Effect of processing on nutritional and antinutritional composition of bathua (Chenopodium album) leaves

Bathua (Chenopodium album) leaves were undertaken for different processing techniques and analyzed for their nutritional and anti-nutritional composition. Effect of processing on nutrient retention was assessed to attain the best processed form of leaves with maximum amount of nutrients. It was observed that the Cabinet dried processing improved the protein, fibre and ash content of leaves by 29.30, 5.74 and 16.42 percent respectively. Shade and cabinet dried technique improved the vitamin C and ?-carotene by 34 and 14323 percent respectively. Maximum retention of calcium and iron was found in cabinet dried technique. It also improved magnesium by 254.50 percent. Amino acid retention was found maximum in cabinet dried technique. Cabinet dried technique improved In vitro protein digestibility by 27.75 percent with a decrease of 116.15 and 85.30 percent in phytates and oxalates respectively. Maximum retention of nutrients was observed in cabinet dried technique

DEVELOPMENT OF MUCOADHESIVE CARBOHYDRATE HETEROPOLYMER MICROBEADS FOR SUSTAIN RELEASE OF THEOPHYLLINE

Objective: The aim of present study was to develop and evaluate mucoadhesive microbeads for oral sustained release of an antiasthmatic agent theophylline†using natural gums such as sodium alginate and sesbania gum.Methods: The compatibility studies of drug with different polymers were investigated by using DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). Carbohydrate heteropolymer microbeads of alginate and sesbania gums were prepared by ionotropic gelation technique, where calcium chloride is used as a source of counter ions. Prepared beads were characterized for particle size, entrapment efficiency, surface morphology, swelling index, in vitro release studies and release kinetics.Results: Final optimized formulation consists of a polymer blend of alginate and sesbania gum with hydroxy propyl cellulose as release modifier. Microbeads exhibited good swelling index and high percentage of drug entrapment efficiency. The developed formulation showed a maximum drug release of 92% in 11 h using 0.1 N hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 1.2). The formulation followed Korsmeyer-Peppas and Higuchi release mechanism, releasing the drug by non-fickian diffusion. Prepared beads showed significant mucoadhesion in acidic buffer.Conclusion: The sustained release microbeads were successfully designed for oral administration of theophylline which may be used for the treatment of nocturnal asthma.Â

Isolation of newer probiotic microorganisms from unconventional sources

Probiotics are live microbes in the form of dried or fermented cells that are highly beneficial for human health. The food industry has been revolutionised due to introduction of potential probiotic organisms in a varied formulations derived from mostly dairy products. Isolation of probiotic microbes from unexplored non-dairy sources is gaining attention these days. In the present study, six potential probiotic isolates from non-dairy sources were obtained that are also biocompatible with each other. Out of these, five isolates were gram positive rod shaped and one was gram negative rod shaped. These isolates were able to grow in presence of lysozyme, low pH and bile salts with good adherence ability. The market for probiotic microorganisms from unconventional products is accelerating to deal with lactose intolerant people. These probiotic attribute studies revealed their potential to be exploited at industrial scale

Larval Development and Molting

The term larva applies to the young hatchling which varies from the grown up adult in possessing organs not present in the adult such as sex glands and associated parts. Insect development is of four types namely Ametabolous, Paurometabolous, Hemimetabolous and Holometabolous. The larvae appear in variety of forms and are termed as caterpillars, grubs or maggots in different insects groups. The larval development consists of series of stages in which each stage is separated from the next by a molt. It’s a complex process involving hormones, proteins and enzymes. Insects grow in increments. The molting is the process through which insects can routinely cast off their exoskeleton during specific times in their life cycle. The insect form in between two subsequent molts is termed as instar. The number of instars varies from 3 to 40 in different insect orders depending on the surrounding environmental and other conditions such as inheritance, sex, food quality and quantity. The larvae are categorized into four types namely Protopod larva, Polypod larva, Oligopod larva and Apodous larva

Determination of antibacterial activity in rhizome of plant Aechmea magdalenae (andre) andre ex baker

The rising resistance of microbes toward the present-day antibiotics has led the researchers to increasinglyinvestigate medicinal plant-based antibiotics. The plant Aechmea magdalenae (Andre) Andre ex Baker (Bromeliaceae) is a terrestrial bromeliad native to Central America and Northwestern South America. Throughout much of its range, the juice from the leaves of A. magdalenae has been used by locals as caustic for wounds. Inthe lowland wet forests of Costa Rica, however, the local herbal healers do not rely on this species. In this study,antibacterial and biochemical analyses were conducted on A. magdalenae to document its potential use as amedicinal plant for both the local people in Costa Rica and to the scientific community. Gas chromatography-massspectrometry profiling studies also revealed, acetic acid to be one of the important chemical compound present inhigh probability in A. magdalenae. The antibacterial activity was confirmed by performing agar disc diffusion assayusing various concentrations of acetic acid against bacteria Escherichia coli. Acetic acid clearly demonstratedits antibacterial effect against E. coli. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic extracts of A. magdalenae wastested against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). The methods usedto determine the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts were agar well diffusion assay and 96-well plateassay. In both the assays, gentamicin was used as a positive control and 20% dimethyl sulfoxide was used asa negative control. In 96 well plate assay, resazurin was used as an indicator to evaluate qualitatively whetherthe bacteria there was the growth of the bacteria or no growth. All the tests were performed in triplicates. Thezones of inhibition recorded were higher for S. aureus (10.5 mm) as compared to E. coli (9.5 mm). The minimuminhibitory concentration for E. coli was higher as compared to S. aureus

Therapeutic Potential of Annexin A1 in Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the world. Increased inflammation and an enhanced thrombotic milieu represent two major complications of CVD, which can culminate into an ischemic event. Treatment for these life-threatening complications remains reperfusion and restoration of blood flow. However, reperfusion strategies may result in ischemia–reperfusion injury (I/RI) secondary to various cardiovascular pathologies, including myocardial infarction and stroke, by furthering the inflammatory and thrombotic responses and delivering inflammatory mediators to the affected tissue. Annexin A1 (AnxA1) and its mimetic peptides are endogenous anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving mediators, known to have significant effects in resolving inflammation in a variety of disease models. Mounting evidence suggests that AnxA1, which interacts with the formyl peptide receptor (FPR) family, may have a significant role in mitigating I/RI associated complications. In this review article, we focus on how AnxA1 plays a protective role in the I/R based vascular pathologies

Chromosomal instability in the lymphocytes of breast cancer patients

Genomic instability in the tumor tissue has been correlated with tumor progression. In the present study, chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of breast tumor patients were studied to assess whether chromosomal instability (CIN) in PBLs correlates with aggressiveness of breast tumor (i.e., disease stage) and has any prognostic utility. Cultured blood lymphocyte metaphases were scored for aberrations in 31 breast cancer patients and 20 healthy age and sex-matched controls. A variety of CAs, including aneuploidy, polyploidy, terminal deletions, acentric fragments, double minutes, chromatid separations, ring chromosome, marker chromosome, chromatid gaps, and breaks were seen in PBLs of the patients. The CAs in patients were higher than in controls. A comparison of the frequency of metaphases with aberrations by grouping the patients according to the stage of advancement of disease did not reveal any consistent pattern of variation in lymphocytic CIN. Neither was any specific chromosomal abnormality found to be associated with the stage of cancer. This might be indicative of the fact that cancer patients have constitutional CIN, which predisposes them to the disease, and this inherent difference in the level of genomic instability might play a role in disease progression and response to treatment

Searching For Dark Matter with Plasma Haloscopes

We summarise the recent progress of the Axion Longitudinal Plasma HAloscope (ALPHA) Consortium, a new experimental collaboration to build a plasma haloscope to search for axions and dark photons. The plasma haloscope is a novel method for the detection of the resonant conversion of light dark matter to photons. ALPHA will be sensitive to QCD axions over almost a decade of parameter space, potentially discovering dark matter and resolving the Strong CP problem. Unlike traditional cavity haloscopes, which are generally limited in volume by the Compton wavelength of the dark matter, plasma haloscopes use a wire metamaterial to create a tuneable artificial plasma frequency, decoupling the wavelength of light from the Compton wavelength and allowing for much stronger signals. We develop the theoretical foundations of plasma haloscopes and discuss recent experimental progress. Finally, we outline a baseline design for ALPHA and show that a full-scale experiment could discover QCD axions over almost a decade of parameter space.Comment: Endorsers: Jens Dilling, Michael Febbraro, Stefan Knirck, and Claire Marvinney. 26 pages, 17 figures, version accepted in Physical Review

Shifting the limits in wheat research and breeding using a fully annotated reference genome

Introduction: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely cultivated crop on Earth, contributing about a fifth of the total calories consumed by humans. Consequently, wheat yields and production affect the global economy, and failed harvests can lead to social unrest. Breeders continuously strive to develop improved varieties by fine-tuning genetically complex yield and end-use quality parameters while maintaining stable yields and adapting the crop to regionally specific biotic and abiotic stresses. Rationale: Breeding efforts are limited by insufficient knowledge and understanding of wheat biology and the molecular basis of central agronomic traits. To meet the demands of human population growth, there is an urgent need for wheat research and breeding to accelerate genetic gain as well as to increase and protect wheat yield and quality traits. In other plant and animal species, access to a fully annotated and ordered genome sequence, including regulatory sequences and genome-diversity information, has promoted the development of systematic and more time-efficient approaches for the selection and understanding of important traits. Wheat has lagged behind, primarily owing to the challenges of assembling a genome that is more than five times as large as the human genome, polyploid, and complex, containing more than 85% repetitive DNA. To provide a foundation for improvement through molecular breeding, in 2005, the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium set out to deliver a high-quality annotated reference genome sequence of bread wheat. Results: An annotated reference sequence representing the hexaploid bread wheat genome in the form of 21 chromosome-like sequence assemblies has now been delivered, giving access to 107,891 high-confidence genes, including their genomic context of regulatory sequences. This assembly enabled the discovery of tissue- and developmental stage–related gene coexpression networks using a transcriptome atlas representing all stages of wheat development. The dynamics of change in complex gene families involved in environmental adaptation and end-use quality were revealed at subgenome resolution and contextualized to known agronomic single-gene or quantitative trait loci. Aspects of the future value of the annotated assembly for molecular breeding and research were exemplarily illustrated by resolving the genetic basis of a quantitative trait locus conferring resistance to abiotic stress and insect damage as well as by serving as the basis for genome editing of the flowering-time trait. Conclusion: This annotated reference sequence of wheat is a resource that can now drive disruptive innovation in wheat improvement, as this community resource establishes the foundation for accelerating wheat research and application through improved understanding of wheat biology and genomics-assisted breeding. Importantly, the bioinformatics capacity developed for model-organism genomes will facilitate a better understanding of the wheat genome as a result of the high-quality chromosome-based genome assembly. By necessity, breeders work with the genome at the whole chromosome level, as each new cross involves the modification of genome-wide gene networks that control the expression of complex traits such as yield. With the annotated and ordered reference genome sequence in place, researchers and breeders can now easily access sequence-level information to precisely define the necessary changes in the genomes for breeding programs. This will be realized through the implementation of new DNA marker platforms and targeted breeding technologies, including genome editing

Association between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes with Periodontal disease and Tooth loss in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)

Diabetes mellitus wird als Risikofaktor für orale Erkrankungen, insbesondere Parodontitis, diskutiert. Diese Studie wurde durchgeführt um eine Assoziation zwischen Typ 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) als auch Typ 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) und der Prävalenz und Schwere parodontaler Erkrankungen als auch Zahnverlust innerhalb einen homogenen Population zu untersuchen. Probanden mit T1DM, mit T2DM und nicht-diabetische Probanden wurden aus der populations-basierten Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) rekrutiert. Zusätzlich wurden T1DM Patienten aus dem Diabeteszentrum in Karlsburg hinzugezogen. Insgesamt wurden 145 Probanden mit T1DM und 2,647 nicht-diabetische Probanden im Alter von 20-59 Jahren, sowie 182 Probanden mit T2DM und 1,314 nicht-diabetische Probanden im Alter von 50-81 Jahren betrachtet. Multivariate Regressionsanalysen zeigten eine Assoziation zwischen T1DM und dem mittleren Attachmentverlust (B=0.40 [95% CI; 0.19, 0.61], adjustiert). Ebenso konnte ein Zusammenhang zwischen T1DM und einer erhöhten Anzahl fehlender Zähne nachgewiesen werden (p<0.001, adjustiert). Eine Assoziation zwischen T1DM und der Anzahl fehlender Zähne trat insbesondere bei 40-49 und 50-59 Jahre alten Probanden auf (p für Interaktion=0.01). Bei Probanden mit T2DM gab es eine signifikante Assoziation zum mittleren Attachmentverlust verglichen mit nicht-diabetischen Probanden der gleichen Altersgruppe (B=0.47 [95% CI; 0.21, 0.73], adjustiert). Der Einfluss von T2DM auf den mittleren Attachmentverlust war nach Stratifizierung nur noch signifikant in der Gruppe der 60-69-Jährigen (p für Interaktion=0.04). Der Zusammenhang zwischen T2DM und der Anzahl fehlender Zähne war nicht statistisch signifikant (p=0.25, adjustiert). Der Einfluss von T2DM auf die Anzahl fehlender Zähne trat insbesondere bei Frauen auf (p für Interaktion=0.01). In Übereinstimmung mit der bisher veröffentlichten Literatur konnte ein Zusammenhang zwischen T1DM als auch T2DM mit parodontalen Erkrankungen nachgewiesen werden. Da Parodontalerkrankungen vermeidbar und gut behandelbar sind, ist es notwendig, entsprechende Strategien zur Verbesserung der Mundhygiene und der parodontalen Situation bei Patienten mit Diabetes einzuführen. Eine frühe Diagnostik und eine gute Zusammenarbeit zwischen Ärzten und Zahnärzten könnten sich vorteilhaft auf die Allgemeingesundheit auswirken.Diabetes mellitus has been linked with an increased risk for oral diseases, especially periodontitis. However, studies results were not consistent. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether both type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with increased prevalence and extent of periodontal disease and tooth loss compared with non-diabetic subjects within a homogeneous adult study population. T1DM, T2DM and non-diabetic subjects were recruited from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). Additionally, T1DM subjects were retrieved from a Diabetes Centre in the same region. The total study population comprised 145 T1DM and 2,647 non-diabetic subjects aged 20-59 years, and 182 T2DM and 1,314 non-diabetic subjects aged 50-81 years. Multivariable regression revealed an association between T1DM and mean attachment loss (B=0.40 [95% CI; 0.19, 0.61], adjusted). Also, T1DM was positively associated with increased number of missing teeth after full adjustment (p<0.001). The association between T1DM and tooth loss was enhanced in subjects aged 40-49 and 50-59 years (p for interaction=0.01). In T2DM subjects, mean attachment loss was significantly higher compared with non-diabetic subjects (B=0.47 [95% CI; 0.21, 0.73], adjusted). The effect of T2DM was significantly enhanced in 60-69-years-old subjects (p for interaction=0.04). The association between T2DM and number of missing teeth was not statistically significant after adjustment (p=0.25). Analyses showed that the effect of T2DM on tooth loss was pronounced in females compared with males (p for interaction=0.01). In accordance with previous literature, present results suggested that periodontal diseases and tooth loss can been seen as a complication of both types of diabetes. Generally, periodontal diseases are preventable and treatable. Therefore, appropriate goals and strategies for improving periodontal health in subjects with diabetes need to be developed. Further, early detection and careful managed therapeutics with the physician and dentist working hand-in-hand may prove beneficial to the patient–s general health