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Catalysed-microwave based Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass of Camelina Sativa L. for Bio-Fuel Production
Get PDFLignocellulosic biomasses are promising alternative resource for bio-fuel production. But due to the recalcitrant nature of lignin and hemicellulose, necessitates an efficient pre-treatment process to improve the yield of reducing sugars and maximising the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. Catalysed-microwave pre-treatment may be a good alternative as compared to other methods since it can reduce the time and improve the enzymatic activity during hydrolysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the catalysed-microwave based pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass of Camelina sativa straw (CSS) to overcome the recalcitrant nature of cellulosic biomass. The microwave-alkaline (2 % NaOH) pre-treatment of CSS at 250 W for 10 min yields maximum (~422 mg/g) total soluble sugars (TSS) production during hydrolysis. Likewise, the maximum glucose content (~294 mg/g) was measured in 2 % alkaline-microwave pre-treatment for 10 min at RT. However, slight increase in lignin degradation was observed with the increase in alkaline hydroxide concentration and microwave irradiation exposure time. The maximum degradation in lignin content (~83 %) was measured in 3 % alkaline-microwave pre-treatment for 20 min at RT. Our results suggest that the microwave-alkaline pre-treatment approach may be employed for comprehensive utilisation of CSS biomass of Camelina sativa L. cv. Calena (EC643910) for bio-fuel production
Data Mining for Drug Repurposing and New Targets Identification for Radioprotection
Get PDFIonising radiation (IR) is responsible for various types of tissue injury leading to morbidity at low doses and mortality at high radiation exposure. Although many radioprotective and pharmacological agents are being tested for decreasing radiation injury, however, the availability of Amifostine as the only clinically used radioprotector with limited indication has prompted us to find out new potential molecules through drugs repurposing for protecting or decreasing radiation damage by data mining. In this work we have used text-mining based network generation approach to find out the gene targets of radioprotectors under evaluation by Agilent Literature Search app in Cytoscape. Extracted genes were evaluated for their association with radiation in Radiation Genes database. These genes were searched against therapeutic drugs and molecules under clinical trial in the Drug Gene Interaction database. We found that most of the radiation target genes were involved in cell death, proliferation, homeostasis, cell cycle and cancer pathways. Many of these genes were druggable and could be targeted by the drugs under clinical research, whereas there were few genes (new targets), which were never considered for radioprotective drug development. This study would likely help in repurposing of identified drugs for use in the event of radiation fallout, keeping in mind that no radiation medical countermeasure for acute radiation syndrome has been approved by the US FDA for use in humans. Results also revealed new target genes for drug targeting and indicates use of similar pipeline in other pathologies for drug repurposing and development
Black Polyethylene Mulch Doubled Tomato Yield in a Low-input System in Arid Trans-Himalayan Ladakh Region
Get PDFThe influence of black polyethylene mulch (BPM) on growth and yield of tomato was investigated under a low-input cultivation system in arid high altitude (elevation 3344 m) in trans-Himalaya. The mean marketable yield varied from 27.8±2.5 t.ha-1 in open-pollinated varieties with no mulch treatment to 81.2±11.9 t.ha-1 in hybrid tomatoes with BPM. The yield of hybrid tomatoes with BPM is similar or greater than those reported in high-input systems. With BPM, total marketable yield in hybrid varieties increased by 102 per cent and 107 per cent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Yield increase due to mulching in open-pollinated varieties was 86 per cent and 80 per cent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Increase in early fruiting under BPM was observed in all the five varieties studied. Difference in soil temperature between mulch and unmulch was significantly higher at early growth stage than during later stages. BPM reduced 57 per cent weed and save 74 per cent time in manual weeding. Incidence of insect-pest and diseases was minimal, and rotten fruit was less than 2 per cent of marketable yield without staking and pesticide or fungicide application
Physico-chemical Characteristics of Fine Nano-scaled Carbon Fibers from Bacterial Cellulose
Get PDFRecently, carbon nanofibers have gained immense attention in research due to its tremendous application. Here, this work highlights a simple, cost effective and reliable method to develop carbon nanofibers (CNF) from biomass. The biomass used is bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized using Acetobacter xylinus. CNF was developed by freeze drying of BC followed by pyrolysis at different temperatures (300ºC - 900ºC). The conversions of BC to CNF were characterized using SEM, FTIR, TGA and XRD respectively. The results exhibit three dimensional, lightweight, fine nanoscale fibers with a diameter of 10nm which are tend to have hydrophobic and lipophilic characters, due to which it can be used in oil – water separation applications.
Detection of Shigella dysenteriae Type 1 in Milk by PCR
Get PDFShigellosis is severest form of bacillary dysentery, a disease limited to humans and certain other primates. Conventional microbiological techniques used for the isolation and biochemical identification of microbes are time-consuming as well as labour intensive. Due to the fastidious nature of Shigella and the lengthy culture time, a rapid and sensitive system for the detection of bacteria is highly desirable. Nucleic acid-based techniques have enormous potential in the detection of biological weapons because of their specificity, sensitivity, and the speed with which results can be obtained. The application of polymerase chain reaction in sensitive detection of bacterial pathogens in direct food samples is largely affected by the quality of the template DNA. To overcome the shortcomings of conventional methods, we have defined simple method of sample preparation that facilitates PCR based detection of Shigella dysenteriae in milk. In present study, gene specific primers were designed to detect stxA gene. The genomic DNA extraction from the spiked milk was carried out by proteinase K, lysozyme, chloroform-isoamyl alcohol and heat treatments. The optimized extraction of DNA by addition of chloroform-isoamyl alcohol proved to be the most satisfactory amongst all, with limit of detection of 2.0 x 103 cfu/ reaction and was completed in 4h.
Turbidimetric Assay of Nisin in Tender Coconut Water
Get PDFNisin activity in tender coconut water using Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris as test microorganism was estimated using turbidimetry by measuring optical density at 600nm after 6 h. of incubation at 370C. The test microorganism was cultivated in nutrient broth with different concentration of nisin along with tender coconut water. A standard curve was drawn between optical density and known concentration of nisin. The nisin concentration of the test samples was measured by curve fitting method using the optical density values. The results thus obtained by this method were reproducible, rapid and more accurate in tender coconut water and hence it may be employed for the determination of nisin activity in tender coconut water on regular basis for quality control purposes
Rapid production of therapeutic proteins using plant system
Get PDFPlant molecular farming is simply defined as the production of proteins therapeutics (PT) in plants, which involves transient gene expression in plants and purification of expressed protein to a great scale for diagnosis, treatment and other applications. This is therapid,economical, safe and reproducible approach for the production of PTas compared to bacterial and mammalian systems. Protein yield and post-translational modifications are the major roadblocks that can be overcome byhigh expression strategies includes over expression constructs, suitable plant host systems and glycoengineering of proteins. The inherent ability of ideally producing safe, functional protein is the most striking phenomenon recognized by the pharmaceutical industries and developed many therapeutic products within few weeks to meet escalating demands during pandemic/epidemic outbreaks recentl
Moisture Sorption Characteristics of Ready-to-eat Chicken Wheat Crisps Prepared Using Resistant Starch and Chicken Powder with Wheat Flour
Get PDFFibre and protein enriched chicken wheat crisps were evaluated for their adsorption behaviour at a temperature range of 5 °C - 40 °C and a water activity range of 0.1-0.9. Sigmoid type II isotherm was obtained for the product and the sorption data was fitted to 3 models namely BET, GAB, and Peleg model. Each model was statistically evaluated by means of root mean square (%) and coefficient of determination (R2). Peleg and GAB gave the best fits for the moisture sorption data evaluated on the basis of regression analyses and goodness of fit. Surface area of adsorption was evaluated using parameter values obtained from the BET model and the surface area decreased with increase in temperature. Equilibrium moisture content at a particular water activity and isosteric heat of sorption were seen to decrease with increasing temperature. We conclude that the chicken wheat crisps can be stored at 25 °C for a better shelf life
Quality and Quantity Loss by Aphid Infestation in Vegetables Grown under Protected Cultivation in Ladakh Region
Get PDFDuring the hardly six months of suitable climatic window in summer season, many vegetable crops such as cabbage, cauliflower and radish are grown extensively in Ladakh region of India. These crops contribute significantly to the requirement of military and paramilitary troops in addition to the civil population inhabiting the region. In addition to growing these vegetable crops outdoor, some of these are grown under protective cultivation to get early and more produce, however various insect pests including aphids cause serious damage to the crops annually. The present study was undertaken to estimate the quality as well as quantity loss due to aphids infestation in three economically important crops namely cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis), knol – khol (B. caulorapa) and radish (R. sativus) in the Indus valley of Ladakh region (J&K), in 2015. Results showed that there was 7.5 % to 27.5 % reduction in chlorophyll contents in the study crops while the overall yield in infested crops ranged from 35.4 in B. caulorapa to 41.9 % in B. oleracea var. botrytis respectively. Total chlorophyll contents were decreased statistically in radish (p = 0.0002; χ2 ≥ 17.0), whereas the overall yield loss was statistically similar among all the three vegetable crops (p = 0.6). Current study is first to analyze this kind of loss in important vegetable crops in Ladakh region of India and could be used as baseline study for planning anti-aphid strategy to protect vegetable crops in Ladakh region of India
Early Differential Neurometabolite Response of Hippocampus on Exposure to Graded dose of Whole Body Radiation: An in Vivo 1H MR Spectroscopy Study
Get PDFWhole body radiation exposure induced injury may occur during medical or industrial accidents as well as during terrorist radiation exposure scenario. A lot of information is available on alterations in brain function and metabolism post localised cranial irradiation; changes in brain associated with whole body radiation exposure are still limited. The present study has been conducted to assess early differential effect of low and high whole body radiation exposure on hippocampus neurometabolites using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). Hippocampal 1H MRS was carried out in controls (n = 6) and irradiated mice exposed to 3 Gy, 5 Gy, and 8 Gy of radiation (n = 6 in each group) at different time points i.e., day 0, 1, 3, 5 and 10 post irradiation at 7 T MRI system. Quantitative assessment of the neurometabolites was done using LCModel. The results revealed significant decrease in myoionisitol (mI)/creatine (tCr) and taurine (tau)/tCr in animals exposed to 5 Gy and 8 Gy dose compared to controls. In 3 Gy dose group, none of the metabolites showed significant alterations at any of the time point post irradiation as compared to controls. Overall our findings suggest differential change in hippocampal volume regulatory mechanism associated neuro-metabolites following whole body radiation exposure with maximum reduction in case of high dose group. We speculate that these alterations may be a consequence of oxidative stress, neuro inflammation or systemic inflammatory response following whole body radiation exposure