Use of ginger extract and bacterial inoculants for the suppression of Alternaria solani causing early blight disease in Tomato.

Early blight (EB), caused by Alternaria solani, is a serious problem in tomato production. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria promote plant growth and inhibit plant disease. The present study explored the bio-efficacy of synergistic effect of rhizobacterial isolates and ginger powder extract (GPE) against tomato EB disease, singly and in combination. Six fungal isolates from symptomatic tomato plants were identified as A. solani on the basis of morphological features i.e., horizontal septation (6.96 to 7.93 µm), vertical septation (1.50 to 2.22 µm), conidia length (174.2 to 187.6 µm), conidial width (14.09 to 16.52 µm), beak length (93.06 to 102.26 µm), and sporulation. Five of the twenty-three bacterial isolates recovered from tomato rhizosphere soil were nonpathogenic to tomato seedlings and were compatible with each other and with GPE. Out of five isolates tested individually, three isolates (St-149D, Hyd-13Z, and Gb-T23) showed maximum inhibition (56.3%, 48.3%, and 42.0% respectively) against mycelial growth of A. solani. Among combinations, St-149D + GPE had the highest mycelial growth inhibition (76.9%) over the untreated control. Bacterial strains molecularly characterized as Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus and were further tested in pot trials through seed bacterization for disease control. Seeds treated with bacterial consortia + GPE had the highest disease suppression percentage (78.1%), followed by St-149D + GPE (72.2%) and Hyd-13Z + GPE (67.5%). Maximum seed germination was obtained in the bacterial consortia + GPE (95.0 ± 2.04) followed by St-149D + GPE (92.5 ± 1.44) and Hyd-13Z + GPE (90.0 ± 2.04) over control (73.8 ± 2.39) and chemical control as standard treatment (90.0 ± 2). Ginger powder extracts also induce the activation of defence-related enzymes (TPC, PO, PPO, PAL, and CAT) activity in tomato plants. These were highly significant in the testing bacterial inoculants against A. solani infection in tomato crops.

Seed priming with selenium improves growth and yield of quinoa plants suffering drought.

Drought stress is a worldwide threat to the productivity of crops, especially in arid and semi-arid zones of the world. In the present study, the effect of selenium (Se) seed priming on the yield of quinoa under normal and drought conditions was investigated. A pot trial was executed to enhance the drought tolerance in quinoa by Se seed priming (0, 3, 6, and 9 mg Se L-1). The plants were exposed to water stress at three different growth stages of quinoa, viz. multiple leaf, flowering, and seed filling. It was noticed that drought significantly affected the yield components of quinoa, however, Se priming improved the drought tolerance potential and yield of quinoa by maintaining the plant water status. Se priming significantly increased main panicle length (20.29%), main panicle weight (26.43%), and thousand grain weight (15.41%) as well as the gas exchange parameters (transpiration rate (29.74%), stomatal conductance (35.29%), and photosynthetic rate (28.79%), total phenolics (29.36%), leaf chlorophyll contents (35.97%), water relations (leaf relative water contents (14.55%), osmotic potential (10.32%), water potential (38.35%), and turgor potential (31.37%), and economic yield (35.99%) under drought stress. Moreover, Se priming markedly improved grain quality parameters i.e., phosphorus, potassium, and protein contents by 21.28%, 18.92%, and 15.04%, respectively. The principal component analysis connected the various study scales and showed the ability of physio-biochemical factors to describe yield fluctuations in response to Se seed priming under drought conditions. In conclusion, a drought at the seed-filling stage has a far more deleterious impact among other critical growth stages and seed priming with Se (6 mg L-1) was found more effective in alleviating the detrimental effects of drought on the grain yield of quinoa.

Micrometer insights into Nepeta genus: Pollen micromorphology unveiled.

This study provides a comprehensive pollen micromorphology within the Nepeta genus, revealing intricate details about the pollen grains' structure and characteristics. The findings shed light on the evolutionary and taxonomical aspects of this plant genus, offering valuable insights for botanists and researchers studying Nepeta species. The pollen grains of 18 Nepeta species were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) in Northern Pakistan. At the microscale, pollen quantitative measurements, qualitative traits, and diverse sculpturing patterns were reported and compared. Significant differences in pollen size, shape, ornamentation, and sculpturing patterns were discovered among the Nepeta species. Our data show that exine sculpturing is quite diverse, with most species exhibiting a reticulate perforate pollen pattern. Nepeta connata, Nepeta discolor, Nepeta elliptica, revealed a distinct bireticulate perforate exine stratification. Hexazonocolpate pollen is the most common. Furthermore, the surface membrane attributes of the colpus varied greatly, ranging from rough, scabrate, psilate, to sinuate patterns. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to discover the key factors influencing pollen diversity. PCA results showed that polar and equatorial diameters, colpi size, and exine thickness were the most influential pollen features between Nepeta species. This study adds to our understanding of pollen morphology in the Nepeta genus, offering information on the vast range of characteristics found in this economically important group. The extensive characterization of pollen features provides useful insights for the categorization and differentiation of Nepeta species, adding to the Lamiaceae micromorphology.

Cobalt Uptake by Food Plants and Accumulation in Municipal Solid Waste Materials Compost-amended Soil: Public Health Implications.

One of the most pressing environmental issues is how to properly dispose of municipal solid waste (MSW), which represents both a substantial source of concern and a challenge. The current study evaluated cobalt (Co) accumulation in MSW, their uptake by different vegetables grown for two years, and related human health risks. Vegetables were grown in four different groups, such as one control (ground soil), and the remaining treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3) received varying concentrations of MSW. The analysis of Co was done through an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Results revealed that the concentration of Co was higher in all the vegetables (n = 15) grown in soil supplemented with 75% MSW during 2nd growing year. Among all vegetables, the highest concentration of Co was observed in Solanum tuberosum at T3 during 2nd growing year. The pollution load index (PLI) value for vegetables during both growing years was more than 1 except in control soil. The findings indicated that the highest enrichment factor (EF) and hazard resilience index (HRI) value of 0.09 was present in S. tuberosum. Health index values for cobalt in the study were below 1. The HRI < 1 indicated that consumers do not face any immediate health risks. The investigation of Co concentrations in blood samples obtained from individuals residing in different areas contributes a human health perspective to the research. The findings indicate that the concentration of Co rises with an increasing proportion of MSW. While the metal levels in MSW-treated soil were not high enough to classify the soil as polluted, the results recommend that recycling MSW can substitute mineral fertilizers. Nevertheless, the presence of cobalt in MSW may directly affect soil fertility and could impact crop production and human health.

Comparative taxonomical, biological and pharmacological potential of healthy and geminivirus infected leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.: First report.

In the present research project, the first report on comparative analysis of the taxonomical, biological and pharmacological potential of healthy and geminivirus infected Hibiscus rosa sinensis (L.) leaves of the family Malvaceae was done by using different micro and macroscopic techniques. First of all, leaves were characterized for Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) and its associated betasatellite (Cotton leaf curl Multan Betasatellite; CLCuMB). Different morphological parameters like shape and size of stem, leaves, seeds and roots, presence and absence of ligule, distance between nodes and internodes and type of inflorescence etc. were analyzed. CLCuMuV infected H. rosa-sinensis revealed systematic symptoms of infection like chlorosis of leaves, stunted growth, decrease in size of roots, shoots and distortion etc. Anatomical investigation was performed under light ad scanning electron microscope. Different anatomical features like length and shape of guard cells, subsidiary cells, presence or absence of stomata, secretory ducts and trichomes were examined. In both plant samples anomocytic types of stomata and elongated, non-glandular and pointed tip trichomes were present, but the size (especially length and width) of trichomes and other cells like epidermal, subsidiary, and guard cells were highest in virus infected plants likened to healthy one. In the antibacterial activity, the maximum antibacterial potentail was seen in methanolic extract of K. pneumonea while antifungal activity was shown by methanolic extract of A. solani. Plants interact with different biological entities according to environmental conditions continuously and evolved. These types of interactions induce changes positively and negatively on plant metabolism and metabolites production. Many plant viruses also attacked various host plants consequently alter their secondary metabolism. To overcome such virus infected plants produces many important and different types of secondary plant metabolites as a defense response. Subsequent analysis of this n-hexane plant extract using Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy technique revealed that Hibiscus eluted contained 10 main compounds in Healthy sample and 13 compounds in infected one. Presence of essential secondary metabolites were also analyzed by FTIR analysis. The present study provides a comprehensive and novel review on taxonomy (morphology, anatomy) and antimicrobial potential of both healthy and geminivirus infected H. rosa-sinensis.

Combined application of hot water treatment and eucalyptus leaf extract postpones senescence in harvested green chilies by conserving their antioxidants: a sustainable approach.

BACKGROUND: Green chili is the predominant vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions with high economic value. However, after harvest, it exhibits vigorous metabolic activities due to the high moisture level, leading to a reduction in bioactive compounds and hence reduced shelf life and nutritional quality. Low temperature storage results in the onset of chilling injury symptoms. Therefore, developing techniques to increase the shelf life of green chilies and safeguard their nutritional value has become a serious concern for researchers. In this regard, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of the alone or combined application of hot water treatment (HWT) (45 °C for 15 min) and eucalyptus leaf extract (ELE) (30%) on 'Golden Hot' chilies in comparison to the control. After treatment, chilies were stored at 20 ± 1.5 °C for 20 days. RESULTS: HWT + ELE-treated chilies had a significant reduction in fruit weight loss (14.6%), fungal decay index (35%), red chili percentage (41.2%), soluble solid content (42.9%), ripening index (48.9%), and reactive oxygen species production like H2O2 (55.1%) and O-2 (46.5%) during shelf in comparison to control, followed by the alone application of HWT and ELE. Furthermore, the combined use of HWT and ELE effectively improved the antioxidative properties of stored chilies including DPPH radical scavenging activities (54.6%), ascorbic acid content (28.4%), phenolic content (31.8%), as well as the enzyme activities of POD (103%), CAT (128%), SOD (26.5%), and APX (43.8%) in comparison to the control. Additionally, the green chilies underwent HWT + ELE treatment also exhibited higher chlorophyll levels (100%) and general appearance (79.6%) with reduced anthocyanin content (40.8%) and wrinkling (43%), leading to a higher marketable fruit (41.3%) than the control. CONCLUSION: The pre-storage application of HWT and ELE could be used as an antimicrobial, non-chemical, non-toxic, and eco-friendly treatment for preserving the postharvest quality of green chilies at ambient temperature (20 ± 1.5 °C).

Postharvest starch and sugars adjustment in potato tubers of wide-ranging dormancy genotypes subjected to various sprout forcing techniques.

The development of an efficient, safe, and environment-friendly technique to terminate tuber dormancy in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) is of great concern due to the immense scope of multiple cropping all over the globe. The breakage of tuber dormancy has been associated with numerous physiological changes, including a decline in the level of starch and an increase in the levels of sugars during storage of freshly harvested seed potatoes, although their consistency across genotypes and various dormancy-breaking techniques have not yet been fully elucidated. The purpose of the present research is to assess the efficacy of four different dormancy-breaking techniques, such as soaking in 90, 60, or 30 mg L-1 solutions of benzyl amino purine (BAP) and 30, 20, or 10 mg L-1 gibberellic acid (GA3) alone and in the combination of optimized concentrations; cold pre-treatment at 6, 4, or 2 °C; electric shock at 80, 60, 40, or 20 Vs; and irradiation at 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, or 1 kGy on the tuber dormancy period and sprout length of six genotypes. Furthermore, the changes that occurred in tuber weight and endogenous starch, sucrose, fructose, and glucose contents in experimental genotypes following the application of these techniques were also examined. Overall, the most effective technique to terminate tuber dormancy and hasten spout growth was the combined application of BAP and GA3, which reduced the length of dormancy by 9.6 days compared to the untreated control, following 6.7 days of electric current, 4.4 days of cold pre-treatment, and finally irradiation (3.3 days). The 60 mg L-1 solution of BAP greatly reduced the dormancy period in all genotypes but did not affect the sprout length at all. The genotypes showed a weak negative correlation (r = - 0.4) (P < 0.05) of endogenous starch contents with dormancy breakage and weight loss or a moderate (r = - 0.5) correlation with sprout length, but a strong positive correlation (r = 0.8) of tuber glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents with dormancy breakage and weight loss. During 3 weeks of storage, sprouting commencement and significant weight loss occurred as tuber dormancy advanced towards breakage due to a reduction in starch and an increase in the sucrose, fructose, and glucose contents of the tubers. These findings could be advantageous for postponing or accelerating seed potato storage as well as investigating related physiological research in the future.

Phytochemical-Mediated Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Strobilanthes glutinosus: Exploring Biological Applications.

The application of green synthesis for silver nanoparticles in nanomedicine has experienced significant growth. Strobilanthes glutinosus, a plant primarily located in the Himalayas, remains largely unexplored. Considering the biomedical value of S. glutinosus, phytochemicals from this plant were used for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized from aqueous extract of root and leaves of Strobilanthes glutinosus. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of plants were determined and compared with nanoparticles. The biomedical efficacy of plant extracts and silver nanoparticles was assessed using antioxidant and antibacterial assays. The UV-Vis spectra of leaf- and root-extract-mediated AgNPs showed characteristic peaks at 428 nm and 429 nm, respectively. TEM images revealed the polycrystalline and spherical shapes of leaf- and root-extract-mediated AgNPs with size ranges of 15-60 nm and 20-52 nm, respectively. FTIR findings shown the involvement of phytochemicals of root and leaf extracts in the reduction of silver ions into silver nanoparticles. The crystalline face-centered cubic structure of nanoparticles is depicted by the XRD spectra of leaf and root AgNPs. The plant has an ample amount of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), which enhance the scavenging activity of plant samples and their respective AgNPs. Leaf and root AgNPs have also shown good antibacterial activity, which may enhance the medicinal value of AgNPs.

Phytoremediation of bauxite wastewater potentiality by Jatropa curcas.

Bauxite wastewater creates soil contamination and produces toxic effects on human health such as respiratory and skin rash problems. In this study, we investigated the phytoremediation ability of Jatropha curcas to remove bauxite wastewater from soil. Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the bauxite wastewater on the phytoremediation potential of J. curcas grown in contaminated soils. J. curcas exhibited a significant increase in plant growth leaf, root activity, plant height, and plant shoot when grown in bauxite contaminated soils compared with J. curcas grown in uncontaminated soils after 30 d treatment. Under bauxite exposure, a higher aluminium removal (88.5%) was observed in soils planted with J. curcas than unplanted soils (39.6%). The bioconcentration factor was also found to be 5.62, indicating that J. curcas have great tolerance and hyperaccumulator of aluminium under high aluminium concentrations and are capable of phytoextraction of soil contaminated with bauxite wastewater.

Short-term responses of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) to the individual and combinatorial effects of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and silicon in the soil contaminated by boron.

While of lesser prevalence than boron (B) deficient soils, B-rich soils are important to study as they can cause B toxicity in the field and subsequently decrease crop yields in different regions of the world. We have conducted the present study to examine the role of the individual or combined application of silicon (Si) and NPK fertilizer in B-stressed spinach plants (Spinacia oleracea L.). S. oleracea seedlings were subjected to different NPK fertilizers, namely, low NPK (30 kg ha-2) and normal NPK (60 kg ha-2)], which were also supplemented by Si (3 mmol L-1), for varying levels of B in the soil i.e., 0, 250, and 500 mg kg-1. Our results illustrated that the increasing levels of B in the soil caused a substantial decrease in the plant height, number of leaves, number of stems, leaf area, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid content, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, magnesium content in the roots, magnesium contents in the shoots, phosphorus content in the roots, phosphorus content in the leaves in the shoots, iron content in the roots, iron content in the shoots, calcium content in the roots, and calcium content in the shoots. However, B toxicity in the soil increased the concentration of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte leakage which were also manifested by the increasing activities of enzymatic [superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)], and non-enzymatic antioxidants (phenolic, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin content). B toxicity in the soil further increased the concentration of organic acids in the roots such as oxalic acid, malic acid, formic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and fumaric acid. The addition of Si and fertilizer levels in the soil significantly alleviated B toxicity effects on S. oleracea by improving photosynthetic capacity and ultimately plant growth. The increased activity of antioxidant enzymes in Si and NPK-treated plants seems to play a role in capturing stress-induced reactive oxygen species, as was evident from the lower levels of oxidative stress indicators, organic acid exudation, and B concentration in the roots and shoots of Si and NPK-treated plants. Research findings, therefore, suggested that the Si and NPK application can ameliorate B toxicity in S. oleracea seedlings and result in improved plant growth and composition under metal stress as depicted by the balanced exudation of organic acids.

Ethnogynaecological Knowledge of Traditional Medicinal Plants Used by the Indigenous Communities of North Waziristan, Pakistan.

Background: Since the beginning of civilization, medicinal plants have been used in human healthcare systems. Studies have been conducted worldwide to evaluate their efficacy, and some of the results have triggered the development of plant-based medications. Rural women in Pakistan frequently experience gynaecological disorders due to malnutrition and heavy physical work during pregnancy. Due to the low economic status, the remoteness of the area, and the lack of modern health services, herbal therapy for gynaecological disorders is common among the indigenous tribes of the study area. Methods: Field surveys were carried out from April 2018 to October 2020 to collect data regarding medicinal plants used for different gynaecological disorders. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect ethnogynaecological data. Results: In total, 67 medicinal plant species belonging to 38 families are being used to treat 26 different gynaecological problems. The herbaceous growth form and the Lamiaceae family were recorded with the maximum number of plant species (42 species and 7 species, respectively). Leaves are the most highly utilized plant part, with 16 species. In the case preparation method, decoction was the dominant method (25 species, 36.76%). The informants reported the maximum number of species for the treatment of irregular menstrual flow as 11 species (15.28%). The highest relative frequency of citation (RFC) value was obtained for Acacia modesta (0.37), and the use value (UV) for Tecomella undulata (0.85). The highest informants' consensus factor (ICF) value (1.0) was obtained for emmenagogue and tonic each after delivery. The highest consensus index (CI%) value was calculated for Acacia modesta (36.92%). The Lamiaceae had the highest family importance value (FIV) (98.46%). Conclusion: This is the first ever quantitative study focusing mainly on ethnogynaecological study conducted in the tribal areas of North Waziristan which highlights the importance of traditional herbal remedies for their basic medical requirements. The results of this study would serve as a baseline for advanced phytochemical and pharmacological screening, as well as conservationists for further studies.

Protective effect of jasmonic acid and potassium against cadmium stress in peas (Pisum sativum L.).

A combination of mineral nutrients and plant growth regulators should be assessed to improve crop performance under various abiotic stresses. There is a need to include plant growth regulators in fertilization regime of various crops along with essential mineral nutrients, especially when they are irrigated with polluted water with higher levels of heavy metals. The performance of pea was evaluated under cadmium (Cd) stress coupled with potassium (K) and jasmonic acid (JA) supplementation. The Cd stress (50 µM) was applied to soil (sandy loam) grown pea plants as basal dose after a month of sowing. The control and stressed plants were then supplemented with K (5 M), JA (0.5 mM) and their collective application along with control as distilled water. Cd stress showed a marked reduction in growth pattern, however, the collective supplementation sufficiently improved the growth pattern of stressed peas plants as evidenced by improvement in shoot length (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves per plant, leaf area (cm2), plant fresh and dry weight (gm). Potassium application under Cd stress significantly enhanced internodal distance (cm) while the number of seeds per pod and relative water contents remained nonsignificant. The applied treatment (JA + K) under Cd stress prominently improved enzymatic activities, which were measured as nitrate reductase activity (NRA), nitrite reductase activity (NiRA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT). Cd stress impacted the biochemical profile by enhancing antioxidant capacity (AC), antioxidant activity (AA), total phenols (TP), while reducing total soluble protein (TSP), chlorophyll 'a', chlorophyll 'b' and carotenoids. The combined application of JA and K under Cd stress enhanced AC, AA, TP, Chl a and b, TSP and carotenoids. The results indicate that foliar application of JA and K efficiently negated the harmful effects of Cd stress on peas.

Nutritional status, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of different fruits and vegetables' peels.

The present study assessed nutritional status, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content in fruits, i.e., mango (Mangifera indica), apple (Malus domestica), and vegetable, i.e., bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), and ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) peels. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were evaluated by using methanol extracts along with 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay, respectively having Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Gallic acid (GA) as standard. The TPC and antioxidant activity in the peels ranged from 20 mg GAE/g to 525 mg GAE/g and 15.02% to 75.95%, respectively, which revealed that investigated fruit and vegetable peels are rich source of phytochemical constituents. Bottle gourd peels exhibited the highest value of DPPH compared to the rest of the peels included in the study. Likewise, mango peels had the highest TPC as compared to the rest of the fruit peels. This research showed that the utilization of agricultural wastes should be promoted at commercial level to achieve the nutritional benefit at zero cost and minimize the generation of biological waste.

Se substituted 2D-gC3N4 modified disposable screen-printed carbon electrode substrate: A bifunctional nano-catalyst for electrochemical and absorption study of hazardous fungicide.

The indispensable usage of pesticides for the control and prevention of pests is probable and includes several types based on the problems in the crops. Among them, fungicides, are one problem-solving agent curing fungal developments. the disproportionate use of fungicides will lead to environmental deterioration and several health issues. The assessment of such fungicides is highly motivated to be detected. Under the class of two-dimensional materials, graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) with high surface area and high electrocatalytic activity was chosen as electrode material. The efficiency of GCN was improved with the subsequent substitution of selenium (Se) into the triazine ring as Se-GCN. The structural and surface analysis was done and the layered structure was proved. The electrochemical detection of CBM showed a lower detection limit at 6 nM with a linear range 0.099 µM-346.9 µM while, the absorption studies showed a LOD of 20 nM with a linear range of 0.099 µM-182.09 µM. The orange juice and vegetable extract samples had good recovery with CBM at Se-GCN modified disposable screen-printed electrode. The developed disposable electrode was more sensitive with 6.45 µAµM-1cm2 sensitivity and highly reactive with CBM. Moreover, the developed sensor will be more effective in sensing applications to avoid the menace generated by several agents.

Application of natural and synthetic growth promoters improves the productivity and quality of quinoa crop through enhanced photosynthetic and antioxidant activities.

Modern agriculture is primarily concerned with enhanced productivity of field crops linked with maximum resources use efficiency to feed the increasing population of the world. Exogenous application of biostimulants is considered a sustainable and ecofriendly approach to improve the growth and productivity of agronomic and horticultural field crops. The present study was carried out to explore the comparative growth enhancing potential of plant biostimulants (moringa leaf extract at 3% and sorghum water extract at 3%) and synthetic growth promoters (ascorbic acid at 500 µM and hydrogen peroxide at 100 µM) on growth, productivity and quality of quinoa crop (cultivar UAF-Q7) because it has gained significant popularity among agricultural scientists and farmers throughout the world due to its high nutritional profile. A field experiment was carried out at the Research Area of Directorate of Farms, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during quinoa cultivation season of 2016-2017 and repeated during next year (2017-2018). All the foliar treatments enhanced the physiological, biochemical, quality, growth and yield attributes of quinoa as compared to control group. However, maximum improvement was observed in chlorophyll a and b contents, photosynthesis and respiration rates, and water use efficiency by moringa leaf extract (MLE) application. MLE application was also found more responsive regarding the improvement in activities of peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, phenolics and glycine betaine as compared to other treatments. Mineral elements i.e. K, Ca and N in root as well as in shoot were found the highest in response to MLE application. Similarly, growth (plant fresh and dry biomass, plant length and grain yield) and grain quality parameters (protein, K and Ca) were also significantly enhanced. Application of MLE was found to be a viable approach to improve the growth and quality of produce as compared to synthetic compounds.

Impact and fungitoxic spectrum of Trachyspermum ammi against Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogenic fungus commonly found in human gut that causes Candidiasis infection.

BACKGROUND: Trachyspermum ammi (commonly known as Ajwain), a medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family is scientifically acknowledged to harbor potential bioactive compounds for the treatment of gastrointestinal issues, loss of appetite, bronchial difficulties, cough, inflammation, diarrhoea, headache, hypertension, stomach discomfort, bronchitis and influenza. Candida albicans is generally a commensal fungus found in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. OBJECTIVE: This study was focused on secondary metabolites of T. ammi and its effects towards candidiasis infection as caused by C. albicans. METHODS: Phytochemical components of T. ammi as a crude extract were extracted through maceration method using three polar (ethanol, methanol and water) and two non-polar (chloroform and diethyl ether) solvents and subjected to 14 phytochemical tests. Further, the crude extract of T. ammi was analyzed over gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Evaluation of antimicrobial property of the extract was carried out by minimum fungal concentration (MFC) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). In addition, cell reduction assay was performed using flowcytometry to confirm the antifungal effect of Ajwain crude extract. RESULTS: The aqueous extract showed high presence of phytochemicals including alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, resins, steroids, tannins, inorganic acids, organic acids, phenolic compounds, amino acids, protein and coumarins. GCMS analysis revealed seven bioactive compounds, in which thymol was detected in significant amount in the chromatogram. FTIR performance showed the presence of various stretching vibration including OH, CH, CC, CO, CN and COC. However, the MFC and MIC of Ajwain extracts using different solvent showed that the methanolic extract possesses maximum antifungal efficacy at 250 µg/ml and 15.6 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, cell reduction assay exhibited significant cell reduction in Ajwain methanolic extract compared to the other crude extracts used in the study. CONCLUSION: Overall, the findings revealed that Ajwain methanolic crude extract has antifungal activity against C. albicans; however, that further needs to be established at molecular level.

Phytomolecules-Coated NiO Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Abutilon indicum Leaf Extract: Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Anticancer Activities.

BACKGROUND: NiO nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their unique properties. They have been synthesized using chemical and physical techniques that often need toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals cannot easily be removed from the nanoparticle's surface, make them less biocompatible, and limit their biological applications. Instead, plants based green synthesis of nanoparticles uses phytomolecules as reducing and capping agents. These phytomolecules are biologically active with no or less toxic effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytomolecules-coated NiO nanoparticles were synthesized employing a green route using Abutilon indicum leaf extract. For comparative study, we also have synthesized NiO nanoparticles using the co-precipitation method. Synthesized nanoparticles were successfully characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for antibacterial activity with agar well diffusion assay against different bacteria compared to standard drug and plant extract. They are also examined for anticancer potential using MTT assay against HeLa cancer cells, and further, their antioxidant potential was determined using DPPH assay. Biocompatibility of the synthesized nanoparticles was assessed against fibroblast cells. RESULTS: Phytomolecules-coated NiO nanoparticles were demonstrated superior antibacterial and anticancer performance against bacteria (E. coli, B. bronchiseptica, B. subtilis, and S. aureus) by presenting highest zone of inhibitions (18 ± 0.58 mm, 21 ± 0.45 mm, 22 ± 0.32 mm, and 23 ± 0.77 mm) and HeLa cancer cells by exhibiting the least cell viability percentage (51.74 ± 0.35%) compared to plant extract and chemically synthesized NiO nanoparticles but were comparable to standard antibiotic and anticancer drugs, respectively. Phytomolecules-coated NiO nanoparticles were also demonstrated excellent antioxidant activity (79.87 ± 0.43% DPPH inhibition) and biocompatibility (> 90% cell viability) with fibroblast cells. CONCLUSION: Nanoparticle synthesis using the Abutilon indicum leaf extract is an efficient and economical method, produces biocompatible and more biologically active nanoparticles, which can be an excellent candidate for therapeutic applications.

In vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of polyherbal extracts from Vetiveria zizanioides, Trichosanthes cucumerina, and Mollugo cerviana on HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines.

Various metabolites exist in the medicinal plants have lot of potential to cure various diseases and disorders. Plants such as, Vetiveria zizanioides, Trichosanthes cucumerina, and Mollugo cerviana were collected from Western Ghats, Tamilnadu, India. Phytochemicals were extracted from these plants using various organic solvents and tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The phytochemicals such as, carbohydrate, alkaloids, steroids, saponins, flavonoids and tannin were detected from these medicinal plants. Among the extracts, methanol showed potent activity and this solvent was used to extract polyherbal medicinal plants. Methanol extract of V. zizanioides was found to be highly active against E. coli (27 ± 2 mm), P. mirabilis (19 ± 3 mm) and B. subtilis (18 ± 2 mm). Ethyl acetate extract showed high activity against E. coli (24 ± 2 mm), P. mirabilis (22 ± 3 mm) and B. subtilis (20 ± 1 mm). These three plants were taken at 1:1:1 ratio and extracted with methanol at 1:10 ratio and synergistic activity was tested against bacterial pathogens. Synergistic activity of polyherbal extract was analyzed. The extracted crude herbal medicine was found to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Enterbacter sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus mirabilis. The zone of inhibition was 33 ± 3 mm, 17 ± 2 mm, 22 ± 2 mm, 40 ± 2 mm, 33 ± 1 mm and 38 ± 2 mm zone of inhibition against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, B. subtilis and Enterobacter sp. Polyherbal extract was found to be highly effective against P. mirabilis and Enterobacter sp. MIC values of polyherbal extract ranged from 29 ± 2.5 µg/ml to 34 ± 2.5 µg/ml. MIC value was found to be less against P. mirabilis and was high against S. aureus. Antioxidant property varied between 49 ± 3% and 95.3 ± 2%. At 20 µg/ml antioxidant activity was reported as 49 ± 3% and it was increased at higher concentrations of polyherbal extract. Two cell lines (HeLa and MCF cell lines) were selected to analyze cytotoxic activity of polyherbal extract. The methanol extract of polyherbal fraction showed cytotoxicity against these two cell lines. The LC50 value was 467 ± 2.9 µg/ml against HeLa cell line and >800 µg/ml against MCF-7 cell lines. The polyherbal extract showed antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activities.

In-vitro phytochemical and pharmacological bio-efficacy studies on Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Melia azedarach Linn for anticancer activity.

In this study, phyto-constituents, anti-bacterial and anticancer activity of Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Melia azedarach Linn was analyzed. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) fingerprint profile of methanol extract of A. indica and M. azedarach was carried out. The present findings showed the presence of phytochemicals such as, steroids, alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinone and aminoacids in A. indica and M. azedarach extracts. HPLC profiling of methanolic extract of A. indica and M. azaderach revealed eleven and ten fractions of compounds were visualized in the form of peak. In TLC methanolic extract of A. indica was separated by eight distinct phenolic and three steroidal bands and M. azaderach showed sixteen distinct phenolic and three different steroidal bands. In antibacterial activity, Among the various extracts 50 µg/ml methanolic extracts of A. indica showed high activity against K. pneumoniae (14 mm) and M. azedarach showed high activity against S. aureus (15 mm). The results suggest that the crude methanolic extracts of A. indica and M. azedarach possess significant phytochemical properties compared to other extracts and hence the phytochemicals of M. azedarach and A. indica can be exploited for plant based anticancer and antimicrobial agents in the near future.

Identification and inoculation of fungal strains from Cedrus deodara rhizosphere involve in growth and alleviation of high nitrogen stress.

Cedrus deodara is economically and ethnobotanically an important forest tree and is shown to be at decline in Northern areas of Pakistan in recent years mainly due to high concentration of Nitrogen in forests. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) association forming fungi enables the forest trees to develop optimally by absorbing water from the rhizosphere through their absorptive hyphae and by making available the nutrients by mobilization of N and P from the organic substrates. This study was conducted to identify the ECM strains from C. deodara rhizosphere and to analyse the impact of high N load on the C. deodara seedlings to establish N critical load value for coniferous forests of Pakistan. Six new fungal strains were identified from the rhizosphere of C. deodara and were registered at GenBank (NCBI) as Emmia latemarginata strain ACE1, Aspergillus terreus strain ACE2, Purpureocillium lilacinum strain ACE3, Talaromyces pinophilus strain ACE4, A. fumigatus strain ACE5 and T. pinophilus strain ACE6 with accession numbers MH145426, MH145427, MH145428, MH145429, MH145430 and MH547115. Four out of six isolated strains were inoculated with seedlings of C. deodara singly and in consortium (CN) in combination with nitrogen load of 0 (C), 25 (T1), 50 (T2), 100 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (T3). Agronomic, physiological and gene expression studies for ExpansinA4 (EXPA4) and Cystatins (Cys) were made to analyse the impact of fungal strains in relation to high N stress. This study suggests a positive impact of T1 (25 kg N ha-1 yr-1) Nitrogen load and a negative impact of T3 (100 kg N ha-1 yr-1) on growth parameters and expression patterns of EXPA4 and Cys genes. Peroxidase (POX) activity decreased in the order ACE5 > ACE2 > C > ACE3 > ACE1 > CN. However, the results of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed decreasing trend in the order ACE5 > C > CN > ACE1 > ACE2 > ACE3. Strain ACE3 was shown to have a positive impact on the seedlings in terms of growth, physiology and expression of genes. Present study suggests that newly identified fungal strains showing positive impact on the growth and physiology of C. deodara could be used for the propagation of this economically important plant in Pakistan after pathogenicity test.