Author: Boonhok, Rachasak ; Chuprom, Julalak ; Rodrigues Oliveira, Sonia M ; Jimoh, Tajudeen O ; Nissapatorn, Veeranoot ; Pereira, Maria L ; Verma, Ajoy K ; Wiart, Christophe ; Rahmatullah, Mohammed ; Mitsuwan, Watcharapong ; Sangkanu, Suthinee ; Paul, Alok K ; Wilairatana, Polrat

Background and Aim: Acanthamoeba spp. are pathogenic microorganisms linked to severe infections in humans and animals, requiring a deeper understanding of their encystation process for effective diagnostics and research. This study focused on developing a novel encystment medium to induce synchronized encystation of Acanthamoeba spp. efficiently and rapidly. Materials and Methods: The study employed response surface methodology with a central composite design to optimize the encystment medium formulation. The key components included Tris-HCl, NaCl, glucose, and MgCl2. The optimized liquid medium was spray-dried to produce a dehydrated powder for practical application. The encystation efficiency of different Acanthamoeba strains was assessed using hemocytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Results: The optimized medium, comprising 3.152 g/L Tris-HCl, 5.55 g/L NaCl, 8% (w/v) glucose, and 5.0 mM MgCl2 at pH 9.0, demonstrated exceptional encystation efficiency with rates ranging from 99% to 100%. A spray-dried powdered version of this medium was equally effective, achieving a 98.77% encystation rate for A. castellanii American Type Culture Collection 50739 in glucose-free conditions. Notably, optimal glucose concentrations varied among Acanthamoeba strains, with certain strains reaching maximum encystation at 6–8% glucose. Conclusion: This study successfully developed an innovative encystment medium that promotes rapid and efficient cyst production in Acanthamoeba spp. The medium enhances laboratory research and diagnostic capabilities, paving the way for future advancements in understanding and managing Acanthamoeba infections. Keywords: Acanthamoeba, diagnostic tools, encystation, medium optimization, response surface methodology.

31 Dec 2024·Pharmaceutical Biology

Antibacterial phenolic compounds from the flowering plants of Asia and the Pacific: coming to the light

Review

Author: Rusdi, Nor Azizun ; Wiart, Christophe ; Abdullah, Nor Hayati ; Bin Break, Mohammed Khaled ; Shabaz, Muhamad ; Rahmatullah, Mohammed ; Verzosa, Ricksterlie C. ; Sulaiman, Mazdida ; Dolma, Karma G. ; Wang, Wei ; Villegas, Jhonnel ; Khoo, Teng Jin ; Ebehairy, Layane ; Lanting, Scholastica ; Nissapatorn, Veeranoot ; Dupa, Helina Jean

CONTEXTThe emergence of pan-resistant bacteria requires the development of new antibiotics and antibiotic potentiators.OBJECTIVEThis review identifies antibacterial phenolic compounds that have been identified in Asian and Pacific Angiosperms from 1945 to 2023 and analyzes their strengths and spectra of activity, distributions, molecular masses, solubilities, modes of action, structures-activities, as well as their synergistic effects with antibiotics, toxicities, and clinical potential.METHODSAll data in this review was compiled from Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and library search; other sources were excluded. We used the following combination of keywords: 'Phenolic compound', 'Plants', and 'Antibacterial'. This produced 736 results. Each result was examined and articles that did not contain information relevant to the topic or coming from non-peer-reviewed journals were excluded. Each of the remaining 467 selected articles was read critically for the information that it contained.RESULTSOut of ∼350 antibacterial phenolic compounds identified, 44 were very strongly active, mainly targeting the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, and with a molecular mass between 200 and 400 g/mol. 2-Methoxy-7-methyljuglone, [6]-gingerol, anacardic acid, baicalin, vitexin, and malabaricone A and B have the potential to be developed as antibacterial leads.CONCLUSIONSAngiosperms from Asia and the Pacific provide a rich source of natural products with the potential to be developed as leads for treating bacterial infections.

23 Dec 2024·Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Computational Approaches in Targeting Monkeypox Virus: A Focus on Phytochemical Inhibition of Profilin-like Protein A42R

Author: Haque, Mahbuba ; Shorna, Afsana Amin ; Basri, Rabeya ; Banu, Most. Arzu ; Rahman, Md. Atiqur ; Ahmed, Md. Shakil ; Rahman, Farhana ; Khan, Tania

Monkeypox, a viral infection caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV), poses a significant public health threat. To identify potential antiviral metabolites against MPXV, we focused on the monkeypox profilin-like protein, crucial for viral replication. Twenty metabolites from various classes were retrieved from PubChem for molecular dynamics simulations. The top three molecules—Melongoside N, CID-4483043, Avenacosid A, CID-267363, and Melongoside P, CID- 131750951 demonstrated the best binding affinity for Profilin-like Protein A42R (PDB-4QWO). These ligands displayed stable interactions and minimal structural fluctuations during simulations, as indicated by favorable RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, MolSA, and PSA results. The ligands maintained acceptable conformational stability with RMSD values within 1–3 Å, showing minimal structural changes. The ligands exhibited stable interactions with specific protein residues, indicating consistent and limited local alterations in the protein structure. Throughout a 250 ns simulation, the ligands maintained the protein's compactness, with average Rg values suggesting no major structural changes. Ligand complexes displayed typical van der Waals surface areas and polar interactions, supporting their stable interaction with the target protein. These ligands show promise as antiviral agents against monkeypox, with in-silico findings providing valuable insights for drug design. However, further experimental validation is crucial to advancing these ligands toward tangible antiviral therapeutics. This study contributes vital information to the computational drug discovery field, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches for effective viral infection control.

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