Current Biotechnology - Volume 12, Issue 3, 2023

Background: Exploration into the development of cost-effective and eco-friendly adsorbents for the removal of fluoride continues to be unabated. The modification of chitosan through the development of composites and derivatives has shown great promise over the past decade. These modifications aim to overcome the limitation of chitosan, such as separability and adsorption capacity.Objectives: The objective of this study is to review various modifications to chitosan for defluoridation, the resulting adsorption capacities, operational parameters that appreciably influence the fullscale application of adsorption systems and, where reported, the mechanisms that influenced the adsorption process.Results and Discussion: Among the adsorbents reviewed, most of the processes were best modelled by the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second order model. Chitosan composites were able to achieve significantly higher F- adsorption capacities and compared well to other adsorbents in the literature. Gamma degraded chitosan-Fe(III) beads, 10%-Lanthanum-incorporated chitosan beads and neodymium-modified chitosan were found to easily achieve the WHO drinking water limit of 1.5 mg/L. In all instances, the reactions were spontaneous and endothermic. Fluoride adsorption was shown to increase from the acidic region to near neutral pH followed by a decrease into the alkaline range.Conclusion: The presence of competing ions is a major operational parameter for full-scale adsorption applications. The presence of carbonate and bicarbonate ions has been a consistent hindrance in reported studies. Thus, future investigations are warranted in this area.

Laccases are proteins with multiple copper atoms that utilize molecular oxygen to catalyze the oxidation of organic compounds by a radical-catalyzed mechanism. They are the main focus of researchers due to their varied applications, for example, waste detoxification, textile transformation, and biosensor applications. Laccases help in the degradation of xenobiotics, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and chlorinated phenolics. They are used to bleach textiles and decolorize dyes. They also play a bioremediatory role in the pulp and paper industry for the detoxification of effluent.Moreover, laccases help in the removal of detrimental micropollutants, such as nonylphenol and bisphenol A. They also degrade wastewater contaminants, such as 2-hydroxybiphenyl, naproxen, and diethyl phthalate. The remarkable biocatalytic attributes of laccases, coupled with their wide range of applications, make them a promising solution for the treatment of pollutants and contaminants.

Background: The control of the Covid-19 epidemic depends on designing a novel, effective vaccine against it. Currently, available vaccines cannot provide complete protection against various mutants of Covid-19.Objective: The present investigation aimed to design a new multi-epitope vaccine by using in silico tools.Methods: In the present study, the spike-glycoprotein was targeted, desirably stimulating both B and T-cell lymphocytes, providing effective and safe responses in the host immune system. The desired vaccine has been found to possess 448 amino acids of spike glycoprotein. The prognosticated epitopes included 10 CTL, 4 linear B-cells, and 14 HTL, including the 128 amino acid sequence of 50S ribosomal protein adjuvant joined by GPGPG and AAY linkers on the N terminus of linear Bcell, HTL, and CTL epitopes, and the C-terminal joined with HHHHHH (6HIS) linker, indicating stability for vaccine structure.Results: The molecular docking has revealed the protein-protein restricting communication between the immunization construct and the TLR-3-resistant receptor. The vaccine has been developed through selected epitopes, an adjuvant, and an additional epitope. Docking assays with toll-like receptor 3 have been run on a three-dimensional structural model of the vaccine to gauge its immunological potency. Our findings support the hypothesis that our vaccination will activate TLRmediated downstream immune pathways by aggressively interacting with the innate receptor.Conclusion: The results suggest that the proposed chimeric peptide could initiate an efficient and safe immune response against Covid-19. The proposed vaccine has been proven safe in all critical parameters.

Introduction: The paper presents the results of experiments on the purification of air contaminated with S. aureus, as well as the destruction of yeast under the action of cold nonequilibrium plasma of a nanosecond streamer corona discharge.Methods: It is shown that plasma is an effective means for destroying both bacteria in the air and biological objects on the surface. The main parameters of the nanosecond streamer corona discharge and their relationship with the operating time of the active plasma components were determined. It was experimentally established that the inactivation time of 80% of S. aureus bacteria with a concentration of 2.110⁴ KOE m^-3 was 0.4 s with a specific energy of 28 Jl^-1.Results: The results of measurements of the dependence of the yeast destruction degree on the yeast size, the time of direct exposure to the nanosecond streamer corona discharge, active elements of cold nonequilibrium plasma, and third-party ultraviolet radiation are presented.Conclusion: A comparison of the results of air disinfection experiments with data on yeast destruction shows that the latter can be used for rapid analysis of the effects of low-temperature plasma on other biological objects.

Background: Vitamin K (VK) deficiency occurs when the body does not have enough vitamin K to produce proteins that are essential for blood clotting and bone health. Vitamin K is a cofactor that plays a major role in various comorbidities. Over the years, efforts have been made to identify the interaction between natural compounds, such as K vitamers, that could play a significant role in regulation of the blood coagulation. We intended to obtain insights into the potential therapeutic implications of phytochemicals for treating VK deficiency-related diseases by investigating the interactions between phytochemicals and VK-deficient genes.s.Methods: On active phytochemical docking complexes with VK-deficient genes, there is no specific information available as of yet. In this computationally aided docking study, we were interested in finding the pathogenic blood coagulation-related genes that are linked to VK deficiency. Based on literature reviews and databases, bioactive phytochemicals and other ligands were considered. To provide precise predictions of ligand-protein interactions, docking parameters and scoring algorithms were thoroughly optimized. We have performed molecular docking studies and observed the way the complexes interact.Results: Specific binding interactions between active phytochemicals and VK pathogenic mutations have been identified by the docking study. Hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions, and hydrophobic contacts, which are indications of high binding affinities, have been observed in the ligand-protein complexes. Few phytochemicals have demonstrated the ability to interact with the targets of VK-deficient genes, indicating their capacity to modify pathways relevant to VK deficiency. The results of the docking study have explained the three pathogenic genes, viz. VWF, F8, and CFTR, wherein VWF and F8 play important roles in blood coagulation and people with cystic fibrosis, to have a deficiency in vitamin K. Thirty-five compounds from different plant and natural sources were screened through molecular docking, out of which two compounds have been considered as controls, including curcumin and warfarin (R-warfarin and S-warfarin), which are the most common anticoagulants readily available in the market. They act by inhibiting vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR), which is needed for the gamma-carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent factors.Conclusion: A focus on other compounds, like theaflavin, ellagic acid, myricetin, and catechin was also made in this study as they show more binding affinity with the three pathogenic proteins. Based on the results, the complexes have been found to possess great potential and thus may be considered for further interaction studies. The potential for active phytochemicals to generate docking complexes with VK-deficient genes is highlighted in this computational analysis. Health disorders related to VK insufficiency may be significantly impacted by these interactions. To validate the expected interactions and determine the therapeutic potential of the identified phytochemicals, more experimental research, including in vitro and in vivo experiments, is needed.

Background: Comparative functional genomics will aid in the molecular identification of diverse dog breeds.Methods: The current proposal aimed at conducting a differential study between the genomes of exotic canines (Labrador, Basenji, Tasha-Boxer breed, Mischka breed German Shepherd, Zoey breed Great Dane) and indigenous (Gaddi) breeds through whole genome annotation.Results: The prediction analysis by GeneMark tool yielded an average of 46484 transcripts, in Gaddi dogs and exotic breeds ranging from 29669 to 30956. A total of 57 miRNAs were discovered in exotic breeds and 22 miRNAs in Gaddi dogs, 18 are common in both, while 4 were unique to Gaddi dogs. lncRNA was predicted using the PLEK, CPAT, and LGC tools, resulting in 3201, 396, and 4188 noncoding sequences in exotic breeds, respectively. Approximately, 31 thousand lncRNA transcripts were identified in the Gaddi dog genome. Microsatellites were found to be distributed through approximately 0.3% of both genomes. The average island length of CpG ranged between 24246.48 to 28080.66 in exotic breeds at chromosome level assembly and 697.15 in indigenous Gaddi dogs at contig level assembly. The predicted protein-coding genes were subjected to pathway analysis by DAVID and PANTHER. Five genes that are expressed in the blood (INSL3, CLDN3, MYH1, CLN5, and GALC) were selected for validation through qPCR. The results indicated that the genes were expressed in both groups.Conclusion: The study is the maiden report on the comparative genome analysis between indigenous Gaddi dogs and exotic dog breeds. The findings set the stage for further research into the known and novel genes, which might be employed as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and to investigate their regulatory role.

Introduction: To develop the efficient protocol for multiple shoot regeneration of A.esculentus by apical root culture method. Abelmoschus esculentus L., commonly known as okra, is a member of the Malvaceae family, which is widely consumed due to its high nutrient content and potential therapeutic properties. Okra contains various bioactive compounds that exhibit antibacterial properties and may be useful in treating type-2 diabetes, digestive diseases, and liver detoxification. To select the plant for the present and prepare the efficient protocol for the development of multiple shoot regeneration culture method. Methods: In this study, we developed an efficient protocol for multiple shoot regeneration of A. esculentus using the apical shoot culture method. Mature shoot apex explants of the germinated A. esculentus genotype CoBhH1 were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of cytokinins (BAP and TDZ) and auxins (IAA and NAA) to determine the optimal conditions for shoot induction. Results: The highest number of multiple shoots (27.04 shoots) was obtained with 0.8 mg/L TDZ. Excised shoots were cultured on MS medium supplemented with GA3, which induced elongation of the shoots to a maximum of 8-10 cm. Regenerated plantlets were successfully transferred to soil, with a 100% survival rate and no differences in morphology or growth characteristics compared to control plants. Rooting was achieved with 1 mg/L IBA. Conclusion: This study provides an efficient protocol for multiple shoot regeneration of A. esculentus through apical shoot culture, which has potential applications in plant breeding and genetic engineering.