June Cheptoo Serem

Candida albicans is a critical‐priority fungal pathogen due to its global burden of infection, biofilm‐forming ability, and increasing drug resistance. Previously, the tick‐derived antimicrobial peptide (AMP), Os‐C, demonstrated antifungal, antioxidant, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity. Subsequent tryptophan end‐tagging produced Os‐C(W ₅ ) which improved antifungal activity and reduced salt sensitivity; however, the proteolytic susceptibility of Os‐C(W ₅ ) remained a limitation. Researchers have shown that N‐terminal tryptophan tagging of a gold binding peptide generated gold nanoparticle (GNPs) of a clinically relevant size. We successfully applied this method with minor modifications to generate GNPs coated with Os‐C(W ₅ ). GNP@Os‐C(W ₅ ) exhibited an average diameter of 14.2 ± 0.32 nm, with preserved peptide disorder in peptide secondary structure after conjugation. Compared with free Os‐C(W ₅ ), GNP@Os‐C(W ₅ ) activity against planktonic C. albicans was reduced, but antibiofilm activity was maintained, associated with a reduction in biofilm biomass. Ultrastructural changes to planktonic C. albicans included roughened and irregular surfaces, membrane indentations, and extracellular debris indicating cell lysis. Samples treated with Os‐C(W5) and GNP@Os‐C(W5) showed visibly less dense biofilm architecture and fewer apparent hyphal structures relative to the untreated control. Both Os‐C(W ₅ ) and GNP@Os‐C(W ₅ ) were non‐cytotoxic to HaCat cells. Most importantly, resistance to the protease trypsin was increased. However, antioxidant properties of Os‐C(W ₅ ) were lost with GNP conjugation, whereas both Os‐C(W ₅ ) and GNP@Os‐C(W ₅ ) compared with Os‐C lacked NO scavenging activity. Overall, this method of GNP conjugation provides a viable strategy to achieve enhanced AMP stability, retained antifungal activity, although the ability of GNP@Os‐C(W ₅ ) to reduce oxidative stress was compromised.

Tyrosine-capped AuNPs enable near-complete loading of AamAP1-Lys-NH ₂ , reduce cytotoxicity and protease degradation and preserve antimicrobial activity. Nanoparticles improve survival in P. aeruginosa burn wound infections, supporting wound therapy.

Bone degreasing is a vital but challenging procedure to ensure that skeletal remains can be safely stored and handled particularly in the anatomical and forensic anthropological contexts. Trichloroethylene (TCE) is the chemical commonly used as a degreasing agent in South Africa; however, this chemical poses a few difficulties. Trichloroethylene is highly carcinogenic, requiring strict safety precautions during use. In addition, it is also costly, as it demands specialised equipment and skilled operators to ensure proper handling. For these reasons most institutions in South Africa are not financially able to make use of this degreasing technique. Therefore, a growing demand exists for a technique that matches the effectiveness of TCE, while posing fewer health risks and being more cost-effective. The aim of this study was to identify the most suitable degreasing alternative to trichloroethylene by investigating the effect of alternative chemicals on the macroscopic bone morphology. The degreasing effect of five other chemicals, of lower cost and health risks, namely acetic acid; ammonia; bleach; ethanol and peroxide were investigated, in hope of finding a suitable alternative which is time-efficient, effective and safe, while causing the least amount of destruction of bone. A macroscopic scoring system with various criteria i.e., bone mass, colour difference, sediment and fatty layer formation, morphological changes and odour after drying was used to quantify the amount of damage caused by the chemicals. According to the scoring system, peroxide was identified as the most successful degreaser in this study.

This paper presents a mathematical model that explores the interactions between Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 1 (CDK1) and the Anaphase-Promoting Complex (APC) in cancer cells. Through the analysis of a dynamical system simulating the CDK1-APC network, we investigate the system's behavior and its implications for cancer progression and potential therapeutic interventions. Our findings highlight the critical role of CDK1-APC interactions in regulating the cell cycle and examine the impact of Zingerone, a compound derived from ginger, on modulating the period of the oscillatory dynamics. These results provide new insights into the potential of Zingerone to influence cell proliferation and offer avenues for less harmful cancer treatments. The quantitative analysis is conducted by first theoretically deriving the cell viability as a function of time and Zingerone concentration, and then validating this function by using experimental data.

This study investigated the potential health‐promoting properties of new sources of natural food colorants, namely pigmented flower extracts from Geraniaceae ( Pelargonium grandiflorum, Pelargonium × hortorum, Pelargonium zonale hybrid) and Lamiaceae ( Salvia aurea × dolomitica, Salvia dolomitica and Plectranthus zuluensis ). In the Geraniaceae family, the main phenolic acids identified were hydrolysable tannins, while the main flavonoids were rutinosides of kaempferol and quercetin. In the Lamiaceae family, the main phenolic acids were caffeic acid and its derivatives, and the main flavonoids were naringin and neohesperidin. The total polyphenol content (TPC) and 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were higher for Geraniaceae than for Lamiaceae species. For all extracts, oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) was similar, except for P. zonale hybrid . These extracts protected Caco‐2 cells against 2, 2′‐azobis (2‐amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) generated oxidative damage. Similarly, all extracts, except P. zonale hybrid , effectively scavenged nitric oxide (NO) and reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced NO formation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Inhibition of the formation of advanced glycation end‐products (AGE) was significant for P. grandiflorum and P. × hortorum . All pigmented flower extracts, except the P. zonale hybrid, reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. Treatment during adipocyte differentiation caused cell death, except for the P. zonale hybrid . In conclusion, related to antioxidant activity, inhibition of AGE formation and lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes, P. grandiflorum was the most active, while the P. zonale hybrid was the least. These differences are potentially related to the concentration, type and stability of the polyphenols found in these pigmented flower extracts. Overall, the pigmented flower extracts of Geraniaceae and Lamiaceae show a range of health‐promoting properties that represent an additional benefit to their potential use as natural food colourants.

The synthetic indolinone derivative MAZ-51 is a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3), a tyrosine kinase receptor essential for lymphangiogenesis and tumor progression. By competing with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for VEGFR-3 binding, MAZ-51 blocks VEGF-C activity, thereby suppressing melanoma cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. In this study, we employ mathematical modelling to quantify the inhibitory effects of MAZ-51 on the growth of B16-F10 melanoma cells. Cell viability is modeled as a function of both treatment duration and inhibitor concentration, providing a dynamic framework for assessing therapeutic efficacy. Our approach addresses a central challenge in mathematical biology: developing models that remain interpretable and predictive despite limited and variable data. By integrating biological insight with experimental data, we derive a parsimonious model that avoids overparameterization and yields biologically meaningful parameters. The model allows straightforward computation of pharmacological measures such as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration ( IC ₅₀ ) and provides deeper insight into the growth rate reduction of melanoma cells under VEGFR-3 inhibition. This work highlights the utility of mathematical modelling in elucidating drug action mechanisms and in quantitatively evaluating targeted cancer therapies.