Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Department of Bio-Medical Sciences

World University root node

School of Bio Sciences and Technology

Vellore Campus

Molecular neurobiology

Dysfunction in Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Complex I, Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Activity, and Mutations in ND1 and ND4 Gene in Autism Spectrum Disorder Subjects from Tamil Nadu Population, India

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still remains on an upsurge trend. The second wave of this disease has led to panic in many countries, including India and some parts of the world suffering from the third wave. As there are no proper treatment options or remedies available for this deadly infection, supportive care equipment's such as oxygen cylinders, ventilators and heavy use of steroids play a vital role in the management of COVID-19. In the midst of this pandemic, the COVID-19 patients are acquiring secondary infections such as mucormycosis also known as black fungus disease. Mucormycosis is a serious, but rare opportunistic fungal infection that spreads rapidly and hence prompt diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid high rate of mortality and morbidity rates. Mucormycosis is caused by the inhalation of its filamentous (hyphal form) fungi especially in the patients who are immunosuppressed. Recent studies have documented alarming number of COVID-19 patients with mucormycosis infection. Most of these patients had diabetes and were administered steroids for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and were consequently more prone to mucormycosis. Hence, the present review emphasizes mucormycosis and its related conditions, its mechanism in normal and COVID-19 affected individuals, influencing factors and challenges to overcome this black mold infection. Early identification and further investigation of this fungus will significantly reduce the severity of the disease and mortality rate in COVID-19 affected patients.

Environmental Research

Mucormycosis: An opportunistic pathogen during COVID-19

Phytopharmaceuticals: Potential Therapeutic Applications

Herbal Traditional Remedies for Male Infertility

Quercetin-Rebuttal Behavior in Male Reproductive Potential

We report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain VITNK9, isolated from a soil sample collected in Vellore District (12.9165°N, 79.1325°E), Tamil Nadu, India, with an assembly size of 7,920,076 bp and 72.7% GC content. © 2021 American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Fulltext

Microbiology Resource Announcements

Draft genome sequence of terrestrial streptomyces sp strain vitnk9, isolated from vellore, tamil nadu, india, exhibiting antagonistic activity against fish pathogens

Abstract: The pigment compound 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DTBBQ) was selectively immobilized on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) during the electrochemical oxidation process. The glassy carbon electrode (GCE)/Q/MWNT showed a stable redox peak at 50 mV vs. Ag/AgCl in pH 7. Antibacterial activity of DTBBQ immobilized on multi-walled nanotube (hybrid DTBBQ/MWNT) against Bacillus cereus (MTCC 1168) and Escherichia coli (MTCC 2401) showed an enhanced minimum inhibitory concentration at 0.78 and 1.5 µg/mL against the bacterial pathogens. The results evidently show the immobilization of DTBBQ on CNT with enhanced redox response peaks observed at –0.01 V (Epa) and –0.2V (Epc) vs. Ag/AgCl. This new electrochemical method to immobilize the drugs onto MWNT is successfully demonstrated and would have potential applications as a remedy for removal of harmful microbes from the environment. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Russian Journal of Electrochemistry

Immobilization of an Antibacterial Compound from Streptomyces sp. onto Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The rapid expansion of global trade and human activities has resulted in a massive increase in wastewater pollution into the atmosphere. Suspended solids, organic and inorganic particles, dissolved solids, heavy metals, dyes and other impurities contained in wastewater from various sources are toxic to the atmosphere and pose serious health risks to humans and animals. Coagulation–flocculation technology is commonly used in wastewater treatment to remove cell debris, colloids and contaminants in a comfortable and effective manner. Flocculants, both organic and inorganic, have long been used in wastewater treatment. However, because of their low performance, non-biodegradability and associated health risks, their use has been limited. The use of eco-friendly bioflocculants in wastewater treatment has become essential due to the health implications of chemical flocculants. Because of their availability, biodegradability and protection, plant-derived coagulants/flocculants and plant-based grafted bioflocculants have recently made significant progress in wastewater treatment. This study will undoubtedly provide a clearer understanding of the current state, challenges and solutions for bioflocculation in wastewater remediation using green materials for the sake of a cleaner climate.

Water Science and Technology

Wastewater treatment using plant-derived bioflocculants: Green chemistry approach for safe environment

In the present study, formulation and characterization of microbial biopolyesteric nanocarrier (MBPNc) was reported for in vitro controlled release of the drugs, viz., amoxicillin and levofloxacin. The synthesis of microbial biopolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nanoparticle was done by a triple emulsion method and loaded with amoxicillin and levofloxacin to improve its curative bioavailability. The synthesized MBPNc was found to be spherical in shape with a size range of 50–100 nm which was confirmed through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. The surface topology and physicochemical characteristics were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The cell viability {\%} of MBPNc, amoxicillin-loaded MBPNc and levofloxacin-loaded MBPNc on HEK293 cells at a concentration of 400 µg/ml were found to be 93.43 ± 0.66{\%}, 92.29 ± 0.61{\%} and 91.53 ± 0.46{\%}, respectively, which confirmed that MBPNc is biocompatible and can be used for biomedical applications without any cytotoxic effect. A significant decrease in the bacterial survival ratio ({\%}) and increase in the zone of inhibition were observed on increasing the concentration of drug-loaded MBPNc against E. coli (ATCC{\textregistered}8739™) and S. aureus (ATCC{\textregistered}23,235™). The in vitro drug delivery study showed controlled release of amoxicillin (99.85 ± 0.15{\%}) and levofloxacin (99.73 ± 0.24{\%}) up to 22 h.

Current Microbiology

Green Formulation of Microbial Biopolyesteric Nanocarriers Toward In Vitro Drug Delivery and Its Characterization

Bioplastics for Sustainable Development

Microbial Production of Bioplastics: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Liver plays an important role in drug metabolism. Presence of any toxic compound in drug or formation of toxic metabolites during hepatic metabolism of drug may cause hepatotoxicity. Galactosamine is the experimental drug which causes hepatotoxicity by two basic mechanisms i.e. inflammation and peroxidation. Natural compounds which are derived from trees or herbs have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which are efficient to prevent or cure the drug- induced hepatotoxicity. These herbal compounds are easily available in nature and also their extraction procedures are less expensive. Moreover, herbal drugs have negligible side -effects as compared to the synthetic drugs available in the market. This review mainly focuses on the different measures of Galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity and also the herbal drugs which can be employed to cure Galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity. © 2021 World Research Association. All rights reserved.