Assessment of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potential of Oscillatoria sancta and Oscillatoria proteus Isolated from Chilika Lake.

Filamentous cyanobacteria are a promising source of biologically active secondary metabolites with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer properties. Previously, cyanobacteria isolated from fresh and marine water were studied extensively, but those isolated from brackish water were less investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the antimicrobial activities as well as the potential antioxidant capacity of two cyanobacterial strains (Oscillatoria proteus and Oscillatoria sancta) obtained from Chilika Lake. The pigment and antioxidant was assayed using a spectrophotometer; antimicrobial activity was studied by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC); and the presence of phytoconstituents was detected using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The solvents used for extraction were methanol, acetone and benzene. The experimental data indicates that the total phenolic and flavonoid content was highest in O. sancta (58.26 ± 0.72 µg/g, 38.45 ± 0.79 µg/g, respectively). Similarly, the methanol extract of O. sancta presented the maximum antioxidant potential in both DPPH (83.18 ± 0.57%) and ABTS (68.42 ± 1.40%) radicals. Besides, more reducing power was also recorded in methanol extract of O. sancta as compared to O. proteus. Further, higher enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase and catalase) was observed in O. sancta. The antimicrobial potential against bacterial and fungal pathogens demonstrated better activity in O. sancta. In GC-MS analysis seven major chemical classes have been detected. Differential results was found in the two species of Oscillatoria; however, both have potential antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The findings have pharmaceutical and nutraceutical importance.

HCSRL: hyperledger composer system for reducing logistics losses in the pharmaceutical product supply chain using a blockchain-based approach.

Blockchain technology uses a secure and decentralised framework for transaction management and data sharing within supply chains. This is particularly crucial in the pharmaceutical industry, where product authenticity and traceability are paramount. Blockchain plays a pivotal role in preventing product loss and counterfeiting, while simultaneously enhancing transparency and efficiency throughout the supply chain. The research introduces a step-by-step approach to implementing a proof-of-concept (PoC) for Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) through blockchain technology. This PoC involves simulating a supply chain process to assess feasibility and measure key performance indicators. Engaging stakeholders and gathering feedback is integral to refining the blockchain-based SCRM system. The study rigorously evaluates the performance of the SCRM blockchain across various test scenarios, featuring differing numbers of organizations and clients. Multiple fabric networks are employed to assess the system's scalability and performance under diverse conditions. The results of these comprehensive tests inform practical deployment decisions and highlight areas for potential optimization and further development. So this research provides valuable insights into the application of blockchain in pharmaceutical supply chains, offering a roadmap for implementation and improving supply chain security, efficiency, and transparency.

Commercial Initiation of Feather Hydrolysate as Supreme Fertilizer: A Smart Bio-Cleaning Strategy of Poultry Waste.

Purpose: Economic development of India mainly depends on agricultural sectors. The Indian traditional agricultural system is mainly based on chemical fertilizer to get better yield. The main motto of this research work is to change the traditional faith of Indian farmers and rural Indian economy. Methods: Bioprocessing of feather prepared from an efficient newly isolated bacterial strain, identified as Bacillus wiedmanni SAB10 is used to produce a nitrogen rich liquid fertilizer. The cell-free hydrolysate was prepared from submerged fermentation of poultry litter (1.25%, w/v) as sole media with supplemented as chicken feather (1%, w/v) in 79.41 h with pH 10.6. Results: Fermented hydrolysate contains a significant quantity of total amino acid (503.02 mg/L) with diversity (Cystine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, lysine, Valine, Proline and Alanine), total oligopeptides (4.65 mg/ml) and thiol content (58.09 µg/ml) which influence growth and yield (1.02 fold) of moong beans (Vigna radiata) plant in pot trials and as well as successfully scale up in field trials by the farmers. This liquid fertilizer not only makes plant healthy and has drought tolerance (proline content- 0.023 mg/g) capacity but also increases the grain quality by spraying the fertilizer on foliage with a ratio of 2:1 (Water: Feather hydrolysate) for two times (before the 1st flash and 2nd flash of flowering). Conclusion: Fermented feather hydrolysate is used full as a foliage fertilizer for the cultivation of moong beans. Some commercial properties and its eco-friendly, cost-effectiveness will make it a smart liquid fertilizer in near future. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12649-022-01982-9.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and GC/MS-based phytochemical analysis of two traditional Lichen species Trypethellium virens and Phaeographis dendritica.

BACKGROUND: Lichens are complex plants living in symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. They are used for human and animal nutrition and are used in folk medicine in many countries over a considerable period of time. In the present study, various solvent extracts of Trypethelslium virens and Phaeographis dendritica were tested for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. RESULTS: The phytochemical analysis by GC/MS revealed phenolics (1.273%), terpene (0.963%), hydrocarbons (2.081%), benzofurans (2.081%), quinone (1.273%), alkanes (0.963%), and aliphatic aldehydes (0.963%) as the predominant compounds in Trypethellium virens SPTV02, whereas secondary alcohol (1.184%), alkaloids (1.184%), and fatty acids (4.466) were the major constituents in Phaeographis dendritica. The antioxidant property of methanolic extract of T. virens and P. dendritica revealed the presence of total phenolic and terpenoids. The methanolic extracts of both the lichens exhibited encouraging DPPH antiradical activity, with the IC50 of 62.4 ± 0.76 µg/ml for T. virens and 68.48 ± 0.45 µg/ml for P. dendritica. Similarly, ferric reducing power assay result exhibited higher reducing activity. Further, the lichen extracts (methanolic) indicated promising antimicrobial activities against pathogens showing MIC from 62.5 to 500 µg/ml. CONCLUSION: The study results concludes that both the lichens could be used as new natural source of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents which can be exploited for pharmaceutical applications.

A Deep Learning Method to Forecast COVID-19 Outbreak.

A new pandemic attack happened over the world in the last month of the year 2019 which disrupt the lifestyle of everyone around the globe. All the related research communities are trying to identify the behaviour of pandemic so that they can know when it ends but every time it makes them surprise by giving new values of different parameters. In this paper, support vector regression (SVR) and deep neural network method have been used to develop the prediction models. SVR employs the principle of a support vector machine that uses a function to estimate mapping from an input domain to real numbers on the basis of a training model and leads to a more accurate solution. The long short-term memory networks usually called LSTM, are a special kind of RNN, capable of learning long-term dependencies. And also is quite useful when the neural network needs to switch between remembering recent things, and things from a long time ago and it provides an accurate prediction to COVID-19. Therefore, in this study, SVR and LSTM techniques have been used to simulate the behaviour of this pandemic. Simulation results show that LSTM provides more realistic results in the Indian Scenario.

Barrier properties of nano silicon carbide designed chitosan nanocomposites.

Nano silicon carbide (SiC) designed chitosan nanocomposites were prepared by solution technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used for studying structural interaction of nano silicon carbide (SiC) with chitosan. The morphology of chitosan/SiC nanocomposites was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The thermal stability of chitosan was substantially increased due to incorporation of stable silicon carbide nanopowder. The oxygen permeability of chitosan/SiC nanocomposites was reduced by three folds as compared to the virgin chitosan. The chemical resistance properties of chitosan were enhanced due to the incorporation of nano SiC. The biodegradability was investigated using sludge water. The tensile strength of chitosan/SiC nanocomposites was increased with increasing percentage of SiC. The substantial reduction in oxygen barrier properties in combination with increased thermal stability, tensile strength and chemical resistance properties; the synthesized nanocomposite may be suitable for packaging applications.

Dispersion of SiC nanoparticles in cellulose for study of tensile, thermal and oxygen barrier properties.

Cellulose/silicon carbide (cellulose/SiC) nanobiocomposites were prepared by solution technique. The interaction of SiC nanoparticles with cellulose were confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The structure of cellulose/SiC nanobiocomposites was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tensile properties of the nanobiocomposites were improved as compared with virgin cellulose. Thermal stabilities of cellulose/SiC nanobiocomposites were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The cellulose/SiC nanobiocomposites were thermally more stable than the raw cellulose. It may be due to the delamination of SiC with cellulose matrix. The oxygen barrier properties of cellulose composites were measured using gas permeameter. A substantial reduction in oxygen permeability was obtained with increase in silicon carbide concentrations. The thermally resistant and oxygen barrier properties of the prepared nanobiocomposites may enable the materials for the packaging applications.

Synthesis of thermal and chemical resistant oxygen barrier starch with reinforcement of nano silicon carbide.

Starch/silicon carbide (starch/SiC) bionanocomposites were synthesized by solution method using different wt% of silicon carbide with starch matrix. The interaction between starch and silicon carbide was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The structure of the bionanocomposites was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Thermal property of starch/SiC bionanocomposites was measured and a significant enhancement of thermal resistance was noticed. The oxygen barrier property of the composites was studied and a substantial reduction in permeability was observed as compared to the virgin starch. The reduction of oxygen permeability with enhancement of thermal stability of prepared bionanocomposites may enable the materials suitable for thermal resistant packaging and adhesive applications.

Cellulose nanobiocomposites with reinforcement of boron nitride: study of thermal, oxygen barrier and chemical resistant properties.

A series of cellulose based nanobiocomposites (cellulose/BN) were prepared with incorporation of various percentage of nano boron nitride (BN). The interaction between cellulose and boron nitride was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The structure of cellulose/BN nanobiocomposites was investigated by XRD, FESEM, and HRTEM. It was observed that the boron nitride nanoparticles were dispersed within cellulose matrix due to intercalation and partial exfoliation. The quantitative identification of nanobiocomposites was investigated by selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Thermal stabilities of the prepared nanobiocomposites were measured by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and it was found that thermal stability of the nanobiocomposites was higher than the virgin cellulose. The oxygen barrier property of cellulose/BN nanobiocomposites was measured using a gas permeameter and a substantial reduction in oxygen permeability due to increase in boron nitride loading was observed. Further it was noticed that the chemical resistance of the nanobiocomposites was more than the virgin cellulose. Hence, the prepared nanobiocomposite may be widely used for insulating and temperature resistant packaging materials.

A reclusive foreign body in the airway: a case report and a literature review.

A foreign body in the larynx is an airway emergency that requires urgent evaluation and treatment. Irregular foreign bodies tend to orient in a sagittal plane and may produce only partial obstruction, allowing adequate air movement, hence making them undetectable for a long period of time. We report a case of a laryngotracheal foreign body that remained reclusive for 9 years.