Alleviating summer heat stress in cowpea-baby corn intercropping with stress-reducing chemicals and fertility variations.

Over the past century, the average surface temperature and recurrent heatwaves have been steadily rising, especially during the summer season, which is affecting the yield potential of most food crops. Hence, diversification in cropping systems with suitable fertilizer management is an urgent need to ensure high yield potential during the summer season. Since intercropping has emerged as an important strategy to increase food production, the present study comprises five intercropping systems in the main plot (sole cowpea, sole baby corn, cowpea + baby corn in 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1 row ratio), three levels of fertilizer viz. 100 (N20 P40), 125 (N25 P50), and 150% (N30 P60) recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) in the subplot, along with two stress-mitigating chemicals (0.5% CaCl2 and 1% KNO3) in the sub-sub plots. A split-split plot system with four replications was established to carry out the field experiment. The effect of intercropping, fertilizer levels, and stress-mitigating chemicals on crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), plant temperature, relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll content of cowpea and baby corn, as well as cowpea equivalent yield (CEY), was investigated during the summer seasons of 2019 and 2020. The experiment was conducted at Agriculture University, Kota (Rajasthan), India. Results showed that CGR, RGR, RWC and chlorophyll content of both crops and CEY were maximum under intercropping of cowpea and baby corn in a 2:1 row ratio compared to other intercropping systems. However, the plant temperature of both crops was significantly lower under this system. CEY, CGR, RGR, and chlorophyll content were considerably greater in the subplots with a fertilizer application of 150% RDF compared to lower levels of fertilizer (100 and 125% RDF). Our findings further show that foliar application of CaCl2 0.5% at the flowering and pod-developing stages of cowpea dramatically boosted CEY, CGR, RGR, RWC, and chlorophyll content of both crops and lowered the plant temperature.

Fatty acid profiling and oxidative stability of biscuits available in the market of the city of Ludhiana, India.

India has occupied third position in biscuit manufacturing with an average production of 1.95 million tonnes. The major ingredients in biscuit manufacturing are refined wheat flour, sugar and fat. Fat to be used must be chosen carefully as it affects quality of final product in terms of fatty acid composition and oxidative stability. Therefore, the present work was planned to study fatty acid profile of highly consumed baked products of biscuit family such as biscuits and cookies available in market. The study was carried out to do fatty acid profiling of a range of highly consumed baked products of biscuit family as a primary objective and also, to determine oxidative stability of these products by analysing peroxide value and free fatty acid content. The most commonly consumed packaged and unpackaged bakery products were selected and were bought from the local market of Ludhiana city on the basis of a survey conducted on 200 subjects. The selected products were analysed for fatty acid composition and oxidative stability using standard methods. Fatty acid profiling of 22 bakery products of biscuit family was done. Palmitic acid was the most abundant among all fatty acids in packaged and unpackaged samples. Peroxide value of all the products even after storage period of three months was found below the permissible limits (< 10 meq/kg). Free fatty acids value of all the products also did not cross acceptable level of 0.5 percent. Out of total selected eight brands, six were national and two were international. Amount of palmitic acid was higher in the products belonging to local brands.

Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk assessment of heavy metals in cooked beans and vegetables in Punjab, North India.

Beans and vegetables are consumed with cereals in India on daily basis. The aim of the study was to assess carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of heavy metals in cooked beans and cooked vegetables consumed by adults (18-59 years) and elderly (≥60 years) subjects from two districts (Ludhiana and Bathinda) of Punjab. A total of 150 households were selected from 30 different locations covering both rural and urban areas. The mean daily consumption of beans and vegetables in Ludhiana was recorded as 35.09 and 215.93 g, respectively. The corresponding figures in Bathinda were observed as 26.85 and 230.54 g. The average amounts of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury were 1.44 × 10-5, 8.21 × 10-5, 1.30 × 10-3, and 2.61 × 10-7 mg/kg for cooked vegetables in urban households of Ludhiana district, respectively. The corresponding values for rural households were 1.53 × 10-5, 5.58 × 10-5, and 2.98 × 10-4 mg/kg while mercury was not detected. The mean chronic daily intake (CDI) of arsenic from cooked beans was significantly (p ≤ .001) higher in urban adult males of Ludhiana (7.74 × 10-9 mg/kg/day) and Bathinda (5.31 × 10-9 mg/kg/day) compared to their rural counterparts. Similar trend was observed in CDI of heavy metals from vegetables. The mean CDI of cadmium from cooked vegetables in urban adult females of Ludhiana (3.76 × 10-7 mg/kg/day) was significantly (p ≤ .001) higher than their rural counterparts and both urban and rural adult females of Bathinda. The study concluded that the subjects of both districts were found safe from non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk associated with heavy metals present in cooked beans and vegetables, except for urban subjects and rural adult subjects of Ludhiana district who had cancer risk due to cadmium present in cooked vegetable samples.

Eugenol and geraniol impede Csu-pilus assembly and evades multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms: In-vitro and in-silico evidence.

Acinetobacter baumannii forms robust biofilms, which aid protection against antimicrobials and account for adaptation in hospital settings. Biofilm formation by A. baumannii has worsens the scenario of drug resistance. Therefore, new strategies are required to tackle biofilm-forming multidrug-resistant A. baumannii. The present study investigated compounds with antimicrobials and antibiofilm properties against A. baumannii. Different antimicrobials were selected from available reports. Initially, comparative antimicrobial activity against A. baumannii isolates was assessed. Most potent antimicrobial compounds were further analyzed for time-kill kinetics, biofilm inhibition, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) reduction in their presence and absence. The antibiofilm potentials were also confirmed with SEM analysis. The relative gene expression of the csuE gene and molecular docking was carried out to investigate the molecular mechanism of mature biofilm disruption. The results demonstrated eugenol and geraniol as the most potent inhibitors with MICs of 6.08 mM and 3.24 mM, respectively, with the potential to significantly inhibit growth and EPS production. Complete inhibition of A. baumannii mature biofilms was observed with a maximum of 60.89 mM and 129.6 mM concentrations of eugenol and geraniol, respectively. The SEM analysis and lower expression of the csuE gene showed the effectiveness of potent antibiofilm agents. In-silico docking showed efficient binding of eugenol and geraniol with the csuE protein of archaic pilus. The findings of molecular docking concordant the assumption that these molecules may prevent the assembly of mature pilus, which results in abolished biofilms. In conclusion, the antibiofilm virtues of eugenol and geraniol were elucidated to be used in the future to control the persistence of biofilm-forming drug-resistant A. baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm Formation: Association with Antimicrobial Resistance and Prolonged Survival under Desiccation.

Biofilm-forming multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a global pathogen. This study investigated the impact of biofilm formation by A. baumannii on antimicrobial resistance and prolonged survival under desiccation, which is essential for effective infection control of A. baumannii in hospital settings. Seventy-eight clinical isolates of A. baumannii were identified, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were assessed. All the isolates were investigated for their biofilm-forming abilities at 24 and 48 h. The biofilm inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics were evaluated for selected biofilm-forming isolates to determine the influence of biofilm on antibiotic tolerance. The impact of biofilm formation on desiccation tolerance was also evaluated for up to 48 days. The results revealed that out of 78 A. baumannii clinical isolates, 83% were MDR and 17% non-MDR. Overall, 79% of isolates formed high biofilm after 24 h. The extent of biofilm formation gets significantly increased after 48 h, and 87% of isolates formed high biofilm. It was observed that eradicating mature biofilm requires up to a thousandfold higher concentration of antibiotics than MICs, and biofilm-forming isolates can survive for a prolonged period under desiccation. In conclusion, our findings revealed that both MDR and non-MDR isolates of A. baumannii could form biofilms on abiotic surfaces. A. baumannii biofilms contribute to endurance in the presence of antimicrobials and desiccation conditions, which are significant trouble for hospital patient care management. The present findings may offer insights for developing preventive measures to tackle biofilm-associated A. baumannii infection.

Euryale ferox, a prominent superfood: Nutritional, pharmaceutical, and its economical importance.

Euryale ferox (also known as foxnut), belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae. It is mainly grown in India, China, Japan, and Korea. It is a highly nutritious food, abundant in nutritional and bioactive compounds such as carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. It is considered a functional food owing to its various health benefits such as antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antifatigue, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antimelanogenic, etc. E. ferox has immense potential in both food and non-food industries. Regardless of being recognized as a superfood packed with nutritional as well as medicinal properties, it is still neglected, and there has not been much attention given to its cultivation. Therefore, in this review, the potential of E. ferox as a superfood has been explored to enhance its utilization in the development of different foods and make it available outside its growing area. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Euryale ferox is abundant in several macronutrients and micronutrients; and considered as a superfood in terms of various health benefits. E. ferox has the ability to be used in the development of different health, functional, and nutraceutical foods, which will open a new door for the food industry to combat with numerous diseases.

Phase Diagram Study of Catanionic Surfactants Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics.

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations has been performed to study the phase transition of a mixture of cationic and anionic surfactants in an aqueous solution as a function of the total concentration in water and the relative ratio of surfactants. The impact of the relative difference between the tail lengths of the cationic and anionic surfactants on the phase diagram has been simulated by tuning the number of DPD beads in the simulation model. This research also discusses the impact of the frequently used values of the parameters associated with the harmonic bonds among the bonded DPD beads on the obtained self-assemblies. We find remarkable differences in the resultant self-assemblies based on different choices of harmonic bond parameters. The performed simulations show an enhanced spectrum of self-assemblies with augmented tail lengths and disparate harmonic bond parameters. The obtained self-assemblies are quite unique and can potentially be used in the future for various applications. We also compare the simulation results of the vesicle structures obtained by modeling the electrostatic interaction in the simulation among the charged beads by explicitly introducing charges with a long-range interaction with those obtained by tuning the implicit electrostatic interaction without the long-range interaction. The effects of the chain length of the model and the harmonic bond parameters on the internal density of DPD beads and stress profiles within the vesicles are examined closely. These results are a significant contribution to understanding the stability of the phases and tailoring of the desired vesicles.

Characterization of thermo-physiological, hematological, and molecular changes in response to seasonal variations in two tropically adapted native cattle breeds of Bos indicus lineage in hot arid ambience of Thar Desert.

The selection of climate resilient animal is necessary to secure the future of sustainable animal production. The present investigation therefore was an effort to unravel answers to the adaptation at physiological, hematological, and molecular levels in cows of hot arid region that helps them to survive harsh environment, to continue production and reproduction. This investigation was carried out in indicine cows over a period of one year, encompassing four seasons, wherein physiological data of 50 animals, hematological data of 15 animals, and gene expression profile of 5 animals from each of Sahiwal and Kankrej breeds per season was generated. In total, 5600 physiological observations, 1344 hematological observations, and 480 molecular samples were processed. The meteorological data revealed a high diurnal variation of temperature across seasons, with THI exceeding 80 during the months of summer and hot-humid seasons, indicating significant heat stress (HS). The physiological parameters showed an increasing trend with the incremental THI, with significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR), and body surface temperature (BST) at ventral (VT), lateral (LT), dorsal (DT), and frontal (FT), in both breeds recorded during HS. The hematological pictures also revealed significant (p < 0.05) seasonal perturbations in erythrocytic and leucocytic parameters. Moreover, the molecular response was driven by a significant (p < 0.05) upregulation of all the key HSPs, HSP70, HSP90, HSP60, and HSP40, except HSP27 during the hotter months of summer and hot-humid seasons. The expression of HSF1, an important transcriptional regulator of  HSP70 was also significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated during summer season in both breeds. All the molecular chaperones revealed a significant upregulation during the summer season, followed by a decreasing trend by hot-humid season. The study indicated a well-developed thermotolerance mechanism in animals of both breeds, with Kankrej cows exhibiting better thermotolerance compared to Sahiwal cows.

Decoding Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm dynamics and associated protein markers: proteomic and bioinformatics approach.

Biofilm formation by Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the major cause of its persistence in hospital environment. Biofilm phenotypes are more resistant to physical as well as chemical stresses than their planktonic counterparts. The present study was carried in quest of biofilm-associated protein markers and their association with various biological pathways of A. baumannii. The study was designed with an aim to highlight the crucial common factor present in the majority of the A. baumannii strains irrespective of its resistance nature. A label-free proteome comparison of biofilm and planktonic phenotypes of A. baumannii was done using QExactive tandem mass spectrometry. Our investigation suggests key elevation of adhesion factors, acetate metabolism, nutrient transporters, and secretion system proteins are required for biofilm formation in A. baumannii. Elevation of biofilm-associated proteins revealed that biofilm is the unique phenotype with the potential to form robust matrix-embedded colonies and defeat stress condition. Further, core protein markers of biofilm phenotypes could be used as targets for new clinical interventions to combat biofilm-associated infections.

Natural Biosurfactant as Antimicrobial Agent: Strategy to Action Against Fungal and Bacterial Activities.

Natural surfactants have gained importance as the usage of synthetic surfactants shows economical aspects, health, and environmental effect. This study examined the anti-microbial activity of safflower seed waste (Ssw) isolated surfactant against dandruff-causing Malassezia furfur and skin diseases causing bacterial strains. Saponin was the major component and non-ionic surfactants derived from plants, which have a special molecular structure with hydrophilic glycoside backbone and lipophilic triterpene derivative. The antimicrobial activity of isolated surfactants was confirmed by the MIC and kill-time assays. Our results showed that the isolated saponin may interact with the cell wall and membrane first and destroy the cell wall and membranes, which finally results in bacterial death. Besides, isolated saponin penetrates the cytoplasmic membrane or enters inside the cell after the destruction of cell structure, and then inhibits the normal synthesis of DNA and proteins that are required for bacterial growth. These results suggested that the effects of the Ssw isolated saponin on the growth inhibition of selected bacterial strains may be at the molecular level rather than only physical damage. Extraction of Biosurfactant (saponin) from Safflower seed waste and its antimicrobial activity.

Phase Diagram Study of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics.

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations are performed to study the phase transition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution, which is an anionic surfactant commonly known as sodium dodecyl sulfate. In this work, the aim is to find a coarse-grained minimal model suitable to produce the full phase diagram of SDS. We examine the coarse-grained models of SDS, which have been used in earlier computational studies to produce the phases as well as for finding the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS. We contrast the results based on these models with the experimental observations to assess their accuracy. Our research also takes into account the importance of sodium ions, which come from the partial dissociation of SDS, when dissolved in water. The effect of sodium ion has not been considered explicitly in the computational work done so far using dissipative particle dynamics. In light of the above explorations, we propose new models for SDS and demonstrate that they successfully produce a compendious SDS phase diagram, which can precisely overlay the experimental results.

Study on Breakfast Consumption Pattern and Its Outcomes in Relation to Hematological and Body Composition Indices among Adolescent Girls.

Breakfast consumption is of utmost importance for adolescents to attain nutritional adequacy. The association of breakfast skipping with overall nutritional status has been supported with little causal evidences. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to examine this conjecture. A total of 500 adolescent girls from rural and urban government schools of Ludhiana District in the Punjab State of India in the age group of 16-18 years were randomly interviewed to assess their breakfast consumption pattern. Based on their breakfast consumption pattern, 90 subjects out of 500 interviewed girls were selected and categorized in three groups of regular, occasional, and never breakfast consumers. They were further assessed for body composition and hematological profile including hemoglobin level, red blood cell count, packed cell volume to evaluate the association with breakfast consumption. Consequently, a higher percentage of regular breakfast (83%) consumers were found in the normal category of BMI as compared to occasional (30%) and never (27%) consumers. There was a significant (p ≤ 0.05) association of body mass index and muscle mass with breakfast consumption. Similarly, a higher percentage of regular breakfast consumers (60%) were found non-anemic in comparison to occasional (13%) and never (3%) and showed a significant association with breakfast consumption.

Structure-function insights into elusive Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Rv1916.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Long duration of TB therapy, results in the persistence and development of drug resistant strains of causative organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Novel drug targets against persistent Mtb is an immediate need for overcoming this global menace. Isocitrate lyase (ICL), the first enzyme of glyoxylate pathway, is essential for persistent Mtb and absent in humans, hence a propitious target for drug development. Pathogenic Mtb H37Rv, have two types of ICLs - ICL1 encoded by icl (Rv0467) is well characterized and homologous to eubacterial enzyme whereas ICL2 encoded by aceA is more related to eukaryotic isocitrate lyase. To compound it, the aceA gene is split into two ORFs namely rv1915/aceAa and rv1916/aceAb. No translational product has been reported for the later and therefore, in vivo existence of Rv1916/ICL2b is debatable. This study reports recombinant production of Rv1916 in heterologous host E. coli BL21 (DE3) for structure function studies. The studies categorically demonstrate that akin to Mtb ICL1, recombinant Rv1916 also possess dual ICL and methylisocitrate lyase (MICL) activities in vitro. Based on in silico analysis, a putative function linked to secondary metabolite synthesis is assigned to unique mycobacterial domain IV.

Cationic antimicrobial peptide and its poly-N-substituted glycine congener: Antibacterial and antibiofilm potential against A. baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the clinically important nosocomial pathogen that has become resistant to most of the conventional antimicrobials. Biofilms formed by A. baumannii are difficult to eradicate, thereby highlighting the need for new therapeutic options to treat biofilm associated infections. Antimicrobial peptides have recently emerged as new alternatives to conventional antibiotics, but peptides often suffer with drawbacks such as poor proteolytic stability and high cost of production. To tackle these limitations, mimetics based on antimicrobial peptides are usually designed and synthesized. In this study we have designed and synthesized a peptoid based on a minimum amphipathic template of a twelve residue cationic peptide. Antimicrobial evaluation of peptide and peptoid was carried out against biofilm producing A. baumannii strains. Further, proteolytic stability study of these compounds was carried out in human serum and morphological alterations caused by them on A. baumannii were visualized by SEM analysis. In addition, these compounds were found to be non toxic to human erythrocytes at their minimum inhibitory concentrations against A. baumannii strains. Overall results obtained in this study suggest that these compounds might be potential antimicrobial agents against biofilm forming A. baumannii and it may be postulated that their mode of action on A. baumannii is disruption of bacterial cell membrane.

Development of rice bran oil blends for quality improvement.

Six rice bran oil (RBO) blends were prepared in two ratios i.e., 80:20 and 70:30 and analysed for physicochemical properties, and antioxidants and fatty acid composition. Among all the RBO blends, rice bran oil+groundnut oil (70:30) had the highest smoke point (204 °C) and rice bran oil+olive oil (70:30) was the most stable blend in terms of chemical parameters. The highest value of total antioxidants was observed in rice bran oil+sunflower oil (70:30) (2568.7 mg/kg). Fatty acid composition (SFA:MUFA:PUFA) (1:1.5:2) of rice bran oil+palm oil (80:20), and products prepared using this RBO blend, were close to the recommended intake. Boiling with sautéing was a better cooking method in terms of maintaining fatty acid ratios.

Nutritional profiles of urban and rural men of Punjab with regard to dietary fat intake.

This study was undertaken to determine the quantity and type of fat consumed by urban and rural men in relation to BMI. Researchers surveyed 200 Punjabi men from rural and urban areas of Ludhiana District; total fat intake (74 g/day) by urban men was significantly more than that of men in rural areas. The energy percentage from total fat was positively and significantly (p ≤ .05) associated with BMI, accounting for 3.1%, 4.2%, and 2.9% of variation in the rural, urban, and total sample, respectively. Fatty-acid ratios were closer to recommendations for urban men than for men from rural areas.

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of Aloe vera L. in non-insulin dependent diabetics.

Ninety non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects were selected from Punjab Agricultural University and Civil hospitals of Ludhiana. The selected subjects were divided into three groups viz. Group I, II and III having thirty subjects each. The subjects of group I were not given any treatment. The subjects of group II and III were supplemented with 100 mg and 200 mg of Aloe vera L. gel powder respectively for a period of 3 months and supplementation was continued along with nutrition counselling for the next 3 months. The nutrition education was given for 3 months after 15 days interval to the subjects of group II and III through individual and group contact. The blood glucose and lipid profile were analyzed. The blood pressure of the subjects was also measured. It was seen that there was a significant (p ≤ 0.01) reduction in fasting blood glucose level by 11.4% and 15.4% and post prandial glucose level 18.5% and 27.8% in the subjects of group II and III respectively after the study. Significant (p ≤ 0.01) reduction in total cholesterol 8.6% and 10.1%, triglycerides 9.6% and 12.2%, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 12.8% and 14.6%, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) 9.6% and 12.2% and an increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 7.3% and 9.4% was observed in the subjects of group II and III respectively. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C reduced from 5.6 to 4.8 and 6.1 to 5.0 and LDL-C to HDL-C from 3.7 to 3.0 and 4.1 to 3.1 in the subjects of group II and III respectively after the study. There was also a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.01) in the blood pressure of the subjects of group II and III and a non significant decrease (p ≤ 0.01) was seen in the subjects of group I. With the intervention of Aloe vera L., significant reduction was observed in blood glucose, lipid profile and blood pressure of the diabetic patients.