Genetic variation of twenty autosomal STR loci and evaluate the importance of these loci for forensic genetic purposes

Antibacterial and anti-corona virus (229E) activity of Nigella sativa oil combined with photodynamic therapy based on methylene blue in wound infection: in vitro and in vivo study

Microbial skin infections, antibiotic resistance, and poor wound healing are major problems, and new treatments are needed. Our study targeted solving this problem with Nigella sativa (NS) oil and photodynamic therapy based on methylene blue (MB-PDT). Antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined via agar well diffusion assay and broth microdilution, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) proved deformations in Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified useful compounds that were suggested to be responsible for the potency of the oil. NS oil was tested as an antivirus against low pathogenic coronavirus (229E). Therapies examined, MB-PDT, NS, and MB-PDT + NS oil, to accelerate wound healing. The antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus was promising, with a MIC of 12.5% and TEM showing injured cells treated with NS oil. This oil inhibited 229E virus up to 42.85% and 32.14%. All tested therapies were successful in accelerating wound healing. The most successful was combined therapy (MB-PDT + NS oil), with a faster healing time. The combined therapy (MB-PDT + NS oil) reduced bacterial counts, which may be a key factor in accelerating wound healing. Skin wound histology was investigated; blood hematology and biochemical analysis did not change significantly after the safe combination treatment. A combination treatment could facilitate healing in a simple and inexpensive way in the future. Based on the results of the in vitro and in vivo studies, it was determined that NS oil had antibacterial and anti-corona virus activity when used in conjunction with photodynamic treatment based on methylene blue to treat wound infections.

Population-genetic and comparative interpopulation studies of Azerbaijan population based on the 15 autosomal STR markers

We have investigated 765 unrelated individuals from Azerbaijan using AmpFlSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR Amplification Kit. For each STR locus basic population-genetic and forensic parameters were determined. The calculated P-values (P_HWE) for the accuracy of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) tests, showed that this parameter had a statistically significant value (P_HWE = 0.0000) only for the THO1, D18S51 and FGA loci. The values of parameters for the set of 15 STR loci such as CPE, CPD, CTPI and the PP showed that the given set of loci can be confidently used to solve identification problems for the studied population. Multiple population differentiation tests performed between Azerbaijan and other 17 world populations revealed that between Azerbaijan and Iraqi, Iranian, Turkish populations there were no significant differences on all STR loci. Additionally, comparisons of Fischer genetic distance indices (F_ST) P-values did not reveal any statistically significant difference between Azerbaijan and Iranian populations at P < 0.05. However, with South African black population differences at all STR loci were detected. Both tests did not reveal a locus by which our population would differ from all the other compared populations. PCA and PCoA analyzes showed that the Azerbaijani population was grouped with different populations in different quarters, showing a negative and zero correlation, respectively. Regarding the location of the Azerbaijan population, there are some differences between NJ and UPGMA phylogenetic trees. For example, in the NJ tree, Azerbaijan population was grouped with Iranian, but in the UPGMA tree, it was grouped with the Turkish population. Based on Nei's genetic distance between populations the second tree has a more realistic outcome.

Analysis of forensic genetic parameters of 22 autosomal STR markers (PowerPlex® Fusion System) in a population sample from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multinational and multireligious country, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. Migrations through history were a key factor in the genetic identity of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian population.Aim: To analyse genetic polymorphisms of 22 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to compare STR allele frequencies for STR loci with the reference data for European populations.Subjects and methods: The study was conducted among 600 unrelated individuals from all regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Genotyping was performed using the PowerPlex^® Fusion amplification kit. Allele frequencies and statistical parameters were calculated, as well as the genetic distance among analysed populations through the construction of a neighbor-joining dendrogram.Results: STR loci included in the PowerPlex^® Fusion amplification kit showed high discriminatory power indicating their reliability for human identification and paternity testing. The neighbor-joining dendrogram based on the results of genetic distance analysis showed that the Bosnian and Herzegovinian population has the greatest genetic distance from Turkish and Hungarian populations and greatest similarity with Croatian, Slovenian, and Serbian populations.Conclusion: The results of this study strongly support the application of 22 autosomal genetic markers for paternity testing and personal identity testing and are in agreement with most previous human studies in the investigated human populations.