Arsenic toxicity: sources, pathophysiology and mechanism.

Background: Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that poses a significant threat to human health due to its widespread presence in the environment, affecting millions worldwide. Sources of arsenic exposure are diverse, stemming from mining activities, manufacturing processes, and natural geological formations. Arsenic manifests in both organic and inorganic forms, with trivalent meta-arsenite (As3+) and pentavalent arsenate (As5+) being the most common inorganic forms. The trivalent state, in particular, holds toxicological significance due to its potent interactions with sulfur-containing proteins. Objective: The primary objective of this review is to consolidate current knowledge on arsenic toxicity, addressing its sources, chemical forms, and the diverse pathways through which it affects human health. It also focuses on the impact of arsenic toxicity on various organs and systems, as well as potential molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in arsenic-induced pathogenesis. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted, encompassing studies from diverse fields such as environmental science, toxicology, and epidemiology. Key databases like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were searched using predetermined criteria to select relevant articles, with a focus on recent research and comprehensive reviews to unravel the toxicological manifestations of arsenic, employing various animal models to discern the underlying mechanisms of arsenic toxicity. Results: The review outlines the multifaceted aspects of arsenic toxicity, including its association with chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurotoxicity. The emphasis is placed on elucidating the role of oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and epigenetic modifications in arsenic-induced cellular damage. Additionally, the impact of arsenic on vulnerable populations and potential interventions are discussed. Conclusions: Arsenic toxicity represents a complex and pervasive public health issue with far-reaching implications. Understanding the diverse pathways through which arsenic exerts its toxic effects is crucial to developing effective mitigation strategies and interventions. Further research is needed to fill gaps in our understanding of arsenic toxicity and to inform public health policies aimed at minimising exposure.Arsenic toxicity is a crucial public health problem influencing millions of people around the world. The possible sources of arsenic toxicity includes mining, manufacturing processes and natural geological sources. Arsenic exists in organic as well as in inorganic forms. Trivalent meta-arsenite (As3+) and pentavalent arsenate (As5+) are two most common inorganic forms of arsenic. Trivalent oxidation state is toxicologically more potent due to its potential to interact with sulfur containing proteins. Humans are exposed to arsenic in many ways such as environment and consumption of arsenic containing foods. Drinking of arsenic-contaminated groundwater is an unavoidable source of poisoning, especially in India, Bangladesh, China, and some Central and South American countries. Plenty of research has been carried out on toxicological manifestation of arsenic in different animal models to identify the actual mechanism of aresenic toxicity. Therefore, we have made an effort to summarize the toxicology of arsenic, its pathophysiological impacts on various organs and its molecular mechanism of action.

Honey infused with herbs: A boon to cure pathological diseases.

Healing with herbs has been a common practice for ages. Nowadays, various infectious diseases like malaria, flu, hepatitis B; COVID-19, etc. are commonly spreading around the world as a consequence of environmental pollution and related consequences. These diseases are not well controlled by the present drug treatment. Antibiotics are failing because of bacterial resistance. Although people believe that herbal medicines are more effective and safer. Therefore, traditional herbal remedies have been recommended for treatment purposes throughout the world. They are often used in combination, fused with honey, or alone for curing different types of ailments. Today, modern formulations of these medicines exist in the form of capsules, tablets, powders, and granules. In several traditional systems, 'Honey' is recommended as a natural medicine that improves several health conditions. In 'Ayurveda', honey is considered a most precious and miraculous product of nature and is used to treat various diseases either alone or after its infusion with herbs. It is a natural, antioxidant-rich, and highly nutritious food that is widely used as a natural sweetener without any side effects. It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. It also proves fruitful in managing/curing various disorders like colds, coughs, cancer, diabetes, wound healing, and cardiovascular disorders. Honey infused with herbs is also used to repair wounds, diabetes, lymphedema, and the prevention of chronic venomous diseases as a part of the folk medicinal system. The current article aims to analyse the medicinal efficiency of honey infused with herbs for curing/managing/treating various types of ailments.

Stable Dication Diradicals of Triply Fused Metallo Chlorin-Porphyrin Heterodimers: Impact of the Bridge on the Control of Spin Coupling to Reactivity.

We report an unexpected rearrangement, controlled by the nature of the bridge, leading to the formation of novel, remarkably stable triply fused dinickel(II)/dicopper(II) chlorin-porphyrin dication diradical heterodimers in excellent yields. Here, a dipyrromethene bridge gets completely fused between two porphyrin macrocycles with two new C-C and one C-N bonds. The two macrocycles exhibit extensive π-conjugation through the bridge, which results in an antiferromagnetic coupling between the two π-cation radicals. In addition, the macrocyclic distortion also favours a rare intramolecular ferromagnetic interaction between the CuII and π-cation radical spins to form a triplet state. The structural and electronic perturbation in the unconjugated dication diradical possibly enables the bridging pyrrolic nitrogen to undergo a nucleophilic attack at the nearby ß-carbon of the porphyrin π-cation radical with a computed free energy barrier of >20 kcal mol-1 which was supplied in the form of reflux condition to initiate such a rearrangement process. UV-vis, EPR and ESI-MS spectroscopies were used to monitor the rearrangement process in situ in order to identify the key reactive intermediates leading to such an unusual transformation.

Control of spin coupling through a redox-active bridge in a dinickel(II) porphyrin dimer: step-wise oxidations enable isolations of a chlorin-porphyrin heterodimer and a dication diradical with a singlet ground state.

A dinickel(II)porphyrin dimer has been used here in which the redox-active pyrrole-moiety, similar to the tryptophan residue in diheme enzymes such as MauG and bCcP, has been placed between two Ni(II)porphyrin centers connected via a flexible, but unconjugated methylene bridge. This arrangement provides a large physical separation between the two metal centers and thus displays almost no communication between them through the bridge. Upon treatment with DDQ as an oxidant, the dinickel(II) porphyrin dimer slowly gets converted into an indolizinium-fused chlorin-porphyrin heterodimer. However, oxidations of the dinickel(II) porphyrin dimer up to two oxidizing equivalents using oxidants such as AgSbF6 and FeCl3 resulted in the formation of a dication diradical complex. Interestingly, in order to stabilize such a highly oxidized dication diradical, two non-conjugated methylene spacers undergo facile 2e-/-2H+ oxidation to make the bridge fully π-conjugated for promoting through-bond communication. Through the oxidized and conjugated bridge, two porphyrin π-cation radicals display considerable communications leading to an efficient intramolecular spin coupling to form a singlet state. Interestingly, the redox-active nature of the bridge controls the electronic communication just by simple oxidation or reduction, and thereby, acts as a molecular switch for efficient magnetic relay.

Melatonin: a modulator in metabolic rewiring in T-cell malignancies.

Melatonin, (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) an indoleamine exerts multifaced effects and regulates numerous cellular pathways and molecular targets associated with circadian rhythm, immune modulation, and seasonal reproduction including metabolic rewiring during T cell malignancy. T-cell malignancies encompass a group of hematological cancers characterized by the uncontrolled growth and proliferation of malignant T-cells. These cancer cells exhibit a distinct metabolic adaptation, a hallmark of cancer in general, as they rewire their metabolic pathways to meet the heightened energy requirements and biosynthesis necessary for malignancies is the Warburg effect, characterized by a shift towards glycolysis, even when oxygen is available. In addition, T-cell malignancies cause metabolic shift by inhibiting the enzyme pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase (PDK) which in turn results in increased acetyl CoA enzyme production and cellular glycolytic activity. Further, melatonin plays a modulatory role in the expression of essential transporters (Glut1, Glut2) responsible for nutrient uptake and metabolic rewiring, such as glucose and amino acid transporters in T-cells. This modulation significantly impacts the metabolic profile of T-cells, consequently affecting their differentiation. Furthermore, melatonin has been found to regulate the expression of critical signaling molecules involved in T-cell activations, such as CD38, and CD69. These molecules are integral to T-cell adhesion, signaling, and activation. This review aims to provide insights into the mechanism of melatonin's anticancer properties concerning metabolic rewiring during T-cell malignancy. The present review encompasses the involvement of oncogenic factors, the tumor microenvironment and metabolic alteration, hallmarks, metabolic reprogramming, and the anti-oncogenic/oncostatic impact of melatonin on various cancer cells.

CRISPR/Cas9 system: a reliable and facile genome editing tool in modern biology.

Genome engineering has always been a versatile technique in biological research and medicine, with several applications. In the last several years, the discovery of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology has swept the scientific community and revolutionised the speed of modern biology, heralding a new era of disease detection and rapid biotechnology discoveries. It enables successful gene editing by producing targeted double-strand breaks in virtually any organism or cell type. So, this review presents a comprehensive knowledge about the mechanism and structure of Cas9-mediated RNA-guided DNA targeting and cleavage. In addition, genome editing via CRISPR-Cas9 technology in various animals which are being used as models in scientific research including Non-Human Primates Pigs, Dogs, Zebra, fish and Drosophila has been discussed in this review. This review also aims to understand the applications, serious concerns and future perspective of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing.

Management of Multiple Myeloma in the Middle East: Unmet Needs, Challenges and Perspective.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a prevalent hematological malignancy. Resource-constrained settings such as the Middle East are particularly burdened by the increasing trends in MM morbidity and mortality in addition to challenges in the management of MM. It thus becomes necessary to identify and address debatable areas of current practice and gaps in the management of MM in the Middle East. With a special focus on the Lebanese situation, the first-line treatment of the very elderly (> 80 years old) is discussed, in addition to the impact of relapse type (biochemical or clinical relapse) on maintenance therapy, the choice of first relapse therapy in relation to maintenance therapy, and the role of MRD in the MM treatment landscape. The need for realistic management guidelines accounting for local resources and expertise, in addition to the reflection of drug accessibility and cost on clinical practice are recognized.

Mechanisms and treatment strategies of organophosphate pesticide induced neurotoxicity in humans: A critical appraisal.

Organophosphates (OPs) are commonly used pesticides worldwide. Humans are exposed to OPs via different routes viz., the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and dermal integuments. OPs induce neuropathy by either phosphorylating acetyl cholinesterase or neuropathy target esterase, or by binding specifically to nicotinic or muscarinic receptors of nervous system. Other than neurobehavioral effects in humans, OPs cause cholinergic crisis, intermediate syndrome, OP-induced delayed neuropathy, and Chronic organophosphate-induced neuropsychiatric disorders in time and dosage dependent manner. Biomonitoring of OP markers from body fluids minimizes or measures the severity of the impact, allowing for timely control of the exposure. The standard treatments for OPs poisoning which avoid secondary organ damage are atropine administration, acetylcholine esterase restoration therapy with oximes, and general intensive care. This review summarizes the toxic manifestation data available on humans and discusses potential therapeutic modalities, with the aim to highlight the importance of increasing awareness about its potential risk and reevaluation of exposure level.

Long-Range Intramolecular Spin Coupling through a Redox-Active Bridge upon Stepwise Oxidations: Control and Effect of Metal Ions.

Dinickel(II) and dicopper(II) porphyrin dimers have been constructed in which two metalloporphyrin units are widely separated by a long unconjugated dipyrrole bridge. Two macrocycles are aligned somewhat orthogonally to each other, while oxidation of the bridge generates a fully π-conjugated butterfly-like structure, which, in turn, upon stepwise oxidations by stronger oxidants result in the formation of the corresponding one- and two-electron-oxidized species exhibiting unusual long-range charge/radical delocalization to produce intense absorptions in the near-infrared (NIR) region and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals of a triplet state due to interaction between the unpaired spins on the Cu(II) ions. Although the two metal centers have a large physical separation through the bridge (more than 16 Å), they share electrons efficiently between them, behaving as a single unit rather than two independent centers. Detailed UV-vis-NIR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, IR, variable-temperature magnetic study, and EPR spectroscopic investigations along with X-ray structure determination of unconjugated, conjugated, and one electron-oxidized complexes have been exploited to demonstrate the long-range electronic communication through the bridge. The experimental observations are also supported by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. The present study highlights the crucial roles played by a redox-active bridge and metal in controlling the long-range electronic communication.

Oxidative Stress in Human Pathology and Aging: Molecular Mechanisms and Perspectives.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are generated through various endogenous and exogenous processes; however, they are neutralized by enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. An imbalance between the generation and neutralization of oxidants results in the progression to oxidative stress (OS), which in turn gives rise to various diseases, disorders and aging. The characteristics of aging include the progressive loss of function in tissues and organs. The theory of aging explains that age-related functional losses are due to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), their subsequent damages and tissue deformities. Moreover, the diseases and disorders caused by OS include cardiovascular diseases [CVDs], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. OS, induced by ROS, is neutralized by different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and prevents cells, tissues and organs from damage. However, prolonged OS decreases the content of antioxidant status of cells by reducing the activities of reductants and antioxidative enzymes and gives rise to different pathological conditions. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to discuss the mechanism of ROS-induced OS signaling and their age-associated complications mediated through their toxic manifestations in order to devise effective preventive and curative natural therapeutic remedies.

Management of stored grain pest with special reference to Callosobruchus maculatus, a major pest of cowpea: A review.

Bruchids are most pernicious pest of stored grain pulses, especially in the tropical and subtropical areas. They penetrate into the fully grown matured pods, grains in fields and also during post-harvest storage. Among bruchids, Callosobruchus maculatus is the prominent pest having ubiquitous distribution. Chemical/synthetic insecticides provides adequate control against the C. maculatus on the pulses. However, the use of synthetic insecticides induces adverse health outcomes in agricultural workers and many causes various diseases such as cancers, genomic damage, oxidative stress, neurological disorders and respiratory, metabolic and thyroid effects. Therefore, alternative effective, safe and sustainable pest control, integration of different compatible methods should be taken into considerations. One of the possible managements might be use of traditional as well modern pest management practices. Traditional techniques include sealed containers, inert materials, harvesting time, alternate host, intercropping, storing un-threshed pulses, cleanliness, vegetable oil etc. Modern techniques such as temperature, freezing and heating, radiation treatments, resistance varieties, natural control, botanical extracts, chemical and microbial, transgenic approach, cold plasma treatments etc. thus integrated pest management might be alternative approach to combat the effect of pest. Therefore, present review aims to considers various measures for the handling of bruchids with special reference to Callosobruchus maculatus and integrated molecular inventions to decrease bruchids populations and enhance pulse productivity in pulses.

Coadministration of Melatonin and Insulin Improves Diabetes-Induced Impairment of Rat Kidney Function.

INTRODUCTION: The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin and insulin coadministration in diabetes-induced renal injury in rats. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Diabetes was achieved by giving streptozotocin (15 mg/kg) for 6 consecutive days. The diabetic condition was confirmed by assessing the blood glucose level; animals having blood glucose levels above 250 mg were considered as diabetic. Following the confirmation, animals were randomly divided into different experimental groups, viz group I served as the control (CON), group II diabetic (D), group III D+melatonin (MEL), group IV D+insulin (INS), group V D+MEL+INS, group VI D+glibenclamide (GB), group VII CON+MEL, group VIII CON+INS, and group IX CON+GB. Following the completion of the experimental period, animals were sacrificed, blood was collected via a retro-orbital puncture, and kidneys were harvested. Diabetic rats exhibited a significant increment in blood glucose and biochemical indexes of renal injury (tubular disruption, swollen glomeruli with loss of glomerular spaces, and distortion of the endothelial lining) including augmented levels of serum creatinine, urea, uric acid, Na+, and K+, and inhibition/suppression of the activity of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, GSH reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and GSH-S-transferase in the renal cortex. RESULTS: By examining thiobarbiturate reactive substances, reduced GSH, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity in the renal cortex of control and diabetic rats, it was documented that treatment with melatonin or insulin alone or in combination showed a significant ad integrum recovery of GSH-dependent antioxidative enzymatic activities. Melatonin and insulin coadministration caused greater reductions in circulating tumor necrosis factor-α, tumor growth factor-ß1, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 levels in diabetic rats, whereas IL-10 levels increased, as compared to each treatment alone. Diabetic rats showed a significant increase in the expression of both MT1 and MT2 melatonin receptor genes. Melatonin or insulin treatment alone or in combination resulted in significant restoration of the relative expression of both melatonin receptors in the renal cortex. CONCLUSION: The coadministration of exogenous melatonin and insulin abolished many of the deleterious effects of type 1 diabetes on rat renal function.

Honeybee nutrition and pollen substitutes: A review.

Like other invertebrates, honey bees too are poikilothermic animals; they cannot regulate their body temperature and they have to undergo a period of inactivation when atmospheric temperature is un-tolerable. During this period, their nutritional requirements and metabolic activities are minimized due to highly restricted foraging activities. The egg-laying by queen and rearing of unsealed and sealed brood are decreased, however their extent is governed by the quantum of stored food available. The problems of deleterious influence of adverse weather conditions and non-availability of bee flora all round the year, in a particular locality, have been realized by the researchers/beekeepers and migration concept has been developed to solve this problem. But again, migration itself is not an easy task. The provision of artificial feeding as an alternate of migration. Scientists all over the world have formulated different artificial food recepies for bees on the basis of nutrient composition of honey and pollen, acceptability, palatability, digestibility and affordability of ingredients. This may help to maintain all colony parameters enough to derive maximum advantage of forthcoming floral rich season. However, a standard balanced diet for commercial beekeeping that is accepted worldwide is still awaited.

Fragmented QRS complex frequency and location as predictor of cardiogenic shock and mortality following acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, coronary heart disease (CHD) is topping the foremost important chief causes of mortality. Fragmented QRS (f-QRS) is a pattern of QRS complex in 12 leads surface ECG which showed a promising value in predicting the outcome in cardiac diseases including ischemic heart disease. We aimed to research the importance of using f-QRS as a non-invasive and cheap tool for the prediction of cardiogenic shock and mortality in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: A retrospective study includes eighty four critically ill ACS patients. Patients were classified consistent with the presence or absence of fragmented QRS into two groups (46 and 38 patients respectively). Exclusion criteria include past history of important ischemic events (MI, PCI, and CABG), permanent AF, and/or cardiomyopathy. No statistical significant differences were detected between the 2 groups as regards the age, gender, major risk factors of ischemic heart condition, cardiac bio-markers, Killip class, LVEF, updated GRACE risk score of ACS, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A number value of f-QRS leads > 3 yields sensitivity and specificity (83.3% and 72.5% respectively) for predicting hospital mortality. The f-QRS group was further split-up according to the numbers of f-QRS leads into 2 subgroups; subgroup (A1) including patients with > 3 f-QRS leads and subgroup (A2) including patients ≤ 3 f-QRS leads. Subgroup (A2) showed considerable difference as regards some important variables including a higher SBP (P = 0.016), a slower HR (P = 0.014), a lower up-dated GRACE risk score (3.22 ± 6.95 vs 6.81 ± 12, P value 0.048), and a lower rate of hospital death (1/30 vs. 5/16, P = 0.015). Anterior f-QRS showed statistically significant higher HR, lower SBP, a higher frequency of shock, a higher updated GRACE risk score, and a higher chance of in-hospital mortality (P = 0.004) compared to non-anterior f-QRS. CONCLUSION: The position and number of f-QRS leads provide a non-invasive and a readily accessible tool to predict the prognosis, occurrence of cardiogenic shock, and in-hospital mortality.

Melatonin supplementation revives diabetic induced biochemical, histological and hematological impairments in rats.

Diabetes is very common all over the world, but still not curable and controlled; it causes alteration in all over body. It needs serious concern for the scientific community to find out some control measures. The current work was planned to explore the possible defensive effect of melatonin against the diabetes induced changes in whole blood profile. For this study albino rats were treated with streptozotocin [(STZ) (15 mg/kg for 6 days)] to induce diabetes. Induction was confirmed by blood glucose and serum sugar assessment. Total 36 rats were randomly selected for the experimental purpose and were divided into two major groups. Major group-1 consisting eighteen (18) and were further sub-divided into three (3) different groups viz. group-I served as normal control, group-II served as melatonin treated, group-III served as glibenclamide treated. Major group-2 consisting eighteen (18) rats were given streptozotocin (STZ) injection (15 mg/kg) for 6 days. After confirmation of diabetes by measuring blood glucose level, animals having blood glucose level above 250 mg/dl) confirmed as diabetic. Eighteen (18) Diabetic rats were three subdivided into following sub-groups and were given different therapeutic treatments, Viz group-IV served as Diabetic control, group-V treated with melatonin, group-VI treated with glibenclamide, respectively. Diabetic rats demonstrated inflection in all hematological variables. Diabetic animals revealed considerable reduction in RBCs count, HB content and its associated indices (HCT, RDW, MCV, MCH and MCHC). Decrease in WBCs and its related indices (polymorphs and lymphocytes). Platelet count showed significant increase, but platelet distribution width (PDW %) was found decreased. However administration of melatonin restored all the alterations in hematological parameters. Therefore, it can be concluded that melatonin will be better therapeutic molecule to revive hematological alterations during diabetes.

Combined administration of exogenous melatonin and insulin ameliorates streptozotocin induced toxic alteration on hematological parameters in diabetic male Wistar rats.

The aim of the present was to ameliorate the protective effect of exogenous melatonin and insulin against the diabetes induced alterations in the different hematological variables. Albino rats were administrated streptozotocin at the dose of 15 mg/kg for 6 days. Total 54 rats were randomly selected for the experimental purpose and were divided into two major groups. Group-1 consisting twenty four (24) and were further sub-divided into four (4) different groups viz. group-I served as normal control, group-II served as melatonin treated, group-III served as insulin treated and group-IV served as glibenclamide treated. Group-2 consisting thirty (30) rats were given streptozotocin (STZ) injection (15 mg/kg) for 6 days. After confirmation of diabetes by measuring blood glucose level, animals having blood glucose level above 250 mg/dl) confirmed as diabetic. Thirty (30) Diabetic rats were further subdivided into following sub-groups and were given different therapeutic treatments, Viz group-I served as Diabetic control, group-II treated with melatonin, group-III treated with insulin, group-IV given treatment of melatonin and insulin and group-V were given treatment of glibenclamide respectively. Diabetic rats showed modulation in all the studied hematological variables. Diabetic rats displayed significant decline in RBCs count, HB level and its associated indices (HCT, RDW, MCV, MCH, MCHC), WBCs and its related indices (polymorphs and lymphocytes) and platelet distribution width (PDW %) whereas platelet count showed significant increase. Nonetheless alone as well as combined treatment of exogenous melatonin and insulin restored all altered hematological parameters. However, significant recovery was found in the group in which combined dose of melatonin and insulin was administrated. Therefore, it might be concluded that combined administration of melatonin and insulin will be better remedy to normalize the altered blood profile during the diabetic condition.

Physiological and economic benefits of abandoning invasive surgical procedures and enhancing animal welfare in swine production.

Food-animal welfare is a major ethical and social concern. Pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, with over a billion pigs slaughtered annually. Most of these pigs routinely undergo painful surgical procedures (surgical castration, tail docking, teeth clipping), which farmers often reluctant to avoid, claiming it would increase cost and reduce production efficiency. Herein, this study indicates that these procedures compromise pigs' health and condition. Replacing surgical castration with immunocastration, avoiding tail docking and teeth clipping, and providing environmental enrichment, resulted in significant increase in weight gain, lowered risks for injuries and death, and reduced saliva and hair cortisol, both biomarkers for stress. Testosterone and DHEA analyses confirmed that immunocastration was an effective alternative to surgical castration. Economic models for the entire US swine market revealed that following across-the-board acceptance of this management, pork meat price is expected to drop, while the total annual social welfare (combined consumer and producer surplus) is expected to increase by $US 1.48 to 1.92 billion. In conclusion, sustainable swine farming management can be beneficial for both animals and farmers. Applying such welfare-friendly management is expected to reduce stress, enhance piglet/pig welfare and production, and improve the economics of swine operations in the global agro-food system.

Melatonin and insulin modulates the cellular biochemistry, histoarchitecture and receptor expression during hepatic injury in diabetic rats.

Aims; The present study was designed to ameliorate the integrated efficacy of exogenous melatonin and insulin on tissue biochemical, serological, histopathological architecture and receptor expression of melatonin (MT1, MT2) and insulin receptor (IR) expression against the hepatic injury in diabetic rats. Materials and Method; the rats were randomly allocated into nine different experimental groups. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (15 mg/kg) for 6 days. Rats having blood glucose level above 250 mg/dl were considered as diabetic. Animals euthanized after 4 weeks, blood and liver samples were collected to perform various biochemical, serological, histopathological and receptor expression of melatonin (MT1, MT2) and insulin receptor (IR). Key findings; Diabetic rats revealed significant increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) of liver tissue, liver function tests (ALT, AST and ALP), increase in serum cholesterol, LDL, VLD, but decrease in HDL level. Further, diabetic rats exhibited significant decrement in antioxidative enzymatic system (GSH, SOD, CAT, GR, GPX, G6PDH and GST), total tissue protein and glycogen content. Histomicrograph of liver of diabetic rats resulted in vacuolization indicating cellular damages as well as upregulation in liver MT1, MT2 and IR protein expression. However, the combined therapy (Melatonin and insulin treatment) revealed significant recovery and restoration in biochemical, cellular architecture of liver cells and receptor expression pattern of MT1, MT2 and IR. Significance; It may establish a synergistic action of melatonin and insulin, which might be a novel evidence for clinicians to combat the hepatic complication along with controlling diabetes.

Effects of group housing on reproductive performance, lameness, injuries and saliva cortisol in gestating sows.

In many countries sows are kept in individual stalls from insemination up to just few days prior to farrowing. The overall objective of this study was to examine group housing management system for sows during gestation as an alternative for individual confinement stalls, and the possible effects on their welfare, production and reproduction performances. Accordingly, the study included three specific objectives: (1) to compare parameters of production, reproduction, and welfare of sows housed in groups (either 30 or 7 sows/group; Large Group: LG, Small Group: SG, respectively) during gestation as compared to individual confinement stalls (IS); (2) to compare saliva cortisol of pregnant sows throughout gestation, when housed in groups of three different sizes (either 7, 15 or 30 sows per pen group); and (3) to compare sows' production and reproduction performances at the herd level, before, during and after practically transforming from a management of individual confinement stalls to a group housing system, in a large commercial swine farm over a six-year period. Mean cycle length (weaning-to-weaning) was shorter in group housing management as compared to individual stalls (P = 0.0110), but gestation length did not differ among the three groups. Overall farrowing rate (sows farrowed out of those inseminated) was higher (P ≤ 0.0134) for sows housed in groups (either SG or LG). Furthermore, there was a tendency towards a higher number of total born (P = 0.1033), and born alive piglets (P = 0.0862), in group housing system as compared to individual housing management; however, it did not differ between the LG and SG groups. Injuries and lameness index (ILI) of sows improved significantly over the gestation period in group housing management. Group saliva cortisol during gestation did not differ significantly among groups of 7, 15, or 30 sows, except on the first saliva sampling, just after sows were mixed into groups, where cortisol level was significantly higher in sows housed in a pen of 30 sows. Production and reproduction performances at the herd level, over a 6-years period- before, during and after transforming to a group housing system, improved significantly: shortened cycle length, increased farrowing rate, and increased number of total born and born alive piglets. In conclusion, group housing management during gestation was associated with better reproduction, productivity and welfare of sows, as compared to individual stalls. A welfare friendly housing system can be beneficial and effective for both the farmers and the animals.

Intermacrocyclic Interaction Triggers Facile One-Pot Synthesis of a Chlorin-Porphyrin Heterodimer.

This work reports a highly facile one-pot synthesis of a new series of fully π-conjugated unsymmetric chlorin-porphyrin heterodimers with quantitative yields by utilizing intermacrocyclic interactions. One-electron oxidations of dicopper(II) and dipalladium(II) porphyrin dimers using mild oxidants such as iodine at room temperature resulted in the formation of a strongly interacting cofacial mixed-valent π-cation radical dimers. The radical, being highly reactive, drives spontaneous and rapid transformation involving a new N=C bond formation, 1,2-ethyl migration, and the generation of a new indolizinium ring that bridges between the two macrocycles. X-ray structural characterization of the heterodimers reveals that the two macrocycles are nearly coplanar and thereby extends the π-conjugation from one end to the other. DFT calculations that reproduce the experimental results are also reported.