The most frequent forms of α- and β-degenerate anaemias are characterized by disruption in the formation of globin protein, leading to defective hemoglobin synthesis known as thalassemia, a prevalent hereditary blood disorder. The present study aimed to diagnose hemoglobin A₂ (HbA₂) levels in patients with thalassemia in order to provide a reference for improving thalassemia control strategies. Data were collected from 155 thalassemia patients attending Baghdad Medical City between November 2024 and March 2025. Hematological parameters including red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), hemoglobin A (HbA), hemoglobin A₂ (HbA₂), and fetal hemoglobin (HbF) were analyzed, and relationships among these parameters were evaluated. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed that thalassemia patients had significantly higher mean levels of HbA₂, HbA, and HbF (P ≤ 0.01) compared with the control group. Correlation analysis revealed no significant association between serum ferritin and RBC count in the HbA₂ patient group (P ≤ 0.01). The findings indicate that individuals with β-thalassemia trait typically exhibit normal serum ferritin levels, mildly elevated red blood cell counts, and increased HbA₂ levels.

Iron deficiency is a widespread nutritional problem, particularly in plants grown on calcareous and high pH soils. This study evaluated the impact of foliar application of nano iron oxide (Fe₂O₃ NPs) on the growth, yield attributes, and oil content of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under controlled pot culture conditions in a calcareous vertisol. Treatments included soil-applied ferrous sulphate, foliar-applied conventional ferrous sulphate, and various concentrations of nano-iron oxide (100 to 1500 ppm) applied 30 days after sowing. Among all treatments, foliar application of nano iron @ 1000 ppm recorded the best results, significantly enhancing dry matter production (69.37 g), root parameters, number of pods per plant (58.0), kernels per plant (89.33), pod dry weight (30.5 g/plant), kernel dry weight (23.2 g/plant), oil content (48.1%), oil yield (11.24 g/plant), and crude protein (26.75%). Yield improvement was 46% and 35% higher compared to the recommended practice and foliar FeSO₄ application, respectively. The control treatment showed the lowest performance in all parameters.

Detecting estrus in goats becomes a challenging task in the absence of male goats, as behavioural signs of estrus are often subtle and easily missed. Traditional methods such as visual observation of physiological changes like vulvar edema and cervical mucus discharge may not always be reliable. To address this, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and establish reference values of vaginal electrical resistance (VER) for estrus detection in goats. A total of six goats (N = 6) were used, with their estrus cycles synchronized using progesterone sponges. Behavioural and physiological signs of estrus (viz., buck interest, cervical mucus, and vulvar oedema) and VER were monitored for 22 days, extending through the subsequent estrus cycle. The results revealed significantly lower (P < 0.001) VER values during estrus as compared to other phases of the estrus cycle. The VER values recorded in units (10 units = 1 Ohm) observed during estrous cycle phases were 262.50 ± 12.28 in estrus, 501.33 ± 60.59 in metestrus, 535.64 ± 63.17 in diestrus, and 488.33 ± 51.37 in proestrus. Further, PCA analysis revealed that buck interest and VER values play a more significant role in estrus detection as compared to cervical mucus and vulvar edema. Also, VER across the estrus phase strongly correlated with the physiological estrus signs viz. buck interest and vulvar edema. Based on these findings, we conclude that a reference minimum VER value of 300 units (30 Ω) could be used for estrus detection in Black Bengal and other small-sized goats.

Chelidonium majus L. (family Papaveraceae), widely known as greater celandine, is a valuable plant used in traditional medicine. The present study was aimed to compare the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as the alkaloid composition in different parts of C. majus collected from various locations in Kungei-Alatau region of Kazakhstan. The amount of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capability were determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent, radical (DPPH and ABTS) scavenging, and metal ion reducing (PFRAP) assays. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar disc diffusion technique. The alkaloid composition was characterized by GC-MS. The root samples yielded the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial activity compared to the aerial parts. The root extracts yielded highest scavenging activity in DPPH (1745.37 ± 1.9 μmol TE mL⁻¹), ABTS (917.97 ±10.43 μmol TE mL⁻¹), and PFRAP value (18.93 ± 0.14 mmol AAE mL⁻¹) as well as exhibited highest phenolic content (2617.62 ±5.53 μg GAE mL⁻¹). The root extracts also showed largest inhibition zone (33.0 ±0.82 mm) against Bacillus subtilis. A total of 26 alkaloids, including chelidonine, demethylchelerythrine, dihydro-chelerythrine, dihydrochelirubine, and dihydrosanguinarine, were identified. The results indicated that the roots of C. majus possess more biologically active component than its other plant parts.

Legume root nodules are inhabited by numerous symbiotic endophytes which impact the plant growth and development. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is one of the most widely grown legume crops in the Jhum fields of Nagaland (India). However, the information on root nodule endophytes of cowpea grown in Jhum (slash and burn) ecosystem is lacking. With the aim to decipher the root nodule micro-symbionts, in the present study, 17 endophytic bacteria were isolated from the root nodules of cowpea. These isolates were clustered into two major groups, constituting eight sub-groups based on RADP-fingerprinting using nif-directed RPO1 primer. Eight unique isolates representing each sub-group were selected for 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Sequence analysis using BLASTn revealed that these isolates belonged to either Enterobacter or Bacillus species. The presence of these bacteria in root nodules suggests some vital role of non-rhizobial endophytes in the legume root nodule biology.

Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) is responsible for higher rate of dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya in tropical and subtropical areas including India. We have examined the presence of bioactive compounds and larvicidal capability of Parthenium hysterophorus (P. hysterophorus) arial part extracts in the solvents of acetone, methanol and hexane against A. aegypti. Fully fed larva were collected from different residential areas of Gorakhpur and identified as A. aegypti larvae. Four aliquots 250, 500, 750 and 1000, mg/L used for 50% to 95% mortality in 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours (h). Phytochemical analysis revealed that methanol extract had maximum rich in saponin, flavonoid, terpenoid, alkaloid and phenols followed by acetone. But, hexane extracts showed only terpenoid and alkaloid activity. The hexane solvent extract showed the LC50 and LC90 were 1920.05, 1496.72, 979.83, 337.84 and 18883.78, 14213.81, 16754.35 and 1246.1 4, mg/L in 24 to 96 h, respectively. Acetone extracts also showed similar values. However, the methanolic extracts had the LC50 and LC90 as 1351.14, 1029,62, 657.77, 226.29 and 5618.12, 5995.96, 2860.23, 804.75. mg/L from 24-96 h. Our study showed that arial part of P. hysterophorus exhibited maximum toxicity in methanol solvent followed by acetone and hexane against A. aegypti larvae.

Malaria is still a global concern with around 214 million annual cases and 430,000 annual deaths, mainly among of children younger than 5. Now a days people mostly dependent on the herbal based remedies to cure this type of diseseases and currently most preferred therapy is artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). The genus Artemisia annua L., one of the largest genera belonging to the Compositae family consisting of more than 350 species. One important tool for creating unique genetic variation in crops, functional genomics, and breeding is the use of chemical mutagens. They are useful since they can cause a high mutation frequency and don't need any specialist equipment. Chemical mutagens produce point mutations as opposed to deletions or translocations as compared to physical techniques. Point mutations can affect gene expression in a variety of ways, from knockouts to modifications in amino acids that may have a minor impact on the function of proteins. The experimental procedure for induced EMS mutagenesis, Williams et al. was followed and triple technical repeats of three different percentages of EMS (Ethyl methane Sulphonate) doses (0.10%, 0.30%, 0.50%) and a control dose (0% EMS) were applied. the process of screening mutants frequently revealed the presence of several allelic mutants generated by EMS. Present study resultant displayed that EMS lower doses will prove to be a revolutionary mutant for creating new variation as EMS mutagenesis enables cost-effective and high-throughput generation of mutations, greatly accelerating plant genomes research and facilitating the advancement of molecular breeding for plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress.

Chitin is the second-largest polymer in world after cellulose, which can be broken down by chitinase enzymes. Microbes have great promise and sustainability in chitinase production at industrial level. The present study was aimed to produce and partially purify the chitinase from an endophytic bacterium Bacillus cereus CE3. The B. cereus CE3 was isolated from its host Coleus amboinicus. followed by improving the production medium by using one factor at a time, Plackett-Burman and response surface methodologies. Further, enzyme was purified by using various extraction and chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme was analysed for its antifungal activities. The study revealed that B. cereus CE3 yielded three-fold chitinase when the variables like yeast extract, fermentation time, and orange peel powder were standardized during statistical optimization of medium, as suggested by Plackett-Burman and Response surface methodologies. In optimized medium the overall yield of chitinase enzyme was 44.87%, and the enzyme was purified three-fold by using precipitation, dialysis and column chromatography. The molecular weight of partially purified chitinase was ~43 kDa as per SDS-PAGE analysis. The stability and efficiency of enzyme and its activity revealed that the enzyme was alkaline and mesophilic in nature. It showed antifungal activity by inhibiting the growth of Fusarium sp., and Aspergillus sp. The partially purified endophytic chitinase can be used as an active ingredient in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products as a biocontrol agent.

The continuous release of heavy metal pollutants into soil through human activities posesthreat to both macro- and micro-organisms within the ecosystem. Functional metatranscriptomics is a robust method for discovering novel genes associated with a particular biological process. In this study, functional meta transcriptomic approach was employed to isolate a gene from size-fractionated cDNA libraries of micro-eukaryotes. The cDNA libraries were raised using high-quality RNA from heavy metal-contaminated soil. The identified gene aligned with Nramp (Natural resistance associated macrophage protein) family. The gene, JMC-10, was submitted to GenBank under Accession No. OR882126, and it encodes a protein with high sequence similarity to other Nramp family members, including Smf1p, Smf2p, and Smf3p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To study the function of JMC-10 gene, a series of growth assays were conducted in yeast cells that either overexpressed JMC-10 or carried a deletion of gene. The study revealed the putative role of JMC-10 in the transportation of divalent metal ions, including iron, manganese, zinc and cadmium. Notably, the overexpression of JMC-10 was induced by exposure to toxic levels of cadmium, suggesting it’s potential role in metal detoxification. The study provides new intuitions into the roles of Nramp family in metal homeostasis and highlights the potentiality of functional metatranscriptomics for identifying new genes having crucial roles in complex biological processes. Further, it may serve as a biomarker for identifying metal pollution.

Medicinal plants continue to be a crucial source of safe, less toxic, economical, available, and reliable natural medicine supplies all over the world. Balanites aegyptiaca Del. (Zygophyllaceae), commonly known as the "desert date", is a thorny shrub or tree found in arid parts of Africa and South Asia. It has traditionally been used to cure a variety of maladies such as wounds, haemorrhoids, jaundice, syphilis, intestinal worm infection, malaria, dysentery, constipation, diarrhoea, stomachaches, asthma, and fever. The fruits of B. aegyptiaca are highly effective as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and anticancer. However, the safety and effectiveness of B. aegyptiaca have not beencompletely studied in humans, so additional well-planned clinical trials are required to corroborate preclinical findings. The WHO has stressed on continued research on medical plants since products derived from plants will continue to be in demand. Searches were conducted on Google Scholar, Science Direct, Google.com, Wiley, PubMed, Hindawi, Springer, and other relevant databases for research publications on B. aegyptiaca. Duplicate publications including thesis papers, and reviews of B. aegyptiaca were excluded This review presents a thorough overview of current information on the therapeutic characteristics of B. aegyptiaca with a focus on its biological activities. It briefly examines its traditional usage, taxonomy, and biological evaluation.