Addition of melatonin to the insulin treatment did not change the effects of insulin, but the detailed role of melatonin alone in the treatment of diabetes merits further experimental and clinical investigation.
This study aims to investigate the effects of whey proteins on SARS CoV‐2 in methotrexate‐induced lung tissue damage in rats. To determine the possible effects, rats were divided into four groups as control, control + whey, methotrexate (20 mg/kg, i.p.) and methotrexate + whey. Whey protein concentrate (2 g/kg, oral gavage) was administered for 10 days. Cytokine levels were measured and protein electrophoresis was carried out in serum samples. Lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide and glutathione level, and superoxide dismutase and glutathione S transferase activities were determined in lung samples. Inhibition of SARS CoV‐2‐targeted lung furin activity and SARS CoV‐2 spike protein‐angiotensin converting enzyme binding with whey protein concentrate were also measured in each group. In conclusion, whey protein concentrate improved methotrexate‐induced lung damage and inhibited lung furin activity targeting SARS‐CoV‐2 S1/S2 site cleavage and SARS CoV‐2 spike protein‐angiotensin converting enzyme binding. Whey proteins are potential protective candidates that inhibit SARS CoV‐2‐related interactions, even in methotrexate‐induced lung injury.
Practical applications
Whey proteins have anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulating properties due to the protein, bioactive peptide, and essential amino acid content. Methotrexate is a folate antagonist and inhibits cell proliferation and purine synthesis. The combined use of whey protein concentrate and methotrexate may be an alternative in the development of new strategies to the treatment approaches against COVID‐19. In addition, according to the results of this study, it is thought that the protective effect of whey proteins in healthy conditions before encountering the SARS CoV‐2 may be higher than those who have never used it.
This study aimed to develop a sensitive lateral flow test strip for the detection of bisphenol A (BPA) in breast milk. Conventional nitrocellulose test membrane was coated with the coaxial nanofiber, consisting of the inner polycaprolactone (PCL) and the outer PCL/silk fibroin (SF) mixture, to decrease the flow rate of the breast milk in the lateral flow assay (LFA). The nanofiber was prepared by using coaxial electrospinning, and BPA antibody was immobilized physically to the nanofiber. This nanofiber was used as a test membrane in the LFA. Color changes on the test membrane were evaluated as the signal intensity of the BPA. Breast milk creates a background on surfaces due to its structural properties. This background was detected by comparing the signal intensity with the signal intensity of water. The higher signal intensity was found in water samples when compared to breast milk samples. Although the detection limit is 2 ng/ml in both coaxial PCL/SF nanofiber and nitrocellulose (NC) test membranes, the color intensity increased with the increasing BPA concentration in the coaxial PCL/SF nanofiber. As a new dimension, the coaxial PCL/SF nanofiber provided higher color intensity than the NC membrane. In conclusion, a sensitive onsite method was developed for the detection of BPA in breast milk by using new coaxial PCL/SF nanofiber as a test membrane in LFA.
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