Browsing by Author "Mayank Gangwar"

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A Bacteriophage Microgel Effectively Treats the Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Bacterial Infections in Burn Wounds
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Deepa Dehari; Aiswarya Chaudhuri; Dulla Naveen Kumar; Rohit Patil; Mayank Gangwar; Sonam Rastogi; Dinesh Kumar; Gopal Nath; Ashish Kumar Agrawal
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is one of the major pathogens present in burn wound infections. Biofilm formation makes it further challenging to treat with clinically available antibiotics. In the current work, we isolated the A. baumannii-specific bacteriophages (BPABΦ1), loaded into the chitosan microparticles followed by dispersion in gel, and evaluated therapeutic efficacy against MDR A. baumannii clinical strains. Isolated BPABΦ1 were found to belong to the Corticoviridae family, with burst size 102.12 ± 2.65 PFUs per infected host cell. The BPABΦ1 loaded chitosan microparticles were evaluated for quality attributes viz. size, PDI, surface morphology, in vitro release, etc. The developed formulation exhibited excellent antibiofilm eradication potential in vitro and effective wound healing after topical application. © 2023 by the authors.
A novel approach for rapid and sensitive detection of Zika virus utilizing silver nanoislands as SERS platform
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Manish Nath Tripathi; Poonam Jangir; Aakriti; Suyash Rai; Mayank Gangwar; Gopal Nath; Preeti S. Saxena; Anchal Srivastava
To control the spread of the disease, the Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus infection spread by mosquitoes and common in across the world, needs to be accurately and promptly diagnosed. This endeavour gets challenging when early-stage illnesses have low viral loads. As a result, we have created a biosensor based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the quick, accurate, and timely diagnosis of the Zika virus. In this study, a glass coverslip was coated with silver nanoislands, which were then utilized as the surface for creating the sensing platform. Silver nanoislands exhibit strong plasmonic activity and good conductive characteristics. It enhances the Raman signals as a result and gives the SERS platform an appropriate surface. The created platform has been applied to Zika virus detection. With a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.11 ng/mL, the constructed sensor exhibits a linear range from 5 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL. Hence, even at the nanogram scale, this technique may be a major improvement over clinical diagnosis approaches for making proper, precise, and accurate Zika virus detection. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Clinical Trial of Bacteriophage Cocktails in Chronic Wound Infections
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2024) Subhash Lal Karn; Satyanam Kumar Bhartiya; Arvind Pratap; Sanjay Kumar Saroj; Rajesh Kumar; Minakshi Sahu; Mayank Gangwar; Gopal Nath
Background: Chronic wounds are prevalent globally at endemic proportions. The common features associated with chronic wounds are prolonged inflammatory phase, infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, and subsequent biofilm formation. The present randomized-controlled trial (RCT) study was undertaken on chronic wounds of ≥6 weeks longer duration using customized phages to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bacteriophage therapy. Methods: The study was conducted from December 2021 to August 2023. Thirty patients in each of the arms (placebo and bacteriophage) were recruited with chronic wounds. The patients, both arms, received the conventional treatment of wound debridement, local antiseptics, and local and systemic antibiotics at the discretion of the treating surgeon. However, before applying the customized bacteriophage cocktail or placebo, the wound surface was thoroughly washed to remove the residual antiseptics. The phage cocktails or placebo were applied on alternate days. The wounds were evaluated using the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool for the progress of wound healing. Results: A total of 93.3% of the wound became sterile in 39 days (median sterility time), followed by complete healing by the end of 90 days in the phage group. Contrary to this, 83.3% of those on placebo therapy remained colonized by original bacteria or additional new bacteria without healing for up to 90 days. Conclusion: With the well-designed RCT, we could conclude that customized bacteriophage therapy using bacteriophage cocktails will definitely cure the chronic wound, irrespective of age, sex, diabetes status, and infection by MDR bacteria. © The Author(s) 2024.
Anticestodal activity of endophytic Pestalotiopsis sp. on protoscoleces of hydatid cyst echinococcus granulosus
(2013) Vijay C. Verma; Mayank Gangwar; Madhu Yashpal; Gopal Nath
Surgery is still the main treatment in hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus, which is a global health problem in human and animals. So, there is need for some natural protoscolicidal agents for instillation to prevent their reoccurrence at therapeutic doses. In this present investigation, anticestodal activity of one of the endophytic fungi Pestalotiopsis sp. from Neem plant was observed on protoscoleces of hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus. Viability of protoscoleces was confirmed by 0.1% aqueous eosin red stain method, where mortality was observed at different concentrations with respect to time. An average anticestodal activity was observed with different endophytic fungal strains, that is, Nigrospora (479 ± 2.9), Colletotrichum (469 ± 25.8), Fusarium (355 ± 14.5), and Chaetomium (332 ± 28.3) showing 64 to 70% protoscolicidal activity, except Pestalotiopsis sp. (581 ± 15.0), which showed promising scolicidal activity up to 97% mortality just within 30 min of incubation. These species showed significant reduction in viability of protoscoleces. This is the first report on the scolicidal activity of endophytic Pestalotiopsis sp. We conclude that ultrastructural changes in protoscoleces were due to endophytic extract suggesting that there may be some bioactive compounds that have selective action on the tegument layer of protoscoleces. As compared with that of standard drug used, endophytic species of Neem plant shows significant anticestodal activity. © 2013 Vijay C. Verma et al.
Antimicrobial Activity of Phytochemicals Isolated from Selaginella bryopteris
(Springer Science and Business Media, LLC, 2015) Mradul Verma; Mayank Gangwar; Mahendra Sahai; Gopal Nath; Tryambak Deo Singh
[No abstract available]
Antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging effect of polyphenol rich Mallotus philippenensis fruit extract on human erythrocytes: An in vitro study
(Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2014) Mayank Gangwar; Manish Kumar Gautam; Amit Kumar Sharma; Yamini B. Tripathi; R.K. Goel; Gopal Nath
Mallotus philippinensis is an important source of molecules with strong antioxidant activity widely used medicinal plant. Previous studies have highlighted their anticestodal, antibacterial, wound healing activities, and so forth. So, present investigation was designed to evaluate the total antioxidant activity and radical scavenging effect of 50% ethanol fruit glandular hair extract (MPE) and its role on Human Erythrocytes. MPE was tested for phytochemical test followed by its HPLC analysis. Standard antioxidant assays like DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, superoxide radical, nitric oxide, and lipid peroxidation assay were determined along with total phenolic and flavonoids content. Results showed that MPE contains the presence of various phytochemicals, with high total phenolic and flavonoid content. HPLC analysis showed the presence of rottlerin, a polyphenolic compound in a very rich quantity. MPE exhibits significant strong scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS assay. Reducing power showed dose dependent increase in concentration absorption compared to standard, Quercetin. Superoxide, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide assay showed a comparable scavenging activity compared to its standard. Our finding further provides evidence that Mallotus fruit extract is a potential natural source of antioxidants which have a protective role on human Erythrocytes exhibiting minimum hemolytic activity and this justified its uses in folklore medicines. © 2014 Mayank Gangwar et al.
Assessment of Successful qRT-PCR of SARS-CoV-2 Assay in Pool Screening Using Isopropyl Alcohol Purification Step in RNA Extraction
(Hindawi Limited, 2021) Mayank Gangwar; Alka Shukla; Virendra Kumar Patel; Pradyot Prakash; Gopal Nath
The study is aimed at establishing the optimal parameters for RNA purification of pooled specimens, in SARS-CoV-2 assay. This research work evaluates the difference of extracted RNA purity of pooled samples with and without treatment with isopropyl alcohol and its effect on real-time RT-PCR. As per the protocol of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 5 sample pools were analysed using qRT-PCR. A total of 100 pooled samples were selected for the study by mixing 50 μL of one COVID-19 positive nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal (NP/OP) specimen and 50 μL each of 4 known negative specimens. Pool RNA was extracted using the column-based method, and 1 set of pooled extracted RNA was tested as such, while RNA of the second set was treated additionally with chilled isopropyl alcohol (modified protocol). Further, the purity of extracted RNA in both the groups was checked using Microvolume Spectrophotometers (Nanodrop) followed by RT-PCR targeting E-gene and RNaseP target. The results showed that the purity index of extracted RNA of untreated pooled specimens was inferior to isopropyl alcohol-treated templates, which was observed to be 85% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The average Cq (E gene) in the unpurified and purified pool RNA group was 34.66 and 31.48, respectively. The nanodrop data suggested that purified RNA concentration was significantly increased with an average value of 24.73±1.49 ng/uL, which might be the reason for high sensitivity and specificity. Thus, this group testing of SARS-CoV-2 cases using pools of 5 individual samples would be the best alternative for saving molecular reagents, personnel time, and can increase the overall testing capacity. However, purity of RNA is one of the important determinants to procure unfailing results, thus, this additional purification step must be included in the protocol after RNA has been extracted using commercially available kit before performing qRT-PCR. © 2021 Mayank Gangwar et al.
Chemical constituents of Anisodus luridus roots and their antimicrobial screening
(Scientific Publishers, 2015) Mradul Verma; Lalit Kumar Lal Das; Mayank Gangwar; Mahendra Sahai; Gopal Nath; Tryambak Deo Singh
The weak base and strong base fractions were separated from methanolic extract of roots of Anisodus luridus. Chromatographic resolution of both fractions yielded compounds 1-5 which were characterized as β-sitosterol (1), esculetin (2), β-sitosterol-β-D-glucoside (3), apohyoscyamine (4) and hyoscyamine (5) with the help of spectroscopic analysis. Four compounds, 1-4 were isolated from A. luridus for the first time. The weak base, strong base and isolated constituents were screened against six microbes viz. E. coli, S. aureus, E. faecalis, C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. krusei. Weak base, strong base and isolated pure compounds exhibited their potential against these microbes. © 2015 Scientific Publishers.
Comparative analysis of phenolic and flavonoid content of Jatropha Curcas Linn.
(2012) Amit Kumar Sharma; Mayank Gangwar; Adya Prasad Chaturvedi; A.S.K. Sinha; Yamini B. Tripathi
Jatropha species belong to the family Euphorbiaceae commonly called physic nut, purging nut or pig nut. Based on their economic and pharmaceutical importance, we investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid content of different parts of whole plant. The dried plant powder was subjected to Soxhlet extraction with methanol. Phenolic content was estimated using Folin ciocalteau reagent, flavonoid using aluminium chloride (2%) reagent as quercetin equivalent and TLC analysis using chloroform, benzene, hexane and ethyl acetate for the analysis of number of constituent in different extract. Methanolic extract of J. curcas leaf contain higher phenolic content (38.8±2.14) followed by latex (29.12±4.52) and root (26.15±3.84). Flavonoid contents was found to be maximum in cake (26.15±3.84) followed by latex (18.14±2.54). TLC analysis shows four to six spots in different extract showing varying number of components using hexane, chloroform and benzene solvent. The study revealed that the extracts of J. curcas showed presence of high amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds especially presscake along with secondary metabolites suggesting its use for treatment of various infections.
Comparative in vitro antimicrobial and phytochemical evaluation of methanolic extract of root, stem and leaf of Jatropha curcas linn
(Pharmacognosy Network Worldwide, 2012) Amit Kumar Sharma; Mayank Gangwar; Ragini Tilak; Gopal Nath; Akhoury Sudhir Kumar Sinha; Yamini Bhusan Tripathi; Dharmendra Kumar
Background: Earlier researchers have reported antibacterial activity of different specific parts, but none of the reports show the comparative microbial and phytochemical studies of root, stem and leaf extract. Objective: To compare and investigate antimicrobial, qualitative phytochemical studies, phenol, flavonoid and TLC analysis of root, stem bark, leaf extracts of Jatropha curcas Linn family Euphorbiaceae. Methods: The dried plant powder was subjected to Soxhlet extraction with methanol. These solvent extracts were subjected to a preliminary phytochemical screening to detect the different chemical principles present viz., carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, steroids, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds, fixed oils. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was calculated by micro dilution method. Thin layer chromatography was also performed using solvent system chloroform, benzene, hexane, and ethyl acetate for the analysis of a number of constituents in the plant extract. The content of the total phenolics in the extract was determined spectrometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and calculated as catechol equivalent. The content of total flavonoids in the extract was determined and calculated as quercetin equivalent. Result: These extracts showed antibacterial, antifungal activities against gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria with varying magnitudes. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloid, saponin, tanins, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, phenols and flavonoids. Maximum phenolic content (38.8) was found in leaf extract and flavonoid content (18.14) in latex of plant. Discussion: It is concluded that the antimicrobial activity showed by the plant was due to the presence of these phytochemicals. Further studies are highly needed for drug development.
Delta variant SARS-CoV-2 infections in pediatric cases during the second wave in India
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Pragya D. Yadav; Gunjan Kumar; Aparna Mukherjee; Dimpal A. Nyayanit; Anita M. Shete; Rima R. Sahay; Abhinendra Kumar; Triparna Majumdar; Savita Patil; Priyanka Pandit; Yash Joshi; Manisha Dudhmal; Samiran Panda; Lokesh Kumar Sharma; Kala Yadav Ml; Jayanthi Shastri; Mayank Gangwar; Ashok Munivenkattapa; Varsha Potdar; K. Nagamani; Kapil Goyal; Ravisekhar Gadepalli; Maria Thomas; Suruchi Shukla; P. Nagraj; Vivek Gupta; Gaurav Dalela; Nawaz Umar; Sweety M. Patel
Background: During October 2020, Delta variant was detected for the first time in India and rampantly spread across the globe. It also led to second wave of pandemic in India which affected millions of people. However, there is limited information pertaining to the SARS-CoV-2 strain infecting the children in India. Methods: Here, we assessed the SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the pediatric population of India during the second wave of the pandemic. Clinical and demographic details linked with the nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs (NPS/OPS) collected from SARS-CoV-2 cases (n = 583) aged 0–18 year and tested positive by real-time RT-PCR were retrieved from March to June 2021. Results: Symptoms were reported among 37.2% of patients and 14.8% reported to be hospitalized. The E gene CT value had significant statistical difference at the point of sample collection when compared to that observed in the sequencing laboratory. Out of these 512 sequences 372 were VOCs, 51 were VOIs. Most common lineages observed were Delta, followed by Kappa, Alpha and B.1.36, seen in 65.82%, 9.96%, 6.83% and 4.68%, respectively in the study population. Conclusion: Overall, it was observed that Delta strain was the leading cause of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Indian children during the second wave of the pandemic. We emphasize on the need of continuous genomic surveillance in SARS-CoV-2 infection even amongst children. © 2022
Design, synthesis and mode of action of novel 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazole derivatives bearing semicarbazone and thiosemicarbazone moiety as potent antimicrobial agents
(Birkhauser Boston, 2016) Meenakshi Singh; Sudhir Kumar Singh; Mayank Gangwar; Gopal Nath; Sushil K. Singh
A novel series of substituted benzothiazoles, bearing semicarbazone and thiosemicarbazone moieties, was designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity and possible mode of action. Structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and Mass spectral data. The results revealed that compounds SC06, SC09, TS05 and TS07 have potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Compound TS05 displayed most potent activity with MIC values of 3.91, 7.81 and 1.56 μg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. The results from cytoplasmic membrane permeabilization assay, FACS study as well as DNA-binding assays, evaluated against clinically relevant pathogens S. aureus and E. coli, suggest membrane perturbing as well as intracellular mode of action of this class of compounds. In addition, hemolytic activity of the compounds was measured which indicated their low cytotoxicity. © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Design, synthesis and mode of action of some benzothiazole derivatives bearing an amide moiety as antibacterial agents
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014) Sushil K. Singh; Meenakshi Singh; Sudhir K. Singh; Mayank Gangwar; Gopal Nath
In this study ten benzothiazole derivatives bearing the amide moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activity and possible mode of action. Structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectral data. Four different Gram-negative and two different Gram-positive bacterial strains were used in antibacterial activity tests. Among all the synthesised compounds, compound A07 displayed the most potent inhibitory activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 15.6, 7.81, 15.6, 3.91 μg ml-1 against S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi and K. pneumoniae respectively. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed that electronic and lipophillic factors of the phenyl ring had a significant effect on the antimicrobial activity of the designed compounds. The benzothiazole bearing amide (A01-A10) series exhibited different modes of action based on aryl group substitution as revealed by studies on intact bacterial cells and plasmid DNA. The present study provides us two active compounds (A07 and A10) with a membrane perturbing mode of action, and an intracellular mode of action due to binding with DNA along with potent activity against clinically relevant pathogens E. coli and S. aureus. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.
Design, synthesis and mode of action of some new 2-(4'-aminophenyl) benzothiazole derivatives as potent antimicrobial agents
(Bentham Science Publishers B.V., 2016) Meenakshi Singh; Sudhir Kumar Singh; Mayank Gangwar; Satheeshkumar Sellamuthu; Gopal Nath; Sushil K. Singh
Background: The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to public health. The development of heterocyclic benzothiazole derivatives, as efficient and potential agents, has been the focus of antibacterial drug discovery. Objective: Present study attempts to evaluate the antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of novel 2-(4'- aminophenyl) benzothiazole derivatives. Methods: Antibacterial activity of novel benzothiazole derivatives was evaluated by agar disc diffusion method against a panel of susceptible Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. The mechanism of action was explored by bactericidal kinetics, membrane depolarization, fluorescent assisted cell cytometry and DNA cleavage studies. Results: Our findings revealed that compounds A07a and A07b turned out to be the most potent analogues having minimum inhibitory concentration values in the range of 3.91-31.2 g/ml against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The new benzothiazole derivatives displayed different modes of action as elucidated by the studies on intact bacterial cells and plasmid DNA. The structure activity relationship studies showed prominent activity of compound A07a containing oxime moiety on carbonyl carbon along with less bulky electron releasing and lipophillic group (methoxy and chloro) in phenyl ring at C2 position of 2-(4'-aminophenyl) benzothiazole ring system. Conclusion: The potent antibacterial activity of compounds (A07a and A07b) was mediated by membrane perturbing and intracellular mode of actions. These results further validate the use of these derivatives in the treatment of microbial diseases and provide scope for further research. © 2016 Bentham Science Publishers.
Editorial: Pharmacological and Immunological Action of Bacteriophages: Focus on Phage Therapy
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2022) Mayank Gangwar; Subhash Karn; Sanjay Chhibber; Elizabeth Kutter; Gopal Nath
[No abstract available]
Effects of Azardirachta indica on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cytokines in Diabetic Deep Wound
(Georg Thieme Verlag, 2015) Manish Kumar Gautam; Mayank Gangwar; Surya Kumar Singh; Raj Kumar Goel
A chronic, unhealed diabetic wound is one of the severe complications of diabetes mellitus. Azadirachta indica has been reported to have antidiabetic and antiapoptotic properties. The present work incorporates the healing potential of 50% ethanol A. indica leaves extract against deep surgical wounds in streptozotocin-induced mild diabetic rats. A. indica leaves extract (500 mg/kg) was administered orally, once daily for ten days. Serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides as well as body weight, food, and water intake, and tissue antioxidants (catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione), free radicals (lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide), myeloperoxidase, total collagens (hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid and hexosamine), protein, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cytokines (tumor necrotic factor-α and interleukin-1β) were estimated. Histology was done for connective tissue formation and inflammatory and healing in deep granulation tissue after A. indica leaves extract treatment. Diabetic rats showed an increase in serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels, food and water intake, and granular tissue free radicals, myeloperoxidase, and cytokines, but a decrease in body weight, total collagen, and vascular endothelial growth factor levels. A. indica leaves extract reversed the increased serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, food and water intake, and tissue free radicals, myeloperoxidase and, cytokines, but increased body weight, tissue antioxidants, total collagen, and vascular endothelial growth factor contents. The results thus indicated an improvement in wound healing by A. indica leaves extract in diabetic rats through enhanced angiogenesis mediated through the inhibition of hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and down- and upregulation of inflammatory mediators and growth factor expression. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York.
Efficacy of bacteriophage cocktails administered through mucosal and non-mucosal routes for urinary tract infections caused by Enterobacter cloacae: A preclinical study
(Academic Press, 2025) Srishti Singh; Alok Kumar Singh; Alakh Narayan Singh; Sudhir Kumar Singh; Virendra Bahadur Yadav; Mayank Gangwar; Minakshi Sahu; Deepak Kumar; Gopal Nath
This preclinical study assessed the effectiveness of a phage cocktail in completely curing Enterobacter cloacae-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a mouse model, employing various routes and dosages (both in quantity and frequency). Three lytic phages, designated ΦENT1, ΦENT2, and ΦENT3, were identified and characterised phenotypically using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and genotypically through ERIC and restriction enzyme analysis. To induce a UTI, ten groups of female Swiss albino mice were inoculated with 100 μL containing 1 × 109 CFU/mL via the urethral route with E. cloacae GNENT11213. The mice were subsequently treated with the phage cocktail via subcutaneous, oral, transurethral, and rectal routes. The efficacy of these routes was optimised at two doses of phages, namely 1 × 109 PFU/mL (5 mice) and 1 × 105 PFU/mL (5 mice). Furthermore, the levels of Endotoxins and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured to assess the negative impact of phage therapy. Our findings indicated that E. cloacae GNENT11213 could be effectively eliminated with one dosage of 1 × 109Plaque-Forming Units per mouse (PFU/mouse) and two doses of the phage cocktail containing 1 × 105 PFU/mouse administered through the urethra (local mucosa). Interestingly, higher concentrations of phage particles and multiple doses were necessary for other mucosal routes, such as oral and rectal administration, to effectively eradicate E. cloacae GNENT11213 at any stage of acute illness UTI. Furthermore, phage treatment did not significantly alter the levels of IL-6 and Endotoxins. Non-mucosal routes, such as subcutaneous, were ineffective in curing the infection. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Engineered Nanomaterials for Purification and Desalination of Palatable Water
(Wiley Blackwell, 2015) Vijay C. Verma; Swechha Anand; Mayank Gangwar; Santosh K. Singh
Despite more than two-thirds of the earth's surface being covered by water, people are facing inadequate access to potable water and are thus forced to use contaminated water from unhygienic sources. A major consequence of using contaminated water for preparing food or other daily uses is acute and chronic illness that is widespread especially in third-world countries. Apart from this, the scarcity of safe drinking water in many parts of the world and the increasing divide between availability and per capita utilization is creating a global problem. Since approximately 97% of water on the earth is saline, recycled water through desalination can help to cope with this problem. In this chapter, we look at the state-of-the art technologies driven with modern nanotechnology for water purification and desalination. The rapid development of nanoscience has enabled the implementation of promising processes for providing improved palatability and hygiene of drinking water. Recent technologies like ultra- and nanofiltration as well as reverse osmosis (RO) create new enthusiasm in the fields of water desalination and purification. Nanomaterials and nanotechnology-based solutions are now an integral part of the research to overcome the ever-growing problems in all aspects of science, and since many traditional approaches of water purification are based on molecule-level separation, it is reasonable to expect novel nano-engineered water treatment approaches. There are several new concepts for the desalination of nonpalatable water using engineered membranes/nanoparticles. Aquaporin nanocomposites, the combination of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with other metal oxides, and noble metal nanoparticles are some good examples in this field. Despite all these developments, there are still some limitations regarding scalability at an industrial scale. In this chapter, we analyze the recent developments in nanotechnology-based solutions for the purification of water to ensure safe drinking water for all. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Epidemiological Distribution and Potential Risk Factors of Orientia tsutsugamushi Infection in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
(Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, 2021) Alka Shukla; Mayank Gangwar; Akanksha Srivastava; Sonam Rastogi; Deepak Kumar; Digvijay Singh; Rajesh Kumar; Pradyot Prakash; Gopal Nath
Background: Scrub typhus (ST) is a rickettsial infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, which presents with flu like symptoms. This disease has been reported from all over India but with slight variations in its pattern. For decreasing the prevalence, preventing new incidences, and predicting the course of the ST, therefore, it is crucial to gain knowledge and perception of local risk components associated with the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the epidemiological distribution and potential risk factors of O. tsutsugamushi Infection in Eastern Uttar Pradesh (EUP), India. Methods: The serums of 211 samples were collected from the suspected cases along with the detailed information about the participants such as age, location, and place recorded in case history form (CRF). IgM estimation was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. Results: A total of 58 samples (27.4%) out of 211 ones were found to be positive for IgM antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi bacterium. Furthermore, the results were correlated with epidemiological data such as gender, rural or urban background, pets, and occupation. The results showed that 76.7% of the study participants were from rural areas or had bushes around their houses, 88.3% of them had pets/cattle or frequent encounter with rodents at their houses, and 30.3% of them had no toilet facilities at home. Conclusions: It was concluded that the proximity to pets/cattle, having rodents in closer vicinity, residing in places surrounded by vegetation/farm/bushy areas, and following occupations involving field work increased the chances of getting bitten by mites/chiggers. Overall, Orientia tsutsugamushi prevalence increased in EUP, with respect to clinical features, disease presentation, and laboratory diagnosis can help our community to reduce the mortality caused by this infectious disease. © 2021 The Author(s); Published by Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
Etiology of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Adults in a Tertiary Care Center in Eastern Uttar Pradesh
(American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2025) Tulika Kumari Rai; Jaya Chakravarty; Shubham Kashyap; Sumeet Chatterjee; Vishwa Deepak Tiwari; Urvashi Geeta Rai; Mayank Gangwar; Santhanam Sundar; Gopal Nath
Seasonal outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) with high case fatality rates have been commonly reported among adults in India. With an increase in Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccination, the etiology of AES is also changing. However, most studies on AES in India have focused only on children and on JEV. This study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University between 2020 and 2022 to determine the etiology of AES in adults. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected from patients 18 years or older with fever and altered sensorium for #15 days. We did IgM ELISA for dengue, chikungunya, West Nile virus, scrub typhus, leptospirosis from serum, CSF-IgM for JEV, and CSF–polymerase chain reaction for herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, enterovirus, and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) for tuberculous meningitis (TBM). The most common cause of AES identified in our study was TBM (16.7%), followed by leptospirosis (15.1%) and scrub typhus (11.9%). The high occurrence of TBM in our study highlights the importance of CSF-CBNAAT for all AES patients. As leptospirosis and scrub typhus are easily treatable, early detection and treatment of these infections should be recommended. © © 2025 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.