Sumit G Gandhi

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Verified

Sumit verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• PhD
• Senior Principal Scientist at Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine

The secondary metabolite rohitukine has been reported in only a few plant species, including Schumanniophyton magnificum, S. problematicum, Amoora rohituka, Dysoxylum acutangulum and D. gotadhora. It has several biological activities, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiadipogenic, immunomodulatory, gastroprotective, anti-implantation, antid...

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple foods consumed in many countries of the world. It is mostly consumed in developing countries where different chemical fertilizers are used to improve the productivity of the crop plant. In the present study, endophytic actinomycetes isolated from Rumex dentatus were identified morphological...

Background Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 pandemic, has infected more than 179 million people worldwide. Testing of infected individuals is crucial for identification and isolation, thereby preventing further spread of the disease. Presently, Taqman™ Reverse Transcription Real Time PCR...

Rohitukine is a chromone alkaloid and precursor of potent anticancer drugs flavopiridol, P-276-00, and 2,6-dichloro-styryl derivative (11d) (IIIM-290). The metabolite is reported to possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiadipogenic, immu-nomodulatory, gastroprotective, anti-implantation, antidyslipidemic, anti-arthritic, and anti-fertility prop...

Genes normally resident in euchromatic domains are silenced when packaged into heterochromatin, as exemplified in Drosophila melanogaster by position effect variegation (PEV). Loss-of-function mutations resulting in suppression of PEV have identified critical components of heterochromatin, including proteins HP1, HP2, and histone H3 lysine 9 methyl...

The plant Uraria picta is a well-known medicinal herb with extremely small populations found in Indian geographical regions and has an economically important value for medicine and pharmaceutical purposes but the species has declined sharply mainly due to habitat destruction and its overexploitation for medicinal and aesthetic values from its natur...

To explore the rice seed microbiome, our objective was to isolate novel strains of Xanthomonas, a plant-associated bacterium with diverse lifestyles. Four isolates, anticipated to be Xanthomonas based on morphological features of yellow colonies, were obtained from healthy rice seeds. Phylo-taxono-genomic analysis revealed that these isolates forme...

Background Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) constitute the PR-5 family of plant pathogenesis- related (PR) proteins and are responsible for host defense and various growth and development- related processes. Mints (Mentha sp.) are essential oil-bearing plants, mainly affected by water availability and fungal pathogens. Objective Identification of ca...

The exponential rise in Cd in the environment has raised concerns for its adequate remediation worldwide. Its non-biodegradable nature and highly migratory feature make it more toxic. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown great potential in the remediation of Cd-polluted agricultural lands. PGPR is comparatively efficient, convenie...

The escalating demand for economical and durable materials has propelled plastics into an indispensable facet of daily human life, dominating commercial and industrial sectors. The global plastic production of 1.1 billion tons by 2050 exacerbates concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified the issue, reaching an alarming 0.3–0.4 billion...

Tragopogon dubius is commonly consumed as a vegetable and used in traditional medicine for treating inflammatory skin conditions and cutaneous swelling. Despite known pharmacological properties of its leaves and roots, many of its biological characteristics and active phytochemicals remain unexplored. The present study investigates the phytochemica...

Nitroreductases are the enzymes that can convert nitroaromatic substances including explosives like TNT to their corresponding nitrite, hydroxylamine or amino derivatives with reduced NADH or NADPH as an electron donor. A wide range of nitroreductases are known to present in bacterial genomes that are explored for their potential in the reduction o...

Introduction Nipah and Hendra viruses belong to the Paramyxoviridae family, which pose a significant threat to human health, with sporadic outbreaks causing severe morbidity and mortality. Early symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, and headache, which offer little in terms of differential diagnosis. There are no specific therapeutics and va...

Bergenia stracheyi, commonly known as ‘Pashanbheda’ or Zakhm-e-Hayat, is a perennial herb that has been recognized for its diverse medicinal properties. The over-exploitation of B. stracheyi has threatened this species. This research aimed to develop a robust tissue culture protocol that can be utilized for rapid micropropagation of B. stracheyi. T...

Waste of any origin is one of the most serious global and man-made concerns of our day. It causes climate change, environmental degradation, and human health problems. Proper waste management practices, including waste reduction, safe handling, and appropriate treatment, are essential to mitigate these consequences. It is thus essential to implemen...

The pursuit of new probiotic targets has seen a surge, aided by next-generation sequencing, facilitating a thorough exploration of bacterial traits. The genus Geobacillus stands out as a promising target for uncovering its potential as a probiotic. The study explored the genetic attributes of the genus Geobacillus for their resilience to gastrointe...

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a covert global health crisis, posing a significant threat to humanity. If left unaddressed, it is poised to become the foremost cause of mortality worldwide. Among the multitude of resistant bacterial pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative, facultative bacterium, has been responsible for mild to...

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an effective reverse genetics method used to study the gene function by analysis of plants at phenotype and molecular levels. Here, the standardization of the protocol for VIGS through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was successfully achieved. Stem cuttings with roots were established in Coleus forskohli...

EIDD-1931 is the active form of molnupiravir, an orally effective drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) against COVID-19. Pharmacokinetic alteration can cause untoward drug interaction (drug–drug/disease–drug), but hardly any information is known about this recently approved drug. Therefore, we first investigated t...

COVID-19, stemming from SARS-CoV-2, poses a formidable threat to global healthcare, with a staggering 77 million confirmed cases and 690,067 deaths recorded till Decem- ber 24, 2023. Given the absence of specific drugs for this viral infection, the exploration of novel antiviral compounds becomes imperative. High-throughput technologies are activel...

The present invention relates to the novel formulation for sustained or delayed release of rohitukine-rich Dysoxylum binectariferum extract/fraction and a process for preparing the same wherein the extract is wet-granulated using excipients i.e. biodegradable polymers and/or non-biodegradable polymers alone or in combination, and the said granules...

The contamination of soil with cadmium (Cd) has become a serious environmental issue. Plants under cadmium stress have a decrease in biomass and photosynthetic rate. According to Voigt and Nagel (2002), cadmium can also impede the water-splitting complex of PS II's oxidizing site (Nirupama and Mohn 2003), stop photosynthetic electron transport, or...

Bacteria are primitive, single-cell organisms that use chemical signals to communicate with members of their own species. These chemical signals, also called as “autoinducers”, help the bacteria to distinguish between their own species from other bacterial species. Such communication is important as it impacts the community dynamics and allows the...

A survey was undertaken to isolate entomopathogenic nematodes from Amritsar district of Punjab, India. Out of 20 soil samples collected, two were found positive for the presence of nematodes. 18S and ITS rDNA gene sequencing revealed their identity as Metarhabditis amsactae. To assess its biocontrol potential, Galleria mellonella larvae were treate...

Canonical heterotrimeric G-proteins (G-proteins) are comprised of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits. G-proteins regulate multiple crucial plant growth and development processes, incorporating environmental responses. Besides Gα, Gβ and Gγ, the discovery of atypical Gα subunits termed as extra-large G-proteins or extra-large GTP-binding proteins (XLGs) makes...

Salinity or salt stress has deleterious effects on plant growth and development. It imposes osmotic, ionic, and secondary stresses, including oxidative stress on the plants and is responsible for the reduction of overall crop productivity and therefore challenges global food security. Plants respond to salinity, by triggering homoeostatic mechanism...

The genus Luteibacter, a member of the family Rhodanobacteraceae, encompasses Gram-negative bacteria found in diverse environments. In the present study, four yellow-pigmented bacterial isolates designated as PPL193T, PPL201, PPL552, and PPL554 were obtained and identified as Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and motile bacteria. Biochemical characterizat...

In the present study, an attempt was made to optimize the micropropagation protocol for Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm. via direct organogenesis using axillary buds. We also investigated the effect of different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3) on seed germination. A very low seed germination percentage was observed in this plant. Murashige an...

Unlabelled: Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a type III polyketide synthase and a key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway that generates precursors for flavonoid biosynthesis. The tree species D. gotadhora is known for having an abundance of rohitukine, which has anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. In this study, we used the leaves of D....

Heavy metals induce negative impacts on plants, however, the symbiotic association of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus fasciculatum offers an effective tolerance response. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), and Nickel (Ni) with and without the application of AMF on one of the important...

Introduction: In the light of advancements made in the scientific field, the phytotherapy has received an incredible interest because of their low toxicity, pharmacological activities, and economic viability. Among compounds of natural origin, biological activities have been shown by essential oils from aromatic and medicinal plants and have receiv...

Introduction: One of the most important objectives of root canal treatment is elimination of microorganisms from the root canal system that is achievable by augmenting mechanical preparation with antimicrobial irrigants. Enterococcus faecalis considered as the main culprit, is the primary organism detected in persistent asymptomatic infections. A m...

Melatonin (MT, an indoleamine, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is distributed broadly in distant life forms and is responsible for multiple functions in plants. Phytomelatonin functions as an antioxidant, and now its role as a phytohormone-candidate is well established. Current understanding advocates phytomelatonin as a regulator for plant growth, d...

CYP2C8 is a crucial CYP isoform responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous molecules. CYP2C8 converts arachidonic acid to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) that cause cancer progression. Rottlerin possess significant anticancer actions. However, information on its CYP inhibitory action is lacking in the literature and therefore, we...

The climatic conditions change particularly in the high-altitude mountain ranges of the Himalayas. Artemisia brevifolia Wall. ex Dc., a pale green colored medicinal and aromatic plant, dominates different altitudinal locations in the Western Himalayan region of Ladakh. Metabolome analysis with antioxidative and allelo-pathic potential of the plant...

Salt stress adversely influences growth, development, and productivity in plants, resulting in a limitation on agriculture production worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of four different salts, i.e., NaCl, KCl, MgSO4, and CaCl2, applied at various concentrations of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM on the physico-chemical pr...

Kojic acid has gained its importance after it was known worldwide that the substance functions primarily as skin-lightening agent. Kojic acid plays a vital role in skin care products, as it enhances the ability to prevent exposure to UV radiation. It inhibits the tyrosinase formation which suppresses hyperpigmentation in human skin. Besides cosmeti...

Coleus barbatus is a medicinal herb belonging to Lamiaceae. It is the only living organism known to produce forskolin, which is a labdane diterpene and is reported to activate adenylate cyclase. Microbes associated with plants play an important role in maintaining plant health. Recently, the targeted application of beneficial plant-associated micro...

Throughout history, humans have used plants and plant-derived medicines to treat different diseases. Medicinal plants are used to manage a wide range of ailments and have played an essential role in discovering new drugs. Herbal medicines have been reported as promising due to their rich secondary metabolites profile, and many registered new drugs...

Organ development in plants commences in the embryonic phase, which ultimately effectuates the shoot and root development. Transcription factors modulate cascades of genes that can regulate the imperative physiological, morphological, and metabolic changes in various living organisms. This book chapter focuses on the major plant transcription facto...

Flavonoid content is a key indicator of the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables and determines their marketability. Flavonoids are widely distributed among plant species and are known to perform various functions. Flavonoid biosynthesis is tightly regulated by biosynthetic enzymes and regulatory transcription factors (TFs). Transcription fac...

Chlorpyrifos (CP) is a commonly used organophosphorous pesticide that is frequently utilised in the agricultural industry because of its great efficiency and inexpensive cost. The focus of the present study was to assess the impact of CP toxicity on Brassica juncea L. and to unravel the ameliorative potential of phytohormone, 24-epibrassinolide (EB...

Rumex abyssinicus Jacq. is a perennial medicinal herb widely used in traditional medicine to treat many diseases. Phytochemi-cals of the plant were isolated using column chromatography and thin layer chromatography techniques. Extract, fractions and pure compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity against sensitive and multi-drug resistant m...

Organ development in plants commences in the embryonic phase, which ultimately effectuates the shoot and root development. Transcription factors modulate cascades of genes that can regulate the imperative physiological, morphological, and metabolic changes in various living organisms. This book chapter focuses on the major plant transcription facto...

Exposure to various biotic or abiotic stresses in plants leads to accumulation of ‘‘pathogenesis-related proteins’’ (PRs), that are grouped into seventeen classes. Proteins belonging to few PR classes, that have chitinase activity, are known to be induced in response to fungal pathogens attack. Transgenic plants over-expressing the genes encoding P...

Introduction: The need for fast, precise diagnostic tests to identify active tuberculosis is essential, mainly in endemic nations such as India. An automated real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) detection known as the Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) or GeneXpert assay shows great...

Purpose Avian haemosporidian may affect the host from body damage to the extinction of a population. Knowledge of their status may help in future avifauna conservation plans. Hence, their status in two bird groups of India and their phylogenetic relationships with other known lineages of the world were examined. Methods Cytochrome b gene sequences...

We reported that Aspergillus sojae (SSC-3), an indigenous isolate from rice husk, is a potent kojic acid producer. During optimization, it was observed that under static fermentation conditions, this fungal strain produces two dissimilar morphological green and yellow spores, i.e., SSC-3(Y) and SSC-3(G). Furthermore, these different spore types dif...

Potato is constantly exposed to various kinds of phytopathogens which cause diseases during the developmental stage and post-harvest storage. This investigation was designed to assay the anti-phytopathogen activity of bacterial endophytes and their suppressive effects on rot disease in potato. The study also aimed to screen isolates for their plant...

Mentha longifolia is one of the important aromatic crop cultivated for its essential oil. The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of intermittent drought on the essential oil yield, composition, and nutrient status in M. longifolia. Initially, experimental plants were divided into two group: 'irrigated' and 'drought'. The 'irrigated g...

Data science has been an invaluable part of the COVID-19 pandemic response with multiple applications, ranging from tracking viral evolution to understanding the vaccine effectiveness. Asymptomatic breakthrough infections have been a major problem in assessing vaccine effectiveness in populations globally. Serological discrimination of vaccine resp...

Chromium (Cr) toxicity leads to the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are extremely toxic to the plant and must be minimized to protect the plant from oxidative stress. The potential of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and earthworms in plant growth and development has been extensively studied. The present study...

Endophytic microflora is source of several bioactive compounds. Endophytes isolated from Coleus species are yet to befully explored for their bioactive potential. In this study, bacterial endophytes were isolated from three different species ofColeus. Isolated endophytes were characterized by using Gram staining and by sequencing 16S rRNA region. F...

Phytopathogens have negative impact on crop growth and production. Biological control of plant pathogens, is a safer alternative to chemical treatments, and may also provide additional advantages through plant-growth promotion activities. Recently, endophytes have received due attention to be used as biocontrol agents and plant growth promoter...

Data science has been an invaluable part of the COVID-19 pandemic response with multiple applications, ranging from tracking viral evolution to understanding the effectiveness of interventions. Asymptomatic breakthrough infections have been a major problem during the ongoing surge of Delta variant globally. Serological discrimination of vaccine res...

Many people in different African countries are suffering from different diseases many of which result in serious life threat and public health problems with high risk of infection and mortality. Due to less accessibility and high cost of modern drugs, people of this continent often depend on traditional medicine using medicinal plants to manage the...

Pervasive use of chlorpyrifos (CP), an organophosphorus pesticide, has been proven to be fatal for plant growth, especially at higher concentrations. CP poisoning leads to growth inhibition, chlorosis, browning of roots and lipid and protein degradation, along with membrane dysfunction and nuclear damage. Plants form a linking bridge between the un...

To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India), conducted a sero-survey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14%) tested positive for SARS CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies; 95% of which had surrogate neu...

Genus Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) is represented by 6–8 species from Kashmir Himalaya. Traditionally Aconitum species are used to treat a wide array of diseases, but their ethnopharmacological validation and phytochemistry are hitherto unreported from Kashmir Himalaya. The present study was undertaken to bring insights into the traditional use and dis...

The genus Aconitum (family—Ranunculaceae) accounts for approximately 400 species worldwide, of which some are considered medicinally very relevant. Many species have been reported to possess significant pharmacological properties and high therapeutic index for curing various diseases. Traditionally, Aconitum species have been used for the treatment...

Drought stress alters gene expression and causes cellular damage in crop plants. Drought inhibits photosynthesis by reducing the content and the activity of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle, ultimately decreasing the crop yield. The role of aquaporins in improving the growth and adaptation of crop plants under drought stress is of importan...

To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India), conducted a sero-survey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14%) tested positive for SARS CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies; 95% with surrogate neutralizat...

The last decade has witnessed a substantial expansion in the field of microRNA (miRNA) biology, providing crucial insights into the role of miRNAs in disease pathology, predominantly in cancer progression and its metastatic spread. The discovery of tumor-suppressing miRNAs represents a potential approach for developing novel therapeutics. In this c...

Presently, neurological disorders form a major proportion of non-communicable diseases. Their incidence has increased due to several factors such as lifestyle changes, changes in dietary patterns, and increased psychological stress. Due to increase in awareness regarding these disorders by health-care professionals and general public, increasing nu...

Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. (Gentianaceae) is a critically endangered Himalayan medicinal herb that grows in shady moist slopes beneath tall trees in subtropical and temperate forests. The herb produces a diverse range of bioactive metabolites that are responsible for equally diverse medicinal properties. Habitat destruction and illegal har...

Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal herb cultivated in the subtropical and temperate areas of India, Myanmar, and Thailand. It is known for its antihypertensive and anti-obesity properties which are primarily attributed to its major bioactive metabolite: forskolin. Other bioactive metabolites produced by C. forskohlii includ...

Drug induced resistance is a widespread problem in the clinical management of cancer. Cancer cells, when exposed to cytotoxic drugs, can reprogram their cellular machinery and resist cell death. Evasion of cell death mechanisms, such as apoptosis and necroptosis, are part of a transcriptional reprogramming that cancer cells utilize to mediate cytot...

Deregulation of TGF-β signaling is intricately engrossed in the pathophysiology of pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PDACs). The role of TGF-β all through pancreatic cancer initiation and progression is multifarious and somewhat paradoxical. TGF-β plays a tumor suppressive role in early-stage pancreatic cancer by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting epithe...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of joints. Dysoxylum binectariferum Hook.f (Family: Meliaceae) is a Indian medicinal plant which is traditionally being used to heal inflammation of joints. Aim of the study This work was aimed to carry out chemical standardization, in-vitro/in-vivo validation, o...

Biotechnology products have applications in many areas such as medicine, agriculture, energy, and environmental protection. Drugs and food supplements are amongst the major biotechnology-based products that cater to the health care sector. The products that are intended for use in diagnosing, curing, mitigating, or treating disease fall in the cate...

Continued reliance on fossil fuels is a major risk to energy security, and its extraction from natural reserves poses serious environmental threats. Exploration of new and renewable sources of energy is important to mitigate these concerns. In recent times, biofuels have come up as an inexhaustible and alternative source of energy which may be prod...

Recent changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns, along with increased industrialization, rising pollution and work pressure, have led to increased susceptibility to a plethora of disorders such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, and cancers. Recent advancement in the medical sciences has considerably helped...

Natural products have extensively contributed toward the discovery of new leads for Alzheimer’s disease. During our search for new inhibitors of cholinesterase enzymes from natural sources, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of Rumex abyssinicus Jacq was identified as a dual cholinesterase inhibitor with IC50 values of 2.7 and 11.4 μg/mL against ace...

The environmental stress, biotic as well as abiotic, is the main cause of decreased growth and crop production. One of the stress-causing agents in plants are parasitic nematodes responsible for crop loss. Jasmonic acid (JA) is recognized as one of signaling molecules in defense-related responses in plants, however, its role under nematode infestat...

This book reports the potential plants for human survival, explored medicinal aspects of the ongoing research and development for discovering new molecules, new drugs, new leads, ethnic-traditional applications and nutraceutical values of plants. It provides a baseline data and information on plants and their hidden knowledge for human health. This...

Environmental stress imposes negative impacts on the growth and development of the crop plants. The present study was designed to assess the effect of PGPR (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia gladioli) on plant pigments and phenolic compounds in 10-days-old root knot nematode (RKN)-infected Lycopersiconesculentum seedlings. The levels of diffe...

Coleus (Lamiaceae) is a large and widespread genus comprising of species with diverse ethnobotanical uses. In the present study, bacterial endophytes were isolated from Coleus forskohlii and Coleus aromaticus. Endophytes are the microorganisms which reside within the plants without showing any harmful effect on its host. Diverse types of endophytes...

Purpose More than 90% of the breast cancer deaths occur due to the metastasis of the cancer cells to secondary organ sites. Increased Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) expression is critical for epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion in breast cancer resulting in poor patient survival outcomes. Therefore, there is an urgent need of...