Hypoglycemic activity of the antioxidant saponarin,characterized as α-glucosidase inhibitor present in Tinospora cordifolia

Tinospora cordifolia, used in anti-diabetic herbal drug preparations, was reported [12] to contain an α-glucosidase inhibitor, characterized as saponarin (apigenin-6-C-glucosyl-7-O-glucoside). The leaf extract had appreciable antioxidant and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities and contained the flavonoid in the range of 32.1 ± 1.5–45.5 ± 3.5 mg/g of dry solid. Saponarin showed mixed competitive inhibition on activities of α-glucosidase and sucrase of different origins. IC₅₀, Ki and ki′ values determined were 48 μM, 8 μM and 19.5 μM respectively for intestinal maltase and 35 μM, 6 μM and 13 μM respectively for intestinal sucrase. When given orally to maltose-fed rat, saponarin showed hypoglycemic activity in the range of 20–80 mg/kg compared to 100–200 mg/kg for acarbose as reported [27].     

Enhanced production of cell-bound cholesterol oxidase from Rhodococcus sp. NCIM 2891 by the statistical method

Classical (one-variable-at-a-time) and statistical methods (Plackett-Burman and Central composite design) were used to optimise growth medium for the production of cholesterol oxidase (COX) from Rhodococcus sp. NCIM 2891. COX activities from the classically and statistically optimised media were 0.75 and 3.25 U/ml, respectively. The statistically optimised medium had 4.33- and 9.7-fold higher enzymatic activity than the classically optimised and un-optimised basal medium, respectively. The ratio of enzyme production to cell growth rate was 29-fold higher in our statistically optimised medium than in the basal medium, indicating that the enzyme production could be classified as mixed type of growth. Cell-bound COX accounted for 90.68?±?2 % of the total enzymatic activity of the growth medium. Interactions between the COX-inducing substrate cholesterol and medium growth substrates yeast extract and (NH₄)₂HPO₄ significantly enhanced the production of cell-bound COX. Our results validate the statistical approach as a potential technique for achieving the large-scale production of cell-bound COX from Rhodococcus sp. NCIM 2891.     

Covalent immobilization of cholesterol oxidase on self-assembled gold nanoparticles for highly sensitive amperometric detection of cholesterol in real samples

A novel scheme for the fabrication of gold nanoparticle modified cholesterol oxidase based bioelectrode is presented and its application potential for cholesterol biosensor is investigated. The fabrication procedure is based on the deposition of gold nanoparticles on the 1,6-hexanedithiol modified gold electrode, functionalization of the surface of deposited gold nanoparticles with carboxyl groups using 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and then covalent immobilization of cholesterol oxidase on the surface of gold nanoparticle film using the N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodimide) and N-hydroxysuccinimide ligand chemistry. The assembly process of the bioelectrode is investigated using atomic force microscopy, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The gold nanoparticle film on the electrode surface provided an environment for the enhanced electrocatalytic activities and thus resulted in enhanced analytical response. The resulting bioelectrode is further applied to the amperometric detection of cholesterol and exhibited a linear response to cholesterol in the range of 0.04-0.22 mM with a detection limit of 34.6 μM, apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)(app)) of 0.062 mM and a high sensitivity of 9.02 μA mM(-1). The fabricated bioelectrode is successfully used for the selective determination of cholesterol in human serum samples.     

Chemically programmed antibodies targeting multiple alpha(v) integrins and their effects on tumor-related functions in vitro

Integrins αvβ3 and αvβ6 are highly expressed on tumor cells and/or by the tumor vasculature of many human cancers, and represent promising targets for anticancer therapy. Novel chemically programmed antibodies (cpAbs) targeting these integrins were prepared using the catalytic aldolase Antibody (Ab) programming strategy. The effects of the cpAbs on cellular functions related to tumor progression were examined in vitro using tumor cell lines and their cognate integrin ligands, fibronectin and osteopontin. The inhibitory functions of the conjugates and their specificity were examined based on interference with cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions related to tumor progression. Cell binding analyses of the anti-integrin cpAbs revealed high affinity for tumor cells that overexpressed αvβ3 and αvβ6 integrins, and weak interactions with αvβ1 and αvβ8 integrins, in vitro. Functional analyses demonstrated that the cpAbs strongly inhibited cell-cell interactions through osteopontin binding, and they had little or no immediate effects on cell viability and proliferation. On the basis of these characteristics, the cpAbs are likely to have a broad range of activities in vivo, as they can target and antagonize one or multiple αv integrins expressed on tumors and tumor vasculatures. Presumably, these conjugates may inhibit the establishment of metastastatic tumors in distant organs through interfering with cell adhesion more effectively than antibodies or compounds targeting one integrin only. These anti-integrin cpAbs may also provide useful reagents to study combined effect of multiple αv integrins on cellular functions in vitro, on pathologies, including tumor angiogenesis, fibrosis, and epithelial cancers, in vivo.     

Erucic acid production using porcine pancreas lipase: Enhancement by mixed surfactants

Application of mixed surfactants coupled with statistical optimization in lipase catalyzed oil hydrolysis is presented for the first time in this study. Selective hydrolysis of brown mustard oil to erucic acid by porcine pancreas lipase was enhanced by mixed surfactants comprising of an oil-soluble nonionic surfactant (Span 80) and a watersoluble nonionic surfactant (Tween 80). The production of erucic acid was maximized using statistically designed experiments and subsequent analysis of their result by response surface methodology. The most significant variables were enzyme concentration and concentration of Tween 80. Small changes in pH and concentration of Span 80 also produced a significant change in the production of erucic acid. Temperature and speed of agitation were insignificant variables and were fixed at 35oC and 900 rpm, respectively. Under these conditions, the optimal combination of other variables were pH 9.65, 2.13 mg/g enzyme in oil, 9.8 × 10⁻³ M Span 80 (in oil), and 4 × 10⁻³ M Tween 80 (in buffer). These conditions led to formation of 99.69% of the total erucic acid in 1.25 h. Interaction of enzyme concentration with pH significantly affected erucic acid production.     

Isoiation and Characterization of Vicia FABA Lectin Affinity Purified on Chitin Column

Abstract

A lectin from early long pod var. of Vicia faba seed has been purified to homogeneity on chitin. The purified lectin is shown to be homogeneous in nature by Bio Gel P - 150 gel filtration, fast protein liquid chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The lectin is a glycoprotein with molecular weight of 51,000. The lectin molecule is possibly composed of two types of subunits devoid of any covalent linking through sulfhydryl groups, with molecular weights 9,000 and 15,000 respectively in the ratio 2:2. The purified lectin shows a high affinity for N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc).

Amino acid analyses show that cysteine and methionine are absent, and a high proportion of aspartic acid and glutamic acid are present in the protein molecule. The extinction coefficient of the purified lectin is 7.22. The lectin behaves as a, cold agglutinin displaying stronger agglutination than the naturally occurring ABO agglutinin in the cold.     

Identification of genetic variation that determines human trehalase activity and its association with type 2 diabetes

A prior linkage scan in Pima Indians identified a putative locus for type two diabetes (T2D) and body mass index (BMI) on chromosome 11q23-25. Association mapping across this region identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the trehalase gene (TREH) that were associated with T2D. To assess the putative connection between trehalase activity and T2D, we performed a linkage study for trehalase activity in 570 Pima Indians who had measures of trehalase activity. Strong evidence of linkage of plasma trehalase activity (LOD = 7.0) was observed in the TREH locus. Four tag SNPs in TREH were genotyped in these subjects and plasma trehalase activity was highly associated with three SNPs: rs2276064, rs117619140 and rs558907 (p = 2.2 × 10^?11–1.4 × 10^?23), and the fourth SNP, rs10790256, was associated conditionally on these three (p = 2.9 × 10^?7). Together, the four tag SNPs explained 51 % of the variance in plasma trehalase activity and 79 % of the variance attributed to the linked locus. These four tag SNPs were further genotyped in 828 subjects used for association mapping of T2D, and rs558907 was associated with T2D (odds ratio (OR) 1.94, p = 0.002). To assess replication of the T2D association, all four tag SNPs were additionally genotyped in two non-overlapping samples of Native Americans. Rs558907 was reproducibly associated with T2D in 2,942 full-heritage Pima Indians (OR 1.27 p = 0.03) and 3,897 “mixed” heritage Native Americans (OR 1.21, p = 0.03), and the strongest evidence for association came from combining all samples (OR 1.27 p = 1.6 × 10^?4, n = 7,667). However, among 320 longitudinally studied subjects, measures of trehalase activity from a non-diabetic exam did not predict those who would eventually develop diabetes versus those who would remain non-diabetic (hazard ratio 0.94 per SD of trehalase activity, p = 0.29). We conclude that variants in TREH control trehalase activity, and although one of these variants is also reproducibly associated with T2D, it is likely that the effect of the SNP on risk of T2D occurs by a mechanism different than affecting trehalase activity. Alternatively, TREH variants may be tagging a nearby T2D locus.     

Length‐weight relationship of ten indigenous freshwater fish species from Gandak River,Bihar, India

Ten indigenous freshwater fish species belonging to nine genera and seven families were collected from Gandak River, Bihar, India during December, 2014 to September, 2016. Fishes were caught using Cast nets, Gill nets, Drag nets with mesh size of 15–20 mm, 25–30 mm and 5–10 mm respectively along with Traps. Sampling was done during dry and wet seasons and a total of 682 fish were collected for analysis of their Length–Weight Relationships (LWRs). Analyses included seven species for which no previous LWRs information were available in FishBase, and new maximum lengths were recorded for three species.     

Chromosome analysis of Murrah buffalo (Bubalus bubalis ) spermatozoa using zona-free hamster oocytes

An interspectific in vitro fertilization system was adopted to analyse sperm chromosomes of Murrah buffalo (Bubalus bubalis ). Superovulation was induced in mature female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus ) to obtain a large number of oocytes. The zona pellucidae were digested by trypsin treatment. Zona free hamster oocytes were penetrated by buffalo spermatozoa capacitated with calcium ionophore A23187. Fertilized ova were cultured in TC 199 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Podophyllotoxin and vinblastine were used to interrupt karyogamy and tubulin polymerization, respectively. Oocytes were fixed by modified gradual fixation air drying method. Slides were stained with 2% Giemsa for 45 min. Analyzable metaphase chromosome spreads were obtained from 22.4+/-3.8% of the penetrated oocytes. Of the 70 sexed spermatozoa, 38 were X-bearing and 32 were Y-bearing spematozoa.