Natural Stimulation Research Articles

Potential role of algae extract as a natural stimulating for wheat production under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates and water deficit

Deficit irrigation is a good strategy to increase water use efficiency. For this purpose, two field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 at Research and Production Station of the National Research Centre, El-Nubaria El-Behera Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the response of wheat plant to algae extract foliar application (1.5 g/L) under different nitrogen fertilizerrates (80, 60 and 40 kg/faddan) amounting to 100%, 75% and 50% of the recommended rate and water deficit (100% and75% of ETc). Results show that, water deficit (75% of ETc) significantly decreased vegetative growth, yield and its components compared to unstressed plants. On the other hand, fertilizing wheat plants with 75 and 100% of the nitrogen dose significantly enhanced plant growth, yield and its components compared to fertilizing with 50% ofthe recommended nitrogen dose. Furthermore, algae extract treatment significantly increased the previous parameters. As for the third order interaction, results showed that, the highest values of yield components were recorded under 100% ETc and treated with (algae extract) under 100% of the recommended nitrogen dose. Moreover, under drought stress and lower nitrogen levels (60 and 40 kg/faddan), algae extract could alleviate partially the reduced effect of drought stress and lower nitrogen levels on growth and productivity. It could be concluded that foliar spray with 1.5 g/L of algae extract were found to be highly recommendedfor improving wheat growth and productivity under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates (60 kg/faddan) and water deficit (75% of ETc).

Economic and biological value of medicinal and fodder herbs for feed production

The relevance of the research lies in the need to involve in the feed production of grass species containing biologically active substances for use as natural animal growth stimulants. The purpose of the study was to experimentally establish the economic and biological value of medicinal and fodder grass species, their technological suitability for growing in clean crops, obtaining raw materials and forming phyto-mixtures from them for use as organic feed additives. In the course of conducting research, the following methods were used: field, laboratory, analytical, and statistical. The economic and biological value for the growth of the following types of medicinal herbs in the feed production was determined: hyssop, fennel, white horehound, Moldavian dragonhead, coriander, yarrow, purple coneflower, dandelion, milk thistle, anise hyssop, St. John’s wort, sneezeweed, sweet wormwood. It was established that annuals in the year of sowing, and perennial species in the second or fourth years of use provided a dry mass of grasses – 1.7-5.0 t/ha and seeds – 0.3-1.8 t/ha. These types of herbs contain biologically active substances (polysaccharides, essential oils, flavonoids, organic acids, mainly vitamins, and trace elements) that have a positive effect on the animal body. The technological suitability for harvesting raw materials and forming phyto-mixtures of the following species is also proved: milk thistle, Moldavian dragonhead, coriander, hyssop, fennel, purple coneflower, anise hyssop, white horehound, and yarrow. As a result of the research, a database was created on the selection of medicinal herbs, their technological suitability for cultivation, and optimal harvesting times for harvesting raw materials with subsequent use in feed production. The inclusion of medicinal and feed species in feeding rations can ensure the production of organic livestock products that meet the requirements of the European Green Deal strategy

The Effects of Laurencia caspica Algae Extract on Hemato-Immunological Parameters, Antioxidant Defense, and Resistance against Streptococcus agalactiae in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Natural immune stimulants are among the most effective chemicals for boosting immunity and fish welfare. This study aims to investigate the effects of red macroalgae extract (Laurencia caspica) on hematological, immunological, antioxidant, biochemical, and disease resistance against S. agalactiae in Nile tilapia for 50 days. For this purpose, fishes were assigned to four dietary treatments group in which the base meal was supplemented with 0.5%, 1%, and 2% of L. caspica extract. On days 25 and 50 of the experiment, samples were taken to investigate the hematological, immunological, biochemical, and antioxidant parameters. The white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin, and neutrophils significantly increased after 50 days of feeding with the L. caspica extract, but until the 25th day, no significant difference was observed among the treatments except for hemoglobin. Immunological parameters (including Immunoglobulin M [IgM] and complement 3 [C3]) were significantly higher in treated groups compared to control both 25 days and 50 days posttreatment. However, on the 25th day, no significant difference was noticed between treatments and control in the case of lysozyme activity. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) considerably increased in comparison to the control group on the 50th day, but no significant difference was observed on the 25th day. In addition, feeding with L. caspica significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activities on the 25th day (L. caspica 1% and 2% in peroxidase [POD] and superoxide dismutase [SOD] in all groups) and 50th day (catalase [CAT], SOD and L. caspica 1% and 2% in POD) in the spleen. The survival rate of fish challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae was considerably greater than the control group. Finally, it can be concluded that L. caspica extract is an immunological stimulant that induces fish resistance to S. agalactiae.

EFFECT OF SOME UNFAVORABLE BEHAVIORAL TRAITS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF BROILER CHICKS

This study was carried out on a poultry farm in the Department of Animal Production – College of Agriculture - University of Anbar, the experiment aimed to determine broiler chicks' undesired behavior, including fear, gathering, and isolation. Seventy-five unsexed chicks were used that belong to strain Ross 308 with the age of one day. Chicks were randomly distributed to five replications, each replicate contained 15 chicks. The fear behavior was studied by observing the situation in which the chicks of each repeater are present at different times of the day when observing the chicks, we counted the number of isolated chicks, that is, located at the corners of the field, and recorded them, considering that they were very afraid. Chicks that are a little far from the corner were considered Medium afraid, and those that are farther away from the corner are a little afraid. As for the chicks that are spread out, far from the corners and walls, they are considered natural and not afraid, this is what was applied to each repeater (color) and at each of the specified times to take Data per day during the trial period. The results showed significant differences between the treatments in each of the traits of fear, grouping, and isolation due to the natural stimulator (sound) to broiler chicks.

The potency of propolis extract as anti-inflammatory agent for stimulation of reparative dentin formation

Background: As an effort to treat a deep caries lesion with a diagnosis of reversible pulpitis, one of the treatment options is pulp capping. For decades, calcium hydroxide has been considered the most acceptable pulp capping material and has been routinely used in dental practice, but it also has some weakness. To overcome that, alternative materials are needed that can provide a better effect. Recently, a lot of research has been done using natural ingredients, including Propolis. Propolis has been known to have strong antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a deeper study regarding the potency of propolis extract as an anti inflammatory agent for the stimulation of reparative dentin formation so that it can be considered to be used as a pulp capping material. Objective: The aim of this literature review is to highlight the potency of propolis extract as anti inflammatory agent in the natural stimulation of reparative dentin formation. Methods: The search strategy consist of an electronic research using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, dan Springer Link for studies published from 2003 to 2021 regarding the potency of propolis extract as anti inflammatory agent for stimulation of reparative dentin formation, including review articles and research articles. Results: Propolis and its constituents have been proven to be used as a potent natural anti inflammatory, it also considered to have the ability to promote reparative dentin formation. However, there are some literatures stated that reparative dentin does not form with the application of propolis, and the causes may vary. Conclusion: Propolis extract has a potency as an anti inflammatory agent in dental pulp inflammation by inhibiting TNFα expression, and increasing TGF-β1 expression, as well as its potency in stimulating the formation of reparative dentin. Based on this review, further studies are needed.

Reduced Striatal Dopamine Transporter Availability and Heightened Response to Natural and Pharmacological Stimulation in CCK-1R-Deficient Obese Rats.

Alterations in dopamine neurotransmission are associated with obesity and food preferences. Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats that lack functional cholecystokinin receptor type-1 (CCK-1R), due to a natural mutation, exhibit impaired satiation, are hyperphagic, and become obese. In addition, compared to lean control Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) rats, OLETF rats have pronounced avidity for over-consuming palatable sweet solutions, have greater dopamine release to psychostimulants, reduced dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) binding, and exhibit increased sensitivity to sucrose reward. This supports altered dopamine function in this strain and its general preference for palatable solutions such as sucrose. In this study, we examined the relationship between OLETF's hyperphagic behavior and striatal dopamine signaling by investigating basal and amphetamine stimulated motor activity in prediabetic OLETF rats before and after access to sucrose solution (0.3 M) compared to non-mutant control LETO rats, as well as availability of dopamine transporter (DAT) using autoradiography. In the sucrose tests, one group of OLETF rats received ad libitum access to sucrose while the other group received an amount of sucrose equal to that consumed by the LETO. OLETFs with ad libitum access consumed significantly more sucrose than LETOs. Sucrose exerted a biphasic effect on basal activity in both strains, i.e., reduced activity for 1 week followed by increased activity in weeks 2 and 3. Basal locomotor activity was reduced (-17%) in OLETFs prior to sucrose, compared to LETOs. Withdrawal of sucrose resulted in increased locomotor activity in both strains. The magnitude of this effect was greater in OLETFs and the activity was increased in restricted compared to ad-libitum-access OLETFs. Sucrose access augmented AMPH-responses in both strains with a greater sensitization to AMPH during week 1, an effect that was a function of the amount of sucrose consumed. One week of sucrose withdrawal sensitized AMPH-induced ambulatory activity in both strains. In OLETF with restricted access to sucrose, withdrawal resulted in no further sensitization to AMPH. DAT availability in the nucleus accumbens shell was significantly reduced in OLETF compared with aged-matched LETO. Together, these findings show that OLETF rats have reduced basal DA transmission and a heightened response to natural and pharmacological stimulation.

TrpA1 is a shear stress mechanosensing channel regulating intestinal stem cell proliferation in Drosophila

Adult stem cells are essential for tissue maintenance and repair. Although genetic pathways for controlling adult stem cells are extensively investigated in various tissues, much less is known about how mechanosensing could regulate adult stem cells and tissue growth. Here, we demonstrate that shear stress sensing regulates intestine stem cell proliferation and epithelial cell number in adult Drosophila. Ca2+ imaging in ex vivo midguts shows that shear stress, but not other mechanical forces, specifically activates enteroendocrine cells among all epithelial cell types. This activation is mediated by transient receptor potential A1 (TrpA1), a Ca2+-permeable channel expressed in enteroendocrine cells. Furthermore, specific disruption of shear stress, but not chemical, sensitivity of TrpA1 markedly reduces proliferation of intestinal stem cells and midgut cell number. Therefore, we propose that shear stress may act as a natural mechanical stimulation to activate TrpA1 in enteroendocrine cells, which, in turn, regulates intestine stem cell behavior.

Application of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck as a Biostimulant for Growing Cucumber Seedlings in Hydroponics.

Hydroponics is a promising method for growing agricultural plants and is especially relevant in the context of global climate change. Microscopic algae, including Chlorella vulgaris, has great potential for use in hydroponic systems as natural growth stimulators. The effect of the suspension of an authentic strain of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck on the length of cucumber shoots and roots, as well as its dry biomass, was studied. During cultivation in a Knop medium with the addition of Chlorella suspension, the length of the shoots was shortened from 11.30 to 8.15 cm, while the length of the roots also decreased from 16.41 to 10.59 cm. At the same time, the biomass of the roots increased from 0.04 to 0.05 g. The data obtained indicate the positive effect of the suspension of the Chlorella vulgaris authentic strain on the dry biomass of cucumber plants in hydroponic conditions and make it possible to recommend this strain for use when growing plants in hydroponic systems.

Model-based estimation of the health care expenditure and out-of-pocket payment for assisted reproductive technology: A retrospective linkage study using the Japanese national ART registry.

From April 2022, the Japanese government funding system for assisted reproductive technology (ART) has shifted from government subsidies to universal health insurance. To date, studies estimating the health care expenditure for ART are scarce. We estimated health care expenditures for ART cycles and compared the proportion of patients' out-of-pocket payment by ovarian stimulation protocols under the Japanese government subsidy system. We linked payment information for government subsidies in Saitama Prefecture during 2016 and 2017 with the Japanese ART registry. Health care expenditures for all treatment cycles in Japan during 2017 among women aged <43 years (n = 369 757) were estimated using a generalized linear model. We linked 6269 subsidy applications to the Japanese ART registry. The average treatment fee for a fresh cycle was 376 434 JPY (standard deviation = 159 581). However, significant variation was observed across ovarian stimulation protocols. The estimated health care expenditure for ART during 2017 was 101 278 629 888 JPY (920 714 817 USD), leading to a 0.24% increase in the national health care expenditure for fiscal year 2017. Fresh cycles accounted for 70% of the expenditure. The proportion of the average patient out-of-pocket payment for one treatment cycle was smaller for natural (0%) and mild ovarian stimulation using clomiphene citrate (4.5%-20.7%) than those of conventional stimulation (30.3%-32.4%). Health insurance coverage for ART would increase national health care expenditure by 0.24%. Under the subsidy system, the proportion of the average patient out-of-pocket payment was smaller for natural and mild ovarian stimulation than conventional stimulations.

Microstimulation of sensory cortex engages natural sensory representations

Cortical activity patterns occupy a small subset of possible network states. If this is due to intrinsic network properties, microstimulation of sensory cortex should evoke activity patterns resembling those observed during natural sensory input. Here, we use optical microstimulation of virally transfected layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the mouse primary vibrissal somatosensory cortex to compare artificially evoked activity with natural activity evoked by whisker touch and movement ("whisking"). We find that photostimulation engages touch- but not whisking-responsive neurons more than expected by chance. Neurons that respond to photostimulation and touch or to touch alone exhibit higher spontaneous pairwise correlations than purely photoresponsive neurons. Exposure to several days of simultaneous touch and optogenetic stimulation raises both overlap and spontaneous activity correlations among touch and photoresponsive neurons. We thus find that cortical microstimulation engages existing cortical representations and that repeated co-presentationof natural and artificial stimulation enhances this effect.

도시환경에서 자연의 시각적 자극 유형별 바이오필릭 효과

This study attempted to investigate the biophilic effect of nature’s visual stimulation when urban sounds exist in the background. For this purpose, human psychological changes by visual stimulus were investigated through experiments and user surveys. In addition, it was investigated whether nature’s visual stimulation has a biophilic effect that offsets urban auditory stimulation. Therefore, the experimental stimulation of this study can be divided into two types. Experimental stimulation A is a combination of actual photographs of nature and urban auditory Stimulation. Experimental stimulation B is a combination of natural patterns designed with natural motifs and urban auditory stimulation. The investigation tools for investigating the biophilic effect are Profile of Mood State (POMS) and Semantic Differential Meed (SD). As a result of the psychological response of natural visual stimuli, it can be judged that natural photographs, which are natural visual stimuli (a), have a positive (+) biophilic effect even when urban auditory stimuli are present together. Natural visual stimuli ((b), a pattern of nature, also improves the overall mood state even though urban stimulation exists together. Also, it is an element with a biophilic effect that makes you feel positive emotions, sincerity, comfort, and natural feelings. The two experimental stimuli, natural photographs, which are natural visual stimuli (a), and natural patterns, which are natural visual stimuli (b), differ by stimulus. However, both stimuli lower the mood of negative emotions and increase the mood of positive emotions to stabilize the whole. It also gives a sense of psychological stability by making you feel calm, comfortable, and natural. Therefore, it can be seen that both stimuli can have a biophilic effect that helps stress recovery. It also has the power to offset the city’s stimulus even though it is given the city’s auditory stimulus. It is expected to play an important role in providing psychological stability in urban interior design. In particular, in the case of natural visual stimulation (b), that is, designed natural visual stimulation, the effect has never been verified in previous studies. However, in this study, physiological and psychological experimental studies on natural patterns were conducted. Therefore, natural patterns are similar to natural photographs. It is meaningful because it has been verified that natural pattern design can also be helpful in stress recovery and stability.

Organic amendments alter microbiota assembly to stimulate soil metabolism for improving soil quality in wheat-maize rotation system

Straw retention (SR) and organic fertilizer (OF) application contribute to improve soil quality, but it is unclear how the soil microbial assemblage under organic amendments mediate soil biochemical metabolism pathways to perform it. This study collected soil samples from wheat field under different application of fertilizer (chemical fertilizer, as control; SR, and OF) in North China Plain, and systematically investigated the interlinkages among microbe assemblages, metabolites, and physicochemical properties. Results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC) and permanganate oxidizable organic carbon (LOC) in soil samples followed the trend as OF > SR > control, and the activity of C-acquiring enzymes presented significantly positive correlation with SOC and LOC. In organic amendments, bacteria and fungi community were respectively dominated by deterministic and stochastic processes, while OF exerted more selective pressure on soil microbe. Compared with SR, OF had greater potential to boost the microbial community robustness through increasing the natural connectivity and stimulating fungal taxa activities in inter-kingdom microbial networks. Altogether 67 soil metabolites were significantly affected by organic amendments, most of them belonged to benzenoids (Ben), lipids and lipid-like molecules (LL), and organic acids and derivatives (OA). These metabolites were mainly derived from lipid and amino acid metabolism pathways. A list of keystone genera such as stachybotrys and phytohabitans were identified as important to soil metabolites, SOC, and C-acquiring enzyme activity. Structural equation modeling showed that soil quality properties were closely associated with LL, OA, and PP drove by microbial community assembly and keystone genera. Overall, these findings suggested that straw and organic fertilizer might drive keystone genera dominated by determinism to mediate soil lipid and amino acid metabolism for improving soil quality, which provided new insights into understanding the microbial-mediated biological process in amending soil quality.

Binocular 3-D otolith-ocular reflexes: responses of chinchillas to natural and prosthetic stimulation after ototoxic injury and vestibular implantation.

The otolith end organs inform the brain about gravitational and linear accelerations, driving the otolith-ocular reflex (OOR) to stabilize the eyes during translational motion (e.g., moving forward without rotating) and head tilt with respect to gravity. We previously characterized OOR responses of normal chinchillas to whole body tilt and translation and to prosthetic electrical stimulation targeting the utricle and saccule via electrodes implanted in otherwise normal ears. Here we extend that work to examine OOR responses to tilt and translation stimuli after unilateral intratympanic gentamicin injection and to natural/mechanical and prosthetic/electrical stimulation delivered separately or in combination to animals with bilateral vestibular hypofunction after right ear intratympanic gentamicin injection followed by surgical disruption of the left labyrinth at the time of electrode implantation. Unilateral intratympanic gentamicin injection decreased natural OOR response magnitude to about half of normal, without markedly changing OOR response direction or symmetry. Subsequent surgical disruption of the contralateral labyrinth at the time of electrode implantation surgery further decreased OOR magnitude during natural stimulation, consistent with bimodal-bilateral otolith end organ hypofunction (ototoxic on the right ear, surgical on the left ear). Delivery of pulse frequency- or pulse amplitude-modulated prosthetic/electrical stimulation targeting the left utricle and saccule in phase with whole body tilt and translation motion stimuli yielded responses closer to normal than the deficient OOR responses of those same animals in response to head tilt and translation alone.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous studies to expand the scope of prosthetic stimulation of the otolith end organs showed that selective stimulation of the utricle and saccule is possible. This article further defines those possibilities by characterizing a diseased animal model and subsequently studying its responses to electrical stimulation alone and in combination with mechanical motion. We show that we can partially restore responses to tilt and translation in animals with unilateral gentamicin ototoxic injury and contralateral surgical disruption.

Dr. Junichi Hachisuka

Dr. Junichi Hachisuka is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, School of Psychology and Neuroscience in Scotland. After he graduated from Nagoya University, School of Medicine, he started his career as a dermatologist at Kyushu University in 2002. Then, he was interested in the neural mechanism of itch and began his research in 2005 as a graduate student at Kyushu University. In 2012, he became a postdoc at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed a new preparation that allows recording the spinal sensory neuron's activity in response to natural stimulation to the skin. Now he has his own lab at the University of Glasgow.

Seed priming with essential oils for sustainable wheat agriculture in semi-arid region.

Drought is one of the major constraints to global crop production. A number of sustainable systems have focused on the development of environmentally friendly innovative biotechnological interventions to prevent yield losses. The use of essential oils as a seed priming agent can make an important contribution as a natural stimulant in increasing drought stress tolerance. This study focuses on the effects of seeds coated with different doses (D0 (0%), D1 (0.01%), D2 (0.05%), D3 (0.10%) and D4 (0.25%)) of sage, rosemary and lavender essential oils on wheat germination, seedling establishment and yield parameters. Turkey's local wheat genotype Köse was used as plant material. The impact of the seed priming on germination rate, coleoptile length, shoot length, root length, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, relative water content (RWC), proline, and chlorophyll contents was assessed in laboratory experiments. In addition, the effect of essential oil types on yield parameters and agronomic components (plant height, spike height, number of grains per spike, grain yield per spike, grain yield per unit area, thousand-grain weight) was evaluated in a field experiment during the 2019-2020 crop seasons in a semi-arid climate. According to laboratory results, the highest germination rate among all treatment doses was determined in the D2 treatment (rosemary 93.30%, sage 94.00% and lavender 92.50%), while the lowest germination rates for all essential oil types were determined in the D4 treatment (rosemary 41.70%, sage 40.90% and lavender 40.90%). Increasing treatment doses showed a similar suppressive effect on the other parameters. In the field experiment, the highest grain yield (256.52 kg/da) and thousand-grain weight (43.30 g) were determined in the rosemary treatment. However, the priming treatment has an insignificant on the number of grains per spike and the spike length. The light of these results, the effects of essential oil types and doses on yield parameters were discussed. The findings highlight the importance of using essential oils in seed priming methods for sustainable agricultural practices.

Research progress in natural gas hydrate reservoir stimulation

Natural gas hydrate (hereinafter referred to as hydrate) is a kind of future energy with great potential. At present, the apparent factor hindering commercial hydrate development is the unqualified gas production rate, so it is necessary to research stimulation means from the perspective of hydrate exploitation method, and reservoir stimulation technology is particularly important. After systematically reviewing hydrate reservoir stimulation theories and technologies, this paper divides the field of reservoir stimulation into three directions, i.e., hydraulic fracturing, near-well stimulation and chemical stimulation, summarizes the main research results, problems and challenges in these three directions, and carries out discussion and prospect. And the following research results are obtained. First, rapid progress has been made in the research of hydraulic fracturing and it results have verified the fracability of hydrate deposits. It is revealed that the fracturing mechanism of hydrate deposits is similar to the tensile failure of rocks. It is indicated that fractures can still make contribution to permeability improvement after they closed under confining pressure, which is beneficial to secondary opening. In addition, the effects of in-situ stress and fracturing fluid on fracturing behaviors of hydrate deposits are analyzed, the numerical model of fracturing process is established, the mechanisms of hydraulic fractures to improve the depressurization and heat injection effects of hydrate reservoirs are analyzed, and the improvement effects of hydraulic fractures, as high-permeability channels on gas production rate and other key production indexes are clarified. Second, the research of near-well stimulation reveals the washout mechanisms and laws of high-pressure water jet on hydrate deposits. It is verified by numerical simulation that water jet slotting, circumferential grouting column and stratified split grouting can effectively improve the production performance, but the research is in the stage of establishing gas production model to evaluate the stimulation effect and the feasibility and effectiveness needs verifying. Third, as for chemical stimulation, the potential of CO2 caprock reconstruction and methanol huff and puff to improve the production performance of hydrate reservoirs is explored, and the feasibility of CO2 caprock reconstruction and storage is analyzed. In conclusion, to deal with current problems and challenges, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of the reservoir stimulation theory and technology system with hydraulic fracturing as the leading role, near-well reservoir stimulation as the auxiliary and chemical stimulation as the supplement, so as to accelerate the industrialization process of hydrate resources.

The potential of some ameliorative substances in improving growth, yield and quality of carrot under heat stress conditions

A field experiment was carried out in two successive seasons of 2019 and 2020 on the late planting of carrot cv. Shantiny in El-Badrasheen, Giza, Egypt to study the effect of sowing dates and foliar spray applications by using some growth natural and chemical stimulants to increase the plants' ability to withstand heat stress. The experiment was established in a split-plot design with two sowing dates during 15 February and 15 March as the main factors and six treatments of exogenous foliar spray applications as submain factors as follows: untreated plants (control); potassium silicate K-Si at 2g/L; salicylic acid at 2mM; glycine betaine at 100 mM; moringa leaf extract (MLE) at 3.3% and date palm pollen grain extract (DPPGE) at 2g/L. Results revealed that sowing carrots in February significantly increased vegetative growth characteristics, i.e., plant height in both seasons and fresh and dry weight in the second season. Also, the fresh weight of roots in the second season and total marketable yield in both seasons were significantly increased with February sowing. All chemical parameters, either quality or heat indicators, were enhanced considerably with March sowing as a reaction to heat stress. Moreover, all foliar spray treatments gained the higher significant values of vegetative growth, yield, quality characteristics, and chemical parameters [N, P, K, Ca, Mg, proline, antioxidant activity DPPH, total carbohydrates, total carotenoids, total chlorophyll, and total phenols] as compared with untreated plants. In conclusion, foliar spray treatments with MLE and DPPGE are promising materials for heat stress-tolerant applications.

Caffeine improves memory and cognition via modulating neural progenitor cell survival and decreasing oxidative stress in Alzheimer's rat model.

Caffeine possesses potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities against a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The goal of this study was to investigate the protective role of a psychoactive substance like caffeine on hippocampal neurogenesis and memory functions in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced neurodegeneration in rats. Caffeine is a natural CNS stimulant, belonging to the methylxanthine class, and is a widely consumed psychoactive substance. It is reported to abate the risk of various abnormalities that are cardiovascular system (CVS) related, cancer related, or due to metabolism dysregulation. Short-term caffeine exposure has been widely evaluated, but its chronic exposure is less explored and pursued. Several studies suggest a devastating role of caffeine in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the protective role of caffeine on neurodegeneration is still unclear. Here, we examined the effects of chronic caffeine administration on hippocampal neurogenesis in intracerebroventricular STZ injection induced memory dysfunction in rats. The chronic effect of caffeine on proliferation and neuronal fate determination of hippocampal neurons was evaluated by co-labeling of neurons by thymidine analogue BrdU that labels new born cells, DCX (a marker for immature neurons) and NeuN that labels mature neurons. STZ (1 mg/kg, 2 μl) was injected stereotaxically into the lateral ventricles (intracerebroventricular injection) once on day 1, followed by chronic treatment with caffeine (10 mg/kg, i.p) and donepezil (5 mg/kg, i.p.). Protective effect of caffeine on cognitive impairment and adult hippocampal neurogenesis was evaluated. Our findings show decreased oxidative stress burden and amyloid burden following caffeine administration in STZ lesioned SD rats. Further, double immunolabeling with bromodeoxyuridine+/doublecortin+ (BrdU+/DCX+) and bromodeoxyuridine+/ neuronal nuclei+ (BrdU+/NeuN+) has indicated that caffeine improved neuronal stem cell proliferation and long term survival in STZ lesioned rats. Our findings support the neurogenic potential of caffeine in STZ induced neurodegeneration.

Natural Melanogenesis Inhibitor, Antioxidant, and Collagen Biosynthesis Stimulator of Phytochemicals in Rice Bran and Husk Extracts from Purple Glutinous Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Pieisu 1 CMU) for Cosmetic Application

Oryza sativa L. cv. Pieisu 1 CMU (PES1CMU) has a high anthocyanin content in the colored bran and high phenolic content in the husk. Biologically active compounds in plants are available as dietary supplements and cosmetics. To expand the utilization of natural resources, PES1CMU will be a natural remedy for skin hyperpigmentation and aging. Cell-free tyrosinase inhibition and scavenging assays were used to screen all extracts, including PES1CMU-rice bran oil (RBO), PES1CMU-defatted rice bran (DFRB), and PES1CMU-husk (H). PES1CMU extracts were first examined in IBMX-stimulated B16 cells and H2O2-induced fibroblasts. The results exhibited that PES1CMU-DFRB was the most effective inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase, intracellular melanin production (fold change of 1.11 ± 0.01), and tyrosinase activity (fold change of 1.22 ± 0.10) in IBMX-stimulated B16 cells. Particularly, PES1CMU-DFRB showed a comparable whitening effect to the standard arbutin with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Moreover, PES1CMU-DFRB and PES1CMU-H demonstrated strong scavenging activities. After accelerated cell aging caused by H2O2 exposure in fibroblasts, the levels of malondialdehyde production in all PES1CMU-treated fibroblasts were comparable with those of standard l-ascorbic acid (p > 0.05). Besides, PES1CMU-DFRB and PES1CMU-H treatment significantly inhibited collagen degradation against MMP-2 compared to l-ascorbic acid-treated cells (p > 0.05). PES1CMU rice-processing wastes (DFRB and H) could become potential natural sources for dermatocosmetic constituents in skin anti-aging and whitening products.

Evaluation of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) under organic farming system

Spice production is crucial for the world economy. Today, the farming of spices faces significant challenges under climate change, such as heat stress, rising salinity, water stress, low soil nutrients, and increased pests, which lead to reduced yield and quality. The present study was conducted in Egypt on Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) plants. The trial was achieved under organic farming conditions. The purpose was to investigate the responses of the plant towards two natural stimulators, chitosan and biofertilizer. The design of the work was a split plot. Main plots were assigned to the foliar spray of chitosan at three concentrations (0, 5, and 10 liters/hectare) and sub-plots to biofertilizer EM (with and without). The collected data comprised plant height, fresh and dry herb weights per plant, fresh and dry herb yields per hectare, essential oil percentage, oil yield per plant and hectare, and GC-MS analysis of oils. The significant maximum growth and yield characteristics were obtained by spraying with chitosan at the highest concentration of 10 liters/hectare combined with soil drenching by biofertilizer EM. The major essential oil component was carvacrol, which is responsible for its pungent flavour. This previous treatment also recorded the maximum carvacrol percent in oil of all cuts. So, this treatment could be used to increase the quantity and quality of the organic product.