Chromium-resistant Staphylococcus aureus alleviates chromium toxicity by developing synergistic relationships with zinc oxide nanoparticles in wheat.

Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal that contaminates soil and water resources after its discharge from different industries. It can act as carcinogen and mutagen for biological systems. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation is one of the most emergent and environment friendly technique used for detoxification of Cr from Cr-contaminated soils. In this study, wheat as a test crop was grown under varying stress levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of Cr in a pot experiment under a complete randomized design. Alleviative role of Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 was assessed by applying as a treatment in different combinations of zinc oxide nanoparticles (0, 50, 100 mg/L). Growth and yield attributes data presented nurturing impact of bacterial inoculation and ZnO NPs in improvement of wheat defense system by decreasing Cr toxicity. Increase in chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, CAT) activities and nutrient uptake also confirmed the mitigative potential of bacterial inoculation when applied solely or in combination with ZnO NPs. The Cr accumulation in different parts of plant was significantly reduced with the application of NPs and S. aureus strain K1. Taken together, the results showed that combined application of Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 and ZnO NPs detoxifies the effects of Cr on wheat plants and boosts its growth, physiology and defense system.

Abandoned agriculture soil can be recultivated by promoting biological phosphorus fertility when amended with nano-rock phosphate and suitable bacterial inoculant.

In semi-arid regions, post-restoration vegetation recovery on abandoned agricultural lands often fails due to inherently low organic matter content and poor soil fertility conditions, including phosphorus (P). As such, amending these soils with controlled release P fertilizer, especially with suitable P solubilizing bacteria (PSB) may promote plant growth and productivity by stimulating biological P fertility. To this aim, a pot study was performed to evaluate the agronomic potential of maize and soil biological P pools, using encapsulated (ENRP) and non-encapsulated (NRP) nano-rock phosphate as the P fertilizer source, on reclaimed agricultural soil in the presence and absence of PSB inoculant. The experiment was setup following a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with four replicates. Without PSB, NRP treatment showed marginal positive effects on plant growth, P nutrition and P use efficiency (PUE) compared to control treatment. Although larger gains with NRP treatment were more noticeable under PSB inoculation, ENRP was the most convenient slow-release P fertilizer, increasing plant growth, P nutrition and grain yield compared to all treatments. Importantly, PSB inoculation with ENRP resulted in significantly higher increase in soil CaCl2-P (8.91 mg P kg soil-1), citrate-P (26.98 mg P kg soil-1), enzyme-P (18.98 mg P kg soil-1), resin-P (11.41 mg P kg soil-1), and microbial-P (18.94 mg P kg soil-1), when compared to all treatment combinations. Although a decrease in soil HCl-P content was observed with both types of P fertilizer, significant differences were found only with PSB inoculation. A significant increase in soil biological P pools could be due to the higher specific area and crystalline structure of nano materials, providing increased number of active sites for PSB activity in the presence of biobased encapsulated shell. Furthermore, the increase in PSB abundance, higher root carboxylate secretions, and decreased rhizosphere pH in response to nano-structured P fertilizer, implies greater extension of rhizosphere promoting greater P mobilization and/or solubilization, particularly under PSB inoculated conditions. We conclude that cropping potential of abandoned agricultural lands can be enhanced by the use of nano-rock phosphate in combination with PSB inoculant, establishing a favorable micro-environment for higher plant growth and biochemical P fertility.

A manipulative interplay between positive and negative regulators of phytohormones: A way forward for improving drought tolerance in plants.

Among different abiotic stresses, drought stress is the leading cause of impaired plant growth and low productivity worldwide. It is therefore essential to understand the process of drought tolerance in plants and thus to enhance drought resistance. Accumulating evidence indicates that phytohormones are essential signaling molecules that regulate diverse processes of plant growth and development under drought stress. Plants can often respond to drought stress through a cascade of phytohormones signaling as a means of plant growth regulation. Understanding biosynthesis pathways and regulatory crosstalk involved in these vital compounds could pave the way for improving plant drought tolerance while maintaining overall plant health. In recent years, the identification of phytohormones related key regulatory genes and their manipulation through state-of-the-art genome engineering tools have helped to improve drought tolerance plants. To date, several genes linked to phytohormones signaling networks, biosynthesis, and metabolism have been described as a promising contender for engineering drought tolerance. Recent advances in functional genomics have shown that enhanced expression of positive regulators involved in hormone biosynthesis could better equip plants against drought stress. Similarly, knocking down negative regulators of phytohormone biosynthesis can also be very effective to negate the negative effects of drought on plants. This review explained how manipulating positive and negative regulators of phytohormone signaling could be improvised to develop future crop varieties exhibiting higher drought tolerance. In addition, we also discuss the role of a promising genome editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9, on phytohormone mediated plant growth regulation for tackling drought stress.

Effect of gibberellic acid and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on growth, antioxidant defense system and mineral nutrient uptake in wheat.

Nanoparticles (NPs), as a novel source of industrial materials, have been extensively used in recent years which ultimately ends up in soils and may cause toxic effects on plants. Gibberellic acid (GA), phytohormone, has ability to minimize abiotic stresses in plants. The role of GA in minimizing titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs stress in plants is still unknown. In current study, soil was spiked with TiO2 NPs (0, 100, 200, 400, 600 mg/kg) while GA was foliar-sprayed at different concentrations during wheat growth. The findings revealed that TiO2 NPs increased the growth, chlorophyll contents, and nutrient (P, K, Fe, Mn) concentrations in tissues till 400 mg/kg and then decrease was observed at 600 mg/kg level of NPs whereas the values of these parameters were higher compared to control irrespective of NPs levels. The NPs enhanced the antioxidant activities (SOD, POD, CAT, APX) and reduced the oxidative stress (EL, H2O2, MDA) in leaves over the control. Foliar GA further improved the growth, yield, nutrients and antioxidant activities while minimized the oxidative stress compared to respective sole NPs- treatments. The interactive effects of NPs and GA were dose dependent. The results proved that studied doses of TiO2 NPs were not toxic to wheat plants except the highest level (600 mg/kg) used and GA positively affected the yield of wheat under TiO2 NPs application. The GA can be used to improve crop growth in the presence of NPs which, however, needs further investigation at higher doses of TiO2 NPs in various crops.

Effects of cropping system and fertilization regime on soil phosphorous are mediated by rhizosphere-microbial processes in a semi-arid agroecosystem.

In semi-arid regions, soil phosphorus (P) dynamics in cereal-legume intercropping are not yet fully elucidated, particularly in relation to integrated application of fertilizers. To this aim, we investigate the effects of different fertilizers on various P fractions in relation to the rhizosphere-microbial processes in a cowpea/maize intercropping system. Field experiments were conducted during two consecutive years (2016-2017) in a split-plot design by establishing cowpea/maize alone or intercropped onto the main plot, while the sub-plot was treated with four types of fertilization, i.e. no fertilizer addition (control), organic amendment (compost), mineral fertilizers (NPK) and multi-nutrient enriched compost (NPKEC). Our results showed that NPKEC fertilizer increased NaHCO3-Pi by 69% in maize, 62% in cowpea and 93% in intercropped plots compared to control plots. Similarly, a significant increase in the NaHCO3-Po fraction was also recorded with NPKEC treatment in all cropping systems. In case of moderately labile P, NPKEC fertilizer caused the highest increase of NaOH-Po (12.87 ± 0.50 mg P kg-1 soil) and NaOH-Pi (22.29 ± 0.83 mg P kg-1 soil) fractions in intercropped plots. Except for intercropping, NPK application caused an increase in the non-available P fraction (HCl-Pi), while the use of NPKEC decreased the HCl-Pi concentration in all cropping systems, suggesting stronger merits both for intercropping and NPKEC. Surprisingly, maize exhibited substantially higher phosphatases activity compared to cowpea in monoculture amended with compost, implying distinct crop strategies for adaptation under low P conditions. Based on the multi-factor analysis, the close association of NaHCO3-P with P solubilizing bacteria, root carboxylates and pH indicated that rhizosphere processes are the strongest predictors of immediately available P. Since alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a P-degrading enzyme of microbial origin, rhizosphere related ALP association may have originated from root-associated microflora promoting P mobilization. Furthermore, the strong association of microbial biomass P (MBP) and acid phosphates (ACP) with NaOH-P fraction indicated moderately available P cycle in soil was mainly driven by microbial-related processes. Factor analysis map and two-way ANOVA confirmed that fertilization regime had a stronger effect on all tested variables compared to cropping system. Altogether, our results suggest that a combination of microbial-rhizosphere processes controls the dynamics of P fertility in semi-arid soils. In the broader context of improving soil P fertility, it is highly recommended the use of environmentally sustainable sources of fertilizer, such as NPKEC, which can enhance the competitive performance of legume-cereal intercropping under semi-arid agroecosystems.

Ovarian dermoid cyst presenting with unusual complaint of hair coming out of the anal orifice - A case report.

Dermoid cyst of the ovary is a common benign condition. It is usually asymptomatic but can present with pain, mass, hormone related symptoms or paraneoplastic syndrome. Hair is a common morphological component of the dermoid cyst; however, it rarely manifests as a presenting complain. We report a case, who presented with the complaints of hair coming out through her anal orifice for a year. Ultrasound and computed tomography scan revealed a dermoid cyst of the right ovary adherent to the rectum. Surgical removal showed hair coming out of the cyst. Primary repair of the defect in rectal wall was performed which resulted in resolution of the symptoms.

Frequency and causes of anemia in Lymphoma patients.

OBJECTIVE: Purpose of this study was to find out frequency of anemia and its causes in newly diagnosed treatment naive lymphoma patients. METHODS: We retrospectively studied all lymphoma patients (> 18 years age) diagnosed and treated at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, from January 2016 till January 2017. The data was collected from electronic Hospital Information System. Descriptive statistics were done by using summary measures for categorical variables as well as continuous variables. RESULTS: Out of a total 408 patients, 272 were males and 136 females. Median age of patients was 33 years (18-76). Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were the diagnosis in 201 and 134 patients respectively; rest of the patients had low grade lymphomas. Anemia was present in 184 (45%) patients. Anemia of chronic disease was the commonest cause of anemia and was present in 61 (33.1%) patients. Remaining patients had anemia secondary to marrow involvement 50(27.17%); iron deficiency anemia, Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia and hemolytic anemia were the causes in 7.6, 1.6%, % and 0.54% respectively. CONCLUSION: Anemia is a common feature in newly diagnosed lymphoma patients with anemia of chronic disease as the commonest cause. It is more frequent in patients with higher stages of lymphoma especially when bone marrow is involved by lymphoma. Since anemia is an important adverse prognostic factor for the outcome of lymphoma patients, work up for anemia prior to initiation of chemotherapy should be done in every lymphoma patient in order to help improve the management of these patients.

APPLICATION OF VARIOUS POLYMERS AND POLYMERS BASED TECHNIQUES USED TO IMPROVE SOLUBILITY OF POORLY WATER SOLUBLE DRUGS: A REVIEW.

Solubility is concerned with solute and solvent to form a homogenous mixture. If solubility of a drug is low, then usually it is difficult to achieve desired therapeutic level of drug. Most of the newly developed entities have solubility problems and encounter difficulty in dissolution. Basic aim of solubility enhancement is to achieve desired therapeutic'level of drug to produce required pharmacological response. Different techniques are being used to enhance the solubility of water insoluble drugs. These techniques include particle size reduction, spray drying, kneading method, solvent evaporation method, salt formation, microemulsions, co-solven- cy, hydrosols, prodrug approach, supercritical fluid process, hydrogel micro particles etc. Selection of solubility improving method depends on drug properties, site of absorption, and required dosage form characteristics. Variety of polymers are also used to enhance solubility of these drugs like polyethylene glycol 300, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, chitosan, ß-cyclodextrins etc.

Varied effects of untreated textile wastewater onto soil carbon mineralization and associated biochemical properties of a dryland agricultural soil.

Wastewater is an alternative, valuable and cost effective resource for irrigation in water-scarce arid and sami-arid regions of the world including Pakistan. Soils near urban centers are cultivated for vegetable and cash crops using untreated wastewater. Current study was performed with objectives of assessing impacts of untreated textile wastewater on some soil chemical, biological and enzymatic activities. The microcosm incubation study used a clay loam soil that received 0 (distilled-water), 25, 50 and 100% wastewater concentrations and incubated for 30 and 60 days under optimum temperature and moisture conditions. Soil respiration was measured periodically throughout the experiment over 60 days. After the incubation periods of 30- and 60-d, soils were destructively analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), water extractable organic matter (WEOM), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) and dehydrogenase enzymatic activity. Results revealed that wastewater and incubation time significantly altered chemical, biological and enzymatic properties of soils. The observed large surge in soil respiration, at initial stage, was stimulated by dissolved organic matter in wastewater. Dehydrogenase activity increased significantly with increasing wastewater concentrations. Increase in qCO2 with wastewater concentration and incubation time suggested more stress to microorganisms but also enhanced microbial activity under stress to synthesize biomass. We found significant positive (R2 = 0.64, p < 0.001) relationship between soil respiration and MBC, however, correlation between WEOM and MBC was significant negative (R2 = 0.18, p < 0.01) indicating a dynamic mismatch between carbon substrate, soil respiration and buildup of MBC pool. Wastewater concentration and incubation time interaction had significant (p < 0.01) effect on WEOM suggesting that WEOM accumulated over time and comparatively less utilized by microorganisms. Short- and long-term effects of untreated wastewater on soil physico-chemical and biological health should be assessed before its use for crop production.

Contrasting effects of untreated textile wastewater onto the soil available nitrogen-phosphorus and enzymatic activities in aridisol.

Water shortage and soil qualitative degradation are significant environmental problems in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The increasing demand for water in agriculture and industry has resulted in the emergence of wastewater use as an alternative in these areas. Textile wastewater is produced in surplus amounts which poses threat to the environment as well as associated flora and fauna. A 60-day incubation study was performed to assess the effects of untreated textile wastewater at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% dilution levels on the physico-chemical and some microbial and enzymatic properties of an aridisol soil. The addition of textile wastewater provoked a significant change in soil pH and electrical conductivity and soil dehydrogenase and urease activities compared to the distilled-water treated control soil. Moreover, compared to the control treatment, soil phosphomonoesterase activity was significantly increased from 25 to 75% application rates, but decreased at 100% textile wastewater application rate. Total and available soil N contents increased significantly in response to application of textile wastewater. Despite significant increases in the soil total P contents after the addition of textile wastewater, soil available P content decreased with increasing concentration of wastewater. Changes in soil nutrient contents and related enzymatic activities suggested a dynamic match between substrate availability and soil N and P contents. Aridisols have high fixation and low P availability, application of textile wastewater to such soils should be considered only after careful assessment.

Biodecolorization of Reactive Yellow-2 by Serratia sp. RN34 Isolated from Textile Wastewater.

Remediation of colored textile wastewaters is a matter of interest. In this study, 49 bacteria were isolated from the textile wastewater and tested for their ability to decolorize reactive yellow-2 (RY2) dye. The most efficient isolate, RN34, was identified through amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of its 16S rDNA and was designated as Serratia sp. RN34. This bacterium was also found capable of decolorizing other related reactive azo-dyes, including reactive black-5, reactive red-120, and reactive orange-16 but at varying rates. The optimum pH for decolorization of RY2 by the strain RN34 was 7.5 using yeast extract as cosubstrate under static incubation at 30 °C. The strain RN34 also showed potential to decolorize RY2 in the presence of considerable amounts of hexavalent chromium and sodium chloride. A phytotoxicity study demonstrated relatively reduced toxicity of RY2 decolorized products on Vigna radiata plant as compared to the uninoculated RY2 solution.

Proteus mirabilis alleviates zinc toxicity by preventing oxidative stress in maize (Zea mays) plants.

Plant-associated bacteria can have beneficial effects on the growth and health of their host. However, the role of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR), under metal stress, has not been widely investigated. The present study investigated the possible mandatory role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in protecting plants from zinc (Zn) toxicity. The exposure of maize plants to 50µM zinc inhibited biomass production, decreased chlorophyll, total soluble protein and strongly increased accumulation of Zn in both root and shoot. Similarly, Zn enhanced hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation as indicated by malondaldehyde accumulation. Pre-soaking with novel Zn tolerant bacterial strain Proteus mirabilis (ZK1) isolated zinc (Zn) contaminated soil, alleviated the negative effect of Zn on growth and led to a decrease in oxidative injuries caused by Zn. Furthermore, strain ZK1 significantly enhanced the activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbic acid but lowered the Proline accumulation in Zn stressed plants. The results suggested that the inoculation of Zea mays plants with P. mirabilis during an earlier growth period could be related to its plant growth promoting activities and avoidance of cumulative damage upon exposure to Zn, thus reducing the negative consequences of oxidative stress caused by heavy metal toxicity.

Influence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as PGPR on oxidative stress tolerance in wheat under Zn stress.

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), whose role is still underestimated, plays an important (or perhaps essential) role in improving plant growth. The comprehensive understanding of bacterial plant growth promoting mechanism helps to get sustainable agriculture production under biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present study, plant growth promoting (PGP) bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa having maximum inhibitory concentration of 1500mg kg(-1) against Zn was isolated from arable land, irrigated with industrial effluent and evaluated to determine it bioremediation potential. The study was mainly focused on plant biomass production, nutrient uptake and oxidative stress tolerance in relation to the activities of antioxidative enzymes and the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants. The oxidative stress tolerance was measured by estimating the MDA accumulation as well as H2O2 production in wheat plants under Zn (1000mg kg(-1)) stress and inoculation of soil with Zn resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Zn in rooting medium reduced the plant growth, leaf photosynthetic pigments as well as uptake of N and P. However, content of MDA and H2O2 increased at higher concentration of Zn. Inoculation of P. aeruginosa improved the uptake of P and N in wheat plants with an increase in leaf chlorophyll, total soluble protein and plant biomass production. Analysis of plant root and shoot disclosed that Zn concentration was significantly lowered in P. aeruginosa inoculated zinc stressed plants as compare to the plants grown under Zn stress only. The amelioration of adverse effects of Zn stress on biomass production due to P. aeruginosa inoculation was related with enhanced antioxidative enzyme activities (SOD, POD and CAT), and the contents of non-enzymatic components such as ascorbic acid and total phenolics (TPC) as compare to Zn-treated plants. The up-gradation in antioxidative defense mechanism, resulted a reduction in H2O2 and MDA content due to the scavenging of ROS by antioxidants. It was concluded that P. aeruginosa is an ideal candidate for bioremediation and wheat growth promotion against Zn-induced oxidative stress by improving the availability of necessary nutrient, eliciting antioxidant defense system as well as by lowering the Zn metal uptake.

Citric acid improves lead (pb) phytoextraction in brassica napus L. by mitigating pb-induced morphological and biochemical damages.

Phytoextraction is an environmentally friendly and a cost-effective strategy for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. However, lower bioavailability of some of the metals in polluted environments e.g. lead (Pb) is a major constraint of phytoextraction process that could be overcome by applying organic chelators. We conducted a glasshouse experiment to evaluate the role of citric acid (CA) in enhancing Pb phytoextraction. Brassica napus L. seedlings were grown in hydroponic media and exposed to various treatments of Pb (50 and 100 µM) as alone or in combination with CA (2.5mM) for six weeks. Pb-induced damage in B. napus toxicity was evident from elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 that significantly inhibited plant growth, biomass accumulation, leaf chlorophyll contents and gas exchange parameters. Alternatively, CA application to Pb-stressed B. napus plants arrested lipid membrane damage by limiting MDA and H2O2 production and by improving antioxidant enzyme activities. In addition, CA significantly increased the Pb accumulation in B. napus plants. The study concludes that CA has a potential to improve Pb phytoextraction without damaging plant growth.

Molecular characterization and identification of plant growth promoting endophytic bacteria isolated from the root nodules of pea (Pisum sativum L.).

Root nodule accommodates various non-nodulating bacteria at varying densities. Present study was planned to identify and characterize the non-nodulating bacteria from the pea plant. Ten fast growing bacteria were isolated from the root nodules of cultivated pea plants. These bacterial isolates were unable to nodulate pea plants in nodulation assay, which indicate the non-rhizobial nature of these bacteria. Bacterial isolates were tested in vitro for plant growth promoting properties including indole acetic acid (IAA) production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, root colonization and biofilm formation. Six isolates were able to produce IAA at varying level from 0.86 to 16.16 µg ml(-1), with the isolate MSP9 being most efficient. Only two isolates, MSP2 and MSP10, were able to fix nitrogen. All isolates were able to solubilize inorganic phosphorus ranging from 5.57 to 11.73 µg ml(-1), except MSP4. Bacterial isolates showed considerably better potential for colonization on pea roots. Isolates MSP9 and MSP10 were most efficient in biofilm formation on polyvinyl chloride, which indicated their potential to withstand various biotic and abiotic stresses, whereas the remaining isolates showed a very poor biofilm formation ability. The most efficient plant growth promoting agents, MSP9 and MSP10, were phylogenetically identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Ochrobactrum and Enterobacter, respectively, with 99% similarity. It is suggested the potential endophytic bacterial strains, Ochrobactrum sp. MSP9 and Enterobacter sp. MSP10, can be used as biofertilizers for various legume and non-legume crops after studying their interaction with the host crop and field evaluation.

Biofilm producing plant growth promoting bacteria in combination with glycine betaine uplift drought stress tolerance of maize plant.

Introduction: The escalating threat of drought poses a significant challenge to sustainable food production and human health, as water scarcity adversely impacts various aspects of plant physiology. Maize, a cornerstone in staple cereal crops, faces the formidable challenge of drought stress that triggers a series of transformative responses in the plant. Methods: The present study was carried out in two sets of experiments. In first experiment, drought stress was applied after maintaining growth for 45 days and then irrigation was skipped, and plant samples were collected at 1st, 3rd and 6th day of drought interval for evaluation of changes in plant growth, water relation (relative water content) and antioxidants activity by inoculating indigenously isolated drought tolerant biofilm producing rhizobacterial isolates (Bacillus subtilis SRJ4, Curtobacterium citreum MJ1). In the second experiment, glycine betaine was applied as osmoregulator in addition to drought tolerant PGPR to perceive modulation in photosynthetic pigments (Chlorophyll a and b) and plant growth under varying moisture stress levels (100, 75 and 50% FC). Results and discussion: Results of the study revealed upsurge in root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass of root and shoot besides increasing chlorophyll contents in water stressed inoculated plants compared to uninoculated plants. Glycine betaine application resulted in an additional boost to plant growth and photosynthetic pigments, when applied in combination with bacterial inoculants. However, both bacterial inoculants behaved differently under drought stress as evident from their biochemical and physiological attributes. Isolate SRJ4 proved to be superior for its potential to express antioxidant activity, leaf water potential and relative water contents and drought responsive gene expression while isolate MJ1 showed exclusive increase in root dry biomass and plant P contents. Though it is quite difficult to isolate the bacterial isolates having both plant growth promoting traits and drought tolerance together yet, such biological resources could be an exceptional option to be applied for improving crop productivity and sustainable agriculture under abiotic stresses. By exploring the combined application of PGPR and glycine betaine, the study seeks to provide insights into potential strategies for developing sustainable agricultural practices aimed at improving crop resilience under challenging environmental conditions.

Biodecolorization of Reactive Black-5 by a metal and salt tolerant bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. RA20 isolated from Paharang drain effluents in Pakistan.

Discharge of untreated azo dyes contaminated textile wastewater into soil and water bodies causes severe contamination. The present study was conducted to isolate dye degrading bacterial strains from a textile industry wastewater carrying drain in the neighborhood of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Seventy six bacterial strains were initially isolated and was screened using liquid mineral salts medium spiked with Reactive Black-5 azo dye. The strain RA20 was found to be the most efficient azo dye degrading bacterial isolate and was identified by amplifying and sequencing its 16S rRNA. Analysis indicated that this strain belonged to genus Pseudomonas and was designated as Pseudomonas sp. RA20. It had the highest decolorization activity at pH 8 and 25 °C incubation temperature under static conditions using yeast extract as an additional C source. This strain was also effective in decolorizing structurally related other reactive dyes including Reactive Orange 16, Reactive Yellow 2 and Reactive Red 120 but with varying efficacy. RA20 decolorized Reactive Black-5 significantly in the presence of up to 30 g L⁻¹ NaCl; however, the decolorization rate was significantly (p≤0.05) reduced beyond this salt concentration. Moreover, this bacterial strain also exhibited moderate tolerance to different heavy metals including zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and copper (Cu). RA20 also decolorized Reactive Black-5 in the presence of a mixture of the selected heavy metals depending upon their concentrations. This study highlights the importance of Pseudomonas sp. RA20 as a prospective biological resource for bioremediation of water and soils contaminated with azo dyes.

The influence of silicon on barley growth, photosynthesis and ultra-structure under chromium stress.

Silicon (Si) is generally considered as a benefic element for higher plants, especially for those grown under abiotic stressed environments. Current study is carried out in a hydroponic experiment to analyze the effect of Si application on barley growth, photosynthesis and ultra-structure under chromium (Cr) stress. The treatments consisted of three Si (0, 1 and 2mM) and two Cr (0 and 100 µM) levels. The results showed that Si application at both levels enhanced plant growth relative to the control, and alleviated Cr toxicity, reflected by significant increase in growth and photosynthetic parameters, such as SPAD value, net photosynthetic rate (P(n)), cellular CO(2) concentration (C(i)), stomatal conductance (G(s)) and transpiration rate (T(r)), and chlorophyll fluorescence efficiency (Fv/Fm), with 2mM Si having greater effect than 1mM Si. Cr stress caused ultra-structural disorders in leaves, such as uneven swelling of chloroplast, increased amount of plastoglobuli, disintegrated and disappeared thylakoid membranes, increased size and number of starch granules in leaves, and root ultra-structural modification, including increased vacuolar size, presence of Cr metal in cell walls and vacuoles, disruption and disappearance of nucleus. Exogenous Si alleviated these ultra-structural disorders both in roots and leaves. Apparently, Si and Cr behaved antagonistically, indicating that Si could be a candidate for Cr detoxification in crops under Cr-contaminated soil.

Evaluation of Outcomes of Mucinous Ovarian Cancer Treated at a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital in Pakistan.

Syed Abdul Mannan HamdaniObjective To evaluate the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) patients in an Asian population. Study Design Descriptive observational study. Place and Duration of Study Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2001 to December 2016. Methods Data of MOC were evaluated for demographics, tumor stage, clinical characteristics, tumor markers, treatment modalities, and outcomes from electronic Hospital Information System. Results Nine-hundred patients with primary ovarian cancer were reviewed, out of which 94 patients (10.4%) had MOC. The median age was 36 ± 12.4 years. The most common presentation was abdominal distension 51 (54.3%), while the rest presented with abdominal pain and irregular menstruation. Using FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) staging, 72 (76.6%) had stage I, 3 (3.2%) stage II, stage III in 12 (12.8%), and 7 (7.4%) had stage IV disease. The majority of patients 75 (79.8%) had early-stage (stage I/II), while 19 (20.2%) presented with advanced-stage (III & IV). The median follow-up duration was 52 months (range 1-199 months). Among patients with early-stage (I&II), 3- and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 95%, while for advanced stage (III&IV), PFS was 16% and 8%, respectively. The overall survival (OS) in early-stage I&II was 97%, while for advanced stages III & IV, the OS was 26%. Conclusion MOC is a challenging and rare subtype of ovarian cancer requiring special attention and recognition. Most patients treated at our center presented with early stages and had excellent outcomes, while advanced-stage disease had dismal results.

Probing the potential of salinity-tolerant endophytic bacteria to improve the growth of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek].

Soil salinity is one of the major limiting factors in plant growth regulation. Salinity-tolerant endophytic bacteria (STEB) can be used to alleviate the negative effects of salinity and promote plant growth. In this study, thirteen endophytic bacteria were isolated from mungbean roots and tested for NaCl salt-tolerance up to 4%. Six bacterial isolates, TMB2, TMB3, TMB5, TMB6, TMB7 and TMB9, demonstrated the ability to tolerate salt. Plant growth-promoting properties such as phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, nitrogen fixation, zinc solubilization, biofilm formation and hydrolytic enzyme production were tested in vitro under saline conditions. Eight bacterial isolates indicated phosphate solubilization potential ranging from 5.8-17.7 µg mL-1, wherein TMB6 was found most efficient. Ten bacterial isolates exhibited IAA production ranging from 0.3-2.1 µg mL-1, where TMB7 indicated the highest potential. All the bacterial isolates except TMB13 exhibited nitrogenase activity. Three isolates, TMB6, TMB7 and TMB9, were able to solubilize zinc on tris-minimal media. All isolates were capable of forming biofilm except TMB12 and TMB13. Only TMB2, TMB6 and TMB7 exhibited cellulase activity, while TMB2 and TMB7 exhibited pectinase production. Based on in vitro testing, six efficient STEB were selected and subjected to the further studies. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of efficient STEB revealed the maximum similarity between TMB2 and Rhizobium pusense, TMB3 and Agrobacterium leguminum, TMB5 and Achromobacter denitrificans, TMB6 and Pseudomonas extremorientalis, TMB7 and Bradyrhizobium japonicum and TMB9 and Serratia quinivorans. This is the first international report on the existence of A. leguminum, A. denitrificans, P. extremorientalis and S. quinivorans inside the roots of mungbean. Under controlled-conditions, inoculation of P. extremorientalis TMB6, B. japonicum TMB7 and S. quinivorans TMB9 exhibited maximum potential to increase plant growth parameters; specifically plant dry weight was increased by up to 52%, 61% and 45%, respectively. Inoculation of B. japonicum TMB7 displayed the highest potential to increase plant proline, glycine betaine and total soluble proteins contents by 77%, 78% and 64%, respectively, compared to control under saline conditions. It is suggested that the efficient STEB could be used as biofertilizers for mungbean crop productivity under saline conditions after field-testing.