Total Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antiproliferative Potentials and Element Contents of Wild Mushroom Candolleomyces candolleanus (Agaricomycetes) from Turkey.

Mushrooms are among the natural products that are widely used in the treatment of diseases. In our study, the biological activities of Candolleomyces candolleanus (Fr.) D. Wacht. & A. Melzer were determined. Within the scope of the study, ethanol and methanol extracts of the basidiomata of the mushroom were obtained. Total antioxidant, total oxidant, and oxidative stress values of the mushroom were determined using Rel Assay kits. Its antimicrobial activity was tested against standard bacterial and fungal strains by agar dilution method. Antiproliferative activity was measured against A549 lung cancer cell line by MTT assay. Element contents were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. According to the findings, the TAS value of the mushroom was determined as 5.547 ± 0.173, the TOS value as 8.572 ± 0.217 and the OSI value as 0.155 ± 0.001. It was determined that the mushroom extract was effective at 25-400 µg/mL concentrations. Element contents were determined to be at normal levels. The antiproliferative activity of the extracts showed strong effects depending on the concentration increase. As a result, it was determined that the biological activities of the extracts of C. candolleanus were high.

Effects of Chlorine Stress on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm and Analysis of Related Gene Expressions.

Chlorine is deployed worldwide to clean waters and prevent water-originated illnesses. However, chlorine has a limited disinfection capacity against biofilms. Microorganisms form biofilms to protect themselves from biological threats such as disinfectant chemicals. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and its biofilm form attaches to surfaces, living buried into exopolysaccharides, can be present in all watery environments including tap water and drinking water. This research aimed to study the biofilm trigger mechanism of the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain, which is known to form biofilm in water supply systems and human body, under chlorine stress levels. In addition to biofilm staining, certain genes that are relevant to the stress condition were selected for gene expression analysis. The bacteria cultures were grown under chlorine stress with concentrations of 0.5, 0.7 and 1 mg/l. Six gene regions were determined related to biofilm and stress response: rpoS, bifA, migA, katB, soxR, and algC. Biofilm formation was analyzed by basic fuchsin staining, and gene expressions were quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. According to the results, highest biofilm production was observed in P. aeruginosa PAO1 wild strain under no stress conditions. Higher biofilm amounts were observed for bacteria under 0.5 and 0.7 mg/l chlorine stress compared to 1 mg/l chlorine stress.

Screening of antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effects of two Cladonia species.

The present study explores the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effects in culture assays of two fruticose soil lichens, Cladonia rangiformis Hoffm. and Cladonia convoluta (Lamkey) Cout., to contribute to possible pharmacological uses of lichens. In vitro antimicrobial activities of methanol and chloroform extracts against two Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli), two Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus), and the yeast Candida albicans were examined using the paper disc method and through determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The data showed the presence of antibiotic substances in the chloroform and the methanol extracts of the lichen species. The chloroform extracts exhibited more significant antimicrobial activity than the methanol extracts. However, a higher antifungal activity was noted in the methanol extract of C. rangiformis. The maximum antimicrobial activity was recorded for the chloroform extract of C. convoluta against E. coli. The cytotoxic effects of the lichen extracts on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were evaluated by the trypan blue assay yielding IC50 values of ca. 173 and 167 microg/ml for the extracts from C. rangiformis and C. convoluta, respectively.

Impact of genetic factors (CYP2C9, VKORC1 and CYP4F2) on warfarin dose requirement in the Turkish population.

Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index and displays marked person-to-person variation in dose requirement. Functional polymorphisms at candidate genes can therefore offer utility as biomarkers to individualize warfarin treatment. The main objective of this study was to determine whether and to what extent variability in warfarin dose requirements was determined by polymorphisms in CYP2C9, VKORC1, CYP4F2 (rs2108622) and EPHX1 (rs2292566) in the Turkish population. Patients (n = 107) who had stable doses and international normalized ratio (INRs) at their last three consecutive visits were registered. Their demographic factors, concurrent medications, warfarin-related bleedings or thromboembolisms, smoking, alcohol intake and weekly green vegetable consumption were recorded. From a blood sample, DNA was isolated and genotyped by real-time PCR for polymorphisms of CYP2C9, VKORC1, CYP4F2 and EPHX1. A regression analysis was used to determine the independent effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on warfarin dose optimization. In our study, in addition to age, genetic variants of CYP2C9, VKORC1 and CYP4F2 were found to be significant predictor variables for the maintenance dose for warfarin, explaining 39.3% of dose variability. VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genotypes remain predictor variables of the warfarin dose, and we first found that CYP4F2 (rs2108622) contributes to dose variability in the Turkish population as well. These observations may be of benefit to future translation research with a view to global personalized medicine in regions hitherto understudied such as the Turkish population so as to rationalize initial warfarin dose and reduce the burden of frequent INR measurements.