ABSTRACT
The importance of food supply throughout the world has once again shown its significance in the COVID-19 pandemic period. A continuous food supply is possible with correct agricultural programming. An effective agricultural product programming can only be possible by obtaining precise agricultural data. However, it is very difficult to gather accurate agricultural production statistics from all over the world and confirm their accuracy. In this study, the compatibility of the production statistics of six important agricultural products (wheat, rice, potato, onion, banana, apple) which had been collected from local sources, and had published as opensource by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with Benford's law was examined for the first time. Data for the last two decades are used to ignore the impact of annual fluctuations. The compatibility of theoretically expected and observed data was tested by Chi-square (X2) and Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) tests. Although inconsistencies were found in some data by examining the numbers in the first, second, and first two digits, in general, the MAD test results gave a mostly concordant result.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus was detected in Bangladesh first time on March 8, 2020 officially. But Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), first reported in December 2019 from Wuhan in China, had reached the stage of a pandemic. This study was conducted to know the effects of spices against Covid-19 disease, impact of Covid-19 on agro-economy of spices crop and point out of mitigating of spices problem in Bangladesh. Major production of spices was severely affected, causing raw material shortages to the spice production of Bangladesh. Major for spices crop problem were shortages caused by the migration of the workforce due to lockdown. Continuing operation on the industry floor, in the midst of social distancing, and ensuring safety of the spices production, was also a major issue. Although the entire sectors were hit by the economic disruptions, the small-scale spice producers and processors most severely affected. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the prolonged lockdown have made thousands of farmers, labours and traders feel the pinch of a falling spices yield and sale. Increased production cost of onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and black cumin due to Covid-19 situation over normal situation were 10.33, 9.54, 9.04, 11.46, 9.58, 6.21 and 7.21%, respectively. Market price of onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and black cumin were also increased 5.00, 3.90, 1.39, 3.13, 1.40, 1.25 and 2.67 times, respectively, due to the influence of Covid-19.
ABSTRACT
The Amaryllidaceae species are well-known as a rich source of bioactive compounds in nature. Although Hymenocallis littoralis has been studied for decades, its polar components were rarely explored. The current phytochemical investigation of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids from H. littoralis led to the identification of three previously undescribed compounds: O-demethyl-norlycoramine (1), (-)-2-epi-pseudolycorine (2) and (+)-2-epi-pseudolycorine (3), together with eight known compounds: 6α-hydroxyhippeastidine (4), 6ß-hydroxyhippeastidine (5), lycorine (6), 2-epi-lycorine (7), zephyranthine (8), ungeremine (9), pancratistatin (10) and 9-O-demethyl-7-O-methyllycorenine (11). Among the eight previously reported compounds, five were isolated from H. littoralis for the first time (compounds 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9). Compounds 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 11 exhibited weak anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity (EC50 = 40-77 µM) at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Assessment of cytotoxicity on the Vero-E6 cell line revealed lycorine and pancratistatin as cytotoxic substances with CC50 values of 1.2 µM and 0.13 µM, respectively. The preliminary structure-activity relationship for the lycorine-type alkaloids in this study was further investigated, and as a result ring C appears to play a crucial role in their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity.
Subject(s)
Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids , Amaryllidaceae , COVID-19 , Liliaceae , Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids/pharmacology , Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids/chemistry , Amaryllidaceae/chemistryABSTRACT
This study aims to analyze the AntiCovid effect of Phytocompounds extracted from Native Indian Plant species by computational methods such as Molecular Docking. Through this study keeping the Indian Heritage alive we characterized the ability of these phytochemicals as inhibiting agents of the Main Protease enzyme of this Virus. The lack of any effective treatment and the reoccurrence of cases despite Vaccination necessitates the quick provision of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Natural substances are getting a lot of attention for SARS-CoV-2 therapy as they have proven antimicrobial activities and are a key source for numerous antiviral drugs. Despite the fact that this virus has several identified target receptors, Main Protease (Mpro) is crucial for viral replication. In this study, 26 phytochemicals from 10 native Indian plant species were studied. Our docking studies demonstrated that compounds Quercetin, Withaferin A, Sominone, and Nimbin were likely to be more favorable than the natural inhibitor N3, with binding energies of-8.42, -9.21, -9.95, and -8.88 kcal/mol, respectively. These four candidate natural compounds were further examined for their bioavailability scores through ADMET analysis to prove the safety of these compounds as well as their drug likeliness. Through the results it was indicated that these natural phytochemicals have a significant potential of inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme and might be utilized to treat SARS-CoV-2 and manage public health, subject to in vitro validation in the future.
ABSTRACT
The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Ancient Chinese herbal formulas are effective for diseases caused by viral infection, and their effects on COVID-19 are currently being examined. To directly evaluate the role of Chinese herbs in inhibiting replication of SARS-CoV-2, we investigated how the phytochemicals from Chinese herbs interact with the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Total 1025 compounds were screened, and then 181compounds were selected for molecular docking analysis. Four phytochemicals licorice glycoside E, diisooctyl phthalate, (-)-medicocarpin, and glycyroside showed good binding affinity with RdRp. The best complex licorice glycoside E/RdRp forms 3 hydrogen bonds, 4 hydrophobic interactions, 1 pair of Pi-cation/stacking, and 4 salt bridges. Furthermore, docking complexes licorice glycoside E/RdRp and diisooctyl phthalate/RdRp were optimized by molecular dynamics simulation to obtain the stable conformation. These studies indicate that they are promising as antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study focuses on accessing the impact of lockdown implemented to curb the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on prices of potato and onion crops using the time series analysis techniques. Design/methodology/approach: The present study uses secondary price series data for both crops. Along with the study of percent increase or decrease, the time series analysis techniques of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), as well as machine learning;neural network autoregressive (NNAR) models were used to model the prices. For the purpose of comparison, the data from past years were taken as the period of normalcy. The behaviour of the forecasts for the normal periods and during the pandemic based on respective datasets was compared. Findings: The results show that there was an unprecedented rise in prices during the months of lockdown. It could be attributed to the decline in arrivals due to several reasons like issues with transportation and labour availability. Also, towards the end of lockdown (May 2020), the prices seemed to decrease. Such a drop could be attributed to the relaxations in lockdown and reduced demand. The study also discusses that how some unique approaches like e-marketing, localized resource development for attaining self-sufficiency and developing transport chain, especially, for agriculture could help in such a situation of emergency. Research limitations/implications: A more extensive study could be conducted to mark the factors specifically that caused the increase in price. Originality/value: The study clearly marks that the prices of the crops increased more than expectations using time series methods. Also, it surveys the prevailing situation through available resources to link up the reasons behind it.
ABSTRACT
Covid-19, which started in China and affected all countries in the world in a short time, spread rapidly among people and caused serious loss of life. This global epidemic has not only been effective on human health, but has also brought with it a new world order in economic and social terms. In Turkey, the impact of the epidemic reached critical dimensions in time, especially in the health sector, as well as in the agriculture and industry sectors. The aim of this research is to comparatively evaluate consumer preferences for agricultural and food products before and during Covid-19. The material of the research consists of data obtained from 384 consumers residing in the urban area of Samsun. Research results in the epidemic process;expiry date, price, brand, It shows that the ranking of the most important criteria related to agricultural and food products such as production date and company name has not changed compared to the pre-epidemic period, but the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process.
ABSTRACT
Onions, potatoes, and tomatoes constitute an important component of the Indian diet. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the government to impose a lockdown from 25 March to 31 May. This paper uses granular data to assess the impact of the lockdown on the daily arrivals and wholesale prices of these commodities at three metropolitan markets. The impact was significant and negative on the quantity traded, and positive on prices, but the heterogeneity across commodities and markets was considerable.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to devastate the world's health and economy, affecting all aspects of life leading to widespread social disruption. Even as several vaccines have been developed, their availability in developing countries is limited and their efficacy against the variants of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2) needs to be continuously assessed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that vaccines alone will not overcome the global challenges of COVID-19. Medicinal plants may provide the needed support. Herein, we identify Philippine medicinal plants that possess phytochemicals with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and/or immunomodulatory properties that may strengthen one's immune system against COVID-19. These plants were selected from 100 of the best-studied Philippine medicinal plants with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. The general antiviral and specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities and immunomodulatory properties of the phytochemicals that these plants contained were searched. While many compounds assessed individually using in vitro and in silico techniques suggest potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 or immunomodulatory effects, this review sought to identify the medicinal plants which contain these compounds and which, based on literature, have the best potential application against COVID-19. These plants are Allium spp. bulbs (bawang), Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees leaves (sinta), Cocos nucifera L. oil (niyog), Euphorbia hirta L. leaves (tawa-tawa), Euphorbia neriifolia L. leaves (sorosoro), Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves (malunggay), Ocimum basilicum L. leaves (balanoy), Piper nigrum L. seeds (paminta), Vitex negundo L. leaves (lagundi), and Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizome (luya). This review provides a shortlist that can guide research on possible solutions to COVID-19 using Philippine medicinal plants.
ABSTRACT
This proceedings contains 13 papers focusing on the effect of green tea extract in modulating the antibacterial activity of standard antibiotics against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii, in silico screening of Ziziphus spina-christi and Strychnos ligustrine compounds as a proteinase inhibitor of SARS-COV-2, antioxidant and antifungal propterties of palu shallot (Allium ascalonicum var. aggregatum), probiotic properties and safety of lactic acid bactera isolated from South Sulawesi ethnic cheese, pharmacognostics of 2 Orthoshipon aristatus varieties and effect of honey consumption after physical exercises on electrolytes and blood sugar levels, among others.
ABSTRACT
The entire world is entrapped by the contagious, lethal infectious Corona disease, brought about by the extreme intense respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has been more devastating than the first. The arrival of corona virus vaccines has meant good news for resuming a normal life. However, there are some cases that have been reported that the persons who have been vaccinated still test positive for COVID-19. Unlike the first wave (in 2020), the younger population is getting infection by a corona virus, especially those with comorbidities are at high risk. Evidence from the first wave of data on the mortality rate also suggests that people with weak immune systems, e.g., older people, children, and those with underlying medical issues, are more likely to be affected by Covid-19 disease. Therefore, by improving the human body's immunity, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections can be reduced. In this regard, medicinal plants can play an effective role in improving the body's immunity. Thus, in this paper, attempts are made to compile and discuss the use of various plants to boost immunity and also for the prevention of many respiratory diseases having symptoms and signs similar to Corona disease.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to analyze the development and fluctuation of basic food prices in traditional markets in Jakarta before and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The study used performance reports from the Indonesian Central Statistical Institute (BPS), National Center for Food Price Information (PHPI), various government agencies, the latest news from reliable online media, and similar studies. The scope of the research focused on the development of basic food prices in traditional markets from January 2019 to May 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The basic food prices discussed in this study were shallots, rice, red chili, and garlic. Results showed that, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the price fluctuations of shallots in the traditional markets of Jakarta was not significant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rice prices remained stable due to the government's welfare program. The price of red chili in traditional markets tended to decrease due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic caused fluctuations in garlic prices in traditional markets in Jakarta, and this was because garlic imports from China faced logistical difficulties.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the agrifood system of the country, in its productive chains from the supply, marketing and consumption of food in households. Within this ontological framework, the research project "Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the agrifood security of the department of Norte de Santander 2020-2021" is being developed, obtaining partial results on the effects of the pandemic in the consumption of vegetables in the homes of the city of C..cuta, capital of the department. Databases of (CENABASTOS and MINIAGRICULRURA 2019, 2020) and heads of families were consulted through an online survey of 323 households of members of the community of the University of Santander (UDES) in the period January-July 2021 on variations in the quantity, quality, price and frequency of consumption of the main vegetables produced in the department (potato, tomato, paprika, onion and garlic). Results indicate that when comparing the prices of the years 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2021 (third peak of the pandemic), price increases of potato by 97.90%, tomato by 2.39%, white onion by 105.02%, garlic by 23.79% and carrot by 2.53% are evidenced. In the surveys, the perception of the heads of household indicates that the quantity of vegetables consumed has been affected by 42.48%, quality by 37.08%, prices by 49.59% and frequency by 33.08%.
ABSTRACT
Food products are the main concern for the government and people of Indonesia. Changes in food prices have significant effects on the welfare of the population. Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected community activities and the food agribusiness system. This study analyzes patterns of changes in prices and marketing margins of seven main food products in Indonesian food consumption i.e. rice, shallots, garlic, red chillies, cayenne pepper, cooking oil, and sugar, after the Covid-19 pandemic by presenting descriptive statistics of daily food prices data from the National Strategic Food Price Information Center (PIHPSN). Based on empirical results, except for shallots and cooking oil, most food prices at various market levels have fallen during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the risk of food prices at various levels of the market has been increasing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the magnitude and variability of marketing margins along the marketing chain also have been increasing. These findings imply the urgency of Institutional policies that can increase market transparency and competition appears to be more effective in the long term at reducing the price shocks caused by Covid-19 at various levels of the market than price interventions.
ABSTRACT
Background: Up to date drug-based treatments for COVID-19 have not been approved. The most effective way to face this public health problem is prevention with adequate nutrition, hygiene, and protection measures. Food has historically been used by people to improve their nutrition and complement the treatment or prevention of diseases. The various bioactive compounds of some foods are known, which in experimental studies demonstrated their antiviral and immunomodulatory action.
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Background: Up to the 21st century, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) is still used despite the wide spread of orthodox medicine. The magnitude, predictors and types of herbal remedies used for COVID-19 are assessed to tailor evidence based policy and drug formulation against COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
The global COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of millions and disrupted nearly every aspect of human society. Currently, vaccines remain the only widely available medical means to address the cause of the pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Unfortunately, current scientific consensus deems the emergence of vaccine-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants highly likely. In this context, the design and development of broad-spectrum, small-molecule based antiviral drugs has been described as a potentially effective, alternative medical strategy to address circulating and re-emerging CoVs. Small molecules are well-suited to target the least-rapidly evolving structures within CoVs such as highly conserved RNA replication enzymes, and this renders them less vulnerable to evolved drug resistance. Examination of the vast literature describing the inhibition of RNA viruses by Amaryllidaceae alkaloids suggests that future, broad-spectrum anti-CoV drugs may be derived from this family of natural products.