An Overview on Flavor Extraction, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Significance, and Production of Herbal Wines.

Wine has been utilized as a source for medicinal preparations, combined with various herbs, to treat particular ailments and disorders. By utilizing herb extracts, regular but limited consumption of these herbal wines helps to decrease the need for prescription medications to treat a variety of ailments. The diversity and the composition of the yeast micropopulation significantly contribute to the sensory characteristics of wine. A particular metabolic activity characterizes the growth of each wine yeast species, which determines the concentrations of flavor compounds in the final wine. Numerous herbs, such as tulsi, ginger, aloe vera, tea, amla, lemongrass, and peppermint, are used in the preparation of herbal wines, where either the herb or herbal blends are primarily used as the substrate. The variants provided improved accuracy, increased acceptability, and broader uses for the novel product. Herbal wines pave the way to provide nutraceuticals to consumers and protection against pathogenic microorganisms and inflammation through their richness in antioxidants. The existing herbal wines and their health advantages are discussed in this Review, along with some new directions for the herbal wine business.

The role of microbial partners in heavy metal metabolism in plants: a review.

Heavy metal pollution threatens plant growth and development as well as ecological stability. Here, we synthesize current research on the interplay between plants and their microbial symbionts under heavy metal stress, highlighting the mechanisms employed by microbes to enhance plant tolerance and resilience. Several key strategies such as bioavailability alteration, chelation, detoxification, induced systemic tolerance, horizontal gene transfer, and methylation and demethylation, are examined, alongside the genetic and molecular basis governing these plant-microbe interactions. However, the complexity of plant-microbe interactions, coupled with our limited understanding of the associated mechanisms, presents challenges in their practical application. Thus, this review underscores the necessity of a more detailed understanding of how plants and microbes interact and the importance of using a combined approach from different scientific fields to maximize the benefits of these microbial processes. By advancing our knowledge of plant-microbe synergies in the metabolism of heavy metals, we can develop more effective bioremediation strategies to combat the contamination of soil by heavy metals.

Assessing the health risks of heavy metals and seasonal minerals fluctuations in Camellia sinensis cultivars during their growth seasons.

The risk assessment of heavy metals in tea is extremely imperative for the health of tea consumers. However, the effects of varietal variations and seasonal fluctuations on heavy metals and minerals in tea plants remain unclear. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to evaluate the contents of aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and antimony (Sb) in the two categories of young leaves (YL) and mature leaves (ML) of tea (Camellia sinensis) cultivars throughout the growing seasons. The results showed significant variations in the contents of the investigated nutrients both among the different cultivars and growing seasons as well. Furthermore, the average concentrations of Al, Mn, Mg, B, Ca, Cu, Co, Fe, Na, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb in YL ranged, from 671.58-2209.12, 1260.58-1902.21, 2290.56-2995.36, 91.18-164.68, 821.95-5708.20, 2.55-3.80, 3.96-25.22, 37.95-202.84, 81.79-205.05, 27.10-69.67, 0.028-0.053, 0.065-0.127, 2.40-3.73, 10.57-12.64, 0.11-0.14 mg kg-1, respectively. In ML, the concentrations were 2626.41-7834.60, 3980.82-6473.64, 3335.38-4537.48, 327.33-501.70, 9619.89-13153.68, 4.23-8.18, 17.23-34.20, 329.39-567.19, 145.36-248.69, 40.50-81.42, 0.089-0.169, 0.23-0.27, 5.24-7.89, 18.51-23.97, 0.15-0.19 mg kg-1, respectively. The contents of all analyzed nutrients were found to be higher in ML than in YL. Target hazard quotients (THQ) of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb, as well as the hazard index (HI), were all less than one, suggesting no risk to human health via tea consumption. This research might provide the groundwork for essential minerals recommendations, as well as a better understanding and management of heavy metal risks in tea.

Mitigation of Benzene-Induced Haematotoxicity in Sprague Dawley Rats through Plant-Extract-Loaded Silica Nanobeads.

Benzene, a potent carcinogen, is known to cause acute myeloid leukaemia. While chemotherapy is commonly used for cancer treatment, its side effects have prompted scientists to explore natural products that can mitigate the haematotoxic effects induced by chemicals. One area of interest is nano-theragnostics, which aims to enhance the therapeutic potential of natural products. This study aimed to enhance the effects of methanolic extracts from Ocimum basilicum, Rosemarinus officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris by loading them onto silica nanobeads (SNBs) for targeted delivery to mitigate the benzene-induced haematotoxic effects. The SNBs, 48 nm in diameter, were prepared using a chemical method and were then loaded with the plant extracts. The plant-extract-loaded SNBs were then coated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The modified SNBs were characterized using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The developed plant-extract-loaded and CMC-modified SNBs were administered intravenously to benzene-exposed rats, and haematological and histopathological profiling was conducted. Rats exposed to benzene showed increased liver and spleen weight, which was mitigated by the plant-extract-loaded SNBs. The differential white blood cell (WBC) count was higher in rats with benzene-induced haematotoxicity, but this count decreased significantly in rats treated with plant-extract-loaded SNBs. Additionally, blast cells observed in benzene-exposed rats were not found in rats treated with plant-extract-loaded SNBs. The SNBs facilitated targeted drug delivery of the three selected medicinal herbs at low doses. These results suggest that SNBs have promising potential as targeted drug delivery agents to mitigate haematotoxic effects induced by benzene in rats.

Chemical Characterization of Honey and Its Effect (Alone as well as with Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles) on Microbial Pathogens' and Human Cancer Cell Lines' Growth.

The antibacterial, anticancer, and wound-healing effects of honey can vary according to the type, geographical region, honey bee species, and source of the flowers. Nanotechnology is an innovative and emerging field of science with an enormous potential role in medical, cosmetics, and industrial usages globally. Metal nanoparticles that derived from silver and range between 1 nm and 100 nm in size are called silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Much advanced research AgNPs has been conducted due to their potential antibacterial and anticancer activity, chemical stability, and ease of synthesis. The purpose of the present study was to explore the physicochemical properties of honey and the potential to use forest honey to synthesize AgNPs as well as to appraise the nanoparticles' antimicrobial and anticancer effects. Here, we used three different percentages of forest honey (20%, 40%, and 80%) as biogenic mediators to synthesize AgNPs at room temperature. The development of AgNPs was confirmed by color change (to the naked eye) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy studies, respectively. The absorbance peak obtained between 464 to 4720 nm validated both the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band and the formation of AgNPs. Regarding the sugar profile, the contents of maltose and glucose were lower than the content of fructose. In addition, the results showed that the SPR band of AgNPs increased as the percentage of forest honey increased due to the elevation of the concentration of the bio-reducing agent. A bacterial growth kinetic assay indicated the strong antibacterial efficacy of honey with silver nanoparticles against each tested bacterial strain. Honey with nanotherapy was the most effective against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and colon cancer (HCT 116) cells, with IC50s of 23.9 and 27.4 µg/mL, respectively, while being less effective against breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7), with an IC50 of 32.5 µg/mL.

ATP-binding cassette transporters expression profiling revealed its role in the development and regulating stress response in Solanum tuberosum.

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene family plays a vital role in substance transportation, including secondary metabolites, and phytohormones across membranous structures. It is still uncovered in potato (Solanum tuberosum), grown worldwide as a 3rd important food crop. The current study identified a total of 54 Stabc genes in potato genome. The accumulative phylogenetic tree of Stabc with arabidopsis, divided into eight groups (ABCA to ABCH). ABCG was the most prominent group covering 90% of Stabc genes, followed by ABCB group. The number and architecture of exon-intron varied from gene to gene. In addition, the presence of stress-responsive elements in the regulatory regions depicted their role in environmental stress. Furthermore, the tissue-specific and stress-specific expression profiling of Stabc genes and their validation through real-time-qPCR analysis revealed their role in development and stress. The presented results provided useful information for further functional analysis of Stabc genes and can also use as a reference study for other important crops.

Expression profiling of pathogenesis-related Protein-1 (PR-1) genes from Solanum tuberosum reveals its critical role in phytophthora infestans infection.

Pathogen-related (PR) proteins are an integral part of plants' defense mechanisms against various types of biotic and abiotic stresses. A little is known about the importance of these PR proteins in potato defense mechanisms. In the current study, a total of 22 pathogenesis-related 1 genes were identified in the potato genome. All identified proteins possessed the CAP superfamily domain with some other motifs. The cis-acting elements analysis identified several stress-responsive elements, including MYB, ABRE, and MeJRE. The gene duplication events demonstrated purifying and positive selection pressure. Expression profiling showed high transcripts level in root compared to other tissues; however, some genes have tissue-specific expression. Furthermore, the PR-1-5 gene is transcriptionally induced under Phytophthora infestans stress and hormonal (ABA and IAA) treatments. The Real-Time qPCR analysis also validated the RNA-seq data results of genes with maximum expression in roots compared to leaves and stems. The current study results provided basic data for functional characterization and can also use as a reference study for other important crops.

Clinically Relevant Genes and Proteins Modulated by Tocotrienols in Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines: Systematic Scoping Review.

The last decade has witnessed tremendous growth in tocotrienols (T3s) research, especially in the field of oncology, owing to potent anticancer property. Among the many types of cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) is growing to become a serious global health threat to humans. Chemoprevention strategies in recent days are open to exploring alternative interventions to inhibit or delay carcinogenesis, especially with the use of bioactive natural compounds, such as tocotrienols. This scoping review aims to distil the large bodies of literature from various databases to identify the genes and their encoded modulations by tocotrienols and to explicate important mechanisms via which T3s combat CRC. For this scoping review, research papers published from 2010 to early 2021 related to T3s and human CRC cells were reviewed in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. The study included research articles published in English, searchable on four literature databases (Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) that reported differential expression of genes and proteins in human CRC cell lines following exposure to T3s. A total of 12 articles that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were short-listed for data extraction and analysis. The results from the analysis of these 12 articles showed that T3s, especially its γ and δ analogues, modulated the expression of 16 genes and their encoded proteins that are associated with several important CRC pathways (apoptosis, transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, and cancer progression). Further studies and validation work are required to scrutinize the specific role of T3s on these genes and proteins and to propose the use of T3s to develop adjuvant or multi-targeted therapy for CRC.

Comparative assessment of various supplementary diets on commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) health and colony performance.

A healthy honey bee stock is critical to the beekeeping industry and the sustainability of the ecosystem. The quality of the supplemental diet influences the development and strength of the colony, especially during the pollen dearth period in the surrounding environment. However, the extent to which pollen substitute protein feeding affects honey bee colony parameters is not fully known. We conducted this study to test the influence of various supplemental diets on foraging effort, pollen load, capped brood area, population density, and honey yield. The treatment groups were supplied with patties of pollen substitute diets, whereas sugar syrup was given to the control group. Our results indicated that honey bees consumed a significantly higher amount of Diet 1 (45 g soybean flour + 15 g Brewer's yeast + 75 g powdered sugar + 7.5 g skimmed milk + 7.5 g date palm pollen + 200 mL sugar syrup supplement with Vitamin C) followed by others supplemented diets. Further, pollen load, worker-sealed brood area, population strength, and honey yield differed significantly when Diet 1 was consumed instead of other supplemental diets. The proportion of biological parameters was less in the control group as compared to other treatments. This study highlights the potential of supplemental diets to improve the bee's health and colony development when the pollens availability and diversity are insufficient.

Investigation of platelet function in patients with chronic kidney disease stages IV-V.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with renal failure are at increased risk of both bleeding and thrombosis. Further descriptions of laboratory investigations in these patients are required. METHODS: Investigation of 24 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages IV-V with light transmission aggregometry, platelet secretion assays and platelet nucleotide analysis. Patients were in a nonbleeding state and not on antiplatelet medication. Results were compared with our local reference range used within the clinical haematology service. RESULTS: Of the 24 patients, two had decreased responses to arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate, collagen, thrombin receptor activator peptide-6 and one had decreased responses to high dose ristocetin, and one had increased response to low dose ristocetin. 11 and 13 out of 24 had abnormal platelet secretion release to collagen and thrombin, respectively. Platelet nucleotide analysis in patients was normal with the exception of a reduction in ADP content in one patient and ATP/ADP ratio in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: In our collection of patients with CKD investigated for platelet function in the nonbleeding state, they generally had normal light transmission aggregometry and nucleotide analysis but around 50% had decreased platelet secretion assays. These results could be important in determining the significance of platelet function tests in patients with bleeding symptoms and renal failure. Further characterization of platelet function tests in future will help characterize haemostasis in renal failure further.

Saponin toxicity as key player in plant defense against pathogens.

Microbial pathogens attack every plant tissue, including leaves, roots, shoots, and flowers during all growth stages. Thus, they cause several diseases resulting in a plant's failure or loss of the whole crop in severe cases. To combat the pathogens attack, plants produce some biologically active toxic compounds known as saponins. The saponins are secondary metabolic compounds produced in healthy plants with potential anti-pathogenic activity and serve as potential chemical barriers against pathogens. Saponins are classified into two major groups the steroidal and terpenoid saponins. Here, we reported the significance of saponin toxins in the war against insect pests, fungal, and bacterial pathogens. Saponins are present in both cultivated (chilies, spinach, soybean, quinoa, onion, oat, tea, etc.) and wild plant species. As they are natural toxic constituents of plant defense, breeders and plant researchers aiming to boost plant imm unity should focus on transferring these compounds in cash crops.

Ropivacaine versus lidocaine infiltration for postpartum perineal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To systematically and meta-analytically examine the efficacy of ropivacaine versus lidocaine infiltration for controlling postpartum perineal pain secondary to spontaneous tear or selective episiotomy. METHODS: We searched four databases from inception to 20-September-2020. We included all relevant randomized and nonrandomized studies and assessed their risk of bias. We pooled data as standardized mean difference (SMD), weighted mean difference (WMD), or odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). RESULTS: Four studies met the inclusion criteria (one and three studies were nonrandomized and randomized, respectively). There were 405 patients; 205 and 200 patients received lidocaine and ropivacaine, respectively. There was no significant difference between ropivacaine and lidocaine groups with regard to visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at suturing (WMD = -0.04, 95 % CI [-0.41, 0.32], P = 0.82), 2 h (SMD = -1.50, 95 % CI [-3.50, 0.50], P = 0.14), and 24 h (SMD = -0.40, 95 % CI [-1.15, 0.34], P = 0.29) post repair of perineal trauma. Proportion of patients with mild VAS pain score ≤3 at 24 h was significantly higher in the ropivacaine group (OR = 4.34, 95 % CI [2.03, 9.29], P < 0.001). Proportion of patients who did not require additional analgesia during the first 24 h post perineal repair did not significantly differ between both groups (OR = 2.44, 95 % CI [0.09, 68.21], P = 0.60). Ropivacaine group achieved higher maternal satisfaction (OR = 7.13, 95 % CI [3.63, 13.99], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During repair of postpartum perineal trauma, pain efficacy is relatively longer with ropivacaine but safety is not well investigated. High-quality and large-sized studies are needed to consolidate these findings.

Effect of harvest season on the nutritional value of bee pollen protein.

Bee pollen is a natural product that has valuable nutritional and medicinal characteristics and has recently garnered increasing attention in the food industry due to its nutritive value. Here, we harvested pollen loads from the Al-Ahsa oasis in eastern Saudi Arabia during spring, summer, autumn, and winter in 2018/2019 to compare the nutritional value of bee pollen protein with the amino acid requirements of honeybees and adult humans. Based on the nutritional value of bee pollen protein, the optimal season for harvesting bee pollen was determined. The composition of the bee pollen showed the highest contents of crude protein, total amino acids, leucine, glutamic acid, valine, isoleucine, threonine, and glycine in samples collected in spring. The highest contents of lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, arginine, tyrosine, and cysteine were observed in samples collected in winter. The highest contents of histidine, methionine, and serine were in samples collected in autumn. Moreover, the highest levels of aspartic acid, proline, and alanine were in samples collected in summer. Leucine, valine, lysine, histidine, threonine, and phenylalanine (except in autumn bee pollen) contents in pollen from all four seasons were above the requirements of honeybees. Leucine, valine, histidine, isoleucine (except in autumn bee pollen), lysine (except in spring and summer bee pollen), and threonine (except in winter and spring bee pollen) in all tested samples were above the requirements of adult humans. In comparison with the minimal amino acid requirements of adult humans and honeybees, the 1st limiting amino acid in bee pollen collected during the different seasons was methionine. Bee pollen collected during spring (March-May) and winter (December-February) can be considered a nutritive food source for adult humans and honeybees.

Silver Nanoparticle Production by Ruta graveolens and Testing Its Safety, Bioactivity, Immune Modulation, Anticancer, and Insecticidal Potentials.

Ruta graveolens, a plant belonging to the family Rutaceae, is traditionally used as a medicinal plant and a flavoring agent in food. This work aimed to prepare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the ethanol extract from R. graveolens leaves and test different biological activities as well as insecticidal potentials in the extract and extract prepared AgNPs. Dried and powdered R. graveolens leaves were subjected to extraction using ethanol, and this extract was used to synthesize AgNPs. AgNP synthesis was monitored by the change in color, UV spectrophotometry, and electron microscopy (scanning). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to monitor the functional groups in the extracts. Immunological, physiological, anticancer, antibacterial, and insecticidal potentials of the extract and its prepared AgNPs were tested. Results showed the ability of the leaf extract to synthesize. SEM examination revealed a spherical shape of AgNPs with a size of 40-45 nm. The extract contained many functional groups as indicated by FT-IR. The extract alone inhibited the growth of normal rat splenic cells, while the extract containing AgNPs stimulated its growth. Extract alone stimulated HeLa cell proliferation and inhibited HepG2 growth, while both cell line growth was inhibited by the extract containing AgNPs. Both the extract and extract with AgNPs were safe on RBCs and did not cause any severe elevation in liver enzymes. The extract alone and with AgNPs showed insecticidal activity against Culex pipiens. Our findings suggest that the R. graveolens leaf extract, alone or with AgNPs, is biologically safe on animal cells and has antibacterial, insecticidal, and immunomodulation potentials.

Structural diversity and functional variability of gut microbial communities associated with honey bees.

Microbial consortia accompanied to all eukaryotes can be inherited from ancestors, environment, and/or from various food source. Gut microbiota study is an emerging discipline of biological sciences that expands our understanding of the ecological and functional dynamics of gut environments. Microorganisms associated with honey bees play an important role in food digestion, colony performance, immunity, pollination, antagonistic effect against different pathogens, amelioration of food and many more. Although, many repots about honey bee gut microbiota are well documented, microbiome with other key components of honey bees such as larvae, adults, their food (pollen, beebread, and honey), honey combs, and floral nectar are poorly understood. Mutual interactions and extent of the roles of microbial communities associated with honey bees are still unclear and demand for more research on the nutritional physiology and health benefits of this ecologically and economically important group. Here in this study, we highlighted all the honey bee microbiome that harbored from different life stages and other relevant components. The anatomical parts of honey bee (larvae, adults), food source (pollen, beebread, and honey), honey combs, and floral nectar were highly flourished by numerous microorganisms like bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Actinomycetes, Bacilli, Bacteroidetes, Cocci, Clostridia, Coliforms, Firmicutes, Flavobacteriia, Mollicutes) and fungi (Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Mucormycotina, Saccharomycetes, Zygomycetes, Yeasts, Molds). Some distinctive microbial communities of a taxonomically constrained species have coevolved with social bees. This contribution is to enhance the understanding of honey bee gut microbiota, to accelerate bee microbiota and microbiome research in general and to aid design of future experiments in this growing field.

A Phage Therapy Guide for Clinicians and Basic Scientists: Background and Highlighting Applications for Developing Countries.

Approximately 10% of global health research is devoted to 90% of global disease burden (the so-called "10/90 Gap") and it often neglects those diseases most prevalent in low-income countries. Antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are known to impact on healthcare, food security, and socio-economic fabric in the developing countries. With a global antibiotic resistance crisis currently reaching a critical level, the unmet needs in the developing countries are even more striking. The failure of traditional antimicrobials has led to renewed interest in century-old bacteriophage (phage) therapy in response to the urgent need to develop alternative therapies to treat infections. Phage therapy may have particular value in developing countries where relevant phages can be sourced and processed locally and efficiently, breaking specifically the economic barrier of access to expensive medicine. Hence this makes phage therapy an attractive and feasible option. In this review, we draw our respective clinical experience as well as phage therapy research and clinical trial, and discuss the ways in which phage therapy might reduce the burden of some of the most important bacterial infections in developing countries.

Cellular proliferation/cytotoxicity and antimicrobial potentials of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Juniperus procera.

Juniperus spp. are used as medicinal plants in many countries like Bosnia, Lebanon, and Turkey. In folk medicines, these plants have been used for treating skin and respiratory tract diseases, urinary problems, rheumatism and gall bladder stones. The objectives of this work were to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a coniferous tree, Juniperus procera leaf extract and testing the synthesized AgNPs for its antimicrobial potentials, hemolytic activity, toxicity and the proliferative effects against normal and activated rat splenic cells. Leaf extract was prepared using acetone and ethanol as solvents. AgNPs were prepared using the acetone extract. AgNPs were validated using UV-Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Functional groups in the extract were identified using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. SEM images of AgNPs showed spherical and cubic shapes with a uniform size distribution with an average size of 30-90 nm. FT-IR spectroscopy showed the presence of many functional groups in the plant extract. AgNPs showed promising antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria and fungus. AgNPs also expressed a stimulating activity towards the rat splenic cells in a dose dependent manner. Acetone as solvent was safer on cells than ethanol. Green synthesized AgNPs using J. procera might be used as a broad-spectrum therapeutic agent against microorganisms and as an immunostimulant agent.

Composition and functional properties of propolis (bee glue): A review.

Propolis is a natural substance collected by honey bees from various plants such as, poplar, palm, pine, conifer secretions, gums, resins, mucilage and leaf buds. It is collected and brought very painstakingly by honey bees to be used for sealing cracks and crevices occurring in their hives. Originally, it as an antiseptic meant for preventing bee-hive from microbial infections along with preventing decomposition of intruders. Additionally, propolis has been used in folk medicine for centuries. The biological characteristics of propolis depend upon its chemical composition, plant sources, geographical zone and seasons. More than 300 compounds have been identified in propolis such as, phenolic compounds, aromatic acids, essential oils, waxes and amino acids. Many scientific articles are published every year in different international journals, and several groups of researchers have focused their attention on the chemical compounds and biological activity of propolis.

TH1/TH2 chemokines/cytokines profile in rats treated with tetanus toxoid and Euphorbia tirucalli.

Natural products, including their purified materials, play a remarkable role in drug development. The Euphorbiaceae family, mainly Euphorbia tirucalli, is used in some traditional medicine, and has evidence that its latex comprises immunomodulatory properties and cytokine production. This study aimed to measure the in vivo production of chemokines (IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-12, and RANTES), TH1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and IL-2) and TH2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13) in rats after treatments with ethanol latex extract of E. tirucalli. Vaccine treated and untreated rats were divided into seven groups to assess antimicrobial activities of the extracted components. After completion of the treatment schedule, blood was withdrawn and sera were collected. The results showed that the main component of the extract was a euphol compound. The extract showed antimicrobial activity and had the ability to modulate innate and adaptive immunity. Animals treated with extract for only 7 days before vaccination showed higher levels of antibody production. The extract showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. The extract could stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity. Pre-treatment with the extract increased immune responses in vaccinated animals, indicating the usefulness of the extract before immunization.

Toxic effects of some insecticides, herbicides, and plant essential oils against Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du val (Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Cereals are staple food for many countries and are grown on millions of hectares of land, but much of the harvest is wasted due to losses by pests. To minimize these losses, many pesticides are used which are damaging to the environment and human health. There are debates to get rid of these chemicals but they are still in use at large scale. An alternative control strategy for insect pests in storage houses is the use of botanicals. In this study, four plant essential oils, two plant extracts, two herbicides, and two insecticides were used against Tribolium confusum and the comparison of toxicity was made by calculating LC50 and LT50 values. LC50 values were higher for abamectin (2.09-10.23 mg/L) and cypermethrin (3.41-11.78 mg/L) insecticides followed by neem essential oil (7.39-19.24 mg/L) and citrus extract (10.14-24.50 mg/L). However, LC50 values were maximum in case of jaman plant extract (22.38-176.42 mg/L) followed by two herbicides, Logran (19.66-39.72 mg/L) and Topik (29.09-47.67 mg/L) However, LC50 values were higher for topic herbicide (24.098 ppm) and jaman essential oil (16.383 ppm) after four days of treatment. Abamectin and cypermethrin insecticides, neem essential oil and citrus plant extract also killed adults of T. confusum quicker as compared other essential oils, extracts and herbicides. Results revealed that botanical formulations being environmentally safe could be used instead of highly hazardous pesticides for stored products' pests. This study also elaborates the non-host toxicity of herbicides commonly applied in our agroecosystem.