This study evaluates the antibacterial activity of diethyl ether, methanol, ethanol and chloroform extracts of red algae Ceramium rubrum (Rhodophyta), Sargassum vulgare, Sargassum fusiforme and ...Padina pavonia (Phaeophyta) collected from Red sea, Egypt. The algal extracts were tested for their antibacterial activity against ten multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The highest inhibition activity among all extracts was obtained with 100μl diethyl ether extract S. fusiforme against Staphylococcus aureus 2 and 50μl ethanol extract of S. vulgare against Klebsiella pneumoniae. The algal extract of S. fusiforme and S. vulgare was characterized by Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The compounds with antimicrobial activity were identified, such as phenols, terpenes, acetogenins, indoles, fatty acids and volatile halogenated hydrocarbons. Transmission electron microscopy was applied for determining the morphological changes in S. aureus 2 and K. pneumonia treated with 100μl diethyl ether extract of S. fusiforme and 50μl ethanol extract of S. vulgare, respectively. Perforation of cell wall, leakage of cytoplasmic contents, severe distortion of outer cell shape, inner chromatin mild scattered cytoplasmic vacuolation, rupture of cell wall, and decreased cell size for both bacterial isolates treated with 100μl diethyl ether of S. fusiforme extract and 50μl S. vulgare ethanolic extract were recorded.
The increasing prevalence of lean diabetes has prompted the generation of animal models that mimic metabolic disease in humans. This study aimed to determine the optimum streptozotocin-nicotinamide ...(STZ-NA) dosage ratio to elicit lean diabetic features in a rat model. It also used a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) urinary metabolomics approach to identify the metabolic effect of metformin treatment on this novel rat model. Three different STZ-NA dosage regimens (by body weight: Group A: 110 mg/kg NA and 45 mg/kg STZ; Group B: 180 mg/kg NA and 65 mg/kg STZ and Group C: 120 mg/kg NA and 60 mg/kg STZ) were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats along with oral metformin. Group A diabetic rats (A-DC) showed favorable serum biochemical analyses and a more positive response toward oral metformin administration relative to the other STZ-NA dosage ratio groups. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that glucose, citrate, pyruvate, hippurate, and methylnicotinamide differentiating the OPLS-DA of A-MTF rats (Group A diabetic rats treated with metformin) and A-DC model rats. Subsequent metabolic pathway analyses revealed that metformin treatment was associated with improvement in dysfunctions caused by STZ-NA induction, including carbohydrate metabolism, cofactor metabolism, and vitamin and amino acid metabolism. In conclusion, our results identify the best STZ-NA dosage ratio for a rat model to exhibit lean type 2 diabetic features with optimum sensitivity to metformin treatment. The data presented here could be informative to improve our understanding of non-obese diabetes in humans through the identification of possible activated metabolic pathways in the STZ-NA-induced diabetic rats model.
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•Lean type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and nicotinamide (NA).•110 mg/kg NA and 45 mg/kg STZ induced lean T2DM, optimal response to metformin.•Carbohydrate metabolism was altered by STZ-NA induction in Sprague-Dawley rats.•Combination of STZ-NA affects the metabolism of amino acid.•STZ-NA induction causes distress on cofactor and vitamin metabolic pathway.
The enhancement of plant tolerance toward abiotic stresses is increasingly being supported by the application of biostimulants. Salinity represents a serious problem in the Mediterranean region. To ...verify the effects deriving from the application of biostimulants, trials on Romaine lettuce plants under salt exposure were performed, in greenhouse. Plants were subjected to three NaCl solutions with 0.8, 1.3, and 1.8 dS/m of electrical conductivity. The volume of the solution was 200 mL/plant and delivered every 3 days. Biostimulant treatments started after crop establishment and were: control (water) and two doses (0.1 or 0.2 mL/plant) of the commercial biostimulant Retrosal
(Valagro S.p.A), containing calcium, zinc, and specific active ingredients. Four Retrosal
treatments were applied, every 7 days, directly to the substrate. Non-destructive analyses were conducted to assess the effects on leaf photosynthetic efficiency. At harvest, plants fresh weight (FW) and dry weight were determined, as well as the concentration of chlorophylls, carotenoids, total sugars, nitrate, proline, and abscisic acid (ABA). The biostimulant tested increased significantly the FW of lettuce (+65% in the highest dose) compared to controls. Results indicate that treatments positively affected the chlorophyll content measured
(+45% in the highest dose) and that a general positive effect was observable on net photosynthesis rate. Retrosal
seems to improve the gas exchanges under our experimental conditions. The total sugars levels were not affected by treatments. Biostimulant allowed maintaining nitrate concentration similar to the untreated and unstressed controls. The increasing levels of water salinity caused a raise in proline concentration in control plants (+85%); biostimulant treatments at 0.2 mL/plant dose kept lower the proline levels. All plants treated with the biostimulant showed lower value of ABA (-34%) compared to controls. Results revealed that Retrosal
is able to stimulate plant growth independently from the salinity exposure. However, treated plants reached faster the commercial maturity stage. The fresh biomass of control at the end of experiment, after 30 days, ranged from 15 to 42 g/head, while in biostimulant treated plants ranged from 45 to 94 g/head. The product applied at maximum dose seems to be the most effective in our experimental conditions.
Graphene oxide (GO) is a graphene derivative used for numerous applications in which biomedical uses are significant. However, for this application, the security of GO is doubtful. In this work, we ...synthesized this nanoparticle to assess its toxicity in male mice. In addition, we studied the effects of this nanomaterial on behavior by administering GO intraperitoneally to mice at different doses (2 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg) for five days. Subsequently, we performed biochemical analyses of blood serum and measured peroxidase and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity. Then, we performed histological sections to evaluate the brain's and liver's pathological and morphological changes. The data showed that the open field tests did not alter the locomotor activity. Furthermore, the elevated cross-maze tests showed no anxiety effect in the GO doses in the animals. The biochemical analyses indicated that GO influenced the level of biochemical parameters. Although, the oxidative stress assay showed an increase in peroxidase and MDA activity after GO intoxication. However, histopathological analysis of liver sections showed that GO caused liver inflammation, whereas, at the brain level, GO did not affect neuronal cells. The results indicate that GO caused toxic effects and that its toxicity could be mediated by oxidative stress.
Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector of pathogens and parasites, whose form of control is the use of synthetic insecticides. However, the indiscriminate use of these ...products has led to the emergence of resistant populations. The objective was to evaluate the susceptibility of C. quinquefasciatus larvae to essential oils (EOs) from leaves of Cinnamodendron dinisii Schwacke (CD), Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) G.Don (CV) and Myrcia tomentosa (Aubl.) DC. (MT), and the influence on biochemical parameters, in addition to the in silico potential of the most promising EO for the target acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. The steam distilled EOs were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The EOs lethal concentration of 50 % (LC50) was estimated using different concentrations and probit analysis. Then, the larvae were exposed for 1 h to the LC75 of the most promising EO, and the biochemical parameters were evaluated in vitro: soluble protein concentration, reduced glutathione content, hydrogen peroxide production, lipid peroxidation levels, and AChE enzyme activity. The AChE molecular docking was also performed. The main chemical constituents in CD were pinenes, sabinene and bicyclogermacrene; in CV were α-pinene and 1,8-cineole and in MT were (E)-caryophyllene and germacrene D. The lowest LC50 (1.43 mg. L−1) was estimated for CD EO, although LC75 reduced all biochemical parameters and inhibited AChE activity. The docking results for the major (bicyclogermacrene) and minor compounds (aromadendrene, α-copaene, drymenol, σ- and β-elemene) present in CD EO have high affinity with AChE. In conclusion the effects indicate the promising potential of the CD EO for the development of larvicide against the C. quinquefasciatus.
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•Cinnamodendron dinisii essential oil (CdEO) was the most efficient for Culex quinquefasciatus.•LC75 of CdEO changed in the biochemical parameters of C. quinquefasciatus larvae.•LC75 of CdEO inhibited the activity of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme.•Molecular docking study shown high affinity between AChE and bicyclogermacrene.•CdEO is promising for the development of larvicide for C. quinquefasciatus.
Drought stress affects the normal growth and development of
Benth (MCB), which is an important medicinal and edible plant in China. To investigate the physiological and molecular mechanisms of ...drought resistance in MCB, different concentrations of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) (0, 5, 10, and 15%) were used to simulate drought conditions in this study. Results showed that the growth of MCB was significantly limited under drought stress conditions. Drought stress induced the increases in the contents of Chla, Chlb, Chla + b, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and soluble pectin and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hydrogen peroxide (H
O
), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Transcriptome analysis revealed 3,494 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (1,961 up-regulated and 1,533 down-regulated) between the control and 15% PEG6000 treatments. These DEGs were identified to be involved in the 10 metabolic pathways, including "plant hormone signal transduction," "brassinosteroid biosynthesis," "plant-pathogen interaction," "MAPK signaling pathway-plant," "starch and sucrose metabolism," "pentose and glucuronate interconversions," "phenylpropanoid biosynthesis," "galactose metabolism," "monoterpenoid biosynthesis," and "ribosome." In addition, transcription factors (TFs) analysis showed 8 out of 204 TFs,
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,
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),
, and
, were closely related to the "plant hormone signal transduction" pathway. Taken together, it was inferred that these pathways and TFs might play important roles in response to drought stress in MCB. The current study provided important information for MCB drought resistance breeding in the future.
The toxicological potential of the ethanolic extract from
(EECG), a species traditionally recognised for its antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and hypercholesterolemic properties, was investigated in ...acute and subacute toxicity models in rats. In the acute toxicity test, 2000 mg/kg of EECG was administered orally in female rats, while male and female rats received 250, 500 or 750 mg/kg of EECG for the subacute toxicity test. No evidence of toxicity was observed in the animals acutely exposed, indicating that the LD50 is above 2000 mg/kg. However, repeated exposure to this extract resulted in alterations in important biochemical parameters indicative of hepatic and renal toxicity, including AST, ALT, creatinine, urea, and cholesterol. Additionally, some hematological parameters were also changed by the treatment. EECG demonstrated low toxicological potential. Nevertheless, given the observed changes in liver and kidney enzymes, further investigations into the protective effects of this extract following repeated administration are warranted.
Here, we present an augmented form of two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, that integrates in a single format data from spectroscopic and multiple non-spectroscopic sources for analysis. The ...integration is affected by augmenting every spectrum in a hyperspectral data set with relevant non-spectroscopic data to permit two-dimensional correlation analysis(2D-COS) of the ensemble of augmented spectra. A k-means clustering is then applied to the results of the perturbation domain decomposition to determine which Raman peaks cluster with any of the non-spectroscopic data. We introduce and explain the method with the aid of synthetic spectra and synthetic non-spectroscopic data. We then demonstrate this approach with data using Raman spectra from human embryonic stem cell aggregates undergoing directed differentiation toward pancreatic endocrine cells and parallel bioassays of hormone mRNA expression and C-peptide levels in spent medium. These pancreatic endocrine cells generally contain insulin or glucagon. Insulin has disulfide bonds that produce Raman scattering near 513 cm–1, but no tryptophan. For insulin-positive cells, we found that the application of multisource correlation analysis revealed a high correlation between insulin mRNA and Raman scattering in the disulfide region. In contrast, glucagon has no disulfide bonds but does contain tryptophan. For glucagon-positive cells, we also observed a high correlation between glucagon mRNA and tryptophan Raman scattering (∼757 cm–1). We conclude with a discussion of methods to enhance spectral resolution and its effects on the performance of multisource correlation analysis.
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