A review on scope of immuno-modulatory drugs in Ayurveda for prevention and treatment of Covid-19

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) infection attacking mainly on the immune system of a body. It is a potentially fatal disease that is of public health and economy concern globally. In December 2019, COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China furthermore spread worldwide. Research is underway in many countries to develop effective vaccines and drugs for the COVID-19. In Ayurveda, Acharya Charaka explained the concept of an epidemic condition in Janapadodhwans Adhayay and combating of these diseases is to be done by Panchakarma (five procedures of purification), Rasayana Chikitsa (immune-modulators therapy) and Sadvritta (good conduct). Rasayan dravyas (immuno modulators drugs) of Ayurveda can be used for health promotion, immune-modulation, prevention and reduce disease burden from COVID-19. Drugs such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifoloia (Willd.) Miers), Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica L.), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd), Chireta (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.) Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa L.) and Pippali ((Piper longum L.) For symptom management of COVID-19 like illness Agastya Haritaki, Anutaila, AYUSH–64 can be used. Scientific research on these drugs may reveal the new approach for the prevention and management of COVID-19. The main aim of this article is to review research which has already conducted and currently being carried out on the herbal plant for their immunomodulation property which have a possible application in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

Montmorillonite-anchored magnetite nanocomposite for recovery of ammonium from stormwater and its reuse in adsorption of Sc3+

The treatment of stormwater to remove and recover nutrients has received increasing interest. The objective of this study was to develop a novel adsorbent that is easy to handle, has good adsorption capacity, and is economical to use. A novel nanocomposite of montmorillonite (MT)-anchored magnetite (Fe3O4) was synthesised by co-precipitation as an adsorbent for ammonium. The MT/Fe3O4 nanocomposite had pore sizes (3–13 nm) in the range of narrow mesopores. The dispersion of the anchored Fe3O4 was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanocomposite exhibited higher affinity towards ammonium than the original MT. The Langmuir isotherm model was found to be the most suitable model to explain the ammonium adsorption behaviour of the nanocomposite. The maximum adsorption capacity for ammonium was 10.48 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism was a combination of ion exchange and electrostatic interaction. In an authentic stormwater sample, the synthesised adsorbent removed 64.2% of ammonium and reduced the amount of heavy metal contaminants including Mn, Ni, Cu and Zn. Furthermore, the ammonium loading on MT/Fe3O4 during adsorption functionalised the adsorbent surface. Additionally, the spent nanocomposite showed potential for rare earth elements (REEs) adsorption as a secondary application, especially for the selective adsorption of Sc3+. The versatile application of montmorillonite-anchored magnetite nanocomposite makes it a promising adsorbent for water treatment. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].Peer reviewe

Assessment of maintenance breeding methods in maize (Zea mays L.)

An investigation was conducted at IASc. BHU, Varanasi (Rabi 2014-15 to Kharif 2017) with four maize inbreds using three maintenance methods (selfing, half-sibbing and full-sibbing) for four generations in which a significant amount of genetic correlation was found between the morphological and molecular analyses. The comparison offour inbreds revealed a deviation in the clustering pattern after the four generations of maintenance. A maximum similarity coefficient was recorded between HKI 193-1 FS and LM 10 FS lines; full-sibbing showed the highest similarity between the first and fourth generation. Most of the inbreds followed a similar clustering pattern in morphological as well as in molecular diversity analyses. HKI 1105 is considered as most stable inbred in terms of giving a wide range of partitioning the regression coefficient. The quadratic and cubic trend through the graphical method showed self-ingled to a negative [cb1] response as well as maximum changes whereas, the full-sibbingmethod recorded with the minimum changes over the generations. Comparison of the combining ability of the inbreds by three methods revealed that CML-161 followed by HKI 1105 recorded maximum and LM 10 recorded minimum significant GCA effects. Through all the experiments it was proved that selfing caused the highest lossof vigour whereas full-sibbing was most stable

A Comprehensive Overview Of Biological Aspects Of Plasmodium Knowlesi

Plasmodium knowlesi, originally known to cause simian malaria, is now recognized as the fifth human malarial parasite; in addition to P. vivax, P.alciparum, P. malariae & P. ovale. It is predominant in South East (SE) Asian Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, and Philippines. However, until recently, its prevalence was miniscule in India. A recent report from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, revealed presence of P. knowlesi-specific gene sequences in 53 out of 445 cases scanned for malarial parasites. The life cycle of the parasite, like its other counterparts, requires infection of both a mosquito and a warm-blooded host. The present review provides a detailed overview of the parasite, its life cycle, prevalence and its comparisons with other Plasmodium species. In addition, a comparison is drawn at the genomic and genetic level to provide an in-depth understanding of the parasite’s unique characteristics. The cyto-adhering properties and antigenic variants of Plasmodium knowlesi are also discussed

GRIM-1, a Novel Growth Suppressor, Inhibits rRNA Maturation by Suppressing Small Nucleolar RNAs

We have recently isolated novel IFN-inducible gene, Gene associated with Retinoid-Interferon-induced Mortality-1 (GRIM-1), using a genetic technique. Moderate ectopic expression of GRIM-1 caused growth inhibition and sensitized cells to retinoic acid (RA)/IFN-induced cell death while high expression caused apoptosis. GRIM-1 depletion, using RNAi, conferred a growth advantage. Three protein isoforms (1α, 1β and 1γ) with identical C-termini are produced from GRIM-1 mRNA. We show that GRIM-1 isoforms interact with NAF1 and DKC1, two essential proteins required for box H/ACA sno/sca RNP biogenesis and suppresses box H/ACA RNA levels in mammalian cells by delocalizing NAF1. Suppression of these small RNAs manifests as inefficient rRNA maturation and growth suppression. Interestingly, yeast Shq1p also caused growth suppression in mammalian cells. Consistent with its growth-suppressive property, GRIM-1 expression is lost in a number of human primary prostate tumors. Our observations support a recent study that GRIM-1 might act as a co-tumor suppressor in the prostate

A comprehensive review of the reclamation of resources from spent lithium-ion batteries

Due to the increased application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the number of spent LIBs has increased significantly in recent years, which has resulted in new waste management challenges for the recycling industry. The recycling of spent LIBs has gained enormous interest globally, as this can mitigate resource shortages and reduce the detrimental environmental impact of spent LIB waste. As the demand for LIBs continues to grow, it is important to recycle spent LIBs to establish a sustainable supply chain for the critical materials required for battery production. This comprehensive review addresses different strategies for resource recovery from LIBs and covers state-of-the-art processes for recycling LIBs. Additionally, the challenges and strategies for resource recovery from LIBs are highlighted. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of different recycling processes are addressed

Synthesis of novel mesoporous selenium-doped biochar with high-performance sodium diclofenac and reactive orange 16 dye removals

In this study, for the first time, a selenium-doped mesoporous biochar was prepared and efficiently employed for sodium diclofenac and reactive orange 16 dye adsorption. The characterization results indicated that selenium doping had a remarkable impact on Biochar-Se morphological and physicochemical structures. The efficacy of developed biochar samples on reactive orange 16 (RO-16) and diclofenac (DCF) removals was fully investigated. For both molecules (DCF and RO-16), Liu's equilibrium model offered the best fitness with maximum adsorption capacity values of 355 mg g−1 for DCF and 538 mg g−1 for RO-16 for Biochar-Se. Multiple mechanisms including pore filling, π-π interaction, and hydrogen bonding between the Biochar-Se and DCF/RO-16 molecules were involved in the adsorption process. Se-nanoparticles formed metal–oxygen bonds, which boosted the adsorption of DCF and RO-16 molecules. The current work offered a feasible approach for the development of Se-doped biochar adsorbent that is incredibly effective in treating wastewater

Effect of salinity and nitrogen fertilization levels on growth parameters of Sarcocornia fruticosa, Salicornia brachiata, and Arthrocnemum macrostachyum

Salinity negatively influences crop growth, but several salt-tolerant plant species (halophytes) are viable crops. Sarcocornia fruticosa (ecotypes EL and VM) is currently cultivated, but there is demand for new crop candidates and higher biomass production. Salicornia brachiata Roxb. and Arthrocneum macrostachyum L. are considered novel crops, and to realize their potential, their response to salinity and nitrogen nutrition was compared to S. fruticosa ecotypes. Experiments revealed that higher N supplemented with lower NaCl significantly increased fresh and dry shoot biomass. Lower biomass was obtained at lower nitrogen supplemented with elevated NaCl, whereas total soluble solids content positively correlated with NaCl fertigation in both Sarcocornia ecotypes. Protein content increased with a lower nitrogen supply. Anthocyanins and oxygen radical absorbance capacity were highest in S. fruticosa EL and A. macrostachyum at higher NaCl supply. The results show that halophytes have a variety of strategies to cope with high NaCl, even between ecotypes of the same species. Notably, repetitive harvesting of S. brachiata delayed flowering enabling year-round biomass production. Additionally, S. brachiata accumulated higher biomass than Sarcocornia VM when grown in a greenhouse at higher radiation than in a growth room and strongly supports its inclusion as a cash-crop halophyte.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio