Showing papers by "Ruma Pal published in 2017"

Studies on few fresh water green algal species reveals Spirogyra triplicata as the repository of high phenolic and flavonoid content exhibiting enhanced anti-oxidant property

Abstract: This work explores the different antioxidant potential of methanolic extract of six different fresh water green algae of India. Among the six algal species studied Spirogyra triplicata shows the highest total phenolic content of 134.23 ± 4.45 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid content of 195.93 ± 0.41 mg QE/g extract. Spirogyra triplicata also showed the highest lipid peroxidation and DPPH scavenging activity, Superoxide anion scavenging, Nitric oxide and Catalase activity with an EC50 value of 7.2 ± 0.84 μg/ml, 50 ± 1.43 μg/ml, 17± 3.12 μg /ml, 30 ± 4.7 μg /ml and 15 ± 1.32 μg /ml respectively. Taken together date reflects that Spirogyra triplicata possesses highest Phenol and Flavonoid content exhibiting greatest DPPH scavenging and Lipid peroxidation activity in a pool of six green algal species studied. It also shows good anti-oxidant property as evidenced by different inhibition data there by suggesting presence of various efficacious compounds. Further analysis of these algae will help in identification and isolation of lead molecules for future drug development.

Aspects and prospects of algal carbon capture and sequestration in ecosystems: a review.

Abstract: Long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other forms of carbon in non-atmospheric reservoirs is called carbon sequestration. Selective anthropogenic enrichment of the atmospheric carbon pool is causing dire environmental problems, thereby necessitating remediation by mitigation. Algae possess efficient carbon concentrating mechanisms and consequently high photosynthetic rates which make them suitable candidates for biosequestration of CO2. Globally, nearly half of the atmospheric oxygen is generated by algal photosynthesis despite the fact that algae account for less than 1% of photosynthetic biomass. In water bodies, algae are responsible for creating the ‘biological pump’ that transports carbon from the upper sunlit waters to the depth below. A diverse array of photoautotrophs ranging from prokaryotic cyanobacteria to eukaryotic algae such as Chlorophytes, and even protists like euglenoids, contribute to this ‘biological pump’. It operates in a variety of aquatic ecosystems ranging from sma...

Food preservation with silver-biomass

Abstract: A food preservation system can include a gas (e.g., oxygen) permeable package having at least one oxygen permeable member defining a package chamber therein, and a silverized biomass in the package chamber of the oxygen permeable package. Another food preservation system can include a container having an internal chamber, and an oxygen permeable divider located in the internal chamber so as to divide the internal chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber can being configured for receiving food therein, and a silverized biomass is located in the second chamber. A method of preserving food can include retaining a food in a container that includes silverized biomass such that the food does not contact the silverized biomass. The silverized biomass can have a combination of silver and biomass.

Nitric oxide sensing by chlorophyll a

Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a signalling molecule that has direct and indirect regulatory roles in various functional processes in biology, though in plant kingdom its role is relatively unexplored. One reason for this is the fact that sensing of NO is always challenging. There are very few probes that can classify the different NO species. The present paper proposes a simple but straightforward way for sensing different NO species using chlorophyll, the source of inspiration being hemoglobin that serves as a NO sink in most mamalian system. The proposed method is able to classify NO from DETA-NONOate or (Z)-1-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl) amino] diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate, nitrite, nitrate and S-nitrosothiol or SNO. This discrimination is carried out by chlorophyll a (chl a ) at nanomolar (nM) order of sensitivity and at 293K to 310K. Molecular docking reveals the differential binding behaviour of NO and SNO with chlorophyll, the predicted binding affinity matching with the experimental observation. Additional experiments with diverse range of cyanobacteria reveals that apart from spectroscopic approach the proposed sensing module can be used in microscopic inspection of NO speices. Binding of NO is sensitive to temperature and static magnetic field. This provides additional support to the involvement of the porphyrin ring structure to the NO sensing process. This also broadens the scope of the sensing methods as hinted in the text.