Application of Moringa leaves as soil amendment to tiger-nut for suppressing weeds in the Nigerian Savanna.

BACKGROUND: The allelopathic effect of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves applied as organic manure in tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) production on associated weeds was investigated in the guinea savanna of South West Nigeria, during the 2014 (September - November) and 2015 (June - August) wet seasons. METHODS: Five Moringa leaves rates (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 t/ha) and three tuber sizes (0.28 g, 0.49 g and 0.88 g dry weight) were laid out in the main plot and sub-plot, respectively in a split-plot arrangement fitted into randomized complete block design and replicated three times. RESULTS: Parameters measured, which include, weed cover score (WCS), weed density (WD) and weed dry matter production (WDMP) were significantly (p<0.05) influenced in both years by Moringa leaf. In 2015, WCS, WD and WDMP significantly (p<0.05) reduced by 25-73%, 35-78% and 26-70% on Moringa leaves-treated plots respectively. There were significant (p<0.05) interactions between quantity of Moringa leaves incorporated and tuber size. The bigger the tuber and the higher the quantity of Moringa leaves incorporated the lower the WCS, WD and WDMP. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, application of 10 t.ha- 1 Moringa leaves and planting of large or medium-sized tubers were recommended for optimum weed suppression in tiger nut production in South West Nigeria.

Allelopathy of Ricinus communis and light spectrum variation decrease emergence and growth of Cyperus rotundus

Weeds negatively influence agricultural production. However, those losses depend on weed specie, its time of emergence, and period of interference on agricultural crops. Synthetic herbicides are commonly used to control these plants species; however, they may cause damage to the environment, human beings and animals health, and this problem justify the need to develop alternative bioherbicides. To evaluate the allelopathic potential of Ricinus communis (Castor bean) and light spectrum variation on the emergence and growth of Cyperus rotundus L., a trial was carried out in a protected environment with 15% of brightness reduction at the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Paraíba State University. Four aqueous extract concentrations of R. communis leaves were tested (0, 5, 10, and 15%) and four light spectrums variations (white, purple, blue, and red lights). Variables such as emergence, length, dry matter accumulation and growth rates of shoots and root of C. rotundus seedlings were assessed. Data were analyzed by normality test, analysis of variance, polynomial regression, and averages test. Soot and root emergence, length, and dry matter accumulation of C. rotundus seedlings were reduced due to the allelopathy caused by R. communis aqueous extract leaves (15% concentration) and under purple or red light spectrum radiation.

Tracing Key Molecular Regulators of Lipid Biosynthesis in Tuber Development of Cyperus esculentus Using Transcriptomics and Lipidomics Profiling.

Cyperus esculentus is widely representing one of the important oil crops around the world, which provides valuable resources of edible tubers called tiger nut. The chemical composition and high ability to produce fats emphasize the role of tiger nut in promoting oil crop productivity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the production and accumulation of lipids in tiger nut development still remains unclear. Here, we conducted comprehensive transcriptomics and lipidomics analyses at different developmental stages of tuber in Cyperus esculentus. Lipidomic analyses confirmed that the accumulation of lipids including glycolipids, phospholipids, and glycerides were significantly enriched during tuber development from early to mature stage. The proportion of phosphatidylcholines (PC) declined during all stages and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) was significantly declined in early and middle stages. These findings implied that PC is actively involved in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis during the tubers development, whereas PE may participate in TAG metabolism during early and middle stages. Comparative transcriptomics analyses indicated several genomic and metabolic pathways associated with lipid metabolism during tuber development in tiger nut. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that TAG synthesis in different developmental stages was attributed to 37 candidate transcripts including CePAH1. The up-regulation of diacylglycerol (DAG) and oil content in yeast, resulted from the inducible expression of exogenous CePAH1 confirmed the central role of this candidate gene in lipid metabolism. Our results demonstrated the foundation of an integrative metabolic model for understanding the molecular mechanism of tuber development in tiger nut, in which lipid biosynthesis plays a central role.

Effects of antibiotics on nitrogen uptake of four wetland plant species grown under hydroponic culture.

To investigate the effects of antibiotics on nitrogen removal and uptake by wetland plants, four typical macrophyte species, Cyperus alternifolius L., Typha angustifolia L., Lythrum salicaria L., and Acorus calamus L., were grown in hydroponic cultivation systems and fed wastewater polluted with 10 µg L-1 Ofloxacin (OFL) and Tetracycline (TET). Biomass production, nitrogen mass concentration, chlorophyll content, root exudates, and nitrogen removal efficiency of hydroponic cultivation were investigated. The results indicated that in all hydroponic systems, NH4+-N was entirely removed from the hydroponic substrate within 1 day and plant nitrogen accumulation was the main role of the removed NO3-. OFL and TET stimulated the accumulation of biomass and nitrogen of A. calamus but significantly inhibited the NO3--N removal ability of L. salicaria (98.6 to 76.2%) and T. augustifolia (84.3 to 40.2%). This indicates that A. calamus may be a good choice for nitrogen uptake in wetlands contaminated with antibiotics. OFL and TET improved the concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), organic acid, and soluble sugars in root exudates, especially for oxalic acid. Considering the significant correlation between TOC of root exudates and nitrogen removal efficiency, the TOC of root exudates may be an important index for choosing macrophytes to maintain nitrogen removal ability in wetlands contaminated with antibiotics.

Removal of chlorpyrifos in recirculating vertical flow constructed wetlands with five wetland plant species.

The removal efficiency of the pesticide chlorpyrifos (50 and 500 µg L-1) by five wetland plant species (Cyperus alternifolius, Canna indica, Iris pseudacorus, Juncus effusus and Typha orientalis) was studied in recirculating vertical flow constructed wetland systems (RVFCWs). Results reveal that for chlorpyrifos at different concentrations, good removal efficiencies (94-98%) were observed using the same plant systems, while no significant differences in removal efficiencies were seen between the different plant systems. In addition, the chlorpyrifos removal efficiency of the planted systems increased significantly compared with the unplanted controls. The chlorpyrifos removal efficiency for wetland systems over time fit to the first-order kinetic model, with the first-order kinetic constant (k) ranging from 0.045 to 0.065 h-1. The half-life of chlorpyrifos in the systems ranged from 10.66-15.43 h. The shortest chlorpyrifos half-life was detected in the wetland system containing C. indica, followed by that with C. alternifolius and I. pseudacorus. The main pathways to remove chlorpyrifos in these wetland systems were sorption (accounting for 64.6-86.4% of the total removal efficiency) and biodegradation (8.1-33.7%). Plants can enhance chlorpyrifos removal through enhanced biodegradation in the system. Plants with high biomass and transpiration were able to accelerate the removal of chlorpyrifos and conventional pollutants. Hence, C. indica, C. alternifolius and I. pseudacorus could be used as optimal plants for pesticide removal in wetland systems.

Terpenoids from Weedy Ricefield Flatsedge (Cyperus iria L.) Are Developmentally Regulated and Stress-Induced, and have Antifungal Properties.

Ricefield flatsedge (Cyperus iria L.), a troublesome weed in rice production, actively adapts to ecological niches. In this study, terpenoids were identified as the dominant compounds from organic extracts of C. iria leaves. To understand the role of terpenoid production in plant development and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, the dynamics of terpenoid production at different developmental stages, and the regulation of these compounds by stresses were determined. Terpenoid production exhibited temporal and spatial specificity. During vegetative growth, the total concentration of sesquiterpenoids increased and reached a maximum at 70 d after germination, and then decreased until the emergence of inflorescence. Monoterpenoids were only detected from leaves 90 d after germination. During reproductive growth, the total concentration of sesquiterpenoids increased dramatically and mainly accumulated in inflorescences, indicating that the sesquiterpenoids were primarily produced in newly formed and actively growing tissues. The total amount of monoterpenoids, mostly accumulated in flowers, increased until 130 d after germination. Furthermore, accumulation of sesquiterpenoids in leaves was promoted significantly by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and drought treatment. Infestation by beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua, BAW) promoted the emission of total sesquiterpenoids significantly and induced the production of more monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids specifically. Furthermore, volatiles from C. iria leaves had an anti-fungal effect on Fusarium graminearum. The implications of our findings on the biosynthetic pathways leading to the production of sesquiterpenoids in C. iria as well as their potential as fungicides are discussed.

Microbial removal and plant uptake of nitrogen in constructed wetlands: mesocosm tests on influencing factors.

Macrophytes and bacteria are key drivers of nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands. Through mesocosm experiments with vegetated submerged beds and free water surface wetlands in various operational modes, wetland configurations, and system layouts, this study developed empirical models for non-destructive estimation of plant biomass growth and associated nitrogen assimilation and explored the combined effects of multiple factors that influence microbial nitrogen removal. The above-ground biomass of individual plants was a power function of plant height for both Cyperus alternifolius and Typha angustifolia. Below- to above-ground biomass ratio was 0.38 for C. alternifolius and 2.73 for T. angustifolia. Because of greater tolerance to ammonia stress, C. alternifolius and C. papyrus grew faster than T. angustifolia. There were no significant effects of wetland type, vegetation, and plant species on microbial nitrogen removal. Microbial nitrogen removal was inhibited by free ammonia at 13.3-16.2 mg N/L. Denitrification and anammox were suppressed at dissolved oxygen greater than 1.9 mg/L. Microbial removal of ammonia in vegetated submerged beds was sensitive mainly to dissolved oxygen, pH, and influent ammonia concentration, while in free water surface wetlands, it was sensitive to influent ammonia concentration, pH, and temperature.

Comparison of two different ecological floating bio-reactors for pollution control in hyper-eutrophic freshwater.

The use of ecological floating beds (EFBs) to control water pollution has been increasingly reported worldwide due to the severe situation of eutrophication in water bodies. In this study, two kinds of EFBs were set up under similar condition to compare their purification efficiency in hyper-eutrophic water. The conventional ecological floating bed (CEFB) was made of polystyrene foam board, and the enhanced ecological floating bio-reactor (EEFB) was designed as an innovative hollow, thin floating bed integrated with substrates of zeolite and limestone. The results showed that the EEFB increased treatment efficiency of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphate (TP), and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) to 63.5%, 59.3%, and 68.0%, respectively. Plant accumulation was the main pathway for TN and TP removal in the CEFB. Microbial degradation played an increasingly important role in TN and TP removal in the EEFB. A higher concentration of nitrogen cycling bacteria was recorded in the EEFB than the CEFB (P < 0.05), suggesting that the substrates might enhanced the removal efficiency of the EEFB by promoting the growth of microorganisms rather than their absorption effect.

Clonal growth strategy, diversity and structure: A spatiotemporal response to sedimentation in tropical Cyperus papyrus swamps.

Land degradation and soil erosion in the upper catchments of tropical lakes fringed by papyrus vegetation can result in a sediment load gradient from land to lakeward. Understanding the dynamics of clonal modules (ramets and genets) and growth strategies of plants on such a gradient in both space and time is critical for exploring a species adaptation and processes regulating population structure and differentiation. We assessed the spatial and temporal dynamics in clonal growth, diversity, and structure of an emergent macrophyte, Cyperus papyrus (papyrus), in response to two contrasting sedimentation regimes by combining morphological traits and genotype data using 20 microsatellite markers. A total of 636 ramets from six permanent plots (18 x 30 m) in three Ethiopian papyrus swamps, each with discrete sedimentation regimes (high vs. low) were sampled for two years. We found that ramets under the high sedimentation regime (HSR) were significantly clumped and denser than the sparse and spreading ramets under the low sedimentation regime (LSR). The HSR resulted in significantly different ramets with short culm height and girth diameter as compared to the LSR. These results indicated that C. papyrus ameliorates the effect of sedimentation by shifting clonal growth strategy from guerrilla (in LSR) to phalanx (in HSR). Clonal richness, size, dominance, and clonal subrange differed significantly between sediment regimes and studied time periods. Each swamp under HSR revealed a significantly high clonal richness (R = 0.80) as compared to the LSR (R = 0.48). Such discrepancy in clonal richness reflected the occurrence of initial and repeated seedling recruitment strategies as a response to different sedimentation regimes. Overall, our spatial and short-term temporal observations highlighted that HSR enhances clonal richness and decreases clonal subrange owing to repeated seedling recruitment and genets turnover.

Insights into the molecular mechanism of the responses for Cyperus alternifolius to PhACs stress in constructed wetlands.

Cyperus alternifolius has been widely reported to be an effective phytoremediation plant in constructed wetland systems (CWs). In this context, an integrated biochemical and proteomic analysis of C. alternifolius leaves exposed to pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in CWs was conducted to understand the mechanism of phytoremediation. The obtained results showed the antioxidant enzyme activities were induced throughout the experiment; however over time, the malondialdehyde content is not significantly different from the control and the photosynthetic pigment contents in plant were subsequently slowly recovered. Therefore, we concluded that reactive oxygen species could be effectively counteracted by the enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and therefore the photosynthetic pigments were ultimately restored. Leaf extract proteome maps were obtained through 2-DE, and an average of 55, 49, and 24 spots were significantly altered by 30, 100, and 500 µg/L of PhACs over the control, respectively. Protein expression patterns showed that proteins in C. alternifolius leaves are associated with photosynthesis, energy metabolism, defense, and protein synthesis. Moreover, the most relevant pathways modulated by PhACs were photosynthesis and energy metabolism. The protein expression involved in antioxidant defense and stress response generally increased in all the PhAC treatments. The regulated proteins may favor PhAC degradation in CWs; however, the role of these proteins in degrading PhACs remains unknown; further biochemical studies should be conducted. This study indicated that C. alternifolius can tolerate multiple PhACs.

Unraveling characteristics of nutrient removal and microbial community in a novel aerated landscape - Activated sludge ecological system.

In this study, a novel landscape-activated sludge ecological system (LASeM) was constructed with the advantages of promising treatment, less land need and significant landscape services. Compared to literature, this study provided promising integrated wastewater treatment and landscape for wastewater treatment. This first-attempt study clearly deciphered interactive effect of aeration rate (AR) on nutrient removal and microbial community structure in LASeM. When AR was 0.016m(3)h(-1), the most appropriate removal of COD, NH4(+)-N and TP were 96%, 97% and 74% with the effluent of 14.3, 1.7 and 0.7mgL(-1), respectively, which showed satisfactory capabilities for rural domestic wastewater treatment. According to clone library analysis, Proteobacteria (71%), Bacteroidetes (17%) were found to be the dominant bacterial phylums present in LASeM for biodegradation. In particular, the incorporation of plants altered the microbial community and strengthened capability for the nutrients removal likely due to synergistic interactions among species in the ecosystem.

Extraction and characterization of triglycerides from coffeeweed and switchgrass seeds as potential feedstocks for biodiesel production.

BACKGROUND: Although switchgrass has been developed as a biofuel feedstock and its potential for bioethanol and bio-oil from fast pyrolysis reported in the literature, the use of the seeds of switchgrass as a source of triglycerides for biodiesel production has not been reported. Similarly, the potential for extracting triglycerides from coffeeweed (an invasive plant of no current economic value) needs to be investigated to ascertain its potential economic use for biodiesel production. RESULTS: The results show that coffeeweed and switchgrass seeds contain known triglycerides which are 983 and 1000 g kg(-1) respectively of the fatty acids found in edible vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn and soybean oils. In addition, the triglyceride yields of 53-67 g kg(-1) of the seed samples are in the range of commercial oil-producing seeds such as corn (42 g kg(-1) ). CONCLUSION: The results also indicate that the two non-edible oils could be used as substitutes for edible oil for biodiesel production. In addition, the use of seeds of switchgrass for non-edible oil production (as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel) further increases the total biofuel yield when switchgrass is cultivated for use as energy feedstock for pyrolysis oil and biodiesel production. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Performance of subsurface flow constructed wetland mesocosms in enhancing nutrient removal from municipal wastewater in warm tropical environments.

Nutrient-rich effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have significantly contributed to eutrophication of surface waters in East Africa. We used vertical (VF, 0.2 m(2)) and horizontal (HF, 0.45 m(2)) subsurface flow (SSF) constructed wetland (CW) configurations to design single-stage mesocosms planted with Cyperus papyrus, and operating under batch hydraulic loading regime (at a mean organic loading rate of 20 g COD m(-2) d(-1) for HF and 77 g COD m(-2) d(-1) for VF beds). The aim of the investigation was to assess the performance of SSF CWs as hotspots of nutrient transformation and removal processes between the WWTP and the receiving natural urban wetland environment in Kampala, Uganda. C. papyrus coupled with batch loading enhanced aerobic conditions and high efficiency regarding the elimination of suspended solids, organic matter, and nutrients with significant performance (P < .05) in VF mesocosms. The mean N and P elimination rates (g m(-2) d(-1)) were 9.16 N and 5.41 P in planted VF, and 1.97 N and 1.02 P in planted HF mesocosms, respectively. The lowest mean nutrient elimination rate (g m(-2) d(-1)) was 1.10 N and 0.62 P found in unplanted HF controls. Nutrient accumulation in plants and sediment retention were found to be essential processes. It can be concluded that whereas the SSF CWs may not function as independent treatment systems, they could be easily adopted as flexible and technologically less intensive options at a local scale, to increase the resilience of receiving environments by buffering peak loads from WWTPs.

Effect of fire on a monodominant floating mat of Cyperus giganteus Vahl in a neotropical wetland.

The rhizomatous Cyperus giganteus, abundant in the Pantanal wetland, can dominate extense floodable areas as monodominant communities. The Jacadigo lake has a large area of C. giganteus, where we performed an evaluation on community structure during two months in 2010, before it was hit by a wildfire which top-killed the vegetation, compared to ten months post-fire. We utilized 40 plots of 1m × 1m, along permanent trails, assessing two strata: the upper, near the inflorescence of adult plants, and the lower, close to the water level. Our results show that fire does not affect dominance of C. giganteus, as it maintained the same cover as before fire; species richness is not much altered either - 28 before fire and 34 thereafter. Fire changed the floristic composition, due to the annual variation of species and the ability of some plants to colonize gaps and to regrow after fire from underground organs and seeds. The stratification of the vegetation with characteristic species of upper and lower strata was similar after fire.

Variations in Temperature Sensitivity (Q10) of CH4 Emission from a Subtropical Estuarine Marsh in Southeast China.

Understanding the functional relationship between greenhouse gas fluxes and environmental variables is crucial for predicting the impacts of wetlands on future climate change in response to various perturbations. We examined the relationships between methane (CH4) emission and temperature in two marsh stands dominated by the Phragmites australis and Cyperus malaccensis, respectively, in a subtropical estuarine wetland in southeast China based on three years of measurement data (2007-2009). We found that the Q10 coefficient of CH4 emission to soil temperature (Qs10) from the two marsh stands varied slightly over the three years (P > 0.05), with a mean value of 3.38 ± 0.46 and 3.89 ± 0.41 for the P. australis and C. malaccensis stands, respectively. On the other hand, the three-year mean Qa10 values (Q10 coefficients of CH4 emission to air temperature) were 3.39 ± 0.59 and 4.68 ± 1.10 for the P. australis and C. malaccensis stands, respectively, with a significantly higher Qa10 value for the C. malaccensis stand in 2008 (P < 0.05). The seasonal variations of Q10 (Qs10 and Qa10) differed among years, with generally higher values in the cold months than those in the warm months in 2007 and 2009. We found that the Qs10 values of both stands were negatively correlated with soil conductivity, but did not obtain any conclusive results about the difference in Q10 of CH4 emission between the two tidal stages (before flooding and after ebbing). There were no significant differences in both Qs10 and Qa10 values of CH4 emission between the P. australis stand and the C. malaccensis stands (P > 0.05). Our results show that the Q10 values of CH4 emission in this estuarine marsh are highly variable across space and time. Given that the overall CH4 flux is governed by a suite of environmental factors, the Q10 values derived from field measurements should only be considered as a semi-empirical parameter for simulating CH4 emissions.

Effect of fire on a monodominant floating mat of Cyperus giganteus Vahl in a neotropical wetland / Efeito do fogo sobre uma comunidade monodominante de Cyperus giganteus Vahl em uma área úmida neotropical

The rhizomatous Cyperus giganteus, abundant in the Pantanal wetland, can dominate extense floodable areas as monodominant communities. The Jacadigo lake has a large area of C. giganteus, where we performed an evaluation on community structure during two months in 2010, before it was hit by a wildfire which top-killed the vegetation, compared to ten months post-fire. We utilized 40 plots of 1m × 1m, along permanent trails, assessing two strata: the upper, near the inflorescence of adult plants, and the lower, close to the water level. Our results show that fire does not affect dominance of C. giganteus, as it maintained the same cover as before fire; species richness is not much altered either - 28 before fire and 34 thereafter. Fire changed the floristic composition, due to the annual variation of species and the ability of some plants to colonize gaps and to regrow after fire from underground organs and seeds. The stratification of the vegetation with characteristic species of upper and lower strata was similar after fire.

A planta rizomatosa Cyperus giganteus, encontrada no Pantanal, pode dominar extensas áreas inundáveis, formando uma comunidade monodominante chamada localmente de pirizal. A lagoa do Jacadigo, situada na sub-região de Nabileque, possui uma extensa área de pirizal onde foi realizada uma avaliação na estrutura da vegetação durante dois meses no período de 2010, antes de ser atingida por um incêndio que causou perda da cobertura aérea da vegetação e foi comparada com 10 meses de avaliação pós-fogo. Com indicações na literatura de que o rizoma da planta pode favorecer a espécie através de rebrotamento após um incêndio, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as variações na estrutura da vegetação de pirizal após um evento de fogo. Foram utilizadas 40 parcelas não fixas de 1m × 1m e alocadas sistematicamente através de trilhas avaliando dois estratos: o superior, próximo a inflorescência dos adultos e o inferior, próximo a lâmina d’água. Nos dois meses logo após o fogo, devido ao tamanho reduzido nos indivíduos de C. giganteus foi avaliado apenas um estrato denominado total. Os resultados mostram que o fogo não afeta a dominância de C. giganteus, que se mantém na mesma faixa de cobertura do período anterior ao fogo; a riqueza de espécies não é alterada, 28 no período anterior ao fogo e 34 no período posterior. Após o incêndio, a estrutura da comunidade sofre alteração na composição florística, devido a mudança anual de espécies e a capacidade que certas plantas possuem em colonizar clareiras e rebrotar após o fogo por meio de órgãos subterrâneos e sementes. A estratificação da vegetação com espécies características de estrato superior e inferior se manteve após o fogo, porém com diferença menos acentuada entre as espécies.

Comparison of carbon balance in Mediterranean pilot constructed wetlands vegetated with different C4 plant species.

This study investigates carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions and carbon (C) budgets in a horizontal subsurface flow pilot-plant constructed wetland (CW) with beds vegetated with Cyperus papyrus L., Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, and Mischantus × giganteus Greef et Deu in the Mediterranean basin (Sicily) during the 1st year of plant growing season. At the end of the vegetative season, M. giganteus showed the higher biomass accumulation (7.4 kg m(-2)) followed by C. zizanioides (5.3 kg m(-2)) and C. papyrus (1.8 kg m(-2)). Significantly higher emissions of CO2 were detected in the summer, while CH4 emissions were maximum during spring. Cumulative CO2 emissions by C. papyrus and C. zizanioides during the monitoring period showed similar trends with final values of about 775 and 1,074 g m(-2), respectively, whereas M. giganteus emitted 3,395 g m(-2). Cumulative CH4 bed emission showed different trends for the three C4 plant species in which total gas release during the study period was for C. papyrus 12.0 g m(-2) and ten times higher for M. giganteus, while C. zizanioides bed showed the greatest CH4 cumulative emission with 240.3 g m(-2). The wastewater organic carbon abatement determined different C flux in the atmosphere. Gas fluxes were influenced both by plant species and monitored months with an average C-emitted-to-C-removed ratio for C. zizanioides, C. papyrus, and M. giganteus of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.9, respectively. The growing season C balances were positive for all vegetated beds with the highest C sequestered in the bed with M. giganteus (4.26 kg m(-2)) followed by C. zizanioides (3.78 kg m(-2)) and C. papyrus (1.89 kg m(-2)). To our knowledge, this is the first paper that presents preliminary results on CO2 and CH4 emissions from CWs vegetated with C4 plant species in Mediterranean basin during vegetative growth.

Phytoremediation of levonorgestrel in aquatic environment by hydrophytes.

Adsorption and degradation of levonorgestrel (LNG) by two hydrophytes, Cyperus alternifolius (CA) and Eichhornia crassipes (EC), were investigated under light-shielding conditions in the water column. Variations of LNG concentrations in water, plant root epidermis, root, stem and leaf of the plants were analyzed. The results indicated that the removal efficiency of LNG by hydrophytes over the period of 50days was significantly greater than the blank control (p<0.05), with the removal rates of 79.80%±3.10% and 78.86%±2.55% for CA and EC, respectively. Compared with bio-adsorption, bio-conversion of LNG was found to be the dominant elimination pathway, evidenced by relatively high conversion rates (77.31%±2.68% for CA and 77.82%±2.95% for EC), while the adsorption rates were lower (1.77%±0.90% for CA and 1.05%±0.40% for EC). The bio-adsorption and conversion of LNG showed no significant differences between the two hydrophytes. Additionally, the mineralization on root epidermis played an important role in the reduction of LNG in water.

nrDNA ITS sequence based SCAR marker to authenticate Aconitum heterophyllum and Cyperus rotundus in Ayurvedic raw drug source and prepared herbal products.

To authenticate Ayurvedic medicinal plants Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus) at the raw drug source and in prepared herbal products, nrDNA ITS sequence based SCAR markers were designed and validated spp.-specific SCAR primers gave amplicon of 415 bp and 134 bp, respectively, in authentic species. The SCAR primers (Cyr-FP and Cyr-RP) could identify tissue sample containing 750 µg to 4.76 mg/100mg of Musta in complex mixtures of DNA extracted from commercial herbal drugs. Ativisha could not be identified through SCAR markers suggesting that authentic species may not been used to prepare herbal drugs despite its being labelled as one of the ingredients in formulations. Analysis of individual tubers of Ativisha and Musta assures the presence of admixtures in raw drug trade of Ativisha, indicates the need to monitor the basic raw material supply and concludes, supplying plant materials through cultivation to manufacturing industries can minimize the risks of adulteration.

Efficiency of constructed wetland vegetated with Cyperus alternifolius applied for municipal wastewater treatment.

The treatment of municipal wastewater from Yazd city (center of Iran) by constructed wetland vegetated with Cyperus alternifolius was assessed. Two identical wetlands with a total working volume of 60 L and 10 cm sandy layer at the bottom were used. First wetland (W1) was control and had no Cyperus alternifolius plant. Second wetland (W2) had 100 Cyperus alternifolius shrubs with 40 cm height. Influent wastewater was provided from Yazd's septic tanks effluents and after a 4-day retention time in wetlands, reactors effluent was sampled for parameters analysis. Results show that chemical oxygen demand (COD), NO3 (-)-N, NH4 (+)-N, and PO4 (-3)-P in W1 were reduced to 72%, 88%, 32%, and 0.8%, and in W2, these parameters were removed in values of 83%, 81%, 47%, and 10%, respectively. In both wetlands, the highest and lowest removal efficiencies were related to COD and phosphorus, respectively. Also, the removed phosphorus can be released to stream when the soil saturated or influent phosphorus decreased and when the plant died. After a 4-day-retention time, the W2 wetland showed a statistically significantly lower COD and NH4 (+)-N in comparison with W2 wetland.