Master’s Discussion
The College of Science for Women- University of Baghdad discussed a master’s thesis entitled (The Effect of Flavonoid -Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Derived from Aloe vera on Virulence Gene Expression in Some Pathogenic Bacteria) The thesis was submitted by the student Saba Mejdhab Badr in Biology/Microbiology under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Rana Ali Hasan and Professor Dr. Hanady Salim Abd AL sahib
This thesis focused on the growing challenge posed by multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR). The study involved the isolation and identification of clinical bacterial samples from burn and wound injuries in Baghdad hospitals, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The research focused on extracting the active compounds from the Aloe vera plant, specifically flavonoids and saponins, to evaluate their antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy. An innovative application involved combining flavonoids with chitosan to synthesize nanoparticles designed to enhance the therapeutic properties of the plant extracts. The study also focused on evaluating the effects of these prepared nanoparticles at the molecular level. The results demonstrated the ability of Nano-loaded flavonoids to reduce the gene expression of resistance genes, including the inhibition of the mecA gene responsible for methicillin resistance in S. aureus and the aac (6′)-Ie-aph (2″)-Ia gene associated with aminoglycoside resistance. These findings prove that nanotechnology is not only used to kill bacteria but also to weaken their defense mechanisms and restore their sensitivity to conventional treatments.
Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed to identify and select multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial isolates. Following, saponin and flavonoid were extracted from Aloe vera to evaluate their individual effects on bacterial growth and biofilm inhibition in both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa by microtiter plate assay. The study then progressed to the synthesis and characterization of Flavonoid-loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles (FCSNPs). These nanoparticles were tested for their antibacterial and anti-biofilm efficacy, showing superior results. Furthermore, the molecular impact of the synthesized material was investigated through gene expression analysis on the mecA gene responsible for methicillin resistance and the aac (6′)-Ie-aph (2″)-Ia gene associated with aminoglycoside resistance.
The most important recommendations which the study has come up with and the average obtained:
The study recommended the adoption of (FCNPs) particles as an effective therapeutic alternative against resistant bacteria and expanding research on combining them with antibiotics to enhance therapeutic efficacy and perform comprehensive in vivo toxicity evaluations and long-term assessments to ensure the safe clinical application of these nanomaterials.
The final grade: Excellent
