Binary immobilization: a newer approach for immobilizing lipase from a thermophilic sp. of Thermomyces lanuginosus

358-362We report binary immobilization of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase enzyme using chitosan as the support. This method of enzyme immobilization is better than cross-linked enzyme aggregate (CLEA) in terms of better enzyme recovery and separation. This method of immobilization resulted in an increase in the thermostability of the binary immobilized lipase as against the crude free enzyme. This preparation could be used for nearly 15 consecutive cycles with 80-100% efficiency. Reusability of the immobilized enzyme makes it an economical alternative to the traditional way. Immobilized lipases in particular are a modern catalytic tool for various industrially significant reactions and applications

Relationship of salivary CD14 concentration with dental caries in young children

Dental caries is a chronic disease among children and there is need for studies assessing the caries risk factors using saliva. This study aimed to evaluate the association of salivary soluble CD14 and dental caries in young children. A cross-sectional study was done among 300, 3-6 year old school children of Udupi district. A total of 40 children who were caries free, with no past systemic illness or craniofacial anomalies and 40 children with dental caries with no history of dental treatment for caries, with no past systemic illness or craniofacial anomalies were included in control and test groups respectively. Salivary CD14 was evaluated using ELISA test. The mean salivary soluble CD14 concentration was significantly higher in caries free (1.34±0.35 µg/ml) children than caries experienced (0.54±0.36 µg/ml) (p<0.001). There was significant strong negative correlation between number of decayed teeth and soluble salivary CD14 (r = -0.868, P< 0.001) among all the children. Similarly, sub-group analysis of caries experienced children also showed significant strong negative correlation between number of decayed teeth and soluble salivary CD14 (r = -0.774, P<0.001). Results obtained in our study suggested that salivary CD14 can be a indicator of dental caries in young children

Biotransformation of Chrysin to Baicalein: Selective C6-Hydroxylation of 5,7-Dihydroxyflavone Using Whole Yeast Cells Stably Expressing Human CYP1A1 Enzyme

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds are of medicinal importance because of their unique antioxidant, anticancer, and chemopreventive properties. Baicalein, a naturally occurring polyhydroxy flavonoid possessing a diverse range of pharmacological activities, has been used in traditional medicines for treatment of various ailments. Apart from its isolation from natural sources, its synthesis has been reported via multistep chemical approaches. Here, we report a preparative-scale biotransformation, using whole yeast cells stably expressing human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) enzyme that allows regioselective C6-hydroxylation of 5,7-dihydroxyflavone (chrysin) to form 5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone (baicalein). Molecular modeling reveals why chrysin undergoes such specific hydroxylation mediated by CYP1A1. More than 92% reaction completion was obtained using a shake-flask based process that mimics fed-batch fermentation. Such highly efficient selective hydroxylation, using recombinant yeast cells, has not been reported earlier. Similar CYP-expressing yeast cell based systems are likely to have wider applications in the syntheses of medicinally important polyphenolic compounds

A Modified, Efficient and Sensitive pH Indicator Dye Method for the Screening of Acid-Producing Acetobacter Strains Having Potential Application in Bio-Cellulose Production

It is imperative that promising bacterial cellulose-producing bacteria mainly belongs to genera Acetobacter (acid-producing bacteria). In order to screen cellulose-producing Acetobacter, the isolated cultures from vinegar/rotten fruits were inoculated in Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium containing ethanol and CaCO . After the desired incubation, the positive cultures form a zone, which is observed around the bacterial growth, resulted from the solubilization of CaCO by acetic acid produced from the oxidation of ethanol during fermentation. However, in this method, the clarity of the solubilized zone is not very sharp and distinct. In the present, investigation, an improved method for screening, of the microorganisms producing acetic acid has been developed. In this method, methyl red (MR) is incorporated as a pH indicator in HS medium containing ethanol and CaCO . Plates containing MR at alkaline pH are yellow and turn dark red at acidic pH. Thus, a distinctive, clear zone is formed around bacterial colonies producing acetic acid and is easy to differentiate between acid producers and non-producers. The present method is more rapid, accurate, and sensitive and can be successfully be used for the detection of acetic acid-producing bacteria particularly for the screening of potent cellulose producer Acetobacter sp

Oral Health Characteristics and Dental Rehabilitation of Children with Global Developmental Delay

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a chronic neurological disturbance which includes defects in one or more developmental domains. The developmental domain can be motor, cognitive, daily activities, speech or language, and social or personal development. The etiology for GDD can be prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal. It can be diagnosed early in childhood as the delay or absence of one or more developmental milestones. Hence the role of pedodontist and pediatricians becomes more crucial in identifying this condition. The diagnosis of GDD requires a detailed history including family history and environmental risk factors followed by physical and neurological examinations. Investigations for GDD include diagnostic laboratory tests, brain imaging, and other evidence-based evaluations. GDD affects multiple developmental domains that not only have direct bearing on maintenance of oral health, but also require additional behavior management techniques to deliver optimal dental care. This paper describes two different spectra of children with GDD. Since the severity of GDD can vary, this paper also discusses the different behavior management techniques that were applied to provide dental treatment in such children

Assessment of learning preferences among dental students using Visual, Aural, Read-Write, Kinesthetic questionnaire: An institutional experience

Background and Objectives: Every individual has different learning style. As dental educators, it is necessary to recognize the fact that each dental student may have a preference of acquiring information and skill in one style over another. The objective of this study was to determine the learning style preferences of dental students using the Visual, Aural, Read-Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire. Materials and Methods: The VARK questionnaire was administered to 20 1 st year and 40 2 nd year dental students of Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal University to determine their preferred mode of learning. Completed questionnaires were scored and tabulated to determine the distribution of VARK preferences. Results: Nearly 50% of 1 st year students were quadmodal whereas 55% of 2 nd year students were unimodal in which kinesthetic preference was dominant. Mean V and A scores were significantly higher for 1 st year than 2 nd year students. No significant gender difference was seen. Conclusion: The dental students in this study had varied learning preferences. As dental educators, we need to adopt different methods of teaching in order to reach most of the students and make the educational experience more productive

Binary immobilization: a newer approach for immobilizing lipase from a thermophilic sp. of Thermomyces lanuginosus

We report binary immobilization of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase enzyme using chitosan as the support. This method of enzyme immobilization is better than cross-linked enzyme aggregate (CLEA) in terms of better enzyme recovery and separation. This method of immobilization resulted in an increase in the thermostability of the binary immobilized lipase as against the crude free enzyme. This preparation could be used for nearly 15 consecutive cycles with 80-100% efficiency. Reusability of the immobilized enzyme makes it an economical alternative to the traditional way. Immobilized lipases in particular are a modern catalytic tool for various industrially significant reactions and applications

Statistical optimization of medium components and growth conditions by response surface methodology to enhance lipase production by Aspergillus carneus

A response surface approach has been used to study the production of an extracellular lipase from Aspergillus carneus, which has the property of immense industrial importance. Interactions were studied for five different variables (sunflower oil, glucose, peptone, agitation rate and incubation period), which were found influential for lipase production by one-at a time method. We report a 1.8-fold increase in production, with the final yield of 12.7 IU/ml in comparison to 7.2 U/ml obtained by one-at-a-time method. Using the statistical approach (response surface methodology (RSM)) the optimum values of these most influential parameters were as follows: sunflower oil (1%), glucose (0.8%), peptone (0.8%), agitation rate (200 rpm) and incubation period (96 h) at 37°C. The subsequent verification experiment confirmed the validity of the model

Evaluation of the relationship of mandibular cortical index and panoramic mandibular index with bone mineral density using panoramic radiography in postmenopausal women: A short study

Introduction: The problems associated with age-related skeletal osteopenia have received attention since the human skeleton undergoes a continuous physiologic decrease in bone mass with advancing age. Bone status at various sites can be assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or quantitative computed tomography. It would be useful to answer whether radiographic changes in the mandible indicate skeletal osteopenia. Aims and Objectives: The aim and objective of the study was to examine the mandibular cortical index (MCI) and panoramic mandibular index (PMI) on panoramic radiograph and to establish a relationship between the two indices (MCI and PMI) with the bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 15 postmenopausal women within the age group of 45-75 years. BMD was performed by DXA and measured at the lumbar spine and femoral neck and values were recorded. Panoramic radiographs of the same women were obtained for measuring MCI and PMI. There were two groups taken as C1 and C2 for determination of MCI and PMI. Results: The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between age and T-score (r = −0.59, P < 0.05), i.e., as age increased the T-score decreased. Comparing the T-score of two MCI groups, t-test revealed MCI was 69.1% lower in C2 as compared to C1. The value of P < 0.001 and t-test revealed significantly different and lowered (32.4%) inferior cortex level in C2 as compared to C1 (t = 4.76, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Results suggest that in this study panoramic radiography could be a reliable tool in screening for BMD