The antibacterial activity of date syrup polyphenols against S. aureus and E. coli

Plant-derived products such as date syrup have demonstrated antibacterial activity and can inhibit bacteria through numerous different mechanisms, which may be attributed to bioactive compounds including plant-derived phenolic molecules. Date syrup is rich in polyphenols and this study hypothesized that date syrup polyphenols demonstrate inherent antimicrobial activity, which cause oxidative damage. This investigation revealed that date syrup has a high content of total polyphenols (605 mg/100g), and is rich in tannins (357 mg/100g), flavonoids (40.5 mg/100g) and flavanols (31.7 mg/100g) that are known potent antioxidants. Furthermore, date syrup, and polyphenols extracted from date syrup, the most abundant bioactive constituent of date syrup are bacteriostatic to both Gram positive and Gram negative Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. It has further been shown that the extracted polyphenols independently suppress the growth of bacteria at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 30 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL for E. coli and S. aureus, and have observed that date syrup behaves as a prooxidant by generating hydrogen peroxide that mediates bacterial growth inhibition as a result of oxidative stress. At sub-lethal MIC concentrations date syrup demonstrated antioxidative activity by reducing hydrogen peroxide, and at lethal concentrations date syrup demonstrated prooxidant activity that inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. The high sugar content naturally present in date syrup did not significantly contribute to this effect. These findings highlight that date syrup’s antimicrobial activity is mediated through hydrogen peroxide generation in inducing oxidative stress in bacteria

Role of Chemerin in Cardiovascular Diseases

(1) Background: Obesity is closely connected to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Excess fat accumulation is associated with metabolic malfunctions that disrupt cardiovascular homeostasis by activating inflammatory processes that recruit immune cells to the site of injury and reduce nitric oxide levels, resulting in increased blood pressure, endothelial cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Adipose tissue produces adipokines, such as chemerin, that may alter immune responses, lipid metabolism, vascular homeostasis, and angiogenesis. (2) Methods: We performed PubMed and MEDLINE searches for articles with English abstracts published between 1997 (when the first report on chemerin identification was published) and 2022. The search retrieved original peer-reviewed articles analyzed in the context of the role of chemerin in CVDs, explicitly focusing on the most recent findings published in the past five years. (3) Results: This review summarizes up-to-date findings related to mechanisms of chemerin action, its role in the development and progression of CVDs, and novel strategies for developing chemerin-targeting therapeutic agents for treating CVDs. (4) Conclusions: Extensive evidence points to chemerin's role in vascular inflammation, angiogenesis, and blood pressure modulation, which opens up exciting perspectives for developing chemerin-targeting therapeutic agents for the treatment of CVDs

Biomasa iz poljoprivrede kao potencijani izvor alternativnih goriva pogonskih agregata

Liquid fossil fuels are the dominant fuel for the plant, as means of all forms of transport, employment and agricultural machines and aggregates. In the coming period is unrealistic to expect more intense and massive development, implementation, construction of new engines that would be adapted to another type of fuel. All efforts have been focused on finding such a fuel that could be adapted to existing engine structures, and to simultaneously satisfy additional criteria related to ecology, as well as reliability and privacy. In this context, biofuel is given increasing attention, which can be produced from renewable primary and secondary agricultural raw materials, with generally positive effects of performance, reliability, emissions and thus protect the environment, as well as other requirements that the current fossil fuel backgrounds meet. As biofuels can be considered methanol, biometanol, bioethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, hydrogen and others. Raw materials from agricultural biomass to produce alternative fuels could be: sugar cane, sugar beet, corn sorghum, corn, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower, potatoes, barley, olive, palm, sweet potato, monioka, Jerusalem artichokes (topinambur) and others. Products and residues from forest mass: wood, pulp, paper, black lug and others. Now it different kinds of waste such as municipal and secondary waste, food wastes, wastes from production of cereals and food, etc.., With the current use of fossil origin fuel from oil, coal, oil shale, natural gas and others. The paper gives a brief review of possible fuel from biomass, which can be, with its advantages and disadvantages, potential use as fuel internal combustion engines.Tečna fosilna goriva su najdominantnija goriva za pogon, kako sredstava svih vidova saobraćaja, tako i poljoprivrednih radnih mašina i agregata. U narednom periodu je nerealno očekivati intenzivniji i masovniji razvoj, u primeni, novih konstrukcija motora koje bi bile prilagođene nekoj drugoj vrsti goriva. Svi napori su usredsređeni na pronalaženju supstitucije goriva, koje bi bilo prilagođeno postojećim konstrukcijama motora, a da istovremeno zadovolje i dodatne kriterijume vezane za obnovljivost, ekologiju, pouzdanost korišćenja i dr. U tom kontekstu, biogorivima se posvećuje sve veća pažnja, koja se mogu proizvesti iz obnovljivih primarnih i sekundarnih poljoprivrednih sirovina, sa generalno pozitivnim efektima performansi, pouzdanosti, emisije izduvnih gasova, a time i zaštite životne sredine, kao i drugim zahtevima koje sadašnja goriva fosilnog porekla ispunjavaju. Kao biogoriva mogu se razmatrati metanol, biometanol, bioetanol, biodizel, prirodni gas, vodonik i dr. Sirovine iz poljoprivredne biomase za proizvodnju alternativnih goriva mogu biti: šećerna trska, šećerna repa, sirak šećerac, kukuruz, pšenica, uljana repica, suncokret, krompir, ječam, maslina, palma, batata, monioka, jerusalemska artičoka (topinambur) i dr. Iz proizvoda i ostataka šumskih masa: drvo, celuloza, papir, crni lug i dr. Zatim iz različitih vidova otpada, kao što su: komunalni i sekundarni otpad, otpadi iz proizvodnje žitarica i hrane i dr., uz sadašnju primenu goriva fosilnog porekla iz: nafte, uglja, uljnih škriljaca, prirodnog gasa i dr. U radu je dat kraći prikaz mogućih vrsta goriva iz biomase, koja se mogu, sa svojim prednostima i manama, potencijalno koristiti kao pogonsko gorivo motora SUS

Editorial: Non-coding RNA in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Editorial on the Research Topic: [https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/33365/non-coding-rna-in-diabetes-and-cardiovascular-diseases

Uticaj potencijalnih vučnih karakteristika traktora Fendt u optimizaciji obrade zemljišta

Trend development of agricultural tractors, follows agrotechnique and to the general development of technique, that fundamental investigations find their full application in the world manufacturing of tractors also. This paper analyses the potential performance of a tractor Fendt production and their impact on the optimization of agricultural conditions in the processing of agricultural land in Serbia. Fendt tractors manufacturing have all the characteristics of contemporary world of tractors based on the basis of increasing engine power while keeping intact mass of the tractor in the individual series. Comprehensive analysis of Fendt tractors is made of several approaches, the three series of tractors from 700, 800 and 900, and one of these results is shown in this paper. Based on the analysis it can be concluded that the particular batch of tractors complement each other in relation to the demands of agricultural technology and farm size, which provide optimum conditions for processing various types of soil in accordance with the requirements of modern production agriculture. Such an approach to the analysis of potential impact on the optimization of processing characteristics of the soil, allows potential buyers relief decision to buy the tractor, depending on their requirements.Trend razvoja poljoprivrednih traktora prati agrotehnički i opšti razvoj tehnike, tako da fundamentalna istraživanja nalaze punu primenu i u svetskoj proizvodnji traktora. U radu su analizirane potencijalne eksploatacione karakteristike traktora proizvodnje Fendt i njihov uticaj na optimizaciju agrotehničkih uslova u obradi poljoprivrednog zemljišta Srbije. Traktori proizvodnje Fendt imaju sve karakteristike savremenih svetskih traktora koje se zasnivaju na bazi povećanja snage motora uz zadržavanje nepromenjene mase traktora u okviru pojedinih serija. Sveobuhvatna analiza traktora Fendt je izvršena od više raspoloživih modela, na tri traktora iz serija 700, 800 i 900, a jedan deo tih rezultata, prikazan je u ovom radu. Na osnovu izvršene analize nameće se zaključak, da se pojedine serije traktora međusobno dopunjuju u odnosu na zahteve agrotehnike i veličinu poseda, čime se obezbeđuju uslovi za optimalnu obradu različitih tipova zemljišta u skladu sa zahtevima proizvodnje savremene poljoprivrede. Takav pristup analizi uticaja potencijalnih karakteristika na optimizaciju obrade zemljišta, omogućava potencijalnim kupcima olakšanje odluke o kupovini traktora u zavisnosti od njihovih zahteva

Nitric oxide, thyroglobulin, and calcitonin: unraveling the nature of thyroid nodules

BackgroundThyroid nodules (TN) are localized morphological changes in the thyroid gland and can be benign or malignant.ObjectiveThe present study investigates the relationships between biochemical markers in serum (s) and their homologs in washout (w) after fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the TN of interest and their correlation with cytology specimen findings.MethodsWe investigated the relationships between serum biochemical markers nitric oxide (NO), thyroglobulin (TG), and calcitonin (CT), their homologs in washout after FNAB of the TN of interest, and cytology findings of biopsy samples classified according to the Bethesda system for thyroid cytopathology in this study, which included 86 subjects.ResultsWashout TG (TGw) level positively correlates with the cytology finding of the biopsy. A higher level of TGw correlates with higher categories of the Bethesda classification and indicates a higher malignant potential. The levels of serum NO (NOs), serum TG (TGs), serum CT (CTs), and washout CT (CTw) do not correlate with the cytology finding of the biopsy, and the higher levels of washout NO (NOw) correspond to the more suspicious ultrasound findings.ConclusionThe findings of our study suggest that TGw and NOw could be used as potential predictors of malignancy in TN

The genetic basis of the fitness costs of antimicrobial resistance : : a meta-analysis approach

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Physiological Cost of Antibiotic Resistance

Becoming antibiotic resistant is often associated with fitness costs for the resistant bacteria. This is seen as a loss of competitiveness against the antibiotic-sensitive wild-type in an antibiotic-free environment. In this study, the physiological alterations associated with fitness cost of antibiotic resistance in vitro (in the laboratory medium), and in vivo (in a mouse infection model), are identified in the model system of fusidic acid resistant (FusR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. FusR mutants have mutations in fusA, the gene that encodes translation elongation factor G (EF-G). FusR EF-G has a slow rate of regeneration of active EF-G·GTP off the ribosome, resulting in a slow rate of protein synthesis. The low fitness of FusR mutants in vitro, and in vivo, can be explained in part by a slow rate of protein synthesis and resulting slow growth. However, some FusR mutants with normal rates of protein synthesis still suffer from reduced fitness in vivo. We observed that FusR mutants have perturbed levels of the global regulatory molecule ppGpp. One consequence of this is an inefficient induction of RpoS, a regulator of general stress reponse and an important virulence factor for Salmonella. In addition, we found that FusR mutants have reduced amounts of heme, a co-factor of catalases and cytochromes. As a consequence of the heme defect, FusR mutants have a reduced ability to withstand oxidative stress and a low rate of aerobic respiration. The pleiotropic phenotypes of FusR mutants suggest that antibiotic resistance can be associated with broad changes in bacterial physiology. Knowledge of physiological alterations that reduce the fitness of antibiotic-resistant mutants can be useful in identifying novel targets for antimicrobial agents. Drugs that alter the levels of global transcriptional regulators such as ppGpp or RpoS deserve attention as potential antimicrobial agents. Finally, the observation that FusR mutants have increased sensitivity to several unrelated classes of antibiotics suggests that the identification of physiological cost of resistance can help in optimizing treatment of resistant bacterial populations