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The aim of this work was to study the pyocyanin pigment from Pseudomonas aeruginosa DN9. The work involves optimization of process parameters for enhanced production of pyocyanin pigment under submerged fermentation condition. During optimization process, maximum pyocyanin production (92.12 µg/ml) was obtained with carbon source mannitole, nitrogen source peptone, inorganic salt NaCl and metal ion FeSO4. Plackett Burman design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) showed peptone, NaCl and KH2PO4 are significant variable in the production of pyocyanin pigment. The FTIR and GC–MS study was done to evaluate structural properties of pyocyanin pigment. The purified pigment was further analyzed as colouring agent and for inhibitory action against pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, present study showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa DN9 as promising culture for pigment production with potential biotechnological application.

Native sodium caseinate-vitamin A (VA) complexes (Sodium caseinate-VA complex, NaCaS-VA) and modified sodium caseinate-VA complexes i.e. Succinylated sodium caseinate-VA complex (SNaCaS-VA), reassembled sodium caseinate-VA complex (RNaCaS-VA) and reassembled succinylated sodium caseinate-VA complex (RSNaCaS-VA) were prepared and evaluated for their in-vitro bioaccessibility and in-vitro bioavailability of VA through Caco-2 cell lines.VA degraded under acidic conditions as the physiological pH during digestion in stomach was highly acidic (1.2-1.8). During in-vitro gastric digestion, sodium caseinate provided protection to VA, hence, higher VA content was retained in digesta as compared to free VA (oily form). Vitamin uptake by Caco-2 cells was significantly different for digested sodium caseinate-VA complexes as compared to free VA. The peptide content of casein and various sodium caseinate-VA complexes was monitored throughout digestion process. Variation in the complex composition had an effect on protein digestibility and peptide distribution. The bioavailability of VA through sodium caseinate-VA complexes was evaluated by exposing Caco-2 cells to the digesta of milk fortified with various complexes. The total uptake of VA by Caco-2 cells was highest for milk fortified with RSNaCaS-VA followed by RNaCaS-VA, control milk, SNaCaS-VA, NaCaS-VA and free VA. During the formation of RNaCaS-VA and RSNaCaS-VA complexes more hydrophobic sites are exposed, leading to the attachment of VA on the interior hydrophobic regions of sodium caseinate molecule. This led to higher stability of VA during gastrointestinal digestion and further resulted in higher bioaccessibility and bioavailability of vitamin A in Caco-2 cells.

Chemical instability of vitamin A (VA) against acidic pH is the major cause for its low bioavailability. Hence, to improve VA bioavailability, native and modified sodium caseinate were used as delivery system and evaluated for VA bioavailability through in-vivo trials. Effect of VA supplementation through native and modified sodium caseinate-VA complex fortified milks over 4 weeks was monitored in rats. The important VA bioavailability indicators i.e., body weight gain, serum and liver retinol levels, haematological parameters, apparent digestibility coefficient and % retention were investigated. Body weight gain, apparent digestibility coefficient and % retention improved significantly on VA supplementation through milk protein-VAcomplexes. Serum and liver retinol levels were highest in RNaCas followed by NaCas, SNaCas, RSNaCas and free VA fed groups. During the formation of RNaCas and RSNaCas, hydrophobic sites, buried in deep were exposed leading to binding of VA on interior hydrophobic regions of sodium caseinate molecule. Binding of VA with hydrophobic amino acid groups provided protection and stability to VA which may decrease exposure of VA to acidic pH due to its binding on the antioxidative bioactive peptides generated during gastric digestion. Thus, higher stability improved the in-vivo bioavailability of VA.

Background: In Indian Medicine System, Arhar honey is believed as one of the valuable medicinal foods. Honey is being used since ancient times owing to its functional properties and nutritive value. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the effect of honey supplementation on fasting blood glucose (FBG) level and lipid profile of the subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and healthy subjects. Methods: The selection of subjects was done through oral glucose tolerance test (World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization, 1998). On the basis of blood glucose level, 28 subjects were selected by purposive random sampling and were divided into two groups. Group I included normal healthy subjects having FBG in the range of 70–100 mg/dl (n = 14), and Group II was comprised of subjects having FBG level between 100 and 125 mg/dl falling in the category of IGT (n = 14). 70 g honey was administered to subjects in both the groups on an empty stomach for 60 days and its effect on body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, FBG, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and lipid profile was observed. Results: Honey administration lowered blood glucose levels and lipid levels in subjects with IGT and normal healthy subjects. Other benefits of honey administration include an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and a reduction in BMI. Conclusion: Consumption of honey has shown a reduction in body weight, BMI, FBG, HbA1c, and improvement in lipid profile in IGT subjects.

Honey is the sweet and viscous product, produced by the honeybee from the nectar of plants. Honey is composed mainly of carbohydrates, lesser amounts of water and a great number of minor components. Sugars are the main constituents of honey, most important sugars are the monosaccharides hexoses, fructose and glucose, which are products of the hydrolysis of the disaccharide sucrose. Honey is considered a valuable medicinal food in Indian system of medicine and is found to be useful in management of diabetes. Honey is a powerful antioxidant and used in the day to day life as natural sweetener. The study was conducted to determine the glycemic index (GI) of products made with different natural sweeteners. Normal healthy subjects (n=9) and impaired glucose tolerant (IGT) subjects (n=9) were included in the study. Blood glucose curves at 0, 30, 60, 90 & 120 minutes indicated significant difference in incremental area under the curve (IAUC) of glucose and nutribar made with different sweeteners in subjects with IGT as well as in normal healthy subjects. The mean IAUC of nutribar was significantly lower (p=

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Diabetic dyslipidemia is characterized by increases low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, and elevated triglyceride (TG) levels. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to correlate the lipid profile with age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 76 T2DM patients were studied at Diabetes, Obesity, and Thyroid Center, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, between May 2016 and May 2017. After detailed demographic details including age, sex, weight, height, and BMI, total cholesterol (TC), TG, LDL-C, very LDL-C (VLDL-C), and HDL-C were estimated for all the patients. Results: The mean age of diabetes patients was 54.80 ± 11.07 years. The mean duration of diabetes was 5.38 ± 4.90 years. Lipid profile of T2DM patients was similar across the different age and BMI groups (P > 0.05). Except HDL-C (P 0.05). TC, TG, LDL‑C, and VLDL-C were showed positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose and postprandial glucose, whereas HDL-C showed negative correlation (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and VLDL-C level between different age and BMI groups. We found a significantly lower HDL-C level among the male population.

We have employed a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) based rat androgen receptor expression system to examine the cross-talk between different signalling pathways. We report here the synergistic modulation of androgen regulated transcriptional activation of beta-galactosidase reporter activity by the activators of protein kinase-A, like forskolin and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP. A similar ligand-dependent enhancement of reporter activity compared to a DHT treated control has been noticed with okadaic acid, which is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatase. The activation could be blocked by protein kinase-A/C inhibitor, H7. Forskolin treatment neither altered levels of receptor mRNA nor [3H]R1881 binding to the receptor. Although it promotes binding of receptor to an androgen response element, forskolin was unable to activate subsequent interaction with the transcription machinery in the absence of androgen. Additionally, the synergistic actions of these activators were independent of the degree of androgen response element occupancy. Anti-androgens, cyproterone acetate and flutamide, which failed to exhibit antagonistic behaviour with yeast expressed receptor, were able to antagonize only the forskolin mediated augmentation of reporter activity. Finally, analyses of mutants established the role of DNA and steroid binding domains of receptor for this synergism.

The E. coli lacZ has been utilized as a reporter to evaluate ligand-mediated activation of the rat androgen receptor (AR) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YCR1. beta-galactosidase activity was androgen-specific and was found to be inducible approximately 260-fold by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone and R1881. None of the antiandrogens tested was able to antagonize the DHT-dependent induction of beta-galactosidase activity. In the gel retardation assay, exposure of the receptor to DHT in vitro led to the formation of a protein-DNA complex that was not detected in yeast extracts unexposed to hormone. However, activation of AR by a steroidal (cyproterone acetate) and a non-steroidal antiandrogen (flutamide) either alone or in combination with DHT also results in a similar migration pattern. Additionally, LEM1, the ABC transporter that selectively modulates the biological potency of steroids in yeast, although operative in YCR1, was not responsible for antiandrogen resistance. These results thus indicate the involvement of other non-receptor factor(s) in mediating the effect of antiandrogens in yeast.

Honey is the sweetening agent known to the early man, and naturally found its way into traditions, rituals, cus- toms and food of Indian households. It is the most complete natural food and ensures to get the daily dose of essential nutrients. Sugar (primarily sucrose) has been a part of the daily diet for literally hundreds of years, but research is now suggesting excessive consumption of simple sugars with high glycemic index (GI) values have been shown to cause overeating and weight gain. The study was undertaken to determine acceptability, glycemic response (GR) and GI of honey incorporated traditional sweet preparation ladoo. It was observed that there was a significant reduction (p

A wild type strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155 was serially adapted to 64 fold of minimal inhibitory concentration of an antimycobacterial agent, ciprofloxacin. This clone (CIP r ) exhibited cross resistance to ofloxacin and ethidium bromide. The rate of drug efflux was accelerated in CIP r compared to the wild type strain. Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, enhanced the drug accumulation in CIP r by diminishing the efflux and thus reversed the resistant phenotype. Additionally, a missense mutation was detected in the quinolone resistance determining region of the DNA-gyrase A subunit of CIP r . Taken together, these results suggest that drug efflux plays a major role in conferring such a high level of resistance in CIP r , in addition to the mutation in the DNA-gyrase locus.