Synergistic Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Micropropagation of Eclipta alba: A Plant with Diverse Medicinal Properties

Synergism between various plant growth regulators is reported to be a key factor for the development of efficient in vitro propagation for any plant. Therefore, the current study examines the synergistic impact of plant growth regulators on in vitro propagation of Eclipta alba, an important medicinal plant possessing diverse medicinal properties. For the establishment of aseptic cultures, nodal segments were employed as explants on MS medium supplemented with 2.5 μM of 6-benzyle adenine (BA). Varying concentrations of BA and Kinetin (KIN)(0.0-5.0 μM), either alone or in combination with α- naphthalene acetic acid (NAA @ 0.0-5.0 μM) and indole 3-acetic acid (IAA@ 0.0-5.0 μM), were found to be effective for promoting shoot proliferation. Compared to KIN, BA was found to promote shoot proliferation and elongation more effectively. Further, the addition of 0.5μM NAA in the MS medium supplemented with 2.5 μM of BA increased shoot multiplication and elongation frequency from 58 and 17 percent to 65 and 21 percent respectively. The rooting frequency was found to be maximum on 1/2 strength MS medium supplemented with 5.0 μM of indole 3-butyric acid (IBA), which was found to be a superior auxin for inducing roots as compared to the NAA and IAA. With a 75% survival rate, in vitro raised plantlets were effectively acclimatized first in a poly house and later under greenhouse conditions. Molecular analysis was carried out using RAPD markers, with results indicating that the micropropagated plants were genetically identical to the mother plant. The developed micropropagation protocol for E. alba can be used at the commercial level for the mass multiplication of plants

Machine learning for the classification of breast cancer tumor: a comparative analysis

The detection and diagnosis of Breast cancer at an early stage is a challenging task. With the increase in emerging technologies such as data mining tools, along with machine learning algorithms, new prospects in the medical field for automatic diagnosis have been developed, with which the prediction of a disease at an early stage is possible. Early detection of the disease may increase the survival rate of patients. The main purpose of the study was to predict breast cancer disease as benign or malignant by using supervised machine learning algorithms such as the K-nearest neighbor (K-NN), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest (RF) and to compare their performance in terms of the accuracy, precision, F1 score, support, and AUC. The experimental results demonstrated that the MLP achieved a high prediction accuracy of 99.4%, followed by random forest (96.4%) and K-NN (76.3%). The diagnosis rates of the MLP, random forest and K-NN were 99.9%, 99.6%, and 73%, respectively. The study provides a clear idea of the accomplishments of classification algorithms in terms of their prediction ability, which can aid healthcare professionals in diagnosing chronic breast cancer efficiently

Poboljšanje potisnute imunoreaktivnosti prouzročene virusom zarazne anemije pilića upotrebom imunomodulatora i hematika.

Nutritional immunomodulation represents a new frontier area of research for achieving rational goals of efficient and healthy livestock production, as continuous genetic selection and intensive productions systems have made the animals highly susceptible to various pathogens. In this study, the amelioration of haematinic and immunomodulator on chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) induced immmunosupression was studied, with regard to haematological and immunological parameters. Vaccines against Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bursal disease (IBD) were used as markers for immunological parameter studies. A total of 80 specific pathogen free (SPF) broiler chicks, negative for CIAV antibodies, were randomly divided into four groups (Group I-IV) and were vaccinated against ND and IBD on days 1 and 12, respectively. All chicks of groups II, II and IV were inoculated with CIAV intramuscularly on day 15 of the study, while group I served as control. The chicks of group III and IV were treated with a haematinic (haemocare) and haematinic (haemocare) + immunomodulator (Immuno care), respectively, in drinking water for the entire study period (28 days). Live body weights, haematological parameters, along with humoral immune response (HIR) were measured at regular intervals. The CIAV infected groups showed a significant decline in cell count of erythrocyte and most leukocyte lineages, reduction in live body weights, and antibody titres against ND and IBD viruses. Theintensity of body weight loss, anaemia, leukopenia and depressed humoral immune responses were less severe in CIAV infected chicks fed with haematenic and immunomodulator supplementation diets. Interestingly, dually treated chicks (group IV) had a significantly higher response than the group treated by haematinic alone . In conclusion, the use of immunomodulator plus haematinic supplementation is suggested for providing better protection compared to haematinic supplementation alone, and the combination can be used for prophylaxis and therapeutic purposes against CIA, an economically important and emerging disease of poultry.Imunomodulacija putem hrane predstavlja novo područje istraživanja s ciljem da se postigne učinkovita proizvodnja zdrave stoke, jer su trajni genetski odabir i zahtjevni proizvodni sustavi učinili životinje visoko prijemljivima na različite patogene. U ovom je radu, na osnovi hematoloških i imunoloških pokazatelja, istražen učinak hematika i imunomodulatora na imunosupresiju izazvanu virusom zarazne anemije pilića. Cjepiva protiv newcastleske bolesti i zaraznog burzitisa kokoši rabljena su kao osnova za istraživanje imunoloških pokazatelja. Ukupno je 80 tovnih pilića, slobodnih od specifičnih patogenih uzročnika, negativnih na protutijela za virus zarazne anemije pilića, bilo nasumce podijeljeno u četiri skupine (I-IV) te prvog dana cijepljeno protiv newcastleske bolesti, a 12. dana protiv zaraznog burzitisa kokoši. Svi pilići skupine II, III i IV bili su intramuskularno zaraženi virusom zarazne anemije pilića 15. dana pokusa, dok je skupina I bila kontrolna. Pilići skupine III dobivali su hematik, a skupine IV hematik i imunomodulator u pitkoj vodi tijekom čitavog razdoblja istraživanja (28 dana). Tjelesna masa, hematološki pokazatelji i humoralni imunosni odgovor bili su mjereni u pravilnim razmacima. Skupina zaražena virusom zarazne anemije pokazivala je značajni pad broja eritrocita i leukocita te smanjenje tjelesne mase i titra protutijela za virus newcastleske bolesti i virus zaraznog burzitisa. Gubitak tjelesne mase, anemija, leukopenija i humoralni imunosni odgovor bili su slabiji u pilića zaraženih virusom zarazne anemije koji su dobivali hematik i imunomodulator u hrani. Zanimljivo je da je u pilića koji su dobivali dvostruki dodatak (skupina IV) zabilježen značajno bolji odgovor nego u pilića koji su dobivali samo hematik. Može se zaključiti da je upotreba imunomodulatora i hematika pružila bolju zaštitu u odnosu na upotrebu samog hematika. Kombinacija se može upotrijebiti za profilaksu i terapiju protiv zarazne anemije pilića, gospodarski važne i emergentne zarazne bolesti

Targeting Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS CoV-2 spike protein with selected phytochemicals: an in-silico approach for identification of potential drug

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus -2 (S ARS-CoV-2) emerging variants particularly those of concern contain numerous mutations that influence the behavior and transmissibility of the virus and could adversely affect the efficacies of existing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and immunotherapies. The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have resulted in different waves of the pandemic within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On 26 November 2021 World Health Organization designated omicron (B.1.1.529) as the fifth variant of concern which was first reported from South Africa on November 24, 2021, and thereafter rapidly spread across the globe owing to its very high transmission rates along with impeding efficacies of existing vaccines and immunotherapies. Omicron contains more than 50 mutations with many mutations (26-32) in spike protein that might be associated with high transmissibility. Natural compounds particularly phytochemicals have been used since ancient times for the treatment of different diseases, and owing to their potent anti-viral properties have also been explored recently against COVID-19. In the present study, molecular docking of nine phytochemicals (Oleocanthal, Tangeritin, Coumarin, Malvidin, Glycitein, Piceatannol, Pinosylnin, Daidzein, and Naringenin) with omicron spike protein (7QNW (electron microscopy, resolution 2.40 Å) was done. The docking study revealed that selected ligands interact with the receptor with binding energy in the range of -6.2 to-7.0 kcal/mol. Pinosylnin showed the highest binding energy of -7.0 kcal/mol which may be used as potential ligands against omicron spike protein. Based on the docking studies, it was suggested that these phytochemicals are potential molecules to be tested against omicron SARS-CoV-2 and can be used to develop effective antiviral drugs

Zika Virus- Emergence, Evolution, Pathology, Diagnosis, and Control: Current Global Scenario and Future Perspectives- A Comprehensive Review

This review converses the Zika virus which has attained global concern due to its rapid pandemic potential and impact on humans. Though Zika virus was first isolated in 1947, till the recent large-scale outbreak which occurred in Micronesia, in 2007, the virus was placed into the innocuous pathogen category. The World Health Organization on 1 February 2016 declared it as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.\u27 Of the note, American as well as Pacific Island strains/isolates is relatively closer to Asian lineage strains. The African and American strains share more than 87.5% and 95% homologies with Asian strains/isolates, respectively. Asian strains form independent clusters, except those isolated from China, suggesting relatively more diversity than African strains. Prevention and control are mainly aimed at the vector population (mosquitoes) with Aedes aegypti being the main species. Surveys in Africa and Asia indicated seropositivity in various animal species. However, so far its natural reservoir is unknown. There is an urgent need to understand why Zika virus has shifted from being a virus that caused mild illness to unforeseen birth defects as well as autoimmune-neurological problems. Unfortunately, an effective vaccine is not available yet. Availability of cryo-electron microscopy based on 3.8 angstrom resolution revealing mature Zika virus structure and the probable virus attachment site to host cell would provide critical insights into the development of antiviral treatments and vaccines

Therapeutic effect of hydroethanolic extract of Trianthema portulacastrum L. against N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats

This study evaluated the therapeutic action of hydroethanolic extract of Trianthema portulacastrum L. (TPE) on N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats. A hydroethanolic was prepared and subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening. After acclimatization, Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each: Group A (vehicle control), Group B (TPE control), Group C (TPE treatment) and group D (NMU control). NMU (50 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally at 50, 80 and 110 days of age. After the induction of palpable tumors,the rats were administered 200 mg/kg bw of TPE by oral gavage for 2 months. The treatment with TPE significantly (p<0.05) decreased tumor incidence, frequency, size and malignancy in comparison to the tumor-bearing rats that were not administered TPE. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TPE treatment significantly reduced the expression of PCNA, VEGF, ER-α and ER-β, and caused non-significant reductions in matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9). Caspase-3 expression significantly increased in TPE-treated rats in comparison with NMU-treated controls. The qRT-PCR resultsshowed PCNA and ER-β expression was down regulated and caspase-3 expression was up regulated in the TPE-treated group. The present study showed the in vivo therapeutic action of TPE extract on NMU-induced mammary tumors. TPE exhibited antitumor activity through its antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, pro-apoptotic, and estrogen receptor-modulatory properties

IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND LOCKDOWN ON THE MEAT CONSUMPTION PATTERN IN INDIA: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

The people of India have a wide variety of eating habits that vary according to ethnicity, geography, and culture. The consumption of meat primarily covers the protein requirement of the Indians, and three out of four are non-vegetarians. There is a need to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated countrywide lockdown on the meat consumption pattern of the Indian non-vegetarians. A countrywide survey was conducted among the consumers to study the impact of COVID-19 on the meat consumption pattern using a self-administered electronic questionnaire distributed through emails and online social networking platforms. A total of 416 responses were collected from the consumers belonging to different states and union territories. The data were analyzed as per the standard procedure. The meat consumption pattern of the non-vegetarians was found to be altered during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown period. The majority of the consumers could not obtain a sufficient quantity of meat and meat products during the lockdown period due to various reasons such as the increased cost and decreased availability of livestock. The myths and rumors associated with meat consumption and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 further weakened the meat trade in certain areas. Based on the findings of this survey, it is safe to confirm that the meat consumption pattern among Indian consumers was affected badly during the countrywide lockdown

Therapeutic effect of hydroethanolic extract of Trianthema portulacastrum L. against N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats

406-415This study evaluated the therapeutic action of hydroethanolic extract of Trianthema portulacastrum L. (TPE) on N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats. A hydroethanolic was prepared and subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening. After acclimatization, Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each: Group A (vehicle control), Group B (TPE control), Group C (TPE treatment) and group D (NMU control). NMU (50 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally at 50, 80 and 110 days of age. After the induction of palpable tumors, the rats were administered 200 mg/kg bw of TPE by oral gavage for 2 months. The treatment with TPE significantly (pin vivo therapeutic action of TPE extract on NMU-induced mammary tumors. TPE exhibited antitumor activity through its antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, pro-apoptotic, and estrogen receptor-modulatory properties

Marburg Virus Disease – A Mini-Review

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a highly fatal disease caused by the Marburg virus (MARV) which belongs to the family Filoviridae. The disease has been recently reported from Ghana, an African country, and nearly 15 outbreaks of MVD have been reported in the past five decades. Various species of bats viz., Rousettus aegyptiacus, Hipposideros caffer, and certain Chiroptera act as the natural source of infection. Pathophysiology of the disease reveals severe antiviral suppression due to changes in gene expression and interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) production in the hepatic cells. With the progression of the disease, there may be the development of pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomition, pharyngitis, and diarrhea along with the onset of hemorrhagic manifestations which may lead to the death of a patient. The advent of molecular detection techniques and kits viz., reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit has greatly aided in the diagnosis of MVD. Identification of the virus in the specimen with great accuracy can be done by whole viral genome sequencing. The use of a combination of MR-186-YTE (monoclonal antibody) and an antiviral drug named remdesivir in the NHP model is greatly effective for eliminating MARV. The protective effect of a Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) (recombinant) - based vaccine expressing the glycoprotein of MARV has been revealed through animal model studies, other vaccines are also being developed. Proper health education, personal hygiene and precautions by health care workers while handling patients, good laboratory facilities and service along with the establishment of enhanced surveillance systems are the need of the hour to tackle this highly fatal disease. This article presents an overview of different aspects and salient features of MARV / MVD, and prevention and control strategies to be adopted