Chattopadhyay Debprasad

ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine · Ethnomedicine Virology

Herpesviruses are important human pathogens that can cause mild to severe lifelong infections with high morbidity in susceptible adults. Moreover, Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2, for example, has been reported to be responsible for increased transmission and disease progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Therefore, the discovery of n...

Methanolic extract of dried leaves of Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. and its fractions were investigated for its anti-inflammatory activity. The extract at a concentration of 200 mg kg(-1) and 400 mg kg(-1), p.o. and its fractions at 25 mg kg(-1) and 50 mg kg(-1), p.o. showed the significant dose dependent antiinflammatory activity in carragee...

Ethnomedicinal plants have been used as source of candidate drugs for almost all diseases, but the number of compounds having antiviral activity is scarce. Irrespective of type of viruses and the cells they infect, there are a very few specific viral targets for the natural molecules to interact. Most of the available antiviral drugs often lead to...

The methanol extract of Ophirrhiza nicobarica, Alstonia macrophylla and Mallotus peltatus, ethnomedicines of Little Andaman, were investigated for antiinfective, antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities.Toxicity was determined in cells and in an animal model. Antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activity was determined by plaque reduction, di...

Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. Leaf, used in different ailments by the Onge tribes of Little Andaman Island, India, was investigated for its antipyretic potential. The methanol extract and its fractions were tested on normal body temperature and yeast-induced pyrexia in Wistar Albino rats. The leaf extract at oral doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg, a...

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease, typified by hyperglycemia resulting from failures in complex multifactorial metabolic functions, that requires life-long medication. Prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia leads to micro- and macro-vascular complications. Although antidiabetic drugs are prescribed as the first-line treatment, many of them lose...

Viruses are inert intracellular material and their survival mainly depends on the host cell products or host cell protein machinery. Antiviral agents employ their effect by disrupting this host-virus interaction to target different events of the viral life cycle. These antiviral agents mainly restrict virus infection by interfering with the transcr...

Pediatric nephrolithiasis (NL) or Kidney stone disease (KSD) is an untethered topic in Asian population. In Western countries, the annual incidence of paediatric NL is around 6–10%. Here, we present data from West Bengal, India, on lower age (LA, 0–20 years) NL and its prevalence for the first time. To discover the mutations associated with KSD, tw...

The epigallocatechin‐rich polyphenolic fraction of Assam variety white tea, traditionally used for the management of diverse inflammatory ailments and health drink, was investigated through eco‐friendly green aqueous extraction, TLC, and HPLC characterization, phytochemical screening, in vitro DPPH assay, anti‐proteinase, MTT assay on synovial fibr...

Elicitation of the tumor-eliminating immune response is a major challenge, as macrophages- constituting a major component of solid tumor mass- play important roles in development, maintenance and tumor regression. The macrophage-expressed Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) enhance macrophage function and their ability to activate T cells via secretion of c...

Cerebral malaria-associated over expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines ultimately results in the up-regulation of adhesion molecules in the brain endothelium leading to sequestration of mature parasitized RBCs in the brain. The high-parasitic load subsequently results in increased mortality or development of neurological symptoms...

Aim Validation of antiviral activity of Stephania hernandifolia against HSV-2. Background Ethnomedicinal plant Stephania hernandifolia, traditionally used for the management of skin, digestive and nerve ailments demonstrated significant anti-HSV-1 activity; similar to Stephania cepharantha having neuroinflammatory and anti-HSV activities. Objecti...

The silver nanoparticles OC-AgNPs, synthesized from the aqueous extract of Oxalis corniculata (OC), showed antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1), and anti-biofilm, and antibacterial activities against human isolates of six multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Kleb...

Background Regulatory T cells are known to play a key role to counter balance the protective immune response and immune mediated pathology. However, the role of naturally occurring regulatory cells CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ in malaria infection during the disease pathogenesis is controversial. Beside this, ICOS molecule has been shown to be involved in the d...

Natural products, along with food, clothes, and shelter, serve as the basis of treatment since the dawn of human civilization; while the modern medicine has developed over the years by observational and scientific efforts from ancient traditions. Impressive array of bioactivities with minimum or no toxicity was reported with diverse botanicals agai...

The recent COVID-19 outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus has sparked a new spectrum of investigations, research and studies in multifarious directions. Efforts are being made around the world for discovery of effective vaccines/drugs against COVID-19. In this context, Ayurveda, an alternative traditional system of medicine in India may work as an ad...

For practical applications, the development of bio-compatible organic molecules as p-block ion chemosensors is critical. Herein, we report the single crystal (SC) of new pyridine pyrazole derived Al3+ sensor H2PPC [(Z)-N'-(2,3-dihydroxybenzylidene)-5-methyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide] as well as its Cu-complex SC. The probe exhib...

Stephania hernandifolia (Nimukho), an ethnomedicinal herb from rural Bengal, has been used traditionally for the management of nerve, skin, urinary, and digestive ailments. Here, we attempted to confirm the antiviral potential of aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of S. hernandifolia against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), the causativ...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing, multi-potent heterogeneous stem cells that display strong tissue protective and restorative properties by differentiating into cells of the mesodermal lineages. In addition to multi-lineage differentiation capacity, MSCs play important roles in regulating immune responses, inflammation, and tissue re...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) triggered by a new viral pathogen, named severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is now a global health emergency. This debilitating viral pandemic not only paralyzed the normal daily life of the global community but also spread rapidly via global travel. To date there are no effective vacci...

COVID-19 caused by a positive-sense single stranded RNA virus named as severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) triggered the global pandemic. This virus has infected about 10.37 Crores and taken lives of 2.24 Crores people of 213 countries to date. To cope-up this emergency clinical trials are undergoing with some existing drug...

We announce the coding-complete genome sequences of two isolates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from two coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive samples (RNA isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs) from Belagavi District, Karnataka State, India. Mutational analysis revealed the presence of the D614G substitution in...

Increasing antimicrobial resistance among Staphylococcus aureus necessitates a new antimicrobial with a different site of action. We have isolated a novel cyclic peptide-1 (ASP-1) from Bacillus subtilis with potent activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8---64g/ml. Scanning electron mi...

Introduction: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) Type 2 primarily causes genital herpes, while HSV Type 1 is responsible for oral and facial lesions. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize HSV from herpetic lesions among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients and to evaluate their acyclovir susceptibility pattern. Materia...

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection causes cold sores and keratitis. Upon infection, it forms lesions at the epithelium and enters neurons where it establishes a latent infection. Host innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 recognizes HSV by sensing its glycoproteins and induces an innate immune response. Upon activation, TLR2 forms a...

The currently available anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT) comprises exclusively of anti-bacterial drugs, is very lengthy, has adverse side effects on the host and leads to the generation of drug-resistant variants. Therefore, a combination therapy directed against the pathogen and the host is required to counter tuberculosis (TB). Here we demonstra...

Background: Currently, novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak creates global panic across the continents, as people from almost all countries and territories have been affected by this highly contagious viral disease. The scenario is deteriorating due to lack of proper & specific target-oriented pharmacologically safe prophylactic agents or...

Solid tumors elicit suppressive T cell responses which impair antigen presenting cells (APCs) functions. Such an immune suppression results in uncontrolled tumor growth and mortality. Addressing APC dysfunction, dendritic cell (DC)‐mediated anti‐tumor vaccination was extensively investigated in both mice and humans. These studies never achieved ful...

Leishmania, a protozoan parasite, ensures its survival inside its mammalian host by modulating host metabolism and immune response. Recent advances in the field of immune-metabolism have shown that the metabolic enzymes and metabolites have immune-modulatory functions. Leishmania infection of a susceptible host skews immune response towards Th2-typ...

Silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NP‐AE) are synthesized and stabilized by the extract of an ethnomedicine, Albizia lebbeck bark aqueous extract (AE). Ag‐NP‐AE is active against several multidrug‐resistant (MDR) clinical isolates. The nanoparticles are characterized by UV‐vis spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic light scatte...

Dr. Debprasad Chattopadhyay, born on 21st September 1959 in a village of Birbhum District, West Bengal. He has obtained PhD in 1989 from Jadavpur University after Post-Graduation in Botany with Microbiology in 1983. He then received post-Doc training from London Hospital Medical College and Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen. In 1993, he was offer...

Leprosy, once considered as poor man's disease may cause severe neurological complications and physical disabilities. Classification of leprosy depends upon the cell mediated and humoral immune responses of the host, from tuberculoid to lepromatous stage. Current therapy to prevent the disease is not only very lengthy but also consists of expensive...

Antibacterial activity of Sygigium cumini against diarrhoea causing bacteria

The growth inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was accompanied by significant release of K+ and UV-absorbing small molecules upon exposure to methdilazine, an extensively used phenothiazine antihistamine. A severe decrease in [U-14C]glucose uptake and a rapid efflux of hexose from sugar-preloaded bacteria were also observed but...

Advances in Phytomedicine: Book review

Ethnomedicinal plants have been used as source of drugs for almost all diseases, but none are used against viruses probably because there are a very few specific viral targets for natural molecules to interact. Most of the available antiviral drugs often lead to side effects, viral resistance, recurrence and latency. A wide range of ethnomedicinal...

Chatterjee S, Chattopadhyay D, Bhattacharya MK, Mukherjee B. Serosurveillance for Japanese encephalitis in children in several districts of West Bengal, India. Acta Paediatr 2004; 93: 390-393. Stockholm. ISSN 0803-5253 Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of antibodies to flaviviruses, particularly Japanese encephalitis (JE) in children. Methods: Virolo...

Aim: To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of aqueous and methanol extracts of Odina wodier bark (OWB), a folk medicine, against representative bacteria, fungi and herpes simplex virus (HSV) associated with skin infections. Methods and Results: The OWB extract(s) was found to inhibit the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtili...

This Reference e-Book contain 11 Chapters with an attempt to summarize the current knowledge of promising ethnomedicines and their phytophores, to compounds tested against diverse diseases. The therapeutic properties and structure activity relationship (SAR) of some important and potentially useful ethnomedicines is addressed with a focus on how th...

Issue on Medicinal Plants in the treatment of Chronic Diseases

Pedilanthus tithymaloides (PT) leaves are widely used in Indian medicine to treat inflammation and pain, but until recently no systematic study of these activities were reported. This study aimed to evaluate the antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic activity of the chloroform (CE) and methanol extract (ME) of PT leaves and its isolated...

The widespread availability and use of modern synthetic therapeutic agents have led to a massive decline in ethnomedical therapies. However, these synthetic agents often possess toxicity leading to various adverse effects. For instance, antitubercular treatment (ATT) is toxic, lengthy, and severely impairs host immunity, resulting in post treatment...

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a double-stranded DNA virus, infects epithelial surfaces and establishes latency in the central nervous system, where astrocytes are a major immune cell type. Here, we report changes that occur in the expression of pathogen recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors, DNA and RNA sensors, interferons, and inte...

(E)-N-(diaminomethylene)-4-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)benzene (HL), a sulfaguanidine (SGN) appended Schiff base, acts as fluorescent ‘turn-on’ Zn ²⁺ sensor in aqueous medium and limit of detection (LOD) is 37.13 nM which is much lower than the WHO recommended value (76 µM) in the drinking water. The composition of the complex has been...

Background Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), a highly contagious pathogen, is responsible for causing lifelong oral to genital infection in human. Boswellia serrata oleo-gum-resin possesses a strong traditional background of treating diverse skin ailments including infection but its effect on HSV-1 has not been examined yet. Purpose To exploit its poten...

Hydrazino-carbothioamide, 1, serves as a turn-on fluorescent chemosensor to Zn2+ and the mixture shows green emission (λem 492) in presence of large number of ions with impressive limit of detection (LOD), 0.59 nM. Intense fluorescence of Zn-complex is selectively turn-off upon adding H2PO4- only to the limit of detection, 26 μM, while other anions...

Leishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite that infects mammalian macrophages, wherein the parasite resides and replicates as amastigotes, inflicting the potentially fatal disease visceral leishmaniasis. The disease is characterized by severe immunosuppression and hypocholesterolemia implying metabolic changes in L. donovani infection; whether suc...

Recent evidences indicate that change in cellular metabolic pathways can alter immune response and function of the host; emphasizing the role of metabolome in health and diseases. Human Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) and type-2 (HSV-2) causes diseases from asymptomatic to highly prevalent oral and genital herpes, recurrent blisters or neurolog...

This work relates to quasi spherical gold nanoparticles synthesis and successful antiviral efficacy evaluations against Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Ultrasound induced rapid reduction in gallic acid (GA) leads to highly monodispersed gold nanoparticles (GAunps). GAunps plasmonic peak was recorded at 531 nm with TEM size of 7.86 nm. X-ray...

Shorea robusta Gaertn has been used for skin and intestinal ailments in Indian Traditional medicine; while two tribal communities used its tender leaves in ‘Meyadi-bukhar’ or long-term fever. This prompted us to validate the aqueous and methanol extracts of Shorea robusta tender leaves against wild- and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Salm...

Metabolic alterations of oral epithelial cells under oxidative stress are important signatures for early diagnosis of oral cancer. Amongst different metabolic alterations, non-invasive photo-diagnostic methods have been extensively used for determining cellular heme metabolism and accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) under administration of sui...

A probe, quinoline-2-carboxylic acid (4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-ylmethylene)-hydrazide, (HL), acts as selective and specific fluorogenic sensor to Al+3 in the visible light (435 nm) excitation in presence of biologically available large number of cations and emission appears at (λem) 520 nm. The limit of detection (LOD) for Al+3 is 7.6 nM in aqueous mediu...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and induce host-protective immune response. The role of the profilin-recognizing TLR11/TLR12 in Leishmania infection is unknown. Herein, we report that TLR11/ TLR12 expression increases in virulent L. major-infected macrophages but is prevented by miltefosine, a...

[SMXNNC6H3(p-OH)(mCHO)] (1) reacts with ArNH2 to synthesize Schiff bases, [SMXNNC6H3(pOH)(mHCNAr)] (Ar = C6H5 (2a), C6H4pCH3 (2b), C6H4pOCH3 (2c), C6H4pCl (2d), C6H4pNO2 (2e), C10H7 (2f)) and the products have been assessed for antibacterial properties against Gram positive bacteria, B. subtillis: IC50 (μg/ml): 39.2 (1), 60.1 (2a), 64.0 (2b), 85.6...

The Malarial parasite resides in the host RBC during its erythrocytic cycle. Plasmodium meets its entire nutritional requirement from RBC. It scavenges the hemoglobin of RBCs to meet its amino acid requirement. The host hemoglobin is made of different chains and it is dependent on age. Hemoglobin F (HbF), which has two-alpha and two gamma chain per...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are germ-line encoded, non-clonal innate immune receptors, which are often the first receptors to recognize the molecular patterns on pathogens. Therefore, the immune response initiated by TLRs does have far-reaching consequences on the outcome of an infection. As soon as the cell surface TLRs and other receptors recogniz...

Background & objectives: Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. The life-cycle of Plasmodium species involves several stages both in mosquito and the vertebrate host. In the erythrocytic stage, Plasmodium resides inside the red blood cells (RBCs), where it meets most of its nutritional requirement by degrad- ing host′...

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the greatest health concerns worldwide, which has hindered socioeconomic development in certain parts of the world for many centuries. Although current TB therapy, “Directly Observed Treatment Short-course,” is effective, it is associated with unwanted side effects and the risk for the generation of drug-resistant o...

Effect of bergenin treatment on lung immune cells. (A,B) Profiling of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the lungs of mice infected with H37Rv and treated with or without bergenin.

Pyridylthioether appended coumarin Schiff base (7-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-((2-(pyridin-2-ylmethylthio)phenylimino)methyl)-2H-chromen-2-one (HL)) exhibits fluorescence augmentation with Zn²⁺ and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.078 μM. Formation of complex, [ZnL(CH3COO)], has been ascertained by X-ray crystallography, and also by Job’s plot and Mass spe...

Since time immemorial Ethnomedicinal plants have been used for diverse ailments including infectious diseases. There is an increasing need for new anti-infective molecules, particularly from the plants used in ethnomedicinal practices, as the treatment of infectious diseases with the antimicrobial drugs frequently develops drug-resistance microbes....