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Our study aimed to evaluate tumour retardation effects of low-piperine fractional Piper nigrum extract (PFPE or LP-PE) related to enhancement of immune response. Results showed that PFPE at doses of 50 (low), 100 (intermediated) and 150 (high) mg/kg BW had a tumour incidence of 20, 20 and 0%, respectively. PFPE at low dose inhibited cytokines/chemokines in the early stages of cancer however it could not suppress longer than 3 months. Intermediated dose of PFPE inhibited cancer cytokines/chemokines including sICAM-1, CX3CL1, CXCL7, VEGF, TIMP-1, CCL5, CCL20, CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL9 and IL-1β. Interestingly, PFPE stimulated IFN- γ at 3 months after treatment in all doses. Intermediated and high doses of PFPE increased Th1 and reduced Th2. Moreover, only a high dose of PFPE reduced Treg. Additionally, PFPE reduced ER-α and NF-κB and increased IL-6R and STAT3 proteins in tumour tissues. Our findings indicate that PFPE suppressed breast cancer via immune modulation.

Objective: To measure the difference in fasting blood glucose (FBG) among Thai women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), having received either oral combined contraceptive pills (OCP) or cyclic progestin, during 3 years of treatment. Materials and Methods: The data were collected by a retrospective chart review of women with PCOS, who had been treated at Siriraj Hospital before June 2019, backward to the year 2000. The patients were divided into two groups, according to their different treatments, namely: an OCP group and a cyclic progestin group. There were 44 cases in each group, and both groups had received complete hormonal treatment over 3 years. Results: The patients’ baseline characteristics showed a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in the OCP group than in the cyclic progestin treatment group. After the 3-year period of treatment, the FBG differences in the OCP group and cyclic progestin treatment group were 3.4±8.4 and 3.6±8.5 mg/dL, respectively; which revealed no statistical significance. Additionally, the difference in the WC and metabolic profile between the studied groups after 3 years of treatment also revealed no significance. However, BMI presented a significant difference between the two hormonal regimens after 3 years of treatment (p-value=0.007), with higher differences in the OCP treatment group. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in FBG between the beginning and at the third year of treatment found in both regimens of hormonal treatment in Thai PCOS women.

The COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has escalated into a global pandemic, urgently necessitating effective treatments. Tremendous research of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease have enabled insight understanding of its mechanism and potential inhibitors. Due to its crucial role in viral replication, the protease is considered an attractive target for antiviral therapy. This study aimed to identify novel potent inhibitors of main protease protein by repurposing i-Motif (iM) binding compounds from the G4LDB database. iM ligands are known for their ability to stabilise iM structures in DNA, and their repurposing as protein inhibitors is an alternative therapeutic approach. To achieve this, we performed in silico studies with six iM binding compounds. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and MM/GBSA binding free energy analysis revealed favourable conformational stability and superior binding affinity of the three proposed iM ligands, including iML0042 (−59.91 ± 3.82 kcal/mol), iML0043 (−56.37 ± 3.87 kcal/mol), and iML0094 (−84.68 ± 3.40 kcal/mol), to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro variants compared to the reference inhibitor nirmatrelvir (−34.35 ± 3.74 kcal/mol). The results suggested that repurposing iM ligands as protease inhibitors is a promising strategy. Our findings revealed significant candidate inhibitors and are recommended for further development as potential protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mictyris thailandensis has been described recently in the family Mictyridae which is found only in the Andaman Sea, west coast of Thailand. In this study, we performed shotgun genome sequencing of a male M. thailandensis using a paired-end (150 bp) sequencing chemistry on MGISEQ-2000RS and report the complete mitochondrial genome of M. thailandensis (15,557 bp). A total of 37 genes have been annotated: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and a control region. Comparative phylogenetic analysis with 29 crustaceans based on 13 conserved genes demonstrated that M. thailandensis is closely related to other soldier crabs in the family Mictyridae. The mitogenome of M. thailandensis presented here provides useful genetic information to help understand the evolutionary relationships among the Mictyridae family members.

The prevailing climate is an important factor affecting the development of the physical quality and flavor of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) beans. The influence of harvest seasons on the physical, chemical, and flavor characteristics of cacao beans from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand, was assessed. Among cacao beans, those harvested in the rainy season (R) had the highest fresh and dry weights and the lowest bean count per 100 g (87.00 ± 2.83). Although the overall fat content remained relatively constant across harvest seasons, cacao beans harvested in R exhibited a significantly higher fatty acid (C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2) content than those harvested in the dry season (D). Cacao beans harvested in D displayed a more diverse and intense aroma profile than those harvested in R. Therefore, this study proved that harvest seasons significantly influenced the physicochemical characteristics of cacao beans. Cacao beans harvested in D exhibited more complex and distinct postroasting aroma profiles than those harvested in R. Evaluating the seasonal harvesting of cacao beans is crucial for developing cocoa and chocolate with fine and unique flavors in southern Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) contains a CXXC active site motif that possesses thiol reductase activity by catalyzing the disulfide bond reduction of exogenous antigens. Mutating the active site of human GILT to change the cysteine residues to serine residues eliminates this property. Our previous study reported that Penaeus monodon GILT (PmGILT) contained a CXXS active site motif. Therefore, we assessed the enzymatic activity of PmGILT and demonstrated that it displayed identical thiol reductase activity at an acidic pH. In addition, the biological activity of PmGILT against shrimp pathogens, including white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and Gram-negative bacteria, was investigated. The neutralization of WSSV with PmGILT indicated the inhibition of WSSV invasion into shrimp hemocyte cells. Moreover, the relative percentage survival of shrimp injected with PmGILT-treated virus solution was 75%. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of PmGILT was confirmed by the growth inhibition of Vibrio harveyi. These results establish the role of PmGILT in the inhibition of the virulence of two major shrimp pathogens.

Loss of β-cell mass and function is a fundamental feature of pathogenesis for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence indicates that apoptosis is one of the main mechanisms of β-cell death in both types. Ethanolic extracts of Pluchea indica leaf (PILE) have been reported to possess blood glucose lowering actions in vivo. Nevertheless, further study is required to determine the underlying mechanisms. In this report, we have investigated the preventive effects of PILE on multiple low doses of streptozotocin (MLDS)-induced β-cell apoptosis. Mice were pre-treated with PILE at 50 mg/kg (PILE 50) or 100 mg/kg (PILE 100) for 2 weeks before streptozotocin (STZ) stimulation, and the treatment continued for 4 or 8 weeks. Results revealed that PILE 100 mice exhibited improved blood biochemistry, maintained a higher body weight, had decreased hyperglycemia, and restored islet architectures compared to non-treated STZ mice. Significantly, PILE 100 decreased levels of inflammatory response markers interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interlukin1-β (IL-1β), concomitant with the inhibition of caspase-3, caspase-8, capsepase-9, phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1), nuclear factor-κBp65 (NF-κBp65), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Additionally, survival and proliferative ability of β-cells was mediated by up-regulated Bcl-2 and Ki67, respectively. These results provide strong evidence that pretreatment with PILE 100 effectively attenuated STZ-induced diabetes-related symptoms and these effects could be associated with the inhibition of cytokine-induced β-cell apoptosis.

This study aimed to screen purple non-sulfur bacteria capable of accumulating granules or polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) inside the cells, identify the potent strain, assay the enzyme or PHA synthase, and compare the PHB synthase gene with that of related strains. A total of 58 strains of purple non-sulfur bacteria were isolated from 108 samples of chicken feces in the chicken-egg farm of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Natural Resources at Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand. After cultivating the bacteria in glutamate malate (GM) medium without added glutamic acid under light (3,000 Lux) at 35oC for 5 days, the intracellular biopolymer granules of the bacteria were observed by using a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM) with excitation and emission wavelength of 530 and 605 nm, respectively. Gas chromatography (GC) was carried out for quantitative analysis of PHB. There were five strains, CH12, CH52, CH72, CH90 and CH92, showed biopolymer granules under CLSM, and accumulated PHB 5, 1.7, 1.5, 1.4 and 1.8% (w w-1) of the cell dry weight (CDW), respectively. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis of CH12 strain showed a high homology of 100% correlation to that of Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain NCIB8288. Regarding the taxonomic characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, CH12 strain was identified as Rps. palustris NCIB8288. The PHA synthase activity of the crude extract from CH12 strain was 25 units/mL. The conserved regions could be aligned and selected among 5 strains of Rhodopseudomonas palustris (strains BisA53, TIE-1, CGA009, HaA2 and BisB18). The purified PCR product was obtained for further studies.