Antibacterial Activity of \u3cem\u3ePunica granatum\u3c/em\u3e L. Against Gastro Intestinal Tract Infection Causing Organisms

The pericarp of Punica granatum Linn. has been commonly employed as a crude drug in Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of diarrhoea as well as for use as an astringent, antihelminthic, asphrodisacs, laxative, diuretic, stomachic, cardiotonic and refrigerant. Antibacterial activity of P. granatum pericarp extracts was evaluated against ten Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) infection causing bacterial strains using paper disc agar diffusion method. The result indicated that the extracts obtained from P. granatum pericarp exhibited antimicrobial activity against all organisms except the crude extract used against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The methanol extract has exhibited maximum antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella typhi and Shigella dysenteriae Serotype 1. Methanol extract shows significant activity against tested bacterial strains when compared to other extracts used in the study. Our findings suggest that an appropriate bioactive compound(s) may be developed from P. granatum pericarp as complementary alternative medicine for the treatment of GIT infection causing bacterial strains

APPLICATION OF MULTIFACTORIAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN FOR OPTIMIZATION OF PRODIGIOSIN PRODUCTION USING SERRATIA MARCESCENS MBB01, MBB02 AND MBB05

Objective: The present study was aimed at investigating the prodigiosin production under optimized conditions with different parameters such astemperature, incubation time, substrate concentration, and inoculum size.Methods: Response surface methodology was found to be useful in optimizing and determining interactions among process variables in prodigiosinproduction by applying Box–Behnken and face-centered central composite design.Results: Prodigiosin producing Serratia marcescens (SM) MBB01, MBB02, and MBB05 were isolated from soil (Western Ghats Ecosystem). Thesignificant R value was 0.9666, 0.9459, and 0.9433, and the maximum experimental response for prodigiosin production was 497, 690, and560 mg/mL, whereas the predicted value was 495.3, 706.6, and 574.8 mg/mL for SM MBB01, SM MBB02, and SM MBB05, respectively.2Conclusion: Statistically optimized conditions by Box–Behnken design found to be very significant in improved pigment production by SM MBB01,MBB02, and MBB05. The correlation between the predicted and observed values indicates the adequacy of the model.Keywords: Prodigiosin, Serratia marcescens, RSM

Studies on the Corrosion Performance for Steel Embedded in Fly Ash Blended Concrete

The present investigation it to study the corrosion performance of fly ash blended cement concrete in chloride-contaminated environments by various electrochemical and non-electrochemical techniques. The chloride binding ability at the optimum replacement level of fly ash was also studied

In Vitro Anti-plasmodial activity of Trigonella foenum–graecum L.

Developing countries, where malaria is one of the most prevalent diseases, still rely on traditional medicine as a source for the treatment of this disease. For the present study, Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) were collected from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The test plant has been used in India by traditional healers for the treatment of fever as well as other diseases. The active principle was extracted out in different solvent systems to assess the anti-plasmodial potential, with an aim that they can further be utilized to formulate drugs. In vitro anti-plasmodial assay of the extracted fractions of fenugreek leaves was carried out using laboratory adapted chloroquine sensitive and resistant Plasmodium falciparum isolates. Schizont maturation inhibition assay was adopted to analyze the potential of the extracts. Ethanol extract (50%) seemed to possess profound anti-plasmodial activity with IC50 value of 8.75 ± 0.35 µg ml−1 and 10.25 ± 0.35 µg ml−1 against chloroquine sensitive and resistant P. falciparum isolates, respectively. Among the investigated six fractions of the plant extracts, two were found to have significant anti-plasmodial activity with IC50 values <10 µg ml−1, namely ethanol and butanol extracts. Two extracts chloroform and ethyl acetate showed moderate activity with IC50 values ranging from 10 to 20 µg ml−1, and the other two extracts, hexane and water appeared to be inactive with IC50 values >85 µg ml−1. In addition, preliminary phytochemical screening of the various extracts indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponin, tannin like phenolic compounds, flavonoids and steroids

ISOLATION OF ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITOR PRODUCING BACTERIA FROM COW MILK

Objective: To evaluate the potential of protease producing organism for the production of Angiotensin I–converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor by fermentation of various protein substrates.Methods: Bacterial strains were isolated from cow milk collected in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India by using serial dilution technique, plated on nutrient agar medium. The identity of the strain was ascertained by 16s rRNA gene sequencing method and was submitted to the NCBI GenBank nucleotide database. Various substrates were screened for ACE inhibitor production by the fermentation with the isolated strain.Results: The isolated coded as BUCTL09, which showed a significant zone of clearance was selected and identified as Micrococcus luteus (KF303592.1). Among the seven substrates, only beef extract fermented broth showed an inhibition of 79% and was reported as the best substrate.Conclusion: In the search for non-toxic, and economic ACE inhibitors as an alternative to the synthetic drugs, many natural ACE inhibitors have been isolated from a microbial source. In the present study, isolate BUCTL09 was selected for the production of ACE inhibitor from the beef extract. Findings from this study lead us to investigate this potent ACE inhibitor further for its biological properties and to explore the impending efficacy of the ACE inhibitor which may conceivably be developed into a prospective drug

Green tea polyphenols in cardiometabolic health: A critical appraisal on phytogenomics towards personalized green tea

Cardiovascular disease is a chronic multifactorial health complication that is either directly or indirectly associated with pathophysiological mechanisms, including pro-oxidation, pro-inflammation, vascular and endothelial dysfunction, impaired platelet function, thrombosis, and others. The therapeutic options to circumvent cardiovascular complications include several phytomedicines, including green tea polyphenols. However, while many experimental and clinical studies report distinct mechanisms by which the polyphenols of green tea elicit a beneficial role in cardiometabolic health, the translation and applications of green tea polyphenols in clinics have yet to gain their optimal use on the broader population. This review critically appraises the various reported mechanisms of green tea polyphenols in modulating cardio-metabolic health and associated phyto-genomic challenges. Further, our review highlights the probability of gene polymorphic associated therapeutic variations in individuals using green tea for cardio-metabolic effects and the necessity to personalize green tea for clinical use, thereby improvising the risk-benefit ratio

Oil slick in the inshore waters to the north of Cochin Port Channel

The oil samples resembles that of Gulf crude oil and was not seen in Fort Cochin area south of the fairway channel, the oil slick might have caused extensive damage to the intertidal organisms including bivalve spat populations attached to the granite wall constructed to check sea erosion. Strict enforcement of preventive measures is recommended against such oil spillage

Relationship between ultrasound detected tendon abnormalities, and sensory and clinical characteristics in people with chronic lateral epicondylalgia

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between tendon structural changes determined by static ultrasound images (US) and sensory changes using quantitative sensory testing (QST), and clinical measures in lateral epicondylalgia.Materials and methodsBoth elbows of 66 adult participants with a clinical diagnosis of lateral epicondylalgia were investigated. Using a standardised ultrasound image rating scale, common extensor hypoechogenicity, heterogenicity, neovascularity, and bony abnormalities at the enthesis were scored, and tendon thickness (longitudinal and transverse plane) was measured by a trained assessor. Sensory measures of pressure, heat and cold pain thresholds and vibration detection threshold were recorded. Pain and function were assessed using the patient-rated tennis elbow (PRTEE), pain-free grip strength, pain visual analog scale (PVAS) and quality of life (EuroQoL EQ -5D). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between tendon structural, sensory and clinical variables which were adjusted for age, gender and duration of symptoms.ResultsA negative correlation was identified between the presence of neovascularity and cold pain threshold (P = 0.015). Multiple regression analyses revealed that a combination of female gender (P = 0.044) and transverse tendon thickness (P = 0.010) were significantly associated with vibration detection threshold in affected elbows, while gender (P = 0.012) and total ultrasound scale score (P = 0.024) were significantly associated with heat pain threshold and vibration detection threshold in unaffected elbows. Heat pain threshold and gender were significantly associated with pain and disability (PRTEE; P ConclusionGenerally, structural and sensory measures were weakly correlated. However, neovascularity and transverse tendon thickness may be related to sensory system changes in LE