Studies on ontogeny and reproductive behaviour of Lepisorus nudus (Hook.) Ching (Polypodiaceae)

Journal of Plant Research - In-vitro studies of the ontogeny and mating system of the gametophytes of Lepisorus nudus were carried out through multispore and isolate cultures lasting...     

Tiron and trolox potentiate the autophagic cell death induced by magnolol analog Ery5 by activation of Bax in HL-60 cells

This study describes the mechanism of trolox and tiron induced potentiation of cytotoxicity caused by Ery5, an analog of magnolol, in human myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells. Ery5 induced cytotoxicity in HL-60 cells by involving activation of bax and cleavage of caspase 3, which contributed towards activation of both apoptotic and autophagic pathways. Trolox and tiron, even at non-toxic concentrations, contributed to the cytotoxicity of Ery5 by activation of autophagic proteins like ATG7, ATG12 and LC3-II. Z-VAD-fmk mediated reduction in the cytotoxicity and expression of autophagic proteins, further suggested that autophagy induced by Ery5 is largely dependent upon caspases. Interestingly, Ery5 induced autophagy was accompanied by the downregulation of PI3K/AKT pathway whereas, trolox and tiron strongly enhanced this effect. In addition to that treatment of cells with Ery5, trolox and tiron individually, displayed a marked upregulation of Bax. The involvement of Bax in trolox and tiron induced enhancement of the cytotoxicity of Ery5 was confirmed, when siRNA induced silencing of Bax led to increased viability of the cells and exerted a strong inhibitory effect on LC3-II accumulation and p62 degradation in case of cells treated by the combination of Ery5 with trolox or tiron. Additionally, an important role of PARP in Ery5 mediated cell death has been suggested by PARP silencing experiments, however, potentiation of autophagic cytotoxicity by trolox and tiron did not seem to be dependent on PARP-1. Therefore, Bax seems to play a vital role in trolox and tiron mediated potentiation of autophagic cell death by Ery5 in HL-60 cells.     

Influence of culture filtrate of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Piriformospora indica</Emphasis> on growth and yield of seed oil in <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Helianthus annus</Emphasis>

The root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica is a prime candidate to improve the growth and yield of plants. It also acts as a growth promoter and bioprotector, as well as combating environmental stress in a range of plant species. In the present investigation impact of a P. indica culture filtrate was studied on Helianthus annus Sun gold and H. annus Japanese gold varieties in the greenhouse. Treatment with the P. indica culture filtrate promoted overall growth and seed production of the plants. Moreover, the oil content of the seeds increased by 50% to 70% in these two varieties of H. annus plants. The possible reasons for these effects are discussed.     

Antimicrobial studies,synthesis and characterization of novel 1-nitro-10H-phenothiazine bearing sulfone/nucleoside moieties

The current research article involves one pot synthesis of novel substituted 1-nitro-10H-phenothiazines via Smiles rearrangement. These substituted phenothiazines undergo oxidation to yield 10H-phenothiazine-5,5-dioxides (sulfones) while on treatment with β-D-ribofuranose-1-acetate-2,3,5-tribenzoate yield ribofuranosides. These compounds were screened for their antimicrobial vitalities (in vitro) against selected strains of bacteria and fungi. The characterization of synthesized compounds was done by elemental and spectral studies.     

Novel interpenetrating polymer network microspheres of chitosan and methylcellulose for controlled release of theophylline

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) microspheres of chitosan (CS) and methylcellulose (MC) were prepared by emulsion-crosslinking in the presence of glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker. Theophylline (THP), an antiasthmatic drug was encapsulated into IPN microspheres under varying ratios of MC and CS, % drug loading and amount of GA added. IPNs have shown better mechanical properties than pure CS. Cross-link density of the matrices was significantly affected by the amount of GA and MC. Microspheres were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to assess the formation of IPN structure and to confirm the absence of chemical interactions between drug, polymer and crosslinking agent. Particle size was measured by laser light scattering technique. Microspheres with the average particle sizes ranging from 119 to 318 μm were produced. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (X-RD) studies were performed to understand the crystalline nature of drug after encapsulation into IPN microspheres. Theophylline encapsulation of up to 82% was achieved as measured by UV spectrometer. Equilibrium swelling was performed in distilled water. In vitro release studies were performed in both 0.1 N HCl and pH 7.4 buffer solutions. These data indicated a dependence of drug release on the extent of crosslinking and amount of MC added during the preparation of microspheres. The release was extended up to 12 h and release rates were fitted to an empirical equation to compute the diffusional parameters, which indicated a slight deviation from the Fickian trend for the release of theophylline.     

Inhibition of NAALADase by 2‐PMPA attenuates cocaine‐induced relapse in rats: a NAAG‐mGluR2/3‐mediated mechanism

Pharmacological activation of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3) inhibits cocaine self‐administration and reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior, suggesting a possible use of mGluR2/3 agonists in the treatment of cocaine dependence. In this study, we investigated whether elevation of the endogenous mGluR2/3 ligand N‐acetyl‐aspartatylglutamate (NAAG) levels by the N‐acetylated‐alpha‐linked‐acidic dipeptidase inhibitor 2‐(phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2‐PMPA) attenuates cocaine self‐administration and cocaine‐induced reinstatement of drug seeking. N‐acetylated‐alpha‐linked‐acidic dipeptidase is a NAAG degradation enzyme that hydrolyzes NAAG to N‐acetylaspartate and glutamate. Systemic administration of 2‐PMPA (10‐100 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited intravenous self‐administration maintained by low unit doses of cocaine and cocaine (but not sucrose)‐induced reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior. Microinjections of 2‐PMPA (3–5 μg/side) or NAAG (3–5 μg/side) into the nucleus accumbens (NAc), but not into the dorsal striatum, also inhibited cocaine‐induced reinstatement, an effect that was blocked by intra‐NAc injection of LY341495, a selective mGluR2/3 antagonist. In vivo microdialysis demonstrated that 2‐PMPA (10‐100 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a dose‐dependent reduction in both extracellular dopamine (DA) and glutamate, an effect that was also blocked by LY341495. Finally, pre‐treatment with 2‐PMPA partially attenuated cocaine‐enhanced extracellular NAc DA, while completely blocking cocaine‐enhanced extracellular NAc glutamate in rats during reinstatement testing. Intra‐NAc perfusion of LY341495 blocked 2‐PMPA‐induced reductions in cocaine‐enhanced extracellular NAc glutamate, but not DA. These findings suggest that 2‐PMPA is effective in attenuating cocaine‐induced reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior, likely by attenuating cocaine‐induced increases in NAc DA and glutamate via pre‐synaptic mGluR2/3s.     

Effect of Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on plant growth and essential oil yield in Thymus vulgaris in vitro and in vivo experiments

Thymus vulgaris of family Lamiaceae is one of the most plants in pharmacy industries. In this study effect of Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on growth and development plant, yield and composition of the essential oil in a completely randomized design were evaluated in vitro and in pot culture experiments. Plants were studied by means of plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights, number of shoots, root length, root fresh and dry weights and essential oil analyses. The oil was extracted from the dry matter of shoots by hydro distillation, and their composition was determined by GC/MS. In vitro and in vivo cultures showed that plant height and root length increased in pots inoculated with S. vermifera and P. indica. Maximum fresh and dry weight (shoot and root), number of shoots were observed in pots inoculated with P. indica. In thyme inoculated with S. vermifera and P. indica oil yield increased as compared to non-inoculated control plants. GC and GC/MS revealed that the level of thymol was enhanced as the effect of S. vermifera and P. indica.     

Solanolide,a steroid lactone sapogenin from Solanum hispidum

Solanolide, a new C₂₂ steroid lactone sapogenin isolated from the leaves of Solanum hispidum Pers., has been characterized as 3β, 6α, 16β-trihydroxy-5α-pregnane-20S-carboxylic acid (22, 16)-lactone from ¹H and ¹³C NMR analyses and correlation with neochlorogenin.