Advanced Research in Microbial Metabolite and Technology
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Winter-Spring 2023

Cockroaches are one of the most important causes of asthma and allergies in residential areas. Sensitization to cockroach allergens is an established risk factor for asthma among populations. In this study, cockroach bodies and feces from the two species were separately dried, homogenized, and centrifuged after one day in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The protein concentration of the samples was then determined using the Bradford method. The supernatant was prepared for injection into 20 mice, and after four weeks of subcutaneous injection, an ELISA test was used to determine the antibody titer against the injected antigen. After the overdoes (OD) samples were detected, an SDS-PAGE test was performed to determine the peptides' molecular band and molecular weight. Lastly, a Western blot test with anti-mouse IgE conjugated HRP (Horseradish Peroxidase) for IgE in mouse serum was prepared.  A comparison of the cockroach OD with the rest showed that more antibodies, both for feces and for the body, were produced in the mouse serum than in other cockroaches. A Western blot test also showed that the body of this cockroach produced IgE antibodies in the serum of mice. The molecular weights of body and feces samples of German cockroaches by SDS-PAGE were 85, 75, and 100 kDa, respectively, and 75, 35, 60, and 60 kDa, respectively, for the body and feces of the brown-banded cockroach. The weight of IgE protein bands (antibody) produced in mouse serum by western blot varied from 60 to 220 kDa. The upper titer of the whole body and the cockroach feces of Supella longipalpa were observed in comparison with the other cockroaches, as well as the IgE antibody band of the Supella whole body was observed, which indicated the risk of allergy to this cockroach.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes is one of the most important health challenges worldwide. Serine/threonine-protein kinase-4 (STK4) is important in various cellular processes, with particularly in diabetes. Cannabis is a plant species that contains various medicinal compounds. This study aimed to examine whether the six compounds found in Cannabis extract can inhibit the STK4 protein that is present in diabetes. The crystallized structure (.pdb format) of Cannabis extract compounds were obtained from the PubChem database and used as ligands. Using the mm2 method, the ligand's structure was optimized. AutodockVina was employed to assess the ligand's effectiveness as an inhibitor against the active site of STK4 chain A and B. The results generated were analyzed and evaluated using Discovery Studio v16.1.0 software. Toxicity prediction of the best inhibitor was done by ProTox-II. The best affinity was obtained against 6YAT -chain A by -9.1 kcal/mol. The highest diversity of links was also reported in Ligand C with 6YAT -chain A. Hydrogen bonds established with 6YAT -chain A against Tyrosine: 104, Arginine: 245 and Phenylalanine: 244, indicating the effectiveness of delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid against chain A of 6YAT. Toxicity prediction showed that all pharmacokinetic parameters of ligand C molecule are in the acceptable range. Our study can provide valuable information about newly identified inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes. The findings of this study indicated that delta (9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid molecule could be used as a novel STK4 inhibitor in the future studies.

Essential oils of different plants are widely used in the pharmaceutical and food fields. In order to assess the composition of the essential oils, study antimicrobial properties, and compare the effect of essential oils of two Cupressus species with imipenem as a carbapenem antibiotic on wound infections, the chemical composition of essential oils of Cupressus sempervirence L. and C. funebris Endl. were obtained by Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The essential oil efficiency was estimated at a rate of 0.3%. In total 10 compounds were identified from the essential oils of each species. The results showed that C. sempervirens mainly consisted of 21.5% totarol, 15.54% delta-3-carene, 14.37% α-pinene and 11.78% phenanthrene and C. funebris mainly contained 24% α-cedrol, 18.11% naphthalene, 12.96% α-pinene, 10.05% delta-3-carene and 9.3% α-cedrene. The results of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), showed that the essential oils of two species could inhibit the growth of most type strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter 1872) Migula 1900 (DSM 50071T). Time-killing assay revealed that compared to imipenem, essential oils further reduced the bacterial colony growth after 24 hours’ incubation. On the other hand, essential oils of two species of Cupressus, have shown more efficient bactericidal effects versus imipenem.

The high resistance of K. pneumoniae strains to various antibiotics is remarkable. The most important virulence factors for K. pneumoniae include fimbriae, capsule, lipopolysaccharide, outer membrane proteins, and iron transport molecules. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of capsule (wabG) and fimbriae (fimH) coding genes in MDR K. pneumoniae strains isolated from patients admitted to Isfahan (Iran) hospitals. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was carried out by the disk diffusion method. Definitive confirmation of MDR isolates was done by tracing the 16S-23S ITS gene, and the presence of capsule (wabG) and fimbriae (fimH) genes was investigated in the isolates. Data analysis was done using an independent parametric T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). One hundred and two K. pneumoniae isolates were detected in the samples, including urine, respiratory tract, blood, throat, cerebrospinal fluid, direct discharge, wound secretions, pleural fluid, joint fluid, abscess discharge, stool, and sputum. Men were significantly more infected with K. pneumoniae than women. The highest frequency of the isolates was related to urine (40%), followed by the respiratory tract (27%). The largest number of isolates were found in the ICU (37%) and emergency (28%) departments. Out of the 102 isolates of K. pneumoniae, 50 isolates (49%) were MDR, and 50 (49%) were carbapenem-resistant. Of the 50 MDR isolates, 48 (96%) and 47 (94%) had fimH and wabG genes, respectively. High frequencies of MDR and carbapenem-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae with a high prevalence of fimH and wabG genes are significant and should be considered by healthcare management.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection rises the risk of emerging psycho-behavioral disorders, including schizophrenia and epilepsy. The widespread outbreak of T. gondii and its relation with psychiatric diseases raises the possibility of applying antipsychotic medications to control this parasite or parasite-based drugs to reduce neurological complications. According to reports, haloperidol prevented T. gondii tachyzoites from multiplying in culture. Animals receiving the medication did not, however, survive longer or develop fewer cysts during acute and chronic phase, respectively. In this study, the parasite’s repetitive DNA fragment REP529, the bradyzoite-specific protein BAG1, and the tachyzoite-specific protein SAG1 were quantified in mice brains treated with haloperidol by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique. Similar to the typical anti-toxoplasmosis drug, Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), the therapy with haloperidol suppressed the Toxoplasma and lowered all the BAG1, SAG1, and REP529 copy counts in mouse brains (P < 0.0001). In addition, haloperidol reduced brain TNF expression similarly to TMP/SMZ (P < 0.0001). Mice brain histology revealed a substantial decrease in lymphocyte perivascular infiltration, glial nodules, and cyst formation the same as the TMP/SMZ group. Our findings offer concrete proof of the effectiveness of the mood-stabilizing and antipsychotic medication haloperidol in treating persistent Toxoplasma infection. These findings may be used to modify treatment plans for psychotic patients and create new potent anti-Toxoplasma medications.

African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) is one of the most important commercial plants with a unique variety in color and shape, which has made this potted plant more popular than before. African violet powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) is one of the vital diseases of this plant, which covers the leaves like white felt. Despite the heavy use of chemical pesticides in commercial greenhouses, this disease still causes significant damage to this plant. Using different kind of compost in integrated pest management, are a suitable solution for obtaining high-quality products with minimal environmental impacts, due to the high population of microorganisms. In this research, in order to manage African violet powdery mildew in a healthy ecosystem, it was tried to use compost tea and vermicompost tea to control that using Taguchi design experiments method. To achieve this purpose, the effect of compost types was studied at four levels, along with consumption dosage and application intervals at two levels, on two varieties of African violets. The results demonstrated a significant impact of using compost tea on the control of powdery mildew in African violet. After analyzing the main effects of the variables, it was found that the application intervals did not show a significant effect, while the other three variables had a significant impact on the control of this disease. The result showed that the optimal conditions for powdery mildew control on the miniature cultivar involve using aerated compost tea with a dose of 20 cc.