Vaccine development: Current trends and technologies.

Despite the effectiveness of vaccination in reducing or eradicating diseases caused by pathogens, there remain certain diseases and emerging infections for which developing effective vaccines is inherently challenging. Additionally, developing vaccines for individuals with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions presents significant difficulties. As well as traditional vaccine different methods such as inactivated or live attenuated vaccines, viral vector vaccines, and subunit vaccines, emerging non-viral vaccine technologies, including viral-like particle and nanoparticle vaccines, DNA/RNA vaccines, and rational vaccine design, offer new strategies to address the existing challenges in vaccine development. These advancements have also greatly enhanced our understanding of vaccine immunology, which will guide future vaccine development for a broad range of diseases, including rapidly emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19 and diseases that have historically proven resistant to vaccination. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of emerging non-viral vaccine production methods and their application in addressing the fundamental and current challenges in vaccine development.

An insight into biosensing platforms used for the diagnosis of various lung diseases: A review.

Many of the infectious diseases are ubiquitous in nature and pose a threat to global and public health. The original cause for such type of serious maladies can be summarized as the scarcity of appropriate analysis and treatment methods. Pulmonary diseases are considered one of the life-threatening lung diseases that affect millions of people globally. It consists of several types, namely, asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and several respiratory-related infections. This is due to the limited access to well-equipped healthcare facilities for early disease diagnosis. This needs the availability of processes and technologies that can help to stop this harmful disease-diagnosing practice. Various approaches for diagnosing various lung diseases have been developed over time, namely, autopsy, chest X-rays, low-dose CT scans, and so forth. The need of the hour is to develop a rapid, simple, portable, and low-cost method for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. So nowadays, biosensors have been becoming one of the highest priority research areas as a potentially useful tool for the early diagnosis and detection of many pulmonary lung diseases. In this review article, various types of biosensors and their applications in the diagnosis of lung-related disorders are expansively explained.

Himalayan flora: targeting various molecular pathways in lung cancer.

The fatal amplification of lung cancer across the globe and the limitations of current treatment strategies emphasize the necessity for substitute therapeutics. The incorporation of phyto-derived components in chemo treatment holds promise in addressing those challenges. Despite the significant progressions in lung cancer therapeutics, the complexities of molecular mechanism and pathways underlying this disease remain inadequately understood, necessitating novel biomarker targeting. The Himalayas, abundant in diverse plant varieties with established chemotherapeutic potential, presents a promising avenue for investigating potential cures for lung carcinoma. The vast diversity of phytocompounds herein can be explored for targeting the disease. This review delves into the multifaceted targets of lung cancer and explores the established phytochemicals with their specific molecular targets. It emphasizes comprehending the intricate pathways that govern effective therapeutic interventions for lung cancer. Through this exploration of Himalayan flora, this review seeks to illuminate potential breakthroughs in lung cancer management using natural compounds. The amalgamation of Himalayan plant-derived compounds with cautiously designed combined therapeutic approaches such as nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery and synergistic therapy offers an opportunity to redefine the boundaries of lung cancer treatment by reducing the drug resistance and side effects and enabling an effective targeted delivery of drugs. Furthermore, additional studies are obligatory to understand the possible derivation of natural compounds used in current lung cancer treatment from plant species within the Himalayan region.

Value Addition Employing Waste Bio-Materials in Environmental Remedies and Food Sector.

Overall, combating food waste necessitates a multifaceted approach that includes education, infrastructure, and policy change. By working together to implement these strategies, we can help reduce the negative impacts of food waste and create a more sustainable and equitable food system. The sustained supply of nutrient-rich agrifood commodities is seriously threatened by inefficiencies caused by agricultural losses, which must be addressed. As per the statistical data given by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, nearly 33.33% of the food that is produced for utilization is wasted and frittered away on a global level, which can be estimated as a loss of 1.3 billion metric tons per annum, which includes 30% cereals, 20% dairy products 35% seafood and fish, 45% fruits and vegetables, and 20% of meat. This review summarizes the various types of waste originating from various segments of the food industry, such as fruits and vegetables, dairy, marine, and brewery, also focusing on their potential for developing commercially available value-added products such as bioplastics, bio-fertilizers, food additives, antioxidants, antibiotics, biochar, organic acids, and enzymes. The paramount highlights include food waste valorization, which is a sustainable yet profitable alternative to waste management, and harnessing Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technology to minimize food waste. Detail of sustainability and feasibility of food waste-derived metabolic chemical compounds, along with the market outlook and recycling of food wastes, have been elucidated in this review.

Advancements in CRISPR-Based Biosensing for Next-Gen Point of Care Diagnostic Application.

With the move of molecular tests from diagnostic labs to on-site testing becoming more common, there is a sudden rise in demand for nucleic acid-based diagnostic tools that are selective, sensitive, flexible to terrain changes, and cost-effective to assist in point-of-care systems for large-scale screening and to be used in remote locations in cases of outbreaks and pandemics. CRISPR-based biosensors comprise a promising new approach to nucleic acid detection, which uses Cas effector proteins (Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13) as extremely specialized identification components that may be used in conjunction with a variety of readout approaches (such as fluorescence, colorimetry, potentiometry, lateral flow assay, etc.) for onsite analysis. In this review, we cover some technical aspects of integrating the CRISPR Cas system with traditional biosensing readout methods and amplification technologies such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and continue to elaborate on the prospects of the developed biosensor in the detection of some major viral and bacterial diseases. Within the scope of this article, we also discuss the recent COVID pandemic and the numerous CRISPR biosensors that have undergone development since its advent. Finally, we discuss some challenges and future prospects of CRISPR Cas systems in point-of-care testing.

Insight of smart biosensors for COVID-19: A review.

The review discusses the diagnostic application of biosensors as point-of-care devices in the COVID-19 pandemic. Biosensors are important analytical tools that can be used for the robust and effective detection of infectious diseases in real-time. In this current scenario, the utilization of smart, efficient biosensors for COVID-19 detection is increasing and we have included a few smart biosensors such as smart and intelligent based biosensors, plasmonic biosensors, field effect transistor (FET) biosensors, smart optical biosensors, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor, screen printed electrode (SPE)-based biosensor, molecular imprinted polymer (MIP)-based biosensor, MXene-based biosensor and metal-organic frame smart sensor. Their significance as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each kind of smart sensor are mentioned in depth. Furthermore, we have compiled a list of various biosensors which have been developed across the globe for COVID-19 and have shown promise as commercial detection devices. Significant challenges in the development of effective diagnostic methods are discussed and recommendations have been made for better diagnostic outcomes to manage the ongoing pandemic effectively.

In vitro antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity of Murraya koenigii leaf extract intercedes ZnO nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology is an emerging field with tremendous potential and usage of medicinal plants and green preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the widely explored areas. These have been shown to be effective against different biological activities such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, etc. The current studies focus on the green synthesis of zinc NPs (ZnO NPs) from aqueous leaf extract of Murraya koenigii (MK). The synthesized Murraya koeingii zinc oxide NPs (MK ZnO NPs) were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectrum (EDS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The synthesized MK ZnO NPs were evaluated for their in vitro antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity. They demonstrated significant antidiabetic and cytotoxic activity, as well as moderate free-radical scavenging and antibacterial activity.

Role of Medicinal plant-derived Nutraceuticals as a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, accounting for many cancer-related deaths. Over some years, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, radiation, and surgeries have been used to treat cancer. Unfortunately, these treatment options are unsuccessful due to crucial adverse reactions and multidrug tolerance/resistance. Although it is clear that substances in the nutraceuticals category have a lot of anti-cancer activity, using a supplementary therapy strategy, in this case, could be very beneficial. Nutraceuticals are therapeutic agents, which are nutrients that have drug-like characteristics and can be used to treat diseases. Plant nutraceuticals categorized into polyphenols, terpenoids, vitamins, alkaloids, and flavonoids are part of health food products, that have great potential for combating BC. Nutraceuticals can reduce BC's severity, limit malignant cell growth, and modify cancer-related mechanisms. Nutraceuticals acting by attenuating Hedgehog, Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), Notch, and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling are the main pathways in controlling the self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). This article reviews some important nutraceuticals and their modes of action, which can be very powerful versus BC. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Nutraceuticals' importance to the control and diagnosis of breast cancer is undeniable and cannot be overlooked. Natural dietary compounds have a wide range of uses and have been used in traditional medicine. In addition, these natural chemicals can enhance the effectiveness of other traditional medicines. They may also be used as a treatment process independently because of their capacity to affect several cancer pathways. This study highlights a variety of natural chemicals, and their mechanisms of action, routes, synergistic effects, and future potentials are all examined.

Molecular aspects of Omicron, vaccine development, and recombinant strain XE: A review.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 began in December 2019 and is still continuing. The past 2 years have seen the emergence of several variants that were more vicious than each other. The emergence of Omicron (B.1.1.529) proved to be a huge epidemiological concern as the rate of infection of this particular strain was enormous. The strain was identified in South Africa on November 24, 2021 and was classified as a "Variant of Concern" on November 26, 2021. The Omicron variant possessed mutations in the key RBD region, the S region, thereby increasing the affinity of ACE2 for better transmission of the virus. Antibody resistance was found in this variant and it was able to reduce vaccine efficiency of vaccines. The need for a booster vaccine was brought forth due to the prevalence of the Omicron variant and, subsequently, this led to targeted research and development of variant-specific vaccines and booster dosage. This review discusses broadly the genomic characters and features of Omicron along with its specific mutations, evolution, antibody resistance, and evasion, utilization of CRISPR-Cas12a assay for Omicron detection, T-cell immunity elicited by vaccines against Omicron, and strategies to decrease Omicron infection along with COVID-19 and it also discusses on XE recombinant variant and on infectivity of BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.

Mycorrhizal inoculation impact on Acorus calamus L. - An ethnomedicinal plant of western Himalaya and its in silico studies for anti-inflammatory potential.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Different plants are used for the treatment of various ailments and Acorus calamus L. is one such plant found in Western Himalaya. Rhizome of this plants has ethnomedicinal significance, as its rhizome is used for curing fever, pain and inflammation. An attempt has been made to alter the phytochemicals and increase its antioxidant property in a sustainable way with the help of mycorrhizal inoculation. AIM OF THE STUDY: Study of mycorrhizal (Funneliformis mosseae) impact on the biological activities and phytochemical profile of A. calamus L. rhizome and in silico studies of phytochemicals for their anti-inflammatory property. MATERIALS AND METHODS: F. mosseae was mass multiplied by single spore culture and then A. calamus rhizomes were inoculated with it. Antioxidant potential of rhizome extract was observed by DPPH and FRAP assays and the phytochemical profiling was done with GC-MS analysis. For observing antimicrobial activity disc diffusion method was employed. Dominant phytochemicals α-asarone and monolinolein TMS were chosen for molecular docking studies against four receptors (4COX, 2AZ5, 5I1B, 1ALU). RESULTS: There was increase in antioxidant activity of rhizome extract after mycorrhizal inoculation. However, no change in antimicrobial activity was observed in the plant after mycorrhizal inoculation. The comparison in phytochemicals was observed by GC-MS analysis which showed qualitative and quantitative variation in biochemical content in plants. The phytochemical, α-asarone and monolinolein TMS showed highest docking score and least binding energy against 1ALU and 4COX respectively for anti-inflammatory activity. CONCLUSION: Medicinal plants are potential source of antioxidants which can be increased by mycorrhizal inoculation without addition of chemical fertilizers and also results in altering the phytochemical composition.

Optical Density Optimization of Malaria Pan Rapid Diagnostic Test Strips for Improved Test Zone Band Intensity.

For the last few decades, the immunochromatographic assay has been used for the rapid detection of biological markers in infectious diseases in humans and animals The assay, also known as lateral flow assay, is utilized for the detection of antigen or antibody in human infectious diseases. There are a series of steps involved in the development of these immuno-chromatographic test kits, from gold nano colloids preparation to nitrocellulose membrane coating (NCM). These tests are mostly used for qualitative assays by a visual interpretation of results. For the interpretation of the results, the color intensity of the test zone is therefore very significant. Herein, the study was performed on a malaria antigen test kit. Several studies have reported the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with varying diameters and its binding with various concentrations of protein in order to optimize tests. However, none of these studies have reported how to fix (improve) test zone band intensity (color), if different sized AuNPs were synthesized during a reaction and when conjugated equally with same amount of protein. Herein, different AuNPs with average diameter ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm were prepared and conjugated equally with protein concentration of 150 µg/mL with KD = 1.0 × 10-3. Afterwards, the developed kits' test zone band intensity for all different sizes AuNPs was fixed to the same band level (high) by utilization of an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The study found that the same optical density (OD) has the same test zone band intensity irrespective of AuNP size. This study also illustrates the use of absorption maxima (λ max) techniques to characterize AuNPs and to prevent wastage of protein while developing immunochromatographic test kits.

AuNPs/CNF-modified DNA biosensor for early and quick detection of O. tsutsugamushi in patients suffering from scrub typhus.

A novel approach has been developed for the detection of 56 kDa tissue-specific antigen (TSA) gene of Orientia tsutsugamushi a causative agent of scrub typhus disease. The approach was developed by immobilization of 5' NH2 labeled ssDNA probe selective to 56 kDa TSA gene, to the surface of AuNPs/CNF modified screen-printed electrode. An electrochemical response was recorded with single stranded genomic DNA (ssDNA) of O. tsutsugamushi isolated from patient sample, using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrode surface was characterized by Field-Emission Scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy at each step of fabrication. The DNA biosensor shows optimum response within 50-60 s at room temperature (25 ± 3 °C). The sensor shows higher sensitivity [7849 (µA/cm2)/ng DNA], fast response time (60 s), wider linear range (0.04-2.6 ng) with limit of detection of 0.02 ng/µl of ssDNA sample.

Understanding of Colistin Usage in Food Animals and Available Detection Techniques: A Review.

Progress in the medical profession is determined by the achievements and effectiveness of new antibiotics in the treatment of microbial infections. However, the development of multiple-drug resistance in numerous bacteria, especially Gram-negative bacteria, has limited the treatment options. Due to this resistance, the resurgence of cyclic polypeptide drugs like colistin remains the only option. The drug, colistin, is a well-known growth inhibitor of Gram-negative bacteria like Acinetobacter baumanni, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Technological advancements have uncovered the role of the mcr-1(mobilized colistin resistance) gene, which is responsible for the development of resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, which make them distinct from other bacteria without this gene. Additionally, food animals have been determined to be the reservoir for colistin resistance microbes, from which they spread to other hosts. Due to the adverse effects of colistin, many developed countries have prohibited its usage in animal foods, but developing countries are still using colistin in animal food production, thereby imposing a major risk to the public health. Therefore, there is a need for implementation of sustainable measures in livestock farms to prevent microbial infection. This review highlights the negative effects (increased resistance) of colistin consumption and emphasizes the different approaches used for detecting colistin in animal-based foods as well as the challenges associated with its detection.

Diagnosis of scrub typhus: recent advancements and challenges.

Scrub typhus is a mite-borne, acute febrile illness caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi. It is a re-emerging infectious disease of the tsutsugamushi triangle. Scrub typhus is transmitted through bites of contaminated chiggers (larval stage). Diagnosis of scrub typhus is challenging as its symptoms mimic with other acute febrile illnesses. Several methods are effectual for diagnosis of scrub typhus that includes enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay (IFA), immunochromatographic test (ICT), Weil-Felix, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Weil-Felix test was initially used for the diagnosis of scrub typhus in underdeveloped countries but not preferred due to a lack of both specificity and sensitivity. Other immuno-based methods like IFA and ELISA are most outrank for detection of scrub typhus due to their higher sensitivity and specificity, but not vigorous to lay bare the infection at early stages and need the convalescent sampling for verification of positive samples. On another deed, PCR based methods becoming acceptable over era due to its dexterity of early-stage diagnosis with higher specificity and sensitivity but lack its applicability in circumstances of scrub typhus due to the variegated genetic makeup of Orientia tsutsugamushi among its serotypes. The present review focused on various detection methods along with their advantages and disadvantages used in the diagnosis of scrub typhus. A comparison between available methods of diagnosis with challenges in the detection of scrub typhus is also summarized.

Nanofabricated versatile electrochemical sensor for Leptospira interrogans detection.

In this report, a LipL32 gene based nanofabricated electrochemical sensor for the detection of Leptospira interrogans has been developed using carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes with gold nanoparticles (c-MWCNTs/nanoAu) electrode and graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The c-MWCNTs/nanoAu electrode was linked to GQDs using 4-aminothiophenol (ATP). The surface modifications on the electrode surface were delineated using Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). 5'-Amino (NH2) labeled single stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe was immobilized on the surface of c-MWCNTs/nanoAu/ATP/GQD composite electrode. The electrochemical changes of the developed sensor after hybridization with single stranded complementary DNA of L. interrogans were analyzed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using 1 mM methylene blue. The sensor showed good linearity with complementary ssDNA concentration ranging from 0.37 to 12 ng/µl. The sensor exhibited high specificity to L. interrogans and showed good reproducibility when stored at 4°C.

Optimized DNA-based bioassay for Leptospira interrogans detection: a novel platform for leptospirosis diagnosis.

An optimized DNA-based bioassay for Leptospira interrogans detection has been developed. Electrochemical studies of the developed biosensor were done using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Surface characterization of the biosensor was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The biosensor showed specificity to L. interrogans as determined by specificity studies. The sensitivity of the biosensor was 264.5 µA/cm2/ng and lower limit of detection (LOD) was 0.015 ng/6 µl using CV. The biosensor was also validated with serum samples spiked with single-stranded leptospiral DNA. The developed biosensor also showed good stability for a period of 6 months at 4 °C as shown by the DPV analysis.