Topic Review
Mulberry
Mulberry has acquired a special importance due to its phytochemical composition and its beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory effects. Botanical parts of Morus sp. (fruits, leaves, twigs, roots) are considered rich source of nutrients and secondary metabolites. Various mulberry-based foods have been developed and marketed around the world.
  • 1.6K
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Legume Use in Extrusion Cooking
The traditional perception that legumes would not be suitable for extrusion cooking is now completely outdated. In the recent years an increasing number of researches have been conducted to assess the behavior of various types of legume flours in extrusion cooking, proving that legumes have excellent potential for the production of extruded ready-to-eat foods by partially or totally replacing cereals. There are optimal processing conditions for legume-based and legume-added extruded foods, which allow to improve the expansion ratio and give the extrudates the spongy and crisp structure expected by consumers. The extrusion cooking process has also a positive effect on the nutritional characteristics of legumes, because induces important modifications on starch and proteins, enhancing their digestibility, and reduces the content of trypsin inhibitors, lectins, phytic acid, and tannins. Therefore, the extrusion of legume flours is a viable strategy to improve their nutritional features while reducing home preparation time, so as to increase the consumption of these sustainable crops.
  • 1.6K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Prosopis Species in South Africa
The infestation of invasive plants such as Prosopis species does not only affect the groundwater levels but also threatens the grazing capacity and species richness of most of the semi-arid areas around South Africa. Though Prosopis is invasive, it is however of good nutritive value and can serve as an alternative source of protein and minerals for livestock during the dry season. Bush encroachment by browsable invasive species can be controlled through biological methods by using organisms such as livestock. 
  • 1.6K
  • 30 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Coumarin-Based Profluorescent and Fluorescent Substrates
Activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes have been measured with various in vitro and in vivo methods, such as spectrophotometric, fluorometric, mass spectrometric and radioactivity-based techniques. In fluorescence-based assays, the reaction produces a fluorescent product from a nonfluorescent substrate or vice versa. We describe here historical highlights and current use of (pro)fluorescent coumarin derivatives in evaluating activities of the major types of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme systems. Traditionally coumarin substrates have been used to measure oxidative activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. For this purpose, profluorescent coumarins are very sensitive, but generally lack selectivity for individual CYP forms. The entry describes several new coumarin-based substrates for measuring activities of CYP and conjugating enzymes with improved selectivity.
  • 1.6K
  • 14 Jul 2020
Topic Review
PTMs Role During Virus Infection
Viruses are opportunistic intracellular pathogens that are dependent on the host for their replication. They hijack host cellular machinery for their replication and survival by targeting crucial cellular physiological pathways, including transcription, translation, immune pathways, and apoptosis. Immediately after translation, the host and viral proteins undergo a process called post-translational modification (PTM). PTMs of proteins involves the attachment of small proteins, carbohydrates/lipids, or chemical groups to the proteins and are crucial for protein's functioning. During viral infection, host proteins utilize PTMs to control the virus replication, using strategies like activating immune response pathways, inhibiting viral protein synthesis, and ultimately eliminating the virus from the host. PTM of viral proteins increases solubility, enhances antigenicity and virulence properties. However, RNA viruses are devoid of enzymes capable of introducing PTMs to their proteins. Hence, they utilize the host PTM machinery to promote their survival. Proteins from viruses belonging to the family: Togaviridae, Flaviviridae, Retroviridae, and Coronaviridae such as chikungunya, dengue, zika, HIV, and coronavirus are a few well-known to be modified. This review discusses various host and virus-mediated PTMs that play a role in the outcome during the infection.
  • 1.6K
  • 28 Jan 2021
Topic Review
DNA Glycosylases
DNA glycosylases are a set of enzymes responsible for initiating the base excision repair pathway thereby contributing to the maintenance of the genome. They are responsible for the eradication of the vast number of small, non-helical-distorting base lesions from the genome, resulting from oxidative, alkylating, and deamination events, induced by environmental factors such as ionizing radiation, endogenous factors such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), or anticancer agents such chemotherapeutic drugs or radiotherapy. Because of their key role in DNA repair, they are now considered as potential anti-cancer drug targets and efforts are being made worldwide to identify potent inhibitors of these enzymes that could be used to potentiate classical chemo- or radio-therapy.
  • 1.6K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Socio-Economic Assessment of Natural Fibers
Natural fibers, which are renewable and ecologically acceptable sources of raw materials for producing environmentally friendly products, have played a significant part in human civilization. Natural fibers are desirable bio-sourced materials as an alternative to non-sustainable glass and carbon fiber reinforced composites owing to their availability and technical viability. Natural fibers have been successfully applied to a wide range of applications, for instance, furniture, automotive, electronic industries, and building construction.
  • 1.6K
  • 17 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Bioherbicides: Tool for Weed Management
Weed management is an arduous undertaking in crop production. Integrated weed management, inclusive of the application of bioherbicides, is an emerging weed control strategy toward sustainable agriculture. In general, bioherbicides are derived either from plants containing phytotoxic allelochemicals or certain disease-carrying microbes that can suppress weed populations.
  • 1.6K
  • 24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Guttation and Growth of Bamboo Shoots
Guttation is the process of exudating droplets from the tips, edges, and adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the undamaged leaves. Guttation is a natural and spontaneous biological phenomenon that occurs in a wide variety of plants. Despite its generally positive effect on plant growth, many aspects of this cryptic process are unknown.
  • 1.6K
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Role of MPO in Human Diseases and Inflammation
Myeloperoxidase (MPO), also called hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase with a particular (EC 1.11.1.7), is an enzyme found in the primary granules of granulocytic cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, and, to a lesser extent, monocytes). Lymphocytes lack MPO enzyme activity. However, the most common sources are neutrophils, where the enzyme is located at the lysosomal level in the azurophil granules.
  • 1.6K
  • 27 Sep 2022
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