Curious Cases of the Enzymes

Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of single-atom nanozymes in food safety monitoring

Nanozymes are synthetic compounds with enzyme-like tunable catalytic properties. The success of nanozymes for catalytic applications can be attributed to their small dimensions, cost-effective synthesis, appreciable stability, and scalability to molecular dimensions. The emergence of single atom nanozymes (SANzymes) has opened up new possibilities in bioanalytical applications. In this regard, this review outlines enzyme-mimicking features of SANzymes for food safety applications in relation to the key variables controlling their catalytic performance. The discussion is extended further to cover the applications of SANzymes for the monitoring of various compounds/biomaterials of significance with respect to food safety (e.g., pesticides, veterinary drug residues, foodborne pathogenic bacteria, mycotoxins/bacterial endotoxin, antioxidant residues, hydrogen peroxide residues, and heavy metal ions). Furthermore, the performance of SANzymes is evaluated in terms of various performance metrics such as limit of detection (LOD), linear dynamic range, and figure of merit (FoM). The challenges and future road map for the applications of SANzymes are also addressed along with their upscaling in the area of food safety.

An old mobbing story and COVID-19

Innovative medical education greatly relies on lifelong learning with universal standards in research, for generating novel knowledge for improvement maximum patient care. The other side of innovative medical education relies on success of development of novel ideas, perspective; skill building, future career objectives. Leaders have curious roles in the research assistant education. In the current century, both technology and education raced forward in many countries. Mobbing and bullying is an important problem in all fields, every sphere of life in workplaces. Unethical behavior must not take place in universities because universities are the centers of learning, and best academic teaching in ethical standards. Bullying may damage every individual in every academic degree and effect academic performance. In this paper I will discuss a mobbing case which is done to a young academician in many years ago, which is not most frequently observed type. However, such bullying behaviors may increase due to COVID-19 pandemic. Because COVID-19 pandemic may cause various problems in social groups difficulties, anxiety, and economic challenges, problems. Nowadays everybody is experiencing worry, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of economic problems, fear of dying. COVID-19 pandemic has created some unexpected problems to everybody however, academic researchers have additional worries and fears such as; the expiration time of chemicals, problems on chemicals are not imported from abroad on time also difficulties of knockout or transgenic experimental animals cannot be imported from abroad on time, and all these problems cause fear of unsuccessful experimental results, spending extra time. All these anxieties may cause arouse increasing unstable friendships and mobbing possibilities. The COVID-19 disease takes our future and experimental plans to waste basket and change everything including friendship.

Effects of butylparaben on antioxidant enzyme activities and histopathological changes in rat tissues

Butyl p-hydroxybenzoic acid, also known as butylparaben (BP), is one of the most common parabens absorbed by the skin and gastrointestinal tract and metabolised in the liver and kidney. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies have raised concern that BP causes reproductive, development, and teratogenic toxicity. However, BP-induced oxidative stress and its relation to tissue damage has not been widely investigated before. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate on enzyme activities related to the pentose phosphate pathway and on glutathione-dependent enzymes such as glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in kidney, liver, brain, and testis tissues. Male rats were randomly divided into four groups to orally receive corn oil (control) or 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg/day of BP for 14 days. Then we measured G6PD, GR, GST, 6-PGD, and GPx enzyme activities in these tissues and studied histopathological changes. BP treatment caused imbalance in antioxidant enzyme activities and tissue damage in the liver, kidney, brain, and testis. These findings are the first to show the degenerative role of BP on the cellular level. The observed impairment of equivalent homeostasis and antioxidant defence points to oxidative stress as a mechanism behind tissue damage caused by BP.

Effects of alprazolam and haloperidol on thyroglobulin, antithyroglobulin, anti thyroid peroxidase and TSH in Rat

Background:

A large number of psychotropic drugs can interfere with the thyroid physiology, function and autoimmunity.

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of alprazolam and haloperidol on thyroglobulin, antithyroglobulin (aTg), antithyroid peroxidase, and thyroid stimulating hormone levels on rats.

Materials and Methods:

First group of adult male Wistar rats was the control, second group received 0.5 mg kg

Results:

We have investigated a decrease in aTg amounts of control group (5.461±0.718) compared with drug treated rats with alprazolam (1.433±0.225) and haloperidol (1.21±0.228). (P

Conclusion:

We found that these two drugs may interfere with the thyroid physiology and metabolism.

Evaluation of Renal Function in Alzheimer's Disease and Geriatric Patients: Results from a Turkish Two-center Study

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe multifactorial neurodegenerative proteopathy associated with advanced age. Discrepancies in the renal function of these patients compared to geriatric patients with dementia have rarely been reported. In this study, we aimed to disclose the importance of associated renal changes for the pathogenesis of AD.

Methods

Patients with AD (n=107) and geriatric patients with dementia and without dementia (n=124) (231 patients in total) from Dokuz Eylul and Cukurova University Hospitals were enrolled in the study. We measured serum Na, K, Cl, Ca, BUN, creatinine, total protein levels and MDRD [eGFR] in all groups.

Results

From Izmir Center, the first study arm consisted of patients with AD dementia (n=74), and the second arm included geriatric patients with dementia (n=79). From Adana, 78 patients were recruited to the study, of which 33 were with AD and 45 were geriatric patients without dementia. When we analyzed comparatively the AD and geriatric dementia patients study arms, a statistically significant difference was observed both in the median age (p<0.001), as well as in the biochemical parameters from Izmir Center: Na (p<0.001), K (p<0.001), Cl (p<0.05), Ca (p<0.001), BUN (p<0.05), creatinine (p<0.001), total protein (p<0.001) and MDRD [eGFR] (p<0.001). However, these were not significantly different between AD and geriatric patients without dementia in the Adana group.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that renal function is prone to alterations in different age groups of patients with AD. However, there is no conclusive evidence that renal function is one of the risk factors in AD.

Verifying Sarcoidosis Activity: Chitotriosidase versus ACE in Sarcoidosis - a Case-control Study

Background

Until now, a proper biomarker(s) to evaluate sarcoidosis activity has not been recognized. The aims of this study were to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the two biomarkers of sarcoidosis activity already in use (serum angiotensin converting enzyme – ACE and serum chitotriosidase) in a population of 430 sarcoidosis patients. The activities of these markers were also analyzed in a group of 264 healthy controls.

Methods

Four hundred and thirty biopsy positive sarcoidosis patients were divided into groups with active and inactive disease, and groups with acute or chronic disease. In a subgroup of 55 sarcoidosis patients, activity was also assessed by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET) scanning. Both serum chitotriosidase and ACE levels showed non-normal distribution, so nonparametric tests were used in statistical analysis.

Results

Serum chitotriosidase activities were almost 6 times higher in patients with active sarcoidosis than in healthy controls and inactive disease. A serum chitotriosidase value of 100 nmol/mL/h had the sensitivity of .5% and specificity of 70.0%. A serum ACE activity cutoff value of 32.0 U/L had the sensitivity of 66.0% and the specificity of 54%. A statistically significant correlation was obtained between the focal granulomatous activity detected on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and serum chitotriosidase levels, but no such correlation was found with ACE. The levels of serum chitotriosidase activity significantly correlated with the disease duration (P < 0.0001). Also, serum chitotriosidase significantly correlated with clinical outcome status (COS) categories (ρ =0.272, P =0.001).

Conclusions

Serum chitotriosidase proved to be a reliable biomarker of sarcoidosis activity and disease chronicity.

Comparison of Spectrophotometric and Fluorimetric Methods in Evaluation of Biotinidase Deficiency

Background

Biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, is used as a co-factor by enzymes involved in carboxylation reactions. Biotinidase (BTD) catalyzes the recycling of biotin from endogenous and dietary sources. Biotinidase deficiency (BD) is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder of biotin recycling that is associated with neurologic and cutaneous consequences when untreated. The aim of the study was to compare the results of spectrophotometric and fluorimetric methods, as well as to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of both methods in current research practices.

Methods

Study group was chosen among the BD suspected newborn, children and parents (n = 52) who applied to Hacettepe University Pediatric Metabolism Unit.

Results

BTD activity is stable for 2 hours at room temperature and at 4 °C, and for 4 months at –20 °C and –80 °C. Genetic and clinical results showed that 25% of the total number of patients had complete BD which was treated with 10 mg/day biotin, while 15.38% of the patients had partial BD, and they were prescribed biotin 5 mg/day. The area under the ROC curve was 0.960±0.25 and 0.927± 0.41 for the fluorimetric and spectrophotometric method, respectively. Fluorimetric method showed 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity, whereas spectrophotometric method showed 90.5% sensitivity and 93.7% specificity.

Conclusions

Fluorimetric method is superior to the spectrophotometric method due to higher sensitivity and specificity.

Seventy Years of Biochemical Subjects' Development in Pharmacy Curricula: Experience from Serbia

INTRODUCTION

The pharmacists played an important role in the development of biochemistry as applied chemistry in Serbia. What is more, the first seven state chemists in Serbia were pharmacists. State chemists performed the chemical-toxicological analysis as well as some medical and biochemical ones. When it comes to the education of medical biochemists as health workers, the period after the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century should be taken into account because that is when the training of pharmaceutical staff of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, begins on the territory of Serbia. This paper presents the development of medical biochemistry through the development of curriculum, personnel and literature since the foundation of the Faculty of Pharmacy in Serbia until today.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to present the historical development of biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, through analysis of three indicators: undergraduate and postgraduate education of medical biochemists, teaching literature and professional associations and trade associations.

METHOD

The method of direct data was applied in this paper. Also, desktop analysis was used for analyzing of secondary data, regulations, curricula, documents and bibliographic material. Desktop research was conducted and based on the following sources: Archives of the University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy, Museum of the History of Pharmacy at the University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy, the Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Biochemists.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The curricula, the Bologna process of improving education, the expansion of the range of subjects, the number of students, professional literature for teaching biochemistry, as well as professional associations and trade associations are presented through the results.

Evolution of Enzyme Kinetic Mechanisms

This review paper discusses the reciprocal kinetic behaviours of enzymes and the evolution of structure–function dichotomy. Kinetic mechanisms have evolved in response to alterations in ecological and metabolic conditions. The kinetic mechanisms of single-substrate mono-substrate enzyme reactions are easier to understand and much simpler than those of bi–bi substrate enzyme reactions. The increasing complexities of kinetic mechanisms, as well as the increasing number of enzyme subunits, can be used to shed light on the evolution of kinetic mechanisms. Enzymes with heterogeneous kinetic mechanisms attempt to achieve specific products to subsist. In many organisms, kinetic mechanisms have evolved to aid survival in response to changing environmental factors. Enzyme promiscuity is defined as adaptation to changing environmental conditions, such as the introduction of a toxin or a new carbon source. Enzyme promiscuity is defined as adaptation to changing environmental conditions, such as the introduction of a toxin or a new carbon source. Enzymes with broad substrate specificity and promiscuous properties are believed to be more evolved than single-substrate enzymes. This group of enzymes can adapt to changing environmental substrate conditions and adjust catalysing mechanisms according to the substrate’s properties, and their kinetic mechanisms have evolved in response to substrate variability.