Food preservatives are specific additives used to prevent food spoilage. Benzoic acid is the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid, possessing a faintly pleasant odour and having wide application as preservatives in carbonated drinks, beverages, sauces, pickles, jams and jellies and also being used in cosmetics and other pharmaceutical products. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) provides a deep understanding between the chemical structure of a molecule and its biological activity. Modifying the molecule by substitution of a functional group is likely to affect its biological activity. The present communication reports an SAR study on benzoic acid and its derivatives, which are extensively used as preservatives in food and beverages, and compares their activity with their derivatives.

Marine-derived fungi are widely known to produce a plethora of priceless biologically active secondary metabolites. The main objective of this study was to produce kojic acid as an exclusive secondary metabolite in the fermentation medium of Aspergillus wentii (MTCC 5374). Firstly, we describe the isolation of endophytic fungi from a marine alga followed by its growth- optimization in the laboratory to give maximum yield of kojic acid and finally its mass culturing for obtaining crude product. This paper also describes a simple, single-step extraction and column chromatographic purification of the crude extract to produce 98% pure kojic acid. Commonly used thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and advanced instrumentation techniques using NMR, IR and MS is reported for its easy identification. Kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-γ-pyrone) having a molecular formula C6H6O4 is a white, crystalline, water-soluble organic acid enzymatically produced from Aspergillus sp. It possesses potential application in the field of medicine, food, cosmetics and agriculture. Its outstanding application as a skin whitening agent by inhibiting formation of tyrosine is schematically represented assigning tyrosinase enzyme to act as a rate determining step in the production of melanin during hyperpigmentation.

Cold seeps are unique ecosystems characterized by the presence of endemic communities reliant on microorganisms that survive through chemosynthesis, utilizing sulfide, methane, hydrocarbons, and other reduced compounds. Recently, a cold seep was discovered in the Cauvery-Mannar basin during an expedition aboard the research vessel ORV Sindhu Sadhana which led to the investigation into the distribution and isolation of microorganisms within the sediment layers (0-6 cm). Metagenomic analysis based on V3-V4 region of the sediment's bacterial community revealed a prevalence of bacteria associated with methane and hydrocarbons. Dominant phyla included Campilobacterota (20-25%), Proteobacteria (15-25%), Firmicutes (15-20%), Desulfobacterota (10-18%), Chloroflexi (5-10%), and Actinobacterota (5-7%). In-vitro isolation of hydrocarbondegrading bacteria using minimal media supplemented with 1% crude oil gave rise to 15 bacterial strains. Molecular identification of six isolates (chosen based on the dense growth obtained in agar plates) revealed their affiliation with the genera Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus, Acinetobacter, and Bacillus. This comprehensive study constitutes the first report on the bacterial community structure found in sediments from a cold seep of CauveryMannar basin, along with the successful isolation and identification of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.

The reaction of [(?(5)-C5Me5)MCl2](2 )[M = Ir (1) or Rh (2)] with thiazole ligands (L) at room temperature [L=atz; 2-acetamidothiazole (3) or catz; 5-chloro-2-acetamidothiazole (4)] afforded iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes of the type [(?(5)-C5Me5)M(L)Cl-2] [M = Ir; L = atz (5), ctz (6); M = Rh, L=atz (7), catz (8)]. Compounds were characterized by FTIR, NMR (H-1 and C-13) and mass spectroscopic data. The molecular structures of 5 and 6 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All the compounds were obtained as neutral complexes and the ligand is coordinated monodentate to the metal. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the compounds against ten marine fouling bacteria showed moderate to good activity against the tested marine fouling bacteria.

The marine fungus, Aspergillus flavipes (MTCC 5220), was isolated from the pneumatophore of a mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius found in Goa, India. The crude extract of A. flavipes was found to show anti-inflammatory activity. It blocked interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated THP-1 cells with IC50 of 2.69 +/- 0.5 mu M and 6.64 +/- 0.4 mu M, respectively. The chemical investigation led to the isolation of optically inactive 4 beta-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1 beta,2 beta-diol (1) along with a new optically active diastereoisomeric compound, 4 beta-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1 beta,2 alpha-diol (2). In addition, the fungus also produced known compounds (+)-terrein (3), butyrolactone I (4) and butyrolactone II (5) in high yields. Among these, (+)-terrein (3) exhibited IL-6 and TNF-alpha inhibition activity with IC50 of 8.5 +/- 0.68 mu M and 15.76 +/- 0.18 mu M, respectively, while butyrolactone I (4) exhibited IC50 of 12.03 +/- 0.85 mu M (IL-6) and 43.29 +/- 0.76 mu M (TNF-alpha) inhibition activity with low toxicity to host cells in LPS stimulated THP-1 cells. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of 4 beta-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1 beta,2 alpha-diol (2). The structures of all the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive detailed NMR spectroscopic data. Anti-inflammatory activity of the fungi A. flavipes is presented here for the first time, which was due to (+)-terrein and butyrolactone I, as the major constituents and they can be further explored in the therapeutic area.

Ethiopia is experiencing deterioration in river quality resulting in adverse effects on human health and hydrobionts. This study aimed to analyse the effects of specific environmental stressors on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the Upper Awash River. The study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2018. Macroinvertebrates were collected from five sites using standard handheld nets. Physicochemical parameters including electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorous, nitrate-nitrogen, pH, dissolved oxygen and water temperature that can affect the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates were assessed. A total of 14,465 individuals belonging to 33 families of insects and 5 families of the noninsect group were identified. Among all recorded taxa, Diptera was the most abundant and diversified order. Macroinvertebrates among the five sites showed variation in species evenness, richness, and Shannon Diversity Index. Values obtained from biotic indices and environmental parameters indicated the presence of organic pollution at different levels. The impacted downstream site paper mill waste (Walgata) had the relatively highest H-FBI index followed by Osole (more agricultural activities) indicating that Walgata and Osole were poorer in benthic faunal diversity than other sites. In addition, as habitat and water quality degradation increased, the number and percentage of Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) decreased. The selected metrics will be also useful for the monitoring and assessment of the riverine systems and to access the impact of different stressors. As perturbation increased, species diversity, ETHbios index, Average Score Per Taxon, and family richness decreased, while the percentage of Chironomidae, Diptera, Dominant Taxa, and Hilsenhoff Family-Level Biotic Index increased indicating that tolerant species become abundant in degraded river bodies. Environmental protection agencies of governmental and nongovernmental organizations should make awareness for the local people so that they reduce activities that affect the river. Paper factory should also monitor its effluent from directly discharging into the Upper Awash River.

The present study was undertaken with a view to determine the nutraceutical value of the commonly consumed edible clam, Meretrix casta (Chemnitz), based on the identification of its organic chemical constituents particularly lipids and carbohydrates. Electrospray ionization tandem mass analysis of the bivalve indicated maltodextrins to be the major carbohydrate constituent. Triacylglycerols (TAGs) (0.88%, dry weight) were rich in C14:0, C16:0 to C18:0 (6–11%) saturated and monounsaturated palmitoleic (C16:1n9c; 11.76%) and oleic fatty acids (C18:1n9c; 14.53%). Though the clams contained PUFAs which are known to be beneficial in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, they were devoid of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3). Maltodextrins being less digestible than glucose beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth of gut microflora particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. These microflora inhibit colonization of pathogens by producing butyrate. The profile of sterols (1.67%, dry wt.) showed it to be a complex mixture of C26, C27, C29 and C30. To our knowledge no reports are available in the literature on the identification of maltodextrins and of positional distribution of PUFA’s at the sn2 position of TAGs in M. casta. The results of this study demonstrated the positive attributes of the bivalve for human consumption.

Benzimidazoles/benzothiazoles are heterocyclic compounds which contain a five membered heteroatom and a benzene ring. They constitute a crucial structural unit of numerous bioactive compounds and natural products. Since the compounds containing benzimidazole/benzothiazole core and their derivatives possess interesting biological activity, steady efforts are being made on the development of an improved synthetic methodology for the synthesis of these biologically important class of compounds. Inspired by their biological properties, synthesis of 2-arylbenzimidazoles and 2-aryl benzothiazoles has been attempted using N^O chelate ruthenium(II)-catalyst in water. A series of 2-arylbenzimidazoles and 2-arylbenzothiazoles including a few new derivatives have been prepared by the reaction of ortho-phenylenediamine or ortho-aminothiophenol with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of 5 mol% of ruthenium(II)-catalyst under nitrogen without the use of additive in water. This reaction was extended to various heteroaromatic aldehydes obtaining up to 88% yield of the desired 2-arylbenzimidazoles/2-arylbenzothiazoles. In a few cases, a small amount of diarylated compounds was formed depending on the aldehydes used. Additionally, antibiotic properties of the synthesized compounds have been screened using the standard disc diffusion method.

Chemical investigation of the brown alga Sargassum cinereum collected from Goa coast, India led to the isolation of two bioactive pigments viz. pheophytin-a and fucoxanthin in a relatively good concentration. These pigments were known to possess several biological properties. Specifically, fucoxanthin is present in several micro- and macro-algae and known to exhibit a remarkable antioxidant, cytotoxic and, hypoglycemic activity. These pigments are being used in several health care products. however; their feeding deterrent activity is not well understood. Here, we report the isolation of fucoxanthin and pheophytin-a from this algal species by chromatographic techniques and their characterization on the basis of FTIR, UV-Vis, NMR and mass spectroscopic data. Additionally, feeding deterrent effects of the pigments on shrimps have been investigated by performing a feeding assay in an aquarium.

Sphingolipids have been considered for many years only as structural components of membranes. It is now acknowledged that they are also involved in controlling cellular processes such as proliferation.The present work was designed to find the anticancer activity of the crab Dromia dehanni hemolymph in in-vivo and in vitro with special reference to the anticancer compound sphingolipids isolation and characterization. The active fraction of the purified hemolymph was subjected to NMR and ESI-MS/MS analysis. The ESI-MS/MS spectrum exhibited intense signals for sodiated molecular ions [M + Na](+) of sphingomyelins (SM) identified as N-2-O-Acetyl-12 pentadecenoyl sphingosine phosphorylcholine, N-9-eicosenoyl- sphinganine phosphocholine and the corresponding dehydro sphingomyelin, N-9-eicosenoyl- dehydro- sphinganine phosphocholine along with the ions at m/z 147, 184 characteristic of phosphocholine. The present study revealed D. dehaani might be a great source for the novel anti-cancer compounds which can be used for human benefits.

The a-Conotoxins are peptide toxins that are found in the venom of marine cone snails and they are potent antagonists of various subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Because nAChRs have an important role in regulating transmitter release, cell excitability, and neuronal integration, nAChR dysfunctions have been implicated in a variety of severe pathologies. We describe the isolation and characterization of α-conotoxin MilIA, the first conopeptide from the venom of Conus milneedwardsi. The peptide was characterized by electrophysiological screening against several types of cloned nAChRs that were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. MilIA, which is a member of the α3/5 family, is an antagonist of muscle type nAChRs with a high selectivity for muscle versus neuronal subtype nAChRs. Several analogues were designed and investigated for their activity in order to determine the key epitopes of MilIA. Native MilIA and analogues both showed activity at the fetal muscle type nAChR. Two single mutations (Met9 and Asn10) allowed for MilIA to strongly discriminate between the two types of muscle nAChRs. Moreover, one analogue, MilIA [∆1,M2R, M9G, N10K, H11K], displayed a remarkable enhanced potency when compared to native peptide. The key residues that are responsible for switching between muscle and neuronal nAChRs preference were elucidated. Interestingly, the same analogue showed a preference for α9α10 nAChRs among the neuronal types.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly attracting attention all over the world.A diverse set of algal species including diatoms, flagellates, chrysophytes and dinoflagellates can cause harmful blooms, and many produce toxins that harm other organisms and human health.Intensive cyanobacterial blooms, in particular, have been associated with high costs for society due to their potential toxicity.Algal blooms can produce different toxins.These toxins present a long-standing threat to human and environmental health.For example, the severe Karenia bloom of 2005 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico demonstrates the complexities and magnitude of the challenges of managing algal blooms for both environmental and public health.With increasing events and severe impacts of algal blooms on human health, it becomes necessary to monitor and manage toxic algal blooms.Hence this paper presents a review of causes, impacts and control of algal blooms. Causes of HABsUnfortunately, the causes of HABs are uncertain to date.There is no conclusive report available for the causes of HABs.However, some of the factors which are thought to be responsible for causing HABs are succinctly described below. Coastal EutrophicationCoastal pollution resulting from various sources like domestic and industrial effluents is one of the most important factors in the development of HABs.On most occasions, eutrophication due to nutrient enrichment results in algal blooms, some of which are toxic to marine organisms and to humans.Recent research suggests that eutrophication and climate change are two processes that may promote the proliferation and expansion of cyanobacterial blooms [6].Eutrophication or nutrient enrichment can alter 40

Many naturally occurring biologically active compounds are derived from marine organisms. Brachyuran crab Dromia dehaani is also known as sponge crab. Hence, this study was undertaken to isolate and characterize the antimicrobial peptide from the marine crab hemolymph. Therefore the objectives of this research work was to high light the functions of biologically active peptide Dromidin. Dromidin was identified and confirmed as a new antimicrobial peptide in the hemolymph of the crab D. dehaani. Antimicrobial peptide was characterized and confirmed by using various analytical techniques. ESI-MS analysis of the active antimicrobial hemolymph fraction resulted in the value 513.0 Da. In addition, current findings strongly suggest that this peptide is functionally important against the pathogens.

Butanol fraction of sacoglossan Elysia grandifolia was investigated for identifying peptides using electrospray ionisationtandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Without prior isolation, the structural determination is achieved on the basis of mass fragmentation pattern and comparison with the previously established data. The ESI-MS of the fraction in the positive ion mode gave clusters of singly and doubly charged molecular ion peaks. The ESI-MS spectrum showed peaks for the presence of the peptides kahalalides F, G, R and S reported earlier. In addition, it also showed molecular ion peaks at m/z 1557.8 [M+H] (+) and doubly charged ions at m/z 779.4 [M+2H] (2+), 790.4 [M+Na] (2+) and 796.4 [M+K] (2+). The MS/MS at m/z 779.4 [ M+2H] (+2) at collision energy 40 V obtained series of b and y fragment ions. The MS/MS spectrum showed identical fragment ion y6 at m/z 643 which revealed that cyclic part is identical with kahalalide F, R and S. Careful examination of the fragment ions b1 to b7 with their corresponding y fragment ions y12 to y6, respectively and by comparison of MS/MS pattern of kahalalide S, established that proline can be replaced by tyrosine amino acid residue. The mass difference between b4 (m/z 511) and b5 (m/z 674) is equal to 163 which is equivalent to mass residue of tyrosine. Their y fragment ions also quickly helped in fixing the puzzle. This resulted in the identification of the peptide sequence cyclo-[Val-(5-MeHex-Val-ThrVal- Val-Tyr-Lys-Ile) Thr-Ile-Val-Phe-Dhb)] for the new cyclodepsipeptide, kahalalide Z3. Thus, ESI-MS/MS has set a trend in quick identification of new marine molecules.

Lysinibacillus sphaericus D3 cell-immobilized beads in natural gel sodium alginate decolorized the xylidine orange dye 1-(dimethylphenylazo)-2-naphthol-6-sulfonic acid sodium salt in the laboratory. Optimal conditions were selected for decolorization and the products formed were evaluated for toxicity by disc diffusion assay against common marine bacteria which revealed the non-toxic nature of the dye-degraded products. Decolorization of the brightly colored dye to colorless products was measured on an Ultra Violet-Vis spectrophotometer and its biodegradation products monitored on Thin Layer Chromatographic plate and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Finally, the metabolites formed in the decolorized medium were characterized by mass spectrometry. This analysis confirms the conversion of the parent molecule into lower molecular weight aromatic phenols and sulfonic acids as the final products of biotransformation. Based on the results, the probable degradation products of xylidine orange were naphthol, naphthylamine-6-sulfonic acid, 2-6-dihydroxynaphthalene, and bis-dinaphthylether. Thus, it may be concluded that the degradation pathway of the dye involved (a) reduction of its azo group by azoreductase enzyme (b) dimerization of the hydrazo compound followed by (c) degradation of monohydrazo as well as dimeric metabolites into low molecular weight aromatics. Finally, it may be worth exploring the possibility of commercially utilizing L. sphaericus D3 for industrial applications for treating large-scale dye waste water.

Marine organisms constitute approximately one-half of the total global biodiversity, being rich reservoirs of structurally diverse biofunctional components. The potential of cyanobacteria, micro- and macroalgae as sources of antimicrobial, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant compounds has been reported extensively. Nonetheless, biological activities of marine fauna and flora of the Aegean Sea have remained poorly studied when in comparison to other areas of the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we screened the antimicrobial, antifouling, anti-inflammatory and anticancer potential of in total 98 specimens collected from the Aegean Sea. Ethanol extract of diatom Amphora cf capitellata showed the most promising antimicrobial results against Candida albicans while the extract of diatom Nitzschia communis showed effective results against Gram-positive bacterium, S. aureus. Extracts from the red alga Laurencia papillosa and from three Cystoseira species exhibited selective antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines and an extract from the brown alga Dilophus fasciola showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity as measured in primary microglial and astrocyte cell cultures as well as by the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines. In summary, our study demonstrates that the Aegean Sea is a rich source of species that possess interesting potential for developing industrial applications.

Background: Blood is an important resource, helps patients suffering from life-threatening condi-tions and have a life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care. Ensuring safe and sufficient blood supplies requires the development of a nationally coordinated blood transfusion service based on voluntary non-remunerated blood donations. This study was undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of blood donation among residents in an urban field practice area of a government medical college in Chennai. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was undertaken among the randomly selected 150 resi-dents in the field practice area, Chennai. Data was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered ques-tionnaire, after getting informed consent. The responses were verified twice, entered and analysed using IBM SPSS version 16.0. The descriptive and inferential statistics of the responses to the questions were cal-culated. Results: Among 150 participants, 77 were males and 73 were females. Around 70% of the partici-pants knew their own blood group status. Almost half of the participants had acquired the knowledge about blood donation through media. Only about 28% participants had donated blood previously. Among those who had donated blood, 79.8% had donated as an act of altruism. Nearly 40% said that they had no time to donate blood. Conclusions: From our study, we conclude that people had better knowledge about blood donation. Many people had positive attitude towards blood donation practices. Though they had good knowledge and attitude, the practice of donating blood was found to be far less. Keywords: Blood, Voluntary blood donation

Cone snails are predatory creatures using venom as a weapon for prey capture and defense. Since this venom is neurotoxic, the venom gland is considered as an enormous collection of pharmacologically interesting compounds having a broad spectrum of targets. As such, cone snail peptides represent an interesting treasure for drug development. Here, we report five novel peptides isolated from the venom of Conus longurionis, Conus asiaticus and Conus australis. Lo6/7a and Lo6/7b were retrieved from C. longurionis and have a cysteine framework VI/VII. Lo6/7b has an exceptional amino acid sequence because no similar conopeptide has been described to date (similarity percentage <50%). A third peptide, Asi3a from C. asiaticus, has a typical framework III Cys arrangement, classifying the peptide in the M-superfamily. Asi14a, another peptide of C. asiaticus, belongs to framework XIV peptides and has a unique amino acid sequence. Finally, AusB is a novel conopeptide from C. australis. The peptide has only one disulfide bond, but is structurally very different as compared to other disulfide-poor peptides. The peptides were screened on nAChRs, NaV and KV channels depending on their cysteine framework and proposed classification. No targets could be attributed to the peptides, pointing to novel functionalities. Moreover, in the quest of identifying novel pharmacological targets, the peptides were tested for antagonistic activity against a broad panel of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as two yeast strains.