PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF A WILD EDIBLE MUSHROOM ENTOLOMA LIVIDOALBUM

Objective: In the course of inventorying and bioprospecting wild edible mushrooms of West Bengal, the ethanolic fraction of Entoloma lividoalbumwas tested for its potential as an antioxidant in vitro and estimate the amounts of putative bioactive compounds present in it.Methods: The fraction's antioxidant potential was tested by employing various in vitro assay systems, namely, total antioxidant capacity, chelating effecton ferrous ions, reducing the effect of ferric iron and 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assays. Estimation of bioactive components wascarried out following previously established methods.Results: It was found to be a great reducer of ferric iron, as well as an effective ferrous iron chelator and free radical scavenger. In an attempt to quantifythe bioactive components, the fraction was found to be comprised of mention worthy amounts of phenols, β-carotene, lycopene and flavonoids.Conclusion: This fraction can be used to treat oxidative stress related ailments.Keywords: Antioxidant, 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Reducing power, Scavenging activity

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity of Lentinus fasciatus

The genus Lentinus is one of the most studied and medicinally significant groups among mushrooms. Lentinus fasciatus is a considerably understudied species and a methanolic formulation was evaluated for its medicinal potential. Phytochemical analysis unveiled the presence of a high amount of phenolic substances in the methanolic extract of the basidiocarps of L. fasciatus. The extracted fraction showed notable scavenging properties in in-vitro antioxidant property estimation assays. In the ABTS and DPPH assay, respectively, the EC50 values were 332.12 and 180.78 μg/mL. The mushroom extract was also screened for cytotoxic activity against the human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). The biocidal activity against cancer cells is further proven by the low LD50 value of 246 g/mL in the WST-1 experiment. The background mechanism behind the cytotoxicity was predicted to be mediated by the apoptotic pathways.</jats:p

Detailed Computational Modeling of Laminar and Turbulent Sooting Flames

This study reports development and validation of two parallel flame solvers with soot models based on the open-source computation fluid dynamics (CFD) toolbox code OpenF0AM. First, a laminar flame solver is developed and validated against experimental data. A semi-empirical two-equation soot model and a detailed soot model using a method of moments with interpolative closure (MOMIC) are implemented in the laminar flame solver. An optically thin radiation model including gray soot radiation is also implemented. Preliminary results using these models show good agreement with experimental data for the laminar axisymmetric diffusion flame studied. Second, a turbulent flame solver is developed using Reynolds-averaged equations and transported probability density function (tPDF) method. The MOMIC soot model is implemented on this turbulent solver. A sophisticated photon Monte-Carlo (PMC) model with line-by-line spectral radiation database for modeling is also implemented on the turbulent solver. The validation of the turbulent solver is under progress. Both the solvers show good scalability for a moderate-sized chemical mechanism, and can be expected to scale even more strongly when larger chemical mechanisms are used

Detailed computational modeling of laminar and turbulent sooting flames

This study reports development and validation of two parallel flame solvers with soot models based on the open-source computation fluid dynamics (CFD) toolbox code OpenF0AM. First, a laminar flame solver is developed and validated against experimental data. A semi-empirical two-equation soot model and a detailed soot model using a method of moments with interpolative closure (MOMIC) are implemented in the laminar flame solver. An optically thin radiation model including gray soot radiation is also implemented. Preliminary results using these models show good agreement with experimental data for the laminar axisymmetric diffusion flame studied. Second, a turbulent flame solver is developed using Reynolds-averaged equations and transported probability density function (tPDF) method. The MOMIC soot model is implemented on this turbulent solver. A sophisticated photon Monte-Carlo (PMC) model with line-by-line spectral radiation database for modeling is also implemented on the turbulent solver. The validation of the turbulent solver is under progress. Both the solvers show good scalability for a moderate-sized chemical mechanism, and can be expected to scale even more strongly when larger chemical mechanisms are used

Crude polysaccharide from the milky mushroom, <i>Calocybe indica</i>, modulates innate immunity of macrophage cells by triggering MyD88-dependent TLR4/NF-κB pathway

Abstract Objectives Calocybe indica is a famous nutritious food in Asian countries and one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world. Here, we have isolated crude polysaccharides from this mushroom, characterized it and investigated its antioxidant and immunostimulatory potential. Methods The polysaccharide was chemically characterized by spectrophotometry, FTIR and high-performance thin layer chromatography and tested its antioxidant potential by in vitro assays. Immunomodulatory activity and its underlying signalling process were ascertained in RAW 264.7 cells. Key findings The polysaccharide consisted of D-glucose (β-linked sugars), D-mannose and D-galactose, where backbone was organized in random coil structure. Preliminary investigation of the bioactivity of the polysaccharide revealed its antioxidant potential. The polysaccharide could noticeably induce phagocytic activity and production of immune mediators in macrophage cells. The polysaccharide was found to enhance the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activate NF-κB signalling pathway by overexpressing MyD88, Iκ-Bα and NF-κB. Further studies indicated the polysaccharide binds to the toll-like receptor 4 to manifest its immunostimulatory activity in macrophage cells. Conclusions Our findings indicate potential therapeutic properties of the crude polysaccharide of C. indica which might provide the means to treat various radical induced and immunodeficiency disorders in the days to come. </jats:sec

Photon Monte Carlo Model for High-Pressure Reacting Laminar Flows

In this paper, laminar H2-air flames at elevated pressures up to 10 bar are numerically studied. To capture the influence of radiation on high-pressure flames, a photon Monte Carlo (PMC) scheme combined with a spectral line-by-line (LBL) method previously developed by the authors is employed. In the present problem, the only radiating species is H2O. The importance of radiation in high-pressure flames is demonstrated by comparing differences of temperature and concentration fields for the cases with and without radiation.</jats:p