Biochar as a Versatile Resource for Achieving Sustainability in Agri-food Chains

The agriculture sector generates a significant quantity of waste. These wastes, when mismanaged, can cause environmental issues like air, water, and soil pollution. Thus, the upcycling of agricultural wastes especially for bioenergy production would be highly advantageous. Biofuels, including biochar, biogas, biodiesel, and bioethanol, are eco-friendly fuels owing a significant contribution to the bioenergy industry. Biochar, a carbon-rich substance prepared from a wide range of feedstocks, can be produced from agricultural wastes via pyrolysis and has numerous applications. When added to soil, biochar enhances soil fertility by acting as a soil conditioner. It can also be used to purify air and wastewater and/or used for carbon sequestering, in the textile and construction industries. Moreover, biochar can also be used in the food products such as charcoal-based ice cream, and cookies besides being an animal feed improver. Furthermore, biochar has potential applications in the cosmetic industry and can address issues such as climate change, energy shortages, and food security. The use of agricultural wastes for biochar production can be a tool for low-cost bioenergy production, which could improve the financial status of local farmers. The current review emphasizes the potential of biochar as a versatile resource for achieving sustainability in agri-food chains by recycling generated waste

Effect of varieties and storage on the quality parameters of nectarine (Prunus persica)-based intermediate moisture food (IMF) products

Fruits play an important role in maintaining a healthy life. Nectarine is a hybrid fruit of peach and plum, wherein efforts were made to develop intermediate moisture food products (jam and jelly) from nectarine varieties (May Fire, Snow Queen, and Silver King). The study aimed to determine the effect of storage on the nutritional (TSS, pH, acidity, ascorbic acid, and sugars) and sensory parameters (color, taste, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability) of jam and jelly at different storage intervals. Storage had a nonsignificant effect on the total soluble solids, with reported mean values of 69.670 Brix, while the pH content of jam varied significantly from 2.90-2.20 during 6 months of storage. The values for acidity and total sugars increased (P≤0.05) significantly from 1.92-2.03 percent and 57.04 to 56.93 percent, respectively. However, the ascorbic acid content decreased significantly from 4.64 - 1.66 mg/100 g. In the case of jelly, the total soluble solids and pH decreased from 67.78 – 67.440 Brix and 2.70 – 2.48, respectively, during storage for 6 months at ambient temperature. The ascorbic acid content decreased from 4.56-2.10 mg/100 g. Among cultivars, there was a nonsignificant difference in the nutritional parameters of jam, but in the case of jelly, different cultivars had a significant effect on TSS, pH, and ascorbic acid content. Organoleptically, the nectarine jam was rated as ‘liked very much’, while the jelly ‘liked slightly’, with good storage acceptance up to 6 months. Being nectarine as a superfood can be explored to develop speciality food products for vulnerable sections of society

Status of Serum and Salivary Levels of Superoxide Dismutase in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Oral Manifestations: A Case Control Study

BACKGROUND: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a very well known metabolic disorder that has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress increases in Diabetes Mellitus because of the excessive production of reactive oxygen species and an impaired antioxidant defence mechanism. This study estimated, compared and correlated the serum and salivary Superoxide dismutase levels in healthy subjects and subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus having oral manifestations.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, serum and salivary Superoxide dismutase levels were estimated in 45 healthy subjects and 45 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with oral manifestations.RESULTS: The mean serum and salivary Superoxide dismutase levels were significantly decreased in subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with oral manifestations compared to the healthy subjects. Positive correlation in both healthy and diabetics was observed between serum and salivary samples.CONCLUSION: This study highlights that the abnormally high levels of oxidative stress in diabetics coupled with simultaneous decline in antioxidant defence mechanism results in complications in Diabetes mellitus. Thus exploring saliva for antioxidant markers that accurately reflect the redox status of the body is worthwhile.KEYWORDS: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Superoxide dismutase, antioxidan

Status of thiocyanate levels in the serum and saliva of non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers

Background: Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure.Objective: To assess the rise in the level of thiocyanate for measurement of smoking behaviour in adults.Materials and methods: Serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were estimated in 20 non-smokers, 20 ex-smokers and 40 smokers. Smokers were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions.Results: The mean serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were increased significantly in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The levels were not significantly different between ex-smokers and non-smokers and between smokers with tobacco related oral mucosal lesions and those without. Statistically significant correlation was seen between the serum and salivary levels of thiocyanate.Conclusion: This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time.Keywords: Thiocyanate, tobacco, smoking, cancer, pre-cancer

Current approaches to measure nitric oxide in plants

Nitric oxide (NO) is now established as an important signalling molecule in plants where it influences growth, development, and responses to stress. Despite extensive research, the most appropriate methods to measure and localize these signalling radicals are debated and still need investigation. Many confounding factors such as the presence of other reactive intermediates, scavenging enzymes, and compartmentation influence how accurately each can be measured. Further, these signalling radicals have short half-lives ranging from seconds to minutes based on the cellular redox condition. Hence, it is necessary to use sensitive and specific methods in order to understand the contribution of each signalling molecule to various biological processes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on NO measurement in plant samples, via various methods. We also discuss advantages, limitations, and wider applications of each method

Status of thiocyanate levels in the serum and saliva of non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers

Background: Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure. Objective: To assess the rise in the level of thiocyanate for measurement of smoking behaviour in adults. Materials and methods: Serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were estimated in 20 non-smokers, 20 ex-smokers and 40 smokers. Smokers were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions. Results: The mean serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were increased significantly in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The levels were not significantly different between ex-smokers and non-smokers and between smokers with tobacco related oral mucosal lesions and those without. Statistically significant correlation was seen between the serum and salivary levels of thiocyanate. Conclusion: This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time

miR-17 ~ 92 suppresses proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting cell cycle regulator Cdt2

Abstract Cervical cancer (CC) is the 4th most leading cause of death among women worldwide, and if diagnosed in late stages the treatment options are almost negligible. 99% of CC is caused by high-risk human papilloma viruses (HR-HPV). Upon integration into human genome, the encoded viral proteins mis-regulate various onco-suppressors and checkpoint factors including cell cycle regulators. One such protein is cell cycle S phase licensing factor, CDC-10 dependent transcript-2 (Cdt2) which has been reported to be highly upregulated in various cancers including CC. Also, in CC cells, several tumor suppressor miRNAs are suppressed, including miR-17 ~ 92 cluster. In this study, we report that miR-17 ~ 92 directly recruits to 3’UTR of Cdt2 and downregulates this oncogene which suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion capabilities of the CC cell lines without affecting non-cancerous cells. We further show that suppression of Cdt2 by miR-17 ~ 92, blocks the cancerous cells in S phase and induces apoptosis, eventually leading to their death. Hence, our work for the first time, mechanistically shows how miR-17 ~ 92 could work as tumor suppressor in cervical cancer cells, opening up the potential of miR-17 ~ 92 to be used in developing therapy for cervical cancer treatment