Search

AbstractBackgroundTrigonella foenum-graecum(Fenugreek) is an extensively researched phytotherapeutic for the management of Type 2 diabetes without any associated side effects. The major anti-diabetic bioactive constituents present in the plant are furostanolic saponins, which are more abundantly available in the seed of the plant. However, the bioavailability of these components depends on the method of extraction and hence formulation of the phytotherapeutic constitutes a critical step for its success.ObjectiveThe present study reports the efficacy of a novel, patented fenugreek seed extract, Fenfuro®, containing significant amount of furostanolic saponins, in an open-labelled, two-armed, single centric study on a group of 204 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus over a period of twelve consecutive weeks.ResultsAdministration of Fenfuro®in the dosage of 500 mg twice daily along with metformin and/or sulfonylurea-based prescribed antidiabetic drug resulted in a reduction of post-prandial glucose by more than 33% along with significant reduction in fasting glucose, both of which were greater than what resulted for the patient group receiving only Metformin and/or Sulfonylurea therapy. Fenfuro®also resulted in reduction in mean baseline HOMA index from 4.27 to 3.765, indicating restoration of insulin sensitivity which was also supported by a significant decrease in serum insulin levels by >10% as well as slight reduction in the levels of C-peptide. However, in the case of the Metformin and/or Sulfonylurea group, insulin levels were found to increase by more than 14%, which clearly indicated that drug-induced suppression of glucose levels instead of restoration of glucose homeostasis. Administration of the formulation was also found to be free from any adverse side effects as there were no changes in hematological profile, liver function and renal function.ConclusionThe study demonstrated the promising potential of this novel phytotherapeutic, Fenfuro®, in long-term holistic management of type-2 diabetes.

Crop yields must drastically increase to meet the demands of a rapidly increasing global population. One current option being investigated is the augmentation of photosynthetic capacity by incorporating the C4photosynthetic pathway into C3crops such as rice to significantly increase production. Crops with improved photosynthetic mechanisms would make better use of the solar radiation that can be converted into yield. This will help to boost grain yield, reduce water loss, and increase nitrogen use efficiency, particularly in hot and dry conditions. Identifying and manipulating the genes required to install C4photosynthesis in rice is a big challenge. However, the international C4rice collaboration, is formed to test the possibility of incorporating the C4mechanism into rice. This article summarizes the parameters that must be changed in rice in order for the C4pathway to be successfully introduced. It also examines the biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology, and synthetic biology approaches between the C3and C4photosynthetic processes.

The soil-borne polyphagous pathogen Macrophomina phaseolinais highly damaging and has expanded its range and diversity. Ten sesame root rot pathogenic M. phaseolinaisolates were collected from various parts of Odisha, India and subjected to molecular analysis and phenotypic characterization. In molecular assays, 27 bands representing 71.9% polymorphism were obtained for genetic diversity with four ISSR primers. Among them, ISSR9 had the highest PIC value of 0.663. The isolates were divided into three groups, each sharing 60% of their genetic makeup, according to UPGMA clustering method. The dendrogram and principal component analysis (PCA) ordination of isolates revealed a reliable correlation between geographic origin and the pathogen’s genetic foundation. The isolates showed comparable clustering based on phenotypic characteristics and pathogenicity. There was a wide range of phenotypic (colony colour, colony type, growth rate, and the size, shape, colour, and abundance of the aerial mycelium microsclerotia) and virulence among the various isolates (against sesame cultivar VRI-1). Microsclerotia size was found to be negatively correlated to virulence. The results corroborate the existence of a robust association between phenotypic traits, virulence, and the genetic foundation of the pathogen, and furthermore, confirm the occurrence of heterogeneity among the isolates. The pathogen population structure may be better grasped with this kind of information on its defining characteristics.

Mung bean production is significantly lowered by the biotic stress caused by Cercosporaleaf spot (CLS) in various parts of the globe. The most effective way to increase mung beans’ resilience towards this stress is to map the gene(s)/QTL that regulate it and then transfer that gene(s)/QTL to high-yielding mung bean cultivars. A panel population of 90 genotypes was created for the purpose of association mapping to identify the candidate gene(s)/QTL. Classification of the population was accomplished using GenAlEx 6.51b2, TASSEL 5.0 and STRUCTURE V.2.3.4 software, using 66 SSR markers. The stress resistance of the panel population’s genotypes showed a great deal of variance, and linkage disequilibrium was also observed. Two distinct genetic clusters were identified within the population. A significant connection of CLS resistance with markers CEDG006 and CEDG071 was found in marker-trait association study using both the generalized linear model (GLM) and the mixed linear model (MLM). Two novel QTLs controlling CLS resistance were detected and designated as qCls_2and qCls_8. Furthermore, novel QTLs were also identified for some of the quantitative traits, such as for plant height (qPht_8), for number of clusters (qNcl_6and qNcl_10), for hundred seed weight (qHsw_3and qHsw_11) and for yield (qYld_2, qYld_7and qYld_8) under CLS stress. The novel QTLs obtained from the present investigation could be further validated in diversified mung bean germplasms to understand the stability of the QTLs and then could be introgressed to elite mung bean varieties to develop CLS resistance lines. This study will help the breeding process towards CLS resistance in mung beans using genomic tools.

Charcoal rot causes severe yield loss in mungbean. To sustain the crop health, it is vital to include alleles that may be useful in resisting the charcoal rot disease. Therefore, in the present study, genetic divergence using ISSR primers across six samples were studied for charcoal rot resistance. One resistant and one susceptible cultivars of mung bean namely, WBM 4–34-1–1 and PDM-139, respectively were used in the present investigtion. Leaf samples were treated with an elicitor, Salicyclic acid (SA) at 1 milli molar (mM) and Macrophomina phaseolinawas inoculated at 15 DAS and untreated seedlings served as a check. Total genomic DNA was isolated from leaf samples of 15 days old seedlings of both the genotypes and ISSR genotyping was performed with six ISSR primers i.e., UBC- 847, ISSCR 2, ISSCR 5, UBC 825, A9 and C6. The primers UBC-847 and ISSCR-2 were observed to show moderate polymorphism of 15.15%. The UPGMA clustering method differentiated the test samples into three clusters i.e., Cluster I includes only one sample viz., Bireshwar genotype treated with Salicyclic acid @ 1 mM. Cluster II was the major one that included three samples viz.., Bireshwar genotype (Control), Samrat genotype (Control) and Samrat genotype of mungbean treated with Salicyclic acid @ 1 mM (SA @1 mM) and Cluster III included two samples viz. Bireshwar treated with salicyclic acid @ 1 mM and inoculated with pathogen (SA@1 mM with Pathogen Inoculated), Samrat genotype treated with salicyclic acid @ 1 mM and inoculated with pathogen (SA@1 mM with Pathogen Inoculated). These findings indicate that the mungbean genotypes used in the present study could enrich the local gene pool and provide information for charcoal rot resistance breeding.