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

Research in animals and humans has indicated that polyphenols can delay the age-related decline in learning, memory and neurodegenerative diseases. Among the polyphenols, berry phenolics have extensive beneficial effects because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Long-term consumption of grapes results in accumulation of polyphenols in the brain, which modulates cell-signalling pathways and neutralises the redox imbalance in the aging brain. Here we review the in vivo and in vitro evidence for considering grape-derived polyphenolics, the flavonoids- catechins, epicatechin, anthocyanidin, and quercetin, and non-flavonoids-gallic acid and resveratrol, as effective dietary sources to facilitate cognition in adults and lessen the decline in the old and pathogenic states, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, a combined intervention of polyphenols along with regular physical exercise provides cognitive benefits for the aging brain and holds promising venues for preclinical and clinical studies in formulating neuro-nutraceuticals as functional foods for a healthy brain. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.

School of Bio Sciences and Technology

Vellore Campus

World University root node

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

Polyphenols as an effective therapeutic intervention against cognitive decline during normal and pathological brain aging

Aim/Background: Arecoline is considered to be the principal etiologic agent for Oral Sub mucous Fibrosis (OSF) with the buccal fibroblasts being the major target. Hence, this model alkaloid has been used to evaluate toxicity and cell death potential in NIH/3T3 cells and compared with that of Hesperidin. Materials and Methods: Toxicity and cell death, for the two molecules, was tested using a battery of assays (MTT assay based cytotoxicity assessment; AO/EtBr assay-based determination of the percentage of dead cells; PI-based cell-cycle and cell death analysis using flow cytometry; DCFH-DA-based ROS levels). We also evaluated the role of S100A4 in this process using Trifluoperazine (TFP)-an antagonist of this protein. These experiments involved challenging the cells with arecoline and protecting them with Hesperidin and TFP separately. Results: IC50 measurements, based on the MTT assay, were found to be 38µM and 7. 5 Micromolar respectively. Based on the AO/EtBr and the flow cytometry assay, both the chemicals exhibited a dose-dependent increase in cell death. Both chemicals arrested the cells in different phases of the cell cycle. Arecoline and Hesperidin altered ROS levels in a dose-dependent manner. Our challenge-protection experiments showed that Hesperidin and TFP, were able to reduce the arecoline-mediated cell death in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. These results may due to an alteration in the ROS levels, despite quantitative differences in their cytotoxicity and cell death potential. The protection-challenge experiments showed that Arecoline and TFP may have a marginal cytoprotective effect. Conclusions: Our results substantiates and validates our experimental design to evaluate the toxicity and safety of model fibrotic chemicals as well as test the probable protective effects conferred by Hesperidin-like natural molecules as well as possibly address mechanistic issues pertaining to ROS as well as S100A4 antagonism using TFP and related molecules. © 2020, Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India. All rights reserved.

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research

Arecoline, hesperidin and trifluoperazine-mediated cytotoxicity and cell death potential in nih/3t3 fibroblasts cells –toxicity/safety assessment in a nih/3t3 model fibroblast cell line

The present study focuses on recovery of heavy metals from e-waste fungus isolated from heavy metal rich industrial sewage soil. Molecular identification revealed the organism to be Aspergillus nomius and was designated as A. nomius JAMK1. The isolate was subjected for heavy metals uptake following two mechanisms: bioaccumulation and biosorption. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was primarily used to analyse the heavy metal ions uptake and further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX). Kinetics study was performed using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, Weber and Morris and Boyd’s kinetic model. Central composite design, a subunit of response surface methodology, was utilized to obtain design of experiments for the experimental values in bioaccumulation. Adsorption isotherm assessment, conducted for the biosorption activity of strain JAMK1, showed that the process followed Freundlich mode of isotherm. The adsorbed heavy metals were comprehensively desorbed from the metal-loaded sorbent using HCl and Ca(OH)2. The activity of A. nomius JAMK1 in bioleaching of metals from spent batteries was studied and analysed using AAS, X-ray diffraction, SEM and EDAX. The investigation proved A. nomius JAMK1 to be a potential strain for heavy metals uptake from aqueous solution as well as electronic waste. © 2019, Islamic Azad University (IAU).

VIT Unitversity

Department of Mathematics

School of Advanced Sciences

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Bioleaching of heavy metals from spent batteries using Aspergillus nomius JAMK1

Migraine is a disease known as polyneuropathy, which is intolerable to the sufferer, family and community. Persistent headaches mark this condition in patients with migraine. The primary focus of this review article is to summarise the current findings of the migraine epidemiology, prevalence, neuroimaging tools, risk factors and prospects. Currently, a rise in migraine cases has been reported for persons of age between 25 and 55 years. A rapid increase in migraine cases was reported for people having lower socioeconomic status. Patients with migraine have shown an increase in the incidence of mental illness and co-morbidity. These patients are diagnosed using various neuroimaging tools such as (a) computerized tomography (CT), (b) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), (c) functional (fMRI), (d) PET (Positron Emission Tomography), (e) SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography), (f) CEPs (Cortical Evoked Potentials), (g) MEG (Magnetoencephalography), and (h) Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). In clinical practice, Headache Impact Test (HIT-6 ™) is used to measure the pain impact in patients with migraine. Precipitating factors such as (a) caffeine, (b) sleep apnea, (c) sleep deprivation, (d) stress, and (e) depression that cause migraine have been discussed in detail. The prospects for the future research have been discussed based on (a) Pain and psychological factors, (b) cognitive techniques, (c) new developments in treatment, and (d) neuromodulation. In this review, it is concluded with the possibility of reducing the progression of migraine disease through pathopsychological knowledge. Also, the progression can be reduced by implementing high research standards in clinical studies. © 2020 International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology, Neurological Diseases | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology, Neurological Diseases

Migraine: Update and Future Perspectives

Association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T gene polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome in the South Indian cohort

COVID-19 is a present-day complex pandemic infection with unpredictable levels of morbidity and mortality in various global populations. COVID-19 is associated with the different comorbidities with its change in biological function such as causing heart dysfunction via deregulating ACE-2 receptor, gastrointestinal risk via causing vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, chronic kidney disease via proteinuria and hematuria, diabetes mellitus, liver injury via increasing ALT, AST and bilirubin level, lung injury, CNS risk, ocular risk and cancer risk. In this, we are focused on the COVID-19 connected with male infertility. Some of the studies show that the patients of COVID-19 are associated with impaired spermatogenesis. Impaired spermatogenesis via COVID-19 decreases the level of testosterone by disturbing cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-12 and further, attenuates the sperm count. COVID-19 is causing inflammation via TNF-α and interferons. IL-4 plays an eminent role in the activation of the JAK-STAT pathway and leads to the disturbing pro-inflammatory cytokine as well as further cause’s male infertility. Th2 activates the IL-4 through IgG and IgE and mediates apoptosis with the triggering of STAT signaling. The activated STAT signaling augments Batf/Irf4 and the Bach2/Batf pathway. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 is activating the level of Th2 cells. So, we hypothesized that the augmented Th2 cells would disturb the level of IL-4, JAK-STAT signaling, Batf/Irf4 and Bach2/Batf pathway. The disturbed IL-4 decreases the level of the ACE-2 with the inflammation. This further leads to male infertility in COVID-19 patients. So, in this hypothesis, we focused on the role of IL-4 in COVID-19 patients associated with male infertility via Th2 cells and JAK-STAT signaling.

Journal of Reproductive Immunology

The role of Interleukin-4 in COVID-19 associated male infertility – A hypothesis

The inflammatory responses associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may play a significant role in the severity of the disease. Emerging evidence report states that the polyunsaturated fatty acids are capable of ameliorating the PCOS condition. The therapeutic effects of γ-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid, in various inflammatory diseases have been reported. Yet, its role in PCOS associated inflammatory response remains unexplored. The aim of the study was to decipher the effects of GLA in PCOS and its role in the PPAR-γ pathway. In our study, female Wistar rats were stimulated with daily subcutaneous injections of DHEA (60 mg/kg per day) for 28 days to induce PCOS. Daily doses of GLA(10, 20, and 50 mg/kg) and Pioglitazone (P)(30 mg/kg) were administered orally for 14 days after PCOS induction. The levels of DHEA, leptin, PPAR-γ were measured by ELISA. The gene expression levels of leptin, TNF-α, IL-33, PPAR-γ, C/EBP-β, SREBP-1were determined by Real Time-PCR. We observed that the GLA significantly attenuated the DHEA and leptin levels. GLA treatment also upregulated PPAR-γ expression, when compared to the DHEA group. Further, GLA treatment showed a significant reduction in DHEA induced TNF-α, IL-33, C/EBP-β, and SREBP-1 levels in Wistar rat polycystic ovary tissue samples. The present findings could indicate that GLA is able to reduce the inflammatory response due to DHEA stimulation and thereafter potentially attenuate PCOS via the PPAR-γ pathway. © 2020 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn

Reproductive Biology

γ-Linolenic acid ameliorates DHEA induced pro-inflammatory response in polycystic ovary syndrome via PPAR-γ signaling in rats

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a major factor contributing to the increasing incidence of infertility around the world. The metabolic effects of prolonged exposure to PCOS have been well determined from previous studies and seem to be detrimental in the long run. Studies have shown a multitude of conditions like insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disorders to be associated with PCOS. This makes PCOS a syndrome requiring utmost attention in terms of women's health and reproduction. Interleukin-6 is one of the many cytokines released by adipocytes from fat deposits in the body. This review focuses on the Interleukin 6 signaling pathway and the data available on inflammatory modulators due to its significance PCOS mediated inflammation. There is noteworthy evidence of elevated IL-6 concentration in PCOS subjects that has been discussed in detail. The regulation of IL-6 levels in the body is in turn, maintained by a close relation with other cytokines, especially by a key regulator, NF-κB. Being involved in a multitude of other pathological conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, asthma, colon cancer and many more, the role of IL-6 is also investigated in PCOS in search of a probable reason for underlying inflammatory condition. On summarizing the IL-6 signaling pathway and therapeutic exploitation of the same, we see that IL-6 targeted drugs may be an efficient way of treating PCOS associated inflammation. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Role of IL-6 signalling in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome associated inflammation

The objective of designing a biocompatible and mechanically stable scaffold for hard tissue regeneration was achieved by fabricating diopside/forsterite composites. Superior mechanical strength, slow degradation, excellent antibacterial activity and good cell viability were attained with the increase in forsterite ratio in the composites whereas apatite deposition ability got enhanced as the diopside content was increased. The variation in the rate of apatite deposition on the surface of composites exhibited different surface topography such as nano-structured interconnected fibrous network and globular morphology. The scaffolds after one-month immersion in a physiological environment exhibited good Young’s modulus and compressive strength. Clear and distinguishable prevention of bacterial growth confirms that composites have the potential to inhibit microbial colony formation of nine different clinical pathogens. The composite containing major diopside content was more effective toward S. aureus while the growth of E. coli was inhibited more by the composite containing a higher ratio of forsterite. The interaction of composites with MG-63 cells showed an enhancement in cell viability as the content of forsterite was increased. MTS assay confirmed the cytocompatibility of samples with negligible toxicity effects. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor &amp; Francis Group on behalf of The Korean Ceramic Society and The Ceramic Society of Japan.

Department of Chemistry

Fulltext

Journal of Asian Ceramic Societies

Impact of forsterite addition on mechanical and biological properties of composites

The microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) causes a significant negative impact in shrimp aquaculture. A diagnostic procedure for detecting EHP in shrimp was developed, but transportation of the infected shrimp samples from the farm / hatcheries to the laboratory is burdensome and preservation of the tissues is problematic. Here, we developed a simple method of transporting nucleic acid without preservatives using the Flinders Technology Associates filter card (FTA matrix card; Whatman). DNA can be stored and extracted without the need for centrifugation and hazardous chemicals. EHP infected shrimp homogenate was spotted on a FTA matrix card and stored at room temperature. Storage stability was confirmed by analysis at different time points and we efficiently recovered DNA up to 6 months post spotting. The recovery efficiency of FTA-DNA was compared with the existing DNA extraction methods DNeasy® Blood & Tissue kit method and Guanidine hydrochloride method. The efficiency of extraction and sensitivity of the DNA in the FTA card confirmed that recovery of EHP-DNA from the FTA matrix was superior to with other methods. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.