Development and characterization of brain cell line from Trachinotus blochii and its application in virological and gene expression studies

A permanent cell line, SPB (Snubnose pompano brain) was established from Trachinotus blochii by the explant culture method. It has been sub-cultured more than 75 passages and showed optimal growth at 28°C using L-15 medium supplemented with 15% to 20% FBS. The SPB cells were cryopreserved at different passage levels for various applications. SPB cells were composed of fibroblastic and epithelial-like cells. The SPB cells were tested for mycoplasma contamination which was found to be negative. The origin of the SPB cell line from T. blochii was confirmed by amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. The transfection efficiency of SPB cell line is 15% assessed by expression of green fluorescent protein using pEGFP-N1 plasmid. In addition, two CMV promotor plasmids pFNCPE42-DNA and pcDNAVP28 were transfected to SPB cells and it shows high expression levels of FNCP of fish nodavirus and VP28 protein of white spot syndrome virus by immunostaining. The SPB cells showed susceptibility to SJNNV and the infection was confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot, ELISA, TCID50 and RT-qPCR. Experimental infection was carried out in T. blochii using SJNNV propagated in SPB cell line and found 100% mortality with clinical signs. The infection was confirmed by RT-PCR. The SPB cell line can be used for propagation of fish viral pathogens and production of the recombinant proteins.

Salt Leaching Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Cytocompatibility of Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Methylcellulose - ZnO Nanocomposites Scaffolds Using L929 Fibroblast Cells

The present work reports low cost, green synthesis of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were pure, predominantly spherical in shape with size ranging from 25 nm. The biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles have been used for antibacterial and In Vitro applications. The antibacterial activity of the prepared CS/PVA/MC3-ZnO1, CS/PVA/MC3-ZnO2, and CS/PVA/MC3-ZnO3 nanocomposites samples was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to disk diffusion method. When adding the ZnO nanoparticles both bacteria were very good inhibition zone was obtained. The transmission ZnO micrographs depicts spherical with uniform shape and good crystallinity and are composed of nanoparticles with a diameter less than 25 nm the average cube size was 100 nm. The AFM thickness of the CS/PVA/MC3-ZnO scaffold was, estimated from the AFM image, was about 10-20 nm and a roughness-like structure was observed. The FE-SEM film exhibits a scaffold exhibited porous structures. The excellent cell viability of the composite scaffolds was attributed to the good biocompatibility of the CS/PVA/MC3-ZnO3 as well as green fabrication process of the scaffolds. MTT analysis exposed that the samples did not have any toxicity. Since these positive points, these two kinds of scaffolds show appropriate properties for attachment, proliferation, and tendency to form group from L929 cells. In this work, we have prepared zinc oxide by high pressure homogenization process and the resultant zinc oxide was evaluated as fibers in CS/PVA/MC3 films.

Development and Characterization of Sodium Alginate/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blend Scaffold with Ciprofloxacin Loaded in Controlled Drug Delivery System

Sodium Alginate/Poly(vinyl alcohol) (SA/PVA) blend scaffolds were successfully prepared via solution casting method for controlled release of ciprofloxacin (CPF). The structures of the films were evaluated by ATR-FTIR, XRD and SEM. A wide variety of material characteristics for the SA/PVA blend scaffolds were investigated, including the swelling behaviour, liquid displacement method, mechanical property and antibacterial activity. ATR-FTIR studies evaluated the chemical interaction between the biopolymeric scaffolds and the drug. XRD studies proved the amorphous behaviour of the prepared scaffolds. SEM images revealed good cohesivity and compatibility between the biopolymers and the cargos. SA/PVA loaded with ciprofloxacin showed maximum swelling percentage, porosity and tensile strength. The formulated ciprofloxacin loaded SA/PVA scaffold showed strong antibacterial activity. The results of CPF release from biopolymeric scaffolds at pH 1.2, 5.3 and 7.4 indicated strong pH dependence. In vitro drug-controlled release studies showed a slower and more continuous release for the SA/PVA in comparison with plain SA and PVA and the drug-delivery cumulative release was proportional to the amount and the interlayer distance of SA/PVA blend scaffolds. A sustained drug release pattern was observed with a non fickian diffusion mechanism.

Development of Biomimetic Hybrid Porous Scaffold of Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol/Carboxymethyl Cellulose by Freeze-Dried and Salt Leached Technique

Freeze drying and salt leaching methods were applied to fabricate Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Carboxymethyl cellulose (CPCMC) biomimetic porous scaffolds for soft tissue engineering. The properties of these scaffolds were investigated and compared to those by freeze drying and salt leaching methods respectively. The salt-leached CS/PVA/CMC scaffolds were easily formed into desired shapes with a uniformly distributed and interconnected pore structure with an average pore size. The mechanical strength of the scaffolds increased with the porosity, and were easily modulated by the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose. The morphology of the porous scaffolds observed using a SEM exhibited good porosity and interconnectivity of pores. MTT assay using L929 fibroblast cells demonstrated that the cell viability of the porous scaffold was good. Scaffolds prepared by salt leached method show larger swelling capacity, and mechanical strength, potent antibacterial activity and more cell viability than freeze dried method. It is found that salt leaching method has distinguished characteristics of simple, efficient, feasible and less economic than freeze dried scaffolds.

Structural, Optical, Morphological and Microbial Studies on SnO₂ Nanoparticles Prepared by Co-Precipitation Method

Nanoparticles of tin oxide (SnO2) powders were prepared by co-precipitation method at 500 °C, 700 °C and 900 °C temperature. The sintered SnO2 nanoparticles, structural, optical, magnetic, morphological properties and microbial activity have been studied. XRD studies reveals that sintered powder which exhibits tetragonal crystal structure and both crystallinity as well as crystal size increase with increase in temperature. The morphological studies reveal randomly arranged grains with compact nature grain size increases with sintering temperature. The compositional analyses of SnO2 nanoparticles have been studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The optical band gap values of SnO2 nanoparticles were calculated to be about 4.3 eV in the temperature 500 °C, comparing with that of the bulk SnO2 3.78 eV, by optical absorption measurement. Room temperature M-H curve for pure SnO2 nanoparticles exhibits ferromagnetic behaviour. The tin oxide nanoparticles are acted as potential candidate material for bacterial and fungal activity.

Elucidation of photocatalysis, photoluminescence and antibacterial studies of ZnO thin films by spin coating method

The ZnO thin films have been prepared by spin coating followed by annealing at different temperatures like 300°C, 350°C, 400°C, 450°C, 500°C & 550°C and ZnO nanoparticles have been used for photocatalytic and antibacterial applications. The morphological investigation and phase analysis of synthesized thin films well characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Photoluminescence (PL), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Raman studies. The luminescence peaks detected in the noticeable region between 350nm to 550nm for all synthesized nanosamples are associated to the existence of defects of oxygen sites. The luminescence emission bands are observed at 487nm (blue emission), and 530nm (green emission) at the RT. It is observed that there are no modification positions of PL peaks in all ZnO nanoparticles. In the current attempt, the synthesized ZnO particles have been used photocatalytic and antibacterial applications. The antibacterial activity of characterized samples was regulated using different concentrations of synthesized ZnO particles (100μg/ml, 200μg/ml, 300μg/ml, 400μg/ml, 500μg/ml and 600μg/ml) against gram positive and gram negative bacteria (S. pnemoniae, S. aureus, E. coli and E. hermannii) using agar well diffusion assay. The increase in concentration, decrease in zone of inhibition. The prepared ZnO morphologies showed photocatalytic activity under the sunlight enhancing the degradation rate of Rhodamine-B (RhB), which is one of the common water pollutant released by textile and paper industries.

Correlation of serum estradiol level on the day of ovulation trigger with the reproductive outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection

BACKGROUND:

Serum estradiol (E₂) levels are measured in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), to assess the ovarian response and to predict ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The impact of peak E₂ levels on IVF-ICSI outcome was found to be inconsistent in the previous studies.

AIM:

To evaluate the impact of the serum E₂ levels on the day of ovulation trigger with the reproductive outcome of ICSI.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN:

Retrospective observational study. ART Center, at a Tertiary Care University Teaching Hospital.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Eighty-nine infertile women, who underwent ICSI with fresh embryo transfer over a period of 3 years, were included in the study. The study subjects were grouped based on the serum E₂ level on the day of ovulation trigger:- Group I - <1000 pg/ml, Group II - 1000–2000 pg/ml, Group III – 2000.1-3000 pg/ml, Group IV – 3000.1–4000 pg/ml, and Group V >4000 pg/ml. The baseline characteristics and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) outcome were compared among the study groups.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED:

Chi-square test, Student's t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS:

The study groups were comparable with regard to age, body mass index, ovarian reserve. Group V had significantly higher number of oocytes retrieved than I and II (18.90 vs. 11.36 and 11.33; P = 0.009). Group IV showed significantly higher fertilization rate than I, III, and V; (92.23 vs. 77.43, 75.52, 75.73; P = 0.028). There were no significant differences in the implantation rates (P = 0.368) and pregnancy rates (P = 0.368).

CONCLUSION:

Higher E₂ levels on the day of ovulation trigger would predict increased oocyte yield after COH. E₂ levels in the range of 3000–4000 pg/ml would probably predict increased fertilization and pregnancies in ICSI cycles.

Processing and characterization of chitosan/PVA and methylcellulose porous scaffolds for tissue engineering

Biomimetic porous scaffold chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) CS/PVA containing various amounts of methylcellulose (MC) (25%, 50% and 75%) incorporated in CS/PVA blend was successfully produced by a freeze drying method in the present study. The composite porous scaffold membranes were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling degree, porosity, degradation of films in Hank's solution and the mechanical properties. Besides these characterizations, the antibacterial activity of the prepared scaffolds was tested, toward the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and Escherichia coli (E.coli). FTIR, XRD and DSC demonstrated that there was strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the molecules of CS/PVA and MC. The crystalline microstructure of the scaffold membranes was not well developed. SEM images showed that the morphology and diameter of the scaffolds were mainly affected by the weight ratio of MC. By increasing the MC content in the hybrid scaffolds, their swelling capacity and porosity increased. The mechanical properties of these scaffolds in dry and swollen state were greatly improved with high swelling ratio. The elasticity of films was also significantly improved by the incorporation of MC, and the scaffolds could also bear a relative high tensile strength. These findings suggested that the developed scaffold possess the prerequisites and can be used as a scaffold for tissue engineering.

Opuntia ficus indica peel derived pectin mediated hydroxyapatite nanoparticles: synthesis, spectral characterization, biological and antimicrobial activities

In the present study, we have adapted a facile and efficient green route for the synthesis of HAP nanoparticles using pectin as a template which was extracted from the peel of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruits. The concentration of pectin plays a major role in the behavior of crystallinity, purity, morphology as well as biological property of the as-synthesized HAP nanoparticles. The extracted pectin and the as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by various analytical techniques. The in vitro apatite formation on the surface of the as-synthesized nanoparticles in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various days showed an enhanced bioactivity. Also, the antimicrobial activity was investigated using various microorganisms. All the results revealed the formation of pure, low crystalline and discrete granular like HAP nanoparticles of size around 25 nm with enhanced biological and antimicrobial activities. Hence the as-synthesized nanoparticles can act as a better bone regenerating material in the field of biomedicine.

Bio-based silica-reinforced caprolactam-toughened epoxy nanocomposites

In this work, industrially valuable and versatile nylon 6 precursor material caprolactam has been used as a toughener for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin (caprolactam epoxy (CPE)) along with glycidyl-functionalized bio silica (GRS) derived from rice husk, which was used as a reinforcement to obtain hybrid nanocomposites with improved properties. Caprolactam (20 wt%) and epoxy (80 wt%) have been reinforced with varying weight percentages (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt%) of GRS cured with diaminodiphenylmethane and characterized using different analytical techniques. Data obtained from mechanical studies indicate that the value of tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of 1.5 wt% GRS-reinforced caprolactam-toughened epoxy blend composites were enhanced to 135, 77 and 162%, respectively, compared with those of neat epoxy matrix. Similarly, the values of glass transition temperature and char yield were enhanced to 21 and 22%, respectively, whilst retaining inherent surface and insulating behaviour. Data from morphological studies infer the homogenous and uniform distribution of GRS in the CPE hybrid nanocomposites. From the data obtained from different studies, it is suggested that the hybrid composite materials developed in this work have potential use as coatings, adhesives, sealants, matrices and composites for different industrial and engineering applications in the place of conventional epoxy composites for improved performance and enhanced longevity.

Mullite-reinforced caprolactam-toughened DGEBA epoxy nanocomposites

This work describes the development of different weight percentages of glycidyl functionalized mullite-reinforced caprolactam-toughened epoxy (MCEP) nanocomposites. The functionalization of mullite and MCEP are confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis. Further, the morphological, surface behaviour and thermal properties are studied using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, goniometer, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. Surface studies show that the values of contact angle increased with increase in weight percentage of mullite and thus 1.5 wt% MCEP nanocomposites show values of higher contact angle (89.6°) and lower water absorption (0.107%) behaviour than those of the composites reinforced with lower wt% of mullite. Moreover, 1.5 wt% MCEP nanocomposites possess better impact behaviour (266.4 J m−2) than that of neat epoxy matrix. Thus the hybrid composite materials developed in this work are expected to find applications in different industrial and engineering sectors with improved performance and longevity.

Development of ricehusk ash reinforced bismaleimide toughened epoxy nanocomposites

Recent past decades have witnessed remarkable advances in composites with potential applications in biomedical devices, aerospace, textiles, civil engineering, energy, electronic engineering, and household products. Thermoset polymer composites have further enhanced and broadened the area of applications of composites. In the present work epoxy-BMI toughened-silica hybrid (RHA/DGEBA-BMI) was prepared using bismaleimide as toughener, bisphenol-A as matrix and a silica precursor derived from rice husk ash as reinforcement with glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as coupling agent. Differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and goniometry were used to characterize RHA/DGEBA-BMI composites developed in the present work. Tensile, impact and flexural strength, tensile and flexural modulus, hardness, dielectric properties were also studied and discussed. The hybrid nanocomposites possess the higher values of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and mechanical properties than those of neat epoxy matrix.

Novel banana peel pectin mediated green route for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and their spectral characterization

Hydroxyapatite [HAP, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] is the main inorganic component of natural bone and is widely used in various biomedical applications. In this paper, we have reported the synthesis of HAP nanoparticles by banana peel pectin mediated green template method. The pectin extracted from the peels of banana and its various concentrations were exploited in our study to achieve a controlled crystallinity, particle size as well as uniform morphology of HAP. The extracted pectin was characterized by spectral techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the functional group analysis, proton-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H NMR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((13)C NMR) for the identification of H and C atoms in the extracted pectin, respectively. The HAP nanoparticles were synthesized using different concentrations of the as-extracted pectin. The purity, crystallinity and morphology of the as-synthesized HAP nanoparticles were evaluated by FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Moreover the antibacterial activity of HAP nanoparticles was evaluated against the gram positive and negative bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), respectively. The experimental results revealed that the HAP nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of an optimized concentration of pectin are pure, low crystalline, spherical and discrete particles with reduced size. Also, the HAP sample derived in the presence of pectin showed an enhanced antibacterial activity than that of the HAP synthesized in the absence of pectin. Hence, the HAP nanoparticles synthesized using pectin as a green template can act as a good biomaterial for biomedical applications.

Vinyl silane-functionalized rice husk ash-reinforced unsaturated polyester nanocomposites

Organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites based on vinyl silane-functionalized rice husk ash-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin were developed and characterized.

A novel green template assisted synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanorods and their spectral characterization

Hydroxyapatite [HAP, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] is the main inorganic component of bone material and is widely used in various biomedical applications due to its excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. In this paper we have reported the synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanorods by green template method using the extracts of three different natural sources which contain tartaric acid and also from commercially available one. The extracts of banana, grape and tamarind are taken as the sources of tartaric acid. The as-synthesized samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). Also the antibacterial activity of HAP with different concentrations against two pathogen bacteria strains Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella (Gram-negative bacteria) were tested. The results show that the particles of all the samples are of nanosized and pure. The crystallinity decreases as changing the sources of tartaric acid from commercial to natural one and also changing the natural sources from banana to tamarind extracts. The formation of nanorods are found in all the samples but the nanorods with uniform size distribution can be obtained only by using the tamarind extract as the source of tartaric acid. Moreover, the as-synthesised HAP nanorods derived from natural sources exhibited a strong antibacterial activity against both E. coli and Klebsiella at a concentration of 100 μl. The HAP nanorods synthesized by this method can act as a potential candidate for various biomedical applications.

Studies on synthesis and characterization of surface-modified mullite fibre-reinforced epoxy nanocomposites

The present work describes the development of epoxy composites using varying weight percentages (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt%) of glycidyl-functionalized mullite (GM) fibre and diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol-A epoxy resin cured with diamino diphenyl methane. The mullite fibre was synthesized via the sol–gel method and its surface was modified with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. The glycidyl functionality in the mullite fibre has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analyses. The data obtained from the thermal, mechanical, dielectric water absorption studies and contact angle showed that the GM fibre had a significant impact in the resultant epoxy nanocomposites compared to neat epoxy matrix. The molecular level dispersion of mullite fibres into the epoxy matrix was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses.