Isolation and characterization of catechol oxidase from Solanum melongena

Catechol oxidase was distributed in soluble and particulate fractions of Solanum melongena. The purified preparation appears to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme shows two pH maxima—with catechol, 6.5 and 7.5; and with dopa, 6.5 and 7.9. The latent form of the enzyme does not occur in S. melongena. The preparation resembles the enzyme from other sources in substrate specificity towards various mono- and diphenols, having a higher affinity for catechol than dopa; this tendency increases on purification. The cresolase activity decreases with purification and a lag period with p-cresol is observed. The oxidation of mono- and diphenols is inhibited by ascorbic acid, sulphydryl compounds and chelating agents.     

The Aging Metabolome—Biomarkers to Hub Metabolites

Aging biology is intimately associated with dysregulated metabolism, which is one of the hallmarks of aging. Aging‐related pathways such as mTOR and AMPK, which are major targets of anti‐aging interventions including rapamcyin, metformin, and exercise, either directly regulate or intersect with metabolic pathways. In this review, numerous candidate bio‐markers of aging that have emerged using metabolomics are outlined. Metabolomics studies also reveal that not all metabolites are created equally. A set of core “hub” metabolites are emerging as central mediators of aging. The hub metabolites reviewed here are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate, α‐ketoglutarate, and β‐hydroxybutyrate. These “hub” metabolites have signaling and epigenetic roles along with their canonical roles as co‐factors or intermediates of carbon metabolism. Together these hub metabolites suggest a central role of the TCA cycle in signaling and metabolic dysregulation associated with aging.     

Opioid Peptides: An Overview of Functional Significance

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Bioactive peptides have been reported to exhibit opioid-like activity and are termed as opioid peptides. Either these are produced...     

DESI-MSI and METASPACE indicates lipid abnormalities and altered mitochondrial membrane components in diabetic renal proximal tubules

Metabolomics - Food and dietary ingredients have significant effects on metabolism and health. To evaluate whether and how different diets affected the serum lipidomic profile of dogs. Sixteen...     

In-Silico Repurposing of Anticancer Drug (5-FU) as an Antimicrobial Agent Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported earlier that more than 11,000 people died from a methicillin-resistant...     

AT2R agonist NP‐6A4 mitigates aortic stiffness and proteolytic activity in mouse model of aneurysm

Clinical and experimental studies show that angiotensin II (AngII) promotes vascular pathology via activation of AngII type 1 receptors (AT1Rs). We recently reported that NP‐6A4, a selective peptide agonist for AngII type 2 receptor (AT2R), exerts protective effects on human vascular cells subjected to serum starvation or doxorubicin exposure. In this study, we investigated whether NP‐6A4–induced AT2R activation could mitigate AngII‐induced abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) using AngII‐treated Apoe^?/? mice. Male Apoe^?/? mice were infused with AngII (1 µg/kg/min) by implanting osmotic pumps subcutaneously for 28 days. A subset of mice was pre‐treated subcutaneously with NP‐6A4 (2.5 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 14 days prior to AngII, and treatments were continued for 28 days. NP‐6A4 significantly reduced aortic stiffness of the abdominal aorta induced by AngII as determined by ultrasound functional analyses and histochemical analyses. NP‐6A4 also increased nitric oxide bioavailability in aortic tissues and suppressed AngII‐induced increases in monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, osteopontin and proteolytic activity of the aorta. However, NP‐6A4 did not affect maximal intraluminal aortic diameter or AAA incidences significantly. These data suggest that the effects of AT2R agonist on vascular pathologies are selective, affecting the aortic stiffness and proteolytic activity without affecting the size of AAA.     

A Comprehensive Review of Animal Models for Coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV,and MERS-CoV

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease(COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) has already affected a large population of the world. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the same family of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERSCoV). COVID-19 has a complex pathology involving severe acute respiratory infection, hyper-immune response, and coagulopathy. At present, there is no therapeutic drug or vaccine approved for the disease. There is an urgent need for an ideal animal model that can reflect clinical symptoms and underlying etiopathogenesis similar to COVID-19 patients which can be further used for evaluation of underlying mechanisms, potential vaccines, and therapeutic strategies. The current review provides a paramount insight into the available animal models of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV for the management of the diseases.     

Green synthesis and physiochemical characterization of nickel oxide nanoparticles: Interaction studies with Calf thymus DNA

One of the most promising applications of nanomaterials is that of nanobiosensors, using biomolecules such as nucleic acids as receptors. This study aimed to synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) by an environmentally friendly green synthesis, using the extract of the herb Coriandrum sativum (coriander). The synthesized NPs were characterized using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photon spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy. All results confirmed the synthesis of pure, spherical, positively charged NiO NPs of around 95 nm in diameter with prominent hydroxyl groups attached to the surface. Furthermore, interaction studies of synthesized NiO NPs with calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) were performed using UV–Visible spectroscopy, UV–thermal melting, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy. CT DNA served as a substitute for nucleic acid biosensors. All experimental studies indicated that the NiO NPs bound electrostatically with CT DNA. These studies may facilitate exploring the potential of NiO NP–nucleic acid conjugated materials to be used as nanobiosensors for various applications, especially in pharmacological, epidemiological, and environmental diagnostic applications, and in detection.