A review article on species used as sariva in different regions of india: hemidesmus indicus, ichnocrpus frutescens, decalepis hamiltoni and cryptolepis buchanani

India is enriched in diversity of flora since ages. The ancient professionals have kept records of their work related to the plants. These works are a source of research today. Sariva is a well known herb since it is most commonly used in Ayurveda for its various therapeutic uses. Later on controversies erupt as locals in different parts of India used different plant species are considered in the name Sariva across India. From the data available, four species are being used as sariva in different regions. Hemidesmus indicus is a botanical name of true sariva. Cryptolepis buchanani and Ichnocarpus are also collectively known as Sariva in ayurveda. In south India Decalepis hamiltonii is being used as true Sariva. Sariva is a widely used herbal drug in the management of cognitive disorders from the times of Aacharya Charaka till today. Hemidesmus indicus, also known in ancient Ayurvedic medicine as "Sugandi" or "Sariva", has been revealed for its medicinal properties since nearly a thousand years. True Sariva traditionally used in various preparations. There is a greater chance of real material been adulterated or substituted by similar looking, cheaper material. Therefore present study is launched to carry out a complete pharmacognostic evaluation of Hemidesmus indicus and its possible adulterants or substitutes which are being used as true sariva in different regions of India. These diagnostic characters will be useful to screen out original crude drug material at the point purchasing.

Using lectins to identify hidden antigens in Fasciola hepatica

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fascioliasis, one of the most economically important helminth diseases of livestock worldwide. Traditionally, fascioliasis has been controlled by the strategic use of fasciolicidal drugs, but the emergence of resistant parasites has spurred an interest in developing vaccines as an alternative means of control. Most vaccine studies to date have evaluated conventional antigens, which are exposed to the host's immune system during the course of a natural infection. ‘Hidden’ antigens have proven to be effective vaccine candidates in other parasite species, most notably the blood-feeding nematode parasite, Haemonchus contortus, and tend to be expressed in the intestine or gut of the parasite. Fasciola hepatica is known to ingest large quantities of blood and may be vulnerable to this approach. Most, if not all, of the candidate antigens identified thus far have been membrane-bound glycoproteins which were solubilized by detergents. Here, we have attempted to employ lectins to select gut-associated glycoproteins from complex mixtures of somatic extracts of adult F. hepatica. We have conducted a comprehensive lectin-binding screen on adult histological sections with a panel of 16 fluorescently labelled lectins. Seven of the lectins bound to molecules within the gastrodermis but also bound to a range of other tissues. Within the gut tissues, jacalin and peanut lectins bound selectively to the gut lamellae and gastrodermal cells, respectively. These lectins were then used to isolate proteins from the integral membrane protein component of the adult fluke. Both lectins showed selectivity for relatively simple subsets of proteins compared to the original crude extracts.

USE OF RESIDUAL BIODIESEL FROM RAW GLYCERIN FROM COMMERCIAL BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

The purpose of this work was the removal of byproducts such as free fatty acids and glycerides present in the crude glycerol. The free fatty acids and the glycerides were separated chemically by hydrolysis with phosphoric acid and mechanically with a separatory funnel. The products separated from the crude glycerin were esterified with an alcoholic solution of dimethyl sulfate and subsequently transesterified with a alcoholic solution of potassium hydroxide to obtain the biodiesel (monoalkyl ester). The biodiesel was purified with Montmorilonite clay. It was analyzed by the acid value test and by solubility in methanol. The volume percent of biodiesel varied between 60% and 80% of the original crude glycerol. Finally the biodiesel (4 liters) was tested as a fuel in a pickup truck.

Probing Stimulants from the Rice Plant towards the Smaller Brown Planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallen) (Homoptera: Delphacidae)

When adult males of the smaller brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus were fed on 2% crude rice (leaf and stem ) extract containing 15% sucrose there were characteristic stylet sheaths deposited on parafilm membrane. Further bioassays with the butanol-soluble fr. of the extract revealed that it is highly effective for the insects. When the butanol fr. was charged on an ODS open column and eluted in sequence with 20, 40 and 100% m ethanol in w ater, the ODS-40% m ethanol fr. was shown as the most effective one. F urther separation of the ODS-40% methanol fr. resulted in six effective components. These components acted to stimulate very high probing response on L. striatellus only when they are combined. This activity was found to be similar to those of the ODS-40% methanol fr. and the original crude rice plant extract. Two of the active components were identified as tricin 5-O-glucoside and tricin 7-O-glucoside, respectively, through spectroscopic analyses.

The Synthesis, Stereochemistry and Properties of Linear and Branched Chain Tetraethylenepentaamine Cobalt(III) Complexes

Described are the syntheses, isolation and resolution of many diastereoisomers of pentaaminecobalt(III) complexes obtained from commercial-grade tetraethylenepentaamine. They contain both linear (tetraen; 3,6,9-triazaundecane-1,11-diamine) and branched chain (trenen; 3-(2-aminoethyl)-3,6-diazaoctane-1,8- diamine) isomers of C8H23N5 and are free of the many other amines present in the original (crude) pentaamine mixture. A dimeric bridging peroxocobalt(III) complex [Co2(C8H23N5)2O2] (ClO4)4 has been isolated and converted into a mixture of s-[Co(trenen)X]n+ and α-anti β-, α-syn β- and α-α-[Co(tetraen)X]2+ complexes (X = Cl¯, Br¯, N3¯), and the various isomers have been separated by a combination of fractional crystallization and ion-exchange chromatography. In addition, some X = NO3¯ and OH2 derivatives have been made by a kinetic route, including the unstable α-syn β isomers. Many of the complexes have been resolved into their enantiomers, and visible, o.r.d. and c.d. spectra are reported. An X-ray crystallographic analysis of a prototype of each of the four isomeric complexes (X = Cl¯ or N3¯) has been determined previously, thereby establishing the identity of many related complexes. Stereoretentive reactions are used to correlate these related isomers, and 13 C and 1 H n.m.r. spectra are reported. The pure trenen and tetraen ligands have been recovered from the CoIII complexes and can be distinguished by 13 C n.m.r. spectroscopy

Purification and properties of the cytosolic and mitochondrial forms of aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase from rat heart

The present work describes the purification from rat heart of the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of the enzymes of the malate–aspartate shuttle, aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) and malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), by a single procedure after the preparation of the original crude extract. In 10 purification steps, the four enzymes were obtained electrophoretically pure in yields ranging from 6 to 54% of their respective isoenzyme levels in the crude extract. Apoenzymes were formed from the aminotransferases by reacting them with cysteine sulfinate and dialyzing. Complete reconstitution was obtained after a brief incubation with pyridoxal phosphate. All four enzymes are dimers. The mitochondrial isoenzymes are of slightly lower molecular weight than their respective cytosolic forms. Michaelis constants and maximal velocities were derived by the use of primary and secondary plots. In general, the properties of the enzymes from rat heart are similar to the properties of the enzymes from other animal sources.

PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LEYDIG CELLS FROM RAT TESTES

SUMMARY An LH-responsive Leydig cell preparation (containing 6 ± 2% Leydig cells) was obtained by collagenase treatment of rat testis. Centrifugation of this cell preparation through a 13% Ficoll solution for 10 min at 1500 g resulted in a four times purification of the Leydig cells, with a concomitant increase in steroidogenic activity. Addition of 0·2% albumin to the 13% Ficoll solution, adjusted to 280 mosmol/l, resulted in a further twofold purification of the Leydig cells paralleled by a twofold increase in steroidogenic activity. Centrifugation of these Ficoll-albumin-purified Leydig cells through a 6% dextran solution for 2 min at 100 g resulted in a further 1·7 times purification of the Leydig cells. A combination of the two centrifugation steps resulted in a 12·5 times purification of Leydig cells compared with the original crude cell suspension, while an increase in steroidogenic activity of 22·5 times was obtained. This final cell preparation contained 59 ± 17% Leydig cells (mean ± s.d., n = 6). The recovery of Leydig cells was 29%. Collagenase treatment of testes deficient in spermatogenesis resulted in a cell preparation with the same steroidogenic activity as Ficoll-purified cells from normal testes. Centrifugation of these cells through a 13% Ficoll solution gave only a limited increase in the steroidogenic activity. Isopycnic centrifugation of the crude cell preparation on a discontinuous Ficoll metrizoate gradient resulted in two discrete peaks of Leydig cells, one peak at a density of 1·039–1·055 g/ml and one at a density of 1·068–1·088 g/ml. Both types of cells produced testosterone. In the presence of LH, cyclic AMP production in both types of Leydig cells increased, but testosterone production was only increased by LH in the 'denser' Leydig cells and not in the 'light' Leydig cells. No difference in sensitivity to LH could be observed between the Leydig cell preparations of different purity. Using a 60 min pre-incubation period the highest testosterone response was obtained with 100–1000 ng LH/ml. The same maximum testosterone response was obtained with 10–100 ng LH/ml when the pre-incubation period was omitted.