Conservation Of Symphytum Officinale L. At Cmprh Garden, Emerald

Symphytum L. commonly called as comfrey, belongs to the family Boraginaceae. The genus of Symphytum L. have a great medicinal value and used to treat a wide variety of ailments viz., bronchial problems, sprains, broken bones, arthritis, acne and skin conditions whereas pharmacological effects of comfrey extracts are endorsed to several chemical compounds. In view of above point, the present study of Survey, Collection and Documentation of Symphytum species, were carried out in different places of India. The rhizomes of Symphytum species were collected from Mynala village of Nilgiris, subsequent survey were carried out to IIIM Chatha Research Farm Jammu Tawi during 2017-2018 and it was grown at CMPRH garden, Emerald to confirm the identification of plants species. This specimen was collected and preserved herbarium at CMPRH garden Emerald for future reference. Among plants parts roots and leaves are mostly used for homeopathic system of medicine and this species were maintained and reproduces subsequent year by seed and root fragments. Root cuttings are the least expensive method of propagation. In addition to that Performance of Symphytum officinale at Nilgiris conditions were observed and the results revealed that Symphytum officinale L. is an erect, perennial herb with thick root stock. Leaves oblong-lanceolate and flowers are blue in colour. The data on length of root ranged from 10-20 cm with black to brown colour. Similarly, the length of lower, middle and upper cauline leaves ranged from 32.3-37.2 cm, 25.2-27.8cm, 10.4- 13.2cm, respectively Whereas the width of the lower, middle, upper leaves ranged 12.5-17.4 cm , 7.6- 10.2cm , 3.4-4.1cm, respectively. Further, the studies on Symphytum officnale regarding root yield, dry matter ratio of leaves and roots as well as physiochemical properties other chemical compounds present and uses in homoeopathic system of the medicine under the Nilgiris condition are need to be studied elaborately in future.

Multiphasic screening of priority chemical compounds in drinking water by process control and human health risk

Background The residual chemical pollutants in drinking water may cause adverse effects on human health. Chemical compounds potentially affecting human health have been widely explored, while the multiphasic evaluation of chemical compounds by process control and human health risk is still rarely reported. In the present study, we used multiphasic criteria to assess the health risk including effluent concentration, accumulation index, purification index for the removal efficiency during the drinking water treatment processes, carcinogen classification based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer standards, non-carcinogenic health hazards and carcinogenic risk. Results Among the monitored chemicals, 47 and 44 chemical compounds were detected in raw water and treated water, respectively. The generation and removal of chemical compounds implied that the migration and transformation of chemicals during the purification processes affected the effluent concentration, posing a direct potential health risk. Of these compounds, 41 contaminants’ profiles were screened as priority chemical compounds (PCCs). Conclusions The top eight PCCs with high carcinogenic risk were highlighted. Some effective steps, such as protecting the raw water sources, improving the removal performance and reducing the disinfection by-products during the purification process by introducing advanced treatment technologies, were suggested to maintain drinking water security. Collectively, our findings provided novel scientific supports for the sustainable management of drinking water to promote human health. Graphical Abstract

Assessment of Domestic Wastewaters as Potential Growth Media for Chlorella vulgaris and Haematococcus pluvialis

Domestic wastewater contains chemical compounds that can be used as nutrients for microalgae. Removing these chemical compounds from wastewater by microalgae might help in reducing the operation cost of wastewater management while minimizing the cultivation cost for large-scale microalgae metabolite production. In this study, domestic wastewater collected from Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was assessed as growth media for two types of microalgae, namely Chlorella vulgaris and Haematococcus pluvialis. The biomass growth and nutrient removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total ammonia (TAN) in different concentrations of diluted wastewater were measured. The results showed that biomass concentration (0.227 g/L), biomass productivity (0.029 g/L/day), and specific growth rate (0,284 d-1) yielded by C. vulgaris in 14 days of 80% wastewater were comparable to those microalgae grew in standard Bold’s Basal medium (BBM). Besides, C. vulgaris grew in 50% wastewater to remove TN, TP, and TAN with the highest removal efficiency (>88%). For H. pluvialis, the biomass concentration in all wastewater concentrations was lower than BBM. The removal efficiencies of TN and TP were lower than 55%, but more than 80% for removal efficiency of TAN in 50% and 80% wastewater. Hence, C. vulgaris has better growth performance and nutrient removal efficiency than H. pluvialis. These findings indicated that IWK domestic wastewater could be used as growth media for microalgae, especially C. vulgaris.

Nutritional Potential and Bioactive Compounds in Cereus jamacaru DC: An Multifaceted Cactus From Brazilian Semiarid

Cereus jamacaru DC. is an endemic cactus of the Brazilian semiarid region empirically used by humans for forage, food and medicinal purposes. In this paper, we characterize the physicochemical and phytochemical profile of the C. jamacaru cladode and fruits, outlining their nutritional implications. We evaluate the basic physicochemical characteristic of the fruits and the main classes of chemical compounds present in aqueous and ethanolic extracts from cladode, peel, and pulp of ripe and semi-ripe fruits through qualitatively and quantitatively methods. We analyze the data through descriptive statistics and variance analysis. The fruits have appropriate pH, acidity, and total soluble solid levels for the fruit processing industry and fresh consumption. We identified the presence of saponins, tannins, flavones, flavonols, and xanthones in all samples, but alkaloids and steroids were both detected in cladodes exclusively. The phenolic compound and flavonoid contents vary according to the extraction method and sample class. The cladodes and pulp of ripe fruits have the highest flavonoid levels, while the content of phenolic compounds had a high level in peels of ripe and semi-ripe fruits. The presence of these bioactive compounds implies that C. jamacaru products have relevant pharmacological interest and functionality for human (fruits) and domestic ruminant (cladodes) food. These applications can boost the agricultural-economic exploration of C. jamacaru and contribute to income generation, and improve human and animal nutrition.

The speed of information propagation in the scientific network distorts biomedical research

Delays in the propagation of scientific discoveries across scientific communities have been an oft-maligned feature of scientific research for introducing a bias towards knowledge that is produced within a scientist’s closest community. The vastness of the scientific literature has been commonly blamed for this phenomenon, despite recent improvements in information retrieval and text mining. Its actual negative impact on scientific progress, however, has never been quantified. This analysis attempts to do so by exploring its effects on biomedical discovery, particularly in the discovery of relations between diseases, genes and chemical compounds. Results indicate that the probability that two scientific facts will enable the discovery of a new fact depends on how far apart these two facts were originally within the scientific landscape. In particular, the probability decreases exponentially with the citation distance. Thus, the direction of scientific progress is distorted based on the location in which each scientific fact is published, representing a path-dependent bias in which originally closely-located discoveries drive the sequence of future discoveries. To counter this bias, scientists should open the scope of their scientific work with modern information retrieval and extraction approaches.

Deciphering Molecular Determinants Underlying Penicillium digitatum’s Response to Biological and Chemical Antifungal Agents by Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-Based High-Resolution LC-MS/MS

Penicillium digitatum is a widespread pathogen responsible for the postharvest decay of citrus, one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Currently, chemical fungicides are still the main strategy to control the green mould disease caused by the fungus. However, the increasing selection and proliferation of fungicide-resistant strains require more efforts to explore new alternatives acting via new or unexplored mechanisms for postharvest disease management. To date, several non-chemical compounds have been investigated for the control of fungal pathogens. In this scenario, understanding the molecular determinants underlying P. digitatum’s response to biological and chemical antifungals may help in the development of safer and more effective non-chemical control methods. In this work, a proteomic approach based on isobaric labelling and a nanoLC tandem mass spectrometry approach was used to investigate molecular changes associated with P. digitatum’s response to treatments with α-sarcin and beetin 27 (BE27), two proteins endowed with antifungal activity. The outcomes of treatments with these biological agents were then compared with those triggered by the commonly used chemical fungicide thiabendazole (TBZ). Our results showed that differentially expressed proteins mainly include cell wall-degrading enzymes, proteins involved in stress response, antioxidant and detoxification mechanisms and metabolic processes such as thiamine biosynthesis. Interestingly, specific modulations in response to protein toxins treatments were observed for a subset of proteins. Deciphering the inhibitory mechanisms of biofungicides and chemical compounds, together with understanding their effects on the fungal physiology, will provide a new direction for improving the efficacy of novel antifungal formulations and developing new control strategies.

Seasonal variation in population and biochemical contents of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

Aim: The present study was undertaken on population dynamics and estimation of protein, water-soluble carbohydrates and glycogen contents in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens to explore their migratory behaviour. Methodology: Brown planthopper populations were monitored and collected using sweep nets from 23rd standard meteorological week (SMW) to 47th SMW during 2017 and 2018 rainy seasons to understand population dynamics of the pest. The protein, water-soluble carbohydrates and glycogen contents were estimated from the pest samples collected during 36th to 44th SMW in 2017 and 2018 rainy seasons. Results: Brown planthopper population were not observed in rice farm during 23rd SMW to 28th SMW during two years of study. However, macropterous form of the pest first appeared in the farm during 29th SMW and peaked during 43rd SMW. Thereafter, population declined and disappeared after 47th SMW during both the years. Water-soluble carbohydrates and glycogen contents varied significantly different weeks which remained low during 36th-39th SMW, however, increased gradually towards the end of the rainy season 2017 and 2018. On the other hand, protein content significantly varied among different weeks unlike the trend of water-soluble carbohydrates and glycogen. Interpretation: The study revealed the absence of brown plant hopper during summer season preceding rainy season, and the accumulation of bio-chemical compounds towards the end of rainy season under Delhi environment is perhaps suggestive of migration of the pest from unknown areas during rainy season to Delhi and likely preparedness of the pest for emigration to safer areas from Delhi, respectively.

An Overview of Alkylresorcinols Biological Properties and Effects

The investigation of alkylresorcinols has drawn an increasing interest recently. Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are natural chemical compounds synthesized by bacteria, fungi, sponges, and higher plants, possessing a lipophilic polyphenol structures and a myriad of biological properties. Human takes ARs as a component of a whole grain diet (from whole grain rye, wheat, and barley products), and thus, alkylresorcinols are frequently used as whole grain intake markers. Besides, ARs are considered as promising bioregulators of metabolic and immune processes, as well as adjuvant therapeutic agents for antimicrobial and anticancer treatment. In this review, we attempted to systematize the accumulated information concerning ARs origin, metabolism, biological properties, and their effect on human health.