Sometimes one just isn't enough: do vertebrates contain an H2A.Z hyper-variant?

How much functional specialization can one component histone confer on a single nucleosome? The histone variant H2A.Z seems to be an extreme example. Genome-wide distribution maps show non-random (and evolutionarily conserved) patterns, with localized enrichment or depletion giving a tantalizing suggestion of function. Multiple post-translational modifications on the protein indicate further regulation. An additional layer of complexity has now been uncovered: the vertebrate form is actually encoded by two non-allelic genes that differ by expression pattern and three amino acids

Ethnobotanical Survey of Wild Edible Plants of Leh District, Ladakh

Ethnobotanical exploration was undertaken to document the Wild edible plants (WEPs) utilised by the inhabitants of the Leh district. Traditionally exploited WEPs are an indispensable part of every household culinary. This place is known for its unique culture and cuisine which diversifies it from the rest of India. Pre-structured questionnaires, guided field visits, field examinations, and group discussions were conducted to gather ethnobotanical data. Detailed inquiries were made on the plant’s part used, time of collection and method of food preparation. In the present study, 40 wild consumable plants were documented, these belong to 18 families and spreads to 31 genera; out of which four are new records as wild food plants. They are Cotoneaster integerrimus, Dracocephalum heterophyllum, Astragalus frigidus, and Turritis glabra. Diverse use of wild leafy plants was observed and some of the most famous dishes are ‘Shangsho tsodma’ and ‘Kabra tsodma’ vegetables. The utilisation of wild plants helps enrich diet diversity and enhances the availability of green vegetables hence broadening food choices. Our study also reveals that the gathering of wild plants is confined to village people, shepherds, and farmers, and a majority of this knowledge exists in the memory of the elderly and these wild resources are under threat due to various anthropogenic activities. Therefore, the present finding highlights the value of these plants along with maintaining regional traditional knowledge and preserving the old ethnic traditional way of living and eating. Further, this information will provide baseline data to upcoming researchers dealing with nutrition and nutraceutical aspects. In addition, these wild plants are nutritionally rich and their consumption should be encouraged

Phytochemical Screening, In Vitro Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activity of Rabdosia rugosa (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara Extract from Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh

Rabdosia rugosa (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara. (Syn. Plectranthusrugosus Wall.) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is used by local communities of the Kinnaur district to cure diabetes. The selection of the plant material is based upon data that aerial parts of the plant (leaves along with flowers) are used in folklore to manage the postprandial hike in blood sugar levels. Therefore, in the present investigation, antiradical and antidiabetic activities of the ethanolic extract of the plant were checked. Preliminary tests for phytochemicals, total phenols, and flavenoids were also determined. Our results manifested that R. rugosa (Rabdosia rugosa) extract exhibited superior antioxidant activity (p˂0.05) by DPPH and H2O2 assays with IC50 = 9.62 ± 2.70 μg/ml and IC50 = 28.22 ± 2.94 μg/ml. This plant also exhibited preeminent repression action against the enzyme, i.e., alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase (p˂0.05) with IC50 = 10.49 ± 6.17 μg/ml (Porcine α – amylase), IC50 = 1.87 ± 1.79 μg/ml (Yeast α - glucosidase), ( IC50 = 16.89 ± 0. 06 μg/ml(Intestinal rat α - glucosidase) Hence, we concluded that present plant possessed excellent antiradical and antidiabetic activity. The antidiabetic activity was estimated higher than the standard Acarbose. As per our information, this may be the first time to report on the extract of R. rugosa for its antioxidant and antidiabetic capacity. The current findings divulge that this plant can further be studied to verify its therapeutic activities

Peripheral blood gene expression: it all boils down to the RNA collection tubes

Background: Gene expression profiling from peripheral blood is a valuable tool for biomarker discovery in clinical studies. Different whole blood RNA collection and processing methods are highly variable and might confound comparisons of results across studies. The main aim of the study was to compare genome-wide gene expression profiles obtained from the two widely used commercially available whole blood RNA collection systems - PAXgene and Tempus tubes. Comparisons of present call rates, variances, correlations and influence of globin reduction across the two collection systems was performed using in vivo glucocorticoid stimulation in 24 peripheral blood samples from three individuals. Results: RNA quality, yield and numbers of detected transcripts from the two RNA collection systems was comparable, with no significant differences between the tube types. Globin reduction resulted in a significant increase in present call rates (p = 8.17 × 10 -5 and p = 1.95 × 10 -3 in PAXgene and Tempus tubes respectively) and significant decrease in gene expression variance in both RNA collection tubes (p = 0.0025 and p = 0.041 in PAXgene and Tempus tubes respectively). Comparisons of glucocorticoid receptor-stimulated gene expression profiles between the two collection tube systems revealed an overlap of only 17 to 54%, depending on the stringency level of the statistical thresholds. This overlap increased by 1-8% when the RNA samples were processed to remove the globin mRNA. Conclusion: RNA obtained from PAXgene and Tempus tubes was comparable in terms of quality and yield, however, detectable gene expression changes after glucocorticoid receptor stimulation were distinct, with an overlap of only up to 46% between the two collection systems. This overlap increased to 54% when the samples were depleted of globin mRNA and drastically reduced to 17-18% when only gene expression differences with a fold change greater than 2.0 were assessed. These results indicate that gene expression profiles obtained from PAXgene and Tempus differ drastically and should not be analyzed together. These data suggest that researchers must exert caution while interpreting expression profiles obtained through different RNA collection tubes.</p

Solution of the Burger\u27s Equation for Longitudinal Dispersion Phenomena Occurring in Miscible Phase Flow Through Porous Media

An approximate solution of longitudinal dispersion phenomena occurring in two phase miscible fluid flow through porous media has been obtained by using the group theoretic approach. The longitudinal dispersion coefficient is assumed to be directly proportional to the concentration of the fluid for a distance x and at any time t &gt; 0. The graphical representation for the concentration of the fluid for a distance x and at time t &gt; 0 has been obtained using Mat lab coding

GCMS Analysis In Vitro Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activity of Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill

Oxyria digyna (mountain sorrel) is an edible and medicinal herb with a wide array of ethnopharmacological uses. A literature review revealed that this species is less explored for its pharmacological efficacy. Methanolic leaf extract of O. digyna was screened for antioxidant potential utilizing “2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl” DPPH and “Hydrogen peroxide” H202 assay, in addition, the antidiabetic potential was evaluated using enzyme alpha-amylase. Further, the&nbsp;bioactive compounds were analyzed through GC/MS and FTIR techniques. The antioxidant results demonstrated that the extract showed strong reducing potential for both DPPH and Hydrogen peroxide assay, plant extract revealed&nbsp;scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 42.55±0.7311 µg/ml for DPPH and an IC50 value of 51.77±1.855 µg/ml for H2O2. Furthermore, O. digyna showed a moderate inhibitory outcome towards alpha-amylase with an IC50 =131.02±1.90 µg/ml while the standard showed an IC50 = of 22.05±3.9 µg/ml. The extract exhibited an enormous amount of total flavonoid and phenolic. Moreover, the FTIR spectrum showed the presence of alcohol, alkanes, alkyne, aldehyde, etc. and the GC/MS study reveals the presence of sixty compounds. The most prevalent one is 9,12,15- Octadecatrienoic acid (Z, Z, Z) 38.33 %. According to our knowledge, this study is the first to validate its antidiabetic potential and identification of numerous phytoconstituents through GC/MS and identification of several functional groups employing FTIR analysis. The above finding suggests that O. digyna possess a high amount of phenols, and flavonoids, showing significant antioxidant properties, which makes it a promising source of natural antioxidant, also it can be used in food industries and for future drug synthesis. Further, the extract showed potential alpha-amylase inhibition but the potential was less, further, the active biochemical constituent can be isolated and utilized in therapeutic applications

In Vivo Antidiabetic Activity and GCMS Analysis of Ethanolic Extracts of Rabdosia Rugosa (Wal ex Benth) H Hara

The current study examined the effects of an ethanolic extract of R. rugosa (Rabdosia rugosa (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara) on alloxan-induced diabetes rats, detailing its hypoglycemic potential and using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze its phytoconstituents. The FTIR spectrum verified the presence of various functional groups in the active ingredients. This research opted to use an extract from fresh leaves and flowers. Chichiri is the local name for the shrub R. rugosa, which belongs to the sage family (Labiatae) and is used as traditional medicine. To determine the hypoglycemic activity of plant extracts the rats were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups for two weeks of experiments: a normal control group that received no treatment, a diabetic control group that received only alloxan (150 mg/kg BW), a drug control group that received glibenclamide (5mg/kg BW), and a treatment group that received R. rugosa extract (50 mg/kg BW). Our results demonstrated that the extract and medication group saw statistically significant improvement (p≤0.001) in body weight, blood glucose levels, lipid profile, liver and renal parameters. The GCMS analysis showed that numerous active phytoconstituents were present. Phenols, alkanes, alcohols, and other compounds were detected in the FTIR spectrum. After examining the data, we determined that the leaves and inflorescences of R. rugosa have hypoglycemic potential. Continued study of the naturally separated chemicals can aid in the creation of organic medications for diabetic treatment

The MicroRNA-132 and MicroRNA-212 Cluster Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Maintenance and Survival with Age by Buffering FOXO3 Expression

MicroRNAs are critical post-transcriptional regulators of hematopoietic cell-fate decisions, though little remains known about their role in aging hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We found that the microRNA-212/132 cluster (Mirc19) is enriched in HSCs and is upregulated during aging. Both overexpression and deletion of microRNAs in this cluster leads to inappropriate hematopoiesis with age. Enforced expression of miR-132 in the bone marrow of mice led to rapid HSC cycling and depletion. A genetic deletion of Mirc19 in mice resulted in HSCs that had altered cycling, function, and survival in response to growth factor starvation. We found that miR-132 exerted its effect on aging HSCs by targeting the transcription factor FOXO3, a known aging associated gene. Our data demonstrate that Mirc19 plays a role in maintaining balanced hematopoietic output by buffering FOXO3 expression. We have thus identified it as a potential target that might play a role in age-related hematopoietic defects