Abstract Food safety with maintained fruit quality is an important challenge for postharvest industry of citrus fruits. The present study was designed to check the effects of gamma irradiation on postharvest fruit quality of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin stored at 5 ± 1 °C and 90 ± 5% Relative Humidity. In the first experiment, fruits were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation (100-500 Gy), while after analyzing the results of first experiment, in the second experiment fruits were treated with 500, 600, 800 and 1000 Gy of gamma radiation. It was observed that higher doses of gamma irradiation exhibited lower weight loss and disease incidence as well as inhibiting the increase of soluble solid content (SSC) and retained higher titratable acidity (TA) and lower SSC: TA ratio. After 90 days of storage, maximum levels ascorbic acid, total phenolic contents and total antioxidants along with catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were recorded higher in fruits treated with 800 Gy. These fruit also exhibited higher score of taste, aroma and texture during storage. Overall results suggest that pre-storage treatment of 800 Gy is the most effective treatment and have potential application for quality management of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin under long term cold storage.

Abstract Gene expression is tightly regulated in time and space through a multitude of factors consisting of signaling molecules. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment protein receptors (SNARE) are membrane proteins responsible for the intercellular trafficking of signals through endocytosis and exocytosis of vesicles. Altered expression of SNARE proteins in cellular communication is the major hallmark of cancer phenotypes as indicated in recent studies. SNAREs play an important role in maintaining cell growth and epithelial membrane permeability of the bladder and are not only involved in cancer progression but also metastatic cell invasion through SNARE-mediated trafficking. Synaptobrevin2/Vesicle associated membrane protein-2 (v-SNARE) and Syntaxin (t-SNARE) form a vesicular docking complex during endocytosis. Some earlier studies have shown a critical role of SNARE in colon, lungs, and breast cancer progression and metastasis. In this study, we analyzed the relative expression of the STX1A and VAMP2 (SYB2) for their possible association in the progression and metastasis of bladder cancer. The profiling of the genes showed a significant increase in STX1A and VAMP2 expression (p < 0.001) in high-grade tumor cells compared to normal and low-grade tumors. These findings suggest that elevated expression of STX1A and VAMP2 might have caused the abnormal progression and invasion of cancer cells leading to the transformation of cells into high-grade tumor in bladder cancer.

ABSTRACT Linseed hydrogel (LSH) was evaluated by acute toxicity for its potential application in oral drug delivery design. White albino mice and rabbits were divided in four groups (I-IV) and different doses of LSH (1, 2 and 5 g/kg body weight) were given except to the control group (I) that was left untreated. Rabbits were monitored for eye irritation, acute dermal toxicity and primary dermal irritation, whereas, body weight, food and water consumption, hematology and clinical biochemistry, gross necropsy and histopathology of vital organs were scrutinized in mice. LSH was considered safe after eye irritation test as no adverse signs or symptoms were seen in the eye. In dermal toxicity and irritation study, skin of treated rabbits was found normal in color without any edema or erythema. After oral administration, there was no sign of any abnormalities in treated group animals (II-IV). The hematology and clinical biochemistry of treated group animals was comparable with the control group. Histopathology of vital organs has not shown any lesion or abnormalities. In the light of these outcomes, it can be concluded that LSH is not a hazardous biomaterial and could be incorporated as an excipient in oral and dermal preparations.

Schiff bases, 2-{[(2-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}phenol (4) and 2-{[3-4-(dimethylamino)phenyl-2-propenylidene]amino}phenol (5), have been synthesized by the condensation of 2-aminophenol (1) with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2) and 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (3), respectively. They showed good lipoxygenase inhibition and antioxidant activities, as compound 4 showed potent antioxidant activity. The products also showed good activities against Gram-positive: S. intermedius, B. subtilis and S. aureus, and Gram-negative: E. coli and S. typhi bacteria, as compounds 5 and 4 are excellent active against B. subtilis and S. typhi, respectively. These good to potent activities may be due to the presence of free hydroxyl and amino groups. They showed non-significant urease inhibition activity.

Uma nova série de 4-amino-5-aril-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-tionas, tendo vários grupos metoxibenzila e metoxifenila, foi sintetizada através de refluxo de sais de hidrazina carboditioato de potássio em solução aquosa diluída de hidrato de hidrazina. Estes sais foram formados pela reação de hidrazinas ácidas e dissulfeto de carbono em solução de hidróxido de potássio metanólico a 0-5 ºC. 4-Amino-5-aril-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-tionas foram condensadas com diferentes ácidos aromáticos substituídos para produzir 1,2,4-triazol[3,4-b]1,3,4-tiodiazols 3,6-disubstituídos. As estruturas dos compostos sintetizados foram caracterizadas pelas espectroscopias no infravermelho (IR) e ressonância magnética nuclear (NMR) de ¹H e 13C, análise elementar e espectrometria de massa (MS). Todos os compostos sintetizados foram examinados com relação as suas atividades de inibição de urease, antioxidante e antibacteriana. Alguns compostos mostraram excelente atividade de inibição de urease, mais do que a droga padrão. Outros compostos apresentaram potente atividade antioxidante. Todos os compostos mostraram atividades antibacterianas significativas em comparação com a droga padrão.

A new series of 4-amino-5-aryl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones, bearing various methoxybenzyl- and methoxyphenethyl groups, was synthesized by refluxing potassium hydrazinecarbodithioate salts in dilute aqueous solution of hydrazine hydrate. These salts were formed by the reaction of acid hydrazides and carbon disulfide in methanolic potassium hydroxide solution at 0-5 °C. 4-Amino-5-aryl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones were condensed with different substituted aromatic acids to yield 3,6-disubstituted-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]1,3,4-thiadiazoles. The structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized by infrared (IR), ¹H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), elemental analysis and mass spectrometric (MS) studies. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their urease inhibition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Some compounds showed excellent urease inhibition activity, more than the standard drug. Others exhibited potent antioxidant activity. All the compounds showed significant antibacterial activities as compared to the standard drug.