Stalk rot species diversity and molecular phylogeny associated with diseased maize in India.

Stalk rot disease is a major constraint in maize production and till date reported to be caused by two to three species of phytopathogenic fungi but, in our present study, we disclose the first report of stalk rot is caused by complex species of phytopathogens, which belongs to five different genera. Therefore, to substantiate these findings, a total of 105 diseased samples of maize were collected from 21 different locations in six different geographical locations of India from which 48 isolates were used for the research study. Morphological features such as pigmentation, colony color, type of mycelium and pattern of mycelium was examined using macro and microscopic methods. A total of 11 different spp. of pathogens belonging to the five different genera: Fusarium verticillioides (56.25%), F. equiseti (14.5%), F. andiyazi (6.25%), F. solani (2.08%), F. proliferatum (2.08%), F. incarnatum (2.08%), Lasidioplodia theobrame (6.25%), Exserohilum rostrtum (4.16%), Nigrospora spp. (4.16%). and Schizophyllum commune (2.08%) were identified by different housekeeping genes (ITS, TEF-1α, RPB2 and Actin). Fusarium verticillioides, F. equiseti and F. andiyazi were major pathogens involved in stalk rot. This is the first report on F. proliferatum, F. solani, F. incarnatum, Lasidioplodia theobrame, Exserohilum rostrtum, Nigrospora spp. and Schizophyllum commune causing stalk rot of maize and their distribution in the different states of India. Studies on population dynamics of PFSR will enhance the understanding of pathogen behavior, virulence, or its association with different pathogens across India, which will facilitate the development of resistant maize genotypes against the PFSR.

Land cover changes and carbon dynamics in Central India's dry tropical forests: A 25-year assessment and nature-based eco-restoration approaches.

Anthropogenic land use and land cover changes are major drivers of environmental degradation and declining soil health across heterogeneous landscapes in Central India. To examines the land cover changes and spatio-temporal variations in forest carbon stock and soil organic carbon (SOC) over the past 25 years in central India. Geospatial techniques, coupled with ground measurements were employed to detect changes in land cover, carbon stocks in vegetation, and soil carbon in various vegetation types. The results indicate that forested areas have decreased, while agriculture and habitation have expanded between 1997 and 2022. Vegetation C stocks varied significantly (P < 0.05) from 39.42 to 139.95 Mg ha-1 and the SOC varied from 7.02 to 17.98 Mg ha-1 under different soil profiles across vegetation types, which decreased with soil depth, while the pH and bulk density increased. The maximum bulk density in the soil was found at a depth of 40-60 cm (lower profile) in Bamboo Brake, while the minimum was observed under Dense Mixed Forest at a depth of 0-20 cm (top profile). The topsoil profile contributed 33.6%-39%, the middle profile (20-40 cm) was 33.6%-34.4%, and the lower profile was 26.5%-30.8% of soil organic carbon. The study site has experienced rapid carbon losses due to changes in land cover, such as illegal expansion of agriculture, encroachments into forest fringes, and activities like selective logging and overgrazing, which have degraded dense forests. The ecological engineering of degraded ecosystems poses a great challenge and application of complex biological, mechanical and engineering measures is highly cumbersome, expensive, uneconomical and practically not feasible for upscaling. Nevertheless, proposed nature-based solutions mimic natural reparation and processes provide sustainable interventions for the reclamation of ruined landscapes besides improving ecological integrity and rendering many co-benefits to ecosystems and human societies.

Design and Activity of Novel Oxadiazole Based Compounds That Target Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase.

Novel PARP inhibitors with selective mode-of-action have been approved for clinical use. Herein, oxadiazole based ligands that are predicted to target PARP-1 have been synthesized and screened for the loss of cell viability in mammary carcinoma cells, wherein seven compounds were observed to possess significant IC50 values in the range of 1.4 to 25 µM. Furthermore, compound 5u, inhibited the viability of MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 1.4µM, when compared to Olaparib (IC50 = 3.2 µM). Compound 5s also decreased cell viability in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with IC50 values of 15.3 and 19.2 µM, respectively. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with compounds 5u and 5s produced PARP cleavage, H2AX phosphorylation and CASPASE-3 activation comparable to that observed with Olaparib. Compounds 5u and 5s also decreased foci-formation and 3D Matrigel growth of MCF-7 cells equivalent to or greater than that observed with Olaparib. Finally, in silico analysis demonstrated binding of compound 5s towardsthe catalytic site of PARP-1, indicating that these novel oxadiazoles synthesized herein may serve as exemplars for the development of new therapeutics in cancer.

Novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole Targets STAT3 Signaling to Induce Antitumor Effect in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading type of malignancy in terms of occurrence and mortality in the global context. STAT3 is an oncogenic transcription factor that is persistently activated in many types of human malignancies, including lung cancer. In the present report, new oxadiazole conjugated indazoles were synthesized and examined for their anticancer potential in a panel of cancer cell lines. Among the new compounds, 2-(3-(6-chloro-5-methylpyridin-3-yl)phenyl)-5-(1-methyl-1H-indazol-3-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (CHK9) showed consistently good cytotoxicity towards lung cancer cells with IC50 values ranging between 4.8-5.1 µM. The proapoptotic effect of CHK9 was further demonstrated by Annexin-FITC staining and TUNEL assay. In addition, the effect of CHK9 on the activation of STAT3 in lung cancer cells was examined. CHK9 reduced the phosphorylation of STAT3Y705 in a dose-dependent manner. CHK9 had no effect on the activation and expression of JAK2 and STAT5. It also reduced the STAT3-dependent luciferase reporter gene expression. CHK9 increased the expression of proapoptotic (p53 and Bax) proteins and decreased the expression of the antiapoptotic (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, BID, and ICAM-1) proteins. CHK9 displayed a significant reduction in the number of tumor nodules in the in vivo lung cancer model with suppression of STAT3 activation in tumor tissues. CHK9 did not show substantial toxicity in the normal murine model. Overall, CHK9 inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells and tumors by interfering with the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Rapid detection of DPP-IV activity in porcine serum: A fluorospectrometric assay.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) is an aminopeptidase that cleaves the N-terminal dipeptide from peptides bearing proline or alanine residues. Currently, DPP-IV activity is quantified by spectrophotometric or fluorometric methods, which employ Gly-Pro-pNA and Gly-Pro-AMC respectively, as substrate. However, these methods require high enzyme and substrate concentrations. In this study, we adapted the DPP-IV fluorospectrometric assay using NanoDrop 3300, which requires only nanogram levels of the enzyme (30 ng crude DPP-IV) and considerably low substrate concentrations (100 µM). Fluorescence measurement required a reaction mixture of only 2 µL, thus eliminating the need for microtiter plates or cuvettes.We employed this assay to demonstrate DPP-IV activity in porcine serum for the first time. The enzymatic activity peaked at pH 8.0 in porcine (84 nM/min), human (87 nM/min) and bovine (89.1 nM/min) sera, with the optimum temperature of 37 °C. The enzyme showed maximum activity upon incubation for 40 min at 37 °C. In contrast, activity in the porcine serum was the highest after incubation for 30 min at the same optimized parameters. The IC50 values of diprotin A against DPP-IV from human, porcine, and bovine sera were 7.83, 8.62, 9.17 µM, respectively. The present assay procedure is a convenient, sensitive, accurate and high-throughput method suitable for primary screening of DPP-IV inhibitors.

Role of BP*C@AgNPs in Bap-dependent multicellular behavior of clinically important methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm adherence: A key virulence study.

Bacterial adhesion is a threshold event in the formation of biofilms which leads to serious bacterial diseases. This shows that the underlining the problem is interesting and need to solve the problem of biofilm-related complications. To support this, in the present study, we first time initiated to understand the role of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm using previously developed benzodioxane midst piperazine decorated chitosan silver nanoparticles (BP*C@AgNPs). The BP*C@AgNPs studied for antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, biofilm adherence inhibition, the role of ions in biofilm, and an antibiotic cocktail in the treatment of biofilm was assessed. The results showed that, the significant biocidal role of BP*C@AgNPs in controlling the MRSA biofilm and interaction of biofilm protein to calcium ions were significantly decreased. This confirms that calcium ion involved in the biofilm formation and for the treatment of BP*C@AgNPs, cocktail of enzyme and antibiotic have the promising therapeutic value was observed. In future the locking of biofilm protein and its expression in presence of calcium ion was interesting, and greater application related to biofilm infection was warrantable.

Multiple response optimisation of processing and formulation parameters of pH sensitive sustained release pellets of capecitabine for targeting colon.

PURPOSE: To optimise the Eudragit/Surelease®-coated pH-sensitive pellets for controlled and target drug delivery to the colon tissue and to avoid frequent high dosing and associated side effects which restrict its use in the colorectal-cancer therapy. METHODS: The pellets were prepared using extrusion-spheronisation technique. Box-Behnken and 32 full factorial designs were applied to optimise the process parameters [extruder sieve size, spheroniser-speed, and spheroniser-time] and the coating levels [%w/v of Eudragit S100/Eudragit-L100 and Surelease®], respectively, to achieve the smooth optimised size pellets with sustained drug delivery without prior drug release in upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT). RESULTS: The design proposed the optimised batch by selecting independent variables at; extruder sieve size (X1 = 1 mm), spheroniser speed (X2 = 900 revolutions per minute, rpm), and spheroniser time (X3 = 15 min) to achieve pellet size of 0.96 mm, aspect ratio of 0.98, and roundness 97.42%. The 16%w/v coating strength of Surelease® and 13%w/v coating strength of Eudragit showed pH-dependent sustained release up to 22.35 h (t99%). The organ distribution study showed the absence of the drug in the upper part of GIT tissue and the presence of high level of capecitabine in the caecum and colon tissue. Thus, the presence of Eudragit coat prevent the release of drug in stomach and the inner Surelease® coat showed sustained drug release in the colon tissue. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the potential of optimised Eudragit/Surelease®-coated capecitabine-pellets for effective colon-targeted delivery system to avoid frequent high dosing and associated systemic side effects of drug.

Procoagulant serine glycoprotease from Cucumis sativus L.: action on human fibrinogen and fibrin clot.

Upon examination of the fruit extract of Cucumis sativus L. for its pharmacological benefits, it was previously observed that it has potential proteolytic, fibrinogenolytic and procoagulant activities. These properties can be attributed to the presence of the protease. In this regard, the present study comprised of purification and characterization of protease. Purification of the enzyme involved ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The purified cucumis protease (CPro) exhibits homogeneity as attested by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC with a retention time of 14.246 min with molecular mass ~75.3 kDa. CPro was identified as a glycoprotein and serine protease. Azocasein is the preferred substrate for CPro as it showed low Km value of 0.3809 mg/ml. Purified CPro exhibits optimum activity at 37 °C and pH 8. CPro shows its involvement in hemostasis-the very first step in wound healing. CPro degrades the subunits of human fibrinogen in the order Aα > Bß > Î³. It also hydrolyzes the subunits of the partially cross-linked fibrin clot in the order α-polymer > Î³-γ dimer > ß-chain. CPro reduced the clotting time of citrated plasma, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time of plasma. CPro is neither hemorrhagic nor edema-inducing, thus considered to be a non-toxic protease. This work provides evidence for the use of cucumber extract in wound healing and authenticates its use in cosmetics.

Exploring hemostatic and thrombolytic potential of heynein - A cysteine protease from Ervatamia heyneana latex.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The latex of Ervatamia heyneana (Wall.) T. Cooke plant has been used for wound healing and various skin diseases by Indian tribes and folklore. AIM OF THE STUDY: To validate the scientific basis of heynein - a key protease of Ervatamia heyneana, in hemostasis and wound healing process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The latex from E. heyneana was processed and subjected to two step purification. The purified heynein was assayed for proteolytic activity using casein as substrate and also attested by zymography. The inhibition studies confirmed the nature of heynein. Pure fibrinogen was used for fibrinogenolytic activity and citrated plasma was used for coagulant and fibrinolytic activities. The edema inducing action and hemorrhagic activity of heynein were assessed on mice model. RESULTS: The purified heynein exhibited proteolytic activity, which was confirmed by caseinolytic assay and zymography. The inhibition studies confirmed heynein to be a cysteine protease. Heynein showed complete hydrolysis of all the three subunits of human fibrinogen (Aα, Bß, γ). It exhibited strong pro-coagulant activity by reducing plasma clotting time from 248 to 39s at 40µg concentration. Heynein cleaved α polymer subunit in fibrin clot and did not induce edema and hemorrhage in mice models. The non-hemorrhagic nature was supported with histopathological studies of skin samples. CONCLUSION: Heynein displays strong pro-coagulant action associated with fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. This provides basis for the observed pharmacological action of Ervatamia heyneana and thereby justifies its use in folk medicine.

Caralluma umbellata Peroxidase: Biochemical Characterization and Its Detoxification Potentials in Comparison with Horseradish Peroxidase.

Caralluma umbellata peroxidase (CUP) is an acidic heme-containing protein having a molecular weight of ~42 kDa and is specific to guaiacol. It is not a glycoprotein. It was purified to 12.5-fold purity with 6.16 % yield. Its activity is dependent on hydrogen peroxide and has an optimum pH and temperature of 6.2 and 45 °C respectively. It can decolorize dyes, viz., Aniline Blue, Reactive Black 5, and Reactive Blue 19 but not Congo Red, while HRP can decolorize Congo Red also. It has lignin-degrading potentiality as it can decompose veratryl alcohol. Detoxification of phenol was more by CUP compared to HRP while with p-nitrophenol HRP has a greater detoxification rate. Based on our results, CUP was identified to be capable of oxidizing a variety of hazardous substances and also a lignin-degrading plant biocatalyst.

Synthesis, characterization and bioactivity studies of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole small molecule that targets basic phospholipase A2 from Vipera russelli.

Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) is a key enzyme participating in the inflammatory cascade followed by the action of cyclooxygenase-2 and lipoxygenases. Therefore, inhibitors of sPLA2 could be used as potent anti-inflammatory agents to treat the early phase of inflammation. In this study, we have prepared the fenoprofen and ibuprofen analogs containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole nucleus and tested against Vipera russelli venom's basic sPLA2 (VRV-PL-VIIIa). Among the tested ligands 5(a-t),2-(2-chlorophenyl)-5-(1-(4-phenoxyphenyl) ethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (5m) inhibited the catalytic activity of VRV-PL-VIIIa with an IC50 value of 11.52 µM. Biophysical studies revealed that the 5m quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of VRV-PL-VIIIa, in a concentration dependent manner. Also, the compound 5m affected VRV-PL-VIIIa conformation, which was observed by circular dichroism spectra that recorded the prominent shift in the α-helix peak and the random coil formation of VRV-PL-VIIIa. Further, molecular docking analysis revealed that the compound 5m possess strong hydrophobic interactions at catalytic triad region of the VRV-PL-VIIIa. Evident to in vitro and in silico studies, 5m strongly inhibited the hemolysis of red blood cells. Our in vivo pharmacological studies revealed that the compound 5m inhibited the edematogenic activity of VRV-PL-VIIIa in mouse foot pad. Additionally, the 5m inhibited VRV-PL-VIIIa-induced myotoxicity and lung hemorrhage in mice. Overall, our ADMET results depicted that 5m possess better druggable property. Thus, this study explored the new fenoprofen and ibuprofen analog 5m as the lead-structure that serves as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Purification and characterization of novel fibrin(ogen)olytic protease from Curcuma aromatica Salisb.: Role in hemostasis.

BACKGROUND: The proteases from turmeric species have procoagulant and fibrinogenolytic activity. This provides a scientific basis for traditional use of turmeric to stop bleeding and promote wound healing processes. PURPOSE: Our previous studies revealed that fibrinogenolytic action of crude enzyme fraction of Curcuma aromatica Salisb., was found to be more influential than those of Curcuma longa L., Curcuma caesia Roxb., Curcuma amada Roxb. and Curcuma zedoria (Christm.) Roscoe. Hence, the purpose of this study is to purify and characterize protease from C. aromatica and to explore its role in wound healing process. METHODS: The protease was purified by Sephadex G-50 gel permeation chromatography. Peak with potent proteolytic activity was subjected to rechromatography and then checked for homogeneity by SDS-PAGE and native PAGE. Furthermore purity of the peak was assessed by RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF. The biochemical properties, type of protease, kinetic studies, fibrinogenolytic, coagulant and fibrinolytic activities were carried out. RESULTS: The two proteolytic peaks were fractionated in gel permeation chromatography. Among these, the peak-II showed potent proteolytic activity with specific activity of 10units/mg/min and named as C. aromatica protease-II (CAP-II). This protein resolved into a single sharp band both in SDS-PAGE (reducing and non-reducing) as well as in native (acidic) PAGE. It is a monomeric protein, showing sharp peak in RP-HPLC and its relative molecular mass was found to be 12.378kDa. The caseinolytic and fibrinolytic activity of CAP-II was completely inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride (PMSF). The CAP-II exhibited optimum temperature of 45°C and optimum pH of 7.5. The Km and Vmax of CAP-II was found to be 1.616µg and 1.62units/mg/min respectively. The CAP-II showed hydrolysis of all three subunits of fibrinogen in the order Aα>Bß>γ. The CAP-II exhibited strong procoagulant activity by reducing the human plasma clotting time. It also showed fibrinolytic activity by complete hydrolysis of α-polymer and γ-γ dimer present in fibrin. CONCLUSION: The CAP-II is a novel serine protease from C. aromatica, which has been demonstrated to stop bleeding and initiate wound healing through its procoagulant and fibrin(ogen)olytic activities. Our study demonstrates the possible role of CAP-II, as therapeutic enzyme to stop bleeding at the time of wounding.

Isolation and identification of Trichoderma harzianum from groundwater: An effective biosorbent for defluoridation of groundwater.

The ability of non-viable form of Trichoderma harzianum, isolated from fluoride rich groundwater, was investigated as biosorbent for defluoridation of groundwater. Biosorption experiments were carried out at laboratory scale for removal of fluoride from groundwater. Significant effect of operational parameters on fluoride biosorption using Trichoderma harzianum as biosorbent was evaluated by varying operational parameters such as: initial fluoride concentration (2-8 mgl(-1)), biosorbent dose (0.4-1.6g/100ml), groundwater pH (6-10), temperature (30-50 degrees C) and biosorption time (30-120 min). The fluoride adsorption isotherms were modeled by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Our result showed that fluoride biosorption, significantly increased with increase in groundwater pH, biosorbent dose, temperature and biosorption time, whereas increase in initial fluoride concentration reduced fluoride removal. The fluoride biosorption was rapid and maximum fluoride uptake was attained with 1.6g 100ml(-1) biosorbent within 60 min. Optimal pH 10 and temperature 50 degrees C gave maximum defluoridation efficiency. Freundlich isotherm fits well for defluoridation of groundwater using Trichoderma harzianum as biosorbent which indicated that biosorbent surface sites were heterogeneous in nature and fitted into heterogeneous site binding model.

Comparative analysis of procoagulant and fibrinogenolytic activity of crude protease fractions of turmeric species.

ETHNAOPHARMACOLOGIAL RELEVANCE: Turmeric rhizome is a traditional herbal medicine, which has been widely used as a remedy to stop bleeding on fresh cuts and for wound healing by the rural and tribal population of India. AIM OF THE STUDY: To validate scientific and therapeutic application of turmeric rhizomes to stop bleeding on fresh cuts and its role in wound healing process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The water extracts of thoroughly scrubbed and washed turmeric rhizomes viz., Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Curcuma longa L., Curcuma caesia Roxb., Curcuma amada Roxb. and Curcuma zedoria (Christm.) Roscoe. were subjected to salting out and dialysis. The dialyzed crude enzyme fractions (CEFs) were assessed for proteolytic activity using casein as substrate and were also confirmed by caseinolytic zymography. Its coagulant activity and fibrinogenolytic activity were assessed using human citrated plasma and fibrinogen, respectively. The type of protease(s) in CEFs was confirmed by inhibition studies using specific protease inhibitors. RESULTS: The CEFs of C. aromatica, C. longa and C. caesia showed 1.89, 1.21 and 1.07 folds higher proteolytic activity, respectively, compared to papain. In contrast to these, C. amada and C. zedoria exhibited moderate proteolytic activity. CEFs showed low proteolytic activities compared to trypsin. The proteolytic activities of CEFs were confirmed by caseinolytic zymography. The CEFs of C. aromatica, C. longa and C. caesia showed complete hydrolysis of Aα, Bß and γ subunits of human fibrinogen, while C. amada and C. zedoria showed partial hydrolysis. The CEFs viz., C. aromatica, C. longa, C. caesia, C. amada and C. zedoria exhibited strong procoagulant activity by reducing the human plasma clotting time from 172s (Control) to 66s, 84s 88s, 78s and 90s, respectively. The proteolytic activity of C. aromatica, C. longa, C. caesia and C. amada was inhibited (>82%) by PMSF, suggesting the possible presence of a serine protease(s). However, C. zedoria showed significant inhibition (60%) against IAA and moderate inhibition (30%) against PMSF, indicating the presence of cysteine and serine protease(s). CONCLUSION: The CEFs of turmeric species exhibited strong procoagulant activity associated with fibrinogenolytic activity. This study provides the scientific credence to turmeric in its propensity to stop bleeding and wound healing process practiced by traditional Indian medicine.

Exploring a new serine protease from Cucumis sativus L.

Coagulation is an important physiological process in hemostasis which is activated by sequential action of proteases. This study aims to understand the involvement of aqueous fruit extract of Cucumis sativus L. (AqFEC) European burp less variety in blood coagulation cascade. AqFEC hydrolyzed casein in a dose-dependent manner. The presence of protease activity was further confirmed by casein zymography which revealed the possible presence of two high molecular weight protease(s). The proteolytic activity was inhibited only by phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride suggesting the presence of serine protease(s). In a dose-dependent manner, AqFEC also hydrolysed Aα and Bß subunits of fibrinogen, whereas it failed to degrade the γ subunit of fibrinogen even at a concentration as high as 100 µg and incubation time up to 4 h. AqFEC reduced the clotting time of citrated plasma by 87.65%. The protease and fibrinogenolytic activity of AqFEC suggests its possible role in stopping the bleeding and ensuing wound healing process.

Synergistic Caseinolytic Activity and Differential Fibrinogenolytic Action of Multiple Proteases of Maclura spinosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) latex.

BACKGROUND: Kollamalayaali tribes of South India use latex of Maclura spinosa for milk curdling. This action is implicated to proteases which exhibit strong pharmacological potential in retardation of blood flow and acceleration of wound healing. OBJECTIVE: To validate the presence of a proteolytic enzyme(s) in Maclura spinosa latex (MSL), and to investigate their probable role in hemostasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Processed latex was examined for proteolytic and hemostatic activity using casein and human fibrinogen as substrates, respectively. Caseinoltyic activity was compared with two standard proteases viz., trypsin I and trypsin II. Effect of various standard protease inhibitors viz., iodoacetic acid (IAA), phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid on both caseinolytic and fibrinogenolytic activities were examined. Electrophoretogram of fibrinogenolytic assays were subjected to densitometric analysis. RESULTS: Proteolytic action of MSL was found to be highly efficient over trypsin I and trypsin II in dose-dependent caseinolytic activity (P < 0.05; specific activity of 1,080 units/mg protein). The Aα and Bß bands of human fibrinogen were readily cleaved by MSL (for 1 µg crude protein and 30 min of incubation time). Furthermore, MSL cleaved γ subunit in dose- and time-dependent manner. Quantitative correlation of these results was obtained by densitometric analysis. The caseinolytic activity of MSL was inhibited by IAA, PMSF. While, only PMSF inhibited fibrinogenolytic activity. CONCLUSIONS: MSL contains proteolytic enzymes belonging to two distinct superfamilies viz., serine protease and cysteine proteases. The fibrinogenolytic activity of MSL is restricted to serine proteases only. The study extrapolates the use of M. spinosa latex from milk curdling to hemostasis. SUMMARY: Proteolytic enzymes present in latex of Maclura spinosa can be assigned to two different protease superfamilies viz., serine protease and cysteine protease as revealed by the inhibitory studies of caseinolytic activity. Among them, only serine protease can be considered as hemostatically significant as inhibition of fibrinogenolytic action of Maclura spinosa latex protease is shown only by PMSF, a serine protease-specific inhibitor. Abbreviations used: MSL: Maclura spinos Latex, IAA: Iodo Acetic Acid, EDTA: Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid, EGTA: Ethylene glycol tetra acetic acid, PMSF: Phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride.

A facile assay to monitor secretory phospholipase A2 using 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid.

Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) are present in snake venoms, serum, and biological fluids of patients with various inflammatory, autoimmune and allergic disorders. Lipid mediators in the inflammatory processes have potential value for controlling phospholipid metabolism through sPLA2 inhibition. Thus, it demands the need for screening of potential leads for sPLA2 inhibition. To date, sPLA2 activity has been assayed using expensive radioactive or chromogenic substrates, thereby limiting a large number of assays. In this study, a simple and sensitive NanoDrop assay was developed using non-fluorogenic and non-chromogenic phospholipid substrate 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) as interfacial hydrophobic probe. The modified assay required a 10ng concentration of sPLA2. ANS, as a strong anion, binds predominantly to cationic group of choline head of DMPC through ion pair formation, imparting hydrophobicity and lipophilicity and resulting in an increase in fluorescence. Triton X-100 imparts correct geometrical space during sPLA2 catalyzing DMPC, releasing lysophospholipid and acidic myristoyl acid, which in turn alters the hydrophobic environment prevailing around ANS-DMPC, which leads to weakening of the electrostatic ion pair interaction between DMPC and ANS ensuing decrease in fluorescence. These characteristic fluorescence changes between DMPC and ANS in response to sPLA2 catalysis are well documented and validated in this study.

Evidence for peroxidase activity in Caralluma umbellata.

Vast applications of peroxidases create an increasing demand to characterize peroxidases from new sources with more applicability potential. The aim of the present study was to check the presence of peroxidase activity from Caralluma umbellata. This is the first report on the C. umbellata peroxidase (CUP). The presence of peroxidase was revealed by the histochemical analysis of the stem sections, zymographic studies, and in vitro peroxidase activity assay using various reducing substrates viz., 2, 2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), guaiacol, o-dianisidine, and ferulic acid. The band pattern in zymogram confirms that CUP has a molecular weight less than that of horseradish peroxidase (44 kDa). Comparative evaluation of peroxidase activity of CUP with respect to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) indicates that CUP catalyzes ABTS and ferulic acid in a similar pattern as HRP but with guaiacol, the extent of catalysis shown by CUP over HRP is high. The standard inhibitors sodium azide and sodium meta bisulphite inhibited CUP activity in a dose dependent manner.

Snake venom phospholipases A(2): a novel tool against bacterial diseases.

The majority of snake venom phospholipases A(2) (svPLA(2)s) are toxic and induce a wide spectrum of biological effects. They are cysteine-rich proteins that contain 119-134 amino acids and share similar structures and functions. About 50% of the residues are incorporated into α-helices, whereas only 10% are in ß-sheets. Fourteen conserved cysteines form a network of seven disulfide bridges that stabilize the tertiary structure. They show a high degree of sequence and structural similarity, and are believed to have a common calcium- dependent catalytic mechanism. Additionally, svPLA(2)s display an array of biological actions that are either dependent or independent of catalysis. The PLA(2)s of mammalian origin also exert potent bactericidal activity by binding to anionic surfaces and enzymatic degradation of phospholipids in the target membranes, preferentially of Gram-positive species. The bactericidal activity against Gram-negatives by svPLA(2) requires a synergistic action with bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), but is equally dependent on enzymatic- based membrane degradation. Several hypotheses account for the bactericidal properties of svPLA(2)s, which include "fatal depolarization" of the bacterial membrane, creation of physical holes in the membrane, scrambling of normal distribution of lipids between the bilayer leaflets, and damage of critical intracellular targets after internalization of the peptide. The present review discusses several svPLA(2)s and derived peptides that exhibit strong bactericidal activity. The reports demonstrate that svPLA(2)-derived peptides have the potential to counteract microbial infections. In fact, the C-terminal cationic/hydrophobic segment (residues 115-129) of svPLA(2)s is bactericidal. Thus identification of the bactericidal sites in svPLA(2)s has potential for developing novel antimicrobials.

Association between long-term aspirin use and periodontal attachment level in humans: a cross-sectional investigation.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical inhibition of host response pathways may be an adjunctive or alternative strategy for treating periodontal diseases. In addition to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, aspirin is known to modify the action of cyclo-oxygenase, changing its activity to a lipoxygenase and leading to formation of lipoxins which have a proresolving effect. This study evaluated the periodontal attachment level of subjects on long-term low dose aspirin therapy. METHODS: Oral hygiene index simplified, clinical attachment loss and bleeding index were recorded for 162 subjects who were on long-term (>6 months) low dose (75 mg and 150 mg) aspirin therapy (study group) and 146 subjects not taking the drug (control group). RESULTS: Mean clinical attachment loss was 2.38 ± 0.49 mm in the control group and 2.01 ± 0.69 mm in the study group. The difference was statistically significant at p < 0.001. Correlation analysis suggested that there was a negative correlation between clinical attachment loss and duration of aspirin intake but the clinical attachment loss was not significantly different in the two dosage groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that low dose aspirin may reduce the risk of periodontal attachment loss. This hypothesis needs to be tested by larger sample sized prospective cohort studies.