Application of bio-organic amendments improves soil quality and yield of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) plants in saline calcareous soil.

The impact of bio-organic amendments on crop production is poorly understood in saline calcareous soils. The aim in the present study was to determine the effects of the application of organic manure along with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on soil quality, and morpho-physio-biochemical responses, seed yield (SY) and essential oil yield (EOY) of fennel plants (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) grown in saline calcareous soils. Eight treatments of farmyard manure (FM) or poultry manure (PM) individually or combined with Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) and/or Lactococcus lactis (Ll) were applied to saline calcareous soil in two growing seasons. Either FM or PM combined with LAB had beneficial effects on lowering ECe, pH and bulk density and increasing total porosity, organic matter, and water and nutrient retention capacities in addition to total bacterial population in the soil. Growth, nutrient uptake, SY and EOY of plants were also enhanced when fennel seeds were inoculated with Lp and/or Ll and the soil was amended with any of the organic manures under unfavorable conditions. Compared to control (no bio-organic amendments), FM + Lp + Lt or PM + Lp + Lt treatment signficantlly (P ≤ 0.05) increased plant height by 86.2 or 65.0%, total chlorophyll by 73 or 50%, proline by 35 or 45%, glutathione by 100 or 138%, SY by 625 or 463% and EOY by 300 or 335%, respectively, in fennel plants. Co-application of the naturally occurring microorganisms (i.e., LAB) and organically-derived, nutrient-rich fertilizer (i.e., FM or PM) is recommended to improve yield of fennel plants in saline calcareous soils.

Bio-organic fertilizers promote yield, chemical composition, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds.

The aromatic fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) is cultivated worldwide due to its high nutritional and medicinal values. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of the application of bio-organic fertilization (BOF), farmyard manure (FM) or poultry manure (PM), either individually or combined with Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and/or Lactococcus lactis (LL) on the yield, chemical composition, and antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of fennel seed essential oil (FSEO). In general, PM + LP + LL and FM + LP + LL showed the best results compared to any of the applications of BOF. Among the seventeen identified FSEO components, trans-anethole (78.90 and 91.4%), fenchone (3.35 and 10.10%), limonene (2.94 and 8.62%), and estragole (0.50 and 4.29%) were highly abundant in PM + LP + LL and FM + LP + LL, respectively. In addition, PM + LP + LL and FM + LP + LL exhibited the lowest half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 8.11 and 9.01 µg mL-1, respectively, compared to L-ascorbic acid (IC50 = 35.90 µg mL-1). We also observed a significant (P > 0.05) difference in the free radical scavenging activity of FSEO in the triple treatments. The in vitro study using FSEO obtained from PM + LP + LL or FM + LP + LL showed the largest inhibition zones against all tested Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains as well as pathogenic fungi. This suggests that the triple application has suppressive effects against a wide range of foodborne bacterial and fungal pathogens. This study provides the first in-depth analysis of Egyptian fennel seeds processed utilizing BOF treatments, yielding high-quality FSEO that could be used in industrial applications.

Green Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) Aqueous Leaf Extract and Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Activities.

Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit distinct features compared to traditional physico-chemical synthesis and they have many applications in a wide range of fields of life sciences such as surface coating agents, catalysts, food packaging, corrosion protection, environmental remediation, electronics, biomedical and antimicrobial. Green-synthesized metal NPs, mainly from plant sources, have gained a lot of attention due to their intrinsic characteristics like eco-friendliness, rapidity and cost-effectiveness. In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs have been synthesized employing an aqueous leaf extract of Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) as a reducing agent; subsequently, the biosynthesized ZnO NPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Moreover, aqueous plant leaf extract was subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Antioxidant activity of ZnO NPs was assessed by DPPH assay, with varying concentrations of ZnO NPs, which revealed scavenging activity with IC50 = 28.11 µg mL-1. Furthermore, the anti-bacterial efficacy of the green synthesized ZnO NPs against four foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains was examined using the disk diffusion assay, and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 8095), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC10662) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) were found to be the most sensitive against biosynthesized ZnO NPs, whereas the least sensitivity was shown by Bacillus cereus (ATCC 13753). The anti-inflammatory effect was also evaluated for both ZnO NPs and the aqueous leaf extract of P. odoratissimum through the human red blood cells (HRBC) membrane stabilization method (MSM) in vitro models which includes hypotonicity-induced hemolysis. A maximum membrane stabilization of ZnO NPs was found to be 95.6% at a dose of 1000 µg mL-1 compared with the standard indomethacin. The results demonstrated that leaf extract of P. odoratissimum is suitable for synthesizing ZnO NPs, with antioxidant, antibacterial as well as superior anti-inflammatory activity by improving the membrane stability of lysosome cells, which have physiological properties similar to erythrocyte membrane cells and have no hemolytic activity. Overall, this study provides biosynthesized ZnO NPs that can be used as a safe alternative to synthetic substances as well as a potential candidate for antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory uses in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.

Design of a neutron microscope based on Wolter mirrors.

The predominant geometry for a neutron imaging experiment is that of a pinhole camera. This is primarily due to the difficulty in focusing neutrons due to the weak refractive index, which is also strongly chromatic. Proof of concept experiments demonstrated that neutron image forming lenses based on reflective Wolter mirrors can produce quantitative, high spatial resolution neutron images while also increasing the time resolution compared to the conventional pinhole camera geometry. Motivated by these results, we report the design of a neutron microscope where two Wolter mirrors replace condensing and objective lenses, in direct analogy with typical visible light microscopes. Ray tracing results indicate that this system will yield 3 µm spatial resolution images with an acquisition time of order <1 s (104 faster than currently possible at this spatial resolution) with a field of view of about 5 mm in diameter.

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Evaluation and Chemical Investigation of Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca Leaf Extracts.

Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Rosaceae family that plays an important role as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of specific types of cancer, microbial infections, and diabetes mellitus. This work presents the first report on the evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential along with the phytochemical analysis of Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca leaves. Five leaf extracts of hexane, chloroform, methanol, hydromethanol 80%, and water were prepared. Assessment of antioxidant activity was carried out via DPPH radical scavenging assay. Antimicrobial activity against five foodborne pathogenic bacteria-including Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enteritidis-and the fungus Candida albicans, was examined using the disc diffusion method. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. Isolation, identification, and quantification of phenolic compounds were performed using HPLC-DAD analysis. Amongst the five leaf extracts that were investigated, hydromethanol 80% extract possessed the highest extraction yield, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and antimicrobial activity against all tested microbial strains. Moreover, this extract furnished six active phenolic compounds: gallic acid (1), (+) catechin (2), chlorogenic acid (3), (-) epicatechin (4), quercetin-3-O-α-d-(glucopyranoside) (5), and quercetin (6). This study provides an alternative utilization of R. gallica var. aegyptiaca leaves as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Sodium Oleate Increases Ampicillin Sensitivity in Methylophilus quaylei Biofilms on Teflon and Polypropylene.

BACKGROUND: Drug combination is a new therapy to improve antibiotic deficiency treatment towards biofilm resistance. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the potential effect of sodium oleate to inhibit established biofilms of two strains, methylotrophic bacteria Methylophilus quaylei in combination with ampicillin. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ampicillin was determined and added in combination with sodium oleate and examined on planktonic and established biofilms of two strains M. quaylei were characterized by different properties of cell surface hydrophobicity. METHODS: The effect on biofilms was evaluated by the number of colony forming units (CFUs), crystal violet assay, light and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The study demonstrates that sodium oleate has a promoting activity against planktonic growth of M. quaylei strains and has a slight inhibitory effect on biofilm. Addition of sodium oleate enhances the bactericidal effect of ampicillin against biofilm cells. Combination of ampicillin 0.1 mg/ml (MIC) and sodium oleate 0.03 mg/ml showed a remarkable destruction effect on established biofilms. DISCUSSION: Combination of ampicillin 0.1 mg/ml (MIC) and sodium oleate 0.03 mg/ml showed a remarkable destruction effect on established biofilms. Overall, results indicated that sodium oleate in combination with ampicillin enhances the inhibition of M. quaylei biofilms and this combination can be utilized for combating bacterial biofilm resistance. CONCLUSION: Overall, results indicated that sodium oleate in combination with ampicillin enhances the inhibition of M. quaylei biofilms and this combination can be utilized for combating bacterial biofilm resistance.

Nanoscale Membrane Budding Induced by CTxB and Detected via Polarized Localization Microscopy.

For endocytosis and exocytosis, membranes transition among planar, budding, and vesicular topographies through nanoscale reorganization of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. However, prior attempts to understand the initial stages of nanoscale bending have been limited by experimental resolution. Through the implementation of polarized localization microscopy, this article reports the inherent membrane bending capability of cholera toxin subunit B (CTxB) in quasi-one-component-supported lipid bilayers. Membrane buds were first detected with <50 nm radius, grew to >200 nm radius, and extended into longer tubules with dependence on the membrane tension and CTxB concentration. Compared to the concentration of the planar-supported lipid bilayers, CTxB was (12 ± 4)× more concentrated on the positive curvature top and (26 ± 11)× more concentrated on the negative Gaussian curvature neck of the nanoscale membrane buds. CTxB is frequently used as a marker for liquid-ordered lipid phases; however, the coupling between CTxB and membrane bending provides an alternate understanding of CTxB-induced membrane reorganization. These findings allow for the reinterpretation of prior observations by correlating CTxB clustering and diffusion to CTxB-induced membrane bending. Single-particle tracking was performed on single lipids and CTxB to reveal the correlations among single-molecule diffusion, CTxB accumulation, and membrane topography. Slowed lipid and CTxB diffusion was observed at the nanoscale bud locations, suggesting a local increase in the effective membrane viscosity or molecular crowding upon membrane bending. These results suggest inherent CTxB-induced membrane bending as a mechanism for initiating CTxB internalization in cells that could be independent of clathrin, caveolin, actin, and lipid phase separation.

The Detection of Nanoscale Membrane Bending with Polarized Localization Microscopy.

The curvature of biological membranes at the nanometer scale is critically important for vesicle trafficking, organelle morphology, and disease propagation. The initiation of membrane bending occurs at a length scale that is irresolvable by most superresolution optical microscopy methods. Here, we report the development of polarized localization microscopy (PLM), a pointillist optical imaging technique for the detection of nanoscale membrane curvature in correlation with single-molecule dynamics and molecular sorting. PLM combines polarized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and single-molecule localization microscopy to reveal membrane orientation with subdiffraction-limited resolution without reducing localization precision by point spread function manipulation. Membrane curvature detection with PLM requires fewer localization events to detect curvature than three-dimensional single-molecule localization microscopy (e.g., photoactivated localization microscopy or stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy), which enables curvature detection 10× faster via PLM. With rotationally confined lipophilic fluorophores and the polarized incident fluorescence excitation, membrane-bending events are revealed with superresolution. Engineered hemispherical membrane curvature with a radius ≥24 nm was detected with PLM, and individual fluorophore localization precision was 13 ± 5 nm. Further, deciphering molecular mobility as a function of membrane topology was enabled. The diffusion coefficient of individual DiI molecules was 25 ± 5× higher in planar supported lipid bilayers than within nanoscale membrane curvature. Through the theoretical foundation and experimental demonstration provided here, PLM is poised to become a powerful technique for revealing the underlying biophysical mechanisms of membrane bending at physiological length scales.

Parathyroid Carcinoma in a 10 Years Old Female Child.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare cause of hypercalcaemia in children. Only 7 cases of PC have been reported so far in the world journal. The authors report the 8th case of parathyroid carcinoma in children less than 16 years of age. A 10 year old girl presented with difficulty in walking, dorsiflexion and ulnar deviation of both wrist joints and occasional pain in the central abdomen of about two years duration. Biochemical investigations revealed serum calcium 12.2 mg/dL (normal 9-11 mg/dL), serum alkaline phosphate 4992 U/L (normal 50-136 U/L), PTH (parathyroid hormone) 2217 pg/ml (normal 9-80 pg/ml). Parathyroid scintigraphy localized the lesion in the left parathyroid gland. X-ray showed bilateral coxa vera, genu valgus deformity and multiple stress fractures in both wrist joints. Histopathology confirmed PC with capsular and vascular invasion.

Synthesis and tandem mass spectrometry of chlorinated triacylglycerols.

The incorporation of 9,10-dichlorooctadecanoyl groups using enzyme-catalyzed acylation and protecting group strategies yielded specific regioisomers of di- and tetrachlorinated triacylglycerols. Hexachloro- and hexabromotriacylglycerols were synthesized by addition of chlorine or bromine to tri-(cis-9-octadecenoyl)glycerol. Upon electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry, the sodium adduct ions of all compounds containing a 9,10-dichlorooctadecanoyl group readily lost two molecules of HCl when subjected to collision-induced dissociation. A mechanism describing sequential HCl losses and the formation of a conjugated diene is proposed for the loss of both vicinal chlorine atoms from an alkyl chain. This characteristic fragmentation behavior and the availability of characterized standards will facilitate the development of quantitative analytical methods for the determination of chlorinated triacylglycerols in lipid mixtures isolated from marine and other biological sources.

Structure-based design, synthesis, molecular docking, and biological activities of 2-(3-benzoylphenyl) propanoic acid derivatives as dual mechanism drugs.

PURPOSE: 2-(3-benzoyl phenyl)propanohydroxamic acid (2) and 2-{3-[(hydroxyimino)(phenyl)methyl]phenyl}propanoic acid (3) were synthesized from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ketoprofen as dual-mechanism drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Structures of the synthesized compounds were established by IR, (1)H NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Both compounds were screened for their anti-inflammatory activity in rat paw edema model and in vitro antitumor activity against 60 human tumor cell lines. Flexible ligand docking studies were performed with different matrix metalloproteinases and cyclooxygenases to gain an insight into the structural preferences for their inhibition. RESULTS: Compound (2) proved out to be more potent than ketoprofen in rat paw edema model. Both compounds showed moderate anticancer activity ranging from 1% to 23% inhibition of growth in 38 cell lines of 8 tumor subpanels at 10 µM concentration in a single dose experiment. Hydroxamic acid analogue was found to be more potent than ketoximic analogue in terms of its antitumor activity. CONCLUSION: Analysis of docking results together with experimental findings provide a good explanation for the biological activities associated with synthesized compounds which may be fruitful in designing dual-target-directed drugs that may inhibit cyclooxygenases and MMPs for the treatment of cancer.

[The attitude of Arabic-speaking women to gynecological examinations]. / Arabisksprogede kvinders holdning til gynaekologisk undersøgelse.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to describe and analyse the attitude of Arabic-speaking women to gynaecological examinations, with particular focus on the importance of the sex of the examining doctor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Over a six-month period in 1998 all women of presumed Arabic origin were invited to participate in the investigation by referral to the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Odense University Hospital. An Arabic questionnaire was given to the participants and a Danish translation for second generation immigrants was also attached. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of one hundred questionnaires were collected. Of these about one third refused a gynaecological examination (GE) by a male doctor. Most gave their religion as the reason, whereas only a few refused the GE for personal reasons, and none claimed that their husband was the reason for their refusal. In half the cases, a female doctor was sent for. Many of the women who refused the GE by a male doctor were both educated and working, but their residence in Denmark was short. There was a connection between the refusal of the GE by a male doctor and the length of time the women had lived in Denmark. Most of those who were examined by a male doctor have lived in Denmark longer than those who refused the same GE.