Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Plants, being sessile organisms, are perpetually subjected to a spectrum of escalating abiotic stresses, which have detrimental repercussions on agriculture worldwide. In the forthcoming era of climate change and ecosystem degradation, fostering the use of beneficial microbiota in agroecosystems represents a major challenge towards sustainability. Some plant-associated bacteria, called Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), may confer growth-promoting advantages to the host plant through enhancing nutrient uptake, altering hormone homeostasis, and/or improving tolerance to abiotic stress factors (drought, heavy metal, and salinity stress) in plants. These include promoting plant growth through the activation of antioxidant enzymes to detoxify reactive oxygen species, accumulation of compatible solutes to maintain osmotic homeostasis, suppression of lipid peroxidation to conserve membrane integrity, and emission of volatile organic compounds to induce systemic resistance. Additionally, PGPR synthesize phytohormones and exopolysaccharides that reinforce their persistence in soil, improve plant-water relations, and optimize nutrient uptake efficiency. In this regard, exploring the key ecological and evolutionary interactions between plants and their microbiomes is a prerequisite to developing innovative approaches and novel natural products that will complement conventional farming techniques. Collectively, these interactions fortify plant defense mechanisms, enhance physiological homeostasis, and promote adaptive plasticity in adverse environments. Herein, we describe the role of plant-microbe interactions in mitigating abiotic stress and fostering sustainable crop production. Leveraging multifactorial PGPR in agroecosystems strengthens the adaptive resilience of plants, reduces dependency on synthetic fertilizers, maintains soil microbiome integrity, cellular homeostasis, nutrient cycling, improves water retention, and ensures sustainable productivity in stress-prone and resource-limited regions.

This study describes the nutritional, microbial population dynamics, stability, and sensory characteristics of a functional pearl millet-milk fermented beverage (PMFB) made using Limosilactobacillus fermentum (MS005). Fermentation was carried out for 16 h, and the obtained Raabadi-like beverage contained 8.75 log10 CFU/mL of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The proximate composition of the beverage was as follows: carbohydrates (6.19

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a pro-inflammatory cytokine primarily produced by Th17 cells, has emerged as a pivotal immunological mediator in both protective and pathological processes across different animal species in addition to human beings. Over the past decade, research has expanded significantly, elucidating IL-17A’s roles in host defense, immune modulation, disease progression and vaccine induced immune responses. The present review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of IL-17A within the context of veterinary medicine. IL-17A has been implicated in protection from various diseases as well as in their pathogenesis in different contexts. Different diseases like bovine mastitis, bovine tuberculosis, canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, avian viral infections and many others, the raised expression of IL-17A helps predict how mild or severe a case will be. Diagnostic potential has been demonstrated, particularly in cattle, where IL-17A serves as a promising biomarker for mycobacterial infections and inflammatory responses. In vaccination, recombinant and plasmid-based IL-17A delivery has enhanced immune protection against pathogens such as bovine herpesvirus and Marek’s disease virus in poultry, suggesting utility as a novel adjuvant. Furthermore, studies in swine and poultry have revealed age- and tissue-specific dynamics of IL-17A during immune maturation and infection. While IL-17A contributes to immunopathology in some contexts, it also holds promise for advancing vaccine development, diagnostics, and targeted immunotherapy in veterinary practice. The shared role of IL-17A in veterinary and human health highlights the need of a One Health approach, acknowledging the interdependence of human, animal and environmental well-being. Understanding IL-17A's function across species can reveal cross-species therapeutic strategies and vaccination programs, promoting a holistic approach to manage inflammatory and infectious diseases. Further, research into IL-17A's mechanisms and its modulation could lead to more effective treatments and prevention strategies, benefiting both human and animal health. This review highlights critical discoveries, emerging tools and future directions to harness IL-17A for improving animal health, productivity and disease control strategies in both livestock and companion animals.

Dogs play an important role in the transmission of zoonotic parasites to humans. Among these, gastrointestinal (GI) helminths are widely prevalent and pose a significant public health risk. This study investigated the prevalence, molecular characterization and risk factors analyses of gastrointestinal nematodes in pet and semi-pet dogs in Haryana, India, to assess their potential zoonotic relevance. A total of 310 faecal samples were collected from pet and semi-pet dogs from five randomly selected blocks of Hisar district of Haryana, India and examined for the presence of zoonotic GI nematodes. Of these, 77 samples (24.85

INTRODUCTION:Immune exhaustion is known to occur in chronic infections as well as cancer, and is characterized by constant antigenic stimulation and gradual loss of T cell function and upregulation of immune exhaustion markers. This systematic review aims to explore conserved and divergent exhaustion signatures across humans, mice, and bovines to advance our understanding for better translational outcomes. METHODS:Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, studies from 2011-2023 were analyzed using a random-effects model (metaprop, logit transformation). Subgroup analyses (species, disease type), sensitivity and heterogeneity (I²) analyses were performed. Publication bias was performed to evaluate biomarker variability. RESULTS:Meta-analysis identified an almost consistent role of IL-6 (48%), IL-2 (51%), TNF-α (46%), IFN-γ (41%), and IL-10 (48%) in immune exhaustion throughout various chronic disease conditions. Co-inhibitory receptors such as PD-1 (51%), TIM-3 (54%), LAG-3 (59%), and CTLA-4 (64%) were highly upregulated. Extreme heterogeneity (I² >95%) pointed towards considerable variation mainly due to species differences, disease category, and methodological factors, with fewer murine and bovine studies compared to human literature. DISCUSSION:The confluence of pro-inflammatory cytokines with elevated checkpoint receptor expression highlights the fact that immune exhaustion is conserved across mammals. However, the limitation in extrapolation attributed to high heterogeneity and species imbalance exists in the study. Furthermore, the variations in disease models and technical differences in detection methods point towards a need for standardization and integrated comparative analyses to boost biomarker interpretation. CONCLUSION:Co-inhibitory receptors and various cytokines appear to be the conserved contributors to immune exhaustion across species. Further, enriching cross-species data sets and accounting for methodological variability will improve the translational importance and support in developing more precise therapeutic interventions.