Molecular mechanisms of reversing neural degeneration by retinoic acid, a major derivative of vitamin A

For the past hundred years since the discovery of vitamin A, the field of research associated with retinoids has been well evolved due to advances in molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry and medicine. Vitamin A is an essential component in diet. Major derivatives of vitamin A such as retinol, retinaldehydes and retinoic acid are collectively considered as retinoids. Deficit of Vitamin A has a direct correlation with disease development in our body emphasizing the importance of retinol. Retinoic Acid is proclaimed as powerful mitogen acting in our body since the developmental embryonic stages where it is associated with many organ systems in body carrying out different functionalities. Retinoids carry out many functions of nervous systems. This review is mainly focused on contribution of Retinoic acid towards reversing the process of neural degeneration in pathological conditions achieved by neurodegenerative diseases and tumor inducing situations. Retinoids can act on neurons carrying morphogenesis of nerves by promoting stem cell differentiation. Activation of phospholipase A2 pathway can promote neural differentiation. Also by inactivating human Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 gene, retinols can suppress stem cell proliferation and initiate morphogenesis. This gene inactivation can be also used as a therapy to prevent malignant cell proliferation leading to tumors. Anti amyloidogenic activity is discussed in this review locates a significant importance in reversing neural degenerating process in diseased conditions. Moreover, Reactive Oxygen Species accumulation can be suppressed by Retinoic Acid where it can promote cell survival during pathological constrains. The revision of literature is carried out in depth revealing Retinoic Acid related putative drug target mechanisms, where we can use Retinoic Acid as a novel therapeutic drug in neurodegenerative diseases

Dietary, anticancer and medicinal properties of the phytochemicals in chili pepper (<em>Capsicum spp.</em>)

Chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) is important as a spice, flavour enhancer, vegetable and component in herbal medicine. The numerous phytochemicals and their medicinally important properties present in diverse germplasm of chili pepper have been characterized and documented. Capsaicinoids, carotenoids, vitamins, flavonoids such as anthocyanins are present as the major phytochemicals in chili pepper fruits. Capsaicinoids, pungent analogues of capsinoids, are the most important group of phytochemicals in which capsaicin and dihydrocapsaic in are prominent in providing the basis for pungency and medicinal properties. The detailed studies conducted on the phytochemicals in chili pepper fruits using mouse models and human cell lines have reported an array of anticancer effects on leukemia, myeloma and various carcinomas associated with the digestive tract. In addition, chili pepper possesses anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticholesteremic, anticlotting and antioxidant activities. Therefore, this review is compiled to provide a comprehensive assessment of the phytochemical profile and medicinal values of chili pepper.  Collectively, numerous studies performed to date demonstrated the potential medicinal significance of chili pepper for development of herbal medicine and to plan further studies to elucidate other hitherto unknown medicinal values

Phylogeographic and phylogenetic analyses of selected set of wild and naturalized <em>Solanum</em> spp. in Sri Lanka

Solanum spp. encompass a greater share of the biodiversity in the world. Sri Lanka, one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, is the home for wide range of Solanum spp. which have been named and morphologically characterized.However, their origins and times of origin have not yet been resolved. Hence, this study was conducted to identify the origins and origination events of 13 wild and naturalized Solanum spp. found in Sri Lanka, using DNA barcoding locus matK in comparison to worldwide Solanum spp. with phylogenetics and divergence dating approaches. In this study, 13 Sri Lankan Solanum spp. were separated into four defined phylogenetic groups viz., Old world, Morelloids, Acanthophora and Trova. The studied Sri Lankan Solanum spp. would have been originated in Africa 2.007 million years ago (MYA) in the Pleistocene epoch through mammalian migration from Mediterranean land bridges. The Australian relatives of Sri Lankan Solanum spp. would have been colonized from South Asia through South East Asia. The floristic connectivity in Pleistocene epoch may have introduced Asian Solanum spp. to South East Asia where mid Miocenic collisions between Australian and Asian plates as well as over water Long Distance Dispersal (LDD) may have caused these species to colonize in Australia. Our analysis demonstrated that most of the Solanum spp. found in Sri Lanka were introduced from India during the Pleistocene ice age. We suggest that Pre Pleistocene migrations of Solanum spp. such as S. nigrum may have occurred through overwater LDD

Upregulation of Oxidative Stress Related Genes in a Chronic Kidney Disease Attributed to Specific Geographical Locations of Sri Lanka

Objective. To infer the influence of internal and external oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease patients of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka, by analyzing expression of genes related directly or indirectly to oxidative stress: glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3). Methods. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out for the selected populations: CKDu patients (n=43), chronic kidney disease patients (CKD; n=14), healthy individuals from a CKDu endemic area (GHI; n=9), and nonendemic area (KHI; n=16). Fold changes were quantified relative to KHI. Results. GCLC had greater than threefold upregulation in all three study groups, with a maximum of 7.27-fold upregulation in GHI (p=0.000). GSTM1 was not expressed in 25.6% of CKDu and 42.9% of CKD patients, but CKDu patients expressing GSTM1 showed upregulation of 2.60-fold (p<0.05). Upregulation of FGF23 and NLRP3 genes in CKD and CKDu was observed (p<0.01), with greater fold changes in CKD. Conclusion. Results suggest higher influence of external sources of oxidative stress in CKDu, possibly owing to environmental conditions

Assessment of the association between yield parameters and polymorphic sites of the <i>Ghd7</i> locus in a core-set of rice cultivars grown in Sri Lanka

Yield improvement is a major aspect in rice breeding programs. Ghd7 is a pleiotropic gene which regulates yield, plant height, and heading date in rice. Although Ghd7 has been previously cloned and sequenced in several other rice cultivars, none of the studies have been conducted for Sri Lankan rice germplasm. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the yield performance of 12 rice cultivars, genetic polymorphism of Ghd7 locus and associations between DNA markers and yield traits. Breeder seeds of the selected cultivars were obtained from RRDI, Bathalagoda, and established under greenhouse conditions at Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in Maha and Yala seasons, 2017. The cultivars were subjected to morphometric analysis, genotyped for 12 DNA markers and sequenced at Seq7-8 locus. Morphometric data were subjected to single marker analysis using General Linear Model (GLM) in SAS 9.4. Here we reported six marker haplotypes based on the arrangement of 13 DNA maker alleles at Ghd7. Moreover, twenty-three SNP/INDEL variations at Seq7-8 locus revealed close genetic relationships between the rice cultivars Bg 90-2, Bg 352 and At 307, Bg310. Four polymorphic markers (Seq7-8, Seq1-2, RM5436 and RM5346) were significantly associated with rice yield traits so that they could be used in marker assisted selection. The SNPs/INDELs of Ghd7 were significantly associated with all the yield traits except 100 seed weight and 100 endosperm weight. Thus the present study demonstrate the possibility of employing marker assisted breeding to improve rice yield using the polymorphic genomic information at Ghd7 locus

Analyses of phylogenetics, starch granule morphology and consumer preference of <i>Canna indica</i> L. grown in Sri Lanka

Canna indica is a tuber crop which has many medicinal values. In Sri Lanka, C. indica tubers are consumed in rural areas and mainly available in street-markets of Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy Districts. In the present study, we assessed the phylogenetics of C. indica, starch granule morphology and consumer preference of C. indica tubers in comparison to the popular tuber crops. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted based on the sequence polymorphism at rbcL, atpB gene, trnL-trnF and trnH-psbA marker-loci with respect to the ornamental Canna spp. in Sri Lanka and the previously published sequences of Canna spp. The starch granules were isolated and observed under optical and scanning electron microscopes. The diameter and the surface area of the starch granules were measured under the optical microscope and subjected to analysis of variance. As C. indica tubers are consumed as boiled tuber pieces in Sri Lanka, the consumer preference analysis was conducted using the boiled tuber pieces C. indica, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Manihot esculenta, Solanum tuberosum, and Ipomoea batatas. The phylogenetic tree based on rbcL marker revealed that C. indica in Sri Lanka is slightly divergent from the other Canna spp. Only the polymorphism of the atpB gene can be used to differentiate C. indica from the ornamental Canna sp. in Sri Lanka. The morphological analysis of starch granules revealed that C. indica has the biggest scallop-seashell shaped starch granules compared to other tuber species. The boiled C. indica tubers were accepted better than that of X. sagittifolium, rated equally to the tubers of S. tuberosum and M. esculenta, and rated less than I. batatas. The hardy and fibrous nature of C. indica tubers must be the major limiting factors for achieving the highest consumer preference highlighting the need of breeding for better texture in tuber

Photosynthetic Phenomics of Field- and Greenhouse-Grown Amaranths vs. Sensory and Species Delimits

Consumers hesitate to purchase field-grown shoot-tops of amaranths in Sri Lanka, citing the low-cleanliness making growers focus on greenhouse farming. However, the photosynthetic and growth variations in relation to the organoleptic preference of the greenhouse-grown amaranths in comparison to field-grown counterparts have not been studied. Also, the species delimits of the amaranths in Sri Lanka have not been identified, limiting our ability to interpret species-specific production characteristics. Thus, we assessed the common types of amaranths under greenhouse and field conditions. The photosynthesis was measured using a MultispeQ device of the PhotosynQ phenomic platform, which records chlorophyll fluorescence-based parameters. The shoot-tops were harvested and prepared as dishes according to the typical recipe for amaranths in Sri Lanka. The dishes were subjected to an organoleptic assessment for the parameters color, aroma, bitterness, texture, and overall taste. The differences in plant and the shoot-top biomass were also assessed. The markers atpB-rbcL, matk-trnT, and ITS were used to define the species delimits. The field-grown and greenhouse-grown amaranths exhibited species/cultivar-specific photosynthetic variations. The texture and overall taste of the dishes were different among greenhouse and field-grown material. The tasters preferred the texture and the overall taste of the greenhouse-grown shoot-tops. The greenhouse-grown plants also yielded higher shoot-top harvests compared to field-grown counterparts. Out of the tested markers, ITS defines the delimits of amaranth species. The higher organoleptic preference, the appreciable yield levels, unique photosynthetic patterns of the greenhouse-grown amaranths, and species definitions provide the much-needed platform for clean shoot-top production guaranteeing the highest end-user trust

Correction: The phylogenetic analysis of VP1 genomic region in foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O isolates in Sri Lanka reveals the existence of 'Srl-97', a newly named endemic lineage.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194077.]

Transboundary movements of foot-and-mouth disease from India to Sri Lanka: A common pattern is shared by serotypes O and C.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) affects the livestock industry in a transboundary manner. It is essential to understand the FMD phylodynamics to assist in the disease-eradication. FMD critically affects the Sri Lankan cattle industry causing substantial economic losses. Even though many studies have covered the serotyping and genotyping of FMD virus (FMDV) in Sri Lanka, there is a significant knowledge gap exists in understanding the FMDV phylodynamics in the country. In the present study, the VP1 genomic region of FMD viral isolates belonging to serotype C from Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries were sequenced. All the published VPI sequences of serotype C and most of the published VP1 sequences for lineage ME-SA/Ind-2001d of serotype O from Sri Lanka, India, and other South Asian countries were retrieved. The datasets of serotype C and serotype O were separately analyzed using Bayesian, maximum likelihood, and phylogenetic networking methods to infer the transboundary movements and evolutionary aspects of the FMDV incursions in Sri Lanka. A model-based approach was used to detect any possible recombination events of FMDV incursions. Our results revealed that the invasions of the topotype ASIA of serotype C and the lineage ME-SA/Ind-2001d have a similar pattern of transboundary movement and evolution. The haplotype networks and phylogenies developed in the present study confirmed that FMDV incursions in Sri Lanka mainly originate from the Indian subcontinent, remain quiet after migration, and then cause outbreaks in a subsequent year. Since there are no recombination events detected among the different viral strains across serotypes and topotypes, we can assume that the incursions tend to show the independent evolution compared to the ancestral viral populations. Thus, we highlight the need for thorough surveillance of cattle/ruminants and associated product-movement into Sri Lanka from other regions to prevent the transboundary movement of FMDV

The establishment of the species-delimits and varietal-identities of the cultivated germplasm of Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca in Sri Lanka using morphometric, organoleptic and phylogenetic approaches.

Luffa acutangula and L. aegyptiaca are two vegetable species commonly found in South and South East Asia. L. acutangula is widely grown; however, L. aegyptiaca is considered as an underutilized crop. The species delimits, phylogenetic positions, and the varietal identities of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca in Sri Lanka are not known. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to establish the species delimits and varietal identities of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca varieties grown in Sri Lanka using morphometric, phylogenetic and organoleptic assessments. We assessed five varieties of L. acutangula and three varieties of L. aegyptiaca. The vegetative and reproductive data were collected for the morphometric analysis and DNA sequence polymorphism of the makers rbcL, trnH-psbA and ITS for the phylogenetic analysis. We also conducted an organoleptic assessment based on taste parameters; aroma, bitterness, color, texture, and overall preference using the dishes prepared according to the most common Sri Lankan recipe for Luffa. The variation of the vegetative and reproductive traits grouped L. acutangula varieties into two distinct clusters. The trnH-psbA polymorphism provided the basis for the species delimits of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca. The rbcL and ITS polymorphisms provided the basis for the identities of the varieties of L. aegyptiaca and L. acutangula respectively. In the phylogeny, the L. acutangula varieties of Sri Lanka formed a unique clade and the L. aegyptiaca varieties formed a reciprocal monophyletic group in comparison to worldwide L. aegyptiaca reported. The taste parameters aroma, texture, color, and overall preference were significantly different among the Luffa varieties. The L. aegyptiaca varieties received lower preference in the organoleptic assessment. The present study sets the species delimits, phylogenetic positions and the varietal identities of the cultivated germplasm of Luffa and revealed the distinct morphological and organoleptic properties of each variety