African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (1), pp. 194-197, January, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Potential of probiotics as biotherapeutic agents targeting the innate immune system

Oyetayo, V.O.¹* and Oyetayo, F.L.²

¹Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure,

²Department of Biochemistry, University of Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author E- mail: [email protected].

Accepted 05 February, 2016

Abstract

Probiotics had been of interest in the promotion of good health in animals and man. Some of the positive effects of probiotics are: growth promotion of farm animals, protection of host from intestinal infections, alleviation of lactose intolerance, relief of constipation, anticarcinogenic effect, anticholesterolaemic effects, nutrient synthesis and bioavailability, prevention of genital and urinary tract infections, and immunostimulatory effects. Their beneficial effects may be mediated by direct antagonism of specific groups of organisms, resulting in a decrease in numbers or by an effect on their metabolism or by stimulation of immunity. The resistance of people in developing countries to diseases can be improved upon by promoting the consumption of locally fermented foods that are rich in probiotic organisms. This article reviews the potential of probiotics as immuno-enhancing agents and the future perspective in developing potent probiotics with immunostimulatory molecules that can serve as outstanding vaccine adjuvants.

Key words: Probiotics, biotherapy, lactic acid bacteria, immunostimulation, CpG DNA.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (2), pp. 198-210, February, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The immune enhancer, thymoquinone, and the hope of utilizing the immune system of Aedes caspius against disease agents

Ashraf M. Ahmed^1,2, Ebtesam M. Al-Olayan², Mourad A. M. Aboul-Soud³* and Abdulaziz A. Al-Khedhairy³

¹Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Egypt.

²Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

³Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, Faculty of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 03 January, 2016

Abstract

Insects have developed an efficient defence system against microorganisms, which involves both humoral and cellular mechanisms. Recent studies on insect defence system are aimed at utilizing it in the battle against mosquito-borne diseases. However, mounting immune responses of insects has proved to impose fitness costs. The current study was conducted to test the costs of enhancing the immune responses of Aedes caspius by oral administration of thymoquinone, the active ingredient of the black seed oil, Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae). The obtained results showed an effective humoral activity against Micrococcus luteus (NCTC 2665, Sigma-Aldrich, UK) and Bacillus cereus when mosquitoes were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Bacillus thuringiensis or B. cereus. However, this activity showed no effect against B. thuringiensis. Furthermore, oral administration of thymoquinone enhanced the humoral activity against B. cereus but not against B. thuringiensis. On the other hand, thymoquinone-enhanced immunity imposed reproductive costs in terms of higher percentages of follicular apoptosis and resorption. This observation has been confirmed by the semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, which showed a relatively higher expression of selected caspases genes, namely: CASP 18, CASP 19 and CASP 20, but not CASP 21, transcripts in immune enhanced mosquitoes compared to non-enhanced ones. Based on these results, this study suggests that enhancing the humoral activity by thymoquinone proved to be costly in terms of triggering follicular apoptosis and resorption. Thus, as part of the scenario of immunity-reproduction conflict, it was concluded that the impact of immune stimulation and/or enhancement on the vector reproduction constitutes a limiting factor to the utilization of thymoquinone in the immuno-control strategy against mosquito-borne diseases.

Key words: Aedes caspius, humoral immunity, thymoquinone, reproductive costs, apoptosis.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (5), pp. 248-254, May, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Preventive effect of ordinary and hyperimmune bovine colostrums on mice diabetes induced by alloxan

Daodong Pan^{1, 2}* and Haiyan Liu¹

¹Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, P.R. China.

²Life Science and Biotechnology Faculty of Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P.R. China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +86 - 25 – 83598286. Fax: + 86 - 25 - 83707623.

Accepted 07 August, 2016

Abstract

In the present study, the anti-diabetic effect of ordinary and hyperimmune bovine colostrum were evaluated in diabetic mice induced by alloxan. The results indicated that blood glucose levels were significantly decreased after administration of colostrum for 30 d, and the glucose tolerance was strengthened in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the hyperimmune colostrum was more efficient than ordinary colostrum in decreasing the blood glucose level and improving glucose tolerance in diabetic mice (P<0.05). Furthermore, total levels of serum cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were significantly decreased, and serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control; the hyperimmune colostrum was also more efficient than ordinary colostrum in reducing the serum levels of TC and TG, and increasing the serum levels of HDL-c in diabetic mice (P<0.05). These results suggest that bovine colostrum could modify the diabetic phenotype of mice induced by alloxan.

Key words: Colostrum, diabetic mice, blood glucose, blood lipids.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 277-284, July, 2017. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

Modulatory roles of water extract on various cellular events managed by macrophages and monocytes

Byung Hun Kim ¹, Jaehwi Lee ², Kook Hyun Kim³ and Jae Youl Cho¹*

¹School of Bioscience and Biotechnology and Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.

²College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Chuncheon 156-756, Korea.

³Gapi-Korea, Seoul 153-803, Korea.

*Corresponding author.   E-mail:  [email protected].  Tel: +82-33-250-6488. Fax: +82-33-241-6480.

Accepted 03 March, 2017

Abstract

Tabebuia sp. (Bignoniaceae) is representative traditional herbal plants, found in tropical rain forest areas throughout Central and South America. These plants have been mostly used as a folk medicine to treat bacterial infection, blood coagulation, cancer and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the modulatory role of Tabebuia avellanedae in various macrophage- or monocyte-mediated immune responses using its water extract (Ta-WE). Ta-WE was able to up-regulate cell-cell interaction by decreasing the migration of cells and by enhancing CD29-mediated cell-cell adhesion, and the surface levels of adhesion molecules (CD18, CD29, and CD82) and costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) linked to macrophage stimulation as seen in up-regulation of ROS release. In addition, this fraction also suppressed an alteration in the membrane levels of macrophages such as phagocytic uptake and morphological changes. Therefore, these results suggest that the water extract of T. avellanedae can strongly modulate an ability of macrophages and monocytes to manage immune cell-cell interaction in host defence system.

Key words: Tabebuia avellanedae (Bignoniaceae), water extract, macrophages, monocytes, cell-to-cell interaction.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (3), pp. 218-227, March, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cyclo[(-D-Gly₃-L-Asp₃)] in combination with C and D polypeptide chains of NS3; suggestion a novel nanoparticle to stimulate immune system against hepatitis C

Babak Khalili Hadad¹*, Hadis Soltani², Sara Nouroozi³ and Fatemeh Navaie¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Roudehen, Iran.

²Young Researcher Clubs, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran.

³Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Pishva Branch, Varamin, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +98 9123177387. Fax: +98 21 77295628.

Accepted 12 April, 2016

Abstract

Development of a hepatitis C vaccine is a challenge. Although several vaccines are currently under development, no effective vaccine is currently available. Non structural protein- NS3- can stimulate TH1 and make enhancement in NS3-specific interferon-γ (IFN-γ) serum level. It is thought to use nanoparticles which are biodegradable and safe to body can be a novel approach to deliver epitops as vaccine. Adding the polypeptides components of NS3 on cyclic hexa peptide nanorings with the ability to stimulate immune system without any risk of infection is the main goal of this research. In present study, the nano structures were designed using Hyperchem^TM 8.0.6 software and ArgusLab 4.0.1 package. Cyclo [(-D-G₃-L-D₃)] nanoring has been studied by quantum mechanical calculations within the Onsager self- consistent reaction field model at room and critical body temperatures, using Gaussian 03 package. Radius of gyration and φ and ψ rotation were analyzed with VMD 1.8.2. Montecarlo molecular mechanic method in both MM+ and Bio+ (Charmm) force fields were operated in 200pSec. 1, 2 and 3 polypeptide chains of C and D, separated from NS3 of protease (PDB ID: 1NS3), were substituted to the core. It was revealed that by increasing the polypeptide substituent, the potential energy was increased in systems. The mean of relative potential in Cyclo [(-D-G₃-L-D₃)] substituted with D-polypeptide chain was about two times more stable than the one of C- polypeptide chain, in the same condition. Φ and ψ, changes due to temperature arising were approved in these cases. Although both C and D polypeptide chains were stable in water medium (such as body condition), the results revealed that D chain is more stable to use for nanovaccine fabrication. The Cyclo [(-D-G₃-L-D₃)] with three substituent of D-chain is suggested, based on results.

Key words: Cyclo[(-D-Gly3-L-Asp3)], non structural protein- NS3, vaccine, hepatitis C, Ramachandran plot.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (3), pp. 211-217, March, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of β-Mannanase on broiler performance, gut morphology and immune system

M. Mehri¹*, M. Adibmoradi², A. Samie³ and M. Shivazad⁴

¹Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.

⁴Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel/Fax: +982612706168, +985112740420.

Accepted 23 September, 2016

Abstract

An experiment was designed to assess the effects of graded levels of β-mannanase on performance, gut morphology and some blood proteins and leucocytes of broilers provided with diets based on corn and soybean meal. Broiler chickens are divided four group and supplied diet which contains 0, 500, 700, or 900 g/ton β-mannanase. Each treatment contained 4 pen with 15 birds/pen. 900 g/ton β-mannanase supplementation significantly reduced feed intake but did not influenced body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in both finisher and total period. 900 g/ton β-mannanase supplementation increased (P < 0.01) villus height and crypt depth and decreased (P < 0.01) goblet cell number, epithelial thickness and ratio of crypt depth to villus height in different sections of small intestine, suggesting that β-mannanase improves gut morphology in broiler chickens. The addition of β-mannanase at 700 and 900 g/ton to the diets significantly (P < 0.05) reduced jejunal viscosity compared with the control group. β-mannanase did not influence the blood serum proteins (albumin, alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta and gamma-globulins) eosinophils and monocytes, but the addition β-mannanase increased lymphocyte, and decreased heterophil and heterophil: lymphocyte (H:L) ratio (p < 0.05). Thus it improved chickens immune system.

Key words: Broiler, leucocytes, viscosity, serum proteins.