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Faculty of Applied Sciences

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Author: search.filters.author.Govender, PatrickHas files: Yes

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    Improved production of HIV-1 subtype C protease from transgenic E. coli
    (Bentham Science Publishers Ltd., 2021-12-31) Ramlucken, Uraisha; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Govender, Patrick
    Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) subtype C is responsible for the majority of infections of patients in Southern Africa. The HIV protease is a primary target for the development of highly efficient anti-retroviral pharmaceuticals because of its pivotal role in the maturation of the virus in the host cell. For target validation of novel HIV protease inhibitors, there is a need for the availability of an abundance of this protease. Objective: This study reports an optimized method to produce HIV-1 protease derived from HIV-1 subtype C. Methods: It involves the use of a transgenic E. colistrain that overexpresses the native form of the enzyme via inclusion bodies. A stringent method for the isolation, purification, and renaturation resulted in the production of highly pure active HIV-1 protease. In order to facilitate an increase in protease yields, an optimized growth strategy was developed. In this regard, a chemically defined medium with lower glucose content and devoid of essential amino acids of the TCA cycle was used as an alternative to the widely used nutrient-rich Luria Bertani (LB) medium. Results: Results indicated an increase in protease yield up to twice the amount, thereby making this medium an attractive alternative for increasing biomass and HIV protease production for future research. Conclusion: An optimized method for HIV-1 protease derived from HIV-1 subtype C production using chemically defined media was established. This was achieved using a known method to isolate and purify the enzyme with the use of a specialized feeding strategy.
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    Antibacterial properties of organosulfur compounds of garlic (Allium sativum)
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2021-07-27) Bhatwalkar, Sushma Bagde; Mondal, Rajesh; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Adam, Jamila Khatoon; Govender, Patrick; Anupam, Rajaneesh
    A popular food spice and flavoring agent, has also been used traditionally to treat various ailments especially bacterial infections for centuries in various cultures around the world. The principal phytochemicals that exhibit antibacterial activity are oil-soluble organosulfur compounds that include allicin, ajoenes, and allyl sulfides. The organosulfur compounds of garlic exhibit a range of antibacterial properties such as bactericidal, antibiofilm, antitoxin, and anti-quorum sensing activity against a wide range of bacteria including multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. The reactive organosulfur compounds form disulfide bonds with free sulfhydryl groups of enzymes and compromise the integrity of the bacterial membrane. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the development of antibiotic resistance as a global health concern and emphasizes antibiotic stewardship along with the urgent need to develop novel antibiotics. Multiple antibacterial effects of organosulfur compounds provide an excellent framework to develop them into novel antibiotics. The review provides a focused and comprehensive portrait of the status of garlic and its compounds as antibacterial agents. In addition, the emerging role of new technologies to harness the potential of garlic as a novel antibacterial agent is discussed.
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    Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles for antimicrobial activity
    (IntechOpen, 2021-06-09) Moodley, Jerushka S.; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Pillay, Karen; Govender, Patrick; Karthikeyan, Krishnamoorthy
    The development and extensive spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria are considered as a major public health concern. Failures to control severe infections due to antibiotic resistance have augmented healthcare costs as well as patient morbidity and mortality. Presently, natural product-based therapeutics are gaining significant attention both for their antimicrobial effectiveness and for not persuading drug resistance. Furthermore, recent developments in nanoscience on new drug delivery systems built on nanostructured materials from plants and microbes have emerged which focus on targeted delivery and controlled release of therapeutic agents. This review examines the recent investigations on the biological activities of plant and bacterial biological material for silver nanoparticle (AgNP) synthesis. Also, the underlying mechanism of antimicrobial activities of silver nanoparticles against human pathogens will be discussed. A fact of the biological activities and/or chemical responses of plants is required, not only for the discovery of new therapeutic agents, but because such evidence may be of value in disclosing new sources of already known biologically active compounds.
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    Phytochemical composition and biological investigation of Trichilia emetica Vahl. seed extracts
    (AMG Transcend Association, 2020-05-10) Perumal, Amanda; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Sershen; Pillay, Karen; Govender, Patrick
    The current study investigated the phytochemical analysis, chemical composition, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antifungal activity of Trichilia emetica seed extracts. Preliminary phytochemical screening and quantification were realized by GC-MS. Consecutive extractions (methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, hexane, chloroform and distilled water) were carried out and phytochemical tests performed to represent the variety of phytochemicals. Seed extracts variably displayed alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, phenols, sterols, terpenoids and flavonoids but there was no indication of saponins and tannins in all extracts. The biological investigation of the methanolic extract showed significant biological activities. The results obtained revealed that methanol extract has presented significant IC50 =5.94 µg/mL radical scavenging activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of hexane and chloroform fractions displayed antifungal activity (40.95-100 and 76.27-100.11, respectively) against all three fungal pathogens, whilst the methanol extract inhibited C. krusei and C. parapsilosis and the ethyl acetate inhibited C. parapsilosis only. The results obtained revealed the medicinal importance of the plant and methanol extract of T. emetica would aid researchers to exploit as potential antifungal and antioxidant agent.