Role of Melatonin in Directing Plant Physiology

Melatonin (MT), a naturally occurring compound, is found in various species worldwide. In 1958, it was first identified in the pineal gland of dairy cows. MT is an "old friend" but a "new compound" for plant biology. It brings experts and research minds from the broad field of plant sciences due to its considerable influence on plant systems. The MT production process in plants and animals is distinct, where it has been expressed explicitly in chloroplasts and mitochondria in plants. Tryptophan acts as the precursor for the formation of phyto-melatonin, along with intermediates including tryptamine, serotonin, N-acetyl serotonin, and 5-methoxy tryptamine. It plays a vital role in growth phases such as the seed germination and seedling growth of crop plants. MT significantly impacts the gas exchange, thereby improving physio-chemical functions in plant systems. During stress, the excessive generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, nucleic acid damage, and enzyme inhibition. Because it directly acts as an antioxidant compound, it awakens the plant antioxidant defense system during stress and reduces the production of ROS, which results in decreasing cellular oxidative damage. MT can enhance plant growth and development in response to various abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, high temperature, flooding, and heavy metals by regulating the antioxidant mechanism of plants. However, these reactions differ significantly from crop to crop and are based on the level and kind of stress. The role of MT in the physiological functions of plants towards plant growth and development, tolerance towards various abiotic stresses, and approaches for enhancing the endogenous MT in plant systems are broadly reviewed and it is suggested that MT is a steering compound in directing major physiological functions of plants under the changing climate in future

Comparison of the IHC markers CD138 and CD43 in oral leukoplakia: An original research

Background: In the clinical practice, one of the most common suspicious lesions that may be potentially malignant is oral leukoplakia. Globally, the rate at which it turns malignant varies. This study examines the levels of markers CD138 and 43 in oral leukoplakia. Materials and Methods: Twenty archival blocks of confirmed epithelial dysplasia were taken from the Department of Oral Pathology. These were processed for the identification of markers CD138 and 43 through Immuno Histo Chemistry (IHC). The blocks were divided equally for both the markers. Results: There was a noticeable difference in staining intensity between dysplastic tissue and nondysplastic epithelium. However, CD138 expression was low or weak in dysplastic epithelium. CD43 expression was negative in all nonhematopoietic tissues. Conclusion: Genes that are cancer associated have been found to have incredibly different impacts in numerous tissues during the multistep process of oral carcinogenesis. In tissues undergoing dysplastic changes, CD138 expression was shown to be decreased, which could point out the malignant changes initiated in the epithelium of the oral tissues

Melatonin Enhances the Photosynthesis and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities of Mung Bean under Drought and High-Temperature Stress Conditions

Mung bean, a legume, is sensitive to abiotic stresses at different growth stages, and its yield potential is affected by drought and high-temperature stress at the sensitive stage. Melatonin is a multifunctional hormone that plays a vital role in plant stress defense mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of melatonin under individual and combined drought and high-temperature stress in mung bean. An experiment was laid out with five treatments, including an exogenous application of 100 & mu;M melatonin as a seed treatment, foliar spray, and a combination of both seed treatment and foliar spray, as well as absolute control (ambient condition) and control (stress without melatonin treatment). Stresses were imposed during the mung bean's reproductive stage (31-40 DAS) for ten days. Results revealed that drought and high-temperature stress significantly decreased chlorophyll index, Fv/Fm ratio, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Foliar application of melatonin at 100 & mu;M concentration enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase and the concentration of metabolites involved in osmoregulation and ion homeostasis; thereby, it improves physiological and yield-related traits in mung bean under individual and combined stress at the reproductive stage

Relationship of burnout and extra-curricular activities among dental students: An original research

Introduction: “Burnout syndrome (BS)” is a work-associated condition which is frequently observed in medical professionals, especially students. Extra-curricular activities (ECAs) are one of the coping techniques that students employ to deal with stress and exhaustion. Goal: The study's goal is to evaluate dental students' levels of burnout and how it correlates with their participation in ECAs. Materials and Procedures: In South India, a dentistry school conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire research with its students. Both the regular and supplemental batches of students from the first year through the fifth year (internship) were included. The “Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey”, which has 15 items in three areas—”Emotional Fatigue (EE), Cynicism (CY), & Professional Efficacy (PE)”—was used to assess burnout. A 5-point Likert scale was used to grade each response. Poisson log linear model and the Mann–Whitney U test were employed. The threshold for statistical significance was 5 out of 100. Results: Four hundred participants were finalized after the criteria. Over 80% of the participants were women students as in accordance with the routine proportion of the dental students. The participants' average age was 22.1 ± 12 years. Burnout was seen in nearly 20% of subjects. Significant variation was seen for all the three domains of the burnout when they were compared against the ECA (P = 0.019(EE), 0.003(CY), and 0.005(PE)). Conclusion: It is safe to say that among the participants, burnout is a common occurrence. There is a need for early detection of burnout in dental students and prompt, efficient management

Unraveling the Multi-Target Pharmacological Mechanism of Brassica rapa in Diabetes Treatment: Integration of Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approaches

Brassica rapa has been widely reported as an anti-diabetic plant and is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various disorders. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the plant's anti-diabetic activity has not been elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the possible molecular mechanism of B.rapa for managing diabetes mellitus through network pharmacology and molecular docking studies. The active ingredients and associated target proteins were obtained from a literature review and the Swiss Target Prediction platform and validated using the PubChem database. The disease-associated genes were retrieved from the Genecard database. The B. rapa-DM target network was analyzed using the STRING database, and the results were integrated and visualized using Cytoscape software. The molecular mechanism and therapeutic effect of B.rapa for the treatment of DM were determined by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses using the Enrichr Platform. Fifty-two active ingredients were screened from B. rapa, and 1528 putative target genes were identified from these ingredients. Four hundred and fifty-four overlapping targets matched with DM were considered potential therapeutic targets. First, ten key targets (ALB, AKT1, TNF, GAPDH, MAPK3, EGFR, VEGFA, CTNNB1, CASP3, and STAT3) were found by topological analysis. Then, the results of GO and KEGG suggested that the anti-diabetes effect of B. rapa was strongly associated with the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Lipid and atherosclerosis, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and Calcium signaling pathway. The AKT1 (Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase) enzyme is targeted by major bioactive constituents of B.rapa. Molecular Docking studies revealed that Liquiritin (docking score -6.1 Kcal/mol) showed the highest binding affinity with AKT1. These results suggest that Brassica rapa may play a role in regulating several pathways that are involved in the development of Diabetes Mellitus. Keywords: Network pharmacology, molecular mechanisms, Brassica rapa, Diabetes Mellitus (DM)       &nbsp

Role of Melatonin in Directing Plant Physiology

Melatonin (MT), a naturally occurring compound, is found in various species worldwide. In 1958, it was first identified in the pineal gland of dairy cows. MT is an “old friend” but a “new compound” for plant biology. It brings experts and research minds from the broad field of plant sciences due to its considerable influence on plant systems. The MT production process in plants and animals is distinct, where it has been expressed explicitly in chloroplasts and mitochondria in plants. Tryptophan acts as the precursor for the formation of phyto-melatonin, along with intermediates including tryptamine, serotonin, N-acetyl serotonin, and 5-methoxy tryptamine. It plays a vital role in growth phases such as the seed germination and seedling growth of crop plants. MT significantly impacts the gas exchange, thereby improving physio-chemical functions in plant systems. During stress, the excessive generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, nucleic acid damage, and enzyme inhibition. Because it directly acts as an antioxidant compound, it awakens the plant antioxidant defense system during stress and reduces the production of ROS, which results in decreasing cellular oxidative damage. MT can enhance plant growth and development in response to various abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, high temperature, flooding, and heavy metals by regulating the antioxidant mechanism of plants. However, these reactions differ significantly from crop to crop and are based on the level and kind of stress. The role of MT in the physiological functions of plants towards plant growth and development, tolerance towards various abiotic stresses, and approaches for enhancing the endogenous MT in plant systems are broadly reviewed and it is suggested that MT is a steering compound in directing major physiological functions of plants under the changing climate in future