ABSTRACT
Objective: The study examined the validity of simple and novel measures of generalized obesity- [body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ), fat mass index (FMI, kg/m 2 ), and body fat percent (BF%)] and central obesity- [waist circumference (WC, cm), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WC/ht ratio)] against BF% and BMI as criteria. It also aimed to predict fat-free mass index (FFMI, kg/m 2 ), FMI, and BF% ranges for various BMI categories. Design: Cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: Weight, BF%, fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance in 183 women. Height, hip, and waist circumferences were taken using standard methods. The indices [FMI, FFMI, WHR, W/ht ratio] were computed. Results: The study revealed that FMI, BMI, WC, and WC/ht ratio were highly correlated with BF% (r = 0.978; r = 0.939; r = 0.894; r = 0.890, respectively, P < 0.01), whereas WHR had the least correlation (r = 0.497, P < 0.01). The FMI showed a higher positive predictive value (PPV) in diagnosing generalized obesity compared to BMI with BF% as criterion and higher PPV than BF% with BMI as criterion. Considering only the indices of central obesity, WC was the most predictive in identifying women with high BF% (≥30% and ≥35%), whereas WC/ht ratio proved to be a better index in identifying women with BMI greater than 23 and 25 kg/m 2 . The normal BMI for Asians (18.5-23 kg/m 2 ), the at-risk group (23- 25 kg/m 2 ), and the obese class I (25-30 kg/m 2 ) corresponded to FFMI values of 14.1-15.1 kg/m 2 , 15.1-15.5 kg/m 2 , 15.5-16.1 kg/m 2 , respectively, and to FMI values of 4.4-7.9 kg/m 2 , 7.9-9.5 kg/m 2 , 9.5-13.9 kg/m 2 , respectively. The BMI cutoff of 18.5, 23, 25, 27.5, and 30 kg/m 2 corresponded to BF% of 23.6, 34.3, 38.3, 42.6, and 46.3%, respectively. Conclusion: FMI was a better predictor of generalized obesity compared to BMI and BF%. Considering abdominal obesity as an independent risk factor for insulin resistance, both WC and WC/ht ratio were able to predict central obesity better than WHR. Finally, the study presents ranges for FFMI and FMI for various BMI categories.
ABSTRACT
Fermented culture of Streptomyces fulvissimus was found to secrete an antibacterial protein inhibitory to Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. The extracellular protein from the fermented culture on concentration revealed a high molecular weight peptide of 63kDa on SDS-PAGE gel and the region on gel displayed inhibitory activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Bioactivity of the extra cellular protein was non-sensitive to proteinase K, alpha chymotrypsin, protease, EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid), PMSF (phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride) and DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) but partially susceptible to amylase and heat. Glycoprotein nature of the proteinaceous compound was confirmed by periodic acid schiffs (PAS) staining. The secretary protein of S. fulvissimus demonstrated a significant activity against MRSA strain. It could be an important source for developing new drugs to control multidrug resistant gram positive bacteria.