Exploring new sources of polyphenols with biological activities that work against human diseases is the target of natural product studies. This study determined the polyphenol composition of the bark of Malus species M. baccata var. gracilis (Rehder) T.C.Ku and M. toringoides (Rehder) Hughes, using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis. The antiproliferative, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antimicrobial applications of these extracts, as well as the identified phenol, were studied. The HPLC-DAD analysis confirmed three polyphenols in the extracts out of the 21 screened compounds: protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, and catechin. The major constituents in M. baccata and M. toringoides were protocatechuic acid, at 3.16 and 7.15 mg 100 g−1 dry weight (DW), respectively, and catechin, at 5.55 and 6.80 mg 100 g−1 DW, respectively. M. baccata and M. toringoides bark extracts showed antioxidant activities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β... [more]

Centella asiatica has been included in Thai traditional medicinal plants and recipes, as a well-established historical use as a vegetable and tonic. However, when applied in modern formulations, the progressive degradation of the plant pigments occurs, causing color-fading and color variation in the products. Depigmentation of the comminuted sample using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) fluid extraction with a cosolvent was introduced as a pretreatment to solve the color-fading problem. The contents of compounds with known biological activities and the wound healing activities (antioxidant screening by DPPH and ABTS+ scavenging activities; cell migration assay; matrix metallopeptidase [MMP]-2 inhibition on human skin fibroblast; endothelial cell tube formation assay) of the C. asiatica leaf extracts obtained by conventional ethanolic extraction (CV) and pretreatment using scCO2 extraction, were determined. Total triterpenoids (madecassoside, asiaticoside B, asiaticoside, madecassic... [more]

The present study described the possibility of using wood-treated oil-fungicide of lemon-scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) from newly emerged leaves and unripened fruits against the infestation of Fusarium culmorum, Rhizoctonia solani and Penicillium chrysogenum. Air-dried wood samples of Melia azedarach were treated with the extracted oils from leaves and unripened fruits from C. citriodora. The main chemical constituents identified in the essential oil (EO) from leaves were citronellal (55.31%), citronellol (21.03%) and isopulegol (10.79%), while in unripened fruits were α-pinene (17.86%), eudesmol (13.9%), limonene (9.19%), γ-terpinen (8.21%), and guaiol (7.88%). For recovered oils (ROs), the major components from leaves were D-limonene (70.23%), γ-terpinene (13.58%), β-pinene (2.40%) and isopregol (2.23%), while, 4-terpineol (21.35%), cis-β-terpineol, (19.33%), D-limonene (14.75%), and γ-terpinene (7.42%) represented the main components in fruits. EOs from leaves and fruits at the... [more]

This study investigated the metabolic content and biological activities of Hyphaene thebaica leaves, male parts and fruits methanolic extracts. The phytochemical constituents were determined, and multivariate data analysis discriminated the evaluated three parts into three groups according to the content of phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, saponins, anthocyanins and tannins. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiling of polyphenols revealed the dominance of catechins, rutin and apigenin-7-glucosides in leaves, protocatechuin, p-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, vanillic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric acids and chrysin in male parts, and chlorogenic acid in fruits. Leaves and male parts showed stronger free radical scavenging activity than the fruits. Positive correlations between total antioxidant capacity and carbohydrates, phenolics and flavonols were observed. The three extracts exhibited potent anti-cancer activity against liver and lung carcinoma cell lines. All extracts exhibited... [more]

Herein, a bactericide-secreting Bacillus strain, potentially useful as a biocontrol agent, was isolated from the commercial Yanjing Natto food. Following the biochemical and physiological evaluation, the molecular identification was performed using 16S rDNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified DNA that confirmed the natto isolate as Bacillus subtilis natto (B. subtilis natto). The biocontrol (microbial inhibitory) capability of B. subtilis natto was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and yeast (Yarrowia lipolytica) and recorded. The antimicrobial activity of B. subtilis natto was further enhanced by optimizing the growth medium for optimal bactericides secretion. Under optimized conditions, B. subtilis natto exhibited much higher inhibitory activity against S. aureus with a zone of inhibition diameter up to 27 mm. After 48 h incubation, the optimally yielded B. subtilis natto broth was used to extract and purify the respon... [more]

Production of highly soluble date sugar powder from the nutritive date fruits will be a suitable and superior alternative to commercial refined sugar, providing sustainability in date palm cultivation. A good understanding of the nutritional and phytochemical composition of date fruits is imperative for this purpose. In this work, 11 different date fruit species commonly cultivated in the United Arab Emirates were studied for their chemical composition, physical properties, amino acids, minerals, and anti-nutritional contents. The results revealed that the date fruits contain moisture, protein, lipid, and ash content in the ranges of 14.8%−20.5%, 2.19%−3.12%, 0.25%−0.51%, and 1.37%−1.97%, respectively. Potassium was identified as the major microelement in all the date varieties. Amino acid assay depicted that the date fruits mainly contained glutamine and aspartic acids, along with other essential acids. Monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) were more prevalent in the date fruits than... [more]

Targeted therapies of various diseases are nowadays widely studied in many biomedical fields. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a modern treatment of cancer using a locally activated light. TMPyP is an efficient synthetic water-soluble photosensitizer (PS), yet with poor absorption in the visible and the red regions. In this work, we prepared size-selected and colloidally stable graphene oxide (GO) that is appropriate for biomedical use. Thanks to the negative surface charge of GO, TMPyP was easily linked in order to create conjugates of GO/TMPyP by electrostatic force. Due to the strong ionic interactions, charge transfers between GO and TMPyP occur, as comprehensively investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Biocompatibility and an in vitro effect of GO/TMPyP were confirmed by a battery of in vitro tests including MTT, comet assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and monitoring the cellular uptake. PDT efficiency of GO/TMPyP was tested u... [more]

Persiscaria tenulla, commonly known as Polygonum, is a plant belonging to the family Polygonaceae, which originated from and is widely found in Southeast Asia countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The leaf of the plant is believed to have active ingredients that are responsible for therapeutic effects. In order to take full advantage of a natural medicinal plant for the application in the pharmaceutical and food industries, extraction and separation techniques are essential. In this study, an emerging and rapid extraction approach known as liquid biphasic flotation (LBF) is proposed for the extraction of protein from Persiscaria tenulla leaves. The scope of this study is to establish an efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective technology for the extraction of protein from therapeutic leaves. Based on the ideal conditions of the small LBF system, a 98.36% protein recovery yield and a 79.12% separation efficiency were achieved. The upscaling study... [more]

Scabiosa columbaria is a plant traditionally used to treat skin ailments, such as scabies, wound bruises, sores and hyperpigmentation. To find a novel skin depigmenting agent, the present study was investigated to determine the possible anti-melanogenesis, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase effects of methanol extract of S. columbaria leaves. Cytotoxicity towards human dermal fibroblast (MRHF) cells was assessed using the live-cell fluorescence imaging microscopy. The inhibitory effects of the extract on tyrosinase, collagenase and melanin synthesis were also investigated using standard in vitro method, while ferric reducing power (FRAP) was used to determine the antioxidant potential of the plant extract. The effect of the extract on collagen content in MRHF cells was also investigated. The plant extract displayed no meaningful cytotoxicity towards MRHF cells and no significant cell death was recorded at all the tested concentrations. The extract (25−100 µg/mL) effectively decreased mela... [more]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the predominant intestinal diseases associated with chronic inflammation and ulceration of the colon. This study explored the ameliorative effect of Aloe vera extract (Aloe) and/or heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L.137 (HK L.137) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Aloe and/or HK L.137 were supplied for 9 days and the mice were challenged with DSS for 7 days. The DSS group demonstrated bloody diarrhea, colitis of high histologic grade, increased nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and decreased IL-10 expression. These alterations were dwindled in DSS-induced mice treated with Aloe and HK L.137 separately. Aloe and HK L.137 together have augmented the therapeutic effect of each other. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that Aloe and/or HK L.137 ameliorated DSS-induced colitis by promoting the secre... [more]

The Aquilaria malaccensis species of the genus Aquilaria is an abundant source of agarwood resin and many bioactive phytochemicals. Recent data regarding the chemical constituents and biological activities of Aquilaria leaves led us to attempt to qualitatively profile the metabolites of Aquilaria malaccensis leaves from a healthy, noninoculated tree through phytochemical screening, GC-MS, and LC/Q-TOF-MS. The present work is also the first to report the antilipoxygenase activity of A. malaccensis leaves from healthy noninoculated tree and investigate its toxicity on oral mucosal cells. A total of 53 compounds were tentatively identified in the extract, some of which have been described in literature as exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity. A number of compounds were identified for the first time in the extract of A. malaccensis leaf, including quercetin, quercetin-O-hexoside, kaempferol-O-dirhamnoside, isorhamnetin-O-hexoside, syringetin-O-hexoside, myricetin, tetrahydroxyflavanone, h... [more]

There had been a paradigm shift in tissue engineering studies over the past decades. Of which, part of the hype in such studies was based on exploring for novel biomaterials to enhance regeneration. Strontium ions have been reported by others to have a unique effect on osteogenesis. Both in vitro and in vivo studies had demonstrated that strontium ions were able to promote osteoblast growth, and yet at the same time, inhibit the formation of osteoclasts. Strontium is thus considered an important biomaterial in the field of bone tissue engineering. In this study, we developed a Strontium-calcium silicate scaffold using 3D printing technology and evaluated for its cellular proliferation capabilities by assessing for protein quantification and mineralization of Wharton’s Jelly mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, verapamil (an L-type of calcium channel blocker, CCB) was used to determine the mechanism of action of strontium ions. The results found that the relative cell proliferation rate... [more]

Creosote oil, widely used as a wood preservative, is a complex mixture of different polycyclic aromatic compounds. The soil contamination result in the presence of a specific microcosm. The presented study focuses on the most active strains involved in bioremediation of long-term creosote-contaminated soil. In three soil samples from different boreholes, two Sphingomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) and one Paenibacillus ulginis (P. ulginis) strain were isolated. The conducted experiments showed the differences and similarities between the bacteria strains capable of degrading creosote from the same contaminated area. Both S. maltophilia strains exhibit higher biodegradation efficiency (over 50% after 28 days) and greater increase in glutathione S-transferase activity than P. ulginis ODW 5.9. However, S. maltophilia ODW 3.7 and P. ulginis ODW 5.9 were different from the third of the tested strains. The growth of the former two on creosote resulted in an increase in cell adhesion to Con... [more]

Polyphenols, obtained from natural resources, may possess important pharmacological effects. The polyphenolic profiles of the stem extracts of six Ferocactus species (sp.): F. gracilis, F. pottsii, F. herrerae, F. horridus, F. glaucescens, and F. emoryi, were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD). Additionally, anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were examined. Results showed the presence of high to moderate amounts of polyphenols in the extracts (phenolic acids: Protocatechuic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, caffeic acid, and vanillic acid; flavonoids: Rutoside and quercitrin). The highest amounts of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were found in F. glaucescens ((132.09 mg 100 g−1 dry weight (DW)), F. pottsii (75.71 mg 100 g−1 DW), and F. emoryi (69.14 mg 100 g−1 DW) while rutoside content was highest in F. glaucescens (107.66 mg 100 g−1 DW). Maximum antiproliferative activities were observed against HeLa and... [more]

By monitoring the real-time gas production (CO2 and H2) and redox potential at high sampling frequency in continuous culture of Clostridium pasteurianum on glycerol as sole carbohydrate, the self-synchronized oscillatory metabolism was revealed and studied. The oscillations in CO2 and H2 production were in sync with each other and with both redox potential and glycerol in the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). There is strong evidence that the mechanism for this is in the regulation of the oxidative pathway of glycerol metabolism, including glycolysis, and points toward complex, concerted cycles of enzyme inhibition and activation by pathway intermediates and/or redox equivalents. The importance of understanding such an “oscillatory metabolism” is for developing a stable and highly productive industrial fermentation process for butanol production, as unstable oscillations are unproductive. It is shown that the oscillatory metabolism can be eradicated and reinstated and that the pe... [more]

Curcumin (CUR) has been used since ancient times to treat several ailments as it possesses many pharmacological activities. This study intended to explore the mechanism underlying the protective effects of CUR in remodeling oxidative stress and apoptotic signals in cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced pulmonary injury in albino rats. CUR was administered at a dose of 300 mg/kg/day for 7 days and on the seventh day a single dose of CP (200 mg/kg) was given. Histopathological and ultrastructural examinations of CP-intoxicated rats showed complete alveolar obstruction, thickened inter-alveolar septa, enlarged blood vessels, severe inflammatory edema with pyknotic nuclei, and disappearance of cytoplasmic organelles. Significant increases in caspase-3, malondialdehyde (MDA), and protein carbonyl (PCO) and significant decreases in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were observed. In contrast, rats that received CUR showed clear and empty lumina with single row of pneumocyte... [more]

Mathematical model simulation is a useful method for understanding the complex behavior of a living system. The construction of mathematical models using comprehensive information is one of the techniques of model construction. Such a comprehensive knowledge-based network tends to become a large-scale network. As a result, the variation of analyses is limited to a particular kind of analysis because of the size and complexity of the model. To analyze a large-scale regulatory network of neural differentiation, we propose a contractive method that preserves the dynamic behavior of a large network. The method consists of the following two steps: comprehensive network building and network reduction. The reduction phase can extract network loop structures from a large-scale regulatory network, and the subnetworks were combined to preserve the dynamics of the original large-scale network. We confirmed that the extracted loop combination reproduced the known dynamics of HES1 and ASCL1 before... [more]

The coproduction of lipid and carotenoid by red yeasts in one cycle is more convenient and economical for the industrial sectors, while the kinetics correlation between both products under different culture conditions has been scarcely studied. This study is aiming to correlate the impact of different carbon sources, carbon to phosphorus ratio (C/P), temperature, aeration, pH, and metals on dry cell weight, lipid (GC and fluorescence microscope), and carotenoid (HPLC) production by Rhodotorula glutinis, and applying a novel feeding approach using a 5 L bioreactor to enhance carotenoid and unsaturated fatty acid production by R. glutinis. Whatever the culture condition is, the reversible correlation between lipid and carotenoid production was detected. Remarkably, when adding 0.1 mM BaCl2, cellular lipid was significantly increased 14% more than the control, with 79.3% unsaturated fatty acid (46% C18:2 and C18:3) and 50% γ-carotene, while adding 1 mM NiSO4, cellular carotenoid was enhan... [more]

While attempting to develop a soft, seafood-based product as a potential food item for senior citizens, we evaluated the effects of different softening methods on the hardness and quality of thawed muscular mantle tissue of the neritic squid (Uroteuthis edulis) versus controls. Comparisons were made among injection with proteolytic enzymes (papain, bromelain); soaking in these enzymes or in alkali solutions (NaHCO3, NaOH); various soaking regimes combined with either orbital shaking under vacuum, ultrasonic processing, or ultrasonic cleaning; or hot-air drying and rehydration. Elderly panelists’ sensory impressions of thawed and heat-sterilized squid mantle subjected to these treatments were recorded, together with the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), pH, color, protein breakdown profile (SDS-PAGE), and histological characteristics of thawed squid mantle subjected to the same treatments but not heat-sterilized. TVBN measurements showed that squid mantle remained in a close-to-fres... [more]

In the present study, Melia azedarach wood blocks treated with different acetone extract concentrations from Withania somnifera fruits are assessed for their antibacterial and anti-fungal activities. Wood blocks of M. azedarach treated with W. somnifera fruit extract at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, and 3% are evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity against five genbank accessioned bacterial strains—Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Dickeya solani, Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas cichorii, and Serratia pylumthica—and two fungi, namely, Fusarium culmorum and Rhizoctonia solani. Through HPLC analysis we find that the most abundant quantified phenolic and flavonoid compounds of acetone extract (mg/100 g) are salicylic acid (9.49), vanillic acid (4.78), rutin (4702.58), and myricetin (1386.62). Wood treated with the extract at 2% and 3% show no growth of A. tumefaciens, E. amylovora, and P. cichorii. Use of the extract at 3% causes inhibition of fungal mycelia of F. culmorum and R. solani by 84... [more]

In traditional medicine, lung-moistening herbal medicines (LMHM) are regarded as a major option for treating symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) including dry cough and dyspnea. As PF agents are being applied to the development of lung cancer agents, PF and lung cancer are reported to have high pathological and pharmacological relationships. This study was proposed to identify candidates for the treatment of PF via investigating the effect of LMHM on PF mouse model. PF was induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. Six water extracts of LMHM such as Farfarae Flos (FAF), Trichosanthis Semen (TRS), Lilii Bulbus (LIB), Adenophorae Radix (ADR), Asteris Radix (ASR), and Scrophulariae Radix (SCR) were prepared and administered (300 mg/kg) orally for 10 days after induction. The changes in body weight, histopathology, and immune cell of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were investigated. Among those, LIB and ADR significantly decreased the deposition of collagen and septal thickne... [more]

In this study, we studied the drying process, grinding characteristics and physicochemical characteristics of broccoli sprouts (BS). The seeds of broccoli were germinated at 20 °C for 3 and 6 days. Then, the seeds were air- and freeze-dried, and the Page model was used for prediction of drying kinetics of broccoli sprouts. It was observed that the drying time of BS decreased about twofold as the air-drying temperature increased from 40 to 80 °C. An increasing the air-drying temperature from 40 to 80 °C decreased the drying time by approximately twofold. Freeze-drying of sprouts took the longest drying time. Germination of seeds significantly decreased the value of grinding energy requirements, and the ground sprouts exhibited a different grinding pattern in comparison to ground non-germinated seeds. In terms of color parameters, the highest lightness and yellowness were found for freeze-dried sprouts. Redness and yellowness of sprouts increased with an increase in the air-drying temper... [more]

This work aims to characterize a new method to recover low-manipulated human adipose tissue, enriched with adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ATD-MSCs) for autologous use in regenerative medicine applications. Lipoaspirated fat collected from patients was processed through Lipocell, a Class II-a medical device for dialysis of adipose tissue, by varying filter sizes and washing solutions. ATD-MSC yield was measured with flow cytometry after stromal vascular fraction (SVF) isolation in fresh and cultured samples. Purification from oil and blood was measured after centrifugation with spectrophotometer analysis. Extracellular matrix preservation was assessed through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and biochemical assay for total collagen, type-2 collagen, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) quantification. Flow cytometry showed a two-fold increase of ATD-MSC yield in treated samples in comparison with untreated lipoaspirate; no differences where reported when varying filter size... [more]

The native extractable arabinoxylans (AX) from wheat bran were cross-linked by the commercial laccase C (LccC) and self-produced laccases from Funalia trogii (LccFtr) and Pleurotus pulmonarius (LccPpu) (0.04 U/µg FA, each). Dynamic oscillation measurements of the 6% AX gels demonstrated a storage modulus of 9.4 kPa for LccC, 9.8 kPa for LccFtr, and 10.0 kPa for LccPpu. A loss factor ≤ 0.6 was recorded in the range from 20 to 80 Hz for all three laccases, and remained constant for four weeks of storage, when LccFtr and LccPpu were used. Arabinoxylan gel characteristics, including high water holding capacity, swelling ratio in saliva, and heat resistance indicated a covalently cross-linked network. Neither the mediator compounds caffeic acid and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), nor citrus pectin, enhanced the elastic properties of the gels. Using laccases as an oxidant provided gels with a solid and stable texture, comparable in firmness to traditional gelat... [more]

This contribution describes the effect of the quality of the catalyst coating of cathodes for wastewater treatment by microbial fuel cells (MFC). The increase in coating quality led to a strong increase in MFC performance in terms of peak power density and long-term stability. This more uniform coating was realized by an airbrush coating method for applying a self-developed polymeric solution containing different catalysts (MnO2, MoS2, Co3O4). In addition to the possible automation of the presented coating, this method did not require a calcination step. A cathode coated with catalysts, for instance, MnO2/MoS2 (weight ratio 2:1), by airbrush method reached a peak and long-term power density of 320 and 200−240 mW/m2, respectively, in a two-chamber MFC. The long-term performance was approximately three times higher than a cathode with the same catalyst system but coated with the former paintbrush method on a smaller cathode surface area. This extraordinary increase in MFC performance con... [more]