SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF SOME NEW AMIDES OF THIOMORPHOLINE CARBOXYLATE

Objective: Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of some new amides of Thiomorpholine caboxylate.Methods: A series of new amides of Thiomorpholine caboxylate were synthesized by reacting 4-tert-butyl 2-methyl thiomorpholine-2,4-dicarboxylate 1,1-dioxide with primary amines in presence of Trimethyl aluminum in toluene at ambient temperature in good yields. 4-tert-butyl 2-methyl thiomorpholine-2,4-dicarboxylate 1,1-dioxide was synthesized by reacting tert-butyl thiomorpholine-4-carboxylate 1,1-dioxide with methyl chloroformate in presence of LiHMDS (1M in THF) at -78oC for the first time. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1HNMR, 13C NMR, Mass spectral studies and elemental analysis.Results: A series of new amides of Thiomorpholine carboxylate were synthesized in good yields and all the compounds were screened for their In-vitro antimicrobial activities. Conclusion: Preliminary results revealed that the synthesized compounds were showed moderate to good antibacterial and antifungal activity

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND IN VITRO MICROBIAL EVALUATION OF REGIOISOMERS OF ALLYL PHENYL ETHERS DERIVED 1, 2, 4-TRIAZOLES

Objective: Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of regioisomers of allyl phenyl ethers derived 1, 2, 4-triazoles. Methods: A series of new 1,2,4-triazole derivatives of allyl phenyl ethers were synthesized by reacting a mixture of regio isomers 1-(3-bromo-2-methoxypropoxy)-arene and 1-(2-bromo-3-methoxypropoxy)-arene with 1,2,4-triazole in presence of K2CO3 and DMF at 80oC in good yields. Allyl phenyl ethers 1(a-f) were synthesized by refluxing the substituted phenols with allyl bromide in the presence of K2CO3 and acetone in excellent yields. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1HNMR, Mass spectral studies and elemental analysis. These compounds were also screened for their In-vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. Results: Allyl phenyl ethers derived 1,2,4-triazol derivatives were synthesized in good yields. Conclusion: Preliminary results revealed that some of the synthesized compounds were showed promising antibacterial and antifungal activity

Genetic Variability for Nutritional Traits among Wild Relatives of Pearl Millet Conserved at ICRISAT Genebank

Pearl millet is an important food and feed crop across the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. Efforts are being made at global level to enhance the pearl millet nutrition including micronutrients to overcome malnutrition. Although enough diversity is noticed for nutritional traits in pearl millet germplasm, the content among open pollinated varieties and hybrids has been moderate. The wild relatives of pearl millet in primary genepool (Pennisetum violaceum, P. mollissimum) are useful sources for various stresses and for broadening the genetic base of pearl millet. The present study assessed the genetic variability for Fe, Zn, and protein content among 335 accessions of P. violaceum conserved at ICRISAT Genebank, Patancheru in an augmented design along with controls during post-rainy 2014-15. The open pollinated seeds were assessed for Fe, Zn (ICP method), and protein contents. Enormous genetic variability was observed among the 318 accessions of P. violaceum for nutritional traits like Fe (20-325 ppm), Zn (20-86 ppm), and protein (11-23%) content. Large numbers of accessions had higher levels of Fe (164 accessions), Zn (105 accessions), and protein content (319 accessions) compared to the best controls (Fe 53 ppm; Zn 52 ppm, protein 12%). One hundred and one accessions had combination of all three nutrients higher than the best controls. The present study has identified several accessions with high to very high levels of Fe, Zn, and protein compared to pearl millet. The research is in progress to identify stable sources to develop nutrient dense broad based open pollinated and hybrid cultivars

Pearl millet

Pearl millet is an important staple crop in the semiarid regions of Asia and Africa due to its high nutritive value and adaptation to varying stress conditions. Globally, Pennisetum spp. germplasm is conserved as 66,682 accessons in 97 genebanks, with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Patancheru holding the largest collection. Enormous diversity has been reported in cultigen genepool for morphoagronomic traits, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and nutritional traits. Core and minicore collection developed at ICRISAT would facilitate extensive evaluation and identification of trait-specific diverse germplasm. Wide crosses within the primary genepool have been successful to transfer desirable traits, but those involving secondary and tertiary genepool species have often met with limited success. Genomic resources are expected to increase with pearl millet genome sequence due for release and faster developments in next-generation sequencing technologies, which would enhance germplasm management and crop improvement

Geochemical Classification of Groundwater System in a Rural Area of Nigeria

The characteristics of the groundwater system in Iresa-Apa, Oyo state, Nigeria, were studied using the Piper linear approach. Twenty-four water samples were randomly collected to cover the area of study. The analyzed cations from the samples are Mg2+, Na+, K+, and Ca2+, while the anions are CO32−, HCO3−, SO42−, and Cl−. The three hydrochemical facies identified are Ca–Mg–Na, Ca–Mg–Na–SO4, and Na–K–Cl–SO4 types. The similarities in the observed water types suggest that almost the same geochemical processes are controlling the cation-anion reaction of the groundwater system in the study area

Soil test-based nutrient balancing improved crop productivity and rural livelihoods: case study from rainfed semi-arid tropics in Andhra Pradesh, India

Widespread multinutrient deficiencies in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) are among major factors for large gaps between farmers’ current crop yields and potential yields. In this study, we adopted a stratified soil sampling method to assess soil fertility-related constraints in farmers’ fields in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh in the semi-arid tropics of India. Most of the fields across all eight districts were critical in sulfur (61%–98% deficient fields); and up to six districts each in boron (83%–98% deficient fields), zinc (50–85% deficient fields), and soil organic carbon (55–97% deficient fields). Low soil organic carbon specifically indicates nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorus deficiency was critical in three districts (60–84%) while potassium in general was adequate. Soil test-based nutrient balancing through the application of sulfur, boron, and zinc in addition to farmers’ practice of adding only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increased crop productivity by 8%–102%. Benefit–cost ratio (1.60–28.5) proved favourable to scale-up balanced nutrition. Better post-harvest soil health and residual benefits of sulfur, boron, and zinc up to four succeeding seasons indicated sustainability of the practice. Results showed that balanced nutrition is a way forward for sustainably improving farm productivity and livelihoods

Pharmacological Dual Inhibition of Tumor and Tumor-Induced Functional Limitations in a Transgenic Model of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer progression is associated with systemic effects, including functional limitations and sarcopenia without the appearance of overt cachexia. Autocrine/paracrine actions of cytokines/chemokines produced by cancer cells mediate cancer progression and functional limitations. The cytokine-inducible transcription factor NF-κB could be central to this process, as it displays oncogenic functions and is integral to the Pax7:MyoD:Pgc-1β:miR-486 myogenesis axis. We tested this possibility using the MMTV-PyMT transgenic mammary tumor model and the NF-κB inhibitor dimethylaminoparthenolide (DMAPT). We observed deteriorating physical and functional conditions in PyMT+ mice with disease progression. Compared with wild-type mice, tumor-bearing PyMT+ mice showed decreased fat mass, impaired rotarod performance, and reduced grip strength as well as increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in muscle. Contrary to acute cachexia models described in the literature, mammary tumor progression was associated with reduction in skeletal muscle stem/satellite-specific transcription factor Pax7. Additionally, we observed tumor-induced reduction in Pgc-1β in muscle, which controls mitochondrial biogenesis. DMAPT treatment starting at 6 to 8 weeks age prior to mammary tumor occurrence delayed mammary tumor onset and tumor growth rates without affecting metastasis. DMAPT overcame cancer-induced functional limitations and improved survival, which was accompanied with restoration of Pax7, Pgc-1β, and mitochondria levels and reduced ECM levels in skeletal muscles. In addition, DMAPT restored circulating levels of 6 out of 13 cancer-associated cytokines/chemokines changes to levels seen in healthy animals. These results reveal a pharmacological approach for overcoming cancer-induced functional limitations, and the above-noted cancer/drug-induced changes in muscle gene expression could be utilized as biomarkers of functional limitations

Sorghum germplasm from West and Central Africa maintained in the ICRISAT genebank: Status, gaps, and diversity

The genebank at ICRISAT maintains 8020 accessions of sorghum from 16 West and Central African countries. Geographical gaps and diversity were assessed in the collection. Using the passport data of 3991 accessions for which georeferenced data were available, a total of 386 districts (gaps) located in 11 West and Central African countries were identified as geographical gaps. Burkina Faso with 140 and Nigeria with 118 districts were identified as countries with major geographical gaps. The collection of 43 accessions of wild species represented only three species belonging to Sorghum bicolor ssp. drummondii and ssp. verticilliflorum, S. hevisonii, and S. macrochaeta, highlighting the need for collection missions aimed exclusively at enriching the collection of wild relatives. Accessions having characterization data (7630) were used to assess diversity. The first three principal components contributed to > 60% of variation. Maximum diversity was observed in the collection from Nigeria for both qualitative and quantitative traits. Mean values indicated significant differences between basic and intermediate races for the traits studied. Among the races, accessions of guinea-caudatum for qualitative traits and those of caudatum for quantitative traits were highly diverse. The low intensity of the sorghum collection and the many geographical gaps in the collection underline the importance of launching collection missions to fill the gaps, particularly in regions of predominantly guinea sorghums. Genotyping of possible duplicate accessions is needed to identify duplicates in the collection. It is suggested that all passport information including georeferenced data of collection sites should be collected when samples are collected in gaps

Geographical distribution, diversity and gap analysis of East African sorghum collection conserved at the ICRISAT genebank

The aim of the investigation was to assess the geographical distribution, diversity and gaps in sorghum collection from East African countries conserved at the ICRISAT genebank. The collection represents a total of 12,750 accessions including 11,672 landraces, 877 breeding materials, six improved cultivars, and 195 wild accessions. Passport data and FloraMap, a GIS software were used to assess geographical distribution and identify gaps. Range, mean, variance and phenotypic diversity index were estimated using GENSTAT 13.1. to assess the diversity in the collection. Cultivated sorghums classified into races and intermediate races based on spikelet and panicle morphology differed significantly, and races showed more variation than intermediate races for days to 50% flowering in postrainy season, plant height in rainy season, basal tillers per plant, panicle length, seed width and 100 seed weight. A total of 153 districts located in 50 provinces of 10 East African countries were found as the geographical gaps. Probably due to large variation for maturity, timing of collecting mission, and accessibility to the area under sorghum cultivation, both North and South Sudan were found as the major gaps with seven and 50 districts, respectively. The wild sorghum collection from East African countries belongs to S. bicolor, S. halepense, S. lanceolatum, S. macrochaeta, S. purpureosericeum and S. versicolor. Remaining species of genus sorghum were considered as taxonomic gaps. The gaps identified in the present study need to be explored on a priority basis to collect and conserve most diverse sorghum germplasm