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Seed storage proteins not just provide essential nutritional ingredients for growth of seedlings but also have their potential role in defense mechanisms of plants. Napin is a seed storage protein and belongs to 2S albumin family. Napin and napin-like protein have many biological defensive activities including antifungal, antimicrobial, trypsin inhibitor, and also act as antagonist of calmodulin. Napin protein possesses various isoforms with different biological activities. In this study, the protein sequence of napin from Momordica charantia was retrieved from GenPept database for characterization. A complete annotation of napin including its physicochemical properties was done. Three dimensional (3D) modeling and interactions of napin-like protein with other proteins were also predicted using various bioinformatics tools. A phylogram of napin-like protein from M. charantia with its homologs was also reconstructed to reveal its evolutionary relationships with napins and other 2S albumin proteins from various plants. The study has revealed the structural characterization, biological interactions, and evolutionary background which will play crucial role in exploring the medicinal and biological potentials of napin-like protein from M. charantia as well as worth of napin and napin-like protein has been disclosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants used for the treatment of chronic diseases, have attracted the interest of scientists. L-Asparaginase is an extracellular enzyme with biomedical significance. The present article discusses the extraction, purification and characterization of L-asparaginase. Enzyme activity was estimated from Chillies (plant of Solanaceae family). Enzyme titer of 112 U/mL was attained from crude extract of Chillies (Capsicum annum) fruit while purified enzyme after gel filtration provided 61.99% yield, activity of 69.43 U/mL and specific activity of 234 U/mg. L-Asparaginase stability was envisaged at optimal pH of 8.6 in the presence of alkaline buffer. Optimal substrate concentration for L-Asparaginase activity was 200 mMoL. The efficacy of purified enzyme was tracked in vivo model. Normal healthy rats were used as control, which were compared with leukemic rats after treatment with enzyme L-Asparaginase. Eventually after treatment with enzyme extract provided best recovery in leukemic model due to high titer of L-Asparaginase, which bears high antineoplastic activity. It may be employed for chemotherapy in tumors such as acute lymphocytic leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust process of purification, characterization, and application of endoglucanase from the agro-industrial waste was performed using solid state fermentation (SSF). Trichoderma harzianum as a micro-organism and wheat straw as a growth supportive substrate were used in SSF under pre-optimized conditions. The maximum activity of 480 ± 4.22 U/mL of endoglucanase was attained when a fermentation medium was inoculated using 10% inoculum size and 3% substrate concentration with pH = 5.5 at 35 °C for an optimized fermentation period. In comparison with crude extract, enzyme was 1.83-fold purified with a specific activity of 101.05 U/mg using Sephadex-G-100 column chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the enzyme exhibited a low molecular weight of 43 kDa. The purified enzyme displayed maximum activity at pH = 6 and a temperature of 50 °C, respectively. The maximum activity (Vmax) of 156 U/mL and KM value of 63 µM were observed. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), SDS, and Hg2+ inhibited enzyme activity, while Co2+ and Mn2+ enhanced enzyme activity at 1 mM concentration. The maximum substrate affinity and specific activity of biosynthesized endoglucanase revealed that it can be potentially useful for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosyltransferases are ubiquitous enzymes play vital role in numerous aspects of living organisms and are involved in secondary metabolism. Also known as uridine diphosphate (UDP) glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are engaged in detoxification in living organisms. UGT76E1 is a member of 76E family of UGT comprising of 453 amino acids. The gene for glycosyltransferase, UGT76E1 from Arabidopsis thaliana was expressed and purified through affinity chromatography.Site directed mutagenesis was performed to change hydrophilic threonine (T) into hydrophobic alanine (A) at 134 position. Afterwards the activity of mutant enzyme was analyzed through mass spectrometry. Novobiocin and kaempherol were used as acceptor moleculesfor activity tests. After mutagenesis the mutant UGT76E1T134A lost its activity with its donor sugar UDP glucose, as no peak was observed for the required products glc-novobiocin and glc-kaempherol at 773 and 447 in mass spectrum respectively. The mutant did not attainany new activity with UDP rhamnose also. Complete loss of activity of UGT76E1T134A with UDP glucose as donor sugar suggested for the presence of significant peptides at the site of mutation.The current results showed that glycosyltransferases can be modified to use different substrates by site directed mutagenesis. This UGT enzyme modification could open new horizon in the development of new drugs for cancer treatment. © 2015 Friends Science Publishers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosyltransferases are ubiquitous enzymes play vital role in numerous aspects of living organisms and are involved in secondary metabolism. Also known as uridine diphosphate (UDP) glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are engaged in detoxification in living organisms. UGT76E1 is a member of 76E family of UGT comprising of 453 amino acids. The gene for glycosyltransferase, UGT76E1 from Arabidopsis thaliana was expressed and purified through affinity chromatography.Site directed mutagenesis was performed to change hydrophilic threonine (T) into hydrophobic alanine (A) at 134 position. Afterwards the activity of mutant enzyme was analyzed through mass spectrometry. Novobiocin and kaempherol were used as acceptor moleculesfor activity tests. After mutagenesis the mutant UGT76E1T134A lost its activity with its donor sugar UDP glucose, as no peak was observed for the required products glc-novobiocin and glc-kaempherol at 773 and 447 in mass spectrum respectively. The mutant did not attainany new activity with UDP rhamnose also. Complete loss of activity of UGT76E1T134A with UDP glucose as donor sugar suggested for the presence of significant peptides at the site of mutation.The current results showed that glycosyltransferases can be modified to use different substrates by site directed mutagenesis. This UGT enzyme modification could open new horizon in the development of new drugs for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several strains of beta-hemolytic Streptococci produce streptokinase enzyme that can bind and activate human plasminogen to plasmin. Streptokinase degrades the fibrin lump by its explicit lysine joining site and so it is applied as a remedy in thrombolytic therapy. The purpose of the study was to subject wild strain of Streptococcus equisimilis to strain development technique, using random mutagenesis by UV irradiation for enhanced production of streptokinase. Objective: To evaluate the hyper production of streptokinase after mutagenesis of wild Streptococcus equisimilis by means of UV irradiation. Study Design: Randomized study. Period: 2012-2014. Setting: Enzyme Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan. Materials and Methods: UV lamp (TUP 40w lamp which has about 90% of its radiation at 2540-2550 A0) was used for the mutation of Streptococcus equisimilis cells (1x 107 cells mL-1) for enhanced production of streptokinase. 10 mL fresh inoculum was transferred to sterile petri plates, which were exposed to UV light for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 and 270 minutes. The exposure was carried out at distance of 20cm from the centre of lamp. A dose producing 87% killing was selected as optimum dose, after preparing kill curve. The kill/ survival curve was prepared and time of exposure giving (210 minutes) 3 log kill was selected for mutation of the Streptococcus equisimilis for hyper production of streptokinase enzyme. Results: Enzyme assay was performed for both wild and mutant strains. Dose of 210 minutes was selected as best dose which was followed by the selection using triton X-100. Finally the selected strain S. equisimilis EBL-UV-210 showed 480 U mL-1 of streptokinase activity in quantitative blood clot liquefaction test, which is quite higher than wild strain (370 U mL-1). This maximum yield of streptokinase was obtained after 24h, at CSL 4%, pH 7.5, 37°C, KH2PO4 0.04%, K2HPO4 0.05%, MgSO4. 7H2O 0.04%, NaHCO3 0.15%, CaCO3 0.004%, CH3COONa. 3H2O 0.10%, FeSO4. 7H2O 0.04%, MnCl2. 4H2O 0.02%, glucose 2%, yeast extract 3% and 5% inoculum size in liquid state fermentation. Conclusions: Results showed that mutated strain gave enhanced streptokinase activity in comparison to the wild strain. Our current study focused on streptokinase production from this UV mutated streptococcus equisimilis species and purification of this enzyme by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The activity of streptokinase was determined by using quantitative blood clot liquefaction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: (1) To investigate the inhibitory effect of Captopril on level of glycation (in vivo). (2) To study glycation inhibition in vivo. Study design: Case study. Period: Sep. 2006 to March. 2008. One year seven months. Setting: Department of Biochemistry University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Methods: Different parameters like fluorescence, total proteins, TBA (thiobarbituric acid) method, periodate borohydride assay were used to check the effect of inhibitor on glycation. Thirty two combinations were made and all these combinations were placed at 37̊C, at same time for five weeks. 3mL of blood sample was drawn after 1st, 3rd and 5th week of incubation to perform the experiments for glycation and glycation inhibition. Along with the same temperature (37̊C), different combinations of glucose and inhibitor were used. Results: Effective concentration of inhibitor helped to decrease the level of glycation. All concentrations of glucose (G , G and G ) showed 1 2 3 glycation with protein. The inhibitor Captopril (all concentrations) showed variations in inhibition of glycation at one temperature (37̊C) with different parameters (Fluorescence, TBA and Periodate) but the most effective concentration of inhibitors at each condition is I (1mM) but I (10 3 1 mM) and I (5 mM) were also equally effective after I . Periodate borohydride Assay is more effective for glycation determination than 2 3 thiobarbituric acid assay. Conclusions: Captopril can be used as glycation inhibitor in future. As it enhances the activity of transketolase, it can produce 3DG compound which can block the AGEs. However, more experimentations should be done on animal or on large scale before its application in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to purify and characterize a novel protease produced from Aspergillus niger using different lignocellulosic agro-based by-products including corncobs, wheat bran, and rice bran as substrates under SSF. Maximum protease activity was recorded on wheat bran fermented culture media after the 3rd day of incubation. The optimal conditions found for protease production using wheat bran were cultivation period (3 days), substrate concentration (10 g), pH (7), incubation temperature (45°C), inoculum size (4 mL), and 3% surfactant Tween-80 (2 mL). A purification fold of 2.41 with 29 U/mg specific activity and 70.73 % recovery was achieved after purification. Purified protease from A. niger had a molecular weight of 47 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme activity profile showed that purified protease was optimally active at pH 7 and 45°C as optimum values. A. niger protease was reasonably stable in the pH range 5-8 and 35-60°C for up to 1 h incubation. Protease was activated by various metal ions/inhibitors tested, Mn2+, Cd2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, PMSF, Pepstatin and Iodoacetic acid at 1 mM, proving the enzyme as metalloprotease, whereas an inhibitory effect was shown by certain agents including EDTA and SDS. The purified protease was compatible with five local detergents with up to 25 days of shelf life at room temperature. The maximum production of protease in the presence of a cheaper substrate at low concentration and its potential as a detergent additive for improved washing makes the strain and its enzymes potentially useful for industrial purposes, especially for the detergent and laundry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistani females are at elevated risk of breast cancer, hence there is a need to explore every possible potential contributing factor. The present study was performed to analyze the perception of women about their Vit-D levels in both urban and rural areas. Women included 154 clinically diagnosed breast cancer patients from different hospitals and 248 randomly selected females as control group were recruited from Punjab, Pakistan. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS to find the association of Vit-D deficiency with breast carcinoma in different age groups. Out of a total of 402 respondent, 51.5% were completely ignorant of their Vit-D level. Pearson's Chi- square test for those who had perception about Vit-D deficiency among the breast cancer patients and control group revealed asymptotic 2-sided significance of 0.004 while among different age groups, 41 to 50 years were most prone to deficiency with P = 0.003. Urban women were found to had 12% greater association of Vit-D deficiency as compared to women living in rural areas. It was concluded that Vit-D deficiency is a highly contributing factor for breast cancer so every female must be aware of the importance of Vit-D and should maintain a sufficient level of this crucially important vitamin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a significant cereal crop belonging to Poaceae that is essential for human food and animal feeding. The production of barley grains was around 142.37 million tons in 2017/2018. However, the growth of barley was influenced by salinity which was enhanced by applying a foliar spray of salicylic acid. The current study investigated to evaluated the potential effect of SA on the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants under salinity stress and its possible effects on physiological, biochemical, and growth responses. The experiment was conducted at Postgraduate Research Station (PARS), University of Agriculture; Faisalabad to assess the influence of salicylic acid on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under highly saline conditions. The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 replicates. In plastic pots containing 8 kg of properly cleaned sand, two different types of barley (Sultan and Jau-17) were planted. The plants were then watered with a half-strength solution of Hoagland's nutritional solution. After the establishment of seedlings, two salt treatments (0 mM and 120 mM NaCl) were applied in combining three levels of exogenously applied salicylic acid (SA) (0, 0.5, and 1 mg L-1). Data about morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes was recorded using standard procedure after three weeks of treatment. The morpho-physiological fresh weight of the shoot and root (48%), the dry mass of the shoot and root (66%), the plant height (18%), the chlorophyll a (30%), the chlorophyll b (22%), and the carotenoids (22%), all showed significant decreases. Salinity also decreased yield parameters and the chl. ratio (both at 29% and 26% of the total chl. leaf area index). Compared to the control parameters, the following data was recorded under salt stress: spike length, number of spikes, number of spikelets, number of tillers, biological yield, and harvest index. Salicylic acid was used as a foliar spray to lessen the effects of salinity stress, and 1 mg L-1 of salicylic acid proved more effective than 0.5 mg L-1. Both varieties show better growth by applying salicylic acid (0 mg L-1) as a control, showing normal growth. By increasing its level to (0.5 mg L-1), it shows better growth but maximized growth occurred at a higher level (1 mg L-1). Barley sultan (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the best variety as compared to Jau-17 performs more growth to mitigate salt stress (0mM and 120mM NaCl) by improving morpho-physiological parameters by enhancing plan height, Root and shoot fresh and dry weights, as well as root and shoot lengths, photosynthetic pigments, area of the leaves and their index, and yield attributes and reduce sodium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin is a naturally occurring biologically active amine produced by plants, animals and microbes. This review explores the biosynthesis of melatonin in plants, with a particular focus on its diverse roles in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model species. Melatonin affects abiotic and biotic stress resistance in A. thaliana. Exogenous and endogenous melatonin is addressed in association with various conditions, including cold stress, high light stress, intense heat and infection with Botrytis cinerea or Pseudomonas, as well as in seed germination and lateral root formation. Furthermore, melatonin confers stress resistance in Arabidopsis by initiating the antioxidant system, remedying photosynthesis suppression, regulating transcription factors involved with stress resistance (CBF, DREB, ZAT,CAMTA,WRKY33, MYC2, TGA) and other stress-related hormones (abscisic acid, auxin, ethylene, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid). This article additionally addresses other precursors, metabolic components, expression of genes (COR, CBF, SNAT, ASMT, PIN, PR1, PDF1.2 and HSFA) and proteins (JAZ, NPR1) associated with melatonin and reducing both biological and environmental stressors. Furthermore, the future perspective of melatonin rich agri-crops is explored to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, maximise crop productivity and enhance nutritional worth, which may help improve food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat production suffers greatly from drought stress, resulting in yield losses. Endophytes and rhizobacteria have been recognized as a valuable source in mitigating of drought stress by improving plant resistance and growth. In this review, we discuss how endophytes and rhizobacteria help wheat cope with drought stress. During drought stress, endophytes have been found to increase plant water usage efficiency and decrease water loss. Endophytes are harmless microorganisms that live inside plant tissues. Rhizobacteria establish colonies in the root system through various procedures, including phytohormones production, modification of root architecture, and activation of stress-inducible genes, thereby promoting plant growth and enhancing stress resistance. Numerous studies have shown how endophytes and rhizobacteria can improve the potential of wheat to withstand drought. For instance, inoculation with endophytes like Piriformospora indica and Bacillus spp. has been proven to enhance wheat plant yield and drought resistance. Similarly, it has been proven that rhizobacteria like Pseudomonas spp. and Azospirillum brasilense enhance drought tolerance through a variety of mechanisms. To minimize the consequence of wheat under drought conditions, the efficient method is the use of endophytes and rhizobacteria as biofertilizers, which could ultimately boost yields and sustainability. More research needs to be done so that it can be used most effectively in the field and so that we can better understand how they work. We explained current understanding of the role and mechanisms of endophytes and rhizobacteria in minimizing drought stress effects in wheat. Additionally, we highlighted areas of limited knowledge and suggested directions for future research. This review will provide the new suggestion on the role of endophytes and rhizobacteria in mitigating the drought stress in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a widely grown horticulture crop in many parts of the world widely known for its nutritive properties. Processing of melon leads to the production of a wide range of natural end-user products and produces a significant quantity of underutilized by-products about 35%, which are made up of 3–7% of seeds and 25–44% of peels. The objective of the present research is the development of a value-added drink to effectively utilize melon by-products which are considered an excellent source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds using varying concentrations of peel and seed powder (5 and 10%) and their extracts (1 and 3%) alongside control treatment for comparison purpose. The prepared value-added drinks were stored for 3 months at 4 ± 1 °C and analyzed at 15-day intervals for physicochemical characteristics, bioactive components, antioxidant indices, and sensorial evaluation. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in pH and an increase in acidity were noticed while total soluble sugars decreased slightly in all treatments throughout storage. In comparison to other drinks, value-added drink ( T 6 ) prepared by incorporating 3% melon peel extract preserved total phenolic contents (1.80 ± 0.07 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid contents (0.53 ± 0.003 mg QE/g), DPPH (53.23 ± 0.07 %), and FRAP (3.85 ± 0.08 μM FeSO4/g) at the end of storage and was effective in maintaining quality attribute, better retention of bioactive compounds, and longer shelf life due to higher antioxidant potential. In terms of sensorial scores, T 4 (10% melon seed powder) was more acceptable and was effective in maintaining physicochemical attributes throughout storage. The conversion of such waste in developing innovative functional foods could maximize profit, reduce environmental issues, and improve the sustainability of food by incorporating food waste into the food chain. Such research investigation is aimed at allaying growing concerns about food waste by reusing rejected food by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly emerging field of nanotechnology is considered an important achievement in the agriculture sector to increase the pest mortality rate and improve the crop production. The present study evaluates the novel pesticidal and anti-microbial activities of Chrysanthemum coronarium and Azadirachta indica in the nano-suspensions form. The anti-solvent precipitation method was used to formulate nano-suspensions proposed by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Physicochemical nature of plant extracts and nano-suspensions was characterized through analysis of Zeta-sizer, FT-IR, and HPLC. Characterization results revealed a minimum particle size of 121.1 and 170.1 nm for Chrysanthemum coronarium and Azadirachta indica , respectively. The pesticidal activity of nano-suspension was performed against red flour beetle (RFB) and lesser grain borer (LGB) pests, which showed the maximum mortality rate of 100% with 100% concentration of plant extracts and nano-suspensions of Chrysanthemum coronarium and Azadirachta indica against both insects. In comparison, the combination of these both plant extracts revealed the maximum 100% mortality with a 50% concentration of nano-suspensions (mixing ratio 1:1) after 72 h. The antibacterial activity showed the maximum zone inhibition of 9.96 ± 0.17 and 14.17 ± 0.50 mm against S. aureus and E. coli with nano-suspension of Chrysanthemum coronarium , and 12.09 ± 0.11 and 14.10 ± 0.49 mm with nano-suspension of Azadirachta indica , respectively. It is concluded that individual nano-suspensions showed better pesticidal as well as antimicrobial activities than combinations. However, the constructed nanosuspension can be applied to control the plant pests and diseases simultaneously. [Display omitted] • The synergistic pesticidal effects of C. coronarium and A. indica were assessed. • The CCD of RSM was used for the evaluation and optimization of nano-suspensions. • Maximum mortality rate of insects was noted at 100% nanosuspensions concentration. • Combination of both plants showed maximum pesticidal effect at 50% concentration. • Individual nano-suspensions showed better pesticidal activity than combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fats and oils are both economically and scientifically important in food systems and play an important role in nutrition. The principal causes of fat degradation are oxidation and hydrogenation, which have a detrimental impact on quality aspects of oils and fats such as color, texture, flavor, aroma, consistency, and appearance. The current research was conducted to determine the oil degradation factors by collecting fifty samples of fried oils used by street vendors from twenty -five different locations in Faisalabad area in order to assess the quality parameters of locally available fats and oil products. Procured samples underwent physicochemical tests to determine the degree of degradation and oxidation. The parameters analyzed for quality evaluation include free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), saponification value (SV), viscosity, refractive index (RI), p-anisidine value (p-AV), thiobarbeturic acid value (TBA), specific gravity (SG) and fatty acid profile through gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector. The analyses revealed significant oxidation and degradation in many of the vendor fried fats and oil that were procured. Physicochemical characteristics as well as oxidative stability attributes were deviated from the standard values defined by Codex Alimentarius and Punjab Pure Food Regulations (PPFR). In majority of the samples, the fatty acid profile exhibited increased levels of trans-9-elaidic acid and linolelaidic acid, indicating the presence of trans-fatty acid because of hydrogenation and high-temperature frying of fats and oils. The overall quality of most procured samples was in decline from recommended standards and unsuitable for frying and edible purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioactive phytochemicals derived from citrus wastes are considered to have various physiological and biological activities that may be potentially helpful in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and processed food industries. This study assessed the anti-Fusarium and antioxidant potential and chemical constituents of essential oil extracted from the peels of Citrus paradisi, Citrus sinensis, and Citrus aurantium. Phytochemical screening by Gas chromatography identified 24, 26, and 39 constituents in Citrus paradisi, Citrus sinensis, and Citrus aurantium, respectively. Amongst which, limonene (84-87 %) was found to be present in major proportion followed by other major components like a-myrcene, geranial, (+)-valencene, a-pinene, and neral. The estimation of polyphenol contents (PPC) (1.041±0.04 - 7.705±0.26 GAE µg/5mg) and the free radical scavenging activity of these major chemical components was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging ability (IC50: 0.71±0.02-2.99±0.1 µg, and reducing power (RP) (0.75±0.026-1.972±0.067). Anti-Fusarium activity was evaluated against two major food spoilage Fusarium species namely, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. Dose-dependent activity of growth inhibition effect of essential oils was observed. Citrus aurantium peel essential oil proved to be most effective with 100% inhibition of F. graminearum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experiment, effect of lead (Pb) + chromium (Cr) mixture on superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver of Labeo rohita at a concentration of 11.1 mgL-1 was observed. The ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography techniques were successfully used to purify SOD. After purification, SOD activity of control and Pb+Cr treated fish was noted as 581.00 and 645.45 UmL-1, respectively while the specific activity was 1383.33 and 1613.62 Umg-1, respectively. The fold purification value of SOD was 2.75 and 2.45 for control and stressed fish, respectively. The recovery was calculated as 77.06 and 57.43% for control and stressed fish, respectively. The results of kinetic characterization showed that SOD form control and exposed fish had maximum activity at pH 6.5 and 7.0. Temperature also had a significant effect on activity of SOD. The SOD activity was measured maximum at 30°C for both control and Pb+Cr exposed fish. The Km value of liver SOD for control and Pb+Cr treated L. rohita was calculated as 1.48 and 0.62 mM, respectively. The value of Vmax for SOD from liver of control and Pb+Cr exposed fish was 1000 and 570 U mL-1, respectively. The enthalpy of denaturation (ΔH*) for liver SOD from control and Pb+Cr exposed L. rohita was computed as 3.492 and 2.802 KJ mol-1 at 40°C, respectively and these values were dropped off with increasing the temperature until it remains 3.251 and 2.561 KJ mol-1 at 70°C, respectively. The free energy of thermal denaturation (ΔG°) of liver SOD was slightly increased with increasing temperature until 75°C which shows its resistance against heat. The values of ΔG° was observed as 58.03 and 57.95 KJ mol-1 for control and exposed fish at 40°C, respectively while the same was increased upto 62.37 and 62.00 KJ mol-1 at 70°C, respectively. It was concluded from negative value of ΔS* (entropy of inactivation) that the SOD is stable thermodynamically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is causing 100% morbidity in adult animals with a high mortality rate in young animals due to cardiomyopathy. The disease-causing virus (FMDV) has been classified into seven serotypes and several topotypes. Amongst serotypes, the serotype O is predominantly present in Pakistan. A vaccine that should be safer and appears as an alternative to conventional vaccines that have failed to control the disease is required. Keeping in view, a multiepitope-based subunit vaccine (MESV) is designed using computational biology-based approaches. The sequence and structural characterization of capsid proteins and 3Cpro of O PanAsia-II sub-lineage are carried out for screening the antigenic proteins. Further, the B- and T-cell epitopes are selected based on toxicity, antigenicity, allergenicity, conservancy, and topology. The Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes are confirmed through molecular interactions with selected bovine alleles. The designed MESV is found stable, hydrophilic, antigenic, non-allergen, exposed extracellularly, non-toxic, and soluble. It will stimulate the protective immune response against the viral challenge as it has shown a strong binding affinity with the TLR4. These results suggest that the developed MESV will prove to be a potential candidate vaccine in controlling the disease against serotype O. For expression and accumulation of stable protein the sequence that encodes the multiepitope-based subunit vaccine is codonoptimized following the codon preference of E. coli and is cloned in pET-28a (+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand of food packaging has increased along with the food consumption. Among all types of packaging materials plastics are most commonly used owing to their good mechanical, barrier and permeability characteristics. However, plastics are totally non-biodegradable and their raw materials come from non-renewable resources. This has urged the researchers to explore biodegradable food packaging films from renewable resources. Natural polymers such as carbohydrate, starch, cellulose, hemicellulose or pectin can be effectively used for the synthesis of biodegradable food packaging films. Fruits and vegetables processing industries are producing huge amount of waste in the form of peels, seeds and pomace. Being rich source of biopolymers, these wastes can serve as a good source of raw material for synthesis of biodegradable packaging films. In the present research, three types of food industrial wastes (potato, citrus and apple residues) were used with varying glycerol concentrations to develop biodegradable food packaging films. The prepared films were analyzed on the basis of their thickness, water vapor permeability (WVP), opacity, mechanical properties and photo oxidation. Results showed that potato residue film was thicker (0.17 mm) and more opaque (97.45 AU nm) in comparison with citrus and apple residue films. Results for mechanical properties showed that potato residue film possessed greater tensile (8.99 MPa) and puncture strength (13.78 N). However, it exhibited lower elongation at break (9.54 %) compared to citrus and apple residue films. While citrus residue film showed higher elastic modulus compared to potato and apple residue films. Water vapor permeability of all the prepared films was comparable. Increased glycerol concentration in film forming solutions resulted in the increase in thickness, opacity, water vapor permeability and elongation at break of all the films. However, increased glycerol concentration caused a decrease in tensile strength, elastic modulus and puncture strength of all the films. The structure of organic compounds present in prepared biodegradable films was evaluated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns regarding zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have gained much attention due to their unique properties and widespread applications in cosmetics, electronics and medicinal industry that may induce an adverse impact not only on specific ecosystem but also on human health. ZnO-NPs were synthesized by coprecipitation method and characterization was done by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. SEM showed the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of particles. From XRD pattern, average particle size, lattice parameters (a and c), X-ray density and volume of unit cell of zinc oxide nanoparticles were 52.22 nm, (a =3.25 Å and c=5.21 Å), 5.0 g/cm3 and 54.82 ų, respectively. FT-IR confirmed the attached compound of synthesized nanoparticles. The acute toxicity of ZnO-NPs was determined by using fish, Labeo rohita as a genetic model during this study. The mean 96-h LC50 and lethal concentration were measured as 31.15 and 57.84 mg/L, respectively. Oxidative stress in terms of catalase, lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase was also determined in fish gills, muscle, liver and heart after chronic exposure of ZnO-NPs for 80 days and sampling were done on 20, 40, 60 and 80 days. Significantly decreased catalase and superoxide dismutase activity was determined in selected fish organs. However, level of lipid peroxidation was significantly increased in the fish organs as compared to control group. The overall results indicated that induced toxicity mechanism of ZnO-NPs in aquatic ecosystem was oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic gains of crops could be improved by pyramiding physiological, agronomic and stress tolerant traits in single genotypes. Comprehensive foreground and background phenotypic information is a prerequisite for any molecular and strategic breeding program. A population of 465 local spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes was characterized using various agromorphological and yield traits for two cropping seasons. Average values ranged from 92%-112%, 80%-240%, 48%-57% and 34%-42% for plant height, harvest index, grain per spike and 1000 grain weight, respectively. In both years, there was a strong correlation of yield per plant with plant height, harvest index, 1000 grain weight and grain per spike. Factor1 and factor2 of principal component analysis (PCA) explained the maximum variability ranges from 21%-19% for the first year and 19%-16% for the second year. Plant height and yield per plant showed a significantly positive correlation with genotypes during both cropping seasons. Cluster analysis divided genotypes into three distinct groups indicating the existence of considerable variation. The extent of variation and correlation among genotypes is required for effective utilization and conservation of the genetic resource. Based on PCA, genotypes with highest score and desirable characters can be selected for further breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a great upsurge in research era for use of natural medicines for good health and wellbeing. In this scenario, omega-3 fatty acid derived from natural sources have imperative health potential but are at great risk for use in food due to its high unsaturation and susceptibility for oxidation. To cope with this challenge, present research work has been designed to preserve these therapeutic moieties through microencapsulation. The resultant encapsulated bio actives were utilized to produce omega-3 enriched bars, which provide an efficient vehicle for delivery of useful entities in the form of snack foods. This study aims at investigating the capability of microencapsulation to prevent lipid oxidation in bars enriched with encapsulates of fish and flaxseed oil as well as to evaluate whether addition of encapsulates influenced sensory and physicochemical characteristics of the bars during storage period of 60 days. The addition of fish and flaxseed microcapsules influenced the physical attributes like color, flavor, texture, chroma and hue angle of prepared omega-3 bars significantly. The rise in concentration of microcapsules raised CIELab values except for b*, which was highest in bars enriched with fish microcapsules and lower in bars incorporated with flaxseed encapsulates, yellow color of fish oil probably contributed to this behavior which although was encapsulated but during processing imparted some color leached from the microcapsules. The L* value demonstrate lightness that was more in flaxseed oil enriched bars whereas, a* showed declining trend with increased concentration of added encapsulates in both type of encapsulated bars probably due to some grayish color imparted by encapsulated gum Arabic moiety. The formulation with 5% concentration of both powders i.e. fish and flaxseed encapsulate imparted higher oxidative stability and sensory score. However, it is revealed that omega-3 bars with all combinations were acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption pattern of cooked rice varies from individual to individual owing to their habitual perceptions. In this context, information about the cooking and eating quality attributes of rice cultivars grown in Pakistan may be helpful for the consumers for their personal selection as well as export purposes. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the quality attributes of six rice cultivars grown in major rice growing areas of the Punjab, Pakistan along with certified cultivars of Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku. These cultivars were characterized for their physical, chemical, pasting and cooking characteristics. Mean values showed greater variations among the brown and white rice samples for peak viscosity (701±0.32 to 786±0.19RVU), set back viscosity (2038±0.46 to 2265±0.49RVU), break down viscosity (224±0.46 to 279±0.49RVU), final viscosity (2746±0.49 to 2258±0.50RVU), kernel elongation ratio (2.65±1.15 to 2.97±1.30), volume expansion ratio (3.47±0.37 to 4.13±0.35) and water absorption ratio (3.21±0.29 to 3.57±0.19). Eating quality of cooked rice samples showed maximum preference of white rice samples due to better color, aroma, taste, texture. This was might be due to routine consumption of white rice in Pakistan as compared to brown rice. The variations in characteristics of brown and white fractions of cultivars from various locations were might be due to climatic, agronomic and other agricultural practices adopted during the rice cropping season as well as rice processing conditions. It is concluded from the current study that Basmati varieties especially grown in popular areas for rice cultivation are considered best for processors, consumers as well as exporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was conducted to evaluate the impact of active edible coating containing natural essential oils (EOs) on the storage stability of butter and soft cheese (SC). The major issue in storage stability of butter is lipid oxidation due to high fat content while in soft cheese is mold growth due to its high moisture content. SC samples (T0, whey powder based edible coating of SC; T1, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing 0.5% clove oil; T2, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing 0.75% clove oil; T3, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing clove oil 1.0%; T4, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing 1.5% pepper mint oil; T5, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing 2.0% pepper mint oil and T6, whey powder based edible coating of SC containing 2.5% pepper mint oil) were analyzed for antioxidant activity during 30 days of storage. Similarly butter samples (T0,corn starch based edible coating of butter; T1; corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 0.2% black cumin oil; T2, corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 0.3% black cumin oil; T3, corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 0.4% black cumin oil; T4, corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 1.5% ginger oil; T5, corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 2.0% ginger oil; T6, corn starch based edible coating of butter containing 2.5% ginger oil) were analyzed for antioxidant activity, FFA, fat and water activity (aw) during 90 days of storage period at 2-5°C. Sensory evaluation of SC and butter was also done to determine the overall acceptability. Active edible coated SC samples containing clove oil and coated butter samples containing ginger oil showed the highly significant (p<0.01) results. So, the storage stability of SC and butter can be enhanced by using active edible coating containing EOs with better sensory attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since textile industry is the greatest consumer of water, it generates large quantities of effluents. The advanced methods of water treatment present a great potential in terms of wastewater reuse for irrigation. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising technique to mortify the dye residues from textile effluent. In this study, Fe3+ doped ZnO has been synthesized through microwave assisted sol-gel method. The crystallinity and elemental composition of fabricated material was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Two-dimensional disc shaped morphology of photocatalyst has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of Fe+3 doped ZnO. Diffused reflectance spectroscopy confirmed its high photocatalytic activity in solar range on reduction of band gap from 3.2 to 2.8 eV after doping. The characterized Fe+3 doped ZnO samples have been used to degrade RB5 dye on irradiating with artificial sunlight (D65). The reaction parameters i.e. initial dye and oxidant concentration, pH and irradiation time have been optimized by Response surface methodology (RSM). The extant of dye degradation has been evaluated by UV/vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The maximum degradation up to 98.32 % in 3 h was achieved on using ZnO doped with 5 mM of Fe+3 under optimized conditions. The phytotoxicity of treated and untreated effluent on length of root and shoot of spinach in addition to yield was measured. The remarkable increase in vegetative growth of plants was observed on using treated textile effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to assess the quality attributes of rice varieties named as Super Kernel, Super Basmati, Basmati-515, PK-386, Kainat and IRRI-9 after milling for the establishment of claimed standards for approved varieties to prohibit rice adulteration. Furthermore, brown and white fractions of selected varieties were evaluated for physical characteristics including grain size (grain length/grain width ratio) thousand kernel weight (TKW) and bulk density. Mean values for grain size (L/W ratio), bulk density and TKW were ranged from 3.86±0.30 to 4.59±0.32, 0.71±0.08 to 0.80±0.10g/mL and 16.74±1.18 to 17.96±0.85g among the rice cultivars. Overall, grain size (4.00±0.21 to 4.48±0.35 and 4.14±0.43 to 4.81±0.37), bulk density (0.66±0.05 to 0.72±0.09g/mL and 0.77±0.05 to 0.82±0.27g/mL) and TKW (18.00±0.48 to 19.22±0.35g and 15.91±0.84 to 16.78±0.32g) varied significantly in brown and white rice samples. The lowest decrease in length after milling was seen in white rice of Kainat (8.90%) followed by PK-386 (9.86%) and Basmati-515 (10.70%), while the IRRI-9 showed highest decrease (11.84%) as compare to brown rice. Likewise, lowest increase in width was observed in IRRI-9 (10.27%) as compared to Kainat (19.87%) which indicates that IRRI-9 had more width. Conclusively, grain dimensions, kernel weight and bulk density of both brown and white rice fractions were significantly influenced by genetic, environmental and socio-economic factors among locations and cultivars. There is an urgent need to discriminate among premium and local rice varieties of country to boost up the export and foreign earnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes immunosuppression in poultry (3 to 6 weeks age), resulting in severe production and economic losses. Current vaccination strategies exploit live attenuated or killed vaccines based on classical virulent IBDV strains, which are proven to be ineffective against variant and/or very virulent (vv) strains - currently circulating in the field throughout the world. Keeping in view the urgent need of clean and cost-effective vaccines of high quality, we have engineered VP2 gene as host protective major antigen. The gene was synthesized to express in chloroplast genome, plastome. Sequence and structural characterization of synthetic gene and corresponding protein were carried out using a variety of molecular biology and bioinformatics tools. In silico physico-chemical analysis demonstrated that the synthetic VP2 was an acidic protein of 54KDa. Moreover, it was found to be highly thermo-stable with a computed instability index of 30.38 and hydrophobic in nature with GRAVY index of 0.115. The sequence analyses including phylogeny and multiple sequence alignment with representative classical, attenuated and vv IBDV strains from different regions of the world exhibited antigenic similarity with currently circulating vvIBDV strains and predicted its worldwide effectiveness as a subunit vaccine. The 3D structure prediction using I-TASSER server and surface representation of epitopic loops on VP2 trimer using UCSF Chimera software indicated the potential of synthetic VP2 as an antigenic protein. The generated information has paved the way for the functional characterization of synthetic protein as a subunit vaccine employing transgenic approaches in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to optimize the various concentrations of selected medicinal plants through Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in conjunction with Central Composite Design (CCD) to assess their therapeutic doses for cardioprotection. Dose response relation is an important tool to study pharmacological efficacy and therapeutic index of herbal medicines. In this study the toxicological assay of various concentrations of Rauvolfia serpentina, Eletaria cardamom, Coriandrum sativum, Piper nigrum, Allium sativum, Crataegus oxyacantha and Terminalia arjuna was performed prior to in vivo evaluation. The toxicological findings depicted that none of the selected medicinal plant showed any toxicity, therefore is declared to be safe for various cardiovascular disease. Instead of in vivo trial of hundreds of the possible doses, RSM suggested only five doses (80, 110, 140, 170 and 200 mg/kg b.wt) to explore cardioprotective potential of selected medicinal plants in rats. Blood samples were taken at different time intervals to analyze the cardiac markers (CK-MB, LDH and SGOT). These cardiac markers were statistically analyzed by "RSM" to get the optimal therapeutic dose of each selected medicinal plants. The results revealed that the R. serpentina, C. oxyacantha, T. arjuna, E. cardamom, C. sativum, P. nigrum and A. sativum showed maximum cardioprotection at corresponding concentration of 164, 172, 165, 190, 183, 186 and 170 mg/kg b.wt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is an oleaginous legume and endorsed source of complete plant protein that contributes highest gross output as an oil seed crop throughout the world. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of soybean varieties on physicochemical properties, compositional analysis, mineral contents, fatty acids, lipoxygenase, antioxidant and phytochemical screening with respect to functional product. The significant p<0.05 results recorded for composition and mineral contents varied in all varieties. Among fatty acids the most dramatic effect was seen in palmitic (8.23-12.47%), oleic (22.19-34.56%), linoleic (49.25-56.34%) and linolenic acids (5.23-8.23%). Three lipoxygenase isozymes (LOX-1, LOX-2 and LOX-3) in soybean showed inhibition potential; however, LOX-2 was the most inhibition prone enzyme. Phytochemical screening through phenolic contents showed variation in between 1.21 to 2.76 (mgGAE/g) and total flavonoid contents 0.42 to 1.78 (mgCE/g). Antioxidant activity by DPPH was 3.68 to 5.65, FRAP 20.78 to 29.56 and ABTS 9.63 to 13.48 (mgTE/g). Conclusively, results showed that soybeans have the potential as a functional food and nutritional component highest in Ajmeri followed by Willium- 82 and NARC-II, Rawal-I and Faisal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to isolate lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains, characterize them and classify the bacteriocin producing LAB strain from indigenous dairy sources. Antimicrobial potential of LAB strain was tested against L. monocytogens. The antimicrobial compound was also tested for maintaining the decreased colony forming unit (CFU) for minimally processed vegetables like carrots, cabbage and lettuce in second phase of the research. The initial identification was based on conventional morphological and biochemical analysis while the final confirmation was done by utilizing advanced molecular tools. Prior to all these manipulations the growth conditions were carefully optimized for the respective strains. The study finally led us to conclude that Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was the most abundant type of lactic acid bacteria found in indigenous dairy products (sour cream and cheese) samples studied. A bacteriocin (Lacticin SC07) produced during the growth of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was purified partially by using biochemical technique ammonium sulfate precipitation in different percentages (60% and 80%). These precipitations lead to a 437-fold increase in total lacticin SC07 activity. SDS-PAGE electrophoretic pattern of lacticin showed that it is a single peptide band of 1.7 kDa. But, 3.7 kDa dimers also showing lacticin SC07 activity. The findings of my research revealed that the isolated LAB strain has good potential for bacteriocin production and antimicrobial potential that exerts in the usage of this bacteriocin (lacticinSC07) as a natural preservative in minimally processed vegetable industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers are extensively working on wastewater treatment in order to explore efficient and economic methods for water reuse. In the present investigation, an attempt was made to utilise Al2O3.Fe2O3 nano-photocatalyst for the degradation of Reactive Black 5 dye. The nano photocatalyst was synthesised by mechanical stirring co-precipitation technique and characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and BET surface area analysis. Important process parameters, e.g. pH, catalyst dose, initial dye concentration and reaction time were optimised for the photocatalytic activity of Al2O3.Fe2O3. The results indicated that maximum dye degradation was achieved at pH 3, catalyst dose 60 mg/100 ml, initial dye concentration 50 mg/l. Effect of reaction time was also investigated and maximum dye degradation was achieved at 120 min of reaction time. The results indicated that Al2O3.Fe2O3 can be used for the treatment of textile industrial effluents and can minimise the environmental pollution significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution has been a prime concern for scientists for decades. Different treatment methods have been suggested by different researchers, with photocatalysis emerging as an efficient method for treating industrial textile wastewater. This study is designed to synthesize a nano-photocatalyst for the degradation of two synthetic dyes. The Al2O3.Fe2O3 nano-photocatalyst was synthesized by a novel technique: ultrasonic-assisted mechanical stirring and synthesized photocatalyst characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, dynamic light scattering, and BET surface area analysis. The Al2O3.Fe2O3 nano-photocatalyst was tested for its potential to degrade methyl orange and methylene blue dyes. Important influencing parameters (pH, catalyst dose, initial dye concentration, and reaction time) have been optimized during the dye degradation process. The highest degradation for methyl orange (39%) and methylene blue (45%) was achieved by using 60 mg/100 mL catalyst dose and 120 minutes of reaction time at room temperature. The study results indicated that Al2O3.Fe2O3 nano-photocatalyst has good potential for the removal of dyes from industrial effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was conducted to determine the tolerance limits of Indian major carps viz. Catla catla, Cirrhina mrigala and Labeo rohita against pesticides mixture (Bifenthrin + Chlorpyrifos + Endosulfan) and to see it effect on antioxidant enzyme like superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver of these species. The 96-hr LC50 and lethal concentration of pesticides mixture (BIF+CPF+END) for C. catla, C. mrigala and L. rohita was determined in the static bioassay methods as 1.09, 1.81 1.63 and 1.90, 2.78, 2.30 µgL-1, respectively.C. catla exhibited higher sensitivity toward tertiary pesticides mixture followed by L. rohita and C. mrigala. The activity of SOD in the liver of all three fish species exposed to pesticides mixture was significantly (p<0.05) higher as compare to control fish. The SOD activity showed time dependent increasing trend in the liver of all three fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Computationally designed 1,3,5 triazine compounds are synthesized by multi-step nucleophilic substitution reaction • Comparative theoretical and experimental studies is presented • Qualitative and quantitative antimicrobial activity is studied against various microbes • Structure activity relationship of synthesized compounds is studied • Cytotoxic studies are carried out in terms of hemolysis and Bovine serum albumin interaction study is carried out by FT-IR spectroscopy 1,3,5-triazine-based compounds are gaining attention due to their versatile biological applications in different fields. Novel 1,3,5 triazine compounds 4-(4-chloro-6-(4-sulfamoylphenylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide and 4,4′-(6-chloro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyl)bis(azanediyl)bis(N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide) were designed by employing density functional theory (DFT), synthesized by multiple steps reaction, and theoretically and experimentally characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. There was found an excellent correlation of experimental and theoretical results. Other geometric parameters like the optimized structure, electronic energy, Fermi level, chemical hardness, softness, chemical potential and electrophilicity were also studied by computational methods. Furthermore, the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial potential against four bacterial strains Escherichia coli, B.subtillis, S.phyogenes, and P.aregeunosa, and two fungal strains A.niger and S. commune, and moderate to good results were observed even in the case of fungal strains with MIC= 50µg/Ml against Escherichia coli. BSA interaction study by FT-IR revealed good interaction of protein with synthesized compounds and cytotoxic studies proved the synthesized compounds are safer for further applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination is a severe environmental issue and has worse effects on fish health. Antioxidant system is present in all living organisms that maintain redox homeostasis by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Catalase (CAT) is the part of antioxidant system that protect an organism from oxidative stress by detoxifying H2O2 into H2O and O2 molecule. Majority of enzymes are intermingled with other biomolecules when extracted and needed to purify so that biochemical properties can be described clearly. The first purpose of the present research work was to investigate whether tilapia produce more CAT in the chronic metal mixture stressed condition or not. While, the second purpose of the present research work was to purify and partially characterize the liver CAT from control and Pb+Cd metal mixture stressed Oreochromis niloticus. The inferences of present study showed higher liver CAT activity in control O. niloticus as compared to binary metal mixture treated O. niloticus. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed when compared liver CAT activity among control and stressed fish. Specific activity of purified liver CAT was observed 1027.52 and 946.93 Umg-1 for control and metal stressed fish, respectively. The fold purification of control and metal treated fish liver CAT was recorded 15.27 and 15.44, respectively. Optimum pH and temperature of liver CAT purified from both control and metal stressed fish was found 7 and 25°C. Km value for control and metal stressed O. niloticus liver was measured 6.82 and 1.71mM H2O2mL-1, respectively. On the basis of present study inferences, it is concluded that chronic Pb+Cd metal mixture stress condition did not improve the yield of liver CAT but inhibited in O. niloticus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of present study was to analyze and compare the nutritional values of wild captured and farm cultured Cirrhinus mrigala. The proximate composition of fish meat, head, scales, fins and skin were examined in this study. From both sources (wild and farm), 42 fish specimens were collected and divided into three diffe rent we ight categories i.e. ≤500 g, 501-1000 g and 1001-1500 g and designated as W1, W2 and W3 for wild and F1, F2 and F3 for farm cultured fish respectively. The farm cultured species were found to have significantly (p<0.05) higher nutrients than its wild counterpart. Wild fish species showed high moisture (%) in all body parts selected in this study as compared to farm cultured fish species. The protein and fat contents in farm cultured C. mrigala were observed significantly (p<0.05) higher as compared to wild captured fish species. It was found that although scales and fins of both wild captured and farm cultured fishes were not consumed directly by human beings but they have considerable amount of nutrients. Ash (%) was observed significantly (p<0.05) higher in those body parts that have large bone matrix e.g. head, scales and fins of both wild captured and farm cultured C. mrigala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue fever (DF) is one of the most threatening vector borne diseases, affecting both humans and animals, causing severe epidemics and has brought the world to take serious steps for its control and prevention. DF is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Unfortunately, due to unavailability of vaccine and lack of effective treatment, emphasis is given on its vector control. The only option left for its eradication is to restrict mosquito breeding. This can be achieved by chemical, biological and environment management methods. Use of botanicals is also an alternate and probably most effective approach for controlling DF vector. Community based eradication campaigns including educating people about its prevention and control measures and personal prophylaxis also play a vital role to prevent its occurrence. Likewise, use of nanotechnology and micro-emulsion, use of pheromones, insect sterilization techniques have also shown promising results in vector control. Utilization of only one method cannot control this dangerous disease but combination of all above interventions, discussed in the present paper, may prevent the DF vector and ultimately might help in the eradication programs of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian coccidiosis is thought to be the one of the most expensive infectious diseases of poultry. Thus far, chemoprophylaxis and anticoccidial feed additives have controlled the disease but situation has been complicated by the emergence of drug resistant strains against commonly used drugs. Immunization by using vaccines has been another effective approach, but, in poorly managed poultry production systems particularly in case of broiler birds, vaccines may result in the onset of severe reactions. The other drawback of using vaccines is diversity of Eimeria strains in different geographical distributions. Therefore, vaccine strain, effective in one geographical area may not be effective in other area. A solution to these problems could be the use of antioxidant rich plant products that function by mechanisms other than those of chemotherapeutics, with the additional advantage of a natural origin. Antioxidant compounds could hold promise for the control of Eimeria infections due to the association of coccidial infection with lipid peroxidation of the intestinal mucosa. This paper reviews the research on naturally occurring antioxidants including botanical antioxidants effective against avian coccidiosis. Information regarding antioxidant activity, doses and mechanism of action of vitamin A, vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium and herbal complexes such as saponins, flavonoids, tannins, aromatic plants and their essential oils is provided in this paper, which may serve as new beneficial anticoccidial compounds and an essential component of alternative strategies for control of resistant Eimeria strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose oxidase (ß-D glucose: oxygen-oxidoreductase, GOD) is of prime importance in food and health industries for the production of gluconic acid, maintaining flavor and color stability and quantification of glucose in blood and urine etc. Aspergillus niger is one of the key producers of GOD. We report the genetic diversity assessment of A. niger University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) wild type strain and its seventeen mutants. The mutants developed via four mutagens viz., UV rays, gamma rays, ethidium bromide and MNNG for the hyper production of Glucose Oxidase. Molecular typing methods have been used for the detection of polymorphism within the members of any fungal genera as well as species. However, this is the pioneering attempt which focuses on detection of polymorphism in A. niger UAF parent strain and its mutants using RAPD and SSRs. Out of 26 RAPD primers used in the study, 12 produced polymorphic banding pattern amplifying 125 bands with an average of 10.41 fragments per primer. The most diverse mutants were UV-180-A and UV-180-B. All the mutants and a wild type strain were divided into six different groups except the mutant EMS-F which appeared unclustered. For SSR analysis, six different microsatellites were applied (AN01-06), which amplified 2-3 alleles in the mutants ranging from 100-450 bp size. The results revealed the existence of high genetic variability among the mutant strains and a wild type strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the devastating transboundary animal diseases causing heavy losses to the livestock industry. Different vaccines based on the inactivated FMD virus are used against this disease, but lack of immunological memory and the need for high biocontainment are the major drawbacks of these vaccines. A novel vaccine comprising recombinant antigenic regions is effective, as they lack viruses for production. Considering the fact, capsid proteins vp4, vp2, vp3, and vp1 with 3C protease of FMDV serotype Asia-1 were analyzed through reverse vaccinology approaches in this study. The sequence and structural analysis of the proteins is carried out through various bioinformatic tools and the sequence analysis has figured out the acidic nature and thermal stability of the proteins, likewise, the phylogenetic analysis helped us to trace the FMDV isolates, elucidating that selected proteins belong to the strain (Group VII), which is currently circulating in Pakistan. Next, the B-cell and MHC Class-I epitopes are identified from the antigenic proteins by immunoinformatic tools. The highly conserved, antigenic, and non-allergenic epitopes are used to design the vaccine. Accordingly, the codon adaptation and in silico cloning of the corresponding genes is performed. Thus, the bacterial expression vector could be used for efficient expression and large-scale production of the vaccine. [Display omitted] • Sindh-08 strain of serotype Asia-1, currently circulating in Pakistan. • Vp3, vp2 and vp1; the most antigenic ones among capsid proteins. • Highly antigenic and non-allergenic epitopes identified by immunoinformatic tools. • Alleles present in BoLA haplotypes taken from IPD-MHC database. • Highly conserved epitopes of vp3 and vp2 conjugated with CTB, an effective vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, various sites like cannabinoid receptors (CBR) having a binding affinity with cannabinoids are distributed on the surface of different cell types, where endocannabinoids (ECs) and derivatives of fatty acid can bind. The binding of these substance(s) triggers the activation of specific receptors required for various physiological functions, including pain sensation, memory, and appetite. The ECs and CBR perform multiple functions via the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1); cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), having a key effect in restraining neurotransmitters and the arrangement of cytokines. The role of cannabinoids in the immune system is illustrated because of their immunosuppressive characteristics. These characteristics include inhibition of leucocyte proliferation, T cells apoptosis, and induction of macrophages along with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion. The review seeks to discuss the functional relationship between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and anti-tumor characteristics of cannabinoids in various cancers. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for cancer—both in vivo and in vitro clinical trials—has also been highlighted and reported to be effective in mice models in arthritis for the inflammation reduction, neuropathic pain, positive effect in multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes mellitus, and found beneficial for treating in various cancers. In human models, such studies are limited; thereby, further research is indispensable in this field to get a conclusive outcome. Therefore, in autoimmune disorders, therapeutic cannabinoids can serve as promising immunosuppressive and anti-fibrotic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]