Tamarind seed protein has potential to cure Chikungunya: IIT-R study

Agencies
November 14, 2018

New Delhi, Nov 14: Two professors at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee claimed to have discovered a protein in tamarind seeds that has anti-viral properties and can potentially be used to develop medication for chikungunya.

The research group at IIT Roorkee has filed a patent for an antiviral composition containing this tamarind antiviral protein and is now developing tamarind-based therapeutic agents for chikungunya.

"Tamarind is known for various medicinal properties in India and is a excellent Ayurvedic food. The fruits, seeds, leaves and roots bark of the tamarind tree have been used to treat abdominal pain, diarrhoea and dysentery, bacterial infections and parasitic infestations, wounds, constipation and inflammation," said one of the professors, Shaily Tomar.

Lectin, a diverse group of proteins derived from plant sources, are known to bind to glycan sugars. Its use as antiviral has been extensively studied for a range of viruses, including HIV and HPV.

The IIT professors, in a study, have shown that a lectin derived from tamarind seeds bind to glycans or sugar molecules having N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) on the capsule of viruses, thereby preventing the entry of the virus into the host cells.

The researchers have isolated lectin from tamarind seeds using chromatography and have studied the binding of the lectin molecules to the glycan in the viral capsule by a process called Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA).

"Not only did the chikungunya virus lose 64 per cent of its infectivity on treatment with the lectin, but the levels of viral RNA in the cells were also found to reduce to nearly 45 per cent. This study has, for the first time, evaluated the antiviral use of tamarind seed-derived lectin having specificity for NAG and assessed its ability to block the entry step of the virus," Tomar added.

"Antiviral drugs and vaccines against most alphaviruses, including chikungunya are still not available in the market, and preventive measures are currently the only route to managing diseases caused by such viruses," said professor Pravindra Kumar, who is also part of the research.

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News Network
February 19,2020

Chikkamagaluru, Feb 19: A 31-year-old homemaker was murdered and valuables, including 100gm of gold and 2kg of silver, were reported missing from her house in Kadur town of Chikkamagaluru district late Monday evening. Her 11-month-old son, who was with her at the time of the attack, had a miraculous escape.

Police said Kavita's husband Dr Revath was away in his clinic in the town's Kadur-Birur road along with their first son, 5. Kavita, who has done MA and from Udupi, and the dentist married seven years ago.

District superintendent of police Harish Pandey has formed a special team to probe the incident that took place in Lakshmish Nagar in the town.

According to police, Kavita spoke to her husband around 6.45pm on Monday and didn't answer his subsequent calls, triggering a strong suspicion in him that something was amiss. He called his relatives living nearby to check on his wife. The relatives rushed to the house only to find the main door locked.

Since Kavita didn't answer the doorbell, they force-entered the house from the rear door and found her in a pool of blood. She was taken to a private clinic where doctors declared her brought dead.

Police said the woman was killed by a sharp weapon by slitting her throat between 6.45pm and 8.15pm. The rooms and almirahs had been found ransacked. At least 100gm gold ornaments, 2kg of silver and cash were missing from the house.

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News Network
April 4,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 4: With the district administration formally confirming three new cases of covid-19, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in Dakshina Kannada today mounted to 12. 

A 43-year-old man from Thumbey in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada had been to Delhi on March 11 due to personal work and returned on March 22. His throat swabs were sent for testing on April 2 though he was healthy. Today the report of the test claimed that he was infected with covid-19. However, he is still said to be healthy.

In another case, a man from Udupi, who had returned from Dubai on March 21, was under medical observation after he landed at Mangaluru International Airport. The district administration today claimed that he too is suffering from the covid-19. 

A resident of Thokkottu, on February 6, had travelled to Mumbai and then visited Delhi. On March 6 he had returned to Mangaluru. On April 2, his throat swabs were sent for testing and the report today showed positive.

All three have been admitted to Wenlock Hospital for treatment.

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News Network
February 18,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 18: A 26-year-old Kannada singer committed suicide over alleged dowry harassment on Monday. Sushmitha, a playback singer who got married to Sharath Kumar about one-and-a-half years ago, hung herself from the ceiling at her parent's home in Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru on Monday.

The singer sent a Whatsapp to her brother and mother before hanging herself early morning on Monday. She accused her husband and his relatives of dowry harassment in her death note.

According to Bengaluru Police, the singer has accused her husband, his sister and his aunt of harassing her for dowry in her death note. On Monday morning, Sushmitha's brother alerted the police after he found her dead body hanging from the ceiling. She used her dupatta to hang herself.

Sushmitha had lent her voice for Kannada songs in films like Haalu Thuppa and Srisamanya.

Police informed that Sushmitha sent a Whatsapp message to her brother, Sachin, at around 1 am on Sunday and explained that her husband Sharath and her relatives have been harassing her since the time she got married. Sachin read the message at around 5:30am and rushed to her room where he found her hanging from the ceiling.

In the text message, Sushmitha wrote that her husband, Sharath, his sister, Geetha, and his aunt, Vydehi, harassed her and they were the reason behind her ending her life. She also stated that she did not want to end her life in their house and hence came to her parents’ house.

The Annapoorneshwari Nagar police have registered a case of dowry death, charging her husband and his sister and aunt based on complaint filed by Sushmitha’s mother Meenakshi. The three accused are on run after hearing about her death and police said that efforts are on to trace them.

Sushmitha's husband Sharath Kumar is a manager in a car showroom and a resident of KS Nagar in Bengaluru.

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