Protective Activity of Probiotic Bacteria Against Candida albicans: An In Vitro Study

Background: Therapeutic applications of probiotics against human candida infections remain controversial. Candida species are the most common human fungal pathogens that cause both superficial and systemic infection. Given the low number of appropriate and effective antifungal drugs, the continuing increase in the incidence of Candida infections, and increased drug resistance, it is required to explore new and better factors targeting essential biological processes and pathogenic determinants of C. albicans. Objective: In this context, a laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus on the adherence of C. albicans to the human epithelial cell line known as human epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cells and the potential protective effects of probiotic bacteria on the infected cells. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the effect of L. acidophilus on the adherence of C. albicans to HEp-2 cells, either yeast cells, probiotic bacteria, or both were added to each well of a 12-well plate, with a coverslip at the bottom, covered with a semiconfluent layer of HEp-2 cells. After 2 hours of incubation, the number of adhered pathogens was counted using light microscopy. In order to determine the effect of C. albicans on the viability of the HEp-2 cells, in the presence and absence of L. acidophilus, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was conducted. Results: The results revealed that either L. acidophilus strain La5 or C. albicans adhered to the (HEp-2) cells. In addition, cell association of C. albicans with Hep2 cells decreased by up to 80% when probiotic bacteria were added. The most interesting finding was that in the presence of L. acidophilus La-5, a significant decrease was observed in the adhesion of C. albicans to the cell line or cell mortality. Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the use of probiotics is a promising method to decrease the pathogenicity of opportunistic mycoses

Chemical Constituents of Donkey Dung (Anbarnasara): Questioning the Recent Claims Concerning Therapeutic Effects

Background: Various animal excrements have been used as a medicine for the treatment of different diseases in the past. Today, people still use some of these excrements, especially female donkey dung (Anbarnasara,) by smelling the smoke of burnt dung for some ailments like sinusitis and bronchitis. Recently, some studies have focused on the therapeutic activities of Anbarnasara but no one has studied the active ingredients of it.Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the chemical constituents and antibacterial activities of Anbarnasara and its smoke.Materials and Methods: Female donkey dungs were collected from Shahreza in May 2017. The substance was burnt and the smoke was led to a beaker of methanol by a distillation apparatus. Then, the methanolic extract was dried via a rotary evaporator. Antibacterial activity of the smoke and also the total methanolic extract of Anbarnasara were tested on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli via well diffusion method. Chemical constituents were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) .Results: The results showed that Anbarnasara and its smoke have a very weak antibacterial activity. Regarding chemical constituents, both total methanolic extract and smoke extract predominantly contained toluene, xylene, and dibutyl phthalate.Conclusion: Previous studies showed xylene as one of the major components of the smoke of Anbarnasara. These articles also reported the presence of some plant-based compounds such as glyoxal, syringol, and limonene in the smoke. The presence of these compounds is probably due to the donkeys’ diet. In our study, the presence of dibutyl phthalate, an industrial plasticizer, among the components is probably due to environmental factors. These evidences suggested that Anbarnasara is under the influence of environmental factors like vegetation and pollutions and therefore, should be used as a medicine with caution. Recent claims regarding the antibacterial, cytotoxic, and wound healing activities of Anbarnasara should be considered independent of these environmental factors

Preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei u ultrafiltiriranom siru u salamuri pakiranom u modificiranoj atmosferi i fleksibilnim višeslojnim filmovima

In this study, two packaging materials, modified polypropylene (MPP) and polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum/ low-density polyethylene (PETFA-Al-LDPE) were studied under various atmospheric conditions: 100% CO2, 70% N2 - 30% CO2, 80% N2 - 20% CO2 for packing probiotic ultrafiltered (UF) white brined cheese. pH, titratable acidity, moisture content, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei viability and overall acceptability were monitored within a 12-week period. The control samples were packaged in atmospheric air. Results revealed that samples packaged in PETFA-Al-LDPE with the combination of 70% N2 - 30% CO2 had the lowest pH, highest acidity and moisture content. The viability of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei was reported to be 4*106 CFU/g within 12 weeks. The highest and lowest overall acceptability was for the cheese packaged in 70% N2 - 30% CO2 and the control sample, respectively.U ovom istraživanju je ispitivana mogućnost primjene dvaju ambalažnih materijala - modificiranog polipropilena (MPP) i polietilen tereftalata/aluminij/polietilen niske gustoće (PETFA-Al-LDPE) u različitim uvjetima modificirane atmosfere (100 % CO2, 70 % N2 – 30 % CO2, 80 % N2 - 20 % CO2) za pakiranje probiotičkog sira iz salamure proizvedenog iz ultrafiltriranog (UF) mlijeka. Tijekom 12 tjedana čuvanja uzorcima sira su određivani pH, titracijska kiselost, sadržaj vlage, preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei i prihvatljivost. Kontrolni uzorci su pakirani u normalnoj atmosferi (zrak). Dobiveni rezutati ukazuju kako uzorci pakirani u PETFA-Al-LDPE i modificiranoj atmosferi 70 % N2 - 30 % CO2 imaju najniži pH, te najveću kiselost i sadržaj vlage. Preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei je bilo oko 4x106 CFU/g tijekom 12 tjedana. Najnižu i najvišu prihvatljivost su imali uzorak pakiran u atmosferi 70% N2 - 30 % CO2 te kontrolni uzorak

Therapeutic and Preventive Effects of Olea europaea Extract on Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Injury Model in Rats

Background. Olea europaea (known as olive fruit) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and many potential health benefits including gastric inflammation reduction has been shown previously. This study aimed to investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of O. europaea extract on the early histological changes in indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury model with the plasma D-lactate concentration being measured as a tool for determination of intestinal permeability. Methods. In this experimental study, two separate protective and therapeutic protocols were designed. In both experiments, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and either pretreated with 0, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg/day of O. europaea extract or received the treatment after administration of indomethacin. Their small intestines were examined to compare the histological changes. The intestinal injury severity was evaluated according to the presence of eosinophils, plasma cell infiltration, edema, congestion, and hyperplasia of the crypt using a histological scoring system. Also, measured were the presence of neutrophils, decreased villus length-to-crypt depth ratio, and destructed villus architecture. The plasma concentration of D-lactate was measured as well. Results. The therapeutic use of O. europaea decreased the eosinophil, edema, congestion, and crypt hyperplasia scores compared to the control group. Although no significant difference was seen between groups of the preventive experiment in plasma cell infiltration score, villus length-to-crypt depth ratio, neutrophil infiltration, and percentage of destructed villus architecture, treatment with O. europaea caused a reduction in edema, eosinophil, congestion, and crypt hyperplasia score. In both experiments, no significant difference was seen between groups for villus length-to-crypt depth ratio, neutrophil infiltration, and percentage of destructed villus architecture. Plasma D-lactate concentration was decreased in all O. europaea-treated groups compared to the control group in the therapeutic and preventive experiments (p<0.01, one-way ANOVA followed by the Dunnett test). Conclusion. O. europaea extract can be used to decrease some side effects of indomethacin on intestinal tissue and enhances the gastrointestinal function. O. europaea extract could be considered as a potential herbal supplement in the treatment of intestinal morphological injuries

Focal Injection of Ethidium Bromide as a Simple Model to Study Cognitive Deficit and Its Improvement

Introduction: Memory and cognitive impairments are some of devastating outcomes of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) plaques in hippocampus, the gray matter part of the brain. The present study aimed to evaluate the intrahippocampal injection of Ethidium Bromide (EB) as a simple and focal model to assess cognition and gray matter demyelination. Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control group, which received saline, as solvent of EB, into the hippocampus and two experimental groups, which received 3 &muL of EB into the hippocampus, and then, were evaluated 7 and 28 days after EB injection (n=10 in each group), using a 5-day protocol of Morris Water Maze (MWM) task as well as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) assay. Results: Seven days after EB injection, the behavioral study revealed a significance increase in travelled distance for platform finding in the experimental group compared to the control group. In addition, the nucleus of oligodendrocyte showed the typical clumped chromatin, probably attributed to apoptosis, and the myelin sheaths of some axons were unwrapped and disintegrated. Twentyeight days after EB injection, the traveled distance and the time spent in target quadrant significantly decreased and increased, respectively in experimental groups compared to the control group. Also, TEM micrographs revealed a thin layer of remyelination around the axons in 28 days lesion group. Discussion: While intracerebral or intraventricular injection of EB is disseminated in different parts of the brain and can affect the other motor and sensory systems, this model is confined locally and facilitates behavioral study. Also, this project could show improvement of memory function subsequent to the physiological repair of the gray matter of the hippocampus