Papers by Keyword: Protein

Abstract: Freshwater aquaculture has high production rate, but the inconsistency supply of feeds can lead to low quality of fish. This initiates a high demand of fish feeds with complete diet to assist in growth and performance of the reared fish. The conventional fish meal has high protein content but it is expensive and can lead to high manufacturing cost of fish feeds. Therefore, present study is conducted to demonstrate nutritional value in several potential ingredients for formulation of new and economically favorable fish feed formulation for catfish. Proximate analysis of earthworm powder, fish meal, leucaena leucocephala leaves, soybean waste and rice bran was performed to analyze their moisture, ash, protein and crude fiber content. While amino acid analysis was carried out to obtain amino acid profiles. Based on the results, the selected ingredients demonstrated remarkable nutritional content which are required in the catfish diet, thus indicate their high potential as substitute ingredients in fish feed formulation.

Abstract: Computing alignment matrix score to search for regions of homology between biological sequences is time consuming task. This is due to the recursive nature of the dynamic programming-based algorithms such as the Smith-Waterman and the Needleman-Wunsch algorithmns. Typical FPGA-based protein sequencer comprises of two main logic blocks. One for computing alignment scores i.e. the processing element (PE), while another logic block for configuring the PE with coefficients. During alignment matrix computation, the logic block for configuring the PE are left unused until the time consuming alignment matrix computation finished. Therefore, a new technique, known as overlap computation and configuration (OCC) is proposed to minimize the time overhead for performing biological sequence alignment. The OCC technique simultaneously updating substitution matrix in a processing element (PE) systolic array, while computing alignment matrix scores. Results showed that, the sequencer achieves more than two order of magnitude speed-up higher compared to the state of the art, at negligible area overhead, if any.

Abstract: Novel hybrids, comprised of a biologically active protein molecule core, coated with a thin outer layer of porous metallic silver, were developed in our lab. By the conjugation of silver reducing polymer to the surface of soluble, molecular, biologically active protein molecules and subsequent addition of silver salt, electroless silver deposition, culminating in thin porous metallic coating, was directed to the surface of the protein molecules. The silver-protein hybrids thus obtained, presenting novel nanoparticles several nanometers in size, retained their solubility and biological activity.The silver coating combined with the retained biological activity of its protein core, paved the way to a series of biomedical applications of these hybrids including "wiring" of the active site of oxido-reductase enzyme to electrodes, imaging of the presence of targeted ligands displayed on cancer cell surface and antimicrobial enzymatically attenuated release of silver ions.In this presentation we shall overview the technology of protein-silver hybrid's fabrication and analytical applications of silver-glucose oxidase and silver-Avidin hybrids, followed by feasibility demonstration of using silver-glucose oxidase hybrid as novel antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Abstract: To better understand lipid-based implants applied to proteins, lysozyme was used as a model protein and was loaded into lipid-based implants in different contents. Cylindrical and spherical implants loaded with lysozyme presented a smooth surface. Protein loading efficiency decreased with increasing lysozyme loading. Lysozyme kept its activity after different implant preparation techniques. Drug release tremendously increased by increasing protein loading from 8.9 to 13.7% (w/w), for cylindrical implants. Lysozyme release was faster from cylindrical implants when compared with the spherical ones. Furthermore, by increasing the hydrophobicity of the lipid, protein release decreased. This study demonstrates the potential use of lipid-based implants for the controlled release of proteins.

Abstract: Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) is a widely used ceramic biomaterial due to its well described biocompatibility. Some modifications in HA surface can be made to increase surface porosity. Likewise, HA can be modified by the coating with proteins, which may impact on biocompatibility. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the impact of two surface modifications – coating with albumin, a major serum protein, and augmented porosity - over osteoblast adhesion on stoichiometric HA discs. Dense HA discs were obtained by pressing HA powder at 30 KN and sinterization at 1000°C, while porous HA was molded after the addition of alginate (15:1), followed by thermal treatment. Protein adsorption was attained by incubation on 0.5mg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 24 h at 37°C. MC3T3 mouse preosteoblasts were seeded over both protein-coated and uncoated dense or porous tablets, and cell viability after 24 h was estimated by XTT and Neutral Red assays. Cell density was quantified by fluorescence microscopy. While both dense and porous discs presented altered surfaces after protein treatment, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, porous HA tablets presented significantly higher levels of adsorbed protein. There was a decrease in the concentration of calcium ions in all samples analyzed. Porous HA treated with protein presented significant higher mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (XTT) than non treated tablets (p<0.001). Although the BSA adsorption didn`t affect cell adhesion, the results obtained in fluorescence quantification suggests that de dense surface was best for cellular adhesion and spread than the porous one. We conclude that differences in the topography of a biomaterial can directly influence their ability to adsorb proteins, while the dense surface was more favorable for both the adhesion and the spreading of pre-osteoblasts.

Abstract: Plant growth is impressed by biotic and abiotic stress inversely. There are many reports about proteins change level in salinity stress. Leaves fill up more soluble sugar of glucose, fructose and proline with treatment of salicylic acid. In this study, Citrullus lanatus seeds planted in pots containing perlite were put in a growth chamber under controlled conditions of 30 ±2 °Cand 14 ±2 °Ctemperature, 14h lightness and 10h darkness; NaCl concentration of 0,4,8,12 ds/m and salicylic acid concentration of 0,1,2,4 mM were used in the form of factorial experiment in a complete randomized design (CRD). The results demonstrated that increasing of proline and sugars due to osmotic slope in plants lead to increasing of tolerance against dehydrations of leave content and acceleration of plant developments in stress conditions.

Abstract: Corn and corn flour were steeped with different chemical reagents ,sulfurous acid (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.1%)、NaOH (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%)、alcohol (65%, 75%, 65%)、lactic acid (0.3%, 0.5%, 0.3%)、L - cysteine (0.6%, 1.0%, 1.4%) ,using distilled water as control. The separation of starch and protein in corn endosperm steeped under different reagents were analyzed using the amount of free starch measuring by iodine colorimety.The results show that under the action of different concentration of NaOH、sulfurous acid、lactic acid,the measured value of free starch in both corn and corn flour were increased and were higher than control,with the extending of the soak time and increase of reagent concentration.The effect of NaOH is the best,but when the NaOH concentration was above 0.5%, the amount of free starch began to decline. The starch granules were destroyed by the high concentration of alkali. The effect of Sulfite solution is good also, and the observed value of free starch slightly higher than the lactic acid. The effect of different concentration L-cysteine on corn was almost the same as control,but the effect of separation on corn flour was obviously enhanced and better than sulfurous acid,especially concentration above 1.0%.There was no starch granules out of corn and corn flour by alcohol soaking.

Abstract: Protein extraction from Gualou seeds were studied, and Kjeldahl method and Sodium dodecyl sulfonate-polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to characterize the properties of extracted proteins. The optimum extraction parameters were as follows: the extraction solution was 0.2 mol/L phosphate buffer (pH, 8.0) with 5% NaCl, and the ratio of solid to liquid was 1:10. A protein yield of 75.01% was obtained under the optimal extraction conditions. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the proteins extracted from Gualou seeds have apparent molecular weights varying from 10 to 30 kDa, mainly close to 30 kDa.

Abstract: This experiment was performed to determine the ability of the coagulation performance of rambutan seed in comparison to alum for potential use in turbidity removal in water and wastewater treatment industry. Experiments were conducted to find the optimum operating conditions for coagulation process such as coagulant dosage and pH and also suitable extracting solvent for the active agent (distilled water, NaCl and NaOH). 1 M NaCl was found to be an effective solvent for extracting the active coagulant agent in rambutan seed and gave about 99 % turbidity removal. The optimum rambutan seed dosages and pH was 100 mg/l and pH 3, resulting in > 90% turbidity removal. In order to reduce dependency on alum, 50% alum and 50% rambutan seed as coagulant combination was used in the order of alum first followed by rambutan seed. The highest turbidity removal of 99% was achieved compared to when using alum (91%) and seed (88%) alone. Rambutan seed coagulant exhibited faster sedimentation time due to bigger flocs formation and also smaller sludge volume than alum. The results suggest potential of using rambutan biomass as biocoagulant. Keywords: rambutan seed, alum, protein, natural coagulant, turbidity, solvent

Abstract: The aim was to study the effect of extract of disused battery on wheat germination. The germination characteristics such as germination rate, germinating, germination index, vigor index, and content changes of protein and nucleic acid in wheat grain were determined by germination bed method. The results showed that the extract concentration of disused battery affected wheat germination. With the increase of extract concentration of disused battery, the germination rate, germinating, germination index, vigor index and content of nucleic acid gradually dropped, only protein content added.