Nephro-protective action of P. santalinus against alcohol-induced biochemical alterations and oxidative damage in rats.

The present study investigated the antioxidant potential of P. santalinus heartwood methanolic extract (PSE) against alcohol-induced nephro-toxicity. The results indicated an increase in the concentration of kidney damage plasma markers, urea and creatinine with a concomitant decrease in the concentration of uric acid in alcohol-administered rats. A significant decrease in plasma electrolytes and mineral levels with increased kidney thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nitric oxide (NOx) levels was also observed. PSE treatment to alcohol-administered rats effectively prevented the elevation in TBARS and NOx levels. Decreased activity of Na+/K+-ATPase in alcohol administered rats was brought to near normal levels with treatment of PSE. Chronic alcohol consumption affects antioxidant enzymatic activity and reabsorption function of the kidney which is evident from the decreased level of GSH as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione s-transferase (GST). However, treatment with PSE to alcohol-administered rats significantly enhanced these enzymatic activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) content close to normal level. Alcohol-induced organ damage was evident from morphological changes in the kidney. Nevertheless, administration of PSE effectively restored these morphological changes to normal. The flavonoid and tannoid compounds might have protective activity against alcohol-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress mediated kidney damage.

Immobilization of organophosphate hydrolase on biocompatible gelatin pads and its use in removal of organophosphate compounds and nerve agents.

Bacterial organophosphate hydrolases (OPH) have been shown to hydrolyze structurally diverse group of organophosphate (OP) compounds and nerve agents. Due to broad substrate range and unusual catalytic properties, the OPH has successfully been used to develop eco-friendly strategies for detection and decontamination of OP compounds. However, their usage has failed to gain necessary acceptance, due to short half-life of the enzyme and loss of activity during process development. In the present study, we report a simple procedure for immobilization of OPH on biocompatible gelatin pads. The covalent coupling of OPH using glutaraldehyde spacer has been found to dramatically improve the enzyme stability. There is no apparent loss of OPH activity in OPH-gelatin pads stored at room temperature for more than six months. As revealed by a number of kinetic parameters, the catalytic properties of immobilized enzyme are found to be comparable to the free enzyme. Further, the OPH-gelatin pads effectively eliminate OP insecticide methyl parathion and nerve agent sarin.

Biodegradation of aromatic compounds: an overview of meta-fission product hydrolases.

Meta fission product (MFP) hydrolases catalyze hydrolysis of a low reactive carbon-carbon bond found in meta-fission products, generated during biodegradation of various aromatic compounds. These enzymes belong to the alpha/beta hydrolase super family and show structural conservation despite having poor sequence similarity. MFP-hydrolases are substrate specific and studies have indicated that this substrate specificity plays a key role in the determination of the organism's ability to degrade a particular substrate. In this concise review of MFP-hydrolases we discuss their classification, biochemical properties, the molecular basis of their substrate specificity, their catalytic mechanism, and evolutionary significance.