Commentary on: Evaluation of spice and herb as phyto-derived selective modulators of human retinaldehyde dehydrogenases using simple in vitro method

It is commonly known that aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are a promising therapeutic target in many diseases. Bui et al. - the authors of the paper I am discussing here (Biosci Rep (2021) 41(5): BSR20210491; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20210491) - point that there is a lack of research on the use of spices and herbs as the sources of naturally occurring modulators of ALDH activity. In order to carry out this type of research, the authors prepared ethanolic extracts of 22 spices and herbs. The main objective of the study was to investigate retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDHs), of which retinal is the main substrate and ALDH2, the mitochondrial isoform, having acetaldehyde as the main substrate. The obtained results indicated that the tested extracts exhibited differential regulatory effects on RALDHs/ALDH2 and some of them showed a potential selective inhibition of the activity of RALDHs.

Mathematical modeling nonstationarity of biotechnological production of lactic acid: stability

The article presents the calculated ratios of indicators determining the stationary states of the lactic acid production process. Three technologies that are most often mentioned in scientific publications are identified: the technology of using strains of microorganisms to produce biomass is a technology that is extremely rarely used; the fairly common technology of using strains of microorganisms to produce lactic acid with the consumption of the main substrate (most often glucose); the promising technology of obtaining lactic acid using, in addition to the main substrate, a component that reproduces the main substrate in the synthesis process. For each technology, the equations of material balance for stationary and non-stationary conditions, a generalized differential equation for non-stationary conditions, and a characteristic equation are given. The formulas for estimating the coefficients of differential equations and the coefficients of the characteristic equation are also given. The equations for non-stationary conditions according to the last two technologies are based on the use of the Taylor series expansion of functions with the preservation of only the first terms of the expansion, i. e. deviations from stationarity in small. The characteristic equation is formed using the eigenvalues . The methodology for all three technologies is given, which allows us to assess the stability of the considered stationary state – the Hurwitz method. For all three technologies, numerical results are obtained for estimating the coefficients of the characteristic equations Pi. Tabular values of the coefficients are given, according to which stability estimates for the dilution rate of 0.1 h–1, 0.2 h–1, 0.3 h–1 are obtained using determinants according to the Hurwitz matrix. The results of numerical estimates for the stability of stationary states for all three technologies are presented. The estimates were based on the indicators of constants published in scientific studies.

Impact of Long-Term Weathering on the Properties of a Digestate-Based Biocomposite

Natural fibre composites are increasingly used. For many applications, the long-term stability of the mechanical properties is crucial. Therefore, the effects of weathering of a biocomposite made from fibrous digestate and bio-based thermoset are investigated. The fibre component of the composite comes from digestate of a German biogas station which processes hop vines as main substrate. The matrix is a plant-oil-based epoxy resin. The samples were alternately exposed to UV radiation and moisture for various lengths of time. Afterwards, the material strength and water absorption were tested. As a result, the weathering leads to a decrease of strength but not to a high increase of water uptake.

Reclamation of disturbed lands affected by periwinkle mining

General data about processes of creation and formation of stocks of amber in the territory of Ukraine are presented. Background for the problem of illegal amber mining was specified. Illegal amber mining using motor pumps led to destruction of the soil and also to sharp deterioration of water-physical properties. it is also accompanied by the loss of many available biophilic elements and water-soluble organic compounds, in addition loosing a main substrate for soil microorganisms. There was analysed a traditional methods of soil reclamation and after that it was noticed that those methods is inefficient and, for the most, impossible to make it. The Urgent need to adopt the law of Ukraine "On land reclamation" was argued. I emphasize the need of gradual differentiation of legal terms, such as land plot «ground», «land plot » and also «soil». It was given an important attention of land reclamation. The main methods of land reclamation that have been negatively affected by amber mining have been studied. I proved that the choice of the direction of use of ex-used deposits should be based primarily on the ecological and economic feasibility of reclamation.

Structural and biochemical characterization of the novel serpin Iripin-5 from Ixodes ricinus

Iripin-5 is the main Ixodes ricinus salivary serpin, which acts as a modulator of host defence mechanisms by impairing neutrophil migration, suppressing nitric oxide production by macrophages and altering complement functions. Iripin-5 influences host immunity and shows high expression in the salivary glands. Here, the crystal structure of Iripin-5 in the most thermodynamically stable state of serpins is described. In the reactive-centre loop, the main substrate-recognition site of Iripin-5 is likely to be represented by Arg342, which implies the targeting of trypsin-like proteases. Furthermore, a computational structural analysis of selected Iripin-5–protease complexes together with interface analysis revealed the most probable residues of Iripin-5 involved in complex formation.

Effect of Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Developed Mixed Fruits Wine during Fermentation Process

The mixture of fruits pulp containing low sugar and thus sugar level was adjust from 25 oBrix by using sugar solution. The pH level of mixture was adjusted at 4. The juice was yeast by Saccharomyces cerevisiae with 1%. The Specific gravity of mixed fruit wine showed an increasing trend for all the treatments with fermentation period up to 0, 10, 20 and 30 days. The TSS largely affects the various physic-chemical parameters of fermented wine. Sugar is the main substrate for fermentation of fruits juice into alcohol. The specific gravity of the wine was found to be decreased with increase in sugar percent. The highest value of alcohol content was found 17.43% (v/v) in T6 sample after last day of fermentation period with 1% of yeast concentration. It has been observed that the sample show the high alcoholic wine.

Improved Biogas Production from Corn Stalks, Pig Manure and Eggshell

The need for an environmentally friendly energy source in the world has led to major diversification in renewable energy. Biogas provides a renewable energy source that will replace fossil fuel inevitably. The experiment was carried out using a self-designed laboratory-scale anaerobic biogas digester. The study was carried out at room temperature from 25 - 31°C for 20 days using corn stalk as the main substrate while Pig manure and eggshell were used as co-substrates. The findings showed that the biogas produced from the sample containing a blend of corn stalk, Pig manure, and eggshell resulted in higher biogas volume than the sample containing corn stalk and eggshell, corn stalk, and pig manure as well as the sample containing only corn stalk. This implies that the use of the corn stalk blend is a source of renewable energy. Thus, ensuring the sustainability of biogas production in the future.

Artificial Cultivation Anti-tumor Activity of Ganoderma mbrekobenum

Different varieties of Gandoerma have different functional effects. In this study, identification, cultivation, anti-tumor activity characterization and active constituent determination of Ganoderma specimen collected in Tanzania were carried out. The fungi specimen was identified as Ganoderma mbrekobenum by morphological and molecular methods, which was found in Ghana and was firstly reported in 2016. The fruit body was formed in artificial culture using sawdust as the main substrate at the suitable fruiting temperature of 27-30 °C, relative humidity 85-90%, and daily processed lighting for 10 h (300-500 Lux). The fruit body of G.mbrekobenum is hard and has ordinary-yield production, uniform shapes, and high stability. The in vitro experiments showed that the extract from G. mbrekobenum fruit body inhibited cancer cell proliferation of various cells, such as HepG2, MDA-MB-231 and U87. The water extract of the fruit body was tested, and the content of crude polysaccharides was 1.12%. The data showed that G. mbrekobenum was a potential valuable variety. This is the first study that reports the cultivation method and the anti-tumor activity of G. mbrekobenum.

Paper-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes: A New Generation of Low-Cost Electroanalytical Platforms

Screen-printed technology has helped considerably to the development of portable electrochemical sensors since it provides miniaturized but robust and user-friendly electrodes. Moreover, this technology allows to obtain very versatile transducers, not only regarding their design, but also their ease of modification. Therefore, in the last decades, the use of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) has exponentially increased, with ceramic as the main substrate. However, with the growing interest in the use of cheap and widely available materials as the basis of analytical devices, paper or other low-cost flat materials have become common substrates for SPEs. Thus, in this revision, a comprehensive overview on paper-based SPEs used for analytical proposes is provided. A great variety of designs is reported, together with several examples to illustrate the main applications.