Pharmacological characterization of the Haemonchus contortus GABA-gated chloride channel, Hco-UNC-49: modulation by macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics and a receptor for piperazine

Invertebrate ligand-gated chloride channels are well recognized as important targets for several insecticides and anthelmintics. Hco-UNC-49 is a GABA-gated chloride channel from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus and is an orthologue to the neuromuscular receptor (Cel-UNC-49) from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. While the receptors from the two nematodes are similar in sequence, they exhibit different sensitivities to GABA which may reflect differences in in vivo function. The aim of the current study was to further characterize the pharmacology of the Hco-UNC-49 receptor by examining its sensitivity to various insecticides and anthelmintics using two-electrode voltage clamp. Specifically, the insecticides fipronil and picrotoxin appear to inhibit the channel in a similar manner. The IC(50) of picrotoxin on the homomeric channel was 3.65 ± 0.64 μM and for the heteromeric channel was 134.56 ± 44.12 μM. On the other hand, dieldrin, a well-known insect GABA receptor blocker, had little effect on the UNC-49 channel. The anthelmintics ivermectin and moxidectin both moderately potentiated the activation of Hco-UNC-49 by GABA, while piperazine was able to directly activate both the Hco-UNC-49 homomeric and heteromeric channels with EC(50) values of 6.23 ± 0.45 mM and 5.09 ± 0.32 mM, respectively. This piperazine current was reversibly blocked by picrotoxin which demonstrates that the anthelmintic specifically targets Hco-UNC-49. These results demonstrate that Hco-UNC-49 exhibits binding sites for several molecules including piperazine and macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics. In addition, this is the first report of the heterologous expression and subsequent characterization of a receptor for piperazine.     

Synthetic and green vegetable isothiocyanates target red blood leukemia cancers

Isothiocyanates (ITCs), the breakdown products of glucosinolates found primarily in species of Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), are potential anti-cancer compounds. This review compiles data on how through different modes of action ITCs and their synthetic counterparts target leukemia.     

Evolution of river course and morphometric features of the River Ganga: A case study of up and downstream of Farakka Barrage

River channel shifting in the deltaic regime is an unabated occurrence. Channel shifting has become one of the concerns as it influences land use/land cover along the riverbank in various ways. For the management of the river, it is indispensable to study the pattern of river course change both in qualitative and quantitative methods. This study is an attempt to understand the pattern of shifting and to quantify erosion and deposition of the river Ganga at upstream and downstream of Farakka Barrage during 1794–2017. The study has been carried out by using various historical maps, aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and remote sensing and GIS technique to understand the dynamic of the river. Over 223 years period shifting of the river accentuates the remarkable oscillation of the river. Perimeter of the river is determined to understand the area covered by the river course in the study area. To evaluate the meandering of the river sinuosity of the river has been computed in this study. The amount of erosion and deposition was calculated in this study by using ArcGIS 10.6. The study found a higher amount of erosion at the east bank where Manikchak, Kaliachak II and Kaliachak III blocks are situated between 1965 and 2017. At the west bank of the river, especially the Rajmahal block, the occurrence of deposition was remarkable during the same period.     

Effect of the carbamate pesticide Sevin on the intestinal absorption of some nutrients in the teleost fish,Channa Punctatus

The effect of four concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ppm) of Sevin on the rate of uptake of two sugars (glucose and fructose) and an aminoacid (tryptophan) by the intestine of the fresh water snake-head fish,Channa punctatus has been investigated. All four concentrations of the pesticide decreased the rate of transport of the three nutrients. No direct relationship could be established between the concentration of Sevin in the medium and decrease in the rate of transport of nutrients, although, increase in the concentration of Sevin reduced the absorption of nutrients by the intestine to a greater extent. Experiments conductedin vivo andin vitro showed that in both cases the pesticide decreased the brush border enzyme activity.     

The conjunctive use of compost tea and inorganic fertiliser on the growth,yield and terpenoid content of Centella asiatica (L.) urban

The conjunctive use of a compost tea (CT) and an inorganic fertiliser (NPK) on the growth, yield and terpenoid content of Centella asiatica (L.) urban was evaluated. CT and NPK applied at half the recommended concentration resulted in the significant enhancement of vegetative growth, yield and antioxidant content. The synergistic effect of CT₅₀ and NPK₅₀ was highly pronounced on the bioactive components Asiatic acid, madecassoside and asiaticoside. The distribution of the total antioxidants was highest in roots (80%), followed by leaves (66%) and petioles (54%). There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.990) between fertility and total antioxidant content, suggesting an enhanced synthesis of bioactive components resulting from the treatment. This response by C. asiatica to the integrated experimental treatment suggests a viable option for the commercial cultivation of the herb. Augmenting the vegetative biomass production and bioactive components will increase the availability of this medicinal herb for the treatment of various human ailments.     

Efficacy of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in the Management of Disease Complex of Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) Caused by Pectobacterium betavasculorum,Rhizoctonia solani,and Meloidogyne incognita

Gesunde Pflanzen - Application of nanoparticles (NPs) in the management of plant diseases may reduce the use of pesticides and enhance food security. In this study, the effects of TiO2 NPs in 100...     

Antigenic Relationships within the Genus Salmonella as Revealed by Anti-Salmonella enteritidis Monoclonal Antibodies

A panel of 38 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that react with outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Salmonella enteritidis was produced. On the basis of their binding pattern in ELISA, the MAbs were divided into three groups. The first group, consisting of 15 MAbs, was found to be Salmonella-specific as they did not cross-react with Escherichia coli or Pasteurella multocida. The second group of 15 MAbs cross-reacted with E. coli but not with P. multocida, reflecting the closer antigenic relationship of E. coli with Salmonella. The third group of 8 MAbs cross-reacted with both E. coli and P. multocida, indicating that the antigenic determinants identified by these MAbs are conserved in all the three genera.The antigenic relationship of the Salmonella serovars (S. enteritidis, S. gallinarum, S. typhimurium, S. dublin, S. agona, S. indiana and S. choleraesuis) was studied using OMPs prepared from them and the anti-S. enteritidis MAbs. Three MAbs appeared to be specific for S. enteritidis as they did not cross-react with any of the other Salmonella serovars. Twelve of the 38 MAbs cross-reacted with all the serovars tested. Six of these were specific to the Salmonella genus as they did not cross-react with any of the other Gram-negative bacteria tested. The reactivity pattern of the other MAbs indicated that S. gallinarum was antigenically close to S. enteritidis, followed in order by S. dublin, S. agona, S. typhimurium and S. indiana, whereas S. choleraesuis seemed to be antigenically quite distant from S. enteritidis.     

Effect of Feeding and Body Condition Score on Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Production in Zebu Cows

The aim of this study was to standardize the feeding regimen and the body condition score (BCS) for maximum superovulatory responses in indigenous zebu cows. Ten regularly cycling 5–8‐year‐old dry cows, weighing 176–260 kg with BCS 2.5–4.5 were divided into two equal groups at random. The groups were maintained on either a good‐nutrition or a high‐nutrition diet. The feedstuffs were analysed by proximate feed analysis and the metabolizable energy content was estimated. After 3 months feeding, individual cows were injected (i.m) with 1500 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) at day 10 or day 11 of the oestrous cycle (day of oestrus = day 0). Alfaprostol (6 mg) was injected (i.m) 48 h after the injection of PMSG to induce oestrus. At day 6 or day 7 (day of insemination = day 1), the contents of individual uterine horns were flushed with 150–200 ml of phosphate‐buffered saline + 0.2% bovine serum albumin using a two‐way Foley catheter. The embryos were identified, evaluated and graded as excellent, good, fair or poor under a stereomicroscope. For the good‐ and high‐nutrition diets, the daily intake of green grass, straw, concentrate, dry matter, crude protein and estimated metabolizable energy by individual cows were 5 and 6 kg, 3 and 3 kg, 1.5 and 3.5 kg, 4.87 and 6.82 kg, 0.39 and 0.74 kg, and 39.60 and 59.12 MJ, respectively. The protein content was 8 and 11% in the good‐ and high‐nutrition diets, respectively. The two groups of cows on different nutritional diets differed significantly with regard to body weight, body condition score and number of palpated corpora lutea (p < 0.01). For cows on the good‐nutrition diet, the median number of recovered embryos and transferable quality embryos were three and two, respectively. The recovery rate of embryos was 79.30% of palpated corpora lutea. Cows on the high‐nutrition diet did not yield any embryos. The indigenous zebu cows fed on the good‐nutrition diet with BCS 2.5–3 were considered suitable for the induction of superovulation, the cows on the high‐nutrition diet with BCS 4–4.5 were unsatisfactory and were more prone to cyst formation in the ovaries.     

Metabolic changes in the snake head fish Channa punctatus chronically exposed to endosulfan

The chronic toxic effects of a commonly used pesticide endosulfan on the carbohydrate metabolism of the fresh water telcost fish Channa punctatus were investigated. The fish were exposed to a sub-lethal concentration (0.2 μg l^?1) for 15, 30, and 60 days. The levels of glucose, total plasma proteins, lactic acid and haemoglobin in the blood, glycogen and lactic acid contents of liver and muscles were also measured. Alterations in the activities of hexokinase, lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase in the glycolytic pathway, and succinate dehydrogenase in the citric acid cycle were examined in the liver, kidney, intestine, brain, gills and muscles. The results showed that 30 and 60 days of exposure produced more significant changes in different parameters in comparison to 15 days. There was a decrease in blood glucose and total plasma proteins but lactic acid and haemoglobin levels were higher in endosulfan exposed fish than in control fish. Glycogen and lactic acid contents of the liver and muscles were depleted. The activity of hexokinase in liver, kidney and intestine was inhibited after 60 days of exposure but in muscles the enzyme activity was elevated. Glucose-6-phosphatasc was inhibited in all the tissues. Lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase activities decreased in the liver, kidney, brain and gills after 30 and 60 days of exposure. In the muscles, the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase were elevated while succinate dehydrogenase was inhibited. The study showed that formation of glycogen and its breakdown were impaired in the liver. In the muscles, the rate of glycolysis increased probably due to pesticide induced muscular excitment.     

Effects of soil inoculants on the growth,transpiration and wilt disease of chickpea

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Glasshouse experiments were conducted twice to assess the effects of soil inoculants (Rhizobium sp., Glomus fasciculatum and Trichoderma harzianum) and...