Cassia absus-mediated upregulation of IL-4, IL-10 and downregulation of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF- α, NF-κB, IFN-γ in CFA-induced arthritis model.

Traditional use of Cassia absus as an anti-inflammatory in conjunctivitis and bronchitis is well reported. Owing to its anti-inflammatory potential, the current study appraised in vivo anti-arthritic activity of n-hexane and aqueous extracts of Cassia absus seeds (200 mg/kg) using Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) rat model of arthritis. Changes in paw size (mm), joint diameter (mm), and pain response (sec) were recorded at the baseline and then after CFA induction at the interval of 4 days till the 28th day. Blood samples of anesthetized rats were collected for the estimation of hematological, oxidative, and inflammatory biomarkers. Results showed percent inhibition in paw edema (45.09% and 60.79%) with both n-hexane and aqueous extracts, respectively. Significant reduction in paw size and ankle joint diameter (P < 0.01) was seen in extracts treated rats. Erythrocyte Sedimentation rate, C-Reactive Protein, White Blood Cell levels significantly lowered, and Hemoglobin, Platelets and Red Blood Cell count significantly increased post-treatments. Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, and Glutathione were significantly improved (P < 0.0001) in treated groups as compared to CFA induced arthritic control. Real-time polymerase chain reaction investigation showed significant downregulation (P < 0.05) of Interleukin-1ß, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interleukin-6, Cycloxygenase-2, Nuclear Factor-κB, Prostaglandin E Synthase 2, Interferon Gamma and upregulation of Interleukin-4, Interleukin-10 in both n-hexane and aqueous extract-treated groups. It is thereby concluded that Cassia absus can significantly attenuate CFA-induced arthritis by modulation of oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers.

In-vitro anti-inflammatory activity of serine protease inhibitor from Cassia siamea and Dolichos biflorus: A comparative study.

Cassia siamea is a nonedible legume belonging to Fabaceae. The seed of C. siamea contains ~16% of protein. The study reports the biochemical characterization of purified novel serine protease inhibitor from seeds of C. siamea, aimed with assessing the anti-inflammatory activity. The seed extract was subjected to ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)-anion exchange chromatography and affinity-chromatography to obtain a relative pure protease inhibitor. Thirty-fivefold purification with the specific activity of 250 U/mg of trypsin inhibitory unit was obtained. The characterization of protease inhibitor for optimum temperature, pH, and metal ions were measured using N-α-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) assay and casein zymogram. The C. siamea trypsin inhibitor (CsTI) has a relative molecular mass of 25.540 kDa. Purified CsTI and Dolichos biflorus were tested for anti-inflammatory efficacy against A549 and RAW264.7 cell lines. The inhibitory activity of both purified inhibitors are comparable and are potent toward anti-inflammatory activity. The purified inhibitor shows to be a promising candidate as anti-inflammatory agent by targeting the serine proteases.

Friedelin, a novel inhibitor of CYP17A1 in prostate cancer from Cassia tora.

In prostate cancer (PC), drugs targeting CYP17A1 have shown great success in regulating PC progression. However, successful drug molecules show adverse side effects and therapeutic resistance in PC. Therefore, we proposed to discover the potent phytochemical-based inhibitor against CYP17A1 using virtual screening. In this study, a phytochemicals library of ∼13800 molecules was selected to screen the best possible inhibitors against CYP17A1. A molecular modelling approach investigated detailed intermolecular interactions, their structural stability, and binding affinity. Further, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to confirm the anticancer activity of identified potential inhibitor against CYP17A1. Friedelin from Cassia tora (CT) is identified as the best possible inhibitor from the screened library. MD simulation study reveals stable binding of Friedelin to conserved binding pocket of CYP17A1 with higher binding affinity than studied control, that is, Orteronel. Friedelin was tested on hormone-sensitive (22Rv1) and insensitive (DU145) cell lines and the IC50 value was found to be 72.025 and 81.766 µg/ml, respectively. CT extract showed a 25.28% IC50 value against 22Rv1, ∼92.6% increase in late Apoptosis/Necrosis, and three folds decrease in early apoptosis in treated cells compared to untreated cells. Further, animal studies show a marked decrease in prostate weight by 39.6% and prostate index by 36.5%, along with a reduction in serum PSA level by 71.7% and testosterone level by 92.4% compared to the testosterone group, which was further validated with histopathological studies. Thus, we propose Friedelin and CT extract as potential leads, which could be taken further for drug development in PC.[Figure: see text]Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Preclinical activities of Cassia tora Linn against aging-related diseases.

Globally, an aging population is increasing, and aging is a natural physiological process and a major risk factor for all age-related diseases. It seriously threatens personal health and imposes a great economic burden. Therefore, there is a growing scientific interest in strategies for well-aging with prevention and treatment of age-related diseases. The seed, root, stem or leaves of Cassia tora Linn. are useful for anti-bacteria, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-obesity due to its pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant both in vitro and in vivo. Nevertheless, no clinical trials have been attempted so far, therefore here we would like to understand the current preclinical activities for aging-related disease models including cataract, metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration, then discuss their preparation for clinical trials and perspectives.

Biophysical insights into the interaction of human serum albumin with Cassia fistula leaf extracts inspired biogenic potent antibacterial and anticancerous gold nanoparticles.

In the present investigation, the characterization of Cassia fistula leaf extracts (CFLE) mediated gold nanoparticles (CF-GNPs) and its binding features with human serum albumin (HSA) through interaction have been probed. The results from UV-visible, TEM and EDX analysis proved the formation of CF-GNPs. The functional groups like OH, NH, CN etc present in the phytochemicals of CFLE were mainly acted as reducing and protecting agent which was confirmed by FTIR study. The zeta potential (-17.8 mV) and hydrodynamic size (20.4 nm) of the CF-GNPs were also measured by DLS. The microbicidal effect of the CF-GNPs was estimated against gram negative bacterium, Escherichia coli (DH5-Alpha) and MIC was found to be 2.8 nM. Anticancer activity of the CF-GNPs was also checked against A375 (skin melanoma) cell lines where IC50 was 6.5 nM. The interaction study of CF-GNPs with HSA and conformational alteration of HSA upon interaction were investigated by the fluorescence, lifetime, synchronous, circular dichroism spectrum and zeta potential measurement. The negative value of Gibb's free energy indicated spontaneity of the CF-GNPs-HSA complex formation. The fluorescence lifetime measurement confirmed the construction of ground state CF-GNPs-HSA complex passing through static quenching mechanism and determined the distance from donor to acceptor also. Circular dichroism spectroscopy signified unchangeable native structure of HSA with minor decrease of alpha helix structure (54.5% to 51.1%) upon interaction. The more negative zeta potential value (-25.9 mV) of CF-GNPs-HSA system than the CF-GNPs (-17.8 mV) proved the adsorption of HSA on the outer surface of CF-GNPs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Aldose reductase inhibitor form Cassia glauca: A comparative study of cytotoxic activity with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and molecular docking evaluation.

UPLC-MS/MS profiling of Cassia glauca leaves extract revealed the identification of 10 flavonoids. Kaempferol 3-O-ß-D-rutinoside was isolated and studied for its cytotoxic activity. It showed high cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 (IC50 of 4.6±0.038 µg/ml) and HepG-2 (IC50 of 8.2±0.024 µg/ml) cancer cell lines, compared to the leaves extracts, their Ag nanoparticles, and doxorubicin. Moreover, Kaempferol 3-O-ß-D-rutinoside exerted a synergistic cytotoxic effect with doxorubicin on MCF-7 cell lines. It was discovered as kinases and aldose reductase inhibitor while rationalizing its cytotoxic activity through molecular docking study. Thus, it is expected that the cardiotoxic effects of doxorubicin can be also decreased by using Kaempferol 3-O-ß-D-rutinoside due to its aldose reductase inhibitory effect. These findings suggested that Kaempferol 3-O-ß-D-rutinoside could be used in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs to increase the sensitivity to their cytotoxic activity and protect against their side effects.

What kind of seed dormancy occurs in the legume genus Cassia?

Cassia is a diverse legume genus widespread in the (sub-)tropical zone of the world. Several studies have been done on this genus; however, significant changes have occurred at the taxonomic level over the years. This has led to inaccurate information about seed dormancy in Cassia since many species are no longer included in the genus. Thus, our work aims to investigate and update the information about the kind of dormancy that occurs in seeds of Cassia species and also look into two notorious species in this group (C. fistula and C. javanica) to compare myxospermous vs. non-myxospermous seeds regarding dormancy and germination traits. Seed dormancy reports were found for 53 Cassia species, and the only kind of seed dormancy found for these species was physical dormancy (PY). Non-dormancy was not found, and all seeds had a blockage to water uptake during the dormant state, that is, all have PY. Of these 53 species, only 18 are currently included in the genus Cassia. C. fistula and C. javanica have fully developed embryos, and dormancy is only conferred by the (water-impermeable) seed coat. The lens in the seed coat is the only structure that creates a water pathway to break PY in C. fistula. Myxospermous seeds came out of dormancy faster than non-myxospermous ones. PY seems to be the only kind of seed dormancy that has evolved in Cassia. The extent of this kind of dormancy in all subtribe Cassiinae is also discussed.

Preparation, characterization, and prebiotic activity of manno-oligosaccharides produced from cassia gum by a glycoside hydrolase family 134 ß-mannanase.

To produce manno-oligosaccharides from cassia gum, a mutated glycoside hydrolase family 134 ß-mannanase gene (mRmMan134A) from Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis F518 was expressed in Pichia pastoris and a high expression level (3680 U mL-1) was obtained through high cell density fermentation. mRmMan134A exhibited maximum activity at pH 5.5 and 50 °C. It was then subjected to hydrolyze cassia gum with 70.6% of overall yield of manno-oligosaccharides. From the hydrolysate, seven components (F1-F7) were separated and identified as mannose, mannobiose, galactose, mannotriose, mannotetraose, 61-α-d-galactosyl-ß-d-mannobiose, and mannopentaose, respectively. According to in vitro fermentation, the manno-oligosaccharides were able to promote the growth of three Bifidobacterium strains and six Lactobaillus strains with 3.0-fold increment in culture absorbance, and these strains preferred manno-oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization (DP) 2-3 rather than those with DP 4-5. Novel manno-oligosaccharides from cassia gum with promising prebiotic activity were provided in the present study.

ClTI, a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor purified from Cassia leiandra Benth. seeds, exerts a candidicidal effect on Candida albicans by inducing oxidative stress and necrosis.

Cassia leiandra is an Amazonian plant species that is used popularly for the treatment of mycoses. Recently, a protease inhibitor, named ClTI, with insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti, was purified from the mature seeds of C. leiandra. In this work, we show that ClTI has antifungal activity against Candida species and describe its mode of action towards Candida albicans. This study is relevant because the nosocomial infections caused by Candida species are a global public health problem that, together with the growing resistance to current drugs, has increased the urgency of the search for new antifungal compounds. ClTI inhibited the growth of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida krusei. However, ClTI was more potent against C. albicans. The candidicidal mode of action of ClTI on C. albicans involves enhanced cell permeabilization, alteration of the plasma membrane proton-pumping ATPase function (H+ -ATPase), induction of oxidative stress, and DNA damage. ClTI also exhibited antibiofilm activity and non-cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. These results indicate that ClTI is a promising candidate for the future development of a new, natural, and safe agent for the treatment of infections caused by C. albicans.

Full-Length Transcriptome Survey and Expression Analysis of Cassia obtusifolia to Discover Putative Genes Related to Aurantio-Obtusin Biosynthesis, Seed Formation and Development, and Stress Response.

The seed is the pharmaceutical and breeding organ of Cassia obtusifolia, a well-known medical herb containing aurantio-obtusin (a kind of anthraquinone), food, and landscape. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of the biosynthesis of aurantio-obtusin, seed formation and development, and stress response of C. obtusifolia, it is necessary to understand the genomics information. Although previous seed transcriptome of C. obtusifolia has been carried out by short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, the vast majority of the resulting unigenes did not represent full-length cDNA sequences and supply enough gene expression profile information of the various organs or tissues. In this study, fifteen cDNA libraries, which were constructed from the seed, root, stem, leaf, and flower (three repetitions with each organ) of C. obtusifolia, were sequenced using hybrid approach combining single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and NGS platform. More than 4,315,774 long reads with 9.66 Gb sequencing data and 361,427,021 short reads with 108.13 Gb sequencing data were generated by SMRT and NGS platform, respectively. 67,222 consensus isoforms were clustered from the reads and 81.73% (61,016) of which were longer than 1000 bp. Furthermore, the 67,222 consensus isoforms represented 58,106 nonredundant transcripts, 98.25% (57,092) of which were annotated and 25,573 of which were assigned to specific metabolic pathways by KEGG. CoDXS and CoDXR genes were directly used for functional characterization to validate the accuracy of sequences obtained from transcriptome. A total of 658 seed-specific transcripts indicated their special roles in physiological processes in seed. Analysis of transcripts which were involved in the early stage of anthraquinone biosynthesis suggested that the aurantio-obtusin in C. obtusifolia was mainly generated from isochorismate and Mevalonate/methylerythritol phosphate (MVA/MEP) pathway, and three reactions catalyzed by Menaquinone-specific isochorismate synthase (ICS), 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPPS) might be the limited steps. Several seed-specific CYPs, SAM-dependent methyltransferase, and UDP-glycosyltransferase (UDPG) supplied promising candidate genes in the late stage of anthraquinone biosynthesis. In addition, four seed-specific transcriptional factors including three MYB Transcription Factor (MYB) and one MADS-box Transcription Factor (MADS) transcriptional factors) and alternative splicing might be involved with seed formation and development. Meanwhile, most members of Hsp20 genes showed high expression level in seed and flower; seven of which might have chaperon activities under various abiotic stresses. Finally, the expressional patterns of genes with particular interests showed similar trends in both transcriptome assay and qRT-PCR. In conclusion, this is the first full-length transcriptome sequencing reported in Caesalpiniaceae family, and thus providing a more complete insight into aurantio-obtusin biosynthesis, seed formation and development, and stress response as well in C. obtusifolia.

Potential of Cassia alata L. Coupled with Biochar for Heavy Metal Stabilization in Multi-Metal Mine Tailings.

To explore the effect of different biochars on Cassia alata L. growth and heavy metal immobilization in multi-metal mine tailings, a 100-day pot experiment was conducted. Three biochars derived from Hibiscus cannabinus core (HB), sewage sludge (SB) and chicken manure (MB), were added to mine tailings at rates of 0.4%, 1% and 3% (w/w). The results showed that the root biomass, shoot biomass, plant height and root length were 1.2-2.8, 1.7-3.2, 1-1.5 and 1.6-3.3 times of those in the control group, respectively. Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd and As contents in the shoot decreased by 63.9-89.5%, 46.9-66.0%, 32.7-62.4%, 40.4-76.4% and 54.9-77.5%, respectively. The biochar significantly increased the pH and decreased the mild acid-soluble Pb and Cu concentrations in the mine tailings. Specifically, SB immobilized Pb and Cu better than MB and HB did, although it did not immobilize As, Zn or Cd. Meanwhile, more attention should be paid to the potential As release as the biochar application rate increases. In conclusion, Cassia alata L. coupled with 3% of SB could be an effective measure for restoring multi-metal mine tailings. This study herein provided a promising ecological restoration technique for future practice of heavy metal stabilization in mine tailings.

Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights of anti-insect molecular mechanism of Cassia obtusifolia trypsin inhibitor against Pieris rapae.

Pieris rapae, a serious Lepidoptera pest of cultivated crucifers, utilizes midgut enzymes to digest food and detoxify secondary metabolites from host plants. A recombinant trypsin inhibitor (COTI) from nonhost plant, Cassia obtusifolia, significantly decreased activities of trypsin-like proteases in the larval midgut on Pieris rapae and could suppress the growth of larvae. In order to know how COTI took effect, transcriptional profiles of P. rapae midgut in response to COTI was studied. A total of 51,544 unigenes were generated and 45.86% of which had homologs in public databases. Most of the regulated genes associated with digestion, detoxification, homeostasis, and resistance were downregulated after ingestion of COTI. Meanwhile, several unigenes in the integrin signaling pathway might be involved in response to COTI. Furthermore, using comparative transcriptome analysis, we detected differently expressing genes and identified a new reference gene, UPF3, by qRT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Therefore, it was suggested that not only proteolysis inhibition, but also suppression of expression of genes involved in metabolism, development, signaling, and defense might account for the anti-insect resistance of COTI.

New naphthalene derivative from the leaves of Cassia grandis L.

Cassia grandis is used for the treatment of skin disorders, back pain, aches, etc. in Vietnamese traditional medicine. In this paper, phytochemicals of the leaves were investigated. A new naphthalene derivative (1, cassgranon D) and, seven known compounds rutin (2), afzelin (3), quercitrin (4), epicatechin (5), (-)-epiafzelechin (6), isoquercitrin (7) and aloe emodin (8) were isolated from the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. Their structures were elucidated by spectral evidences (UV, IR, MS, 1H, 13C, DEPT, HSQC and HMBC NMR), as well as by comparing with published data.

An in vitro study on the burn wound healing activity of cotton fabrics incorporated with phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles in male Wistar albino rats.

In modern therapeutics, chemically synthesized drugs have been reported as causing adverse effects including allergies, rashes, itches, and swelling. For the past few decades, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have widely been applied in medical domains due to their antimicrobial and wound healing properties. In the present study, different concentrations of phytosynthesized AgNPs-saturated cotton dress fabrics - in comparison to cotton fabrics treated with commercial ointment - were tested for 18days to assess their ability to speed the healing of rats' burn wounds. No significant difference in body weight was observed during the course of treatment as compared to the normal rat group. The cotton fabrics observed under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed the distribution of AgNPs in the cotton fibers. Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) spectrum also authenticated the AgNPs' distribution. At the end of the experimental period, the wound healing efficacy of dressing containing commercial ointment (Burn Heal) was slightly lower than that of treatment containing 100µg/kg of body weight (kg b.w.) of AgNPs. Additionally, it was also observed that the wound contraction area was higher than that of the positive drug 100µg/kg b.w. treated group, which indicates comparatively better-quality activity of ointments with AgNPs with regards to their burn healing properties. The histological and SEM observations showed better fibril alignments in repaired skin when compared with the negative and positive control groups. Perhaps due to the tensile strength of the comparatively higher concentration of nanoparticles, Groups IV and V (which contained the most nanoparticles out of all the groups) showed much better healing properties than did the positive drug treated group VI. Altogether, increased-concentration AgNPs show increased recovery action in comparison to the positive drug treated group. This study provides additional insight into the incorporation of AgNPs in wound dressings for speedy recovery of burn wounds, for improved human welfare.

Impact of bio-nanogold on seed germination and seedling growth in Pennisetum glaucum.

Nanotechnology is leading towards the development of low cost applications to improve the cultivation and growth of plants. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture will leads to a significant effect on food industry along with opening a new area of research in agroecosystem. In this paper gold nanoparticles were biosynthesized with Cassia auriculata leaf extract at room temperature and characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The objective of this study was to investigate effect of synthesized bio-nanogold on an important food and biofuel producing plant Pennisetum glaucum. Positive effects were observed on percentage of seed germination and growth of seedlings. Improved germination and increased plant biomass have high economic importance in production of biofuel or raw materials, agriculture and horticulture. Although the impact of nanoparticles on plants depends on concentration, size and shape. The biological synthesized AuNPs can replace the chemically synthesized AuNPs used in gene transfer method. The study gives brief insight on nanoparticles effects on plants, brings attention on both positive and negative side of nanomaterial which can resolve phytopathological infections by stimulating nutrition and growth.

Phytosynthesized gold nanoparticles from C. roxburghii DC. leaf and their toxic effects on normal and cancer cell lines.

Gold nanoparticles are considered of great importance compared to other noble metal nanoparticles and its wide range of applications like pharmaceutics, therapeutics and diagnostics etc. During the past decade, phytosynthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are more focused in in vitro and in vivo study. The present study was focused on the gold chloride and phytosynthesized gold nanoparticles from aqueous leaf extract of Cassia roxburghii and their toxic effects on African green monkey normal kidney Vero cell line and three different cancer cell lines such as HepG2, MCF7 and HeLa. Phytosynthesized AuNPs were characterized by HRTEM, EDX, XRD and FTIR analysis. The particles size range of 25-35nm was confirmed by HRTEM. The elemental gold and the crystalline nature of AuNPs were confirmed by EDX and XRD, respectively. The reduction of functional groups was confirmed by FTIR. In in vitro study, the IC50 of HepG2 cells was found to be 30µg/ml compared to other cell lines, HeLa and MCF7 cell line showing IC50 of 50µg/ml and normal Vero cell line also nontoxic up to 75µg/ml confirmed by MTT assay. Further, apoptosis in HepG2 was analyzed by fluorescence microscope and DNA fragmentation was observed in HepG2 treated cells. These results suggested that phytosynthesized AuNPs of C. roxburghii extract clearly limited toxic on normal cells but toxic in cancer cells.

Transcriptomic analysis of heteromorphic stamens in Cassia biscapsularis L.

Hermaphroditic flowers have evolved primarily under the selection on male function. Evolutionary modification often leads to stamen differentiation within flowers, or "heteranthery", a phenomenon intrigued scientists since the 18(th) century until recently. However, the genetic basis and molecular regulation mechanism has barely been touched. Here we conducted comparative transcriptome profiling in Cassia biscapsularis L., a heterantherous species with representative patterns of stamen differentiation. Numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between the staminodes (the degenerated stamens) and fertile stamens, while much fewer genes differentially expressed among the three sets of fertile stamens. GO term enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis characterized functional properties of DEGs in different stamen types. Transcripts showing close correlation between expression pattern and stamen types were identified. Transcription factors from the bHLH family were suggested to have taken crucial part in the formation of staminodes. This first global transcriptomic analysis focusing on stamen differentiation opens the door toward a more comprehensive understanding on the molecular regulation of floral organ evolution. Especially, the generated unigene resource would be valuable for developing male sterile lines in agronomy.

Chemical structures and hepatoprotective effects of constituents from Cassia auriculata leaves.

An 80% aqueous acetone extract of Cassia auriculata leaves was found to show a protective effect on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. From the 80% aqueous acetone extract, we isolated a new benzocoumarin glycoside, avaraoside I (1), and a new flavanol dimer, avaraol I (2), together with 29 known constituents. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. In addition, three isolated compounds, pseudosemiglabrin (15, 0.0011%), (2S)-7,4'-dihydroxyflavan(4ß→8)-catechin (22, 0.00075%), and (2S)-7,4'-dihydroxyflavan(4ß→8)-gallocatechin (23, 0.092%), displayed hepatoprotective effects equivalent to that of the hepatoprotective agent, silybin.

De novo assembly and analysis of Cassia obtusifolia seed transcriptome to identify genes involved in the biosynthesis of active metabolites.

A cDNA library generated from seeds of Cassia obtusifolia was sequenced using Illumina/Solexa platform. More than 12,968,231 high quality reads were generated, and have been deposited in NCBI SRA (SRR 1012912). A total of 40,102 unigenes (>200 bp) were obtained with an average sequence length of 681 bp by de novo assembly. About 34,089 (85%) unique sequences were annotated and 8694 of the unique sequences were assigned to specific metabolic pathways by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Among them, 131 unigenes, which are involved in the biosynthesis and (or) regulation of anthraquinone, carotenoid, flavonoid, and lipid, the 4 best known active metabolites, were identified from cDNA library. In addition, three lipid transfer proteins were obtained, which may contribute to the lipid molecules transporting between biological membranes. Meanwhile, 30 cytochrome P450, 12 SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and 12 UDP-glucosyltransferase unigenes were identified, which could also be responsible for the biosynthesis of active metabolites.

Study of algal biomass harvesting through cationic cassia gum, a natural plant based biopolymer.

Green unicellular microalgae have a capacity to entrap CO2 to increase their biomass through photosynthesis and are important for the value added product. The presence of COOH and NH2 groups are responsible for imparting negative zeta value. The present work emphasizes on the synthesis of cationic cassia (CCAS) by the insertion of quaternary amine groups onto the backbone of cassia (CAS) from N-3-Chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHPTAC) which was further characterized via FTIR, SEM, elemental analysis and intrinsic viscosity. The optimal dosage of the synthesized cationic cassia is used to flocculate two different green fresh water algae viz. Chlamydomonas sp. CRP7 and Chlorella sp. CB4 were evaluated. 80 and 35 mg L(-1) was optimized dose for dewatering of above algae, respectively.