Antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract and its fractions of aerial parts of Anthemis tinctoria

The antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract and its fractions of aerial parts of Aniheinis tinctoria (Asteraceae) was investigated against representative gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) and gram-negative strains Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). The activity was concentrated mainly in the dichloromethane (DCM) and hexane fractions of crude methanolic extract. The 5 mg of DCM extract per disk produced 15-16 mm of inhibition zone against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, however, no activity was found against E. faecalis and E. coli. The hexane fraction showed activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis. As DCM fraction showed the highest antibacterial activity in the disk diffusion assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of only this fraction was determined against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. These values were found to be in the range of 1.25 to 10 mg/ml.     

Benzofurans and another constituent from seeds of Styrax officinalis

The benzofuran constituents of the seeds of Styrax officinalis were investigated. From the hexane extract, two new constituents named 5-(3"benzoyloxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-benzofuran (5) and 4-[3"-(1c-methylbutanoyloxy)propyl]-2-methoxy-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1a, 5b-dihydrobenzo-[3,4]-cyclobutaoxirene (6) were isolated together with four known compounds, 5-[3"-(1c-methylbutanoyloxy)propyl]-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-benzofuran (4), 5-[3"-(1c-methylbutanoyloxy)propyl]-7- methoxy-2-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-benzofuran (3), 5-(3"-acetoxypropyl)-7-methoxy2-(3',4'-methylenedioxphenyl)-benzofuran (2) and 5-(3"-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-met hylenedioxyphenyl)-benzofuran (1). Although the compounds 1, 2, and 3 have been isolated previously from the seeds of Styrax obassia, this is the first record of their isolation from seeds of Styrax officinalis. The structures of the isolated compounds were established by 1D- and 2D-NMR (HMBC, HMQC, COSY), FABMS and high-resolution ESI FTMS.     

Effects of Chromium Picolinate on Micronucleus Frequency and Morphology of Lymphocytes in Calves

We report the effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on micronucleus frequency, morphology of lymphocytes, and lipid peroxidation in calves. Twenty-four Holstein calves were selected for the study. They were kept in a farm and were fed a commercially available calf diet and alfalfa, ad libitum. The animals were divided into three groups of eight subjects each and were treated as follows: The first group was supplemented with a daily dose of 200 μg Cr as chromium picolinate; a second group received 400 μg Cr per day and a third group that served as control received no supplemental chromium. After 12-week supplementation, blood samples were collected to determine the micronucleus frequency, the apoptotic cell percentage, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and blood chromium levels. In both supplemented groups, the cells had irregularly shaped and segmented nuclei. Supplementation also increased the percentage of apoptotic cells (p < 0.001) and serum MDA (p < 0.01) and slightly increased the chromium levels. The animals supplemented with 400 μg showed a significant increase of micronucleus frequency (p < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that supplementation with 200 and 400 μg chromium as chromium picolinate may lead to cytotoxicity. The higher level of supplementation may also have genotoxic effects. However, further studies investigating the mechanism of the action of CrPic are required.     

Biochemical changes induced by grape seed extract and low level laser therapy administration during intraoral wound healing in rat liver: an experimental and in silico study

In the present study, the changes that occur in rat liver tissue as a result of the use of grape seed extract (GSE) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) in intraoral wound (IW) healing are analyzed using biochemical parameters. Diode laser application groups received 8 J/cm² dose LLLT once a day for 4 days (810 nm wavelength, continuous mode, 0.25 W, 9 s). As a result of the biological parameter analysis, it was determined that the oxidative damage caused by the IWs and recovery period on 7th and 14th days could be substantially removed with GSE applications that have antioxidant capacity especially in rat liver tissue. In addition, the active compound of grape seed, catechin is studied in the active site of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) target using molecular modeling approaches. Post-processing molecular dynamics (MD) results for catechin is compared with a standard GSK3 inhibitor. MD simulations assisted for better understanding of inhibition mechanism and the crucial amino acids contributing in the ligand binding. These results along with a through free energy analysis of ligands using sophisticated simulations methods are quite striking and it suggests a greater future role for simulation in deciphering complex patterns of molecular mechanism in combination with methods for understanding drug-receptor interactions.     

PROGRESS STUDY: Progression of chronic kidney disease in children and heat shock proteins

Various molecular and cellular processes are involved in renal fibrosis, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial cell injury, and apoptosis. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are implicated in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our aim was to evaluate changes in urine and serum HSP levels over time and their relationships with the clinical parameters of CKD in children. In total, 117 children with CKD and 56 healthy children were examined. The CKD group was followed up prospectively for 24 months. Serum and urine HSP27, HSP40, HSP47, HSP60, HSP70, HSP72, and HSP90 levels and serum anti-HSP60 and anti-HSP70 levels were measured by ELISA at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months. The urine levels of all HSPs and the serum levels of HSP40, HSP47, HSP60, HSP70, anti-HSP60, and anti-HSP70 were higher at baseline in the CKD group than in the control group. Over the months, serum HSP47 and HSP60 levels steadily decreased, whereas HSP90 and anti-HSP60 levels steadily increased. Urine HSP levels were elevated in children with CKD; however, with the exception of HSP90, they decreased over time. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that CKD progression is a complicated process that involves HSPs, but they do not predict CKD progression. The protective role of HSPs against CKD may weaken over time, and HSP90 may have a detrimental effect on the disease course.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12192-021-01239-9.     

A diatom based transfer function for reconstructing sea ice concentrations in the North Atlantic

A diatom based sea ice transfer function is developed using 99 surface sediment samples from the North Atlantic and the associated modern sea ice concentrations. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) is applied to the species assemblages of the surface sediment samples and the association of the species with two environmental parameters, August sea surface temperature and May sea ice concentration, is assessed. The results of this analysis indicate negative correlation between sea ice and sea surface temperature and that a group of diatom species is strongly associated with sea ice, especially May sea ice concentration. The results of the CCA legitimate the development of a diatom based sea ice transfer function. The maximum likelihood method has been applied as the transfer function method, as it has been proven most suitable with this particular data set. The newly developed transfer function is then used to reconstruct May sea ice concentration in three cases, each focusing on a different time period: the Last Glacial Maximum, the Younger Dryas and the Holocene. In all three cases the transfer function produces reasonable results when compared to other paleoclimatic proxy results. This suggests that the sea ice concentration reconstructed by the diatom based sea ice transfer function is a valid and reliable method, which can be applied as a valid proxy for May sea ice concentration.     

Visceral leishmaniasis mimicking autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus overlap

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life-threatening infection caused by Leishmania species. In addition to typical clinical findings as fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and cachexia, VL is associated with autoimmune phenomena. To date, VL mimicking or exacerbating various autoimmune diseases have been described, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Herein, we presented a patient with VL who had overlapping clinical features with SLE, AIH, as well as antimitochondrial antibody (AMA-M2) positive primary biliary cirrhosis.