In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activities from aqueous and methanolic extracts of cyanobacteria

In this present study, antimicrobial activities of aqueous and methanolic extracts of cyanobacteria against some of fungi and pathogenic bacteria were investigated. Cyanobacteria strains Fischerella ambigua ISC67 and Schizothrix vaginata ISC108 were cultured in BG-11 medium. Extraction was performed by adding the solvent to cyanobacterial biomass and then filtering and drying of the mixture. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method and broth microdilution method was applied to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. The results show that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of F. ambigua has a significant antimicrobial effect while, the tested extracts of S. vaginata was no significant antibacterial and antifungal activity. Highest antibacterial activity from aqueous extract of F. ambigua was against S. aureus (PTCC 1112) which the average zone diameter around it was 33.33 mm. The antibacterial effect of aqueous extracts against Gram-positive bacteria was more than Gram-negative bacteria significantly. Antifungal activity showed that methanolic extract of F. ambigua have significant antifungal activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration of active extract against most tested bacterial and fungal was 125 mg/ml. The present study has proved that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of F. ambigua possessed strong antibacterial and antifungal properties against the pathogenic microorganism. Therefore, cyanobacteria can be a rich source for natural products with antimicrobial activity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.346363

Production and optimization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from Bacillus megaterium as biodegradable plastic

Among biodegradable plastics polyhydroxy alkanate and its polymers have received more attention than other biodegradable polymers because of their complete degradability, flexibility, water resistance and also the ease of production process. Polyhydroxybutyrate is one of the types of polyhydroxy alkanates that is seen as a storage granule in many microorganisms. In this study, Bacillus megaterium was prepared from Iranian microbial collection. Glucose and yeast extract were used as the main components of the medium in seed media 9 and 2.5 g/l and in fermentation medium 30 and 7.5 g/l respectively. GC-MASS and FTIR were used to identify the PHB produced. The results showed that the highest amount of biomass (0.221 g/l) and PHB (0.080 g/l) were obtained with glucose at 37°C and shaker speed of 150 rpm for 72 h incubation. The results of GC MASS and FTIR showed the production of PHB by Bacillus under investigation. Based on the mean of data on total cell growth conditions, the rate of cell biomass and PHB production in B. megaterium were 0.0869 and 0.0171 respectively. According to the results of the experiments, temperature had the greatest effect on biomass production and PHB production. The bioplastics produced by microbes are also highly degradable in the environment, and due to their specific chemical structure, they have been widely used in various fields of the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and are likely to replace today's plastics in the near future. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.371140

Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) leaves

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) leaves. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical assay and the antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration. The methanolic extract showed high antioxidant activity (69.43%) and had antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Higher inhibition zone was detected against S. aureus (30.83 mm). The extract of this plant showed high phenolic, flavonoids and carotenoids contents and it can be concluded that these compounds may be responsible for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the methanolic extract of medlar, M. germanica L., leaves possessed strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties and could be an important source of natural compounds for development of new drugs

In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activities from aqueous and methanolic extracts of cyanobacteria

In this present study, antimicrobial activities of aqueous and methanolic extracts of cyanobacteria against some of fungi and pathogenic bacteria were investigated. Cyanobacteria strains Fischerella ambigua ISC67 and Schizothrix vaginata ISC108 were cultured in BG-11 medium. Extraction was performed by adding the solvent to cyanobacterial biomass and then filtering and drying of the mixture. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method and broth microdilution method was applied to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. The results show that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of F. ambigua has a significant antimicrobial effect while, the tested extracts of S. vaginata was no significant antibacterial and antifungal activity. Highest antibacterial activity from aqueous extract of F. ambigua was against S. aureus (PTCC 1112) which the average zone diameter around it was 33.33 mm. The antibacterial effect of aqueous extracts against Gram-positive bacteria was more than Gram-negative bacteria significantly. Antifungal activity showed that methanolic extract of F. ambigua have significant antifungal activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration of active extract against most tested bacterial and fungal was 125 mg/ml. The present study has proved that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of F. ambigua possessed strong antibacterial and antifungal properties against the pathogenic microorganism. Therefore, cyanobacteria can be a rich source for natural products with antimicrobial activity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.346363

Frequency of Seroma and Associated Factors after Inguinal Hernioplasty: A Brief Report

Background and purpose: Seroma formation is one of the most common complications of hernioplasty surgery. Identifying the factors associated with seroma is useful to prevent this complication. The present study aimed at investigating the frequency of seroma and related demographic and clinical factors after inguinal hernioplasty. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 130 patients with primary inguinal hernia who underwent inguinal hernioplasty using mesh in Rasht Poursina Hospital, 2019. Any accumulation of fluid at/around the surgical site that caused obvious bulging and discomfort, pain, and heaviness that required needle aspiration was considered to be seroma. The frequency of seroma was assessed at 24 hours, one week, and one month after the surgery. Demographic and clinical variables were assessed by oral questioning and reviewing the medical files. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS V20. Results: Seroma was seen in 5 (3.8%) (95% CI: 1%-7%), 8 (6.2%) (95% CI: 2%-10%), and 7 patients (5.4%) (95% CI: 1.3%-8.7%) at 24 hours, one week, and one month after the surgery, respectively. Conclusion: Similar descriptive studies including larger sample size and experimental studies are needed to accurately investigate the relationship between demographic and clinical factors and the incidence of seroma after hernioplasty surgery. Also, assessing the effectiveness of various surgical techniques is of great help in preventing this complication

MIL-125-based nanocarrier decorated with Palladium complex for targeted drug delivery

Abstract The aim of this work was to provide a novel approach to designing and synthesizing a nanocomposite with significant biocompatibility, biodegradability, and stability in biological microenvironments. Hence, the porous ultra-low-density materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), have been considered and the MIL-125(Ti) has been chosen due to its distinctive characteristics such as great biocompatibility and good biodegradability immobilized on the surface of the reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Based on the results, the presence of transition metal complexes next to the drug not only can reinforce the stability of the drug on the structure by preparing π–π interaction between ligands and the drug but also can enhance the efficiency of the drug by preventing the spontaneous release. The effect of utilizing transition metal complex beside drug (Doxorubicin (DOX)) on the drug loading, drug release, and antibacterial activity of prepared nanocomposites on the P. aeruginosa and S. aureus as a model bacterium has been investigated and the results revealed that this theory leads to increasing about 200% in antibacterial activity. In addition, uptake, the release of the drug, and relative cell viabilities (in vitro and in vivo) of prepared nanomaterials and biomaterials have been discussed. Based on collected data, the median size of prepared nanocomposites was 156.2 nm, and their biological stability in PBS and DMEM + 10% FBS was screened and revealed that after 2.880 min, the nanocomposite’s size reached 242.3 and 516 nm respectively. The MTT results demonstrated that immobilizing PdL beside DOX leads to an increase of more than 15% in the cell viability. It is noticeable that the AST:ALT result of prepared nanocomposite was under 1.5