Estimation of amino acids, urea and uric acid in tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury

Abstract: The tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury, Andhra local ecorace is an exclusive race of Andhra Pradesh. It is on the verge of extinction due to difficulty of acclimatisation at breeding and rearing stages. As an attempt to protect this race, a method of total indoor rearing has been done. In this context, the estimation of free amino acids, excretory products-urea and uric acid were compared during the fourth and fifth instars of tasar silkworm, reared under outdoor and indoor conditions. The study has revealed that amino acids decreased in the fat body in outdoor and indoor reared larvae in contrast to that in the haemolymph where it has gradually increased from first to third crops. This is an important finding as it reveals that indoor worms seem to adopt proteolytic activity in the haemolymph. Secondly, in the fifth instar the excretory products are more compared to fourth instar in the indoor reared worms. During fifth instar, formation of nitrogenous products lessens as silk synthesis enhances. The present study reveals that decrease in uric acid in fifth instar implies increase in growth rate and silk synthesis in both outdoor and indoor worms. The findings of the present investigation is helpful in the conservation and protection of the A. mylitta, Andhra local ecorace

Chitin Binding Proteins Act Synergistically with Chitinases in Serratia proteamaculans 568

Genome sequence of Serratia proteamaculans 568 revealed the presence of three family 33 chitin binding proteins (CBPs). The three Sp CBPs (Sp CBP21, Sp CBP28 and Sp CBP50) were heterologously expressed and purified. Sp CBP21 and Sp CBP50 showed binding preference to β-chitin, while Sp CBP28 did not bind to chitin and cellulose substrates. Both Sp CBP21 and Sp CBP50 were synergistic with four chitinases from S. proteamaculans 568 (Sp ChiA, Sp ChiB, Sp ChiC and Sp ChiD) in degradation of α- and β-chitin, especially in the presence of external electron donor (reduced glutathione). Sp ChiD benefited most from Sp CBP21 or Sp CBP50 on α-chitin, while Sp ChiB and Sp ChiD had major advantage with these Sp CBPs on β-chitin. Dose responsive studies indicated that both the Sp CBPs exhibit synergism ≥0.2 µM. The addition of both Sp CBP21 and Sp CBP50 in different ratios to a synergistic mixture did not significantly increase the activity. Highly conserved polar residues, important in binding and activity of CBP21 from S. marcescens (Sm CBP21), were present in Sp CBP21 and Sp CBP50, while Sp CBP28 had only one such polar residue. The inability of Sp CBP28 to bind to the test substrates could be attributed to the absence of important polar residues

The value of immunohistochemistry in sentinel lymph node histopathology in breast cancer

The optimal protocol for the histopathological examination of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer has not been determined. The value of more detailed examination using immunohistochemistry (IHC) is controversial. A total of 476 SLNs from 216 patients were reviewed. Sentinel lymph nodes were sectioned at three levels at 100 μm intervals and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). If the H&E sections showed no evidence of metastasis, then the three serial sections were stained with a murine monoclonal anti-cytokeratin antibody (CAM 5.2). Metastatic deposits were classified as macrometastasis (>2.0 mm), micrometastasis (0.2–2.0 mm) or isolated tumour cells (ITC, <0.2 mm). Of the 216 patients, 56 (26%) had metastasis as identified by H&E. Immunohistochemistry detected metastatic deposits in a further nine patients (4%), of whom four (2%) had micrometastasis and five (2%) had ITC only. Those cases with micrometastases were all, on review, visible on the H&E sections. Immunohistochemistry detects only a small proportion of metastasis in SLNs. All metastatic deposits identified by IHC were either micrometastasis or ITC. Until the prognostic significance of these deposits has been determined, IHC may be of limited value in the histopathological examination of SLNs

PHYSICAL AND COMMERCIAL CHARACTERISITCS OF CERTAIN INDIAN WILD SILKMOTH ANTHERAEA MYLITTA DRURY (SATURNIIDAE : LEPIDOPTERA)

The present work embodies mainly characterization of the cocoon quality in tasar ecoraces belonging to Modal, Raily, Daba Chaibasa (Bihar), Daba Bihar, Andhra Local, Resham, Daba M.P., Daba collected from Warangal region, Sarihan and Ampatia ecoraces. The colouration, shape of the cocoon, presence of cocoon grains were visually studied and concluded that there is generality among these characteristics in the ecoraces. In a majority the cocoons are greyinsh or yellow on the upper surface and light yellow or brown in the inner surface. Apart from visual observations, the other commercial characteristics of cocoons such as length, shell weight, volume, reelability, melting point of filament, hardening material, moisture and ash contents were measured in about ten ecoraces, and discussed them comparatively by giving gradation. Each grade was awarded certain points. The ecoraces in a comparative study were placed at different grades, accordingly the points were counted, each ecorace thus had certain number of points scored between 8001000, 600-800, 400-600 and less than four hundred. Thus the ecoraces of the first order scored highest points include Modal D Daba Chaibasa (Bihar) &gt; Raily which are considered above average. The ecoraces which had scored above 600 and less than 800 points includes Andhra Local, Resham, Daba M.P. and Daba from Warangal which are considered to be average. The ecoraces Daba Bihar and Sarihan has scored less than 600 and comes under below average. Ampatia was the lowest in the score with below 300 in cocoon characters and is considered to be insignificant

THE INFLUENCE OF THE ODOUR OF NERIUM FLOWERS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY OF BOMBYX MORI L. (LEPIDOPTERA : BOMBYCIDEAE)

In the reproductive biology of Bombyx mori L. fecundity, weight of 100 eggs, hatchability declined when the larvae and pupae were exposed to nerium flowers during shoot rearing. But the fecundity weight of 100 eggs, hatchability increased significantly in leaf reared worms in contrast to shoot reared worms. &nbsp

PHYSICO - CHEMICAL STUDIES ON ANTHERAEA MYLITTA DRURY COCOON SHELL (SATURNIIDAE : LEPIDOPTERA)

The dissolution of cocoon shell of different ecoraces measured using distilled water, ethyl alcohol, acetone and methyl alcohol. The thickness of the cocoon shell based on melting and the time required for saturation among the different ecoraces were found in the order of Andhra local having maximum thickness of the shell followed by Resham. Modal and the least was Ampatia

COCOON AND POST-COCOON STUDIES ON OUTDOOR AND TOTAL INDOOR REARED TASAR SILKWORM, ANTHERAEA MYLITTA D.

A comparison of certain physical and morphological characters of cocoon from Andhra local ecorace of tasar silkworm, Antheraea my litta, reared under outdoor and indoor conditions during three crop seasons were taken up. Parameters such as length of cocoon shell and peduncle, thickness and weight of cocoon shell and peduncle, and post-cocoon characters were investigated. It was uniformly found that the cocoons of outdoor reared tasar silkworms showed superiority in all the parameters tested over the indoor worms. However, in the post-cocoon characters, ERR and the denier of indoor reared cocoons was better than the outdoor. Further, a reduction in the larval mortality in the indoor rearing was also found. It is concluded that total indoor rearing ot tasar silkworm, Andhra local ecorace, is not viable commercially, but rearing up to third instar under indoor conditions followed by outdoor rearing of the worms in exclusively isolated plantations lead to successful rearing of the insect

Clinical studies and antimicrobial activity of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride medicated dental gels for periodontal infection

For the effective treatment of periodontitis, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (HCl) medicated dental gels are prepared with different hydrophilic polymers (MC, HPMC, HPC, and HEC) in different concentrations of propylene glycol. The formulations are subjected to various physicochemical studies like pH, spreadability, extrudability, viscosity, drug content, in vitro drug release, and rheological and stability studies. During the rheological studies plots of shear rate versus viscosity showed that all the gels were non-Newtonian and exhibited pseudoplastic behavior. in vitro drug release studies were carried out in the diffusion cell using a pH 7.2 phosphate buffer as a receptor medium. Formulations exhibited an extended release of the drug for over a period of 6 hours and the release depended on the type of polymer and concentrations of propylene glycol used. Stability studies showed no significant variations ( P > 0.05) in pH, spreadability, viscosity, extrudability, and drug content. An in vitro release study concluded that hydrocolloid based ciprofloxacin hydrochloride medicated dental gels appear to be probably extend the release of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. Optimal formulations were selected for in vivo or clinical studies. The clinical evaluation of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride gels was carried out to determine the efficacy in the treatment of periodontitis. Six groups, each containing five patients, were used in the study. All the patients were evaluated for plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP). In all these studies, two groups were treated with formulations alone and another two groups were treated with formulations along with scaling and root planning. One group was treated with scaling and root planning only, whereas, the last group was treated as control (No treatment). All the groups showed a similar baseline PI. However, the PI values decreased remarkably in the groups treated with formulation along with scaling and root planning when compared to the other groups. Similarly, the results of GI, BOP, and PD also showed a significant reduction ( P < 0.05) in the groups treated with formulation along with scaling and root planning compared to other groups. The above studies revealed that the adjunctive use of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride gels along with scaling and root planning results in significant benefits, in the treatment of periodontitis