No abstract

As a crucial organ, the lung is exposed to various harmful agents that may induce inflammation and oxidative stress, which may cause chronic or acute lung injury. Nigella sativa, also known as black seed, has been widely used to treat various diseases and is one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main component of black seed volatile oil and has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties. The potential therapeutic properties of TQ against various pulmonary disorders have been studied in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, the application of nanotechnology may increase drug solubility, cellular absorption, drug release (sustained or control), and drug delivery to lung tissue target sites. As a result, fabricating TQ as nanoparticles (NPs) is a potential therapeutic approach against a variety of lung diseases. In this current review, we summarize recent findings on the efficacy of TQ and its nanotypes in lung disorders caused by immunocompromised conditions such as cancer, diabetes, gastric ulcers, and other neurodegenerative diseases. It is concluded that TQ nanoparticles with antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiasthma, and antitumor activity may be safely applied to treat lung disorders. However, more research is required before TQ nanoparticles can be used as pharmaceutical preparations in human studies.

L actic acid bacteria (LAB) and related microorganisms such as propionic acid bacteria are important microorganisms that are used in dairy and food industries. LAB and other food grade organisms have been subjected to intensive research due to their potential use as food preservatives (Stiles, 1996). Antimicrobial peptides (bacteriocins) produced by food-associated microorganisms can be used as natural preservatives. Bacteriocins are produced by numerous Grams-positive and Grams-negative bacteria (Tagg et al., 1976). Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides or proteins with antagonistic activity (Cummins and Johnson, 1986; De Vuyst and Vandamme, 1994). They are consumed in LAB-fermented food and their actions result in desirable food characteristics, such as taste and appearance (eyeholes) in Swiss cheese. Thus, like LAB, they are a preferred source of antimicrobial agents that could be employed as new food preservatives because of their presumed non-toxicity for humans (Daeschel et al., 1990). Propionibacterium ssp. are able to produce a wide variety of biological compounds that enhance the human health like folic acid, proline, conjugated linoleic

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is a major threat to cotton production in Asia and Africa. Using marker‐assisted breeding can be the best sustainable approach to tackle CLCuD. Identification of new QTLs in the indigenous cotton germplasm is necessary to combat CLCuD. The current study was designed to construct a genetic linkage map of bi‐parental F2:F3 populations developed from highly tolerant MNH‐886 and highly susceptible S‐12 cotton cultivars. One hundred seven CLCuD‐associated simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker alleles were identified as polymorphic and three new QTLs were found on chromosomes C11, C19 and C21. Two QTLs on chromosomes C11 and C19 were detected in both F2 and F3 populations in the region flanked by SSR markers CIR316 and BNL4094, and BNL285 and BNL3348, respectively. Whereas, one QTL on chromosome C21 was detected in the region flanked by SSR markers JESPR158 and JESPR135 in both F2 and F3 generations. The CLCuD‐associated QTLs identified in this study can help fine‐tune the molecular mapping of the QTLs on the cotton genome against CLCuD.

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), caused by begomoviruses, is a major threat to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production, especially in Asia and Africa. The use of marker-assisted breeding to utilize host plant resistance can be the best sustainable approach to tackle CLCuD. Because most of the available cotton germplasm is susceptible to CLCuD, so it demands the identification of potentially new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in the indigenous germplasm. The current study was designed to construct a broader genetic linkage map of bi-parental F2:F3 populations developed from a highly tolerant MNH 886 and a highly susceptible S-12 cotton cultivars. One hundred seven (107) CLCuD-associated simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker alleles were identified as polymorphic and eight new QTLs were found on chromosomes 11, 19 and 21. On homologous chromosomes 11 and 17, the QTLs qCL-11-120d2 and qCL-21-m2 were detected in both F2 and F3 populations. Another QTL on chromosome 11, qCL-11-m3, showed the highest phenotypic variance (PV%) of 16.66% and LOD score > 3. Other QTLs on chromosome 11 were qCL-11-m2, qCL-11-120d3. On chromosome 19, three QTLs (qCL-19-m2, qCL-19-90d2 and qCL-19-120d3) were detected with PV% >8 and LOD score > 3. The CLCuD-associated QTLs identified in this study can contribute to develop CLCuD-resistant cultivars using marker assisted selection and can help to fine-tune the molecular mapping of the QTLs on the cotton genome.