Telaah Sitotoksik Dari Ekstrak Karang Lunak Nephtea SP.

Telaah aktivitas sitotoksik merupakan langkah awal dalam pencarian senyawa baru yang potensial sebagai antitumor, antara lain berasal dari bahan hayati laut. Karang lunak berpotensi dalam penyediaan substansi bioaktif yang memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik. Sampel karang lunak Nephtea sp diekstraksi dengan pelarut methanol, kemudian dipartisi dengan menggunakan pelarut etil asetat, heksan dan kloroform. Ekstrak dari hasil ekstraksi dan partisi diuji aktivitas sitotoksiknya pada sel telur bulu babi Tripneustes sp. Pengamatan untuk ekstrak metanolik menghambat perkembangan embrio pada perlakuan setelah fertilisasi hanya memperlambat perkembangan embrio bulu babi sedangkan untuk fraksi larut etil asetat, heksan dan kloroform dari kedua perlakuan memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik yang tinggi dengan menghambat perkembangan embrio bulu babi Tripneustes sp. Karang lunak Nephtea sp mengandung senyawa yang memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik yang tinggi. Untuk itu perlu dilakukan pemurnian senyawa lebih lanjut

Pemurnian Dan Karakterisasi Lektin Dari Alga Laut Eucheuma cotonii

Lektin adalah protein yang mengikat monosakarida dan oligosakarida secara spesifik tetapi tanpa aktivitas katalisis (yaitu bukan enzim) dan, berbeda dengan antitibody yaitu bukanlah produk dari suatu respon sistim pertahanan tubuh.    Lektin dapat mengagglutinasi berbagai macam sel seperti limfosit, sperma, bakteri dan jamur.  Dengan sifat-sifatnya ini, lektin dapat berperan dalam pencegahan infeksi HIV dan AIDS dan pertahanan terhadap virus dan infeksi dari bakteri dan juga pencegahan terjadinya pembuahan.  Walaupun peningkatan telah dibuat melalui karakterisasi biokimia dari lektin alga laut ini, informasi tambahan diperlukan untuk pengertian yang lebih komprehensif tentang sifat-sifat, struktur bahkan fungsi biologis mereka. Penelitian ini menggunakan alga merah laut Eucheuma cotonii sebagai sumber lektin.  Pemurnian lektin menggunakan serangkaian metode yang dimulai dari ekstraksi, kolom kromatografi dan diakhiri dengan SDS-PAGE.  Penentuan karakteristiknya dilakukan melalui pengujian terhadap eritrosit dan beberapa jenis gula untuk menentukan aktivitas hemaglutinasi dan jenis gula spesifik.  Dari hasil Ekstraksi ekstrak kasar lektin diperoleh sebanyak 1.86% dari berat keringnya.  Setelah melewati kolom kromatografi dari 25 tabung yang dihasilkan  hanya diperoleh 5 tabung yang memiliki kandungan lektin.  Melalui SDS-PAGE diperoleh lektin murni dengan berat molekul 11,7 kD.  Konsentrasi terkecil lektin yang masih memiliki aktivitas hemagglutinasi adalah 2,75 µg.mL-1.  Aktivitas hemaglutinasi lektin ini dapat dihambat oleh gula L-Rhamnose dan Maltose

Test of Larvacide Activity from Some Sponge Extracts to Aedes aegypti Larvae

Marine organisms have been known produce certain compounds those could lead for medicine purposes. Sponges are one and the most studied for this aim. oneof the important biological activities which expected from sponge are larvacide activity. The aims this research was to test the larvacide activity aagainst Aedes aegypti larvae from some of sponge extract. Sponge samples were taken from Malalayang Waters, (N 01 ° 27'37 "E 124 ° 47'30") on November 2014 with the depth varies from 2-15 m  with SCUBA. The extraction, preparation of the larvae and activity testing was performed on Biomolecular and Marine Pharmacy Laboratory Faculty Fisheries and Marine Science. The sponge samples were cutted and soaked in 95% Ethanol for over night with 3 repetitions to obtain ethanolic extracts. The extract were filtered and evaporated using freeze dryer then tested onto 10 instars 3 instars m larvae that had been previously maintained. the test was made in triplowith 24 hours observation. abate was used as positive control while negative control clean water was used.The test results showed that of 11 Sponge tested, 10 species showed larvacidal activity and marine sponge extract Tedania sp. has the highest activity compared to 9 extracts. As a suggestion of this research the further purification of Tedania sp. extract is needed to know the structure of active compound.Keywords: Aedes aegypti, Larvacide, Sponge extractABSTRAKOrganisme laut yang dapat dikembangkan menjadi bahan sediaan obat antara lain sponge, dan merupakan salah satu organisme laut yang banyak diteliti. Beberapa aktivitas biologis penting yang diharapkan dari ekstrak sponge salah satunya adalah aktivitas larvasida. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji aktivitas larvasida nyamuk Aedes aegypti dari beberapa ekstrak Sponge. Sampel sponge diambil di perairan Malalayang, tepatnya di koordinat N 01°27’37” E 124°47’30” pada bulan November 2014 di kedalaman 2-15 m. Sedangkan untuk tahap ekstraksi, penyiapan larva uji dan pengujian aktivitas larvasida di lakukan di laboratorium Biomolekular dan Farmasitika Laut program studi Ilmu Kelautan, FPIK UNSRAT. Dalam penelitian yang dilakukan, sampel diambil di perairan menggunakan peralatan SCUBA. Setelah itu diekstrak dengan larutan etanol 95% dan direndam selama 24 jam dan dilakukan 3 kali pengulagan untuk mendapatkan ekstrak etanolik. Sampel dikeringkan dengan menggunakan alat freeze dryer kemudian diujikan ke 10 ekor larva nyamuk fase instar 3 yang telah dipelihara sebelumnya. Pengujian dilakukan sebanyak 3 kali pengulangan dengan lama pengamatan 24 jam pengamatan. Sebagai kontrol positif digunakan bubuk abate yang biasa dijual di pasaran sedangkan kontrol negative atau tanpa perlakuan digunakan air bersih. Data hasil pengamatan diolah menggunakan Microsoft excel.Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa Dari 11 Sponge yang diuji, 10 jenis menunjukan aktivitas larvasida dengan persentase mortalitas yang bervariasi dan ekstrak sponge laut Tedania sp. memiliki aktivitas tertinggi dibandingkan dengan 10 jenis ekstrak sponge lain dalam pengujian. Sebagai saran dalam penelitian ini yaitu Perlu dilakukan pemurnian lanjut ekstrak lebih lanjut dari ekstrak sponge Tedania sp. yaitu ke tahap partisi dan Perlu adanya variasi konsentrasi dalam pengujian.Kata Kunci : Aedes aegypti, Larvasida, ekstrak Spon

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Polymer gradient surfaces for biomedical applications

Biological systems interact with artificial polymeric materials in a complex, multistage, and iterative process of sensing and response. The biological response at the cellular level to polymeric substrates has been studied at great length. However, this is often done on individual samples with a homogeneous feature. This results in experiments which are limited only to samples that the investigator can imagine — leaving potentially interesting samples or sample combinations hidden from use. Subtle variations in surface properties can have a drastic impact on cell response, and therefore a considered and careful approach must be employed in surface design and fabrication. Following the example set by combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening (HTS) applied to drug discovery by the pharmaceutical industry in the 1990s, researchers are increasingly turning to similar methodologies in biomaterial design. This involves creating high content samples for exploring the full sample space, usually taking the form of a highly multiplexed array platform, or a continuous variation of a single material property as a gradient. Creating such dense sample formats presents a series of unique challenges in both their fabrication and implementation. In the case of surface modification for biomedical applications, platforms must be created which offer broad variations in surface properties, and they must also be designed in such a way as to allow meaningful interpretation of often complex responses

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707