Adsorptive removal of acid blue dye 113 using three agricultural waste biomasses: The possibility of valorization by activation and carbonization - A comparative analysis.

The presence of various organic and inorganic contaminants in wastewater leads to serious health effects on humans and ecosystems. Industrial effluents have been considered as noticeable sources of contaminating water streams. These effluents directly liberate the pollutants such as dye molecules and heavy metal ions into the environment. In the present study, three biowaste materials (groundnut shell powder, coconut coir powder and activated corn leaf carbon) were utilized and compared for the removal of acid blue dye 113 from aqueous solutions. The characterization study of newly prepared sorbent material (H3PO4-activated corn leaf carbon) and the other utilized sorbents was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR), along with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) Analysis. The influence of experimental conditions such as pH, initial dye concentration, temperature, contact time, and sorbent dosage on the removal efficiency of the dye were appraised. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic result of acid blue dye 113 adsorption onto the sorbents best obeyed from Sips and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Overall, the outcomes confirmed that the newly synthesized sorbent material (carbonized H3PO4-activated corn leaf) has superior adsorption capacity, rapid adsorption, and higher suitability for the removal of toxic dyes from the contaminated waters.

Optimization and efficacy studies of Laccase immobilized on Zein-Polyvinyl pyrrolidone nano fibrous membrane in decolorization of Acid Red 1.

Azo dyes are widely used in textile industries. A significant portion of these recalcitrant dyes are being discharged to the natural waters. Due to their low biodegradability they pose serious pollution problems if untreated. In this work, decolourization studies of Acid Red 1 (AR1) by laccase enzyme immobilized onto zein-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) composite nanofiber is done. The nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. pH and temperature profiles of immobilized enzyme were found to be broader than its free counterpart. The Km value was found to be 0.243 mM for free laccase and 0.958 mM for immobilized laccase. Similarly, Vmax for the free enzyme was 3.572 U/mg compared to 2.48 U/mg of immobilized laccase. The relative activity of immobilized laccase was 64.91% after storage for 30 days at room temperature while it was 28.64% for free laccase. The temperature and pH for AR 1 decolorization were optimized and was found to be 60 °C and 5, respectively. Also, decolorization percentage was found to be 91.67% for immobilized laccase and 72.03% of free laccase in the presence of natural mediators like vanillin. From phytotoxicity studies it was found that the germination rate, shoot and root length was increased compared to untreated dye. Therefore, zein-PVP nanofiber immobilized laccase could be an ideal candidate for the textile dye decolorization.

Evidence-based traditional Siddha formulations for prophylaxis and management of respiratory symptoms in COVID-19 pandemic-a review.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 is attributed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This viral disease is rapidly spreading across the globe, including India. The mainstay in managing the disease is supportive care, nutrition, and preventing further progression in the absence of proven antiviral drugs. Currently two vaccines Covishield and Covaxin are administered in India. Long-term plans of developing most reliable mRNA-based vaccines are also underway for the future method of prophylaxis. The Siddha system of medicine's holistic approach emphasizes lifestyle modification, prophylactic interventions, and dietary management to boost the host immunity and treatment with herbal medicines and higher-order medicines as the case may be. In this review, a brief outline of the disease COVID-19, Coronavirus, evidence-based traditional Siddha interventions for respiratory ailments and immune boosters highlighting the relevant published research on individual herbs are dealt, which pave way for further research on drug repurposing for COVID-19. Historical evidence on the prevention and treatment of infections especially antivirals in Siddha classics is studied.

Computational approach for the identification of putative allergens from Cucurbitaceae family members.

Certain substances referred to as allergens, induce hypersensitivity (allergic reactions) which normally are considered to be innocuous, are small in size and incite IgE response. This study was focused to predict the putative allergens from other Cucurbitaceae family members using computational approach by analyzing the already reported allergens of the same family. The four reported allergens Cuc m 1, Cuc m 2, Cuc m 3 and Citr I 2 of Cucurbitaceae family were obtained from International Union of Immunological Societies, in which three were from Cucumis melo (Muskmelon) and one from Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon) respectively. BlastP analysis reported 44 similar sequences to these allergens from other members of Cucurbitaceae family namely Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima. The allergenicity of these sequences was predicted using AlgPred tool in which it revealed 26 protein sequences as putative allergens. These selected sequences were further analyzed for their physicochemical properties using ProtParam tool in which 13 sequences were found to satisfy the required parameters, and therefore further analyzed by AllerMatch™ and AllergenOnline tools to check the Codex Alimentarius rules for allergens. Finally, 13 sequences that were selected were structurally analyzed for similarity using PROMALS3D tool and phylogenetic relationship was established with the reported allergens using MEGA-X software. It was concluded that 13 sequences from Cucurbitaceae family belonging to different species of Pumpkin showed potential allergenicity based on the computational analysis that possibly can play a role in allergies and cross reactivity.

CYP2R1 and CYP27A1 genes: An in silico approach to identify the deleterious mutations, impact on structure and their differential expression in disease conditions.

Mutations in CYP2R1 and CYP27A1 involved in the conversion of Cholecalciferol into Calcidiol were associated with the impaired 25-hydroxylase activity therefore affecting the Vitamin D metabolism. Hence, this study attempted to understand the influence of genetic variations at the sequence and structural level via computational approach. The non-synonymous mutations retrieved from dbSNP database were assessed for their pathogenicity, stability as well as conservancy using various computational tools. The above analysis predicted 11/260 and 35/489 non-synonymous mutations to be deleterious in CYP2R1 and CYP27A1 genes respectively. Native and mutant forms of the corresponding proteins were modeled. Further, interacting native and mutant proteins with cholecalciferol showed difference in hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic bonds and their binding affinities suggesting the possible influence of these mutations in their function. Also, expression of these genes in various disease conditions was investigated using GEO datasets which predicted that there is a differential expression in cancer and arthritis.

Small-Molecule-Targeted Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancer: Successes and Failures.

The genomic era witnessed the deciphering of molecular mechanisms underlying human gastric cancer (GC) that paved the way to specifically target key molecules or proteins involved in disease progression. A multifactorial disease, GC has a host of other factors that influence its initiation and progression such as age, gender, severe exposure to several environmental pressures, and inadequate diet. These aspects lead to changes at the molecular level that reflect at the protein level, thereby contributing to cancer. Targeting such specific proteins, widely referred to as targeted therapy (TT), is actively sought because it promises treatment precision. Several clinical trials are underway with candidate drugs and in combination with other lines of treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, for which results are varied. This review summarizes strategies that are involved in GC treatment, delving deeply into TT approaches (based on small molecules) that have already reached the clinic or are currently in clinical trials.

Circulating Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Cancers.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a particularly sobering disease because it carries a high mortality rate. The characteristic tendency of GI cancers to reveal symptoms only in the malignant phase is the major contributing factor to its poor patient outcomes. Hence, it is critical to actively work towards identifying methods to diagnose this type of cancer in its early stages. Over the last decade, there has been robust research into identifying methods to detect GI cancers in their early stages with a particular emphasis on circulating biomarkers for this purpose. The present report is a review compounded from over 140 research papers on the emerging influence of circulating biomarkers in this regard. Circulating biomarker-based diagnosis via liquid biopsy offers several advantages over traditional diagnostic methods, such as colonoscopy, because the method is noninvasive; it can be used to monitor tumor load with respect to medication; and it can be used to predict recurrence. This review is largely divided into two relevant subtopics: biomarkers to diagnose gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors and genetic biomarkers used to diagnose common GI cancers. We focus on DNA-based biomarkers and the associated epigenetic dysregulation seen in these cancer types. Research into this area is urgently needed, and through this review chapter, the reader will gain a broad understanding of the various current uses of circulating biomarkers for both early diagnosis and prognosis of GI cancers.

Bacillus circulans exopolysaccharide: Production, characterization and bioactivities.

A bacterium with the ability to produce appreciable amount of exopolysaccharide was isolated from slimy layer of coconut. 16S rDNA analysis identified the organism as Bacillus circulans. EPS production was observed at all stages of culture growth and reached maximum of 0.065mg/ml by 96h, which on further incubation started to decrease. Response Surface Methodology using Box Behnken design has shown the influence of sucrose which was found to be directly proportional to exopolysaccharide production with production reaching 1.09mg/ml. HPLC analysis identified the presence of glucose, mannose, fructose and verbascose and NMR analysis confirmed the presence of glucose, mannose and galactose. Even though the extracted B. circulans EPS did not show appreciable anti-bacterial or anti-fungal activity, it exhibited appreciable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity.

Biogenesis of antibacterial silver nanoparticles using the endophytic bacterium Bacillus cereus isolated from Garcinia xanthochymus.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the ecofriendly nanoparticles, which is viewed as an alternative to the chemical method which initiated the use of microbes like bacteria and fungi in their synthesis. METHODS: The current study uses the endophytic bacterium Bacillus cereus isolated from the Garcinia xanthochymus to synthesize the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The AgNPs were synthesized by reduction of silver nitrate solution by the endophytic bacterium after incubation for 3-5 d at room temperature. The synthesis was initially observed by colour change from pale white to brown which was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The AgNPs were further characterized using FTIR, SEM-EDX and TEM analyses. RESULTS: The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be spherical with the size in the range of 20-40 nm which showed a slight aggregation. The energy-dispersive spectra of the nanoparticle dispersion confirmed the presence of elemental silver. The AgNPs were found to have antibacterial activity against a few pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: The endophytic bacteria identified as Bacillus cereus was able to synthesize silver nanoparticles with potential antibacterial activity.