Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a grain-like, genetically diverse, highly complex, nutritious, and stress-tolerant food that has been used in Andean Indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Over the past several decades, numerous nutraceutical and food companies are using quinoa because of its perceived health benefits. Seeds of quinoa have a superb balance of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, saponins, vitamins, phenolics, minerals, phytoecdysteroids, glycine betaine, and betalains. Quinoa due to its high nutritional protein contents, minerals, secondary metabolites and lack of gluten, is used as the main food source worldwide. In upcoming years, the frequency of extreme events and climatic variations is projected to increase which will have an impact on reliable and safe production of food. Quinoa due to its high nutritional quality and adaptability has been suggested as a good candidate to offer increased food security in a world with increased climatic variations. Quinoa possesses an exceptional ability to grow and adapt in varied and contrasting environments, including drought, saline soil, cold, heat UV-B radiation, and heavy metals. Adaptations in salinity and drought are the most commonly studied stresses in quinoa and their genetic diversity associated with two stresses has been extensively elucidated. Because of the traditional wide-ranging cultivation area of quinoa, different quinoa cultivars are available that are specifically adapted for specific stress and with broad genetic variability. This review will give a brief overview of the various physiological, morphological and metabolic adaptations in response to several abiotic stresses.
Salmonella entertidis is a foodborne pathogen that causes various diseases in human beings worldwide. The toxin of Salmonella can cause infectious diseases. In this research project, Salmonella was detected through various microbial, biochemical and molecular tests in diverse food samples collected from highly populated, moderately populated and less populated areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Enriched cultures of all food samples such as apples, tomatoes, yogurt and mayonnaise was streaked on violet-red bile glucose agar, Simmon’s citrate agar and eosin-methylene blue agar (EMB). Salmonella isolates were screened for the presence of toxin encoding gene through PCR. 27% apples, 19% tomatoes, 5% mayonnaise and 7% yogurt were found to be positive for INVA genes (invasion protein genes). In medical and pharmaceutical point of views the INVA gene can also help to develop specific medicines against salmonella. The cytotoxin that is protein in nature was confirmed by SDS PAGE in mayonnaise samples. This study illustrates that foods of highly populated areas are reservoir for Salmonella entertidis in Pakistan. There is need to develop specific drugs, precautionary measures to control salmonella and its disease.
Xenoestrogens are chemical compounds which include phytoestrogens, polychlorinated biphenyls, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which have very serious diverse effects on fish health. The present study was designed to determine the toxicological influences of xenoestrogen BPA exposure on biochemistry and histopathology of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). The fish was exposed to sublethal concentration of BPA in aquariums for 28 days. After the completion of the trial, blood samples were taken and stored in EDTA tubes. The liver and kidney of the fish were removed and preserved in 4% formalin. After dehydration, 5 µm thick sections were cut and stained with hematoxylin. Biochemical tests such as alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), total protein, blood glucose, blood creatinine, and complete blood count (CBC) were analyzed. Histological examination of kidney and liver of the control group revealed normal architecture, while the liver of the treated group showed vacuolation in hepatocytes, aggregation of lymphocytes, necrosis, increased hemorrhages, erythrocyte infiltration, and hepatocellular necrosis, while the kidney showed degeneration of glomerulus and renal tubule. Presence of melanomacrophages and hypertrophy in tubular epithelial cells increased the space in between glomerulus and enlarged Bowman’s capsule. ALT, AST, plasma glucose, WBCs, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and plasma creatinine and protein values increased significantly as compared to those of the control group, while RBCs, hematocrit test (HCT) and MCH were decreased significantly.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health Problem worldwide. It is currently the fourth leading cause of death with the highest morbidity and mortality throughout the world. ADAM33 has been implicated in the etiology of asthma, another obstructive pulmonary disease. Research shows that its genetic polymorphism may play a pivotal role in COPD pathophysiology; however, data is still inconclusive and no research has been done on it in Pakistan. A total of 102 subjects (51 cases + 51 controls) were recruited. Blood samples were drawn for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolation from individuals. DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was optimized and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was carried out by incubation at 37οC with digesting enzyme’ Fsel’ for minor allele rs528557. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 26.0. Data for age, pack smoking/year, frequency of exacerbation and BMI was described by mean ± SD. Alleles and genotypes were described as proportions and percentages. Comparison of the said variables between two groups was performed by Chi-Square as applicable. G allele was found in all cases (100%) and in 74.5% controls at p= <0.001. On the other hand, the frequency of minor allele C was 11.8% and 29.4% in cases and controls respectively at p=0.03. Homozygous major genotype (G/G) was 88.2%, in controls versus 70.6% in cases (p=0.09). Heterozygous genotype (G/C) was 9.2% in controls and 25.5% in cases. Similarly homozygous minor genotype (C/C) was 0.8% in controls and 3.9% in cases respectively at p=0.56. Thus, we show that G allele of rs528557 may be associated with risk of COPD in Pakistani subjects.
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