Enhanced root production in Haplopappus gracilis grown under spaceflight conditions

The production and growth of roots in two aseptically maintained clonal populations of Haplopappus gracilis (family Compositae), each with a distinctive pattern of root production, were studied after they had been exposed to space for 5 days aboard a NASA Space Shuttle. Total root production of both populations was 67-95% greater when compared with their Earth-grown controls. Roots were generated: (1) laterally from pre-formed roots, the tips of which had been severed at the time of plantlet insertion into a "horticultural foam" substrate supplied with a nutrient solution; (2) adventitiously from the basal or cut-end portion of shoots; (3) de novo, i.e. from primordial which were non-existent at the outset of the experiment. Roots grew in all directions in space but were uniformly positively gravitropic in ground controls. In space and on Earth, both clonal populations maintained their clone-specific root formation and growth characteristics and produced an equivalent amount of tissue when compared to each other. As on Earth, and as expected, there were fewer and shorter roots on plantlets that formed floral buds. The significance of altered moisture distribution in the "horticultural foam" substrate in space for root growth and the significance of our findings for growing plants in altered gravity environments are discussed.     

Counts and characteristics of macrophage precursors in human peripheral blood.

A method is described for counting the number of macrophages which develop from a sample of human venous blood. Because the macrophages are nondividing cells under these conditions of culture, it is possible to use the count to describe the size of a population of macrophage precursors in the blood. Counts on 43 healthy individuals show that on average there are some 200,000/ml of blood, which is 5–6% of the total white cell count. The precursor cells are mononuclear and the majority of them will adhere to plastic. These characteristics suggest that monocytes are the precursor cells.     

Modulation of adipose tissue inflammation by bioactive food compounds

Adipose tissue has an important endocrine function in the regulation of whole-body metabolism. Obesity leads to a chronic low-grade inflammation of the adipose tissue, which disrupts this endocrine function and results in metabolic derangements, such as type-2 diabetes. Dietary bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and certain fatty acids, are known to suppress both systemic and adipose tissue inflammation and have the potential to improve these obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Mechanistically, polyphenolic compounds including non-flavonoids, such as curcumin and resveratrol, and flavonoids, such as catechins (tea-polyphenols), quercetin and isoflavones, suppress nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases (MAPK) pathways while activating the 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in adipose tissue. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), such as oleic acid, also impart anti-inflammatory effects through several mechanisms. These include activation of AMPK and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), as well as suppression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NF-κB pathway. This review discusses the major molecular mechanisms of dietary polyphenols and fatty acids, alone or in combination, which are responsible for adipose tissue-associated anti-inflammatory effects.     

Antioxidant,antibacterial, and catalytic performance of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles of Rhus javanica,Rumex hastatus,and Callistemon viminalis

Rhus javanica (Anacardiaceae) containing abundant glucopyranosidal constituents, is traditionally used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcer, dysentery, and diarrhea. Rumex hastatus (Polygonaceae) widely distributed in Pakistan, has traditional importance in treating wound healing, jaundice, rheumatism, and skin diseases. Callistemon viminalis (Myrtaceae), a rich source of essential oils, saponins, triterpenoids, phloroglucinols, and flavonoids is used in industries, perfumes, nutrition, and cosmetics. Taking the importance of the subject plants, this study is designed to synthesize silver nanoparticles via aqueous extracts of R. javanica (RJAgNPs), R. hastatus (RHAgNPs), and C. viminalis (CVAgNPs). Synthesis, surface, and sizes of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were confirmed using spectroscopic techniques including ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). AgNPs were produced in ratios 1:15, 1:16, and 1:9 and inferred via appearance of a sharp surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption peak (400–435 nm), which represented well-defined, stable, and spherical AgNPs. From SEM analysis, the sizes of RJAgNPs, RHAgNPs, and CVAgNPs were found to be 67 nm, 61 nm, and 55 nm, respectively. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited potential free radical scavenging, antibacterial, and catalytic properties in degradation of dyes including Congo red, methylene blue, methyl orange, rhodamine B, ortho and para-nitrophenols, and several food colours. Hence, the subject AgNPs in the current study might display promising role in drug development and remediation of environmental/industrial effluents.