Evaluation of the health impacts and deregulation of signaling pathways in humans induced by microplastics.

This review assesses the diverse health risk factors associated with microplastic (MP) exposure and their impact on cellular signaling pathways. MPs induce chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, apoptosis, and immune dysregulation. They activate signaling pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK, and Nrf2, exacerbating inflammatory responses, oxidative damage, and hormonal imbalances.

Production optimization and antioxidant potential of exopolysaccharide produced by a moderately halophilic bacterium VITP14.

This study aimed to enhance the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production of VITP14 and explore its antioxidant potential. EPS and biomass production by VITP14 strain were studied under different culture parameters and media compositions using one factor at a time method. Among different nutrient sources, glucose and peptone were identified as suitable carbon and nitrogen sources.

Inhibition of the venom toxicity by polymeric nanoparticles loaded with methanolic extract.

Background: Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Developing effective treatments can make a significant contribution to global health efforts and public health initiatives. To reduce mortality due to snakebite, there is an immediate need to explore novel and effective treatment methodologies.

Molecular Characterization and Biocompatibility of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Moderately Halophilic Bacterium from the Saltern of Kumta Coast.

The use of natural polysaccharides as biomaterials is gaining importance in tissue engineering due to their inherent biocompatibility. In this direction, the present study aims to explore the structure and biocompatibility of the EPS produced by Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14. This marine bacterium produces 17.

Metabolites from halophilic bacterial isolates VITPS16 are cytotoxic against HeLa cells.

Unlabelled: The present study was aimed at evaluating the cytotoxic potential of selected halophilic bacterial metabolites. The use of the metabolomics approach in identifying the unexplored bioactive metabolites from halophilic bacterial isolate reduces time and complex experiments. In our study, we used UV/Visible spectroscopy, LC-MS/MS, and NMR to identify the metabolites present in the methanolic extract of the halophilic bacterium VITPS16.

Marine sulfated polysaccharides as potential antiviral drug candidates to treat Corona Virus disease (COVID-19).

The viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 has increased the mortality rate and engaged several adverse effects on the affected individuals. Currently available antiviral drugs have found to be unsuccessful in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The demand for efficient antiviral drugs has created a huge burden on physicians and health workers.

Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14 produces α-amylase and protease with a broader operational range but with differential thermodynamic stability.

Extracellular α-amylase and protease were coproduced from halo tolerant Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14 with banana peels (2% w/v) as substrate. The pH optima for α-amylase and protease were 6.5 and 7.

Optimization of extracellular lipase production by halotolerant sp. VITL8 using factorial design and applicability of enzyme in pretreatment of food industry effluents.

The effect of macro and micronutrients of media components on lipase production by sp. VITL8 was investigated using classical as well as statistical methods. Initially, the carbon source, nitrogen source, inducer and metal ions that affect lipase production were selected using the classical approach.

Metabolites from the citrus extracts inhibit the activity of selected proteins in Indian Cobra (Naja naja) venom.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Snakebite is a severe problem in many parts of the world, specifically in tropical and subtropical regions. A range of medicinal plant extracts are administered for treating snake bite. Of the many common plants, extracts of Citrus species have been documented to be used for treating snake bite and have been shown to decrease the snake venom toxicity.

Structural features of microbial exopolysaccharides in relation to their antioxidant activity.

Oxidative damage caused by free radicals is an inevitable and pervasive phenomenon that leads to cell damage and the emergence of diseases including ageing, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. In this context, antioxidants play a significant role in encountering free radicals by delaying or reducing the oxidative damage of cells. Evidence suggests that synthetic antioxidants are double-edged swords wherefore the requirement for natural antioxidants is increasing globally.

Nε-Acetyl L-α Lysine Improves Activity and Stability of α-Amylase at Acidic Conditions: A Comparative Study with other Osmolytes.

Background: Nε-acetyl L-α lysine is an unusual acetylated di-amino acid synthesized and accumulated by certain halophiles under osmotic stress. Osmolytes are generally known to protect proteins and other cellular components under various stress conditions.

Objective: The structural and functional stability imparted by Nε-acetyl L-lysine on proteins were unknown and hence was studied and compared to other commonly known bacterial osmolytes - ectoine, proline, glycine betaine, trehalose and sucrose.

Calcium ion induced thermodynamic stability, bisubstrate specificity, and differential organic solvent tolerance of a predominantly β-sheet serine protease from Bacillus aquimaris VITP4.

The present study was aimed to get insights on the role of calcium ions on the thermodynamic stability, substrate specificity, and organic solvent compatibility of the extracellular protease produced by Bacillus aquimaris VITP4. Presence of Ca enhanced the activity of the enzyme in the temperature range of 30-60 °C and increased the half-life from 164 to 234 Min. Circular dichroism experiments indicated that the temperature of half-denaturation (T ) of the protease increased from 76 to 86 °C.

Differential Production of Pigments by Halophilic Bacteria Under the Effect of Salt and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity.

Microorganisms that survive in the high salt environment have been shown to be a potential source for metabolites with pharmaceutical importance. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of 5 and 10% (w/v) NaCl on growth, biochemical changes, and metabolite production in seven moderately halophilic bacteria isolated from the salterns/mangrove area of South India. Metabolite production by Bacillus VITPS3 increased by 3.

Evaluation of the anti-oxidant property and cytotoxic potential of the metabolites extracted from the bacterial isolates from mangrove Forest and saltern regions of South India.

The objective was to evaluate the anticancer and antioxidant activities of the methanolic extracts of halophilic bacteria, isolated from soil samples of Marakkanam saltern and Pichavaram mangrove forest, India. Radical Scavenging activity, reducing power, and metal ion chelation ability was used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the metabolic extracts, whereas cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The methanolic extract of Bacillus VITPS7 exhibited significant antioxidant property.

In vitro inhibition potential of mono-n-octyl phthalate on Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra: Possibility of binding to mycobacterial PknB-An in silico approach.

Fatty acids of specific chain lengths have been shown to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the present study, specific synthetic aromatic derivatives of n-octyl esters were investigated for their property to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis H37Ra.

Structural insights into the binding mode and conformational changes of BSA induced by bixin and crocin.

Bixin and crocin are natural apocarotenoids utilized as food colorants and additives in food industries worldwide. For safety assessment, it is necessary to understand the biological interaction of food colorants. In our present study, we report the interaction of two apocarotenoids with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at physiological pH using spectroscopic techniques and in silico tools.

Lauric acid and myristic acid from Allium sativum inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra: in silico analysis reveals possible binding to protein kinase B.

Context: The bulb of Allium sativum Linn (Alliaceae) has numerous medicinal values. Though the petroleum ether extract of the bulb has shown to exhibit antimycobacterial activity, the phytochemical(s) responsible for this inhibitory activity is not known.

Objective: To characterize the bioactive compounds in the petroleum ether extract of Allium sativum (garlic) that inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra.

Quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside from Euphorbia hirta protects against snake Venom induced toxicity.

Background: The plant Euphorbia hirta is widely used against snake envenomations in rural areas and it was proved to be effective in animal models. Therefore, the scientific validation of its phytoconstituents for their antiophidian activity is aimed in the present study.

Methods: E.

Optimization of Parameters that Affect the Activity of the Alkaline Protease from Halotolerant Bacterium, VITP4, by the Application of Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of the Storage Stability of the Enzyme.

Background: It was previously shown that the activity of a serine protease from a moderately halotolerant VITP4 strain is active in a wide range of pH and temperatures and could be modulated by the presence of the divalent metal ions.

Objectives: In the present study, a quantitative analysis was done in order to explore the parameters that are contributing to the protease activity.

Materials And Methods: Changes in the secondary structure of the enzyme was determined by circular dichroism analysis.

Pre-clinical assessment of the effectiveness of modified polyvalent antivenom in the neutralization of Naja naja venom toxicity.

The potency of conventional antivenom (AV) conjugated to soy protein nanoparticles (NPs) (C-AV) was compared with the free AV in neutralizing the systemic toxicity of Naja naja venom. The effective dose (ED ) of AV and C-AV to neutralize the venom-induced toxicity in mice was found to be 19.89 and 9.

Protective effect of Euphorbia hirta and its components against snake venom induced lethality.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Despite the use of snake anti-venom therapy, herbal medicine is still in practice to treat snakebites. Euphorbia hirta is traditionally used as antidote for snakebites and also for numerous other ailments. However, the scientific evidence for its anti-snake venom property is still lacking.

Biophysical characterization and molecular docking studies of imidazolium based polyelectrolytes-DNA complexes: role of hydrophobicity.

Nonviral gene delivery vectors are acquiring greater attention in the field of gene therapy by replacing the biological viral vectors. DNA-cationic polymer complexes are one of the most promising systems to find application in gene therapy. Hence, a complete insight of their biophysical characterization and binding energy profile is important in understanding the mechanism involved in nonviral gene therapy.

Biochemical changes induced by salt stress in halotolerant bacterial isolates are media dependent as well as species specific.

Halophilic bacteria respond to salt stress by regulating the cytosolic pools of organic solutes to achieve osmotic equilibrium. In order to understand the metabolic regulation of these organic solutes, for the first time, we have investigated the effect of salt on growth and biochemical changes in four major moderately halophilic bacterial strains isolated from a saltern region of the Kumta coast, India. The strains under study were Halomonas hydrothermalis VITP9, Bacillus aquimaris VITP4, Planococcus maritimus VITP21, and Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14, which exhibited similar salt tolerance (0% to 10% w/v NaCl) with optimal growth at 5% w/v NaCl.

Formulation and characterisation of antibody-conjugated soy protein nanoparticles--implications for neutralisation of snake venom with improved efficiency.

The present study reports the formulation of soy protein nanoparticles and its conjugation to antivenom. The conditions for nanoparticle formation were optimised by considering particle size, count rate, stability and zeta potential. The smallest particle size of 70.