HPLC-LIF for early detection of oral cancer

At present, the diagnosis of many cancers relies on the subjective interpretation of morphological changes in biopsy samples. This usually provides only late diagnosis. Early detection, which can provide more successful therapy, is expected to be possible by identification of tumour markers in physiological samples. Immunoassay used at present for this purpose has several drawbacks. It is applicable only for known markers, can usually detect only one marker at a time, and may also fail to detect a marker when there exist conditions, which may mask or prevent the interaction between antigen and the antibody. We have developed a high performance liquid chromatography- laser induced fluorescence (HPLC-LIF) technique to detect and record simultaneously spectra and chromatograms of physiological samples, which will enable the detection of multiple 'markers' in a single physiological sample in a short time. Samples of saliva and serum from normal and oral cancer subjects have been studied with the set up. The present studies show that body fluids like saliva and serum of normal, premalignant and malignant subjects have substantially different protein profiles. By simultaneous recording of the chromatographic peaks and corresponding fluorescence spectra, it is possible to carry out unambiguous discrimination between normal, premalignant and malignant cases even when markers are present in femto/subfemtomole quantities, which should assist in early diagnosis of neoplasia

Optical pathology of oral tissue: a Raman spectroscopy diagnostic method

Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy methods are being considered as techniques which could be complementary or even alternative to biopsy, and pathology and clinical assays in many medical applications. The present paper discusses the results of Raman spectral studies on oral tissues for optical pathology. It is shown that Raman spectra of oral tissues can be classified into spectra of normal and malignant sets and a model based on such a classification can be used to analyse oral tissue for detection of oral malignancy. Sensitivity and specificity calculated from 90 test spectra are better than 85 and 90 per cent respectively

Evaluation of anti-microbial and anti-haemolytic activity of edible basidiomycetes mushroom fungi

Mushrooms are used for a variety of biotechnological applications, particularly for the production of food, enzymes, dietary supplements, pharmaceutical compounds, feed supplements. Basidiomycetes mushroom fungi have been known for their nutritional values they can be considered as functional foods which can provide health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients. Mushroom represents a major and untapped source of potent new pharmaceutical products. A wide range of activities including antitumour, cardiovascular and antimicrobial are reported in mushrooms. In developing countries like India mushroom progress is a boon in the field of food, medicine, and in generating employment. The alternative systems of medicine utilize the curative properties of mushrooms. They are also known to possess promising antioxidative, cardiovascular, hypercholesterolemia, antimicrobial, hepato-protective and anticancer effects. The present study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial and antihaemolytic activities of various extracts of Basidiomycetes mushroom fungi. Different Basidiomycetes mushroom fungi extracts (Hot water, Acetone and Hexane) were tested for antimicrobial and antihaemolytic activities. Among these different extracts of Basidiomycetes mushroom fungi the hexane extract of Pleurotus pulmonarius showed potential antimicrobial and antihaemolytic activity. The results of this study suggest the possibility of using Basidiomycetes mushroom fungi as natural sources for the pharmaceutical industry and could act as safe and cost-effective with potential biological activities. These findings encourage studying these fungal strains further for their potential biological applications

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Capsicum frutescens

Capsicum frutescens has been known to contain a high level of antioxidant components. We investigated antioxidant activities in various solvent extracts from C. frutescens. The aim of this study is to evaluate invitro antioxidant activity of acetone, carbinol, hot water and hexane extracts of Capsicum frutescens.  Preliminary analysis revealed that all the four extracts responded positively for all the phytoconstituents. Acetone extract showed the strongest phenolic and tannin content; showed highest activity for FRAP, ABTS, Superoxide Radical and Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Activity.  The present study explored that Capsicum frutescens has efficient antioxidant activity and could act as safe and cost-effective with potential biological applications. Keywords: Capsicum frutescens, Antioxidant, Free radical scavengers, ABTS, FRA

Investigation of Bioactive Compounds of Capsicum Frutescence and Annona Muricata by Chromatographic Techniques

Botanicals and herbal preparations for medicinal usage contain various types of bioactive compounds. The focus of this paper is on the analytical methodologies, which include the extraction, characterization of active ingredients in Capsicum frutescens fruits and Annona muricata L. leaves. Capsicum frutescens used for various problems with digestion including upset for conditions of the heart and blood vessels including poor circulation, excessive blood clotting, high cholesterol, and preventing heart disease. Whereas Annona muricata L. leaves are traditionally used to treat diabetes. People have been consuming raw leaves of Annona muricata L. to control blood glucose levels. The present investigation was designed to study the phytochemical profiling and bioactive component principles of Capsicum frutescens and Annona muricata by Thin layer Chromatography. Bio autography agar overlay test was done to detect the antimicrobial activity of the extracts. The results of this study confirmed the presence of various bioactive compounds in the acetone and methanol extracts of both the plants. The chromatographic analysis revealed that Capsicum frutescens fruit extract and Annona muricata leaf extract are composed of various Alkaloids, Terpenoids, Saponins, and Phenolics which are accountable for many biological activities. Bio autography assays shows that Capsicum frutescens shows growth inhibition against bacteria, but Annona muricata does not shown any significant activity. The findings of present study implies that both extracts are potent source for some medicinally important phytochemicals with antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Keywords: Phytochemicals; Thin Layer Chromatography; Bio autography

Temporospatial shifts within commercial laboratory mouse gut microbiota impact experimental reproducibility

Experimental reproducibility in mouse models is impacted by both genetics and environment. The generation of reproducible data is critical for the biomedical enterprise and has become a major concern for the scientific community and funding agencies alike. Among the factors that impact reproducibility in experimental mouse models is the variable composition of the microbiota in mice supplied by different commercial vendors. Less attention has been paid to how the microbiota of mice supplied by a particular vendor might change over time. Results In the course of conducting a series of experiments in a mouse model of malaria, we observed a profound and lasting change in the severity of malaria in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii; while for several years mice obtained from a specific production suite of a specific commercial vendor were able to clear the parasites effectively in a relatively short time, mice subsequently shipped from the same unit suffered much more severe disease. Gut microbiota analysis of frozen cecal samples identified a distinct and lasting shift in bacteria populations that coincided with the altered response of the later shipments of mice to infection with malaria parasites. Germ-free mice colonized with cecal microbiota from mice within the same production suite before and after this change followed by Plasmodium infection provided a direct demonstration that the change in gut microbiota profoundly impacted the severity of malaria. Moreover, spatial changes in gut microbiota composition were also shown to alter the acute bacterial burden following Salmonella infection, and tumor burden in a lung tumorigenesis model. Conclusion These changes in gut bacteria may have impacted the experimental reproducibility of diverse research groups and highlight the need for both laboratory animal providers and researchers to collaborate in determining the methods and criteria needed to stabilize the gut microbiota of animal breeding colonies and research cohorts, and to develop a microbiota solution to increase experimental rigor and reproducibility

Applications of raman spectroscopy in dentistry part II: Soft tissue analysis

Raman spectroscopy is rapidly moving from an experimental technique for the analysis of biological molecules to a tool for the real-time clinical diagnosis and in situ evaluation of the oral tissue in medical and dental research. The purpose of this study is to identify various applications of Raman spectroscopy, to evaluate the contemporary status and to explore future directions in the field of dentistry. Several in-depth applications are presented to illustrate Raman spectroscopy in early diagnosis of soft tissue abnormalities. Raman spectroscopy allows to analyze histological and biochemical composition of biological tissues. The technique not only demonstrates its role in the disclosure of dysplasia and malignancy but also in performing guided biopsies, diagnosing sialoliths, and assessment of surgical margins. Raman spectroscopy is used to identify the molecular structures and its components to give substantial information about the chemical structure properties of these molecules. In this paper, we acquaint the utilization of Raman spectroscopy in analyzing the soft tissues in relation to dentistry

Effect of bath composition and operating parameters on deposit character and corrosion behaviour of Zn-Ni alloy

252-258Electrodeposited Zn-Ni alloys are extensively used as protective coatings for steel substrates and hence the studies on the factors which enhance corrosion resistance are of considerable significance. The present work details the optimization of acid chloride bath for bright Zn-Ni alloy over mild steel and study of the parameters which influence Ni content in the deposit. Use of sulphanilic acid and gelatin was found to show significant effect on brightness of the deposit. The effect of molar ratio of Ni⁺²/Zn⁺² in the bath on limiting current density of nickel deposition was emphasized. Under no conditions of bath compositions and operating parameters studied, the change in codeposition behaviour from anomalous to normal type was observed. The wt. %Ni in the deposit was found to be the independent factor of its corrosion resistance. The photomicrograph of electroplates confirmed that superior corrosion resistance is due to good surface morphology. The effect of bath composition, current density (c.d.), pH and temperature on appearance, hardness and corrosion resistance of deposits were studied and discussed. Corrosion behaviour of electroplates has been studied by Tafel's extrapolation method. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis revealed that superior corrosion resistance of Zn-Ni alloy coatings at optimized current density is due to barrier resistance at the interface of deposit and medium. Formation of n-type semiconductor film at the interface was confirmed by Mott-Schottky plot. Addition of small amount of cadmium chloride did not increase corrosion resistance