Roopesh Jain

Biosynthesis of planet friendly bioplastics using renewable carbon source

Plastics are uniquely flexible materials that offer considerable benefits as a simple packing to complex engineering material. Traditional synthetic polymers (often called plastics), such as polypropylene and polyethylene have been derived from non-renewable petrochemicals and known to cause environmental concerns due to their non-biodegradable nature. The enormous use of petroleum-based plastic compounds emphasized a need for sustainable alternatives derived from renewable resources. Bioplastics have attracted widespread attention, as eco-friendly and eco-tolerable alternative. But they have got certain limitations as well, such as high cost of production and unsatisfactory mechanical properties. In this study we have found agriculture waste (AW) as low-cost and renewable substrate for the production of bioplastics in bacterial fermentation. Improvement in tensile properties of produced bioplastic film has also been documented upon blending with Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB).

Green Chemistry for the Production of Biodegradable Polymers as Solid Substrate and the Formation of Sustainable Biofilm

Conventional plastics derived from the fossil fuels pose a threat to the global environment due to their non-degradable nature. Problems associated with global warming and solid waste management has generated interest in the development of novel plastics. Theses while retaining the desired properties of conventional synthetic plastics must also are degradable. Among the various biodegradable plastic available, there is growing interest in the group of polymers known as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).The present investigation is based on (i) Biodegradation of Bioplastic with biological approaches (ii) Production of cost effective Bioplastic. Cost of bioplastics serves as a hindrance to the development of bioplastics for food and drink packaging as the plastic is produced by harvesting the natural resources thus there is utilization of the agricultural waste and also reduces the overall cost of the product. As in the case of petroleum based plastic production, there is the need of huge sum of energy which consumes the non renewable sources which is getting depleted. Thus, we can conclude that having a cost effective bioplastic in our near future. This plastic will be replacing the commercially available plastic very soon. The bioplastic produced is also degradable. It thus reduces the waste accumulation on the areas surrounding us. It is also suggested that on degradation it does not produces any toxic to the environment and no harmful gas is emitted thus no greenhouse gas and no global warming. This would be an environment friendly product.

Bacterial virulence traits: A potential area of study for drug development

 376 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences October-December 2010 Vol 2 Issue 4 induced environmental changes and immune defense. Small regulatory mechanisms involving many regulatory molecules like small RNA, sigma factors, etc. play an important role in pathogenesis. Despite progress in our understanding of all these disease biology facts, information related to microbial virulence remains enigmatic. Even little is known about diversity and abundance of all type of pathogens within the human body or the types of their interactions with human cells and components of the human immune system, or other members of the endogenous flora. These are few hot topics that attract the scientists nowadays.

Marine blue green algae: Microorganism of bioactive potential

Marine blue green algae are among the most primitive life forms on earth. These simple prokaryotes have not only the ability to perform photosynthesis but also adapted to almost any of the most extreme habitats on earth. They are also known to exist in various marine ecosystems varying from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to Antarctica [1]. These wonderful tiny microbes furthermore contribute to complex microbial food webs playing important ecological and biochemical roles in different marine ecosystems. In recent years blue green algae have been a potential source of bioactive secondary metabolites thereby attracting researchers for their fascinating structures. These metabolites have been exploited for the treatment of some deadly diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Recent fi ndings have revealed a number of the cytotoxic compounds reported from marine blue green algae to have activity against a variety of cancerous cell lines and in other cytotoxicity models. For instance lipopeptides such as obynamide, palau’imide, lyngbyabellin C-D, ulongamides A, ulongapeptin, apratoxins B-C isolated from Lyngbya sp., have been found to be active against KB cells [2]. The cytotoxic lipopeptide compounds such as guamamide, micromide and tasiamide from Symploca hydnoides and deacetylhectochlorin from Bursatella leachii were also found to be active against the KB cell lines. The compounds including jamaicamides A-C, lyngbyabellins E, dolabellin, aurilides B isolated from Lyngbya majuscula and wewakpeptins A-B from Lyngbya semiplena were found active against H-460 human lung cell line [2, 3]. The lipopeptides showing activity in brine shrimp toxicity assay (a crustacean model to predict cytotoxicity) are malyngamides U, malyngamide T, hermitamides A-B isolated from Lyngbya majuscula and semiplenamides A from L. semiplena [3]. Besides cytotoxic metabolites marine blue green algae is a prolifi c source of other bioactive molecules comprising lobocyclamides A-C (antifungal agents) isolated from Lyngbya confervoides, carmabin A and B, dragomabin and dragonamide A (a antimalarial activity) from Lyngbya majuscula, hectochlorin (a potent stimulator of actin assembly) from Bursatella leachii, sulfolipid an anti HIV compound from Phormidium tenue, microginin-FR1 (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) isolated from Microcystis aeruginosa, largamides D-G (a chymotrypsin inhibitor) from Oscillatoria sp. and Microcystin-LR (a potent and specifi c inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A) from Nodularia sp. showing us new hope to fi ght with dangerous diseases [3–6]. Interestingly, this group of microorganisms is famous not only for their bioactive secondary metabolites but also for their nutritional values. Marine blue green algae are nutrient-rich energy producing food that increases the body’s metabolic rate and appear to possess signifi cant protein and a range of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Ancient medicinal account also exists for their therapeutic value as a super food. For example, the chromophore phycocyanobilin (PCB) and C-phycocyanin (C-PC), found in marine blue green algae, is often used as a dietary nutritional supplement and these have also been found to have anti-infl ammatory activity and versatile potential in therapy of various diseases [7, 8]. Some well-known species of blue-green S. Kosta · R. Jain ( ) · A. Tiwari School of Biotechnology, Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Airport Bypass Road, Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal 462 036, India

Bioactivity monograph: Rhamnus nakaharai

158 Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences / Jan-Jun 2016 / Vol 4 | Issue 1 2. Aungsuroch Y, Gunawan J. Nurse Preparation towards ASEAN Economic Community 2015. Int J Health Sci Res 2015;5:365-72. 3. Matsuno A. Nurse migration: The Asian perspective. ILO/EU Asian Programme on the Governance of Labour Migration Technical Note 2009;1-23. 4. Joko G, Yupin A. ASEAN mutual recognition arrangement for Indonesian nurses: Is it a promise? Int J Community Med Public Health 2015;2:77-8.

Synthetic curcumin: An update on efficacy and safety

Sir, Curcumin, a dietary molecule extracted from the rhizome of curcuma longa (turmeric), is a widely known colorant (E100) used in supplements, food and beverages, and cosmeceuticals worldwide.[1] It is the principal component (about 77%) in the natural turmeric extract along with other chemical constituents, which are commonly known as “curcuminoids.” Other chemical constituents are demethoxycurcumin (about 17%) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (about 3%). Turmeric contains curcumin, several of its derivatives, oils, resins and other co‐factors from the rhizome; thus there is a possibility of contamination of natural curcumin with other substances. During the growth cycle of plant contamination from the environment, and from the extraction and purification processes such as fertilizers, heavy metals, spores, solvents, etc., is also common. Synthetic curcumin (S‐curcumin) provides a solution and being a pure compound it eliminates unspecified impurities.[2] In last few years, S‐curcumin was assessed in different biological studies and compared with natural curcumin/curcuminoids. Safety profile of S‐curcumin was also established and discussed in this manuscript.

Monograph: Ochrocarpus longifolius

Pharmacognosy Research | April 2011 | Vol 3 | Issue 2 Monograph: Ochrocarpus longifolius crude drug (flower buds) identified presence of glycosides, reducing sugars, phenolics, tannins, coumarins, sterols, flavanoids, saponins and volatile oil. Total phenolics (138.30 ± 4.58), total tannins (133.0 ± 1.52), total flavonoids (41 ± 1.28) and total flavonol (0.56 ± 0.04) content in mg/g of plant extract have been estimated.[4]