Super Nutritive Marine Astaxanthin, an Effectual Dietary Carotenoid for Neurodegenerative Diseases

The red-pigmented astaxanthin (3,-3’-dihydroxy-?,?-carotene-4,4’-dione) were commonly found in marine algae and aquatic animals such as shrimp, lobster, and trout. These pigments are produced as secondary metabolites which fall in arytenoids under class xanthophylls. Synthetic astaxanthin has a wide range of commercial applications such as color additives, usage in cosmetics and immune-boosters. In aquaculture, supplementing synthetic astaxanthin as feed, enhances skin pigmentation which possesses commercial importance. However, synthetic astaxanthin is not highly efficient compared to naturally derived counter forms. On the other hand, humans should only depend on microbial and aquatic sources for their dietary intake of natural astaxanthin. Being a powerful antioxidant, natural astaxanthin is called as king of antioxidants which has scavenging activity 6000 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in protecting cell membranes. It also has a single oxygen quenching activity up to 800 times stronger than coenzyme Q, 550 times more powerful than green tea catechins, 4.9 times stronger than beta-carotene and three times stronger than lute in. Furthermore, researchers revealed that this carotenoid has the capacity to alleviate tumor activity, protecting against lipid per oxidation, free radicals, oxidative damage to LDL-cholesterol and UV light affects on cell membranes and tissues. Also, it is mainly recommended for curing the macular degeneration of cataracts. Anti-aging properties of astaxanthin improve skin health by reducing wrinkles and repairs the UV-induced DNA damage in human cells. Interestingly, the ability of astaxanthin in crossing the blood-brain barrier has brought this compound to limelight as a potential target in treating neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Hence, in this review, we are mainly focusing on the therapeutic usage of astaxanthin in neurodegenerative diseases.</jats:p

Role of Pyridoxine in Alleviating Cardiovascular Diseases: A Brief Review

Micronutrients are class of dietary components which are highly essential for the optimal health, growth, and development. These nutrients can overcome birth defects, maternal impairment, and increased risk of death. According to 2017 statistics, around 2 billion people in the developing countries are affected by micronutrient deficiency. There are around 13 essential vitamins which are found in nature. Vitamin B is more important as it plays a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being. Among several existing forms, the native and active form of vitamin B6 is PLP (pyridoxal 5- phosphate). PLP is a co-factor for several biochemical reactions and plays an imperative role in synthesis of amino acids, carbohydrates and fatty acids. Vitamin B6 supplementation in RDA showed to be highly health promising in controlling several clinical alignments such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disease, premenstrual syndrome, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, pellagra skin disease, ataxia, hyperacuosis, suppression of colon tumor genesis and hyper irritability. Recently, it has been reported that 43.8% people are suffering from cardiovascular disease followed by stroke (16.8%) and is also expected to reach up to1.1 trillion by the end of 2035. It has been found that vitamin B6 lowers Homocystein in blood, which damages the inner linings of arteries causing blood clots and thereby reducing the symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to it humans have to depend on dietary sources of vitamin B6 which are produced by plants, fungi and bacteria. The present review currently focuses on the action of Vitamin B6 in the management of cardiovascular diseases.</jats:p

Enhancement of Agricultural Crops: A CRISPR/Cas9-Based Approach

Horticultural crops are indispensable agricultural food materials with all essential nutrients. Though, severe threats like pests, diseases, and adverse abiotic factors will affect their productivity and quality. This permits to promote sustainable agriculture by utilizing the recent biotechnological approach to tackle the mentioned issues. In recent year’s genome editing technologies has become one of the most executed genetic tools which altered plant molecular biology. Recently, CRISPR-Cas utilizes for its high target specificity, easier design, and higher success rate. This chapter deals with recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology in horticultural crops in response to the enrichment of essential metabolites, which was achieved by introducing the viral genome to the host via CRISPR-mediated targeted mutation. Furthermore, the strategies based on CRISPR/Cas9 targeted modifications of genes in crop species such as rice, wheat, and soy will be discussed. Finally, we discuss the challenges, improvements, and prospective applications of this cutting-edge technology

Biotechnology Advances in Bioremediation of Arsenic: A Review

Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid widespread in the Earth's crust, and its contamination due to different anthropogenic activities (application of agrochemicals, mining, waste management) represents an emerging environmental issue. Therefore, different sustainable and effective remediation methods and approaches are needed to prevent and protect humans and other organisms from detrimental arsenic exposure. Among numerous arsenic remediation methods, those supported by using microbes as sorbents (microbial remediation), and/or plants as green factories (phytoremediation) are considered as cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bioremediation. In addition, recent advances in genetic modifications and biotechnology have been used to develop (i) more efficient transgenic microbes and plants that can (hyper)accumulate or detoxify arsenic, and (ii) novel organo-mineral materials for more efficient arsenic remediation. In this review, the most recent insights from arsenic bio-/phytoremediation are presented, and the most relevant physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic biological routes, which can be useful starting points in the creation of more arsenic-tolerant microbes and plants, as well as their symbiotic associations are discussed

Biotechnology Advances in Bioremediation of Arsenic: A Review

Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid widespread in the Earth's crust, and its contamination due to different anthropogenic activities (application of agrochemicals, mining, waste management) represents an emerging environmental issue. Therefore, different sustainable and effective remediation methods and approaches are needed to prevent and protect humans and other organisms from detrimental arsenic exposure. Among numerous arsenic remediation methods, those supported by using microbes as sorbents (microbial remediation), and/or plants as green factories (phytoremediation) are considered as cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bioremediation. In addition, recent advances in genetic modifications and biotechnology have been used to develop (i) more efficient transgenic microbes and plants that can (hyper)accumulate or detoxify arsenic, and (ii) novel organo-mineral materials for more efficient arsenic remediation. In this review, the most recent insights from arsenic bio-/phytoremediation are presented, and the most relevant physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic biological routes, which can be useful starting points in the creation of more arsenic-tolerant microbes and plants, as well as their symbiotic associations are discussed.</jats:p