Journal of Applied Biotechnology Reports
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Autumn 2024

Oncolytic virotherapy is a new method of treating cancer. Various types of viruses have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells due to the high presence of specific receptors on cancer cells. In this study, our aim was to investigate the potential ability of wildtype Echovirus to suppress the proliferation of A549 cell line as human lung cancer cells. In this study, we assessed the effects of treating A549 cells with both wild-type Echovirus and doxorubicin (DXR). We focused on several key parameters including cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release rate, apoptosis percentage, as well as caspase-8 and caspase-9 activities. The cytotoxic effects of wild-type Echovirus were measured on A549 cell lines in all treatment groups by MTT and apoptosis assay. The lowest and highest cytotoxic effects and apoptosis percentage were associated with the 10 and 40 MOIs of Echovirus treated groups, respectively. Additionally, Echovirus significantly increased LDH and ROS generation and the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9 compared with the control group. Wild-type Echovirus has the potential to inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells and promote apoptosis through both mitochondrial and extracellular apoptotic pathways. This suggests that wild-type Echovirus could be considered as a possible therapy for human lung cancer in the future.

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is a mycotoxin produced by various fungal species such as Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). This study aimed to limit and control the level of CPA production in A. flavus-contaminated wheat flour. Wheat flour samples (35 samples) were collected from various locations in Egypt. The fungal contaminations were determined and identified. Pure colonies of A. flavus were maintained and tested for CPA production. Different procedures like ultraviolet (UV) treatment, heat treatment, materials adsorption, and biosorption by Lactobacilli spp. were applied to control and reduce the CPA level. Among 24 samples, 14 A. flavus isolates (58.33%) were able to produce CPA. Yeast sucrose broth was the most favorable medium for CPA production, yielding 290.6 µg/100 ml dry biomass. UV light had an impact on the synthesis of CPA at different exposure times, decreasing by 45.5% after 60 minutes of exposure. CPA levels decreased with increasing temperature and exposure time, with a maximum reduction of 71.1% achieved at 100 ºC for 30 minutes. Charcoal was the most effective adsorption material, removing 53.3% of CPA. Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) was the most effective biosorbent, removing over 96.0% of CPA. Increasing the inoculum of L. acidophilus cells by 5×107 reduced CPA levels by 82.1%. The diversity of abiotic and biotic control measures and their effectiveness may provide new hope for controlling and reducing CPA levels.

This study synthesized a nanocomposite using corn cob fiber and ZnFe₂O₄, characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and surface porosity analysis. The research focused on evaluating the adsorption capacity and kinetics of this nanocomposite for removing malathion and bendiocarb, representing organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, respectively.

The nanocomposite was prepared and characterized using various techniques. Adsorption experiments assessed the removal efficiency of the pesticides under different conditions, including contact time, initial pollutant concentration, pH, and nanocomposite dosage. Kinetic studies utilized pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) models.

Rapid adsorption occurred within the first 20 minutes, with removal efficiencies of 45.4% for malathion and 40.5% for bendiocarb. Final efficiencies reached 49.3% for malathion and 47.7% for bendiocarb at 85 minutes. Optimal contact times were around 30 minutes for malathion and 40 minutes for bendiocarb. The PSO model provided a better fit, with higher equilibrium adsorption capacities (116.3 mg/g for malathion and 129.9 mg/g for bendiocarb). pH had a positive but minor effect on removal efficiency, and a dosage-dependent increase was observed, with a saturation point beyond 10 mg of nanocomposite.

The corn cob fiber and ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite effectively removed malathion and bendiocarb from aqueous solutions. Key factors influencing adsorption included contact time, pH, and nanocomposite dosage, highlighting the nanocomposite's potential for pesticide removal applications.

Diabetes mellitus is known as a public health problem worldwide. Accurate detection of glucose concentration is crucial for managing diabetes mellitus. In this study, a non-enzymatic glucose sensor was fabricated using a free-standing electrode based on a composite of copper nanoparticles and electrospun carbon nanofibers.

Copper nanoparticles/electrospun carbon nanofibers (Cu/CNFs) nanocomposite was produced using a novel strategy involving electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile/copper acetate (PAN/Cu(OAc)2), followed by thermal treatment to carbonize the PAN nanofibers and reduce Cu. CuO/CNF was also synthesized by post-heating the Cu/CNFs nanocomposite. The morphology of the Cu/CNFs nanocomposite was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and its composition and structure were characterized by energydispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The Cu precursor content was optimized by comparing the Raman spectra, conductivity test, and TGA analysis. After demonstrating the effective role of Cu in glucose oxidation, the Cu/CNFs and CuO/CNFs nanocomposites were used directly as free-standing working electrodes for non-enzymatic detection of glucose. The electrochemical responses of the electrodes to glucose were examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric techniques.

Compared to the Cu/CNF, the CuO/CNFs showed a higher sensitivity of 424.6 µA mM-1 cm-2 and a lower detection limit of 0.35 mM. Both electrodes exhibited a linear range of 2-10 mM.

Reasonable LOD and sensitivity for glucose detection, good selectivity, reasonable stability of one month, and acceptable reproducibility make the CuO/CNFs nanocomposite a promising candidate for the development of non-enzymatic glucose sensors.

Broken rice tea supplemented with angkak (BRTA) contains monacolin K and Maillard reaction products (MRPs). The dynamic changes in these bioactive compounds and activities of BRTA after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were investigated. Different ratios of roasted broken rice to angkak were supplemented in BRTA as 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0. The colors, water activity (aw), moisture content, monacolin K, inhibition of peroxidation, DPPH radical scavenging assay, chelating ability on Fe2+, and α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory properties of BRTA were investigated after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Monacolin K, antioxidant properties, and α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory abilities of BRTA for all ratios of roasted broken rice to angkak increased after in vitro gastric digestion. BRTA activities using a ratio of 25:75 (roasted broken rice:angkak) were the highest. After in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, monacolin K, antioxidant properties, and α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory abilities of BRTA decreased due to the alkaline condition. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that monacolin K was positively correlated with α-amylase inhibition activity. Changes in monacolin K and α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory abilities after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of BRTA were investigated. Other experiments using angkak as a main ingredient should be conducted to determine dynamic changes in bioaccessibility.

Mycotoxins are harmful secondary metabolites produced by fungi on agricultural products under various climatic conditions. In this study, we developed a method for the extraction and preconcentration of T-2 toxin from aqueous media using magnetic molecular imprinting polymers. This technique involves creating polymers with high recognition properties for specific molecules and has been widely utilized in diverse scientific and technical applications. The objective of the study was to assess the binding properties of the magnetic MIPs for T-2 extraction and determine their potential as an efficient sample preparation technique. Magnetic T-2 imprinted nanoparticles using T-2 toxin (T-2) as the template, along with Methacrylic acid and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate as the functional monomer and cross-linker were synthesized in aqueous media and characterized. We investigated their selective adsorption ability, adsorption kinetics, and isotherms. The selective extraction of T-2 toxin from aqueous media was performed. Our findings showed that under ambient conditions, the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MMIP NPs) successfully extracted 70% to 81% of the T-2 toxin from the aqueous media after three times of recycling. This study developed a method to create uniform magnetic T-2 imprinted nanoparticles. The technique holds promise for detecting and analyzing T-2 contamination in food and feed products. Magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles have several advantages, including selective recognition, stability, reusability, and enhanced sensitivity.

Stevia rebaudiana contains steviol glycosides responsible for their sweet taste. One of the most important enzymes in the steviol glycosides production pathway in Stevia rebaudiana is the UGT76G1 enzyme, which is involved in the conversion of stevioside to rebaudioside A. The aim of this study was to identify the 5'-UTR of the UGT76G1 gene and investigate the cis-elements present in this region. The promoter and gene sequences of this enzyme were obtained from the NCBI database. To identify the 5'-UTR region, a pair of primers was designed. The pure amplified fragment was cloned into the pTG19 vector and transformed into E. coli XL1-Blue bacteria. Sequencing data were analyzed, and a fragment with a length of 944 nucleotides was identified as the 5'-UTR. Then, the cis-elements in this sequence were investigated using PlantCARE and PlantPAN. The 5′UTR sequence has been submitted to the NCBI database with the accession number OP897301. It was found that 65% of the elements in the 5’-UTR are responsible for regulating gene transcription, confirming the regulatory role of this sequence. The identification of regulatory regions and cis-elements in this region can be used in future research to regulate gene expression.

The adverse effects of chemotherapy in treating breast cancer have prompted research into identifying and using herbal anticancer compounds with suitable carriers. Accordingly, in the current study, we intended to investigate the effects of niosome-formulated methanolic (Nio/ME) and ethanolic (Nio/EE) extracts of Citrus limon peel on SKBR-3 breast cancer cells.

The SKBR-3 breast cancer cell line was subjected to niosomal formulation of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of lemon peel and doxorubicin. The effects on cytotoxicity, cell death, and migration via MTT, wound healing assay, and flow cytometry analysis were investigated.

MTT observations demonstrated that 200 µg/ml of extracts and 0.5 µM doxorubicin were appropriate for loading in the niosome and administered to the cells for 48 hours. In flow cytometry, the apoptosis rate significantly increased for ethanolic and methanolic extract formulations compared to pure extracts. However, encapsulated doxorubicin had a milder toxicity than doxorubicin alone (p≤0.05). Wound healing assay demonstrated significant anti-migratory effects of encapsulated extracts. The extracts had a significant synergistic cytotoxic effect with the drug.

Lemon peel extract has anticancer properties similar to doxorubicin. Additionally, the niosomal formulation demonstrated the ability to load and release the extracts and drug efficiently to the breast cancer cell.