Retention of allergic potential of parthenium following composting
Parthenium hysterophorus is known to cause allergic contact dermatitis (1). Changing clinical patterns of the dermatitis are reported (2, 3). Recently, the role of type I (immediate) and type III (Arthus phenomenon) has been postulated (4, 5). This weed, a native of tropical America, is wide spread in grasslands, fruit tree orchards, and arable land in neutral and acid soils. This weed interferes with the growth of other plants (allelopathic potential) resulting from the release of phytotoxic substances such as ferulic, caffeic, vanillic, chlorogenic, p-hydroxybenzoic acids, parthenin, ambrosin, and coronopilin, which inhibit the germination and growth of several crop plants (6). Because it has no economic value, efforts have been made to use parthenium as a green leaf manure, as a biopesticide, as a compost for agricultural purposes, and as an additive with cattle manure in biogas production (7). Compost obtained from parthenium can be used for agricultural purposes and as manure. This is likely to get widely dispersed, get airborne, and aggravate parthenium dermatitis if the allergenicity is retained. Parthenium compost was obtained from the Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Compost made by 2 methods, anaerobic and aerobic, was collected. The composting procedure was carried out for 90 days for each of themethods. Samples were obtained on D45 and D90. The 2 methods of composting are described below.
Type I hypersensitivity to Parthenium hysterophorus in patients with parthenium dermatitis.
Sir, I read with interest the article by Lakshmi et al.[1] In this article the authors have suggested that both type I hypersensitivity and type IV hypersensitivity are responsible for dermatitis in parthenium dermatitis patients, and they have tried to demonstrate this by doing prick test and serum IgE levels in these patients. The majority of their patients were atopics. It is well known that atopic individuals are more susceptible to develop allergic response to various antigenic stimuli and have elevated IgE levels.[2] Immunologic abnormalities of type I and type IV reactions have been described in patients with atopic dermatitis.[3] Immunologic triggers are aeroallergens, food allergens, microbial products, autoallergens and contact allergens. They enhance IgE production by B lymphocytes with an increased secretion of interleukin 4, interleukin 5 and interleukin 13.[2]
Genetics of the phenotypic evolution in sheep: a molecular look at diversity-driving genes
Background After domestication, the evolution of phenotypically-varied sheep breeds has generated rich biodiversity. This wide phenotypic variation arises as a result of hidden genomic changes that range from a single nucleotide to several thousands of nucleotides. Thus, it is of interest and significance to reveal and understand the genomic changes underlying the phenotypic variation of sheep breeds in order to drive selection towards economically important traits. Review Various traits contribute to the emergence of variation in sheep phenotypic characteristics, including coat color, horns, tail, wool, ears, udder, vertebrae, among others. The genes that determine most of these phenotypic traits have been investigated, which has generated knowledge regarding the genetic determinism of several agriculturally-relevant traits in sheep. In this review, we discuss the genomic knowledge that has emerged in the past few decades regarding the phenotypic traits in sheep, and our ultimate aim is to encourage its practical application in sheep breeding. In addition, in order to expand the current understanding of the sheep genome, we shed light on research gaps that require further investigation. Conclusions Although significant research efforts have been conducted in the past few decades, several aspects of the sheep genome remain unexplored. For the full utilization of the current knowledge of the sheep genome, a wide practical application is still required in order to boost sheep productive performance and contribute to the generation of improved sheep breeds. The accumulated knowledge on the sheep genome will help advance and strengthen sheep breeding programs to face future challenges in the sector, such as climate change, global human population growth, and the increasing demand for products of animal origin.