Journal of Biotechnology Research Center

Background: Prostate cancer is currently the most common cause of cancer death in men. The exact cause of developing prostate cancer is not known though inflammation, ageing, ethnicity and heredity are important factors involved in the initiation and development of this cancer.
Aim of study : The aim of this study to determine the levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in sera of thirty patients with prostate cancer (PCa), thirty patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and in thirty health volunteers, T/DHT ratio was also calculated.
Result: There was a significant increase in the levels of PSA, TNF-α, T and T/DHT ratio in PCa as well as BPH patients compared to the controls. There was a significant decrease in DHT levels in both PCa and BPH compared to the controls.
Conclusion: TNF-α could serve as a potential marker for the diagnosis of PCa.

Background: medicinal plants are abundant in phytochemicals, which represent the richest bioresource of drugs are used against various diseases.
Objective: The present study included an in-vitro antimicrobial investigation for one of wild Iraqi plant Lepidium draba on some skin infectious agents.
Methods: The fresh aerial plant parts were macerated in 80% ethanol and subjected to phytochemical general test to investigate the plant active contents. Totat flavonoids were isolated through plant reflex in acidic aqeous solution to obtain the aglycone flavonoids using ethylacetate as an organic solvent. Qualification and quantification of the isolated total flavonoids were done in coressponding to standard s flavonoids. An antimicrobial activity for the crud ethanolic extract and the isolated total flavonoids had been carried out on some skin infectous agents using the following strain: Staph aureus, Pseudomoneus aerogenosa and Candida albicans.
Results: the outcome showed that the plant contain major active constituent included flavonoids Tannins, polysaccharides, alkaloids,saponines and Polyphenolic compounds.The plant contains many types of flavonoids including Rutin, Qurecetin, Kampferol and Luteolin, and each 100 g fresh aerial parts will contain 28 mg total flavonoids. The amount of each type of flavonoids were detected by HPLC technique. the extracted flavonoids at concentation of 4mg/ml showed potent effect upon the gram bacteria negative pseudomonas aeruginosa which is known to be more virulence than the gram positive strains but has no effect on Staphylococcus aureus. Also the extracted flavonoids appeared to be affected against the Candida albicans growth.
Conclusion: the ethanolic extractv of locally plant L.draba is effecient to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and decrease the chances of skin infection that provided the justification for therapeutic potential as supplementary or alternative medicine.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess of four liver enzymes, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT).
Material and Methods: Based on periodontal clinical parameters, sixty four patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) and twenty four controls were enrolled in the study. Saliva and serum samples were collected and Automated Chemistry Analyzer AU 480 was employed to assess levels of enzymes. Results: Compared to healthy controls, the levels of the four enzymes were significant increased in serum of patients, especially in the severe group while in the saliva a significant increase observed only in the level of AST. Moreover, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT) the levels of these enzymes in serum were significantly higher than those in saliva.
Conclusion: ALT, AST, ALP and GGT serum levels are suggested to be important indicators for disease progression as well as predict the liver health.

Background: Prosopis fracta is a valuable and useful medicinal plant for the purpose of extracting flavonoids and it is one of the most important plants with medicinal properties. Prosopis fracta is found in many southern regions of Iran.
Objective: the aim of this review Phytochemistry and biological activity of Prosopis fracta.
Material and Methods: Initially, the powder was degreased by hexane and then after completion of the extraction process, we obtained a rotary solvent removal and the rest of the extract was frozen for retention, then it stored at -23°C. The freeze-dried samples are dissolved in methanol and permanently filtered through a 0.35 syringe filter.
Results: Prosopis fracta extracts using to treat cancer, which destroying activity via mitochondrial changes, as showed a good example for increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, SIRT3 activity and cell death in HT-29 related to the intestines and rectum cancer cells.
Conclusion: Antimicrobial and phytochemical studies provide valuable insight into understanding media. Sometimes the idea of the route responsible for the activity of these phytochemicals against oxidizing compounds that act as a source of harmful chemical to the body is removal from service of protein and loss of function.

Back ground: X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STRs) have assured to be informative and particular role in complex relationship testing. DXS6807 known as tetra nucleotides polymorphism representing eight alleles of 251-275 bp in length. DXS6807 is located in, at XP 22.2, at a genetic distance of more than 87 and 151 Cm of X-chromosome. DXS101 is located104.9–121 cM from the Xp-telomere (Xp-tel) corresponding to cytogenetic position in Xq21.33–Xq22.3.
Objective: The aim of this present study investigates the allele frequency of two markers DXS101, DXS6807 and forensic efficiency parameters for sample of Arabic Iraqi males.
Material and methods: The population of this study includes 200 males apparently healthy unrelated participants from different region of Baghdad city, their ages ranged between (20-50) years. The Genomic DNA extracted and purified successfully from blood samples.
Results: The forensic efficiency parameters result for these markers were following: polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.834708, power of discrimination (PD) in male 0.851750, Power of exclusion (PE) 0.698316, MEC Krüger0.511679, MEC Kishida 0.694890. The forensic efficiency parameters analyzing from Arabic population were Power of discrimination (PD) = 0.73405, Polymorphism information content (PIC) =0.69489, Power of exclusion (PE) =0.482879.MEC Krüger =0.511679, MEC Kishida = 0.694890.
Conclusions: The information provided establish this X-linked microsatellite marker as a valuable strategy for forensic application. DXS101is and DXS6807 recently consider more stable and suitable forensic markers for forensic application.

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes have both rapidly raised during the last periods and are ongoing to increase at a disturbing rate universal. Several clinical and epidemiological researches demonstrated a reverse association between circulating vitamin D levels, central adiposity and the progress of insulin resistance and diabetes.
Objective: The target of this work was to elucidate the complex role of vitamin D and the clinical implications of diabetes on metabolic defects related with obesity.
Subjects and Methods: This study encompassed 90 diabetic patients (45 obese and 45 non obese) who were attending the National Diabetic Center/ Al-Mustansiriyah University during the period from June 2019 to January 2020; their age range was (35-60) years. All participant underwent clinical and biochemical examinations.
Results: A substantial rise (p= 0.01) in waist/hip ratio, body mass index, fasting serum glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in obese diabetic patients as paralleled to non-obese group. Moreover, there was an elevation in glycated hemoglobin, serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance in obese group, but it was not significant. A substantial decrease (p= 0.01) in serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol and vitamin D3 were detected in obese diabetic patients as paralleled to non-obese group.
Also, obese diabetic patients had the higher percent (61%) of D3 deficiency as paralleled to non-obese patients.
Conclusions: In the present study, it is found that there is significant increase in blood sugar in the individuals with decreased vitamin D levels, which was related with insulin resistance, decreased β-cell function, and obesity.

Background:The ferns are well known that they are a rich sources to bioactive compounds mainly flavonoid groups which are very important to protect these plants from environmental stresses. Objective: The object of this work is to determine chemical content (total flavonoids) in methanol extract of Equisetum arvense L. Family Equisetaceae. Methods: mature sporophyte of the fern was collected from Chemi Rezan region in Sulaimaniyah district during May 2016. The methanol extract of the fern was prepared by using Soxhulet apparatus to be used for phytochemical analysis.
Resulrs: The outcome of the qualitative analysis for E. arvense extract had showed that the fern was containing active compounds which involve: alkaloids, saponins, tanins and four flavonoids which were identified as: kaempferol, aempferol-O-3- glycoside, leutolin, and querctin in E. arvense by using HPLC technique . In fact the main compound leutolin (100.6 µg/ ml) was recorded quit high concentration. The results were showed that total flavonoids made up almost (179.5 µ/ ml).
Conclusion: It was found that total flavonoid have positive correlation with the environment in the studied region.

Background: cervical cancer carries a death sentence in the mind of every patient. Since it has a long history; it can be cured if caught early. Pap smear screening has been effective in reducing rates of cervical cancer, still, it has some draws back especially low sensitivity. The study aimed to increase the detection of Pap- tests by sequential examination of the cervix by Pap smear and colposcopy and to demonstrate the demographic criteria of those affected.
Material and method: A Comparative clinical study, conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in AL-Yarmouk hospital /Baghdad, Iraq from 2017-2018. One hundred sexually active female fits into our inclusion and exclusion criteria were invited to participate after we explain it is aim, all participant filled a questioner sheet and were screened by Pap-smear then immediately by colposcopy exam.
Result: history of post-coital bleeding and bleeding on touch scored meaningful P-value<0.05, Pap-smear examination shows 20% as abnormal study stratified into 13/20 CIN I [Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasm], 3/20 CIN II, 2/20 CIN III, and 2/20 malignant cases. The colposcopy exam showed 32/100 abnormal cases necessitating directed histological biopsies. Examination confirms 20/32 CIN I, 7/32 CIN II, 2/32 CIN III, and 3/32 cases with cervical malignancy.
Conclusions: cervical smear had specificity and positive predictive value of 100% yet it missed 11 cases diagnosed with colposcopy one was malignant. As a result, Pap-smear alone can detect up to 18% of the pre-cancerous lesion of the cervix, this figure increases to 29% when dumbing the results of the colposcopic directed biopsy. The sensitivity of the test was 62.5% with a false-negative percentage of 37.5%, having a total 88% accuracy rate and a negative predictive value of 85%, this study confirms the benefits of the combined method of screening and may be used to increase pap-smear sensitivity.

Background:The Streptomyces are considered the most important bacterial source for bioactive compounds production including natural antibiotics.
Objective: This study focused on analysis of these products to characterize the most active substances which may contain new antibiotics.
Materials and methods: Samples with the highest antibacterial activities (21, M5, N- and D-) were chosen from a previous study after secondary screening for the intracellular (biomass) extract which showed more antagonism efficiency than that observed in extracellular crude extract.Gas chromatography – mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was preformed to detect the structure of the compounds in intracellular crude extracts in these isolates.
Results: The GC-MS analysis showed a total of 49 peaks observed in 4 isolates, isolate M5=14 peaks, isolate D=11peaks, isolate N= 20 peaks and isolate 21= 4peaks. Isolate D-, which showed the highest zone of inhibition in secondary screening than that in other isolates, is associated with the most prevalence active compounds like the Decane derivatives, in addition to Triadimenol; Azetidine, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-methyl; Hexanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, 2-ethylhexyl ester and 3,3,7,7-Tetramethyl-1,5-diazabicyclo(3.3.0)octane. While isolate 21, has less peaks in comparing with the other samples, with great occurrence in components: 1-Dimethylaminohexane with molecular formula C8H19N and molecular weight 129 and Propamocarb with molecular formula C9H20N2O2 and molecular weight 188, in addition to many volatile organic compounds. The greatest components of isolate M5 were Triadimenol and 3,3,7,7-Tetramethyl-1,5-diazabicyclo(3.3.0)octane, in addition to the presence of Decane derivatives; amine compounds and Vitamin E. Isolate N- showed a great occurrence with components Triadimenol and Azetidine, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-methyl-with a molecular formula C8H17N and with a molecular weight 127; also the presence of an important component Hexanoic acid, 2-methyl- with the molecular formula C7H14O2 and with molecular weight 103 which has been considered as an essential component of muramycin antibiotic; compounds which contain Benzene ring.
Conclusion: The most prominent compounds detected in the selected isolates by using GC-MS technique were Decane derivatives and Triadimenol.

Back ground: Helicobacter pylori are bacteria colonize in the human epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Its infection causes different diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric lymphoma and adenocarcinoma. H. pylori have many virulence factors attributing in one or more biological functions.
Objective: Detecting the prevalence of virulence factor genes vacA, cagA, iceA among strain of H. pylori using molecular technique (PCR).
Materials and methods: Sixty patients (27 male and 33 female), aged 18 and above included in the present study who showed signs and symptoms of H. pylori, and undergo endoscopy between period of November 2019 and February 2020. RUT and PCR test done to detect the presence of H. pylori infection, also PCR used to detect the three virulence factors.
Results: Result showed that 44 patients, 21 (47.7%) male and 23 (52.3%) female were detected as positive H. pylori infections, among them 13 (29.5%) above 50 years, and 31 (70.4%) were below 50 years. While prevalence of the virulence factors vacA, cagA, and iceA were (100%), (84.1%), and (34.1%) respectively.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that the frequency and prevalence of these genes are differed and showed significant differences among them. Also, PCR test is sensitive and accurate for detection of H. pylori virulence genes.

Background: The microbial production of substances that have the potency to suppress the growth of other microorganisms is probably one of the prevalent defense strategy developed in nature, microorganisms produce a variable bunch of microbial defense systems, which include antibiotics, metabolic by-products, lytic agents, bacteriocins and others.
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to isolate and identify Enterococcus faecium isolates then detecting its ability of carrying the gene responsible for enterocin production in this species. Materials and methods: Out of 50 samples from different sources (food and clinical sources) were collected for the Enterococcus faecium isolation, and the isolated bacteria Enterococcus faecium (37) isolates were detected for their harboring of Enterocin A gene (entA), using conventional PCR technique.
Results: The identification revealed that 37(74%) isolates were considered as Enterococcus faecium, 20 isolates (54.05%) out of food samples (10 samples were collected from dairies, 7 from vegetables and 3 from fish samples), and 17 isolates 45.9% out of clinical samples (11 from stool and 6 from urine source). Genotypic Detection done by the amplification of the enterocin coding gene (ent A), and the results revealed that all the isolates were harboring that gene despite of the phonotypical differences, that they amplified entA gene and the PCR product size (362 bp) was detected using agarose gel electrophoresis.
Conclusions: This study indicates the presence of Enterococcus spp. in food and clinical sources and the ability of these bacteria to produce antibacterial substances which is active against closely related clinical isolates.

Back ground: It is important to establish STR database for future applications in forensic and paternity tests to gain a reliable evaluation for statistical analysis and that STR database would be more representative.
Objective: The objectives of this study are establishing autosomal STR database for the population of Hilla City.
Material and methods: DNA was extracted and purified from sixty six individuals from Hilla city by Prepfiller kit. Extracted DNA quantified by Quantifiler real time PCR kit. Fifteen autosomal STR loci (Identifiler) were amplified then analyzed by Genetic Analyzer. All kits supplemented by Applied Biosystem, USA.
Results: All samples amplified and analyzed successfully. Allele frequency and forensic parameters were determined.
Conclusion: We can conclude that we can use this database for further forensic and paternity applications.

Background:The most important medical challenge is the emergence of bacterial resistant to traditional antibiotics. So the need for new pharmaceutical compound derived from daily intake plant material. Mint and black tea used extensively in Arabic area as hot or cold drink
Objective: investigate the bacterial activity of mint and black tea aqueous extract against many bacterial genera.
Material and methods: from the local market of Baghdad Province, Iraq, dry black tea was obtained; while, peppermint (Mentha piperita L) was harvested from Iraqi plants during April 2020. Active ingredients extracted using either ethanol or water and their antibacterial activity evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, S.epidermidis, Citrobacter sp and Klebsiella sp using well diffusion agar under invitro laboratory condition.
Results: Dried powder of each extract appeared with different color range from brown to black. Results recognized that S. aureus was susceptible to watery and ethanolic extract of both black tea and peppermint extracts. While, S. epidermidis showed resist to both plant extract and solvents used in extraction except minor inhibition with ethanolic extract of tea at 0.3% dose dose. Citrobacter spp gave susceptibility to watery extract of black tea as well as, watery and ethanolic of mint extract. Otherwise, Klebsiella spp. Growth inhibited by watery extract of black tea while, no bioactivity existed upon mint extract treatment.
Conclusion: Dose dependent manner existed for watery and ethanolic extracts for both plant material in their antibacterial activity.