Curcumin encapsulated dual cross linked sodium alginate/montmorillonite polymeric composite beads for controlled drug delivery

The aim of the present work is fabrication of dual cross linked sodium alginate(SA)/montmorillonite(MMT) microbeads as a potential drug vehicle for extended release of curcumin(CUR). The microbeads were prepared using in situ ion-exchange followed by simple ionotropic gelation technique. The developed beads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA), X-ray diffraction(X-RD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The effect of MMT on encapsulation efficiency of CUR and intercalation kinetics was investigated. Dynamic swelling study and in vitro release study were investigated in simulated intestinal fluid(pH 7.4) and simulated gastric fluid(pH 1.2) at 37 ℃. Results suggested that both the swelling and in vitro release studies were influenced by the pH of test media, which might be suitable for intestinal drug delivery. The release mechanism was analyzed by fitting the release data into KorsmeyerPeppas equation.

Effect of Commiphora mukul gum resin on hepatic marker enzymes,lipid peroxidation and antioxidants status in pancreas and heart of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Objective:To study the antioxidant efficacy of Commiphora mukul(C.mukul) gum resin ethanolic extract in streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods:The male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight animals each:Control group(C),CM-treated control group(C_+CMEE),Diabetic control group(D),CM- treated diabetic group(D_+CMEE).Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ(55 mg/kg/ bwt).After being confirmed the diabetic rats were treated with C.mukul gum resin ethanolic extract(CMEE) for 60 days.The biochemical estimations like antioxidant,oxidative stress marker enzymes and hepatic marker enzymes of tissues were performed.Results:The diabetic rats showed increased level of enzymatic activities aspartate aminotransaminase(AST),alanine aminotransaminase(ALT) in liver and kidney and oxidative markers like lipid peroxidation(LPO) and protein oxidation(PO) in pancreas and heart. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly decreased in the pancreas and heart compared to control group.Administration of CMEE(200 mg/kg bw) to diabetic rats for 60 days significantly reversed the above parameters towards normalcy.Conclusions:In conclusion,our data indicate the preventive role of C.mukul against STZ-induced diabetic oxidative stress;hence this plant could be used as an adjuvant therapy for the prevention and/or management of diabetes and aggravated antioxidant status.

Convective transport of nanoparticles in multi-layer fluid flow

Technologically, multi-layer fluid models are important in understanding fluid-fluid or fluid-nanoparticle interactions and their effects on flow and heat transfer characteristics. However, to the best of the authors＇ knowledge, little attention has been paid to the study of three-layer fluid models with nanofluids. Therefore, a three-layer fluid flow model with nanofluids is formulated in this paper. The governing coupled nonlinear differential equations of the problem are non-dimensionalized by using appropriate fundamental quantities. The resulting multi-point boundary value problem is solved numerically by quasi-linearization and Richardson＇s extrapolation with modified boundary conditions. The effects of the model parameters on the flow and heat transfer are obtained and analyzed. The results show that an increase in the nanoparticle concentration in the base fluid can modify the fluid-velocity at the interface of the two fluids and reduce the shear not only at the surface of the clear fluid but also at the interface between them. That is, nanofluids play a vital role in modifying the flow phenomena. Therefore, one can use nanofluids to obtain the desired qualities for the multi-fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics.

Structural characterization of coconut tree leaf sheath fiber reinforce-ment

The coconut palm tree leaf sheath fibers were analyzed by FTIR spectral analysis, Chemical, X-ray and thermo gravimetric methods to assess their suitability as reinforcements in the preparation of green composites. The morphology of the untreated and alkali treated fibers was studied by scanning electron microscopic method. The FTIR and chemical analyses indicated lowering of hemi-cellulose content by alkali treatment of the fibers. The X-ray diffraction revealed an increase in crystallinity of the fibers on alkali treatment. The thermal stability of the fibers was found to increase slightly by alkali treatment. The tensile properties of these fibers increased on alkali treatment. The mechanical and other physical properties indicated that these fibers were suitable as reinforcements for making the green composites.

New Stability Indicating Method for Quantification of Impurities in Amlodipine and Benazepril Capsules by Validated HPLC

A stability indicating LC method was developed for the simultaneous determination of Amlodipine and Benazepril capsules in pharmaceutical dosage form. Efficient chromatographic separation was achieved on Symmetry C18 stationary phase with simple combination of amobile phase containing 750 mL of DI Water, 250 mL of Acetonitrile and 2 mL of Octylamine into suitable container with adjusted pH to 2.50 ± 0.05 with the aid of Ortho phosphoric acid delivered in an isocratic mode and quantification was carried out using UV detection at 240 nm at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1 with an injection volume of 20 μl and ambient column temperature. This method is capable to detect both the drug components of Amlodipine and Benazepril in presence of their degradation products (Amlodipine Imp-A and Benazepril Impurity-C) with a detection level of 0.05%. Amlodipine/Benazepril in their combination drug product were exposed to thermal, photolytic, hydrolytic and oxidative stress conditions, and the samples were analysed. Peak homogeneity data of Amlodipine and Benazeprilis were obtained using PDA detector, in the stressed sample chromatograms, demonstrating the specificity. The method shows excellent linearity over a range of 0.05%-2.0% for Amlodipine, Amlodipine Impurity-A and 0.05%-5.0% for Benazepril and Benazepril Impurity-C. The correlation coefficient for Amlodipine and Benazepril is 1. The relative standard deviation was always less than 2%. The proposed method was found to be suitable and accurate for quantitative determination and the stability study of Amlodipine and Benazepril in pharmaceutical preparations. The developed HPLC method was validated with respect to linearity & range, accuracy, precision and robustness.

Expression Analysis of Aldo-Keto Reductase 1 (AKR1) in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) Subjected to Abiotic Stresses

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a drought-tolerant millet crop of arid and semi-arid regions. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are significant part of plant defence mechanism, having an ability to confer multiple stress tolerance. In this study, AKR1 gene expression was studied in roots and leaves of foxtail millet subjected to different regimes of PEG- and NaCl-stress for seven days. The quantitative Real-time PCR expression analysis in both root and leaves showed upregulation of AKR1 gene during PEG and salt stress. A close correlation exits between expression of AKR1 gene and the rate of lipid peroxidation along with the retardation of growth. Tissue-specific differences were found in the AKR1 gene expression to the stress intensities studied. The reduction in root and shoot growth under both stress conditions were dependent on stress severity. The level of lipid peroxidation as indicated by MDA formation was significantly increased in roots and leaves along with increased stress levels. Finally, these findings support the early responsive nature of AKR1 gene and seem to be associated at least in part with its ability to contribute in antioxidant defence related pathways which could provide a better protection against oxidative stress under stress conditions.

Salt Stress Induced Modulations in Growth, Compatible Solutes and Antioxidant Enzymes Response in Two Cultivars of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L. Cultivar TSF1 and Cultivar SM) Differing in Salt Tolerance

Safflower is an important, traditional, multipurpose oil crop. This was to investigate the effect of different salinity levels on morphological, physiological, biochemical and antioxidant response of two safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L. cultivar TSF1 and cultivar SM) differing in salt tolerance. Salinity stress (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% of NaCl) was induced to safflower plants after 19 days of vegetative growth. After 12 days of stress impositions, plants were harvested and analysed for various parameters. The results revealed that cultivar TSF1 showed maximum growth, dry weight, cell membrane stability and more water content in both root and leaf tissues at higher salinity levels than cultivar SM. Salt stress resulted an accumulation of more soluble sugars, amino acids, proline and glycine betaine at high salinity level confers the tolerance potential of cultivar TSF1 over cultivar SM. Salt stress induces more increase in the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and catalase in tolerant cultivar than sensitive one. The results indicate that each cultivar adopt specific strategy at distinct salinity level for resistance against salinity. The possible conclusion is that improved tolerance in cultivar TSF1 to salinity may be accomplished by better management of growth, physiological attributes and antioxidative defence mechanisms.

Stability Indicating HPLC Method for Quantification of Solifenacin Succinate &Tamsulosin Hydrochloride along with Its Impurities in Tablet Dosage Form

A novel stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of Solifenacin Succinate & Tamsulosin Hydrochloride and its impurities in tablet dosage form. The method was developed using L1 column with gradient using the mobile phase consist of solvent-A (pH = 6.6, phosphate buffer + 0.5% Triethylamine) and solvent-B (90% Acetonitrile). The eluted compounds were monitored at 225 nm. Solifenacin Succinate & Tamsulosin Hydrochloride was subjected to oxidative, acid, base, hydrolytic, thermal and photolytic stress conditions. The developed method was validated as per ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, accuracy, precision and robustness. The limit of quantification results was ranged from 0.135 - 0.221 μg/mL for Solifenacin Succinate impurities and 0.043 - 0.090 μg/mL for Tamsulosin Hydrochloride impurities. This method is suitable for the estimation of impurities and assay of Solifenacin Succinate & Tamsulosin Hydrochloride in tablets dosage form.

Studies of the quality parameters of blended oils and sensory evaluation of gram flour products

Blended oils have many uses when compared with single oils,due to presence of high Omega9 levels.They help in brain development and reduce the risk of heart diseases.This investigation of blended oils was chosen taking into consideration the regular use of coconut oil(CO),palm oil(PAO),peanut oil(PO),and groundnut oil(GO),and using these blends three popular South Indian snacks were prepared.The oil blending was in the proportion of 50:50 using four different oils.This study includes the physicochemical properties of blended oils such as their p H,colour,nutritional assessment,and changes in the parameters of mixed oils.Additionally,these oil mixes were utilized for preparing different types of gram flour snacks including potato fries,pakoda,and karasev.The shelf life of the snacks was studied,considering the changes in their synthetic and tangible attributes.The changes seen in the oil separated from the fried items were very close to that of the control.Tangible assessment of the prepared fritters showed that they were synthetically safe to eat for up to two weeks.Six oil blends(CO:PO,CO:PAO,CO:GO,PO:GO,PO:PAO,and GO:PAO)were prepared successfully.Among the blended oils,coconut oil with peanut oil showed the highest spread ability,while groundnut oil with palm oil showed the lowest spread ability.The coconut and groundnut oil blend showed the highest ratio(58.8%)of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids.Polyunsaturated linoleic acid(18:2;24.3%),α-linoleic acid(18:2;5%),oleic acid(18:1;25%),capric acid(2.8%),lauric acid(1.8%),myristic acid(1.6%),palmitic acid(16:0;14.5%),and steric acid(18:0;9.2%)were seen in the coconut and groundnut oil blend.The palm and peanut oil blend showed the least ratio(51.4%)for unsaturated and saturated oils,with oleic acid(21%),lauric acid(1.9%),andα-linoleic acid(2%).Among all the blended oils,coconut oil mixed with groundnut oil showed the highest level of acceptability for gram flour products.The content of free fatty acids was very high in the combination of palm and peanut oil.The three gram flour products prepared using blends of coconut oil and groundnut oil showed good appearance(8%),flavour of the product prepared with combinations of groundnut(refined)oil has high acceptability,good texture(8%),high acceptability(8%)in taste and overall acceptability of sensory evaluation.These blends in the future may develop good quality oils giving a high shelf life to food products.

Effect of Nickel on Some Aspects of Protein Metabolism in Selected Organs of the Freshwater Mussel Lamellidens marginalis

The levels of soluble, structural and total proteins, and the activities of AlAT and AAT decreased along with an increase in the levels of free amino acids and the activity of protease in the ctenidium, hepatopancreas and foot of the freshwater mussel L. marginalis after 1,2,3 and 4 d of exposure to a lethal concentration (115 mg.L-1) of nickel. But the activity of GDH and the level of urea decreased in the hepatopancreas and increased in the ctenidium and foot. A reverse trend was observed in the level of ammonia. In a sublethal concentration (23 mg.L-1), the levels of soluble, structural and total proteins and ammonia decreased in these three organs of the mussel after 1, 5, 10 and 15 d of exposures, with an increase in the levels.of free aminoacids, urea and in the activities of protease, Al AT, AAT and ODH. The extent of these changes differed in degree depending on exposure period in the lethal and sublethal concentrations. The results are discussed in order to arrive at the degree of metal stress on the overall nitrogen metabolism of the mussel according to the period of exposure to lethal and sublethal concentrations of nickel.

Mechanical and physical characterization of sodium hydroxide treated Borassus fruit fibers

In order to improve the properties by chemical modification and to optimize the alkali concentration, we treated Borassus fruit fine fibers with aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions of different concentra- tions. In each case, the tensile properties of the fibers were determined. The morphology of the untreated and alkali treated fibers was observed using scanning electron microscope. The surface of the fibers became rough on alkali treatment. The tensile properties of the fibers improved on alkali treatment. The fibers attained maximum tensile properties when treated with 15% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and decreased thereafter. The crystallinity index of the fibers showed a similar trend. The thermal stability of the alkali treated fibers was found to be higher than that of untreated fibers. Further, the char content was maximum for fibers treated with alkali having concentration of 15% and above. The chemical composition indicated that the percentageof a-cellulose was maximum when the fibers were treated with 15% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and then decreased thereafter thus indicating the beginning of degradation of the fibers at higher concentrations. Thus, the optimum concentration of NaOH was established as 15% for alkali treatment of the Borassus fibers.

Effect of Monocrotophos and Quinalphos on Soil Population and Nitrogen-Fixing Activity of Azospirillum sp.

The effects of monocrotophos and quinalphos on population and nitrogen-fixing activity of Azospirillum sp.in four agricultural soils were determined in a laboratory study.Concentrations of the two insecticides up to a 5 kg ha^(-1)level were either stimulatory or innocuous to the popula- tion of Azospirillum in the soils.Four successive applications of the insecticides to soils resulted in a significant increase in the population density.Cultures of Azospirillum sp.,isolated from insecticide-treated soils,exhibited greater nitrogen-fixing activity.Three consecutive subcultur- ings of the isolates from insecticide-treated soils had no effect on their nitrogen-fixing activity.1989 Academic Press,Inc.

Carobomer Based Controlled Release Designs of Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets Evaluated Using Quality by Design (QbD) Approach

The study carried out here was focused on developing conventional monolithic controlled release matrix tablet of Atorvastatin calcium using carbomer as release controlling polymer. This system ensures the drug release at the alkaline pH region where the drug has got maximum solubility. Further the study was concentrated on comparing the impact of gelling agent polyvinyl pyrrolidone on drug release. Quality by design tools were considered during formulation development and the polymer concentrations were optimized adopting the statistical tool, design of experiments (DoE). The optimized formulation of present study exhibited desired controlled drug release characteristics in the alkaline pH conditions and at acidic environment the drug dissolution was minimal as intended.

Ground-Based In Situ Measurements of Near-Surface Aerosol Mass Concentration over Anantapur:Heterogeneity in Source Impacts

Surface measurements of aerosol physical properties were made at Anantapur （14.62°N, 77.65°E, 331 m a.s.l）, a semiarid rural site in India, during August 2008-July 2009. Measurements included the segregated sizes of aerosolsas as well as total mass concentration and size distributions of aerosols measured at low relative humidity （RH〈75%） using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance （QCM） in the 25-0.05 um aerodynamic diameter range. The hourly average total surface aerosol mass concentration in a day varied from 15 to 70 ug m-3, with a mean value of 34.02±9.05 ug m-3 for the entire study period. A clear diurnal pattern appeared in coarse, accumulation and nucleation-mode particle concentrations, with two local maxima occurring in early morning and late evening hours. The concentration of coarse-mode particles was high during the summer season, with a maximum concentration of 11.81±0.98 ug m-3 in the month of April, whereas accumulationmode concentration was observed to be high in the winter period contributed 〉68% to the total aerosol mass concentration. Accumulation aerosol mass fraction, Af （= Ma/Mt） was highest during winter （mean value of Af -0.80） and lowest （Af - 0.64） during the monsoon season. The regression analysis shows that both Reff and Rm are dependent on coarse-mode aerosols. The relationship between the simultaneous measurements of daily mean aerosol optical depth at 500 nm （AOD500） and PM2.5 mass concentration （[PM2.5]） shows that surface-level aerosol mass concentration increases with the increase in columnar aerosol optical depth over the observation period.

Pb-Stress Induced Oxidative Stress Caused Alterations in Antioxidant Efficacy in Two Groundnut (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i>L.) Cultivars

Lead (Pb) is an important environmental pollutant extremely toxic to plants and other living organisms including humans. To assess Pb phytotoxicity, a pot culture experiment was carried out using two groundnut cultivars (Arachis hypogaea L. cultivar K6 and cultivar K9) on plant growth, ROS levels, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant metabolism using biochemical, histochemical methods. Plants were grown in pots for 14 days, in the botanic garden, and subjected to Pb-stress (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 ppm) by adding Pb (NO3)2 solution and further allowed to grow for 10 days. The results showed that cultivar K6 registered lower Pb accumulation than cultivar K9, however, localization of Pb was greater in roots than leaves in both groundnut cultivars. The Pb-stress results in an increase in free radicals (O2?- and H2O2) generation in both groundnut cultivars, but more significantly in cultivar K9 than K6. Pb-stress also caused significant changes in the rate of peroxidation as shown in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) content in roots and leaves of both groundnut cultivars. Free proline, ascorbic acid (AsA) and non-protein thiol (NP-SH) contents were increased in cultivar K6 due to Pb-stress, but less in cultivar K9. Pb treated plants showed increased levels of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Isozyme band intensities of SOD, GPX and APX were more consistent with the respective changes in antioxidative enzyme activities. These results indicate that cultivar K6 possesses greater tolerance potential for Pb toxicity than cultivar K9.

Novel Route for Synthesis of Thiozolidine-2,4-Dione Derivatives as a Mannich Base

The Mannich base of Thiozolidine-2,4-dione derivatives has come to lime light due to their various pharmacological activities. Thiazolidine-2,4-dione is an extensively explored heterocyclic nucleus for designing of novel agents implicated for a wide variety of pathophysiological conditions, that is, diabetes, diabetic complications, cancer, arthritis, inflammation, microbial infection, and melanoma. In present work, synthesis quinoline attached imidazoline derivative using (3 + 2) cyclo-addition via imine of quinoline and TosMIC. These derivatives were converted to Mannich bases of thiozolidine-2,4-dione using Knoevenagel condensation. The sulfonamide analogues of thiozolidine-2,4-Dione were also synthesized and characterized by using alkylation conditions.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of New Pyridine Containing Substituted Phenyl Azetidine-2-One Derivatives

The most important nitrogen containing heterocycles of pyridine containing substituted phenyl azetidine-2-ones have found pharmacological application such as antibiotics and these compounds also have practical importance. The structure of the new derivatives was confirmed by the spectral data and elemental analyses. Out of five new derivatives, three were revealed mild to moderate activity compared with Streptomycin & Fluconazole as a reference standard. Among this new series, 3-chloro-1-(4-fluoro phenyl)/(4-chloro phe-nyl)-4-(pyridine-3-yl) azetidine-2-one (4a & b) were found most activity.

Development of a Highly Sensitive Extractive Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Nickel(II) from Environmental Matrices Using 2-Acetylpyridine-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone

Nickel(II) reacts with 2-acetylpyridine-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (APMT) and forms a yellow colored complex, which was extracted into n-hexanol from sodium acetate and acetic acid buffer at pH 6.0. The absorbance value of the Ni(II)-APMT complex was measured at different intervals of time at 375 nm to ascertain the time stability of the complex. The extraction of the complex into the solvent was instantaneous and stable for more than 72 hrs. The system obeyed Beer’s law in the concentration range of 0.235 - 2.43 μg·ml–1 of nickel(II), with an excellent linearity and a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity of the extracted species were found to be 2.16 × 104 L mol–1 ·cm–1 and 0.003 μg·cm–2 at 375 nm, respectively. Hence a detailed study of the extraction of nickel(II) with APMT has been undertaken with a view to developing a rapid and sensitive extractive spectrophotometric method for the determination of nickel(II) when present alone or in the presence of diverse ions which are usually associated with nickel(II) in environmental matrices like soil and industrial effluents. Various standard alloy samples (CM 247 LC, IN 718, BCS 233, 266, 253 and 251) have been tested for the determination of nickel for the purpose of validation of the present method. The results of the proposed method are comparable with those from atomic absorption spectrometry and were found to be in good agreement.

Expression Analysis of WRKY Transcription Factor Genes in Response to Abiotic Stresses in Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.)

Drought and salt stress are two major environmental constraints that limit the productivity of agriculture crops worldwide. WRKY transcription factors are the plant-specific transcription factors that regulate several developmental events and stress responses in plants. The WRKY domain is defined by a 60-amino acid conserved sequence named WRKYGQK at N-terminal and a Zinc Finger-like motif at the C-terminal. WRKY genes are known to respond several stresses which may act as negative or positive regulators. The function of most of the WRKY transcription factors from non-model plants remains poorly understood. This investigation shows the expression levels of eight WRKY transcription factor genes from horsegram plant under drought and salt stress conditions. The increase in mRNA transcript levels of WRKY transcription factor genes was found to be high in drought stressed plants compared to salt-stressed plants. The levels of MDA which indicates the lipid peroxidation were less in drought stress. More ROS is produced in salt stress conditions compared to drought. The results show that the expression of WRKY transcription factors in drought stress conditions is reducing the adverse effect of stress on plants. These results also suggest that, during abiotic stress conditions such as drought and salt stress, WRKY transcription factors are regulated at the transcription level.

Xylanase-producing microflora in Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh,India

We screened soil samples collected from underneath shrubs and/or large trees at different locations in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh for xylanase-producing microorganisms. Xylose-utilizing bacteria were numerically dominant in soils of most locations whereas xylose-and xylan-utilizing actinobacteria were minor components. Xylan-utilizing fungi constituted a major share of total microbial populations in soil samples collected at half of the sites, whereas xylan-utilizing bacteria were predominant at other sampling locations. Some of the isolates of fungi exhibited xylanase activity with a range of400–4000 U/ml, indicating great potential for their uses in paper, pulping and bioethanol industries for producing value-added products.