Journal of Advanced Laboratory Research in Biology
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Isolation and Purification of C-phycocyanin from Nostoc muscorum (Cyanophyceae and Cyanobacteria) Exhibits Antimalarial Activity In vitro
Get PDFThe phycobilin pigments are intensively fluorescent and water soluble. They are categorized into three types, such as pigments containing high, intermediate and low energies are phycoerythrins (phycoerythrocyanins), phycocyanins and allophycocyanins, respectively. Besides light harvesting, the phycobiliproteins have shown industrial and biomedical importance. Among them, C-phycocyanin (C-PC) has been considered to be the most preferred one. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antimalarial activity of C-PC isolated from a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium and Nostoc muscorum. C-PC was extracted and purified by acetone extraction and ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis followed by amicon filtration. It was isolated as a~124 kDa water soluble protein molecule. It showed antimalarial activity in vitro against chloroquine sensitive and resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Inhibitory concentrations at 50%, 90% and 95% were determined as 10.27±2.79, 53.53±6.26 and 73.78±6.92 µg/ml against the chloroquine-sensitive strains; 10.37±1.43, 56.99±11.07 and 72.79±8.59 µg/ml against chloroquine resistant of Plasmodium falciparum strains. C-PC was found to have antimalarial activity even at a concentration of 3.0µg/ml. The possible mechanism might be relied on the destruction of polymerization of haemozoin by binding of C-PC with ferriprotoporphyrin-IX at the water surface of the plasma membrane
Immunotoxicological studies of Staphylococcin of CA-MRSA
Get PDFMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nares of school going children (CA-MRSA) has been found to produce bacteriocin like inhibitory substance tentatively termed staphylococcin. It has a broad activity spectrum against many Gram positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus which suggests that the protein molecule can be used as an alternative for antibiotics. In this regard, the bacteriocin was studied for its immunological and toxicological properties in experimental mice. The antigenicity/immunogenicity of bacteriocin was assayed by ouchterlony technique. Accordingly, staphylococcin is antigenic ally poor, in the mice immune system and the antibody titre was not found to be significant in the ouchterlony technique. The acute and chronic toxic studies do not show any toxic effects in laboratory mice when injected with different doses of bacteriocin (20, 40, 60 and 80μg/ml). Hematological studies with staphylococcin showed a marginal increase in lymphocyte count in the test animal groups. Further, different doses of staphylococcin showed no significant biochemical changes in the normal profile of mice blood biochemistry
Assessment of Natural Resources for Conservation of Wetland in District Chamba - A Case Study of Manimehesh Lake
Get PDFThe Ramsar Convection of IUCN held in 1971 in Iran raised global attention on the conservation and management of wetlands. 3 wetlands in the Indian State of Himachal Pradesh have been declared a wetland of international importance. Thus it is felt necessary to reclaim and develop high altitude wetlands for its optimum potential use, but a reliable and accurate database is not available. The present endeavour aims at the generation of database in terms of physical aspects/ land use, the extent of water spread and its water quality, vegetation status of the catchment area and surroundings of the lake. The threats to high altitude wetlands have been identified and adequate measures for its conservation and management suggested
Studies on Industrially Significant Haloalkaline Protease from Bacillus sp. JSGT Isolated from Decaying Skin of Tannery
Get PDFEight bacterial strains were isolated from collagen layer of decaying skin sample. Three isolates exhibited the prominent zones of clearance on skim milk agar medium at pH 9.5. These isolates were then characterized and identified. One of the haloalkalophilic isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus. Maximum enzyme activity (228.29 ± 1.89 PU/ ml) was found at pH 9 and temperature 37°C in the strain which is designated as Bacillus sp. JSGT. Basic properties such as effects of different temperature, pH, metal ions and inhibitors on protease activity were also studied. Maximum activity was obtained at pH 9 at 55°C. Ca+2 and Mg+2 ions were found to enhance the relative enzyme activity up to 158 and 136% respectively. However, the activity of protease was completely inhibited by phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) that showed its serine nature. The results indicated that enzyme produced by Bacillus sp. JSGT is active within broad ranges of temperature and pH. These characteristics render its potential use in leather and detergent industries
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Action of Stem Cells in Cardiac Disease
Get PDFCardiac diseases are the consequence of blockage of blood vessels, scar formation and ultimate loss of terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes. Immune cells and oxidative stress easily slow down the cardiac functions by manipulating the cardiac tissue matrix. Stem cell-based therapies, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotential nonhematopoietic progenitor cells compensate the cardiac diseases by differentiating into multiple lineages of mesenchyme including cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of MSCs has been explored recently by various research groups. Secretion of biomolecules by MSCs perturbs and prevents the initiation, development and the function of the inflammatory cascade. These molecules mainly act through Paracrine mode. Anti-inflammatory action of MSCs mediates the cardiac diseases and the current progress in elucidating the mechanism and clinical use will be focused in detail in this article
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in the Sediments of a River Draining into a Ramsar Site in the Indian Subcontinent
Get PDFConcentrations of six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cu) in surface sediments of Achankovil river basin which is draining into a Ramsar site in India viz. The Vembanad wetland system was determined. To assess metal concentrations in sediment, numeric Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) were employed. The concentrations of Zn, Cr and Pb in all sediment samples are lower than the proposed threshold effect concentrations which indicate that there are no harmful effects from these metals. On the other hand, the concentrations of Cd in one station, Cu in three stations and Ni in all stations exceeded the threshold effect concentrations indicated that these stations were in potential risk. The metal contamination in sediments was evaluated by applying Index geoaccumulation, metal pollution index, Enrichment factor and Multivariate statistical techniques. The low values of EF show that the enrichment of sediment by heavy metal was by natural processes
Heavy Metal Analysis of Cauvery River Water around KRS Dam, Karnataka, India
Get PDFWater quality is an index of health and is one of the areas of major concern to environmentalists since industrialization, urbanization and modern agriculture practices have a direct impact on the water resources. Hence, the study of the reservoirs and river water quality monitoring is most essential aspect of sustainable development and river conservation. The upstream and KRS reservoir both are the important sources of potable water supply for the Mysore city. The study area were selected the upstream and KRS reservoir of Mysore District of Karnataka, India. In this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate water quality parameter and heavy metal of upstream and KRS Dam during 2008. Ecological parameters like dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical parameters like total hardness, total alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, phosphate and physical parameters like temperature, pH, turbidity and heavy metals were analyzed and the results were compared with standard permissible limits, WHO and they were studied to ascertain the drinking water quality. Results revealed that in three rivers of upstream (Hemavathi, Cauvery, and Lakshmana Theertha) carried high loads of arsenic, iron, nickel on upstream. In other words, arsenic is a dominant risk to more than the maximum permissible standard of water quality and is a risk factor in this river
Face Blindness - Prosopagnosia
Get PDFFaces are of utmost importance for human social life. They provide valuable information about the identity, expression, gaze, health and age of a person. Recent face processing models assume highly interconnected neural structures between different temporal, occipital, and frontal brain areas with several feedback loops. A selective deficit in the visual learning and recognition of faces is known as prosopagnosia, which can be found both in acquired and congenital form. Any neural tissue damage in the face recognition network of the brain can cause a prosopagnosia, a condition which can best be defined as a selective impairment of the visual learning and recognition of faces. Recently, a hereditary sub-type of congenital prosopagnosia with a very high prevalence rate of 2.5% has been identified
Brucellosis in Wayanad Tribal Goat Population: A Preliminary Serological Survey
Get PDFCaprine brucellosis is an endemic disease and is present in many countries. It causes heavy losses in goats and is transmissible to man. The study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of caprine brucellosis for the first time by serological tests in Wayanad district of Kerala, where goat rearing is the main occupation among tribal women. A total of 24 sera were positive by the RBPT with a seroprevalence of 5.7%. Upon STAT testing of all the 420 sera, 18 out of 24 samples (4.3%) showed presence of Brucella antibodies. Considering sensitivity, specificity and ease in performing the test, it is suggested that a combination of RBPT and STAT can be used in the diagnosis of caprine brucellosis in order to control and eradicate the disease
An Efficient Protocol for Long-Term Preservation of Cyanobacteria
Get PDFA simple modification in preparation of nutrient agar meant for agar slants resulted in a convenient and efficient matrix for long-term cyanobacterial preservation. In the modified protocol, agar concentration was increased and cyanobacterial cells were mixed rapidly in the molten agar before solidification. Solidified mixture was cut into cubes and air dried. The resulting agar flakes were stored in the dark. Periodically some flakes were inoculated in fresh medium to study regeneration of viable filaments in order to access the efficiency of the method in preserving cyanobacteria in dehydrated form. Possible outer contamination could be removed by washing the agar flakes in 1% sodium hypochlorite for one minute prior to their inoculation in fresh medium. The percentage of agar used and amount of cyanobacterial cells entrapped were the factors that influenced the period of preservation. A comparison of some biochemical and physiological characters in six regenerated cyanobacterial strains to their free-living counterparts showed that the dried agar flakes were completely reliable as preserving material for at least a period of three years. During this period the entrapped cyanobacterial cells did not need further maintenance. This process of maintaining cyanobacteria is extremely convenient as it reduces (1) input of chemicals and manpower required for maintaining cyanobacteria in batches (2) possible cross-contamination among various cyanobacteria maintained in liquid batch cultures (3) use of glassware and (4) storage space. In addition, the cells could be maintained in a near dormant state, and that minimized the chances of alterations in their native characters