Assessment of medicinal plants colonizing abundantly on metal-enriched fly ash deposits: phytoremediation prospective.

Heavy metal-enriched fly ash (FA) deposits are recognized as hazardous contaminated sites on the earth, which pollute our ecosystems. Consequently, the present investigation was carried out to explore the phytoremediation potential of naturally growing medicinal plants in the FA dumpsite. This present study chose two native medicinal plants i.e., Bacopa monnieri and Acmella oleracea found to be naturally colonizing abundantly on FA dumpsite to assess heavy metal accumulation. FA sample of B. monnieri thriving sites found to have metal content in order Mn (216.6)> Cr (39.27)> Zn (20.8)> Ni (16.1)> Cu (15.03)> Co (6.7)> Pb (5.43) whereas for A. oleracea FA dumpsites, the order of metal availability was Mn (750.3)> B (54.5)>Cr (37.2)>Zn (31.33)> Cu (18.7)> Ni (16.93)> Co (7.7)>Pb (4.23). In B. monnieri, higher concentrations of Cr and Mn were observed in the shoot in comparison to the root, indicative of its potential as a hyperaccumulator plant. Conversely, in A. oleracea, greater amounts of Pb were detected in the shoot relative to the root. Hence, it is recommended that B. monnieri and A. oleracea grow on such heavy metal-enriched substrates should be avoided for medicinal purposes; however, these plants can be used for phytoremediation purposes.

Fly ash phytoremediation through natural colonizer plant species is limited.Native colonizing plant species on fly ash has a pivotal role in phytoremediation.Naturally colonizing medicinal plants were dominant over the Fly ash dumpsites.Bacopa monnieri and Acmella oleracea have phytoremediation potential on fly ash.Indeed, fly ash-grown medicinal plants should not be used by local communities.

Valorization of food waste: A comprehensive review of individual technologies for producing bio-based products.

BACKGROUND: The escalating global concerns about food waste and the imperative need for sustainable practices have fuelled a burgeoning interest in the valorization of food waste. This comprehensive review delves into various technologies employed for converting food waste into valuable bio-based products. The article surveys individual technologies, ranging from traditional to cutting-edge methods, highlighting their respective mechanisms, advantages, and challenges. SCOPE AND APPROACH: The exploration encompasses enzymatic processes, microbial fermentation, anaerobic digestion, and emerging technologies such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal processing. Each technology's efficacy in transforming food waste into bio-based products such as biofuels, enzymes, organic acids, prebiotics, and biopolymers is critically assessed. The review also considers the environmental and economic implications of these technologies, shedding light on their sustainability and scalability. The article discusses the role of technological integration and synergies in creating holistic approaches for maximizing the valorization potential of food waste. Key finding and conclusion: This review consolidates current knowledge on the valorization of food waste, offering a comprehensive understanding of individual technologies and their contributions to the sustainable production of bio-based products. The synthesis of information presented here aims to guide researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in making informed decisions to address the global challenge of food waste while fostering a circular and eco-friendly economy.

Unboxing the black box-one step forward to understand the soil microbiome: A systematic review.

Soil is one of the most important assets of the planet Earth, responsible for maintaining the biodiversity and managing the ecosystem services for both managed and natural ecosystems. It encompasses large proportion of microscopic biodiversity, including prokaryotes and the microscopic eukaryotes. Soil microbiome is critical in managing the soil functions, but their activities have diminutive recognition in few systems like desert land and forest ecosystems. Soil microbiome is highly dependent on abiotic and biotic factors like pH, carbon content, soil structure, texture, and vegetation, but it can notably vary with ecosystems and the respective inhabitants. Thus, unboxing this black box is essential to comprehend the basic components adding to the soil systems and supported ecosystem services. Recent advancements in the field of molecular microbial ecology have delivered commanding tools to examine this genetic trove of soil biodiversity. Objective of this review is to provide a critical evaluation of the work on the soil microbiome, especially since the advent of the NGS techniques. The review also focuses on advances in our understanding of soil communities, their interactions, and functional capabilities along with understanding their role in maneuvering the biogeochemical cycle while underlining and tapping the unprecedented metagenomics data to infer the ecological attributes of yet undiscovered soil microbiome. This review focuses key research directions that could shape the future of basic and applied research into the soil microbiome. This review has led us to understand that it is difficult to generalize that soil microbiome plays a substantiated role in shaping the soil networks and it is indeed a vital resource for sustaining the ecosystem functioning. Exploring soil microbiome will help in unlocking their roles in various soil network. It could be resourceful in exploring and forecasting its impacts on soil systems and for dealing with alleviating problems like rapid climate change.

Additive facilitated co-composting of lignocellulosic biomass waste, approach towards minimizing greenhouse gas emissions: An up to date review.

Although the composting of lignocellulosic biomass is an emerging waste-to-wealth approach towards organic waste management and circular economy, it still has some environmental loopholes that must be addressed to make it more sustainable and reliable. The significant difficulties encountered when composting lignocellulosic waste biomass are consequently discussed in this study, as well as the advances in science that have been achieved throughout time to handle these problems in a sustainable manner. It discusses an important global concern, the emission of greenhouse gases during the composting process which limits its applicability on a broader scale. Furthermore, it discusses in detail, how different organic minerals and biological additives modify the physiochemical and biological characteristics of compost, aiming at developing eco-friendly compost with minimum odor, greenhouse gases emission and an optimum C/N ratio. It brings novel insights by demonstrating the effect of additives on the microbial enzymes and their pathways involved in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. This review also highlights the limitations of the application of additives in composting and suggests possible ways to overcome these limitations in the future for the sustainable and eco-friendly management of agricultural waste. The present review concludes that the use of additives in the co-composting of lignocellulosic biomass can be a viable remedy for the ongoing issues with the management of lignocellulosic waste.

Evaluation of plant species for air pollution tolerance and phytoremediation potential in proximity to a coal thermal power station: implications for smart green cities.

In metropolitan areas, air pollution poses a significant threat, and it is crucial to carefully select plant species that can tolerate such conditions. This requires a scientific approach based on systematic evaluation before recommending them to executive bodies. This study aimed to determine the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), dust retention capacity, and phytoremediation ability of 10 plant species growing in and around a lignite-based coal thermal power station. The results showed that Ficus benghalensis L. had the highest APTI, followed by Mimusops elengi L., Ficus religiosa L., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and Annona reticulata L. F. benghalensis also showed the highest pH of leaf extract, relative water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid content, as well as the highest dust capturing capacity. Among the ten plant species, F. benghalensis, M. elengi, F. religiosa, A. indica and F. racemosa were identified as a tolerant group that can be used for particulate matter suppression and heavy metal stabilization in and around thermal power plants. These findings can inform the selection of plants for effective green infrastructure in smart green cities, promoting the health and well-being of urban populations. This research is relevant to urban planners, policymakers, and environmentalists interested in sustainable urban development and air pollution mitigation.

Training community health workers for the COVID-19 response, India.

OBJECTIVE: To report experiences in Bihar, India's most densely populated state, with a state government programme to train community health workers (CHWs) to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the state's predominantly rural population of 128 million. METHODS: In May 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the Bihari government initiated a 1-day COVID-19 training programme for rural, unaccredited CHWs who had recently completed a community health education course from the National Institute of Open Schooling. The use of primary health centre buildings and doctors to deliver COVID-19 training and the existence of certification data on CHWs who participated in the community health education course streamlined implementation and minimized costs. After COVID-19 training, CHWs were paid as first responders and COVID-19 treatment workers by the Bihari government. FINDINGS: Overall, 15 000 CHWs in Bihar completed the COVID-19 training programme in 2021 and a further 30 000 were enrolled. A survey of CHWs carried out after COVID-19 training had started found that 80% (81/102) were satisfied with training and felt they were receiving information from reliable sources. CONCLUSION: The training and mobilization of a team of CHWs helped ease pressure on a stressed, rural, health-care system in Bihar and improved its preparedness for future COVID-19 outbreaks. The success of the training programme illustrates how local initiatives can help address gaps in the health workforce and extend the reach of public health care into rural areas, in addition to improving COVID-19 responses.

Understanding the Role of Litter Decomposition in Restoration of Fly Ash Ecosystem.

Plant species possess a huge potential in restoration of fly ash ecosystem. Litter deposition and its decomposition in the ash deposited sites are two important processes of the fly ash ecosystem. In order to identify the biological potential of a plant species to aid restoration of fly ash deposited sites, it is needed to assess leaf litter decomposition as well as nutrient release pattern. In the present investigation, we studied the leaf litter decomposition of the plant species (Leucaena leucocephala, Pithecellobium dolce and Prosopis juliflora) and mix plantation in the fly ash ecosystem. The litter bag experiment was conducted in the area of plantation on the fly ash deposited site during a period of 365 days. Percentage of C and N was higher in L. leucocephala > P. dolce >Mix Plantation > P. juliflora while C/N ratio was higher in P. juliflora >Mix Plantation > L. leucocephala > P. dolce. L. leucocephala and P. dolce showed relatively fast decomposition rates (k = 1.27, 1.17), respectively while mix plantation (k = 0.82) and P. juliflora (k = 0.73) exhibited relatively slower decomposition rates. Thus, we noted that the decomposition rate of L. leucocephala was greater than the other selected species. This shows that the species having faster decomposition rate and nutrient release could be a factual choice for rehabilitation of fly ash deposited sites.

Silica and secondary metabolites as chemophenetic markers for characterization of bamboo species in relation to genetic and morphometric analysis.

Bamboo is a non-timber forest product and one of the most important grass plants of industrial and domestic use. It is widely distributed in tropical countries including India, China and Southeast Asian countries with wide genetic diversity. The diversity in the available genotypes becomes an important resource for the selection and improvement of the plants for ecological and commercial use. This study investigates eight commercially and ecologically important bamboo species of six genera (Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Thyrsostachys, Vietnamosasa, Cephalostachyum and Indocalamus) from India, Thailand and Laos. These were evaluated for genetic differences by molecular makers, chemo-morphological variation and ability of silicon accumulation. The genetic cluster analyses of eight RAPD primers revealed genetic similarities in the ranges of 24-55%. The total silica content varied from 18.34 to 40.08 ppm in leaves of different bamboo species. Chemical analysis of the silicon content by ICP-OES and secondary metabolite profiling on TLC depicted the prominent distinction among the species. The PCA analysis of quantitative morphological data grouped the species in two major clusters and found to correlate with chemical pattern and genetic similarity to some extent. This is the first report that summarizes species-specific variability of leaf silica content, secondary metabolites, and quantitative morphological data towards delineation of genetic phylogeny of bamboo species.

Are microplastics destabilizing the global network of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem services?

Plastic has created a new man-made ecosystem called plastisphere. The plastic pieces including microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have emerged as a global concern due to their omnipresence in ecosystems and their ability to interact with the biological systems. Nevertheless, the long-term impacts of MPs on biotic and abiotic resources are not completely understood, and existing evidence suggests that MPs are hazardous to various keystones species of the global biomes. MP-contaminated ecosystems show reduced floral and faunal biomass, productivity, nitrogen cycling, oxygen-generation and carbon sequestration, suggesting that MPs have already started affecting ecological biomes. However, not much is known about the influence of MPs towards the ecosystem services (ESs) cascade and its correlation with the biodiversity loss. MPs are perceived as a menace to the global ecosystems, but their possible impacts on the provisional, regulatory, and socio-economic ESs have not been extensively studied. This review investigates not only the potentiality of MPs to perturb the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic biomes, but also the associated social, ecological and economic repercussions. The possible long-term fluxes in the ES network of terrestrial and aquatic niches are also discussed.

Genetic diversity in leafy mustard (Brassica juncea var. rugosa) as revealed by agro-morphological traits and SSR markers.

Leafy mustard (B. juncea var. rugosa) constitutes an important group of vegetable mustard crops in India and is mainly cultivated in home-backyard and hilly regions of Uttarakhand and some North-eastern states. In the present study, various agro-morphological traits, physiological and biochemical traits along with SSR markers were used for genetic diversity evaluation in a germplasm collection of leafy mustard. This study revealed a significant variation among 59 accessions of leafy mustard in both qualitative and quantitative agro-morphological traits indicating the accessions' promising potential for consumption purpose and for use in breeding programs. Maximum variability was recorded for leaf area elongation rate (CV = 53.12%), followed by total plant weight (TPW) (CV = 50.63%) and seed yield per plant (CV = 44.33%). In molecular analysis, 155 SSRs evaluated resulted in 482 alleles and the number of alleles varied form 1 to 8 with an average of 3.11 alleles per marker. A total of 122 (78.70%) SSRs resulted into polymorphic amplicons. PIC value varied from 0.32 to 0.77 with an average value of 0.44 per SSR locus. The unweighted neighbour-joining-based dendrogram analysis divided all the 59 accessions into two major groups on the basis of both agro-morphological traits and SSR markers, whereas, three subpopulations/subgroups were predicted by population STRUCTURE analysis. AMOVA indicated the presence of more variability within population than among population. Overall, agro-morphologically better performing and genetically diverse genotypes have been identified which could be further used as donors for leafy mustard improvement programs.

SSR marker variations in Brassica species provide insight into the origin and evolution of Brassica amphidiploids.

BACKGROUND: Oilseed Brassica represents an important group of oilseed crops with a long history of evolution and cultivation. To understand the origin and evolution of Brassica amphidiploids, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to unravel genetic variations in three diploids and three amphidiploid Brassica species of U's triangle along with Eruca sativa as an outlier. RESULTS: Of 124 Brassica-derived SSR loci assayed, 100% cross-transferability was obtained for B. juncea and three subspecies of B. rapa, while lowest cross-transferability (91.93%) was obtained for Eruca sativa. The average % age of cross-transferability across all the seven species was 98.15%. The number of alleles detected at each locus ranged from one to six with an average of 3.41 alleles per primer pair. Neighbor-Joining-based dendrogram divided all the 40 accessions into two main groups composed of B. juncea/B. nigra/B. rapa and B. carinata/B. napus/B. oleracea. C-genome of oilseed Brassica species remained relatively more conserved than A- and B-genome. A- genome present in B. juncea and B. napus seems distinct from each other and hence provides great opportunity for generating diversity through synthesizing amphidiploids from different sources of A- genome. B. juncea had least intra-specific distance indicating narrow genetic base. B. rapa appears to be more primitive species from which other two diploid species might have evolved. CONCLUSION: The SSR marker set developed in this study will assist in DNA fingerprinting of various Brassica species cultivars, evaluating the genetic diversity in Brassica germplasm, genome mapping and construction of linkage maps, gene tagging and various other genomics-related studies in Brassica species. Further, the evolutionary relationship established among various Brassica species would assist in formulating suitable breeding strategies for widening the genetic base of Brassica amphidiploids by exploiting the genetic diversity present in diploid progenitor gene pools.

Optimal planning and allocation of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles charging stations using a novel hybrid optimization technique.

India's expanding population has necessitated the development of alternate transportation methods with electric vehicles (EVs) being the most indigenous and need for the current scenario. The major hindrance is the undue influence on the power distribution system caused by incorrect charging station setup. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) have a lower environmental impact than the non-renewable sources of energy and due to which Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) charging stations are installed in the highest-ranking buses to facilitate their effective placements. Based on meta-heuristic optimization, this study offers an effective PHEV charging stations allocation approach for RES applications. The primary objective of the developed system is to create a charging network at a reasonable cost while maintaining the operational features of the distribution network. These troublesare handled by applying meta-heuristic algorithms and optimum planning based on renewable energy systems to satisfy the outcomes of the variables. As a result, by adding charging station parameters, this research proposes to conceptualize the distribution of optimal charging stationsas multiple-objectives of the problem. Furthermore, the PHEV RES and charging station location problem is handled in this study by deploying a novel hybrid algorithm termed as Atom Search Woven Aquila Optimization Algorithm (AT-AQ) that includes the ideas of both Aquila Optimizer (AO) and Atom Search Optimization (ASO) Algorithms. In reality, Aquila Optimizer is a unique population-based optimization approach energized by Aquila's behaviour when seeking prey and it solves the problems of slow convergence and local optimum trapping. According to the findings of the experiments, the proposed model outperformed the other methods in terms of minimized cost function.

Utilization of crop wild relatives for biotic and abiotic stress management in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.].

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. (Indian mustard) is an economically important edible oil crop. Over the years, plant breeders have developed many elite varieties of B. juncea with better yield traits, but research work on the introgression of stress resilience traits has largely been lagging due to scarcity of resistant donors. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are the weedy relatives of domesticated plant species which are left unutilized in their natural habitat due to the presence of certain undesirable alleles which hamper their yield potential, and thus, their further domestication. CWRs of B. juncea namely include Sinapis alba L. (White mustard), B. tournefortii Gouan. (African mustard), B. fruticulosa Cirillo (Twiggy turnip), Camelina sativa L. (Gold-of-pleasure), Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua Delile (Wall rocket), D. erucoides L. (White wall rocket), D. muralis L. (Annual wall rocket), Crambe abyssinica R.E.Fr. (Abyssinian mustard), Erucastrum gallicum Willd. (Common dogmustard), E. cardaminoides Webb ex Christ (Dogmustard), Capsella bursa-pastoris L. (Shepherds purse), Lepidium sativum L. (Garden Cress) etc. These CWRs have withstood several regimes of biotic and abiotic stresses over the past thousands of years which led them to accumulate many useful alleles contributing in resistance against various environmental stresses. Thus, CWRs could serve as resourceful gene pools for introgression of stress resilience traits into Indian mustard. This review summarizes research work on the introgression of resistance against Sclerotinia stem rot (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), Alternaria blight (caused by Alternaria brassicae), white rust (caused by Albugo candida), aphid attack, drought and high temperature from CWRs into B. juncea. However, various pre- and post-fertilization barriers due to different ploidy levels are major stumbling blocks in the success of such programmes, therefore, we also insightfully discuss how the advances made in -omics technology could be helpful in assisting various breeding programmes aiming at improvisation of stress resilience traits in B. juncea.

Review on distribution, fate, and management of potentially toxic elements in incinerated medical wastes.

Medical wastes include all solid and liquid wastes that are produced during the treatment, diagnosis, and immunisation of animals and humans. A significant proportion of medical waste is infectious, hazardous, radioactive, and contains potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (i.e., heavy metal (loids)). PTEs, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), are mostly present in plastic, syringes, rubber, adhesive plaster, battery wastes of medical facilities in elemental form, as well as oxides, chlorides, and sulfates. Incineration and sterilisation are the most common technologies adopted for the safe management and disposal of medical wastes, which are primarily aimed at eliminating deadly pathogens. The ash materials derived from the incineration of hazardous medical wastes are generally disposed of in landfills after the solidification/stabilisation (S/S) process. In contrast, the ash materials derived from nonhazardous wastes are applied to the soil as a source of nutrients and soil amendment. The release of PTEs from medical waste ash material from landfill sites and soil application can result in ecotoxicity. The present study is a review paper that aims to critically review the dynamisms of PTEs in various environmental media after medical waste disposal, the environmental and health implications of their poor management, and the common misconceptions regarding medical waste.

Role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in boosting the phytoremediation of stressed soils: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects.

Soil is considered as a vital natural resource equivalent to air and water which supports growth of the plants and provides habitats to microorganisms. Changes in soil properties, productivity, and, inevitably contamination/stress are the result of urbanisation, industrialization, and long-term use of synthetic fertiliser. Therefore, in the recent scenario, reclamation of contaminated/stressed soils has become a potential challenge. Several customized, such as, physical, chemical, and biological technologies have been deployed so far to restore contaminated land. Among them, microbial-assisted phytoremediation is considered as an economical and greener approach. In recent decades, soil microbes have successfully been used to improve plants' ability to tolerate biotic and abiotic stress and strengthen their phytoremediation capacity. Therefore, in this context, the current review work critically explored the microbial assisted phytoremediation mechanisms to restore different types of stressed soil. The role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and their potential mechanisms that foster plants' growth and also enhance phytoremediation capacity are focussed. Finally, this review has emphasized on the application of advanced tools and techniques to effectively characterize potent soil microbial communities and their significance in boosting the phytoremediation process of stressed soils along with prospects for future research.

Biotechnological potential of rumen microbiota for sustainable bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste to biofuels and value-added products.

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant resource with untapped potential for biofuel, enzymes, and chemical production. Its complex recalcitrant structure obstructs its bioconversion into biofuels and other value-added products. For improving its bioconversion efficiency, it is important to deconstruct its complex structure. In natural systems like rumen, diverse microbial communities carry out hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis of lignocellulosic biomass through physical penetration, synergistic and enzymatic actions enhancing lignocellulose degradation activity. This review article aims to discuss comprehensively the rumen microbial ecosystem, their interactions, enzyme production, and applications for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste to biofuels. Furthermore, meta 'omics' approaches to elucidate the structure and functions of rumen microorganisms, fermentation mechanisms, microbe-microbe interactions, and host-microbe interactions have been discussed thoroughly. Additionally, feed additives' role in improving ruminal fermentation efficiency and reducing environmental nitrogen losses has been discussed. Finally, the current status of rumen microbiota applications and future perspectives for the development of rumen mimic bioreactors for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic wastes to biofuels and chemicals have been highlighted.

The polymers and their additives in particulate plastics: What makes them hazardous to the fauna?

Due to the increasing concerns on global ecosystems and human health, the environmental risks posed by microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have become an important topic of research. Their ecological impacts on various faunal species have been extensively researched and reviewed. However, the majority of those studies perceive these micro(nano)-plastics (MNPs) as a single entity rather than a collective term for a group of chemically distinct polymeric particulates. Each of the plastic polymers can possess unique physical and chemical behavior, which, in turn, can determine the possible environmental impacts. Furthermore, many studies explore the adsorption, absorption, and release of other environmental pollutants by MNPs. But only a handful of them explore the leaching of additives possessed by these polymers. Data on the environmental behavior and toxicity of individual additives associated with different polymer particulates are scarce. Knowledge about the leachability and ecotoxicity of the additives associated with environmental MNPs (unlike large plastic particles) remains limited. The ecological impacts of different MNPs together with their additives and the basis of their toxicity have not been explored yet. The present review systematically explores the potential implications of environmentally predominant polymers and their associated additives and discusses their physicochemical characteristics. The review ultimately aims to provide novel insights on what components precisely make MNPs hazardous to the fauna. The paper also discusses the major challenges proposed in the available literature along with recommendations for future research to throw light on possible solutions to overcome the hazards of MNPs.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity analysis in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss.) varieties using SSR markers.

In this study, we evaluated genetic diversity in a panel of 87 Indian mustard varieties using 200 genomic-SSR markers. A total of 189 SSRs resulted into positive amplification with 174 (92.06%) SSRs generating polymorphic products and 15 (7.94%) SSRs producing monomorphic amplicons. A total of 552 alleles were obtained and allele number varied from 2-6 with an average number of 3.17 alleles per SSR marker. The major allele frequency ranged from 0.29 (ENA23) to 0.92 (BrgMS841) with an average value of 0.58 per SSR locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.10 (BrgMS841) to 0.68 (BrgMS519) with 0.39 as mean PIC value. The gene diversity per locus ranged from 0.13 (BrgMS841) to 0.72 (ENA23 & BrgMS519) with a mean value of 0.48 per SSR primer pair. Both Unweighted Neighbor Joining-based dendrogram and population structure analysis divided all the 87 varieties into two major groups/subpopulations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) inferred the presence of more genetic variation (98%) among individuals than among groups (2%). A total of 31 SSRs produced 36 unique alleles for 27 varieties which will serve as unique DNA-fingerprints for the identification and legal protection of these varieties. Further, the results obtained provided a deeper insight into the genetic structure of Indian mustard varieties in India and will assist in formulating future breeding strategies aimed at Indian mustard genetic improvement.

Agro-morphological traits and SSR markers reveal genetic variations in germplasm accessions of Indian mustard - An industrially important oilseed crop.

Indian mustard is an economic and highly important industrial oilseed crop. In this study, genetic diversity among 135 Indian mustard germplasm accessions was evaluated using 11 agro-morphological descriptors and 227 SSRs. Morphological characterization of Indian mustard germplasm accessions exhibited a broad range of variation for characters including biological yield (CV = 25.63%), seed yield (CV = 23.23% and 1000-seed weight (CV = 23.14%); whereas traits such as days to maturity (CV = 2.91%) showed lowest degree of variation. Out of 227 SSR markers evaluated, a total of 159 (70.04%) SSRs produced polymorphic products and 68 (29.96%) SSRs resulted into monomorphic amplicons. The polymorphic markers amplified 575 alleles and the number of alleles ranged from 2-7 with 3.61 average number of alleles per locus. SSR markers BRMS-030, Ra2-E11, Ra2-G05, Ni4-G10 and Ol10B11 generated the highest number of alleles (7). SSR marker Ra2-G05 was having the highest allele frequency (0.84), while BRMS-002 was having the lowest major allele frequency (0.33). Polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.24-0.61 with an average value of 0.39 per primer pair. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on morphological traits grouped Indian mustard genotypes into three clusters, while two clusters were obtained based on SSR based clustering. Population structure analysis provided a better estimate of genetic diversity and divided all the genotypes into five subpopulations. Genetically diverse accessions identified may be used for hybridization in Indian mustard crop improvement programs in future.

A comprehensive review on recent advancements in biodegradation and sustainable management of biopolymers.

Recent years have seen upsurge in plastic manufacturing and its utilization in various fields, such as, packaging, household goods, medical applications, and beauty products. Due to various adverse impacts imposed by synthetic plastics on the health of living well-being and the environment, the biopolymers have been emerged out an alternative. Although, the biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are entirely degradable. However, the other polymers, such as poly (lactic acid) (PLA) are only partially degradable and often not biosynthesized. Biodegradation of the polymers using microorganisms is considered an effective bioremediation approach. Biodegradation can be performed in aerobic and anaerobic environments. In this context, the present review discusses the biopolymer production, their persistence in the environment, aerobic biodegradation, anaerobic biodegradation, challenges associated with biodegradation and future perspectives. In addition, this review discusses the advancement in the technologies associated with biopolymer production, biodegradation, and their biodegradation standard in different environmental settings. Furthermore, differences in the degradation condition in the laboratory as well as on-site are discussed.