6,043 research outputs found

    Bioprospecting of yeasts for amylase production in solid state fermentation and evaluation of the catalytic properties of enzymatic extracts

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    Profiling microorganisms with potential for amylase production in low cost culture media has been widely recognized due to its broad applicability. The aim of this study was to select yeast strains with potential to produce amylolytic enzymes by solid state fermentation. Fifty-four (54) strains were assessed and three exhibited ability to produce amylases: Candida parapsilosis with 14.68 U/mL (146.8 U/g substrate); Rhodotorula mucilaginosa with 25.0 U/mL (250 U/g substrate), and Candida glabrata with 25.39 U/mL (253.9 U/g substrate), in solid state fermentation, for 120 h at 28°C, using wheat bran with 70% moisture. The enzymes exhibited maximum activity at a pH of 7.0 and at 60°C. Amylases demonstrated satisfactory structural stability, maintaining their catalytic activity after 1 h at 50°C. All enzymes were ethanol tolerant and retained more than 70% of their original activities in 15% ethanol solution. Corn starch was efficiently hydrolyzed by enzymes and the extracts produced by C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata exhibited dextrinizing activity, while those produced by R. mucilaginosa exhibited saccharifying activity. Key words: Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, dextrinizing and saccharifying activit

    Longitudinal association between binge eating and metabolic syndrome in adults: findings from the ELSA-Brasil cohort.

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    Objective: Individuals with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder have greater cardiovascular morbidity than the general population. Longitudinal research on the association between binge eating and metabolic syndrome is limited. We tested the longitudinal association between binge eating and metabolic syndrome and its components in a large population sample of Brazilian adults. Methods: We used data from Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil, N = 15,105). To test for the association between binge eating at baseline (2008–2010) and metabolic syndrome at follow-up (2012–2014), we used univariable and multivariable logistic regression models progressively adjusting for potential socio-demographic confounders, number of metabolic syndrome components, and body mass index (BMI) at baseline. Results: In total, 13,388 participants (54.8% female; 52.2% white) had complete data on all variables of interest. Binge eating was associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome at follow-up (odds ratio (OR):1.66, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.44, 1.75). However, the size of this association was attenuated after including number of metabolic syndrome components at baseline (OR:1.19, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.35) and was no longer present after adjusting for baseline BMI (OR:1.09, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.25). Binge eating was also associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR:1.14, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.37) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR:1.21, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.37) at the follow-up assessment after adjustment for all confounders. Conclusions: Individuals who binge eat are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome via increased BMI, and of hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension independently of BMI. If these are causal associations, effective interventions for binge eating could also have beneficial effects on metabolic health outcomes

    PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE WITH ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY ESTIMATION OF CRUDE EXTRACT, ESSENTIAL OIL AND D-LIMONENE FROM CITRUS AURANTIUM L. AGAINST EHRLICH CARCINOMA

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    Objective: Plant based drugs have been a solution in the search for more cost-effective and less harmful drugs for the treatment of neoplasia. Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) is abundant in Brazil and D-limonene, a monoterpene used in the prevention and treatment of neoplasia, was identified as a major compound in the oil of this specie. Objective of current study includes estimation of anti-tumor activity of Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) (crude extract, essential oil and D-limonene) against Ehrlich carcinoma, as well as their phytochemical evaluation (D-limonene and essential oil). Methods: There was a randomized non-clinical trial in which were used adult male mice (Balb-C). Four groups of animals were used having 6 numbers of animal in each group. All groups were inoculated with the Ehrlich tumor and then received the treatment (control, crude extract, essential oil and D-limonene) by oral route daily (28 day treatment). Essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by the means of GC (Gas Chromatography) that was attached to mass spectrometry. In last of the observations  hemogram was obtained. Results: Animals treated with the essential oil has shown no significant difference compared to the group treated with D-limonene. The group treated with crude extract had a growth inhibition close to the essential oil and D-limonene groups. Conclusion: It´s concluded that the essential oil and the crude extract of Citrus aurantium, L. (Rutaceae) can become therapeutic agents because of their anti-tumor activity with no toxicity to the blood cells and have low cost of production. Further studies are necessary, so they can be used in the treatment of neoplasia in humans. The chromatographic and spectrometric analyzes indicated the presence of other components in smaller amounts in the essential oil, which suggests that they could have a synergic activity to the D-limonene.                           Peer Review History: Received 2 June 2020; Revised 25 June; Accepted 4 July, Available online 15 July 2020 Academic Editor: Dr. Muhammad Zahid Iqbal, AIMST University, Malaysia, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:                Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 8.0/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Makassar, Indonesia, [email protected] Dr. Mohamed Said Fathy Al-Refaey, University of Sadat City, Menofia, Egypt, [email protected]  Similar Articles: CYTOTOXIC EFFECT AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF PETROLEUM ETHER EXTRACT OF TILIA CORDATA MIL

    Establishing comprehensive oral assessments for children with safeguarding concerns.

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    The dental profession is well placed to contribute important information in child protection cases but no previous research has been reported that assesses the volume or impact of this information. Comprehensive oral assessment clinics were introduced and established as an integral part of comprehensive medical assessments for children with welfare concerns in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. An assessment protocol and standardised paperwork for comprehensive oral assessments were developed to enhance information sharing and patient access to appropriate care. Two cases are presented and discussed to demonstrate the value of dental input

    Discovery and Validation of a New Class of Small Molecule Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Inhibitors

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    Many inflammatory diseases may be linked to pathologically elevated signaling via the receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). There has thus been great interest in the discovery of TLR4 inhibitors as potential anti-inflammatory agents. Recently, the structure of TLR4 bound to the inhibitor E5564 was solved, raising the possibility that novel TLR4 inhibitors that target the E5564-binding domain could be designed. We utilized a similarity search algorithm in conjunction with a limited screening approach of small molecule libraries to identify compounds that bind to the E5564 site and inhibit TLR4. Our lead compound, C34, is a 2-acetamidopyranoside (MW 389) with the formula C17H27NO9, which inhibited TLR4 in enterocytes and macrophages in vitro, and reduced systemic inflammation in mouse models of endotoxemia and necrotizing enterocolitis. Molecular docking of C34 to the hydrophobic internal pocket of the TLR4 co-receptor MD-2 demonstrated a tight fit, embedding the pyran ring deep inside the pocket. Strikingly, C34 inhibited LPS signaling ex-vivo in human ileum that was resected from infants with necrotizing enterocolitis. These findings identify C34 and the β-anomeric cyclohexyl analog C35 as novel leads for small molecule TLR4 inhibitors that have potential therapeutic benefit for TLR4-mediated inflammatory diseases. © 2013 Neal et al

    Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

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    Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets
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