NEUROPROTECTIVE ROLE OF ASCORBIC ACID: ANTIOXIDANT AND NON-ANTIOXIDANT FUNCTIONS

Ascorbic acid (AA) or Vitamin C is an important antioxidant which participates in numerous cellular functions. Although in human plasma its concentration is in micromolars but it reaches millimolar concentrations in most of the human tissues. The high ascorbate cellular concentrations are generated and maintained by a specific sodium-dependent Vitamin C transporter type 2 (SVCT2, member of Slc23 family). Metabolic processes recycle Vitamin C from its oxidized forms (ascorbate) inside the cells. AA concentration is highest in the neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals, and deletion of its transporter affects mice brain and overall survival. In the CNS, intracellular ascorbate serves several functions including antioxidant protection, peptide amidation, myelin formation, synaptic potentiation, and protection against glutamate toxicity. SVCT2 maintains neuronal ascorbate content in CNS which has relevance for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. As ascorbate supplements decrease infarct size in ischemia-reperfusion injury and protect neurons from oxidative damage, it is a vital dietary antioxidant. The aim of this review is to assess the role of the SVCT2 in regulating neuronal ascorbate homeostasis in CNS and the extent to which ascorbate affects brain function as an antioxidant

Abundance, foraging behavior and pollination efficiency of insects visiting the flowers of Aonla (Emblica officinalis)

Many insect species visit the flowers of a plant and play an important role in their pollination. Of late, the interest of the pollination biologists has been to determine their relative contribution towards the reproductive success of the plant. Such information is lacking on the pollinators of Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), a plant of very high nutritive and medicinal importance. Therefore, let’s attempt to make this study to generate such information on this plant. The study was conducted on three varieties of Aonla (viz. Chakaiya, NA-7 and NA-10) for two years. An entire range of flower visitors of this fruit plant was captured with hand net from its field during its flowering period and were identified. On the basis of foraging mode, the flower visitors were characterized as pollinators and non-pollinators. Their abundances, foraging rates, activity durations and number of pollen grains carried on the surface were recorded, and these parameters were used to determine their relative contribution towards the reproductive success of this plant. Among the 12 insect species visiting the flowers of Aonla at the study site, 5 belonged to Hymenoptera, 6 to Diptera and one to Lepidoptera. Apis dorsata was the most abundant visitor having maximal foraging rate and carried maximal number of loose pollen grains, followed by A. mellifera, A. florea and Sarcophaga sp; other visitors had lesser values of these parameters. On the basis of these parameters, melittophilous mode of pollination was found to predominate in Aonla. However, the plant was found to be benefitted from the multispecies pollinator guild, and the pollinator diversity seemed to matter for maximization of pollination in Aonla. Therefore, there is a dire need to conserve the pollinator diversit

Use of cervical length, measured by transvaginal sonography at 22 to 26 weeks, as a predictor of preterm labour in twin pregnancy

Background: Preterm labour and delivery contributes significantly to perinatal morbidity and mortality in twin gestation. Measurement of cervical length during antenatal period and subsequent follow up may identify women at risk for preterm labour.  The purpose of this study was to determine if measurement of cervical length at 22 to 26 weeks can be used as a predictor of preterm labour in twin pregnancy.Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in 50 women with twin gestation in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Cervical length was measured using transvaginal sonography and repeated every four weeks till delivery. Cervical length of ≤30 mm was taken as short cervix and delivery before 37 weeks was taken as preterm delivery.Results: Total of 18 out of 50 women (36%) delivered between 32 to 34 weeks, 14 out of 50 (28%) delivered between 34 to 37 weeks, 7 out of 50 (14%) delivered at less than 32 weeks. Therefore, total preterm deliveries at less than 37 weeks were 78%. Total 11 out of 50 (22%) delivered at term i.e. at more than 37weeks. In women, who had short cervical length (≤ 30 mm) at the time of presentation, 14 out of 37 (38 %) delivered between 30 to 34 weeks, 12 out of 37 (32 %) women delivered between 34 to 37 weeks, 5 out of 37 (14%) delivered at ≤ 30 weeks. Rest 6 out of 37 (16 %) delivered after 37 weeks.Conclusions: Short cervical length of ≤30 mm on transvaginal sonography at 22-26 weeks of gestation in twin pregnancy may be used as a screening tool in prediction of preterm labour in asymptomatic twin pregnancy

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS AS DEFENSE SYSTEM AGAINST CANCER

In living cells, the production of free radicals that comprise both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species is highly regulated that help the cells to sustain redox homeostasis. Overproduction of ROS from mitochondrial electron transport chain leakage or excessive stimulation of xanthine oxidase and other oxidative enzymes leads to the uncontrolled production of free radicals leading to oxidative stress that can mediate damage to cell structures. This damage can be repaired by the antioxidant defense system. Antioxidants are capable of stabilizing, or deactivating, free radicals before they attack cellular components such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. The use of antioxidants in cancer prevention is a rapidly evolving research area where antioxidants scavenge free radicals and thus, indirectly help in the prevention of cancer. A wide range of antioxidants such as glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10, lycopene, flavonoids, and isoflavones when used in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, result in the reduction of drug toxicity and enhanced efficacy of anticancer agents. This review aims at the use of these exogenous antioxidants as disease-oriented therapy and elucidating the relation of antioxidant enzymes with different types of cancers to overcome the harmful effects of cancer treatment

New insights into molecular links between microbiota and gastrointestinal cancers:A literature review

Despite decades of exhaustive research on cancer, questions about cancer initiation, development, recurrence, and metastasis have still not been completely answered. One of the reasons is the plethora of factors acting simultaneously in a tumour microenvironment, of which not all have garnered attention. One such factor that has long remained understudied and has only recently received due attention is the host microbiota. Our sheer-sized microbiota exists in a state of symbiosis with the body and exerts significant impact on our body’s physiology, ranging from immune-system development and regulation to neurological and cognitive development. The presence of our microbiota is integral to our development, but a change in its composition (microbiota dysbiosis) can often lead to adverse effects, increasing the propensity of serious diseases like cancers. In the present review, we discuss environmental and genetic factors that cause changes in microbiota composition, disposing of the host towards cancer, and the molecular mechanisms (such as β-catenin signalling) and biochemical pathways (like the generation of oncogenic metabolites like N-nitrosamines and hydrogen sulphide) that the microbiota uses to initiate or accelerate cancers, with emphasis on gastrointestinal cancers. Moreover, we discuss how microbiota can adversely influence the success of colorectal-cancer chemotherapy, and its role in tumour metastasis. We also attempted to resolve conflicting results obtained for the butyrate effect on tumour suppression in the colon, often referred to as the ‘butyrate paradox’. In addition, we suggest the development of microbiota-based biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis, and a few target molecules of which the inhibition can increase the overall chances of cancer cure

Abundance, foraging behavior and pollination efficiency of insects visiting the flowers of Aonla (Emblica officinalis)

Many insect species visit the flowers of a plant and play an important role in their pollination. Of late, the interest of the pollination biologists has been to determine their relative contribution towards the reproductive success of the plant. Such information is lacking on the pollinators of Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), a plant of very high nutritive and medicinal importance. Therefore, let’s attempt to make this study to generate such information on this plant. The study was conducted on three varieties of Aonla (viz. Chakaiya, NA-7 and NA-10) for two years. An entire range of flower visitors of this fruit plant was captured with hand net from its field during its flowering period and were identified. On the basis of foraging mode, the flower visitors were characterized as pollinators and non-pollinators. Their abundances, foraging rates, activity durations and number of pollen grains carried on the surface were recorded, and these parameters were used to determine their relative contribution towards the reproductive success of this plant. Among the 12 insect species visiting the flowers of Aonla at the study site, 5 belonged to Hymenoptera, 6 to Diptera and one to Lepidoptera. Apis dorsata was the most abundant visitor having maximal foraging rate and carried maximal number of loose pollen grains, followed by A. mellifera, A. florea and Sarcophaga sp; other visitors had lesser values of these parameters. On the basis of these parameters, melittophilous mode of pollination was found to predominate in Aonla. However, the plant was found to be benefitted from the multispecies pollinator guild, and the pollinator diversity seemed to matter for maximization of pollination in Aonla. Therefore, there is a dire need to conserve the pollinator diversit

Recent Advancements in the Technologies Detecting Food Spoiling Agents

To match the current life-style, there is a huge demand and market for the processed food whose manufacturing requires multiple steps. The mounting demand increases the pressure on the producers and the regulatory bodies to provide sensitive, facile, and cost-effective methods to safeguard consumers’ health. In the multistep process of food processing, there are several chances that the food-spoiling microbes or contaminants could enter the supply chain. In this contest, there is a dire necessity to comprehend, implement, and monitor the levels of contaminants by utilizing various available methods, such as single-cell droplet microfluidic system, DNA biosensor, nanobiosensor, smartphone-based biosensor, aptasensor, and DNA microarray-based methods. The current review focuses on the advancements in these methods for the detection of food-borne contaminants and pathogens

Covalent–Organic Framework-Based Materials in Theranostic Applications: Insights into Their Advantages and Challenges

Nanomedicine has been essential in bioimaging and cancer therapy in recent years. Nanoscale covalent–organic frameworks (COFs) have been growing as an adequate classification of biomedical nanomaterials with practical application prospects because of their increased porosity, functionality, and biocompatibility. The high sponginess of COFs enables the incorporation of distinct imaging and therapeutic mechanisms with a better loading efficiency. Nevertheless, preliminary biocompatibility limits their possibility for clinical translation. Thus, cutting-edge nanomaterials with high biocompatibility and improved therapeutic efficiency are highly expected to fast-track the clinical translation of nanomedicines. The inherent effects of nanoscale COFs, such as proper size, modular pore geometry and porosity, and specific postsynthetic transformation through simple organic changes, make them particularly appealing for prospective nanomedicines. The organic building blocks of COFs may also be postmodified for particular binding to biomarkers. The exceptional features of COFs cause them to be an encouraging nanocarrier for bioimaging and therapeutic applications. In this review, we have systematically discussed the advances of COFs in the field of theranostics by providing essential features of COFs along with their synthetic methods. Further, the applications of COFs in the field of theranostics (such as drug delivery systems, photothermal, and photodynamic therapy) are discussed in detail with the help of available literature to date. Furthermore, the advantages of COFs over other materials for therapeutics and drug delivery are discussed. Finally, the review concludes with potential future COF applications in the theranostic field

Role of Silver Nanoparticle-Doped 2-Aminodiphenylamine Polymeric Material in the Detection of Dopamine (DA) with Uric Acid Interference

A viable electrochemical approach for the detection of dopamine (DA) in uric acid (UA) utilizing a silver nanoparticle-doped 2-aminodiphenylamine (AgNPs-2ADPA) electrode was invented. The electrochemical performance of DA showed that the incorporated electrode displayed outstanding electrocatalytic performance to the electrochemical oxidation of DA. In our study, the AgNPs-2ADPA exhibits remarkable catalytic activity, retaining high current value and resilience when employed as a working electrode component for electrocatalytic detection of DA. We have also utilized the bare and polymeric-2ADPA in DA detection for a comparison study. This method offers a facile route with extraordinary sensitivity, selectivity, and strength for the voltammetric detection of DA, even in the presence of UA and ascorbic acid (AA) as interferents, that can be employed for pharmaceutical and biological specimens