Identification of authentic Phyllanthus amarus species in India.

The Phyllanthus is a plant used in the traditional Ayurvedic Medicine system and has more than 800 species. These species grow in the same area and there are chances of adulteration of other species and, incorrect identification may also lead to wrong reports. This study was attempted by Enovate Biolife Pvt. Ltd. to identify authentic Phyllanthus amarus. The nine raw material samples were collected from different populations/suppliers from various zones of India for the study. All the samples were analysed using microscopic and macroscopic ID, and by using the High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprint method. The samples collected from the Central zone (Lucknow PA-08, Uttar Pradesh) and the Southern zone (Coimbatore PA-05, and Chennai PA-09, Tamil Nadu) of India were found to be authentic P. amarus by the mentioned identification methods.

Genome wide analysis and comparative docking studies of new diaryl furan derivatives against human cyclooxygenase-2, lipoxygenase, thromboxane synthase and prostacyclin synthase enzymes involved in inflammatory pathway.

In an effort to develop potent anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drugs, a series of new 4-(2-phenyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl) benzene sulfonamide analogs were designed and docked against homology models of human cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase and thromboxane synthase enzymes built using MODELLER 7v7 software and refined by molecular dynamics for 2 ns in a solvated layer. Validation of these homology models by procheck, verify-3D and ERRAT programs revealed that these models are highly reliable. Docking studies of 4-(2-phenyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl) benzene sulfonamide analogs designed by substituting different chemical groups on benzene rings replacing 1H pyrazole in celecoxib with five membered thiophene, furan, 1H pyrrole, 1H imidazole, thiazole and 1,3-oxazole showed that diaryl furan molecules showed good binding affinity towards mouse COX-2. Further, docking studies of diaryl furan derivatives are likely to have superior thromboxane synthase and COX-2 selectivity. Docking studies against site directed mutagenesis of Arg120Ala, Ser530Ala, Ser530Met and Tyr355Phe enzymes displayed the effect of inhibition of COX-2. Drug likeliness and activity decay for these inhibitors showed that these molecules act as best drugs at very low concentrations.

Exploiting rice-sorghum synteny for targeted development of EST-SSRs to enrich the sorghum genetic linkage map.

The sequencing and detailed comparative functional analysis of genomes of a number of select botanical models open new doors into comparative genomics among the angiosperms, with potential benefits for improvement of many orphan crops that feed large populations. In this study, a set of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was developed by mining the expressed sequence tag (EST) database of sorghum. Among the SSR-containing sequences, only those sharing considerable homology with rice genomic sequences across the lengths of the 12 rice chromosomes were selected. Thus, 600 SSR-containing sorghum EST sequences (50 homologous sequences on each of the 12 rice chromosomes) were selected, with the intention of providing coverage for corresponding homologous regions of the sorghum genome. Primer pairs were designed and polymorphism detection ability was assessed using parental pairs of two existing sorghum mapping populations. About 28% of these new markers detected polymorphism in this 4-entry panel. A subset of 55 polymorphic EST-derived SSR markers were mapped onto the existing skeleton map of a recombinant inbred population derived from cross N13 x E 36-1, which is segregating for Striga resistance and the stay-green component of terminal drought tolerance. These new EST-derived SSR markers mapped across all 10 sorghum linkage groups, mostly to regions expected based on prior knowledge of rice-sorghum synteny. The ESTs from which these markers were derived were then mapped in silico onto the aligned sorghum genome sequence, and 88% of the best hits corresponded to linkage-based positions. This study demonstrates the utility of comparative genomic information in targeted development of markers to fill gaps in linkage maps of related crop species for which sufficient genomic tools are not available.

Aluminium-induced production of oxygen radicals, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa).

The effect of aluminium (Al) on seedlings of two rice cultivars, Pusa Basmati and Vikas was investigated after different hours of exposure to 80 mol/L of external Al supply. With increasing time of exposure, the growing seedlings readily absorbed Al and its localization was greater in roots than shoots. Prolonged exposure to Al intensified lipid peroxidation, changed the activities of SOD and peroxidase and caused DNA damage. However, differential responses were observed between the seedlings of two rice cultivars under Al stress. A close inverse relationship existed between decreased root growth and increased Al accumulation, lipid peroxidation, SOD, peroxidase activities and DNA damage. The results demonstrate that roots are the major sites of Al localization and accumulation of Al promoted oxygen free radicals mediated peroxidation of membranes as evidenced by increased MDA levels and the activities of SOD and peroxidase. Our results for the first time showed that Al can cause DNA damage in rice.