Zanthoxylum avicennae (Lam.) DC. is an aromatic, prickly Rutaceae shrub or small tree whose oil-gland-bearing fruits have a characteristic pepper-like aroma and a history of traditional medicinal use in Southeast Asia. Because the chemical profile and integrated bioactivity of fruit essential oil (EO) from central Vietnam remain insufficiently characterized, this study examined the chemical composition and in vitro bioactivities of the fruit EO collected in Quang Nam, Vietnam. A total of 24 volatile components were identified via GC-MS, with the major components being estragole, eucalyptol, β-linalool, and caryophyllene oxide. Furthermore, the oil exhibited antimicrobial efficacy against B. cereus, S. aureus, A. niger, A. brassicicola and P. capsici, with particular antifungal activity against P. capsici (MIC = 62.5 µg/mL). The oil suppressed S. aureus biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 473.2 µg/mL). Cytotoxicity was weak against A549 cells and negligible within the tested range against B16-F10 and Huh-7 cells. Molecular docking identified (+)-(S)-terpinen-4-ol as the best-scoring ligand for CYP51 and Hsp90. A 100-ns molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the CYP51-(+)-(S)-terpinen-4-ol complex remained structurally stable, with persistent but conformationally flexible contacts. MM/GBSA analysis yielded a favorable mean binding energy of −33.63 ± 4.92 kcal/mol, dominated by van der Waals interactions. Overall, Z. avicennae fruit EO showed promising in vitro antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-biofilm activities that warrant further constituent-specific, mechanistic, toxicity, and in vivo validation.
Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). However, current diagnostic tests remain suboptimal in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on S. Typhi outer membrane proteins (OMPs) may offer faster and more accurate detection. This study characterizes the immunogenicity of S. Typhi OMPs by evaluating interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and antibody titers in mice. The OMPs were isolated from bacterial cultures and used as native antigens for mouse immunization. The concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α were quantified by ELISA; subsequently, antibody titers were determined by an in-house ELISA, with antibody specificity confirmed by Western blotting. The highest IL-6 and TNF-α responses were observed in the 5 µg dose group, with cytokine titers of 12.43 pg/mL and 19.68 pg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, western blotting confirmed antigen–antibody reactivity, showing prominent bands at approximately 71, 42, 21, 17, and 11 kDa. The study confirms that S. Typhi OMPs elicited a robust cytokine response and induced specific antibodies that recognized multiple OMP subunits, supporting their potential as promising antigen candidates for the development of an improved and specific typhoid rapid diagnosed test (RDT).
Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn., (Javanese ginseng) commonly known as a source of diverse bioactive compounds, leading to increasing demand and the need for efficient propagation techniques to enhance metabolite production. This research examines the influence of nano-TiO2 elicitation on bioactive compound accumulation in T. paniculatum callus cultures. The methods used in the study include callus induction, elicitation, callus extraction, proline quantification, H2O2 analysis, phytochemical profiling and data analysis. The results show that none of the nano-TiO2 treatments significantly affected proline levels, but did have a significant effect on H2O2 accumulation. Phytochemical analysis demonstrated that nano-TiO2 at 2 mg/L increased the proportion of n-Nonadecanol-1 (27.56%), while 3 mg/L enhanced the levels of Nonadecane (10.14%), 1-Tetradecene (11.03%) and 1-Dodecene (315.56%). Nano-TiO2 at 5 mg/L elevated the percentages of 2,4-Ditert-butylphenol (110.98%), Undecane (89.30%), 1-Tetradecene (96.32%), n-Tetracosanol (23.81%) and 1-Heptacosanol (167.79%). The dominant classes of bioactive metabolites identified were fatty alcohols (32.41%), followed by phenolics (21.23%), alkenes (14.87%), alkanes (9.86%), fatty acids (3.44%), phthalate esters (3.02%), sesquiterpenes (2.28%), aromatic ketones (1.89%), phenylpropanoids (0.48%), diterpenes (0.52%) and ketones (0.33%). Overall, the findings indicate that each nano-TiO2 concentration influences the accumulation of different bioactive compounds in T. paniculatum callus cultures.
Human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (UC-MSC) secretome represents a promising cell-free approach for regenerative therapy; however, achieving a high-potency and a high-yield secretome in sufficient quantities remains a major challenge. This study compares conventional 2D monolayer culture with a 3D microcarrier-based system to evaluate their effects on secretome yield and characteristics. Secretome profiling included analysis of extracellular vesicle (EV)-related gene expressions (RAB27A, RAB27B, and RAB7A), nanoparticle concentration, and size distribution using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The results showed that RAB gene expression was reduced in the 3D system (0.52–0.75-fold relative to 2D), along with decreased cell proliferation. Despite this downregulation and a concurrent reduction in cellular proliferation, NTA revealed a higher particle concentration in 3D cultures (1.74 × 109 particles/mL) compared to 2D (7.30 × 108 particles/mL), with a broader size distribution. Although the 3D microcarrier culture limited UC-MSC expansion, it resulted in a higher concentration of extracellular vesicle-sized particles, supporting its potential as a platform for scalable secretome production.
Cadmium contamination in soil, water and biota impacts human health and ecosystems. Since conventional treatments are often inefficient, biosorption using microorganisms has been explored as a promising approach. This study investigates the role of inorganic phosphate (KH2PO4) in alleviating cadmium stress and enhancing cadmium accumulation in a newly isolated strain of Candida tropicalis NUTI–P8. Cell viability assays were performed under cadmium chloride (CdCl2) concentrations (900 and 1,000 µM) with phosphate supplementation (50 and 100 mM). The results show that exposure to CdCl2 markedly reduced the growth of C. tropicalis NUTI–P8 (∼2-fold reduction), whereas supplementation with 100 mM KH2PO4 significantly enhanced growth performance (∼5-fold), cell viability (∼3-fold) and enzymatic activity (∼7-fold) under 1,000 µM CdCl2 stress. Moreover, cadmium accumulation increased from 116.90 ± 1.02 µM (1,000 µM CdCl2) to 188.89 ± 18.12 µM with phosphate supplementation (100 mM KH2PO4). The findings demonstrate that inorganic phosphate enhances growth and cadmium tolerance in C. tropicalis NUTI–P8, and further highlight the potential of this new yeast isolate as a bioresource for mitigating cadmium contamination, providing insights into phosphate-mediated alleviation of heavy metal stress.
