Assessing the growth-inhibitory activity of postbiotics of Lactobacillus spp. against Staphylococcus aureus under in vitro circumstances and food model.

Postbiotics are soluble metabolites that are liberated from the structure of lysing bacteria or are produced by live bacteria; these byproducts give the host increased biological activity and certain physiological effects. In the current study, the anti-Staphylococcus properties of postbiotics isolated from Lactobacillus acidophilus,L.paracasei,and L.plantarum were investigated in vitro, and pasteurized milk. Potential activity of postbiotics was performed via agar-disk diffusion method. Besides, the effect of heat and pH on the postbiotics antibacterial activity was measured via the agar-well diffusion method. To determine the antioxidant effect and the free radical scavenging potential of the postbiotics, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method was utilized. The postbiotics chemical composition was identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity was mainly associated with lactic acid, laurostearic acid, and isopropylidene-3,3-dimethyl. Also, postbiotics showed strong antioxidant activity. Postbiotics derived from L.plantarum showed the highest antioxidant properties compared to L.paracasei and L.acidophilus. Lower minimum effective concentrations of postbiotic were altered in food model, and substantially, a low minimum effective( MEC) concentrations index (15 mg/mL) was identified for postbiotic of L.plantarum. The Lactobacillus spp. postbiotic, in particular L.plantarum, may have useful functional characteristics (possible antibacterial and antioxidant) in in vitro and food model.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Anticancer Response of In2O3/RGO Nanocomposites Prepared by a Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis Process.

The incorporation of graphene with metal oxide has been widely explored in various fields, including energy storage devices, optical applications, biomedical applications, and water remediation. This research aimed to assess the impact of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) doping on the photocatalytic and anticancer properties of In2O3 nanoparticles. Pure and In2O3/RGO nanocomposites were effectively synthesized using the single-step microwave hydrothermal process. XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, XPS, Raman, UV-Vis, and PL spectroscopy were carefully utilized to characterize the prepared samples. XRD data showed that synthesized In2O3 nanoparticles had high crystallinity with a decreased crystal size after RGO doping. TEM and SEM images revealed that the In2O3 NPs were spherical and uniformly embedded onto the surface of RGO sheets. Elemental analysis of In2O3/RGO NC confirmed the presence of In, O, and C without impurities. Raman analysis indicated the successful fabrication of In2O3 onto the RGO surface. Uv-Vis analysis showed that the band gap energy was changed with RGO addition. Raman spectra confirmed that In2O3 nanoparticles were successfully anchored onto the RGO sheet. PL results indicated that the prepared In2O3/RGO NCs can be applied to enhance photocatalytic activity and biomedical applications. In the degradation experiment, In2O3/RGO NCs exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared to that of pure In2O3. The degradation efficiency of In2O3/RGO NCs for MB dye was up to 90%. Biological data revealed that the cytotoxicity effect of In2O3/RGO NCs was higher than In2O3 NPs in human colorectal (HCT116) and liver (HepG2) cancer cells. Importantly, the In2O3/RGO NCs exhibited better biocompatibility against human normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). All the results suggest that RGO addition improves the photocatalytic and anticancer activity of In2O3 NPs. This study highlights the potential of In2O3/RGO NCs as an efficient photocatalyst and therapeutic material for water remediation and biomedicine.

Assessment of Antibacterial Properties and Cytotoxic Effect of Ethanolic Extracts of Clitoria ternatea and Camellia sinensis Herbal Formulation Against Clinical Pathogens.

Aim The study aims to evaluate the antibacterial properties of ethanolic extracts from Clitoria ternatea and Camellia sinensis against pathogens causing UTI, wound pathogens, and other clinical bacterial infections and their cytotoxic effects using the brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA). Methods Ethanolic extracts of C. ternatea and C. sinensis were prepared, and their antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis using the well diffusion method. The cytotoxicity was assessed through the BSLA, determining the LC50 values for each extract. Results The formulation of both plant extracts exhibited significant antibacterial activity against UTI pathogens, and wound pathogen bacteria showed higher efficacy compared to other studies. The BSLA revealed a dose-dependent increase in toxicity, with C. ternatea extracts demonstrating higher cytotoxicity than C. sinensis. Conclusion The ethanolic extracts of C. ternatea and C. sinensis possess antibacterial properties against UTI-causing bacteria and show cytotoxic effects in a brine shrimp model. These findings suggest the potential of these plants for developing alternative treatments for UTI. However, further research is necessary to fully understand their safety and efficacy in human subjects.

Optimization of Pluchea indica (L.) leaf extract using ultrasound-assisted extraction and its cytotoxicity on the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy and the third primary cause of cancer-related mortalities caused by unhealthy diet, hectic lifestyle, and genetic damage. People aged ≥ 50 are more at risk for CRC. Nowadays, bioactive compounds from plants have been widely studied in preventing CRC because of their anticancer and antioxidant properties. Herein, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract the bioactive compounds of Pluchea indica (L.) leaves. The resultant total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of P. indica (L.) leaves were analyzed using a response surface methodology (RSM). The central composite design was implemented to evaluate the amplitude (10 %-70 %) and treatment time (2-10 min) on both responses, i.e., TPC and TFC of P. indica (L.) leaves. The optimum UAE conditions were observed 40 % amplitude and 6 min of treatment, where the TPC and TFC were 3.26 ±â€¯0.00 mg GAE/g d.w. and 67.58 ±â€¯1.46 mg QE/g d.w., respectively. The optimum P. indica (L.) leaf extract was then screened for its cytotoxicity on the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line. This extract had strong cytotoxicity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value (IC50) of 12 µg/mL. The phytochemical screening of bioactive compounds revealed that the optimal P. indica (L.) leaf extract contains flavonoids, namely, kaempferol 3-[2''',3''',5'''-triacetyl]-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1->6)-glucoside, myricetin 3-glucoside-7-galactoside, quercetin 3-(3''-sulfatoglucoside), and kaempferol 7,4'-dimethyl ether 3-O-sulfate, which could be good sources for promising anticancer agents. This study employs the RSM approach to utilize UAE for bioactive compounds extraction of P. indica (L.) leaves, identified the specific compounds present in the optimized extract and revealed its potential in preventing CRC.

Conjugated PNC-27 peptide/PEI-superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as a double targeting agent for early cancer diagnosis: In vitro study.

Objectives: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been considered promising non-invasive imaging tools in medicine. However, their high surface energy leads to NPs aggregation, while non-targeted SPIONs can cause cytotoxic effects on normal cells. In this work, we evaluated the in vitro potential of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-SPIONs targeted by PNC-27 peptide as a double targeting agent throughout early cancer diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Initially, PEI was conjugated to PNC-27 with HDM-2-binding domain. Then, SPIONs were loaded into PEI-PNC-27 through the ligand exchange method. The physicochemical characteristics of the synthesized NPs were evaluated. The cytotoxicity and targeting efficiency were assayed against HT-29 and CT-26 cell lines along with NIH-3t3 as normal cells by MTT method and Prussian blue staining test, respectively. Results: The mean diameter of synthesized carriers was obtained in the range of 86.6 - 116.1 nm with a positive charge. According to the cytotoxicity results, the binding and uptake abilities of the PNC-27 peptide by cancer cells were significantly higher than that of the NIH-3t3 cells. However, the results were indicative of the more toxic impacts of targeted synthesized NPs against CT-26 cancer cell line when being compared with HT-29 cells, which may be caused by the different cytotoxicity mechanisms of NPs. In addition, the targeted carriers and SPIONs were present inside and around the cells with HDM-2 expression along with only a few non-targeted vectors, while displaying no appearance throughout the normal cell. Conclusion: The results indicated the efficiency of targeted PEI-coated SPIONs for cancer diagnostic applications.

5-Fluorouracil drug delivery system based on bacterial nanocellulose for colorectal cancer treatment: Mathematical and in vitro evaluation.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common worldwide. Its treatment includes adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) administered intravenously. 5FU is an antineoplastic drug of the fluoropyrimidines group, widely used in the treatment of solid tumors, mainly CRC. Nevertheless, it causes several adverse effects and poor effectiveness due to its short half-life. This work aimed to employ bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) as an encapsulation material for the oral administration of 5FU. First, the adsorption phenomena were analyzed by isotherms, thermodynamic parameters, and kinetic models. Then, encapsulation was carried out using spray-drying, and encapsulated 5FU desorption profiles were assessed in simulated fluids. The biological behavior was evaluated on colon cancer SW480 and SW620 cell lines. As result, it was found that at 25 °C a monolayer of 5FU was formed and the process showed to be the most spontaneous one. In the characterization of the nanocapsules, important changes were detected by the presence of 5FU. The delivery in the colon corresponded to a controlled release behavior. The in vitro assay indicated an improvement in the toxicity effect of the drug and its mechanism of action. Accordingly, BNC is a promising biomaterial for the development of a colon drug delivery platform of 5FU.

The Cytopathic Effect of Different Toxin Concentrations From Different Clostridioides difficile Sequence Types Strains in Vero Cells.

Clostridioides difficile is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated diarrhea, with severity ranging from mild, self-limiting disease, to life-threatening toxic megacolon. C. difficile infection (CDI) pathogenesis is mediated by the TcdA and TcdB toxins. This work aimed to draw correlations between toxin levels, bacterial strains, and disease severity in 63 CDI patients. C. difficile typing was performed by multi-locus sequence types (MLST). Toxin concentrations were measured using the TOX A/B test. In addition, cell cytotoxicity assay was performed following Vero cell exposure to stool extracts (24 h). The most prevalent sequence types (ST) were ST2, ST4, ST6, ST13, ST37, ST42, and ST104, with highest toxin levels produced by ST42 and ST104 (302.5 and 297.1 ng/ml, respectively). These strains had a stronger cytopathic effect (CPE) on Vero cells as compared to strains with lower toxin concentrations (p < 0.001), as manifested by lower cell counts and higher percentages of cell rounding and adhesion loss. Although no association was found between ST, toxin concentrations, and disease severity, a diverse in vitro effect of different STs on the viability and activity of Vero cells was observed. These findings suggest that disease severity is affected by both host immune responses and by bacterial characteristics.

Biomedical potential of chitosan-silver nanoparticles with special reference to antioxidant, antibacterial, hemolytic and in vivo cutaneous wound healing effects.

The aim of the present study was to prepare chitosan-PVA-silver nanoparticles (CS-AgNPs) through green method. Chitosan and PVA polymers acted as stabilizing agents. DLS and TEM analyses showed that CS-AgNPs were homogeneously dispersed in matrix with an average size of 190-200 nm. The CS-AgNPs were tested for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties and the results revealed that they exhibited higher antioxidant activity than CS powder. Moreover, CS-AgNPs were characterized by a low cytotoxicity effect at 5-200 µg/ml against Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cells. In addition, the prepared CS-Ag NPs were found to promote significantly the wound healing, as determined by the wound contraction ratio and histological examination. A significant improvement in wound healing progression and in oxidative stress damage were observed for CS, CS-PVA and CS-AgNPs-treated wound tissues, when compared to control and CICAFLORA®-treated groups. The wound healing effect could be attributed to the antibacterial and antioxidant synergy of AgNPs and CS. Results strongly support the possibility of using CS-AgNPs for wound care applications.

Fabrication and investigation of silica nanofibers via electrospinning.

Electrospinning is a versatile and cost-effective method for fabricating nanofibers of different materials suitable for various applications. In this work, silica nanofibers have produced using the electrospinning method followed by the heat treatment. To fabricate silica nanofibers, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and Butanol were used to prepare the dope solutions. The optimized concentration for polymer in the dope solutions was then measured at 0.1 g/ml. The electrospinning process was conducted under the optimum circumstances of voltage, injection flow, tip to collector distance, ambient temperature (25 °C) and the humidity of 47%. Having conducted the thermal analysis (TG/DTA), electrospun fibers were exposed to thermal analysis in three different temperatures of 500, 700, and 1000 °C for 5 h. Following this, the morphology and the diameter of the fibers, as well as the chemical composition and the crystallinity of each sample were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), and x-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. The noteworthy conditions of 700 °C and 5 h of heat treatment (i.e., calcination) have provided satisfactory results in terms of silica nanofibers morphology and fibers; diameter, i.e., 110 and 600 nm. For cytotoxicity assay, murine fibroblast cells L929 were cultured on a mat of as-spun silica nanofibers. After 24 h and 48 h cultivation time, samples showed no evidence of cytotoxicity effect, which will be a promising result.

Comparative Study of the Electrochemical, Biomedical, and Thermal Properties of Natural and Synthetic Nanomaterials.

In this research, natural nanomaterials including cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), nanofiber cellulose (NFC), and synthetic nanoparticles such as carbon nanofiber (CNF) and carbon nanotube (CNT) with different structures, sizes, and surface areas were produced and analyzed. The most significant contribution of this study is to evaluate and compare these nanomaterials based on the effects of their structures and morphologies on their electrochemical, biomedical, and thermal properties. Based on the obtained results, the natural nanomaterials with low dimension and surface area have zero cytotoxicity effects on the living cells at 12.5 and 3.125 µg/ml concentrations of NFC and CNC, respectively. Meanwhile, synthetic nanomaterials with the high surface area around 15.3-21.1 m2/g and significant thermal stability (480 °C-600 °C) enhance the output of electrode by creating a higher surface area and decreasing the current flow resistance.

Cytotoxic Effect of Iranian Vipera lebetina Snake Venom on HUVEC Cells.

OBJECTIVE: Envenomation by heamotoxic snakes constituted a critical health occurrence in the world. Bleeding is the most sever consequence following snake bite with viperid and crothalid snakes. It is believed that the degradation of vascular membrane caused hemorrhage; in contrast, some suggested that direct cytotoxicity has role in endothelial cell disturbances. This study was carried out to evaluate the direct toxicity effect of V. lebetina crude venom on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). METHODS: The effect of V. lebetina snake venom on HUVECs growth inhibition was determined by MTT assay and neutral red uptake assay. The integrity of cell membrane through LDH release was measured with the Cytotoxicity Detection Kit. Morphological changes of endothelial cells were also evaluated using a phase contrast microscope. RESULT: In MTT assay, crude venom showed a cytotoxic effect on endothelial cells which was confirmed by the effect observed with neutral red assay. Also, crude venom caused changes in the integrity of cell membrane by LDH release. The morphological alterations enhanced in high concentration results in total cells number reduced. CONCLUSION: V. lebetina venom showed potential direct cytotoxic effects on human endothelial cells in a manner of concentration- dependent inhibition.

Evaluation of the biological effects of 5-Cl-8-oxyquinolinepropoxycalix[4]arene and 8-oxyquinolinepropoxycalix[4]arene in vitro and in vivo.

The development of antibacterial and antifungal drugs has been the target of several pharmaceutical and chemical industries mainly due to the lack of effective drugs with low or no side effect. In this work, studies were conducted both in vitro and in vivo with 8-oxyquinolinepropoxycalix[4]arene (A) and 5-Cl-8-oxyquinolinepropoxycalix[4]arene (B) ligands, showing fairly good results. Cytotoxicity and fungicidal actions of compounds A and B were determined in Wistar male rats and peritoneal macrophages of mice. A slight change in the total of leukocytes and erythrocytes was observed on the hematologic assays, showing almost no inflammation after using both compounds in Wistar male rats. We have also noted some, but not significant, alteration in liver enzymes representing modest hepatotoxicity. Cytotoxicity of peritoneal macrophages, in the presence of compound A or B, showed 50% of survival of macrophages. On the other hand, macrophages previously infected with Candida albicans and treated with substance A or B exhibited an increased cytokine IL-10 at 24h incubation. By checking the effect of substance A or B on growing C. albicans, the results pointed that these substances revealed antifungal activity against C. albicans, in 24h culture with a reduction of yeast cells.