Scientists synthesise novel low-calorie fats

Scientists have developed novel low-calorie fats based on edible oils like sunflower that provide 5.2 K cals/g as against 9 K cals/g by the vegetable oils; they have shown promising health benefits in studies conducted in rats and rabbits. Ethyl behenic acid was incorporated into refined sunflower and soybean oils after about 25 per cent of fatty acids was removed. The fats have shown to lower serum, liver cholesterol and triglycerides in rats and reduce fat accumulation in arteries in rabbits. 

Source: Dr. R.B.N. Prasad, Head of Centre for Lipid Research, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad.

Antibiotics in most honey brands

Scientists found high levels of six harmful antibiotics in 11 samples including  those made by Indian companies such as Dabur, Himalaya, Patanjali, Baidyanath and Khadi as well as by two foreign companies based in Switzerland and Australia except only the Indian Hitkari brand coming out clean.

The contamination begins when antibiotics are fed to bees to prevent disease which, promote growth and increase honey production to meet commercial targets. These substances could damage the blood, kidneys, liver, bones and teeth. More importantly, they create resistance in the body to prescribed antibiotics when you really do fall ill.

Dabur Honey, which has captured 75 per cent of the Indian market had the antibiotic Oxytetracycline at nine times the level that is permitted for exported honey. It also had significant amounts of two other drugs completely banned for use in honey. If the sample was placed for export to the United States or the European Union, it would have been rejected.

Nectaflor Natural Blossom Honey, made by Narimpex of Switzerland, had the largest number five of the six antibiotics that it was tested for, including the highest levels of ampicillin and erythromycin, both of which are not permitted for beekeeping in any country. It would be illegal to sell it even in Switzerland itself. Similarly, the Australian brand, Capilano Pure & Natural Honey, which is sold in 40 countries, violated standards set in its home country.

It is clear that foreign companies are taking advantage of the lack of regulations in India. After all, if our government does not care about the health of its people, why should these companies care? said CSE director, Sunita Narain.

Source: Sunita Narain, Director, Pollution Monitoring Laboratory, Centre for Science and Environment

Mapping the human brain without distortions

To study the fine structure of the brain including its connections between neurons and the synapses, scientists generally use electron microscopes. However, the brain tissue must first be fixed to prepare it for this high magnification imaging method. This process causes the brain to shrink and as a result, microscope images can be distorted showing neurons to be much closer than they actually are.

Researchers now solved the problem by using a technique that rapidly freezes the brain, preserving its true structure. The innovative method called "cryofixation" to prevent brain shrinkage during the preparation for electron microscopy. The method uses jets of liquid nitrogen to "snap-freeze" brain tissue down to -90 degrees celsius within milliseconds. The brain tissue here was mouse cerebral cortex. "The high-pressure 'cryofixation' is a very attractive method for brain imaging.

Source: Graham Knott, Natalya Korogod and Carl Petersen,  Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne

Hippocampus of brain stores the time and place of memories

For the first time, scientists have seen evidence of where the brain records the time and place of real-life memories. The left anterior of the hippocampus aren't the totality of the memories, but just the broad picture of where and when it occurred and also it helped to "fine-tune" the time and place. "What we're picking up here is not the whole memory, but the basic gist the where and when of the experience," said Per Sederberg, senior author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State."This could be viewed as the memory hub, where we have these general, large-scale representations of our experiences."

Ref: Dylan M. Nielson, 2015, PNAS

DOI:10.1073/pnas.1507104112

FDA nod for lung cancer screening device with a low dose CT

Detection of small lung nodules are critical in identifying lung cancer at its earliest stages when it is the most treatable and curable. Low dose CT lung cancer screening will inevitably save lives through earlier diagnosis and treatment for patients.

Source: GE Healthcare, 2015

Sleep calculator

Scientists have discovered how an animal's biological clock wakes it up in the morning and puts it to sleep at night. Brain circadian neurons that govern the daily sleep-wake cycle's timing. High sodium channel activity in these neurons during the day turn the cells on and ultimately awaken an animal, and high potassium channel activity at night turn them off, allowing the animal to sleep.

Ref: Matthieu Flourakis et al., 2015, Cell.

The molecular mechanisms of brassinosteroids in plant breeding

Fig: Growth defects of the model research plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) which are induced by missing of steroid hormones (left side). With the help of gibberelline production the defects could be repaired (right side). Credit: Brigitte Poppenberger / TUM

Two growth-promoting groups of substances, or phytohormones, the gibberellins and the brassinosteroids are used independently of each other for the breeding and production of crop plants. It is discovered that without brassinosteroids, a plant is unable to produce gibberellins.

Reg: Unterholzner, 2015, Plant Cell.

DOI: 10.1105/tpc.15.00433​