ECO-FRIENDLY NATURAL ACID-BASE INDICATOR PROPERTIES OF FOUR FLOWERING PLANTS FROM WESTERN GHATS

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the indicator property of ethanolic extract of the flowers of the Quisqualis indica L, Pentas lanceolata, Melastoma malabathricum L and Impatiens acaulis Methods: Four different types of Acid-base titrations such as strong acid against the strong base, strong acid against a weak base, weak acid against the strong base and weak acid against weak base were carried out in the present study. Two acids (HCl and CH3COOH) and two bases (NaOH and NH4OH) were selected for acid-base titration. 0.1N strength of these acids and bases were used.Results: The titration values were very close with an equivalence point obtained by standard indicator phenolphthaleinConclusion: The work proved to be acceptable in introducing natural pigments as a substitute to the synthetic acid-base indicators by adopting the principles of green chemistry.Keywords: Quisqualis indica L., Pentas lanceolata, Melastoma malabathricum L., Impatiens acaulis, Flavonoids, Natural pigments, Acid-Base titratio

Estimation of Anti-hepatic Viral Compounds in Phyllanthus amarus in vitro Cultures

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn (Euphorbiaceae) is recognized commonly as 'Bhumyamlaki' in the Indian system of medicine and has been traditionally used for treating a variety of ailments, including hepatic disorders. Anti-hepatic viral compounds such as phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin were evaluated in different types of in vitro cultures of Phyllanthus amarus by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Among the cultures, in vitro plantlets regenerating from the nodal segment recorded higher amounts of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin

Analyzing Variability in Coleus forskohlii Briq. Using RAPD Markers

Coleus forskohlii Briq. is an indigenous medicinal plant with high traditional use in India. Genetic analysis of 37 diverse C. forskohlii genotypes was performed using 25 RAPD primers, which yielded 117 bands, of which 60 (51.28%) were polymorphic providing an average of 3.75 bands per primer. There were no genotype-specific products. The number of bands per primer varied from 1 (OPZ 8&16) to 7 (OPZ 11). Similarity matrix was constructed using Jaccard's Coefficient and the data matrix of coefficient of similarity was subjected to cluster analysis using unweighted pair group methodology with arithmetic average (UPGMA). Cluster analysis resulted in grouping of 37 genotypes into two major clusters. The results indicated that RAPD could be used for genetic diversity analysis in C. forskohlii using higher number of primers as it is reliable, easy, rapid and cost-effective

Analysis of Variability for Qualitative and Quantitative Traits in Coleus forskohlii Briq.

Thirty seven Coleus forskohlii genotypes collected from different regions of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were subjected to diversity analysis based on NBPGR descriptors. Eleven qualitative and fourteen quantitative traits of C. forskohlii were evaluated to assess the morphological variations available among the collected genotypes. For qualitative traits, a large number of genotypes out of 37 clustered together at 74 % similarity in four different groups. The dendrogram contract based on fourteen quantitative traits for the same set of genotypes did not reveal a clear pattern in grouping and the genotypes were grouped into ten different clusters. Cluster analysis of various sets of data revealed different groups of genotypes for each of the data set. A poor congruence observed among data sets of qualitative and quantitative traits in the comparison indicated that the morphological traits are not suitable for precise discrimination of closely related genotypes in C. forskohlii

Structure and function of ATA3, a new subtype of amino acid transport system A, primarily expressed in the liver and skeletal muscle

AbstractTo date, two different transporters that are capable of transporting α-(methylamino)isobutyric acid, the specific substrate for amino acid transport system A, have been cloned. These two transporters are known as ATA1 and ATA2. We have cloned a third transporter that is able to transport the system A-specific substrate. This new transporter, cloned from rat skeletal muscle and designated rATA3, consists of 547 amino acids and has a high degree of homology to rat ATA1 (47% identity) and rat ATA2 (57% identity). rATA3 mRNA is present only in the liver and skeletal muscle. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, rATA3 mediates the transport of α-[14C](methylamino)isobutyric acid and [3H]alanine. With the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique, we have shown that exposure of rATA3-expressing oocytes to neutral, short-chain aliphatic amino acids induces inward currents. The amino acid-induced current is Na+-dependent and pH-dependent. Analysis of the currents with alanine as the substrate has shown that the K0.5 for alanine (i.e., concentration of the amino acid yielding half-maximal current) is 4.2±0.1 mM and that the Na+:alanine stoichiometry is 1:1

Effectiveness of cattle and buffalo expert system in knowledge management among the farmers

Present investigation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of cattle and buffalo expert system which was developed under the network project on ‘Development of Expert System for Crop and Animal Enterprises’ with Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA) as the lead centre. The primary aim of the project was to develop an expert system on cattle and buffalo. The study was carried out to test the effectiveness of developed expert system in terms of knowledge gain and skill acquisition among the 140 farmers who were selected from two villages each from Panamarathupatti and Vazhapadi blocks of Salem district. The snow ball sampling method was used to identify four groups of farmers consisting of marginal and small size dairy farmers, medium size dairy farmers, big dairy farmers and women dairy farmers. The test verified pre and post exposure modules were developed for assessing the respondent’s knowledge gain and skill acquisition behaviour due to cattle and buffalo expert system in cattle. The study showed that medium and large size farmers gained relatively higher knowledge and skill due to their inclination towards undertaking dairy farming on commercial lines as compared to marginal farmers who took up the same at subsistence level in addition to other socio-economic characteristics. The study also brought out constraints and suggestions in improving the usage of expert system among all categories of farmers

Rare earth element (REE) lanthanum doped zinc oxide (La: ZnO) nanomaterials: synthesis structural optical and antibacterial studies

Lanthanum (La) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials (LaxZn1-xO, x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 M) were synthesized via co-precipitation method using zinc acetate, lanthanum nitrate as precursors, octylamine as capping and reducing agent. The structures, morphologies, optical activity and antibacterial properties of LaxZn1-xO were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, High resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), UV–Visible, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities of LaxZn1-xO were tested by modified disc diffusion method. The XRD results showed that the La3+ ions were successfully incorporated into the ZnO host, and the products were well-crystalline. The average size of undoped and doped La-doped ZnO was found to be in the ranges from 15.64 to 10.18 nm. In addition, the sphere-like nanoparticles morphology of LaxZn1-xO was confirmed by HR-SEM images. The band gap of La-doped ZnO nanoparticles were varied with the La3+ ions doping concentration. In addition, increasing the doping concentration of La3+ ions in ZnO increases the defects in ZnO lattice and hence resulting red-shift in UV emission, which indicate the presence of narrow band-gap in doped nanoparticles

Sodium-coupled Monocarboxylate Transporters in Normal Tissues and in Cancer

SLC5A8 and SLC5A12 are sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporters (SMCTs), the former being a high-affinity type and the latter a low-affinity type. Both transport a variety of monocarboxylates in a Na+-coupled manner. They are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, thyroid, brain, and retina. SLC5A8 is localized to the apical membrane of epithelial cells lining the intestinal tract and proximal tubule. In the brain and retina, its expression is restricted to neurons and the retinal pigment epithelium. The physiologic functions of SLC5A8 include absorption of short-chain fatty acids in the colon and small intestine, reabsorption of lactate and pyruvate in the kidney, and cellular uptake of lactate and ketone bodies in neurons. It also transports the B-complex vitamin nicotinate. SLC5A12 is also localized to the apical membrane of epithelial cells lining the intestinal tract and proximal tubule. In the brain and retina, its expression is restricted to astrocytes and Müller cells. SLC5A8 also functions as a tumor suppressor; its expression is silenced in tumors of colon, thyroid, stomach, kidney, and brain. The tumor-suppressive function is related to its ability to mediate concentrative uptake of butyrate, propionate, and pyruvate, all of which are inhibitors of histone deacetylases. SLC5A8 can also transport a variety of pharmacologically relevant monocarboxylates, including salicylates, benzoate, and γ-hydroxybutyrate. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and fenoprofen, also interact with SLC5A8. These drugs are not transportable substrates for SLC5A8, but instead function as blockers of the transporter. Relatively less is known on the role of SLC5A12 in drug transport