Absract Archive . October 2009 Research article Micropropagation and Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis of Ocimum basilicum L. Abstract The present study was designed to achieve production of large quantities of the Ocimum basilicum L. using tissue culture techniques. Leaf and shoot explants were selected from different explants used and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentration and combination of plant hormones like IAA, NAA, 2, 4 D and BAP. Mass multiplication and morphogenetic potential were elucidated in the present investigation. Key words: Ocimum basilicum L., Callus, BAP and ethanol extract. Authors: Chandramohan, R.1 and V. Sivakumari 2 For Correspondence: Email: vsivamicro@rediffmail.com   Research article Finding of Potential Inhibitors for Thrombin Abstract In India, heart disease is the single largest cause of death in the country with heart attacks being responsible for one third of all deaths caused by heart diseases. Brain stroke is the second largest killer in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the early 1980s the prevalence rates of strokes were around 500-700 per 100,000 in the western countries and 900 per 100,000 in Asia (Wallin et al., 2004). The prevalence of stroke in India was estimated as 250-350 per 100,000 populations above 20 years accounting a total of 1 million cases (Sethi, 2002). These diseases are also caused by either partial or total occlusion of a blood vessel by a blood clot, which contains fibrin and platelets. In order to inhibit the formation of these clots, anti platelet and anticoagulant drugs are used. To prevent the occurrence of these diseases anticoagulants are prescribed (Tapas et al., 2006). These anticoagulant drugs tend to prevent new clots from forming or an existing clot from enlarging. They don't completely dissolve a blood clot (Cazenave et al., 1984). Current anticoagulants that are in use do not meet all the criteria for an ideal antithrombotic drug. Direct thrombin inhibition has several advantages over the current therapeutically used anticoagulant. The limitations of existing oral and parenteral anticoagulants have prompted a search for novel agents. In the present study, a computer-aided search method is used to find out the potent and selective new thrombin inhibitors which can offer the potential of simplified usage and a broader efficacy over the existing one. Keywords: Anticoagulants, Docking, Glide, Maestro, Virtual Screening, Drug Design Author: L. Avila Pauline For Correspondence: E.mail: avila_pauline@yahoo.co.in Research article Strain Improvement of Actinomycetes for Maximum Production of a -Amylase Abstract The commercial exploitation of any fermented product requires that the product should be produced in high yields to reduce the cost of the end product. α-Amylase - An enzyme, highly used in the digestion of starch has various applications right from the degradation of maltose moiety to multiple chained oligosaccharides. Developing an economically better alternative is under the fray. Actinomycetes storms to the lead among all other choices. This paper reveals the way of improving the strain of actinomycetes for the higher production of amylase thus making the strain more economically useful. Majority of the native isolates from the natural environment do not meet this condition. Hence a step wise strain improvement process is to be essentially carried out using mutagenesis or r-DNA methods to obtain high yielding mutant strains with desirable qualities. Thus, the process of strain improvement involves a continual genetic modification of the culture, followed by reappraisals of its cultural requirements. Genetic modification can be achieved by various methods like selecting natural variants, selecting induced mutants by selecting recombinants or using r-DNA techniques In our study, the strain improvement studies on limited scale led to the isolation of six mutants with increased capacity to produce Amylase. Among them, mutants of strain-2 and strain-3 were exhibiting two fold increases in amylase production as compared to native strain, whereas with strain-1 and strain-4 mutants, a 1.4 fold increase in amylase yield was observed. The four mutants, which showed the highest of 60 KU/ml, is compared to control (native isolate) with 17 KU/ml, thereby resulting in 3.5 folds increase in amylase yield. The results on the preliminary study of strain development appears to be very encouraging and suggesting that there is high potential for further strain development of these native strains. The tentative identification of these strains with high amylase activity suggest that they belong to genus Streptomyces. Key words: α- amylase: An enzyme that acts at random locations of the starch chain. Authors: Suneetha V, Mohanaravali, Pragathipriyadarsini and Sanjeev Kumar Singh For Correspondence: E.mail: vsuneetha@vit.ac.in / sanjeecd065@gmail.com Research article Isolation and Study of an Industrially Useful Enzyme from Animal Waste Abstract The protease enzyme was isolated, purified and characterized from the visceral organ and head and tail wastes of Sharp finned Barracuda (Sphyraena acutipinnis). The enzyme was precipitated by ammonium sulphate fractionation and purified by dialysis. SDS-PAGE and Native PAGE determined the molecular weight. The presence of protease confirmed by Zymography using casein as a substrate. Key words: Protease, Sphyraena acutipinnis, fish waste, dialysis, zymography. Authors: Anitha Subash, Durga Devi M and Archana. P For Correspondence: Email: durga.ddms@gmail.com Short Communication Antimicrobial effect of Ethanolic Extracts of Plumbago rosea and Plumbago zeylanica against Escherichia coli & Proteus vulgaris isolated from UTI Samples Abstract Urinary tract infection represents one of the most common diseases encountered in medical practice today and occurring from the neonate to the geriatric group. Normal Urine is sterile. 40 to 50 % adult women have a history of at least one episode of UTI. Urinary tract infection defines a condition in which the urinary tract is infected with a pathogen causing inflammation. Appropriate treatment depends on the disease and should be guided by laboratory analysis of the antibiotic sensitivities of the infecting strain of Escherichia coli as gram-negative organisms. Antibiotics which may be used to treat Escherichia coli infection includes (but are not limited to) amoxycillin as well as other semi synthetic pencillins, manycephalosporins, carbapenems, aztreonam, trimethoprimsulfamethoxszole, ciprofloxacin,nitrofurantoin and the amino glycosides Resistance to betalactam antibiotics has become more serious in recent decades as strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases render many, if not all the pencillins and cephalosporins ineffective as therapy. Two ethanol preparations from two plants Plumbago rosea and Plumbago zeylanica were screened for their inhibitory effects on the strains of Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris using the Agar diffusion method. It was shown that Plumbago rosea and Plumbago zeylanica extracts inhibited by the two strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the potent extracts and minimum bactericidal activity were also observed. The plasmid was also isolated from E.coli and P.vulgaris and they are treated with the extracts shows the shearing pattern of the plasmid showed their effect against the extracts. Key words: Antimicrobial, plant extract, phytochemical, inhibitory and agar diffusion Authors: Shilpa P N, Bavanilatha muthiah, Shaleesha Stanley, Wilson S For Correspondence: Email : shillpamail@gmail.com Short Communication Growth of Probiotic Bacteria in selected Prebiotic Foods. Abstract A study on assessing the growth of probiotic bacteria in selected prebiotic foods namely barley, oats, wheat, garlic, banana, soybeans at different temperatures, pH, concentration of oligosaccharides and by the production of sugars using biochemical tests was done. When pH was considered the growth of all the probiotic bacteria was maximum at acidic conditions than at alkaline conditions. At different temperatures, the growth of probiotic bacteria was greater at room temperature than at cold conditions. Findings of the study prove that the probiotic bacteria are viable in presence of prebiotic foods at cold conditions and when exposed to room temperature the probiotic bacteria had regained its activity. A symbiotic combination of yoghurt with prebiotic foods can enhance health benefits like promoting lactose digestion in he small intestine which prevents lactose intolerance, increases calcium absorption and enhances the immune system. KEYWORDS : Probiotics, Lactobacillus spp, prebiotic food. Authors: Sandhya N S, Sheila John and Priya Iyer For Correspondence: Email id: brajuraj@yahoo.com. Short Communication Purification and Characterization of a Novel Thermostable Xylanase from Aspergillus tamarii Isolated from soil Abstract A novel thermostable extracellular xylanase producing Aspergillus tamarii was isolated from soil. Xylanase was purified to homogeneity by acetone precipitation, ultrafiltration and DEAE-Sepharose column. Molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be 35 kDa, as evidenced by native-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for the maximum xylanase activity were observed at 6.0 and 55ºC, respectively. The xylanase enzyme retains 22% of its original activity after 1 hr at 60ºC. The enzyme was not stable above pH 7 and 70ºC, respectively. Ag+ and Hg2+ ions completely inactivated the enzyme while Cu2+ions strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The xylanase activity was moderately stimulated by Fe2+ ions. N-Bromosuccinimide completely inactivated the enzyme. The brightness of pulp was slightly improved by xylanase enzyme treatment. Key words: Thermostable xylanase, Aspergillus tamarii, Pulp treatment, brightness Authors: Ramalingam, Satyaraj, Saranya, and Saraswathy N For Correspondence: E-mail: gobiram@rediffmail.com Tutorial Review Cleaner Leather Processing By Using Enzymes: A Review Abstract Leather industry is facing tremendous pressure from the various pollution control bodies because of the huge amount of pollution associated with processing. Advancements in processing techniques and adoption of cleaner technologies have enabled the tanners to get rid off pollution from the leather processing. Though there are various cleaner technologies based on chemical methods are available but cleaner technologies based on enzymatic methods are viable, eco-friendly and form alternative to the existing technologies. Enzymes in leather industry became a part and parcel of the system to mitigate pollution problem in the leather processing operation. The enzymes find application in soaking, unhairing, degreasing and bating of leather processing operations for obtaining better leather qualities. Applications of enzymes in various stages of leather processing are discussed in this paper. Key words: Enzymes in leather processing, soaking, unhairing, bating, degreasing and post tanning. Authors: J.Kanagaraj For Correspondence: E-Mail:jkraj68@yahoo.co.uk