In recent years, the use of intelligent packaging based on edible or biodegradable films has attracted the attention of many researchers. In this type of packaging, the color change of the film can indicate the spoilage and freshness of various products. Total volatile bases, which are produced during the spoilage of protein-based foods, can react with water molecules in the film, leading to an increase in pH and a color change in the indicators within the polymer. This study will investigate the chemical, structural, and morphological properties of a smart aerogel based on carboxymethyl cellulose Arabic gum containing carbon dots and anthocyanins derived from black chickpea peels, as well as its application in monitoring the freshness of chicken fillets.

This study aims to incorporate Chrysanthemum indicum petals’ extract (CIE) into the carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibers by the electrospinning technique and design corn starch- chitosan (CS-CH) aerogels enriched with encapsulated CIE 6% and montmorillonite (MMT, 0.5%) by freeze-drying process to track the freshness of rainbow trout fillets using corresponding pH-sensitive aerogels during 6 days of storage at chilled conditions. The thickness, water solubility, moisture content, and water vapor sorption capacity of developed CS-CH aerogels were 0.38 -0.39 cm, 5.49% - 59.80%, 0.10% - 0.17%, and 0.24% - 4.12%, respectively. The color of pH-sensitive CS-CH + CIE 6% and CS-CH + CIE 6% + MMT 0.5% aerogels was red, purplish-red,blue, peacock blue, and brown at pH 1-4, 5-6, 7, 8, and 9-10, respectively. After 4 days of refrigerated storage of the rainbow trout fillets, the initial white color of the CS-CH + CIE 6% and CS-CH + CIE 6% + MMT 0.5% aerogels rapidly turned blue, while the total viable count, psychrotrophic bacterial count, total volatile basic nitrogen, and pH of the samples reached 7.34  log CFU/g, 5.89 log CFU/g, 25.59 mg N/100 g, and 7.12, respectively, indicating that the samples spoiled and is no longer acceptable for human utilization.

Keywords: pH-sensitive label, electrospinning, freshness monitoring  

The objectives of the present experiment were to fabricate aerogels based on gelatin-sodium alginate (GL-SA) containing cellulose nanofibers (CNF, 1.5%) and encapsulated Echinacea angustifolia extract (EAE, 5.5%) and investigate their potential utilization of fabricated intelligent aerogels to track the silver carp fillet freshness over a 6-day period at refrigerated conditions. The GL-SA + EAE 5.5% and GL-SA + EAE 5.5% + CNF 1.5% aerogels presented distinguishable color changes at pH 1-2, 3-6, 7, 8, and 9-10, which were pink, red, dark violet, green, and yellow-brown, respectively, and were highly sensitive to volatile ammonia. The developed aerogels exhibited appropriate thermal stability and physical properties, including water solubility (14.15%-55.23%), moisture content (0.12%-0.28%), and water vapor sorption capacity (0.17%-0.81%). The colorimetric GL-SA + EAE 5.5% and GL-SA + EAE 5.5% + CNF 1.5% aerogels indicated different colors (white ? dark violet) to represent the spoilage of silver carp fillets as the pH (6.63 ? 7.12), total volatile basic nitrogen (7.49 mg N/100 g ? 25.89 mg N/100g), total viable count (3.34 log CFU/g ? 7.10 log CFU/g), and psychrotrophic bacterial count (3.01 log CFU/g ? 6.16 log CFU/g) of the packaged fish changed.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most significant health threats, with current treatments facing challenges such as severe side effects and cellular resistance. Inducing apoptosis has emerged as an innovative approach to overcoming these obstacles. Green-synthesized nanoparticles have shown great promise in this regard. These nanoparticles can effectively eliminate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis while minimizing side effects.

In this in vitro study, aimed at evaluating antitumor potential and apoptosis induction, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO   ) were synthesized via a green method using ethanolic pomegranate peel extract (Punica granatum). Initially, bioactive compounds in the pomegranate peel extract were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The nanoparticles were subsequently characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results confirmed the formation of ZnO nanoparticles with a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure, nanoscale size, and spherical and hexagonal morphology.

The antitumor effects and apoptosis-inducing capabilities of green-synthesized ZnO    were compared with chemically synthesized ZnO    on colorectal cancer cells (HT-29). MTT assay results demonstrated that green-synthesized ZnO    exhibited stronger dose-dependent cytotoxic effects than their chemically synthesized counterparts. The IC50 value for green-synthesized nanoparticles was determined to be 80.28 µg/mL, indicating higher cytotoxicity compared to chemically synthesized ZnO   . Acridine orange/propidium iodide and DAPI staining techniques revealed a significant increase in apoptosis in cancer cells treated with green-synthesized ZnO   . Furthermore, immunocytochemistry (ICC) analysis showed a significant increase in p53 protein levels and a substantial decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression in these cells (p ? 0.0001).

These findings indicate that green-synthesized ZnO    exert stronger cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects on cancer cells compared to chemically synthesized nanoparticles. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that green synthesis of ZnO    using pomegranate peel extract (P.G.) offers much higher potential for inducing cellular apoptosis and inhibiting tumor cell growth. These findings open new horizons in cancer nanotechnology, suggesting that green-synthesized ZnO    could serve as a promising therapeutic agent in cancer treatment.

Keywords: Apoptosis, BCL-2, p53, colorectal cancer cells HT-29, zinc oxide nanoparticles, green synthesis, immunocytochemistry (ICC).

  

Background: Pain is one of the most common clinical symptoms. Clinical treatment of pain is still a big problem. Therefore, it is necessary for researchers to look for treatments with fewer side effects. Plants have high biological importance and some of them can show antinociceptive activities. Esculin is one of the important derivatives of Fraxinus rhynchophylla plant bark. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antinociceptive effects of esculin and the possible mechanisms involved in it in adult male mice.

Methods: In this study, mice were divided into 5 groups, which include the control group, 3 groups receiving esculin (with doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) and the indomethacin group (5 mg/kg). Pain induction was done using writhing test. To check the analgesic activity, 30 minutes after the injection of the above compounds in the respective groups, 0.6% acetic acid (10 mg/kg) was injected and the behavior of the mice was observed for 30 minutes to count the number of writhes. took Then, the most effective dose of esculin (40 mg/kg) was selected to investigate the involved mechanisms. In order to investigate the possible role of the systems involved in analgesia caused by esculin, pretreatment with naloxone (opioidergic receptors antagonist, 2 mg/kg), atropine (cholinergic receptors antagonist, 1 mg/kg), chlorpheniramine (H1 histaminergic receptors antagonist, 20 mg/kg), cimetidine (H2 histaminergic receptors antagonist, 12.5 mg/kg), flumazenil (GABAergic receptors antagonist, 5 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (serotonergic receptors antagonist, 4 mg/kg) and yohimbine (adrenergic receptors antagonist, 2 mg/kg) were administered 15 minutes before the injection of esculin. Then, 15 minutes after the injection of esculin, acetic acid was injected and the number of writhes was calculated for 30 minutes. All injections were done intraperitoneally.

Results: The results showed that esculin has a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in pain induced by the writhing test (0/05>P(. Also, in the groups pretreated with naloxone, atropine, flumazenil and yohimbine, the antinociceptive effects decreased significantly (0/05>P(.

Abstract
Molecular investigation of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in raw milk of sheep and goat herds in Kermanshah province.
Introduction: Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) is one of the common pathogens between humans and animals that can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, including diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The main reservoir of these pathogenic strains are ruminants, especially cows, and raw milk is one of the main sources of infection. Currently, the resistance of these bacteria to common antibiotics, especially third-generation cephalosporin, is increasing due to the production of broad-spectrum beta-lactamase enzyme, and subsequently, it has caused many treatment problems in the world. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of VTEC and their antibiotic resistance genes in raw milk of sheep and goat herds in Kermanshah province.

Methods: A total of 118 sheep and goat raw milk samples were collected. After DNA extraction, the samples were subjected to PCR reaction to identify UsPA, uidA, Stx1 and Stx2 genes. Samples containing uidA and UsPA genes are E. coli positive samples and samples containing Stx1 and/or Stx2 genes in addition to the two mentioned genes are considered to contain VTEC and in order to identify the antibiotic resistance genes belaTEM, belaSHV and belaCTX M by PCR. Were examined.
Results: In the results of this study, a total of 32 samples out of 118 milk samples (27.1%) contained uidA and UsPA genes and were considered as E.coli. All 32 E.coli positive samples also contained the Stx1 gene and were considered VTEC. No cases of Stx2 gene were found. The prevalence of belaSHV and belaCTX M antibiotic resistance genes among the positive E.coli samples was 90.6% and 56.2%, respectively. No samples containing the belaTEM gene were found.
Conclusion: The prevalence of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in the present study was 27.1%. According to the findings of the present study, the prevalence of VTEC strain in raw milk, which is one of the important sources of food in our country and other regions, is high, which raises many concerns about the transmission of this bacterium and its associated diseases in humans. On the other hand, the amount of antibiotic resistance of these microorganisms is increasing, which is also one of the most serious problems in the field of public health all over the world. These results indicate the need to examine raw milk and its products in the country and to strictly control this food source in terms of hygiene and non-contamination of samples.
Key words: Escherichia coli, virulence genes, resistance genes