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Endophytic fungi have been in the spotlight as a reservoir of novel agents with diverse bioactivities. Similarity in chemical diversity with the host plant makes them an amenable target for industrial interventions. A wide range of compounds as secondary metabolites and enzymes are manufactured inside the endophytic fungal factory. However, utilization of endophytic fungi as industrially imperative enzyme producers has been a scarce event. The present study was conducted to bio-prospect the fungal endophytes present in the high altitude medicinal plants of Uttarakhand, as industrially imperative enzyme producers. A total of 58 different endophytic isolates were obtained from Pinus sabiniana, Cinnamomum tamala, Cinnamomum verum, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Rhododendron arboreum. Endophytic fungal colonization was highest, 31%, in Pinus sabiniana. The pure isolates were further explored for the production of amylases, cellulases, proteases and L-asparaginase. Out of 58 isolates, 40 isolates exhibited potent enzyme productivity. #7PSSTB isolate was considered as a superlative contender on account of its relatively higher production of all the three enzymes viz. amylases, cellulases, proteases. Partial purification of #7PSSTB extract showed compelling enzymatic activity corroborating the existence of exogenous enzyme in the extract. Interestingly, #9 RASTB, #11 RASTB and #17 RASTB exhibited the production of therapeutically imperative L-asparaginase enzyme. The present study puts the spotlight on endophytic diversity in the high altitude medicinal plants as a source of enzymes of industrial interest. Production of L-asparaginase paves the way of pharmaceutical intervention to explore anti-oncogenic effects in the endophytic fungal repository of high altitude regions.

Fog causes enhancement of bacterial loading in the atmosphere. Current study represents the impact of occurrences of fog on the alteration of diversity of airborne bacteria and their network computed from metagenomic data of airborne samples collected at Arthauli (25.95°N, 85.10°E) situated at central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during 1–14 January 2021. A distinct bacterial diversity with a complex network is identified in foggy condition due to the enrichment of unique types of bacteria. Present investigation highlights a statistically significant enrichment of airborne pathogenic bacteria found in a unique ecosystem within air evolved due to the occurrences of fog over central IGP. In the foggy network, Cutibacterium, an opportunistic pathogen, is identified to be interacting maximum (21 edges) with other bacteria with statistically significant copresence relation, which are responsible for various infections for human beings. A 40–60% increase (p

Abstract Fog preserves information about air pollution by pausing air movement and capturing chemical compositions of pollutants into fog droplets. The current study presents a chemical analysis of fog water collected in January 2021 at a rural site, Arthauli, located over the central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in India. Fog water collected on 11 foggy days during 1st to 21st January 2021, were analyzed for anions (SO42−, Cl−, NO2−, NO3−), and cations (NH4+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) using Ion Chromatography. pH of fog water ranged from 6.4 to 6.8 (Mean = 6.6 ± 0.1), depicting its alkaline nature. Total ionic composition (TIC) comprised majorly of NH4+ (35%), followed SO42− (23%), Ca2+ (15%), Cl− (10%), NO3− (8%), Mg2+ (3%), and Na+, K+, NO2− (2% each). Back-trajectories analysis indicated air movement from western IGP passing over major urban areas before reaching the sampling site. NH4+ had the highest neutralizing factor in fog samples (1.13), followed by Ca2+ (0.48) and Mg2+ (0.07). Analyses from enrichment factors, correlation coefficients, and principal components suggest that NH4+, NO3−, NO2−, SO42−, and Cl− were from anthropogenic sources like agricultural activities, factories, vehicular emissions, brick kilns, thermal plants, fossil fuels combustion, and, biomass burning, while Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+ were from the crustal source from agricultural fields.