Alleviation of cadmium toxicity in pea (Pisum sativum L.) through Zn-Lys supplementation and its effects on growth and antioxidant defense.

Cadmium significantly impacts plant growth and productivity by disrupting physiological, biochemical, and oxidative defenses, leading to severe damage. The application of Zn-Lys improves plant growth while reducing the stress caused by heavy metals on plants. By focusing on cadmium stress and potential of Zn-Lys on pea, we conducted a pot-based study, organized under completely randomized block design CRD-factorial at the Botanical Garden of Government College University, Faisalabad. Both pea cultivars were grown in several concentrations of cadmium @ 0, 50 and 100 µM, and Zn-Lys were exogenously applied @ 0 mg/L and 10 mg/L with three replicates for each treatment. Cd-toxicity potentially reduces plant growth, chlorophyll contents, osmoprotectants, and anthocyanin content; however, an increase in MDA, H2O2 initiation, enzymatic antioxidant activities as well as phenolic, flavonoid, proline was observed. Remarkably, exogenously applied Zn-Lys significantly enhanced the plant growth, biomass, photosynthetic attributes, osmoprotectants, and anthocyanin contents, while further increase in enzymatic antioxidant activities, total phenolic, flavonoid, and proline contents were noticed. However, application of Zn-Lys instigated a remarkable decrease in levels of MDA and H2O2. It can be suggested with recommendation to check the potential of Zn-Lys on plants under cadmium-based toxic soil.

Foliar application of iron-lysine to boost growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments and biochemical defense system in canola (Brassica napus L.) under cadmium stress.

In the current industrial scenario, cadmium (Cd) as a metal is of great importance but poses a major threat to the ecosystem. However, the role of micronutrient - amino chelates such as iron - lysine (Fe - lys) in reducing Cr toxicity in crop plants was recently introduced. In the current experiment, the exogenous applications of Fe - lys i.e., 0 and10 mg L - 1, were examined, using an in vivo approach that involved plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress indicators and antioxidant response, sugar and osmolytes under the soil contaminated with varying levels of Cd i.e., 0, 50 and 100 µM using two different varieties of canola i.e., Sarbaz and Pea - 09. Results revealed that the increasing levels of Cd in the soil decreased plant growth and growth-related attributes and photosynthetic apparatus and also the soluble protein and soluble sugar. In contrast, the addition of different levels of Cd in the soil significantly increased the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which induced oxidative damage in both varieties of canola i.e., Sarbaz and Pea - 09. However, canola plants increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and non-enzymatic compounds such as phenolic, flavonoid, proline, and anthocyanin, which scavenge the over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cd toxicity can be overcome by the supplementation of Fe - lys, which significantly increased plant growth and biomass, improved photosynthetic machinery and sugar contents, and increased the activities of different antioxidative enzymes, even in the plants grown under different levels of Cd in the soil. Research findings, therefore, suggested that the Fe - lys application can ameliorate Cd toxicity in canola and result in improved plant growth and composition under metal stress.

Metabolite Profiling, Stability Testing, Pharmacokinetics, and In Vivo Pattern Recognition Analysis of Arq-e-Keora: A Traditional Unani Formulation.

BACKGROUND: Arq-e-Keora is a liquid formulation of the Unani system of medicine and used since long for the management of weakness of heart, palpitations, etc. OBJECTIVE: The study was carried out to generate a scientific data for its metabolite profiling, stability testing, pharmacokinetics, and pattern recognition analysis of Arq-e-Keora. METHOD: Arq-e-Keora has been prepared as water distillate of male wpadix of Pandanus odoratissimus L.f. TLC profiling of Arq-e-Keora was performed using hexane and acetone (7:3, v/v) as a solvent system. The metabolic profiling of volatile compounds was carried out using GC-MS. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed through GC-MS to evaluate how quickly it absorbs and distributes in plasma. The pattern recognition analysis was performed in order to recognize the pattern and fate of metabolites in rat plasma up to 24 h after single oral administration of Arq-e-Keora. RESULTS: TLC and GC-MS analysis resulted in profiling of 11 and 21 metabolites, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed that phenethyl alcohol, alpha-terpinolene, beta terpinene, alpha terpinene, beta fenchyl alcohol, hexadecanoic acid, and octadecanoic acid are the major metabolites found in Arq-e-Keora. The stability analysis showed that most of the compounds are stable at refrigerator temperature during their consumption. Pharmacokinetics data of phenethyl alcohol showed its absorption was rapid, with Tmax occurring within 1 h after oral administration of Arq-e-Keora. In vivo pattern recognition analysis suggests that some metabolite expression was altered after its oral administration. CONCLUSIONS: As a result, our model could be used for quality, stability, and pharmacokinetic evaluation of various Unani formulations mentioned in Unani Pharmacopoeia of India. HIGHLIGHTS: This is the first study of pharmacokinetic analysis and metabolite pattern of traditional Unani formulation after its oral administration in Wistar rats.

Alleviation of drought stress by root-applied thiourea is related to elevated photosynthetic pigments, osmoprotectants, antioxidant enzymes, and tubers yield and suppressed oxidative stress in potatoes cultivars.

The growth and productivity of plants are enhanced by the use of thiourea (TU) under stressful conditions. When TU is applied as a rooting medium, it improves plant growth characteristics and other physiological parameters in stressed environment. A pot experiment was conducted in the botanical garden of the Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan to examine the TU-mediated fluctuations in some crucial physio-biochemical parameters and the oxidative defense of potatoes under a restricted water supply. For this purpose, two potato cultivars (potato-SH-5 and potato-FD-73) were sown in pots containing 10 kg of soil. Water was regularly applied to the pots until germination. After 2 weeks of germination, drought stress with 65% field capacity was imposed, while the control was subjected to 100% field capacity. TU, as a rooting medium, was applied at the vegetative stage (0 (no application), 0.5, 0.75 mM). A substantial reduction in the total number of leaves, leaf area, tuber biomass (fresh and dry weight), photosynthetic pigments, membrane permeability, and leaf relative water content (RWC) was recorded in plants under drought stress conditions as compared to control plants. The damaging effects of water stress were more critical for cv. potato-FD-73 as compared to cv. potato-SH-5. In contrast, drought stress enhanced the malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content while also increased antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)) and triggered the accumulation of soluble proteins, soluble sugars, proline, and phenolic and anthocyanin contents. However, TU applied as rooting medium at 0.5 and 0.75 mM was effective in reducing the detrimental effects of water stress in both cultivars. Furthermore, increasing levels of TU enhanced chlorophyll pigments, dissolved proteins, complete dissolved sugars, and enzymatic capabilities of POD, SOD, and CAT, while reducing the MDA and H2O2 in both cultivars under stress conditions. In conclusion, TU improved the yield and chlorophyll pigments of potato plants by mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress through reduced EL, MDA, and H2O2 contents and improved activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and osmoprotectants.

Ethnobotanical inventory and medicinal perspectives of herbal flora of Shiwalik mountainous range of District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

The present study was carried out to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) of herbal flora of District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to explore medicinal potential of wild indigenous plants (WIPs) for drug discovery. The research data was conducted during years 2015-2017 using questionnaire proforma employing structured and semi-structured interview models. The informants belonged from indigenous communities comprising of both genders with age ranging from 35-105 years. The interviews were conducted using local translator or guide who knew the dialects of all local languages. The study produced ethnobotanical inventory of 173 herbal species belonging to 45 families and out of these Poaceae was dominant family with 27 species. It was explored that maximum herbal species depicted multi-usage especially food, fodder and fuel. Among 173 herbal plant species, 69% species were used as fodder, 72% species as fuel source, 9.8% as ethnoveterinary medicines, 16% for home construction, 12% for cosmetics, 5.2% as honeybee plants and 2.7% were used as fiber source by the local people. Many local plants have been in promulgation for cure of different diseases in traditional cultures such as for cure of stomach problems, cough, cancer, jaundice, kidney diseases, diabetes, snake biting and tooth problems. Different parts of plants such as leaf, root, stem bark, flower, seed and gums are used for the treatment of different diseases by the local people. The major aliments being cured are classified into 12 disease categories by using informant consensus factor (ICF) protocol. According to ICF, the highest numbers of plant species were used against wound healing, snake bite, skin diseases, eye diseases and asthma. Fidelity level (FL) was assessed to check the reliability and use consistency of herbal drugs by the indigenous communities of the study area. The use value index (UVI) of different herb species ranged from 0.29 to 0.57 while the highest value was calculated for Alternanthera pungens L. (UVI: 0.57). Relative frequency of citation (RFC) value was calculated on the bases of the response of the interviewees recorded during survey in correlation with authenticating of traditional data. The RFC values represented the relative popularity of individual species in study area according to their use values. The highest value was calculated for Alternanthera pungens L. (0.90) and followed by Achyranthes aspera L. (0.80. The study reveals that many species are known for commonly used in traditional ethnomedicines (TEMs). Due to different biotic and abiotic factors in conjunction with climatic changes many herbal flora of Shiwalik mountain range (SMR) of District Bhimber of AJK is under threat. The factors like habitat loss, overgrazing, construction of communication infrastructure, silviculture practices, shelter construction (houses) and other more domestic use of wild land by clearing wild lands are boosting towards plant biodiversity loss. There is dare need to work on comprehensive exploration of TEMs to discover neo drugs from wild indigenous plants and do work for conservation of wild flora of the area for future generations.

Modulating effects of the synergistic combination of extracts of herbal drugs on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice.

OBJECTIVE: Taking leads from the available research, we aimed to develop a synergy-based herbal combination of Tinospora cordifolia (TC), Phyllanthus emblica (PE), and Piper nigrum (PN). Also, evaluating their synergistic effect on CP-induced immunosuppression in mice model and exploring the possible mechanisms involved in reversing the damage. METHODOLOGY: The immunomodulatory activity of combination, of TC stem, PE fruits, and PN dried fruits, was determined by in vitro assays (splenocyte proliferation and pinocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages of mice) and in vivo study using CP-induced immunosuppression model in Swiss Albino mice. The ratio was optimized for combining three by in vitro MTT assay. The combination was further evaluated for anti-oxidant activity by DPPH scavenging method and quantified for its bioactive metabolites by HPTLC. Serum collected on day 0, 4, 7 and 14 was employed for estimation of haematogram (haematocrit, TLC, DLC, and haemoglobin, etc) and immune parameters (IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-α) by ELISA. RESULTS: The study demonstrated, that combination of herbal extracts at an intermediate dose could inhibit the proliferation of spleen cells and peritoneal macrophages (P ≤ 0.0001) and induce suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators, and also certified that combination exerts synergized effects. The results showed that the combination possess potential antioxidant activity by DPPH scavenging method (IC50-113.5 µg/ml). It was identified that combination significantly (P ≤ 0.0001) improved the immune markers, haematogram parameters, and histological parameters, with maximum protection offered by an intermediate dose. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that present combination could be further explored clinically as potent synergy-based therapeutic approach for immune modulation.

TLC-Based Metabolite Profiling and Bioactivity-Based Scientific Validation for Use of Water Extracts in AYUSH Formulations.

We aimed to develop a chromatographic method for scientific validation of water extract of some important Indian traditional plants used in AYUSH-based formulation as immunomodulator and to evaluate their bioactive potential. Fruits of Phyllanthus emblica L. and Piper nigrum L., stem of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers, rhizome of Curcuma longa L., leaves of Ocimum sanctum L. and Achillea millefolium L., roots of Withania somnifera L., and stem bark of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. were coarsely powdered and extracted in three different solvents (water, ethanol, and hydroethanol). The antioxidant potential was determined through 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing capacity methods. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was carried out for the comparative metabolite profiling of the extracts using toluene, ethyl acetate, and formic acid (5 : 4 : 1, v/v/v) as a solvent system. In vitro immunomodulatory activity of the extracts has been tested on splenocyte proliferation and pinocytic assay. Hydroethanolic extract (HEE) of most of the plant materials has the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents, followed by water extract (WE) and ethanolic extract (EE), whereas the water extracts of most of the plant material showed better antioxidant activity. Almost all extract exhibited splenocyte proliferation and pinocytic activity in a dose-dependent manner. But water extract showed significantly higher splenocyte proliferation and pinocytic activity as compared to the other two extracts. TLC analysis resulted in detection of totally 63 and 56 metabolites at 254 nm and 366 nm, respectively. Through principal component analysis (PCA), it was observed that metabolite pattern of different extracts from same plant materials may be different or similar. This preliminary result can be used for quality evaluation and to develop a synergy-based polyherbal combination of water extracts of selected plant materials.

Metabolomic Profiling and Immunomodulatory Activity of a Polyherbal Combination in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed Mice.

The study was aimed to develop a characterized polyherbal combination as an immunomodulator containing Phyllanthus emblica L., Piper nigrum L., Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, and Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers. Through response surface methodology (RSM), the ratio of aqueous extracts of four plant materials was optimized and comprised 49.76% of P. emblica, 1.35% of P. nigrum, 5.41% of W. somnifera, and 43.43% of T. cordifolia for optimum immunomodulatory activity. The optimized combination showed antioxidant potential and contains more than 180 metabolites, out of which gallic acid, quercetin, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, kaempferitrin, and p-coumaric acid are some common and significant metabolites found in plant extracts and in polyherbal combination. Treatment with the polyherbal combination of different doses in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced the subsets of immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells (60%), B cells (18%), CD4 cells (14%), and CD8 cells (7%). The characterized polyherbal combination exhibited potent immunomodulatory activity, which can be further explored clinically for its therapeutic applicability.

Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Withania somnifera (Family: Solanaceae), commonly known as Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng is distributed widely in India, Nepal, China and Yemen. The roots of plant consist of active phytoconstituents mainly withanolides, alkaloids and sitoindosides and are conventionally used for the treatment of multiple brain disorders. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to critically assess and summarize the current state and implication of Ashwagandha in brain disorders. We have mainly focussed on the reported neuroactive phytoconstituents, available marketed products, pharmacological studies, mechanism of action and recent patents published related to neuroprotective effects of Ashwagandha in brain disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the information and data was collected on Ashwagandha using keywords "Ashwagandha" along with "Phytoconstituents", "Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathy marketed formulation", "Brain disorders", "Mechanism" and "Patents". Following sources were searched for data collection: electronic scientific databases such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, Elsevier, PubMed, Wiley On-line Library, Taylor and Francis, Springer; books such as AYUSH Pharmacopoeia; authentic textbooks and formularies. RESULTS: Identified neuroprotective phytoconstituents of Ashwagandha are sitoindosides VII-X, withaferin A, withanosides IV, withanols, withanolide A, withanolide B, anaferine, beta-sitosterol, withanolide D with key pharmacological effects in brain disorders mainly anxiety, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, dyslexia, depression, autism, addiction, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorders. The literature survey does not highlight any toxic effects of Ashwagandha. Further, multiple available marketed products and patents recognized its beneficial role in various brain disorders; however, very few data is available on mechanistic pathway and clinical studies of Ashwagandha for various brain disorders is scarce and not promising. CONCLUSION: The review concludes the results of recent studies on Ashwagandha suggesting its extensive potential as neuroprotective in various brain disorders as supported by preclinical studies, clinical trials and published patents. However vague understanding of the mechanistic pathways involved in imparting the neuroprotective effect of Ashwagandha warrants further study to promote it as a promising drug candidate.

Indian Medicinal Plants and Formulations and Their Potential Against COVID-19-Preclinical and Clinical Research.

The cases of COVID-19 are still increasing day-by-day worldwide, even after a year of its first occurrence in Wuhan city of China. The spreading of SARS-CoV-2 infection is very fast and different from other SARS-CoV infections possibly due to structural differences in S proteins. The patients with severe diseases may die due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by systemic inflammatory reactions due to the excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by the immune effector cells. In India too, it is spreading very rapidly, although the case fatality rate is below 1.50% (https://www.statista.com), which is markedly less than in other countries, despite the dense population and minimal health infrastructure in rural areas. This may be due to the routine use of many immunomodulator medicinal plants and traditional AYUSH formulations by the Indian people. This communication reviews the AYUSH recommended formulations and their ingredients, routinely used medicinal plants and formulations by Indian population as well as other promising Indian medicinal plants, which can be tested against COVID-19. Special emphasis is placed on Indian medicinal plants reported for antiviral, immunomodulatory and anti-allergic/anti-inflammatory activities and they are categorized for prioritization in research on the basis of earlier reports. The traditional AYUSH medicines currently under clinical trials against COVID-19 are also discussed as well as furtherance of pre-clinical and clinical testing of the potential traditional medicines against COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. The results of the clinical studies on AYUSH drugs will guide the policymakers from the AYUSH systems of medicines to maneuver their policies for public health, provide information to the global scientific community and could form a platform for collaborative studies at national and global levels. It is thereby suggested that promising AYUSH formulations and Indian medicinal plants must be investigated on a priority basis to solve the current crisis.

Concepts and Quality Considerations in Unani System of Medicine.

Unani medicine, based largely on herbs, is practiced as a traditional system of medicine in the Indian subcontinent. It owes its origination to the Greek philosopher Hippocrates (460-377 BC) and his associates. However, it progressed and got established under the patronage of Persian and Arab empires and later came to the Indian sub-continent around the middle of the 14th century. Unani scholars have been of the view that every person has their own distinct temperament constituted from four basic humoral combinations. Temperament of an individual is supposed to be influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as age and mental status of individual, local climate, and environmental conditions, etc. Treatment is applied through dietotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy consonant with the patient's temperament. Unani medicine believes in health promotion and manages the disease through various modes of treatment such as regimental therapy, dietotherapy, and pharmacotherapy. A variety of clinical studies have shown that Unani medicines are effective with minimal side effects. Standardization, quality control, and toxicity profiling of many herbal drugs and the validation of formulations mentioned in the Unani Pharmacopeia of India have been accomplished in the recent past. Despite the mounting benefits of this system in the management of human health, it remains under-utilized. This article elucidates the basic concepts and a brief history of Unani medicine and summarizes information about its quality control, as well as its contribution to the health sector in India.

Awareness and current knowledge of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a severe neural disorder that affects approximately fifty million individuals globally. Despite the fact that for most of the people with epilepsy, convulsions are better controlled by current accessible antiepileptic medicines, yet there are more than 30% of individuals affected with medically intractable epilepsy and around 30-40% of all patients with epilepsy affected by many adverse reactions and convulsion resistance to the present antiepileptic drugs. Consequently, various scientists attempt to develop new strategies to treat epilepsy, for instance, to find out novel antiepileptic ingredients from traditional medicines. This work aims to present a complete summary of natural medicines prescribed as antiepileptic agents all over the world by ethnic groups and different tribes. We undertook an extensive bibliographic analysis by searching peer reviewed papers and classical textbooks and further consulting well accepted worldwide scientific databases. We carried out PubMed, EMbase and CENTRAL searches by means of terms such as "antiepileptic" and "anti-convulsant" activity of plants. Medicinal plants have been prescribed to treat epilepsy and have been recognized as antiepileptic medicines. In this review, a variety of herbs have been reviewed for thorough studies such as Cuminum cyminum, Butea monosperma, Solanum americanum, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Leonotis leonurus, Elaeocarpus ganitrus and Angelica archangelica. This paper shows that it was high time experimental studies are increased to obtain novel potential active principles from medicinal plants. Plant extracts and their chemical constituents should be further evaluated to clarify their mechanisms of action. This paper provides a solid base upon which to further investigate the clinical efficacy of medicinal plants that are both currently prescribed by physicians as traditional antiepileptic agents, but also could be effective as an antiepileptic drug with further research and study.

Quality Control and Stability Testing of Arq Formulations of Unani Pharmacopeia of India Using HPTLC and GC-MS.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing global demand for traditional medicines because of their efficacy, ease of availability, and few or no side effects. The Unani medicines have long been used in India and abroad for various disorders and diseases. Arqiyat (Arq; distillate) is one of the most widely used Unani formulation prepared by simple distillation from single or combination drugs. OBJECTIVE: In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to generate data for quality control and stability testing of Arq formulations of the Unani Pharmacopeia of India that includes only three Arq formulations. METHOD: Arq-e-Nana (AeN), Arq-e-Gazar (AeG), and Arq-e-Brinjasif (AeB) were prepared through hydrodistillation. Quality control and stability analysis were performed by using HPTLC and GC-MS. RESULTS: Dichloromethane extract of AeB showed maximum of 10 bands at different retardation factor values; however, there are 7 bands in AeN as well as in AeG. GC-MS analysis showed presence of 10 metabolites in AeG, 8 in AeN, and 9 in AeB. Stability studies showed that the shelf life of Arq formulations would be enhanced at refrigeration (5 ± 2°C) conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The present study highlights quality control and stability analysis of Arq formulations of Unani Pharmacopeia of India using HPTLC and GC-MS.

Effects of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Ipomoea batatas L on mineral contents level (calcium and magnesium) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

In diabetic patients, electrolyte disorders frequently occur with the characteristic changes in minerals like calcium and magnesium etc. Several medicines are used to manage diabetes mellitus but they exert adverse effects. Plants are a valuable alternative to synthetic medicines because they are easily available, economical and have fewer side effects. Ipomoea batatas L is a well-known antidiabetic plant (sweet potato) but its effects on calcium and magnesium concentration have not studied. The prime focus of this study is to estimate the potential of Ipomoea batatas L peel-off on magnesium and calcium level in Alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Alloxan monohydrate was mixed in 0.9% NaCl solution and administrated [150 mg/kg (S/C)] to male Wistar rats to induce diabetes. After three days blood samples were collected and blood glucose level was recorded. Wistar rats having a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dl and above were selected for the study. Methanol and water extract of Ipomoea batatas L peel-off was given orally with a dose rate of 4g/day. Calcium and magnesium estimation was done using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Our results revealed an increase in both the calcium and magnesium level in heart, brain, liver, hind limb, and forelimb after Ipomoea batatas extract treatment. In kidneys decreased calcium level was noted as they excrete calcium. Mineral (Calcium, magnesium) level was increased in all organs except kidney after both extracts treatment. Ipomoea batatas being anti-diabetic in nature also maintain the homeostasis of calcium and magnesium in diabetes. Therefore, we propose the long-term use of such agents might help in the prevention of diabetes-associated complications. However, the validation of these results to human population needs further extensive study.

Phenological application of selenium differentially improves growth, oxidative defense and ion homeostasis in maize under salinity stress.

The underlying mechanism of selenium (Se) mediating plant salt tolerance is not well understood and information on how plant growth and development is regulated by phenological Se application (20 and 40 mg/L) under salinity stress is scarce. In present study, we have appraised the impact of phenological Se application on growth, antioxidant defense system and ionic imbalance in maize under salinity. Salinity (12 dS m-1) reduced growth, concentration of chlorophyll and K+ in root and leaf. Contrarily, salinity increased toxic Na+, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 concentration that resulted in oxidative damage. Lower level of Se application (20 mg/L) increased growth and chlorophyll by reducing oxidative damage due to high cell concentrations of MDA and H2O2. Se reduced endogenous levels of H2O2 and MDA under salinity. Moreover, Se regulated antioxidant defense system by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) and influenced the concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (phenolics and flavonoids). Se-induced better antioxidant system protected plants from oxidative damage. We have also recorded substantial increase in K+ and decrease in Na+ concentration in plants treated with 20 mg/L Se under salinity stress. The impact of Se on plant growth and development is linked with the growth stage of exogenous application. Foliar Se at reproductive and both vegetative and reproductive stages improved salinity tolerance in maize compared with vegetative stage.

Challenges and guidelines for clinical trial of herbal drugs.

World Health Organization (WHO) has defined herbal medicines as finished labeled medicinal product that contain an active ingredient, aerial, or underground parts of the plant or other plant material or combinations. According to a report of WHO, about 80% of the world population is reported to rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. Even in the developed countries, complementary or alternative medicine is gaining popularity. A report of a global survey on national policy on traditional medicine and regulation of herbal medicines indicated that about 50 countries including China, Japan, and Germany already have their national policy and laws on regulations of traditional medicines. Herbal drugs possess a long history of its use and better patient tolerance. These are cheaper and easily available in countries like India due to rich agro culture conditions. However, reckless utilization of resources threatens the sustainability of several plant species. Traditional medicines are governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules of 1945. In 1959, the Government of India amended the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to include drugs that are derived from traditional Indian medicine. In 1993, the guidelines for the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines developed by an expert committee directed that the procedures laid down by the office of the Drug Controller General of India for allopathic drugs should be followed for all traditional and herbal products to enter into clinical trials for any therapeutic condition. However, there are certain loop holes in the clinical trials of herbal drugs as the lack of stringent bylaws and regulations. Hence, a deep insight of important challenges and major regulatory guidelines for clinical trial of herbal drugs and botanicals is discussed in the present communication. There is lack of scientific evidence to evaluate safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. The quality of the trial drug has to be tested for batch-to-batch uniformity of the active constituents. It is very difficult to have active and control groups with identical color, smell and taste of the herbal drug, which cannot be imitated while manufacturing a placebo. These challenges can be reduced or overcome by applying most recent methodologies and guidelines for clinical trials. Since the quality control of herbal medicines is complicated and difficult, relevant and appropriate requirements should be established for the assessment of safety and efficacy for different categorized herbal medicines to reduce cost and expenditure. And, efforts should be made for the integration of traditional medicine into national healthcare systems. Different challenges and regulatory guidelines discussed for the clinical trial of herbal drugs will be useful for various industries for considering it before going ahead for clinical trial of their product.

Effects of black cumin seed (Nigella sativa L.) on performance and immune system in newly evolved crossbred laying hens.

BACKGROUND: A limited number of studies have tested the effect of diets supplemented with black cumin seed (BCS) on the performance of laying hen. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of various levels of dietary BCS on the performance of laying hen. BIRDS AND METHODS: Three hundred 40-week-old rural Leghorn (White Leghorn males X F1 females of Fayoumi male X Rhode Island Red female) crossbred hens were randomly assigned to four groups with five replicates of 15 birds each (75 laying hens per group), and fed diets supplemented with 0%, 3%, 4% or 5% BCS for 60 days. Statistical analysis was performed by means of ANOVA. RESULTS: BCS at all levels revealed greater egg production, egg weight and egg mass than the control group. Similarly, feed conversion was improved by 0.50, 0.55 and 0.36 points compared to controls with the addition of 3%, 4% or 5% levels of BCS, respectively. Haugh units and yolk weights of eggs from hens that were fed diets containing 3%, 4% and 5% BCS were significantly greater than those from the control group. Supplementation of 4% or 5% BCS significantly increased shell thickness and decreased serum LDL cholesterol and egg yolk cholesterol concentration as compared to other groups. Mean hemagglutination inhibition titers against Newcastle disease virus were higher than in controls. CONCLUSION: BCS at levels of 4% or 5% positively influenced egg production, egg weight and shell quality. Furthermore, it decreased the concentration of serum LDL cholesterol and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations and enhanced immunity against Newcastle disease virus.