Browsing by Author "Singh, N"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Adaptogenic property of Asparagus racemosus: Future trends and prospects
    (2023-04) Singh, N; Garg, M; Prajapati, P; SIngh, P
    Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multimodal neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative illness characterized by anhedonia, continued melancholy, dysfunctional circadian rhythm and many other behavioral infirmities. Depression is also associated with somatic ailments such as car diometabolic diseases. The existing and upcoming hypotheses have succeeded in explaining the pathophysiology of depression. Only a few of the most validated theories, such as hyperactivity of the HPA axis, activated inflammatory-immune response, and monoaminergic and GABAergic deficit hypotheses, have been discussed in this review. So, an effective and safer alternative approach beyond symptomatic relief has been desired. Therefore, botanical products have steadily been probed to strengthen the modern medicinal system as a promising medicament. In this line, Asparagus racemosus Willd. belongs to Asparagaceace family is the well-documented adaptogen cited in the ancient texts namely, Ayurvedic, Greek, and Chinese medicine system. The whole plant possesses pleiotropic therapeutic activity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, nootropic, antidepressant, etc., without showing any remarkable side effects. The literature review has also suggested that A. racemosus administration at varied levels alleviates depression by modulating the HPA axis, increasing BDNF levels, and monoaminergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Alongside, spikes the level of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, GSH peroxidase, GSH, and catalase in distinct brain regions (i.e., hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus) and promote neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. Thus, it could be a new generation antidepressant that provides relief from both behavioral and somatic illness. The review first describes the plant characteristics, then discusses the hypotheses associated with the pathogenesis of depression, and gives an insight into A. racemosus antidepressant properties and the underlying mechanism.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Drought and Oxidative Stress in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Entails Harnessing Non-Canonical Reference Gene for Precise Quantification of qRT-PCR Gene Expression
    (2023-04) Dash, P; Rai, R; Pradhan, S; Singh, N
    Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a self-pollinating, annual, diploid crop grown for multi utility purposes for its quality oil, shining bast fiber, and industrial solvent. Being a cool (Rabi) season crop, it is affected by unprecedented climatic changes such as high temperature, drought, and associated oxidative stress that, globally, impede its growth, production, and productivity. To precisely assess the imperative changes that are inflicted by drought and associated oxidative stress, gene expression profiling of predominant drought-responsive genes (AREB, DREB/CBF, and ARR) was carried out by qRT-PCR. Nevertheless, for normalization/quantification of data obtained from qRT-PCR results, a stable reference gene is mandatory. Here, we evaluated a panel of four reference genes (Actin, EF1a, ETIF5A, and UBQ) and assessed their suitability as stable reference genes for the normalization of gene expression data obtained during drought-induced oxidative stress in flax. Taking together, from the canonical expression of the proposed reference genes in three different genotypes, we report that EF1a as a stand-alone and EF1a and ETIF5A in tandem are suitable reference genes to be used for the real-time visualization of cellular impact of drought and oxidative stress on flax.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    In Silico identification of Novel Drug targets in acinetobacter baumannii by subtractive genomic approach
    (2017-08) Goyal, M; Citu; Singh, N
    Multiple drug resistance (MDR) in bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacilli, has significantly hindered the treatment of infections caused by these bacteria. This results in the need for identifying new drugs and drug targets for these bacteria. The objective of this study was to identify novel drug targets in Acinetobacter baumannii which has emerged as a medically important pathogen due to an increasing number of infections caused by it and its MDR property
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Lycium shawii mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles, characterization and assessments of their phytochemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial properties
    (2023-12) Kaur, N; Kumar, R; Alhan, S; Sharma, H; Singh, N
    BACKGROUND: The shrub Lycium shawii belongs to the Solanaceae family, formerly used by ancestors to cure different illnesses. Dried leaves of Lycium shawii were used for extraction by maceration method in distilled water and methanol. Qualitative and quantitative estimation of phytochemicals were carried out in crude extracts. Plant-based silver nanoparticles have been praised over past decades as it is economical, environment-friendly, non-pathogenic, and undemanding. This study includes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using crude leaf extract of Lycium shawii, their characterization, and exploited for different biological activities. FINDINGS: In phytochemical analysis, the total phenolic content in the methanolic extract was 11.11 mg Gallic acid/g, and the total flavonoid content was 7.76 mg Quercetin/g. The average size of aqueous-silver nanoparticles and methanolic-silver-nanoparticles was 64 nm and 79 nm, respectively. Crude extracts and nanoparticles showed remarkable antimicrobial potential against the gram-negative bacteria Salmonella enterica and fungi Rhizopus oryzae. The antioxidant potential of methanolic extract and MeOH-AgNPs manifests more significant activity than aqueous extract and Aq-AgNPs. Minimum inhibitory concentration was observed in a range of 1 mg/ml to 15 mg/ml against different microbes. The observed MIC clearly indicated that the syn thesized nanoparticles have strong antimicrobial potential. Hence can be used as a good source for the devel opment of new drugs against resistant microbes. CONCLUSION: In the era of increased antibiotic resistance, the Lycium shawii-mediated silver nanoparticle shows remarkable antimicrobial and significant antioxidant potential. These nanoparticles can be used alone or in combination with antibiotics to combat the effect of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Regarding the novelty, probably this is the first study highlighting the different biological activity of Lycium shawii-mediated silver nanoparticles.