SCREENING OF PHYTO-CHEMICALS, TLC PROFILING, TOTAL FLAVONOID AND PHENOLICS CONTENT, ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY AND ANTI-MICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FICUS BENGHALENSIS LINN AND FICUS RELIGIOSA LINN LATEX

Objective: Screening for the presence of phyto-chemicals present in the plant extracts by qualitative assay along with Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) investigation followed by determining the total flavonoids and phenolics content, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial effect.Methods: Qualitative phyto-chemical analysis of the active plant extracts, TLC profiling, evaluating the total flavonoids and phenolics content along with in-vitro antioxidant activities like free radical scavenging effect, reducing power and phospho-molybdenum assay by standard protocols and evaluation of anti-microbial effectiveness against five different bacteria and a fungi by agar-well diffusion method. The micro-broth dilution method was used to assess minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).Results: The solvent fractions of both the plants were examined for qualitative phytochemical analysis had shown the presence proteins, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, phenolics compounds, tannins, and terpenoids, confirmed by TLC profiling. The antioxidant activity was high in methanol extract (lower Inhibitory Concentration, IC50 values) of both plants which were in accordance with the total phenolics and total flavonoids content showing that they were responsible for antioxidant activity. Microbial strains used in the study were exposed to various concentrations of four solvent plant extracts. The largest zone of inhibition was obtained with ethanol extract against E. coli (19 mm) when compared with standard antibiotic streptomycin (10 µg/ml) for bacteria and nystatin (10 µg/ml) for fungi and Dimethyl Sulfoxide-DMSO (negative control). The MIC and MBC values done in triplicates were in accordance with antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial effect was in accordance with the presence of flavonoids which is responsible for inhibition of growth of pathogenic micro organisms.Conclusion: The results suggested that the extract can be used as an effective and safe antioxidant source, as ethno-medicine on the commercial basis of drug development for the well being of human kind.Â

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF IN-VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF DROSERA SPATULATA VAR BAKOENSIS- AN INDIGENOUS CARNIVOROUS PLANT AGAINST RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIOUS MICROBES.

Objective: In the present study, the phytochemical constituents of Drosera spatulata, have been evaluated and antimicrobial activity was screened against respiratory tract infectious microbes.Methods: The phytochemicals present in Drosera spatulata by qualitative phytochemical assays and the antimicrobial activity along with MIC, MBC and BIC were determined against S. aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and S.Pneumonia the causative organisms of pulmonary infections, mainly effects the nasal pharynx, trachea, and lungs as well as Aspergillus niger.Results: Aqueous, ethanol, methanol extracts of thick roots, open flower and hair of Drosera spatulata var bakoensis against this pathogenic bacteria and fungi showed high zone of inhibition which estimated by disc-diffusion method as well as minimum inhibition concentration manifestation by the broth microdilution assay followed MBC and BIC. The values of MIC, MBC and BIC obtained were between 0.3-0.9, 0.36-2.25, 0.12 - 0.37 mg/mL. The results revealed that the plant extracts of Drosera spatulata var bakoensis have high potential even at low concentrations values against bacteria and fungi cultures and this results validated by the presence of high amounts of alkaloids, quinones, anthraquinones, flavonoids in the plant extracts. Conclusion: In the present study, the results showed the presence of high amounts of alkaloids, flavonoids, quninoes, anthraquinones, terpinoids in Drasera spatulata plant.  In the antibacterial and antifungal activity, the ethanol and methanol extracts significantly showed the activity against the tested respiratory disease causing bacteria and antifungal properties with zone of inhibition showed more than aqueous extracts at very low concentration

Performance of broilers on sorghum-based diets

The effect of replacing maize with sorghum grain on the performance of broilers was studied. Grain from 4 improved Sorghum bicolor cultivars (CSH 16, CSV 15, PSV 16 and S 35) and one traditional yellow variety were used to replace maize (control diet) in the starter (1-4 weeks) and finisher rations (5-6 weeks) of broilers by 50, 75 and 100% levels. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric and were homogeneous for lysine, methionine and cystine levels. One-day-old 512 commercial Cobb female broilers were divided into 64 groups with 16 dietary treatments and 4 replicates per treatment, with 8 birds in each. In a second trial, sorghum replacement was conducted without homogenizing the diets for nitrogen and energy contents. The study lasted for 6 weeks. It was shown that the liveweight gain and feed intake of broilers was statistically similar in sorghum diets at all inclusion levels compared to the control diet. However, the feed conversion efficiency of broilers in the 100% sorghum diet was significantly higher compared to the maize diet (P=0.05). A better feed conversion efficiency was found with the CSV 15, CSH 16, PSV 16 and the local cultivars at 100% inclusion levels. However, the yellow pigmentation of the skin and carcass of the broilers was better in the maize diet compared to the sorghum diets. Cost varied among and within cultivars at different inclusion levels, and was lower in CSV 15, PSV 16, S 35 and local sorghum cultivar-based diets. Cost was also much lower in CSV 15, PSV 16 and local sorghum cultivars at 100% inclusion level compared to maize. Feed cost per kg liveweight gain was lower with CSV 15 (Rs 17.16) and PSV 16 cultivars (Rs 17.62) compared to maize (Rs 18.02). Although pelleting increased feed costs (by Rs 0.25/kg), it also improved broiler production efficiency compared to mash in sorghum diets. Inclusion of Stylosanthes sp. leaf meal at 3% in 100% sorghum-based diets favourably improved the shank and skin colour of the carcass. Carcass yield and abdominal fat of broilers fed sorghum, sorghum + Stylosanthes sp. and maize diets were similar. In conclusion, the inclusion/replacement of sorghum in maize-based diets and pelleting improves the feed conversion ratio and decreases the total feed costs in broiler production

Interplay of Turbulence and Proton-Microinstability Growth in Space Plasmas

Both kinetic instabilities and strong turbulence have potential to impact the behavior of space plasmas. To assess effects of these two processes we compare results from a 3 dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of collisionless plasma turbulence against observations by the MMS spacecraft in the terrestrial magnetosheath and by the Wind spacecraft in the solar wind. The simulation develops coherent structures and anisotropic ion velocity distributions that can drive micro-instabilities. Temperature-anisotropy driven instability growth rates are compared with inverse nonlinear turbulence time scales. Large growth rates occur near coherent structures; nevertheless linear growth rates are, on average, substantially less than the corresponding nonlinear rates. This result casts some doubt on the usual basis for employing linear instability theory, and raises questions as to why the linear theory appears to work in limiting plasma excursions in anisotropy and plasma beta.Comment: Under revie

Increasing Cardiomyocyte Atrogin-1 Reduces Aging-Associated Fibrosis and Regulates Remodeling in Vivo

The muscle-specific ubiquitin ligase atrogin-1 (MAFbx) has been identified as a critical regulator of pathologic and physiological cardiac hypertrophy; it regulates these processes by ubiquitinating transcription factors [nuclear factor of activated T-cells and forkhead box O (FoxO) 1/3]. However, the role of atrogin-1 in regulating transcription factors in aging has not previously been described. Atrogin-1 cardiomyocyte-specific transgenic (Tg+) adult mice (α-major histocompatibility complex promoter driven) have normal cardiac function and size. Herein, we demonstrate that 18-month-old atrogin-1 Tg+ hearts exhibit significantly increased anterior wall thickness without functional impairment versus wild-type mice. Histologic analysis at 18 months revealed atrogin-1 Tg+ mice had significantly less fibrosis and significantly greater nuclei and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional analysis. Furthermore, by real-time quantitative PCR, atrogin-1 Tg+ had increased Col 6a4, 6a5, 6a6, matrix metalloproteinase 8 (Mmp8), and Mmp9 mRNA, suggesting a role for atrogin-1 in regulating collagen deposits and MMP-8 and MMP-9. Because atrogin-1 Tg+ mice exhibited significantly less collagen deposition and protein levels, enhanced Mmp8 and Mmp9 mRNA may offer one mechanism by which collagen levels are kept in check in the aged atrogin-1 Tg+ heart. In addition, atrogin-1 Tg+ hearts showed enhanced FoxO1/3 activity. The present study shows a novel link between atrogin-1-mediated regulation of FoxO1/3 activity and reduced collagen deposition and fibrosis in the aged heart. Therefore, targeting FoxO1/3 activity via the muscle-specific atrogin-1 ubiquitin ligase may offer a muscle-specific method to modulate aging-related cardiac fibrosis