Evaluation of Varieties and Hybrids for Physico-Chemical Characters in Papaya (Carica papaya L.)

Papaya (Carica papaya L., Caricaceae) is a fruit crop of commercial significance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The present investigation was carried out to assess physico-chemical characteristics of 10 genotypes of papaya under Bengaluru conditions. Results revealed that the varieties, Sunrise Solo, Waimanalo and the hybrids, H-39 and H-57 had medium-sized fruits. Fruit cavity index was low in the varieties Sunrise Solo, Pink Flesh Sweet and in hybrids H-39 and H-57. Further, Sunrise Solo recorded the highest plant height while the shortest plants were observed in Pusa Dwarf. Weight of the fruits was found to vary from 486.67g in Sunrise Solo, to 1380.33g in Pusa Dwarf. Pulp thickness, TSS and ascorbic acid were found to be maximum in hybrids H-39 and H-57. Lowest titratable acidity too was observed in the hybrids H-39 and H-57

Study of the Altered Anisotropy of Erythrocyte Ghost Membrane upon Interaction with Phytoreduced Negatively Charged Gold Nanoparticle from Celosia cristata and Vigna radiata

Synthesis of negatively charged gold nanoparticles (GNP) was done from seed extract and seed electrolyte of two locally available plant sources Celosia cristata and  Vigna radiata without using any toxic chemicals and it is a rapid reduction way. Standard techniques of spectroscopy and   advanced  microscopic study was done in characterizing the particles and simultaneously the phytochemicals present in the electrolyte and extract were also spotted using established process. The effects of nanoparticles on live red blood cells were analyzed by calculating hemolysis percentage. Evaluations of GNP activity when interacted with erythrocyte ghost membrane and their impact on membrane fluidity and anisotropy were also studied as negatively charged GNP are less delineated in previous history. The results showed that negatively charged gold nanoparticles were reduced by flavonoids and phenols present in seed extract and electrolyte of plants and they are hemocompatible and can help to fluidize the membrane of erythrocyte ghost cells.The whole experiment suggested a simple, ecofriendly approach of synthesizing negatively charged nanogold which are safe to live cells that can change the fluidity parameter of membrane constituent by decreasing the anisotropy which can further help in curing health problem related with cell membrane issue

Copper Ion Doped Mullite Composite in Poly (vinylidene Fluoride) Matrix: Effect on Microstructure, Phase Behavior and Electrical Properties

Highly crystallized copper ion doped mullite composites have been synthesized at 1100°C and 1400°C via sol-gel technique with five different strengths of copper ion and was incorporated in poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to make doped mullite composite/polymer films. We have studied the effects of this dopant on microstructure, phase transformation, and electrical properties of the polymer films over a wide range of frequency from 1.0 KHz to 2.0 MHz. Characterizations were done by various analytical tools at room temperature. Prominent mullite phases were observed from XRD, FTIR spectroscopy and FESEM characterization of composite polymer. The concentration of the dopant and the sintering temperature were found to be the two basic factors which affect the phase transition of the polymer. The composite film showed maximum dielectric constant of 19.96 at 1 KHz for 1.2M concentration of copper ion doped mullite sintered at 1400°C, compared to 3.09 for the pure polymer. Furthermore, both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of the composite were found to be highly frequency and temperature dependent. After doping, the A.C. conductivity of the composite was found to increase with increasing temperature following Jonscher's power law and the electrical resistivity reduced too. Moreover, the results revealed that the phase behaviors and micro structural changes of the copper ion doped mullite composite/polymer film affected its electrical properties with possible impact on its applications

ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY AND ACTIVATION ENERGY OF COBALT ACETATE TETRAHYDRATE DOPED MULLITE

Mullite composites have been synthesized at 400°C, 800°C, 1000°C and 1300°C via the sol-gel technique in the presence of cobalt. The electrical resistivity and activation energy of the composites have been measured and their variation with concentration of the metal ion doping has been investigated. The resistivity of doped mullite decreases rapidly from 400°C-800°C more gently from 1000°C-1300°C. The lowering of resistivity is due to the 3d orbital electrons and the concentration of cobalt ions. X-ray analysis confirms the presence of Co2+ ions in mullite, which entered the octahedral site. The Co2+ ion which substituted Al3+ ion in the octahedral site of mullite structure appeared to be efficient in reducing the resistivity. This has been confirmed due to the results of activation energy of resistivity/band gap energy, the Eg which was lowest for concentration 0.15 M. As the concentration increases, these ions lower the resistivity of mullite to a minimum

THE ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG DOXEPIN: A PROMISING ANTIOXIDANT

ABSTRACTObjective: Oxidative stress contributes to the pathophysiology of exposure to environmental pollutants and to different free radical generatingbiochemical reactions in a human system leading to various types of age-related ailments. An antioxidant is a substance capable of preventingor slowing down oxidation of other molecules. Administration of different natural or synthetic antioxidants can ably lead to prevention andattenuation of such stress-induced biochemical alterations. Best examples of natural antioxidants are plant-derived flavonoids. The presentstudy has been designated to determine antioxidant properties in antidepressant compound doxepin which is structurally similar to flavonoidquercetin.Methods: Antioxidant capacity in doxepin was determined with help of several standard conventional procedures such as phosphomolybdenumassay, Ferric ion and cupric ion reducing power assays, ferrous ion chelating activity assay, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide scavenging activityassays.Results: Doxepin showed a stable rise in its antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner as determined by ferric as well as cupric ion reducingcapacity and by phosphomolybdenum assay. An almost identical observation was noted while determining ferrous ion chelating activity. Furthermore,doxepin showed a strong nitric oxide scavenging activity in all the concentrations used in the study while its hydrogen peroxide scavenging activitywas only observed at 500 μg/ml of doxepin.Conclusion: Thus, our study opens up a new vista in search for antioxidants not only from plant sources but also from clinically establishedpharmaceutical compounds that are already in practical use among patients.Keywords: Antioxidant, Antidepressant, Doxepin, Quercetin, Flavanol, Flavonoids

Phenothiazines as a solution for multidrug resistant tuberculosis: From the origin to present

Historically, multiplicity of actions in synthetic compounds is a rule rather than exception. The science of non-antibiotics evolved in this background. From the antimalarial and antitrypanosomial dye methylene blue, chemically similar compounds, the phenothiazines, were developed. The phenothiazines were first recognised for their antipsychotic properties, but soon after their antimicrobial functions came to be known and then such compounds were designated as non-antibiotics. The emergence of highly drug-resistant bacteria had initiated an urgent need to search for novel affordable compounds. Several phenothiazines awakened the interest among scientists to determine their antimycobacterial activity. Chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, methdilazine and thioridazine were found to have distinct antitubercular action. Thioridazine took the lead as researchers repeatedly claimed its potentiality. Although thioridazine is known for its central nervous system and cardiotoxic side-effects, extensive and repeated in vitro and in vivo studies by several research groups revealed that a very small dose of thioridazine is required to kill tubercle bacilli inside macrophages in the lungs, where the bacteria try to remain and multiply silently. Such a small dose is devoid of its adverse side-effects. Recent studies have shown that the (–) thioridazine is a more active antimicrobial agent and devoid of the toxic side effects normally encountered. This review describes the possibilities of bringing down thioridazine and its (–) form to be combined with other antitubercular drugs to treat infections by drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and try to eradicate this deadly disease. [Int Microbiol 2015; 18(1):1-12]Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis · phenotiazines · thioridazine · tuberculosi

Factors for COVID-19 Infection that Govern the Severity of Illness

Coronaviruses have been posing a serious threat to mammals and birds and a new class of SARS-CoV is creating havoc to the world after its first incidence in Wuhan City in China in December 2019. These viruses are mainly responsible for causing serious respiratory tract infections which generally appear initially as the common cold and can be lethal just like SARS-CoV. The problems seem to vary and worsen from one person to another depending on age, gender, ethnicity, blood groups, host genetics, and associated comorbidities. Complications should also arise as this virus keeps mutating and evolving. This review points out the various underlying causes behind the severity of the illness and the mechanisms associated with it. This review will help society to understand the risks and severities associated with COVID-19. Individuals with health complexities and predispositions listed in this review are the most vulnerable in terms of severity and should take every possible measure to protect themselves from getting infected. As a consequence, this will lead to a decrease in mortality rates arising from COVID-19.   Doi: 10.28991/SciMedJ-2021-0302-9 Full Text: PD

Phenothiazines as a solution for multidrug resistant tuberculosis:From the origin to present

Historically, multiplicity of actions in synthetic compounds is a rule rather than exception. The science of non-antibiotics evolved in this background. From the antimalarial and antitrypanosomial dye methylene blue, chemically similar compounds, the phenothiazines, were developed. The phenothiazines were first recognised for their antipsychotic properties, but soon after their antimicrobial functions came to be known and then such compounds were designated as non-antibiotics. The emergence of highly drug-resistant bacteria had initiated an urgent need to search for novel affordable compounds. Several phenothiazines awakened the interest among scientists to determine their antimycobacterial activity. Chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, methdilazine and thioridazine were found to have distinct antitubercular action. Thioridazine took the lead as researchers repeatedly claimed its potentiality. Although thioridazine is known for its central nervous system and cardiotoxic side-effects, extensive and repeated in vitro and in vivo studies by several research groups revealed that a very small dose of thioridazine is required to kill tubercle bacilli inside macrophages in the lungs, where the bacteria try to remain and multiply silently. Such a small dose is devoid of its adverse side-effects. Recent studies have shown that the (–) thioridazine is a more active antimicrobial agent and devoid of the toxic side effects normally encountered. This review describes the possibilities of bringing down thioridazine and its (–) form to be combined with other antitubercular drugs to treat infections by drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and try to eradicate this deadly disease. [Int Microbiol 2015; 18(1):1-12]Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis · phenotiazines · thioridazine · tuberculosi

In situ synthesis of environmentally benign montmorillonite supported composites of Au/Ag nanoparticles and their catalytic activity in the reduction of p-nitrophenol

In the present work, composites of montmorillonite clay supported silver and gold nanoparticles were synthesized by in situ chemical reduction method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The clay-nanoparticle composites were synthesized at two different temperatures (25 degrees C and 75 degrees C) where nanoparticle size was found to depend on synthesis temperature. The distribution of the catalytic nanoparticles was uniform in the clay matrix with sizes in the range of 20-45 nm (at 25 degrees C) and 5-15 nm (at 75 degrees C), respectively. Catalytic activity of the clay-nanoparticle composites were monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy using p-nitrophenol and NaBH4 as model reactants. The best catalytic efficiency was observed in the case of silver-clay nanocomposites with a rate constant of 5.6 x 10(-3) s(-1)

Cu(II) and Gd(III) doped boehmite nanostructures: a comparative study of electrical property and thermal stability

The present article reports the effect of transition (Cu2+) and rare earth metal (Gd3+) ion doping on structural, microstructural and electrical properties of boehmite nanoparticles. Rietveld refinement is adopted here to refine the x-ray diffractograms for further analyzing the microstructural details and their alteration due to the incorporation of foreign cations. This is probably the first time when dielectric properties of these doped boehmite samples having been reported herein. These samples show remarkably high dielectric constant values which corroborate that doping enhances the microstrain values inside the orthorhombic structure and results in higher crystallographic defects. Enhancement in defect sites causes the augmentation of relative permittivity and ac conductivity. Temperature stability has also been enhanced significantly in our Cu-doped sample. The present study enables us to determine a relationship between crystalline deformation and electrical properties of nanomaterials which may be highly beneficial in fabricating cost-effective energy harvesting devices