Ion-exchange chromatography: basic principles and application to the partial purification of soluble mammalian prolyl oligopeptidase

From algae to advancements: laminarin in biomedicine

Laminarin, a complicated polysaccharide originating from brown algae, has emerged as a compelling candidate in the domain of biomedical research. This enigmatic molecule, composed of glucose units associated with both β-1,3 and β-1,6 glycosidic bonds, possesses an array of remarkable characteristics that render it auspicious for multifaceted biomedical applications. This review investigates the comprehensive potential of laminarin in the biomedical domain, emphasizing its remarkable biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and cell proliferation support. Laminarin's immunomodulatory attributes position it as an encouraging contender in immunotherapy and the development of vaccines. Moreover, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics provide a promising avenue for combatting conditions associated with oxidative stress. In particular, laminarin excels as a drug delivery vehicle owing to its exceptional encapsulation capabilities emerging from its porous framework. Integrating pH and redox responsiveness in laminarin-based drug delivery systems is poised to redefine targeted therapies. Laminarin substantially contributes to tissue engineering by improving adhesion, migration of cells, and deposition of extracellular matrix. This augmentation magnifies the regenerative capability of tissue-engineered constructs, substantiated by the advancement of laminarin-based wound dressings and tissue scaffolds, marking considerable progress in the domain of wound healing and tissue regeneration. While laminarin exhibits substantial potential in biomedical applications, it remains in the initial phases of exploration. Comprehensive preclinical and clinical research is warranted to verify its effectiveness and safety across various applications. In essence, laminarin, a marine marvel, has the capability to remodel biomedical research, offering inventive solutions to complex difficulties.

Enzyme cascades for the synthesis of nucleotide sugars: Updates to recent production strategies

Nucleotide sugars play an elementary role in nature as building blocks of glycans, polysaccharides, and glycoconjugates used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries. As substrates of Leloir-glycosyltransferases, nucleotide sugars are essential for chemoenzymatic in vitro syntheses. However, high costs and the limited availability of nucleotide sugars prevent applications of biocatalytic cascades on a large industrial scale. Therefore, the focus is increasingly on nucleotide sugar synthesis strategies to make significant application processes feasible. The chemical synthesis of nucleotide sugars and their derivatives is well established, but the yields of these processes are usually low. Enzyme catalysis offers a suitable alternative here, and in the last 30 years, many synthesis routes for nucleotide sugars have been discovered and used for production. However, many of the published procedures shy away from assessing the practicability of their processes. With this review, we give an insight into the development of the (chemo)enzymatic nucleotide sugar synthesis pathways of the last years and present an assessment of critical process parameters such as total turnover number (TTN), space-time yield (STY), and enzyme loading.

Therapeutic Effect of Novel Cyanopyrrolidine-Based Prolyl Oligopeptidase Inhibitors in Rat Models of Amnesia

Prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is a large cytosolic serine peptidase that is altered in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinsonian syndrome, muscular dystrophies, and other denervating diseases. Thus, POP may represent a relevant therapeutic target for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report the characterization of five novel cyanopyrrolidine-based compounds (BocTrpPrdN, BocGlyPrdN, CbzMetPrdN, CbzGlnPrdN, and CbzAlaPrdN) and show that they are potent inhibitors of POP and are predicted to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Indeed, we show that CbzMetPrdN penetrates the rat BBB and effectively inhibits POP in the brain when administered intraperitoneally. Furthermore, molecular modeling confirmed these compounds likely inhibit POP via interaction with the POP catalytic site. We evaluated protective effects of the cyanopyrrolidine-based POP inhibitors using scopolamine- and maximal electroshock-induced models of amnesia in rats and showed that BocTrpPrdN, BocGlyPrdN, CbzMetPrdN, and CbzGlnPrdN significantly prolonged conditioned passive avoidance reflex (CPAR) retention time when administered intraperitoneally (1 and 2 mg/kg) before evaluation in both models of amnesia, although CbzAlaPrdN was not effective in scopolamine-induced amnesia. Our data support previous reports on the antiamnesic effects of prolinal-based POP inhibitors and indicate an important role of POP in the regulation of learning and memory processes in the CNS.

Potential antibiotic-producing fungal strains isolated from pharmaceutical waste sludge

Background

Antibiotic resistance and dearth of novel compounds from natural sources warrants the need to search other environments for potential antibiotic-producing microbial species. The study investigated isolation and identification of antibiotic-producing fungi from pharmaceutical waste sludge.

Results

Seven hundred and ninety-seven isolates obtained from sludge of seven pharmaceutical industries in Sango Ota, Ogun State using several growth media, with mould isolates highest (696). Isolated species were from genera Aspergillus (28.55%), Penicillium (18.35%), Trichoderma (13.44%), Rhizopus (10.21%) and Geotrichum (4.01%), and Stachybotrys (0.13%). The CFS of strains named Geotrichum candidum OMON-1, Talaromyces pinophilus OKHAIN-12, and Penicillium citrinum PETER-OOA1 had high reproducible bioactivity against Staphylococcus aureus (32 ± 0.12 mm) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (29 ± 0.12 mm) while P. citrinum MASTER-RAA2 had activity against K. pneumoniae only. Active metabolites were successfully extracted using Diaion HP-20 and methanol:iso-propanol:acetone (6:3:1 v/v). Antibacterial-active fractions of fungal extract successfully eluted with 40–60% NaCl on ion-exchange chromatography using a cation column.

Conclusions

The study successfully screened antibiotic-producing fungal species from pharmaceutical waste storage facilities. Study also showed that similar species from same toxic environment could potentially produce different metabolites.

Two purified proteins from royal jelly with in vitro dual anti-hepatic damage potency: Major royal jelly protein 2 and its novel isoform X1

Liver diseases are serious life-threating conditions that should be controlled. Here, we identify a protein fraction from royal-jelly (RJ) that represents the most effective composite against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity and HepG2 cell growth. Two closely related proteins were purified from this fraction by a new simple method and identified by MALDI-TOF MS as major RJ protein 2 (MRJP2) and its predicted isoform X1. The in silico assessment (3D structures and functions) of these proteins were performed using Iterative Threading ASSEmbly Refinement (I-TASSER) analysis and RAMPAGE program. These two purified proteins were able to relieve the necrotic hepatocytes (by 60.4%) via reducing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) and intracellular reactive species. The latter effects associated with improving hepatocyte functions. Furthermore, they revealed the potent anticancer effect via induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis and controlling the expression of both Bcl-2 and p53 in HepG2 cells. Thus, MRJP2 and its isoform X1 can be a promising dual strategy for fighting hepatic injury and cancer in future animal and human studies.

Biocontrol of Orchid-pathogenic Mold, Phytophthora palmivora, by Antifungal Proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa RS1

Black rot disease in orchids is caused by the water mold Phytophthora palmivora. To gain better biocontrol performance, several factors affecting growth and antifungal substance production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa RS1 were verified. These factors include type and pH of media, temperature, and time for antifungal production. The results showed that the best conditions for P. aeruginosa RS1 to produce the active compounds was cultivating the bacteria in Luria-Bertani medium at pH 7.0 for 21 h at 37 °C. The culture filtrate was subjected to stepwise ammonium sulfate precipitation. The precipitated proteins from the 40% to 80% fraction showed antifungal activity and were further purified by column chromatography. The eluted proteins from fractions 9-10 and 33-34 had the highest antifungal activity at about 75% and 82% inhibition, respectively. SDS-PAGE revealed that the 9-10 fraction contained mixed proteins with molecular weights of 54 kDa, 32 kDa, and 20 kDa, while the 33-34 fraction contained mixed proteins with molecular weights of 40 kDa, 32 kDa, and 29 kDa. Each band of the proteins was analyzed by LC/MS to identify the protein. The result from Spectrum Modeler indicated that these proteins were closed similarly to three groups of the following proteins; catalase, chitin binding protein, and protease. Morphological study under scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the partially purified proteins from P. aeruginosa RS1 caused abnormal growth and hypha elongation in P. palmivora. The bacteria and/or these proteins may be useful for controlling black rot disease caused by P. palmivora in orchid orchards.

Separation, antitumor activities, and encapsulation of polypeptide from Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Chlorella pyrenoidosa is a unicellular green algae and has been a popular foodstuff worldwide. However, no reports on the antitumor peptides from such a microalgae are available in the literature. In this study, using low-temperature high-pressure extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, ion exchange, and gel filtration chromatography, we separated a polypeptide that exhibited inhibitory activity on human liver cancer HepG2 cells, and named the polypeptide CPAP (C. pyrenoidosa antitumor polypeptide). Furthermore, the micro- and nanoencapsulation of CPAP were investigated by using two methods: complex coacervation and ionotropic gelation. The in vitro release tests revealed that CPAP was well preserved against gastric enzymatic degradation after micro/nanoencapsulation and the slowly controlled release in the intestine could be potentially achieved. These results suggest that CPAP may be a useful ingredient in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.