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BACKGROUND: Several foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of vegetables have been reported which involved Vibrio spp. as causative agents. Conventional methods of detecting these microorganisms are time-consuming. Therefore, the development of techniques for rapid detection seems to be of paramount importance. OBJECTIVES: The present study recommends a rapid and reliable method for the detection of Vibrio cholera (V. cholera), V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. alginolyticus. Moreover, the results are compared with the conventional plate culture method. METHODS: The conventional bacteriological tests were conducted to detect Vibrio spp. in vegetables and their surrounding water. The samples were also subjected to a newly developed multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using five specific genes, including VC-Rmm of V. cholerae, VP-MmR of V. parahaemolyticus, VV-Rmm of V. vulnificus, V.al2-MmR of V. alginolyticus, and VM-F for all the four isolates. RESULTS: The presence of V. alginolyticus and V. vulnificus was confirmed by amplifying the specific regions of 412 bp for V. vulnificus and 144 bp for V. alginolyticus. The results demonstrated that V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus were not detected in multiplex PCR, which was consistent with the findings of conventional plating methods. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained results revealed that the designed multiplex PCR assay is a reliable, rapid, and cost-effective method for the simultaneous detection of Vibrio spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of organic micropollutant transfers in barrier seal materials from waste storage facilities is limited to volatile organic compounds and phenolic compounds at ambient temperature. This study focused on the sorption of chlorophenols (CPs) from various geotextiles from clay geosynthetics under the influence of temperature. Also to study the impact of the polarity or the amount of CPs adsorbed on geotextiles with the partition coefficient. The effect of various parameters such as contact time, effect of temperature, initial CPs concentration and adsorbent dosage has been carried out in this study. The result obtained is non-linear and the data was calculated for affinity with Freundlich isotherm model. An important observation is that the amount of CPs sorbed on geotextiles increases with a growing number of chlorine atoms, ie increases with the partition coefficient (log Kow). During this study, a decrease in adsorbent properties was observed with the rise in temperature from 23°C to 55°C. The partitioning coefficients for CPs examined range are from 2.4 (R² = 0.86) to 8.4 mL/g (R² = 0.90). Among the CPs studied, the highest adsorbed quantity was observed for pentachlorophenol with 0.052 g/g at 23°C, this quantity will decrease with the increase in temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sol-gel and melt-mixing processes, which are used for the synthesis of low-density polyethylene/silver/titanium dioxide nanocomposites, can inactivate pathogens. In the sol-gel method, the nanocomposites were used to treat four selected microorganisms using the disk-diffusion method. In the melt-mixing method, fish coverage films were used to examine the shelf life of fish. TiO2 along with different concentrations of Ag (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) generated the nanocomposites. The maximum inhibition zone diameters (mm) for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger in 3% Ag were measured. It was concluded that applying the LDPE/Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites produced could be beneficial for inactivation of pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scorpion envenomation is considered as one of the Public Health problems in some countries in the world including Iran. Annually, approximately 30,000 scorpion stings happen in Iran from which 12% belongs to Hemiscorpius lepturus (special small closely spaced, bead-shaped jointed tail, similar in the shape to a cows tail, and is locally called "gaodim" (Gao, cow; dim, tail)) with 95% mortality. The main treatment is antiserum therapy which is produced in horse and is the only way to neutralize the venom. Due to the anaphylactic shock of the horse antiserum in some of the stung patients other source of antiserum is recommended. In this study the ability of produced camel antiserum in neutralizing the scorpion venom of Hemiscorpius lepturus was performed in Balb/c model. Methods: Camel is an animal model that genetically is compatible with human genome utilized in this research to produce antiserum against scorpion venom. Two camels were used for immunization with the venom of Hemiscorpius lepturus. ELISA method was used to confirm the immunity. Antiserum was produced and used for neutralizing test. The precipitated antiserum with saturated ammonium sulfate (SAS) was also used to perform the neutralizing test in mice. Results: The results indicated that the amount of 200 μl of antiserum and 400 μl of SAS antiserum were able to neutralize the amount of 1 LD100 of the venom and the survived the mice from death. Conclusion: The result indicated that camel antiserum against scorpion venom is capable to neutralize the crude venom in mice model. Due to the safety of camel serum in human, it is suggested that the produced antiserum in camel can be substitute with the traditional horse antiserum in scorpion stung patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically active N-heterocycles with four-, five-, or six-membered rings can be prepared from unsaturated secondary amines, by using a one-pot hydrozirconation/iodination sequence as the key step. The presented method allows the preparation of 2-substituted pyrrolidines enantiomeric to those previously obtained from N-allyloxazolidines. The two approaches use the same reagents (allyl bromide and aldehydes) and the same ( R)-2-phenyl?glycinol as the chiral inductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Medicinal plants have long played an integral role in traditional healing systems and are crucial for meeting primary healthcare needs. This study aimed to investigate the use of medicinal plants in phytotherapy in the Ketama region of Northern Morocco. Methods. Ethnobotanical data and ancestral knowledge regarding plants were collected through a field survey conducted from August 2019 to July 2021. The data were gathered using a standardized questionnaire, as well as through semistructured interviews and focus groups. Various ethnobotanical indices were applied to analyse the information collected. Results. A comprehensive inventory identified a total of 81 plant species, belonging to 40 families and 65 genera. These species are used primarily to treat a variety of diseases. Notably, digestive disorders ranked first among the diseases treated, with an ICF value of 0.618. Rosmarinus officinalis L., Thymus serpyllum L., and Origanum compactum Benth exhibited the highest UV values among medicinal plants. Leaves were the most used part of the plant part (50.28%), and the decoction method was the most recommended preparation, with oral administration being the preferred mode of application of the remedy. Conclusion. The Ketama region boasts a rich abundance of medicinal and aromatic plants, as evident from the quantitative analysis highlighting the significant usage of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Thymus serpyllum L., and Origanum compactum Benth. by the local population. However, further research in the form of pharmacological studies is necessary to validate their therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mild steel corrosion drops with higher PSB7 & PSB8 concentrations, confirming efficacy. • Inhibitors form barrier on steel, exhibiting physisorption and chemisorption. • Efficacy weakens with rising temperature due to reduced adsorption. • Inhibitors lower anodic and cathodic corrosion, implying mixed-type inhibition. • Surface analysis validates protection, showing enhanced morphology, reduced products. Our research employs a holistic methodology to assess the efficacy of a series of phenolic Schiff bases as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in a 1 M HCl solution. Through complementary studies, we aim to unravel the corrosion inhibition mechanism by investigating neutral, protonated, and complex forms of inhibitors using advanced computational and statistical methods. This initial investigation specifically involves evaluating the effectiveness of two phenolic Schiff bases through weight loss tests (WL) and electrochemical techniques. The study focuses on the corrosion inhibitory properties of two phenolic Schiff bases, namely 4,4′-((1E,1′E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))diphenol (PSB7) and (1E,1′E)-N,N'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(1-(4-nitrophenyl)methanimine) (PSB8), on mild steel (MS). Results from weight loss and electrochemical methods indicate that inhibition efficiency improves with decreasing temperature and increasing inhibitor concentration, reaching 94 % (for PSB7) and 93 % (for PSB8) at 303 K and 1 × 10−3 M, respectively. Consequently, both PSB7 and PSB8 function effectively as inhibitors in a mixed form. The adherence of both inhibitors to the surface follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Additionally, SEM and EDS experiments provide evidence of adsorption on the surface. The findings from Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Molecular Dynamic Simulations (MDS) consistently match the actual data, maintaining the order of inhibition efficiency (PSB7 > PSB8). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the GCS adsorption model in predicting interactions between organic cations and clay particles. • The results reveal that multiple adsorption mechanisms can coexist from the outset, influenced by the chemical and geometric properties of the adsorbates. • DFT simulations detail the adsorption mechanisms and confirm that TB has a higher affinity for the negatively charged sites of Na-MMC compared to MG, validating the experimental results. This study investigates the adsorption mechanisms of organic cationic dyes, specifically malachite green (MG) and toluidine blue (TB), on sodium montmorillonite clay (Na-MMC). Using montmorillonite sourced from the Nador deposit in Northern Morocco, we aim to model cation exchange with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern (GCS) model. The adsorption capacities are found to be 192.5 meq/100 g for TB and 175.8 meq/100 g for MG at room temperature and uncontrolled pH. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was employed to determine the interlayer spacing of the montmorillonite, contributing to the understanding of adsorption mechanisms. GCS modeling provided insight into the adsorption constants for both dyes, alongside parameters related to the solid/solution interface such as the amount adsorbed per layer, ion concentration in the solution, and clay surface potential. These findings confirmed a significant affinity between the dyes and the clay, aligning with the literature. Moreover, Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations indicated a stronger affinity of toluidine blue for negatively charged surfaces compared to other dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the effects of chitosan/ corn starch (CH/ CS equal 62:38) film in combination with nettle essential oil nanoemulsions (0.41 wt% NEONEs) and starch nanocrystals (6 wt% SNCs) on the microbial and qualitative characteristics of the Eleutheronema tetradactylum fillets during refrigeration storage (4 ± 1 °C). The fillets were covered by biopolymeric films (CH/CS, CH/CS/SNCs, CH/CS/ NEONEs, CH/CS/SNCs/NEONEs). The qualitative analysis of refrigerated fillets was performed on days 1, 7, and 10. The incorporation of NEONEs and SNCs into CH/CS made an active film with antimicrobial effects. The decrease in pH (5.89 %), PV (44.72 %), FFA (10.41 %), TVB-N (35.01 %), TBA (27.07 %) and increase in moisture (5.38 %) were observed in the covered fillets by CH/CS/SNCs/NEONEs film in compared to uncovered fillets at 4 °C on day 10. The results revealed that incorporating SNCs (6 %) and NEONEs (0.41 %) into CH/CS could increase the storage time of the refrigerated fish fillets., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This study aimed to assess the impact of an edible coating holding within chia seed gum (CSG) and Rosa canina L. extract (RCE) nanoemulsions (10%, 20%, and 40% w /w) on the oxidation, microbial load, and sensory characteristics of burgers in a 90-day frozen storage period. Based on the findings, the active CSG coatings showed remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. By increasing the level of RCE nanoemulsions, the functional activity of coatings significantly increased ( P  < 0.05). Upon the termination of the storage period, the lowest microbial load (i.e., a decrease of 0.5-2 log CFU/g in the number of different bacteria compared to the control) and oxidation stability were observed in burgers coated with a CSG solution containing 40% RCE nanoemulsions. This burger also showed the highest sensory acceptance on the last day. In conclusion, it is proposed to use the active coating produced in this study to maintain meat products' quality and safety and increase their shelf-life., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. There is no conflict of interest between the authors, this research was done without any funding., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Beneficial cannabis use has sparked growing interest among researchers, leading to an increase in empirical studies exploring its phytochemistry and applications. However, understanding the overall research orientation remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of 7841 documents published from 2012 to 2022. The analysis reveals an annual growth rate of 16.83 %, with a focus on medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmaceutics, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. Performance analysis highlights metrics of sources, countries, affiliations, and authors, while science mapping identifies keywords, thematic evolution, and citation/co-authorship patterns. Notably, Morocco, despite its limited initial contributions, has shown recent steady growth in cannabis research, with an annual growth rate of 14.31 % and a 51.72 % international collaborative rate. This study provides valuable insights into established fields and potential research directions in cannabis research, paving the way for a deeper understanding among the audience. With the changing legal status of cannabis, research is rapidly expanding, focusing on the plant's bioactive compounds, pharmacological properties, and therapeutic applications. The dominant subject areas are medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmaceutics, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience, covering nearly 76 % of the studied papers. Despite limited initial contributions from African countries like Morocco due to legal restrictions, beneficial cannabis research is gaining interest. Future research should prioritize in-depth exploration of specific compounds, comparative studies of cannabis-based products, and rigorous clinical trials. Fostering international collaborations and bridging the gap between research and policymakers are crucial for harnessing the full potential of cannabis while mitigating potential risks. This study serves as a reference for researchers to identify current orientations, blind areas, and gaps in cannabis research, offering suggestions for future studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The migration of metal ions to the food matrix has been always a challenge in the production of active food packaging films. In this study, it was tried to evaluate the idea of using hairy cellulose nanocrystals (HCNs) in controlling the migration of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) from polycaprolactone (PCL)-based films to the Tilapia fish. HCNs and the final films (integrated with various amounts of HCNs and AgNPs) were evaluated physicochemically and mechanically. Tilapia fish were packed using the films and after specific periods, the fish samples were assessed microbiologically and physiochemically. According to the results, incorporating NPs into PCL films enhanced tensile strength, elasticity, and toughness making the films more resistant to breakage and deformation under stress. The introduction of HCNs reduced the surface roughness level, decreasing AgNPs migration, but also accelerated the degradation rate. Films with [1% AgNPs +2% HCNs] and [1% AgNPs] had the lowest and highest water vapor transmission rate. The use of AgNPs (1%) + HCNs (2%) incorporated into PCL films resulted in a lower pH value, TVB-N, TBARs, and PV. It also decreased microbial activities in samples in comparison to the control. Therefore, the idea of using HCNs along with antibacterial metal-based nanoparticles can control the rate of ion migration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The occurrence of aflatoxins in food products is a silent threat to human health worldwide. A range of strategies has been introduced to address the bioavailability of aflatoxins, which are considered microbial tools to provide a low-cost and promising approach., Objectives: The present study focused on the separation of yeast strains from the homemade cheese rind layer to investigate the ability of native yeasts to eliminate AB1 and AM1 from simulated gastrointestinal fluids., Material and Methods: Homemade cheese samples were prepared from different locations in Tehran provinces and yeast strains were isolated and identified through the biochemical methods and molecular analysis of internal transcribed spacer and D1/D2 domain of 26S rDNA regions. Isolated strains were screened using simulated gastrointestinal fluids, and the ability of yeast strains to absorb aflatoxin was evaluated., Results: Out of 13 strains, 7 yeast strains were not affected by 5 ppm AFM1 while 11 strains did not show any significant response to 5 mg.L -1 (ppm) of AFB1. On the other hand, 5 strains were able to successfully tolerate 20 ppm AFB1. Candidate yeasts showed different abilities to remove aflatoxins B1 and M1. In addition, C. lusitaniae , G. geotrichum , G. candidum , and C. sanyaensis exhibited a significant ability to detoxify aflatoxins from the gastrointestinal fluid, respectively., Conclusion: Our data suggest that yeast communities with essential effects on the quality of homemade cheese appear to be precise candidates for the potential elimination of aflatoxins from the gastrointestinal fluid., (Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s); Published by Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.)

Different biological methods based on bioactivity are available to detect cyanotoxins, including neurotoxicity, immunological interactions, hepatotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and enzymatic activity. The mouse bioassay is the first test employed in laboratory cultures, cell extracts, and water bloom materials to detect toxins. It is also used as a traditional method to estimate the LD50. Concerning the ease of access and low cost, it is the most common method for this purpose. In this method, a sample is injected intraperitoneally into adult mice, and accordingly, they are assayed and monitored for about 24 hours for toxic symptoms. The toxin can be detected using this method from minutes to a few hours; its type, e.g., hepatotoxin, neurotoxin, etc., can also be determined. However, this method is nonspecific, fails to detect low amounts, and cannot distinguish between homologues. Although the mouse bioassay is gradually replaced with new chemical and immunological methods, it is still the main technique to detect the bioactivity and efficacy of cyanotoxins using LD50 determined based on the survival time of animals exposed to the toxin. In addition, some countries oppose animal use in toxicity studies. However, high cost, ethical considerations, low-sensitivity, non-specificity, and prolonged processes persuade researchers to employ chemical and functional analysis techniques. The qualitative and quantitative analyses, as well as high specificity and sensitivity, are among the advantages of cytotoxicity tests to investigate cyanotoxins. The present study aimed at reviewing the results obtained from in vitro and in vivo investigations of the mouse bioassay to detect cyanotoxins, including microcystins, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxins, etc., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Glucose oxidase is an oxidoreductase that depletes oxygen in food processing and is used in biosensors, glucose diagnostic kits, food processing, cosmetics, and chemical industries. This enzyme is often isolated from fungi, such as Penicillium and Aspergillus Niger ., Objectives: The objective of this study was to clone and express a full-length GOX gene from soil thermophilic streptomyces for bioinformatic and enzyme activity evaluations., Materials and Methods: After collecting samples from the Gandom Beryan area of Kerman province, Iran, Streptomyces strains were identified with specific biochemical and molecular tests. Streptomyces strains with glucose oxidase gene were detected by PCR, and the amplified gene fragment was cloned into Escherichia coli host bacterium using TA cloning technique. The expression of the cloned GOX gene in the host bacterium was measured using real-time PCR, and the recombinant plasmids were sequenced. The enzymatic activity was measured in the extracts of E. coli cells carrying the plasmids., Results: After screening the samples, 12 strains of Streptomyces were identified, 4 of which carried the GOX gene. The GOX open reading frame, obtained by PCR, was cloned into a vector and transformed into Escherichia coli origami to generate GOX-producing bacteria. Enzyme activity was confirmed and a phylogenetic tree showed the degree of kinship between Streptomyces species and other species, including Streptomyces SP MI02-7b. The expression levels of GOX genes mRNA were found to be approximately 4-fold higher in transformed E. coli than in soil thermophilic Streptomyces (P <0.001)., Conclusion: This study showed that natural thermostable streptomyces producing glucose oxidase enzyme could be found in Iran. The enzyme gene was successfully transformed into Escherichia coli generating a recombinant host with high yield capability that can be a major step towards the production of this enzyme from indigenous strains. It should be emphasized that the GOX enzyme produced by these strains is profitable due to high production levels correlated to the optimum condition in cheap culture media, short fermentation cycles, high expression capability, and ease of growth., (Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s); Published by Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.)