amir mirzaie

Staphylococcus aureus is a common human pathogen that infects thousands of people every year. The growing resistance of this bacterium to antibiotics has increased the need for developing more effective and natural antimicrobial medications. In this study, niosomes loaded Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)@curcumin were synthesized, and their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity on clinical S. aureus strains was investigated. Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract was prepared through maceration and its compounds were identified by GC/MS. Niosomes loaded rosemary@curcumin were synthesized through thin-film hydration. Their characteristics were analyzed with dynamic light scattering (DLS)-zetasizer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and drug release test was studied using a dialysis bag. Finally, the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity against clinical strains of S. aureus were investigated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and crystal violet methods, respectively. Formulated niosomes were spherical, averaged 442 nm in size, and had uniform particle distribution. FTIR results indicated the successful encapsulation of rosemary@curcumin inside niosomes with 94.23% encapsulation efficiency. In vitro drug release studies showed a slow-release pattern of rosemary@curcumin from niosomes. The MIC and MBC values of niosomes loaded rosemary@curcumin were between 32.5 and 62.5 µg/ml and showed higher antimicrobial activity. Also, the results of the biofilm inhibition test showed that niosomes loaded rosemary@curcumin reduced the rate of biofilm formation between 2 and 4 fold. Niosomes loaded rosemary@curcumin have suitable structure and surface characteristics and can successfully inhibit S. aureus growth and prevent its biofilm formation potency.

Gingerol is one of the most important phenolic compounds found in the ginger plant, and targeting the transfer of effective plant compounds to cells is one of the important challenges of researchers. The aim of this study was to load gingerol in niosome nanocarrier coated with chitosan and determine its antimicrobial and anticancer effects.

In this laboratory study, niosome nanocarrier containing gingerol was synthesized and then, synthesized niosomes were coated with chitosan and its structural properties were investigated. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of the synthesized niosomes were investigated using the microdilution method. Also, anticancer effects and biocompatibility of synthesized niosomes were evaluated using colorimetric method. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA.

Examining the structure of niosomes containing gingerol coated with chitosan showed that it has a spherical structure and an average size of 102.56±5.80 nm. Also, the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the synthesis of niosomes. The results showed that the synthesized niosomes increased the antimicrobial effects 1 to 4 times, and at concentrations of 100 and 200 µg/ml, cell survival was decreased 24.66±1.39% and 16.65±1.12%, respectively (p<0.05). Also, the synthesized niosomes did not have any significant cytotoxic effects against the human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) cell line (p>0.05).

The results showed that the synthesized niosomes can increase the antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, and anti-cancer effects of gingerol, and therefore this nanocarrier can be used for targeted delivery of effective herbal compounds.

Niosomes are innovative targeted drug delivery systems that enhance the biological properties of drugs. This study aimed to synthesize acetaminophen-containing niosomes, investigate their structural characteristics, assess cytotoxicity, and analyze the expression of apoptotic genes.

In this experimental study, various formulations of acetaminophen-loaded niosomes were synthesized. Their structural characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The cytotoxic effects on the colon cancer cell line (HT29) were assessed via the MTT colorimetric method. Additionally, the expression levels of apoptotic genes Bax and Bcl2 were evaluated.

The synthesis results indicated that the Nio1 formulation was the optimal variant, exhibiting a size of 289.6 nm. FTIR analysis confirmed successful niosome synthesis. Drug release tests revealed that the release rate of acetaminophen in niosome form was significantly slower than that of the free drug, with only 28% released over 8 hours. Furthermore, niosomes containing acetaminophen demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects against the HT29 cell line. The expression of the apoptotic gene Bax increased significantly by 2.14±0.34 (P<0.01), while the expression of Bcl2 decreased by 0.46±0.11 (P<0.01).

The findings of this study indicate that acetaminophen-loaded niosomes exhibit significant cytotoxic effects against the HT29 cell line and enhance the expression of apoptotic genes. These results suggest that niosomes could be a promising drug delivery system, warranting further research to optimize their application in cancer treatment.

Nanoniosomes are multi-layered vesicles that are used as one of the new targeted drug delivery systems today. In this study, the extract of the Artemisia deserti L. was encapsulated in nanonisomes and its antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects were studied.

In this experimental study, nanonisomes containing the extract of Artemisia deserti were synthesized and their appearance and structural characteristics were investigated. After confirming the structure, its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects on Klebsiella pneumoniae pathogenic strains were investigated. Finally, in order to check the biocompatibility, the colorimetric method of nanonisomes cytotoxicity was used on HFF normal fibroblast cell line.

The results of niosomes synthesis showed that the synthesized nanoniosomes have a spherical structure and have a size of 125.4 ± 29.3 nm. In addition, FTIR results confirmed the synthesis of niosomes. The results of the antimicrobial effects showed that the nanoniosomes containing the medicinal extract have more significant antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects than the extract alone, so that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the niosomes was reduced between 2 and 4 times. Also, the cytotoxicity results showed that the synthesized niosomes do not have significant cytotoxicity effects.

In general, the results of this study showed that nanonisomes can act as a suitable drug delivery system for medicinal plant extract to increase the amount of antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects. Therefore, with further studies, this system can be used as an optimal drug delivery system for medicinal purposes.

Background &

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the human pathogens that causes a wide range of diseases such as endocarditis, blood, bone, skin and soft tissue infections (1). One of the resistant strains of this bacterium is methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which has been reported as a serious risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the pathogenic mechanisms and antibiotic resistance of this bacterium is the formation of biofilm, which causes this bacterium to bind to different surfaces (2). Biofilm-forming strains have become resistant to many antibiotics, so that biofilm-forming strains form extracellular matrices that are immune to the immune system and antibiotics. Various genes are involved in biofilm production, one of which is the icaB gene, which plays a key role in the production of poly N-acetyl glucose amine and biofilm production. The design of new antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of this bacterium is important, so finding a suitable treatment option for the treatment of infections caused by this bacterium is one of the challenges of researchers (3). Recent advances in nanotechnology have suggested alternative solutions, such as drug delivery systems, that increase drug specificity and efficiency (4). One of these drug delivery systems is nanosystems, which are composed of bilayer nonionic surfactants. Due to the importance of nanosystems, the aim of this study was to synthesize nanoparticles containing naproxen, to investigate their physicochemical properties and their antimicrobial and antifouling effects against Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Nanosomes containing naproxen were synthesized by thin layer hydration method. The confinement efficiency is indicative of the drug encapsulated in the nanosystem structure relative to the drug used. For this purpose, the nanonosomal formulation was first centrifuged at 4 ° C at 14000 g for 45 minutes. The nanosystem containing the drug precipitates and the free drug remains in the supernatant. The absorbance of the supernatant sample at 270 nm was read by a spectrophotometer and the amount of free drug was calculated from the initial value.
The Physico-chemical characteristics of prepared nanoniosome encapsulated naproxen was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The in vitro drug release study was done using dialysis bag (6). The Staphylococcus aureus strains were recovered from 100 clinical samples and their antibiotic resistance patterns were studied using disk diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of nanoniosome loaded naproxen and free naproxen were investigated using well diffusion and micro-dilution methods (7). The icaB biofilm gene expression analysis in S. aureus isolates which are treated with nanoniosome loaded naproxen and free naproxen were examined using Real Time PCR methods (8).
Draw diagrams and Statistical analysis was performed by GraphPad Prism software version 7 and SPSS version 23, and one-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis and p <0.05 was considered significant.

In this study, using different molar ratios of surfactant, cholesterol and drug, different formulations of nanosystems containing naproxen were synthesized. The optimal niosome size synthesis was measured by DLS method. The results of electron microscopy (SEM) show that the synthesized nanonosomes have a spherical structure. In this study, the dialysis bag method was used to evaluate the drug release pattern. Figure 2 shows the pattern of naproxen release from nanosystems and free naproxen over 72 hours.
Out of 100 clinical specimens, 15 specimens of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated and identified using microbiological methods. The results of antibiotic resistance profile test showed that out of 15 strains, 10 strains were methicillin resistant (MRSA).
The antibacterial activity of nanoniosome encapsulated naproxen and free naproxen showed that the MIC was reduced by 2 to 4 times. The results of the well diffusion method showed that nanoniosomes containing naproxen had more significant antimicrobial power than free naproxen, so that the diameter of the growth inhibition zone increased with increasing nanosystem concentration. Real-Time PCR was used to evaluate the effect of nanoniosoms containing naproxen and free naproxen on icaB biofilm gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus strains. Also, after treating Staphylococcus aureus strains with naproxen-containing nanosystem sub-inhibitory concentration, it was shown that the expression of icaB gene was significantly reduced compared to the 16S rRNA reference gene (p <0.05).

In this study, naproxen was encapsulated as a drug compound in the nanoniosome structure and its physical and chemical properties including size, morphology, drug enclosure percentage and drug release were studied. The results of this study showed that the synthesized nanoniosome in the optimal formulation had a spherical shape, the average size was 125.3 nm with a confinement percentage of 66.84%. Drug release results also showed that naproxen in the formulated form in nanonosomes has a much slower release pattern than free naproxen, which is a suitable feature of a drug delivery system. The results of the antimicrobial test showed that naproxen-containing nanoniosome had more significant antimicrobial effects than free naproxen compared to free naproxen, reducing the MIC by 2 to 4 times. One of the antimicrobial mechanisms of nanoniosome containing naproxen is the fusion of nanoniosome with bacterial cell membranes, which can deliberately release the drug into the cytoplasm of the cell and cause bacterial cell death (10). The results of this study showed that nanoparticles containing naproxen have more significant anti-biofilm effects than free naproxen compared to free naproxen and can significantly reduce the expression of biofilm gene (11). One of the reasons for the anti-biofilm effects of naproxen-containing nanosystems is the greater penetration of naproxen-containing nanosystems into the biofilm structure, which can cause the death of bacteria, a decrease in the number of bacteria, and the conversion of biofilms into planktonic cells (12).

The most common type of cancer is skin cancer, especially in men. Lacticin 3147 is a bacteriocin from the lantibiotic family. Since it is similar to nisin, Lacticin was considered for its anticancer properties’ investigation. The aim was to investigate the effect of Lacticin 3147. The MTT Assay helped assess A431 cell survival and cytotoxicity following treatment with Lacticin 3147 after 24 and 48 hours. The cell apoptosis amounts were investigated by measuring the activity of caspases 8 and 9 in A431 cancer cells treated with the IC50 concentration of Lacticin 3147 after 24, 48, and 72 hours. The Boyden Chamber method evaluated the invasion ability of A431 cancer cells treated with a sublethal dose of Lacticin 3147. Specific primers were designed for proapoptotic genes bax, antiapoptotic bcl-2, and the reference gene ꞵ-actin. The expression level in A431 cells treated with IC50 concentration of Lacticin 3147 was investigated using the quantitative Real-Time PCR method. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software and ANOVA statistical test (P<0.05). Statistical analysis of the data obtained from the MTT test showed that the growth of cells treated with different concentrations of Lacticin 3147 decreased significantly (p<0.001). The inhibitory effect of Lacticin 3147 on the viability of A431 cells depends on the concentration and treatment time. As a result, a 0.3 µM concentration and 72-hour duration were the most consequential effects. Lacticin IC50 concentration was equal to 0.8 µM. The activity of caspases 8 and 9 in the treated A431 cancer cells increased in a time-dependent manner, and after 72 hours, it was 2.36 and 2.72 times compared to the control, respectively (p<0.001). The invasion activity of A431 cancer cells treated with the sublethal dose of Lacticin 3147 decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The lowest invasion activity was at concentration of 0.5 µM with minimal lethal effect (p<0.001). The expression of the bax proapoptotic gene in A431 cells treated with IC50 concentration of Lacticin 3147 increased significantly (p<0.001). Also, the antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene expression reduction was significant in the same conditions. As a result, the use of Lacticin 3147 in the future may lead to a new strategy for the treatment of skin cancer.

In general, personality includes characteristics that enable a person to communicate and adapt to others and facilitate the realization of self-esteem, and if he has a disorder, he always has problems with cognitive, mood, communication and identity problems (1-3 Among the types of disorders, borderline personality disorder has a high prevalence. In people with this disorder, there is a special pattern of behavior that is characterized by frequent and impulsive responses to emotional stimuli. Emotional vulnerability also causes the patient with borderline personality disorder to be often emotionally aroused, and the result of this high arousal is instability in behavior and poor control over emotion and physiological arousal, and facial and body language manifestations and the relationship between Is individual. (10) For this reason, various methods have been used to treat this disorder since ancient times. One of the new methods is emotion regulation, which can be fruitful in order to improve people by examining different emotions (15). In this regard, various researches have been done and contradictory results have been obtained (25-29).Reality therapy is another new method of counseling and psychotherapy, which is based on internal selection and control, and considers the cause of psychological problems in peoplechr('39')s choices and the irresponsibility of the individual in meeting his needs; In this treatment, efforts are made to enable people to meet their basic needs through better choices (31).Given the above, therefore, unfortunately, there is no general consensus among experts on choosing the best treatment method. On the other hand, reviewing research conducted in and outside the country, no research was found that compared the effectiveness of group therapy of emotion regulation and reality therapy on borderline personality disorder.

For the present quasi-experimental and applied research, among women aged 18 to 40 years with borderline personality disorder who referred to Tohid Clinic in Isfahan, 27 people were purposefully selected and randomly divided into 3 control groups (9 people) emotion regulation (9 people). And reality therapy (9 patients) were divided. The Leishner Nig Borderline Personality Questionnaire (BPI) was then completed by the subjects to assess and evaluate the borderline personality, the Jackson and Claridge Borderline Personality Scale (STB), and the experimental groups completed their own program under the supervision of the researcher for 8 years. The session and each session lasted 2 hours according to Tables 1 and 2. Both groups completed the questionnaires again. Finally, descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to analyze the data.

The results showed that the scores of all borderline personality disorder variables in both experimental and post-test groups were relatively the same and less than the control group. Identity confusion and frustration are also significant in both groups, but emotion regulation therapy is more effective. On the other hand, it was found that both experimental groups have an effect on fear of intimacy and impulsivity, but reality therapy is more effective. However, fear of intimacy differed significantly only in the reality-based treatment group. Finally, the dissociative symptoms of borderline personality disorder did not differ significantly from the control group in any of the treatments and at different stages.

The results showed that Gross model emotion regulation therapy and reality therapy are effective in reducing most of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder in women. Evidence growing over the past decades has identified emotion regulation and reality therapy as contributing to mental health. In all of these studies, emotion regulation and reality therapy have been performed to improve and reduce the symptoms of the disorder in this area. For example, Hopkins (2018) studied the effectiveness of metacognitive education for patients with borderline personality disorder and behavioral imitation and loneliness in borderline personality disorder, which showed the effectiveness of this method in reducing patientschr('39') symptoms. Johnson and Howard (2018) investigated the relationship between non-suicidal injuries and borderline personality traits in adults, and the results showed that this method was effective in reducing patientschr('39') symptoms. Which confirm the results of the present study.

  The green synthesis of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is an eco-friendly and straightforward synthesis method. This study aimed to investigate the green synthesis of AgNPs using Nasturtium officinale leaf extract and analysis of their antibacterial activity against some nosocomial pathogens.

The obtained AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, the antibacterial activity of synthesized AgNPs and N. officinale leaf extract were performed against five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) by agar disk diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration test.

The green synthesized AgNPs had significant antimicrobial activity against all studied bacteria. In addition, greater inhibition activity was observed against E. coli and P. aeruginosa rather than other bacteria.

The synthesized AgNPs revealed a special antibacterial effect against selected bacteria, compared to leaf extract of N. officinale. Identifying new antibacterial agents with profound efficacy against antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogens is essential. These data provide an eco-friendly and rapid green approach for AgNPs synthesis and the potential of AgNPs for use in drug development against nosocomial infections.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were phyto-synthesized using Typha azerbaijanensis aerial part and root extracts, and their biological activities were investigated.

This study was conducted in the Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran in 2019. In this experimental study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were phyto-synthesized and the physicochemical properties of AgNPs were determined using UV-Vis (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Antibacterial and anticancer activity of synthesized AgNPs was determined using microdilution assay, and MTT 3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) methods, respectively. The apoptotic effects of AgNPs were investigated using Real-Time PCR and flow cytometry techniques.

Morphological analysis of the synthesized AgNPs confirmed the spherical shape of AgNPs with an average size of 10.67 to 16.69 nm. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of phytochemicals from T. azerbayenensis extract at the AgNP surface. Antibacterial experiments showed that phyto-fabricated AgNPs had significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. The AgNPs were significantly cytotoxic against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) through induction of apoptosis.

The phyto-synthesized AgNPs had biological activities could be useful in pharmaceutical applications.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important hospital opportunistic pathogens that have become resistant to many antibiotics due to biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to synthesize copper nanoparticles using Artemisia scoparia extract, to investigate its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects against K. pneumoniae strains.

In this experimental study, 100 clinical samples were collected from different hospitals in Tehran. K. pneumoniae strains were isolated from clinical specimens using microbiological methods. Subsequently, the synthesis of copper nanoparticles was performed by green synthesis method using A. scoparia extract and its properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmitting electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of the synthesized copper nanoparticles were investigated and the effect of copper nanoparticles on the expression of mrkA biofilm gene in K. pneumoniae strains was investigated by Real Time PCR.

A total of 20 K. pneumoniae strains were isolated from 100 clinical specimens. SEM TEM and XRD results showed that the synthesized copper nanoparticles had a spherical shape and a size of less than 100 nm. The results showed that copper nanoparticles had significant antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects against K. pneumoniae strains and copper nanoparticles could significantly reduce the expression of mrkA biofilm gene (p <0.05).

The results of this study showed that the synthesized copper nanoparticles have significant antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects. Therefore, this nanoparticle can be used as a drug candidate in future studies.

The genus Klebsiella belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which consists of gram-negative and immobile species that have mucosal colonies and live in the gastrointestinal tract (1). Among Klebsiella species, Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most common opportunistic pathogens that cause serious diseases (3). These strains have become resistant to many antibiotics and one of the strategies of antibiotic resistance of K. pneumoniae strains is biofilm formation (4-6). One of the important genes in biofilm formation in this bacterium is mrkA gene and this gene encodes MrkA protein, which is one of the important proteins of type 3 fimbriae (7). Excessive use of antibiotics leads to increasing antibiotic resistance of these bacteria and therefore the use of alternatives to treatment other than antibiotics is important. One of these solutions is the use of nanotechnology (8). So far, few studies have been conducted to investigate the antimicrobial and antifouling effects of aluminum nanoparticles against bacterial clinical strains. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of Al2O3 nanoparticles against clinical strains of K. pneumoniae. 

In this experimental study, 100 clinical samples including wounds, blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid were collected from different hospitals in Tehran (Imam Khomeini Hospital and Pars Hospital). Subsequently, strains of K. pneumoniae were identified by growing one in McConkey agar medium, Gram staining, and biochemical tests (9). Antibiotic resistance pattern of K. pneumoniae strains was determined by disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) instruction. Briefly, adjusted cultures to give a 0.5 McFarland concentrations of the K. pneumoniae strains were inoculated into Muller-Hinton broth (Oxoid, UK) and the susceptibility of the strains to the antibiotics including ampicillin, gentamicin, amikacin, tetracycline, cefepime, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazol was evaluated (10).  In order to investigate the presence of biofilm in K. pneumoniae strains, microtiter plate quantification method was used (11). In this study, Al2O3 nanoparticles  were purchased from the American company US nano. In order to investigate the physicochemical properties of Al2O3 nanoparticles, FTIR, electron microscopy (SEM), XRD and DLS tests were used. The SEM, DLS, XRD and FTIR were used for study of morphology, size, nanomaterial characterization and analyze the structure of matter at the molecular scale based on the resonant vibration modes of various molecules on the aluminum nanoparticles, respectively. In order to investigate the antibacterial effects of Al2O3 nanoparticles, the microdilution method was used in a 96-well plate according to the CLSI standard (16). Briefly, various concentrations of Al2O3 nanoparticles including 15.62, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 µg/mL, were added into 96-well containing each K. pneumoniae strain (500 µl) with 5 × 105 concentration, and the 96-well plates were incubated 24 h at 37 0C. The next day, absorbance was taken using UV-visible spectrophotometer at 600 nm and the concentration giving the least optical density corresponds to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nanoparticles for that particular microorganism. In order to quantitatively study the anti-biofilm effects of aluminum nanoparticles, Crystal violet (CV) assay was used (12). A 96-well plate-based Crystal violet (CV) assay was used for evaluating of anti-biofilm efficacy of Al2O3 nanoparticles. The biofilm-forming K. pneumoniae strains were cultured into 96 well microtiter plates for 24 h at 37 0C. The K. pneumoniae strains were then treated with sub-MIC values of Al2O3 nanoparticles for 24 h incubation at 37 0C. All the wells were then again washed with PBS three times and fixed with methanol for 15 minutes. The plate was air dried for 30 minutes and 0.1% CV solution was added to each well and incubated at room temperature for 20 minutes. After washing with distilled water, 33% acetic acid was added to each well and absorbance was taken at 590 nm. Mean absorbance values of each sample was calculated and compared with the mean values of controls.Expression analysis of mrkA gene in K. pneumoniae strains under control MIC of free curcumin and curcumin were investigated using the Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) method through specific primers. For this purpose, after treating strains, total RNA was extracted using a high purity RNA extraction kit (Qiagen, USA) according to the manufacturer protocol. Then, cDNA synthesis was performed through the Qiagen Press Kit based on the manufacturer protocol. The qRT-PCR method was performed using SYBER Green containing Master Mix (Ampriqon, Denmark). The 16S rRNA gene is used as your home gene and the relative expression of the gene was calculated by ΔΔCт method. Statistical calculation of this study was performed using Graph pad prism software and the results were analyzed by one way ANOVA. The results are displayed as mean ± standard deviation (SD) and P<0.05 was considered significant.

In this study, lactose positive and mucoid colonies were isolated from 100 clinical specimens suspected of K. pneumoniae and 15 strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated using microscopic and biochemical tests. The results of antibiotic resistance showed that 10 samples (66%) had a pattern of multidrug-resistant resistance (MDR). (MDR: strains resistant to one of the antibiotics from three different classes of antibiotics). Microtiter plate test was used to evaluate the quantitative biofilm formation and the results showed that out of 15 strains of K. pneumoniae, all MDR strains (10 strains) formed biofilm, so that 5 strains formed strong biofilm (50%). 3 strains forming moderate biofilm (30%) and 2 strains (20%) forming weak biofilm.The results of SEM and DLS showed that Al2O3 nanoparticles have a polyhedral structure and have an average size of 164.1 nm. The FTIR results also showed the chemical bonds associated with Al2O3 nanoparticles. XRD results showed the presence of peaks of 31.8, 35.5, 40.5, 46.7 and 47.98, which confirms the Al2O3 nanoparticles. Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of Al2O3 nanoparticlesThe results showed that Al2O3 nanoparticles had antimicrobial properties at the lowest concentration of 500 μg/ml and the highest concentration of 2000 μg/ml. The results of this test showed that Al2O3 nanoparticles at sub-inhibitory concentration (subMIC) significantly reduced the biofilm formation (light absorption was significantly reduced compared to the control group) (P <0.05).The results showed that the amplification of the gene was done correctly and the analysis of the melting curve shows the amplification of the target gene. Also, after treatment of biofilm-forming strains with sub-inhibitory concentrations of Al2O3 nanoparticles, the expression of mrkA gene in all biofilm-forming strains decreased significantly compared to the 16S rRNA reference gene (P <0.05), so that in some Strains expression was reduced 5 to 6-fold.

The results of this study showed that aluminum nanoparticles have antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects against drug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains and can reduce the expression of biofilm gene. Therefore, this nanoparticle can be used as a candidate for antimicrobial and antifouling film for future studies.

Niosomes are multi-layered vesicles that are used as one of the new targeted drug delivery systems. This study aimed to synthesize niosome loaded A. chamamelifolia extract to investigate its biological effects.

In this experimental study, which was conducted at the Islamic Azad University, East Tehran Branch, from January 2019 to September 2020, a niosomal nanocarrier was fabricated using a thin layer-film method, and the A. chamemifolia extract was loaded on it. Subsequently, its physical and chemical properties were confirmed using SEM, FTIR and DLS methods. Finally, its antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) were investigated using micro-dilution and MTT methods, respectively and the expression of Bax and Bcl2 apoptotic genes were studied via quantitative Real Time PCR.

The results of this study showed that the synthesized niosome loaded extract had a spherical structure and its size was less than 200 nm. The results exhibited that niosome loaded extract had significant antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects compared to the free extract and the expression of Bax and Bcl2 genes were decreased and increased, respectively 4.16±0.41 (P<0.01) and 0.61±0.17 (P<0.05).

it can be concluded that niosome is one of the suitable nanocarriers for drug delivery of A. chamemifolia extract for cytotoxic purposes and can be used as an effective nano-carrier to deliver the extract to the target tissue with further studies.

One of the new fields in nanotechnology is the use of nanogels to improve the release of drug and increase its antimicrobial effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of Artemisia diffusa extract encapsulated in hyaluronic acid nanogels against the pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, A. diffusa extract was first obtained by maceration method using aqueous solvent. The extract was then encapsulated in hyaluronic acid nanogels and the nanogels prepared were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods. The release of the extract was also investigated at different times, temperatures and pHs. Finally, the antimicrobial effects of nanogels encapsulated extract and free extract against the pathogenic bacteria were investigated by the lowest inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. The results showed that the synthesized nanogels had a spherical structure and an average size of 85 nm. FTIR results also showed that the extract was trapped within the nanogel structure. The release rate of the extract had a good pattern. Antimicrobial results showed that the nanogels encapsulated extract had lower MIC than the extract. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that hyaluronic acid nanogels encapsulated extract have significant antimicrobial effects and it can be used in the pharmaceutical industry in the future with more studies.

Mesoporous iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs) have various applications in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, investigating their effects on cancer cells could be of great essence. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to synthesize MIONPs and to compare their effect between lymphocytes and chronic myeloid leukemia cells (K562). MIONPs were made by the hydrothermal method and examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of different concentrations of MIONPs on lymphocytes and chronic myeloid leukemia cells (K562) were then investigated using MTT and flow cytometry (FCM) approaches. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis verified the synthesis of MIONPs. The results showed that the nanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average diameter of about 100 nanometres. The results of the MTT test showed that the MIONPs reduced the life of the cells in a dose-dependent manner, although this toxicity was higher for the chronic myeloid leukemia cells (K562) compared to the lymphocytes. After the determination of IC50 concentration for MIONPs, flow cytometry was performed to investigate the programmed cell death (apoptosis) on chronic myeloid leukemia and lymphocytes cells.The rate of programmed death and necrosis in chronic myeloid leukemia cells treated with MIONPs was much higher than in lymphocytes. As a result, it can be concluded that porous iron oxide nanoparticles can be used as a possible anti-cancer agents.

Nosocomial infections are one of the most common infections in health centers. The high and inadequate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has increased the number of nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to synthesized silver nanoparticles using Dracocephalum kotschyi extract and analysis of its antibacterial activities. In this experimental study, biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles was performed using D. kotschyi extract. Physical and chemical structure of synthesized silver nanoparticle were determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy, XED, FTIR, SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Finally, the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was assessed using two methods including disk diffusion and minimum growth inhibitory concentration (MIC). The results showed that the size of the synthesized nanoparticle was 14.57 nm. The physical and chemical structure of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD, TEM, and SEM. The antibacterial results also showed that Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Listeria monocytogenes were sensitive to 500 μg/ml of silver nanoparticles. The results of this study showed that the silver nanoparticles synthesized by D. kotschyi have an appropriate antibacterial potential against nosocomial pathogens and can act as one of the nano-achievements in helping to management of infectious diseases.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections, especially wound infection after surgery. One of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae strains, especially ciprofloxacin, is the presence of efflux pump.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-efflux activity of Grammosciadium platycarpum Boiss. & Hausskn. extract on the expression of oqxA efflux pump in K. pneumoniae strains which were resistant to antibiotics.

In this experimental study, clinical specimens were collected from hospitals in Tehran and the K. pneumoniae strains were isolated. Subsequently, ciprofloxacin-resistant strains containing the oqxA efflux gene were detected using PCR. Finally, the gene expression of oqxA efflux pump in the strains treated with G. platycarpum extract was investigated using Real Time PCR.

In this study, 50 K. pneumoniae strains were isolated from clinical specimens and the results of antibiotic susceptibility showed that 70% (35 strains) of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and oqxA gene was observed in 43% (15 strains) of ciprofloxacin resistant K. pneumoniae strains. Moreover, Real Time PCR results showed that the expression of oqxA gene in the strains which are treated with extract, down-regulated significantly.

The results of this study showed that the G. platycarpum extract can inhibits the expression of the oqxA efflux pump in K. pneumoniae strains, and with further studies, the G. platycarpum extract can be used as a candidate for the drug design.

The use of medicinal herbs in traditional medicine has been important and many of these plants have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and anti-cancer effects of Artemisia turcomanica extract on gastric cancer cell line (AGS) and its effect on expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E genes.

At first the alcoholic extract of A. turcomanica was prepared and its antibacterial effect was evaluated using MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) method. Subsequently, the cytotoxic effect of extract on AGS cell line was studied using MTT method after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Moreover, the apoptotic effect of extract was determined via annexin FITC-V and PI staining. Finally, the gene expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E were measured using Real Time PCR method.

The antibacterial results show that the A. turcomanica extract had significant effect on Escherichia coli. In addition, the results of MTT assay indicated that the maximum cytotoxic effect of A. turcomanica extract was observed in 24 h and over time, its cytotoxic effects were decreased. The maximum apoptotic effect and minimum necrosis effects was observed in 48 h. Also, the Real Time PCR results reveal that the gene expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 was down-regulated.

The results of this study show that the
A. turcomanica extract had cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on AGS cell line and it can be used as anticancer candidate in cancer therapy and prevention after further studies.

This research focused on the composition for the essential oils, which was obtained by solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) from the aerial parts of Scorzonera calyculata, and hydrodistilled oils from the aerial parts and roots of Centaurea irritans, from Astraceae family, were investigated by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (MS). In addition, the biological activities of the methanolic extracts from the aerial parts of S. calyculata and C. irritans were determined.

Total phenolic content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu procedure. Antibacterial activity of the methanolic extracts was carried out by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Cytotoxicity of the methanolic extract of S. calyculata against human lung cancer cells (A549) and the methanolic extract of C. irritans against breast lung cancer cells (MCF-7) were measured using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method.

The obtained results of GC/MS technique showed that the SFME oil of S. calyculata, was rich in regard to nonterpenoid and sesquiterpene components. Both oils from the aerial parts and roots of C. irritans were rich in regard to oxygenated monoterpenes. The S. calyculata and C. irritans extracts showed moderate antioxidant activities with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 1.48 and 1.99 mg/mL, using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 73.51 and 44.48 μmol Fe (II)/g dry mass using ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, respectively. The extracts showed high toxicity against gram-positive bacteria and the IC50 value of extracts cytotoxicity was found to be 9.8 and 10.3 mg/mL, respectively.

It appeared that the investigated samples could be as a promising drug for pharmaceutical industry.

Acinetobacter baumannii has been known as a major pathogen causing nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to develop multiplex PCR for rapid and simultaneous detection of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) genes in clinical isolates of A. baumannii.

In this study, we used three sets of primers to amplify the MBL genes including blaOXA-48, blaOXA-23 and blaNDM. The multiplex PCR assay was optimized for rapid and simultaneous detection of MBL genes in A. baumannii strains recovered from clinical samples.

A. baumannii strains recovered from clinical samples were subjected to the study. The multiplex PCR produced 3 bands of 501 bp for blaOXA-23, 744 bp for blaOXA-48 and 623 bp for blaNDM genes. In addition to, no any cross-reactivity was observed in multiplex PCR.

Based on obtained data, the multiplex PCR had a good specificity without any cross reactivity and it appears that the multiplex PCR is reliable assay for simultaneous detection of MBL genes in A. baumannii strains.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the important nosocomial infection agents. Recently, S. aureus strains have become resistant to ciprofloxacin and the efflux pump is considered as its contributor. Herein, we investigated the presence, expression, and activity of efflux pump genes (norA and norB) among ciprofloxacin-resistant S. aureus isolates.

A total of 250 clinical samples were subjected to isolation of S. aureus strains. The antibiotic resistance pattern was characterized and the presence and expression level of norA and norB genes was assessed using PCR test and real-time PCR test, respectively. Finally, active efflux pumps were detected in ciprofloxacin-resistant S. aureus strains using the ethidium bromide test.

Among total clinical samples, 50 S. aureus strains were recovered. Of this 12 samples (24%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Moreover, norA and norB genes were found in 100 % and 83% of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, respectively. All ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates exhibited active efflux pumps. Real-time PCR results revealed that the isolates are more resistant to ciprofloxacin having a high level of efflux pump gene expression.

The results of this study showed that norA and norB efflux pump genes play an important role in resistance to ciprofloxacin in S. aureus strains.

Recently, metal nanoparticles, especially silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), have attracted the attention of researchers due to their biological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological synthesis of AgNPs using Erica carnea extract and its antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).

In this experimental study, the AgNPs were synthesized by adding E. carnea extract to silver nitrate. Subsequently, its physical and chemical properties were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV/Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Subsequently, its antimicrobial, cytotoxic and apoptotic effects were investigate using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), MTT and flow cytometry (Annexin-V/PI kit) methods, respectively.

The UV/Vis adsorption results showed that the synthesized AgNPs had a maximum absorbance at 420 nm. In addition, SEM and TEM results indicated that the AgNPs was spherical and had an average size of 10.67 nm. The results of MIC show that the AgNPs had significant effect on Gram negative bacteria. The results of cell cytotoxicity at 125.3 to 100 μg/ml concentrations showed that the IC50 value was 7.14 microgram/mL. Apoptotic results showed that AgNPs induced 60% apoptosis in the MCF-7 cell line.

Based on results of this study, it can be concluded that the AgNPs synthesized by the E. carnea extract had significant antibacterial and anticancer effects and can be used as a drug candidate for the future.

Recently, metal nanoparticles, especially silver nanoparticles, are important in the medical and therapeutic applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial, cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of synthesized and commercial silver nanoparticles.

In this experimental study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using Asparagus khorasanesis extract. Its physical-chemical properties were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM, SEM and FTIR. The antimicrobial activity of synthesized and commercial silver nanoparticles were evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration method (MIC). In addition, their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was performed using MTT and flow cytometric methods, respectively at concentrations of 125.3 to 100 μg/mL.

The synthesized silver nanoparticles showed an absorbance peak of 420 nm in UV-vis. The results of SEM, TEM and FTIR showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles had a spherical structure with a mean size of 12.96 nm. The MIC results showed that synthesized silver nanoparticles had more significant antimicrobial effects in comparison of commercial silver nanoparticles. Moreover, the MTT and flow cytometric results showed that synthesized silver nanoparticles in 50 and 100 μg /ml concentration exhibited more cytotoxic and apoptotic properties than commercial silver nanoparticles.

The results of this study showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles have significantly biological effects more than commercial silver nanoparticles, and therefore these nanoparticles can be considered as drug candidates.

 Recently, the biosynthesis of nanoparticles and the use of medicinal plants for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has attracted researchers due to its low cost and eco-friendly characteristics. The aim of this study was to synthesis of AgNPs using Artemisia khorassanica and analysis of its antibacterial and anti-cancer activities. In this experimental study, ethanolic extract of A. khorassanica was prepared and AgNPs was synthesized. Subsequently, Antibacterial and anti-cancer activities of AgNPs on lung cancer cell line were assessed using microdilution and MTT methods, respectively. Finally, the Bax and Bcl2 apoptotic gene expression was analyzed via Real Time PCR. The result of antibacterial activity showed that the AgNPs had a significant effect on gram negative bacteria. In addition to, AgNPs in 100 µg/mL had significant cytotoxic effect to lung cancer cell line. The statistical analysis of Real Time PCR results by one-way ANOVA test indicated that the Bax and Bcl2 gene expression were 3.03±0.67 (P<0.001) up-regulated and 0.38±0.15 (P<0.001) down-regulated, respectively. The results show that the biosynthesis of AgNPs using A. khorassanica extract is low-cost and simple and due to its antibacterial and anticancer activities can be used as drug candidate.

Ciprofloxacin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains due to efflux pumps has become a significant challenge. This study was performed to evaluate the frequency and gene expression of norA and norB efflux pump genes and their role in resistance to ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates of S. aureus. In this experimental study, a total of 250 clinical samples were collected from different hospitals in Tehran and S. aureus isolates were identified. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined by disk diffusion method based on CLSI standard. The presence of norA and norB efflux pump genes in ciprofloxacin isolates were detected using PCR method. Finally, active efflux pump was evaluating using MIC of ciprofloxacin-Ethidium bromide and Real Time PCR method. Among 250 clinical samples, 50 S. aureus isolates were recovered and the results of antibiotic susceptibility tests show that 34 out of 50 S. aureus isolates (68%) were resistant to methicillin (MRSA) and from the 34 MRSA, 12 isolates (24%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Moreover, the norA and norB genes were found in 100 % and 83% in isolates, respectively. Real Time PCR results show that more resistant strains had increased expression in norA and norB efflux genes. The potential role played by norA and norB efflux pumps in the development of resistance to ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates of S. aureus and the detection of these genes could be important for suggestion of an effective treatment model for the S. aureus infections.