Notch signaling mediated repressive effects of resveratrol in inducing caspasedependent apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Resveratrol, a potent anticancer bioactive compound, has been shown to trigger apoptosis in numerous cancer cells. Although Notch signaling promotes breast cancer apoptosis, it is unclear whether resveratrol induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via influencing the Notch pathway. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on modulating Notch signaling targets and provide critical information for employing resveratrol in breast cancer therapy. Thus, in this study, we have deciphered the effect of resveratrol against three potent genes (Notch1, Jagged1, and DLL4) of the notch signaling pathway. For mechanistic studies, in silico, and in vitro analysis was executed to investigate the apoptotic-inducing potential of resveratrol against three selected oncogenes involved in the progression of breast cancer. Docking analysis revealed the inhibitory potential of resveratrol against all three selected targets of the Notch pathway (Notch1: -5.0; Jagged-1: -5.9; DLL4: -5.8). In vitro, findings further displayed a significant reduction in cell viability in resveratrol-treated MCF-7 cancer cells, which were concomitantly related to the downregulation of Notch-1, Jagged-1, and DLL4. Moreover, the antiproliferative efficacy of resveratrol was correlated with apoptosis and modulation in the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cyclin D1, CDK4, p21, and caspase-3 activation. Taken together, these experimental findings suggested that apoptotic inducing potential of resveratrol was mediated through a novel mechanism involving suppression of the Notch signaling pathway.

Evaluation of Antidiabetic, Antioxidant and Anti-Hyperlipidemic Effects of Solanum indicum Fruit Extract in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND: Globally, diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of premature mortality after cardiovascular diseases and tobacco chewing. It is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterised by the faulty metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as a result of defects in insulin secretion or resistance. It was estimated that approximately 463 million of the adult population are suffering from diabetes mellitus, which may grow up to 700 million by 2045. Solanum indicum is distributed all over India and all of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and fruits were used traditionally in the treatment of cough, asthma and rhinitis. However, the hypoglycaemic activity of the plant is not scientifically validated. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti-hyperlipidaemic activity of methanolic fruit extract of Solanum indicum (SIE) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. METHOD: Experimentally, type II diabetes was induced in rats by an i.p. injection of STZ at a dose of 60 mg/kg. The effect of the fruit extract was evaluated at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight in STZ-induced diabetic rats for 30 days. RESULT: The oral administration of fruit extract caused a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the blood glucose level with a more prominent effect at 200 mg/kg. The fruit extract showed dose-dependent α-amylase and α-glycosidase inhibitory activity. It reduced the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels remarkably in diabetic rats compared to normal. The extract showed the reduced activity of endogenous antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the liver of STZ diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: The result confirmed that the fruit extract of Solanum indicum showed a dose-dependent blood glucose lowering effect and significantly reduced elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides. It prevented oxidative stress associated with type II diabetes in STZ rats.

De novo transcriptome sequencing of drought tolerance-associated genes in little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.).

The genome size of the little millet Panicum sumatrense is unknown, although its genome is fairly diploid (2n = 4x = 36). Despite tremendous nutritional value and adaptability to adverse climatic conditions, P. sumatrense use was limited by their low palatability, coarse grain, and lack of variety of culinary preparations. Hence, understanding how to vary their usage to offer food and nutritional security in the continuously changing modern world, the proposed study was aimed to determine potential genes and metabolites implicated in drought resistance. The drought-resistant genotype of tiny millet OLM-203/Tarini was offered in pots under both relaxed and demanding circumstances. The experimental seedlings were 32 days old and had been under water stress for 23 days. A total of 7606 genes were compared between 23 and 32 days for roots and 7264 total genes were compared between 23 and 32 days for leaves, according to a research on differential expression genes (DEGs). Twenty essential genes for drought tolerance were up-or down-regulated in the control and treated roots of the OLM-203 genotype. For instance, the genes RS193 and XB34 were up-regulated in leaves while, WLIM1 was found to be down-regulated. Gene SKI35 was up-regulated in roots, whereas MPK6 and TCMOp1 were down-regulated in root samples. The roots and leaves of the tiny millet OLM-203 genotype expressed 36 up-regulated and 21 down-regulated serine transcripts, respectively. Gene annotations for leaf samples were classified as having "molecular function" (46%), "cellular component" (19%), and "biological process" (35%), while root sample gene annotations were categorized as having "biological process" (573 contigs), "molecular function" (401 contigs), and "cellular components" (166 contigs). Noteworthy, polyamines play a crucial role in drought stress tolerance in the genotype, and it was found that top ten DEGs encoding for polyamines were common in two tissues (leaf and root). Collectively, transcriptomics profiling (RNA-seq) unveiled transcriptional stability drought stress provide a new insight in underlying modus of operandi in little millet genotype "OLM-203/Tarini" in response to heat stress.

Marine bioactive compounds as antibiofilm agent: a metabolomic approach.

The ocean is a treasure trove of both living and nonliving creatures, harboring incredibly diverse group of organisms. A plethora of marine sourced bioactive compounds are discovered over the past few decades, many of which are found to show antibiofilm activity. These are of immense clinical significance since the formation of microbial biofilm is associated with the development of high antibiotic resistance. Biofilms are also responsible to bring about problems associated with industries. In fact, the toilets and wash-basins also show degradation due to development of biofilm on their surfaces. Antimicrobial resistance exhibited by the biofilm can be a potent threat not only for the health care unit along with industries and daily utilities. Various recent studies have shown that the marine members of various kingdom are capable of producing antibiofilm compounds. Many such compounds are with unique structural features and metabolomics approaches are essential to study such large sets of metabolites. Associating holobiome metabolomics with analysis of their chemical attribute may bring new insights on their antibiofilm effect and their applicability as a substitute for conventional antibiotics. The application of computer-aided drug design/discovery (CADD) techniques including neural network approaches and structured-based virtual screening, ligand-based virtual screening in combination with experimental validation techniques may help in the identification of these molecules and evaluation of their drug like properties.

Resilience and Mitigation Strategies of Cyanobacteria under Ultraviolet Radiation Stress.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) tends to damage key cellular machinery. Cells may adapt by developing several defence mechanisms as a response to such damage; otherwise, their destiny is cell death. Since cyanobacteria are primary biotic components and also important biomass producers, any drastic effects caused by UVR may imbalance the entire ecosystem. Cyanobacteria are exposed to UVR in their natural habitats. This exposure can cause oxidative stress which affects cellular morphology and vital processes such as cell growth and differentiation, pigmentation, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and enzyme activity, as well as alterations in the native structure of biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. The high resilience and several mitigation strategies adopted by a cyanobacterial community in the face of UV stress are attributed to the activation of several photo/dark repair mechanisms, avoidance, scavenging, screening, antioxidant systems, and the biosynthesis of UV photoprotectants, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), scytonemin (Scy), carotenoids, and polyamines. This knowledge can be used to develop new strategies for protecting other organisms from the harmful effects of UVR. The review critically reports the latest updates on various resilience and defence mechanisms employed by cyanobacteria to withstand UV-stressed environments. In addition, recent developments in the field of the molecular biology of UV-absorbing compounds such as mycosporine-like amino acids and scytonemin and the possible role of programmed cell death, signal perception, and transduction under UVR stress are discussed.

Biological databases and tools for neurological disorders.

Computational approach to study of neuronal impairment is rapidly evolving, as experiments and intuition alone could not explain the complexity of brain system. The increase in an overwhelming amount of new data from both theory and computational modeling necessitate the development of databases and tools for analysis, visualization, and interpretation of neuroscience data. To ensure the sustainability of this development, consistent update and training of young professionals are imperative. For this purpose, relevant articles, chapters, and modules are essential to keep abreast of developments. Therefore, this article seeks to outline the biological databases and analytical tools along with their applications. It's envisaged that knowledge along this line would be a "training recipe" for young talents and guide for professionals and researchers in neuroscience.

Correlation of Neuroinflammation and Therapeutic Targets in Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders.

Perioperative Neurocognitive (PND) disorders represent a prevalent complication among geriatric patients, manifested in diverse forms of cognitive impairment following anesthesia and surgical procedures. Even though the exact origin of PND disorders is still unknown, neuroinflammation has been identified as a significant contributing factor, particularly in older patients. Hence, this review aims to provide a deeper insight into the underlying mechanism and associated potent therapeutic targets for the efficient management of perioperative neurocognitive disorders. Many factors, such as PRRs, chemokine receptors, immunoglobulin superfamily receptors, and purinergic receptors, are involved in the development and occurrence of perioperative neurocognitive disorders to varying degrees and may be valuable biomarkers for their effective management. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the involvement of neuroinflammation in PND disorders, including their onset and possible therapeutic targets. This review would benefit future researchers in elucidating a better therapeutic approach for the management of perioperative neurocognitive disorders. We have also briefly outlined the clinical trials associated with Postoperative neurocognitive disorders in the last section of the review. Altogether, this review would help the researchers investigate better therapeutics for the management of PND disorders.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and associated factors among women attending cervical cancer screening in setting of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are circular, nonenveloped small double-stranded DNA viruses that infect stratified epithelium and can cause a number of life-threatening diseases. HPV is the central risk factor for developing cervical cancer and is estimated that approximately 98% of this disease is associated with oncogenic types of HPV. HPV infection leads to an estimated 266,000 cervical cancer deaths annually. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and risk factors associated with cervical lesion among women attending the cervical cancer screening clinic at the Ethiopian Family Guidance Association, Addis Ababa. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of HPV infection. Data were collected using a questionnaire and samples leftover from cervical screening were taken. The leftover swab was air dried and DNA was extracted and amplified by using a PCR. A total of 247 women were included in the study. The prevalence of HPV was 9.72% among the population studied. Of all participants, 27.13% were positive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-1 (CIN1). CIN1 positivity was found in half of HPV positive women. Among HPV positive women, half of them had started sexual intercourse at ages 12-17 years and 41.66% were women who gave birth at ages 12-17 years. The high prevalence of HPV and the CIN1 positive group were ages 36-57 and women with multiple sexual partners. The other groups with the highest CIN1 positive were 22.39% grade (9-12) and 20.9% primary (1-8) and uneducated women. Among HPV positive women, 83.33% had an abortion history and 80% miscarried in the first trimester. Among the CIN1 positives, 53.73% had more than two sexual partners. Among HPV positive women, half of them were users of contraception methods. In conclusion, the highest prevalence of HPV is among women who began sexual intercourse earlier and who gave birth at 12-17 years of age, have an abortion history, with MSP and oral contraceptive methods users. In addition to HPV, early pregnancy and sexual intercourse at 12-17 years of age, abortion, MSP, and oral hormonal contraceptives are factors in cervical cancer. Finally, most women do not have enough knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and the risk factor.

Bacteria-mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antifungal potentials against Aspergillus flavus.

The best biocontroller Bacillus subtilis produced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a spherical form and a 62 nm size through green synthesis. Using UV-vis spectroscopy, PSA, and zeta potential analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the properties of synthesized silver nanoparticles were determined. Silver nanoparticles were tested for their antifungicidal efficacy against the most virulent isolate of the Aspergillus flavus fungus, JAM-JKB-BHA-GG20, and among the 10 different treatments, the treatment T6 [PDA + 1 ml of NP (19: 1)] + Pathogen was shown to be extremely significant (82.53%). TG-51 and GG-22 were found to be the most sensitive groundnut varieties after 5 and 10 days of LC-MS QTOF infection when 25 different groundnut varieties were screened using the most toxic Aspergillus flavus isolate JAM- JKB-BHA-GG20, respectively. In this research, the most susceptible groundnut cultivar, designated GG-22, was tested. Because less aflatoxin (1651.15 g.kg-1) was observed, treatment T8 (Seed + Pathogen + 2 ml silver nanoparticles) was determined to be much more effective. The treated samples were examined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for the detection of metal ions and the fungicide carbendazim. Ag particles (0.8 g/g-1) and the fungicide carbendazim (0.025 g/g-1) were found during Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry analysis below detectable levels. To protect plants against the invasion of fungal pathogens, environmentally friendly green silver nanoparticle antagonists with antifungal properties were able to prevent the synthesis of mycotoxin by up to 82.53%.

Orchestration and theranostic applications of synthetic genome with Hachimoji bases/building blocks.

Synthetic genomics is a novel field of chemical biology where the chemically modified genetic alphabets have been considered in central dogma of life. Tweaking of chemical compositions of natural nucleotide bases could be developed as novel building blocks of DNA/RNA. The modified bases (dP, dZ, dS, and dB etc.) have been demonstrated to be adaptable for replication, transcription and follow Darwinism law of evolution. With advancement of chemical biology especially nucleotide chemistry, synthetic genetic codes have been discovered and Hachimoji nucleotides are the most important and significant one among them. These additional nucleotide bases can form orthogonal base-pairing, and also follow Darwinian evolution and other structural features. In the Hachimoji base pairing, synthetic building blocks are formed using eight modified nucleotide (DNA/RNA) letters (hence the name "Hachimoji"). Their structural conformations, like polyelectrolyte backbones and stereo-regular building blocks favor thermodynamic stability and confirm Schrodinger aperiodic crystal. From the structural genomics aspect, these synthetic bases could be incorporated into the central dogma of life. Researchers have shown Hachimoji building blocks were transcribed to its RNA counterpart as a functional fluorescent Hachimoji aptamer. Apart from several unnatural nucleotide base pairs maneuvered into its in vitro and in vivo applications, this review describes future perspective towards the development and therapeutic utilization of the genetic codes, a primary objective of synthetic and chemical biology.

Whole genome sequencing and annotation of Aspergillus flavus JAM-JKB-B HA-GG20.

Groundnuts are mostly contaminated with the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a carcinogenic mycotoxin called as aflatoxin. It is very important to understand the genetic factors underlying its pathogenicity, regulation, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and animal toxicities, but it still lacks useful information due to certain gaps in the era of modern technology. Therefore, the present study was considered to determine the key genes and metabolites involved in the biosynthesis of aflatoxin by using a molecular approach in a virulent strain of Aspergillus. The whole genome sequence of highly toxic and virulent Aspergillus isolates JAM-JKB-B HA-GG20 revealed 3,73,54,834 bp genome size, 2, 26, 257 number of contigs with N50 value of 49,272 bp, 12,400 genes and 48.1% of GC contained respectively. The genome sequence was compared with other known aflatoxin producing and non-producing genome of Aspergillus spp. and 61 secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters were annotated with the toxic strain JAM-JKB-BHA-GG20 which showed similarity with other Aspergillus spp. A total number of eight genes (ver-1, AflR, pksA, uvm8, omt1, nor-1, Vha and aflP) were identified related to biosynthesis of aflatoxin and ochratoxin. Also, 69 SSR with forward and reverse primers and 137 di and tri nucleotide motifs were identified in the nucleotide sequence region related to aflatoxin gene pathway. The genes and putative metabolites identified in this study are potentially involved in host invasion and pathogenicity. As such, the genomic information obtained in this study is helpful in understanding aflatoxin gene producing pathway in comparison to other Aspergillus spp. and predicted presence of other secondary metabolites clusters viz. Nrps, T1pks etc. genes associated with a biosynthesis of OTA mycotoxin.

Discovery of New Natural Phytocompounds: The Modern Tools to Fight Against Traditional Bacterial Pathogens.

Ongoing competition between disease-causing bacteria and human hosts has resulted in the discovery of a wide array of antibacterials. The advent of antibacterials ushered in a promising period in the realm of microbiology, but its brilliance was short-lived and soon diminished. The excessive and incorrect use of antibacterials results in limited selection pressure on the targeted microorganisms, which in turn promotes the evolution of microbes instead of killing them. Consequently, antibacterial resistance has developed and given rise to strains that are resistant to many drugs, leading to a significant increase in mortality rates. The current review delves into the potential of novel natural phytocompounds as innovative solutions to combat these potential bacterial threats. The review begins by showcasing the modus operandi of conventional antibacterial drugs followed by addressing the mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial agents, which have significantly lowered the efficacy of conventional treatments. In contrast, the review explores the mechanism of antibacterial activity of plant-derived phytochemicals, unraveling the various ways in which natural compounds interact with bacterial targets. Furthermore, the review examines the synergism between plant phytochemicals and conventional antibiotics, showcasing the efficacy of this combinatorial approach in overcoming resistance. The review concludes by summarizing the current research and offering valuable insights into challenges in the use of plant phytochemicals as antibacterial therapeutics. This comprehensive overview reinforces the promise of incorporating modern scientific tools with traditional phytotherapy to develop effective strategies against resistant bacterial pathogens.

Comprehensive Review on Fruit Seeds: Nutritional, Phytochemical, Nanotechnology, Toxicity, Food Biochemistry, and Biotechnology Perspective.

Fruit seeds are leftovers from a variety of culinary sectors. They are generally unutilized and contribute greatly to global disposals. These seeds not only possess various nutritional attributes but also have many heath-beneficial properties. One way to make use of these seeds is to extract their bioactive components and create fortified food items. Nowadays, researchers are highly interested in creating innovative functional meals and food components from these unconventional resources. The main objective of this manuscript was to determine the usefulness of seed powder from 70 highly consumed fruits, including Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Common plum, Cranberry, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, Jamun, Kiwi, Lemon, Mahua, Mango, Melon, Olive, Orange, and many more have been presented. The nutritional attributes, phytochemical composition, health advantages, nanotechnology applications, and toxicity of these fruit seeds have been fully depicted. This study also goes into in-depth detailing on creating useful food items out of these seeds, such as bakery goods, milk products, cereal-based goods, and meat products. It also identifies enzymes purified from these seeds along with their biochemical applications and any research openings in this area.

Emerging Nanotechnological Applications in Preserving and Improving the Shelf Life of Food.

The ever-growing demand for safe and nutritious food has activated the scrutinization of innovative approaches to enhance food preservation and extended shelf life. Nanotechnology has progressed by making a significant contribution to the food industry at the nanoscale level and appeared as a promising avenue for these challenges. Various nanomaterials have been employed to preserve and extend the shelf life of a variety of food products. Since most harvested fruits and vegetables have a perishable nature, they cannot be preserved in natural circumstances for a long period. Due to a range of unique qualities, nanotechnology-related shelf life extension technologies can compensate for the limitations of normal preservation procedures. The encapsulation of nutraceuticals increases their stability and bioavailability, resulting in beneficial effects on humans. Nanoparticles are used as carriers of health-promoting and/or functional substances in product formulations. They have shown excellent effectiveness in encapsulating bioactive substances and retaining their qualities to ensure their functioning (antioxidant and antibacterial) in food products. This review focuses on the current developments in nanotechnology and their application for improving shelf life and food preservation techniques. Here we excavated the implementation of different types and forms of nanostructured materials (NSMs), from inorganic metals, metal oxides, and their nanocomposites to nano-organic materials incorporating bioactive chemicals in the food system. This review also focuses on exploring the slow and sustainable release of the bioactive compounds, and nutrients enriching the taste and sensory characteristics of the food. Throughout the paper, we dug deep into the regulatory, food safety, and assessment concerns about nanotechnology. The review provides a deep understanding of the developing landscape of nanotechnological applications, challenges, and future opportunities revolutionizing the preservation and extended shelf life of food products.

Therapeutic Strategies against Biofilm Infections.

A biofilm is an aggregation of surface-associated microbial cells that is confined in an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix. Infections caused by microbes that form biofilms are linked to a variety of animals, including insects and humans. Antibiotics and other antimicrobials can be used to remove or eradicate biofilms in order to treat infections. However, due to biofilm resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobials, clinical observations and experimental research clearly demonstrates that antibiotic and antimicrobial therapies alone are frequently insufficient to completely eradicate biofilm infections. Therefore, it becomes crucial and urgent for clinicians to properly treat biofilm infections with currently available antimicrobials and analyze the results. Numerous biofilm-fighting strategies have been developed as a result of advancements in nanoparticle synthesis with an emphasis on metal oxide np. This review focuses on several therapeutic strategies that are currently being used and also those that could be developed in the future. These strategies aim to address important structural and functional aspects of microbial biofilms as well as biofilms' mechanisms for drug resistance, including the EPS matrix, quorum sensing (QS), and dormant cell targeting. The NPs have demonstrated significant efficacy against bacterial biofilms in a variety of bacterial species. To overcome resistance, treatments such as nanotechnology, quorum sensing, and photodynamic therapy could be used.

The role of nanocomposites against biofilm infections in humans.

The use of nanomaterials in several fields of science has undergone a revolution in the last few decades. It has been reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that 65% and 80% of infections are accountable for at least 65% of human bacterial infections. One of their important applications in healthcare is the use of nanoparticles (NPs) to eradicate free-floating bacteria and those that form biofilms. A nanocomposite (NC) is a multiphase stable fabric with one or three dimensions that are much smaller than 100 nm, or systems with nanoscale repeat distances between the unique phases that make up the material. Using NC materials to get rid of germs is a more sophisticated and effective technique to destroy bacterial biofilms. These biofilms are refractory to standard antibiotics, mainly to chronic infections and non-healing wounds. Materials like graphene and chitosan can be utilized to make several forms of NCs, in addition to different metal oxides. The ability of NCs to address the issue of bacterial resistance is its main advantage over antibiotics. This review highlights the synthesis, characterization, and mechanism through which NCs disrupt Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial biofilms, and their relative benefits and drawbacks. There is an urgent need to develop materials like NCs with a larger spectrum of action due to the rising prevalence of human bacterial diseases that are multidrug-resistant and form biofilms.

Phytocompound identification of aqueous Zingiber officinale rhizome (ZOME) extract reveals antiproliferative and reactive oxygen species mediated apoptotic induction within cervical cancer cells: an in vitro and in silico approach.

The prevalence of cervical cancer in women is in the fourth position among various other types of cancer globally. Many established therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and immunomodulation, are present, but high levels of side effects cause mortality and morbidity among the patients. Zingiber officinale rhizome (ZOME) has been potentially used to cure a variety of ailments and diseases. The aqueous ZOME extract also contains ample phytochemical constituents having anticancer effects on different cancers. The cell viability of HeLa cells was evaluated using MTT assay with IC50 at 97 µg/mL. Furthermore, a significant level of ROS generation causes the apoptosis of the cells. Nuclear staining dye DAPI and Hoechst 33342 showed DNA's fragmented and condensed form. Propidium Iodide staining showed necrotic or late-apoptotic cells. While acidic organelle dye LysoTracker and MitoTracker dye along with dual staining showed significant results. In silico studies were carried out using identified phytochemicals from GC-MS analysis with pharmacokinetics properties (ADMET), and targeted toward receptor proteins for molecular docking. Ligands with high docked scores were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations at 310 K for 100 ns. In vitro and in silico investigations in our studies showed that aqueous ZOME extract can be used as an efficient therapy against cervical cancer treatment as it showed significant cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects toward the HeLa cell line.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Purification of Lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa VSJK R-9 and Its Application in Combination with the Lipolytic Consortium for Bioremediation of Restaurant Wastewater.

Microorganisms are very important in biodegradation of edible oil contaminated effluents, and they find an excellent scope in restaurant wastewater bioremediation. The edible oil in such wastewater harms the environment in a number of ways. The native bacteria in the wastewater are less effective in degrading edible oil. It leads to the formation of blockage along the sewer line. This narrows the diameter of line and forms partial to complete blockage causing overflows of wastewater exposing humans and animals to diverse pathogens. A consortium of lipolytic bacteria and lipase enzyme gives a new approach for effective and environment friendly degradation of waste oil in restaurant wastewater. In the present study, the lipase produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa VSJK-R9 isolated from restaurant wastewater was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and gel exclusion chromatography-Sephadex G-100, with 11.45-fold purification to obtain a yield of 35.08%. Its molecular mass was around 50 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE analysis. The bioremediation of restaurant wastewater supplemented with 0.5% NH4Cl and 0.8% K2HPO4 was studied with lipolytic consortium formed by the combination of lipolytic isolates Acinetobacter junii VSJK-R6, Pseudomonas composti VSJK-R8 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa VSJK-R9. Further, the impact of lipase supplementation was also evaluated, and it was found that the action of consortium was boosted by lipase. The oil and chemical oxygen demand value of the restaurant wastewater was considerably decreased. These findings have shown the application of lipase for bioremediation of restaurant wastewater and its positive impact on the performance of lipolytic consortium.

Purification, Characterization, and Application of Endoglucanase from Rhizopus oryzae as Antibiofilm Agent.

The enzyme endoglucanase is responsible for the depolymerization of cellulose. This study focuses on characterization and purification of endoglucanase from Rhizopus oryzae MTCC 9642 through a simple size exclusion method and its effective application as an antibiofilm agent. Extracellular ß-1,4-endoglucanase, an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose, was found to be synthesized by Rhizopus oryzae MTCC 9642. The enzyme was purified up to homogeneity simply by size exclusion process through ultrafiltration and gel chromatography. The molecular weight of purified enzyme protein was estimated to be 39.8 kDa and it showed the highest substrate affinity towards carboxymethyl-cellulose with Km and Vmax values of 0.833 mg ml-1 and of 0.33 mmol glucose min-1 mg-1protein, respectively. The purified enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 6 with a broad stability range of pH 3-8. The most preferred temperature was 35 °C and 50% of activity could be retained after the thermal exposure at 40 °C for 25 min. The purified enzyme protein was inactivated by Cu2+, while the activity could be enhanced by the addition of exogenous thiols. Since biofilm is a challenge for health sector, with the aim of eradicating the biofilm, the purified endoglucanase was used to remove biofilm produced by two nosocomial bacteria. As predicted by in silico molecular docking interaction, the purified enzyme could effectively degrade biofilm architecture of bacterial strains S. aureus and P. aeruginosa by 76.52 ± 6.52% and 61.67 ± 8.76%, respectively. The properties of purified enzyme protein, as elucidated by in vitro and in silico characterization, may be favourable for its commercial applications as a potent antibiofilm agent.