How to motivate people for donor eyes with active support and participation of NGOs

Background: Corneal diseases are among the major causes of vision loss and blindness in the world today, after cataract and glaucoma. In India, it is estimated that there are approximately 6.8 million people who have vision less than 6/60 in at least one eye due to corneal diseases. On an average, the country needs 200,000 corneas in a year, and only 44,806 are collected. Therefore, creating awareness amongst the masses and encouraging them to pledge their eyes for donation is critical. We utilized the help of local voluntary, social, and religious organizations for the implementation of the awareness and motivation program.Methods: Authors utilized the help of local voluntary, social, and religious organizations for the selection of sites, local publicity, arrangement and mobilization of people and other infrastructure. Schools, colleges, clubs, organizations, trade union offices, public functions, etc were utilized for the arrangement of this awareness and motivation camps.Results: As a result of the eye donation awareness and motivation programs we got 1035 eyes in the past 12 years. Starting with 24 eyes in the first year rising to 126eyes in the 12th year. 64% of the eyes received were utilized for keratoplasty and 36% were used for research purposes.Conclusions: Out experiences has convinced us the important role of social and religious organization and its leaders in spreading the message of eye donation among people. These organizations have an active role in creating awareness and motivation of eye donation to clear the backlog of corneal blindness in India

Tissue culture of Ophiorrhiza mungos L., a prospective method for the production of an anticancer drug, camptothecin

Camptothecin (CPT), a cytotoxic quinoline indole alkaloid, is an anticancer compound. Its two major semi synthetic derivatives, topotecan and irinotecan, are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs effectively used for treating different cancer types and sold under the trade names Hycamtin and Camptosar. Among the Ophiorrhiza species, Ophiorrhiza mungos contains the highest CPT level (0.02 % g dw). CPT level was determined in plants before flowering (0.074 ± 0.003 % g dw) and at flowering (0.052 ± 0.002 % g dw). Multiple shoot cultures were induced on seedling-derived explants of O. mungos in half strength MS solid media supplemented with 1.0 mg/L BAP to obtain 12.00 ± 1.22 shoots in 20 days. Repeated subcultures at 20 days interval yielded 20.00 ± 3.71 shoots/subculture of shoot clusters. After elongation, rooting and transplanting, the growth of shoot clusters were studied in both in vitro and same aged naturally grown seedlings. Highest biomass (4.62 ± 0.158 g fw) was obtained in in vitro-derived shoot clusters. CPT increased according to biomass and the maximum CPT was recorded in in vitro rooted shoot clusters after 15 days (0.031 ± 0.001 % g dw). Hence, in vitro-derived rooted shoot clusters of O. mungos cultivated in net-pots for 60 days under shade net house conditions found to be a sustainable source for CPT

Ophiorrhiza, a promising herbaceous source of the anticancer compound camptothecin

Camptothecin is an important source for the synthesis of some of the major anti-cancer agents such as irinotecan and topotecan. Traditional source of camptothecin are prominently woody plants such as Camptotheca acuminata Decne. and Nothopodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb., and the increasing demand for camptothecin leads to the level of threatening their existence. Ophiorrhiza species composed of herbaceous plants with quick growth characteristics which are reported as alternative source of camptothecin. The present review focus on taxonomical status, traditional uses, biological activities and phytochemical constituents with a special attention in bioproduction of camptothecin from Ophiorrhiza species and its future prospects

Pseudopyronine B: A Potent Antimicrobial and Anticancer Molecule Isolated from a Pseudomonas mosselii

In continuation of our search for new bioactive compounds from soil microbes, a fluorescent Pseudomonas strain isolated from paddy field soil of Kuttanad, Kerala, India was screened for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. This strain was identified as Pseudomonas mosselii through 16S rDNA gene sequencing followed by BLAST analysis and the bioactive metabolites produced were purified by column chromatography (silica gel) and a pure bioactive secondary metabolite was isolated. This bioactive compound was identified as Pseudopyronine B by NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Pseudopyronine B recorded significant antimicrobial activity especially against Gram-positive bacteria and agriculturally important fungi. MTT assay was used for finding cell proliferation inhibition, and Pseudopyronine B recorded significant antitumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer cell (A549), and mouse melanoma cell (B16F10). The preliminary MTT assay results revealed that Pseudopyronine B recorded both dose- and time-dependent inhibition of the growth of test cancer cell lines. Pseudopyronine B induced apoptotic cell death in cancer cells as evidenced by Acridine orange/ethidium bromide and Hoechst staining, and this was further confirmed by flow cytometry analysis using Annexin V. Cell cycle analysis also supports apoptosis by inducing G2/M accumulation in both A549 and B16F10 cells. Pseudopyronine B treated cells recorded significant up-regulation of caspase 3 activity. Moreover, this compound recorded immunomodulatory activity by enhancing the proliferation of lymphocytes. The production of Pseudopyronine B by P. mosselii and its anticancer activity in A549 and B16F10 cell lines is reported here for the first time. The present study has a substantial influence on the information of Pseudopyronine B from P. mosselii as potential sources of novel drug molecule for the pharmaceutical companies, especially as potent antimicrobial and anticancer agent