https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/ Informatics in Biology, Health and Food en daily 1 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235193.html Violacein is a water-insoluble purple pigment produced by several gram-negative bacteria, including Janthinobacterium lividum. This pigment exhibits a wide range of biological activities, including anticancer, bacteriostatic, antibiotic, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties. However, due to its low production yield, industrial-scale production has not yet been achieved. The main aim of the present study was to apply the Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) approach based on the basic principles of Darwinian evolution to enhance violacein production in J. lividum. Initially, the effects of various concentrations of ampicillin on bacterial growth and violacein production were evaluated. Subsequently, ALE was performed through sequential transfer in Erlenmeyer flasks containing different concentrations of ampicillin (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 mg/mL). Twenty passages were conducted at each concentration, and the adapted strains were preserved in glycerol. After the final passage, cultures were transferred to agar plates containing ampicillin, and antibiotic-resistant colonies were selected for the next round. To investigate the effect of ampicillin on violacein and its precursor, the amino acid L-tryptophan (L-Trp), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed. The results showed that violacein production increased significantly under sub-lethal concentrations of ampicillin; in the presence of 0.4 mg/mL of this antibiotic, violacein yield rose from 56 mg/L to approximately 132 mg/L. Through ALE, an evolved strain resistant to 1 mg/mL ampicillin was obtained, capable of producing 420 mg/L of violacein. Moreover, L-tryptophan production increased significantly compared to the control condition (from 0.62 μg/mL to 0.95 μg/mL). Overall, the results suggest that ampicillin may enhance violacein biosynthesis by stimulating the production of its precursor, L-tryptophan. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235529.html Vibriosis caused by Vibrio harveyi is a significant disease in Asian sea bass, leading to massive mortality, reduced growth, and considerable economic losses in aquaculture. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an oral vaccine containing inactivated Vibrio harveyi with nanochitosan as an adjuvant on the immunity and survival of Asian sea bass. A total of 180 fingerlings (average weight 10 g) were divided into three groups: a control group (non-vaccinated), a group vaccinated with nanochitosan-adjuvanted vaccine, and a group vaccinated without adjuvant. Oral vaccination was administered in two rounds (days 0 and 14), with each round consisting of three daily feedings. All groups were maintained under identical conditions for 12 weeks and fed daily at a rate of 4% of their body weight. On day 70, a pathogen challenge was conducted via intraperitoneal injection of live Vibrio harveyi, and mortality was recorded over 7 days. The group receiving the nanochitosan-adjuvanted vaccine exhibited a stronger immune response (p < 0.05), higher survival, and improved growth compared to the control group. This study is one of the first in Iran to use a native strain of Vibrio harveyi and oral nanochitosan as an adjuvant, representing key innovations. The findings highlight the potential of the nanochitosan-adjuvanted oral vaccine in controlling vibriosis and may pave the way for future research into developing effective oral vaccines for aquaculture. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_232756.html Double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) are one of the most destructive damages caused by ionizing radiation to cells. Resistance to harsh conditions of ionizing radiation, UV light, and dryness are special characteristics of members of the genus Deinococcus. In order to maintain survival against radiation-induced damage, the bacterium Deinococcus gobensis (strain I-O) has the Rec A protein, which plays a pivotal role in the repair of DSB breaks and recombination. In this study, the three-dimensional structure of the Rec A protein isolated from Deinococcus gobensis strain I-O, which has not been determined experimentally, was simulated by aligning it with the sequence of Deinococcus radiodurans using the Swiss model program. The alignment result showed that the Rec A protein is 80% similar to the human gene. In order to examine the quality of modeling, the Root Mean Square (RMS) was calculated, in the aforementioned model was estimated to be 0.56 angstroms, which was less than 1 and indicated the suitability of the designed model. By predicting and determining three-dimensional structures and modeling proteins, interactions between substrates can be examined and, with the help of bioinformatics, a tool for great success in the field of drug design can be obtained in this field. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235307.html The objective of this study was to estimate heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations, and to assess maternal effects for major economic traits in native chickens of Iran maintained at the Khorasan Native Fowl Breeding Center (KRBC). Variance components were estimated for body weight at 8 weeks (BW8) and 12 weeks (BW12), age at sexual maturity (ASM), body weight at sexual maturity (WSM), egg number (EN), and average egg weight at 28, 30 and 32 weeks (EW). Each trait was analyzed using animal models with and without maternal effects under a Bayesian framework employing Gibbs sampling in GIBBS3F90. The most appropriate model for each trait was identified based on the Deviance Information Criterion (DIC). The dataset comprised 18000 records collected across three generations (2009–2012). Results indicated that, for ASM, the model including only direct genetic effects provided the best fit, whereas for WSM and BW8–BW12, models including direct, maternal genetic, and permanent maternal environmental effects were superior. For EN, the model including both direct and maternal genetic effects was optimal, while for EW the model containing direct genetic and permanent maternal environmental effects performed best. Direct heritability estimates ranged from 0.13 (for EN) to 0.46 (for EW). Exclusion of maternal effects generally led to overestimation of direct heritability. Therefore, inclusion of both direct and maternal genetic effects is essential for accurate evaluation of body weight and egg related traits. Positive genetic correlations between growth traits (BW8, BW12, and WSM) and ASM indicated that selection for faster growth could undesirably increase age at maturity. Since native chickens exhibit dual purpose potential (meat and egg production), the use of selection indices that simultaneously aim to enhance growth while reducing age at sexual maturity is crucial for improving their overall economic performance. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235909.html In recent years, natural biopolymers have attracted growing attention for developing smart wound dressings to enhance tissue regeneration and prevent bacterial infections. In this study, hydrogel scaffolds based on chitosan and keratin were fabricated and reinforced with Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract at concentrations of 2.5% and 5%. The chemical and morphological properties were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Physical tests including swelling ratio, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and biodegradation were performed, while antibacterial activity was evaluated to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results showed that rosemary incorporation improved hydrogen bonding, structural uniformity, and water vapor permeability (~2979 g/m²/24 h), while reducing degradation rate. Moreover, the extract exhibited the strongest antibacterial effect against S. aureus with an MIC value of 50 mg/mL. Overall, the chitosan–keratin–rosemary (5%) hydrogel demonstrated promising physicochemical stability and bioactivity, making it a potential bioactive wound dressing for infected wounds. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235960.html Plankton constitute the foundation of aquatic food webs and serve as sensitive indicators of ecosystem health.This study aimed to investigate diel (day–night) variations in plankton density and their relationship with physicochemical parameters and light intensity in the surface waters of Chahnimeh III reservoir. Sampling was conducted on 10 different dates between August and December 2024 at 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Surface water samples were analyzed to determine the abundance of major planktonic groups (Diatoms, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Protozoa, Rotifera, and Crustacea) as well as physicochemical parameters including temperature, pH, EC, and turbidity. Diatoms showed the highest abundance among the studied groups. Cyanophyceae density significantly decreased at night, whereas Chlorophyceae and Diatoms exhibited a positive and significant correlation with diel changes. Temperature and turbidity also showed a marked decrease during nighttime. The findings indicate that plankton density in Chahnimeh III is influenced by diel patterns, with temperature playing a major role in these variations. Considering the time of sampling is crucial for accurate monitoring and ecological assessment of aquatic ecosystems. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_235901.html The use of eco-friendly methods for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has attracted considerable attention due to their reduced environmental impact and chemical toxicity. Given the rapid rise of antibiotic resistance and the hazards associated with conventional chemical methods, this study aimed to synthesise silver nanoparticles using castor oil as the sole reducing and stabilising agent, and to investigate their antibacterial and antioxidant properties against E. coli and Shigella spp. The nanoparticles obtained were characterised by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FTIR results confirmed the presence of hydroxyl, amide, and carboxyl functional groups, which play key roles in the reduction and stabilisation processes. The XRD pattern showed characteristic peaks at 2θ values of 38.1°, 44.3°, 64.5°, and 77.4°, corresponding to the face-centred cubic structure of silver, with an average crystallite size of approximately 16.8 nm. The results demonstrated significant inhibitory and bactericidal effects, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 156.25 µg/mL for both strains and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 625 µg/mL for E. coli and 312.5 µg/mL for Shigella spp. In the antioxidant assay, the nanoparticles scavenged 81% of DPPH free radicals at a concentration of 500 µg/mL, with an IC₅₀ value of 41.75 µg/mL. The novelty of this research is the optimisation of synthesis conditions (0.1 mM silver nitrate, 1:10 castor oil-to-precursor ratio, 80 °C, and 2-hour reaction time), which have not previously been reported with castor oil. This optimisation produced the smallest crystallite size and the lowest IC₅₀ value recorded using castor oil. The findings establish castor oil as a highly efficient and cost-effective biological agent for the industrial production of silver nanoparticles with superior bioactivity, providing a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants in the pharmaceutical and food industries. https://ibhf.shandiz.ac.ir/article_240546.html Cancer remains a major global health challenge, and the limitations of conventional antibody therapies have highlighted the need for novel approaches. Nanobodies derived from camel biofluids, particularly nanobodies and exosomes, have emerged as promising candidates in this field due to their unique structural features. The aim of this review is to comprehensively investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of these nanoparticles. This study was conducted as a narrative review by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases between 2000 and 2025. The literature review shows that camel nanobodies, due to their small size and high stability, have deeper penetration into tumor tissues and are able to inhibit proliferation and angiogenesis pathways. Camel milk exosomes as nanocarriers also enhance drug efficacy and overcome drug resistance. Recent advances in immunotherapy and nanobody-based CAR-T cells have also shown promising results. Camel-derived nanoparticles have great potential to become a mainstay of targeted cancer therapies. However, future research should focus on standardizing their production and increasing their stability in the bloodstream.