The effect of melatonin (MT) on potato plants under drought stress is still unclear in the available literature. Here, we studied the effect of MT as a foliar application at 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mM on potato plants grown under well-watered and drought stressed conditions during the most critical period of early tuberization stage. The results indicated that under drought stress conditions, exogenous MT significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll (Chl; a, b and a + b), leaf relative water content (RWC), free amino acids (FAA), non-reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, cell membrane stability index, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) compared to the untreated plants. Meanwhile, carotenoids, proline, methylglyoxal (MG), H₂O₂, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde; MDA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were significantly decreased compared to the untreated plants. These responses may reveal the protective role of MT against drought induced carbonyl/oxidative stress and enhancing the antioxidative defense systems. Furthermore, tuber yield was differentially responded to MT treatments under well-watered and drought stressed conditions. Since, applied-MT led to an obvious decrease in tuber yield under well-watered conditions. In contrast, under drought conditions, tuber yield was substantially increased by MT-treatments up to 0.1 mM. These results may imply that under water deficiency, MT can regulate the tuberization process in potato plants by hindering ABA transport from the root to shoot system, on the one hand, and by increasing the non-reducing sugars on the other hand.

At present, the majority of APIs synthesized today remain challenging tasks for formulation development. Many technologies are being utilized or explored for enhancing solubility, such as chemical modification, novel drug delivery systems (microemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, etc.), salt formation, and many more. One promising avenue attaining attention presently is supersaturated drug delivery systems. When exposed to gastrointestinal fluids, drug concentration exceeds equilibrium solubility and a supersaturation state is maintained long enough to be absorbed, enhancing bioavailability. In this review, the latest developments in supersaturated drug delivery systems are addressed in depth.

Wild relatives of okra represent a good source of variation for breeding programs, particularly for traits related to biotic and abiotic stresses and fruit quality. However, wild species remain largely unexploited for okra breeding. The cultivated okra accession Abelmoschus esculentus cv. ‘Arka Anamika’ was crossed with three wild accessions: Abelmoschus manihot, Abelmoschus ficulens and Abelmoschus moschatus. The crossability was estimated based on fruit set, seed set and germination rate. The results of cross compatibility studies revealed that the crosses are compatible only when cultivated A. esculentus is used as a female, and reciprocal crosses were not successful in any of the three wild species. Higher fruit set (87.2%) and seed germination (92%) were obtained from the crosses ‘Arka Anamika’ × Abelmoschus manihot. The interspecific F₁s exhibited normal growth, flowering and fruit formation, but the hybrids were completely sterile on selfing due to abnormal meiosis. Characterization of the parents and interspecific hybrids revealed that the interspecific hybrids were generally more vigorous than the parents and displayed greater alliance towards their wild parent. The sterile F₁s were further treated with 0.1% colchicine to restore fertility. The three interspecific crosses showed considerable differences in mean performance and heterosis over mid parent and better parent. The cross ‘A. Anamika’ × A. manihot displayed positive heterosis over mid parent and better parent for the yield traits, viz., fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, number of primary branches per plant and plant height. The information obtained in the study on crossability relationship, phenotypic characterization and heterosis in interspecific hybrids will assist breeders in the development of prebreeding material.

Human Group IIA secreted phospholipase A₂ (sPLA₂-IIA) enzyme plays a crucial role in several chronic inflammatory diseases such asasthma, atherosclerosis, gout, bronchitis, etc. Several studies showed that the antioxidants exert an anti-inflammatory function by inhibiting the sPLA₂-IIA enzyme. Hence, the present study evaluated an antioxidant molecule, sinapic acid, for sPLA₂-IIA inhibition as an anti-inflammatory function. Initially, the antioxidant efficacy of sinapic acid was evaluated, and it showed greater antioxidant potency. Further, sinapic acid inhibited 94.4 ± 4.83% of sPLA₂-IIA activity with an IC₅₀ value of 4.16 ± 0.13 µM. The mode of sPLA₂-IIA inhibition was examined by increasing the substrate concentration from 30 to 120nM and the calcium concentration from 2.5 to 15 mM, which did not change the level of inhibition. Further, sinapic acid altered the intrinsic fluorescence and distorted the far UltraViolet Circular Dichroism (UV-CD) spectra of the sPLA₂-IIA, indicating the direct enzyme-inhibitor interaction. Sinapic acid reduced the sPLA₂-IIA mediated hemolytic activity from 94 ± 2.19% to 12.35 ± 2.57% and mouse paw edema from 171.75 ± 2.2% to 114.8 ± 1.98%, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory efficiency of sinapic acid by in situ and in vivo methods, respectively. Finally, sinapic acid reduced the hemorrhagic effect of Vipera russelli venom hemorrhagic complex-I (VR-HC-I) as an anti-hemorrhagic function. Thus, the above experimental results revealed the sinapic acid potency to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic molecule, and therefore, it appears to be a promising therapeutic agent.

The study examined the effects of jasmonic acid (100 nmol, JA) priming and foliar application of spermidine (1 mM, Spd), both individually and combined, on mitigating cadmium (100 µM, Cd) stress-induced oxidative damage in wheat. Cadmium stress reduced plant height and dry mass, but JA priming and/or Spd treatment increased resistance. Cd stress significantly decreased carotenoids, total chlorophylls, glutamate 1-semialdehyde (GSA), and δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), but JA and Spd treatments counteracted these reductions. Photosynthetic parameters improved under JA and Spd treatments, with combined treatment showing greater alleviation. Cd exposure increased lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and superoxide, but these oxidative stress indicators were significantly reduced after JA and Spd treatment. Antioxidant enzyme activity was upregulated by JA priming and Spd application, both under unstressed and Cd-stressed conditions. JA and/or Spd treatments also increased ascorbic acid, lowered glutathione concentration, and upregulated glyoxylase activity, reducing methylglyoxal accumulation. Additionally, secondary compounds (phenols and flavonoids) and osmolytes (proline and glycine betaine) levels improved. Proline oxidase activity decreased, indicating controlled proline buildup, while γ-glutamyl kinase activity increased. JA and/or Spd treatments significantly reduced Cd accumulation in seedlings. The study concluded that JA and Spd treatments enhance the plant's defensive mechanisms against oxidative stress by boosting antioxidant enzymes and secondary metabolism.

For this study, we used geographic information systems (GIS) and ground surveys to map the important pharmaceutical plants in Albaha region of Saudi Arabia. We used GIS functions to generate distribution, richness, and density maps for 39 plants from 23 families and 25 genera. Three of these species are endemic to Saudi Arabia; two are found in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen; and five are found only in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Five species belong to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae; four belong to each of the two families Euphorbiaceae and Burseraceae; and three belong to each of the families Amaranthaceae and Papaveraceae. For each species of pharmaceutical plant, we calculated density per hectare and determined a frequency percentage. Our study area was in southwestern Saudi Arabia, between latitudes 16 and 21, and longitudes 40 and 41. We used GIS with the Arc Map software to create our distribution, density, and richness maps for each of the 39 pharmaceutical plants. This is the first study which uses GIS to show the distribution of pharmaceutical plants in this region, and can be considered a basic resource for the mapping and domestication of all pharmaceutical plants in Saudi Arabia. This may contribute to cultivation on a commercial scale, with consequent economic benefits at both individual and national levels.