Protective effect of lycopene against celecoxib induced fat deposition and glycogen reduction in liver cells.

Objective: Oxidative stress develops because of a shift in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance toward the former, because of disturbances in redox signaling and control. Celecoxib (Cb), a selective COX-2 inhibitor, is a drug that effectively decreases pain and inflammation. However, Cb causes oxidative injury to hepatic tissues via enhanced lipid peroxidation, thus resulting in excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Consequently, frequent or long-term Cb use may lead to hepatic, renal, and other noticeable adverse effects. Lycopene (lyco), a potent antioxidant naturally occurring in pigmented fruits and vegetables, actively eradicates singlet oxygen and other free radicals, thereby protecting cells against destruction of the plasma membrane by free radicals. Methods: We hypothesized that lyco might protect rat liver cells against Cb-induced oxidative stress, thus reducing fatty infiltration and glycogen depletion. Rats were randomized into three groups (with ten rats each) receiving control (group A, saline only), Cb (group B, 50 mg/kg, orally), or Cb + lyco (group C, 50 mg/kg, orally) for 30 days. Subsequently, liver tissues were examined, and the average liver weight and histological changes in fat and glycogen content were determined. Results: Lyco mitigated hepatocyte damage in Cb-treated rats, reducing fat accumulation and glycogen loss, probably through its antioxidant properties. Concomitant lyco and Cb intake prevented hepatotoxic adverse effects due to oxidative injury, as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a key component of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, the binding orientation of lyco in the binding site of COX-2 enzyme revealed that the docked complex had noteworthy binding strength. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study revealed lyco's protective effects against Cb-induced hepatic damage by reducing fat and glycogen depletion.

Corrigendum: Foliar application of putrescine alleviates terminal drought stress by modulating water status, membrane stability, and yield- related traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1000877.].

Green Synthesis: The Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Potential of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extract of Teucrium stocksianum.

Green synthesis is one of the promising pathways for biologically active nanoscale materials. Herein, an eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) was carried out using an extract of Teucrium stocksianum. The biological reduction and size of NPS were optimized by controlling the physicochemical parameters such as concentration, temperature, and pH. A comparison of fresh and air-dried plant extracts was also undertaken to establish a reproducible methodology. The biosynthesized SNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, SEM, DLS, and XRD analyses. The prepared SNPs exhibited significant biological potential against multi-drug-resistant pathogenic strains. The results revealed that the biosynthesized SNPs exhibit high antimicrobial activity at low concentrations compared to the parent plant extract. Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values were found between 5.3 µg/mL to 9.7 µg/mL for the biosynthesized SNPs, whereas the aqueous extract of the plant showed many high values of MIC, i.e., between 69 and 98 µg/ML. Furthermore, the synthesized SNPs were found efficient in the photolytic degradation of methylene blue under sunlight.

Presentation and management of hypoparathyroidism in a paediatric patient - a case report.

Hypoparathyroidism occurs due to insufficient parathyroid gland activity leading to abnormal calcium and phosphate levels. The presentation of hypoparathyroidism is rare in adults and mostly encountered in the paediatric population. We present a case of a 3.5-month-old male infant with the presenting complaint of an episode of afebrile generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Haematological, urinary, cerebro-spinal fluid and radiological investigations were unremarkable but a biochemical profile revealed hypocalcaemia, hyperphosphataemia and lowered vitamin D3 levels. Parathyroid hormone profile showed a decreased level, confirming diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism. Intravenous administration of calcium and magnesium in combination with oral activated vitamin D3 and phosphate binders managed to resolve symptoms and maintain normal levels. The rationale of this case is to confirm the necessity of early diagnosis to prevent irreversible sequelae of hypocalcaemia and regular monitoring of treatment to avoid side-effects of medication.

Foliar application of putrescine alleviates terminal drought stress by modulating water status, membrane stability, and yield- related traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Drought stress is one of the major limitations to the growth and yield productivity of cereal crops. It severely impairs the early growing and grain -filling stages of wheat. Therefore, cost- effective and eco-friendly approaches for alleviating drought stress in cereal crops are in high demand. Polyamines, such as putrescine, have a significant effect on improving crop yield under drought- stress conditions. Therefore, the current study was executed with the aim of exploring the significance of putrescine in alleviating drought stress and improving yield- related traits in wheat. Two distinct wheat cultivars (Fakhar-e-Bhakkar and Anaj-2017) were treated with the foliar application of different concentrations (control, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 PPM) of putrescine (put) under two moisture conditions (well- watered and terminal drought stress). The results demonstrate that the imposition of terminal drought stress significantly reduces different physiological and yield- related traits of both wheat cultivars. The reduction of relative water content (RWC%), membrane stability index (MSI), leaf area, tillers per plant, biomass yield, number of spikelets per spike, 100-grain weight, grain yield per plant, and straw yield was greater in Anaj-2017 than in Fakhar-e-Bhakkar cultivar. The results further explain that the foliar application of increased concentrations of putrescine from 0.0 to 1.0 PPM gradually improved physiological and yield traits, whereas these traits declined with the application of putrescine at the highest dose (1.5 PPM). The exogenous application of 1.0 PPM putrescine improved the relative water content (19.76%), specific leaf area (41.47%), and leaf area ratio (35.84%) compared with the controlled treatment. A higher grain yield (28.0 g plant-1) and 100-grain weight (3.8 g) were obtained with the foliar application of 1.0 PPM putrescine compared with controlled treatments. The findings of this study confirm the protective role of putrescine against terminal drought stress. It is therefore recommended to use putrescine at a concentration of 1.0 PPM, which could help alleviate terminal drought stress and attain better wheat yield.

Production of multienzyme by Bacillus aestuarii UE25 using ionic liquid pretreated sugarcane bagasse.

The utilization of sugarcane bagasse (SB) in fermentation requires pretreatment processes to render fermentable components available to microorganisms. Pretreatment by using ionic liquids (ILs) is considered promising but the high cost is an impediment in its adoption, therefore, a mixture of IL pretreated and untreated SB was utilized to obtain bacterial multienzyme under solid-state fermentation (SSF). Bacillus aestuarii UE25, a thermophilic strain was utilized for that purpose. Fermentation conditions were optimized by adopting a central composite design. The model showed a good correlation between the predicted and the experimental values for amylase, xylanase, endoglucanase, and ß-glucosidase. Volumetric and specific productivity of xylanase (4580 IU ml-1 h-1 , 244.25 IU mg-1 substrate, and 50 IU mg-1 protein) were higher than the other enzymes. Changes in lignin content and reduced cellulose crystallinity due to IL pretreatment, followed by fermentation, were visualized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Nuclear magnetic resonance. The strategy adopted by utilizing a mixture of IL pretreated and untreated SB under SSF proved promising to obtain high titers of different enzymes simultaneously. Since the bacterial strain used is thermophilic, therefore, the multienzyme can find its application in commercial processes which are carried out at high temperatures.