Comparative Studies on Growth and Remediation of Waste Water by Two Cyanobacterial Biofertilizers

Nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria are ecologically significant inputs in improving the plant productivity in tropical countries like India. Large scale cultivation of these organisms using inorganic media is relatively expensive. In the present study utilization of kitchen waste water emerged from a pilgrim centre as a source of nutrients and its remediation was compared using two blue green algal cultures viz. Anabeana variabilis and Nostoc muscorum. A complete randomized design was created for the experiment that was performed on BG-11, 100% and 75% KW (Kitchen Water) media. The physicochemical properties of waste water were analyzed before and after cultivation. It was found that the N. muscorum was more effective in removal of phosphorous and nitrogen contaminants from waste water to meet the standards of safe discharge besides producing more biomass compared to A. variabilis

Prevalence and Pattern of Taurodontism in an Indian Population: A Retrospective Radiographic Study

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and pattern of taurodontism in an Indian Population.Materials and methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, panoramic radiographs of 542 patients were evaluated by two maxillofacial radiologists for the presence of taurodontism which is defined as the teeth having apically displaced pulp chamber and lacking the conventional constriction at the cementoenamel junction. A detailed medical and family history was recorded for all the subjects to determine the presence of any adjuvant developmental disorders or genetic disorders and any related syndrome.Results: Taurodont teeth were found in 32 patients with a person prevalence of 5.9% of which 15 (46.87%) were seen in males and 17 (53.12%) in females. In these 542 patients comprising of 7396 premolar and molars 52 teeth were seen with taurodontism with a teeth prevalence of 0.70%. Out of 52 teeth, the mandibular second molar teeth were most commonly effected (38.46%) followed by maxillary second molars (23.07%). Hypotaurodontism was the most common type (80.76%) followed by mesotaurodontism (11.53%) and the least common type was hypertaurodontism (7.69%).Conclusion: Taurodont teeth were found in 32 patients with a person prevalence of 5.9% and in 52 teeth were seen with taurodontism with a teeth prevalence of 0.70%

Synthesis of Bio-Inspired Silver Nanoparticles by Ripe and Unripe Fruit Extract of Tinospora cordifolia and Its Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Catalytic Studies

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by both ripe and unripe fruit extract was carried out by an important medicinal plant Tinospora cordifolia. The ripe and unripe fruit extract mediated bio-inspired Ag NPs showed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 431 and 421 nm respectively and confirmed the formation of Tc-Ag NPs. The functional groups of bioactive components of ripe and unripe fruits were identified which reduced silver nitrate to silver ions by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The size distribution of biosynthesized Tc-Ag NPs of ripe and unripe was determined by particle size analyzer which revealed that the Z average of Tc-Ag NPs was around 30-35 nm ± 1 nm and 30-35.8 nm ± 1 nm with an Z average of 25.9 and 28.5 nm respectively. Tc-Ag NPs exhibited stability due to its high negative zeta potential for both ripe and unripe fruit extract mediated Tc-Ag NPs as of -27.2 and -24.6 mV. Tc-Ag NPs were used to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant and catalytic activities. The Tc-Ag NPs revealed good antimicrobial activity. Antibiotic erythromycin was used as a standard in the present study. The Tc-Ag NPs of both ripe and unrippen fruits disclosed greater free radical scavenging efficacy which proved to be potent antioxidant agents and also exhibited potential catalytic activity by converting 4 nitro-phenol to 4 amino phenols at rapid pace. It was concluded that the Tc-Ag NPs synthesized by ripe and unripe fruits almost showed similar results, and so both of them proved to have excellent multifunctional biomedical properties