4-Chloro-2-Isopropyl-5-Methylphenol Exhibits Antimicrobial and Adjuvant Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Kim, Byung Chan,Kim, Hyerim,Lee, Hye Soo,Kim, Su Hyun,Cho, Do-Hyun,Jung, Hee Ju,Bhatia, Shashi Kant,Yune, Philip S.,Joo, Hwang-Soo,Kim, Jae-Seok,Kim, Wooseong,Yang, Yung-Hun The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnol 2022 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.32 No.6

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes severe infections and poses a global healthcare challenge. The utilization of novel molecules which confer synergistical effects to existing MRSA-directed antibiotics is one of the well-accepted strategies in lieu of de novo development of new antibiotics. Thymol is a key component of the essential oil of plants in the Thymus and Origanum genera. Despite the absence of antimicrobial potency, thymol is known to inhibit MRSA biofilm formation. However, the anti-MRSA activity of thymol analogs is not well characterized. Here, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of several thymol derivatives and found that 4-chloro-2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol (chlorothymol) has antimicrobial activity against MRSA and in addition it also prevents biofilm formation. Chlorothymol inhibited staphyloxanthin production, slowed MRSA motility, and altered bacterial cell density and size. This compound also showed a synergistic antimicrobial activity with oxacillin against highly resistant S. aureus clinical isolates and biofilms associated with these isolates. Our results demonstrate that chlorinated thymol derivatives should be considered as a new lead compound in anti-MRSA therapeutics.

Biodiversity and Conservation of Indian Sheep Genetic Resources - An Overview -

Bhatia, S.,Arora, R. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2005 Animal Bioscience Vol.18 No.10

Indian subcontinent is a rich source of diverse ovine germplasm, and only very few countries have such a large number of breeds with wide genetic diversity. This vast ovine biodiversity in India is being eroded rapidly and more than 50% of sheep breeds are currently under threat. It is noteworthy that the characterization of Indian sheep breeds was last done in the first half of the century since then no recent estimates are available and surveys in majority of the regions/breeds are far from complete. Starting in 1985 National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, India, therefore, initiated activities aimed at determining the status and compiling information on indigenous farm animals including sheep. This report represents attempts made to date on the basis of field/literature surveys and additional activities on molecular characterization to ascertain their status including distribution, population changes, breed diversities and risk status. The need, mode and mechanisms of conservation are also described. Involvement of several agencies for evaluation, improvement, conservation programmes and recommendations made for effective characterization and conservation of sheep biodiversity are highlighted. This publication would promote action particularly at national level to improve the information base on domestic Indian breeds of sheep and provide input into national domestic sheep diversity conservation policy decisions.

Production of (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) copolymer from coffee waste oil using engineered Ralstonia eutropha

Bhatia, S. K.,Kim, J. H.,Kim, M. S.,Kim, J.,Hong, J. W.,Hong, Y. G.,Kim, H. J.,Jeon, J. M.,Kim, S. H.,Ahn, J. Springer Science + Business Media 2018 BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Vol.41 No.2

<P>Polyhydroxyalkonate (PHA) is a type of polymer that has the potential to replace petro-based plastics. To make PHA production more economically feasible, there is a need to find a new carbon source and engineer microbes to produce a commercially valuable polymer. Coffee waste is an inexpensive raw material that contains fatty acids. It can act as a sustainable carbon source and seems quite promising with PHA production in Ralstonia eutropha, which is a well-known microbe for PHA accumulation, and has the potential to utilize fatty acids. In this study, to make poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (P(HB-co-HHx)), which has superior properties in terms of biodegradability, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength, engineered strain Ralstonia eutropha Re2133 overexpressing (R)-specific enoyl coenzyme-A hydratase (phaJ) and PHA synthetase (phaC2) with deletion of acetoacetyl Co-A reductases (phaB1, phaB2, and phaB3) was used to produce PHA from coffee waste oil. At a coffee oil concentration of 1.5%, and C/N ratio of 20, the R. eutropha Re2133 fermentation process results in 69% w/w of DCW PHA accumulation and consists of HB (78 mol%) and HHx (22 mol%). This shows the feasibility of using coffee waste oil for P(HB-co-HHx) production, as it is a low-cost fatty acid enriched waste material.</P>

Biotransformation of lysine into cadaverine using barium alginate-immobilized Escherichia coli overexpressing CadA

Bhatia, S. K.,Kim, Y. H.,Kim, H. J.,Seo, H. M.,Kim, J. H.,Song, H. S.,Sathiyanarayanan, G.,Park, S. H.,Park, K.,Yang, Y. H. Springer Science + Business Media 2015 BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Vol.38 No.12

Genetic Characterization and Differentiation of Indian Sheep Breeds Using Microsatellite Marker Information

S. Bhatia,Reena Arora 한국유전학회 2007 Genes & Genomics Vol.29 No.3

In this study the prevailing status of the genetic variability within and between two important sheep breeds - Marwari and Sonadi from Northwestern arid and semi arid region of India - was assessed using 25 Food and Agriculture Organization-International Society for Animal Genetics (FAO-ISAG) recommended microsatellite markers for ovines. All the markers were polymorphic in both breeds. Considerable high level of genetic variation was elucidated in the investigated breeds by allele diversity (Marwari = 6.24, Sonadi = 5.88) and gene diversity (Marwari = 0.683, Sonadi = 0.677). Genetic bottleneck was not detected in either of these sheep breeds. Overall positive FIS value (0.129) and FIT (0.179) > FST (0.058) indicated inbreeding to be one of the main cause for high genetic homogeneity and lack of heterozygosity in both breeds. Negative value of relatedness reflected influx of new germplasm in the investigated breeds. Low estimates of multilocus FST, low genetic distance measures (Nei`s unbiased = 0.189) and high gene flow (Nm = 4.1) values implied low level of genetic differentiation between Marwari and Sonadi breeds. A correct breed assignment was possible for only 81% of individuals. To combat high level of inbreeding and dilution in their genetic material, the present study suggested that concerted efforts are needed to generate awareness among farmers for the frequent exchange of rams between their flocks and maintenance of breed purity by use of selected rams of the specific breeds. The present information on diversity analysis can further be used to make assessment of genetic diversity and relationships between other indigenous sheep breeds - an important component of conserving genetic resources.

Microbial production of volatile fatty acids: current status and future perspectives

Bhatia, S. K.,Yang, Y. H. Springer Science + Business Media 2017 Reviews in environmental science and bio/technolog Vol.16 No.2

<P>Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are used as building blocks to synthesize a wide range of commercially-important chemicals. Microbially produced VFAs (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid) can be considered as a replacement for petroleum-based VFAs due to their renewability, degradability, and sustainability. The main objective of this review is to summarize research and development of VFA production methods via microbial routes, their downstream processes, current applications, and main challenges. Various fermentation processes have been developed to produce of VFAs starting from commercially-available sugars and other raw materials such as lignocellulose, whey, and waste sludge. Only few microbes have been explored for their potential to produce VFAs, and very little genomic information data is available at the present time. There is a need to use metabolic engineering, systematic biology, evolutionary engineering, and bioinformatics to discover VFA biosynthesis routes since the pathways for isobutyric acid and isovaleric acids are still not well understood.</P>

Formulation, development and evaluation of ibuprofen loaded nanoemulsion prepared by nanoprecipitation technique: use of factorial design approach as a tool of optimization methodology

Sachin S. Salunkhe,Neela M. Bhatia,Jyoti D. Thorat,Prafulla B. Choudhari,Manish S. Bhatia 한국약제학회 2014 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.44 No.4

The objective of this study was to optimizeibuprofen loaded nanoemulsion by using a factorial designapproach. In the present study attempts have been made toformulate and evaluate nanoemulsion for topical deliveryof ibuprofen. Solvent precipitation technique was used fordevelopment of ibuprofen nanoemulsion. Miglyol 840 wasscreened as the oil phase due to a good solubilisationcapacity (0.197 ± 0.012 g/mL) for ibuprofen. On the basisof RHLB of an oil phase Labrasol and Triton X 100 wereused as surfactant and cosurfactant, respectively. The studyinvestigated the utility of 23 factorial design for optimizationprocess of nanoemulsion batches. Present modeldemonstrated the significance of factors such as drugconcentration (X1), anti-solvent volume (X2) and surfactantcosurfactant combination concentration (X3) on particlesize (Y1) and encapsulation efficiency (Y2). Optimizednanoemulsion showed better flux value (Jss), skin permeationcoefficient (Kp) as compared to plain ibuprofen gel. Drug deposition study revealed that optimized ibuprofennanoemulsion showed deposition of 26.13 ± 3.47 lg cm-2in comparison to the deposition of 16.50 ± 2.34 lg cm-2shown by plain ibuprofen loaded gel. While the antiinflammatorystudy has shown faster onset of action withthe nanoemulsion which was confirmed by 75 ± 1.27 %inhibition of inflammation at the end of 1 h and63.97 ± 1.71 % at the end of 24 h. The effect of drug wasenhanced by prepared nanoemulsion formulation andhence confirms the utility of nanoemulsion system as avehicle for better topical delivery of ibuprofen.

Topical delivery of Idebenone using nanostructured lipid carriers: evaluations of sun-protection and anti-oxidant effects

Sachin S. Salunkhe,Neela M. Bhatia,Varsha B. Pokharkar,Jyoti D. Thorat,Manish S. Bhatia 한국약제학회 2013 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.43 No.4

The objective of present study was to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for topical delivery of antioxidant drug and evaluation of its sun protection efficacy. In the present study attempts have been made to formulate Idebenone loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (INLC) by using solvent precipitation method. Preformulation study evidenced for selection of Captex 500 P as an oil phase in which Idebenone has saturation solubility of 0.266 ±0.032 g/ml. Compritol 888 ATO and ethanol were selected as solid lipid and solvent respectively. Surfactant and cosurfactant as Labrasol and Transcutol P have given stable formulations on the basis of HLB required for stabilization,respect to oil phase. INLC has particle size of 605 ±4.01 nm and %EE of 82.58 ± 2.20 %. Optimized batches were subjected for crystallographic investigation, in vitro skin permeation study, drug deposition study, SPF determination and antioxidant activity. XRD, DSC studies illustrated that partial amorphization of Idebenone by molecularly dispersion within lipid blend leads for entrapment of drug. Permeation data showed that optimized INLC has flux value (Jss)of 7.87 lg cm-2 h-1. High significance (P\0.001) of drug deposition in skin was observed between INLC and plain Idebenone gel. SPF value for INLC has 23which represents that lipid nanocarriers have standards of blocking of 94–96 % of UVB rays. Such high skin deposition and SPF leads to more antioxidant effect of formulations. Hence lipid nanocarriers such as NLC have potential as an antioxidant and sun protection for topical drug delivery.

A Probe into the Structural, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties of Barium and Lithium Substituted Pseudobrookites

Bhatia Pushpinder G.,S. Radha 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.62 No.10

Pure pseudobrookite Fe2TiO5 and its lithium and barium substituted varieties namely, Ba2y Fe2−x Li3xTi1−yO5 and Ba3x/2 Fe2−x Li4yTi1−yO5 (x = y = 0.05) are synthesized by solid-state reaction method. Pure and lithium and barium doped samples of pseudobrookites show the single phase orthorhombic structure. Substitution has reduced the particle (crystallite) size but enhanced the grain size. A new intense plane (122) is observed in the substituted samples indicating that Barium has entered this plane. Lithium intercalation is also observed. Dielectric studies have con-firmed the Maxwell- Wagner interfacial polarization and the space charge is seen to have almost doubled with doping. The hysteresis loops are recorded and the variation of normalised susceptibility with absolute temperature is observed. An asymmetric shift and constriction of loops is observed. Presence of barium and lithium has also brought about a long magnetic range ordering in pseudobrookites. Susceptibility measurements show that the Curie temperature in the barium-rich sample approaches room temperature and can be a potential switch material.

Effect of Clay on Thermal, Mechanical and Gas Barrier Properties of Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(butylene succinate) (PLA/PBS) Nanocomposites

Bhatia, A.,Gupta, R.K.,Bhattacharya, S.N.,Choi, H.J. CARL HANSER VERLAG 2010 International polymer processing Vol.25 No.1