Antioxidant,antimicrobial,and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of saponin extracts from walnut(Juglans regia L.) leaves

Objective:To investigate the relationship between triterpenoid saponin content and antioxidant,antimicrobial,and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of 70%ethanolic,butanolic,aqueous,supernate and precipitate extracts of Juglans regia leaves.Methods:Triterpenoid saponins of different Juglans regia leaf extracts were measured by the vanillin method.Antioxidant activity was evaluated against DPPH and ABTS free radicals.We also assessed α-glucosidase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of the leaf extracts.Pearson’s correlation coefficient was evaluated to determine the correlation between the saponin content and biological activities.Results:The butanolic extract was most effective against DPPH with an IC50of 6.63μg/mL,while the aqueous extract showed the highest scavenging activity against ABTS free radical with an IC50of 42.27μg/mL.Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated a strong negative correlation (r=-0.956) between DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50) and the saponin content in the samples examined.In addition,the aqueous extract showed the best α-glucosidase inhibitory activity compared with other extracts.All the extracts had fair antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis,Escherichia coli,and Klebsiella pneumoniae except for the aqueous extract.Conclusions:Juglans regia extracts show potent antioxidant,antimicrobial,and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.There is a correlation between saponin levels in Juglans regia leaf extracts and the studied activities.However,additional research is required to establish these relationships by identifying the specific saponin molecules responsible for these activities and elucidating their mechanisms of action.

Polio in Gaza:Another disastrous outcome of the Gaza conflict,2023-2024

On October 7th,2023,a devastating conflict erupted between Gaza and Israel,causing around 40000 deaths and over 90000 injuries.The war has displaced more than 1.9 million people,who now live in overcrowded tent camps facing severe shortages of clean water,sanitation,fuel,electricity,and food.Many rely on international aid and resort to unsafe methods for basic needs[1].The Gaza Strip,a tiny coastal area of just 365 square kilometers with 2.3 million residents,is one of the world's most densely populated regions.Already burdened by inadequate infrastructure,the ongoing war has worsened conditions,caused the collapse of sewage and water systems and severely disrupted daily life.This devastation has created a breeding ground for infectious diseases,especially among the displaced people living in overcrowded camps[2,3].

Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity： A review

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in researching and developing new antimicrobial agents from various sources to combat microbial resistance. Therefore, a greater attention has been paid to antimicrobial activity screening and evaluating methods. Several bioassays such as disk-diffusion, well diffusion and broth or agar dilution are well known and commonly used, but others such as flow cy- tofluorometric and bioluminescent methods are not widely used because they require specified equip- ment and further evaluation for reproducibility and standardization, even if they can provide rapid re- sults of the antimicrobial agent＇s effects and a better understanding of their impact on the viability and cell damage inflicted to the tested microorganism. In this review article, an exhaustive list of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and detailed information on their advantages and limita- tions are reported.

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Microbial Pollution of Lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>) Cultivated in Two Sites (Paspanga and Tanghin) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Environmental pollution can have detrimental effects on crop yield and its consumers. The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with the consumption of lettuce crop contaminated with toxic heavy metals and microbiological status. Irrigated water, soil and lettuce were analyzed by AAS technics for heavy metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Transfer factor (TF), daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were also calculated. Microbial analysis was carried out for the presence foodborne pathogens. The results showed that the heavy metals contents were higher in the soil than wastewater and the vegetables. Heavy metals ranged (mg·Kg-1) for Cd (1.27 to 2.93), Cr (7.28 to 7.38), Cu (0.91 to 1.70), Mn (0.29 to 6.60), Ni (1.74 to 2.16), Pb (1.32 to 1.69), Zn (3.08 to 3.79);and were higher than the WHO maximum limit permissible (ML) in vegetables. HRI TF values designated an enhanced bio-contamination. Microbial numeration revealed the presence of spoiler and pathogenic microorganisms. The lettuce tested was not safe for human use, especially for direct consumption by human beings.

In vitro antimicrobial and synergistic effect of essential oil from the red macroalgae Centroceras clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne with conventional antibiotics

Objective:To study the chemical profile,antimicrobial properties,and synergistic effect with known antibiotics of essential oil extracted from the marine red macroalgae Centroceras clavulatum(C.Agardh)Montagne,collected in Morocco.Methods:The chemical composition of the oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.The oil was evaluated for antibacterial(Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli,Bacillus subtilis,Micrococcus luteus,Staphylococcus aureus,and Klebsiella pneumoniae),and antifungal activity(Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida krusei,and Candida parapsilosis),by the disc diffusion method.The minimum inhibitory and minimum microbicidal concentrations of the oil were determined,as well as the synergistic effects of its application combined with the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and fluconazole,by the checkerboard method.Results:Thirty molecules were identified in the essential oil,comprising 96.27%of the total oil composition.Monoterpenes such as carvacrol(36.06%)were the most abundant compounds,followed by caryophyllene(14.67%),endo-borneol(9.04%),pyroterebic acid(3.23%)and caryophyllene oxide(3.13%).The oil exhibited a moderate antimicrobial activity with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 9.0 to 15.0 mm.The minimum inhibitory concentration values varied between 0.9 and 14.7 mg/mL,and Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli were the more sensitive bacteria with 0.9 and 1.9 mg/mL,respectively.The minimum microbicidal concentration values ranged from 0.4 to 14.7 mg/mL.A significant synergic action was observed when the oil was applied in combination with ciprofloxacin and fluconazole,with fractional inhibitory concentration index values ranging from 0.31 to 0.50.Synergy was found in 80%of the combinations and a 2 to 16-fold reduction of antibiotics MIC was observed.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that the essential oil of Centroceras clavulatum should be further appraised for its potential use in the management of multi-drug resistant microorganisms,with the purpose to restore the activity of standard antimicrobial drugs.

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals and Microbial Quality of Local Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Tomato fruit enormously consumed in Burkina Faso is a source of health risk due to its quality. The plant of tomato cultivated in most the industrially polluted area as Ouagadougou, accumulates significant quantities of heavy metals and microorganisms and could be dangerous for consumption. The present study was conducted to investigate heavy metal and microbial contamination in soils wastewater and vegetables (tomato fruit) and to evaluate the possible health risks associated with the consumption of vegetables. Total concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se and Zn were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Transfer factor (TF), daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were also calculated. Microbial quality was analyzed for the presence of foodborne pathogens. The pH involved from 6.50 ± 0.1 to 9.40 ± 0.12 respectively for Boulmiougou and Kossodo. The mean metal concentrations indicated that soils were strongly polluted followed by wastewater and vegetable. The range of the mean values (in mg · kg-1) exhibited by As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se and Zn in tomato fruit was 17.80 ± 0.32, 2.71 ± 0.02, 11.57 ± 0.2, 203.41 ± 1.20, 15.13 ± 0.30, 53.18 ± 0.20, 38.56 ± 0.10, 109.13 ± 0.25 concerning samples of Boulmiougou and 3.47 ± 0.15, 2.78 ± 0.01, 22.11 ± 0.1, 242.85 ± 2.10, 14.86 ± 0.10, 132.19 ± 1.50, 33.23 ± 0.15, 146.43 ± 1.12 for Kossodo. Microbial count was below to acceptable limits for vegetable, but underlined the presence of spoiler and foodborne pathogens. However, the daily intake of metals (DIM) and the health risk index (HRI) values were found to be under to the prescribed maximum tolerable.

Engineering Microbial Biofilms for Improved Productivity of Biochemicals Important in Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems

Biofilms are being engineered in-vitro to produce numerous commodities like biofertilizers, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and electricity, the efficacies of which rely on the biochemicals secreted by the biofilms i.e. extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). It has been shown that once EPS-biochemicals of developed biofilms are applied to an ecosystem, they can restore degraded complex ecosystem networks for improved ecosystem functioning and sustainability. Identification of the EPS biochemicals and understanding their contributions to the network interactions in particular, are at initial stage. In the present study, using Aspergillus niger, Nostoc sp., and gram (-) Stenotrophomonas maltophilia & gram (+) Bacillus subtilis as test fungal (F), cyanobacterial (C), and bacterial (B) counterparts, respectively we analyzed morphology and biochemical parameters of fungal-bacterial (FBBs), fungal-cyanobacterial (FCBs), cyanobacterial-bacterial (CBBs), and fungal-cyanobacterial-bacterial biofilms (FCBBs). Results revealed that the FCBBs produced the highest concentrations of lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides whereas FBBs generated the highest diversity of biochemicals. Bacterial type (i.e. gram + or -) and microbial composition in the biofilm affected the biochemical production. Ecologically and industrially important diverse biochemicals which are used individually as medicines, bioremediating agents and industrial chemicals in human society with certain adverse and beneficial effects were detected in the biofilm-EPS. However, in the nature, simultaneous action of those diverse biochemicals applied as biofertilizers has already shown a huge potential to restore the entire agroecosystems degraded due to farmers’ detrimental practices. This striking difference in utilization of the biochemicals and their enhanced effect when they act simultaneously needs further investigations for their better applications.

Assessment of forest dieback on the Moroccan Central Plateau using spectral vegetation indices

Cork oak forests in Morocco are rich in resources and services thanks to their great biological diversity,playing an important ecological and socioeconomic role.Considerable degradation of the forests has been accentuated in recent years by signifi cant human pressure and eff ects of climate change;hence,the health of the stands needs to be monitored.In this study,the Google Engine Earth platform was leveraged to extract the normalized diff erence vegetation index(NDVI)and soil-adjusted vegetation index,from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS satellite images between 2015 and 2017 to assess the health of the Sibara Forest in Morocco.Our results highlight the importance of interannual variations in NDVI in forest monitoring;the variations had a signifi cantly high relationship(p<0.001)with dieback severity.NDVI was positively and negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature with respective coeffi cients of 0.49 and−0.67,highlighting its ability to predict phenotypic changes in forest species.Monthly interannual variation in NDVI between 2016 and 2017 seemed to confi rm fi eld observations of cork oak dieback in 2018,with the largest decreases in NDVI(up to−38%)in December in the most-aff ected plots.Analysis of the infl uence of ecological factors on dieback highlighted the role of substrate as a driver of dieback,with the most severely aff ected plots characterized by granite-granodiorite substrates.

Assessment of Maize Contamination by Aflatoxin in Burkina Faso: A Review of Methods of Control

Aflatoxin contamination of crops is frequent in warm regions across the globe, including large areas in sub-Saharan Africa and Burkina Faso. A?atoxins and fumonisins are among the mycotoxins that have been increasingly reported to affect health and productivity of livestock globally. It cuts across the value chain, affecting farmers, markets, and finally consumers. However, a?atoxin contamination is a threatening issue in these staples and its negative effects on human health, most especially on infants and young children, are very alarming. Among the cereals in Burkina Faso, the maize is more vulnerable to contamination by Aspergillus sp. The contamination of maize by the aflatoxin is the main cause affecting production of agricultural sector, food security and regularity. Many factors are responsible for its proliferating. Therefore aflatoxins reduction in cereals such as maize is a serious concern for quality and safety. This review aimed to highlight the factors influencing a?atoxins contamination, and methods of reduction.

Prevalence and Disinfection of Bacteria Associated with Various Types of Wristbands

The potential role of personal items in the transmission of pathogens is poorly understood. In this study, we cultured bacteria of public health importance found on wristbands, determined whether there is a correlation between wristband material and prevalence, and tested three household disinfectants for efficacy in reducing bacteria on wristbands made of plastic, rubber, metal, and cloth, using standard microbiological assays. Total cultivable bacteria, Staphylococci, Enterobacteria (Escherichia coli), and Pseudomonas on 20 smartwatch wristbands were cultured from randomly recruited subjects. Nearly all wristbands (95%) were contaminated, with the highest average numbers of 3.46E+4 cfu/cm2 and 1.52E+4 cfu/cm2 on rubber and plastic bands respectively. Metallic gold and silver wristbands had zero to 18 cfu/cm2. While the high prevalence of Staphylococcus spp (85% of wristbands)—skin microbiota;was not unexpected, the occurrence of Pseudomonas spp (30%), and enteric bacteria (60%), even at relatively low numbers is of public health significance. Bacterial load on individual subjects varied remarkably with males and females harboring average total bacteria of 4.045 and 3.42 log10cfu/cm2 of wristband, respectively. The most important predictor of wristband bacteria load was the texture of wristband material and activity (hygiene) of the subject at sampling time. Potential pathogens—Staphylococcus aureus (8143 cfu/cm2) and Pseudomonas spp. (1126 cfu/cm2) were most abundant on cloth and rubber wristbands, respectively, while the presence of the E. coli group was associated with animal handling activity by a veterinarian. Lysol Disinfectant Spray and 70% Ethanol were highly effective regardless of wristband material with >99.99% kill rate and a log cfu/cm2 reduction of 3 - 4.0 and 3 - 4.5 respectively within 30 seconds. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) was not as potent. Only 2 - 3.5 log cfu/cm2 drop was obtained after 120 seconds of exposure. Further susceptibility assays with standard reference bacteria showed that Lysol and 70% alcohol effectively killed > 99.99% (>8 log CFU drop) of Escherichia coli strain 7001, Staphylococcus aureus strain 6538, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 10662 within 30 seconds of contact. Vinegar had a similar efficacy on the gram negatives but little or no effect on Staph aureus (only a 2-log CFU/ml reduction in 5 minutes!) The high prevalence of potential pathogens, some of which could be reservoirs of antibiotic resistance reveals a weak link in infection control and underscores the need for regular cleaning of personal and hand-held accessories with adequate considerations of their texture.

Single carbon metabolism–A new paradigm for microbial bioprocesses?

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels,a reduction of arable land area and the dependence of first and second generation biotechnology feedstocks on agricultural products,call for alternative,sustainable feedstock sources for industrial applications.The direct use of CO_(2)or conversion of CO_(2)into other single carbon(C1)sources have great potential as they might help to reduce carbon emissions and do not compete with agricultural land use.Here we discuss the microbial use of C1 carbon sources,their potential applications in biotechnology,and challenges towards sustainable C1-based industrial biotechnology processes.We focus on methanol,formic acid,methane,syngas,and CO_(2)as feedstocks for bioprocesses,their assimilation pathways,current and emerging applications,and limitations of their application.This mini-review is intended as a first introduction for researchers who are new to the field of C1 biotechnology.

IL28B polymorphism and cytomegalovirus predict response to treatment in Egyptian HCV type 4 patients

AIM:To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus(CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.METHODS:This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients who received combined interferon and ribavirin therapy for 48 wk,84 spontaneous hepatitis C virus(HCV) resolvers who were positive for IgG anti-HCV antibody and negative for HCV RNA,and 100 healthy subjects who were negative for both HCV antibodies and RNA as controls.Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was used for IL28B rs.12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) and CMV DNA detection.A 139 bp fragment containing IL28B SNP was amplified in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction using a specifically designed primer.Then the IL28B rs.12979860 SNP was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) genotyping.The presence of CMV DNA was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using nested polymerase chain reaction.The role of CMV and IL28B rs.12979860 SNP genotypes in determining the response rate to combined interferon therapy and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed.RESULTS:Current data showed that 67% of patients carrying the IL28B 12979860 C/C allele had a sustained viral response(SVR) while the genotypes C/T and TT were associated with lower SVR rates,50% and 48%,respectively.SVR rates for the C/C allele were lower than other HCV genotypes and/or other populations.Genotype CC was associated with the response to interferon(P = 0.025).Genotype C/C was reduced from 48% in controls to 14% in CHC patients suggesting its protective role against progression to chronicity.The majority of spontaneously cleared subjects(86%) were C/C,confirming its protective role.The C/T allele was present in 71% of CHC patients compared with 38% of controls,so the use of IL28B SNP genotyping only in these patients may be of little value as a predictor of response.CMV reactivation occurred in 40% of CHC patients.Co-infection with CMV seriously diminished the response to interferon(IFN) therapy,with SVR rates in C/C genotypes 87.5% in CMV-negative patients and 12.5% in CMV-positive patients(P < 0.0001).SVR rates among C/T carriers were reduced to < 50% in patients with positive CMV DNA while the non-response rate doubled.These data indicate that a supplemental assay for CMV viremia adds to the prognostic value of IL28B genotyping.CONCLUSION:The results suggest that both genetic(i.e.,spontaneous) and therapeutic(IFN-based therapy) arms are complementary in the battle against HCV.CMV DNA testing may be of value to better predict the response to IFN,particularly in IL28B C/T carriers.

Association between low molecular polypeptide 7 single nucleotide polymorphism and response to therapy in hepatitis C virus infection

AIM: To investigate the relationship between low molecular polypeptide-7 (LMP-7) gene polymorphism and response to interferon (IFN) therapy in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. METHODS: LMP-7 polymorphism at codon 49 with nucleotide substitution from A to C was amplified in 104 chronic HCV patients of genotype 4. The amplicons were digested with restriction endonuclease Bsm I and the produced restriction fragment length polymorphism was analyzed. Patients received IFN + regional blood volume therapy for 48 wk and the frequency of thissingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was statistically correlated with treatment response. The exclusion criteria for these patients were stated by the national health program for treating viral hepatitis. Main exclusion criteria included co-infection with hepatitis B virus or schistosomiasis, thyroid dysfunction, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, history of long term drug or alcohol intake and autoimmune hepatitis. Multivariate analyses were done to correlate LMP-7 SNP plus several factors such as age, gender, weight, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and alanine aminotransferase levels, liver activity, fibrosis score and viral load with response to therapy. RESULTS: The data presented in this study clearly demonstrated statistically significant differences between sustained virological response (SVR) (defined as the absence of HCV RNA levels in the patient's sera at least 6 mo after discontinuation of treatment) and non-response (NR) (where HCV RNA levels in the patient's sera never become undetectable for 6 mo during or after treatment). Variables were described as odds ratio with 95%CI. The data were considered significant if P values were ≤ 0.05; highly significant if P < 0.01 and very highly significant if P < 0.001. Current data showed that 91.7% of patients carrying LMP-7 C/C allele were associated with SVR, while the other two genotypes C/A and A/A were associated with NR patients, 83.3% and 64.3% respectively, showing that genotype CC was strongly associated with response to interferon (95%CI: 12.0719-134.6572, P = 0.0001). The majority of parameters recorded in SVR and NR patients included higher values of mean age (P = 0.004), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.001), AFP (P = 0.001), body weight (P = 0.025), viral load (P = 0.025), higher fibrosis and histological activity index indices among NR vs SVR patients. Also, the multivariate statistical analysis of the different factors of fibro-sis score, liver activity grade, genotypes and alleles of LMP-7 gene polymorphism in responders and NRs of HCV patients in this study showed that HCV patients with A allele had a very highly significant association with the NRs, high fibrosis and higher liver activity, while the C allele had a very highly significant association with the responders, low fibrosis and lower liver activity (95%CI: 3.5800-13.2519, P = 0.0001).CONCLUSION: LMP-7 SNP is a candidate gene that should be considered when designing a mathematical model for predicting response to therapy and disease progression in HCV patients.

Tumor necrosis factor-α-G308A polymorphism is associated with liver pathological changes in hepatitis C virus patients

AIM To investigate the association of tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNFα)-G308 A polymorphism with different liver pathological changes in treatment-na?ve Egyptian patients infected with hepatitis C virus(HCV) genotype 4.METHODS This study included 180 subjects,composed of 120 treatment-na?ve chronic HCV patients with different fibrosis grades(F0-F4) and 60 healthy controls. The TNFα-G308 A region was amplified by PCR and the different genotypes were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The TNFα protein was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The influence of different TNFα-G308 A genotypes on TNFα expression and liver disease progression were statistically analyzed. The OR and 95%CI were calculated to assess the relative risk confidence.RESULTS Current data showed that the TNFα-G308 A SNP frequency was significantly different between controls and HCV infected patients(P = 0.001). Both the AA genotype and A allele were significantly higher in late fibrosis patients(F2-F4,n = 60) than in early fibrosis patients(F0-F1,n = 60)(P = 0.05,0.04 respectively). Moreover,the GA or AA genotypes increased the TNFα serum level greater than the GG genotype(P = 0.002). The results showed a clear association between severe liver pathological conditions(inflammation,steatosis and fibrosis) and(GA + AA) genotypes(P = 0.035,0.03,0.04 respectively). The stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the TNFα genotypes(GA + AA) were significantly associated with liver inflammation(OR = 3.776,95%CI: 1.399-10.194,P = 0.009),severe steatosis(OR = 4.49,95%CI: 1.441-14.0,P = 0.010) and fibrosis progression(OR = 2.84,95%CI: 1.080-7.472,P = 0.034). Also,the A allele was an independent risk factor for liver inflammation(P = 0.003),steatosis(P = 0.003) and fibrosis(P = 0.014). CONCLUSION TNFα SNP at nucleotide-308 represents an important genetic marker that can be used for the prognosis of different liver pathological changes in HCV infected

Antimycobacterial natural products from Moroccan medicinal plants: Chemical composition, bacteriostatic and bactericidal profile of Thymus satureioides and Mentha pulegium essential oils

Objective: To evaluate the susceptibility of Mycobacterium aurum and Mycobacterium smegmatis in vitro to the essential oils obtained from two medicinal plants: Thymus satureioides(T. satureioides) and Mentha pulegium(M. pulegium), and to study their chemical composition.Methods: The aerial parts of T. satureioides and M. pulegium(leaves and stems) were hydro-distillated using a Clevenger-type apparatus and essential oils were analyzed and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antimycobacterial screening of essential oils was performed on the basis of the inhibition zone diameter by disc diffusion method against two mycobacterial strains whereas the minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration were determined by using the micro-dilution method.Results: Chemical analysis of their aerial part's essential oils gave as major compounds,borneol(34.26%), carvacrol(31.21%) and thymol(3.71%) for T. satureioides and R(+)-pulegone(75.48%), carvone(6.66%) and dihydrocarvone(4.64%) for M. pulegium.Thereafter their antimycobacterial effect evaluation, using the micro-dilution method,indicated that minimal inhibitory concentration values of T. satureioides essential oil ranged from 0.062% to 0.015%(v/v) and from 0.125% to 0.031%(v/v) for M. pulegium respectively against Mycobacterium aurum and Mycobacterium smegmatis.Conclusions: It is clearly evident from the results obtained that the Moroccan medicinal plants have great potential to be used as anti-tuberculosis agents. These findings may help scientists to undertake several research projects to discover useful natural product as new anti-tuberculosis drug.

Production,characterization and biological activities of acidic exopolysaccharide from marine Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 3MS 2017

Objective: To evaluate in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor abilities against human breast adenocarcinoma(MCF7) and human prostate cancer(PC3) as well as the suppressor effect of bacterial exopolysaccharide(BAEPS) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma(EAC). Methods: In-vitro antioxidants characters of BAEPS were determined using various methods, while anti-inflammatory activity was estimated against cyclooxygenase(COX-1 and COX-2). In-vitro study, anticancer against MCF7 and PC3 were assessed by the mitochondrial dependent reduction of yellow MTT. In in-vivo study against EAC progression, mice were inoculated with EAC cells and then were orally administered BAEPS at 200 mg/kg after 24 h(equals to 0.10 of determined LD50)/10 d. Results: BAEPS was acidic exopolysaccharide contained uronic acid(12.3%) and sulfate(22.8%) with constitution of glucose, galactose and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio1.6: 1.0: 0.9, respectively, with a molecular mass of 3.76伊104 g/mol. BAEPS appeared potent antioxidant characters as free radical scavenging, oxygen reactive species scavenging and metal chelation, while its reducing power was low. BAEPS showed selective anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2 than COX-1, COX-2 selective. BAEPS exhibited potent and selective effect to breast cell cancer MCF7, the death percentage was 65.20% with IC_(50)=70 μg/m L and IC_(90)=127.40 μg/m L. BAEPS decreased counted viable EAC cells and induced non-viable cells. BAEPS improved all assessed hematological parameters. These improvements were reflected in the increasing median survival time and significant increment(P<0.05) in life span. Conclusions: BAEPS has anti-tumor activity with a good margin of safety. The anti-tumor activity of BAEPS may be due to its content from sulfated groups and uronic acids and they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Isolation, purification and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) from endophytic Fusarium oxysporum producing podophyllotoxin

Endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum is a rich source of cellulases. In the present study, the highest activity was reported at 28 ° C, pH 5.6 with 2% Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as carbon source. CMC was purified using Sephadex G and DEAE cellulose chromatography to 15.9 folds and the molecular weight was determined to be 84 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis and was subsequently characterized. The purified enzyme was stable over the pH range from 4.0 to 8.0 and at temperatures below 50 ° C. The enzyme was highly active on CMC and reduced or no activity on Avicel, cellobiose and it was suggested to be CMCase/endoglucanase. The activity of endoglucanase was enhanced in the presence of MgCl2, CoCl2, FeCl3, CaCl2, FeCl2 and intensive to HgCl2. The purified enzyme showed its optimum activity at pH 5.0 - 6.0 and was quite stable at 50 ° C for 30 min and retained 45% of original activity.

Assessment of circulating levels of microRNA-326,microRNA-424,and microRNA-511 as biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptians

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the fifth most common cancer.Differential expression of microRNAs(miRNAs)-326,miRNA-424,and miRNA-511 has been associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC in different populations.However,limited information is available regarding their expression in Egyptian HCC patients.AIM To assess the role of circulating miRNAs-326,miRNA-424,and miRNA-511 in Egyptian HCC patients.METHODS This prospective observational study included 70 HCC patients and 25 healthy controls.The circulating levels of these three miRNAs were evaluated by real-time PCR.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to test the diagnostic accuracy of micro RNA expression levels.RESULTS All miRNAs were differentially expressed in HCC patients;miRNAs326 and miRNA-424 were upregulated,while miRNA-511 was downregulated.Both miRNA-326 and miRNA-424 showed sensitivity and specificity of 97%,71.4%,and 52%,60%,respectively,to differentiate HCC from controls.Moreover,miRNA-326 was associated with survival and could differentiate between Child grades(A vs B);miRNA-424 significantly differentiated early vs intermediate stages of HCC;while miRNA-511 was significantly correlated with response to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(m RECIST).CONCLUSION We conclude that miRNA-326,miRNA-424,and miRNA-511 have diagnostic and prognostic roles in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus-related HCC and should be considered for better disease management.

Application of Box-Behnken Design for Optimization of Different Pretreatment Conditions for Cellulase Production

Effects of dilute acid and acid steam pretreatments were inspected for cellulose production of Eucalyptus leaves through Box-Behenken design, a three variable factors for response surface methodology by Bacillus subtilus K-18. Maximum cellulose production performed in 250 mL erlenmeyer flask with submerged fermentation attained at 50＂C, pH 5, 140 r· min-1 for 24 h. Results showed the efficient cellulose production from acid steam pretreatrnent （being autoclaved at 15 Psi for 15 rain） than acid pretreatment. The optimum condition for maximum carboxymethyl cellulas （CMCase） was 1.811 IU·mL-1·min-1 （0.8% acid cone., 10 g biomass loading, 6 h reaction time） and filter paper activity （FPase） was 2.255 IU·mL·-1·min-1 （1% acid conc., 10 g biomass loading, 8 h reaction time）. Whereas, the acid steam maximum CMCase activity recorded was 2.585 IU·mL-1·min-1 （0.8% acid cone., 15 g substrate loading and 8 h reaction time） and the highest FPase activity was 2.055 IU·mL-1·min-1 （0.8% cone., 10 g biomass, 6 h reaction time then autoclaved）. Results revealed that acid pretreated Eucalyptus leaves were better lignocellulosic biomass for cellulose production by submerged fermentation.

Candida accommodates non-culturable Helicobacter pylori in its vacuole-Koch's postulates aren't applicable

The following are the responses to the "letter to the editor"("Helicobacter is preserved in yeast vacuoles! Does Koch's postulates confirm it?") authored by Nader Alipour and Nasrin Gaeini that rejected the methods, results, discussions and conclusions summarized in the review article authored by Siavoshi F and Saniee P. In the article, 7 papers, published between 1998 and 2013, were reviewed. The 7 papers had been reviewed and judged very carefully by the assigned expertise of the journals involved, including the reviewers of the World Journal of Gastroenterology(WJG), before publication. In the review article, 121 references were used to verify the methods, results and discussions of these 7 papers. The review article was edited by the trustworthy British editor of the(WJG), and the final version was rechecked and finally accepted by the reviewers of(WJG). None of the reviewers made comments like those in this "letter to the editor", especially the humorous comments, which seem unprofessional and nonscientific. Above all, the authors' comments show a lack of understanding of basic and advanced microbiology, e.g. bacterial endosymbiosis in eukaryotic cells. Accordingly, their comments all through the letter contain misconceptions. The comments are mostly based on personal conclusions, without any scientific support. It would have been beneficial if the letter had been reviewed by the reviewers of the article by Siavoshi and Saniee.