Researchers have found that treating seeds with ethylene gas increases both their growth and stress tolerance. This discovery, involving enhanced photosynthesis and carbohydrate production in plants, offers a potential breakthrough in improving crop yields and resilience against environmental stressors. Just like any other organism, plants can get stressed. Usually, it’s conditions like heat and drought that lead to this stress, and when they’re stressed, plants might not grow as large or produce as much. This can be a problem for farmers, so many scientists have tried genetically modifying plants to be more resilient. However plants modified for higher crop yields tend to have a lower stress tolerance because they put more energy into growth than into protection against stresses. Similarly, improving the ability of plants to survive stress often results in plants that produce less because they put more energy into protection than into growth. This conundrum makes it difficult to imp

Horse Chestnut Supplements: Are There Health Benefits? Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a fruit-bearing tree grown in southeastern Europe. The leaves, seeds, flowers, and bark of horse chestnut contain bioactive compounds that may benefit human health. For example, some people take horse chestnut to relieve joint pain or leg cramps. Compounds in horse chestnut include antioxidants, chlorophylls , and saponins, the most abundant of which is escin. While it is unsafe to consume horse chestnut in raw form, supplements are available and have been studied for their potential use in treating a variety of health conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. When choosing a supplement, look for third-part

Tobramycin, Inhaled Antibiotic, Eases Symptoms, Study in Off-label Use Finds Off-label use of the inhaled antibiotic tobramycin lowered sputum production, and eased shortness of breath, and cough in people with bronchiectasis, a small real-world study found. Although there was no significant improvement in lung function, the antibiotic eliminated almost half of the reported Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and led to fewer hospitalizations. Further studies are necessary for inhaled tobramycin to be established as standard therapy in bronchiectasis, the scientists said.

Keep Mosquitoes Away with These Tried-and-True Repellents Mosquito experts break down how to choose and use the best mosquito repellents High angle closeup of Black woman spaying legs with bug repellent Only insect repellants with Environmental Protection Agency–registered active ingredients such as diethyl toluamide (DEET)[AS1] , p-Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or icaridin (also known as picaridin) have been scientifically proved to effectively keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are masters of speed and subtlety. Rarely do we catch one on our skin mid-bite. And when we do, the damage is often already done: the blood has been sucked, the itch-inducing saliva has been secreted, and, in some cases, a disease has already been transmitted.

Ovarian cancer researchers bring natural product β-escin to the fore β-escin is a chemical extracted from the horse chestnut seed. For women with ovarian cancer, there is a high rate of mortality, in part due to the ease of cancer cell spreading, or metastasis, in the abdominal cavity. Current treatments can be expensive and have proven to be ineffective against long-term survival in these patients. It's one of the reasons many researchers have sought to identify natural products and synthesized compounds with pharmacological effects against cancer cells. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center recently published a study in the journal Read More

Despite a patent extension, Merck’s muscle relaxant reversal injection is now facing potential generic competition from Hikma Pharmaceuticals, which is seeking the FDA’s approval for a copycat version. Merck in an SEC filing disclosed on Monday that Hikma Pharmaceuticals U.S. is seeking the FDA’s approval for its generic version of the muscle relaxant reversal injection Bridion (sugammadex) prior to the drug’s patent expiration. Hikma notified Merck of its intention on Feb. 5, 2024, according to the SEC filing. The British pharma is making its regulatory request under the Hatch-Waxman Act—also known as the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984—which established the approval pathway for generics.