Inflammation is part of the body’s complex biological response to harmful stimuli such as damaged cells, pathogens, or irritants. It is a protective response involving blood cells, immune cells, and molecular mediators. The inflammation not only can eliminate the primary cause of cell injury but also clears out necrotic cells, tissue damaged from the original insults and inflammatory process. Furthermore, it can initiate tissue repair. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced predominantly by activated macrophages and are involved in the up-regulation of inflammatory reactions. They are involved in further regulating inflammatory reactions. There is ample evidence that some pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), are involved in the pathological pain process. Some of the natural compounds promote cytokines production and inhibit inflammatory responses. The natural compounds which are produced from microorganisms such as omega-3 fatty acid, cyclic peptide, antimicrobial peptide, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides can reduce inflammation and could be easily incorporated into the diet without any adverse effects. For example, SCFA (short-chain fatty acids), peptide bacteriocin, and polycyclic peptide bacteriocin (nisin) could be used in the treatment of atherosclerosis, orthopedic postoperative infections, and mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, respectively. Also, fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) can be introduced as anti-inflammatory drugs. This review article summarizes bacterial natural compounds with modulating effects on cytokines that are surveyed which may have potential anti-inflammatory drug-like activity.

Background: Kefiran is a useful polysaccharide made of branched glucogalactose which is produced by microorganisms. Here the anti-MCF-7 breast cancer cells activity of kefiran and cytokine productions (IL-6) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) treated by kefiran was studied. Also, the effect of using kefiran as a useful and cost-effective scaffold in neural stem cell culture (PC12 cell culture) was investigated. Material and Methods: Kefiran was produced from raw milk with 0.5% fat and 10 g of kefir grains. After incubation for 48 hrs at room temperature, the solvent collected (crude kefiran). These samples were kept at 100°C for 1 hr (boiled kefiran) and the supernatant was precipitated by ethanol (pure kefiran). Then, the electrospun nanofibers, pure polyacrylonitrile (PAN), PAN/kefiran 5%, and PAN/kefiran 10% were fabricated and used as scaffolds in the cell culture. The structure of fabricated was studied by SEM and the cytokine production (IL-6) in vitro in the cell culture supernatant of PBMC line after treatment with kefiran (1mg/mL, 5 mg/mL) and kefiran-PAN 5% and 10% were carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The attachment of PC12 cells was examined by inverted microscope. Also, cytotoxicity of kefiran for PC12 and MCF7 cells and morphological changes of PC12 cells were evaluated by MTT and Cresyl violet staining (Nissl staining) respectively. Results: The mean diameter of fabricated PAN/kefiran 5% and 10% nanofibers were 310.2±43.97 nm. The contact angle measurement results (26.9± 1.9 for the pure PAN scaffold vs 12.3± 1.13 for the PAN/kefiran) revealed enhanced hydrophilicity of scaffolds upon the incorporation of kefiran and PAN. Seeding of PC12 cells on the scaffolds showed that fabrication of kefiran into PAN led to the enhancement of cell attachment, proliferation, and morphological changes. Also, the promotion of PBMC growth and decreasing of MCF7 cell lines viability were shown through MTT assay. No significant changes were measured for the level of IL-6 in PAN/kefiran 5% treated cells compared to the control (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest superior properties of kefiran/PAN nanofibrous scaffolds for the neural stem cell culture especially for repairing injured spinal cord. Also, the pure kefiran could be used for the enhancement of PBMC growth and reducing the MCF7 cancerous cells growth. So, using biocompatible, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor kefiran/ PAN nanofibers for regenerative medicine seems promising.

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Chlamydia trachomatis is the major cause of sexually transmitted disease in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the best method of DNA extraction for detecting C. trachomatis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in sexually active women (n = 80) attending Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Endocervical swabs were collected from 80 women, 22 of whom were asymptomatic and 58 symptomatic. Three different DNA extraction methods were used in this study (phenol-chlorophorm, proteinase K, and boiling). DNA yield was evaluated by spectrophotometry, agarose gel, and PCR. The internal control was assayed by beta-globin primers (PCO4, GH20). The DNA cryptic plasmid was selected as the target for C. trachomatis and samples were examined by PCR using specific KL1 and KL2 primers. It was shown that DNA extraction by boiling was the most sensitive with the highest yield of DNA. Of the 80 samples, 17 (21.25%) showed positivity for C. trachomatis by PCR. The highest rate of C. trachomatis infection was found in the group aged between 35 and 45 years old and those who used withdrawal or an intrauterine device as methods of contraception. It was demonstrated that DNA extraction by boiling was the least expensive and a very rapid method that gave the highest DNA yield. The infection rate in the sexually active women, including symptomatic and asymptomatic, was 21.25%, with a presumably high prevalence compared with other studies done in this field.