Sree Sankara College was founded in the year 1954 by Swami Agamananda, a social reformer and a foresighted scholar of Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram. The institution was established with a view to perpetuating the memory and doctrines of the great saint and philosopher, Adi Sankaracharya and to nurture his birthplace as a cultural citadel. The foundation stone was laid on 28 August 1953 by the Maharaja of Travancore in the presence of the Maharaja of Cochin and several other distinguished personalities. The Sree Sankara College Association was formed in July 1954.The institution was raised to the status of a First Grade College in 1956. It is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University and is included under sec.2 (f) and 12 (B) of the UGC act, 1956.In June 1960, the patronage of the college became vested in the Jagadguru Sri Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal of Dakshinamnaya. Currently, Sri Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamigal, of Sringeri Mutt, steers the administration through a Board of Directors with Sri. K. Anand as the Managing Director.The college has done consistently well in Curricular and Cocurricular activities. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), a statutory body of the UGC has accredited the college B Grade with 2.82 CGPA on a four-point scale. The Departments of Economics, Commerce, Sanskrit and Microbiology are approved Research Centres under the Mahatma Gandhi University..
Purpose This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric and literature-based assessment of global research on microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) bioaccumulation and toxicity in marine organisms from 2015 to 2025, with particular emphasis on ecological risks, human health implications and emerging mechanistic insights into pollutant transfer across marine food webs. Design/methodology/approach A dataset comprising 1,623 peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus was analyzed using VOSviewer to generate collaboration networks, co-citation maps and keyword clusters. Bibliometric findings were complemented by qualitative interpretations of highly cited studies to contextualize major advances in toxicological mechanisms, exposure pathways, model organisms and ecological risk frameworks. Findings Scientific output increased markedly after 2018, driven by advancements in analytical detection techniques and growing regulatory concern. China leads global research output, followed by Italy, India, Spain and the UK, whereas environmentally vulnerable regions such as the Arabian Gulf remain underrepresented. The research focus has evolved from descriptive occurrence studies to mechanistic and molecular-level toxicology, identifying oxidative stress, immunomodulation, gene expression changes, neurotoxicity and NP-specific risks such as tissue penetration and potential blood–brain barrier translocation. Recent literature further reinforces ecological risk assessment frameworks, seafood safety concerns and the need for harmonized monitoring strategies. Methodological limitations, including reliance on English-language Scopus-indexed publications, are acknowledged. Originality/value This study is among the first to integrate systematic bibliometric mapping with qualitative synthesis to identify the principal scientific drivers shaping a decade of MP/NP ecotoxicological research. The findings provide strategic directions for future investigations, including multi-omics approaches, standardized toxicity endpoints, enhanced regional surveillance and policy initiatives aimed at marine ecosystem protection and public health safeguarding.
Chilli peppers (Capsicum species) have been widely used around the world because of their economic value and distinctive sensory characteristics. They contain abundant functional metabolites, especially a group of vanillylamide compounds belonging to the family of capsaicinoids, which have been exploited for medicinal, nutritional, agricultural, and cosmetic uses. The demand for capsaicinoid molecules is increasing day by day due to their high economic value and wide range of applications. Therefore, increasing bioactive metabolites, especially capsaicinoids in chilli peppers, is a major priority in the current scenario. Multi-omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have substantially contributed to understanding the complex regulatory networks governing capsaicinoid biosynthesis. Key structural genes, transcription factors, and signaling pathways involved in the phenylpropanoid and branched-chain fatty acid pathways have been identified, providing valuable targets for metabolic engineering in chilli pepper. Despite these advances, the integration of genetic modification approaches for the targeted enhancement of capsaicinoid production remains limited in chilli pepper. Recent developments in biotechnology, particularly CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome-editing, enable the precise genetic modification of metabolic pathways and regulatory networks in plants. Therefore, it can contribute to the precise modification of key genes involved in the capsaicinoid biosynthesis pathway, offering potential strategies to enhance the capsaicinoid content in chilli pepper. However, CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing in chilli pepper is still in its early stages. There are currently no reports available on the successful enhancement of capsaicinoid content in chilli peppers through CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing. To date, no comprehensive review has evaluated the CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome-editing approaches for capsaicinoid metabolic engineering in chilli pepper. This review critically evaluates the recent advances in CRISPR/Cas-mediated metabolic engineering in chilli peppers, with particular emphasis on regulatory genes involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, multi-omics approaches are expected to complement these strategies by enabling the identification of key regulatory genes, the optimization of genome-editing targets, and the prediction of metabolic outcomes for enhanced capsaicinoid production. Overall, this review provides insights into improving capsaicinoid accumulation in chilli peppers through advanced genome-editing technologies.
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting provides a promising approach for sustainable hydrogen production by directly converting solar energy into chemical fuel. However, it remains a great challenge to develop active, stable, and cost-effective photoelectrodes to achieve efficient PEC performance. In this work, copper oxide nanostructured photoelectrodes were successfully grown on a seeded fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate using a facile seed-layer-mediated hydrothermal method. Microstructural analysis and optimization of reaction conditions-precursor concentration, number of hydrothermal steps, and annealing temperature were done to obtain the best-performing CuO/FTO NSs through a lengthy three-step hydrothermal (HT-3) process and initial poor photostability was resolved. Interestingly, incorporation of carbon not only enhanced the stability and PEC performance of the NSs but also reduced the number of hydrothermal steps required, saving time and energy consumption. Compared to unmodified CuO/FTO NSs, the photocurrent density of the carbon-incorporated CuO/FTO NSs increased up to six times for a one-step hydrothermal reaction (HT-1). The enhanced PEC activity of carbon-incorporated CuO/FTO NSs arises from the synergetic effect between carbon and CuO/FTO NSs, where carbon boosts light absorption and acts as an efficient charge collector and transporter, aiding the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.
Although potential-induced surface restructuring of catalysts is well documented, light irradiation can further enhance this phenomenon, leading to significant changes in catalytic activity and product selectivity. Despite its significance, light-assisted surface reconstruction has not been adequately investigated in previous studies. In this work, we compare the yield and selectivity of ammonia production at a CuO/C photocathode under applied potential and combined light-potential conditions, demonstrating how dynamic surface modulation influences catalytic performance. During the photoelectrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (PEC-NTRR), the CuO/C photocathode achieves a maximum ammonia yield of similar to 36.9 & micro;mol h-1 cm-2 at -1.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) under illumination, representing a 2.8-fold enhancement over dark conditions at the same potential. Meanwhile, the maximum nitrite yield reaches similar to 43 & micro;mol h-1 cm-2 at -1.1 V, nearly 90 times higher than in the dark. This significant increase in both ammonia and nitrite formation under illumination clearly indicates that light plays a crucial role in altering product yield and selectivity. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed light-dependent evolution of the CuO local structure under applied potential. While no significant structural transformation occurs at open-circuit potential, applying a negative potential (-1.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl) induces partial reduction of Cu2+ to Cu(0) (Cu delta+), which becomes more pronounced when combined with light irradiation, leading to a more dynamically modulated Cu(0) state (Cu(delta*)+) that affects product selectivity. In situ FTIR spectroscopy tracks the formation of surface-bound intermediates, showing that the reaction proceeds through successive deoxygenation and hydrogenation steps consistent with the conventional mechanism. Overall, this study establishes a clear correlation between light-driven local structural modulation and the resulting enhancement in product yield and selectivity.
Abstract Endophytes are widely recognised for their ability to enhance plant growth and survival by adapting to the plant’s internal environment. The present study explores the production of hydrolytic enzymes and plant growth-promoting traits in endophytic bacteria isolated from Drynaria quercifolia. Out of the 34 endophytic bacteria isolated, fifteen morphologically distinct bacterial isolates were initially screened for their ability to produce hydrolytic enzymes and plant growth-promoting compounds. Based on their functional attributes, seven distinct isolates were selected for molecular identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequence analysis revealed close similarity to Rothia halotolerans, two distinct strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Mycolicibacterium bacteremicum, Rhizobium sp., Microbacterium sp., and Leifsonia shinshuensis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study documenting these particular bacterial taxa as endophytes with plant growth-promoting potential associated with D. quercifolia. Among the identified isolates, Agrobacterium tumefaciens demonstrated the most pronounced plant growth–promoting activity.
