ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF STREPTOMYCES VARIABILIS STRAIN-VITUMVB03 ISOLATED FROM KANYAKUMARI MARINE SEDIMENTS

Objective: This study was focused on an evaluation of antimicrobial activity of actinobacterial isolated from Kanyakumari marine sediments.Methods: This study includes sample collection from Kanyakumari beach, followed by isolation of marine actinobacteria, screening for antibacterial activity and antifungal activity. Finally, the most active isolate was identified using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Marine actinobacteria are one of the leading microbes of the ocean known for producing excellent secondary metabolites and having a broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity, hence they are very important from an industrial point of view. The marine sediment sample used was collected from Kanyakumari beach, in the month of July, falling in the latitudinal range of 8.5074°N and in the longitude of 76.9730°E. A total of 8 actinobacterial colonies were isolated by spread plate technique on Actinomycetes isolation agar, Kuster's agar and Starch casein agar. The isolate cultures were designated as UST1- UST8. Among them, UST3 showed a maximum zone of inhibition against clinical pathogens Salmonella typhi and Aspergillus niger with a zone of inhibition of 22mm and 20mm respectively. In solvent extraction study ethyl acetate and hexane was found as best solvents for extraction. Potential isolate UST3 was identified as Streptomyces variabilis using morphological studies and 16S rRNA sequencing. Potential strain was submitted as Streptomyces variabilis- VITUMVB03Conclusion:  Results obtained in this study concluded that marine actinobacteria have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and can be used in the pharmaceutical industry.Keywords: Anti-fungal activity, Anti-bacterial activity, Salmonella typhi, Aspergillus niger, Streptomyces variabili

Friend Turns Foe: Transformation of Anti-Inflammatory HDL to Proinflammatory HDL during Acute-Phase Response

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a major carrier of cholesterol in the blood. Unlike other lipoproteins, physiological functions of HDL influence the cardiovascular system in favorable ways except when HDL is modified pathologically. The cardioprotective mechanism of HDL is mainly based on reverse cholesterol transport, but there has been an emerging interest in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles of HDL. These latter activities of HDL are compromised in many pathological states associated with inflammation. Further, abnormal HDL can become proinflammatory contributing to oxidative damage. In this paper, we discuss the functional heterogeneity of HDL, how alterations in these particles in inflammatory states result in loss of both antioxidant activity and reverse cholesterol transport in relation to atherosclerosis, and the need for assays to predict its functionality

प्लवमान पिंजरों में समुद्र कृषि और पानी की गुणता – भारत के विशाखपट्टणम में इसका प्रभाव निर्धारण अध्ययन

कृपया पूरा लेखा पढ

Improvement in Quality of Wine by Blending White and Coloured Grapes

Blending of juices from four white grape varieties viz., Thompson Seedless, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Italia with three coloured varieties, viz., Shiraz, Ruby Red and Bangalore Blue, was done in 2:1 and 3:1 ratios to assess the effect of blending on wine quality. White varieties blended with Bangalore Blue recorded maximum titratable acidity (1.23%), while those blended with Ruby Red showed the least acidity (0.42%), Alcohol content in the wine ranged from 8.11% (Italia + Ruby Red, 2:1) to 12.04% (Chenin Blanc + Shiraz, 2:1). The range of values for tannin content (0.007% to 0.044 %) and total phenol content (228mg/l to 571mg/l) indicated that white varieties blended with the coloured cv. Shiraz had the lowest content of tannins and total phenols in wine, while, those blended with cv. Ruby Red showed highest content of these in the blended wines. Hence, among different blends, Chenin Blanc, Thompson Seedless, Sauvignon Blanc and Italia blended with the coloured variety Shiraz, in 2:1 ratio, produced good quality wine

Feasibility and growth of hatchery produced green mussel (Perna viridis) spat in Bhimili Estuary, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

The Bhimili Estuary situated in Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh is a fairly large but shallow estuary and supports the livelihood of over 5000 fishers. Nearly 3000 clam/oyster pickers exploit the bivalve resources of this estuary. The Gostani River joins the sea at Bhimilipatnam carrying freshwater from Anantagiri hills, Padmanabhan, Boni, Pandrangi, Taditorru, Gudivada, Chittivalasa, Jutmill, Mulakuddu and Nagamayyapalem

Association of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Markers with Metabolic Syndrome in Asian Indians in India

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is associated with a proinflammatory state. Here, we assessed the contribution of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers towards prediction of MetS. A total of 2316 individuals were recruited in Phase I of the Indian Atherosclerosis Research Study (IARS). Modified ATPIII guidelines were used for classification of subjects with MetS. Among the inflammatory and oxidative stress markers studied, levels of hsCRP (P < .0001), Neopterin (P = .036), and oxLDL (P < .0001) were significantly higher among subjects with MetS. Among the markers we tested, oxLDL stood out as a robust predictor of MetS in the IARS population (OR 4.956 95% CI 2.504–9.810; P < .0001) followed by hsCRP (OR 1.324 95% CI 1.070–1.638; P = .010). In conclusion, oxLDL is a candidate predictor for MetS in the Asian Indian population

Usefulness of C-Reactive Protein as a Marker for Prediction of Future Coronary Events in the Asian Indian Population: Indian Atherosclerosis Research Study

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in all stages of atherosclerosis. Numerous inflammatory, lipid, and cytokines markers have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk but data directly comparing their predictive value are limited. Studies were carried to elucidate the role of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), other inflammatory as well as lipid markers and their associations. Among 1021 subjects, comprising 774 CAD affected members from Indian Atherosclerosis Research Study (IARS), plasma hsCRP levels showed strong correlation with inflammatory markers, namely, IL6 (r = .373; P = <.0001), sPLA2 (r = .544; P = <.0001) as also with fibrinogen (r = .579; P = <.0001). Levels of hsCRP were higher among subjects affected by CAD who suffered a repeat coronary event as compared to those who remained event free and subjects in the top quartile of hsCRP (>3.58 mg/L) were found to have a fourfold higher risk. In conclusion, hsCRP appears to be an independent predictor of recurrent CAD events in Asian Indian population

Experimental culture of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798 in open sea floating cage

An experiment was designed and conducted to assess the feasibility for culture of Penaeus monodon in 6 m dia HDPE circular floating cage, installed at 10-12 m depth off Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal. The cage was fixed with three cylindrical nets; inner net of 2 mm mesh (6 m dia×5.5 m height) to rear post-larvae from stock to 80th day; middle net of 10 mm mesh (6 m×5.5 m) to rear juveniles from day 81 onwards and an outer net of 40 mm mesh (8 m dia×4.5 m height) to prevent entry of predators. Post-larvae (PL23) of P. monodon (mean total length 16.1±3.8 mm), were stocked in the cage at a density of 1179 PL m-3). Bottom water parameters viz., salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and ammonia (NH3-N) recorded in the cage site during the culture period were 34-35 ppt, 26-32°C, 3.9-4.6 ml l-1, 8.1-8.3 and 0.05-0.07 mg l-1, respectively. Shrimp feed varying in size suitable to different growth stages, was used during the trial. Feed was given twice during the first 20 days and thrice during 21-99 days. Feeding rate per day ranged from 133.3% of the biomass of shrimp at stocking time to 3.1% of the biomass of shrimp at preharvest. P. monodon registered a growth rate of 0.87 mm (TL)/0.018 g (wt) per day during first 30 days; 0.89 mm/0.069 g per day during 31-60 days and 0.37 mm/0.051 g per day during 61-90 days. On day 100, about 207 kg of shrimp (production rate, 1.62 kg m-3) was harvested and the mean size of harvested shrimp was 81.54±15.20 mm TL/4.50±2.80 g wt. Survival recorded was 31.4% and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was 3.97. Present study demonstrated the possibility for culture of P. monodon in open sea floating cage. The possible causes for low survival and high FCR are discussed

Prevalence and component analysis of metabolic syndrome: An Indian atherosclerosis research study perspective

Asian Indians have a high predisposition to metabolic syndrome (MS) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to estimate MS prevalence in 531 Asian Indian families comprising of 2318 individuals. Anthropometrics and lipid profile were assessed. MS prevalence was estimated using standard Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) and World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria and modified definitions which included lowered cut-offs for waist circumference (WC) (≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women], body mass index (BMI) (≥23 kg/m2) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) levels. ATP-III criteria identified a significantly higher proportion of people with MS (N = 933; 40.3%) compared with WHO (N = 708; 30.6%; p < 0.0001) while modified ATP-III showed maximum gain in percent prevalence among the revised criteria (17.3%; p = 0.0056). The IDF criteria identified similar proportion of subjects with MS (N = 809; 34.9%) as the revised WHO criteria (N = 792; 34.2%). The number of MS subjects was highest in the 50–59 years age group. MS was diagnosed a decade earlier in unaffected subjects compared with those with CAD/diabetes using the modified MS criteria. WC correlated significantly with BMI and waist–hip ratio (WHR) (p = 0.000). Among MS components, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and BMI contributed significantly in males (71.4% and 85.9%) and females (86.8% and 88.8%), respectively. The higher percentage contribution of WC among males and WHR among females indicates the influence of gynecoid/android pelvis on WHR measures. In conclusion, the revision of definition criteria for MS with lowered cut-offs for WC and BMI is critical for the accurate assessment of MS among Asian Indians