PcLRR-RK3, an LRR receptor kinase is required for growth and in-planta infection processes in Phytophthora capsici.

Receptor protein kinases (RPKs) critically provide the basic infrastructure to sense, perceive, and conduct the signalling events at the cell surface of organisms. The importance of LRR-RLKs has been well studied in plants, but much less information has been reported in oomycetes. In this work, we have silenced the PcLRR-RK3 and characterised its functional importance in Phytophthora capsici. PcLRR-RK3 was predicted to encode signal peptides, leucine-rich repeats, transmembrane, and kinase domains. PcLRR-RK3-silenced transformants showed impaired colony growth, decreased deformed sporangia, and reduced zoospores count. The mycelium of silenced transformants did not penetrate within the host tissues and showed defects in the pathogenicity of P. capsici. Interestingly, gene silencing also weakens the ability of zoospores germination and penetration into host tissues and fails to produce necrotic lesions. Furthermore, PcLRR-RK3 localisation was found to be the plasma membrane of the cell. Altogether, our results revealed that PcLRR-RK3 was required for the regulation of vegetative growth, zoospores penetration, and establishment into host leaf tissues.

Exploring extracellular vesicles in zoonotic helminth biology: implications for diagnosis, therapeutic and delivery.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key intercellular communication and pathogenesis mediators. Parasitic organisms' helminths, cause widespread infections with significant health impacts worldwide. Recent research has shed light on the role of EVs in the lifecycle, immune evasion, and disease progression of these parasitic organisms. These tiny membrane-bound organelles including microvesicles and exosomes, facilitate the transfer of proteins, lipids, mRNAs, and microRNAs between cells. EVs have been isolated from various bodily fluids, offering a potential diagnostic and therapeutic avenue for combating infectious agents. According to recent research, EVs from helminths hold great promise in the diagnosis of parasitic infections due to their specificity, early detection capabilities, accessibility, and the potential for staging and monitoring infections, promote intercellular communication, and are a viable therapeutic tool for the treatment of infectious agents. Exploring host-parasite interactions has identified promising new targets for diagnostic, therapy, and vaccine development against helminths. This literature review delves into EVS's origin, nature, biogenesis, and composition in these parasitic organisms. It also highlights the proteins and miRNAs involved in EV release, providing a comprehensive summary of the latest findings on the significance of EVs in the biology of helminths, promising targets for therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers.

Polygonum bistorta Linn. as a green source for synthesis of biocompatible selenium nanoparticles with potent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

Here, we report for the first time, green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using pharmacologically potent herb of Polygonum bistorta Linn. for multiple biomedical applications. In the study, a facile and an eco-friendly approach is utilized for synthesis of SeNPs using an aqueous roots extract of P. bistorta Linn. followed by extensive characterization via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis. The XRD and FTIR data determine the phase composition and successful capping of plant extract onto the surface of NPs while SEM and TEM micrographic examination reveals the elliptical and spherical morphology of the particles with a mean size of 69 ± 23 nm. After comprehensive characterization, the NPs are investigated for antifungal, antibacterial, antileishmanial, antioxidant, and biocompatibility properties. The study reveals that Polygonum bistorta Linn. synthesized SeNPs exhibit significant antibacterial and antifungal activities with Staphylococcus aureus and Fusarium oxysporum inducing the highest zone of inhibition of 14 ± 1.0 mm and 20 ± 1.2 mm, respectively at the concentration of 40 mg/mL. The NPs are also found to have antiparasitic potential against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, the NPs are discovered to have excellent potential in neutralizing harmful free radicals thus exhibiting considerable antioxidant potential. Most importantly, Polygonum bistorta Linn. synthesized SeNPs showed substantial compatibility against blood cells in vitro studies, which signifies the nontoxic nature of the NPs. The study thus concludes that medicinally important Polygonum bistorta Linn. roots can be utilized as an eco-friendly, sustainable, and green source for the synthesis of pharmacologically potent selenium nanoparticles.

Unveiling the multifaceted potential of Pseudomonas khavaziana strain SR9: a promising biocontrol agent for wheat crown rot.

Fusarium pseudograminearum, a soil-borne fungus, is the cause of the devastating wheat disease known as wheat crown rot (WCR). The persistence of this pathogen in the soil and crop residues contributes to the increased occurrence and severity of WCR. Therefore, developing effective strategies to prevent and manage WCR is of great importance. In this study, we isolated a bacterial strain, designated as SR9, from the stem of wheat, that exhibited potent antagonistic effects against F. pseudograminearum, as well as the biocontrol efficacy of SR9 on WCR was quantified at 83.99% ± 0.11%. We identified SR9 as Pseudomonas khavaziana and demonstrated its potential as a plant probiotic. SR9 displayed broad-spectrum antagonism against other fungal pathogens, including Neurospora dictyophora, Botrytis californica, and Botryosphaeria dothidea. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that SR9 harbored genes encoding various cell wall-degrading enzymes, cellulases, and lipases, along with antifungal metabolites, which are responsible for its antagonistic activity. Gene knockout and quantitative PCR analyses reveal that phenazine is the essential factor for antagonism. SR9 possessed genes related to auxin synthesis, flagellar biosynthesis, biofilm adhesion, and the chemotaxis system, which play pivotal roles in plant colonization and growth promotion; we also evaluated the effects of SR9 on plant growth in wheat and Arabidopsis. Our findings strongly suggest that SR9 holds great promise as a biocontrol agent for WCR in sustainable agriculture.IMPORTANCEThe escalating prevalence of wheat crown rot, primarily attributed to Fusarium pseudograminearum, necessitates the development of cost-effective and eco-friendly biocontrol strategies. While plant endophytes are recognized for their biocontrol potential, reports on effective strains targeting wheat crown rot are sparse. This study introduces the Pseudomonas khavaziana SR9 strain as an efficacious antagonist to the wheat crown rot pathogen Fusarium pseudograminearum. Demonstrating a significant reduction in wheat crown rot incidence and notable plant growth promotion, SR9 emerges as a key contributor to plant health and agricultural sustainability. Our study outlines a biological approach to tackle wheat crown rot, establishing a groundwork for innovative sustainable agricultural practices.

Removal of oxytetracycline from pharmaceutical wastewater using kappa carrageenan hydrogel.

This study investigated the adsorption of Oxytetracycline (OTC) from pharmaceutical wastewater using a kappa carrageenan based hydrogel (KPB). The aim of the present study was to explore the potential of KPB for long-term pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. A sustainable adsorbent was developed to address oxytetracycline (OTC) contamination. The hydrogel's structural and adsorption characteristics were examined using various techniques like Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and kinetic models. The results revealed considerable changes in the vibrational modes and adsorption bands of the hydrogel, suggesting the effective functionalization of Bentonite nano-clay. Kappa carrageenan based hydrogel achieved the maximum removal (98.5%) of OTC at concerntration of 40 mg/L, pH 8, cotact time of 140 min and adsorbent dose of 0.1 g (KPB-3). Adsorption of OTC increased up to 99% with increasing initial concentrations. The study achieved 95% adsorption capacity for OTC using a KPB film at a concentration of 20 mg/L and a 0.1 g adsorbent dose within 60 min. It also revealed that chemisorptions processes outperform physical adsorption. The Pseudo-Second-Order model, which emphasized the importance of chemical adsorption in the removal process, is better suited to represent the adsorption behavior. Excellent matches were found that R2 = 0.99 for KPB-3, R2 = 0.984 for KPB-2 and R2 = 0.989 for KPB-1 indicated strong chemical bonding interactions. Statisctical analysis (ANOVA) was performed using SPSS (version 25) and it was found that pH and concentration had significant influence on OTC adsorption by the hydrogel, with p-values less than 0.05. The study identified that a Kappa carrageenan-based hydrogel with bentonite nano-clay and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can efficiently remove OTC from pharmaceutical effluent, with a p-value of 0.054, but weak positive linear associations with pH, temperature, and contact time. This research contributed to sustainable wastewater treatment and environmental engineering.

Malaria during COVID-19 Travel Restrictions in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Malaria is a parasitic infection that may result in an acute, life-threatening illness. It is a major public health problem in the tropical world. The disease is caused by the parasites of the genus Plasmodium and is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Saudi Arabia is in the elimination phase of malaria control. Several parts of Saudi Arabia report cases of imported malaria among travelers and visitors. The city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia has a population of about 2.3 million. Moreover, over 6 million religious visitors from different parts of the world visit Makkah annually. During the COVID-19 outbreak, travel restrictions were enforced in Makkah to contain the spread of COVID-19. We compare the total reported cases of malaria in Makkah before, during, and after COVID-19 travel restrictions in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Data on demographics, clinical data, and laboratory parameters were collected from the medical records of the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. The annual malaria incidence rates in Makkah were 29.13/million people (2018), 37.82/million people (2019), 15.65/million people (2020), 12.61/million people (2021), and 48.69/million people (2022). Most of the malaria cases in Makkah were caused by Plasmodium falciparum, followed by P. vivax. Sudan, Nigeria, Yamen, Pakistan, and India are the top five countries contributing to malaria cases in Makkah. Weekly malaria case analyses revealed that COVID-19-related travel restrictions resulted in zero malaria cases in Makkah, indicating the magnitude of the travel-related malaria burden in the city.

Potential of Drought Tolerant Rhizobacteria Amended with Biochar on Growth Promotion in Wheat.

Drought stress is the prime obstacle for worldwide agricultural production and necessitates innovative strategies for enhancing crop resilience. This study explores the efficacy of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and biochar (BC) as sustainable amendments for mitigating the effects of drought on wheat growth. Multiple experiments were carried out on isolated strains to assess their drought tolerance potential and multiple plant growth-promoting attributes. Experiments in the laboratory and natural environment were conducted to assess the impact of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, biochar, and their synergistic application on various growth parameters of wheat. The results revealed that the drought-tolerant PGPR strains (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus tequilensis), alongside biochar (rice husk), alleviated the phytotoxic impact of drought by increasing the root length from 17.0% to 70.0% and shoot length from 30.0% to 82.0% as compared to un-inoculated stressed controls. The total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of the plants were substantially increased to 477% and 423%, respectively, when biochar and PGPR were applied synergistically. Significant enhancements in membrane stability index, relative water content, proline, and sugar level were achieved by combining biochar and bacterial strains, resulting in increases of 19.5%, 37.9%, 219%, and 300%, respectively. The yield of wheat in terms of plant height, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, and number of grains per spike was enhanced from 26.7% to 44.6%, 23.5% to 62.7%, 91.5% to 154%, and 137% to 182%, respectively. It was concluded that the biochar-based application of PGPR induced drought tolerance in wheat under water deficit conditions, ultimately improving the production and yield of wheat.

GC-MS profiling and biological investigations of Cissampelos pareira L. & Lantana camara L.

The objectives of the study were to conduct phytochemical screening of crude extracts of Cissampelos pareira L. and Lantana camara L. and assessing their biological potentials against protein kinase enzymes, followed by the evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. The n-hexane (A-І, B-І) and ethyl extracts (A-ІІ, B-ІІ) displayed moderate to good antioxidant activity, while the methanol fractions (A-ІІІ, B-ІІІ) showed significant antioxidant activity. Among all the three crude extracts, the ethyl acetate extract (B-II) of L. camara exhibited significant protein kinase inhibitions with remarkable antioxidant potential and was therefore purified through column chromatography. Fraction B-ІІ-2 showed the highest flavonoid contents (735.43), with the most promising protein kinase inhibition exerted by the subtractions B-ІІ-2, B-ІІ-3, B-ІІ-4, and B-ІІ-7. Hence, active fractions were examined through GC-MS for the identification of active constituents, revealing 17 active compounds. In the case of Lantana camara, the ethyl acetate crude extract along with fractions led to the identification of more than thirty compounds, which may be further explored to find a potential lead for drug development.

Markov chain-based impact analysis of the pandemic Covid-19 outbreak on global primary energy consumption mix.

The historic evolution of global primary energy consumption (GPEC) mix, comprising of fossil (liquid petroleum, gaseous and coal fuels) and non-fossil (nuclear, hydro and other renewables) energy sources while highlighting the impact of the novel corona virus 2019 pandemic outbreak, has been examined through this study. GPEC data of 2005-2021 has been taken from the annually published reports by British Petroleum. The equilibrium state, a property of the classical predictive modeling based on Markov chain, is employed as an investigative tool. The pandemic outbreak has proved to be a blessing in disguise for global energy sector through, at least temporarily, reducing the burden on environment in terms of reducing demand for fossil energy sources. Some significant long term impacts of the pandemic occurred in second and third years (2021 and 2022) after its outbreak in 2019 rather than in first year (2020) like the penetration of other energy sources along with hydro and renewable ones in GPEC. Novelty of this research lies within the application of the equilibrium state feature of compositional Markov chain based prediction upon GPEC mix. The analysis into the past trends suggests the advancement towards a better global energy future comprising of cleaner fossil resources (mainly natural gas), along with nuclear, hydro and renewable ones in the long run.

Multiple integrated computational approach to analyse wound healing potential of Symplocos racemosa bark as Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.

The healing of wounds is the flagging concern in chronic wound cases especially when accompanied by pathogenic, diabetic comorbidities. Matrix metalloproteinases are associated with widespread pathological ailments, and the selective inhibitors for metalloproteinases can be of great interest in wound healing strategies. In the present research study, six constituents of Symplocos racemosa Roxb were evaluated for the docking aptitudes on human matrix metalloproteinase MMP 2 (PDB ID: 1QIB) and MMP 9 (PDB ID: 4H1Q) utilising Autodock Vina followed by the visualisation using Discovery studio (DS). The Pymol was used to generate the poses and the best binding pose was chosen for the docking aptitudes. 2D interactions and the 3D poses of the docked complex were accomplished using DS and LigPlot + software respectively. Working on SWISS ADME and OSIRIS software accomplished the physicochemical characteristics, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, molecular properties, bioactivity score, and toxicity predictions. The molecule's physiochemical investigations discovered that all of the ligands comply with Lipinski's rule of five except compound 6, which deviated with two violations. Docking studies against 4H1Q revealed that compounds 1, 3, 5 and 6 exhibited maximum interactions with the target protein, with the free binding energies of -8.3 kJ Mol-1, -9.3 kJ Mol-1, -7.2 kJ Mol-1 and -11.0 kJ Mol-1 respectively. In case of the 1QIB target, compounds 1, 3 and 6 displayed remarkable binding energies of -8.7 kJ mol-1, -9.0 kJ mol-1 and -8.8 kJ mol-1. Bioactivity prediction study revealed that all of the selected Phytoconstituents displayed incredible Bioactivity scores. None of the selected chemical compounds was found to be irritant to the skin as discovered by toxicity studies. The contacts of the ligand-protein complex during the simulation studies revealed that the H-bond interactions of the ligands with LEU188, ALA189, GLN402, ARG420, MET422, PRO421, and ARG424 of 4H1Q were stable for more than 30% of the simulation time. It was thus concluded that the tested compounds predominantly compounds 1, 5 and 6 might rank among the vital supplementary lead drugs in chronic wounds and healing complexities. It is also worth noting the potential aptitude of the compound 3, however, its toxicity concern must be considered.

Geochemical dispersion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the Wadi Abu Khusheiba area in Southern Jordan.

This study delves into the geochemical dispersion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the Wadi Abu Khusheiba area, southern Jordan, with a focus on uncovering the complex patterns of mineralization and their geological significance. Employing an in-depth geochemical analysis of 24 rock samples from the region, we identified that these samples are predominantly hosted by oversaturated rhyolitic rocks, characterized by high SiO2 content and abundant free Quartz and orthoclase minerals. The mineralized zone of the quartz veins is particularly notable for its gold and silver concentrations, with maximum values reaching up to 5 ppm for gold and 18 ppm for silver. Our investigation into the elemental correlations revealed nuanced relationships, dependent on the 21 sample and analyzed at confidence level of (85%). Contrary to initial assumptions, we did not find a significant positive correlation between gold (Au) and arsenic (As), nor significant negative correlations between gold and other trace elements. These insights are critical for understanding the geochemical behavior of gold in the area and offer a nuanced view of elemental associations. The results of this study are significant for both academic research and practical exploration. They enhance our comprehension of the geological history and mineralization processes in Wadi Abu Khusheiba, providing valuable data that can inform future exploration strategies and deepen our understanding of mineral deposition in similar geological settings. This research not only contributes to the scientific community's knowledge of the area's geochemistry but also has potential implications for the mining and exploration industries.

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and analgesic potential of aqueous-ethanolic extracts of Euphorbia prostrata ait. and Crotalaria burhia Buch-Ham.

Euphorbia prostrata (E. prostrata) and Crotalaria burhia (C. burhia) are widely found in flora of the Cholistan Desert of Bahawalpur, Pakistan and are traditionally used to treat pain and chronic disease. The current study aimed to evaluate their phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity, in-vivo phagocytic activity, and analgesic activity. Both the plant extracts were investigated for phytochemical screening, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, in-vitro antioxidant by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, in-vivo immunomodulatory activity by macrophages phagocytosis using carbon clearance rate assay and analgesic activity by acetic acid produced writhing method. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of carbohydrates, saponins, tannins, phenols, quinines, proteins, terpenes, glycosides, and alkaloids. FTIR analysis revealed the existence of different functional groups in both extracts. The DPPH method showed that E. prostrata exhibited a high antioxidant potential with an IC50 of 62.5 µg/ml whereas C. burhia showed a lower antioxidant potential. At the dose of 200 mg/kg body weight (b. wt), both the extracts showed a significant increase in the phagocytic index by 5.2 ± 0.2, and, 4.8 ± 0.1 (p < 0.001) respectively which was close to the 100 mg/kg b. wt of the standard drug (Levamisole) 5.4 ± 0.2. Both the extracts at the dose of 200 mg/kg b. wt also significantly reduced the writhing (abdominal contractions) count by 13.7 ± 0.3 and, 25.3 ± 1.5 (p < 0.001), showing 71.8% and 47.6% of reduced analgesic activity compared to the standard drug dicloran (diclofenac sodium), respectively. In conclusion, extracts of both plants indicate their role in the management of various disorders to relieve pain and modulate the immune system.

Efficient treatment of veterinary pharmaceutical industrial wastewater by catalytic ozonation process: degradation of enrofloxacin via molecular ozone reactions.

The study focused on the efficacious performance of bimetallic Fe-Zn loaded 3A zeolite in catalytic ozonation for the degradation of highly toxic veterinary antibiotic enrofloxacin in wastewater of the pharmaceutical industry. Batch experiments were conducted in a glass reactor containing a submerged pump holding catalyst pellets at suction. The submerged pump provided the agitation and recirculation across the solution for effective contact with the catalyst. The effect of ozone flow (0.8-1.55 mg/min) and catalyst dose (5-15 g/L) on the enrofloxacin degradation and removal of other conventional pollutants COD, BOD5, turbidity was studied. In batch experiments, 10 g of Fe-Zn 3A zeolite efficiently removed 92% of enrofloxacin, 77% of COD, 69% BOD5, and 61% turbidity in 1 L sample of pharmaceutical wastewater in 30 min at 1.1 mg/min of O3 flow. The catalytic performance of Fe-Zn 3A zeolite notably exceeded the removal efficiencies of 52%, 51%, 52%, and 59% for enrofloxacin, COD, BOD5, and turbidity, respectively, achieved with single ozonation process. Furthermore, an increase in the biodegradability of treated pharmaceutical industrial wastewater was observed and made biodegradable easily for subsequent treatment.

Integrated computational and experimental evaluation of phenolic constituents of Apricot fruit L. for antiqourum sensing, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and 15-lox inhibitory properties.

The present study investigated the antioxidant profile together with the antibacterial potential of Apricot L. with the aim to find a functional food based anti-infective lead. Additionally the study evaluated the biofilm and QS inhibitory potential of the plant using Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442) and Chromo bacterium Violaceum (DSM 30191) respectively. Several fractions of the peel of Apricot were subjected to initial antimicrobial and antibiofilm screening. Among all the fractions, methanol and ethyl acetate fractions displayed significant antimicrobial activity against the strains selected with MIC values 1.25 mg/dL and 1.68 mg/dL respectively. Similarly, while evaluating antiqourum-sensing potential, methanol extract showed remarkable zone of inhibition (14mm) with Violaceum inhibition (58%) while aqueous part presented moderately good inhibition (32%) with zone of inhibition of (4mm). N-hexane fraction was least active in this regard. In case of free radicals scavenging aptitudes, Ethanolic fraction displayed the highest free radicals scavenging potential (IC50µg/mL 13.76 ± 23.61) while Aqueous and ethyl acetate part exhibited moderate to good antioxidant behaviors with IC50µg/mL of 26.74 ± 22.00 and 19.49 ± 2.91 respectively. Then the selected compounds were screened for putative binding sites and molecular docking studies followed by enzyme inhibition assays. The negative binding energies and close proximity to residues in the binding pocket of selected targets including human α- soybean lox (PDB ID 1IK3), quorum sensing regulators LasR (2UV0) were observed which indicated high affinity and tight binding capacity of compounds 1 and 5 towards the active sites of LasR 2UV0 and 15-lipoxygenase. The physicochemical characteristics and toxicity expectation were computationally accomplished. Bioactivity prediction study revealed that all of the selected Phytoconstituents displayed incredible Bioactivity score. None of the selected chemical compound was found to be toxic as discovered by toxicity studies. Compound 4 exhibited the highest inhibition of 15-lipoxygenase in vitro (69%, at 0.037 mM final concentration) and that is accompanied by compound 5 (60%) whereas in the biofilm inhibition assay, compound 1 was most active (IC50 0.05 mM), followed by compound 3 (IC50 0.07 mM). It was therefore determined that compounds 1 and 3 had the highest biofilm inhibitory activity, whereas compounds 4 and 5 were potent 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors with potentially anti-inflammatory properties. Future investigations are suggested for the characterization and formulation development.

Trojan horselike T6SS effector TepC mediates both interference competition and exploitative competition.

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a bacterial weapon capable of delivering antibacterial effectors to kill competing cells for interference competition, as well as secreting metal ion scavenging effectors to acquire essential micronutrients for exploitation competition. However, no T6SS effectors that can mediate both interference competition and exploitation competition have been reported. In this study, we identified a unique T6SS-1 effector in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis named TepC, which plays versatile roles in microbial communities. First, secreted TepC acts as a proteinaceous siderophore that binds to iron and mediates exploitative competition. Additionally, we discovered that TepC has DNase activity, which gives it both contact-dependent and contact-independent interference competition abilities. In conditions where iron is limited, the iron-loaded TepC is taken up by target cells expressing the outer membrane receptor TdsR. For kin cells encoding the cognate immunity protein TipC, TepC facilitates iron acquisition, and its toxic effects are neutralized. On the other hand, nonkin cells lacking TipC are enticed to uptake TepC and are killed by its DNase activity. Therefore, we have uncovered a T6SS effector, TepC, that functions like a "Trojan horse" by binding to iron ions to provide a valuable resource to kin cells, whereas punishing cheaters that do not produce public goods. This lure-to-kill mechanism, mediated by a bifunctional T6SS effector, may offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms that maintain stability in microbial communities.

Fabrication of Citrus bergamia essential oil-loaded sodium caseinate/peach gum nanocomplexes: Physicochemical, spectral, and structural characterization.

`The objective of current research was to encapsulate citrus bergamia essential oil (CBEO) in nanocomplexes composed of sodium caseinate (SC) and peach gum polysaccharide (PG) in various ratios (SC/PG-1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1). The nanocomplexes formed by the combination of SC and PG in a ratio of 1:3 exhibited a zeta potential of -21.36 mV and a PDI of 0.25. The CBEO-loaded SC/PG (1:3) nanocomplexes revealed the maximum encapsulation efficiency (82.47 %) and loading capacity (1.85 %). FTIR also confirmed the secondary structure variations in response to different ratios of CBEO-loaded SC/PG nanocomplexes. In addition, the XRD and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis also revealed structural changes among CBEO nanocomplexes. The thermal capability of CBEO-loaded SC/PG (1:3) nanocomplexes via TGA showed the minimum weight loss among other complexes. SEM and CLSM analysis demonstrated the uniform distribution and spherical morphology of CBEO-loaded SC/PG (1:3) nanocomplexes. The antioxidant activity of free CBEO was significantly improved in CBEO-loaded nanocomplexes. Likewise, the inhibitory activity of CBEO-loaded nanocomplexes exhibited significantly higher antibacterial action against S. aureus and E. coli. The aforementioned perspective suggests that SC/PG nanocomplexes have potent potential to serve as highly effective nanocarriers with a broad spectrum of uses in the pharmaceutical and food sectors.

Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of toxigenic Fusarium verticillioides in response to variation of temperature and water activity on maize kernels.

Fusarium verticillioides is one of the important mycotoxigenic pathogens of maize since it causes severe yield losses and produces fumonisins (FBs) to threaten human and animal health. Previous studies showed that temperature and water activity (aw) are two pivotal environmental factors affecting F. verticillioides growth and FBs production during maize storage. However, the genome-wide transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in F. verticillioides under the stress combinations of temperature and aw has not been studied in detail. In this study, DEGs of F. verticillioides and their related regulatory pathways were analyzed in response to the stress of temperature and aw combinations using RNA-Seq. The results showed that the optimal growth conditions for F. verticillioides were 0.98 aw and 25 °C, whereas the highest per-unit yield of the fumonisin B1 (FB1) was observed at 0.98 aw and 15 °C. The RNA-seq analysis showed that 9648 DEGs were affected by temperature regardless of aw levels, whereas only 218 DEGs were affected by aw regardless of temperature variations. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that a decrease in temperature at both aw levels led to a significant upregulation of genes associated with 24 biological processes, while three biological processes were downregulated. Furthermore, when aw was decreased at both temperatures, seven biological processes were significantly upregulated and four were downregulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the genes, whose expression was upregulated when the temperature decreased, were predominantly associated with the proteasome pathway, whereas the genes, whose expression was downregulated when the aw decreased, were mainly linked to amino acid metabolism. For the FB1, except for the FUM15 gene, the other 15 biosynthetic-related genes were highly expressed at 0.98 aw and 15 °C. In addition, the expression pattern analysis of other biosynthetic genes involved in secondary metabolite production and regulation of fumonisins production was conducted to explore how this fungus responds to the stress combinations of temperature and aw. Overall, this study primarily examines the impact of temperature and aw on the growth of F. verticillioides and its production of FB1 using transcriptome data. The findings presented here have the potential to contribute to the development of novel strategies for managing fungal diseases and offer valuable insights for preventing fumonisin contamination in food and feed storage.

Morpometric and molecular characterization of Surguli goat through CO1 gene in district Kohat.

The present study was designed with the aim to study morphometric characterization as well as phylogeny and diversity of the local Surguli goat at their breeding tract district Kohat through mitochondrial DNA region, i.e., Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit One (CO1) gene. Morphometric data and blood samples were collected from thirty (30) pure goats. Morphometric analysis showed that sex had significant effect (p < 0.05) on body weight, body length, hearth girth and horn length while no significant effect (p > 0.05) was observed for other characteristics. The results also indicated that age had significant effect (p < 0.05) on height at rump, ear length, horn length and tail length while no significant effect (p > 0.05) was observed for other characteristics. The phylogenetic analysis through CO1 nucleotide sequences within nucleotide range 1-767 showed nine polymorphic sites segregating into eight haplotypes. The mean intraspecific diversity and mean interspecific diversity were calculated as 0.23 and 2.36%, respectively. Phylogenetic tree revealed that Capra Ibex and native Surguli goat have common ancestors. The morphometric and molecular results obtained from the present study can be exploited as a selection tool for breeding and overall improvement.

An Improved Multimodal Biometric Identification System Employing Score-Level Fuzzification of Finger Texture and Finger Vein Biometrics.

This research work focuses on a Near-Infra-Red (NIR) finger-images-based multimodal biometric system based on Finger Texture and Finger Vein biometrics. The individual results of the biometric characteristics are fused using a fuzzy system, and the final identification result is achieved. Experiments are performed for three different databases, i.e., the Near-Infra-Red Hand Images (NIRHI), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) and University of Twente Finger Vein Pattern (UTFVP) databases. First, the Finger Texture biometric employs an efficient texture feature extracting algorithm, i.e., Linear Binary Pattern. Then, the classification is performed using Support Vector Machine, a proven machine learning classification algorithm. Second, the transfer learning of pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is performed for the Finger Vein biometric, employing two approaches. The three selected CNNs are AlexNet, VGG16 and VGG19. In Approach 1, before feeding the images for the training of the CNN, the necessary preprocessing of NIR images is performed. In Approach 2, before the pre-processing step, image intensity optimization is also employed to regularize the image intensity. NIRHI outperforms HKPU and UTFVP for both of the modalities of focus, in a unimodal setup as well as in a multimodal one. The proposed multimodal biometric system demonstrates a better overall identification accuracy of 99.62% in comparison with 99.51% and 99.50% reported in the recent state-of-the-art systems.