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Background: As per the World Health Organization survey, it has been found that dermatophyte infections are affecting around one-fourth of the world population. The dermatophytes are commonly keratinophilic in nature which can multiply and invade the keratinized tissues and affect various parts of the human body like nails, skin, and hair. The luliconazole is an antifungal drug utilized against dermatophytes which causes athlete's foot and ringworm etc. fungal infections of the skin or nails caused by Candida albicans (C.P. Robin) Berkhout and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (Robin) Blanchard. Objective: The study aimed to develop the luliconazole topical cream with turmeric oil and penetration enhancer to improve permeability and enhance antifungal activity. Methods: To prepare the luliconazole topical cream, various compositions of formulation were melted and mixed with varying concentrations of turmeric oil. The oil, drug, and aqueous phases were prepared separately and mixed stepwise in a vessel under continuous stirring at control conditions. Result: The optimized LC2 cream was showed pH 6.45±0.12, which is considered suitable to avoid irritation upon topical application. The LC2 cream formulation also showed significantly (p Conclusion: It is concluded that the prepared luliconazole cream can be an effective anti-fungal treatment with enhanced drug delivery into the skin to treat athlete's foot and ringworm etc. caused by dermatophytes namely C. albicans and Trichophyton spp.

The hyphenated technique is developed from the coupling of a separation technique and an on-line spectroscopic detection technology, GCMS, LC-MS, LC-FTIR, LC-NMR, and CE-MS. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry is an important technique for identification and quantification of analytes in multifactor systems. GC-MS is highly effective and versatile analytical techniques with numerous scientific applications to cater the field of applied Sciences and Technology. This review elaborates the significant uses of this technique. It includes a brief discussion of the instrumental set-up and theory for the comprehensive GC × GC hyphenated with different detection techniques. It is fast and sensitive, provides a high peak capacity, and allows determination of thermally stable and volatile compounds.

Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry is a powerful technique which is used for the new product development, manufacturing, and to the control the stability or drug abuse. These techniques were commonly preferred in pharmacokinetics studies in pharmaceutical products. The principle involved in the LC-MS technique was justified in our study to understand the basic fundamentals of LC-MS. Also, it is used in combination with HPLC for chemical analysis. Many applications and the future prospects have been highlighted regarding the use for LC-MS in analytical chemistry. It is basically depends on the metabolites which are collected in this technique, furthermore the chemicals are analyzed according to the nature of suitability of LC-MS. This technique was helpful in the analysis of protein components identified in terms of pharmacovigilance, organic/inorganic hybrid nanoflowering. Also, our study highlights the techniques involved in proteomics. In LC-MS-based proteomics, complex mixtures of proteins are first subjected to enzymatic cleavage, then the resulting peptide products are analyzed using a mass spectrometer; this is in contrast to "top-down" proteomics, which deals with intact proteins and is limited to single protein mixtures. So, this review aims to highlight the basic introduction, and principle involved in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Also, the advantages, or application of LC-MS were studied. Most importantly the LC-MS based proteomics, and the future aspects of LC-MS technology were studied in this review.

Celiac disease (CeD) is a systemic, immune-mediated enteropathy, which is triggered by gluten protein in genetically susceptible individuals. CeD, once thought to be an uncommon disease, is now recognized to affect approximately 40-60 million people globally. While CeD is now well reported from a few Asian countries such as India, China, Pakistan, and Middle Eastern countries; it is still believed to be uncommon in the rest of Asia. Gluten-related diseases other than CeD, like non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are also emerging globally. CeD and NCGS may present with either intestinal or extra-intestinal symptoms, and a proportion of them have overlapping symptoms with irritable bowel syndrome. Hence, many of them are misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome in clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the emergence of CeD and other gluten-related disorders, both globally and in Asia, the overlapping manifestations between gluten-related disorders and irritable bowel syndrome, and the challenges associated with diagnosis and management of CeD in Asia.

A rapid isocratic chromatographic procedure for the analysis of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine sulfate in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations was developed validated in the present study. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of Water: Acetonitrile: Tetrahydrofuran in the proportion of 50:40:10 and pH maintained to 3with perchloric acid. Retention time was found to be 3.0 and 3.7minutes for methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate respectively. The method was performing by using the C18 column, ODS Hypersil column with UV detection at 318nm, and flow rate of 1.0ml/min. The percentage of recovery for both drugs was found to be 99.99%. All validation parameters were within limits as per the ICH guidelines.

The aim of the research work was to investigate the efficacy of cream loaded with lipid nanocarriers (ethosomes) of piperine for the management of atopic dermatitis (AD) in comparison to convention...

A study was undertaken to investigate the rate of dissolution of the various Phosphorus (P) sources in an alluvial soil of Bihar under an incubation experiment in the laboratory for 35 days with 5 ...

To overcome the problems like absorption of drug, hepatic first pass metabolism, drug targeting to specific organ, a novel approach is developed for delivery of drug i.e Insitu Nasal drug delivery system. Insitu based gel delivery system can bypass the blood brain barrier and deliver the drug to the desired site. Insitu gelling systems are liquid at room temperature however experience gelation when in contact with body fluids. Mucoadhesive insitu nasal gel have increase the residence time in the nasal cavity. Insitu gel development happens because of one or mix of various upgrades like pH change, temperature modulation and solvent exchange. The insitu gel formulations have several advantages like sustained and prolonged action as compare to conventional drug delivery system. This review will be focused on insitu based gels, various aspects of nasal anatomy and physiology, mechanism of nasal drug absorption, different components that impact nasal medication ingestion, assessment of nasal gel.

In this work, copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized at different temperature using chemical co precipitation method at room temperature. The synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles were mixed with activated charcoal powder to make nanocomposite for its application as electrodes material in ultracapacitor. Electrodes formed by synthesized nanocomposite at 600 OC show superior performance, which has been used as the optimized temperature for nanocomposite synthesis. Also nanoparticle and charcoal mass ratio1:1 was found to be optimum for electrochemical performance. The synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) pattern confirms the monoclinic structure of the synthesised CuO nanoparticles. Electrochemical performances of the synthesised nanocomposite electrode and prepared supercapacitor cell were studied using cyclic voltammetry, a.c. impedance spectroscopy and charge discharge methods with 1 M NaOH as an electrolytes. The specific capacitance of the fabricated supercapacitor cell A is constant upto 2000 cycles at 100 mV cm−2.

A simple, sensitive, economic and specific reverse phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous estimation of Emtricitabine and Ritonavir in bulk drug. Chromatographic conditions consisted of C-18 Column (Shim-pack) 250 x 4.6 mm, particle size 5 µm , mobile phase combination of methanol and water (80:20), flow rate 1ml per minutes, run time 15 minutes and UV detection at 251nm. . The retention time for Emtricitabine and Ritonavir were found to be 3.25 and 7.8 min and average percentage recoveries 99.42% and 99.63% respectively. The validation parameters were found to comply with ICH guidelines. These methods can be further employed in future for the routine determination of Emtricitabine and Ritonavir in bulk drug and formulation. Keyword: Emtricitabine, Ritonavir, RP-HPLC, accuracy and linearity.

Background: Dental caries originate due to the localized dissolution of the hard tissues of teeth, mainly caused by acids, developed by the presence of microorganisms in the biofilm (dental plaque) on the surface of teeth causing “cavities”. Commercially available liquid mouthwashes containing synthetic active ingredients possess limitations like teeth staining, higher alcoholic content, taste disturbances, xerostomia, and stability issues. Objective: To make the solid preparation for oral hygiene (US6428770B1) in the form of herbal effervescent mouthwash tablet (CN106619318A, US8728446B2) using Azadirachta indica and Curcumin having antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiplaque, and anti-inflammatory activity. Methods: The optimization study of effervescent granules was performed by 33 factorial design. A total of 27 preliminary experimental batches were prepared by the fusion method, varying the amount of citric acid, tartaric acid, and sodium bicarbonate. A complex of curcumin was prepared with hydroxyl propyl β-cyclodextrin and further examined by scanning electron microscopy. The prepared tablets were evaluated for pre and post-compression parameters. The in vitro antimicrobial study was performed by Agar well diffusion method against S. mutans. Results: All the experimental batches of effervescent granules were evaluated for pH, effervescent time, and CO2 content. Six batches were further selected for final tablet preparation. The results of the pre-compression parameters revealed excellent flow properties and post-compression parameters; the results were also significant. The antimicrobial study revealed the F3 as a final best formulation. Conclusion: The developed herbal formulation (F3) has a good potential to maintain oral hygiene as compared to alcoholic mouthwash and further studies may be necessary to confirm the efficacy of the formulation since only a single bacterial strain was assayed.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is now a widely adopted subtractive manufacturing process to shape titanium and its alloys to obtain desired profile and surface integrity. Predicting and optimizing the process behavior is the need of today’s manufacturing paradigm. Many new and better optimization algorithms have came into existence in the recent past to extract best out of any manufacturing processes. In this paper, EDM has been carried out on Ti–6Al–4 V alloy by varying important electrical parameters to estimate the two of the major performances i.e. material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR). Second-order regression equation using statistical analysis has been obtained for both the performances. Single objective optimization has been done using four evolutionary optimization algorithms. All the four algorithms have been compared for their performances in the present research environment.

A novel, simple, precise and accurate method developed for the estimation of Lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in bulk drug form has been established. Lamivudine and tenofovir are well known drugs and used in treatment of HIV- Ⅰ. The method was performed by using C18 column, ODS Hypersil column with UV detection at 262nm by using Acetonitrile and water in ratio 55:45. The retention time was found to be 2.8 and 6.8 min for Lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). The linearity was found in range of 6- 14µg/ml for Lamivudine and 10- 50µg/ml for Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with flow rate 1ml/min. the method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness as per ICH guidelines. This method is suitable for simultaneous analysis for both the nucleoside analog reverse- transcriptase inhibitors

There is relatively little information about root architecture response under various cropping systems. This research concerns the influence of rock phosphate enriched compost and microbial inoculants on root morphology and root colonization through Arbuscular Mychorrhizal fungi under rice crop. In this study, we estimated the root length (RL), root biomass (RB), mychorrizal root infection, crop yield and phosphorus uptake in grain and straw. Root samples were collected after harvesting of crop located at Instructional farm of Bihar. Root parameters including root length (18.14 cm) and dry root biomass (0.93 g) were observed to be significantly higher in the treatments inoculated with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi over control (statistically at par but numerically higher than 100% RDF) because of the hyphal extensions leading to increased reach and surface area of roots in rice crop. Highest uptake of P by the grain and straw of rice (13.78 and 11.03 kgha-1) was recorded with the combined application of chemical fertilizers with rock phosphate enriched compost in the presence of microbial inoculants like PSB and AMF.

A simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous estimation of Rosuvastatin calcium and Losartan potassium in bulk form. Chromatographic conditions included the Column C-18 (Shim-pack) 250 x 4.6 mm, particle size 5 µm , mobile phase acetonitrile, methanol and water pH 3 (orthophosphoric acid) in the ratio 20:25:55 recorded at 233 nm. The retention time were found to be 3.55 and 4.64 min and average percentage recovery 99.42% and 99.63% for Rosuvastatin calcium and Losartan potassium respectively. The proposed method was found to comply with ICH guidelines. Keyword: Rosuvastatin calcium, Losartan potassium, RP-HPLC, accuracy and linearity.

Pore-forming proteins/toxins (PFPs/PFTs) are the distinct class of membrane-damaging proteins. They act by forming oligomeric pores in the plasma membranes. PFTs and PFPs from diverse organisms share a common mechanism of action, in which the designated pore-forming motifs of the membrane-bound protein molecules insert into the membrane lipid bilayer to create the water-filled pores. One common characteristic of these pore-forming motifs is that they are amphipathic in nature. In general, the hydrophobic sidechains of the pore-forming motifs face toward the hydrophobic core of the membranes, while the hydrophilic residues create the lining of the water-filled pore lumen. Interestingly, pore-forming motifs of the distinct subclass of PFPs/PFTs share very little sequence similarity with each other. Therefore, the common guiding principle that governs the sequence-to-structure paradigm in the mechanism of action of these PFPs/PFTs still remains an enigma. In this article, we discuss this notion using the examples of diverse groups of membrane-damaging PFPs/PFTs.

Cortical gamma oscillations are believed to be involved in mental processes which are disturbed in schizophrenia. For example, the magnitudes of sensory-evoked oscillations, as measured by auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) at 40 Hz, are robustly diminished, whereas the baseline gamma power is enhanced in schizophrenia. Such dual gamma oscillation abnormalities are also present in a mouse model of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction (Ppp1r2cre/Grin1 knockout mice). However, it is unclear whether the abnormal gamma oscillations are associated with dysfunction in schizophrenia. We found that glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is overactivated in corticolimbic parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in Grin1 mutant mice. Here we addressed whether GSK3β inhibition reverses both abnormal gamma oscillations and behavioral deficits with high correlation by pharmacological and genetic approach. We demonstrated that the paralog selective-GSK3β inhibitor, but not GSK3α inhibitor, normalizes the diminished ASSRs, excessive baseline gamma power, and deficits in spatial working memory and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle in Grin1 mutant mice. Cell-type specific GSK3B knockdown, but not GSK3A knockdown, also reversed abnormal gamma oscillations and behavioral deficits. Moreover, GSK3B knockdown, but not GSK3A knockdown, reverses the mutants’ in vivo spike synchrony deficits. Finally, ex vivo patch-clamp recording from pairs of neighboring cortical pyramidal neurons showed a reduction of synchronous spontaneous inhibitory-postsynaptic-current events in mutants, which was reversed by GSK3β inhibition genetically and pharmacologically. Together, GSK3β inhibition in corticolimbic interneurons ameliorates the deficits in spatial working memory and PPI, presumably by restoration of synchronous GABA release, synchronous spike firing, and evoked-gamma power increase with lowered baseline power.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) originated from South China, it is sub-tropical evergreen fruit crops, especially grown on the marginal climate of tropics and subtropics. It is delicious juicy fruit of India having excellent nutritional quality, pleasant flavoured, good amount of antioxidant and vitamins C, vitamin B-complex and phytonutrients flavonoids. It has a great potential to earn foreign exchange in the national and international market through export. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) infection is a common association between plant roots and microorganisms. It is responsible for increasing plant nutrient uptake and also increases in macro and micronutrients in leaf. Therefore, the present work has been analyzed macro and micro nutrients from soil and leaf, after 60, 90 and 120 days after inoculation of two bio-inoculants with phosphorus (SSP) including nine treatments with three replications. After 120 days of inoculation both the species of mycorrhizal combination with phosphorus application were very effective. Highest Copper content is (10.99 ppm), Zinc (33.17 ppm), Iron (121.47 ppm) and Manganese (15.33 ppm) was recorded in case T5 (G. mosseae 10 g + Phosphorus 50 mg kg-1 of soil) which is gradually increases. The soil nutrient content gradually decreased with time duration but no- significant difference was found among treatments after 120 days inoculation. After 120 days potting result was found that the Copper content is (1.70 ppm), Zinc (3.07 ppm), Iron (7.80 ppm) and Manganese (4.00 ppm) was recorded in case T5 (G. mosseae 10 g + Phosphorus 50 mg kg-1 of soil).this research was undertaken to find out whether Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) infection and phosphorus affect the micro-nutrient status of soil and leaves in nursery stage.

P is an important primary nutrient for the crop growth as root development, seed quality and energy currency. P use efficiency generally ranges within 15-20%. Commercially available P fertilizers immobilized in soil owing to formation of insoluble mineral complexes with Ca2+ (Tricalcium phosphate), Fe3+ (Strengite) and Al3+ (Variscite) making it unavailable to plants after application. Organic form of P constitutes 20–80% of total soil P and remaining form is in inorganic form (apatite, strengite and varicite). Burkholdaria cariabensis, PSB1: B. cepacia, PSB2; Rock Phosphate (Udaipur): RP1, Rock Phosphate (Purulia): RP2; FYM (dosage) 200 Q/ha and Vermi-Compost (VC):5 t/ha. were applied to the soils. Lowest pH (6.44) was observed at 60 days after incubation in alluvial soil whereas the encountered lowest pH value (4.29) at 60 days incubation period in red soil. Higher pH was dropped in PSB1 treated soil as compared to PSB2 whereas FYM and PSB1 treated soil more decreased in pH over the VC and PSB2. Phosphorus solubilization was resulted lower in case of red soil as compare to alluvial soil, in other hand phosphorus solubilization was increased with lapse of time interval. Udaipur rock phosphate was recorded higher solubilization of phosphorus over the purulia rock phosphate. Coinoculation of PSBs along with RP1 or RP2 was resulted lower in phosphorus solubilization as compared to Coinoculation of PSBs with FYM or VC.

Curcumin is the natural herb that shows effect in the treatment of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and methotrexate is well known anticancer and anti-rheumatoid drug. Literature survey reveals that there was no method available for the selected drug combination. So, here an attempt has been made to develop simple, rapid and economic method for simultaneous estimation of methotrexate and curcumin in bulk drug by using RP-HPLC method. The percentage assay from optimized method was found to be 99.68% and 99.76% for methotrexate and curcumin respectively. The proposed method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness according to ICH guidelines and were found to be within the standard range. Keywords: RP- HPLC, methotrexate, Linearity, anticancer

In the present work, a nanocomposite formed by dispersing vanadium oxide (VxOy) nanoparticles (NPs) in matrix activated charcoal for the purpose of electrode material in a supercapacitor. The synthesis of vanadium oxide (VxOy) has been carried out using cost effective method at room temperature. The starting materials vanadyl sulphate pentahydrate (VOSO4·xH2O) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) have been dissolved to prepare stock solution and have been used to prepare vanadium oxide (VxOy) nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles have a size of approximately 26 nm, which has been determined from synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. The particle size distribution has been controlled through precipitation rate and calcination temperature. The final precipitates have been calcined at 400 °C and 500 °C temperatures to observe effect of temperature on particle size. The obtained nanopowder has been characterized by Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The XPS investigation provides different oxidation state of vanadium metal cations. The layer structure of oxide and different oxidation cations may have effect on charge transfer at interface between electrolyte and electrode. Further, the electrochemical characterization has been carried out to evaluate performance of nanopowder and activated charcoal composite as an electrode material in a supercapacitor. The specific capacitance of the cells containing electrolyte using 1 M H2SO4 and 6 M KOH and activated charcoal–vanadium oxide (VxOy), 1:1 mass ratio and 1:2 mass ratio electrodes in which vanadium oxide (VxOy) is prepared at 500 °C has resulted into better electrochemical performance. The specific capacitance of the supercapacitor cells is stable up to 2000 cycles at 100 mV cm−2, which shows that the device has good electrochemical reversibility and cycle life with 1 M H2SO4 and 6 M KOH electrolyte.

Lubricants are used during the metal cutting process to remove the heat generated during the process and to reduce the Coefficient of friction (CoF). In this paper an attempt was made to synthesize an environment-friendly nano-lubricant using virgin coconut oil as base fluid by separately blending Copper (Cu) and Silver (Ag) nanoparticles in concentrations of 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% on the mass basis. The nanoparticles were blended in coconut oil by the means of ultrasonic shaking to obtain a uniform blend. The dependence of the Coefficient of friction of nanofluids and its performance on the concentration of the nanoparticles is well reported by researchers; therefore the optimal concentration of the nanoparticles was identified by Pin-on-Disk tribological testing. The following tests were conducted on the synthesised nano-lubricant such as Coefficient of friction (Pin-on-disk test), viscosity, flash & fire point and real time turning operation to determine the cutting force, and operating temperature. From the wear test results, it was inferred that copper added coconut nanofluids exhibited lower Coefficient of friction as compared to silver added coconut nanofluids. Further, it was identified that the lowest Coefficient of friction in the range was exhibited by copper added coconut nanofluids of 0.25% concentration. When these nanolubricants were tested in a real time turning operation using lathe tool dynamometer, it was found that 0.25% concentration of copper added coconut nanolubricant exhibited minimum cutting force and operating temperature indicating minimum coefficient of friction. Keywords: Nanolubricants, Cutting fluid, Cutting force, Cutting temperature, Coefficient of friction

Celiac disease (CD) is a systemic disorder characterized by immune-mediated enteropathy caused by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. CD is now established as a global disease with a worldwide prevalence of ~ 1%, however, population-based prevalence data is lacking from several countries. The population-based data suggest that both the prevalence and the incidence of CD has increased over past 2–3 decades, which is attributable not only to an increase in the rate of diagnosis of CD but also due to environmental and dietary factors. Despite an increase in the awareness about high prevalence of CD and its myriad of clinical presentation, the majority of patients with CD remain undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or experience a significant delay in the diagnosis.

With the advancement in green nanotechnology, considerable attention is being given to the synthesis of different kinds of nanomaterials for biological applications. In this study, zinc oxide nanocomposites (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using Punica granatum L. (Pomegranate) pericarp ethanolic extract (PE) by the chemical precipitation method. The prepared ZnO NPs showed a characteristic peak at 270 nm in the UV-Vis spectrophotometer and chemical bond stretching in the Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra, indicated the formation of PE-functionalized zinc oxide nanocomposite (PE-ZnO NPs). The SEM results showed agglomerated PE-ZnO NPs of a spherical shape with an average size of 80-100 nm. Moreover, biological assessment of the PE-ZnO NPs revealed significant scavenging activity in DPPH (116.5%) and ABTS·+ (95.2%) radical assay methods, and substantial antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, PE-ZnO NPs showed about 96.3% of cell viability for human HaCaT cells at the maximum concentration (100 µg/mL), marked as a reliable bioactive agent. Therefore, the developed PE-ZnO NPs were elucidated with substantial ROS scavenger and non-antibiotic antibacterial agent and hence, can be applied in respective biological applications.

We investigated the effect of co-inoculation of Rhizobium with Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) in green gram under pot experiment in alluvial soil during Zaid season of 2015-16. Five treatments along with one un-inoculated control treatment were examined with three replications under Completely Randomized Block Deign experiment. It have been concluded from the study that the seed inoculated with Rhizobium sp.@20 g kg-1 seed + PSB @20 g kg-1 seed + 75 % RDF significantly increased nodule number by 79.13% and 33.41 % over un-inoculated control treatment and application of PSB alone + 100% RDF. The similar results were also found for shoot dry weight for the rest four treatments by 40.02%, 22.04%, 12.88% and 13.0% when compared to control one. As evident from the results, the co-inoculation of Rhizobium sp. and PSB also increased the soil microbial biomass carbon than that of absolute control.

Mammary gland tumour has the highest incidence rate and mortality in women, worldwide. The present study envisaged a molecularly targeted nanostructured lipid carrier (NLCs) for doxorubicin (Dox) delivery capable of inducing cellular apoptosis in mammary gland tumour. NLCs were prepared utilizing

We investigated the effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (AM) fungi and various phosphorus (P) levels on the distribution and availability of P in dominant soils of Bihar, India. Potassium chloride (KC...

Acetate is a short chain fatty acid, comprising carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C2H3O2−), which has emerged as a key alternative fuel for cellular metabolism. Beginning its voyage from the abiotic atmosphere, acetate has contributed to the physiology of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The main role of acetate includes its contribution to the global carbon cycle, bioenergetic and biosynthetic metabolic processes. Based on the ability to produce and consume acetate, organisms are categorized as acetogenic, acetate-consumers or both depending on their genetic make-up of the metabolizing enzymes' repertoire. The key molecules implicated in utilization and production of acetate include, but not limited to, monocarboxylate transporters, enzymes regulating acetate utilization like AMP-forming Acetyl CoA synthetase (ACS-AMP), Acyl-CoA short chain synthetase 1, 2 (ACSS1, 2), and production like Acetate kinase (ACK)/Phosphotransacetylase (PTA), ADP-forming acetyl CoA synthetase (ACS-ADP), Pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, histone deacetylase and acetyl CoA hydrolase. These enzymes are utilized by the acetate homeostasis machinery in a variable manner. As malignant cells also display highly upregulated metabolic processes for rapid energy generation, they display an immense need for alternative carbon sources to fuel their metabolism. Tumor cells display over expression of transporters and enzymes implicated in their acetate utility machinery. This review also highlights mechanisms of the pro and antitumor potential of acetate depending on the genetic and metabolic makeup of neoplastic cells. The present review is a comprehensive compilation of the available literature with respect to the role of acetate in the biology of living organisms and its potential for being maneuvered in anticancer therapeutics.

The objective of the present study was to isolate and characterize most efficient phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from rice rhizosphere. The study was carried out during the Kharif season’2018 at Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar. The availability of phosphorous to plants for uptake and utilization is limited in soil due to fixation in the form of Fe-P, Al-P and Ca-P. The use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria can prove to be helpful measure to supply phosphorous to the crops to increase the productivity. In the present investigation, a total of 10 isolates were obtained from rice rhizosphere soil samples. All ten isolated isolates were shown phosphorus solubilization. Out of ten isolates BAU3 was found to be most potent phosphate solubilizers showing clear halo zone around its colony. The isolate BAU3 showed 20.00 mm phosphate solubilizing halo zone around its colony. The solubilization index (SI) of the isolate BAU3 was also calculated at the end of the incubation period and observed phosphate solubilization index (SI) of 3.22. The isolate BAU3 showed maximum insoluble phosphate solubilization of 450.24 ?g ml-1 and isolates BAU3 was selected for subsequent studies. The bacterial isolates BAU3 was gram negative, non-spore forming rods shaped. On the basis of the 16SrDNA sequencing, isolate BAU3 was identified as Enterobacter cloacae strain BAU3 (Genebank Accession No. MK033472). The isolated strain of bacterial has potential to solubilize insoluble phosphorus and it can be utilized for preparation of microbial inoculants or biofertilizers.

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs are associated with high (>95%) sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. There is a paucity of data regarding the characteristics and re-treatment outcomes of DAA treatment failure patients. In a retrospective analysis of the prospectively collected database, we assessed the outcomes of re-treatment among patients with previous DAA failure. Patients' characteristics, viral characteristics, including resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) in a subgroup of patients, SVR12, and clinical outcomes were studied. Of 40 patients with DAA failure, among whom 36 were retreated, mean age was 45.7 years, 63.9% (n = 23) were male, 63.9% (n = 23) had a genotype-3 infection and 63.9% (n = 23) were cirrhotic. The re-treatment regimens included a combination of pan-genotypic DAA, mainly sofosbuvir and velpatasvir with or without ribavirin. Three patients who declined retreatment and one who was still on treatment was excluded. For patients who completed re-treatment, SVR12 was 100% irrespective of genotypes. SVR12 among genotype 3 was 75% (15 of 20) when lost to follow-up was considered a treatment failure. Six patients died due to liver-related causes, including five (83.3%) with hepatocellular carcinoma. RAS analysis in 17 randomly selected patients did not reveal any dominant substitutions in NS5A or NS5B region affecting SVR12, though several novel mutations were observed. In conclusion, re-treatment of CHC patients with prior DAA failure using pan-genotypic DAA is associated with high SVR12 rates irrespective of genotype or the presence of RAS.

Methyl jasmonate (MJ) displays antineoplastic potential against numerous neoplastic cells. However, several mechanistic aspects of its antineoplastic action against malignancies of T cell origin remain elusive. The present investigation reports the novel targets of MJ and mechanistic pathways of MJ-mediated antineoplastic and chemosensitizing action against tumor cells derived from murine T-cell lymphoma, designated as Dalton’s lymphoma (DL). The present study demonstrates that MJ directly docks to HIF-1α, hexokinase 2, and Hsp70 at prominent binding sites. MJ exhibits tumoricidal action against tumor cells via induction of apoptosis and necrosis through multiple pathways, including declined mitochondrial membrane potential, enhanced expression of ROS, altered pH homeostasis, an elevated level of cytosolic cytochrome c, and modulated expression of crucial cell survival and metabolism regulatory molecules. Additionally, this study also reports the chemosensitizing ability of MJ against T cell lymphoma accompanied by a declined expression of MDR1. This study sheds new light by demonstrating the implication of novel molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor action of MJ against T-cell lymphoma and hence has immense translational significance.

Methyl jasmonate (MJ), a natural oxylipin, possesses a broad spectrum of antineoplastic potential in vitro. However, its tumor growth impeding and chemo-potentiating action has not been adequately investigated in vivo. Using a murine thymus-derived tumor named Dalton’s Lymphoma (DL), in the present study, we examined if intra-tumoral administration of MJ can cause tumor growth impedance. We also explored the associated molecular mechanisms governing cell survival, carbohydrate & lipid metabolism, chemo-potentiation, and angiogenesis. MJ administration to tumor-transplanted mice caused deceleration of tumor growth accompanying prolonged survival of the tumor-bearing mice. MJ-dependent tumor growth retardation was associated with the declined blood supply in tumor milieu, cell cycle arrest, augmented induction of apoptosis and necrosis, deregulated glucose and lipid metabolism, enhanced membrane fragility of tumor cells, and altered cytokine repertoire in the tumor microenvironment. MJ administration modulated molecular network implicating Hsp70, Bcl-2, TERT, p53, Cyt c, BAX, GLUT-1, HK 2, LDH A, PDK-1, HIF-1α, ROS, MCT-1, FASN, ACSS2, SREBP1c, VEGF, cytokine repertoire, and MDR1, involved in the regulation of cell survival, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, pH homeostasis, and drug resistance. Thus, the present study unveils novel molecular mechanisms of the tumor growth decelerating action of MJ. Besides, this preclinical study also establishes the adjunct therapeutic potential of MJ. Hence, the present investigation will help to design novel anti-cancer therapeutic regimens for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

The present investigation was carried out to test the efficacy of Chlorophytum borivilianum (CB) supplementation on milk production, composition, and fatty acid profile in crossbred (KF) cows. Eighteen crossbred cows were selected randomly from the institute herd and divided as control (n = 6), treatment 1 (T1, n = 6) and treatment 2 (T2, n = 6) based on body weight (av. 410.45, 424.47, 414.45 kg) and milk yield (av. 15.17, 15.80, 15.95 kg/d), respectively. The CB was supplemented at low dose at a dose rate of 40 mg/kg BW/day (T1) and high dose at a dose rate of 80 mg/kg BW/day (T2) during hot-humid (HH) season. The parameters like milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), and body weight were recorded and milk composition viz., milk fat, solid not fat (SNF), protein, and fatty acid profile, somatic cell count (SCC), and plasminogen were estimated. Temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated to assess the level of heat stress on animals during hot-humid (HH) season. Body weight of crossbred cows did not vary between the groups during HH season. C. borivilianum supplementation in higher dose (80 mg/kg BW/day) increased DMI (per 100 kg BW) (p < 0.01) in T2 group KF cows in comparison to T1 and control group. The supplementation of CB in high dose increased milk yield, milk fat, protein, plasminogen and decreased SCC in comparison to low dose and control. Further, ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids (SFAs:UFAs) was significantly reduced (p < 0.01) due to CB supplementation at higher dose in comparison to lower dose. It was concluded that supplementation of C. borivilianum at a dose rate of 80 mg/kg BW/day was found effective to augment milk production. The reduced saturated fatty acid, milk SCC, and the increase in unsaturated fatty acid content of milk, milk plasminogen suggest that its supplementation could be used in improving the mammary health and quality of milk production in dairy animals.

Eighteen crossbred Karan Fries (KF) cows in mid-lactation (av. 130 days) were selected from the livestock herd of the institute. The treatment for the experimental cows was as follows: no supplement (control), a low dose of Chlorophytum borivilianum (CB) at a dose rate of 40 mg/kg BW/day (T1, n = 6), and a high dose of CB at a dose rate of 80 mg/kg BW/day (T2, n = 6) for a period of 90 days in hot-humid season. Physiological responses like respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR), and rectal temperature (RT) were recorded in the morning (8.00 A.M.) and afternoon (2.30 P.M.) at weekly intervals. The expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in PBMCs, the plasma level of antioxidants (SOD, catalase, TBARS, and TAC), hormones (cortisol, prolactin), and energy metabolites (glucose, NEFA, urea, and creatinine) were determined. Dry and wet bulb temperatures and minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded, and the THI was calculated. The values of PR and RT were decreased (p

In this work, the activated charcoal dispersed with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) electrode materials was proposed as electrode material for supercapacitor that is used as energy storage device. The CuO NPs were synthesized at room temperature using co-precipitation method and the nanocomposite was with activated charcoal (AC) powder for its application in an electrochemical supercapacitor. Synthesis of CuO nanoparticles was carried out at various temperatures. The optimized temperature for synthesis is 600 °C that resulted in better performance of electrode materials. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction confirms the monoclinic structure. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests the +2 oxidation state of copper. Electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite electrodes and fabricated supercapacitor cells were characterized using a.c. impedance, cyclic voltammetry, and charge–discharge techniques by using 1 M H2SO4 and 6 M KOH as electrolytes. The optimized composition is 1:1 (mass ratio) of CuO and AC. The specific capacitance of the supercapacitor cells is stable up to 2000 cycles at 100 mV cm−2, which shows that the device has good electrochemical reversibility and cycle life with 6 M KOH and 1 M H2SO4 electrolytes.

Irrigation water contaminated with arsenic acts as a potent source of contamination to humans through water-soil-crop-food transfer so quantification of safe limit for irrigation water is also critical. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the safe limit for As contaminated irrigation water with two soil types (alluvial and red) using ten levels of contaminated irrigation water (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.0, 2.25 mg L−1), applied 5 times in rice (Variety: Sushak Samrat),used as a test crop. The results reveal that the different fractions of arsenic in terms of its profusion followed the order F4 > F2 > F5 > F3 > F1 and F4 > F3 > F2 > F5 > F1 across all the doses of As for alluvial soil and red soil respectively. The safe limit of irrigation water in terms of risk assessment expressed as Hazard Quotient (HQ) was at 0.75 mg L−1 and the solubility FIAM can effectively predict the As content in rice grain in both the soils. The Tobit Regression Model in alluvial soil quantified the safe limit for As in irrigation water from 1.20 to 0.10 mg L−1 for available soil As 0.25–3.0 mg kg−1 and in red soil, the range was from 0.10 to 0.40 mg L−1 for soil As 1.0 to 0.25 mg kg−1 provided that the As content in rice grain is

Mineral nutrients play a significant role in plant growth and development. However, a large number of elements are required for the growth of plants. Visual deficiency symptoms are generally characteristic enough to permit easy identification of the deficiency of a nutrient, as these appear on particular plant parts at specific growth stage(s). Micronutrients play many complex roles in plant nutrition. While most of the micronutrients participate in the functioning of a number of enzyme systems, there is considerable variation in the specific functions of the various micronutrients in plant and microbial growth processes. For example, copper, iron, and molybdenum are capable of acting as electron carriers in the enzyme systems that bring about oxidation reduction reactions in plants. Vegetable crops are generally sensitive to high zinc levels, while grasses usually tolerate high levels of available soil zinc. Nutrients can be absorbed through plant leaves.

Phytic acid (PA) has momentous chemotherapeutic potential. Due to the chelate formation and rapid elimination, it is not popular in cancer treatment. The present work was inquested to develop a surface-modified nanoformulation of PA which prevents its speedy elimination and maximizes chemotherapeutic action. Chloroauric acid was reduced with pectin to produce pectin-gold nanoparticles (PGNPs). PGNPs were incubated with PA and jacalin for drug loading and surface modifications, respectively, to form PA-loaded jacalin-pectin-gold nanoparticles (PA-J-PGNPs). Formulation(s) were assessed for various pharmaceutical/pharmacological parameters. To validate the efficacy against colon carcinogenesis, formulation(s) were assessed in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated Wistar rats. DMH treatment distorted colonic architecture, oxidative, and hemodynamic parameters, which were favorably restored by PA-J-PGNP administration. To further confirm our deliberations, formulation(s) were also examined against DMH-altered metabolic changes and expression of markers pertaining to cellular proliferation, which was reinstated by PA-J-PGNPs. Our findings establish PA formulation(s) as a promising approach for suppression of colon carcinogenesis.

A field experiment was conducted at Research farm of Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour (longitude 87o2’42”East and latitude 25o15?40? North at an altitude of 46 meters above mean sea level) with Katarni rice cv Bhagalpur Katarni during kharif season of 2017. The experiment with ten treatments was laid out in Randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Results revealed that among all the applied organic treatments the maximum microbial population viz., Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Fungi, Azospirillum, PSB and KSB (71.66, 27.33, 57.66, 43.66, 63.00 and 47.66 cfu × 105 g-1 oven dry soil) were recorded with the application of treatment T5 {(75 % N (FYM) basal + 25 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT + Azospirillum @ 5 kg ha-1 + PSB @ 5 kg ha-1 + KSB @ 5 kg ha-1)} at panicle initiation stage and similar trend were obtained at harvesting stage. Application of the same treatment significantly increased dehydrogenase activity by 81.62%, 10.80%, 24.86%, 15.66%, 17.83% and 18.91% when compared with application of T1 (RDF), T3 {(100 % N FYM) as basal)}, T7 {(100 % N (GM)}, T8 {(50 % N (GM) + 50 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT)}, T9 {(75 % N (GM) + 25 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT + Azospirillum @ 5 kg ha-1 + PSB @ 5 kg ha-1 + KSB @ 5 kg ha-1)} and T10 {(75 % N (GM) + 25 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT + Panchagavya on foliar application )}, respectively. Among all organic treatments the maximum grain yield of paddy (27.39 q ha-1) was recorded in treatment T5 {(75 % N (FYM) basal + 25 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT + Azospirillum @ 5 kg ha-1 + PSB @ 5 kg ha-1 + KSB @ 5 kg ha-1)}. Among all the organic inputs and microbial inoculants, the combined application of 75 % N (FYM) basal + 25 % N (V/C) at 25 DAT + Azospirillum @ 5 kg ha-1 + PSB @ 5 kg ha-1 + KSB @ 5 kg ha-1 was found to be effective in modifying the soil microbial population and microbial community structure and grain yield of scented rice.

In this paper, the effects of annealing temperature on HfO2 thin films prepared by RF sputtering have been investigated. Thin films of hafnium oxide were deposited using sputtering onto p-type Si substrates and the pristine films were annealed at different temperatures in air atmosphere to obtain crystallinity. The Raman and XRD results of the as-deposited films show amorphous nature, whereas the annealed films at 600 °C results in crystallization. AFM was used to study the surface morphology of the films and to estimate the skewness, kurtosis and the roughness values. The core level orbitals of Hf 4f spectra of as-deposited films not only reveal the formation of hafnium rich hafnium oxide but also nearly stoichiometric composition of HfO2 and exhibit a shift in binding energy with annealing. Electrical measurements of the films suggest that the leakage current is increased for crystalline films as compared to the as-deposited ones. The effects of annealing temperature on quality and stoichiometry of hafnia thin films and their possible applications are reported.

In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized at room temperature using co-precipitation method for the use as an electrode material by forming a composite with activated charcoal (AC) powder for its application in electrochemical supercapacitor. For synthesizing of ZnO nanoparticles, dry zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) have been used as the initial precursors. The obtained ZnO nanopowder has been calcined at 400, 500 and 600 °C for 2 h. The nanoparticles have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The nanocomposite has also been investigated by synchrotron radiation-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPES). Supercapacitor cells (symmetrical) have been fabricated by making use of different composition of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle-activated carbon (AC). Electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite electrodes and fabricated supercapacitor cells have been characterized using a.c. impedance, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge–discharge (CD) techniques by using 6 M KOH and 1 M NaOH as the electrolytes. The optimized composition is 1:1 (mass ratio) of ZnO and activated charcoal, and 600 °C for 2 h is an optimized temperature for synthesis of nanoparticles. The specific capacitance of the supercapacitor cells is stable up to 2000 cycles at 100 mV cm−2, which show that the device has good electrochemical reversibility and cycle life with 6 M KOH and 1 M NaOH electrolyte.

The oral bioavailability of felodipine (FEL) is very low, i.e., about 15%. This could be due to low water solubility and hepatic first-pass effect. The objective of the present study was to develop FEL microemulsion-based gel, to bypass the first pass effect, for buccal delivery. The optimized FEL microemulsion (OPT-MEF) was used to prepare buccoadhesive gels, with varying concentrations of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) E4M and polycarbophil (PCP), and evaluated. The cross-linking of the PCP gelling agent was done by adjusting the pH with a neutralizing agent, triethanolamine (TEA). The formulations, namely drug suspension, OPT-MEF, microemulsion-based buccal gel containing 1% w/v (MEF-E4M1), 2% w/v (MEF-E4M2), and 3% w/v (MEF-E4M3) of HPMC K4M and 1% w/v (MEF-PCP1), 2% w/v (MEF-PCP2), and 3% w/v (MEF-PCP3) of PCP were prepared and optimized on the basis of ex vivo permeation study, mucoadhesion force, and viscosity. The optimized buccal gel (MEF-PCP1) showed significantly higher (p

Background and Aim: Probiotics are the living microorganism which when administered improves the digestion and health of the animal. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) improves the humoral and innate immunity of the animal. Prilled fat is a hydrogenated palm oil triglyceride which has been reported to promote the release of cytokines from macrophages. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of probiotic and prilled fat during transition stage in Karan Fries (KF) cows. Materials and Methods: A total of 12 KF cows at 21 days prepartum were selected and divided into two groups of six animals each. The control group was fed as per the standard feeding practices and the supplemented group cows were supplemented daily with prilled fat at 100 g/cow, SC at 25 g/cow, and sweetener at 1 g/cow in addition to the standard feeding practices from -30 days of prepartum to 21 days of lactation. The sweetener was added to improve the palatability of the feed. The natural sweetener of an African plant leave had 105 times more sweetness than glucose with good aroma. The dry matter intake of the animal was recorded. Plasma samples were collected weekly from all cows for the analysis of blood metabolite beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA). Lymphocytes were isolated from the blood for studying the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and for estimating lymphocyte proliferation index (LPI). Results: The upregulated IL-1β and TNF-α around calving might be possibly associated to the metabolic changes occurring during the transition period and suggest a higher degree of inflammation around parturition. High concentrations of BHBA caused increased expression and synthesis of the pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β in supplemented group in primary calf hepatocytes. The LPI was higher in supplemented group as compared to control which suggests a stimulatory effect of unsaturated fatty acids on mitogen-stimulated T-cell proliferation. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of probiotics, prilled fat, and sweetener alleviated negative energy balance by stimulating feed intake and modulating hepatic lipid metabolism; and both of these additives improved the postpartum health (antioxidant status and immune function) of transition dairy cows.

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized at room temperature by co-precipitation method. It has been used as an electrode material by making composite with activated charcoal (AC) powder for its application in energy storage devices such as a supercapacitor. For synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles, zinc nitrate hexahydrate {Zn(NO3)2} and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) have been used as an initial precursor. The ZnO nanopowder obtained by using co-precipitation has been calcined at 400, 500, and 600 °C for 2 h. The nanoparticles have been characterized using Synchrotron radiation based angle dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Supercapacitor cells have been fabricated by using of zinc oxide nanoparticles-activated carbon (AC) nanocomposite electrode in different composition (weight ratios) from 1:1 to 1:2. Electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite electrodes and fabricated supercapacitor cells have been characterized using a.c. impedance, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge discharge (CD) techniques by using 6 M KOH and 1 M NaOH as an electrolyte. The ZnO–activated carbon nanocomposite electrode with 6 M KOH showed a maximum capacitance of 479.6 mF cm−2, which is equivalent to single electrode specific capacitance of 342.6 F g−1. Similarly, the ZnO–activated carbon nanocomposite electrode with 1 M NaOH showed a maximum capacitance of 456.5 mF cm−2, which is equivalent to single electrode specific capacitance of 326.1 F g−1. The electrochemical behavior of the neat ZnO nanoparticles has also been studied. The specific capacitance of the supercapacitor is stable up to 2000 cycles at 100 mV cm−2, which shows that the device has good life cycle and electrochemical reversibility with 6 M KOH and 1 M NaOH electrolyte.