Sewage Treatment Using Nanoparticles

This chapter provides a brief overview of nanomaterials, including classification, shape and structure, nanomaterial types, and applications in the degradation of recalcitrant organic contaminants. With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology science, the use of nanomaterials in environmental applications, particularly water treatment, has piqued the scientific community’s interest in recent decades. Nanomaterials have unique properties such as surface-to-volume ratio, quantum effect, low band-gap energy, and so on, which enhance catalytic performance. Wastewater treatment is a critical task of the twenty-first century since it protects the health of our environment and living beings. Because of its ability to affect both living and nonliving organisms, wastewater is always viewed as a serious source of environmental contamination. Many physical, biological, and chemical modes of treatment are implied to comply with wastewater discharge standards set by competent national agencies for environmental protection

Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase gene polymorphism based prediction of genotypes in chronic HBV patients from Western India

Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is one of the major causes of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and deaths due to the acute or chronic consequences worldwide. HBV is distributed into various genotypes based on nucleic acid sequence variation.Objectives: To develop a method of HBV genotyping and drug resistance interpretation using partial sequencing of polymerase gene.Methods: This study was performed on 98 HBV infected patients’ serum samples from Western India. A nested PCR protocol was designed for amplification of pol gene from HBV genome and Sanger’s sequencing of the gene fragment. Sequences were aligned with HBV reference sequences for phylogenetic analysis and for characterization of genetic diversity. Drug resistance mutations were screened using HBVSeq program from Stanford University.Results: Distribution of HBV genotypes showed predominance of genotype D, circulating in 76 (77.55%) patients (p < 0.05). Genotypes A and C were less prevalent and were identified in 4 (4.08%) and 18 (18.37%) patients, respectively. Anti-retroviral drug resistance mutations were not detected in any patient.Conclusion: A method for determination of HBV genotypes using pol gene sequencing which simultaneously detects major drug resistance mutations has been established. HBV genetic diversity may play an important role in treatment decision.Keywords: Hepatitis B virus, nested PCR, genotype, sub-genotypes, YMDD mutation

Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase gene polymorphism based prediction of genotypes in chronic HBV patients from Western India.

Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is one of the major causes of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and deaths due to the acute or chronic consequences worldwide. HBV is distributed into various genotypes based on nucleic acid sequence variation. Objectives: To develop a method of HBV genotyping and drug resistance interpretation using partial sequencing of polymerase gene. Methods: This study was performed on 98 HBV infected patients\u2019 serum samples from Western India. A nested PCR protocol was designed for amplification of pol gene from HBV genome and Sanger\u2019s sequencing of the gene fragment. Sequences were aligned with HBV reference sequences for phylogenetic analysis and for characterization of genetic diversity. Drug resistance mutations were screened using HBVSeq program from Stanford University. Results: Distribution of HBV genotypes showed predominance of genotype D, circulating in 76 (77.55%) patients (p < 0.05). Genotypes A and C were less prevalent and were identified in 4 (4.08%) and 18 (18.37%) patients, respectively. Anti-retroviral drug resistance mutations were not detected in any patient. Conclusion: A method for determination of HBV genotypes using pol gene sequencing which simultaneously detects major drug resistance mutations has been established. HBV genetic diversity may play an important role in treatment decision

Qualitative Phytochemical Screening of Three Indigenous Medicinal Plants

ABSTRACT Many modern medicines had their origin in medicinal plants. The present study was undertaken in three common plants viz; Mangifera indica (Mango), Azadiracta indica (Neem) and Lantana camara which are found to have anti diabetic and other medicinal properties. Pytochemical analyses of the active components of the plants by using different solvents were carried out. The fresh leaves of mango, neem and lantana were collected from the campus of Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Tathawade, Pune. Methanol, petroleum ether and water extracts of fresh and dry leaves of all the three plants were obtained by standard procedure. Filtered extracts were concentrated and were subjected to qualitative phytochemical analysis for various secondary metabolites like alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, triterpenoids, tannins, saponins and flavonoids. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of these constituents in these plants whereas variable results were observed with different solvents used. Phytochemical screening can serve as a basis for proper identification, collection and investigation of the plants. These parameters will be useful in the preparation of the herbal monograph of these plants

Nigella sativa and its nano‐mediated approach toward management of neurodegenerative disorders: A review

Abstract Nigella sativa L., also known as black seed or black cumin, is a plant that has been used for centuries. In the past, this flowering plant was used as a food preservative and medicinal herb. A vital component of Nigella sativa, thymoquinone (TQ), plays a significant therapeutic role in the management of most diseases, including cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders. Neurodegenerative disorders are primarily caused by neurotransmitter hypoactivity, particularly insufficient serotonin activity. It has been discovered that many medicinal herbs and their active compounds have therapeutic value. Black cumin seeds have been used to heal ailments and its history traces back to ancient times such as ancient Babylonia. They can be used applied to alleviate edema, hair loss, and bruising, and consumd to treat stomach issues. It is one of the most feasible and effective medicinal plants. The use of nanoformulations based on Nigella sativa and TQ to treat neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) has yielded promising outcomes. Customized administration of nanoparticle (NP) systems and nanomedicine are two of the many options for drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) that are attracting increasing interest. Delivering a therapeutic and diagnostic substance to a particular location is the core target of NPs. Because of their distinct cell uptake and trafficking mechanisms, NPs can reduce the amount that accumulates in undesirable organs. The focus of the current review is on recent studies on the various neuroprotective properties of Nigella sativa as well as nanoformulations for NDs and the brain's uptake of NPs. The review summarizes the In vivo, In vitro, and In silico studies on the protective effects of black cumin against neurodegenerative disorders

Development, validation and clinical evaluation of a low cost in-house HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping assay for Indian patients.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) drug resistance genotyping assay is a part of clinical management of HIV-1 positive individuals under treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Routine monitoring of drug resistance mutations in resource limited settings like India is not possible due to high cost of commercial drug resistance assays. In this study we developed an in-house, cost effective HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping assay for Indian patients and validated it against the US-FDA-approved ViroSeq HIV-1 drug resistance testing system. A reference panel of 20 clinical samples was used to develop and validate the assay against ViroSeq HIV-1 drug resistance testing system which was subsequently used to genotype a clinical panel of 225 samples. The Stanford HIV database was used to identify drug resistant mutations. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was 1000 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml of plasma sample while precision and reproducibility was 99.68 ± 0.16% and 99.76 ± 0.18% respectively. One hundred and one drug resistant mutations were detected by the in-house assay compared to 104 by ViroSeq system in the reference panel. The assay had 91.55% success rate in genotyping the clinical panel samples and was able to detect drug resistant mutations related to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) as well as protease inhibitor (PI) classes of antiretroviral drugs. It was found to be around 71.9% more cost effective compared to ViroSeq genotyping system. This evaluation of the assay on the clinical panel demonstrates its potential for monitoring clinical HIV-1 drug resistance mutations and population-based surveillance in resource limited settings like India

<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">In vitro </i>callus induction and estimation of plumbagin content from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Plumbago auriculata </i>Lam<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"></i>

1122-1127The medicinal plant Plumbago contains a very potent secondary metabolite, plumbagin having many therapeutic properties. Callus culture was induced using explants, leaf, stem and shoot apex, from P. auriculata. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Murashige and Skoog media fortified with various growth hormones like NAA, IAA, IBA and 2, 4-D individually and in various combinations were checked for callus induction. Among the growth hormones used, 1 mg/L 2, 4-D showed best callusing. The hormonal combinations of 1 mg/L IAA and 1.5 mg/L NAA in the media exhibited best callus induction using stem internode as an explant. Plumbagin content from root, stem, leaf and callus was analyzed by using thin layer chromatographic technique. The callus derived from stem showed comparable plumbagin content to the in vivo plant parts. Quantitative spectrophotometric analysis of plumbagin from plant samples and callus indicated that plumbagin content was maximum in roots which was followed by callus, stem and leaf samples respectively. Generation of in vitro sources for plumbagin, for therapeutic applications will serve as a continuous supply and will contribute to preserve the natural plant recourses. </span

A robust HIV-1 viral load detection assay optimized for Indian sub type C specific strains and resource limiting setting

BACKGROUND: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) viral load testing at regular intervals is an integral component of disease management in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. The need in countries like India is therefore an assay that is not only economical but efficient and highly specific for HIV-1 sub type C virus. This study reports a SYBR Green-based HIV-1 real time PCR assay for viral load testing and is designed for enhanced specificity towards HIV-1 sub type C viruses prevalent in India. RESULTS: Linear regression of the observed and reference concentration of standards used in this study generated a correlation coefficient of 0.998 (p 0.5 log value, a figure that is considered clinically significant by physicians. CONCLUSION: The HIV-1 viral load assay reported in this study was found to be robust, reliable, economical and effective in resource limited settings such as those existing in India. PCR probes specially designed from HIV-1 Subtype C-specific nucleotide sequences originating from India imparted specificity towards such isolates and demonstrated superior results when compared to two similar commercial assays widely used in India

Hands - on time and cost comparison between ViroSeq and the in-house HIV-1 genotyping assay.

<p>Hands - on time and cost comparison between ViroSeq and the in-house HIV-1 genotyping assay.</p