Anti-cancer activities of curcumin and propolis extracts on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line model

It is evident that chemotherapy, which is one of the most preferred methods in cancer treatment, have several disadvantages and decrease the success rate of treatment. Therefore, identification and development of natural anti-cancer agents with less toxicity and side effects has recently become one of the areas of interest. In the present study, we reveal the potential anticancer activities of propolis and curcumin extracts and cisplatin on the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Individual and combinatorial treatments of propolis and curcumin was performed. MTT cell viability assay was used to determine the anti-proliferative activities of extracts, and Annexin V/PI double staining flow cytometric method was used to determine induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells. In our study,the most significant reduction in MCF-7 cell viability was found to be 100 ?g/ml for cisplatin, 5 ?g/ml for curcumin and 160 ?g/ml for propolis. Apoptotic cell ratios were also found to be consistent with MTT findings. The highest proportion of apoptotic cells in the combinatorial study was found to be in the presence of cisplatin + propolis. In conclusion, here we show that combinatorial cisplatin + propolis treatments have significant anti-cancer activities on MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro. Studies involving natural products might be a new hope for complementary and alternative medicine by paving the way for clinical studies

Inula viscosa metanol ve hekzan ekstraktlarının antibakteriyel ve antikanserojenik etkilerinin incelenmesi

Objective: Inula viscosa is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This study aimed at investigating the antibacterial and anticarcinogenic activities of methanol and hexane extracts derived from I. viscosa. Methods: The antibacterial activity of different concentrations of I. viscosa methanol (1.56-800 mg/ml) and hexane (0.19-100 mg/ml) extracts was tested using the disc diffusion method. Listeria monocytogenes, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were used as standard reference strains. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the extracts were made for each bacteria using the microdilution method. MIC value was determined as the lowest extract concentration at which growth was not observed. Minimum bactericide concentrations (MBC) were determined for all wells after MIC. The anticarcinogenic activity of I. viscosa was examined using the MTT test. MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells were stained with acridine orange and propidium iodide at the IC50 values of the extracts to determine the viable, apoptotic and necrotic cells. Results: Zone diameters of the methanol extract for L. monocytogenes, M. luteus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae were 8, 16, 7 and 9 mm, respectively. Zone diameters of the hexane extract for M. luteus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae were 14, 7 and 9 mm, respectively. MIC values of the methanol extract were 25 mg/ml for M. luteus, 200 mg/ml for L. monocytogenes and K. pneumoniae, and 400 mg/ml for E. coli. MIC values of the hexane extract were 400 mg/ml for L. monocytogenes, E. coli ve K. pneumoniae, and 100 mg/ml for M. luteus. MBC values were similar to MIC values. IC50 values for MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells were 25 mg/ml and 200 mg/ ml for the methanol extract, and 6.25 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml for the hexane extract, respectively. Depending on increased concentration levels, the presence of necrotic and early apoptotic cells was observed among MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells. Conclusion: Methanol and hexane extracts of I. viscosa were found to have antibacterial effects on the studied bacteria and anticarcinogenic activity on MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells. Conducting further studies to demonstrate the effects of these extracts on different cancer cell lines and bacterial strains will contribute to the field of complementary medicine. © 2022. All Rights Reserved

Dermatolojik Hastalıklarda Demodex spp. Prevalansının Araştırılması

Amaç: Sağlıklı bireylerin mikrobiyotasında bulunan Demodex akarlarının sayısal artışına bağlı olarak bazı dermatolojik hastalıkların ortaya çıktığı düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışmada, akne vulgaris, rosacea, perioral dermatit, seboreik dermatit, egzama ve pityriasis folliculorum tanılı hastalarda Demodex spp. prevalansının ve bu hastalara ait demografik ve klinik verilerin Demodex ile ilişkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntemler: Çalışmaya 144 hasta (70 akne vulgaris, 6 pityriasis folliculorum, 15 seboreik dermatit, 39 rosacea, 8 egzema ve 6 perioral dermatit) ve 73 sağlıklı gönüllü dahil edilmiştir. Demodex pozitifliği, tüm gruplarda standart yüzeyel deri biyopsi yöntemi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Tanıda cm2’de beşten fazla Demodex akarı görülmesi pozitif kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 144 hastanın 107’si (%74,3) kadın, 37’si (%25,7) erkek, 73 sağlıklı gönüllünün 40’ı (%54,8) kadın, 33’ü (%45,2) erkektir. Yüz kırk dört hastanın 21’inde (%14,5), 73 sağlıklı gönüllünün ise 5’inde (%6,8) Demodex pozitifliği saptanmıştır. Rosecea ve akne vulgaris gruplarındaki Demodex pozitiflik oranlarının kontrol grubuna göre yüksek olduğu, ancak bu yüksekliğin istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olmadığı tespit edilmiştir (p>0,05). Hasta grupları içerisinde en yüksek pozitiflik oranının sırasıyla pityriasis folliculorum (4/6, %66,7), rosacea (8/39, %20,5) ve perioral dermatit (1/6, %16,7) gruplarında olduğu saptanmıştır. Grupların demografik ve klinik özellikleri ile Demodex pozitifliği arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki bulunamamıştır (p>0,05). Sonuç: Bu çalışma, altı farklı dermatolojik hastalığın varlığında Demodex pozitifliğini araştıran literatürdeki tek çalışmadır. Çalışma sonuçlarına göre; rosacea, akne vulgaris ve pityriasis folliculorum gibi dermatolojik hastalıklarda Demodex spp. pozitifliğinin araştırılmasının erken tanı ve tedavi açısından yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir

Antibacterial and Washing Resistance Improvement of Cotton Fabric Using Some Metal Oxides

Cu2O, CuO, ZnO-microparticles with different size and morphology directly influences their antimicrobial potential. In this study, the possible improvement of the antibacterial and washing resistance up to 20 washing cycles performance of 100% cotton fabrics were investigated. At high temperatures, carboxylic acids form ester-type crosslinking with cellulose molecules and provide antibacterial activity. For this purpose, carboxylic acids such as BTCA and CA were used in this study.The purpose of this research was to evaluate 1,2,3,4-butantetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and citric acid monohydrate (CA) as an crosslinking agent for washing resistance of 100% cotton textile substrates against, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300), Bacillus subtilis (NRRL NRS -744), Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 70063). Cupper oxide and zinc oxide were assimilated in the coating bath for the antibacterial property. BTCA concentration in the solutions influenced the antibacterial and washing properties of the cotton fabrics. The Fourier Transform Infra-Red -Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectra showed a new summit that confirmed the ester linkage formation and crosslinking reaction for application.Namik Kemal University Scientific Research Projects CommissionNamik Kemal University [NKUBAP.06, 16.064]This work was supported by the Namik Kemal University Scientific Research Projects Commission (NKUBAP.06.GA.16.064

Intestinal parasites prevalence and related factors in school children, a western city sample-Turkey

BACKGROUND: Intestinal parasitic infections are amongst the most common infections worldwide. Epidemiological research carried out in different countries has shown that the social and economical situation of the individuals is an important cause in the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Previous studies in Turkey revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in Aydin among 7–14 years old school children and to identify associated socio-demographic and environmental factors, behavioral habits and also related complaints. METHODS: Multistage sampling was used in the selection of the study sample. A questionnaire, cellulose adhesive and a stool specimen examination were done. RESULTS: A total of 456 stool specimens were collected. 145 students (31.8%) were infected with one or more intestinal parasites. 29 (6.4%) of the students were infected more than one parasite, 26 (5.7%) with two parasites and 3 (0.7%) with three parasites. The three most common were E. vermicularis, G. intestinalis and E. coli. Intestinal parasite prevalence was higher in rural area, in children with less than primary school educated mother, in children who use hands for washing anal area after defecation, and in children who use toilet paper sometimes or never. The relation between child health and mother education is well known. Children were traditionally taught to wash anal area by hand. Toiler paper usage was not common and might be due to low income or just a behavioral habit also. Most of the complaints of the study population were not significantly related with the intestinal parasitic infection. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal parasitic infection is an important public health problem in Aydin, Turkey. Rural residence, mother education less than primary school, sometimes or never usage of toilet paper, and washing anal area by hands after defecation were the significant associations. Interventions including health education on personal hygiene to the students and to the parents, especially to mothers are required. The ratio of uneducated women should be declined with specific programs. A multisectoral approach is needed

Continuous wavelet transform methods for the simultaneous determinations and dissolution profiles of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets

Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) was proposed for the simultaneous determination and dissolution profiles of valsartan (VAL) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in tablets, without the use of a chemical separation procedure. The CWT approach was applied to the original UV spectra and their ratio spectra in the optimal wavelength ranges. After testing several wavelet families, Mexican hat function-CWT and Daubechies7-CWT (mexh-CWT and db7-CWT, respectively) were found to be suitable for the transformation of the original UV spectra. In the following procedure, mexh-CWT and Coiflets3-CWT (coif3-CWT) were found to be appropriate for the signal analysis of ratio spectra (RS) of VAL/HCT and HCT/VAL. Calibration graphs for VAL and HCT were obtained by measuring db7-CWT and mexh-CWT amplitudes in the transformation of the original absorption spectra and RS-coif-CWT and RS-mexh-CWT amplitudes in the transformation of the ratio spectra. The validity and applicability of the proposed CWT methods were evaluated through the analysis of an independent set of synthetic binary mixtures consisting of VAL and HCT. The proposed signal processing methods were then successfully applied to the simultaneous quantitative evaluation and simultaneous dissolution profiles of the related drugs in commercial tablets, with good agreement reported for the experimental results

COVID-19 HASTALARINDA SEKONDER ENFEKSİYONLAR VE LİTERATÜRÜN GÖZDEN GEÇİRİLMESİ: ÜNİVERSİTE HASTANESİNDE YAPILAN RETROSPEKTİF BİR ÇALIŞMA

Sekonder enfeksiyonlar, COVID-19 ile hastaneye yatırılan hastalarda yüksek mortaliteye yol açan başlıca komplikasyonlar arasındadır. Bu çalışmada, COVID-19 hastalarında gelişen sekonder enfeksiyonların prevalansı, risk faktörleri, etiyolojik ajanları ve antimikrobiyal direnç paternlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya 48 saat hastanede yattıktan sonra sekonder bakteriyel ve fungal enfeksiyon gelişen, COVID-19 PCR testi pozitif olan hastalar dahil edilmiştir. Hastaların klinik örneklerinden elde edilen bakteri ve mantar kültürlerinin sonuçları retrospektif olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın sonunda hastanede yatan 267 hastanın %16.1'inde (n=43) sekonder enfeksiyon geliştiği belirlenmiştir. Sekonder enfeksiyonlar erkeklerde (n=28, %65.1) kadınlara (n=15, %34.9) göre daha fazla saptanmıştır (p=0.024). Sekonder enfeksiyonu olan hastaların medyan yaşı (65.0 yıl) daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Sekonder enfeksiyonlu 43 hastanın %93'ünde (n=40) komorbidite saptanmıştır. Sekonder enfeksiyon gelişen hastaların 29'unun (%67.4) yoğun bakım ünitelerinde, 14'ünün (%32.6) servislerde tedavi gördüğü belirlenmiştir (p<0.001). Sekonder enfeksiyonların hastanede kalış süresini uzattığı (ortalama 25.5 gün) ve mortaliteyi artırdığı (n=16, %37.2) bulunmuştur (p<0.001). Etken ajan olarak tanımlanan ilk üç mikroorganizma, metisiline dirençli koagülaz negatif stafilokoklar (n=21, %16.3), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=19, %14.7) ve Candida albicans’tır (n=14, %10.9). Acinetobacter baumannii izolatlarının karbapenem direnç oranları %94.7 saptanmıştır. Koagülaz negatif stafilokokların %100'ünde metisilin direnci bulunurken vankomisin, teikoplanin ve linezolid direnci saptanmamıştır. C. albicans (%10.9) izolatlarında test edilen antifungal ajanlara karşı direnç bulunmamıştır. Sekonder enfeksiyonlar arasında özellikle pnömoni (n=25, %36.3), kan dolaşımı enfeksiyonları (n=19, %27.6) ve idrar yolu (n=18, %26.1) enfeksiyonları ilk sırada yer almıştır. COVID-19 ile ilişkili olarak gelişen sekonder enfeksiyonların ve risk faktörlerinin saptanması, etken mikroorganizmaların tanımlanması ve antimikrobiyal direnç paternlerinin belirlenmesi hastalığın prognozu, enfeksiyon kontrolü ve antimikrobiyal yönetimi açısından oldukça önemlidir

A 5-year surveillance of healthcare-associated infections in a university hospital: A retrospective analysis

Objectives: Nosocomial infections or healthcare-associated infections are a significant public health problem around the world. This study aimed to assess the rate of laboratory-confirmed healthcare-associated infections, frequency of nosocomial pathogens, and the antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial isolates in a University Hospital. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of healthcare-associated infections in a University Hospital, between the years 2015 and 2019 in Tekirdag, Turkey. Results: During the 5 years, the incidence densities of healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units and clinics were 10.31 and 1.70/1000 patient-days, respectively. The rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in intensive care units were 11.57, 4.02, and 1.99 per 1000 device-days, respectively. The most common healthcare-associated infections according to the primary sites were bloodstream infections (55.3%) and pneumonia (20.4%). 67.5% of the isolated microorganisms as nosocomial agents were Gram-negative bacteria, 24.9% of Gram-positive bacteria, and 7.6% of Candida. The most frequently isolated causative agents were Escherichia coli (16.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (I 5.7%). The rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production among E. coli isolates was 51.1%. Carbapenem resistance was 29.8% among isolates of P. aeruginosa, 95.1 % among isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii, and 18.2% among isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Colistin resistance was 2.4% among isolates of A. baumannii. Vancomycin resistance was 5.3% among isolates of Enterococci. Conclusion: Our study results demonstrate that healthcare-associated infections are predominantly originated by intensive care units. The microorganisms isolated from intensive care units are highly resistant to many antimicrobial agents. The rising incidence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms indicates that more interventions are urgently needed to reduce healthcare-associated infections in our intensive care units

Investigation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and quorum sensing genes in piperacillin/tazobactam and ciprofloxacin sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a non-fermentative, oxidase-positive, motile gram-negative bacillus widespread in nature. The virulence factors of P.aeruginosa including the ability to grow under minimal growth conditions, the widespread presence in nature, and the ability to form biofilms make P.aeruginosa a highly important bacterium along with its resistance mechanisms against many antibiotics. The ability to form biofilms increases the symptom severity in diseases caused by P.aeruginosa and causes difficulties in the treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) of piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) which are used for the treatment of P.aeruginosa infections on biofilm formation and to investigate the relationship between the severity of biofilm formation and Quorum Sensing (QS) genes. The study included 24 P.aeruginosa isolates from the culture collection of Medical Microbiology Laboratory of Gazi University Faculty of Medicine. MIC values of TZP and CIP antibiotics were determined by the microdilution method. The biofilm layers in the antibiotic-free medium and in the sub-MIC (MIC/2, MIC/4 ve MIC/8) concentrations of antibiotics were visualized by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The QS genes (lasI, lasR, rhlI, and rhlR) of the 24 isolates with known biofilm characteristics were identified via the amplification of chromosomal DNA by using PCR method. In the study, it was foundthat both antibiotics reduced biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner in sub-MIC concentrations compared to the antibiotic-free condition and that MIC/2 was the concentration, which reduced the biofilm formation most. These results were further confirmed by viewing the SEM images. The QS genes lasI, lasR, and rhlI were detected in a total of 19 isolates with moderately strong and strong biofilm formation, the rhlR gene was detected in six of the strong biofilm-forming isolates, in four of the moderately strong biofilm-forming isolates, and in three of the weak biofilm-forming isolates, respectively. The investigation of the effects of sub-MIC concentrations of antimicrobials, used for the treatment of P.aeruginosa infections, on the biofilm formation of P.aeruginosa and the investigation and better understanding of the QS systems associated with biofilm production will allow for finding out new treatment approaches and offer different options in combating infections with high morbidity and mortality. © 2020 Ankara Microbiology Society. All rights reserved

Curcumin-meropenem synergy in carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae curcumin-meropenem synergy

Background and Objectives: The frequency of multiple resistant bacterial infections, including carbapenems, is increasing worldwide. As the decrease in treatment options causes difficulties in treatment, interest in new antimicrobials is increasing. One of the promising natural ingredients is curcumin. It is known to be effective in bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Burkholderia pseudomallei through efflux pump inhibition, toxin inhibition and enzymes. However, because its bioavailability is poor, it seffectiveness occurs in combination with antibiotics. In the study, the interaction of meropenem and curcumin in carbapenemase producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, resistant to meropenem, were used in this study. From those 15 MBL, 6 KPC, 17 OXA-48 and 1 AmpC resistance pattern were detected by combination disk method. Meropenem and Curcumin MIC values were determined by liquid microdilution. Checkerboard liquid microdilution was used to determine the synergy between meropenem and curcumin. Results: Synergistic effects were observed in 4 isolates producing MBL, 3 isolates producing KPC, 4 isolates producing OXA-48, and 1 isolates producing AmpC (totally 12 isolates) according to the calculated FICI. No antagonistic effects were observed in any isolates. Conclusion: Curcumin was thought to be an alternative antimicrobial in combination therapies that would positively contribute to the treatment of bacterial infection. The effectiveness of this combination should be confirmed by other in vitro and clinical studies