A comprehensive study of eco-friendly natural pigment and its applications

Actinomycetes, a large group of filamentous bacteria account for 70–80% of secondary metabolites available commercially. The present investigation was undertaken with an aim to identify and characterize pigment from actinomycetes. Actinomycetes were isolated from rhizosphere soil samples collected from different regions of Madhya Pradesh state. Out of 85 actinomycetes, only 5 actinomycetes showed pigment production and based on diffusible pigment production ability one actinomycete ARITM02 was selected. The extraction of pigment was done by solvent extraction method using methanol and purified by TLC and column chromatography. The pigment was characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy which showed the lamda maximum of 277.44. FTIR spectroscopy suggested various functional groups like amino group, amide group, hydroxide, benzene and lactone group. The Mass spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy showed that the molecular mass of pigment is 621.7 and molecular formula is C34H43N3O8. The pigment was also tested for Antimicrobial activity against broad spectrum human pathogens, antioxidant test and toxicity test for safe use as a natural colorant in cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical and textile industries. The conclusion of study suggested that this novel pigment could be a versatile natural, safe and multipurpose.     

Estrogen attenuates HSP 72 expression in acutely exercised male rodents

Estrogen has been shown to reduce post-exercise skeletal muscle damage. Exercise-induced muscle damage may be a factor in the elevated post-exercise expression of heat-shock proteins (HSPs). Thus, the present investigation was conducted in order to examine the influence of estrogen on post-exercise levels of HSP 72 and heat-shock cognate, HSC 73, in male and female rodents. Prior to an acute bout of treadmill running, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections of either 40 microg x kg(-1) of beta-estradiol 3-benzoate or olive oil vehicle for 2 weeks. A two- to fourfold reduction in post-exercise HSP 72 content was observed in the heart, liver, lung and red and white vastus muscles of estradiol-treated males compared with their vehicle-injected counterparts (P < 0.05). Compared to the males, the females had significantly lower post-exercise HSP 72 levels which were not affected by estradiol supplementation. Moreover, estradiol administration in male rodents resulted in a HSP response similar to that of females following exercise. Thus, the results of the present investigation suggest that estrogen is the factor responsible for the observed differences in post-exercise HSP 72 levels between males and females.