The significant antidyslipidemic, hypoglycemic, antihyperglycemic, and antiobesity activities of the aqueous extracts of Agave Sisalana juice are partly mediated via modulation of calcium signaling pathways.

Plant species in the genus Agave, including Agave sisalana, have found extensive application in African and Asian traditional medicine. Inspired by the use of the edible sweet sap known as Aguamiel (obtained from specific mature agave species such as Agave salmiana) in Mexico by diabetic patients to improve their diabetic condition, this study investigated the effects of Agave sisalana extracts prepared by lyophilization, fermentation, and saponin extraction from sisal juice in a rodent model of metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome was induced by administering a high fat and high fructose diet to freshly weaned Sprague-Dawley rats for eight weeks. The A. sisalana extracts possessed significant hypoglycemic effects [3.883 ± 0.371 mmol/L (normal group) vs. 8.183 ± 0.5845 mmol/L (negative control) vs. 3.767 ± 0.2716 mmol/L (positive control) vs. 4.167 ± 0.4602 mmol/L (FSP) vs. 4.533 ± 0.3169 mmol/L (FerSP) vs. 3.5 ± 0.2309 mmol/L (FS LD) vs. 3.867 ± 0.3353 mmol/L (FS HD) vs. 4.617 ± 0.2725 mmol/L (FerS LD) vs. 4.383 ± 0.3114 mmol/L (FerS HD): p < 0.0001]. The extracts also possessed significant antihyperlipidemic effects with significant differences in total serum cholesterol between the groups [1.398 ± 0.1232 mmol/L (normal group) vs. 4.225 ± 0.4135 mmol/L (negative control) vs. 1.582 ± 0.154 mmol/L (positive control) vs. 1.245 ± 0.0911 mmol/L (FSP) vs. 1.393 ± 0.1423 mmol/L (FerSP) vs. 1.387 ± 0.0924 mmol/L (FS LD) vs. 1.761 ± 0.1495 mmol/L (FS HD) vs. 1.698 ± 0.1294 mmol/L (FerS LD) vs. 1.6975 ± 0.0982 mmol/L (FerS HD): p < 0.0001]. Further, significant antiobesity effects of the A.sisalana extracts were observed with significant differences in weight among the groups [196.3 ± 6.49 g (normal group) vs. 298.9 ± 6.67 g (negative control) vs. 215.3 ± 6.06 g (positive control) vs. 195.4 ± 3.92 g (FSP) vs. 213.1 ± 5.21 g (FerSP) vs. 190.8 ± 6.49 g (FS LD) vs. 198.9 ± 4.31 g (FS HD) vs. 204.7 ± 4.78 g (FerS LD) vs. 208.7 ± 6.21 g (FerS HD): p < 0.0001]. Network pharmacology studies indicated that the chemical components found in sisal juice primarily exert their effects by modulating the voltage-gated calcium channels CACNA1S, CACNA1D, and CACNA1C, in the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans.

Does COVID-19 pandemic cause natural resources commodity prices volatility? Empirical evidence from China.

COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc around the globe in both economic and non-economic sectors. This paper, unlike previous studies, evaluates the role of COVID-19 on the volatility in natural resources. The volatility of natural resources commodity prices has been the center of discussion, especially during the pandemic. Unlike previous studies, this study aims to evaluate the role of the pandemic, i.e., Covid-19 and its possible impact on volatility in natural resources commodity prices for China. China has been the center of this epidemic disease and is considered one of the major economies affected by the Covid-19; therefore, it is better to conduct this study for China. This study uses data from January 2020 till September 2021 to capture the peak time of Covid-19. Moreover, this study employs the novel wavelet power spectrum and wavelet coherence approach to better capture volatility within commodity prices volatility and Covid-19 and evaluate the association between both variables. The empirical results reveal that only natural resources commodity prices are volatile and only short. While Covid-19 positive cases and Covid-19 deaths are not vulnerable during the study period. Moreover, the wavelet coherence conforms that both Covid-19 positive cases and Covid-19 deaths significantly cause volatility in natural resources commodity prices. Although, volatility is found at different periods; still, volatility is observed only in the short-run. The study also provides relevant policy implications to ensure a relevant and timely solution for the existing issue. Moreover, future research guidelines and the study's limitations are also provided.

Revealing the effectiveness of technological innovation shocks on CO2 emissions in BRICS: emerging challenges and implications.

The debate on technological innovation shocks and its effect on the environment are of great interest to academicians and environmentalists worldwide. At present, primary focus of this research is to investigate the asymmetric technology shocks and its impact on CO2 emissions for BRICS economies. The linear and non-linear panel ARDL models are applied to compute both short-run and long-run dynamics of technology shocks and CO2 emissions. Asymmetric estimates confer that a positive shock in patents reduces the CO2 emissions by 0.418%, whereas negative shock increases the CO2 emissions by 0.854%. Contrariwise, the trademark positive shock increases the carbon emissions by 0.416% and vice versa. The non-linear analysis provides an opportunity to measure the direction and magnitude of positive and negative shocks in technology on the environmental quality of BRICS economies. Hence, policymakers and environmentalists should devise their strategies by keeping in mind the impacts of positive and negative shocks.

Natural resources rents and economic performance: Post-COVID-19 era for G7 countries.

COVID-19 affected the economies of both developed and developing countries through multiple channels. However, the impact of this pandemic was also not so different for the developed world too. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the natural resources' rents such as oil, natural gas and energy rents on the economic performance of G7 economies from 1990 to 2020. This study uses updated panel data methods to identify the effect of COVID-19 by using novel diagnostic and unit root methods. The study found that during the COVID-19 and post pandemic, economic performance has been declined. This study found that natural resources rent, including oil and gas, help to improve the economic performance. Further, structural break for the year 2019 caused by COVID-19 also slowed down the economic performance of G7 economies. This study suggests more stabilization policies towards natural resources commodity prices and encouragement of active role from the G7 countries. This study further provides relevant policy implications in the concluding section for the selected group of countries.