Bacterial adhesion is the first step in the sequence of events leading to infection. Previous data are available on the effect of Holarrhena antidysenterica on antidiarrhoeal and antibacterial action, but there is little information on the mechanism of action of the various aspects of EPEC-induced diarrhoea, namely adherence and translocation of the effector molecule to intestinal epithelial cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of alkaloids of Holarrhena antidysenterica (AHA) on interference in the mechanism of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) adhesion on host epithelial cells (INT 407 and HEp2). To determine the impact of AHA on epithelial cells, cytotoxicity (LDH), adherence, apoptotic and ultrastructural studies were performed. To analyse the effect of AHA on EPEC secreted proteins, especially EspD, INT 407 monolayers were infected with EPEC and AHA-treated EPEC, followed by immunoblotting, probed with anti EspD antisera. The maximum percentage of LDH leakage was reduced in AHA-treated EPEC (400 microg/mL) in both cell lines. Reduced bacterial adherence was observed under light microscopy and altered apoptotic changes were visualized using propidium iodide staining in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy, in both cell lines infected with AHA-treated EPEC and these results were confirmed with transmission electron microscope images. The suppression of type III secretory proteins (TTSPs), EspD ( approximately 40 kDa), was detected in INT 407 cells infected with AHA-treated EPEC. In conclusion, AHA reduces initial bacterial adhesion to intact epithelial cells and it may exert an antiadherence effect against the pathogenesis of EPEC in host epithelial cells. Thus, the investigations provide a rational basis for the treatment of EPEC-mediated diarrhoea with AHA.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of board characteristics such as size, independence, busyness and duality on the extent of discretionary disclosures of listed Indian firms. Design/methodology/approach A disclosure index with 110 items was constructed to assess the discretionary disclosures in the annual reports of listed firms. The study measured disclosure using 1,024 firm-year observations over 8 years from 2009 to 2016. Board characteristics such as size, independence, busyness and duality have been used in the study as indicators of corporate governance. Findings The results indicate that while the proportion of independent directors positively impacts the extent of discretionary disclosures, boards with duality and the busyness of the director have a negative impact. The size of the board does not significantly impact the extent of disclosures. Research limitations/implications This study examines the discretionary disclosures made only in the annual reports. Future studies could examine information disclosed in other media. Moreover, this study uses an un-weighted self-constructed disclosure index, which is subject to its inherent limitations. Originality/value This study has examined the impact of the “busyness” of the director on the extent of disclosures. This variable has not been explored in prior studies. The significance of the variable indicates that the number of directorships held impacts the efficiency with which a director performs his/her role in the board. The study reiterates the need for firms and policymakers to focus on improving board independence and to move away from leadership structures with duality.

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Seagrass are marine plants, grown in saline environments and fully submerged in the sea. They are widely distributed along the tropical and subtropical regions. A seagrass called, Syringodium isoetifolium comes under the family Cymodoceaceae, this grass is otherwise called as noodle grass. Phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids, terpenoids coumarins, xanthoproteins, sugars, carboxylic acids can be extracted by the solvents such as methanol, hexane, and acetone. Syringodium isoetifolium has pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antihemolytic, antibacterial cytotoxicity, and antifungal activity. During photosynthesis, lacunal gas is discharged from lacunae, and it is composed of oxygen and nitrogen. Pheophytin a compound was isolated from the crude extract of Syringodium isoetifolium by treating it with human pathogens. Binding sites of the pathogen can be found by the Molecular docking study. In this article, we discuss about the phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and morphological characteristics of Syringodium isoetifolium.

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