G-CSF), and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α) levels, and regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, make the growth and replication conditions of more difficult and prevent it from producing toxins. Furthermore, polyphenols can exhibit prebiotic properties, promoting the growth of beneficial and species and consequently regulating gut microbiota, exerting antimicrobial activities against C. difficile. They also induce their beneficial effects by inhibiting the production of TcdA and TcdB. CONCLUSION: Polyphenols have been reported to inhibit C. difficile growth and toxin production by several mechanisms in preclinical studies. However, more clinical studies are needed to investigate their safety in humans.
Mitochondria, also called 'powerhouse of the cell', is meant for energy generation in eukaryotic cells. This action is performed by mitochondria through the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) of the respiratory chain (RC...Mitochondria, also called 'powerhouse of the cell', is meant for energy generation in eukaryotic cells. This action is performed by mitochondria through the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) of the respiratory chain (RC). Based on the functioning of the cell, the number of mitochondria varies up to thousands in number. Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and/or nuclear DNA (nDNA) genes may lead to the generation of primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) that affects the structure and function of mitochondria. The diagnosis of such mitochondrial diseases occurs in early childhood and it can lead to serious, fetal and multi-organ diseases. Understanding epigenetic events and changes in the pathway can help improve the effectiveness of treatment. However, there are several reasons lack of the disease symptoms (age, sign, symptoms, morbidity and lethality), restricted availability of preclinical models along with extensive phenotypes that hamper the development of efficient drugs. Despite the introduction of new treatments and the encouraging results of treatments and therapies, there is no effective cure for PMD. This article contains information about the changes associated with cytopathic diseases that make possible the analysis of various diseases by genetic techniques. Increasing our understanding of how mitochondrial DNA mutations affect mitochondrial metabolism and subsequently result in neurodegenerative disease will prove vital to the development of targeted therapies and treatments.
Tuberculosis (TB) spreads through droplets that contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and can infect susceptible people. Due to different risk factors, people have different susceptibility ranges towards TB. The risk...Tuberculosis (TB) spreads through droplets that contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and can infect susceptible people. Due to different risk factors, people have different susceptibility ranges towards TB. The risk factors are classified into three main groups, including bacterial, environmental, and host factors. Literature review reveals that the most important host risk factors are aging, male gender, genetics, epigenetics, having an impaired immune system, diabetes, malignancy, malnutrition, anemia, and pregnancy. The risk factors contribute to the increase in TB cases through inflammation, increased contact with TB patients, disruption of immune genes, changes in gene expression, increased activity of Mtb, damage to cellular immunity, reactivation of Latent TB Infection (LTBI), increased susceptibility to TB, compromised immunity, and changes in the proportion of T cell subgroups, respectively. Therefore, identification of the infection source and high-risk people and timely treatment of the patients can reduce TB mortality and help control the disease.
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by . The current treatment protocols for pulmonary tuberculosis are quite effective, even though the treatment requires 3-6 months. The current treatment protocols...BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by . The current treatment protocols for pulmonary tuberculosis are quite effective, even though the treatment requires 3-6 months. The current treatment protocols for extrapulmonary tuberculosis are based on the same drugs that are used for pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the success rates are much lower for certain types of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, such as tuberculous meningitis. Tuberculous meningitis is one of the very few diseases attributable to bacteria that have a very high short-term mortality rate among diagnosed patients, even after treatment with antibiotics that are effective for pulmonary tuberculosis. For example, rifampicin is highly effective for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, but its effectiveness for the treatment of tuberculous meningitis is much lower. The reason for the lower effectiveness of rifampicin against tuberculous meningitis is that it has low Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability, which results in lower concentrations of the drug at the required sites in the central nervous system. METHODS: In this work, ligands having improved BBB permeability and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, either similar to or better than that of rifampicin, have been designed. The BBB permeability of the designed molecules was assessed by using pkCSM, a machine- learning model. Pharmacokinetic properties, drug-likeness, and synthesizability were assessed by using SWISS-MODEL. The binding affinity of the designed drugs was assessed by using AutoDock Vina. A customized scoring function, StWN score, was used for a quantitative weighted assessment of all the properties of interest to rank the designed molecules. RESULTS: In this study, drug-like ligands have been designed that have been predicted to have high BBB permeability as well as high affinity for RNA polymerase β of . CONCLUSION: The best ligands generated by the tools employed were selected as potential drugs to address the current need for better options for the treatment of tuberculous meningitis.
BACKGROUND: Microorganisms associated with sea sponges have proven to be good natural product resources that are biologically active and pharmaceutically important. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to identify actinomycete...BACKGROUND: Microorganisms associated with sea sponges have proven to be good natural product resources that are biologically active and pharmaceutically important. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to identify actinomycetes related to a sponge from Barranglompo Island Makassar and the antibacterial compounds. METHODS: Identification of actinomycetes was based on molecular characterization of sequence gen16S rRNA. The antibacterial compound was separated using vacuum liquid chromatography and preparative Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The structure determination was done based on spectroscopy 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 2D NMR, and mass spectra. RESULTS: Molecular characterization showed that actinomycetes strain BLP 20 had the closest relationship with Streptomyces parvulus and Uncultured Streptomyces sp. with a similarity value of 83%. The results obtained from the characterization of antibacterial compounds based on spectroscopic data indicate that these compounds lead to Actinomycin D. CONCLUSION: Characterization and identification of Strain 20 / BLP by molecular phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences revealed the closest relationship with Uncultured Streptomyces sp and S. parvulus with a similarity value of 83%, which indicated a new species. The structure of the active compound isolated from actinomycetes strain 20 / BLP leads to Actinomycin D.
Infectious disorders known as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) initially affect the world's underprivileged citizens. They have been disregarded for many years, first as a result of a general indifference to such a dev...Infectious disorders known as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) initially affect the world's underprivileged citizens. They have been disregarded for many years, first as a result of a general indifference to such a developing world and, more recently, as an outcome of the intense attention on AIDS, TB, and malaria. Tropical diseases mostly affect the region where health and hygiene are sacrificed, and most of the population lacks access to sufficient food and living resources. WHO has drafted and released the directions for regulation, prevention, and successful eradication of NTDs as per the revised roadmap of 2021-2030. This shifts from vertical disease programs to integrated cross-cutting methods. In the current work, we have provided comprehensive information on various aspects of neglected tropical diseases, including the clinical management of NTDs. This encompasses the causative agent of the diseases, their symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and epidemiological perspective of major NTDs. This review will shed light on several perspectives of NTDs having influential roles in proposing strategies to control and treat them around the world.