Statistical optimization and sequential scale-up of α-galactosidase production by Actinoplanes utahensis B1 from shake flask to pilot scale.

α-Galactosidase (α-GAL) is a class of hydrolase that releases galactose from galacto-oligosaccharides and synthetic substrates such as pNPG. In this study, the production of α-GAL by Actinoplanes utahensis B1 in submerged fermentation was enhanced by using statistical methods. The effects of temperature, pH, and inoculum percentage on enzyme secretion were optimized using BBD of RSM. The optimized process was scaled up from the shake flask to the laboratory scale (5 L) and to pilot scale (30 L) using KLa based scale-up strategy. By using BBD, a maximum yield of 62.5 U/mL was obtained at a temperature of 28 °C, a pH of 6.9, and an inoculum of 6.4%. Scale-up was performed successfully and achieved a yield of 74.4 U/mL and 76.8 U/mL in laboratory scale and pilot scale fermenters. The TOST was performed to validate the scale-up strategy and the results showed a confidence level of 95% for both scales indicating the perfect execution of scale-up procedure. Through the implementation of BBD and scale-up strategy, the overall enzyme yield has been significantly increased to 76%. This is the first article to explore the scale-up of α-GAL from the A. utahensis B1 strain and provide valuable insights for industrial applications.

Antioxidant potential and optimization of production of extracellular polysaccharide by Acinetobacter indicus M6.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular polysaccharides (ECPs) produced by biofilm-producing marine bacterium have great applications in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food engineering, bioremediation, and bio-hydrometallurgy industries. The ECP-producing strain was identified as Acinetobacter indicus M6 species by 16S rDNA analysis. The polymer produced by the isolate was quantified and purified and chemically analyzed, and antioxidant activities have been studied. The face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) was used to design the model. RESULTS: The results have clearly shown that the ECP was found to be endowed with significant antioxidative activities. The ECP showed 59% of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity at a concentration of 500 µg/mL, superoxide radical scavenging activity (72.4%) at a concentration of 300 µg/mL, and DPPH˙ radical scavenging activity (72.2%) at a concentration of 500 µg/mL, respectively. Further, HPLC and GC-MS results showed that the isolated ECP was a heteropolymer composed of glucose as a major monomer, and mannose and glucosamine were minor monomers. Furthermore, the production of ECP by Acinetobacter indicus M6 was increased through optimization of nutritional variables, namely, glucose, yeast extract, and MgSO4 by "Response Surface Methodology". Moreover the production of ECP reached to 2.21 g/L after the optimization of nutritional variables. The designed model is statistically significant and is indicated by the R2 value of 0.99. The optimized medium improved the production of ECP and is two folds higher in comparison with the basal medium. CONCLUSIONS: Acinetobacter indicus M6 bacterium produces a novel and unique extracellular heteropolysaccharide with highly efficient antioxidant activity. GC-MS analyses elucidated the presence of quite uncommon (1→4)-linked glucose, (1→4)-linked mannose, and (→4)-GlcN-(1→) glycosidic linkages in the backbone. The optimized medium improved the production of ECP and is two folds higher in comparison with the basal medium. The newly optimized medium could be used as a promising alternative for the overproduction of ECP.

Screening of phytochemical compounds of Tinospora cordifolia for their inhibitory activity on SARS-CoV-2: an in silico study.

In the present study, we explored phytochemical constituents of Tinospora cordifolia in terms of its binding affinity targeting the active site pocket of the main protease (3CL pro) of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking study and assessed the stability of top docking complex of tinosponone and 3CL pro using molecular dynamics simulations with GROMACS 2020.2 version. Out of 11 curated screened compounds, we found the significant docking score for tinosponone, xanosporic acid, cardiofolioside B, tembetarine and berberine in Tinospora cordifolia. Based on the findings of the docking study, it was confirmed that tinosponone is the potent inhibitor of main protease of SARS-CoV-2 with the best binding affinity of -7.7 kcal/mol. Further, ADME along with toxicity analysis was studied to predict the pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties of five top hits compounds. The molecular dynamics simulation analysis confirmed the stability of tinosponone and 3CL pro complex with a random mean square deviation (RMSD) value of 0.1 nm. The computer-aided drug design approach proved that the compound tinosponone from T. cordifolia is a potent inhibitor of 3CL main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Further, the in vitro and in vivo-based testing will be required to confirm its inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Screening of Ipomoea tuba Leaf Extract for Identification of Bioactive Compounds and Evaluation of Its in vitro Antiproliferative Activity Against MCF-7 and HeLa Cells.

Mangroves contain a wide range of bioactive compounds with pharmacological activities. In the present study, we analysed the separation and detection of phytoconstituents with the methanol extract of Ipomoea tuba leaf using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and tested its in vitro cytotoxicity effect against MCF-7 and HeLa cells. Phytochemical compounds such as docosanoic, octadecatrienoic and cis-9-octadecanoic acids, triterpenoid γ-sitosterol, and terpene alcohol in methanol extract of I. tuba leaf were identified. Furthermore, in vitro antiproliferative activity of the extract of I. tuba leaf was evaluated using MCF-7 and HeLa cells. The results indicated a reduction of cell viability of 37.43 and 41.89% of MCF-7 and HeLa cells respectively. The methanol extract of I. tuba leaf proved to be effective in protecting the cells against oxidative stress. This is the first report on the in vitro cytotoxicity effect of I. tuba leaf extract on MCF-7 and HeLa cells.

Diosmin Prevents Isoproterenol-Induced Heart Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress in Rats.

Cardiac mitochondrial oxidative stress causes mitochondrial damage that plays an important role in the pathology of myocardial infarction. The preventive effects of diosmin on cardiac mitochondrial oxidative stress in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats were evaluated. Rats were pretreated with diosmin (10 mg/kg body weight) daily for 10 days. Myocardial infarction was induced in rats by isoproterenol (100 mg/kg body weight) injection twice at an interval of 24 h (on 11th and 12th day). Isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats showed a significant increase in the levels of cardiac diagnostic markers, heart mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, calcium ion, and a significant decrease in the levels of heart mitochondrial glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, isocitrate, malate, α-ketoglutarate, and succinate dehydrogenases. Transmission electron microscopic findings revealed damaged mitochondria with loss of cristae, swelling, and vacuolation in isoproterenol-induced rats' heart. Diosmin pretreatment showed significant preventive effects on all the biochemical parameters, and the structure of mitochondria was evaluated. Furthermore, the transmission electron microscopic study confirms the biochemical findings. The antioxidant and negative inotropic effects of diosmin inhibited cardiac mitochondrial oxidative stress and prevented mitochondrial damage in myocardial infarcted rats.

Diosmin prevents left ventricular hypertrophy, adenosine triphosphatases dysfunction and electrolyte imbalance in experimentally induced myocardial infarcted rats.

Currently, there has been an increased interest globally to identify natural compounds that are pharmacologically potent and have low or no adverse effects for use in preventive medicine. Myocardial infarction is a vital pathological feature resulting in high levels of mortality and morbidity. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) dysfunction and electrolyte imbalance play a vital role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. This study aims to evaluate the preventive effects of diosmin on LVH, ATPases dysfunction and electrolyte imbalance in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarcted rats. Male albino Wistar rats were pretreated orally with diosmin (10mg/kg body weight) daily for a period of 10 days. After pretreatment, isoproterenol (100mg/kg body weight) was injected subcutaneously into the rats twice at an interval of 24h to induce myocardial infarction. Isoproterenol induced myocardial infarcted rats showed increased LVH, altered levels/ concentrations of serum cardiac troponin-T, heart ATPases, heart sodium ion, calcium ion and potassium ion, and increased myocardial infarct size. Pretreatment with diosmin revealed preventive effects on LVH, and all the above mentioned biochemical parameters evaluated in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarcted rats. The 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining on myocardial infarct size confirmed the prevention of myocardial infarction. Further, the 1, 1 diphenyl-2- picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical in vitro study revealed a potent DPPH free radical scavenging action of diosmin. Thus, the observed effects of diosmin are due to its antihypertrophic and free radical scavenging activities in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarcted rats.

Diosmin exhibits anti-hyperlipidemic effects in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarcted rats.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of diosmin on experimentally induced myocardial infarcted rats. Diosmin (5 and 10mg/kg body weight) was administered orally as pretreatment daily for a period of 10 days. Then isoproterenol (100mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously into rats at an interval of 24h for 2 days (on 11th and 12th day). Isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats showed significant changes in electrocardiogram and an increase in the levels of cardiac markers, compared with normal rats. Additionally, increased plasma lipid peroxidation products and altered lipid metabolism in the plasma were observed in the isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats. Pretreatment with diosmin (5 and 10mg/kg body weight) minimized the electrocardiographic changes, decreased the levels of serum cardiac marker enzymes reduced plasma lipid peroxidation and minimized the alterations in the lipid metabolism of isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats. Also, diosmin inhibited the enhanced activity of liver HMG CoA reductase. The in vitro study revealed the free radical scavenging activity of diosmin. The free radical scavenging and anti-hyperlipidaemic effects are the reasons for the cardioprotective effects of diosmin.