Eco-physiological trait variation in widely occurring species of Western Himalaya along elevational gradients reveals their high adaptive potential in stressful conditions.

Species distributed across a wide elevation range have broad environmental tolerance and adopt specific adaptation strategies to cope with varying climatic conditions. The aim of this study is to understand the patterns of variation in leaf eco-physiological traits that are related to the adaptation of species with a wide distribution in different climatic conditions. We studied the variability in eco-physiological traits of two co-occurring species of Western Himalaya (Rumex nepalensis and Taraxacum officinale), along elevational gradients. We conducted our study in elevations ranging from 1000 to 4000 m a.s.l. in three transects separated in an eco-region spanning 2.5° latitudes and 2.3° longitudes in the Western Himalaya. We hypothesized substantial variation in eco-physiological traits, especially increased net rate of photosynthesis (PN), Rubisco specific activity (RSA), and biochemicals at higher elevations, enabling species to adapt to varying environmental conditions. Therefore, the photosynthetic measurements along with leaf sampling were carried out during the months of June-August and the variations in photosynthetic performance and other leaf traits were assessed. Data was analyzed using a linear mixed effect model with 'species,' 'elevation' as fixed and 'transect' as random factor. Elevation had a significant effect on majority of traits. It was found that PN and maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (Vcmax) have unimodal or declining trend along increasing elevations. High RSA was observed at higher elevations in all the three transects. Trends for biochemical traits such as total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, proline, and total phenolics content suggested an increase in these traits for the survival of plants in harsh environments of higher elevations. Our study reveals that although there is considerable variation in the eco-physiological traits of the two species across elevational gradients of different transects, there are certain similarities in the patterns that depict their high adaptive potential in varying climatic conditions.

Effects of 12 weeks of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscles on the function and physio-biochemical traits in functionally fit female nursing-home residents aged 75 + years: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Muscular changes induced by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) are well recognized, but knowledge of how NMES influences the physio-biochemical traits of the oldest old is still limited. This study investigated the effect of NMES applied for 12 weeks to the quadriceps muscles of female nursing-home residents aged 75 + on their functional capability and inflammatory, bone metabolism, and cardiovascular traits. METHODS: Nineteen women regularly taking part in two body conditioning sessions per week were randomized into an electrical stimulation group (ES; n = 10; 30 min sessions, 3 times per week) or a control group (CON; n = 9). At baseline and study week 12, all women performed the 30 s chair stand test (30sCST), the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and the instrumented timed up and go test (iTUG). Resting heart rates, blood pressure, and the blood concentrations of inflammatory and bone metabolism markers were also measured twice. RESULTS: NMES increased the strength of participants' quadriceps muscles and their performance on the 30sCST and 6MWT while lowering resting arterial blood pressure and inflammatory marker levels; osteoclast activity showed a tendency to decrease. Changes in the iTUG results were not observed. A multiple regression analysis found that the results of functional tests in the ES group were best correlated with pulse pressure (the 30sCST and iTUG tests) and diastolic blood pressure (the 6MWT test). CONCLUSION: Twelve weeks of NMES treatment improved participants' functional capacity and inflammatory, bone metabolism, and cardiovascular traits. The ES group participants' performance on functional tests was best predicted by hemodynamic parameters.

Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses associated with drought tolerance in grafted grapevine.

BACKGROUND: Grafting is one of the promising techniques for improving abiotic stress tolerance in horticultural crops, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms of drought on grafted grapevine are largely unexplored. RESULTS: Herein, we investigated the phenotypic, physiologic, biochemical, and drought related genes change of self-rooted 1103P (1103 Paulsen), SM (Shine Muscat) and grafted SM/1103P (SM shoot/1103P root) under drought stress condition. The results indicated that grafted grapevine effectively alleviated drought damage in grape leaves by higher RWC, water potential and free water content. Drought stress led to the alterations of chlorophyll, carotenoid, photosynthetic parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence in grapevine leaves after drought treatment indicated grafted plants improved the photosystem response to drought stress. Moreover, grafted plants under drought stress exhibited higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA), indoleacetic acid (IAA) and soluble protein, but less contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) both in leaves and roots. Drought stress also increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) and activated the transcript expression of VvCu/ZnSOD, VvPOD4 and VvCAT1) in both leaves and roots. Further expression analysis by real-time PCR indicated that the expression levels of ABA-dependent and ABA-independent related genes could be activated in grafted grape after drought treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings demonstrated that grafting onto 1103P enhanced tolerance against drought stress in grape by improving water content, photosynthesis and antioxidant defense capacity, which provided a valuable information for understanding the mechanisms of drought tolerance regulated by grafting plants.

The potentiality of biostimulant (Lawsonia inermis L.) on some morpho-physiological, biochemical traits, productivity and grain quality of Triticum aestivum L.

BACKGROUND: In conformity with the international trend to substitute the artificial agro-chemicals by natural products to improve growth and productivity of crops, there is a necessity to focus on the environment sustainable and eco-friendly resources to increase crops productivity per unit area. One of these resources is the use of biostimulants. The aim of this study is to allow the vertical expansion of wheat crop by improving its growth and productivity per unit area as well as enhancing its grain quality using henna leaf extract as a biostimulant. RESULTS: Field study was conducted to evaluate the potentiality of different doses of henna leaf extract (HLE) for improving the performance of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) at three development stages. Results revealed that the response was dose dependent hence both 0.5 and 1.0 g/L doses significantly enhanced the growth of shoot and root systems, biochemical traits, yield and yield related components with being 1.0 g/L the most effective one. Furthermore, 1.0 g/L HLE markedly enhanced the quality of the yielded grains as revealed by increasing the content of soluble sugars (23%), starch (19%), gluten (50%), soluble proteins (37%), amylase activity (27%), total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins (67, 87 and 23%, respectively) as well as some elements including Ca (184%), Na and Fe (10%). Also, HPLC analysis of grains revealed that 1.0 g/L dose significantly increased the level of different phytohormones, soluble sugars and flavonoids (quercetin, resveratrol and catechin). CONCLUSION: Application of Henna (Lawsonia inermis) leaf extract at 1.0 g/L dose as a combination of seed priming and foliar spray can be recommended as a nonpolluting, inexpensive promising biostimulant, it can effectively enhance wheat growth, biochemical traits and productivity as well as improving the quality of the yielded grains.

A leaf-level spectral library to support high-throughput plant phenotyping: predictive accuracy and model transfer.

Leaf-level hyperspectral reflectance has become an effective tool for high-throughput phenotyping of plant leaf traits due to its rapid, low-cost, multi-sensing, and non-destructive nature. However, collecting samples for model calibration can still be expensive, and models show poor transferability among different datasets. This study had three specific objectives: first, to assemble a large library of leaf hyperspectral data (n=2460) from maize and sorghum; second, to evaluate two machine-learning approaches to estimate nine leaf properties (chlorophyll, thickness, water content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur); and third, to investigate the usefulness of this spectral library for predicting external datasets (n=445) including soybean and camelina using extra-weighted spiking. Internal cross-validation showed satisfactory performance of the spectral library to estimate all nine traits (mean R2=0.688), with partial least-squares regression outperforming deep neural network models. Models calibrated solely using the spectral library showed degraded performance on external datasets (mean R2=0.159 for camelina, 0.337 for soybean). Models improved significantly when a small portion of external samples (n=20) was added to the library via extra-weighted spiking (mean R2=0.574 for camelina, 0.536 for soybean). The leaf-level spectral library greatly benefits plant physiological and biochemical phenotyping, whilst extra-weight spiking improves model transferability and extends its utility.

Influence of polyvinyl chloride microplastic on chromium uptake and toxicity in sweet potato.

The extensive use of plastic products and rapid industrialization have created a universal concern about microplastics (MPs). MPs can pose serious environmental risks when combined with heavy metals. However, current research on the combined effects of MPs and hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] on plants is insufficient. Herein, a 14-day hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of PVC MPs (100 and 200 mg/L) and Cr(VI) (5, 10, and 20 µM) alone and in combination on sweet potato. Results showed that combined Cr(VI) and PVC MPs affected plant growth parameters significantly, but PVC MPs alone did not. The combined application of PVC MPs and Cr(VI) resulted in a decrease in plant height (24-65%), fresh biomass per plant (36-71%), and chlorophyll content (16-34%). Cr(VI) bioaccumulation increased with the increase in its doses, with the highest concentration of Cr(VI) in the leaves (16.45 mg/kg), stems (13.81 mg/kg), and roots (236.65 mg/kg). Cr(VI) and PVC MPs-induced inhibition varied with Cr(VI) and PVC MPs doses. Osmolytes and antioxidants, lipid peroxidation, and H2O2 contents were significantly increased, while antioxidant enzymes except CAT were decreased with increasing Cr(VI) concentration alone and mixed treatments. The presence of PVC MPs promoted Cr(VI) accumulation in sweet potato plants, which clearly showed severe toxic effects on their physio-biochemical characteristics, as indicated by a negative correlation between Cr(VI) concentration and these parameters. PVC MPs alone did not significantly inhibit these parameters. The findings of this study provide valuable implications for the proper management of PVC MPs and Cr(VI) in sweet potato plants.

Growth, biochemical, and antioxidant response of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) grown in fly ash amended soil.

The present study was carried out to determine the impact of FA application on growth performance, biochemical parameters, and antioxidant defense activity of Calendula officinalis. The results revealed that under a low dose of FA (40%) amended soil, the plant growth performance and metal tolerance index (MTI) were increased compared to control plants and further decreased with increased FA application (60%, 80%, and 100% FA). In addition, the incorporation of 40% FA in soil not only improved the physicochemical properties of soil but also increased the biochemical parameters in the Calendula plant, however, these parameters declined under high FA applications. It was also observed that antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX) in leaves of Calendula officinalis increased at high FA application (100% FA) to combat heavy metal stress from FA. The overall study suggests that 40% FA amended soil is the best suitable dose for growing Calendula officinalis and can be considered as metal tolerant species for phytoremediation of 40% FA amended soil.Novelty statement: Fly ash (FA) management is a major problem nowadays. The present study was carried out for FA utilization and to determine the impact of FA amended soil on growth performance, antioxidant properties, and biochemical attributes of Calendula officinalis. This is a sustainable approach in which waste (FA) utilization was done simultaneously with the enhancement in response of the medicinally potent Calendula species. The novelty of this study also suggests that Calendula has phytoremediation potential for remediation of heavy metal polluted soil. Further, the relationship between the growth, biochemical parameters, and antioxidant defense mechanism of Calendula grown on FA amended soil was studied which has not been studied so far. It was found that Calendula is a hyperaccumulator that can adapt to heavy metal stress from FA due to its ability to mitigate oxidative damage. Statistical analysis (ANOVA, Duncan's multiple range test, and PCA) was done for the results obtained using SPSS (11.5) and Origin 8 Pro software.

Physio-biochemical characterization of wheat genotypes under temperature stress.

Thermal stress is a major abiotic stress in wheat and is highly complex in mechanism. A large area in northwestern plain zones (NWPZ), which is the wheat bowl of India is affected by heat stress. Climate change also causes an abrupt increase in temperature at different growth stages of wheat. Thus, wiser selection of stress tolerant varieties is an important strategy to combat the climate change effect. The present study aims for physiological and biochemical screening of timely sown NWPZ wheat varieties (WB2, HD3086, DBW88, DPW621-50, DBW17, HD2967 and PBW550) of India for their thermal stress tolerance along with heat tolerant (RAJ3765) and susceptible checks (RAJ4014) at seedling stage. The experiment was conducted in completely randomized design under controlled laboratory condition and heat stress was induced at 37 °C at seedling stage. Later different physio-biochemical traits were studied in both control and stress seedlings. All traits exhibited significant variations among genotypes under heat stress condition. Root and shoot weight, relative water content, chlorophyll content index and chlorophyll fluorescence reduced significantly, whereas membrane leakage, osmotic potential, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, malondialdehyde content and proline content were increased in stress plants. A tolerance matrix was prepared based on stress response of the genotypes for each trait and a final tolerance score was given to each genotype. Based on this tolerance matrix, DBW88 and PBW550 were identified as tolerant, DPW621-50, DBW17 and HD2967 as moderately susceptible and HD3086 and WB2 as susceptible to heat stress. Earlier studies parade that seedling level stress tolerance has high correlation with adult level stress tolerance under field condition in wheat. Hence, this study helps in wiser selection of varieties for sowing in NWPZ based on weather forecast of the location for creating varietal mosaic in context of climate change.

Eco-biochemical responses, phytoremediation potential and molecular genetic analysis of Alhagi maurorum grown in metal-contaminated soils.

BACKGROUND: Alhagi maurorum Medik. (camelthorn) is a dominant desert plant indigenous in various habitats, including the Western Desert of Egypt. The plant is especially prevalent in and around economic iron ore deposits. Nutrient and heavy metal levels in A. maurorum tissues and soil samples were assessed to identify associations between heavy metal levels in plants and soil. The objective was to evaluate this species as an indicator of heavy metal pollution. Photosynthetic pigments, protein, proline, alkaloids, flavonoids, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylscavenging, reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzymes, and stress-related gene expression were assessed to determine their functional roles in metal stress adaptation in ultra- and molecular structure. Additionally, the molecular genetic variation in A. maurorum samples was assessed using co-dominant sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR). RESULTS: A substantial difference in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants of A. maurorum was observed in samples collected from three sites. A. maurorum is suited to the climate in mineralized regions. Morphologically, the stem shows spines, narrow leaves, and a reduced shoot system. Anatomically, modifications included a cuticle coating on leaves and stems, sunken stomata, a compact epidermis, and a thick cortex. Significant anatomical-physiological differences were observed with varying heavy metal soil content, antioxidative enzyme activities increased as a tolerance strategy, and glutathione levels decreased in response to heavy metal toxicity. Heavy metal accumulation also affected the expression of stress-related genes. The highest levels of expression of GST, G6PDH, 6PGD, nitrate reductase 1, and sulfate transporter genes were found in plants collected from site A1. However, auxin-induced protein exhibited its highest expression in plants collected from A2. Six SRAP combinations yielded 25 scoreable markers with a polymorphism rate of 64%, and 5 ISSR markers produced 11 bands with a polymorphism rate of 36.36% for three A. maurorum genotypes. The ME1xEM7 primer combinations provided the most polymorphic information content and resolving power, making it the most useful primer for differentiating A. maurorum genotypes. SRAP markers exhibited a higher diversity index (0.24) than ISSR markers (0.16). CONCLUSIONS: A. maurorum displayed adaptive characteristics for heavy metal sequestration from mining site soils and is proposed as a strong candidate for phytoremediation.

Consequences of varying dietary crude protein and metabolizable energy levels on growth performance, carcass characteristics and biochemical parameters of growing geese.

This research aimed to investigate the effect of varying dietary crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) quantity on growth, carcass characteristics, biochemical blood parameters and molecular aspects of growing geese. Overall, a total of 180 Egyptian goslings were used in a 2 × 3 factorial design. Two levels of CP (18% and 16%) and three levels of ME (3000, 2900 and 2800 kcal/kg diet) were employed. Growth traits showed no significant differences as a result of different CP or ME levels. Birds fed the higher CP level consumed more feed than the lower. Carcass, dressing, heart, spleen, abdominal fat and thigh percentages within the group fed 18% CP were higher than the other group. Compared with the other ME-based diet, geese fed a low-ME based diet had the highest heart percentage. Feeding growing geese on a 2900 Kcal/kg ME-based diet increased the serum content of total protein and globulin. Geese fed the high-ME diet showed the highest levels of ALP and C4 as compared with other ME levels. Regarding Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), different protein and energy levels did not affect the molecular weight of blood proteins of Egyptian geese during the growing phase. It could be concluded the levels of 16% CP and 2800 kcal/kg ME are enough to maintain the growth performance and the other physiological indices as well as molecular aspects.

Influence of silicon and chitosan on growth and physiological attributes of maize in a saline field.

Soil salinity is the main constraint for crop productivity in many parts of the world. Application of silicon (Si) and chitosan (Chi) can improve crop growth under saline soil conditions. The current study was aimed to examine the effects of Si and Chi on mitigation of salinity, morphological and physiological attributes as well as the antioxidant system of maize (Zea mays L.) under saline soil conditions. A field experiment was conducted that comprised of nine treatments as follows: (i) Control (no amendment), (ii) Silicon 40 kg ha-1 (Si1), (iii) Chitosan 15 kg ha-1 (Chi1), (iv) Si1 + Chi1, (v) Silicon 80 kg ha-1 (Si2), (vi) Chitosan 30 kg ha-1 (Chi2), (vii) Si2 + Chi2, (viii) Si1 + Chi2 and (ix) Si2 + Chi1. Application of Si and Chi substantially improved the morphological and physiological attributes as well as antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) of maize plants, and combined application of Si and Chi was more effective when compared with Si and Chi treatments separately. Membrane stability index was improved by 25%, relative water content by 26%, chlorophyll a by 69% and b by 56% with combined application of Si and chitosan (Si2 + Chi2) compared with control. The SOD, POD and CAT increased by 36%, 38% and 65% with Si2 + Chi2 compared with control. The results suggest that Si and Chi application is the possible option for alleviating salinity stress in maize plant. Further research is suggested to examine Si and Chi effects on various crop's growth.

Comparative physiological and proteomic analysis of cultivated and wild safflower response to drought stress and re-watering.

Drought is one of the major environmental stress that adversely affect the growth and development of oil seed plant, safflower. There is a limited knowledge on proteomic responses to support physiological, biochemical changes in how safflowers can regulate growth and metabolism under drought conditions and followed by re-watering. The changes in morphological, physiological, biochemical and proteomics of safflower genotypes (Carthamus tinctorius L.; Remzibey-05 and Linas, tolerant and sensitive cultivars, respectively, and C. oxyacantha M. Bieb., wild type) after exposure to drought and followed by re-watering have been examined. Drought negatively affected the shoot weight, water content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and biochemical parameters, including photosynthetic pigment, proline, MDA, and H2O2 contents and antioxidant enzyme activities in all genotypes, while the re-watering period allowed Remzibey-05 to recover, and it even provided the wild type completely recovered (approximately 100%). A total of 72 protein spots were observed as differently accumulated under treatments. The identified proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis and carbohydrate, protein, defense, and energy metabolisms. Protein accumulation related to these metabolisms in Remzibey-05 were decreased under drought, while increased following re-watering. However, sensitive cultivar, Linas, could not exhibit an effective performance under drought and recovery when compared with other safflower genotypes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1007/s12298-021-00934-2).

Crop nitrogen monitoring: Recent progress and principal developments in the context of imaging spectroscopy missions.

Nitrogen (N) is considered as one of the most important plant macronutrients and proper management of N therefore is a pre-requisite for modern agriculture. Continuous satellite-based monitoring of this key plant trait would help to understand individual crop N use efficiency and thus would enable site-specific N management. Since hyperspectral imaging sensors could provide detailed measurements of spectral signatures corresponding to the optical activity of chemical constituents, they have a theoretical advantage over multi-spectral sensing for the detection of crop N. The current study aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of crop N retrieval methods from hyperspectral data in the agricultural sector and in the context of future satellite imaging spectroscopy missions. Over 400 studies were reviewed for this purpose, identifying those estimating mass-based N (N concentration, N%) and area-based N (N content, Narea) using hyperspectral remote sensing data. Retrieval methods of the 125 studies selected in this review can be grouped into: (1) parametric regression methods, (2) linear nonparametric regression methods or chemometrics, (3) nonlinear nonparametric regression methods or machine learning regression algorithms, (4) physically-based or radiative transfer models (RTM), (5) use of alternative data sources (sun-induced fluorescence, SIF) and (6) hybrid or combined techniques. Whereas in the last decades methods for estimation of Narea and N% from hyperspectral data have been mainly based on simple parametric regression algorithms, such as narrowband vegetation indices, there is an increasing trend of using machine learning, RTM and hybrid techniques. Within plants, N is invested in proteins and chlorophylls stored in the leaf cells, with the proteins being the major nitrogen-containing biochemical constituent. However, in most studies, the relationship between N and chlorophyll content was used to estimate crop N, focusing on the visible-near infrared (VNIR) spectral domains, and thus neglecting protein-related N and reallocation of nitrogen to non-photosynthetic compartments. Therefore, we recommend exploiting the estimation of nitrogen via the proxy of proteins using hyperspectral data and in particular the short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral domain. We further strongly encourage a standardization of nitrogen terminology, distinguishing between N% and Narea. Moreover, the exploitation of physically-based approaches is highly recommended combined with machine learning regression algorithms, which represents an interesting perspective for future research in view of new spaceborne imaging spectroscopy sensors.

Association of molecular markers with physio-biochemical traits related to seed vigour in rice.

Eighteen physio-biochemical traits influencing seed vigour were studied for their association with molecular markers using a mini core set constituted from 120 germplasm lines. High genetic variation was detected in the parameters namely chlrophyll a, Chlrophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, total anthocyanin content, gamma-oryzanols, total phenolics content, superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaicol peroxidase, total soluble sugar, total protein, seed vigour index -I and seed vigour index -II. Strong positive correlation of seed vigour index II was observed with amylose content, total anthocyanin content, catalase, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content while a negative association was observed for gamma-oryzanol content. High gene diversity (0.7169) and informative markers value (0.6789) were estimated from the investigation. Three genetic structure groups were observed in the panel population and genotypes were grouped in the subpopulations based on the seed vigour trait. Differences in the fixation indices of the three sub populations indicated existence of linkage disequilibrium in the studied panel population. Association of the traits namely total flavonoids, superoxide dismutase, catalase, chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, starch, amylose, total anthocyanin, gamma-oryzanol, total phenolics with the molecular markers were detected by Generalized Linear Model and Mixed Linear Model showing > 0.10 R2 value. Association of the trait, total flavonoids with marker RM7364 located on chromosome 8 reported in earlier study was validated in this investigation. The validated markers and the novel markers detected showing higher R2 value will be useful for improvement of seed vigour in rice.

Evaluation of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) biochemical traits in normal and drought stress conditions to identify drought tolerant clones.

Abiotic stresses, such as drought, can induce different morphological, physiological and molecular responses in the tea plants. Since there have not been any experiments on the screening of tea genotypes in terms of drought tolerance, this study was conducted to screen the drought resistance of 14 tea clones of Iran germplasm in a randomized complete block design with three replications, separately in two stressed and non-stressed conditions at Fashalam tea station. The results of grouping the clones under normal and stress conditions and comparing their results with the results of mean comparison of the agronomic and biochemical traits showed that in all cases, clones 100, Bazri and 399 were in the group that can be identified as the drought-tolerant group. Also, the results showed that in the most cases, clones 278, 276 and 285 were placed in a group that had low values for all of the traits and could be considered as a group that are susceptible to drought stress.

Genetic parameters for the prediction of abdominal fat traits using blood biochemical indicators in broilers.

1. Excessive deposition of body fat, especially abdominal fat, is detrimental in chickens and the prevention of excessive fat accumulation is an important problem. The aim of this study was to identify blood biochemical indicators that could be used as criteria to select lean Yellow-feathered chicken lines. 2. Levels of blood biochemical indicators in the fed and fasted states and the abdominal fat traits were measured in 332 Guangxi Yellow chickens. In the fed state, the genetic correlations (rg) of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein levels were positive for the abdominal fat traits (0.47 ≤ rg ≤ 0.67), whereas total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) showed higher negative correlations with abdominal fat traits (-0.59 ≤ rg ≤ -0.33). Heritabilities of these blood biochemical parameters were high, varying from 0.26 to 0.60. 3. In the fasted state, HDL-C:LDL-C level was positively correlated with abdominal fat traits (0.35 ≤ rg ≤ 0.38), but triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, total protein, albumin, aspartate transaminase, uric acid and creatinine levels were negatively correlated with abdominal fat traits (-0.79 ≤ rg ≤ -0.35). The heritabilities of these 10 blood biochemical parameters were high (0.22 ≤ h2 ≤ 0.59). 4. In the fed state, optimal multiple regression models were constructed to predict abdominal fat traits by using triglycerides and LDL-C. In the fasted state, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, total protein, albumin and uric acid could be used to predict abdominal fat content. 5. It was concluded that these models in both nutritional states could be used to predict abdominal fat content in Guangxi Yellow broiler chickens.

Relation between flower head traits and florivory in Asteraceae: a phylogenetically controlled approach.

UNLABELLED: • PREMISE OF THE STUDY: While much research has examined the relation between leaf traits and herbivory, very little is known about the interaction between floral traits, particularly biochemical traits, and florivory. We investigated patterns between floral traits and florivory across multiple species using phylogenetic comparative approaches to enhance our understanding of the evolution of plant-florivore interactions.• METHODS: The relation between the intensity of florivory and five biochemical traits (concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, water, and total phenolics) and two morphological traits (diameter and number of flower heads) were investigated in wild individuals of 18 native species of Asteraceae. The phylogenetic signals in the morphological traits and intensity of florivory were also tested.• KEY RESULTS: We found that species with higher nitrogen, water, and total phenolics and lower phosphorus concentrations in the flower heads and species with a large number and diameter of flower heads tended to be attacked by florivores. In addition, we found significant phylogenetic signals in florivory and morphological traits.• CONCLUSIONS: Our results clearly show that biochemical traits also play important roles in plant-florivore interactions, as previously shown in plant-leaf herbivore interactions. The positive relationship between florivory and total phenolics implies that phenolic compounds in flower heads may not act as a defense in the species. In addition, the observed pattern of signals in florivory might not be solely explained by the signals of the measured traits and other plant traits may also play significant roles in plant-florivore interaction in these species.

Mineral accumulation, relative water content and gas exchange are the main physiological regulating mechanisms to cope with salt stress in barley.

Salinity has become a major environmental concern for agricultural lands, leading to decreased crop yields. Hence, plant biology experts aim to genetically improve barley's adaptation to salinity stress by deeply studying the effects of salt stress and the responses of barley to this stress. In this context, our study aims to explore the variation in physiological and biochemical responses of five Tunisian spring barley genotypes to salt stress during the heading phase. Two salinity treatments were induced by using 100 mM NaCl (T1) and 250 mM NaCl (T2) in the irrigation water. Significant phenotypic variations were detected among the genotypes in response to salt stress. Plants exposed to 250 mM of NaCl showed an important decline in all studied physiological parameters namely, gas exchange, ions concentration and relative water content RWC. The observed decreases in concentrations ranged from, approximately, 6.64% to 40.76% for K+, 5.91% to 43.67% for Na+, 14.12% to 52.38% for Ca2+, and 15.22% to 38.48% for Mg2+ across the different genotypes and salt stress levels. However, under salinity conditions, proline and soluble sugars increased for all genotypes with an average increase of 1.6 times in proline concentrations and 1.4 times in soluble sugars concentration. Furthermore, MDA levels rose also for all genotypes, with the biggest rise in Lemsi genotype (114.27% of increase compared to control). Ardhaoui and Rihane showed higher photosynthetic activity compared to the other genotypes across all treatments. The stepwise regression approach identified potassium content, K+/Na+ ratio, relative water content, stomatal conductance and SPAD measurement as predominant traits for thousand kernel weight (R2 = 84.06), suggesting their significant role in alleviating salt stress in barley. Overall, at heading stage, salt accumulation in irrigated soils with saline water significantly influences the growth of barley by influencing gas exchange parameters, mineral composition and water content, in a genotype-dependent manner. These results will serve on elucidating the genetic mechanisms underlying these variations to facilitate targeted improvements in barley's tolerance to salt stress.

Variation in photosynthetic capacity of Salvia przewalskii along elevational gradients on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

Elevational variation in plant growing environment drives diversification of photosynthetic capacity, however, the mechanism behind this reaction is poorly understood. We measured leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, anatomical characteristics, and biochemical traits of Salvia przewalskii at elevations ranging from 2400 m to 3400 m above sea level (a.s.l) on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. We found that photosynthetic capacity showed an initial increase and then a decrease with rising elevation, and the best state observed at 2800 m a.s.l. Environmental factors indirectly regulated photosynthetic capacity by affecting stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm), maximum velocity of carboxylation (Vc max), and maximum capacity for photosynthetic electron transport (Jmax). The average temperature (T) and total precipitation (P) during the growing season had the highest contribution to the variation of photosynthetic capacity of S. przewalskii in subalpine areas, which were 25% and 24%, respectively. Photosynthetic capacity was mainly affected by diffusional limitations (71%-89%), and mesophyll limitation (lm) played a leading role. The variation of gm was attributed to the effects of environmental factors on the volume fraction of intercellular air space (fias), the thickness of cell wall (Tcw), the surface of mesophyll cells and chloroplasts exposed to intercellular airspace (Sm, Sc), and plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIPs, PIP1, PIP2), independent of carbonic anhydrase (CA). Optimization of leaf tissue structure and adaptive physiological responses enabled plants to efficiently cope with variable climate conditions of high-elevation areas, and the while maintaining high levels of carbon assimilation.

Diversity in morpho-pomological attributes and biochemical profiling of bael (Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa) genotypes of North-Western India.

Bael is a medicinal cum fruit tree with multipurpose utility and propagated mostly through seeds. The present study aimed to assess and analyse the morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of eighty seedlings grown bael genotypes comparison with two commercial cultivars (NB-5 and NB-9) of bael. The significant differences were detected among the genotypes based on the measured morpho-pomological and biochemical traits. The morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of bael exhibited variation ranging from 6.17% to 133.65%. Trunk girth ranged from 29.50 to 63.40 cm and tree spread (N-S) varied 1.00-6.30 m. Fruit length ranged from 4.60 to 12.05 cm and fruit width ranged from 4.64 to 11.72 cm. Moreover, fruit weight ranged from 56.33 to 917.65 g and pulp percentage varied from 58.64 to 81.38%. Soluble Solid Content ranged from 25.90 to 36.77 0brix and ascorbic acid varied from 14.38 to 25.45 mg/100 g. Fruit length was positively correlated with fruit width, fruit weight, pulp percentage, seed length, seed diameter and number of seeds per fruit, while it was negatively correlated with fruit surface and total number of fruit per plant. Principal component analysis showed that 76.66% of the variability observed was explained by the 13 components. Ward cluster analysis using Euclidean distance classified the genotypes into two main clusters. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and relationships among the studied genotypes, aiding future breeding and selection programs for improved bael cultivation.