Effect of exogenous taurine on growth, oxidative defense, and nickel (Ni) uptake in canola (Brassica napus L.) under Ni stress.

Nickel (Ni) contamination and its associated hazardous effects on human health and plant growth are ironclad. However, the potential remedial effects of taurine (TAU) on Ni-induced stress in plants remain obscure. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the effect of TAU seed priming (100 and 150 mg L‒1) as an alleviative strategy to circumvent the phytotoxic effects of Ni (150 mg kg‒1) on two canola cultivars (Ni-tolerant cv. Shiralee and Ni-sensitive cv. Dunkeld). Our results manifested an apparent decline in growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, leaf relative water content, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, total soluble proteins, nitrate reductase activity, and nutrient acquisition (N, P, K, Ca) under Ni toxicity. Further, Ni toxicity led to a substantial increase in oxidative stress reflected as higher levels of superoxide radicals (O2•‒) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) alongside increased relative membrane permeability, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and Ni accumulation in leaves and roots. However, TAU protected canola plants from Ni-induced oxidative damage through the amplification of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production that intensified the antioxidant system to avert O2•‒, H2O2, and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Further, TAU-mediated increase in H2S levels maintained membrane integrity that might have improved ionomics and bettered plant growth under Ni toxicity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01359-9.

Ehretiquinone from Onosma bracteatum Wall Exhibits Antiaging Effect on Yeasts and Mammals through Antioxidative Stress and Autophagy Induction.

The antiaging benzoquinone-type molecule ehretiquinone was isolated in a previous study as a leading compound from the herbal medicine Onosma bracteatum wall. This paper reports the antiaging effect and mechanism of ehretiquinone by using yeasts, mammal cells, and mice. Ehretiquinone extends not only the replicative lifespan but also the chronological lifespan of yeast and the yeast-like chronological lifespan of mammal cells. Moreover, ehretiquinone increases glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity and reduces reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, contributing to the lifespan extension of the yeasts. Furthermore, ehretiquinone does not extend the replicative lifespan of Δsod1, Δsod2, Δuth1, Δskn7, Δgpx, Δcat, Δatg2, and Δatg32 mutants of yeast. Crucially, ehretiquinone induces autophagy in yeasts and mice, thereby providing significant evidence on the antiaging effects of the molecule in the mammalian level. Concomitantly, the silent information regulator 2 gene, which is known for its contributions in prolonging replicative lifespan, was confirmed to be involved in the chronological lifespan of yeasts and participates in the antiaging activity of ehretiquinone. These findings suggest that ehretiquinone shows an antiaging effect through antioxidative stress, autophagy, and histone deacetylase Sir2 regulation. Therefore, ehretiquinone is a promising molecule that could be developed as an antiaging drug or healthcare product.

Study on how oil type and weathering of crude oils affect interaction with sea ice and polyethylene skimmer material.

Understanding the fate of spilled oil in cold environments is essential for oil spill response in Arctic areas. The potential for oils to adhere to sea ice and mechanical skimmers can significantly impact the success of oil spill response and influence the fate of oil in the marine environment. Therefore, the affinity of oil to sea ice and skimmer material was quantified experimentally for three different types of oils at various degrees of weathering. Contact angle measurements of crude oil droplets were performed on the top of and under sea ice and polyethylene-based skimmer material, being submerged in seawater (-2 °C). In addition, "dip- and refloat" tests were performed to quantify the adhesion and study the re-floating process of oil from sea ice at -2 °C (moist ice) and -20 °C (cold dry ice), and from a skimmer material prior to and subsequently to its submersion in seawater (-2 °C). The results indicated limited interaction of oils with sea ice submerged in seawater, but a strong affinity of oils towards polyethylene-based skimmer material.

Structure Characterization and Action Mechanism of an Antiaging New Compound from Gastrodia elata Blume.

A new compound, bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)ether mono-ß-L-galactopyranoside (1), was isolated from the rhizome of Gastrodia elata Blume. Its structure was elucidated using extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-TOF-MS, and chemical derivatization. Compound 1 extended the replicative lifespan of K6001 and the chronological lifespan of YOM36 yeast strains. To understand the mechanism of action, oxidative stress assessment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, catalase (CAT) and total glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity assays, and replicative lifespan assay of sod1, sod2, uth1, and skn7 yeast mutant strains were performed. Results indicated the significant increase in the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress after treatment with 1. ROS and MDA levels were reduced significantly. Meanwhile, the activity of CAT and GPx was significantly increased. The lifespan of sod1, sod2, uth1, and skn7 mutants of K6001 was not affected by 1. Furthermore, we investigated the gene expression related to longevity after administrating 1. The significant increase of Sir2 and reduction of Uth1 gene expression in the 1-treated group were observed. These results indicated that antioxidative stress played an important role in the antiaging effect of 1; Sir2 and Uth1 genes were involved in antiaging effects of 1.

Use of Gabapentin in the Treatment of Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Gabapentin (GBP) is an anticonvulsant medication that is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS) and posttherapeutic neuralgia. GBP is commonly prescribed off-label for psychiatric disorders despite the lack of strong evidence. However, there is growing evidence that GBP may be effective and clinically beneficial in both psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders. This review aimed to perform a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed published literature on the efficacy of GBP in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders. Methods: This review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE literature databases were screened and filtered by using specific search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria. The full texts of selected studies were subsequently retrieved and reviewed. The search terms generated 2,604 results from the databases. After excluding all duplicates, 1,088 citations were left. Thereafter, we applied inclusion and exclusion criteria; a total of 54 papers were retained for detailed review. Results: This literature review concludes that GBP appears to be effective in the treatment of various forms of anxiety disorders. It shows some effectiveness in bipolar disorder as an adjunctive therapeutic agent, while the evidence for monotherapy is inconclusive. In substance use disorders, GBP is effective for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) with mild to moderate severity; it reduces cravings, improves the rate of abstinence, and delays return to heavy drinking. GBP may have some therapeutic potential in the treatment of opioid addiction and cannabis dependence, but there is limited evidence to support its use. No significant benefit of GBP has been conclusively observed in the treatment of OCD, PTSD, depression, or cocaine and amphetamine abuse. Conclusion: GBP appears to be effective in some forms of anxiety disorders such as preoperative anxiety, anxiety in breast cancer survivors, and social phobia. GBP has shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence. However, the literature suggests that GBP is effective as an adjunctive medication rather than a monotherapy. More clinical trials with larger patient populations are needed to support gabapentin's off-label use in psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders. It is worth noting that numerous clinical studies that are discussed in this review are open-label trials, which are inherently less rigorously analyzed. Therefore, more extensive investigations are required to examine not only the efficacy of GBP, but also its safety and tolerance.

Novel Anti-Aging Benzoquinone Derivatives from Onosma bracteatum Wall.

The aim of this study was to investigate anti-aging molecules from Onosma bracteatum Wall, a traditional medicinal plant used in the Unani and Ayurvedic systems of medicine. During bioassay-guided isolation, two known benzoquinones, allomicrophyllone (1) and ehretiquinone (2) along with three novel benzoquinones designated as ehretiquinones B-D (3-5) were isolated from O. bracteatum. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic analysis through 1D and 2D NMR, by MS spectroscopic analysis and comparing with those reported in the literatures. The anti-aging potential of the isolated benzoquinones was evaluated through a yeast lifespan assay, and the results indicated that 1, 2, 4 and 5 significantly extended the replicative lifespan of K6001 yeast, indicating that these benzoquinones obtained from O. brateatum have the ability to be employed as a potential therapeutic agent against age-related diseases.

Study of the oil interaction towards oil spill recovery skimmer material: Effect of the oil weathering and emulsification properties.

The primary aim of this research was to identify the physicochemical properties of the oil and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions used during a NOFO Oil-on-Water field trials that reduced the performance of the skimmers recovery efficacy during the trials. Extensive studies were performed at SINTEF laboratories with the residues of oil topped (i.e. evaporative loss of crude oil components by distillation process at large scale) for the field trial and compared it with different residues of oil topped by bench scale laboratory procedures. In order to obtain a sufficient stable W/O emulsion for the field trial, bunker fuel oil (IFO380) and various concentrations of an emulsifier (Paramul®) were also added to the residues of oil topped on large scale and investigated through interfacial tension, contact angle, droplet adhesion and "dip and withdraw" tests. The investigations revealed that the addition of an emulsifier lowered the interfacial tension of oil residues, which consequently reduced the adherence properties of the oil and emulsions to the surface of the skimmer material. Too high concentration of an emulsifier (>0,5%) also had a negative effect on the stability of W/O emulsion.

Antiaging of Cucurbitane Glycosides from Fruits of Momordica charantia L.

Methanol extracts of Momordica charantia L. fruits are extensively studied for their antiaging activities. A new cucurbitane-type triterpenoid (1) and nine other known compounds (2-10) were isolated, and their structures were determined according to their spectroscopic characteristics and chemical derivatization. Biological evaluation was performed on a K6001 yeast bioassay system. The results indicated that all the compounds extended the replicative lifespan of K6001 yeast significantly. Compound 9 was used to investigate the mechanism involved in the increasing of the lifespan. The results indicated that this compound significantly increases the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress and decreases ROS level. Further study on gene expression analysis showed that compound 9 could reduce the levels of UTH1 and SKN7 and increase SOD1 and SOD2 gene expression. In addition, it could not extend the lifespan of the yeast mutants of Uth1, Skn7, Sod1, and Sod2. These results demonstrate that compound 9 exerts antiaging effects via antioxidative stress and regulation of UTH1, SKN7, SOD1, and SOD2 yeast gene expression.

Dispersibility and biotransformation of oils with different properties in seawater.

Dispersants are used to remove oils slicks from sea surfaces and to generate small oil-droplet dispersions, which may result in enhanced biodegradation of the oil. In this study, dispersibility and biodegradation of chemically dispersed oils with different physical-chemical properties (paraffinic, naphthenic and asphaltenic oils) were compared in natural temperate SW at 13 °C. All selected oils were chemically dispersible when well-known commercial dispersants were used. However, interfacial tension (IFT) studies of the dispersed oils showed different IFT properties of the oils at 13 °C, and also different leaching of the dispersants from oil droplet surfaces. Biodegradation studies of the chemically dispersed oils were performed in a carousel system, with initial median droplet sizes <30 µm and oil concentrations of 2.5-2.8 mg/L. During biodegradation, oil droplet concentrations were rapidly reduced, in association with the emergence of macroscopic 'flocs'. Biotransformation results showed that half-lives of semivolatile total extractable organic carbon (TEOC), single target 2- to 4-ring PAH, and 22 oil compound groups used as input data in the oil spill contingency model OSCAR, did not differ significantly between the oils (P > 0.05), while n-alkanes half-lives differed significantly (P < 0.05). Biotransformation was associated with rapid microbial growth in all oil dispersions, in association with n-alkane and PAH biotransformation. These results have implications for the predictions of biodegradation of oil slicks treated with dispersants in temperate SW.

Anti-cholinergic and Ca2+-antagonist mechanisms explain the pharmacological basis for folkloric use of Sisymbrium irio Linn. in gastrointestinal, airways and vascular system ailments.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Seeds of Sisymbrium irio Linn has been used traditionally in different regions of Pakistan for the treatment of gastrointestinal, airways and vascular system ailments. To insight the pharmacological basis, in vitro study was conducted in order to validate its folkloric uses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 70% aqueous-methanolic extract of seeds from S. irio (Si.MEs) was tested on isolated rabbit aorta, jejunum and trachea strip hanged in tissue bath having physiological solutions aerated with carbogen and their responses were measured and recorded via Power Lab. RESULTS: The Si.MEs exhibited the transient spasmogenic effect (0.01-1.0mg/mL) on spontaneous jejunum contractions, followed by the spasmolytic effect. The addition of atropine resulted in blocking in spasmogenic effect while the spasmolytic effect was originated, suggesting the presence of an antimuscarinic effect. Likewise verapamil, Si.MEs (0.03-5mg/mL) repressed the high concentration K+(80mM)-induced contraction and also drifted the Ca2+ concentration-response curves toward right (0.3-3.0mg/mL), possibly signifying the Ca2+ channel blockade. Furthermore, Si.MEs exhibited nonspecific relaxant effect on carbachol (1µM)- and high concentration K+(80mM)-induced tracheal contractions in a way comparable to dicyclomine, suggesting the coexistence of Ca2+-antagonistic and/or antimuscarinic properties. Additionally, Si.MEs also relaxed the phenylephrine(1µM)- and high concentration K+(80mM)-induced aortic contraction (0.01-3mg/mL), suggesting blockade of Ca2+ channel. Moreover, oral administration of Si.MEs, as high as 6g per kg, did not produce lethality among the treated groups of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Aqueous-methanolic extract of seeds from S. irio (Si.MEs) exhibited the bronchodilator and gut modulator (spasmogenic and spasmolytic) activities, probably through dual blockade of muscarinic receptors and Ca2+ channels, whereas, vasodilator effect may be due to Ca2+ channels blockade.

Role Of Symptomatic Treatment In Comparison To Antibiotics In Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections.

BACKGROUND: Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections among women presenting to primary care causing rapidly increasing strains of resistant bacteria to the growing antibiotic industry. Restricting antibiotics to necessary indications is the only solution. The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy of symptomatic treatment vs antibiotic in patients with uncomplicated UTI, in terms of individual symptom score, i.e., frequency, urgency, dysuria, supra pubic pain scores and total symptoms scores. METHODS: A randomized control trial (RCT) in 100 women (15-50 years) with symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria and pain supra pubic region, associated with uncomplicated UTI, at Urology department, AMI, Abbottabad. Two treatment strategies were compared in uncomplicated UTI patient). Patients were randomized to antibiotic or symptomatic treatment groups on consecutive non-probability basis (50 in each group) given for 05 days. Efficacy of medications was assessed by comparing pre and post treatment symptom scores along with the post treatment scores of both groups compared to see statistical significance of difference by independent samples t-test. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in symptoms improvement in both treatment arms of all scores, i.e., p-value=0.000. Whereas only dysuria score was able to show a statistically significance of difference in post Rx scores comparison of both groups, p-value=0.004. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic treatment is not inferior to antibiotic treatment when proper patient selection is undertaken, resulting in decreased need for unnecessary antibiotics use.

ELEMENTS REGULATION DURING CARTILAGE AND BONE DEFORMITY - POTENTIAL CLINICAL INDEX IN EARLY DIAGNOSIS, MONITORING AND PROGNOSIS IN CHILDREN OF KASHIN-BECK DISEASE.

BACKGROUND: Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) is a chronic deforming osteoarthritis starting in early childhood and affecting the cartilage metabolism and endochondral ossification. Selenium (Se) deficiency has been postulated as the major environmental etiological factor for KBD by many studies. Other minerals such as the Manganese (Mn) and calcium (Ca) which don't have uniform distribution in environment are also important elements involved in bone and cartilage formation but their regulation in KBD has been rarely reported. The study was done to investigate the role of Mn and Ca in addition to Se in KBD. METHODS: In this study, the Se, Mn and Calevels were investigated in children from different groups (KBD group, Healthy group from KBD endemic areas (inner control group), Healthy group (outer control group) from Non KBD areas and KBD group with selenium supplementation). The contents of Mn, S and Ca in serum and hair were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The increased Mn levels of. serum and hair in KBD children were observed compared with normal groups. The Mn and Ca have similar trends in different groups but Se and Mn displayed reversed trends. CONCLUSIONS: The Mn and Ca contributed to KBD pathogenesis combined with se in regulation of growth and development. The relative ratio of Mn to Se can be a potential clinical index in early diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of KBD in children.

Cytomorphological investigations in Oxyria digyna Hill. from the Kashmir Himalaya, India.

In the present paper, detailed cytomorphological investigations in Oxyria digyna Hill. from Kashmir Himalaya-India have been reported for the first time. All the of 14 investigated populations of O. digyna are diploid based on x = 7. Out of these in two populations 0-2B chromosomes have been recorded for the first time while 6 populations differed significantly in their meiotic characteristics. Meiotic abnormalities during male meiosis observed include inter PMC chromatin transfer (cytomixis). Non-synchronous disjunction of some bivalents, laggards and bridges at anaphases and telophases. Consequent to these meiotic anomalies, microsporogenesis in meiocytes is abnormal resulting in to dyads, triads and polyads with or without micronuclei. The overall effect is seen in reduced pollen fertility. Unreduced pollen grains were observed in some populations, which differed significantly in their size compared to the normal (reduced) pollen grains. It is observed that a smaller frequency of pollen grains differed morphologically in Aharbal and Yosmarg populations. The remaining eight populations showed regular meiotic course, normal microsporogenesis and high percentage of pollen fertility (95.09-99.09%).

Droplet breakup in subsurface oil releases--part 1: experimental study of droplet breakup and effectiveness of dispersant injection.

Size distribution of oil droplets formed in deep water oil and gas blowouts have strong impact on the fate of the oil in the environment. However, very limited data on droplet distributions from subsurface releases exist. The objective of this study has been to establish a laboratory facility to study droplet size versus release conditions (rates and nozzle diameters), oil properties and injection of dispersants (injection techniques and dispersant types). This paper presents this facility (6 m high, 3 m wide, containing 40 m(3) of sea water) and introductory data. Injection of dispersant lowers the interfacial tension between oil and water and cause a significant reduction in droplet size. Most of this data show a good fit to existing Weber scaling equations. Some interesting deviations due to dispersant treatment are further analyzed and used to develop modified algorithms for predicting droplet sizes in a second paper (Johansen et al., 2013).

Droplet breakup in subsea oil releases--part 2: predictions of droplet size distributions with and without injection of chemical dispersants.

A new method for prediction of droplet size distributions from subsea oil and gas releases is presented in this paper. The method is based on experimental data obtained from oil droplet breakup experiments conducted in a new test facility at SINTEF. The facility is described in a companion paper, while this paper deals with the theoretical basis for the model and the empirical correlations used to derive the model parameters from the available data from the test facility. A major issue dealt with in this paper is the basis for extrapolation of the data to full scale (blowout) conditions. Possible contribution from factors such as buoyancy flux and gas void fraction are discussed and evaluated based on results from the DeepSpill field experiment.