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Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to a significant rate of depression and cognitive impairment, according to previous studies. However, limited research has been done on the effects of diabetes treatment on depression, cognitive function, or overall quality of life (QoL). This planned study investigated into depression, cognitive function, and quality of life in T2DM patients, as well as its relationship to treatment received. To study the association of insulin therapy with depression, cognition and quality of life in T2DM patients. Methods: This was a crosssectional study that included 300 participants, comprising of 150 T2DM patients and 150 healthy individuals. The Patient health questionnaire and the Mini-mental state examination were used to measure depression and cognitive function, respectively. QoL was assessed using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Based on the type of treatment, all of the patients were divided into two subgroups: oral hypoglycemic medications (OHAs) and insulin. Results: The study included 300 participants, including T2DM patients (n=150) and healthy controls (n=150). In individuals with T2DM, the chances of mild (aOR 2.21, 95 % Ci 1.16-4.20; p=0.016) and severe (aOR 4.32, 95 % Ci 1.27-14.67; p=0.019) depression was higher. T2DM patients were also more likely to have cognitive impairment (aOR 2.86, 95 % Ci 1.16-6.99; p=0.021). Patients taking insulin had a substantially increased risk of depression (OR 2.127, 95 % Ci 1.070-4.228, p=0.036). Insulin-treated patients exhibited considerably poorer QoL ratings. Conclusion: The research illustrates that insulin therapy has a negative impact on depression and QoL in T2DM patients. As a result, it is recommended that insulin-treated T2DM patients require psychological assistance. In such cases, it is advised that measures to enhance QoL be implemented.

Various studies have reported the association of cognition and depression with diabetes. Literature suggests that metformin and sitagliptin used to control hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) possess a beneficial effect on neurological symptoms associated with diabetes. However, there are scarce data in the clinical setting. Thus, this study aims to compare depression, cognitive impairment, and quality of life (QoL) of newly diagnosed T2DM patients with those of healthy individuals. Further, the impact of metformin alone or in combination with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors on cognition, depression, and QoL of T2DM patients was also compared with newly diagnosed T2DM patients.This was a prospective observational study in 120 subjects. The subjects were equally divided into four groups: healthy controls, newly diagnosed T2DM patients, and T2DM patients taking either metformin alone or in combination with sitagliptin. We assessed cognition using Mini-Mental State Examinations (MMSE), depression using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and health status using Short-Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36).No significant change in MMSE score was observed among the groups. However, a significant increase in the HAM-D score of newly diagnosed patients (p0.001), T2DM patients receiving metformin alone (p0.05), and in combination with sitagliptin (p0.001) was observed as compared to healthy controls (p0.001). Also, a statistically significant increase in HAM-D score was observed in patients receiving sitagliptin in combination with metformin as compared to metformin alone (p0.01). A decrease in SF-36 scores was observed in all groups as compared to healthy controls.To conclude, this preliminary study indicates that T2DM patients are most likely to suffer from depression and impaired QoL. Moreover, both the conventional and recent antidiabetic agents might lead to neurobehavioral complications and adverse impact on the QoL of these patients. Thus, we warrant the assessment of cognitive functions, depression, and QoL in patients receiving metformin and sitagliptin.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases are increasing rapidly worldwide. Similar to Middle East respiratory syndrome where cardiovascular diseases were present in nearly 30% of cases, the increased presence of cardiovascular comorbidities remains true for COVID-19 as well. The mechanism of this association remains unclear at this time. Therefore, we reviewed the available literature and tried to find the probable association between cardiovascular disease with disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We searched Medline (via PubMed) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for articles published until Sept 5, 2020. Nineteen articles were included involving 6,872 COVID-19 patients. Results: The random-effect meta-analysis showed that cardiovascular disease was significantly associated with severity and mortality for COVID-19: odds ratio (OR) 2.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98–4.21 for severity and OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.67–5.39 for mortality, respectively. Risk of COVID-19 severity was higher in patients having diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, malignancy, cerebrovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. Similarly, patients with diabetes, hypertension, chronic liver disease, cerebrovascular disease and chronic kidney disease were at higher risk of mortality. Conclusion: Our findings showed that cardiovascular disease has a negative effect on health status of COVID-19 patients. However, large prevalence studies demonstrating the consequences of comorbid cardiovascular disease are urgently needed to understand the extent of these concerning comorbidities. Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2

The greatest risk of developing type2 diabetes (T2DM) was conferred by rs7903146 SNP of Transcription factor7-like2 (TCF7L2) gene in many ethnic populations. The aim was to investigate the association of TCF7L2 (rs7903146) gene polymorphism among newly diagnosed diabetes subjects with different parental diabetes registry. A total of 171 subjects were categorized into 3 groups based on parental diabetes registry i.e. Conjugal Diabetes Registry (CDR) (n = 50), One Parental Diabetes Registry (OPDR) (n = 56) and Non Parental Diabetes Registry (NPDR) (n = 62) (control group). Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) genotyping assay was used in real time PCR for identifying the genotypes. None of the biochemical parameters showed any significant difference between groups except age at onset of diabetes (p = 0.001). The T allele of TCF7L2 (rs7903146) was associated with significant risk of diabetes. TT genotype which doubles the diabetes risk showed significant association among OPDR whereas in CDR both CT and TT genotypes showed significant association than CC wild type. The ‘T’ allele of TCF7L2 SNP was associated with significant risk when compared between OPDRvsNPDR (OR 2.45, p = 0.003) and CDRvsNPDR (OR 2.82, p = 0.0007). In conclusion, TCF7L2 gene polymorphism and positive family history of diabetes are strongly associated irrespective of the presence of other risk factors among diabetes subjects.

Cholesterol is important for both humans and animals to maintain their normal health. However, increased serum cholesterol level can cause several cardiovascular diseases. Higher cholesterol in the blood will develop a plaque in the walls of artery. Numerous pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods have been used to decrease the blood cholesterol. Various drugs have been developed to treat hypercholesterolemia, and the most common drugs include atorvastatin and rosuvastatin (statin drugs). However, prolonged usage of these drugs causes severe side effects. During the past decades, various scientists reported that the ingestion of several fermented products with probiotic bacteria decreases the serum cholesterol level. Probiotics are viable microorganisms that promote various health benefits upon consumption, while prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients, which promote the growth of probiotic microorganisms in the human gut. The cholesterol reduction mechanism of probiotic bacteria is not well understood; however, most of the probiotic bacteria reduce the serum cholesterol level by using the bile salt deconjugation method. Herein, we review the cholesterol-reducing capability of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics and use them as an alternative for cholesterol-reducing drugs which is used for hypercholesterolemia.

Risk factors associated with diabetes (DM) are to be well studied, and this study was aimed to investigate the family transmission pattern of type 2 DM in South Indian population. A total of 3093 subjects were selected between June 2017 and May 2018. Details on family history of diabetes, treatment, and age at onset of DM were recorded. The subjects are divided into three groups based on family history risk categories maintained as registries. Group 1 (NPDR) (n = 1414) was with no parent diabetes, group 2 (OPDR) (n = 1216) with one parent diabetes, and group 3 (CPDR) (n = 463) was with both parents diabetes. The history of diabetes in siblings was recorded. Diagnosis of diabetes was confirmed based on the history of treatment and by OGTT. In group 2, genderwise comparison showed higher transmission of diabetes from mothers than fathers. Women had more maternal history of diabetes than paternal history [58.1 vs 41.9%; p

Purpose To identify the specific motivations that drive healthy volunteers to consent for their participation in clinical studies. Additionally, the study aimed to document the socio-demographic determinants of participation in the trial related solely to the intention of securing financial gains. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among subjects who participated as healthy volunteers in clinical trials conducted by Contract Research Organizations (CROs) of Delhi. Pre-tested, validated semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect baseline socio-demographic data, information about factors motivating participation in clinical trials, and pattern of utilisation of money received against participation in the trial. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the factors that influenced participation in the trial related purely to the motive of securing financial gains. Results A total of 400 participants were selected. The majority of the volunteers (77.5%) reported that their sole reason for participating in clinical trials was for monetary gain. Around a tenth of the volunteers participated with the intent to advance scientific knowledge and another 4.5% participated due to benefits of free medical check-ups. Participants in the age group of 29-38 years, those that were married, those residing in an urban slum, male participants, those with a high number of dependent family members (ie, 5 to 8), and those earning less than 5000 INR (71 USD) a month had higher odds of participating in a clinical trial purely for the financial benefits. Those educated till intermediate and above had lower odds of participation in the trial due to monetary benefits. Conclusion Our study shows that healthy volunteers in Delhi consider participation in clinical trials mainly because of the prospect of financial reward. More research is needed to inform judgments around the ethics of providing financial rewards and enrollment of healthy research volunteers.

Purpose Clinical studies suggest that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency plays a pivotal role in both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear if 25(OH)D deficiency could be a possible cause of cognitive impairment in T2DM. Vitamin-D binding protein (VDBP) acts as a major 25(OH)D transporter. Preclinical study has demonstrated improvement in cognitive function by VDBP via inhibiting synaptic degeneration. The aim of the study was to assess the association between serum 25(OH)D, VDBP and cognitive impairment in T2DM patients. Patients and methods In this case-control study, cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and serum 25(OH)D and VDBP levels were estimated using ELISA kits. Results A total of 88 subjects were included in the study. T2DM patients had lower serum 25(OH)D (p=0.02), VDBP levels (p=0.04) and MMSE scores (p

Aims To compare conversion rates of diabetes in subjects with elevated 1 h plasma glucose (1hrPG) during an OGTT with normal glucose tolerance(NGT) subjects over a period of 11 years. Methods 4023 subjects were selected from electronic data base of medical records.233 subjects who were followed up for a period of 11 years were included.160 with isolated prediabetes and their combinations were excluded.The remaining 73 were categorized into group1 NGT (n = 37) and group-2 (n = 36) with elevated 1hrPG.Kaplan Meier curves for incident diabetes and Cox proportional hazard model were compared between groups. Results During follow up, 10.8% and 44.4% converted to DM in group1 and group2 (p = 0.003). Elevated 1hrPG was associated with incident diabetes(HR 7.9[95%CI 2.2–28.1](p = 0.001)provided better risk assessment.The adjusted risk of event in subjects with elevated 1hrPG is likely to be 7 times more when compared to NGT.Subjects with elevated1hrPG remained free of diabetes for a median period of 7.6 years (95% CI 5.8–7.8) whereas NGT subjects remained free for 10 years (95% CI 8.5–10.0) (p Conclusion In conclusion, conversion to DM was higher and risk was 7 times more in subjects with elevated 1hrPG. Elevated 1hrPG during OGTT has to be considered as a distinct entity.

BackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been rapidly spreading across the globe and poses a great risk to human health. Patients with abnormalities in laboratory parameters are more susceptible to COVID-19. Therefore, we explored the association of blood biochemical parameters with severity and mortality of COVID-19 amongst 3695 patients across seventeen studies.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Cochrane library and LitCOVID database until February 28, 2021. Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis with 3695 COVID-19 patients.ResultsThe pooled analysis showed that compared to non-severe group, severe group was characterised by significantly elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (standardised mean difference [SMD]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23 to 1.06; pConclusionSerum albumin, ALT, ESR, lymphopenia, haemoglobin, and leucocytosis can reflect the severity of COVID-19, while the LDH, leucocytosis and albumin can be considered as risk factor to higher mortality.SummaryOur manuscript discusses the various blood biochemical markers as potential predictors of disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. The timely detection of these parameters can help in providing appropriate course of treatment and reducing the mortality rate in the patients. We have found an association between the blood biochemical markers and disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Serum albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), lymphopenia, hemoglobin, and leukocytosis can reflect the severity of the disease, while the LDH, leukocytosis and albumin can be considered as risk factor to higher mortality.

PurposeLiterature suggests association of inflammatory markers with the severity and mortality related to COVID-19, but there are varying conclusions available. We aimed to provide an overview of the association of inflammatory markers with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe searched Medline (via PubMed), Cochrane, Clinicaltrials.gov databases until Sept 1, 2020.ResultsA total of 21 studies comprising 4023 patients with COVID-19 were included in our analysis. Levels of IL-6 (WMD=18.17 95%CI 3.38 to 32.96, p=0.016), IL-8 (WMD=12.09 95%CI 4.41 to 19.77, p=0.002), MCP-1 (WMD=146.66 95%CI 88.16 to 205.16, pConclusionThis meta-analysis highlights the association of inflammatory markers with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Measurement of these inflammatory markers may assist clinicians to monitor and evaluate the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 thereby reducing the mortality rate.

PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) may predispose to venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism because of excessive inflammation, hypoxia, immobilisation and diffuse intravascular coagulation. The understanding of the association might be helpful in early vigilant monitoring and better management of COVID-19 patients at high risk. Thus, in this meta-analysis, we aim to assess the association of VTE with the severity of COVID-19 disease.\ud \ud METHODS: A literature search was conducted on PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials using the keywords "COVID-19 and thromboembolism" and "COVID-19 and embolism," till 20 February 2021. Thirteen studies including 6648 COVID-19 patients were incorporated in this systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis. \ud \ud RESULTS: The analysis revealed nearly three times more risk than intensive care unit (ICU) care in patients with VTE compared to non-VTE patients (RR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.75-4.39; P

BACKGROUND Inflammatory cytokines have been reported to be pathogenic factors for the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Interleukin (IL)-36α is a newly discovered member of the IL-1 cytokine family that has been implicated in animal models of renal impairment. However, little is known about the role of IL-36α in DN in humans. The purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of IL-36α and IL-18 in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM) patients with and without DN. METHODS Subjects were divided into 3 groups: Control (N.=20), T2DM without DN (N.=30), and T2DM with DN (N.=30). Urinary IL-36α and IL-18 levels were assessed using ELISA. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the association of the IL levels with clinical markers of T2DM and DN. RESULTS IL-36α and IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in T2DM patients with DN, when compared to T2DM patients without DN (P

Glucagon levels and glucagon suppression in response to oral glucose load has not been elucidated at different stages of glucose intolerance in India.A total of 81 subjects underwent OGTT and were classified into three groups as having normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (n = 23), prediabetes (PreDM) (n = 33), newly diagnosed diabetes (NDM) (n = 25). Insulin and glucagon at fasting, 30 and 120 min was measured by ELISA. HOMA-IR, measures of insulin sensitivity, early, late and overall glucagon suppression during OGTT was calculated.Plasma glucagon levels were higher at all-time points in the PreDM and NDM groups. Fasting glucagon levels were higher than post glucose load glucagon in all groups. There was a significant difference in the fasting(p = 0.001), 30 min(p = 0.004) and 120 min(p = 0.032) glucagon between the groups. HOMA-IR increased and insulin sensitivity decreased with worsening of glucose intolerance(p 0.0001). The groups did not differ in terms of early glucagon suppression(p = 0.094). NDM group suppressed glucagon more than NGT from 30 to 120 min after glucose intake.This study demonstrated higher fasting glucagon levels. Prediabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes individuals had higher glucagon levels, high insulin resistance and lower insulin sensitivity. Hyperglucagonemia may contribute to type 2 diabetes.

“Probioactives” are the molecules or a metabolic end products produced by the potential probiotic bacteria and exert various beneficial effects in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of humans and animals. The mechanism of action benefit effects relies on the important classes of probioactive substances, such as bacteriocins and exopolysaccharides (EPSs). Bacteriocins, nontoxic peptides gained ever-increasing attention, and researchers try to identify novel bacteriocins as substitutes to the current therapeutic substances. Several probiotics habitually produce various polymeric substances such as EPSs which play a significant role in the colonization of probiotic bacteria on mucosal surfaces of the GIT. Moreover, EPSs may act as protective agents against antimicrobial substances, besides being involved in adhesion to intestinal surfaces and biofilm formation. Hence, this chapter elucidates the current development, knowledge, genetics, biochemistry of bacteriocin, and EPS synthesized by probiotic strains. Furthermore, their significance in industrial applications and approaches to screening and enhance their properties will be reviewed as well.

Aim The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), now a worldwide public health concern is associated with varied fatality. Patients with chronic underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension have shown worst outcomes. The understanding of the association might be helpful in early vigilant monitoring and better management of COVID-19 patients at high risk. The aim of the meta-analysis was to assess the association of diabetes and hypertension with severity of disease. Methods A literature search was conducted using the databases PubMed and Cochrane until March 31, 2020. Seven studies were included in the meta- analysis, including 2018 COVID-19 patients. Results Diabetes was lower in the survivors (OR: 0.56; 95%CI: 0.35–0.90; p = 0.017; I2: 0.0%) and non-severe (OR: 1.66; 95%CI: 1.20–2.30; p = 0.002; I2: 0.0%) patients. No association of diabetes was found with ICU care. Hypertension was positively associated with death (OR: 0.49; 95%CI: 0.34–0.73; p

Aim: Implementation of newer intervention strategies in Prediabetes (PDM) may delay the onset of DM. Aim was to see the effect of simple multi pronged approach in a real world situation to prevent progression to DM. Methods: PDM subjects (n=220) were assigned into 2 groups(Gp) from Aug 2017 in a diabetes centre in Chennai, India. OGTT was done and diagnosis was by WHO criteria. PDM subjects; IFG, IGT, Elevated 1h PG, were assigned to control and intervention groups; (n=110 in each). Gp1 received standard care, Gp2 intensive counseling on physical activity (PA) and diet (reducing calories, carbohydrates, fat, increasing fibre). PA included walking for 150min/week and customized advice based on profession. Working subjects to avoid prolonged sitting at work place, using stairs in work areas, walking instead of hiring vehicles for short distances; Business professionals advised to walk in corridors during stay in hotels for business purpose; Housewives to do simple walks in balconies and terrace, to avoid electronic appliances. Subjects were followed up(FU) once in 6 months and repeated OGTT. Calls, mails and SMS used for FU. Those came for FU(n=91;47vs41) till Sep 2019 were included for interim analysis. Results: Mean age of subjects was 44 years and duration of FU was 12.1 (range 4-28) months. There was a significant difference in conversion rate to DM. (Gp1 vs. 2;34 vs. 9.1%,p=0.004). The subjects who reverted back to normal was significantly higher in Gp 2 compared to Gp1 (31.8 vs. 10.6%;p =0.012). The survival curve showed mean survival time for Gp1 was 19.6 (95% CI 16.6-22.8) and Gp2 was 22.2 months (CI 19.9-24.4;p=0.014). In Gp2, there was a significant reduction in Wt, body fat (p=0.022), WHR(P=0.003), elevated 1 hr glucose (p=0.004) whereas in Gp1 reduction was observed only in glucose levels (p Conclusion: It was possible to prevent diabetes in subjects with prediabetes using multi-pronged intervention strategies in real world scenario. Disclosure V. Viswanathan: None. R. Parveen: None. P. Murugan: None. S. Kumpatla: None.

Pregnancy in rudimentary horn is extremely rare and usually terminates in rupture during first and second trimester of pregnancy. Diagnosis of rudimentary horn pregnancy and its rupture is difficult and can be missed in routine ultrasound scan; and in majority of cases, it is detected after rupture. It requires high index of suspicion. We present a case report of a woman who was misdiagnosed as having missed miscarriage; and termination was attempted, which ended up in failure and rupture of rudimentary horn was the consequence followed by laparotomy. With advances in prenatal ultrasound in recent decades, it is prudent to detect such a life-threatening condition earlier resulting in a lower incidence of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Cellulosomes, which are multienzyme complexes from anaerobic bacteria, are considered nature's finest cellulolytic machinery. Thus, constructing a cellulosome in an industrial yeast has long been a goal pursued by scientists. However, it remains highly challenging due to the size and complexity of cellulosomal genes. Here, we overcame the difficulties by synthesizing the Clostridium thermocellum scaffoldin gene (CipA) and the anchoring protein gene (OlpB) using advanced synthetic biology techniques. The engineered Kluyveromyces marxianus, a probiotic yeast, secreted a mixture of dockerin-fused fungal cellulases, including an endoglucanase (TrEgIII), exoglucanase (CBHII), β-glucosidase (NpaBGS), and cellulase boosters (TaLPMO and MtCDH). The confocal microscopy results confirmed the cell-surface display of OlpB-ScGPI and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis results revealed that almost 81% of yeast cells displayed OlpB-ScGPI. We have also demonstrated the cellulosome complex formation using purified and crude cellulosomal proteins. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometric analysis further confirmed the cellulosome complex formation. Our engineered cellulosome can accommodate up to 63 enzymes, whereas the largest engineered cellulosome reported thus far could accommodate only 12 enzymes and was expressed by a plasmid instead of chromosomal integration. Interestingly, CipA 2B9C (with two cellulose binding modules, CBM) released significantly higher quantities of reducing sugars compared with other CipA variants, thus confirming the importance of cohesin numbers and CBM domain on cellulosome complex. The engineered yeast host efficiently degraded cellulosic substrates and released 3.09 g/L and 8.61 g/L of ethanol from avicel and phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose, respectively, which is higher than any previously constructed yeast cellulosome.

Process to obtain informed consent is an essential component in research involving human subjects. However, much is not known about the level of awareness participants have about optimal consenting process and the motives that drive their participation in the trials. A cross-sectional study was conducted among volunteers who had been participating in clinical trials in contract research organizations of Delhi. Validated questionnaires were used to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice of informed consent process. Most of the volunteers, 226 (56.5%), had participated in 1 to 3 clinical trials. Majority (54%) were unaware about any informed consent document. None of them were aware of their right of profession competence, privacy and integrity, transparency, nonexploitation, and nonusage of their biological samples. Effective implementation of principles of informed consenting is largely lacking among contract research organizations in Delhi, India. This could potentially cause risk to the participants.

Supplemental material, Supplementary_tables_Asia_Pacific_Journal_of_Public_Health for Study of Awareness and Practice of Informed Consent Process Among Clinical Trial Participants and Their Motives Behind Participation by Rajesh Ranjan, Nidhi B. Agarwal, Prem Kapur, Amit Marwah and Rizwana Parveen in Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health

In this study, hetero-exopolysaccharide of Lactobacillus gasseri FR4 isolated from native chicken was produced and purified. The molecular weight of LgEPS was found to be 1.86×105Da. The gas chromatographic analysis revealed that the LgEPS was majorly composed of glucose (65.31%), mannose (16.51%), galactose (8.45%), rhamnose (6.55%) and a small fraction of fucose (3.18%). The functional groups of LgEPS were confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D NMR (COSY and HSQC) analysis showed the presence of 1,6 linked-α-d-Glcp, 1,4 linked-α-d-Galp, 1,3,4 linked-α-d-Manp, 1,3 linked-α-l-Rhap, 1,4 linked-α-l-Fucp, 1,4 linked-β-d-Glcp, and β-d-Galp-1 residues. SEM and AFM micrographs revealed the fibrous and porous nature of LgEPS. Moreover, LgEPS exhibited in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against various food borne pathogens, which proved that this LgEPS might be used in food industries as an antioxidant agent, viscosifying agent and antimicrobial agent etc.

As world population increases, lactic acid fermentation is expected to become an important role in preserving fresh vegetables, fruits, and other food items for feeding humanity in developing countries. However, several fermented fruits and vegetables products (Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Gundruk, Khalpi, Sinki, etc.) have a long history in human nutrition from ancient ages and are associated with the several social aspects of different communities. Among the food items, fruits and vegetables are easily perishable commodities due to their high water activity and nutritive values. These conditions are more critical in tropical and subtropical countries which favour the growth of spoilage causing microorganisms. Lactic acid fermentation increases shelf life of fruits and vegetables and also enhances several beneficial properties, including nutritive value and flavours, and reduces toxicity. Fermented fruits and vegetables can be used as a potential source of probiotics as they harbour several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, Leuconostoc fallax, and L. mesenteroides. As a whole, the traditionally fermented fruits and vegetables not only serve as food supplements but also attribute towards health benefits. This review aims to describe some important Asian fermented fruits and vegetables and their significance as a potential source of probiotics.

In any control and controller system applications, microcontroller is an important module, which provides the control, timing and status signals. A microprocessor is usually defined as “a single chip that contains control logic and data processing logic, so that it can execute instructions listed in a program to operate on some data”. Microcontrollers are nothing but microprocessors with onchip memory. This paper primarily deals with the implementation of an 8 bit microcontroller to perform arithmetic and logical operations. The modules are programmed using Very High Speed IC Hardware Description Language (VHDL). Using top-down approach, the elements of the microcontroller are identified as basic registers, instruction register, program counter, ALU, ROM, Control and timing Unit. All these modules are connected together to form a top module which is controlled by a Finite State Machine (FSM). The Finite State Machine enters each of the predefined states based on the inputs. FSM implementation also aids in changing the functionalities of the system without completely redesigning the system. Finally, in the top level module, these blocks are connected to form a functional microcontroller. In this paper, we have simulated and synthesized the various parameters of microcontroller by using VHDL on Xilinx ISE 8.2i and SPARTAN 3 FPGA board.

Cholesterol plays a major role in human health. High cholesterol is a leading risk factor for human cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Excess cholesterol in the bloodstream can form plaque in the artery walls. Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. A number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological (including dietary) approaches being employed to reduce the cholesterol level. Numerous drugs that lower serum cholesterol have been developed to treat hypercholesterolemic patients, the best example being the statins drugs (Atorvastatin, Simvastatin, Rosuvastatin, and Lovastatin). However, the undesirable side effects of these compounds were observed and have caused concern about their long term therapeutic use. Several studies have been reported that the consumption of fermented dairy products decreases serum cholesterol. Probiotics are live microorganisms that promote health benefits upon consumption, while prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics and prebiotics have been suggested to reduce cholesterol via various mechanisms without any deleterious effect to the human health. This paper may throw some light to prove the ability of these synbiotics as a novel alternative or adjuvant to chemical drugs to help fight the hypercholesterolemic problem.

Objectives: An increasing number of patients with cancer are offered chemotherapy given either alone or in combination with radiotherapy, surgery, or both as neo-adjuvant, concomitant, or adjuvant treatment. Cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent side effect of cancer treatments that may persist for years following treatment and has negative impact on quality of life. Thus, the present study was planned to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment, assess the quality of life (QOL) and determine the socioeconomic status in NHL patients one year post chemotherapy treatment. Methods: This was an observational study. All the prospective participants were screened on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria and the participants who met all the study inclusion criteria and had none of the exclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Cognitive function was evaluated using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) or Hindi Mental State Examination (HMSE), socioeconomic status was determined by Kuppuswamy scale and quality of life (QoL) was assessed by EORTC QLQ. Results: A total of 90 subjects (45 cases and 45 controls) were enrolled in the study. The control group scored more on MMSE/HMSE scale than the Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) patient group, suggesting difference in cognitive functioning between the groups (26.6 ± 2.4 vs. 27.8 ± 2.1, p=0.019), respectively. Socio-economic status did not have any impact on the prevalence of cognitive impairment in NHL patients; however, NHL was found to be more prevalent in upper-middle class. No significant difference was found between case and control for QoL. Conclusion: Cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent side effect of cancer treatment that may persist for a year following treatment. Further studies are needed to clarify the effect on quality of life.

This study focuses on isolation, screening, and characterization of novel probiotics from gastrointestinal tract of free-range chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Fifty seven colonies were isolated and three isolates (FR4, FR9, and FR12) were selected and identified as Lactobacillus gasseri FR4, Bacillus tequilensis FR9, and L. animalis FR12 by 16S rRNA sequencing. Three strains were able to survive in stimulated acidic and bile conditions and inhibit the growth of pathogens. Especially, FR9 exhibited maximum inhibition against Listeria monocytogenes and none of them exhibited hemolytic activity. Native-PAGE revealed the presence of low molecular weight (3.4–5.0 KDa) antimicrobial peptide. The peptide was further purified by Sephadex G-50 column and RP-HPLC using C18 column. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of antimicrobial peptide showed 100% consensus to antilisterial peptide Subtilosin A and SboA gene was amplified from FR9 genome. FR9 showed maximum aggregation activity, exopolysaccharide production (85.46 mg/L) and cholesterol assimilation (63.12 ± 0.05 μg/mL). Strong adhesion property (12.6%) and pathogen invasion protection ability was revealed by B. tequilensis FR9 towards HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line. This is the first study to demonstrate antilisterial Subtilosin A production of B. tequilensis. Our results indicate that B. tequilensis FR9 strain furnish the essential characteristics of a potential probiotics and might be incorporated into human and animal food supplements.

Hetero-exopolysaccharide secreted by Bacillus tequilensis FR9 (BtqEPS), was produced and fractioned on DEAE-Sepharose and phenyl sepharose CL-6B column. HPLC analysis revealed the existence of five monosaccharides including glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose and xylose. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra analysis showed the presence of α and β- d -(+)-glucose residues and glycosidic linkages. The fibrous, porous nature and elemental composition (C, O, N, Cl, Na, P, S) of BtqEPS was inferred from SEM and EDX analysis. AFM proved that the micro-structure of BtqEPS is compact and rough. XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of BtqEPS with 15.6% crystallinity index. TGA curve indicated the degradation temperature (Td) of 239.72 °C. Furthermore, BtqEPS exhibited antioxidant effects by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and demonstrated strong reducing power. All the above findings on BtqEPS paves way to find novel insights of its potential applications in industries.

This study focuses on isolation, screening, and characterization of novel probiotics from gastrointestinal tract of free-range chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Fifty seven colonies were isolated and three isolates (FR4, FR9, and FR12) were selected and identified as Lactobacillus gasseri FR4, Bacillus tequilensis FR9, and L. animalis FR12 by 16S rRNA sequencing. Three strains were able to survive in stimulated acidic and bile conditions and inhibit the growth of pathogens. Especially, FR9 exhibited maximum inhibition against Listeria monocytogenes and none of them exhibited hemolytic activity. Native-PAGE revealed the presence of low molecular weight (3.4–5.0 KDa) antimicrobial peptide. The peptide was further purified by Sephadex G-50 column and RP-HPLC using C18 column. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of antimicrobial peptide showed 100% consensus to antilisterial peptide Subtilosin A and SboA gene was amplified from FR9 genome. FR9 showed maximum aggregation activity, exopolysaccharide production (85.46 mg/L) and cholesterol assimilation (63.12 ± 0.05 μg/mL). Strong adhesion property (12.6%) and pathogen invasion protection ability was revealed by B. tequilensis FR9 towards HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line. This is the first study to demonstrate antilisterial Subtilosin A production of B. tequilensis. Our results indicate that B. tequilensis FR9 strain furnish the essential characteristics of a potential probiotics and might be incorporated into human and animal food supplements.