Exogenous delivery of dsRNA for management of mungbean yellow mosaic virus on blackgram

MAIN CONCLUSION

Exogenous application of dsRNA molecules targeting MYMV genes offers a promising approach to effectively mitigate yellow mosaic disease in blackgram, demonstrating potential for sustainable plant viral disease management. The exogenous application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules to control plant viral diseases is gaining traction due to its advantages over conventional methods, such as target specificity, non-polluting nature, and absence of residue formation. Furthermore, this approach does not involve genome modification. In this study, dsRNA molecules targeting the coat protein gene (dsCP) and replication initiator protein gene (dsRep) of mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) were synthesised using an in vitro transcription method. To evaluate the effectiveness of dsRNA treatment, blackgram plants exhibiting MYMV symptoms at the first trifoliate stage were subjected to exogenous application of dsRNA. Second, third, and fourth trifoliate leaves, which emerged at 7, 15, and 21 days after dsRNA application, respectively, were monitored for MYMV symptoms. Remarkably, a significant reduction in yellow mosaic disease (YMD) symptoms was observed in the newly emerged trifoliate leaves of MYMV-infected blackgram plants after treatment with dsRNA targeting both gene regions. This reduction was evident as a decrease in the intensity of yellow mosaic coverage on the leaf lamina compared to control. dsCP effectively reduced the MYMV titre in the treated plants for up to 15 days. However, dsRep demonstrated greater efficiency in conferring resistance to MYMV at 15 days post-application. These findings were supported by quantitative real-time PCR analysis, where the observed Ct values for DNA extracted from dsRep-treated plants were significantly higher compared to the Ct values of DNA from dsCP-treated plants at 15 days post-application. Similarly, higher viral copy numbers were observed in dsCP-treated plants 15 days after dsRNA treatment, in contrast to plants treated with dsRep.

Data sampling approach using heuristic Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) classifier for software defect prediction

On the basis of quality estimate, early prediction and identification of software flaws is crucial in the software area. Prediction of Software Defects SDP is defined as the process of exposing software to flaws through the use of prediction models and defect datasets. This study recommended a method for dealing with the class imbalance problem based on Improved Random Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE), followed by Linear Pearson Correlation Technique to perform feature selection to predict software failure. On the basis of the SMOTE data sampling approach, a strategy for software defect prediction is given in this paper. To address the class imbalance, the defect datasets were initially processed using the Improved Random-SMOTE Oversampling technique. Then, using the Linear Pearson Correlation approach, the features were chosen, and using the k-fold cross validation process, the samples were split into training and testing datasets. Finally, Heuristic Learning Vector Quantization is used to classify data in order to predict software problems. Based on measures like sensitivity, specificity, FPR, and accuracy rate for two separate datasets, the performance of the proposed strategy is contrasted with the approaches to classification that presently exist.

Evaluation of Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Powder for Assessing Gustatory Function and Comparison with Other Tastants

Aims: Azadirachta indica (meliacea), popularly known as neem has extreme bitter taste however it has high medicinal properties. The study aimed to use the bitterness property of neem leaf powder to assess the bitter taste along with other tastants and to check reliability of this newly introduced method. Materials and methods: 60 healthy subjects were recruited in the present study. Bitter, sweet, salt, sour and umami taste solutions are prepared in three different concentrations. Gustatory recognition threshold was recorded against each concentration of five tastants solutions. Results: A significant difference in the first concentration (.003) of neem between all age groups (p=0.026) but no significant difference in the second and third concentrations were observed. Males have higher gustatory recognition threshold in almost all levels of taste parameters. However, medium and higher concentrations of neem have no significant gender wise difference. An acceptable level of reliability was found in the test retest method conducted in a two week interval. Conclusion: The neem leaf powder solution can be used for bitter taste assessment, is reliable, and can be safely used in the clinical setting.

Olfactory Function Assessment: Standardization of a New Quantitative Technique for the Indian Population

Aim: Olfactory function assessment is often neglected in clinical settings due to a lack of appropriate cost effective techniques. We therefore aimed to develop a cost effective, reliable and culturally appropriate tool for olfactory function assessment among the Indian population and to compare olfactory functions among 63 healthy controls and 32 idiopathic Parkinson’s disease patients. Materials and Methods: Olfactory stimuli were applied to the nostrils of the participants using an olfactometer. Five different odoriferous substances common to Indian culture were used for the study in three different concentrations: ginger (1%, 2%, 3%), cardamom (0.4%, 2%, 3%), garlic (0.8%, 1.4%, 2%), coffee (1.6%, 2%, 4%), vanilla (2%, 3%, 4%). Olfactory recognition threshold, olfactory identification score and olfactory discrimination score were observed among the control population and Parkinson’s disease population. Results: The olfactory recognition threshold was significantly high among the Parkinson’s disease group compared to controls (Mann Whitney U test, p<0.001). Reliability was tested using the test-retest method among the control group and all olfactory variables in three different concentrations had either r value closer to 1 or 1, which shows an acceptable level of reliability. The correlation was found to be significant (p<0.001). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve drawn for olfactory recognition thresholds at different concentrations for the five odouriferous substances and the area was determined to classify cases and controls (Determined areas: ginger = 0.928, cardamom = 0.955, garlic = 0.921, Coffee = 0.950, vanilla = 0.950). The area under the curve was found to be significant in classifying the cases and the control. Conclusion: The newly developed olfactory assessment tool was found to be reliable and effective in assessing olfactory parameters like recognition threshold, identification score and discrimination score among the Indian population.

Coping with diabetes during the COVID - 19 lockdown in India: Results of an online pilot survey

AIM

The management of diabetes has become a challenge due to the COVID 19 lockdown. An online-based pilot survey was conducted to study how people with diabetes were coping with their Diabetes during the COVID - 19 lockdown.

METHOD

The questions were designed in an online survey, Survey Monkey, to conduct this cross-sectional study. The link was generated and sent to 100 registered patients of the MV Hospital for Diabetes Royapuram who had not contacted the hospital after the lockdown announcement. The survey was done between April 1 and April 15, 2020.Oral consent was obtained through telephone before the link was sent by Whatsapp to them.The questionnaire consisted of questions on home blood glucose monitoring, regularity in doing their physical activity and dietary compliance and anxiety about the viral infection.

RESULTS

92% of the participants had Type 2 diabetes. Only 28% of the participants were checking their blood glucose levels regularly. 80% of the participants mentioned that they were following regular exercise and diet control during the lockdown period. 40% of the participants were anxious about the Covid infection.

CONCLUSION

SMBG needs to be practiced on regular basis, especially among the patients with diabetes on insulin therapy. Most of the people surveyed were coping well with their Diabetes. Patients have reported that they were able to maintain proper dietary compliance and be more physically active at home during this lockdown. These findings need to be ascertained in larger sample of patients.

Quality of classification with LERS system in the data size context

Rough set theory is a simple and potential methodology in extracting and minimizing rules from decision tables. Its concepts are core, reduct and discovering knowledge in the form of rules. The decision rules explain the decision state to predict and support the new situation. Initially it was proposed as a useful tool for analysis of decision states. This approach produces a set of decision rules involves two types namely certain and possible rules based on approximation. The prediction may highly be affected if the data size varies in larger numbers. Application of Rough set theory towards this direction has not been considered yet. Hence the main objective of this paper is to study the influence of data size and the number of rules generated by rough set methods. The performance of these methods is presented through the metric like accuracy and quality of classification. The results obtained show the range of performance and first of its kind in current research trend.

Modulatory effect of troxerutin on biotransforming enzymes and preneoplasic lesions induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rat colon carcinogenesis

Colon cancer is the third most global oncologic problem faced by medical fraternity. Troxerutin, a flavonoid present in tea, coffee, cereal grains, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, exhibits various pharmacological and biological activities. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of troxerutin on xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, colonic bacterial enzymes and the development of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) during 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced experimental rat colon carcinogenesis. Male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups. Group 1 served as control. Group 2 received troxerutin (50 mg/kg b.w., p.o. every day) for 16 weeks. Groups 3-6 received subcutaneous injections of DMH (20 mg/kg b.w.) once a week, for the first four weeks. In addition, groups 4-6 received different doses of troxerutin (12.5, 25, 50 mg/kg b.w., p.o. every day respectively) along with DMH injections. Our results reveal that DMH treated rats exhibited elevated activities of phase I enzymes such as cytochrome P450, cytochrome b5, cytochrome P4502E1, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and reduced activities of phase II enzymes such as glutathione-S-transferase (GST), DT-diaphorase (DTD) and uridine diphospho glucuronyl transferase (UDPGT) in the liver and colonic mucosa of control and experimental rats. Furthermore, the activities of fecal and colonic mucosal bacterial enzymes, such as β-glucronidase, β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase and mucinase were found to be significantly higher in DMH alone treated rats than those of the control rats. On supplementation with troxerutin to DMH treated rats, the alterations in the activities of the biotransforming enzymes, bacterial enzymes and the pathological changes were significantly reversed, the effect being more pronounced when troxerutin was supplemented at the dose of 25 mg/kg b.w. Thus troxerutin could be considered as a good chemopreventive agent against the formation of preneoplastic lesions in a rat model of colon carcinogenesis.

Modulating effect of d-carvone on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced pre-neoplastic lesions, oxidative stress and biotransforming enzymes, in an experimental model of rat colon carcinogenesis

OBJECTIVES

The present study has aimed to evaluate chemopreventive potential of d-carvone on oxidative stress markers, biotransforming enzymes, incidence of colonic polyps and aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced experimental colon carcinogenesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats were randomly divided into six groups, with group I serving as control. Group II animals received d-carvone every day orally (20 mg/kg body weight) for 16 weeks; groups III-VI received subcutaneous injections of DMH (20 mg/kg body weight) once a week, for the first 4 weeks. In addition, groups IV-VI received different doses of d-carvone (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight everyday orally) along with DMH injections.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that supplementation with d-carvone significantly reduced incidence of polyps/ACF and ACF multiplicity in DMH-exposed rats compared to DMH-alone-exposed rats. Moreover, our results showed reduced activities of liver and circulatory antioxidants and increased levels of lipid peroxidation by products in DMH-exposed animals, which were significantly reversed on supplementation with d-carvone. In addition, colonic antioxidants and lipid peroxidation were significantly diminished in DMH-exposed rats, which were significantly elevated on supplementation with d-carvone. Furthermore, we also determined activities of biotransforming enzymes, which were found to be altered in DMH-exposed rats, but reversed on d-carvone supplementation. All these observations of changes were supported by histochemical findings.

CONCLUSION

Overall, results obtained from this study suggest that d-carvone at 10 mg/kg body weight provided optimum protection and could be used as an effective chemopreventive agent against colon carcinogenesis induced by DMH.

Protective effect of glutathione against isoproterenol induced myocardial injury in rats

Though there are studies to show protective effect of glutathione against neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, the present study was designed to investigate the cardio protective effect of glutathione against isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats by demonstrating the changes in serum cardiac markers, antioxidant enzymes and ECG changes. Wistar male rats were randomly divided into four groups namely control (GI), glutathione (GII), isoproterenol (GIII) and glutathione + isoproterenol treated (GIV). Glutathione treated group-received glutathione (200 mg/kg body wt) orally for 30 days. Myocardial infarction was induced in rats by isoproterenol administration (100 mg/kg) subcutaneously (sc) at an interval of 24 hrs on 31st and 32nd day cardiac marker enzymes, ECG, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes were assessed 24 hrs after the last dose of isoproterenol. Isoproterenol showed changes in ECG pattern, increase in serum level of cardiac marker, increased lipid per oxidation and decreased antioxidant defense system in heart. Glutathione pretreatment brings almost all the parameters to near normal level in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats. The present study revealed that glutathione ameliorates cardiac damage in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats due to potent antioxidant, free radical scavenging effect, myocardial adaptation at cellular and organ levels.

Production and optimization of indole acetic acid by indigenous micro flora using agro waste as substrate

Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) producing bacterium was isolated from the Rhizosphere soil and identified as Rhizobium sp. and Bacillus sp., Optimization of Indole acetic acid production was carried out at different cultural conditions, such as pH, temperature and substrate with Rhizobium sp., Bacillus sp. and Rhizobium sp., produced higher amount of Indole acetic acid (6.1 mg mL(-1)) than the Bacillus sp., (4.4 mg mL(-1)) at pH 7 and 37 degrees C in the Bengal gram substrate. Partial purification of Indole acetic acid was done by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). In conclusion Rhizobium sp., appear to be a suitable soil microorganism for high level of IAA production.

Haematological and biochemical effects of polyphenolics in animal models

Polyphenols of natural and synthetic origin are exploited in tanning sector to convert putrescible skin/hide to non-putrescible leather. However, only 30-40% of the inputs have been taken up for processing, the remaining is released as unspent. The existing conventional wastewater treatment systems are inefficient in removing or degrading these unspent polyphenols and thus detrimental to ecosystem. The present study demonstrates the evaluation of impact of both synthetic and natural polyphenols on biochemical and haematological properties of blood and serum in animal models. The results reveal that concentrations of polyphenols play a major role. At higher concentrations, irrespective of their nature, there was a marked change in the lipid profile (81% reduction), followed by insignificant change in glucose levels, RBC and WBC counts and other haematological parameters. At lower concentrations, no significant changes in the above said properties were observed.

Redescription of Procamallanus mathurai Pande, Bhatia and Rai, 1963 (Camallanidae: Nematoda)

The present species, identified as Procamallanus mathurai obtained from the stomach and intestine of fresh water fish Heteropneuste fossilis (Bloch) is redescribed. Position of vulva preequatorial which was not described earlier by Pande et al., 1963 and it differs from the original description in the size of spicules.