Hepatoprotective and antioxidant capacity of Melochia corchorifolia extracts

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate hepato protective and antioxidant capacity of Melochia corchorifolia (M. corchorifolia) aerial part extracts.MethodsAntioxidant activity was evaluated by using three free radicals (Superoxide, Hydroxyl and DPPH) and hepatoprotective activity was assessed against CCl4 induced liver intoxication in rats.ResultsThe extracts produced concentration dependent percentage protection in decrease of serum enzymes and percentage inhibition on free radicals. Among all extracts methanol extract showed better activity with percentage protection of SGOT (78.98%), SGPT (79.65%), ALP (82.48%) and total bilirubin (80.0%) levels against CCl4 liver intoxication and also methanolic extract showed better activity with IC50 values on superoxide, hydroxyl and DPPH radicals were 127 μ g, 240 μ g and 179 μ g.ConclusionsFrom the results obtained during the study it could be concluded that M. corchorifolia aerial part extracts have antioxidant and hepatoprotective components. Further study is necessary for isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules which are responsible for hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of low dose mirtazapine once daily in patients of major depressive disorders on escitalopram

Background: The SSRIs being used as 1st line therapy in treatment of depression have delayed therapeutic effect which makes the patient vulnerable to an increased risk of suicide and decreased adherence to the treatment and will prematurely discontinue the therapy. The present study was conducted to evaluate if low dose mirtazapine-escitalopram combination therapy has any add on benefit over monotherapy with escitalopram.Methods: In a single-centered, comparative study involving patients with depression attending the out-patient after screening and exclusion, 60 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive tablet mirtazapine 7.5 mg plus tablet escitalopram 10 mg intervention or tablet escitalopram 10 mg plus placebo intervention in a double-blind 6-week treatment phase. The primary outcome measure was the change in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score from baseline. Participants were evaluated at baseline, 1st, 2nd,4th and 6th week. Results were analyzed using Chi-Square test for adverse effects and independent t-test analysis for efficacy parameter.Results: In the analysis of results at 6th week the numbers of patients achieved remission in mirtazapine group are more with a p-value of 0.018 which is significant and the numbers of responders in mirtazapine group are also more which is statistically significant on chi-square test. There is no significant difference was observed between the two groups with reference to occurrence of adverse effect.Conclusions: Adding low dose mirtazapine has an added benefit in terms of efficacy and getting remission early with more number of responders in the treatment of major depression

Technology for Kisan Samanvayam: Nutrition Intelligibility of Groundnut Plant using IoT-ML Framework

Neolithic Demographic transition resulting the reduction of habitable land for cultivation. Hence the smart agriculture is the only way to cater higher food demand. The farming community of developing countries like India needs Kisan Samanvayam with futuristic technologies for financially viable cultivation. Technology place vital role in economically nourishment of soil fertility and crop management. In this regard we proposed IoT-ML framework for remotely assessing the soil nutrients (N, P,K), PH and early stage detection of crop deceases. Android APP which is a part and parcel of the frame work enable the farmer to have real time visual statistics of the soil nutrients, notifications and suggestions regarding to the crop management. JXCT Soil NPK sensors, PH sensors, Dual Core ESP32 Controllers, Firebase Cloud and Random Forest Decision Tree machine Learning Algorithm, Micromlgen serve this purpose. Unlike Solitary sensor for entire field, we have divided a hector into four subregions for effective monitoring local region needs. The presence of IoT with TinyML increased the robustness of the framework and results are encouraging with sandy loam soil

Nurturing Agribusiness: A Sustainable Farming System for Tomato Crop Management Leveraging Machine Learning

The agriculture industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the introduction of IoT technology, enabling global connectivity for farmers. This technology offers a plethora of advantages, ranging from precise seed selection based on soil analysis to efficient crop maintenance, water management, and enhanced marketing support for improved profitability. To further enhance tomato farming practices, we propose the implementation of a smart farmer marketing assistant that streamlines the process of segregating yield based on its growth stage, reducing labor and time requirements.Further, the frame work is capable of early-disease management system that can detect  diseases like early blight,light blight, buck eye rot and anthranose and suggest remedy.  By adopting this innovative approach, financial losses associated with traditional methods are minimized.The traditional practice of combining all categories of vegetables (ripened, unripened, and partially rotten) in a single container often results in reduced shelf life for the produce. In our framework, we employ color sorting to categorize the vegetables, ensuring proper packing into their respective bins. This valuable data is made accessible through a cloud environment, providing potential buyers with comprehensive information about the yield, its category, and pricing. This increased visibility empowers farmers to reach a global market and sell their produce at competitive prices. In this context, we present a case study focused on the tomato crop, where we have successfully developed a prototype utilizing ESP32, a color sensor, and Google Firebase. This comprehensive framework effectively harnesses the power of IoT, Machine Learning, and potential marketing strategies, transforming the way farmers manage their crops and connect with buyers on a global scale with highly accurate 87.9% experimental results

SODIUM ALGINATE/GELATIN MICROBEADS-INTERCALATED WITH KAOLIN NANOCLAY FOR EMERGING DRUG DELIVERY IN WILSON’S DISEASE

Objective: The aim of the present study was to fabricate and evaluate the drug release studies using Sodium Alginate (SA) and Gelatin (GE) microbeads intercalated with Kaolin (KA) nanoclay for sustained release of D-Penicillamine (D-PA). Methods: Sodium alginate/gelatin/Kaolin blend microbeads were prepared by an extrusion method by using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker. The obtained microbeads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X–ray diffraction (XRD). Drug release kinetics of the microbeads was investigated in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) at 37 °C. Results: Microbeads formation was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. X-RD reveals that the KA should be intercalated with the drug and also it confirms the molecular level dispersion of D-Penicillamine into microbeads. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies reveal that the beads were in spherical shape with some wrinkled depressions on the surface. The in vitro release study indicates the D-Penicillamine released in a controlled manner. The in vitro release kinetics was assessed by Korsmeyer-Peppas equation and the ‘n’ value lies in between 0.557-0.693 indicates Non-Fickian diffusion process. Conclusion: The results suggest that the developed KA intercalated microbeads are good potential drug carrier for the controlled release of D-PA

In vitro and in vivo anticancer studies of 2'-hydroxy chalcone derivatives exhibit apoptosis in colon cancer cells by HDAC inhibition and cell cycle arrest

Considering the therapeutic values of bioflavonoids in colon cancer treatment, six 2′-hydroxy chalcones (C1-C6) were synthesized, characterized and screened for in vitro cytotoxicity on human colon carcinoma (HCT116) and African green monkey kidney epithelial cells (Vero). Only C5 showed selective cytotoxicity against HCT116 cells. Other potent cytotoxic compounds were C1, C2 and C3. Further screening included enzyme inhibition studies on histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzyme where C1 showed lowest IC50 value (105.03 µM). Based on cytotoxicity data C1, C2 and C3 were selected for further in vitro mechanistic studies, namely apoptotic studies (Acridine or- ange/Ethidium bromide (AO/EB) and Annexin V), cell cycle analysis using propidium iodide (PI) stain and in vivo anticancer efficacy in 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) induced colorectal carcinoma in Wistar rats. The com- pounds induced apoptosis in more than 30 % cells in AO/EB and Annexin V staining. They also showed cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase with PI staining. They showed a significant reduction in aberrant crypt foci formation and adenocarcinoma count along with a significant (p<0.05) reduction in TNF-α levels as compared to DMH control at 100 mg/kg dose. Thus, it can be concluded that the synthesized 2′-hydroxychalcones were effective against colon adenocarcinoma in in vitro and in vivo studies

Effect of supplementing encapsulated microbial enzymes to corn-soybean meal based pelleted diets on performance and carcass variables in coloured broiler chicken

The experiment was conducted to determine the dietary supplementation of encapsulated (EC) or UEC enzymes on performance of colour broilers. The dietary supplementation of EC polysaccharide hydrolyzing enzymes and protease improved the performance compared to other groups. Feeding the birds with low nutrient-density diets did not affect the performance of the coloured broilers. The supplementation of EC enzymes resulted in a decrease in abdominal fat and increase in ready to cook yield compared to those diets with UEC or without enzymes

Botanical Description of Pigeonpea [Cajanus Cajan (L.) Millsp.]

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] is an important legume crop of the papilionaceae family. It is an often cross-pollinated crop, and breeding principles of both self and cross-pollinated crops are highly effective in its genetic enhancement. Pigeonpea is a hard woody shrub, extensively adaptable to a range of soil types, temperature, and rainfall. It has a deep taproot system extending up to two meters and can grow to a height of four meters. Pigeonpea roots form a symbiotic association with Brady rhizobium spp. and perform biological nitrogen fixation. The branching pattern of stem may vary from bush type to compact upright type and is of determinate, semi-determinate, and non-determinate type based on the flowering pattern. The primary leaves are simple, opposite, and caduceus, while the latter ones are pinnately trifoliate with lanceolate to elliptical leaflets. Pigeonpea flowers are zygomorphic, borne on terminal or auxiliary racemes and are normally yellow in color with some variations. It has ten stamens in diadelphous condition with light or dark yellow anthers. The ovary is superior with a long style attached to a thickened, incurved, and swollen stigma. Pigeonpea is an often cross-pollinated crop with an average of 20% cross-pollination. The fruit of pigeonpea is called pod, which is of various colors, with and without deep constrictions. Seeds (with 20–22% proteins and amino acids) can be round or lens shaped, in shades of white and brown color with yellow color cotyledon. Pigeonpea is a widely consumed multi-utility pulse crop, thus the knowledge about the crop botany is vital for modifying it according to future challenges and goals