Synthesis and effect of CoCuFeNi high entropy alloy nanoparticles on seed germination, plant growth, and microorganisms inactivation activity.

Implementation of nanotechnology in agriculture is of interest primarily to improve the growth and productivity of crops, and to minimize the use of traditional expensive chemical fertilizers. This work presents a simple energy-conservative approach for the synthesis of CoCuFeNi high entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEA-NPs) capable of forming a stable suspension with a concentration of 0.3 g/L. The size, composition, and morphology of the nanoparticles were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDS. Obtained HEA-NPs were characterized by fine crystallinity with an average size of 25 nm. The investigated suspensions of HEA-NPs were tested for seeds germination and plants growth. The use of suspension of CoCuFeNi HEA-NPs for plant irrigating together with ordinary water showed positive results in plant biostimulation, which resulted in the plant height up to 12% for watercress and up to 50% for oil radish. CoCuFeNi HEA-NPs showed nice inactivation activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa that was comparable for the use of Tetracycline.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) and PIN-LIKES (PILS) gene family reveals their role in adventitious root development in tea nodal cutting (Camellia Sinensis).

Auxin affects all aspects of plant growth and development, including morphogenesis and adaptive responses. Auxin transmembrane transport is promoted by PIN formation (PIN) and a structurally similar PIN-like (PILS) gene family, which jointly controls the directional transport of the auxin between plant cells, and the accumulation of intracellular auxin. At present, there is no study investigating the roles of CslPIN and CslPILS gene family in root development in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). In this study, 8 CslPIN and 10 CslPILS genes were identified in the tea plant, and their evolutionary relationships, physical and chemical properties, conserved motifs, cis-acting elements, chromosome location, collinearity, and expression characteristics were analyzed. The mechanism of CslPIN and CslPILS in the formation of tea adventitious roots (ARs) was studied by the AR induction system. Through functional verification, the regulation of CslPIN3 gene on root growth and development of tea plant was studied by over-expression of CslPIN3 in Arabidopsis thaliana and in situ hybridization in Camellia sinensis. The results confirmed CslPIN3 was involved in the regulation of root growth and development as well as auxin accumulation. This study provides a better insight into the regulatory mechanism of CslPIN and CslPILS gene family on the formation of AR in tea plant.

New perception about the use of nanofungicides in sustainable agriculture practices.

Protecting plants from pathogens using synthetic nanofungicides is not very effective, because it is harmful to the environment. However, it is synthetic fungicides that farmers are familiar with and commonly use. In this modern era, nanotechnology offers a smart solution to environmental issues at the nanoscale level. It is an emergent field and nanoparticles can be synthesized through various methods. Nanofungicides are efficient due to their solubility and permeability, low dose-dependent toxicity, low dose, enhanced bioavailability, targeted delivery, enhanced bioavailability, and controlled release. There are many metallic compounds, such as Cu, Zn, Ag, and TiO2 available which are used as nanofungicides. There is a contrary relationship between the size of the nanoparticles and their efficacy and antifungal potential. This review article offers a wide knowledge about formulation of nanomaterials as nanofungicides and their role in disease management in plants.

Biosynthesis of Silica Nanoparticles Using the Leaf Extract of Punica granatum and Assessment of Its Antibacterial Activities Against Human Pathogens.

Plant-mediated nanoparticle synthesis is a revolutionary technique with numerous applications in fields, such as agriculture, food processing, and medicine. This study reports that Punica granatum leaf extract is capable of the green and eco-friendly synthesis of silica nanoparticles that provides a simple, cost-effective, and efficient methodology. P. granatum leaf extract was employed as a capping and stabilizing agent for the formation of silica nanoparticles, which were synthesized by a biological method using tetra ethyl ortho silicate. Biosynthesized silica nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. All the analyses and characterization determined that the particles were spherical in shape and amorphous in nature with an average size of 12 nm. P. granatum-assisted silica nanoparticles were tested for antibacterial activity by a well-diffusion method against two-gram negative bacterial pathogens (E. coli and Salmonella sp.). The antibacterial studies prove that P. granatum-assisted silica nanoparticles have good antibacterial properties. These studies will help us find a new nano-drug or medicine against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Bio-fabrication of Bio-inspired Silica Nanomaterials from Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaf for Agricultural Applications.

A green chemistry approach was employed to synthesize silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) using aqueous extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf as capping agents. The novelty of this study was to produce silica nanoparticles using the biological method. An analysis of the physicochemical properties of formed nanoparticles was successfully completed through sophisticated characterization methods, such as UV-Visible absorbance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray, zeta potential analysis, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. All the characterization results indicated their spherical morphology and amorphous nature with an average size of 24 nm. FT-IR results highlighted the key bioactive compounds that could be responsible for capping and reducing the formation of SiNPs. Synthesized SiNPs show excellent stability with a negative zeta potential value of - 32 mV. The biomolecules from B. pinnatum were successfully working for the formation of Si NPs with spherical shapes. Moreover, to assess the agricultural application, green-synthesized SiNPs were carried out by seed germination assay on Vigna radiata. The seed germination assay confirms that a low concentration of SiNPs enhances seed germination. Meanwhile, a higher concentration of the SiNPs inhibits seed germination and shoot, and root formation. SiNPs at optimum concentration could be used in the agriculture field as nano growth promoters.

Elicitor-Induced Metabolomics Analysis of Halodule pinifolia Suspension Culture for an Alternative Antifungal Screening Approach against Candida albicans.

Elicitors are the agents that stimulate the defense responses of plants, and accumulate specialized metabolites in plant tissue culture. This study investigated the elicitor-feeding response of H. pinifolia suspension cell cultures (SCC) for metabolomics analysis and screening of specialized compounds against Candida albicans. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was used as an elicitor, and treatment of SCC at a concentration of 20 µM MeJA resulted in the maximum rosmarinic acid (RA) accumulation (117 mg/g dry weight), with transcript levels of RA biosynthetic genes HpPAL, HpC4H, and Hp4CL being 4.2, 2.5, and 3.7-fold higher, respectively, than the controls. GC-MS-based metabolomics analysis revealed a total of 47 metabolites, including 30 organic acids, six amino acids, six flavonoids, two sugars, two plant growth regulators, and one vitamin, which were significantly different between control and MeJA-treated cells. Furthermore, five phenolic acids were discovered at higher concentrations, including p-anisic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, and rosmarinic acid, and were purified and structurally elucidated for alternative antifungal screening against C. albicans and the evaluation of ADMET properties. The results from antifungal screening revealed that RA at MIC of 31.25 mg/L exhibited the lowest growth percentage of C. albicans (1.99%), with higher inhibition of isocitrate lyase 1 (ICL 1) enzyme (93.1%), followed by p-anisic acid (86.2%) and caffeic acid (85.1%), respectively. The drug likeliness and ADMET properties of RA exhibited promising results, with a bioactivity score of 0.57, 0.15, and 0.24 for nuclear receptor ligand, protease inhibitor, and enzyme inhibitor, respectively. Therefore, MeJA appears to have a significant effect on enhanced RA accumulation in H. pinifoia cells with phenylpropanoid transcript expression, and acts as an ICL1 inhibitor of C. albicans.

Silica Nanoparticles from Coir Pith Synthesized by Acidic Sol-Gel Method Improve Germination Economics.

Lignin is a natural biopolymer. A vibrant and rapid process in the synthesis of silica nanoparticles by consuming the lignin as a soft template was carefully studied. The extracted biopolymer from coir pith was employed as capping and stabilizing agents to fabricate the silica nanoparticles (nSi). The synthesized silica nanoparticles (nSi) were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). All the results obtained jointly and independently verified the formation of silica nanoparticles. In addition, EDAX analysis confirmed the high purity of the nSi composed only of Si and O, with no other impurities. XRD spectroscopy showed the characteristic diffraction peaks for nSi and confirmed the formation of an amorphous nature. The average size of nSi obtained is 18 nm. The surface charge and stability of nSi were analyzed by using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thus revealed that the nSi samples have a negative charge (-20.3 mV). In addition, the seed germination and the shoot and root formation on Vigna unguiculata were investigated by using the nSi. The results revealed that the application of nSi enhanced the germination in V. unguiculata. However, further research studies must be performed in order to determine the toxic effect of biogenic nSi before mass production and use of agricultural applications.

Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Polianthes tuberosa L. Floral Extract.

The developments of green-based metallic nanoparticles (gold) are gaining tremendous interest, having potential applications in health care and diagnosis. Therefore, in the present study, Polianthes tuberosa flower filtered extract was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent to synthesize gold nanoparticles (PtubAuNPs). The PtubAuNPs were extensively characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The antibacterial activity of PtubAuNPs was determined by the agar well diffusion method; the PtubAuNPs performed extreme antagonistic activity against the tested pathogens. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the PtubAuNPs was evaluated in MCF 7 cells by MTT assay. The PtubAuNPs induced toxicity in MCF 7 cells with the least concentration of 100 µg/mL in a dose-dependent method by inducing apoptosis. Overall, the study manifested that PtubAuNPs are a potent nanomaterial that can be employed as an antimicrobial and anticancer agent.

Glutamine Synthetases Play a Vital Role in High Accumulation of Theanine in Tender Shoots of Albino Tea Germplasm "Huabai 1".

Theanine (N-ethyl-γ-l-glutamine) is a special nonprotein amino acid that contributes to the umami taste and health function of tea. Although recent studies on tea breeding have focused on albino tea because of its umami taste, a factor of higher theanine concentration, the mechanism of biosynthesis of l-theanine is still unclear. In this study, four glutamine synthetase genes (CsGSs) were obtained and functionally characterized by overexpressing them in Arabidopsis. The enzyme activities of the purified CsGS proteins from Escherichia coli were detected. The results showed that CsGSs have a dual function in the synthesis of glutamine and theanine in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, l-theanine was abundantly synthesized in the tender shoots of "Huabai 1". In the white tender shoots, the cytosol CsGS1.2 might exhibit increased expression to compensate for decreasing levels of chloroplast CsGS2, which plays a vital role in high accumulation of theanine in "Huabai 1". In addition, CsGS2 was most likely the key l-theanine synthases in green tissues of tea. The present findings will provide basis for and considerably broaden the scope of understanding the function of CsGSs and the mechanism of l-theanine accumulation in the tender shoots of "Huabai 1", and will be useful for breeding and screening tea with high l-theanine content.

Functional Attributes of Myco-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles from Endophytic Fungi: A New Implication in Biomedical Applications.

To develop a benign nanomaterial from biogenic sources, we have attempted to formulate and fabricate silver nanoparticles synthesized from the culture filtrate of an endophytic fungus Penicillium oxalicum strain LA-1 (PoAgNPs). The synthesized PoAgNPs were exclusively characterized through UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The synthesized nanoparticles showed strong absorbance around 430 nm with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and exhibited a face-centered cubic crystalline nature in XRD analysis. Proteins presented in the culture filtrate acted as reducing, capping, and stabilization agents to form PoAgNPs. TEM analysis revealed the generation of polydispersed spherical PoAgNPs with an average size of 52.26 nm. The PoAgNPs showed excellent antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens. The PoAgNPs induced a dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against human adenocarcinoma breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231), and apoptotic morphological changes were observed by dual staining. Additionally, PoAgNPs demonstrated better larvicidal activity against the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. Moreover, the hemolytic test indicated that the as-synthesized PoAgNPs are a safe and biocompatible nanomaterial with versatile bio-applications.