Annamalai University

About: Annamalai University is a education organization based out in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Lipid peroxidation & Antioxidant. The organization has 8098 authors who have published 10758 publications receiving 203872 citations.

Mangrove Forests of India

Abstract: Mangrove forests of India are globally unique with the highest record of biodiversity, gifted with the mangrove genetic paradise at Bhitarkanika, and the globally threatened wildlife species in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans of India and Bangladesh is the only largest mangrove forest in the world colonized by the Royal Bengal Tigers. Mangroves are dense and floristically diverse along the east coast of India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are largely distributed in the high energy tidal coast of two extreme conditions: (i) humid and wet in Sundarbans with rich bio-diversity, and (ii) arid and dry in Gujarat with low biodiversity. Despite increasing pressures, the mangrove cover in India increases annually at the rate of 1.2%, as against the global mangrove cover that disappears at 0.66%. However, India has a large track of sparse mangrove stand. This article discusses the present status of mangrove forests, conservation and management strategies being followed successfully in India, and recommends the future directions for mangrove restoration, improvisation of sparse stands, participatory management, and quality publications on mangrove research.

Experimental investigation of a diesel engine with methyl ester of mango seed oil and diesel blends

Abstract: Petroleum based fuels worldwide have not only resulted in the rapid depletion of conventional energy sources, but have also caused severe air pollution. The search for an alternate fuel has led to many findings due to which a wide variety of alternative fuels are available at our disposal now. The existing studies have revealed the use of vegetable oils for engines as an alternative for diesel fuel. However, there is a limitation in using straight vegetable oils in diesel engines due to their high viscosity and low volatility. In the present work, neat mango seed oil is converted into their respective methyl ester through transesterification process. Experiments are conducted using various blends of methyl ester of mango seed oil with diesel in a single cylinder, four stroke vertical and air cooled Kirloskar diesel engine. The experimental results of this study showed that the MEMSO biodiesel has similar characteristics to those of diesel. The brake thermal efficiency, unburned hydrocarbon and smoke density are observed to be lower in case of MEMSO biodiesel blends than diesel. The CO emission for B25, B50 and B75 is observed to be lower than diesel at full load, whereas for B100 it is higher at all loads. On the other hand, BSFC and NOx of MEMSO biodiesel blends are found to be higher than diesel. It is found that the combustion characteristics of all blends of methyl ester of mango seed oil showed similar trends with those of the baseline diesel. From this study, it is concluded that optimized blend is B25 and could be used as a viable alternative fuel in a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine without any modifications.

Mutation analysis of the cathepsin C gene in Indian families with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome

Abstract: PLS is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by early onset periodontopathia and palmar plantar keratosis. PLS is caused by mutations in the cathepsin C (CTSC) gene. Dipeptidyl-peptidase I encoded by the CTSC gene removes dipeptides from the amino-terminus of protein substrates and mainly plays an immune and inflammatory role. Several mutations have been reported in this gene in patients from several ethnic groups. We report here mutation analysis of the CTSC gene in three Indian families with PLS. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from individuals belonging to three Indian families with PLS for genomic DNA isolation. Exon-specific intronic primers were used to amplify DNA samples from individuals. PCR products were subsequently sequenced to detect mutations. PCR-SCCP and ASOH analyses were used to determine if mutations were present in normal control individuals. All patients from three families had a classic PLS phenotype, which included palmoplantar keratosis and early-onset severe periodontitis. Sequence analysis of the CTSC gene showed three novel nonsense mutations (viz., p.Q49X, p.Q69X and p.Y304X) in homozygous state in affected individuals from these Indian families. This study reported three novel nonsense mutations in three Indian families. These novel nonsense mutations are predicted to produce truncated dipeptidyl-peptidase I causing PLS phenotype in these families. A review of the literature along with three novel mutations reported here showed that the total number of mutations in the CTSC gene described to date is 41 with 17 mutations being located in exon 7.