Protective Effect of Nerolidol Against Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Kindling,Oxidative Stress and Associated Behavioral Comorbidities in Mice

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of nerolidol on the development of kindling and associate oxidative stress and behavioral comorbidities. Kindling was induced by repeated injections of a sub-convulsive dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ-35 mg/kg; i.p.), at an interval of 48?±?2 h for 43 days (21 injections). Nerolidol was administered daily in three doses (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) along with alternate day PTZ injection. To access behavioral comorbidities, animals were subjected to tail suspension test (TST) and passive shock avoidance (PSA) test to evaluate the associated depression and memory impairment respectively on the last day of PTZ administration. Following behavioral assessment, neurotransmitter level and oxidative stress markers were evaluated in brain. The results showed that nerolidol significantly suppressed the progression of kindling. Also, nerolidol ameliorates the kindling associated depression and memory impairment as indicated by decreased immobility time and increased step down latency, respectively, as compared to vehicle control animals. Further, these behavioral observations were complimented with corresponding neurochemical and oxidative stress markers changes. In conclusion, the results of present study showed that nerolidol treatment has protective effect against PTZ-induced kindling and associated oxidative stress and behavioral comorbidities.     

Anti‐biofilm and sporicidal activity of peptides based on wheat puroindoline and barley hordoindoline proteins

The broad‐spectrum activity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and low probability of development of host resistance make them excellent candidates as novel bio‐control agents. A number of AMPs are found to be cationic, and a small proportion of these are tryptophan‐rich. The puroindolines (PIN) are small, basic proteins found in wheat grains with proposed roles in biotic defence of seeds and seedlings. Synthetic peptides based on their unique tryptophan‐rich domain (TRD) display antimicrobial properties. Bacterial endospores and biofilms are highly resistant cells, with significant implications in both medical and food industries. In this study, the cationic PIN TRD‐based peptides PuroA (FPVTWRWWKWWKG‐NH₂) and Pina‐M (FSVTWRWWKWWKG‐NH₂) and the related barley hordoindoline (HIN) based Hina (FPVTWRWWTWWKG‐NH₂) were tested for effects on planktonic cells and biofilms of the common human pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes and the non‐pathogenic Listeria innocua. All peptides showed significant bactericidal activity. Further, PuroA and Pina‐M at 2 × MIC prevented initial biomass attachment by 85–90% and inhibited >90% of 6‐h preformed biofilms of all three organisms. However Hina, with a substitution of Lys‐9 with uncharged Thr, particularly inhibited Listeria biofilms. The PIN based peptides were also tested against vegetative cells and endospores of Bacillus subtilis. The results provided evidence that these tryptophan‐rich peptides could kill B. subtilis even in sporulated state, reducing the number of viable spores by 4 log units. The treated spores appeared withered under scanning electron microscopy. The results establish the potential of these tryptophan‐rich peptides in controlling persistent pathogens of relevance to food industries and human health. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metabolic engineering of fatty acid biosynthetic pathway in sesame (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sesamum indicum</Emphasis> L.): assembling tools to develop nutritionally desirable sesame seed oil

Vegetable oils are an essential component of human diet, in terms of their health beneficial roles. Despite their importance, the fatty acid profile of most commonly used edible oil seed crop plants are imbalanced; this skewed ratio of fatty acids in the diet has been shown to be a major reason for the occurrence of cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Until recently, it was not possible to exert significant control over the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils derived from different plants. However, the advent of metabolic engineering, knowledge of the genetic networks and regulatory hierarchies in plants have offered novel opportunities to tailor-made the composition of vegetable oils for their optimization in regard to food functionality and dietary requirements. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the ancient oilseed crop in Indian subcontinent but its seed oil is devoid of balanced proportion of ω-6:ω-3 fatty acids. A recent study by our group has shed new lights on metabolic engineering strategies for the purpose of nutritional improvement of sesame seed oil to divert the carbon flux from the production of linoleic acid (C18:2) to α-linolenic acid (C18:3). Apart from that, this review evaluates current understanding of regulation of fatty acid biosynthetic pathways in sesame and attempts to identify the major options of metabolic engineering to produce superior sesame seed oil.     

Higher environmental temperature-induced change in synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase activity of brain regions

Expcsure of adult male albino rats to higher environmental temperature (HET) at 35° for 2–12 hr or at 45° for 1–2 hr increases hypothalamic synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Synaptosomal AChE activity in cerebral cortex of rats exposed to 35° for 12 hr and in cerebral cortex and pons-medulla of rats exposed to 45° for 1–2 hr are also activated. AChE activity of synaptosomes prepared from normal rat brain regions incubated in-vitro at 39° or 41° for 0.5 hr increases significantly in cerebral cortex and hypothalamus. The activation of AChE in ponsmedulla is also observed when this brain region is incubated at 41° for 0.5 hr. Increase of (a) the duration of incubation at 41° and (b) the incubation temperature to 43° under in-vitro condition decreases the synaptosomal AChE activity. Lioneweaver-Burk plots indicate that (a) in-vivo and invitro HET-induced increases of brain regional synaptosomal AChE activity are coupled with an increase ofV _max without any change inK _m (b) very high temperature (43° under in-vitro condition) causes a decrease inV _max with an increase inK _m of AChE activity irrespective of brain regions. Arrhenius plots show that there is a decrease in transition temperature in hypothalamus of rats exposed to either 35° or 45°; whereas such a decrease in transition temperature of the pons-medulla and cerebral cortex regions are observed only after exposure to 45°. These results suggests that heat exposure increases the lipid fluidity of synaptosomal membrane depending on the brain region which may expose the catalytic site of the enzyme (AChE) and hence activate the synaptosomal membrane bound AChE activity in brain regions. Further the in-vitro higher temperature (43°C)-induced inhibition of synaptosomal AChE activity irrespective of brain regions may be the cause iof partial proteolysis/disaggregation of AChE oligomers and/or solubilization of this membrane-bound enzyme.To whom to address reprint requests:     

Relationship between alkaline phosphatase and neomycin formation in Streptomyces fradiae

Studies on phosphatase activity of Streptomyces fradiae 3535 grown in three different media indicate that neomycin formation varies directly with enzyme activity, sodium nitrate-maltose-mineral salts medium giving the highest yields of alkaline phosphatase and neomycin. S. fradiae contains more than one alkaline phosphatase and the phosphatase responsible for hydrolysis of neomycin phosphate appears to be substrate specific. The same enzyme apparently hydrolyses both the N-P and P-O-P bonds of neomycin pyrophosphate. The enzyme is stimulated by Ca(2+), is inactive at a pH below 7 and is inhibited by EDTA. Enzymic activity increases when mycelia are incubated in mineral salts medium, but decreases when phosphate or glucose is included in the medium, although the latter is more effective. The inhibitory effect of EDTA on neomycin formation by resting mycelia is completely reversed by Ca(2+).     

Milk progesterone levels to monitor reproductive status of Murrah buffalo

Concentration of progesterone in whole milk was used to diagnose pregnancy in 44 lactating buffaloes. Milk samples were taken from days 19 to 27 post breeding and analysed for progesterone by radio-immunoassay. A level exceeding 10 ng/ml of milk was taken as an indication of pregnancy. Using this criterion, the accuracy of the pregnancy test from a single milk sample on 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 days after insemination ranged from 71.42 to 86.95% and 86 to 87.50% for pregnant and non-pregnant animals, respectively. Milk progesterone concentrations were significantly higher (P / 0.001) in pregnant compared with those in non-pregnant buffaloes on day 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 post-insemination.     

Utilization of Carbon- and Nitrogen-containing Compounds for Neomycin Production by Streptomyces fradiae

A number of carbon and nitrogen compounds were tested for their effect on growth of Streptomyces fradiae 3535 and neomycin production. Dextrin, starch, and maltose were excellent carbon sources for neomycin production, and sodium nitrate, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid were adequate nitrogen sources. Studies on biochemical changes during fermentation in four typical media indicated that there was no direct relation between the growth of the organism and neomycin formation. The pH of the medium might be an important factor for neomycin synthesis. The quantitative formation of neomycin components depended on the variation of carbon and nitrogen sources. On the basis of this study, a suitable synthetic medium for neomycin production has been developed.     

Fungal infections of ear with special reference to chronic suppurative otitis media

Fungus were found to take important role in ear infections of the 344 patients (CSOM 286, Otomycosis 44, Otitis externa 14), significant fungal infections (with positive smear and culture) were detected on 49%, 79.5%, 66.6% patients respectively. 84.8% patients were detected both by smear and culture, 14.1% patients by culture and 0.1% patients in smear preparation only. In CSOM patients, age predominated in 20–27 yrs group, sex in male below 30 yrs, and Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Penicillium, A. fumigatus in mycelial fungus, Candida albicans, C. parapsillosis in yeast. But in 18 post antibiotic fungus infected patients Penicillium and A. niger were the important isolates. In otomycosis and otitis externa patients A. niger took the main role.