Effect of Aeration on Production of Anticancer Lignans by Cell Suspension Cultures of Linum album

The effects of aeration within the range of 0.2-0.5 vvm on transformed and high yielding cell cultures of Linum album were investigated in a 5-L stirred tank bioreactor equipped with low shear Setric impeller. The kinetics of cell growth, substrate utilization, and production of lignans, namely, podophyllotoxin and 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin, were established. Maximum biomass of 23.2 g/L and lignan accumulation levels of 176.3 mg/L podophyllotoxin and 10.86 mg/L 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin were obtained with initial air flow rate of 0.3 vvm. Specified oxygen demand of cells was estimated to be 1.35 g O(2)/g biomass. The optimum oxygen transfer coefficient was found to be 16.7 h(-1) (,) which corresponded to aeration rate of 0.3 vvm. The effect of minimum dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was investigated with respect to biomass and lignan production by comparing identically aerated and agitated bioreactor cultivations at dissolved oxygen concentrations of 10%, 30%, and 50%. Cell growth and podophyllotoxin accumulation were not affected significantly at these DO levels, but 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin production was enhanced when cells were cultivated at 30% DO level. The maximum volumetric productivities of 18.2 mg/L day and 3.2 mg/L day for podophyllotoxin and 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin, respectively, were obtained. These results establish the key role of oxygen on mass scale production of anticancer lignans by cell cultures of L. album. It may serve as a suitable parameter for scale-up.     

Sonochemical synthesis of fluorescent 1,4-disubstituted triazoles using l-phenylalanine as an accelerator ligand in aqueous media

A green sonochemical protocol using l-phenylalanine as a water soluble promotor ligand has been developed for the regioselective synthesis of fluorogenic 1,4-disubstituted triazoles (3a-o) via well-known click reaction at 40?°C. l-Phenylalanine is a biocompatible, economical, commercially available and non-toxic ligand which not only serves to stabilize Cu(I) oxidation state but also prevents its disproportion to enhances and modulate the rate of reaction. The designed catalytic system exhibits broad substrate compatibility and can be recycled up to 5 cycles without appreciable loss in the yield of desired product. Gram scale synthesis was successfully accomplished with 92% yield.     

Insecticidal Evaluation and [4+2] Aza‐Diels‐Alder Synthesis of 3,7‐Diaryl‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐6‐substituted Thiazolo[3,2‐a]pyrimidin‐5‐ones Under Coupled Ultrasonic Irradiation and PTC

A series of 3,7‐diaryl‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐6‐substituted‐thiazolo[3,2‐a]pyrimidin‐5‐ones ( 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h , 3i , 3j ) were synthesized by the [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of 2‐arylideneamino‐4‐arylthiazoles (2a–j) with in situ generated monosubstituted ketenes under PTC conditions coupled with ultrasonication in good to excellent yields. All the synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of their spectral (IR, PMR, and Mass) and analytical data. The synthesized compounds were also screened for their insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa armigera and some of them showed promising activity.     

Radon in soil and its concentration in the atmosphere around Mysore city, India

Radon concentration in soil-gas and in the atmospheric air has been studied around Mysore city (12°N and 76°E) using Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors. The radon in soil-gas is found to be higher at a depth of 1 m than at a depth of 0.5 m from the ground surface. The higher radon concentration in soil was observed near Chamundi Hills and Karigatta village with average values of 5.94 kBq.m⁻³ and 5.32 kBq.m⁻³ at 1 m depth from the ground surface. Seasonal variations in radon in soil gas shows that, the concentration is lower in summer with an average value of 0.60 kBq.m⁻³ and higher in monsoon season with an average value of 4.70 kBq.m⁻³. Estimation of ²²⁶Ra in soil at these locations is also made using HPGe detector. The activity of ²²⁶Ra, varies from 4.82 to 74.23 Bq.kg⁻¹ with an average value of 32.11 Bq.kg⁻¹. Radon concentrations in soil-gas shows good correlation with the activity of ²²⁶Ra in soil with a correlation coefficient of 0.76     

On the dipole–dipole correlation and dielectric anisotropy of some N(4-N-alkyloxy benzylidene)4′-N-alkylaniline compounds doped with silver nanoparticles

Dielectric study of the compounds N(4-n-heptyloxy benzylidene)4′-n-butylaniline and N(4-n-heptyloxy benzylidene)4′-n-hexylaniline at low frequency region (1 kHz–1 MHz) is performed using LCR meter (Agilent 4284 A). A qualitative interpretation in terms of dipole–dipole correlation for both the parallel and the perpendicular components of the dipole moment is given. Further study on the change in the dielectric permittivity and the dielectric anisotropy is made by doping the two compounds separately with dodecanethiol capped silver nanoparticles (0.25% by weight). The molecular positional ordering and relative smectic layer distance influences the change of degree (or type) of dipole–dipole pairing.     

Integrated Machine Learning and Chemoinformatics-Based Screening of Mycotic Compounds against Kinesin Spindle ProteinEg5 for Lung Cancer Therapy

Among the various types of cancer, lung cancer is the second most-diagnosed cancer worldwide. The kinesin spindle protein, Eg5, is a vital protein behind bipolar mitotic spindle establishment and maintenance during mitosis. Eg5 has been reported to contribute to cancer cell migration and angiogenesis impairment and has no role in resting, non-dividing cells. Thus, it could be considered as a vital target against several cancers, such as renal cancer, lung cancer, urothelial carcinoma, prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, etc. In recent years, fungal secondary metabolites from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) have been identified as an important lead source in the drug development pipeline. Therefore, the present study aims to identify potential mycotic secondary metabolites against the Eg5 protein by applying integrated machine learning, chemoinformatics based in silico-screening methods and molecular dynamic simulation targeting lung cancer. Initially, a library of 1830 mycotic secondary metabolites was screened by a predictive machine-learning model developed based on the random forest algorithm with high sensitivity (1) and an ROC area of 0.99. Further, 319 out of 1830 compounds screened with active potential by the model were evaluated for their drug-likeness properties by applying four filters simultaneously, viz., Lipinski’s rule, CMC-50 like rule, Veber rule, and Ghose filter. A total of 13 compounds passed from all the above filters were considered for molecular docking, functional group analysis, and cell line cytotoxicity prediction. Finally, four hit mycotic secondary metabolites found in fungi from the IHR were screened viz., (−)-Cochlactone-A, Phelligridin C, Sterenin E, and Cyathusal A. All compounds have efficient binding potential with Eg5, containing functional groups like aromatic rings, rings, carboxylic acid esters, and carbonyl and with cell line cytotoxicity against lung cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7, NCI-H226, NCI-H522, A549, and NCI H187. Further, the molecular dynamics simulation study confirms the docked complex rigidity and stability by exploring root mean square deviations, root mean square fluctuations, and radius of gyration analysis from 100 ns simulation trajectories. The screened compounds could be used further to develop effective drugs against lung and other types of cancer.     

Solid state fermentation of plant residues for improved animal feed byPleurotus sp.

In laboratory-scale experiments, studies were made on the solid state fermentation of plant residues—rice straw and the upper soft portion of the stems of sarkanda (Saccharum munja)—by selected cultures of white-rot fungi,Pleurotus sajor-caju andPleurotus ostreatus. These cultures were selected after preliminary screening of their lignin-degrading capacities on lignin-agar medium. Their lignin degrading and (cellulose + hemicellulose) sparing, along with protein improving capacities, were studied for their potential application in animal feed production. A 100 g quantity of presoaked and sterilized residues was inoculated with wheat spawn of the two cultures and incubated at 25‡C. It was observed that, after 25 d, the crude protein contents (N × 6.25) of rice straw increased from 3 to 17.0% in the case of P.sajor-caju and to 19.2% in case of P. ostreatus. The percent removal values of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were found to be as follows: 45.8, 16.8, and 47.1%, respectively, in the case ofP. sajor-caju and 56.5, 40.4, and 50%, respectively, in the case of P.ostreatus. After solid state fermentation of sarkanda for 25 d, its protein content increased from 3 to 12.8% in the case ofP. sajor-caju and to 14.5% in the case ofP. ostreatus. The percent removal of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin was found to be as follows: 31.2, 7.1, and 19%, respectively, in the case ofP. sajor-caju and 34.4, 7.1, and 14.3%, respectively, in the case ofP. ostreatus. The results obtained after solid state fermentation of the two residues by the mixed culture of these two basidiomycetes was also presented.     

tris-(Benzimidazol-2-yl-methyl)-amine as a Versatile Building Block in Ru(II) Polypyridyl Chemistry

Summary.  tris-(Benzimidazol-2-yl-methyl)-amine, H₃ ntb, was prepared and used in the synthesis of dinuclear Ru(II) polypyridyl and polynuclear Ru(II)–Co(III) complexes of the type [Ru₂(H₂ ntb) (bpy)₄]³⁺, [Ru₂(Hntb)(phen)₄]²⁺, [(Ru₂(H₂ ntb)(bpy)₄)₂Co(en)₂]⁹⁺, and [(Ru₂(Hntb)(phen)₄)₂ Co(en)₂]⁷⁺ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, en = 1,2-diaminoethane). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis as well as spectroscopic and redox data. The luminescent properties of the complexes were also studied. The complexes showed significant antitumour and anti-HIV activities. Received May 9, 2001. Accepted (revised) June 7, 2001     

Effect of non-homogeneity on natural frequencies of vibration of elliptic plates

This paper presents the effect of non-homogeneity of the material of plate structures on the vibration frequencies. The non-homogeneity of the plate is characterized by taking a variety of combinations of linear as well as quadratic variations in the Young’s modulus and density of the material. Boundary characteristic orthogonal polynomials using Gram-Schmidt procedure have been employed in the Rayleigh Ritz method. The results have been included for the first few frequencies of the plate element for all the boundary conditions viz. clamped, simply supported and free. Related Tables and graphs are incorporated to show the effect of the non-homogeneity parameter on the frequencies of the vibration of elliptic and circular plates.     

Reply to comment on “Negative refraction in 1D photonic crystals”

I refute the criticisms of Srivastava et al. (2008) [13] raised in Bénédicto et al. [14].