Effectiveness of collagen and gatifloxacin in improving the healing and antibacterial activities of gellan gum hydrogel films as dressing materials.

The demand for advanced wound care products is rapidly increasing nowadays. In this study, gellan gum/collagen (GG/C) hydrogel films containing gatifloxacin (GAT) were developed to investigate their properties as wound dressing materials. ATR-FTIR, swelling, water content, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and thermal properties were investigated. The mechanical properties of the materials were tested in dry and wet conditions to understand the performance of the materials after exposure to wound exudate. Drug release by Franz diffusion was measured with all samples showing 100 % cumulative drug release after 40 min. Strong antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis were observed for Gram-positive bacteria, while Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were observed for Gram-negative bacteria. The in-vivo cytotoxicity of GG/C-GAT was assessed by wound contraction in rats, which was 95 % for GG/C-GAT01. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining revealed the appearance of fresh full epidermis and granulation tissue, indicating that all wounds had passed through the proliferation phase. The results demonstrate the promising properties of the materials to be used as dressing materials.

Xestospongia muta Fraction-7 and Linoleic Acid: Effects on SR-BI Gene Expression and HDL Cholesterol Uptake.

Xestospongia muta is a marine sponge belonging to the family Petrosiidae. It is an important source of biologically active marine natural products, with different kinds of essential fatty acids. Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is the main receptor for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which plays a pivotal role in preventing atherosclerosis. It removes cholesterol from HDL cholesterol, returning lipid-poor lipoprotein into blood circulation. The present study investigated the effects of X. muta Fraction-7 and linoleic acid on SR-BI gene expression and HDL cholesterol uptake. In vitro studies of the activity of X. muta and linoleic acid against the therapeutic target for hypercholesterolemia were conducted using the HDL receptor SR-BI via luciferase assay and HepG2 cells. In the present study, Fraction-7 of X. muta showed the highest expression level of the SR-BI gene via luciferase assay. Profiling of Fraction-7 of X. muta by GC-MS revealed 58 compounds, comprising various fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid. The in vitro study in HepG2 cells showed that the Fraction-7 of X. muta and linoleic acid (an active compound in X. muta) increased SR-BI mRNA expression by 129% and 85%, respectively, compared to the negative control. Linoleic acid increased HDL uptake by 3.21-fold compared to the negative control. Thus, the Fraction-7 of X. muta and linoleic acid have the potential to be explored as adjuncts in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia to prevent or reduce the severity of atherosclerosis development.

Effect of Linoleic Acid on Cholesterol Levels in a High-Fat Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia Rat Model.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for almost one-third of all deaths. The risk factors for developing this disease include high levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alongside low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Dietary linoleic acid has been suggested to reduce these risk factors. This study aims to determine the effects of linoleic acid on cholesterol levels, liver function tests, and structural changes in liver tissue in comparison with fenofibrate in a hypercholesterolemic rat model. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats (150-180 g) were divided into non-hypercholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic groups. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in the rats by feeding them with a high-fat diet for two weeks. After two weeks, the non-hypercholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic rats were equally divided into six groups (n = 6): control non-hypercholesterolemic rats, non-hypercholesterolemic rats treated with fenofibrate (60 mg/kg), non-hypercholesterolemic rats treated with linoleic acid (5 mg/kg), control hypercholesterolemic rats, hypercholesterolemic rats treated with fenofibrate (60 mg/kg), and hypercholesterolemic rats treated with linoleic acid (5 mg/kg). The changes in the rats' body weight, serum lipid profiles, atherogenic indices, and liver function test results were obtained. The rats' liver tissues were stained for histopathological analysis. The linoleic acid-treated hypercholesterolemic rats exhibited significantly reduced serum TC, TG, LDL, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels, as well as increased HDL levels compared with the control hypercholesterolemic rats. These linoleic acid effects were comparable to those in the fenofibrate-treated hypercholesterolemic rats. In conclusion, linoleic acid possesses early anti-hypercholesterolemic properties, which may be due to the reductions in serum cholesterol levels and mild early structural changes in the liver tissues of hypercholesterolemic rats. Therefore, continued studies on linoleic acid in atherosclerotic and/or obese animal models are suggested.

P(3HB-co-4HB) as high value polyhydroxyalkanoate: its development over recent decades and current advances.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a biogenic polymer that has the potential to substitute synthetic plastic in numerous applications. This is due to its unique attribute of being a biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic, achievable through microbial fermentation from a broad utilizable range of renewable resources. Among all the PHAs discovered, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] stands out as a next generation healthcare biomaterial for having high biopharmaceutical and medical value since it is highly compatible to mammalian tissue. This review provides a critical assessment and complete overview of the development and trend of P(3HB-co-4HB) research over the last few decades, highlighting aspects from the microbial strain discovery to metabolic engineering and bioprocess cultivation strategies. The article also outlines the relevance of P(3HB-co-4HB) as a material for high value-added products in numerous healthcare-related applications.

Preliminary study on thiamethoxam degrading bacteria isolated from corn plantation

Aims@#Thiamethoxam (THIA) is a pesticide that has been widely used for its effectiveness in controlling and preventing insect pests. However, the use of THIA diffused in soil, surface and groundwater pose severe toxicity to the ecosystem. The hazardous pollution caused by the toxicity of THIA demands for remediation to ensure degradation of THIA into its safe constituent elements. Thus, the aim of this study is to isolate and identify potential THIA degraders for future bioremediation.@*Methodology and results@#Bacteria were isolated from soil sample collected at a corn plantation which utilizes THIA as a source of pesticide. Overall, two bacterial isolates were isolated from the soil sample. The bacterial isolates were screened and identified for their ability to degrade pesticide by culturing in minimal salt media (MSM) supplemented with 50 mg/L THIA. The growth of isolates was observed and analyzed through spectrophotometry analysis, standard plate count method and pH value of culture medium. As a result, isolate THIA 1 had been found to possess the ability to degrade pesticide as it showed a high rate in growth of bacteria compared to its controls. Meanwhile, isolate THIA 2 showed no degrading activities while under treatment as it showed similar rate of growth towards its control. Isolate THIA 1 was identified as Acinetobacter sp. UMTFA THIA 1.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#The isolation and identification of the pesticide degrading bacteria will provide promising source of pesticide degrading enzyme that can be further developed for enzymatic pesticide biodegradation. This will pave the way forward in bioremediation where new effective degradation tools can be developed for pesticide residue which otherwise lead to serious ecological problem.

Induction of cytotoxicity by Bruguiera gymnorrhiza in human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell line via activation of the intrinsic pathway.

Breast cancer is among the frequently occurring cancer worldwide. The foremost underline aim of this study was to determine the growth inhibitory effect along with mechanistic study of a Bruguiera gymnorrhiza extract on MCF-7. The cytotoxicity activity was determined by using the MTS assay. Butanol extract exhibited the maximum cytotoxicity activity against the MCF-7 cells with IC50 of 3.39 µg/mL, followed by diethyl ether and methanol extract (IC50 at 16.22 µg/mL and 37.15 µg/mL, respectively) at 72 h. The DeadEndTM Colorimetric Apoptosis Detection System confirmed the induction of apoptosis (via DNA fragmentation) in MCF-7 cells. Both butanol and diethyl ether extracts of B. gymnorrhiza significantly increase the caspase-3 level. However, the diethyl ether extract induced higher caspase-9 levels compared to caspase-8, suggesting that the intrinsic pathway was the major route in the process of apoptosis. Thin-layer chromatography profiling demonstrated the presence of phenolic, terpene, and alkaloid compounds in crude methanol, diethyl ether, and butanol extracts. The phytochemicals present in the extracts of B. gymnorrhiza might have the potential to be a future therapeutic agent against breast cancer.