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An overview of floral and faunal diversity in and around Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College Campuses, West Bengal, India
Get PDFThe present survey based study involves the qualitative diversity of flora and fauna. The diversity assessment was carried out at two campuses of Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College. This extensive study reveals the presence of 256 floral species and 165 faunal species in and around college campuses. The huge faunal diversity is mainly due to high level of floral diversity, which establishes the area as resource-rich habitat with promising reservoir of species. This is the very first effort in exploring the natural wealth of Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College campuses.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.369591
High level dietary inclusion of monosodium glutamate lowers daily sperm production and efficiency in cocks
Get PDFIn a 16-week feeding trial, an investigation was carried out with 240 sexually matured cocks of twenty 24 weeks of age to assess the daily sperm production (DSP) and sperm production efficiency (SPE) of cocks fed dietary monosodium glutamate (MSG) at varied inclusion levels (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 g/kg diet designated diets A, B, C, D, E and F, respectively). The cocks were weighed (1888.33 ± 44.10 kg) and allotted to the 6 treatment diets. Each treatment was replicated 5 times with 8 cocks/ replicate in a completely randomized design. At the end of the feeding trial, 2 cocks per replicate (i.e. 4 cocks per treatment) were humanely sacrificed and their reproductive tracts dissected. The testes were carefully sampled, weighed and processed for estimation of DSP and SPE using both histological and homogenate methods of analyses. Results showed that the inclusion of MSG at 1.25 g/kg significantly reduced the DSP under the two estimation methods (P<0.05). The SPE was equally significantly lowered at 0.75 g MSG/kg diet and above when determined using the homogenate method. It was also observed that MSG at 1.00 g/kg diet and above lowered the DSP and SPE when determined histometrically. A high positive correlation was established between the DSP and the testicular volume of the cocks. However, the paired testicular sperm reserves were not significantly influenced (P≥0.05). Sperm reserves in both testicles of the cocks fed diets B and C were similar to the control. This study therefore, suggests that MSG has a potential to significantly reduce the reproductive potentials of cocks when administered in excess of 0.75 g/kg diet.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.396902
Vitamins, omega-3, magnesium, manganese, and thyme can boost our immunity and protect against COVID-19
Get PDFA new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been recognized as a cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and COVID-19 disease. In the absence of stable treatments for COVID-19, the possibility that vitamins: B1, C, D, and E, omega-3, minerals (magnesium and manganese), and herb thyme may have unspecified effects on infection with COVID-19 would be considered. Various reports have revealed that vitamins B1, C, D, and E, omega-3, magnesium, manganese, and thyme may affect the human innate system, for example, thiamine may play beneficial roles in human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), treating megadose ascorbic acid can assist prevent cold and flu symptoms, vitamin D can decrease the risk of developing COVID-19, vitamin E has been evaluated against the influenza virus in mice, and omega-3 fatty acids supplementation has been efficient in reducing the severity and frequency of sickle cell rate. Magnesium may be effective in patients with a mutation in the interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase, as well as manganese associates with the metabolism of glucose and fats, vitamin C, and B, accelerating protein synthesis, endocrine regulation, stimulating hematopoiesis, improving innate function, and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Moreover, thyme extract can have beneficial antiviral effects against human papillomavirus (HPV) and influenza A (IAV). The possibility that the vitamins B1, C, D, E, omega-3, magnesium, manganese, and thyme appear to affect the human innate system warrants further study, especially in light of the recent COVID-19 epidemic.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.399065
In silico molecular docking of selected polyphenols against interleukin-17A target in gouty arthritis
Get PDFThe binding of Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) to its receptor causes the release of chemokine which have an implication in the pathogenesis of gouty arthritis. Though, some synthetic drugs have been proved worthy as IL-17A inhibitors in the management of gout but they have been associated with a number of side effects. Polyphenols have been documented for numerous therapeutic applications. In spite of this, there are scarce data on the mechanism of action and protective potentials of polyphenolic against gouty arthritis. This present in silico study aimed to assess the inhibitory potentials and ADMET properties of selected polyphenols against IL-17A using molecular docking tools. The crystal structure of IL-17A was retrieved from the protein database, while the structures of polyphenolic compounds were retrieved from Pubchem. Drug-likeness of the polyphenols was assessed using DruLiTo. A total of 22 out of 26 polyphenols investigated passed the Lipinski drug likeness rule of five which were then docked with the active site of IL-17A using docking software, and the docked complexes were analyzed using LigPlot and protein-ligand profiler web server. The results showed that all the investigated polyphenols have appreciable higher binding affinity when compared to the standard drug (allopurinol) with pelargondin and catechin having the highest binding affinity (-7.5 kcal/mol). Furthermore, ADMET screening were carried out on the five compounds with the best hits. Conclusively, this in silico study suggests that these investigated polyphenols could serve as better replacements for synthetic drugs such as allopurinol in the management of gouty arthritis.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.406423
Antioxidant activity of extracts formulated from Citrus aurantium and Artemisia herba alba
Get PDFPlants still present a large source of novel active biological compounds with different activities. The antioxidant activity of three extracts was evaluated by DPPH and ferric reducing antioxidant power methods. The formulated extracts were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and then confirmed by High performance liquid chromatography coupled with DAD detector (HPLC-DAD). The results showed the richness of these extracts in phenolic compounds. Three major compounds, resveratrol (17.98%), kaempferol-glucoside (7.23%) and vanillic acid (10.64%) were detected in methanolic extract of Citrus aurantium peel, aqueous extract of Citrus aurantium L. leaves and ethanolic extract of Artemisia herba alba Asso respectively by HPLC-DAD. However, the ethanolic extract of A. herba alba achieved 50% of the anti-radical activity at a concentration equal to 0.8 mg/ml. A higher antioxidant activity measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power was marked in the same extract with an absorbance equal to 0.824. The ethanolic extract of the aerial part of A. herba alba, the methanolic extract of C. aurantium peel and the aqueous extract of C. aurantium leaves were considered as powerful scavengers of free radicals and can be incorporated into the pharmaceuticals preparations to treat many diseases.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.405883
Biofilm and MBL production among imipenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species
Get PDFPseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species are the primary cause of nosocomial infections. The advent of Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) and biofilm-producing bacterial strains poses a serious threat to reserve drugs such as carbapenem. The objective of this study was to determine the rate of MBL and biofilm production among imipenem resistant P. aeruginosa (IRPA) and imipenem resistant Acinetobacter spp. (IRAS) isolates. A total of 79 P. aeruginosa and 117 Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from various clinical specimens of patients from July 2016 to January 2017 at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara. MBL in IRPA and IRAS isolates were detected by Combined disc test and E-test. Biofilm production in imipenem resistant isolates was carried out by Microtitre plate assay. Fifteen (19%) P. aeruginosa and 57 (48.7%) Acinetobacter spp. were imipenem resistant isolates. MBL producers were found among 53.3% of IRPA and 38.6% of IRAS, whereas 100% of IRPA and 82.5% of IRAS were biofilm producers. All the biofilm producer IRPA isolates were Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR), and a larger proportion of XDR IRAS strains were of high biofilm-producing phenotype. However, the majority of imipenem resistant (80% of IRPA and 49.1% of IRAS) and MBL producing (63%) isolates were weak biofilm formers. The study demonstrated the high capability of IRPA and IRAS to form a biofilm, which was strongly related to higher drug resistance. Nonetheless, imipenem resistant and MBL producer isolates showed an analogous association with the degree of biofilm formation. These MBL cum biofilm producer isolates were better susceptible to polymyxin B and ampicillin-sulbactam.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.419547
Enhance productivity and net economic return by intercropping sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) with common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under drip irrigation
Get PDFIntercropping represents ways of maximizing water use efficiency (WUE) for higher yields per unit of irrigation water applied. The field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of Arab El- Awammer Research, Station, Assiut during the two successive growing summer seasons of 2017 and 2018, to study the effect of different irrigation regimes (120, 100 and 80% ETo) and intercropping systems (sole sunflower, sole common bean and intercropping sunflower and common bean) for enhanced productivity and net economic return under drip irrigation. Irrigation with 120% ETo treatment gave higher yield and its compounds and oil % compared to 100 and 80% ETo treatments for sunflower and common bean. The highest stem, head diameters and 100-seed weight and seed and oil yield produced with sole sunflower as compared with intercropping of sunflower with common bean which had the lowest values in both growing seasons. The highest values of IWUE (0.723 and 0.704 kg/m3) were obtained at intercropping under irrigation with 100% ETo. Values of land equivalent ratio of various intercropping systems were larger than one in the intercropping systems. Sunflower + common bean cropping system produced higher values of net return than sole sunflower and sole common bean. The highest net return (2709 US/ha) were obtained when irrigated sole sunflower with 80% ETo treatment in the first season.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.376327
Cladistics analysis of Calycanthaceae on the basis of morphological and anatomical characters
Get PDFCladistics analysis was carried out to find the correct phylogenetic relationship of the four genera of Calycanthaceae. Morphological and anatomical information from all aspect of the data were considered for the analysis. Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae) and Cinnamomum malabatrum (Lauraceae) were considered as out-group. Characters were selected mainly for reasonable argument of the similarity. Character-state transformation and discrimination of the genera were decided based upon the out-group comparison method. PAUP* (ver. 4.0) program was used for the dataset analysis and to make phylogenetic tree. The genera split into two separate genera Idiospermum + Chimonanthus and Sinocalycanthus + Calycanthus. Chimonanthus + Idiospermum are supported strict consensus tree with f-value calculation. Furthermore, Sinocalycanthus and Calycanthus are separated genera. Therefore, Calycanthaceae be redefined wide circumscriptions of the characters. The detailed investigation of the cladistics analysis revealed that the Sinocalycanthus and Calycanthus are the sole genus.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3908965
Keywords: Calycanthaceae, Characters and characters state, Cladistics, Out-group, Phylogen
Validation of Ganoderma lucidum against hypercholesterolemia and Alzheimer’s disease
Get PDFGanoderma lucidum has been hailed as medicinal mushroom. Its effect on memory and learning related behavioral performance along with related protein markers has been evaluated using Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and hypercholesterolemic model rats in the present study. AD model rats were prepared infusing amyloid beta peptide into the right ventricles of the rats. Hypercholesterolemia was evoked feeding 1% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid with basal diet of the rats for 8 weeks. Hot water extract of G. lucidum was ingested orally (200 mg/kg bw) to the HC and AD model rats. Memory and learning related behavioral tests were performed using Barnes maze while protein markers (BDNF, SNAP2, PSD-95, VAchT) were detected using ELISA. Observed findings suggest hypocholesterolemic, lipid profile improving and enhanced cognitive performance of the G. lucidum fed rats. Memory and learning related protein markers also substantiate this fruition. Thus, therapeutic potentiality of Ganoderma lucidum in AD amelioration seems promising.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.400958
Determination of concentration of the pseudomycelles from fermentation broth via spectroscopy and Neubauer chamber
Get PDFThe present work presents an alternative technique to obtain the concentration of pseudomycelles as number of pseudomycelles/sample volume, obtained by Neubauer chamber, as function of absorbance from spectroscopy. Samples of broth from fermentation via bacteria Streptomyces tsukubaensis were analyzed, making it possible to obtain a linear relationship between the number of pseudomycelles/ sample volume and absorbance, with determination coefficient of 0.995. In addition, a morphological analysis of the unfermented pseudomycelles was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at the magnifications of 20, 2000, 5000, 10000 and 20000 x.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.398701