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The Future of Parasitology
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
Water and food security will become harder to insure because the carrying capacity of the world will be pushed to the limit, with but small tolerances for unexpected outcomes such as droughts or floods. In 2020, a locust outbreak, the largest seen in 70 years, threatened East Africa and India. Furthermore, the health of both food plants and animals will be compromised by parasites, many of which have become resistant to our chemical defenses. It seems almost inevitable that inadequate nutrition if not outright starvation will continue to be a frequent outcome for those living in impoverished areas with marginal rainfall.
Plant Source Foods
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Alkaloids are organic compounds containing at least one nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring and mainly derived from amino acids. In other words, they are named all nitrogen-containing compounds (33–35). Some well-known alkaloids are: caffeine in coffee, tea, kola, and cocoa; nicotine in tobacco leaves; cocaine in coca leaves; morphine, codeine in opium poppy; quinine in the bark of cinchona tree; and atropine in belladonna leaves. Most alkaloids are very toxic and, therefore, have potential functions in the chemical defense against herbivores and microorganisms (33–34). Some of them are used in therapeutics; for example, quinine against malaria, morphine as analgesic, codeine as cough medicine, caffeine as stimulant, atropine as antispasmodic and mydriatic (pupil dilatator) (37). Nicotine, cocaine, and morphine are psychotropic drugs and can cause addiction. Nicotine is used as a green insecticide because it does not harm the environment (34).
Marine Natural Products for Human Health Care
Published in Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria, Megh R. Goyal, Health Benefits of Secondary Phytocompounds from Plant and Marine Sources, 2021
For evaluating the biomedical potential of marine organisms, it is important to know their history of evolution and chemical ecology. The secondary metabolites are assumed to be randomly evolved from primary metabolites. Although it is not clear whether any precise evolutionary pressures have led to chemically rich organisms, yet the surviving organism needs to perfect its chemical defenses during the long periods of evolution. Having a long evolutionary history, the sessile marine invertebrates had plenty of opportunities. Chemical defense mechanisms and potential biomedical activity cannot be directly associated, but in reality, the two correlate well [84].
Development and characterization of gamma ray and EMS induced mutants for powdery mildew resistance in blackgram
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2023
Murugesan Tamilzharasi, Dharmalingam Kumaresan, Venkatesan Thiruvengadam, Jegadeesan Souframanien, T. K. S. Latha, N. Manikanda Boopathi, Palaniappan Jayamani
In contrast, the stomatal density was low in resistant mutants and high in susceptible lines and susceptible check CO 6. The influences of leaf micromorphological traits (trichome density and leaf thickness) on resistance may be due to trichomes defending plant organs as surface structures against various abiotic and biotic stresses. The supportive and defensive functions of these epidermal appendages were essential for organ growth and can be due to the appropriate balance of adequate structural characteristics and chemical reinforcements in the context of phenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids (Karabourniotis et al. 2020). Phenolics are moved to the plant cell wall of trichomes at subsequent stages of development, and also the thickening of the secondary wall. Besides trichome, phenolic mixtures provide a chemical defense along with structural protection on plant surfaces toward pathogens and establish a chemically adverse atmosphere against the entry and spread of pathogens into the interior of the leaf and also hinder the development of most of the fungi (Stavrianakou et al. 2010). These findings are in conformity with previous reports of Soundhiriyan et al. (2019), Devi et al. (2019) in blackgram for MYMV, Murria et al. (2019) in grapevine and Chattopadhyay et al. (2011) in mulberry.
Intramuscular dimethyl trisulfide: efficacy in a large swine model of acute severe cyanide toxicity
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Tara B. Hendry-Hofer, Alyssa E. Witeof, Dennean S. Lippner, Patrick C. Ng, Sari B. Mahon, Matthew Brenner, Gary A. Rockwood, Vikhyat S. Bebarta
Cyanide poisoning remains a major threat to civilians and military personnel worldwide from accidental, as well as intentional exposures [1]. The mechanism of cyanide toxicity is primarily by binding cytochrome c oxidase and inhibiting cellular respiration, causing lactic acidosis, altered mentation, apnea, hypotension, and finally cardiac arrest [2,3]. The threat of cyanide use by terrorists is a major concern of the US chemical defense program, which makes finding a non-intravenous, safe antidote for acute cyanide toxicity a high priority [1]. While effective antidotes are available for treating individual victims, current antidotes must be given intravenously and often in large volumes [2]. Currently, an antidote that could be administered in a mass casualty cyanide poisoning event does not exist, representing a major gap in treating patients in this type of scenario.
Antimicrobial activity of nitrochalcone and pentyl caffeate against hospital pathogens results in decreased microbial adhesion and biofilm formation
Published in Biofouling, 2019
Fernanda Teresinha de Almeida Sayão de Emeri, Pedro Luiz Rosalen, Éder Ramos Paganini, Mayara Aparecida Rocha Garcia, Ana Carolina Nazaré, Josy Goldoni Lazarini, Severino Matias de Alencar, Luis Octávio Regasini, Janaina de Cassia Orlandi Sardi
Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel alternative strategies to combat microbial infections. While there are several classes of antifungal and antibacterial drugs currently available in the pharmaceutical market, some of them are already ineffective against resistant microorganisms (Vaishampayan et al. 2018). In recent years, this has resulted in an increasing interest in the use of naturally occurring products. Some phytochemicals, produced by plants as part of their chemical defense strategies, have been used to develop new antimicrobial agents, which are not as vulnerable as the current drugs to bacterial and fungal resistance mechanisms (Sardi et al. 2011). In addition, plant-derived molecules may present a more effective mechanism of action, fewer side effects, greater potency, tolerance, and lower production costs (Sardi et al. 2016). As reviewed elsewhere, compounds synthesized from plants historically offer an opportunity to discover and develop new antimicrobial agents (Newman and Cragg, 2016).