Basal Insulin Titration: Moving Towards a More Patient-Centric Approach with Gla-100 in India.

Owing to the progressive nature of the disease, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) eventually require adjustment or titration of insulin doses to achieve the desired glycemic control. Titration inertia, or the inability to dose-titrate, is one of the key barriers to optimized insulin therapy and is common in Asian countries such as India. Simple and effective titration algorithms involving the use of basal insulin, which has the lowest hypoglycemia risk, that can be individualized by physicians and easily followed by patients aid in tackling titration inertia. In this context, insulin glargine 100 U/mL (Gla-100) appears to be the ideal insulin to overcome titration inertia, owing to its low risk of hypoglycemia and effective glycemic control. Different guidelines recommend the use of basal insulin, such as Gla-100, and encourage a patient-centric approach for dose titration. Although the effective implementation of the patient-centric approach in India is challenging, it is nevertheless achievable.

Transcriptome Dynamics of Common Bean Roots Exposed to Various Heavy Metals Reveal Valuable Target Genes and Promoters for Genetic Engineering.

Understanding the gene regulatory basis of plant response to heavy metals (HMs) is fundamental for the management of food safety and security. However, a comprehensive and comparative view of the plant responses to different HMs is still lacking. Here, we compared root transcriptomes in common bean under 9 HM treatments at 50 µM for three time points each. Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, and Pb caused most severe morphological and/or biochemical retardations. A total of 448 genes were found to be responsive to all nine HMs, which were mostly involved in photosynthesis, oxidization-reduction, and ion binding. Cd and Cu triggered the greatest number of unique differentially expressed genes (DEG)s, which were predominantly related to cellular transport/localization in the former and RNA binding in the latter. Short-term and prolonged HM treatments shaped very different DEG patterns. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified six co-expression modules showing exceptionally high transcripts abundance in specific HM × time scenarios. We experimentally verified the promoter activity of the gene GIP1 and the novel function of XTH23 under Cu/Cd stress. Collectively, the transcriptomic atlas provides valuable resources for better understanding the common and unique mechanisms of plant response to different HMs and offers a mass of candidate target genes/promoters for genetic engineering.

Understanding water conservation vs. profligation traits in vegetable legumes through a physio-transcriptomic-functional approach.

Vegetable soybean and cowpea are related warm-season legumes showing contrasting leaf water use behaviors under similar root drought stresses, whose mechanisms are not well understood. Here we conducted an integrative phenomic-transcriptomic study on the two crops grown in a feedback irrigation system that enabled precise control of soil water contents. Continuous transpiration rate monitoring demonstrated that cowpea used water more conservatively under earlier soil drought stages, but tended to maintain higher transpiration under prolonged drought. Interestingly, we observed a soybean-specific transpiration rate increase accompanied by phase shift under moderate soil drought. Time-series transcriptomic analysis suggested a dehydration avoidance mechanism of cowpea at early soil drought stage, in which the VuHAI3 and VuTIP2;3 genes were suggested to be involved. Multifactorial gene clustering analysis revealed different responsiveness of genes to drought, time of day and their interactions between the two crops, which involved species-dependent regulation of the circadian clock genes. Gene network analysis identified two co-expression modules each associated with transpiration rate in cowpea and soybean, including a pair of negatively correlated modules between species. Module hub genes, including the ABA-degrading gene GmCYP707A4 and the trehalose-phosphatase/synthase gene VuTPS9 were identified. Inter-modular network analysis revealed putative co-players of the hub genes. Transgenic analyses verified the role of VuTPS9 in regulating transpiration rate under osmotic stresses. These findings propose that species-specific transcriptomic reprograming in leaves of the two crops suffering similar soil drought was not only a result of the different drought resistance level, but a cause of it.

Development of instant paneer type product from groundnut using microwave dehydration.

The present study aimed at the development of a groundnut-based dehydrated paneer type product which could serve as an instant vegan protein source. In the process of preparing groundnut paneer, a ratio of 1:5 of groundnut to water and 2.0% calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution was used for the preparation of groundnut paneer and the product was evaluated for physicochemical, instrumental color, instrumental textural, and sensory characteristics. The developed paneer cubes (1.5 × 1.5 × 1 cm) were dehydrated using a vacuum-assisted microwave dryer at different microwave powers (200-600 W, 250 mbar vacuum). The minimum bulk density (0.55 g/cc) and maximum rehydration ratio (2.9) were recorded in the sample dehydrated at 600 W. The samples dried at 600 W also showed significantly (p < .05) higher L* values, softer texture and high sensory scores for color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability after rehydration.

Trichothecenes in food and feed: Occurrence, impact on human health and their detection and management strategies.

Trichothecenes (TCNs) are the mycotoxins produced by many fungal species such as Fusarium, Myrothecium, and Stachybotrys and pose a considerable health risk. Based on their characteristic functional moieties, they are divided into four categories: Type A (T-2, HT-2, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), harzianum A, neosolaniol (NEO) and trichodermin), Type B (deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), trichothecin and fusarenon X), Type C (crotocin) and Type D (satratoxin G & H, roridin A and verrucarin A) with types A and B being the most substantial. TCNs cause growth retardation in eukaryotes, suppress seedling growth or regeneration in plants and could be a reason for animal reproductive failure. Due to the increased frequency of occurrence and widespread distribution of TCNs in food and feed, knowledge of their sources of occurrence is essential to strategise their control and management. Hence, this review provides an overview of various types and sources of TCNs, the associated biosynthetic pathways and genes responsible for production in food and feed. Further, various processing and environmental effects on TCNs production, detection techniques and management strategies are also briefly outlined.

Effect of microfluidization on quality characteristics of sapodilla (Manilkara achras L.) juice.

Various oxidative enzymes account for the quality degradation of sapodilla (Manilkara achras L.) juice and need to be inactivated through emerging and continuous green pressure processing technology. In this study, pressurization of sapodilla juice was attempted via microfluidization (MF) at pressure range of 10,000-30,000 pound per square inch (psi) with 1-3 passes or cycles. The impact of microfluidization on the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), color, total soluble solid (TSS), viscosity, serum cloudiness along with particle size, and microbial load of sapodilla juice was assessed. Results showed that microfluidization (MF) decreased the residual PPO activity from 100 to 80.78 % and POD activity from 100 to 40.57%. However, TSS (18.81-19.01 %), viscosity (2.64-2.06 cP), serum cloudiness (2.19-1.22 %) and total color change (3.19-18.54) was also significantly affected. Most of these changes were observed due to particle size (PS) reduction that varied from 65.19 to 8.13 µm. Microfluidized juice revealed color improvement at particular MF pressure and pass due to enzyme inactivation. Moreover, lowest microbial load (2.89 Log CFU/ mL) was found at 30,000 psi/3 pass of MF as compared to control sample (unprocessed juice) (7.57 Log CFU/ mL). Consequently, MF can be potential candidate in processing of juices against spoilage.

Nivalenol Mycotoxin Concerns in Foods: An Overview on Occurrence, Impact on Human and Animal Health and Its Detection and Management Strategies.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi that infect a wide range of foods worldwide. Nivalenol (NIV), a type B trichothecene produced by numerous Fusarium species, has the ability to infect a variety of foods both in the field and during post-harvest handling and management. NIV is frequently found in cereal and cereal-based goods, and its strong cytotoxicity poses major concerns for both human and animal health. To address these issues, this review briefly overviews the sources, occurrence, chemistry and biosynthesis of NIV. Additionally, a brief overview of several sophisticated detection and management techniques is included, along with the implications of processing and environmental factors on the formation of NIV. This review's main goal is to offer trustworthy and current information on NIV as a mycotoxin concern in foods, with potential mitigation measures to assure food safety and security.

Aflatoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Based Products: Occurrence, Toxicity, Impact on Human Health, and Their Detoxification and Management Strategies.

Cereals and cereal-based products are primary sources of nutrition across the world. However, contamination of these foods with aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species, has raised serious concerns. AF generation in innate substrates is influenced by several parameters, including the substrate type, fungus species, moisture content, minerals, humidity, temperature, and physical injury to the kernels. Consumption of AF-contaminated cereals and cereal-based products can lead to both acute and chronic health issues related to physical and mental maturity, reproduction, and the nervous system. Therefore, the precise detection methods, detoxification, and management strategies of AFs in cereal and cereal-based products are crucial for food safety as well as consumer health. Hence, this review provides a brief overview of the occurrence, chemical characteristics, biosynthetic processes, health hazards, and detection techniques of AFs, along with a focus on detoxification and management strategies that could be implemented for food safety and security.

MutS-Homolog2 silencing generates tetraploid meiocytes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

MSH2 is the core protein of MutS-homolog family involved in recognition and repair of the errors in the DNA. While other members of MutS-homolog family reportedly regulate mitochondrial stability, meiosis, and fertility, MSH2 is believed to participate mainly in mismatch repair. The search for polymorphism in MSH2 sequence in tomato accessions revealed both synonymous and nonsynonymous SNPs; however, SIFT algorithm predicted that none of the SNPs influenced MSH2 protein function. The silencing of MSH2 gene expression by RNAi led to phenotypic abnormalities in highly silenced lines, particularly in the stamens with highly reduced pollen formation. MSH2 silencing exacerbated formation of UV-B-induced thymine dimers and blocked light-induced repair of the dimers. The MSH2 silencing also affected the progression of male meiosis to a varying degree with either halt of meiosis at zygotene stage or formation of diploid tetrads. The immunostaining of male meiocytes with centromere localized CENPC (centromere protein C) antibody showed the presence of 48 univalent along with 24 bivalent chromosomes suggesting abnormal tetraploid meiosis. The mitotic cells of root tips of silenced lines showed diploid nuclei but lacked intervening cell plates leading to cells with syncytial nuclei. Thus, we speculate that tetraploid pollen mother cells may have arisen due to the fusion of syncytial nuclei before the onset of meiosis. It is likely that in addition to mismatch repair (MMR), MSH2 may have an additional role in regulating ploidy stability.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the circulatory, erythrocellular and CSF selenium levels in Alzheimer's disease: A metal meta-analysis (AMMA study-I).

BACKGROUND: Available studies in the literature on the selenium levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are inconsistent with some studies reporting its decrease in the circulation, while others reported an increase or no change as compared to controls. AIM: The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of circulatory (plasma/serum and blood), erythrocyte and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) selenium levels in AD compared controls. We also performed a meta-analysis of the correlation coefficients (r) to demonstrate the associations between selenium and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in AD patients. METHODS: All major databases were searched for eligible studies. We included 12 case-control/observational studies reporting selenium concentrations in AD and controls. Pooled-overall effect size as standardized mean difference (SMD) and pooled r-values were generated using Review Manager 5.3 and MedCalc 15.8 software. RESULTS: Random-effects meta-analysis indicated a decrease in circulatory (SMD=-0.44), erythrocellular (SMD=-0.52) and CSF (SMD=-0.14) selenium levels in AD patients compared to controls. Stratified meta-analysis demonstrated that the selenium levels were decreased in both the subgroups with (SMD=-0.55) and without (SMD=-0.37) age matching between AD and controls. Our results also demonstrated a direct association between decreased selenium levels and GPx in AD. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that circulatory selenium concentration is significantly lower in AD patients compared to controls and this decrease in selenium is directly correlated with an important antioxidant enzyme, the GPx, in AD.

Metabolomic homeostasis shifts after callus formation and shoot regeneration in tomato.

Plants can regenerate from a variety of tissues on culturing in appropriate media. However, the metabolic shifts involved in callus formation and shoot regeneration are largely unknown. The metabolic profiles of callus generated from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cotyledons and that of shoot regenerated from callus were compared with the pct1-2 mutant that exhibits enhanced polar auxin transport and the shr mutant that exhibits elevated nitric oxide levels. The transformation from cotyledon to callus involved a major shift in metabolite profiles with denser metabolic networks in the callus. In contrast, the transformation from callus to shoot involved minor changes in the networks. The metabolic networks in pct1-2 and shr mutants were distinct from wild type and were rewired with shifts in endogenous hormones and metabolite interactions. The callus formation was accompanied by a reduction in the levels of metabolites involved in cell wall lignification and cellular immunity. On the contrary, the levels of monoamines were upregulated in the callus and regenerated shoot. The callus formation and shoot regeneration were accompanied by an increase in salicylic acid in wild type and mutants. The transformation to the callus and also to the shoot downregulated LST8 and upregulated TOR transcript levels indicating a putative linkage between metabolic shift and TOR signalling pathway. The network analysis indicates that shift in metabolite profiles during callus formation and shoot regeneration is governed by a complex interaction between metabolites and endogenous hormones.