Targeting salt stress coping mechanisms for stress tolerance in Brassica: A research perspective

Brassica genus comprises numerous cultivated brassica species with various economic importance. Salt stress is an overwhelming problem causing serious losses in Brassica species (e.g. B. napus, B. rapa, B. oleracea, B. juncea) growth and grain yield production by inducing ionic and ROS toxicity. Given that a significant variation exists in salt tolerance level in Brassica genus, Brassica species exhibited numerous salt tolerance mechanisms which were either overlooked or given less importance to improve and understand innate salt stress tolerance mechanism in Brassica species. In this review, we tried to highlight the importance and recent findings relating to some overlooked and potential mechanisms such as role of neurotransmitters, and role of cytosolic Ca²⁺ and ROS as signaling elements to enhance salt stress tolerance. Studies revealed that salt tolerant brassica species retained more K⁺ in leaf mesophyll which confers overall salinity tolerance in salt tolerance brassica species. Neurotransmitter such as melatonin, dopamiane and eATP regulates K⁺ and Ca²⁺ permeable ion channels and plays a very crucial role in ionic homeostasis under salinity stress in brassica. At the end, the numerous possible salt stress agronomic strategies were also discussed to mitigate the severity of the salt stress in Brassica species.

Physiological response of spinach to toxic heavy metal stress

This study was carried out to investigate the concentration of two heavy metals, i.e., mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) in soil and plant. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) was used as a test vegetable in a pot experiment. Five spiked concentrations of both the metals along with sewage water were used as treatments. The analyses of the metals were determined in two cuttings. The results showed significant effect of treatments on the concentration of the two metals in soil and plant. The concentrations of As recorded were higher in 1st spinach cutting and reduced in the second harvest. However, comparing the two metal concentrations, it was found that As was absorbed greater as compared with Hg. Analyzing the plant growth parameter, it was found that metal stress has significantly influenced the plant growth. In sewage water pots, As was significantly higher than Hg. The transfer factor from soil to plant showed higher As in plants at lower concentration, but at higher As levels, the transfer rate declined, while Hg showed it was completely inverse. Positive correlation was found between soil applied metal concentration and plant uptake. It may be concluded from the above results that spinach is a good accumulator of heavy metals and has shown significant result of both As and Hg accumulation in plant. The concentration increased with the increasing concentration in soil.

Review - Ricinus cmmunis - Ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities

Ricinus cmmunis L. (Castor oil plant) is an important medicinal plant belonging to family Euphorbiaceae. Its phytochemistry, biological and pharmacological activities, and ethnomedicinal uses have been reviewed in the present study. The reported chemical constituents showed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, terpenoids, phytosterol etc. The compounds have been reported to exhibit anticonceptive, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, insecticidal and wound-healing activities. They also showed free radical scavenging and Hg scavenging activities, and repellent properties. Various parts of R. communis have been widely used in traditional medicine such as abdominal disorders, arthritis, backache, muscle aches, bilharziasis, chronic backache and sciatica, chronic headache, constipation, expulsion of placenta, gallbladder pain, period pain, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, sleeplessness, and insomnia. Castor oil plant has also revealed toxic effects due to the presence of ricin (protein) and ricinine (alkaloid). Comparatively, ricin is more toxic. But still there is need of more research to be conducted with reference to its medicinal importance (particularly exploring of medicinal recipes) and active compounds responsible for various activities.

Anaesthetic management of two different modes of delivery in patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is an inherited severe bullous condition characterised by extreme skin fragility and blistering in response to minor trauma. We present two obstetric cases with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, one who underwent elective caesarean section, the other who delivered vaginally. The key points in the anaesthetic management of the obstetric patient with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa include multidisciplinary preassessment, airway management strategies and the role of regional anaesthesia.

Growth and yield of rice as affected by transplanting dates and seedlings per hill under high temperature of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Studies were initiated for two consecutive years to find out the effect of time of transplanting and seedlings hill(-1) on the productivity of rice in Dera Ismail Khan district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements. Main plots consisted of four transplanting dates viz. 20th and 27th of June and 4th and 11th of July while sub-plots contained 1, 2, 3 or 4 seedlings hill(-1). Among transplanting dates, June 20th planted crop gave highest paddy yield and net return with 1 seedling hill(-1). It explains that the use of more seedlings hill(-1) not only adds to cost but is also a mere wastage of natural resources. Based on research findings, we conclude that the use of 1 seedling hill(-1) is most appropriate for timely sowing otherwise 4 seedlings hill(-1) should be used to compensate for the yield gap in late transplanted rice.

Effect of seedling age and water depth on morphological and physiological aspects of transplanted rice under high temperature

To study the effect of high temperature, rice seedlings 20, 30, 40 and 50 d were kept at 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm water depth in a water pool. Meteorological findings indicated that water temperature varied up to 10 cm but became stable below this depth. Deep water inflicted higher tiller mortality, minimal increase in dry weight of aerial parts and leaf area, decrease in root length, and decrease in root dry weight especially at 20 cm water depth and produced an unbalanced T/R ratio (top versus root dry weight). However, deep water tended to increase plant length. These parameters, however, excel in shallow water. Older seedlings, with the exception of root dry weight, could not perform well compared to young seedlings in all physiological and morphological aspects. The study revealed that seedlings, particularly young ones, stand well in shallow water and can cope with high temperature.

Analgesia for adenotonsillectomy in children and young adults: a comparison of tramadol, pethidine and nalbuphine

A prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled study was undertaken to compare the perioperative analgesic and recovery characteristics of equipotent doses of tramadol, pethidine and nalbuphine (3.0 mg kg-1, 1.5 mg kg-1 and 0.3 mg kg-1 respectively) with placebo (saline 0.02 ml kg-1) given at induction of anaesthesia in 152 ASA 1 children and young adults undergoing tonsillo-adenoidectomy. Premedication (temazepam and diclofenac), induction and maintenance of anaesthesia (thiopentone, atracurium, nitrous oxide and isoflurane), with controlled ventilation, were standardized. Variables monitored were heart rate (HR) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) during surgery, time to recovery of spontaneous respiration at the termination of anaesthesia and restlessness, time to awakening, sedation and emesis in the recovery unit. Increases in HR or SAP > 33% of baseline during surgery were treated with esmolol 2.0 mg kg-1 intravenously (i.v.) and restlessness during recovery was treated with the same opioid i.v. given with an aesthesia, or pethidine i.v. in the placebo group. With placebo, there was a high requirement for esmolol during surgery and for pethidine in the recovery ward. Tramadol did not reduce the rate of intra-operative treatment with esmolol, but reduced the tramadol requirement during recovery (P < 0.05). Pethidine and nalbuphine reduced the intra-operative esmolol requirement more significantly (P < 0.025 and P < 0.005 respectively) and the need for treatment during recovery with opioids (P < 0.005 each). The time to recovery of spontaneous respiration at the end of anaesthesia was only delayed by pethidine. Other recovery variables were similar, except that restlessness-pain scores were reduced by tramadol (P < 0.02), pethidine (P < 0.005) and nalbuphine (P < 0.005). These results suggest that pethidine 1.5 mg kg-1 and nalbuphine 0.3 mg kg-1 given with induction of anaesthesia provide better analgesia during and after tonsillo-adenoidectomy than does tramadol 3.0 mg kg-1. The delay to recovery of spontaneous respiration with pethidine suggests a greater safety profile of nalbuphine and tramadol.

The effects of tramadol on postoperative nausea, vomiting and headache after ENT surgery. A placebo-controlled comparison with equipotent doses of nalbuphine and pethidine

BACKGROUND

Opioids given as adjuncts to balanced inhalational anaesthesia augment postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Tramadol, equipotent to pethidine, does not depress respiration, but can cause an increase in blood pressure and headache via its monoaminergic actions. Nalbuphine, ten times as potent as pethidine, has a ceiling respiratory depressant and ceiling analgesic effect at > 0.3 mg.kg-1. We compared the effects of equipotent doses of tramadol and nalbuphine (3.0 and 0.3 mg.kg-1, respectively) given as analgesic with induction of anaesthesia on emesis during recovery from anaesthesia and on PONV and headache until 24 h after ENT surgery, using saline (0.2 ml.kg-1) and an equipotent dose of pethidine (1.5 mg.kg-1) as controls.

METHOD

The study population (N = 281) comprised 4 comparable subgroups (N = 69 to 71 each). Anaesthetic medications were standardised. Emesis during recovery from anaesthesia and nausea, vomiting, retching, headache and administrations of antiemetic and analgesics until 24 h after surgery were recorded.

RESULTS

Emesis and antiemetic requirements during recovery from anaesthesia were similar and infrequent in each group, as were the incidences of nausea alone (3 to 5%), vomiting alone (17 to 31%), and nausea with vomiting (10 to 22%) during the first 24 h after surgery. However, any complaint of PONV was least frequent in the saline and pethidine groups (32% and 37%, respectively) and most frequent in the tramadol and nalbuphine groups (49% and 52%, respectively; P < 0.05 versus saline, both comparisons; P = NS versus pethidine, both comparisons). The times to onset and severity of PONV were similar in each group, but patients given nalbuphine most frequently (P < 0.025) needed rescue antiemetic to treat PONV. Headache occurred with similar frequency in each group.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that tramadol, nalbuphine and pethidine have similar emetic effect in the doses and manner used, and that tramadol does not increase the incidence of post-operative headache when used as peroperative analgesic.