138 research outputs found
Ficus auriculata Lour., an underutilized nonconventional alternative fruit to Ficus carica with nutraceutical potential
No full textFicus auriculata (Timla) is an underutilized wild fruit compared to the more commonly consumed fruit of the same genus, Ficus carica (Anjeer). This review focuses on the industrial and pharmaceutical benefits of F. auriculata while highlighting its potential as a valuable alternative to F. carica. Based on the vast literature found in Scopus database, both fruits have significant nutritional and medicinal value; however, due to the rarity and lack of widespread knowledge, F. auriculata still remains underutilized, unlike F. carica, which is well known and more popular in the human diet. In terms of nutrition, F. auriculata is superior in various aspects like protein (3–5.32%), magnesium (68.0 mg/100 g), potassium (329.0 mg/100 g), and iron (5.0 mg/100 g). As a result, it plays a pivotal role for addressing nutrient deficiencies. Besides, it has rich history of many noteworthy applications in traditional remedies which are also recognized in modern pharmaceutical research. This could be attributed to the presence of phytocompounds. Ficus auriculata needs to be promoted, not only as a nutritional addition to the plate but also as an economically viable fruit. Based on its considerable potential, it is possible that F. auriculata can also be used as an alternative to F. carica; however, further research and promotion of the benefits of F. auriculata could help to increase its utilization and provide additional health and economic benefits to communities. Moreover, omics technologies based comprehensive study of fruits can assist in the identification of bioactive metabolites, nutritional content, and possible health benefits. It offers insights into the genetic composition, gene expression patterns, protein activities, and metabolic pathways of fruits thereby revealing the mechanisms driving flavor, color, and disease resistance.Peer reviewe
The process of taking ideas into reality, an ex post facto framework
No full textThesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references.The process of taking an idea into reality has long fascinated me. Throughout the course of college, I have had the privilege of helping to create three varying projects: a workshop designing custom-machined clock faces, a business card startup project, and MIT's first fully unified live music student organization. With this diverse set of projects and parameters, I came to question if they held a common process. Though the topic of idea development deserves greater investigation and empirical study, I offer here a set of personal case studies. I do this with the full knowledge that the world offers an enormous amount of variability, where factors and changes beyond my control are unceasingly at play. I, too, changed much throughout these projects, and therefore, I, as an author, am also subject to a certain amount of variability and change over time. All those notions given, I do believe that there exist shared traits in the ways that I was able to help grow and nourish the ideas into real projects. My main finding is an ex post facto framework that each of the projects fits within. To elucidate how this framework applies and provide substantial background to justify each step, I have derived a thorough explanation of how each project used each piece of the framework. Curious if this framework held validity given real-world constraints, I interviewed four industry professionals to understand their views and project experiences. I have included their paraphrased thoughts and experience interspersed throughout the framework in order to provide my framework with greater support and empirical validity. Once again, this is a personal case study that is open for interpretation. It is, in many ways, the application of the design process to highly variable real-world projects executed in the context of a college experience.by Kevin Ashok Rustagi.S.B
A conceptual review on classification, extraction, bioactive potential and role of phytochemicals in human health
No full textNatural substances present in plants called phytochemicals are essential for fostering favourable human health outcomes. These bioactive compounds support general health via a variety of processes. Phytochemicals have strong antioxidant qualities that aid in scavenging dangerous free radicals from the body. This antioxidant activity can promote cellular health by lowering oxidative stress, a major contributor to ageing and the onset of chronic diseases. Phytochemicals exhibit a dosage-dependent effect, which can either have beneficial or detrimental health outcome. Several in vivo and vitro studies have been conducted that strongly supports the health-promoting properties of phytochemicals in human diets. A diet that is rich in phytochemicals derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains has been linked to a lower incidence of lipid peroxidation, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and other illnesses. Compounds such as β-glucans and echinacea stimulate immune responses, enhancing the body's ability to defend against infections and diseases. The study of phytochemicals has expanded the understanding of the biochemical diversity of plants and their potential applications in various fields of human life, including food and nutrition, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture. This review deals with the significance and varieties of phytochemicals used to enhance human nutrition and overall health
Antifungal-resistant ringworm in KwaZulu-Natal: A new challenge in infectious disease management
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Production of biodegradable food packaging from mango peel via enzymatic hydrolysis and polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis: A review on microbial intervention
No full textThe rising environmental problem of plastic packaging waste has led to the development of sustainable alternatives, particularly for food packaging. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable, thermoplastic polyesters. They are employed in the production of various products, including packaging films. The bio-based nature and appropriate features of PHAs, similar to conventional synthetic plastics, have garnered significant attention from researchers and industries. The current study aimed to produce biodegradable food packaging using mango peel (a major agricultural waste) with enzymatic hydrolysis and PHAs synthesis. Mango peel is the hub for macro-and micronutrients, including phytochemicals. The process includes an enzymatic hydrolysis step that converts complex carbohydrates into simple sugars using mango peel as a substrate. The produced sugars are used as raw materials for bacteria to synthesize PHAs, which are a class of biodegradable polymers produced by these microorganisms that can serve as packaging materials in the food industry. To solve environmental problems and increase the utilization of agricultural by-products, this review presents a practical method for producing food packaging that is environmentally friendly
Intercommodity price transmittal : analysis offood markets in Ghana
No full textThis report expands on a dynamic model of market integration to investigate how information is transmitted across commodities. The author investigates one property of an efficient market : the full use of available information. Studies of spatial price integration simultaneously looks at the flow of information and commodities. The author investigates the flow of information within a single spatial market and the relationship between prices in spatially separate markets. He studies intercommodity price transmittal from two perspectives. First, he asks whether the government can concentrate on a single commodity price, yet achieve policy objectives in a broader arena. This is important in Ghana because no single commodity dominates consumers'food budgets. The author finds that price movements for the main cereal consumed in the country (maize) are fully transmitted to other regions. Second, he investigates the working of commodity markets in developing countries. He notes imperfections in the way markets process information. There are several possible explanations for this market inefficiency. Traders may set prices for other coarse grains in response to information about maize prices. Another possibility is that some traders may not deal in all grains and thus have different costs of acquiring information. In short the author's dynamic model of price integration indicates functional efficiency in Ghana.Access to Markets,Markets and Market Access,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Agricultural Research
Electrical stimulation: a novel therapeutic strategy to heal biological wounds
No full textElectrical stimulation (ES) has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality for enhancing biological wound healing. This non-invasive technique utilizes low-level electrical currents to promote tissue regeneration and expedite the wound healing process. ES has been shown to accelerate wound closure, reduce inflammation, enhance angiogenesis, and modulate cell migration and proliferation through various mechanisms. The principle goal of wound management is the rapid recovery of the anatomical continuity of the skin, to prevent infections from the external environment and maintain homeostasis conditions inside. ES at the wound site is a compelling strategy for skin wound repair. Several ES applications are described in medical literature like AC, DC, and PC to improve cutaneous perfusion and accelerate wound healing. This review aimed to evaluate the primary factors and provides an overview of the potential benefits and mechanisms of ES in wound healing, and its ability to stimulate cellular responses, promote tissue regeneration, and improve overall healing outcomes. We also shed light on the application of ES which holds excellent promise as an adjunct therapy for various types of wounds, including chronic wounds, diabetic ulcers, and surgical incisions. © 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.TRUEsciescopu
From Hormones to Harvests: A Pathway to Strengthening Plant Resilience for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
No full textThe worldwide agriculture industry is facing increasing problems due to rapid population increase and increasingly unfavorable weather patterns. In order to reach the projected food production targets, which are essential for guaranteeing global food security, innovative and sustainable agricultural methods must be adopted. Conventional approaches, including traditional breeding procedures, often cannot handle the complex and simultaneous effects of biotic pressures such as pest infestations, disease attacks, and nutritional imbalances, as well as abiotic stresses including heat, salt, drought, and heavy metal toxicity. Applying phytohormonal approaches, particularly those involving hormonal crosstalk, presents a viable way to increase crop resilience in this context. Abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GAs), auxin, cytokinins, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene, and GA are among the plant hormones that control plant stress responses. In order to precisely respond to a range of environmental stimuli, these hormones allow plants to control gene expression, signal transduction, and physiological adaptation through intricate networks of antagonistic and constructive interactions. This review focuses on how the principal hormonal signaling pathways (in particular, ABA-ET, ABA-JA, JA-SA, and ABA-auxin) intricately interact and how they affect the plant stress response. For example, ABA-driven drought tolerance controls immunological responses and stomatal behavior through antagonistic interactions with ET and SA, while using SnRK2 kinases to activate genes that react to stress. Similarly, the transcription factor MYC2 is an essential node in ABA–JA crosstalk and mediates the integration of defense and drought signals. Plants’ complex hormonal crosstalk networks are an example of a precisely calibrated regulatory system that strikes a balance between growth and abiotic stress adaptation. ABA, JA, SA, ethylene, auxin, cytokinin, GA, and BR are examples of central nodes that interact dynamically and context-specifically to modify signal transduction, rewire gene expression, and change physiological outcomes. To engineer stress-resilient crops in the face of shifting environmental challenges, a systems-level view of these pathways is provided by a combination of enrichment analyses and STRING-based interaction mapping. These hormonal interactions are directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). This review emphasizes the potential of biotechnologies to use hormone signaling to improve agricultural performance and sustainability by uncovering the molecular foundations of hormonal crosstalk. Increasing our understanding of these pathways presents a strategic opportunity to increase crop resilience, reduce environmental degradation, and secure food systems in the face of increasing climate unpredictability
Early‐onset familial hypercholesterolemia: A case of extensive xanthomas and premature coronary artery disease
No full textKey Clinical Message Early recognition and management of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are crucial, especially in patients with extensive xanthomas and premature coronary artery disease. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive lipid‐lowering therapy can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Careful clinical assessment in resource‐limited settings is essential for optimal outcomes. Abstract Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder that causes chronically elevated levels of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Based on LDL levels, FH can be heterozygous or homozygous, further established through clinical features, laboratory findings, and genetic analysis. Elevated cholesterol levels cause atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden death. Xanthomas are a clinical manifestation of FH that reveal the underlying systemic genetic disease. We present the case of a 47‐year‐old male with triple vessel coronary artery disease and widespread xanthomas, diagnosed with homozygous FH based on “The Dutch Lipid Clinic Network Diagnostic Criteria for Familial Hypercholesterolemia.” Lifelong therapy with lipid‐lowering medications and lifestyle changes is necessary in such cases
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