Roots are central to the function of natural and agricultural ecosystems by driving plant acquisition of soil resources and influencing the carbon cycle. Root characteristics like length, diameter and volume are critical to measure to understand plant and soil functions. RhizoVision Explorer is an open-source software designed to enable researchers interested in roots by providing an easy-to-use interface, fast image processing and reliable measurements. The default broken roots mode is intended for roots sampled from pots and soil cores, washed and typically scanned on a flatbed scanner, and provides measurements like length, diameter and volume. The optional whole root mode for complete root systems or root crowns provides additional measurements such as angles, root depth and convex hull. Both modes support providing measurements grouped by defined diameter ranges, the inclusion of multiple regions of interest and batch analysis. RhizoVision Explorer was successfully validated against ground truth data using a new copper wire image set. In comparison, the current reference software, the commercial WinRhizo™, drastically underestimated volume when wires of different diameters were in the same image. Additionally, measurements were compared with WinRhizo™ and IJ_Rhizo using a simulated root image set, showing general agreement in software measurements, except for root volume. Finally, scanned root image sets acquired in different labs for the crop, herbaceous and tree species were used to compare results from RhizoVision Explorer with WinRhizo™. The two software showed general agreement, except that WinRhizo™ substantially underestimated root volume relative to RhizoVision Explorer. In the current context of rapidly growing interest in root science, RhizoVision Explorer intends to become a reference software, improve the overall accuracy and replicability of root trait measurements and provide a foundation for collaborative improvement and reliable access to all.

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Selecting candidates for drug developments using computational design and empirical rules has resulted in a broad discussion about their success. In a previous study, we had shown that a species' abundance [as expressed by the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)] dataset is a core determinant for the development of a natural product into a medicine. Our overarching aim is to understand the unique requirements for natural product-based drug development. Web of Science was queried for research on alkaloids in combination with plant systematics/taxonomy. All alkaloids containing species demonstrated an average increase of 8.66 in GBIF occurrences between 2014 and 2020. Medicinal Species with alkaloids show higher abundance compared to non-medicinal alkaloids, often linked also to cultivation. Alkaloids with high biodiversity are often simple alkaloids found in multiple species with the presence of 'driver species' and are more likely to be included in early-stage drug development compared to 'rare' alkaloids. Similarly, the success of an alkaloid containing species as a food supplement ('botanical') is linked to its abundance. GBIF is a useful tool for assessing the druggability of a compound from a certain source species. The success of any development programme from natural sources must take sustainable sourcing into account right from the start.

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Numerous plants and fungi produce mannitol, which may serve as an osmolyte or metabolic store; furthermore, mannitol also acts as a powerful quencher of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some phytopathogenic fungi use mannitol to stifle ROS-mediated plant resistance. Mannitol is essential in pathogenesis to balance cell reinforcements produced by both plants and animals. Mannitol likewise serves as a source of reducing power, managing coenzymes, and controlling cytoplasmic pH by going about as a sink or hotspot for protons. The metabolic pathways for mannitol biosynthesis and catabolism have been characterized in filamentous fungi by direct diminishment of fructose-6-phosphate into mannitol-1-phosphate including a mannitol-1-phosphate phosphatase catalyst. In plants mannitol is integrated from mannose-6-phosphate to mannitol-1-phosphate, which then dephosphorylates to mannitol. The enzyme mannitol dehydrogenase plays a key role in host-pathogen interactions and must be co-localized with pathogen-secreted mannitol to resist the infection.

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Methamphetamine and related compounds are now the second most commonly used illicit substance worldwide, after cannabis. Reports of methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy (MAC) are increasing, but MAC has not been well reviewed. This analysis of MAC will provide an overview of the pharmacology of methamphetamine, historical perspective and epidemiology, a review of case and clinical studies, and a summary of the proposed mechanisms for MAC. Clinically, many questions remain, including the appropriate therapeutic interventions for MAC, the incidence and prevalence of cardiac pathology in methamphetamine users, risk factors for developing MAC, and prognosis of these patients. In conclusion, recognition of the significance of MAC among physicians and other medical caregivers is important given the growing use of methamphetamine and related stimulants worldwide.

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Diabetes mellitus is one of the common metabolic disorders acquiring around 2.8% of the world's population and is anticipated to cross 5.4% by the year 2025. Since long back herbal medicines have been the highly esteemed source of medicine therefore, they have become a growing part of modern, high-tech medicine. In view of the above aspects the present review provides profiles of plants (65 species) with hypoglycaemic properties, available through literature source from various database with proper categorization according to the parts used, mode of reduction in blood glucose (insulinomimetic or insulin secretagogues activity) and active phytoconstituents having insulin mimetics activity. From the review it was suggested that, plant showing hypoglycemic potential mainly belongs to the family Leguminoseae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae, Moraceae, Rosaceae and Araliaceae. The most active plants are Allium sativum, Gymnema sylvestre, Citrullus colocynthis, Trigonella foenum greacum, Momordica charantia and Ficus bengalensis. The review describes some new bioactive drugs and isolated compounds from plants such as roseoside, epigallocatechin gallate, beta-pyrazol-1-ylalanine, cinchonain Ib, leucocyandin 3-O-beta-d-galactosyl cellobioside, leucopelargonidin-3- O-alpha-L rhamnoside, glycyrrhetinic acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid, strictinin, isostrictinin, pedunculagin, epicatechin and christinin-A showing significant insulinomimetic and antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than conventional hypoglycaemic agents. Thus, from the review majorly, the antidiabetic activity of medicinal plants is attributed to the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins and other constituents which show reduction in blood glucose levels. The review also discusses the management aspect of diabetes mellitus using these plants and their active principles.

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