Microalga Scenedesmus bajacalifornicus BBKLP-07, a new source of bioactive compounds with in vitro pharmacological applications

Microalgae are photosynthetic eukaryotes which are primary producers in the food chain and also excellent sources for bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins and other fine chemicals. In the present study, the microalga Scenedesmus bajacalifornicus BBKLP-07 was subjected to soxhlet extraction using solvents like chloroform, acetone, ethanol, methanol and aqueous solvents. All the solvents were tested for the presence of phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, lignin’s, saponins, sterols, tannins, anthraquinone and reducing sugar using the standard procedures. Furthermore, all the crude extracts were subjected to antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Antidiabetic activity of the microalgal extracts was observed maximum in Aqueous extract. Methanolic extracts have shown maximum antioxidant activity and chloroform extracts have exhibited highest anti-inflammatory effects. Antimicrobial activities were tested against E.coli, S, typhi, C.perfringens and B.subtilis bacteria and fungi A.niger, and C. albicans. Therefore, the green microalga Scenedesmus bajacalifornicus BBKLP-07 is a rich source of biological active compounds and nutraceuticals and can be exploited for commercial applications.

     

Effect of methyl parathion formulation on estrous cycle and reproductive performance in albino rats

The animals were injected intraperitoneally with graded doses of methyl parathion at 1.5 to 3 mg/kg body weight for 15 days from the day of estrus. Results indicated that the methyl parathion treatment showed irregular estrous cycles, affect the duration of each estrous cycle, proestrus and diestrus were significantly changed in 2.5 and 3 mg treatment groups. But there was no significant change in the number and duration of each estrous cycle, duration of proestrus and diestrus in 1.5 and 2 mg methyl parathion treatment groups. However, there was a significant decrease in the duration of estrus, while there was no significant change in the duration of metestrus in all methyl parathion treatment rats when compared with those of the corresponding parameters of the control. There was no significant effect on number of live pups on day 1 and 5 except in 3 mg methyl parathion treatment group where it was significantly decreased. There was no significant change in reproductive indices like pregnancy, parturition, live birth and viability in all the methyl parathion treatment rats except the viability index in the highest dose.     

In silico characterization of putative drug targets in Staphylococcus saprophyticus,causing bovine mastitis

The bovine mastitis caused by coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) has increased in many herds of urban and rural areas of India. Emergence of multi drug resistant bacteria has further made its management more complex and serious. Therefore, innovation of novel specific drug for the treatment of disease caused by particular organism remained to be a challenge. Hence, in the present study a bacterium was isolated from milk of the cow with bovine mastitis and was identified as S. saprophyticus, 44 pathways of S. saprophyticus retrieved (KEGG) from web server were found to be non homologous to the host Bos taurus, out of which 39 pathways were found to be in cytoplasm, 2 in cell wall and 3 in the cell membrane. The knowledge of the present study could make the drug discovery easier which have high affinity to the target site of the causative organism.     

Effect of dexamethasone on implantation and pregnancy in albino rats

Administration of 3 mg/kg body weight of dexamethasone from day 1 or 3 to 7 of pregnancy did not prevent implantation in albino rats. But the same dose when administered from day 8 to 11 resulted in complete abortion / resorption in all rats. Administration of 2 mg / kg body weight of dexamethasone from day 8 to 11 of pregnancy held no effect on the foetal survival. The results indicate that a high dose of dexamethasone does not affect implantation but the same dose affects the more advanced stages of pregnancy.     

Molecular Rearrangement of Longifolene by Arthrobacter ilicis T2

Arthrobacter ilicis T₂ brings about a unique type of cometabolic structural rearrangement of longifolene, a sesquiterpene, resulting in the formation of an acid. Infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and decoupling studies indicate that the acid product has a sativenelike structure, which is confirmed by conversion of the acid to its methyl ester and hydrocarbon.     

Molecular Rearrangement of Longifolene by Arthrobacter ilicis T(2)

Arthrobacter ilicis T(2) brings about a unique type of cometabolic structural rearrangement of longifolene, a sesquiterpene, resulting in the formation of an acid. Infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and decoupling studies indicate that the acid product has a sativenelike structure, which is confirmed by conversion of the acid to its methyl ester and hydrocarbon.     

Identification and analysis of putative promoter motifs in bovine herpes virus

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the putative promoter motifs in the bovine herpes virus which causes several diseases in cattle worldwide including bovine mastitis with large economic impact on dairy industry. Bovine mastitis caused due to virus is often neglected as bacterial infections are held mainly responsible for the disease. Therefore, in this in silico investigation with all the existing experimental data a total of 147 promoter were identified along with their sequences from three genome viz bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV), bovine herpes virus 4 and bovine herpes virus 5, out of which 39 promoters were from bovine herpes virus 4 (BHV 4), 95 from BHV1 and 13 from BHV5 and it was observed that BHV1 and BHV5 have a close evolutionary history. However, they belong to the same subfamily and size of the genome and GC% of BHV1 and BHV5 was almost equal and very high compare to that of BHV4. This analysis may help in designing the live attenuated vaccine against BHV causing bovine mastitis that reduces the incidence of bovine mastitis. Identification of promoters may also help in designing of expression vectors which help in better understanding of the regulation of gene expression. In the era of large genomics and proteomics prediction of promoters in the whole genome is crucial for the advancement of drug discovery and gene therapy.