Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Murraya koenigii leaf extract against Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti

Mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases, causing millions of deaths every year. The use of synthetic insecticides to control vector mosquitoes has caused physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects in addition to high operational cost. Insecticides of synthesized natural products for vector control have been a priority in this area. In the present study, the activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Murraya koenigii plant leaf extract against first to fourth instars larvae and pupae of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti was determined. Range of concentrations of synthesized AgNPs (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 ppm) and ethanol leaf extract (50, 200, 350, 500, and 650 ppm) were tested against the larvae of A. stephensi and A. aegypti. The synthesized AgNPs from M. koenigii leaf were highly toxic than crude leaf ethanol extract in both mosquito species. The results were recorded from UV–Vis spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Larvae were exposed to varying concentrations of aqueous extract of synthesized AgNPs for 24 h. The maximum mortality was observed in synthesized AgNPs, and ethanol leaf extract of M. koenigii against A. stephensi had LC₅₀ values of 10.82, 14.67, 19.13, 24.35, and 32.09 ppm and 279.33, 334.61, 406.95, 536.11, and 700.16 ppm and LC₉₀ values of 32.38, 42.52, 53.65, 63.51, and 75.26 ppm and 737.37, 843.84, 907.67, 1,187.62, and 1,421.13 ppm. A. aegypti had LC₅₀ values of 13.34, 17.19, 22.03, 27.57, and 34.84 ppm and 314.29, 374.95, 461.01, 606.50, and 774.01 ppm and LC₉₀ values of 36.98, 47.67, 55.95, 67.36, and 77.72 ppm and 777.32, 891.16, 1,021.90, 1,273.06, and 1,509.18 ppm, respectively. These results suggest that the use of M. koenigii synthesized silver nanoparticles can be a rapid, environmentally safer biopesticide which can form a novel approach to develop effective biocides for controlling the target vector mosquitoes.     

Integration of botanicals and microbials for management of crop and human pests

Insect pests inflict damage to humans, farm animals, and crops. Human and animal pests put more than 100 million people and 80 million cattle at risk worldwide. Plant pests are the main reason for destroying one fifth of the world’s total crop production annually. Anopheles stephensi is the major vector of human malaria in Middle East and South Asian regions. Spodoptera litura is a polyphagous pest of vegetables and field crops. Because of its broad host range, this insect is also known as cluster caterpillar, common cutworm, cotton leafworm, tobacco cutworm, tobacco caterpillar, and tropical armyworm. The toxic effects of methanolic extract of Senna alata and microbial insecticide, Bacillus sphericus, were tested against the polyphagous crop pest, S. litura (Fab.), and the malarial vector, A. stephensi. Results from the present study states that B. sphericus is more toxic than S. alata to both the crop pest and mosquito. The malarial vector, A. stephensi, was found to be susceptible than the crop pest, S. litura. Both the botanical and microbial insecticide showed excellent larvicidal, pupicidal, longevity, fecundity, and growth regulatory activities. Median lethal concentrations of B. sphericus and methanolic extract of S. alata observed to kill the third instar of S. litura were 0.52 and 193.09 ppm and A. stephensi were 0.40 and 174.64 ppm, respectively.     

Origin of an Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from a Left Hilar Pulmonary Artery

Anomalous coronaries arising in nontruncal regions of the pulmonary artery are exceedingly rare. We report an autopsy case of an anomalous left coronary artery that arose from the distal pulmonary artery at the hilum of the left lung in an infant with complex congenital heart disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such report. This previously unknown coronary malformation led to a fatal intraoperative complication during a pulmonary angioplasty procedure.     

Evaluation of diagnostic efficacy of PCR methods for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in genital and urine specimens of symptomatic men and women in India

In India, given the scarce availability of sensitive and specific methods, Chlamydia trachomatis genital infections may lead to severe clinical complications when left undiagnosed or underdiagnosed. The present study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency and feasibility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using genital and urine specimens from men and women in India. Genital swabs and urine specimens collected from 143 patients attending the sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic, Government General Hospital, Chennai, were tested by culture and a plasmid based PCR. Culture was positive in 27 (18.9%) patients. PCR gave positive results for 46 (32.2%) cases using genital specimens, and the positivity rate in urine was 25.2%. Once the discordant results between culture and PCR had been resolved by using a major outer membrane protein PCR, the overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the plasmid PCR in genital specimens were 100%, 98%, 95.7%, and 100%, respectively. Corresponding values for urine PCR were 81.8%, 100%, 100%, and 92.5%, respectively. The prevalence of confirmed C. trachomatis infection was 30.8% in this STD population. The results confirmed the need to use sensitive and specific molecular assays like PCR to prevent underdiagnosis of genital chlamydial infections and to facilitate better clinical management of this infection in India.     

Unique variation in the course of maxillary artery in infratemporal fossa: a case report

Maxillary artery is one of the key contents of the infratemporal fossa. Mandibular nerve and its branches form a clinically important relation of maxillary artery in this region. A comprehensive knowledge of variations of maxillary artery in the fossa is of special relevance in oral maxillofacial surgeries, management of epistaxis, intractable neuralgias or headaches. We found a unique variation of maxillary artery, presenting bilaterally, in relation to branches of mandibular nerve. During routine dissection in a 55-year-old male cadaver, maxillary artery was seen passing deep to lateral pterygoid muscle and crossed through the nerve loop formed between two roots of auriculotemporal nerve and posterior division of mandibular nerve. Further course of maxillary artery was medial to the posterior division of mandibular nerve. Maxillary artery gave its middle meningeal artery branch as it traversed through the nerve loop. A tortuous course taken by maxillary artery can lead to its entrapment causing headaches or nerve irritation presenting with neuralgia.     

Graph theoretical analysis,insilico modeling,design, and synthesis of compounds containing benzimidazole skeleton as antidepressant agents

In this study, drug target was identified using KEGG database and network analysis through Cytoscape software. Designed series of novel benzimidazoles were taken along with reference standard Flibanserin for insilico modeling. The novel 4‐(1H‐benzo[d]imidazol‐2‐yl)‐N‐(substituted phenyl)‐4‐oxobutanamide ( 3a–j ) analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their antidepressant activity. Reaction of 4‐(1H‐benzo[d]imidazol‐2‐yl)‐4‐oxobutanoic acid ( 1 ) with 4‐(1H‐benzo [d] imidazol‐2‐yl)‐4‐oxobutanoyl chloride ( 2 ) furnished novel 4‐(1H‐benzo [d] imidazol‐2‐yl)‐N‐(substituted phenyl)‐4‐oxobutanamide ( 3a–j ). All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and mass spectral analysis. The antidepressant activities of synthesized derivatives were compared with standard drug clomipramine at a dose level of 20 mg/kg. Among the derivatives tested, most of the compounds were found to have potent activity against depression. The high level of activity was shown by the compounds 3d , 3e , 3i, and it significantly reduced the duration of immobility time at the dose level of 50 mg/kg.     

Sustainable pectin fascinating hydroxyapatite nanocomposite scaffolds to enhance tissue regeneration

The preparation of biocompatible nanomaterials is one of the emerging areas and it is continuously developing with the use of various contrived methods to accomplish the formation of nanoscale materials. Nevertheless, unfortunately, many of these strategies utilize harmful organic solvents, which make the pertinence of nanoparticles in medicinal applicationsimpractical. In this study, the morphology-focused hydroxyapatite (HAP) was prepared using pectin extracted from the citrus fruit peel (Citrus limonum) and it is used for the synthesis of nano HAP by varying the concentration of pectin as a template. The chemical structure, crystallinity, and morphology were determined by FTIR, XRD, and SEM, respectively. To increase the biocompatibility of HAP, pectin aided HAP (tHAP) and HAP/pectin composites were synthesized with different concentrations of pectin. The compatibility of HAP/pectin was carried out in a human osteoblast cell line. The physic-chemical and biocompatibility showed, HAP/pectin, and HAP/pectin composites are promising materials for bone tissue engineering applications.     

Focal expression of mutant huntingtin in the songbird basal ganglia disrupts cortico-basal ganglia networks and vocal sequences

The basal ganglia (BG) promote complex sequential movements by helping to select elementary motor gestures appropriate to a given behavioral context. Indeed, Huntington’s disease (HD), which causes striatal atrophy in the BG, is characterized by hyperkinesia and chorea. How striatal cell loss alters activity in the BG and downstream motor cortical regions to cause these disorganized movements remains unknown. Here, we show that expressing the genetic mutation that causes HD in a song-related region of the songbird BG destabilizes syllable sequences and increases overall vocal activity, but leave the structure of individual syllables intact. These behavioral changes are paralleled by the selective loss of striatal neurons and reduction of inhibitory synapses on pallidal neurons that serve as the BG output. Chronic recordings in singing birds revealed disrupted temporal patterns of activity in pallidal neurons and downstream cortical neurons. Moreover, reversible inactivation of the cortical neurons rescued the disorganized vocal sequences in transfected birds. These findings shed light on a key role of temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity in the regulation of complex motor sequences and show how a genetic mutation alters cortico-BG networks to cause disorganized movements.The execution of complex behaviors, such as speech or musicianship, depends on the ability to organize elementary motor “gestures” into precisely timed sequences of movements. In the vertebrate brain, the basal ganglia (BG) play a key role in regulating complex motor sequences, as revealed by the behavioral disruptions characteristic of neurological diseases that affect BG function (1–3). A particularly striking example is Huntington’s disease (HD), which is characterized anatomically by extensive cell death in the striatum, the primary input layer of the BG network (4), and behaviorally by hyperkinesia and chorea, which can interfere with the ability to produce coordinated, sequential movements (5, 6). Despite numerous animal models of HD, the detailed neural mechanisms by which striatal dysfunction leads to disorganized movements have remained elusive. One challenge is that HD also affects brain regions other than the BG, making it difficult to identify causal links between BG circuit dysfunction and behavioral symptoms. Another challenge, especially in rodent models of HD, is the limited understanding of whether and how BG circuitry contributes to specific behaviors.The zebra finch is a small Australian songbird that presents several advantages for addressing these challenges. Adult male zebra finches sing a learned song comprising a reproducible sequence of stereotyped syllables (i.e., a motif), and they sing both spontaneously and abundantly, allowing for extensive characterization of syllables and syllable sequences. Moreover, an anatomically differentiated network of interconnected brain nuclei important to singing distinguishes the zebra finch brain (7, 8). An anterior forebrain pathway within this song system shares many similarities to mammalian cortico-BG networks (Fig. 1A), including a BG nucleus (area X) that contains both medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and pallidal neurons, which closely resemble their mammalian counterparts in their intrinsic, synaptic, and circuit properties (9–13). Pallidal neurons in area X communicate via the thalamus to a cortical premotor nucleus [lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN)] that plays a critical role in modulating song variability (14–18). The dedicated nature of this pathway for singing provides a rare opportunity to explore a detailed mechanism by which deficits in the BG act across broader cortico-BG networks to cause specific behavioral symptoms. Furthermore, the spatially distributed organization of the component song nuclei is well suited to the use of viral methods for selectively expressing genetic constructs within a single node in this network (19–22).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Expression of mHTT in the songbird BG. (A) Simplified schematic showing some of the common features of mammalian and songbird cortico-BG networks. (B) Time line of experiments (Top) and a schematic showing a part of the neural circuitry involved in singing behaviors in the songbird (Bottom; sagittal view with rostral to the right and dorsal upward). LV containing a mutant form of mHTT and a fluorescent reporter, AsRed, with insertion of a self-cleaving T2A sequence was injected into the songbird BG (area X) of adult male zebra finches. The songs before injection (habituation) were highly stable (Fig. S1). Behavioral or neural changes were assessed at >30 d after injection. dph, days posthatch. (C) Square region in area X in a sagittal brain slice (Top; D, dorsal; R, rostral) was imaged 34 d after injection with a confocal microscope (Bottom) to confirm expression of mHTT-Q94, as revealed by coexpressed AsRed (see also Fig. S1).Intriguingly, a transgenic zebra finch model of HD was recently generated that shares several similarities with human HD (23), lending support to the idea that songbirds can afford useful models in which to identify how genetic mutations that cause HD alter BG circuitry to affect behavior. Indeed, these transgenic HD songbirds showed deficits in song learning; produced songs with abnormal syllable and sequence variability as adults; and displayed other symptoms, including body rigidity, tremor, and cervical dystonia. However, as with transgenic rodent models of HD and patients with HD, the brain-wide expression of the genetic mutation that causes HD in these transgenic songbirds makes it challenging to understand the link between genotype, circuit pathology, and behavioral phenotype. Here, we overcame this challenge by virally expressing a mutant gene fragment that causes HD [exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (mHTT)] in area X of adult male zebra finches. This focal genetic perturbation caused selective deficits in vocalization: The transfected birds vocalized more abundantly and sang aberrant songs in which syllable sequences, but not individual syllables, were selectively destabilized. These vocal changes were accompanied by the selective loss of MSNs in area X, a marked reduction of inhibitory synapses on pallidal neurons, and disrupted temporal patterns of singing-related activity in pallidal and LMAN neurons. Moreover, reversibly inactivating LMAN was sufficient to restore normal vocal behavior. These findings indicate that focal expression of mHTT in the BG disrupts motor sequences by altering temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity, which may afford a novel target for ameliorating disorganized movements in BG diseases.