Assessment of ethnobotanical uses, household, and regional genetic diversity of aroid species grown in northeastern India.

Aroids are an important group of indigenous tuber crops, grown widely for their leaves, petioles, stolons, corms, and cormels. A total of 53 genotypes were evaluated for their genetic diversity in northeastern region of India. At household level, a total of 16 landraces of Aroids were recorded having different ethnobotanical uses. Based on the population study under Jhum/Shifting farming, landrace Rengama was dominant in area with 47% of the total population followed by Tamachongkham and Tasakrek. However, Pugarkusu and Chigi occupied 33.0 and 24.0% of the population, respectively under backyard farming, and were considered as major landraces. Tamachongkham, high in acridity and total oxalate content (0.82%), was used for cooking with meat, while Tasakrek was used as a baby food due to high total sugar (>3.0%), low in acridity, and total oxalate content (<0.12%). The Simpson's diversity index of the backyards was higher (0.80) as compared to Jhum field (0.63). The genotypes showed wider variability in growth and yield attributes like; plant height (89.4-206.1 cm), number of side shoots (1.84-5.92), corm weight (38.0-683.3 g), cormel weight (14.0-348.3 g), yield (0.24-1.83 kg plant-1). Similarly, wide variations were also observed for quality traits like total sugar (1.93-4.94%); starch (15.32-32.49%), total oxalate (0.10-0.82%), and dry matter (16.75-27.08%) content. Except for total oxalate, all the growth and yield attributes have shown high heritability and moderate to high genetic advance. Molecular analysis (33 polymorphic SSR markers) detected a total of 136 alleles, ranged 3 to 8 alleles per marker. The observed heterozygosity (0.24) was less than expected heterozygosity (0.69). The group-wise maximum genetic divergence was observed between Colocasia fallax (cv. Chigi) to C. esculenta var. aquatilis (cv. Tharsing); C. fallax (cv. Chigi) to C. gigantea (cv. Ganima) and C. gigantea (cv. Ganima) to Xanthosoma spp., while it was least between eddo and dasheen. The findings indicated, a wider diversity and distinct ethnobotanical uses of Aroid landraces at the house hold levels, which should be conserved and popularized to ensure nutritional security.

Conservation Tillage and Waste Crop Residue Based Zinc Fortification in Rice and Wheat under Reclaimed Sodic Soils: Progress toward Nutrient Circularity and Sustainability.

Nearly 50% of the population across the globe is at risk of malnutrition with respect to zinc (Zn) in areas where a cereal based dietary system dominates. The present study estimated daily Zn intake in humans through field experiments in reclaimed sodic soil, utilizing waste crop residue (CR) in conservation tillage where CR played a vital role in enhancing Zn uptake in rice and wheat grains. Zn dynamics, its bioavailability, interaction with soil properties, and plausible contribution in dietary intake were studied extensively to supplement the research. A higher mobility factor (2.70%) and plant available Zn resulted in its higher uptake in rice (58.2 mg kg-1) and wheat (67.2 mg kg-1) under zero tillage in rice followed by zero tillage in wheat where CR was retained on the surface (ZTR-ZTW+CR). Daily Zn intake was found to be maximum (0.651 mg kg-1 day-1) under ZTR-ZTW+CR, demonstrating zinc sufficiency. Thus, this study may help in formulating actionable policies for combating both nutritional security and environmental hazards due to CR burning.

Linseed oil in boar's diet improved in vivo fertility and antioxidant status.

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are produced during storage of boar semen are causing oxidative stress and leads to poor fertility. Also, tropical and sub-tropical weather condition adversely impacts the physicomorphological quality and fertility of boar sperm. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of feeding linseed oil to boar on its seminal attributes, sperm kinetics, biomarkers of antioxidant, fatty acid profile of seminal plasma (SP) and sperm and in vivo fertility. Six Hampshire crossbreed boars were fed with 90 ml linseed oil (LIN) whereas six Hampshire crossbreed boars were fed 90 ml canola oil (CON) for 16 weeks. Sperm quality was evaluated (60 ejaculates for each group; a total of 120 ejaculates) for motility, livability, abnormal morphology, acrosomal membrane integrity, hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) and sperm kinetic parameters by computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) at 0 h and at 72 h of storage at 17°C. Biomarkers of antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase; GPx, catalase; CAT, total antioxidant capacity; TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in SP and serum. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for the estimation of fatty acid composition of SP and sperm. Boars fed with linseed oil had higher semen volume (p < .01) and more total sperm numbers (p < .01). Feeding linseed oil to boar enhanced seminal attributes (p < .05) at 0 h as well as at 72 h of storage. Linseed oil feeding (p < .01) improved biomarkers of antioxidants and significantly (p < .01) lowered the lipid peroxidation in serum and SP. Linseed oil feeding (p < .05) increased the proportion of alpha linolenic (ALA), arachidonic and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in SP. The ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in sperm increased significantly (p < .01) in treatment group. Farrowing rate was significantly (p < .05) higher in treatment group. In conclusion, feeding linseed oil to boar improved the in vivo fertility, enhanced antioxidant capacity and increased the DHA content of SP and sperm.

Cardenolide and pregnatriene compounds from the roots of Nerium oleander.

Cardenolide and pregnatriene compounds were isolated from the chloroform fraction of the 95% aqueous ethanolic extract of dried roots of Nerium oleander. The stereochemical structure of the cardenolide and pregnatriene compounds was determined to be 3ß-O-(D-diginosyl)-14ß-hydroxy card-20(22)-enolide and 12ß-hydroxy pregna-4,6,16-triene-3,20-dione using spectroscopic methods including IR, HRMS and NMR spectroscopy.