Transcriptome analysis of ovules offers early developmental clues after fertilization in Cicer arietinum L.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds are valued for their nutritional scores and limited information on the molecular mechanisms of chickpea fertilization and seed development is available. In the current work, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed on two different stages of chickpea ovules (pre- and post-fertilization) to identify key regulatory transcripts. Two-staged transcriptome sequencing was generated and over 208 million reads were mapped to quantify transcript abundance during fertilization events. Mapping to the reference genome showed that the majority (92.88%) of high-quality Illumina reads were aligned to the chickpea genome. Reference-guided genome and transcriptome assembly yielded a total of 28,783 genes. Of these, 3399 genes were differentially expressed after the fertilization event. These involve upregulated genes including a protease-like secreted in CO(2) response (LOC101500970), amino acid permease 4-like (LOC101506539), and downregulated genes MYB-related protein 305-like (LOC101493897), receptor like protein 29 (LOC101491695). WGCNA analysis and pairwise comparison of datasets, successfully constructed four co-expression modules. Transcription factor families including bHLH, MYB, MYB-related, C2H2 zinc finger, ERF, WRKY and NAC transcription factor were also found to be activated after fertilization. Activation of these genes and transcription factors results in the accumulation of carbohydrates and proteins by enhancing their trafficking and biosynthesis. Total 17 differentially expressed genes, were randomly selected for qRT-PCR for validation of transcriptome analysis and showed statistically significant correlations with the transcriptome data. Our findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying changes in fertilized chickpea ovules. This work may come closer to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that initiate developmental events in chickpea seeds after fertilization. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03599-8.

Commercialization potential of agro-based polyhydroxyalkanoates biorefinery: A technical perspective on advances and critical barriers.

The exponential increase in the use and careless discard of synthetic plastics has created an alarming concern over the environmental health due to the detrimental effects of petroleum based synthetic polymeric compounds. Piling up of these plastic commodities on various ecological niches and entry of their fragmented parts into soil and water has clearly affected the quality of these ecosystems in the past few decades. Among the many constructive strategies developed to tackle this global issue, use of biopolymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates as sustainable alternatives for synthetic plastics has gained momentum. Despite their excellent material properties and significant biodegradability, polyhydroxyalkanoates still fails to compete with their synthetic counterparts majorly due to the high cost associated with their production and purification thereby limiting their commercialization. Usage of renewable feedstocks as substrates for polyhydroxyalkanoates production has been the thrust area of research to attain the sustainability tag. This review work attempts to provide insights about the recent developments in the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates using renewable feedstock along with various pretreatment methods used for substrate preparation for polyhydroxyalkanoates production. Further, the application of blends based on polyhydroxyalkanoates, and the challenges associated with the waste valorization based polyhydroxyalkanoates production strategy is elaborated in this review work.

Filamentous fungi for sustainable vegan food production systems within a circular economy: Present status and future prospects.

Filamentous fungi serve as potential candidates in the production of different value-added products. In the context of food, there are several advantages of using filamentous fungi for food. Among the main advantages is that the fungal biomass used food not only meets basic nutritional requirements but that it is also rich in protein, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. This speaks to the potential of filamentous fungi in the production of food that can substitute animal-derived protein sources such as meat. Moreover, life-cycle analyses and techno-economic analyses reveal that fungal proteins perform better than animal-derived proteins in terms of land use efficiency as well as global warming. The present article provides an overview of the potential of filamentous fungi as a source of food and food supplements. The commercialization potential as well as social, legal and safety issues of fungi-based food products are discussed.

Efficient removal of total arsenic (As3+/5+) from contaminated water by novel strategies mediated iron and plant extract activated waste flowers of marigold.

In this investigation, marigold flower-waste was activated with iron salts (MG-Fe), subsequently marigold plant extract (MG-Fe-Ex) for the adsorptive elimination of As3+ and As5+ from contaminated water. The governing factor such as medium pH, temperature, pollutant concentration, reaction time, adsorbent dose were considered for the study. The complete elimination of As3+/5+ was recorded with MG-Fe-Ex at pH 8.0, 90 min, 30 °C, dose 4 g/L, 20 mg/L of As3+/5+ and shaking rate 120 rpm, while under the identical experimental condition, MG-Fe exhibited 98.4% and 73.3% removal for As5+ and As3+, respectively. The MG-Fe-Ex contains iron oxides (Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) as a result of iron ions reaction with plant bioactive molecules as evident from x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic study. The adsorption data of As3+/5+ on MG-Fe and MG-Fe-Ex was best fitted by pseudo-first order kinetic and freundlich isotherm except As5+ adsorption on MG-Fe-Ex that can be described by langmuir isotherm model. The prevailing mechanism in adsorption of As3+/5+ on both adsorbent might be hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction and complexation. From the above, it is confirmed that MG-Fe-Ex adsorbent has high potential and can be used for the adsorptive elimination of As3+/5+ from contaminated water in sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

The emergence of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) as a phytomedicine: A two-facet role in plant growth, nano-toxicity and anti-phyto-microbial activity.

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) has recently emerged as an area of high interest owing to the rapid surge of AMR phenotypes. Metal oxide NPs (MeONPs) have been identified as novel phytomedicine and have recently peaked a lot of interest due to their potential applications in combating phytopathogens, besides enhancing plant growth and yields. Numerous MeONPs (Ti2O, MgO, CuO, Ag2O, SiO2, ZnO, and CaO) have been synthesized and tested to validate their antimicrobial roles without causing toxicity to the cells. This review discusses the application of the MeONPs with special emphasis on anti-microbial activities in agriculture and enlists how cellular toxicity caused through reactive oxygen species (ROS) production affects plant growth, morphology, and viability. This review further highlights the two-facet role of silver and copper oxide NPs including their anti-microbial applications and toxicities. Furthermore, the factor modulating nanotoxicity and immunomodulation for cytokine production has also been discussed. Thus, this article will not only provide the researchers with the potential bottlenecks but also emphasizes a comprehensive outline of breakthroughs in the applicability of MeONPs in agriculture.

Effect of Myricetin on CYP2C8 Inhibition to Assess the Likelihood of Drug Interaction Using In Silico, In Vitro, and In Vivo Approaches.

Myricetin, a bioflavonoid, is widely used as functional food/complementary medicine and has promising multifaceted pharmacological actions against therapeutically validated anticancer targets. On the other hand, CYP2C8 is not only crucial for alteration in the pharmacokinetics of drugs to cause drug interaction but also unequivocally important for the metabolism of endogenous substances like the formation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are considered as signaling molecules against hallmarks of cancer. However, there is hardly any information known to date about the effect of myricetin on CYP2C8 inhibition and, subsequently, the CYP2C8-mediated drug interaction potential of myricetin at the preclinical/clinical level. We aimed here to explore the CYP2C8 inhibitory potential of myricetin using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo investigations. In the in vitro study, myricetin showed a substantial effect on CYP2C8 inhibition in human liver microsomes using CYP2C8-catalyzed amodiaquine-N-deethylation as an index reaction. Considering the Lineweaver-Burk plot, the Dixon plot, and the higher α-value, myricetin is found to be a mixed type of CYP2C8 inhibitor. Moreover, in vitro-in vivo extrapolation data suggest that myricetin is likely to cause drug interaction at the hepatic level. The molecular docking study depicted a strong interaction between myricetin and the active site of the human CYP2C8 enzyme. Moreover, myricetin caused considerable elevation in the oral exposure of amodiaquine as a CYP2C8 substrate via a slowdown of amodiaquine clearance in the rat model. Overall, the potent action of myricetin on CYP2C8 inhibition indicates that there is a need for further exploration to avoid drug interaction-mediated precipitation of obvious adverse effects as well as to optimize anticancer therapy.

Production of Effective Phyto-antimicrobials via Metabolic Engineering Strategies.

The emerging outbreak of infectious diseases poses a challenge and threatens human survival. The indiscriminate use and drying pipelines of antibiotic arsenals have led to the alarming rise of drug-resistant pathogens, projecting a serious concern. The rising antimicrobial resistance and redundancy of antibiotic discovery platforms (ADPs) have highlighted the growing concern to discover new antibiotics, necessitating exploring natural products as effective alternatives to counter drug resistance. Recently, plants have been extensively investigated in search of the "phytotherapeutics", attributed to their potential efficacy and tackling the majority of the drug-resistant mechanisms, including biofilms, efflux pumps, cell communication, and membrane proteins. However, major challenges in geographical fluctuations, low plant concentration, and over-harvestation of natural resources restrict availability and complete utilization of phyto-therapeutics as antimicrobials. Recent advances in scientific interventions have been instrumental in producing novel antimicrobials via metabolic engineering approaches in plant systems. The progress in plant genome editing, pathway reconstitution, and expression has defined new paradigms in the successful production of antimicrobials in the post-antibiotic era. The thematic review discusses the existing and emerging significance of phytotherapeutics in tackling antimicrobial resistance and employing metabolic engineering approaches. The prevailing scenario of antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms, the traditional and modern drug-discovery approaches in addressing antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing advances in metabolic engineering approaches for antimicrobial production, and the plausible solutions for tackling drug-resistant pathogens, forms the key theme of the article.

ZnO Nanoparticles of Rubia cordifolia Extract Formulation Developed and Optimized with QbD Application, Considering Ex Vivo Skin Permeation, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties.

The objective of the current research is to develop ZnO-Manjistha extract (ZnO-MJE) nanoparticles (NPs) and to investigate their transdermal delivery as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The optimized formulation was further evaluated based on different parameters. The ZnO-MJE-NPs were prepared by mixing 10 mM ZnSO4·7H2O and 0.8% w/v NaOH in distilled water. To the above, a solution of 10 mL MJE (10 mg) in 50 mL of zinc sulfate was added. Box-Behnken design (Design-Expert software 12.0.1.0) was used for the optimization of ZnO-MJE-NP formulations. The ZnO-MJE-NPs were evaluated for their physicochemical characterization, in vitro release activity, ex vivo permeation across rat skin, antimicrobial activity using sterilized agar media, and antioxidant activity by the DPPH free radical method. The optimized ZnO-MJE-NP formulation (F13) showed a particle size of 257.1 ± 0.76 nm, PDI value of 0.289 ± 0.003, and entrapment efficiency of 79 ± 0.33%. Drug release kinetic models showed that the formulation followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model with a drug release of 34.50 ± 2.56 at pH 7.4 in 24 h. In ex vivo studies ZnO-MJE-NPs-opt permeation was 63.26%. The antibacterial activity was found to be enhanced in ZnO-MJE-NPs-opt and antioxidant activity was found to be highest (93.14 ± 4.05%) at 100 µg/mL concentrations. The ZnO-MJE-NPs-opt formulation showed prolonged release of the MJE and intensified permeation. Moreover, the formulation was found to show significantly (p < 0.05) better antimicrobial and antioxidant activity as compared to conventional suspension formulations.

A perspective review on medicinal plant resources for their antimutagenic potentials.

Mutagens present in the environment manifest toxic effects and are considered as serious threat for human health and healthcare. Recent reports reveal that medicinal plant resources are being explored for identifying potent antimutagenic as well as cancer preventing agents. There is mounting evidence that cancer and other mutation-related diseases can be prevented with the use of medicinal pant resources including crude extracts, active fractions, phytochemicals, and pure phytomolecules. These medicinal plant resources possessing antimutagenic potentials have been shown to target molecular mechanisms underlying the mutagenic impacts. Technological advents and high-throughput screening/activity methods have revolutionized this field, though several potent plants and their active principles have been reported as effective antimutagens. The translational success rate needs to be improved, but the trends are encouraging. In this review, we present the current understandings and updates on various mutagens in the environment, toxicities related/attributed to them, the resultant mutations (and cancer), and how medicinal plants come to the rescue. A perspective review has been presented on whether and how medicinal plant resources can be an effective approach for addressing mutagens in the environment. An account of medicinal plant resources used as antimutagenic agents has been given along with the underlying mechanism of action and their therapeutic potential in various models of cancer. Recent success stories, current challenges, and future prospects are discussed.

Podophyllum hexandrum and its active constituents: Novel radioprotectants.

Human exposure to radiation has expanded considerably in recent years, due to a wide range of medical, agricultural, and industrial applications. Despite its beneficial utilities, radiation is also known to have a deleterious effect on cells and tissues, largely through the creation of free radicals, which cause severe damage to biological systems through processes such as DNA double/single-strand fragmentation, protein modification, and upregulation of lipid peroxidation pathways. In addition, radiation damages genetic material while inducing hereditary genotoxicity. Developing measures to counter radiation-induced damage is thus considered to be of significant importance. Considering the inherent capability of plants to survive radiative conditions, certain plants and natural compounds have been the subject of investigations to explore and harness their natural radioprotective abilities. Podophyllum hexandrum, an Indian medicinal plant with several known traditional phytotherapeutic uses, is considered in particular to be of immense therapeutic importance. Recent studies have been conducted to validate its radioprotective potential alongside discovering its protective mechanisms following γ-radiation-induced mortality and disorder in both mice and human cells. These findings show that Podophyllum and its constituents/natural compounds protect the lungs, gastrointestinal tissues, hemopoietic system, and testis by inducing DNA repair pathways, apoptosis inhibition, free radical scavenging, metal chelation, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In this review, we have provided an updated, comprehensive summary of ionizing radiations and their impacts on biological systems, highlighting the mechanistic and radioprotective role of natural compounds from Podophyllum hexandrum.

Exploring Phytochemicals for Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Microbial Pathogens.

Antibiotic resistance or microbial drug resistance is emerging as a serious threat to human healthcare globally, and the multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains are imposing major hurdles to the progression of drug discovery programs. Newer antibiotic-resistance mechanisms in microbes contribute to the inefficacy of the existing drugs along with the prolonged illness and escalating expenditures. The injudicious usage of the conventional and commonly available antibiotics in human health, hygiene, veterinary and agricultural practices is proving to be a major driver for evolution, persistence and spread of antibiotic-resistance at a frightening rate. The drying pipeline of new and potent antibiotics is adding to the severity. Therefore, novel and effective new drugs and innovative therapies to treat MDR infections are urgently needed. Apart from the different natural and synthetic drugs being tested, plant secondary metabolites or phytochemicals are proving efficient in combating the drug-resistant strains. Various phytochemicals from classes including alkaloids, phenols, coumarins, terpenes have been successfully demonstrated their inhibitory potential against the drug-resistant pathogens. Several phytochemicals have proved effective against the molecular determinants responsible for attaining the drug resistance in pathogens like membrane proteins, biofilms, efflux pumps and bacterial cell communications. However, translational success rate needs to be improved, but the trends are encouraging. This review highlights current knowledge and developments associated challenges and future prospects for the successful application of phytochemicals in combating antibiotic resistance and the resistant microbial pathogens.

Embelin-loaded chitosan gold nanoparticles interact synergistically with ciprofloxacin by inhibiting efflux pumps in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.

A global upsurge in emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance (ABR) in bacterial populations is a serious threat for human health. Unfortunately, ABR is no longer confined to nosocomial environments and is frequently reported from community microbes as well. The ABR is resulting in shrinking potent antibiotics pool and thus necessitating novel and alternative therapies and therapeutics. Current investigation was aimed to assess the synergistic potential of a synthesized, phytomolecule-loaded, polysaccharide-stabilized metallic nanoparticles (NPs) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Escherichia coli (EC) isolated from river waters. ABR profiling of these strains characterized them as multidrug resistant (MDR). Synthesized embelin (Emb, isolated from Embelia tsjeriam-cottam)-loaded, chitosan-gold (Emb-Chi-Au) NPs were assessed for their potential synergistic activity with ciprofloxacin (CIP) via checker-board assay and time-kill curve analysis. The NPs reduced the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CIP by 16- and 4-fold against MDR PA (PA-r) and EC (EC-r) strains, respectively. Fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices with ≤0.5 values confirmed the synergy between the Emb-Chi-Au NPs and CIP, which was further confirmed at ½ MICs in both PA-r and EC-r via time-kill curve analysis. In order to decipher the mode of action, efflux pump inhibitory effects of Emb-Chi-Au NPs were evaluated in terms of the increase in the EtBr mediated fluorescence in control versus NP-treated MDR strains. Molecular docking based in silico simulations were used to predict the interactions between Emb and the active sites of the efflux pump related proteins in PA-r (MexA, MexB and OprM) and EC-r (AcrA, AcrB and TolC), which revealed the probable bond formation between Emb and respective amino acid residues.

Amalgamation of in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo approach to establish glabridin as a potential CYP2E1 inhibitor.

CYP2E1 is directly or indirectly involved in the metabolism of ethanol and endogenous fatty acids but it plays a major role in the bio-activation of toxic substances that produce reactive metabolites leading to hepatotoxicity. Therefore, identification of CYP2E1 inhibitor from bioflavonoids class having useful pharmacological properties has dual benefit regarding avoidance of severe food-drug/nutraceutical-drug interaction and scope to develop a phytotherapeutics through an intended pharmacokinetic interaction.In the present study, we aimed to identify CYP2E1 inhibitor from experimental bioflavonoids which are unexplored for CYP2E1 inhibition till date using in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo approaches.Results of in-vitro CYP2E1 inhibitory studies using CYP2E1-mediated chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation in human liver microsomes showed that glabridin have the highest potential than fisetin, epicatechin, nobiletin, and chrysin to inhibit CYP2E1 enzyme. Mechanistic investigations indicate that glabridin is a competitive CYP2E1 inhibitor. Molecular docking study results demonstrate that glabridin strongly interacted with the active site of human CYP2E1 enzyme. Pharmacokinetics of a CYP2E1 substrate in mice model indicates a significant alteration of chlorzoxazone and 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone plasma levels in the presence of glabridin. Further studies are needed to confirm the results at clinical level.Overall, glabridin is found to be a potential CYP2E1 inhibitor.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial health and well-being in South-Asian (World Psychiatric Association zone 16) countries: A systematic and advocacy review from the Indian Psychiatric Society.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global health threat. The South-Asian (SA) countries have witnessed both the initial brunt of the outbreak as well as the ongoing rise of cases. Their unique challenges in relation to mental health during the pandemic are worth exploring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted for all the original studies on the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on psychological health/well-being in the SA countries of the World Psychiatric Association Zone 16. PubMed, Google Scholar, PSYCHINFO, EMBASE, and SCOPUS were searched till June 2020. Studies conducted in the age group of 18-60 years with a minimum sample size of 10, and statistically significant results were included. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included in the review. They showed increase prevalence in nonpsychotic depression, preanxiety, somatic concerns, alcohol-related disorders, and insomnia in the general population. Psychological symptoms correlated more with physical complaints of fatigue and pain in older adults and were directly related to social media use, misinformation, xenophobia, and social distancing. Frontline workers reported guilt, stigma, anxiety, and poor sleep quality, which were related to the lack of availability of adequate personal protective equipment, increased workload, and discrimination. One study validated the Coronavirus anxiety scale in the Indian population while another explored gaming as a double-edged sword during the lockdown in adolescents. Another study from Bangladesh explored psychosexual health during lockdown. Most studies were cross-sectional online surveys, used screening tools and had limited accessibility. CONCLUSION: The ongoing COVID-19 crisis and its impact serve as an important period for adequate mental healthcare, promotion, research, and holistic biopsychosocial management of psychiatric disorders, especially in vulnerable groups. Mental healthcare and research strategies during the pandemic and preparedness for postpandemic aftermath are advocated subsequently.

Protective and Modulatory Effects of Trapa bispinosa and Trigonella foenum-graecum on Neuroblastoma Cells Through Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase.

The fruits of Trapa bispinosa (TB) and seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TF) are used for their nutraceutical properties in various systems of traditional medicine practiced in India. In this study aqueous and methanolic extracts of TB fruits and TF seeds were prepared and their protective effect was studied on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-treated neuroblastoma (NB-41) cell line. Cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) levels, mRNA, and protein profiles were analyzed and compared with untreated control. Results show that aqueous extracts of both TB and TF provide significant protection to neuroblastoma cells with TF aqueous extract offering better protection through upregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) against hydrogen peroxide generated stress. This is the first report demonstrating protection of neuronal cell lines by use of TB and TF extracts through modulation of nNOS activity.

The alarming antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPEE pathogens: Can essential oils come to the rescue?

Antibiotics, considered as a backbone of modern clinical-medicines, are facing serious threats from emerging antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) in several bacteria from nosocomial and community origins and is posing a serious human-health concern. Recent commitment by the Heads of States at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA, 2016) for coordinated efforts to curb such infections illustrates the scale of this problem. Amongst the drug-resistant microbes, major threat is posed by the group named as ESKAPEE, an acronym for Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli, comprising high to critical drug-resistant, World Health Organization Critical Priority I and II pathogens. The drying pipeline of effective and new antibiotics has worsened the situation with looming threat of heading to a 'post-antibiotic era'. This necessitates novel and effective approaches to combat this life-threatening issue. Medicinal and aromatic plants are hailed as the reservoir of bioactive compounds and can serve as a source of antimicrobial compounds, and some recent leads show that essential oils (EOs) may provide an effective solution for tackling AMR. EOs have shown wide-spectrum antimicrobial potentials via targeting the major determinants of pathogenicity, drug-resistance and its spread including cell membrane, drug efflux pumps, quorum sensing, biofilms and R-plasmids. Latest reports confirm the EOs having strong direct-killing or re-sensitizing potentials to replace or rejuvenate otherwise fading antibiotics arsenal. We discuss herein possibilities of using EOs directly for antimicrobial potentials or in combination with antibiotics to potentiate the later for combating AMR in ESKAPEE pathogens. The current understandings, success stories and challenges for translational success have also been discussed.

Ouabain potentiates the antimicrobial activity of aminoglycosides against Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen which often causes nosocomial and community attained infections. These infections steadily increased after evolving the resistance due to indecorous practice of antibiotics and now become a serious health issue. Ouabain is a Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor that leads to increase the heart contraction in patients with congestive heart failure. METHODS: In the present study, in vitro antimicrobial effect of ouabain together with aminoglycosides was determined against clinical and non-clinical S. aureus strains. Using checkerboard, Gentamycin uptake and biofilm assays, we analysed he interactions of ouabain with aminoglycosides. RESULTS: Ouabain induced the staphylocidal potency of aminoglycosides by remarkably reducing the MIC of gentamycin (GEN) by 16 (0.25 µg/mL), 8 folds (0.5 µg/mL) amikacin (AMK); and 16 folds (1.0 µg/mL) with kanamycin (KAN), compared to their individual doses. OBN severely reduced cell viability within 60 min with GEN (1 µg/mL), KAN (2 µg/mL) and 90 min with AMK (1 µg/mL). This bactericidal effect was enhanced due to GEN uptake potentiated by 66% which led to increase the cell permeability as revealed by leakage of bacterial ATP and nitrocefin assay. The biofilm adherence disrupted by 80 and 50% at 5 mg/mL and 1.5 mg/mL OBN and 50 and 90% biofilm formation was inhibited at 5 mg/mL (MBIC50) and 10 mg/mL (MBIC90), respectively. Moreover, OBN with GEN further induced biofilm inhibition by 67 ± 5% at pH 7.0. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, we established that OBN synergizes the antimicrobial activity of aminoglycosides that induces cell killing due to intracellular accumulation of GEN by disturbing cell homeostasis. It may be proven an effective approach for the treatment of staphylococcal infections.

Assessment of genetic diversity in Lepidium sativum L. using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker.

Lepidium sativum L. is a fast-growing, edible and medicinal plant that belongs to the family Brassicaceae. Indian system of medicinal and health (ISHM) recognizes this plant as a source of several medicinal and nutraceutical factors. Ninety-four accessions collected from 19 states of India were assessed for genetic diversity using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker. Ten ISSR primers amplified a total of 172 bands across the 94 accessions and out of these, 139 bands were found to be polymorphic and 33 as monomorphic. The percentage polymorphism varied from 60.00 to 91.30% with an average of 80.10%. The polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.14 to 0.39 with an average of 0.27. The Jaccard similarity coefficient ranged from 0.11 to 0.89 with minimum between accession LS61 and LS60 and maximum between accession LS95 and LS81. Cluster analysis based on UPGMA grouped all the 94 accessions into three major clusters with accessions per cluster ranging from 12 to 45. Similar to UPGMA clustering, PCA also differentiated all the accessions into three major groups. Model-based clustering determined three sub-populations (K = 3). Further, analysis of molecular variance showed that 67% of allelic diversity was attributed to individual accessions within populations while 33% was distributed among populations. This preliminary study shows that significant variability exists in the collected accessions.

Phytochemical profile, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities of Pogostemon deccanensis essential oils.

Essential oils (EOs) obtained from aerial parts of Pogostemon deccanensis were analyzed for GC-MS profiling, and evaluated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities. GC-MS analysis revealed a total of 47 constituents, establishing the EOs rich in sesquiterpene with > 20 sesquiterpenes constituting around 77% of the total EO yield. Major constituents included Curzerene (Benzofuran, 6-ethenyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-3,6-dimethyl-5-isopropenyl-, trans-) (26.39%) and epi-Cadinol (22.68%), Ethanone, 1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl) (6.83%, Acetophenones), and Boldenone (3.47%, anabolic steroid). EOs found to be rich in phytochemicals attributed for antioxidant potentials of aromatic/medicinal plants, viz., flavonoids (2.71 µg quercetin equivalents g-1 EO), total phenols (3.94 µg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) g-1 EO), carotenoids (14.3 µg ß-carotene equivalents g-1 EO), and ascorbic acid (2.21 µg ascorbic acid equivalents g-1 EO). P. deccanensis EOs exhibited striking antioxidant activities assessed by wide range of assays including ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP, 255.3 GAE at 2 µg mL-1 EO), total antioxidant activity (TAA, 264.3 GAE at 2 µg ml-1) of EO, DPPH (65% inhibition at 2 µg mL-1), and OH (58% inhibition at 2 µg mL-1) scavenging. Interestingly, EOs showed considerably higher anti-lipid peroxidation activity than the standard antioxidant molecule ascorbic acid, with 50% protection by 1.29 µg mL-1 EO against 20.0 µg mL-1 standard. EOs showed strong anti-inflammatory activity with 50% inhibition at 1.95 µg mL-1 EO. The anti-proliferative activity of EOs was tested against mouse cancer cell line and the EOs proved a potent anti-proliferative agent with only 2.1% cell survival at 2 µg mL-1 EO, whereas the EOs were largely non-toxic-to-normal (non-cancerous) cells with approximately 80% cell survival at the 2 µg mL-1 EOs. This being the first attempt of phytochemical profiling and wide array of biological activities of P. deccanensis EOs holds significance as the striking activities were observed at very low concentrations, in some cases at lower than the commercial standards, and has, therefore, great potential for pharmaceutical or commercial exploration.

Zinc-Supported Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite: A Synergism to Micronutrient Release and a Smart Distributor To Promote the Growth of Onion Seeds in Arid Conditions.

In the current scenario, nanotechnological applications in the agriculture sector showing potential impacts on the improvement of plant growth in terms of protection and safety are at a very nascent stage. The present study deals with the synergistic role of zinc (Zn) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) synthesized as a zinc oxide (ZnO)/MWCNT nanocomposite, a prospective applicant to modulate the micronutrient supply and enhance the growth of onion seeds, thereby replacing harmful, unsafe chemical fertilizers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report wherein MWCNTs have been envisaged as a micronutrient distributor and a nutrient stabilizer enhancing the growth of onion plant under arid conditions. The growth trend of onion seeds was evaluated in an aqueous medium with varied concentrations of (i) MWCNTs, (ii) zinc oxide nanoparticles, and (iii) ZnO/MWCNT nanocomposites. ZnO/MWCNT nanocomposites with 15 µg/mL concentration displayed the best seedling growth with the maximum number of cells in telophase. A significant growth trend with increased concentration of ZnO/MWCNTs displayed no negative impact on plant growth in contrast to that with the use of MWCNTs. The synergistic impact of Zn nanoparticles and MWCNTs in ZnO/MWCNT nanocomposites on the rate of germination was explained via a mechanism supported by scanning transmission electron microscopy.