ISSR and DAMD markers revealed high genetic variability within Flavoparmelia caperata in Western Himalaya (India)

Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale is medicinally very important and possesses antifungal and antibacterial activities. F. caperata is the only species found in India. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and Directed amplification of minisatellite DNA (DAMD) methods were used to analyze the genetic variability within F. caperata from the Western Himalayan region of India. Eleven ISSR and 10 DAMD primers produced 139 and 117 polymorphic bands, and detected 91.44 and 82.34 % polymorphisms, respectively. Cumulative band data generated for ISSR and DAMD markers resulted in 86.86 % polymorphism across all the accessions of F. caperata. The average Polymorphic information content (PIC) value obtained with ISSR, DAMD, and cumulative band data were 0.28, 0.27, and 0.27, respectively. The clustering of the F. caperata accessions in the UPGMA dendrogram showed that these accessions are intermingled with each other in different subclusters irrespective of their geographical affiliations. The pattern of genetic variations within F. caperata accessions could be due to free exchange of spores that might have taken place among these accessions in the wild. ISSR and DAMD markers efficiently and reliably resulted in discrete banding patterns and polymorphic profiles. These markers despite targeting different regions of genome, revealed almost similar levels of polymorphism across all the accessions. The wide range of genetic distance and high level of polymorphism detected by ISSR and DAMD reflected a high genetic variability among the different accessions of F. caperata.     

Molecular and chemical profiling of ‘sweet flag’ (Acorus calamus L.) germplasm from India

In the present study, molecular (DAMD and ISSR) and chemical (α and β-asarone contents) markers were used to characterize the A. calamus genotypes procured from different parts of India. The cumulative analysis carried out for both DAMD and ISSR markers revealed 24.71 % polymorphism across all genotypes of A. calamus. The clustering patterns of the genotypes in the UPGMA tree showed that the genotypes are diverse, and did not show any specific correlation with their geographical provenances, reflecting the low level of genetic diversity and a high genetic differentiation among the genotypes from the same localities. All the 27 genotypes of A. calamus were also analyzed for α and β-asarone contents, and percentage of essential oil. The genotype (Ac13) from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) showed maximum (9.5 %) percentage of oil, whereas corresponding minimum (2.8 %) was obtained from the genotypes from Pangthang (Sikkim). Similarly, the highest α and β-asarone contents (16.82 % and 92.12 %) were obtained from genotypes from Renuka (Himachal Pradesh) and Udhampur (Jammu & Kashmir), while lowest α and β-asarone contents (0.83 % and 65.96 %) resulted from Auranwa (Uttar Pradesh) and Pangthang (Sikkim) genotypes, respectively. A. calamus harbours tremendous economic value, and it is therefore, important to identify the genotypes with low α and β-asarone contents for its commercial utilization. Further, this study will help in evaluation and documentation of a large number of diverse genotypes for their value traits.     

Quantitative Analysis of Bioactive Carbazole Alkaloids in Murraya koenigii (L.) from Six Different Climatic Zones of India Using UPLC/MS/MS and Their Principal Component Analysis

Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng (Curry leaf) is a commercially important medicinal plant in South Asia, containing therapeutically valuable carbazole alkaloids (CAs). Thus, the quantitative evaluation of these compounds from different climatic zones of India are an important aspect for quality assessment and economic isolation of targeted compounds from the plant. In this study, quantitative estimation of CAs among 34 Indian natural populations of M. koenigii was assessed using UPLC/MS/MS. The collected populations represent the humid subtropical, tropical wet & dry, tropical wet, semi-arid, arid, and montane climatic zones of India. A total of 11 CAs viz. koenine-I, murrayamine A, koenigine, koenimbidine, koenimbine, O-methylmurrayamine A, girinimbine, mahanine, 8,8’’-biskoenigine, isomahanimbine, and mahanimbine were quantified using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) experiments within 5.0 min. The respective range for natural abundance of CAs were observed as 0.097–1.222, 0.092–5.014, 0.034–0.661, 0.010–1.673, 0.013–7.336, 0.010–0.310, 0.010–0.114, 0.049–5.288, 0.031–1.731, 0.491–3.791, and 0.492–5.399 mg/g in leaves of M. koenigii. The developed method shown linearity regression coefficient (r²>0.9995), LOD (0.003–0.248 ng/mL), LOQ (0.009–0.754 ng/mL), and the recovery was between 88.803–103.729 %. The bulk of these CAs were recorded in their highest concentrations in the humid subtropical zone, followed by the tropical wet & dry zones of India. Further, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed which differentiated the climatic zones according to the dominant and significant CAs contents within the populations. The study concludes that the method established is simple, rapid, with high sample throughput, and can be used as a tool for commercial purposes and quality control of M. koenigii.     

Proposed follow up programme after curative resection for lower third oesophageal cancer

Cyclins are indispensable elements of the cell cycle and derangement of their function can lead to cancer formation. Recent studies have also revealed more mechanisms through which cyclins can express their oncogenic potential. This review focuses on the aberrant expression of G1/S cyclins and especially cyclin D and cyclin E; the pathways through which they lead to tumour formation and their involvement in different types of cancer. These elements indicate the mechanisms that could act as targets for cancer therapy.