The Holy Revival of Thirumurugan at Arupatai Veedu

The Thirumurugatrupadai worships Murugu, the ancient deity of the past. Literature guides spiritual attainment through civilised world life. "Thirumurugatrupadai" stands as proof of such a purpose. Thirumurugatrupadai guides us to attain freedom from birth with the highest aim of 'listening to the greatness of the great'. The ideological aim is that the Lord himself will come as a wise teacher to conquer the mature soul. It may be said that the concept of the poet who has been presented with a gift orienting the poet who is yet to receive the prize is similar to the position in which Gnanaguru directs the matured soul towards God. The manner, in which the holiness of God is conveyed in the Arupatai Veedu (The Six Abodes of God Murugan), such as Nakkeerar, Thiruparankundram, etc., signifies the realisation of the divine power in all the six yogic states of the body and the eternal attachment to the path of bliss. Moreover, the way in which the worship of Lord Murugan has been put forward in the form of hill-topography is the guidance of the realisation of "sovereignty in nature'. Thirumurugan's position as the inner light in all objects can be seen in Thiruparankundram, the greatness of Thirumurugan, the precious being, with six faces and twelve hands because of his great grace to the living beings, in Thiruchiralaivai, in Thiruavinankudi, where Thirumurugan is the great object worshipped by all, in Thiruvinankudi, where Thirumurugan is the inner object of the six letters, in Thiruveragam, and in Thiruthanikai, the greatness of Kumaran resides. In addition, Thirumurukatrupatai enables the devotees to realise the ability of Thirumurugan to reside everywhere and is praised as a temple for redressal of grievances by placing it in the eyes of Pazhamuthir Solai. Moreover, Thirumurugan's ability to show his great form, which transcends the sky, as a small one for his devotee to see, is indicative of the devotional principle that 'God is always humble to his devotees'

PHYTOCHEMICAL, GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS OF ANDROGRAPHIS SERPYLLIFOLIA METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT AND ITS ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES

Objective: The present study is to evaluate the preliminary study of phytochemical screening and biological applications of Andrographis serpyllifolia methanol leaf extracts. Methods: The methanol leaf extracts of A. serpyllifolia was prepared using Soxhlet apparatus and the extract was analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase. Further, the antibacterial activity of methanolic leaf extract of A. serpyllifolia was tested against various human pathogens by using agar disc diffusion method. Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening and GC-MS results revealed phenols, aromatic carboxylic acids, and esters in the chloroform extract to be the molecules responsible for the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of A. serpyllifolia methanol extract and fractions showed the presence of various secondary metabolites present. Conclusion: The present study strongly recommended that the methanolic extract of A. serpyllifolia leaves possesses compounds that inhibit the growth of microbes as wells excellent antioxidant activities. The study further suggested the potential therapeutic use of these extract in cancer study

Solubility Enhancement of Antidiabetic Drug: Glibenclamide

INTRODUCTION: As a result of the modern ‘high throughput’ approach to drug discovery, it has been estimated that up to 70% of the new chemical entities(NCEs) entering drug development possess insufficient aqueous solubility to allow adequate and consistent gastrointestinal (GI) absorption to ensure efficacy. Molecules with poor solubility, often referred to as BCS Class II (poor solubility) or BCS Class IV (poor solubility and permeability), are typically impeded by poor and variable bioavailability. Higher drug doses can be used to compensate; however, this strategy can lead to side effects, food effects and inter subject variability. Consequently, a more sophisticated solution is required to assure the compound can be successfully developed. Drug Product Design to Overcome Solubility Issues The options available to the development team to address solubility problems fall into two broad categories: API modifications, Formulation technology.SUMMARY:Solid dispersion technology is the science of dispersing one or more active ingredients in an inert matrix in solid state in order to achieve increasing dissolution rate, to sustain in the release of drugs, to alter solid state properties and to improve and enhance the release of drugs from ointment and suppository bases and improve the solubility and stability. Nanotechnology is a technique to decreases the particle size of materials. Whether increases specific surface area of a drug subsequently to increases the absorption of drug from site of administration. The study was performed in the following phases, All the above phases of investigation brought out several factors, which lead to following conclusions. 1. Preliminary investigation of the effect of carriers in the solubility of Glibenclamide, various formulation methods can be followed as like physical mixture, dropping, solvent evaporation and wet grinding of Glibenclamide with suitable carriers.The nanoparticles were prepared by ultra Sonication and anti solvent method. 2. Studies on drug – polymer interactionby using FTIR and TLC chromatography study in FTIR spectral analysis shows there are no interaction of pure Glibenclamide spectrum. The solid dispersion and nanoparticles spectrum are same like pure Glibenclamide spectrum. The TLC chromatography study is shown Rf value of pure Glibenclamide was(0.64), GPP3 (0.61), GUP3 (0.62) GCP3 (0.62) GSN (0.64), GMSN1 (0.63) GESN2 (0.64) GASN (0.64) the Rf value also nearby pure Glibenclamide so there is polymericinteraction may not take placein above formulations.3. Study about nature of drug; in the study the pure drugshowed more peak intensity.The drug showed more crystalline nature. The solid dispersions of PEG6000, Chitosan and Urea were showed less peak intensity compared to pure Glibenclamide. It indicates the nature of crystalline property was decreased or its converts to amorphous form. The nanoparticles were showed less peak intensity of pure Glibenclamide But its more than in solid dispersions .The solid dispersion of Urea were showed veryless peak intensity of other formulations of solid dispersion and nanoparticles. So we are concluded the solid dispersion of Urea have been more soluble in compared to other formulations. 4. Study about particle size.The prepared solid dispersion formulations were studied under the by microscopy method by usingcompound microscopy the obtained values can be followed: GPP3 (165.64μ), GPD3 (179.53μ), GPS3 (143.89μ), GUP3 (158.42μ), GUD3 (164.56μ), GUS3 (139.82μ), GCP3 (162.93μ), GCW3 (178.34μ). Particle size of best releasing formulations were analyzed by using MALVERN particle size Analyzer obtained values can be followed: GMSN1 {225.5(d.nm)}, GESN2 {28.20(d.nm)}, GASN3 {1076 and 283.7 (d.nm)} and GSN {141.8 (d.nm)}.were d.nm is diameter in nanometer. 5. Solubility study.The water soluble carriers can be in solid dispersion techniquesignificance increases in the solubility of Glibenclamide. Among these carriers urea was found to possess highest solubilizing characters and dissolutions in solvent evaporation method of preparation.All the Glibenclamide nanoparticles were found to increases the solubility of Glibenclamide significantly, but lesser then solid dispersion of Glibenclamide. 6. Dissolution study. The dissolution rate of pure drug was compared with various solid dispersions at different ratios of all the polymers showed significant increases in the rate of dissolution in solid dispersion and nanoparticles. The dissolution rate of urea was greater than the other polymeric and nanoparticle formulations because the rate of dissolution of solid dispersion urea was 60.05%, while pure drug showed only 6.64% dissolution rate at the end of 60 minutes.CONCLUSION:Form the present research work, it is concluded that the preparation of solid dispersion of poorly soluble drugs like Glibenclamide with suitable carriers like PEG 6000, UREA, CHITOSAN, and Nanoparticles to enhance the dissolution rate. The robust formulation in solid dispersion is with solvent evaporation by urea shows higher in-vitro dissolution rate. The dissolution characteristics of Glibenclamide were improved by formulation of solid dispersion with PEG 6000, UREA, CHITOSAN and Nanoparticles in decreases in the crystallinity of the drug substance is decisive for the increases dissolution profile. The stability study was carried out in best prepared solid dispersion formulations and nanoparticles Glibenclamide. The accelerated stability study was conducted over the 30 days. As per results no physical changes takes place at the end of stability studyand there was no degradation of drug after storing for 30 days at only 2-3% of drug was degraded after the end stability studies. . The dissolution profile of marketed available formulation was compared to the prepared best solid dispersion Glibenclamide. The release pattern prepare best solid dispersion Glibenclamide can be better than the marketed available formulation. Finally it is proven that the solid dispersion by solvent evaporation technique is a promising technique to improve dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs and the technique used for the preparation of solid dispersion was simple, cost effective, stable, and easy to scale up

Structural and Functional Studies on Acyl-CoA Carboxylases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one of the deadliest human pathogens, causes several million new infections and about two million fatalities annually. The cell wall of M.tuberculosis is endowed with a highly impermeable, complex array of diverse lipids such as mycolic acids, which bestow the bacterium with not only virulence, but also resistance to host immunity and antibiotics. Mycobacterial lipid metabolism has thus emerged as an attractive target for the design and development of novel anti-mycobacterial therapeutics. The first committed step in the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids – the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA - is catalysed by the multi-functional multi-subunit acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) enzyme. Some ACC complexes, especially from actinobacteria, are active on diverse substrates and are generally referred to as acyl-CoA carboxylases (YCCs). Typically, YCCs are composed of biotin carboxylase, biotin carboxyl carrier protein (collectively known as alpha) and carboxyltransferase (beta) subunits. Interestingly, the genomes of most mycobacteria code for three alpha subunits (AccA1 - AccA3), six beta subunits (AccD1 - AccD6), and a unique epsilon subunit (AccE5) while most other forms of life possess not more than two YCCs. Despite the significant roles of YCCs in mycobacterial fatty and mycolic acid biosyntheses and hence in cell wall integrity and antibiotic resistance, a comprehensive understanding of their properties and functions is lacking. This dissertation is focused on the structural and functional characterisation of the essential components (AccA3, AccD4 - AccD6, and AccE5) of M. tuberculosis YCCs implicated or known to be involved in fatty acid metabolism. X-ray crystallography and complementary biophysical and biochemical approaches have been employed in an attempt to address questions concerning interactions between YCC components and differences in beta subunit substrate specificity. Multiple co-expression and co-purification strategies yielded YCC complexes (the propionyl-CoA carboxylase AccA3-AccD5 and the putative long-chain acyl-CoA carboxylase AccA3-AccD4) that were catalytically active but did not assemble into stable forms amenable to structural analyses; possible explanations for these observations have been discussed in detail. Significant effort was invested in the production of the epsilon subunit AccE5, but its association with its interacting partners (AccA3 and AccD5) could not be investigated due to technical impediments stemming, presumably, from the intrinsic disordered nature of the protein. Biophysical studies of AccD4 and AccD6 (the beta subunit of ACC) revealed unexpected structural diversity in the M. tuberculosis YCC beta subunit subfamily. Unlike all other actinobacterial homohexameric beta subunits characterised to date, AccD4 and AccD6 were found to function as lower oligomers, highlighting that hexameric assembly is not a requisite for carboxyltransferase function. Endeavours to crystallize AccD4, in apo-form or in complex with substrate/cofactor analogs, were unsuccessful. The high-resolution crystal structure of AccD6, on the other hand, was determined by the method of molecular replacement. The structure of AccD6 has elucidated the molecular basis of homodimeric arrangement, besides throwing light on the conserved and non-conserved features of the active site, and the putative determinants of substrate specificity. Taken together, the findings of this study have added to the existing knowledge of the M. tuberculosis structural proteome and have furthered our understanding of the biophysical attributes and functions of YCC beta subunits, validated anti-mycobacterial drug targets. Interesting insights into the likely molecular evolution of YCC beta subunits have been acquired

Systems Biology Approach to Identify Gene Network Signatures for Colorectal Cancer

In this work, we integrated prior knowledge from gene signatures and protein interactions with gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and gene/protein network modeling together to identify gene network signatures from gene expression microarray data. We demonstrated how to apply this approach into discovering gene network signatures for colorectal cancer (CRC) from microarray datasets. First, we used GSEA to analyze the microarray data through enriching differential genes in different CRC-related gene sets from two publicly available up-to-date gene set databases – Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) and Gene Signatures Database (GeneSigDB). Second, we compared the enriched gene sets through enrichment score, false-discovery rate, and nominal p-value. Third, we constructed an integrated protein–protein interaction (PPI) network through connecting these enriched genes by high-quality interactions from a human annotated and predicted protein interaction database, with a confidence score labeled for each interaction. Finally, we mapped differential gene expressions onto the constructed network to build a comprehensive network model containing visualized transcriptome and proteome data. The results show that although MSigDB has more CRC-relevant gene sets than GeneSigDB, the integrated PPI network connecting the enriched genes from both MSigDB and GeneSigDB can provide a more complete view for discovering gene network signatures. We also found several important sub-network signatures for CRC, such as TP53 sub-network, PCNA sub-network, and IL8 sub-network, corresponding to apoptosis, DNA repair, and immune response, respectively

INTEGRATIVE SYSTEM BIOLOGY STUDIES ON HIGH THROUGHPUT GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS DATASET

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)The post genomic era has propelled us to the view that the biological systems are complex network of interacting genes, proteins and small molecules that give rise to biological form and function. The past decade has seen the advent of number of new technologies designed to study the biological systems on a genome wide scale. These new technologies offers an insight in to the activity of thousands of genes and proteins in cell thereby changed the conventional reductionist view of the systems. However the deluge of data surpasses the analytical and critical abilities of the researches and thereby demands the development of new computational methods. The challenge no longer lies in the acquisition of expression profiles, but rather in the interpretation for the results to gain insights into biological mechanisms. In three different case studies, we applied various system biology techniques on publicly available and in-house genomics and proteomics data set to identify sub-network signatures. In First study, we integrated prior knowledge from gene signatures, GSEA and gene/protein network modeling to identify pathways involved in colorectal cancer, while in second, we identified plasma based network signatures for Alzheimer's disease by combining various feature selection and classification approach. In final study, we did an integrated miRNA-mRNA analysis to identify the role of Myeloid Derived Stem Cells (MDSCs) in T-Cell suppression

Investigation on Tensile and Flexural Strength of KOH Treated Ridge Gourd Fiber-Polyester Resin Composite

Abstract- Natural fiber is abundantly availing in nature. Nowadays this is used in composite materials. In general ridge gourd fiber is very strength material due to its woven. So this fiber is using in composites. Here potassium hydroxide (KOH) treated ridge gourd fiber is used in composite. One of the traditional methods, hand lay – up method is to use for preparing ridge gourd fiber reinforcing polyester composite. Specimens are to be test as per ASTM standards. Tensile and flexural strength are analyzed and optimize the parameters. Then, the fractured surfaces are analyzed with the help of SEM images. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.150312

Inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by Terminalia arjuna against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats

51-57Overuse of therapeutic drugs such as acetaminophen often affects liver, and may lead to inflammatory mediated liver cell death. Here, we studied the effect of Terminalia arjuna (TA) bark against acetaminophen (APAP) induced liver cell death/injury by testing the antioxidant levels, oxidative stress, and inflammation and apoptosis markers. Wistar albino male rats weighing 180-280 mg/kg were made into 5 groups of 6 animals each and were treated as follows: Gr. I, control; Gr. II, acetaminophen (APAP); GR. III, N-acetylcysteine (NAC); Gr. IV & V, Terminalia arjuna (TA) 250 and mg/kg. The antioxidant glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (MDA), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels, caspase-9 levels, and Protein kinase B (P-AKT) gene expression levels were assessed. The rGr. V animals pre-treated with Terminalia arjuna high dose bark showed increased glutathione (GSH) levels, but decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels; inhibited IL-1β and caspase-9 levels; and also elevated gene expression level of P-AKT to regulate the cell signaling pathway. Apparently, the results demonstrated that a high dose of TA 500 mg/kg ameliorated acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity

Repair of giant paraesophageal hernias routinely produces improvement in respiratory function

ObjectiveAssessment of the clinical impact of giant paraesophageal hernias have historically focused on upper gastrointestinal symptoms. This study assesses the effect of paraesophageal hernia repair on respiratory function.MethodsAll patients undergoing repair of giant paraesophageal hernia were prospectively entered into a database approved by the institutional review board. Patients had symptoms documented preoperatively, including dyspnea. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were done preoperatively and repeated a median of 106 days after repair (range, 16-660 days).ResultsPreoperative and postoperative PFTs were obtained in 120 unselected patients treated for paraesophageal hernia between 2000 and 2010. Patients’ median age was 74 years (range, 45-91 years), 74 (62%) were female, and median body mass index was 28.0 (range, 16.8-46.6). Median length of stay was 4 days (range, 3-10 days), and perioperative mortality was zero. Hernias were classified as type II in 3 (3%) patients, III in 92 (77%), and IV in 25 (21%). Percent of intrathoracic stomach was assigned from preoperative contrast studies and grouped as less than 50% (n = 6; 5%), 50% to 74% (n = 35; 29%), 75% to 99% (n = 29; 24%), and 100% (n = 50; 42%). Preoperative symptoms included heartburn 71 (59%), early satiety 65 (54%), dyspnea 63 (52%), chest pain 48 (40%), dysphagia 56 (47%), regurgitation 47 (39%), and anemia 44 (37%). PFTs significantly improved after paraesophageal hernia repair (mean volume change, percent reference change): forced vital capacity +0.30 L,+10.3%pred; FEV1 +0.23 L,+10.4%pred (all P < .001); diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide +0.58 mL · mm Hg−1 · min−1 (P = .004), and +2.9%pred (P = .002). Greater improvements were documented in older patients with significant subjective respiratory symptoms and higher percent of intrathoracic stomach (P < .01).ConclusionsParaesophageal hernia has a significant effect on respiratory function, which is largely underappreciated. This study demonstrates that these repairs can be done safely and supports routine consideration for elective repair; older patients with borderline respiratory function may achieve substantial improvements in their respiratory status and quality of life

Exploration of natural polymers for use as green corrosion inhibitors for AZ31 magnesium alloy in saline environment

Seven natural polymers namely, chitosan (CHI), dextran (Dex), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium alginate (ALG), pectin (PEC), hydroxylethyl cellulose (HEC), and Gum Arabic (GA) were screened for anticorrosion property towards AZ31 Mg alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. CHI, Dex, CMC, PEC, and GA accelerated the corrosion while ALG and HEC moderately inhibited the corrosion of the alloy. HEC and ALG (1 g/L) protected the alloy by 64.13 % and 58.27 %, respectively. Two inhibitor cocktails consisting of either HEC or ALG, KI, and Date palm seed oil have been formulated. HEC- and ALG-formulations inhibited the alloy corrosion by 80.56 % and 77.43 %, respectively from EIS technique. Surface observation studies using SECM, AFM, SEM, and EDX agreed with other experimental results revealing effective corrosion inhibition by the formulations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR, and UV–vis results disclose that Mg(OH)2 co-existed with adsorbed inhibitor complexes