Anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-breast cancer properties unraveled in yeast carotenoids produced via cost-effective fermentation technique utilizing waste hydrolysate

IntroductionNatural carotenoids are well known for their anti-oxidant property and also shown to have antimicrobial and anticancer efficacy. Production of carotenoids from microbial resources mainly from yeast has attracted commercial interest. Breast cancer has the highest incidence among women, and therapy resistance and lack of effective therapeutic strategies are major treatment bottlenecks, particularly for triple-negative subtypes. Yeast carotenoids are recently being evaluated for affordable, non-toxic, natural product-based therapies. In the present study, we have shown an environment-friendly and inexpensive method for carotenoid production from yeasts, utilizing “mandi” wastes, and investigated the biomedical properties of carotenoids, particularly antineoplastic properties.MethodsVegetable “mandi” waste was used to prepare waste hydrolysate, a culture medium, in which oleaginous red yeast Rhodosporidium sp. was grown. Carotenoid pigments were extracted using the solvent extraction method and analyzed by UV spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the extract were evaluated, followed by in silico docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity (ADME/T) studies.ResultsCarotenoid extract was found to be composed of three main pigments-β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin. Extract exhibited significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-breast cancer activities in vitro while being biocompatible. Interestingly, carotenoids have shown better efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells than ER+PR+ cells. In silico evaluation predicted binding with breast cancer-specific molecular targets, specifically the three components showed good binding energy toward VEGF receptors and good drug likeliness properties, as well as less toxicity.DiscussionThis is the first report on anti-breast cancer activities, particularly targeting TNBC cells by red yeast carotenoids (β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin) produced via a sustainable environment-friendly bioprocess utilizing waste hydrolysate

Transverse Electronic Transport through DNA Nucleotides with Functionalized Graphene Electrodes

Graphene nanogaps and nanopores show potential for the purpose of electrical DNA sequencing, in particular because single-base resolution appears to be readily achievable. Here, we evaluated from first principles the advantages of a nanogap setup with functionalized graphene edges. To this end, we employed density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function method to investigate the transverse conductance properties of the four nucleotides occurring in DNA when located between the opposing functionalized graphene electrodes. In particular, we determined the electrical tunneling current variation as a function of the applied bias and the associated differential conductance at a voltage which appears suitable to distinguish between the four nucleotides. Intriguingly, we observe for one of the nucleotides a negative differential resistance effect.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

In Vitro Structural and Functional Evaluation of Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated Antibiotics

Bactericidal efficacy of gold nanoparticles conjugated with ampicillin, streptomycin and kanamycin were evaluated. Gold nanoparticles (Gnps) were conjugated with the antibiotics during the synthesis of nanoparticles utilizing the combined reducing property of antibiotics and sodium borohydride. The conjugation of nanoparticles was confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopic (EM) studies. Such Gnps conjugated antibiotics showed greater bactericidal activity in standard agar well diffusion assay. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of all the three antibiotics along with their Gnps conjugated forms were determined in three bacterial strains,Escherichia coli DH5α,Micrococcus luteusandStaphylococcus aureus. Among them, streptomycin and kanamycin showed significant reduction in MIC values in their Gnps conjugated form whereas; Gnps conjugated ampicillin showed slight decrement in the MIC value compared to its free form. On the other hand, all of them showed more heat stability in their Gnps conjugated forms. Thus, our findings indicated that Gnps conjugated antibiotics are more efficient and might have significant therapeutic implications

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Vulnerability Profile of Different Livelihood Groups in West Bengal

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Not AvailablePenaeus vannamei farming is playing a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of India. India stands as the fifth-highest producer of shrimps. The state of West Bengal is the second largest shrimp producer amongst the shrimp farming states of India and contributed 1.23 lakh tonnes produce in 2017-2018. A study was undertaken during 2019 in Contai-I, Deshopran, Contai-III, Chandipur block of Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal to analyze the constraints that prevailed in the P. vannamei culture. The study area was selected purposively and the 200 Penaeus vannamei farmers were selected using a simple random sampling method. Ex-post study was conducted with the help of a personal interview schedule aided with well structured and a pre-tested questionnaire consisting of 10 major domains of constraints. Garrett’s ranking technique was employed for allotment of ranking to various constraints. The results revealed constraints related to disease (rank 1) was opted as the major constraint, followed by other constraints related to marketing (rank 2), seed (rank 3), finance (rank 4), management practices (rank 5), natural hazards (rank 6), extension services (rank 7), labour availability (rank 8), input use (rank 9), and feed (rank 10). The results reflected the existing scenario of P. vannamei culture in the study area. Irrespective of the ranking of the various constraints, the majority of the constraints contributed to a setback of P. vannamei crop. The study suggested that the regulating agencies such as MPEDA and West Bengal Government may take appropriate remedial measures to combat the identified constraints for successful shrimp culture in the area.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableA total of 23 traditional practices (indigenous technical knowledge, ITK) on fish production practices in Nagaon district of Central Assam were documented. Aspects such as Pond preparation & renovation (22.22%), water quality management of the fish pond (27.78%), stocking managment (16.67%), fish feeding management (33.33%) and disease and pest control constituted the dominant categories of indigenous technical knowledge. Scientific rationality, awareness and adoption among farmers regarding these ITKs were analysed and 17 rationale practices as perceived by the experts studied further to examine their perceived effectiveness. The scientific rationale/operational principles behind 17 rational ITK were also elucidated in this study. Farmers’ knowledge on a majority of selected ITK was good with more than 50% of the sampled farmers (51.25 to 84.50% per practice) were having awareness on 12 practices. Four practices were adopted by more than 50 % of the farmers. Of the 17 ITK studied for effectiveness, 7 were perceived as highly effective by the practicing farmers as well as experts from the particular location, implying that many indigenous practices were both rational as well as effective. This calls for more scientific intervention to validate the indigenous knowledge, which in turn would enrich our fisheries technology.Not Availabl

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Perceived effectiveness of indigenous traditional fishing methods including gears and traps in Nagaon district of Assam

103-111A total of 26 traditional fishing practices in Nagaon district of Central Assam were selected. Scientific rationality and adoption among fishers regarding these ITKs were analysed and five ITKs were identified as not rationale or unsustainable practices which should not be promoted. Then, the perceived effectiveness of the remaining 21 selected ITK was analysed. Of the 21 ITKs studied for effectiveness, 12 practices (46.15%) were rational and effective. Of these, high mean PEI values were obtained by ITK 6, 12, 17 and 18 (MPEI score is 2.87, 2.68, 2.75 and 2.54, respectively) and stood as highly effective (15.38 %). Five practices were adopted by more than 50% of the farmers and except ITK-6 all these ITKs were perceived as highly effective, implying that many indigenous practices were both rational as well as effective. This calls for more scientific intervention to validate the indigenous knowledge, which in turn would enrich our fisheries technology. Objective of the study is to explore the logics of prevalent traditional fishing practices among fishers of Nagaon district, central Assam

Dark matter, neutrino masses, and high scale validity of an inert Higgs doublet model

We consider a two-Higgs doublet scenario containing three SU(2)<SUB>L</SUB> singlet heavy neutrinos with Majorana masses. The second scalar doublet as well as the neutrinos are odd under a Z<SUB>2</SUB> symmetry. This scenario not only generates Majorana masses for the light neutrinos radiatively but also makes the lighter of the neutral Z<SUB>2</SUB>-odd scalars an eligible dark matter candidate, in addition to triggering leptogenesis at the scale of the heavy neutrino masses. Taking two representative values of this mass scale, we identify the allowed regions of the parameter space of the model, which are consistent with all dark matter constraints. At the same time, the running of quartic couplings in the scalar potential to high scales is studied, thus subjecting the regions consistent with dark matter constraints to further requirements of vacuum stability, perturbativity and unitarity. It is found that part of the parameter space is consistent with all of these requirements all the way up to the Planck scale, and also yields the correct signal strength in the diphoton channel for the scalar observed at the Large Hadron Collider