INVESTIGATION OF ANALGESIC, ANTIOXIDANT, AND CYTOTOXIC PROPERTIES OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF STREBLUS ASPER (ROOTS)

Objective: This study evaluated the analgesic, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of ethanolic extract of Streblus asper roots. Methods: Analgesic activities were carried out using paw licking and writhing tests. The extract was used at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg per orally in Swiss albino mice of body weight 25–30 g. Antioxidant properties were investigated using 1, 1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free-radical scavenging assay, total phenol content, total flavonoid content as well as reducing power capacity. The cytotoxic activity was determined by the Brine Shrimp lethality bioassay. Results: The ethanolic extract of S. asper roots showed a significant effect in the formalin test (p<0.01). They also exhibit the highest analgesia (p<0.01) in the acetic acid-induced writhing model as well. The extract possessed antioxidant effects in all the models. It possessed a good cytotoxic activity. Conclusion: The results suggested that S. asper root extract has a suitable analgesic, antioxidant effect as well as significant cytotoxic potential

Screening of antimicrobial peptides from hemolymph extract of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta against urinary tract and wound infecting multidrug-resistant bacteria

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an evolutionarily conserved component of the innate immune response and they were found among all classes of life forms. In the present study AMPs were extracted from the hemolymph of Antheraea mylitta and fractionated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Antimicrobial activity was tested against three clinically isolated multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as urinary tract infecting Escherichia coli, wound infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus pumilus. Fraction I (comprised of three different peptides of varying mass) did not inhibit the growth of any of these clinical isolates, whereas, fraction III inhibited the growth of B. pumilus without affecting the growth of gram-negative isolates. Fraction II exhibited bactericidal effects against P. aeruginosa and E. coli, whereas, B. pumilus was not susceptible. Scanning electron microscopic study revealed that serious structural alterations of cell morphology and disruption of the outer membrane, that facilitates the release of cytoplasmic content through holes and channels in E. coli, treated with this isolated peptide. Our results indicate that the peptide from the isolated fraction could be used as potent alternative antimicrobial compounds for the treatment of MDR E. coli andP. aeruginosa infections

Complete genome sequence of Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08: A potential microbial strain for high rate hydrogen production

Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08 belongs to Phylum: Proteobacteria, Class: Gammaproteobacteria, Order: Enterobacteriales, Family: Enterobacteriaceae. The organism was isolated from the leaves of a local plant near the Kharagpur railway station, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. It has been extensively studied for fermentative hydrogen production because of its high hydrogen yield. For further enhancement of hydrogen production by strain development, complete genome sequence analysis was carried out. Sequence analysis revealed that the genome was linear, 4.67 Mbp long and had a GC content of 56.01%. The genome properties encode 4,393 protein-coding and 179 RNA genes. Additionally, a putative pathway of hydrogen production was suggested based on the presence of formate hydrogen lyase complex and other related genes identified in the genome. Thus, in the present study we describe the specific properties of the organism and the generation, annotation and analysis of its genome sequence as well as discuss the putative pathway of hydrogen production by this organism

Cloning, overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of an atypical two-cysteine peroxiredoxin (SAOUHSC_01822) from Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325

Diffraction-quality crystals of an atypical two-cysteine peroxiredoxin (SAOUHSC_01822) from S. aureus NCTC 8325 have been obtained. The cloning, overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the protein are reported

Weak interactions: The architect behind the structural diversity of coordination polymer

The design and development of crystal structure is of immense significance in the realm of supramolecular chemistry. Each crystal is unique of its kind and distinguishes the different arrangement of atoms. However the assembly of these atoms is controlled by its geometry and chemical properties. This kind of structural diversity is widely observed in coordination polymers. In structural arrangement, building blocks play a major role towards architecting the different dimensionalities and accordingly such arrangements possess diverse applicability. Currently various architectures are developed with a wide variation in the building blocks. All the elements existing within the crystal structure works in union by supramolecular non-covalent interactions. The overall stability and diversity in the architecture widely depends on these weak non-covalent interactions which finally lead to different physical properties. Among the weak non-covalent interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, Vander Waals attraction are implicitly predominating in developing individual architecture. The spatial orientation of the individual atoms or groups is significant for the development of weak interaction within the structure. The chemical environment and spatial arrangement of the building blocks also govern the distribution of the atoms or groups in the constructional arrangement. Binding arrangement between the building blocks define the diverse dimensionality or different nets of the coordination polymer. Sometimes the development of varying structure depends on the factors including growing environment like pH, solvent, counter ion of the coordination polymer etc. An in-depth introduction of the various building blocks and its importance in construction of different architecture has been discussed in this review. But the primary focus of the present review is to establish and emphasize the role of weak interactions towards architecting different coordination polymer. Our aim is to provide an obvious idea about the correlation between weak non-covalent interaction inside the architecture and the different structural diversity of coordination polymer

Smartphone-Interfaced Serum Calcium-Level Quantification on a Simple Paper Strip Assay for Diagnostics at Extreme Point of Care

International audienceDue to its pivotal role in many physiological processes and calcium-depleting diseases like osteoporosis, accurate quantification of the concentration of calcium in blood serum is imperative in monitoring multifarious facets of human health and disease. Established laboratory-based protocols for serum calcium-level detection are expensive, resource-intensive, and functionally dependent on skilled technicians. Circumventing these constraints, here we innovate a novel adaptation of Bradford’s assay as a decisive preprocessing step of a highly specific diagnostic test for serum calcium-level detection. This ensures the binding of protein molecules to Coomassie dye under acidic conditions with a resulting alteration in its color to quench out the possibilities of unwarranted side reactions with excess proteins abundantly present in patient samples. This specific adaptation renders the test to be implemented on a simple paper strip without deploying a controlled laboratory-based procedure, obviating any adverse interference in the subsequent reaction of calcium in the serum with Arsenazo III, a metallochromic dye used for the final colorimetric detection step. The method is affordable, user-friendly, and can be deployed by minimally trained personnel at the point of use in extremely harsh environments. By mapping the resulting colorimetric information quantitatively with the serum concentration level from a panel of training datasets prestandardized via established laboratory-based gold standard examination, a simple smartphone-based readout system may be developed, bearing the potential of replacing the currently existing expensive, time-consuming, and environmentally restrictive diagnostic solutions

Protection of human γB-crystallin from UV-induced damage by epigallocatechin gallate: spectroscopic and docking studies

The transparency of the human eye lens depends on the solubility and stability of the structural proteins of the eye lens, the crystallins. Although the mechanism of cataract formation is still unclear, it is believed to involve protein misfolding and/or aggregation of proteins due to the influence of several external factors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, low pH, temperature and exposure to chemical agents. In this article, we report the study of UV induced photo-damage (under oxidative stress) of recombinant human γB-crystallin in vitro in the presence of the major green tea polyphenol, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). We have shown that EGCG has the ability to protect human γB-crystallin from oxidative stress-induced photo-damage

Crystal structure of a fungal protease inhibitor from Antheraea mylitta

Indian tasar silk is produced by a wild insect called Antheraea mylitta. Insects do not have any antigen-antibody mediated immune system like vertebrates but they produce a wide variety of effector proteins and peptides possessing potent antifungal and antibacterial activity to combat microbial attack. Antheraea mylitta expresses a fungal protease inhibitor AmFPI-1, in the hemolymph that inhibits alkaline protease of Aspergillus oryzae for protection against fungal infection. AmFPI-1 is purified from the hemolymph, crystallized and the structure is solved using the single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering (SIRAS) method to a resolution of 2.1 Å. AmFPI-1 is a single domain protein possessing a unique fold that consists of three helices and five β strands stabilized by a network of six disulfide bonds. The reactive site of AmFPI-1 is located in the loop formed by residues 46-66, wherein Lys54 is the P1 residue. Superimposition of the loop with reactive sites of other canonical protease inhibitors shows that reactive site conformation of AmFPI-1 is similar to them. The structure of AmFPI-1 provides a framework for the docking of a 1:1 complex between AmFPI-1 and alkaline protease. This study addresses the structural basis of AmFPI-1's specificity towards a fungal serine protease but not to mammalian trypsin and may help in designing specific inhibitors against fungal proteases

A Case Report of Bilateral Pneumothorax Associated with Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome is an inherited autosomal dominant multisystem connective tissue disorder that is the most common form of syndromic heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm disease which commonly involves skeletal, cardiovascular, and ocular systems with less frequent involvement of the pulmonary system. Here we report a case of 17 years old male patient who presented with sudden onset shortness of breath over the last 12 hours. The patient was tall, thin built with long slender fingers. There were absent breath sounds over both sides of his chest with resonant notes on percussion. Chest X-Ray confirmed the presence of bilateral pneumothorax consistent with the clinical finding. Intercostal Chest Drain (ICD) insertion was done. Marfan syndrome was diagnosed. Computed tomography angiogram revealed focal ectasia at the distal arch of the aorta just proximal to the descending aorta measuring 3 cm in diameter without any aortic regurgitation on transthoracic echocardiography. This case suggests that spontaneous pneumothorax could be a pointer towards as well as an initial presentation of inherited connective tissue disorder like MARFAN syndrome