Journal of Applied Biotechnology Reports
Volume:2 Issue: 3, summer 2015

An adjuvant is a substance that is added to a vaccine to increase the body's immune response to the vaccine. Vaccines containing adjuvants are tested for safety in clinical trials before they are licensed for used. The basic action of adjuvants is stimulating adaptive immune responses. Adjuvants, recently licensed for human utlization, involve alum squalane oil or water emulsion, influenza virosomes, and few cytokines as IFN-γ and IL-2. Some adjuvants are currently under investigation such as DNA motifs, monophosphoryl lipid A, Cholera Toxin (CT), E. coli heat Labile Toxin (LT), Saponins, Immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs), liposomes, Flt3 ligand as a pleotropic glycoprotein, non-ionic block copolymers. This paper is an overview of adjuvant mechanisms, most commonly used adjuvants, Adjuvant formulations and Adjuvant limitations.

Context: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) as a member of the Apiaceae family is one of the most important medicinal plants in the world. An experiment was conducted for evaluation of callus induction optimization in cumin accessions (Shahdad, Koohbanan, Badrood and Afghanistan). Factorial experiment based on completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications was conducted on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-D (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/l) plus 0.1 mg/l Kinetin in different explants (Root, Shoot, Leaf, Embryo and Seed) of cumin accessions. In this experiment the evaluated traits include days to callus induction (DCI), callus induction percentage (CIP) and callus growth rate (CGR). Statistical analysis showed that seed (as the latest) and root (as the earliest) explants require to 54 and 11 days in order to callus induction initiation respectively. Results showed that accession, explant, accession × explant and 2,4-D × explant interactions were statistically significant effects (P<0.01) on callus induction percentage and callus growth rate traits. Furthermore, 2,4-D had a high significant effect on callus induction percentage.According to results of this study, root explant is an appropriate explant for large production of callus in some accessions of Cuminum cyminum. Also, Koohbanan accession produced callus in minimum time and Afghanistan accession produced high percentage of callus.

A rhamnolipid–type biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa MM1011 was studied in a miniaturized shaken bioreactor. The operational parameters, affecting the biosurfactant production in shaken bioreactors, such as shaking frequency (200, 250, 300 rpm), filling volume (50, 75, 100 ml), and aeration rate (0.2, 0.6, 1 vvm), were optimized using response surface methodology. The optimization process conducted based on three different response variables (surface tension, rhamnolipid concentration, and emulsification activity). The best results were achieved at agitation rate of 292 rpm, filling volume of 50 ml, and aeration rate of 1 vvm. Also, the results indicated that all of the three factors were effective parameters in biosurfactant production and the surface tension, rhamnolipid production and emulsification activity under optimum conditions, were measured 31.00 mN/m, 1.89 g/L and 80.23 %, respectively.

Cytomegalovirus is the leading viral cause of congenital disease, often producing serious neurological deficits. CMV attacks the developing central nervous system (CNS) resulting in serious brain disorders that include microencephaly, epilepsy, deafness, microgyria, mental retardation, sensory loss, motor problems, and psychiatric disturbances. In addition, CMV is a clinically important opportunistic virus that can lead to serious neurological disease in AIDS patients. The present application addresses basic mechanisms of viral spread into the brain, and once in the brain, spread by intracellular transport or extracellular diffusion to other brain cells. The hypothesis that CMV can be spread through axonal transport will be studied with in vitro and in vivo models. Although CMV appears to have no absolute host cell preference in the brain, the hypothesis that CMV shows relative cellular preferences will be tested in living brain slices at different developmental ages. Using a mouse model of immunosuppression, parallel to AIDS, we will test the hypothesis that cell-mediated immunity protects neurons in vivo from CMV proliferation. Neuronal activity plays an important role in establishing the correct circuitry during brain development. The hypothesis that early infection by CMV can generate disturbances in the electrophysiological activity of developing neurons will be tested with whole cell patch clamp recording using current and voltage clamp electrophysiology, and with calcium digital imaging, using primary mouse neuron cultures and brain slices. Virus mediated changes in intracellular ion levels, ion currents, transmitter responses, and membrane properties will be compared in CMV infected and control cells

Colloids are small suspended particles in water which can not be settled or removed naturally due to their light weight and stability. These particles pose some degree of stability and cause water turbidity. There are some concerns regarding colloid removal efficiency in water treatment plants of Iran. In this study, the effectiveness of aluminium sulfate and poly-aluminum chloride was evaluated at different pH values and coagulant dosage in order to find optimal operational conditions for low to high turbidity waters. The influence of lime, as a coagulant aid, on coagulation process was also studied. A set of jar test experiments was conducted to find the optimal pH and coagulant dosage. Results demonstrated that coagulation process can assure turbidity removal from low to medium turbidity waters effectively using relatively low levels of aluminium sulfate and poly-aluminum chloride (10 to 20 mg/l). Turbidity removal efficiency still remained high when the initial turbidities of water were increased to 500 and 1000 NTU. Results showed that turbidity removal is dependent on pH, coagulant dosage, as well as initial turbidity of water for both used coagulants. The highest turbidity removal efficiency was within 82.9-99.0% for alum and 93.8-99.6% for poly-aluminum chloride over the applied range of turbidity. Both applied coagulants demonstrated promising performance in turbidity removal from water; however, poly-aluminum chloride showed better performance compared to aluminium sulfate. The results of the current study can be used as a baseline data for drinking water treatment facilities which uses these two types of coagulants.

Alginate hydrogel and honey have a notably effect on wound healing process, therefore assessment of combined impact of those are essential. In this study, the effect of homey-based alginate hydrogel, alginate hydrogel and commercial alginate dressings in recovery of wound in a mouse model was studied. In this study, 20 Wistar rats were divided into four groups of five. One wound with dimension 1×1 cm square was created on either side of the vertebral column between the ears. One of the rats in each group were euthanized at 4, 7, 14, and 21 days and skin samples were taken for histopathological analysis. Findings showed that the average total time of wound healing in group of treated with honey-based alginate hydrogel dressing was the best treatment.With respect to all information obtained of the study we found that the honey-based alginate hydrogelis much convenient for wound dressing and treatment of surface wounds. Therefore, Outcomes of the treatment make our dressing highly promising as an alternative wound healing system for the treatment of wounds and certainly opening new path for future research and development.

Aloe vera is a plant of the Liliaceae family with a brilliant history in disease treatment. In addition to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and health care industries, this plant is used in food industry due to having various nutrients such as amino acids and various vitamins or anti-bacterial compounds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of variables such as temperature, time, and cellulase concentration to reduce the gel viscosity of edible Aloe vera. Lowering the gel viscosity increases the gel condensation rate and spray dryer efficiency. So, In this study, the effects of different variables, including temperature, enzymatic process time and cellulase concentration was investigated on Aloe vera gel viscosity using a commercial cellulase enzyme. According to the results, temperature, process time and enzyme concentration are the affecting parameters on the gel viscosity. By increasing the temperature, without incorporating the enzyme, a sharp decrease in viscosity was observed so that in 55°C the viscosity decreased to 9.2 cP. By addition of constant amount of enzyme, the gel viscosity reached to 5.1 cP after 34 minutes, with 9.5 g E/100 g SG enzyme concentration, viscosity reached to the minimum value 4.2 cP. The results were statistically significant at the 5% probability level and indicate that the model was significant. Finally, the use of enzymatic processing for the production of Aloe vera concentrate or powder is appropriate because by reducing the gel viscosity, gel condensation rate will increase and it’s drying is economically efficient.