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Background and Objectives: Coenzyme Q10 is an anti-aging agent whose demand is increasing progressively. There are various strategies used for increasing coenzyme Q10 production by microorganisms. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the effect of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles on coenzyme Q10 production by Gluconobacter japonicus FM10. Materials and Methods: In the first step, a preliminary experiment was set and carried out to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the nanoparticles on the strain FM10. Then the sub-MIC concentrations were used to investigate their effect on coenzyme Q10 production in the stationary and exponential phases of the growth, separately. Results: The results showed that coenzyme Q10 production increased in the presence of the iron oxide and silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles induced 1.9 times higher coenzyme Q10 production. The highest level of coenzyme Q10 was induced when the silver nanoparticles were added to the culture medium at the stationary phase. Conclusion: This should be noticed that so far nanoparticles have been considered as antibacterial agents, rather than being considered to cause probable beneficial effects on the induction of useful products in the microbial world. In this regard, their potential for increasing coenzyme Q10 production has received no attention. However, our present results showed that the nanoparticles can be used to increase the production efficiency of coenzyme Q10 in Gluconobacter.

Background & Aims: Bacterial resistance to antibiotic treatment is a dilemma that has led researchers to search for suitable alternatives. The use of herbs and nanotechnology can be a solution. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of iron oxide nanoparticles in combination with lavender leaf extract using response surface methodology. Materials & Methods: The response surface methodology and a central composite design were employed to evaluate the iron oxide nanoparticle and lavender extract's antibacterial activity at different temperatures against E.coli and S.aureus. The agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity. Results:The results showed that the antimicrobial effect of iron oxide nanoparticles was greater than lavender extract. The response of the two tested bacteria to the combination of iron oxide nanoparticles and lavender extract was not the same at different temperatures. The antimicrobial effect of iron oxide nanoparticles in combination with lavender extract on the growth of S.aureus was greater than their effect on E.coli. On the other hand, increasing the temperature increased the antimicrobial properties of the combination of iron oxide nanoparticles and lavender extract against E.coli, but did not affect S.aureus. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that iron oxide nanoparticles in combination with lavender extract can be a suitable option as an antimicrobial agent in topical or oral applications. However, more comprehensive studies and clinical trials are needed.