Exploring nanocellulose's role in revolutionizing the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

The increasing global demand for eco-friendly products derived from natural resources has spurred intensive research into biomaterials. Among these materials, nanocellulose stands out as a highly efficient option, consisting of tightly packed cellulose fibrils derived from lignocellulosic biomass. Nanocellulose boasts a remarkable combination of attributes, including a high specific surface area, impressive mechanical strength, abundant hydroxyl groups for easy modification, as well as non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly properties. Consequently, nanocellulose has been extensively studied for advanced applications. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the various sources of nanocellulose derived from diverse natural sources and outlines the wide array of production methods available. Furthermore, it delves into the extensive utility of nanocellulose within the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, shedding light on its potential role in these fields. Additionally, it highlights the significance of nanocellulose composites and their applications, while also addressing key challenges that must be overcome to enable widespread utilization of nanocellulose.

Efficacy of exopolysaccharide in dye-laden wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review.

The discharge of dye-laden wastewater into the water streams causes severe water and soil pollution, which poses a global threat to aquatic ecosystems and humans. A diverse array of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) of different compositions and exhibit great bioflocculation potency to sustainably eradicate dyes from water bodies. Nanomodified chemical composites of EPS enable their recyclability during dye-laden wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, the selection of potent EPS-producing strains and physiological parameters of microbial growth and the remediation process could influence the removal efficiency of EPS. This review will intrinsically discuss the fundamental importance of EPS from diverse microbial origins and their nanomodified chemical composites, the mechanisms in EPS-mediated bioremediation of dyes, and the parametric influences on EPS-mediated dye removal through sorption/bioflocculation. This review will pave the way for designing and adopting futuristic green and sustainable EPS-based bioremediation strategies for dye-laden wastewater in situ and ex situ.

A critical review on remediation of microplastics using microalgae from aqueous system.

Microplastics (MPs) are deemed to be a global concern due to their harmful negative effects on the aquatic environment and human beings. MPs have a significant impact on both fresh and marine water ecosystems. In many countries, there is concern about the deleterious consequences of MPs on human health due to the presence of MPs in aquatic life for higher intake of marine food (fish and shellfish). Exposure to MPs causes fish to suffer from growth retardation, neurotoxicity, and behavioural abnormalities and it affects human as well. It causes oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and immune system disruption after being ingested to these contaminated fish in human body. Due to these reasons, it has become imperative to find ways to resolve this problem. This review paper represents a pioneering endeavor by consolidating comprehensive information on microplastic-polluted Indian riverine ecosystems and effective MPs removal methods into a single, cohesive document. It meticulously evaluates the principles, removal efficiency, benefits, and drawbacks of various techniques, aiming to identify the most optimal solution. Furthermore, this paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the interesting interactions between MPs and microalgae, delving into the intricate processes of hetero-aggregation. Additionally, it shines a spotlight on the latest advancements in understanding the efficacy of microalgae in removing MPs, showcasing recent breakthroughs in this field of research. Moreover, the work goes beyond conventional assessments by elucidating the characteristics of MPs and exploring diverse influencing parameters that impact MPs removal by microalgae and also addresses the potential future aspects. This thorough investigation uncovers important factors that could significantly contribute to the development of more efficient and sustainable remediation strategies.

Vaccination coverage and breakthrough infections of COVID-19 during the second wave among staff of selected medical institutions in India.

India experienced the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 3 to June 10, 2021. During the second wave, Delta variant B.1617.2 emerged as the predominant strain, spiking cases from 12.5 million to 29.3 million (cumulative) by the end of the surge in India. Vaccines against COVID-19 are a potent tool to control and end the pandemic in addition to other control measures. India rolled out its vaccination programme on January 16, 2021, initially with two vaccines that were given emergency authorization-Covaxin (BBV152) and Covishield (ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19). Vaccination was initially started for the elderly (60+) and front-line workers and then gradually opened to different age groups. The second wave hit when vaccination was picking up pace in India. There were instances of vaccinated people (fully and partially) getting infected, and reinfections were also reported. We undertook a survey of staff (front line health care workers and supporting) of 15 medical colleges and research institutes across India to assess the vaccination coverage, incidence of breakthrough infections, and reinfections among them from June 2 to July 10, 2021. A total of 1876 staff participated, and 1484 forms were selected for analysis after removing duplicates and erroneous entries (n = 392). We found that among the respondents at the time of response, 17.6% were unvaccinated, 19.8% were partially vaccinated (received the first dose), and 62.5% were fully vaccinated (received both doses). Incidence of breakthrough infections was 8.7% among the 801 individuals (70/801) tested at least 14 days after the 2nd dose of vaccine. Eight participants reported reinfection in the overall infected group and reinfection incidence rate was 5.1%. Out of (N = 349) infected individuals 243 (69.6%) were unvaccinated and 106 (30.3%) were vaccinated. Our findings reveal the protective effect of vaccination and its role as an essential tool in the struggle against this pandemic.

Correction: India can consider integration of three eliminable disease control programmes on malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and visceral leishmaniasis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009492.].

Malaria elimination in India requires additional surveillance mechanisms.

Malaria surveillance is weak in high malaria burden countries. Surveillance is considered as one of the core interventions for malaria elimination. Impressive reductions in malaria-associated morbidity and mortality have been achieved across the globe, but sustained efforts need to be bolstered up to achieve malaria elimination in endemic countries like India. Poor surveillance data become a hindrance in assessing the progress achieved towards malaria elimination and in channelizing focused interventions to the hotspots. A major obstacle in strengthening India's reporting systems is that the surveillance data are captured in a fragmented manner by multiple players, in silos, and is distributed across geographic regions. In addition, the data are not reported in near real-time. Furthermore, multiplicity of malaria data resources limits interoperability between them. Here, we deliberate on the acute need of updating India's surveillance systems from the use of aggregated data to near real-time case-based surveillance. This will help in identifying the drivers of malaria transmission in any locale and therefore will facilitate formulation of appropriate interventional responses rapidly.

Deployment of telemedicine as another mitigation tool during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Healthcare systems in resource scarce countries continue to face unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including saturation of healthcare system capacities. Data suggest that medical staff deployed for COVID-19 containment are at higher risk of exposure and thus greater susceptibility to infection, further decreasing the available workforce. Telemedicine, as an additional healthcare delivery approach, can circumvent hospital visits of non-critical COVID-19 patients and thus reduce exposure of both providers and non-COVID-19 patients. Widespread implementation of telemedicine at this watershed moment for healthcare system in India will establish a new public health delivery alternative that can cater to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Epidemiological profiles and associated risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients based on a high-throughput testing facility in India.

We describe the epidemiological characteristics and associated risk factors of those presenting at a large testing centre for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is a retrospective record review of individuals who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at a high-throughput national-level government facility located in the north of India. Samples collected from 6 April to 31 December 2020 are included in this work and represent four highly populous regions. Additionally, there was a prospective follow-up of 1729 cases through telephone interviews from 25 May 2020 to 20 June 2020. Descriptive analysis has been performed for profiling clinic-epidemiological aspects of suspect cases. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was undertaken to determine risk factors that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity and symptom status. A total of 125 600 participants' details have been included in this report. The mean (s.d.) age of the participants was 33.1 (±15.3) years and 66% were male. Among these tested, 9515 (7.6%) were positive for COVID-19. A large proportion of positive cases were asymptomatic. In symptomatic positive cases, the commonest symptoms were cough and fever. Increasing age (groups 20-59 and ≥60 years compared to age group less than 5 years), male sex, history of international travel, symptoms for SARS-CoV-2, and participants from Delhi and Madhya Pradesh were positively associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity. Having co-morbidity, risk behaviours and intra-familial positivity were associated with a positive odds ratio for exhibiting SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. Intensified testing and isolation of cases, identification of both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals and additional care of those with co-morbidities and risk behaviours will all be collectively important for disease containment in India. Reasons for differentials in testing between men and women remain an important area for in-depth study. The increased deployment of vaccines is likely to impact the trajectory of COVID-19 in the coming time, and therefore our data will serve as a comparative resource as India experiences the second wave of infection in light of newer variants that are likely to accelerate disease spread.

Protection of surplus food from fungal spoilage using Streptomyces spp.: a green approach.

Consortia of Streptomyces spp. (colonies 169, 194, 165 and 130) used in this study are an efficient producer of secondary metabolites like chitinases and antifungal compounds, which may help in the protection of surplus food from spoilage. Qualitative screening for chitinase production and taxonomy of these colonies were undertaken in our previous studies. In the current study, GC-MS analysis of extract produced from the consortia of Streptomyces strains was done for the identification of antifungal compounds. Treatment of surplus food with activated consortia of Streptomyces spp. has protected powdered food for a month, whereas fresh food (unpowdered) was preserved for two days. A control sample of surplus food (untreated) was kept to check the contamination, which resulted in the growth of three fungi (FP-1, FG-1, and FB-1). Taxonomic characterization of fungi and identification of toxic compounds produced from them were done by ITS amplification and GC-MS analysis, respectively. The study shows that the secondary metabolites from Streptomyces spp. have the potential to protect the food from mycotoxin contamination. Based on literature reports, this is for the first time that bioactive compounds and chitinases produced from Streptomyces are being used for the protection and management of surplus food.

Overlaying COVID-19 mitigation plans on malaria control infrastructures.

To counter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, each country must design sustainable control plans given the inherent disparities in wealth and healthcare systems. Most malaria-endemic countries run well-entrenched malaria control programs via their established frameworks for diagnosis, case management, treatment and overall surveillance. We propose that the malaria control infrastructures can be partially co-opted for launching sustainable COVID-19 mitigation plans.

COVID-19 Mitigation Steps Provide a Blueprint for Malaria Control and Elimination.

Most countries around the world have responded promptly to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) challenge by adopting considered and scientifically guided strategies for its containment. However, the situation is more complex for nations where malaria is endemic, as they now have the additional burden of COVID-19. In such nations, the healthcare systems are either in the preparatory or containment phase of the current pandemic. This enforced, sudden, and sharp public health refocus is likely to result in the disruption of annual malaria control activities such as distribution of insecticide-impregnated bed nets, indoor residual spraying of insecticide, maintenance of malaria surveillance, and mass provision of antimalarial drugs. Nonetheless, we feel that the best facets of COVID-19 public health management can become new guiding principles in malaria-endemic countries to improve malaria control and hasten malaria elimination. Redirection against malaria of the best public health initiatives used in COVID-19 containment could fast-track the global goal of a malaria-free world. Such public health advancement could be one positive outcome from the scourge of COVID-19.

Potential applications of extracellular enzymes from Streptomyces spp. in various industries.

Extracellular enzymes produced from Streptomyces have the potential to replace toxic chemicals that are being used in various industries. The endorsement of this replacement has not received a better platform in developing countries. In this review, we have discussed the impact of chemicals and conventional practices on environmental health, and the role of extracellular enzymes to replace these practices. Burning of fossil fuels and agriculture residue is a global issue, but the production of biofuel using extracellular enzymes may be the single key to solve all these issues. We have discussed the replacement of hazardous chemicals with the use of xylanase, cellulase, and pectinase in food industries. In paper industries, delignification was done by the chemical treatment, but xylanase and laccase have the efficient potential to remove the lignin from pulp. In textile industries, the conventional method includes the chemicals which affect the nervous system and other organs. The use of xylanase, cellulase, and pectinase in different processes can give a safe and environment-friendly option to textile industries. Hazardous chemical pesticides can be replaced by the use of chitinase as an insecticide and fungicide in agricultural practices.

Draft genome of Streptomyces sp. strain 130 and functional analysis of extracellular enzyme producing genes.

Streptomyces sp. strain 130 possesses multiple uncharacterized extracellular enzyme producing genes. Enzymes from these genes may fulfil the intense demand of stable and effective extracellular enzymes in various industries. Taxonomy of Streptomyces sp. strain 130 was validated by FAME analysis. Strain 130 was screened for the presence of chitinase producing genes of family 18 and 19 using SC1F/SC2R and F19F2/F19R primer sets respectively. Whole genome sequencing was done using Illumina Next Seq 500 system. In the analysis of draft genome of Streptomyces sp. strain 130, the genome size was found to be 7.1 Mb. Blastn and NCBI-conserved domain search tool were used to find similarity percentage with genes in existing database and enzyme family respectively. Ten chitinase, six xylanase and one cellulase producing genes were present in draft genome. Among the ten chitinase producing genes, two were belonging to GH19 family and other eight to GH18 family chitinase. Six out of ten chitinase producing genes were uncharacterized and one belonged to family GH18_PF-ChiA (PF-ChiA is a chitinase found in the hyperthermophilic archaea, prokaryotes). In case of xylanase, four out of six (GH9, 43, 10 and 11 enzyme family) were not showing nucleotide based similarity with any characterized gene. The study of reported genome sequence will help us to identify gene sequence of characterized and uncharacterized extracellular enzyme producing genes. Cloning of each gene and enzyme activity assay of their products will reveal the activity and stability at different variables; and resulting products may have huge applications at industrial scale.