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- This community brings together the scholarly publications of various departments at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), offering a platform to explore and access the academic and research contributions from each department.
- This community showcases the Project reports submitted by researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), offering a subject-wise compilation of research projects and their outcomes across various disciplines.
- This community showcases the academic contributions of faculty and researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and provides a year-wise compilation of publications across disciplines.
Recent Submissions
Greening rice-fallow areas: integrating pulses and oilseeds for sustainable cropping in eastern India
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Kumar, Rakesh; Das, Anup; Mondal, Surajit; Upadhyay, Pravin Kumar; Bhatt, Bhagwati Prasad; Mishra, Janki Sharan; Singh, Anil Kumar; Choudhary, Jaipal Singh; Kumar, Sanjeev; Sundaram, Prem Kumar; Biswas, Ashis Kumar; Rathore, Sanjay Singh; Singh, Rajiv Kumar; Parameswari, Puspa; Singh, Dhiraj Kumar; Kumar, Santosh; Ahmad, Akram; Saurabh, Kirti; Shubha, Kumari; Kumar, Ajay; Manibhushan; Jeet, Pawan; Prakash, Ved; Jha, Bal Krishna; Naik, Sushant Kumar; Mali, Santosh Sambhaji; Ahirwal, Surendra Kumar; Singh, Vinod Kumar; Mandal, Devendra; Roy, Manoj Kumar; Choudhary, Arbind Kumar; Rajpoot, Sudhir Kumar; Chaudhari, Suresh Kumar
Rice-fallow areas, widespread in rainfed rice-growing regions of South Asia, remain uncultivated during the post-rainy (winter) season due to multiple challenges, including inadequate irrigation infrastructure, cultivation of long-duration rice varieties, and soil moisture imbalances. South Asia has approximately 22.3 million hectares of rice-fallow land, with India contributing the largest share (88.3%). Eastern Indian states, which account for 82% of India’s rice-fallow area, presents significant opportunities for cropping intensification. However, several constraints—such as biotic (pest and disease), abiotic stresses (temperature extremes, drought, etc.), rapid soil moisture depletion, and disturbances from free-grazing livestock-hinder efforts to cultivate a second crop, perpetuating poverty among the small and marginal farmers. Introducing stress-tolerant rabi crops, particularly pulses (chickpea, lentil, lathyrus, field pea) and oilseeds (mustard, toria, safflower, linseed), offers a promising solution to enhance system productivity and improve the farmers’ livelihoods. Policymakers have recently increased the public investment in rice-fallows intensification, yet fragmented and ad-hoc initiatives often fail to deliver sustainable outcomes due to complex and multidimensional challenges involved. This study critically examines the key issues affecting rice-fallow lands and provides strategic recommendations to convert these underutilized areas into the productive cropping systems during winter and spring. Additionally, it reviews Central and State Government programs related to rice-fallow management, emphasizing the need for research to align with ongoing policy initiatives for maximum impact. The findings of this study offers a valuable insights for the policymakers, planners, and stakeholders, highlighting the potential of pulses and oilseeds to enhance the food security, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural production systems in the region. Copyright © 2025 Kumar, Das, Mondal, Upadhyay, Bhatt, Mishra, Singh, Choudhary, Kumar, Sundaram, Biswas, Rathore, Singh, Parameswari, Singh, Kumar, Ahmad, Saurabh, Shubha, Kumar, Manibhushan, Jeet, Prakash, Jha, Naik, Mali, Kumar, Ahirwal, Singh, Mandal, Roy, Choudhary, Rajpoot and Chaudhari.
Unravelling the multifarious role of wood vinegar made from waste biomass in plant growth promotion, biotic stress tolerance, and sustainable agriculture
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Kumar, Sumit; Rahman, Mehjebin; Bouket, Ali Chenari; Ahadi, Reza; Meena, Mukesh; Bhupenchandra, Ingudam; Singh, Udai B.; Arutselvan, R.; Kumar, Ravindra; Singh, Satyendra Pratap; Kashyap, Abhijeet S.; Tripathi, Ruchi; Gupta, Sachin; Dutta, Pranab; Harish; Singh, Ramesh; Swapnil, Prashant
The population of the world has increased intensively, and sustainable agriculture practices are important in achieving the zero-hunger goal. The agriculture sector is constantly facing serious problems caused by climate change and the occurrence of pesticide-resistant causal agents. In this context, one of the most crucial eco-friendly approaches, e.g., using plant-derived bioproducts, is gaining more attraction because they have multifarious potential to overcome challenges. Wood vinegar (WV) or pyroligneous acid (PA) is a liquid biomaterial that is produced by the thermo-pyrolysis process of woody biomass and it was defined as a reddish-brown aqueous liquid that contains methanol, acetic acid, tars, and wood oils by the distillation process of woods. PA production and their application in agricultural fields, have attracted more attention recently because they may work as good bio-stimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers. Therefore, it may open a novel, promising window for agriculture and food production. PA has a significant role in elevating plant agronomic activities such as seed germination and vigor index, plant growth, nutritional value, and crop yields. This review aims to discuss in detail the following items: 1) The composition of wood vinegar and its production system; 2) Seed priming with the PA process; 3) Investigation of the role of PA in plant growth promotion activities, biocontrol potential, and its applications for alleviating biotic stresses; 4) Describe the molecular mode of action of PA in suppressing plant diseases causal agents and promoting plant immunity through a well-illustrated diagram; 5) Evaluation of PA role in soil physicochemical, biological, and enzymatic activities and its impact on improving compost quality and curtailing emissions of green house gasses; 6) PA different advantages and limitations, as well as future perspectives for its usage and development. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Insights into early generation synthetic amphidiploid Brassica juncea: a strategy to harness maximum parental genomic diversity for improving Indian mustard
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Garg, Pooja; Tripathi, Shikha; Kashyap, Anamika; Anil Kumar, A.; Kumari, Sujata; Singh, Mandeep; Kushwaha, Ranjeet; Sharma, Shiv Shankar; Sharma, Jyoti; Yadav, Rashmi; Gupta, N.C.; Singh, Naveen; Bhattacharya, Ramcharan; Chhokar, Vinod; Rao, Mahesh
In India, amphidiploid Brassica juncea (AABB, 2n=36) is a significant oilseed crop, but its small gene pool limits its ability to develop traits of higher breeding and economic value. Through interspecific hybridization from various lines of the progenitor species, resynthesized B. juncea (RBJ) can provide breeders with additional resources for creating genetically diverse stress-tolerant and high-yielding cultivars. Three B. rapa accessions and eight B. nigra accessions were crossed in this study to develop 33 synthetic B. juncea lines. A total of 28 crosses were attempted, including the three-way crosses, but only the cross combinations with B. rapa cytoplasm led to successful embryonic development. Molecular diversity analysis of these lines in S2 generation revealed significant genetic diversity with higher levels of heterozygosity and allelic richness, along with significant variations for the yield-related traits. These results suggest that the synthesized lines could effectively enrich the genetic base of B. juncea and generate variability for agronomically important traits in a shorter time duration. The characterized variability in the synthetic lines needs to be utilized in hybridization, with already evolved genotypes, in early generations before it is lost due to chromosomal rearrangements, recombination and natural selection. Copyright © 2025 Garg, Tripathi, Kashyap, Anil Kumar, Kumari, Singh, Kushwaha, Sharma, Sharma, Yadav, Gupta, Singh, Bhattacharya, Chhokar and Rao.
Novel isatin conjugates endowed with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties: design, synthesis and biological evaluation
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Brown, LaVauria D.; Girgis, Adel S.; Patel, Shruti; Samir, Nermin; Said, Mona F.; Baidya, Anurag T. K.; Kumar, Rajnish; Moore, Jade; Khadanga, Anshuman; Sakhuja, Rajeev; Panda, Siva S.
Aims: This study aimed to develop novel molecular hybrid conjugates integrating isatin, rhodanine, and phthalimide pharmacophores to create effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents with improved safety profiles over existing treatments. Materials & Methods: A series of hybrid conjugates (4a–l) were synthesized and evaluated through in vitro and in vivo biological assays. The most promising compound, 4c, underwent extensive pharmacological and toxicological evaluations. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and 2D-QSAR studies were performed to elucidate the mechanism of action and validate the experimental findings. Results: Compound 4c exhibited potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, effectively inhibiting COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α). Its superior selectivity index (SI) was 1.11 compared to 0.67 for indomethacin. It demonstrated an ulcer index of 2.9 versus 10.23 for indomethacin, indicating reduced gastrointestinal toxicity. Molecular docking simulations revealed a strong binding affinity with COX-2 (−9.832 kcal/mol), and molecular dynamics confirmed the stability of the COX-2 complex. Conclusions: Compound 4c emerged as a promising lead candidate for developing safer and more effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. Its robust efficacy, safety profile, and computational validation highlight its potential for further optimization in therapeutic applications. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Retraction Note to: Co-Administration of TiO2 Nanowired Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Cerebrolysin Potentiates Neprilysin Level and Reduces Brain Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease (Molecular Neurobiology, (2018), 55, 1, (300-311), 10.1007/s12035-017-0742-9)
(Springer, 2025) Sharma, Hari Shanker; Muresanu, Dafin Fior; Lafuente, José Vicente; Patnaik, Ranjana; Tian, Z. Ryan; Ozkizilcik, Asya; Castellani, Rudy J.; Mössler, Herbert; Sharma, Aruna
The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article because of concerns regarding the figures presented in this work. These concerns call into question the article's overall scientific soundness. An investigation conducted after its publication discovered the following issues: The bottom left corner of Panel c of Fig. 1 appears to overlap with a portion of the top right corner of Panel d of the same figure; The top half of Panel a of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel b of the same figure; The top half of Panel b of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel c of the same Figure; The top half of Panel c of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel f of the same figure. The bottom left corner of Panel c of Fig. 1 appears to overlap with a portion of the top right corner of Panel d of the same figure; The top half of Panel a of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel b of the same figure; The top half of Panel b of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel c of the same Figure; The top half of Panel c of Fig. 2 appears to overlap with the bottom half of Panel f of the same figure. These panels represent different types of tissue or tissues taken from animals which underwent different treatments. The Editor-in-Chief therefore no longer has confidence in the integrity of the research presented in this article. Hari Shanker Sharma and Aruna Sharma disagree with this retraction. Dafin Fior Muresanu, José Vicente Lafuente, Ranjana Patnaik, Z. Ryan Tian, Asya Ozkizilcik, and Herbert Mössler have not replied to correspondence from the Publisher. Rudy J. Castellani, who is listed as a co-author of this article, has stated that he did not participate in the research reported therein and that his name and affiliation were added to the author list without his consent. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.