Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives

Mukherjee, Avinaba,Sadhukhan, Gobinda Chandra KOREAN PHARMACOPUNCTURE INSTITUTE 2016 Journal of pharmacopuncture Vol.19 No.1

Objectives: Malaria has been a major global health problem in recent times with increasing mortality. Current treatment methods include parasiticidal drugs and vaccinations. However, resistance among malarial parasites to the existing drugs has emerged as a significant area of concern in anti-malarial drug design. Researchers are now desperately looking for new targets to develop anti-malarials drug which is more target specific. Malarial parasites harbor a plastid-like organelle known as the 'apicoplast', which is thought to provide an exciting new outlook for the development of drugs to be used against the parasite. This review elaborates on the current state of development of novel compounds targeted againstemerging malaria parasites. Methods: The apicoplast, originates by an endosymbiotic process, contains a range of metabolic pathways and housekeeping processes that differ from the host body and thereby presents ideal strategies for anti-malarial drug therapy. Drugs are designed by targeting the unique mechanism of the apicoplasts genetic machinery. Several anabolic and catabolic processes, like fatty acid, isopenetyl diphosphate and heme synthess in this organelle, have also been targeted by drugs. Results: Apicoplasts offer exciting opportunities for the development of malarial treatment specific drugs have been found to act by disrupting this organelle's function, which wouldimpede the survival of the parasite. Conclusion: Recent advanced drugs, their modes of action, and their advantages in the treatment of malaria by using apicoplasts as a target are discussed in this review which thought to be very useful in desigining anti-malarial drugs. Targetting the genetic machinery of apicoplast shows a great advantange regarding anti-malarial drug design. Critical knowledge of these new drugs would give a healthier understanding for deciphering the mechanism of action of anti-malarial drugs when targeting apicoplasts to overcome drug resistance.

Fluorescent carbon nano-materials from coal-based precursors: unveiling structure–function relationship between coal and nano-materials

Kundu Niloy,Sadhukhan Dhrubajyoti,Sarkar Supriya 한국탄소학회 2022 Carbon Letters Vol.32 No.3

Fluorescent carbon nano-materials with quantum confinement and edge effects have recently piqued attention in a variety of applications, including biological imaging, drug delivery, optoelectronics and sensing. These nano-materials can be synthesized from a variety of carbon-based precursors using both top-down and bottom-up methods. Coal and its derivatives typically include a vast crystalline network and condensed aromatic ring cluster, which can be easily exfoliated by chemical, electrochemical, or physical processes to produce nano-materials. As a result, they are regarded as a low-cost, abundant and efficient carbon source for the fabrication of high-yield nano-materials. Nano-materials synthesized from coal-based precursors have outstanding fluorescence, photostability, biocompatibility and low toxicity, among other properties. Their properties in optical sensors, LED devices, bio-imaging, and photo and electro-catalyst applications have already been investigated. In this review, we have highlighted current developments in the synthesis, structural properties and fluorescence properties of nano-materials synthesized from coal-based precursors.

Does Regionalism Hinder Multilateralism: a Case Study of India

( Manoj Pant ),( Amit Sadhukhan ) 세종대학교 경제통합연구소 (구 세종대학교 국제경제연구소) 2009 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.24 No.2

Today many developing countries fear that regional movements in other parts of the world will adversely impact their trade as regionalism overtakes multilateralism. The response has been that most of them are trying to get into one regional bloc or the other via regional trade arrangements (RTAs). In this paper we have investigated how India as a non-member country is affected by formation of RTAs like ASEAN, EU, NAFTA, and MERCOSUR. Controlling for non-RTA factors that influence exports, we find that India`s exports to these RTAs seem to be affected not by the formation of these RTAs per se but by demand side factors.

Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives

Avinaba Mukherjee,Gobinda Chandra Sadhukhan 대한약침학회 2016 Journal of pharmacopuncture Vol.19 No.1

Objectives: Malaria has been a major global health problem in recent times with increasing mortality. Current treatment methods include parasiticidal drugs and vaccinations. However, resistance among malarial parasites to the existing drugs has emerged as a significant area of concern in anti-malarial drug design. Researchers are now desperately looking for new targets to develop anti-malarials drug which is more target specific. Malarial parasites harbor a plastid-like organelle known as the ‘apicoplast’, which is thought to provide an exciting new outlook for the development of drugs to be used against the parasite. This review elaborates on the current state of development of novel compounds targeted againstemerging malaria parasites. Methods: The apicoplast, originates by an endosymbiotic process, contains a range of metabolic pathways and housekeeping processes that differ from the host body and thereby presents ideal strategies for anti-malarial drug therapy. Drugs are designed by targeting the unique mechanism of the apicoplasts genetic machinery. Several anabolic and catabolic processes, like fatty acid, isopenetyl diphosphate and heme synthess in this organelle, have also been targeted by drugs. Results: Apicoplasts offer exciting opportunities for the development of malarial treatment specific drugs have been found to act by disrupting this organelle’s function, which wouldimpede the survival of the parasite. Conclusion: Recent advanced drugs, their modes of action, and their advantages in the treatment of malaria by using apicoplasts as a target are discussed in this review which thought to be very useful in desigining anti-malarial drugs. Targetting the genetic machinery of apicoplast shows a great advantange regarding anti- malarial drug design. Critical knowledge of these new drugs would give a healthier understanding for deciphering the mechanism of action of anti-malarial drugs when targeting apicoplasts to overcome drug resistance.

Production of nematode free plantlets in Polianthes tuberosa using in vitro culture techniques

Kanchan B. M. Singh,Jayanthi Madhavan,Raghunath Sadhukhan,Shivani Chandra,Uma Rao,Pranab Kumar Mandal 한국원예학회 2020 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.61 No.5

Tuberose ( Polianthes tuberosa ) cultivation is tremendously aff ected due to Meloidogyne incognita infection. Histologicalstudy of in vitro nematode infected tuberose roots showed that the root infection initiated within 2 days post inoculation(DPI) and root gall formation occurred at 6 DPI indicating established infection on the roots. The life cycle of M. incognitain tuberose roots completed within 45 DPI evident by the formation of large number of eggs. Our study established in vitromethods like shoot tip culture and callus mediated regeneration of tubers collected from nematode infection fi elds to obtaincompletely nematode free plantlets. Tubers of diff erent varieties produced multiple shoot bud on Murashige and Skoog (MS)media containing 4 mg L −1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.1 mg L −1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Maximum numbersof plantlets were obtained for Calcutta Single (14.4 ± 2.0 per plant). Embryogenic callus was induced on MS medium supplementedwith altered concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), NAA and BAP from leaf, fl ower, root andtuber explant. The maximum callus induction was obtained on MS containing 1 mg L −1 2,4-D, 1 mg L −1 NAA and 0.5 mg L −1BAP (100%) and 1 mg L −1 2,4-D and 2.25 mg L −1 BAP (96.7%). Regeneration of tuber callus was achieved on MS with0.5 mg L −1 Kinetin (KIN) within 3 weeks. Plantlets were rooted on ½ MS with 0.5 mg L −1 Indole-3-butyric acid for 25 days. The in vitro regeneration protocol developed can thus be used for producing disease free plantlets for mass propagation.