Saffron Reduction of 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced Hamster Buccal Pouch Carcinogenesis

Manoharan, Shanmugam,Wani, Shamsul Afaq,Vasudevan, Krishnamoorthy,Manimaran, Asokan,Prabhakar, Murugaraj Manoj,Karthikeyan, Sekar,Rajasekaran, Duraisamy Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.2

Our aim was to investigate the chemopreventive potential of saffron in DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Assessment was by monitoring the percentage of tumor bearing hamsters, tumor size as well as the status of detoxification agents, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants. Oral squamous cell carcinomas were induced in the buccal pouch of Syrian golden hamsters by painting them with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin three times a week for 14 weeks. We observed 100% oral tumor formation with severe histopathological abnormalities in all the hamsters treated with DMBA alone, activities of phase I and phase II detoxification enzymes, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants being significantly altered. Though oral administration of saffron completely prevented the formation of tumors, we noticed severe hyperplasia and dysplasia in hamsters treated with DMBA, suggesting that tumors might eventually develop. Oral administration of saffron return detoxification enzymes, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants to normal ranges. The chemopreventive potential of saffron thus is likely due to antioxidant properties and modulating effects on detoxification in favour of the excretion of carcinogenic metabolites during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.

Room temperature amorphous to nanocrystalline transformation in ultra-thin films under tensile stress: an <i>in situ</i> TEM study

Manoharan, Mohan Prasad,Kumar, Sandeep,Haque, M A,Rajagopalan, Ramakrishnan,Foley, Henry C IOP Pub 2010 Nanotechnology Vol.21 No.50

<P>The amorphous to crystalline phase transformation process is typically known to take place at very high temperatures and facilitated by very high compressive stresses. In this study, we demonstrate crystallization of amorphous ultra-thin platinum films at room temperature under tensile stresses. Using a micro-electro-mechanical device, we applied up to 3% uniaxial tensile strain in 3–5 nm thick focused ion beam deposited platinum films supported by another 3–5 nm thick amorphous carbon film. The experiments were performed <I>in situ</I> inside a transmission electron microscope to acquire the bright field and selected area diffraction patterns. The platinum films were observed to crystallize irreversibly from an amorphous phase to face-centered cubic nanocrystals with average grain size of about 10 nm. Measurement of crystal spacing from electron diffraction patterns confirms large tensile residual stress in the platinum specimens. We propose that addition of the externally applied stress provides the activation energy needed to nucleate crystallization, while subsequent grain growth takes place through enhanced atomic and vacancy diffusion as an energetically favorable route towards stress relaxation at the nanoscale. </P>

Modulating Effect of Lupeol on the Expression Pattern of Apoptotic Markers in 7, 12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene Induced Oral Carcinogenesis

Manoharan, S.,Palanimuthu, D.,Baskaran, N.,Silvan, S. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.11

Apoptosis, also known as cell suicide or programmed cell death, removes unwanted and genetically damaged cells from the body. Evasion of apoptosis is one of the major characteristic features of rapidly proliferating tumor cells. Chemopreventive agents inhibit or suppress tumor formation through apoptotic induction in target tissues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pro-apoptotic potential of lupeol during 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA) induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Topical application of 0.5% DMBA three times a week for 14 weeks in the buccal pouches of golden Syrian hamsters resulted in oral squamous cell carcinoma. The expression pattern of apoptotic markers was analyzed using immunohistochemistry (p53, Bcl-2, Bax) and ELISA reader (caspase 3 and 9). In the present study, 100% tumor formation with defects in apoptotic markerexpression pattern was noticed in hamsters treated with DMBA alone. Oral administration of lupeol at a dose of 50mg/kg bw completely prevented the formation oral tumors as well as decreased the expression p53 and Bcl-2, while increasing the expression of Bax and the activities of caspase 3 and 9. The present study thus indicated that lupeol might inhibit DMBA-induced oral tumor formation through its pro-apoptotic potential in golden Syrian hamsters.

A Flyback-Assisted Single-Sourced Photovoltaic Power Conditioning System Using an Asymmetric Cascaded Multilevel Inverter

Manoharan, Mohana Sundar,Ahmed, Ashraf,Park, Joung-Hu The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2016 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.16 No.6

This paper proposes a power conditioning system (PCS) for distributed photovoltaic (PV) applications using an asymmetric cascaded multilevel inverter with a single PV source. One of the main disadvantages of the cascaded multilevel inverters in PV systems is the requirement of multiple isolated DC sources. Using multiple PV strings leads to a compromise in either the voltage balance of individual H-bridge cells or the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) operation due to localized variations in atmospheric conditions. The proposed PCS uses a single PV source with a flyback DC-DC converter to facilitate a reduction of the required DC sources and to maintain the voltage balance during MPPT operation. The flyback converter is used to provide input for low-voltage H-bridge cells which processes only 20% of the total power. This helps to minimize the losses occurring in the proposed PCS. Furthermore, transient analyses and controller design for the proposed PCS in both the stand-alone mode and the grid-connection mode are presented. The feasibility of the proposed PCS and its control scheme have been tested using a 1kW hardware prototype and the obtained results are presented.

Dual Roles of Serine-Threonine Kinase Receptor-Associated Protein (STRAP) in Redox-Sensitive Signaling Pathways Related to Cancer Development

Manoharan, Ravi,Seong, Hyun-A,Ha, Hyunjung Hindawi 2018 Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity Vol.2018 No.-

<P>Serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein (STRAP) is a transforming growth factor <I>β</I> (TGF-<I>β</I>) receptor-interacting protein that has been implicated in both cell proliferation and cell death in response to various stresses. However, the precise roles of STRAP in these cellular processes are still unclear. The mechanisms by which STRAP controls both cell proliferation and cell death are now beginning to be unraveled. In addition to its biological roles, this review also focuses on the dual functions of STRAP in cancers displaying redox dysregulation, where it can behave as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene (i.e., it can either inhibit or promote tumor formation), depending on the cellular context. Further studies are needed to define the functions of STRAP and the redox-sensitive intracellular signaling pathways that enhance either cell proliferation or cell death in human cancer tissues, which may help in the development of effective treatments for cancer.</P>

Inhibitory effects of the essential oils α-longipinene and linalool on biofilm formation and hyphal growth of Candida albicans

Manoharan, Ranjith Kumar,Lee, Jin-Hyung,Kim, Yong-Guy,Kim, Soon-Il,Lee, Jintae HARWOOD ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS 2017 BIOFOULING -CHUR- Vol.33 No.2

Humpback Whale Assisted Hybrid Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm for Partially Shaded Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Manoharan Premkumar,Rameshkumar Sumithira 전력전자학회 2018 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.18 No.6

This paper proposes a novel hybrid maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm combining a Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and the conventional Perturb & Observation (P&O) to track/extract the highest amount of power from a solar photovoltaic (SPV) system working under partial shading conditions (PSCs). The proposed hybrid algorithm is based on a WOA which predicts the initial global peak (GP) and is followed by P&O in the final stage to achieve a quicker convergence to a GP. Thus, this hybrid algorithm overcomes the computational burden encountered in a standalone WOA, grey wolf optimization (GWO) and hybrid GWO reported in the literature. The conventional algorithm searches for the maximum power point (MPP) in the predicted region by the WOA. The proposed MPPT technique is modelled and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink for simulating an environment to check its effectiveness in accurately tracking the MPP during the GP region. This hybrid algorithm is compared with a standalone WOA, GWO and hybrid GWO. From the simulating results, it is shown that the proposed algorithm offers high tracking performance and that it increases the output power level of a SPV system under partial shading. The algorithm also verified experimentally on various PSCs.

Efficacy of 7‐benzyloxyindole and other halogenated indoles to inhibit <i>Candida albicans</i> biofilm and hyphal formation

Manoharan, Ranjith Kumar,Lee, Jin‐,Hyung,Lee, Jintae John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2018 Microbial biotechnology Vol.11 No.6

<P><B>Summary</B></P><P>Certain pathogenic bacteria and yeast form biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces including medical devices and implants. Hence, the development of antibiofilm coating materials becomes relevant. The virulence of those colonizing pathogens can be reduced by inhibiting biofilm formation rather than killing pathogens using excessive amounts of antimicrobials, which is touted as one of the main reasons for the development of drug resistance. <I>Candida albicans</I> is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, and the transition of yeast cells to hyphal cells is believed to be a crucial virulence factor. Previous studies have shown that indole and its derivatives possess antivirulence properties against various bacterial pathogens. In this study, we used various indole derivatives to investigate biofilm‐inhibiting activity against <I>C. albicans</I>. Our study revealed that 7‐benzyloxyindole, 4‐fluoroindole and 5‐iodoindole effectively inhibited biofilm formation compared to the antifungal agent fluconazole. Particularly, 7‐benzyloxyindole at 0.02 mM (4.5 μg ml<SUP>−1</SUP>) significantly reduced <I>C. albicans</I> biofilm formation, but had no effect on planktonic cells, and this finding was confirmed by a 2,3‐bis‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐carboxanilide (XTT) assay and three‐dimensional confocal laser scanning microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that 7‐benzyloxyindole effectively inhibited hyphal formation, which explains biofilm inhibition. Transcriptomic analysis showed that 7‐benzyloxyindole downregulated the expressions of several hypha/biofilm‐related genes (<I>ALS3</I>,<I>ECE1</I>,<I>HWP1</I> and <I>RBT1</I>). A <I>C. albicans</I>‐infected <I>Caenorhabditis elegans</I> model system was used to confirm the antivirulence efficacy of 7‐benzyloxyindole.</P>

Identification and characterization of type III polyketide synthase genes from culturable endophytes of ethnomedicinal plants

Manoharan, Gomathi,Sairam, Thiagarajan,Thangamani, Rajesh,Ramakrishnan, Dhivya,K.Tiwari, Manish,Lee, Jung-Kul,Marimuthu, Jeya IPC Science and Technology Press 2019 Enzyme and microbial technology Vol.131 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Endophytic fungi provide benefits to host plants by producing a diverse class of secondary metabolites (natural products). Arrays of polyketide natural products are synthesized by specific classes of polyketide synthases (PKS I, II and III) in host organisms. In the present study, we attempt to screen and identify type III PKSs in culturable fungal endophytes isolated from the ethno medicinal plants including <I>Arbus precatorius</I>, <I>Bacopa monnieri,Citrus aurantifolia</I> and <I>Datura metel</I> to detect the genetic potential of endophytic fungi in producing bioactive compounds. A total of seventeen endophytic fungal strains belonging to eight genera were identified using fungal morphology and rDNA-ITS phylogenetic analyses. A CODEHOP-PCR based strategy was followed to design degenerate primers for the screening of type III PKS genes from fungal endophytes. We had successfully amplified partial PKS genes from eight endophytes. The amplified PKS sequences showed 60–99% identity to already characterized/putative PKS genes. From the partial sequence of FiPKS from <I>Fusarium incarnatum</I> BMER1, a full-length gene was amplified, cloned and characterized. FiPKScDNA was cloned and expressed in <I>E. coli</I> Lemo21 (DE3) and the purified protein was shown to produce pyrones and resorcinols using acyl-CoA thioesters as substrates. FiPKS showed the highest catalytic efficiency of 7.6 × 10<SUP>4</SUP> s<SUP>−1</SUP> M<SUP>-1</SUP> with stearoyl CoA as a starter unit. This study reports the identification and characterization of type III PKS from endophytes of medicinal plants by CODEHOP PCR.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> A CODEHOP PCR based screening method was employed for type III polyketide synthase gene identification in fungal endophytes. </LI> <LI> By this approach, partial type III PKS genes from eight fungal endophytes were amplified and sequenced. </LI> <LI> FiPKS gene from Fusarium incarnatum BMER1, an endophyte of Bacopa monnieri was cloned and functionally characterized. </LI> <LI> FiPKS produced pyrones and resorcinols with the highest catalytic efficiency of 7.6 x 104 s-1 M-1towards stearoyl CoA. </LI> </UL> </P>

A New Photovoltaic System Architecture of Module-Integrated Converter with a Single-sourced Asymmetric Multilevel Inverter Using a Cost-effective Single-ended Pre-regulator

Manoharan, Mohana Sundar,Ahmed, Ashraf,Park, Joung-Hu The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2017 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.17 No.1

In this paper, a new architecture for a cost-effective power conditioning systems (PCS) using a single-sourced asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (MLI) for photovoltaic (PV) applications is proposed. The asymmetric MLI topology has a reduced number of parts compared to the symmetrical type for the same number of voltage level. However, the modulation index threshold related to the drop in the number of levels of the inverter output is higher than that of the symmetrical MLI. This problem results in a modulation index limitation which is relatively higher than that of the symmetrical MLI. Hence, an extra voltage pre-regulator becomes a necessary component in the PCS under a wide operating bias variation. In addition to pre-stage voltage regulation for the constant MLI dc-links, another auxiliary pre-regulator should provide isolation and voltage balance among the multiple H-bridge cells in the asymmetrical MLI as well as the symmetrical ones. The proposed PCS uses a single-ended DC-DC converter topology with a coupled inductor and charge-pump circuit to satisfy all of the aforementioned requirements. Since the proposed integrated-type voltage pre-regulator circuit uses only a single MOSFET switch and a single magnetic component, the size and cost of the PCS is an optimal trade-off. In addition, the voltage balance between the separate H-bridge cells is automatically maintained by the number of turns in the coupled inductor transformer regardless of the duty cycle, which eliminates the need for an extra voltage regulator for the auxiliary H-bridge in MLIs. The voltage balance is also maintained under the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). Thus, the PCS is also operational during light load conditions. The proposed architecture can apply the module-integrated converter (MIC) concept to perform distributed MPPT. The proposed architecture is analyzed and verified for a 7-level asymmetric MLI, using simulation results and a hardware implementation.