Animal physiology
Habibe Zare; Naeimeh Dehghani; Hamed Daneshpazhouh
Abstract
Natural resources such as plants are a safe therapeutic option in treating cancers and reducing the side effects of current treatments. Sage is an aromatic and medicinal plant known for its antioxidant properties. It has been used as an antispasmodic, astringent, sedative, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory ...
Read More
Natural resources such as plants are a safe therapeutic option in treating cancers and reducing the side effects of current treatments. Sage is an aromatic and medicinal plant known for its antioxidant properties. It has been used as an antispasmodic, astringent, sedative, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory agent in Iranian medicine. In the present study, the anticancer effects of compounds found in sage extracts, such as cineole and camphor, were studied. For this purpose, cancer was first induced in mice by (dimethylbenzanthracene) dissolved in sunflower oil for 4 weeks. Then, different tumor cell lines were exposed to the extracts. For this purpose, the experimental group was treated with a hydroalcoholic extract of sage leaves for 4 weeks. While the control group received distilled water. Then, tissue sections were taken from the samples and the groups were statistically compared with each other. The findings indicate the therapeutic effects of sage. Sage can potentially prevent breast cancer.
Biochemistry
Somayeh Farahmand
Abstract
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic viral disease with high mortality, for which no specific and effective treatment has yet been introduced. The causative virus, classified within the Nairovirus genus and Orthonairoviridae family, encodes a polyprotein via its L segment, which includes ...
Read More
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic viral disease with high mortality, for which no specific and effective treatment has yet been introduced. The causative virus, classified within the Nairovirus genus and Orthonairoviridae family, encodes a polyprotein via its L segment, which includes the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and an N-terminal OTU protease domain. The OTU domain, through its deubiquitinase (DUB) activity, plays a role in suppressing the host immune response and, due to its relatively conserved sequence, represents a promising target for antiviral drug design. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the natural compound Phellopterin (Phe), derived from Heracleum persicum, on the OTU domain. The crystal structure of OTU (PDB ID: 3PRP) was prepared and subjected to molecular docking using AutoDock 4.0. The top-ranked complex was then analyzed via a 150-nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using GROMACS. Phellopterin showed a favorable binding affinity (ΔG = –8.1 kcal/mol) and formed stable interactions with residues such as Ala79–Leu86 near the active-site entry. Analyses including RMSD, RMSF, Rg, hydrogen bonding, and PCA confirmed the structural stability of the complex. ADMET evaluation also indicated desirable pharmacokinetic properties, oral absorption, cellular permeability, and safety. Altogether, Phellopterin may serve as a potential inhibitor of the CCHFV OTU protease and provide a foundation for the development of effective natural antiviral agents.
Microbiology
Farshid Khosravi; Maziar Jajarmi; Reza Ganbarpour; Mahboube Bagheri
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most significant global threats. The inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics in humans and animals plays a major role in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Among food-producing animal industries, aquaculture is rapidly growing and plays a substantial ...
Read More
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most significant global threats. The inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics in humans and animals plays a major role in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Among food-producing animal industries, aquaculture is rapidly growing and plays a substantial role in global animal protein supply. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential reservoir role of shrimp for antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in Kerman city, Iran. A total of 267 healthy shrimp samples were collected over six months from five retail seafood markets. E. coli isolates were identified using conventional culture methods and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. Out of the 267 shrimp samples, 177 (66.29%) were positive for E. coli. Among these isolates, the highest resistance rates were observed against florfenicol (53.7%), streptomycin (51.9%), and kanamycin (42.3%). Overall, 89.8% of the isolates (159/177) were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 28.24% (50/177) were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. Additionally, 66.7% of the isolates (118/177) exhibited a Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index greater than 0.2, suggesting a potential origin from shrimp farms with high antibiotic usage. These findings highlight the role of shrimp as a passive reservoir for MDR E. coli in the human food chain and underscore the urgent need for stricter antibiotic usage policies and monitoring programs in aquaculture.
Animal physiology
Mousa Keshavarz; Jamileh Pazooki
Abstract
Chitin is found in the exoskeleton of many invertebrates, the cell wall of most fungi and some algae which is converted into chitosan through some reactions. Chitosan is a combined polymer of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine, linked by 1 and 4 glycosidic bonds. In this article, the structural and ...
Read More
Chitin is found in the exoskeleton of many invertebrates, the cell wall of most fungi and some algae which is converted into chitosan through some reactions. Chitosan is a combined polymer of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine, linked by 1 and 4 glycosidic bonds. In this article, the structural and physicochemical characteristics of chitosan extracted from the shell wastes of of shrimp species Penaeus merguiensis and squid shells Sepia pharaonis have been compared. Samples were collected from the coast of Bandar Abbas and in order to extract chitin and chitosan, their physicochemical characteristics were measured using FTIR, XRD, and SEM methods. The molecular weight of chitosan samples obtained from the shell of Banana prawn and Pharaoh Cuttlefish was calculated as 26,000 and 14,000 kDa, respectively, and the deacetylation percentage of chitosan in P. merguiensis and S. pharaonis was calculated as 66% and 30.5%, respectively. The findings showed that micrographs of the shrimp shell are heterogeneous and non-flat and in the form of broken rod-shaped structures, and the surface morphology of chitosan prepared from Cuttlefish shell showed a smooth surface with few larger and stone-like structures on it. In recent years, the scientific community has increased its attention to chitosan products derived from marine wastes for this biopolymer, and this study indicated that, given the large volume of marine waste produced in Bandar Abbas, and taking into account environmental considerations, efforts were made to extract chitosan derivatives from marine waste.
Veterinary
Kamal Vaisi; teymour tanha; Rahman Ebne Abbasi; Rabie Rahbar; Reza Taherkhani
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of strawberry and pea straw forage on metabolic parameters, growth and performance of Simmental fattening calves. The experiment was conducted on 18 male calves with a mean body weight of 285.16±38.15 kg in a completely randomized design with ...
Read More
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of strawberry and pea straw forage on metabolic parameters, growth and performance of Simmental fattening calves. The experiment was conducted on 18 male calves with a mean body weight of 285.16±38.15 kg in a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications during a 4-month fattening period. The experimental diets included a complete feed block without agricultural waste (control), a complete feed block containing strawberry forage (diet 2) and a complete feed block containing pea straw (diet 3). There was a significant difference in the concentration of blood glucose in different experimental groups, so that the concentration of this parameter was lower in the calves receiving the block containing chickpea straw compared to the other two groups, but there was a significant difference between the calves receiving the block containing strawberry plant. There was a significant difference in blood triglyceride concentration in different experimental groups. The highest concentration of this parameter was observed in the blood of calves receiving the block containing strawberry plant and the lowest concentration was observed in the calves receiving the block containing straw and alfalfa. There was a significant difference in blood urea nitrogen concentration in different experimental groups. The lowest concentration of this parameter was observed in the blood of the calves receiving the block containing straw and alfalfa. The crude protein and crude ash of feces of calves receiving the experimental diets were statistically different, so that the crude protein of the feces of calves receiving the control diet was higher than other groups, also the amount of crude ash of the diet containing strawberry plant was higher than the control treatment, but there was a difference between the calves of the two control and treatment groups. It did not contain chickpea straw, despite the fact that the digestibility of the ration was dry 3 did not have a statistically significant difference compared to diet 1, but the percentage of dry matter in the feces of calves consuming diet 3 was higher than diet 1; A logical explanation for this difference cannot be provided. On the other hand, the organic matter and crude protein of feces of calves receiving diet 3 was lower than diet 1. The amount of dry matter in feces of calves receiving ration 3 was lower than ration 1. The average daily dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio for diet 3 were lower than the control diet. According to the obtained results, experimental groups 2 and 3 can be suggested in terms of positive effects on physiological parameters. Without reducing animal performance compared to the standard diet, he pointed out appropriate productivity and acceptable economic justification in the diet of Simmental fattening male calves with block technology. Also, these groups provide the possibility of improving the nutritional system of ruminants and reducing the cost of each kilogram of ration in line with the interests of fatteners and users.
Animal physiology
Fatemeh Yarifar; Zahra Baghaeifar; Shahriar Saeedian; Hamid Darvishnia
Abstract
The most widely used colon cancer screening test is the diagnostic test for checking the presence of blood in stool. This test is utilized to examine the occult blood sample present in the stool or the blood compounds that may arise in the event of minor bleeding within the digestive tract. In this study, ...
Read More
The most widely used colon cancer screening test is the diagnostic test for checking the presence of blood in stool. This test is utilized to examine the occult blood sample present in the stool or the blood compounds that may arise in the event of minor bleeding within the digestive tract. In this study, the serum amylase levels of OB-positive patients (with occult blood in the stool) were examined as a predictor of gastrointestinal malignancies. Ninety individuals aged 50 and over who referred to the laboratory department of Tabriz Alinasab Hospital were divided into three groups: healthy control, OB positive patients, and patients with colorectal cancer. The measurement of serum amylase was performed using the enzymatic calorimetric (photometric) method, using the Man company diagnostic kits and the BS-800M autoanalyzer. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, and the ANOVA test was used to show the relationship between variables. The healthy group did not exhibit a significantly different serum amylase level from that of OB-positive patients who didn’t exhibit colorectal cancer symptoms. The amount of serum amylase in patients with colorectal cancer increased significantly compared to the healthy group (p<0.05). In patients with colorectal cancer, a significant increase in serum amylase levels was observed compared to OB positive patients without colorectal cancer symptoms (p<0.05). It’s possible to conclude that a positive occult blood doesn’t always indicate cancer. Positive occult blood in the stool increases the risk of developing various diseases. Therefore, other patients with occult blood in the stool should be given a colonoscopy more seriously.
