Studies on pollen morphology of Ipomoea species (Convolvulaceae)

Pollen morphology of four species of Ipomoea viz., Ipomoea fistulosa (Mart. exChoisy), I. palmata Forssk, I. quamoclit L. and I. triloba L. (Convolvulaceae) from Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University Campus have been examined by Light and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Pollen grains are usually pantoporate, radially symmetrical ,circular in outline, tectum echinate, circular aperture between the spine, suboblate-oblate spheroidal or spheroidal. Among the four species of Ipomoea maximum pollen size(97.39-100.86μm) across was found in I. quamoclit whereas, minimum pollen size (59.17-65.75 μm) across was noted in I. palmata. The maximum spine length (8-14μm) was recorded in I. palmata, while it was minimum (4.99-7.33μm) in I. triloba. Considering pore size all four species of Ipomoea showed close similarities with minor differences. Sculpturing pattern was found to be uniform in all studied species of Ipomoea

Evaluation of anti-ulcer activity of 4-hydrooxy benzalydehide against NSAIDs induced ulcers in rats

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate antiulcer activity of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde against NSAIDs induced ulcer in rats based differences in its morphology, distance with other external landmarks and also to sigmoid and transverse sinuses.Methods: The antiulcer activity of 4-HBD was evaluated using pylorus ligation-aspirin induced ulcer method. Animals of this models were treated with 4-HBD (50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg).Results: It has been observed that 4-HBD at low dose (50mg/kg), intermediate dose (100mg/kg) and high dose (150mg/kg) showed significant increase in pH, significant decrease in gastric volume, significant decrease in ulcer index and significant decrease in total acidity.Conclusions: The impact of 4-HBD therapy with intermediate (100mg/kg, p.o.) dose was observed to be similar with the positive control group. 

Augmenting natural convection and conduction based solar dryer

[EN] Solar conduction dryer (SCD) is a unique technology that uses conduction, convection and radiation mechanism of heat transfer making it one of the most efficient drying system. The SCD is one of the most effective piece of equipment’s designed indigenously and it has tremendous potential to capitalize in erstwhile nations of tropical and torrid region where there is abundance of solar insolation. SCD, the most cost-effective dryer which runs on no electricity has already made inroads in the global market. In the present study, CFD studies were carried out for a given geometry and the corresponding boundary conditions.Chavan, A.; Sikarwar, A.; Tidke, V.; Thorat, B. (2018). Augmenting natural convection and conduction based solar dryer. En IDS 2018. 21st International Drying Symposium Proceedings. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1357-1364. https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7813OCS1357136

Cell-free chromatin particles released from dying host cells are global instigators of endotoxin sepsis in mice.

We have earlier reported that cell-free chromatin (cfCh) particles that are released from dying cells, or those that circulate blood, can readily enter into healthy cells, illegitimately integrate into their genomes and induce dsDNA breaks, apoptosis and intense activation of inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that sepsis is caused by cfCh released from dying host cells following microbial infection leading to bystander host cell apoptosis and inflammation which are perpetuated in a vicious cycle with release of more cfCh from dying host cells. To test this hypothesis we used three cfCh inactivating agents namely 1) anti-histone antibody complexed nanoparticles which inactivate cfCh by binding to histones; 2) DNase I which inactivates cfCh by degrading its DNA component, and 3) a novel pro-oxidant combination of Resveratrol and Copper which, like DNase I, inactivates cfCh by degrading its DNA component. Female C57 BL/6 mice, 6-8 weeks old, were administered a single i.p. injection of LPS at a dose of 10 mg/Kg or 20 mg/Kg with or without concurrent treatment with the above cfCh inactivating agents. Administration of cfCh inactivating agents concurrently with LPS resulted in prevention of following pathological parameters: 1) release of cfCh in extra-cellular spaces of brain, lung and heart and in circulation; 2) release of inflammatory cytokines in circulation; 3) activation of DNA damage, apoptosis and inflammation in cells of thymus, spleen and in PBMCs; 4) DNA damage, apoptosis and inflammation in cells of lung, liver, heart, brain, kidney and small intestine; 5) liver and kidney dysfunction and elevation of serum lactate; 6) coagulopathy, fibrinolysis and thrombocytopenia; 7) lethality. We conclude that cfCh that are released from dying host cells in response to bacterial endotoxin represents a global instigator of sepsis. cfCh inactivation may provide a novel approach to management of sepsis in humans