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The precise prediction of off-target effects in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing is critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of this powerful tool. This study leverages machine learning techniques to predict off-target cleavage sites and investigate the underlying mechanisms that affect cleavage efficiencies. By integrating data from Tsai et al. and Kleinsteiver et al., who employed the GUIDE-seq method, we aim to enhance our understanding of the factors influencing CRISPR-Cas9 activity.

Background: Halari donkey is a distinct breed of India that comes from the community of migrants from the regions of Halar, Bharwad and Rabaris of Gujarat. They have a brief history of travel and migration from arid and semi-arid regions of India. The population of Halari donkeys has fallen drastically in past and is further declining; therefore, these donkeys may be recognized as a threatened breed in near future. Methods: The genetic diversity of this breed was determined using the D-loop gene of 542 bp size belonging to mitochondrial DNA and compared with the complete mitochondrial genome of Equus asinus (NC_001788.1). In the present study, a total of 8 haplotypes were identified with haplotype diversity of 0.8152 and nucleotide diversity of 0.1281 indicating that the population has high genetic diversity. The Median-joining network tree and neighbour-joining trees revealed close clustering of the Halari donkeys. Result: The high nucleotide and haplotype diversity suggest Halari donkeys as a unique population and proper management and conservation is the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heightened awareness of ensuring enhanced safety standards is growing in order pertaining to the avoidance of chemical food preservation. Concurrently, there is a discernible increase in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among foodborne pathogens, which engenders infections such as food poisoning, gastro-intestinal infections etc.. In this regard, bacteriocins present themselves as a compelling alternative for achieving both preservation and safety objectives in the realm of food science. Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized proteins that demonstrate inhibitory activities against a diverse spectrum of undesirable microorganisms. In the present study, a bacterium (Brevibacillus borstelensis sp.) derived from Donkey milk was scrutinized for its ability to generate a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS). The effectiveness of this substance was assessed against pathogens linked to foodborne/spoilage, specifically Bacillus subtilis (KK01), Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (HCS36), and Escherichia coli (O22). The evaluation comprised the bit/disc method followed by the Well-diffusion method. Employing a combination of phenotypic, biochemical, and molecular characteristics, including the 16S rRNA gene technique, the bacterial isolate was identified as Brevibacillus borstelensis strain 3.1 [OR272522.1]. The Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance produced by B. borstelensiswas purified for the first time by using the chloroform extraction method, unveiling a molecular mass of 56 kDa. Further analysis examined the BLIS reactions to temperature, pH, proteolytic enzymes, and stability. The Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance exhibited thermo-stability up to 90 °C, activity at neutral pH, sensitivity to trypsin, and partial stability up to 15 days of storage, indicating its potential as a bio-preservative for food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equines' ability in racing and riding as well as gaitedness have influenced the human civilization. Aim of this study was to identify and characterize the novel polymorphisms or SNPs in DMRT3 gene in Indian horse and donkey breeds. In this study, the DMRT3 gene was sequenced and characterized in 72 Indian horses' and 33 Indian donkeys' samples. One SNP (A > C) at 878 was found in studied horses while identical SNPs (A > C) at two different nucleotide positions i.e., 878 and 942 in DMRT3 gene (chromosome 23) were observed in studied Indian donkey breeds. Horses and donkeys both have a non-synonymous mutation (A > C) at nucleotide 878 (codon 61) that converts a Stop codon (TAG > TCG) to coding codon Serine, whereas donkeys have a synonymous mutation at nucleotide 942 (codon 82) that converts Serine (TCA > TCC) into Serine. A phylogenetic tree indicated that the DMRT3 gene was equally distributed among the equine breeds. Most of the donkey breeds have been shown high levels of genetic diversity while horse breeds and Halari donkey showed the least genetic diversity. Mutation in DMRT3 has a major impact on gaitedness in horses and is presented at a high frequency in gaited breeds and in horses breed for harness racing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The horse, one of the most domesticated animals, has been used for several purposes, like transportation, hunting, in sport, or for agriculture-related works. Kathiawari, Marwari, Manipuri, Zanskari, Bhutia, Spiti, and Thoroughbred are the main breeds of horses, particularly due to their agroclimatic adaptation and role in any kind of strong physical activity, and these characteristics are majorly governed by genetic factors. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of these Indian equine breeds using microsatellite markers have been reported, but further studies exploring the SNP diversity and runs of homozygosity revealing the selection signature of breeds are still warranted. In our study, the identification of genes that play a vital role in muscle development is performed through SNP detection via the whole-genome sequencing approach. A total of 96 samples, categorized under seven breeds, and 620,721 SNPs were considered to ascertain the ROH patterns amongst all the seven breeds. Over 5444 ROH islands were mined, and the maximum number of ROHs was found to be present in Zanskari, while Thoroughbred was confined to the lowest number of ROHs. Gene enrichment of these ROH islands produced 6757 functional genes, with AGPAT1, CLEC4, and CFAP20 as important gene families. However, QTL annotation revealed that the maximum QTLs were associated with Wither's height trait ontology that falls under the growth trait in all seven breeds. An Equine SNP marker database (EqSNPDb) was developed to catalogue ROHs for all these equine breeds for the flexible and easy chromosome-wise retrieval of ROH along with the genotype details of all the SNPs. Such a study can reveal breed divergence in different climatic and ecological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High blood levels of lead have been shown to relate to its toxicity, and its early detection in occupational workers is important to take necessary measures. The genes associated with lead toxicity were identified by in silico analysis of expression profile (GEO-GSE37567) based on lead exposure of peripheral blood mononuclear cells maintained in culture. The GEO2R tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among three groups: control versus day-1 treatment, control versus day-2 treatment, and control versus day-1 treatment versus day-2 treatment, and their enrichment analysis was performed to categorize them for molecular function, biological process, cellular component, and KEGG pathways. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed using a STRING tool and hub genes were identified by using the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape. Top 250 DEGs were screened in the first and second groups and 211 DEGs were in the third group. Fifteen critical genes viz. MT1G, ASPH, MT1F, TMEM158, CDK5RAP2, BRCA2, MT1E, EDNRB, MT1H, KITLG, MT1X, MT2A, ARRDC4, MT1M, and MT1HL1 were selected for functional enrichment and pathway analysis. The DEGs were primarily enriched in metal ion binding, metal absorption, and cellular response to metal ions. The significantly enriched KEGG pathways included mineral absorption, melanogenesis, and cancer signaling pathways. PPI network analysis revealed that seven genes of the MT family exhibited good connectedness and served as a marker of lead induced toxicity. Our study suggests that MT1E, MT1H, MT1G, MT1X, MT1F, MT1M, and MT2A of the metallothioneins gene family may act as potential biomarkers to monitor lead exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This current research set out to characterize Halari donkey milk by investigating its nutritional constituents, including its proximate analysis, water activity, titratable acidity, energy, and microbiological analysis. A comprehensive profiling of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids was also carried out. It was found that the composition of Halari donkey milk was consistent with previously published donkey milk literature and was comparable to that of human milk. Halari donkey milk has low 0.86 ± 0.04% fat content, 2.03 ± 0.03% protein content, 0.51 ± 0.05% ash content, and high 5.75 ± 0.15% lactose content making it sweet and palatable. The energy content of Halari donkey milk was 40.39 ± 0.31 kcal/100 g, and the water activity ranged from 0.973 to 0.975. Titratable acidity was 0.03 ± 0.01%. Halari donkey milk can be considered acceptable and microbiologically safe, having low total plate count and yeast and mould counts. Mineral testing revealed that Halari donkey milk included significant amounts of magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. The concentration of different vitamins and amino acids such as isoleucine and valine also contribute to the nutritional value of Halari donkey milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-bovine milk is gaining more international acceptance for research and commercialization due to its usefulness as bovine milk is now reported as hypersensitive to infant's serum due to the high concentration of the casein protein, which may act as potent allergen. The nutritious components of donkey milk are comparable to human milk, i.e., high lysozyme concentration, etc. Many potential probiotics species are identified. In addition to the high lysozymal content, the well-adapted potential probiotics of donkey milk are identified and also categorized on the basis of their relative abundance, and include Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactococcus lactis, and Carnobacterium maltaromaticum. Recently, it was reported that the Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactococcus lactis speciesare more abundant while the Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus are the least. These probiotic strains exhibit greater antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-proliferative properties in vitro conditions. The present study highlighted the basic composition of donkey milk as well as isolating bacteria and their potential probiotic characteristics against stress conditions like low pH, high bile, etc., and it was found that Lactobacillus paracasei and Enterococcus faecalis species were predominant in raw donkey milk samples collected from farm sites, while in local field samples, the Lactococcus lactis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus species were dominant. Thus, in the future, donkey milk probiotics can be an interesting research area and can also provide a novel source for fermented food products with highly efficient probiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subclinical mastitis (SCM) in buffalo is one of the most challenging paradoxes for the dairy sector with very significant milk production losses and poses an imminent danger to milch animal's milk-producing ability. We present here the genome-wide methylation specific to SCM in water buffalo and its consequential effect on the gene expression landscape for the first time. Whole-genome DNA methylation profiles from peripheral blood lymphocytes and gene expression profiles from milk somatic cells of healthy and SCM cases were catalogued from the MeDIP-Seq and RNA-Seq data. The average methylation in healthy buffaloes was found to be higher than that in the SCM-infected buffaloes. DNA methylation was abundant in the intergenic region followed by the intronic region in both healthy control and SCM groups. A total of 3,950 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified and annotated to 370 differentially methylated genes (DMGs), most of which were enriched in the promoter region. Several important pathways were activated due to hypomethylation and belonged to the Staphylococcus aureus infection, Th17 cell differentiation, and antigen processing and presentation pathways along with others of defense responses. DNA methylome was compared with transcriptome to understand the regulatory role of DNA methylation on gene expression specific to SCM in buffaloes. A total of 4,778 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were extracted in response to SCM, out of which 67 DMGs were also found to be differentially expressed, suggesting that during SCM, DNA methylation could be one of the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. Genes like CSF2RB, LOC102408349, C3 and PZP like, and CPAMD8 were found to be downregulated in our study, which are known to be involved in the immune response to SCM. Association of DNA methylation with transposable elements, miRNAs, and lncRNAs was also studied. The present study reports a buffalo SCM web resource (BSCM2TDb) available at http://webtom.cabgrid.res.in/BSCM2TDb that catalogues all the mastitis-related information of the analyses results of this study in a single place. This will be of immense use to buffalo researchers to understand the host–pathogen interaction involving SCM, which is required in endeavors of mastitis control and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Unavailability of potential drugs/vaccines in the outbreak of the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS- CoV-2) have devastated the human population globally. Several druggable targets have been analyzed against different viral proteins such as the spike protein. The study aims to explore the potential of natural compounds as an effective drug against a novel nsp10-nsp16 complex of SARS-CoV-2 using in silico approaches. Materials and Methods: In silico screening (Docking analysis) was performed for 10 shortlisted natural compounds viz. allicin, ajoene, carvacrol, coumarin, curcumin, menthol, eugenol, theaflavin, ursolic acid, and catechin against a novel target of SARS-CoV-2, that has been anticipated to provide valuable lead molecules and potentially druggable compounds for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Results: Theaflavin and catechin, the natural components of black tea and green tea, out of 10 shortlisted compounds have shown excellent performance in our docking studies with the minimum binding energy of -11.8 kcal/mol and -9.2 kcal/mol respectively, against a novel nsp10-nsp16 complex of SARS-CoV-2 that indicates their potential for inhibitory molecular interactions against the virus to assist rapid drug designing from natural products. Conclusion: Either consumption of black tea and green tea or repurposing them as drug candidates may help individuals to fight against SARS- CoV-2, subject to their in vivo and in vitro further experimental validations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are famous for their 'Rewal chal' (a unique style of running). These horses dominantly exist in the western-northern border of India adjoining Pakistan. The breeding tract of these horses is Surat, Navsari, Kachchh district of Gujarat and Jaisalmer-Barmer districts of Rajasthan in India. Most familiar colors in the Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are bay and chestnut. Roman nose, ears curved at tips but not touching each other, short back, short pastern length, broader hoof for better grip and docile temperament are major characteristics of these horses. Methods: The present study is an effort to phenotypically characterize Kachchhi-Sindhi horse breed based on their different biometric indices for selection and conservation of stallions and mares for breeding purposes by private breeders. Fourteen biometric indices were recorded for phenotypic characterization of each breed viz., height at wither (HW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), neck length (NL), face length (FL), face width (FW), pole, ear length (EL), ear width (EW), foreleg length (FLL), canon, pastern, hoof length (HoL) and hoof width (HoW). On average, these horses stand 148 cm height, have a body length of ~140 cm, a heart girth of ~165 cm, an ear length of ~15 cm and a face length of ~61 cm. Result: Horse keepers sustain horses in intensive as well as an extensive system of rearing. It has also been ascertained from various sources that horse number is declining rapidly, however, breed population statistics are not available. There is, therefore, an urgent need to conserve this breed. Proper managemental practices and conservation efforts will pave the way for the multiplication of this valuable equine genetic resource of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The silent estrus problem in buffaloes is one of the major bottlenecks in buffalo management. Here, we present for the first time a simple and urine-based non-invasive seed germination inhibition test to detect the early estrus in buffaloes. Methods: The urine samples were collected from buffaloes on 0, 6, 10, 14, 18, 21 and 28 days after detection of signs of heat. The mungbean and wheat seeds (n=15 each) were treated with diluted (1:2 and 1:4) and undiluted urine samples. The results were analyzed in terms of germination inhibition percentage (GI%) and shoot length (SL) measurements. Control was established using distilled water in place of urine. Conclusion: In 1:4 dilution urine samples, a significant (P≤0.05) decrease in GI% and SL were observed after 48 hours and 5 days, respectively in both the seeds, which could be useful as an estrus test. No significant results were observed for GI% and SL with undiluted and 1:2 diluted samples in both seeds. Our findings demonstrate that GI% and SL were inhibited around peri-estrus events, increased from 10th-14th days and then gradually decreased with 1:4 dilution of urine. This estrus test may assist the farmers in timing AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian cells are the recommended host for recombinant eukaryotic protein production aimed at incorporation of post-translational modifications for downstream applications. The bacterial system and insect cells are widely used because of ease of technical methodology, economics of production, purification and yield of final protein. The present research objective was expression of recombinant reproductive hormones of animal origin and study of their immunogenic potential for reproductive applications. The equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) is one of the most heavily glycosylated protein amongst all glycoprotein hormone family. Hence, experiments were carried out to observe its expression in the three most popular host systems and it led to comparative studies for their post-translational modifications. The Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG, also called as eCG) gene was cloned in TOPO-TA vector, pIX 4.0 and pTARGET vectors accordingly and expression analysis in E. coli BL21C, Sf insect cell lysate and COS-1 cells was carried out. We observed diverse sizes of recombinant proteins in SDS-PAGE analysis which indicated posttranslational modification in mammalian expression system towards the linking of tags as well as side chains in respective host cells. Basic diagnostic immunogenicity tests showed encouraging results, however, no significant in vivo and in vitro activity was observed for the expressed reCG in all the employed host systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, research has been conducted towards the uses and properties of donkey milk that has distinct chemical composition and consequently particularly nutritional properties. It is interesting to determine antioxidant potential of indigenous Halari and French Poitu donkey milk by using the total antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. These methods are reliable, fast and with sound methodological infrastructures. The objective of the present research was to investigate the applicability of the trolox based total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay for identification of antioxidant potential of Indian Halari donkey milk and French Poitu donkey milk. The donkey milk is quite popular for its anti-aging properties in Western and European countries as cosmetic and nutraceutical preparations. However, in Indian context no such study is conducted on Halari donkey milk. The Indian Halari donkeys are untapped resource for their dairy potential. Our results showed that the whole milk of Halari donkey is at par with French Poitu donkey milk in terms of their antioxidative potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of present study was to produce recombinant eCG/pituitary glycoprotein in the Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21C host cells and to test its diagnostic efficacy. This aim was achieved by optimizing its expression, purification as well as its characterization through the immunoassays and bioassays. A bacterial protein expression vector system based on the phage T7 promoter and histidine tag was used for the expression and purification. The recombinant single chain beta-alpha equine chorionic gonadotropin (rβαeCG) encoding gene was constructed with beta and alpha sequences according to its biologically active counterpart. It was successfully cloned and when expressed in E.coli BL21C host, the purified recombinant protein was found to be active as revealed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. However, it was not found to exhibit any significant activity in vivo when tested in the mice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the management and phenotypic characterization of donkeys in Rajasthan, India. The donkey is considered a very important draught animal in the region and is primarily utilized by nomadic pastors for carrying brick kilns and for rural and urban transport. Dry roughage includes soya, gram, and groundnut straw. Donkey owners are not known to provide vaccination, insurance, and disinfectant use. Most owners are also unaware of the symptoms of estrus jenney.

The molecular biology approach for production of recombinant applied products in heterologous systems such as prokaryotes and eukaryotes is becoming a method of choice in the post genomics era. Many heterologous expression systems are available such as insects, yeast, mammalian cells however, Escherichia coli is most desirable host but the main drawback associated with expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli is production of insoluble and/or nonfunctional proteins. Earlier, effort was made to produce recombinant inhibin alpha protein to be used as fecundity vaccine in small ruminants. The bovine inhibin alpha immunogenic region of about 134 amino acid region was targeted for high level expression in E.coli but expression at 370C resulted in high level of inclusion bodies though yield of purified protein was satisfactory. In the present study, reduced temperature (22°C) with different time intervals were investigated for the expression of soluble recombinant bINH-α aiming at improving and facilitating recombinant bINH-α protein production and purification from E. coli and to characterize it by immunological techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibin is a non-steroidal glycoprotein hormone of gonadal origin with major action as negative feedback control of the production of FSH by the anterior pituitary gland. The physiological role of inhibin has led to the development of inhibin immunogens for fertility enhancement in farm animals. It is envisaged that a reduction of endogenous inhibin secretion would increase FSH concentrations and thus offers a potential for increasing the number of ovulatory follicles in the ovary. The present work was carried out to produce recombinant bovine (Indian Sahiwal Cattle; Bos indicus) alpha inhibin (bINH-α) in E. coli by optimizing its expression and purification in biologically active form and to study its immunological characterization. A bacterial protein expression vector system based on the phage T5 promoter was used. The bINH-α encoding gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli and the purified recombinant bINH-α was characterized. Recombinant bINH-α (25 µg mL−1) immunized guinea pigs had a significant increase in litter size compared to the control group. These results indicate a role for recombinant bINH-α as a fecundity vaccine to enhance the ovulation rate and litter size in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bovine colostrum (BC) is the initial mammary secretion after parturition, which is nature's bountiful source consisting of nutritional and bioactive components present in a highly concentrated low-volume format. All mammalian newborns require colostrum to enhance physiological processes such as lifelong immunity, gastrointestinal development, and resistance to microbial infections. The genetic, environmental, and processing methods can all have an impact on the biochemical contents of BC and its supplements. BC and its derivatives have been intensively researched for their potential use in functional foods, medicines, and animal feed. Evidence from clinical studies suggests that BC products are well-tolerated, nontoxic, and safe for human ingestion. Functional foods, feed, and pharmaceutical formulations based on bovine colostrum are playing noteworthy roles in the development of innovative products for promoting health and the prevention of chronic illnesses. This systematic review sheds light on recent research on (a) the effects of processing techniques on BC components, (b) emerging techniques used in the isolation and identification of novel components, (c) BC-based functional foods for human consumption and animal feed supplements, and (d) the role of BC in current drug delivery, as well as future recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, intensifying impairments in cognition, behavior, and memory. Histopathological AD variations include extracellular senile plaques' formation, tangling of intracellular neurofibrils, and synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. Multiple evidence directly indicates that oxidative stress participates in an early phase of AD before cytopathology. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in activating and causing various cell signaling pathways that result in lesion formations of toxic substances, which advances the disease. Antioxidants are widely preferred to combat oxidative stress, and those derived from natural sources, which are often incorporated into dietary habits, can play an important role in delaying the onset as well as reducing the progression of AD. However, this approach has not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, a combination of antioxidants in conjugation with a nutrient-rich diet might be more effective in tackling AD pathogenesis. Thus, considering the above-stated fact, this comprehensive review aims to elaborate the basics of AD and antioxidants, including the vitality of antioxidants in AD. Moreover, this review may help researchers to develop effectively and potentially improved antioxidant therapeutic strategies for this disease as it also deals with the clinical trials in the stated field. Alzheimer's disease (AD) rate is accelerating with the increasing aging of the world's population. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated AD as a global health priority. According to the WHO report, around 82 million people in 2030 and 152 million in 2050 will develop dementia (AD contributes 60% to 70% of cases), considering the current scenario. AD is the most common neurodegenerative disease, intensifying impairments in cognition, behavior, and memory. Histopathological AD variations include extracellular senile plaques' formation, tangling of intracellular neurofibrils, and synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. Multiple evidence directly indicates that oxidative stress participates in an early phase of AD before cytopathology. Moreover, oxidative stress is induced by almost all misfolded protein lumps like α-synuclein, amyloid-β, and others. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in activating and causing various cell signaling pathways that result in lesion formations of toxic substances, which foster the development of the disease. Antioxidants are widely preferred to combat oxidative stress, and those derived from natural sources, which are often incorporated into dietary habits, can play an important role in delaying the onset as well as reducing the progression of AD. However, this approach has not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, there has been growing evidence that a combination of antioxidants in conjugation with a nutrient-rich diet might be more effective in tackling AD pathogenesis. Thus, considering the above-stated fact, this comprehensive review aims to elaborate the basics of AD and antioxidants, including the vitality of antioxidants in AD. Moreover, this review may help researchers to develop effectively and potentially improved antioxidant therapeutic strategies for this disease as it also deals with the clinical trials in the stated field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special class of proteins called Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an essential part of the innate immune system, connecting it to the adaptive immune system. There are 10 different Toll-Like Receptors that have been identified in human beings. TLRs are part of the central nervous system (CNS), showing that the CNS is capable of the immune response, breaking the long-held belief of the brain's "immune privilege" owing to the blood–brain barrier (BBB). These Toll-Like Receptors are present not just on the resident macrophages of the central nervous system but are also expressed by the neurons to allow them for the production of proinflammatory agents such as interferons, cytokines, and chemokines; the activation and recruitment of glial cells; and their participation in neuronal cell death by apoptosis. This study is focused on the potential roles of various TLRs in various neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), namely TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, and TLR9 in AD and PD in human beings and a mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the effectiveness of microsatellite markers in testing the parentage of different horse breeds in India including Hanoverian, Thoroughbred, Manipuri, Spiti, Kathiwari and Marwari horses. Topics covered include highly polymorphic nature microsatellites, the influence of the number and frequency of alleles on parentage testing and total exclusionary power of parents in all horse breeds at more than 0.94.

Bovine colostrum (BC) consists of highly concentrated nutritional and bioactive components after parturition. BC supplements are promoted for prevention and management of neurological disorders (dementia, cognition, Parkinsons disease, and Alzheimers disease), cardiovascular diseases, immunity-related and allergy problems, skin disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, gut microbial symbiosis as well as type-2 diabetes, and improved athletic performance. This review provides succinct insights into emerging evidence from preclinical and clinical studies which suggest that BC constituents have enormous potential in nutraceuticals and non-pharmacological therapies. The overall composition, factors affecting, traditional and commercial products, health attributes of bovine colostrum particularly, B-type vitamins, oligosaccharides, immunoglobins, growth factors and the role of lactoferrin and lactalbumin in cancer therapy, are also briefly explained. Naturally produced bioactive components, immunoglobulins lay the foundation of life-long immunity, while the other components in colostrum promote growth and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract as well as promote differentiation of bone marrow stem cells, increase lean muscle mass, and decrease the body fat level. The bovine colostrum is rich in versatile ironbinding lactoferrin that has strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-microbial properties. Additionally, BC products like ginna, kharwas, aguz, and processed BC supplements like colostrum powder, capsules, and infant-formulas are marketed by many companies all over the world. Considering the escalating cost of synthetic drugs, people in developing countries are desperately looking for affordable and cost-effective therapies for curing the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and infectious diseases. It will be interesting to see if BC might have viricidal effects against COVID-19 virus. • Bovine colostrum is an important source of both nutritional and growth-promoting bioactive components. • The composition of bovine colostrum is significantly affected by both internal and external factors. • Lactoferrin and lactalbumin present in bovine colostrum are effective in cancer prevention and anticancer therapy. • Bovine colostrum derived exosomes played a significant role in the immune response. • Bioactive components of colostrum may be beneficial in prophylaxis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes promote plant growth through phytohormone production, acquisition of nutrients, nitrogen fixation and help them to survive under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we isolated and investigated 58 endophytic bacteria for their ability to promote plant growth in vitro by testing organic acid, ammonia, HCN and siderophore production, phosphate solubilization and Indole 3 acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis. All isolates were producing IAA in the range of 4.40-110 μg ml-1. Most of the isolates produced ammonia, while 50% isolates were organic acid producers, 40% of isolates produced HCN and 21 isolates from both the crops solubilized phosphate. On the basis of 16S rDNA sequence efficient isolates were identified as Pantoea agglomerans (CPHN2), Bacillus cereus strain (CPHN4), Bacillus sonorensis strain (CPHN12), Bacillus subtilis strain (CPHR3), Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain (PHN9), Ornithinibacillus sp. (PHN14), Ochrobactrum sp. (PHR6). In this study, Ornithinibacillus sp. has been reported as pea endophyte for the first time to best of our knowledge. Under pot conditions, CPHN2, CPHN4, CPHN12, CPHR3 were able to increase root and shoot growth parameters of chickpea plant by 1.3-1.9 times, CPHN3 was most efficient and able to increase dry root weight by 3 times. The isolates PHN9, PHN14, PHR6 increased root length by 2.49 times, 2.8 times and 1.6 times respectively. Overall, the results suggested that the isolated and characterized endophytes possessed multiple plant growth promoting traits, increased the plant growth parameters in pot conditions, therefore can be further explored as bioinoculants/biofertilizers in field evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Genetic diversity in Zanskari pony breed was evaluated at 48 microsatellite loci using fifty adult, healthy and unrelated animals. Allele frequency data was used to detect genetic diversity and bottleneck. The estimated average number of alleles (±s.e.) was 8.5208±2.5010 with a total of 409 alleles. A high level of genetic diversity within this breed was observed in terms of number of alleles, observed heterozygosity (0.6763±0.1704), expected Leven''s heterozygosity (0.7724±0.795), expected Nei''s heterozygosity (0.7644±0.0787) and polymorphism information content (>0.5). In-breeding coefficient (F is ) was 0.115±0.0209, suggesting moderately high in-breeding in Zanskari breed. Although analysis of bottleneck revealed no bottleneck in recent past but population of Zanskari ponies has decreased drastically and only a few thousand pure-bred animals are left. The information is useful for proposing effective population management strategies for future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A chemometric study was conducted to know the geographical region-wise changes in the colostrum physicochemical and immunological properties of recently registered "Himachali Pahari" cow breed in India. The colostrum samples were collected within 72 h of parturition from two zones (high and low altitudes) comprising of four districts each and having different climatic conditions. Colostrum samples were assessed for physicochemical and immunological (IgG) components along with inter- (high and low altitudes) and intra-zonal (within districts) variations. Obtained results were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). In the inter-zone, significant variation (p ≤ 0.05) was observed in the total solids, protein, fat, ash, lactose, percentage scavenging activity, IgG, and minerals (Mg, K, Fe, P, Cu) contents. On the other hand, total solids, fat, ash, titratable acidity, scavenging activity, IgG, and minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Cu) contents were found significant in the intra-zone. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed the diminution of 16 variables into 3 principal components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) having 62.62%, 14.57%, and 8.27% of the variance, respectively. • First region-wise Himachali Pahari cows' colostrum composition was studied. • Colostrum composition of these cows differed significantly in high and low hills. • Multivariate techniques effectively differentiated the colostrum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine pituitary gonadotropins (eLH, eFSH, eCG) are heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones with alpha (α) and beta (β) subunits. It is responsible for maintenance of pregnancy in mares during early gestation and fairly valuable for inducing superovulation in animals other than equines. The alpha subunit is common, while beta subunit is species-specific in all glycoprotein hormones. In the present investigation, molecular cloning and in silico characterization including homology modeling and molecular docking analysis of the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) alpha subunit was carried out for gaining structural and functional insights into the eCG alpha subunit and its possible interaction with ganirelix, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist. The equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) alpha subunit expressed in pituitary gland was selected, amplified from total RNA, cloned and sequenced. The in silico analyses were made for homology modelling, structural details, epitope identification and chromosomal localization. Molecular docking studies of eCG alpha were undertaken with a drug ganirelix which is used to control ovulation and has antagonistic activity against GnRH. The protein sequence corresponding to selected open reading frame (ORF) was 99-100% similar with domesticated horse, Przewalski's horse, and 92-93% with Burchell's zebra and donkey. Molecular docking studies revealed the possible interaction of eCG alpha with ganirelix. The possible drug-macromolecule interactions were visualized between eCG alpha and ganirelix. The study will provide structural insight into unique sites and an alternate route of gonadotropin suppression applicable to assisted reproductive technologies.

Background and Objective: Nanoparticles have special properties, such as higher surface-to-volume ratio and higher reactivity, which increases cell penetrability and enhance their applicability in the field of medicine, especially in the case where other drugs are ineffective. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CPNP) and their encapsulation with therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents is such an agent synthesized. However, there are concerns related to the colloidal stability of these nanoparticles, which are reflected in their tendency to form aggregates in the physiological milieu. Therefore, successful translation of these nanoparticles from laboratory to the clinic requires studies of biodistribution and biocompatibility of nanoparticles for in vivo biomedical applications., Method: Calcium phosphate nanoparticles synthesized and were tagged with a fluorophore and surface stabilized with trisilanol for stable aqueous dispersion. The in vivo biodistribution and sub-acute toxicological studies were done for orally-administered calcium phosphate nanoparticles., Results: The biodistribution studies indicated that these nanoparticles were not prone to rapid degradation or excretion in the body, were long-circulating, and could appreciably permeate to the brain. Body/organ weight and biochemical analyses did not reveal much difference between nanoparticle-administered and saline-administered (control) groups. Finally, histopathological analyses of major organs such as liver, lungs, heart, stomach and kidney, did not reveal significant abnormalities in the treatment groups., Conclusion: Thus, it is evident from these sub-acute toxicity studies that the nanoparticles appear to be non-toxic to rats following oral administration. These observations can have significant implications in calcium-phosphate nanoparticle-mediated non-toxic drug delivery to target organs, such as brain, via non-invasive, oral route., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)