Absract Archive December 2007 Research article Impact of medicinal plants extract on production of health drink using Effective Microorganism (EM) Abstract A study was carried out with the objective of producing a herbal beer with low alcohol content and high anti-oxidation property using plant extracts such as Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare) along with Effective Microorganism (EM) as inoculant. Grape juice was used as base material. The optimization of concentration of herbal extracts was determined by varying the level of addition of herbal extracts from 1 - 5 % and EM was inoculated at 2% level. The mixture was allowed to ferment for seven days at 34 +2°C.Alcohol content and total anti-oxidation activity (TAA) were determined everyday starting from day one after inculation with EM. Two experiments were carried out - one using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as inoculum (2 %) (Control) and other with EM (2 %) along with grape juice (250 ml) to which the plant extracts was added. From the day one, alcohol content and total anti-oxidation level (TAA) were determined by using Potassium-di-Chromate and Phosphomolybdenum method respectively upto 7 th day. Herbal extracts of Tulsi and Oregano were mixed in equal proportions and added at 5 % level to grape juice, recorded minimum alcohol content of 6.5 % (v/v) and maximum total antioxidation activity (TAA) of 368 mg/g respectively. The control treatment using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as inoculant, the alcohol content and total antioxidation property were estimated around 10 % (v/v) and 249 mg/g respectively. This value of antioxidation level was low when compared with EM as inoculant. The research provides evidence to suggest that EM (2 %) when used as inoculum along with herbal extracts (5 %) could generate a beverage with low alcohol content (6.5 v/v) and high antioxidation activity (368 mg/g). This fermented beverage could be used as herbal health drink, which contains more antioxidation property and low level of alcohol. However, further studies are needed to evaluate its effectiveness in due course. Key words: Effective Microorganism, Potassium-di-Chromate, Phosphomolybdenum methods, Herbal Extracts, Fermented Beverages Introduction Oxygen is essential for human beings, but it is detrimental at the same time. In the process of turning oxygen into energy inside the human body, free radicals (active oxygen) are produced. Free radicals oxidize lipids, which are constituent parts of human cells. Free radicals degenerate proteins, inactivate enzymes, and disintegrate nucleic acids destroying the human body, resulting in sickness, aging and eventually leading to death. (Marian Valko et al., 2006). The human body is equipped to deal with oxidation by producing antioxidation enzymes and antioxidation substances. When such antioxidants capacity to scavenge free radicals becomes relatively weak, human being start to show symptoms of aging or of sickness and cancer. Scientists have known for some time that a number of fermented products contain good and healthful levels of antioxidants. Most of us are probably aware that red wine, and, to lesser extent, white wine, became rather famous in the 1990's because researchers discovered that they contained high levels of several classes of antioxidants, many of them polyphenols, all derived from the grapes used in making the wine, particularly the skins and seeds. For a related example, it is well known that many types of yeast, including brewing yeasts, are able to produce beta-glucans, which are powerful antioxidants, and also apparently immune boosters as well, according to the scientific literature. (Vinny Pinto, 2004). Daily consumption of alcoholic beverages is associated with a reduction in acute cardiovascular events. It has been suggested that red wine intake may reduce the incidence of coronary artery disease; however, the source of its cardio protective effect is unclear. Bio-beer (Herbal beer) is the latest talk of the alcohol consumers all over the world, which claims to improve the functioning of the liver besides reducing the cholesterol level, will not cause beer-belly. The product is different from conventional alcohol available in the market because of the herbs which are the unique specialty of bio alcohol, the process of brewing is also 100 % natural and there is no synthetic chemicals and flavors added, leaves no hang over and with pleasant taste. The herbal beer was the first of its kind, was launched in Pondicherry & United Kingdom on September 2006 . Epidemiological studies have suggested positive associations between the consumption of phenolic-rich foods or beverages and the prevention of diseases (Anna Podsedek, 2005). Basils (Ocimum sanctum) contain a wide range of essential oils rich in phenolic compounds (Nicoletta Pellegrini et al., 2003). Oregano is known botanically as Origanum vulgare contains numerous phytonutrients - including thymol and rosmarinic acid. Additionally, on a per gram fresh weight basis, oregano has demonstrated 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries (Lagouri & Boskou, 1996). Authors: M.Shanmuga prakash, S.Thiyagarajan. Topical Interest Review Thiobacilli and the environment 1. Introduction Microorganisms have been known to form and decompose minerals in the earth's crust since geologically ancient times. The essential role of bacteria in the leaching of mineral ores was recognized in 1947 when Thiobacillus ferroxidans was identified as the organism principally responsible for the leaching of metal sulphide ores. Apart from T. ferrooxidans other iron- or sulfide/sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as well as archaea have been identified as potential agents for metal leaching. Sulphur-oxiding microorganisms are also employed for desulphurification of coal and other fossil fuels. Microorganisms are also being used for the removal of heavy metals from the waste waters and sludges from industries and sewage, removal of abnoxious gases from industries, recycling of used nickel-cadmium batteries and amendment of polluted and sodic soils. 2. General characteristics of Thiobacilli There are several species of the genus Thiobacillus (Pseudomonadales). Thiobacilli are small, Gram-negative, rod-shaped cells (Plate-1) with some species motile by means o polar flagella ( Anonymous, 1994). Energy is derived from the oxidation of one or more reduced sulphur compounds, including sulphides, sulphur, thiosulphate, polythionates and thiocyanate. Sulphate is the end product of sulphur compound oxidation, but sulphur, sulphite, or polythionates may be accumulated, sometimes, transiently, by most species. One species also derives energy from oxidizing ferrous iron to ferric iron. All species fix carbon dioxide by means of the Benson-Calvin cycle and are capable of autotrophic growth; some species are obligately chemolithotrophic, while others are also able to grow chemoorganotrophically. The genus includes obligate aerobes and facultative denoitrifying types, and its species exhibit pH optima of 2 -8 with temperature optima of 20-430C. Distribution is seemingly ubiquitous in marine, freshwater, and soil environments, especially where oxidizable sulphur is abundant (e.g., sulphur springs, sulphide minerals, sulphur deposits, sewage treatment areas, and sources of sulphur gases, such as H2S from sediments or anaerobic soils). Thiobacilli are generally resistant to a range of metal ions, with some variations between species and isolates within species. Normally, they are not found in large numbers but, if a local high concentration of a suitable substrate occurs, their activity becomes high resulting in a zone of pH 2.0 or lower. Apart from several species of Thiobacillus, and other bacteria, archaea have also been observed to leach metals in nature. Important characteristics of some of these bacteria and archaea are in the Tables 1 and 2 (Anonymous, 1994). Although several species of Thiobacillus are seen in natural settings, for commercial purposes T.ferrooxidans has been used mostly. T. ferrooxidans, like other thiobacilli, derives the balance of its biosynthetic carbon requirements from CO2 via Calvin-Benson cycle and carboxylation of phosphoenol pyruvate (DiSpirito, et al., 1982). Oxidation of either ferrous iron or reduced sulphur compounds provides the energy required for CO2 fixation and other functions in intermediary metabolism. The ferrous iron oxidation system of T.ferrooxidans is associated with the cellular membrane/ envelope. The key iron-oxidizing enzyme appears to be Fe2+-cytochrome c oxidoreductase; cytochrome a and coenzyme Q are also associated with the process (Cobley & Haddock. 1975; Yates & Nason 1966). A copper-containing protein, rusticyanin, has recently been identified. Rusticyanin reportedly serves as the initial electron acceptor upon oxidation of ferrous iron. The mechanism of sulphur-oxidation by T. ferrooxidans is similar to that of other thiobacilli. Elemental sulphur, tetrathionate, thiosulphate, and the sulphide moiety of varios non-iron minerals support growth of the organism; in all cases, sulphite (SO2--3) is the key intermediate molecule. Energy is produced from oxidation of sulphite to sulphate through the interaction of the enzymes, sulphite oxidase, ADP sulphurylase, APS reductase, and adenylate kinase. An alternate sulphur-oxidation mechanism has been proposed in which elemental sulphur is oxidized to sulphite and then to sulphate via T. ferrooxidans' ferric iron reduction system (Sugio et al.,1985). This alternative mechanism may be important under conditions of oxygen-limted growth. Author:K.Balaraman. Review Plant Cell Biotechnology for Secondary Metabolite Biosynthesis Introduction Plant cell cultures have proved to be an important tool for the study of biosynthesis of secondary products. Secondary metabolites are compounds biosynthetically derived from primary metabolites but more limited in distribution in the plant kingdom, being restricted to a particular taxonomic group (species, genus, family, or closely related group of families). Medicinal plants, since times immemorial, have been used in virtually all cultures as a source of medicine. The capacity for plant cell, tissue, and organ cultures to produce and accumulate many of the same valuable chemical compounds as the parent plant in nature has been recognized almost since the inception of in-vitro technology. In-vitro plant cell cultivation is a recent development and the application of plant cell products of high yield in the industry holds great promise. The objectives of many recent industries are to develop plant tissue culture techniques to the stage where they yield secondary products, more cheaply than extracting either the whole plant grown under natural conditions or synthesizing the product. A pharmaceutical product which was either expensive or in short supply can be a good candidate for the production through in-vitro plant cell culture. In the search for alternatives to production of desirable medicinal compounds from plants, biotechnological approaches, specifically, plant tissue cultures, are found to have potential as a supplement to traditional agriculture in the industrial production of bioactive plant metabolites. The strong and growing demand in today's market place for natural, renewable products has refocused attention on in-vitro plant materials as potential factories for secondary phyto-chemical products, and has paved the way for new research exploring secondary product expression in vitro. However, it is not only commercial significance that drives the research initiatives. The deliberate stimulation of defined chemical products within carefully regulated in-vitro cultures provides an excellent forum for in-depth investigation of biochemical and metabolic pathways, under highly controlled micro environmental regimes. Authors:R.Gnanam,Ambika K.S. Research Article Structural Analysis of Monoamine Oxidase of Parkinson Disease Abstract Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder caused due to degradation of cells producing the neurotransmitter Dopamine. The developments in in-silico biology help us to analyze the genomes and proteomes leading to identification of drug targets. The main enzyme involved in the disease is Monoamine Oxidase B (MAOB) it is found to damage mitochondria, which in turn affects the neuron causing neural death. The structure of this enzyme may help us to effectively mask the primary stage of Parkinson's disease. Thus the human MAOB was designed by using MAOB from Canis Familaris by using homology- modeling approach. Further analysis of the protein showed that it is a transmembrane protein with four transmembrane helices. The designed protein was evaluated by Ramachandran Plot and by docking it with carbidopa by helix approach Key words: Parkinson's disease, Dopamine, Homology Modeling, Bioinformatics Abbreviations: Blast: Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. MAOB: Monoamine Oxidase B. Introduction Parkinson disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting more than one million populations in the United States. PD is caused by the degeneration of dopamine producing cells in the brain. Since dopamine itself cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier the standard treatment for PD is administration with levodopa, which can reach the brain where it is converted to dopamine. One way to mitigate this problem is to administer inhibitors of DOPA decarboxylase the enzyme that converts levodopa to dopamine in the blood. DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) is responsible for the synthesis of the key neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin via decarboxylation of L-3, 4- dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) and L-5-hydroxytryptophan respectively. DDC has been implicated in a number of clinic disorders, including Parkinson's disease and hypertension. Peripheral inhibitors of DDC are currently used to treat these diseases. We present the crystal structures of ligand-free DDC and its complex with the anti-Parkinson drug carbidopa. The inhibitor is bound to the enzyme by forming a hydrazone linkage with co-factor, and its catechol ring is deeply buried in the active site cleft. The structures provide the molecular basis for the development of new inhibitors of DDC with better pharmacological characteristics. Treatment of the disease could include the dopamine precursor L-DOPA, dopamineagonists, anti-cholinergic agents, or COMT inhibitors. Despite these various drugs, treatment with in general dopamine can lead to other neurological challenges. Since dopamine exist throughout the brain at carefully monitored levels, treatment with dopamine can actually raise levels of dopamine elsewhere in the brain to devastating levels. Authors:J. RenukadeviR,Naveen Prasad, Karpagam Murali,M.Bavanilatha,Subha. Topical Interest Review Quorum sensing: Dialogs with bacteria Abstract The latest discoveries in the field of microbiology have proved that bacteria communicate between each other. It is common knowledge that bacterial diseases such as cholera, anthrax, meningitis, and many others are among the deadliest in the world. It may be the case, however, that bacteria cannot cause an illness in small quantities. Only when there are a sufficient number of them can they act. Some, Vibrio Fischeri or Vibrio harveyi, can glow in the dark. Others, like Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, form biofilms on the surface of human organs, and attack virulently those organs multiplying with tremendous speed, making it practically impossible for antibiotics to interfere. This new branch of microbiology, quorum sensing, discovered by Bonny Bassler, professor of microbiology from Princeton, is dedicated to studying this phenomenon. What is Quorum Sensing? Quorum sensing is the ability of populations of bacteria to communicate and coordinate their behavior via inter-cellular and inter-species signaling molecules. A general name for quorum sensing signaling compounds is autoinducer, refering to their ability to trigger gene expression in the cells (autoinduction) which belong to the same species that produces the compound. Pheromone is another term with a very similar meaning to autoinducer. In Gram negative bacteria, at least two main classes of autoinducer have been defined, namely AI-1 and AI-2. AI-1s are various forms of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). AHLs are synthesized from acyl carrier proteins by LuxI-type AHL synthases. The enzyme producing AI-2 is called called LuxS, which forms the common AH-2 precursor molecule 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) that undergoes a variety of spontaneous rearrangements which generate different AI-2 compounds used by different species. In Gram positive bacteria such as Bacillus and Enterococcus, autoinducers are usually short peptides Authors:Vanaja, Jeya Jenika, Priya, Chinnu, Bharat,Subha. Student Article A Sweet Kills A Killer; Olive Vs HIV Abstract Olive is a fruit oil obtained from the plant Olea europaea (olive). It is considered as a healthy oil due to its high content of mono unsaturated fat and anti-oxidants. Maslinic acid found in wax from olive skin inhibits serine protease, the enzyme used by HIV to release itself from the infected cell into the extra cellular environment. HIV is a retrovirus leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome where human immune system fails, leading to life threatening opportunistic infections. Thus using bioinformatics a new drug can be designed to prevent HIV spread by building analogues for maslinic acid against the receptor protein. Introduction AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: l Acquired -can get infected with it; l Immune Deficiency - A weakness in the body's system that fights diseases l Syndrome - A group of health problems that make up a disease. AIDS is a major worldwide pandemic disease, which is caused by Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV). This virus leads to the destruction and functional impairment of immune cells, CD4+ T-cells, macrophages and dentritic cells. HIV progressively destroys the body's ability to resist cancer formation and also to fight infections. With the entry of HIV, the antibodies will be produced in the blood. Persons with HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive" patients. The first signs of AIDS may be flu-like symptoms and swollen glands. Being HIV-positive is not same as having AIDS. There are many people having HIV-positive but they don't have sickness in their health for many years. If HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't have any ill effects also attempt severe sickness in patient's immune system. This is known as "opportunistic infections." Globally 2.9 million men, women and children were calculated as HIV victims in 2006. More than 39.5 million people are resulted as HIV positives and most of these are facing the fatal effect on next decade. Current report submitted by WHO shows that, 4.3 million people were newly infected with HIV in the year 2006 alone. It is the right time to take steps to control the increasing number of people infected with HIV. By following some prevention strategies, the rate of HIV positives will be reduced. Author:Subha.