Evaluation of the complete profile of male partners in infertile couples with special emphasis on detection of genital tuberculosis

Background: To evaluate the complete profile of male partners in infertile couples with special emphasis on detection of genital TB. Methods: The study was conducted in the fertility clinic of department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak and GB Pant Hospitals, New Delhi from August 2015 to December 2016 among 100 infertile couples. Detailed history, general physical and local examination of male partners was done. Routine blood and urine tests, combined with radiology examination of chest and mantoux skin test of male partners were done followed by investigations specific to male factor evaluation. Two semen samples collected after 3-5 days of sexual abstinence were analyzed to assess semen parameters such as volume, total sperm count, total motility and morphology. Ultrasound and colour Doppler of scrotum and hormone analysis was done in all cases of azoopermia, oligoasthenospermia or asthenospermia. Testicular FNAC was done for all cases of azoospermia and oligoasthenospermia to establish cause of male infertility. Results: 72% couples had primary infertility. 34% males were daily tobacco chewers. 8 males had varicocele and 2 had undescended testes on examination. 60% males had semen analysis in the normal range and 19% had azoospermia. Tobacco chewing, testicular size abnormalities, varicocele, hydrocele were significantly associated with abnormal semen findings. A statistically significant relation was found between elevated S.FSH and semen analysis findings. A statistically significant association was found between penile meatal stenosis, chest X-ray, mantoux test with history of TB in male/female partner. Conclusions: Primary infertility was more common than secondary infertility in our study group. Addiction was found to be an important factor in infertile men particularly tobacco chewing. Elevated Serum FSH levels were a common finding in males with azoospermia and oligoasthenospermia

Deacidification of Camelina sativa L. seed oil by Physisorption method and characterization of produced biodiesel

According to India's National Biofuel Policy, only non-edible oilseed crops can be used for the biofuel feedstock. In this context, Camelina sativa is one such plant that fulfils all the criteria defined by the Biofuel policies of India. So, the present investigation was aimed to examine C. sativa seed oil capabilities as a biodiesel feedstock. Oil was deacidified via adsorption method applying Silica Gel as an adsorbent. The highest efficacy was obtained when 1:9 (Silica gel: oil) ratio was applied and the acid value was reduced from 6.45 to 2.78 mg KOH/g. Furthermore, oil was transesterified using methanol in the ratio of 1:6 (oil: methanol molar ratio) and 0.8 % (w/w of oil) of KOH as a catalyst at 70 ?C. The produced biodiesel was analyzed in terms of fuel-specific parameters and results were compared with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The results were very much satisfactory and under the limits specified by the ASTM standards. The results revealed that oil to biodiesel conversion was 92.28 % with an acid value of 0.37 mg KOH/g. The measured Iodine value was 152 gI2/100g indicated the high unsaturation. Still, Camelina biodiesel showed oxidation stability of 6 h., which was a decent value compared to this much unsaturation. The sulphur content was also higher (24 ppm) than the specified limit (15 ppm). Besides, the fuel-specific parameters like sulphur content and iodine value were under the ASTM limits

Nano catalysed Biginelli type reaction in green reaction media

102-109Green chemical approach has been developed by using ionic liquid [MIM-H] CCl3 and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2(1H)-one (DHPMs) derivatives 4a-r. The formed compounds have been characterised by IR, 1H and 13C NMR and mass spectrometry

Statistical optimization of alkaline protease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SP1

Alkaline protease has tremendous applications in different industries, and to fulfil industrial and commercial enzyme requirements, overproduction and optimization of production medium are prerequisites. Protease production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SP1, isolated from apple tree rhizosphere was studied. Plackett Burmann design and response surface methodology was used to optimize medium for alkaline protease production. Higher levels of protease activity were observed in presence of disaccharides owing to diauxic growth and inorganic nitrogen sources proved to be less favourable. After screening through one-factor-at-a time experiments and Plackett Burmann design, casein, yeast extract, maltose and KH2PO4 were identified as the most significant variables. Statistical design based three-dimensional (3-D) and contour plots were generated to understand the relationship between enzyme activity and medium variables. The protease production was found to increase from 1730 to 3630 µg/ml/min in optimized medium i.e. approx. 2.1 fold increased compared with original medium. The study assumes significance in the ability of bacterium to survive in wide variety of salts and agricultural wastes and yield optimum levels of extracellular protease

Green synthesis of 5-methylpyridinium derivatives by C2-functionalization of pyridine-1-oxide derivatives and their antibacterial activity

An innovative green economic route has been developed for one pot multicomponent synthesis of 5-methylpyridinium derivatives by the reaction of 3-methylpyridine-1-oxide, aromatic aldehyde and β-ketoester catalysed by different ionic liquids (ILs), [BMIM][OH], [BMIM][Cl], [BMIM][Ac] in good to excellent yields. A relative study reinforced that [BMIM][OH] is the best IL for this C2-functionsalization reaction. The main highlights of this synthetic protocol are simple work-up, cost effectiveness and environmentally benign processing. The synthesized derivatives have been assessed for possible antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by using the microdilution method. The results of antibacterial activity suggests that compound 4I shows best antibacterial activity and other compounds show good to moderate activity

Production and eco friendly application of alkaline protease from <em>Bacillus amyloliquifaciens </em>sp1

448-458Alkaline protease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SP1 has been characterized in detail for its ecofriendly application of release of silver particles from gelatin layers of used X-ray films. It exhibited optimum activity at broad temperature range and maximum at 60⁰C under alkaline pH environment (8-12). Thermal inactivation of the crude enzyme followed first order kinetics. The half-life of the enzyme at 50, 60 and 65⁰C was 70, 15 and 12.6 min, respectively and the denaturation energy was 114.87 kJ/mol. Enzyme retained 53.83 and 108.33% of its initial activity after heating for 15 min at pH 8.0 and temperature 60⁰C, in presence and absence of 10 mM MnSO4, respectively. Enzymatic decomposition of gelatin layers was enhanced by increase of enzyme concentration from 38 to 3630 µg/ml/min, at 60⁰C and pH 8.0. This study reported the shortest time of 1.30 min at 3630 µg/ml/min and 4 : 30 min at 74 µg/ml/min of enzyme concentration for hydrolysis of gelatin layers. Keeping in mind that, nowadays recycling is needed and imperative, this is the first study to report that after addition of Mn2+ ions, thermal stability of enzyme increased and it could be effectively reused for 8 cycles as compared with enzyme without protective agents which also increase its yield of silver recovery i.e. 19.56 ± 0.78% by eight times

Molecular Cloning and Sequencing of AlkalophilicCellulosimicrobium cellulans CKMX1 Xylanase Gene Isolated from Mushroom Compost and Characterization of the Gene Product

ABSTRACT A xylanolytic bacterium was isolated from mushroom compost by using enrichment technique. Results from the metabolic fingerprinting, whole-cell fatty acids methyl ester analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing suggested the bacterium to be Cellulosimicrobium cellulans CKMX1. Due to the xylanolytic activity of this bacterium, isolation and characterization of the xylanase gene were attempted. A distinct fragment of about 1671 bp was successfully amplified using PCR and cloned into Escherichia coli DH5&#945;. A BLAST search confirmed that the DNA sequence from the amplified fragment was endo-1, 4-beta-xylanase, which was a member of glycoside hydrolase family 11. It showed 98% homology withCellulosimicrobium sp. xylanase gene (Accession no. FJ859907.1) reported from the gut of Eisenia fetida in Korea. In silicophysico-chemical characterization of amino acid sequence of xylanase showed an open reading frame encoding a 556 amino acid sequence with a molecular weight of 58 kDa and theoretical isolectric point (pI) of 4.46 was computed using Expasy's ProtParam server. Secondary and homology based 3D structure of xylanase was analysed using SOPMA and Swiss-Prot software