Browsing by Author "Akanksha Sharma"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10

A Comprehensive Review on Mustard-Induced Allergy and Implications for Human Health
(Humana Press Inc., 2019) Akanksha Sharma; Alok K. Verma; Rinkesh Kumar Gupta; Neelabh; Premendra D. Dwivedi
Mustard is widely used in a variety of foods/food products to enhance the flavor and nutritional value that subsequently raise the risk of hypersensitivity reactions. Mustard allergy has been reported for many years and is increasing gradually especially in the areas where its consumption is comparatively higher, and it may be considered among the most important food allergies. A number of relevant clinical studies focused on mustard-induced allergic manifestations are summarized in the current review. In addition, the knowledge regarding the immunological as well as biochemical characteristics of mustard allergens that have been known till date and their cross-reactivity with other food allergens have also been discussed here. Notably, mustard may also be present as a hidden allergen in foods; therefore, it is important to recognize food products that may contain mustard as it may pose potential risk for the allergic individuals. Additionally, the better understanding of the underlying mechanism in mustard allergy is a prerequisite for the development of specific therapeutic procedures. Conclusively, mustard sensitivity should be routinely tested in patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis for the safety of the allergic patients. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Exploring the new dimensions of selenium research to understand the underlying mechanism of its uptake, translocation, and accumulation
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2021) Meenakshi Raina; Akanksha Sharma; Muslima Nazir; Punam Kumari; Anjana Rustagi; Ammarah Hami; Brijmohan Singh Bhau; Sajad Majeed Zargar; Deepak Kumar
Selenium (Se) is a vital mineral for both plants and animals. It is widely distributed on the earth's crust and is taken up by the plants as selenite or selenate. Plants substantially vary in their physiological response to Se. The amount of Se in edible plants is genetically controlled. Its availability can be determined by measuring its phytoavailability in soil. The low concentration of Se in plants can help them in combating stress, whereas higher concentrations can be detrimental to plant health and in most cases it is toxic. Thus, solving the double-edged sword problem of nutritional Se deficiency and its elevated concentrations in environment requires a better understanding of Se uptake and metabolism in plants. The studies on Se uptake and metabolism can help in genetic biofortification of Se in plants and also assist in phytoremediation. Moreover, Se uptake and transport, especially biochemical pathways of assimilation and incorporation into proteins, offers striking mechanisms of toxicity and tolerance. These developments have led to a revival of Se research in higher plants with significant break throughs being made in the previous years. This review explores the new dimensions of Se research with major emphasis on key research events related to Se undertaken in last few years. Further, we also discussed future possibilities in Se research for crop improvement. © 2020 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society
Glycation of clinically relevant chickpea allergen attenuates its allergic immune response in Balb/c mice
(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Rinkesh Kumar Gupta; Alok Raghav; Akanksha Sharma; Kriti Gupta; Neelabh; Payal Mandal; Anurag Tripathi; Irfan Ahmad Ansari; Mukul Das; Premendra D. Dwivedi
Glycation of food allergens may alter their immunological behaviour. We sought to investigate the impact of glycation on the allergenicity of a food protein. Herein, a chickpea protein (≈26 kDa) was purified and characterized as lectin. Further, glycation of this purified protein was carried out. Thereafter, allergic behaviour of this glycated protein was compared with its native form, using various allergic parameters in Balb/c mice. The reduced allergenicity of glycated protein was observed as lesser allergic phenotypes, reduced serum immunoglobulins and allergic mediators, lower mast cells and eosinophil counts, lower protein expressions of Th2 cytokines and associated transcription factors. In addition, more Th1 and less Th2 cytokine production in exposed splenocyte, were evident in the glycated protein treated mice as compared to its native protein treatment. Thus, glycation of the chickpea allergen attenuated the sensitizing potential and allergic responses in Balb/c mice significantly and could also be clinically beneficial. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Harnessing phytomicrobiome signals for phytopathogenic stress management
(Springer, 2022) Akanksha Sharma; Meenakshi Raina; Deepak Kumar; Archana Singh; Samira Chugh; Shalu Jain; Manoj Kumar; Anjana Rustagi
Harnessing the phytomicrobiome offers a great opportunity to improve plant productivity and quality of food. In the recent past, several phytomicrobiome microbes have been explored for their potential involvement in increasing crop yield. This review strategically targets to harness the various dimensions of phytomicrobiome for biotic stress management of crop plants. The tripartite interaction involving plant-microbiome-pathogen has been discussed. Positive interventions in this system so as to achieve disease tolerant plants has been forayed upon. The different signalling molecules sent out by interacting partners of phytomicrobiome have also been analysed. The novel concept of artificial microbial consortium in mitigation of pathogenic stress has also been touched upon. The aim of this review is to explore the hidden potential of phytomicrobiome diversity as a potent tool against phytopathogens, thereby improving crop health and productivity in a sustainable way. © 2022, Indian Academy of Sciences.
Pathways of important metabolites and enzymes involved
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2024) Jahanvi Ganotra; Damini Supolia; Akanksha Sharma; Meenakshi Raina; Neelam Prabha Negi; Vibhav Gautam; Deepak Kumar
Plants produce diverse chemical compounds that play a crucial role not only in plant growth and development but also hold great economic and ecological importance for mankind. Plants synthesize these compounds to cope with various abiotic and biotic stresses and also in response to the incessantly changing surrounding environment. Broadly, these compounds are categorized as primary and secondary metabolites. While the former play direct roles in plant growth, development, functioning, defense, and stress tolerance, the latter do not hold any direct importance in the growth and development of plants. Primary metabolites include carbohydrates, organic acids, flavonoids, vitamins, amino acids, glucosinolates, hormones, and phenolics. These are also widely used by humans as dietary compounds. Secondary metabolites, on the other hand, can be broadly sub-divided into four major groups, i.e., terpenoids, phenols, alkaloids, and sulphur-containing compounds. These compounds perform various other physiological roles like protecting plants against microbes and herbivory, insect repellents, allelopathic agents, attractants for pollinators and seed dispersal agents, regulating symbiosis, providing structural support to plants, and alleviating biotic stresses. Additionally, they are also extensively used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the production of fragrances, drugs, dietary supplements, dyes, and flavours. Although, a myriad of these metabolites are synthesized by plants, and are basically derived by modifying the basic chemical structure of compounds already present in plants. This chapter, therefore, elucidates the biosynthetic pathways of some of the major plant metabolites, giving special attention to the key enzymes involved. © 2024 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved.
Phytohormones: A Promising Alternative in Boosting Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants
(Springer Singapore, 2021) Ayushi Mahajan; Meenakshi Raina; Sameena Ejaz Tanwir; Neha Katru; Akanksha Sharma; Deepak Kumar
In order to meet the food requirements of our growing population, the agricultural land has been expanded worldwide but still certain constraints (stress factors-abiotic and biotic) exist that limit the yield of many crops. These constraints/stress factors cause severe damage to the crop. These abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, cold and extreme temperature, etc. led to a drastic reduction in the yield of the number of crops and among all of these, salinity is becoming more severe problem day by day. Salinity hampers the growth and development of plants by inducing several changes like osmotic stress, ion toxicity, oxidative stress (ROS), membrane disorganisation, etc. and thus poses a major threat to agricultural yield. Several approaches have been applied to develop salt-tolerant plants to reduce the destruction of crops caused by salinity. In this regard, conventional breeding proved very tedious while in vitro techniques proved useful as they provide keen insight into plant’s physiology growing under stress conditions and thereby helps to develop stress-tolerant plants. In recent years, several salt-tolerant plants have also been developed using a transgenic approach involving genes involved in the biosynthesis of individual phytohormones. This chapter reviews in brief about the approaches used in the development of salt-stress-tolerant plants. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.
Phytomelatonin: Molecular messenger for stress perception and response in plants
(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Akanksha Sharma; Neelam Prabha Negi; Meenakshi Raina; Damini Supolia; Ayushi Mahajan; Ravi Rajwanshi; Vibhav Gautam; Bhawana Bhagat; Harshita Kakoria; Deepak Kumar
Plants are subjected to various environmental stresses that influence their growth, metabolism, productivity and survival. Nevertheless, plants respond to these stresses by inducing certain morpho-physiological, biochemical, molecular and genetic changes. Some of these changes conferring stress tolerance include the formation of cork/abscission layers and tyloses, gum deposition, synthesis of pathogenesis-related proteins, increased cell lignification and synthesis of signaling molecules. Phytomelatonin is a signaling molecule uniformly distributed in diverse plant parts and regulates physio-biochemical responses under abiotic and biotic stresses. It confers stress tolerance to plants by delaying leaf senescence, reducing photosynthetic inhibition, acting as a biostimulator and improving the antioxidant status. Studies have shown the positive effects of exogenously applied phytomelatonin for stress mitigation that leads to improved seed germination, plant growth, yield and chlorophyll content. Recent research has shown the hidden potential of phytomelatonin in plant tissue culture, wherein it can be used for the production of various stress enzymes and other organic compounds like silymarin. Herein, the review highlights the potential of phytomelatonin in plants along with its underlying mechanism of action to alleviate stress in plants. Also numerous crosstalks of phytomelatonin with other signaling molecules have been highlighted, including nitric oxide, reactive nitrogen species, calcium calmodulin and phytohormones to alleviate stress. It also provides detailed insight into the genetic regulation of stress tolerance in plants, along with brushing the-omics approach of phytomelatonin synthesis and functioning. The present review paves the path for detailed research on the development of transgenic and in-vitro aspect of phytomelatonin in the plant tissue culture. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Current Situation of Female Hormonal Disorder
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2023) Vikash Chaturvedi; Disha Sharma; Vaishnavi Pandey; Sudhanshu Mishra; Shobhit Prakash Shri-Vastava; Akanksha Sharma; Rishabha Malviya
Aim: This study aims to describe the various concerns and treatment strategies associated with the polycystic ovarian syndrome. Polycystic syndrome of ovaries is the most prevalent endocrine problem in adult women and is distinguished by anovulation, excess androgen, and the involvement of ultrasound polycystic ovaries. Hirsutism, obesity, miscarriage, and menstrual irreg-ularities are the signs that are particularly troubling for patients. The hypothesis describes that PCOS is a systemic disease reinforced by recent discoveries amplifying hormones and cytokines in muscle mass tissue. Result and discussion: The treatment strategy should be adapted to the patient's phenotype, problems, and willingness to replicate. Infertility care centers on treatments for activation of ovulation and may include medications, such as metformin, letrozole, clomiphene, and gonadotropin. The application of oral contraception and the adjuvant application of anti-androgens also includes the management of hirsutism. For both treatments of infertility and long-term management, weight loss in obese women with PCOS can be helpful. Conclusion: The literature survey concluded that the proper diagnosis and treatment of PCOS are important; otherwise, it cannot be adequately controlled and can cause many metabolic disorders and other health-related risks. © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
Selenium transporters and their role in plant development and stress
(Elsevier, 2021) Akanksha Sharma; Sanchi Gupta; Meenakshi Raina; Deepak Kumar
Selenium (Se) is an important mineral element for both plants and animals. It is also referred to as a useful poison because although it plays numerous beneficial roles in the plant development and growth but high Se concentrations can also lead to toxicity in plants. Plants absorb Se in the form of selenite and selenate from the soil and eventually assimilate it in their plastids. This chapter discusses in detail the uptake, transportation, assimilation, metabolism and toxicity of Se in plants. The various biochemical pathways of Se accumulation and assimilation have been thoroughly discussed. It also highlights the various positive and negative effects of Se in plants giving special attention to the role of Se in combating various abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, heavy metals, extreme temperatures, and ultraviolet radiation. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
To Study the Incidence of Biofilm Formation, its Microbiology and its Effect on the Development of Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis- A Prospective Study
(Springer, 2025) Akshat Pandey; Ramraj Yadav; Vivek Mishra; Akanksha Sharma; Sanjay Kumar Saroj; Rahul Yadav; Jeffrey Oswin Rynjah; Srishti Bhansali; Anjalika Sharma; Gundra Chandra Shekar; Sishupal Yadav; Arpit Goyal; Ragini Tilak; Sushil Kumar Aggarwal
Bacterial biofilms are organised complex structures having polymicrobial nature in a single community, which provide protection to bacteria from antibiotics by various means. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of biofilm-forming bacteria in clinical isolates of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis (ARS and CRS) patients with sinonasal mucopurulence. To know the incidence of bacterial biofilms in patient with ARS and CRS, to study the microbiology of bacterial biofilms in ARS and CRS, to assess the role and effects of biofilm in ARS and CRS and to correlate the association between the formation of the biofilm and development of rhinosinusitis. This prospective study was carried out at a tertiary care centre in Eastern part of India, in which 60 patients were taken as sample size. All patients of rhinosinusitis between age-group of 10 to70 years, who came to our out-patient department, were taken for our study. Biofilm formation was observed in 50% cases and were absent in 50% cases of chronic rhinosinusitis in our study. 83.3% (50) of patients out of 60 patients got improved after treatment and recurrence was observed in only 16.6% (10) of patients. Recurrence was more at 3 months follow-up as compared to follow-up at 1 month, though it was not statistically significant. Though our study highlighted the incidence and role of biofilms in the development of chronic rhinosinusitis, but few more randomized controlled studies involving larger sample sizes should be done to exactly determine the pathophysiological role of biofilms in the development and recurrence of acute and chronic rhinosinusuitis. © Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2024.