Bioefficacy of Mentha piperita essential oil against dengue fever mosquito Aedes aegypti L

Objective:To assess the larvicidal and repellent potential of the essential oil extracted from the leaves of peppermint plant,Mentha piperita(M.piperita) against the larval and adult stages of Aedes aegypti(Ae.Aegypti).Methods:The larvicidal potential of peppermint oil was evaluated against early fourth instar larvae of Ae.aegypti using WHO protocol.The mortality counts were made after 24 and 48 h,and LC_(50) and LC_(90) values were calculated.The efficacy of peppermint oil as mosquito repellent was assessed using the human-bait technique.The measured area of one arm of a human volunteer was applied with the oil and the other arm was applied with ethanol.The mosquito bites on both the arms were recorded for 3 min after every 15 min.The experiment continued for 3 h and the percent protection was calculated.Results:The essential oil extracted from M.piperita possessed excellent larvicidal efficiency against dengue vector. The bioassays showed an LC_(50) and LC_(90) value of 111.9 and 295.18 ppm,respectively after 24 h of exposure.The toxicity of the oil increased 11.8%when the larvae were exposed to the oil for 48 h.The remarkable repellent properties of M.piperita essential oil were established against adults Ae.aegypti.The application of oil resulted in 100%protection till 150 min.After next 30 min, only 1-2 bites were recorded as compared with 8-9 bites on the control arm.Conclusions:The peppermint essential oil is proved to be efficient larvicide and repellent against dengue vector. Further studies are needed to identify the possible role of oil as adulticide,oviposilion deterrent and ovicidal agent.The isolation of active ingredient from the oil could help in formulating strategies for mosquito control.

Flavonoids Loaded in Nanocarriers: An Opportunity to Increase Oral Bioavailability and Bioefficacy

Flavonoids are among the biggest group of polyphenols, widely distributed in plant-based foods. A plethora of evidence supports the health benefits and value of flavonoids can play in the physiological function treatment and in the prevention of disease particularly in the prevention of degenerative conditions including cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, flavonoids represent the active constituents of many dietary supplements and herbal remedies, as well as there is an increasing interest in this class of polyphenols as functional ingredients of beverages, food grains and dairy products. Conversely, various studies have also shown that flavonoids have some drawbacks after oral administration such as stability, bioavailability and bioefficacy. This article reviews the current status of novel nanodelivery systems including nanospheres, nanocaspsules, micro- and nanoemulsions, micelles, solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid capsules, successfully developed for overcoming the delivery challenges of flavonoids.

Laboratory evaluation of toxicity of selected insecticides against egg and larval stages of cotton pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Background The cryptic nature of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)larvae enables its reduced vul-nerability to insecticidal control.Further,the development of resistance against Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)toxins posed a serious threat to transgenic cotton cultivation.This necessitated determining the critical timing of spray applications on the control effectiveness.This study assessed the influence of egg age(freshly laid vs.three-day-old)and the loca-tion of larvae(directly exposed to the insecticide residues on the boll rind vs.burrowed inside the bolls)on insecticide control efficacy.Results The results revealed a significant decrease in the ovicidal activity of tested insecticides with an increase in the age of eggs from one day old to three days old(paired t-test,P<0.05).The larvae directly exposed to the insec-ticide residues on the boll rind were more susceptible(>80%mortality)than the larvae exposed after they had bur-rowed inside the bolls(<49%mortality).The inhibitory effects of tested insecticides on developmental biology were more pronounced in the experiment on pre-larval release insecticide treatment compared with insecticide treatment given post-larval release and entry inside the bolls.Conclusion Egg age influences the insecticide susceptibility,as does the larval location,directly exposed vs bur-rowed inside the bolls.Older eggs and the larvae that had burrowed inside the green bolls of cotton were relatively less susceptible to the insecticide treatments.The toxic effects of insecticides on egg and larval stages were primar-ily ephemeral.These findings are significant for devising a comprehensive strategy for pink bollworm management on a sustainable basis.

In vivo and in vitro phytochemical and antibacterial efficacy of Baliospermum montanum (Willd.) Muell.Arg.

Objective:To evaluate the phytochemical and anti-bacterial potential of mother plants in vivo and in vitro derived callus of Baliospermum montanum(B.montanum)(Willd.) Muell.-Arg. leaves and root.Methods:The in vitro derived rootlets and leaves segments of B.montanum were cut into 0.5-0.7 cm in length and cultured on Murashige and Skoog solid medium supplemented with 3%sucrose,gelled with 0.7%agar and different concentration of 2,4-D either alone or in combinations.The preliminary phytochemical screening was performed by Harborne method.Antibacterial efficacy was performed by well diffusion method and incubated for 24 h at 37℃.Results:The highest percentage of callus formation(leaves segments 86.9±0.56:root segments 78.7±0.51) was obtained on Murashige and Skoog’s basal medium supplemented with 3%sucrose and 2.0 mg/L of 2.4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid.The phytochemical study revealed the high quantity presence of steroids,triterpenoids,glycosides,saponins,alkaloids,flavanoids, phenolic compounds,tannins,sugars etc of root and leaves derived calli.The ethanol extract of leaves segment derived calli of B.montanum showed the maximum solubility and antimicrobial activity with the MIC ranged from 100 to 200μL.Conclusions:The preliminary phytochemical study confirmed that the calli mediated tissues showed the higher percentage of metabolite constituents and extraction value compared to the in vivo leaves and roots.The present study observation suggested that a possibility to establish high yielding genotypes by in vitro culture for production of medicinally important bioactive compounds.

Improving the stability and bioavailability of tea polyphenols by encapsulations:a review

Tea polyphenols(TPPs)have attracted significant research interest due to their health benefits.However,TPPs are sensitive to certain environmental and gastrointestinal conditions and their oral bioavailability was found to be very low.Delivery systems made of food-grade materials have been reported to improve the shelf-life,bioavailability and bioefficacy of TPPs.This review discusses the chemistry of TPPs;the setbacks of TPPs for application;and the strategies to counteract application limitations by rationally designing delivery systems.An overview of different formulations used to encapsulate TPPs is provided in this study,such as emulsion-based systems(liposome,nanoemulsion,double emulsion,and Pickering emulsion)and nano/microparticles-based systems(protein-based,carbohydrate-based,and bi-polymer based).In addition,the stability,bioavailability and bioactivities of encapsulated TPPs are evaluated by various in vitro and in vivo models.The current findings provide scientific insights in encapsulation approaches for the delivery of TPPs,which can be of great value to TPPs-fortified food products.Further explorations are needed for the encapsulated TPPs in terms of their applications in the real food industry as well as their biological fate and functional pathways in vivo.

Comparative study on production,purification of penicillin by Penicillium chrysogenum isolated from soil and citrus samples

Objective:To explore various unexplored locations where Penicillium spp.would be available and study the production of penicillin from the isolated Penicillium spp.in different media with altered carbohydrate source.Methods:The collected soil samples were screened for the isolation of Penicillium chrysogenum(P.chrysogenum) by soil dilution plate.The isolated Penicillium species were further grown in different production media with changes in the carbohydrate source.The extracted penicillin from various isolates was analyzed by HPLC for the efficacy of the product.Further the products were screened with various bacterial species including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA).And the work was extended to find the possible action on MRSA,along with characterization using other pathogens.Results:From the various soil and citrus samples used for analysis,only the soil sample from Government General Hospital of Bangalore,India,and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital,Bangalore,India,showed some potential growth of the desired fungi P.chrysogenum.Different production media showed varied range of growth of PenicilUum.Optimum production of penicillin was obtained in maltose which proved maximum zone of inhibition during assay.Characterization of penicillin on pathogens,like wild Escherichia coli strain,Klebsiella spp.,and MRSA,gave quite interesting results such as no activity on the later strain as it is resistant.HPLC data provided the analytical and confirmation details of the penicillin produced.Accordingly,the penicillin produced from the soil sample of Government General Hospital had the high milli absorbance unit of 441.5 mAu compared with that of the penicillin produced from Sanjay Gandhi Hospital sample,8S.S2 mAu.Therefore,there was a considerable change in quantity of the penicillin produced from both the samples.Conclusions: The Penicillium spp.could be possibly rich in hospital contaminants and its environments.This research focuses on various unexplored sources of medical ailments,and also shows that the growth of penicillin is high in maltose rich media that could possibly enhance the growth.

Engineered protein and Jakinib nanoplatform with extraordinary rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a relatively common inflammatory disease that affects the synovial tissue,eventually results in joints destruction and even long-term disability.Although Janus kinase inhibitors(Jakinibs)show a rapid efficacy and are becoming the most successful agents in RA therapy,high dosing at frequent interval and severe toxicities cannot be avoided.Here,we developed a new type of fully compatible nanocarriers based on recombinant chimeric proteins with outstanding controlled release of upadacitinib.In addition,the fluorescent protein component of the nanocarriers enabled noninvasive fluorescence imaging of RA lesions,thus allowing real-time detection of RA therapy.Using rat models,the nanotherapeutic is shown to be superior to free upadacitinib,as indicated by extended circulation time and sustained bioefficacy.Strikingly,this nanosystem possesses an ultralong half-life of 45 h and a bioavailability of 4-times higher than pristine upadacitinib,thus extending the dosing interval from one day to 2 weeks.Side effects such as over-immunosuppression and leukocyte levels reduction were significantly mitigated.This smart strategy boosts efficacy,safety and visuality of Jakinibs in RA therapy,and potently enables customized designs of nanoplatforms for other therapeutics.

Bioefcacy and durability of Olyset® Plus, a permethrin and piperonyl butoxide-treated insecticidal net in a 3-year long trial in Kenya

Background:Long-lasting insecticide nets(LLINs)are a core malaria intervention.LLINs should retain efficacy against mosquito vectors for a minimum of three years.Efficacy and durability of Olyset®Plus,a permethrin and piperonyl butoxide(PBO)treated LLIN,was evaluated versus permethrin treated Olyset®Net.In the absence of WHO guidelines of how to evaluate PBO nets,and considering the manufacturer’s product claim,Olyset®Plus was evaluated as a pyrethroid LLIN.Methods:This was a household randomized controlled trial in a malaria endemic rice cultivation zone of Kirinyaga County,Kenya between 2014 and 2017.Cone bioassays and tunnel tests were done against Anopheles gambiae Kisumu.The chemical content,fabric integrity and LLIN survivorship were monitored.Comparisons between nets were tested for signifcance using the Chi-square test.Exact binomial distribution with 95%confdence intervals(95%CI)was used for percentages.The WHO efcacy criteria used were≥95%knockdown and/or≥80%mortality rate in cone bioassays and≥80%mortality and/or≥90%blood-feeding inhibition in tunnel tests.Results:At 36 months,Olyset®Plus lost 52%permethrin and 87%PBO content;Olyset®Net lost 24%permethrin.Over 80%of Olyset®Plus and Olyset®Net passed the WHO efcacy criteria for LLINs up to 18 and 12 months,respec‑tively.At month 36,91.2%Olyset®Plus and 86.4%Olyset®Net survived,while 72%and 63%developed at least one hole.The proportionate Hole Index(pHI)values representing nets in good,serviceable and torn condition were 49.6%,27.1%and 23.2%,respectively for Olyset®Plus,and 44.9%,32.8%and 22.2%,respectively for Olyset®Net but were not signifcantly diferent.Conclusions:Olyset®Plus retained efcacy above or close to the WHO efcacy criteria for about 2 years than Olyset®Net(1–1.5 years).Both nets did not meet the 3-year WHO efcacy criteria,and showed little attrition,comparable physical durability and survivorship,with 50%of Olyset®Plus having good and serviceable condition after 3 years.Better community education on appropriate use and upkeep of LLINs is essential to ensure efectiveness of LLIN based malaria interventions.