Plants of Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. K-25 were subjected to water stress by withholding water for 10 days at 20 (WS I) and 30 (WS II) days after sowing (DAS). Seedlings were sprayed with double distilled water (DDW) or 10⁻⁵M salicylic acid (SA) at 45 DAS. The water stress at earlier stage of growth (20 day stage) was more inhibitory as compared to the later stage (30 day stage). The plants exposed to water stress exhibited a significant (p<0.05) decline in photosynthetic parameters, membrane stability index (MSI), leaf water potential, activity of nitrate reductase (NR), carbonic anhydrase (CA), chlorophyll and relative water content (RWC). A follow-up treatment with SA protected against the stress generated by water and significantly improved the above parameters. However, proline content and antioxidant enzymes increased under drought as well as under SA treatments.

The present case report is of a young female with complaint of foul smelling nasal discharge normal anterior rhinoscopic findings and an irregular mass on digital palpation of nasopharynx, confirmed by NCCT and extracted through oral route

This study was designed to evaluate the pre-reproductive and reproductive responses of Linum usitatissimum L. (flax, linseed plant) to different levels of Pb in the soil. Flax seeds were sown in garden soil-filled earthen pots and treated with three different levels of lead as lead chloride (150, 450, and 750 mg Pb kg⁻¹ soil) except control, and each treatment was replicated three times. Growth and reproductive parameters and photosynthetic pigments were significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05) for all treatments. Quantitatively, Chlorophyll b content decreased more than chlorophyll a and the amount of proline content in the leaves increased in lockstep with the increase of Pb levels in the soil. Pb was found in substantial amounts in the roots, shoots, and seeds. The pattern of Pb accumulation in different organs was root > shoot > seeds. Pb levels in seeds obtained from 750 mg Pb kg⁻¹ soil-treated plants exceeded the permissible limits. Biological concentration factor (BCF), biological accumulation coefficient (BAC) and translocation factor (TF) values showed that roots of L. usitatissimum absorbed and accumulated a substantial quantity of Pb but translocated only a fraction of that to the shoots. Therefore, L. usitatissimum L. can be used in phytostabilization rather than phytoextraction of Pb. Graphical Abstract The accumulation of lead (Pb) concentrations (mg kg⁻¹dry weight) in the different parts of the flax plants exposed to varying concentrations of Pb applied in soil (150, 450 and 750 mg kg⁻¹ soil) at 170 days after sowing (DAS). This manuscript evaluates the potential of flaxseeds to cause biomagnification of lead (Pb) in the human body when grown under different concentrations of Pb and assessment of the risk posed to consumer health in a food chain. This study also provides insight to evaluate the uptake and extraction efficiency of Linum usitatissimum L. to remediate the Pb-polluted soil and use of Pb contaminated plant products (stem fibers and linseed oil) in an ecofriendly manner.