Recent studies revealed the role of lipase in the pathogenicity of Malassezia restricta in dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (D/SD). The lipase from M. restricta (Mrlip1) is considered a potential target for dandruff therapy. In this work, we performed structure-based virtual screening in Zinc database to find the natural bioactive inhibitors of Mrlip1. We identified three compounds bearing superior affinity and specificity from the Traditional Chinese Medicine database (~60,000 compounds), and their binding patterns with Mrlip1 were analyzed in detail. Additionally, we performed three sets of 100 ns MD simulations of each complex in order to understand the interaction mechanism of Mrlip1 with known inhibitor RHC80267 and the newly identified compounds such as ZINC85530919, ZINC95914464 and ZINC85530320, respectively. These compounds bind to the active site cavity and cause conformational changes in Mrlip1. The Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MMPBSA) studies suggested that the average binding energy was stronger in the case of Mrlip1-ZINC85530919 and Mrlip1-ZINC95914464. The selected natural inhibitors might act as promising lead drugs against Mrlip1. Further, the present study will contribute to various steps involved in developing and creating potent drugs for several skin diseases including dandruff.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Cervical cancer is a global public health concern. The complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors is critical for the progress of cervical cancer. Growing evidence suggests that microbes, human papillomavirus (HPV), and the immune system interact closely with each other to govern homeostasis of the vaginal environment and the health of the lower genital tract of females. Certain vaginal microbial strains may play either a protective or a pathogenic role in carcinogenesis of the cervix after HPV persistent infection. Probiotics can therefore present a putative therapeutic approach for cervical cancer. However, work in this field remains limited. Recent technological developments have allowed us to identify microbes and their products using culture-independent molecular detection techniques. In this review, we discuss the composition of the vaginal bacterial community, its commensal flora and the protective impact this has on the health of the female genital tract. This review will also describe critical immune factors in lower genital tract health and summarize the role of the vaginal microbiota in cervical carcinogenesis. Knowledge in this field has provided researchers with the clues and tools to propose the use of probiotics as a potential line of treatment for cervical cancer and has provided valuable insights into host–pathogen interaction dynamics within the female genital tract.

Cultured meat production is an evolving method of producing animal meat using tissue engineering techniques. Cells, chemical factors, and suitable biomaterials that serve as scaffolds are all essential for the cultivation of muscle tissue. Scaffolding is essential for the development of organized meat products resembling steaks because it provides the mechanical stability needed by cells to attach, differentiate, and mature. In in vivo settings, extracellular matrix (ECM) ensures substrates and scaffolds are provided for cells. The ECM of skeletal muscle (SM) maintains tissue elasticity, creates adhesion points for cells, provides a three-dimensional (3D) environment, and regulates biological processes. Consequently, creating mimics of native ECM is a difficult task. Animal-derived polymers like collagen are often regarded as the gold standard for producing scaffolds with ECM-like properties. Animal-free scaffolds are being investigated as a potential source of stable, chemically defined, low-cost materials for cultured meat production. In this review, we explore the influence of ECM on myogenesis and its role as a scaffold and vital component to improve the efficacy of the culture media used to produce cultured meat.

Integrin linked kinase (ILK) is a Ser/Thr kinase, which regulates various integrin mediated signaling pathways, and is involved in cell adhesion, migration and differentiation. Alteration in the ILK is responsible for abnormal functioning of the cell system, which may lead to the cancer progression and metastasis. Caffeic acid (CA) and simvastatin are used as antioxidant and possess anticancer properties. Thus, inhibiting the kinase activity of ILK by CA and simvastatin may be implicated in the cancer therapy. In this study, we have performed molecular docking followed by 100 ns MD simulations to understand the interaction mechanism of ILK protein with the CA and simvastatin. Average potential energy was found to be highest in case of ILK–CA complex (−770,949 kJ/mol). Binding free energy was found to be higher in case of simvastatin than CA. Our results indicate that simvastatin binds more effectively to the active pocket of ILK. We further performed MTT assay to understand its anticancer potential. Simvastatin shows the IC₅₀ values for HepG2 and MCF-7 as 19.18 ± 0.12 and 13.84 ± 0.22 µM, respectively. However, the IC₅₀ value of CA on HepG2 and MCF-7 was reported as 175.50 ± 1.44 and 144.90 ± 1.53 µM, respectively. Our study provides a deeper insight into the binding mechanism of simvastatin and CA to ILK, which further opens a promising channel for their implications in cancer therapy.