Routine services

Different types of services are offered:

1. 1. 1. Positive/Negative activity test – performed at a single concentration at 50 µg/ml (45-day turnaround time)
      2. Half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) or minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC₉₀) determination – performed at 6 concentrations (60-day turnaround time)
      3. IC₅₀ or MIC₉₀ with standard deviation (SD) – 3 independent repeats of assay (90-day turnaround time)

Available assays

1.Cytotoxicity tests against mammalian cell lines

Assays are performed using in-house methods based on the evaluation of cell growth inhibition using green fluorescent protein (GFP) detection for Vero cell line and fluorometric (resazurin microplate assay) for other cell lines. 

Available cell lines:

• • • Vero-GFP (African green monkey kidney expressing GFP)
    • MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma)
    • NCI-H187 (human small cell lung, carcinoma)
    • Human dermal fibroblast

1. 1. 2. Anti-human pathogens

Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal assays are carried out using microplate dilution methods, following the guideline of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). 

Available microbial strains:

• • • Bacteria

Klebsiella pneumoniae

Escherichia coli

Bacillus cereus

Enterococcus faecium

Staphylococcus aureus

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Ra)

• • • Fungus

Candida albicans

• • • Virus

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1)

The anti-HSV 1 test is performed using in-house method. Prior to anti-viral assay, test samples are examined for cytotoxicity using Vero-GFP cell line. The anti-viral activity is determined based on GFP fluorescence detection at the non-cytotoxic concentration range using HSV-1 at 5 MOI.

1. 1. 3. Anti-plant pathogens

These assays assess the ability of compounds to suppress fungal spore germination based on staining of spore germlings using an esterase substrate fluorescent dye, carboxy fluorescein diacetate (CFDA). 

Available plant fungal pathogens:

• • • • Colletotrichum acutatum
      • Curvularia lunata
      • Alternaria brassicicola