Phytochemical Investigation and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Syzygium jambos Fruit and Its Seed

Background: Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston is part of the Myrtaceae family. The fruit of this plant is commonly known as “Rose apple”, “Malabar plum” and “Golap-jam” in West Bengal (India). This fruit and its seed have been used in the traditional medicinal system for a long time. Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical screening of different solvent extracts, total phenolic & flavonoid content and 13 different methods of in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity, site-specific & non-site-specific hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical scavenging, PFRAP, FTC, total antioxidant capacity, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging, TBARS, FRAP & CUPRAC) of Syzygium jambos fruit and its seed. Results: The preliminary phytochemical screening has revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannin, saponin, and carbohydrates except for steroids and terpenoids. The total phenolic content & flavonoid content of Syzygium jambos fruit and its seed was found to be (S.jambos fruit -127.61 mg of GAE/100g, S.jambos seed - 217.34 mg of GAE/100g) & ( S.jambos fruit -8.64 mg of QE/100g, S.jambos seed- 15.97 mg of QE/100g) respectively. The fruit and its seed also showed significantly strong antioxidant activity in different in vitro methods. Conclusion: The Syzygium jambos fruit and its seed have an adequate quantity of phytochemicals that act as an antioxidant and scavenge free radicals efficiently. So, the fruit & its seed may be considered as effective in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-induced diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, arthritis, gout, neurodegenerative diseases, and respiratory tract infections.&nbsp

Molecular Epidemiology of HCV Infection among Multi-Transfused β-Thalassemia Patients in Eastern India: A Six-Year Observation

Background: HCV infection is very common in multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients who need regular blood transfusions. Aim: The study was conducted to determine the epidemiology of HCV in multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients in West Bengal, India. Methods: Over a span of six years, blood samples were collected from HCV sero-reactive β-thalassemia patients and processed for viral RNA isolation followed by nested RT-PCR for qualitative viremia detection. The HCV genotype was determined by amplifying the partial HCV core gene by nested RT-PCR followed by DNA sequencing and NCBI genotyping tools. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies were performed with MEGA-X and BEAST software, respectively. Results: Out of 917 multi-transfused HCV sero-reactive β-thalassemia patients, 598 (65.21%) were HCV RNA positive while 250 (41.80%) had spontaneously cleared the virus. A significant percentage of male patients from rural areas (p = 0.042) and economically backward class (p = 0.002) were at higher risk of HCV infection. Female thalassemia patients and individuals belonging to ages 11–15 years had higher chances of spontaneous clearance. The most prevalent circulatory HCV genotype was 3a (78.26%) followed by 1b (12.04%). Phylogeographic analyses revealed that the 3a strains share genomic similarities with strains from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, whereas the 1b strains share similarities with strains from Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and China. Uncommon HCV subtypes 3g and 3i were also detected. Conclusion: The high prevalence of HCV infection among β-thalassemia patients of West Bengal, India indicates NAT-based assays should be implemented for HCV screening in donor blood to eliminate HCV by 2030

The plant alkaloid chelerythrine binds to chromatin, alters H3K9Ac and modulates global gene expression

<p>Chelerythrine (CHL), a plant alkaloid, possesses antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. Although CHL influences several key signal transduction pathways, its ability to interact directly with nucleoprotein complex chromatin, in eukaryotic cells has so far not been looked into. Here we have demonstrated its association with hierarchically assembled chromatin components, viz. long chromatin, chromatosome, nucleosome, chromosomal DNA, and histone H3 and the consequent effect on chromatin structure. CHL was found to repress acetylation at H3K9. It is more target-specific in terms of gene expression alteration and less cytotoxic compared to its structural analog sanguinarine.</p