Search

This paper analyzes the impact of second wave of COVID-19 lockdown on environmental noise levels of 25 sites in Delhi city and compares the noise scenario during pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown periods. The study utilized the noise monitoring data acquired from 25 real-time ambient noise monitoring stations, installed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi, at various sites throughout Delhi city. A significant reduction of up to 10 and 3 dB(A) in day and night equivalent noise levels, respectively, had been observed during the lockdown period as compared to the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods. The study also revealed that only nine sites, including four industrial and five commercial zone sites, complied with the ambient noise standards during lockdown period, and no silence or residential zone sites complied with the ambient noise standards even during the lockdown period. A roadmap for environmental noise management and control is suggested. The study also reports the community's perception toward the change in acoustic environment of Delhi city during the lockdown period by conducting an environmental noise perception survey. The present study should be helpful in devising noise control action plans and policy interventions for environmental noise management and control in the metropolitan city Delhi, India.

The world's worst outbreak, the second COVID-19 wave, not only unleashed unprecedented devastation of human life, but also made an impact of lockdown in the Indian capital, New Delhi, in particulate matter (PM: PM

Understanding the mechanisms of a disease is highly complicated due to the complex pathways involved in the disease progression. Despite several decades of research, the occurrence and prognosis of the diseases is not completely understood even with high throughput experiments like DNA microarray and next-generation sequencing. This is due to challenges in analysis of huge data sets. Systems biology is one of the major divisions of bioinformatics and has laid cutting edge techniques for the better understanding of these pathways. Construction of protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) guides the modern scientists to identify vital proteins through protein-protein interaction network, which facilitates the identification of new drug target and associated proteins. The chapter is focused on PPI databases, construction of PPINs, and its analysis.

Correction for ‘Protective role of air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) of yam family in myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury’ by Hannah Rachel Vasanthi et al., Food Funct., 2010, 1, 278–283.

Background: Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin from plants, exhibits many biological potentials. Herein, the cardioprotective role of diosgenin is studied. Materials and Methods: The effect of diosgenin, isolated from Dioscorea bulbifera, was studied on hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. The amount of diosgenin in the plant extract was analyzed by high-performance thin layer chromatography using a solvent system comprising of chloroform:methanol:acetic acid:formic acid (13:4.5:1.5:1). Cardioprotection was checked by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Further, the release of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme released during cell death was checked. The proteins responsible for cell death (Bax) and cell survival (Bcl-2, hemeoxygenase-1 and Akt) were analyzed using Western blot to check the cardioprotective role of diosgenin. Conclusion: Supplementation of diosgenin mitigates HR injury, thereby exhibiting cardioprotective potential. SUMMARY The cardioprotective effect of Diosgenin was evidenced from the improved cell survival after hypoxia-reoxygenation injury demonstrated through MTT cell survival assay.The release of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme released during cell death was decreased by Diosgenin.Diosgenin upregulated the pro-survival molecules like B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), heme oxygenase-1 and the phosphorylation of ATK (at serine 473); and at the same time pro-.death molecules like Bax was downregulated.Thus, Diosgenin as a plant based steroidal saponin is confirmed to mitigate ischemic reperfusion injury. Figure

Altered membrane integrity has been suggested as a major factor in the development of cellular injury during myocardial necrosis. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of diosgenin on lysosomal hydrolases, membrane-bound enzymes, and electrolytes during isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial necrosis in rats. Animals were pretreated with DIOS (80 mg/kg) for a period of 35 days. Myocardial infarction was experimentally induced with ISO (85 mg/kg) twice at 24 h interval. Experimental myocardial infarction was evidenced with marked elevation of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) in serum with concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation (plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroperoxides (HP)). Activity of lysosomal hydrolases (beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase, beta-D-galactosidase, cathepsin D, and acid phosphatase) was found to be increased in serum and heart tissue of ISO-alone treated animals. DIOS (80 mg/kg) pretreated groups showed significant decrease in CK-MB, lipid peroxidation, and lysosomal hydrolases activity. The membrane-bound enzymes such as Ca2+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activity was increased and Na+/K+-ATPase activity was decreased in the heart tissues of ISO-alone treated animals. These enzyme alterations lead to the change in the electrolytes content such as sodium, potassium, and calcium in the heart tissue. However, DIOS (80 mg/kg) pretreatment reversed the membrane-bound enzymes activity and thereby maintained the normal electrolyte concentration. These results suggest the protective action of diosgenin in ISO-induced myocardial infarction. The salubrious effect observed in this study might be due to the antioxidant and membrane stabilizing potential of diosgenin.

Hydroalcoholic extract of Dioscorea bulbifera (DB), a yam variety called air potato, was tested for its protective effect on myocardial ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats due to apoptosis and necrosis. Myocardial I/R injury was induced by 30 min ischemia followed by 2 h reperfusion by perfusing isolated rat hearts with Krebs Henseilet bicarbonate (KHB) buffer in a Langendorff set up. Pretreatment of DB (150 mg kg(-1) body weight) for 30 days significantly reduced myocardial infarct size and improved the ventricular function (aortic flow and coronary flow, LVDP, LVmax dp/dt). Role of DB on apoptosis was also evaluated by determining caspase 3 as well as by examining pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl2 by Western blot analysis followed by TUNEL assay. DB also prevented I/R-mediated down regulation of survival protein Akt and HO-1. Our results indicated that Dioscorea bulbifera could ameliorate myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury by improving ventricular function and inhibition of cardiomyocyte necrosis and apoptosis.

Isoproterenol is a synthetic catecholamine found to cause toxicity leading to severe stress in the myocardium of experimental animals. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of Cymbopogon citratus, which is used as a culinary item and commonly known as lemon grass (LG), in isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity. Male Wistar albino rats were segregated into five different groups as follows. Groups I and II rats were treated with vehicle. Groups III and IV rats were treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg b.wt. of LG. Group V with 100 mg/kg b.wt. of vitamin E. Myocardial necrosis was induced in Groups II, III, IV and V on 58th and 59th day using isoproterenol at a dose of 85 mg/kg twice at 24-hour interval. Animals were sacrificed on the 60 th day. LG pretreatment exhibited cardioprotective activity as evidenced by decreased activity of cardiac markers in serum and increased the same in heart homogenate (p < 0.05). LG administration decreased the toxic events of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in both serum and heart tissue, by increasing the level of enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants significantly in both heart homogenate and serum sample (p < 0.05). The histopathological observations also revealed that the cardioprotective effect of LG extract was observed at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.wt. The results of the present study reveal that LG is cardioprotective and antilipid peroxidative by increasing various antioxidants at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.wt., which is comparable with that of vitamin E.

With recent advances in nutrition sciences, natural products and health-promoting foods have received extensive attention from both health professionals and the common population. The flavonoid rich fraction (FRF) of Dioscorea bulbifera Linn. has a strong free radical scavenging activity. FRF (150 mg/kg) when intervened for a period of 35 days prior to isoproterenol (ISO) challenge to rats maintained the creatine kinase - MB (CK-MB) activity in serum without elevation. Alterations in the antioxidant status in the mitochondria were recognized in the heart tissue of ISO induced rats. ISO induced rats pretreated with FRF (150 mg/kg) ameliorated the lipid peroxidation and thereby enhanced the antioxidant status as evidenced by the increase in the reduced glutathione (GSH) content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes such isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (α-KGDH), which were found decreased in the ISO induced rats showed an enhanced activity in FRF (150 mg/kg) pretreated rats. The activity of NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome-C-oxidase the enzymes, which transfer the electron in the electron transport chain (ETC) was also increased significantly (p