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Introduction: It has been approved that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may exhibit anti-proliferative or cytotoxic effects on several types of cancers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of a newly formulated niosome of Escitalopram oxalate on a colorectal cancer cell line. Methods: The niosomes were prepared using a thin layer hydration method, resulting in particles with a size range between 150 – 450 nm and spherical morphology. Moreover, its permeability release showed 25% in 4 hours. The cytotoxicity evaluation was performed using a quantitative colorimetric MTT assay. Results: The cell viability of colon cancer cells after treatment with niosomes and pure escitalopram reduced to 28.3 ± 0.83 % and 24.07 ± 0.56%, respectively. However, the cytotoxicity assay of escitalopram-loaded niosomes suggested that the anti-proliferative effect of the niosomal formulation of escitalopram was dose and incubation time-dependent. Conclusion: These results confirm the potential of the anti-proliferative activity of escitalopram-loaded niosomes. Further application to an in vivo model is needed to study various pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics parameters to establish its complete therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is one of the most common and chronic immune-mediated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract that affects the small intestine. Genetic factors, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA), and non-HLA genes are major risk factors in CD pathology. Moreover, environmental factors such as infections may affect CD incidence. Materials and Methods: The goal of the present study is to investigate the association between CD and viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. Databases including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched for relevant literature until 2022. Results: Several infections have been reported to be associated with CD including reovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis B virus, influenza virus, helicobacter pylori, campylobacter jejuni, giardia lamblia, toxoplasma gondii, candida albicans, etc. Conclusion: Moreover, antibiotic administration might be a risk factor for further CD development. On the other hand, there are reports regarding the susceptibility of patients with CD to some infections, as well as protective infections against CD. Consequently, more studies are required to explain the two-sided relations between CD and infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most challenges in electronic learning (e-learning) is practical lab courses. The widespread use of smart phone devices, as well as the access to internet networks, have made augmented reality (AR) increasingly popular in educational systems in recent years. Objective: This study investigated the effect of using augmented reality on the learning and lab-skills of pharmacy students. Material and Methods: The traditional booklet of the course was revised and the experiments videos were added to the booklet using AR technology. Around 80 students were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups with almost equal numbers. Learning and practical skills of the students was assessed. Results: The mean of scores, from 3 points, in pre-test of control and intervention groups were 2.3 and 2.56, respectively, and in post-test were 1.97 and 1.73, respectively. The mean score of lab skills for control and intervention groups were 4 and 4.6 from 5 points, respectively. There was no significant difference between two groups on the pre- and post-test, and fairly in lab skills. However, a significant decrease in the port-test compared to pre-test was seen in intervention group. Moreover, several features of lab skills were improved significantly in intervention group. It seems that students' cooperation in the project implementation was not acceptable. In general, the use of the simplest form of augmented reality technology was able to create an acceptable satisfaction in pharmacy students. Conclusion: This type of AR-based booklets can be considered as promising educational strategy for medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a single-chain polypeptide with various physiological functions. Escherichia coli is one of the most desirable hosts for recombinant protein production, especially for human proteins whose post-translation modifications are not essential for their bioactivity, such as hIGF-1., Objectives: In this study, bacterial thioredoxin (Trx) was studied as a fused and non-fused protein to convert the insoluble form of recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1) to its soluble form in E. coli., Methods: The rhIGF-1 was expressed in the E. coli Origami strain in the form of fused-Trx. It was co-expressed with Trx and then purified and quantified. In the next step, the biological activity of rhIGF-1 was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) regarding the differentiation enhancement effect of IGF-1 through the osteogenic process., Results: Results showed that Trx in both the fused and non-fused forms had a positive effect on the production of the soluble form of rhIGF-1. A significant increase in ALP activity in hASCs after rhIGF-1 treatment was observed, confirming protein bioactivity., Conclusion: It was strongly suggested that the overproduction of Trx could increase the solubility of co-expressed recombinant proteins by changing the redox state in E. coli cells., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Cyanobacteria can produce compounds absorbing ultraviolet irradiation. Mycosporine like amino acids (MAAs) are some of these important metabolites, which can be potentially considered as a sunscreen agent in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Different factors have been reported that can affect the biosynthesis of MAA., Objective: In this study, the influence of different concentrations of phosphate and nitrate under different environmental conditions on MAA production by Chlorella vulgaris was investigated using an experimental design method, in order to enhance MAAs production in this specious., Materials and Methods: A 2 3 full factorial design (FFD) using Design-Expert v7.0.0 software was used to optimize simultaneously all the three factors of nitrate and phosphate concentration and condition of incubation environment on the MAA production by this species of C. vulgaris . Two milliliter of organism stock were grown in 200 mL BG11 medium and after 21 days, the biomasses of all samples were separated. Then, the MAA was extracted from dried biomass using methanol extraction. The extracts were analyzed by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). After complete analysis, four samples were then cultured at the optimized conditions and analyzed by liquid chromatohraphy coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS)., Results: The results showed that this microalga could produce compounds with λ max of 330 nm and a retention time of about 2 min. According to the central composite analysis, phosphate at 0.51 g.L -1 and nitrate at 2.5 g.L -1 can be considered as the optimum concentrations, resulting to the preferable conditions concerning the culture in germinator. Based on LC/MSS analysis, the major compound had a m/z of 332 at the optimum condition., Conclusion: Thus, this species is expected to have the capability of MAA production (maybe Shinorine) or one of its glycosylated derivatives., (Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s); Published by Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.)

Mycosporin-like amino acids (MAAs) are a group of UV-absorbing compounds, which can be produced by various organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria, particularly if they survive in highly irradiated environments. In this study, the production of MAAs by two species of Fischerlla sp. (F5 and F14), isolated from the North of Iran, was investigated. Both species, which had previously been morphologically detected as Fisherella sp., were confirmed molecularly by sequencing the PCR amplicon of the 16S rRNA gene. The species were cultured in sterilized BG.11 medium for 21 days, then biomasses were separated, and their MAAs content was extracted by methanol and partially purified using chloroform liquid-liquid extraction. The extract was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). In both species, the compounds with MAAs characteristics were observed. They had maximum absorbance (λ max ) in the range of 300-400 nm, which was confirmed by the LC-MS analysis. In F5 species, the peaks with m/z 340 and 391 and in another one (F14), a peak with m/z 333.2 were recorded, that the latter might be Shinorine. In general, further analysis should be performed to elucidate the exact structural aspects of these compounds. In conclusion, both Fischerella sp. studied here were capable of producing MAAs and can be evaluated for use in sunscreen pharmaceutical and cosmetic products., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.