Bioconversion of lovastatin to simvastatin by Streptomyces carpaticus toward the inhibition of HMG-CoA activity.

The aim of this study was the modification of lovastatin by microbes to improve its potential. Actinobacteria exhibit staggering diversity in terms of their biosynthetic capability for specialized metabolites which has been traced back to the presence of specialized gene clusters. The objective of the study is to exploit the potential of Actinobacteria strain(s), which can biotransform lovastatin to simvastatin, which might be a more potent therapeutic agent than lovastatin.

Bioprospecting lovastatin production from a novel producer .

Beside anti-cholesterol activity, lovastatin garners worldwide attention for therapeutical application against various diseases especially cancer. A total of 36 filamentous fungi from soil samples were isolated and screened for lovastatin production by yeast growth bioassay method. C9 strain (later identified as was screened as potential strain of lovastatin production.

Cytotoxic consequences of Halloysite nanotube/iron oxide nanocomposite and iron oxide nanoparticles upon interaction with bacterial, non-cancerous and cancerous cells.

Cytotoxic effects of iron oxide (FeO) nanoparticles and Halloysite nanotube/iron oxide (HNT/FeO) nanocomposite are compared based on their interaction with Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Similarly, the action of these two nanomaterials on non-cancerous Vero cell lines and human lung cancerous (A-549) cell lines are compared. The cytotoxicity studies on FeO nanoparticles and HNT/FeO nanocomposite showed difference in the rate of killing of bacterial cells.