Identification of Anti-Cancer Targets of Eco-Friendly Waste Punica granatum Peel by Dual Reverse Virtual Screening and Binding Analysis

Usha, Talambedu,Goyal, Arvind Kumar,Lubna, Syed,Prashanth, H.P.,Mohan, T. Madhan,Pande, Veena,Middha, Sushil Kumar Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: Punica granatum (family: Lythraceae) is mainly found in Iran, which is considered to be its primary centre of origin. Studies on pomegranate peel have revealed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis activities, with prevention of premature aging and reducing inflammation. In addition to this it is also useful in treating various diseases like diabetes, maintaining blood pressure and treatment of neoplasms such as prostate and breast cancer. Objectives: In this study we identified anti-cancer targets of active compounds like corilagin (tannins), quercetin (flavonoids) and pseudopelletierine (alkaloids) present in pomegranate peel by employing dual reverse screening and binding analysis. Materials and Methods: The potent targets of the pomegranate peel were annotated by the PharmMapper and ReverseScreen 3D, then compared with targets identified from different Bioassay databases (NPACT and HIT's). Docking was then further employed using AutoDock pyrx and validated through discovery studio for studying molecular interactions. Results: A number of potent anti-cancerous targets were attained from the PharmMapper server according to their fit score and from ReverseScreen 3D server according to decreasing 3D scores. Conclusion: The identified targets now need to be further validated through in vitro and in vivo studies.

Meconium Peritonitis: A Rare Treatable Cause of Non-Immune Hydrops

Usha Devi Rajendran,Jeyanthi Govindarajan,Umamaheswari Balakrishnan,Ashok Chandrasekaran,Prakash Amboiram 대한소아소화기영양학회 2019 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.22 No.6

Meconium peritonitis as a cause of non-immune hydrops in neonates is rarely reported. Here we report such a rare occurrence. In our case, a routine antenatal scan at 25 weeks revealed isolated ascites. By 31 weeks of gestation, all features of hydrops were observed in scans. However, antenatal workup for immune and non-immune hydrops was negative. Subsequently, a preterm hydropic female baby was delivered at 32 weeks. She required intubation and ventilator support. An X-ray revealed calcification in the abdomen suggestive of meconium peritonitis. Ultrasound showed gross ascites, a giant cyst compressing the inferior vena cava, and minimal bilateral pleural effusion. Emergency laparotomy revealed meconium pellets and perforation of the ileum. Double-barrel ileostomy was performed, and the edema resolved and activity improved. The baby was discharged after 3 weeks. Ileostomy closure was done at follow-up. The baby is growing well.

Assessment of Low Intensity Solar Radiation Susceptibility in 20 Wheat Varieties under Field Conditions Grown in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Usha Mina,S.D. Singh,B. Singh,S. Tiwari,Deepak Singh,Pranav Kumar 한국작물학회 2018 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.21 No.4

Wheat productivity declines under agro-ecosystems and areas exposed to aerosols due to decline in quality and quantity of solar radiation. Identification of low light-tolerant wheat varieties (Triticum sps.) will help in enhancing the sustainability and productivity of the agroforestry systems as well as areas exposed to aerosol pollution. The field study was conducted to assess the effects of low intensity solar radiation (LR) on 20 wheat varieties in terms of growth, stay green, gaseous exchange, yield attributes, and tolerance indices. Results indicate the increase in plant height and leaf area, reduction in photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration (Tr) in all the varieties grown under LR compared to normal radiation. The varieties, K68 and HD2643, exhibited maximum stay green compared to other varieties. LR caused reduction in biological (35%) and economic (46%) yield of wheat. Among the indices, mean productivity (MP), geometric mean (GM), stress tolerance index (STI), and yield index (YI) were positively correlated (P ≤ 0.05) with grain yield under LR (Ys) and NR (Yp). Cluster analysis indicated that varieties – HD2643, K68, Kalyansona, and C306 varieties were most LR tolerant, while DL1266-1, DL1266-2, and Moti were moderately tolerant and rest of the varieties exhibited LR susceptibility.

Chemically Modified Submicron Silica Particulate Extractants for Preconcentration of Mercury(II)

Usha Gupta,Anupreet Kaur 대한화학회 2008 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.29 No.10

A new analytical method using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol modified SiO2 nanoparticles as solid-phase extractant has been developed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of mercury(II) in different water samples. Conditions of the analysis such as preconcentration time, effect of pH, sample volumes, shaking time, elution conditions and effects of interfering ions for the recovery of analyte were investigated. The adsorption capacity of nanometer SiO2-PAN was found to be 260 μmolg−1 at optimum pH and the detection limit (3σ) was 0.48 μgL−1. The extractant showed rapid kinetic sorption. The adsorption equilibrium of mercury(II) on nanometer SiO2-PAN was achieved just in 5 mins. Adsorbed mercury(II) was easily eluted with 5 mL of 6 M hydrochloric acid. The maximum preconcentration factor was 50. The method was applied for the determination of trace amounts of mercury(II) in various water samples and industrial effluents.

Bioactive Metabolites Produced by Pseudonocardia endophytica VUK-10 from Mangrove Sediments: Isolation, Chemical Structure Determination and Bioactivity(s)

( Usha Kiranmayi Mangamuri ),( Muvva Vijayalakshmi ),( Sudhakar Poda ),( Bramanandam Manavathi ),( Ch. Bhujangarao ),( Y. Venkateswarlu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.5

Chemical investigation of the actinobacterial isolate Pseudonocardia endophytica VUK-10 has led to the segregation of two known bioactive compounds, namely 4-(2-acetamidoethyl) phenyl acetate and 4-((1, 4-dioxooctahydropyrrolo [1, 2-a] pyrazin-3-yl) methyl) phenyl acetate. The strain was isolated from a sediment sample of the Nizampatnam mangrove ecosystem, south coastal Andhra Pradesh, India. The chemical structure of the active compounds was established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopies, FTIR, and EIMS. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the bioactive compounds produced by the strain were tested against opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria and fungi and on MDA-MB-231, OAW, HeLa, and MCF-7 cell lines. The compounds exhibited antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi and also showed potent cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231, OAW, HeLa, and MCF-7 cell lines. This is the first example for this class of bioactive compounds isolated from Pseudonocardia of mangrove origin.

Trees, unicyclic graphs extremal with respect to Kekule index

Usha.A,P. S. Ranjini,V.Lokesha 장전수학회 2014 Advanced Studies in Contemporary Mathematics Vol.24 No.3

For a molecular graph G with vertex set V(G) and edge set E(G), recently Lavanya, [1] introduced a new topologial index, the Kekule index is defined as (formula) where, (formula) and i and j are the degrees of the vertices u and v respectively. In this paper, we characterize the trees and unicyclic graphs extremal with respect to Kekule index.

Assessment of Low Intensity Solar Radiation Susceptibility in 20 Wheat Varieties under Field Conditions Grown in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Usha Mina,S.D. Singh,B. Singh,Deepak Singh,S. Tiwari,Pranav Kumar 한국작물학회 2019 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.22 No.3

Wheat productivity declines under agro-ecosystems and areas exposed to aerosols due to decline in quality and quantity of solar radiation. Identification of low light-tolerant wheat varieties (Triticum sps.) will help in enhancing the sustainability and productivity of the agroforestry systems as well as areas exposed to aerosol pollution. The field study was conducted to assess the effects of low intensity solar radiation (LR) on 20 wheat varieties in terms of growth, stay green, gaseous exchange, yield attributes, and tolerance indices. Results indicate the increase in plant height and leaf area, reduction in photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration (Tr) in all the varieties grown under LR compared to normal radiation. The varieties, K68 and HD2643, exhibited maximum stay green compared to other varieties. LR caused reduction in biological (35%) and economic (46%) yield of wheat. Among the indices, mean productivity (MP), geometric mean (GM), stress tolerance index (STI), and yield index (YI) were positively correlated with grain yield under LR (Ys) and NR (Yp). Cluster analysis indicated that varieties-HD2643, K68, Kalyansona, and C306 varieties were most LR tolerant, while DL1266-1, DL1266-2, and Moti were moderately tolerant and rest of the varieties exhibited LR susceptibility.

Interaction of Resveratrol and Genistein with Nucleic Acids

Usha, Subbiah,Johnson, Irudayam Maria,Malathi, Raghunathan Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biol 2005 Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.38 No.2

Resveratrol (RES) and genistein (GEN) are the dietary natural products known to possess chemopreventive property and also the ability to repair DNA damage induced by mutagens/carcinogens. It is believed that the therapeutic activity of these compounds could be primarily due to their interaction with nucleic acids but detailed reports are not available. We here explore the interaction of these drugs with nucleic acids considering DNA and RNA as a potential therapeutic target. The interaction of RES and GEN has been analysed in buffered solution with DNA [saline sodium citrate (SSC)] and RNA [tris ethylene diammine tetra acetic acid (TE)] using UV-absorption and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The UV analysis revealed lesser binding affinity with nucleic acids at lower concentration of RES (P/D = 5.00 and 10.00), while at higher drug concentration (P/D = 0.75, 1.00 and 2.50) hyperchromic effect with shift in the ${\lambda}_{max}$ is noted for DNA and RNA. A major RES-nucleic acids complexes was observed through base pairs and phosphate backbone groups with K = $35.782\;M^{-1}$ and K = $34.25\;M^{-1}$ for DNA-RES and RNA-RES complexes respectively. At various concentrations of GEN (P/D = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 2.50) hyperchromicity with shift in the ${\lambda}_{max}$ from 260 $\rightarrow$ 263 om and 260 $\rightarrow$ 270 nm is observed for DNA-GEN and RNA-GEN complexes respectively. The binding constant (from UV analysis) for GEN-nucleic acids complexes could not be obtained due to GEN absorbance overlap with that of nucleic acids at 260 nm. Nevertheless a detailed analysis with regard to the interaction of these drugs (RES/GEN) with DNA and RNA could feasibly be understood by FTIR spectroscopy. The NH band of free DNA and RNA which appeared at $3550-3100\;cm^{-1}$ and $3650-2700\;cm^{-1}$ shifted to $3450-2950\;cm^{-1}$ and $3550-3000\;cm^{-1}$ in DNA-RES and RNA-RES complexes respectively. Similarly shifts corresponding to $3650-3100\;cm^{-1}$ and $3420-3000\;cm^{-1}$ have been observed in DNA-GEN and RNA-GEN complexes respectively. The observed reduction in NH band of free nucleic acids upon complexation of these drugs is an indication of the involvement of the hydroxyl (OH) and imino (NH) group during the interaction of the drugs and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) through H-bonded formation. The interaction of RES and GEN with bases appears in the order of G $\geq$ T > C > A and A > C $\geq$ T > G. Further interaction of these natural compounds with DNA and RNA is also supported by changes in the vibrational frequency (shift/intensity) in symmetrical and asymmetrical stretching of aromatic rings of drugs in the complex spectra. No appreciable shift is observed in the DNA and RNA marker bands, indicating that the B-DNA form and A-family conformation of RNA are not altered during their interaction with RES and GEN.

Enhanced Production of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid, Bilipigments, and Antioxidants from Tropical Algae of India

Usha Pandey1,Jitendra Pandey 한국생물공학회 2009 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.14 No.3

We studied the enhanced production of high quality biomass, δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA), bilipigments, and antioxidants from five tropical blue green algae (cyanobacteria) in a full factorial design using free and immobilized cells in batch culture. Production of nutraceuticals was high in spray dried powder prepared from immobilized cell cultures. Notochopsis lobatus showed superiority over rest of the species with respect to bilipigments, δ-ALA, nutritive value, antioxidant capacity, and ascorbate oxidase (APX) activity. Antioxidative capacity of phycobiliproteins extracted from these cyanobacteria (121.15 μM TE/g, Nostoc verrucosum to 217.62 μM TE/g, Nostochopsis lobatus) was invariably higher than those observed for higher plant sources and substantially increased under immobilized cell culture condition. Antioxidative enzyme, ascorbate oxidase remained stable in dry food preparations with considerably high activity under immobilized cell preparations (APXmax, 3.40 μmol/min/mg chlorophyll). These observations have important connotations in light of upcoming food and nutraceutical industries in the global market. Use of immobilized cells in batch culture could be an effective approach for scaling up production for commercial use We studied the enhanced production of high quality biomass, δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA), bilipigments, and antioxidants from five tropical blue green algae (cyanobacteria) in a full factorial design using free and immobilized cells in batch culture. Production of nutraceuticals was high in spray dried powder prepared from immobilized cell cultures. Notochopsis lobatus showed superiority over rest of the species with respect to bilipigments, δ-ALA, nutritive value, antioxidant capacity, and ascorbate oxidase (APX) activity. Antioxidative capacity of phycobiliproteins extracted from these cyanobacteria (121.15 μM TE/g, Nostoc verrucosum to 217.62 μM TE/g, Nostochopsis lobatus) was invariably higher than those observed for higher plant sources and substantially increased under immobilized cell culture condition. Antioxidative enzyme, ascorbate oxidase remained stable in dry food preparations with considerably high activity under immobilized cell preparations (APXmax, 3.40 μmol/min/mg chlorophyll). These observations have important connotations in light of upcoming food and nutraceutical industries in the global market. Use of immobilized cells in batch culture could be an effective approach for scaling up production for commercial use

Effects of 12 weeks competitive phase specific training on selected biochemical and haematological parameters of male Taekwondo players

Usha Sri Kaniganti,Pralay Majumdar,Goutam Singh Virdi,Mary Rani 국민체육진흥공단 한국스포츠정책과학원 2018 International Journal of Applied Sports Sciences Vol.30 No.2

The aim of the present study was to find out the effects of 12 weeks of competitive phase specific training on basal levels of selected biochemical and haematological variables in male Taekwondo players. A total of 15 Indian male Taekwondo players (Age: 16.9±1.4 years; Height: 173.5±0.81 cm; Weight: 60.92±11.79 kg, BMI: 20.04±2.44 kg/m2) were volunteered for this study. Twelve weeks of competitive phase specific Taekwondo training was given to the participants for the perfection of technical skills and for the improvement of general physical conditioning abilities. Blood samples were collected from antecubital vein in the morning after overnight fasting and 24 hours of rest, both before and after training. The samples were analyzed for the selected biochemical and haematological parameters such as Lipid profile, Iron Profile, Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Complete Blood Picture (CBP). Data were analyzed by paired-t test by using SPSS software. A significant increase (P<0.05) of Serum Iron, Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, Hematocrit, and Mean Corpuscular Volume were observed after training. Also a significant reduction (P<0.05) in total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol Ratio, Lactate Dehydrogenase and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were noted after the training. From this study it is concluded that the competitive phase specific Taekwondo training is effective for improving lipid profile and some of the biochemical parameters in national level male Taekwondo players and biochemical monitoring will be helpful for the evaluation of training effects and training related adaptations at molecular level.