Evaluation of Hepatoprotective activity of fruits of Sesbania grandiflora L. Pers against thiocetamide and ranitidine induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The Petroleum ether extract of Sesbania grandiflora L. pers fruits showed a significant dose dependent (100mg, 200mg/kg p.o.) protective effect against thioacetamide and ranitidine induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters like Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Total bilirubin (BRN), Total Cholesterol (TC), Total protein and Histopathological alterations. The fruit extract completely prevented the toxic effects of Thioacetamide and Ranitidine on the above serum parameters. The petroleum ether extract of Sesbania grandiflora L. pers fruits produced significant protectio

Evaluation of Hepatoprotective activity of fruits of Sesbania grandiflora L. Pers against thiocetamide and ranitidine induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The Petroleum ether extract of Sesbania grandiflora L. pers fruits showed a significant dose dependent (100mg, 200mg/kg p.o.) protective effect against thioacetamide and ranitidine induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters like Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Total bilirubin (BRN), Total Cholesterol (TC), Total protein and Histopathological alterations. The fruit extract completely prevented the toxic effects of Thioacetamide and Ranitidine on the above serum parameters. The petroleum ether extract of Sesbania grandiflora L. pers fruits produced significant protectio

Drought and salinity stresses induced physio-biochemical changes in sugarcane: an overview of tolerance mechanism and mitigating approaches

Sugarcane productivity is being hampered globally under changing environmental scenarios like drought and salinity. The highly complex nature of the plant responses against these stresses is determined by a variety of factors such as genotype, developmental phase of the plant, progression rate and stress, intensity, and duration. These factors influence plant responses and can determine whether mitigation approaches associated with acclimation are implemented. In this review, we attempt to summarize the effects of drought and salinity on sugarcane growth, specifically on the plant’s responses at various levels, viz., physiological, biochemical, and metabolic responses, to these stresses. Furthermore, mitigation strategies for dealing with these stresses have been discussed. Despite sugarcane’s complex genomes, conventional breeding approaches can be utilized in conjunction with molecular breeding and omics technologies to develop drought- and salinity-tolerant cultivars. The significant role of plant growth-promoting bacteria in sustaining sugarcane productivity under drought and salinity cannot be overlooked

Prevalence of stunting among under-five children in refugee and internally displaced communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundA pooled estimate of stunting prevalence in refugee and internally displaced under-five children can help quantify the problem and focus on the nutritional needs of these marginalized groups. We aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of stunting in refugees and internally displaced under-five children from different parts of the globe.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, seven databases (Cochrane, EBSCOHost, EMBASE, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) along with “preprint servers” were searched systematically from the earliest available date to 14 February 2023. Refugee and internally displaced (IDP) under-five children were included, and study quality was assessed using “National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)” tools.ResultsA total of 776 abstracts (PubMed = 208, Scopus = 192, Cochrane = 1, Web of Science = 27, Embase = 8, EBSCOHost = 123, ProQuest = 5, Google Scholar = 209, and Preprints = 3) were retrieved, duplicates removed, and screened, among which 30 studies were found eligible for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The pooled prevalence of stunting was 26% [95% confidence interval (CI): 21–31]. Heterogeneity was high (I2 = 99%, p < 0.01). A subgroup analysis of the type of study subjects revealed a pooled stunting prevalence of 37% (95% CI: 23–53) in internally displaced populations and 22% (95% CI: 18–28) among refugee children. Based on geographical distribution, the stunting was 32% (95% CI: 24–40) in the African region, 34% (95% CI: 24–46) in the South-East Asian region, and 14% (95% CI: 11–19) in Eastern Mediterranean region.ConclusionThe stunting rate is more in the internally displaced population than the refugee population and more in the South-East Asian and African regions. Our recommendation is to conduct further research to evaluate the determinants of undernutrition among under-five children of refugees and internally displaced populations from different regions so that international organizations and responsible stakeholders of that region can take effective remedial actions.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=387156, PROSPERO [CRD42023387156]

Rapeseed-Mustard Breeding in India: Scenario, Achievements and Research Needs

Brassica spp., commonly known as rapeseed-mustard, plays a significant role in the Indian economy by providing edible oils, vegetables, condiments and animal feed. Globally, India holds second and third position in rapeseed-mustard area under cultivation and production, respectively. However, anthropogenically accelerated climate change thwarts yield potential of rapeseed-mustard by employing abiotic (drought, flood, temperature variation and salinity) and biotic (disease and insects) stresses. Various approaches such as molecular breeding, pre-breeding, −omics and biotechnological interventions have been used to develop varieties for improved yield and oil quality, climate resilient and resistance or tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this context, this chapter highlighted the different cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) sources and their potential use for hybrid development. At the end, this chapter also enlisted salient achievement by the government and non-government institutes and briefly described the future perspective for improvement of rapeseed-mustard in India

Fighting malaria in Madhya Pradesh (Central India): Are we loosing the battle?

Malaria control in Madhya Pradesh is complex because of vast tracts of forest with tribal settlement. Fifty four million individuals of various ethnic origins, accounting for 8% of the total population of India, contributed 30% of total malaria cases, 60% of total falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths in the country. Ambitious goals to control tribal malaria by launching "Enhanced Malaria Control Project" (EMCP) by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), with the World Bank assistance, became effective in September 1997 in eight north Indian states. Under EMCP, the programme used a broader mix of new interventions, i.e. insecticide-treated bed nets, spraying houses with effective residual insecticides, use of larvivorous fishes, rapid diagnostic tests for prompt diagnosis, treatment of the sick with effective radical treatment and increased public awareness and IEC. However, the challenge is to scale up these services

Comparative Assessment of Copper, Iron, and Zinc Contents in Selected Indian (Assam) and South African (Thohoyandou) Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Samples and Their Infusion: A Quest for Health Risks to Consumer

The current study aims to assess the infusion pattern of three important micronutrients namely copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) contents from black tea samples produced in Assam (India) and Thohoyandou (South Africa). Average daily intakes and hazardous quotient were reported for these micronutrients. Total content for Cu, Fe, and Zn varied from 2.25 to 48.82 mg kg−1, 14.75 to 148.18 mg kg−1, and 28.48 to 106.68 mg kg−1, respectively. The average contents of each of the three micronutrients were higher in tea leaves samples collected from South Africa than those from India while the contents in tea infusions in Indian samples were higher than in South African tea samples. Results of this study revealed that the consumption of 600 mL tea infusion produced from 24 g of made tea per day may be beneficial to human in terms of these micronutrients content. Application of nonparametric tests revealed that most of the data sets do not satisfy the normality assumptions. Hence, the use of both parametric and nonparametric statistical analysis that subsequently revealed significant differences in elemental contents among Indian and South African tea

Games of Incomplete Information and Myopic Equilibria

A new concept of an equilibrium in games is introduced that solves an open question posed by A. Neyman

Relational approaches to poverty in rural India: social, ecological and technical dynamics

Poverty is now widely recognised as multidimensional, with indicators including healthcare, housing and sanitation. Yet, relational approaches that foreground political-cultural processes remain marginalised in policy discourses. Focusing on India, we review a wide range of relational approaches to rural poverty. Beginning with early approaches that focus on structural reproduction of class, caste and to a lesser extent gender inequality, we examine new relational approaches developed in the last two decades. The new approaches examine diverse ways in which poverty is experienced and shapes mobilisations against deprivation. They draw attention to poor people’s own articulations of deprivation and alternate conceptions of well-being. They also show how intersecting inequalities of class, caste and gender shape governance practices and political movements. Despite these important contributions, the new relational approaches pay limited attention to technologies and ecologies in shaping the experience of poverty. Reviewing studies on the Green Revolution and wider agrarian transformations in India, we then sketch the outlines of a hybrid relational approach to poverty that combines socio-technical and -ecological dynamics. We argue that such an approach is crucial to challenge narrow economising discourses on poverty and to bridge the policy silos of poverty alleviation and (environmentally) sustainable development

Proteome and Membrane Fatty Acid Analyses on Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5 Grown under Chemolithoautotrophic and Heterotrophic Conditions

Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5 T. (DSM 1227, ATCC 49405) is a chemolithoautotrophic bacterium able to utilize CO and H2 to derive energy for fixation of CO2. Thus, it is capable of growth using syngas, which is a mixture of varying amounts of CO and H2 generated by organic waste gasification. O. carboxidovorans is capable also of heterotrophic growth in standard bacteriologic media. Here we characterize how the O. carboxidovorans proteome adapts to different lifestyles of chemolithoautotrophy and heterotrophy. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis of O. carboxidovorans grown with acetate or with syngas showed that the bacterium changes membrane fatty acid composition. Quantitative shotgun proteomic analysis of O. carboxidovorans grown in the presence of acetate and syngas showed production of proteins encoded on the megaplasmid for assimilating CO and H2 as well as proteins encoded on the chromosome that might have contributed to fatty acid and acetate metabolism. We found that adaptation to chemolithoautotrophic growth involved adaptations in cell envelope, oxidative homeostasis, and metabolic pathways such as glyoxylate shunt and amino acid/cofactor biosynthetic enzymes