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Background Nanostructured material is a solid substance with at least one face is in the range of 1-100 nm. Manipulations in the characteristics and effects of nanostructures can invent new procedures and technologies, as the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials are noticeably dissimilar from those of a single atom or its bulk phase. This difference in the properties is due to different spatial arrangements and shapes, changes in phase, energetics, electronic structure, chemical reactivity, and catalytic properties of huge, finite systems, and their assemblages. Theranostic involves the study of compounds which associates the modalities of curative and investigative purposes. Objective The aim of this review was to highlight the possible uses of nanoparticles as therapeutic and diagnostic agents. As is evident by the latest applications of nanoparticles in the development of sensitive biosensors as well as in MRI and drug delivery systems. The most important theranostic application of nanoparticles involves the treatment of cancer. In most of the cases, the late diagnosis of the disease is responsible for increasing the mortality rate. Moreover, the toxic effect of the chemotherapeutic drugs on the normal cells of the body seems to be another major drawback of the treatment. Therefore, theranostics appears to be very helpful and realistic area in the diagnosis and targeted drug delivery of this particular disease. Methods We systematically searched for research literature using well-framed review questions and presented data in both the text as well as tabular forms for readers' convenience. The present review collected the data from the published reviews as well as original research papers. The manuscripts considered in this article were taken from the databases and search engines comprising NCBI, PubMed, Google scholar, directory of open access journals, ScienceDirect and local library searches. The properties of the selected articles were analyzed, and a rational quantitative and qualitative content were used for the outcome and inference of the study applying a conceptual foundation. Results Two hundred seventeen papers were included in the review. Most of the papers were from developed countries (163) and the rest from developing countries (54). Seventy four articles dealt with both the diagnostic as well as therapeutic study of nanomaterials, fifty seven manuscripts included only therapeutic approach and twenty seven papers included only diagnostic approach. The rest of the articles included the data on the synthesis and characterization of surface modified nanomaterials which could be applied in this area. Forty five papers dealt with both in vitro and in vitro studies, sixteen manuscripts involved studies on clinical trials, fifty nine articles gave data on the basis of in vitro experiments and twenty seven articles on the basis of in vivo studies only while 2 papers included in situ data. In the manuscripts considered for the review, the data on both the solid tumors as well as cancers were taken. Almost all types of cancers are being studied using nanomaterials but the most studied cancer for therapeutic and diagnostic approach on the basis of literature is breast cancer. Conclusion By the help of surface modification of the nanomaterials specific targeting properties towards specific molecules and receptors in various types of cells could be achieved. It has been suggested that the delivered drugs require low amount to achieve the synergy between both the drugs delivered to cancer cells and tissues. Moreover, the toxic effect of the chemotherapeutic drugs on the normal cells of the body is another major drawback of the treatment. Upon further improvement and optimization of these nanoparticle-based strategies, it will ultimately lead to the prediction of patient's response towards a specific molecular therapy and it will be helpful to observe their responses to personalized therapy. Therefore, theranostics appears to be very helpful and realistic area in the diagnosis and targeted drug delivery of this particular disease.

Cold-active enzymes and their anticipated application in various industries including food industry attracted attention of worldwide scientific community. Cold-active enzymes, also known as psychrophilic enzymes, possess high catalytic activity at low and moderate temperatures. Due to low temperature activity, these enzymes utilize less energy in a biochemical reactions and also stabilize fragile compounds in the reaction medium. The source of cold-active enzymes are basically psychrophilic/psychrotrophic microorganisms which is found in cold environments. In comparison to mesophilic and thermophilic enzymes, till date very few cold-active enzymes are known and least explored so far in food industry. This review contains latest development and innovation in cold-active enzymes along with their applications in food biotechnology.

Enzymes are a biological substance that accelerates the rate of various biochemical reactions in a living organism without being used up in the reaction. The actions of enzymes are specific and biodegradable. Enzymes are involved in most of the biochemical reactions going on in microorganisms, plants, animals, and human beings. Even though enzymes are produced inside living cells, they can work actively in vitro, making them useful in industrial processes. The assimilation of enzymes in food processing is well known, and devoted research continues consistently to solve the worldwide food crisis. This chapter covers the basics of enzymes along with sources of different enzymes and their applications within various food industries.

In the last few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the application of reactive separation processes to various fields including pharmaceutical, chemical, biochemical, agrochemical, petrochemicals, fragrances, food and biotechnology industries. Reactive separation process synchronizes the reaction and separation processes in a single reactor. Usually, the separation processes were performed in different columns for reaction followed by separation. The key players of these reactive separation processes are heterogeneous catalysts, among which ion-exchange resins are most promising, efficient and economical. The use of ion-exchange resins not only overcome the problems associated with conventional separation technologies but also become an economical and flexible choice. This chapter introduces the conceptual understanding of reactive separation processes such as reactive distillation, reactive extraction, reactive chromatography and reactive absorption in different areas and the use of ion-exchange resin in these processes.

Cellulose is the most bountiful organic compound in the world and a major renewable agriculture waste with exceptionally high potential for biological alteration into valuable bioproducts. Cellulose also serves as a good source of low-cost energy production in the form of biofuels. Cellulase is the broad name for the group of three enzymes, namely endo-1-4-β-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4), cellobiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.91), and β-glucosidase, which catalyze the hydrolysis of cellulose and related oligosaccharides. Microorganisms and plants commonly synthesize such molecules. Cellulases fall into the main group of industrial enzymes that have extensive applications in many areas, such as the production of ethanol and organic acids, cotton processing, paper recycling, as animal feed additives, for brightness of fiber surfaces in paper industries, to enhance pulp drainage in paper mills, etc. However, the largest obstacle for the commercialization of these enzymes is their high manufacturing price, which can be minimized by using other carbon sources, for example, agricultural solid waste residues during optimization of the production medium. This chapter summarizes the applications of cellulase enzymes along with their sources but mainly focuses on the various bioprocess parameters used for production optimization, including the latest technologies/techniques applied at an industrial scale.

The present study was accomplished to examine and compare the effect of specific antioxidant-rich oils on hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, renal function markers and oxidative renal damage in diabetic rats for four weeks. Papaya (P), olive (O), fenugreek (Fe), bitter gourd (B) and fish (Fi) oils were used for this purpose. Streptozotocin (STZ) was injected intraperitoneally in a single dose to induce diabetes. All oils were given orally at a dose of 3g/kg for four weeks in respective group after induction of diabetes. After treatment with oils, blood was collected, and their kidneys were stored. The level of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) increased while amylase and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level decreased in the diabetic rats. These changes were augmented by fenugreek, bitter gourd and olive oils treatment. Diabetic rats showed elevated renal function markers in serum, including, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which were restrained significantly by fenugreek and bitter gourd oil treatment. Moreover, fenugreek and bitter gourd oils treatment significantly modulated the level of thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), malonaldehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) in the kidney of diabetic rats. The histopathological examination also showed the protective effect of these oils. The study suggests that vegetable oils are effective in reducing hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and renal damage related to the side effects of diabetes. Thus they may have therapeutic value for preventing diabetes side effects and may be included in oil diet treatment synergically. Thus, our data suggest that oils as potent antidiabetic agent and beneficial in the control of diabetes-related abnormalities such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and renal damage of STZ induced rat model of type 2 diabetes. Our study also supports the suggestion that synergistic possibilities exist concerning the use of these oils in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Biocontaminants are minute particles derived from different biological materials. Indoor biocontaminants are associated with major public health problems. In Gulf countries, it is more precarious due to the harsh climatic conditions, including high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. In addition, due to COVID-19 pandemic, most of the time public is inside their home. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the load of biocontaminants in the indoor environment of Hail city. The results showed that most of the bacteria are gram-positive and higher in polymicrobial (87.1%) than monomicrobial (62.7%) association. There was no significant association with sample collection time and types of isolates. The most abundant microbes found in all samples were Staphylococcus aureus followed by Bacillus spp. Among Gram-negative bacterial isolates, E. coli was most common in tested indoor air samples. The study will be useful to find the biocontaminants associated with risk factors and their impact on human health in the indoor environment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results indicate the need to implement health care awareness programs in the region to improve indoor air quality.

Enzymes are the chemical compounds which act as a biological catalyst and alter the rate of biochemical reactions. There are about 3000 enzymes in our bodies which are involved in more than 7000 metabolic reactions. Considering the physiological and metabolic significance of the enzymes, food enzymes constitute an important part of diet. There are some enzyme-rich foods that are believed to have a different function in the human body than that of body’s own enzymes. But, processing and cooking of foods completely degrade the enzyme contents and leave the body deprived of these important enzymes which play a significant role in the well-being and healthcare. Some prominent examples of high enzyme foods are papaya, pineapple, banana, figs, and bee pollen. The sprouts are metabolically very active, and the content of enzymes is more as compared to seeds. The dietary enzymes commonly present in the enzyme-rich foods are proteinases, amylases, maltases, lipases, papain, bromelain, etc. Non-processed and uncooked foods are rich in enzymes, and their intake might decrease the body’s burden to produce more and more of its own enzymes. As a result of some metabolic disorders and diseases, the production of some specific enzymes is hampered in the body. In such cases, foods which are high in enzyme contents are the best choice for the extraction, purification, and commercialization of the enzymes. These enzymes find numerous applications in pharmaceutical industries, and there is a need for exploiting these foods for industrial applications.

The advantage of biodegradable plastics over conventional synthetic plastics in respect to complete and safe disposal makes a way for its use in broad range of usage including agriculture, biomedical, and food packaging. In present scenario, biodegradable materials used for wrapping food products are mostly synthesized renewable raw materials like polylactide, starch-/cellulose-based polymers, polybutylene succinate, and polybutylene succinate-co-adipate. Spoiling of food by microbial contamination along with lipid and protein oxidation is a major concern in terms of food safety and quality, and it may occur in packaged foods even after using traditional food preservation techniques such as freezing, drying, heating, salting, and fermentation. All these problems can be overcome by using bio-based active and smart packaging that provides great opportunities for enhancing quality, tenderness, and freshness along with antimicrobial assets. Recently, antioxidant packaging is developed with bioactive molecules in encapsulated form that also improves aroma characteristics. This chapter gives an overview of different types of biodegradable polymers that are applied for covering of foodstuff and what consequences it confers on environment after biodegradation and composting.

Among the greatest achievements in the twenty-first century in science and technology, one is food bioengineering, which has brought a revolution especially in the food and agriculture sector. By 2050, it is estimated that more than 10 billion people will inhabit the Earth, and it is also assumed that at that time adequate resources will not be present to feed human kind. Hunger and malnutrition already claim a large number of people in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Malnutrition or under nourishment is however, not related to any country; they are about the foods that are nutrient less or, in extreme cases, no food at all. Countless people in developed nations, though mostly well fed, still do not receive proper nourishment. Using food bioengineering, which is the most advanced branch of biotechnology, hunger and mass starvation can be controlled up to a certain limit. The majority of research in this area is focused on developing crops that are able to grow in stress conditions so that even maximal utilization of barren-land can be achieved. Biotechnological advancements are yielding fruitful results in this direction and are leading to nutrient-rich foods produced in a safe manner and environmentally friendly. As genetic engineering is changing at such a fast rate, it is quite possible that in coming decades, the majority of the food that we eat will be bioengineered. In this chapter, methods and applications of biotechnology are highlighted that are related to the production of safe food with high nutritional value in the case of transgenic plants, animals, or microorganisms.

In the present study, four cold-adapted bacterial isolates were screened for multiple-enzyme production at low temperature (15 °C). The most potent isolate, Bacillus cereus GA6 (HQ832575), was subjected to mutation by UV radiation to obtain a mutant strain with elevated enzyme production. The mutant strain, designated as CUVGA6, with higher chitinase activity at low temperature was selected for enzyme production optimization using factorial design and response-surface methodology (RSM). Two statistically significant parameters (colloidal chitin and KH2PO4) for response were selected (p value = 0.008 and 0.004, respectively) along with pH and temperature and utilized to optimize the process. Central composite design of RSM was used to optimize the levels of key ingredients for the best yield of chitinase. Maximum chitinase production was predicted to be 428.57 U/ml for a 4.4-fold increase in medium containing 2 % colloidal chitin, 6.0 g/L K2HPO4 and pH 9.0 at 25 °C when incubated for 7 days in submerged fermentation. ANOVA of CCD suggested that the quadratic interaction effect of K2HPO4 with chitin, temperature and pH has high impact on the production of chitinase (p value = 0.007, 0.002, 0.035, respectively), although its linear effect was not significant as observed. The closeness of optimized values (R 2 = 82.28 %) to experimental values (R 2 = 80.13 %) proved the validity of statistical model. Thus, multi-enzyme producing cold-adapted mutant B. cereus GA6 (CUVGA6) could be exploited for the production of chitinase which is of industrial significance.

Microbacterium foliorum GA2, an alkali-tolerant bacterium, was randomly mutated using UV radiation and sodium azide to obtain a mutant with a higher cold-active extracellular amylolytic activity. A mutant, designated as MFSD20, was selected owing to its higher amylase activity at 20°C. Under optimized conditions, amylase production was achieved best with raw banana peels (5000 units) in solid-state fermentation (SSF). The enzyme was purified by salt precipitation and chromatographic methods and afterwards characterized biochemically. The purified enzyme showed maximal activity at temperatures between 15-25°C and at pH 8.0. Interestingly, this mutant biocatalyst (MFSD20) displays higher catalytic activity under conditions of low temperature (4°C) and high pH (10.0), in the presence of SDS (0.1 and 1%), and exhibited 85% and 50% requirement of divalent metallic ions Ca2+ and Mg2+, respectively. This mutant enzyme extract in combination with "Wheel detergent" was highly effective in the removal of tomato sauce and chocolate stains from white cotton fabric was demonstrated by ~50% additional reflectance compared with detergent alone, in a wash performance analysis at 20 ± 2°C. The features shown by mutant M. foliorum GA2 make it a promising candidate for industrial applications involving starch degradation at low temperatures.

Most of the hard to degrade keratin containing substrates like feathers or animal hairs is either discarded or incinerated resulting in energy consumption and environmental pollution Thus an innovative eco friendly method to deal with these wastes is urgently needed Microbial degradation of keratin by keratinases has gained biotechnological interest in applications and represents a great opportunity to manage waste materials with no adverse impacts This article deals with the importance of keratinase and its ongoing applications that can be further used in future to sustain environment

Background The renewable feedstock derived biodegradable plastics are important in various industries such as packaging, agricultural, paper coating, garbage bags and biomedical implants. The increasing water and waste pollution due to the available decomposition methods of plastic degradation have led to the emergence of biodegradable plastics and biological degradation with microbial (bacteria and fungi) extracellular enzymes. The microbes utilize biodegradable polymers as the substrate under starvation and in unavailability of microbial nutrients. Microbial enzymatic degradation is suitable from bioremediation point of view as no waste accumulation occurs. Methods It is important to understand the microbial interaction and mechanism involved in the enzymatic degradation of biodegradable plastics under the influence of several environmental factors such as applied pH, thermo-stability, substrate molecular weight and/or complexity. To study the surface erosion of polymer film is another approach for hydrolytic degradation characteristion. Results The degradation of biopolymer is associated with the production of low molecular weight monomer and generation of carbon dioxide, methane and water molecule. This review reported the degradation study of various existing biodegradable plastics along with the potent degrading microbes (bacteria and fungi). Patents available on plastic biodegradation with biotechnological significance is also summarized in this paper. Conclusion This paper assesses that new disposal technique should be adopted for the degradation of polymers and further research is required for the economical production of biodegradable plastics along with their enzymatic degradation.

Cold-active enzymes along with their producing microbes are of commercial value and find multiple applications in various industrial and biotechnological sectors. In this study, production optimization of cold active α-amylase from cold-adapted Microbacterium foliorum GA2 was carried out. The aim of the present work was to use economical agro-substrate for increasing cold-active α-amylase production and to optimize the fermentation parameters in SSF (Solid state fermentation) using two statistical experimental designs. Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology was used to determine key ingredients for the best media composition and optimal concentration of these components, respectively. The screening result of Plackett–Burman design showed bagasse, lactose and pH had significant effects ( p -value≤0.05) on cold-active α-amylase production. Maximum α-amylase production (6610 units) was observed through response surface methodology in medium having 40% bagasse, 0.003 M lactose, and pH 8.0 at 20 °C when incubated for 5 days in static conditions. The closeness of optimized values ( R 2 =92.26%) to experimental values ( R 2 =96.28%) proved the validity of the statistical model. Under these experimental designs, the α-amylase yield increased three-fold in comparison to control and was much efficient and economical than “one-variable-at-a-time” methodology. Thus, cold-adapted M. foliorum GA2 could be exploited for industrial production of α-amylase using bagasse at relatively low temperatures.

A novel laccase enzyme producing bacterium, Pseudomonas putida MTCC 7525, was isolated and subjected to optimization of laccase production. Maximum production (94.10 U/ml) was achieved at 30 °C and pH 8 (108 h incubation) with 10% skim milk and 1 mM sodium nitrate as additional nitrogen source. The laccase was purified by salt precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography which showed 6.44 fold purification. The purified enzyme had optimal activity at pH 8.0 and 40 °C, and showed stability in DMSO retaining more than 85% of original activity. In presence of manganese and cadmium, enzyme retained >95% and 92% activity, respectively. The molecular weight of laccases was 39.5 kDa and activity was inhibited by pCMB (93%). The synthetic dyes (0.02%) and industrial effluents (10%) were decolorized to 74–93 and 58–68%, respectively when treated with culture of P. putida . However, the culture supernatant of P. putida showed about 36–94 and 16–86% decolorization of synthetic dyes and effluents, respectively within 24 h of incubation.

Chitin is one of the most abundant biopolymers widely distributed in the marine and terrestrial environments. Chitinase enzyme has received increased attention due to its wide range of biotechnological applications, especially in agriculture for biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi and harmful insects. In the present study, 58 bacterial isolates were screened for chitinolytic activity and on the basis of chitin hydrolysis zone 6 isolates were selected for chitinase production in broth media. Based on enzyme production, two most potent isolates identified as Aeromonas hydrophila HS4 and Aeromonas punctata HS6 were selected for further study. The effects of media composition and various fermentation conditions for optimization of chitinase production were studied. The maximum chitinase production was obtained at 37 °C and pH 8.0 after 24–48 h of incubation by HS4; and at 37 °C and pH 7 after 48 h incubation by HS6. Among the substrates colloidal chitin was the best for both the strains. Regarding carbon sources, starch (1%) was the best for both strains; while malt and yeast extract (1%) was found as the best nitrogen source for HS4 and HS6, respectively. Out of metal ions Mn 2+ and Cu 2+ enhanced enzyme production in the case of HS6. However, Co 2+ was the most appropriate for HS4.

Pesticide spraying operation is associated with the increased risk of adverse health effects among sprayers who do not follow safe farm work practices. A study was conducted among pesticide sprayers in North India to evaluate the clinical and subclinical variations in their vital health parameters before and after the pesticide spraying season. Blood cholinesterase levels, pulmonary function test, nerve conduction velocity and self-reported symptoms were studied among 18 eligible and consenting male sprayers. Mean acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced by 55 % in the post-exposure assessment (P

The recent studies carried out on the binding of small molecule to deoxyribonucleic acids suggested that the intercalation of a tricyclic heteroaromatic molecule, thionine, with natural DNAs provided thermal stabilization to the DNA complex. In the present study, we reported theoretical analysis of thionine binding with natural DNAs of varying base composition by using an amended Zimm and Bragg theory, to explain the melting behaviour and heat capacity of DNAs with and without thionine binding. We used experimental models of Paul et al. for implementing this study (Paul et al., 2010). The sharpness of transition has been examined in terms of half width and sensitivity parameter (ΔH/σ). The results of theoretical analysis concluded that the various parameters such as heat capacity curve, transition profile, half widths and sharpness of the transition are in good agreement with the experimental measurements for binding of thionine determined through DSC. The theoretical analysis proposed in this study, therefore, may be useful to understand interaction of small molecules with deoxyribonucleic acids. This approach may also be applied to design DNA binding therapeutic molecules and in the process of drug formulation and development.

Due to high level of blood sugar, some glucose molecules are attached to the normal hemoglobin which is known as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). HbA1c indicates the average blood glucose levels over the past 6 to 8 weeks. Therefore, it has been recommended as a screening tool for the detection and monitoring of diabetes mellitus. HbA1c at high levels are associated with various metabolic disorder and other disease. In the present review, we summarized risk factors associated with increased level of HbA1c and its clinical significance.

In this study, risk assessment for visual disturbances among farm workers spraying agricultural pesticides in farms have been assessed. A cross-sectional study for the assessment of visual disturbances was undertaken using questionnaire survey and clinical examination among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides. Two hundred and thirty nine pesticide sprayers participated in the study. The study was compared to 110 controls not occupationally exposed to pesticides with similar socio-economic status. The prevalence of ocular morbidity was found to be 40% among pesticide sprayers which was significantly higher (p

Microbial cold-active α-amylases offer various economical and ecological benefits through energy savings by overcoming the heating requirements and also provide large biotechnological potentials. The objective of present study was to isolate new cold-adapted bacterial strains for production of cold-active α-amylases and their production optimization. Out of 30 cold-active α-amylase producing bacteria, isolated from soil of Gangotri glacier, Western Himalaya, India, two potential isolates, designated as GA2 and GA6, were selected for enzyme production. The α-amylase production was found maximum at 20 °C and pH 9 after 120 h incubation for GA2; and 20 °C and pH 10 after 96 h incubation for GA6. Among the carbon sources, lactose and glycerol was most suitable for GA2 and GA6, respectively. However, yeast extract and ammonium acetate was found best as nitrogen source by GA2 and GA6, respectively. Out of two potential isolates, maximum enzyme production (5870 units) was achieved with GA2 followed by GA6 (4746 units). GA2 was resistant to penicillin (10 μg) among tested antibiotics and as per plasmid curing results, amylase production was a plasmid mediated characteristic. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that GA2 and GA6 have highest homology with Microbacterium foliorum (99%) and Bacillus cereus (98%), respectively. This was the first report on cold-active α-amylase production by M. foliorum strain GA2 and B. cereus strain GA6, also their 16S rRNA sequences assigned an accession number HQ832574 and HQ832575 , respectively from NCBI.

Biodetergents are preferred over the conventional synthetic detergents in view of their better cleaning properties, low energy input and the alleviation of pollution. The biodetergents derived from mesophilic/thermophilic organisms and also peroxide-based synthetic detergents require high temperature for their optimum activity. Thus, cold-active enzymes are very useful as they work at lower temperatures and do not require the input of energy. The purpose of the present study was the production optimization and purification of cold-active alkaline protease from a novel psychro-tolerantStenotrophomonas maltophilia MTCC 7528 and its application as a detergents additive for cold washing. Psychro-tolerant proteolytic bacterium S. maltophilia MTCC 7528 was isolated from soil of Gangotri glacier, Western Himalaya, India that produced maximum protease (56.2 U/ml) at 20°C and pH 9.0 after 120 h incubation in shaking condition (120 rev/min). The purified enzyme has molecular weight of 75 kDa with maximum activity and stability at pH 10 and 20°C temperature. It showed excellent compatibility with commercial detergents with improved cleansing power at low temperature. The enzyme completely removed blood and grass stains and increases the reflectance by 26 and 23%, respectively. Enzyme-based detergents find a wide range of applications in laundry and textile industries. Cold-active alkaline protease from psychro-tolerant S. maltophilia may be a potential component to be used as a detergent additive for cold washing that will be beneficial to save energy as they work at lower temperatures. Key words: Alkaline protease, biodetergent, cold-active enzymes, wash performance.

The aim of this study was to examine the hematological and cholinesterase (ChE) activity levels of pesticide sprayers employed in mango plantations at Lucknow. Fifty-two sprayers from mango plantations who regularly spray mixtures of pesticides including organochlorines (OC), organophosphates (OP), and carbamates were included as exposed group. Twenty residents living close to mango plantations, but not involved in pesticide spraying were taken as controls. Pesticide residues for OC were analyzed in blood by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. There was a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in pesticide sprayers (n = 52) relative to the control group (n = 20). A significant difference in the frequency distribution of hematological variations in red blood cell, white blood cell, monocytes, neutrophils, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and platelet count was observed. Residues of OC p...

A novel psychro-tolerant bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (MTCC 7528) with an ability to produce extracellular, cold-active, alkaline, and detergent-stable protease was isolated from soil samples obtained from Gangotri glacier, Western Himalaya, India. The culture conditions for higher protease production were optimized with respect to incubation time, agitation, substrate, pH, and temperature. Maximum protease production of 56.2 U·mL–1was achieved in the medium at 20 °C and pH 9.0 after 120 h incubation. The protease was partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography and approximately 55-fold purification was achieved. The purified enzyme was a 75 kDa protease with maximum activity and stability at pH 10 and 20 °C. The activity of enzyme is stimulated by Mn2+and inhibited completely by metalloprotease inhibitors, indicating that it is a metalloprotease. The protease showed excellent stability and compatibility with commercial detergents and exhibited high efficiency for the removal of different types of protein-containing stains at low temperature. The wash performance analysis of blood and grass stains on cotton fabric showed an increase in reflectance by 26% and 23%, respectively, after treatment with enzyme in comparison to detergent only. These results indicate that it may be a potential component to use as a detergent additive for cold washing and in environmental bioremediation in cold regions.

Since the advent of technology, science has explored many concealed natural resources. The chemicals used in the past decade were expensive and caused biohazards. Therefore, research in finding safe and less expensive natural bioactive compounds has been started. In the early period, the immunodiffusion assays followed by radio-immunoassays and enzyme-linked immunoassays provide information of significant magnitude. In these assays, different synthetic fluorochromes were used and today it explores a separate field of interest, called fluorescent immunoassay (Kasten 1993). As the synthetic fluorochromes have biohazards and are carcinogenic in nature, such as ethidium bromide, a new approach to research was needed to find out novel and safe chemical compounds. Phycobiliproteins are natural proteins commonly present in cyanobacteria and red algae possessing a spectrum of applications and extensively used for fluorescent application in clinical and immunological analysis along with their therapeutic value (Sekar and chandramohan 2007). Phycobiliproteins are brilliantly colored, highly fluorescent, water-soluble protein components of the photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna complexes found in blue-green algae, red algae, and cryptomonads. Based on their colors, these proteins are classified into two groups: phycocyanin (blue) and phycoerythrin (red). The phycocyanins include c-phycocyanin (c-Pc), R-phycocyanin (R-Pc), and Allophycocyanin (APc). Phycobiliproteins are assembled into an organized cellular structure known as phycobilisomes that are attached in regular arrays to the external surface of the thylakoid membrane and act as major light-harvesting pigments in cyanobacteria and red algae. The term “phycobilisome” was first coined by Gantt and conti (1966) on the basis of their size and shape, as visualized by an electron microscope. The electron micrographs showed a series of large granules aligned regularly on the thylakoid membranes of different cyanobacteria and red alga, Chapter 12

BACKGROUND Pesticide sprayers in North India use different application methods for different crops. AIMS To compare cholinesterase activity and symptoms in knapsack and tractor-mounted pesticide sprayers. METHODS Blood cholinesterase activity and symptoms were recorded for 42 knapsack and 66 tractor-mounted sprayers attending a health camp in North India in 2009 and for 30 controls. RESULTS One hundred and eight of 197 (55%) eligible sprayers consented to participate. Mean acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase activity was 33 and 60% lower, respectively, in knapsack sprayers than in controls (P < 0.001) and 56 and 62% lower, respectively, in tractor-mounted sprayers than in controls (P < 0.001). AChE depletion was greater in tractor-mounted sprayers than in knapsack sprayers (P < 0.001). In knapsack sprayers compared to controls, odds ratios (OR) were significantly raised for musculoskeletal symptoms (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.03-18) but not for other symptoms. In tractor-mounted sprayers compared to controls, ORs were significantly raised for neurological (OR 7, 95% CI 2-23), ocular (OR 8.7, 95% CI 2.7-32), respiratory (OR 5.14, 95% CI 1-29), cardiovascular (OR 7.5, 95% CI 2-42), gastrointestinal (OR 5.43, 95% CI 2-18) and musculoskeletal (OR 6.12, 95% CI 2-26) symptoms but not for dermal symptoms (OR 1.93, 95% CI 0.3-20). CONCLUSIONS The risk of cholinesterase inhibition and symptoms is greater in tractor-mounted than in knapsack pesticide sprayers and in both groups compared to controls. Occupational exposure in pesticide sprayers in North India needs better control, perhaps through redesign of spraying equipment.

An extensive range of pigments including phycobiliproteins are present in algae. C-phycocyanin (C-PC), a phycobiliprotein, is one of the key pigments ofSpirulina, a microalgae used in many countries as a dietary supplement. Algal pigments have massive commercial value as natural colorants in nutraceutical, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, besides their health benefits. At present, increasing awareness of harmful effects of synthetic compounds and inclination of community towards the usage of natural products have led to the exploitation of microalgae as a source of natural pigments/colors. This review describes recent findings about the sources and production of C-PC, with emphasis on specific techniques for extraction and purification, along with potential industrial applications in diagnostics, foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

Microbial proteases that occupy a pivotal position with respect to their commercial applications are most important hydrolytic enzymes and have been studied extensively since the advent of enzymology. Cold-adapted microorganisms are potential source of cold-active proteases and they have been isolated from the cold regions. Although there are many microbial sources available for producing proteases, only few are recognized as commercial producer. Cold-active proteases along with their producing microbes are of commercial value and find multiple applications in various industrial and biotechnological sectors such as additives in detergents, additives in food industries, environmental bioremediations, biotransformation and molecular biology applications. Therefore, cold-active proteases are the enzymes of choice for many biotechnologists, microbiologists, biochemists, environmentalists and biochemical engineers. In the present review, we discuss some novel sources along with recent developments in production and biotechnological applications of cold-active microbial proteases.

Amylases have most widely been reported to occur in microorganisms, although they are also found in plants and animals. Microbial cold-active α-amylases confer high activities at low temperature that favours production of comparatively insubstantial compounds. Cold-active α-amylases have an advantage under extreme low temperature conditions due to their freeze tolerance mechanism, intrinsic greater membrane fluidity and production of cold-acclimation proteins. Due to considerable progress towards energy savings process in industries, the low temperature stability has been regarded as the most important characteristics of cold-active amylases. Cold active enzymes attract more and more attention nowadays. Comparatively little information is available on cold-active microbial α-amylases and its catalytic properties. Now the situation is changing which recently enchanted the scientific community to focus in various fields, such as analytical, medicinal and clinical chemistry, as well as their extensive industrial applications such as starch industry, food processing, additive in detergents, waste-water treatment, biopulping, textile industry, environmental bioremediation in cold climates and other molecular biology applications. Key words: Psychrophiles, psychrotrophs, extremozymes, cold-active amylase, starch degrading enzymes.

Curtobacterium luteum, a gram-positive psychrotrophic bacterium, secreting an extracellular protease was isolated from the soil of Gangotri glacier, Western Himalaya. The maximum enzyme production was achieved when isolate was grown in a pH-neutral medium containing skim milk at 15 degrees C over 120 hour. The metal ions such as Zn2+ and Cr2+ enhanced enzyme production. The specific activity of purified enzyme was 8090 u/mg after 34.1 fold purification. The 115 kD enzyme was a metalloprotease (activity inhibited by EDTA and EGTA) and showed maximum activity at 20 degrres C and pH 7. The enzyme was active over a broad pH range and retained 84% of its original activity between pH 6-8. There was no loss in enzyme activity when exposed for 3 hours at 4 degrees C-20 degrees C. However, lost 65% of activity at 30 degrees C, and was almost inactivated at 50 dgrees C, but was resistant to repeated freezing and thawing. The enzyme activity was stimulated by manganese ions; however, it was inactivated by copper ions.