STABILITY INDICATING HPLC METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF OFLOXACIN AND FLAVOXATE HYDROCHLORIDE

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a stability indicating reverse-phase HPLC method for simultaneous estimation of Ofloxacin and Flavoxate hydrochloride from their combination product.Methods: The proposed RP-HPLC method was developed using inertsil C18, 5 µm, 250 mm × 4.6 mm column. The mobile phase used was a mixture of methanol and water in the proportion of 50:50 (v/v) with apparent pH adjusted to 4.9, and UV detection at 274 nm using a PDA detector and Empower-2 software. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min. Ofloxacin, Flavoxate hydrochloride and their combination drug product were exposed to thermal, photolytic, hydrolytic, and oxidative stress conditions, and the stressed samples were analysed by the proposed method.Results: With the optimized method, retention times of Ofloxacin and Flavoxate hydrochloride were found to be 4.3 and 2.98 respectively. Peak homogeneity data of Ofloxacin and Flavoxate hydrochloride peaks obtained using PDA detector, in the stressed sample chromatograms demonstrated the specificity of the method for their estimation in the presence of degradants. The described method was linear over a range of 10-60 µg/ml with regression coefficient of 0.9996 and 0.9998. The mean recoveries were 99.57% and 99.99% for Ofloxacin and Flavoxate hydrochloride, respectively.Conclusion: Stress testing, which covered acid, alkali, peroxide, photolytic and thermal degradation was performed to prove the specificity of the proposed method and degradation, was achieved. The developed method was validated according to ICH guidelines and was found to be simple, precise and accurate with the prescribed values.Â

PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSING AND ANALYTICAL STUDY OF TRIVANGA BHASMA

Background: Rasashastra is a branch of Ayurvedic pharmaceutics, which deals with the conversion of metals & minerals into potent medicines. In Rasashastra, the metals like gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin, zinc etc. are converted in to Bhasma and are applied in therapeutics. Validity of this branch of science totally depends on the successful completion of the practical aspects with careful observations, and it becomes necessary to perform analytical studies to check the quality of the finished products. Hence, the present study was carried out to understand the pharmaceutical processing and to analyze the Trivanga Bhasma with the aid of classical tests and modern analytical tools.Materials & Methods: Trivanga Bhasma was prepared by subjecting the Vanga, Naga & Yashada to Samanya & Vishesha Shodhana, Jarana and Marana processes as per the classical references. Final product was then subjected to all the classical Bhasmaparikshas and also analyzed by adopting modern analytical techniques.Results & Conclusion: Yellow coloured Trivanga Bhasma which passed all the Bhasmaparikshas was obtained after seventeen Laghuputas. Percentile of tin, lead & zinc were noted

The Brain Basis of Positive and Negative Affect: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of the Human Neuroimaging Literature

The ability to experience pleasant or unpleasant feelings or to represent objects as “positive” or “negative” is known as representing hedonic “valence.” Although scientists overwhelmingly agree that valence is a basic psychological phenomenon, debate continues about how to best conceptualize it scientifically. We used a meta-analysis of 397 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography studies (containing 914 experimental contrasts and 6827 participants) to test 3 competing hypotheses about the brain basis of valence: the bipolarity hypothesis that positive and negative affect are supported by a brain system that monotonically increases and/or decreases along the valence dimension, the bivalent hypothesis that positive and negative affect are supported by independent brain systems, and the affective workspace hypothesis that positive and negative affect are supported by a flexible set of valence-general regions. We found little evidence for the bipolar or bivalent hypotheses. Findings instead supported the hypothesis that, at the level of brain activity measurable by fMRI, valence is flexibly implemented across instances by a set of valence-general limbic and paralimbic brain regions

Mitochondria supply membranes for autophagosome biogenesis during starvation

Starvation-induced autophagosomes engulf cytosol and/or organelles and deliver them to lysosomes for degradation, thereby resupplying depleted nutrients. Despite advances in understanding the molecular basis of this process, the membrane origin of autophagosomes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that, in starved cells, the outer membrane of mitochondria participates in autophagosome biogenesis. The early autophagosomal marker, Atg5, transiently localizes to punctae on mitochondria, followed by the late autophagosomal marker, LC3. The tail-anchor of an outer mitochondrial membrane protein also labels autophagosomes and is sufficient to deliver another outer mitochondrial membrane protein, Fis1, to autophagosomes. The fluorescent lipid NBD-PS (converted to NBD-phosphotidylethanolamine in mitochondria) transfers from mitochondria to autophagosomes. Photobleaching reveals membranes of mitochondria and autophagosomes are transiently shared. Disruption of mitochondria/ER connections by mitofusin2 depletion dramatically impairs starvation-induced autophagy. Mitochondria thus play a central role in starvation-induced autophagy, contributing membrane to autophagosomes

Hydrogen peroxide and lime based oxidative pretreatment of wood waste to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis for a biorefinery: Process parameters optimization using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for the optimization of process variables in the alkaline peroxide oxidation (APO) pretreatment of Vitellaria paradoxa sawdust based on central composite design (CCD) experiments. A 23 five level CCD with central and axial points was used to develop a statistical model for the optimization of process variables. Maximum response for the pretreatment was obtained when applying the optimum values for temperature (150 �C), time (45 min), and 1% (v/v) H2O2. At the optimum conditions, up to 70% of the initial hemicellulose was removed in treatments, which also caused some delignification (up to 11% of the initial lignin was removed), whereas cellulose was almost quantitatively retained in the solid phase. Alkaline peroxide assisted wet air oxidation (APAWAO) pretreatment at the optimum conditions resulted in enrichment up to 60% cellulose content along with solubilization of 80% hemicellulose and 17% of lignin initially present in the raw sawdust. Reducing sugars yield after 72 h enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated biomass at optimized APO conditions was 177.89 mg equivalent glucose g�1 dry biomass. Addition of 10 bar air pressure at the optimized pretreatment conditions increased the sugars yield to 263.49 mg equivalent glucose g�1 dry biomass

Variety AHB 1269Fe (MH 2185)

Pearl millet Varietal Identification Committee in its annual meet on 22nd-24th March, 2018, during the 53rd Annual Pearl Millet Workshop at ARS, Jodhpur, identified MH 2185 as “biofortified pearl millet hybrid AHB 1269Fe” for its high grain Fe combined with high grain and stover yield. MH 2185 is a cross between male-sterile line ICMA1 98222 (female parent) and restorer AUBI 1105 (male parent). The line ICMA1 98222 is based on A1 source of cytoplasmic malesterility developed at ICRISAT, Patancheru. Hybrid MH 2185 was tested in the All India Coordinated Pearl Millet Improvement Project (AICRP-PM) trials during 2015-2017 seasons at 36 locations (12 locations each in 2015, 13 locations in 2016 and 11 locations in 2017) together with 6 controls, 86M86, 86M01, MPMH 17, HHB-67 Improved, Pratap, and Dhanashakti. While the first five controls are commercially released highyielding hybrid cultivars, Dhanashakti is an improved version of open pollinated variety (OPV) ICTP8203 with high grain Fe (71 ppm). AHB 1269Fe hybrid was jointly developed and sponsored to AICRP-PM for evaluation by National Agriculture Research Project Aurangabad, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani and International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Aric Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India

Fast fluorescence microscopy for imaging the dynamics of embryonic development

Live imaging has gained a pivotal role in developmental biology since it increasingly allows real-time observation of cell behavior in intact organisms. Microscopes that can capture the dynamics of ever-faster biological events, fluorescent markers optimal for in vivo imaging, and, finally, adapted reconstruction and analysis programs to complete data flow all contribute to this success. Focusing on temporal resolution, we discuss how fast imaging can be achieved with minimal prejudice to spatial resolution, photon count, or to reliably and automatically analyze images. In particular, we show how integrated approaches to imaging that combine bright fluorescent probes, fast microscopes, and custom post-processing techniques can address the kinetics of biological systems at multiple scales. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges and opportunities for further advances in this field

Altered Neurocircuitry in the Dopamine Transporter Knockout Mouse Brain

The plasma membrane transporters for the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine modulate the dynamics of these monoamine neurotransmitters. Thus, activity of these transporters has significant consequences for monoamine activity throughout the brain and for a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Gene knockout (KO) mice that reduce or eliminate expression of each of these monoamine transporters have provided a wealth of new information about the function of these proteins at molecular, physiological and behavioral levels. In the present work we use the unique properties of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to probe the effects of altered dopaminergic dynamics on meso-scale neuronal circuitry and overall brain morphology, since changes at these levels of organization might help to account for some of the extensive pharmacological and behavioral differences observed in dopamine transporter (DAT) KO mice. Despite the smaller size of these animals, voxel-wise statistical comparison of high resolution structural MR images indicated little morphological change as a consequence of DAT KO. Likewise, proton magnetic resonance spectra recorded in the striatum indicated no significant changes in detectable metabolite concentrations between DAT KO and wild-type (WT) mice. In contrast, alterations in the circuitry from the prefrontal cortex to the mesocortical limbic system, an important brain component intimately tied to function of mesolimbic/mesocortical dopamine reward pathways, were revealed by manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI). Analysis of co-registered MEMRI images taken over the 26 hours after introduction of Mn^(2+) into the prefrontal cortex indicated that DAT KO mice have a truncated Mn^(2+) distribution within this circuitry with little accumulation beyond the thalamus or contralateral to the injection site. By contrast, WT littermates exhibit Mn^(2+) transport into more posterior midbrain nuclei and contralateral mesolimbic structures at 26 hr post-injection. Thus, DAT KO mice appear, at this level of anatomic resolution, to have preserved cortico-striatal-thalamic connectivity but diminished robustness of reward-modulating circuitry distal to the thalamus. This is in contradistinction to the state of this circuitry in serotonin transporter KO mice where we observed more robust connectivity in more posterior brain regions using methods identical to those employed here