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Pelagic transport causes oil pollution via international tanker routes in the open ocean across southern Asia and the Indian Territory. Nutrient-rich runoff from residential, commercial, and industrial wastes, oil tanker mishaps, and sailing flags have all resulted in pollution. The natural flow of ocean water from east to west dragged pollutants into Indian Territory. We have investigated that the severe deposition of oil spills and biohazardous wastes is causing faunal mortality. Microbiome analyses helped us understand the sample's microbial load. 16S amplicon metagenome analysis, followed by enumeration and confirmation using molecular methods, indicates the presence of diverse microbial profiles. The presence of non-native hydrocarbon- and AMR-resistant bacterial taxa, such as Brevundimonas, Staphylococcus spp., Mycolicibacterium, Spingomonas spp., Bacillus spp., Chitinophaga spp., Priestia spp., Domibacillus spp., Rossellomorea spp., and Acinetobacter spp., confirms the impacts of oil and urban pollution. This indicates that the coastal soil of Goa and Andhra Pradesh has hydrocarbon- and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which confirms that the present pollution status and that high-traffic recreational activities put biodiversity and humans at risk of getting illnesses linked to antibiotic resistance., Competing Interests: Declarations. All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on "Ethical responsibilities of Authors" as found in the Instructions for Authors. Financial interests: The authors declare they have no financial interests. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals in aquatic systems has raised significant concerns, yet their relationship in freshwater ecosystems remains poorly understood. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of MPs and factors controlling their distribution in both water and sediment in the Markanda River, Northwest India. MPs were extracted from sediment and water samples using density separation and classified through fluorescence microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Metal concentrations in river water samples were analyzed using ICP-MS, and their correlation with MP abundance was explored. The results indicated the widespread occurrence of MP pollution across the Markanda River basin, with particle concentrations ranging from 10 to 530 particles L -1 in surface water and 1330-4330 particles kg -1 dry weight (dw) in sediment samples. The variability in MP abundance at sampling sites along the Markanda River courses results from factors such as the proximity of industrial establishments and human habitation, while the influence of grain size on MP distribution appears to be limited. Pellets (88.5 %) and fragments (8.5 %) were the most abundant types of MPs, with polyethylene (45.45 %) and polystyrene (30.9 %) being the dominant forms in water samples. The ICP-MS analysis of heavy metals in water samples indicated elevated levels of As (1.67 to 32.31 ppb) in downstream areas of the river system, influenced by human activities. While metals exhibited correlation with each other, there was a weak association, except for As, with the levels of MPs in the Markanda River. The SEM-EDX analyses to characterize chemical elements absorbed onto the surface of MP showed distinct variations in upstream and downstream sites, with the presence of elements such as Mn, Ni, Cr, Zn, As, Se, and Cu found in downstream areas. We conclude that MPs contaminated with heavy metals potentially threaten the ecological security of freshwater aquatic systems and highlight the importance of management action to reduce plastic pollution worldwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: Underpinned natural variations and key genes associated with yield under different water regimes, and identified genomic signatures of genetic gain in the Indian wheat breeding program. A novel KASP marker for TKW under water stress was developed and validated. A comprehensive genome-wide association study was conducted on 300 spring wheat genotypes to elucidate the natural variations associated with grain yield and its eleven contributing traits under fully irrigated, restricted water, and simulated no water conditions. Utilizing the 35K Wheat Breeders' Array, we identified 1155 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs), with 207 QTNs exhibiting stability across diverse conditions. These QTNs were further delimited into 539 genomic regions using a genome-wide LD value of 3.0 Mbp, revealing pleiotropic control across traits and conditions. Sub-genome A was significantly associated with traits under irrigated conditions, while sub-genome B showed more QTNs under water stressed conditions. Favourable alleles with significantly associated QTNs were delineated, with a notable pyramiding effect for enhancing trait performance. Additionally, allele of only 921 QTNs significantly affected the population mean. Allele profiling highlighted C-306 as a most potential source of drought tolerance. Moreover, 762 genes overlapping significant QTNs were identified, narrowing down to 27 putative candidate genes overlapping 29 novel and functional SNPs expressing (≥ 0.5 tpm) relevance across various growth conditions. A new KASP assay was developed, targeting a gene TraesCS2A03G1123700 regulating thousand kernel weight under severe drought condition. Genomic selection models (GBLUP, BayesB, MxE, and R-Norm) demonstrated an average prediction accuracy of 0.06-0.58 across environments, indicating potential for trait selection. Retrospective analysis of the Indian wheat breeding program supported a genetic gain in GY at the rate of ca. 0.56% per breeding cycle, since 1960, supporting the identification of genomic signatures driving trait selection and genetic gain. These findings offer insight into improving the rate of genetic gain in wheat breeding programs globally., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Two alkaliphilic, Gram-stain-negative bacterial strains (MEB004 T and MEB108 T ) were isolated from water samples collected from Lonar lake, India. The phylogenetic analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the highest similarity to A. delamerensis DSM 18314 T (98.4%), followed by A. amylolytica DSM 18337 T and A. collagenimarina JCM 14267 T (97.9%). The genome sizes of strains MEB004 T and MEB108 T were determined to be 3,858,702 and 4,029,814 bp, respectively, with genomic DNA G + C contents of 51.4 and 51.9%. Average Nucleotide Identity, DNA-DNA Hybridization and Amino Acid Identity values between strains (MEB004 T and MEB108 T ) and A. amylolytica DSM 18337 T were (82.3 and 85.5), (25.0 and 29.2) and (86.7 and 90.2%). Both novel strains produced industrially important enzymes, such as amylase, lipase, cellulase, caseinase, and chitinase at pH 10 evidenced by the genomic presence of carbohydrate-active enzymes encoding genes. Genomic analyses further identified pH tolerance genes, affirming their adaptation to alkaline Lonar Lake. Dominant fatty acids were Summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c and/or C 18:1 ω6c), C 16:0, Summed feature 3, Sum In Feature 2 and C 12:0 3OH. The prevalent polar lipids included phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, and diphosphatidyl glycerol. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. Based on the polyphasic data, we propose the classification of strains MEB004 T and MEB108 T as novel species within the genus Alkalimonas assigning the names Alkalimonas mucilaginosa sp. nov. and Alkalimonas cellulosilytica sp. nov., respectively. The type strains are MEB004 T (= MCC 5208 T  = JCM 35954 T  = NCIMB 15460 T ) and MEB108 T (= MCC 5330 T  = JCM 35955 T  = NCIMB 15461 T )., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Coastal areas are subject to various anthropogenic and natural influences. In this study, we investigated and compared the characteristics of two coastal regions, Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Goa (GA), focusing on pollution, anthropogenic activities, and recreational impacts. We explored three main factors influencing the differences between these coastlines: The Bay of Bengal's shallower depth and lower salinity; upwelling phenomena due to the thermocline in the Arabian Sea; and high tides that can cause strong currents that transport pollutants and debris., Results: The microbial diversity in GA was significantly higher than that in AP, which might be attributed to differences in temperature, soil type, and vegetation cover. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated the presence of diverse microbial phyla, including candidate phyla radiation (CPR). Statistical analysis, random forest regression, and supervised machine learning models classification confirm the diversity of the microbiome accurately. Furthermore, we have identified 450 cultures of heterotrophic, biotechnologically important bacteria. Some strains were identified as novel taxa based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, showing promising potential for further study., Conclusion: Thus, our study provides valuable insights into the microbial diversity and pollution levels of coastal areas in AP and GA. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of anthropogenic activities and climate variations on biology of coastal ecosystems and biodiversity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Benthic foraminifera are unicellular eukaryotic protists that construct an organic, agglutinated, or calcareous test wall. Although single-chambered (monothalamous) foraminifera are ubiquitous in marine habitats worldwide, they are poorly known compared to their multi-chambered relatives, notably from the tropical marine environments of India. In this study, we describe two new species of marine monothalamid genus Psammophaga Arnold, 1982, from the Rajapuri Creek, coastal Maharashtra, India (Arabian Sea). Psammophaga holzmannae sp. nov. is ovoid to spherical shaped, 103-246 µm in length, single aperture, translucent to orange color cytoplasm, outer surface is composed of agglutinated fine clay particles, and ingested mineral grains are concentrated near its aperture. Psammophaga sinhai sp. nov. is oblong, elliptical, or droplet-shaped, 279-448 µm in length, single aperture, yellow olive color cytoplasm, the exterior surface formed of agglutinated fine clay particles, and the ingested mineral grains are dispersed throughout the body. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial small subunit rRNA gene sequences position new species within the Clade E of monothalamids and are genetically distinct from other Psammophaga. Elemental (SEM-EDS) analysis of engulfed mineral grains revealed preferential selection and uptake of heavy opaque titaniferous minerals from the ambient environment in the cytoplasm., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Microorganisms play a major role in the degradation of organic matter in sediments. However, the spatiotemporal variation and factors affecting these communities are not clearly understood. At the same time, conventional hydrographic and geochemical parameters do not offer an accurate assessment of transitional ecosystems. PLFA biomarkers which are specific to different taxonomic groups of microorganisms are able to provide a detailed assessment of the community composition in an environment and reflect a more direct assessment of the biological health of transitional ecosystems. We, therefore, conducted a comparison of PLFA biomarkers at four stations (Barmouth, B; Vaduthala, V; Munambam, M; and Arookutty, A) during three seasons (pre-monsoon, PRE; monsoon, MON; and post-monsoon, POST) in the Cochin estuary (CE). Each of the stations represented either a reference point (B), high pollution (V), high salinity (M), or low pollution (A). The communities determined using PLFA profiles could be categorized into six major groups with each group capable of reflecting the state of the ecosystem which correlated with the conventional parameters. The six groups were: G + ve Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes) and G-ve anaerobes (G-I), G-ve aerobic prokaryotes (G-II), ectomycorrhizal fungi (G-III), arbuscular mycorrhizae (G-IV), type-I methanotrophs (G-V), and microeukaryotes (G-VI). The prokaryotes were predominant in sediments amounting to over 78% of the total PLFAs detected, followed by the microeukaryotes. The freshwater-influenced stations were partially anaerobic in nature during PRE and MON and were mainly affected by both marine and terrestrial organic matter inputs, at times prominent in sewage matter. During POST season, CE behaves uniformly, especially in station M. Salinity and DO of BW and texture and organic matter of the sediment were the driving forces for microbial community structure. The reduced presence of cyclopropane fatty acids suggested that the CE was not under any stress during the study period. Our results using PLFA-based community profiling not only provide the fundamental information required to quickly access the impact of stress and other environmental inputs on the CE but also offer a more robust and realistic assessment of the nature of microbial communities in the ecosystem. A periodic and systemic assessment of PLFA profiles at these stations in CE throughout the year will enable the generation of enough metadata enabling a better understanding of this ecosystem and its efficient management in the long term., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: ToxA, a necrotrophic effector protein, is present in the genome of fungal species like Parastagnospora nodorum, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Bipolaris sorokiniana. Tsn1 is the sensitivity gene in the host whose presence indicates more susceptibility to ToxA carrying pathogen, and ToxA-Tsn1 interaction follows an inverse gene-for-gene relationship., Methods and Results: The present study involved cloning and expressing the ToxA1 haplotype from B. sorokiniana. It was found that the amplicon exhibited an expected product size of 471 bp. Sequence analysis of the ToxA1 nucleotide sequence revealed the highest identity, 99.79%, with P. tritici-repentis. The protein expression analysis showed peak expression at 16.5 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis of the ToxA1 sequence from all the Bipolaris isolates formed an independent clade along with P. tritici-repentis and diverged from P. nodorum. ToxA-Tsn1 interaction was studied in 18 wheat genotypes (11 Tsn1 and 7 tsn1) at both seedling and adult stages, validating the inverse gene-for-gene relationship, as the toxin activity was highest in the K68 genotype (Tsn1) and lowest in WAMI280 (tsn1)., Conclusion: The study indicates that the haplotype ToxA1 is prevailing in the Indian population of B. sorokiniana. It would be desirable for wheat breeders to select genotypes with tsn1 locus for making wheat resistant to spot blotch., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Mesophilic and thermophilic methanogens belonging to the hydrogenotrophic, methylotrophic, and acetotrophic groups were isolated from Indian hot spring environments using BY and BCYT growth media. Following initial Hinf I-based PCR-RFLP screening, 70 methanogens were sequenced to ascertain their identity. These methanogens were phylogenetically and physiologically diverse and represented different taxa distributed across three physiological groups, i.e., hydrogenotrophs (53), methylotrophs (14) and acetotrophs (3). Overall, methanogens representing three families, five genera, and ten species, including two putative novel species, were recognized. The highest number and diversity of methanogens was observed at 40 ℃, dominated by Methanobacterium (10; 3 species), Methanosarcina (9; 3 species), Methanothermobacter (7; 2 species), Methanomethylovorans (5; 1 species) and Methanoculleus (3; 1 species). Both putative novel methanogen species were isolated at 40 ℃ and belonged to the genera Methanosarcina and Methanobacterium. At 55 ℃, limited diversity was observed, and resulted in the isolation of only two genera of methanogens, i.e., Methanothermobacter (28; 2 species) and Methanosarcina (4; 1 species). At 70 ℃, only members of the genus Methanothermobacter (5; 2 species) were isolated, whereas no methanogen could be cultured at 85 ℃. Ours is the first study that documents the extensive range of cultivable methanogenic archaea inhabiting hot springs across various geothermal provinces of India., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The gut of xylophagous insects such as termites harbours various symbiotic micro-organisms, including many yeast species. In a taxonomic study of gut-associated yeasts, two strains (ATS2.16 and ATS2.18) were isolated from the gut of the wood-feeding termite Nasutitermes sp. in Maharashtra, India. Morphological and physiological characteristics and sequence analyses of the ITS and D1/D2 region of the large subunit rRNA gene revealed that these two strains represent a novel asexual ascomycetous yeast species in the genus Metschnikowia . The species differs from some of its close affiliates in the genus in its inability to utilize ethanol and succinate as the sole carbon source and growth in high sugar concentrations (up to 50 % glucose). In contrast to most members of Metschnikowia , the formation of ascospores was not observed on various sporulation media. Moreover, whole-genome sequencing was used to further confirm the novelty of this species. When compared with other large-spored Metschnikowia species, average nucleotide identity values of 79-80 % and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 16-17 % were obtained. The name Metschnikowia ahupensis f.a., sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate this novel yeast species, with ATS2.16 as the holotype and strains NFCCI 4949, MTCC 13085 and PYCC 9152 as isotypes. The MycoBank number is MB 844210.

Biogas reactors run on various types of waste, with cattle dung and agricultural wastes being the primary sources in India. As biogas contains 50-60% methane, there is a possibility that the reactors harbour methanotrophs or methane-oxidizing bacteria. We set up serial endpoint dilution enrichments for the cultivation of methanotrophs using slurry from a small biogas reactor and cattle dung samples and obtained cultures of Methylocaldum gracile, a thermotolerant methanotroph. The study was expanded by sampling reactors of another small reactor of 20 L capacity and two 1000 L reactors. Dung samples were obtained from two Indian cattle breeds (Tharparkar and Gir). Pulverized rice straw used for feeding the biogas was also used for experiments. All the enrichment bottles were incubated at 39 °C, the reactors' in-situ temperature, and the rumen gut temperature. Our study isolated four pure cultures most related to Methylocaldum gracile VKM-14L T , two strains from cattle dung samples, and two from reactors. The study also resulted in the cultivation of four additional cultures of Methylocaldum gracile and Methylocaldum tepidum, which were non-axenic and identified by pmoA gene sequencing. Pure cultures Methylocaldum gracile RS-9 and CDP-2 were studied for optimum temperature and oxygen. Both the strains were thermotolerant and grew in the temperature range of 25-45 °C with the optimum between 37 and 45 °C. The cultures could grow with minimal oxygen (0.5%-1%) in the headspace, with growth up to 10% oxygen. To summarize, we report the cultivation and isolation of methanotrophs from biogas slurries and cattle dung samples. Methylocaldum was the dominant methanotroph cultured, probably due to its thermotolerant nature and the ability to grow under variable oxygen conditions. The present study also expands the existing knowledge about habitats known for the genus Methylocaldum. An analysis of the isolated cultures would help us design strategies for methane mitigation from ruminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new species of entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium indicum, which derives its species epithet after its Indian origin is reported here. The fungus was found to cause natural epizootics in leafhopper (Busoniomimus manjunathi) infesting Garcinia gummi-gutta (Malabar tamarind), an evergreen spice tree native to South and Southeast Asia, known for its use as a culinary flavourant, dietary supplement and traditional remedy for various human ailments. The fungus was found to cause more than 60% mortality in field collected insects. The identity of the new species was established based on its distinct morphological characteristics and multi-gene sequence data analyses. Phylogenetic analyses using internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), DNA lyase (APN2) and a concatenated set of four marker genes [translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF), β-tubulin (BTUB), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2)] along with marked differences in nucleotide composition and genetic distance unambiguously support our claim that the present fungus infecting Garcinia leafhopper is a new addition to the genus Metarhizium., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Glutaredoxin (Grx) is an antioxidant redox protein that uses glutathione (GSH) as an electron donor. Grx plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, such as antioxidant defense, control of cellular redox state, redox control of transcription, reversible S-glutathionylation of specific proteins, apoptosis, cell differentiation, etc. In the current study, we have isolated and characterized dithiol glutaredoxin from Hydra vulgaris Ind-Pune (HvGrx1). Sequence analysis showed that HvGrx1 belongs to the Grx family with the classical Grx motif (CPYC). Phylogenetic analysis and homology modeling revealed that HvGrx1 is closely related to Grx2 from zebrafish. HvGrx1 gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli cells; the purified protein had a molecular weight of 11.82 kDa. HvGrx1 efficiently reduced β-hydroxyethyl disulfide (HED) with the temperature optimum of 25°C and pH optimum 8.0. HvGrx1 was ubiquitously expressed in all body parts of Hydra. Expression of HvGrx1 mRNA and enzymatic activity of HvGrx1 were significantly upregulated post H2O2 treatment. When expressed in human cells, HvGrx1 protected the cells from oxidative stress and enhanced cell proliferation and migration. Although Hydra is a simple invertebrate, HvGrx1 is evolutionary closer to its homologs from higher vertebrates (similar to many other Hydra proteins).

Three strains, SMT1.3, SMT1.10, and SMT2.2, representing a novel asexual ascomycetous yeast species, were isolated from the gut of a termite Odontotermes horni in Maharashtra, India. Phylogenetic analyses of the LSU, ITS, and SSU sequences revealed that they belonged to the genus Nakazawaea, with N. siamensis as the closest relative. The new species differed from the type strain of N. siamensis (DMKU-RK467 T ) by 11 substitutions in the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and by 8 substitutions and one gap in the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. Notable biochemical and physiological differences were also observed between N. siamensis and the new species. Hence, the species Nakazawaea odontotermitis f.a., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SMT1.3  T (MTCC 13,105 = NFCCI 5011 = PYCC 9153). GenBank accession numbers of the LSU, ITS and SSU sequences of Nakazawaea odontotermitis f.a., sp. nov. are MZ234240, MZ234239, and OK384663. The MycoBank number is MB 841926., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Thioredoxins, small disulphide-containing redox proteins, play an important role in the regulation of cellular thiol redox balance through their disulfide reductase activity. In this study, we have identified, cloned, purified and characterized thioredoxin 1 (HvTrx1) from the Cnidarian Hydra vulgaris Ind-Pune. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that HvTrx1 contains an evolutionarily conserved catalytic active site Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys and shows a closer phylogenetic relationship with vertebrate Trx1. Optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity of purified HvTrx1 was found to be pH 7.0 and 25°C, respectively. Enzyme activity decreased significantly at acidic or alkaline pH as well as at higher temperatures. HvTrx1 was found to be expressed ubiquitously in whole mount in situ hybridization. Treatment of Hydra with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a highly reactive oxidizing agent, led to a significant increase in gene expression and enzyme activity of Trx1. Further experiments using PX12, an inhibitor of Trx1, indicated that Trx1 plays an important role in regeneration in Hydra. Finally, by using growth assay in Escherichia coli and wound healing assay in human colon cancer cells, we demonstrate that HvTrx1 is functionally active in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic heterologous systems., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.)

Farmers in northwestern and central India have been exploring to sow their wheat much earlier (October) than normal (November) to sustain productivity by escaping terminal heat stress and to utilize the available soil moisture after the harvesting of rice crop. However, current popular varieties are poorly adapted to early sowing due to the exposure of juvenile plants to the warmer temperatures in the month of October and early November. Therefore, a study was undertaken to identify wheat genotypes suited to October sowing under warmer temperatures in India. A diverse collection of 3322 bread wheat varieties and elite lines was prepared in CIMMYT, Mexico, and planted in the 3rd week of October during the crop season 2012-2013 in six locations (Ludhiana, Karnal, New Delhi, Indore, Pune and Dharwad) spread over northwestern plains zone (NWPZ) and central and Peninsular zone (CZ and PZ; designated as CPZ) of India. Agronomic traits data from the seedling stage to maturity were recorded. Results indicated substantial diversity for yield and yield-associated traits, with some lines showing indications of higher yields under October sowing. Based on agronomic performance and disease resistance, the top 48 lines (and two local checks) were identified and planted in the next crop season (2013-2014) in a replicated trial in all six locations under October sowing (third week). High yielding lines that could tolerate higher temperature in October sowing were identified for both zones; however, performance for grain yield was more promising in the NWPZ. Hence, a new trial of 30 lines was planted only in NWPZ under October sowing. Lines showing significantly superior yield over the best check and the most popular cultivars in the zone were identified. The study suggested that agronomically superior wheat varieties with early heat tolerance can be obtained that can provide yield up to 8 t/ha by planting in the third to fourth week of October.

The majority of Suhomyces species have been isolated from fungus-feeding insects and particularly from the gut of beetles. In the present study, seven yeast strains were isolated from the gut of Drosophila species feeding on gleba, the spore-bearing inner mass, of a stinkhorn mushroom belonging to the family Phallaceae . Based on phenotypic, biochemical characterization and sequence analysis of the D1/D2 region of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, two of these yeast strains, DGY3 and DGY4, represented a novel species of the genus Suhomyces . The novel species is closely related to an undescribed species of Candida ST-370 (DQ404513) and with Suhomyces canberraensis, wherein, the novel species differs from S. canberraensis by 40 nucleotide substitutions and three gaps (7.7 % sequence variation) in the D1/D2 region and 50 nucleotide substitutions and seven gaps (13.7 % sequence variation) in the ITS region. Several morphological and physiological differences were also observed between S. canberraensis and the strains obtained during this study. These data support the proposal of Suhomyces drosophilae as a novel species, with DGY3 T as the holotype and CBS 16329 T and MCC 1871 T as ex-type strains.

A novel gammaproteobacterial methanotroph; strain FWC3 was isolated from a tropical freshwater wetland sample collected near a beach in Western India. Strain FWC3 forms flesh pink/peach colored colonies, is non-motile, and the cells are present as diplococci, triads, tetracocci and aggregates. Strain FWC3 grows only on methane and methanol. As the 16S rRNA gene of strain FWC3 showed low similarities with other Type I methanotrophs (less than 94.3%), it was further investigated for its novelty and characterisation by a polyphasic approach. ANI indices and DDH values deduced from the draft genome of strain FWC3 (SEYW00000000.1) with the other nearest type strains (Methylocaldum marinum S8 T and Methylococcus capsulatus Bath T ) were ~ 70% and ~ 15%, respectively. The low level similarities indicated that strain FWC3 can belong to a new genus and species. Additionally, strain FWC3 showed a unique fatty acid profile with the dominance of C16:1 ω7 and ω6c, C16:0 and C16:1 ω9c. During the characterisation of strain FWC3, a morphologically similar methanotroph, strain C50C1 was described (Ghashghavi et al. in mSphere 4:e00631-18, 2019) and named as 'Methylotetracoccus oryzae'. We found that strain FWC3 and strain C50C1 belonged to the same genus but could belong to different species based on the ANI indices and dDDH values (~ 94% and ~ 55%, respectively). However, strain C50C1 has not been deposited in two culture collections and not been validly described. Also, the 16S rRNA gene of strain C50C1 is neither available on the database nor can it be retrieved from the genome assembly. Based on the polyphasic characterisation and comparison to the other type strains of Methylococcaceae, we propose strain FWC3 (= JCM 33786 T , = KCTC 72733 T , = MCC 4198 T ) to be the type strain of a novel genus and species, for which the name Methylolobus aquaticus is proposed. Strain C50C1 (Ghashghavi et al. 2019) could represent another species ('Methylolobus oryzae').

Background: Isaria tenuipes is one of the potent species in the members of the genus Isaria, which is well reported to possess multiple bioactive substances of therapeutic importance. Therefore, an in vitro experimental study was carried to evaluate the bioactivities of the crude methanolic extract from the mycelium of this fungus., Methods: The fungus was authenticated through morphological characters and the species discrepancy was resolved using the nuclear rDNA ITS sequence. The methanolic extract was fingerprinted by FTIR. The antioxidant components in terms of total phenols and flavonoids were determined as gallic acid and quercetin equivalents respectively. Antioxidant activities of the methanolic extract was assessed using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2 / -azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS 0+ ), Fe 2+ chelating activity, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Cytotoxicity of the extract was determined by [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay on three cancer cell lines: HeLa, HepG2, and PC3. Apoptosis was further studied by propidium iodide (PI) and Annexin-V/PI staining flow cytometric analysis. Anti-proliferation capacity was studied by colony-forming assay., Results: In the present study total phenol content of the dried methanol extract was 148.09 ± 3.51μg gallic acid equivalent/mg and flavonoid was 9.02±0.95 μg quercetin/mg. The antioxidant activities of methanol-water extract (8:2 v/v) from cultured mycelia of I. tenuipes investigated and evaluated with 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay revealed IC 50 value of 5.04mg/ml with an inhibition rate of 74.77% at 10mg/ml and with an iron-chelating assay the chelating ability was recorded to be 86.76% where the IC 50 value was 4.43 mg/ml. In comparison among the antioxidant assays, 2,2 / -azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS 0+ ) and hydroxyl assay exhibited radical scavenging rate of 44.42% and 49.82% respectively at a concentration of 10 mg/ml. The IC 50 value of the extract in MTT assay was 43.45μg/ml with HeLa cells, 119.33μg/ml with PC3 cells, and 125.55μg/ml with HepG2 cells., Conclusion: In this study, it can be concluded that the crude methanolic extract exhibited potent antioxidant and antiproliferative activities suggesting natural antioxidative and antiproliferative agents.

Members of the genus Methylobacter (Mtb) have been identified to be the most dominant methanotrophs in aquatic as well as terrestrial habitats. Methylobacter shows four species with validly published names and these are grouped in two clades based on phylogenetic and genomic comparisons. Mtb luteus and Mtb marinus (synonym: Mtb whittenburyi) belong to clade 1 Methylobacter. Clade 2 Methylobacter comprises of two species: Mtb tundripaludum and Mtb psychrophilus (type strain, no longer available). We isolated a yellow pigmented, rod-shaped methanotroph, strain (KRF1), from a tropical rice field in India, which might represent a putative novel species within Methylobacter clade 2. The cells are long, thick and motile rods. The strain grows under variable oxygen concentration (5-80% air) and also in nitrogen free media (5-50% air). The morphological, chemotaxonomic and genomic features of KRF1 were investigated in details. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and average nucleotide identity (ANI) comparisons with the members of its closest species, Mtb tundripaludum, were in the range of 20-26% and ~ 73-81%, respectively. The fatty acid methyl esters profile of KRF1 was different from the profile of Mtb tundripaludum SV96 T . The major cell wall fatty acids of strain KRF1 are 16:1 ω7c/16:1 ω6c summed feature (55.4%) and 16:1 ω5c (28.6%). The draft genome of KRF1 is of 5.04 Mbp in size with a GC content of 49.3% and the whole genome shotgun sequencing project has the accession number RYFG00000000 (version: RYFG02000000). Due to the difficulties in the maintenance and cryopreservation of this culture, it could not be deposited in two international culture collections. We thereby propose KRF1 to be member of a Candidatus species, 'Candidatus Methylobacter oryzae' KRF1. The culture is maintained live in our laboratory and also in our institutional WDCM approved culture collection (MACS Collection of Microorganisms) as MCMB-1471.

This issue of The International Journal of Developmental Biology (Int. J. Dev. Biol.) is devoted to contributions to developmental biology from India. The articles have been organized thematically, beginning with historical accounts and personal reminiscences, followed by surveys of areas to which the authors' own contributions have been substantial, and ending with reports of original research. The articles selected for the 'history' section are by those who have witnessed events from close quarters, and in most cases have contributed to the work in question. The range of articles is vast but cannot claim to be comprehensive. Some areas may have been left out inadvertently, either because we were unable to find anyone to cover them, or maybe in part because of not looking in the right place. Other areas are missed out because, much to our regret, authors did not deliver promised manuscripts on time. In short, the Special Issue is indicative of what went on and is going on in the field of developmental biology in India, but it does have gaps.

Ethanol production at high temperatures has garnered much interest in recent years and a key factor is the availability of thermotolerant yeasts. During an investigation on the diversity of thermotolerant yeasts from different habitats, a novel yeast species from the spent wash of a distillery unit associated with a sugar factory was isolated. Phylogenetic analysis of D1/D2 large subunit and ITS rRNA genes placed this species in the ascomycetous genus Wickerhamiella . The novel species can be distinguished from the closely related species Wickerhamiella pararugosa using these rRNA gene regions. The cells of the new species are ovoid to ellipsoid with a diameter of 3.5-6.0×2.4-3.10 µm, while W. pararugosa cells are cylindrical with a cell diameter of 1.5-3.0×6-23 µm. This novel species represents, together with Wickerhamiella cacticola , one of the two most thermotolerant yeast species in the genus Wickerhamiella , able to grow at 42 °C . Wickerhamiella shivajii sp. nov. is proposed during this study.

Methane oxidation by methanotrophs is a very important environmental process in the mitigation of methane. Methylobacter (Mtb.) clade 2 members have been reported as dominant methane oxidisers in soils and sediments worldwide. We enriched and purified a methanotroph from a tropical rice field soil sample from India. The highly enriched culture showed the presence of motile, long and thick rods (3-5 µm × 0.9-1.2 µm) and minor presence of short, thin rods. The culture was purified on agarose medium and formed yellow colonies which showed the presence of only thick and long rods, henceforth termed as strain KRF1. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain KRF1 shows close phylogenetic affiliation to Methylobacter tundripaludum SV96 T (98.6% similarity). Due to the taxonomic novelty, and being the first member of Mtb. related to Mtb. tundripaludum from the tropics, the draft genome was sequenced. From the blastx analysis of the contigs, it was clear that the culture still had contamination of another organism, a Methylophilus species. The data binned in two clear bins: Mtb. related contigs and Methylophilus-related contigs. The binned draft genome of KRF1 shows features including the typical pathways for methane metabolism, denitrification and the presence of molybdenum iron and vanadium-iron nitrogenase genes. KRF1 is phylogenetically distinct from the five strains of Mtb. tundripaludum including SV96 T , Lake Washington strains and OWC strains, showing ~ 26% DDH and ~ 81% ANIb values and a unique position in a phylogenomic tree. Subsequently, KRF1 has been completely purified from its methylotrophic partner and a pure culture has been established and maintained in a WDCM approved culture collection, the MACS Collection of Microorganisms (as MCM 1471). KRF1 is thus the first cultured member of a putative novel species of Methylobacter clade 2 isolated from the tropics.

Candidatus Methylocucumis (Mcu.) oryzae, strain Sn10-6, a Gram-negative, pale pink pigmented, motile, large Type I methanotroph (3-6 µm × 1.5-2 µm) was recently isolated from an Indian rice field. Due to the difficulties in preservation of the strain it could not be deposited and preserved in two recognised culture collections with public access located in two different countries. Hence, Sn10-6 was described as a member of a Candidatus genus and species, 'Ca. Mcu. oryzae'. Subsequent to the publication, the strain has been preserved in the Japan Collection of Microorganisms, Japan (JCM 32869 T ) in addition to its earlier preservation in the Korean collection for type cultures, KCTC, Korea and in National Centre for Microbial Resources, India. Addition of DMSO as a cryopreserving agent proved to be useful in the preservation of the strain. The deposition of the strain in two recognised culture collections in two different countries and additionally in the home country repository makes the strain eligible to be proposed as the type strain of the type species of a new genus and species with the name Methylocucumis oryzae strain Sn10-6 T . In this paper we formally propose the name Mcu. oryzae, with Sn10-6 T as the type strain, for the earlier described Ca. Mcu. oryzae. Other characteristics including the digital protologue of the culture (CA00040) remain the same as described earlier for Ca. Mcu. oryzae (Pandit et al. in Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 111:2473-2484, 2018). Mcu. oryzae Sn10-6 T (= MCC 3492 = KCTC 15683 = JCM 32869) represents a new genus and species within the family Methylococcaceae of the class Gammaproteobacteria.

Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) is a fungal disease of wheat (Triticum spp.), which causes considerable yield loss. Adult plant resistance (APR) is one of the most sustainable approaches to control leaf rust. In this study, field-testing was carried out across ten different locations, followed by molecular screening, to detect the presence of APR genes, Lr34+, Lr46+, Lr67+ and Lr68 in Indian wheat germplasm. In field screening, 190 wheat accessions were selected from 6,319 accessions based on leaf tip necrosis (LTN), disease severity and the average coefficient of infection. Molecular screening revealed that 73% of the accessions possessed known APR genes either as single or as a combination of two or three genes. The occurrence of increased LTN intensity, decreased leaf rust severity and greater expression of APR genes were more in relatively cooler locations. In 52 lines, although the presence of the APR genes was not detected, it still displayed high levels of resistance. Furthermore, 49 accessions possessing either two or three APR genes were evaluated for stability across locations for grain yield. It emerged that eight accessions had wider adaptability. Resistance based on APR genes, in the background of high yielding cultivars, is expected to provide a high level of race non-specific resistance, which is durable., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

An elliptical to cucumber-shaped methanotroph with large cells was isolated from a rice rhizosphere in Western India. Strain Sn10-6 is one of the first methanotrophs to be isolated from Indian rice fields. Cells of Sn10-6 are Gram-negative, motile, large in size (3-6 µm × 1.5-2 µm) and contain intracellular cytoplasmic membrane stacks. Colonies of Sn10-6 and liquid cultures have a pale pink colour. Strain Sn10-6 was initially isolated under micro-oxic conditions but later adapted to grow under fully oxic conditions. The major fatty acids present were identified as C 16:1 ω6c, C 16:1 ω7c and C 16:0 and ubiquinone was found to be the major quinone. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain Sn10-6 displays high similarity to the genes of Methylovulum psychrotolerans Sph1 T (93.6%) followed by Methylosarcina fibrata AML-C10 T (93.5%) and about 90-93% similarity to the genes of known species of Type I methanotrophic genera from the family Methylococcaceae. The draft genome information indicated that the G + C content of strain Sn10-6 is 43.9 mol%. Phylogenetic trees using 16S rRNA gene and the particulate methane mono-oxygenase sequences unequivocally placed Sn10-6 close to the genus Methylovulum. Based on the 16S rRNA gene differences, morphological characters and draft genome information, strain Sn10-6 (=MCC 3492 =KCTC 15683) is described here as the type strain of a novel species within a new genus, 'Candidatus Methylocucumis oryzae'.

Neoichnological observations help refine paleoichnological records. The present study reports extensive observations on the distribution, morphology, occurrence and association of burrows and fecal pellets of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor in the Kundalika Estuary on the west coast of India. Our holistic study of these modern-day traces suggests it to be a complex trace arising from domichnial, fodinichnial and possibly pascichnial behavior of polychaetes. The study for the first time reports extensive fecal pellet production, distribution and their preservation as thick stacks in modern estuarine environment. These observations testify the fossilization potential of pellets and provide an explanation to their origin in the geological record. Their occurrence as strings associated with mounds not only suggests pascichnial behaviour of polychaetes but also allows the assignment of post-Paleozoic Tomaculum to the activity of polychaete worms. The production of fecal pellets in such large quantities plays a major role in increasing the average grain size of the substrate of these estuarine tidal flats, thereby improving aeration within the substrate.

Little information is available regarding the adverse effects of pesticides on natural honey bee populations. This study highlights the detrimental effects of pesticides on honey bee olfaction through behavioural studies, scanning electron microscopic imaging of antennal sensillae and confocal microscopic studies of honey bee brains for calcium ions on Apis cerana, a native Indian honey bee species. There was a significant decrease in proboscis extension response and biologically active free calcium ions and adverse changes in antennal sensillae in pesticide exposed field honey bee populations compared to morphometrically similar honey bees sampled from low/no pesticide sites. Controlled laboratory experiments corroborated these findings. This study reports for the first time the changes in antennal sensillae, expression of Calpain 1(an important calcium binding protein) and resting state free calcium in brains of honey bees exposed to pesticide stress.

The high rainfall and low sea level during Early Holocene had a significant impact on the development and sustenance of dense forest and swamp-marsh cover along the southwest coast of India. This heavy rainfall flooded the coastal plains, forest flourishing in the abandoned river channels and other low-lying areas in midland.The coastline and other areas in lowland of southwestern India supply sufficient evidence of tree trunks of wet evergreen forests getting buried during the Holocene period under varying thickness of clay, silty-clay and even in sand sequences. This preserved subfossil log assemblage forms an excellent proxy for eco-geomorphological and palaeoclimate appraisal reported hitherto from Indian subcontinent, and complements the available palynological data. The bulk of the subfossil logs and partially carbonized wood remains have yielded age prior to the Holocene transgression of 6.5 k yrs BP, suggesting therein that flooding due to heavy rainfall drowned the forest cover, even extending to parts of the present shelf. These preserved logs represent a unique palaeoenvironmental database as they contain observable cellular structure. Some of them can even be compared to modern analogues. As these woods belong to the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, they form a valuable source of climate data that alleviates the lack of contemporaneous meteorological records. These palaeoforests along with pollen proxies depict the warmer environment in this region, which is consistent with a Mid Holocene Thermal Maximum often referred to as Holocene Climate Optimum. Thus, the subfossil logs of tropical evergreen forests constitute new indices of Asian palaeomonsoon, while their occurrence and preservation are attributed to eco-geomorphology and hydrological regimes associated with the intensified Asian Summer Monsoon, as recorded elsewhere.

Objective: To assess the impact of an intervention modifying dietary habits for the prevention of anaemia in rural India., Design: Intervention study with data on anthropometric (weight, height) measurements, Hb and diet pattern. As per the cut-off for Hb in the government programme, women with Hb <11 g/dl had to be given Fe tablets and formed the supplemented group while those with Hb > 11 g/dl formed the non-supplemented group. Settings Three villages near Pune city, Maharashtra, India., Subjects: Rural non-pregnant women (n 317) of childbearing age (15-35 years)., Results: After 1 year of intervention, mean Hb increased (from 10.94 (sd 1.22) g/dl to 11.59 (sd 1.11) g/dl) significantly (P < 0.01) with a consequent reduction in the prevalence of anaemia (from 82.0% to 55.4%) as well as Fe-deficiency anaemia (from 30.3% to 10.8%). Gain in Hb was inversely associated with the initial level of Hb. Significant gain in Hb (0.57 g/dl) was observed among women attending >50% of the meetings or repeating >50% of the recipes at home (0.45 g/dl) in the non-supplemented group and was smaller than that observed in the supplemented group. Consumption of green leafy vegetables more than twice weekly increased substantially from 44.7% to 60.6%, as did consumption of seasonal fruits. Logistic regression showed that women with lower participation in the intervention had three times higher risk (OR = 3.08; 95% CI 1.04, 9.13; P = 0.04) for no gain in Hb compared with those having high participation., Conclusions: Developing action programmes for improving nutritional awareness to enhance the consumption of Fe-rich foods has great potential for preventing anaemia in rural India.

Hitherto unknown biological properties and the chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from propolis of Indian origin were established. GC/MS Analysis of the essential oil revealed the presence of 32 constituents, of which ten were major compounds, nine had intermediate contents, and 13 were minor compounds. With the exception of six minor constituents, that could not be identified, their identification was based on the comparison of their mass spectra and Kovats retention indices with those listed in the NIST and Wiley mass spectral libraries. Their structural assignment was confirmed by GC/MS co-injection of the essential oil with authentic compounds. Quantification of the components was done by GC-FID analyses. Moreover, the essential oil was shown to possess repellent activity against the honeybee Apis florea. The activity was found to be dose dependent. The average repellency (ΔR) increased with increasing essential-oil concentration up to 24 μg/ml and remained constant for the formulation with the higher concentration. These findings established the chemical constitution of the essential oil and might be useful to beekeepers for the improvement of the bee management., (Copyright © 2013 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

The study examined the secular trends in growth of preschool children from rural Maharashtra, India, during 1985-2001. Anthropometric data collected on preschool (< 6 years old) children during 2001 (n = 1,171) and 1985 (n = 979) from the same villages were compared. Decadal change increased with age and was marginally higher in boys than girls. It was the lowest among infants (-0.1 to 0.1 kg and 0.4 to 0.7 cm in both sexes) and the highest among boys of 4+ years (1.3 kg and 2.9 cm) and girls of 5+ years (1.2 kg and 2.1 cm). Increase in weight was higher (10-15%) compared to that in height (3-5%) and, consequently, reduction in the prevalence of wasting was marked (around 68% in boys and 48% in girls) than that in stunting (42% in boys and 27% in girls) among these children. The improvement was higher in boys than in girls. Negligible secular changes in younger children indicate the need for creating health and nutritional awareness among rural mothers while relatively higher improvement in weight than height among older children warns the future possibility of childhood adiposity even among rural populations.

Context: Lichens have been used for various purposes such as dyes, perfumes and remedies in folk medicine indicating the pharmaceutical potential of lichens., Objective: Lichen growth in nature is very slow. To overcome this major drawback, we standardized the culture media to culture the lichen Usnea complanata (Müll.Arg.) Motyka (Parmeliaceae) for (1) in vitro synthesis of natural lichen substances, and (2) determination of antioxidative and cardiovascular-protective activity of usnic acid and psoromic acid., Materials and Methods: Lichen U. complanata has been cultured in fermentor under submerged condition. Antioxidative and cardiovascular-protective activity of the extract and the purified lichen substances usnic and psoromic acid have been determined., Results: Except methanol, all other extracts exhibited antioxidative action in terms of free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) with a half-inhibiting concentration (IC₅₀) value of 22.86 to 25.0 µg/mL, nitric oxide radical scavenging activity (NORSA) 141.3 to 149.1 µg/mL and for lipid peroxidation inhibition (LPI) 125 to 157.9 µg/mL. Usnic acid or psoromic acid showed antioxidative action with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.174 to 0.271 mg/mL. Methanol and ethyl acetate extract showed hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) inhibition of 65.18 to 74.81%. Only 43.47% inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was shown by methanol extract. Usnic acid showed noncompetitive type of HMGR inhibition and uncompetitive type of ACE inhibition. Psoromic acid exhibited competitive type of HMGR inhibition and mixed type of ACE inhibition., Discussion: U. complanata showed both cardiovascular-protective and antioxidant properties. The lichen species U. complanata may be a natural bioresource for possible pharmaceutical applications.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Stingless bee (Trigona sp.) propolis is widely used in the folk medicine of Western Maharashtra, India to treat a variety of ailments., Aim of the Study: To determine the chemical composition and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Indian stingless bee propolis., Materials and Methods: Chemical composition of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was determined by GC-MS analysis. A range of bacteria including multidrug resistant (MDR) cultures as well as a yeast strain was tested for antimicrobial activity using EEP. MIC, MBC, MFC, Kill curves and post agent effect (PAE) of the EEP were assessed using standard microbiological methods., Results: GC-MS analysis revealed that propolis contained 24 compounds (9 known and 15 newly reported). Many of these were known bioactive compounds, including antimicrobials. The MICs of EEP were in the range of 1.21-9.75μg/mL while the MBCs/MFC were between 2.43 and 19.5μg/mL. The time required to achieve 90% (1 log(10)) reduction in culture growth ranged between 1.06 and 3.53h at their respective MIC values. PAE for all the cultures was >24h., Conclusion: Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex nature with 24 chemical compounds. It has a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The latter finding, in conjunction with other bioactive properties, could provide a scientific basis to its popular use in the Indian folk medicine., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Zinc is important in adolescence because of its role in growth and sexual maturation. Adolescents from developing countries such as India may be at high risk of zinc deficiency because of unwholesome food habits and poor bioavailability of zinc from plant-based diets., Objective: (1) to study zinc status and its association with profile of other micronutrients, (2) to construct a simple tool in the form of Adolescent Micronutrient Quality Index (AMQI) to assess quality of diets of the girls and (3) to examine the effect of zinc supplement on health of adolescent girls., Methods: Girls (10-16 years) from two secondary schools of Pune, Maharashtra state, in Western India were enrolled in a cross-sectional study (n = 630). Data were collected on dietary intake, cognitive performance, taste acuity, haemoglobin, erythrocyte zinc and plasma levels of zinc, vitamin C, β-carotene and retinol. AMQI was developed using age-sex-specific Indian dietary guidelines and healthy foods and habits described in the recent US dietary guidelines. Zinc-rich recipes were developed considering habitual diets of the girls and vegetarian sources of zinc. An intervention trial (n = 180) was conducted to assess the effect of zinc-rich dietary supplements and ayurvedic zinc (Jasad) supplementation., Results: Prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies was high in these girls. Poor cognitive performance was seen in half of the girls, and salt taste perception was affected in 45%. AMQI was correlated with nutrient intakes and blood micronutrient levels (p < 0.01), indicating the potential of AMQI to measure micronutrient quality of diets of adolescent girls. Results of the intervention trial indicated that supplementation of zinc-rich recipes vis-a-vis ayurvedic Jasad zinc has the potential to improve plasma zinc status, cognitive performance and taste acuity in adolescent girls., Conclusions: Review of the studies on Indian adolescent girls demonstrates the necessity of adopting zinc and micronutrient-rich diets for positive health building in adolescents.

Objective: Evidence, mostly based on developed countries, indicates that disease risks may be associated with changes in growth processes rather than a one-point phenomenon. In view of the increasing prevalence of hypertension in India, there is a need to understand how patterns of growth during early childhood and adolescence influence blood pressure in adulthood, particularly among rural populations in India., Methods: The risk of hypertension was examined in 378 rural men older than 20 years who were measured for anthropometry during early childhood, adolescence, and as young adults in a community-based cohort study., Results: At the young age of 24 years, 33.9% of men had either high systolic blood pressure (≥130 mmHg) or high diastolic blood pressure (≥85 mmHg), even in absence of obesity. The growth of the subjects during childhood, in whom blood pressure developed later in young adulthood, was characterized by higher body mass index (BMI) throughout early childhood and adolescence as compared with those who had normal blood pressure. The prevalence of high blood pressure, especially diastolic, at this adult age was strongly associated with stunting at 3+ years of age (<-2 SD height of the World Health Organization standard), and risk increased (odds ratio, 12.21; 95% confidence interval, 2.93-50.90; p < 0.001) among those having high BMI (≥23 kg/m(2)) at adult age as compared with those who were not stunted in early life with a low BMI at adult age., Conclusions: The primary prevention of the epidemic of high blood pressure in India may require measures to prevent children from being stunted in early childhood and also prevent them from being overweight at young adulthood.

An open label intervention study was undertaken on 26 mild hypertensives and 26 apparently healthy adults (30-60 y), for the effect of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga practice for two months as complementary therapy. In the hypertensives, there was a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01), serum urea (P < 0.01) and plasma MDA (malondialdehyde adducts) as oxidative stress marker (P < 0.05). Other parameters; viz.; plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, did not change significantly (P > 0.1). The pattern of change in most of the study parameters was such that values above normal range were lowered but values within normal range were unaltered. The action of Yoga on diastolic blood pressure, malondialdehyde adducts and kidney function in hypertensives was of counteractive nature and felt to be distinctly different than the effect of drugs.

Low adolescent peak bone mass is associated with bone problems in adulthood. Our aim was to assess underprivileged premenarchal Indian girls for low bone mineral content and to study the influence of anthropometric, lifestyle factors on bone health. Data on anthropometry, diet, lifestyle, total body bone mineral content (TBBMC), bone area, bone mineral density, and biochemical parameters [parathyroid hormone, vitamin D (25OH-D), calcium, and zinc] were assessed in 214 premenarchal girls (8-12 years). Compared with the Indian reference database, 15.6% girls had TBBMC for age Z-scores below -2 and 37.5% had Z-scores between -2 and -1. The TBBMC for total body bone area Z-scores were below -2 for one fifth of girls, indicating undermineralized bones. Mean rate of increase in TBBMC with age and Tanner stage was lower in our study population (11.6% and 20.7%, respectively) than reference database (14.2% and 33.4%, respectively). Low weight, 25OH-D, and intake of protein, calcium, and zinc adversely affected TBBMC (p < 0.05). Many underprivileged premenarchal Indian girls are at risk of achieving low bone mass. Steps to improve underweight, 25OH-D, intakes of protein, calcium, and zinc might improve bone health.

Objectives: The etiology of cataracts in the Asian subcontinent is not well understood. The aim of this study was to understand the differences in nutritional and lifestyle-related etiology of cataract in a high-income group (HIG) and a low-income group (LIG)., Research Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 140 cataract patients, aged 50-70 y, and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Socioeconomic information and habitual dietary intake were recorded by interview method. Cataract grading was given by ophthalmologists using a slit-lamp biomicroscope., Results: In HIG patients, there was a delay of 10 y in the onset of cataracts as compared to LIG patients. Sixty-seven percent of LIG patients were alcoholic and 80% had a family history of cataracts. Further, among LIG male patients, 45%-87% were uneducated and 80% were addicted to tobacco. The intake of animal foods and fried foods was significantly higher in all the patient groups than controls (P<0.001). The intake of vegetables, fruits, salads, and tea were higher in all the controls than patients (P<0.001). For HIG male patients, between alcoholics and non-alcoholics, significant differences were noted for antioxidant status and soluble to total proteins ratio of lens. Similar differences were seen between HIG male smokers and non-smokers. Multiple regression analysis of solubility and opacity of lens indicated influence of family size, sunlight exposure, and systolic blood pressure for predisposition of cataracts., Conclusions: Along with high systolic blood pressure, waist:hip ratio, family size, sunlight exposure, and increased consumption of tobacco and alcohol were the risk factors for cataracts., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Several microorganisms produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). They are accumulated intracellularly as energy storage compounds. The PHAs are of interest because of their potential in biomedical applications. Halophilic bacteria and archaea are known to produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). This paper describes production of a biodegradable copolymer, PHB-co-PHV by a moderately haloalkalitolerant Halomonas campisalis, isolated from Lonar Lake, India. The production of PHA was in the range of 45-81% on dry cell weight basis when the organism was grown in a production medium containing 1% (w/v) maltose and 0.1% (w/v) yeast extract, at pH ranging from 6 to 9 with an inoculum density of 10(5)-10(7) cells/ml of medium, for incubation period of 15-30 h and at 37 degrees C. The polymer produced by the organism is a hydroxyester with molecular weight of 1.3014 x 10(6). Its melting temperature was 171 degrees C. The (1)H NMR analysis revealed that the polymer was a copolymer of PHB-co-PHV. This could be achieved by providing simple carbon source viz. maltose., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In poor communities of the Third World, adolescent pregnancy outcomes are likely to be worse in view of the prevailing chronic undernutrition., Aim: The study examined the confounding effect of early life undernutrition on adolescent pregnancy outcome in rural India., Subjects and Methods: Retrospective information on socio-economic, demographic and anthropometric variables, gynaecological and obstetric history, pregnancy outcome and birth weight was obtained on 326 primigravid young married rural girls during 1998-2001., Results: Prevalence of pregnancy wastage (stillbirths and abortions) reduced significantly (p < 0.01) with increase in age at first conception. The risk for pregnancy wastage observed (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 0.91-4.21) in mothers with early conception (<17.25 years) increased significantly to 4.24 (95% CI = 1.4-12.86) in case of girls with delayed menarcheal age (>or=14.5 years) or to 14.2 (95% CI = 1.17-173.2) if they had higher post-menarcheal stature growth (>or=4 cm). Similarly, risk for preterm delivery (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 0.88-5.42) observed among mothers with early conception increased to 36.6 (95% CI = 3.57-374.0) if they had significant post-menarche gain in height. Our findings thus indicate that pregnancy outcome was adversely affected by early conception and prolonged adolescent growth, which are the features of biological immaturity in undernourished populations., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that in view of prevailing socio-cultural conditions, good nutrition in early life for girls is essential to prevent post-menarcheal height growth while health education programmes are essential to prevent early conception in rural India. These observations have wider implications for similar rural settings especially in other developing countries.

Objective: Parental history of hypertension, a commonly occurring nonmodifiable genetic risk factor, was examined for its influence on cutoff for body mass index (BMI) for identifying risk of hypertension., Design: Data on BMI, body fat (%), blood pressure (BP), parental history of hypertension, and lifestyle factors were collected through a cross-sectional study., Setting: Pune City, Maharashtra, India., Subjects: Urban Indian adults (330 men and 306 women, aged 30-60 years)., Results: Age-related increases in prevalence of obesity and of hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication) were significant (p < 0.01 for all) in both sexes. Among nonobese subjects, age-adjusted systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure levels were significantly (p < 0.01) higher for those with positive parental history than for those without parental history, in both sexes. Adjusted odds ratios showed that obesity or positive parental history when considered in isolation increased the risk of hypertension (by 3 times in men and 5 times in women), while the presence of both increased it further (by 4 times in men and 10 times in women), indicating their synergistic influence. Further, the BMI cutoff obtained from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was lower by 1 to 1.5 units for subjects with parental history than for those without parental history, across different levels of sensitivity., Conclusions: Positive parental history lowers the BMI risk cutoff for hypertension. The implication is that parental history could be an important aid in developing preventive strategy for timely and early screening of individuals at risk of hypertension in many Asian populations in similar settings.

Recent dietary guidelines emphasize micronutrient sufficiency by giving importance to consumption of whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study was to identify a measure of micronutrient quality of diets in adolescent girls consuming a lacto-vegetarian diet. Data were collected on the nutritional status of 630 schoolgirls (ages 10 to 16 years) from Pune city, India, in a cross-sectional survey during 2006-2007. Dietary intakes were assessed by 24-hour recall on 3 nonconsecutive days. Nutrient intakes were calculated from the Indian nutritive value databases. Micronutrient adequacy was expressed as a ratio of observed intake to reference intake. An Adolescent Micronutrient Quality Index (AMQI) was formulated using the Indian and the recent US dietary guidelines. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for plasma levels of vitamin C, beta carotene, and zinc. The average energy intake of the majority of the girls was below the Indian recommended dietary intakes, whereas micronutrient intakes were 50% to 70% lower than recommended dietary intakes. The mean AMQI score was 41.5+/-9.4. The age of subjects as well as mother's education and occupation were significantly associated with the AMQI. The AMQI was correlated with nutrient intakes and the ratio of observed intake to reference intake (P<0.01) after controlling for energy intake and sociodemographic factors. Higher AMQI scores were associated with higher concentrations of plasma vitamin C (r=0.26), beta carotene (r=0.34), and zinc (r=0.12). The AMQI is a useful measure of the dietary adequacy and micronutrient quality of the diets of adolescent girls consuming lacto-vegetarian diets., (2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Populations subsisting on plant foods are believed to be at a high risk of mineral deficiencies. The aim of the present study was to examine the diet patterns of vegetarian adolescent girls for zinc adequacy and devise recipes to improve bioavailable zinc intakes., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 630 schoolgirls (10-16 y old) from Pune, India, from 2006 to 2007. Diet was assessed by a 24-h recall method on 3 random days. Diet patterns were identified by principal component analysis. Nutrient intakes were estimated using the cooked-foods database of our laboratory. Twenty recipes representing the diet patterns were formulated using foods that have a high zinc content and using methods such as sprouting/fermentation. In vitro zinc dialyzability of the recipes was determined by simulating gastrointestinal conditions and atomic absorption spectrometry., Results: Five diet patterns were identified reflecting intakes of different cereals. Girls in the five diet patterns had inadequate intakes of energy, protein, and micronutrients including zinc compared with the recommended dietary intakes of India. In the new cereal-based recipes, the average contents of energy, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, beta-carotene, and vitamin C per 100g of cooked weight were 205 kcal, 6.2g, 2.5mg, 105 mg, 1.5mg, 716 microg, and 4.4 mg, respectively. Therefore, a supplement of 200 g of the recipe would fulfil 75% of the daily zinc requirement of adolescents and increase other micronutrient intake manifolds., Conclusion: Diets of Indian schoolgirls were deficient in zinc. Zinc-rich recipes with high bioavailability have the potential to alleviate zinc deficiency in adolescents., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In view of the fact that height differences between socio-economic groups are apparent early in childhood, it is of interest to examine whether skeletal growth is reflective of the social class gradient in CVD risk. The present study examined blood pressure levels, adiposity and growth of adolescent boys from high and low social classes., Design: In a cross-sectional study, skeletal growth (height and sitting height), adiposity (weight, BMI and body fat) and blood pressure levels of the adolescents were measured., Setting: Pune, India., Subjects: Adolescent schoolboys (9-16 years) from high socio-economic (HSE; n 1146) and low socio-economic (LSE; n 932) class., Results: LSE boys were thin, short and undernourished (mean BMI: 15.5 kg/m2 v. 19.3 kg/m2 in HSE boys, P = 0.00). Social gradient was revealed in differing health risks. The prevalence of high systolic blood pressure (HSBP) was high in HSE class (10.5 % v. 2.7 % in LSE class, P = 0.00) and was associated with adiposity, while the prevalence of high diastolic blood pressure (HDBP) was high in LSE class (9.8 % v. 7.0 % in HSE class, P = 0.00) and had only a weak association with adiposity. Despite this, lower ratio of leg length to height was associated with significantly higher respective health risks, i.e. for HDBP in LSE class (OR = 1.99, 95 % CI 1.14, 3.47) and for HSBP in HSE class (OR = 1.69, 95 % CI 1.02, 2.77)., Conclusions: As stunting in childhood is a major problem in India and Asia, the leg length to height indicator needs to be validated in different populations to understand CVD risks.

Objective: To introduce community-specific modifications in the conventional 24 h recall method for objectively estimating maternal dietary intake and validate it with a reference method., Design: A modified 24 h recall method was developed with the visit of trained local girls at the subject's home to weigh portion sizes at each mealtime over the 24 h recall period. This was validated with the reference method in which weighed records of the foods consumed were obtained and their laboratory analysis was done to obtain nutrient intakes., Setting: Rural areas located 40-50 km from Pune City, India., Subjects: Forty-one pregnant women participated willingly., Results: The estimates of intake obtained from the reference method were comparable to those obtained from the modified 24 h recall method for energy (7795 (sd 1841) kJ (1863 (sd 440) kcal) v. 7615 (sd 1824) kJ (1820 (sd 436) kcal), respectively), protein (48.6 (sd 12.9) g v. 45.3 (sd 12.6) g, respectively) and fat (35.3 (sd 16.6) g v. 36.0 (sd 14.2) g, respectively). Significant correlation was observed between the estimates obtained by the two methods for energy (0.75, P < 0.001), protein (0.71, P < 0.001) and fat (0.56, P < 0.001) and differences in nutrient intake did not reveal any systematic bias. When compared with the reference method, the modified method showed >80% sensitivity and specificity for identifying inadequate maternal energy intakes., Conclusions: Simple modifications to conventional methods backed by understanding of community specifics and nutritional peculiarities are of immense importance in obtaining objective estimates of daily nutritional intakes of individuals in free-living populations. The approach would be adaptable in similar settings in other developing countries.

Objective: To test the efficacy of zinc supplementation through diet or ayurvedic zinc tablet on cognitive function and taste acuity in adolescent girls., Methods: Using zinc-rich food items, snacks were prepared by adopting food-processing methods that enhance zinc bioavailability. Ayurvedic zinc tablet (jasad bhasma) was chosen as a natural elemental zinc supplement. Efficacy of snacks and the tablet was assessed in 180 schoolgirls (12.5 +/- 0.85 years) from Pune City, India, who were randomly allocated to any of the 3 groups: (1) ayurvedic zinc tablet-J, (2) zinc-rich snacks-D, or (3) Control-C. Supplementation was given on every school day (6 days/wk) for 10 weeks. All measurements were recorded at baseline and at the end of the study period. Food intake was recorded by 24-hour diet recall on 3 random days. Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and plasma zinc were estimated on a fasting blood sample. Cognitive assessment was done on each participant using tests for simple reaction time (SRT), recognition reaction time (RRT), visual memory, and Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM). Taste acuity was determined by recognition thresholds for salt (RTS) over a range of 10 different salt concentrations., Results: A higher increase in plasma zinc (61.3%) was observed in the J group than in the D group (9.9%) (p < 0.01), whereas plasma zinc declined in the control group (-2.2%) over baseline (p > 0.1). Hemoglobin showed no change in all 3 groups (p > 0.1). Percent increment in scores for memory and RPM was significantly more in the D and J groups (24.5%-29.6%) than in the C group (6.5%) (p < 0.05). Mean SRT and RRT were reduced more in the D and J groups (5%-16%) than in the C group (1.6%) (p < 0.05). A significant fall in median RTS from 5 to 2.5 mmol/L was noted after both diet and zinc supplementation (p < 0.01); however, it remained the same at 5 mmol/L in the Control group after 10 weeks., Conclusion: Supplementation of ayurvedic zinc and zinc-rich foods are effective in improving cognitive performance and the recognition threshold for salt of adolescent girls.

To explore the influence of dietary factors of iron bioavailability and socio-demographic conditions on blood iron status of married adolescent girls (MAG), a cross-sectional study was conducted in 173 MAG (15-19 years old) from urban slums near Pune city, India. Diet was assessed by two random 24-h recalls. The age, weight, height, education, family size, income, physical work, and number of days of menstrual loss were recorded. Fasting blood was analyzed for hemoglobin and serum ferritin. Mean intakes of micronutrients were 40-75% less than the recommended dietary intakes for Indian adolescent girls. High intake of phytates (171+/-6 mg/day) and low intakes of vitamin C (25+/-1 mg/day) resulted in low bioavailable iron intakes. The mean bioavailable iron intake was 0.76+/-0.3 mg/day, which is one-half of the basal iron requirement of adolescent girls. The prevalence of iron deficiency (serum ferritin<12 microg/l) was 25.1%, and anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/l) was seen in 46.4% of MAG. A multiple regression model adjusted for energy intake indicated that intakes of beta-carotene and riboflavin were associated with hemoglobin (P<0.001) and those of zinc, riboflavin and thiamin associated with serum ferritin (P<0.01). Multiple regressions including socio-demographic factors revealed that the family size, number of menstrual days lost and total bioavailable iron intake were the influencing factors for low iron status. In conclusion, there is a need to increase intakes of vitamin C and other micronutrients of the MAGs and to improve iron bioavailability through diet modifications.

The aim of this study was to assess variation in bone mass from childhood through later age and to examine bone health status of Indian males and females. Lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) in 683 males and 858 females (5-70 years) from Pune, India and apparent bone mineral density (BMAD) was calculated. A cubic regression model was fitted to describe the change in bone mineral content (BMC) with age in males and females separately. Regression analysis revealed that peak LS BMC was achieved around 26 years (63.6 +/- 11.0 g) for males and 30 years (54.1 +/- 11.6 g) for females. After 50 years of age, BMC showed an average annual decrease of 2.7% in males and 4.1% in females. Males had 11-15% higher mean BMAD than females after 50 years of age. T scores of 19% males and 28% females above 50 years, were less than -2.5 and T scores of 36% males and 43% females were between -1.0 and -2.5 when compared with the Lunar reference database. Low peak bone mass at a young age and higher bone loss in adults are alarming features of apparently healthy Indians.

Objectives: We examined the synergism of cataract and diabetes in micronutrient and antioxidant statuses versus diabetes mellitus and cataract alone., Methods: Indian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (D; n = 76), those without diabetes and with cataract (NDC; n = 100), those with diabetes and cataract (DC; n = 53), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 90) 50-70 y were investigated. Plasma oxidative stress as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and the status of 11 micronutrients were studied as lens TBARS, opacity, and ratio of soluble to total proteins in patients with cataract with or without diabetes. Lipid profile, fasting glucose, and postprandial glucose were measured for all subjects., Results: A subnormal status of ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, thiamine, and ceruloplasmin was elicited for all four study groups. Plasma TBARS and fasting glucose were significantly higher in the DC group than in the NDC (P < 0.05), D, and control groups. Lens TBARS were comparable between the NDC and DC groups (5.5 and 5.08 nm/g of lens). Chi-square values for lens turbidity within the DC and NDC groups and for the ratio of soluble to total proteins and opacity within the NDC group were significant (P < 0.01). The prevalence of poor riboflavin status was 30-36% in all patients and 15-22.5% in controls. Men in the DC group showed a higher value of glycosylated hemoglobin than did men from the D group. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant interactions (P < 0.02) between HS and socioeconomic grades for fasting glucose and high-density lipoprotein levels, riboflavin status, plasma vitamin C, TBARS, and selenium. The DC group was found to be significantly different from the other groups with respect to beta-coefficients of a logistic regression equation for plasma levels of selenium, zinc, iron, thiamine, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, ceruloplasmin, vitamin A, and superoxide dismutase., Conclusion: The combination of diabetes and cataract coupled with gender bias and influence of socioeconomic factors seem to be associated with worsening of micronutrient status, oxidative stress, and lens opacity.