Formulation and assessment of biological properties of garcinia indica fruit extract mouthrinse as an adjunct to oral hygiene regimen: an in vitro analysis

Abstract The prevalence of gingivitis is substantial within the general population, necessitating rigorous oral hygiene maintenance. Objective This study assessed a Garcinia indica (GI) fruit extract-based mouthrinse, comparing it to a 0.1% turmeric mouthrinse and a 0.2% Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinse. The evaluation encompassed substantivity, staining potential, antimicrobial efficacy and cytocompatibility. Methodology The study employed 182 tooth sections. For antimicrobial analysis, 64 extracted human teeth coated with a polymicrobial biofilm were divided into four groups, each receiving an experimental mouthrinse or serving as a control group with distilled water. Microbial reduction was assessed through colony forming units (CFU). Substantivity was evaluated on 54 human tooth sections using a UV spectrophotometer, while staining potential was examined on 64 tooth sections. Cytocompatibility was tested using colorimetric assay to determine non-toxic levels of 0.2% GI fruit extract, 0.1% Turmeric, and 0.2% CHX. Results Data were analysed with one-way ANOVA (α=0.05). Cell viability was highly significant (p0.05) at end of 12 hours. However, 0.1% Turmeric showed minimal CFU reduction (P<0.001). Substantivity results at 360 minutes indicated statistically significant higher mean release rate in 0.1%Turmeric (12.47±5.84 ) when compared to 0.2% GI (5.02±3.04) and 0.2% CHX (4.13±2.25) (p<0.001). The overall discoloration changes (∆E) were more prominent in the 0.2% CHX group (18.65±8.3) compared to 0.2% GI (7.61±2.4) and 0.1% Turmeric (7.32±4.9) (P<0.001). Conclusion This study supports 0.2% GI and 0.1% Turmeric mouth rinses as potential natural alternatives to chemical mouth rinses. These findings highlight viability of these natural supplements in oral healthcare

Assay platform for clinically relevant metallo-beta-lactamases

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are a growing threat to the use of almost all clinically used β-lactam antibiotics. The identification of broad-spectrum MBL inhibitors is hampered by the lack of a suitable screening platform, consisting of appropriate substrates and a set of clinically relevant MBLs. We report procedures for the preparation of a set of clinically relevant metallo-β-lactamases (i.e., NDM-1 (New Delhi MBL), IMP-1 (Imipenemase), SPM-1 (São Paulo MBL), and VIM-2 (Verona integron-encoded MBL)) and the identification of suitable fluorogenic substrates (umbelliferone-derived cephalosporins). The fluorogenic substrates were compared to chromogenic substrates (CENTA, nitrocefin, and imipenem), showing improved sensitivity and kinetic parameters. The efficiency of the fluorogenic substrates was exemplified by inhibitor screening, identifying 4-chloroisoquinolinols as potential pan MBL inhibitors

Dynamic relocalization of NHERF1 mediates chemotactic migration of ovarian cancer cells toward lysophosphatidic acid stimulation

NHERF1/EBP50 (Na+/H+ exchanger regulating factor 1; Ezrin-binding phosphoprotein of 50 kDa) organizes stable protein complexes beneath the apical membrane of polar epithelial cells. By contrast, in cancer cells without any fixed polarity, NHERF1 often localizes in the cytoplasm. The regulation of cytoplasmic NHERF1 and its role in cancer progression remain unclear. In this study, we found that, upon lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulation, cytoplasmic NHERF1 rapidly translocated to the plasma membrane, and subsequently to cortical protrusion structures, of ovarian cancer cells. This movement depended on direct binding of NHERF1 to C-terminally phosphorylated ERM proteins (cpERMs). Moreover, NHERF1 depletion downregulated cpERMs and further impaired cpERM-dependent remodeling of the cell cortex, suggesting reciprocal regulation between these proteins. The LPA-induced protein complex was highly enriched in migratory pseudopodia, whose formation was impaired by overexpression of NHERF1 truncation mutants. Consistent with this, NHERF1 depletion in various types of cancer cells abolished chemotactic cell migration toward a LPA gradient. Taken together, our findings suggest that the high dynamics of cytosolic NHERF1 provide cancer cells with a means of controlling chemotactic migration. This capacity is likely to be essential for ovarian cancer progression in tumor microenvironments containing LPA

Communication-Electrochemical Investigation of Plate-Like Na2/3Fe1/2Mn1/2O2 for Sodium Ion Cathode

Sodium ion batteries with low cost and high capacities have attracted much attention. Herein, P2-type Na2/3Fe1/2Mn1/2O2 is synthesized by self-combustion method and characterized for physicochemical and electrochemical properties. The XRD confirms that the sample is formed in a pure phase. Cyclic voltammograms of electrodes are characterized by two well-defined pairs of peaks corresponding to redox processes in two different stages. The electrochemical studies as a cathode for sodium ion batteries are investigated in the 1.5-4.2 V range using Na metal as anode. An initial discharge capacity of about 210 mAh g(-1) is obtained at C/10 rate. (C) 2018 The Electrochemical Society

Magneto-Optical Stark Effect in Fe-Doped CdS Nanocrystals

Fe2+ doping in II-VI semiconductors, due to the absence of energetically accessible multiple spin state configurations, has not given rise to interesting spintronic applications. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that the interaction of homogeneously doped Fe2+ ions with the host CdS nanocrystal with no clustering is different for the two spin states and produces two magnetically inequivalent excitonic states upon optical perturbation. We combine ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and density functional theoretical analysis within the ground and excited states to demonstrate the presence of the magneto-optical Stark effect (MOSE). The energy gap between the spin states arising due to MOSE does not decay within the time frame of observation, unlike optical and electrical Stark shifts. This demonstration provides a stepping-stone for spin-dependent applications

Cardioprotective effect of ascorbic acid on doxorubicin-induced myocardial toxicity in rats

Objective : To investigate the preventive and curative role of ascorbic acid on doxorubicin (dox)-induced myocardial toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods : Animals were divided into five groups of six animals each. Group I served as normal control and received saline 5 ml/kg/day intraperitoneal (i.p.) for a period of 15 days. Group II animals received ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg per oral (p.o.) for 15 days as a pretreatment control (PR). Group III animals received dox 2.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. Group IV animals received ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg p.o. for 15 days as a pretreatment followed by dox 2.5 mg/kg b.w., i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg body weight. Group V animals received dox 2.5 mg/kg b.w., i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. followed by ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg p.o for 15 days as post-treatment control (CR). The biochemical parameters such as tissue glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and enzyme biomarkers such as creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were monitored. Results : Pretreatment with ascorbic acid (20 mg/kg p.o.) significantly protected the myocardium from the toxic effect of dox (PR), by increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes such as GSH, SOD, and CAT toward normal and decreased the levels of MDA, CPK, LDH, AST, and ALT as compared with dox-treated rats. Post-treatment with ascorbic acid to dox-treated group (CR) significantly increased the levels of tissue GSH, SOD, CAT and significantly decreased the level of MDA as compared with dox-treated group. It also reduced the severity of cellular damage of the myocardium as confirmed by histopathology. The restoration of the endogenous antioxidant system clearly depicts that ascorbic acid produced its protective effect by scavenging the reactive oxygen species. Conclusion : The results obtained in this study provide evidence for the usefulness of the ascorbic acid as a cardioprotective agent

Tobacco Agridaksh: An Online Expert System

Not AvailableNew advances in information technology led to the development of Expert Systems and their application in various sectors including farming. In India, agricultural production has been transformed into a multifaceted business enterprise. Indian agriculture to remain competitive needs the accumulation and integration of scientific knowledge, and information from many diverse sources. Indian farmer often relies on agricultural specialists, advisors and agricultural research and development institutes for agricultural information for better decision making at the actual farm situation. Unfortunately, timely specialist assistance is not available when the farmer needs. Thus the situation demand for a 'virtual expert' who can give personalized expert advice to a large community of farmers, specific to their needs and aspirations considering various knowledge sources. The role of expert systems in tobacco sector and its applications in effective production and protection technologies have been discussed in this article. It is almost impossible for any human expert to consider every piece of available information before arriving at optimal decisions. To overcome this problem and provide precise information to the farmers, "expert systems" have been developed with a primary goal to make expertise available to clients and decision makers who need answers swiftly. The main aim is to deliver the required information and disseminate the up-to-date scientific knowledge in a readily accessible and easily understood form to the farmers. It is one of the most efficient extension tools to take the technology from scientists to the growers directly without any distortion of content which normally creeps in because of multiple agencies involved in conventional technology transfer systems. With this aim, ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute has developed a web-based expert system o tobacco using "Agridaksh" - an online tool developed by ICAR-=Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute. This, online expert systems has the tremendous capacity to transfer location specific technologies and advice to the farmers with a greater precision.Not Availabl