An Assessment of Ongoing Developments in Water Resources Management Incorporating SWAT Model: Overview and Perspectives

Land and water are the most necessary natural resources because the entire life system depends on them. It requires proper management to achieve maximum utilization. When used in conjunction with Arc GIS, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a promising model for simulating the agricultural watershed since it can forecast runoff, sediment and nutrient transport, and erosion under various management scenarios. Furthermore, the model is better at evaluating both the spatial and non-spatial variation of hydrological methods under a very large watershed. This study uses the methodology employed by the SWAT model for the estimation of surface runoff and sediment yield and discusses in detail the setup of the model computer file needed by the model sensitivity analysis parameter and validation area unit. SWAT is a well-known hydrological modeling method used in many hydrologic and environmental simulations. Over 17 years (2005-2021), 212 studies were found from various peer-reviewed scientific publications listed on the SWAT online database (CARD). Applicability studies were divided into five categories: water resources, streamflow, erosion, land-use planning and agricultural settings, climate change scenarios, and model parameterization. Hydrologic phenomena and adaptations in various river basins have been investigated. They mostly examined environmental impacts and preventive techniques to ensure an understanding of effective environmental regulation. Streamflow susceptibility to climatic changes was shown in climate change studies. Modeling streamflow parameters, model modifications, and basin-scale calibrations were investigated. Future simulation aspects such as data sharing and the opportunity for improved future analysis are also discussed. A multimodal approach to future simulations, as well as more efforts to make local data available, are both very good ideas.

Secondary metabolites produced by Macrophomina phaseolina, a fungal root endophyte of Brugmansia aurea, using classical and epigenetic manipulation approach

Endophytic fungi are rich sources of structurally complex chemical scaffolds with interesting biological activities. However, their metabolome is still unknown, making them appealing for novel compound discovery. To maximize the number of secondary metabolites produced from a single microbial source, we used the "OSMAC (one strain-many compounds) approach." In potato dextrose medium, M. phaseolina produced phomeolic acid (1), ergosterol peroxide (2), and a volatile compound 1,4-benzene-diol. Incorporating an epigenetic modifier, sodium valproate, affected the metabolite profile of the fungus. It produced 3-acetyl-3-methyl dihydro-furan-2(3H)-one (3) and methyl-2-(methyl-thio)-butyrate (4), plus volatile chemicals: butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT), di-methyl-formamide, 3-amino-1-propanol, and 1,4-benzenediol, 2-amino-1-(O-methoxyphenyl) propane. The structure of compounds 1-4 was established with the help of spectroscopic data. This study revealed first-time compounds 1-4 in the fungus M. phaseolina using a classical and epigenetic manipulation approach.

Trends in packaging material for food products: historical background, current scenario, and future prospects

The commercial demand for food products and dietary supplements has increased drastically in the last few decades. The packed food products and nutritional supplements have made a profound impact on the modern human lifestyle. Since ancient times, storage and long-term use of food products remain a significant challenge for humans. There are different parameters for the evaluation of food products and dietary supplements broadly categorized as quality control and quality assurance. On an average million tons of food, materials get spoiled daily worldwide due to lack of storage and transportation point out packaging systems inequalities. To ensure the quality of packed food products and nutritional supplements among available measures, packaging remained an important event and had been refined from time to time to provide a standard. Over a period, the packaging industry has evolved using modern technology from the conventional methods of new generation packaging, including glass, wood, and paper to most new biodegradable materials. The ancient pattern of packaging; manual packaging has been taken over by an automated system of packing, resulting in enhanced output with minimal chance of damage to valuable products for humanity. The article will emphasize new insights into current packaging system not only provide the quality of these products but also in aiming new heights beyond conventional technologies and consumer opinions. In the present study, we have given more emphasis on novel methods of packaging, the packaging materials, quality of packed products, and their impacts of food products on the environment.

Investigation of MicroRNA and transcription factor mediated regulatory network for silicosis using systems biology approach

Silicosis is a major health issue among workers exposed to crystalline silica. Genetic susceptibility has been implicated in silicosis. The present research demonstrates key regulatory targets and propagated network of gene/miRNA/transcription factor (TF) with interactions responsible for silicosis by integrating publicly available microarray data using a systems biology approach. Array quality is assessed with the Quality Metrics package of Bioconductor, limma package, and the network is constructed using Cytoscape. We observed and enlist 235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) having up-regulation expression (85 nos) and down-regulation expression (150 nos.) in silicosis; and 24 TFs for the regulation of these DEGs entangled with thousands of miRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs enlighten that, the maximum number of DEGs are responsible for biological process viz, Rab proteins signal transduction (11 nos.) and Cellular Senescence (20 nos.), whereas IL-17 signaling pathway (16 nos.) and Signalling by Nuclear Receptors (14 nos.) etc. are Biological Pathway involving more DEGs. From the identified 1100 high target microRNA (miRNA)s involved in silicosis, 1055 miRNAs are found to relate with down-regulated genes and 847 miRNAs with up-regulated genes. The CDK19 gene (Up-regulated) is associated with 617 miRNAs whereas down-regulated gene ARID5B is regulated by as high as 747 high target miRNAs. In Prediction of Small-molecule signatures, maximum scoring small-molecule combinations for the DEGs have shown that CGP-60774 (with 20 combinations), alvocidib (with 15 combinations) and with AZD-7762 (24 combinations) with few other drugs having the high probability of success.

Datura stramonium essential oil composition and it's immunostimulatory potential against colon cancer cells

The current study deals with the investigation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of the essential oil from Datura stramonium leaves (D. oil). The GC-MS analysis showed that the dominant compounds present in the D. oil were neophytadiene (Phytol acetate) (10.76%), β-damascenone (9.67%), and β- eudesmol (7.2%). D. oil exhibited in vitro scavenging potential of free radicals by DPPH and ABTS assays (IC₅₀ values 71.35 ±1.06 μg/ml and 61.01 ± 1.07 μg/ml, respectively). We found that D. oil decreased the nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated J774A.1 cells by 52.43% without affecting their cell viability. D. oil was found to stimulate the proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and, also enhanced the secretion of IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Furthermore, D. oil treatment of PBMC induced the expression of CD3, CD8, and CD56 and intracellular granulysin levels in the immune cells. The treatment of human lymphocytes by D. oil enhanced their ability to kill colon cancer cells HCT-116 (51.09 ± 7.5%) and SW620 (48.57 ± 8.08%) at 20:1 (effector: target ratio). Moreover, these activated lymphocytes cause target cell death by reactive oxygen species and by damaging mitochondrial membrane potential of these cells. Taken together, the current findings showed D. oil as immunotherapeutic agent which can be used for colon cancer treatment.

Screening of Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin Residues in Chicken Meat by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin antibiotics are widely used in chicken production for prophylaxis and therapeutics purposes. Existence of these antibiotic residues in chicken meat can pose hazards to human health. The present study was aimed to assess the residue level of these antibiotics in chicken meat. Chicken meat samples (including muscle, liver, kidney and fat) from poultry farms and retail market were collected. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used for screening of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin residues in chicken meat samples. The analysis revealed that 43.58% meat samples were positive for enrofloxacin and 38.71% for ciprofloxacin residues. Out of it, 45.17% samples were having concentration above the MRL for enrofloxacin and 50.28% for ciprofloxacin. So it can be concluded that the usage of these antimicrobial in chicken lead contamination of meat and it may cause resistance in consumers and seems to be a public health threat.

Genetic variation in the chemokine receptor 5 gene and course of HIV infection; review on genetics and immunological aspect

Chemokines are small protein molecules associated with various physiological events precisely in immune modulation via chemokine receptors. The chemokine receptors are G-protein coupled receptors express mainly on the cell surface of immune cells. Retroviruses, including HIV in the early stage of infection, primarily target chemokines receptors and get internalized easily into immune cells; T cell and escape from immune surveillance. HIV glycoprotein selectively develops an affinity for the extracellular domain of chemokines receptors and allows the pathogen to internalize via CCR-5. Now, CCR-5 remains a crucial signaling pathway that can be translated into the therapeutic target by changing the receptor protein environment. Many populations have a mutation in coding and promoter regions of CCR-5, tuning a resistance for HIV infection. Natively, there are several mechanisms where the human genome remains in the dynamic state by changing its composition and acquiring variations. Single nucleotide polymorphism is spontaneous phenomenon responsible for precise and point mutation at the genome. Several studies have demonstrated that European and African American populations are enriched in significant CCR5 promoter SNP (CCR5Δ32) in the coding and promoter region as well. Now, such SNP can be an early-stage biomarker in studying HIV and other similar infections. Here, in this study, we have elucidated the role of SNP (both the promoter and coding region) and the fate of HIV infections. We also empathized with the genetics of such SNPs, mostly frequency and its immunological impact.

In vitro acaricidal activity of Piper nigrum and Piper longum fruit extracts and their active components against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks

In vitro acaricidal activity of Piper nigrum and P. longum fruit extracts and their active components (piperine for P. nigrum and piperine and piperlonguminine for P. longum) was evaluated against adults engorged females of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus using adult immersion test. Three concentrations of each extract with four replications were used in the bioassay. Extracts significantly affected mortality rates of ticks in dose-dependent manner ranged 12.5-95.8% for P. nigrum and 29.2-87.5% for P. longum, with an additional effect on the reproductive physiology of ticks by inhibiting oviposition (28.1-96.9% by P. nigrum and 36.1-89.3% by P. longum). However, the acaricidal and oviposition limiting properties were decreased significantly when the active component(s) of each extract was tested separately. However, the combination of piperine and piperlonguminine (obtained from P. longum extract) caused 79.2% mortality of ticks which is equivalent to the corresponding concentration (~ 5%) of the extract. It can be concluded that the fruit extracts of P. nigrum and P. longum had both acaricidal and oviposition limiting actions against the adults of R. (B.) microplus which could make it a valuable component of developing sustainable strategy for integrated tick management.

Nutritional characterization of apple as a function of genotype

Twenty two apple cultivars grown in Himachal Pradesh, India were harvested at commercial maturity and analysed for different physical (fruit weight, fruit dimensions, firmness, color) and nutritional attributes (ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, total carotenoid, sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds and minerals). Cultivar 'Oregon Spur II' was found to have maximum fruit size and weight while the least was observed for cultivar 'Starkrimson'. Quantitative differences were found in the nutritional profile among the cultivars with respect to all the above attributes. The ascorbic acid content ranged between 19.38 mg 100 g^-1 ('Well Spur') and 32.08 mg 100 g^-1 ('Starkrimson') while the antioxidant activity varied between 2.64 μmol Trolox equivalent g^-1 ('Granny Smith') and 13.20 μmol Trolox equivalent g^-1 ('Silver Spur'). The highest total carotenoid was found in 'Red Chief' (147.06 mg kg^-1) while in 'Early Red-I' the total carotenoid was only 29.03 mg kg^-1. HPLC analysis for individual sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds was carried out. Fructose (average 50.79 g L^-1) was the most abundant sugar. Malic acid (average 6.03 mg L^-1) predominated among the individual organic acids. Potassium (average 795.14 mg 100 g^-1) and iron (average 2.04 µg g^-1) were the predominant macro and micro elements, respectively. Chlorogenic acid was the major constituent among phenolic compounds.

A new clerodane furano diterpene glycoside from Tinospora cordifolia triggers autophagy and apoptosis in HCT-116 colon cancer cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tinospora cordifolia is a miraculous ayurvedic herb used in the treatment of innumerable diseases such as diabetes, gonorrhea, secondary syphilis, anaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatological diseases, cancer, gout, jaundice, asthma, leprosy, in the treatment of bone fractures, liver & intestinal disorders, purifies the blood, gives new life to the whole body; (rejuvenating herb) and many more. Recent studies have revealed the anticancer potential of this plant but not much work has been done on the anticancer chemical constituents actually responsible for its amazing anticancer effects. This prompted us to investigate this plant further for new potent anticancer molecules.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study was designed to isolate and identify new promising anticancer candidates from the aqueous alcoholic extract of T. cordifolia using bioassay-guided fractionation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The structures of the isolated compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation and that of new potent anticancer molecule, TC-2 was confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis of its corresponding acetate. The in vitro anti-cancer activity of TC-2 was evaluated by SRB assay and the autophagic activity was investigated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Annexin-V FITC and PI dual staining was applied for the detection of apoptosis. The studies on Mitochondrial Membrane potential and ROS (Reactive oxygen species) production were also done.

RESULTS

Bioassay guided fractionation and purification of the aqueous alcoholic stem extract of Tinospora cordifolia led to the isolation of a new clerodane furano diterpene glycoside (TC-2) along with five known compounds i.e. cordifolioside A (β-D-Glucopyranoside,4-(3-hydroxy-1-propenyl)- 2,6-dimethoxyphenyl 3-O-D-apio-β-D-furanosyl) (TC-1), β-Sitosterol(TC-3), 2β,3β:15,16-Diepoxy- 4α, 6β-dihydroxy-13(16),14-clerodadiene-17,12:18,1-diolide (TC-4), ecdysterone(TC-5) and tinosporoside(TC-6). TC-2 emerged as a potential candidate for the treatment of colon cancer.

CONCLUSION

The overall study on the bioassay guided isolation of T.cordifolia identified and isolated a new clerodane furano diterpenoid that exhibited anticancer activity via induction of mitochondria mediated apoptosis and autophagy in HCT116 cells. We have reported a promising future candidate for treating colon cancer.

An endophytic Fusarium sp. isolated from Monarda citriodora produces the industrially important plant-like volatile organic compound hexanal

An endophytic fungus, MC_25L, has been isolated from the leaves of MonardacitriodoraCerv. ex Lag., a medicinal and aromatic herb from the northwestern Himalayas. It produces a fruity fragrance while growing on potato dextrose agar, suggesting that it is producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The endophyte inhibited the growth of plant pathogens such asSclerotiniasp. and Aspergillusflavus by virtue of VOCs. Identification of MC_25L based on morphological and microscopic features, as well as ITS-based rDNA sequence analysis, revealed that it is a Fusariumsp. GC-MS analysis revealed that this endophyte produces a unique array of VOCs, in particular hexanal, p-fluoroanisole, pentafluoropropionic acid 2-ethylhexyl, (5E)-5-ethyl-2-methyl-5-hepten-3-one, 2-butyl-2-hexanol, (7E)-2-methyl-7-hexadecene and acoradiene. Three major compounds were hexanal, (5E)-5-ethyl-2-methyl-5-hepten-3-one and acoradiene, and they account for around 84.57 % of the total VOCs. Moreover, of interest was the presence of hexanal, which has applications in the food and cosmetic industries, as well as in mycofumigation. This is the first report of a fungal endophyte producing the industrially important plant-like VOC hexanal. Hexanal is also active biologically. Thus this study indicates that Fusariumsp. (MC_25L) is a potential candidate for the up-scaling of hexanal.

Disruption of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling cascade and induction of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by an essential oil from Monarda citriodora

We have isolated an essential oil from Monarda citriodora (MC) and characterized its 22 chemical constituents with thymol (82%), carvacrol (4.82%), β-myrcene (3.45%), terpinen-4-ol (2.78%) and p-cymene (1.53%) representing the major constituents. We have reported for the first time the chemotherapeutic potential of MC in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells by means of apoptosis and disruption of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling cascade. MC and its major constituent, thymol, inhibit the cell proliferation in different types of cancer cell lines like HL-60, MCF-7, PC-3, A-549 and MDAMB-231. MC was found to be more cytotoxic than thymol in HL-60 cells with an IC50 value of 22 μg/ml versus 45 μg/ml for thymol. Both MC and thymol induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells, which is evident by Hoechst staining, cell cycle analysis and immuno-expression of Bcl-xL, caspase-3,-8,-9 and PARP-1 cleavage. Both induce apoptosis by extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways that were confirmed by enhanced expression of death receptors (TNF-R1, Fas), caspase-9, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and regression of Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Interestingly, both MC and thymol inhibit the downstream and upstream signaling of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The degree of apoptosis induction and disruption of the PI3K signaling cascade by MC was significantly higher when compared to thymol.

Development of a validated UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS method for determination of bioactive constituent from Glycyrrhiza glabra

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid. These analytes were separated on a reverse phase C18 column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile:2% acetic acid in water (75:25, v/v) with a flow rate of 200 μL/min. The qTOF-MS was operated under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using the electrospray ionization (ESI) technique with positive ion polarity. A comparison of three different extraction techniques i.e. accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), extraction under ultrasonic waves (USW) and the classical extraction by percolation (CE) method was done and quantification of these extracts was also carried out by the proposed method.

Direct rhizogenesis, in vitro stolon proliferation and high-throughput regeneration of plantlets in Glycyrrhiza glabra

Direct rhizogenesis from leaf explants and establishment of an in vitro stolon culture system and subsequent plant regeneration for Glycyrrhiza glabra have been described. MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.01 mg l^-1 of NAA was most effective for stolon proliferation. Extensive proliferation of stolon and shoot regeneration was achieved on medium containing 3 % sucrose with 0.01 mg l^-1 NAA. Stolons with nodes showing growth was transferred under light for plantlet regeneration in the same medium. This paper is the first report in G. glabra describing a complete regeneration procedure via in vitro stolon proliferation along with quantitative data for glycyrrhizin and genetic fidelity of plant regenerated in vitro there from. In vitro stolon proliferation described here would be an efficient way for regeneration of plants for functional genomics studies and better understanding of glycyrrhizin (GA) metabolism.

Energy transfer in anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

A spectral analysis of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, in presence of a constant magnetic field, is presented using high-resolution direct numerical simulations. A method of decomposing the spectral space into ring structures is presented and the energy transfers between such rings are studied. This decomposition method takes into account the angular dependency of energy transfers in anisotropic systems, while it allows one to recover easily the known shell-to-shell energy transfers in the limit of isotropic turbulence. For large values of the constant magnetic field, the total-energy transfer appears to be most dominant in the direction perpendicular to the mean magnetic field. The linear transfer due to the constant magnetic also appears to be important in redistributing the energy between the velocity and the magnetic fields.

Field theoretic calculation of renormalized viscosity, renormalized resistivity, and energy fluxes of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

A self-consistent renormalization scheme has been applied to nonhelical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence with zero cross helicity. Kolmogorov's 5/3 power law has been shown to be a consistent solution for d> or =d(c) approximately 2.2. For Kolmogorov's solution, both renormalized viscosity and resistivity are positive for the whole range of parameters. Various cascade rates and Kolmogorov's constant for MHD turbulence have been calculated by solving the flux equation to first order in the perturbation series. We find that the magnetic energy cascades forward. The Kolmogorov constant for d=3 does not vary significantly with r(A) and is found to be close to the constant for fluid turbulence.