Plant contents and quality of makhana (Euryale ferox)

Summary As a part of integrated study of makhana, the mineral contents of the plant parts and the fruits of makhana (Euryale ferox) have been presented here. It has been observed that the fruits were not only rich in minerals but also in protein. The plant parts also contained high amounts of micronutrients. Its fruits are, therefore, a good supplement for minerals which are produced from otherwise agriculturally waste (water-logged) areas.     

Study of the gametocytocidal/sporontocidal action of qinghaosu (artemisinin) by electron microscopy

The gametocytocidal efficacy of artemisinin (qinghaosu) was evaluated and scanning electron microscopical evidence is given for gametocytocidal action of a single 5-10-mg/kg dose of artemisinin against simian malarial parasite (Plasmodium cynomolgi B). No sporontocidal effect of artemisinin was observed.     

N-isobutyryl-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHMe (ICI 216140) a potent in vivo antaconist analogue of bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) derived from the C-terminal sequence lacking the final methionine residue

The GRP receptor mediated growth response in Swiss 3T3 cells has been used to identify BN/GRP antagonists. Analysis of bombesin antagonism by substance P analogues and by truncated GRP analogues revealed that deletion of the C-terminal methionine residue was important for antagonism. Des-Met analogues showing potent antagonist activity in the in vitro 3T3 system (IC50 approximately 2nM) were synthesized. Further structural modification of these peptides led to the identification of (CH3)2CHCO-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHCH3 (ICI 216140) which reduced bombesin-stimulated rat pancreatic amylase secretion to basal levels when administered subcutaneously at 2.0 mg per kg.     

Sublethal malathion induced changes in the ovary of an air-breathing fish,Heteropneustes fossilis: a histological study

This paper describes effects of a sublethal (1.2 mg 1^–1) organophosphate, malathion, on the ovary of an air breathing catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis. The study focuses on microscopic changes that occur on ovigerous lamellae, oocytes at different stages of development and the nucleus of the immature oocyte. Also, change in estrogen levels in blood serum is investigated. Clumping of cytoplasm appears after 24 h of exposure to malathion. Clumping intensified after 48 h. Degeneration in the follicular cells was also observed. After 72 h exposure the number of nucleoli increased, nuclear materials shrunk, oocytes became adhered. With 96 h of exposure, nuclear materials of all the oocytes shrunk to a smaller clump. The oocytes fused together, and follicular epithelium became loose and ruptured. A few atretic oocytes were visible. Radioimmunoassay of the estrogen level in blood serum after 72 h of exposure of malathion showed a reduction in the level. This study showed that the histopathological condition of the gonad is reflected in malfunctioning of the endocrine system and hormonal disbalance.     

Growth, proline accumulation and water relations of NaCl-selected and non-selected callus lines of Dactylis glomerata L

Sodium chloride-tolerant calli were selected from leaf-derived embryogenic calli of Dactylis glomerata L. on agar solidified medium supplemented with 200 mM NaCl, a concentration lethal to non-selected calli. Growth characteristics, water relations and proline accumulation pattern were compared in selected and non-selected lines. The objective was to gain an understanding of the mechanism(s) of tolerance in the NaCl-tolerant line. Growth in the selected line, as expressed in terms of tolerance index (ratio of fresh wt. on NaCl medium:fresh wt. on NaCl free medium x 100), was greater than that of the non-selected line at all levels of NaCl between 50 and 300 mM. There was no significant difference in proline accumulation in the selected and non-selected lines. Maintenance of turgor by osmotic adjustment was observed in the non-selected line despite decreased growth. In contrast, the selected line lost either the need or the ability to adjust osmotically. There was little or no increase in symplastic osmolality in the selected line when exposed to NaCl. Presumably, selection was made for a salt-excluding tissue that has lost the ability to accumulate solutes and adjust turgor with NaCl stress.     

Neue,abgewandelte pseudoguajanolide aus Psilostrophe villosa

Investigation of the North American species Psilostrophe villosa afforded, in addition to known compounds, five new sesquiterpene lactones, which all turn out to be modified pseudoguaianolides, most of them closely related to hymenolide. However, one of the lactones is a new type of nor-pseudoguaianolide. Furthermore a new monoacetylated borneol-β-D-glucoside is present. The chemotaxonomic situation is discussed briefly.     

Structural insights into thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus using single-particle cryo-EM

Thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) is a ~19 kDa, hemolytic pore-forming toxin from the gram-negative marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus, one of the causative agents of seafood-borne acute gastroenteritis and septicemia. Previous studies have established that TDH exists as a tetrameric assembly in physiological state; however, there is limited knowledge regarding the molecular arrangement of its disordered N-terminal region (NTR)—the absence of which has been shown to compromise TDH's hemolytic and cytotoxic abilities. In our current study, we have employed single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to resolve the solution-state structures of wild-type TDH and a TDH construct with deletion of the NTR (NTD), in order to investigate structural aspects of NTR on the overall tetrameric architecture. We observed that both TDH and NTD electron density maps, resolved at global resolutions of 4.5 and 4.2 Å, respectively, showed good correlation in their respective oligomeric architecture. Additionally, we were able to locate extra densities near the pore opening of TDH which might correspond to the disordered NTR. Surprisingly, under cryogenic conditions, we were also able to observe novel supramolecular assemblies of TDH tetramers, which we were able to resolve to 4.3 Å. We further investigated the tetrameric and inter-tetrameric interaction interfaces to elaborate upon the key residues involved in both TDH tetramers and TDH super assemblies. Our current structural study will aid in understanding the mechanistic aspects of this pore-forming toxin and the role of its disordered NTR in membrane interaction.