Kurukshetra University

About: Kurukshetra University is a education organization based out in Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thermoelastic damping & Wave propagation. The organization has 2420 authors who have published 4641 publications receiving 53910 citations. The organization is also known as: KUK.

Plant decomposition and soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract: This review deals with methodological approaches, measured rates, and environmental control of two major interdependent processes regulating the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, viz., plant decomposition and soil respiration. Both these processes have been evaluated through indirect assessments as well as through direct measurements under the field conditions. The techniques used suffer in general from difficulties in creating conditions of natural environment during the process of measurement. Generalizations regarding the magnitude of rates in different ecosystems are difficult because of limited results or non-comparability of results from different methods. Temperature and moisture and their interactions markedly influence both the processes. The surface feeders and soil animals have a marked influence on the decomposition. Partitioning of soil respiration into components due to live roots, microbes, and soil fauna has eluded a satisfactory solution so far.

α-glucosidase inhibitors from plants: A natural approach to treat diabetes.

Abstract: Diabetes is a common metabolic disease characterized by abnormally high plasma glucose levels, leading to major complications, such as diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular diseases. One of the effective managements of diabetes mellitus, in particular, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) to decrease postprandial hyperglycemia, is to retard the absorption of glucose by inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes, such as α-glucosidase and α-amylase, in the digestive organs. α-Glucosidase is the key enzyme catalyzing the final step in the digestive process of carbohydrates. Hence, α-glucosidase inhibitors can retard the liberation of d-glucose from dietary complex carbohydrates and delay glucose absorption, resulting in reduced postprandial plasma glucose levels and suppression of postprandial hyperglycemia. In recent years, many efforts have been made to identify effective α-glucosidase inhibitors from natural sources in order to develop a physiologic functional food or lead compounds for use against diabetes. Many α-glucosidase inhibitors that are phytoconstituents, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids,anthocyanins, glycosides, phenolic compounds, and so on, have been isolated from plants. In the present review, we focus on the constituents isolated from different plants having α-glucosidase inhibitory potency along with IC50 values.

Pharmacological significance of triazole scaffold.

Abstract: The triazole nucleus is one of the most important and well known heterocycles which is a common and integral feature of a variety of natural products and medicinal agents. Triazole nucleus is present as a core structural component in an array of drug categories such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiepileptic, antiviral, antineoplastic, antihypertensive, antimalarial, local anaesthetic, antianxiety, antidepressant, antihistaminic, antioxidant, antitubercular, anti-Parkinson's, antidiabetic, antiobesity and immunomodulatory agents, etc. The broad and potent activity of triazole and their derivatives has established them as pharmacologically significant scaffolds. The basic heterocyclic rings present in the various medicinal agents are 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,4-triazole. A large volume of research has been carried out on triazole and their derivatives, which has proved the pharmacological importance of this heterocyclic nucleus. The present paper is an attempt to review the pharmacological activities reported for triazole derivatives in the current literature with an update of recent research findings on this nuclei.