Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences
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HEPATOPROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF Physalis peruviana L. FRUIT EXTRACTS ON LEAD ACETATE INTOXICATED RATS
Get PDFPhysalis peruviana has been widely used as a medicinal herb for treating various diseases since ancient times. This study aimed to examine the hepatoprotective potential of the ethanolic extract of P. peruviana fruit (EPPF) against lead acetate (LA) intoxicated male albino rats. The experimental rats were divided into ten groups of 4 animals. Animal of Group I served as normal, Group II animals were administered orally 15 mg/Kg body weight of LA, Group III to V animals received EPPF 150mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg respectively, Group VI animals received standard silymarin 50 mg/kg, and Group VII to X were treated with LA (15 mg/kg) with EPPF 150, 300, 600 and std 50 mg/kg, orally for 32 days respectively. The degree of protection was measured by estimating hematological parameters such as Hb, RBC, WBC, PCV, platelets, MCV, MCHC, and ESR and biochemical parameters such as urea, creatinine, Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL, bilirubin, SGOT, SGBT, ALP, GGT, protein, albumin and globulin. Lead acetate induced alterations of hematological and biochemical parameters were observed in group II animals and these levels brought back to normal in the animals treated with EPPF at the concentrations of 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg which was significantly similar to silymarin treated animals. The data of the results obtained depicted that the fruit extract of P. peruviana was found to have promising protective efficacy against lead acetate induced liver toxicity
FBDD: In-silico STRATEGY TO INHIBIT MPRO ACTIVITY USING DRUGS FROM PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS
Get PDFMain protease (Mpro) and Spike (S) proteins are said potential drug targets of COVID-19. Pneumonia like respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 is spreading rapidly due to its replication and transmission rate. Protease is the protein that is involved in both replication and transcription. Since CoV-2 shares, genomic similarity with CoV and MERS-CoV, drugs from previous outbreaks are used as primary treatment of the disease. In-silico drug development strategies are said to be faster and effective than in-vitro with a lesser amount of risk factors. Fragment Based Drug Designing (FBDD), also known as rational drug design in which a potential target protein is selected and docked with a lead-like molecule that eventually leads to drug development. Nine (9) drugs that are currently being used to treat patients of coronavirus were selected in this study from the latest literature review and fragmented as per rules followed by crosslinking of drug fragments using editor tools. These native drugs and synthesized drugs were then docked against the main protease. Results of the study revealed that one of the crosslinked lead-like compounds showed a higher binding affinity (∆G) more than any of the native compounds. Further, the results of this study suggested that the combination of potential drugs can be an effective way to develop new drugs to treat a deadly disease
TREATMENT WITH FERULIC ACID AMELIORATED CISPLATIN‑INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TUMOR BEARING MICE
Get PDFCisplatin (Cis) is one of the most widely used cytotoxic therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. Overdose of the drug resulted in various side effects of genotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. The toxicity of the drug has been attributed to the generation of oxidative free radicals. The current study aims to explore the effect of Ferulic acid (FA) in ameliorating Cis-induced renal toxicity in tumor bearing Swiss albino mice. Nephrotoxicity was induced in tumor bearing mice by a single dose of Cis (12mg/kg, i.p). Post administration of FA was carried out (100 mg/kg p.o and 200 mg/kg p.o) one hour after Cis administration. Toxicity was measured by analyzing the amount of serum urea, creatinine, and antioxidant status of renal and tumor tissues. Treatment of cisplatin-administered tumor animals with the FA could prevent the drug-induced oxidative damage as evidenced by the decreased levels of lipid peroxidation and enhanced activities of the antioxidants in the renal tissues. The treatment also protected the renal tissues from the toxic effects of Cis by reducing the levels of serum urea and creatinine. FA protected the renal tissues, whereas it enhanced the anticancer efficacy of Cis in tumor tissues. The histopathological observations support that ferulic acid has a protective effect against Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and can be used to improve the chemotherapeutic index of Cisplatin for cancer treatment
EFFECTIVENESS OF SOLAR THERMOELECTRIC COOLER FOR FISH PRESERVATION: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF Pangasius bocourti FISH FILLETS DURING STORAGE
Get PDFPreservation of fish products is a big issue where inconsistent electricity supply. In the current study, a solar thermoelectric cooler (STC) was fabricated by exploiting the solar energy and its cooling potential for fish preservation was evaluated. The STC consists of a photovoltaic (PV) panel, battery, PV charge controller, thermoelectric cooling system, and cooler box. The temperature of the STC decreased to 7.4ºC within 90 minutes and then reached 5±0.2ºC in 150 min. The cooling capacity and coefficient of performance of the STC were 23.8 W and 0.44, respectively, at an input electric current of 3.5 A. The Pangasius bocourti fish fillets were stored in the STC for 10 days and tested its quality at 2 days intervals. On day 10, thiobarbituric acid, peroxide, pH, water binding ability, total plate count values were 1.65mg MDA/kg, 5.04 mEqO2/kg, 7.16, 26.18%, and 4.26 log CFU/g, respectively. A significant reduction in hardness, springiness, and chewiness values was observed, whereas no cohesiveness changes. The color values L* and a* decreased significantly, whereas b* and ΔE increased. The sensory attributes were found in the range of 5.2-6.0 on the 10th day. As the quality parameters showing an acceptable level, STC could be an alternate green option for fish preservation
NUTRACEUTICALS AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS, A STRATEGY TO EMPOWER WOMEN’S HEALTH
Get PDFWhile healthy, balanced, and natural food meets the nutritional requirements of any healthy person, there are people, particularly women who need to be provided with supplements. Pregnant and lactating women, those with pre and post-menopause issues, and women with special dietary needs like sportswomen, models, etc., fall in this category. There is also a major issue of malnutrition endemic among a vast section of the society which, on account of the prevalent social mores and practices, impacts women more profoundly than the menfolk. On account of various sociological and economic factors, the special nutritional needs of women cannot be properly addressed through the normal consumption habits and nutraceuticals come as an effective solution to address this issue. Though not acknowledged to the extent it deserves, the nutraceuticals do play a decisive role in combating many life-threatening diseases like Cardio Vascular Diseases, Obesity, Hypertension, Arthritis, etc., both as an effective prophylactic as well as a curative aid to the mainline treatment. Known benefits of a carefully calibrated regimen of nutraceuticals are general performance enhancement, stress relief, increase in memory, immunity boosting, etc., Considering that women shoulder more than their share of family responsibility, women stand to be the main beneficiaries of such a health regimen, and in this sense, the nutraceuticals contribute to a considerable extent to the empowerment of women
IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION ASSESSMENT IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS
Get PDFA timely assessment of nutritional status in critically ill patients is crucial. This was an observational prospective hospital study carried out for 3 months from December 2019 to February 2020 in an ICU in a multispecialty hospital in Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. All adult patients with ≥ 72 hours of ICU-LOS were included and their nutritional assessment was completed by SGA (Subjective Global Assessment) forms within 24 hours of ICU admission. Data collected regarding variables such as Age, Nutritional status, APACHE IV, SOFA score, presence of Comorbidities. All patients were studied about their duration of stay in ICU and hospital, Predicted Mortality rate, & discharge outcome.120 patients were involved in the study in the age 62. 2 ± 14.years, among this 55.3% were males and rest 44.7% were females. Their complete nutritional assessment revealed that 50%, 43%, and 17% were well nourished, moderately malnourished, severely malnourished respectively. A strong correlation was observed between nutritional status, morbidity, and their prolonged stay in ICU. Mean ICU & hospital mortality percentage was 37%, 45% respectively. The average duration of stay in the ICU and hospital was 13, 20 days respectively. Participants anthropometric data decreased considerably (mean weight, MUAC, calf circumference) during ICU discharge day. BMI comparison of admission and discharge didn’t show significant change. Timely nutrition intervention and medical nutrition therapy reduce the duration of patient stay in ICU and hospital and improved patient outcomes. The disease severity scoring system can be used as guidance for objective assessment of disease outcomes and estimation of the chance of recovery
CHANGES IN EATING BEHAVIOURS FOLLOWING BARIATRIC SURGERY: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
Get PDFAdopting healthy eating behavior is important in achieving successful weight loss after bariatric surgery. This study aims to determine the changes in eating behaviors 6 months after surgery. Fifty-seven patients who went through bariatric surgery in two tertiary referral hospitals were recruited and interviewed before surgery (T0), three (T1), and six (T2) months after surgery. Eating behaviors were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), which measured emotional, external, and restrained eating. Higher subscale scores indicate strong behavioral traits. Other information including psychological distress, quality of life, socio-demography, and morbidity were collected. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was developed to study the change in eating behaviors and its’ predictors over time. Participants of the study were mostly women, from the Malay ethnic group and the average age at the time of surgery was 39.4 years. Emotional and external eating scores changed significantly over time with the values recorded at various time intervals as follows: 2.06 and 2.86 before surgery; 1.64 and 2.25 three months after surgery; and 1.81 and 2.40, 6 months after surgery. Reduction in the third month followed by a slight increase at the sixth was noted. Restrained eating did not show a significant change. The presence of diabetes was also associated with higher emotional and external eating scores. Further, higher anxiety scores were associated with higher external eating. Favorable changes in eating behaviors were noted after bariatric surgery. However, a risk of a reversal in the improvement was present. The emotional and external eating behaviors in surgical candidates should be identified and addressed accordingly with special attention to diabetic patients
THE COMBINATORIAL EFFECTS OF Azadirachta indica LEAF EXTRACTS WITH AMIKACIN AND TETRACYCLINE AGAINST CLINICALLY IMPORTANT BACTERIA
Get PDFAntibiotic-resistance is a major threat in the treatment of diseases caused by resistant bacteria. Combination of plant extracts with antibiotics can serve as an alternative to antibiotics. Azadirachta indica (neem plant) has many antimicrobial properties due to the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and flavonoids. In this study, the combinatorial effects of neem leaf extracts with amikacin and tetracycline against eight clinically important gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens were investigated using the agar well diffusion assay. Synergistic effect of neem leaf extract and tetracycline was observed against Propionibacterium acnes, Bacillus subtilis, and S. pneumoniae with a significant enlargement (p<0.05) in the diameter of the zone of inhibition. However, the same combination showed insignificant inhibition against S. faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The neem leaf extract-amikacin combination showed insignificant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, S. pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An antagonistic effect was observed when Bacillus subtilis was exposed to the same combination as there was a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the zone of inhibition. This study suggests the potential development of the neem leaf extract-tetracycline combination as an antibacterial agent against P. acnes, B. subtilis, and S. pneumoniae. However, this preliminary data requires further investigation and test on a wider range of clinical isolates to make a more decisive conclusion. The antagonistic effect of the neem leaf extract and amikacin suggests that the individual agents are potent as antibacterial agents than the combination
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ROBUSTA COFFEE (Coffea robusta L.) PEEL EXTRACT AGAINST HUMAN PATHOGENIC BACTERIA
Get PDFNow in these days infectious diseases seriously affect human health and sometimes these infections might become the cause of human mortality. Most of these infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Although large numbers of antibiotics are available increasing drug resistance in these microorganisms became a serious matter of concern in the scientific community. There is an urgent need for research on alternate natural products that can manage these pathogenic microorganisms without inducing any resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of Robusta coffee (Coffea robusta L.) fruit peel extract against 5 human pathogenic bacteria i.e. Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Salmonella thypi NCTC 786. The sample was extracted using the maceration method with methanol as the solvent. The antibacterial activity of fruit peel extract was determined by using the agar diffusion method while the presence of active ingredients was determined by the using TLC-Bioautography assay performed using the mobile phase of n-hexane: ethyl acetate (1 : 3). The results of the study revealed significant antibacterial activity of coffee peel extract against E. coli and B. subtilis with an inhibition zone of 10.15 mm and 10.96 mm, respectively. Furthermore, results of the TLC-Bioautography revealed that the compounds at Rf 0.76 inhibit the growth of E. coli and the compounds at Rf 0.27 inhibit the growth of B. subtilis bacteria. These active spots were suspected to be flavonoid and phenolic compounds, respectively but further confirmation detail study is required in the future
CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS OF HEAT STRESS TOLERANCE IN RICE (Oryza sativa L.)
Get PDFVarious studies reported by scientific communities such as NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) indicated an increase in average global temperature by approx. 0.8 °C since 1880. Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a heat sensitive plant cereal crop could be greatly affected by heat stress due to global temperature rise. Thus, it is envisaged that rice productivity could markedly decrease due to a rise in mean atmospheric temperature. Different studies have been reported possible mechanisms of heat stress tolerance in Rice. The present review will therefore discuss the current fundamental understanding of heat tolerant mechanisms involving heat shock proteins, plant hormones, plant growth regulators, osmoprotectants, and the importance of membrane thermal stability in rice