Chromatographic assessment of biodiesel production from Peganum harmala seed oil using environmentally benign nano-catalysts.

This work gives a comprehensive chromatographic assessment of biodiesel generation from plant seed oil using ecologically friendly nano-catalysts. Researchers all over the world are actively looking for new ways to satisfy the urgent need for clean and renewable energy sources. The resultant biodiesel was fully characterized utilizing modern techniques like scanning electron microscopy, energy diffraction X-ray and X-ray diffraction. The biodiesel gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed four significant peaks of fatty acid methyl esters, indicating high-quality biodiesel production. Furthermore, the biodiesel fuel qualities were discovered to be comparable with international standards such as ASTM D-6571 and EN-14214. This indicates that the iron-modified clay nano-catalyst can be used as a catalyst for large-scale biodiesel production. This work is important because it could lead to the large-scale production of a novel, non-food feedstock. We may lessen our reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to a more sustainable and ecologically friendly energy future by leveraging the usage of biodiesel produced in this way. The chromatographic assessment of biodiesel production from non-edible seed oil using environmentally benign nano-catalysts holds significant promise in advancing sustainable and eco-friendly biodiesel production methods, contributing to a cleaner and more environmentally responsible energy sector.

In vitro and in silico analysis of Solanum torvum fruit and methyl caffeate interaction with cholinesterases.

Oxidative stress along with dysfunction in cholinergic neurotransmission primarily underlies cognitive impairment. A significant approach to mitigate cognitive dysfunction involves the inhibition of cholinesterases, namely acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Exploring the potential antioxidant and anticholinesterase effects of edible plants holds promise for their utilization as botanicals to enhance cognition. Solanum torvum fruit with vast biological properties are used as food. In the present study, butanolic extract of S. torvum fruits (BESTF) was prepared. Additionally, the study investigated into the properties of methyl caffeate (MC), a compound present in S. torvum, obtained in its pure form. In vitro antioxidant and anticholinesterases activity of BESTF and MC were determined. BESTF and MC showed potent antioxidant property. BESTF and MC dose-dependently inhibited AChE (IC50 values: 166.6 µg/ml and 680.6 µM, respectively) and BChE (IC50 values: 161.55 µg/ml and 413 µM, respectively). BESTF and MC inhibited AChE and BChE in competitive mode. Active site gorge of AChE/BChE was occupied by MC which formed interaction with amino acids present in catalytic site and PAS in in silico. Further, molecular dynamics simulations followed by free energy calculation, principal component analysis and dynamic cross-correlation matrix provided the compelling evidence that that MC maintained stable interactions during MD simulation with AChE and BChE. Collectively, the results from the present study underlines the cognitive-enhancing effect of BESTF and MC.

Identifying SNP markers associated with distinctness, uniformity, and stability testing in Egyptian fenugreek genotypes.

Distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) test is the legal requirement in crop breeding to grant the intellectual property right for new varieties by evaluating their morphological characteristics across environments. On the other hand, molecular markers accurately identify genetic variations and validate the purity of the cultivars. Therefore, genomic DUS can improve the efficiency of traditional DUS testing. In this study, 112 Egyptian fenugreek genotypes were grown in Egypt at two locations: Wadi El-Natrun (Wadi), El-Beheira Governorate, with salty and sandy soil, and Giza, Giza governorate, with loamy clay soil. Twelve traits were measured, of which four showed a high correlation above 0.94 over the two locations. We observed significant genotype-by-location interactions (GxL) for seed yield, as it was superior in Wadi, with few overlapping genotypes with Giza. We attribute this superiority in Wadi to the maternal habitat, as most genotypes grew in governorates with newly reclaimed salty and sandy soil. As a first step toward genomic DUS, we performed an association study, and out of 38,142 SNPs, we identified 39 SNPs demonstrating conditional neutrality and four showing pleiotropic effects. Forty additional SNPs overlapped between both locations, each showing a similar impact on the associated trait. Our findings highlight the importance of GxL in validating the effect of each SNP to make better decisions about its suitability in the marker-assisted breeding program and demonstrate its potential use in registering new plant varieties.

Prevalence of anemia in primary care patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in Oman.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has highlighted potential associations between anemia, diabetes, and worsening kidney disease. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the prevalence of anemia in patients with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at a primary care center in Oman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Primary Care Clinic of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. All patients with established diagnoses of CKD and T2DM who attended appointments at the clinic in 2020 and 2021 were included. Data concerning the patients' sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, clinical findings, and laboratory results during past six months were retrieved from the hospital's information system. Patients were contacted via telephone for clarification in the event of any missing data. SPSS version 23 was used for Statistical analyses of the data. Frequencies and percentages were used to present categorical variables. Chi-squared tests were used to determine association between anemia and demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients with T2DM and CKD were included in the study; 52% were male, 54.3% were 51-65 years of age, and majority (88%) were either overweight or obese. The majority of patients (62.7%) had Stage 1 CKD followed by Stage 2 (34.3%) and Stage 3 (3%). The total prevalence of anemia was 29.3%, with 31.4%, 24.3%, and 44.4% of Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 CKD patients being anemic, respectively. The frequency of anemia was significantly higher in female than male patients (41.7% vs. 17.9%; P < 0.001). No associations were observed between anemia status and other sociodemographic or clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anemia in CKD and T2DM primary care patients in Oman was 29.3%, with gender as the only factor significantly associated with anemia status. Routine screening of anemia in diabetic nephropathy patients is highly recommended.

Epidemiology and prevalence of somatic symptom disorder at the primary care level in Muscat, Oman: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a diagnostic classification to describe the occurrence of physical symptoms without organic cause. This study aimed to identify prevalence rates and associated characteristics of SSD among adults in primary care settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional study took place between July 2020 and March 2021 and included a random selection of 3383 Omani adults attending 12 primary healthcare centres in Muscat Governorate. Screening was conducted using an Arabic version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8). RESULTS: A total of 2000 adults participated in the study (response rate: 67.3%), of which most were female (71.7%) and under 50 years old (86.2%). Based on their SSS-8 scores, 602 participants (17.8%) had SSD, resulting in an overall prevalence estimate of 30.1% (95% confidence interval: 28.13-32.15). Significant associations were observed between SSD and age (p = 0.002), gender (p < 0.001), marital status (p = 0.030) and chronic comorbidities (p = 0.001). In addition, adjusted odds ratio estimates revealed SSD to be significantly associated with gender (p < 0.001), education level (p < 0.001) and chronic comorbidities (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of SSD in primary care settings is high compared to reports from elsewhere in the Gulf region. There is an urgent need to enhance the diagnosis of SSD at the primary care level in order to reduce healthcare service overutilisation and patient dissatisfaction. Moreover, healthcare practitioners should be aware of the effect of age, gender, educational status and chronic comorbidities on somatic symptoms.

A Nucleoporin NUP58 modulates responses to drought and salt stress in maize (Zea mays L.).

Nuclear pore complex (NUP) is the main transport channel between cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, which plays an important role in stress response. The function of NUPs was widely reported in yeast and vertebrate but rarely in plants. Here, we identified a nuclear pore complex (ZmNUP58), that is tightly associated with drought and salt tolerance phenotype accompanied with phenotypic and physiological changes under drought and salt stress. The overexpression of ZmNUP58 in maize (Zea mays L.) significantly promotes both chlorophyll content and activities of antioxidant enzymes under drought- and salt-stressed conditions. RNA-Seq analysis showed that ZmNUP58 could regulate the expression of genes related to phytohormone synthesis and signaling, osmotic adjustment substances, antioxidant enzyme system, cell wall biosynthesis, glucose metabolism and aquaporin. The results provide novel insights into the regulatory role of ZmNUP58 in improving drought and salt tolerance through regulating phytohormone and other stress response genes in maize.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Grain Metal Accumulation in Wheat.

Increasing wheat grain yield while ignoring grain quality and metal accumulation can result in metal deficiencies, particularly in countries where bread wheat accounts for the majority of daily dietary regimes. When the accumulation level exceeds a certain threshold, it becomes toxic and causes various diseases. Biofortification is an effective method of ensuring nutritional security. We screened 200 spring wheat advanced lines from the wheat association mapping initiative for Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd concentrations. Interestingly, high-yielding genotypes had high essential metals, such as Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn, but low levels of toxic metals, such as Ni and Cd. Positive correlations were found between all metals except Ni and Cd, where no correlation was found. We identified 142 significant SNPs, 26 of which had possible pleiotropic effects on two or more metals. Several QTLs co-located with previously mapped QTL for the same or other metals, whereas others were new. Our findings contribute to wheat genetic biofortification through marker-assisted selection, ensuring nutritional security in the long run.

Melatonin Induced Cold Tolerance in Plants: Physiological and Molecular Responses.

Cold stress is one of the most limiting factors for plant growth and development. Cold stress adversely affects plant physiology, molecular and biochemical processes by determining oxidative stress, poor nutrient and water uptake, disorganization of cellular membranes and reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Therefore, to recover impaired plant functions under cold stress, the application of bio-stimulants can be considered a suitable approach. Melatonin (MT) is a critical bio-stimulant that has often shown to enhance plant performance under cold stress. Melatonin application improved plant growth and tolerance to cold stress by maintaining membrane integrity, plant water content, stomatal opening, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient and water uptake, redox homeostasis, accumulation of osmolytes, hormones and secondary metabolites, and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through improved antioxidant activities and increase in expression of stress-responsive genes. Thus, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of MT induced cold tolerance and identify the diverse research gaps necessitating to be addressed in future research programs. This review discusses MT involvement in the control of various physiological and molecular responses for inducing cold tolerance. We also shed light on engineering MT biosynthesis for improving the cold tolerance in plants. Moreover, we highlighted areas where future research is needed to make MT a vital antioxidant conferring cold tolerance to plants.

Elucidating Genetic Diversity in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Cultivated in the North-Western Himalayan Provinces of India Using SSR Markers.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is an important temperate fruit crop worldwide. The availability of wild apricot germplasm and its characterization through genomic studies can guide us towards its conservation, increasing productivity and nutritional composition. Therefore, in this study, we carried out the genomic characterization of 50 phenotypically variable accessions by using SSR markers in the erstwhile States of Jammu and Kashmir to reveal genetic variability among accessions and their genetic associations. The genetic parameter results revealed that the number of alleles per locus (Na) ranged from 1 to 6 with a mean Na value of 3.89 and the mean effective number of alleles (Ne) per locus 1.882 with a range of 1.22 to 2. Similarly, the polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.464 to 0.104. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) (0.547) was found to have higher than expected heterozygosity (He) (0.453) with average heterozygosity of 0.4483. The dendrogram clustered genotypes into three main clades based on their pedigree. The population structure revealed IV sub-populations with all admixtures except the III sub-population, which was mainly formed of exotic cultivars. The average expected heterozygosity (He) and population differentiation within four sub-populations was 1.78 and 0.04, respectively, and explained 95.0% of the total genetic variance in the population. The results revealed that the SSR marker studies could easily decrypt the genetic variability present within the germplasm, which may form the base for the establishment of good gene banks by reducing redundancy of germplasm, selection of parents for any breeding program.

Recycling of beet sugar byproducts and wastes enhances sugar beet productivity and salt redistribution in saline soils.

Soil salinity adversely affects the growth, yield, and quality parameters of sugar beet, leading to a reduction in root and sugar yields. Improving the physical and chemical properties of salt-affected soils is essential for sustainable cultivation and sugar beet production. A field experiment was conducted at the Delta Sugar Company Research Farm, El-Hamool, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, to evaluate the response of sugar beet to the application of beet sugar filter cake treated with sulfuric and phosphoric acid-treated, phosphogypsum (PG), desaline, humic acid, and molasses under saline soil conditions. The application of treated filter cake enhanced root length, diameter, and leaf area. The application of molasses enhanced root length, diameter, and leaf area as well. Application of molasses increased sugar content and root yield. The application of either treated filter cake or molasses produced the highest recoverable sugar yield. Linear regression analysis revealed that the root yield, quality index, and recoverable sugar yield increased in response to the increased availability of either Ca2+ or K content in the soil which increases in response to the application of soil amendments and molasses. The application of treated beet sugar filter cake and molasses increased the calcium, magnesium, and potassium availability in the soil. Treated filter cake is a promising organic soil amendment that enhanced the yield by 29% and yield-related traits of sugar beet by improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil.

High-Density SNP-Based Association Mapping of Seed Traits in Fenugreek Reveals Homology with Clover.

Fenugreek as a self-pollinated plant is ideal for genome-wide association mapping where traits can be marked by their association with natural mutations. However, fenugreek is poorly investigated at the genomic level due to the lack of information regarding its genome. To fill this gap, we genotyped a collection of 112 genotypes with 153,881 SNPs using double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. We used 38,142 polymorphic SNPs to prove the suitability of the population for association mapping. One significant SNP was associated with both seed length and seed width, and another SNP was associated with seed color. Due to the lack of a comprehensive genetic map, it is neither possible to align the newly developed markers to chromosomes nor to predict the underlying genes. Therefore, systematic targeting of those markers to homologous genomes of other legumes can overcome those problems. A BLAST search using the genomic fenugreek sequence flanking the identified SNPs showed high homology with several members of the Trifolieae tribe indicating the potential of translational approaches to improving our understanding of the fenugreek genome. Using such a comprehensively-genotyped fenugreek population is the first step towards identifying genes underlying complex traits and to underpin fenugreek marker-assisted breeding programs.

Ameliorative impact of cold-pressed Rosmarinus officinalis oil against liver toxicity and genotoxic effects in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and their offspring.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, lifelong condition threatening human health. Rosmarinus officinalis oil (RO) could have a future role in DM therapy. This study evaluated the composition and antioxidative potential of RO. Antidiabetic traits of RO in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was also studied considering the ameliorative impact against embryogenesis defects using in vitro and in vivo biochemical, histological, and genetic assays. RO was investigated for fatty acids and bioactive compounds (tocols and total phenolic compounds), and antiradical potential against DPPH• radicals. The genetic effects were investigated using comet assay and DNA fragmentation test. DM was induced to albino rats by injecting 60 mg/kg of STZ, while RO (100 mg/kg b.w.) was administered. The pregnant animals were divided into four groups; control (C), RO-treated (RO), diabetic (D), and combined diabetic with RO-treated (D-RO). The study was conducted for 180 days. In RO, the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids were 42.3%, 41.7%, and 15.8%, respectively. The levels of α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols were 280, 20, 1,025, and 35 mg/100 g RO, respectively. RO contained 7.2 mg GAE/g of total phenolic compounds (TPC), while RO quenched 70% of DPPH• radicals. While glucose levels reached the highest in DM rats, treating STZ-induced diabetic animals with RO-resoluted serum glucose levels. RO reduced the highest levels of serum chemistry parameters were recorded in DM animals. Histological photographs of maternal and fetus liver exhibited degenerated hepatic cells and congestion central vein. Comet cells and DNA fragments were significantly decreased in D-RO group comparing to the DM group. RO exhibited antidiabetic capabilities, and thus, it could be utilized as a functional ingredient in novel foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements for diabetic patients. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: RO is rich in bioactive phytochemicals (tocols and phenolic compounds) with antiradical and antihyperglycemic capabilities. Tocols and phenolics are active in radical scavenging of reactive nitrogen species (i.e., peroxynitrite and nitrogen dioxide), and in the prevention of DNA bases nitration. Our results demonstrated that RO could improve the disturbed metabolism of carbohydrate in STZ-diabetic animals. The potential mode of action of bioactive compounds in RO most likely encompasses the intracellular pathway involved in glucose homeostasis or insulin signaling. In addition, the suppression of oxidative stress by phenolic compounds could provide to the antidiabetic impacts of RO. Our data supported that RO could be utilized to ameliorate DM. Protection with RO directed high protection of the maternal organs and offspring against the oxidative stress of diabetes due to the antihyperlipidemic effects and the antioxidant capabilities of RO.

Flavonoids and the regulation of seed size in Arabidopsis.

Understanding how seed size is regulated in angiosperms is a key goal for plant science as seed size is an important component of overall seed yield. Angiosperm seeds comprise three clearly defined components, i.e. the embryo, endosperm and seed coat, with each having a distinct genetic composition which exerts different influences on seed development. Complex cross-talk and integration of signals from these different regions of the seed together determine its final size. The present review considers some of the major regulators of seed size, with a particular emphasis on the role of the seed coat in modulating endosperm proliferation and cellularization. The innermost layer of the seed coat, the endothelium, synthesizes flavonoids which are held to provide a defensive function against microbes, act as feeding deterrents, provide UV protection and to have a role in seed dormancy. A growing body of data suggests that flavonoids may also play a fundamental role in regulating communication between the seed coat and the endosperm. In the present review, we discuss how this may be achieved in the light of the fact that several flavonoids are known to be potent auxin transport regulators.