Bioremediation of synthetic fatliquors under microaerobic condition.

Synthetic fatliquors are useful as a fatliquoring agent, flotation agent and emulsifying agent in a wide range of industrial applications such as leather, pharmacy and farm chemicals. These fatliquors remain recalcitrant to natural biota in existing treatment plants. In the present study, the isolated microaerophilic Serratia sp. HA1 strain CSMB3 is capable of utilizing structurally different fatliquors as the sole substrate for their growth under microaerobic conditions. Degradation of vegetable fatliquors was observed from 95 to 97% in terms of lipids, with the production of lipase at 72 h. Degradation of synthetic fatliquors was observed in terms of chemical oxygen demand from 85% to a minimum of 25%. It is in the order of sulfited/sulfated fatliquors > sulfochlorinated fatliquors > chlorinated fatliquors. A thin layer chromatography chromatogram confirmed the degradation of non polar fatliquor to polar compounds. Production of the red pigment prodigiosin in synthetic fatliquors enhanced the growth of the isolate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the bioremediation of sulfochlorinated fatliquor into lipids and fatty acids and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) results confirmed that alcohols and esters are the final end products. Thus the isolated strain CSMB3 may be used in the treatment of wastewaters containing vegetable and synthetic fatliquors.

Rapid synthesis of gold nanoparticles with Cissus quadrangularis extract using microwave irradiation.

The present study focuses on the rapid synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) using the aqueous extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQE) by microwave irradiation. The UV-Visible spectroscopy of the solution obtained from reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl4) by CQE revealed a sharp surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 530 nm confirming the presence of AuNP. The formation of AuNP was optimal at a pH of 9. The AuNP was characterised by FT-IR, SEM, HR-TEM, SAED, XRD, TGA, DLS and Zeta potential measurements. The results indicated that microwave assisted synthesis produced well dispersed, small sized, uniform nanoparticles when compared to conventional room temperature synthesis. The spherical nanoparticle had an average size of 12.0±3.2 nm as revealed through TEM. The crystalline nature of AuNP was confirmed through HR-TEM, SAED and XRD. The FT-IR and TGA data revealed the presence of the CQE components on the surface of the AuNP particles which serve as the capping agent. Upon incubation, the particles did not lyse the red blood corpuscles (RBCs) indicating that they are biocompatible. A possible mechanism for the formation of AuNP in the presence of CQE is proposed.

Efficacy of frog skin lipids in wound healing.

BACKGROUND: Frog skin has been sequentially and scientifically evaluated by our group for its wound healing efficiency. Owing to the complex structure of skin, attempts were being made to analyse the role of individual constituents in different phases of healing. Our earlier papers have shown the significance of frog skin not only in wound healing but also enhancing the proliferating activity of the epidermal and dermal cells which are instrumental for normal healing process. We also have identified for the first time novel antimicrobial peptides from the skin of Rana tigerina and thereby reduce the complications involved in the sepsis. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND RESULTS: The current study envisages the role of frog skin lipids in the inflammatory phase of wound healing. The lipid moiety of the frog skin dominated by phospholipids exhibited a dose dependent acceleration of healing irrespective of the mode of application. The efficiency of the extract is attributed partially to the anti-inflammatory activity as observed by the histochemical and immunostimulatory together with plethysmographic studies. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, frog skin for the first time has been demonstrated to possess lipid components with pharmaceutical and therapeutic potential. The identification and characterization of such natural healing molecules and evaluating their mechanism of action would therefore provide basis for understanding the cues of Nature and hence can be used for application in medicine.

Autoschizis of T-cells is induced by the nutritional supplement, Cr(III)picolinate.

In recent times, Cr(III)(picolinate)(3) [Cr(III)(pic)(3)] a nutritional supplement, is gaining attention because of its clastogenic and mutagenic properties. Earlier studies of ours indicated that Cr(III)(pic)(3) is cytotoxic to lymphocytes with ROS and mitochondrial events playing a role in bringing about apoptosis. Now, we report that, autoschizis is induced in lymphocytes in a concentration and time dependent manner which is confirmed through TEM and SEM. Lymphocytes treated with concentrations of 100microM of Cr(III)(pic)(3) exhibit features such as cytoplasmic bleb, self excision of cytoplasm, cytoplasmic leakage and membrane bound bodies formed from the excised pieces apart from apoptosis and necrosis. Though autoschizis has been described in tumor cell lines treated with menadione and ascorbate, occurrence of this cell death in normal T-lymphocytes is reported here. The cellular events that accompany autoschizis are found to be increase in intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and depletion of ATP. Further, autoschizis is effected through increases in DNase I and DNase II activity with a concomitant decrease in caspase-3 activity which leads to a random cleavage of the DNA as demonstrated by a smear like pattern after electrophoresis on agarose gel.

Chromium picolinate induced apoptosis of lymphocytes and the signaling mechanisms thereof.

Cr(III)(picolinate)(3) [Cr(III)(pic)(3)] is currently used as a nutritional supplement and for treating Type-2 diabetes. The effect of Cr(III)(pic)(3) uptake in peripheral blood lymphocytes is investigated in this study. From the cytotoxicity data, DNA fragmentation pattern, Annexin V staining, TUNEL positivity and the ultrastructural characteristics such as chromatin condensation and formation of apoptotic bodies, it is clear that Cr(III)(pic)(3) induces a concentration dependent apoptosis. It is shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by treatment with Cr(III)(pic)(3) leads to apoptosis, since we find that pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine inhibits the process. Using Western blotting technique and fluorescence measurements, the downstream signaling molecules have also been identified. Cr(III)(pic)(3) treatment leads to collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, Bax expression, increase in cytosolic cytochrome c content and active caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation and all these manifestations are reduced by pretreating the lymphocytes with N-acetyl cysteine. Thus, it is shown that Cr(III)(pic)(3) is cytotoxic to lymphocytes with ROS and mitochondrial events playing a role in bringing about apoptosis.