Cell and Tissue Journal

Abstract Aim: Turmeric contains a high amount of curcumin (Cur), which exhibits strong antioxidant activity. Cur binds to antioxidant response elements for gene, thus suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reactive oxygen species are short-lived, highly electrophilic molecules. When intracellular antioxidants are reduced or ROS accumulate excessively, it brings about the imbalance in the redox state which leading to oxidative stress. DEHP consists of a pair of eight-carbon esters linked to a benzene-dicarboxylic acid ring with chemical formula of C24H38O4. DEHP is used as a plasticizer in many polyvinyl chloride products, especially in medical devices such as intravenous bags and tubing, umbilical artery catheters, blood bags, infusion tubing, enteral nutrition feeding bags, nasogastric tubes and dialysis bags. Due to non-covalent binding to the plastic products, DEHP leaches into biological fluids during medical treatment causing contamination. There is ample evidence that DEHP induces oxidative stress and causes apoptosis in cells. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effects of Cur on DEHP-induced oxidative stress in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as DEHP has been found to induce oxidative stress in BMSCs.
 Materialand Methods: Rat BMSCs was extracted and after the 3rd passage, their cell viability and proliferation were examined in the presence of various concentrations (0.05,0.1, 0.25, 1, 2.5 and 5 μM) of Cur for a period of 4 days. Subsequently, a concentration of 0.1 μM Cur was chosen for further assessment of viability and proliferation abilities (measured by population doubling number (PDN)), total protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as the expression of NFkB and Nrf2 both individually and in conjunction with 100 or 500 μM of DEHP (chosen based on previous study) for durations of 4 and8 days. The data underwent statistical analysis with P<.05 considered as the minimum level of significance.
 Results: Concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.25 μM of Cur were found to have no effect on the viability (P<0.05) of the BMSCs but significantly increased proliferation ability (P<0.0001). Conversely, concentrations of 1, 2.5, and 5 μM of Cur significantly reduced viability (P<0.0001). The concentration of 0.1 μM was chosen for further analysis based on viability tests and PDN analysis. This selected concentration notably increased BMSCs proliferation after 4 days, while higher concentrations (1, 2.5, and 5 μM) reduced both viability and proliferation. Furthermore, this concentration counteracted the effects of DEHP at both day 4 and day 8 by reducing MDA levels and increasing TAC levels as well as catalase and SOD activity - particularly at day 8 compared to the DEHP-treated groups. Additionally, Cur was found to reduce NFkB expression while increasing Nrf2 expression in BMSCs.
Conclusion: Curcumin mitigated oxidative stress induced by DEHP through the Nrf/NFkB pathway. Moreover, it enhanced the cell viability and proliferation capacity of BMSCs in the presence of DEHP. Therefore, patients undergoing hemodialysis and blood transfusion, who may be exposed to DEHP from medical devices like tubes and other plastic products, should consider consuming turmeric to counteract the oxidative impact of this chemical.

Abstract Aim: Thepurpose of this study is the investigation of the effect of aqueous and ehanolic plant extracts including neem, clove, thyme and lavender on the increase storage life via decrease of reactive oxygen and the activity of antioxidant enzymes.
Material and methods: In this study, it was extracted of the neem, clove, thyme and lavender with aqueous and ehanolic solution, then the orange fruits was treated with 2×1000, 4×1000 and 6×1000 concentration of plant extract and chitosan and vax. The treated fruits were stored in the storage with 7C and 80-90% humidity. The enzyme activity and the related genes expression was evaluated per twenty days to 100 days in the orange fruits. In the other section of study, it was done the panel test.
Results: The results showed the activity of catalase was affected with plant extracts. The treated orange fruits with 6×1000 concentration of ethanolic lavender extract showed the least catalase activity, with 2.13; the least peroxidase activity was observed in the fruits treated with aqueous lavender extract with 6×1000 concentration. The ethanolic and aqueous of lavender extract affected on the catalase and peroxidase gene expression with 5.28 and 6.66 respectively.
Conclusion: the results of this study showed the extracts of neem, clove, thyme and lavender have highly effect on the plant physiology and they decreased the enzyme activity and the genes expression.

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the interaction effect of salinity stress and superabsorbent polymers on physiological traits of basil.
Material and methods: A pot experiment was conducted as factorial based on a completely randomized design with four levels of salinity (0, 40, 80 and 120 mM NaCl in irrigation water) and four levels of superabsorbent polymers included (control, Ackoasorb, Stockosorb and Terracottem). The measured traits were soluble protein, antioxidant enzyme activities, malondialdehyde content and essential oil production.
Results: Antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase at first harvesting and high salinity (120 mM) under Ackoasorb, Terracottem, Terracottem and Ackoasorb usage decreased 52.68, 73.1, 68.07 and 75.35%, respectively, and also at second harvest at highest salinity level (80 mM) the activity of these enzymes under Ackoasorb, Terracottem, Ackoasorb, Terracottem and Terracottem decreased 37.6, 62.5, 46.38 43.06 and 38.47%, respectively.  With increasing salinity the essential oil production decreased and Tracheotem superabsorbent increase it. At first harvesting, a significant positive correlation was observed between malondialdehyde with guaiacol peroxidase (r = 0.751) and at second harvesting ascorbate peroxidase with protein (r = - 0.753) had a significant negative correlations, moreover, significant positive correlations were found between superoxide dismutase with guaiacol peroxidase (r = 0.848), malondialdehyde with guaiacol peroxidase (r = 0.789) and malondialdehyde with ascorbate peroxidase (r = 0.743).
Conclusion: The results showed that application of superabsorbents under salinity stress conditions could decrease the severity of this stress and thereby cause to decrease the antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde amount significantly, but increased the soluble protein and essential oil content.
 

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of walnut green skin extract on blue mold apple, peroxidase activity and catalase activity, as well as the level of gene expression of these two enzymes.
Material and methods: In this study, extracts of green skin of walnut were used to control the apple blue mold caused by Penicillium expansum, in vitro and in vivo. Then, the effect of the aqueous extract of this plant on the activity and also expression of the genes of the two enzymes of peroxidase and catalase were evaluated.
Results: The results of the extract mixed with culture media tests showed the aqueous and methanolic extracts of green walnut skin inhibit with the rate of 86.41 and 75.84 percent of the fungal pathogen were respectively the best treatment in comparison with the control. In vivo test (the 4 ° C), the spot surface, in the treatment of aqueous and alcoholic extracts with a concentration of  6×1000, reduced 94.50 and 81.69%, respectively. In the test for the activity of peroxidase and catalase activity, the walnut skin extract increase the activity of these enzymes at 9th day. The results of enzymes genes expression showed that the expression of peroxidase and catalase genes was 227.66 and 314.08 fold on day 9, in the plant extract+ pathogen treatment, respectively.
Conclusion: The extract of walnut skin had direct fungal effects, and it can was induce the defense genes expression and subsequently increased activity of defense enzymes.
 
 

Abstract Aim: Iran is considered as an arid and semi-arid area of the world and also it is one of the main countries producing cucumbers; so study the effects of drought on this plant and also its antioxidant system changes are important.
Material and methods: In this study, cucumber cv. Isfahani plants were grown under greenhouse condition. In order to study the effect of changes in protein and antioxidant systems, cucumber plants at 3 to 5 leaf stage were treated with 4 levels of drought stress (100, 75, 50 and 25 percent) and their responses to applied stresses were investigated. The amounts of electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, protein, proline, total antioxidant, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase activities, α-tocopherol and hydrogen peroxide were measured.
Results: The results study showed that the contents of electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, proline, total antioxidant, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, α-tocopherol and hydrogen peroxide increased under drought stresses as compared to the control plants. However, protein index decreased under drought stresses in comparison with controls.
Conclusion: The obtained findings showed that in this cultivar of cucumber tolerance to drought was related to enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities and also proline accumulation.

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Lepidium draba L. seedlings to eliminate zinc and silver ions from the medium. Material and Methods: The seeds of L. draba were cultured on MS solid medium for 15 days in the presence of different concentrations of both silver and zinc ions. The bioaccumulation of these ions in L. draba tissues were measured by atomic absorption. Furthermore, biochemical and morphological properties of the seedlings such as catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, total flavonoid content, germination percentage, root and stem lengths were analyzed. Results: Results revealed that L. draba seedlings were able to absorb high level of zinc and silver ions and a direct relationship between the level of absorption and the amount of ions in media was seen. On the other hand, total flavonoid contents, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were elevated by increasing concentrations of the ions in media. Silver ion increased the germination, while the seed germination did not show significant different in treatment with zinc ion in compared to the control. Upon the treatment seedlings with silver ion, the stem growth was significantly increased, while the root growth was decreased. Significant decrease in the stem and root growth were occurred upon seedlings treatment with high level concentrations of zinc ion. Conclusion: Based on the results, it seems that L. draba could be introduced an appropriate option for refining of the aforementioned metals from contaminated area.