The effects of jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (Me-JA) on photosynthetic efficiency and expression of some photosystem (PSII) related in different cultivars of Brassica oleracea L. (var. italica, capitata, and botrytis) were investigated. Plants raised from seeds subjected to a pre-sowing soaking treatment of varying concentrations of JA and Me-JA showed enhanced photosynthetic efficiency in terms of qP and chlorophyll fluorescence. Maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was increased over that in the control seedlings. This enhancement was more pronounced in the Me-JA-treated seedlings compared to that in JA-treated ones. The expression of PSII genes was differentially regulated among the three varieties of B. oleracea. The gene PsbI up-upregulated in var. botrytis after treatment of JA and Me-JA, whereas PsbL up-regulated in capitata and botrytis after supplementation of JA. The gene PsbM showed many fold enhancements in these expressions in italica and botrytis after treatment with JA. However, the expression of the gene PsbM increased by both JA and Me-JA treatments. PsbTc(p) and PsbTc(n) were also found to be differentially expressed which revealed specificity with the variety chosen as well as JA or Me-JA treatments. The RuBP carboxylase activity remained unaffected by either JA or Me-JA supplementation in all three varieties of B. oleracea L. The data suggest that exogenous application of JA and Me-JA to seeds before germination could influence the assembly, stability, and repair of PS II in the three varieties of B. oleracea examined. Furthermore, this improvement in the PS II machinery enhanced the photosynthetic efficiency of the system and improved the photosynthetic productivity in terms of saccharides accumulation.

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An attempt was made to explore the effect of copper sulphate treatment on growth, photosynthesis, osmolytes and antioxidants in 15 days old seedlings of (Pigeonpea). seedlings were grown in 0, 1, 5 and 10 mM concentrations of copper sulphate in petriplates lined with Whatman filter paper for 15 days. Root length and shoot length was decreased in a dose dependent manner with highest decrease of 82.80 and 45.92% in 10 mM Cu stress. Photosynthetic efficiency (qP, qN and Y) was decreased in a dose dependent manner whereas NPQ was increased in 1 and 5 mM and decreased in 10 mM Cu. Photosynthetic pigments viz total chlorophyll and carotenoids were increased in low concentrations and decreased in high concentrations of Cu. Osmolytes such as proline, glycine betaine and sugars were found to be increased in a dose dependent manner. Similarly antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase and catalase increased to 129.17 and 169.7%, respectively under Cu stress. Vitamin C and vitamin E was also increased in different concentrations of Cu to a significant level. It can be concluded from the present study that can tolerate Cu stress up to 5 mM by adjusting the proportion of proline, glycine betaine, sugars and vitamins along with increasing the activity of some of the antioxidant enzymes.

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Jasmonates (JAs) are a rising class of lipid-derived signalling molecules with varied functions ranging from induction of abiotic and biotic stress-responsive genes to regulation of plant growth and development under natural condition. The rationale of present study was to investigate the nutritional importance of JAs in inducing and triggering accumulation of carbohydrates, sugars, nutritional pigments and vitamins in three varieties of Brassica oleracea L. (variety botrytis, capitata, italica) edible heads. Exogenous application of Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl ester of Jasmonic acid (Me-JA), made edible heads of var. botrytis, capitata and italica nutritionally more accrete as compared to control untreated edible heads. Results showed that the treatment of JA and Me-JA enhanced growth of edible heads in terms of head diameter, head length, fresh weight, dry weight, moisture content, total protein, total starch, total carbohydrates, total soluble sugar, non-reducing sugar, vitamins C, A, E and B 2 in var. botrytis but at the same time dramatic decline in reducing sugar, beta-carotene and lycopene was seen. In var. capitata certain reduction in vitamin E accumulation was recorded by the exogenous application of JA and Me-JA while overall growth of edible heads was accelerated which could also be supported by enhanced nutritional and productivity level. In variety italica, JAs reduced total starch and vitamin C, but overall growth was surged along with productivity. Both JA and Me-JA could be attributed to induce growth and enhance the nutritional potential of edible heads in three varieties of Brassica oleracea as compared to their untreated control edible heads. From the present results, it has been suggested that these two eco-friendly oxylipins can be further explored for enhancing the growth and nutritional value of these vegetables by exogenous application of JAs in μM to pM concentration.

A tailgut cyst (TGC) is a rare congenital lesion that occurs due to failure of involution of the distal hindgut, leading to the development of a mucus-secreting cyst. The clinical presentation is nonspecific, and often the diagnosis can be missed. We present the case of a 20-year-old female with a TGC in the perianal region. Surgical excision of the cyst was performed, followed by an uneventful recovery. The young age of our patient and the anatomical location of the TGC make our case a rare entity, highlighting the need for practicing surgeons to keep TGC as a differential in mind while examining masses in the perianal region.

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