IN VITRO ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF STATIN FROM ASPERGILLUS TAMARII GRD119

Objectives: Fungi have been largely targeted for their biopotential mainly in pharmaceutical industry. Recently, there has been an increase in screening of biopharmaceuticals from microorganisms so as to eliminate side-effects and chemical damages from non-natural sources.Methods: In the present study, Aspergillus tamarii GRD119 (JX110981) was screened for the production of statin by conducting bioassays against Candida and filamentous fungi.Results: Based on the results obtained showing effective inhibition potential against Candida spp and A. fumigatus, further analysis of purification of statin by several chromatographic analyses such as column chromatography, TLC, HPTLC and HPLC was conducted. The extracted statin shows strong cytotoxic activity against HEP G2 cell line.Conclusions: These results designate the fungal strain and the statin produced can serve as candidates for potential genetic transformation and further structural analysis respectively.Keywords: Aspergillus tamarii, chromatography, purification, statin, cytotoxicity

Antimicrobial Resistance with Special Emphasis on Pathogens in Agriculture

Antibiotics have been used globally to manage the bacterial plant diseases irrespective of the expense involved. Although plant pathogenesis by bacteria is far lower than fungal counterparts, disrupted monitoring and surveillance for drug resistance with respect to human health raise serious concerns. The resistance derived by the plant as the host by the antibiotics used for many generations has now posed as a problem in phyto-systems. Although we currently lack the molecular understanding of the pathogens rendering antibiotic resistance to plants, robust resistance management strategies are critical to ensure management of critically important diseases that specifically target crops of high value and/or global agrarian importance. This chapter discusses evolution of plant-pathogenic bacteria, application of antibiotics and its repercussions on the microbiome of plant agricultural systems, and sustainable crop disease management by genetic engineering

Genetic validation and spectroscopic detailing of DHN-melanin extracted from an environmental fungus

Accurate characterization of melanin using analytical methodologies has proved to be difficult due to its heterogeneity, insolubility in wide pH and broad range of solvents. The present study was undertaken to characterize melanin extracted from an environmental Aspergillus fumigatus AFGRD105 by studying its genes, chemical properties and spectral data. A gene based approach to confirm the type of melanin carried out indicated the extracted melanin to be of the dihydroxynaphthalene type. On comparison with synthetic melanin, UV–Vis and IR spectra of the extracted melanin revealed characteristic peaks that can be further used for confirmation of DHN-melanin extracted from any source. Solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy established the presence of the hydroxyl-naphthalene moiety and validated the results obtained by genetic analysis. The correct assignment of the observed spectral frequency characteristic of functional groups can be further adapted in future works that deal with binding capacities and biomolecule systems involving melanin

Data_Sheet_2_De novo genome assembly of rice bean (Vigna umbellata) – A nominated nutritionally rich future crop reveals novel insights into flowering potential, habit, and palatability centric – traits for efficient domestication.docx

Rice bean is a less-known underutilized legume crop with a high nutritional value among members of the Vigna family. As an initiative to compose rice bean (Vigna umbellata) genomic resource, the size of 414 mega-base pairs with an estimated identification of 31,276 high confidence index genes via 15,521 scaffolds generated from Illumina and PacBio platform 30X coverage data has achieved 96.08% functional coverage data from Illumina and PacBio platform. Rice bean genome assembly was found to be exquisitely close to Vigna angularis (experimental control/outgroup), Vigna radiata, and Vigna unguiculata, however, Vigna angularis being the closest. The assembled genome was further aligned with 31 leguminous plants (13 complete genomes and 18 partial genomes), by collinearity block mapping. Further, we predicted similar discriminant results by complete coding sequence (CDS) alignment. In contrast, 17 medically influential genomes from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences-National Institutes of Health NIGMS-NIH, when compared to rice bean assembly for LCB clusters, led to the identification of more than 18,000 genes from the entire selected medicinal genomes. Empirical construction of all genome comparisons revealed symplesiomorphic character in turn uncovering the lineage of genetic and functional features of rice beans. Significantly, we found deserving late-flowering genes, palatably indexed uncommon genes that regulate various metabolite pathways, related to abiotic and biotic stress pathways and those that are specific to photoperiod and disease resistance and so on. Therefore, the findings from this report address the genomic value of rice bean to be escalated via breeding by allied and applied approaches.</p

Aflatoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Based Products: Occurrence, Toxicity, Impact on Human Health, and Their Detoxification and Management Strategies

Cereals and cereal-based products are primary sources of nutrition across the world. However, contamination of these foods with aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species, has raised serious concerns. AF generation in innate substrates is influenced by several parameters, including the substrate type, fungus species, moisture content, minerals, humidity, temperature, and physical injury to the kernels. Consumption of AF-contaminated cereals and cereal-based products can lead to both acute and chronic health issues related to physical and mental maturity, reproduction, and the nervous system. Therefore, the precise detection methods, detoxification, and management strategies of AFs in cereal and cereal-based products are crucial for food safety as well as consumer health. Hence, this review provides a brief overview of the occurrence, chemical characteristics, biosynthetic processes, health hazards, and detection techniques of AFs, along with a focus on detoxification and management strategies that could be implemented for food safety and security