Effect of different drying techniques on the quality attributes and antioxidant properties of green banana pulp

The green banana is a major crop in the tropics and subtropics. Raw bananas are packed with many nutrients and phytochemicals, which play a significant role in promoting health. Preserving green banana pulp is challenging because of its high moisture level. Drying is a crucial component in conserving and exploiting residual pulp materials. This study is innovative in investigating various drying techniques for banana pulp and subsequently conducting a comparative analysis of different drying techniques concerning their outcomes. The physiochemical characteristics such as moisture diffusivity, texture, color, and phytochemicals are also thoroughly examined

Maternal and perinatal outcomes of rupture uterus at rural tertiary care institution: a retrospective study

Background: Rupture of the pregnant uterus is a life threatening, preventable obstetric complication associated with high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, maternal and perinatal outcome of rupture uterus at a rural tertiary care institution.Methods: Retrospective study included all uterine rupture cases booked or unbooked in hospital over a period of 6 years from January 2009-December 2014. In all patient’s case files, labour room and theatre records were reviewed and analyzed. Uterine rupture cases were categorized into complete and incomplete. Complete rupture was defined as full thickness uterine wall defect and incomplete rupture as small uterine wall defect. Only complete uterine rupture cases were included in the study. Cases with uterine dehiscence or other partial defects of uterine wall were excluded.Results: Total of 57 cases of uterine rupture was managed during the 6 years study period. In this period there were a total of 28,607 deliveries, giving a ratio of 1:502 and incidence of uterine rupture was calculated to be 0.199%. There were 43 (75.4%) rupture in scarred and 14 (24.56%) rupture in unscarred uterus. Majority (52.63%) were in age group 21-30 years, 42.10% cases were in age group 31-40 years. Maximum (91.2%) patient were between paraity 1 and parity 4, at 36-40 weeks of gestational age. 89.5% unbooked, 59.6% of rupture were managed with scar repair, 36.84% had bilateral tubal ligation done along with scar repair. 40.3% underwent hysterectomy (subtotal 29.82% and total abdominal hysterectomy 10.52%). Commonest complication was anemia for which multiple transfusions were given. In 5.3% bladder repair was done. Maternal mortality due to rupture was 8.77%. Perinatal mortality was 85.9%.Conclusions: Incidence of rupture is very high in our rural tertiary center. Mortality and complications due to rupture can be decreased by regular antenatal visits, early referral, taking timely and active interventions and blood transfusions

A rare case of repeated expulsions of a giant cervical fibroid per vaginum followed by delivery of near term babies in two consecutive pregnancies

Huge cervical fibroid polyp with red degeneration, obstructing birth canal might be a night mare for obstetricians. Most of us will plan for a caesarean section but somehow due to lack medical consultation; a patient in rural setup with a huge cervical fibroid, delivered normal in two consecutive pregnancies. This case is unique because no such case has been reported in literature where normal delivery took place twice in the same patient, with such a huge fibroid with red degeneration, obstructing the birth canal

Assessing the Genetic Variability of Agro-morphological Traits Related to Fodder Production in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. walp)

The existence of genetic variability within a population is a fundamental requirement for promoting the effectiveness of any breeding operation. The study was carried out at Dr. RPCAU's research farm located in Pusa Samastipur, Bihar, during the kharif season of 2019-20. The objective was to assess the genetic variability among 23 cowpea genotypes (22 genotypes from various locations in the country and 1 check genotype). The study employed a randomised block design, consisting of three replications and a total of fifteen characters were recorded during the study. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed statistically significant mean sum of squares (MSS) values attributed to genotype for all recorded variables, suggesting the existence of a substantial amount of diversity across the cowpea genotypes utilised in the study. In general, the recorded values for the Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation were found to be higher than those for the Genotypic Coefficient of Variation. The study observed high heritability estimates and high genetic advance for various traits, including plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem thickness, leaf-to-stem ratio, dry matter percentage, leaf fresh weight per plant, dry weight of stem per plant, seed yield per plant, and dry matter yield per plant. These findings suggest that the influence of the environment on these phenotypes is minimal. One of the key conclusions drawn from the study is that the direct selection of these traits can be employed to enhance fodder characteristics in cowpea

Does silicon really matter for the photosynthetic machinery in plants…?

Silicon (Si) is known to alleviate the adverse impact of different abiotic and biotic stresses by different mechanisms including morphological, physiological, and genetic changes. Photosynthesis, one of the most important physiological processes in the plant is sensitive to different stress factors. Several studies have shown that Si ameliorates the stress effects on photosynthesis by protecting photosynthetic machinery and its function. In stressed plants, several photosynthesis-related processes including PSII maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), the yield of photosystem II (φPSII), electron transport rates (ETR), and photochemical quenching (qP) were observed to be regulated when supplemented with Si, which indicates that Si effectively protects the photosynthetic machinery. In addition, studies also suggested that Si is capable enough to maintain the uneven swelling, disintegrated, and missing thylakoid membranes caused during stress. Furthermore, several photosynthesis-related genes were also regulated by Si supplementation. Taking into account the key impact of Si on the evolutionarily conserved process of photosynthesis in plants, this review article is focused on the aspects of silicon and photosynthesis interrelationships during stress and signaling pathways. The assemblages of this discussion shall fulfill the lack of constructive literature related to the influence of Si on one of the most dynamic and important processes of plant life i.e. photosynthesis. Previous article in issu

Silver Nanoparticle’s Toxicological Effects and Phytoremediation

The advancement in nanotechnology has brought numerous benefits for humans in diverse areas including industry, medicine, and agriculture. The demand in the application of nanomaterials can result in the release of these anthropogenic materials into soil and water that can potentially harm the environment by affecting water and soil properties (e.g., soil texture, pH, organic matter, and water content), plants, animals, and subsequently human health. The properties of nanoparticles including their size, surface area, and reactivity affect their fate in the environment and can potentially result in their toxicological effects in the ecosystem and on living organisms. There is extensive research on the application of nano-based materials and the consequences of their release into the environment. However, there is little information about environmentally friendly approaches for removing nanomaterials from the environment. This article provides insight into the application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), as one of the most commonly used nanomaterials, their toxicological effects, their impacts on plants and microorganisms, and briefly reviews the possibility of remediation of these metabolites using phytotechnology approaches. This article provides invaluable information to better understand the fate of nanomaterials in the environment and strategies in removing them from the environment

Elucidation of Genetic Variability for Seed Yield and Its Component Traits, along with Association Studies in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh.]

The experimental material consisted of fifty-five pigeonpea genotypes sown in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications during the kharif, 2020-2021 crop seasons at the N. E. B. Crop Research Centre of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. The components of genetic variance, correlation, and path coefficient were estimated for seed yield and its component by using fifty five pigeonpea genotypes. The highest PCV (> 20%) was recorded for characters, viz. number of secondary branches per plant (62.34%), number of primary branches per plant (37.65%), number of pods per plant (33.00 %), and seed yield per plant (31.84%), and lowest estimates (< 10%) of PCV were found for days to 50% flowering (9.45%) and days to maturity (5.74%). The high estimates of GCV (> 20%) were recorded for traits viz., number of secondary branches (42.16%), number of pods per plant (32.65 %), and seed yield/plant (30.54%), and lowest estimates of GCV were (<10%) for days to 50% flowering (9.43%) and days to maturity (5.71%) number of seeds per pod (5.28 %) and 100-seed weight (9.51 %). The number of pods per plant, (0.858) had high positive direct effects on the seed yield per plant along with a positive and significant correlation (rp=0.77). Based on the present investigation, it is evident that delving into genetic variability, correlations, and path analyses provides a more effective approach for selection of superior cultivars for yield and related traits

Promising Roles of Alternative Medicine and Plant-Based Nanotechnology as Remedies for Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered to be the most common infections worldwide, having an incidence rate of 40−60% in women. Moreover, the prevalence of this disorder in adult women is 30 times more than in men. UTIs are usually found in many hospitals and clinical practice; as disorders, they are complicated and uncomplicated; in uncomplicated cases, there is no structural or functional abnormality in the urogenital tract. However, obstruction, retention of urine flow and use of catheters increase the complexity. There are several bacteria (e.g., E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, etc.) successfully residing in the tract. The diagnosis must not only be accurate but rapid, so early detection is an important step in the control of UTIs caused by uropathogens. The treatment of UTIs includes appropriate antimicrobial therapy to control the infection and kill the causal microbes inside the body. A long-time usage of antibiotics has resulted in multidrug resistance causing an impediment in treatment. Thus, alternative, combinatorial medication approaches have given some hope. Available treatments considered Homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani, and other herbal-based drugs. There are new upcoming roles of nanoparticles in combating UTIs which needs further validation. The role of medicinal plant-based nanotechnology approaches has shown promising results. Therefore, there must be active research in phyto-based therapies of UTIs, such as Ayurvedic Biology