Remarks on “Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles”
Sir, We read an article entitled “Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles,” with great interest and would like to place few remarks on this.[1] The article is aptly written, informative and seems to be a product of a sincere effort of the researcher. The authors have aimed at encompassing the genetic diversity of the plant and they were also able to present the scarcity of reports on conservation strategies, propagation of the germplasm, morphological and physiological characters, and other characteristics of the plant. Unfortunately however, nothing has been discussed much about genetic diversity with special reference to Tinospora. Authors could have compiled reported studies on male and female varieties of Tinospora.[2,3]
Bee venom phospholipase A2 ameliorates amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by increasing regulatory T cell population
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. Moreover, other researchers have reported that BV phospholipase A2 (bvPLA2) has neuroprotective effects in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether bvPLA2 alleviates the pathological features of ALS by affecting Tregs in SOD1 mice. SOD1-G93A mice were used as the ALS model. The mice (75-days old) were administered phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or bvPLA2 (0.5 mg/kg) twice a week. The results demonstrated that the body and hindlimb weights of PBS-treated SOD1 mice were lower than those of wild-type mice, whereas that of bvPLA2-treated SOD1 mice increased compared to that of PBS-treated SOD1 mice. Motor function also decreased to a lesser extent in bvPLA2-treated SOD1 mice, whereas that of PBS-treated SOD1 mice was significantly impaired compared to wild-type mice. Moreover, bvPLA2-treated SOD1 mice had greater number of intact motor neurons in their lumbar spinal cord compared to PBS-treated SOD1 mice. The level of Tregs in the TA muscle was also higher in bvPLA2-treated SOD1 mice than in PBS-treated SOD1 mice. Lastly, bvPLA2-treated SOD1 mice showed less increase in levels of NOS2 and TNF-α and lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 compared to PBS-treated SOD1 mice. Thus, our data suggest that bvPLA2 alleviates the progress of ALS by inducing a Treg-mediated anti-inflammatory response.
Mite population density analysis of stored dried apricots in Turkey
The aim of this study was to determine the population density of mite species attacking stored dried apricots in Malatya, Elazig and Izmir regions of Turkey. Storage construction types and duration of storage were also considered. The samples were collected during 2000–2003 in the most important apricot producing areas (Malatya and Elazig) and the exporting center (Izmir). Frequency of occurrence and rates of intensity of infestations were determined (16.50% from Malatya, 3.19% from Elazig and 80.49% from Izmir). A total of 16 mite species belonging to 13 genera and 11 families were identified during the surveys. The pest species Carpoglyphus lactis (L.) (Astigmata: Carpoglyphidae) was the most abundant species recorded (69.14% of samples). The highest infestation value recorded was 15,534 mites per kg.