Unveiling the potential of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for growth promotion and phytochemical enrichment in Valeriana jatamansi Jones.

Medicinal plants are rich sources of pharmaceutically important compounds and have been utilized for the treatment of various diseases since ancient times. Valeriana jatamansi Jones, also known as Indian valerian, holds a special place among temperate Himalayan medicinal plants and is renowned for its therapeutic properties in addressing a variety of ailments. The therapeutic potential of V. jatamansi is attributed to the presence of valuable compounds such as valepotriates, sesquiterpenoids, valeriananoids, jatamanins, lignans, cryptomeridiol, maaliol, xanthorrhizzol, and patchouli alcohol found in its rhizome and roots. This study employed various treatments, including the cultivation of V. jatamansi with the inoculation of Funneliformis mosseae, F. constrictus, and a consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), to investigate their influence on biomass production, chlorophyll content, and the accumulation of bioactive compounds in V. jatamansi. The results revealed significant improvement in these parameters in the inoculated plants. The parameters of plants inoculated with F. mosseae were the highest, followed by those of plants inoculated with F. constrictus and a mixture of AMFs. This study not only underscores the potential of native AMF for promoting the growth of V. jatamansi but also elucidates their role in influencing the synthesis of bioactive compounds. The cultivation of V. jatamansi with native AMF has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly approach, providing the dual benefit of enhancing both the medicinal and economic value of this valuable plant. This research contributes valuable insights into the practical application of mycorrhizal associations for the cultivation of medicinal plants, bridging the realms of agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

Unlocking Nature's Toolbox: glutamate-inducible recombinant protein production from the Komagatella phaffii PEPCK promoter.

BACKGROUND: Komagataella phaffii (a.k.a. Pichia pastoris) harbors a glutamate utilization pathway in which synthesis of glutamate dehydrogenase 2 and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is induced by glutamate. Glutamate-inducible synthesis of these enzymes is regulated by Rtg1p, a cytosolic, basic helix-loop-helix protein. Here, we report food-grade monosodium glutamate (MSG)-inducible recombinant protein production from K. phaffii PEPCK promoter (PPEPCK) using green fluorescent protein (GFP) and receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 virus (RBD) as model proteins. RESULTS: PPEPCK-RBD/GFP expression cassette was integrated at two different sites in the genome to improve recombinant protein yield from PPEPCK. The traditional, methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase 1 promoter (PAOX1) was used as the benchmark. Initial studies carried out with MSG as the inducer resulted in low recombinant protein yield. A new strategy employing MSG/ethanol mixed feeding improved biomass generation as well as recombinant protein yield. Cell density of 100-120 A600 units/ml was achieved after 72 h of induction in shake flask cultivations, resulting in recombinant protein yield from PPEPCK that is comparable or even higher than that from PAOX1. CONCLUSIONS: We have designed an induction medium for recombinant protein production from K. phaffii PPEPCK in shake flask cultivations. It consists of 1.0% yeast extract, 2.0% peptone, 0.17% yeast nitrogen base with ammonium sulfate, 100 mM potassium phosphate (pH 6.0), 0.4 mg/L biotin, 2.0% MSG, and 2% ethanol. Substitution of ammonium sulphate with 0.5% urea is optional. Carbon source was replenished every 24 h during 72 h induction period. Under these conditions, GFP and RBD yields from PPEPCK equaled and even surpassed those from PAOX1. Compared to the traditional methanol-inducible expression system, the inducers of glutamate-inducible expression system are non-toxic and their metabolism does not generate toxic metabolites such as formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. This study sets the stage for MSG-inducible, industrial scale recombinant protein production from K. phaffii PPEPCK in bioreactors.

A review on green synthesis, biological applications of carbon dots in the field of drug delivery, biosensors, and bioimaging.

Since the beginning of nanoscience and nanotechnology, carbon dots (CDs) have been the foundational idea and have dominated the growth of the nano-field. CDs are an intriguing platform for utilization in biology, technology, catalysis, and other fields thanks to their numerous distinctive structural, physicochemical, and photochemical characteristics. Since several carbon dots have already been created, they have been assessed based on their synthesis process, and luminescence characteristics. Due to their biocompatibility, less toxic effects, and most significantly their fluorescent features in contrast to other carbon nanostructures, CDs have several benefits. This review focuses on the most recent advancements in the characterization, applications, and synthesis techniques used for CDs made from natural sources. It will also direct scientists in the creation of a synthesis technique for adjustable carbon dots that is more practical, effective, and environmentally benign. With low toxicity and low cost, CDs are meeting the new era's requirements for more selectivity and sensitivity in the detection and sensing of various things, such as biomaterial sensing, enzymes, chemical contamination, and temperature sensing. Its variety of properties, such as optical properties, chemiluminescence, and morphological analysis, make it a good option to use in bioimaging, drug delivery, biosensors, and cancer diagnosis.

Biodiversity and Functional Attributes of Rhizospheric Microbiomes: Potential Tools for Sustainable Agriculture.

The quest for increasing agricultural yield due to increasing population pressure and demands for healthy food has inevitably led to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers. On the contrary, the exposure of the crops to abiotic stress and biotic stress interferes with crop growth further hindering the productivity. Sustainable agricultural practices are of major importance to enhance production and feed the rising population. The use of plant growth promoting (PGP) rhizospheric microbes is emerging as an efficient approach to ameliorate global dependence on chemicals, improve stress tolerance of plants, boost up growth and ensure food security. Rhizosphere associated microbiomes promote the growth by enhancing the uptake of the nutrients, producing plant growth regulators, iron chelating complexes, shaping the root system under stress conditions and decreasing the levels of inhibitory ethylene concentrations and protecting plants from oxidative stress. Plant growth-promoting rhizospheric microbes belong to diverse range of genera including Acinetobacter, Achromobacter, Aspergillus, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Penicillium, Pseudomonas, Serratia and Trichoderma. Plant growth promoting microbes are an interesting aspect of research for scientific community and a number of formulations of beneficial microbes are also commercially available. Thus, recent progress in our understanding on rhizospheric microbiomes along with their major roles and mechanisms of action under natural and stressful conditions should facilitate their application as a reliable component in the management of sustainable agricultural system. This review highlights the diversity of plant growth promoting rhizospheric microbes, their mechanisms of plant growth promotion, their role under biotic and abiotic stress and status of biofertilizers. The article further focuses on the role of omics approaches in plant growth promoting rhizospheric microbes and draft genome of PGP microbes.

Effective seed cake extract of O. sanctum inducing the p53 dependent apoptotic pathway in oral cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Present study was to observe the therapeutic aspects of seed cake extracts of Ocimum sanctum against the oral cancer cell line with the activation of p53 apoptotic pathway. METHOD: Seed cake extracts were characterized using GC-MS analysis. Cytotoxic activity was observed on KB cells and L929 cell through MTT assay and scratch assay. Antioxidant activity on KB cells were determined using enzymatic and non enzyme content in the treated cells. Chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) was established to check the presence of blood vessel formation and neuvasculature pattern in the treated fertilized eggs. DNA fragmentation and gene expression studies were also determined in the treated cells to check the upregulation of apoptotic pathways. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis confirmed alkaloids, phenols, and many. The cytotoxic activity showed maximum antiproliferative potential with aqueous extract, whereas no cytotoxic effect was observed on L929 cells. The ethanolic and aqueous extract has shown a greater SI value. Scratch assay has signified that aqueous extract has a lower migration rate of KB cells. Aqueous extract showed maximum enzymatic activity and lower malondialdehyde content in cells treated with ethanolic extract. CAM model confirmed that eggs treated with aqueous extract has shown inhibition of vasculature pattern and dissolutions of blood vessels. DNA Fragmentation and Gene expression studies confirmed maximum fold in the KB cell treated with an aqueous extract of seed cake leading to activation of p53 dependent apoptotic pathway. CONCLUSION: The potent therapeutic properties of seed cake extracts have been proven, and they can be used as herbal treatments to prevent oral cancer.

Preclinical assessment of stem of Nicotiana tabacum on excision wound model.

Agro-waste material derived from N. tabacum has shown enormous potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Hence in the present study, we investigated the wound healing efficacy of ethanolic extract of stem of Nicotiana tabacum on wistar rat model. Ethanolic extract prepared from defatted stem was to check various phytochemicals using spectrophotometric and chromatographic technique. The antioxidant potential was determined by FRAP and Reducing Power assay in extract. Cytotoxicity of extracts was determined using mouse fibroblast L929 cell lines by MTT assay. In vivo angiogenic activity was observed on chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model by observing blood vessels formation and its branching. In vivo wound healing activity was observed on excision wounds in rat model by quantifying percentage of wound contraction, antioxidant activity and histopathology studies. From the present study, polyphenols, tannins and alkaloids were found to be determined in the ethanolic extract by means of spectrophotometric and chromatographic analysis against standards. Antioxidant assay revealed maximum antioxidant potential in ethanolic extract. Cytotoxic effect of extract has not been shown on L929 cell line. From CAM model, extract has shown growth of blood vessels formation at concentration of 480 µg/ml. Topical application of extracts on excision wounds, revealed wound healing activity i.e. 98.7% ± 0.002 on 14th day as well as enzymatic activity (SOD, CAT, GST) and non enzyme content (GSH and Lipid peroxidation) has been found to be high in granulated tissue. Hisopathological studies confirmed the re-epithelization in skin wounds. It can be concluded that stem of N. tabacum can be used as herbal remedy in wound healing process as a topical application.

Cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19: An evidence-based narrative review.

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, primarily involves the respiratory system with viral pneumonia as a predominant manifestation. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has various cardiovascular manifestations which increase morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. Patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases and conventional cardiovascular risk factors are predisposed for COVID-19 with worse prognosis. The possible mechanisms of cardiovascular injury are endothelial dysfunction, diffuse microangiopathy with thrombosis and increased angiotensin II levels. Hyperinflammation in the myocardium can result in acute coronary syndrome, myocarditis, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. The high level of cardiac troponins and natriuretic peptides in the early course of COVID-19 reflects an acute myocardial injury. The complex association between COVID-19 and cardiovascular manifestations requires an in-depth understanding for appropriate management of these patients. Till the time a specific antiviral drug is available for COVID-19, treatment remains symptomatic. This review provides information on the cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19.

Metagenomic insights into the fungal assemblages of the northwest Himalayan cold desert.

Psychrophilic fungi are a critical biotic component in cold deserts that serves a central role in nutrient recycling and biogeochemical cycles. Despite their ecological significance, culture-independent studies on psychrophilic mycobiome are limited. In the present study, the fungal diversity patterns across the Drass, an Indian cold desert in the Himalaya, were indexed by targeted amplicon pyrosequencing (ITS). In the Drass dataset, Ascomycota was represented by 92 genera, while 22 genera represented Basidiomycota. The most abundant genus was Conocybe (20.46%). Most of the identified genera were reported in the literature to be prolific extracellular hydrolytic enzyme producers. To identify whether the Drass fungal assemblages share similarities to other cold deserts, these were further compared to Antarctic and Arctic cold deserts. Comparative analysis across the three cold deserts indicated the dominance of Dikarya (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota). The observed alpha diversity, Shannon index as well as Pielou's evenness was highest in the Antarctic followed by Drass and Arctic datasets. The genera Malassezia, Preussia, Pseudogymnoascus, Cadophora, Geopora, Monodictys, Tetracladium, Titaea, Mortierella, and Cladosporium were common to all the cold deserts. Furthermore, Conocybe was represented predominantly in Drass. Interestingly, the genus Conocybe has not been previously reported from any other studies on Antarctic or Arctic biomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fungal metagenome study in Drass soil. Our analysis shows that despite the similarities of low temperature among the cold deserts, a significant differential abundance of fungal communities prevails in the global cold deserts.

A Prospective Comparative Study of High Resolution Ultrasound and MRI in the Diagnosis of Rotator Cuff Tears in a Tertiary Hospital of North India.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the accuracy of high resolution ultrasound (USG) and MRI in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears (RCT) and to determine if high resolution USG compares favorably in sensitivity and specificity to MRI in the diagnosis of rotator cuff injury. MATERIAL/METHODS: In this prospective comparative study, 40 patients with clinically suspected rotator cuff tears underwent both ultrasound and MRI of the shoulder. Out of these 40 patients, 31 patients who had positive findings for rotator cuff tears on ultrasound and/or MRI were finally included in the study while the remaining 9 patients with negative or unrelated findings were excluded. The USG and MRI were interpreted by two radiologists experienced in musculoskeletal radiology and blinded to findings of each other. Comparison was done using MRI as a standard reference. RESULTS: The agreement between USG and MRI for diagnosis of RCTs was statistically excellent; USG showed a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 100% for full-thickness tears, and a sensitivity of 89.7% and a specificity of 98.8% for partial-thickness tears; observed accuracy for full thickness tears was 98.4% and 95.9% for partial thickness tears. The Kappa coefficient of association was 0.91 for full thickness tears and 0.90 for partial thickness tears. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the comparable diagnostic accuracy of USG and MRI, the former modality can be used as a first-line investigation for diagnosis of RCT. MRI should be used secondarily as a problem-solving tool either following an equivocal shoulder USG or for delineation of anatomy in cases where surgical correction is needed.

Human coronary heart disease: importance of blood cellular miR-2909 RNomics.

The characterization of atherosclerosis as a chronic inflammatory disease has triggered extensive research worldwide to dissect the pro- and anti-inflammatory, cellular as well as molecular mechanisms governing the pathogenesis of this dreadful disease. Though several microRNAs have been shown to play crucial role in regulating lipid metabolism and inflammation, we are far from resolving the role of epigenomic signals in etiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study was addressed to understand the role of a novel microRNA, miR-2909, in the regulation of genes involved in the initiation and progression of human coronary occlusion. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from human CHD subjects at various stages of coronary occlusion (n = 80) and their corresponding normal healthy counterparts (n = 20). Various experimental strategies involving gene expression and silencing, reporter plasmid assays, and flow cytometric analysis were blend together to address the current problem. The present study shows for the first time that the blood cellular miR-2909 expression increases with the severity of coronary occlusion, exhibiting a strong positive correlation (r = 0.943 at p < 0.01). Further, miR-2909 was shown to regulate genes involved in inflammation, immunity, and oxLDL uptake, thereby contributing significantly to the initiation and progression of CHD patho-physiological process. Based upon these results, we propose that miR-2909 RNomics may be a step forward in understanding human CHD at the epigenomic level and can be exploited for designing new therapeutic strategies as well as diagnostic and prognostic markers for this disease in future.

Streptococcal pharyngitis, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Eight-year prospective surveillance in Rupnagar district of Punjab, India.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic fever (RF)/rheumatic heart disease (RHD) continue to be a neglected public health priority. We carried out a registry-based control project, prospective surveillance and sample surveys to estimate the burden of disease. METHODS: We trained healthcare providers and established a surveillance system for the 1.1 million population of Rupnagar district in Punjab. In sample surveys conducted among schools, physicians examined the sampled children. Children with a cardiac murmur were investigated by echocardiography. Throat swabs were obtained from a sub-sample, and group A streptococci (GAS) were identified and emm typed by standard laboratory methods. We estimated the morbidity rates for RF/RHD from surveillance data and school surveys using a correction factor to account for under-registration of cases in the registry. RESULTS: A total of 813 RF/RHD cases were registered from 2002 to 2009. Of the 203 RF and 610 RHD cases, respectively, 51.2% and 36.7% were males. In the age group of 5-14 years, RF was more common (80%) than RHD (27%). The prevalence of RF/RHD in 5-14-year-old students was 1.0/1000 (95% CI 0.8-1.3). The school survey indicated that about two-thirds of the RF/RHD cases were enrolled in the hospital-based registries. Based on the school survey, the prevalence of RF/RHD was estimated to be 143/100,000 population. In the registry, the annual incidence of acute RF was estimated to be at least 8.7/100 000 children in the age group of 5-14 years. The prevalence of GAS was 2% (13/656) in children with sore throat and 0.5% (14/2920) among those not having sore throat. Typing of 27 GAS revealed 16 emm types. We estimate that about 1000 episodes of GAS pharyngitis lead to one episode of acute RF. CONCLUSION: RF/RHD continue to be a public health problem in Punjab, India.

Assessing melanoma prognosis: the interplay between patient profiles, survival, and BRAF, NRAS, KIT, and TWT mutations in a retrospective multi-study analysis.

The incidence and prevalence of melanoma are increasing globally, presenting a significant public health concern. The main genetic drivers of melanoma include BRAF, NRAS, KIT and triple wild-type (TWT) mutations. Little is known about the effects of these mutations on outcomes in terms of demographics and patient characteristics. We examined differences in melanoma mortality risk and mutation count across mutation type and patient disease profile. We extrapolated primary melanoma patient data from 14 studies via the cBioportal database. Patients were divided into demographic groups and classified according to BRAF, NRAS, KIT and TWT mutation status. Analyses included two-sample Student t -test and two-way analysis of variance tests analysis with Tukey's post hoc test. Survival outcomes were compared via Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression. NRAS-mutated patients exhibited decreased overall survival compared to BRAF-mutated patients. Male patients had higher mutation counts across all gene groups than females, with the fewest TWT mutations in comparison to BRAF, NRAS and KIT mutations. Males also exhibited increased mortality risk for NRAS, KIT and TWT mutations compared to BRAF mutations. An unknown primary melanoma was associated with increased mortality risk across all gene groups. NRAS-mutated acral melanoma patients had an increased mortality risk compared to NRAS-mutated cutaneous melanoma patients. Older patients had a higher mortality risk than younger patients. Patients with heavier versus lower weights had lower mortality risk, which was more pronounced for BRAF-mutated patients. These relationships highlight the importance of demographic and pathologic relationships to aid in risk assessment and personalize treatment plans.

A study of the predictive role of multiple variables for the incidence of acute kidney injury and its outcomes in Indian patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently in ST-elevation myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (CS-STEMI) and is a strong independent prognostic marker for short and intermediate-term outcomes. Owing to the delayed presentation and limited facilities for primary percutaneous coronary intervention in low- and middle-income countries, the incidence, predictors, and outcome of AKI are likely to be different compared to the developed countries. We performed a post hoc analysis of patients presenting with CS-STEMI over 7 years (2016-2022) at a tertiary referral center in North India. The primary outcome assessed was AKI and the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of the 426 patients, 194 (45.5%) patients developed AKI, as defined by the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Left ventricular (LV) pump failure with pulmonary edema [Odds ratio (OR) 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.67], LV ejection fraction (OR 1.35 per 10% decrease in ejection fraction; CI 1.04-1.73), complete heart block (OR 2.06; CI 1.2-3.53), right ventricular infarction (OR 2.76; CI 1.39-5.49), mechanical complications (OR 3.89; CI 1.85-8.21), ventricular tachycardia (OR 2.80; CI 1.57-4.99), and non-revascularization (OR 2.2; CI 1.33-3.67) were independent predictors of AKI in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Additionally, AKI was a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality (univariate OR 30.61, CI 17.37-53.95). CONCLUSIONS: There is a higher incidence of AKI in CS-STEMI in resource-limited settings and is associated with adverse short-term outcomes. Additional studies are needed to address the optimal strategies for the prevention and management of AKI in such settings.

Morpho-molecular analyses and scanning electron microscopy reveal two new species of genus Lactarius from the northwestern Himalaya, India.

One of the largest subgenera of the genus Lactarius, Lactarius subg. Russularia is abundant in the forests of the Himalayas. This article proposes Lactarius crassostipes sp. nov. and Lactarius flavocorpus sp. nov. under the L. subgenus Russularia. It includes comprehensive macro- and micro-morphological descriptions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs, drawings, and comparisons with related species. The taxa's novelty is validated using phylogenetic analyses based on nrITS. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: SEM and subsequent nrITS-based molecular phylogeny revealed two novel species (L. crassostipes and L. flavocorpus) of the genus Lactarius subg. Russularia. To further characterize the size, form, and ornamentation of these novel species' basidiospores, SEM analysis is an additional tool. In L. crassostipes "crasso" means thick and "stipes" indicates stipe. In contrast to L. flavocorpus, where "flavocorpus" refers to the golden yellow fruiting body, the name alludes to its unique thick stipe. L. crassostipes sp. nov. and L. flavocorpus sp. nov have been collected from the coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India, respectively. The diagnostic characteristics, habit, habitat, and similarities to related species are given.

A Novel cause of Massive Hepatosplenomegaly with Fibrosis in two children: Transient Infantile Hypertriglyceridemia.

Background: Transient infantile hypertriglyceridemia (TIH) is a syndrome of hypertriglyceridemia, fatty liver, and deranged liver functions with progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 gene present on Chromosome 12q12-q13, and has been reported in Israeli Arab families with high consanguinity. TIH is suspected by high serum triglyceride levels and steatosis on liver biopsy; however, diagnosis is confirmed on clinical exome sequencing. Clinical description: We present two cases of TIH belonging to the indigenous Hindu, hilly population of Himachal Pradesh in North India with no history of either consanguinity or family history. Management and outcome: The parents of both the cases were counselled regarding the disease and importance of growth and lipid level monitoring. Conclusion: Though TIH is an extremely rare entity, awareness about it is required as it is a contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. Any child presenting with hepatomegaly and elevated fasting triglyceride levels should be further investigated for TIH.

Nano-gel formulation of polyphenolic fraction of tobacco stem for wound healing and its inhibitory efficacies against the receptors of chronic wound development.

Current investigation deals with the gel formulation of purified polyphenol loaded nanoparticles for enhanced wound healing. Polyphenols purified using column chromatography an were characterized using HPLC in fractions. Silver nanoparticles were characterization using SEM, AFM, TEM, DLS. Cytotoxic effect was checked on L929 (Mouse fibroblast cells). Bioactive loaded nanoparticles were formulated in gel and subjected for physical characterization. Excision wound wistar rat models were established to measure the wound contraction measurement, histopathological studies, and biochemical assays. Docking and Simulation studies were performed to check the binding and stability with receptors progressing the chronic wound. From the column chromatography, B fraction has shown the presence of maximum polyphenolic content and as well as the polyphenol compounds such as quercetin, rutin and tannic acid as confirmed by the HPLC. Synthesize B fraction-AgNP were found to be below 100 nm in size and spherical in shape as per the characterization. No cytotoxic effect was observed on L929 cells treated with B fraction and its nanoparticles. Formulated B fraction-AgNP gel has revealed the better stability and earlier wound contraction, i.e. before the completion of 14 days of topical treatment. Histopathology studies and collagen content has confirmed the re-epithelization in skin wounds. MD simulation revealed the stability with PI3K and AKT. This can be concluded that tobacco stem polyphenol loaded nanoparticles has potent wound healing activity that can be utilized as nano-drug delivery system for suppression of chronic wound development.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.