Investigation of in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of Nostoc calcicola biosynthesized gold nanoparticles.

The cyanobacteria are the promising candidate for synthesizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), due to their ability to accumulate heavy metals from the cellular environment and additionally contain varied bioactive compounds as reducing and stabilizing agents. This study describes the N2-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc calcicola-mediated bioreduction of AuNPs and the inherent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities in vitro. Biosynthesized Nc-AuNPs were characterized by spectral characterization techniques. The formation of AuNPs was physically confirmed by the colour change from pale green to dark violet. The UV-Vis analysis, further, proved the reduction in Nc-AuNPs with the cyanobacterium and showed a spectral peak at 527 nm. FESEM-EDX images suggested the surface morphology of the NPs as spherical, cuboidal, and size between 20 and 140 nm. The antimicrobial studies of Nc-AuNPs were carried out by agar-well diffusion method and MIC values against five pathogenic bacterial and two fungal strains were noted. The AuNPs exhibited potential antimicrobial activity against h-pathogenic bacteria with inhibitory zones ranging at 11-18 mm; against fungi ranging at 13-17 mm. Significant antioxidant potentialities were explored by a DPPH assay with an IC50 value of 55.97 µg/ mL. Furthermore, in the anticancer efficacy assay, the Nc-AuNPs inhibited cellular proliferation in human breast adenocarcinoma and cervical cancer cell lines at IC50 concentration, 37.3 µg/ml, and 44.5 µg/ml, respectively. Conclusively, N. calcicola would be an excellent source for synthesizing stable colloidal AuNPs that had significant credibility as phycological (algal) nanomedicines as novel prodrugs with multiple bioactivities.

Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 gene polymorphisms with essential hypertension in the population of Odisha, India.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a serious health issue worldwide and essential hypertension, which includes 90-95% of the cases, is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Identification of these factors may help in control of this disease. The Insertion/Deletion (I/D) polymorphism in Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) gene and rs2106809 (C > T) polymorphism in Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene have been reported to be associated with essential hypertension in different populations. AIM: To investigate the association of ACE I/D and ACE2 rs2106809 polymorphisms with essential hypertension in the population of Odisha, an eastern Indian state. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 246 hypertensives (159 males and 87 females) and 274 normotensives (158 males and 116 females) were enrolled in the study. Detailed anthropometric data, tobacco, alcohol and food habits were recorded and 2 ml of venous blood was collected for biochemical and genetic analysis. RESULTS: The DD genotype of ACE and TT genotype of ACE2 were significantly high among female hypertensives, while T allele of ACE2 was linked to male hypertensives. In the male population, alcohol was also identified as a potential risk factor. CONCLUSION: Among females, ACE I/D and ACE2 rs2106809 polymorphisms, while among males, ACE2 rs2106809 polymorphism and alcohol consumption are associated with essential hypertension in the study population.

Biosynthesis and characterisations of silver nanoparticles with filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp. with in vitro antibacterial properties against MDR pathogenic bacteria.

This study describes phycocompounds of the non-N2-fixing filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp., which has potential bio-reducing and stabilizing heavy metal-accumulating properties for synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), whose formation was confirmed by the colour change of the Lyngbya sp.-AgNP solution from pale green to deep brown. The reduction of 'Lyngbya sp.-AgNPs', called Lsp-AgNPs, was proved by UV-visible photo-spectrometry analysis with an obtained peak value at 426 nm. Lsp-AgNPs were characterised by analytical techniques, XRD, FESEM, DLS and FTIR. The XRD analysis with 5-70 theta was obtained at 2Ï´ angles ranging from 38.79º with intensity, indicating the crystal structure of Lsp-AgNPs. The FESEM analysis indicated the area size at 20-50 µm; in the DLS analysis, the peak at 400 d nm indicated the size and distribution of Lsp-AgNPs. In FTIR analysis, the peaks were obtained at wavenumbers 3338, 1639, and 542 cm-1, which indicated the presence of N-H, -OH and C=O functional groups in Lsp-AgNPs. Those had in vitro antibacterial activities against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MTCC 443) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 7443) bacterial strains with zone of inhibitions (ZOI) of 16, 12 and 14 mm, respectively, with comparing the antibiotic gentamycin as a positive control, as was monitored with agar-well diffusion method. Furthermore, the MIC value was 50 mg/ml, and MBC values of 65 mg/ml of Lsp-AgNPs were effective against those bacteria. Thus, Lsp-AgNPs had potential antibacterial activities against MDR pathogenic S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, MDR pathogenic bacteria could be controlled as prodrugs in the future.

Recent advancements on antibiotic bioremediation in wastewaters with a focus on algae: an overview.

Antibiotic contamination from hospitals, animal husbandry, and municipal wastewater is graver than imagined, and it possess serious risks to the health of humans and animals, with the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria; those affect the growth of higher plants too. Conventional wastewater treatment methods adopted today are inadequate for removing antibiotics from wastewater. Intuitively, the remediation process using mixed algae should be effective enough, for which algae-based remediation technologies have emerged as sustainable remedial methods. This review summarized the detection of antibiotics in field water in most countries; a comprehensive overview of algae-based technologies, algal adsorption, accumulation, biodegradation, photodegradation, hydrolysis, and the use of algae-bacteria consortia for the remediation of antibiotics in wastewaters in done. Green algae namely, Chlamydomonas sp., Chlorella sp., C. vulgaris, Spyrogira sp. Scenedesmus quadricauda, S. obliquus, S. dimorphus, Haematoccus pluvialis, and Nannochlopsis sp., had been reporting have 90-100% antibiotic removal efficiency. The integration of bioelectrochemical systems and genetically engineered prokaryotic algal species offer promising avenues for improving antibiotic removal in the future. Overall, this review highlights the need for tenacious research and development of algae-based technologies to reduce antibiotic contamination in aquatic environments, for holistic good.

Recent progression on phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of the filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp.

The distribution and phytochemistry of the non-nitrogen fixing, filamentous cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) Lyngbya sp., and the inherent antimicrobial and anticancer activities of its phycochemicals as well as of the biosynthesized nanoparticles as their pharmaceutical potencies are considered. Several phycocompounds of curio, apramide, apratoxin, benderamide, cocosamides, deoxymajusculamide, flavonoids, lagunamides, lipids, proteins, amino acids, lyngbyabellin, lyngbyastatin, majusculamide, peptides, etc. were isolated from Lyngbya sp., which had a lot of potential pharmaceutical activities; those compounds had antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, ultraviolet protectant, and other activities. Particularly, several Lyngbya phycocompounds had potent antimicrobial potencies, seen through in vitro controlling of several frequently encountered multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinically belligerent strains of pathogenic bacteria isolated from clinical samples. The aqueous extracts of Lyngbya sp. were used for the synthesis of silver and copper oxide nanoparticles, which were used in pharmacological trials too. The nanoparticles biosynthesized with Lyngbya sp. had several uses such as biofuel, agro-based applications, in cosmetics, and industrial uses as biopolymers, and being potent antimicrobial and anticancer agents and in drug-delivery too, as medical applications. It could be concluded that the Lyngbya phycochemicals and the biosynthesized nanoparticles have future uses as antimicrobial namely as bacterial and fungal and anti-cancer agents, with promising medical and industrial uses.

Diastolic Dysfunction Is a Predictor of Poor Survival in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) appears to be the earliest cardiac disturbance in cirrhosis patients. There are many previous reports reporting the significance of severity of LVDD on the outcome of liver transplantation or TIPS insertion, a few Indian studies have addressed the role of LVDD on survival in decompensated cirrhosis. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of LVDD on the survival of decompensated cirrhotic patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 92 decompensated cirrhotic patients from April 2015 to March 2017 at IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, India. 2D echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging was used to evaluate cardiac function, as per the American society of echocardiography guidelines. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of LVDD on overall mortality. RESULTS: Ninety-two decompensated cirrhotic patients were evaluated in this prospective cohort study. Twenty-eight out of 92 patients (30%) died due to liver-related complications after a follow-up of 24 months. The decompensated cirrhotic patients with MELD score ≥ 15 had a significantly higher E/e' ratio (11.94 ± 4.24 vs. 8.74 ± 3.32, p < 0.001) suggesting severe LV dysfunction in advanced cirrhosis. Patients with E/e' ratio > 10 had significantly higher MELD score and Child-Pugh score (19.88 ± 7.72 vs. 14.31 ± 5.83; 10.25 ± 1.74 vs. 9.02 ± 1.74, p < 0.01, respectively) as compared to theE/e' ratio < 10 group. In Cox proportional hazard multivariate analysis, E/e' ≥ 10 (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.07-6.9, p = 0.03) and serum albumin (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.14-0.7, p < 0.01) were found to be independent predictors of mortality in decompensated cirrhotic patients. CONCLUSION: : The presence of LVDD and low serum albumin were independent predictors of mortality in decompensated cirrhotic patients. Hence, LVDD is an indicator of advanced cirrhosis and mortality.

Aldosterone synthase C-344T, angiotensin II type 1 receptor A1166C and 11-ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase G534A gene polymorphisms and essential hypertension in the population of Odisha, India.

Essential hypertension which accounts 90-95% of the total hypertension cases is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. This study was undertaken to investigate the association of aldosterone synthase C-344T, angiotensin II type I receptor A1166C and 11- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 G534A polymorphisms with essential hypertension in the population of Odisha, India. A total of 246 hypertensive subjects (males, 159; females, 87) and 274 normal healthy individuals (males, 158; females, 116) were enrolled in this study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Analysis of genetic and biochemical data revealed that in this population the CT and TT genotypes of aldosterone synthase C-344T polymorphism, frequency of alcohol consumption and aldosterone levels were significantly high among the total as well as male hypertensives, while the AC and CC genotypes of angiotensin II type I receptor A1166C polymorphism were significantly high among the total as well as female hypertensives. High density lipoprotein levels were higher in male hypertensives.