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Journal of Microorganism Control 2024Cupriavidus metallidurans strain PD11 isolated from laboratory waste drainage can use C1 compounds, such as dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol, as a sole carbon and...
Cupriavidus metallidurans strain PD11 isolated from laboratory waste drainage can use C1 compounds, such as dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol, as a sole carbon and energy source. However, strain CH34 (a type-strain) cannot grow in the medium supplemented with DCM. In the present study, we aimed to unravel the genetic elements underlying the utilization of C1 compounds by strain PD11. The genome subtraction approach indicated that only strain PD11 had several genes highly homologous to those of Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans strain ULPAs1. Moreover, a series of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the orthologs of H. arsenicoxydans genes and the comparative study of the genomes of three strains revealed that the 87.9 kb DNA fragment corresponding to HEAR1959 to HEAR2054 might be horizontally transferred to strain PD11. The 87.9 kb DNA fragment identified was found to contain three genes whose products were putatively involved in the metabolism of formaldehyde, a common intermediate of DCM and methanol. In addition, reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that all three genes were significantly expressed when strain PD11 was cultivated in the presence of DCM or methanol. These findings suggest that strain PD11 can effectively utilize the C1 compounds because of transfer of the mobile genetic elements from other bacterial species, for instance, from H. arsenicoxydans.
Topics: Methanol; Cupriavidus; Methylene Chloride; Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; Energy Metabolism; Genome, Bacterial; Gene Transfer, Horizontal
PubMed: 38880617
DOI: 10.4265/jmc.29.2_55 -
Brazilian Journal of Biology = Revista... 2024Products derived from medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity are considered a promising alternative in the treatment of fungal infections. In this perspective,...
Products derived from medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity are considered a promising alternative in the treatment of fungal infections. In this perspective, this study proposed to evaluate the antifungal activity of the dichloromethane fraction of Annona crassiflora Mart. against C. albicans strains. Tests were carried out to determine Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Fungicide Concentration (MFC), microbial growth kinetics, fungal cell wall and membrane mechanisms of action, antifungal biofilm activity, and cytotoxic effects on human erythrocytes. The extract presented MIC and MFC values that ranged from 256 µg/mL to 1,024 µg/mL, with fungicidal activity in the microbial growth kinetics assay. The mechanism of action did not occur through damage to the cell wall or via binding to ergosterol in the membrane, though the fraction presents activity against biofilm and is not cytotoxic in human erythrocytes. The dichloromethane fraction of Annona crassiflora Mart. presented antifungal activity and reduced biofilm growth, without toxicity against human erythrocytes; however, further studies are needed to define its mechanism of action.
Topics: Annona; Antifungal Agents; Candida albicans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Humans; Plant Extracts; Biofilms; Methylene Chloride; Erythrocytes
PubMed: 38865564
DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.278069 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Persistent environmental colored compounds, resistant to biodegradation, accumulate and harm eco-systems. Developing effective methods to break down these pollutants is...
Sustainable conversion of polyethylene plastic bottles into terephthalic acid, synthesis of coated MIL-101 metal-organic framework and catalytic degradation of pollutant dyes.
Persistent environmental colored compounds, resistant to biodegradation, accumulate and harm eco-systems. Developing effective methods to break down these pollutants is crucial. This study introduces Ag-MIL-101 (Ag-MIL-101) as a composite and reusable catalyst that efficiently degrades specific colored organic pollutants (COPs) like Methylene blue (MB), 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP), and 4-Nitroaniline (4-NA) using sodium borohydride at room temperature. The MIL-101 was synthesized using Terephthalic acid (TPA) derived from the degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic waste, with the assistance of zinc chloride. To further investigation, the kinetics of degradation reaction was studied under optimized conditions in the presence of Ag-MIL-101 as catalyst. Our results demonstrated the remarkable efficiency of the degradation process, with over 93% degradation achieved within just 8 min. The catalyst was characterized using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and TEM. In this study, the average particle size of Ag-MIL-101 was determined using SEM and XRD analysis. These methods allow us to accurately and precisely determine the particle size. We determined the reaction rate constants for the degradation of each COP using a pseudo first-order kinetic equation, with values of 0.585, 0.597 and 0.302 min for MB, 4-NP, and 4-NA, respectively. We also evaluated the recyclability of the catalyst and found that it could be reused for up to three cycles with only a slight decrease in efficiency (10-15%). Overall, our findings highlight the promising application of Ag-MIL-101 as an effective catalyst for the degradation of COPs, emphasizing the importance of optimizing reaction conditions to achieve enhanced efficiency.
PubMed: 38834601
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60363-5 -
Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome May 2024While oxidative stress is the key player driving diabetic nephropathy (DN), firm glycemic control remains the pillar prophylactic measure. Purslane was extensively...
Portulaca oleracea L seed extracts counteract diabetic nephropathy through SDF-1/IL10/PPARγ-mediated tuning of keap1/Nrf2 and NF-κB transcription in Sprague Dawley rats.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
While oxidative stress is the key player driving diabetic nephropathy (DN), firm glycemic control remains the pillar prophylactic measure. Purslane was extensively described as a potent hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agent owing to its rich content of antioxidants. Therefore, this report aimed to assess the renoprotective potentials of methanol (MO) and methylene chloride (MC) fixed oil extracts of purslane seeds in a diabetic nephropathy (DN) model.
METHODS
Purslane seeds were extracted using absolute methanol and methylene chloride, and type-1 diabetes was induced with a single 55 mg/kg dose of Streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in 100 mmol/L citrate buffer (pH 4.5), and then diabetic animals were received MO, MC, for 42 consecutive days to compare their antidiabetic effect relative to the reference drug "Losartan". Renal functions and DN biomarkers were weekly assessed, and the relative expression of different oxido-inflammatory mediators was quantified in diabetic kidneys by RT-PCR. Data were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism 9.0.2.
RESULTS
The oral administration of MO and MC extracts (250 mg/kg/day) significantly ameliorated the body weight loss (P < 0.0001 / each), fasting blood glucose levels (FBG) (P < 0.0001 / each), urine volume (P < 0.0001 / each), as well as serum creatinine (P < 0.0001 / each), uric acid (P = 0.0022, 0.0052), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P = 0.0265, 0.0338); respectively, compared with the untreated diabetic rats. In addition, both extracts restored the effectuality of antioxidative machinery in diabetic kidneys as indicated by a significant reduction of ROS accumulation and lipid peroxidation; higher GSH content, and promoted activity of glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase antioxidant enzymes (P < 0.0001 / each). Histologically, both extracts alleviated the DN-structural alterations including the glomerular congestion and tubular degeneration, with MC-treated kidneys showing near to normal architecture. The transcription profiles of all treated kidneys revealed a significantly downregulated expression of TNF-α, IL-6, Keap1 and NF-κB genes, concomitant with a significant upregulation of SDF-1, IL-10, Nrf2, HO-1, and PPARγ gene expression (P < 0.0001 / all).
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight the remarkable DN-prophylactic potentials of purslane extracts mediated by neutralizing the hyperglycemia-induced ROS accumulation, and circumventing the downstream inflammatory cascades, surpassing the reference angiotensin receptor blocker; i.e. Losartan.
PubMed: 38811991
DOI: 10.1186/s13098-024-01330-y -
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical... 2024The newest virus from the SARS family of viruses called acute syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease, was identified in China at the end of... (Review)
Review
The newest virus from the SARS family of viruses called acute syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease, was identified in China at the end of 2019. In March 2020, after it spread to 29 additional countries, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS-CoV-2 infection mainly starts through the respiratory tract and causes a wide spectrum of symptoms from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory distress syndrome with multi-organ failure and vasoplegic shock. Among the many immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs that have been studied for the treatment of COVID-19, methylene blue (MB) may play an influential role. This article reviews the history of MB applications, the antiviral effects of MB against SARS-CoV-2, and the results of and studies of the use of MB in COVID-19. Based on studies, MB can simultaneously affect most of the host's harmful responses caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its multiple properties, including anti-hypoxemia, anti-oxidant, immune system modulator, and antiviral. The use of MB is associated with a reduction in the possibility of getting infection, and mortality, and can be used as a safe, effective, cheap, and available treatment option with minimal side effects for the clinical management of COVID-19.
PubMed: 38800024
DOI: 10.22038/IJBMS.2024.71871.15617 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Alkaloids are natural compounds useful as scaffolds for discovering new bioactive molecules. This study utilized alkaloid gramine to synthesize two groups of...
Novel C3-Methylene-Bridged Indole Derivatives with and without Substituents at N1: The Influence of Substituents on Their Hemolytic, Cytoprotective, and Antimicrobial Activity.
Alkaloids are natural compounds useful as scaffolds for discovering new bioactive molecules. This study utilized alkaloid gramine to synthesize two groups of C3-substituted indole derivatives, which were either functionalized at N1 or not. The compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The protective effects of the new compounds against in vitro oxidative hemolysis induced by standard oxidant 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane dihydro chloride (AAPH) on human erythrocytes as a cell model were investigated. Additionally, the compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity. The results indicated that most of the indole derivatives devoid of the N1 substitution exhibited strong cytoprotective properties. The docking studies supported the affinities of selected indole-based ligands as potential antioxidants. Furthermore, the derivatives obtained exhibited potent fungicidal properties. The structures of the eight derivatives possessing indole moiety bridged to the imidazole-, benzimidazole-, thiazole-, benzothiazole-, and 5-methylbenzothiazoline-2-thiones were determined by X-ray diffraction. The C=S bond lengths in the thioamide fragment pointed to the involvement of zwitterionic structures of varying contribution. The predominance of zwitterionic mesomers may explain the lack of cytoprotective properties, while steric effects, which limit multiple the hydrogen-bond acceptor properties of a thione sulfur, seem to be responsible for the high hemolytic activity.
Topics: Humans; Hemolysis; Indoles; Erythrocytes; Molecular Docking Simulation; Anti-Infective Agents; Structure-Activity Relationship; Antioxidants; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Cytoprotection; Amidines
PubMed: 38791402
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105364 -
Lasers in Medical Science May 2024Tooth discoloration is a common concern in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) using various photosensitizers (PS). Toluidine Blue (TB), Methylene Blue (MB),...
BACKGROUND
Tooth discoloration is a common concern in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) using various photosensitizers (PS). Toluidine Blue (TB), Methylene Blue (MB), Phthalocyanine (Pc), and 2-mercaptopyridine-substituted zinc phthalocyanine (TM-ZnPc) are among those studied, but their relative impacts on tooth discoloration remain unclear.
AIM
This study aimed to compare the effects of TB, MB, Pc, and TM-ZnPc in aPDT on tooth discoloration, utilizing a controlled experimental setup.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study comprised seventy-five single-rooted incisors with root canals. Following meticulous preparation, a standardized area on the crown surface was designated for examination, and precise measurements of the initial tooth colors were recorded. Samples were randomly divided into five groups: Negative control, MB, TM, Pc, and TM-ZnPc. Photoactivation was performed using LED light, and color measurements were taken at multiple time points up to 90 days. Data were converted to Lab* color values of the CIE Lab* color system (International Commission on Illumination, Vienna, Austria), and ΔE values were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using Two-way ANOVA and Post-Hoc Tukey tests (p < 0.05).
RESULTS
At day 7 and 30, TM-ZnPc and Pc caused less discoloration compared to MB and TB. TM-ZnPc caused more tooth discoloration compared to Pc (p < 0.05). Compared to baseline, MB and TM-ZnPc caused more tooth discoloration at 30 days and TB caused more tooth discoloration at 90 days (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in terms of tooth discoloration at all periods evaluated after Pc application (p > 0.05). All photosensitizers tested in the study caused tooth coloration.
CONCLUSION
All PS induced clinically detectable tooth discoloration, with TB and MB causing more significant discoloration compared to Pc and TM-ZnPc at certain time points. TM-ZnPc and Pc demonstrated more stable coloration levels over time, suggesting their potential reliability in aPDT applications. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate PS to minimize tooth discoloration in aPDT, with Pc showing promise in this regard.
Topics: Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing Agents; Humans; Tooth Discoloration; Tolonium Chloride; Methylene Blue; Spectrophotometry; Isoindoles; Zinc Compounds; Indoles; Organometallic Compounds
PubMed: 38771549
DOI: 10.1007/s10103-024-04085-0 -
RSC Advances May 2024A new series of 2-imino or 2-oxo-2-chromene-6-sulfonamide derivatives 2-9 with potential anti-diabetic activity were designed and synthesized. The new 6-sulfonamide...
A new series of 2-imino or 2-oxo-2-chromene-6-sulfonamide derivatives 2-9 with potential anti-diabetic activity were designed and synthesized. The new 6-sulfonamide chromenes were synthesized by reacting 3-formyl-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonyl chloride with activated methylene derivatives in the presence of ammonium acetate as a catalyst. The structure of the products was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. All the designed derivatives 2-9 were evaluated for their activity against α-amylase and exhibited inhibitory percentage values higher than 93% at 100 μg mL. Additionally, the IC values represented a variable degree of activity with two derivatives 2 and 9 exhibiting the most promising derivative results with IC values of 1.76 ± 0.01 and 1.08 ± 0.02 μM, respectively, compared to Acarbose (IC = 0.43 ± 0.01 μM). Additionally, these derivatives showed potency against the α-glucosidase enzyme with IC values of 0.548 ± 0.02 and 2.44 ± 0.09 μg mL, compared to Acarbose (0.604 ± 0.02 μg mL). Moreover, the PPAR-γ transactivation assay revealed that chromene-6-sulfonamide derivatives 2 and 9 exhibited potential PPAR-γ activity with IC values of 3.152 ± 0.03 and 3.706 ± 0.32 μg mL, respectively, compared to Pioglitazone (4.884 ± 0.29 μg mL). This indicates that these derivatives have insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism activity. The ADMET prediction showed that these derivatives have an acceptable range of oral bioavailability, drug-likeness, and a safe toxicity profile, including being non-cytotoxic, non-mutagenic, non-immunotoxic, and non-carcinogenic. Finally, computational docking analysis demonstrated the ability of these derivatives to interact with α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and PPAR-γ enzymes, with confirmed successful placement due to good binding energy values and various interactions within the pocket.
PubMed: 38746843
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02143f -
Polymers Apr 2024Cellulose nitrates (CNs)-blended composites based on celluloses of bacterial origin (bacterial cellulose (BC)) and plant origin (oat-hull cellulose (OHC)) were...
Cellulose nitrates (CNs)-blended composites based on celluloses of bacterial origin (bacterial cellulose (BC)) and plant origin (oat-hull cellulose (OHC)) were synthesized in this study for the first time. Novel CNs-blended composites made of bacterial and plant-based celluloses with different BC-to-OHC mass ratios of 70/30, 50/50, and 30/70 were developed and fully characterized, and two methods were employed to nitrate the initial BC and OHC, and the three cellulose blends: the first method involved the use of sulfuric-nitric mixed acids (MAs), while the second method utilized concentrated nitric acid in the presence of methylene chloride (NA + MC). The CNs obtained using these two nitration methods were found to differ between each other, most notably, in viscosity: the samples nitrated with NA + MC had an extremely high viscosity of 927 mPa·s through to the formation of an immobile transparent acetonogel. Irrespective of the nitration method, the CN from BC (CN BC) was found to exhibit a higher nitrogen content than the CN from OHC (CN OHC), 12.20-12.32% vs. 11.58-11.60%, respectively. For the starting BC itself, all the cellulose blends of the starting celluloses and their CNs were detected using the SEM technique to have a reticulate fiber nanostructure. The cellulose samples and their CNs were detected using the IR spectroscopy to have basic functional groups. TGA/DTA analyses of the starting cellulose samples and the CNs therefrom demonstrated that the synthesized CN samples were of high purity and had high specific heats of decomposition at 6.14-7.13 kJ/g, corroborating their energy density. The CN BC is an excellent component with in-demand energetic performance; in particular, it has a higher nitrogen content while having a stable nanostructure. The CN BC was discovered to have a positive impact on the stability, structure, and energetic characteristics of the composites. The presence of CN OHC can make CNs-blended composites cheaper. These new CNs-blended composites made of bacterial and plant celluloses are much-needed in advanced, high-performance energetic materials.
PubMed: 38732653
DOI: 10.3390/polym16091183 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024We modified -symmetric benzene-1,3,5--amide (BTA) by introducing flexible linkers in order to generate an N-centered BTA (N-BTA) molecule. The N-BTA compound formed gels...
We modified -symmetric benzene-1,3,5--amide (BTA) by introducing flexible linkers in order to generate an N-centered BTA (N-BTA) molecule. The N-BTA compound formed gels in alcohols and aqueous mixtures of high-polar solvents. Rheological studies showed that the DMSO/water (1:1, /) gels were mechanically stronger compared to other gels, and a similar trend was observed for thermal stability. Powder X-ray analysis of the xerogel obtained from various aqueous gels revealed that the packing modes of the gelators in these systems were similar. The stimuli-responsive properties of the N-BTA towards sodium/potassium salts indicated that the gel network collapsed in the presence of more nucleophilic anions such as cyanide, fluoride, and chloride salts at the MGC, but the gel network was intact when in contact with nitrate, sulphate, acetate, bromide, and iodide salts, indicating the anion-responsive properties of N-BTA gels. Anion-induced gel formation was observed for less nucleophilic anions below the MGC of N-BTA. The ability of N-BTA gels to act as an adsorbent for hazardous anionic and cationic dyes in water was evaluated. The results indicated that the ethanolic gels of N-BTA successfully absorbed methylene blue and methyl orange dyes from water. This work demonstrates the potential of the N-BTA gelator to act as a stimuli-responsive material and a promising candidate for water purification.
PubMed: 38731640
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092149