Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in 2019 and is still an on-going pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 uses a human protease called furin to aid in cellular entry and its main protease (M^pro) to achieve viral replication. By targeting these proteins, scientists are trying to identify phytoconstituents of medicinal plants as potential therapeutics for COVID-19. Therefore, our study was aimed to identify promising leads as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M^proand furin using the phytocompounds reported to be isolated fromAcacia pennata(L.) Willd.Results: A total of 29 phytocompounds were reported to be isolated fromA. pennata. Molecular docking simulation studies revealed 9 phytocompounds as having the top 5 binding affinities towards SARS-CoV-2 M^proand furin. Among these phytocompounds, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (C_18), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (C_4), and isovitexin (C_5) have the highest drug score. However, C_18 and C_4 were not selected for further studies due to bioavailability issues and low synthetic accessibility. Based on binding affinity, molecular properties, drug-likeness, toxicity parameters, ligand interactions, bioavailability, synthetic accessibility, structure–activity relationship, and comparative analysis of our experimental findings with other studies, C_5 was identified as the most promising phytocompound. C_5 interacted with the active site residues of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro(GLU166, ARG188, GLN189) and furin (ASN295, ARG298, HIS364, THR365). Many phytocompounds that interacted with these amino acid residues were reported by other studies as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M^proand furin. The oxygen atom at position 18, the –OH group at position 19, and the 6-C-glucoside were identified as the pharmacophores in isovitexin (also known as apigenin-6-C-glucoside). Other in-silico studies reported apigenin as a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 M^proand apigenin-o-7-glucuronide was reported to show stable conformation during MD simulations with SARS-CoV-2 M^pro.Conclusion: The present study found isovitexin as the most promising phytocompound to potentially inhibit the cellular entry and viral replication of SARS-CoV-2. We also conclude that compounds having oxygen atom at position 18 (C-ring), –OH group at position 19 (A-ring), and 6-C-glucoside attached to the A-ring at position 3 on a C₆–C₃–C₆flavonoid scaffold could offer the best alternative to develop new leads against SARS-CoV-2.

We describe here a new species of terrestrial earthworm Eutyphoeus rihnimensis sp. nov. (family Acanthodrilidae) from specimens collected at Khawrihnim, a village in Mizoram, Northeast India. The new species is distinguished from its congener members in E. gigas group in having an outgrowth that branches into four finger-like projections from the male porophores, five pairs of supra-intestinal glands in 81–88 segments, typhlosole that begins from segment 25, ventral intestinal caeca 10 that covers segments 33-34, a bidiverticulate spermathecae with a short and stout duct, and very short lateral and median diverticula among other characters. Sequence analysis based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene further warrants its distinction from known species of Eutyphoeus.

Soil organisms are an integral part of agricultural ecosystems and are essential for the maintenance of healthy productive soils. Little is known about soil arthropods assemblages in shifting cultivation system. Therefore, we compared the diversity of soil macroarthropods in shifting cultivation (EXPTL) system and its adjacent natural forest (CTRL) ecosystem in Mizoram, northeast India and assessed the impact of shifting cultivation on the diversity. The study was conducted from 2013 to 2015, and the period was divided as pre-cultivation, cultivation and post-cultivation phases. Traditional shifting cultivation was practised in EXPTL site in the year 2014. Sampling was done by handpicking and digging from a quadrat (25×25×30 cm) located at least 10 m apart at monthly intervals. Specimens were preserved in 4% formalin and were identified up to the lowest possible taxa. A total of 97 taxa of arthropods belonging to five classes were recorded. 88 taxa and 48 taxa were recorded in CTRL and EXPTL respectively. Order-wise Shannon diversity index was significantly higher (p < .001) in CTRL as compared to EXPTL site. There were significant differences in both cultivation (p <.001) and post-cultivation (p <.001) phases between CTRL and EXPTL sites. There was a significant effect of shifting cultivation on the diversity of soil macroarthropods at the p <.05 level for the three cultivation phases in EXPTL site. Therefore, it was concluded that shifting cultivation system negatively affected soil macroarthropod diversity at least for a short duration. This study provided the first baseline data of soil macroarthropod diversity and its interaction with land-use system from Mizoram, northeast India.

A comprehensive systematic list of wild mammals of the state of Mizoram, northeast India, has been collated from historical records, primary and secondary information by incorporating reliable data after personal interview with elderly prominent hunters. A total of 126 species of wild mammals belonging to 32 families under 11 orders, including 8 primate species, 14 herbivores with angulates, among carnivores - 3 ursids, 2 canids, 8 felids, 19 lesser carnivores; and 5 fossoreal, 9 arboreal, 22 rodents, 35 chiropterans and 1 aquatic mammal are listed. Bats (Chiroptera) formed the largest group (28%) with 35 species under 7 families followed by carnivores (25%) with 32 species and rodents (24%) with 30 species. Furthermore, Cetacea, Proboscidae, Scandentia and Pholidota orders were represented by a single species each. The rats and mice family Muridae formed the biggest family with 16 species followed by the vesper bats family Vespertilionidae with 14 species. The list contains three critically endangered species including two locally extinct species, eight endangered species including two locally extinct species, 18 vulnerable species including one locally extinct species and 8 near-threatened species, i.e. a total of 37 threatened species. The list also provides the vernacular name, common English name and scientific name of each species, local status, IUCN (2016-3) threatened category, WPA schedule and CITES appendix were given. Five species were considered as locally extinct; habitat destruction and poaching being the major cause, and therefore, immediate conservative measures are suggested.