IN VITRO EVALUATION OF CYTOTOXIC AND GENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF PLANT EXTRACTS FROM NOTHAPODYTES FOETIDA (WIGHT) SLEUMER (FAMILY: ICACINACEAE)

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of aqueous and methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of Nothapodytes foetida (Wight) Sleumer plant.Methods: The cytotoxic effects of aqueous and methanol extract of leaves and stem bark on cell viability of HeLa, MCF7, and HCT-15 cell lines was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay. We also confirmed the genotoxic effects of plant extracts through DNA fragmentation in cancer cells and expression pattern of apoptotic genes including p53 and caspase-3 analyzed by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting techniques.Results: The present study revealed that, when plant extract was tested for cytotoxic activity, the data obtained from cell viability results of HeLa and MCF7 cells revealed that methanol extract of leaves and stem bark exhibited a range of significant cytotoxic activities in a dose-dependent manner varying from 2.5 to 25 μg/mL, whereas an aqueous extract of leaves and stem bark showed decreased cell viability with an increase in the concentration of both the extracts from 5 to 50 μg/mL.Conclusion: These results indicated that the crude extract aerial parts of N. foetida plant contain promising substances having a potential as cytotoxic agent

Seroprevalence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus among Rural Population: Insights into Infection Rates and Immune Status: Pilot Study

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory tract infections, particularly affecting infants, young children, and immunocompromised individuals, with a substantial global burden of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of RSV among a rural population in Karad Taluka, India, an area where RSV data is scarce due to its predominantly urban focus. Ethical approval was obtained, and written informed consent was collected from participants' parents or legal guardians Blood samples were collected from individuals aged 16 months to 5 years residing in rural areas, and IgM RSV-specific antibodies were detected to identify recent infections using SERION enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Additionally, demographic information and clinical history were collected through a structured questionnaire. The data were entered into an electronic database, and seroprevalence was calculated based on the proportion of individuals with positive serological results. The study revealed that by the age of 3 years, 81.0% of children exhibited IgM seropositivity to RSV, with a cumulative seroprevalence of 72% in the entire study population. The seroprevalence varied with age, demonstrating an ongoing RSV activity within the community, as evidenced by the high IgM positivity. However, as children grew older, a decline in IgM positivity was observed, possibly due to protective antibodies developed from previous exposures or a longer time elapsed between RSV exposure and sample collection in older children. These findings underscore the vulnerability of young infants to RSV and the need for early protection in India. It highlights the importance of considering timing and age-appropriate administration of RSV vaccines in vaccination strategies, as well as the potential limitations of maternal immunization in protecting preterm infants. Understanding RSV seroprevalence in rural areas is crucial for guiding public health interventions and resource allocation to mitigate the impact of this virus on vulnerable populations, particularly young children who are at the highest risk

EFFECT OF MURRAYA KOENIGII LEAVES EXTRACT ON GLUCONEOGENESIS AND GLYCOGENOLYSIS IN ISOLATED RAT HEPATOCYTES CULTURE

Objectives: The present study was aimed to investigate the in vitro activity of Murraya koenigii extracts through various carbohydrate metabolic pathways in the isolated rat hepatocyte models.Methods: Different doses of metformin, aqueous and methanol extracts of M. koenigii leaves were evaluated in the MTT, glucose, and glycogen content assays in the cultured in vitro rat hepatocytes.Results: The study showed that there was a significant increase in activity with respect to the increased concentration of extracts. Slight effect was observed in the isolated rat hepatocytes culture, M. koenigii leaves extract may exert cytoprotective and hypoglycemic action.Conclusion: It may be needed to determine the effect of ex vivo rat hepatocytes isolated from diabetic rats. Effects of the plant or isolated compounds on the genes expression of signaling pathways should be investigated in further studies

Disease Prevalence Due to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) and Molecular Nature of G Gene in Different Geographical Region of India: 2005-2022

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the leading pediatric respiratory pathogen with high morbidity in the first year of life. The morbidity is particularly high in developing countries. it is the most common cause of infant hospitalization and causes a high burden of disease in the elderly. India is a country with vast geographical differences their unique climatic conditions. So, the prevalence of human RSV in different geographical regions is partially understood for a long time.  This review was performed by using a different search engine like Google schooler, PubMed, etc. Significant prevalence and specific RSV virus strain circulation were major keywords used for the search in the Indian pediatric population. Annual incidence rates of RSV–associated hospitalization per 1000 children were highest among infants aged 0–5 months, followed by ages 6–23 months, and lowest among children 24–59 months. hRSV was a substantial cause of hospitalization among children aged < 24 months especially those aged <6 months. Prevalence varies from 2.1% to 44% in different geographical regions. hRSV has a more broadly distributed peak timing. numerous studies of the correlation between climatic factors and hRSV incidence across latitudes found variable and inconsistent correlations between hRSV incidence & temperature, and relative humidity in different parts of the tropical region.However, genotypes ON1, NA1, GA5, and GA2 in the hRSV-A group and group hRSV-B BA, BA9, and BA12 were predominantly circulated in India

Altitudinal gradients influence the accumulation of pharmaceutically important phenolic compounds in the leaves of Lobelia nicotianifolia Roth. and regulates its antioxidant and anticancer property

This study intended to investigate the effects of altitudinal gradients on the accumulation of phenolic compounds and bioactivity among different populations of Lobelia nicotianifolia Roth. from Northern Western Ghats of India. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed a maximum content of embelin (16.36 µg/g DW), gallic acid (53.47 µg/g DW), and quercetin (18.93 µg/g DW) in Kas population (1148 m m.s.l.). L. nicotianifolia from Kas region has higher radical scavenging activity in 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and2,2 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays and also exhibited higher cytotoxicity against two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB231). A correlation analysis indicates a significant relationship between altitudinal gradients of L. nicotianifolia population and accumulation of phenolic compounds and bioactivity. Principle component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) grouped L. nicotianifolia populations into different clusters based on their altitudes. L. nicotianifolia from Kas region (1148 m) is selected as an elite population because of its potential to accumulate higher phenolic compounds and subsequent bioactivity

Assessment of role of genetic polymorphisms in XRCC1, XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes in cervical cancer susceptibility from a rural population: a hospital based case-control study from Maharashtra, India

Background: Cervical cancer is a major concern of health risk, moreover the leading cause of cancer causing deaths in women of rural parts of India. This study was aimed to assess the risk of cervical cancer development in association with polymorphisms in X-Ray Cross Complementing Group (XRCC1, XRCC2 and XRCC3) genes in the rural population of south-western Maharashtra. We focused to determine the frequency of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes including XRCC1 at codon (cd) 194, cd 280, cd 399, XRCC2 at cd 188 and XRCC3 at cd 241 and their plausible role in cervical cancer risk from rural parts of India.Methods: This study included 350 proven cases with cervical cancer and 400 age and sex matched controls. We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to analyze the association XRCC1, XRCC2 and XRCC3 gene polymorphisms with cervical cancer development in women of South-Western Maharashtra.Results: The result from our study showed that allele frequencies of selected genes were not statistically different between the groups for XRCC1 Trp194, XRCC2 His188 and XRCC3 Met241. XRCC1 His280 (OR= 4.36; 95% CI= (3.20-5.95); p= <0.0001) and XRCC1 Gln399 (OR= 2.99; 95% CI= (1.60-5.56); p= <0.0001) genotypes significantly increased the risk of cervical cancer.Conclusions: This study indicates that polymorphisms in cd 280 of exon 9 and cd 399 of exon 10 of XRCC1 gene could play a role in modifying genetic susceptibility of individuals towards cervical cancer among women from rural Maharashtra. This case-control study suggest that selected DNA repair genes represent genetic determinants in cervical carcinogenesis along with other risk factors in the rural Indian population

Association of genetic polymorphisms in XRCC4, XRCC5, XRCC6 and XRCC7 in cervical cancer susceptibility from rural population: a hospital based case-control study

Background: Cervical cancer is a major concern of health risk, moreover the leading cause of cancer causing deaths in women of rural India. This study was aimed to assess the risk of cervical cancer development in association with polymorphisms in XRCC4, XRCC5, XRCC6 and XRCC7 genes in rural population of south-western Maharashtra.Methods: This study included 350 cervical cancer proven cases and 400 age and sex matched controls. We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to analyze the association XRCC4, XRCC6 and XRCC7 gene polymorphisms with cervical cancer development in women of Western Maharashtra.Results: The result from our study showed that allele frequencies of selected genes were not statistically different between the groups for XRCC4, XRCC5 and XRCC6. 6721 >T allele of XRCC7 (6721G>T) (OR= 2.34; 95% CI= (2.34 (1.60-3.43); p= <0.0001) significantly increased the risk of cervical cancer.Conclusions: This study indicates that XRCC7 gene polymorphisms play a role in modifying genetic susceptibility of individuals towards cervical cancer among women from rural Maharashtra. This case-control study also revealed negative association of XRCC6 gene in cervical carcinogenesis in the rural Indian population

Identification of genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair xenoderma pigmentosum group D gene and its association with head and neck cancer susceptibility in rural Indian population: a hospital based case-control study from south-western Maharashtra, India

Background: Smoking and alcohol related head and neck cancer is a major concern of health risk in developing countries, such as India. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of polymorphisms in DNA repair gene, xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) at codon (cd) 156, cd199, cd320, cd751 in patients of oral cancer from South-Western Maharashtra, India and to evaluate their association with oral cancer development.Methods: We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to analyze XPD gene polymorphisms in 320 patients with oral cancer and in 400 age and sex matched disease-free controls.Results: There was no significant difference in the genotype distribution between oral cancer patients and controls for each polymorphism (p>0.05) except XPD199. The result from our study showed that allele frequencies of selected genes were not statistically different between the groups for XPD Arg156, XPD Asn320, XPD Gln751. XPDMet199 (OR=29.44; 95% CI= (18.47-46.92); p≤0.0001) genotypes significantly increased the risk of head and neck cancer.Conclusions: This study indicates that polymorphisms in cd199 of XPD gene could play a role in modifying genetic susceptibility of individual to head and neck cancer inMaharashtra patients. Thus, the case-control study suggest that selected DNA repair genes represent genetic determinants in oral carcinogenesis along with other risk factors in the rural Indian population.

Association of Genetic Variants in XPC and XPG Genes with Cervical Cancer Risk in a Rural Population: A Hospital Based Case Control Study

Background: Cervical cancer is a major concern of health risk in urban and rural parts of India.. Aim and Objectives: This study was aimed to find out frequency of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes including Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C (XPC) and Xenoderma pigmentosum complementation group G (XPG) in patients of cervical cancer from Maharashtra and to evaluate their association with risk of cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to examine gene polymorphisms in 350 patients with cancer of cervix and 400 age and sex matched normal controls. Results: The results obtained indicated that there was no significant difference in the genotype distribution between cervical cancer patients and controls for XPC Lys939Gln, -371promoter and XPG His 1104 Asp. The result showed that genotype frequencies of XPC Val 499 Arg of codon 499 in exon 15 (OR=4.26; 95% CI=(3.007-6.03); p= <0.0001) were increased significantly. Conclusion: This study indicates that polymorphisms in Val499Arg haplotype of XPC gene appear to influence genetic susceptibility of individual to cervical cancer in Maharashtrian patients

Diabetic foot ulcer in India: Aetiological trends and bacterial diversity

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent epidemic metabolic disorders, responsible for a significant amount of physical, psychological and economic loss in human society. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the extreme pathophysiological consequences of diabetes. Bacterial infection is the most important cause of chronic DFU. Bacterial species or their biofilms show multidrug resistance, which complicates DFU and consequently leads to amputation of the infected part. Since the Indian population comprises diverse ethnic and cultural groups, this could influence the aetiology of diabetic foot infections and bacterial diversity. We reviewed 56 articles published from 2005 to 2022 on the microbiology of DFU and extracted the data on study location, number of patients analysed in the study, pathophysiological complications, age of the patients, sex of the patient, type of bacteria, type of infection (mono or polymicrobial), predominant bacteria (Gram-positive or Gram-negative), predominant isolates and multiple drug resistance (tested or not). We analysed data and described aetiological trends in diabetic foot infections and bacterial diversity. The study revealed that Gram-negative bacteria are predominant as compared to Gram-positive bacteria in individuals with diabetes with DFU in India. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp. and Proteus sp. were the most predominant Gram-negative bacteria, while Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus sp. were the major Gram-positive bacteria in DFU. We discuss bacterial infections in DFU in the context of bacterial diversity, sampling methods, demography and aetiology