Alleviation of zinc induced oxidative stress by polyamines in Plantago ovata Forsk

Abstract Zinc causes toxicity to the plants in an excess concentration and it is manifested by chlorosis, rolling of leaf margins, and disruption of membrane integrity. The heavy metal stress also triggers the stimulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Polyamines are naturally occurring, secondary metabolites, protecting plants from heavy metal-induced stress. Plants also up-regulate the mRNA expression of Metallothionein in response to heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. The alteration in Metallothionein type 2 (PoMT2) expression of a medicinally important herb Plantago ovata in presence of polyamines like Putrescine, Spermidine, and Spermine in addition to ZnSO4.H2O by the semi-quantitative and the quantitative methods have been demonstrated in the present study. We have observed reductions in the expression of the Metallothionein type 2 gene in the presence of the aforementioned polyamines which implies their protective and antioxidant properties to fight against the zinc induced stress. 1 mM Put has been more efficient in increasing the total chlorophyll content (compared to 2 mM Put) by about 36% each in 1000 µM ZnSO4 treated P. ovata seedlings. Spermidine also enhanced chlorophyll content. 2 mM Put and 0.5 mM Spm have shown even better efficiencies in increasing the total antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenging activities. The lipid peroxidation has been found to decrease in Put and Spm supplemented samples by up to about 47% in both cases. Significant reductions in lipid peroxidation and down-regulation of PoMT2 gene expression indicate the roles of polyamines in partially alleviating Zn-induced oxidative damage.</jats:p

Factors influencing diagnosis and treatment initiation for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in six sub-Saharan African countries: a mixed-methods systematic review

BackgroundDrug-resistant tuberculosis burdens fragile health systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), complicated by high prevalence of HIV. Several African countries reported large gaps between estimated incidence and diagnosed or treated cases. Our review aimed to identify barriers and facilitators influencing diagnosis and treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in SSA, which is necessary to develop effective strategies to find the missing incident cases and improve quality of care.MethodsUsing an integrative design, we reviewed and narratively synthesised qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies from nine electronic databases: Medline, Global Health, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, PubMed and Google Scholar (January 2006 to June 2019).ResultsOf 3181 original studies identified, 55 full texts were screened, and 29 retained. The studies included were from 6 countries, mostly South Africa. Barriers and facilitators to DR-TB care were identified at the health system and patient levels. Predominant health system barriers were laboratory operational issues, provider knowledge and attitudes and information management. Facilitators included GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) diagnosis and decentralisation of services. At the patient level, predominant barriers were patients being lost to follow-up or dying due to lengthy diagnostic and treatment delays, negative public sector care perceptions, family, work or school commitments and using private sector care. Some patient-level facilitators were HIV positivity and having more symptoms.ConclusionCase detection and treatment for DR -TB in SSA currently relies on individual patients presenting voluntarily to the hospital for care. Specific interventions targeting identified barriers may improve rates and timeliness of detection and treatment.</jats:sec

What is being evaluated, and how, in mental health and wellness services for Indigenous young people in Canada: A rapid review

Objective: This rapid review aims to identify indicators and measurement tools evaluating Indigenous youth mental health and wellness in diverse contexts (e.g., urban, rural) in Canada. We will have three guiding research questions: 1. What measurement domains are used to determine mental health and wellness services for Indigenous youth? 2. What tangible measurement tools (e.g., scales) are used to qualify mental health and wellness services for Indigenous young people? 3. How were measurement tools/evaluation items selected? Relatedly, was Indigenous community input sought and integrated to create or adapt such tools/items

Multifunctional silver nanoparticle embedded eri silk cocoon scaffolds against burn wounds-associated infection

Antimicrobial wound dressings offer enhanced efficacy compared to conventional dressing platforms by limiting bacterial infections, expediting the healing process, and creating a barrier against additional wound contamination. The use of silk derived from silkworm cocoons in wound healing applications is attributed to its exceptional characteristics. Compared to mulberry silk, sericin from non-mulberry cocoons has higher water exchange mobility and moisture retention. Eri, a non-mulberry silkworm, is an unexplored source of silk with an eco-friendly nature of production where the natural life cycle of silkworms is not disrupted, and no moths are sacrificed. This work reports on an eri silk cocoon-based scaffold decorated with silver nanoparticles as a wound dressing material effective against burn-wound-associated multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. The UV-vis spectroscopy showed maximum absorbance at 448 nm due to the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. FT-IR spectra exhibited the functional groups in the eri silk proteins accountable for the reduction of Ag+ to Ag0 in the scaffold. SEM-EDX analysis revealed the presence of elemental silver, and XRD analysis confirmed their particle size of 5.66-8.82 nm. The wound dressing platform showed excellent thermal stability and hydrophobicity, fulfilling the criteria of a standard waterproof dressing material, and anticipating the prevention of bacterial biofilm formation in chronic wounds. The scaffold was found to be effective against both Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 87) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688) multiple-drug-resistant pathogens. Electron microscopy revealed the bacterial cell damage, suggesting its bactericidal property. The results further revealed that the scaffold was both hemocompatible and cytocompatible, suggesting its potential application in chronic wounds such as burns. As an outcome, this study presents a straightforward, cost-effective, and sustainable way of developing a multifunctional wound dressing platform, suggesting its significant therapeutic potential in clinical and biomedical sectors and facile commercialization. Antimicrobial wound dressings offer enhanced efficacy compared to conventional dressing platforms by limiting bacterial infections, expediting the healing process, and creating a barrier against additional wound contamination