The functional roles of short chain fatty acids as postbiotics in human gut: future perspectives

Mangala Lakshmi Ragavan,S. Hemalatha 한국식품과학회 2024 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.33 No.2

The significance of gut microbiome and their metabolites (postbiotics) on human health could be a promising approach to treat various diseases that includes inflammatory bowel diseases, colon cancer, and many neurological disorders. Probiotics with potential mental health benefits (psychobiotics) can alter the gut-brain axis via immunological, humoral, neuronal, and metabolic pathways. Recently, probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been demonstrated for SCFAs production, which play a crucial role in a variety of diseases. These acids could enhance the production of mucins, antimicrobial proteins (bacteriocins and peptides), cytokines (Interleukin 10 and 18) and neurotransmitters (serotonin) in the intestine to main the gut microbiota, intestinal barrier system and other immune functions. In this review, we discuss about two mechanisms such as (i) SCFAs mediated intestinal barrier system, and (ii) SCFAs mediated gut-brain axis to elucidate the therapeutic options for the treatment/prevention of various diseases.

Collective Forest Management System in Japan: a Case Study in Osawa Property Ward Forest

Mangala Premakumara De Zoysa,Makoto Inoue,Utako Yamashita,Okuda Hironori 강원대학교 산림과학연구소 2013 Journal of Forest Science Vol.29 No.1

Iriai an Indigenous forest management system in Japan from the viewpoint of “common pool resources” was a success resilient institution and resulted with sustainable production system and environmental conservation. This study was conducted in Osawa of the Nagano prefecture through group discussions, field observations and an in-depth field survey. Osawa Property Ward Forest is managed under the concept very much similarly to raditional “Iriai”. This study firstly examined the changes of collective forest management system in terms of awareness and interest in forest management; forest management activities; role of forest; and collection of forest products. Then it analyzed the current threats for collective forest management have been identified as: land abandonment due to loss of benefits and lack of active community participation; deterioration of forest environment particularly the micro-climate and aesthetic values; conflict with local government authorities restraining the use of money in property ward forest and conflict with outsiders on damping of the garbage. Community cantered forestry management rules; livelihood contribution; protection of environment; local initiatives for protection and economic activities are the prevailing opportunities for collective forest management. The main requirements for revitalization of collective forest management are explained as local reciprocity; imposition of community based forest rules; encouraging local innovations; and building partnerships with stakeholders. Collective forest management system addresses the limitations of conventional forestry models, which had invalidated traditional ‘iriai’ institutions, and key to restoring sustainable use of forest and environmental resources. Cross-institutional collaborations together with responsibilities of local communities would ensure the revitalization of forest resources.

Urban Horticulture in Matara City of Sri Lanka: a Case Study

Mangala De Zoysa 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Studies on Composite Filaments from Nanoclay Reinforced Polypropylene

Joshi, Mangala,Shaw, M.,Butola, B.S. The Korean Fiber Society 2004 Fibers and polymers Vol.5 No.1

The development of high tenacity, high modulus monofilaments from Polypropylene/Clay nanocomposite has been investigated. Pure sodium montmorillonite nanoclay was modified using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) via an ion exchange reaction. Pure and modified clay were characterized through X-ray diffraction, FTIR and TGA. The modified clay was melt blended with polypropylene (PP) in presence of a swelling agent. Composite filaments from PP/Clay nanocomposite were prepared at different weight percentages of nanoclay and the spinning and drawing conditions were optimized. The filaments were characterized for their mechanical, morphological and thermal properties. The composite PP filaments with modified clay showed improved tensile strength, modulus and reduced elongation at break. The composite filaments with unmodified clay did not show any improvement in tensile strength but the modulus improved. The sharp and narrow X-ray diffraction peaks of PP/nanoclay composite filaments indicate increase in crystallinity in presence of modified clay at small loadings (0.5 %). The improved thermal stability was observed in filaments with modified as well as unmodified clays.

Collective Forest Management System in Japan: a Case Study in Osawa Property Ward Forest

De Zoysa, Mangala Premakumara,Inoue, Makoto,Yamashita, Utako,Hironori, Okuda Institute of Forest Science 2013 Journal of Forest Science Vol.29 No.1

Iriai an Indigenous forest management system in Japan from the viewpoint of "common pool resources" was a success resilient institution and resulted with sustainable production system and environmental conservation. This study was conducted in Osawa of the Nagano prefecture through group discussions, field observations and an in-depth field survey. Osawa Property Ward Forest is managed under the concept very much similarly to traditional "Iriai". This study firstly examined the changes of collective forest management system in terms of awareness and interest in forest management; forest management activities; role of forest; and collection of forest products. Then it analyzed the current threats for collective forest management have been identified as: land abandonment due to loss of benefits and lack of active community participation; deterioration of forest environment particularly the micro-climate and aesthetic values; conflict with local government authorities restraining the use of money in property ward forest and conflict with outsiders on damping of the garbage. Community cantered forestry management rules; livelihood contribution; protection of environment; local initiatives for protection and economic activities are the prevailing opportunities for collective forest management. The main requirements for revitalization of collective forest management are explained as local reciprocity; imposition of community based forest rules; encouraging local innovations; and building partnerships with stakeholders. Collective forest management system addresses the limitations of conventional forestry models, which had invalidated traditional 'iriai' institutions, and key to restoring sustainable use of forest and environmental resources. Cross-institutional collaborations together with responsibilities of local communities would ensure the revitalization of forest resources.

Antimicrobial Finishing of Cotton Textiles using Silver Intercalated Clay

Rosina Begam,Mangala Joshi,Roli Purwar 한국섬유공학회 2022 Fibers and polymers Vol.23 No.1

This paper describes the potential use of silver intercalated clay as an antimicrobial finishing agent for cottontextiles meant for health and hygiene applications. Montmorillonite clay (2:1) was intercalated with silver ion through ionexchange reaction. The modified clay was characterized using wide angle X-ray diffractometer (WAXD), Energy dispersiveX-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and inductive coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP). Results of WAXD revealed that the clay waspartly exfoliated after ion exchange reaction. EDX and ICP analysis confirmed the presence of silver ion in modified clay. The silver intercalated clay was integrated on the cotton fabric using pad dry cure method along with low formaldehydedimethyloldihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU). The antimicrobial and mechanical properties of the finished fabric werestudied. The fabric showed excellent antimicrobial activity up to 10 machine washes. The silver ion releases from the fabricand inhibited the growth of bacteria on the surface of the fabric. The release of silver ion from the finished fabric at differentperspiration and saline water were analyzed. It was found that the silver ion releases faster in alkaline perspiration mediumcompared to acid perspiration medium.

The multifaceted role of STAT3 pathway and its implication as a potential therapeutic target in oral cancer

Elina Khatoon,Mangala Hegde,Aviral Kumar,Uzini Devi Daimary,Gautam Sethi,Anupam Bishyaee,Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara 대한약학회 2022 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.45 No.8

Oral cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, and it has become a matter of seriousconcern due to the alarming rise in its incidence rate worldwide. Despite recent advancements in oral cancer treatmentstrategies, there are no signifi cant improvements in patient’ssurvival rate. Among the numerous cell signaling pathwaysinvolved in oral cancer development and progression, STAT3is known to play a multifaceted oncogenic role in shapingthe tumor pathophysiology. STAT3 hyperactivation in oralcancer contributes to survival, proliferation, invasion, epithelialto mesenchymal transition, metastasis, immunosuppression,chemoresistance, and poor prognosis. A plethoraof pre-clinical and clinical studies have documented the roleof STAT3 in the initiation and development of oral cancer and showed that STAT3 inhibition holds signifi cant potentialin the prevention and treatment of this cancer. However, todate, targeting STAT3 activation mainly involves inhibitingthe upstream signaling molecules such as JAK and IL-6receptors. The major challenge in targeting STAT3 lies inthe complexity of its phosphorylation- and dimerizationindependentfunctions, which are not aff ected by disruptingthe upstream regulators. The present review delineates thesignifi cance of the STAT3 pathway in regulating varioushallmarks of oral cancer. In addition, it highlights the STAT3inhibitors identifi ed to date through various preclinical andclinical studies that can be employed for the therapeuticintervention in oral cancer treatment.

Ultrastructural Changes in Midgut of CPV infected Tropical Tasar Silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (D) (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae)

Barsagade, Deepak Deewaji,Kadwey, Mangala Nimbaji Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2010 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.21 No.1

The tropical tasar silkworms, Antheraea mylitta (D) produce famous silk 'Kosa' in central part of India. Due to outdoor rearing it became susceptible to viral infection including cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV). The common mode of entry of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus is per os and cause gresserie disease to the larvae. Histopathological studies elucidated the insect CPV virus produces infective polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) in the midgut cell cytoplasm of virus infected fifth instar larvae. The PIBs multiply enormously in the cytoplasm without invading the nucleus. Ultrastructural studies confirmed the pathological effects of CPV on in midgut cell cytoplasm. The multiplication of polyhedral inclusion bodies took place into the vacuoles and form virogenic stromata in the cytoplasm of cells. However, the encapsulations of polyhedral inclusion bodies into the polyhedrin protein occurred and polyhedra were released into the lumen. At the late stage of infection, cells showed the regressed cytoplasmic organelles with large vacuoles and elongated mitochondria. Hence, the horizontal transmission of CPV causing the midgut cells disintegration in the tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (D) confirmed during infection.

Potential probiotic characterization and effect of encapsulation of probiotic yeast strains on survival in simulated gastrointestinal tract condition

Surajvanshikumar Suvarna,Janice Dsouza,Mangala Lakshmi Ragavan,Nilanjana Das 한국식품과학회 2018 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.27 No.3

The present study is focused on probiotic characterization of four yeasts viz. Pichia barkeri VIT-SJSN01, Yarrowia lipolytica VIT-ASN04, Wickerhamomyces anomalus VIT-ASN01 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae VITASN03 isolated from food samples based on their autoaggregation, co-aggregation ability and haemolytic activity. All the yeast strains showed good self-adhering and coadhering potentiality with a value index of greater than 85%. None of the strains exhibited haemolysis which confirmed their non-pathogenic nature. Yeast strains were encapsulated in sodium alginate, sodium alginate coated with chitosan and sodium alginate-gelatinized with starch. Size and morphology of the beads and capsules were determined using SEM analysis. Encapsulation output and viability under storage condition was investigated. It was found that probiotic yeasts encapsulated in sodium alginate beads, chitosan coated beads and microcapsules showed better survival to simulated gastrointestinal conditions compared to free cells.

Curcumin, Inflammation, and Neurological disorders: How are they linked?

Garodia Prachi,Hegde Mangala,Kunnumakkara Ajaikumar B.,Aggarwal Bharat B. 한국한의학연구원 2023 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.12 No.3

Background : Despite the extensive research in recent years, the current treatment modalities for neurological disorders are suboptimal. Curcumin, a polyphenol majorly found in Curcuma genus, has been shown to mitigate the pathophysiology and clinical sequalae involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Methods : We searched PubMed database for relevant publications on curcumin and its uses in treating neurological diseases. We also reviewed relevant clinical trials which appeared on searching PubMed database using ‘Curcumin and clinical trials’. Results : This review details the pleiotropic immunomodulatory functions and neuroprotective properties of curcumin, its derivatives and formulations in various preclinical and clinical investigations. The effects of curcumin on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), brain tumors, epilepsy, Huntington's disorder (HD), ischemia, Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a major focus on associated signalling pathways have been thoroughly discussed. Conclusion : This review demonstrates curcumin can suppress spinal neuroinflammation by modulating diverse astroglia mediated cascades, ensuring the treatment of devastating neurological disorders.