فصلنامه زیست شناسی جانوری تجربی
سال دوازدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 46، پاییز 1402)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, and high-risk HPV types cause about five percent of all cancers worldwide. The chemical drugs used to treat this disease are expensive and have many side effects. Therefore, the use of herbal medicines is increasing. In this regard, the E6 protein, which is a key protein in the initiation of cervical cancer and plays a role in the degradation of P53, was selected as an essential drug target. In this research, two new potential inhibitors named beta-sitosterol (CID_222284) and loncocarpenin (CID_54699185) were identified as potent inhibitors of E6 HPV-16 from the PubChem library by high-throughput virtual screening. Molecular dynamics results show that these compounds bind to E6 protein with high stability. The preparation of ADMET and Swiss ADME profiles indicates that the identified compounds are probably potential candidates against E6 HPV-16 and can be used in chemotherapy by inhibiting the Pgp channel as an adjuvant drug.

Considering the problems of using medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases such as high volatility and non-targeted effects, and the role of nanotechnology in reducing these challenges, the present research was conducted with the aim of obtaining a nano formulation containing Clove essential oil for use in dental research. 4 liposomal formulations containing Clove essential oil were prepared using phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol by thin layer and heat methods separately. The encapsulation efficiency, size, polydispersity-index and zeta potential of nanoparticle (by zeta-sizer) were measured. In each of the manufacturing methods, a formulation that had suitable physicochemical parameters was selected in order to check the essential oil release pattern and the morphology of nanoparticles (by SEM). Also, the toxicity of nano-liposomes obtained from selected formulations was measured by MTT method on human fibroblast(HFF) cell line. The encapsulation efficiency, particle size and zeta potential for the selected formulation obtained from the thin layer method were 50.57%, 123.3nm and -18.6mV, respectively, and for the heat method, they were 55.43%, 121.4nm respectively and -19/2mV. The release of essential oil from the selected formulations was slow and continuous and dependent on pH. Nano-liposomes made by heat method caused less toxicity to HFF cell line compared to thin layer method. Considering the suitable physicochemical characteristics of nano-liposomes containing Clove essential oil and very low toxicity of nano-liposomes made by heat method for healthy HFF cells, these nano-liposomes can be suggested to further research in the field of oral and dental health.

This study aimed to investigate the diet of Pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) caught by pot during the sampling seasons in the Konarak fishing ground located in the Sistan and Baluchestan province. Tiger squid samples were collected for biological studies in the period from October to January 2021. Based on the obtained data, the highest number was recorded in January (113 specimens), and the highest ranges of length (18.2-2.41 cm) and weight (426.17-17.3886 grams) were recorded in October. Based on the results of non-linear regression between length and weight, the values of a, b, and R2 parameters were 0.17038, 2.6962, and 0.9842, respectively. The highest Fulton index was obtained in December (0.93) and the lowest index was obtained in October (0.64). The highest value of the GaSI index was observed in December (1.02) and the lowest value was observed in November (0.7). Also, the highest SFI index was observed in January (0.535) and the lowest in November (0.31). The changes in the ESR index also showed that this index was 68% in October, 57% in November, 34% in December, and 41% in January. Based on the results of gastric dilatation, the highest state of the empty stomach (53%) and three-quarter dilation (13%) were observed in October. Also, most one-quarter dilation (18%), one-half dilation (24%), and full stomach (22%) were observed in January. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between the nutritional status of Pharaoh Cuttlefish caught by fishing trap in the Konarak in different sampling (P<0.05). Also, they have a varied diet (Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other digested materials) during different sampling months.

Determining the habitat suitability, understanding the relationship between species and environment, and choosing it as a niche is one of the main steps of management and a key step of wildlife species protection. Miankaleh biosphere reserve is one of the important habitats for the Caspian comment pheasant (Phasianus colchicus persicus), and suitability of its habitat was investigated in this study. The modeling of habitat suitability was conducted using 61 occurrence records of the species and environmental variables, including; distance to farm, cattle rearing, ranger’s station, water resources, roads and NDVI; based on the maximum entropy algorithm. We found that proximity to water resources, high density of vegetation, and proximity to ranger’s station play as the major role in habitat suitability of the species, respectively. The habitat of the Caspian comment pheasant was not most suitable in the Miankaleh biosphere reserve due to destruction of coastal habitats, road construction, conversion to agricultural land, intentional and unintentional fires of vegetation, use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the edge of woodland and farm. So that, its habitat sustainability was very limited and inclined to the southwestern habitats of the region.

This study was conducted to investigate the sexual dimorphism of Cyprinion macrostomum in the Little Zab River using traditional and geometric morphometric methods. For this purpose, during 2021, 37 specimens (21 females and 16 males) were collected using an electrofishing device. After determining the sex of the collected specimens, 18 morphometric characteristics were measured using a digital caliper. Also, to extract body shape data in geometric method, photographs were taken from the left sides of both males and females. Then, 16 landmark-points were digitized in tpsDig2 software. The extracted data were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis including principal component analysis (PCA), T.tests and Mann-Whitney.The results of discriminant function analysis (DFA) and T-test of the body shape showed a significant difference between males and females (P<0.05). The males have more body depth, posterior snout, and shorter caudal peduncle length than the females. Males and females had significant differences in 8 morphometric traits (P<0.05). The results of the  present study confirmed the performance of traditional and geometric morphometric methods in the differentiation of the C. macrostomum sexes.

Beluga (Huso huso) is one of the most important commercial fish in the Caspian Sea, whose reproduction and breeding, as well as caviar extraction, are of special importance. This study was conducted to investigate the morphological analysis for non-invasive sex determination in this sturgeon species to replace the invasive methods in the event of appropriate outcomes. A total of 180 fish were biometried at the Sea Abzigostaran Center, Sari, within 2 weeks. The samples were then photographed and the photos were analyzed by the TPS (transection processing system) technique for sex determination. The ANOVA test showed homogeneity of morphormetric data. Leven's test showed that all the morphometric traits had uniform variances (P ≥ 0.05). The analysis of the distinctive function for morphometric traits indicated that 100% of both male and female beluga samples displayed their characteristics. Overall, the results of this test revealed that on average 100% of the males and females were grouped accurately, which indicates the separation of the sexes based on this test. The UPGMA dendrogram for morphological traits based on the mean correlation showed that the samples of beluga were partially distinguished from each other by gender. However, the TPS technique could distinguish the male and female beluga samples, thus, it could be considered a non-invasive method for the sex determination of sturgeon fish.

Bromelain is an aqueous extract of pineapple contains a mixture of thiol proteases and non-protease components. In this research, the method of implementing the research was applied and quantitative, and by conducting the MTT test, information was collected. The results showed by increasing the dose of carbon nanotubes from 1 mg/L to 5 mg/L, the absorption efficiency increases significantly and the absorption capacity decreases and by increasing the initial concentration of Anahil drug from 50 mg/L to 300 mg/L in the dose of carbon nanotubes. No g 1/L the absorption capacity increased from 41.6 mg/g to 162.2 mg/g and in contrast the absorption efficiency decreased from 83.2 percent to 54.067 percent. The parameters of the adsorption equilibrium isotherms showed that the adsorption behavior of Anahil on carbon nanotubes follows the Freundlich model more than the Langmuir model. Also, the values ​​obtained for parameter n in the Freundlich model for both temperatures were higher than 2, indicating the favorable adsorption of Anahil on carbon nanotubes. The results obtained from the MTT test showed that the drug Anahil in high concentrations (100 micrograms per liter) has a very strong lethal effect. It was also shown that the lethal effect of Anahil drug was more at the beginning and decreases with the passage of time. But in the case of the new drug synthesized using the introduction of the Anahil drug to the surface of carbon nanotubes, the lethality rate becomes a constant value, which indicates the gradual release of the drug over time, which is desirable for effective cancer treatment.