Screening and characterization of extracellular cellulase enzyme produced by wild edible mushroom Pleurotus giganteus

195-199Cellulase is a class of enzyme that has great industrial importance. Cellulase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 1, 4 β-D glycosidic linkages in cellulose are mainly produced from a wide variety of microorganisms like fungi, bacteria and protozoan. The present study aimed at the screening and production of extracellular cellulase enzyme produced by a wild edible mushroom Pleurotus giganteus. Different physical and chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration and reaction time on cellulase activity were also studied. The clear yellowish zone around mycelial plug revealed that screening of extracellular cellulase activity of P. giganteus was positive. Cellulase production by using the mushroom was highest after 6 days of the incubation period. Extracellular cellulase activity was maximum at 50 oC temperature, pH 5, 1.4% of substrate concentration (Carboxy-methylcellulose) and 30 minutes of reaction time. The present investigation revealed that wild edible mushroom P. giganteus may be utilized as a source for the production of industrial cellulase

Screening and characterization of extracellular cellulase enzyme produced by wild edible mushroom Pleurotus giganteus

Cellulase is a class of enzyme that has great industrial importance. Cellulase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 1, 4 β-D glycosidic linkages in cellulose are mainly produced from a wide variety of microorganisms like fungi, bacteria and protozoan. The present study aimed at the screening and production of extracellular cellulase enzyme produced by a wild edible mushroom Pleurotus giganteus. Different physical and chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration and reaction time on cellulase activity were also studied. The clear yellowish zone around mycelial plug revealed that screening of extracellular cellulase activity of P. giganteus was positive. Cellulase production by using the mushroom was highest after 6 days of the incubation period. Extracellular cellulase activity was maximum at 50 oC temperature, pH 5, 1.4% of substrate concentration (Carboxy-methylcellulose) and 30 minutes of reaction time. The present investigation revealed that wild edible mushroom P. giganteus may be utilized as a source for the production of industrial cellulase

Role of living conditions and socioenvironmental factors on chronotype in adolescents

An individual's chronotype, defined as the preference for rest and activity at different times of the day, is linked to several physiological and psychological outcomes. Research on environmental determinants of chronotype has focussed mostly on geographic location, whereas other socioenvironmental determinants have been neglected. We aimed to investigate the association between other previously unrecognized socioenvironmental factors and chronotypes in adolescents. We analysed data of 1916 Bengali adolescents (aged between 13-14 years, 47% girls). Chronotype was determined by the reduced morningness-eveningness questionnaire (rMEQ), and socioenvironmental factors were identified through a structured questionnaire. Associations were analysed using multinomial logistic regression models. Our findings demonstrated that living in urban areas, the presence of a smoker at home, and higher parental education were associated with a higher evening activity (eveningness), while the use of biomass cooking media (compared to liquefied petroleum gas) and assisting parents in farming were associated with higher morningness in adolescents. This is the first study to identify the association between previously unrecognized socioenvironmental factors and chronotypes delineating the interaction between environment and sleep in adolescents and might help the parents to understand the importance of a proper sleep-activity rhythm of their kids through a comprehensive understanding of their surrounding environment and other factors

Secondary metabolite induced tolerance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense TR4 in banana cv. Grand Naine through in vitro bio-immunization: a prospective research translation from induction to field tolerance

An innovative tissue culture mediated incorporation of metabolite-based biomolecule (Bio-immune) at in vitro stage itself in banana cv. Grand Naine was developed and validated for the production of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense TR4 tolerant plantlets. The novel bio-immune formulation developed by us, exhibited a significant antifungal potency against Foc TR4 with a high percent inhibition (100%) at a 2.5% concentration of bio-immune on the 5th, 7th, and 9th DAI. Bio-immune integrated during in vitro shoot proliferation stage in banana cv. Grand Naine recorded significant enhancement in the growth of roots and shoots. Bio-immune (0.5%) fortified media produced 12.67 shoots per clump whereas control registered only 9.67 shoots per clump. Similarly, maximum root numbers (7.67) were observed in bio-immune plants which were significantly higher over control (5.0). The bio-immunized banana transplants recorded a higher survival rate (97.57%) during acclimatization as compared to the control (94.53%). Furthermore, evaluation of the bio-immunized plants in pot experiments revealed that unimmunized plants treated with FocTR4 (TF) exhibited mortality between 60 and 90 days. On the 90th day after planting, a high mean disease severity index (DSI) of 3.45 was observed with unimmunized plantlets while the bio-immunized plants (TFBI) and ICAR-FUSICONT treated plants (TFTR) showed substantially reduced DSI (0.20 and 1.00) compared to FocTR4 treated control (TF). Significant increases in polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), β-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chitinase activities, and enhanced phenol contents were recorded in bio-immunized plants compared to unimmunized plants. Field experiments at two different locations in Bihar, India revealed that bunch weight, no. of hands/bunch, and no. of fingers/hand of bio-immune treated plants were significantly higher compared to the control

Age, sex, religion and caste specific goitre prevalence among school children in Berhampore sadar sub-division of Murshidabad District, West Bengal

Objectives: The objective of the present study is to find out the prevalence of endemic goitre among school children of Berhampore sadar sub-division of Murshidabad district. Attempt has also been made to find out the interaction of host factors, viz, age, sex, caste, religion in influencing goitre prevalence among school children during post-salt iodization phase. Background: In post salt iodization phase, endemic goitre was found prevalent all over the India including West Bengal. Prevalence of goitre has been reported in many districts except Murshidabad. Present study is thus undertaken in Murshidabad district. Method: A total of 1566 school children (6-12 yr) were clinically examined for goitre from five C.D.Blocks of the studied region. Age, sex, religion and caste specific goitre prevalence was reported. Body height and body weight is also recorded to observe the growth pattern of the studied school children. Result: Overall result showed that mild degree of goitre endemicity (17.4%) was found. Girls (18.9%) were more affected than boys (15.7%). Goitre was most prevalent in Hindus (19.6%) than Muslim (16.0%) communities. Among the Hindus, general caste (20.4%) students suffered more than scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (18.6%). Conclusion: Present study indicates that goitre is still persist in the region. Result showed that girls were more affected than boys. It may be due to increase physiological demand in females at puberty. Result also showed that goitre was most prevalent in Hindus than Muslim communities and among the Hindus, general caste students suffered more than scheduled caste & scheduled tribe. It might be due to their different environmental adaptability and different dietary habit. Age specific data showed that in initial stage (6 yr) growth pattern is comparably better in boys than girls. The growth rate is high among the girls than boys at the age of 9 yr to 12 yr. It may be due to the high demand of steroid hormones among the girls before menarche

Effect of Addition of Titania doped Preformed Spinel in High Alumina Castables

Magnesium aluminate spinel aggregate was prepared by reaction sintering technique from its constituent oxides in a single firing process and the aggregate was used to develop alumina spinel castable. Different compositions were studied with variation in spinel content between 16 and 20 wt%. Other constituents used were WTA aggregates, bauxite aggregates, high alumina cements and additives. Developed castable was characterized for various properties both at dried and fired conditions

Rationalizing Defective Biomimetic Ceria: In vitro Demonstration of a Potential “Trojan horse” Nanozyme Based-Platform Leveraging Photo-Redox Activities for Minimally Invasive Therapy

Metal oxide nanostructures with surface-defect mediated chemistry have garnered pronounced interest due to the influence of these defects in tuning the photo-induced intracellular bio-catalytic (enzyme-mimicking) responses. However, designing defective nanozymes with pH-responsive multi-bio-catalytic functions without any dopants is challenging. Herein, oxygen-deficient “trojan horse-like” folate-functionalized, L-arginine-coated ceria (FA-L-arg-CeO2) nanozymes with synergistic multi-enzyme-mimicking and anti-cancer potential are introduced. The nanozymes possessed enhanced surface oxygen vacancies (VO●), strategically created under kinetically favourable synthesis conditions. Increased surface VO● promoted band structure reconstruction and amplified photochemical-response efficacy under single laser irradiation (808 nm), outperforming the defect-free commercial nano-CeO2 in rapid anti-tumorigenic activities. Through folate receptor-mediated endocytosis, these biostable nanozymes localized in MDA-MB-231 cells (84% in 48 h) and demonstrated NIR-accelerated enzymatic functions depending on the pH of the biological milieu. The reduced band gap energy facilitated effective electron-hole separation, up-regulating in vitro photo-redox reactions that impart exceptional therapeutic potential and inhibit 62% cell metastasis within only 12 h. By perturbing intratumoural redox homeostasis, VO●-rich FA-L-arg-CeO2 nanozymes unanimously killed 86% of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells while preferentially shielding benign L929 cells. Unlike conventional drug-loaded or dopant-incorporated CeO2 nanoplatforms, these defective multi-modal nanozymes unravel a new avenue for developing smart, low-cost, bio-active agents with enhanced efficacy and bio-safety

Chronotype assessment of the Bengalese adolescents: an observational study using a Bengali version of the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ)

Chronotype or morningness orientation is an interpersonal characteristic that influence human physiology and psychology and less is known about the chronotype of the Bengalese adolescents in India. We aimed to study the chronotype of this population by using a translated version of a previously established questionnaire. 471 Bengali-speaking adolescents (13–14 years) (boys = 268, girls = 203) of West Bengal, India were included in this study and their chronotype was assessed using an interviewer-administered Bengali version of the reduced Morningness–eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ). The reliability of the translated instrument was assessed using Cronbach’s α. Chi-squared test was used to observe the chronotype distribution between the boys and girls. rMEQ scores of all the participants ranged between 5 and 25 with a median value of 17 (25–75th percentile: 15–20). Cronbach’s α was 0.751. Using cut off scores, we found 47% of our study participants were of morning chronotype, whereas the intermediate and evening types were of 50% and 3%, respectively. Chi-squared test demonstrated a significantly higher morningness among boys than the girls. The study describes the morningness orientation pattern of the Bengalese adolescents that may have some defined influence on their physiological and psychological characteristics including health and disease.This study was partially supported by the unrestricted internal research grant of the Allergy & Asthma Research Centre, Kolkat

Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergy-related diseases among adolescents (PERFORMANCE) study: rationale and methods

Despite a considerable number of international reports on allergic diseases among children, information about the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergy-related diseases among Indian adolescents is relatively sparse. The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asthma and Allergy-Related Diseases among Adolescents (PERFORMANCE) study has been conceived to study the aetiology of asthma and allergic diseases including rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic eczema and food allergies among adolescents in West Bengal, India, using standardised methods and collaborations. The aims of the study are: 1) to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases among the adolescents residing in rural, suburban and urban areas of West Bengal; 2) to obtain information about the possible role of lifestyle factors (smoking, diet and physical activity) on the disease prevalence; and 3) to create a network for further investigation on social, environmental and genetic factors affecting the diseases. The PERFORMANCE study comprises two phases. The phase I study will investigate the prevalence and possible contributing factors of asthma and allergic diseases in a defined population. The phase II study will be performed as a follow-up of phase I to assess the incidence of asthma and allergic diseases