Insight into trichomonas vaginalis genome evolution through metabolic pathways comparison

Trichomonas vaginalis causes the trichomoniasis, in women and urethritis and prostate cancer in men. Its genome draft published by TIGR in 2007 presents many unusual genomic and biochemical features like, exceptionally large genome size, the presence of hydrogenosome, gene duplication, lateral gene transfer mechanism and the presence of miRNA. To understand some of genomic features we have performed a comparative analysis of metabolic pathways of the T. vaginalis with other 22 significant common organisms. Enzymes from the biochemical pathways of T. vaginalis and other selected organisms were retrieved from the KEGG metabolic pathway database. The metabolic pathways of T. vaginalis common in other selected organisms were identified. Total 101 enzymes present in different metabolic pathways of T. vaginalis were found to be orthologous by using BLASTP program against the selected organisms. Except two enzymes all identified orthologous enzymes were also identified as paralogous enzymes. Seventy-five of identified enzymes were also identified as essential for the survival of T. vaginalis, while 26 as non-essential. The identified essential enzymes also represent as good candidate for novel drug targets. Interestingly, some of the identified orthologous and paralogous enzymes were found playing significant role in the key metabolic activities while others were found playing active role in the process of pathogenesis. The N-acetylneuraminate lyase was analyzed as the candidate of lateral genes transfer. These findings clearly suggest the active participation of lateral gene transfer and gene duplication during evolution of T. vaginalis from the enteric to the pathogenic urogenital environment.     

Evaluation of efficacy of stabilizers on the thermostability of live attenuated thermo-adapted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peste des petits ruminants</Emphasis> vaccines

In this study, thermo-adapted (Ta) PPR vaccines were assessed for their stability at 25, 37, 40, 42 and 45°C in lyophilized form using two extrinsic stabilizers {lactalbumin hydrolysate-sucrose (LS) and stabilizer E} and in reconstituted form with the diluents (1 mol/L MgSO₄ or 0.85% NaCl). The lyophilized vaccines showed an expiry period of 24–26 days at 25°C, 7–8 days at 37°C and 3–4 days at 40°C. LS stabilizer was superior at 42°C with a shelf-life of 44 h, whereas in stabilizer E, a 40 h shelf-life with a comparable half-life was observed. At 45°C, the half-life in stabilizer E was better than LS and lasted for 1 day. Furthermore, the reconstituted vaccine maintained the titre for 48 h both at 4°C and 25°C and for 24–30 h at 37°C. As both the stabilizers performed equally well with regard to shelf-life and half-life, the present study suggests LS as stabilizer as a choice for lyophilization with 0.85% NaCl diluent, because it has better performance at higher temperature. These Ta vaccines can be used as alternatives to existing vaccines for the control of the disease in tropical countries as they are effective in avoiding vaccination failure due to the breakdown in cold-chain maintenance, as this vaccine is considerably more stable at ambient temperatures.     

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of some dual-acting amino-alcohol ester derivatives of flurbiprofen and 2-[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl]acetic acid: a potential approach to reduce local gastrointestinal toxicity

The search for safer non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) continues with the failure of anticipated 'ideal' anti-inflammatory agents, the coxibs, on long-term usage. Increased gastric motility and acidity due to the free carboxy group are involved in the etiology of gastric toxicity, common to conventional NSAIDs. Keeping this fact in mind, it was planned to modify some of the conventional NSAIDs to amino-alcohol ester derivatives, which satisfied the structural requirements for these compounds to possess anticholinergic activity in the intact form. Besides blocking the acidic carboxylic group, incorporation of anticholinergic acivity in these molecules was expected to reduce the gastric toxicity by decreasing gastric acid secretion and motility. Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of six different N,N-disubstituted amino-ethyl ester derivatives, structurally resembling the amino-alcohol ester class of anticholinergic agents, each for [1,1'-biphenyl]-4-acetic acid (3) and flurbiprofen (10), have been reported as potential substitutes for these NSAIDs, with improved therapeutic profile. All the ester derivatives were found to have sufficient chemical stability in buffers (pH 2.0 and 7.4), ensuring them to be absorbed as intact moieties from the gastrointestinal tract. A significant reduction in ulcerogenic potency in comparison to the parent drugs with a slightly higher anti-inflammatory potency suggests that the majority of these candidates have an improved therapeutic profile over their parent drugs. Hence, a promising novel approach, different from the conventional prodrug concept, has been successfully worked out to overcome the local gastric toxicity, yielding therapeutically better compounds for long-term oral anti-inflammatory therapy.     

Modified Nanoprecipitation Method for Preparation of Cytarabine-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles

The present investigation was aimed at developing cytarabine-loaded poly(lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA)-based biodegradable nanoparticles by a modified nanoprecipitation which would have sustained release of the drug. Nine batches were prepared as per 3² factorial design to optimize volume of the co-solvent (0.22–0.37 ml) and volume of non-solvent (1.7–3.0 ml). A second 3² factorial design was used for optimization of drug: polymer ratio (1:5) and stirring time (30 min) based on the two responses, mean particle size (125 ± 2.5 nm), and percentage entrapment efficiency (21.8 ± 2.0%) of the Cyt-PLGA nanoparticles. Optimized formulation showed a zeta potential of −29.7 mV indicating good stability; 50% w/w of sucrose in Cyt-PLGA NP was added successfully as cryoprotectant during lyophilization for freeze-dried NPs and showed good dispersibility with minimum increase in their mean particle sizes. The DSC thermograms concluded that in the prepared PLGA NP, the drug was present in the amorphous phase and may have been homogeneously dispersed in the PLGA matrix. In vitro drug release from the pure drug was complete within 2 h, but was sustained up to 24 h from PLGA nanoparticles with Fickian diffusion. Stability studies showed that the developed PLGA NPs should be stored in the freeze-dried state at 2–8°C where they would remain stable in terms of both mean particle size and drug content for 2 months.     

Genetic Determinants of Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Milk of Mastitic Crossbred Cattle

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of mastitis in dairy animals and its resistance against multiple antimicrobials always remains crucial concern. Present investigation was carried out to detect the distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes of S. aureus isolates. Isolates (128) of S. aureus from mastitic milk were collected, tested for antibiotics with disc-diffusion method, and resistant genes mecA, linA, msrA msrB, vatA, vatB, vatC ermA, ermC tetK, tetM and aacA-D were detected by PCR. The phenotypic antibiotics resistance percent in S. aureus isolates was classified as tetracycline (36.7), gentamycin (30.5), streptomycin (26.6), kanamycin (25.8) and penicillin G (22.7). All the isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Among isolates, 10.2% were observed as methicillin-resistant. The distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes was linA (51.6) followed by msrB (46.1), tetK + M (34.4), msrA and aacA-D (26.6%). Different antibiotic-resistant genes combinations (mecA/linA-2; mecA/aacA-D/tetK/linA/msrB-3; mecA/linA/msrA/msrB-3; aacA-D/linA/msrA/msrB-4; aacA-D/linA/msrB-7; linA/msrA/msrB-10; tetK/linA/msrA/msrB-11; aacA/tetK/linA/msrB-12 isolates) were observed. All the isolates lacked amplification of vatA, vatB, ermA and ermC genes. Molecular typing resulted genetic variation in protein A (6–12 repeats) and coagulase genes (A–E patterns) were observed. Coagulase A and D genotypes were more prevalent in antibiotic-resistant isolates, while E, B and C in susceptible ones. The significant observation was the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, which were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Findings revealed the status of resistant isolates in herd that might be helpful in treatment, controlling of resistant strains and culling of cows for mastitis reduction.     

Synthesis of 4-hydroxy-1-methylindole and benzo[b]thiophen-4-ol based unnatural flavonoids as new class of antimicrobial agents

Synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur heterocyclic mimics of furanoflavonoids have been achieved for the first time. Synthesized flavonoid alkaloids and thiophenyl flavonoids have been screened for antifungal and antibacterial activities. All the test compounds barring 25 exhibited antifungal activity. The compound 19 was the best and showed comparable MICs to the known compound karanjin. Compounds 5, 12, 14 and 22 also showed comparable MIC to karanjin.     

Efficient plant regeneration from shoot apices of sorghum

An efficient and rapid regeneration protocol was developed using shoot apices from germinating seedlings of two cultivars of sorghum, SPV-462 and M35-1, as explants. A vertical slit given from the base of each dissected apex enhanced the efficiency of callusing response by two fold. MS medium containing 0.5 mg dm⁻³ each of 2,4-D and kinetin was most effective in producing friable and embryogenic calli. Scanning electron microscopy of these calli detected somatic embryogenesis. Calli thus induced gave rise to approximately 42 green shoots per callus in both the genotypes when transferred to regeneration medium containing 1.5 mg dm⁻³ kinetin.     

Length–weight relationship of six indigenous fish species from Deepor beel,a Ramsar site in Assam,India

Length–weight relationships for six small indigenous fish species, namely: Trichogaster chuna (Hamilton, 1822), Trichogaster lalius (Hamilton, 1822), Trichogaster fasciata Bloch & Schneider, 1801, Chanda nama Hamilton, 1822, Parambassis lala (Hamilton, 1822), and Macrognathus aral (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) were studied for the first time from Deepor beel, a Ramsar site (589 ha water spread area) located in Assam, India. A total of 617 fish specimens were collected for the present study on a monthly basis from February to August in 2016 from landing centres adjoining the beel. In the present study, b value ranges from 2.778 to 3.215, which is within the normal range. The LWRs for these six fish species from Deepor beel had not yet been reported for FishBase.     

Assessment of Mineral Pathophysiology in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Biological Trace Element Research - Chronic non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with a recurrence rate of over 50% in 3&nbsp;years account for more than 1,08000 non-traumatic lower extremity...     

Methyl jasmonate induced responses in four plant species and its effect on Spodoptera litura Fab. performance

Defensive proteins, such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and trypsin inhibitor (TI), are induced by herbivore wounding and exogenous methyl jasmonate application in various plant species. This study was conducted to measure induction of PPO and TI in radish, sweet pepper, tomato, and water spinach plants following herbivore wounding (I), methyl jasmonate application (M), and a combination of the two treatments (M + I). The effect of induced responses was also examined against third instar Spodoptera litura Fab. PPO activity was induced in radish by treatment I only; in sweet pepper, by treatments I and M; in tomato, by treatments I, M, and M + I; and in water spinach, by treatments M and M + I. The activity of TI was enhanced 1.2–1.4-fold in radish, sweet pepper, and tomato by M and M + I treatments, whereas in water spinach, it was enhanced 1.2-fold by all 3 treatments. The relative growth rate (RGR) of S. litura was reduced by 53% on radish plants following M treatment only. It was reduced by 37% and 42% on sweet paper plants following M and M + I treatment, respectively. RGR was significantly reduced on test tomato plants following I, M, and M + I treatments. The RGR of S. litura was unaffected on water spinach plants following any treatment. Collectively, the results of this study indicated that induction of plant defensive proteins in response to S. litura feeding or exogenous methyl jasmonate application varied among plant species, which further affected the induced plant resistance to the caterpillars.