Potential therapeutic applications of microbial surface-activecompounds

Numerous investigations of microbial surface-active compounds or biosurfactants over the past two decades have led to the discovery of many interesting physicochemical and biological properties including antimicrobial, anti-biofilm and therapeutic among many other pharmaceutical and medical applications. Microbial control and inhibition strategies involving the use of antibiotics are becoming continually challenged due to the emergence of resistant strains mostly embedded within biofilm formations that are difficult to eradicate. Different aspects of antimicrobial and anti-biofilm control are becoming issues of increasing importance in clinical, hygiene, therapeutic and other applications. Biosurfactants research has resulted in increasing interest into their ability to inhibit microbial activity and disperse microbial biofilms in addition to being mostly nontoxic and stable at extremes conditions. Some biosurfactants are now in use in clinical, food and environmental fields, whilst others remain under investigation and development. The dispersal properties of biosurfactants have been shown to rival that of conventional inhibitory agents against bacterial, fungal and yeast biofilms as well as viral membrane structures. This presents them as potential candidates for future uses in new generations of antimicrobial agents or as adjuvants to other antibiotics and use as preservatives for microbial suppression and eradication strategies

Wastes of banana's lignocellulosic biomass : a sustainable and renewable source of biogaz production

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

In-depth phenotyping of a Donnai-Barrow patient helps clarify proximal tubule dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The megalin/cubilin/amnionless complex is essential for albumin and low molecular weight (LMW) protein reabsorption by renal proximal tubules (PT). Mutations of the LRP2 gene encoding megalin cause autosomal recessive Donnai-Barrow/facio-oculo-acoustico-renal syndrome (DB/FOAR), which is characterized by LMW proteinuria. The pathophysiology of DB/FOAR-associated PT dysfunction remains unclear. CLINICAL CASE: A 3-year-old girl presented with growth retardation and proteinuria. Clinical examination was unremarkable, except for a still-opened anterior fontanel and myopia. Psychomotor development was delayed. At 6, she developed sensorineural hearing loss. Hypertelorism was noted when she turned 12. Blood analyses, including renal function parameters, were normal. Urine sediment was bland. Proteinuria was significant and included albumin and LMW proteins. Immunoblotting analyses detected cubilin and type 3 carbonic anhydrase (CA3) in the urine. Renal ultrasound was unremarkable. Optical examination of a renal biopsy did not disclose any tubular or glomerular abnormality. Electron microscopy revealed that PT apical endocytic apparatus was significantly less developed. Immunostaining for megalin showed a faint signal in PT cytosol contrasting with the distribution of cubilin at the apical membrane. The diagnostic procedure led to identifying two mutations of the LRP2 gene. CONCLUSIONS: The functional loss of megalin in DB/FOAR causes PT dysfunction characterized by increased urinary shedding of CA3 and cubilin

Improvement of foaming properties of whey protein products by enzymatic hydrolysis of the associated fat fraction

audience: researche