A potential therapeutic strategy by fungal laccase targeting novel binding sites on human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerase.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common herpesvirus that can severely affect transplant recipients, those with AIDS, and newborns. Existing synthetic medications face limitations, including toxicity, processing issues, and viral resistance. As part of this study, the efficacy of the extracellular enzyme laccase isolated from a widely available mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) was compared to that of ganciclovir, a common antiviral, used against HCMV.

Role of Plasmid in Pesticide Degradation and Metal Tolerance in Two Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Bacillus cereus (NCIM 5557) and Bacillus safensis (NCIM 5558).

Disha A (Bacillus cereus) and Disha B (Bacillus safensis) were isolated from pesticide-infested agricultural field and showed tolerance against pesticides, heavy metals, and antibiotics. The isolates exhibited PGPR activities in vitro as well as in field conditions in lentil (Lens culinaris) and cow pea (Vigna unguiculata). Both the Bacillus species could not be grown in mineral salt medium but efficiently grown in the media supplemented with pesticide (imidacloprid/carbendazim) demonstrating the utilization of pesticide as carbon/nitrogen source.

Neuro-protective role of nanocapsulated curcumin against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced oxidative injury.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) accelerates the progression of neurodegeneration by causing mitochondrial dysfunction to overproduce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Curcumin shows protective effects against CIR-induced oxidative damage. Free curcumin (FC) is effective at high doses due to its poor bioavailability.

Triphenyl phosphonium coated nano-quercetin for oral delivery: Neuroprotective effects in attenuating age related global moderate cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion is a classic example of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated acute damage to brain. Post-ischemic reperfusion induced oxygen free radicals production causes damage to brain cell mitochondria. Antioxidants like quercetin (Qc) have potentials to manage oxidative stress related pathophysiology.

Vesicular melatonin efficiently downregulates sodium fluoride-induced rat hepato- and broncho-TNF-α, TGF-β expressions, and associated oxidative injury: a comparative study of liposomal and nanoencapsulated forms.

The importance of fluoride as a natural and industrial toxicant is recognized worldwide. We evaluated the regulating role and biological effect of vesicular (liposomal and nanoencapsulated) melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) for drug delivery and controlled release on the depletion of inflammatory mediators, as well as oxidative damage in sodium fluoride (NaF)-treated lungs and liver. Hepatic and bronchial damage was induced in Swiss albino rats with a single acute ingestion of NaF (48 mg/kg body weight, oral gavage).

Protective roles of nanomelatonin in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion of aged brain: Matrixmetalloproteinases as regulators.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) injury occurs as a result of oxygen occlusion in the carotid artery through embolus or thrombus formation or cerebrovascular hemorrhage. The oxygen thrust during reperfusion causes the generation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) which exert a potential threat to neuronal survival. ROS may possibly be arrested by antioxidants.

Augmented Activity of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Tissue and Serum of Patients With Cervical Cancer.

Background: Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is frequently overexpressed in cervical carcinoma, but little is known about its altered serum concentration. Hence, this study evaluates clinical utility of cellular and serum level of Cox-2 enzyme in cervical cancer.

Methods: The expression of Cox-2 was evaluated in cervical tissues and serum samples collected from normal controls (n = 100; n = 68), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients (CIN, n = 67; n = 12), and invasive squamous cell carcinoma patients (SCCs; n = 153; n = 127) by immunohistochemical and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses.

Nanocapsulated Ascorbic Acid in Combating Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion- Induced Oxidative Injury in Rat Brain.

Recent evidences suggest that cerebral ischemia-reperfusion insult plays significant role in pathogenic diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by induced oxidative stress in the episodes of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) plays major role in neurodegeneration. As the prime source of ROS generation, neuronal mitochondria, the cellular energy metabolic centre experience severe damage because of CIR-induced oxidative stress.

Vesicular (liposomal and nanoparticulated) delivery of curcumin: a comparative study on carbon tetrachloride-mediated oxidative hepatocellular damage in rat model.

The liver plays a vital role in biotransforming and extricating xenobiotics and is thus prone to their toxicities. Short-term administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) causes hepatic inflammation by enhancing cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, promoting mitochondrial dysfunction, and inducing cellular apoptosis. Curcumin is well accepted for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties and can be considered as an effective therapeutic agent against hepatotoxicity.

Establishment of drug delivery system nanocapsulated with an antioxidant (+)-catechin hydrate and sodium meta borate chelator against sodium fluoride induced oxidative stress in rats.

Oxidative stress a major cause of fluoride induced toxicity and mitochondrial impairment in common in experimental rats during chronic exposure of fluoride. Attempts have been made in the present experiment to diminish oxidative damage, combined therapy with (+)-catechin hydrate (an antioxidant) and sodium meta borate (chelator) were used. Fluoride intoxication in rats was performed by using 13mg/kg NaF and both antioxidant CH and chelator SMB were used at a concentration of 8.

Isolation, culture optimization and physico-chemical characterization of laccase enzyme from Pleurotus fossulatus.

Pleurotus fossulatus (Cooke) Sace is member of oyster mushroom can produced extracellular laccase (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase; EC 1.10.3.

Tamarind kernel powder: a novel agro-residue for the production of cellobiose dehydrogenase under submerged fermentation by Termitomyces clypeatus.

The study investigates the potential of substitution of the conventional carbohydrate nutrient (cellulose) in media with cheap agro-residues for cellobiose dehydrogenase production by Termitomyces clypeatus (CDHtc) under submerged conditions. Different agro-residues tested for enzyme production were characterized using FTIR and XRD analysis. As CDHtc production was highest with tamarind kernel powder (TKP), it was selected for process optimizations through shake-flask fermentations.

Nanocapsulated quercetin downregulates rat hepatic MMP-13 and controls diethylnitrosamine-induced carcinoma.

Aims: The aims of our work were to investigate the controlling role and the efficacy of nanocapsulated quercetin drug delivery system on the decrement of inflammatory mediators such as MMP-13 in diethyl nitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Materials & Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma was developed in the Swiss albino rats by the exposure of DEN. DEN administration caused the generation of reactive oxygen species, upregulation of TNF-α, IL-6, activation of MMP-13, severe oxidative damage, hyperplastic nodules with preneoplastic lesions and the histopathological changes in rat liver.

Mitochondria protection with ginkgolide B-loaded polymeric nanocapsules prevents diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinoma in rats.

Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has no successful pharmacotherapeutic remedy. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether ginkgolide B (GB)-loaded polymeric nanocapsules can prevent diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in rats.

Materials & Methods: GB was fabricated in two types of nanocapsules of which one was polyethylene glycol coated (N1GB) and the other was uncoated (N2GB).

Vesicular antioxidants: role in age-related cerebral oxidative injury.

Oxidative stress, due to the generation of reactive oxygen species, is a major factor in cerebral ischemic damage and changes the activities of antioxidant enzymes and substantially influences the aging process. Free chemical antioxidant is almost ineffective to treat brain ischemia as blood-brain barrier exists in between blood and brain interstitial fluid, limiting component to pass from the circulation into cerebral region. Different compounds have been tested in vivo in different vesiculated forms to prevent cerebral ischemia.

Neuroprotective role of nanoencapsulated quercetin in combating ischemia-reperfusion induced neuronal damage in young and aged rats.

Cerebral stroke is the leading cause of death and permanent disability among elderly people. In both humans and animals, cerebral ischemia damages the nerve cells in vulnerable regions of the brain, viz., hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and hypothalamus.

The use of nano-quercetin to arrest mitochondrial damage and MMP-9 upregulation during prevention of gastric inflammation induced by ethanol in rat.

Gastric ulcer is a multifaceted process that involves reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, extracellular matrix degradation and mitochondrial damage. Mitochondria play a crucial role for homeostasis of ROS and cell survival. In our study, we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of polymeric nanocapsuled quercetin (NQC) over the free quercetin (QC) molecule in prevention of ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rat.

Nanocapsulated curcumin: oral chemopreventive formulation against diethylnitrosamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rat.

Toxic outcome of chemical therapeutics as well as multidrug resistance are two serious phenomena for their inacceptance in cancer chemotherapy. Antioxidants like curcumin (Cur) have gained immense importance for their excellent anticarcinogenic activities and minimum toxic manifestations in biological system. However, Cur is lipophilic and thus following oral administration hardly appears in blood indicating its potential therapeutic challenge in cancer therapy.

Anticarcinogenic activity of nanoencapsulated quercetin in combating diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinoma in rats.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary hepatic malignancy worldwide. N-Nitroso compounds act as strong carcinogens in various animals, including primates. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a well known carcinogenic substance, which induces hepatic carcinoma.

Encapsulation of the flavonoid quercetin with an arsenic chelator into nanocapsules enables the simultaneous delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs with a synergistic effect against chronic arsenic accumulation and oxidative stress.

Chronic arsenic exposure causes oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the liver and brain. The ideal treatment would be to chelate arsenic and prevent oxidative stress. meso-2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is used to chelate arsenic but its hydrophilicity makes it membrane-impermeative.

Hepatoprotective and neuroprotective activity of liposomal quercetin in combating chronic arsenic induced oxidative damage in liver and brain of rats.

Context: Arsenic is a naturally occurring toxicant that causes acute and chronic adverse health effects, including cancer.

Objective: The study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of liposome entrapped flavonoidal quercetin in combating arsenic toxicity mediated oxidative damage in hepatocytes and brain cells in rat model.

Materials And Methods: Hepatic and neuronal cell damage in rats was made by daily arsenic (6 mg/kg b wt, 9 mg/kg b wt and 12 mg/kg b wt) treatment via oral route for four consecutive months.

Development of an efficient and simple method for conjugation of laccase to immunoglobulin and its characterization by enzyme immunoassay.

A new laccase-conjugated antibody is developed, containing laccase as an enzyme marker, obtained from culture supernatant of the basidiomycetous fungi Pleurotus ostreatus. The efficacy of the laccase-conjugated antibody was demonstrated in indirect and direct enzyme immunoassay after using periodate and glutaraldehyde conjugation methods. The assay based on laccase-conjugated antibody is potent to detect antigens when compared with peroxidase conjugated antibody.

Quercetin in vesicular delivery systems: evaluation in combating arsenic-induced acute liver toxicity associated gene expression in rat model.

Arsenic, the environmental toxicant causes oxidative damage to liver and produces hepatic fibrosis. The theme of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of liposomal and nanocapsulated herbal polyphenolic antioxidant quercetin (QC) in combating arsenic induced hepatic oxidative stress, fibrosis associated upregulation of its gene expression and plasma TGF beta (transforming growth factor beta) in rat model. A single dose of arsenic (sodium arsenite-NaAsO(2), 13 mg/kgb.