Infectious diseases have been on rise in the recent past. Early diagnosis plays a role as important as proper treatment and prophylaxis. The current practices of detection are time consuming which may result in unnecessary delays in treatment. Advances in nanodiagnostic approaches have been in focus lately. The rising interest and better understanding of nanoparticles have led to opening up of new frontiers in the concerned area. Optical properties of nanoparticles are being exploited to design detection systems that can provide fast, one-step and reliable results. Based on conserved DNA sequences unique to the target organism, the results offer accuracy comparable to conventional tests. Further, visual or spectrophotometric analysis omits the need of costly apparatus for result interpretation. The present review aims at putting together the information on nanoparticles based DNA conjugate systems for detection of pathogenic microorganisms.

An efficient and reproducible in vitro method for indirect somatic embryogenesis was optimized by culturing leaf and leaf with petiole explants of Lycium barbarum L. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with various concentrations of Picloram and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), individually and in combinations, were tested. Picloram (1.0 µM) showed a better response compared to 2,4-D and results indicate it to be a better auxin for induction of somatic embryos for Goji berry. It was seen that the leaf explants were more responsive in callus and somatic embryo induction than the leaf with petiole explant when incubated in the dark for 5 weeks. Embryogenic callus, after being transferred to MS medium containing Benzyl amino purine (BAP) in 1.0 µM, 5.0 µM and 10.0 µM, began to differentiate in light after one week. MS medium with 1.0 µM Picloram + 10 µM BAP resulted as the most favorable treatment for somatic embryogenesis in Lycium barbarum L. Removal of plant growth regulators from MS medium and culturing induced calluses under 16 h photoperiod resulted in globular, heart, torpedo, cotyledons, and further development into plantlets. Well-developed plants have been obtained and are capable of acclimatizing in ex vitro conditions. In addition, the effects of desiccation treatments (0, 1, 3, 6, 9 h, and 12 h) on embryogenic callus for somatic embryo induction were found to be directly proportional to the length of desiccation treatment at room temperature. After 9 h and 12 h of desiccation treatments, 60% and 90% of plated calluses resulted in somatic embryos, respectively. In a L. barbarum callus mass, Acetocarmine and Evans blue double staining differentiated between embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus. These findings will help Goji berry improvement by elite clone production, ex situ conservation projects, scaling up plant production, and agronomy for the commercial production of this superfruit in the future.

In this modern era, medicinal plants are at great attention to the researchers as most of the drug industries depend on medicinal plants for the production of therapeutic compounds. In many countries especially in India, plants are the conventional source of pharmaceutical biochemical, food colours, flavours and fragrances. Hence, the main aim of the study was the identification of bioactive compounds from the leaves of Elettaria cardamomum by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The GC-MS study revealed the presence of various compounds like Vitamin E, Squalene, Eucalyptol, Stigmast-5-en-3-ol, 4H-1-Benjopyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-5, 7-dihydroxy-2-pheny, Octadecanoic acid, Phytol, Hexadecanoic acid in the methanolic extract of Elettaria cardamomum. Henceforth, the Elettaria cardamomum may have chemo preventive, antidiabetic, anti- microbial and anticancer activity due to the presence of secondary metabolites in the methanolic extract. The results of FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of alcohol, phenols, alkanes, alkyl halides and alkynes. In the present study, leaf sample of this plant was analyzed for the first time. This work will help to identify the active components, which may be used for therapeutic purposes. This study offers a platform of using Elettaria cardamomum leaves as herbal alternative for many diseases.

An efficient regeneration system was established through somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis using mature embryos explants of peanut cultivar ‘Georgia-12Y’. The role of plant growth regulator combinations was investigated for embryogenic callus and somatic embryo induction. Results showed that Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 20 μM picloram (4-amino 3, 5, 6-trichloropicolinic acid), casein hydrolysate (0.2 g/L), sucrose (30 g/L) and sorbitol (10 g/L) supported callus induction in dark and higher number of somatic embryos in light. No somatic embryos were induced at 0.1 μM to 10.0 μM of 2,4-Dichloro phenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and picloram individually. The highest regeneration frequency of 90% was recorded on 40 μM 2,4-D + casein hydrolysate (0.2 g/L), sucrose (30 g/L) and sorbitol (10 g/L). The plantlets regenerated via somatic embryogenesis did not exhibit any morphological abnormalities. Double staining with acetocarmine and Evans blue distinguished between embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus. Histological observations confirmed distinct developmental stages of somatic embryos. On the other hand, highest number of shoots were induced in response to MS + 15 μM thidiazuron (TDZ) among various treatments tested. Incubation of shoots on plant growth regulator free MS medium induced in-vitro flowering after 12 weeks under light conditions. The induction of embryogenic and morphogenic callus and production of fertile peanut plants using manipulations of various plant growth regulators is reported on peanut cultivar ‘Georgia- 12Y’.