Prospects and challenges of online pharmacy in post-Covid world: A qualitative study of pharmacists' experiences in Ghana.

Background: Online pharmacies continue to grow worldwide, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghana is experiencing this growth in an unprecedented way since its government initiated an online pharmacy pilot in December 2021, which was followed by the launch of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform in July 2022. This pioneering initiative calls for extensive research with pharmacists to gain their perspectives. However, there is a dearth of such studies in the sub-Saharan African countries. Objective: This study sought to understand how pharmacists in Ghana perceive online pharmacies in terms of the larger socio-cultural and policy implications, as well as the challenges they face in its implementation. Methods: Using a qualitative research design, local licensed pharmacists were recruited through purposive sampling and by specifically combining the maximum variation and snowball sample techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with 21 pharmacists over the months of February and March 2022. The data were analyzed by using interpretive thematic analysis. Results: Pharmacists perceived that online pharmacies would transform the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana by making it convenient for people to access medication easily and at a reasonable price, while also offering them privacy. However, concerns were expressed around existing poor infrastructure and inequities, low health literacy, and inadequate regulatory practices that could pose major challenges in the operation of this platform. Engagement of stakeholders was deemed essential for success. Conclusion: Online pharmacy in Ghana and much of the developing world has the potential to transform and advance the pharmaceutical industry to better serve people. However, it could also lead to increased and irrational use of medications, if not properly regulated. Government, policy makers, and leaders in the field of digital health and pharmacy must also address poor infrastructure and inequities in digital access.

Advanced biotechnology strategies for detoxification of persistent organic pollutants and toxic elements in soil.

This paper aims to comprehensively examine and present the current state of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and toxic elements (TEs) in soil. Additionally, it seeks to assess the viability of employing advanced biotechnology, specifically phytoremediation with potent microbial formulations, as a means of detoxifying POPs and TEs. In the context of the "global treaty," which is known as the Stockholm Convention, we analyzed the 3D chemical structures of POPs and its prospects for living organisms which have not been reviewed up to date. The obstacles associated with the phytoremediation strategy in biotechnology, including issues like slow plant growth and limited efficiency in contaminant uptake, have also been discussed and demonstrated. While biotechnology is recognized as a promising method for detoxifying persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and facilitating the restoration of contaminated and degraded lands, its full potential in the field is constrained by various factors. Recent advances in biotechnology, such as microbial enzymes, designer plants, composting, and nanobiotechnology techniques, have opened up new avenues for mitigating persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and toxic elements (TEs). The insights gained from this review can contribute to the development of innovative, practical, and economically viable approaches for remediating and restoring soils contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and toxic elements (TEs). The ultimate aim is to reduce the risks to both human and environmental health.

Primary plant nutrients modulate the reactive oxygen species metabolism and mitigate the impact of cold stress in overseeded perennial ryegrass.

Overseeded perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) turf on dormant bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers. L) in transitional climatic zones (TCZ) experience a severe reduction in its growth due to cold stress. Primary plant nutrients play an important role in the cold stress tolerance of plants. To better understand the cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass under TCZ, a three-factor and five-level central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with a regression model was used to study the interactive effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilization on lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and their detoxification by the photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. The study demonstrated substantial effects of N, P, and K fertilization on ROS production and their detoxification through enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress. Our results demonstrated that the cold stress significantly enhanced malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, and hydrogen peroxide contents, while simultaneously decreasing ROS-scavenging enzymes, antioxidants, and photosynthetic pigments in overseeded perennial ryegrass. However, N, P, and K application mitigated cold stress-provoked adversities by enhancing soluble protein, superoxide dismutase, peroxide dismutase, catalase, and proline contents as compared to the control conditions. Moreover, N, P, and, K application enhanced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress as compared to the control treatments. Collectively, this 2-years study indicated that N, P, and K fertilization mitigated cold stress by activating enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants defense systems, thereby concluding that efficient nutrient management is the key to enhanced cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass in a transitional climate. These findings revealed that turfgrass management will not only rely on breeding new varieties but also on the development of nutrient management strategies for coping cold stress.

Liquid-assisted mechanochemical synthesis, crystallographic, theoretical and molecular docking study on HIV instasome of novel copper complexes: (µ-acetato)-bis(2,2'-bipyridine)-copper and bromidotetrakis(2-methyl-1H-imidazole)-copper bromide.

In the present work the two new Cu(II) complexes, (µ-acetato)-bis(2,2'-bipyridine)-copper [Cu(bpy)2(CH3CO2)] and bromidotetrakis(2-methyl-1H-imidazole)-copper bromide [Cu(2-methylimid)4Br]Br have been synthesized by liquid assisted mechanochemical method. The [Cu(bpy)2(CH3CO2)] complex (1) and [Cu(2-methylimid)4Br]Br complex (2) characterised by IR and UV-visible spectroscopy and the structure are confirmed by XRD diffraction studies. Complex (1) crystallized in the Monoclinic with the space group of C2/c where a = 24.312(5) Å, b = 8.5892(18) Å, c = 14.559(3) Å, α = 90°, ß = 106.177(7)° and γ = 90° and Complex (2) crystallized in the Tetragonal with the space group of P4nc, a = 9.9259(2) Å, b = 9.9259(2) Å, c = 10.9357(2) Å, α = 90°, ß = 90° and γ = 90°. The complex (1) has distorted octahedral geometry where the acetate ligand showed bidentate bridging with the central metal ion and complex (2) has slightly deformed square pyramidal geometry. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap value and the low chemical potential showed that the complex (2) is stable and difficult to polarize compare to complex (1). The molecular docking study of complexes with the HIV instasome nucleoprotein showed the binding energy values - 7.1 and - 5.3 kcal/mol for complex (1) and complex (2) respectively. The negative binding energy values showed the complexes have affinity to bind with HIV instasome nucleoproteins. The in-silico pharmacokinetic study of the complex (1) and complex (2) showed non AMES toxicity, non-carcinogens and low honey Bee toxicity but weakly inhibit Human Ether-a-go-go-related gene.

Different ratios of Canna indica and maize-vermicompost as biofertilizers to improve soil fertility and plant growth: A case study from southwest China.

Vermicomposting is recommended as an eco-friendly technology for an organic amendment to avoid the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers, which are causing environmental pollution. Here, this study evaluated soil fertility and plant growth after vermicompost amendment using reclaimed wetland plants and manure. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the seven treatments for nutrient recovery and plant growth: a control group without any fertilization (CK); four groups with vermicompost prepared from different ratios of ecological wetland plant residues, maize, and pig manure (V1, 4:6; V2, 5:5; V3, 6:6; and V4, 7:3); one group with only Canna indica (V5, Ci), and a group with synthetic fertilizers (NPK). The results showed the remarkable impacts of Ci-vermicompost and different ratios of organic fertilizer on soil fertility and plant height (28.8%) as major outcomes. In addition, vermicompost substantially increased soil total nitrogen (60.5%), soil organic matter (60.9%) including dissolved organic carbon (52.2%), and shoot biomass (V4, three-fold increase) compared with NPK and CK. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that vermicomposting combined with wetland plants is a feasible method for organic amendments and offers an innovative approach for recycling ecological waste to produce nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, reduce environmental damage, and improve crop production.

De Novo Shoot Bud Induction from the Catharanthus roseus Leaf Explants and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Technique to Raise Transgenic Plants.

The regeneration of a whole plant from a single cell or organ explant was a valuable task for plant biotechnology. However, important medicinal plants such as Catharanthus roseus have shown recalcitrance to regeneration protocols, thus limiting investigations on MIA metabolism and metabolic engineering in this plant system. In this chapter, successful regeneration protocols were detailed for Catharanthus roseus, either by direct shoot bud induction from leaf explants and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation.

Retraction: Comparison of the Performance of Various Scores in Predicting Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20751.].

Emerging contaminants of high concern for the environment: Current trends and future research.

Wastewater is contaminated water that must be treated before it may be transferred into other rivers and lakes in order to prevent further groundwater pollution. Over the last decade, research has been conducted on a wide variety of contaminants, but the emerging contaminants are those caused primarily by micropollutants, endocrine disruptors (EDs), pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and toxins, as well as industrially-related synthetic dyes and dye-containing hazardous pollutants. Most emerging pollutants did not have established guidelines, but even at low concentrations they could have harmful effects on humans and aquatic organisms. In order to combat the above ecological threats, huge efforts have been done with a view to boosting the effectiveness of remediation procedures or developing new techniques for the detection, quantification and efficiency of the samples. The increase of interest in biotechnology and environmental engineering gives an opportunity for the development of more innovative ways to water treatment remediation. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of emerging sources of contaminants, detection technologies, and treatment strategies. The goal of this review is to evaluate adsorption as a method for treating emerging pollutants, as well as sophisticated and cost-effective approaches for treating emerging contaminants.

Technologies for municipal solid waste management: Current status, challenges, and future perspectives.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a reflection of the culture that generates it and has a negative impact on the health of the humans and the environment. In the global context, people are abandoning increasing volumes of garbage, and the content of that waste is becoming more complicated than it has ever been, as plastic and electronic consumer goods spread. At the same time, the world is rapidly urbanizing. These changes place a burden on cities to manage garbage appropriately on both a social and environmental level. Globally, extensive research has been conducted to develop a comprehensive MSW management system that includes treatment. The primary objective of this article is to examine municipal solid waste in eight of China's eastern coastal regions. With the use of this review, we found that MSW generation is increasing in Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces, but declining in other eastern coastal cities, provinces, and special zones. Furthermore, municipal solid waste in China is treated utilizing 52 percent landfill, 45 percent incineration, and 3 percent composting techniques, resulting in significantly lower usage efficiency than in developed countries. The effectiveness of China's municipal waste management system must be improved. In addition, this review examines MSW management issues and prospects in China, as well as recommendations for strengthening the MSW management system.

ZCTs knockdown using antisense LNA GapmeR in specialized photomixotrophic cell suspensions of Catharanthus roseus: Rerouting the flux towards mono and dimeric indole alkaloids.

The present study was carried out to silence the transcription factor genes ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 via lipofectamine based antisense LNA GapmeRs transfection into the protoplasts of established photomixotrophic cell suspensions. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions with a threshold of 0.5% sucrose were raised and established using two-tiered CO2 providing flasks kept under high light intensity. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions showed morphologically different thick-walled cells under scanning electron microscopic analysis in comparison to the simple thin-walled parenchymatous control cell suspensions. The LC-MS analysis registered the vindoline production (0.0004 ± 0.0001 mg/g dry wt.) in photomixotrophic cell suspensions which was found to be absent in control cell suspensions. The protoplasts were isolated from the photomixotrophic cell suspensions and subjected to antisense LNA GapmeRs silencing. Three lines, viz. Z1A, Z2C and Z3G were obtained where complete silencing of ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 genes, respectively, was observed. The Z3G line was found to show maximum production of vindoline (0.038 ± 0.001 mg/g dry wt.), catharanthine (0.165 ± 0.008 mg/g dry wt.) and vinblastine (0.0036 ± 0.0003 mg/g dry wt.). This was supported by the multifold increment in the gene expression of TDC, SLS, STR, SGD, d4h, dat, CrT16H and Crprx. The present work indicates the master regulation of ZCT3 knockdown among all three ZCTs transcription factors in C. roseus to enhance the terpenoid indole alkaloids production. The successful silencing of transcription repressor genes has been achieved in C. roseus plant system by using photomixotrophic cell cultures through GapmeR based silencing. The present study is a step towards metabolic engineering of the TIAs pathway using protoplast transformation in C. roseus. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01017-y.

Global soil pollution by toxic elements: Current status and future perspectives on the risk assessment and remediation strategies - A review.

The aim of this article is to review and present the state of the arte about the status of toxic elements (TEs) in soils and assess the potential risk using single and total complex pollution indices in a global scale. We compiled, integrated, and analyzed soil TE pollution data over almost a decade through key maps, which have not been reviewed up to date. All the in-situ and ex-situ remediation treatments have been also reviewed, illustrated, and compared, for the first time. The future perspectives have been discussed and summarized. This review demonstrates that the cornerstone maps and integrated information provide reliable geographical coordinates and inclusive information on TEs pollution, particularly in China. In-situ treatment approaches for TEs polluted soils are more cost-effective and applicable than ex-situ treatment trials. Selecting a feasible remediation strategy should to take the extent of contamination, treatment objectives, site characteristics, cost-efficiency, and public suitability into account. The summarized findings in this review may help to develop innovative and applicable methods for assessing the global soil pollution by TEs. Also, these findings may help to develop innovative, applicable, and feasibly economic methods for sustainable management of TEs contaminated soils to mitigate the environmental and human health risk.

Comparison of the Performance of Various Scores in Predicting Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major social and economic challenge, devastating the health care system in several countries around the world. Mortality scores are important as they can help health care professionals to plan treatment as per the patients' condition for proper resource allocation. When it comes to patients, it provides invaluable information for implementing advance directives. The aim of the study is to validate mortality scores for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19. Methodology This was a retrospective cohort study that included data from three tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Data of patients diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 infection and hospitalized in Ziauddin Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital, and Liaquat National Hospital were enrolled in the study from November 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021. Data was extracted from the hospital management information system (HMIS) using a structured questionnaire. Results Overall, 835 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age of patients was 53.29 (SD ± 15.17) years, and 675 patients (80.72%) were males. The sensitivity of the CALL score is highest among all four scores, i.e., 77.25%, and the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score has the lowest sensitivity (59.79%). However, CALL has the lowest specificity (58.04%), while qSOFA has the highest specificity (73.91%). However, MulBSTA and CRB-65 have a sensitivity of 70.11% and 64.96%, respectively. Conclusion The current study showed that the CALL score had better sensitivity as compared to other mortality scores.

Effect of the Phytochemical Agents against the SARS-CoV and Some of them Selected for Application to COVID-19: A Mini-Review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present review is to provide basic knowledge regarding the treatment of Coronavirus via medicinal plants. Coronavirus (COVID-19, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV) as a viral pneumonia causative agent, has infected thousands of people in China and worldwide. Currently, there is no specific medicine or vaccine available that can treat or prevent this virus and this has posed a severe threat to human health; therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel drug or anticoronavirus vaccine. However, natural compounds to treat coronaviruses are the most effective alternative and complementary therapies due to their diverse range of biological and therapeutic properties. METHODS: We performed an open-ended, English restricted search of Scopus database, Web of Science, and Pubmed for all available literature from Jan-March, 2020, using terms related to phytochemical compounds, medicinal plants and coronavirus. RESULTS: The view on anti-coronavirus (anti-CoV) activity in the plant-derived phytochemicals and medicinal plants gives a strong base to develop a novel treatment employing these compounds for coronavirus. Various phytochemicals and medicinal plant extracts have been revised and are considered as potential anti-CoV agents for effective control of the virus and future drug development. Herein, we discuss some important plants (Scutellaria baicalensis, Psorothamnus arborescens, Glycyrrhiza radix, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lycoris radiate, Phyllanthus emblica, Camellia sinensis, Hyptis atrorubens Poit, Fraxinus sieboldiana, Erigeron breviscapus, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Amaranthus tricolor, Phaseolus vulgaris, Rheum palmatum, Curcuma longa and Myrica cerifera) that have emerged to have broad-spectrum antiviral activity. CONCLUSION: Nigella sativa has potent anti-SARS-CoV activity and it might be a useful source for developing novel antiviral therapies for coronavirus.

TIAs pathway genes and associated miRNA identification in Vinca minor: supporting aspidosperma and eburnamine alkaloids linkage via transcriptomic analysis.

V. minor contains monomeric eburnamine-type of indole alkaloids having utilization as a neuro-medicinal plant. The biosynthetic pathway studies using miRNAs has been the focal point for plant genomic research in recent years and this technique is utilized to get an insight into a possible pathway level study in V. minor as understanding of genes in this prized medicinal plant is meagrely understood. The de novo transcriptomic analysis using Illumina Next gen sequencing has been performed in glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots to elucidate the possible non confirmed steps of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) pathway in V. minor. A putative TIA pathway is elucidated in the study including twelve possible TIAs biosynthetic genes. The specific miRNA associated with TIAs pathway were identified and their roles were discussed for the first time in V. minor. The comparative analysis of transcriptomic data of glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots showed that the raw reads of transformed roots were higher (83,740,316) compared to glasshouse shifted plant (67,733,538). The EST-SSR prediction showed the maximum common repeats among glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots, although small variation was found in trinucleotide repeats restricted to glasshouse shifted plant. The study reveals overall 37 miRNAs which were observed to be true and can have a role in pathway as they can regulate the growth and alkaloid production. The identification of putative pathway genes plays an important role in establishing linkage between Aspidosperma and Eburnamine alkaloids.

Media, nationalism, and the body: Exploring masculinities, male partner violence, and HIV vulnerability among female sex workers in northern Karnataka, India.

Public health and media discourses on men and HIV prevention in India have largely focused on changing knowledge, attitudes and risk behaviour pertaining to condom use and safe sex. Little attempt has been made towards intervening in areas such as masculinity, dominant gender norms and intimate partner violence (IPV) that have been shown to have a direct link to HIV prevalence. In this paper, drawing on findings from an ethnographic study in northern Karnataka (India), we show how socio-political and communicative contexts influence and perpetuate violent behaviours by men in intimate relationships with female sex workers (FSW). We argue that constructions of masculinity, the stereotypes of which are reinforced through contemporary media, and movies, are intricately linked with processes of nationalism and play out in forms of chauvinism among working-class men. Violence, celebrated through various patriarchal discourses, legitimises and reinforces gender ideals that govern the private lives of men and their female intimate partners. This study provides a complex and nuanced understanding of structural factors that lead to IPV against FSWs and offers implications for HIV intervention planning in the region and beyond.

Examining HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma at Play: Power, Structure, and Implications for HIV Interventions.

Drawing on critical theoretical perspectives and ethnographic field research related to HIV/AIDS in northern India, this paper argues for a cultured-centered approach to stigma reduction interventions and communication practices that are based on an assessment of larger social and structural processes on the one hand and the lived experiences and narratives of people living with HIV (PLWH) on the other. This paper suggests that while the complex nature of stigma, particularly as it relates to HIV/AIDS, makes it difficult to understand and respond to, this problem is further exacerbated by a largely individual and behavior-centered research that still dominates the field of Health Communication. Such research sees human cognition as the main source of stigma and underplays issues of power, structure, domination, and control. More specifically, and with concrete examples from the everyday lived experiences of PLWH - such as their experiences within family and health-care settings, this paper demonstrates how power and structure deeply impact their lives and remain central to their experience of (and resistance to) stigma, thus opening up space for alternative theorizing and practices in Health Communication.

Following the divine: an ethnographic study of structural violence among transgender jogappas in South India.

Newly proposed legislation that aims to protect the well-being of transgender people in India offers hope of greater recognition of human rights and improved access to entitlements for these marginalised groups. However, social welfare and health institutions have a long way to go in translating proposed legislation into policies that can concretely address the social suffering of transgender people. Drawing on ethnographic field research in northern Karnataka among a highly understudied transgender group known as the jogappas, we describe the effects of overlapping forms of structural violence surrounding education, subsistence, family life and attempts to access social and health services. Findings reveal how social inequities are implicated in the emergence of transgender subjectivities along the road to becoming a jogappa. Our findings alert policy makers to the diverse needs of transgender people in India, which continually evolve while rooted in moral histories of religiosity.

Ecologies of security: On the everyday security tactics of female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.

This paper highlights important environmental dimensions of HIV vulnerability by describing how the sex trade operates in Nairobi, Kenya. Although sex workers there encounter various forms of violence and harassment, as do sex workers globally, we highlight how they do not merely fall victim to a set of environmental risks but also act upon their social environment, thereby remaking it, as they strive to protect their health and financial interests. In so doing, we illustrate the mutual constitution of 'agency' and 'structure' in social network formations that take shape in everyday lived spaces. Our findings point to the need to expand the focus of interventions to consider local ecologies of security in order to place the local knowledges, tactics, and capacities that communities might already possess on centre stage in interventions. Planning, implementing, and monitoring interventions with a consideration of these ecologies would tie interventions not only to the risk reduction goals of global public health policy, but also to the very real and grounded financial priorities of what it means to try to safely earn a living through sex work.

Dutiful daughters: HIV/AIDS, moral pragmatics, female citizenship and structural violence among Devadasis in northern Karnataka, India.

Decades of research have documented how sex workers worldwide, particularly female sex workers (FSWs), shoulder a disproportionate burden of the HIV epidemic. In India, although a substantial progress has been made in controlling the epidemic, its prevalence among FSWs and the Devadasis (also called traditional sex workers) in northern Karnataka is still significantly high. On the other hand, much of the HIV prevention research has focused on their mapping and size estimation, typologies, bio-behavioural surveillance, condom use and other prevention technologies. In this article, drawing on critical theoretical perspectives, secondary historical sources and in-depth interviews, we unravel wider social, cultural and political economic complexities surrounding the lives of Devadasis, and specifically illuminate the moral pragmatics that shed light on their entry into sex trade and vulnerability to HIV. Findings from this research are extremely important since while much is known about Devadasis in social sciences and humanities, relatively little is known about the complexities of their lives within public health discourses related to HIV. Our work has direct implications for ongoing HIV prevention and health promotion efforts in the region and beyond.

Differential rubisco content and photosynthetic efficiency of rol gene integrated Vinca minor transgenic plant: Correlating factors associated with morpho-anatomical changes, gene expression and alkaloid productivity.

Transgenic plants obtained from a hairy root line (PVG) of Vinca minor were characterized in relation to terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) pathway gene expression and vincamine production. The hairy roots formed callus with green nodular protuberances when transferred onto agar-gelled MS medium containing 3.0mg/l zeatin. These meristematic zones developed into shoot buds on medium with 1.0mg/l 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 40mg/l ascorbic acid. These shoot buds subsequently formed rooted plants when shifted onto a hormone-free MS medium with 6% sucrose. Transgenic nature of the plants was confirmed by the presence of rol genes of the Ri plasmid in them. The transgenic plants (TP) had elongated internodes and a highly proliferating root system. During glass house cultivation TP consistently exhibited slower growth rate, low chlorophyll content (1.02±0.08mg/gm fr. wt.), reduced carbon exchange rate (2.67±0.16µmolm-2s-1), less transpiration rate (2.30±0.20mmolm-2 s-1) and poor stomatal conductance (2.21±0.04mmolm-2 s-1) when compared with non-transgenic population. The activity of rubisco enzyme in the leaves of TP was nearly two folds less in comparison to non-transgenic controls (1.80milliunitsml-1mgprotein-1 against 3.61milliunits ml-1mgprotein-1, respectively). Anatomically, the TP had a distinct tetarch arrangement of vascular bundles in their stem and roots against a typical ployarched pattern in the non-transgenic plants. Significantly, the transgenic plants accumulated 35% higher amount of total TIAs (3.10±0.21% dry wt.) along with a 0.03% dry wt. content of its vasodilatory and nootropic alkaloid vincamine in their leaves. Higher productivity of alkaloids in TP was corroborated with more than four (RQ=4.60±0.30) and five (RQ=5.20±0.70) times over-expression of TIAs pathway genes tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) and strictosidine synthase (STR) that are responsible for pushing the metabolic flux towards TIAs synthesis in this medicinal herb.