Heavy metal (HM) pollution is a major environmental issue affecting ecosystems worldwide. Human activities such as agriculture, mining and industrial manufacturing expose ecosystems and living organisms to HM contamination. HM-contaminated soils impair crop productivity, disrupt food chains and pose serious risks to human health. In plants, HMs interfere with biomolecular and physiological processes leading to morphological and structural alterations. To tolerate HM-induced stress, plants activate various signaling pathways including calcium/calmodulin, MAPK and hormone signaling which regulate the expression of stress-responsive genes. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in mitigating metal toxicity has gained considerable attention in recent years. Conventional methods for removing contaminants from soil and water are often expensive, inefficient and environmentally harmful. Phytoremediation has therefore emerged as an eco-friendly and sustainable approach for HM detoxification and environmental restoration. This review provides an overview of HM toxicity, its major sources, uptake mechanisms and adverse environmental effects. It further discusses the relationship between HM stress and plant signaling pathways, the regulatory role of miRNAs and phytoremediation-based strategies for HM alleviation, highlighting recent advances, current challenges and future prospects.
Sakshi Tiwari, B. Siddiqui, Shilpy Singh et al.· International journal of phy...· 0 citations
Ageing destabilizes metabolic and neuronal regulatory networks, increasing vulnerability to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and neurodegenerative disorders. These conditions are not independent disease entities but interconnected manifestations of accelerated neuro-metabolic ageing, driven by convergent impairments in insulin signaling, nutrient sensing, mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox homeostasis, proteostasis, and chronic inflammation - processes mediated through conserved hubs including AMPK, mTOR, SIRT1, GSK3β, and NF-κB. Therapeutic strategies targeting isolated molecular lesions or late-stage pathology have consequently shown limited success in preserving cognitive and metabolic function. With T2D projected to affect 643 million people by 2030, this review adopts a geroscience framework to examine the neuro-metabolic axis as a systems-level ageing process. By integrating mechanistic insights, network pharmacology, and translational evidence, it highlights how ageing-associated network collapse drives the reciprocal reinforcement of metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Within this context, phytochemicals are repositioned not as alternative therapeutics but as biologically informative multi-node modulators illustrating the feasibility of stabilizing ageing-regulatory networks through coordinated pathway engagement. Experimental and clinical evidence indicates that phytochemicals engage conserved ageing hubs spanning insulin-IGF signaling, AMPK-mTOR nutrient sensing, redox regulation, and mitochondrial quality control - exemplified by berberine via AMPK, curcumin via NF-κB, and resveratrol via SIRT1. Translational impact remains variable, reflecting constraints of bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and clinical heterogeneity, underscoring the need for ageing-aware models and stratified trial designs. Collectively, this review reframes diabetes-associated neurodegeneration as a consequence of neuro-metabolic ageing and argues that effective intervention must prioritize preservation of network resilience over correction of isolated disease endpoints. Aligning therapeutic strategies with the biology of ageing itself offers a more realistic pathway toward sustaining metabolic flexibility, neuronal integrity, and cognitive health across the ageing trajectory.
Sakshi Tiwari, B. Siddiqui, Saman Fatima et al.· Ageing Research Reviews· 0 citations
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