Changes in Metabolite Profiling and Expression Levels of Key Genes Involved in the Terpenoid Biosynthesis Pathway in Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis) under the Effect of Hydrazine Hydrate.

Mutagenesis is a highly efficient tool for establishing genetic variation and is widely used for genetic enhancement in various plants. The key benefit of mutation breeding is the prospect of enhancing one or several characteristics of a variety without altering the genetic background. In this study, we exposed the seeds of Salvia officinalis to four concentrations of hydrazine hydrate (HZ), i.e., (0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) for 6 h. The contents of terpenoid compounds in the S. officinalis plantlets driven from the HZ-treated seeds were determined by GC-MS, which resulted in the identification of a total of 340 phytochemical compounds; 163 (87.48%), 145 (84.49%), 65 (97.45%), and 62 (98.32%), from the four concentrations of HZ (0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%), respectively. Furthermore, we used the qRT-PCR system to disclose the "transcriptional control" for twelve TPS genes related to terpenoid and terpene biosynthesis, namely, SoGPS, SoMYRS, SoNEOD, SoCINS, SoSABS, SoLINS, SoFPPS, SoHUMS, SoTPS6, SoSQUS, SoGGPS, and SoGA2. Altogether, results are likely to ensure some positive relationship between the concentrations of the chemical mutagen HZ used for treating the seeds, the type and amount of the produced terpenes, and the expression of their corresponding genes.

Efficient determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by micellar electrokinetic chromatography in wastewater.

Recently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been increasingly used in humans and animals. Despite being effective against a wide variety of diseases, they pose a threat to aquatic environments. In the current work, a highly efficient, selective, and sensitive micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed for the determination of five NSAIDs in environmental water samples. The optimal separation BGE was 15 mM borate buffer (pH 9), 90 mM SDS, and 10% methanol at a separation voltage of 15 kV and a hydrodynamic injection of 10 mbar for 5 s. The results presented in this study provide a higher number of theoretical plates N > 780 000 with excellent RSDs of 0.1-1.5% and great sensitivity (3-15 µg L-1) for NSAIDs. To validate this method, the solid phase extraction method was optimized using two different cartridges (C18 and Oasis HLB); the results showed excellent recoveries (73-111.6%) for all the analytes in wastewater samples.

Composition of the gut microbiota in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: A pilot study.

Conclusions: The results of this study provide an overview of the variations in microbiota diversity present in Saudi IBD patients compared to healthy controls. Results: The key finding was three negative bacterial biomarkers, Paraprevotellaceae, the Muribaculaceae families of Bacteroidetes phylum, and the Leuconostocaceae family of Firmicutes phylum, which had a higher relative abundance in healthy individuals compared to IBD patients. It was also found that primary microbiota signatures at certain genera and species levels, including Prevotella copri, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Ruminococcus callidus, Coprococcus sp., Ruminococcus gnavus, Dorea formicigenerans, Leuconostoc, Dialister, Catenibacterium, Eubacterium biforme, and Lactobacillus mucosae, were absent in almost all IBD patients, while Veillonella dispar was absent in all healthy individuals. Methods: After obtaining an informed consent, fecal samples were collected from 11 participants with IBD (patients) and 10 healthy individuals (controls). The bacterial components of the microbial population were identified by next-generation sequencing of partial 16S rRNA. Statistically significant dissimilarities were observed between samples for all metrics. Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition attributed to a complex interaction between imbalances in the gut microbiome, environmental conditions, and a deregulated immune response. The aim of the study was to investigate the composition of the gut microbiome of Saudi patients with IBD.

Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular System: An Intricate Balance of Health and the Diseased State.

Gut microbiota encompasses the resident microflora of the gut. Having an intricate relationship with the host, it plays an important role in regulating physiology and in the maintenance of balance between health and disease. Though dietary habits and the environment play a critical role in shaping the gut, an imbalance (referred to as dysbiosis) serves as a driving factor in the occurrence of different diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). With risk factors of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, etc., CVD accounts for a large number of deaths among men (32%) and women (35%) worldwide. As gut microbiota is reported to have a direct influence on the risk factors associated with CVDs, this opens up new avenues in exploring the possible role of gut microbiota in regulating the gross physiological aspects along the gut-heart axis. The present study elaborates on different aspects of the gut microbiota and possible interaction with the host towards maintaining a balance between health and the occurrence of CVDs. As the gut microbiota makes regulatory checks for these risk factors, it has a possible role in shaping the gut and, as such, in decreasing the chances of the occurrence of CVDs. With special emphasis on the risk factors for CVDs, this paper includes information on the prominent bacterial species (Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes and others) towards an advance in our understanding of the etiology of CVDs and an exploration of the best possible therapeutic modules for implementation in the treatment of different CVDs along the gut-heart axis.

Antibacterial Activity of Dental Composite with Ciprofloxacin Loaded Silver Nanoparticles.

Resin composites have been widely used in dental restoration. However, polymerization shrinkage and resultant bacterial microleakage are major limitations that may lead to secondary caries. To overcome this, a new type of antibacterial resin composite containing ciprofloxacin-loaded silver nanoparticles (CIP-AgNPs) were synthesized. The chemical reduction approach successfully produced CIP-AgNPs, as demonstrated by FTIR, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. CIP-AgNPs were added to resin composites and the antibacterial activity of the dental composite discs were realized against Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, and the Saliva microcosm. The biocompatibility of modified resin composites was assessed and mechanical testing of modified dental composites was also performed. The results indicated that the antibacterial activity and compressive strength of resin composites containing CIP-AgNPs were enhanced compared to the control group. They were also biocompatible when compared to resin composites containing AgNPs. In short, these results established strong ground application for CIP-AgNP-modified dental composite resins.

Rapid determination of NSAIDs by capillary and microchip electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection in wastewater.

A simple, rapid method using CE and microchip electrophoresis with C4 D has been developed for the separation of four nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the environmental sample. The investigated compounds were ibuprofen (IB), ketoprofen (KET), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and diclofenac sodium (DIC). In the present study, we applied for the first time microchip electrophoresis with C4 D detection to the separation and detection of ASA, IB, DIC, and KET in the wastewater matrix. Under optimum conditions, the four NSAIDs compounds could be well separated in less than 1 min in a BGE composed of 20 mM His/15 mM Tris, pH 8.6, 2 mM hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, and 10% methanol (v/v) at a separation voltage of 1000-1200 V. The proposed method showed excellent repeatability, good sensitivity (LODs ranging between 0.156 and 0.6 mg/L), low cost, high sample throughputs, portable instrumentation for mobile deployment, and extremely lower reagent and sample consumption. The developed method was applied to the analysis of pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 62.5% to 118%.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide/Gold Nanoparticles in a Single Step for Carbaryl Detection in Water.

In this study, an in situ synthesis approach based on electrochemical reduction and ion exchange was employed to detect carbaryl species using a disposable, screen-printed carbon electrode fabricated with nanocomposite materials. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used to create a larger electrode surface and more active sites. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs,) were incorporated to accelerate electron transfer and enhance sensitivity. A cation exchange Nafion polymer was used to enable the adhesion of rGO and AuNPs to the electrode surface and speed up ion exchange. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to study the electrochemical and physical properties of the modified sensor. In the presence of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), an rGO/AuNP/Nafion-modified electrode was effectively used to measure the carbaryl concentration in river and tap water samples. The developed sensor exhibited superior electrochemical performance in terms of reproducibility, stability, efficiency and selectivity for carbaryl detection with a detection limit of 0.2 µM and a concentration range between 0.5µM and 250 µM. The proposed approach was compared to capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection (CE-UV).

Direct and Indirect Selection for Grain Yield and Grain Weight in Late Generations of Bread Wheat under Drought Stress and Normal Irrigation Environments.

Two cycles of pedigree selection for grain yield/plant (GY/P) and grain weight (GW) (100-grain weight) were imposed under drought stress and normal irrigation to study the direct and indirect selection of GY/P and GW in bread wheat. The selection started in the F6-generation (Cycle0-C0) of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) traced back to the cross (Giza 164/Sids 4) of two Egyptian cultivars. The narrow sense heritability was higher under drought than under normal irrigation and increased by selection. Under drought, the observed direct gain after two cycles of selection for GW was 21.51% (p ≤ 0.01), and accompanied with an indirect gain in GY/P of 15.52%. The observed direct gain for GY/P was 17.98% and the indirect gain in GW was 13.81%. Under normal irrigation, the observed direct gain for GW was 12.86% and the indirect gain for GY/P was 16.04%. The direct gain in GY/P was 16.04% and the indirect gain in GW was 11.95%. The genotypic correlations were different in both environments before and after selection. Single trait selection was effective in improving the selection criterion, and selection greatly affected gene associations.

Novel Mutations in Putative Nicotinic Acid Phosphoribosyltransferases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Their Effect on Protein Thermodynamic Properties.

pncB1 and pncB2 are two putative nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferases, playing a role in cofactor salvage and drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mutations have been reported in first- and second-line drug targets, causing resistance. However, pncB1 and pncB2 mutational data are not available, and neither of their mutation effects have been investigated in protein structures. The current study has been designed to investigate mutations and also their effects on pncB1 and pncB2 structures. A total of 287 whole-genome sequenced data of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan were retrieved (BioSample PRJEB32684, ERR2510337-ERR2510445, ERR2510546-ERR2510645) from NCBI. The genomic data were analyzed for pncB1 and pncB2 mutations using PhyResSE. All the samples harbored numerous synonymous and non-synonymous mutations in pncB1 and pncB2 except one. Mutations Pro447Ser, Arg286Arg, Gly127Ser, and delTCAGGCCG1499213>1499220 in pncB1 are novel and have not been reported in literature and TB databases. The most common non-synonymous mutations exhibited stabilizing effects on the pncB1 structure. Moreover, 36 out of 287 samples harbored two non-synonymous and 34 synonymous mutations in pncB2 among which the most common was Phe204Phe (TTT/TTC), present in 8 samples, which may have an important effect on the usage of specific codons that may increase the gene expression level or protein folding effect. Mutations Ser120Leu and Pro447Ser, which are present in the loop region, exhibited a gain in flexibility in the surrounding residues while Gly429Ala and Gly127Ser also demonstrated stabilizing effects on the protein structure. Inhibitors designed based on the most common pncB1 and pncB2 mutants may be a more useful strategy in high-burden countries. More studies are needed to elucidate the effect of synonymous mutations on organism phenotype.

Attributes of intestinal microbiota composition and their correlation with clinical primary non-response to anti-TNF-α agents in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

The largest microbial aggregation in the human body exists in the gastrointestinal tract. The microbiota in the host gastrointestinal tract comprises a diverse ecosystem, and the intestinal microbiota plays a vital role in maintaining gut homeostasis. This study aims to examine whether the gut microbiota influences unresponsiveness to anti-TNF-α treatments in primary nonresponder patients, and consequently identify the responsible microbes as biomarkers of unresponsiveness. Stool samples were collected from a cohort of patients with an established diagnosis of IBD, either ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD), following completion of the induction phase of anti TNF therapy. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis was used to examine the pattern of microbiota communities in fecal samples. The quality and quantity of fecal microbiota were compared in responder and primary nonresponder IBD patients following anti-TNF-α therapy. As per our hypothesis, a difference in gut microbiome composition between the two patient subgroups was observed. A decreased abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, including Anaerostipes, Coprococcus, Lachnospira, Roseburia, and Ruminococcus, was detected in non-responsive patients, which was the hallmark of dysbiosis. Biomarkers of dysbiosis that were identified as predictors of clinical nonresponse, included Klebsiella, Eubacteriaceae, RF32, Bifidobacterium_animalis, and Muribaculaceae-previously known as S24-7. Signature biomarkers showed dramatic alteration in the composition of gut microbiota in patients who demonstrated primary nonresponse to anti-TNF-α agents. Dysbiosis, with features including a dropped biodiversity, augmentation in opportunistic pathogenic microbiota, and a lack of SCFA-producing bacteria, is a prominent feature of the microbiome of primary nonresponders to anti-TNF-α therapy.

Fast determination of paracetamol and its hydrolytic degradation product p-aminophenol by capillary and microchip electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection.

Paracetamol (PAC) is one of the most extensively used analgesics and antipyretic drugs to treat mild and moderate pain. P-aminophenol (PAP), the main hydrolytic degradation product of PAC, can be found in environmental water. Recently, CE has been developed for the detection of a wide variety of chemical substances. The purpose of this study is to develop a simple and fast method for the detection and separation of PAC and its main hydrolysis product PAP using CE and microchip electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection. The determination of these compounds using microchip electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection is being reported for the first time. The separation was run for all analytes using a BGE (20 mM ß-alanine, pH 11) containing 14% (v/v) methanol. The RSDs obtained for migration time were less than 4%, and RSDs obtained for peak area were less than 7%. The detection limits (S/N = 3) that were achieved ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 mg/L without sample preconcentration. The presented method showed rapid analysis time (less than 1 min), high efficiency and precision, low cost, and a significant decrease in the consumption of reagents. The microchip system has proved to be an excellent analytical technique for fast and reliable environmental applications.

Green Synthesized Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Mediate Growth Regulation and Physiology of Crop Plants under Drought Stress.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are regarded as critical tools for overcoming ongoing and prospective crop productivity challenges. MONPs with distinct physiochemical characteristics boost crop production and resistance to abiotic stresses such as drought. They have recently been used to improve plant growth, physiology, and yield of a variety of crops grown in drought-stressed settings. Additionally, they mitigate drought-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the aggregation of osmolytes, which results in enhanced osmotic adaptation and crop water balance. These roles of MONPs are based on their physicochemical and biological features, foliar application method, and the applied MONPs concentrations. In this review, we focused on three important metal oxide nanoparticles that are widely used in agriculture: titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and iron oxide (Fe3O4). The impacts of various MONPs forms, features, and dosages on plant growth and development under drought stress are summarized and discussed. Overall, this review will contribute to our present understanding of MONPs' effects on plants in alleviating drought stress in crop plants.

Development of a Mobile Analytical Chemistry Workstation Using a Silicon Electrochromatography Microchip and Capacitively Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detector.

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is a separation technique that hybridizes liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The selectivity offered by LC stationary phase results in rapid separations, high efficiency, high selectivity, minimal analyte and buffer consumption. Chip-based CE and CEC separation techniques are also gaining interest, as the microchip can provide precise on-chip control over the experiment. Capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) offers the contactless electrode configuration, and thus is not in contact with the solutions under investigation. This prevents contamination, so it can be easy to use as well as maintain. This study investigated a chip-based CE/CEC with C4D technique, including silicon-based microfluidic device fabrication processes with packaging, design and optimization. It also examined the compatibility of the silicon-based CEC microchip interfaced with C4D. In this paper, the authors demonstrated a nanofabrication technique for a novel microchip electrochromatography (MEC) device, whose capability is to be used as a mobile analytical equipment. This research investigated using samples of potassium ions, sodium ions and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).

Low-cost silver capped polystyrene nanotube arrays as super-hydrophobic substrates for SERS applications.

In this paper, we describe the fabrication, simulation and characterization of dense arrays of freestanding silver capped polystyrene nanotubes, and demonstrate their suitability for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications. Substrates are fabricated in a rapid, low-cost and scalable way by melt wetting of polystyrene (PS) in an anodized alumina (AAO) template, followed by silver evaporation. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that substrates are composed of a dense array of freestanding polystyrene nanotubes topped by silver nanocaps. SERS characterization of the substrates, employing a monolayer of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ABT) as a model molecule, exhibits an enhancement factor of ∼1.6 × 10(6), in agreement with 3D finite difference time domain simulations. Contact angle measurements of the substrates revealed super-hydrophobic properties, allowing pre-concentration of target analyte into a small volume. These super-hydrophobic properties of the samples are taken advantage of for sensitive detection of the organic pollutant crystal violet, with detection down to ∼400 ppt in a 2 µl aliquot demonstrated.