Search

Gliotoxin produced by Trichoderma virens is inhibitory against various phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria. However, its stability in soil-ecosystem has not yet been well-defined. This study aimed to decipher its persistence and behaviour in growth media, irrigation water and soil ecosystems. Gliotoxin production was noticed at logarithmic growth phase and converted into bis-thiomethyl gliotoxin at late stationary growth phase of T. virens in acidic growth medium. But, no gliotoxin production was observed in neutral and alkaline growth medium. Gliotoxin was stable for several days in acidic water but degraded in alkaline water. Degradation of gliotoxin was more in unsterile soil than sterile soil and also that was higher under wet soil than dry soil. Degradation of gliotoxin was hastened by alkaline pH in wet soil but not in dry soil. Under unsterile soil conditions, high soil moisture increased the degradation of gliotoxin and the degradation of gliotoxin occurred quickly in alkaline soil (in 5 days) compared to acidic soil (in 10 days). Under sterile soil conditions, high soil moisture also enhanced the degradation of gliotoxin but level of degradation was less compared to unsterile conditions. Thus, gliotoxin stability is influenced mainly by the soil wetness, soil microbial community and pH conditions.

In the present study, silk sericin–monetite microcomposites (SS–MM) were prepared using a simple and cost-effective method. Hemolytic assay was performed to determine the blood compatibility of SS–MM. MTT assay was carried out using MG-63 osteoblasts, to determine the cytocompatibility and proliferative efficacy of SS–MM. Alkaline phosphatase activity was studied to examine the osteogenic potency of the prepared microcomposites. The results obtained showed that the SS–MM can be effectively used as a bone graft for tissue engineering applications.

Herein, we have reported a new Photon Induced Method (PIM) to the synthesis of enhanced temperature stable anatase phased TiO2 nanoparticles. These TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited an anatase phase even after calcinating at 800 °C for average crystallite size is 9 nm with a bandgap is 2.98 eV, stretching into the visible light region are identified from DRS, and photoluminescence spectroscopic studies. Whereas, the standard and others reported TiO2 has existed a 100% rutile phase at this same temperature. The reversibly improved TiO2 has attained from the PIM method by tuning of oxygen vacancy during the preparation condition. The enhanced methylene blue dye under in the solar-light 100% degradation within 10 min is a very novel report, not reported elsewhere. The obtained pure anatase TiO2 with high chemical reactivity has a great potential for antibacterial, cancer cells kill, photocatalysis and solar energy conversion applications under solar-light irradiation.

Polymer hybrids have become a major area of research and development owing to the remarkable properties and multifunctional behaviour deriving from their nanocomposite/nanohybrid structure. In this class, magnetic polymer nanocomposite are of special interest because of the combination of excellent magnetic properties, high specific area, surface active sites, high chemical stability and good biocompatibility. The present communication primarily concentrates on the investigation of structural characterization of alginate–cobalt ferrite nanocomposite (CoFe2O4–ANa NC) prepared by ex situ polymerization method. The structural and morphological properties of CoFe2O4–ANa NC were analysed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering. The specific surface area of the nanocomposite was analysed using BET surface area analysis. The functional group and the thermal stability were examined using FTIR and TGA/DTA respectively. The characterization results have pointed out the successful role of sodium alginate in stabilizing cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4 NP). The SEM and TEM images revealed the well interspersed state of cobalt ferrite with sodium alginate. It is obvious to note the increased size and the specific surface area for CoFe2O4 nanocomposite.

The four-letter code sequence of a single strand of a DNA sequence was converted into a line graph, and the vertices of the line graph were assigned weights according to the dissociation constant (pKa) of the corresponding nitrogenous base represented by each of the vertices. Connectivity type indices were computed for the weighted line graphs and the numerical descriptors thus calculated were used for alignment-free sequence comparison. The numerical descriptors proposed in this study were calculated very fast even for whole genomes, and thus, the methodology enabled alignment-free comparison of long DNA sequences without much computational load. Sequence comparison using numerical descriptors derived from the weighted line graphs is illustrated using 23 mitochondrial genomic sequences. The cladogram obtained from the hierarchical clustering carried out using the numerical descriptors grouped evolutionarily similar sequences together.

Crataegus oxycantha (hawthorn) is used in herbal and homeopathic medicine as a cardiotonic. The present study was done to investigate the effect of the alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxycantha (AEC) on mitochondrial function during experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rat. AEC was administered orally to male albino rats (150-200 g), at a dosage of 0.5 ml/100 g body weight/day, for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were administered isoproterenol (85 mg/kg body weight, s.c) for 2 days at an interval of 24 h. After 48 h, the rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed. The hearts were homogenized for biochemical and electron microscopic analysis. AEC pretreatment maintained mitochondrial antioxidant status, prevented mitochondrial lipid peroxidative damage and decrease in Kreb's cycle enzymes induced by isoproterenol in rat heart.