Antibacterial Compound Isolation and Characterization from the Plant Cynotis axillaris Schult

A novel flavone glycoside was isolated from the methanolic extract of Cynotis axillaris Schult. Various analysis and characterization techniques were used to determine its structure and properties. The compound exhibited a melting point range of 231–232 °C and had a molecular formula of C₂₇H₃₀O₁₄. Several spectral characterization techniques were employed to establish the isolated compound's structure. These included UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, LC-ESI-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. Based on these analyses, the structure of the isolated compound was determined to be 5,7,4’-trihydroxyflavone-8-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-4’-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl. This structure indicates that it is a flavone glycoside consisting of a flavone (5,7,4’-trihydroxyflavone) moiety attached to a sugar molecule (galactopyranosyl) at position 4’, which further bears a rhamnose group at position 8 of the flavone. In addition, to the structural characterization, the compound also demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy against various bacterial pathogens, including Gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis MTCC441 and Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli MTCC1098, Proteus vulgarize MTCC426, and Salmonella Typhimurium MTCC3224. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by measuring the zone of inhibition in millimetres, which provides an indication of the compound's ability to inhibit bacterial growth. The study successfully identified and characterized a novel flavone glycoside from Cynotis axillaris Schult. and its antimicrobial activity.     

Serum phospholipase A2 enzyme activity and immunoreactivity in a prospective analysis of patients with septic shock.

Massive elevations of serum phospholipase A2 activity have been documented in patients with septic shock. Serum PLA2 activity correlated to the degree and duration of circulatory collapse, while purified native PLA2 reproduced hypotension in experimental animals. In a prospective study of patients with septic shock, we have determined the relationship of PLA2 enzyme activity to PLA2 immunoreactivity using radiolabelled E. coli phospholipid substrate and an ELISA specific for group II human nonpancreatic PLA2. In all patients, there was a clear concordance of the two assays. Maximal PLA2 concentration was increased a mean of 554-fold over normal levels. We found no evidence to support the presence of activating or inhibitory proteins. These data confirm that the observed increase in serum PLA2 activity in septic shock is due to intravascular release of group II nonpancreatic PLA2.     

DECISION TOOLS FOR MULBERRY THRIPS PSEUDODENDROTHRIPS MORI (NIWA, 1908) MANAGEMENT IN SERICULTURAL REGIONS; AN OVERVIEW

Abstract Mulberry thrips Pseudodendrothrips mori (Niwa, 1908) is a major pest of mulberry trees recorded from different sericultural regions of the world. The thrips infestation affects the qualitative and quantitative characters of mulberry leaf, by direct feeding damage to leaves and the ingestion of sap, which in turn affects the silkworm cocoon crop. This is most harmful in dry climates and seasons when heavily attacked plants lose moisture heavily. Under these conditions infestation can seriously deplete yields. The seasonal population fluctuation and the degree of damage caused to the host plant are influenced by various environmental factors including climate, host-plant variety, topography, soil type, and management regimes. This article attempts to review all available documents on mulberry thrips and to discuss the practical approaches for best control of this pest.     

Partial purification and some properties of urease from the alkaliphilic cyanobacteriumNostoc calcicola

Urease extracted from an alkaliphilic diazotrophic cyanobacteriumNostoc calcicola was partially purified and some of its properties were studied. Urease purified 39-fold from the crude enzyme extract showed its optimum activity at pH 7.5 and at 40°C with aK _m value of 120 μmol/L. The enzyme was found to be sensitive to metal cations, particularly Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺. 4-Hydroxymercuribenzoate (a mercapto-group inhibitor) and acetohydroxamic acid (a chelating agent of nickel) inhibited, the enzyme activity completely. These results suggest the involvement of an SH-group and Ni²⁺ in the activity of urease fromN. calcicola.     

Pulse wave velocities in the aorta

This paper is an analytical study on the pulse wave velocities in the aorta. In conformity to a physiologic state of loading, the distensibility of the vessel wall has been accounted for. The wall material is treated by using the theory of large elastic deformations. The orthotropicity of wall tissues and the effect of the surrounding tissues have been incorporated in the analysis which is based on the use of the strain energy function suggested by Vaishnavet al. Numerical values of the wave velocities of the canine middle descending thoracic aorta are computed by using the derived analytical expressions.     

Physical characteristics of bone composite materials

To study the effects of varying mineral content and various trace elements in bone composities on its electrical behavior and possible use in design of transducers, various physical, dielectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical parameters have been measured. For electrical characterization of various such composites in the high-frequency region (1–108 MHz), variation of impedance (Z), phase angle (tan ), and relative output voltage with frequency has been examined. Furtherfore, the Curie temperature has been determined and the temperature variation of capacitance and loss factor (tan ) studied (24–225°C). Two types of bone composites were prepared and studied. First, powdered collagen and apatite obtained from full bone were mixed intimately in various proportions by weight to prepare eleven bone compositions. Second, such bone materials were made to contain 5–10% various doping foreign additives (A1Br₃, Na₂CO₃, SrCO₃, LiCO₃, Sb₂O₃, ZnO, Nb₂O₅, piezoelectric ceramic (PZT), and Pb(NO₃)₂. It has been observed that a bone composition of 50% collagen + 50% apatite has possible piezoelectric application and other compositions [85% collagen + 15% apatite, 90% collagen + 10% ZnO, and 90% bone + 10% Ba(OH)₂] have a sharp rise in capacitance near the Curie temperature. The Curie temperature is generally shifted towards higher values by additives. It is expected that such results will be relevant in characterizing bone behavior.     

Utilisation of wild relatives in the genetic improvement of Arachis hypogaea L.

Summary Cross-compatibility of species in section Arachis Krap. et Greg. nom. nud., and chromosome pairing and pollen fertility in their interspecific F₁ hybrids were studied to further understand the phylogenetic relationships among these species. Except those with A. batizocoi Krap. et Greg. nom. nud., hybrids between diploid species have near normal bivalent frequency (9.1–9.8) and moderate to high pollen fertility (60–91%). Hybrids between A. batizocoi and other species have low bivalent frequency (5.2–6.9) and very low pollen fertility (3–7%). These results confirm the earlier separation of these species into two groups based on karyomorphology and Mahalanobis D² calculated on arm ratios. These studies also provide a picture of relative affinities between A. batizocoi, the lone member of one cluster, and the other species, and among the rest of the species. They also indicate that the basic chromosome complement in the two groups of species is the same. Chromosome pairing in triploid hybrids, (A. hypogaea L. X diploid wild species), suggests that A. batizocoi is the closest diploid relative of A. hypogaea. It is closer to A. hypogaea subspecies fastigiata Waldron than to A. hypogaea subspecies hypogaea Krap. et. Rig. Other diploid species of the section Arachis are equidistant from A. hypogaea, and have the same genome which has strong homology to one of the genomes of A. hypogaea. Based on the present results, the two tetraploid species, A. monticola Krap. et Rig. and A. hypogaea can be recognised as two forms of the same species. Breeding implications have been discussed in the light of chromosome behaviour observed in hybrids of A. hypogaea X diploid species, and on the presumptions that A. hypogaea has an AABB genomic constitution, and that among the diploid species, the B genome is present in A. batizocoi while the A genome is common to the other diploid species of section Arachis.Submitted as Journal Article No. 328 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)