Search

The present study was conducted to determine the characterization and antibacterial activity of peppermint essential oil-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle (PEO-SLN) and its impact on the quality of trout fillet stored at 4 ± 1°C for 12 days. The SLNs were prepared through a bath sonication technique. PEO-SLNs contained 0.2% (w/v) PEO in 2% of lipid phase glycerol monostearate (GMS) and tween 80 (1% w/v) used as a surfactant in the aqueous phase. The characterization parameter of PEO-SLN was evaluated, and the antibacterial activity of PEO-SLNs was conducted under in vitro conditions. Trout samples were analyzed for inoculated Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during refrigerated storage. The mean particle size of PEO-SLNs was 154.83 ± 1.21 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.35 ± 0.01 and zeta potential was about -24.16 ± 0.51 mV. The results indicated that PEO-SLN had higher antibacterial activity than the free form of PEO and also when used in combination with gelatin coating (gel + PEO-SLN) had a significant effect on preventing microbial growth in trout fillets (p 0.05). The most decreasing rate of P. aeruginosa (1.92 log CFU/g), E. coli O157:H7 (0.71 log CFU/g), and L. monocytogenes count (1.69 log CFU/g) was seen in gel + PEO-SLN. These findings illustrated that PEO-SLNs could potentially be utilized in the food industry to increase the shelf life of fish fillets.

Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) has emerged as an important enzyme in the maintenance of genomic instability and preventing carcinogenesis. The relationship between FEN1 -69G>A (rs174538)+4150G>T (rs4246215) polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility has been reported; however, results were inconclusive. In the present study, a meta-analysis of data from eligible reports was carried out to summarize the possible relationship between FEN1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. A total of 11 articles, including 20 studies with 7366 cases and 9028 controls and 18 studies with 6649 cases and 8325 controls for FEN1 rs174538 and FEN1 rs4246215 polymorphisms, respectively, were recruited for meta-analysis. Overall, meta-analyses showed that FEN1 rs174538 and rs4246215 polymorphisms are significantly associated with the decreased risk of cancer. The stratified analysis proposed that both variants were associated with protection against gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. In conclusion, this meta-analysis revealed an association between FEN1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Additional studies in a larger study population that include subjects from a variety of ethnicities are warranted to further verify our findings.

Several lines of evidence support an association between tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) and the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P). The present study aimed to investigate the association between TPM1 polymorphisms and the risk of NSCL/P in an Iranian population. This case-control was done on 105 NSCL/P patients and 110 unrelated healthy controls. TPM1 rs11071720, rs3803499, rs12148828, and rs1972041 polymorphisms were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The finding showed that rs11071720 polymorphism significantly increased the risk of NSCL/P in homozygous codominant (odds ratio [OR] = 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-5.69, p = 0.023, TT vs. CC), recessive (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.06-5.18, p = 0.021, TT vs. CT + CC), and allele (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.02-2.30, p = 0.030, T vs. C). The rs12148828 polymorphism was associated with protection against NSCL/P in codominant (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15-0.48, p < 0.001, TC vs. TT) and allele (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.22-0.64, p < 0.001, C vs. T). Regarding rs3803499, the findings proposed that this polymorphism significantly increased the risk of NSCL/P in codominant (OR = 3.86, 95% CI = 1.19-12.56, p = 0.025, CC vs. TT) and recessive (OR = 3.74, 95% CI = 1.09-14.15, p = 0.018, CC vs. CT + TT). No significant association was practical between rs1972041 polymorphism and NSCL/P. In conclusion, the findings proposed that TPM1 polymorphisms may contribute to the etiology of NSCL/P in a sample of the Iranian population.

This study describes development of a method for spectrofluorometrical determination of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) in vitamin tablets, cactus fruits, multivitamin syrups, and human plasma after its extraction by pipette tip micro-solid phase extraction using carbon nanotube as sorbent. A response surface methodology was used for experimental design to obtain optimal response. Ten variables including pH of the sample solution, type and volume of eluent solvent, volume of sample solution, effect of ionic strength, concentration of K 3 Fe(CN) 6 (as derivatizing agent), concentration of NaOH, number of cycles of extraction and elution and amount of sorbent were regarded as factors in the optimization study by Box-Behnken design. Figures of merit were calculated as: detection limit; 0.16 μg L −1 , enrichment factor; 91, linear calibration curve in the range of 0.5-130.0 μg L −1 ; and reproducibility (as RSD %) better than 2.4%. The method was applied to the determination of different real samples successfully. © 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

BACKGROUND This study investigated the effect of chitosan coating enriched with extracted egg yolk antibodies on microbial and sensory quality of rainbow trout fillet during refrigeration (4 ± 1 °C). Firstly, bacterial antigen suspensions (total psychrophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Shewanella putrefaciens) were injected into the breast muscles of chickens. Eggs of immunized chickens were then collected to isolate immunoglobulin from egg yolks (IgY). Fresh fish fillets were coated by chitosan solution containing different types of IgY separately, at two concentrations (60 and 90 mg mL-1 ), refrigerated for 16 days and analysed for total viable count, psychrotrophic, Pseudomonas spp., P. fluorescens and S. putrefaciens count as well as sensorial properties. RESULTS The tested microbial values increased in all samples during the storage period; however, CH + IgY treated samples could significantly retard microbial growth compared to control. The shelf life of CH + IgY-P samples was extended for about 4 days, while it was extended for about 8 days in CH + IgY-S and CH + IgY-T samples, when they were compared to control (p < 0.05). Higher scores for sensory attributes were also observed in CH + IgY treated samples, especially in CH + IgY-S samples until the end of storage period. CONCLUSIONS Accordingly, use of chitosan coating containing IgY increases the microbial and sensory quality of fish flesh at 4 °C. Therefore, given the consumer interest in natural additives, chitosan coating containing IgY can be a promising candidate. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Growing evidence demonstrated the presence of an association between IL1A rs3783553 polymorphism and the risk of various cancers. We aimed to evaluate whether the 4-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs3783553) within the 3' untranslated region (3'UTRs) of IL1A was associated to the risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in a sample of Iranian population. A case-control study, including 150 prostate cancer patients and 155 healthy men, was done to examine the possible association between IL1A 4-bp ins/del polymorphism and PCa risk in a sample of southeast Iranian population. Mismatched polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was designed for genotyping the studied variant. Our findings showed that 4-bp ins/del polymorphism significantly increased the risk of PCa in codominant, recessive and allelic inheritance model. We also evaluated the association between the IL1A 4-bp ins/del polymorphism and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients, and found a significant association between 4-bp ins/del variant and stage, perineural invasion and surgical margin of tumor samples. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the ins/del variant affected the IL1A mRNA stability leading to a structural shift in IL1A mRNA and has-miR-125a-3p hybrid. In conclusion, our findings proposed an association between IL1A 4-bp ins/del polymorphism and PCa risk. Additional studies with enlarged sample size and diverse ethnicities are required to validate our finding.

Hyperlipidemia is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis; therefore, control of this risk factor is very important in preventing atherosclerosis. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seed is used traditionally as a lipid-lowering nutritional supplement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cucumber seed extract on serum lipid profile in adult patients with mild hyperlipidemia. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, hyperlipidemic patients with inclusion criteria were randomly and equally assigned to either Cucumis or placebo groups and used one medicinal or placebo capsule, respectively, once daily with food for 6 wk. Body mass index (BMI) as well as fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were measured for all patients pre- and post-intervention and finally the changes were compared between the groups. Twenty-four patients in Cucumis group and 23 patients in placebo group completed the study. Cucumis seed extract resulted in significant reduction of total cholesterol (P = 0.016), LDL-C (P < 0.001), TG (P < 0.001), and BMI (P < 0.001) as well as significant increase of HDL-C (P = 0.012) compared to placebo. In conclusion, the consumption of C. sativus seed extract with daily dose of 500 mg results in desirable effects on serum lipid profile in adult hyperlipidemic patients. Therefore, cucumber seed could be considered as a food supplement for treatment of dyslipidemia.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a key proinflammatory mediator, plays important roles in chronic diseases. In this study, an attempt was made to clarify the associations between some functional polymorphisms such as MIF-173 G/C, MIF 95 bp and 189 bp insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Polymorphisms were assessed in 221 HBV patients and 200 normal subjects. MIF-173 G/C and MIF 95 bp and 189 bp I/D polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR-RFLP and PCR, respectively. When allele and genotype frequencies of the variants were compared between patients and controls by the χ(2) test, it was found that the frequency of MIF-173 G/C genotypes differed significantly between patients with chronic HBV and healthy controls (P

Preclinical Research The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of thyroid dysfunction on markers of oxidative stress in rat pancreas. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were, respectively, induced in rats via administration of propylthiouracil (PTU) and L-thyroxine sodium salt in drinking water for 45 days. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathioen peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), xanthine oxidase (XO), and nonenzymatic markers of oxidative stress including malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and total thiols (T-SH) were determined in the rat pancreas. In hyperthyroid rats, pancreatic CAT, SOD, GPx, GR, XO, G6PD activities were increased compared with those in hypothyroid and control groups. There were no differences in activities of antioxidant enzymes between hypothyroid and control rats. Pancreatic MDA and PC in hyperthyroid rats increased compared with hypothyroid and the control animals. Whereas, hyperthyroid rats had decreased levels of tissue GSH and T-SH compared with hypothyroid and the control groups. The findings showed that only GSH level has decreased significantly in the hypothyroid group compared with control groups. In conclusion, our results showed that experimental hyperthyroidism induces oxidative stress in pancreas of rats, but hypothyroidism has no major impact on oxidative stress markers. Drug Dev Res 77 : 199-205, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In the present study Bunium persicum essential oil (BEO) was examined for its phytochemical properties, In vitro antioxidant activities, antibacterial properties against Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes and antibacterial effects of the oil on survival of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in Iranian white cheese. Results showed that Cuminaldehyde (11.4%) was the most abundant components of the oil. In vitro antibacterial analysis of the BEO indicated high sensitivity of gram-positive bacteria and relative sensitivity of gram-negative bacteria. DPPH and ABTS results revealed a notable radical scavenging ability of the BEO. The growth of inoculated E.coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes significantly decreased in experimentally manufactured white cheeses during 45-day storage time. The sensory evaluation scores showed that the samples with BEO had significantly higher color, odor, flavor, texture as well as general acceptability scores than control. Practical Application L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 are known pathogenic bacteria that can transfer through cheese. Therefore production Iranian white cheese should be free of these pathogens. Use of natural antimicrobial agents such as essential oils as preservative in dairy industries is a preferred alternative to increase safety and shelf life of the products.

Aim Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a complex disorder of pregnancy with unknown etiology. FAS-mediated apoptosis is assumed to prevent the development of PE; therefore FAS and FAS Ligand may be represented as candidate genes involved in PE pathogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the relation between FAS Ligand A-670G (rs1800682) and FAS Ligand C-844T (rs763110) gene polymorphisms with PE in southeast Iran. Methods One hundred and twenty-seven unrelated women with PE and 139 healthy control subjects were genotyped for the FAS A-670G and FAS Ligand C-844T polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results The AA, AG and GG genotype frequency of the FAS A-670G polymorphism were 21.3%, 53.5% and 25.2% in pre-eclamptic women and 46.0%, 41.5% and 11.5% in controls and were statistically different (P = 0.0001). The risk of PE was 2.7- and 4.7-fold higher in pregnant women with AG and GG genotypes respectively. Although the frequency TT genotype and T allele of FAS Ligand C-844T gene polymorphism was higher in the PE group, the differences were not significant. Conclusion FAS A-670G polymorphism is associated with a higher risk for PE. There was no association between FAS Ligand C-844T polymorphism and PE.

Fibrocytes are unique bone marrow-derived cells with great potential in wound healing. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of the applied circulating fibrocytes in the treatment of non healing diabetic foot ulcers. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by centrifugation through Ficoll–Paque method. After 3 days, the non adherent cells were removed by a single, gentle aspiration. Adherent cells were cultured in the same medium for 10 days. The cells were characterised using mouse anti-human-CD45-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and mouse anti-human–collagen I, and also characterised by immunofluorescence microscopy using the above mentioned antibodies. Sterility measures were applied for clinical evaluation. Based on the literature review, cell transplantation generally requires at least 3 × 106 cells regarding efficacy measures. As fibrocytes are non proliferating cells, 350 ml patient's blood is required to prepare patient-specific serum before cell isolation and culture, and 85 ml patient's blood is needed for cell isolation and differentiation on cell transplantation applications. In our survey, no diabetic patient was inclined to be donor of such blood volume, mainly because of their pre-assumption that they are anaemic. It is concluded that fibrocytes do not seem to be candidate cells for cell therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers because of the rarity of this cell population in circulation.

In this study we aimed to evaluate the possible association of PTPN22 rs2476601 as well as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) rs17337023 gene polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a sample of Iranian population. This case-control study was performed on 120 patients with RA and 120 healthy subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood and PTPN22 rs2476601 and EGFR rs17337023 polymorphisms were determined using tetra amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR). The results showed that PTPN22 rs2476601 CT genotype as well as rs2476601 T allele was a risk factor for susceptibility to RA (OR=5.89 95%CI = 1.78-19.48, P = 0.004 and OR = 4.78, 95%CI = 1.59-14.35, P = 0.003, respectively). We also found that EGFR rs17337023 AT and rs17337023 TT genotypes were risk factor for susceptibility to RA (OR = 9.94 95%CI = 3.65-26.73, P < 0.001 and OR = 3.66, 95%CI = 1.46-9.15, P = 0.005, respectively). In addition the EGFR rs17337023 T allele was a risk for predisposition to RA (OR = 1.56, 95%CI=1.06-2.30, P = 0.030). In conclusion, we found an association between PTPN22 rs2476601 and EGFR rs17337023 polymorphisms and the risk of RA in a sample of Iranian population.

Objectives Phosphodiesterase 9 (PDE9) is a major isoform of phosphodiesterase hydrolysing cGMP and plays a key role in proliferation of cells, their differentiation and apoptosis, via intracellular cGMP signalling. The study described here was designed to investigate expression, activity and apoptotic effect of PDE9 on human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468. Materials and methods Activity and expression of PDE9 were examined using colorimetric cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase assay and real-time RT-PCR methods respectively; cGMP concentration was also measured. MTT viability test, annexin V-FITC staining, Hoechst 33258 staining and caspase3 activity assay were used to detect apoptosis. Results Treatment of both cell lines with BAY 73-6691 lead to reduction in PDE9 mRNA expression, PDE9 cGMP-hydrolytic activity and elevation of the intracellular cGMP response. BAY 73-6691 significantly reduced cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and caused marked increase in apoptosis through caspase3 activation. Conclusion Our results revealed that BAY 73-6691 induced apoptosis in these breast cancer cell lines through the cGMP pathway. These data suggest that BAY 73-6691 could be utilized as an agent in treatment of breast cancer.

Autophagy is a very tightly regulated process that is important in many cellular processes including development, differentiation, survival and homoeostasis. The importance of this process has al ...

The aim of this study was to perform a molecular identification and design a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on a specific gene (gyrase subunit B [gyrB]) for rapid detection of Cronobacter sakazakii. In this study, from February 2017 to January 2018, 100 powdered infant formula milks (PIF1‐6) and 100 baby food items (BF1‐8) (total number = 200 samples) were purchased from different commercial brands from different pharmacies of the Mashhad city, Iran from different pharmacies of the Mashhad city, Iran. After isolation of Cronobacter, DNA extraction and PCR assay were performed to detect and confirm genus and species of isolated bacteria with 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and designed gyrB primers, respectively. The abundance of C. sakazakii in PIFs and baby foods by culture method were 5/100 (5%) and 8/100 (8%), respectively; also, the final analysis based on gyrB primer pairs in PIF and baby food showed contamination rates of 0/100 (0%) and 3/100 (3%), respectively. These findings indicated that Iranian baby foods were a real threat for children's health. It is also recommended that this designed primer could be used for detection of Cronobacter sakazakii in these products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic bacteria that is known worldwide as a foodborne pathogen especially in Infant Formula and baby foods, therefore the quality of these products has to be evaluated by a rapid, sensitive and specific method. Our findings indicated that Iranian baby foods were a threat for children's health so implementation of adequate sanitary measures to prevent Cronobacter sakazakii illness is necessary. It was also recommended that the designed primer based on gyr B gene could be used for specific detection of Cronobacter sakazakii in these products.

Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pathological skin lesions because of various exogenous and endogenous factors and associated with a number of biochemical and immunological disturbances. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine the level of adenosine deaminase activity, serum trypsin inhibitory capacity and total antioxidant capacity of plasma in psoriatic patients. Subjects and methods The study was performed in controls (n = 46) and in psoriatic patients (n = 40). The patients were scored with PASI (psoriasis area and severity index). The serum ADA activity was determined using Aguisti and Galanti method and serum trypsin inhibitory capacity (sTIC) were measured by enzymatic assay. Besides, serum total antioxidant capacity was measured using ferric reducing ability of plasma. Results The serum ADA activity of the psoriatic patients was found to be significantly higher (P