Ebola virus disease: A narrative review.

Ebola virus disease (EVD), which is also referred to as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a highly contagious and frequently lethal sickness caused by the Ebola virus. In 1976, the disease emerged in two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Subsequently, it has caused intermittent outbreaks in several African nations. The virus is primarily spread via direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual or animal. EVD is distinguished by symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and hemorrhage. The outbreak of EVD in West Africa in 2014-2016 emphasized the need for effective control and prevention measures. Despite advancements and the identification of new treatments for EVD, the primary approach to treatment continues to be centered around providing supportive care. Early detection and supportive care can enhance the likelihood of survival. This includes intravenous fluids, electrolyte replacement, and treatment of secondary infections. Experimental therapies, for instance, monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs, have shown promising results in animal studies and some clinical trials. Some African countries have implemented the use of vaccines developed for EVD, but their effectiveness and long-term safety are still being studied. This article provides an overview of the history, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and Ebola coinfection, as well as highlights the ongoing research efforts to develop effective treatments and vaccines to combat this deadly virus.

Eco-friendly control of licorice aqueous extract to increase quality and resistance to postharvest decay in apple and tangerine fruits.

BACKGROUND: Postharvest diseases in fruits and vegetables are one of the major problems in storing them as a fresh agri-product. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) aqueous extract against the Penicillium expansum and the Penicillium digitatum in apple and tangerine fruits as well as their postharvest decay during storage time. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the molds, and the decay inhibition percentage (%DI) with the P.expansum for apple and P.digitatum for tangerine after treatment with licorice aqueous extract were measured. Additionally, the lesion diameter, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and organoleptic properties were determined. RESULTS: The growth of molds was almost inhibited at the concentration of 62.5 mg/mL. The ability of licorice aqueous extract to significantly control and reduce the growth of P. expansum in apple by 60 and 20 % after 7 days and 21 days of storage time was proved, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in pH and TSS (p < 0.05) were observed in apples. Also, the growth of P. digitatum in the tangerine reduced by 33.3 % after 7 days, while there was no significant difference between the control and treatment groups in pH and TSS for apples, and similarly, there was no significant difference in TA for tangerine samples. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the licorice aqueous extract treatment could postpone the blue mold decay in apple fruits and green mold decay in tangerine without any significant effect on fruit quality characteristics. It can be considered as a new eco-friendly control in fruit preservation, while it did not result in any significant adverse effect on  the quality.

Nanocomposite active packaging based on chitosan biopolymer loaded with nano-liposomal essential oil: Its characterizations and effects on microbial, and chemical properties of refrigerated chicken breast fillet.

Biodegradable films reinforced with bio-nanomaterials are a solution for developing active packaging systems, shelf-life extension and protection of environment against conventional packaging. This study aimed to characterize the biocompatible chitosan (CS) films formulated with nano-liposomal garlic essential oil (NLGEO) and assess the physicho-mechanical, morphology properties and also microbial and chemical changes in chicken fillets during storage time at 4 °C. NLGEO was obtained by thin-layer hydration-sonication method using glycerol and tween 80 as plasticizer and emulsifier, respectively. Different levels (0, 0.5, 1 and 2%) of NLGEO with average size of ~101 nm were added into the chitosan matrix and films fabricated by casting method. The average size, polydispersity index and zeta potential were ~101 nm, 0.127 and -7.23, respectively. Control samples showed higher values for pH, total volatile nitrogen (TVN), peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and microbial count including total viable count (TVC), coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and psychrotroph bacteria than treated samples. The films with higher NLGEO content represented stronger inhibitory effects. The incorporation of NLGEO improved the mechanical properties and water resistance of active films. Microstructure analysis also showed a nearly smooth surface morphology and homogenous structure with a good dispersion for NLGEO films. Significant synergistic effects in chemical and bacterial preservation of chicken fillet samples were observed by NLGEO films. The optimal mechanical and barrier properties of chitosan-NLGEO films introduced it a potential active packaging to extend the shelf life of chicken fillet.

Toxicological assessment of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) as a main contaminant of foodstuff in three different in vitro models: Involvement of oxidative stress and cell death signaling pathway.

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) as a main source of food contamination has always been known as a carcinogenic agent. Kidney, liver, testis, and heart seem to be the main target organs for 3-MCPD. Because oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been realized to be involved in 3-MCPD-induced cytotoxicity, the present study aimed to investigate the probable toxicity mechanisms of 3-MCPD in isolated mitochondria, HEK-293 cell line, and cell isolated from the rats' liver and kidney through measuring multiparametric oxidative stress assay. Based on the data indicating no significant difference between 3-MCPD-treated groups and control group, metabolites of 3-MCPD have a key role in organ toxicity caused by them. To further investigating the suggested hypothesis, the effect of 3-MCPD toxicity on HEK-293 cell line was examined. Although the proliferation declined after exposure to a low dose of 3-MCPD (10 to 200 µM), controversial responses in higher concentration (2 to 10 mM) have led to studies on the effect of oxidative stress and cell death signaling on isolated kidney and liver cells. Treatment of the isolated kidney and liver cells with 3-MCPD resulted in an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and activation of cell death signaling without creating any significant difference in the amount of reduced glutathione. In fact, 3-MCPD can disrupt the mitochondrial electron transfer in isolated cells, which is correlated with the impairment of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system, the rise of ROS level, and the failure of MMP, leading to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol and finally the activation of cell death signaling.

Biocontrol effect of Kluyveromyces lactis on aflatoxin expression and production in Aspergillus parasiticus.

Aspergillus parasiticus is one of the most common fungi able to produce aflatoxins, which are naturally occurring carcinogenic substances. This study evaluated the effects of the safe yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis, on fungal growth, aflatoxin production and expression of aflR gene in A. parasiticus. Antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by exposing A. parasiticus to different amounts of K. lactis, and aflatoxin production was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Expression of the aflR gene was determined by measuring the cognate aflR mRNA level by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. The growth of A. parasiticus was inhibited by 7 days of incubation at 30°C with a minimum population of 1.5 × 105 CFU/ml of K. lactis, which also suppressed expression of the A. parasiticus aflR gene, reducing the total production of aflatoxins by 97.9% and aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 by 97.8, 98.6, 98 and 94%, respectively. Accordingly, K. lactis could be considered as a potential biocontrol agent against toxigenic molds in food and animal feed.

A Novel Oncolytic Herpes Capable of Cell-Specific Transcriptional Targeting of CD133± Cancer Cells Induces Significant Tumor Regression.

The topic of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is of significant importance due to its implications in our understanding of the tumor biology as well as the development of novel cancer therapeutics. However, the question of whether targeting CSCs can hamper the growth of tumors remains mainly unanswered due to the lack of specific agents for this purpose. To address this issue, we have developed the first mutated version of herpes simplex virus-1 that is transcriptionally targeted against CD133+ cells. CD133 has been portrayed as one of the most important markers in CSCs involved in the biology of a number of human cancers, including liver, brain, colon, skin, and pancreas. The virus developed in this work, Signal-Smart 2, showed specificity against CD133+ cells in three different models (hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and melanoma) resulting in a loss of viability and invasiveness of cancer cells. Additionally, the virus showed robust inhibitory activity against in vivo tumor growth in both preventive and therapeutic mouse models as well as orthotopic model highly relevant to potential clinical application of this virus. Therefore, we conclude that targeting CD133+ CSCs has the potential to be pursued as a novel strategy against cancer. Stem Cells 2018;36:1154-1169.

RalA signaling pathway as a therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Ral (Ras like) leads an important proto-oncogenic signaling pathway down-stream of Ras. In this work, RalA was found to be significantly overactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and tissues as compared to non-malignant samples. Other elements of RalA pathway such as RalBP1 and RalGDS were also expressed at higher levels in malignant samples. Inhibition of RalA by gene-specific silencing caused a robust decrease in the viability and invasiveness of HCC cells. Additionally, the use of geranyl-geranyl transferase inhibitor (GGTI, an inhibitor of Ral activation) and Aurora kinase inhibitor II resulted in a significant decrease in the proliferation of HCC cells. Furthermore, RalA activation was found to be at a higher level of activation in HCC stem cells that express CD133. Transgenic mouse model for HCC (FXR-Knockout) also revealed an elevated level of RalA-GTP in the liver tumors as compared to background animals. Finally, subcutaneous mouse model for HCC confirmed effectiveness of inhibition of aurora kinase/RalA pathway in reducing the tumorigenesis of HCC cells in vivo. In conclusion, RalA overactivation is an important determinant of malignant phenotype in differentiated and stem cells of HCC and can be considered as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Ectopic Cushing's syndrome secondary to pulmonary carcinoid tumor.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) overproduction within the pituitary gland or ectopically leads to hypercortisolism. In this study a case of Cushing's syndrome caused by an ectopic ACTH-secreting carcinoid tumor in lung is discussed, as are the available diagnostic procedures. The patient was a 28-year-old woman with clinical features starting about 6 months previously. The results of her biochemical tests suggested ectopic Cushing's syndrome. Full-body computed tomography revealed a single nodule in the inferior lobe of the right lung. After removal of the nodule, the patient's symptoms subsided clinically, and laboratory tests confirmed remission of the hypercortisolism.