Microwave treatment modify antigenicity properties of bovine milk proteins

This work is aimed to assess the effect of a microwave heating on cow’s milk protein antigenicity. The heating protocol is established on the power/time relationship. A first share of milk samples were treated at 300 and 400 watts for 10, 15 and 20 min. The second share of milk and whey samples weretreated at 500, 600 and 700 watts for 10 min. The antigenicity of proteins is evaluated by a study of milk sample reactivity towards the IgG anti--Lg (obtained from immunized rabbits) using ELISA method. Microwave treatment of whole milk cause significant decrease of whey proteins concentration thansamples of fresh whey treated. Electrophoresis analysis reveals that whole milk treated by microwave induces more changes in whey proteins composition. Microwave heating of entire cow’s milk seems to diminish its whey proteins reactivity towards the specific antibodies (IgG)

Catecholase catalytic properties of copper (II) complexes prepared in-situ with heterocyclic ligands: Experimental and DFT study

  The objective of our work is the preparation of the new catalysts for catecholase, whose principle is based on the catechol oxidation reaction which presents a major challenge in both biology and medicine.First, we synthesized nine pyrazole and triazole ligands, then we evaluated the catalytic properties of certain of those ligands in situ complexes to catalyze the oxidation reaction of catechol to o-quinone. The aim of this study is to find the right models to reproduce the catalytic activity of the enzyme (catecholase), so we used complexes formed in situ by pyrazole and triazole derivatives with copper (II) salts. The reason behind the interest of these complexes is their resemblance to biological systems, capability of activating the catalyst for many chemical reactions. Among these complexes, some of them showed good catalytic activity for this reaction. We have demonstrated that the nature of ligand, the concentration of ligand, the nature of the solvent and the nature of the copper (II) salt, influences the efficiency of the catecholase activity.Pyrocatechol is benzene-1,2-diol (nomenclature IUPAC), also known as catechol with formula C6H6O2 crude used in many organic syntheses. Some catecholamines have important physiological functions. The Government of Canada has determined that catechol is "toxic" as defined by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. So, to reduce the toxic effect of catechol we try to oxidize o-quinone which is less dangerous than catechol.The DFT study has big interest in many researches to know the reactivity of the ligands by calculating different quantum descriptors as: EHOMO, ELUMO, The gap energy, Ionisation potential, The electron affinity and The hardness. 

New N-Alkylated Heterocyclic Compounds as Prospective NDM1 Inhibitors : Investigation of In Vitro and In Silico Properties

A new family of pyrazole-based compounds (1-15) was synthesized and characterized using different physicochemical analyses, such as FTIR, UV-Visible, H-1, C-13 NMR, and ESI/LC-MS. The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities against several fungal and bacterial strains. The results indicate that some compounds showed excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, C. freundii, and L. monocytogenes strains. In contrast, none of the compounds had antifungal activity. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) map analyses and inductive and mesomeric effect studies were performed to study the relationship between the chemical structure of our compounds and the biological activity. In addition, molecular docking and virtual screening studies were carried out to rationalize the antibacterial findings to characterize the modes of binding of the most active compounds to the active pockets of NDM1 proteins.Peer reviewe

The inoculation with Ensifer meliloti sv. rigiduloides improves considerably the growth of Robinia pseudoacacia under lead-stress

Aims: In Morocco, the Zaida abandoned mine is a major source of metallic trace elements that are harmful to the environment and human health. With the aim to use the heavy metal tolerant legume tree Robinia pseudoacacia in the phytostabilization of this mine’s tailings, we isolated and characterized its indigenous microsymbionts, and tested their effects on the plant growth under high Pb-acetate concentrations. Methods: Thus, 27 bacteria were isolated from nodules of the plant grown in the Zaida abandoned mine tailings, and we examined their tolerance to high concentrations of Pb-acetate in-vitro. Four strains were then selected for symbiotic, molecular, and phenotypic analyses, and we analyzed the effect of inoculation on the plant growth parameters under increasing Pb-acetate concentrations (in-vivo). Results: The isolated strains tolerate high lead concentrations. The Phylogenetic analyses of 16 S rRNA, five housekeeping genes (MLSA), and three symbiotic genes showed the affiliation of the strains with Ensifer meliloti sv. rigiduloides and E. kummerowiae sv. meliloti. Representative strains of both symbiovars tolerate 1100 µg ml Pb-acetate in-vitro and nodulate R. pseudoacacia even under 1200 µg ml of Pb-acetate. In all tests, the plant proline content increased as a response mechanism to increasing concentrations of Pb-acetate. Inoculation experiments under high concentrations of Pb-acetate showed that both strains improved the plant growth parameters and chlorophyll content compared to controls. Conclusion: Our results show that E. meliloti sv. rigiduloides strain RPZ12 improves plant growth under Pb stress conditions more than E. kummerowiae sv. meliloti strain RPZ17. Strain RPZ12 would be an excellent inoculum to use for the phytostabilization of Zaida mine tailings. This is the first description of symbiovar meliloti in E. kummerowiae.The authors want to thank all the persons who contributed to the achievement of this work. This work was supported by the Moroccan ministry of higher education. Dr Alami received a grant from the ministr

Plant growth promoting activities of Pseudomonas sp. and Enterobacter sp. isolated from the rhizosphere of Vachellia gummifera in Morocco

The Moroccan endemic Vachellia gummifera grows wild under extreme desert conditions. This plant could be used as an alternative fodder for goats, and camels, in order to protect the Argan forests against overgrazing in Central and Southwestern Moroccan semiarid areas. With the aim to improve the V. gummifera population's density in semiarid areas, we proposed its inoculation with performing plant growth-promoting bacteria. Hence, 500 bacteria were isolated from the plant rhizosphere. From these, 291 isolates were retained for plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities assessment. A total of 44 isolates showed the best phosphates solubilization potential, as well as siderophore and auxin production. The combination of REP-PCR (repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction) fingerprinting, PGP activities, and phenotypic properties, allowed the selection of three strains for the inoculation experiments. The three selected strains' 16S rRNA sequencing showed that they are members of the Enterobacter and Pseudomonas genera. The inoculation with three strains had diverse effects on V. gummifera growth parameters. All single and combined inoculations improved the plant shoot weight by more than 200%, and the root length by up to 139%, while some combinations further improved protein and chlorophyll content, thereby improving the plant's forage value. The three selected strains constitute an effective inoculum for use in the arid and semiarid zones of southern Morocco.The authors want to thank all the persons who contributed to the achievement of this work. This work was funded by the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology (AH2ST), in Morocco. B.M. received a grant from the AH2ST. She received also the excellency fellowship Khadija Baddouri in life sciences, from the Horizons foundation, Franc

Different species of Bradyrhizobium from symbiovars genistearum and retamae nodulate the endemic Retama dasycarpa in the High Atlas Mountains

Retama dasycarpa is an endemic Retama species native to the cold semi-arid bioclimates of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. In this work, we analyzed the diversity of the microsymbionts nodulating this plant and their different phenotypic and symbiotic characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the tested isolates clustered in the Bradyrhizobium genus. Multilocus sequence analyses of four housekeeping genes (recA, gyrB, glnII and atpD) for 12 selected strains grouped them into four clusters close to B. lupini USDA 3051, B. frederickii CNPSo 3446, B. valentinum LmjM3 and B. retamae Ro19. The individual phylogenies of these core genes and the symbiotic genes nodC, nodA and nifH were congruent. These isolates showed a broad host range, being able to nodulate different legume hosts, such as R. sphaerocarpa, R. monosperma, Lupinus luteus, Cytisus grandiflorus and Chamaecytisus albidus, but not Phaseolus vulgaris or Glycine max. They all had a similar metabolic capacity, using the majority of the carbohydrates and amino acids tested as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen. Furthermore, out of the 12 selected strains, some displayed plant growth-promoting features, with six of them solubilizing phosphate and three of them producing siderophores. The present work provides, for the first time, a detailed description about the microsymbionts associated with the endemic legume R. dasycarpa.This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Innovation. Dr Mouad Lamrabet was granted a fellowship from the PPR2-BIOMIVER project. The authors want to thank all the people who contributed to this work

Different species of Bradyrhizobium from Symbiovars Genistearum and Retamae Nodulate the endemic Retama dasycarpa in the High Atlas Mountains

Resumen del poster presntado en: 15th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference (ENFC). Napóles Italia. 31 agosto - 3 septiembre (2023

Geometric least squares means ratios for the analysis of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro susceptibility to antimalarial drugs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The susceptibility of microbes such as <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>to drugs is measured in vitro as the concentration of the drug achieving 50% of maximum effect (IC₅₀); values from a population are summarized as geometric means. For antimalarial drugs, as well as for antibiotics, assessing changes in microbe susceptibility over time under drug pressure would help inform treatment policy decisions, but no standard statistical method exists as yet.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A mixed model was generated on log_e-transformed IC₅₀values and calculated geometric least squares means (GLSM) with 90% confidence intervals (CIs). In order to compare IC₅₀s between years, GLSM ratios (GLSMR) with 90%CIs were calculated and, when both limits of the 90%CIs were below or above 100%, the difference was considered statistically significant. Results were compared to those obtained from ANOVA and a generalized linear model (GLM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>GLSMRs were more conservative than ANOVA and resulted in lower levels of statistical significance. The GLSMRs approach allowed for random effect and adjustment for multiple comparisons. GLM was limited in the number of year-to-year comparisons by the need for a single reference year. The three analyses yielded generally consistent results.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A robust analytical method can palliate inherent limitations of in vitro sensitivity testing. The random effects GLSMRs with adjustment for multiple comparisons and 90%CIs require only assumptions on the mixed model to be applied. Results are easy to display graphically and to interpret. The GLMSRs should be considered as an option for monitoring changes in drug susceptibility of <it>P. falciparum </it>malaria and other microbes.</p

Modern microwave methods in solid state inorganic materials chemistry: from fundamentals to manufacturing

No abstract available

Sentinel network for monitoring in vitro susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial drugs in Colombia: a proof of concept

Drug resistance is one of the principal obstacles blocking worldwide malaria control. In Colombia, malaria remains a major public health concern and drug-resistant parasites have been reported. In vitro drug susceptibility assays are a useful tool for monitoring the emergence and spread of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. The present study was conducted as a proof of concept for an antimalarial drug resistance surveillance network based on in vitro susceptibility testing in Colombia. Sentinel laboratories were set up in three malaria endemic areas. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay-histidine rich protein 2 and schizont maturation methods were used to assess the susceptibility of fresh P. falciparum isolates to six antimalarial drugs. This study demonstrates that an antimalarial drug resistance surveillance network based on in vitro methods is feasible in the field with the participation of a research institute, local health institutions and universities. It could also serve as a model for a regional surveillance network. Preliminary susceptibility results showed widespread chloroquine resistance, which was consistent with previous reports for the Pacific region. However, high susceptibility to dihydroartemisinin and lumefantrine compounds, currently used for treatment in the country, was also reported. The implementation process identified critical points and opportunities for the improvement of network sustainability strategies.PAHO [057-1-3144141]; COLCIENCIAS [ID 2229-405-20319]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio