Estimation of environment stability for fruit yield and capsaicin content by using two models in Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) with multi-year evaluation.

Background: Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) is well-known for its high pungency and pleasant aroma. The recent years witnessed a significant decline in popularity of this important crop due to the use of inferior planting material and lack of elite lines. To maintain constant performance across a variety of settings, it is crucial to choose stable lines with high yield and capsaicin content, as these are the most promising traits of Ghost Pepper. Method: In this study, 120 high-capsaicin genotypes were subjected to a 3-year (kharif 2017, 2018 and 2019) stability investigation utilizing two well-known stability methods: Eberhart-Russell (ER) and additive main effects and multiple interaction (AMMI). Three replications were used following Randomized Complete Block Design for 11 traits. The experiment soil was sandy loam with pH 4.9. Minimum and maximum temperature of 18.5 °C, 17.5 °C, 17.4 °C and 32.2 °C, 31.3 °C, 32.7 °C and rainfall of 1,781, 2,099, 1,972 mm respectively was recorded for the study period. Result: The genotype-environment linear interaction (G×E Lin.) was highly significant for days to 50% flowering, capsaicin content, fruit length and girth, fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant at p < 0.005. G×E interaction for fruit yield and capsaicin content in AMMI-analysis of variance reported 67.07% and 71.51% contribution by IPCA-1 (interactive principal component axis) and 32.76% and 28.49% by IPCA-2, respectively. Eight genotypes were identified to be stable with high yield and capsaicin content. The identified stable lines can be opted for cultivation to reduce the impact of crop failure when grown in different macro-environments. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and spice sectors will also be benefitted from the lines with high capsaicin content. Further research assessing the lines' performance across various regions of India can provide a solid foundation for the crop's evaluation at national level.

Extraction of kaempferol derivatives from Zygophyllum paulayanum and its diverse biological activities.

Zygophyllum paulayanum (Zygophyllaceae), is a plant commonly found in the desert region, well-known for its antioxidant, anticancer, wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, properties. In this present work, we have studied the extraction of kaempferol derivatives from Z. paulayanum which showed excellent biological activities. The whole plant (root, leaves and stem) was extracted using ethanol, hydrolysed with HCl, and studied for the identification of active molecules. Different techniques like TLC, HPLC, and LCMS have been used to identify and confirm the kaempferol aglycone flavonoid. A mass spectrometric method based on electrospray ionisation has confirmed the presence of kaempferol flavonoid. Apart from the hydrolysed extract, the unhydrolyzed extract was also tested for LCMS which confirms the presence of glycosides such as kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-ß -rutinoside and kaempferol-3-o-rhamnoside. Both extracts of Z. paulayanum exhibited superior antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, phytoestrogenic and cytotoxic properties which might be due to the presence of kaempferol derivatives.

New generation mixed matrix membrane for CO2 separation: Transition from binary to quaternary mixed matrix membrane.

Contemporary advances in material development associated with membrane gas separation refer to the cost-effective fabrication of high-performance, defect-free mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). For clean energy production, natural gas purification, and CO2 capture from flue gas systems, constituting a functional integration of polymer matrix and inorganic filler materials find huge applications. The broad domain of research and development of MMMs focused on the selection of appropriate materials, inexpensive membrane fabrication, and comparative study with other gas separation membranes for real-world applications. This study addressed a comprehensive review of the advanced MMMs wrapping various facets of membrane material selection; polymer and filler particle morphology and compatibility between the phases and the relevance of several fillers in the assembly of MMMs are analyzed. Further, the research on binary MMMs, their problems, and solutions to overcome these challenges have also been discussed. Finally, the future directions and scope of work on quaternary MMM are scrutinized in the article.

Isolation and identification of Methylobacterium komagatae and its application in textile industries.

A light pink-coloured, rod-shaped, gram-negative bacterium isolated from an unproductive crude oil production area was considered as a sample for this study. The 16S rRNA gene sequence identified the isolate as Methylobacterium komagatae. Comparing the standard colour measurement values set by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) method confirms the colourant produced by the biomass of this microorganism as a 'light pink' colouration. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and High-Resolution Mass Spectroscopy process help in the structural elucidation of the sample. It indicates the presence of magnesium (Mg) as a central metal atom in the bacterial colourant, i.e. 'bacteriochlorophyll' (BChl) (MgC55H74N4O). The recovered bacterial colourant was applied to cotton fabric and cotton yarns to dye and examine their fastness quality. The result shows the cotton fabrics retained colourant in normal washing while it got reduced after detergent-based washing. Therefore, its fastness quality must be improved to equalise with current colourants.

Frequency of heterotic hybrids in relation to general combining ability of parents in sweet corn.

The success of developing prominent hybrids directly depends on the selection of parents with good combining ability which can transfer desirable genes with additive effects to their progeny. The data of 42 hybrids generated using 7 × 7 full diallel design; their seven parents along with three check hybrids were subjected to combining ability analysis from the experiment that was carried out during rainy season 2019. The analysis of variance showed significant general combining ability, and specific combining ability mean sum of squares for all the thirteen characters studied. It is obvious from the results that three lines (SC Sel 2, SC Sel 1 and SC Sel 3) showed high overall general combining ability status, suggesting these lines as good general combiners across traits. Eighteen hybrids had high overall specific combining ability status, while nearly 52% (22 hybrids), 57% (24 hybrids) and 47% (20 hybrids) of crosses showed high overall mid-parent, better-parent and standard heterosis. The unique superiority of crosses involving high overall general combiner parent in the crosses highlighted the importance of using such parents to realize high heterotic crosses. A non-linear relationship between high overall specific combining ability status and heterotic status of hybrids was noticed. The probability of obtaining a cross with high standard heterosis was more with employing parents with high general combining ability status.

Molecular genetic divergence analysis amongst high curcumin lines of Golden Crop (Curcuma longa L.) using SSR marker and use in trait-specific breeding.

Curcuma longa L., is recognized worldwide as a medicinally and economically important plant species due to its curcumin content which is an industrially important compound. In this study, a total of 329 accessions were collected from four states of India and planted in the experimental farm of CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, India, in augmented design. Among these, 152 high curcumin (> 1.50%) accessions were screened for molecular divergence study using 39 SSR primers. The primers showed the most efficient outcome with 2-8 allele/ loci and a total 163 number of alleles with 100% polymorphism. Cluster analysis revealed the construction of three clusters, out of which one cluster was geographically dependent, and germplasm was particularly from Assam state. Jaccard's pairwise coefficient showed maximum genetic dissimilarity of (0.75) between accession RRLJCL 3 and RRLJCL 126, indicating high variation as it was from two different states viz Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland respectively and minimum genetic dissimilarity of (0.09) between RRLJCL 58 and RRLJCL 59 indicating significantly less variation as the two accessions were from same state, i.e., Arunachal Pradesh. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed high molecular variation within the population (87%) and significantly less variation among the population (13%). Additionally, Neighbour Joining dendrogram, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and bar plot structure revealed similar clustering of germplasm. This diversity assessment will help in selecting the trait-specific genotypes, crop improvement program, conservation of gene pool, marker-assisted breeding, and quantitative trait loci identification. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first molecular diversity report among 152 high curcumin lines of C. longa from North East India using 39 SSR primers.

Lutein/Zeaxanthin Isomers and Quercetagetin Combination Safeguards the Retina from Photo-Oxidative Damage by Modulating Neuroplasticity Markers and the Nrf2 Pathway.

Exposure to light-emitting diode (LED) light is a primary cause of retinal damage, resulting in vision loss. Several plant-derived substances, such as lutein and quercetagetin (QCG), show promise in supporting eye health. In this study, the impact of lutein/zeaxanthin (L/Z, Lutemax 2020) and QCG were evaluated individually and together in a rat model of LED-induced retinal damage. A total of 63 Wistar rats were allocated into nine groups (n = 7). For 28 days, the rats received L/Z (10 or 20 mg/kg BW), quercetin (QC, 20 mg/kg BW), QCG (10 or 20 mg/kg BW), or a mixture of different lutein and QCG dosages, after which they were exposed to LED light for 48 h. LED exposure led to a spike in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines, as well as an increase in retinal NF-κB, ICAM, GFAP, and MCP-1 levels (p < 0.0001 for all). It also reduced serum antioxidant enzyme activities and retinal Nrf2, HO-1, GAP43, NCAM, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (p < 0.0001 for all). However, administering L/Z and QCG, particularly a 1:1 combination of L/Z and QCG at 20 mg/kg, effectively reversed these changes. The treatment suppressed NF-κB, ICAM, GFAP, and MCP-1 while enhancing Nrf2, HO-1, GAP43, and NCAM and preventing ONL thickness reduction in LED-induced retinal damage rats. In conclusion, while LED light exposure caused retinal damage, treatment with L/Z, QC, and QCG, particularly a combined L/Z and QCG regimen, exhibited protective effects on the retina. This is possibly due to the modulation of neuroplasticity markers and nuclear transcription factors in the rats' retinal cells.

Assessment of selection criteria using multi-year study for effective breeding program of Zingiber officinale L.

Background: Ginger has been an important cash crop with numerous applications since ancient times. As the demand for ginger is ever-growing and being a seasonal crop, a high-yielding variety of ginger would be economically profitable. Methods: In this study, 150 germplasm were collected from different regions of NE India and evaluated for three years in CRBD design with three replications. The present study thus focused on the variability, association, and diversity studies for the first time on 150 ginger germplasm from across North East India. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, heritability, correlation, and path analysis were evaluated for the germplasm. Results: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed considerable differences among the studied germplasm for studied characters, revealing sufficient variability in the materials. The Mahalanobis D2 and Tocher methods grouped the 150 ginger germplasm into ten clusters. Based on the results of the path coefficient analysis determined for essential oil yield and rhizome yield per plant, it can be concluded that the characters' initial rhizome weight, the weight of mother rhizome, and weight of secondary rhizome were the most important and appeared promising in improving the overall yield potential of ginger rhizome and essential oil yield. Thus, selection based on the identified traits would lead to an effective ginger breeding program for higher rhizome and essential oil yield.

Optimizing hybrid vigor: a comprehensive analysis of genetic distance and heterosis in eggplant landraces.

Introduction: This study explored the molecular characterization of 14 eggplant (brinjal) genotypes to evaluate their genetic diversity and the impact of heterosis. As eggplant is a vital horticultural crop with substantial economic and nutritional value, a comprehensive understanding of its genetic makeup and heterosis effects is essential for effective breeding strategies. Our aim was not only to dissect the genetic diversity among these genotypes but also to determine how genetic distance impacts heterotic patterns, which could ultimately help improve hybrid breeding programs. Methods: Genetic diversity was assessed using 20 SSR markers, and the parental lines were grouped into five clusters based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method of Arithmetic Means (UPGMA). Heterosis was examined through yield and yield-related traits among parents and hybrids. Results: Polymorphisms were detected in eight out of the twenty SSR markers across the parental lines. Notably, a high genetic distance was observed between some parents. The analysis of yield and yield-related traits demonstrated significant heterosis over mid, superior, and standard parents, particularly in fruit yield per plant. Two crosses (RKML-26 X PPC and RKML1 X PPC) displayed substantial heterosis over mid and better parents, respectively. However, the positive correlation between genetic distance and heterosis was only up to a certain threshold; moderate genetic distance often resulted in higher heterosis compared to very high genetic distance. Discussion: These findings emphasize the critical role of parental selection in hybrid breeding programs. The results contribute to the understanding of the relationship between genetic distance and heterosis, and it is suggested that future research should delve into the genetic mechanisms that drive heterosis and the effect of genetic distance variance on heterosis. The insights drawn from this study can be harnessed to enhance crop yield and economic value in breeding programs.

Cyclic di-peptide in situ inhibited protein-aggregation.

An increasing number of neurodegenerative diseases seem to be associated with protein misfolding that often leads to misfolded protein aggregates with a ß-sheet conformation and accumulation in the brain which directly contributes to or modulates the associated pathology. Protein aggregation diseases like Huntington's disease results from the deposition of aggregated huntingtin proteins within the nucleus, transmissible prion encephalopathies occur due to extracellular deposition of pathogenic prion proteins whereas Alzheimer's disease from the accumulation of both extracellular ß-amyloid and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregates. In the generalized purpose, we have taken the core sequence of amyloid-ß (responsible for its aggregation) as the aggregating peptide (AP). Among the various emerging therapeutic approaches against aggregation-related degenerative diseases such as diminishing the monomeric precursor protein, inhibiting aggregation, or blocking aggregation-induced cellular toxicity pathways, we focussed on the strategy based on the inhibition of protein aggregation using rationally designed peptide inhibitors comprising both the recognition and ß-breaking component in the sequence. The "O â†’ N acyl migration" concept was used to form cyclic peptide in situ for the generation of a bent unit which may act as disruption moiety for the inhibition process. The kinetics of aggregation was characterized by various biophysical tools (ThT-assay, TEM, CD, and FTIR). Results implied that the designed inhibitor peptides (IP) might be valuable to inhibit all the related aggregated peptides.

Innovative study in renewable energy source through mixed surfactant system for eco-friendly environment.

Actual plan of research work was proposed for systematic investigating in the field of photogalvanic (PG) cells for solar energy transformation. It was necessary and proposed to carry out experimental work under the solar parameters for PG cells. The object of the research work is to enhance the solar energy conversion into electricity and store it through PG cells. Various parameters were studied in a PG cell having D-Xylose + MB + Brij-35 + NaLS system (mixed surfactants). In this study, the observed optimum results in terms of the open circuit voltage, photopotential, maximum photocurrent, and short circuit current are 921.00 mV, 698.00 mV, 311 uA, and 245.0 uA, respectively. The observed equilibrium photocurrent, current at power point, fill factor, and conversion efficiency were 243.0 uA and 142.0 uA, 0.4521, and 0.6769%, respectively. For individual surfactants, the observed results in terms of the open circuit voltage, photopotential, maximum photocurrent, and short circuit current are 870.00 mV, 635.00 mV, 175 uA, and 90.0 uA, respectively. For individual surfactant system, the observed equilibrium photocurrent, current at power point, fill factor, and conversion efficiency were 84.0 uA and 55.0 uA, 0.3630, and 0.3100%, respectively. The impact of solar energy was studied by varying the various parameters in PG cells. On the basis of above obtained values, the mixed surfactants (NaLS + Brij-35) have experimentally proved the efficient system as the desired object of research with special reference to enhance electrical out and storage of solar energy.

Estimation of genetic variation in yield, its contributing characters and capsaicin content of Capsicum chinense Jacq. (ghost pepper) germplasm from Northeast India.

Capsicum chinense Jacq. (ghost pepper), a naturally occurring chili species of Northeast India is known throughout the world for its high pungency and a pleasant aroma. The economic importance is due to the high capsaicinoid levels, the main source for pharmaceutical industries. The present study focused on identifying important traits necessary for increasing the yield and pungency of ghost pepper and to determine the parameters for the selection of superior genotypes. A total of 120 genotypes with more than 1.2% capsaicin content (>1,92,000 Scoville Heat Unit, w/w on dry weight basis) collected from different northeast Indian regions were subjected to variability, divergence and correlation studies. Levene's homogeneity test of variance studied for three environments did not show significant deviation and so homogeneity of variance was reasonably met for analysis of variance study. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was highest for fruit yield per plant (33.702, 36.200, respectively), followed by number of fruits per plant (29.583, 33.014, respectively) and capsaicin content (25.283, 26.362, respectively). The trait number of fruits per plant had maximum direct contribution to fruit yield per plant and the trait fruit yield per plant towards capsaicin content in the correlation study. High heritability with high genetic advance, which is the most favored selection criteria was observed for fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, capsaicin content, fruit length and fruit girth. The genetic divergence study partitioned the genotypes into 20 clusters, where fruit yield per plant contributed maximum towards total divergence. Principal components analysis (PCA) studied to determine the largest contributor of variation showed 73.48% of the total variability, of which the PC1 and PC2 contributed 34.59% and 16.81% respectively.

Mixed Matrix Membranes for Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Challenges and Scope.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas responsible for the increase in global temperature, making carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) crucial for controlling global warming. Traditional CCS methods such as absorption, adsorption, and cryogenic distillation are energy-intensive and expensive. In recent years, researchers have focused on CCS using membranes, specifically solution-diffusion, glassy, and polymeric membranes, due to their favorable properties for CCS applications. However, existing polymeric membranes have limitations in terms of permeability and selectivity trade-off, despite efforts to modify their structure. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) offer advantages in terms of energy usage, cost, and operation for CCS, as they can overcome the limitations of polymeric membranes by incorporating inorganic fillers, such as graphene oxide, zeolite, silica, carbon nanotubes, and metal-organic frameworks. MMMs have shown superior gas separation performance compared to polymeric membranes. However, challenges with MMMs include interfacial defects between the polymeric and inorganic phases, as well as agglomeration with increasing filler content, which can decrease selectivity. Additionally, there is a need for renewable and naturally occurring polymeric materials for the industrial-scale production of MMMs for CCS applications, which poses fabrication and reproducibility challenges. Therefore, this research focuses on different methodologies for carbon capture and sequestration techniques, discusses their merits and demerits, and elaborates on the most efficient method. Factors to consider in developing MMMs for gas separation, such as matrix and filler properties, and their synergistic effect are also explained in this Review.

Stability estimation through multivariate approach among solasodine-rich lines of Solanum khasianum (C.B. Clarke): an important industrial plant.

Solanum khasianum is a medicinally important plant that is a source of steroidal alkaloids 'solasodine.' It has various industrial applications, including oral contraceptives and other pharmaceutical uses. The present study was based on 186 germplasm of S. khasianum, which were analyzed for the stability of economically important traits like solasodine content and fruit yield. The collected germplasm was planted during Kharif 2018, 2019, and 2020 in RCBD with three replications at the experimental farm of CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, Assam, India. A multivariate approach for stability analysis was applied to identify stable germplasm of S. khasianum for economically important traits. The germplasm was analyzed for additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), GGE biplot, multi-trait stability index, and Shukla's variance which were evaluated for three environments. The AMMI ANOVA revealed significant GE interaction for all the studied traits. The stable and high-yielding germplasm was identified from the AMMI biplot, GGE biplot, Shukla's variance value, and MTSI plot analysis. Lines no. 90, 85, 70, 107, and 62 were identified as highly stable fruit yielders while, lines no. 1, 146, and 68 were identified as stable high solasodine lines. However, considering both traits, i.e., high fruit yield and solasodine content, MTSI analysis was performed which showed that lines 1, 85, 70,155, 71, 114, 65, 86, 62, 116, 32, and 182 could be used in a breeding program. Thus, this identified germplasm can be considered for further varietal development and could be used in a breeding program. The findings of the present study would be beneficial for the S. khasianum breeding program.

A comparison of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing with realtime RT-PCR among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.

BACKGROUND: Identification of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with rapid and cost-effective test methods is the key for isolating infected individuals, interrupting the transmission chain, and thus, containment of the CoVID-19 disease. In this regard, Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) plays an important role at point of care testing but the low sensitivity attributing towards escape of positive cases is reported as a major disadvantage of RAT which led us to evaluate a RAT kit among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals suspected of CoVID-19. METHODS: We analyzed 329 parallel nasopharyngeal swabs for RAT (Zydus Cadila, India) at the point of collection in a hospital-based facility and RealTime RT-PCR in the laboratory. The performance parameters were analyzed by evaluating the specificity, sensitivity, Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity were found to be 75.17% and 98.89% respectively. Positive Predictive value was 98.25% and the negative predictive value was 82.79%. The accuracy between the two techniques was found to be 88.14% with a kappa coefficient of 0.756 (SE: 0.036 and CI at 95%: 0.686 to 0.826) with a good strength of agreement (0.61-0.80) between the two testing techniques. Among the false-negative cases, 22 (59.5%) were asymptomatic having the Cycle Threshold (Ct) range 27 to 32.9 including 12 cases with a history of close contact with the known positive cases (i.e. household contact). The remaining 15 cases (40.5%) were symptomatic having low to moderate Ct values. CONCLUSION: It is observed from the results that the false negative result for symptomatic individuals is a matter of concern as it was noted in 4 cases of our study subjects who required hospitalisation later. Also the positives among asymptomatic contacts are important from epidemiological point of view for isolation and curtailing the infection from spreading in a community. These results support the fact that RAT showing sensitivity below 80% can be used for mass screening purposes with provision for additional testing in case of false negative with symptomatic individuals. Also false-negative results should be interpreted cautiously considering the epidemiological link as well as the clinical condition of the patients.

Novel ethyl p-methoxy cinnamate rich Kaempferia galanga (L.) essential oil and its pharmacological applications: special emphasis on anticholinesterase, anti-tyrosinase, α-amylase inhibitory, and genotoxic efficiencies.

Background: Kaempferia galanga (L.) is one of the prospective therapeutic plants with an aromatic rhizome, and belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. This herb is commonly used by local practitioners in traditional Asian medicine. Methods: In the present investigation, the novel Kaempferia galanga rhizome essential oil rich in ethyl p-methoxy cinnamate (EMCKG) was evaluated using GC/MS for chemical composition analysis. EMCKG was analyzed for its possible antimicrobial, neurodegenerative inhibitory, acetylcholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities as well as for the genotoxic effects using the standard methodologies. ANOVA and post hoc was performed to test the statistical significance of the study. Results: GC/MS analysis identified ethyl p-methoxy cinnamate as the major component of EMCKG essential oil with an area percentage of 66.39%. The EMCKG exhibited moderate (DPPH assay IC50 = 15.64 ± 0.263 µg/mL; ABTS assay IC50 = 16.93 ± 0.228 µg/mL) antioxidant activity than standard ascorbic acid (DPPH assay IC50 = 21.24 ± 0.413 µg/mL; ABTS assay IC50 = 21.156 ± 0.345 µg/mL). Similarly, EMCKG showed comparable activity in albumin denaturation (IC50 = 2.93 ± 0.59 µg/mL) and protease inhibitor assay (IC50 = 17.143 ± 0.506 µg/mL) to that of standard sodium diclofenac (IC50 = 23.87 ± 0.729 µg/mL and IC50 = 19.18 ± 0.271 µg/mL, respectively). The EMCKG exhibited a dose-dependent antimicrobial activity pattern with the highest inhibitory activity at 500 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and considerable anticholinesterase activities (IC50 = 21.94 ± 0.109 µg/mL) compared to the standard galanthamine (IC50 = 27.18 ± 0.511 µg/mL). EMCKG also showed strong anti-diabetic activity (IC50 = 18.503 ± 0.480 µg/mL) and anti-tyrosinase activity (IC50 = 14.756 ± 0.325 µg/mL) as compared to the standards used (acarbose IC50 = 20.39 ± 0.231 µg/mL and kojic acid IC50 = 17.73 ± 0.192 µg/mL) in the study. Genotoxicity analysis of EMCKG revealed that at 1 µg/mL concentration has no toxic effects in mitosis of Allium cepa roots (Mitotic Index MI = 13.56% and chromosomal aberration CA = 07.60%). The ANOVA confirmed that except for the anticholinesterase activity, there is insignificant difference for essential oil and standards used for all the other bioactivities thus confirming their interchangeable applicability. Conclusions: Current research provides the basis for the fact that besides being a rich source of ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, EMCKG has the potential for future formulation and development of an inexpensive skin-care agent and for the preparation of anti-diabetic drugs.

Enhanced production of biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis RSL2 in semicontinuous bioreactor utilizing molasses as a sole substrate.

The growth-associated metabolites are produced during the exponential phase; however, this phase terminates due to substrate depletion or product inhibition. In the present study, a semicontinuous mode with a fill-and-draw strategy was applied to extend the exponential phase of the biosurfactant production to overcome the product inhibition and in turn, enhance the yield. Bioreactor studies were performed in batch mode, followed by the semicontinuous operation. A potential biosurfactant producer Bacillus subtilis RSL2 was used in this study at the previously optimized conditions of pH 6.6, temperature 41 °C and 5% (w/v) of molasses. A better mass transfer was achieved in the bioreactor as compared to the shake flask study. In the batch bioreactor study, 90% of sugar was utilized with simultaneous 13.7 g L-1 of biosurfactant production. The sugar utilization was further improved to > 98% in the case of semicontinuous operation employing a fill-and-draw strategy. The exponential phase got extended up to 18 days and a total of 13 L of media was fed in the semicontinuous operation of 21 days as compared to 1.5 L of working volume in the batch reactor. The biosurfactant yield was enhanced by 1.5 folds and was found to be 0.97 g g-1. The produced biosurfactant was identified as a lipopeptide. The interfacial properties of the biosurfactant along with colloidal and thermal stability have been investigated. The critical micelle concentration of the produced biosurfactant was 70 mg L-1. The present study highlighted the efficient utilization of molasses for the production of biosurfactant, an alternative metabolite, in a semicontinuous mode of bioreactor.

Essential oils as adjuvants in endodontic therapy: myth or reality?

To enhance endodontics, the search for new antibacterials that can improve infected tooth root canal treatment is ongoing. As potent antibacterial and antibiofilm agents, essential oils (EOs) have been suggested as novel endodontic materials. Several studies indicate that EO-based irrigants and medicaments show promising reductive potential against the most important intracanal pathogen, Enterococcus faecalis, and notably contribute to intracanal biofilm eradication. In terms of additional benefits that EO-based endodontic materials can provide, their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential are also important, but they have only scarcely been explored in research. Investigations into the benefits of EO-based endodontic materials together with their biocompatibility are needed. The results presented in this review strongly encourage further research on this topic.

Identification and Registration for High-Yielding Strain through ST and MLT of Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Jor Lab KH-2): A High-Value Medicinal Plant.

(1) Background: Curcuma caesia Roxb. is a high valued crop which is extensively used in pharmaceuticals, flavour and fragrances. C. caesia is recognised as an endangered species due to its extensive collection from the wild through human intervention. Therefore, to prevent the species from extinction, it is very necessary to conserve and cultivate this plant species for the sustainable availability of the raw material. (2) Methods: In the present plant breeding programme, a multi-year study was performed for the identification of superior genotypes which will help in conservation. To fulfil this objective, a total of 135 accessions of C. caesia were collected from different regions of India and were set up for experimental selection trial for three years (2016-2018). After proper evaluation of the genotypes based on six agronomical traits, five high-yielding genotypes were identified which underwent multilocation trial for two years (2019 and 2020). The stability analysis using the Eberhart-Russell method, AMMI and GGE biplot were used to study the consistency of the genotypes in varied environments compared with the check variety. (3) Results: Analysis of variance indicated significant genotype and environment interaction for the yield traits, i.e., dry rhizome recovery, rhizome yield and essential oil yield. The coefficient of variation (CV) was highest for tillers per plant (21.76) and lowest for the plant height (4.93). All the results clearly demonstrated Jor Lab KH-2 as the highest yielding and stable genotype in varied environments compared with the check variety and other selected genotypes. (4) Conclusions: This genotype was then submitted to ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi, for germplasm registration and received its confirmation vide registration number INGR 21159. This genotype will greatly benefit the breeders and will also help in the conservation of this endangered species. This is the first report on the identification and registration of a high-yielding variety of C. caesia.

Catalyst- and Base-free One-pot, Multicomponent, De Novo Assembly of Structurally Diverse Morpholine Glycoconjugates.

A catalyst-, metal- and base-free unprecedented one-pot multicomponent synthetic strategy has been established for the construction of various substituted morpholine glycoconjugates through four-component reactions of glycosyl amino alcohol, chloroacetone, acid, and isocyanides. Unexpectedly, this one-pot approach generates only the cyclized morpholine scaffolds rather than normal Ugi adduct without any external base. This reaction proceeds via in situ formations of Schiff-base followed by an intramolecular halogen displacement process, finally the Joullie-Ugi reaction takes place leading to the corresponding products with a mixture of diastereomers.