Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Qingxia Meng, Xianchao Li, Junqiang Geng, Chenshu Liu, Songbin Ben
Summary: This study explored a cleaning scheme based on the combination of bioenzymes and biosurfactants. It found that this combination could efficiently remove mold stains from paper without significant changes to the paper's physical properties. The biosurfactants also exhibited deacidification, anti-acidification, anti-aging, and reinforcement capabilities.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu Tian, Yu Wang, Yuyue Zhong, Marie Sofie Moller, Peter Westh, Birte Svensson, Andreas Blennow
Summary: Enzymatic hydrolysis of starch granules is fundamental for understanding starch degradation in plant cells, utilizing starch as an energy resource in foods, and developing efficient saccharification processes. However, the kinetics of hydrolysis for solid substrates like starch granules are slower and more complex. The multifaceted nature of the substrate surface and its changing properties during hydrolysis pose challenges for analysis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasunori Nakamura
Summary: Amylopectin biosynthesis involves the reproduction of a new cluster by concerted actions of multiple isoforms of starch branching enzyme (BE). Among these isoforms, BEI plays a major role in initiating the formation of a new cluster due to its broad chain-length preference. On the other hand, BEIIb is unlikely to be involved in this reaction due to its preference for short chains. BEIIa may complement the role of BEI to some extent. The model also suggests that the first branches mainly formed by BEI contribute to the amorphous lamellae, while the second branches predominantly formed by BEIIb are located in the crystalline lamellae.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hong Chang, Jie Bai, Hejian Zhang, Rong Huang, Huanyu Chu, Qian Wang, Hao Liu, Jian Cheng, Huifeng Jiang
Summary: This study comprehensively analyzed the phylogenetic and structural aspects of three types of starch biosynthetic enzymes to investigate the origin and evolution of the starch biosynthetic pathway. The results suggest that the origin of this pathway is related to horizontal gene transfer and endosymbiosis gene transfer, which played important roles in plant evolution. Additionally, after the divergence of Viridiplantae from Rhodophyta, all three enzymes underwent duplications and modifications, resulting in functionally specialized isoforms and the complete starch biosynthetic pathway.
SYNTHETIC AND SYSTEMS BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Prathu Raja Parmar, Jiwajyoti Mahanta, Saurabh Dubey, Tapas Kumar Mandal, Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
Summary: The enzymatic biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using α-amylase as a reducing and linking agent was achieved through in situ reduction of gold ions. The resulting AuNP-α-amylase nanocomposite exhibited exciting enzymatic activities in degrading starch rapidly. This nanocomposite demonstrated superior starch degradation activity compared to free α-amylase. Additionally, it was utilized for the classification of different types of starch and the development of a point-of-care device for real-time determination of the glycemic index (GI) of food sources.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuyue Zhong, Klaus Herburger, Jinchuan Xu, Jacob Judas Kain Kirkensgaard, Bekzod Khakimov, Aleksander Riise Hansen, Andreas Blennow
Summary: This study outlined a method for efficient modification of starch granules by using thermal ethanol pre-treatment followed by maltogenic alpha-amylase (MA) and branching enzyme (BE) post-treatments. The sequential MA post-treatments increased the alpha-1,6 to alpha-1,4 ratio and the content of amylopectin short chains, while BE post-treatments decreased product yield and increased relative crystallinity. Simultaneous MA and BE post-catalysis showed MA dosage was predominant in hydrolyzing amylopectin and amylose molecules, ultimately leading to the lowest digestibility and retrogradation.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuyue Zhong, Klaus Herburger, Jacob Judas Kain Kirkensgaard, Bekzod Khakimov, Aleksander Riise Hansen, Andreas Blennow
Summary: This study describes a method to efficiently modify starch using branching enzyme (BE) after maltogenic alpha-amylases pre-treatment. The pre-treatment produced pores on the starch granule surface, decreasing granule yield but increasing branching degree. BE post-treatments recovered yield, increased long amylose chains content, and starch crystallinity.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yinuo Gong, Jingjing Li, Xiaohua Deng, Yiqiang Chen, Shanyi Chen, Hemin Huang, Li Ni, Teng Long, Wei He, Jianping Zhang, Zhenkun Jiang, Jianqiang Fan, Wen Zhang
Summary: This study analyzed the correlation between microbial community composition and volatile components on the surface of tobacco leaves from different grades in Fujian tobacco-producing areas, and utilized an enzyme preparation produced by Paenibacillus amylolyticus A17# to enhance the quality of tobacco leaves by reducing macromolecule content and increasing soluble sugar content and volatile aroma components.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zamin Shaheed Siddiqui, Gang-Seob Lee, Woosuk Cho, Mi-Jeong Jeong, Soo-Chul Park, Taek-Ryoun Kwon, Faisal Zulfiqar, Muhammad Umar, Zainul Abideen, Zaheer Uddin, Hafiza Hamna Ansari, Danish Wajid, Jung-Il Cho
Summary: PsGPD-expressing transgenic rice showed improved germination and growth ability under salt stress conditions, with changes in physiological aspects such as amylase activity, reducing sugar accumulation, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. PsGPD-transformed rice exhibited higher salt tolerance and sustained porphyrin levels.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Peter H. Butterworth, Balazs H. Bajka, Cathrina H. Edwards, Frederick J. Warren, Peter R. Ellis
Summary: Starch is a major source of carbohydrates and energy in the diet, and the glycemic responses to foods containing starch can vary greatly. Low GI/GL foods are beneficial for managing cardiometabolic disorders. The rate and extent of digestion of starch-containing foods can significantly impact blood sugar levels.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michelle C. Miller, Aurelio J. Dregni, David Platt, Kevin H. Mayo
Summary: This study reveals the molecular mechanism of action of PLG-007 (GM alpha) on enzyme hydrolysis of glucose polymers, demonstrating that GM alpha is the primary active component of PLG-007 and exerts its effects through inhibiting alpha-amylase-mediated hydrolysis of starch and amylopectin.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuyue Zhong, Jian Zhou Qu, Xingxun Liu, Li Ding, Ying Liu, Eric Bertoft, Bent L. Petersen, Bruce R. Hamaker, Kim Henrik Hebelstrup, Andreas Blennow
Summary: This review systematically documents the major strategies for generating high-amylose starch mutants with high resistant starch. It discusses the suppression of starch synthases, starch branching enzymes, and debranching enzymes as the main strategies. The application of new breeding technologies, especially CRISPR, in the breeding of high-amylose starch crops is also reviewed.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
Naoko Fujita, Satoko Miura, Naoko Crofts
Summary: This review summarizes recent discoveries in rice starch research, including the expression patterns and variations of starch biosynthetic genes, the functions of individual isozymes, and the complementary effects of starch enzymes. The research findings are important for breeding new rice cultivars.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xuemei Tang, Ruiqi Su, Haixi Luo, Ying Zhao, Lu Feng, Jian Chen
Summary: The study introduced a method for rapid detection of Aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (mu PADs), which exhibited superior detection performance in actual food samples and met the testing requirements of countries like China.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lucas R. Sousa, Habdias A. Silva-Neto, Lucas F. Castro, Karoliny A. Oliveira, Federico Figueredo, Eduardo Corton, Wendell K. T. Coltro
Summary: This paper presents the design and construction of dual microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (dual-mu PADs) as a do-it-yourself lab-on-paper platform. The devices utilize both colorimetric and electrochemical modules to achieve signal readout sensing. The fabrication process involves using a 3D pen polymeric resin to create graphite carbon-based electrodes and hydrophobic barriers on paper substrates. The performance of the dual-mu PADs was evaluated for the analysis of lactate, pH, nitrite, and salivary amylase (sAA), with successful testing on saliva samples from healthy individuals and those with periodontitis. The devices show potential for point-of-care diagnosis of periodontal disease by sensitive detection of biomarkers in saliva.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Osama Shreif, Amr M. Shehabeldine, Mohammed Abu-Elghait, Ahmed A. Hamed, Said E. Desouky
Summary: Isolated strain Stenotrophomonas sp. Crt94-4A showed high reduction capacity for toxic chromium (VI) at various concentrations, with optimization of conditions like NaCl, inoculum size, and pH influencing the reduction efficiency. Results indicate the strain's potential for bioremediation of chromium (VI) contaminated sites.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mai E. Hussein, Osama G. Mohamed, Ahlam M. El-Fishawy, Hesham I. El-Askary, Amira S. El-Senousy, Ahmed A. El-Beih, Eman S. Nossier, Ahmed M. Naglah, Abdulrahman A. Almehizia, Ashootosh Tripathi, Ahmed A. Hamed
Summary: This study explored the chemical composition of the extract of endophytic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from Albizia lucidior leaves and investigated the antimicrobial activity of the isolated metabolites. The results showed that some metabolites exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and could inhibit DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Maha A. M. El-Shazly, Ahmed A. Hamed, Hoda A. Kabary, Mosad A. Ghareeb
Summary: In this study, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Pluchea dioscoridis leaf extracts were analyzed. The extracts contained various compounds and showed potential antimicrobial properties against different pathogenic microbes. Ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts exhibited the highest inhibition zone against tested bacteria, and the antimicrobial activity was concentration dependent.
ACTA CHROMATOGRAPHICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohamed A. Abdelgawad, Ahmed A. Hamed, AbdElAziz A. Nayl, Mona Shaban E. M. Badawy, Mohammed M. Ghoneim, Ahmed M. Sayed, Hossam M. Hassan, Noha M. Gamaleldin
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that Aspergillus niger is a rich source of natural compounds with diverse biological activities. This study found that an endophytic fungus derived from Phragmites australis has antimicrobial and antibiofilm capabilities, and identified the active compounds through chemical analysis and neural-networking pharmacophore-based screening. These findings are important in the development of new antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ehab M. Mostafa, Mohamed A. Abdelgawad, Arafa Musa, Nasser Hadal Alotaibi, Mohammed H. Elkomy, Mohammed M. Ghoneim, Mona Shaban E. M. Badawy, Mostafa N. Taha, Hossam M. Hassan, Ahmed A. Hamed
Summary: Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that shows promising innovations. In this study, biogenic silver and gold nanoparticles were synthesized using marine fungi and conjugated with chitosan. The resulting chitosan-AgNP and chitosan-AuNP conjugates exhibited strong antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities, with chitosan-AgNP showing better efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus.
Article
Neurosciences
Wafaa M. Farghaly, Mohamed A. Ahmed, Ahmed El-Bassiouny, Ahmed A. Hamed, Ghaydaa A. Shehata
Summary: This study aimed to identify predictive factors for mortality within 3 months after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke patients. The study found that a low success rate of recanalization was a significant predictor of 3-month mortality.
EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sabah A. A. AboElmaaty, Ali A. A. Shati, Mohammad Y. Y. Alfaifi, Serag Eldin I. Elbehairi, Norhan S. S. Sheraba, Mervat G. G. Hassan, Mona Shaban E. M. Badawy, Ahmed Ghareeb, Ahmed A. A. Hamed, Ebtsam Z. Z. Gabr
Summary: The study demonstrates the antibiofilm potential of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles mediated by a new Streptomyces strain. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed significant antibacterial efficacy against various bacteria and inhibited biofilm formation of hospital-resistant bacteria. The mechanism of action involved the accumulation and disruption of bacterial cell membranes. Molecular docking analysis confirmed the binding mode of AgNPs with Escherichia coli outer membrane. The low cytotoxic effects of the AgNPs suggest their potential medical applications with minimal risks to human health.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Arafa Musa, Mohamed A. A. Abdelgawad, Mohamed E. E. Shaker, Ahmed H. H. El-Ghorab, Della Grace Thomas Parambi, Ahmed A. A. Hamed, Ahmed M. M. Sayed, Hossam M. M. Hassan, Mahmoud A. A. Aboseada
Summary: This study focused on isolating and characterizing major metabolites from marine sponges, and investigating their bioactivities through in vitro assessment and molecular docking. The results revealed potential antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of certain compounds, suggesting their potential as therapeutic candidates.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mai E. Hussein, Osama G. Mohamed, Ahlam M. El-Fishawy, Hesham I. El-Askary, Ahmed A. Hamed, Marwa M. Abdel-Aziz, Radwan Alnajjar, Amany Belal, Ahmed M. Naglah, Abdulrahman A. Almehizia, Ahmed A. Al-Karmalawy, Ashootosh Tripathi, Amira S. El Senousy
Summary: This study investigated the inhibitory activity of Albizia lucidior and Albizia procera leaves against acetylcholinesterase enzyme and explored their chemical compositions. The results showed that alkaloids, including new putative ones, were abundant in the ethanolic extract of A. lucidior. The alkaloid-rich fraction exhibited the most promising anticholinesterase activity, and normethyl budmunchiamine K showed superior stability and receptor binding affinity compared to the reference drugs.
Article
Microbiology
Mohamed E. Elawady, Ahmed A. Hamed, Wamedh M. Alsallami, Ebtsam Z. Gabr, Mohamed O. Abdel-Monem, Mervat G. Hassan
Summary: Endophytic fungi are unpredictable microorganisms that produce diverse secondary metabolites with biological activity, enhancing the host's stress tolerance. These metabolites have potential applications in agriculture, pharmacy, and medicine. This study investigated the anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of secondary metabolites extracted from endophytic fungi.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mohamed M. Abdel-Monsef, Doaa A. Darwish, Hind A. Zidan, Ahmed A. Hamed, Mahmoud A. Ibrahim
Summary: This study reported the purification and characterization of venom superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Egyptian honeybee, termed BVSOD. The purified BVSOD showed homogenous structure with a molecular weight of 32 kDa and subunits of 16.0 kDa. It exhibited maximum activity at pH 7.4 and was stimulated by CuCl2, ZnCl2, and MgCl2, while inhibited by CoCl2, FeCl2, and NiCl2. The BVSOD was found to have antimicrobial and antitumor activities, suggesting its potential use in medical and clinical applications.
JOURNAL OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sahar Saleh Mohamed, Mohamed E. El Awady, Sayeda Abdelrazek Abdelhamid, Ahmed Abdelghani Hamed, Abeer A. A. Salama, Manal S. Selim
Summary: In this study, a strain of Streptomyces rochie isolated from a mangrove tree produced an exopolysaccharide S5 (EPSS5) with high antioxidant and antibacterial activities, but low antifungal activity. EPSS5 exhibited therapeutic effects on carrageenan-induced arthritis in rats by suppressing the expression of inflammatory mediators and regulating the signaling pathway.
JOURNAL OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mohamed Khedr, Kamal M. A. Khalil, Hoda A. Kabary, Ahmed A. Hamed, Mona Shaban E. M. Badawy, Mohammed Abu-Elghait
Summary: Successful transformation of fungal peroxidase gene into bacteria was achieved, and the efficacy of the transformation process and peroxidase production were evaluated. Additionally, partial gene sequencing and protein structure modeling were conducted.
JOURNAL OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ahmed A. Hamed, Dina M. Eskander, Mona Shaban E. M. Badawy
Summary: In this study, the marine-derived actinomycetes Streptomyces sparsus was isolated from sponge Crella cyathophora. Five compounds were identified from the ethyl acetate extract of Streptomyces sparsus and evaluated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and biofilm inhibition activities.
EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Justin J. L. Kimball, Ruben With, Christian Lochsen Rodsrud
Summary: Micro-CT (μCT) has been increasingly used in the cultural heritage sector to understand past cultures and their materials. In the case of the Gjellestad ship from the Viking Age, μCT was used to document and conserve the deteriorated organic and metallic materials. A georeferencing system was developed to retain important stratigraphic and position information, allowing for spatial positioning using 3D GIS. The use of μCT has shown positive impact on the documentation, conservation, and reconstruction of cultural heritage.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2024)
Review
Archaeology
S. Sylaiou, P. Dafiotis, D. Koukopoulos, K. Koukoulis, R. Vital, A. Antoniou, Chr. Fidas
Summary: This manuscript discusses the growing importance of Extended Reality (XR) in art exhibitions. It explores the technologies used, design issues, evaluation metrics, and aims of XR exhibitions. The research focuses on the current types of technologies used, primary design considerations, and methods to enhance user experience. The paper also examines evaluation criteria and the use of virtual humans for increased engagement. Additionally, it thoroughly discusses parameters affecting user experience and offers suggestions for optimizing design and future directions.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2024)
Article
Archaeology
Carlo Battini, Umberto Ferretti, Giorgia De Angelis, Roberto Pierdicca, Marina Paolanti, Ramona Quattrini
Summary: This research presents a method for recognizing historical building elements using a deep learning system. By leveraging synthetic point clouds to generate 3D models, the proposed approach achieves high accuracy in the experiments conducted on a newly synthetic dataset.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2024)
Article
Archaeology
Jingwen Zhang, Tianlin Ren
Summary: In the era of digital information, metadata and ontology technology have promoted the management and utilization of museum collections. This study focused on ancient Chinese ceramics and proposed solutions for the shortcomings in their information management through metadata analysis and ontology construction. The structure of the ontology was visualized to provide a clearer understanding of ancient Chinese ceramics.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2024)
