Artificial polyploidy in medicinal plants: Advancement in the last two decades and impending prospects

Medicinal plants are in huge demand since the consumption is widespread and ever-increasing globally. The conventional breeding programs are generally environmental dependent; prone to different biotic and abiotic stresses as well as the secondary metabolite content is too low to harvest. In this context, developing polyploid individuals artificially would be a remarkable approach to increase vigor and attain this objective. Polyploids often exhibit some morphological features that are different or greater in forms than their diploid progenies. Polyploidization can be induced by quite a few antimitotic agents. The most frequently used antimitotic chemicals are colchicine, trifluralin, and oryzalin. The whole method of induced chromosome doubling consists of a series of steps, including an induction phase, regrowth phase, and a confirmation technique to evaluate the rate of achievement. The induction phase depends on different factors, such as explant types, antimitotic agents, its different concentrations, and exposure durations. To evaluate the accomplishment of polyploidization, morphological or anatomical observations are recorded as a rapid method. However, chromosome count and flow cytometry are the most eminent method for absolute confirmation. Despite significant prospects of polyploidization, there has been very little research on medicinal plants. The current review gives an overview of the different parameters of in vitro chromosome doubling, the history of the technique, and progress made over the last two decades.     

Use of apigenin from Cordia dichotoma in the treatment of colitis

Cordia dichotoma f. (Boraginaceae) is a small deciduous tree from India. The bark of was used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) and colic pain traditionally hence present work was undertaken to identify the phytoconstituent responsible for this activity. Apigenin is isolated by column chromatography from methanol fraction of crude methanol extract of C. dichotoma bark. Structure of apigenin is established by various spectroscopic studies. Apigenin (5 mg/kg, p.o.) showed significant healing and reduction in inflammatory enzymes when screened for UC. It can be concluded that apigenin from C. dichotoma bark may be responsible for the treatment of UC.     

Folacin and cyanocobalamin in relation to naturalTrypanosoma evansi Infection in buffaloes

Summary The haematological values of haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and vitamin levels of folacin (folic acid), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) of buffaloes, in a surra endemic area of Eastern Haryana, India, were determined. Surra-positive buffaloes had significantly low levels of Hb, PCV, folic acid and vitamin B₁₂. These low levels of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ may have enhanced the clinical signs of chronic trypanosomosis, caused byTrypanosoma evansi.

---

Folacina Y Cianocobalamina En Relacion Con La Infeccion Natural De Bufalos ConTrypanosoma Evansi

Resumen Se determinaron los valores hematológicos de hemoglobina (Hb), volumen corpuscular celular (PCV) y los niveles vitamínicos de ácido fólico y cianocobalamina (vitamina B₁₂) de búfalos, en un área endémica de surra en Haryana Oriental, India. Los búfalos positivos a surra tuvieron niveles bajos de Hb, PCV, ácido fólico y vitamina B₁₂. Los niveles bajos de ácido fólico y cianocobalamina, pudieron haber exacerbado los sintomas clinicos de tripanosomiasis crónica, causada porTrypanosoma evansi.

---

Folacine Et Cyanocobalamine En Relation Avec La Trypanosomose ATrypanosoma Evansi Chez Des Buffles

Résumé Les valeurs hématologiques de l'hémoglobine (Hb), l'hématocrite (PCV) et les taux de la folacine (acide folique) et de la cyanocobalamine (vitamine B₁₂) chez des buffles ont été déterminés dans une région de l'Est Haryana, Inde, où sévit le surra à l'état endémique. Les buffles positifs vis-à-vis du surra présentaient des taux significativement faibles de Hb, PCV, d'acide folique et de vitamine B₁₂. Les taux peu élevés de ces deux derniers éléments peuvent renforcer les siqnes cliniques de la trypanosomose chronique, due àT. evansi.

     

Descriptive epidemiological study of the use of antimicrobial drugs by companion animal veterinarians in New Zealand

Abstract

AIM: To describe the patterns of use of antimicrobial drugs by veterinary surgeons treating commonly presented bacterial infections in companion animals in New Zealand.

METHODS: A postal survey of 800 randomly selected companion animal veterinarians practicing in New Zealand was conducted between August and December 2008. Data were collected regarding the antimicrobials prescribed for recent cases of skin, ear and urinary tract infections; the use of culture and susceptibility testing; and veterinarian characteristics such as proportion of time spent treating companion animals and recent attendance at continuing professional development (CPD) events. Potential associations within the data were explored using extended mosaic plots and multivariable regression models.

RESULTS:Completed surveys from 393 respondents were available for analysis, providing data on systemic antimicrobial drug use for 1,799 cases of presumptive bacterial infections. The most frequently prescribed drugs were amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (864 cases, 48%), cephalexin (558, 31%), and fluoroquinolones (198, 11%). Of 359 cases of canine superficial pyoderma, 157 (44%) were treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and 155 (43%) were treated with cephalexin with median reported treatment durations of 7 and 10 days, for these two drugs respectively. Culture and susceptibility tests had been used in 376 of 1,984 (19%) of all reported cases and 160 (43%) of these were suspected urinary tract infections. Practitioners that spent 100% of their time treating companion animals and who had attended a CPD course related to companion animals within the 12 months prior to completing the survey were more likely to submit a sample for culture and susceptibility testing and to prescribe longer courses of antimicrobials for the treatment of canine pyoderma than practitioners who spent less than 100% of their time treating companion animals and had not attended a CPD course in the last 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS: Broad-spectrum drugs considered by the World Health Organisation to be critically important for human health, such as fluoroquinolones and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, are amongst the most frequently prescribed antimicrobials in companion animal medicine, and these drugs are often prescribed without submitting a sample for culture and susceptibility testing.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many cases of superficial pyoderma were treated for less than the recommended duration of 21 days, which may contribute to a higher rate of recurrent pyoderma and the development of drug resistance within the causal bacteria. Veterinarians should be aware that the use of fluoroquinolones, in particular, should be based upon the results of a culture and susceptibility test.     

Variability in in vitro macrophage activation by commercially diverse bulk echinacea plant material is predominantly due to bacterial lipoproteins and lipopolysaccharides

We previously reported that the majority of in vitro monocyte/macrophage activation exhibited by extracts of Echinacea and other botanicals depends upon bacterial lipopolysaccharides and Braun-type bacterial lipoproteins. We determined the contribution made by these bacterial components to the overall immune-enhancing activity detected in E. purpurea and E. angustifolia bulk root and aerial material obtained from six major growers/suppliers in North America. Substantial variation in activity (up to 200-fold) was observed in extracts of these materials when tested in two monocyte/macrophage cell lines. The majority of activity was negated by treatment with agents that target bacterial lipoproteins (lipoprotein lipase) and lipopolysaccharides (polymyxin B). Experiments comparing the activity of freeze-dried, freshly harvested Echinacea plants to those harvested and dried using various commercially relevant conditions suggest that postharvesting procedures do not substantially contribute to the variation observed in the commercial material.     

Genetic variations and interrelationships in Vanilla planifolia and few related species as expressed by RAPD polymorphism

Vanilla is naturally distributed in Mexico and parts of Central America and the history of origin of cultivated vanilla suggests that the entire stock outside Mexico may be from a single genetic source. In the present study, RAPD polymorphism was used to estimate the level of genetic diversity and interrelationships among different collections of Vanilla planifolia Andr., and few related species, including both leafy and leafless types such as V. tahitensis J.W.Moore, V. andamanica, Rolfe, V. pilifera Holtt., and V. aphylla Blume. Studies revealed that there are very limited variation within collections of V. planifolia, indicative of its narrow genetic base, and of the related species we tested, V. tahitensis is nearest to V. planifolia. The species studied are diverse and have a similarity ranging from 1.2 to 57.3 %. Of the sampled taxa, V. andamanica is the most divergent and there is also reasonable variability within its collections, indicating the possibility of natural seed set. A total of 82 polymorphic bands expressed in the RAPD profiles were used to generate a genetic distance matrix, which was then used in cluster analysis. Specific groupings were revealed by the cluster analysis whereby the leafless forms (V. aphylla, V. pilifera and the new species) and V. andamanica formed separate clusters. This is the first report of species interrelationship studies, including both cultivated and wild vanilla species.     

Estimating the level of disease risk and biosecurity on commercial poultry farms in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Aims: To collect baseline data on the contact risk pathways and biosecurity practices of commercial poultry farms in New Zealand, investigate the relationship between the farm-level disease contact risks and biosecurity practices, and identify important poultry health concerns of producers.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of all registered New Zealand commercial poultry operations was conducted in 2016 collecting information on farm demographics, biosecurity practices, and contact risk pathways. Survey responses were used to generate an unweighted subjective disease risk score based on eight risk criteria and a subjective biosecurity score based on the frequency with which producers reported implementing seven biosecurity measures. Producer opinions towards poultry health issues were also determined.

Results: Responses to the survey response were obtained from 120/414 (29.0%) producers, including 57/157 (36.3%) broiler, 33/169 (19.5%) layer, 24/55 (44%) breeder, and 6/32 (19%) other poultry production types. Median disease risk scores differed between production types (p?<?0.001) and were lowest for breeder enterprises. The greatest risk for layer and broiler enterprises was from the potential movement of employees between sheds, and for breeder enterprises was the on- and off-farm movement of goods and services. Median biosecurity scores also differed between production types (p?<?0.001), and were highest for breeder and broiler enterprises. Across all sectors there was no statistical correlation between biosecurity scores and disease risk scores. Producers showed a high level of concern over effectively managing biosecurity measures.

Conclusions: The uptake of biosecurity measures in the commercial poultry farms surveyed was highly variable, with some having very low scores despite significant potential disease contact risks. This may be related to the low prevalence or absence of many important infectious poultry diseases in New Zealand leading farmers to believe there is a limited need to maintain good biosecurity as well as farmer uncertainty around the efficacy of different biosecurity measures. Further research is needed to understand barriers towards biosecurity adoption including evaluating the cost-effectiveness of biosecurity interventions.     

Microalgal bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture and their interactions with soil biotic and abiotic components: A review

Modern agricultural practices have posed a detrimental impact on the environment due to their intensive use to meet the food demands of an ever-increasing population. In this context, microalgal bioinoculants, specifically cyanobacteria and green microalgae, have emerged as sustainable options for agricultural practices to improve soil organic carbon, nutrient availability, microbial quality, and plant productivity. An overview of current and future perspectives on the use of microalgal bioinoculants in agriculture practices is presented in this review, along with a discussion of their interactions with soil biotic and abiotic factors that affect soil fertility, plant health, and crop productivity. The benefits of microalgal bioinoculants include releasing agronomically important metabolites (exopolymers and phytohormones) as well as solubilizing soil nutrients. Furthermore, they function as biocontrol agents against soil-borne pathogens and facilitate the establishment of rhizosphere communities of agricultural importance. So far, very few studies have explored the basic mechanisms by which microalgal bioinoculants interact with soil biotic and abiotic factors. In recent years, advanced molecular techniques have contributed to a better understanding of these interactions.