EXTRACTION OF GUM FROM ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PECULIARITY AND ANTIOXIDANT PREPATENT

  Objective: This study is aimed to extract gum from Abelmoschus esculentus using ultrasonic assisted method and exploring physicochemical, functional, and antioxidant potential of gum for food and pharmaceuticals.Materials and Methods: The extraction of gum from okra was done employing ultrasound-assisted method to improvise the yield. The extracted gum was further characterized for physical properties including swelling index, solubility, water sorption time, packing and flow properties, electrical properties, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy, and antioxidant activity.Results: The extraction yield of okra fruit gum (OFG) was found to be 31.52%±0.22% (n=3). The OFG powder obtained after lyophilization showed good flow properties as determined from the results of angle of repose (34.21°), Hausner ratio (1.14), and % compressibility (12.5%). An increase in solubility and swelling index of OFG with increase in pH of buffer from 2.0 to 7.4 was observed. The freeze dried OFG possess rough surface and zeta potential of −9.85 mV. Application of derivatized/interacted OFG gum for modification of drug release profiles is concluded from high degree of esterification of 7.8.Conclusion: The result suggest that the antioxidant activity of OFG was higher compared to corn flour gum. Thus, OFG could be utilized as natural antioxidant food ingredients and also for application in medicine and health-care products

OKRA FRUIT GUM-CHITOSAN IMPREGNATED POLYMER NETWORK FILMS: FORMULATION AND SUBSTANTIAL DEPICTION

  Objective: The present research is aimed at formulation and evaluation of okra fruit gum (OFG)-chitosan (CH) impregnated polymer network films.Methods: The film forming property of the gum attained from fruits of Abelmoschus esculentus was enhanced by co-processing it with CH. Estimation of properties including swelling index (SI), film volume, volume index, film surface contact angle with buffer solutions (pH 1.2, 7.4 or 6.8), work of adhesion (Wa), and spreading coefficient was done.Results: The contact angle and SI of OFG-CH film in both acidic and alkaline buffers were witnessed to be lowest when equated with the films prepared with difference in ratios of both gum and CH. Moreover, the Wa and spreading coefficient were less for this film. These results could be attributed to the optimum interaction between –COO− groups of gum and -NH3+ groups of CH.Conclusion: The actual nature of the film found to be tough, flexible, and water resistant. Hence, the results have shown that the films produced have a high potential for use in modified drug release and in food and pharmaceuticals

Aging and Microbiome in the Modulation of Vaccine Efficacy

From infancy through to old age, the microbiome plays an important role in modulating the host-immune system. As we age, our immune system and our gut microbiota change significantly in composition and function, which is linked to an increased vulnerability to infectious diseases and a decrease in vaccine responses. Our microbiome remains largely stable throughout adulthood; however, aging causes a major shift in the composition and function of the gut microbiome, as well as a decrease in diversity. Considering the critical role of the gut microbiome in the host-immune system, it is important to address, prevent, and ameliorate age-related dysbiosis, which could be an effective strategy for preventing/restoring functional deficits in immune responses as we grow older. Several factors, such as the host’s genetics and nutritional state, along with the gut microbiome, can influence vaccine efficacy or reaction. Emerging evidence suggests that the microbiome could be a significant determinant of vaccine immunity. Physiological mechanisms such as senescence, or the steady loss of cellular functions, which affect the aging process and vaccination responses, have yet to be comprehended. Recent studies on several COVID-19 vaccines worldwide have provided a considerable amount of data to support the hypothesis that aging plays a crucial role in modulating COVID-19 vaccination efficacy across different populations

Influence of Host Blood Meal Source on Gut Microbiota of Wild Caught Aedes aegypti, a Dominant Arboviral Disease Vector

Blood feeding is an important behavior of Aedes aegypti, a dominant arboviral disease vector, as it can establish and transmit viruses to humans. Bacteria associated with the mosquito gut can modulate the biological characteristics and behavior of disease vectors. In this study, we characterized the gut microbiota composition of human-blood-fed (HF), non-human-blood-fed (NHF) and non-fed (NF) field-collected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, using a 16S metagenomic approach, to assess any association of bacterial taxa with the blood-feeding behavior of Ae. aegypti. A significant difference in the microbiota composition between the HF and NF mosquito group was observed. A significant association was observed in the relative abundance of families Rhodobacteraceae, Neisseriaceae and Dermacoccaceae in the HF group in contrast to NF and NHF Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, respectively. At the class level, two classes (Rhodobacterales and Neisseriales) were found to be in higher abundance in the HF mosquitoes compared to a single class of bacteria (Caulobacterales) in the NF mosquitoes. These results show that human-blood feeding may change the gut microbiota in wild Ae. aegypti populations. More research is needed to determine how changes in the midgut bacterial communities in response to human-blood-feeding affect the vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti