New Horizons in Life Sciences

Allergen are irritants, offenders or inflammatory agents. They can be pathogens, mutagens, xenobiotics, and pollutants. Danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are altered metabolism products of necrotic or stressed cell, which serve as alarm signals for the innate immune system. When excess, DAMPs can prove lethal due to their signal transduction roles.  Inflammatory agents as arthropod chitin, bacterial pneumolysin are DAMP triggers. In fact, any inflammatory agent, including food preservatives, cosmetics, pesticides, polluted air,  can lead to DAMP generation. These generate DAMPs, which in turn create a pro-inflammatory state. Some well-studied DAMPs include uric acid, creatinine, ferritin, extracellular ATP, HSPs, amyloid ß, S100, HMGB1, and ECM proteins. ECM proteins as elastin, fibronectin, laminin, collagen have been identified as DAMPs. The DAMPs such as S100 and chromogranin A are already known as cancer biomarkers, so other cancer markers such as a-fetoprotein (AFP), BC

In order to maximize agricultural productivity, pesticides are being used widely. Pesticides usage from organophosphates, organochlorine, and carbamate class are rampant. The decades of reckless pesticide usage has contaminated the soil, water, air, and provoking deleterious effects on human health. Numerous studies have shown that these chemicals disrupt the immune and hormonal signaling, leading to various degrees of inflammation. Teratogenicity, infertility, neural disorders (leading to depression, suicides), cancer (blood, lungs, prostate, breast, skin) are direct outcomes of pesticide exposure through oral, ocular, dermal, and respiratory routes. The lipophilic pesticides deposit in the adipose tissues, provoking inflammatory cytokines. Some pesticides target cholinergic system and damage DNA.  Pesticide-driven pathologies occur by erratic enzyme activity. Some well-studied enzymes playing pivotal role in the diseases include caspase, serine protease, acetylcholinesterase.  Consid

 In the last decade, the role of probiotics for gut health has been recognized widely. The fermented foods as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso have been regarded as the sources of probiotic strains. The probiotic  include both bacteria and yeast. The  bacteria genera include, Lactococcus , Leuconostoc , Pediococcus , Propionibacterium , Bifidobacterium , Bacillus , some Streptococcus , Enterococcus , Escherichia coli , whereas the  yeast genus is Saccharomyces . They offer gut homeostasis, by suppressing the pathogenicity of Enterococcus faecalis , Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , E. coli etc. However, some studies have shown that probiotic might be not be safe for everybody. Some vulnerable groups as neonates, patients with leaky gut, diabetes mellitus, and in post-organ transplant phase may not be benefitted by probiotics use. Due to the poor immune system, the probiotic strains might

With rising population, food insecurity is looming as a threat. So, the search for underutilized, nutritious food candidates is a top-priority. In this regard, the phylum Arthropoda holds much promise. Crustaceans as shrimp, lobsters, crabs, and krill are long-known to to gourmet food, but now the class Insecta is emerging as promising food sources. Dense in proteins, fat and minerals, the “edible insects” can be exploited  to solve the global hunger issue. Agreed, insects are not as easy to integrate into the food platter unlike cereal or vegetable. Apart from the disgust, food neophobia, there are the risks of allergenic tissues and disease vector tendencies.  So, this new revolution is brewing to popularize edible-grade insects to diet. Ants, termites, silkworm, grasshoppers, locusts are some of the popular edible insects. Through workshops, food festivals, start-ups, and research grants, entomophagy is being encouraged. If this food niche is utilized, it will certainly reduce press

Inflammation is a double-edged sword. It saves from infections and injuries. But acute and chronic inflammation can kill too. Unfortunately, in today's stress and chemical-overloaded world, inflammation rate is unprecedented. Immune system is confused. The body pH is acidic. The enzymes, which are supposed to be active only when necessary for offense to others, or defense to self, are perpetually-active. These activated enzymes are interfering with normal pathways, and leading to pathologies, ranging from depression, diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, and scores of others.