144 research outputs found
Role of homobrassinolide, abscisic acid, and 6-benzylamino purine on delaying flower senescence in Gladiolus grandiflora
A study was conducted to investigate the effects of homobrassinolide (HBL), abscisic acid (ABA) and 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) on the post-harvest life of 2 Gladiolus grandiflora cultivars, snow princess and nova lux. Different concentrations of HBL, ABA and BAP were applied to cut flowers. The experimental results showed that ABA and BAP treatments significantly increased post-harvest life in snow princess and nova lux cultivars compared to untreated flowers. However, HBL treatment was unsuccessful in delaying senescence in gladiolus. Furthermore, ABA and BAP treatments were more effective in delaying senescence in the nova lux cultivar than in the snow princess cultivar. Vase solutions containing BAP (500 M) and ABA (10 M) were the most efficient in extending the life of the cut floral spike of the nova lux variety (10 and 9 days respectively) followed by the snow princess variety (8 and 7 days respectively). Increasing fresh weight of flowers, vase solution uptake and membrane integrity along with a decrease in pH, malondialdehyde content, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity prolonged flowers' post-harvest life. In terms of the post-harvest life of G. grandiflora, BAP outperformed ABA in improving the flower longevity of Gladiolus by maintaining higher physiological and biochemical stability in petals
Review on the Artificial Brain Technology: BlueBrain
Blue brain is a supercomputer programmed such that it can function as an artificial brain, which can also be called a virtual brain. IBM is developing this virtual brain which would be the world’s first such created machine. Its main aim is to create a machine in which the information of the actual brain can be uploaded. This would ensure that a person’s knowledge, personality, memories, and intelligence are preserved and safe. The Blue Brain project utilizes the technologies of reverse engineering and artificial intelli-gence at its core and is implemented through the use of supercomputers and nanobots. Special software like BBP-SDK are also specifically developed for the Blue Brain project. The Blue Brain project is centered towards finding viable solutions to brain-disorders, a working model close to the actual brain which would help in greater understanding of the human brain and the human mind and the state of consciousness, a step towards building an independently thinking machine, and finally collecting information of hun-dreds of years from the human brains and storing it in the form of a databases. The Blue Brain project mimics the human brain by acquiring the data from its surrounding through special software, interpreting through neural electrophysiology and morpholo-gy, and simulating them on computers. Thus, The Blue Brain project is a powerful tool for the study and analysis of the human brain and for the advancement of the human brain and society
ESTIMATING POPULATION COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION USING A SINGLE AUXILIARY VARIABLE IN SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLING
Clastogenic Effects of Glyphosate in Bone Marrow Cells of Swiss Albino Mice
Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, C3H8NO5P), a herbicide, used to control unwanted annual and perennial plants all over the world. Nevertheless, occupational and environmental exposure to pesticides can pose a threat to nontarget species including human beings. Therefore, in the present study, genotoxic effects of the herbicide glyphosate were analyzed by measuring chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronuclei (MN) in bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice. A single dose of glyphosate was given intraperitoneally (i.p) to the animals at a concentration
of 25 and 50 mg/kg b.wt. Animals of positive control group were injected i.p. benzo(a)pyrene
(100 mg/kg b.wt., once only), whereas, animals of control (vehicle) group were injected i.p. dimethyl sulfoxide (0.2 mL). Animals from all the groups were sacrificed at sampling times of 24, 48, and 72 hours and their bone marrow was analyzed for cytogenetic and chromosomal damage. Glyphosate treatment significantly increases CAs and MN induction at both treatments and time compared with the vehicle control (P < .05). The cytotoxic effects of glyphosate were also evident, as observed by significant decrease in mitotic index (MI). The present results indicate that glyphosate is clastogenic and cytotoxic to mouse bone marrow
Parasitization Efficiency of Kairomonal Dust Formulations against Egg Parasitoid \u3cem\u3e Trichogramma \u3c/em\u3e spp (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
Agriculture arose independently in many different regions, as people gradually lived closer together, became less nomadic, and focussed their food production on plants that were amenable to repeated sowing and harvesting. Historically, insects have been the most significant herbivores, and the evolution of plants is closely associated with the evolution of insects. The study of plant defences against herbivory is important, not only from an evolutionary view point, but also in the direct impact that these defences have on agriculture, including human and livestock. Success of natural enemies particularly well recognized egg parasitoid, Trichogrammatid (Balakrishnan et al., 2004) in pest management depends upon its host acceptance and searching efficiency in a highly complex crop environment due to release of several volatile compounds termed as allelochemicals (synomones and kairomones). Grasses planted around the perimeter of the crop attract and trap the pests, Desmodium, planted between the rows of maize repel the pests and control the parasitic plant Striga, via Push-Pull technology in which the target crop is intercropped with herbivore repellent plants (push), while attractant plants (pull) are planted around this intercrop. The intercrop, in addition to repelling the herbivores, attracts and conserves natural enemies thereby ensuring continued suppression of the pests. Thus, volatile compounds released by sudan grass, napier grass and other highly attractive hosts were captured by absorption into a porous polymer to enable identification of semiochemicals likely to have attractant activity at the levels released by the plant. This is exploited by smallholder farmers in eastern Africa in the management of cereal stem borers in maize and sorghum (Khan, et al., 2007). Modifying insect behaviour in pest management programs through the utilization of non-toxic semiochemicals is recognized as a promising alternative to conventional approaches. The purpose of a formulation comprising kairomone is the dilution of the highly concentrated compound down to a level at which it will be effective in orientation of a natural enemy towards host insects or its niche without causing harm to the non-target organisms and the natural habitat. It is important to note that the pesticide formulation is a physical mixture of one or more biologically active chemicals and inert ingredients, which provide effective and economical control of the pests, while kairomonal formulation is aimed to enhance the parasitism or predation capacity of a target natural enemy. However, concerted efforts on the application aspects of kairomones especially development of suitable kairomonal formulation against Trichogramma spp. is extremely scanty. The present study was carried out to identify effective kairomonal compound, optimum concentration and appropriate application technique to increase the parasitizing efficiency of T. chilonis
Shielding effect on oxidative stress and immune modulating potential of Himalayan Musk Rose (Rosa brunonii Lindl.)
400-417Rosa brunonii Lindl., a wildly growing species of rose is used widely by the folklore of the Himalayan region for various food and traditional medicinal purposes. The present study aims to evaluate the protective effects against oxidative stress markers and immunomodulation of Rosa brunonii Lindl. The crude extracts (chloroform, methanol, and aqueous) and subsequent fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol, and aqueous) of both the leaves and flowers were evaluated for antioxidant potential (DPPH free radicals scavenging, chelation capacity on ferrous ions, FRAP activity, and reducing activity), DNA protection (DNA strand nicking) and immunomodulatory potential (humoral antibody titre) and cell-mediated (DTH immune responses and lymphocytic proliferation). The antioxidant study indicated that among all, methanol fraction (leaves) possessed remarkable antioxidant potential with the highest DPPH free radical scavenging (IC50 32.3±1.15 μg/mL), chelation capacity on ferrous ions (66±0.22%), reducing power (EC50124.4±0.17 μg/mL), FRAP (3996±2.17 μM/g dry wt.) as well as highest amounts of total phenols (250±0.54 GAE mg/g dry wt.) and flavonoids (344±1.76 QE mg/g dry wt.). Moreover, a significant reduction in plasmid DNA damage was also observed. Immunomodulatory results of methanol fraction (flowers) at 100 μg/mL showed maximum stimulation with 125% on humoral response, 166% on cell-mediated response and significant suppressive effect on mitogen-induced lymphocytic proliferation. The active constituent identified in methanol fraction (leaves) through RP-HPLC analysis was myricetin and from methanol fraction (flowers) was p-coumaric acid. This study concluded that the leaves of R. brunonii are a rich source of natural antioxidants and immune-modulating agents which can be further explored for establishing their pharmacological potential
In Vitro Assessment of Antioxidant Capacity, Potential to Induce Autophagy/Mitophagy, and Mitochondrial Turnover of Natural Compounds for Cytotoxicity Studies
The dynamic process of intracellular reduction-oxidation status (redox homeostasis) is influenced by various factors, with mitochondria being one of the most significant contributors. Mitochondria play a crucial role in the bioenergetic pathway, fulfilling the metabolic energy demands of cells. To maintain increased energy requirements, mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion are employed, while decreased energy demands or damaged mitochondria are addressed through fission and autophagic removal, known as mitophagy. Any disruption in these adaptive responses can compromise redox homeostasis and cellular function, and make cells more vulnerable to oxidative stress, resulting in oxidative DNA damage, inflammatory responses, and apoptotic/anti-apoptotic reactions. Such dysregulation contributes to the development of “free radical diseases” like metabolic disorders and cancer. Traditional medicines and herbs (possessing antioxidant and autophagic properties) have been utilized for centuries in the treatment of various diseases; however, it is only recently that researchers have begun to investigate their molecular, cellular, and tissue-level modes of action. Nevertheless, concerns about their cytotoxicity have also arisen. This manuscript focuses on the current technological advancements in assessing the properties of plant-based natural compounds. Both cell-free and cell-based methods are employed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these compounds, allowing for their scientific evaluation and validation
Shielding effect on oxidative stress and immune modulating potential of Himalayan Musk Rose (Rosa brunonii Lindl.)
Rosa brunonii Lindl., a wildly growing species of rose is used widely by the folklore of the Himalayan region for various food and traditional medicinal purposes. The present study aims to evaluate the protective effects against oxidative stress markers and immunomodulation of Rosa brunonii Lindl. The crude extracts (chloroform, methanol, and aqueous) and subsequent fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol, and aqueous) of both the leaves and flowers were evaluated for antioxidant potential (DPPH free radicals scavenging, chelation capacity on ferrous ions, FRAP activity, and reducing activity), DNA protection (DNA strand nicking) and immunomodulatory potential (humoral antibody titre) and cell-mediated (DTH immune responses and lymphocytic proliferation). The antioxidant study indicated that among all, methanol fraction (leaves) possessed remarkable antioxidant potential with the highest DPPH free radical scavenging (IC50 32.3±1.15 µg/mL), chelation capacity on ferrous ions (66±0.22%), reducing power (EC50124.4±0.17 µg/mL), FRAP (3996±2.17 µM/g dry wt.) as well as highest amounts of total phenols (250±0.54 GAE mg/g dry wt.) and flavonoids (344±1.76 QE mg/g dry wt.). Moreover, a significant reduction in plasmid DNA damage was also observed. Immunomodulatory results of methanol fraction (flowers) at 100 µg/mL showed maximum stimulation with 125% on humoral response, 166% on cell-mediated response and significant suppressive effect on mitogen-induced lymphocytic proliferation. The active constituent identified in methanol fraction (leaves) through RP-HPLC analysis was myricetin and from methanol fraction (flowers) was p-coumaric acid. This study concluded that the leaves of R. brunonii are a rich source of natural antioxidants and immune-modulating agents which can be further explored for establishing their pharmacological potential
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