Sanjog T. Thul

Molecular Docking and ADME Studies of Natural Compounds of Agarwood Oil for Topical Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. family, Thymelaeaceae, is an evergreen plant of South-East Asia, commonly described as aloe wood or agarwood. Traditionally, the bark, root and heartwood are used for their medicinal properties as a folk medicine for hundreds of years. Chemical analyses revealed that the bulk of the oil is constituted by agarospirol (12.5%), jinkoh-eremol (11.8%) and hinesol (8.9%) as major contributor. In the present work, a QSAR model for antiinflammatory activity of 10-epi-γ-Eudesmol, jinkoh-eremol, agarospirol and other compounds has been developed by multiple linear regression method. The r(2) and rCV(2) of a model were 0.89 and 0.81 respectively. In silico molecular docking study suggests that compound 10-epi-γ-Eudesmol, jinkoh-eremol and agarospirol are preferentially more active than other identified compounds with strong binding affinity to major anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory receptors. The oil displayed a significant and dose dependent reduction of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorobol-13 acetate (TPA)- induced ear edema and MDA activity when compared with vehicle treated mice. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) were also reduced significantly in a dose dependent manner in all the TPA treated groups as compared to control. The present study indicates that agarwood oil significantly reduced the skin thickness, ear weight, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines production in TPA-induced mouse ear inflammation model and contributed towards validation of its traditional use to treat inflammation related ailments.

Molecular Profiling for Genetic Variability in Capsicum Species Based on ISSR and RAPD Markers

The taxonomic identity of Capsicum species is found to be difficult as it displays variations at morpho-chemical characters. Twenty-two accessions of six Capsicum species, namely, C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. eximium, C. frutescens, and C. luteum were investigated for phenotypic diversity based on flower color and for genetic differences by molecular makers. The genetic cluster analyses of 27 RAPD and eight ISSR primers, respectively, revealed genetic similarities in the ranges of 23–88% and 11–96%. Principal component analysis of the pooled RAPD and ISSR data further supports the genetic similarity and groupings. Different species showed variations in relation to corolla shade of flower. C. annuum accessions formed a single cluster in the molecular analysis as maintaining their flower characteristic. C. chinense accession shared flower features with the accessions of C. frutescens and were found to be closer at genotypic level. C. luteum was found to be rather closer to C. baccatum complex, both phenotypically and genetically. The only accession of C. eximium presenting purple flowers falls apart from the groupings. The floral characteristics and the molecular markers are found to be useful toward the delineation of the species specificity in Capsicum collection and identification of genetic stock.

Nanotechnology in Agroecosystem: Implications on Plant Productivity and its Soil Environment

Nanotechnology in Agroecosystem: Implications on Plant Productivity and its Soil Environment Compared to conventional or other contaminants, nanoparticles pose some new environmental challenges for scientists and environmentalists worldwide. Nanotechnology will leave no field untouched including agriculture by its ground breaking scientific innovations. So far, the use of nanotechnology in agriculture has been mostly theoretical, but it has begun to have a significant effect in the main areas of the food industry. Nanoparticles finding great potential as delivery systems to specific targets in living organisms and is being used in medical sciences. In plants, the same principles can be applied for a broad range of uses, particularly to tackle phytopathological infections, nutrition supplement and as growth adjuvant.

Genetic and Chemical Diversity of High Mucilaginous Plants of Sida Complex by ISSR Markers and Chemical Fingerprinting

A method was developed based on multiple approaches wherein DNA and chemical analysis was carried out toward differentiation of important species of Sida complex that is being used for commercial preparation. Isolated DNA samples were successfully performed through PCR amplification using ISSR markers and degree of genetic diversity among the different species of Sida is compared with that of chemical diversity. For genetic fingerprint investigation, selected 10 ISSR primers generating reproducible banding patterns were used. Among the total of 63 amplicons, 62 were recorded as polymorphic, genetic similarity index deduced from ISSR profiles ranged from 12 to 51%. Based on similarity index, S. acuta and S. rhombifolia found to be most similar (51%). High number of species-specific bands played pivotal role to delineate species at genetic level. Investigation based on HPTLC fingerprints analysis revealed 23 bands representing to characteristic chemicals and similarity index ranged from 73 to 91%. Prominent distinguishable bands were observed only in S. acuta, while S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia shared most bands making them difficult to identify on chemical fingerprint basis. This report summarizes the genotypic and chemotypic diversity and the use of profiles for authentication of species of Sida complex.

Phytochemical diversity of Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. from Western Himalaya.

Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. (Rutaceae), commonly known as ‘curry leaf tree’, is a popular spice and condiment of India. To explore the diversity of the essential‐oil yield and aroma profile of curry leaf, growing wild in foot and mid hills of north India, 58 populations were collected during spring season. M. koenigii populations were found to grow up to an altitude of 1487 m in north India. Comparative results showed considerable variations in the essential‐oil yield and composition. The essential‐oil yield varied from 0.14 to 0.80% in shade‐dried leaves of different populations of M. koenigii. Analysis of the essential oils by GC and GC/MS, and the subsequent classification by statistical analysis resulted in four clusters with significant variations in their terpenoid composition. Major components of the essential oils of investigated populations were α‐pinene (2; 4.5–71.5%), sabinene (3; <0.05–66.1%), (E)‐caryophyllene (11; 1.6–18.0%), β‐pinene (4; <0.05–13.6%), terpinen‐4‐ol (9; 0.0–8.4%), γ‐terpinene (8; 0.2–7.4%), limonene (7; 1.1–5.5%), α‐terpinene (6; 0.0–4.5%), (E)‐nerolidol (14; 0.0–4.1%), α‐humulene (12; 0.6–3.5%), α‐thujene (1; 0.0–2.5%), β‐elemene (10; 0.2–2.4%), β‐selinene (13; 0.2–2.3%), and myrcene (5; 0.5–2.1%). Comparison of the present results with those in earlier reports revealed new chemotypes of M. koenigii in investigated populations from Western Himalaya. The present study documents M. koenigii populations having higher amounts of sabinene (3; up to 66.1%) for the first time.

Determination of arsenic extraction by Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash plant for phytoremediation application

ABSTRACT There is contradiction about Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash as arsenic hyperaccumulator. The suitability of V. zizanioides plant for Arsenic (As) tolerance and accumulation in the plant biomass has been investigated for phytoremediation application. Plants were treated with 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mg L−1 As levels in Hoagland nutrient solution. Arsenic accumulation in shoot and root biomass was determined after 14 days. Metal extraction competency from matrix and accumulation in the above ground plant part revealed that V. zizanioides accumulate As at a low level. Inefficiency of As accumulation by this plant relates to the absence of arsenate reductase activity, transcript of the arsC gene which is crucial for As detoxification. Though, the V. zizanioides system sustains low-level As stress, it is not suitable for As phytoextraction.

Implications of Nanotechnology on Plant Productivity and Its Rhizospheric Environment

Nanotechnology requires the ability to understand the materials and precisely manipulate it to nanoscale in a useful way. Nanotechnology emerged as a new broad science of diverse fields such as basic sciences, materials science, and engineering to assemble at the nanoscale. In contrast to conventional or other contaminants, nanoparticles are posing some new environmental challenges for scientists and environmentalists worldwide. Being a new area of science, nanotechnology will leave no field untouched including agriculture and allied sectors. So far, the use of nanotechnology in agriculture has been mostly theoretical, but it has begun to have a significant effect in the main areas of agrochemical industry. Nanoparticles finding great potential as delivery systems to specific targets in living organisms and is being used in medical sciences. In plants, the same principles can be applied for a broad range of uses, particularly to tackle phytopathological infections, nutrition supplement and as growth adjuvant. Nanoparticles can be tagged to agrochemicals or other substances as delivery agent to plant system and tissues for controlled release of chemicals. Doing so, the negative effects of nanomaterials on plant productivity and soil microbes and environment must not be overlooked, such as toxicity generated by free radicals leading to lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. Key focus of the chapter particularly relates the use of nanoparticles on agricultural crops and its toxic implications to plants and microbes naturally present in soil and generation of nanowaste in agroecosystem.

RNA-Seq analysis for indigo biosynthesis pathway genes in Indigofera tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium.

Natural indigo is the most important blue dye for textile dyeing and valuable secondary metabolite biosynthesized in Indigofera tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium plants. Present investigation is made to generation of gene resource for pathway enrichment and to understand possible gene expression involved in indigo biosynthesis. The data about raw reads and the transcriptome assembly project has been deposited at GenBank under the accessions SRA180766 and SRX692542 for I. tinctoria and P. tinctorium, respectively.

Transcriptome analysis for identification of indigo biosynthesis pathway genes in Polygonum tinctorium

Abstract Indigo is the most important blue dye for textile dyeing and is biosynthesized in Polygonum tinctorium. Some biochemical studies related to biosynthesis are available. However, genomic and transcriptome studies have not received sufficient attention. Here, we report de novo assembly of transcriptome datasets and its comprehensive analysis. A total of 60,395 unigenes were annotated using BLAST search against the different databases. At least 23,721 unigenes mapped onto different pathways using KEGG database. We found that 3,323 genes are involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, 117 phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis and 147 tryptophan metabolisms. Apart from this, indigo biosynthesis pathway genes viz., dioxygenase, monooxygenase, and glucosyltransferase have also been identified. Fourteen genes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, 26 glucoside dioxygenase, 9 UDP-glucose D-glucosyltransferase and 52 were β-D-glucosidase. These findings provide a foundation for further analysis of this pathway with potential to enhance the synthesis of indican in P. tinctorium

Variability in Rhizome Volatile Constituents of Acorus calamus L. from Western Himalaya

Abstract: Acorus calamus L. (Araceae), is a semi aquatic perennial herb extensively distributed in western Himalaya. To explore the variability in volatile constituents of rhizome essential oils of A. calamus growing wild in foot and mid hills of Uttarakhand, India; twenty one populations were collected during spring season from an altitude of 215 m to 1827 m. The essential oil yield was found to vary from 0.68 % to 5.80 % in the different populations of A. calamus. GC-FID and GC-MS analysis of oil samples resulted in identification of forty constituents comprising 94.0-99.9 % of oil compositions. Phenyl propanoids (81.9-96.9 %) represented by β-asarone (69.8-95.6 %), α-asarone (0.1-4.7 %), (Z)-methyl isoeugenol (<0.1-4.4 %), (E)-isoeugenol acetate (0.0-3.7 %), (E)-methyl isoeugenol (0.1-2.9 %) and γ-asarone (<0.1-1.6 %) constitute the major fraction of essential oil composition. Other major constituents identified were α-selinene (0.1-7.2 %), humulene epoxide II (<0.1-3.5 %), p-cymene (<0.1-1.9 %) and α-bisabolol (0.0-1.6 %). Comparative results and subsequent statistical analysis based on euclidean multidimensional distance scaling showed considerable variations in rhizome essential oils composition.