Exploring allelochemicals for cleaner and sustainable agriculture: A bibliometric review on research trends, challenges and future prospective.

Allelopathic research is not getting the intended consideration because of the complexities involved in their isolation, identification, understanding their modes of action, interactions with other environmental factors, impacts on non-target organisms and exploration of their utility in diverse fields. Additionally, their variability and trace availability have presented hurdles in establishing future research utilities and their field applications. Exploring the historical context of allelopathic research is essential for obtaining a more profound understanding of the progression in this research domain and to identify the research gaps and potential future prospectives. Therefore, the current bibliometric review aims to examine the research advancements, trends, hotspots, research gaps and to identify future prospectives in allelopathic research. A Scopus database search was carried out to collect the bibliometric data using the combination of multiple search strings in advance search option. The outcomes of this study revealed a total of 5427 published articles, with an average of 19.12 citations per article. Despite the increasing trend in research and publications on allelopathy/allelochemicals over the last decade, the majority of allelopathic research remains focused on investigating novel allelochemicals and their potential for weed management. Other crucial considerations like their phytotoxicity and ecotoxicity, selectivity for crop growth, interactions with herbicides and their derivatives, biochemical signalling, identification of germplasm in allelopathic plants, inducing allelopathic trait into enhanced cultivars, their ultimate fate in the open environment are sparsely investigated. It is anticipated that this review will draw greater attention to some overlooked domains within allelopathic research.

Postharvest handling of ethylene with oxidative and absorptive means.

Fruit ripening is an unfolding of a series of genetically-programmed modifications and tend to be highly orchestrated irrevocable phenomenon mediated by ethylene. Phytohormone ethylene also leads to over-ripening, senescence, loss of texture, microbial attack, reduced post-harvest life and other associated problems during storage and transportation of fruits. Its harmful impacts on fresh fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals result in substantial product losses even up to 80%. Curbing of this inevitable menace is therefore need of the hour. Accrual of ethylene in packaging system should fundamentally be ducked to extend the shelf-life and uphold an adequate superiority of perishables in visual and organoleptic terms. The current review discusses about properties, factors affecting and impact of ethylene, intimidation of its impact at gene vis-à-vis activity level using gene-modification/inhibition techniques, chemical/physical in conjunction with other suitable approaches. It also entails the most commercially cultivated approaches worldwide viz. KMnO4-based oxidation together with adsorption-based scrubbing of ethylene in thorough details. Future ethylene removal strategies should focus on systematic evaluation of KMnO4-based scavenging, exploring the mechanism of adsorption, adsorbent(s) behavior in the presence of other gases and their partial pressures, volatiles, temperature, relative humidity, development of hydrophobic adsorbents to turn-up under high RH, regeneration of adsorbent by desorption, improvement in photocatalytic oxidation etc. and further improvements thereof. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05777-1.

Spinal cord associative plasticity improves forelimb sensorimotor function after cervical injury.

Associative plasticity occurs when two stimuli converge on a common neural target. Previous efforts to promote associative plasticity have targeted cortex, with variable and moderate effects. In addition, the targeted circuits are inferred, rather than tested directly. In contrast, we sought to target the strong convergence between motor and sensory systems in the spinal cord. We developed spinal cord associative plasticity, precisely timed pairing of motor cortex and dorsal spinal cord stimulations, to target this interaction. We tested the hypothesis that properly timed paired stimulation would strengthen the sensorimotor connections in the spinal cord and improve recovery after spinal cord injury. We tested physiological effects of paired stimulation, the pathways that mediate it, and its function in a preclinical trial. Subthreshold spinal cord stimulation strongly augmented motor cortex evoked muscle potentials at the time they were paired, but only when they arrived synchronously in the spinal cord. This paired stimulation effect depended on both cortical descending motor and spinal cord proprioceptive afferents; selective inactivation of either of these pathways fully abrogated the paired stimulation effect. Spinal cord associative plasticity, repetitive pairing of these pathways for 5 or 30 min in awake rats, increased spinal excitability for hours after pairing ended. To apply spinal cord associative plasticity as therapy, we optimized the parameters to promote strong and long-lasting effects. This effect was just as strong in rats with cervical spinal cord injury as in uninjured rats, demonstrating that spared connections after moderate spinal cord injury were sufficient to support plasticity. In a blinded trial, rats received a moderate C4 contusive spinal cord injury. Ten days after injury, they were randomized to 30 min of spinal cord associative plasticity each day for 10 days or sham stimulation. Rats with spinal cord associative plasticity had significantly improved function on the primary outcome measure, a test of dexterity during manipulation of food, at 50 days after spinal cord injury. In addition, rats with spinal cord associative plasticity had persistently stronger responses to cortical and spinal stimulation than sham stimulation rats, indicating a spinal locus of plasticity. After spinal cord associative plasticity, rats had near normalization of H-reflex modulation. The groups had no difference in the rat grimace scale, a measure of pain. We conclude that spinal cord associative plasticity strengthens sensorimotor connections within the spinal cord, resulting in partial recovery of reflex modulation and forelimb function after moderate spinal cord injury. Since both motor cortex and spinal cord stimulation are performed routinely in humans, this approach can be trialled in people with spinal cord injury or other disorders that damage sensorimotor connections and impair dexterity.

Convalescent action of menthol against T-2 mycotoxin-induced toxicity: An in vitro study with HaCaT cells.

Only T-2 mycotoxin is emitted as an aerosol and is the most toxic fungal secondary metabolite among mycotoxins. In its clinical condition, the skin is severely irritated and painful due to lesions and alimentary toxic aleukia. Herein, we have assessed various bioactive molecules, viz. kaempferol, menthol, curcumin, and quercetin, against T-2-induced toxicity in HaCaT cells. Menthol offered exceptional protection, protecting 92% of HaCaT cells after exposure to 300 nM T-2 and reducing LDH leakage by up to 42%. Its pre-treatment provided considerable protection against T-2 toxicity, as evidenced by the assessment of mitochondrial membrane potential. Propidium iodide staining revealed a cell cycle halt at the G1, S, and M phases and a significant increase in the sub-G1 percentage in T-2-challenged cells, indicating cell death. However, pre-treatment with menthol promoted cell cycle progression in cells exposed to T-2. Immunoblotting results demonstrated that menthol resulted in a discernible down-regulation of i-NOS expression in T-2-challenged HaCaT cells.

T-2 toxin induces dermal inflammation and toxicity in mice: The healing potential of menthol.

According to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, T-2 is one of the most harmful food-toxic chemicals, penetrates intact skin. The current study examined the protective benefits of menthol topical treatment on T-2 toxin-induced cutaneous toxicity in mice. Lesions were observed on the skin of the T-2 toxin-treated groups at 72 and 120 h. The T-2 toxin (2.97 mg/kg/bw)-treated group developed skin lesions, skin inflammation, erythema, and necrosis of skin tissue in contrast to the control group. Our findings reveal that topical application of 0.25% and 0.5% MN treated groups resulted in no erythema or inflammation, and normal skin was observed with growing hairs. The 0.5% MN administered group demonstrated an 80% blister and erythema healing effect in in vitro tests. In addition, MN dose-dependently suppressed ROS and lipid peroxidation mediated by the T-2 toxin up to 120%. Histology discoveries and the immunoblotting investigations with the downregulation of i-NOS gene expression confirmed the validity of menthol activity. Further molecular docking experiments of menthol against the i-NOS protein demonstrated stable binding efficacy with conventional hydrogen bond interactions, indicating compelling evidence of menthol's anti-inflammatory effects on the T-2 toxin-induced skin inflammation.

A systems approach delivers a functional microRNA catalog and expanded targets for seizure suppression in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common drug-resistant form of epilepsy in adults. The reorganization of neural networks and the gene expression landscape underlying pathophysiologic network behavior in brain structures such as the hippocampus has been suggested to be controlled, in part, by microRNAs. To systematically assess their significance, we sequenced Argonaute-loaded microRNAs to define functionally engaged microRNAs in the hippocampus of three different animal models in two species and at six time points between the initial precipitating insult through to the establishment of chronic epilepsy. We then selected commonly up-regulated microRNAs for a functional in vivo therapeutic screen using oligonucleotide inhibitors. Argonaute sequencing generated 1.44 billion small RNA reads of which up to 82% were microRNAs, with over 400 unique microRNAs detected per model. Approximately half of the detected microRNAs were dysregulated in each epilepsy model. We prioritized commonly up-regulated microRNAs that were fully conserved in humans and designed custom antisense oligonucleotides for these candidate targets. Antiseizure phenotypes were observed upon knockdown of miR-10a-5p, miR-21a-5p, and miR-142a-5p and electrophysiological analyses indicated broad safety of this approach. Combined inhibition of these three microRNAs reduced spontaneous seizures in epileptic mice. Proteomic data, RNA sequencing, and pathway analysis on predicted and validated targets of these microRNAs implicated derepressed TGF-ß signaling as a shared seizure-modifying mechanism. Correspondingly, inhibition of TGF-ß signaling occluded the antiseizure effects of the antagomirs. Together, these results identify shared, dysregulated, and functionally active microRNAs during the pathogenesis of epilepsy which represent therapeutic antiseizure targets.

Effect of parthenolide, an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, on insulin resistance in high-fat diet-obese mice.

The activation of Nod-like receptor proteins (NLRP3) containing the pyrin domain inflammasome is a hallmark of the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome by phytoconstituents has been attempted as a strategy to mitigate these disorders. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, parthenolide (PN; 5 mg/kg i.p.) against inflammation and insulin resistance in high-fat diet (HFD) - obese mice. Treatment with PN and pioglitazone (PIO; 30 mg/kg p.o.) attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 ng/ml) - induced elevation of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß in mouse peritoneal macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Sixty days of PN and PIO treatment marginally reduced obesity-induced insulin resistance in HFD-obese mice. PN treatment also decreased blood glucose from 14th to 60th day, supporting the hypothesis of simultaneous attenuation of inflammation and insulin resistance in obese mice. Thus, PN treatment was also evident with significant improvement in glucose tolerance and peripheral insulin resistance validated through the respective tolerance tests. Therefore, the present study suggests that PN, an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, could be a possible therapeutic agent for attenuating obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Ultimate fate and possible ecological risks associated with atrazine and its principal metabolites (DIA and DEA) in soil and water environment.

Atrazine (AT) is a triazine herbicide widely used to control weeds in several crops. De-isopropylatrazine (DIA) and de-ethylatrazine (DEA) are two of the eight primary metabolites produced by AT breakdown in soil and water. The physico-chemical properties of the soil determine their final fate. So, this study aimed to assess the function of clay loam and sandy loam soils in determining their ultimate fate and the potential ecological risks to non-target species during their persistence in soil and transportation to water bodies. The soil in pots was spiked with standard solutions of AT, DEA, and DIA at 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg for the persistence study. The leaching potential was determined by placing soils in Plexi columns and spiking them with 50 and 100 µg standard solutions. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to prepare the samples, which were then analyzed using GC-MS/MS. The dynamics of dissipation were first-order. AT, DEA and DIA disappeared rapidly in sandy loam soil, with half-lives ranging from 6.2 to 8.4 days. AT and its metabolites had a significant amount of leaching potential. In sandy loam soil, leaching was more effective, resulting in maximal residue movement up to 30-40 cm soil depth. The presence of a notable collection of residues in leachate fractions suggests the potential for surface and groundwater contamination. In particular, DEA and DIA metabolites caused springtail Folsomia candida and earthworm Eisenia fetida to have longer and greater unacceptable risks. If the residues comparable to the amount acquired in leachate fractions reach water bodies, they could cause toxicity to a variety of freshwater fish, aquatic arthropods, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates. Future studies should take a more comprehensive approach to evaluate ecological health and dangers to non-target species.

Morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes upon sucking insect-pest infestations.

The effects of sucking insect-pests on the morpho-physiological and biochemical changes in the leaves of four cotton genotypes-Bio 100 BG-II and GCH-3 (highly tolerant); KDCHH-9810 BG-II and HS-6 (highly susceptible)-were examined. Compared to tolerant genotypes, susceptible genotypes showed a decrease in relative water content, specific leaf weight, leaf area, photosynthetic rate, and total chlorophyll content, with an increase in electrolyte leakage. Hydrogen peroxide and total soluble sugar content were higher in susceptible plants. In contrast, resistant plants had higher levels of total soluble protein, total phenolic content, gossypol content, tannin content, peroxidase activity, and polyphenol oxidase. The findings demonstrated that the Bio 100 BG-II and GCH-3 genotypes effectively offset the impact of sucking insect-pests by modifying the factors mentioned above. The KDCHH-9810 BG-II and HS-6 genotypes could not completely negate the effects of sucking insect-pests. Customized metabolites and total soluble protein are more efficient in protecting cotton plants from damage brought on by infestations of sucking insects and pests. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01253-w.

In silico and in vitro screening for potential anticancer candidates targeting GPR120.

The G-protein coupled receptor - GPR120 has recently been implicated as a novel target for colorectal cancer (CRC) and other cancer managements. In this study, a homology model of GPR120S (short isoform) was generated to identify potential anti-cancer compounds targeting the GPR120 receptor using a combined in silico docking-based virtual screening (DBVS), structure-activity relationships (SAR) and in vitro screening approach. SPECS database of synthetic chemical compounds (~350,000) was screened using the developed GPR120S model to identify molecules binding to the orthosteric binding pocket followed by an AutoDock SMINA rigid-flexible docking protocol. The best 13 hit molecules were then tested in vitro to evaluate their cytotoxic activity against SW480 - human CRC cell line expressing GPR120. The test compound 1 (3-​(4-​methylphenyl)​-​2-​[(2-​oxo-​2-​phenylethyl)​sulfanyl]​-​5,6-​dihydrospiro(benzo[h]​quinazoline-​5,1'-​cyclopentane)​-​4(3H)​-​one) showed ~ 90% inhibitory effects on cell growth with micromolar affinities (IC50 = 23.21-26.69 µM). Finally, SAR analysis of compound 1 led to the identification of a more active compound from the SPECS database showing better efficacy during cell-based cytotoxicity assay -5 (IC50 = 5.89-6.715 µM), while a significant reduction in cytotoxic effects of 5 was observed in GPR120-siRNA pre-treated SW480 cells. The GPR120S homology model generated, and SAR analysis conducted by this work discovered a potential chemical scaffold, dihydrospiro(benzo[h]quinazoline-5,1'-cyclopentane)-4(3H)-one, which will aid future research on anti-cancer drug development for CRC management.

A prospective randomised control trial to compare the perioperative outcomes and ergonomic challenges between triangular versus midline port placement in total extra-peritoneal repair of uncomplicated unilateral inguinal hernia.

BACKGROUND: Routine TEP technique requires three skin incisions for placement of three trocars in the midline. Otherwise, this can be done by three-port triangular technique or two-hand technique. This study reports a randomised trial of perioperative outcomes and ergonomics characteristics of this procedure using two different techniques of port insertion. METHODS: N = 28 patients were randomised into two groups for triangular three-port (TTEP) versus midline three-port TEP (MTEP) hernioplasty after informed written consent in Department of Surgery, King George's Medical University UP between September 2016 and September 2017 after institutional ethical approval. Patient-related outcomes in terms of quality of life (QOL) and ergonomic evaluation of the technique were compared in double-blinded fashion. RESULTS: Postoperative pain score at 24 h post surgery (5.1 ± 0.6; 95% CI 4.9-5.3 vs. 4.8 ± 0.4; 95% CI 4.6-4.9) differed, while hospital stay, time to return to routine work, tolerance to oral feeds and intraoperative complications occurrence (OR 2.1; 95% CI 0.2-24.3) were comparable in both groups. Time to return to office work (5.5 ± 0.5; 95% CI 5.4-5.7 vs. 4.0 ± 0.8; 95% CI 3.7-4.3) and immediate postoperative sensation of mesh and pain score were significantly higher in MTEP compared to TTEP. Ergonomic parameters including visualization of landmark score, spreading of mesh score and total surgeon satisfaction score (TTEP 8.4 ± 0.7; 95% CI 8.1-8.6 vs. MTEP 7.0 ± 0.8; 95% CI 6.7-7.3), mental effort quotient (SMEQ score: TTEP 50.6 ± 12.7; 95% CI 45.9-55.3 vs. MTEP 70.8 ± 12.6: 95% CI 66.1-75.4) and physical effort quotient (LEDQ scores in wrist, hand, arm and shoulders) were also superior in triangular technique of port placement. CONCLUSION: Triangular three-port TEP hernioplasty is ergonomically feasible and enables a surgeon to perform surgery safely using basic principles of laparoscopy.

Transfascial suture versus tack fixation of mesh in totally extraperitoneal repair of inguinal hernia: A prospective comparative study.

Purpose: Among laparoscopic surgeries in inguinal hernias, totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair has demonstrated favourable results in reduction of post-operative pain and mean operative times with early return to physical activity. We have done a prospective comparative study on two different techniques of mesh fixation, i.e., transfascial suture and tack fixation. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective, non-randomised comparative study done on inguinal hernia patients operated by TEP repair from October 2014 to September 2016. These data were compared in two techniques of mesh fixation (tack and transfascial sutures) in terms of post-operative complications, pain scores by visual analogue scale (VAS) and cost analysis of the procedure. Results: Our study on 69 total patients (44 tack fixation and 25 suture fixation group) revealed that mean VAS scores for post-operative pain were not having any statistically significant difference in the tack group versus suture group (2.42 ± 0.24 vs. 2.2 ± 0.24) at 24 h, but VAS scores in the follow-up period at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months were 1.14 ± 0.33 versus 0.67 ± 0.27; 0.78 ± 0.24 versus 0.07 ± 0.06; 0.42 ± 0.17 versus 0.07 ± 0.06 and 0.5 ± 0.11 versus 0.07 ± 0.06, respectively, which showed significant difference at 1 and 3 months, suggesting less pain in the suture group. No significant difference was noted in other post-operative complications. Conclusion: Transfascial suture fixation of mesh in TEP repair of inguinal hernia can be a cost-effective procedure with a comparable safety profile as compared to tack fixation.

Neuroregenerative Effects of Electromagnetic Field and Magnetic Nanoparticles on Spinal Cord Injury in Rats.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) along with electromagnetic fields (MF) exposure on spontaneous and induced axonal sprouting after spinal cord injury (SCI). Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to spinal cord transection at the T13 segment. The IONP (25 µg/mL) embedded in 3% agarose gel was implanted at the injury site and subsequently exposed to MF (50 Hz, 17.96 µT, 2 hours/day for 5 weeks). Histological analysis of spinal cord tissue showed a significant increase in the expression of the growth-associated protein GAP-43 and it was found to be co-localized with neuronal nuclei marker and neurofilaments. The results show sprouting from mature neurons and axons, significantly less demyelination and more myelinated fibers were evident at the lesion site. However, no motor or somatosensory evoked potential response was observed, suggesting lack of long-distance functional connectivity. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of IONPs along with MF exposure in promoting neuroregeneration after SCI.

Paired motor cortex and cervical epidural electrical stimulation timed to converge in the spinal cord promotes lasting increases in motor responses.

KEY POINTS: Pairing motor cortex stimulation and spinal cord epidural stimulation produced large augmentation in motor cortex evoked potentials if they were timed to converge in the spinal cord. The modulation of cortical evoked potentials by spinal cord stimulation was largest when the spinal electrodes were placed over the dorsal root entry zone. Repeated pairing of motor cortex and spinal cord stimulation caused lasting increases in evoked potentials from both sites, but only if the time between the stimuli was optimal. Both immediate and lasting effects of paired stimulation are likely mediated by convergence of descending motor circuits and large diameter afferents onto common interneurons in the cervical spinal cord. ABSTRACT: Convergent activity in neural circuits can generate changes at their intersection. The rules of paired electrical stimulation are best understood for protocols that stimulate input circuits and their targets. We took a different approach by targeting the interaction of descending motor pathways and large diameter afferents in the spinal cord. We hypothesized that pairing stimulation of motor cortex and cervical spinal cord would strengthen motor responses through their convergence. We placed epidural electrodes over motor cortex and the dorsal cervical spinal cord in rats; motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were measured from biceps. MEPs evoked from motor cortex were robustly augmented with spinal epidural stimulation delivered at an intensity below the threshold for provoking an MEP. Augmentation was critically dependent on the timing and position of spinal stimulation. When the spinal stimulation was timed to coincide with the descending volley from motor cortex stimulation, MEPs were more than doubled. We then tested the effect of repeated pairing of motor cortex and spinal stimulation. Repetitive pairing caused strong augmentation of cortical MEPs and spinal excitability that lasted up to an hour after just 5 min of pairing. Additional physiology experiments support the hypothesis that paired stimulation is mediated by convergence of descending motor circuits and large diameter afferents in the spinal cord. The large effect size of this protocol and the conservation of the circuits being manipulated between rats and humans makes it worth pursuing for recovery of sensorimotor function after injury to the central nervous system.

Evaluation of post-germinative lipid peroxidation and enzymatic antioxidant potential in lead absorbing oat (Avena sativa) seedlings.

The objective of the present research was to study the impact of lead (Pb) on growth, metal uptake and antioxidative potential of oat seeds under metal stress. To achieve these objectives, few experiments were conducted to assess the effect of this particular metal on various anti-oxidative enzymes, during initial metabolism after germination, in presence of lead. Pb is not an oxido-reducing metal, the oxidative stress induced by Pb in growing oat seedlings appears to be an indirect effect of Pb toxicity, leading to production of ROS with simultaneous decrease in tissue levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Content of free radical like superoxide anion and metabolite such as H2O2 were found to be more in plumule as compared to radical and endosperm of oat seedling. In response to various concentrations of lead ranging from 25-400 ppm, activities of peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase were induced in plumule, radical and cotyledon on the 3rd, 6th and 9th days after germination. Growth parameters like length, fresh weight and dry weight were substantially affected in addition to reduced germination upto 49% only. The results indicated that even at the lowest concentration tested, a low inhibition of growth was obtained.

Combinatorial approaches for controlling pericarp browning in Litchi (Litchi chinensis) fruit.

The availability of fruit like litchi has been limited by variability in yield, alternate bearing, seasonal differences and most commonly post harvest problems. The litchi fruit has a very short shelf-life during which red color turns brown which greatly affects the appeal to consumer although not the unique flavor. This review article focuses on the post harvest problems especially browning of litchi. The pericarp of litchi is also sensitive to desiccation and turns brown and brittle once moisture is reduced to half. A large number of approaches have been tried to solve this problem starting from hydro-cooling to gamma irradiation but single approach could not suffice for all. In modern era, the logical base of controlling browning is either to control the responsible enzyme or remove the undesirable product of enzyme catalyzed reaction. Thus enzyme technology with good postharvest practice can definitely solve this problem.

Role of Angiogenesis and Its Biomarkers in Development of Targeted Tumor Therapies.

Angiogenesis plays a significant role in the human body, from wound healing to tumor progression. "Angiogenic switch" indicates a time-restricted event where the imbalance between pro- and antiangiogenic factors results in the transition from prevascular hyperplasia to outgrowing vascularized tumor, which eventually leads to the malignant cancer progression. In the last decade, molecular players, i.e., angiogenic biomarkers and underlying molecular pathways involved in tumorigenesis, have been intensely investigated. Disrupting the initiation and halting the progression of angiogenesis by targeting these biomarkers and molecular pathways has been considered as a potential treatment approach for tumor angiogenesis. This review discusses the currently known biomarkers and available antiangiogenic therapies in cancer, i.e., monoclonal antibodies, aptamers, small molecular inhibitors, miRNAs, siRNAs, angiostatin, endostatin, and melatonin analogues, either approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or currently under clinical and preclinical investigations.

Development, characterization, and evaluation of Zn-SA-chitosan bionanoconjugates on wheat seed, experiencing chilling stress during germination.

This study aimed to develop and characterize the chitosan bionanoconjugates (BNCs) loaded with zinc (Zn) and salicylic acid (SA) and test their efficacy on wheat seed exposed to chilling stress. BNCs developed were spherical (480 ± 6.0 nm), porous, and positively charged (+25.2 ± 2.4 mV) with regulated nutrient release properties. They possessed complexation efficiency of 78.4 and 58.9 % for Zn, and SA respectively. BET analysis further confirmed a surface area of 12.04 m2/g. Release kinetics substantiated the release rates of Zn and SA, as 0.579 and 0.559 % per hour, along with a half-life of 119.7 and 124.0 h, respectively. BNCs positively affected the germination potential of wheat seeds under chilling stress as observed by significantly (p < 0.05) reduced mean emergence time (18 %), and increased germination rate (22 %), compared to the control. Higher activities of reserve mobilizing enzymes (α-amylase- 6.5 folds, protease -10.2 folds) as well as faster reserve mobilization of starch (64.4 %) and protein (63.5 %) molecules were also observed. The application further led to increased levels of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and reduced oxidative damage (MDA and H2O2). Thus, it is inferred that the developed BNCs could help substantially improve the germination and reserve mobilization potential, thereby increasing the crop yield.

Innovative Approaches to Address the Technical Challenge of Hernial Sac Distension Due to Pneumoperitoneum in the Synchronous Management of Complex Hernias in Individuals With Morbid Obesity.

Although repairing ventral hernias in individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery is a common practice, persistent technical intricacies and controversies surround their management. Concurrently, addressing ventral hernias in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery presents a significant surgical challenge, amplified by the larger intraperitoneal cavities and the presence of large hernial sacs. This technical report introduces two innovative techniques to alleviate the challenge of hernia sac distension due to pneumoperitoneum associated with simultaneous bariatric surgery and ventral hernia repair using laparoscopic technique. The methods are designed to address the complexities of the procedures, making their simultaneous execution feasible and safe. The goal is to eliminate the need for two separate interventions while ensuring the outcomes of each procedure remain uncompromised. The larger intraperitoneal cavities and the presence of large hernial sacs are managed successfully, demonstrating the feasibility and safety of the introduced methods. Importantly, the simultaneous execution of both procedures does not compromise the outcomes of either intervention. Concurrently managing ventral hernias in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery requires innovative solutions to overcome technical challenges. The introduction of these two novel techniques proves to be a valuable approach, making simultaneous execution feasible and safe. Eliminating the need for two separate interventions streamlines the surgical process without compromising the outcomes of either bariatric surgery or ventral hernia repair.