012827   Mani A;Patel J;Kalam S;Singh R;Sandhu S S (Biotechnology & Pharmacology Laboratory, Centre for Scientific Research and Development, People's Univ, Bhanpur, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh) : Evaluation of nycelial and exo-polysaccharide production from Cordyceps militaris. Int J appl Sci Engng Res 2016, 5(1), 10-9.

Cordycepsmilitaris has been a keystone in combating myriad health problems and has innumerable far-reaching therapeutic effects. The present study focuses on effect of physico-chemical conditions (temperature, pH, carbon and nitrogen source) and artificial media (solid and liquid) on production of mycelial biomass and exo-polysaccharide. Temperature and pH have a direct effect on mycelial and exo-polysaccharide (ESP) production and at the 8th and 11th day of submerged culture condition maximum mycelia and ESP production occurred respectively. Medium containing sucrose yielded higher mycelial biomass and exo-polysaccharide. The nitrogen sources that enhanced the mycelial and ESP productions were yeast extract and corn steep powder respectively. Remarkably good mycelial growth and ESP productions were observed at higher C/N ratio.

5 illus, 3 tables, 34 ref

012826   Mandal S D;Saha S (Bioinformatics Centre, Bose Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, Email: ssaha4@jcbose.ac.in) : Pluripred: A web server for predicting proteins involved in pluripotent network. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 743-50.

Pluripotency is a unique property of stem cells that allows them to differentiate into all types of adult cells or maintainthe self-renewal property. PluriPred predicts whether a protein is involved in pluripotency from primary proteinsequence using manually curated pluripotent proteins as training datasets. Machine learning techniques (MLTs) suchas Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Base (NB), Random Forest (RF), and sequence alignment techniqueBLAST were used in our study. The combination of SVM and PSI-BLAST was our proposed best model, whichobtained a sensitivity of 77.40%, specificity of 79.72%, accuracy of 79.2%, and area under the ROC curve was 0.82 using 5-fold cross-validation. Furthermore, PluriPred gives the confidence of the prediction from training dataset's SVM score distribution and p-value from BLAST. We validated our proposed model with the other existing highthroughputstudies using blind/independent datasets. Using PluriPred, 233 novel core and 323 novel extended corepluripotent proteins from mouse proteome, and 167 novel core and 385 extended core pluripotent proteins fromhuman proteome, were - 176 - predicted with high confidence. The Web application of PluriPred is available from bicresources.jcbose.ac.in/ssaha4/pluripred/. Many pluripotent genes/proteins take part in protein-protein networks associatedwith stem cell, cancer, and developmental biology, and we believe that PluriPred will help in these research.

4 illus, 2 table, 19 ref

012825   Malve H (Lead Medical, , Asia Pacific Region, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Elphinstone (West), Mumbai, Email: dr.harshad.malve@gmail.com) : Expolring the ocean for new drug developments: marine pharmacology. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2016, 8(2), 83-91.

Disease ailments are changing the patterns, and the new diseases are emerging due to changing environments. The enormous growth of world population has overburdened the existing resources for the drugs. And hence, the drug manufacturers are always on the lookout for new resources to develop effective and safe drugs for the increasing demands of the world population. Seventy-five percentage of earth's surface is covered by water but research into the pharmacology of marine organisms is limited, and most of it still remains unexplored. Marine environment represents countless and diverse resource for new drugs to combat major diseases such as cancer or malaria. It also offers an ecological resource comprising a variety of aquatic plants and animals. These aquatic organisms are screened for antibacterial, immunomodulator, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, analgesic, and antimalarial properties. They are used for new drug developments extensively across the world. Marine pharmacology offers the scope for research on these drugs of marine origin. Few institutes in India offer such opportunities which can help us in the quest for new drugs. This is an extensive review of the drugs developed and the potential new drug candidates from marine origin along with the opportunities for research on marine derived products. It also gives the information about the institutes in India which offer marine pharmacology related courses.

^iia1 illus, 4 tables, 39 ref

012824   Mallick N;Khan R A (Pharmacology Dep, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karachi Univ, Karachi 75270 Pakistan) : Antihyperlipidemic effects of Citrus sinensis, Citrus paradisi, and their combinations. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2016, 8(2), 112-8.

Hyperlipidemia, extensively contributes in the progression of coronary heart diseases and atherosclerosis, but may be managed through alterations in the nutritional pattern. Several studies show that diet rich in polyphenols and antioxidants have antiatherogenic effects. Citrus sinensis and Citrus paradisi are widely known for health benefits and have found to produce antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypolipidemic effects, hence current research was planned to determine the hypolipidemic effects of C. sinensis and C. paradisi in rats receiving diet rich in cholesterol. All rats were divided into 11 groups each comprising 10 animals: Normal control group and hyperlipidemic control. C. sinensis treated three groups, C. paradisi treated three groups, C. sinensis and C. paradisi combination treated two groups, and group treated atorvastatin. All rats in the respective groups were treated orally with sterile water, juices, and standard drug for 8 weeks and lipid profile was estimated at the end of dosing. Cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased at all the three doses of C. sinensis and C. paradisi but rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was only significant at 8 ml/kg, and 0.3 ml/kg, respectively. Animals received the combination doses of C. - 175 - sinensis and C. paradisi also showed a highly significant fall in cholesterol, LDL, and TGs, however HDL level was significantly elevated by SPJ-2 combination. Results suggest that C. sinensis and C. paradisi possess antihyperlipidemic activity due to phytochemicals and other essential nutrients, hence may serve as cardioprotective by preventing thrombosis.

4 illus, 3 tables, 59 ref

012823   Mahatp J P;Rana S;Maneesh Kmar;Sarsaiya S (Biotechnology Dep, Sri Satya Sai Univ of Tecnology and Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Email: ganeshiitkgp@gmail.com) : Homology modeling of Leishmania donovani enolase and its molecular interaction with novel inhibitors. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2017, 9(2), 99-105.

The treatment of Indian tropical disease such as kala-azar is likely to be troublesome to the clinicians as AmpB- and miltefosine-resistant Leishmania donovani has been reported. The rationale behind designed a novel inhibitors of model of L. donovani enolase and performing a binding study with its inhibitors to gain details of the interaction between protein residues and ligand molecules. The L. donovani enolase model consists of two typical domains. The N-terminal one contains three-stranded antiparallel β-sheets, followed by six a-helices. The C-terminal domain composes of eleven-stranded mixed a/β-barrel with connectivity. The first a-helix within the C-terminal domain, H7, and the second β-strand, S7, of the barrel domain was arranged in an antiparallel fashion compared to all other a-helices and β-strands. The root-mean-square deviation between predicted model and template is 0.4 Angstrum. The overall conformation of L. donovani enolase model is similar to those of Trypanosoma cruzi enolase and Streptococcus pneumoniae enolase crystal structures. The key amino acid residues within the docking complex model involved in the interaction between model enolase structure and ligand molecule are Lys70, Asn165, Ala168, Asp17, and Asn213. The theoretical prediction may lead to the establishment of prophylactic and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of kala-azar. This biomedical informatics analysis will help us to combat future kala-azar.

8 illus, 1 table, 35 ref

012822   Llorens-Molina J A;Vacas S (Mediterranean Agroforestry Institute, University Politecnia de Valencia, Valencia, Spain, Email: juallom2@qim.upv.es) : Effect of drought stress on essential oil composition of Thymus Vulgaris L. (Chemotype 1,8-cineole) from wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula. J essential Oil Res 2017, 29(2), 145-55.

One,8-cineole defines a typical chemotype of Thymus vulgaris L. in Iberian Peninsula. This compound has a wide range of potentially useful bioactive properties. In order to study the influence of drought stress in the essential oil (EO) composition of this chemotype, sixty plants from six wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula were distilled and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The harvest dates (May and August) were selected in such a way that the typical summer drought in Mediterranean climates was the critical factor affecting EO composition. Despite the high intrapopulational variability, significant increases of 1,8-cineole were found after the drought period (21.8%-43.2%, in May, up to 42.6%-68.5% in August). On the other hand, individuals from one of the populations showed different profiles rich in linalool and - 174 - camphor or sesquiterpenoid compounds, such as a-cadinol.

3 illus, 4 table, 35 ref

012821   Laxmi R;Patel G;Bhimani B (NO, Arihant School of Pharmacy and Bio Research Institute, Adalaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat) : Formulation and evaluation of raft forming tablet containing esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(2), 199-214.

Many of patients are suffering from severe acidity and heart burning and gastro esophagus reflux disease problem which can be overcame by formulating raft forming tablet containing antacid and proton pump inhibitor. The main objective of this research is to formulate and evaluate raft forming tablets of proton pump inhibitor(Esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate) along with raft forming agents sodium alginate and pectin and antacid(NaHCO3). The tablet was prepared by wet granulation method and evaluated for raft strength, acid neutralization capacity, in vitro drug release. The tablet containing appropriate amount of sodium alginate with pectin having highest raft strength. Raft strength was affected by amount of sodium alginate and pectin, and sodium bicarbonate. A 3² full factorial design was used in present study of optimization. Amount of sodium alginate, and amount of sodium bicarbonate was used as an independent variable and raft strength, acid neutralization capacity and Q₃₀ was used as dependent variable. Acid neutralization capacity and in vitro drug release of all batches was found to be satisfactory. F6 batch was optimized on based on maximum raft strength and good neutralization capacity and in vitro drug release within 1 hr. Stability study of optimized formulation showed that tablets were stable at accelerated condition. It can be conclude that raft forming tablet containing esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate could be an efficient dosage form for treatment of heart burning, GERD, erosive esophagitis and peptic ulcer.

5 illus, 13 table, 21 ref

012820   Kucukboyaci N;Demirci B;Ayaz F;Bani B; Adiguzel N (Pharmacognosy Dep, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi university, Ankara, Turkey, Email: nurgunkucukboyaci@gmail.com) : Analysis of the essentials oils of subgenus Carpodium from Turkey Grammosciadium schischkinji (V. M. Vinogr & Tamamsch) V M Nagar.G.Haussknetchtii Boiss., G Pterocarpum Boiss andG Platycarpum Boiss &Hausskn. ex Boiss. J essential Oil Res 2017, 29(2), 163-6.

The composition of the hydrodistilled essential oils obtained from aerial parts of Grammosciadium schischkinii (V.M.Vinogr. & Tamamsch.) V.M.Vinogr., G. haussknechtii Boiss., G. pterocarpum Boiss. and G. platycarpum Boiss. & Hausskn. ex Boiss. (Apiaceae) which belong to subgenus Caropodium, growing in Turkey, were simultaneously analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The analysis revealed fifty-seven constituents, accounting 84.3-99.5% of the oils. The essential oil composition of G. schischkinii and G. haussknechtii which are endemic taxa to Turkey, have herein demonstrated for the first time. Moreover, we firstly defined the chemical characterization of the essential oil obtained from G. platycarpum gathered from Turkey. Oil samples showed different chemical compositions with regard to species and locations. Linalool (88.5 and 94.2%) was the main component of the oil - 173 - samples from G. platycarpum, while hexadecanoic acid (20.6%) was the major in the oil sample of G. haussknechtii. Caryophyllene oxide (45.9 and 20.7%) was defined as the principal constituent in the oil samples of G. schischkinii and G. pterocarpum, respectively. In addition, phytol (19.1%) was determined as the main component in the oil of G. haussknechtii and this compound was first determined in the highest amount among the essential oils of the genus Grammosciadium.

3 table, 21 ref

012819   Kowanga K D;Gatebe E;Mauti G O;Mauti E M (Unit of Science, Jordan Univ College, Morogoro, Tanzania) : Comparative studies of Alum, Maerua subcordata root tuber powder and juice extract as coagulation/flocculation agents. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(2), 244-50.

Turbidity is a great problem in water treatment. Comparative study was done on alum a commercial coagulant; Maerua subcordata root powder and juice extract a locally available natural coagulant to reduce turbidity and other water parameters. The tests were carried out using turbid river water with conventional jar test apparatus. After dosing, Maerua subcordata root powder and juice extract reduced turbidity 3.73±0.09 NTU, 0.02±0.03 NTU and 0.12±0.02 NTU for alum, from 86.77±0.52 NTU. Total coliforms and feacal coliforms were reduced to 15 MPN and 4 MPN by alum, to 14 MPN and 7 MPN by Maerua subcordata root powder and to 15 MPN and 4 MPN by juice extract. The study observed that both Maerua subcordata root powder juice extract showed a good alternative coagulant reducing water parameters to values below maximum permissible limits by WHO. Using Maerua subcordata, suitable, easier and environment friendly options for water treatment was observed.

1 illus, 7 table, 19 ref

012818   Kim H S;Li H;Kim H W;Shin S E;Choi I W;Firth A L;Bang H;Bae Y M;Park W S (Physiology Dep, Kangwon National Univ School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701, South Korea, Email: parkws@kangwon.ac.kr) : Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline inhibits voltage-dependent k<. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 659-66.

Authors were examined the effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) - 172 - sertraline on voltage-dependent K⁺ (Kv)channels in freshly isolated rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells using the voltage-clamp technique. Sertralinedecreased the Kv channel current in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.18 μM and a slope value (Hillcoefficient) of 0.61. Although the application of 1 μM sertraline did not affect the steady-state activation curves,sertraline caused a significant, negative shift in the inactivation curves. Pretreatment with another SSRI, paroxetine,had no significant effect on Kv currents and did not alter the inhibitory effects of sertraline on Kv currents. From theseresults, we concluded that sertraline dose-dependently inhibited Kv currents independently of serotonin reuptakeinhibition by shifting inactivation curves to a more negative potential.

4 illus, 34 ref

012817   Khole S;Panat N A;Suryawanshi P;Chatterjee S; Devasagayam T P A;Ghaskadbi S (Zoology Dep, SPPU, Pune-411 007) : Comprehensive assessment of antioxidant activities of apigenin isomers: vitexin and isovitexin. Free Radical Antioxidant 2016, 6(2), 155-66.

Fenugreek is known to possess anti-diabetic as well as antioxidant properties known to increase with germination. Previous study from our laboratory has reported vitexin and isovitexin as major antioxidant compounds from germinated fenugreek seeds. The present study aimed to comprehensively assesses and compare their antioxidant activity. Methods: The antioxidant ability of these compounds against various radicals was checked using standard in vitro radical scavenging assays and pulse radiolysis. Protection conferred to mitochondria against oxidative damage was assessed by measuring the levels of lipid peroxides and protein sulphydryls. Protection from hydrogen peroxide induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells was checked by MTT assay and by measuring intracellular ROS. Their ability to modulate intracellular antioxidant status was checked both at activity and RNA level. Vitexin and isovitexin exhibited differential antioxidant activity against various radicals. Vitexin was a better nitric oxide scavenger while isovitexin scavenged superoxide radicals more efficiently. Pulse radiolysis studies revealed good antioxidant activity of both compounds against short-lived radicals and affected the formation and decay of the 2-dG transient species to the same extent. In oxidatively damaged mitochondria, lipid peroxidation was inhibited significantly by isovitexin whereas vitexin prevented decrease in protein sulphydryl content more effectively. These compounds protected HepG2 cells to the same extent against hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative insult by reducing intracellular ROS and modulating the levels of antioxidant enzymes. The present study clearly demonstrates differential antioxidant potential of both vitexin and isovitexin and their role in mitigating oxidative stress induced damage and maintaining cellular redox homeostasis.

9 illus, 2 tables, 39 ref

012816   Khattab A I;Babiker H E;Saeed H A (Microbiology Dep, Al-Yarmouk College, Khartoum, Sudan) : Streptomyces species from red sea habitat: isolation, characterization and screening for antibacterial compounds. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(1), 62-71.

In spite of the large number of antibacterial compounds that have been discovered till now, most pathogenic bacteria have become resistant to these compounds. Therefore, searching for new - 171 - antibacterial compounds is of increasing urgency. The aims of this study were to isolate Streptomyces species from Red Sea sediments as well as to screen the isolate(s) for antibacterial compounds. Soil samples were collected from in-depth sediments in the Red Sea in the neighborhood of Port-Sudan. The samples were cultivated on Starch Casein Agar. Adoption of Overlay Method after overnight incubation, resultant in isolation of many promising strains. The strains have activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Molecular assay was carried out to confirm the identity of the isolated strains using 16s rDNA gene sequence. The sequence similarities of the isolates were found to be varying from 92% to 99% of the Streptomyces deposited in the NCBI GeneBank. This study provides recent information about bioactivity of the Red Sea Streptomyces and proved that this unexplored habitat may be a promising source for antibacterial compounds.

5 illus, 5 tables, 26 ref

012815   Khan Z H;Akeel A;Mohammad F;Masroor M;Khan A; Varshney L (Botany Dep, Plant Physiology section, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202 002) : Determination of growth, physio-biochemical activity and alkaloid yield in Catharanthusroseus, as influenced by gamma irradiated carregeenan. Archiv appl Sci Res 2016, 8(4), 20-6.

Use of natural bioactive agents obtained from radiation processed polysaccharides as growth promoting substances is an emerging technology to exploit full genetic potential of crops in terms of growth, yield, and quality of plants. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of foliar application of depolymerised form of gamma irradiated (520 kGy) irradiated carrageenan (IC) on growth (shoot and root lengths, leaf area, fresh and dry weights of plants), physio-biochemical attributes (content of chlorophyll and carotenoid, nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase activities and leaf -N, -P and -K content) and the alkaloid production in Catharanthus roseus (L) G. Don, a medicinal plant. Aqueous solutions of different concentrations (0, 10, 50 and 100 ppm) of IC were sprayed seven times on foliage, using unirradiated carrageenan (UC) and deionized water as control. Application of 50 ppm IC significantly increased the growth and the physio-biochemical characteristics. The IC (50 ppm) treatment also increased the total alkaloid content in leaves and roots by 36.8% and 38.8%, respectively. This technique of foliar spray of IC may be employed to improve the performance of plant including the alkaloid production which is of great medicinal values.

1 illus, 2 table, 29 ref

012814   Kavoosi G;Amirghofran Z (Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shirz Univ, Shiraz, Iran, Email: ghkavoosi@shirazu.ac.ir) : Chemical composition, radical scavenging and antioxidant capacity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil. J essential Oil Res 2017, 29(2), 189-99.

Ocimum basilicum has several functional characteristics including carminative, stimulant, diuretic, antiseptic, anesthetic, anti-spasmodic, analgesic and anti-tussive properties. O. basilicum essential oil (basil oil) was tested for chemical composition and in vitro and ex vivo anti-oxidant activities. The in vitro anti-oxidant - 170 - capacity of basil oil was examined using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hudrazyl radical (DPPH∙), 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS∙), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hydroxyl radical (HO∙), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite (NO₂) scavenging effects. The ex vivo anti-oxidant activity of basil oil was determined through measuring NADH oxidase (NOX) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GC-MS analysis indicated that the main components in the basil oil were methylchavicol (47%), geranial (19%) and neral (15%). Basil oil had effective DPPH∙, ABTS∙, H₂O₂, HO∙, NO and NO₂ scavenging effects. Basil oil significantly reduced NOX and iNOS mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages at concentrations of 1-10 μg/mL. Basil oil had radical scavenging and anti-oxidant activities and could potentially be used as a safe and effective source of natural anti-oxidants in therapy against oxidative damage and stress associated with some inflammatory conditions.

2 illus, 4 table, 54 ref

012813   Joshi R;Mukhopadhyay S (Pharmacy Dep, GRD (PG) Institute of Management and Technology, Rajpur Road, Dehradun-248 001) : Combined bilayer floating tablet of metformin hydrochloride and sitagliptin. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(1), 25-44.

Metformin hydrochloride and Sitagliptin are drug that are used in the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Floating tablet is designed to deliver pharmaceutical active ingredient effectively at minimum dose and also to modify drug release. Hence purpose of this work is to develop combined bilayer floating tablet is to release the drug at a controlled rate and increase the bioavailability of the drug. The prepared bilayer tablet was floating tablet. Drug compatibility with excipients was checked by using IR studies and it was revealed that there was no incompatibility of the drug with the excipients used. By comparing all the evaluation parameters, the formulations F9 was selected as the optimized formulations and compared with marketed formulation.

17 illus, 12 table, 8 ref

012812   John S;Mishra R (Neurobiology and Genetics Dep, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram-695 014, Email: rashmimishra@rgcb.res.in) : Galectin-9: from cell biology to complex disease dynamics. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(3), 507-34.

Galectins is a family of non-classically secreted, β-galactoside-binding proteins that has recently received considerableattention in the spatio-temporal regulation of surface 'signal lattice' organization, membrane dynamics, cell-adhesionand disease therapeutics. Galectin-9 is a unique member of this family, with two non-homologous carbohydraterecognition domains joined by a linker peptide sequence of variable lengths, generating isoforms with distinctproperties and functions in both physiological and pathological settings, such as during development, immunereaction, neoplastic transformations and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on thestructure, receptors, cellular targets, trafficking pathways and functional properties of galectin-9 and discuss howgalectin-9-mediated signalling cascades can be exploited in cancers and immunotherapies.

1 illus, 169 ref

012811   Jha K A;Nag T C;Wadhwa S;Roy T S (Anatomy Dep, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110 029, Email: tapas_nag@yahoo.com) : Expression of visual pigment and synaptic proteins in neonatal chick retina exposed to light of variable photoperiods. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 667-76.

Light causes damage to the retina, which is one of the supposed factors for age-related macular degeneration inhuman. Some animal species show drastic retinal changes when exposed to intense light (e.g. albino rats). Althoughbirds have a pigmented retina, few reports indicated its susceptibility to light damage. To know how light influences acone-dominated retina (as is the case with human), we examined the effects of moderate light intensity on the retina ofwhite Leghorn chicks (Gallus g. domesticus). The newly hatched chicks were initially acclimatized at 500 lux for 7days in 12 h light: 12 h dark cycles (12L:12D). From posthatch day (PH) 8 until PH 30, they were exposed to 2000 luxat 12L:12D, 18L:6D (prolonged light) and 24L:0D (constant light) conditions. The retinas were processed fortransmission electron microscopy and the level of expressions of rhodopsin, S- and L/M cone opsins, and synapticproteins (Synaptophysin and PSD-95) were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Rearing in24L:0D condition caused disorganization of photoreceptor outer segments. Consequently, there were significantlydecreased expressions of opsins and synaptic - 169 - proteins, compared to those seen in 12L:12D and 18L:6D conditions.Also, there were ultrastructural changes in outer and inner plexiform layer (OPL, IPL) of the retinas exposed to24L:0D condition. Our data indicate that the cone-dominated chick retina is affected in constant light condition, withchanges (decreased) in opsin levels. Also, photoreceptor alterations lead to an overall decrease in synaptic proteinexpressions in OPL and IPL and death of degenerated axonal processes in IPL.

5 illus, 47 rf

012810   Jabeen G;Farooq R (Chemical Engineering Dep, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore, Pakistan, Email: guganshafi@yahoo.com) : Bio-chemical synthesis of commodity chemicals by autrotrophic acetogens utilizing CO₂ for environmental remediation. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(3), 367-80.

Bio-electrochemical synthesis (BES) is a technique in which electro-autotrophic bacteria such as Clostridiumljungdahlii utilize electric currents as an electron source from the cathode to reduce CO₂ to extracellular, multicarbon,exquisite products through autotrophic conversion. The BES of volatile fatty acids and alcohols directly from CO,v>2 is a sustainable alternative for non-renewable, petroleum-based polymer production. This conversion of CO₂ implies reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The synthesis of heptanoic acid, heptanol, hexanoic acidand hexanol, for the first time, by Clostridium ljungdahlii was a remarkable achievement of BES. In ourstudy, these microorganisms were cultivated on the cathode of a bio-electrochemical cell at -400 mV by aDC power supply at 37°C, pH 6.8, and was studied for both batch and continuous systems. Pre-enrichment ofbio-cathode enhanced the electroactivity of cells and resulted in maximizing extracellular products in lesstime. The main aim of the research was to investigate the impact of low-cost substrate CO₂, and the longercathode recovery range was due to bacterial reduction of CO₂ to multicarbon chemical commodities withelectrons driven from the cathode. Reactor design was simplified for cost-effectiveness and to enhance energyefficiencies. The Columbic recovery of ethanoic acid, ethanol, ethyl butyrate, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acidand hexanol being in excess of 80% proved that BES was a remarkable technology.

5 illus, 7 table, 26 ref

012809   Iroha I R;Egwu E;Afiukwa F N;Moses I B;Nwuzo A C;Ejikeugwu P C;Nwakaeze A E;ikeagwu I J (Applied Microbiology Dep, Faculty of Sciences, Ebonyi State Univ, P.M.B. 053, Abakaliki, Ebony State, Nigeria) : Phenotypic screening for AMP-C and extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in clinical samples collected from federal teaching hospital Abakaliki (Fetha I and II). Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(1), 9-24.

The aim of this research work was to phenotypically screen for the production of Amp-C β-lactamases and Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from clinical samples in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA I and II) and to determine their susceptibility patterns to different classes of antibiotics. Twelve Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from a total of 521 clinical samples that were collected from patients in FETHA I and FETHA II. These isolates were identified using standard microbiology techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility test of these isolates was done on Mueller Hinton agar (Oxoid, England) by disk diffusion technique. Isolates showing blunting of ceftazidime zone of inhibition adjacent to cefoxitin disc were considered Amp-C- positive and were selected for confirmation of Amp-C- β-lactamases production by Amp-C- disc test while ESBL production was determined by DDST method. Nitrocefin tests were performed to detect the production of β-lactamase enzyme in the 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. The highest prevalence rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation was observed in wound samples. Out of the 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained, 8 (66.7%) were Amp-C positive while 4 (33.3%) were positive for ESBL production phenotypically. Result shows that all the 12 isolates obtained were positive for beta lactamase production. Results also show that all the Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (100%) were completely resistant to tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin; followed by amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (91.7%), cefotaxime (91.7%), cefuroxime (91.7%), ofloxacin (83.3%), ceftriaxone (75%), meropenem (58.3%), gentamycin (50%) and imipenem (25%) being the least observed resistance. This study shows that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common pathogen causing nosocomial infections; showing increasing resistance to β-lactam antibiotics especially by producing Amp-C β-lactamase, - 168 - ESBLs and with some significant exhibition of resistance to carbapenems and aminoglycosides in FETHA I and FETHA II.

6 table, 38 ref

012808   Hilario A;et al. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dep, College of Medicine Univ of the Philippines-Manila, Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila) : Hypouricemic property of crude ethanolic extract of ginger rhizome (Crucuma longa) on potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice. Int J Med Hlth Sci 2017, 6(2), 106-10.

Several herbal medicines have hypouricemic effect due to their antioxidant property and inhibition of xanthine oxidase. Curcuma longa, known as turmeric, has several medicinal properties. Studies on its hypouricemic property are limited. This study aimed to determine the hypouricemic property of crude ethanolic extract of C. longa rhizome on potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice. Twenty male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned into four groups (n=5). At hour 0, the Vehicle Group (VG) received 0.5 ml of phosphate buffered solution (PBS) intraperitoneally (ip); Negative Group (NG) received 0.25 ml of PBS - 167 - and 0.25 ml of potassium oxonate (200 mg/ml) ip; Treatment Group (TG) received similar dose of potassium oxonate and 0.25 ml of the crude ethanolic extract of C. longa rhizome (300 mg/ml) ip; and the Positive Group (PG) received similar dose of potassium oxonate and 0.25 ml of allopurinol (300 mg/ml) ip. Four hours later, blood collection was done and uric acid levels were determined. Statistical analysis done with P-value set at <60>0.05. Major findings showed that the mean uric acid level of TG group was significantly lower than the NG group (477.6 ± 80.2 vs. 1,875.5 ± 429.5 μmol/l; P<60>0.05). The mean uric acid level of TG group was not significantly different when compared with VG (390.5 ± 22.7 μmol/l) and PG (325.6 ± 44.0 μmol/l; P<62>0.05). These findings showed that the crude ethanolic extract of C. longa rhizome has hypouricemic potential for pharmacologic application.

1 table, 24 ref

012807   Ghodke I;Muniyappa K (Biochemistry Dep, Indian Institute of Sciences, Banglore-560 012, Email: kmbc@biochem.iis.ernet.in) : Genetic and biochemical evidence reveal novel insights into the mechanism underlying Saccharomyces cerevisaiae Sae2-mediated abrogation of DNA replications stress. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 615-41.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) protein complex plays pivotal roles in double-strandbreak (DSB) repair, replication stress and telomere length maintenance. Another protein linked to DSB repair is Sae2 which regulates MRX persistence at DSBs. However, very little is known about its role in DNA replication stress andrepair. Here, we reveal a crucial role for Sae2 in DNA replication stress. We show that different mutant alleles of SAE2cause hypersensitivity to genotoxic agents, and when combined with Δ mre11 or nuclease-defective mre11 mutantalleles, the double mutants are considerably more sensitive suggesting that the sae2 mutations synergize with mre11mutations. Biochemical studies demonstrate that Sae2 exists as a dimer in solution, associates preferentially withsingle-stranded and branched DNA structures, exhibits structure-specific endonuclease activity and cleaves thesesubstrates from the 5' end. Furthermore, we show that the nuclease activity is indeed intrinsic to Sae2. Interestingly,sae2G270D protein possesses DNA-binding activity, but lacks detectable nuclease activity. Altogether, our data suggesta direct role for Sae2 nuclease activity in processing of the DNA structures that arise during replication and DNAdamage and provide insights into the mechanism underlying Mre11-Sae2-mediated abrogation of replication stress-relateddefects in S. cerevisiae.

11 illus, 2 table, 113 ref

012806   Garcia-Diez j;Alheiro J;Falco V;Fraqueza M J; Patarata L (CECAV, Central de ciencia e Veterinaria. Universidade de Tras-os-montes e Alt, Quinto de Prados, Villa Real, Portugal, Email: juangarcidiez@gmail.com) : Chmical characterisation and antimicrobial properties of Herbs and Spices essential oils aganist Pathogens and spoilage Bacteria associated to Dry-cured meat products. J essential Oil Res 2017, 29(2), 117-25.

Use of herbs and spices essential oils (EOs) in meat products may be interesting to food processors due to their antimicrobial characteristics. The current study determines the chemical composition of selected EOS of herbs and spices with potential utilization in traditional meat products manufacture and their in vitro antimicrobial effect against selected food borne and spoilage microorganisms. The antimicrobial effect of EOs studied was variable according to their chemical composition. Thus, EOs of thyme, garlic - 166 - and cinnamon presented the best antimicrobial activity however, EOs of orange, basil and tarragon were considered non inhibitory. Other EOs such as cumin, bay, black pepper, lemon, parsley or nutmeg displayed an interesting antimicrobial effect however, their potential utilization could be difficult due to punctual microbial inhibition and/or by high MIC values. However, some of the EOs tested, albeit the expected sensory implications, might be useful in the manufacture of dry-cured meat products, once these products in several European formulations are strongly aromatised by wine and smoke and it is expected a synergistic effect with other hurdles to microbial growth and survival.

5 table, 35 ref

012805   Garcia Rua V;et al. (Cardiology Dep, Cellular and Molecular Cardiology Research Unit, Institute of Biomedical Research and Univ Clinial Hospital, 15706, Santigo de Compostela, Spain, Email: sandra.feijo@gmail.com) : Metabolic alterations derived from absence of two-pore channel 1 at cardiac level. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 643-58.

Two-pore channels (TPCs or TPCNs) are novel voltage-gated ion channels that have been postulated to act as Ca²⁺ and/or Na⁺ channels expressed exclusively in acidic organelles such as endosomes and lysosomes. TPCNs participate in theregulation of diverse biological processes and recently have been proposed to be involved in the pathophysiology ofmetabolic disorders such as obesity, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Due to the importance of thesepathologies in the development of cardiovascular diseases, we aimed to study the possible role of two-pore channel 1(TPCN1) in the regulation of cardiac metabolism. To explore the cardiac function of TPCN1, we developed proteomicapproaches as 2-DE-MALDI-MS and LC-MALDI-MS in the cardiac left ventricle of TPCN1 KO and WT mice, and foundalterations in several proteins implicated in glucose and fatty acid metabolism in TPCN1 KO vs. WT mice. The resultsconfirmed the altered expression of HFABP, a key fatty acid transport protein, and of enolase and PGK1, the key enzymes inthe glycolytic process. Finally, in vitro experiments performed in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, in which TPCN1 was silencedusing siRNAs, confirmed that the downregulation of TPCN1 gene expression increased 2-deoxy-D-[3H]-glucose uptake and GLUT4 mobilization into cell peripherals in cardiac cells. Our results are the first to suggest a potential role for TPCNs incardiac metabolism regulation.

8 illus, 71 ref

012804   Farnoosh G;Khajeh K;Latifi A M;Aghamollaei H (NO, Applied Biotechnology Research Centre, Baqiyatallah Univ of Medical Sc, Tehran, Iran, Email: amalatifi290@gmail.com) : Engineering and introduction of de novo disuplhide bridges in organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme for thermostability improvement. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 577-88.

The organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) has been used to degrade organophosphorus chemicals, as one of the mostfrequently used decontamination methods. Under chemical and thermal denaturing conditions, the enzyme has beenshown to unfold. To utilize this enzyme in various applications, the thermal stability is of importance. The engineeringof de novo disulphide bridges has been explored as a means to increase the thermal stability of enzymes in the rationalmethod of protein engineering. In this study, Disulphide by Design software, homology modelling and moleculardynamics simulations were used to select appropriate amino acid pairs for the introduction of disulphide bridge toimprove protein thermostability. The thermostability of the wild-type and three selected mutant enzymes wereevaluated by half-life, ΔG inactivation (ΔGi) and structural studies (fluorescence and far-UV CD analysis). Dataanalysis showed that half-life of A204C/T234C and T128C/E153C mutants were increased up to 4 and 24 min,respectively; however, for the G74C/A78C mutant, the half-life was decreased up to - 165 - 9 min. For the T128C/E124Cmutant, both thermal stability and Catalytic efficiency (kcat) were also increased. The half-life and ΔGi results werecorrelated to the obtained information from structural studies by circular dichroism (CD) spectrometry and extrinsicfluorescence experiments; as rigidity increased in A204C/T2234C and T128C/E153C mutants, half-life and ΔGi alsoincreased. For G74C/A78C mutant, these parameters decreased due to its higher flexibility. The results weresubmitted a strong evidence for the possibility to improve the thermostability of OPH enzyme by introducing adisulphide bridge after bioinformatics design, even though this design would not be always successful.

7 illus, 4 table, 53 ref

012803   Elsabbagh H M;Soliman O A;El-Hady W E A (Pharmaceutics Dep, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura Univ, Mansoura, Egypt-35516) : Adopting factorial design for formulation and optimization of polymeric spironolactone-loaded nanoparticle. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(1), 45-67.

The aim of the work in this study was to prepare eudragit RL100 based nanoparticles of spironolactone (SPL) by emulsification-solvent diffusion/evaporation technique. This technique was used to prepare the nanoparticles and then studying the effect of some independent variables viz drug concentration, polymer concentration and surfactant concentration on the dependent variables like particle size, polydespersity index (PDI), drug content (Q), drug entrapment efficiency % (DEE%) and percentage yield (%yield) with 2³ full factorial design. The optimized nanoparticles formulations were subjected to evaluation by making in-vitro drug release, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and zeta potential (ZP) determination. The results revealed that the drug and polymer were not interacting together. The obtained nanoparticles were found to be smooth and spherical. Also the crystallinity of nanoparticles was found to be less than the pure SPL and the nanoparticles have a size ranged from 60 to 300 nm. The polymer controlled the drug release from nanoparticles but with an initial fast release to give immediate rapid effect in-vivo followed by a slow release phase.

10 illus, 4 table, 24 ref

012802   Elsabbagh H M;Abdelghani G M;Nashaat A A (Pharameutics Dep, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura Univ, Mansoura-35516) : Sustained anti inflammatory effect of tolmetin sodium in transdermal patches. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(1), 136-51.

Tolmetin sodium is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. NSAIDs are known for their adverse effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this study is to formulate Tolmetin sodium into transdermal drug delivery system (TDS) to avoid the GIT adverse effects. Different polymers; Eudragit E 100, Eudragit L 100-55 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), each is used with different concentrations; (4%, 6%, 8% and 10%) in the formulation of monolithic transdermal patches. The in vitro release of the drug from the formulated patches - 164 - was tested through dialysis membrane (cellulose membrane). The transdermal patches containing 4% Eudragit L 100-55 gave highest in vitro release profiles and was chosen for in vivo study. The anti-inflammatory activity of this formulation was evaluated using carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model, which revealed a significant sustained anti-inflammatory activity.

7 illus, 3 table, 28 ref

012801   Dwivedi V;Lakhotia S C (Zoolog Dep, Cytogenic Laboratory, Banaras Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: lakhotia@bhu.ac.in) : Ayurvedic Amalaki Rasayana promtes improved stress tolerance and thus has anti-aging effects i Drosophila melanogaster. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 697-711.

Amalaki Rasayana (AR) is a common Ayurvedic herbal formulation of Phyllanthus emblica fruits and some otheringredients, and is used for general good health and healthy aging. We reported it to improve life history traits and tosuppress neurodegeneration as well as induced apoptosis in Drosophila. The present study examines responses ofDrosophila reared on AR-supplemented food to crowding, thermal or oxidative stresses. Wild-type larvae/flies rearedon AR-supplemented food survived the various cell stresses much better than those reared on control food. AR-fedmutant park¹³ or DJ-1β^Delta93 (Parkinson's disease model) larvae/flies, however, showed only partial or no protection,respectively, against paraquat-induced oxidative stress, indicating essentiality of DJ-1β for AR-mediated oxidativestress tolerance. AR feeding reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation evenin aged (35-day-old) wild-type flies while enhancing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. We show that while Hsp70or Hsp83 expression under normal or stress conditions was not affected by AR feeding, Hsp27 levels were elevated inAR-fed wild-type control as well as heat-shocked larvae. Therefore, besides the known anti-oxidant activity ofPhyllanthus emblica fruits, dietary AR also enhances cellular levels of Hsp27. Our in vivo study on a model organismshows that AR feeding significantly improves tolerance to a variety of cell stresses through reduced ROS and lipidperoxidation on the one hand, and enhanced SOD activity and Hsp27 on the other. The resulting better homeostasisimproves life span and quality of organism's life.

5 illus, 2 table, 99 ref

012800   Duraiswamy A;Shanmugasundaram D;Sasikumar C S;Cherian S M;Cherian K M (Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry Dep, Frontier Mediville (A Unit of Frontier and Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Fo, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: sheelsasic@yahoo.co.in) : Antioxidant properties of ADJ6 and ITS effect to isolated human erythrocyte ghost membrane. Free Radical Antioxidant 2016, 6(2), 133-8.

The present study focuses to study the ameliorative effect of ADJ6 against oxidative stress on human erythrocytes. The membrane stabilization activity, Inhibition of lipid peroxidation and the effect against Ouabain induced Na⁺ K⁺ ATPase activity was assessed. Further, in vitro antioxidant activity of ADJ6 was also determined. DPPH radical scavenging activity, metal chelating and H₂O₂ radical scavenging activity were IC₅₀=37.9 ± 0.22 μg/ml, IC₅₀=53.95 ± 0.337 μg/ml and IC₅₀=69.5 ± 0.628 μg/ml respectively. ADJ6 showed an EC₅₀=90.83 ± 1.905 μg/ml against hypotonicity induced lysis of erythrocytes. H₂O₂ induced Lipid - 163 - peroxidation of ghost membrane was also inhibited by ADJ6 (IC₅₀=84.5 ± 2.613 μg/ml). Ouabain induced sodium potassium ATPase activity increased with the treatment of ADJ6 in a dose dependent manner. This proves that ADJ6 is effective in stabilizing the membrane potential of erythrocyte membrane. The scavenging activity in vitro also proves that ADJ6 is effective against free radicals. Though exact mechanism hitherto unknown, it is evident that ADJ6 stabilizes erythrocyte membrane activity. Further studies will be conducted in order to prove the mechanism of action of ADJ6 against of free radicals.

2 illus, 21 ref

012799   Dong C;Liu S;Lv Y;Zhang C;Gao H;Tan L;Wang H (NO, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao Univ of School of Medicine, Yantai City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China, Email: wanghong_2016@163.com) : Long non-coding RNA HOTAIR regulates proliferation and invasion via activating Notch signalling pathway in retionblastoma. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 677-87.

Retinoblastoma is the most frequently occurring tumour in the eyes in early childhood. Novel targets that areimportant for the diagnosis or treatment of retinoblastoma could be valuable in increasing the survival rate of patientsaffected by this disease. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a recently discovered type of RNAs with no proteincodingfunction; yet it has become increasingly clear that lncRNAs are responsible for important gene regulatoryfunctions in various diseases. In this study, the expression of lncRNA HOTAIR was measured by qRT-PCR, andHOTAIR expression was found to be significantly upregulated in human retinoblastomas tissues as compared with thatin paracancerous tissues. Knockdown of HOTAIR restricted the proliferation and invasion of the more invasiveretinoblastoma Y79 cells, and led to G0/G1 arrest, possibly through inhibiting phospho-RB1, RB1 and CCNE.Furthermore, we found that the Notch signalling pathway was activated abnormally in retinoblastoma cell lines, whileknockdown of HOTAIR attenuated the endogenous Notch signalling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In addition,knockdown of HOTAIR could inhibit the tumour progression in a xenograft model of retinoblastoma. In summary,our findings indicate that HOTAIR may play important roles in retinoblastoma progression via Notch pathway.HOTAIR has the potential to enhance the development of novel targeted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches forretinoblastoma.

6 illus, 38 ref

012798   Doke S;Sreerama Y N;Guha M (Grain Science and Technology Dep, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore-570 020) : Inhibitory effects of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) seed coat phenolics on α-glucosidase and trypsin. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(1), 68-76.

Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) seeds are well known traditionally for their medicinal and health beneficial properties such as hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and anticarcinogenic etc. Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder, is increasing in prevalence drastically worldwide. Dietary supplements from natural sources are a well-accepted phenomenon for prevention or management of diabetes mellitus. Hence, inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes such as a- amylase and a-glucosidase by plant phenolics is an effective technique to lower postprandial glucose level. The present study was investigated to evaluate the inhibitory effect of garden cress seed coat phenolics on pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal a-glucosidase. It was observed that seed coat phenolics inhibited pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal a-glucosidase with IC50 values of 5.5 and 33.2 μg/ml respectively, suggesting strong inhibition towards a-amylase. Protease inhibitors - 162 - are known to have anticarcinogenic activities and hence, garden cress seed coat phenolics were also evaluated for inhibition of trypsin. Garden cress seed coat phenolics inhibited trypsin with IC50 value of 14.6 μg/ml. These results indicate the potential of Garden cress seed coat as a functional ingredient for development of specialty health food formulations.

3 illus, 21 ref

012797   Das S K;Sengupta P;Mustapha M S;Sarker M R (Pharmacology Dep, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lincoln Univ College, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, Email: psg725@gmail.com) : Experimental evaluation of adaptogenic potential of standardized Epipremnum aureum leaf extract. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2017, 9(2), 88-93.

Stress is a normal part of everyday life but chronic stress can lead to a variety of stress-related illnesses including hypertension, anxiety, and depression. In the present investigation, standardized leaf extract of Epipremnumaureum was evaluated for its anti-stress potential. For the evaluation of anti-stress activity, groups of mice (n = 6) were subjected to forced swim stress and anoxic stress tolerance test in mice 1h after daily treatment of E.aureumextract. Diazepam (5 mg/kg) was taken as a reference standard. Urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and ascorbic acid were selected as noninvasive biomarkers to assess the anti-stress activity and plasma cortisol, blood ascorbic acid, and weight of adrenal were measured. The 24 h urinary excretion of VMA and ascorbic acid were determined by spectrophotometric methods in all groups under normal and stressed conditions. The hematological parameters (neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils) were also determined. Administration of E.aureumat doses of 400 and 600 mg/kg wasfound to be effective in inhibiting the stress induced urinary biochemical changes in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with E. aureum extract prevents the rise in blood ascorbic acid and plasma cortisol. Moreover, the extract prevented the increase in weight of adrenal gland also significantly increased the anoxia stress tolerance time. Dose-dependent significant reduction in white blood cell count was observed in anoxic stress tolerance test as compared to stressed group. Hence, the present study provides scientific support for the positiveadaptogenic effect of E. aureum extract.

6 tables, 13 ref

012796   Chumbhale DS;Chaudhari SR;Upasani CD (Pharmacognosy Dep, Amrutvahini College of Pharmacy, Sangamner, Ahmednagar-422 608) : Preliminary phytochemical analysis and in vitro anthelmintic activity of Millingtonia hortensis Linn. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(3), 304-8.

The present study was designed to evaluate the anthelmintic potential of Millingtonia hortensis Linn. (M. hortensis) is an important medicinal tree in Indian traditional system of medicine. In this study, the various extract of stems of M. hortensis was investigated for their anthelmintic activity against the earthworms, Pheritima posthuma. Each extract was studied in the bioassay at 20 mg/ml, which involved determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worms. The stems extracts of plant, M. hortensis showed significant activity against worms and exhibited considerable anthelmintic activity. Albendazole (20 mg/ml) and distilled water were included in the assay as a standard reference drug and control respectively. Present investigation indicated that among the various extract, ethyl acetate soluble fraction of methanolic extracts of plant, M. - 161 - hortensis showed more prominent activity. These findings will be useful toward the better acceptability of this plant in therapeutics.

2 illus, 3 table, 22 ref

012795   Chiliveri S C;Deshmukh M V (NO, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: mudesh@ccmb.res.in) : Recent excitements in protein NMR: Large proteins and biologically relevant dynamics. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 787-803.

The advent of Transverse Relaxation Optimized Spectroscopy (TROSY) and perdeuteration allowed biomolecularNMR spectroscopists to overcome the size limitation barrier (<126>20 kDa) in de novo structure determination of proteins.The utility of these techniques was immediately demonstrated on large proteins and protein complexes (e.g. GroELGroES,ClpP protease, Hsp90-p53, 20S proteasome, etc.). Further, recent methodological developments such asResidual Dipolar Couplings and Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement allowed accurate measurement of long-rangestructural restraints. Additionally, Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG), rotating frame relaxation experiments (R1?)and saturation transfer experiments (CEST and DEST) created never-before accessibility to the μs-ms timescaledynamic parameters that led to the deeper understanding of biological processes. Meanwhile, the excitement in thefield continued with a series of developments in the fast data acquisition methods allowing rapid structural studies onless stable proteins. This review aims to discuss important developments in the field of biomolecular NMRspectroscopy in the recent past, i.e., in the post TROSY era. These developments not only gave access to the structuralstudies of large protein assemblies, but also revolutionized tools in the arsenal of today's biomolecular NMR and pointto a bright future of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy.

^iia9 illus, 101 ref

012794   Bondar N P;Merkulova T I (Laboratory of Gene Expression Regulation, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy, Novosibirsk, Russia, Email: nbondar@bionet.nsc.ru) : Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and early-life stress: Multifaceted interplay. J Biosci, Bangalore 2016, 41(4), 751-84.

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key regulator of neural development and plasticity. Longtermchanges in the BDNF pathway are associated with childhood adversity and adult depression symptoms.Initially, stress-induced decreases in the BDNF pathway were found in some studies, but subsequent reportsindicated the relationship between stress and BDNF to be much more complex, and the concept wassignificantly revised. In the present mini-review, we focus on the structure and regulation of the Bbnf geneas well as on the stress-BDNF interactions under early-life adverse conditions.

^iia1 table, 63 ref

012793   Bhadra S;Prajapati A B;Bhadra D (Pharmaceutics Dep, Parul Institute of Pharmacy, Vadodara, Gujarat, Email: sulekha.bhadra@gmail.com) : Development of pH sensitive polymeric nanoparticles of erythromycin stearate. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2016, 8(2), 135-40.

Bioavailability of conventional tablet of erythromycin stearate is low as it is unstable at acidic pH and also shows a low dissolution rate. Objective: It was proposed to protect it from the acidic condition of the stomach along with an increase in dissolution rate by formulating pH sensitive nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were prepared by the solvent evaporation technique using different quantities of Eudragit L100-55 and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Size reduction was achieved by high speed homogenization technique using Digital Ultra Turrax homogenizer. The formulation was optimized using 3² factorial design, keeping drug polymer ratio and surfactant concentration as independent variables. Particle size, entrapment efficiency, and drug-release (DR) were studied as dependent variables. Optimized batch containing 1:0.3 erythromycin stearate: Eudragit L100-55 ratio and 1.0% PVA showed 8.24 ± 0.71% DR in pH 1.2 in 1-h and 90.38 ± 5.97% in pH 5.5 and pH 6.8 within 2-h, respectively. Discussion: The optimized batch exhibited lower release in acidic pH and faster release in higher pH compared to the marketed preparation. Thus the present study concludes that pH sensitive nanoparticles of erythromycin stearate increases the dissolution of the drug in intestinal pH and also protect it from acidic pH, which may help in improving the bioavailability of erythromycin.

1 illus, 6 tables, 30 ref

012792   Besterekov U;Nurasheva K K;Nazarbek U B; Nazarbekova S P;Bolysbek A A (NO, , 48a Madeli Kozha Street, Apt. 67, Shymkent, X09D9A2 (160000), Kazakhastan, Email: nurasheva@mail.ru ) : Complex mineral fertilizers: opportunities of manufacturing them from technogenic wastes. Oriental J Chem 2017, 33(1), 92-103.

Purpose of the research is to study the development of technological modes of producing nitrogen-phosphorus-containing mineral fertilizer from industrial wastes in experimental conditions. Granulometric and substantial composition of phosphorus sludge and cottrell dust, mineralogical composition and microstructure of industrial waste for mineral fertilizers production have been studied. It was found possible to produce qualitative ammophos from phosphorus sludge and cotterll dust in proportion 2/1, using decomposition by mixture of 30% aqueous solution ammonium sulfate and humic acid. Conducted experiments allow to design the technology for producing complex fertilizers. Harmful environmental impact of waste is lowered, also production costs of the new fertilizer are much lower than of the existing ones. Unlike the traditional method of ammophos production from phosphoric acid and ammonia, the offered method allows to produce the complex and assimilable fertilizer, containing phosphorus and nitrogen in optimum proportions.

4 illus, 5 tables, 24 ref

012791   Begum S S;Aundhati A (Biotechnology Dep, Dr.L.Bullayya PG. College, Andhra Uiv, Vishakapatinam-530 013) : Heavy metals tolerance and in vitro bioremediation potencial in Pseudomonas Sp R2. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(2), 159-66.

The present study is findings of an investigation of heavy metal tolerance in Pseudomonas sp R2- KJ461965, a phenol resistance and organophosphate ¹⁷ degrading isolate. Metal impregnated paper discs at 0.2 mg/ml concentration were used to evaluate oligodyanamic action in vitro. Growth of the isolate in the paper disc assay and development of biofilm at late stage of culture growth, was a clear evidence of resistance and biosorption mechanism. In liquid culture method, the culture media was spiked with heavy metals viz. lead, mercury, cobalt, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium, at concentration ranging from 0.5 to 2 mg/ml. The tolerance to metals were ascertained by increase in biomass with increase in metal concentration. Plasmid curing was carried out to locate the genes responsible for tolerance to plasmid or chromosome. Ethidium Bromide (100 μg/ml) and 2% SDS were used as curing agent. The isolate was found to be resistance to lead, chromium, magnesium zinc, calcium and copper and tolerant to cobalt, mercury and iron. Loss of heavy metal resistance from the isolated strain after plasmid curing confirmed a relationship between heavy metal resistance with plasmid. These findings indicates the novelty of the strain in bioremediation of heavy metals - 159 - contamination.

2 illus, 2 table, 37 ref

012790   Bahekar S E;Kale R S (Pharmacology Dep, SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Nashik, Email: drsatish3683@gmail.com) : Evaluation of antioxidant activity of Manihot esculenta crantz in wistar rats. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2016, 8(2), 119-23.

The study aimed to explore the antioxidant activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Manihot esculenta Crantz leaves (MEC) in wistar rats. Ethanolic extract of MEC leaves in the doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg were used in wistar rats of either sex. The oxidative stress was produced by overdose of acetaminophen and estimation of serum concentration of various enzymes such as malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) were measured by standard biochemical methods. Silymarin (100 mg/kg) was used as a standard drug for assessment of antioxidant status. Results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Student's unpaired t-test. When compared with the standard antioxidant silymarin, MEC extract did not exhibit antioxidant activity in terms of MDA level reduction. However, it significantly increased serum levels of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH, and CAT) exerting a potent antioxidant effect in a graded manner. The observed results suggest that MEC could be a potential source of antioxidants. However, further studies are required to explore this therapeutic property of plant.

1 illus, 29 ref

012789   Baehaki A;Widiastuti I;Herpandi;Jannah N (Study Program of Fisheries Product Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sriwijaya University, Indralaya, South Sumatera, Indonesia, Email: ace76_none@yahoo.com) : Antioxidant activity of extracts of Halodule pinifolia seagrass from solvents with different polarities. Oriental J Chem 2017, 33(1), 181-5.

Purpose of this study was to analyze phytochemistry contents and antioxidant activity of extracts from seagrass of Halodule pinifolia from solvents with different polarities. Parameters of research were phytochemical content, DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power. - 158 - The result showed content of phytochemical compounds of ethanol extract seagrass were flavonoids, tannis, saponins, steroids and triterpenoids. The use of ethyl acetate solvent showed phytochemical compounds were flavonoids, steroids and triterpenoids. For n-hexane solvent showed phytochemical compounds were steroids and triterpenoids. The highest of antioxidant activity with DPPH method (IC₅₀) of H. pinifolia was 18.7 ppm with ethanol extract. The highest of reducing power of H. pinifolia was 1.749.

3 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

012788   Ayyadurai V;Ramar K (PG and Research Dep of Botany, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu) : In vitro shoot multiplication studies on Solanum pubescens willd an important antiepileptic activity plant. Archiv appl Sci Res 2017, 9(1), 31-5.

Solanum pubescens Willd is an important medicinal plant which belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is widely used as folk medicine and treating for many diseases. Efficient in vitro regeneration of Solanum pubescens was achieved from node and Internode explants on MS medium with B5 vitamins and different concentrations and combinations of PGRs like BAP, GA3 and KIN. The maximum numbers of multiple shoots were achieved from nodal and internodal explants on 3.0 mg/l BAP+1.0mg/l GA3+0.5mg/l KIN (80.5%). The regenerated shoots were transferred in to half strength MS medium fortified with IBA for root induction. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized. The current study showed efficient in vitro shoot regeneration capabilities of Solanum pubescens.

1 illus, 1 table, 29 ref

012787   Ashwini S;Shahtaram M (Studies in Biochemistry Dep, Manglore Univ, Post graduate Centre, Chikka Aluvara, Kodagu-571 232) : Biochemical composition of seaweeds and their anti-cancer properties againts human papillomavirus (HPV). Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(3), 271-9.

Seaweeds were traditionally used as food stuff in Asian countries for centuries, as early as 2700 BC. Most recently seaweeds have been utilized in Japan as raw materials in the manufacture of many seaweed food products such as jam, cheese, wine, tea, soup and noodles. Seaweeds are highly nutritive foods containing proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber contents and essential fatty acids. Seaweeds have become a valuable vegetable (fresh or dried) and an important food ingredient in the human diet. Seaweeds constitute some of the most important reservoirs of new therapeutic compounds for humans. Several of them have been shown to have many biological activities, including anticancer activity. Marine algae- derived products play an important role in preventing inflammatory reactions and carcinogenesis by modulating the effects of oxidative stress.

^iia3 illus, 3 table, 69 ref

012786   ArulJothi M;Parameswari C S;Vincent S (Biochemistry Dep, Bharathi Women's College, Chennai-600 108) : Hematological studies on the effect of zingerone on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Int J pharm Res Biosci 2016, 5(2), 21-6.

Diabetes is a major metabolic disorder and by 2030, it would affect nearly 366 million populations worldwide, out of which 90% of the diabetic population would be insulin resistance. Such huge diabetic population would be a burden for any national healthcare system. Present study has been focused to evaluate the effect of zingerone on STZ induced diabetes mellitus. In the present study male Wister albino rats were used. The experiment was designed with 5 groups of animals, each group containing 6 animals. Group I served as control, group II rats were induced diabetes by the - 157 - administration of single dose of STZ (40mg/kg body weight), group III rats were treated with zingerone (10mg/kg body weight) for 30 days after induction of diabetes group IV rats were treated with metformin (50mg/kg body weight) after the induction of diabetes & group V served as a zingerone (10mg/kg body weight) control. Hematological values are compared for normal to group II, III, IV. The result showed that WBC, RBC, HB, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC values are decreased in group II when compared to all other groups.

1 table, 18 ref

012785   Arora M;Yadav S;Saini V;Yadav A;Jain A (Biochemistry Dep, VMMC, New Delhi) : Does hypothroidism predispose premenopausal females to incresed risk of atherosclerosis. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2017, 7(2), 96-100.

Euthyroid state is preferred for cardiovascular system. The most common cause of cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis. Studies have suggested anti-atherosclerotic effect of thyroid hormone but some recent clinical trials have failed to show an association between thyroid function and cardiovascular events, indicating that the relationship between thyroid hormone and atherogenesis is still not conclusive. Study was conducted on 90 premenopausal females in each group with subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism and healthy controls. Patients were ruled out for cardiovascular disease or any other condition which would have influenced the parameters under study. After overnight fasting, 6 mL venous blood sample was collected. hs-CRP, PAI-1, APC levels were estimated by ELISA and NO levels by modified Griess method. We found that APC levels were significantly decreased and PAI-1, hs-CRP and NO levels were significantly increased in patients with overt hypothyroidism as compared to controls. APC levels were and PAI-1were not significantly different whereas hs-CRP and NO levels were significantly increased in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism as compared to controls. Premenopausal females are generally considered to be at lower risk of cardiovascular disease because of protective action of estrogen but chances of cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis increase in females with overt hypothyroidism, which represents a potential hypercoagulable, inflammatory state with endothelial dysfunction. Females with subclinical hypothyroidism also have higher preponderance of atherosclerotic risk factors like endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory state. So, we suggest early screening of risk factors of atherosclerosis in premenopausal females with hypothyroidism.

2 table, 24 ref

012784   Ameen N;Shafi S (Pharmaceutical Sciences Dep, Kashmir Univ, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir) : Biochemical and in-vivo antioxidant parameters for evaluation of memory enhancing activity. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(3), 265-70.

Memory is the ability of an individual to record sensory stimuli, events, information etc., retain them for short or long periods of time and recall the same later when needed. Memory loss, also referred to as amnesia, dementia or memory impairment, is an abnormal degree of forgetfulness and/or inability to recall past events. It is a disorder characterized by loss of intellectual ability sufficiently severe as to interfere with one's occupational - 156 - or social activities. Memory deficits have long been recognized as severe and consistent neurological disorders associated with numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Senile dementia, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Trauma, Chronic insomnia, Epileptic disorder and Attention deficit disorders etc. However, the most common cause of memory loss has been found to be Alzheimer's disease. These Neurodegenerative diseases associated with dementia are characterized by cognitive deficits and memory impairment,thus stimulating research for memory enhancing drugs.

26 ref

012783   Alves G L;Bachiega F L;Camargo E E S (Centro Universitario do Norte Paulista, Farmacia Dep, , Iniciacao Cientifica - Rua Ipiranga 3460, Jd. Alto Rio Preto, 15020-040) : Use of species presented as boldo in Sao Jose Do Rio Preto area - Sao Paulo state - Brazil. Int J pharm chem biol Sci 2016, 6(1), 1-6.

This study present the knoledge about the utilization of Vernoniacondensata, PlectrantusbarbatusePeumusboldus, species which is popular in Brazil, however has a short clarification about the content and goals. We still did a direct observation and identification of the boldo sheets by the participants of the survey. The real boldo (Peumusboldus) that has the better benefits had 26% score in the survey when was asked about the identification of the species and the other species (Vernoniacondensata e Plectranthusbarbatus) had 74% score, in other words, boldo is used in form of infusion and most of the time the crop is done at home, but most of people are unaware of its effects take to relieve some discomfort and end up causing other serious problems to the body. The result of the research showed that knowledge of the use of boldo as phytotherapic, in digestive and hepatic disorders and it needs to increase awareness about the risks of self-medication, because they are not free from side effects.

7 illus, 18 ref

012782   Abima Shazhni J R;Renu A (NO, Sathyabama Univ, Jeppiaar Nagar, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Chennai-600 119, Email: shelabi12@gmail.com) : Phytochemicals of Anthurium andraeanum and its pharmacological applications. Asian J Chem 2017, 29(2), 357-61.

The present study involves phytochemical screening and analysis of medicinal plant. Plant parts of Anthurium andraeanum (root, stem, leaf, flower and seed) were subjected to screen phytochemical constituents and the results revealed that this plant possess the phytochemicals such as phlobatannins, steroids, phenols and saponins. The plant parts were extracted individually and subjected for antimicrobial activities. Result revealed that this sample was effective against various pathogenic bacteria. The bioactive compound was purified by using silica gel chromatography and thin layer chromatography. The high performance liquid chromatography purified sample was found to be effective against the tested cell lines (Hep G2, A549 and MCF7). Gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometer analysis revealed the presence of anticancer compounds such as 2,3-dihydro-benzofuran and stigmasta-5,20(22)-dien-3-ol.

4 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

011674   Yadav R K;Banka H (Computer Science and Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad-826 004, Email: rohit.ism123@gmail.com) : Improved chemical reaction-based approach for multiple sequence alignment. Curr Sci 2017, 112(3), 527-38.

In bioinformatics, multiple sequence alignment (MSA) is an NP-hard problem. Nature-inspired approaches can provide an approximate solution compared to conventional approaches. In this article, the MSA problem is dealt with using chemical reaction optimization (CRO). The limitations of CRO are slow convergence and low population diversity. Therefore, the initialization process is improved by pairwise alignment technique which maintains diversity. In the performance analysis, we have taken benchmark datasets from Bali base version 2.0. The Bali score of the proposed approach is compared with those of the existing approaches such as SB-PIMA, SAGA, RBT-GA and GAPAM, HMMT. Simulation results confirm the superiority of the proposed approach over others.

17 illus, 5 tables, 21 ref

011673   Wangkheirakapam S D;Datt J D (NO, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal-795 004, Email: wangkheimayums@yahoo.com) : Screening and comparison of two edible macrofungi of Auricularia spp.. Curr Sci 2017, 112(3), 460-3.

4 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

011672   Vinutha T;Maheswari C;Bansal N;Prashat G Rama;Krishnan V;Kumari Sweta;Dahuja A;Sachdev A;Rai RD (Biochemistry Div, Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012) : Expression analysis of γ-tocopherol methyl transferase genes and α -tocopherol content in developing seeds of soyabean {[Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2015, 52(3-4), 267-73.

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., besides being rich source of protein and oil, is a good source health promoting substances viz., isoflavones, anthocyanins and tocopherols, the latter are composed of four isoforms α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols. Due to the potent antioxidant property and nutraceutical relevance of α-tocopherol, increasing its levels endogenously by modulating γ-tocopherol methyl transferase (γ-TMT) gene expression has gained significant attention in recent years. Despite having γ-tocopherol as the predominant form, its conversion into highly active α-tocopherol is the limiting step in soybean seeds; the step which is catalyzed by γ-tocopherol methyl transferase enzyme. Based on the differences in amino acid sequence at NH2-domain, the γ-TMT is classified as γ-TMT1, γ-TMT2 and γ-TMT3. Expression of these γ-TMT genes was studied in developing soybean seeds of two contrasting genotypes with respect to a-tocopherol content, namely Bragg ('high') and DS-2706 ('low'). Among γ-TMT, significantly higher (P <60> 0.05) expression (2-4.5 fold) of γ-TMT3 was observed in Bragg genotype than in DS-2706 at 50 days after flowering (DAF). A positive correlation was observed between γ-TMT3 gene expression and a-tocopherol accumulation (14 μg/g seed) in Bragg at 50 DAF than in DS-2706. The study may prove useful in greater understanding of temporal differences in the a-tocopherol accumulation and γ-TMT3 gene expression in seeds and the distinct roles of γ-TMT genes in soybean.

6 illus, 2 table, 37 ref

011671   Vidyavathi M;Radha K;Rajyalakshmi A;Ramya R ( Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati-517 502, Email: vidyasur@rediffmail.com) : Evaluation of Merremia tridentata mucilage as binding agent intablet dosage forms. Rasayan J Chem 2017, 10(2), 534-41.

An increasing interest in the use of natural polymers or gums in pharmaceutical formulations focusing the tremendous orientation to discover and extract such gums. The pharmaceutical industry is ever thirsty to satisfy patient's therapeutic needs by utilizing inactive excipients along with active ingredients in formulation development. Binders are added to tablet formulations to add cohesiveness to powders thereby providing the necessary bonding to form granules which under compaction form a compact mass as tablet. Binders are also essential to achieve the hardness of the tablet. The development of new excipients for potential use as binding agent in tablet formulations continues to be of interest. The present paper consisted of the evaluation of mucilage of Merrimia tridentata roots for its binding property in solid dosage forms by using starch as a standard binder. Ibuprofen was used as a model drug and tablets were prepared using mucilage obtained from roots of Merremia tridentate as a test binder and starch as standard binder by wet granulation method. The granules were evaluated for flow properties, drug - excipient compatibility and compressibility index and tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, friability, disintegration time and dissolution rate. The similarity factor was determined for comparison of dissolution profiles of test and standard tablets. It has been found from the present study that the roots of plant Merremia tridentata has a good mucilage content which may be taken as a good natural source of mucilage for better binding properties with comparable flow properties, disintegration time, hardness and release rate similar to starch.

4 illus, 3 tables, 28 ref