Biotechnology, Biotechnological Equipment[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Relationship between vitamin D status and immunosuppressive therapy in kidney transplant recipients.
Filipov JJ, Zlatkov BK, Dimitrov EP … +1 more , Svinarov D
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019648 · Full text
There is a growing body of evidence for the protective role of vitamin D in diabetes mellitus (DM), infection, cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune disorders and kidney function. Considering the reported high prevalenc...
There is a growing body of evidence for the protective role of vitamin D in diabetes mellitus (DM), infection, cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune disorders and kidney function. Considering the reported high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), the aim of this study was to assess the influence of immunosuppressive therapy and other factors on vitamin D status in such patients. The study included 289 KTRs (189 males and 100 females) who consented to participate. The first test for 25-hydrohyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was performed by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Influence of immunosuppressive drugs and previously reported predictors on vitamin D status was assessed by descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate regression. Our results showed that only 53 patients (18.34%) of the studied KTRs were vitamin D sufficient. In addition to a well expected positive association between serum 25(OH)D and summer blood sampling ( < 0.05) and inverse relationship between vitamin D status and DM, gender (female) and body mass index, serum 25(OH)D was found to be inversely associated with calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) ( < 0.05) and unaffected by other immunosuppressive agents. Our study demonstrated high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency after kidney transplantation in the studied cohort of patients. Apart from female gender, winter months, DM and overweight, the use of CNI could be considered an additional significant predictor of lower 25(OH)D in Bulgarian KTRs.
Toxigenic profiles and trinucleotide repeat diversity of species isolated from banana fruits.
Alghuthaymi MA, Bahkali AH
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019647 · Full text
Infesting species isolated from banana fruit samples were identified and quantified by morphological, mycotoxicological and molecular tools. A total of 19 isolates were obtained: was most predominant (26%), followed b...
Infesting species isolated from banana fruit samples were identified and quantified by morphological, mycotoxicological and molecular tools. A total of 19 isolates were obtained: was most predominant (26%), followed by (16%), (16%), (10.5%), (10.5%), (10.5%) and (5%). Fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone contents were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Seventeen isolates, belonging to , , , , , and spp., produced mycotoxins when cultured on rice medium. Fumonisin was produced by all of the studied isolates, except , at a concentration of over 1 μgmL. isolates 4 and 5 and isolate 3 were the most potent producers of deoxynivalenol. We compared the 19 isolates based on the bands amplified by 10 microsatellite primers. Of these, seven primers, (TCC)5, (TGG)5, (GTA)5, (ATG)5, (TAC)5, (TGC)5 and (TGT)5, yielded a high number of bands and different mean number of alleles. The similarity level between isolates was calculated using a simple matching coefficient. Dendrograms were constructed by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetical averages (UPGMA). Two main clusters were observed. The interspecific genetic similarity between spp. isolates was between 40% and 58% and the intraspecific similarity from 58% to 100%, indicating a high degree of genetic diversity in the tested isolates. Some unexpected genetic similarities were observed among the isolates, indicating non-agreement between morphological and molecular identification of the isolates.
Optimization and purification of mannanase produced by an alkaliphilic-thermotolerant N1 isolated from Bani Salama Lake in Wadi El-Natron.
El-Sharouny EE, El-Toukhy NM, El-Sersy NA … +1 more , El-Gayar AA
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019646 · Full text
An alkaliphilic-thermotolerant N1 isolated from Bani Salama Lake, Wadi El-Natron, Egypt, was proved to produce mannanase enzyme. Optimization of the fermentation medium components using Plackett-Burman design was applie...
An alkaliphilic-thermotolerant N1 isolated from Bani Salama Lake, Wadi El-Natron, Egypt, was proved to produce mannanase enzyme. Optimization of the fermentation medium components using Plackett-Burman design was applied. Glucose and inoculum size were found to be the most significant factors enhancing the production of the enzyme. On applying optimized medium in the fermentation process, an enzyme productivity of 42.2 UmL was achieved with 6.4 fold increase compared to the basal one. Mannanase was also extracted and purified using chromatography such as ion-exchange chromatographic and gel filtration methods. It was indicated that, the mannanase activity extracted and purified from the isolate N1 was reduced to 321.6 U (about 36% of the whole mannanase in the culture filtrate) in comparison with the initial mannanase activity (900 U) and the total protein content reduced to 52 mg (the initial total protein content was 220 mg). However, the specific activity for the mannanase from N1 at the end of the purification steps was found to be about 628 Umg compared to 4.2 Umg at the initial culture filtrate. It was also indicated that the mannanase enzyme was purified almost 149-fold.
Assessment of genetic characteristics of germplasms in Xinjiang Province (China) by RAPD and ISSR markers.
Zhao F, Nie J, Chen M … +1 more , Wu G
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019645 · Full text
is a medicinal treasure trove that grows extensively on fertile pastures in Xinjiang Province (China); however, its molecular genetic characteristics are still poorly studied. We studied Reichb., Stapf., Debx. and Wo...
is a medicinal treasure trove that grows extensively on fertile pastures in Xinjiang Province (China); however, its molecular genetic characteristics are still poorly studied. We studied Reichb., Stapf., Debx. and Worosch, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) techniques, to evaluate their genetic relationship and potential medicinal value. Our results showed that Reichb. and Stapf have close genetic relationship and cluster together. Polymorphism rates of 97.25% and 98.92% were achieved by using 15 RAPD and 15 ISSR primers, respectively. Based on Nei's gene diversity () and Shannon's index (), the inter-population diversity ( ) was higher when compared with the intra-population diversity ( ). Among the three populations, the coefficient of gene differentiation ( ) was 0.4358 when evaluated by RAPD and 0.5005 by ISSR. The genetic differentiation among the three populations was highly significant, suggesting low gene flow ( ). This was confirmed by the estimates of gene flow ( = 0.6473 and = 0.4991, based on ISSR and RAPD data, respectively). Comparing the RAPD and ISSR results, the two DNA markers proved similarly effective in the assessment of the genetic characteristics of the studied populations and could be used for reliable fingerprinting and mapping in studies on diversity in view of suitability for development and protection.
Light-emitting diodes and their potential in callus growth, plantlet development and saponin accumulation during somatic embryogenesis of Ha Grushv.
Nhut DT, Huy NP, Tai NT … +6 more , Nam NB, Luan VQ, Hien VT, Tung HT, Vinh BT, Luan TC
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019644 · Full text
In recent years, LED (light-emitting diode) has been the subject of research within the field of plant growth and development. However, there has been little discussion about using LED cultures of , one of the important...
In recent years, LED (light-emitting diode) has been the subject of research within the field of plant growth and development. However, there has been little discussion about using LED cultures of , one of the important medicinal plants belonging to the genus. This study examines the influence of various LED lamps on callus growth and plant formation of . Results show significant differences in growth and development, as various light conditions were suitable for different stages. Callus of 70 mg in fresh weight cultured under yellow LEDs resulted in growth of 1197 mg in fresh weight and 91.7 mg of dry weight, within a period of three months. The most effective plant formation was obtained when embryogenic calli were cultured under the combination of 60% red LED and 40% blue LED with an average of 11.21 plantlets per explant; the shoot clump fresh weight and dry weight were of 1147 and 127 mg, respectively, and the average plant height was 3.1 cm. It was also shown that this light condition was the most efficient for plant growth and development. This study provided additional evidence regarding the influence of different LEDs on ginsenoside production applying high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis with photo-diode array (PDA) detection at ultraviolet (UV) wavelength 203 nm. The highest MR content was recorded when plants maintained under 20% red LED combined with 80% blue LED. However, the highest Rg and Rb content was found under fluorescent light. The results presented might provide new strategies using LEDs for adequate micropropagation protocols of .
The effects of composite photosynthetic bacterial inoculant PS21 on the biochemical characteristics of wheat seedlings under tetrabromobisphenol A stress.
Ge HL, Zhang FL
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019643 · Full text
The aim of this study was to investigate whether the composite photosynthetic bacterial inoculant PS21 alleviate the damage inflicted on wheat seedlings by tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The biochemical characteristics o...
The aim of this study was to investigate whether the composite photosynthetic bacterial inoculant PS21 alleviate the damage inflicted on wheat seedlings by tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The biochemical characteristics of wheat seedlings were analysed through laboratory simulation after co-treating seedlings with PS21 and 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 100 mg kg TBBPA, respectively. The results showed that TBBPA reduced the total chlorophyll content and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. TBBPA increased the soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and activate superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC: 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT; EC: 1.11.1.6) and peroxidase (POD; EC: 1.11.1.7) at low concentrations, while it reduced soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and decreased the activities of SOD, CAT and POD at high concentrations. At the concentration of 10 CFU mL, PS21 could markedly relieve the toxicity of different concentrations of TBBPA on wheat seedlings. Wheat seedlings treated with both TBBPA and PS21 showed a higher soluble sugar content, higher soluble protein content, higher SOD, CAT and POD activities, and a lower MDA content as compared to those treated only with TBBPA. The composite photosynthetic bacterial inoculant PS21 significantly alleviates the damage inflicted on wheat seedlings by TBBPA.
Screening for antibacterial activity of some Turkish plants against fish pathogens: a possible alternative in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Turker H, Yıldırım AB
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019642 · Full text
The antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous crude extracts from 36 plants in Turkey, including seven endemic species, against fish pathogens was studied using the disc diffusion assay. The extract that was most a...
The antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous crude extracts from 36 plants in Turkey, including seven endemic species, against fish pathogens was studied using the disc diffusion assay. The extract that was most active against all microbial strains, except , was that of . Some of the extracts also showed a very broad spectrum of potent antimicrobial activity. The extract of showed the highest antimicrobial activity against . , a Gram-negative bacterium, appeared to be the most susceptible to the plant extracts used in this experiment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the antimicrobial activity of 11 of the studied plants. The preliminary screening assay indicated that some of the Turkish plants with antibacterial properties may offer alternative therapeutic agents against bacterial infections in aquaculture industry.
Antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative benthic bacteria isolated from the sediments of Kardzhali Dam (Bulgaria).
Iliev I, Marhova M, Gochev V … +2 more , Tsankova M, Trifonova S
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019641 · Full text
The aim of the present study was to carry out a preliminary assessment for the occurrence of bacterial strains resistant to frequently used antibiotics in the sediments beneath the sturgeon cage farm in Kardzhali Dam (Bu...
The aim of the present study was to carry out a preliminary assessment for the occurrence of bacterial strains resistant to frequently used antibiotics in the sediments beneath the sturgeon cage farm in Kardzhali Dam (Bulgaria). Samples were taken from the top 2 cm of sediments under a fish farm and from a control station in the aquatory of the reservoir in the period July-October 2011. Surveillance of bacterial susceptibility to 16 antimicrobial agents was performed for 160 Gram-negative strains ( - 100 strains; - 30 strains; and - 30 strains). No significant differences in the resistance to the tested antibiotics were observed between the strains isolated from the two stations (analysis of variance, > 0.05). Widespread resistance to penicillins and certain cephalosporin antibiotics was observed in both stations. None of the studied strains showed resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotics gentamicin and amikacin, or to ciprofloxacin. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined for five of the tested antimicrobial agents by the microdilution antibiotic sensitivity assay. The data indicate that amikacin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin effectively suppress the growth of the tested micro-organisms. The isolates from genus showed the highest MIC and were characterized by the highest percentage of antibiotic resistance.
Geneticin (G418) resistance and electroporation-mediated transformation of and .
Yörük E, Albayrak G
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019640 · Full text
and are phytopathogenic species causing scab and root rot diseases in all small grain cereals worldwide including Turkey. In this study, resistance levels to geneticin (G418) of 14 and 24 isolates collected from cerea...
and are phytopathogenic species causing scab and root rot diseases in all small grain cereals worldwide including Turkey. In this study, resistance levels to geneticin (G418) of 14 and 24 isolates collected from cereals were determined. Fungal cultures were grown on potato dextrose agar medium supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 µg/mL of G418. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined as 25 µg/mL. As a result, it was concluded that all isolates were highly sensitive to G418. Plasmid pFA6-kanmx4 containing geneticin resistance gene () was introduced singly or co-electroporated with pEGFP75 plasmid, containing GFP gene, into fungal protoplast cultures obtained with lytic enzyme. Transformants were grown in media including 25 µg/mL G418. Transformation frequencies were 2.8 and 1.8 transformant per µg plasmid for and isolates, respectively. Transformation process was also confirmed by spectrofluorimetric assay. Relative fluorescence unit values in co-transformants were calculated as 1.87 ± 0.04 for and 2.26 ± 0.08 for . The results obtained from the study gave information about antibiotic resistance levels of two species in Turkey. Moreover, it was shown that pFA6-kanmx4 plasmid was a suitable vector, which can be used in genetic manipulation studies of these two fungal species in particular suppression of endogenous and/or the expression of exogenous genes.
Frequent problems and their resolutions by using thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR) to clone genes in T-DNA tagged mutants.
Wu L, Di DW, Zhang D … +3 more , Song B, Luo P, Guo GQ
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019639 · Full text
T-DNA insertional mutagenesis is a powerful tool in functional genomics research. Previous studies have developed thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) as an efficient strategy in isolation...
T-DNA insertional mutagenesis is a powerful tool in functional genomics research. Previous studies have developed thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) as an efficient strategy in isolation of DNA sequences adjacent to known sequences in T-DNA tagged mutants. However, a number of problems are encountered when attempts are made to clone flanking sequences in T-DNA tagged mutants. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of cloning mutagenesis. Here, we present the most frequent problems and provide an improved method to increase TAIL-PCR efficiency. Even then, it is not always possible to successfully obtain flanking sequences; in such cases, we recommend using high-throughput sequencing to determine the mutations.
Molecular cloning, sequence characterization and expression pattern of Rab18 gene from watermelon ().
Xinli X, Lei P
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019638 · Full text
The complete mRNA sequence of watermelon Rab18 gene was amplified through the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. The full-length mRNA was 1010 bp containing a 645 bp open reading frame, which encodes a prote...
The complete mRNA sequence of watermelon Rab18 gene was amplified through the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. The full-length mRNA was 1010 bp containing a 645 bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein of 214 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that watermelon Rab18 protein shares high homology with the Rab18 of cucumber (99%), muskmelon (98%), (90%), tomato (89%), wine grape (89%) and potato (88%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that watermelon Rab18 gene has a closer genetic relationship with Rab18 gene of cucumber and muskmelon. Tissue expression profile analysis indicated that watermelon Rab18 gene was highly expressed in root, stem and leaf, moderately expressed in flower and weakly expressed in fruit.
Marker-assisted backcrossing: a useful method for rice improvement.
Hasan MM, Rafii MY, Ismail MR … +6 more , Mahmood M, Rahim HA, Alam MA, Ashkani S, Malek MA, Latif MA
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019637 · Full text
The world's population is increasing very rapidly, reducing the cultivable land of rice, decreasing table water, emerging new diseases and pests, and the climate changes are major issues that must be addressed to researc...
The world's population is increasing very rapidly, reducing the cultivable land of rice, decreasing table water, emerging new diseases and pests, and the climate changes are major issues that must be addressed to researchers to develop sustainable crop varieties with resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, recent scientific discoveries and advances particularly in genetics, genomics and crop physiology have opened up new opportunities to reduce the impact of these stresses which would have been difficult if not impossible as recently as the turn of the century. Marker assisted backcrossing (MABC) is one of the most promising approaches is the use of molecular markers to identify and select genes controlling resistance to those factors. Regarding this, MABC can contribute to develop resistant or high-yielding or quality rice varieties by incorporating a gene of interest into an elite variety which is already well adapted by the farmers. MABC is newly developed efficient tool by which using large population sizes (400 or more plants) for the backcross F generations, it is possible to recover the recurrent parent genotype using only two or three backcrosses. So far, many high yielding, biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance, quality and fragrance rice varieties have been developed in rice growing countries through MABC within the shortest timeframe. Nowadays, MABC is being used widely in plant breeding programmes to develop new variety/lines especially in rice. This paper reviews recent literature on some examples of variety/ line development using MABC strategy.
Myconanoparticles: synthesis and their role in phytopathogens management.
Alghuthaymi MA, Almoammar H, Rai M … +2 more , Said-Galiev E, Abd-Elsalam KA
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019636 · Full text
Nanotechnology can offer green and eco-friendly alternatives for plant disease management. Apart from being eco-friendly, fungi are used as bio-manufacturing units, which will provide an added benefit in being easy to us...
Nanotechnology can offer green and eco-friendly alternatives for plant disease management. Apart from being eco-friendly, fungi are used as bio-manufacturing units, which will provide an added benefit in being easy to use, as compared to other microbes. The non-pathogenic nature of some fungal species in combination with the simplicity of production and handling will improve the mass production of silver nanoparticles. Recently, a diverse range of fungi have been screened for their ability to create silver nanoparticles. Mycosynthesis of gold, silver, gold-silver alloy, selenium, tellurium, platinum, palladium, silica, titania, zirconia, quantum dots, usnic acid, magnetite, cadmium telluride and uraninite nanoparticles has also been reported by various researchers. Nanotechnological application in plant pathology is still in the early stages. For example, nanofungicides, nanopesticides and nanoherbicides are being used extensively in agriculture practices. Remote activation and monitoring of intelligent nano-delivery systems can assist agricultural growers of the future to minimize fungicides and pesticides use. Nanoparticle-mediated gene transfer would be useful for improvement of crops resistant to pathogens and pest. This review critically assesses the role of fungi in the synthesis of nanoparticles, the mechanism involved in the synthesis, the effect of different factors on the reduction of metal ions in developing low-cost techniques for the synthesis and recovery of nanoparticles. Moreover, the application of nanoparticles in plant disease control, antimicrobial mechanisms, and nanotoxicity on plant ecosystem and soil microbial communities has also been discussed in detail.
An overview of technologies for immobilization of enzymes and surface analysis techniques for immobilized enzymes.
Mohamad NR, Marzuki NH, Buang NA … +2 more , Huyop F, Wahab RA
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Mar · PMID 26019635 · Full text
The current demands of sustainable green methodologies have increased the use of enzymatic technology in industrial processes. Employment of enzyme as biocatalysts offers the benefits of mild reaction conditions, biodegr...
The current demands of sustainable green methodologies have increased the use of enzymatic technology in industrial processes. Employment of enzyme as biocatalysts offers the benefits of mild reaction conditions, biodegradability and catalytic efficiency. The harsh conditions of industrial processes, however, increase propensity of enzyme destabilization, shortening their industrial lifespan. Consequently, the technology of enzyme immobilization provides an effective means to circumvent these concerns by enhancing enzyme catalytic properties and also simplify downstream processing and improve operational stability. There are several techniques used to immobilize the enzymes onto supports which range from reversible physical adsorption and ionic linkages, to the irreversible stable covalent bonds. Such techniques produce immobilized enzymes of varying stability due to changes in the surface microenvironment and degree of multipoint attachment. Hence, it is mandatory to obtain information about the structure of the enzyme protein following interaction with the support surface as well as interactions of the enzymes with other proteins. Characterization technologies at the nanoscale level to study enzymes immobilized on surfaces are crucial to obtain valuable qualitative and quantitative information, including morphological visualization of the immobilized enzymes. These technologies are pertinent to assess efficacy of an immobilization technique and development of future enzyme immobilization strategies.
Assessment of food habits in children aged 6-12 years and the risk of caries.
Doichinova L, Bakardjiev P, Peneva M
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019634 · Full text
Food is necessary for the proper growth and development of children. The excessive intake of low-molecular carbohydrates constitutes a serious health issue, which has an unfavourable impact on the dental health status. T...
Food is necessary for the proper growth and development of children. The excessive intake of low-molecular carbohydrates constitutes a serious health issue, which has an unfavourable impact on the dental health status. The aim of this study was to assess the food habits in healthy children aged 6-12 years and the effect on their oral risk profile. The study included 100 children. The assessment of their nutrition was done with the help of a seven-day reproduction of the food intake and a survey used to determine their underlying food habits and preferences. The results revealed unbalanced nutrition of the children and increased intake of simple sugar, which will increase the risk of development of dental caries. The observed high levels of DMFT (number of decayed, missing and filled teeth) in 54% of the children is a logical result of the frequent intake of sugary foods and beverages for a long period of time, as this will increase the acid production by microorganisms in dental plaque, which is one of the leading etiologic factors for the development of caries. It is necessary for dentists to administer control over the carbohydrate intake and the food habits of children, as well as to encourage non-cariogenic diet in order to keep their good oral health.
Time lag model for batch bioreactor simulation accounting the effect of micro-organism mortality.
Zahariev A, Kiskinov H, Angelov A … +1 more , Zlatev S
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019633 · Full text
In the present work, a generalization of the classical model of Monod accounting the influence of both delayed and instant mortalities on the dynamics of the micro-organism population is proposed. The model was analysed...
In the present work, a generalization of the classical model of Monod accounting the influence of both delayed and instant mortalities on the dynamics of the micro-organism population is proposed. The model was analysed and compared with respect to its quality and applicability for simulation of the cultivation process of micro-organisms. Existence of a unique global positive solution of the Cauchy problem for the proposed model is proved and explicit relations between the decay parameters and the nutrition substrate concentration are obtained. These mathematical results allow us to calculate the nutrient substrate concentration which guarantees that the biomass concentration is maximal for every specific type of taxonomic groups of micro-organisms (bacteria, yeasts).
Biological evaluation of synthesized allicin and its transformation products obtained by microwaves in methanol: antioxidant activity and effect on cell growth.
Ilić DP, Stojanović S, Najman S … +4 more , Nikolić VD, Stanojević LP, Tačić A, Nikolić LB
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019632 · Full text
Allicin is the most biologically active substance present in garlic. It can be synthesized or obtained by extraction of fresh garlic. Transformation products of allicin are also biologically active. The aim of this study...
Allicin is the most biologically active substance present in garlic. It can be synthesized or obtained by extraction of fresh garlic. Transformation products of allicin are also biologically active. The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant activity of synthesized allicin and its transformation products obtained using microwaves in methanol at 55 °C as well as their effect on HeLa cells growth. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) test. The effect on HeLa cells growth was determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) test. For MTT test, allicin and its transformation products were dispersed in carmellose sodium solution and examined in concentrations ranging from 0.3 μg/mL to 3 mg/mL. Allicin showed stronger antioxidant activity than the transformation products. A maximum degree of neutralization of DPPH radicals, about 90%, was reached when the concentration of allicin was 2 mg/mL, with an EC (concentration of sample which is required for reduction of the initial concentration DPPH radicals to 50%) value of 0.37 mg/mL. In our study, allicin and its transformation products were not cytotoxic to HeLa cells under the examined conditions. The highest concentration of allicin and its transformation products had a slight antiproliferative effect, with a more pronounced effect of allicin, which reflected on the morphology of HeLa cells. The examined substances are safe to use on epithelial cells at concentrations up to 3 mg/mL when applied in carmellose sodium solution. Using carmellose sodium as a dispersing agent could be recommended as a good approach for testing liposoluble substances in liquid cell cultures.
Changes in the functional characteristics of tumor and normal cells after treatment with extracts of white dead-nettle.
Veleva R, Petkova B, Moskova-Doumanova V … +8 more , Doumanov J, Dimitrova M, Koleva P, Mladenova K, Petrova S, Yordanova Z, Kapchina-Toteva V, Topouzova-Hristova T
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019631 · Full text
L. is a perennial herb widely used in folk medicine. It possesses a wide spectrum of therapeutic activities (anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, antioxidant and anti-proliferative). Pres...
L. is a perennial herb widely used in folk medicine. It possesses a wide spectrum of therapeutic activities (anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, antioxidant and anti-proliferative). Preservation of medicinal plant could be done by propagation to avoid depletion from their natural habitat. It is important to know whether extracts from plants grown possess similar properties as extracts from plants grown . For these reasons, it is important to examine changes in the composition of secondary metabolites during cultivation of the plant and how they affect the biological activity. We used A549 human cancer cell line and normal kidney epithelial cells MDCKII (Madin-Darby canine kidney cells II) as controls in assessing the anti-cancer effect of plant extracts. To elucidate changes in some key functional characteristics, adhesion test, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide), transepithelial resistance (TER), immunofluorescence staining and trypan blue exclusion test were performed. Methanol and chloroform extracts of and propagated plants affected differently cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The most pronounced differences were observed in the morphological analysis and in the cell adhesive properties. We also detected suppressed epithelial transmembrane electrical resistance of MDCK II cells, by treatment with plant extracts, compared to non-treated MDCK II cells. A549 cells did not polarize under the same conditions. Altered organization of actin filaments in both cell types were noticed suggesting that extracts from L. change TER and actin filaments, and somehow may block cell mechanisms, leading to the polarization of MDCK II cells.
Delivery of size-controlled long-circulating polymersomes in solid tumours, visualized by quantum dots and optical imaging .
Bakalova R, Lazarova D, Nikolova B … +4 more , Atanasova S, Zlateva G, Zhelev Z, Aoki I
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019630 · Full text
The present study was designed to investigate whether poly-ion complex hollow vesicles (polymersomes), based on chemically modified chitosan, are appropriate for passive tumour targeting in the context of their applicati...
The present study was designed to investigate whether poly-ion complex hollow vesicles (polymersomes), based on chemically modified chitosan, are appropriate for passive tumour targeting in the context of their application as drug carriers. The experiments were performed on colon cancer-grafted mice. The mice were subjected to anaesthesia and injected intravenously with water-soluble nanoparticles: (1) QD-labelled polymersomes (average size ∼120 nm; size distribution ∼10%) or (2) native QD. The optical imaging was carried out on Maestro EX 2.10 In Vivo Imaging System (excitation filter 435-480 nm; emission filter 700 nm, longpass). In the case of QD, the fluorescence appeared in the tumour area within 1 min after injection and disappeared completely within 60 min. A strong fluorescent signal was detected in the liver on the 30th minute. The visualization of tumour using QD was based only on angiogenesis. In the case of QD-labelled polymersomes, the fluorescence appeared in the tumour area immediately after injection with excellent visualization of blood vessels in the whole body. A strong fluorescent signal was detected in the tumour area within 16 hours. This indicated that QD-labelled polymersomes were delivered predominantly into the tumour due to their long circulation in the bloodstream and enhanced permeability and retention effect. A very weak fluorescent signal was found in the liver area. The data suggest that size-controlled long-circulating polymersomes are very promising carriers for drug delivery in solid tumours, including delivery of small nanoparticles and contrast substances.
Rapid identification of by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
Selim S, El Kholy I, Hagagy N … +2 more , El Alfay S, Aziz MA
Biotechnol Biotechnol Equip · 2015 Jan · PMID 26019629 · Full text
Twenty clinical isolates recovered from patients admitted to The General Hospital in Ismailia Governorate (Egypt) were examined in this study. We analysed ATCC 9027 (as a control strain) and 19 of the isolates after di...
Twenty clinical isolates recovered from patients admitted to The General Hospital in Ismailia Governorate (Egypt) were examined in this study. We analysed ATCC 9027 (as a control strain) and 19 of the isolates after digestion with restriction endonuclease. After this we conducted a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and typed the obtained 10 unique patterns, designated as A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1, E and F. We evaluated the genetic relatedness between all strains, based on ≥87% band identity. As a result, the isolates were grouped in the 10 clusters as follows: patterns A, A1, B, B1, C contained two strains each and patterns C1, D, D1, E contained a single strain each; the five remaining strains were closely related (genomic pattern F). One isolate belonged to antibiotype 'b'. The genotype patterns of the ATCC 9027 control strain and isolate no. 11 were closely related and had two different antibiotypes 'd' and 'c', respectively.
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