Raja Narendra Lal Khan Women's College

Streptozotocin, that has a selective pharmacological toxicity toward pancreatic beta cells, in addition to high lipid diet (HLD) has been widely used to induce T2DM. However, no evidence has shown that superior dose of streptozotocin (STZ) to establish T2DM. This study was initiated to develop an animal model (Wister Albino rats) of T2DM with suitable dose of STZ. Total fifty male rats (210 ± 20 g) were arbitrarily divided into 10 groups (n = 5). Two groups were control group fed normal diet (ND) and high lipid diet (HLD). The remaining rats were induced with STZ at 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/kg body weight, with each dose tested under ND and HLD conditions. Body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, serum insulin, C-peptide, pancreatic glucokinase, serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, MDA) and pancreatic histology. 80 mg/kg STZ group rats expired within 7 days. After 28 days of experiment, Blood glucose was markedly raised up. Insulin and C-peptide levels were lower in STZ/HLD fed groups (P < 0.001) rats. Pancreatic glucokinase activity significantly decreased (P < 0.05). SOD, CAT, GSH and TG, TC increased significantly in STZ/HLD treated groups (P < 0.01). We observed that, β- cells were present in STZ/HLD fed rats pancreas and insulin secretion is higher than ND fed rats. We concluded that, HLD with 40mg STZ/Kg b.w. rats provide a novel animal model for T2DM without any contradictions and is suitable for the testing of antidiabetic compounds.

In this present era, artificial intelligence (AI) is a buzz word. With the increase in hype for AI and its increasing rate of application worldwide, it has raised a debate on the impact of AI on increase in growth rate, productivity and unemployment. Having said that, studies have shown AI is still at an infant stage. With the increase in the ability to understand context and reply in human language, it has surely paved its way towards an impeccable journey of transforming an economy with the increase in productivity, gross domestic product (GDP) and economic growth. The advancement may cause some setbacks in terms of labour force participation with higher demand for labour with certain skill set to be able to work with AI and hence increasing the unemployment rate as well as creating a widening gap between developing and developed countries. In this chapter, we aim to determine the effect of AI on GDP growth of India for the year 2022 and have selected terms of trade (ToT), human development index (HDI) and per capita real GDP for the year 2022 to understand its overall impact using secondary data. The results of the analysis show that ToT, global artificial intelligence (GAI) index, and HDI as explanatory variables significantly explain the variation in per capita real GDP.

Heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems represents a significant environmental challenge due to its persistence, toxicity, and propensity for bioaccumulation. This study investigated the impact of lead [Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₂] on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant responses of Pistia stratiotes exposed to concentrations of 0 µM (control), 200 µM, 300 µM, 400 µM, and 500 µM Pb for 7 days at 37 ± 1°C, 85 % RH. Relative growth rate (RGR) increased progressively up to 400 µM (1.100 gg⁻¹day⁻¹) before declining at 500 µM (0.730 gg⁻¹ day⁻¹), although growth remained above control values. Lead accumulation in plant tissues exhibited a strong concentration-dependent increase from 10.410 mg/kg (control) to 8182.000 mg/kg (500 µM), confirming P. stratiotes as a potential lead hyperaccumulator. Chlorophyll content decreased from 1.365 ± 0.006 mg/g (control) to 1.306 ± 0.022 mg/g (500 µM) under Pb stress, indicative of photoinhibition and potential biomass loss. Concurrently, levels of ascorbic acid, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased with Pb concentration, reflecting the activation of antioxidative defense mechanisms and oxidative stress responses. Bioconcentration factor (BCF= 0.056), tolerance index (TI= 106.25 %) at 400 µM, and Pb uptake measurements demonstrated the species’ high efficiency in phytoextraction and rhizofiltration processes. Collectively, these findings underscore the substantial tolerance and accumulation capacity of P. stratiotes under moderate Pb stress (400 µM), highlighting its suitability as a phytoremediator for lead-contaminated aquatic environments and as an effective bioindicator for environmental monitoring.

Mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose major public health challenges, necessitating the development of environmentally safe biological control agents. Although several bacterial larvicides are currently used, novel gut-associated bacteria with high specificity and low non-target toxicity remain under-explored. This study (This is the first report demonstrating mosquito larvicidal activity of Alcaligenes faecalis against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae.) reports, for the first time, the mosquito larvicidal potential of Alcaligenes faecalis against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. A bacterial (This is the first report demonstrating mosquito larvicidal activity of Alcaligenes faecalisagainst Culex quinquefasciatus larvae.) isolate, obtained from the midgut of naturally dead and moribund Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae, was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis strain BUMCn01 (GenBank accession: PX526002) based on morphological, biochemical, physiological, and 16S rRNA gene analyses. Larvicidal bioassays using A. faecalis strain BUMCn01 formulation were performed against all four larval instars. Bacterial localization and aggregation in the larval midgut following exposure to A. faecalis strain BUMCn01 were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Field efficacy was evaluated in sewage drains of different depths. Laboratory evaluations of the A. faecalis strain BUMCn01 formulation was also conducted on non-target aquatic organisms (Chironomus circumdatus larvae, Daphnia spp., Poecilia reticulata, and tadpoles of Bufo spp.). Furthermore, bacterial proteins were isolated and assessed for larvicidal efficacy against 3rd instar larvae, to identify the bacterial component responsible for the bioactivity. The isolate was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis strain BUMCn01 using a polyphasic approach including morphological, biochemical, physiological and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis (GenBank accession: PX526002).The Alcaligenes faecalis BUMCn01 formulation resulted in clear dose–response relationship. 100

The environmental persistence of carbofuran, a potent methylcarbamate neurotoxin, necessitates the development of advanced biotechnological strategies to safeguard soil biodiversity. This study investigated the bioremediation potential of Bacillus paralicheniformis PPH2, a specialized symbiont isolated from a unique ecological niche, the gastrointestinal tract of the indigenous paddy field earthworm Glyphidrilus sp. Unlike traditional soil isolates, strain PPH2 exhibited superior metabolic resilience, growing on carbofuran as the sole carbon and energy source. Through Central Composite Design with Response Surface Methodology, the catabolic efficiency was maximized at pH 7.1, 34.7°C, and 100 rpm rpm and a validated degradation efficiency of 62.07 ± 1.12 was realized within 120 h. Structural elucidation using the LC-MS/MS revealed carbofuran phenol as the main metabolite (m/z 164.36) and verified that PPH2 promotes the hydrolytic cleavage of the methylcarbamate ester linkage, which is the neurotoxic warhead of the molecule. The ecological relevance of this biotransformation was confirmed by use of in vivo ecotoxicological bioassays on sentinel earthworm, Eisenia fetida . The findings showed a large 1.66-fold decrease in acute systemic toxicity, and the 96-h LC 50 of 5.458 mg/kg (parent compound) changed to 9.061 mg/kg (metabolite). This study offers a scientifically sound mechanism of restoring soil health and safeguarding terrestrial ecosystems against pesticide degradation by enhancing the gap between microbial kinetics, statistical optimization and quantitative ecotoxicology.