Foliar application of seed water extract of Nigella sativa improved maize growth in cadmium-contaminated soil.

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread heavy metal, which commonly exert negative impacts on agricultural soils and living organisms. Foliar application of seed water extract of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) can mitigate the adverse impacts of Cd-toxicity in plants through its rich antioxidants. This study examined the role of seed water extracts of N. sativa (NSE) in mitigating the adverse impacts of Cd-toxicity on maize growth. Two maize genotypes (synthetic 'Neelum' and hybrid 'P1543') were grown under 0, 4, 8 and 12 mg Cd kg-1 soil. The NSE was applied at three different concentrations (i.e., 0, 10 and 20%) as foliar spray at 25 and 45 days after sowing. All Cd concentrations had no effect on germination percentage of both genotypes. Increasing Cd concentration linearly decreased root and allometric attributes, gas exchange traits and relative water contents of hybrid genotype. However, gas exchange traits of synthetic genotype remained unaffected by Cd-toxicity. Overall, hybrid genotype showed better tolerance to Cd-toxicity than synthetic genotype with better germination and allometric attributes and less Cd accumulation. Foliar application of NSE lowered negative effects of Cd-toxicity on all studied traits, except relative water contents. In conclusion, foliar application of NSE seemed a viable option to improve maize growth in Cd-contaminated soil.

Exogenous application of black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed extract improves maize growth under chromium (Cr) stress.

Accumulation of non-essential heavy metals like chromium (Cr) is among major abiotic stresses, which adversely affect crop growth. Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is the most dangerous form negatively affecting the growth and productivity of crops. This study evaluated the role of black cumin extracts (BCE) in improving growth and productivity of maize genotypes under different concentrations of Cr(VI). Two maize genotypes ("Neelum" and "P1543") were grown under 0, 4, 8 and 12 mg Cr(VI) kg-1 concentrations. The BCE was applied as foliar spray at three concentrations (0, 10 and 20%) at 25 and 45 days after sowing. Increasing Cr(VI) concentration significantly (p < 0.05) reduced seed germination, root and allometric traits, gas exchange attributes and relative water contents of tested genotypes. Hybrid maize genotype better tolerated tested Cr(VI) concentrations than synthetic genotype with lower Cr accumulation and better allometric and gas exchange traits. Exogenous application of 20% BCE proved effective in lowering the adverse effects of Cr(VI) toxicity on maize genotypes. It is concluded that 20% BCE could be used to improve maize performance through better allometric and gas exchange traits under different Cr(VI) concentrations. Nonetheless, actual mechanisms involved in improved Cr(VI)-tolerance of maize with BCE application must be explored. Novelty statement Black cumin has been widely used to reduce Cr toxicity in animals. However, the role of black cumin in reducing Cr toxicity in plants has never been studied. The present study was conducted to infer the role of different concentrations of black cumin extract in improving the growth of synthetic and hybrid maize genotypes under different levels of Cr stress. It is concluded that black cumin extract could be used to lower Cr toxicity in maize grown under Cr-contaminated soils.

Similarities Between Depression and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Pathophysiology, Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment Options.

Depressive disorder and neurodegenerative diseases are two different clinical entities. Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in the general population. However, when present concomitantly with neurodegenerative disorders, its diagnosis becomes challenging. In many cases, patients remain undiagnosed and hence, untreated, worsening the prognosis of the neurodegenerative diseases and impairing the quality of life. One of the possible reasons for the difficulties in diagnosis in such cases is that both conditions affect the central nervous system, so there might be an overlap of symptoms leading to a missed diagnosis of depression in a neurodegenerative disease patient and vice versa. Symptoms such as irritability, apathy, and decreased cognition are common to both types of disorders. Some neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease, can initially present as a depressive prodrome. This may cause a difficulty in differentiating between these two conditions and a diagnosis of either conditions may be missed; hence an opportunity for timely intervention and improved outcomes is missed. An approach towards analyzing and comparing the pathological mechanisms common to both disease types will create a better understanding of depression and neurodegenerative diseases, identify their similarities, and develop improved clinical criteria to help clinicians make a timely diagnosis of these conditions present together. In the present review, various studies related to common pathological links, concomitant diagnosis challenges, and ongoing research about different treatment options are discussed.

The Sickle Effect: The Silent Titan Affecting Glycated Hemoglobin Reliability.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a popular invaluable tool in the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes for red blood cells (RBCs) with a lifespan of 120 days; however, many factors, including hemoglobinopathies, affect its accuracy. Sickle cell trait, primarily a benign medical condition, is a point mutation in only one of two beta-globin genes on chromosome 11. We performed a traditional review to identify how the sickle cell trait (SCT) affects the interpretation of HbA1c and the further implications it may have on the diagnosis and management of Type 2 diabetes. A literature search was performed using PubMed®/MEDLINE® and Google Scholar with formulated keywords (sickle cell trait, HbAS, HbA1c, glycosylated hemoglobin, diabetes, RBC lifespan, race, and genetics), with the majority of results being mainly observational studies. The National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) is responsible for standardizing HbA1c results and also highlights factors that can interfere with HbA1c, including hemoglobin variants. Studies that utilize only an NGSP-certified method with no clinically significant interference by HbS in patients with and without SCT showed contrasting results. Additional studies showed that persons of African ancestry, the group to which the majority of SCT patients belong, have a higher HbA1c than non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), just based on race, and a greater probability of having glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, which lowers HbA1c. The most extensive study investigating the RBC lifespan in SCT patients showed a reduction in the cell lifespan compared to normal patients; however, other smaller studies were contradictory. Our study highlights the need for hemoglobinopathy detection before or during HbA1c measurement in populations with a high degree of African ancestry and the importance of patient notification. It also shows that SCT affects the accuracy of HbA1c, through its likely reduction of RBC lifespan and its increased association with African ancestry and G6PD deficiency. This review recommends that for SCT patients with potential Type 2 diabetes, HbA1c should be used in combination with another diagnostic tool such as fasting blood glucose, fructosamine, or glycated albumin to decrease the chances of a missed diagnosis.