Periwinkle [Catharanthus roseus (L) G. Don] has become one of the very extensively investigated medicinal plants after the discovery of two powerful anti-cancer alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine, in its leaves more than 50 years ago. These alkaloidal drugs are still in clinical use. Also, periwinkle is still the only source of these alkaloids and their precursors, catharanthine and vindoline. Low concentrations of these alkaloids in the plant and, therefore, high costs of their extraction have led to tremendous efforts towards understanding their biosynthesis and exploration of alternate ways of their production such as, chemical synthesis, cell, tissue and hairy root cultures, and metabolic engineering of heterologous organisms. Literature on this plant is quite voluminous, with an average of about 80 publications per year during last three decades (1985–2015). Nearly 60% of these publications are on physiology, biochemistry, cell and tissue culture, phytochemistry, metabolic and genetic engineering aspects. In spite of these efforts, an economically viable alternative to field-grown periwinkle plants as a source of these alkaloids has not yet been found. Biosynthesis of C. roseus alkaloids is a complex process involving many genes, enzymes, regulators, inter- and intra-cellular transporters, cell types, organelles and tissues and its current understanding is still considered to be incomplete to produce C. roseus alkaloids through metabolic engineering/synthetic biology. Till such time, breeding periwinkle varieties with higher concentrations of anti-cancer alkaloids for cultivation can be an alternate approach to meet the demand for these alkaloids and reduce their costs. While literature on cell and tissue culture, phytochemistry, metabolic and genetic engineering aspects of periwinkle has been reviewed periodically, crop production and plant breeding aspects have received little attention. In this paper, an attempt has been made to bring together published information on genetics and breeding of periwinkle as a medicinal plant. Some probable constraints which may have hindered taking up periwinkle breeding are identified. Initially, quite a few attempts have been made at genetic improvement of periwinkle through induced polyploidy, and subsequently through induced mutagenesis. Mutations, both natural and induced, provide a valuable resource for use in breeding and in functional and reverse genomics research. It is only during last 6–7 years, genetic diversity has been assessed using molecular markers and very recently molecular markers have been identified for marker-assisted selection for alkaloid yield.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure treatment on the induction of mitogynogenesis in the eggs of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck et Schlegel) by using heterospecific sperm were studied. Before treatment, the eggs were at metaphase of the first mitosis. The spindle was disassembled by the treatment and then resembled in its pretreatment position, and the chromosomes were rearranged, i.e., the first mitosis was not blocked. During the second mitotic cycle, only a monopolar spindle was assembled in each blastomere and the chromosomes doubled, but cell cleavage was blocked. In the third cycle, mitosis proceeded normally with a bipolar spindle in each blastomere. Flow cytometric analysis of ploidy demonstrated that mitogynogenetic larvae were all diploid. The ultraviolet light-irradiated sperm of the red sea bream (Pagrus major) was condensed, formed a dense chromatin body, and randomly entered one blastomere.

Chromosome numbers were determined in 23 accessions representing 21 species hitherto belonging to Chirita (Gesneriaceae), a genus that has recently been remodelled and split into five different genera: Damrongia, Henckelia, Liebigia, Microchirita and Primulina. The previously monotypic Primulina tabacum was also investigated. Counts for 19 species were new, two were confirmatory and two gave different numbers from previously published counts. The results here, together with previously published cytological data for the erstwhile genus Chirita, were analysed in the light of the taxonomic revision of the genus and published phylogenetic data. Chirita was originally highly heterogeneous in chromosome numbers, including seven different somatic numbers, 2n = 8, 18, 20, 28, 32, 34 and 36. Among the five remodelled genera, Henckelia was found to be as equally heterogeneous as the erstwhile Chirita, Microchirita included only two chromosome numbers, 2n = 18 and 34, the three species of Damrongia were uniform with 2n = 18, while species belonging to the extended Primulina showed only one basic number, x = 18, with 15 samples being diploid, and one being tetraploid. In the light of recent phylogenetic studies, polyploid as well as dysploid changes appear to have shaped the genomes of the newly defined genera Henckelia, Microchirita and, to a lesser degree, Primulina.

C-banding has been performed on Dictyocaulus filaria using both original and modified techniques. The karyotype is reported based on C band observations. The existence of large heterochromatic blocks appears to be the cause of the low chiasmata frequency.

Background: Brushing cytology is a well established diagnostic procedure used by gynaecologists, physicians and surgeons to obtain representative samples from lesions. Our aim was to evaluate its reliability in ulcerative and tumour-like conditions arising in the skin of the head and neck.

Methods: Over 28 months, 86 patients with suspected cutaneous malignant lesions underwent a cytological examination with a cytobrush within the otolaryngology department.

Results: Cytological analysis identified 63 out of 64 histologically documented malignant tumours (60 primary basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and three metastatic adenocarcinomas), and 21 out of 22 benign lesions. There was one false positive and one false negative result.

Conclusions: Brushing cytology of suspected cutaneous malignant lesions is a rapid and reliable diagnostic method which helps the clinician to decide on appropriate planning and treatment. The technique can be performed as an out-patient procedure, and smear preparation can be done in the laboratory, even at a peripheral hospital.

Plantago ovata is the cultivated and economically important species in the monotypic genus Plantago. P. ovata is a short-stemmed annual herb, 10–45 cm tall. The species is generally an in-breeder. The seed husk of this plant is commonly called Psyllium or Isabgol (in Hindi), which is a very effective laxative. Other usages of Isabgol are in ice cream making, cosmetics, printing and finishing. The intake of husk also reduces blood cholesterol levels. Isabgol is commercially very important as its export earns India foreign exchange worth INR 2.5 billion (US$1=44 INR). The plant is cultivated on a large scale in western India. In Gujarat, it is cultivated in about 144,000 ha of land, yielding 720 kg/ha. P. ovata has a narrow genetic base, and the lack of variability is on account of low chromosome number, small chromosome size, presence of high heterochromatin in the chromosomes, low chiasmata frequency and low recombination index. The genome size of the species is ∼500 Mb. Different breeding methods, namely selection, hybridization, induced mutations, polyploidy and tissue culture, have been used for genetic improvement of this plant. Except selections, which have led to isolation of a few varieties, the results of other methods have not been encouraging. P. ovata has about 200 wild allies, some of which are medicinally important. These wild species constitute a rich resource of important genes, which if transferred to cultivated species could revolutionize the production of Isabgol. The present paper highlights various aspects of genetic diversity, cultivation and utilization of this important medicinal plant, and suggests the prospects of genetic manipulation.

Aim: To establish the diagnostic accuracy and adequacy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) within a regional cancer network, and to determine what service improvements may be required to allow successful implementation of an FNAC-based, ‘one-stop’ head and neck clinic, as proposed by the current National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines.

Materials and methods: The Sussex cancer network serves a population of 1 200 000 and contains five hospitals within three acute trusts. In 2004, an audit was undertaken retrospectively to examine the diagnostic adequacy and accuracy of head and neck FNAC across the network. Comparisons were then made with the results of subsequent relevant surgery. For the purposes of the audit, FNAC was subdivided into three main groups: salivary gland, thyroid gland and neck node. As part of the data analysis, we also noted the clinical source of the FNAC and whether it was performed blind or under image guidance.

Results: In 2004, 712 FNAC procedures were undertaken in 647 patients, 276 of whom underwent subsequent surgery. Fine needle aspiration cytology was non-diagnostic in 52 per cent of patients in the neck node group, in 50 per cent in the salivary gland group and in 30 per cent in the thyroid group. With these non-diagnostic results removed, statistical analysis was performed on data from those patients who had undergone both FNAC and subsequent surgery. This gave a sensitivity of 89 per cent and a specificity of 57 per cent in the neck node group, a sensitivity of 64 per cent and specificity of 100 per cent in the salivary gland group, and a sensitivity of 62 per cent and specificity of 86 per cent in the thyroid group. Diagnostic problems with FNAC were noted, particularly in the differentiation of reactive nodal hyperplasia from lymphoma and in diagnosing follicular thyroid lesions. Ultrasound guidance was used in 50 per cent of the thyroid FNAC procedures but in only a minority of patients in the neck node and salivary gland groups.

Conclusion: This audit demonstrated widespread diagnostic difficulties associated with head and neck FNAC in a large patient sample. It is likely that these problems will be mirrored in other cancer networks. In order for one-stop head and neck clinics to succeed, the non-diagnostic rate of FNAC in particular must be minimised. There are strategies to enable this, depending on local resources, including increased access to cytologists or cytology technicians, diagnostic ultrasound, image guidance for FNAC and the use of ultrasound-guided core biopsy.

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules. The study also evaluated the predictive value of pre-operative fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in surgical decision making, by comparing the final pathological diagnosis with the initial FNAC result.

All patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 1999 and 2003 were analysed. One hundred and sixty patients who underwent pre-operative FNAC were included in this study.

Fine needle aspiration was accurate in 119 (74.3 per cent) patients. Fine needle aspiration cytology and histology did not correlate in 32 (20 per cent) patients and FNAC was inadequate in nine (5.6 per cent) cases. Failures were mainly noted in cases of follicular neoplasm.

Our results indicate that FNAC is helpful in the diagnosis of thyroid pathology. However, complete histopathological analysis is essential to distinguish follicular adenoma from follicular carcinoma.

From this study, it can be concluded that FNAC is a cost-effective method of evaluating thyroid pathology pre-operatively and plays a useful role in planning the surgical management of thyroid nodules. However, results must be interpreted with the clinical picture in mind.

This case illustrates the surgical use of wire localization, a well tried technique from a different field of surgery, in the removal of an ultrasound-detected, impalpable deep lower cervical lymph node in a high-risk patient. A localization needle with an echogenic tip was placed freehand under ultrasound guidance, immediately before surgery. The imaging and marking of the impalpable cervical lymph node resulted in a precise surgical dissection and a reduction in operating time whilst minimizing risks to the patient and staff.

Objective: Fine needle aspiration cytology is a well established tool for investigating many head and neck conditions. Its application in parotid tumours is, however, controversial. This article is aimed at defining the role of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnostic work up of parotid tumours. The accuracy and utility of FNAC of parotid tumours was also assessed.

Design: Retrospective case note review.

Setting: District general hospital.

Participants: Review of 69 patient records who had parotid surgery under one surgeon’s care (JS). Clinical opinion, FNAC results and final pathology findings were examined.

Main outcome measures: The results of the FNAC were compared to the histopathological diagnosis obtained from the surgical specimen.

Results: Histological evaluation revealed 13 malignant tumours and 56 benign lesions. The overall sensitivity of FNAC was 84.6 per cent and specificity was 96.4 per cent. We noted 11 true positive, 54 true negative, two false negative and two false positive results. Positive predictive value for diagnosing malignancy was 84.6 per cent and negative predictive value for malignancy was 96.4 per cent. The overall accuracy of FNAC of parotids in this study was 94.2 per cent.

Conclusions: FNAC results provide useful preoperative information. FNAC enables more reliable patient counselling and reduces pathological surprises. Pre-operative recognition of malignant tumours may help prepare both the surgeon and patient for an appropriate surgical procedure. Its enhancement of the pre-operative recognition of malignant parotid tumours may alert more stringent attention to the operative margin and hence better tumour clearance. Ultrasound guided FNAC was found to be highly specific for malignancy and its sensitivity for malignancy was good.

The induction of gynogenetic diploids during meiosis II in the scallop Chlamys farreri was attempted using the treatments of cytochalasin B (0.5 μg ml−1; CB) and 6-dimethylaminopurine (60 μg ml−1; 6-DMAP). The effects of CB and 6-DMAP treatments on meiosis and fertilization of eggs were also examined. Haploid gynogenesis was induced by sperm which were ultraviolet-irradiated for 30 s at an intensity of 2561 μW cm−2 s−1. CB and 6-DMAP treatments were highly effective in suppressing meiosis II, yielding 19% and 28% gynogenetic diploids, respectively. Compared with the CB treatment, the 6-DMAP treatment produced more expected D-shaped larvae. Cytological observations revealed that 6-DMAP inhibited pronuclear movements and the segregation of chromosomes, resulting in the formation of one big diploid female pronucleus with strong fluorescence, while CB inhibited cytokinesis, resulting in two female pronuclei formations. The UV-irradiated sperm nucleus developed into a male pronucleus, but did not participate in karyokinesis at mitotic anaphase, suggesting that gynogenetic diploids were induced in the scallop.