Plant derived antimicrobial peptide Ib-AMP1 as a potential alternative drug candidate for Staphylococcus aureus toxins

Due to an increase in the occurrence of multi drug resistant microorganisms a need for the development of alternative drugs comes in light. This alternative drug should be such that the microorganisms should not be able to develop resistance against them easily. Antimicrobial peptides are the most potential candidates to be developed as alternative drug. In the present study the three toxins ETA, ETB and PVL of Staphylococcus aureus were docked with four antimicrobial peptides, Ib-AMP1, JCPep7, Snakin2, Sesquin, derived from plants. The docking studies predict that Ib-AMP1 shows significant interactions with all these three toxins. Hence, further studies can be carried out for developing Ib-AMP1 as an alternative drug against the toxins of Staphylococcus aureus.

Efficacy and Stability studies of microbial folate fortified fruit juices prepared using probiotic microorganism

Folate, natural form of water soluble vitamin folic acid, is significant for humans as involved in most important metabolic reactions i.e. nucleotide synthesis and amino acid inter conversions. Thus its deficiency causes neural tube defects in newborns and cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Humans cannot synthesize folate de novo so consumption through diet is essential. Natural food sources, supplements and fortified food products are the choices available to complete the Daily recommended intake. However microbial fortification using probiotics recently gained wide attention due to dual advantage of natural food matrix with enhanced folate content along with the probiotics benefits. Current study was focused on the microbial fortification of fruit juices and their efficacy and stability studies. Freshly filtered orange and tomato juice was prepared and inoculated with Streptococcus thermophilus NCIM 2904. Incubation was done at 40°C and samples were collected at different time interval. Folate extraction was done using human plasma and content was measured by microbiological assay using Lactobacillus casei NCIM No. 2364. Efficacy and stability studies were carried out to ensure the quality of juices to be consumed in terms of folate content, viable cell count and pH after 4 weeks of storage at low temperature. Positive results were observed as folate content was quite stable whereas viable cell count was also found to be significant till some time without adding any preservatives. The results indicated that fortified fruit juices could be used as probiotic beverages with enhanced folate content.

Beneficial effects of phytochemicals in diabetic retinopathy: experimental and clinical evidence

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a major preventable cause of blindness. Strict control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profiles are the pivotal criteria to reduce the risk of developing DR. Although timely intervention with laser photocoagulation therapy could mitigate the progression of DR, it may not significantly improve visual acuity. Therefore, invasive surgical interventions such as vitrectomy are sometimes the only option to treat or manage advanced stages of DR. However, the risk of intra-ocular infections outweighs the benefits of the surgery. Newer therapies such as intraocular injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody and steroids serve as a viable option for the treatment of DR. However, several clinical studies that assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of this therapy have yielded inconclusive results. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop potent and safe drugs for the effective management of DR. In this review, we discuss various plant-derived small molecules (phytochemicals) that have been investigated for retinal cytoprotective effects in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, we highlight the caveats on using phytochemicals for the management of DR.

Phytocannabinoids for Cancer Therapeutics: Recent Updates and Future Prospects

Phytocannabinoids (pCBs) are lipid-soluble phytochemicals present in the plant, Cannabis sativa L. and non-cannabis plants which have a long history in recreation and traditional medicine. The plant and the constituents isolated were central in the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), the most new target for drug discovery. The ECS includes two G-protein-coupled receptors; the cannabinoid receptors-1 and -2 (CB1 and CB2) for marijuana's psychoactive principle Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC), their endogenous small lipid ligands; namely anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), also known as endocannabinoids and the enzymes for endocannabinoid biosynthesis and degradation such as fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). The ECS has been suggested as a pro-homeostatic and pleiotropic signaling system activated in a time- and tissue-specific way during pathological conditions including cancer. Targeting the CB1 receptors becomes a concern because of adverse psychotropic reactions. Hence, targeting the CB2 receptors or the endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes by pCBs obtained from plants lacking psychotropic adverse reactions has garnered interest in drug discovery. These pCBs derived from plants appear safe and effective with a wider access and availability. In the recent years, several pCBs derived other than non-cannabinoid plants have been reported to bind to and functionally interact with cannabinoid receptors and appear promising candidate for drug development including cancer therapeutics. Several of them also targets the endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes that control endocannabinoid levels. In this article, we summarize and critically discuss the updates and future prospects of the pCBs as novel and promising candidates for cancer therapeutics.

Electronic structure modification and Fermi level shifting in niobium-doped anatase titanium dioxide thin films: a comparative study of NEXAFS, work function and stiffening of phonons

The electronic structure and tuning of work function (WF) by electronic excitations (EEs) induced by swift heavy ions (SHIs) in anatase niobium-doped titanium dioxide (NTO) thin films is reported.

Enhanced surface and interface diffusion in Ni–Bi bilayers by swift heavy ion irradiation

Enhanced surface and interface diffusion in Ni–Bi bilayers has been observed using 100 MeV Au ion irradiation. The experimental observations were demonstrated using thermal spike model calculations.

Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal's 2015 Gorkha earthquake

The Gorkha earthquake (magnitude 7.8) on 25 April 2015 and later aftershocks struck South Asia, killing ~9000 people and damaging a large region. Supported by a large campaign of responsive satellite data acquisitions over the earthquake disaster zone, our team undertook a satellite image survey of the earthquakes' induced geohazards in Nepal and China and an assessment of the geomorphic, tectonic, and lithologic controls on quake-induced landslides. Timely analysis and communication aided response and recovery and informed decision-makers. We mapped 4312 coseismic and postseismic landslides. We also surveyed 491 glacier lakes for earthquake damage but found only nine landslide-impacted lakes and no visible satellite evidence of outbursts. Landslide densities correlate with slope, peak ground acceleration, surface downdrop, and specific metamorphic lithologies and large plutonic intrusions.

A case of gossypiboma mimicking intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

INTRODUCTION

A gossypiboma refers to a cotton-based foreign body left inadvertently in the human body following a surgical procedure. Although a rare event, they tend to be found in the abdomen but few are known to be intrahepatic.

CASE HISTORY

We report the case of a 44 year-old man who presented with recurrent episodes of jaundice and cholangitis, on a background of a right hepatectomy for hydatid cyst excision 20 years previously. This case was discussed at our hepatobiliary multidisciplinary team meetings on several occasions and a presumed diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was made. Biopsies of the mass had purely shown inflammation and remained inconclusive. It was decided that the patient should undergo a complete extended right hepatectomy with resection and reconstruction of the left branch of the portal vein. On attempting to obtain intraoperative frozen section specimens prior to resection, open excision revealed two large swabs encased in a calcified cavity. Removal of the swabs resulted in resolution of the mass and obstructive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Gossypiboma should be a rare differential diagnosis in all patients following a laparotomy presenting with obstructive symptoms, particularly in countries where strict surgical protocols may not be in place. This case also highlights the need to perform an intraoperative biopsy in any uncertain case of a liver lesion as we have shown that an extensive operation with its increased morbidity can occasionally be avoided.

Cardioprotective effect of lycopene against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats

The present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of lycopene (LCP) against isoproterenol (ISP)-induced myocardial infarction (MI), by assessing hemodynamic, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Wistar male albino rats were orally administered with LCP (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg) or with vehicle for 30 days, with concurrent subcutaneous injections of ISP (85 mg/kg) on days 28 and 29. ISP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (SAP, DAP and MAP, respectively) and heart rate (HR). ISP also decreased contractility (+LVdP/dt), relaxation (-LVdP/dt) and increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). In addition to functional impairment, ISP also caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in antioxidants, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), glutathione (GSH), cardiac injury marker enzymes, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as induced lipid peroxidation, malonaldialdehyde (MDA) and histopathological alterations in heart. However, pretreatment with LCP significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated ISP-induced cardiac dysfunction as evidenced by improved SAP, DAP, MAP, HR, (±)LVdP/dt and reduced LVEDP. Pretreatment with LCP also significantly (p < 0.05) prevented the depletion of antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GSHPx and GSH), myocyte injury marker enzymes (CK-MB and LDH) and inhibited lipid peroxidation and MDA formation in the heart. Furthermore, reduced necrosis, edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells on histopathological examination also depicted the protective effect of LCP against the deleterious effect of ISP. Based on the results, it is suggested that LCP possesses significant cardioprotective potential and may serve as an adjunct in treatment and prophylaxis of MI.

Effect of varying glucose concentrations during in vitro maturation and embryo culture on efficiency of in vitro embryo production in buffalo

This study was aimed to optimize glucose level at different stages of buffalo in vitro embryo production procedure. Three glucose levels (1.5, 5.6 and 10 mm) along with a control (0 mm) were used at three phases of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure viz. in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro culture (IVC-I) (12-72 hpi) and IVC-II (72 hpi to 7 dpi). Maturation rate of oocytes was found different under different glucose concentrations, and significantly more number of oocytes reached to MII under 5.6 mm glucose. The glucose levels at each phase (IVM, IVC-I and IVC-II) individually had significant effect on blastocyst rate, and the level used at one phase had significant effect on the outcome of next phase. Complete withdrawal of glucose from any of these stages irrespective of concentrations used at subsequent stage/s resulted in significantly lower number of blastocysts. However, the changing levels of glucose had differential effects during different phases of IVF steps. The most prominent effect of glucose level was observed during IVM. The presence of 5.6 mm glucose at all stages was most effective to yield highest blastocyst rate in buffalo IVF system.

The effect of sirolimus therapy on vaccine responses in transplant recipients

Different immunosuppressant regimens vary in their effects on antibody responses to vaccination. The combination of prednisolone and azathioprine has only a minor effect, whereas the addition of ciclosporin attenuates protective antibody responses to influenza vaccination. The effect of sirolimus, a new immunosuppressant, on vaccine responses has been little studied. Thirty-two hepatic or renal transplant patients randomized to calcineurin inhibitor-based or sirolimus-based immunosuppression were vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus. Following tri-valent influenza vaccination, a similar rise in antibody titer occurred in sirolimus and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treated patients, though sirolimus treated patients developed a 'protective' titer to more influenza antigens. The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was equally effective in both groups. Hence, vaccination guidelines in place for CNI treated patients are likely to be appropriate for transplant recipients maintained on sirolimus.

Evaluation of liver function impairment and lipid peroxidation induced by lantana camara leaf powder administration in adult rat serum and liver

Lantana camara is a common weed and certain medicinal properties have been attributed to this plant, but most varieties of this plant are reported to be highly toxic to animals. The plant is a native of America but a few varieties are indigenous to tropical Asia and Africa. The present investigation was done to study the hepatotoxic and lipid peroxidative effects of this noxious weed on female Wistar rats. Eighty four percent (84%) increase was observed in the activity of AST in group B and 120% increase was noted in group C in serum. In, liver tissue this increase was 66% and 258%. In the case of ALT, 165% increase was observed in group B and 219% increase was observed in group C in serum. In, liver there was 46% increase in group B and 216% increase in group C in the ALT activity. Similarly, 30% and 50% increase in group B and 120% and 300% increase in group C in the activity of ALP was observed with respect to control group. The overall protein concentration was increased in serum and decreased in liver tissue. Lipid peroxidation in liver tissue was inhibited by 22% in group B and 55% in group C. Thus Lantana camara is a toxic plant which produces severe hepatotoxicity in rats, but it also prevented lipid peroxidation that may suggest that Lantana camara may be acting as antioxidant but, exactly which of its component is responsible for this activity is not known and needs future investigations.