Absract Archive September - 07 Bio Molecular analysis in Coleus forskohlii AbstractColeus forskohlii is the only known natural source of forskolin. The other varieties like Coleus amboinicus, Coleus aromaticus, revealed the absence of forskolin in them.. In the Coleus forskohlii, the forskolin content varied in different plant parts ranging from 0.01 % to 0.45 % .The maximum forskolin is present in tubers (0.43%) and flower buds. The forskolin content obtained from micropropagated plants was found to be 0.01-0.12%. Growth conditions in-vitro influences the forskolin production in plants. The forskolin content increased 2-3 fold in-vitro plants grown in MS media supplemented with BAP 2.0 mg L-l and KN 2.0 mg/L and IAA 1.0 mg/L when compared to plants maintained in the basal medium. Under in vitro conditions, invariably, roots recorded higher forskolin content compared to leaves and stem. Key words: Coleus forskohlii, Coleus amboinicus, Coleus aromaticus, forskolin, HPLC analysis, Introduction Medicinal plant trade is growing in volume and exports. Total global herbal drug market is estimated at USD 62 billions. The majority of the world's population is dependent on traditional medicine, and thus also on the use of plants and plant extracts. Coleus is a member of the Lamiaceae family, more commonly known as the mint family. Coleus is not just an herb for cardiovascular ailments but is increasingly being used to assist weight loss by breaking down adipose tissue and preventing production of fatty tissue. In addition, coleus mildly stimulates the metabolism by increasing thyroid hormones and increases the secretion of insulin. These therapeutic indications for coleus are due to its principal active compound, a diterpenoid called forskolin. This is the only plant derived compound known to directly stimulate the enzyme, adenlylate cyclase, and in turn, stimulates cellular cyclic AMP, which boosts metabolism. The genus Coleus has 300 species of which C. amboinicus, C. forskohlii, C. spicatus and C. aromaticus are naturally occurring species. In Ayurveda, the tuberous roots of Coleus are used as drug for heart diseases, abdominal colic, respiratory disorder, insomnia and convulsions (Ammon and Muller, 1985). In addition, forskolin reported to be used in the preparation of medicines preventing hair greying and restoring grey hair to its normal colour. The tuberous roots are prescribed for constipation, burning sensation, skin infection and eczema and also as expectorant, diuretic, liver fatigue and intestinal disorders (De Souza and Shah, 1988). It has potential uses in food flavorings industry and can be used as an anti microbial agent (Chowdhary and Sharma, 1998). Increasing demand of this compound forskolin in pharmacological industries requires large-scale production of this compound, which can be achieved by using in-vitro culture techniques.The differentiation of unorganized tissue often leads to accumulation of secondary products. The same compound may be accumulated in different growth stages and level of differentiation. Different classes of compounds require differing degrees of tissue differentiation as well as different developmental stages. Key compounds may influence the secondary compound productions. Bio molecular analysis using HPLC techniques for quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of plant materials will give a clear cut idea about the accumulation of the biomolecular compound over different plant parts. Authors:S. MohammedYaseen,Adithya, Ashwinkumar SudamKhobragade, R. Gnanam. Purification of an Extracellular Cationic Peroxidase from Trichosanthes cucumerina Linn. Mesocarp Abstract 'Biotechnology' is the science which deals with the utilization of cells or organisms producing specific compounds/metabolites that are beneficial to man & desirable living organisms. From the practical standpoint, biotechnology involves the use of scientific techniques designed to achieve this objective of developing organisms and traits therein. While biotechnology covers an entire plethora of avenues under the broad head of biology such as Genetics, Molecular biology, Protein chemistry, Physiology- covering plants, animals & micro-organisms, it also shares boundaries with several other disciplines such as physics, mathematics, computer sciences and the engineering sciences. Biotechnology permeates & governs every sphere of our day-to-day existence whether it be the production of food, fertilizers, medicine, fuels, detergents, fiber to mention a few. This essay aims at a review of the applications of biotechnology in the sphere of food production. Food is integral for the sustenance of all living organisms. Foods worldwide have involved organisms be it as plants, animals or microorganisms-either as the source of food itself or as participants in the process of food manufacture. The development of the process called fermentation is a clear illustration of the latter. Fermentation is one of these so-called 'traditional' applications of biotechnology. Evidence of fermented milk products forming a part of the human diet dates back to the 3rd millennium B.C. Simply expressed, fermentation involves the breakdown of complex sugars to yield simpler molecules such as alcohol or acids. While Louis Pasteur studied alcoholic fermentation and H.A de Bary studied the impact of fungal invasion of plants, it was Metchnikoff who investigated milk fermentation, highlighting the role of beneficial bacteria (presently termed as 'probiotics') in food production. Metchnikoff's theory stated that lactobacilli in the digestive tract would prevent putrefaction and disease thereby contributing to human health longevity. This hypothesis was published in his book entitled 'The Prolongation of Life'(1906). Fermented foods such as sauerkraut in Germany or our own favourite idli, dosa and similar dishes back home in India are the result of the micro-organisms being used for producing biomolecules (in the form of foodstuffs) useful to man . Let us look at some of these foods from different countries of the world wherein (often unknown to the layman-often involved in producing/processing the food) biotechnology has played a major role:- 'Innovative' or 'unconventional methods of biotechnology have enabled several novel developments on the food & food crops' scenario. The development of recombinant DNA technology techniques involving gene isolation, cloning and amplification followed by expression has opened up an entirely new world of developments in food production (7-8). Among these developments include the overexpression of genes coding for enzymes that synthesize specific proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates & various secondary metabolites- thus enhancing the overall nutritive content of certain staple food crops. Also included is the enhancement of other desireable characters including yield, resistance to pests & pathogens, herbicides and so on. Expression of novel genes within an organism is also another important breakthrough that has occurred as a result of rDNA technology. The first FDA-approved application of biotechnology for production of food animals was to modify a microorganism to make a hormone needed for milk production in dairy cows. This genetically modified organism (GMO) was a bacterium that generated large quantities of the hormone enabling injection into dairy cows. An estimated one-third of U.S. milk is produced using the GMO-produced hormone, which increases milk production by 10 to 25 % Another GMO is used to produce about 75 % of U.S. cheese by providing a necessary enzyme formerly harvested from the stomach lining of cows. Author: Mrinalini Menon. Nanotechnology, Nanoparticles and nanomedicine Abstract Nanotechnology can be defined as the science and engineering involved in the design, synthesis, and characterization of nanomaterials. Nanotechnology stands to produce diverse scientific changes and advances in many areas of research including medicine. Nanomaterials are the important source for the rapid development of nanotechnology and its applications. Nanoparticle research is currently an area of intense scientific research, due to a wide variety of potential applications in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields. Nanoproducts are developed worldwide for the improvement in health care and its related research. This review is focused on the idea of nanotechnology and applications of nanoparticles in medicine. Keywords: Nanotechnology, Nanostructured materials, Quantum dots, Dendrimers.Introduction Nanotechnology is a field of applied science and technology. It is the study of objects of order of 100 nanometers or less, where one nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10-9 of a meter. Eg: The distance between the atoms in a molecule are in the range of 12- 15nm or the DNA double helix has a diameter of 2nm or the smallest cellular life forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma, are around 200 nm in length. So, nanotechnology caters to the study of objects that are invisible to the eye and as small in dimensions as molecules in the body. Nanotechnology is the ability to work at the atomic, molecular and supramolecular levels in order to understand, create and use material structures, devices and systems with fundamentally new properties and functions resulting from their small structures 4. It is involved in the study of structures and devices with length scales in the 1 to 100 nanometers range. Objects in this scale are termed “NANOPARTICLES” with novel properties and functions. Their small size, improved solubility and multifunctionality make them important in research. With their specific properties they interact with the complex biological functions in a new way. This rapid growing field allows researchers to design and develop nanoparticles that can target, diagnose and treat diseases. Within the realm of drug discovery and development, nanotechnology has its main focus to improve diagnostic methods, develop improved drug formulations and drug delivery systems to enhance disease therapy. The research community is increasingly focusing its attention on the novel properties of nano-sized materials to develop new applications to improve human health. Thus when nanotechnology was applied to human systems for studying its working and treating diseases, it is termed as Nanomedicine, which is defined as “The interdisciplinary science involved in diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and control of biological systems by use of nanotechnology”. Author: C. Lavanya Nanomedicine,The Future of Health Care Abstract Nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology in health care, offers numerous very promising possibilities to significantly improve medical diagnosis, therapy and follow-up care leading to an affordable higher quality of life for everyone. It exploits the improved and often novel physical, chemical and biological properties of materials at the nanometer scale. Nanotechnology has many implications for in-vitro diagnostics, in-vivo nano imaging and in the design of medical devices, thus enabling point of care diagnostics. Nanotechnology has application in transfection devices for therapeutic uses in targeted delivery of multi tasking medicines. Medical reasons may call for an ongoing monitoring of the patient after completing the acute therapy for the assessment of actual status of disease where nanomedicine will aim for meaningful improvements. However safety issues have to be considered as the unknown properties of certain nanostructures call for careful attention regarding their reliability, potential side effects and safety issues. This review focuses on thrust areas of nanomedicine -nanotechnology based diagnostics, targeted delivery and release of drugs by nanostructures with special reference to cancer, and safety issues, ethical and social aspects of nanomedicine. Key words: nanotechnology, nanomedicine, in-vitro diagnostics, in-vivo imaging, nanoimaging, nanodevices. Introduction Nanomedicine may be defined as the monitoring, repair, construction and control of human biological systems at the molecular level, using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. It is the application of the nanotechnology to address unmet clinical needs of today and future in diagnosis, therapy and follow-up care. It now focuses on diseases that impose the highest burden on the society such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, musculo skeletal and inflammatory conditions, neuro degenerative and psychiatric diseases, diabetes and infections diseases. Nanomedicine has the potential, by enabling earlier diagnosis, better therapy and improved follow up care, to make the care process more effective in terms of clinical outcome for the patient, and more affordable for society. Authors: M. Prasanna Rajesh Kumar, Mahendran V.S. Plantibodies As Antibodies Introduction The expression of human antibody genes in plant results in the production of antibodies that are free from contamination (eg) viruses or prion. However, a serious obstacle to the use of transgenic plants to produce immune therapy reagents is the fundamental difference in the process of glycosylation between mammalian and plant cells. Antibody- based therapies (immunotherapies) as being applied to the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including immune disorders, cancer and inflammatory diseases. Such therapies will require an inexpensive and safe source of antibodies. Transgenic plants offer an attractive method for large- scale production of antibodies for immunotherapy. Plantibody as antibody A plantibody (derived from Plant and antibody) is a special type of antibody created from genetically altered crops. The term plantibody as well as the concept is trademarked by the company Biolex. The term was first cited in 1989 referring to an antibody produced by introducing antibody genes (from mice or humans) into a plant through a process called genetic transformation. Although plants do not have an immune system of their own, and do not normally make antibodies, plantibodies have been shown to function in the same way as normal antibodies. A number of companies in addition to Biolex, including Planet Biotechnology in California, and Medicago in Canada are pursuing the commercial development of plantibodies as therapies for everything from cancer to the common cold. A number of plant species are being experimented with in the production and cultivation of plantibodies. Humanized plantibodies may be used to avoid severe allergic reactions. Also, the difference between plantibodies and edible vaccines is that plantibodies are pre-made antibodies that are produced in the transgenic plant; whereas edible vaccines promote the production of specific antibodies by the human immune system once the vaccine is administered to the patient. Plantibodies are advantageous for people who are immunosuppressed and are unable to produce antibodies even after they are vaccinated. The problem, however is that these immunodeficient patients are dependent on re-administration of the plantibodies because of their inability to produce their own antibodies for the same pathogen. Bioterrorism: exploiting microorganisms for human desolation Terrorism is the word which is most prevalent in the developing countries. They have been fighting terror, whether it be intra or inter, since time immemorial. Developed countries are having advantage of being strong in resources and low population density (one of the major cause of terrorism and corruption). During the World War I, not only the human fought against human, but they also targeted the resources required for livelihood. One of the strategy involved by the German forces in the United States secretly targeting American livestock bound for Europe with glanders and anthrax. While this attack resulted in the death of thousands and thousands of horses, it did not have a significant impact on the success of American forces. The basic idea behind the thought was to completely devast the life of that nation. Its impact was directly related to the food, economic and health security which could impairs the basic skeleton of a country. Biologically active microorganisms were exploited during that time to attempt the life by some hazardous means. This is how 'Bioterrorism' comes into play. Biological weapons have been of interest for centuries and have been utilized in numerous battles. Science, in one hand, has been proved to be a boon while on the other hand a curse for a big population. Advancement in molecular biological techniques have allowed successful manipulation of bacteria and viruses to provide resistance to conventional treatments. Thus it being more vulnerable to the diseases, are used for destruction. Large stockpiles of such altered bio-weapons are now available for terrorist use (Phillips, 2005). History also documents the attack on agricultural crops with an idea to break the base-line producers, i.e, plants and ultimately the different consecutive consumer levels. With this idea, new plans were made and a number of areas which were producing cash crops, were attacked and a number of them could be attacked at any point of time. What is Bioterrorism? As defined by the Centres for Disease Control, it is the “intentional or threatened use of bacteria, fungi, or toxins from living organisms to produce death or disease in humans, animals and plants,” and involves “intimidation of nations or people to accomplish political or social ends” (http://www.bt.cdc.gov). There are a number of diseases and its causative agents that can be used as a weapon. There are two scenarios that are currently seriously dreaded. One being the spread of an infectious disease mediated and spread through the air and the other is the contamination of drinking water. Water being the most important source of life, could target a huge population. It is not at all easy to choose a biological weapon for the warfare or to produce one. Author:Aradhika Tripathi,Santosh Kumar. Secret Agent Targets Godfather Gene “SMART drug is like a secret agent that finds and latches onto its target within the cell and destroys it”. Smart drugs are new generation molecules, which are custom-made to find the target and interact with them and essentially snip them. They hybridize with their target sequences in the genetic material to which they're directed and after tightly binding their target, they snip them, they literally snip them like a pair of scissors cutting a ribbon. One of the smart drug (Dz13) targets godfather gene (c-jun), cures range of illness including cancer, age related blindness, heart disease and arthritis .It works by switching off the god father gene involved in all these conditions. Dz13 the “Molecular Assasin” DNAzymes are DNA molecules artificially evolved in-vitro to cleave RNA in a sequence dependent manner putting them along side antisense. RNA interference and ribozymes as an exploitable gene-suppression technology. DNAzymes used as therapeutics for the treatment of vascular disease, inflammation, angiogenesis and cancer. They have very high specificity for RNA sequence and even minor mismatches may greatly compromise catalytic activity enabling excellent target discrimination. This makes DNAzymes highly suited for diagnostic and therapeutic uses. Recently DNAzymes (Dz13) is described that targets c-jun. c-jun the “Master Regulator” c-jun is a homodimer containing two chains: chainA and chain B which is a disease causing gene found in disease blood vessel, eyes , lungs , joints and stomach. Its official name is JUN and its cellular component is nucleus. Its location is 1p32-p31 Why c-jun gene is called godfather of gene? Godfather gene because this is a gene, which regulates many proteins, which have been important for the pathogenesis of disease.