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Frontiers in Plant Science 2020According to the UN-FAO, agricultural production must increase by 50% by 2050 to meet global demand for food. This goal can be accomplished, in part, by the development... (Review)
Review
According to the UN-FAO, agricultural production must increase by 50% by 2050 to meet global demand for food. This goal can be accomplished, in part, by the development of improved cultivars coupled with modern best management practices. Overall, wheat production on farms will have to increase significantly to meet future demand, and in the face of a changing climate that poses risk to even current rates of production. Durum wheat [ L. ssp. durum (Desf.)] is used largely for pasta, couscous and bulgur production. Durum producers face a range of factors spanning abiotic (frost damage, drought, and sprouting) and biotic (weed, disease, and insect pests) stresses that impact yields and quality specifications desired by export market end-users. Serious biotic threats include Fusarium head blight (FHB) and weed pest pressures, which have increased as a result of herbicide resistance. While genetic progress for yield and quality is on pace with common wheat ( L.), development of resistant durum cultivars to FHB is still lagging. Thus, successful biotic and abiotic threat mitigation are ideal case studies in Genotype (G) × Environment (E) × Management (M) interactions where superior cultivars (G) are grown in at-risk regions (E) and require unique approaches to management (M) for sustainable durum production. Transformational approaches to research are needed in order for agronomists, breeders and durum producers to overcome production constraints. Designing robust agronomic systems for durum demands scientific creativity and foresight based on a deep understanding of constitutive components and their innumerable interactions with each other and the environment. This encompasses development of durum production systems that suit specific agro-ecozones and close the yield gap between genetic potential and on-farm achieved yield. Advances in individual technologies (e.g., genetic improvements, new pesticides, seeding technologies) are of little benefit until they are melded into resilient G × E × M systems that will flourish in the field under unpredictable conditions of prairie farmlands. We explore how recent genetic progress and selected management innovations can lead to a resilient and transformative durum production system.
PubMed: 33193496
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.568657 -
Nutrients Nov 2019Essential oils (EOs) are a mixture of natural, volatile, and aromatic compounds obtained from plants. In recent years, several studies have shown that some of their...
Essential oils (EOs) are a mixture of natural, volatile, and aromatic compounds obtained from plants. In recent years, several studies have shown that some of their benefits can be attributed to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and also immunomodulatory properties. Therefore, EOs have been proposed as a natural alternative to antibiotics or for use in combination with antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria in animal feed and food preservation. Most of the results come from in vitro and in vivo studies; however, very little is known about their use in clinical studies. A systematic and comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from December 2014 to April 2019 using different combinations of the following keywords: essential oils, volatile oils, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulation, and microbiota. Some EOs have demonstrated their efficacy against several foodborne pathogens in vitro and model food systems; namely, the inhibition of , , and has been observed. EOs have shown remarkable antioxidant activities when used at a dose range of 0.01 to 10 mg/mL in cell models, which can be attributed to their richness in phenolic compounds. Moreover, selected EOs exhibit immunomodulatory activities that have been mainly attributed to their ability to modify the secretion of cytokines.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Antioxidants; Food Preservation; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Oils, Volatile
PubMed: 31731683
DOI: 10.3390/nu11112786 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2020As part of conservation of plant genetic resources, long-term storage of seeds is highly relevant for genebanks. Here we present a systematic review and a meta-analysis...
As part of conservation of plant genetic resources, long-term storage of seeds is highly relevant for genebanks. Here we present a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies on seed longevity focusing on half-life (P) under different storage conditions. Six studies were selected for the meta-analysis; in addition, a high number of additional references were included in the discussion of the results. The results show that under ambient conditions, half-life is short, from 5 to 10 years, while under more optimal conditions, which for orthodox seeds is at low humidity and low temperature, half-life is more in the 40-60 years range, although with large interspecies variation. Under long-term genebank conditions, with seeds dried to equilibrium and thereafter kept at minus 18-20°C in waterproof bags or jars, half-life can be twice or three times as long. In general, many of the grain legume seeds, as well as corn, common oat, and common barley are long-lived, while cereal rye, onion, garden lettuce, pepper, and some of the forage grasses are more short-lived. Conditions during maturation and harvesting influence longevity, and proper maturation and gentle handling are known to be of importance. Seed longevity models have been developed to predict final germination based on initial viability, temperature, humidity, storage time, and species information. We compared predicted germination to results from the long-term experiments. The predicted values were higher or much higher than the observed values, which demonstrate that something in the seed handling in the genebanks have not been optimal. Long-term studies are now available with data at least up to 60 years of storage. Our review shows that the knowledge and methodology developed for the conservation of plant genetic resources should also work for wild species of orthodox seed nature.
PubMed: 32719707
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01007 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Vegetables are a distinct collection of plant-based foods that vary in nutritional diversity and form an important part of the healthy diet of the human being. Besides...
Vegetables are a distinct collection of plant-based foods that vary in nutritional diversity and form an important part of the healthy diet of the human being. Besides providing basic nutrition, they have great potential for boosting human health. The balanced consumption of vegetables is highly recommended for supplementing the human body with better nutrition density, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. However, the production and quality of fresh vegetables are influenced directly or indirectly by exposure to high temperatures or heat stress (HS). A decline in quality traits and harvestable yield are the most common effects of HS among vegetable crops. Heat-induced morphological damage, such as poor vegetative growth, leaf tip burning, and rib discoloration in leafy vegetables and sunburn, decreased fruit size, fruit/pod abortion, and unfilled fruit/pods in beans, are common, often rendering vegetable cultivation unprofitable. Further studies to trace down the possible physiological and biochemical effects associated with crop failure reveal that the key factors include membrane damage, photosynthetic inhibition, oxidative stress, and damage to reproductive tissues, which may be the key factors governing heat-induced crop failure. The reproductive stage of plants has extensively been studied for HS-induced abnormalities. Plant reproduction is more sensitive to HS than the vegetative stages, and affects various reproductive processes like pollen germination, pollen load, pollen tube growth, stigma receptivity, ovule fertility and, seed filling, resulting in poorer yields. Hence, sound and robust adaptation and mitigation strategies are needed to overcome the adverse impacts of HS at the morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels to ensure the productivity and quality of vegetable crops. Physiological traits such as the stay-green trait, canopy temperature depression, cell membrane thermostability, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content, increased reproductive fertility, fruit numbers, and fruit size are important for developing better yielding heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Moreover, various molecular approaches such as omics, molecular breeding, and transgenics, have been proved to be useful in enhancing/incorporating tolerance and can be potential tools for developing heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Further, these approaches will provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that govern thermotolerance and pave the way for engineering "designer" vegetable crops for better health and nutritional security. Besides these approaches, agronomic methods are also important for adaptation, escape and mitigation of HS protect and improve yields.
PubMed: 35837452
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.878498 -
Pharmaceutical Biology Dec 2022Snake envenomation is one of the neglected health problems in Tanzania. Since most people, especially in rural areas, suffer from its burden, their cases are not...
CONTEXT
Snake envenomation is one of the neglected health problems in Tanzania. Since most people, especially in rural areas, suffer from its burden, their cases are not documented due to reliance on medicinal plants. Despite the pivotal role of medicinal plants in treating snakebites, there is a paucity of information.
OBJECTIVE
This review documents medicinal plants used to treat snakebites in Tanzania.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic search using electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct and grey literature was conducted to retrieve relevant information on medicinal plants used to treat snakebites in Tanzania. The review was conducted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The obtained information from 19 published articles was organized and analysed based on citation frequency.
RESULTS
A total of 109 plant species belonging to 49 families are used as snakebite antivenom in Tanzania. Fabaceae had the highest number of medicinal plants (19.3%). The dominant plant growth forms were trees (35%) and shrubs (33%). Roots were the most frequently used plant part (54%), followed by leaves (26%) and bark (11%). Pers. (Annonaceae), (L.) (Fabaceae), Baill. (Euphorbiaceae), E.Mey. ex Tul. (Phyllanthaceae), L. (Menispermaceae) and Guill. & Perr. (Fabaceae) were the most cited medicinal plants.
CONCLUSIONS
Tanzania has diverse plants used for snakebite treatment; a few have been analysed for their bioactive components. Further study of the phytochemicals may provide scientific information to develop snakebite drugs.
Topics: Antivenins; Ethnobotany; Medicine, Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Snake Bites; Tanzania
PubMed: 36205572
DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2123942 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Dysmenorrhea affects women throughout their reproductive years but there has been a lack of effective and well-tolerated treatment options. Pain symptoms mainly result...
Dysmenorrhea affects women throughout their reproductive years but there has been a lack of effective and well-tolerated treatment options. Pain symptoms mainly result from inflammatory processes and increased contractile activity in the myometrium. The reported use of preparations against inflammation and pain in ethnomedicine as well as current pharmacological data on their inhibition of myometrial contractility led us to hypothesize that this medicinal plant might be a new treatment option for dysmenorrhea. In the first part of the present work, clinical, and studies on the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory, as well as on myometrium relaxing properties of are reviewed. In the second part, cases of five women with dysmenorrhea who were tentatively treated with a product are described. The review revealed thirty-three experimental and studies, but no clinical study, reporting anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of extracts and compounds in a wide range of conditions. Moreover, sixteen publications on smooth muscle contractility revealed relaxing effects. The latter consisted of clinical evidence, as well as of and data. The evidence reviewed therefore provided a rational basis for the use of in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. We subsequently set out to tentatively treat patients with a well-tolerated product that is registered (without indication) and commonly used in obstetrics and gynecology in Switzerland. All five treated patients reported a reduction in pain symptoms and 4 out of 5 indicated a reduced intake of painkillers during menstruation. Taken together, the reviewed information on the pharmacological properties and clinical evidence of extracts and compounds as well as the outcomes of all five patients in the case series support our hypothesis in favor of as a new, well-tolerated therapeutic approach for dysmenorrhea. Prospective clinical studies are urgently needed.
PubMed: 38130407
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1292919 -
PloS One 2021Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L. P. Queiroz (jucá) is a plant extensively used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of the inflammatory process. Primary...
Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L. P. Queiroz (jucá) is a plant extensively used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of the inflammatory process. Primary studies have focused on the verification of these biological activities, highlighting the role of this plant in inflammatory conditions. This systematic review aimed to critically establish which part of the plant and what type of plant extract present the highest evidence of anti-inflammatory activity as in vivo and in vitro experimental models. This study has followed the recommendations by PRISMA and was registered in the PROSPERO database under number CRD42020159934. The literature review was carried out in several medical and scientific databases (Google Scholar, LILACS, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science) in studies published up to February 2020 and updated on March 2021. No language restriction was made to this search. Eligibility criteria were adopted instead. The risk of bias was evaluated through SYRCLE's RoB tool for the in vivo studies. 609 studies were initiated to identify the whole and the subsequent steps of screening. 13 studies remained in the results (10 in vivo and 3 in vitro). In most studies the risk of bias was low or unclear. The high risk of bias was related to the risk of attrition and reporting bias. The fruit and the aqueous extract were identified as the most used in the studies carried out on the qualitative analysis and the results of the in vivo and in vitro studies were conducive to the anti-inflammatory action, a meta-analysis could not be performed due to heterogeneity between studies and the potential risk of bias to estimate the side effects. Therefore, the implementation of in vivo studies following the international guidelines could collaborate with analyses of the anti-inflammatory effect of jucá.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Databases, Factual; Fabaceae; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 34739501
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259545 -
BioMed Research International 2021Erectile dysfunction has remained as one of the major global health issues. Since the discovery of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, a significant portion of the...
BACKGROUND
Erectile dysfunction has remained as one of the major global health issues. Since the discovery of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, a significant portion of the patients has solved the issue of erectile dysfunction. However, the wide distribution of phosphodiesterase type 5 enzymes at various sites of the body led phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors to cause various unnecessary outcomes. Hence, it is vital to look for and find optional agents that could solve these limitations. The people of Ethiopia depend heavily on medicinal plants to ease their ailments, including erectile dysfunction. . The current study was carried out to systematically review the traditional medicinal plants used for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia.
METHOD
A systematic and manual search was conducted to retrieve relevant articles published from 2000 to August 2020. Electronic databases of PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, and grey literature were employed to access the studies. Accordingly, fifty-four published articles and thesis papers were finally included in this study.
RESULT
Seventy plant species have been reported for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia. The commonly recorded family was Fabaceae, followed by Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Solanaceae. The plant species that represented the highest number of citations were , succeeded by and . The commonest plant part used was roots. Majority of the medicinal plants were administered orally. The growth forms of the reported species were primarily herbs followed by shrubs.
CONCLUSION
The present review compiled medicinal plants utilized by the Ethiopian community to manage erectile dysfunction. The findings will serve as a reference for the selection of plants for further pharmacological, toxicological, and phytochemical investigations in developing new plant-based drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Topics: Animals; Asparagus Plant; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; Erectile Dysfunction; Ethiopia; Ethnobotany; Zingiber officinale; Humans; Male; Medicine, African Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Syzygium; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34212038
DOI: 10.1155/2021/6656406 -
PloS One 2022Khat is a flowering plant with stimulant effect on the nervous system and produce psychological dependence. Despite its harmful effects, the ingestion of khat has been...
INTRODUCTION
Khat is a flowering plant with stimulant effect on the nervous system and produce psychological dependence. Despite its harmful effects, the ingestion of khat has been part of cultural norms and the legality of khat varies by region.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aimed at critically evaluating the available evidence on the risk factors of khat chewing among adolescents.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted on published research studies from five databases Scopus, PubMed, Science-direct, Ovid and google scholar using keywords khat chewing OR qat chewing AND associated factors OR risk factors OR contributing factors AND adolescents OR teenagers. Articles included were either cross-sectional, cohort, case-control or qualitative studies which were published between the year 1990 till present. Excluded articles were the non-English written articles, descriptive studies and irrelevant topics being studied.
RESULTS
Out of 2617 records identified and screened, six were included for the analysis and interpretation of the data. All included studies were cross-sectional study design. All six studies reported having family members who chewed khat significantly predict khat chewing among adolescents, followed by five articles for friends or peers who also chewed khat and four articles for male gender. Smoking was also found to have the highest odds (OR = 18.2; 95% CI: 12.95-25.72) for khat chewing among adolescents.
CONCLUSION
The review highlights the crucial role of family members, friends or peers and male gender to predict khat chewing among adolescents. Effectiveness of health promotion programs to educate and reduce khat chewing among adolescents will require active participation of family members and friends.
Topics: Adolescent; Africa; Catha; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Friends; Humans; Male; Mastication; Risk Factors; Students; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 35113927
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263372 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2021Catechins are a part of the chemical family of flavonoids, a naturally occurring antioxidant, and a secondary metabolite in certain plants. Green tea catechins are well... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Catechins are a part of the chemical family of flavonoids, a naturally occurring antioxidant, and a secondary metabolite in certain plants. Green tea catechins are well recognized for their essential anti-inflammatory, photo-protective, antioxidant, and chemo-preventive functions. Ultraviolet radiation is a principal cause of damage to the skin. Studies observed that regular intake of green tea catechins increased the minimal dose of radiation required to induce erythema. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis are to determine the effectiveness of green tea catechins in cutaneous erythema and elucidate whether green tea catechin consumption protects against erythema (sunburn) inflammation. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify the relevant studies. Two researchers carried out independent screening, data extraction, and quality assessment according to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The pooled effect of green tea catechins on protection against erythema was assessed using approaches fixed-effects or random-effects model to quantify the effectiveness of green tea catechins in the erythema dose-response. Studies not be included in meta-analyses were summarized narratively. Six randomized controlled studies of enrolled studies regularly administrated green tea catechins orally for 6 to 12 weeks involving healthy volunteers comprising a total of 100 participants were included in the analysis. The results revealed green tea catechins have favorable protection against erythema inflammation even at increased minimal erythema dose (MED) of ultraviolet radiation. Meta-analysis results confirm oral supplementation of green tea catechins is highly effective at low-intensity ultraviolet radiation-induced erythema response (MED range; 1.25-1.30) compared to placebo, showing a significant pooling difference ( = 0.002) in erythema index (SMD: -0.35; 95% CI, -0.57 to -0.13; I = 4%, = 0.40) in the random-effects model. The pro-inflammatory signaling pathways through oral supplementation with green tea catechins are an attractive strategy for photo-protection in healthy human subjects and could represent a complementary approach to topical sunscreens. Therefore, studies that involved green tea catechin in topical applications to human subjects were also evaluated separately, and their meta-analysis is presented as a reference. The evidence indicates that regular green tea catechin supplementation is associated with protection against UV-induced damage due to erythema inflammation.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Catechin; Erythema; Flavonoids; Humans; Inflammation; Skin; Sunscreening Agents; Tea; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 34204433
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123702