The novel oleaginous bacterium Sphingomonas sp. EGY1 DSM 29616: a value added platform for renewable biodiesel.

Oleaginous microorganisms are regarded as efficient, renewable cell factories for lipid biosynthesis, a biodiesel precursor, to overwhelm the cosmopolitan energy crisis with affordable investment capital costs. Present research highlights production and characterization of lipids by a newly isolated oleaginous bacterium, Sphingomonas sp. EGY1 DSM 29616 through an eco-friendly approach. Only sweet whey [42.1% (v/v)] in tap water was efficiently used as a growth medium and lipid production medium to encourage cell growth and trigger lipid accumulation simultaneously. Cultivation of Sphingomonas sp. EGY1 DSM 29616 in shake flasks resulted in the accumulation of 8.5 g L-1 lipids inside the cells after 36 h at 30 °C. Triglycerides of C16:C18 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids showed a similar pattern to tripalmitin or triolein; deduced from gas chromatography (GC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-mass spectra analysis (MALDI-TOF-MS) analyses. Batch cultivation 2.5 L in a laboratory scale fermenter led to 13.8 g L-1 accumulated lipids after 34 h at 30 °C. Present data would underpin the potential of Sphingomonas sp. EGY1 DSM 29616 as a novel renewable cell factory for biosynthesis of biodiesel.

Autologous Stem Cells Transplantation in Egyptian Patients with Liver Cirrhosis on Top of Hepatitis C Virus.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Use of pluripotent stem cells is an ideal solution for liver insufficiencies. This work aims is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of autologous stem cells transplantation (SCT) in Egyptian patients of liver cirrhosis on top of hepatitis C virus (HCV). SUBJECTS AND RESULTS: 20 patients with HCV induced liver cirrhosis were divided into 2 groups. Group I: included 10 patients with liver cirrhosis Child score ≥9, for whom autologous stem cell transplantation was done using granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for stem cells mobilization. Separation and collection of the peripheral blood stem cells was done by leukapheresis. G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (G-CSF PB-MNCs) were counted by flow cytometry. Stem cell injection into the hepatic artery was done. Group II: included 10 patients with HCV induced liver cirrhosis as a control group. Follow up and comparison between both groups were done over a follow up period of 6 months. The procedure was well tolerated. Mobilization was successful and the total number of G-CSF PB-MNCs in the harvests ranged from 25×10(6) to 191×10(6). There was improvement in the quality of life, serum albumin, total bilirubin, liver enzymes and the Child-Pugh score of group I over the first two-three months after the procedure. CONCLUSION: SCT in HCV induced liver cirrhosis is a safe procedure. It can improve the quality of life and hepatic functions transiently with no effect on the life expectancy or the fate of the liver cirrhosis.

Plasma and synovial fluid adipocytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Adipocytokines are hormone and cytokine like substances produced mainly from white adipose tissue. A relation between plasma adipocytokines and many inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had been investigated. This work was done to investigate the systemic behavior of the main adipocytokines at the plasma level as well as its local behavior at the synovial fluid level in patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA). The study had been conducted on 32 patients with RA and 18 patients with OA. Paired blood and synovial fluid samples had been collected from all patients and level of plasma and synovial fluid (SF) leptin, adiponectin and resistin had been quantitated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results had been compared between RA group and OA group. Adipocytokines had also been compared in patients with erosive and non-erosive disease and had been related to clinical and laboratory markers of activity. Plasma resistin and BMI-corrected plasma leptin were significantly higher in RA group. Female patients showed significantly higher plasma leptin, even after correction to BMI. Studied SF adipocytokines were significantly higher in RA group and correlated positively with synovial fluid WBCs. Comparing plasma and SF results showed a significant increase in SF resistin especially in RA group and a significant drop of SF adiponectin especially in OA group. In conclusion, Adipocytokines are probably involved in inflammatory and degenerative articular disease. The different behavior between plasma and SF would suggest a pro-inflammatory role for resistin and chondro-protective role for adiponectin.