Search Results (30)

The current study aimed to investigate the potentiality of yeast isolate Rhodotorula toruloides Y1124 to be used as a feedstock for biodiesel production, and the reutilization of the de-oiled yeast biomass wastes as a biosorbent for the biosorption of Congo red from aquatic solutions was investigated. From screening results, eight yeast isolates were referred to as oleaginous microorganisms, of which yeast isolate Rhodotorula toruloides Y1124 was the highest lipid-accumulating isolate and was used as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The highest lipid accumulation (64.8%) was significantly dependent on the glucose concentration, pH, and incubation temperature according to Plackett–Burman and central composite design results. Under optimized conditions, the estimated amount of biodiesel synthesis from Rhodotorula toruloides biomass represented 82.12% of total analytes. The most prevalent fatty acid methyl esters were hexadecanoic and 11-octadecenoic, comprising 30.04 and 39.36% of total methyl esters which were compatible with plant oils. The optimum biosorption conditions for Congo red removal were pH 6, a 15 min contact time, and an initial dye concentration of 40 mg L⁻¹. The biosorption isothermal and kinetics fitted well with the Langmuir model and the maximal biosorption capacity (q_max) was 81.697 mg g⁻¹. Therefore, the current study may offer a sustainable feedstock with potential viability for both the synthesis of biodiesel and the removal of organic dyes. Full article

The presence of COVID-19 antibodies in the maternal circulation is assumed to be protective for newborns against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We investigated whether maternal COVID-19 antibodies crossed the transplacental barrier and whether there was any difference in the hematological parameters of neonates born to mothers who recovered from COVID-19 during pregnancy. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, located in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. After obtaining written informed consent, 115 healthy, unvaccinated mother-neonate dyads were included. A clinical history of COVID-19-like illness, laboratory-confirmed diagnosis, and contact history were obtained. Serum samples from mothers and neonates were tested for SARS-CoV-2 anti-receptor-binding domain (anti-RBD) IgG antibodies. Hematological parameters were assessed with complete blood counts (CBC) and peripheral blood smear examinations. The study population consisted of 115 mothers, with a mean age of 29.44 ± 5.75 years, and most women (68/115 (59.1%)) were between 26 and 35 years of age. Of these mothers, 88/115 (76.5 percent) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 anti-RBD IgG antibodies, as did 83/115 (72.2 percent) neonatal cord blood samples. The mean levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in maternal and neonatal blood were 19.86 ± 13.82 (IU/mL) and 16.16 ± 12.90 (IU/mL), respectively, indicating that maternal antibodies efficiently crossed the transplacental barrier with an antibody transfer ratio of 0.83. The study found no significant difference in complete blood count (CBC) parameters between seropositive and seronegative mothers, nor between neonates born to seropositive and seronegative mothers. Full article

Potato peel wastes are generated in high quantities from potato processing industries. They are pollutants to the environment, and they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The present study assessed the potentiality of hydrolyzing potato wastes by amylase-producing fungi to improve biogas generation from potato peels through the anaerobic digestion process. Different fungal isolates were screened for amylase production on potato wastes, and the highest amylase producer was selected for optimizing the efficacy of producing amylases in high quantities to efficiently allow the conversion of potato organic matter into fermentable sugars that are utilized for the anaerobic digestion process. The best amylase producers were those derived from Rhizopus stolonifer (32.61 ± 0.89 U/mL). The highest cumulative methane yield from hydrolyzed potato peel was 65.23 ± 3.9 mL CH₄/g and the methane production rate was 0.39 mL CH₄/h, whereas the highest biogas yield from unhydrolyzed potato wastes was 41.32 ± 2.15 mL CH₄/g and the biogas production rate was 0.25 mL CH₄/h. Furthermore, it was found that the two combined sequential stages of anaerobic digestion (biogas production) followed by biodiesel production (enzymatic esterification) were the most effective, recording 72.36 ± 1.85 mL CH₄/g and 64.82% biodiesel of the total analytes. However, one-pot fermentation revealed that biogas yield was 22.83 ± 2.8 mL CH₄/g and the biodiesel extracted was 23.67% of the total analytes. The insights of the current paper may increase the feasibility of potato peel-based biorefinery through the biological hydrolysis strategy of potato wastes using eco-friendly enzymes. Full article

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality across the worldwide. One of the major challenges in colorectal cancer is the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of biological molecules. In this study, we aimed to identify novel key molecules in colorectal cancer by using a computational systems biology approach. We constructed the colorectal protein–protein interaction network which followed hierarchical scale-free nature. We identified TP53, CTNBB1, AKT1, EGFR, HRAS, JUN, RHOA, and EGF as bottleneck-hubs. The HRAS showed the largest interacting strength with functional subnetworks, having strong correlation with protein phosphorylation, kinase activity, signal transduction, and apoptotic processes. Furthermore, we constructed the bottleneck-hubs’ regulatory networks with their transcriptional (transcription factor) and post-transcriptional (miRNAs) regulators, which exhibited the important key regulators. We observed miR-429, miR-622, and miR-133b and transcription factors (EZH2, HDAC1, HDAC4, AR, NFKB1, and KLF4) regulates four bottleneck-hubs (TP53, JUN, AKT1 and EGFR) at the motif level. In future, biochemical investigation of the observed key regulators could provide further understanding about their role in the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer. Full article

Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) poses a serious public health threat in multiple clinical settings. In this study, we detail the isolation of a lytic bacteriophage, vB_PseuP-SA22, from wastewater using a clinical strain of CRPA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis identified that the phage had a podovirus morphology, which agreed with the results of whole genome sequencing. BLASTn search allowed us to classify vB_PseuP-SA22 into the genus Bruynoghevirus. The genome of vB_PseuP-SA22 consisted of 45,458 bp of double-stranded DNA, with a GC content of 52.5%. Of all the open reading frames (ORFs), only 26 (44.8%) were predicted to encode certain functional proteins, whereas the remaining 32 (55.2%) ORFs were annotated as sequences coding functionally uncharacterized hypothetical proteins. The genome lacked genes coding for toxins or markers of lysogenic phages, including integrases, repressors, recombinases, or excisionases. The phage produced round, halo plaques with a diameter of 1.5 ± 2.5 mm on the bacterial lawn. The TEM revealed that vB_PseuP-SA22 has an icosahedral head of 57.5 ± 4.5 nm in length and a short, non-contractile tail (19.5 ± 1.4 nm). The phage showed a latent period of 30 min, a burst size of 300 PFU/infected cells, and a broad host range. vB_PseuP-SA22 was found to be stable between 4–60 °C for 1 h, while the viability of the virus was reduced at temperatures above 60 °C. The phage showed stability at pH levels between 5 and 11. vB_PauP-SA22 reduced the number of live bacteria in P. aeruginosa biofilm by almost five logs. The overall results indicated that the isolated phage could be a candidate to control CRPA infections. However, experimental in vivo studies are essential to ensure the safety and efficacy of vB_PauP-SA22 before its use in humans. Full article

Bacteria and their predators, bacteriophages, or phages are continuously engaged in an arms race for their survival using various defense strategies. Several studies indicated that the bacterial immune arsenal towards phage is quite diverse and uses different components of the host machinery. Most studied antiphage systems are associated with phages, whose genomic matter is double-stranded-DNA. These defense mechanisms are mainly related to either the host or phage-derived proteins and other associated structures and biomolecules. Some of these strategies include DNA restriction-modification (R-M), spontaneous mutations, blocking of phage receptors, production of competitive inhibitors and extracellular matrix which prevent the entry of phage DNA into the host cytoplasm, assembly interference, abortive infection, toxin–antitoxin systems, bacterial retrons, and secondary metabolite-based replication interference. On the contrary, phages develop anti-phage resistance defense mechanisms in consortium with each of these bacterial phage resistance strategies with small fitness cost. These mechanisms allow phages to undergo their replication safely inside their bacterial host’s cytoplasm and be able to produce viable, competent, and immunologically endured progeny virions for the next generation. In this review, we highlight the major bacterial defense systems developed against their predators and some of the phage counterstrategies and suggest potential research directions. Full article

Background: Globally, diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of premature mortality after cardiovascular diseases and tobacco chewing. It is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterised by the faulty metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as a result of defects in insulin secretion or resistance. It was estimated that approximately 463 million of the adult population are suffering from diabetes mellitus, which may grow up to 700 million by 2045. Solanum indicum is distributed all over India and all of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and fruits were used traditionally in the treatment of cough, asthma and rhinitis. However, the hypoglycaemic activity of the plant is not scientifically validated. Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti-hyperlipidaemic activity of methanolic fruit extract of Solanum indicum (SIE) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Method: Experimentally, type II diabetes was induced in rats by an i.p. injection of STZ at a dose of 60 mg/kg. The effect of the fruit extract was evaluated at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight in STZ-induced diabetic rats for 30 days. Result: The oral administration of fruit extract caused a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the blood glucose level with a more prominent effect at 200 mg/kg. The fruit extract showed dose-dependent α-amylase and α-glycosidase inhibitory activity. It reduced the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels remarkably in diabetic rats compared to normal. The extract showed the reduced activity of endogenous antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the liver of STZ diabetic rats. Conclusion: The result confirmed that the fruit extract of Solanum indicum showed a dose-dependent blood glucose lowering effect and significantly reduced elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides. It prevented oxidative stress associated with type II diabetes in STZ rats. Full article

Crop improvement is the fundamental goal of plant biologists, and genetic diversity is the base for the survival of plants in nature. In this study, we evaluated 20 wheat lines for morphological and genetic diversity using eight simple sequence repeats markers from Wheat Microsatellite Consortium (WMC). Morphologically, variations were observed among all of the different wheat lines for the studied trait except for single spike weight. The highest values for different agronomic traits were recorded for the different wheat lines. The maximum days to heading were recorded for Borlaug-16 (128.3 ± 2.52 days). Similarly, days to maturity were recorded and were highest in Markaz-19 (182.3 ± 5.13 days), followed by Borlaug-16 (182.0 ± 4.58 days). The highest plant height was observed for Zincol-16 (122.3 ± 2.51 cm), followed by Markaz-19 (120.0 ± 14.79 cm) and Borlaug-16 (119.7 ± 6.8 cm). The productivity measured by 100-grain weight was highest in the case of Zincol-16 (84.0 ± 7.5 g). In contrast, wheat lines Shahkar, Sehar, and Farid-6 showed the lowest values for the traits tested. The results of genetic diversity revealed a total number of 16 alleles at eight SSR markers with an average of 2.00 ± 0.534 alleles per locus. Out of eight SSR markers, one marker (WMC105) was monomorphic, and six were dimorphic, showing two alleles at each locus. The maximum number of alleles (3) was observed for marker WMC78, in which genotypes AC and AA were predominantly found in high-yielding lines Borlaug-2016 and Zincol-2016 that were distantly related to other varieties. Zincol-2016 was also agronomically distinct from the rest of the 19 wheat lines. The results obtained from this study may be of importance for the scientific community to further explore the underlying genetic polymorphism associated high yielding varieties using marker-assisted selection for sustainable agriculture. Full article

Rice ranks second among cereals in dietary uses around the world. Rice is deficient in iron (Fe), and these are important micronutrients for infants, men, and women. Fortification of rice with iron would help to minimize nutrient deficiency disorders among humans. The current study aims to introduce nutrient-rich rice. The effects of iron on germination, growth, photosynthetic pigment, antioxidant activity, and reduction of oxidative stress were investigated in four Oryza sativa L. cultivars. O. sativa of four different cultivars (Basmati-515, PK-386, KSK-133, and Basmati-198) were grown under five treatments (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mM) of iron sulphate (FeSO₄) in soil of pH 7.5, along with control, by using six replicates. The result revealed that Fe treatment significantly affected seed germination percentage, plant growth parameters, biomass, photosynthetic pigments (chl a, chl b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids), antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic activity, and reduced oxidative stress. The findings also showed that Fe application reduced the oxidative stress including malondialdehyde content and hydrogen peroxide, by increasing the antioxidant enzymatic activity, i.e., catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), and non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds (proline, amino acid, total soluble protein, phenolics, flavonoids, reducing-non-reducing sugar, and carbohydrates) in all cultivars of O. sativa. Furthermore, FeSO₄ induced a significant increase in proline, free amino acid, and total carbohydrates in the leaves of all O. sativa cultivars, but Basmati-198 showed the significantly highest content by 169, 88, and 110%, respectively, at concentration of 500 mM. The present research work showed that soil application of FeSO₄ improved the seed germination, plant growth, and antioxidants enzymatic and non-enzymatic activity, denatured the ROS (reactive oxygen species) in alkaline soil. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms, long-term field investigations should be carried out at the molecular level to examine patterns of iron uptake and plant growth. Full article

Quercetin is one of the most powerful bioactive dietary flavonoids. The in vivo biological study of quercetin is extremely difficult due to its very low solubility. However, diorganotin complexes of quercetin are more useful when contrasted with quercetin due to increased solubility. In the present study, quercetin, substituted biguanide synthesized in the form of Schiff base and its di-alkyl/aryl tin (IV) complexes were obtained by condensing Schiff base with respective di-alkyl/aryl tin (IV) dichloride. Advanced analytical techniques were used for structural elucidation. The results of biological screening against Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria and fungi showed that these diorganotin (IV) derivatives act as potent antimicrobial agents. The in silico investigation with dihydropteroate (DHPS) disclosed a large ligand–receptor interaction and revealed a strong relationship between the natural exercises and computational molecular docking results. Full article

Phytochemicals extracted from plant sources have potential remedial effects to cure a broad range of acute to severe illnesses and ailments. Quercetin is a flavonoid isolated from different dietary sources such as vegetables and fruits, exhibiting strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and non-toxic effects on the biological system. However, the direct uptake or administration of quercetin results in loss of functionality, poor activity, and reduced shelf-life of the bioactive component. In this regard, to improve the uptake, potential, and efficiency of natural components with prolonged storage in the host’s body after administration, numerous polymer drug delivery systems have been created. In the current study, three-dimensional (3D) porous (porosity: 92%; pore size: 81 µm) bio-polymeric foaming gelatin–alginate (GA) beads were fabricated for the entrapment of quercetin as therapeutic drug molecules—gelatin–alginate–quercetin (GAQ). The GAQ beads showed a significant uptake of quercetin molecules resulting in a reduction of reduced porosity up to 64% and pore size 63 µm with a controlled release profile in the PBS medium, showing ~80% release within 24 h. Subsequently, the GAQ beads showed remarkable antioxidant effects, and 95% anti-inflammatory activities along with remarkable in vitro cell culture growth and the observed proliferation of seeded fibroblast cells. Thus, we can conclude that the consistent release of quercetin showed non-toxic effects on normal cell lines and the bioactive surface of the GAQ beads enhances cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation more effectively than control GA polymeric beads and tissue culture plates (TCP). In summary, these findings show that these GAQ beads act as a biocompatible 3D construct with enormous potential in medicinal administration and tissue regeneration for accelerated healing. Full article

Foodborne microorganisms are an important cause of human illness worldwide. Two-thirds of human foodborne diseases are caused by bacterial pathogens throughout the globe, especially in developing nations. Despite enormous developments in conventional foodborne pathogen detection methods, progress is limited by the assay complexity and a prolonged time-to-result. The specificity and sensitivity of assays for live pathogen detection may also depend on the nature of the samples being analyzed and the immunological or molecular reagents used. Bacteriophage-based biosensors offer several benefits, including specificity to their host organism, the detection of only live pathogens, and resistance to extreme environmental factors such as organic solvents, high temperatures, and a wide pH range. Phage-based biosensors are receiving increasing attention owing to their high degree of accuracy, specificity, and reduced assay times. These characteristics, coupled with their abundant supply, make phages a novel bio-recognition molecule in assay development, including biosensors for the detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens to ensure food safety. This review provides comprehensive information about the different types of phage-based biosensor platforms, such as magnetoelastic sensors, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical and surface plasmon resonance for the detection of several foodborne bacterial pathogens from various representative food matrices and environmental samples. Full article

Cereals and cereal-based products are primary sources of nutrition across the world. However, contamination of these foods with aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species, has raised serious concerns. AF generation in innate substrates is influenced by several parameters, including the substrate type, fungus species, moisture content, minerals, humidity, temperature, and physical injury to the kernels. Consumption of AF-contaminated cereals and cereal-based products can lead to both acute and chronic health issues related to physical and mental maturity, reproduction, and the nervous system. Therefore, the precise detection methods, detoxification, and management strategies of AFs in cereal and cereal-based products are crucial for food safety as well as consumer health. Hence, this review provides a brief overview of the occurrence, chemical characteristics, biosynthetic processes, health hazards, and detection techniques of AFs, along with a focus on detoxification and management strategies that could be implemented for food safety and security. Full article