Docosahexaenoic Acid Increases the Potency of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitor in Alleviating Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and it is associated with significant memory loss. In the present study, we hypothesized that the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor N-[1-(1-oxopropyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N’-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-urea (also known as TPPU) could alleviate diabetes-aggravated Alzheimer’s disease-like symptoms by improving memory and cognition, and reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with this condition. Also, we evaluated the effect of edaravone, an antioxidant on diabetes-induced Alzheimer’s-like complications and the additive effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the efficacy of TPPU. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneally administering streptozotocin (STZ). Six weeks after induction of diabetes, animals were either treated with vehicle, edaravone (3 or 10 mg/kg), TPPU (1 mg/kg) or TPPU (1 mg/kg) + DHA (100 mg/kg) for 2 weeks. The results demonstrate that the treatments increased the memory response of diabetic rats, in comparison to untreated diabetic rats. Indeed, DHA + TPPU were more effective than TPPU alone in reducing the symptoms monitored. All drug treatments reduced oxidative stress and minimized inflammation in the brain of diabetic rats. Expression of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) was increased in the brain of diabetic rats. Treatment with edaravone (10 mg/kg), TPPU or TPPU + DHA minimized the level of APP. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which metabolizes acetylcholine was increased in the brain of diabetic rats. All the treatments except edaravone (3 mg/kg) were effective in decreasing the activity of AChE and TPPU + DHA was more efficacious than TPPU alone. Intriguingly, the histological changes in hippocampus after treatment with TPPU + DHA showed significant protection of neurons against STZ-induced neuronal damage. Overall, we found that DHA improved the efficacy of TPPU in increasing neuronal survival and memory, decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation possibly by stabilizing anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective epoxides of DHA. In the future, further evaluating the detailed mechanisms of action of sEH inhibitor and DHA could help to develop a strategy for the management of Alzheimer’s-like complications in diabetes

Determination of geographical origin of Mustard oil based on multi-elemental fingerprinting using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and chemometric analysis

In the present study samples of mustard were collected from 10 different provinces of India. The method is developed by using 20 different elements (Na, Mg, Al, P, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ar, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cs, and Pb) using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental data obtained from the ICP-MS were subjected to chemometric analysis for the classification of each sample. In this study, we have used Principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), in order to group the samples according to their elemental composition. HCA showed five clusters corresponding to the geographical origin of the mustard. Finally from Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models were developed which provided 100% accuracy. The elements Mg, P, Ca, Fe, Cr, Cu & Se were found be useful and were the most discriminating elements. Hence, this study provides potential elemental marker for identification of the geographical origin of the mustard in various geographical regions

Survey of avifauna of the Gharana wetland reserve: implications for conservation in a semi-arid agricultural setting on the Indo-Pakistan border

Abstract Background The Gharana wetland conservation reserve (GWCR) is a semi-arid wetland adjacent to agricultural areas on the Indo-Pakistani border. Despite being declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International, the occurrence and distribution of birds has not been well-documented in this area. Our aims were to systematically document the composition, relative abundance and feeding guilds of all avian fauna in order to form a baseline to monitor changes from—and to underwrite—future conservation actions. Results From 24 surveys over 1 year, we recorded 151 species from 45 families and 15 orders. 41% of species were listed as ‘rare’ and only 22% were ‘very common’. The largest number of families belonged to the order Passeriformes (40%), followed by Charadriiformes (14%) and Coraciiformes (11%). The most species (12%), were found in the family Anatidae (Anseriformes—widely recognized as bio-indicators), followed by Accipitridae (Falconiformes;12%) and Muscicapidae (Passeriformes; 6%). Carnivores and insectivores were the feeding guilds most frequently observed. Indeed, more than 50% of all species fed on the abundant fish, mollusks and insects and larvae. Bark-feeders and nectarivores were the least common. Conclusions Winter visitors were frequently found, while summer visitors were rare, reinforcing the importance of GWCR as a wintering site for high-altitude species. The conservation of this wetland is especially crucial for nine globally-threatened species. We have provided baseline documentation to help future monitoring efforts for this region, and a template to initiate the implementation of conservation plans for other remote IBAs

Survey of Avifauna of the Gharana Wetland Reserve

The Gharana wetland conservation reserve (GWCR) is a semi-arid wetland adjacent to agricultural areas on the Indo-Pakistani border. Despite being declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International, the occurrence and distribution of birds has not been well-documented in this area. Our aims were to systematically document the composition, relative abundance and feeding guilds of all avian fauna in order to form a baseline to monitor changes from-and to underwrite-future conservation actions

Docosahexaenoic Acid Increases the Potency of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitor in Alleviating Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and it is associated with significant memory loss. In the present study, we hypothesized that the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor N-[1-(1-oxopropyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N'-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-urea (also known as TPPU) could alleviate diabetes-aggravated Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms by improving memory and cognition, and reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with this condition. Also, we evaluated the effect of edaravone, an antioxidant on diabetes-induced Alzheimer's-like complications and the additive effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the efficacy of TPPU. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneally administering streptozotocin (STZ). Six weeks after induction of diabetes, animals were either treated with vehicle, edaravone (3 or 10 mg/kg), TPPU (1 mg/kg) or TPPU (1 mg/kg) + DHA (100 mg/kg) for 2 weeks. The results demonstrate that the treatments increased the memory response of diabetic rats, in comparison to untreated diabetic rats. Indeed, DHA + TPPU were more effective than TPPU alone in reducing the symptoms monitored. All drug treatments reduced oxidative stress and minimized inflammation in the brain of diabetic rats. Expression of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) was increased in the brain of diabetic rats. Treatment with edaravone (10 mg/kg), TPPU or TPPU + DHA minimized the level of APP. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which metabolizes acetylcholine was increased in the brain of diabetic rats. All the treatments except edaravone (3 mg/kg) were effective in decreasing the activity of AChE and TPPU + DHA was more efficacious than TPPU alone. Intriguingly, the histological changes in hippocampus after treatment with TPPU + DHA showed significant protection of neurons against STZ-induced neuronal damage. Overall, we found that DHA improved the efficacy of TPPU in increasing neuronal survival and memory, decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation possibly by stabilizing anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective epoxides of DHA. In the future, further evaluating the detailed mechanisms of action of sEH inhibitor and DHA could help to develop a strategy for the management of Alzheimer's-like complications in diabetes

Abstracts of AICTE Sponsored International Conference on Post-COVID Symptoms and Complications in Health

This book presents the selected abstracts of the International Conference on Post-COVID Symptoms and Complications in Health, hosted from the 28th to 29th of April 2022 in virtual mode by the LR Institute of Pharmacy, Solan (H.P.)-173223 in Collaboration with AICTE, New Delhi. This conference focuses on the implications of long-term symptoms on public health, ways to mitigate these complications, improve understanding of the disease process in COVID-19 patients, use of computational methods and artificial intelligence in predicting complications, and the role of various drug delivery systems in combating the complications. Conference Title:  International Conference on Post-COVID Symptoms and Complications in HealthConference Sponsor: AICTE, New Delhi.Conference Date: 28-29 April 2022Conference Location: OnlineConference Organizer: LR Institute of Pharmacy, Solan (H.P.)-173223