The Role of HSP90 and TRAP1 Targets on Treatment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant form of liver cancer and arises due to dysregulation of the cell cycle control machinery. Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) and mitochondrial HSP90, also referred to as TRAP1 are important critical chaperone target receptors for early diagnosis and targeting HCC. Both HSP90 and TRAP1 expression was found to be higher in HCC patients. Hence, the importance of HSP90 and TRAP1 inhibitors mechanism and mitochondrial targeted delivery of those inhibitors function is widely studied. This review also focuses on importance of protein-protein interactions of HSP90 and TRAP1 targets and association of its interacting proteins in various pathways of HCC. To further elucidate the mechanism, systems biology approaches and computational biology approach studies are well explored in the association of inhibition of herbal plant molecules with HSP90 and its mitochondrial type in HCC.

Recent advancements in coral health, microbiome interactions and climate change.

Corals are the visible indicators of the disasters induced by global climate change and anthropogenic activities and have become a highly vulnerable ecosystem on the verge of extinction. Multiple stressors could act individually or synergistically which results in small to large scale tissue degradation, reduced coral covers, and makes the corals vulnerable to various diseases. The coralline diseases are like the Chicken pox in humans because they spread hastily throughout the coral ecosystem and can devastate the coral cover formed over centuries in an abbreviated time. The extinction of the entire reef ecosystem will alter the ocean and earth's amalgam of biogeochemical cycles causing a threat to the entire planet. The current manuscript provides an overview of the recent advancement in coral health, microbiome interactions and climate change. Culture dependent and independent approaches in studying the microbiome of corals, the diseases caused by microorganisms, and the reservoirs of coral pathogens are also discussed. Finally, we discuss the possibilities of protecting the coral reefs from diseases through microbiome transplantation and the capabilities of remote sensing in monitoring their health status.

Multi-staged gene expression profiling reveals potential genes and the critical pathways in kidney cancer.

Cancer is among the highly complex disease and renal cell carcinoma is the sixth-leading cause of cancer death. In order to understand complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes and kidney diseases, high-throughput data are generated at large scale and it has helped in the research and diagnostic advancement. However, to unravel the meaningful information from such large datasets for comprehensive and minute understanding of cell phenotypes and disease pathophysiology remains a trivial challenge and also the molecular events leading to disease onset and progression are not well understood. With this goal, we have collected gene expression datasets from publicly available dataset which are for two different stages (I and II) for renal cell carcinoma and furthermore, the TCGA and cBioPortal database have been utilized for clinical relevance understanding. In this work, we have applied computational approach to unravel the differentially expressed genes, their networks for the enriched pathways. Based on our results, we conclude that among the most dominantly altered pathways for renal cell carcinoma, are PI3K-Akt, Foxo, endocytosis, MAPK, Tight junction, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways and the major source of alteration for these pathways are MAP3K13, CHAF1A, FDX1, ARHGAP26, ITGBL1, C10orf118, MTO1, LAMP2, STAMBP, DLC1, NSMAF, YY1, TPGS2, SCARB2, PRSS23, SYNJ1, CNPPD1, PPP2R5E. In terms of clinical significance, there are large number of differentially expressed genes which appears to be playing critical roles in survival.

Genomic investigations provide insights into the mechanisms of resilience to heterogeneous habitats of the Indian Ocean in a pelagic fish.

The adaptive genetic variation in response to heterogeneous habitats of the Indian Ocean was investigated in the Indian oil sardine using ddRAD sequencing to understand the subpopulation structure, stock complexity, mechanisms of resilience, and vulnerability in the face of climate change. Samples were collected from different ecoregions of the Indian ocean and ddRAD sequencing was carried out. Population genetic analyses revealed that samples from the Gulf of Oman significantly diverged from other Indian Ocean samples. SNP allele-environment correlation revealed the presence of candidate loci correlated with the environmental variables like annual sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved oxygen concentration which might represent genomic regions allegedly diverging as a result of local adaptation. Larval dispersal modelling along the southwest coast of India indicated a high dispersal rate. The two major subpopulations (Gulf of Oman and Indian) need to be managed regionally to ensure the preservation of genetic diversity, which is crucial for climatic resilience.

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercially important bottom dwelling finfishes and shellfish of the Vembanad Lake, India.

This paper characterize microplastics (MPs) in the heavily urbanized, brackish water Vembanad Lake (India), focussing on some commercially important bottom-feeding fishes and shellfish (Arius maculatus, Etroplus suratensis, E. maculatus and Villorita sp.). The average abundance of MPs was higher in the water column (872 ± 573 nos./m3) than in finfishes (15 ± 13 particles per fish) and shellfish (23 ± 20 nos./ind.). Fibre was the most abundant MP type in the water and the organisms examined. The size of MPs obtained from finfishes ranged between 0.04 and 4.73 mm (4 ± 3 mm), with a majority of particles being <4 mm. No correlation was found between biological features (e.g. gut length, mouth size) of fishes and the size of MPs in their gut. In Villorita sp., the abundance of MPs was positively correlated with the size of the individuals. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyester in the samples.

Observational evidence of stratification control of upwelling and pelagic fishery in the eastern Arabian Sea.

Upwelling is a physical phenomenon that occurs globally along the eastern boundary of the ocean and supports pelagic fishery which is an important source of protein for the coastal population. Though upwelling and associated small pelagic fishery along the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is known to exist at least for the past six decades, our understanding of the factors controlling them are still elusive. Based on observation and data analysis we hypothesize that upwelling in the EAS during 2017 was modulated by freshwater-induced stratification. To validate this hypothesis, we examined 17 years of data from 2001 and show that inter-annual variability of freshwater influx indeed controls the upwelling in the EAS through stratification, a mechanism hitherto unexplored. The upper ocean stratification in turn is regulated by the fresh water influx through a combination of precipitation and river runoff. We further show that the oil sardine which is one of the dominant fish of the small pelagic fishery of the EAS varied inversely with stratification. Our study for the first time underscored the role of freshwater influx in regulating the coastal upwelling and upper ocean stratification controlling the regional pelagic fishery of the EAS.

Signals of selection in the mitogenome provide insights into adaptation mechanisms in heterogeneous habitats in a widely distributed pelagic fish.

Oceans are vast, dynamic, and complex ecosystems characterized by fluctuations in environmental parameters like sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, oxygen availability, and productivity. Environmental variability acts as the driver of organismal evolution and speciation as organisms strive to cope with the challenges. We investigated the evolutionary consequences of heterogeneous environmental conditions on the mitogenome of a widely distributed small pelagic fish of Indian ocean, Indian oil sardine, Sardinella longiceps. Sardines were collected from different eco-regions of the Indian Ocean and selection patterns analyzed in coding and non-coding regions. Signals of diversifying selection were observed in key functional regions involved in OXPHOS indicating OXPHOS gene regulation as the critical factor to meet enhanced energetic demands. A characteristic control region with 38-40 bp tandem repeat units under strong selective pressure as evidenced by sequence conservation and low free energy values was also observed. These changes were prevalent in fishes from the South Eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) followed by the Northern Arabian Sea (NAS) and rare in Bay of Bengal (BoB) populations. Fishes belonging to SEAS exhibited accelerated substitution rate mainly due to the selective pressures to survive in a highly variable oceanic environment characterized by seasonal hypoxia, variable SST, and food availability.

Physicochemical characteristics of phytonutrient retained red palm olein and butter-fat blends and its utilization for formulating chocolate spread.

Phytonutrients retained palm olein (PRPOL) was prepared and blended into butterfat at different ratios. The physicochemical characteristics and the phytonutrient composition of blends, as well as its utilization in the preparation of functional chocolate spread were evaluated. The results showed that the redness, yellowness, slip melting point, free fatty acids, peroxide value, iodine value, unsaponifiable matter, diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol increased while lightness, saponification value, and triacylglycerol significantly decreased upon incorporation of increased quantities of PRPOL into butterfat. The incorporation affected short chain, medium chain and long chain fatty acids content along with variation in the palmitic, stearic, oleic acids content of the blends as compared to butterfat alone. Improvement in carotenoids (6-27 fold), phytotosterols (3-15 fold), tocopherols and tocotrienols (4-17 fold), and squalene (1-6 fold) in blends was observed upon incorporation of PRPOL. Cholesterol level in the blends was reduced (10-50 %) as compared to the butterfat. The blends showed an intermediate solid fat content of PRPOL and butterfat. Moreover, radical scavenging activity of the blends increased with increase in PRPOL quantity. Prepared chocolate spreads showed similar fat, moisture, colour components (L*, a* and b*) and better emulsion stability. The hardness of the spreads was increased upon increasing quantity of PRPOL. The sensory evaluation showed that chocolate prepared by replacing butterfat with 20 % PRPOL had acceptable sensory attributes.

Physico-chemical characteristics and stability aspects of coconut water and kernel at different stages of maturity.

Coconut water and kernel are the edible portions of the coconut. A study was carried out to evaluate the physico-chemical characteristics, phytonutrients and stability of coconut water (CW), kernel (CK) at different stages of maturity and commercial coconut products (CCP). The moisture content of CW, CK and CCP were in the range of 95-97 g 100 g(-1), 50-85 g 100 g(-1) and 0.4-3 g 100 g(-1) respectively. Fat content in CW was low (4-115 mg 100 g(-1)) whereas in kernel it was high (37-56 g 100 g(-1)). The CW was acidic in nature (pH 4.5-5.2). Ash content of CK decreased with maturity (1.0-1.5 %) whereas that of CW remained steady (0.3-0.4 g 100 g(-1)) with maturity. The total sugar content (3.9-4.6 g 100 g(-1)) and acidity (0.3-0.4 g 100 g(-1)) of CW did not change with maturity. The phenolics content increased in water (1.4-4.3 mg 100 g(-1)) and kernel with maturity (18.5-24.8 mg 100 g(-1)). The fatty acid composition of the oil extracted from the CK had increased saturated fatty acids (C12:0) (38-48 g 100 g(-1)) and decreased monounsaturated fatty acid (C18:1) (13-5 g 100 g(-1)) with maturity. The percentage of medium chain fatty acids increased with different stages of maturity (47-78 g 100 g(-1)). The CW and CK contained higher amount of phenolics (1.4-4.3 mg 100 g(-1) and 18.5-24.8 mg 100 g(-1) respectively) and total tocopherols of CK (0.14-0.59 mg 100 g(-1)) when compared to CCP. This study indicated that CW and CK could serve as valuable raw materials for the preparation of functional food supplement.

Oryzanol as natural antioxidant for improving sunflower oil stability.

Sunflower oil is being made shelf stable by the incorporation of synthetic antioxidants such as tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), while natural antioxidants like oryzanol and tocopherols can also be used. The aim of the current investigation was to evaluate the antioxidant effect of natural oryzanol (Oz) concentrate (15.5 % oryzanol) and purified Oz (80 % oryzanol) on oxidative and thermal stability of sunflower oil. Sunflower oil was incorporated with Oz concentrate to provide 0, 0.12, 0.25, 0.50, 0.84, 1.0, 1.60, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.20 % oryzanol in the oil, stored for 5 weeks at 37 °C and oxidative stability was evaluated. It was found that the oryzanol concentrate showed good antioxidant effect with increase in concentration of oryzanol. In another set of experiments, sunflower oil containing purified Oz at 1 % level individually and in combination with 0.1 % α- tocopherol (α-T) was heated at 120 °C for 24 h to evaluate thermal stability. Sunflower oil containing 1 % Oz (80 % purity) showed 98.40 % and sunflower oil containing 1 % Oz and 0.1 % α-T showed 108.75 % antioxidant effect compared to TBHQ taken as 100 %. The study indicated that sunflower oil containing 1 % Oz (80 % purity) and 0.1 % α-T combination provides a synergistic effect in inhibiting primary and secondary products and showed highest thermal stability. SFO containing 1 % Oz added as concentrate also showed good antioxidant effect during storage. Hence, instead of using synthetic antioxidants like TBHQ, we can add natural oryzanol (purified or as concentrate) to sunflower oil to increase its oxidative and thermal stability.

Preparation of food supplements from oilseed cakes.

Oilseed cakes have been in use for feed preparation. Being rich in proteins, antioxidants, fibers, vitamins and minerals, oilseed cakes have been considered ideal for food supplementation. These oilseed cakes can be processed and made more palatable and edible by suitable treatments and then incorporated as food supplements for human consumption. Rice bran pellets (RBP), stabilized rice bran (SRB), coconut cake (CC) and sesame cake (SC) were taken up for the study. These were mixed with distilled water and cooked in such a way to separate the cooked solid residue and liquid extract followed by freeze drying to get two products from each. The raw, cooked dried residue and extract were analyzed for various parameters such as moisture (0.9-27.4 %), fat (2.1-16.1 %), ash (3.3-9.0 %), minerals (2.6-633.2 mg/100 g), total dietary fiber (23.2-58.2 %), crude fiber (2.7-10.5 %), protein (3.2-34.0 %), and the fat further analyzed for fatty acid composition, oryzanol (138-258 mg/100 g) and lignan (99-113 mg/100 g) contents and also evaluated sensory evaluation. Nutritional composition of products as affected by cooking was studied. The cooked products (residue and extract) showed changes in nutrients content and composition from that of the starting cakes and raw materials, but retained more nutrients in cooked residue than in the extract. The sensory evaluation of cooked residue and extract showed overall higher acceptability by the panelists than the starting cakes and raw materials. On the basis of these findings it can be concluded that these cooked residue and extract products are highly valuable for food supplementation than the raw ones.

Implications of sea level rise scenarios on land use /land cover classes of the coastal zones of Cochin, India.

Physical responses of the coastal zones in the vicinity of Cochin, India due to sea level rise are investigated based on analysis of inundation scenarios. Quantification of potential habitat loss was made by merging the Land use/Land cover (LU/LC) prepared from the satellite imagery with the digital elevation model. Scenarios were generated for two different rates of sea level rise and responses of changes occurred were made to ascertain the vulnerability and loss in extent. LU/LC classes overlaid on 1 m and 2 m elevation showed that it was mostly covered by vegetation areas followed by water and urban zones. For the sea level rise scenarios of 1 m and 2 m, the total inundation zones were estimated to be 169.11 km(2) and 598.83 km(2) respectively using Geographic Information System (GIS). The losses of urban areas were estimated at 43 km(2) and 187 km(2) for the 1 m and 2 m sea level rise respectively which is alarming information for the most densely populated state of India. Quantitative comparison of other LU/LC classes showed significant changes under each of the inundation scenarios. The results obtained conclusively point that sea level rise scenarios will bring profound effects on the land use and land cover classes as well as on coastal landforms in the study region. Coastal inundation would leave ocean front and inland properties vulnerable. Increase in these water levels would alter the coastal drainage gradients. Reduction in these gradients would increase flooding attributable to rainstorms which could promote salt water intrusion into coastal aquifers and force water tables to rise. Changes in the coastal landforms associated with inundation generate concern in the background that the coastal region may continue to remain vulnerable in the coming decades due to population growth and development pressures.

Stability of oryzanol fortified biscuits on storage.

Biscuit can be used as a functional food to deliver nutraceuticals to consumers. One such natural nutraceutical oryzanol is present in rice bran oil. Oryzanol possesses a variety of health benefits which include reduction of cholesterol in blood, improvement of capillary action of blood vessels, anti-aging effect and others. Biscuit is a well known cereal based processed food and the fortification of oryzanol into the biscuits will go a long way to provide antioxidant rich, highly stable and acceptable functional food to the consumers. Biscuits were prepared with commercially available fat (CF) and oryzanol fortified fat (OFF). The control biscuits (CB) and oryzanol fortified biscuits (OFB) were packed in 200 gauge polypropylene pouches, stored at 27 °C with different relative humidity (RH 11 %, 22 %, 32 %, 44 % and 56 %) and analysed for its stability during storage of 120 days. Critical moisture content of OFB (4.8 %) was slightly less than that of CB (5.3 %). The fat content of the CB (12.2 %) and OFB (12.5 %) did not change during storage while free fatty acid content (0.36 % and 0.60 %) and peroxide value (0.08 and 0.17 meq. O2/100 g biscuit) respectively for CB and OFFB was showed small but significant changes during storage. Oryzanol content (292 mg) and radical scavenging activity (81.1 %) of OFB did not change during storage. The biscuits had a shelf life of minimum 3 months at 27 °C. Oryzanol in OFB showed good stability during baking and storage of biscuits.

Hypolipidemic effect of oryzanol concentrate and low temperature extracted crude rice bran oil in experimental male wistar rats.

Blends of refined groundnut oil (GNO) and oryzanol concentrate having 3, 5, and 10% oryzanol in the blend, and a rice bran oil (RBO) which had retained all the nutrients such as oryzanol, tocopherols and tocotrienols and the unsaponifiable matter components of crude oil (GWF RBO) were prepared. Weanling rats were fed with diet containing the oil blends/rice bran oil at 10% level for 60 days and then dissected. The lipid profiles in serum, liver were investigated and the cholesterol levels were marginally reduced (7-16% in serum, 10-14.5% in liver) in rats fed oryzanol containing diet. RBO, GWF RBO containing diets showed a reduction of serum cholesterol by 14%, 15% respectively when compared to those fed with GNO. Serum and liver lipid analysis also showed significant change in TG concentration in rats fed blended oils containing oryzanol compared to the rats given GNO. Histology of liver and kidneys did not show changes. These studies indicated that oryzanol has an effect in lowering serum and liver cholesterol and shows antiatherogenic properties when incorporated into groundnut oil.

Biodegradation of shrimp biowaste by marine Exiguobacterium sp. CFR26M and concomitant production of extracellular protease and antioxidant materials: production and process optimization by response surface methodology.

Twelve marine bacterial cultures were screened for extracellular protease activity, and the bacterium CFR26M which exhibited the highest activity on caseinate agar plate was identified as an Exiguobacterium sp. Significant amount of extracellular protease (5.9 ± 0.3 U/ml) and antioxidant materials, measured as 2,2'-diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (44.4 ± 0.5 %), was produced by CFR26M in submerged fermentation using a shrimp biowaste medium. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the process variables for maximum production of protease and antioxidant materials by CFR26M. Among the seven variables screened by two-level 2**(7-2) fractional factorial design, the concentration of shrimp biowaste, sugar, and phosphate was found to be significant (p ≤ 0.05). The optimum levels of these variables were determined by employing the central composite design (CCD) of RSM. The coefficient of determination (R (2)) values of 0.9039 and 0.8924 for protease and antioxidant, respectively, indicates the accuracy of the CCD models. The optimum levels of shrimp biowaste, sugar, and phosphate were 21.2, 10.5, and 2.3 % (w/v) for production of protease and 28.8, 12, and 0.32 % (w/v) for production of antioxidant material, respectively. The concentration of shrimp biowaste, sugar, and phosphate had linear and quadratic effect on both protease and antioxidant productions. RSM optimization yielded 6.3-fold increases in protease activity and 1.6-fold in antioxidant material production. The crude protease of CFR26M had a maximum activity at 32 ± 2 °C with pH 7.6. This is the first report on the use of marine Exiguobacterium sp. for concomitant production of protease and antioxidant materials from shrimp biowaste.

Periodontal management of gingival enlargement associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome.

The Sturge-Weber syndrome is a rare uncommon neurocutaneous disorders with angiomas involving the leptomeninges (Leptomeningeal Angiomas) and skin of the face, typically in the ophthalmic (V1) and maxillary (V2) distributions of the trigeminal nerve. The cutaneous angioma is called a Port-Wine Stain. It is commonly referred to as "Sturge-Weber syndrome after Sturge and Weber who first described this affliction in 1879. This article present a case of Sturge-Weber syndrome associated with gingival enlargement, its management and follow-up results.

Enhanced degradation of α-chitin materials prepared from shrimp processing byproduct and production of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine by thermoactive chitinases from soil mesophilic fungi.

Soil isolates of mesophilic Penicillium monoverticillium CFR 2, Aspergillus flavus CFR 10 and Fusarium oxysporum CFR 8 were cultivated in solid state fermentation (SSF) using wheat bran solid medium supplemented with α-chitin in order to produce chitinolytic enzyme. Under SSF cultivation, maximum enzymes (U/g IDS) production was 41.0 (endo-chitinase) and 195.4 (ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase) by P. monoverticillium, 26.8 (endo-chitinase) and 222.1 (ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase) by A. flavus and 13.3 (endo-chitinase) and 168.3 (ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase) by F. oxysporum after 166 h of incubation. The crude endo-chitinase and ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase derived from A. flavus and F. oxysporum revealed optimum temperature at 62 ± 1°C, but the enzymes from P. monoverticillium showed optimum temperature at 52 ± 1°C for maximum activity. Several fold increase in endo-chitinase and ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase activities in the crude enzymes preparation was achieved after concentrating with polyethylene glycol. The concentrated crude chitinases from P. monoverticillium, A. flavus and F. oxysporum, respectively yielded 95.6, 96.6 and 96.1 mmol/l of N-acetyl-D: -glucosamine (GlcNAc) in 48 h of reaction from colloidal chitin. While, the crude enzyme preparations of P. monoverticillium, A. flavus and F. oxysporum produced 10.11, 6.85 and 10.7 mmol/l of GlcNAc respectively, in 48 h of reaction from crystalline α-chitin. HPLC analysis of colloidal chitin hydrolysates prepared with crude chitinases derived from P. monoverticillium, A. flavus and F. oxysporum revealed that the major reaction product was monomeric GlcNAc (~80%) and a small amount of (GlcNAc)(4) (~20%), indicating the potential of these enzymes for efficient production of GlcNAc from α-chitin.

Acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: protective role of Cardiospermum halicacabum.

CONTEXT: Nephrotoxicity induced by several synthetic drugs is a major problem of modern age. Medicinal plants and phytomedicine are the prime choice of research as they possess better activity and lesser side effects. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. (Sapindaceae), methanol and petroleum ether extracts against acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nephrotoxicity was induced by the administration of acetaminophen suspension (750 mg/kg, p.o.) after the pretreatment with methanol extract (MECF) and petroleum ether extract (PEECF) of Cardiospermum halicacabum for 7 days. Forty-eight h after the acetaminophen administration estimations of serum alkaline phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, total proteins, cholesterol, albumin level and histological analysis of kidney injuries were determined. RESULTS: In nephrotoxic animals, a significant (P < 0.01) elevation of serum alkaline phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol and depletion of total proteins and albumin were observed. Pretreatment with MECF and PEECF (400 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) decreased serum alkaline phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol level and causes elevation of total protein and albumin level, though MECF produces better effect than PEECF in rats. Histopathological studies also confirm the protective effect of extracts. The protective effect of Cardiospermum halicacabum was associated with restoration of serum alkaline phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol, total protein and albumin level. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Methanol and petroleum ether extracts of Cardiospermum halicacabum had a significant nephroprotective activity against acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Thermoactive ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase production by a soil isolate of Penicillium monoverticillium CFR 2 under solid state fermentation: parameter optimization and application for N-acetyl chitooligosaccharides preparation from chitin.

Two fungal strains were evaluated for ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase production by solid state fermentation using different agro-industrial residues such as commercial wheat bran (CWB) and shrimp shell chitin waste (SSCW), of which Penicillium monoverticillium CFR 2 a local soil isolate showed significantly (P ≤ 0.001) higher ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity on CWB medium as compared with the activity of Fusarium oxysporum CFR 8. Fermentation parameters such as incubation temperature, incubation time, initial moisture content and inoculum concentration were optimized by statistically designed experiments, using 3**(4-1) fractional factorial design of Response Surface Methodology. The high R(2) (0.9512) observed during validation experiment showed the usefulness of the model. Highest level of enzyme activity (311.84 U/g IDS) was predicted at 75% (w/w) initial moisture content, 26 °C incubation temperature, 168 h incubation time and initial inoculum, at the highest concentration tested (2.95 ml spore suspension/5 g substrate). Statistical optimization yielded a 4.5 fold increase in ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity. The crude ß-N-acetylhexosaminidase showed optimum temperature of 57 ± 1 °C and pH of 3.6 and retained 50% activity after 1 h of incubation at 57 ± 1 °C. SDS-PAGE zymogram revealed crude enzyme was a monomer with an apparent molecular weight ~110 kDa. The crude enzyme formed 6.81 ± 0.03 mM/l of N-acetyl chitooligosaccharides from colloidal chitin in 24 h of incubation. HPLC analysis revealed hydrolysate contained 37.57% N-acetyl chitotriose and 62.43% N-acetyl chitohexose, indicating its potential for specific N-acetyl chitooligosaccharides production.

Trace metal dynamics in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon.

Trace metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in zooplankton from the mixed layer were investigated at 8 coastal and 20 offshore stations in the western Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon of 2003. The ecotoxicological importance of trace metal uptake was apparent within the Bay of Bengal zooplankton. There was a distinct spatial heterogeneity of metals, with highest concentrations in the upwelling zones of the southeast coast, moderate concentrations in the cyclonic eddy of the northeast coast, and lowest concentrations in the open ocean warm gyre regions. The average trace metal concentrations (µg g⁻¹) in coastal zooplankton (Fe, 44894.1 ± 12198.2; Co, 46.2 ± 4.6; Ni, 62.8 ± 6.5; Cu, 84.9 ± 6.7; Zn, 7546.8 ± 1051.7; Cd, 46.2 ± 5.6; Pb, 19.2 ± 2.6) were higher than in offshore zooplankton (Fe, 3423.4 ± 681.6; Co, 19.5 ± 3.81; Ni, 25.3 ± 7.3; Cu, 29.4 ± 4.2; Zn, 502.3 ± 124.3; Cd, 14.3 ± 2.9; Pb, 3.2 ± 2.0). A comparison of average trace metal concentrations in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal showed enrichment of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in coastal zooplankton may be related to metal absorption from primary producers, and differences in metal concentrations in phytoplankton from coastal waters (upwelling zone and cyclonic eddy) compared with offshore waters (warm gyre). Zooplankton showed a great capacity for accumulations of trace metals, with average concentration factors of 4 867 929 ± 569 971, 246 757 ± 51 321, 337 180 ± 125 725, 43 480 ± 11 212, 1 046 371 ± 110 286, 601 679 ± 213 949, and 15 420 ± 9201 for Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb with respect to dissolved concentrations in coastal and offshore waters of the Bay of Bengal. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.