OPTIMIZATION STUDY ON EXTRACTION & PURIFICATION OF PHYCOERYTHRIN FROM RED ALGAE KAPPAPHYCUS ALVAREZII

Objective: The current study focuses on R-Phycoerythrin pigment production from Seaweed using different chemical and physical conditions. Methods: In the present study Seaweed was collected from Rameshwaram and identified by CS-MCRI Institute, Mandapam. The collected seaweed was then washed using distilled water for further processing. Using a sterile knife the seaweed was cut into small pieces. The chopped seaweeds were then weighed and subjected to different optimization procedures for pigment production. These equally weighed seaweeds were treated with three varying Buffers at different pH, the buffer showing better O.D value was subjected to different Cell disruption techniques and finally freeze thawed at different temperature stress.Results: The seaweeds were subjected to different chemical and physical stress conditions for R-phycoerythrin production. On optimizing the different buffer solutions for pigment production Sodium phosphate buffer showed maximum O.D of 0.215 when compared to other buffers whereas on providing different pH conditions the O.D value obtained was high at pH 7.2. Different cell disruption techniques were followed for pigment production using the sodium phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 and freeze thaw method was found suitable for the highest pigment production with O.D value of 0.441. Hence after optimization of different extraction procedures, cell disruption followed by freeze & thaw method (−20°C and 25°C) showed maximum R-phycoerythrin content. Conclusion: From the findings, it was also observed that the primary metabolites produced by these organisms may serve as potential bioactive compounds of interest in the Food industries as natural colourant and in cosmetic industries.Keywords: Seaweeds, Extraction, Phycoerythrin, Optimization, Cell disruption, Sonication

A comparative assessment on Biochemical components of Camponotus compressus and Crematogaster biroi in Mukurthi National Park, Western Ghats, India

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Understanding Communication Signals during Mycobacterial Latency through Predicted Genome-Wide Protein Interactions and Boolean Modeling

About 90% of the people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis carry latent bacteria that are believed to get activated upon immune suppression. One of the fundamental challenges in the control of tuberculosis is therefore to understand molecular mechanisms involved in the onset of latency and/or reactivation. We have attempted to address this problem at the systems level by a combination of predicted functional protein∶protein interactions, integration of functional interactions with large scale gene expression studies, predicted transcription regulatory network and finally simulations with a Boolean model of the network. Initially a prediction for genome-wide protein functional linkages was obtained based on genome-context methods using a Support Vector Machine. This set of protein functional linkages along with gene expression data of the available models of latency was employed to identify proteins involved in mediating switch signals during dormancy. We show that genes that are up and down regulated during dormancy are not only coordinately regulated under dormancy-like conditions but also under a variety of other experimental conditions. Their synchronized regulation indicates that they form a tightly regulated gene cluster and might form a latency-regulon. Conservation of these genes across bacterial species suggests a unique evolutionary history that might be associated with M. tuberculosis dormancy. Finally, simulations with a Boolean model based on the regulatory network with logical relationships derived from gene expression data reveals a bistable switch suggesting alternating latent and actively growing states. Our analysis based on the interaction network therefore reveals a potential model of M. tuberculosis latency

Recent Advances and Perspectives of Nanotechnology in Anaerobic Digestion: A New Paradigm towards Sludge Biodegradability

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the strategy of producing environmentally sustainable bioenergy from waste-activated sludge (WAS), but its efficiency was hindered by low biodegradability. Hence, the usage of nanomaterials was found to be essential in enhancing the degradability of sludge due to its nanostructure with specific physiochemical properties. The application of nanomaterials in sludge digestion was thoroughly reviewed. This review focused on the impact of nanomaterials such as metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, and nanocomposite materials in AD enhancement, along with the pros and cons. Most of the studies detailed that the addition of an adequate dosage of nanomaterial has a good effect on microbial activity. The environmental and economic impact of the AD enhancement process is also detailed, but there are still many existing challenges when it comes to designing an efficient, cost-effective AD digester. Hence, proper investigation is highly necessary to assess the potency of utilizing the nanomaterials in enhancing AD under various conditions

Research and Reviews: Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies Hypoglycemic Effect of 6-Gingerol, an Active Principle of Ginger in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

ABSTRACT 6-gingerol is an aromatic polyphenol, active ingredients of ginger used for various pharmacological activities. The present study was investigated to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of 6-gingerol (25, 50mg/kg bw) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. The study was carried out by oral administration of 6-gingerol in a dose dependent manner (25, 50mg/kg bw) once a day for 42 days. Diabetes was induced in rats with STZ (60mg/kg bw/i.p). Albino rats (n=30) each weighing 160-180g were divided in to 5 groups in 6 animals each. Group A served as normal control, group B served as diabetic and was not given 6-gingerol. Group C and D rats were diabetic and oral administration of 6-gingerol (25, 50mg/kg bw). Group E rats were diabetic and given oral administration of glibenclamide (600µg/kg bw) as standard reference standard. Blood samples of each group were collected and analyzed blood glucose on 1st day (after making them diabetic), 21st and 42nd day. Blood glucose level remained unaltered in group A and B over time. However, group C, D and E given 6-gingerol (25, 50mg/kg bw) and glibenclamide (0.05mg/kg bw) showed significant (P<0.05) reduction in blood glucose level after day1, 21 and 42 post treatment. It may be concluded that 6-gingerol has hypoglycemic effect on diabetic rats

Antihepatotoxic effect of β-carotene on paracetamol induced hepatic damage in rats

351-355Enzyme levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) increased following paracetamol induction were significantly lowered due to pretreatment with the β-carotene (BC). This supplementation reversed the trend inducing a significant decrease in bilirubin and urea levels, Paracetamol administration significantly reduced hepatic glycogen, glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GSH-R), Pretreatment of rats with BC significantly increased the enzyme activities. The results suggest hepatoprotective activity of BC