Effect of exogenous taurine on pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants under salinity and iron deficiency stress.

Soil salinity and Fe deficiency affect plant growth and survival by changing nutrient availability and disrupting water balance. Natural and human activities, such as evaporation and deforestation, can intensify these soil conditions. Taurine, a novel growth regulator, holds promise in mediating plant defense responses. Its effects on defense responses are still unclear. Previously, taurine showed potential in improving clover tolerance to alkaline stress and manganese toxicity. Taurine impact on plant growth under Fe deficiency and salinity stress remains uninvestigated. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of taurine on pea plant growth, ion uptake, and defense strategies in response to salt stress and Fe deficiency. Iron deficiency was established by substituting 0.1 mM FeSO4 for 0.1 mM Fe-EDTA in the nutrient solution. Salinity stress was induced by incorporating a mixture of NaCl, MgCl2, KCl, Na2SO4, Na2CO3, NaHCO3 and CaCl2 in a 1:1:1:1:1:1:1 ratio to produce a salinity concentration of 100 mM. The simultaneous imposition of salinity and Fe deficiency significantly exacerbated oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevated levels of relative membrane permeability, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide radical (O2•-), methylglyoxal (MG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased activity of lipoxygenase (LOX). Salinity stress alone and the combination of salinity and Fe deficiency resulted in substantial accumulation of Na+ ions that impeded acquisition of essential nutrients. Taurine (100 and 200 mg L-1) notably improved osmotic adjustment and oxidative defense to diminish water imbalance and oxidative injury in plants under stress. These results suggest that exogenous taurine may serve as a promising means of mitigating the detrimental effects of salt stress and Fe deficiency in plants.

Effect of exogenous taurine on growth, oxidative defense, and nickel (Ni) uptake in canola (Brassica napus L.) under Ni stress.

Nickel (Ni) contamination and its associated hazardous effects on human health and plant growth are ironclad. However, the potential remedial effects of taurine (TAU) on Ni-induced stress in plants remain obscure. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the effect of TAU seed priming (100 and 150 mg L‒1) as an alleviative strategy to circumvent the phytotoxic effects of Ni (150 mg kg‒1) on two canola cultivars (Ni-tolerant cv. Shiralee and Ni-sensitive cv. Dunkeld). Our results manifested an apparent decline in growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, leaf relative water content, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, total soluble proteins, nitrate reductase activity, and nutrient acquisition (N, P, K, Ca) under Ni toxicity. Further, Ni toxicity led to a substantial increase in oxidative stress reflected as higher levels of superoxide radicals (O2•‒) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) alongside increased relative membrane permeability, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and Ni accumulation in leaves and roots. However, TAU protected canola plants from Ni-induced oxidative damage through the amplification of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production that intensified the antioxidant system to avert O2•‒, H2O2, and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Further, TAU-mediated increase in H2S levels maintained membrane integrity that might have improved ionomics and bettered plant growth under Ni toxicity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01359-9.

Exogenous menadione sodium bisulphite alleviates detrimental effects of alkaline stress on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) is known to augment plant defense responses against abiotic and biotic stresses. Wheat is an essential cereal with significant sensitivity to alkaline stress. The present study investigated the effects of MSB seed priming (5 and 10 mM) in alleviating the damaging effects of alkaline stress on hydroponically grown wheat cultivars (salt-sensitive cv. MH-97 and salt-tolerant cv. Millat-2011). Our findings revealed a significant reduction in growth, chlorophyll contents, total soluble proteins, free amino acids, K+, Ca2+, P, and K+/Na+ in wheat cultivars under alkaline stress. In contrast, a noteworthy accretion in lipid peroxidation, H2O2 production, proline levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, soluble sugars, antioxidant compounds, and Na+ levels was noticed in wheat plants grown in alkaline hydroponic medium. MSB priming significantly lowered chlorophyll degradation, Na+ levels, and osmolyte accumulation. Further, K+/Na+ ratio, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidant enzyme activities were higher in plants primed with MSB. Therefore, seed priming eminently protected plants by regulating osmotic adjustment and strengthening oxidative defense under alkaline stress. Plants administered 5 mM MSB as seed priming manifested better tolerance to alkaline stress. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01250-z.

Hydrogen sulfide mediates defense response in safflower by regulating secondary metabolism, oxidative defense, and elemental uptake under drought.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is a newly recognized molecule mediating plant defense responses under drought. The role of exogenous H2 S in regulating plant responses under drought has been reported in a few plant species including spinach, wheat, Arabidopsis, soybean, and citrus plants. However, no report is available on the outcome of exogenous H2 S on drought response in safflower plants. Therefore, the present study was planned to get insight into H2 S-mediated regulation of growth, secondary metabolism, oxidative defense, and uptake of minerals in two safflower cultivars (Safflower-16427 and Safflower-16493). Plants were exposed to two NaHS (0.5 and 1.0 mM) and two drought levels (70 and 50% field capacity [FC]). We found a notable depression in growth, yield, chlorophyll, and potassium (K+ ) uptake under drought. The decline was more significant in plants facing 50% FC. The oxidative injury in plants was higher under severe drought and led to the decline in chlorophyll, plant biomass, and yield production. Drought induced a noticeable accretion in the accumulation of total soluble sugars, proline, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, and secondary metabolites that protect plants against oxidative damages caused by drought. The activities of antioxidant enzymes increased substantially in safflower cultivars under drought. Besides, plants pretreated with NaHS (0.5 mM) subsided the oxidative damage by increasing the accumulation of secondary metabolites and strengthening the antioxidant capacity under drought. Further, drought plants suffered significant disturbances in ions homeostasis that was circumvented by exogenous H2 S. The interactive effect of drought and H2 S did not display a significant difference between the cultivars.

Menadione sodium bisulfite neutralizes chromium phytotoxic effects in okra by regulating cytosolutes, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant system and metal uptake.

Chromium (Cr) is a major abiotic stress for plant species that significantly impacted plant development and impeded agricultural production. Menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB) has recently manifested a remarkable role in modulating plant defense responses. In the present experiment, Cr caused a significant decrease in growth, relative water contents, and chlorophyll in okra cultivars (Shabnam 786 and Arka Anamika). Cr produced an increase in proline, total soluble proteins, total free amino acids, phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Cr accumulation. Besides, activities of antioxidant enzymes were also higher in Cr-stressed plants. MSB application (50, 100, 150, and 200 µM) profoundly impacted growth and important physio-biochemical characteristics in okra under Cr stress. Better growth in MSB treated plants was associated with lower oxidative damage and better oxidative defense system reflected in the form of higher antioxidant enzyme activities alongside the concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds. In this background, cv. Shabnam-786 exhibited greater Cr tolerance over Arka Anamika. The degree of oxidative damage measured in the form of H2O2 and MDA was greater in cv. Arka Anamika. Lower MSB levels (50 and 100 µM) circumvented inhibitory Cr effects in okra, while higher doses proved lethal for plant growth and development.

Field testing phytoremediation of organic and inorganic pollutants of sewage drain by bacteria assisted water hyacinth.

The study was carried out to identify the potential of phytoremediation within a flowing drain through Eichhornia crassipes in combination with two bacillus species to treat the inorganic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from industrial effluent at Kala Shah Kaku (KSK), Lahore, Pakistan. Results showed that the highest metals removal efficiency was found in Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cu as 72.4, 83.3, 82.35, and 63.63%, respectively. However, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies were also considerably higher (66.66 and 66.67%). The BOD, COD, sulfates, phosphate, and total dissolved solids (TDS) showed a higher reduction rate as 1442.7, 1967.3, 1148.2, 7225.4, and 911.5 g m-2 d-1, respectively. Chlorophyll a + b and carotenoid contents were decreased from 7.92 to 5.78 mg kg-1, 3.03 to 3.01 mg kg-1, respectively and total nitrogen was increased from 22 to 27 mg kg-1 in E. crassipes. Bio-concentration factor was higher for all metals and the maximum was found in Cr (<1). The reduction efficiency of Æ©PAHs was found up to 60% with different rings structure. The use of Bacillus safensis strain showed the higher percentage reduction for BOD, nitrates, sulfates, and phosphates. The Study provide practical reference for bacterial assisted phytoremediation of urban drain.

Menadione sodium bisulphite regulates physiological and biochemical responses to lessen salinity effects on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Salinity is a significant constraint for plant survival and productivity. Therefore, an immediate solution to this problem is sought to meet the human population's food demands. Recently, Menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) has emerged as a significant regulator of plant defense response under abiotic stress. Studies on MSB are scarce, and a few reports on salinity (Arabidopsis and okra) and cadmium stress (okra) are present in the literature. However, these studies did not include the impact of MSB on physiological and plant water relation attributes, critical mediators of plant survival, and yield production under stress. Our results studied the impact of MSB on wheat administered to NaCl salinity in hydroponics medium. We used two wheat cultivars (salt-sensitive MH-97 and salt-tolerant Millat-2011, based on our pre-experimental studies). Seeds were primed in different MSB doses [control (unprimed), hydroprimed, 5, 10, 20, and 30 mM]. Salinity significantly diminished growth, chlorophyll molecules, photosynthesis, total free amino acids, water and turgor potentials, K, Ca, and P contents of wheat when administered NaCl salinity in the nutrient solution. Besides, a noteworthy accretion was present in oxidative stress markers [hydrogen peroxide & malondialdehyde], proline, ascorbic acid, antioxidant enzyme activities, and Na+ accumulation under salinity. Moreover, MSB noticeably enhanced chlorophyll molecules, proline, and oxidative defense to improve photosynthesis, plant water relations, and diminish specific ions toxicity. Our results manifested better defense regulation in salt-administered plants primed with 5 and 10 mM MSB. Our findings strongly advocated the use of MSB in improving plant salinity tolerance, particularly in wheat.

Exogenously applied 5-aminolevulinic acid modulates growth, secondary metabolism and oxidative defense in sunflower under water deficit stress.

The present experiment was set-up to appraise protective role of ALA in sunflower cultivars (FH-1581 and FH-1572) under water scarcity stress. The  ameliorative role of ALA in sunflower under water stress is not fully understood. Results showed significant decline in growth parameters, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll but marked increase in MDA, H2O2, total soluble proteins, flavonoids, proline, phenolics, total free amino acids as well as enzymes activities namely CAT, POD and SOD in plants under water scarcity. ALA application reduced oxidative damage by lowering H2O2 and MDA contents. ALA application differentially affected two cultivars under stress. Higher biomass accumulation was manifested in cv. FH-1581, while cv. FH-1572 was inferior in this context. Greater drought tolerance in cv. FH-1581 was related to higher cellular levels of proline, total free amino acids and efficient antioxidant system.

Treatment of textile effluents with Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia crassipes and Oedogonium sp.

Phytoremediation by aquatic macrophytes is a promising technology with higher efficiency and no energy consumption. For this purpose, two macrophytes (Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia crassipes), and an alga (Oedogonium sp.) were used to treat textile effluents rich in COD, BOD, dyes, and heavy metals (Pb, Fe, Cd, Cu). The aim of the study was to focus on comparative phytoremediation potential of these species by their metal removal capability. During 7 days experiment (day 0-day 6), the results showed that Oedogonium sp. was the best for COD removal and decolorization. Eichhornia crassipes was the best for BOD and heavy metal removal and proves more efficient than Pistia stratiotes and Oedogonium sp. However, Pistia stratiotes was found to accumulate more concentrations of Pb and Fe than Eichhornia stratiotes.

Advances in microbe-assisted reclamation of heavy metal contaminated soils over the last decade: A review.

Contamination of agricultural soils with trace metals present lethal consequences in terms of diverse ecological and environmental problems that entail entry of metal in food chain, soil deterioration, plant growth suppression, yield reduction and alteration in microbial community. Metal polluted soils have become a major concern for scientists around the globe. Phytoremediation involves the hyperaccumulation of metals in different plant parts. Phytoremediation of metals from polluted soils could be enhanced through inoculation with metal resistant plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria. These PGP bacteria not only promote plant growth but also enhance metal uptake by plants. There are a number of reports in the literature where PGP bacterial inoculation improves metal accumulation in different plant parts without influencing plant growth. Therefore, there is a need to select PGP bacterial strains which possess the potential to improve plant growth as well as expedite the phytoremediation of metals. In this review, we have discussed the mechanisms possessed by PGP bacteria to promote plant growth and phytoremediation of metals. The central part of this review deals with the recent advances in microbial assisted-phytoremediation of metals.

Evaluating future strategies for sustainable growth of fiberglass composites industry in developing countries: A novel hybrid SWOT-Fuzzy extended PIPRECIA approach.

The global fiberglass-composite market is expanding tremendously due to its extensive applications in the construction and automotive sector. The progress in low-medium income developing countries is slow. This study explores an exclusive hybrid model of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and Fuzzy extended PIPRECIA (pivot pairwise relative criteria importance assessment) to evaluate the strategies for sustainable development of fiberglass composites industry in Pakistan as a representative of low-medium developing countries. SWOT analysis is employed for examining the factors and sub-factors which have been extracted from a real-time industrial survey. While internal and external factors are also critically established to formulate a TOWS matrix comprising nine proposed strategies. Later the preferences as proposed by experts are evaluated by Fuzzy extended PIPRECIA i.e., a MCDM (multi-criteria decision making) model. Finally, SWOT factors, sub-factors and strategic choices are orderly ranked and presented. The results of the study reveal that development of a suitable environment to attract investors for the advancement and growth of the local fiber composites manufacturing industry (WO2 i.e., 0.175) is a most desirable and highly prioritized strategic choice. While maximizing environmental research to reduce environmental impact and better management of resources (WT2 i.e., 0.076) is the least favorable. The application of this exclusively developed MCDM model will provide an insight to the policy makers and assistive in strategic management and sustainable development of composite industry in developing countries. While this model can also be effective for other complex planning and decision-making processes.

Salicylic Acid and Gemma-Aminobutyric Acid Mediated Regulation of Growth, Metabolites, Antioxidant Defense System and Nutrient Uptake in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Under Arsenic Stress.

Background: Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic pollutant commonly found in soil and water, posing significant risks to human health and plant growth. Objective: The objectives of this study to evaluate morphological, biochemical, and physiological markers, as well as ion homeostasis, to alleviate the toxic effects of As in sunflowers through the exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and their combination. Methods: A pot experiment was conducted using two sunflower genotypes, FH-779 and FH-773, subjected to As stress (60 mg kg-1) to evaluate the effects of SA at 100 mg L-1, GABA at 200 mg L-1, and their combination on growth and related physiological and biochemical attributes under As stress. Results: The study revealed that As toxicity had a detrimental effect on various growth parameters, chlorophyll pigments, relative water content, total proteins, and nutrient uptake in sunflower plants. It also led to increased oxidative stress, as indicated by higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), along with As accumulation in the roots and leaves. However, the application of SA and GABA protected against As-induced damage by enhancing the enzymatic antioxidant defense system. This was achieved through the activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) activities, as well as an increase in osmolytes. They also improved nutrient acquisition and plant growth under As toxicity. Conclusions: We investigated the regulatory roles of SA and GABA in mitigating arsenic-induced phytotoxic effects on sunflower. Our results revealed a significant interaction between SA and GABA in regulating growth, photosynthesis, metabolites, antioxidant defense systems, and nutrient uptake in sunflower under As stress. These findings provide valuable insights into plant defense mechanisms and strategies to enhance stress tolerance in contaminated environments. In the future, SA and GABA could be valuable tools for managing stress in other important crops facing abiotic stress conditions.

Pervasive influence of heavy metals on metabolic pathways is potentially relieved by hesperidin to enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of Bassia scoparia.

Hesperidin (HSP), a flavonoid, is a potent antioxidant, metal chelator, mediator of signaling pathways, and regulator of metal uptake in plants. The study examined the ameliorative effects of HSP (100 µM) on Bassia scoparia grown under excessive levels of heavy metals (zinc (500 mg kg-1), copper (400 mg kg-1), cadmium (100 mg kg-1), and chromium (100 mg kg-1)). The study clarifies the underlying mechanisms by which HSP lessens metabolic mayhem to enhance metal stress tolerance and phytoremediation efficiency of Bassia scoparia. Plants manifested diminished growth because of a drop in chlorophyll content and nutrient acquisition, along with exacerbated deterioration of cellular membranes reflected in elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation, and relative membrane permeability. Besides the colossal production of cytotoxic methylglyoxal, the activity of lipoxygenase was also higher in plants under metal toxicity. Conversely, hesperidin suppressed the production of cytotoxic ROS and methylglyoxal. Hesperidin improved oxidative defense that protected membrane integrity. Hesperidin caused a more significant accumulation of osmolytes, non-protein thiols, and phytochelatins, thereby rendering metal ions non-toxic. Hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide endogenous levels were intricately maintained higher in plants treated with HSP. Hesperidin increased metal accumulation in Bassia scoparia and thereby had the potential to promote the reclamation of metal-contaminated soils.

Effect of hesperidin on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant systems and uptake of cadmium, copper, chromium and zinc by Celosia argentea plants.

Rapid industrialization and extensive agricultural practices are the major causes of soil heavy metal contamination, which needs urgent attention to safeguard the soils from contamination. However, the phytotoxic effects of excessive metals in plants are the primary obstacle to efficient phytoextraction. The present study evaluated the effects of hesperidin (HSP) on metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn) phytoextraction by hyperaccumulator (Celosia argentea L.) plants. For this purpose, HSP, a flavonoid compound with strong antioxidant potential to assist metal phytoextraction was used under metal stress in plants. Celosia argentea plants suffered significant (P ≤ 0.001) oxidative damage due to the colossal accumulation of metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn). However, HSP supplementation notably (P ≤ 0.001) abated ROS generation (O2•‒, •OH, H2O2), lipoxygenase activity, methylglyoxal production, and relative membrane permeability that clearly indicated HSP-mediated decline in oxidative injury in plants. Exogenous HSP improved (P ≤ 0.001) the production of non-protein thiol, phytochelatins, osmolytes, and antioxidant compounds. Further, HSP enhanced (P ≤ 0.001) H2S and NO endogenous production, which might have improved the GSH: GSSG ratio. Consequently, HSP-treated C. argentea plants had higher biomass alongside elevated metal accumulation mirrored as profound modifications in translocation factor (TF), bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC), and bioconcentration factor (BCF). In this context, HSP significantly enhanced TF of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.01), while BAC of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.001). Further, BCF was significant (P ≤ 0.05) only in plants grown under Cr-spiked soil. Overall, HSP has the potential for phytoremediation of metals by C. argentea, which might be a suitable strategy for metal-polluted soils.

Techno-economic and environmental sustainability analysis of filament-winding versus pultrusion based glass-fiber composite technologies.

In the era of sustainable development, glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have made their way into modern engineering, construction, and building sectors due to their exponential characteristics. While considering the rapid growth and development in this sector, this research has assessed the relative environmental and techno-economic sustainability of two sorts of GFRP composite technologies: (a) filament winding and (b) pultrusion to effectively appraise their application, merits, and demerits. This study will help low-middle-income countries like Pakistan toward cleaner production, environmental management, and sustainable industrial development. The techno-economic sustainability is determined by using life cycle costing and techno-economic indicators, i.e., benefit-cost (B/C) ratio, net present value (NVP), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period. The B/C ratio depicts the relationship between the relative cost and benefits of a technology, and NVP expresses the calculated present value of the future payback stream of a technological investment, while the IRR is an effective techno-economic indicators which can predict the efficacy of an investment, and the payback period is the time forecast for a technology to recover its investments. These techno-economic analytics showed that the net life-cycle cost performance, B/C ratio, and IRR are 5%, 7%, and 15% higher respectively for filament winding-based GFRP technology than the pultrusion-based manufacturing technology, whereas overall net life cycle benefits are about 80% greater for filament winding. Similarly, the payback time is shorter for filament winding compared to pultrusion. The environmental sustainability is determined, by employing a relative life cycle analysis (LCA) for both technologies. The system boundary for the study is "gate to gate," i.e., manufacturing phase, where these technologies are assessed for their environmental externalities. The functional unit of "1 kg finished product," i.e., manufactured by pultrusion and filament winding technology, and eight life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) categories; climate change potential (CCP), terrestrial eco-toxicity potential (TETP), ozone depletion potential (ODP), fossil resource depletion potential (FDP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), particulate matter (PM) formation, and water consumption potential (WCP) have been selected. The significant ecological impact scores are determined in the categories of CCP (kg CO2 eq.) as 10.8E + 00 and 5.01E + 00 and ETP (kg. 2,4-D eq.) as 1.26E-02 and 9.47E-03 and FDP (kg Oil eq.) as 3.96E + 00 and 2.59E + 00 for filament winding and pultrusion-based GFRP technologies, respectively. These LCIA results depicted that the ecological performance of filament winding technology is specifically better than pultrusion technology in the categories of EP, PM, and WCP, while, for all other life cycle impact categories, the pultrusion technology has depicted significantly lower impact potential and is environmentally more sustainable. The outcomes of this research will be greatly assistive for researchers, developers, manufacturers, and policymakers to effectively appraise the externalities and selection of a more sustainable GFRP technology.

Coumarin regulated redox homeostasis to facilitate phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils by bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.).

The use of coumarin (COU) to alleviate the phytotoxic effects of salinity has great potential in improving the phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils. 30-day bitter gourd plants were exposed to 15 dS m‒1 salinity of neutral (NaCl and Na2SO4) and alkaline (Na2CO3 and NaHCO3) salts. 60-day plants were harvested to record different growth, physiological and biochemical attributes. Salinity significantly subsided plant growth, chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and nutrient acquisition. Salinity induced notable oxidative damage in plants that displayed higher relative membrane permeability (RMP), accumulated elevated ROS (H2O2 and O2•‒) and MDA levels alongside intensified lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. The production of cytotoxic methylglyoxal was also significantly higher in plants under salinity. COU seed priming (50, 100 and 150 mg L‒1) promoted plant growth by circumventing oxidative injury and intensifying oxidative defense. Further, COU maintained the intricate balance between reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione to diminish ion excess toxicity, thereby facilitating the phytoremediation of saline soils. The lower doses of COU promoted methylglyoxal and ROS detoxification systems that, in turn, lessened the phytotoxic effects of salinity. COU restored ions homeostasis by augmenting osmotic adjustment in plants under salinity.

Allantoin alleviates chromium phytotoxic effects on wheat by regulating osmolyte accumulation, secondary metabolism, ROS homeostasis and nutrient acquisition.

Allantoin is a nitrogen metabolite with significant potential to mediate plant defense responses under salinity. However, the impact of allantoin on ions homeostasis and ROS metabolism has yet to be established in plants under Cr toxicity. In the current study, chromium (Cr) notably diminished growth, photosynthetic pigments, and nutrient acquisition in two wheat cultivars (Galaxy-2013 and Anaj-2017). Plants subjected to Cr toxicity displayed excessive Cr accumulation. Chromium produced substantial oxidative stress reflected as higher levels of O2•, H2O2, MDA, methylglyoxal (MG) and lipoxygenase activity. Plants manifested marginally raised antioxidant enzyme activities due to Cr stress. Further, reduced glutathione (GSH) levels diminished with a concurrent rise in oxidized glutathione levels (GSSG). Plants exhibited a considerable abridge in GSH:GSSG due to Cr toxicity. Allantoin (200 and 300 mg L1) subsided metal phytotoxic effects by strengthening the activities of antioxidant enzymes and levels of antioxidant compounds. Plants administered allantoin displayed a considerable rise in endogenous H2S and nitric oxide (NO) levels that, in turn, lessened oxidative injury in Cr-stressed plants. Allantoin diminished membrane damage and improved nutrient acquisition under Cr stress. Allantoin markedly regulated the uptake and distribution of Cr in wheat plants, abridging the degree of metal phytotoxic effect.

Eco-sustainability analysis of precast-concrete utility poles manufacturing-A case study from Pakistan.

The civil construction sector is a major contributor to the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and accounts for 40 to 50% of the total GHGs emissions produced all over the world. Concrete utility poles are considered as pillars of power distribution systems in many developing regions of the world. This study has analysed the environmental sustainability of low-tension (LT) and high-tension (HT) types of precast-concrete (PC) poles used for power distribution in Pakistan. Life cycle analysis (LCA) method is used for the assessment of environmental burdens associated with the production-manufacturing stages of these PC poles. The LCA scores are illustrated for five impact categories: climate change, acidification, eutrophication, fine-particulate matter formation and fossil resource scarcity. The significant impact scores have been depicted in climate change and abiotic resource depletion categories as; 4.60E+01 kg CO2 eq. and 1.24 E+01 kg oil eq (for LT PC pole) and 1.55E+02 kg CO2 eq and 3.00E+01 kg oil eq (for HT PC pole), respectively. The analytics further depict that the manufacturing of PC pole is a highly energy intensive process, with significant hauling of raw materials and finished product which causes significant emissions and impact towards climate change and fossil resources depletion. Overall, this research can offer several novel contributions to the field of sustainable development and civil engineering, including a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts of the manufacturing process, the development of sustainable practices and technologies and the identification of the links between sustainable development and economic growth.

Effect of seed priming by taurine on growth and chromium (Cr) uptake in canola (Brassica napus L.) under Cr stress.

Taurine is a recently recognized plant growth regulator under abiotic stress. However, the information on taurine-mediated plant defense responses is scarce, particularly on taurine-mediated regulation of the glyoxalase system. There is currently no report available on the use of taurine as seed priming under stress. Chromium (Cr) toxicity considerably subsided growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, and relative water content. Furthermore, plants encountered intensified oxidative injury due to a significant increase in relative membrane permeability, H2O2, O2•‒, and MDA production. The amount of antioxidant compounds and the functioning of antioxidant enzymes rose, but imbalance due to over ROS generation frequently depleted antioxidant compounds. Taurine seed priming (50, 100, 150, and 200 mg L‒1) notably diminished oxidative injury, strengthened the antioxidant system, and conspicuously subsided methylglyoxal levels through enhanced activities of glyoxalase enzymes. The accumulation of Cr content was minimal in plants administered taurine as seed priming. In conclusion, our research demonstrates that taurine priming effectively mitigated the adverse effects of Cr toxicity on canola. Taurine reduced oxidative damage, leading to improved growth, enhanced chlorophyll levels, optimized ROS metabolism, and enhanced methylglyoxal detoxification. These findings highlight the potential of taurine as a promising strategy to enhance the tolerance of canola plants to Cr toxicity.

Efficient treatment of tannery wastewater through aeration, coagulation, and algal pond.

BACKGROUND: Tannery wastewater effluents contain many toxic and carcinogenic heavy metals and physiochemical parameters that need to be removed before these effluents enter in the main water bodies or rivers. In this study, the effluents from the tannery industry are treated through aeration, coagulation, and Chlorella vulgaris pond treatment processes for the removal of physiochemical: parameters only. METHODS: The effect of removal efficiencies (%) was studied on the physicochemical parameters, including salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). RESULTS: The key results showed that the removal of EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD was 80.2%, 67%, 81%, 80.8%, 68.6%, and 100%, respectively, in raw wastewater treatment having 25, 50, and 70 g of algae C. vulgaris doses. The removal efficiencies (%) of salinity, EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD were 83%, 87.1%, 77.1%, 80%, 40%, 97%, and 98%, respectively, during coagulated wastewater treatment with three doses of algae. The observed improvement in treated wastewater indicated that the removal efficiencies (%) of salinity, EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD were 85.7%, 39.3%, 81.3%, 67.8%, 50.3%, 97%, and 98%, with C. vulgaris. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that the treatment of tannery wastewater by these processes increased the pollutant removal efficiencies as all the physiochemical parameters were exceeding the permissible limits. RESULTS CONTRIBUTION IN FUTURE: This research will be helpful to treat the industrial wastewaters or effluents before it further mixes up in the main water streams. In this way, water quality will be better, aquatic life will be saved, and further researchers can analyze more ways for efficient treatments as they have a baseline data through this study findings. PRACTITIONER POINTS: One of the most pollutant sources in terms of both physical and chemical parameters is the produced wastewater from tannery industries. The effluents from tannery industry are treated through aeration, coagulation, and algae ponds treatment processes. These treatment made the tannery wastewater as environmental friendly.