IN VIVO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF LIMNOPHILA HETEROPHYLLA AND MICHELIA CHAMPACA

Objective: The present study was aimed at investigating the in-vivo antioxidant activity of the methanol extracts of Limnophila heterophylla and Michelia champaca leaves.Methods: Methanol extract of both plants were administered to rats separately at three different doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg for 21 d to evaluate oxidative stress parameters such as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and to evaluate antioxidant enzyme levels of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).Results: The methanol extracts of both the plants significantly (p<0.05) elevated the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) on days 7, 14 and 21 of treatment. Significant (p<0.05) decrease of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels along with an increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme level in the liver and kidney at three different doses both the plants was observed. Treatment at a dose of 500 mg/kg b. w of both plants caused a significant increase only in the level of CAT in the liver and kidney. However, there was no significant effect of a thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the heart and reduced glutathione (GSH) level in liver, heart and kidney at three different doses both the plants.Conclusion: These outcomes recommend that the leaves of Limnophila heterophylla and Michelia champaca have a potent antioxidant activity which may be responsible for some of its reported pharmacological actions.Â

5-Exo-dig, 5-exo-trig cascade radical cyclisation on sugar-furanose templates: entry to angularly fused oxa-and dioxa-triquinane skeletons

Serial radical cyclisation on sugar-furanose templates to create angularly fused oxa- and dioxa-triquinane skeletons has been described, the salient feature of this approach being to incipiently generate a tertiary radical from cyclopropylmethyl bromide with simultaneous release of allyl group and to subsequently incorporate it in the triquinane system

Nanoparticle-assisted diffusion brazing of metal microchannel arrays : nanoparticle synthesis, deposition, and characterization

Microchannel process technology (MPT) offers several advantages to the field of nanomanufacturing: 1) improved process control over very short time intervals owing to shorter diffusional distances; and 2) reduced reactor size due to high surface area to volume ratios and enhanced heat and mass transfer. The objective of this thesis was to consider how nanomaterials, produced in part using MPT, could be used to solve problems associated with the fabrication of MPT devices. Specifically, many MPT devices are produced using transient liquid-phase brazing involving an electroplated interlayer consisting of a brazing alloy designed for melting temperature suppression. Unfortunately, these alloys can form brittle secondary phases which significantly reduce bond strength. In contrast, prior efforts have shown that it is possible to leverage the size-dependent properties of nanomaterials to suppress brazing temperatures. In this prior work, thin films of off-the-shelf elemental nanoparticles were used as interlayers yielding joints with improved mechanical properties. In the present investigation, efforts have been made to characterize the synthesis and deposition of various elemental nanoparticle suspensions for use in the transient liquid-phase brazing of aluminum and stainless steel. Advances were used to demonstrate the nanoparticle-assisted diffusion brazing of a microchannel array. In the first section, a silver nanoparticle (AgNP) interlayer was produced for the diffusion brazing of heat exchanger aluminum. Efforts are made to examine the effect of braze filler particle size (~5 nm and ~50 nm) and processing parameters (heating rate: 5ºC/min and 25ºC/min; brazing temperature: 550ºC and 570ºC) on thin coupons of diffusion-brazed 3003 Al. A tensile strength of 69.7 MPa was achieved for a sample brazed at 570°C for 30 min under 1 MPa with an interlayer thickness of approximately 7 μm. Further suppression of the brazing temperature to 500ºC was achieved by sputtering a 1 µm thick layer of Cu before depositing a 5 nm thick film of AgNPs resulting in a lap shear strength of 45.3±0.2 MPa. In the middle section of this thesis, several techniques are investigated for the synthesis of sub 10 nm diameter nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) to be used in the diffusion brazing of 316L stainless steel. The average NiNP size was varied from 9.2 nm to 3.9 nm based on the synthesis technique, solvent and reducing agent used. Conventional wet-chemical synthesis using NiCl₂.6H₂O in ethylene glycol (solvent) and N₂H₄.H₂O (reducing agent) resulted in the formation of 5.4 ± 0.9 nm NiNPs. Continuous flow synthesis using a microchannel T-mixer (barrel diameter of 521µm) and a 10 second residence time of reactants in a bath temperature of 130ºC resulted in a particle size of with 5.3 ± 1 nm. To make the synthesis safer and less energy intense, microwave heating was used along with less toxic Ni(CH₃CO₂)₂·4H₂O (nickel salt), propylene glycol (solvent) and NaPH₂O₂ (reducing agent) yielding 3.9 ± 0.8 nm diameter NiNPs. For the final section, nickel nanoparticles were synthesized using NiCl₂.6H₂O (nickel salt), de-ionized water (solvent), NaBH₄ (co-reducing agent), N₂H₄.H₂O (reducing agent) and polyvinylpyrolidone (capping agent) yielding 4.2 ± 0.6 nm NiNP. Several deposition techniques were investigated for controlling film thickness and uniformity in the diffusion brazing of 316L stainless steel (SS). Using in-house prepared NiNP and automated dispensing, a hermetic joint up to 70 psi (tested pressure) was obtained in 316L SS substrates under brazing conditions of 800ºC, 2 MPa and 30 min. Throughout the course of this thesis, techniques used for characterizing nanoparticles, films and joints included FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, EDS, EPMA, DSC, mass spectrometry, and lap-shear testing

Best proximity points of roximal contractive mappings in partially ordered complete metric spaces

In this paper, we define proximal contractive mappings in partially ordered metric spaces and prove the existence of best proximity points of these maps in partially ordered complete metric spaces. These results extend/generalize the results of Asgari and Badehian, J. Nonl. Sci. and Appl., 2015. We provide illustrative examples in support of our theorems

COMMON FIXED POINTS OF A PAIR OF SELFMAPS SATISFYING CERTAIN WEAKLY CONTRACTIVE INEQUALITY INVOLVING RATIONAL TYPE EXPRESSIONS VIA TWO AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS IN PARTIALLY ORDERED METRIC SPACES

In this paper, we prove the existence of coincidence and common fixed points of a pair of selfmaps satisfying certain weakly contractive inequality with two auxiliary functions involving rational type expressions in partially ordered metric spaces. These results extend some of the known existing results in the literature from a single selfmap to a pair of selfmaps. Examples are provided in support of our results

Eggs for Improving Nutrition, cognitive development and reducing linear growth retardation among Infants and young Children (ENRICH) : Protocol of an egg supplementation trial among children aged 9-18 months in Hyderabad, India

SKB, SRC and BK: conceptualised, designed the study and wrote first draft. LFA, TD, DPP, MC, KS and PA: developed detailed protocols, planned data collection, critical input to manuscript. RM, HD-K, CH, SFR, RPullakhandam, RPalika, RRK, RNK, MLJ and PH: concept, design, critical inputs to manuscript.Peer reviewe

Anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, morbidity and well-being assessments in women and children in Indonesia, India and Senegal : A UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper

HD-K and EF were responsible for the overall design, training and overseeing implementation of the research. UF, MKH, BK, BF, RM, RPullakhandam, RPalika, TD, SFR, SD, RPradeilles, SA, AW, JPW, PH and CH were involved in its design. UF, MKH, BK, BF, DY, DS, NLZ, TCA, RM, RPullakhandam, RPalika, TD, SFR, SKB KS, DPP, DY, SD, PL-S, BD, PM, SF, ID, AD, TDVI, FT, AD, SS, BMK and DTT implemented the research. HD-K and EF wrote the manuscript. All authors read, provided comments on and approved the final version of the manuscript.Peer reviewe

Eggs for Improving Nutrition, cognitive development and reducing linear growth retardation among Infants and young Children (ENRICH): protocol of an egg supplementation trial among children aged 9-18 months in Hyderabad, India.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence on the impact of nutrient-rich animal source foods such as eggs for improving child growth and cognition is inconsistent. This study aims to examine the impact of an egg intervention in children, along with behaviour change communication (BCC) to the mother, on linear growth and cognition, and nutritional status in children aged 9-18 months. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A 9-month open-labelled randomised controlled trial will be conducted in three urban slums in Hyderabad, India, as a substudy of an observational cohort study (n=350) following pregnant women and their children until 18 months of age in a population at risk of stunting. The children born to women enrolled during the third trimester of pregnancy will be block randomised in a 1:4 ratio into the intervention (n=70) and control (n=280) groups. Children in the intervention group will be supplemented with one egg per day starting from 9 months until 18 months of age. BCC designed to enhance adherence to the intervention will be used. The control group will be a part of the observational cohort and will not receive any intervention from the study team. The primary outcome will be length-for-age z-scores, and the secondary outcomes will include cognition, blood biomarkers of nutritional status including fatty acid profile and epigenetic signatures linked with linear growth and cognition. Multivariate intention-to-treat analyses will be conducted to assess the effect of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Institutional ethics committees of ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to policy-makers. Findings will also be shared with study participants and community leaders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2021/11/038208

Anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, morbidity and well-being assessments in women and children in Indonesia, India and Senegal: a UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper.

INTRODUCTION: Child stunting has a complex aetiology, especially in the first 1000 days of life. Nutrition interventions alone have not produced expected impacts in reducing/preventing child stunting, indicating the importance of understanding the complex interplay between environmental, physiological and psychological factors influencing child nutritional status. This study will investigate maternal and child nutrition, health and well-being status and associated factors through the assessment of: (1) anthropometry, (2) biomarkers of nutrition and health status, (3) dietary intakes, (4) fetal growth and development, (5) infant morbidity, (6) infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and (7) perinatal maternal stress, depression and social support. METHODS: This study will be conducted in a prospective pregnancy cohort in India, Indonesia and Senegal. Pregnant women will be recruited in the second (Indonesia, Senegal) and third (India) trimester of pregnancy, and the mother and infant dyads followed until the infant is 24 months of age. During pregnancy, anthropometric measures will be taken, venous blood samples will be collected for biochemical assessment of nutrition and health status, dietary intakes will be assessed using a 4-pass-24-hour dietary recall method (MP24HR), fetal ultrasound for assessment of fetal growth. After birth, anthropometry measurements will be taken, venous blood samples will be collected, MP24HR will be conducted, infant morbidity and IYCF practices will be assessed and a sample of breastmilk will be collected for nutrient composition analyses. Perinatal maternal stress, depression, social support and hair cortisol levels (stress) will be measured. The results from this study will be integrated in an interdisciplinary analysis to examine factors influencing infant growth and inform global efforts in reducing child stunting. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (17915/RR/17513); National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR)-Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (CR/04/I/2021); Health Research Ethics Committee, University of Indonesia and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (KET-887/UN2.F1/ETIK/PPM.00.02/2019); and the Comité National d'Ethique pour la Recherche en Santé, Senegal (Protocole SEN19/78); the Royal Veterinary College (URN SR2020-0197) and the International Livestock Research Institute Institutional Research Ethics Committee (ILRI-IREC2020-33). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to policy-makers and participating communities

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of “Couroupita guianensis” on carbon tetra chloride - induced liver damage

To investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of methanol leaves extract of Couroupita guianensis against carbon tetrachloride+ Olive oil -induced hepatotoxicity in rats.The hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract of leaves of Couroupita guianensis was evaluated against carbon tetrachloride + Olive oil -induced hepatic damage in rats. In-vivo antioxidant activity of methanol extract of leaves of Couroupita guianensis was evaluated by various assays including lipid peroxidation, super oxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. The methanol extract of leaves of Couroupita guianensis at dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg were administered orally once daily for seven days. Serum enzymatic levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP), bilirubin and Lactate dehyrogenase were estimated along with estimation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver tissues. Further histopathological examination of the liver sections was carried out to support the induction of hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective efficacy.The substantially elevated serum enzymatic levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP total bilirubin and total protein were found to be restored towards normalization significantly by the methanol extract of leaves of Couroupita guianensis in a dose dependent manner with maximum hepatoprotection at 500mg/kg dose level. The extract showed potent activities on reduced glutathione, SOD, CAT, GRD, GPx and MDA levels. The histopathological observations supported the biochemical evidences of hepatoprotection.The results of the present study strongly reveal that methanol extract of leaves of Couroupita guianensis has hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities against carbon tetrachloride -induced hepatic damage in experimental animals