Abstract

Lung cancer is a widespread form of cancer with a low survival rate.

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for the development of lung cancer, as tobacco

smoke contains many carcinogens. Nicotine, which is not classified as a carcinogen, is

the main component of tobacco, responsible for addiction and recent research suggests

that nicotine, independent of other tobacco components, may contribute to the development

and progression of cancer. Nicotine, as an agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine

receptors (nAChRs), promotes cell proliferation, prevents apoptosis, and has an important

role in promoting angiogenesis and metastasis of cancer cells. The realisation

that nAChRs are involved in the development and progression of lung cancer has

raised the idea of using nAChR antagonists that would counteract the adverse effects

of nicotine. Currently, there are only a few nAChR antagonists for which anticancer

efficacy has been investigated. Many of the known antagonists do not act selectively

on nAChR subtypes that are overexpressed in lung cancer cells. Nonselective nAChR

antagonists can cause adverse side effects by acting on nAChR subtypes expressed on

non-cancerous cells. In order to avoid such side effects, it is necessary to ensure that

a given antagonist acts predominantly on cancer cells. This can be achieved by using

nanodelivery systems that are preferentially uptaken by cancer cells. In this article, we

present the latest achievements in the development of drugs for the treatment of lung

cancer based on nAChR antagonists delivered to the site of action by nanoparticles.

Keywords

agonist, antagonist, apoptosis, lung cancer, nAChR, nanodelivery system, nicotine

Abstract

rom sampled dishwashers

rubber seals were analysed with polymerase chain reactions (PCR) using specific

primers for phylogenetic group, multilocus sequence type (MLST) determination the

presence of 43 virulence-associated genes (VAGs) linked with intestinal and extrain testinal

E. coli infections and the presence of some typical E. coli virulence plasmids’

sequences in order to assess their virulence potential and/or specific genes, associated

with the adaption to a specific environment. It was found that all of the 35 E. coli

isolates belonged to the commensal non-pathogenic phylogenetic group A and that

the diversity of these E. coli isolates, according to MLST analysis, was relatively low.

Further, the prevalence of virulence-associated genes among the dishwasher rubber

seal E. coli isolates was also low. Only the following

Keywords

dishwasher, E. coli , genes, One Health, plasmids, virulence

Abstract

Cyanobacteria have many bioactive compounds. In the present study, we

investigated the degree of purification and free radical scavenging ability of phycocyanin

(PC) and phycoerythrin (PE), and compare their stability against selected preservatives at

different temperatures with the aim of achieving the best and most stable preservative in

increasing shelf life of PC and PE. After collecting and culturing Nostoc sp. strains FSN

and ASN in BG-11 0 medium, the pigments phycocyanin and phycoerythrin were extracted

and purified with 56% ammonium sulfate followed by dialysis. The antioxidant activity

of pigments was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. Their stability was compared

with food-grade preservatives citric acid, sodium chloride, sucrose, and calcium chloride

at two temperatures of 5 °C and 35 °C over time period from 3 to 30 days of cultivation.

The results showed that the concentration and purity of the pigments increased after the

dialysis, the pigments had antioxidant properties and were more stable at 5 °C. In addition,

among different preservatives, citric acid caused more stability over time.

Keywords

bioactive compound, cyanobacteria, food-grade preservative, Nostoc, pigment

Abstract

Impatiens glandulifera Royle (Himalayan balsam) is an annual plant,

native to humid parts of the Himalayas. Brought to Europe in the XIX century, it has

since successfully naturalized and spread throughout the continent, becoming one of

the best-known invasive plants. Even though it has been thoroughly studied by many

authors, some aspects of its biology and ecology remain unclear and debatable, such

as its spreading dynamics, negative impacts in invaded ecosystems and ecological

adaptability regarding moisture, nutrients, and light. This 2019 field study from the

Ljubljana Marsh (Slovenia) has proved that Himalayan balsam successfully develops

under mesophilic conditions, where it easily compensates moderate deviations from

its ecological optimum. The species thrives in riparian zones, out-competing native

vegetation, trait shown as potentially the biggest negative impact of chosen species in

this context. This study additionally gave us a different insight into - usually highly

emphasized - dynamics of species’ spreading. Spreading was not either dependent on

hydrochory or as drastic as mentioned in literary sources, giving it a secondary role

in species’ invasiveness on the chosen area. Lastly, we proposed rough estimates of

eradication expenses for given area, based on our field results of species’ abundance

and distribution on chosen area.

Keywords

cology, Himalayan balsam, Impatiens glandulifera , invasive species, plant invasions

Abstract

Modern botanical fungicides should be non-toxic and readily available.

Hydrosols are by-products of essential oil distillation with a large potential market size.

They are, therefore, suitable natural candidates for effective fungicide development.

Improving grain quality and safety during storage are significant challenges in the

contemporary world. We have therefore tested the possible use of rosemary ( Rosmari nus

officinalis L.) hydrosol as an efficient antifungal agent against fungi isolated from

buckwheat grain . Fungi from the genus Fusarium were the most susceptible to rosemary

hydrosol, as growth inhibition was observed in all tested species by 15 % rosemary

hydrosol and in F. graminearum already by 5 % hydrosol concentration. Since there was

no inhibitory effect on the germination of buckwheat grain after exposure to rosemary

hydrosol, it could potentially be used as an environmentally friendly alternative for

suppressing fungal growth on grains.

Keywords

antimicrobial activity, biopesticides, fungicides, Fagopyrum esculentum, Fusarium sp., Rosmarinus officinalis

Abstract

Knowledge of the impacts of microlitter pollution on the freshwater

environment is still less researched when compared to that of marine environments

despite rivers being the main pathway for transport of microlitter pollution to the seas

and oceans. To better understand the state of pollution with microplastics in Slovenian

freshwater fish, we did the first study of microlitter in freshwater fish, in which 50

specimens of common roach ( Rutilus rutilus ) caught in the Slovenian part of the Mura

river basin were examined for its presence. The gastrointestinal tract was dissected from

each specimen and degraded with 10% KOH. Filtered samples were then checked for

microlitter using a stereomicroscope and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Microlitter was

separated into microplastic particles (0.3 – 5 mm) and textile fibres, which can be

of synthetic or seminatural origin. Microlitter was found in 94% of specimens, with

an average concentration of 5 ± 3 items/specimen. Colourful fragments and textile

fibres were found. Fibres were the predominant form (96%) and indicated households

as the main source of microlitter in the Mura river. A strong positive correlation between

the number of microlitter and the weight of the fish was found (R 2 = 0.70). In the

future, simultaneous monitoring of microlitter in sediments, water, and fish would be

necessary to assess whether Rutilus rutilus is an appropriate species for biomonitoring.

Given the growing evidence of the negative effects of microlitter on organisms, it will

be important to carry out biomonitoring in terms of assessing environmental status and

conditions for human health.

Keywords

fish, microlitter, microplastics, river ecosystem, Rutilus rutilus