A review on anticancer, antibacterial and photo catalytic activity of various nanoparticles synthesized by probiotics.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that have a significant effect on host health and they are widely used in preventing and treating diseases. Nowadays probiotics are present in food, drug and several commercial complement products. In recent years the use of probiotics in the nanotechnology area, especially in nanoparticle synthesis, has significantly been increased. In this review, after some introduction about probiotic and their advantages, all the nanoparticles produced by probiotics are reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, biosynthetic mechanisms of nanoparticles and its applications in cancer therapy, antibacterial and photo catalytic activities, are also discussed.

The assessment of selected MiRNAs profile in HIV, HBV, HCV, HIV/HCV, HIV/HBV Co-infection and elite controllers for determination of biomarker.

BACKGROUND: The emerging relationship between microRNAs (miRNA) and viral-control is a topic of interest in the field of HIV. Host-genome might play an important role in the control of viremia. The aim of this study was to assess the specific miRNA profile that could contribute to the control of HIV replication in Elite Controllers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression level of miRNAs was evaluated in 6 group patients, Elite Controller (EC), HIV, HBV, HCV, HIV-HBV-HIV-HCV, and healthy controls using real-time PCR assays. Also, liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and CD4 T cell count was assessed. RESULTS: After adequate normalization, expression level of miRNAs was determined. The expression level of miR-146 in HIV/HCV co-infected patients was the highest in all groups. The miRNAs expression profile was significantly different in patient groups compared to control and EC. Some miRNA was significantly correlated with viral load and CD4 T cell count. CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of the mentioned miRNAs and correlation of these with viral and cellular parameters can justify the clinical outcome of all patient groups. The differentially expressed miRNA profile in patients suggests that miRNAs can be serve as biomarkers for risk of disease progression and differentiation of infections. Moreover, determining the profiles of miRNAs due to involvement of these in the pathogenesis of infection and manipulating these miRNAs could lead to opening a new gate to infection control.

Optimum synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate-Co3O4 bionanocomposite with the highest antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant bacteria.

Increased multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria are considered one of the most challenging problems of the present century. The present study aimed to identify the optimum conditions for synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate-Co3O4 bionanocomposite with the highest antibacterial activity via in situ synthesis. Nine experiments with different amounts of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biopolymer and Co3O4 nanoparticles and different stirring times were designed using Taguchi method. The antibacterial activity of synthesized nanocomposites against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was evaluated using colony forming units (CFU) and disc diffusion methods. The characterizations of products were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The synthesized bionanocomposites completely prevented the growth of bacteria under the conditions of experiments 5 (Co3O4 4 mg/ml, PHB 1 mg/ml and stirring time: 90 min) and 9 (Co3O4 8 mg/ml, PHB 2 mg/ml and stirring time: 60 min). The results showed that nanocomposite formation improved structural properties, thermal stability and antibacterial activity. PHB-Co3O4 bionanocomposite can be used in various fields of pharmacy, medicine and dentistry due to its desirable antibacterial properties.

Preparation, structural characterization, thermal properties and antifungal activity of alginate-CuO bionanocomposite.

In this study, the antifungal activity rate of alginate-CuO bionanocomposite was assessed against Aspergillus niger using colony forming units (CFU) and disc diffusion methods. Employing the Taguchi method, nine experiments were designed for the synthesis of alginate-CuO nanocomposite with the highest antifungal activity. The nanocomposite synthesized under the conditions of experiment 5 (4 mg/mL CuO nanoparticles and 1 mg/mL alginate biopolymer with stirring time of 90 min) showed the greatest inhibition rate on fungal growth (83.17%). In the optimum conditions for the synthesis of alginate-CuO nanocomposite with the highest antifungal activity the second level of CuO NPs (14.14%), alginate biopolymer (8.16%) and stirring time (5.63%) showed the best improvement performance on inhibiting the fungal growth. The results of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of alginate-CuO nanocomposite. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) indicated that the thermal stability of alginate biopolymer and CuO nanoparticles were improved by the formation of the nanocomposite. Due to the favorable properties of alginate-CuO nanocomposite, its antifungal feature can be used in various biomedical fields.

Isolation of arsenic accumulating bacteria from garbage leachates for possible application in bioremediation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bioremediation is a process to reduce toxic heavy-metals, such as arsenic, in the environment using microorganisms. This study aimed to isolate arsenic remediating microbial strains from garbage leachates and to evaluate the effects of several factors on bioremediation by isolated strains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After isolating arsenic-resistant bacteria from garbage leachates and determining their MIC values, Taguchi design of experiments was used to evaluate the effect of arsenic concentration, pH solution, temperature, and contact time on arsenic bioremediation by isolated bacteria. RESULTS: The results revealed that 3 arsenic-resistant strains of genus Bacillus characterized as KL1, KL4, and KL6 had arsenic bioremediation activity. Based on the results, the highest bioremediation of arsenic by Bacillus sp. KL1 was obtained as 77% after 24 hours at 40°C, pH 5, and 150 ppm concentration. However, the maximum bioremediation of arsenic by KL4 (91.66%) and KL6 (88%) was achieved after 24 hours at 40°C, pH 5, and 60 ppm concentration and at 35°C, 90 ppm concentration, pH 5 after 36 hours, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results presented here may facilitate improvements in the eliminating arsenic from contaminated sites and reducing environmental pollutions.

Applying the Taguchi Method to the Optimization of Anticancer Activity of Bacterial Alginate-CuO Bionanocomposite.

AIM: In recent decades, despite various types of cancer inflicting many people worldwide, the existing therapies are not satisfactory and have many side effects. The present study was conducted to optimise the synthesis of novel alginate-CuO nanocomposite with utmost anticancer activity. METHODS: In this study, 9 nanocomposites were designed using Taguchi method and three factors including copper oxide nanoparticles, alginate biopolymer and stirring times were assessed at three different levels. The anticancer activity of the synthesised nanocomposites was evaluated on the MCF-7 cell line using the MTT method. Using the Qulitek-4 software, we determined the optimum conditions for the synthesis of alginate-CuO nanocomposite with the highest anticancer activity. RESULTS: The results indicated that all three factors (copper oxide, alginate and stirring time) were effective on the anticancer activity of the alginate-CuO nanocomposite. Also, the nanocomposite produced under the conditions of experiment 9 (8 mg/ml of copper oxide, 2 mg/ml of alginate and 60 min of stirring time) provided the highest growth inhibition rate as 75.63% against cancer cells. CONCLUSION: The synthesised alginate-copper oxide nanocomposites in this study showed a significant anticancer effect. Therefore, the synthesised nanocomposite under optimal conditions can be used in the design of new anticancer drugs.

Biosynthesis of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles by Halomonas elongata IBRC-M 10214 in different conditions of medium.

Introduction: In the recent years, green synthesis is a novel method without some disadvantages of physical and chemical methods. In this approach, bacteria, archaebacteria, fungi, and plants may be applied without utilizing toxic and expensive materials for metal nanoparticles (MNPs) preparation. Methods: In this study, we used Taguchi method to obtain optimum conditions in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticle (NPs) biosynthesis by Halomonas elongata IBRC-M 10214. Design and analysis of Taguchi experiments (an orthogonal assay and analysis of variance [ANOVA]) carried out by the Qualitek-4 software. Effects of TiO(OH)2, incubation temperature, and culturing time for synthesis of TiO2 NPs as well as ZnCl2 concentration, glucose concentration, and incubation temperature for the preparation of ZnO NPs were evaluated as the controllable factors with 3 levels. Characterization of TiO2 and ZnO NPs were determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. Also, the antimicrobial properties of these NPs were investigated based on agar diffusion assay of NPs dispersed in batch cultures using Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 as multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Results: It was evaluated that TiO2 and ZnO NPs had respectively average diameter sizes of 104.63±27.75 and 18.11±8.93 nm with spherical shapes. In contrast to the TiO2 NPs without antibacterial activity, the ZnO NPs had antibacterial effects at 0.1 and 0.01 M of (ZnCl2). Conclusion: The ZnO NPs have the antibacterial effect that can be operative in the medicinal aspect for fighting against prominent MDR bacteria such as E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 43300. In total, this study presents a simple method in the biosynthesis of TiO2 and ZnO NPs with low the expense, eco-friendly, and high productivity properties.

Investigation on human serum albumin and Gum Tragacanth interactions using experimental and computational methods.

The study on the interaction of human serum albumin and Gum Tragacanth, a biodegradable bio-polymer, has been undertaken. For this purpose, several experimental and computational methods were used. Investigation of thermodynamic parameters and mode of interactions were carried out using Fluorescence spectroscopy in 300 and 310K. Also, a Fourier transformed infrared spectra and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy was performed. To give detailed insight of possible interactions, docking and molecular dynamic simulations were also applied. Results show that the interaction is based on hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. Structural analysis implies on no adverse change in protein conformation during binding of GT. Furthermore, computational methods confirm some evidence on secondary structure enhancement of protein as a presence of combining with Gum Tragacanth.

Response surface methodology optimization of partitioning of xylanase form Aspergillus Niger by metal affinity polymer-salt aqueous two-phase systems.

Aqueous two phase affinity partitioning system using metal ligands was applied for partitioning and purification of xylanase produced by Aspergillus Niger. To minimization the number of experiments for the design parameters and develop predictive models for optimization of the purification process, response surface methodology (RSM) with a face-centered central composite design (CCF) has been used. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 was activated using epichlorohydrin, covalently linked to iminodiacetic acid (IDA), and the specific metal ligand Cu was attached to the polyethylene glycol-iminodiacetic acid (PEG-IDA). The influence of some experimental variables such as PEG (10-18%w/w), sodium sulfate (8-12%), PEG-IDA-Cu2+ concentration (0-50% w/w of total PEG), pH of system (4-8) and crude enzyme loading (6-18%w/w) on xylanase and total protein partitioning coefficient, enzyme yield and enzyme specific activity were systematically evaluated. Two optimal point with high enzyme partitioning factor 10.97 and yield 79.95 (including 10% PEG, 12% Na2SO4, 50% ligand, pH 8 and 6% crude enzyme loading) and high specific activity in top phase 42.21 (including 14.73% PEG, 8.02% Na2SO4, 28.43% ligand, pH 7.7 and 6.08% crude enzyme loading) were attained. The adequacy of the RSM models was verified by a good agreement between experimental and predicted results.

Optimal conditions for producing bactericidal sodium hyaluronate-TiO2 bionanocomposite and its characterization.

In this research, the creation of optimum conditions for the formation of sodium hyaluronate-TiO2 bionanocomposite and its antibacterial effect on gram positive and gram negative bacteria was evaluated. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, scanning electron microscopy images and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy pattern confirmed the formation of the bionanocomposite. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis indicated that the thermal stability rate had significantly improved with formation of the bionanocomposite. Nine experiments were designed based on the Taguchi method by applying different proportions of sodium hyaluronate biopolymer and TiO2 nanoparticles at different stirring times. Bionanocomposite produced under conditions of experiment 5 (TiO2 4mg/ml, sodium hyaluronate 1mg/ml and stirring time of 90min) and experiment 9 (TiO2 8mg/ml, sodium hyaluronate 2mg/ml and stirring time of 60min) completely prevented the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. It can be concluded that sodium hyaluronate-TiO2 bionanocomposite can be used as an effective antimicrobial compound in food, pharmaceutical, medical and environmental sectors.

Isolation and Identification of Poly ß-Hydroxybutyrate Over-Producing Bacteria and Optimization of Production Medium.

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable polyesters are candidates for the development of environmental friendly plastics. Poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a type of polyester from the hydroxyalkanoates family, synthesized by bacteria as an intracellular material and accumulated as granules in the cytoplasm. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to isolate Poly ß-hydroxybutyrate over producing bacteria and optimize the production medium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A variety of PHB-accumulating bacterial strains were isolated from Kermanshah oil refinery sludge in Iran. Poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate-producing bacterial strains were confirmed by the gas chromatography method. The strain with the highest rate of PHB production was selected. Use of sugar cane molasses, a by-product of the sugar refinery industry, was investigated for the production of PHB. Plackett-Burman statistical method was employed to obtain factors in cell growth and PHB production. Optimization by the Response Surface Method (RSM) was done via two carbon sources, glucose and molasses. RESULTS: In the present study, 21 of 63 strains isolated from the refinery oil sludge produced PHB, seven of which were over producers. Poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate production was analyzed by Sudan Black B staining, spectrophotometric and gas chromatography (GC) methods. The strain with the highest rate of PHB production was used to optimize the culture medium. Fifteen factors were analyzed in PHB production by the Plackett-Burman method to find the most effective factors. Five important factors were optimized by RSM. Molasses were used as a cheap source of carbon. The maximum PHB obtained from molasses was 6.62 g/L. The phenotypic and 16S rRNA biotyping tests led to the identification of the isolate as Bacillus coagulans. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that B. coagulans is a good candidate for the fermentative production of PHB.

In vitro antimicrobial activity of Persian shallot (Allium hirtifolium).

Allium hirtifolium is a Persian native plant grown in cool mountain slopes of Iran. It has been used as a spice in Iran for many years. According to the literature review, there are no considerable reports on the antimicrobial properties of this plant. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of Persian shallot hydroalcoholic extract and F1 fraction of the plant (containing amino acid derivatives and/or other cationic compounds) was investigated on some Gram positive cocci and bacilli, Gram negative bacilli, two protozoa, a yeast and a fungus. Excellent activity against Candida albicans (MIC = 64 microg/ml, MBC = 128 microg/ml), Leishmania infantum (MIC = 0.2 mg/ml on the first day of study) and Trichomonas vaginalis (MIC = 5 microg/ml in PSDE form) and a moderate activity against Bacillus spp and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (MIC = 128 microg/ml) was observed. The results showed that this plant contains some anti-trichomonas and anti-leishmania components.

Production of a novel biomacromolecule for nanodevices from glycerol as carbon source in different conditions.

The aim of this study was the investigation of producing cruxrhodopsin as a biomacromolecule with nanofunction from glycerol as carbon source using several process parameters. The optimum medium composition for cruxrhodopsin production was found to contain glycerol 1%, yeast extract 0.05% and K(2)HPO(4) 0.001%. The production of cruxrhodopsin in optimal conditions was 139.86 mg/l. In conclusion, halophilic microorganism Haloarcula sp. IRU1 could be a potential microorganism for production of cruxrhodopsin from glycerol in different conditions.

Utilization of petrochemical wastewater for the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by Haloarcula sp. IRU1.

Wastewater of petrochemical industries contains high amounts of emulsified aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons that lead to the contamination of almost all environmental resources. The ability of Haloarcula sp. IRU1 isolated from Urmia lake, Iran for utilization of petrochemical wastewater and production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from it was evaluated and optimized by Taguchi experimental method. The optimium conditions for the maximum production of PHB were petrochemical wastewater 2% (as carbon source), tryptone 0.8% (as nitrogen source), KH(2)PO(4) 0.001% (as phosphorus source) and temperature 47°C. In conclusion, Haloarcula sp. IRU1 can degrade petrochemical wastewater and produce PHB from it in different conditions.

Strategies of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis by Haloarcula sp. IRU1 utilizing glucose as carbon source: Optimization of culture conditions by Taguchi methodology.

We investigated optimization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production by Haloarcula sp. IRU1 in a batch culture system. Various batch experiments were carried out at different carbon source concentrations [glucose, at 1-8% (w/v)], phosphorus source concentrations [K(2)HPO(4), KH(2)PO(4), Na(3)PO(4) and Na(2)HPO(4) at 0.001-0.016% (w/v)], nitrogen source concentrations [NH(4)Cl, yeast extract, peptone and tryptone at 0.1-0.8% (w/v)] and temperatures [37-55°C]. By these experiments, optimum production conditions were determined using the Taguchi method. The results showed the highest PHB production by Haloarcula sp. IRU1 (63.0% of cell dry weight) in the presence of 2g/l glucose, 0.2g/l NH(4)Cl, 0.004 g/l KH(2)PO(4) and temperature (42°C). In overall, the results of this study showed that Haloarcula sp. IRU1 has a high potential for synthesis of PHB from glucose.