Search results for: pregnancy-associated plasma protein

Authors: E. Kam, Z. U. Yümün, D. Kurt

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In this study, sediment samples were collected from four sampling sites located on the shores of the Gulf of İzmir. In the samples, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations were determined using inductively coupled, plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The average heavy metal concentrations were: Cd < LOD (limit of detection); Co 14.145 ± 0.13 μg g⁻¹; Cr 112.868 ± 0.89 μg g⁻¹; Cu 34.045 ± 0.53 μg g⁻¹; Mn 481.43 ± 7.65 μg g⁻¹; Ni 76.538 ± 3.81 μg g⁻¹; Pb 11.059 ± 0.53 μg g⁻¹ and Zn 140.133 ± 1.37 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The results were compared with the average abundances of these elements in the Earth’s crust. The measured heavy metal concentrations can serve as reference values for further studies carried out on the shores of the Aegean Sea.

Keywords: heavy metal, Aegean Sea, ICP-OES, sediment

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Authors: Navkiran Kaur, Apoorva Mathur, Abhishree Agarwal, Sakshi Gupta, Tuhin Rashmi

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Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and resistance to the current therapeutics, often concurrently, is an increasing clinical challenge. Glycosylation of proteins is one of the most important post-translational modifications. It is widely known that aberrant glycosylation has been implicated in many different diseases due to changes associated with biological function and protein folding. Alterations in cell surface glycosylation, can promote invasive behavior of tumor cells that ultimately lead to the progression of cancer. In breast cancer, there is an increasing evidence pertaining to the role of glycosylation in tumor formation and metastasis. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study the disease associated sialoglycoproteins in breast cancer by using bioinformatics tools. The sequence will be retrieved from UniProt database. A database in the form of a word document was made by a collection of FASTA sequences of breast cancer gene sequence. Glycosylation was studied using yinOyang tool on ExPASy and Differential genes expression and protein analysis was done in context of breast cancer metastasis. The number of residues predicted O-glc NAc threshold containing 50 aberrant glycosylation sites or more was detected and recorded for individual sequence. We found that the there is a significant change in the expression profiling of glycosylation patterns of various proteins associated with breast cancer. Differential aberrant glycosylated proteins in breast cancer cells with respect to non-neoplastic cells are an important factor for the overall progression and development of cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, bioinformatics, cancer, metastasis, glycosylation

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Authors: Mustafa M. Donma, Orkide Donma

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A growing list of cancers might be influenced by obesity. Obesity is associated with an increased risk for the occurrence and development of some cancers. Inflammation can lead to cancer. It is one of the characteristic features of cancer and plays a critical role in cancer development. C-reactive protein (CRP) is under evaluation related to the new and simple prognostic factors in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer. Obesity can predict and promote systemic inflammation in healthy adults. BMI is correlated with hs-CRP. In this study, SII index and CRP values were evaluated in children with normal BMI and those within the range of different obesity grades to detect the tendency towards cancer in pediatric obesity. A total of one hundred and ninety-four children; thirty-five children with normal BMI, twenty overweight (OW), forty-seven obese (OB) and ninety-two morbid obese (MO) participated in the study. Age- and sex-matched groups were constituted using BMI-for age percentiles. Informed consent was obtained. Ethical Committee approval was taken. Weight, height, waist circumference (C), hip C, head C and neck C of the children were measured. The complete blood count test was performed. C-reactive protein analysis was performed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. The degree for statistical significance was p≤0.05. SII index values were progressively increasing starting from normal weight (NW) to MO children. There is a statistically significant difference between NW and OB as well as MO children. No significant difference was observed between NW and OW children, however, a correlation was observed between NW and OW children. MO constitutes the only group, which exhibited a statistically significant correlation between SII index and CRP. Obesity-related bladder, kidney, cervical, liver, colorectal, endometrial cancers are still being investigated. Obesity, characterized as a chronic low-grade inflammation, is a crucial risk factor for colon cancer. Elevated childhood BMI values may be indicative of processes leading to cancer, initiated early in life. Prevention of childhood adiposity may decrease the cancer incidence in adults. To authors’ best knowledge, this study is the first to introduce SII index values during obesity of varying degrees of severity. It is suggested that this index seems to affect all stages of obesity with an increasing tendency and may point out the concomitant status of obesity and cancer starting from very early periods of life.

Keywords: children, C-reactive protein, systemic immune-inflammation index, obesity

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Authors: Begum Rokeya, Rahelee Zinnat, Fatema Jebunnesa, Israt Ara Hossain, A. Rahman

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Background and Aims: Arsenic in drinking water is a global environmental health problem, and the exposure may increase dyslipidemia and cerebrovascular diseases mortalities, most likely through causing atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis formation, arsenic exposure and impact in pregnancy is still unclear. Recent epidemiological evidences indicate close association between inorganic arsenic exposure via drinking water and Dyslipidemia. However, the exact mechanism of this arsenic-mediated increase in atherosclerosis risk factors remains enigmatic. We explore the association of the effect of arsenic on serum lipid profile in pregnant subjects. Methods: A total 200 pregnant mother screened in this study from arsenic exposed area. Our study group included 100 exposed subjects were cases and 100 Non exposed healthy pregnant were controls requited by a cross-sectional study. Clinical and anthropometric measurements were done by standard techniques. Lipidemic status was assessed by enzymatic endpoint method. Urinary As was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and adjusted with specific gravity and Arsenic exposure was assessed by the level of urinary arsenic level > 100 μg/L was categorized as arsenic exposed and < 100 μg/L were categorized as non-exposed. Multivariate logistic regression and Student’s t - test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure both were significantly higher in the Arsenic exposed pregnant subjects compared to the Non-exposed group (p<0.001). Arsenic exposed subjects had 2 times higher chance of developing hypertensive pregnancy (Odds Ratio 2.2). In parallel to the findings in Ar exposed subjects showed significantly higher proportion of triglyceride and total cholesterol and low density of lipo protein when compare to non- arsenic exposed pregnant subjects. Significant correlation of urinary arsenic level was also found with SBP, DBP, TG, T chol and serum LDL-Cholesterol. On multivariate logistic regression showed urinary arsenic had a positive association with DBP, SBP, Triglyceride and LDL-c. Conclusion: In conclusion, arsenic exposure may induce dyslipidemia like atherosclerosis through modifying reverse cholesterol transport in cholesterol metabolism. For decreasing atherosclerosis related mortality associated with arsenic, preventing exposure from environmental sources in early life is an important element.

Keywords: Arsenic Exposure, Dyslipidemia, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Serum lipid profile

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Authors: Tsai-chun Lai, Szu-ju Fu, Tzu-lin Lee, Yuh-Lien Chen

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There is much evidence that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) from air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. According to previous reports, PM in the air enters the respiratory tract, contacts the alveoli, and enters the blood circulation, leading to the progression of cardiovascular disease. PM pollution may also lead to cardiometabolic disturbances, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The effects of PM on cardiac function and mitochondrial damage are currently unknown. We used mice and rat cardiomyocytes (H9c2) as animal and in vitro cell models, respectively, to simulate an air pollution environment using PM. These results indicate that the apoptosis-related factor PUMA, a regulator of apoptosis upregulated by p53, is increased in mice treated with PM. Apoptosis was aggravated in cardiomyocytes treated with PM, as measured by TUNEL assay and Annexin V/PI. Western blot results showed that CASPASE3 was significantly increased and BCL2 (B-cell lymphoid 2) was significantly decreased under PM treatment. Concurrent exposure to PM increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by MitoSOX Red staining. Furthermore, using Mitotracker staining, PM treatment significantly shortened mitochondrial length, indicating mitochondrial fission. The expression of mitochondrial fission-related proteins p-DRP1 (phosphodynamics-related protein 1) and FIS1 (mitochondrial fission 1 protein) was significantly increased. Based on these results, the exposure to PM worsens mitochondrial function and leads to cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Keywords: particulate matter, cardiomyocyte, apoptosis, mitochondria

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Authors: Kemal Efe Eseller, Göktuğ Yazici

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Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid optical atomic emission spectroscopy which is used for material identification and analysis with the advantages of in-situ analysis, elimination of intensive sample preparation, and micro-destructive properties for the material to be tested. LIBS delivers short pulses of laser beams onto the material in order to create plasma by excitation of the material to a certain threshold. The plasma characteristics, which consist of wavelength value and intensity amplitude, depends on the material and the experiment’s environment. In the present work, medicine samples’ spectrum profiles were obtained via LIBS. Medicine samples’ datasets include two different concentrations for both paracetamol based medicines, namely Aferin and Parafon. The spectrum data of the samples were preprocessed via filling outliers based on quartiles, smoothing spectra to eliminate noise and normalizing both wavelength and intensity axis. Statistical information was obtained and principal component analysis (PCA) was incorporated to both the preprocessed and raw datasets. The machine learning models were set based on two different train-test splits, which were 70% training – 30% test and 80% training – 20% test. Cross-validation was preferred to protect the models against overfitting; thus the sample amount is small. The machine learning results of preprocessed and raw datasets were subjected to comparison for both splits. This is the first time that all supervised machine learning classification algorithms; consisting of Decision Trees, Discriminant, naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machines (SVM), k-NN(k-Nearest Neighbor) Ensemble Learning and Neural Network algorithms; were incorporated to LIBS data of paracetamol based pharmaceutical samples, and their different concentrations on preprocessed and raw dataset in order to observe the effect of preprocessing.

Keywords: machine learning, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, medicines, principal component analysis, preprocessing

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Authors: Laura Gantley, Vanessa M. Conn, Stuart Webb, Kirsty Kirk, Marta Gabryelska, Duncan Holds, Brett W. Stringer, Simon J. Conn

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Trinucleotide repeat disorders comprise ~20 severe, inherited human neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders, which are a result of an abnormal expansion of repetitive sequences in the DNA. The most common of these, Huntington’s disease, results from the expansion of the CAG repeat region in exon 1 of the HTT gene via an unknown mechanism. Non-coding RNAs have been implicated in the initiation and progression of many diseases; thus, we focus on one circular RNA (circRNA) molecule arising from non-canonical splicing (back splicing) of HTT pre-mRNA. This circRNA and its mouse orthologue were transgenically overexpressed in human cells (SHSY-5Y and HEK293T) and mouse cells (Mb1), respectively. High-content imaging and flow cytometry demonstrated the overexpression of this circRNA reduces cell proliferation, reduces nuclear size independent of cellular size, and alters cell cycle progression. Analysis of protein by western blot and immunofluorescence demonstrated no change to HTT protein levels but altered nuclear-cytoplasmic distribution without impacting the expansion of the HTT repeat region. As these phenotypic and genotypic changes are found in Huntington’s disease patients, these results may suggest that this circRNA may play a functional role in the progression of Huntington’s disease.

Keywords: cell biology, circular RNAs, Huntington’s disease, molecular biology, neurodegenerative disorders

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Authors: Maryline Vere, Wilma ten Ham-Baloyi, Lucy Ochola, Opeoluwa Oyedele, Lindsey Beyleveld, Siphokazi Tili, Takafira Mduluza, Paula E. Melariri

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Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma (S.) haematobium and Schistosoma (S.) mansoni parasites poses a significant public health challenge in low-income regions. Diagnosis typically relies on identifying specific urine biomarkers such as haematuria, protein, and leukocytes for S. haematobium, while the Point-of-Care Circulating Cathodic Antigen (POC-CCA) assay is employed for detecting S. mansoni. Urinalysis and the POC-CCA assay are favoured for their rapid, non-invasive nature and cost-effectiveness. However, traditional diagnostic methods such as Kato-Katz and urine filtration lack sensitivity in low-transmission areas, which can lead to underreporting of cases and hinder effective disease control efforts. Therefore, in this study, urinalysis and the POC-CCA assay was utilised to diagnose schistosomiasis effectively among school-going children in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. This was a cross-sectional study with a total of 759 children, aged 5 to 14 years, who provided urine samples. Urinalysis was performed using urinary dipstick tests, which measure multiple parameters, including haematuria, protein, leukocytes, bilirubin, urobilinogen, ketones, pH, specific gravity and other biomarkers. Urinalysis was performed by dipping the strip into the urine sample and observing colour changes on specific reagent pads. The POC-CCA test was conducted by applying a drop of urine onto a cassette containing CCA-specific antibodies, and the presence of a visible test line indicated a positive result for S. mansoni infection. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize urine parameters, and Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated to analyze associations among urine parameters using R software (version 4.3.1). Among the 759 children, the prevalence of S. haematobium using haematuria as a diagnostic marker was 33.6%. Additionally, leukocytes were detected in 21.3% of the samples, and protein was present in 15%. The prevalence of positive POC-CCA test results for S. mansoni was 3.7%. Urine parameters exhibited low to moderate associations, suggesting complex interrelationships. For instance, specific gravity and pH showed a negative correlation (r = -0.37), indicating that higher specific gravity was associated with lower pH. Weak correlations were observed between haematuria and pH (r = -0.10), bilirubin and ketones (r = 0.14), protein and bilirubin (r = 0.13), and urobilinogen and pH (r = 0.12). A mild positive correlation was found between leukocytes and blood (r = 0.23), reflecting some association between these inflammation markers. In conclusion, the study identified a significant prevalence of schistosomiasis among school-going children in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, with S. haematobium detected through haematuria and S. mansoni identified using the POC-CCA assay. The detection of leukocytes and protein in urine samples serves as critical biomarkers for schistosomiasis infections, reinforcing the presence of schistosomiasis in the study area when considered alongside haematuria. These urine parameters are indicative of inflammatory responses associated with schistosomiasis, underscoring the necessity for effective diagnostic methodologies. Such findings highlight the importance of comprehensive diagnostic assessments to accurately identify and monitor schistosomiasis prevalence and its associated health impacts. The significant burden of schistosomiasis in this population highlights the urgent need to develop targeted control interventions to effectively reduce its prevalence in the study area.

Keywords: schistosomiasis, urinalysis, haematuria, POC-CCA

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Authors: Hakam Alkhateeb

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Oleuropein, the main constituent of leaves and fruits of the olive tree, has been demonstrated to exert beneficial effects on parameters relevant to the normal homeostatic mechanisms of glucose regulation in rat skeletal muscle. However, the antidiabetic effect of oleuropein, to our knowledge, has not been examined. Therefore, in this study, we examined whether oleuropein ameliorated palmitate-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. To examine this question, insulin resistance was rapidly induced by incubating (12h) soleus muscle with a high concentration of palmitate(2mM). Subsequently, we attempted to restore insulin sensitivity by incubating (12h) muscles with oleuropien (1.5mM), while maintaining high concentrations of palmitate. Palmitate treatment for 12 h reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport, GLUT4 translocationandAS160 phosphorylation. Oleuropein treatment (12 h) fully restoredinsulin-stimulated glucose transport, GLUT4translocationandAS160 phosphorylation. Inhibition of PI3K phosphorylation with wortmannin (1µM)did not affect the oleuropein-induced improvements in insulin-stimulated glucose transport, GLUT4 translocation, and AS160 phosphorylation. These results suggested that the improvements in these parameters cannot account for activating PI3K pathway. Taken altogether, it appears that oleuropein, through activation of another pathway like activated protein kinase (AMPK), may provide a possible strategy by which they ameliorate palmitate-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscles.

Keywords: AS160, diabetes, GLUT4, oleuropein

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Authors: Harish Rajak, Preeti Patel

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The application of histone deacetylase inhibitors is a well-known strategy in prevention of cancer which shows acceptable preclinical antitumor activity due to its ability of growth inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cell. Molecular docking were performed using Histone Deacetylase protein (PDB ID:1t69) and prepared series of hydroxamic acid based HDACIs. On the basis of docking study, it was predicted that compound 1 has significant binding interaction with HDAC protein and three hydrogen bond interactions takes place, which are essential for antitumor activity. On docking, most of the compounds exhibited better glide score values between -8 to -10 which is close to the glide score value of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid. The pharmacophore hypotheses were developed using e-pharmacophore script and phase module. The 3D-QSAR models provided a good correlation between predicted and actual anticancer activity. Best QSAR model showed Q2 (0.7974), R2 (0.9200) and standard deviation (0.2308). QSAR visualization maps suggest that hydrogen bond acceptor groups at carbonyl group of cap region and hydrophobic groups at ortho, meta, para position of R9 were favorable for HDAC inhibitory activity. We established structure activity correlation using docking, pharmacophore modeling and atom based 3D QSAR model for hydroxamic acid based HDACIs.

Keywords: HDACIs, QSAR, e-pharmacophore, docking, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid

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Authors: N. M. Sani, I. Bitrus, A. M. Sarki, N. S. Mujahid

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Hepatitis is one of the neglected infectious diseases in sub Saharan Africa, and most of the available data is based on blood donors. Health care workers (HCWs) often get infected as a result of their close contact with patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C among this group of professionals with a view to improving the quality of care to their patients. Hepatitis B and C infections pose a major public health problem worldwide. While infection is highest in the developing world particularly Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, healthcare workers are at higher risk of acquiring blood-borne viral infections, particularly Hepatitis B and C which are mostly asymptomatic. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C infections and associated risk factors among health care workers in Dutse Metropolis, Jigawa State - Nigeria. A standard rapid immuno-chromatographic technique i.e. rapid ELISA was used to screen all sera for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis C viral antibody (HCVAb) respectively. Strips containing coated antibodies and antigens to HBV and HCV respectively were removed from the foil. Strips were labeled according to samples. Using a separate disposable pipette, 2 drops of the sample (plasma) were added into each test strip and allowed to run across the absorbent pad. Results were read after 15 minutes. The prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in 100 healthcare workers was determined by testing the plasma collected from the clients during their normal checkup using HBsAg and HCVAb test strips. Results were subjected to statistical analysis using chi-square test. The prevalence of HBV among HCWs was 19 out of 100 (19.0%) and that of HCV was 5 out of 100 (5.0%) where in both cases, higher prevalence was observed among female nurses. It was also observed that all HCV positive cases were recorded among nurses only. The study revealed that nurses are at greater risk of contracting HBV and HCV due to their frequent contact with patients. It is therefore recommended that effective vaccination and other infection control measures be encouraged among healthcare workers.

Keywords: prevalence, hepatitis, viruses, healthcare workers, infection

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Authors: Somaiya Mateen, Shagufta Moin, Abdul Qayyum, Atif Zafar

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Cytokines and reactive species play an important role in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was done to determine the levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), inflammatory cytokines and the markers of protein, DNA and lipid oxidation in the blood of RA patients, with the aim to study the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role of moderate intensity exercises in the management of RA. RA patients were subdivided into two groups- first group (n=30) received treatment with conventional RA drugs while the second group (n=30) received moderate exercise therapy along with the conventional drugs for a period of 12 weeks. The levels of ROS, RNS, inflammatory cytokines and markers of biomolecule oxidation were monitored before and after 12 weeks of treatment. RA patients showed a marked increase in the levels of ROS, RNS, inflammatory cytokines, lipid, protein and DNA oxidation as compared to the healthy controls. These parameters were ameliorated after treatment with drugs alone and exercise combined with drugs, with the amelioration being more significant in patients given drugs along with the moderate intensity exercise treatment. In conclusion, the role of ROS, RNS and inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of RA has been confirmed by this study. These may also serve as potential biomarker for assessing the disease severity. Finally, the addition of moderate intensity exercises in the management of RA may be of great value.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, reactive oxygen species, inflammatory cytokines, moderate intensity exercises

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Authors: Qi Liu, Jiqin Yao, Xiaohu Zhou, Bo Zheng

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The first artificial cell was produced by Thomas Chang in the 1950s when he was trying to make a mimic of red blood cells. Since then, many different types of artificial cells have been constructed from one of the two approaches: a so-called bottom-up approach, which aims to create a cell from scratch, and a top-down approach, in which genes are sequentially knocked out from organisms until only the minimal genome required for sustaining life remains. In this project, bottom-up approach was used to build a new cell-free expression system which mimics artificial cell that capable of protein expression and communicate with each other. The artificial cells constructed from the bottom-up approach are usually lipid vesicles, polymersomes, hydrogels or aqueous droplets containing the nucleic acids and transcription-translation machinery. However, lipid vesicles based artificial cells capable of communication present several issues in the cell communication research: (1) The lipid vesicles normally lose the important functions such as protein expression within a few hours. (2) The lipid membrane allows the permeation of only small molecules and limits the types of molecules that can be sensed and released to the surrounding environment for chemical communication; (3) The lipid vesicles are prone to rupture due to the imbalance of the osmotic pressure. To address these issues, the hydrogel-based artificial cells were constructed in this work. To construct the artificial cell, polyacrylamide hydrogel was functionalized with Acrylate PEG Succinimidyl Carboxymethyl Ester (ACLT-PEG2000-SCM) moiety on the polymer backbone. The proteinaceous factors can then be immobilized on the polymer backbone by the reaction between primary amines of proteins and N-hydroxysuccinimide esters (NHS esters) of ACLT-PEG2000-SCM, the plasmid template and ribosome were encapsulated inside the hydrogel particles. Because the artificial cell could continuously express protein with the supply of nutrients and energy, the artificial cell-artificial cell communication and artificial cell-natural cell communication could be achieved by combining the artificial cell vector with designed plasmids. The plasmids were designed referring to the quorum sensing (QS) system of bacteria, which largely relied on cognate acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) / transcription pairs. In one communication pair, “sender” is the artificial cell or natural cell that can produce AHL signal molecule by synthesizing the corresponding signal synthase that catalyzed the conversion of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) into AHL, while the “receiver” is the artificial cell or natural cell that can sense the quorum sensing signaling molecule form “sender” and in turn express the gene of interest. In the experiment, GFP was first immobilized inside the hydrogel particle to prove that the functionalized hydrogel particles could be used for protein binding. After that, the successful communication between artificial cell-artificial cell and artificial cell-natural cell was demonstrated, the successful signal between artificial cell-artificial cell or artificial cell-natural cell could be observed by recording the fluorescence signal increase. The hydrogel-based artificial cell designed in this work can help to study the complex communication system in bacteria, it can also be further developed for therapeutic applications.

Keywords: artificial cell, cell-free system, gene circuit, synthetic biology

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Authors: Najafi S., Heidai R., Jamei R., Tofigh F.

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In order to study the effects of magnetic field on the root system and growth of Phaseolus vulgaris, an experiment was conducted in 2012. The possible involvement of magnetic field (MF) pretreatment in physiological factors of Phaseolus vulgaris was investigated. Seeds were subjected to 10 days with 1.8 mT of magnetic field for 1h per day. MF pretreatment decreased the plant height, fresh and dry weight, length of root and length of shoot, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b and carotenoid in 10 days old seedling. In addition, activity of enzymes such as Catalase and Guaiacol peroxidase was decreased due to MF exposure. Also, the total Protein and DPPH content of the treated by magnetic field was not significantly changed in compare to control groups, while the flavonoid, Phenol and prolin content of the treated of the treated by magnetic field was significantly changed in compare to control groups. Lateral branches of roots and secondary roots increased with MF. The results suggest that pretreatment of this MF plays important roles in changes in crop productivity. In all cases there was observed a slight stimulating effect of the factors examined. The growth dynamics were weakened. The plants were shorter. Moreover, the effect of a magnetic field on the crop of Phaseolus vulgaris and its structure was small.

Keywords: carotenoid, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, DPPH, enzymes, flavonoid, germination, growth, phenol, proline, protein, magnetic field, phaseolus vulgaris

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Authors: N. A. Bamidele, S. O. Obasa, I. O. Taiwo, I. Abdulraheem, O. C. Odebiyi, A. A. Adeoye, O. E. Babalola, O. V. Uzamere

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A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented unripe plantain peel meal (FUP) on growth performance, nutrients digestibility and economic indices of production of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings. Fingerlings (150) of Nile tilapia (1.70±0.1g) were stocked at 10 per plastic tank. Five iso-nitrogenous diets containing 40% crude protein in which maize meal was replaced by fermented unripe plantain peel meal at 0% (FUP0), 25% (FUP25), 50% (FUP50), 75% (FUP75) and 100% (FUP100) were formulated and prepared. The fingerlings were fed at 5% body weight per day for 56 days. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in all the growth parameters among the treatments. Feed conversion ratio of 1.35 in fish fed diet FUP25 was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from 1.42 of fish fed diet FUP0. Apparent protein digestibility of 86.94% in fish fed diet FUP100 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than 70.37% in fish fed diet FUP0 while apparent carbohydrate of 88.34% in fish fed diet FUP0 was significantly different (p < 0.05) from 70.29% of FUP100. Red blood cell (4.30 ml/mm3) of fish fed diet FUP100 was not significantly different from 4.13 ml/mm3 of fish fed diet FUP50. The highest percentage profit of 88.85% in fish fed diet FUP100 was significantly higher than 66.68% in fish fed diet FUP0 while the profit index of 1.89 in fish fed diet FUP100 was significantly different from 1.67 in fish fed diet FUP0. Therefore, fermented unripe plantain peel meal can completely replace maize in the diet of O. niloticus fingerlings.

Keywords: fermentation, fish diets, plantain peel, tilapia

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Authors: Yoseph Gela Ali

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Inadequate quality and quantity diet is one of the major reasons for high levels of malnutrition in pregnant women. Across-sectional survey was conducted in Shashemene District, Southern Oromia Region. A two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of 15190 pregnant women aged 20-50 years from four rural villages Energy and nutrient intakes from foods were calculated from one-day weighed food records on a sub-sample (n = 83). The result of the study showed that the intakes of most nutrients were lower than the recommended intake. The energy intake of the study participants both in 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy were 2,308 kcal and 1,420.5 kcal compared to the recommended 2,340 kcal and 2,452 kcal, respectively. Except iron, almost all micronutrient intakes were lower than the recommended intake. Vitamin A intake was 3 µg compared with the recommended 800 µg, while protein intake of the study respondents in 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy was 45.9 g and 31.5 g, respectively, compared with the recommended 71 g. Risk factors for under nutrition were multiple pregnancy and no consumption of cereal-based foods. This study revealed that the energy and nutrient intake of the pregnant women in the study area was below the recommended intakes. Furthermore, the situation might be aggravated by the high phytate content food consumption reported. Nutritional status of pregnant women in the study area was not adequate to support the increased energy and nutrient requirement of the participants.

Keywords: nutrition, pregnancy, protein, vitamin, energy

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Authors: Eleni C. Mazarakioti, Anastasios Zotos, Anna-Akrivi Thomatou, Efthimios Kokkotos, Achilleas Kontogeorgos, Athanasios Ladavos, Angelos Patakas

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“Gigantes Elefantes” is a particularly dynamic crop of giant beans cultivated in western Macedonia (Greece). This variety of large beans growing in this area and specifically in the regions of Prespes and Kastoria is a protected designation of origin (PDO) species with high nutritional quality. Mislabeling of geographical origin and blending with unidentified samples are common fraudulent practices in Greek food market with financial and possible health consequences. In the last decades, multi-elemental composition analysis has been used in identifying the geographical origin of foods and agricultural products. In an attempt to discriminate the authenticity of Greek beans, multi-elemental analysis (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, Se, Sr, Ta, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn, Zr) was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) on 320 samples of beans, originated from Greece (Prespes and Kastoria), China and Poland. All samples were collected during the autumn of 2021. The obtained data were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA), an unsupervised statistical method, which allows for to reduce of the dimensionality of the enormous datasets. Statistical analysis revealed a clear separation of beans that had been cultivated in Greece compared with those from China and Poland. An adequate discrimination of geographical origin between bean samples originating from the two Greece regions, Prespes and Kastoria, was also evident. Our results suggest that multi-elemental analysis combined with the appropriate multivariate statistical method could be a useful tool for bean’s geographical authentication. Acknowledgment: This research has been financed by the Public Investment Programme/General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, under the call “YPOERGO 3, code 2018SE01300000: project title: ‘Elaboration and implementation of methodology for authenticity and geographical origin assessment of agricultural products.

Keywords: geographical origin, authenticity, multi-elemental analysis, beans, ICP-MS, PCA

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Authors: A. Zahra, G. de Cesare, D. Caputo, A. Nascetti

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PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) polymer is a suitable material for biological and MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) designers, because of its biocompatibility, transparency and high resistance under plasma treatment. PDMS round channel is always been of great interest due to its ability to confine the liquid with membrane type micro valves. In this paper we are presenting a very simple way to form round shape microfluidic channel, which is based on reflow of positive photoresist AZ® 40 XT. With this method, it is possible to obtain channel of different height simply by varying the spin coating parameters of photoresist.

Keywords: lab-on-chip, PDMS, reflow, round microfluidic channel

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Authors: Xiquan Weng, Chaoge Wang, Guoqin Xu, Wentao Lin

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Objective: Cold exposure and exercise serve as two powerful physiological stimuli to launch the conversion of fat-accumulating white adipose tissue (WAT) into energy-dissipating brown adipose tissue (BAT). So far, it remains to be elucidated whether exercise plus cold exposure can produce an addictive effect on promoting WAT browning. Methods: 64 SD rats were subjected to high-fat and high-sugar diets for 9-week and successfully established an obesity model. They were randomly divided into 8 groups: normal control group (NC), normal exercise group (NE), continuous cold control group (CC), continuous cold exercise group (CE), intermittent cold control group (IC) and intermittent cold exercise group (IE). For continuous cold exposure, the rats stayed in a cold environment all day; For intermittent cold exposure, the rats were exposed to cold for only 4h per day. The protocol for treadmill exercises were as follows: 25m/min (speed), 0°C (slope), 30mins each time, an interval for 10 mins between two exercises, twice/two days, lasting for 5 weeks. Sampling were conducted on the 5th weekend. The body length and weight of the rats were measured, and the Lee's index was calculated. The visceral fat rate (VFR), subcutaneous fat rate (SFR), brown fat rate (BrFR) and body fat rate (BoFR) were measured by Micro-CT LCT200, and the expression of UCP1 protein in inguinal fat was examined by Western-blot. SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis of the experimental results, and the ANOVA analysis was performed between groups (P < 0.05 was significant). Results: (1) Compared with the NC group, the weight of obese rats was significantly declined in the NE, CE and IE groups (P < 0.05), the Lee's index of obese rats significantly declined in the CE group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NE group, the weight of obese rats was significantly declined in the CE and IE groups (P < 0.05). (2)Compared with the NC group, the VFR and BoFR of the rats significantly declined in the NE, CE and IE groups (P < 0.05), the SFR of the rats significantly declined in the CE and IE groups (P < 0.05), and the BFR of the rats was significantly higher in the CC and IC groups (P < 0.05), respectively. Compared with the NE group, the VFR and BoFR of the rats significantly declined in the CE group (P < 0.05), the SFR of the rats was significantly higher in the CC and IS groups (P < 0.05), and the BrFR of the rats was significantly higher in the IC group (P < 0.05). (3)Compared with the NC group, the up-regulation of UCP1 protein expression in the inguinal fat of the rats was significant in the NE, CC, CE, IC and IE groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the NE group, the up-regulation of UCP1 protein expression in the inguinal fat of the rats was significant in the CC, CE and IE groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Exercise in the continuous and intermittent cold, especially in the former, can effectively decline the weight and body fat rate of obese rats. This is related to the effect of cold and exercise on the browning of white fat in rats.

Keywords: cold, browning of white fat, exercise, obesity

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Authors: Suphaket Saenthaweesuk, Nutiya Somparn, Atcharaporn Thewmore

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The present study aims to investigate the effects of Cymbopogon citratus, Stapf (CS) or lemon grass ethanol extract on antioxidant and vascular disorders parameters in rat. The CS ethanol extract was screened for its phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity in vitro. Moreover, the extract was studied in rats to evaluate its effects in vivo. Rats were orally administered with CS at 1,000 mg/kg/day for 30 days. Phytochemical screening of CS extract indicated the presence of tannins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds. The extract contained phenolic compounds 1,400.10 ± 0.47 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram CS extract. The free radical scavenging activity assessed by DPPH assay gave IC50 of 168.77 ± 3.32µg/mL, which is relatively lower than that of BHT with IC50 of 12.34 ± 1.14 µg/mL. In the animals, the protein expression of antioxidant enzymes, γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (γ-GCL) in liver was significantly increased. This was consistent with elevation of serum catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. However, Protein expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in heart and aorta were not differenced from normal control. Taken together, the present study provides evidence that CCS water extract exhibits direct antioxidant properties and can induce cytoprotective enzymes in vivo.

Keywords: antioxidant, Cymbopogon citratus Stapf, VCAM-1, γ-glutamylcysteine ligase

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Authors: Zahia Dorbane, Si Ammar Kadi, Dalila Boudouma, Thierry Gidenne

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In rabbits feeding, minimum fibre intake is essential to avoid digestive disorders. However, this concentration of fibre is not easy to obtain when formulating feeds, without reduction of nutritional value. Three stage olive cake, the residual material after oil extraction by centrifugation, including pulp and stones, can be used as a fibre source in rabbit diet. The incorporation of olive cake can allow a better balance between different fibre fractions and reduce health disorder. However, for practical use of any raw material, it is necessary to know its chemical and nutritive value. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritive value of three-stage olive cake (TSOC) for growing rabbits. Thus, 36 rabbits weaned at 35 days (702.8 ± 28.5) were divided into three groups of 12 receiving one of the following diets: control with 0% of TSOC, TSOC10 (10% of TSOC) and TSOC20 (20% TSOC). The rabbits were individually housed in digestibility cages and received ad libitum one of the three diets, fresh and clean water was provided ad libitum. After an adaptation period of 7d, feces were collected for 4d. Collected feces were frozen and stored for further analysis. The chemical composition of TSOC shows that it is a rich fiber raw material since it contains (%DM): 6% of CP; 7.4% of EE; 78.7% of NDF; 55.4% of ADF and 24.3% of ADL. The inclusion of TSOC at 20% of basal diet reduced the digestibility coefficient of organic matter, crude protein and NDF from 67.8 to 55.3%, 80.4 to 75.3% and from 31.5 to 18.4% (p < 0.001) respectively. The digestible energy and digestible protein content of the three-stage olive cake estimated by regression was 2.94 ± 0.52MJ DE/kg DM and 22.4 ± 6 g DP/kg DM respectively. In conclusion, based on the results of the present experiment, the three-stage olive cake can be used as a fibre source for rabbit.

Keywords: digestibility, nutritive value, olive cake, rabbit

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Authors: Taliman Nisar Ahmad, Hirofume Saneoka

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A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) nutrition on grain yield, phytic acid and grain quality of high-phytate (Akimaro) and low-phytate line. Phosphorus and potassium were applied as; P₁ (20 kg ha⁻¹) and P₂ (100 kg ha⁻¹), same as K₁ (20 kg ha⁻¹) and K₂ (100 kg ha⁻¹), respectively. Low-phytate soybean had the highest grain yield, and 75% increase was observed compared to the high-phytate under same treatments. Highly significant differences of seed phytate P were observed in both cultivars, and the phytate P in high-phytate was found 39% higher than low-phytate, whereas no significant differences observed in response to P and K treatment. Percentage of phytate P from total P in seeds was 28 to 35% in low-phytate and 72 to 81% in high-phytate in different treatments. The lipid content in low-phytate was found lowered compared to that of high-phytate. Crude protein in grains was also found significantly higher in PK combined. No significant difference was observed in seed calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and Zinc (Zn) in different treatments, but high-phytate showed 87% increase in seed Ca and 76% of Mg compared to low-phytate; however, low-phytate showed 82% increase in Zn content over high-phytate. The result illustrates that low-phytate soybean achieved higher grain yield and grain Pi in response to increased P and K nutrition. To achieve higher yield and quality seeds from the low-phytate soybean, it is recommended that proper phosphorus and potassium nutrition to be applied suggested in this study.

Keywords: phytic acid, low-phytate soybean, high-phytate soybean, P and K nutrition, protein content, soybean

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Authors: Onada Olawale Ahmed

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As the intensification of aquaculture production increases on global scale, the growing concern of fish farmers around the world is related to cost of fish production, where cost of feeding takes substantial percentage. Fishmeal (FM) is one of the most expensive ingredients, and its high dependence in aqua-feed production translates to high cost of feeding of stocked fish. However, to reach a sustainable aquaculture, new alternative protein sources including cheaper plant or animal origin proteins are needed to be introduced for stable aqua-feed production. Spirulina is a cyanobacterium that has good nutrient profile that could be useful in aquaculture. This review therefore emphasizes on the nutritional value of Spirulina as a potential replacement of FM in aqua-feed. Spirulina is a planktonic photosynthetic filamentous cyanobacterium that forms massive populations in tropical and subtropical bodies of water with high levels of carbonate and bicarbonate. Spirulina grows naturally in nutrient rich alkaline lake with water salinity ( > 30 g/l) and high pH (8.5–11.0). Its artificial production requires luminosity (photo-period 12/12, 4 luxes), temperature (30 °C), inoculum, water stirring device, dissolved solids (10–60 g/litre), pH (8.5– 10.5), good water quality, and macro and micronutrient presence (C, N, P, K, S, Mg, Na, Cl, Ca and Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Se). Spirulina has also been reported to grow on agro-industrial waste such as sugar mill waste effluent, poultry industry waste, fertilizer factory waste, and urban waste and organic matter. Chemical composition of Spirulina indicates that it has high nutritional value due to its content of 55-70% protein, 14-19% soluble carbohydrate, high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), 1.5–2.0 percent of 5–6 percent total lipid, all the essential minerals are available in spirulina which contributes about 7 percent (average range 2.76–3.00 percent of total weight) under laboratory conditions, β-carotene, B-group vitamin, vitamin E, iron, potassium and chlorophyll are also available in spirulina. Spirulina protein has a balanced composition of amino acids with concentration of methionine, tryptophan and other amino acids almost similar to those of casein, although, this depends upon the culture media used. Positive effects of spirulina on growth, feed utilization and stress and disease resistance of cultured fish have been reported in earlier studies. Spirulina was reported to replace up to 40% of fishmeal protein in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) diet and even higher replacement of fishmeal was possible in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), partial replacement of fish meal with spirulina in diets for parrot fish (Oplegnathus fasciatus) and Tilapia (Orechromis niloticus) has also been conducted. Spirulina have considerable potential for development, especially as a small-scale crop for nutritional enhancement and health improvement of fish. It is important therefore that more research needs to be conducted on its production, inclusion level in aqua-feed and its possible potential use of aquaculture.

Keywords: aquaculture, spirulina, fish nutrition, fish feed

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Authors: Sachil Kumar, Anoop Kumar Verma, Wahid Ali, Uma Shankar Singh

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Globally approximately 55.3 million people die each year. In the India there were 95 lakh annual deaths in 2013. The number of deaths resulted from homicides, suicides and unintentional injuries in the same period was about 5.7 lakh. The ever-increasing crime rate necessitated the development of methods for determining time since death. An erroneous time of death window can lead investigators down the wrong path or possibly focus a case on an innocent suspect. In this regard a research was carried out by analyzing the temperature dependent degradation of a Cardiac Troponin-T protein (cTnT) in the myocardium postmortem as a marker for time since death. Cardiac tissue samples were collected from (n=6) medico-legal autopsies, (in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow India) after informed consent from the relatives and studied post-mortem degradation by incubation of the cardiac tissue at room temperature (20±2 OC), 12 0C, 25 0C and 37 0C for different time periods ((~5, 26, 50, 84, 132, 157, 180, 205, and 230 hours). The cases included were the subjects of road traffic accidents (RTA) without any prior history of disease who died in the hospital and their exact time of death was known. The analysis involved extraction of the protein, separation by denaturing gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and visualization by Western blot using cTnT specific monoclonal antibodies. The area of the bands within a lane was quantified by scanning and digitizing the image using Gel Doc. The data shows a distinct temporal profile corresponding to the degradation of cTnT by proteases found in cardiac muscle. The disappearance of intact cTnT and the appearance of lower molecular weight bands are easily observed. Western blot data clearly showed the intact protein at 42 kDa, two major (27 kDa, 10kDa) fragments, two additional minor fragments (32 kDa) and formation of low molecular weight fragments as time increases. At 12 0C the intensity of band (intact cTnT) decreased steadily as compared to RT, 25 0C and 37 0C. Overall, both PMI and temperature had a statistically significant effect where the greatest amount of protein breakdown was observed within the first 38 h and at the highest temperature, 37 0C. The combination of high temperature (37 0C) and long Postmortem interval (105.15 hrs) had the most drastic effect on the breakdown of cTnT. If the percent intact cTnT is calculated from the total area integrated within a Western blot lane, then the percent intact cTnT shows a pseudo-first order relationship when plotted against the log of the time postmortem. These plots show a good coefficient of correlation of r = 0.95 (p=0.003) for the regression of the human heart at different temperature conditions. The data presented demonstrates that this technique can provide an extended time range during which Postmortem interval can be more accurately estimated.

Keywords: degradation, postmortem interval, proteolysis, temperature, troponin

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Authors: Prince Vivek, Vijay K. Bharti, Manishi Mukesh, Ankita Sharma, Om Prakash Chaurasia, Bhuvnesh Kumar

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High performance of endurance in equid requires adaptive changes involving physio-biochemical, and molecular responses in an attempt to regain homeostasis. We hypothesized that the identification of the suitable reference genes might be considered for assessing of endurance related traits in pony at high altitude and may ensure for individuals struggling to potent endurance trait in ponies at high altitude. A total of 12 mares of ponies, Zanskar breed, were divided into three groups, group-A (without load), group-B, (60 Kg) and group-C (80 Kg) on backpack loads were subjected to a load carry protocol, on a steep climb of 4 km uphill, and of gravel, uneven rocky surface track at an altitude of 3292 m to 3500 m (endpoint). Blood was collected before and immediately after the load carry on sodium heparin anticoagulant, and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell was separated for total RNA isolation and thereafter cDNA synthesis. Real time-PCR reactions were carried out to evaluate the mRNAs expression profile of a panel of putative internal control genes (ICGs), related to different functional classes, namely glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β₂ microglobulin (β₂M), β-actin (ACTB), ribosomal protein 18 (RS18), hypoxanthine-guanine phosophoribosyltransferase (HPRT), ubiquitin B (UBB), ribosomal protein L32 (RPL32), transferrin receptor protein (TFRC), succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit A (SDHA) for normalizing the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data of native pony’s. Three different algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper software, were used to evaluate the stability of reference genes. The result showed that GAPDH was best stable gene and stability value for the best combination of two genes was observed TFRC and β₂M. In conclusion, the geometric mean of GAPDH, TFRC and β₂M might be used for accurate normalization of transcriptional data for assessing endurance related traits in Zanskar ponies during load carrying.

Keywords: endurance exercise, ubiquitin B (UBB), β₂ microglobulin (β₂M), high altitude, Zanskar ponies, reference gene

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Authors: Pierre-Louis Lucas, Corinne Loutelier-Bourhis, Narimane Mati-Baouche, Philippe Chan Tchi-Song, Patrice Lerouge, Elodie Mathieu-Rivet, Muriel Bardor

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N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification taking place in the Endoplasmic Reticulum and the Golgi apparatus where defined glycan features are added on protein in a very specific sequence Asn-X-Thr/Ser/Cys were X can be any amino acid except proline. Because it is well-established that those N-glycans play a critical role in protein biological activity, protein half-life and that a different N-glycan structure may induce an immune response, they are very important in Biopharmaceuticals which are mainly glycoproteins bearing N-glycans. From now, most of the biopharmaceuticals are produced by mammalian cells like Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO) for their N-glycosylation similar to the human, but due to the high production costs, several other species are investigated as the possible alternative system. In this purpose, the green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was investigated as the potential production system for Biopharmaceuticals. This choice was influenced by the facts that C. reinhardtii is a well-study microalgae which is growing fast with a lot of molecular biology tools available. This organism is also producing N-glycan on its endogenous proteins. However, the analysis of the N-glycan structure of this microalgae has revealed some differences as compared to the human. Rather than in Human where the glycans are processed by key enzymes called N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I and II (GnTI and GnTII) adding GlcNAc residue to form a GlcNAc₂Man₃GlcNAc₂ core N-glycan, C. reinhardtii lacks those two enzymes and possess a GnTI independent glycosylation pathway. Moreover, some enzymes like xylosyltransferases and methyltransferases not present in human are supposed to act on the glycans of C. reinhardtii. Furthermore, the recent structural study by mass spectrometry shows that the N-glycosylation precursor supposed to be conserved in almost all eukaryotic cells results in a linear Man₅GlcNAc₂ rather than a branched one in C. reinhardtii. In this work, we will discuss the new released MS information upon C. reinhardtii N-glycan structure and their impact on our attempt to modify the glycan in a Human manner. Two strategies will be discussed. The first one consisted in the study of Xylosyltransferase insertional mutants from the CLIP library in order to remove xyloses from the N-glycans. The second will go further in the humanization by transforming the microalgae with the exogenous gene from Toxoplasma gondii having an activity similar to GnTI and GnTII with the aim to synthesize GlcNAc₂Man₃GlcNAc₂ in C. reinhardtii.

Keywords: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, N-glycosylation, glycosyltransferase, mass spectrometry, humanization

Procedia PDF Downloads 175

Authors: Eric Beyegue, Boris Azantza, Judith Laure Ngondi, Julius E. Oben

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Background: Insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress are associated with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other cardio metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Coula edulis extracts (CEE) on insulin resistance and oxidative stress markers in high-fat/high sucrose diet-induced insulin resistance in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each fed, received daily oral administration of CE extracts for 8 weeks as follows: Group 1 or negative control group, fed with standard diet (SD); Group 2 fed with high-fat/high sucrose diet (HFHS) only; Group3 fed with HFHS + CEAq 200; Group 4 fed with HFHS + CEAq 400; Group 5 fed with HFHS + CEEt 200; Group 6 fed with HFHS + CEEt 400. At the end of the experiment (8 weeks), animals were sacrificed plasma lipid profile, glucose, insulin, oxidative marker and digestive enzyme activities were measured. The homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was determined. Results: Feedings with HFHS significantly (p < 0.01) induced plasma hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, increased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein levels, decreased high-density lipoprotein levels, alterations of α amylase, and glucose-6-phosphatase activities, and oxidative stress. Daily oral administration with CEE for eight weeks after insulin resistance induction had a hypolipidaemic action, antioxidative activities and modulated metabolic markers. Ethanolic extract at the higher dose had the best effect on body weight gain and insulin resistance, whereas aqueous extract showed the better activity on hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: These results suggest that CEAq and CEEt at 400mg/kg are promising complementary supplements that can be used to protect better from metabolic disorders associated with HFHS.

Keywords: Coula edulis Baill, high-fat / high sucrose diet, insulin resistance, oxidative stress

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Authors: Gina Cecilia Pistol, Loredana Calin, Mariana Stancu, Veronica Chedea, Ionelia Taranu

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Inflammatory-associated diseases have an increased trend in the past decades. The pharmacological strategies aimed to treat these inflammatory diseases are very expensive and with non-beneficial results. The current trend is to find alternative strategies to counteract or to control inflammatory component of diseases. The grape by-products either seeds or pomace are rich in bioactive compounds (e.g. polyphenols) which may be beneficial in prevention of inflammation associated with cancer progression and other pathologies with inflammatory component. The in vivo models are very useful for studying the immune and inflammatory status. The domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) is related to human from anatomic and physiologic point of view, representing a feasible model for studying the human inflammatory pathologies. Starting from these data, we evaluated the effect of a diet containing 5% grape seed cakes (GS) on piglets blood biochemical parameters and immune pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1 beta, IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-4) in spleen and lymph nodes. 12 weaned piglets were fed for 30 days with a control diet or an experimental diet containing 5% GS. At the end of trial, plasma and tissue samples (spleen and lymph nodes) were collected and the biochemical and inflammatory markers were analysed by using biochemistry analyser and ELISA techniques. Our results showed that diet included 5% GS did not influence the health status determined by plasma biochemical parameters. Only a tendency for a slight increase of the biochemical parameters associated with energetic profile (glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides) was observed. Also, GS diet had no effect on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines content in spleen and lymph nodes tissue. Further experiments are needed in order to investigate other rate of dietary inclusion which could provide more evidence about the effect of grape bioactive compounds on pigs used as animal model.

Keywords: animal model, inflammation, grape seed by-product, immune organs

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Authors: Ameer Khan, Iffat Jamal, Ambreen Azam

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An experiment was conducted in the Department of Botany, University of Sargodha to observe the amelioration of salinity stress in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) by exogenous application of Triacontanol. Two spinach cultivars (Spinacea oleracea and Rumax dentatus) were obtained from the Agriculture Research institute, Faisalabad. This experiment was conducted in pots. Each pot was filled with 9kg mixture of (sand + soil). Different salinity levels (0mM, 60mM, and 120mM) were created with NaCl according to the saturation percentage of soil after two weeks of seed germination. After the two weeks of salinity treatment, different levels of Triacontanol (0µM, 10µM, 20µM) were applied as foliar spray. Triacontanol was applied along with Tween 80 as surfactant. After the two weeks of Triacontanol application different growth, physiological and biochemical parameters were collected from the experimental study. Both treatments of Triacontanol (10µM, 20µM) were effective to ameliorate the effect of salinity, but 20µM Triacontanol was more effective to increase the shoot length, shoot, root fresh and dry weight. Chlorophyll contents were (chl a, chl b, total chl). Different biochemical parameters were also collected from experimental study. Saline growth medium increased the accumulation of protein and decreased the total free amino acids, and total soluble sugar under salt stress. Application of Triacontanol increased the protein contents. Overall, Application of triacontanol mitigated the effect of salinity.

Keywords: salinity, triacontanol, spinach, biochemical, physiological

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Authors: Soujanya Pasumarthi

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Inverse docking is a relatively new technique that has been used to identify potential receptor targets of small molecules. Our docking software package MDock is well suited for such an application as it is both computationally efficient, yet simultaneously shows adequate results in binding affinity predictions and enrichment tests. As a validation study, we present the first stage results of an inverse-docking study which seeks to identify potential direct targets of PRIMA-1. PRIMA-1 is well known for its ability to restore mutant p53's tumor suppressor function, leading to apoptosis in several types of cancer cells. For this reason, we believe that potential direct targets of PRIMA-1 identified in silico should be experimentally screened for their ability to inhibitcancer cell growth. The highest-ranked human protein of our PRIMA-1 docking results is oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC), which is part of the cholesterol synthetic pathway. The results of two followup experiments which treat OSC as a possible anti-cancer target are promising. We show that both PRIMA-1 and Ro 48-8071, a known potent OSC inhibitor, significantly reduce theviability of BT-474 breast cancer cells relative to normal mammary cells. In addition, like PRIMA-1, we find that Ro 48-8071 results in increased binding of mutant p53 to DNA in BT- 474cells (which highly express p53). For the first time, Ro 48-8071 is shown as a potent agent in killing human breast cancer cells. The potential of OSC as a new target for developing anticancer therapies is worth further investigation.

Keywords: inverse docking, in silico screening, protein-ligand interactions, molecular docking

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