Department of Biotechnology

About: Department of Biotechnology is a government organization based out in New Delhi, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Silver nanoparticle. The organization has 4800 authors who have published 5033 publications receiving 82022 citations.

Novel bacterial consortia isolated from plastic garbage processing areas demonstrated enhanced degradation for low density polyethylene

Abstract: This study aimed to formulate novel microbial consortia isolated from plastic garbage processing areas and thereby devise an eco-friendly approach for enhanced degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The LDPE degrading bacteria were screened and microbiologically characterized. The best isolates were formulated as bacterial consortia, and degradation efficiency was compared with the consortia formulated using known isolates obtained from the Microbial Culture Collection Centre (MTCC). The degradation products were analyzed by FTIR, GC-FID, tensile strength, and SEM. The bacterial consortia were characterized by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing. The formulated bacterial consortia demonstrated 81 ± 4 and 38 ± 3 % of weight reduction for LDPE strips and LDPE pellets, respectively, over a period of 120 days. However, the consortia formulated by MTCC strains demonstrated 49 ± 4 and 20 ± 2 % of weight reduction for LDPE strips and pellets, respectively, for the same period. Furthermore, the three isolates in its individual application exhibited 70 ± 4, 68 ± 4, and 64 ± 4 % weight reduction for LDPE strips and 21 ± 2, 28 ± 2, 24 ± 2 % weight reduction for LDPE pellets over a period of 120 days (p < 0.05). The end product analysis showed structural changes and formation of bacterial film on degraded LDPE strips. The 16S rDNA characterization of bacterial consortia revealed that these organisms were novel strains and designated as Enterobacter sp. bengaluru-btdsce01, Enterobacter sp. bengaluru-btdsce02, and Pantoea sp. bengaluru-btdsce03. The current study thus suggests that industrial scale-up of these microbial consortia probably provides better insights for waste management of LDPE and similar types of plastic garbage.

Groundnut shell -a beneficial bio-waste

Abstract: Groundnut shells account for approximately 20% of the dried peanut pod by weight, meaning there is a significant amount of shell residual left after groundnut processing. Increased groundnut production leads to the accumulation of these groundnut shells which is not utilized, thus either burnt or buried. As Groundnut shells are rich in many functional compounds and composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, it can be utilized in multiple ways. This review highlights potential applications of groundnut shells for commercial and industrial purposes. Groundnut shells can be converted in various bio-products such as biodiesel, bioethanol, nano-sheet and also has applications in enzyme and hydrogen production, dye and heavy metal degradation etc. An efficient management strategy is required to convert this otherwise considered waste into valuable bio-products to achieve zero waste production system.

Plant-Mediated Synthesis, Characterization and Bactericidal Potential of Emerging Silver Nanoparticles Using Stem Extract of Phyllanthus pinnatus : A Recent Advance in Phytonanotechnology

Abstract: The eco-friendly and cost-effective strategies for the preparation of nanoparticles are the cutting edge researches in the field of nanotechnology. The objective of the study was the eco-friendly synthesis, characterization and their antibacterial activity of AgNPs using stem extract of Phyllanthus pinnatus. The appearance of the dark brown color showed the biofabrication of AgNPs and its characterised by UV–Vis, SEM, XRD, and FT-IR analysis. Consequently, the antibacterial activity of AgNPs was tested against different bacterial pathogens. The UV–Vis spectrum of colloidal AgNPs exhibited a strong absorption peak at 490 nm. Besides, the SEM image showed that the AgNPs were fairly uniform in the nanoscale with mostly cubical morphology. The XRD analysis showed the crystalline nature of AgNPs. In addition, the FT-IR spectrum revealed the presence of functional groups attached to the surface of AgNPs that may have a role in bioreduction and stabilization of AgNPs. The AgNPs showed dose-dependent toxicity against bacterial pathogens. The maximum zone of inhibition was found at 1.8 mm in diameter for both Vibrio cholera and Shigella flexneri at 40 µL concentration. Although the current study showed potent in vitro antibacterial activity of AgNPs, further studies are required to establish the bactericidal potential of AgNPs on animal models for drug development.

Effect of vitamin D3 in reducing metabolic and oxidative stress in the liver of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a growing health problem worldwide and is associated with severe liver complications. The aim of the present study is to analyse the status of metabolic and free-radical-scavenging enzymes and second messengers in the liver of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, and to determine the hepatoprotective role of vitamin D(3). All studies were performed using the liver of adult male Wistar rats. Gene expression studies were carried out using real-time PCR with specific probes. Second messenger levels were determined using (3)H-labelled Biotrak assay kits, and glucose uptake assay with D-[(14)C]glucose. The present results show that there was a decrease in hepatic glucose uptake, malate dehydrogenase activity, glycogen content, inositol triphosphate (IP(3)) and cyclic GMP levels, and superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, phospholipase C, cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein, vitamin D receptor (VDR) and insulin receptor (INSR) gene expression in the diabetic rats when compared with the controls (all P < 0·05), while cyclic AMP levels and GLUT2 expression were increased (P < 0·05). Treatment of the diabetic rats with vitamin D(3) and insulin reversed the altered parameters to near control values. In conclusion, the data suggest a novel role of vitamin D(3) in restoring impaired liver metabolism in STZ-induced diabetic rats by regulating glucose uptake, storage and metabolism. We demonstrated that the restoring effect of vitamin D(3) is mediated through VDR modulation, thereby improving signal transduction and controlling free radicals in the liver of diabetic rats. These data suggest a potential role for vitamin D(3) in the treatment of diabetes-associated hepatic complications.