Recent Patents on Biotechnology - Volume 16, Issue 4, 2022

Consideration and improvement for anxiety and depression are important during a global pandemic. Appropriate healthcare can be obtained by paying more attention to traditional medicinal sciences. The adverse effects of stress with various symptoms can be managed by introducing plants that boost mental health. The most relevant psychological reactions in the general population related to the global pandemic are pervasive anxiety, frustration and boredom, specific and uncontrolled fear, disabling loneliness, significant lifestyle changes, and psychiatric conditions. Ginseng, chamomile, passionflower, herbal tea, lavender, saffron, kava, rose, cardamom, Chinese date, and some chief formula like yokukansan, Dan-zhi-xiao-yao-san, so-ochim-tang-gamiband, and saikokaryukotsuboreito are notable herbal treatments for mental health problems. The most common medicinal plants that have been used in Iran for the cure of stress and anxiety are Viper’s-buglosses, Dracocephalum, valerian, chamomile, common hop, hawthorns, and lavender. Medicinal plants and herbs can be used for the treatment and alleviation of the negative effects of stress, anger, and depression during the global pandemic.

Background: Orchids are widely used in floriculture as attractive cut flowers all over the world. The current paper reviews factors affecting the in vitro flowering in orchid species. Methods: The phenomenon of in vitro flowering is advantageous as it shortens the breeding cycle, which is prolonged in the in vivo grown orchid species of commercial value. Certain genetic and biochemical mechanisms are involved at the time of onset of flowering in orchid plants. In the present endeavour, efforts have been made to initiate in vitro flowering in terrestrial and epiphytic orchid species. Various phenomenon involved during transition of vegetative shoot apex into floral axis is also reviewed. Results: In vitro flowering was induced in Dendrobium nobile and Zeuxine strateumatica in Mitra medium supplemented with BAP at 0.5 in mgl^-1. Conclusion: In vitro flowering can be initiated by manipulating physical and chemical stimulus in the nutrient regime. The study would be helpful in better understanding the complex process of flowering in vitro as well as ex vitro.

Biostimulants which contain substances or products, including natural compounds, special formulations and microorganisms have gained considerable attention as sustainable methods for heavy metal detoxification, stimulating natural toxins, controlling diseases and pests, and increasing both water and nutrient efficiency. Biostimulants are important products in modern agriculture, which are composed of different heterogeneous classes of compounds with a broad spectrum of action to increase both qualitative and quantitative productions. Amino acids can be useful in stress defense, photosynthesis, for increasing nutrient uptake, pollination and fruit formation, and as precursors to hormones and growth parameters. Amino acids are considered as precursors and constituents of proteins, which are well-known for the stimulation of cell growth. Because they are the basic building blocks of proteins, amino acids are very important in plant growth, development and metabolite synthesis. One of the diverse, notable and large group of secondary metabolites is phenolic compounds, which have important function in regulation of the plants’ physiological activities, oxidation-reduction processes, and photosynthesis. Protein hydrolysates contain amino acids and peptides, one of the most important kinds of biostimulants. Protein hydrolysates have a notable capability to increase crop performance, particularly under environmental stress conditions. This review article is aimed to introduce and find more about the roles of different types of biostimulants in plant growth and final yield production, leading to sustainable agriculture.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic pathogen that results in nosocomial infections in immunocompromised individuals. These bacteria colonize on the surface of medical devices and therapeutic equipment like urinary catheters, endoscopes, and ventilators, causing respiratory and urinary tract infections. The low outer membrane permeability of multidrug-resistance efflux systems and the two chromosomally encoded β- lactamases present in S. maltophilia are challenging for arsenal control. The cell-associated and extracellular virulence factors in S. maltophilia are involved in colonization and biofilm formation on the host surfaces. The spread of antibiotic-resistant genes in the pathogenic S. maltophilia attributes to bacterial resistance against a wide range of antibiotics, including penicillin, quinolones, and carbapenems. So far, tetracycline derivatives, fluoroquinolones, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) are considered promising antibiotics against S. maltophilia. Due to the adaptive nature of the intrinsically resistant mechanism towards the number of antibiotics and its ability to acquire new resistance via mutation and horizontal gene transfer, it is quite tricky for medicinal contribution against S. maltophilia. The current review summarizes the literary data on pathogenicity, quorum sensing, biofilm formation, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance of S. maltophilia.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment, tau protein deposits, and amyloid beta plaques. AD impacted 44 million people in 2016, and it is estimated to affect 100 million people by 2050. AD is disregarded as a pandemic compared with other diseases. To date, there is no effective treatment or diagnosis. Objective: We aimed to discuss the current tools used to diagnose COVID-19, point out their potential to be adapted for AD diagnosis, and review the landscape of existing patents in the AD field and future perspectives for AD diagnosis. Methods: We carried out a scientific screening following a research strategy in PubMed; Web of Science; the Derwent Innovation Index; the KCI-Korean Journal Database; Sci- ELO; the Russian Science Citation index; and the CDerwent, EDerwent, and MDerwent index databases. Results: A total of 326 from 6,446 articles about AD and 376 from 4,595 articles about COVID-19 were analyzed. Of these, AD patents were focused on biomarkers and neuroimaging with no accurate, validated diagnostic methods, and only 7% of kit development patents were found. In comparison, COVID-19 patents were 60% about kit development for diagnosis; they are highly accurate and are now commercialized. Conclusion: AD is still neglected and not recognized as a pandemic that affects the people and economies of all nations. There is a gap in the development of AD diagnostic tools that could be filled if the interest and effort that has been invested in tackling the COVID-19 emergency could also be applied for innovation.