Sharif Digital Repository

A number of human diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have been linked to amyloid formation. To search for an anti-amyloidogenic product, alkaloid enriched extract from borage leaves was examined for anti-amyloidogenic activity using Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL) as a model protein. After isolation of the plant extract using rHPLC, only one fraction indicated a significant bioactivity. TEM analysis confirmed a remarkable reduction of amyloid fibrils in the presence of the bioactive fraction. To identify the effective substance in the fraction, mass spectrometry, FTIR, and NMR were performed. Our analyses determined that the bioactive compound as... 

Proteins possess a variety of nucleophiles, which can carry out different reactions in the functioning cells. Proteins endogenously and synthetically can be modified through their nucleophilic sites. The roles of these chemical modifications have not been completely revealed. These modifications can alter the protein folding process. Protein folding directly affects the function of proteins. If an error in protein folding occurs, it may cause protein malfunction leading to several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In this study, Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL) and bovine insulin, as model proteins for studying the amyloid formation, were covalently attached with... 

Miniaturized systems based on the principles of microfluidics are widely used in various fields, such as biochemical and biomedical applications. Systematic design processes are demanded the proper use of these microfluidic devices based on mathematical simulations. Aggregated proteins (e.g., inclusion bodies) in solution with chaotropic agents (such as urea) at high concentration in combination with reducing agents are denatured. Refolding methods to achieve the native proteins from inclusion bodies of recombinant protein relying on denaturant dilution or dialysis approaches for suppressing protein aggregation is very important in the industrial field. In this paper, a modeling approach is... 

Coaxial electrospinning with the ability to use simultaneously two separate solvents provides a promising strategy for drug delivery. Nevertheless, controlled release of hydrophilic and sensitive therapeutics from slow biodegradable polymers is still challenging. To address this gap, we fabricated core-sheath fibers for dual delivery of lysozyme, as a model protein, and phenytoin sodium as a small therapeutic molecule. The sheath was processed by a gelatin solution while the core fibers were fabricated from an aqueous gelatin/PVA solution. Microstructural studies by transmission and scanning electron microscopy reveal the formation of homogeneous core-sheath nanofibers with an outer and... 

Protein aggregation, such as amyloid fibril formation, is molecular hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Prion disease. Indole alkaloids are well-known as the compounds having the ability to inhibit protein fibrillation. In this study, we experimentally and computationally have investigated the anti-amyloid property of a derivative of a synthesized tetracyclic indole alkaloid (TCIA), possessing capable functional groups. The fibrillation reaction of Hen White Egg Lysozyme (HEWL) was performed in absence and presence of the indole alkaloid. For quantitative analysis, we used Thioflovin T binding assay which showed ~50% reduction in fibril...