ANTI-ANGIOGENIC ACTIVITY OF THE EXTRACTED FERMENTATION BROTH OF AN ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS, CORDYCEPS MILITARIS 3936

Objective: Cordyceps militaris is an entomopathogen and known to exhibit significant therapeutic potential. In the present study, we aimed to extract various fractions (aqueous; hexane; chloroform & butanol) including active ingredient cordycepin from fermented broth of Cordyceps militaris followed by their evaluation as anti-angiogenic agents. Methods: The bioactive metabolite, cordycepin and various Cordyceps derived fractions were isolated from liquid culture of Cordyceps militaris using solvent-solvent extraction method followed by purification on silica gel column chromatography. Furthermore anti-angiogenic properties of extracted fermentation broth were also investigated using chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Results: Butanolic fractions, demonstrated the highest anti-angiogenic activity followed by chloroform, hexane and aqueous fractions of extracted fermentation broth. Anti-angiogenic studies for extracted cordycepin showed that 40 µg/egg dosage of cordycepin was sufficient to inhibit the branching of blood vessels significantly (~50%) in a CAM assay. Conclusion: It is concluded that butanolic extract/cordycepin from fermented broth of Cordyceps militaris potentially inhibits the angiogenesis and suggests that the inhibition of angiogenesis is one of the mechanisms by which Cordyceps militaris can mediate an anti-cancer effect

Targeting Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS CoV-2 spike protein with selected phytochemicals: an in-silico approach for identification of potential drug

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus -2 (S ARS-CoV-2) emerging variants particularly those of concern contain numerous mutations that influence the behavior and transmissibility of the virus and could adversely affect the efficacies of existing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and immunotherapies. The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have resulted in different waves of the pandemic within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On 26 November 2021 World Health Organization designated omicron (B.1.1.529) as the fifth variant of concern which was first reported from South Africa on November 24, 2021, and thereafter rapidly spread across the globe owing to its very high transmission rates along with impeding efficacies of existing vaccines and immunotherapies. Omicron contains more than 50 mutations with many mutations (26-32) in spike protein that might be associated with high transmissibility. Natural compounds particularly phytochemicals have been used since ancient times for the treatment of different diseases, and owing to their potent anti-viral properties have also been explored recently against COVID-19. In the present study, molecular docking of nine phytochemicals (Oleocanthal, Tangeritin, Coumarin, Malvidin, Glycitein, Piceatannol, Pinosylnin, Daidzein, and Naringenin) with omicron spike protein (7QNW (electron microscopy, resolution 2.40 Å) was done. The docking study revealed that selected ligands interact with the receptor with binding energy in the range of -6.2 to-7.0 kcal/mol. Pinosylnin showed the highest binding energy of -7.0 kcal/mol which may be used as potential ligands against omicron spike protein. Based on the docking studies, it was suggested that these phytochemicals are potential molecules to be tested against omicron SARS-CoV-2 and can be used to develop effective antiviral drugs

Antioxidant phytoconstituents from Onosma bracteata Wall. (Boraginaceae) ameliorate the CCl4 induced hepatic damage: in vivo study in male wistar rats

Onosma bracteata Wall. (Boraginaceae) is a highly valuable medicinal herb that is used for the treatment of fever, bronchitis, asthma, rheumatism, stomach irritation, and other inflammatory disorders. The present study aims to explore the hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract (Obeth) from O. bracteata aerial parts against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) which causes hepatic damage in the male Wistar rats. Obeth showed effective radical quenching activity with an EC50 of 115.14 and 199.33 µg/mL in superoxide radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation analyses respectively along with plasmid DNA protective potential in plasmid nicking assay. The Obeth modulated mutagenicity of 2 Aminofluorine (2AF) in the pre-incubation mode of investigation (EC50 10.48 µg/0.1 mL/plate) in TA100 strain of Salmonella typhimurium. In in vivo studies, pretreatment of Obeth (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) had the potential to normalize the biochemical markers aggravated by CCl4 (1mL/kg b.wt.) including liver antioxidative enzymes. Histopathological analysis also revealed the restoration of CCl4-induced liver histopathological alterations. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the treatment of Obeth downregulated the expression levels of p53 and cyclin D in hepatocytes. and downregulation in the Western blotting analysis revealed the downregulation of p-NF-kB, COX-2, and p53. HPLC data analysis showed the supremacy of major compounds namely, catechin, kaempferol, epicatechin, and Onosmin A in Obeth. The present investigation establishes the hepatoprotective and chemopreventive potential of O. bracteata against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity via antioxidant defense system and modulation of the expression of proteins associated with the process of carcinogenesis in hepatic cells

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF CUO NANOPARTICLES

Objective: The present study was done to see the effect of biologically synthesized CuO-NPs (Copperoxide nanoparticles) on the growth of bacterial strains. Methods: Physico-chemical characterization of CuO-NPs was done by UV-Vis-spectrophotometer, XRD, FE-SEM, and EDS. The disc plate diffusion assay was used to evaluate the anti-bacterial effect of CuNPs. Results: This study has shown a promising anti-bacterial activity of biosynthesized CuO-NPs at different concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 µg/ml against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Conclusion: Nanoparticles (NPs) are small size particles between range 1 to 100 nm which expand their physical and chemical properties due to high surface area. The present study reveals that there may be possible utilization of biosynthesized CuO NPs for the treatment of bacterial infectious disease in near future

Plastic Waste in India: overview, impact, and measures to mitigate: Review

India is one of the world’s large and fastest-growing economies. With the expanding development, the usage of plastic for anthropogenic activities has expanded many folds and India alone generated around 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic in the financial year 2019. 79 percent of the plastic generated worldwide enters our land, water, and environment as waste; part of it also enters our bodies through the food chain. The industry in India states that 60 percent of what is generated is recycled and we had assumed that we had solved the problem of plastic waste by recycling, or burying it in landfills. But we were incorrect. Plastic garbage is omnipresent today. It is filling up our oceans and harming marine life and affecting all organisms in the food chain. With the development of economic growth of the country per capita consumption of plastic will only increase in the coming years and we will end up generating more plastic waste The review paper aimed to examine the major impact of plastic waste in India and how to reduce plastic consumption, considering measures such as phasing out or banning multilayered plastics that cannot be recycled, contemplating renewable raw materials, promoting the use of bioplastics, incentivizing the recycling business, and making the rules and guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) simple and enforceable

Morphotaxometry and Ultratopography of Lytocestus haryanii n.sp. (Caryophyllidea: Lytocestidae) from the intestine of freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus Linnaeus 1758 (Siluriformes: Clariidae) of river Yamuna, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, India

The present investigation deals with the first report of newer species of caryophyllid cestodes, Lytocestus haryanii n.sp. (Caryophyllidea: Lytocestidae) in the freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus Linnaeus 1758 (Siluriformes: Clariidae) of river Yamuna from Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, India from July 2018 to June 2020. These helminthes are the most common cestodes (endoparasites) among the fishes of fresh water, brackish water, and marine habitat worldwide.  The recovered newer worms were processed through the standardized protocol for the microscopic observations and morphometry, ultratopographic study through scanning electron microscopy, and anatomical analysis by histology using microtomy techniques followed by the double staining. The findings of the present worms were substantiated and compared with the earlier reported species of the same genera from different hosts shared the common group using advanced numerical taxonomy for the taxometric validation. The present proposed newer worms shared all the common characteristics which helped in the generic diagnosis and are closely related to the species collected from the same host species inhabiting different freshwater bodies. The worms comprised several striking contrasts in the combination of distinguishing characters of taxonomic significance in special reference to shape, size, orientation, distribution, and the dimension of the body (single proglottid), scolex, neck, testes, ovary, cirrus pouch, vitellaria, eggs, and excretory pore. Based on the striking morphological, taxometric, ultratopgraphic, and histological differences summarized here can, therefore, be used to propose the worm as a new species.

Assessing the Migration of BPA and Phthalic Acid from Take-out Food Containers: Implications for Health and Environmental Sustainability in India

The research investigates the escalating consumption of take-out food in India and the associated health risks stemming from the extensive use of plastic packaging. Through a comprehensive nationwide online survey, the study delved into dietary preferences, frequency of take-out food consumption, delivery service timing, and the types of packaging commonly encountered by Indian consumers. To address these concerns, the research team developed an analytical method to detect Bisphenol A (BPA) and Phthalic acid migration from food-contact materials (FCMs) into various food simulants. The investigation revealed that prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures led to increased migration of BPA and Phthalic acid, particularly in polyethylene pouches using 3% acetic acid as a food simulant, with the highest concentrations observed after 45 minutes of exposure. Additionally, a microbial bioassay demonstrated the mutagenic potential of migrated plasticizers, showcasing significant effects in mammalian systems, particularly under metabolic activation. The study underscores the substantial health risks associated with plastic packaging in take-out food, emphasizing potential implications for consumer health and calling for more extensive research and considerations regarding food packaging materials

In-silico designing of a potent ligand molecule against PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homolog) implicated in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer has been attributed to be the second most common malignancy in females worldwide after skin cancer associated with a significantly high mortality rate. Tumor suppressor genes have an indispensable role in maintaining genomic integrity as well as cell cycle regulation. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is one of the most frequently mutated human tumor suppressor genes, implicated in cell growth, survival, and suppressing tumor formation. As the tumor progresses to more advanced stages, genetic alterations tend to increase one such alteration is the mutation of the PTEN gene which is linked to programmed cell death and maintenance of cell cycle regulation. There is a syndrome known as Cowden syndrome associated with a high risk of breast cancer which is a result of an outcome of germline mutations in the PTEN gene. Loss of PTEN activity, either at the protein or genomic level, has been related to many primary and metastatic malignancies including breast cancer. This study focuses on developing a potential bioavailable ligand inhibitory molecule for PTEN, using a computer-aided drug design approach (CADD). A library of developed ligands consisting of 50 potential molecules was screened to find a potential candidate to be used for second generation drug development. Among them, LIG28 was adjudged as the most effective and potential PTEN inhibitor given its maximum binding affinity of ΔG -5.96Kcal/mole with a lower RMSD value. Carmer’s Rule of toxicity further revealed the compatibility and non-toxicity of the molecule. These observations underscore the importance of PTEN as a target in the development of tumorigenesis and the prognosis of breast cancer

Targeting NSP-13 protein of SARS CoV-2 with selected natural compounds: An in-silico approach

SARS-CoV-2 swiftly spread in Wuhan, China, leading to a pandemic crisis worldwide. Genome sequence analysis of this virus revealed a close analogy with its closely related strains, SARS-COV and MERS-COV. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, Nonstructural protein 13 (NSP13), also known as helicase, has been identified as a target for reducing the severity of infection due to its high sequence conservation and essential role in viral replication. NSP13 helicase structure in SARS-CoV-2 differs only by one amino acid from the SARS-CoV helicase structure. Targeting NSP13 with natural compounds holds significant potential for developing safe and effective antiviral therapies utilizing advanced computational approaches. The properties of 8 different natural compounds, i.e. Imidazole, Pyrrole, Tropolone, Benzotriazole, Imidazodiazepine, Phenothiazine, Acridone and Bananin were screened by applying Lipinski’s rule of five, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties, and Radar plots to discover their drug efficacy at a target site, safety, and absorption. Docking studies confirmed Bananin with a binding affinity of -7 kcal/mol as a potential inhibitor of NSP13 of SARS-CoV-2 with better pharmacokinetics, drug likeliness, and oral bioavailability. Based on the in silico study, it is suggested that Bananin shows promising effects against NSP13 protein, forming a maximum number of hydrogen bonds exhibiting higher binding affinity. This stronger affinity indicates a stronger interaction between the compound and its target, potentially leading to enhanced biological activity and therapeutic efficacy. This novel study has unlocked the door for a prospective SARS-CoV-2 inhibition strategy and developing antiviral interventions targeting NSP13 based on molecular docking.

Molecular Docking studies of Apigenin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin as potential target against spike receptor protein of SARS COV

COVID-19 has been categorized as a pandemic in early 2020 and is known to cause by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS–CoV2). Numerous investigators and people in the scientific community are trying to find a superlative way to avert and cure the ailment by using phytochemicals. Abundant studies have revealed that flavonoids can be very operative in averting virus-mediated infection. The purpose of this study was to accomplish molecular docking studies among plant-derived flavonoids (Apigenin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin) and spike receptor (PDB ID: 2AJF) protein of coronavirus. Pyrx virtual screening tool and biovia discovery studio visualizer were utilized in the current molecular docking investigations. Outcomes of docking studies exposed that selected phytochemicals have interacted with targeted spike receptor protein with binding energies in the range of -6.3 to -7.3 kcal. In conclusion among the various selected ligands, quercetin may be a better inhibitor for the deactivation of SARS-Coronavirus