A Novel Algorithm for Dehazing an Image

Image dehazing plays a vital role in the field of image processing. Previously, many researchers have suggested many techniques like histogram equalization and gamma transformation in order to achieve the target. But these techniques have many limitations like different degree of polarization, different kind of weather conditions or depth information of pixel in image. The proposed work has tried to develop a more effective and reliable image quality assessment method that can evaluate the quality of the proposed dehazing algorithms. It proposed a robust method that is capable enough to improve the detection quality of hazed image by minimizing atmospheric haze effect by using local min operator to reduce time complexity. As compared to previous work it provides better results

A Novel Approach for Image Deblurring

In the area of image processing blur removal is essential step in image quality enhancement .It also has real time applications, therefore it is necessary to have efficient method to remove blur. We have proposed a non linear blur model which simply models low light pixels. In this work we have applied Gaussian kernel instead of Laplacian kernel. The proposed method is developed in such a way that it automatically detects low light pixel from a given blurred image. It also suppress the ringing artifacts. The more accurate results are obtained on problematic and challenging blur images

Treatment with Green Tea Prevents Intracerebroventricular Streptozotocin Induced Cognitive Impairment and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Green tea polyphenols have demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and antidiabetic in numerous human, animal and in vitro studies. Hence present study was design to evaluate the influence of green tea in streptozotocin induced oxidative stress in mice.Morris water maze, Elevated plus maze and passive avoidance apparatus was used for the evaluation of learning and memory. Brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substance was also estimated.Intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin reduces the learning and memory and increase the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance in mice. Green tea significantly improves the learning and memory and reverses the increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentration in mice.The result of present study indicates that green tea improve the learning and memory. It also reduces the streptozotocin induced oxidative stress.Keyword: Hippocampus, degenerative disease, green te

Treatment with Green Tea Prevents Intracerebroventricular Streptozotocin Induced Cognitive Impairment and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Green tea polyphenols have demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and antidiabetic in numerous human, animal and in vitro studies. Hence present study was design to evaluate the influence of green tea in streptozotocin induced oxidative stress in mice.Morris water maze, Elevated plus maze and passive avoidance apparatus was used for the evaluation of learning and memory. Brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substance was also estimated.Intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin reduces the learning and memory and increase the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance in mice. Green tea significantly improves the learning and memory and reverses the increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentration in mice.The result of present study indicates that green tea improve the learning and memory. It also reduces the streptozotocin induced oxidative stress.Keyword: Hippocampus, degenerative disease, green te

Current Status and Future Prospects of Marine Natural Products (MNPs) as Antimicrobials

peer-reviewedThe marine environment is a rich source of chemically diverse, biologically active natural products, and serves as an invaluable resource in the ongoing search for novel antimicrobial compounds. Recent advances in extraction and isolation techniques, and in state-of-the-art technologies involved in organic synthesis and chemical structure elucidation, have accelerated the numbers of antimicrobial molecules originating from the ocean moving into clinical trials. The chemical diversity associated with these marine-derived molecules is immense, varying from simple linear peptides and fatty acids to complex alkaloids, terpenes and polyketides, etc. Such an array of structurally distinct molecules performs functionally diverse biological activities against many pathogenic bacteria and fungi, making marine-derived natural products valuable commodities, particularly in the current age of antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we have highlighted several marine-derived natural products (and their synthetic derivatives), which have gained recognition as effective antimicrobial agents over the past five years (2012–2017). These natural products have been categorized based on their chemical structures and the structure-activity mediated relationships of some of these bioactive molecules have been discussed. Finally, we have provided an insight into how genome mining efforts are likely to expedite the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds

Influence of lifestyle on oral health behavior among rural residents of Udaipur district, India

Objectives: To determine the relation of life style with dental health behavior such as tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleansing devices and regular visits to dentist among rural residents of Udaipur district, India. Study design: The study population comprised of 1001 rural population between the ages 18 to 69 years selected by multi stage stratified cluster sampling procedure. Personal interviews were conducted by three trained interviewers who collected information on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors in addition to some aspects of dental health behavior including tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleaning devices like dental floss and regular visits to dentist. Results: Majority of the population (63.3%) brushed their teeth once a day and only a few subjects (19.8%) brushed twice a day whereas 8.6 % never brushed their teeth. Logistic regression analysis revealed that females were more apt in every aspect of dental health behavior. House wives were more regular in brushing their teeth (OR=1.51) and using extra cleansing devices as compared to other occupation groups. Subjects who suffered from systemic disease showed negative association with use of extra cleansing devices but showed positive association with regular visits to dentist. Conclusions: The results indicate that dental health behavior is related with life style factors as well as socio-demographic variables. © Medicina Oral S. L

Antileishmanial polyphenols from Corymbia maculata

An activity–guided fractionation was used to identify the antileishmanial compounds of Corymbia maculata. The hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were active in in vitro antileishmanial assay. Twelve polyphenols including 8-demethyl eucalyptin (1), eucalyptin (2), myrciaphenone A (3), myrciaphenone B (4), quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (5), myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (6), quercetin-3- O-β-D-galactopyranoside (7), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (9), syringic acid (10), gallic acid-3-methyl ether (11), gallic acid-4-methyl ether (12) and gallic acid (13) were isolated from the active extracts. All the tested compounds except 8-demethyleucalyptin and myrciaphenone B showed strong to moderate (6.9–24.5 μM) antileishmanial activity against Leishmania donovani promastigotes. An HPLC-PDA method has been developed to detect/quantify 29 compounds in the extracts of C. maculata leaves. This validated method allows simultaneous quantitation of seven flavonoids, fourteen phloroglucinols and eight other polyphenols and can be applied for qualitative as well as quantitative determination of phytoconstituents in Eucalyptus matrices

Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Anticholinesterase Activities and Phytochemical Profile of Azorella glabra Wedd

peer-reviewedSupplementary material available Table S1: LC-Q-Tof chromatograms showing the retention times of standard compounds mix used for the identification and quantification of various polyphenols and a terpene in the ethyl acetate fraction of Azorella glabra Wedd.Oxidative stress is involved in different diseases, such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The genus Azorella includes about 70 species of flowering plant species; most of them are commonly used as food and in particular as a tea infusion in the Andean region of South America in folk medicine to treat various chronic diseases. Azorella glabra Wedd. aerial parts were firstly analyzed for their in vitro antioxidant activity using different complementary assays. In particular, radical scavenging activity was tested against biological neutral radical DPPH; ferric reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibitory capacity (FRAP and Beta-Carotene Bleaching tests) were also determined. The Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI) was used to compare data obtained by different assays. Then, the inhibitory ability of samples was investigated against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes involved in diabetes and against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes considered as strategy for the treatment of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases. Moreover, the phytochemical profile of the sample showing the highest RACI (1.35) and interesting enzymatic activities (IC50 of 163.54 ± 9.72 and 215.29 ± 17.10 μg/mL in α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, respectively) was subjected to characterization and quantification of its phenolic composition using LC-MS/MS analysis. In fact, the ethyl acetate fraction derived from ethanol extract by liquid/liquid extraction showed 29 compounds, most of them are cinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoid derivatives, and a terpene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the evaluation of significant biological activities and phytochemical profile of A. glabra, an important source of health-promoting phytochemicals.This work was supported by the Regione Basilicata; the Fondazione Enrico Mattei DGR n. 1490 del 4/12/2014, vs. rep. n. 163 n8; and the Regional Project ALIMINTEGRA, GO NUTRIBAS financed on 16.1 PSR Basilicata founding ex D.G.R. No. 312/17 CUP: C31G18000210002

Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Characterization of Senecio clivicolus Wedd.

peer-reviewedAntioxidant phytochemicals play a key role in oxidative stress control and in the prevention of related disorders, such as premature aging, degenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential antioxidant activity and the phytochemical profile of Senecio clivicolus Wedd., a perennial shrub, belonging to the Asteraceae family. Despite the wide interest of this family, this specie has not been investigated yet. S. clivicolus aerial parts were extracted with 96% ethanol. Then, the ethanol extract was fractionated by liquid/liquid extraction using an increasing solvents polarity. Total polyphenol and terpenoid contents were measured. Moreover, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by six different complementary in vitro assays. The Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI) was used to compare data obtained by different tests. The sample showing the highest RACI was subjected to characterization and quantitation of its phenolic composition using LC-MS/MS analysis. The ethyl acetate fraction, investigated by LC-MS/MS analysis, showed 30 compounds, most of them are chlorogenic acid and flavonoid derivatives. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the evaluation of antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of S. clivicolus, underlying the importance of this species as a source of health-promoting phytochemicals.This research was supported by the University of Basilicata, Project “Monitoraggio delle acque marine costiere e profonde in Basilicata” D.G.R. 1490 of 4/12/2014

HPLC-ESI-MS/MS characterisation of metabolites produced by Pseudovibrio sp. W64, a marine sponge-derived bacterium isolated from Irish waters

Rationale: In recent years, metabolites produced by Pseudovibrio species have gained scientific attention due to their potent antimicrobial activity. Recently we also have assessed antibacterial activities of Pseudovibrio sp. W64 isolates against Staphylococcus aureus, where only the dominant tropodithietic acid (TDA) was identified. However characterisation of other metabolites is necessary as these metabolites may also serve as potent antimicrobial agents. Methods: LC-MS/MS, aided by accurate mass measurements, was employed to screen and characterise a range of metabolites produced by Pseudovibrio sp. W64 via assessment of ethyl acetate fractions generated from bacterial cultures. Results: Thirteen metabolites unique to the bacterial culture were detected and their chemical structures were assigned by tandem mass spectrometry and accurate mass measurement. Among the thirteen metabolites, a methyl ester of TDA, a number of cholic acid derivatives, and amino diols and triols were characterised. Conclusions: Pseudovibrio sp. W64 produces methylated TDA in addition to TDA, and metabolises lipids and amino acids in the cell-culture medium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of methylated TDA, cholic acid and its various analogs, and sphinganine being detected in this Pseudovibrio strain. The data generated may help to better understand the biochemical processes and metabolism of bacterial strains towards discovery of antimicrobial agents from marine sources