Effects of essential oil from Teucrium polium on some digestive enzyme activities of Musca domestica

The essential oil from Teucrium polium was evaluated for its adverse effects on larval instars of Musca domestica . The essential oil was blended with a diet at a concentration that produced 50% mortality of subjected insects (LC₅₀) (80 ppm). To learn about the situation of digestive enzymes of M. domestica treated with the essential oil, third larval instars were dissected under non-active enzyme conditions and their midguts were removed. The supernatant was used as an enzyme source after homogenization and centrifugation of the homogenates. Results revealed that some main digestive enzymes in the larval midgut were adversely affected when exposed to the food-incorporated essential oil. Proteinase extracted from larval midgut hydrolyzed the synthetic substrates B-Arg-pNA, Z-Arg-Arg-PNA and Z-Phe-Arg-PNA for trypsin, cathepsin B and cathepsin L activities, respectively, in control and treated larvae. The essential oil caused a reduction of 61.5% in tryptic activity. Significant 69% and 79% reductions were also observed in cathepsin L and B activities, respectively. Carbohydrase activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase were detected in larval midgut extract. All assayed carbohydrases were affected by the essential oil. The most notable impact, a 93% reduction, was observed in α-amylase. Decreases of 69.5% and 42% were obtained in α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase activity, respectively. This study indicated that the larvicidal effect of the essential oil from Teucrium polium may be due to its detrimental effects on digestive enzymes. It seems that the detrimental effect of the oil can be due to both the inhibitory nature of the oil and the destruction of the midgut epithelium.     

A Genetic Framework for Grain Size and Shape Variation in Wheat

Grain morphology in wheat (Triticum aestivum) has been selected and manipulated even in very early agrarian societies and remains a major breeding target. We undertook a large-scale quantitative analysis to determine the genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity in wheat grain morphology. A high-throughput method was used to capture grain size and shape variation in multiple mapping populations, elite varieties, and a broad collection of ancestral wheat species. This analysis reveals that grain size and shape are largely independent traits in both primitive wheat and in modern varieties. This phenotypic structure was retained across the mapping populations studied, suggesting that these traits are under the control of a limited number of discrete genetic components. We identified the underlying genes as quantitative trait loci that are distinct for grain size and shape and are largely shared between the different mapping populations. Moreover, our results show a significant reduction of phenotypic variation in grain shape in the modern germplasm pool compared with the ancestral wheat species, probably as a result of a relatively recent bottleneck. Therefore, this study provides the genetic underpinnings of an emerging phenotypic model where wheat domestication has transformed a long thin primitive grain to a wider and shorter modern grain.     

Hesperidin suppressed metastasis,angiogenesis and tumour growth in Balb/c mice model of breast cancer

Considering the unfavourable response of breast cancer (BC) to treatment, we assessed the therapeutic potential hesperidin in mice bearing 4T1 BC tumours. Anti-tumour effects were assessed by measuring pathologic complete response (pCR), survival analysis, immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin, VEGF, MMP9, MMP2 and Ki-67, serum measurement of IFNγ and IL-4, and gene expression analysis of CD105, VEGFa, VEGFR2 and COX2. Survival of tumour-bearing mice was the highest in mice receiving a combination of hesperidin and doxorubicin (Dox) (80%) compared to the normal saline (43%), hesperidin 5 (54%), 10 (55.5%), 10 (60.5%) and 40 (66%) mg/kg, and 10 mg/kg Dox-treated (73%) groups (p < 0.0001 for all). Compared to the normal saline group, there was a significant elevation in IFNγ level in the animals receiving 20 (p = 0.0026) and 40 (p < 0.001) mg/kg hesperidin, 10 mg/kg Dox (p < 0.001), and combined hesperidin (20 mg/kg) and Dox (10 mg/kg) (p < 0.001). A significant reduction in the gene expression of CD 105 (p = 0.0106), VEGFa (p < 0.0001), VEGFR2 (p < 0.0001), and Cox2 (p = 0.034) and a significant higher pCR score (p = 0.006) were noticed in mice treated with 10 mg/kg Dox + 20 mg/kg hesperidin compared to those treated with 10 mg/kg Dox alone. Immunohistochemical staining showed significant reductions in Ki-67 (p < 0.001) and VEGF (p < 0.001) and a significant elevation in E-cadherin (p = 0.005) in the 10 mg/kg Dox + 20 mg/kg treatment group than in 10 mg/kg Dox alone group. Hesperidin can be considered as a potentially suitable anti-cancer agent for BC that can synergize with other chemotherapeutics.     

Characterisation of extracellular vesicles isolated from hydatid cyst fluid and evaluation of immunomodulatory effects on human monocytes

Hydatidosis is a disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, which involves several organs of intermediate hosts. Evidence suggests a communication between hydatid cyst (HC) and hosts via extracellular vesicles. However, a little is known about the communication between EVs derived from HC fluid (HCF) and host cells. In the current study, EVs were isolated using differential centrifugation from sheep HCF and characterized by western blot, electron microscope and size distribution analysis. The uptake of EVs by human monocyte cell line (THP-1) was evaluated. The effects of EVs on the expression levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR), 3 and 24 h after incubation. Moreover, the cytokine level of IL-10 was evaluated in supernatant of THP-1 cell line at 3 and 24 h. EVs were successfully isolated and showed spherical shape with size distribution at 130.6 nm. After 3 h, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (IL1Β, IL15 and IL8) were upregulated, while after 24 h, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were decreased and IL13 gene expression showed upregulation. A statistically significant increase was seen in the levels of IL-10 after 24 h. The main mechanism of the communication between EVs derived from HCF and their host remains unclear; however, time-dependent anti-inflammatory effects in our study suggest that HC may modulate the immune responses via EVs.     

A glimpse into molecular mechanisms of embryonic stem cells pluripotency: Current status and future perspective

Embryonic stem cells have potential differentiation ability into a large variety of cell lineages and proved to be an effective therapeutic modality. However, prolonged in vitro and ex-vivo expansions impair embryonic stem cells multipotentiality, and thereby limit their clinical application. In the past few years, research collected attempts to explore new insights into the molecular mechanisms participate in the stemness capacity of embryonic stem cells. Along with these comments, modalities and strategies with the potential to maintain embryonic stem cells multipotentiality are of great interest. In this review, the authors attempted to discuss the pathways participating in the preservation of embryonic stem cells multipotentiality and emphasized the novel strategies that help to harness regenerative potential.     

Microalgae harvesting by fungal-assisted bioflocculation

Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology - Although the production of biofuels from microalgae has numerous advantages over other raw materials, its large-scale application still comes...     

Anti‐inflammatory and immune‐modulatory impacts of berberine on activation of autoreactive T cells in autoimmune inflammation

Autoreactive inflammatory CD4⁺ T cells, such as T helper (Th)1 and Th17 subtypes, have been found to associate with the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. On the other hand, CD4⁺ Foxp3⁺ T regulatory (Treg) cells are crucial for the immune tolerance and have a critical role in the suppression of the excessive immune and inflammatory response promoted by these Th cells. In contrast, dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages are immune cells that through their inflammatory functions promote autoreactive T‐cell responses in autoimmune conditions. In recent years, there has been increasing attention to exploring effective immunomodulatory or anti‐inflammatory agents from the herbal collection of traditional medicine. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, is one of the main active ingredients extracted from medicinal herbs and has been shown to exert various biological and pharmacological effects that are suggested to be mainly attributed to its anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Several lines of experimental study have recently investigated the therapeutic potential of berberine for treating autoimmune conditions in animal models of human autoimmune diseases. Here, we aimed to seek mechanisms underlying immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects of berberine on autoreactive inflammatory responses in autoimmune conditions. Reported data reveal that berberine can directly suppress functions and differentiation of pro‐inflammatory Th1 and Th17 cells, and indirectly decrease Th cell‐mediated inflammation through modulating or suppressing other cells assisting autoreactive inflammation, such as Tregs, DCs and macrophages.     

Biocatalytic synthesis of polymeric nanowires by micellar templates of ionic surfactants

Micelle-templated polyguaiacol nanowires were successfully prepared via polymerization oxidation of guaiacol (o-methoxy phenol) by peroxidase enzyme in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at mild reaction conditions. The dimensions of the prepared nanowires were controlled by tuning the size and shape of the micelle structure via changing and controlling the type, chain length and molar concentrations of the ionic surfactant. The progress of the reaction and estimation of the size of soft micellar templates were followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The resulting micelle encapsulated or purified polyguaiacol nanowires were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).