Sericultural By-Products: The Potential for Alternative Therapy in Cancer Drug Design

Major progress has been made in cancer research; however, cancer remains one of the most important health-related burdens. Sericulture importance is no longer limited to the textile industry, but its by-products, such as silk fibroin or mulberry, exhibit great impact in the cancer research area. Fibroin, the pivotal compound that is found in silk, owns superior biocompatibility and biodegradability, representing one of the most important biomaterials. Numerous studies have reported its successful use as a drug delivery system, and it is currently used to develop three-dimensional tumor models that lead to a better understanding of cancer biology and play a great role in the development of novel antitumoral strategies. Moreover, sericin’s cytotoxic effect on various tumoral cell lines has been reported, but also, it has been used as a nanocarrier for target therapeutic agents. On the other hand, mulberry compounds include various bioactive elements that are well known for their antitumoral activities, such as polyphenols or anthocyanins. In this review, the latest progress of using sericultural by-products in cancer therapy is discussed by highlighting their notable impact in developing novel effective drug strategies

Advances in Editing Silkworms (<i>Bombyx mori</i>) Genome by Using the CRISPR-Cas System

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated) represents a powerful genome editing technology that revolutionized in a short period of time numerous natural sciences branches. Therefore, extraordinary progress was made in various fields, such as entomology or biotechnology. Bombyx mori is one of the most important insects, not only for the sericulture industry, but for numerous scientific areas. The silkworms play a key role as a model organism, but also as a bioreactor for the recombinant protein production. Nowadays, the CRISPR-Cas genome editing system is frequently used in order to perform gene analyses, to increase the resistance against certain pathogens or as an imaging tool in B. mori. Here, we provide an overview of various studies that made use of CRISPR-Cas for B. mori genome editing, with a focus on emphasizing the high applicability of this system in entomology and biological sciences

Influence of Oak Chips and Oak Barrel Ageing on Volatile Profile in Chardonnay Wine of Romania

The influence of the addition of oak chips and barrel ageing on basic wine parameters and volatile compounds of Chardonnay wines has been studied. Chardonnay wines were obtained by the traditional wine-making process. Oak chips (4 g/L—non-toasted and light toasted) were added at the final stage of the winemaking process for ageing 1, 2 and 3 months, respectively. Also, the control wine was aged in non-toasted barrels for the same period of time. Following Liquid-liquid extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, alcohols, esters, fatty acids, lactones, and phenolic compounds were identified and quantified. The light toasted wine was clearly separated by phenolic compounds (vanillin, p-vinyl guaiacol and acetovanillone). The floral aroma supplied by 2-phenylethanol was slowly increased by ageing with odor activity values (OAV) higher in aged samples than control wine (1.07). The vanilla scent could be easily perceived in all aged samples, mainly for light toasted chip-treated samples with OAV values between 2.30 and 2.37. After 3 months, the volatile compounds of wine from non-toasted medium (chips and barrels) were almost similar from the volatile profile point of view. This could have economic and vinification management implications since oak barrels are expensive and the wine oak barrel aging is a long process. All wines studied in this research can provide a viable alternative to young varietal wines

Physicochemical Characterization and Prospecting Biological Activity of Some Authentic Transylvanian Essential Oils: Lavender, Sage and Basil

Essential oils are a category of agro-based industrial products experiencing increasing demand. In this research, three essential oils obtained by steam distillation from lavender, sage and basil plants cultivated in temperate continental conditions of Transylvania were investigated for chemical composition, physical characteristics and biological activity (antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines). The number of identified compounds varied: 38 for lavender, 29 for sage essential oil and 41 for basil. The volatile profile was dominated by terpenes and terpenoids (>80%). Major components were beta-linalool and linalool acetate in lavender essential oil; thujones and camphor in sage essential oil; beta-linalool, thujone, camphor and eucalyptol in basil essential oil. Refractive index of the essential oils was lowest for lavender and highest for sage. Antibacterial activity was strongest for basil, moderate for lavender and weakest for sage essential oil. The most active on both colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) and ovary carcinoma (A2780) was sage essential oil

Unraveling the Potential of Organic Oregano and Tarragon Essential Oils: Profiling Composition, FT-IR and Bioactivities

Oregano and tarragon are widely cultivated culinary herbs used for food seasoning, having familiar characteristic aromas appreciated by the wide public. The aim of this research was to characterize essential oils (EOs) from locally sourced organic oregano and tarragon (Cluj, Romania) and study their bioactivity potential. Results showed that oregano EO had a sesquiterpene dominant profile responsible for strong bands between 2800 and 3000 cm−1 on the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrum and a composition consistent with reports from similar climatic regions. The tarragon EO profile was defined by phenylpropanoids responsible for the strong sharp peaks between 1000 and 1600 cm−1 on the FT-IR spectrum. In oregano EO, 22 compounds were identified with β-caryophyllene as a major constituent. In tarragon EO, 20 compounds were identified with eugenol as a major constituent. Oregano EO had a stronger antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, while tarragon EO had a slightly stronger cytotoxic effect on three types of cancer cell lines tested (skin melanoma, prostate carcinoma, and colorectal adenocarcinoma). It was concluded that, given the fact that a sufficient supply of high-quality plant material can be available for EO extraction, culinary herbs can become reliable candidates for many industries without the risk of discontinued supply. Therefore, research aiming to widen their potential applications is welcome and worth pursuing