COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF PRELIMINARY PHARMACOGNOSY AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY OF TWO SOURCE PLANTS OF BALA (SIDA CORDIFOLIA, LINN. AND SIDA RETUSA LINN.)

"Balaâ€- a predominant herbal drug, has wide selection of uses as a single drug and also is an ingredient in most of the popular and extensively used Ayurveda formulations. Ayurvedic Formulary of India accepts Sida cordifolia Linn. as Bala. Sida cordifolia being not so common in Southern parts of India has paved way for use of Sida retusa Linn., presently known as Sida alnifolia a common plant to be used as source plant of Bala in Kerala. In the present study, preliminary pharmacognostical, physical and phytochemical evaluation including chromatography of Sida cordifolia, Linn. and Sida retusa Linn. was done to evaluate their use as source plants of Bala. The pharmacognostical study by virtue of organoleptic evaluation and microscopy of Transverse section of the two species were performed and documented based on the standard procedure. The findings are valuable source of information as it may assist identification of the 2 drugs. Preliminary physical and phytochemical analysis of genuine sample of the study drug Sida cordifolia, Linn. and Sida retusa Linn. were conducted as a part of the study. These tests are simple and easy to carry out and give valuable information about the identity, genuineness and purity of the drug. The preliminary pharmacognostical and phytochemical screening of Sida cordifolia and Sida retusa suggests that either of the plants could be the source plants of Bala due to their immense similarity. It makes it highly probable that the pharmacological activities and therapeutic efficacy could possibly be same

ASSESSING THE COMPETING ABILITY OF WEEDY RICE (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) WITH CULTIVATED RICE UNDER ELEVATED CO2 CONDITIONS

Climate change can adversely affect rice production, especially for weed management in the context of emergence and proliferation of newer weed species like weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) in the rice growing tracts of Kerala. In the past decade, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has risen from 371.82 to 407.05 ppm from 2000 to 2018 which might have an impact on the competitive ability of a C3 plant like weedy rice. The competitiveness of weedy rice was studied in an open top chamber (OTC) under a CO2 concentration of 500 ppm (Chamber A), OTC without external CO2 supply (Chamber B), and open condition along with two popular cultivated rice varieties Uma and Jyothi with both air and soil temperature inside the chamber to the tune of 40-430C and 35-400C respectively. The study revealed a higher competitive potential of weedy rice in terms of tillering ability under elevated carbon dioxide as it responded well compared to cultivated rice varieties. There was a differential response of rice varieties to elevated CO2 conditions with medium duration variety responding well compared to short duration one. Compared to ambient conditions (chamber B and open condition), higher tillering was observed under elevated CO2 (chamber A) in which weedy rice tillered profusely (17.33) than cultivated rice species (9 and 11.33). There was a linear increase in plant height of weedy rice in chamber A (108.97 cm) during the initial stages and in chamber B (112.77 cm) during reproductive stages. The study evidenced that in the coming future, higher CO2 levels can stimulate biomass production of C3 weed like weedy rice with a greater increase in tillering which could be an important trait affecting inter specific competition

A comprehensive analysis of Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) gene for salinity tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Soil salinity affects various crop cultivation but legumes are the most sensitive to salinity. Osmotic stress is the first stage of salinity stress caused by excess salts in the soil on plants which adversely affects the growth instantly. The Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) genes play a key role in the regulation of abiotic stresses resistance from the high expression of different isoform. Selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as genetic variability at morphological and molecular level. Allelic variations were identified in some of the selected genotypes for the TPS gene. A comprehensive analysis of the TPS gene from selected genotypes was conducted. Presence of significant genetic variability among the genotypes was found for salinity tolerance. This is the first report of allelic variation of TPS gene from chickpea and results indicates that the SNPs present in these conserved regions may contribute largely to functional distinction. The nucleotide sequence analysis suggests that the TPS gene sequences were found to be conserved among the genotypes. Some selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as for comparative analysis of physiological, molecular and allelic variability for salt responsive gene Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase through sequence similarity. Allelic variations were identified in some selected genotypes for the TPS gene. It is found that Pusa362, Pusa1103, and IG5856 are the most salt-tolerant lines and the results indicates that the identified genotypes can be used as a reliable donor for the chickpea improvement programs for salinity tolerance

Genome-wide transcriptome analysis and physiological variation modulates gene regulatory networks acclimating salinity tolerance in chickpea

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that is a global threat to crop production, including chickpea. This study focused on understanding the complex molecular mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance using comparative transcriptome analysis of tolerant (ICCV 10, JG 11) and sensitive (DCP 92-3, Pusa 256) chickpea genotypes in control and salt-stressed environments. A total of 530 million reads were generated from root samples of four genotypes using Illumina HiSeq-2500. A total of 21,698 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 11,456 and 10,242 were up- and down-regulated, respectively, in comparative analysis. These DEGs were associated with crucial metabolic pathways, including hormone signaling, photosynthesis, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and cell wall biogenesis. Gene ontology (GO) examination revealed an enrichment of transcripts involved in salinity response. A total of 4257 differentially expressed GO terms were categorized into 64 functional groups; of which, GO terms like, integral component of membrane, organelle, and cellular anatomical entity were highly represented in tolerant genotypes under salt stress. Significant up-regulation of transcripts encoding potassium transporter family HAK/KUP proteins, MIP/aquaporin protein family, NADH dehydrogenase, pectinesterase, and PP2C family proteins occurred under salt stress. The tolerant lines (ICCV 10 and JG 11) engaged highly efficient machinery in response to elevated salt stress, especially for signal transduction, transport and influx of K+ ions, and osmotic homeostasis. The overall study highlights the role of potential candidate genes and their regulatory networks which can be utilized in breeding salt tolerant chickpea cultivars

Assessment of fishers perception in developing climate change adaptation and mitigation plans

Climate change is a global challenge today, with its impacts felt worldwide. The coastal regions around globe are more prone to the impacts of climate change than the inlands, fishing being one of the primary occupations of the coast, the fishermen community is the most vulnerable group to be affected by the Climate change. Even with extensive scientific research in this arena there is a lacuna in finding a panacea to this existing problem. The objective of this study is to determine the scope of developing village level adaptation and mitigation plan for the community through a comprehensive analysis of the community perception on climate change impacts, vulnerability and existing adaptation mitigation strategies. In the chosen study villages of Ochanthuruth and Njarackal of Ernakulam district, the impact of climate change was felt on both resource and resource users based on a perception analysis made using comprehensive interview schedule administered across 300 households. The study revealed that the actual science and consequences of climate change impacts in a long run are not perceived well. The work suggests that concerted efforts in bringing about resilient community can be achieved through global understanding of the issue and coming up with area specific solutions with the inclusion of the much forgotten social factor- the stakeholders

A comprehensive analysis of Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) gene for salinity tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Soil salinity affects various crop cultivation but legumes are the most sensitive to salinity. Osmotic stress is the first stage of salinity stress caused by excess salts in the soil on plants which adversely affects the growth instantly. The Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) genes play a key role in the regulation of abiotic stresses resistance from the high expression of different isoform. Selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as genetic variability at morphological and molecular level. Allelic variations were identified in some of the selected genotypes for the TPS gene. A comprehensive analysis of the TPS gene from selected genotypes was conducted. Presence of significant genetic variability among the genotypes was found for salinity tolerance. This is the first report of allelic variation of TPS gene from chickpea and results indicates that the SNPs present in these conserved regions may contribute largely to functional distinction. The nucleotide sequence analysis suggests that the TPS gene sequences were found to be conserved among the genotypes. Some selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as for comparative analysis of physiological, molecular and allelic variability for salt responsive gene Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase through sequence similarity. Allelic variations were identified in some selected genotypes for the TPS gene. It is found that Pusa362, Pusa1103, and IG5856 are the most salt-tolerant lines and the results indicates that the identified genotypes can be used as a reliable donor for the chickpea improvement programs for salinity tolerance

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Effect of asfotase alfa in the treatment of hypophosphatasia- A systematic review

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a life-threatening disease that occurs due to the mutation of the TNSALP (Tissue nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase) encoding gene. There is no approved treatment for Hypophosphatasia. Therefore, the only effective treatment for HPP is enzyme replacement therapy using the drug asfotase alfa which increases the patient's life span. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of asfotase alfa (enzyme replacement therapy) in treating HPP. A Literature search was done using PubMed, Google scholar, science direct, and Wiley LILACS utilizing MeSH keywords such as – Hypophosphatasia and asfotase alfa. A total of 411 articles were screened, of which four articles were taken for this qualitative analysis. Reporting of this systematic review is done by using PRISMA guidelines. Asfotase alfa/enzyme replacement therapy is examined on patients with different age groups and on congenital HPP patients to assess the effectiveness of HPP treatment. Enzyme replacement therapy using asfotase alfa is an effective and assured treatment for infants, children, and adults suffering from HPP

Therapeutic use of anti-sclerostin antibody in the treatment of multiple myeloma: A systematic review

Multiple myeloma is a malignant cancerous condition that is characterized by abnormal plasma cell production and can lead to bone destruction due to increased osteoclastic activity and decreased osteoblastic activity. Many therapeutic therapies are used to treat diseases, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In recent years, anti-sclerostin antibody treatment has been under investigation for its effect on the multiple myeloma. The present study was conducted to assess the effective therapeutic use of anti-sclerostin antibody in the treatment of multiple myeloma. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed Central using the following MeSH terms: “multiple myeloma”, “anti-sclerostin antibody”, “ubiquitin-proteasome pathway”, “proteasome inhibitor”, “Wnt pathway”. A total of 348 articles were screened. Twenty-five out of 348 were full-text articles assessed for eligibility, and four articles were used in this systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used for the reporting of this systematic review. A total of four randomized control trials (RCT) were included and used in this systematic review. The anti-sclerostin antibodies were various other drugs, and it was found that the anti-sclerostin antibody was effective in preventing autoantibody formation, decreasing bone destruction, and increasing trabecular bone. Anti-sclerostin antibody was found to be effective in decreasing bone destruction by reducing osteoclastic activity and increasing osteoblastic activity associated with multiple myeloma

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