STUDIES ON ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF SIX CULTIVARS OF PIPER BETLE LINN

Objective: To study the existence of difference or similarity on total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant properties among different cultivars of Piper betle L. Methods: The methanolic extracts of six different cultivars, i. e. Banarasi, Bangla, Calcutta, Kammar, Kumbakonam and Vellai were evaluated for total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid content (Aluminium chloride method), total antioxidants (Phospho-molybdenum method) and other antioxidant properties (TBA assay, Ferric thiocyanate assay, FRAP assay and ABTS assay). Results: Total phenolic content of the cultivars ranges from 12.5 to 13.9 mg TAE/g DW. Higher flavonoid content was observed in Kumbakonam (24.14 µg QE/g DW) while Bangla possessed the lowest (8.25 µg QE/g DW). The total antioxidants of Vellai accounted to 58.82 mg TAE/g DW while the lowest was recorded in Kumbakonam (39.34 mg TAE/g DW). Maximum % inhibition was observed in the cultivar Vellai for Ferric thiocyanate (FTC), Kumbakonam for Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and Banarasi for Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP). However, no significant difference was exhibited among the cultivars for ABTS assay. Conclusion: The study amply demonstrates the existence of difference in total phenolic content, total flavonoids and antioxidant property. Thus, proper selection of cultivar of Piper betle for specific use in the pharmaceutical industry is recommended

QUALITY ASSESSMENT FOR THE PRESENCE OF HEAVY METALS IN HERBAL MATERIALS FROM THE MARKETS OF CHENNAI, INDIA

Objective: To assess the quality of herbal materials for the presence of heavy metals. Methods: Herbal materials of around 49 samples from Chennai markets were procured and analysed for the presence of metals like Copper (Cu), Calcium (Ca), Cobalt (Co), Sodium (Na), Nickel (Ni), Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr) and Lead (Pb) using AAS, Shimadzu, AA 7000, Japan. Results: The raw materials of the commercial herbal products were found to contain Manganese, Calcium and Magnesium at greater concentrations, when compared with the other elements analyzed. Conclusion: The presence of the metals analyzed were found to be within permissible limits in accordance to the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and WHO standards. Although the study implies consumption of herbal materials are safe, periodical monitoring of the quality of the herbal materials is recommended

March Towards Green Steel Production-Efforts at Tata Steel

The paper discusses the various initiatives taken by Tata Steel in the utilisation of waste materials generated in the blast furnaces, LD plants and rolling mills. In its drive towards total utilisation of wastes, the company is likely to become the first integrated green steel industry in our country

ANTIOXIDANT, FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY AND GC-MS STUDIES ON PEDILANTHUS TITHYMALOIDES (L.) POIT

Objective: To evaluate the methanolic extract of the leaves of Pedilanthus tithymaloides for total phenol, total flavonoid, total antioxidant and free radical scavenging ability and detect the phytoconstituents using GC-MS. Methods: The total phenols were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu method. Aluminium chloride method and Phosphomolybdenum method were used to quantify total flavonoid and total antioxidant contentrespectively. In addition to the above, Ferric thiocyanate assay, the thiobarbituric acid assay,Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay and ABTS assay were performed to know the antioxidant potency of the methanolic extract of leaves of Pedilanthus tithymaloides. The phytoconstituents was detected using GC-MS. Results: The leaves of Pedilanthus tithymaloides recorded a phenolic content of 10.98±0.08 mg TAE/g DW, flavonoid content of 11.49±0.15 µg QE/g DW and total antioxidant content of 6.64±0.05 mg TAE/g DW. The study also revealed significant free radical scavenging ability of the plant leaves as assessed by FTC, TBA, FRAP and ABTS assays. The structural elucidation by GC-MS analysis revealed five different compounds, includingthree esters, an amine and an alkaloid. Conclusion: The study proves the anticipative potential ability of Pedilanthus tithymaloides, suggesting its exploitation in pharmaceutical applications

A Study of the Electrocardiographic Changes in Normal Pregnant Women

ABSTRACT There are significant cardio respiratory changes in pregnancy and labour. ECG examination is not a routine during antenatal period. In this background, we tried to find out the incidence of any abnormal ECG findings during pregnancy. Two hundred pregnant women, aged 18 to 38, across all stages of gestation from 20 to 34 weeks from a single hospital were recruited for this study. Singleton pregnancies without any previous cardiac illness, hypertension or a metabolic illness possibly affecting ECG were taken for the study. The ECG was reported both by software and a physician well versed in reading ECGs. In case of any doubt, a second physician opinion was sought. Any abnormality was recorded. Parturients with doubtful ischemic change were subjected to Echo evaluation. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the patient is 24.19 ± 4.0 years with an average gestational age of 29.11 weeks. The incidence of abnormal ECG was 27%, the commonest change was short PR interval (13.5%) which can be taken as benign. The respective incidence of sinus tachycardia and WPW syndrome were 5 and 4.5%. Dextrocardia was observed in one patient and nonspecific ST-T changes were observed in three patients who were subjected to echocardiogram which established the diagnosis of dextrocardia and found normal in the other three patients. As the incidence of ECG changes are high (27%) with some specific changes prone for tachyarrhythmias, we conclude that ECG examination may be part of the investigation armentarium of parturients

Genetically Encoded Spy Peptide Fusion System to Detect Plasma Membrane-Localized Proteins In Vivo

Membrane proteins are the main gatekeepers of cellular state, especially in neurons, serving either to maintain homeostasis or instruct response to synaptic input or other external signals. Visualization of membrane protein localization and trafficking in live cells facilitates understanding the molecular basis of cellular dynamics. We describe here a method for specifically labeling the plasma membrane-localized fraction of heterologous membrane protein expression using channelrhodopsins as a case study. We show that the genetically encoded, covalent binding SpyTag and SpyCatcher pair from the Streptococcus pyogenes fibronectin-binding protein FbaB can selectively label membrane-localized proteins in living cells in culture and in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans. The SpyTag/SpyCatcher covalent labeling method is highly specific, modular, and stable in living cells. We have used the binding pair to develop a channelrhodopsin membrane localization assay that is amenable to high-throughput screening for opsin discovery and engineering

Family-based Genome-wide Association Study of South Indian Pedigrees Supports WNT7B as a Central Corneal Thickness Locus

Purpose To identify genetic risk factors contributing to central corneal thickness (CCT) in individuals from South India, a population with a high prevalence of ocular disorders. Methods: One hundred ninety-five individuals from 15 large South Indian pedigrees were genotyped using the Omni2.5 bead array. Family-based association for CCT was conducted using the score test in MERLIN. Results: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified strongest association for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the first intron of WNT7B and CCT (top SNP rs9330813; β = −0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.78 to −0.36; P = 1.7 × 10−7). We further investigated rs9330813 in a Latino cohort and four independent European cohorts. A meta-analysis of these data sets demonstrated statistically significant association between rs9330813 and CCT (β = −3.94, 95% CI: −5.23 to −2.66; P = 1.7 × 10−9). WNT7B SNPs located in the same genomic region that includes rs9330813 have previously been associated with CCT in Latinos but with other ocular quantitative traits related to myopia (corneal curvature and axial length) in a Japanese population (rs10453441 and rs200329677). To evaluate the specificity of the observed WNT7B association with CCT in the South Indian families, we completed an ocular phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) for the top WNT7B SNPs using 45 ocular traits measured in these same families including corneal curvature and axial length. The ocular PheWAS results indicate that in the South Indian families WNT7B SNPs are primarily associated with CCT. Conclusions: The results indicate robust evidence for association between WNT7B SNPs and CCT in South Indian pedigrees, and suggest that WNT7B SNPs can have population-specific effects on ocular quantitative traits

Influence of temperature and applied potential on the permeability of polyphenol films prepared on vitreous carbon in acid and alkaline media

The electrochemical polymerization of phenol is known to rapidly produce a thin insulating film at the anode surface. This film generally blocks further polymerization. The objective of this study is to show that, depending on the operating conditions, polymeric films resulting from phenol oxidation present different properties and that certain films can be so porous that they allow the oxidation of phenol to continue. The deposition of polyphenol films with improved permeability could be attractive in the removal of phenol from polluted solutions. Polyphenol films were prepared in aqueous solution on a vitreous carbon anode either by cyclic voltammetry or by electro-oxidation at constant potential. The apparent permeability P (%) of the films prepared by these techniques was evaluated by monitoring changes in the electrode response towards phenol and potassium ferricyanide at 25 and 85°C and as a function of the potential applied during electropolymerization performed either in acidic (1 mol L-¹H₂SO₄) or in alkaline (1 mol L-¹ NaOH) aqueous solution. It was shown that: (1) the polyphenol film electrosynthesized in alkaline medium was more permeable than that prepared in acidic medium, (2) the apparent permeability was higher when the polyphenol film was electrosynthesized with simultaneous oxygen evolution and (3) the use of a high temperature in the polyphenol film preparation, especially in the presence of a concomitant oxygen evolution, significantly enhanced its apparent permeability (P ≥ 100 %). These results are interpreted in terms of a mixed-transport mechanism involving both pore and membrane diffusion. The effect of the permeability of the polymeric film on the removal of phenol from aqueous solution by electropolymerization is discussed

Influence of temperature and applied potential on the permeability of polyphenol films prepared on vitreous carbon in acid and alkaline media

The electrochemical polymerization of phenol is known to rapidly produce a thin insulating film at the anode surface. This film generally blocks further polymerization. The objective of this study is to show that, depending on the operating conditions, polymeric films resulting from phenol oxidation present different properties and that certain films can be so porous that they allow the oxidation of phenol to continue. The deposition of polyphenol films with improved permeability could be attractive in the removal of phenol from polluted solutions. Polyphenol films were prepared in aqueous solution on a vitreous carbon anode either by cyclic voltammetry or by electro-oxidation at constant potential. The apparent permeability P (%) of the films prepared by these techniques was evaluated by monitoring changes in the electrode response towards phenol and potassium ferricyanide at 25 and 85°C and as a function of the potential applied during electropolymerization performed either in acidic (1 mol L-¹H₂SO₄) or in alkaline (1 mol L-¹ NaOH) aqueous solution. It was shown that: (1) the polyphenol film electrosynthesized in alkaline medium was more permeable than that prepared in acidic medium, (2) the apparent permeability was higher when the polyphenol film was electrosynthesized with simultaneous oxygen evolution and (3) the use of a high temperature in the polyphenol film preparation, especially in the presence of a concomitant oxygen evolution, significantly enhanced its apparent permeability (P ≥ 100 %). These results are interpreted in terms of a mixed-transport mechanism involving both pore and membrane diffusion. The effect of the permeability of the polymeric film on the removal of phenol from aqueous solution by electropolymerization is discussed

A distributed cancer care model with a technology-driven hub-and-spoke and further spoke hierarchy : findings from a pilot implementation programme in Kerala, India

Background: The technology enabled distributed model in Kerala is based on an innovative partnership model between Karkinos Healthcare and private health centers. The model is designed to address the barriers to cancer screening by generating demand and by bringing together the private health centers and service providers at various levels to create a network for continued care. This paper describes the implementation process and presents some preliminary findings. Methods: The model follows the hub-and-spoke and further spoke framework. In the pilot phases, from July 2021 to December 2021, five private health centers (partners) collaborated with Karkinos Healthcare across two districts in Kerala. Screening camps were organized across the districts at the community level where the target groups were administered a risk assessment questionnaire followed by screening tests at the spoke hospitals based on a defined clinical protocol. The screened positive patients were examined further for confirmatory diagnosis at the spoke centers. Patients requiring chemotherapy or minor surgeries were treated at the spokes. For radiation therapy and complex surgeries the patients were referred to the hubs. Results: A total of 2,459 individuals were screened for cancer at the spokes and 299 were screened positive. Capacity was built at the spokes for cancer surgery and chemotherapy. A total of 189 chemotherapy sessions and 17 surgeries were performed at the spokes for cancer patients. 70 patients were referred to the hub. Conclusion: Initial results demonstrate the ability of the technology Distributed Cancer Care Network (DCCN) system to successfully screen and detect cancer and to converge the actions of various private health facilities towards providing a continuum of cancer care. The lessons learnt from this study will be useful for replicating the process in other States