Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of coral reef associated gastropod, Trochus tentorium from Tuticorin coastal waters, Southeastern India

The aim of this work was to investigate extensively, the biomedical potential of the mollusc Trochus tentorium which are abundantly associated with coral reef of the Tuticorin coastal water. The 100% acetone fraction of the gastropod tested for its analgesic effect on Swiss mice model and anti-inflammatory activity on albino rat showed promising results. T. tentorium at the concentration of 25 and 50 mg/kg (p.o) showed significant decrease in the paw thickness (41.15 and 73.6%, respectively) at the 5th hour of the experiment. The 100% column-purified fraction of the T. tentorium (200 mg/kg p.o) exhibited significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of 79.22% against acetic acid induced abdominal constrictions. The dose of 25 mg/kg showed the inhibitions in the writhings of 67.86% (p<0.001) of animals when compared to the standard (diclofenac sodium), and 56.83% (50 mg/kg) inhibition was observed. These facts suggest that T. tentorium is a potential source for anti-inflammatory and analgesic compounds.Key words: Analgesic activity, anti-inflammatory activity, mollusc, southeastern India

Heparin and Heparan Sulfate: Analyzing Structure and Microheterogeneity [chapter]

available in PMC 2013 August 28The structural microheterogeneity of heparin and heparan sulfate is one of the major reasons for the multifunctionality exhibited by this class of molecules. In a physiological context, these molecules primarily exert their effects extracellularly by mediating key processes of cellular cross-talk and signaling leading to the modulation of a number of different biological activities including development, cell proliferation, and inflammation. This structural diversity is biosynthetically imprinted in a nontemplate-driven manner and may also be dynamically remodeled as cellular function changes. Understanding the structural information encoded in these molecules forms the basis for attempting to understand the complex biology they mediate. This chapter provides an overview of the origin of the structural microheterogeneity observed in heparin and heparan sulfate, and the orthogonal analytical methodologies that are required to help decipher this information

Analysis and characterization of heparin impurities

This review discusses recent developments in analytical methods available for the sensitive separation, detection and structural characterization of heparin contaminants. The adulteration of raw heparin with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) in 2007–2008 spawned a global crisis resulting in extensive revisions to the pharmacopeia monographs on heparin and prompting the FDA to recommend the development of additional physicochemical methods for the analysis of heparin purity. The analytical chemistry community quickly responded to this challenge, developing a wide variety of innovative approaches, several of which are reported in this special issue. This review provides an overview of methods of heparin isolation and digestion, discusses known heparin contaminants, including OSCS, and summarizes recent publications on heparin impurity analysis using sensors, near-IR, Raman, and NMR spectroscopy, as well as electrophoretic and chromatographic separations

Analysis of procainamide-derivatised heparan sulphate disaccharides in biological samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a family of linear heteropolysaccharides made up of repeating disaccharide units that are found on the surface and extracellular matrix of animal cells. They are known to play a critical role in a wide range of cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation and invasion. To elucidate the mechanism of action of these molecules, it is essential to quantify their disaccharide composition. Analytical methods that have been reported involve either chemical or enzymatic depolymerisation of GAGs followed by separation of non-derivatised (native) or derivatised disaccharide subunits and detection by either UV/fluorescence or MS. However, the measurement of these disaccharides is challenging due to their hydrophilic and labile nature. Here we report a pre-column LC-MS method for the quantification of GAG disaccharide subunits. Heparan sulphate (HS) was extracted from cell lines using a combination of molecular weight cutoff and anion exchange spin filters and digested using a mixture of heparinases I, II and III. The resulting subunits were derivatised with procainamide, separated using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and detected using electrospray ionisation operated in positive ion mode. Eight HS disaccharides were separated and detected together with an internal standard. The limit of detection was found to be in the range 0.6–4.9 ng/mL. Analysis of HS extracted from all cell lines tested in this study revealed a significant variation in their composition with the most abundant disaccharide being the non-sulphated ∆UA–GlcNAc. Some structural functional relationships are discussed demonstrating the viability of the pre-column method for studying GAG biolog

Length –weight Relationship (LWR) and Condition Factor (K) of a Deepsea Shrimp Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006 (Decapoda: Caridea: Pandalidae) from Southern Coast of Indian EEZ

Length–weight relationship (LWR) and condition factor (K) studies on commercially important deepsea caridean shrimp Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006 belonging to the family Pandalidae have significant implications for fishery management, its general well-being, and fitness in a marine habitat. The total length and weight relationship (TWR) of the species was estimated based on the 2540 samples, carapace length and weight relationship (CWR) with 3357 specimens consisting of males (M), females (NF) and ovigerous females (OF) collected during 2013–2015 along the southern coast of India. Samples of H. chani were collected from the commercial boats in commission with bottom trawls at a depth of 200–300 m with cod end mesh size of 25–30 mm operating along with three major landing centres (SAK, KAL, COL) along the southeastern Arabian Sea and two centres (TUT, NAG) along the Bay of Bengal. The parameter ‘b’ recognized negative and positive allometry (2.79 and 3.57), whereas the coefficient of determination (r2) was found to vary from 0.78–0.93 for TWR and CWR ‘b’ ranged from 1.52 to 2.78 showing negative allometric growth with r2 ranging between 0.60–0.88. Fulton’s condition factor (K) for total length and weight of males, females, and ovigerous females ranged between 0.56–0.71, 0.58–0.79, and 0.67–0.81, respectively representing better health conditions in ovigerous females with significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two variables. Results from the present study would provide valuable information on LWR and K of a deepsea shrimp, H. chani from India, and future studies might use this method to compare growth patterns, stock assessment, and sustainable management of deepsea shrimps along the Indian coast

Reproductive biology of the deep-sea shrimp Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006 (Decapoda: Caridea: Pandalidae) from southern India

The caridean shrimp Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006 (Pandalidae), is widely distributed along the Indian coasts, and is commercially exploited by deep-sea fisheries in southern India. There is limited information on its reproductive biology. A total of 3,122 specimens were collected from commercial bottom trawlers with a 25–30 mm mesh cod-end at depths of 200–300 m between November 2013 and December 2015. There was no significant difference (P < 0.05) in the sex ratio, and size at first maturity with regard to the carapace length was estimated as 22.2 mm in females and 21 mm in males in Arabian Sea specimens and 22 mm and 20.8 mm, respectively, in Bay of Bengal samples. Ovigerous females were observed through the entire fishing season, which indicates year-round breeding, with three stages identified in the devel- opment of eggs (early, middle, and late stages). The estimated absolute and relative fecundity in ovigerous females ranged 830–45,650 eggs and 160–2,871 eggs g–1, respectively. The max- imum of 45,650 eggs is the highest number so far reported for any pandalid species. The rela- tionship between carapace length and fecundity revealed b values of 3.31 to 6.33, indicating positive allometry with the coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.21–0.37. Knowledge of the reproductive biology of the species can be further extrapolated aiming for the sustainable management of this resource