Addition of the non-ionic detergent Tween 20 to the serum diluent enhances anti-cardiolipin binding reactivity in an ELISA system. Maximal enhancement was obtained using a concentration of 0.05% Tween 20 in the diluent. Non-specific interactions were also considerably reduced.
Pleurotus pulmonarius F043, a fungus collected from tropical rain forest, was used to degrade pyrene, a four-rings polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in a mineral medium broth. A maximum degradation rate of pyrene (90 %) was occurred at pH 3 and the lowest degradation rate was found in the culture at pH 10 (2 %). More than 90 % pyrene degradation was achieved at pH ranged from 3 to 5, whereas the degradation rate significantly declined when the pH was >5. The degradation of pyrene increased from 2 to 96 % when the temperature rose from 4 to 25 °C. When the temperature was increased to 60 °C resulting the lowest degradation rate into 7 %. Among the agitation rates tested, 120 rpm was the best with 95 % degradation, followed by 100 rpm (90 %). The optimum agitation range for pyrene degradation by P. pulmonarius F043 was 100-120 rpm. Among all the concentrations tested, 0.5 % Tween 80 was the best with 98 % degradation, followed by 1 % Tween 80 (90 %). The optimum concentration of Tween 80 for pyrene degradation by P. pulmonarius F043 was 0.5-1 %. The degradation rate decreased, while the concentration of Tween 80 was increased. The metabolic product was found during degradation process through the identification of gentisic acid by TLC, UV-Spectrophotometer, and GC-MS.
Red grape pomace, a wine-making by-product is rich in anthocyanins and has many applications in food and pharmaceutical industry. However, anthocyanins are unstable during processing and storage. This study aimed to investigate the stability of anthocyanins obtained by hydroalcoholic extraction (with and without sorbic acid) and colloidal gas aphrons (CGA) separation; a surfactant (TWEEN20) based separation. Anthocyanins in CGA samples showed higher stability (half-life = 55 d) than in the crude extract (half-life = 43 d) and their stability increased with the concentration of TWEEN20 in the CGA fraction (6.07-8.58 mM). The anthocyanins loss in the CGA sample (with the maximum content of surfactant, 8.58 mM) was 34.90%, comparable to that in the crude ethanolic extract with sorbic acid (EE-SA) (31.53%) and lower than in the crude extract (44%). Colour stabilisation was also observed which correlated well with the stability of individual anthocyanins in the EE and CGA samples. Malvidin-3-o-glucoside was the most stable anthocyanin over time.
AIM: A method was developed to separate contaminant-free viable Toxoplasma gondii cysts from brain samples of infected mice for molecular biology studies and reinfection.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mice brains were homogenized and washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) Tween 80 prior to fractionation using 19-22% dextran solution. Finally, the supernatant was purified by two-step membrane filtration (100-160 microm and < 10 microm) to obtain pure T. gondii cyst. The isolates were analyzed through microscopic observation, qPCR and by reinfection of new batch of mice.
RESULTS: T. gondii cysts were best isolated with 21% dextran solution and two step filtration.
CONCLUSIONS: The method was observed not to disrupt the integrity of the cysts containing bradyzoites. In addition, the isolated cysts in the filtrate were found to be contaminant-free, viable and able to infect healthy mice when introduced orally; which, mimics the natural infectivity pathway.
The aim of this study is to investigate the cell uptake of Nigella sativa oil (NSO)-PLGA microparticle by neuron-like PC-12 cells in comparison to surfactants; hydrophilic (Tween 80 & Triton X100) and hydrophobic (Span 80). Solvent evaporation was used to precisely control the size, zeta potential and morphology of the particle. The results revealed varying efficiencies of the cell uptake by PC-12 cells, which may be partially attributed to the surface hydrophobicity of the microparticles. Interestingly, the uptake efficiency of PC-12 cells was higher with the more hydrophilic microparticle. NSO microparticle showed evidence of being preferably internalised by mitotic cells. Tween 80 microparticle showed the highest cell uptake efficiency with a concentration-dependent pattern suggesting its use as uptake enhancer for non-scavenging cells. In conclusion, PC-12 cells can take up NSO-PLGA microparticle which may have potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.
This study evaluated whether MF59-adjuvanted subunit trivalent influenza vaccine for the 2003/04 winter season (A/Moscow/10/99, H3N2; A/New Caledonia/20/99, H1N1; B/Hong Kong/330/01) would confer protection against mismatched and frequently co-circulating variants of influenza B/Victoria- and B/Yamagata-like virus strains. Haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibodies were measured in middle-aged and elderly volunteers against the homologous B/Victoria-like vaccine strain (B/Hong Kong/330/01) and against mismatched B/Victoria-like (B/Malaysia/2506/04) and B/Yamagata-like (B/Singapore/379/99 and B/Shanghai/361/02) strains. Immunization induced significant increases in the amounts of HI antibodies against all influenza B strains under investigation. However, the responses against the heterologous B/Shanghai/361/02 virus did not reach the desirable values of seroprotection. An age-dependent decline of the responses was found for B/Victoria-like antigens, but not for B/Yamagata-like strains. Although further studies are needed, our data support the recommendation of including influenza B viruses of the B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages in the future influenza vaccine preparations.