SMDB: Soybean Marker DataBase

Soybean Marker Database (SMDB) is a repository of important genomic information for soybean. At present several genomic databases are available for plants. Some of the important oilseeds plant databases are ATPID database, Castor Bean Genome Database, CGPDB, SoyBase, Legume Information System (LIS), Brassica database, Sinbase, etc. To gain comprehensive information from varied amount of resources, we developed  this database which provides general as well as specific information at universal level. Along with this it also furnishes gene level information for various functional categories such as transcription factor, disease resistant varieties, heat shock protein, genetically modified strain of soybean. The bunch of information available to researchers today increases in tremendous manner. Hence understanding the plant genome specific databases for acquiring specific information is the demand of time for crop improvement and  research programmes. SMDB is designed for the purpose of exploring potential gene differences in different plant genotypes, including genetically modified and disease resistant crops beneficial to the farmer who cultivate this crop. SMDB is publicly accessible for academic and research purpose at: http://www.bioinfoindia.org/smdb/

Structure Based Design and Synthesis of Peptide Inhibitor of Human LOX-12: In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis of a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Breast Cancer

Human breast cancer cell proliferation involves a complex interaction between growth factors, steroid hormones and peptide hormones. The interaction of growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), with their receptors on breast cancer cells can lead to the hydrolysis of phospholipids and release of fatty acid such as arachidonic acid, which can be further metabolized by cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways to produce prostaglandins. The high concentration of prostaglandins has been associated with chronic inflammatory diseases and several types of human cancers. This is due to the over expression COX, LOX and other inflammatory enzymes. Ten peptides were designed and synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis and analyzed in vitro for enzyme inhibition. Out of these peptides, YWCS had shown significant inhibitory effects. The dissociation constant (KD) was determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis and was found to be 3.39×10−8 M and 8.6×10−8 M for YWCS and baicalein (positive control), respectively. The kinetic constant Ki was 72.45×10−7 M as determined by kinetic assay. The peptide significantly reduced the cell viability of estrogen positive MCF-7 and estrogen negative MDA-MB-231 cell line with the half maximal concentration (IC50) of 75 µM and 400 µM, respectively. The peptide also induced 49.8% and 20.8% apoptosis in breast cancer cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively. The YWCS was also found to be least hemolytic at a concentration of 358 µM. In vivo studies had shown that the peptide significantly inhibits tumor growth in mice (p<0.017). This peptide can be used as a lead compound and complement for ongoing efforts to develop differentiation therapies for breast cancer

Dendrimers for Drug Delivery

Dendrimers have come a long way in the last 25 years since their inception. Originally created as a wonder molecule of chemistry, dendrimer is now in the fourth class of polymers. Dr. Donald Tomalia first published his seminal work on Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers in 1985. Application of dendrimers as a drug delivery system started in late 1990s. Dendrimers for drug delivery are employed using two approaches: (i) formulation and (ii) nanoconstruct. In the formulation approach, drugs are physically entrapped in a dendrimer using non-covalent interactions, whereas drugs are covalently coupled on dendrimers in the nanoconstruct approach. We have demonstrated the utility of PAMAM dendrimers for enhancing solubility, stability and oral bioavailability of various drugs. Drug entrapment and drug release from dendrimers can be controlled by modifying dendrimer surfaces and generations. PAMAM dendrimers are also shown to increase transdermal permeation and specific drug targeting. Dendrimer platforms can be engineered to attach targeting ligands and imaging molecules to create a nanodevice. Dendrimer nanotechnology, due to its multifunctional ability, has the potential to create next generation nanodevices

Effect of gallic acid on the larvae of Spodoptera litura and its parasitoid Bracon hebetor

Abstract The antibiosis effect of gallic acid on Spodoptera litura F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its parasitoid evaluated by feeding six days old larvae on artificial diet incorporated with different concentrations (5 ppm, 25 ppm, 125 ppm, 625 ppm, 3125 ppm) of the phenolic compound revealed higher concentration (LC50) of gallic acid had a negative impact on the survival and physiology of S. litura and its parasitoid Bracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera:Braconidae). The mortality of S. litura larvae was increased whereas adult emergence declined with increasing concentration of gallic acid. The developmental period was delayed significantly and all the nutritional indices were reduced significantly with increase in concentration. Higher concentration (LC50) of gallic acid adversely affected egg hatching, larval mortality, adult emergence and total development period of B. hebetor. At lower concentration (LC30) the effect on B. hebetor adults and larvae was non-significant with respect to control. Gene expression for the enzymes viz., Superoxide dismutase, Glutathione peroxidase, Peroxidase, Esterases and Glutathione S transferases increased while the total hemocyte count of S. litura larvae decreased with treatment. Our findings suggest that gallic acid even at lower concentration (LC30) can impair the growth of S. litura larvae without causing any significant harm to its parasitoid B. hebetor and has immense potential to be used as biopesticides

Confocal microscopy pictures showing localization of FITC-labelled YWCS in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells.

<p>White arrows in the merged image show that the peptide enters the cell cytoplasm. (<b>A</b>) MCF-7 cells treated with 75 µM YWCS. (<b>B</b>) MDA-MB-231 cells treated with 400 µM YWCS peptide.</p

Low serum vitamin D in North Indian multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients: the role of diet and sunlight

AbstractBackground: Tuberculosis (TB) and malnutrition are major global health problems, with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB complicating international efforts. The role of vitamin D in susceptibility to and as an adjunctive treatment for TB is being studied extensively, although no study has included MDR-TB patients in context to dietary profile with vitamin D levels and sunlight exposure.Objective: This study aimed to estimate vitamin D serum levels and examine their association with dietary intake of vitamin D and sun exposure in patients with MDR-TB.Methods: North Indian participants were enrolled in three groups: MDR-TB, drug-susceptible pulmonary TB (DS-PTB), and healthy controls. All consenting participants underwent the estimation of macro- and micronutrient intake and sunlight exposure using structured questionnaires. Serum biochemistry, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium levels, was measured, and the correlation between variables was determined.Results: 747 participants were enrolled. Significant differences among the three groups were found in mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, body mass index, macronutrient intake, dietary vitamin D and calcium content, and sun exposure index (SEI). All except sun exposure (SEI was highest in DS-PTB patients) were found to follow the trend: MDR-TB < DS-PTB < healthy controls. The mean serum vitamin D levels of all groups were deficient and correlated positively with dietary intake and SEI.Conclusion: In this study’s we found significant association of serum vitamin D concentrations, dietary intake and sunlight exposure in MDR-TB, DS-PTB patients and healthy controls. Dietary intake may be more important than sun exposure in determining serum levels. However, the significance of this finding is uncertain. Further studies are required to confirm the association, direction, and potential for vitamin D supplementation to treat or prevent MDR-TB infection

The peptides screened as inhibitors of LOX-12.

<p>Inhibition assays were performed in triplicates and average values have been reported.</p><p>YWCS was found to be inhibit the activity of protein by 86.1%.</p

XPS, UV–Vis, FTIR, and EXAFS Studies to Investigate the Binding Mechanism of N719 Dye onto Oxalic Acid Treated TiO2TiO_{2} and Its Implication on Photovoltaic Properties

The anchoring mechanism of N719 dye molecules on oxalic acid treated TiO2 (OA-TiO2) electrodes has been investigated using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV−vis spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FTIR spectroscopy of OA-TiO2 electrodes revealed that the oxalic acid dissociates at the TiO2 surface and binds through bidentate chelating and/ or bidentate bridging. Analyses of EXAFS, FTIR, UV−vis, and XPS measurements of N719 dye loaded onto OA-TiO2 revealed that the binding of N719 molecules takes place via interaction between the Ru atom of the dye and O− of bidentate bridged oxalate ions at the TiO2 surface. This mechanism is quite different from the binding of N719 onto untreated TiO2 (WO-TiO2) surface, where −COOH and SCN groups of the dye directly bind to the TiO2 surface. The analyses of UV−vis data show that the amount of N719 dye loading onto OA-TiO2 surface is much higher than that onto the native TiO2 surface. In addition, the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) measurements show that the presence of oxalate ions between the dye and TiO2 surface favors efficient electron transfer and therefore improvement in device efficiency. The dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated using N719 dye sensitized onto OA-TiO2 showed an efficiency of ∼4.6%, which is significantly higher than that based on a WO-TiO2 electrode (∼3.2%)

Low serum vitamin D in North Indian multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients: the role of diet and sunlight

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and malnutrition are major global health problems, with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB complicating international efforts. The role of vitamin D in susceptibility to and as an adjunctive treatment for TB is being studied extensively, although no study has included MDR-TB patients in context to dietary profile with vitamin D levels and sunlight exposure. Objective: This study aimed to estimate vitamin D serum levels and examine their association with dietary intake of vitamin D and sun exposure in patients with MDR-TB. Methods: North Indian participants were enrolled in three groups: MDR-TB, drug-susceptible pulmonary TB (DS-PTB), and healthy controls. All consenting participants underwent the estimation of macro- and micronutrient intake and sunlight exposure using structured questionnaires. Serum biochemistry, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium levels, was measured, and the correlation between variables was determined. Results: 747 participants were enrolled. Significant differences among the three groups were found in mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, body mass index, macronutrient intake, dietary vitamin D and calcium content, and sun exposure index (SEI). All except sun exposure (SEI was highest in DS-PTB patients) were found to follow the trend: MDR-TB  Conclusion: In this study’s we found significant association of serum vitamin D concentrations, dietary intake and sunlight exposure in MDR-TB, DS-PTB patients and healthy controls. Dietary intake may be more important than sun exposure in determining serum levels. However, the significance of this finding is uncertain. Further studies are required to confirm the association, direction, and potential for vitamin D supplementation to treat or prevent MDR-TB infection.</p

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendritic nanostructures for controlled sitespecific delivery of acidic anti-inflammatory active ingredient

The purpose of the investigation was to evaluate the potential of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer as nanoscale drug delivery units for controlled release of water insoluble and acidic anti-inflammatory drug. Flurbiprofen (FB) was selected as a model acidic anti-inflammatory drug. The aqueous solutions of 4.0 generation (G) PAMAM dendrimer in different concentrations were prepared and used further for solubilizing FB. Formation of dendrimer complex was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effect of pH on the solubility of FB in dendrimer was evaluated. Dendrimer formulations were further evaluated for in vitro release study and hemolytic toxicity. Pharmacokinetic and biodistribution were studied in male albino rats. Efficacy of dendrimer formulation was tested by carrageenan induced paw edema model. It was observed that the loaded drug displayed initial rapid release (more than 40% till 3rd hour) followed by rather slow release. Pharmacodynamic study revealed 75% inhibition at 4th hour that was maintained above 50% till 8th hour. The mean residence time (MRT) and terminal half-life (THF) of the dendritic formulation increased by 2-fold and 3-fold, respectively, compared with free drug. Hence, with dendritic system the drug is retained for longer duration in the biosystem with 5-fold greater distribution. It may be concluded that the drug-loaded dendrimers not only enhanced the solubility but also controlled the delivery of the bioactive with localized action at the site of inflammation