Microbial Biotransformation for the Production of Steroid Medicament

Androstenedione (AD) is a steroid intermediate valuable for the production of steroid medicaments. Microbial biotransformation of phytosterol to produce AD is a well-researched area. However, low substrate solubility of phytosterol in aqueous media and nucleus degradation of AD to androstadienedione (ADD) or 9-hydroxy-AD are the major obstacles for AD production leading to detailed research for optimization of biotransformation process. In this review, microbial transformation of AD with respect to the existing methods of chemical or biochemical synthesis of AD are extensively discussed. This review examines the microbial biotransformation process and limitations for enhanced AD production. Factors affecting the effective biotransformation process to obtain AD are discussed and limitations are highlighted. The main content of this review focuses on the recent and futuristic biotechnological advances and strategies in techniques to enhance AD bioprocess

Microbioreactors and Perfusion Bioreactors for Microbial and Mammalian Cell Culture

Screening for novel producer strains and enhanced therapeutic production at reduced cost has been the focus of most of the biopharmaceutical industries. The obligation to carry out prolonged intensive pilot scale experiments gave birth to micro-scale bioreactor systems. Screening large number of microorganisms using shake flasks and benchtop bioreactors is tedious and consumes resources. Microbioreactors that mimic benchtop bioreactors are capable not only of high throughput screening of producer strains, but also aid in optimizing the growth kinetics and expression of proteins. Modern technology has enabled the collection of precise online data for variables such as optical density (OD), pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and adjusting in mixing inside microreactors. Microbioreactors have become an irreplaceable tool for biochemical engineers and biotechnologists to perform a large number of experiments simultaneously. Another aspect that is vital to any industry is the product yield and subsequent downstream processing. Perfusion bioreactors are one of the upcoming advances in bioreactor systems that have the potential to revolutionize biologics production. This chapter intends to take a review of different aspects of microbioreactors and perfusion bioreactors including their potential in high throughput pilot studies and microbial and mammalian cell cultivation technologies

In Vitro Biotransformation in Drug Discovery

In vitro Biotransformation studies play a crucial role in drug discovery program that determine the fate of the new chemical entities (NCE’s). Enzyme rich matrices such as microsomes, hepatocytes, liver fractions and S9 fractions transform the new chemical entities to different metabolites. Metabolites could be pharmacologically important or toxic. Newly formed metabolites are identified using liquid chromatography interfaced with mass spectrometry. Identification of the biotransformation sites in the new chemical entity helps the medicinal chemists to optimize its structure and develop the NCE as a pharmaceutical drug. Screening pharmaceutical drugs using in vitro biotransformation studies assist in selecting the right new chemical entity for further in vivo studies in animal systems and later in human clinical trials

Nano-radiopharmaceuticals as therapeutic agents

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in exploring the potential synergy between nanotechnology and nuclear medicine. The application of radioactive isotopes, commonly referred to as radiopharmaceuticals, is recognized in nuclear medicine for diagnosing and treating various diseases. Unlike conventional pharmaceutical agents, radiopharmaceuticals are designed to work without any pharmacological impact on the body. Nevertheless, the radiation dosage employed in radiopharmaceuticals is often sufficiently high to elicit adverse effects associated with radiation exposure. Exploiting their capacity for selective accumulation on specific organ targets, radiopharmaceuticals have utility in treating diverse disorders. The incorporation of nanosystems may additionally augment the targeting capability of radiopharmaceuticals, leveraging their distinct pharmacokinetic characteristics. Conversely, radionuclides could be used in research to assess nanosystems pharmacologically. However, more investigation is needed to verify the safety and effectiveness of radiopharmaceutical applications mediated by nanosystems. The use of nano-radiopharmaceuticals as therapeutic agents to treat various illnesses and disorders is majorly covered in this review. The targeted approach to cancer therapy and various types of nanotools for nano-radiopharmaceutical delivery, is also covered in this article

Metabolism of Phytochemicals

Several phytochemicals have been developed as medicinal compounds. Extensive research has recently been conducted on phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, catechin, gallic acid, humulone, quercetin, rutin, diosgenin, allicin, gingerenone-A, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, chlorogenic acid, and others. All of these phytochemicals are metabolized in the biological system. To study the metabolic pathways of phytochemicals, studies are done using both in vitro and in vivo techniques. Metabolism is critical in determining phytochemical bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and effectiveness. Metabolism can occur in organs such as the intestine, liver, gut, and spleen. The metabolic process is aided by a variety of enzymes, including cytochrome P450 enzymes found in the organs. This study outlines a few phytochemicals metabolic pathways. Tannic acid, ellagic acid, curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol are selected and explained as examples

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Not AvailableA power-weeder has been developed to address the weeding requirement of the cassava planted in mound pattern in hilly terrains. Although there are many commercial makes available for weeding of cassava planted in flat method as well as ridges and furrows method, it seems that there is no suitable weeder presently available in the country to address the weeding requirement of mound cassava of hilly terrains. The power weeder developed consists of petrolengine, main weeding rotor, offset weeding rotor, depth control lever, ground-wheels, transmission assembly, frame and handle. The main weeding rotor removes the weeds on the furrow while the offset weeding rotor removes the weeds on mounds without damaging the tuber grown under mounds. It is economically viable with fuel consumption limited to 27 L/ha. The machine proved its capability of weeding between the rows on both directions with acceptable weeding efficiency of 92.8% with negligible percentage (0.7) of damage to rhizome, field capacity of 0.16 ha/day, and field efficiency of 79.0%. It was also found that the operators did not observe any difficulty due to side thrust since the sideways thrust might have been transferred by the method of attaching the lateral rotor at 20mm ahead to the line joining central axis to the lateral axis. The power-weeder was recommended as an ideal machine for medium cassava farms of India.Not Availabl