ROOTING OF DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) OFFSHOOTS BY ISOPROTHIOLANE (IPT)

The experiment was conducted at Alhassa Oasis (25° 22′ N' latitude; 49°34′ E longitude) and altitude is 179 m a.s.l , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Treatments included the following Isoprothiolane (IPT) concentrations incorporated at the bottom of offshoot hole: control (without IPT), 25g, 50g, 75g, 100g, 200g and 500g / offshoot hole. The offshoots weight ranged between 25 – 30 kg. The IPT concentrations of 75 and 100 g/ offshoot hole seemed to be quite optimal for improving rooting of date palm offshoots. The best rooting percentage, length of root, root fresh and dry weights were obtained under 75 and 100 g/ offshoot whole IPT concentrations. Offshoots under the control and the lowest and highest IPT treatments reflected poor rooting ability. The chlorophyll content data although looked relatively similar between treatments, a slight edge of 75 and 100 g/ offshoot hole was noticeable. This relative edge might have played a significant role in the photosynthetic ability of offshoots. The efficiency of rooting of offshoots under both concentrations might have resulted from their edged photosynthetic ability

ROOTING OF DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) OFFSHOOTS BY ISOPROTHIOLANE (IPT)

The experiment was conducted at Alhassa Oasis (25° 22′ N' latitude; 49°34′ E longitude) and altitude is 179 m a.s.l , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Treatments included the following Isoprothiolane (IPT) concentrations incorporated at the bottom of offshoot hole: control (without IPT), 25g, 50g, 75g, 100g, 200g and 500g / offshoot hole. The offshoots weight ranged between 25 – 30 kg. The IPT concentrations of 75 and 100 g/ offshoot hole seemed to be quite optimal for improving rooting of date palm offshoots. The best rooting percentage, length of root, root fresh and dry weights were obtained under 75 and 100 g/ offshoot whole IPT concentrations. Offshoots under the control and the lowest and highest IPT treatments reflected poor rooting ability. The chlorophyll content data although looked relatively similar between treatments, a slight edge of 75 and 100 g/ offshoot hole was noticeable. This relative edge might have played a significant role in the photosynthetic ability of offshoots. The efficiency of rooting of offshoots under both concentrations might have resulted from their edged photosynthetic ability

In vitro response of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to K/Na ratio under saline conditions

BACKGROUND: Salinity is a serious factor limiting the productivity of agricultural plants. One of the potential problems for plants growing under saline conditions is the inability to up take enough K+. The addition of K+ may considerably improve the salt tolerance of plants grown under salinity. It is assumed that increasing the K+ supply at the root zone can ameliorate the reduction in growth imposed by high salinity. The present study aims to determine whether an increase in the K/Na ratio in the external media would enhance the growth of date palm seedlings under in vitro saline conditions METHODS: Date palm plants were grown at four concentrations of Na + K/Cl (mol/m³) with three different K/Na ratios. The 12 salt treatments were added to modified MS medium. The modified MS medium was further supplemented with sucrose at 30 g/l RESULTS: Growth decreased substantially with increasing salinity. Growth expressed as shoot and root weight, enhanced significantly with certain K/Na ratios, and higher weight was maintained in the presence of equal K and Na. It is the leaf length, leaf thickness and root thickness that had significant contribution on total dry weight. Na+ contents in leaf and root increased significantly increased with increasing salinity but substantial decreases in Na+ contents were observed in the leaf and root with certain K/Na ratios. This could be attributed to the presence of a high K+ concentration in the media. The internal Na+ concentration was higher in the roots in all treatments, which might indicate a mechanism excluding Na+ from the leaves and its retention in the roots. K/Na ratios up to one significantly increased the leaf and root K+ concentration, and it was most pronounced in leaves. The K+ contents in leaf and root was not proportional to the K+ increase in the media, showing a high affinity for K+ uptake at lower external K+ concentrations, but this mechanism continues to operate even with high external Na+ concentrations CONCLUSION: Increasing K/Na ratios in the growing media of date plam significantly reduced the absorption of Na+ less than 200 mM and also balance ions compartmentalizatio

Crataegus Aronia protects and reverses vascular inflammation in a high fat diet rat model by an antioxidant mechanism and modulating serum levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein

Context: Crataegus aronia (Willd.) Bosc (Rosaceae) (syn. Azarolus L) is traditionally used to treat cardiovascular disorders. Objectives: To investigate C. aronia protection against a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced vascular inflammation in rats. Materials and methods: Wistar Male rats (180–220 g) were divided (n = 10/group) as control fed a standard diet (STD), STD + C. aronia (200 mg/kg, orally), HFD, HFD + C. aronia and HFD post-treated with C. aronia. Simvastatin (20 mg/kg) was co- or post-administered as a positive control drug. HFD was given for 8 weeks, and all other treatments were administered for 4 weeks. Results: Most significantly, co-administration of C. aronia to HFD-fed rats reduced the thickness of aorta tunica media (90 ± 5 vs. 160 ± 11.3 µm) and adventitia (54.3 ± 3.8 vs. 93.6 ± 9.4 µm). It also lowered protein levels of TNF-α (0.51 ± 0.15 and 0.15 ± 0.16 vs. 0.1 ± 0.09%) and IL-6 (0.52 ± 0.19 vs. 1.0 ± 0.2%) in their aorta or serum (5.9 ± 0.91 vs. 12.98 ± 1.3 ng/mL and 78.1 ± 6.7 vs. 439 ± 78 pg/mL, respectively). It also lowered all serum lipids and increased aorta levels of GSH levels (70.4 ± 4.0 vs. 40.7 µM) and activity of SOD (5.7 ± 0.7 vs. 2.9 ± 0.6 U/mg) and decreased serum levels of ox-LDL-c (566.7 ± 46 vs. 1817 ± 147 ng/mL). Such effects were more profound than all other treatments. Conclusions: C. aronia inhibits the HFD-induced vascular inflammation and its use in clinical trials is recommended

Health in times of uncertainty in the eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Background: The eastern Mediterranean region is comprised of 22 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Since our Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010), the region has faced unrest as a result of revolutions, wars, and the so-called Arab uprisings. The objective of this study was to present the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in the eastern Mediterranean region as of 2013. Methods: GBD 2013 includes an annual assessment covering 188 countries from 1990 to 2013. The study covers 306 diseases and injuries, 1233 sequelae, and 79 risk factors. Our GBD 2013 analyses included the addition of new data through updated systematic reviews and through the contribution of unpublished data sources from collaborators, an updated version of modelling software, and several improvements in our methods. In this systematic analysis, we use data from GBD 2013 to analyse the burden of disease and injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region specifically. Findings: The leading cause of death in the region in 2013 was ischaemic heart disease (90·3 deaths per 100 000 people), which increased by 17·2% since 1990. However, diarrhoeal diseases were the leading cause of death in Somalia (186·7 deaths per 100 000 people) in 2013, which decreased by 26·9% since 1990. The leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) was ischaemic heart disease for males and lower respiratory infection for females. High blood pressure was the leading risk factor for DALYs in 2013, with an increase of 83·3% since 1990. Risk factors for DALYs varied by country. In low-income countries, childhood wasting was the leading cause of DALYs in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, whereas unsafe sex was the leading cause in Djibouti. Non-communicable risk factors were the leading cause of DALYs in high-income and middle-income countries in the region. DALY risk factors varied by age, with child and maternal malnutrition affecting the younger age groups (aged 28 days to 4 years), whereas high bodyweight and systolic blood pressure affected older people (aged 60–80 years). The proportion of DALYs attributed to high body-mass index increased from 3·7% to 7·5% between 1990 and 2013. Burden of mental health problems and drug use increased. Most increases in DALYs, especially from non-communicable diseases, were due to population growth. The crises in Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria have resulted in a reduction in life expectancy; life expectancy in Syria would have been 5 years higher than that recorded for females and 6 years higher for males had the crisis not occurred. Interpretation: Our study shows that the eastern Mediterranean region is going through a crucial health phase. The Arab uprisings and the wars that followed, coupled with ageing and population growth, will have a major impact on the region's health and resources. The region has historically seen improvements in life expectancy and other health indicators, even under stress. However, the current situation will cause deteriorating health conditions for many countries and for many years and will have an impact on the region and the rest of the world. Based on our findings, we call for increased investment in health in the region in addition to reducing the conflicts. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation