Curcumin-Loaded Apotransferrin Nanoparticles Provide Efficient Cellular Uptake and Effectively Inhibit HIV-1 Replication In Vitro

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) shows significant activity across a wide spectrum of conditions, but its usefulness is rather limited because of its low bioavailability. Use of nanoparticle formulations to enhance curcumin bioavailability is an emerging area of research.In the present study, curcumin-loaded apotransferrin nanoparticles (nano-curcumin) prepared by sol-oil chemistry and were characterized by electron and atomic force microscopy. Confocal studies and fluorimetric analysis revealed that these particles enter T cells through transferrin-mediated endocytosis. Nano-curcumin releases significant quantities of drug gradually over a fairly long period, ∼50% of curcumin still remaining at 6 h of time. In contrast, intracellular soluble curcumin (sol-curcumin) reaches a maximum at 2 h followed by its complete elimination by 4 h. While sol-curcumin (GI(50) = 15.6 µM) is twice more toxic than nano-curcumin (GI(50) = 32.5 µM), nano-curcumin (IC(50)<1.75 µM) shows a higher anti-HIV activity compared to sol-curcumin (IC(50) = 5.1 µM). Studies in vitro showed that nano-curcumin prominently inhibited the HIV-1 induced expression of Topo II α, IL-1β and COX-2, an effect not seen with sol-curcumin. Nano-curcumin did not affect the expression of Topoisomerase II β and TNF α. This point out that nano-curcumin affects the HIV-1 induced inflammatory responses through pathways downstream or independent of TNF α. Furthermore, nano-curcumin completely blocks the synthesis of viral cDNA in the gag region suggesting that the nano-curcumin mediated inhibition of HIV-1 replication is targeted to viral cDNA synthesis.Curcumin-loaded apotransferrin nanoparticles are highly efficacious inhibitors of HIV-1 replication in vitro and promise a high potential for clinical usefulness

Effect of environment on functional traits of co-occurring water beetles

We investigated trait-environment relationships of co-occurring aquatic Coleoptera specifically true water beetles in anthropogenic ponds from the Western Ghats, India for the first time. Our objectives were to: (1) identify species assemblages; (2) study species traits; (3) study trait-environment relationships of co-occurring species. We analysed 132 samples collected using standardised quantitative method during the years 2016 and 2017. We found 16 significant assemblages using Fager's index, where most of the pairs have body size ratio of 1.3 or more. For example, Laccophilus parvulus and Hydaticus satoi pair has body size ratio of 3.98, and both are predators, indicating that body size is a function of food size. Moreover, factor analysis revealed three major swimming categories of studied beetles, namely fast swimmers, maneuverers and poor swimmers. Further, the RLQ analysis, and combined approach of RLQ and fourth-corner analysis showed that environmental variables affected species traits. For instance, odonate nymphs and submerged vegetation were positively associated with fast swimmers like Laccophilus inefficiens and Hydaticus satoi. The assemblage of congeners Hydroglyphus inconstans and H. flammulatus can be predator-mediated as these beetles showed negative association with odonate nymphs as well as competitive to obtain resource by showing positive association with chironomid larvae. Therefore, the traits studied were important for ecological performances of species in ponds. This study has also highlighted the importance of anthropogenic ponds in the Western Ghats as biodiversity refuges of ecologically unique and evolutionary old major extant lineages of water beetles.Our study on trait-environment relationship of co-occurring water beetles in anthropogenic ponds revealed that submerged vegetation, odonate nymphs, calcium hardness, salinity and chironomid larvae affected body size, swimming traits and functional feeding groups of the beetles in assemblages

Factors affecting aquatic beetle communities of Northern Western Ghats of India (Arthropoda: Insecta: Coleoptera)

We studied faunistic and ecological factors influencing distributions of aquatic beetles in the Northern Western Ghats (NWG) of India. In the period 2013–2017, we collected 213 samples from 105 localities within the area and obtained 66 species, the majority of which belong to Dytiscidae. Relative occurrence based on incidence data revealed that dytiscid water beetle Laccophilus inefficiens as the most widespread species. Non-parametric richness estimators Chao2, Jackknife1 and Bootstrap showed that 70–80% of the fauna was covered in the sampling efforts from different types of freshwater habitats. Sample-based rarefaction suggested that more sampling efforts within the region can yield additional species. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that altitude, salinity, hydroperiod and depth influenced the distribution of aquatic beetles. Further, CCA also revealed habitat preference and co-occurrence of various aquatic beetle species. For instance, while co-occurring species under Laccophilinae and Hydroporinae were eurytopic, other co-occurring species Clypeodytes hemani, Microdytes sabitae and Lacconectus lambai were restricted to temporary habitats. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) showed a strong association between altitudinal classes and species distribution where many species were restricted within a particular altitudinal gradient. For example, M. sabitae, C. hemani, Hygrotus nilghiricus, L. lambai and Rhantus taprobanicus with classes 900–1199 and 1200–1499 while Hyphydrus flavicans, Laccophilus ceylonicus, Lacconectus andrewesi, Sternolophus inconspicuus and Canthydrus laetabilis with the class 300–599. The present work on aquatic beetles is the first attempt to study the influence of environmental factors on species diversity and distribution in the Northern Western Ghats of India.The environmental factors altitude, salinity, hydroperiod and depth of water body affect the distribution of aquatic beetles in Northern Western Ghats, India. Some congeners showed different affinity to the altitude while some groups of different body forms co-occurred

Sexual dimorphism in the Kudremukh Bush Frog (Anura: Rhacophoridae: Raorchestes tuberohumerus) of the Western Ghats, India, with a note on its distribution and conservation status

Raorchestes tuberohumerus (Kuramoto &amp; Joshy, 2003) was described based on three male specimens and was diagnosed mainly based on the presence of tubercle on the humerus.  Here we describe the genetically confirmed female of the species and show that tubercle on the humeral bone is a sexually dimorphic character present only in males.  Further, based on current collection and literature review we studied the distribution of the species using niche based modelling. Using the distributional range and our observations on the threats to the habitat we propose that Raorchestes tuberohumerus, currently assessed as Data Deficient, can fall under the ‘Vulnerable’ category of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  </div

Indirana salelkari, a new species of leaping frog (Anura: Ranixalidae) from Western Ghats of Goa, India

Indirana salelkari, a new species of leaping frog, is described from Netravali, Goa, India.  The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters, viz., head longer than wide, narrow and deep buccal cavity, vomerine teeth large and acutely placed close to each other, oval choanae, distinct canthus rostralis, first finger longer than or equal to second, presence of double outer palmer tubercles, elongated inner metatarsal tubercle, moderate webbing, discs of fingers and toes with crescentic deep marginal grooves restricted only to the anterior side of the discs, dorsal skin with glandular folds but without warts, ventral skin granular with some mottling on throat and, palms and soles dark brown.  Indirana salelkari differs from its sister taxa, I. chiravasi, in the placement and structure of vomerine teeth and choanae.  The new species is genetically distinct from I. chiravasi, with a genetic distance of 3.8% for the 16S rRNA gene.  We also provide phylogentic placement of Indirana salelkari based on mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal genes and nuclear rhodopsin gene along with molecular clock analysis, which further confirms its genetic distinctness from other related taxa.  </div

Indirana salelkari, a new species of leaping frog (Anura: Ranixalidae) from Western Ghats of Goa, India

Indirana salelkari, a new species of leaping frog, is described from Netravali, Goa, India.  The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters, viz., head longer than wide, narrow and deep buccal cavity, vomerine teeth large and acutely placed close to each other, oval choanae, distinct canthus rostralis, first finger longer than or equal to second, presence of double outer palmer tubercles, elongated inner metatarsal tubercle, moderate webbing, discs of fingers and toes with crescentic deep marginal grooves restricted only to the anterior side of the discs, dorsal skin with glandular folds but without warts, ventral skin granular with some mottling on throat and, palms and soles dark brown.  Indirana salelkari differs from its sister taxa, I. chiravasi, in the placement and structure of vomerine teeth and choanae.  The new species is genetically distinct from I. chiravasi, with a genetic distance of 3.8% for the 16S rRNA gene.  We also provide phylogentic placement of Indirana salelkari based on mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal genes and nuclear rhodopsin gene along with molecular clock analysis, which further confirms its genetic distinctness from other related taxa.  </div

Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a new species of fungoid frog (Amphibia: Ranidae) from peninsular India

Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a new species of fungoid frog, is described from peninsular India. It can be separated from its congeners based on a combination of characters including wider head, outline of snout in dorsal view truncated, finger and toe tips without lateroventral groove, foot moderately webbed, metatarsals of 4th and 5th toes closely set, outer metatarsal tubercle small, foot length less than or equal to half of snout vent length, dorsal parts of shank without glandular folds and sparse horny spinules, and heels touch each other when the legs are folded at right angles to the body.  Genetically, H. bahuvistara forms a monophyletic group with H. malabaricus as a sister clade separated by a raw distance of 4.0 to 4.5% in the 16s rRNA gene.  Morphometrically, H. bahuvistara forms a significantly different cluster from H. malabaricus and H. gracilis in Discriminant Analysis.  </div

Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a new species of fungoid frog (Amphibia: Ranidae) from peninsular India

Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a new species of fungoid frog, is described from peninsular India. It can be separated from its congeners based on a combination of characters including wider head, outline of snout in dorsal view truncated, finger and toe tips without lateroventral groove, foot moderately webbed, metatarsals of 4th and 5th toes closely set, outer metatarsal tubercle small, foot length less than or equal to half of snout vent length, dorsal parts of shank without glandular folds and sparse horny spinules, and heels touch each other when the legs are folded at right angles to the body.  Genetically, H. bahuvistara forms a monophyletic group with H. malabaricus as a sister clade separated by a raw distance of 4.0 to 4.5% in the 16s rRNA gene.  Morphometrically, H. bahuvistara forms a significantly different cluster from H. malabaricus and H. gracilis in Discriminant Analysis.  </div

Sallywalkerana, a replacement name for Walkerana Dahanukar et al. 2016 (Anura: Ranixalidae)

Dahanukar et al. (2016: pp. 9234) made available the genus name Walkerana (type species: Ixalus diplostictus Günther, 1876: 574, Pl. 63 fig. C) within family Ranixalidae for the monophyletic group with reduced webbing endemic to the Western Ghats of India south of Palghat gap. We were unaware that this name was preoccupied by Walkerana Otte and Perez-Gelabert in Otte 2009, in Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllidae. As a result, a replacement name for this genus of frogs becomes necessary. Here we propose Sallywalkerana gen. nov. as the replacement name for Walkerana Dahanukar, Modak, Krutha, Nameer, Padhye &amp; Molur, 2016