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Carotenoids produced by microbial sources are of industrial and medicinal importance due to their antioxidant and anticancer properties. In the current study, optimization of β -carotene production in M. circinelloides strain 277.49 was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM). Cerulenin and ketoconazole were used to inhibit fatty acids and the sterol biosynthesis pathway, respectively, in order to enhance β -carotene production by diverting metabolic pool towards the mevalonate pathway. All three variables used in screening experiments were found to be significant for the production of β -carotene. The synergistic effect of the C/N ratio, cerulenin, and ketoconazole was further evaluated and optimized for superior β -carotene production using central composite design of RSM. Our results found that the synergistic combination of C/N ratios, cerulenin, and ketoconazole at different concentrations affected the β -carotene productions significantly. The optimal production medium (std. order 11) composed of C/N 25, 10  μ g/mL cerulenin, and 150 mg/L ketoconazole, producing maximum β -carotene of 4.26 mg/L (0.43 mg/g) which was 157% greater in comparison to unoptimized medium (1.68 mg/L, 0.17 mg/g). So, it was concluded that metabolic flux had been successfully redirected towards the mevalonate pathway for enhanced β -carotene production in CBS 277.49., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicting interests., (Copyright © 2020 Tahira Naz et al.)

γ -Linolenic acid (GLA) and carotenoids have attracted much interest due to their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical importance. Mucoromycota, typical oleaginous filamentous fungi, are known for their production of valuable essential fatty acids and carotenoids. In the present study, 81 fungal strains were isolated from different Egyptian localities, out of which 11 Mucoromycota were selected for further GLA and carotenoid investigation. Comparative analysis of total lipids by GC of selected isolates showed that GLA content was the highest in Rhizomucor pusillus AUMC 11616.A, Mucor circinelloides AUMC 6696.A, and M. hiemalis AUMC 6031 that represented 0.213, 0.211, and 0.20% of CDW, respectively. Carotenoid analysis of selected isolates by spectrophotometer demonstrated that the highest yield of total carotenoids (640  μ g/g) was exhibited by M. hiemalis AUMC 6031 and M. hiemalis AUMC 6695, and these isolates were found to have a similar carotenoid profile with, β -carotene (65%), zeaxanthin (34%), astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin (5%) of total carotenoids. The total fatty acids of all tested isolates showed moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhi , and Penicillium chrysogenum . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the highest yield of total lipid accumulation (51.74% CDW) by a new oleaginous fungal isolate R. pusillus AUMC 11616.A. A new scope for a further study on this strain will be established to optimize and improve its total lipids with high GLA production. So, R. pusillus AUMC 11616.A might be a potential candidate for industrial application., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Hassan Mohamed et al.)

Human liver cancer has emerged as a serious health concern in the world, associated with poorly available therapies. The Berberis genus contains vital medicinal plants with miraculous healing properties and a wide range of bioactivities. In this study, different crude extracts of B. lycium Royle were prepared and screened against Human Hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. The water/ethanolic extract of B. lycium Royle (BLE) exhibited significant antiproliferative activity against the HepG2 cancer cell line with an IC 50 value of 47  μ g/mL. The extract decreased the clonogenic potential of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. It induced apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells that were confirmed by cytometric analysis and microscopic examination of cellular morphology through DAPI-stained cells. Biochemical evidence of apoptosis came from elevating the intracellular ROS level that was accompanied by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. The mechanism of apoptosis was further confirmed by gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR that revealed the decline in Bcl-2 independent of p53 mRNA and a rise in CDK1 while downregulating CDK5, CDK9, and CDK10 mRNA levels at 48 h of BLE treatment. The most active fraction was subjected to HPLC which indicated the presence of berberine (48  μ g/mL) and benzoic acid (15.8  μ g/mL) as major compounds in BLE and a trace amount of luteolin, rutin, and gallic acid. Our study highlighted the importance of the most active BLE extract as an excellent source of nutraceuticals against Human Hepatocarcinoma that can serve as an herbal natural cure against liver cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Kiren Mustafa et al.)