Targeting self-care adherence for glycaemic control in multimorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus with depression using bupropion: a protocol for cross-over randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes and depression are among the 10 biggest health burdens globally. They often coexist and exhibit a strong bidirectional relationship. Depression leads to decreased adherence to self-care activities. This impacts glycaemic control and worsens type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Both conditions have a synergistic effect and lead to greater complications, hospitalisations, healthcare expenditure and a worse quality of life. There is no consensus on managing people with comorbid T2D and depression. Bupropion is an efficacious antidepressant with many properties suitable for T2D with depression, including a favourable metabolic profile, persistent weight loss and improvement in sexual dysfunction. We will assess the efficacy and safety of add-on bupropion compared with standard care in people with T2D and mild depression. This study can give valuable insights into managing the multimorbidity of T2D and depression. This can help mitigate the health, social and economic burden of both these diseases. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-over randomised controlled trial will recruit people with T2D (for 5 years or more) with mild depression. They will be randomised to add-on bupropion and standard care. After 3 months of treatment, there will be a washout period of 1 month (without add-on bupropion while standard treatment will continue). Following this, the two arms will be swapped. Participants will be assessed for glycosylated haemoglobin, adherence to diabetes self-care activities, lipid profile, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, autonomic function, sexual function, quality of life and adverse events. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Institutional Ethics Committee at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur has approved this study (AIIMS/IEC/2022/4172, 19 September 2022). We plan to disseminate the research findings via closed group discussions at the site of study, scientific conferences, peer-reviewed published manuscripts and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2022/10/046411.

The Differentially Expressed Genes Responsible for the Development of T Helper 9 Cells From T Helper 2 Cells in Various Disease States: Immuno-Interactomics Study.

BACKGROUND: T helper (Th) 9 cells are a novel subset of Th cells that develop independently from Th2 cells and are characterized by the secretion of interleukin (IL)-9. Studies have suggested the involvement of Th9 cells in variable diseases such as allergic and pulmonary diseases (eg, asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, and pulmonary hypoplasia), metabolic diseases (eg, acute leukemia, myelocytic leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer), neuropsychiatric disorders (eg, Alzheimer disease), autoimmune diseases (eg, Graves disease, Crohn disease, colitis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, eczema), and infectious diseases (eg, tuberculosis, hepatitis). However, there is a dearth of information on its involvement in other metabolic, neuropsychiatric, and infectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify significant differentially altered genes in the conversion of Th2 to Th9 cells, and their regulating microRNAs (miRs) from publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus data sets of the mouse model using in silico analysis to unravel various pathogenic pathways involved in disease processes. METHODS: Using differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified from 2 publicly available data sets (GSE99166 and GSE123501) we performed functional enrichment and network analyses to identify pathways, protein-protein interactions, miR-messenger RNA associations, and disease-gene associations related to significant differentially altered genes implicated in the conversion of Th2 to Th9 cells. RESULTS: We extracted 260 common downregulated, 236 common upregulated, and 634 common DEGs from the expression profiles of data sets GSE99166 and GSE123501. Codifferentially expressed ILs, cytokines, receptors, and transcription factors (TFs) were enriched in 7 crucial Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and Gene Ontology. We constructed the protein-protein interaction network and predicted the top regulatory miRs involved in the Th2 to Th9 differentiation pathways. We also identified various metabolic, allergic and pulmonary, neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, and infectious diseases as well as carcinomas where the differentiation of Th2 to Th9 may play a crucial role. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified hitherto unexplored possible associations between Th9 and disease states. Some important ILs, including CCL1 (chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 1), CCL20 (chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 20), IL-13, IL-4, IL-12A, and IL-9; receptors, including IL-12RB1, IL-4RA (interleukin 9 receptor alpha), CD53 (cluster of differentiation 53), CD6 (cluster of differentiation 6), CD5 (cluster of differentiation 5), CD83 (cluster of differentiation 83), CD197 (cluster of differentiation 197), IL-1RL1 (interleukin 1 receptor-like 1), CD101 (cluster of differentiation 101), CD96 (cluster of differentiation 96), CD72 (cluster of differentiation 72), CD7 (cluster of differentiation 7), CD152 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4), CD38 (cluster of differentiation 38), CX3CR1 (chemokine [C-X3-C motif] receptor 1), CTLA2A (cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 2 alpha), CTLA28, and CD196 (cluster of differentiation 196); and TFs, including FOXP3 (forkhead box P3), IRF8 (interferon regulatory factor 8), FOXP2 (forkhead box P2), RORA (RAR-related orphan receptor alpha), AHR (aryl-hydrocarbon receptor), MAF (avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog), SMAD6 (SMAD family member 6), JUN (Jun proto-oncogene), JAK2 (Janus kinase 2), EP300 (E1A binding protein p300), ATF6 (activating transcription factor 6), BTAF1 (B-TFIID TATA-box binding protein associated factor 1), BAFT (basic leucine zipper transcription factor), NOTCH1 (neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1), GATA3 (GATA binding protein 3), SATB1 (special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1), BMP7 (bone morphogenetic protein 7), and PPARG (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, were able to identify significant differentially altered genes in the conversion of Th2 to Th9 cells. We identified some common miRs that could target the DEGs. The scarcity of studies on the role of Th9 in metabolic diseases highlights the lacunae in this field. Our study provides the rationale for exploring the role of Th9 in various metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive disease, ischemic stroke, steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, obesity, adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma and glioma, malignant neoplasm of stomach, melanoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, pancreatic carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, and stomach carcinoma.

Adrenal imaging in clinical decision-making: Few classical cases and review.

The differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesion (SOL)s of adrenal gland is broad and ranges from benign to malignant. The diagnosis is important as management and prognosis differ widely. Increased use of imaging has led to common phenomena of adrenal incidentalomas confronting endocrinologists and radiologists alike. Adrenal gland is the only organ in pandora's box- abdomen - atrophy of which can have myriad clinical features and life-threatening implications. The adrenal imaging has come a long way from ancillary of biochemical diagnosis to mandatory in adrenal investigation protocol. This review attempts to summarize current status, future trend and pitfalls of adrenal imaging in endocrinology.

Insights from Surgically treated Post Covid Acute Invasive Fungal Rhino-Orbital sinusitis in Chandrapur Study (SPAROS): A Population Based study of Coronavirus Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) characteristics in India.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) became a public health problem in India in 2021. However, information about the incidence, presentation and prognosis of CAM remains sparse. Methods: This study describes 100 cases from the Surgically treated Post COVID Acute invasive fungal Rhino-Orbital Sinusitis in Chandrapur (SPAROS) study, a prospective observational follow-up study of patients with CAM diagnosed in Chandrapur district, India. Two-step cluster analysis using four input variables - blood glucose on admission, diabetes status, glucocorticoid exposure and severity of COVID-19 - was used to define three distinct CAM clusters. Results: The incidence of CAM in the general population was 7.1 cases/1000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Steroid exposure and pre-existing diabetes were present in 76% and 55% of cases, respectively. At median follow-up of 18 days, only two deaths had been recorded, while 93 cases were stable. Glucocorticoids, particularly methylprednisolone, seemed to precipitate CAM. Admission to the intensive care unit appeared to be predictive of less extensive surgery. Discussion: Three subtypes of CAM were identified: COVID-19-associated diabetes and mucormycosis, COVID-19-associated classical mucormycosis, and COVID-19-induced mucormycosis. A CAM hypothesis was proposed based on the dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 and glucose regulated protein. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics, natural course and pathogenesis of CAM differ from mucormycosis in the pre-COVID era. It is hoped that this classification will be useful in CAM management.

Therapeutic potential of biogenic and optimized silver nanoparticles using Rubia cordifolia L. leaf extract.

Rubia cordifolia L. is a widely used traditional medicine in the Indian sub-continent and Eastern Asia. In the present study, the aqueous leaf extract of the R. Cordifolia was used to fabricate silver nanoparticles (RC@AgNPs), following a green synthesis approach. Effect of temperature (60 °C), pH (8), as well the concentration of leaf extract (2 ml) and silver nitrate (2 mM) were optimized for the synthesis of stable RC@AgNPs. The phytofabrication of nanosilver was validated by UV-visible spectral analysis, which displayed a distinctive surface plasmon resonance peak at 432 nm. The effective functional molecules as capping and stabilizing agents, and responsible for the conversion of Ag+ to nanosilver (Ag0) were identified using the FTIR spectra. The spherical RC@AgNPs with an average size of ~ 20.98 nm, crystalline nature, and 61% elemental composition were revealed by TEM, SEM, XRD, and. EDX. Biogenic RC@AgNPs displayed a remarkable anticancer activity against B16F10 (melanoma) and A431 (carcinoma) cell lines with respective IC50 of 36.63 and 54.09 µg/mL, respectively. Besides, RC@AgNPs showed strong antifungal activity against aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus, DNA-binding properties, and DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition. The presented research provides a potential therapeutic agent to be utilized in various biomedical applications.

Evaluation of ethnopharmacologically selected Vitex negundo L. for In vitro antimalarial activity and secondary metabolite profiling.

ETHANOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Limited drugs, rise in drug resistance against frontline anti-malarial drugs, non-availability of efficacious vaccines and high cost of drug development hinders malaria intervention programs. Search for safe, effective and affordable plant based anti-malarial agents, thus becomes crucial and vital in the current scenario. The Vitex negundo L. is medicinal plant possessing a variety of pharmaceutically important compounds. The plant is used traditionally worldwide for the treatment of malaria including India and Malaysia by the indigenous tribes. In vitro studies have reported the anti-malarial use of the plant in traditional medicinal systems. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the current study is to evaluate the traditionally used medicinal plants for in vitro anti-malarial activity against human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and profiling secondary metabolite using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Chemical profiling of active secondary metabolites in the extracts was undertaken using LC-MS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the ethno-botanical data V. negundo L. was selected for in vitro anti-malarial activity against P. falciparum chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and multidrug resistant (K1) strains using SYBR Green-I based fluorescence assay. Cytotoxicity of extracts was evaluated in VERO cell line using the MTT assay. Haemolysis assay was performed using human red blood cells. Secondary metabolites profiling was undertaken using chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis. Liquid chromatography analysis was performed using a C18, 150 X 2.1, 2.6 µm column with gradient mobile phase Solvent A: 95% (H2O: ACN), Solvent B: Acetonitrile, Solvent C: Methanol, Solvent D: 5 mM NH4 in 95:5 (H2O: ACN) at a constant flow rate of 0.250 ml/min. The LC-MS spectra were acquired in both positive and negative ion modes with electrospray ionization (ESI) source. RESULTS: The anti-malarial active extract of V. negundo L. leaf exhibited potent anti-malarial activity with IC50 values of 7.21 µg/ml and 7.43 µg/ml against 3D7 and K1 strains, respectively with no evidence of significant cytotoxicity against mammalian cell line (VERO) and no toxicity as observed in haemolysis assay. The HPLC-LC-MS analysis of the extract led to identification of 73 compounds. We report for the first time the presence of Sabinene hydrate acetate, 5-Hydroxyoxindole, 2(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6, 7-dimethoxychromen-4-one, Cyclotetracosa-1, 13-diene and 5, 7-Dimethoxyflavanone in the anti-malarial active extract of V. negundo L. leaf. Agnuside, Behenic acid and Globulol are some of the novel compounds with no reports of anti-malarial activity so far and require further evaluation in pure form for the development of potent anti-malarial compounds. CONCLUSIONS: The result report and scientifically validate the traditional use of V. negundo L. for the treatment of malaria providing new avenues for anti-malarial drug development. Several novel and unknown compounds were identified that need to be further characterized for anti-malarial potential.

Acute Psychosis Consequent to Total Thyroidectomy: An Etiological Conundrum.

Total thyroidectomy has evolved from a vilipended surgery owing to its high mortality to one with commonly performed surgery with minimal complications. After a total thyroidectomy many patients are left hypothyroid and/or hypoparathyroid, and thus prone to develop neuropsychiatric complications. Although anxiety and depression are the common manifestations, acute psychosis consequent to total thyroidectomy is rarely reported. Herein, we present the case of a 55-year-old female with a massive neck swelling diagnosed as papillary carcinoma of thyroid with bilateral metastatic cervical lymph nodes for which total thyroidectomy with bilateral modified neck dissection was performed. Postoperatively, she developed symptoms of altered sensorium, disorientation, insomnia, agitation, and delusions of persecution as well as suffered from two episodes of generalized seizures. Initially, suspected to be delirium, the persistence of the psychotic symptoms led to revision of diagnosis to psychotic disorder due to another general medical condition. The acute neuropsychiatric manifestations consequent to major thyroid surgeries may seldom leave the surgeon by surprise. Hence, a multidisciplinary liaising for major thyroid surgeries is the need of hour to avert severe emergencies.

Bronchial Carcinoid Tumour as a Rare Cause of Cushing's Syndrome in Children: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is rare in childhood and adolescence. The most common paediatric cause of CS is exogenous administration of glucocorticoids; either topical, inhaled or oral corticosteroids. Endogenous causes can be classified into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent and ACTH dependent causes. Herein, we report our experience of managing a 12 year old girl who presented with features of CS and was found to have an ectopic, ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoid tumour, which was resected surgically. Our patient was managed successfully by multidisciplinary approach and has recovered from hypertension and Cushing's habitus. The English language literature was searched from 2019 back, using PubMed, Google and Google Scholar. Keywords used for the search were; "Ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) in children", "bronchial carcinoid in children" and "Cushing's Syndrome in children". Children with bronchial carcinoid tumours causing EAS were identified. Case variables such as age, sex, type of carcinoid, investigations, surgery, recurrences and outcome were reviewed. Fourteen cases of paediatric bronchial carcinoid producing ACTH were found with a mean age of 15.8 years and female preponderance. Most of the patients had a right lung lesion and histological appearance was typical of carcinoid tumour. Bronchial carcinoid is extremely rare in children and only 4% are associated with CS. The postoperative treatment of CS is challenging with a high prevalence of hypertension, increased body mass index and visceral fat mass, impaired cognitive function and decreased quality of life. A careful follow up is indispensable for monitoring recurrence of carcinoid and complete remission of CS.

Cytotoxic, Antimitotic, DNA Binding, Photocatalytic, H2O2 Sensing, and Antioxidant Properties of Biofabricated Silver Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken.

Bryophyllum pinnatum is a perennial herb traditionally used in ethnomedicine. In the present report, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using B. pinnatum leaf extract. BP-AgNPs were confirmed following UV-Vis spectroscopy with SPR peak at 412 nm and further characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM. Microscopic images confirmed the spherical shape and ~15 nm average size of nanostructures. BP-AgNPs were evaluated for photocatalytic degradation of hazardous dyes (methylene blue and Rhodamine-B) and showed their complete reduction within 100 and 110 min., respectively. BP-AgNPs have emerged as a unique SPR-based novel sensor for the detection of H2O2, which may deliver exciting prospects in clinical and industrial areas. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activity were studied with respective IC50 values of 89 and 259 µg/mL. A strong intercalating interaction of CT-DNA with BP-AgNPs was investigated. Observed chromosomal abnormalities confirm the antimitotic potential of BP-AgNPs in the meristematic root tip. The cytotoxicity of BP-AgNPs against B16F10 (melanoma cell line) and A431 (squamous cell carcinoma cell line), was assessed with respective IC50 values of 59.5 and 96.61 µg/ml after 24 h of treatment. The presented green synthetic approach provides a novel and new door for environmental, industrial, and biomedical applications.

Tale of two rare diseases.

Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) phenotype is variable &various genes have been decribed in association with IHH. We describe association of IHH with mosaic trisomy 13. A 20 year old male presented with lack of development of secondary sexual characters, normal height, micropenis, small testes, gynaecomastia, absence of axillary and pubic hairs, hyposmia, synkinesis, bilateral horizontal nystagmus and high arched palate. Investigations showed low gonadotropin, low total testosterone, LH after stimulation with 100 mcg tryptorelin sc was 11.42 mU/mL at 40 min. MRI of hypothalamo-pituitary region showed normal olfactory bulb and tract but shallow olfactory sulcus. Karyotype showed homologous Robertsonian translocation of chromosome 13. This case fits classical IHH except for LH rise on stimulation. Features of Patau syndrome which is associated with trisomy 13 are absent in our case. Mosaic trisomy 13, which can otherwise be rare incidental finding, has not been described in association with IHH. Causal association of novel mutation on chromosome 13 leading to aforementioned phenotype cannot be rule out.

Management of a case of ankylosing spondylitis for total hip replacement surgery with the use of ultrasound-assisted central neuraxial blockade.

Management of a case of ankylosing spondylitis can be very challenging when the airway and the central neuraxial blockade, both are difficult. Ultrasound-assisted central neuraxial blockade may lead to predictable success in the field of regional anaesthesia. We present a young patient with severe ankylosing spondylitis where conventional techniques failed and ultrasound helped in successful combined spinal-epidural technique for total hip replacement surgery.

Comparison of size 2 i-gel supraglottic airway with LMA-ProSeal™ and LMA-Classic™ in spontaneously breathing children undergoing elective surgery.

BACKGROUND: We compared size 2 i-gel(®) (Intersurgical Inc.), a relatively new supraglottic airway device for use in spontaneously breathing anesthesized children with two different types of laryngeal mask airway-ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) and Classic™ laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) for the ease of insertion, oropharyngeal sealing pressures (OSPs), and air leak. The hemodynamic effects on insertion of device and postoperative adverse effects were also noted. METHODS: A randomized prospective study was planned in 120 children aged 2-5 years, weighing 10-20 kg, ASA physical status I-II scheduled for routine elective surgeries of <1-h duration. They were randomly divided in three groups (i-gel, PLMA, and cLMA) of 40 each, and a standard protocol for anesthesia was followed. RESULTS: The age, weight, height, and type of surgery were similar in all groups. Success rate for first attempt was 95% for the i-gel group and 90% for the two laryngeal mask airway groups. Insertion was found to be easy in the majority of cases in all groups, and there was no change in blood pressure, heart rate, or oxygen saturation on insertion. The OSP was 26 ± 2.6, 23 ± 1.2, and 22 ± 2.3 cm H(2)O for i-gel, PLMA, and cLMA, respectively. The difference between the i-gel and both laryngeal mask airway groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). There were no clinically important complications in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: Pediatric size 2 i-gel is easy to insert and provides higher OSP compared with same size PLMA and cLMA in spontaneously breathing children undergoing elective surgery. It may be a safe alternative to laryngeal mask airways in day care surgeries.

Efficacy of chemically characterized Piper betle L. essential oil against fungal and aflatoxin contamination of some edible commodities and its antioxidant activity.

The study investigates fungal contamination in some dry fruits, spices and areca nut and evaluation of the essential oil (EO) of Piper betle var. magahi for its antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant properties. A total of 1651 fungal isolates belonging to 14 species were isolated from the samples and Aspergillus was recorded as the dominant genus with 6 species. Eleven aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) producing strains of A. flavus were recorded from the samples. Eugenol (63.39%) and acetyleugenol (14.05%) were the major components of 32 constituents identified from the Piper betle EO through GC and GC-MS analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of P. betle EO was found 0.7 microl/ml against A.flavus. The EO reduced AFB(1) production in a dose dependent manner and completely inhibited at 0.6 microl/ml. This is the first report on efficacy of P. betle EO as aflatoxin suppressor. EO also exhibited strong antioxidant potential as its IC(50) value (3.6 microg/ml) was close to that of ascorbic acid (3.2 microg/ml) and lower than that of the synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytouene (BHT) (7.4 microg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (4.5 microg/ml). P. betle EO thus exhibited special merits possessing antifungal, aflatoxin suppressive and antioxidant characters which are desirable for an ideal preservative. Hence, its application as a plant based food additive in protection and enhancement of shelf life of edible commodities during storage and processing is strongly recommended in view of the toxicological implications by synthetic preservatives.

Chemical profile, antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant activity of Citrus maxima Burm. and Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck essential oils and their cyclic monoterpene, DL-limonene.

The study deals with antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant activity of Citrus maxima and Citrus sinensis essential oils (EOs) and their phytochemical composition. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and their chemical profile was determined through GC and GC-MS analysis. Both the EOs and their 1:1 combination showed broad fungitoxic spectrum against different food contaminating moulds. The EOs and their combination completely inhibited aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) production at 500 ppm, whereas, DL-limonene, the major component of EOs showed better antiaflatoxigenic efficacy even at 250 ppm. Both the oils exhibited antioxidant activity as DPPH free radical scavenger in dose dependent manner. The IC(50) for radical scavenging efficacy of C. maxima and C. sinensis oils were to be 8.84 and 9.45 microl ml(-1), respectively. The EOs were found non-mammalian toxic showing high LD(50) for mice (oral, acute). The oils may be recommended as safe plant based antimicrobials as well as antioxidants for enhancement of shelf life of food commodities by checking their fungal infestation, aflatoxin production as well as lipid peroxidation.

Chemical composition, antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities of Ocimum sanctum L. essential oil and its safety assessment as plant based antimicrobial.

The study deals with the efficacy of Ocimum sanctum essential oil (EO) and its major component, eugenol against the fungi causing biodeterioration of food stuffs during storage. O. sanctum EO and eugenol were found efficacious in checking growth of Aspergillus flavus NKDHV8; and, their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were recorded as 0.3 and 0.2 microl ml(-1), respectively. The O. sanctum EO and eugenol also inhibited the aflatoxin B1 production completely at 0.2 and 0.1 microl ml(-1), respectively. Both of these were found superior over some prevalent synthetic antifungals and exhibited broad fungitoxic spectrum against 12 commonly occurring fungi. The LD50 value of O. sanctum EO on mice was found to be 4571.43 microl kg(-1) suggesting its non-mammalian toxic nature. The findings of present study reveals the possible exploitation of O. sanctum EO and eugenol as plant based safe preservatives against fungal spoilage of food stuffs during storage.

Efficacy of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown essential oil and its monoterpene aldehyde constituents against fungi isolated from some edible legume seeds and aflatoxin B1 production.

The present study deals with evaluation of antifungal properties of Lippia alba essential oil (EO) and two of its monoterpene aldehyde constituents against legume-contaminating fungi. Seventeen different fungal species were isolated from 11 varieties of legumes, and aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus were identified. Hydrodistillation method was used to extract the EO from fresh leaves. The GC and GC-MS analysis of EO revealed the monoterpene aldehydes viz. geranial (22.2%) and neral (14.2%) as the major components. The antifungal activity of EO, geranial and neral was evaluated by contact assay on Czapek's-dox agar. The EO (0.25-1 microL/mL) and its two constituents (1 microL/mL) showed remarkable antifungal effects against all the fungal isolates (growth inhibition range 32.1-100%). Their minimal inhibitory (MIC) and fungicidal (MFC) concentrations for A. flavus were lower than those of the systemic fungicide Bavistin. Aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) production by three isolates of A. flavus was strongly inhibited even at the lower fungistatic concentration of EO and its constituents. There was no adverse effect of treatments on seed germination, and rather, there was enhanced seedling growth in the EO-treated seeds. It is concluded that L. alba EO and two of its constituents could be safely used as effective preservative for food legumes against fungal infections and mycotoxins.